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19th July 2005, 18:27
Today19/07/2005 90000 ton Savannah Express lost engine control while docking and hit another ship and a shore installation
Southampton docks
19th July 2005, 18:27
Today19/07/2005 90000 ton Savannah Express lost engine control while docking and hit another ship and a shore installation
John Leary
19th July 2005, 19:39
Thought you might like to see a picture of her taken today when inbound to Southampton before the accident happened
19th July 2005, 19:48
Not much time wasted in this part of the world john.
19th July 2005, 20:03
It was'nt that pilot Rick O'Shey was it, or was that what the ship did ? (LOL)
Cant really drop the hook in a situation like that, it dosnt hold very well on a deck or a quay for that matter. OOps.
michael james
19th July 2005, 21:12
Chris our minds think alike.
It didnt happen in our day (well, it did but we didnt have fail-safe systems then), it shouldnt happen in this technilogically advanced age, computer problem or human error ?
19th July 2005, 21:31
You are so right, probably a blown 5 amp fuse somewhere, or a chip ( not the potato kind ) failed. Something which weighs less than an ounce can send 90,000 tons into catastrophy.
I remember when our ship got its first ever auto steering gear. Worked off the magnetic compass, ( seem to think it was made by Sperry.) Used to have a mind of its own and suddenly go hard a port at the most unopportune times, gave me a number of heart stopping moments.
I remember one off Durban, when it went hard a port across the course of an approaching SAF Marine ship. Sweating and shaking like mad, I managed to switch everything off and go into manual steering, however the wake looked like I was travelling through a chicane, port then starboard then port again as I tried to steady her up.
The SAF Marine ship signalled me " I give up, you win, can I pass you now, or is it war "
My signal of " Sorry faulty steering, OK now " was answered by " Well you will buy British "
I did'nt know whether to laugh or cry. ' ba.t.rds '
fred henderson
19th July 2005, 22:31
At the end of the 1960s unmanned engine rooms were just arriving on the scene. Manchester Liners had one of these new systems. It was programmed to stop the engines if anything failed. In due course this happened in a gale off a lea shore. The ship was able to restart engines in time but the owners felt that this concept was not a good idea.
They then ordered four early all container ships from Smiths Dock with the engine control system changed so that in event of failure it went into service speed ahead. The first time this happened was as one of the ships was entering Manchester Ship Canal locks outward bound. She went through all the lock gates at speed, drained the canal and flooded Stanlow Refinery.
Someone must remember the details.
Bruce Carson
19th July 2005, 22:35
On the first of this month the British Columbia ferry Queen of Oak Bay lost propulsion approaching the Horseshoe Bay Terminal on her regular run across the Strait of Georgia from Nanaimo. The captain steered her towards a marina and the ferry smashed 24 pleasure boats to pieces and then grounded herself: the passengers were left high and dry for about nine hours.
'twasn't a chip or an expensive piece of electronic gear that caused the kerfuffle, but a missing 3cm cotter pin. Without the pin in place a nut came off a control arm, allowing the propulsion system to overspeed. That, in turn, kicked in a tripping device, releasing the clutches and disengaging the engines from the propellers both fore and aft. Without power, but with steerage way, the 139m ferry majestically barged her way through the marina's small cruisers.
News releases valued the cotter pin at about ten cents (Canadian).
A picture of the incident:
19th July 2005, 23:30
I never did understand why they didn't drop the anchor(s) then. I happen to be friends with one of her Captains (ex) and he wonders the same. I guess we'll have to await the enquiry findings.
20th July 2005, 11:36
Statement from Southampton deputy harbour master" when a ship loses its engines, its quite a problem" In this case 90000 tons worth and no gangway left to load cars on/off car transporters.
Jan Hendrik
20th July 2005, 11:42
Bruce, sounds like Comedy Capers.
Stan and Laurel eat your heart out.
Bruce Carson
20th July 2005, 12:26
Bruce, sounds like Comedy Capers.
Stan and Laurel eat your heart out.
Another fine mess you got me into?
20th July 2005, 14:55
Anyone Think Of The Fenders??
20th July 2005, 19:26
' Fenders ' very fine guitars ' fenders ' , best in the world. Hank Marvin played a fender. (Smoke)
20th July 2005, 19:48
Savannah Express leaving Soton tomorrow 21/07 (Thursday) Engine room permitting!!
20th July 2005, 19:49
So you reckon we should've wedged Hank and his stratocaster between the Courage and the dock gates then eh?
Would have been worth a try in my book! Could have put Cliff in for good measure too!
Dave (*))
No NO NO, Cliff might have sung to the crowd and caused more damage (LOL)
20th July 2005, 19:57
Carnival line statement. QE2 going on to 2010. plans shelved for 200000 ton ship owing to a weak dollar. Maybe the $ will be stronger by the time the order is placed.??
20th July 2005, 20:11
Oh All right then, Cliff can sing!
Go and look at the photos of the Irlam Lock gates I went to all that trouble to find!
OK (Fly)
20th July 2005, 20:31
Thanks Dave, very interesting pictures.
I seem to remember in the dim past, that the cause was blamed on the Variable pitch prop that the Courage had. I could be wrong but i seem to remember hearing that it was either a malfunction of the prop or an error in operation.
Those variable pitch props caused some scares and headaches when they first came out.
fred henderson
20th July 2005, 22:14
Thanks Dave, I was involved after the event in the insurance argument. I had plenty of reports but no photographs. In the end Smiths insurers successfully argued that the shipyard had no liability as the ship behaved exactly as the owners had specified. In the event of a system malfunction select service speed ahead.
John Rogers
20th July 2005, 23:25
And there was Freddy Fender!
21st July 2005, 02:16
interesting canal site Dave. you were quite "The Gatecrasher" in those days eh! LOL
21st July 2005, 06:48
Bruce, as usual nothing is ever quite what it seems. Firstly, the Master couldn't steer that ship without the prop turning and at such a low speed. Much play was made by the media and the company of a "hero Captain" steering his ship to minimize the damage. Having "driven" that ship frequently over the past two years I can tell you that she ended up where she did because that is where she was going. Because the rudder is 25-30% too small almost all the rudder power is derived from prop wash at above idle speed. Also, there is no mention of the sole anchor being dropped. In fact on the "double-enders" nobody stands by the anchor as they do with the conventionally designed ferries with a forecastle, bow and stern. Guess What!!! From the day of the accident all "double-enders must have someone standing by the anchor during arrival and departure. I hear the receding clatter of horses hooves on the cobblestones as the barn door slams shut.
Further, I have heard from colleagues who were on board at the time that the order to go down and drop the lone anchor (at the offshore end) was given too late to be of any use. I don't know quite where she blacked out, but some say that she was blowing the whistle for up to four minutes. That would have been enough time to get someone in the achor compartment and let go a reasonable amount of chain such that
she could have been stopped. I believe she could have been stopped before she did all that damage and ran aground, but I've yet to find out exactly where she lost power.
All the Best
Bruce Carson
21st July 2005, 12:06
Hello Smudger, welcome aboard and thanks for the reply.
It was a story begging for an human interest angle and the press. I guess, played up the story of the Master heading for the safest way out of trouble. There's also something mesmerizing about a large ship plowing through an armada of small boats. The ten cent cotter pin fiasco only added to the coverage overkill.
Oldbosun, in another reply to my posting, also questioned the non use of the anchor.
One thing I've learned quickly about this forum--if it's a maritime question, there will be replies from experts, and often some fun along the way.
Reading your posting, I've now a much better idea of the working of the ferry and the ship's actual physical capabilities.
Bruce C.
21st July 2005, 23:12
Yes, I do believe that this is covered in one of the three volumes of "No Tides to Stem", the history of the Manchester Ship Canal pilotage. Author, ex pilot and all round really great bloke, Derek Clulow.
I'll root it out and see if there is a summary I can post.
Dave (Thumb)
I was at a gathering of seamen and Derek Clulow related to us his flight to New Zealand, with his Wife, I have never heard anything like it for humour, If you can get him to repeat it on here I'm sure it would be a winner
michael james
21st July 2005, 23:28
Smudger. Firstly welcome aboard. Secondly your description and explanation above is very enlightening to us that are not familiar with the particular ship/ferry, yet have a working knowledge of ship handling and the best way to prevent the worst happening in such circumstances. Operational organisation was found wanting at a critical time.
22nd July 2005, 08:38
The story of Savannah Express was missed in my part of the world.
Can R58484956 tell me which ship she hit and what damage was done to both ships.
fred henderson
22nd July 2005, 18:00
In the early 1960s Hawthorn Leslie had launched a ship in the traditional manner, using drag chains to turn and halt her in mid-river. The chains were released when the tugs had the ship under control. A few days later, having posted the usual notice to navigators, the riggers were recovering the drag chains. We had a steel punt with a swan neck at one end and a boiler, steam winch and a mast flying a red flag at the other. The yard launch towed the punt trailing a grappling iron until they located one of the launch chains, it was then hauled on board and stowed on the deck of the punt. Once the chain was starting to come on deck, the punt was not going to go anywhere until the chain was off the river bed, so the launch was secured to the punt and its crew assisted in the heavy work of stowing the chain.
