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10 Most Popular Degree programs in 2010
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Tips for getting college scholarships
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5 Super Killer Craigslist Addons for YOU
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Top online Master of Business Administration (MBA) schools other than the University of Phoenix
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Marietta High has defeated Morgan High in four consecutive football season openers since the series was resumed in 2009.
The Adam Eichhorn-coached Tigers would like nothing better than to continue that trend when they host the Nate Smith-led Raiders at Don Drumm Stadium Friday at 7:30 p.m.
"We have the advantage of playing at home, so we must get out of the gate fast and put points on the board," Eichhorn said. "The last three seasons, we have had to hang on to a close lead or come from behind in the second half. It would be a big step forward for us to be able to set the tone early and control the line of scrimmage on both sides."
Article Photos
JORDAN HOLLAND The Marietta Times
Marietta High sophomore John Henry, passing above in a 7-on-7 scrimmage at Meadowbrook, will be the starting quarterback when the Tigers host Morgan in a season and home opener at Don Drumm Stadium Friday night.
Morgan of course is hoping to halt that losing streak. Last year, the Raiders almost did in McConnelsville, but squandered a second-half advantage and dropped a 41-35 decision to the come-from-behind Tigers.
"We definitely have work to do this week in all phases to get prepared for Morgan," Eichhorn said. "Looking ahead to our opener against Morgan, we know we will see a very disciplined, well-coached team."
Morgan is also a team that suffered some key personnel losses in all-district fullback Justin Head transferring, and quarterbacks' Kyle Earich and Hayden Matheny both unable to play this fall due to injuries. Head and Earich each gave Marietta's defense fits in last year's contest.
As it looks now, either Michael Apperson or Mason Edgell will be taking center snaps, while Levi Barkhurst, Jerome Mayle, and Bruce Thompson are expected to get a lot of handoffs in the backfield.
"Morgan has stayed with the same schemes since I've been here, and they run them very well," Eichhorn said. "They run one of the best Wing-T, mid-line options I have seen, and we must be very disciplined defensively to stop it."
Defensively, Morgan appears to bend but not break. In a preseason scrimmage against visiting Warren, the Raiders recovered three fumbles, and intercepted two passes.
"I did get out to watch the Morgan/Warren scrimmage," Eichhorn said. "Just as we did the night before (at John Marshall), there were a lot of miscues in terms of penalties and fumbles. I was impressed with Morgan in terms of how hard they played."
Marietta will definitely miss standout hitman Kyle Bronski, a transfer to Parkersburg Catholic, but people like Garrett Davis, Chance Wright, Jonnie Hedrick, Cogan Bishop, and Spencer Frum like to mix it up pretty good on defense.
During the preseason, Marietta had mixed results, playing well against Wahama at Don Drumm and not-so well at John Marshall.
Against the White Falcons, senior Anthony Kimbrough and sophomore John Henry each looked sharp as a signal caller. Quinton Coffield, Matt Morris, Connor Beavers, Davis, Frum, and Wright all had productive outings.
But against the Monarchs, the Tiger offense was a little out of sync.
"We had a handful of mental miscues that we didn't have against Wahama, but those are correctable things," Eichhorn said. "I wouldn't say that any one person stood out, but our offensive backs ran hard all night and picked up some tough yards. Offensively, it is crucial for us to control the game with our line."
Some of those Tiger people in the trenches who are being counted on are Alex Hogan, Tyler Ritchie, Zach Hearn, Ryan Lutz, Bryan Lutz, Morris, Bishop, and Hedrick.
Against Morgan, Henry will be getting the starting nod at QB as Kimbrough "is not available Week 1," Eichhorn said.
"We are hoping Anthony will be ready to go for the Warren game (Week 2)," the coach added.
Offensively, too, Marietta also has a weapon in kicker Brent Huck, who has good field goal range. All the Tigers have to do is block for him.
Overall, on the Marietta/Morgan game....
"On paper, we match up pretty even in terms of numbers and size," Eichhorn said. "What needs to set us apart is our attitude and execution."

subset: commoncrawl


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The care you've come to know is better than ever as Akron General is officially part of Cleveland Clinic. With full membership, Akron General remains committed to providing superior patient care locally and looks forward to expanding our health care services. Simply, the people of Summit County will enjoy the highest level of care and services, close to home. Learn more.
Express Care Clinic Now Open in HudsonCan't wait for an appointment? Express Care treats walk-in patients for cold and flu symptoms, ear infections, minor pains, allergies and more.
Akron General Health ConnectionDon't miss it! Saturdays at 7 a.m. on WTAM 1100. Hosted by Dr. Debbie Plate.
Cleveland Clinic Akron General 1 Akron General Avenue Akron, OH 44307 330.344.6000 1.800.221.4601 © 2016 Cleveland Clinic Akron General
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Achieving healthy, glowing skin is an attainable dream for many. But for the millions of people who suffer from eczema, psoriasis or rosacea, the redness, scaling, sores and incessant itching that mark these chronic skin conditions can lead to a lifetime of discomfort and embarrassment. Conventional treatments aren't always effective and often rely on antibiotics and topical steroids that can thin the skin, weaken an already delicate immune system and damage the liver. Fortunately, Mother Nature has a number of safe, effective tricks up her sleeve to help control these troubling diseases.
Are you the sensitive type? If your skin seems to react to everything from stress to perfume, you may have eczema. Also known as dermatitis in medical-speak, eczema is actually a group of skin conditions that affects one in every 12 American adults. Caused by genetic factors, stress, an allergic reaction or yeast growths, eczema often appears as red, itchy, inflamed, scaly or even crusty, oozing patches of skin. People with thin, dry skin are more susceptible.
Luckily, there are a number of natural steps you can take to ease eczema. First, it's important to do some sleuthing to find out what causes flare-ups. For some people, it can be as simple as a change in climate. For others, stress or illness can worsen the disease. Certain foods, fabrics or the chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and cleaning products can also make symptoms worse. If you can pinpoint what makes your skin rage, take whatever steps you can to avoid the offender.
Botanicals can help heal the outbreaks that do occur. According to naturopathic doctor Tori Hudson, author of the Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Keats, 1999), evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis), a rich source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), can help your skin retain moisture and may protect it from environmental oxidative damage. One recent study by Korean researchers at Inha University found that evening primrose oil not only reduces skin lesions and itching, it also helps modulate the immune system.
"There have been many scientific studies using GLA with excellent benefits in improving the symptoms of eczema," Hudson says. She recommends supplementing the diet with 500 to 3,000 mg of evening primrose oil daily.
Packed with polyphenols, oolong tea (partially fermented Camellia sinensis) can also soothe stubborn eczema. Researchers from the Shiga University School of Medical Science in Japan discovered this when patients undergoing treatment for their eczema began drinking oolong tea three times a day. Their skin health improved in as little as one week. After a month, 65 percent of the 118 participants showed significant improvement.
"Herbs are particularly helpful when applied topically," holistic cosmetologist Denise Santamarina says. Santamarina is the owner of Natural Nouveaux, a nontoxic salon and day spa in Las Vegas. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), aloe (Aloe vera) and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) are her top picks for eczema because of their ability to reduce inflammation.
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is recommended by the German Commission E to treat eczema-related inflammation. While some eczema ointments contain fenugreek, you can make your own poultice by mixing the powdered seed with enough hot water to form a thin paste. Dip a clean cotton cloth in the paste and apply to the affected area. Leave on for five to 10 minutes, rinse with tepid water and pat dry.
Moisturizers containing emollient herbs like marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) can help prevent dryness. And calendula (Calendula officinalis) can speed the healing of broken skin. According to renowned herbalist and Herbs for Health editorial adviser James A. Duke, research on calendula shows that this herb is antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiviral. And because of the powerful broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil, this botanical is being looked at for its ability to treat eczema caused by Candida albicans and allergic hypersensitivity.
Perhaps the most frustrating symptom of eczema is the constant, sometimes severe, itching that can leave you raw and bleeding. While cnidium (Cnidium monnieri) has been valued by practitioners of Asian folk medicine for centuries because of its antibacterial and astringent effects, new research by the Institute of Natural Medicine in Toyama, Japan, has found that this herb is a potent antipruritic (itch-reliever) when used topically. The herb is available in many Asian markets, and you can make an effective anti-itch poultice by mixing ground cnidium seeds with water.