Half way through a lift the riggers realised that a coaster, the Leicesterbrook was heading down the Tyne straight towards them. The boys decided to jump into the launch and get out of the way!
An officer came out of the wheelhouse with a mug of tea in his hand glanced ahead and saw the trouble he was in. The Leicesterbrook crew was galvinised into frantic action, men running in all directions. The rudder started to go towards hard a port and she began to turn and struck the punt at a slight angle, which had the effect of increasing her rate of turn and she was now heading towards the PAMATRADA quay.
The Leicesterbrook's engine stopped, then went into full astern. She went about six feet into the wooden quay, just as the crew dropped both anchors into the quay heading. The crew stopped the anchor chains. Then with the engines still in full astern she pulled back into the river, bringing a great deal of timber with her.
Dropping an anchor is not always a good idea.
22nd July 2005, 19:10
Savannah Express,only a quick mention of the ship she hit was mentioned on radio, which I missed,and no other time was it mentioned on radio or printed form.She wrecked a gangway with which they load/unload cars from the car carriers
michael james
22nd July 2005, 20:03
fred henderson, you have written a most descriptive bit of prose, I was with you all the way, absolutely great. Anchors - dropping of - not always the answer, but nearly always in a critical situation !
fred henderson
22nd July 2005, 20:43
Thanks Mike. The system will not allow me to quote the comments made at the time, especially when the owners of the Leicesterbrook (Combden Longstaff) claimed it was all the shipyard's fault for leaving an unattended punt in the middle of the river.
25th July 2005, 05:41
I have gleamed this information from another web site concerning the difficulties Savannah Express experienced docking at Southampton.
She had earlier lost power at anchor.
She did if fact drop anchor as she lost power, just before berthing.
Hit a car loading ramp and the ferry Bergen Castle(chartered to Red Funnel to stand in for Red Osprey and Eagle, away for maintenance/work) .
No significant damage caused. Savannah Express required attention to her engines before she departed.
(thanks to "daywalker" for the details).
david smith
25th July 2005, 11:28
Recent press statement
"Brand new boxship battered
Hapag-Lloyds 8,400-teu chartered newbuilding Savannah Express will need repairs to its engine after colliding with a ferry and a links span at Southampton.
The vessel, owned by Nordddeutsche Reederei, was entering the port on Tuesday, escorted by two tugs, when it lost its main engine power and was unable to go astern.
The $83m Daewoo newbuilding then collided with the unnamed ferry and the ramp which allows vehicles to board the passengership, the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) said.
The span was extensively damaged and there was some superficial damage to both vessels, but no pollution resulted.
An MCA surveyor has inspected the vessel and ordered it to investigate the problem and make repairs ready to set sail on Thursday.
A service engineer has now been called to the vessel and has started work. All repairs will be overseen by the class society, Germanischer Lloyd."


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VINELAND — According to the Vineland High School dress code, students are only allowed to wear red, white or black shirts to school.
But shirts of a different color were seen throughout the hallways on Thursday in honor of Alexa J. Strittmatter, a freshman who died tragically the previous morning while crossing Main Road.
"The death of Alexa — how much she meant to us as a friend and how long we've known her — we just really wanted to express that in her orange-y hair way," said Gab Lopez, freshman.
The orange represents Alexa's auburn hair and also her favorite color.
"It's really sad that we lost her because it just happened unexpectedly," said Bryce Accardo, also a freshman. "It's nice that everyone is wearing orange today. Even people who didn't know her are wearing orange."
Bryce, Gab and their friends went the extra mile and even painted their faces orange.
"She was really close to all of us," said Jeremy Smith. "We've known her since middle school so it was just a tragic thing to lose her."
Jeremy had the letters A and S written on each cheek in orange paint.
"I think it's just great that everybody was allowed to wear orange today," said Jason Ochs, a freshman.
Along with the orange attire, Jason and the rest had #1DforAlexa written on their arms.
The phrase is a hashtag, used on the social media website Twitter to categorize specific tweets by subject. The students of Vineland High School are using the hashtag to get the attention of One Direction, a popular boyband.
According to her friends, Alexa's favorite One Direction member is the blonde-haired Niall Horan.
Hundreds of tweets have been sent since Wednesday
"It was one of the bands she loved. She used to just sing randomly to us," Gab said.
By tweeting the hashtag repeatedly, mourners hope to get One Direction's attention and let them know how much they meant to Alexa.
"We got to the second highest trend worldwide, which was awesome," Jason said.
Alexa was crossing Main Road — between Magnolia and Elmer roads — at approximately 6:52 Wednesday morning when she was struck by two cars, according to police.
Authorities took Alexa to Inspira Medical Center Vineland for treatment, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The drivers — Norberto Rodriguez-Centeno, 35, of Hammonton and Marthenia Gaymon, 66, of Vineland — remained at the scene after the accident, according to reports.
In the day since the incident occurred, there has been no additional information on the accident and charges have yet to be made.
Students have been mourning since they were told of the accident by school officials Wednesday afternoon.
The school has made counselors available for grieving students.
"They're giving a lot of help for people who need it and they're just showing that they're there for us," said Lexia Stewart, freshman.
The school and students even constructed a mural — made up of pictures of Alexa on an
orange background — where students can sign their names.
"People have been crying for her in the hallway and everybody feels bad, but she's in a better place," said Kayla Pierce, freshman.
The students remember her fondly and, wearing their orange shirts and tweeting about One Direction, honor Alexa in the best way they can.
"If you were having a bad day, she would always know how to make you smile," said Janet Levari, freshman.
"She was just very friendly and sweet about everything," said Harley Virgil, freshman. "She was so joyful about life"
As of yet, plans for Alexa's memorial service have yet to be released.
Students in hallways of Vineland High School, though sad, celebrated the life of their classmate who died too soon by wearing shirts the color of her hair.
"It was really good to have her around," Jeremy said. "She was really unique,"
Contact staff writer Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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To the beat of a different drummer: The gender-variant child
To the beat of a different drummer: The gender-variant child
Source: Contemporary Pediatrics
By: Ellen C. Perrin, MD, Edgardo J. Menvielle, MD, Catherine Tuerk, MA, RN
The article describes the gender variant child. Gender variance is defined as a behavioral pattern of intense, pervasive, and persistent interests and behaviors characterized as typical of the opposite gender. Gender variance, though, not a common issue in primary care practice, should be taken seriously when it presents. Pediatrician's guidance is critical because a broad range of parental understanding of, and feelings and attitudes toward, gender variance exists. Physicians can help parents create a family environment that nurtures the child and values his or her uniqueness and individuality by educating, guiding and referring.


text:
OKC shows Thunder pride throughout city
Thunder ready to rumble with Rockets
Published 9:49 AM CDT Apr 21, 2013
Oklahoma City is known for how it supports the Thunder, especially during the NBA playoffs.
KOCO has spotted some areas around town that are repping Oklahoma City loud and proud.
The MidFirst Bank has a huge OKC Thunder banner on the side of its building.
And, of course, Bricktown is plastered with pictures of Thunder players and playoff signs.
The Thunder take on the Rockets in Houston on Sunday night.
Copyright 2013 by KOCO.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Billy Wilder: "The Art of Screenwriting" [Part 9]February 12th, 2013 by Scott
My favorite writer-director is Billy Wilder. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17 (1953), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), an oeuvre that demonstrates an incredible range in a filmmaking career that went from 1929 to 1981.
In the spring issue of the 1996 Paris Review, there is a terrific interview with Wilder. I thought it would be a great way to kick off 2013 by digging into it to see what storytelling lessons we could glean from one of Hollywood's master filmmakers.
Here is today's excerpt:
INTERVIEWER: Faulkner seemed to have his difficulties too.
WILDER: I heard he was hired by MGM, was at the studio for three months, quit and went back home; MGM never figured it out and they kept sending the checks down to Mississippi. A friend of mine was hired by MGM to do a script and he inherited the office where Faulkner had been working. In the desk he found a yellow legal pad with three words on it: Boy. Girl. Policeman. But Faulkner did some work.
At some point he worked with Howard Hawks on To Have and Have Not, and he cowrote The Land of the Pharaohs. On that movie they went way over schedule with production and far past their estimated costs. On screen, there were thousands of slaves dragging enormous stones to build the pyramids. It was like an ant heap. When they finally finished the film and screened it for Jack Warner, Warner said to Hawks, Well, Howard, if all the people who are in the picture come to see it, we may break even.