For the nearly 5 million Americans who suffer from psoriasis, it's almost as if their skin is set on fast-forward. Normally, skin cells go from birth to death in about 28 days, but with psoriasis, skin cells complete the whole process in a mere three to four days. As a result, affected areas develop thick, red patches of skin covered with flaky, silvery scales. In severe cases, pus-filled blisters form on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, and the nails may become pitted and discolored. While psoriasis tends to be inherited, its cause is open to speculation. Many researchers believe it's an autoimmune disorder. Others think it's a defect in the body's natural detoxification process. Still others point to nutritional causes and stress. Common triggers may include injury to the skin, some infections and reaction to certain drugs. One thing is certain: There is no known cure. But you can control the severity of the disease.
For some psoriasis sufferers, dietary changes may be beneficial. Turkish researchers recently found that people with psoriasis have low levels of key antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will ensure you're getting adequate amounts of antioxidants to support healthy skin. Selenium also plays an important role in the disease. One case-controlled study of 59 psoriasis patients and 38 patients without the disease discovered that those with psoriasis were deficient in selenium. Selenium can be found in whole grains, garlic, onions, broccoli, tomatoes and Swiss chard. A diet rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids can also tame the inflammation that accompanies psoriasis. Fish and flaxseeds are excellent sources.
Sunlight can help send psoriasis packing — at least temporarily. In fact, some doctors employ prescription ultraviolet light boxes combined with certain drugs that increase sun sensitivity. But this "new" treatment is actually thousands of years old, Duke says.
Known as heliotherapy, ancient Egyptians rubbed red, scaly skin with plants containing compounds called psoralens and then sat in the sun. According to Duke, psoralen-rich plants, including angelica (Angelica archangelica), carrots, celery, citrus fruits, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), figs, lovage (Levisticum officinale) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris), can provide a safer, gentler way to boost the healing power of the sun.
For a pleasant treatment, Duke suggests trying his Psoriaphobic Citrus Juice. "Simply toss a mixture of citrus fruits, a carrot and a celery stalk into your juicer," he says. Once you've finished drinking this tasty treatment, go out into the sun for some homemade heliotherapy. But, since long-term exposure to the sun can increase your risk of skin cancer, Duke advises that you practice this therapy with caution.
Even without the benefit of the sun, herbs play an important role in controlling psoriasis. Scientists from London's King's College discovered that gotu kola (Centella asiatica) was as effective at slowing the rampant production of skin cells as a synthetic anti-psoriatic treatment. Another study of 49 psoriasis patients found that an ointment containing Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) also helped put the brakes on overactive cell production. What's more, earlier research shows that Oregon grape can boost the skin's immune response and soothe moderate psoriasis by reducing inflammation and itching.
Recent studies have also found that fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) can help patients with severe psoriasis. Although how this particular botanical works is a topic of hot debate, some researchers believe that the fumaric acid esters in the herb modulate the T-cell response. Duke recommends brewing a strong tea of the herb and applying it to the affected area with a cotton ball three times daily.
When it comes to caring for psoriatic skin, Santamarina suggests dry brushing the skin with a natural-bristle brush to exfoliate the build-up of dead skin cells. (This may be painful for some psoriasis sufferers; don't use this treatment if it hurts.)
"Begin at your feet and work your way up over your legs, torso and arms using smooth, upward strokes," she says. "Then hop in the shower to wash all of the dead skin away."
For an even more effective treatment, follow your dry brushing with a bath containing Dead Sea salts. High in magnesium, potassium, calcium and iodine, a double-blind controlled study of 23 patients by Israeli researchers found that Dead Sea salts significantly reduced psoriasis symptoms.
When the blush of youth turns into an embarrassing redness that never seems to go away, you may be suffering from rosacea. Rosacea is a disease that can make even teetotalers look like long-time alcoholics. It's an unglamorous problem that affects 13 million Americans, including former President Bill Clinton.
Whether you have rosacea, psoriasis or eczema, caring for this trio of conditions can leave those afflicted in a complexion conundrum. Holistic cosmetologist Denise Santamarina recommends forgetting everything you've learned about the "right" way to care for your skin. Whether you have eczema, psoriasis or rosacea, she advises washing your face with a nonabrasive herbal cleanser designed for sensitive skin and lukewarm (not hot) water.
Blot, don't rub, your face with a thick-pile cotton towel and wait until your face is completely dry before applying any other skin-care products. "If you suffer from rosacea, never, ever exfoliate," she warns. But for her clients with eczema or psoriasis, she often recommends using either plain oatmeal or cornmeal to clean away bacteria and accumulated skin cells. When it comes to makeup, Santamarina says covering your condition with a heavy layer of traditional cosmetics can make matters worse. "If you must wear makeup, opt for one made from pure minerals instead of oils or harsh chemicals," she says.
Although no one is quite sure what causes rosacea, some studies have found a connection between this skin condition and the ulcer bug, Helicobacter pylori. Others point to Demodex folliculorum, a microscopic mite that lives on dead skin cells. Whatever the cause, rosacea is a chronic condition that first appears as excessive flushing across the cheeks, chin, nose and forehead. Eventually, this redness is accompanied by small, unsightly blood vessels. In many people, rosacea doesn't end with flushing and blushing but can lead to inflammation and acne-like bumps and pimples.
Any number of factors can bring on the redness. Cheese, chocolate, soy sauce, citrus fruits, spicy foods and alcohol can make rosacea worse, as can hot tea, coffee or soups. Stress can also trigger a flare-up. And because heat can make rosacea worse, it's wise to avoid saunas, hot baths and excessively warm environments. Even exercise can be your enemy, especially workouts that raise body temperature and increase blood flow to the face.
"You have to be especially careful when it comes to using cosmetics and skin-care products if you have rosacea," Santamarina says. "Avoid anything that contains alcohol or acetone. And if a product causes redness or stinging, stop using it." If you do become overheated or encounter a product that worsens the disease, Santamarina suggests soaking a washcloth in ice water spiked with a few drops of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil. Wring out the cloth and place it over your face for two or three minutes.
Although there is definitely a scientific gap when it comes to herbal therapies for rosacea, folk remedies abound. Tonic herbs such as burdock (Arctium lappa) and yellow dock (Rumex crispus) have been used internally for years because of their cleansing properties. Some herbalists also recommend applying herbal waters of skin-friendly botanicals like Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) or rose (Rosa spp.).
Recently, scientists at King George's Medical College in Lucknow, India, gave a nod to the effectiveness of traditional remedies — they acknowledged the success Ayurvedic practitioners have had in treating chronic skin diseases with anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric (Curcuma longa) and neem (Azadirachta indica). But you don't need to travel to India to benefit from these ancient therapies. You can find turmeric powder, a mild-tasting ingredient in curry spice, in supermarkets or in capsule form at your local health-food store. Topical neem oil is also becoming a staple at health-food stores and can even be found in some skin and hair-care products.
Kim Erickson is the author of Drop Dead Gorgeous: Protecting Yourself from the Hidden Dangers of Cosmetics (Contemporary, 2002).
Ahava Dead Sea Beauty
684 Chestnut Pl.
Secaucus, NJ 07094
Dead Sea salts
Aubrey Organics
4419 N. Manhattan Ave.
Tampa, FL 33614
(800) 282-7394
Natural products for sensitive skin
Earth Therapeutics
163 E. Bethpage Rd.
Plainview, NY 11803
(800) 789-3580
Natural-bristle skin brushes
Mountain Rose Herbs
P.O. Box 50220
Eugene, OR 97405
(800) 879-3337
Wild-harvested fumitory in bulk
The Original Neem Company
P.O. Box 358331
Gainesville, FL 32635
(888) 543-9294
Neem oil and other neem products
SpecialTeas, Inc.
600 Long Beach Blvd.
Stratford, CT 06615
(888) 365-6983
Several varieties of oolong tea
Trinity Alps Botanicals
P.O. Box 196
Burnt Ranch, CA 95527
(530) 629-3311
Calendula salve
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- How do I become an Earth Ranger?
- What are the benefits of becoming an Earth Ranger?
- I'd like my account deleted…
- My information needs to be changed…
- What personal information do you collect?
- I can't sign up for an account because my city or school isn't listed… what do I do?
- I'd like to send you money – are there other ways to donate?
- I'm just a kid, I don't have a credit card – what do I do?
- There was a problem with my donation, who should I contact?
- Where can I read more about your projects?
- Do you have a step-by-step guide to the online registration process?
- Are the Earth Rangers at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum)?
- How do I help my child with their Bring Back the Wild campaign?
- My child would like to have a birthday party or other event to be all about Bring Back the Wild – can you offer any help?
- Are there other ways to donate?
- What do the funds raised support?
- Where should my child collect pledges?
- I'd like to give a large donation to Bring Back the Wild. How can I do this?
- How else can I get involved?
- Do you have any career opportunities? Can I volunteer for Earth Rangers?
- Are there any resources I can use for my classroom?
- What's the Bring Back the Wild show about?
- How do I register my school for the Bring Back the Wild show?
- The website doesn't look right… something's not working
- Things still don't look right… what else can I do?
- I represent a company/corporation, and I'd like to get involved. What should I do?
- How does Earth Rangers help animals?
- What does captive breeding mean?
- Where do the animals live at Earth Rangers?
- Why do you use animals in the shows?
- Why don't you let people touch the animals?
- Why do the animal handlers wear gloves when holding the owls and other birds?
- What is the difference between threatened and endangered?
- What can I do if I see other kids trying to hurt animals (e.g. rock throwing at birds)?
- What do I do if someone wants to take an animal out of its natural habitat?
- What should I do if I see an animal that is hurt?
- Why do humans use pesticides?
- Packaging and garbage is a real problem, but don't some things need to have packaging on them?
- Can't plastic bags be recycled?
- How can plastic that we throw away affect animals that live on the other side of the world?
- Where can I find organic/bamboo/hemp clothing?
- What can I do to let companies know that they should carry more environmentally friendly products?
- Environmental problems seem so big and I am only one person. Can I really make a difference?
- Don't you use energy in your shows?
- Is taking the bus better than driving a car?
- How does air pollution affect animals?
- Does the water we use in our homes go back out into the lakes?
- If water we use goes back into the lakes then why do we need to save water?
- Cutting down trees and forests affects the animals, but doesn't it help us?
You can visit www.earthrangers.com and click the JOIN button in the upper right hand corner, or, you can click the orange START button on www.bringbackthewild.com.
You can...
- make a real difference by raising funds to help protect animals and their habitats
- play 25 free games
- watch awesome wildlife videos
- earn exclusive online rewards, like buttons, t-shirts, and hoodies
- enter member-only contests
- create your very own avatar
- earn exclusive avatar items
- discover amazing facts and news on our Wild Wire blog
No problem! Click the LOG IN button at the top right of the screen, and you should see a link that says "Forgot Your Password?" (or you can visit here ). Then, enter you email address in the form and click SUBMIT. You'll receive an email shortly after with your password.
Please send an email to email@example.com, and our support staff will be able to remove your account. We'll send a confirmation once that's done.
You can change some of your information by viewing your Earth Rangers profile. Simply Log In, then click the MY PROFILE button in the upper right corner of your screen. Once there, you'll be able to change your City, School, Nickname, and Avatar.
When you sign up, we'll store your first name, email address, parent's email address (if the account is made by someone less than 18 years of age), country, province, city, and school. You can read all about Earth Rangers' privacy policy here
Right now, only users from Ontario and who's school was visited by our National Tour will be able to select their city or school. If you live in Ontario and your school is not listed, please email firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll be sure to add it. Selecting your school is not mandatory unless you want your online donations to count towards your schools' fund raising campaign.
The Wild Wire is a blog created just for kids, where you'll find the latest news about the environment, animals, ecosystems, biodiversity, and everything green! From incredible OMG! Facts, to Super Rangers profiles, the Wild Wire has it all! It's updated just about every day, so check back often to find out what's new. As an Earth Rangers member, you can comment on all the articles, and you can "Like" them as well.
Yup, they are totally free, but you'll need to become a member to play all of them (and membership is free too!). And if you're a member, you can play for high scores!
When you create an account at Earth Rangers, you'll set up a fundraising campaign, but where you go from there is entirely up to you.
Children and their families choose an animal they'd like to protect – this is called a "campaign".
- All campaigns are 3 weeks long (but they can be extended by emailing our support team)
- For the duration of the campaign, children fundraise to achieve their fundraising goal (goals can be changed at any time). As they reach certain milestones, their profile will change to show they've earned a new title – and their new rewards!
- When the campaign is over, our technical wizards are notified, and Earth Rangers will send an email to the parent of the child. That email will point parents to a form, where they can fill out their mailing address, shirt or sweater size, etc. That's why it's really important that the parent's email address is correct when signing up!
- Why do we do it this way? It's really important that we protect the personal information of anyone who's using the website and is under 18 years of age. Therefore, when we need to collect the mailing address to ship the rewards, we will only contact the parent of the child.
- After the parent fills out the form, our team here at the Earth Rangers Centre is notified, and we'll send out your online rewards package.
- It usually takes 4-8 weeks for delivery – but it's often sooner
- During that time, if there are any questions, you can email firstname.lastname@example.com.
There sure are! Grab your parent or guardian, and email our program coordinator at email@example.com. We'll find a way to help!
Everyone gets an avatar during the sign up process. You can create it from scratch, or you can randomize it to see all sorts of cool combinations!
Unfortunately, you can't change your campaign animal. However, once your campaign is done (after 3 weeks) then you can pick a different animal.
Here's where you'll need your parent or guardian's help. You can bring them over to your computer, where they can learn all about the program and decide if they can help you out.
If you have any problems with your donation, please contact our program coordinator at email@example.com. We'd be more than happy to help!
You can watch our videos at www.bringbackthewild.com , or, visit www.bringbackthewild.com/about to read about our projects.
We sure do! Download the following PDF document here.
Yup! You can download a pledge sheet here: Pledge Sheet (PDF). We also accept cheques in the mail (sorry, no cash), payable to:
ATTN: Bring Back the Wild Coordinator Earth Rangers
9520 Pine Valley Drive Woodbridge, ON L4L 1A6
(905) 417-3447
Super Rangers are kids who have gone over and above and beyond the call of duty to help the environment! These amazing kids get featured on our Wild Wire blog with an article all about what they've done to help the planet. You can find out more about this league of Super Rangers here.
We sure are! You can visit the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity to see the Bring Back the Wild show, and to experience an interactive gallery that introduces the key aspects of life on earth. It includes around 2,500 specimens from the ROM's Natural History collection!
Once your child starts a Bring Back the Wild campaign, they will select the animal project they want to support and then create their online Ranger (an avatar).
Here's where they need your help:
STEP 1: Check your email
- If your child has created a new account, you will receive an email from EarthRangers.com notifying you that your child has registered. You will receive another email notifying you that your child has started a Bring Back the Wild campaign.
- Click the link in the Bring Back the Wild email to see your child's profile page and learn about the project they've chosen to support
Can't find the email? Check your junk mail/spam folder, and confirm that your child entered your email address correctly when they registered.
STEP 2: Donate to your child's campaign
- Your child will get a note each time someone donates to them
- The more they raise, the more online rewards they will get as a reward for their efforts!
STEP 3: Tell friends and family
- Help spread the word to your contacts through email, Facebook and Twitter – this is critical in ensuring your child's campaign success
- You can do this directly from your child's profile page or right after you donate
With your help, your child can reach their goal and learn the value of giving back on issues important to them. Help your child make a difference with Bring Back the Wild!
The program has been designed with your child's privacy and security as our top priority. Your help is critical to the success of your child's campaign. In fact, if your child is under 13 and wants to raise funds online, he or she will be limited in what they can do unless you help them.
More questions? Email us at email@example.com
We sure can! Please contact our Program Coordinator at firstname.lastname@example.com , and we'll work with you to make sure you have everything you need for your event. You can also sign up for your very own Bring Back the Wild Birthday Party by visiting the Birthdays section of our site.
There are several ways you can make a donation:
- Donate to a specific project using our secure online form
- Donate to a specific Earth Rangers' campaign via their secure online campaign page
- You can donate using your mobile phone by texting the word WILD to 45678
Mail a cheque to Earth Rangers. Donations by cheque should be made out to Earth Rangers and addressed to:
Earth Rangers
Attn: Susan Dyer
9520 Pine Valley Drive
Woodbridge, Ontario
Canada L4L 1A6
If you need help or have any questions regarding the above, please don't hesitate to our Bring Back the Wild program coordinator at 905.417.3447 x 2226, or by email at email@example.com.
All online and mobile donations will receive a tax receipt through a PDF emailed to the donor immediately following their donation. The minimum online donation amount is $5.
Tax receipts are issued for offline donations of $20 or more. Please be sure to clearly write your full name and address, and check off the "Tax Receipt" box on the remittance form. Earth Rangers only accepts cheques in the mail. You can download the offline remittance form here.
50% of the funds raised supports protecting animals and their habitats across Canada. Read more about our projects and other conservation partners here.
50% supports our education programs allowing us to teach more kids about the Biodiversity Crisis and what they can do to help. Read more about our education programs here.