But there were other writers out here who were clever and good and made a little fortune. The playwrights Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, for example. Hecht truly endeared himself to the people he worked with. A producer or director would be in a jam . . . the set built, the leads hired, the shooting begun, only to admit to themselves finally that the script they had was unusable. They would bring out Hecht, and he would lie in bed at Charles Lederer's house and on a yellow tablet produce a pile of sheets, a screenplay ready to go. They'd take that night's pages from Hecht's hands, forward them to Mr. Selznick, who'd fiddle with them, have the pages mimeographed and put in the actor's hands by morning. It was a crazy way to work, but Hecht took the work very seriously, though not as seriously as he would a play of his. They call that sort of thing script doctoring. If Hecht had wanted, he could have had credit on a hundred more pictures.
Takeaway: When it comes to screenwriting, even as an aspiring one, strive to emulate Ben Hecht ["script doctor"], not William Faulkner ["Boy. Girl. Policeman.]
Here are links to the first seven parts of the series:
Tomorrow: More from "The Art of Screenwriting." You may read the entire interview here.


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BERNARDS — The task force looking into how to improve traffic flow and safety around the high school and the surrounding neighborhood has released its report in advance of next week's public hearing.
The Joint Task Force for Ridge High School Traffic Safety Concerns has issued its first progress report, to be discussed at a public hearing set for 7 p.m. Monday at the Bernards Township Municipal Building at 1 Collyer Lane.
Residents near the high school, and in the Homestead Village area, have complained of traffic issues around Ridge High since February 2012 when student drop-offs were moved to a Cedar Hill School parking lot that increased traffic through the neighborhood.
A study commissioned by the Bernards Township Board of Education was released in June suggesting a number of changes that could reduce traffic jams at the school, including a new entrance, a separate bus drop-off area, and limiting private vehicles during bus arrivals. None of the alternate proposals have been enacted.
The task force is comprised of Mayor Carolyn Gaziano, Deputy Mayor John Carpenter, township engineer Tom Timko, Bernards school superintendent Nick Markarian, board of education finance committee member Bill Koch and school board president Susan McGowan.
The task force looked at a number of possible remedies, but most were dismissed because of county traffic rules, prohibitively high costs, or impact to private residents.
One of the concepts recommended by the report is called Concept Plan #9, which was a consensus plan that featured creating new entrance and exit routes separate from the existing traffic signal.
According to the report, private vehicle traffic will be separate from bus traffic, buses will be out of the Homestead neighborhood, there should be decreased traffic on Peachtree, Homestead and Winding Way, with an estimated cost of $149,600 to make the required changes.
The full report can be found on the board of education website, along with a more complete explanation of the various proposals, pros and cons of each plan, and aerial views of the school with diagrams of proposed traffic flows.


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Everett Potter
What did we do on our winter break? My wife and I took our daughter and her cousin, ages 9 and 11 respectively, due north to the land of museums, kid-friendly restaurants, and North America's first Snow Village.
It's called Montreal.
Montreal in winter? With kids? Well, why not? It's a compelling multicultural destination, providing that your kids love a little adventure and all of you embrace winter in its many moods. That's been especially easy to do this year, during the mildest Northeastern winter in decades. Winter is also when the city's hotels offer some great deals on the rates.
The cliché is that Montreal is like a quick trip to Paris. While it may be the second largest French-speaking city in the world, Montreal is in fact an energetic hybrid, a city where 20 percent of the locals are Anglophones and the other 20 percent are busy speaking Lebanese, Syrian or Creole.
If you're looking for a French museum piece, travel further northeast to Quebec City. I'll take Montreal: skyscraper, brownstone and cobblestone, a bit of Boston married to Chicago with a dash of old Europe, infused with a distinctive and friendly spirit. Connect the dots with the Metro — designed by a Parisian, and later the inspiration for Washington DC's subway – and you can get virtually anywhere. Here are 5 reasons to go.
1. Snow Village
Montreal opened the continent's first Snow Village at Parc Jean-Drapeau in early January. It includes a 30-room ice hotel, an outdoor spa, ice bar (arguably the ultimate bar in which to watch a hockey game), ice restaurant, and even an ice chapel for marriages. Behind the front desk is scale model of Montreal's skyline made out of ice. The lighting is an eerie blue or red show. It's a hotel for minimalists and will be open through March. Rates start at $195 CAD per person. http://www.snowvillagecanada.com
2. Butterflies & Beavers
The Montreal Botanical Garden has a "Butterflies Go Free" exhibit that allows you to wander through its beautiful and well-curated greenhouses into a vast and airy room where the plants are designed to attract butterflies and nearly 2,000 of them oblige. If they land on your shoulder or arm, so much the better (orange, red and yellow seem to be the killer colors).
Across the street, in the shadow of the still fantastical Olympic Stadium, which looks like something out of Fahrenheit 451, is the Biodome de Montreal. Here are four distinct eco systems of the Americas, complete with plants, water, and animals. We liked watching the beloved beavers, found all over Canada, from under water, a perspective you never see on any lake. In the Arctic environment, it was puffins and penguins that were the stars. Think of this as an indoor zoo crossed with an aquarium and a botanical garden. Both are accessible via the Pie-IX Metro Station.
3. Le Menu
It's hardly news that kids can be notoriously picky eaters, but I prefer to think of them as narrow grazers. In other words, they will happily eat as long as you present them with a few choices. On our first night, we chose Wienstein & Gavino's, a two-story loft like space on Crescent Street, which bears a passing resemblance to Restaurant Row in Manhattan's Theater District. In this darkened, lively space, we found a menu heavy on salads, pizza, and pasta, efficient service, lots of locals including students from nearby McGill University, and prices that did not break the bank.
Throughout our visit, we loved Premiere Moisson, a great Quebec take out chain for pastries and finely crafted salads and sandwiches, ideal for lunch and the drive home.
On another night, we raised the bar, the girls dressed up, and we booked the last table at L'Express, a boisterous Paris-style bistro right down to the harried, aproned waiters bearing plates of marrow and bottles of Burgundy. I've always loved this place, with its bright lights against red lacquered walls and the background music a racket of clanging knives, forks, glasses and voices. There were couples speaking in hushed tones over champagne, friends post-work out for a good time, and a handful of families angling for the jar of cornichons that festoons every table. It was a Monday but it was as busy as a Saturday and our waiter noted that Monday night is when Montreal's chefs and kitchen staff gather for food and shop talk at L'Express. It was not unlike spending the evening in a friendlier version of the 6th arrondisment. Naturally, the kids bypassed most of the typical bistro fare – foie gras, salmon, and duck — in favor of that proverbial bistro favorite, steak frites. This serving of the perennial crowd pleaser was laden with enough frites so that two adults could purloin a few without an uproar.
4. Staying with the Queen
In the heart of downtown, hovering above the Central Station, is the vast 1,037 room Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. It has all the right ingredients for a kid-friendly stay in Montreal. Start with a pool, which is essential for any mid-winter trip with kids. Add a room rate that is gentle in winter, gentle enough so that a suite becomes an affordable indulgence. Then factor in a buffet breakfast where the girls came up with combinations – try a plateful of blackberries, roast potatoes and a pain au chocolat – that defied food logic. It even made the cadre of good natured, seasoned waiters smile. I first stayed here two decades ago and I love the location, the friendly staff, and the fact that when you take the elevator to the very bottom level, you emerge into the Montreal Underground, a magical world of food shops, coffee bars and boutiques in the heart of bustling Central Station, the city's transportation ground zero of the Underground City. Here's a concept: you can literally get on an Amtrak train in New York's Penn Station, travel to Montréal, and take the elevator to the Queen Elizabeth hotel above without stepping outside. That's my idea of winter travel.
On the same floor as our 17th floor room was the suite where John Lennon and Yoko Ono had their Bed In for Peace in 1969. Here they held court and composed and recorded "Give Peace a Chance," in a crowded room filled with a motley chorus that included Tommy Smothers, Dr. Timothy Leary, Petula Clark, and members of the Radha Krishna Temple. A month later, it hit 14 on Billboard's chart. This was considerably more interesting to me than the girls, who found it far more fascinating that with a well-timed jump in the elevator on the way to the 17th floor, they could get air. Visit Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. Doubles from $139 CAD.
5. Notes from the Underground
Every kid loves the idea of exploring an underground city that seems hidden from the world above and Montreal is the kingdom of underground life. Some 20 miles of tunnels are spread out over about four and a half square miles, connecting apartment buildings, malls, shops and the Central Station. The girls and I took the elevator down to the train station and walked through the hallways of the Underground City to the Atrium Le 1000, where we skated on the indoor rink under a multi story ceiling. There may be no better way of experiencing the winter spirit of Canada than ice skating in Montreal. If you have a Canadiens jersey to wear, or can twirl effortlessly in the center of the rink, so much the better.
For more information, visit Tourisme Montreal.
Everett Potter is editor-in-chief of Everett Potter's Travel Report.


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With the rain holding off, green-clad revelers are ready for the 35th Dallas St. Patrick's Day Parade to make its way down Greenville Avenue this morning.