At Earth Rangers we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of all users of our websites, especially those designed for use by kids. The website does not publicize the full name or location of anyone and it doesn't allow any direct messaging. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions.
All donations that are made through our donation system go through our secure site (SSL), which is encrypted. You can verify the validity of our security certificate here.
We encourage participants to secure pledges from family, friends, and parents' or guardians' work colleagues. We strongly advise against door-to-door canvassing because of safety issues facing kids today.
Please contact our Program Coordinator at firstname.lastname@example.com to inquire about major gifts to the program.
You can join our ongoing conversation by following us on Facebook and Twitter, and you can check out our YouTube channel. By spreading the word, you're helping Earth Rangers!
You can visit the Careers Page on our Corporate site to see if there are any positions available.
- Lesson Plans (Grades 1-8), Rubrics (PDF) Earth Rangers lesson plans take a cross-curricular approach, allowing teachers to embed an environmental message beyond the Science and Technology curriculum and into Reading and Writing. The lesson plans are designed to teach students about biodiversity in a fun and engaging way.
- Pledge Sheet (PDF) Print these off for your students who need more room for sponsors
- Parent Letter for Schools (MS Word) Acquire parental permission for student participation and solicit volunteers
- Classroom Teacher Letter (MSWord) Get other classroom teachers and administration involved
- How-to Guide A step-by-step guide for students on how to register online to Bring Back the Wild
The goal is simple yet critical: To teach students about biodiversity loss in an engaging and interactive format and provide them with the tools to help protect animals and their habitats across Canada.
Bring Back the Wild (BBtW) includes:
An inspiring eco-presentation featuring our live animal ambassadors, our environmental educators, and a short film featuring awe inspiring animals and their habitats from around the globe
- Engaging in-class activities focused on biodiversity
- Engaging in-class activities focused on biodiversity
- A fundraising initiative enabling students to choose which animal and habitat they want to help protect
Contact our Campaign Ambassador today or call (905) 417-3447 x2256 for more information on Bring Back the Wild!
EarthRangers.com works best on Internet Explorer version 8 or above, Mozilla Firefox (version 3 or higher), Google Chrome, or Apple Safari 5 (or higher).
Or, if you prefer, you can download and install any of these other free web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
To view certain parts of the site, you'll also need Adobe Flash, version 10 or higher. We do our best to make sure our site looks and works great in as many browsers as possible, but we don't support beta (test) versions of browsers, or very old browsers like Internet Explorer 6 and 7.
Here's a few other things you can try.
You can try clearing your browser's cache (temporary files). This process is different depending on your browser:
- Firefox: click Tools -> Clear Recent History -> Select "Everything" then click "Clear Now"
- Internet Explorer: click Tools -> Delete Browsing History. Place a check next to Temporary Internet Files and Cookies, then click "Delete"
- Google Chrome: click the Wrench icon -> About -> Options -> click the Under the Hood tab -> click Clear Browsing Data -> Place a check next to Empty the Cache and Delete cookies and other site data, then click "Clear browsing data"
- Apple's Safari: click the Safari button at the top of your screen -> Empty Cache -> confirm this by clicking 'Empty'
You can upgrade your browser to the latest version (depending on the browser, this process will be different.
- Firefox: click Help -> Check For Updates
- Internet Explorer: click Tools -> Windows Update
- Google Chrome: click the Wrench icon -> About
- Apple's Safari: click the Safari button at the top of your screen -> Empty Cache -> confirm this by clicking "Empty"
To clear a single page from your browser's cache, press and hold CTRL then press F5. This will force your browser to reload the page with brand new files.
If you are a member of the media and would like additional information on Bring Back the Wild, or are interested in interviewing an Earth Rangers spokesperson, please contact Kelly Hyatt at smitten creative boutique at 905-599-1132 or via email.
Your support in Bring Back the Wild™ will be a demonstration of your commitment to the environment, biodiversity, conservation, and the kids who will inherit this world. If you are not yet a corporate sponsor and are interested in getting involved in this vital movement, please email our Program Coordinator at email@example.com, or call us at 905-417-3447.
It's our passion to help protect the planet and reduce our impact on the environment. We suggest ways to conserve water, conserve energy, reduce waste, preserve biodiversity, and protect habitats. By doing these things, we help to provide animals with places to live, food to eat and clean water to drink.
Captive breeding programs are helpful in increasing an endangered species' population and are like an insurance policy against extinction. They've been super important in the recovery programs for many different animals such as the Bald Eagle.
All of the animals have their own enclosures at our Centre.
We don't want to just tell you how great nature is - we want to show you! Introducing you to our Animal Ambassadors helps explain the connection between our actions and the impact they have on these amazing animals.
We don't allow it for the health and safety of the animal (and you!).
The gloves protect their hands and arms from the birds' sharp talons.
"Extirpated" means that a species no longer exists in the wild in Canada, but can be found elsewhere in the world. We can help prevent this from happening by working to preserve the habitats where these animals live.
Endangered species are at the brink of extinction. That means that there are very few of them left in the world. Threatened means that there are more of them left, but they're in danger of reaching the brink in the near future.
This is called cruelty to animals and it's illegal. If it's safe to do so, you can try asking them to stop doing it. Otherwise, you should ask a teacher or another adult for help.
Remind them that wild animals belong in the wild and don't make very good pets. Learn more about why wild animals don't make good pets here.
The best thing to do is to tell an adult and have them call a wildlife animal hospital like the Toronto Wildlife Centre at (416) 631- 0662. If it's an animal like a dog or a cat, you can contact your local Human Society for help. Don't try to capture it yourself though, because sick and injured animals can become aggressive when they're scared.
Humans use pesticides to get rid of plants and insects that they don't want around. For instance, they're used to control certain pests that spread disease like mosquitoes, pests that destroy structures like termites, as well as to preserve farm crops. However, you can help reduce the amount of pesticides used by picking weeds by hand, encouraging your parents not to spray your lawn and by trying to eat organic fruits and vegetables. Learn more about pesticides here
There are many reasons why composting is cool! One is that animals like skunks, raccoons, and opossums have a very good sense of smell, and will sniff out the food in our garbage. If the animal gets into our garbage they can get hurt by eating things that will make them sick or getting cut on sharp objects. So by composting and keeping our food scraps out of the garbage, we can help protect these animals.
Another important reason for composting is that it helps reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills – which prevents habitats from being destroyed to make room for more landfills. Instead of filling up our landfills, compost gets turned into soil that is re-used in gardens!
Yes, a lot of the things we buy do require packaging. For example, food needs packaging to keep it fresh and clean. Other items need packaging to protect it during shipping. While we can't stop using packaging all together, you can make a difference by looking for products that use less packaging. For example instead of buying a bag with 10 small bags of chips in it, buy one large bag of chips. Read more in the Wild Wire post, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Some plastic bags can be recycled, but there are only a few municipalities that will take them. This is because it's harder to recycle plastic bags than it is to recycle other types of plastic like pop bottles. Also, unlike plastic containers that have number codes on them (used for separating in the recycling process), plastic bags don't have a code on them, and therefore can't be sorted. Learn more about The Problem with Plastic.
Plastic that we throw away has the potential to travel around the world. It can be blown around by the wind and then enter water sources and wash all the way out into the ocean. While in the ocean it can harm jellyfish, sea turtles, whales, sea birds and many other creatures. We can help protect these animals by limiting the amount of plastic we throw away.
A lot of companies are starting to make more environmentally friendly clothing – you just have to be willing to look for it. You can start by checking clothing tags and asking store clerks if they sell things like organic, bamboo and hemp clothing. You can also search online for these products.
You can write or e-mail the companies and let them know that you would like more environmentally friendly products. Tell them that you would probably buy more of their stuff if they offered organic, bamboo, hemp, local and less packaging on their items.
Many people think that it's impossible to make a difference, but the fact is you can. It's true! By making small changes, you can make a BIG difference! For example, by using both sides of a piece of paper – you're minimizing the number of trees you use by half. See how easy it is!
All it takes is for one person to make a change in their life and many people will follow. Take recycling for example - 20 years ago there were only a few people doing it, and now we all do it! So if you start making positive changes, others will notice and eventually your friends, family and neighbors will start to do the same.
And of course, you can start your very own Bring Back the Wild campaign to protect the habitat of wild animals. Talk about making a difference!
Yes, we do use energy in our shows. We feel that this is an important use of energy because it helps us teach others about the environment. At each school we visit, we challenge students to take one action to save energy.
You bet it is! Taking the bus is way better for the environment than driving a car. Buses can usually have up to 40 people on it at a time. That means that there could be 40 less cars driving on the road, which means a lot less air pollution!