Organizers expect 90 floats and more than 125,000 people in attendance.
The 11 a.m. parade goes on even if rain starts to fall, which is expected by mid-afternoon.
We'll update this post throughout the day with more from the festivities.
11:47 update: The front of the parade, led by grand marshal and retired WFAA-TV anchor Gloria Campos, has made its way past Milton Street and Greenville Avenue.
Kathy Arscott isn't far behind with the Animal Rescue of Texas contingency, led by a Studebaker bus. She's with her dog Shiner, dyed green and resembling mint chocolate chip ice cream with her brown spots.
"It's food coloring, so it doesn't hurt her," Arscott said.
A few sprinkles have started to fall, but not enough for those in the crowd to break out the umbrellas.
12:07 update: There's a newly engaged couple.
In a proposal Matt Ellis, 41, coordinated with parade organizers, he stepped off float as girlfriend Kristin Ulmer, 36, came down from the bleachers.
Ellis dropped down on one knee, and the crowded roared. Then people on the float unfurled a banner: "She said yes."
Ulmer knew the proposal would come at some point — the couple of a year recently bought a ring together. But Ellis said before the parade he hoped she hadn't caught wind of his plan.
The two met last year among the St. Patrick's festivities.
Sprinkles continue to fall, mixed in with a few chill-filled breezes.
12:50 update: With the back end of the parade procession past the Meadows Building, crowds poured out onto Greenville Avenue.
Floats carried the expected green and Irish themes, with bagpipe players and bead-throwers dotted throughout the parade. Participating groups included the Dallas Mavericks and local businesses, among others.
Some floats had unexpected twists. A Big Boy figurine, decked in green, sat on the back of Gary Isett's landscaping float.
"It's just an attention-getter," Isett said before the parade. "I mean this is Americana."
One group threw green-dyed corn tortillas — which kids then tossed around in the street once it cleared.
Rain fell more steadily once the procession had finished.


text:
Kodak Z1485 IS
Latest Camera Reviews
The Kodak Z1485 IS is a new 14 megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom lens. Quietly making its debut at last week's Photokina show, the Kodak Z1485 IS features a focal length of 35-175 mm with optical image stabilization, ISO 100 to ISO 1600 (with 3200 and 6400 available at lower resolution), new Smart Capture feature which adjusts the camera settings for great pictures in just about any environment, a Manual mode that lets you choose both the aperture and shutter speed, and HD quality video recording. Available in black, blue and pink, the Kodak Z1485 IS costs $299.95 and is available now.
Update: We have a gallery of photos of the Kodak Z1485 IS - click the continue link below…
Your Comments
4 Comments | Newest Oldest First | Post a Comment
The Kodak Z1485 IS - is great little camera too a point i have only had this camera for just a week and already i have discoverd the when the standard
battery power go's and you put AA NHI-MHI IN the camera tells you the charged batter's are dead when there not thats the only fault with it unless
this was one out of the batch that i had .anybody knows different please tell me . happy shooting
Would it work with KODAK EASYSHARE PRINTER DOCK PLUS, quite old printer by Kodak.
Can I use PICBRIDGE or USB cable??
What is an Error LO3 on a blue screen? Camera has been a problem since early when the battery was used up and we changed to AA's. Koda Easy share Z1485 IS model. Thanks
Greg yes I think it works with that device. Do not have one but saw that easy share printer in the manual and in software options available (as with drivers for downloading from Kodaks web site for the camera). [Sidenote: Have a different printer so did not need to necessarily purchase easy share printer.]
I have this and used it with the Kodak Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery/KLIC 8000 (available separately). Does anyone know the shelf life for one of these batteries? We have recharged it about 14-18 times in the last 12 months of use. Last time I put it on the charger, camera worked fine. The charger showed a green light when it was done charging, but when we put it back in the camera, it did not come on. Tried adjusting the knobs on top and do not get any activity. (It only goes in one way. So it cannot be put in backwards.)
If any one uses these batteries alot, please post and let us know how often you have to replace them or how many recharges you get, or it you occassionally get one battery that does NOT perform well, compared to similar batteries of the same make (KLIC 8000).
Other thoughts:
The panorama feature works well. On zoom images can be out of focus if you do not hold camera steady, so the optical image stabilizing feature did not seem to work well for me. I ended up using a pole, to help stabilize when standing and zooming for improved quality.
As for battery, does anyone know the shelf life of a LI-rechargable; Kodak Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery/KLIC 8000? (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H92BTM/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me;=&seller;= )


text:
Post-election, secretive Republican front group exposed
Shrouded in secrecy, hundreds of right-wing Republican state lawmakers joined powerful corporate executives and lobbyists in Washington D.C yesterday.
New House committee chairs reflect GOP's concept of diversity
Boehner demonstrated the difficulty his party has with the concept of diversity yesterday.
Election Day in California: a bad day for Republicans
Nov. 6 was a very bad day to be a Republican in California.
Elections in the new Virginia
On November 6, voters in the key battleground state of Virginia formed extremely long lines and in some cases waited for hours to vote.
Democracy comes out on top on Nov. 6
The Communist Party said a year ago that the 2012 elections would be the main front of the class and democratic struggle, and subsequent events have confirmed that fact.


text:
Family: Interviewing Relatives
Planning interviews with family members include determining proper questions, equipment to use, and other aspects. Here are some suggestions you may find helpful.
As a journalist, I know that using more than one device is a good idea. There's no telling when one will not cooperate. I prefer to use a digital sound recorder with an external microphone, and a video camera (with sound) as well. I also take notes and work from a list of questions.
Make sure you have a digital camera to take shots of documents or old photos; bring a small tripod one along (best: those with legs that can be twisted into any angle or used against your arm or shoulder to stabilize the camera). Not expensive, they take up very little room.
A portable scanner – getting smaller and less expensive every year – is another good idea to copy unframed photos and documents; always check the backs of photos and documents for notes, inscriptions, dates, etc. Use your digital camera to shoot framed photos hanging on the wall.
Practice using your equipment ahead of time – so you won't waste time or annoy the person with technical glitches. Remember to take the lens cap off the video camera! If using battery-operated devices, bring along spares (or chargers). The Boy Scouts have it right: "Be Prepared."
Read on for more information about arranging an interview, how to interview, questions to ask and sharing information.
The older your relatives, the sooner you should do this. I often speak of my favorite proverb. An African proverb states: "When an elder dies, it is as if a library has burned down." That person may be the only source for some details or stories about your family.
Be cognizant of your relative's age. The very elderly may not be able to focus on a long interview and a few shorter ones may need to be scheduled. They may also digress from the questions asked and it may be hard to keep them on track, but such a rambling may lead to more details. Once you start asking questions, they will begin remembering more.
I once interviewed - by phone - an elderly relative. He didn't understand why I was so interested in what he remembered from 60 years ago; didn't I have a life, a family? Eventually, he became much more cooperative. And, once the memory gates had opened, I received a few calls - at 2am - from him as he said "Quick, write down what I just remembered before I forget it again." Be prepared for similar experiences.
When arranging the session, ask them if they have old family photos, papers, travel documents or life-cycle event papers (such as wedding invitations). Will they allow you to look at them? To make copies? Most people are wary of allowing their original documents or old family photos to leave their homes, so be prepared to make copies or scan them on your visit.
Make sure to thank the person, and consider sending a copy of the interview on CD or a transcription of your conversation to them. Their close family members will also appreciate this. A relative may be more apt to talk to you than to their own children or grandchildren, so sharing the information with the person's family is a very nice gesture.
The most important factor in an interview is to always ask open-ended questions to which detailed answers are required. Try not to ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no.
Decide on what you are hoping to learn from your relative. Are you interested in general family history, or in that person's own immediate family and his or her own parents, grandparents or great-grandparents. Try to determine what you want to learn, and use appropriate questions to elicit that information. See below for links to lists of questions.
Bring a copy of your family tree for them, as it currently exists. Bring another copy for yourself to make notes on. If you already have old photos showing them, their parents, grandparents or other family members, bring copies for them. The images may stimulate the gates of memory.
There are many resources out there offering lists of questions that can be tweaked to your needs. Here are some offering questions and more interview tips:
-- Kimberly Powell of Genealogy.about.com offers 50 questions.
-- Laurence Harris (MyHeritage's UK head of genealogy) offers 10 interview tips.
-- Family Tree Magazine's 20 questions for interviewing relatives.
-- Storyarts.org has an article on collecting family stories.
-- Jennifer Geraghty-Gorman's blog – The Search for Anne and Michael – offers questions for interviews, some geared to those from Ireland.
-- FamilyArchives.com has several articles on the art of interviewing, questions to ask and more.
Why should we share this information? One important reason is so the information won't be lost, other relatives can enjoy it and it may well bring back their own memories.
Where should we share it? One of the best places is to post it on your family website at MyHeritage, where you can include photographs, documents, video and audio recordings and make them available to everyone in your family.
Here's why I am so personally passionate about sharing this information:
A first cousin had interviewed my great-grandmother in the early 1960s (she died in 1963), and had several old reel-to-reel tapes of the hours-long interview, stored in his garage. I had asked about them for years; he always said he would send them. He never did. Then Hurricane Katrina struck and destroyed his home near New Orleans. The tapes were lost forever. I can only imagine the important information that could have been gleaned from that interview. Don't let this happen to you and your family.
Who have you interviewed? How did it go? What did you discover? What are your tips for interviewing relatives? Share your comments below.
Search for your ancestors:
- useful tips on interviews, my calender looks stunning, i am very happy about the product, this is my xmas gift to me!
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Magic Man
|Chapter 2
|Posted: December 2, 2011
|I was surrounded in darkness, scared and alone. The only sound was that of my heart which was faint. 'This must be what it's like to die.' I thought to myself. My mom sure was going to be mad. Suddenly, there was a light way off in the distance. I'd read stories about people going to the light and finding heaven. Then the light got brighter and began to spread. I heard a voice but I couldn't understand what he was saying. The language was foreign to me. Didn't they speak English in heaven? Now I could feel my eyes blinking. My lungs hurt. I was still not breathing. Someone was shaking me. With great effort, I forced myself to take a breath. I was thrown back into the reality of the situation. I made a horrible gasping sound and began coughing. Water emptied from my chest. It was the worst I had ever felt in my life. I rolled onto my side and threw up, needing to further empty my lungs. I laid there a moment and looked around, noticing I was still in the forest. The last thing I remember was being pulled under the water in the pond. Now I was on the ground wondering who helped me. I sat up and looked around to see if my rescuer was still there. My eyes would not register what I saw. There was a man with pale skin, very tall and lithe, with the blondest hair I had ever seen. It was long and hung loosely around his shoulders. The first thing that came to mind was Hippies. It was the late seventies back then and Flower Power was still around. However, his clothes looked nothing like the funky clothes I had seen on TV. They were like nothing I had ever seen anywhere. He wore dark green tights that looked like wool and a long shirt made of leather or suede. It was green and brown. He wore a thin belt around his waist and leather looking boots that came up more than half way to his knee. But the one thing I remembered more than anything was his eyes. Now, I have blue eyes and my mother always commented on how beautiful they are. This guy had eyes so blue; it was like looking at the sky. They were crystal clear and sparkled with a kind of energy. He almost looked like he stepped out of a fairy tale or something. You would think that I was scared of him but there was something soothing and safe about him. I thought that maybe I did die and this was not a Hippy but an angel of some kind.
He looked down at me curiously. "Manen carach?" he said, his voice full of worry.
"What?" I thought I had water in my ears because I didn't understand what he said.
"My apologies little one. I forgot to use your language. How do you feel? You gave me quite a fright."
The way he spoke was odd. He reminded me of someone from an old English novel. "Did you help me?"
"Yes. I heard your cries for help. It was a good thing I happened by this way or you would have met an untimely death for sure. Do you live close?"
I was about to answer him when I remembered the injured fawn. "Where is the deer? Its leg is hurt. It needs help or it will die."
"I know he is injured. His mother was attacked and killed. He was about to meet the same fate when I came along but he ran off before I could see his wounds. I was searching for him when I heard your cry for help." The Hippy guy smiled at me. "Is that what you were doing? Were you trying to save my little friend?"
"Your friend?" I asked confused.
"Why of course, all forest creatures are my friends." he said seriously.
I was beginning to get a little scared. Here I am, ten years old, nearly drowned and rescued by this guy who thinks he's Dr. Doolittle* or something. My mother's warnings suddenly entered my head about not talking to strangers, and this guy was definitely strange. "I… I have to go now. My mom will be looking for me."
"Are you sure you are alright? Would you like me to check you over first? You were not breathing when I found you."
It suddenly dawned on me that I was only wearing my underclothes when this happened. I looked down and saw that I was fully clothed. It creeped me out a little to think of this longhaired freaky guy getting me dressed while I was unconscious. "Really mister, I'm o.k. I have to go." I said and stood up. I was dizzy and started to fall again when he caught me.
"Maybe you should rest first child." he said and smiled again. I couldn't help but notice how safe he made me feel, this stranger in the woods.
I decided that maybe it was alright to talk to him after all. "Where do you come from? You're definitely not from around here. And why are you on my parents land? Are you one of those hunters?"
"I come from somewhere far away from here. I did not know this land belonged to anyone. And I am a hunter of sorts, or at least I used to be." He answered each of my questions but I was still confused.
"Well, if you are lost, maybe my mom or dad can help you be on your way." I said innocently.
He laughed quietly. "It is none of your concern but I am not lost. I am right where I am supposed to be, though I cannot stay. I must be getting back home. I was on my way there now when I heard your cries for help. As I said, you are a very lucky little girl."
I looked at him very serious like. "Mister, I don't know what you're doing around these parts, but maybe it's best you be getting home. I think I'm better now and I have to be getting home too. As long as you leave the wildlife alone and don't litter, I don't see any reason you can't hang around here."
He lifted his hand and placed it on my head, ruffling my hair. "Well, I promise not to hunt anything on your land, but I am not sure what litter means. It sounds rather unpleasant so I hope not to do this act."
"Good." I said, satisfied with his answer. I got up again and this time I didn't fall. I started to walk away and he called to me again. When I turned around, he was holding my canteen. I took it from him, smiled and was on my way home. It was the strangest thing that ever happened to me, as a child at least.
Needless to say, I didn't go back to the woods alone again all summer. It was at least a couple months before I went back at all. My best friend Josie asked to go one day. I was hesitant and she couldn't understand why.
"Why are you all of a sudden afraid to go into the woods?" she asked.
"I'm not afraid. I just don't feel like going that's all." I said. She talked me into going anyways. We made our way and as I got closer to the tree line, my heart began to pound. I couldn't explain the feeling at the time. I was not afraid of the forest or the Hippy for that matter. It was almost like wanting to keep him a secret, protect him from the outside world. He seemed so innocent and unaware of the world around him and I needed to keep it that way. When I look back on it now, I would say he seemed pure, untouched by society, ancient even. It would be years later when I discovered just how true that was.
Needless to say, we went into the woods that day and nothing out of the ordinary happened. I was glad we did not run into my Hippy friend and I never told Josie about my experience. I started to relax until we came upon the pond where I met my rescuer. There was no sign of him or anything that happened that day I almost died. Looking out into the pond, I remembered the feel of drowning, how my life almost ended. I hadn't thought about it much, putting it out of my head. Here I was back at the scene and it hit me like a slap in the face. I almost died. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about my mom and dad finding me dead in the water. It was like a vision as the alternate ending played out. Police were all around the lake, looking for evidence of foul play. My pale lifeless body was brought up from the weeds I was tangled in. The story would hit the local paper and my death would be an example of why children should not swim alone. The worst thing was seeing my parents' faces. Total despair washed over them. Some townspeople even blamed them for my death. Their lives were changed forever. It was not a pretty sight.
Then, just as I was about to be consumed by this insight, I saw movement across the pond. I wiped my tear-filled eyes to focus better and there it was, the injured fawn. He was bigger and his white spots were not as many. I watched as he walked along the water's edge. There was a scar on his hind leg from the injury but he was fine. He was not even limping. That guy did as he said and took care of him. He was alive because of him, and so was I. It hit me like a brick that I had not thanked him for his brave deed. I felt so guilty because at the time I was afraid of him. There never was any reason to fear him. He was just some Good Samaritan doing a good deed, two as a matter of fact. My heart felt heavy as I had the need to find him and thank him. But a little voice in my head told me he already knew. It was in his smile that day. To know I was alive was all the thanks he needed.
The fawn looked across the pond and for a brief second we made eye contact. We were both in debt to that stranger in the woods. Somehow, I felt like the deer knew more than I did. He was content with the outcome of it all. He had befriended him and had shown his thanks. If animals could talk, he would have relayed my message to the stranger. I know it sounds silly but that's what I felt at the time.
The deer and I broke eye contact and I was about to look away when I saw a flash of gold high up in one of the giant cedar trees. I squinted and searched the tree but there was no movement. Somehow, I knew it was the Hippy and I yelled out, "Thank you." I knew it was my only chance for him to know.
Josie looked at me as if I had grown a second head. "For what? What are you thanking me for?"
I smiled and laughed as a flood of emotions washed through my mind. "Oh… uh… thanks for talking me into coming out here. I haven't been here in a while. So… thanks."
Josie cocked an eyebrow, placed her hands on her hips and stared at me. "Why are you so weird sometimes?"
"Why are you so weird?" I countered and we laughed. We enjoyed the rest of the day.