Air pollution affects animals in the same way it affects humans - it makes it harder to breathe. It can also affect plants, which means that they may not grow properly and this impacts food for animals. Air pollution can also cause acid rain which makes the water unsuitable for animals to drink or to live in. There are things we can do though - help reduce air pollution by walking or riding our bikes rather than getting a ride in a car.
Yes, the water that goes down the drain eventually gets released back into the environment. Water moves from our homes and goes to a water treatment facility where it's filtered and cleaned of wastes and harmful chemicals. Once the water is cleaned it gets released back out into lakes, rivers and streams. Learn more about where Ontario water comes from here.
Even though the water we use goes back into nature, we still have to save it. We all need to use water, but the problem is that we're using water faster than we can replace it. For example, one house might be using 10 glasses of water at one time, but only 1 glass of water is going back out into the lake. So if we use more than what we put back, eventually our water sources will start to dry up.
Trees are a great resource. We use things that are made from trees every day. But many animals depend on the forests for food and shelter. We're not telling you to stop using products made from trees but we can all make a difference by simply making different choices and by cutting back on the amount of paper products we use. For example, using paper on both sides before putting it in the recycling bin can help cut down on the amount of paper you're using by half!


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Excited to be featured on the #FindingNeverlandAlbum with "If The World Turned Upside Down". Available to pre-order now here.
Excited to be featured on the #FindingNeverlandAlbum with "If The World Turned Upside Down". Available to pre-order now here.
Inner Machine members-
Enter for a chance to win a Goo Goo Dolls litho from their performance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA.
Login to your Inner Machine account and enter here.
Not a member of the Inner Machine? Join now here: http://googoodolls.com/fanclub
The Goo Goo Dolls will perform at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL on June 20 as part of Universal Orlando's 25th Anniversary Concert Series.
John will be racing the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach! The 39th annual charity race will take place April 18 on the 1.97-mile street course in downtown Long Beach, Calif., as part of the 41st Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend.
The field of racers will take to the streets in 210-horsepower Scion FR-S race-prepped cars, navigating high speeds and demanding turns to benefit "Racing for Kids," a national fundraising program supporting children's hospitals throughout the United States.
For more info on the race click here!
Tonight's Lance Diamond Music Tribute featuring the Goo Goo Dolls will stream live on Buffalofm.WnyMedia.net at 6pm local time.
Watch the stream here.
We have something special for our friends attending the Embrace The World Benefit Show at the Troubadour. How would you like a chance to win this autographed Goo Goo Dolls guitar and help Good Shepard Shelter in the process? They have a great need for non-perishable food items (preferably protein) and of course cash, especially during the holiday season.
We will be raffling off this guitar.:
You will receive tickets with food and cash donations.
1 Ticket for every 5 Non-perishable food items
Tickets can be purchased for $10 each 3/$25
We will be collecting food and selling


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Per the U.S. DoD, * Indicates a "small business" classification and ** indicates a "small disadvantaged business". NOTE: the U.S. DoD only publicly reports contracts valued at $6.5 million USD or greater. The contract language is EXACTLY as it appears on the official U.S. DoD website (http://www.defense.gov/contracts/) unless otherwise noted.
Principle Contractor: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Department: Air Force
Contract Details: McDonnell Douglas Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $12,100,000 contract to provide massive ordnance penetrator on B-2 platform. At this time $6,000,000 has been obligated. AAC/708th, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (FA8681-09-C-0280)
Total Contract Value: $21,100,000
View all contracts involving "McDonnell Douglas Corporation"


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I was raised on a farm.
From the time I was nine years of age we milked cows by hand, night and morning before school, seven days a week . We sold milk to the cheese factory in Greenwood Arkansas. Bedtime was 8:00 pm year around. The only time I was allowed to stay up past 8:00 pm was like the nights our FFA chapter would catch a broiler house full of chickens for forty dollars for the FFA treasury.
I was unable to play sports in school as most of the games were in the evenings or overlapped the evening hours. During the daytime physical exercise class, the coach would show the soles of my bare feet to others, commenting how tough the soles were. I took typing class the last two years of high school to avoid the sports classes since I could not play the games.
In my early years, during the summers I rode in the back of a truck with others to the bean fields on the Arkansas River to pick green beans. In the fall I dragged a cotton sack right along side the black folks. We cut spinach on weekends in the colder weather and in the winter I ran a trap line and ate some of the catch. Possums were good but greasy. Racoon meat was bland. We did not have any bar-b-que sauce back then. My mother cooked part of a six foot gar one time that we could not eat. It tasted like creosote smells. That was about the only thing that we ran down but could not eat.
As I grew older I worked with a crew hauling hay, stacking square bales in those hot, dusty barns. My last two summers during high school I rode the sled behind the hay baler, stacking square bales on the sled in stacks of about twenty or twenty-four bales and shoving the stack off the sled by pulling a crowbar from the baler and ramming the crow bar into the soil between the middle boards and walking to the back of the sled.
In the flooded bottoms along the James Fork River, the dust was so thick at times from the dried mud from the overflowing river that I could not see the edge of the sled. Those old seresa bales were so heavy the strings would break as the bale dropped out the end of the baler. On the praries, it was so hot and when the baler would break down, the only shade was up under the baler. It was hard to breathe under there with all the heat and pollen while the boss went to town for a part.
After graduation from high school, the baler guy who had employed me, called me, saying he could not get anyone to ride the sled and that I had to come back down there and ride the sled for him. I said no. Now that I had an education I was going to get a good job. I had already said I would never chase another cow or swing another bale of hay.
The James Fork River, we called it the Jim Fork, ran through our farm and would overflow the banks and flood the bottoms with the slightest rain on the head waters over in Arkansas. Invariably the cows would be on the other side and in danger of drowning if the water got too high and pushed them up against the fence. Cows aint good at treading water. They had to be brought back. I had a spot on the bank where I would jump in and swim to the other side, through the logs and trash and whatever coming down the flooded river, doing a lot of thrashing to spook the snakes. I would come out on the other side a hundred feet or so down the river and run the cows back over. Then I had to swim back through that muddy mess.
Later on my father bought this unbroke stud who sailed me through the air across the backs of cows several times and tried to scrape me off his back by running under low hanging limbs but it was a lot easier riding the stud and letting him swim the raging river. That stud could run faster sideways than he could forward which was proven whenever a covey of quail flushed and he left me sitting in mid air. It was dang near impossible to stay on that English saddle which was like a flat pancake.
It wasn't all fun though. Once a brother and I were helping a neighbor catch a wild cow which inhabited the land between us and the neighbor. The people who owned the land had sold all the cows and moved to town, leaving this one cow they had been unable to catch. This old cow had had a calf every year which the neighbor had sold and for some reason the neighbor wanted to catch the cow and sell her too.
I was laid back on a mare, watching the neighbor push the wild cow out of some thick brush when a hoof came flying past my head. The brother who was on the stud, just slid off the rear end of the stud and left me between two horses making love. I had a race with the stud down to the river which cooled the stud's amorous advances. We did get the FFA teacher to fix the stud after that experience.
After high school, I rode a bus to town where they put me to work in a bakery making doughnuts and pastries all night, and delivering them to the outlet stores starting about three o'clock in the morning. I had never been allowed to drive anyone's vehicle and so I had never learned to drive. At the bakery I was asked if I could drive and I said sure. The guy who rode with me showing me the route had several near heart attacks while I was jumping curbs, driving on the wrong side of the street and such. He told the boss that I was busting tires on the curbs. The boss called the service station who said there was a nail in that tire, so I was saved. There was no traffic on the streets at that hour of the night so I lucked out there too.
Back when I was attending the tenth grade in high school, a female teacher setup the boys in our class to have an outdoor evening party about dark with girls from the seventh or eighth grade. We were paired up with girls and did the walk in the dark thing. We did not know what to do as it made us feel like pedophiles They were just too young.
About that same time, during the fall of the year, nice weather, a friend came to me and told me that some boys in the senior class were going to have a party with some girls down on the Jim Fork. We lived on a hill above the Jim Fork. Just before dark I met the friend at the crossing and followed him another quarter mile up the creek to an area across the creek from a road and a clearing on the other side. We sat down to wait. It was like sitting on bleachers as the rock was stair stepped up from the creek. I was ready for the show.
It was not long until we saw about four sets of headlights coming down the road on the other side of the creek and about four couples, maybe five, got out of the cars, lit the fire and started roasting marshmallows. Shoot, I was enjoying the party until I saw who the girls were. With the fire I could see that the girls were from my class and the boys were older seniors. To me this was not right. This was wrong. I now figger this had been setup by the same female teacher.