We visited the forest a lot that summer. From time to time, I saw the fawn. I never saw the Hippy guy again but I always felt like someone was watching over me, like a guardian angel.
Over the years, I put my experience to the back of my head. Out of sight, out of mind I guess. I never forgot one single moment spent with him, but I didn't dwell on it either. It was my little secret and I swore to one-day pay him back for his selfless deed, if I ever got the chance.
*Dr. Doolittle, by Hugh Lofting - published 1920
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text:
This is the type of stock that can just grow and grow and grow because the Internet is only getting bigger and better, and AKAMai makes that possible. Buh-bye shorties. This rocket is prepared for lift-off. $50ish looks about a good place to go tomorrow.
Sentiment: Strong Buy
we wont see 50 tomoro, sorry, the technicals dont support it. will be happy 2 c 40 tho that would rule #$%$ and stuff
Tell me what technicals supported a $54 share price in Nov 2010. Those technicals are in place today given that they reported their biggest quarter ever and so AKAM should be at least $54 in short term.
We've already seen $40 on October 8 and that was without knowledge of the earnings. AKAM said it was their BIGGEST quarter ever. Now that we have better than expected earnings and guidance for a big 4th Q, We should see the BIGGEST share prices ever which would be above $50.


text:
Xperia Z1 frame bending for no reason, claim users
0. phoneArena 14 Jan 2014, 08:07 posted on
Sony might be getting into the business of bendable smartphones before Samsung or LG, it seems, as a bunch of users are reporting that the metal frame of the flagship Xperia Z1 handset has allegedly bent for no reason, leaving their phone in the state that can be observed in the pictures below...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. ArtSim98 (Posts: 3535; Member since: 21 Dec 2012)
So they claim it just suddenly bends while it's sitting on the table? Hmmmm OK...
10. akki20892 (Posts: 3901; Member since: 04 Feb 2013)
Processor does this happen. i guess
19. ArtSim98 (Posts: 3535; Member since: 21 Dec 2012)
Snapdragon 800 doesn't heat up enough to melt aluminium. Or to just make it soft enough to bend "for no reason".
18. Droid_X_Doug (Posts: 5993; Member since: 22 Dec 2010)
News flash - Sony is found to be using liquid metal in the frame of its flagship smartphone! Apple and MIT file suit for patent infringement.
22. haney.alsaaidy (Posts: 18; Member since: 29 Jan 2013)
Probably This is because the expansion in one side of the phone
27. pwnarena (Posts: 1129; Member since: 15 Feb 2013)
go back to high school
25. buccob (Posts: 2566; Member since: 19 Jun 2012)
Another reason to go for the Compact model instead of the big framed one....
Compact with have a better structure specially for being thicker...
28. ihavenoname (Posts: 1693; Member since: 18 Aug 2013)
Agreed. That bending looks horrible. Really waiting for Compact.
33. InspectorGadget80 (unregistered)
Or they claim thinking they are trying to bend the phone trying to look like the G Flex. I have my Z1 since OCT no problems here.
35. JerryTime (Posts: 468; Member since: 09 Nov 2013)
I KNEW Sony was selling that magic self bending metal. That's why I ordered a Z1S yesterday.
2. Diego! (Posts: 575; Member since: 15 Jun 2009)
Sony Xperiz Z1 Flex LOL xD
6. joaolx (Posts: 364; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
Ahaha I thought people wanted a phone lig the LG G flex or galaxy round xD
20. xperiaDROID (banned) (Posts: 5629; Member since: 08 Mar 2013)
Experience the best of flexibility on a Sony smartphone.
3. AfterShock (Posts: 3698; Member since: 02 Nov 2012)
Kind of unlikely.
4. Duketytz (Posts: 534; Member since: 28 Nov 2013)
I wondered who paid them to comment that their phones bend on their own on the table... Just out to ruin Sony's name
37. Sauce (unregistered)
The same people who keep trying to ruin Apples name lol xD
5. pyradark (Posts: 857; Member since: 10 Jun 2012)
Not just waterproof
Its also a a bendable
12. Just.Saying (Posts: 132; Member since: 04 Apr 2013)
They water and dust resistant, But not B#t resistant yet.
Hmmmmmm, Better patent this idea
7. adjou (Posts: 103; Member since: 06 Jul 2010)
Wait, let me get this right.
So they prolly sat on the phone which was in their back pocket to make it bend, so they decided to blame the manufacturer for making a phone that bends on its own...
Wow... -_-'
8. __0__ (banned) (Posts: 242; Member since: 07 Jan 2014)
But if you sit on it , the glass would probably crack
9. __0__ (banned) (Posts: 242; Member since: 07 Jan 2014)
Then again , aluminum phones aren't very durable ! Plastic FTW ! All my devices except my now broken iPod touch 4G are plastic
11. PunyPoop (Posts: 752; Member since: 18 Jan 2013)
What kind of reasoning is that?
24. Doakie (Posts: 2009; Member since: 06 May 2009)
Are you new to the idea that aluminum dings and dents way easier than polycarbonate? My HTC One got a pit in the aluminum while inside of a Seidio Surface case from a tiny piece of sand getting caught inside the case. Needless to say screw aluminum, I'll stick with polycarbonate.
13. PunyPoop (Posts: 752; Member since: 18 Jan 2013)
from Xperia blog's comments
kevinlow • 14 hours ago
(I am an engineer)
To debunk the heat argument: We can rule out heat and heat alone as the cause, because heat cannot permanently deform aluminium as long as it stays below melting point. Yes, below melting point things still deform, but they bounce back after the heat is removed, like the spring in your thermostat needle. Heating aluminium enough so that it is bendable by smaller forces than usual is also ruled out, because the amount of heat needed to do this is at the level of a blowtorch. The fact that the phone still works, and the undamaged plastic bits in the areas where the aluminium is bent show that this level of heat was not reached. So we can conclusively say that a force, not temperature, caused this deformation (forces can be external or internal).
The only source of large internal forces in a smartphone that I am aware of is from failed Lithium ion batteries expanding. The pictures supplied clearly show that this is not the case, since there is no evidence of the phone bulging in the area where the battery is installed.
This only leaves me to conclude that the most likely cause of the damage is from external forces, the sources of which I leave to your imagination.
32. deeson22 (Posts: 4; Member since: 06 Jan 2014)
Ah,? It does not take a blow torch to melt Aluminum,Aluminum will turn to liquid Aluminum at 1350* Degrees,And it depends on the Alloys in the Aluminum as to weather it will bend and stay with a certain amount of heat,(5052) Aluminum will bend with low heat,(6061) Aluminum will not bend with low heat,(6061) Will Break before it bends Because of the Greater amount of Titanium,Silica,and Magnisium,So unless you know the exact Grade of Aluminum that is used to build the Frame of the device you cannot determine the tinsile strenght,bending point,and breaking point....
38. shahrooz (Posts: 742; Member since: 17 Sep 2013)
As far as I remember from "strength of materials" course, materials can have internal stress due to bad cooling in the first place. It may be the cause. It is not my field of study, just suggesting.
14. kalalemuhammad (Posts: 11; Member since: 14 Jan 2014)
I owned an xperia z and it really bended suddenly on me and the glass cracked. I am now using HTC One and nexus 4.
15. kalalemuhammad (Posts: 11; Member since: 14 Jan 2014)
By the way I am from Nigeria where I can't claim Sony warranty.
16. aranauser (Posts: 58; Member since: 07 Jan 2014)
the same problem was reported by even xperia z users
17. xperiaDROID (banned) (Posts: 5629; Member since: 08 Mar 2013)
So, they claim that their Z1 suddenly bends itself automatically when it's sitting on the table? :P
Sigh...paid shills.
21. Smokin (Posts: 120; Member since: 10 Oct 2013)
Their owner must have been high or drunk. Or paid by Samsung. lulz
23. PorkyBurger (Posts: 585; Member since: 18 May 2013)
Atleast, they don't need to buy Galaxy Round or G Flex anymore.
26. rockindeepak (Posts: 1; Member since: 28 Mar 2013)
May be the phone is from Australia..The heat is insane.
29. mitchger (Posts: 1; Member since: 14 Jan 2014)
Oh yeah sure. First of all there's no such thing as charging the z1 wirelessly and secondly I'd confidentiality bet it's a fatty keeping the z1 in the wrong pocket.
30. Astoni (Posts: 649; Member since: 28 Sep 2013)
Just checked mine, nope no bending. but it's aluminium so it might :p. i hope they replace mine if so..
31. zunaidahmed (Posts: 812; Member since: 24 Dec 2011)
Guess phone bending is not apple patented yet, or they are gonna sue them because they patented 'bending' phones, haha
34. EclipseGSX (Posts: 1717; Member since: 18 Oct 2011)
It's a feature guys! It has a sensor that detects a table then bends for a better viewing angle
36. anleoflippy (Posts: 595; Member since: 03 Jan 2013)
I just checked mine that I bought last November and it's still fine.
Must be some defective devices.
Come on, not all units are perfect. Other brands also have defective units.
39. Ronny666 (Posts: 120; Member since: 08 Jun 2013)
I think the user wanted to test to see if it is bend proof but got screwed. Just embarrassed Sony..
41. Atlas (Posts: 158; Member since: 15 Apr 2012)
Maybe they have the phone in their back pocket and are not smart enough not to take it out when sitting down.
42. John2014 (Posts: 43; Member since: 14 Jan 2014)
Plastic part melt before bend the aluminium body. Maybe inside the phone is massy!
SONY got a lot of damage because of this. Many people believe this silly information.
44. deeson22 (Posts: 4; Member since: 06 Jan 2014)
All it is, is, somebody putting it in their back pocket and forgetting about it, then they sit down and bend it and then says, "oh, it has to be Sony's fault, poor build quality, that device internally is not getting to 1350 degrees and that's what it takes to melt Aluminum, for that phone to get to the temp. Of melting, it would be glowing Red and it would burn anything it touches, so no it is not doing it by itself, it has to be done with human hands, not a Sony defect,Thanks,,,,
45. Tsepz_GP (Posts: 987; Member since: 12 Apr 2012)
Waterproof, dust proof with a metal frame, yet it bends for no reason, so much for good build quality, lol.
46. shadowwalker (Posts: 5; Member since: 21 Dec 2013)
that's is just like wining the lottery a phone that bends on it self . just unbeleivable
47. XCoder8 (Posts: 1; Member since: 17 Dec 2013)
Got mine since november and I had exposed this to temps less than 0 deg C and 47 deg C and nope, no bending at all. I make use of the dock charger since I got this phone and nope, no bending at all.
48. ananya22 (Posts: 93; Member since: 23 Apr 2012)
i have an xperia z1 and have been using it for around 2 months and it has developed a slight bend by itself! this is a real issue and i'm sure there will be more cases soon as its not fake news. lets see what the sony centre people will say when i go there tomorrow. i'll post here if i manage to get it replaced
49. rueleonheart (Posts: 20; Member since: 24 Feb 2014)
No it's not the back pocket, its the side pocket of your jeans. If you sit and the phone is in your side pocket, it will press against the curve of your legs and the metal frame will bend. When you take it out your pocket, you wont immediately see the defect, not until you place it on a table.
50. septronic (Posts: 2; Member since: 13 Oct 2014)
It has happened to me as well. Sony has been so bad in dealing with the problem. They asked me to send the phone in, but my phone is used every day, and I cannot just send my phone in. They need to sort this out. The following is the transcript of my chat with a sony representative:
ou have now been connected to an agent.
Jonny: Hi sepandat, thank you for contacting Sony Xperia UK Chat Support. My name is Jonathan, please could I take your full name and email address?
sepandat: Hi, my name is ''''Removed"", and my email address is """Removed"
sepandat: I realised today that my phone is bent
Jonny: Thank you for providing me with this information, Please could you confirm which model of phone you have and which network it is on?
sepandat: It's a Sony Xperia Z1, within its first year warranty, and I would like to get it sorted
sepandat: it's on Orange (EE)
Jonny: Okay, would you like me to provide you with details on how to send your phone for repair?
sepandat: Do you need the IMEI?
Jonny: Yes we will
sepandat: ''''''Removed
Jonny: Thank you. I'd recommend you keep a copy of this IMEI number for your own reference.
Jonny: To book your handset in for repair please visit the following link:
Jonny: """"Link removed
Jonny: You will then be asked to either login with or create a Sony Mobile account. If you do not already have an account you can create one alternatively you can sign in via Facebook or using Google+.
sepandat: of course
Jonny: Once your account has been created select Repair your device and you will be guided through the repair process.
Jonny: Please ensure you read through all of the information which is provided as you go through this online.
Jonny: I hope this information has been helpful to you. Is there anything else I can help you with in the mean time?
sepandat: ok can we do it together, as I'm not very good at these things
sepandat: so I'm at the page, and chose to login with my google +
Jonny: We'd suggest opening a new chat if you did struggle with this. We wouldn't be able to keep a chat open for the duration of a booking. Sorry Sepandat.
sepandat: of course, I am there but I can't arrange for a repait
sepandat: repair
Jonny: Can you go into more detail?
sepandat: well I booked the repair, but it just says that the order is submitted. It doesn't tell me what to do
sepandat: can you see my repair order?
Jonny: You should have an email now. please check your Inbox.
sepandat: yes I did. but I need to use my phone. I cannot be without a phone
sepandat: it says I need to send it in.
sepandat: I cannot send it in. It's within its warranty period so I don't see why I have to send it in.
sepandat: Do you have a store in london so that I can take my device in?
sepandat: I need to be able to use my phone
Jonny: We wouldn't be able to offer you any other service as we don't have any stores
Jonny: You could maybe get a loan phone from your po
51. septronic (Posts: 2; Member since: 13 Oct 2014)
The full transcript cannot be uploaded, but if anyone can help, I will be happy to provide the full details.
Many thanks
52. Penno (Posts: 1; Member since: 13 Nov 2014)
I too have a bent Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. I took my phone in the pool and it got water damage. I had no idea that the phone was bent and if I was aware that they are so susceptible to bending I would never have purchased it in the first place. Furthermore the customer service has been the worst customer service I have ever known. I sent my phone in on the 28th August and only heard back today from the escalation team.
I am going to take legal advice to recovering my costs.
53. billybremner04 (Posts: 1; Member since: 15 Jun 2015)
I bought this phone and it really did bend on its own. I sent it back and they charged me $150 to replace it. They were insisting I had bent it myself and didn't mention it could possibly be their faulty product. True. I don't care about bashing Sony but if they have a faulty product and don't take responsibility, they will bash themselves.


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One of three members of a Muslim family in Canada, convicted of killing three teenage sisters and another woman, intends to appeal the verdict.
Prosecutors say Afghan-born immigrant Mohammad Shafia, 58; his wife Tooba Yahya, 42; and their son Hamed, 21, killed the women because they dishonored the family by defying Islamic rules on dress, dating, and socializing.
The women's bodies were found in a submerged car in a canal in Kingston, Ontario, on June 30, 2009. Prosecutors said the "accident" was staged to conceal the murders.
"It is difficult to conceive of a more heinous, more despicable, more honorless crime," Ontario Superior Court Judge Robert Maranger said after the verdict was read on Sunday.
Hamed Shafia's lawyer, Patrick McCann, said Wednesday that his client was "determined to press on and continue the fight."
McCann said the appeal was based on inadmissible hearsay evidence by key witnesses. He also suggested the trial's intense media coverage may have tainted the jury.
"Although jurors are told not to read or listen to media accounts in a case like this, it is almost inevitable that they would be aware of the coverage and may well be tainted by it," McCann told Postmedia News in an email.
"I don't know that this could be a ground of appeal, but it certainly may impact on the viability of jury trials unless the jury is sequestered," he said.
Meanwhile Canada's minister of women's affairs condemned the killings, saying, "honor-motivated violence is not culture, it is barbaric violence."
Afghan Family Found Guilty of Honor Killings
Islamic 'Honor Violence' Rising in the West
Canadian Family Murdered in 'Honor Killings'
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The York County Senior Games is taking place this week. Hundreds of seniors are battling for the top spot in dozens of events, but for one senior, just being there is the best prize.
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text: The continued military-inspired offerings from WTAPS comes in the form of the Olive Drab Cushion as part of their Spring/Summer 2012 SNEAK accessories collection. Presented in a barracks-inspired colorway, offsetting white branding accents move the piece from utilitarian bunk to more modern home decor. The latest from WTAPS can be purchased online for $1,780 HKD (approximately $229 USD).


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hydrogen sulfide monitoring Companies serving Rwanda
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Environmental Sensors Company
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Environmental Sensors Co. offers a complete line of analytical instruments for toxic chemical vapor detection and monitoring. ESC gas monitors are designed to monitor indoor air quality where varying amounts of the targeted gas are expected to be present. ESC gas monitors are often used for personal or area monitoring to protect employees` safety. All of ESC gas monitors ...
Arizona Instrument LLC
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Arizona Instrument LLC was founded in 1981 by a group of engineers. Arizona Instrument, then known as Quintel Corporation, was dedicated to providing precision moisture analysis instruments that were accurate, reliable, and easy to use. Over the years the company expanded its Computrac moisture analysis line and became an accepted leader in moisture analysis, setting a ...
GRIMM Aerosol Technik GmbH & Co. KG
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GRIMM AEROSOL Technik has developed different health orientated products, associated with our expertise in Particle technologies, such as continuous Aerosol monitors for Environmental and Occupational use. Meanwhile not only these two segments have developed over time into a wide product range, new and more sensitive technologies have been added such as Nano and Emission ...