The marshmallow roast did not last long at all. Under the blankets they went and the show stopped. What!? I was getting more depressed by the minute. My friend was excited. He crossed the creek and crawled up the other side close to the fire and threw in a fire cracker. Bang! Another firecracker. Bang! One of the older boys said, "You all quit that." Another firecracker. Bang! You all quit that. We are not doing that. Bang! WHO IS DOING THAT! Out from under the blankets they came, all standing, staring into the dark directly in my direction. They never saw my friend who was laying at their feet. Into the cars they went and down the road they went.
Walking back out my friend was so excited he built a fire and went crazy. I was so depressed about what I had seen I could not say anything. The next day I was sworn to silence by the friend who told me those old boys knew someone had interrupted their sex party and they were out for blood. I never told anyone.
This changed my relationship with the girls in my class. To me they were like old women after that. It really threw me for a loop.
Being the next to last in a family of nine children I witnessed first hand the fighting, divorcing, and "I'll get the shotgun and shoot the SOB" of my older siblings, so I did not entertain a view of marriage as a stable environment. It was probably those Baptist preachers who convinced me that divorced people go to hell when they die and I sure did not want to go there. Years later I told my wife I did not want to have children because I was afraid they might turn out to be like my brothers and sisters. Well too, the babies that a sister left with us after marrying an old bigamist who got to her. The babies got trench mouth from crawling on the floor where we had tracked cow manure into the house on our shoes. That was another mess.
After high school I wandered through life for a few years, trying to avoid marriage and divorce and all that goes with that. Having to pay rent and buy my own groceries, I could not afford college and nobody would co-sign for me. I worked uptown, got drafted into the army, drove a truck cross-country and so forth until I applied and was accepted by a police department.
About the second week into the police academy, I was approached by a fellow cadet who got right to inquiring about my sex life. I told him I was seeing a girl I had met at the laundromat. After that he continually sought me out and greeted me as the laundromat casanova. This guy really took an interest in me. Really pushy.
After some time out of the academy in the field, the dispatcher, ole nervous bug eyes, gave me a telephone number to call one night on the midnight shift. I assumed it was business but it turned out to be the sister of the fellow cadet from the police academy. She got the promise out of me to come by her house the next evening. I drove out to a park and we sat on the swings as I was very sleepy. She was divorced with two small children and an ex-husband. Just the type of situation I had always tried to avoid.
After that I could not get away from her. I made up all kind of excuses. If I said my car was broke she would come by and pick me up. She was on me like stink on you know what.
I was still in my probationary year with the police department and could be fired without cause. I walked a fine line because her father had retired from the police department and she now had three brothers as police officers and I could not afford any trouble with them. At times I would act like an idiot and I even tried to gross her out. No luck.
To show how gross I can be, I recall an incident where a neighbor's bull had an abscess on his neck the size of a soccer ball from being hooked by the horn of a cow we speculated. The neighbor called the veterinarian. The neighbors had to go to work so I waited for Doctor John and took him to the bull. Doctor John was a huge black man and the strongest man I had ever seen. I had previously witnessed Doctor John manhandle livestock.
Doctor John roped the big bull, walked around a tree and pulled the bull up to the tree. He then took a knife, cut the abscess and there must have been a gallon of the pus and corruption poured out on the ground. Doctor John said he needed to talk to my mother in case I sneaked out of the house with a pan of hot biscuits next morning to sop up this gravy. There were red spots in the pus and corruption on the ground and I said that looked like red peppers in the gravy and that would be really good on hot biscuits. I thanked him for putting me on to this and continued describing the gravy. I asked doctor John not to step in the gravy as I needed to run back to the house and get a pan to save a bunch in. Doctor John had stopped talking and when I looked at Doctor John, he looked sick. He looked like he was about to throw up. I stopped.
Whenever someone tried to gross me out I grossed that person out. I always won out until this divorcee. I could not gross her out. She had a one-track mind.
One night she picked me up and took me to her residence where she told me that we were going to get married. She said she could not have any more children but that I would be happy raising her children.
Where is the door? I had already told her that she needed to go back to her husband. I dont know where he lived but he worked not far away.
Her house was on the north side of town and my apartment was on the south side of town. I walked while she followed me in her car all the way across town. After that she stalked me. I would turn around and see her. The phone in the apartment would ring, ring, ring. Silence or some girl I had never heard of. I was living with two other guys who were perturbed by the ringing and would shout at me to answer the phone. I would tell them you answer it. You know who it is.
On the police department there were other matchups of other single guys with divorcees with children and ex-husbands. The place was like a re-marriage bureau for informants. While on a fishing trip, one police supervisor extolled the virtues of a thrice married divorcee with a house full of children and at least a couple of live ex-husbands. Later, this angry divorcee told me that she was supposed to have gotten this one guy instead of this other divorcee with children and an ex-husband whom that divorcee was peeved at for his buying of a new pickup. Can you say "accidental" pregnancy? But women are never the aggressors. So who sold this poor guy out? But how did he did wind up with two black eyes from walking into a door? Could it have been a double door? This old gal did have prior marital combat experience.
A few months later I married a girl who had never been married and had no children.
Marriage was great. I still did not want children. On weekends we would drive to Six Flags, Wildlife Refuge at Lawton, Fountainhead, Arrowhead, or some place and stay in motels. One time we stayed in a motel in the woods on the Arkansas side of Table Rock Lake. That evening we were hungry and found a cafe back in the woods. The cafe was closed and as we sat there pondering what to do, the owners of the cafe drove up with some of their friends. They said they were going to cook some steaks and asked if we wanted a steak. The steak was large and great and free. They would not take our money. We had such a good time that peaceful weekend that we went back later but we were unable to find that cafe or the motel. It was just some road off the main highway.
Then it started.
The fellow police officer / fellow cadet from the academy / brother of the divorcee with the two children and an ex-husband, would catch me among a group of police officers and would loudly say to me, "Come on." "Suck my dick." "I know you are queer."
It took a while to catch on as to why I was being propositioned by other police officers. I started thinking the whole bunch was queer. I was even propositioned by a fellow police officer in a tent up on the Kansas line where we were supposed to be on a deer hunting trip. What the hell???
I may have figured out after all these years why the patrol commander came to me one night and said "We got him", saying they had caught a police officer having homosexual sex in a police car. It was just one of those things that I did not think about until I started this webpage. I think now that the patrol commander must have said that in order to observe my reaction. Looking back, all the lies spread by these evil brothers undoubtedly had gotten to the patrol commander and was the reason I received bad ratings from this patrol commander along with a few hostile actions from some neighbors.
This guy and his older brother did a real slander campaign on me. They interfered with my job assignments, my ratings, my associations, my family, my children's school, a few neighbors, and even drummed up complaints against me. They were very angry with me but for a long time they thought they could still make me come around to being a slave if they could get me a divorce. I ran into them everywhere I went. Even gassing up down at the Utotem on the corner while they were on duty. The older brother got word to me that it did not pay to mess with his little sister. Who was messing with who? Whom?
If I believed in reincarnation, I would think he and his older brother would be reincarnated slavers from the eighteen hundreds. How can someone completely take over your life? Is that not what they did to the blacks in the eighteen hundreds? I think the definition of slavery back then was only taking twenty-five percent of a person's income. Not his whole paycheck.
But then the divorcee did not find me. The fellow cadet/brother of the divorcee found me. All the time down there, years and years, he would proposition me every time I saw him and all he talked about was oral sex. Somebody probably should have registered him. Maybe he was in love with me. I really started to think some of them were in love with me.
How can anyone be angry with, and harass a person over his entire lifetime for simply refusing to become a slave to a woman who said we are going to get married and I cannot have any more children but you can be happy raising my children? Especially since you had tried to avoid a situation like that for all of your life?
Six years later a fellow police officer came to me and said that he was in love with this divorcee with the two small children, a live ex-husband, and three brothers on the police department but she would not have anything to do with him. Why did he tell me this? It was of no interest to me. Looking back I would say that she did not want to share this fellow police officer's paycheck with his ex-wife and children. As demanding as she was I would say she would settle for nothing less than her own full-time slave.
And I suppose that later on when her cohorts told me that I had to resign from the department and get out of town, she had then realized that she would have to share my paycheck with my children and that would not work for her. She wanted her full time slave. This was seven years later. We had delayed starting our family those seven years and I had suffered extreme harassment from, and caused by her cohorts all those years.
This is all coming clear to me now. I would bet if this bunch had somehow roped me into marriage, the first thing they would have done was to take out a large insurance policy on me and If I had ever tried to get out, I would have wound up a statistic in some alley. I did enjoy prowling alleys back then, jumping burglars out of buildings. There were no alarms on buildings back then.
Some people in their clique told my wife to divorce me. Some told me to divorce my wife and set me up with other women. An evening shift detective supervisor asked me who I thought was a beautiful woman. Candice Bergen from the movie "The Adventurers". A fellow detective took me to an apartment complex, knocked on the door and a Candice Bergen look-a-like opened the door. I ran.
This fellow detective stayed on my case about this Candice Bergen look-a-like. Finally I told him I would trade her for (blank). Then he started telling everybody that I was after his wife.
One successful divorcee informant out of the re-marriage bureau of the department told me, in my mother's house, at Christmas while I was changing the diaper on my oldest son in a bedroom, that I had to resign from the police department and leave town. "You cannot stay here." When I told her to mind her own business, she ran out of the bedroom and screamed in front of the whole family reunion that she could not stay in a place that allowed their son to treat her that way and then she stormed out the door. Is this not insane?
This incident ocurred seven years after I had married my wife. I had fought my wife all that time about having children because I still did not want children. Looking back here I would say that if they could get me a divorce, I would have to split my paycheck with child support, therefore, to save face, I guess they were trying to run me out of town. The harrassment was very bad at this point and continued.
This successful divorcee informant had run an unemployed older brother out of my house by shaming him and upsetting my wife. She had repeatedly told my wife to divorce me. I think she is the one who started the rumor on the department that I was likely to commit suicide. Can you believe it? I stopped going around the whole bunch and gave my wife the ultimatum that she could see either them or me, but not both.
Some of the guys in their clique would ask me some off-the-wall question, or more like a suggestion, and, while I was trying to figure out what it was, they would leave and take my silence as an admission, I guess. They were frantic. Then word would get back to me that I had said something. These people were vicious.
As an example, one officer asked me or made the suggestion, that if you acted queer, women would try to straighten you out. I think his little mind must have been contorted. How about acting queer to get them to leave you alone? I think he was one of the sycophants who had volunteered to me that to make rank on the department, you first had to get a divorce.
I had tried to humor them all this time to avoid trouble but it got to the point that I decided that whatever they said, I would let them believe it to be true, however, by the time they realized I might be that way, I had heard something else and so I was acting in a different manner. It was goofy. This threw all the sycophants for a loop. What else can you do?
We had our share of sycophants and power hungry Machiavelli followers. I read their books when they were not there. I played their games with them but I did not join them. The problem was that some in their clique, or gang, were supervisors, like their water skiing partners, and that was when I was assigned to every d.o.a. on the evening shift and was assigned to inventory greasy engines in an auto salvage in 105 degree weather while wearing a suit. This came across the chain of command from the older brother. All this was in addition to my fourteen burglary cases (two a day) each week while the sycophants were sitting around in bars and restaurants.
The price of silver metal was high at the time so there were a lot of silver burglaries. In the old rich section just short of downtown the burglar would climb a tree or a ladder and go in thru a second story window in the evening hours to take old pure silverware for melting down while the people were watching tv downstairs. Whenever I could I would sneak around in the dark trying to catch the burglars but I never did. Later, word was sent to me that there was a letter in the chief's office from the burglar saying I had almost caught him a couple of times, therefore he had quit the business and retired to Florida. It was probably one of those times I had been pulled off to work a d.o.a. or some such deal. I have no idea who the burglar was but he sure knew me. He must have been watching me more than I was watching him. Maybe if somebody could find that letter they may be able to get a dna sample if he licked the envelope.
Another time I was assigned the theft of a small airplane from one of the small airports. I found the people seated around a long table in a large room kinda like an auditorium. They told me to leave. I said this airplane can be out of the country in a little while so I will just sit over here until you tell me about it. Finally a lady came over to me and said they thought the airplane had been repossessed. I thanked her and left.
When I got back to the station, the shift supervisor told me about their calling in complaining and trying to get me removed from their airport. The shift supervisor told me not to make any reports on the incident and that he would handle the report himself. He must have wrote up a doozy of a report because after that I got assigned to these large bogus insurance losses. I was supposed to talk these people down on the dollar size of their losses. They must have thought that I could brow beat these people into submission.
Another time some burglars were breaking into businesses and stealing business checks because somebody had a stolen check protector machine and they were papering the town with bogus payroll checks. A detective working forgery had come up with the weirdest names of a man and a woman who possessed the stolen check protector. Everybody jumped on that but after failing to locate the man and woman, they got disillusioned and said there was no man and woman with those kinds of names so the duty got shuffled off to me to help the forgery detective. After a couple of nights crawling around house trailers in another county, we located the man and woman in an apartment in a low-rent housing project not far from downtown.
The man and woman let us in and consented to a consent search. We had no warrant or any kind of a hold on them. While the forgery detective was in a bedroom searching for the check protector I stayed with the pair in the living room. They pulled out a big bottle of whiskey and asked if they could have a drink. I did not want to anger them so I said, it is your house. They swapped that big bottle back and forth until they killed it. I have never seen anyone drink like that. The man said something and the woman said awww he is looking for that check protector but he will never find it back there because it is right up there and she pointed at the ceiling.
I called the forgery detective into the living room and told him that she said it was up there and pointed at the ceiling. The forgery detective pushed up on the ceiling panels and pulled out the check protector. On the way downtown, the pair passed out and we had to carry them into the station. Again, everybody jumped on the case. Unbeknownst to me I was hidden from the case. Apparently the defense attorney had looked high and low for me. I did not hear about this for months until someone was laughing about it.
I was working my fourteen burglary cases a week when two partnered narcotics officers got into a little trouble over something. I think it was the old deal about letting someone off after they turned three other people and the word had gotten out that if you got caught and wanted off, just turn three other people some of whom were probably not guilty. Anyway these two narcotics officers were split up and I was assigned to one of them who was acquainted with two of my older brothers. Then the narcotics officer I was assigned to came up with this search warrant. Somehow I got elected to knock on the door and as soon as the guy opened the door, my partner shoved me on top of the guy.
I was nose to nose with this guy in his house after I got shoved through the door. And I knew him. A couple of my brothers had associated with him for years. He owned a bar. The warrant which I did not get was for selling benzedrine pills (bennies). We got bags of pills but they turned out to be caffeine pills. I wondered about that for a long time. Who snitched him off? I was shoved on top of the guy, I guess so he would think I was the one who turned him because we knew each other. Somebody must have been peeved about paying for benzedrine and getting only caffeine. I wonder who.
There were two or three rapes with robbery of women living alone occurring every night around midnight and after in houses and also in low rent housing projects. I was ordered to report to a new squad on the midnight shift.
After squad meeting, I drove to a low-rent housing project parking lot in an unmarked car, picked a spot away from the apartments down toward the street coming in, backed the car into a parking space and sat in the dark with my lunch and a big thermos of coffee. I camped in that spot for three or four nights listening to the police radio. That last night, just as the dispatcher was putting out a rape call in that housing project, I heard foot steps pounding the pavement running toward me. I jumped out of the car and said hey buddy I need to talk to you. I called the supervisor in charge of the detail and turned the guy to that supervisor. The next day I was called at home and told to report back to my regular shift. Back to my fourteen burglary cases per week plus the six or eight assigned to me while I was away on this detail.
Later I heard that the guy I caught running from the scene spilled the beans on three or four other suspects who were also doing these rapes.
This case illustrates my modus operandi. I just did my job. I did not suck up as others did. I did not use others to elevate myself as others did. I was always catching these simple criminals. I guess this is why the statements of "The best worker does not make the best supervisor" and "Aren't you afraid you will work us out of a job" were made, along with being hounded by the two brothers of the divorcee with two children and a live ex-husband who wanted to make a slave of me.
One time a supervisor who was hiding in the office asked me how I got into all this ****. I said it is not in here. It is out there. You go out there and it will run over you. But then again the old saying that if you dont do anything, you wont get in trouble.
The sycophants, including some supervisors were more concentrated on the evening shift detective division by choice. I was on the evening shift due to my day classes at the university and persisted to the end even though I was repeatedly told that it would do me no good and that I should quit. And they were right. It was one of those degrees that you could take with fifty cents and buy a cup of coffee. It was no electrical engineering degree.
Then I was shuffled to the vice squad, getting off duty at 2 am and being in class at 8 am. Other guys would not sit next to me in class because they said I smelled like booze.
At one time I was setup to commit a burglary of vehicle with witnesses. That was quite an elaborate scheme. There was a loaded .45 semi automatic pistol with both safeties off pointed between my eyes. There were shots in the dark. I was assigned the burglary of an apartment which, unbeknownst to me, turned out to be directly across from the apartment of an officer who had just gotten fired on a dope warrant. The apartment of the bogus burglary was vacant and when I turned around the fired officer had been staring at my back. I guess they thought the fired officer would be mad enough to shoot me. The tension on my steering box was loosened to the point I could not steer my vehicle. That was a rank amateur. Some of the stunts they pulled were so petty they were almost laughable. It would take several pages to list all the crap I went through.
I got so many obscene phone calls at home on an unlisted telephone number that I thought the city had a real problem with obscene phone callers. "This is your doctor. How is your wife doing on those birth control pills?" Of course everybody down at the station, including the brothers of the divorcee with two children and an ex-husband, had a copy of the roster of everybody's telephone numbers. It was like the queer deal. It took me a long time to figure that one out too.
One time one of the brothers' water skiing buddies, a supervisor, cornered me and asked me what I was going to do when one of the chiefs took our guns away from us. I replied well I guess I will work without a gun or look for another job. This supervisor started screaming that I had just committed political suicide. I think he had been looking for any excuse to tell me that, probably because he felt his harassment of me was not working.
I keep remembering weird things to add to this. One time I was by my driveway looking over an engine someone had dropped off when I heard yelling on my front porch. I look up to see the woman from the rent house, three houses east of mine, screaming "Where is your daughter?" In the house. No she is not. You dont know where your daughter is. I have been in there three times and she is not in there. The woman stomped off toward her house. Breaking and Entering three times with the intent to beat on my daughter. That is first degree burglary.
I also went thru the house three times before I found my daughter and the six or seven year old girl from down the street the other direction. Their little butts were sticking out from under the other side of a bed in a back bedroom.
I went back outside and continued looking at the engine. Down the street they came and parked the wrong way against the curb on my side of the street. The man was driving and ordered me to come to him. They said my daughter was harassing them over the telephone. My daughter was three or four years old and did not know how to dial a telephone. Turns out they were fighting with the other girl's family down the street in the other direction and the other little girl must have called them from my house.
This man was really cussing me and said he was going to kick my you know what. The only thing I said was, well come on. Away he went. The rest of the day and the all the next day if I or my son walked outside they would stand down there and scream at us.
Then I got a call from the station that I was harassing my neighbors and to get down to the station. So I went. These two sycophants who outranked me, one was my dayshift patrol supervisor, raked me over the coals, trying to get me to take a reduction in rank.
This dayshift supervisor had found fault with everything I had done to that point. Like the time he and the district supervisor of the district next to mine, were doing their community policing bit in a church, all for show. All the years before, we had done programs in schools and other places, off duty, with no recognition. Anyway, while they were doing their thing for recognition, some yahoos hit about ten vehicles with their vehicle over a half mile in the other supervisors district. I drove over and took over. As officers would come by, I would ask them to work one of the dozen or so wrecks.
After several officers had checked out on the radio to work a wreck, this dayshift supervisor came by and when he saw what had been going on, he went ballistic. I dont know what his problem was as the situation was well under control. I guess he did not have time to call out the tv cameras and give a big speech. He had been trying hard to get another promotion at that time but I dont think he ever made another promotion.
So while they were raking me over the coals for "harassing the neighbors", the shift supervisor made some remarks about my being on his shift, so I said if you dont want me on your shift then I dont want to be on your shift. He said something about working the office on the midnight shift. I said anything would be fine with me. Then he kept saying, "You dont mind doing that", like asking my permission to be put on the desk.
But that did not stop his harassment of me. He had a couple of sycophants on the midnight shift. One night while I was sitting on the desk, one of the ID guys popped his head in the door, said something, and when I looked up, he snapped my picture. A couple days later this same ID guy came in, threw my picture on the desk, and left without saying a word. It dawned on me that my picture had been used in a photo lineup. I never found out the crime of which some sycophant had tried to railroad me.
I had stopped taking the promotional tests ten years before. They had mis-graded my last test which was the only one I checked back on, so I quit taking the tests. The sycophants really went crazy about these promotional tests. I had been labeled a test-taker and other descriptions including having a photographic memory in order to knock down my ratings with the supervisors and up their's. This was well known as some of the guys came to me to help them on the promotional tests and some went way up in rank. But some of them were too ripped to be able to sit down and read a book. I guess that is why they were chasing those ratings.
One of the shift supervisors, for no reason, said in my presence, that the best worker does not make the best supervisor. Then he looked straight at me. When I applied to go to the FBI Academy, one of the chiefs on the screening board asked me the question, "Aren't you afraid you will work us out of a job?" Huh? I must have given the wrong answer as I was not allowed to go to the FBI Academy. Later, the guy from civil service called me and asked why I was not taking the promotional tests. "Because they are crooked." The civil service guy said that is not us. That was the other people over here before us. I said you are not about to get me back into that hornet's nest.
A classmate of mine from when we went through the police academy never made any rank at all in all those years. He said it was because the brass promoted the people who were just like themselves. He called it inbreeding and you know what that results in.
I kept hearing about these cliques on the department. I think now, these cliques must have been the brass's divide and conquer strategy so you must belong to a clique and hate the guys in other cliques and lie and snitch about them.
These guys talked about who had gotten them hired. One said his priest had gotten him hired. I told them I had just walked in off the street. Much later I realized It must have been a department head at the oil company I hayd worked for that had gotten me on. I remember he had been in politics, getting people elected to public office but I never thought about it. These other guys in the clique to which I should have belonged must have been a little jealous of me because this oil company department head had taken me fishing and bought me dinner and so forth. He was a great guy. I did not figure this out until the poor guy had died. These clique guys tried to lord it over me. One time while I was looking thru a computer printout for alarm calls ole nervous bugeyes, who tried to run the clique made the remark that I was trying to find out who was calling in on my house. My kids got called in on for being out in the yard.
After I had retired and left town, I had to go back and keep the yard mowed at the old house. The guy behind cut all the brush off his fence and threw it all in my yard. I hollered at him and asked if he had done that. He said yes. I asked what he was going to do with it. He said he was not going to do anything with it. That it was my problem. So I was dragging the brush out to my truck when here came two police officers and said someone had called in saying I was having words with this guy. I told them exactly what I had said, and what the guy had said, and then I said look at the sweat pouring off me. I am (blank) years old. What if I have a heart attack because this guy trashed my yard. Oh you had better take it easy and away they went.
Later I mentioned something about this to the old crazy lady next door. One time she had run to me in my yard loudly proclaiming that everybody is crazy. One of her sons had been a police officer and had spent most of his time praying. He was accused of trying to commit suicide after he had taken a gun off someone. I dont know.
So later I asked this old gal next door if she knew this guy (ole nervous bugeyes) who was trying to control me and the clique to which I should have belonged. This old lady said oh yes, he is such a fine religious person. Yeah he sure is. Now I realized who had been calling in on my kids and why that goofy sycophant had hit me with the question while I was looking thru the alarm calls.
Well, the Candace Bergen


text:
House prices to rise 3% in 2012, Assetz
Average UK house prices have increased 3 per cent since the end of last year with average prices now standing at £202,017, new data from Assetz has showed.
This is an increase of £5,864 since December and represents the highest average house price recorded by House price watch since July 2008, said the property investment firm.
House Price Watch is an analysis of house price data from Office for National Stastics, LSL Acadametrics, Halifax, Nationwide and Rightmove.
The annualised average rate of growth now stands at 10.3 per cent while the three- and six-month annualised rates of growth are 12.2 per cent and 3.7 per cent respectively.
Stuart Law, chief executive of Assetz, said: "Whilst there were a number of factors driving the market upwards, such as a rush to complete purchases ahead of the stamp duty holiday being withdrawn, there were also a number of negative factors, such as rising mortgage rates, that failed to quell the rise in transactions.
"In fact, HMRC figures showed a large surge in completed sales in March, up 17 per cent in a month as house buying demand continued to grow."
Mortgage lending was also up 30 per cent month on month in February, Assetz said.
Mr Law said: "Nonetheless we still have the 'new normal' level of transactions of only around half of those in 2007 and we have no expectation that transaction levels will reach those peaks again for many, many years as we move towards becoming a rental society in the UK.
"We feel that our estimate of a 3 per cent rise in UK house prices for the whole year of 2012, which was at the top of the range of forecasts, could be comfortably achieved, regardless of the initial version of the GDP figures released indicating that the economy is falling slightly again."