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InnoTech Instrumentation Co., Ltd (InnoTech) provides board range of environmental monitoring instruments and laboratory equipments.Environmental Monitoring Instruments:InnoTech represents numbers of leading suppliers such as Teledyne API, Tisch Environmental, RM Young, WTW, Millennium Instruments, Casella CEL, RAE Systems and Environmental Sensors, etc. Laboratory ...
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CMC Solutions, LLC
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CMC Solutions is a leading supplier of PEMS or predictive emissions monitoring systems and software, and the most advanced emissions monitoring solutions available on the market today. We provide you with customer preferred, best-in-class predictive emissions monitoring systems (PEMS), software components, and superior support to meet the most stringent regulatory ...
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MOCON®-Baseline® offers the ultimate environmental measurement solutions package. With a complete line of gas analysis equipment that is ideal for Toxic Workplace Gas and Indoor Air Quality Monitoring, Environmental Source Monitoring and Ambient Air Networks. With measurement solutions for BTEX, total hydrocarbons, methane / nonmethane, as well as many others. Also, ...
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PemTech offers world-class quality and unparalleled customer service with our full range of industrial gas detection systems. Our industrial gas detectors and wireless gas sensors are equipped to handle a variety of toxic and combustible gases. We have detectors specifically designed to monitor Carbone Dioxide (CO2), Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), various combustible gases and ...
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In 1947 Ameron introduced T-Lock, a T-ribbed poly-vinyl chloride sheet lining material designed specifically to protect new concrete sewer pipe, structures and monolithic tunnels against the ravages of hydrogen sulfide gas/ sulfuric acid attack and other forms of corrosion. Now, more than fifty years later with millions of square feet of the material installed, we are ...
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text:
Thursday, November 7, 2013
On a Monday, many people are starting their workweek. However, for 100 people at the River Club, missing a day of work allowed them to raise money for charity, and play a round of golf at the North Augusta Classic golf tournament.
The tournament raised more than $15,000 for local charities.
"This tournament was brought about to raise money for groups around the area," Mary Anne Bigger, administrative assistant for North Augusta 2000, said. "This year we had about 100 golfers and raised $15,100 for the selected groups."
The funds were distributed to Community Ministry of North Augusta, or CMONA, the North Augusta High School golf team, the American Legion Auxilary for Palmetto Girl's State, North Augusta High School band, the Arts and Heritage Center, the RECing Crew, the American Legion, the North Augusta High School swim team and the North Augusta 2000 Capitol Campaign.
"We knew that these organizations had a need," Bigger said. "Our golf committee met and decided these were worthwhile for this year."
The tournament was held at the River Club and featured 22 groups from a number of organizations around North Augusta, including SRP, the City of North Augusta, Chick Fil A and Aiken Electrical Co-op, among many others.
One of the representatives of the City of North Augusta was Mayor Lark Jones.
"This was a perfect day for a day of golf," Jones said. "This is for a great cause and you get a good day on the golf course."
The low net winner of the day was the group from Aiken Electric, with a score of 50.7. The group, made up of Randy Yonce, Tim Padgett, Jeremy Scoggins and Todd Scoggins, was awarded Guitar Pull tickets for their work on the course.
"It was a great tournament, like it always is," Padgett said. "We play in this one every year."
Todd Scoggins said this was the first win for Aiken Electric since 2008 and attributed the win to Jeremy Scoggins' play.
"Jeremy, he chipped in two different times for eagle," he said. "On our second hole and the ninth one. He really was the difference that let us win it."
Bigger is hopeful the next North Augusta Classic will be even bigger.
"Hopefully, with the economy improving, we will get even more participants next year," she said. "We'd love to have this be even larger. That would let us give more to the charities we support."
T.J. Lundeen is a reporter for the North Augusta Star. Follow him on Twitter @lundeentj for more updates.
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Guidelines for Maximizing Training Efforts: Vision, Mission, and Leadership
By Captain Luther T. Reynolds, Director, Special Operations Division; and Sergeant Alfven Uy, Training Development Section, Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department
Key elements of a successful training program are a stated vision, mission, values, and goals; strong core leadership that possesses a clarity of mission; and a level of competence in communication skills, trust, support, autonomy, innovation, accountability, and relationship-building skills.
n any law enforcement agency, training can be the key contributor to the nurturing and development of a professional mind-set, self-awareness, and ethical values for both individual officers and the organization as a whole. To these ends, it is important to identify a strong team of leaders who take their responsibilities seriously and lead the organization beyond the historical benchmarks set by past institutional practices. When the right training and leadership teams are in place within the training environment, the entire organization will experience a profound and exciting transition, placing training as a top priority in both an organizational and an individual context. Implementation of this approach can often lead to exciting, tangible, and meaningful changes in employee job satisfaction, motivation, and performance. Setting high goals and standards and leading by example and demonstration engage most employees and inspire them to participate actively in making the organization more effective and professional.
There are many formulas leaders can use to identify the "right" team, and there are many factors of which they should be cognizant when developing an understanding of what is beyond their control. As will be discussed, it is critical to provide the necessary leadership and autonomy to training teams as they progress toward and achieve necessary change. Key elements that must be present in this process are a stated vision, mission, values, and goals; strong core leadership that possesses a clarity of mission; and a level of competence in communication skills, trust, support, autonomy, innovation, accountability, and relationship-building skills.
As an example, the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department (MCPD) training vision goes as follows:
Provide the highest quality of training and leadership development which prepares all employees mentally and physically for the tremendous demands of policing and functioning in support roles, on the Montgomery County Police Department
Mission, Values, and Goals
Great returns can be had by striving to achieve the mission, often with little fiscal impact. It does not always cost a great deal of money, initially, to make significant changes and improvements to a training program. The mission should always push and challenge training staff and the rest of the agency's personnel to set higher standards for performance and preparedness. As police officers tend to be very mission oriented, they will be more likely to embrace and share a forward-thinking training philosophy when stated in the form of a mission. A passion for the mission will reverberate within the agency as credible and effective instructors act as force multipliers.
The MCPD training mission is as follows:
We, the training academy staff, are committed to researching, developing and delivering the most current and best possible training to all members of the agency, always executed in a thorough and professional manner. Ownership and partnership of this training is shared by all police agency members and will incorporate outside expertise and related partners as often as practical and whenever applicable to the subject matter being covered. Training staff will constantly evaluate and improve all efforts to enhance training topics and service delivery, with the goal of raising the knowledge, confidence and skill levels of all who participate, always incorporating the highest levels of leadership, integrity and respect for participating members of this agency and the constituencies we serve.
Stated values are another indispensable part of a successful training program. The MCPD's stated training values are as follows:
Equally important are the goals of an agency. The MCPD has identified the following goals:
Identifying and Selecting the Right Staff
In addition, organizations must commit to finding informal leaders who are credible and respected to be part of their staff. These persons are often not specifically interested in being trainers, because they enjoy the operational aspects of their careers and must be recruited and mentored into these roles. This type of instructor will lead and influence the rest of an agency in the most significant ways. An effective team must consist of instructors possessing such leadership qualities as integrity, honesty, commitment, passion, discipline, excellent communication skills, open-mindedness, a willingness to be innovative, and, most important of all, an understanding of and deep commitment to the agency's and the community's overall mission as it pertains to public safety. Training teams must be led by supervisors that will unconditionally support these traits and exhibit them through actions, words, and deeds. Typically, when leaders demonstrate leadership, credible and senior staff members will follow suit.
An agency's best people should beidentified for the most sacred andcoveted role and title of trainer. Theactions, words, and deeds displayedby these people can make or breakan organization.
Once a training team is established, it is critical to develop synergy and trust. Once in place, these characteristics will help the agency maintain a high level of mutual support, encouragement, and exchange of ideas. This is accomplished through such events as brief team meetings emphasizing their importance in the training environment and also through group training or field trips to off-site facilities, where team members can garner contacts and also gain different perspectives on training and policing. It is important to hold ongoing planning sessions away from the training environment. Supervisors must foster a creative and open-minded atmosphere, consulting and using outside resources such as local colleges or universities, local businesses, and other law enforcement jurisdictional partnerships, all in an effort to maximize finite resources and foster an environment of innovation and creativity.
Strong Core Leadership
Training coordinators, in fact any law enforcement leaders, must show support for the regular training schedule as well as for bolstering the training standard and expectations. This support should be realized through talking daily with training staff, actively listening to their fervor for training, and validating their passion.
Agencies that traditionally do not make the funding of training a priority must change their thinking. As advocates for trainers, leaders need to highlight the importance of good training and the consequences of bad training. It will require a major effort to educate everyone around the training element about these issues. Because law enforcement inherently involves critical thinking under extreme conditions, it is important for officers to train their minds and skills to respond to situations effectively and appropriately. Leaders must convey to their chiefs of police or associated designees that training is critical and resources are needed.
Focus must always be placed on serving the target audience and crafting/delivering the proper message to the appropriate audiences, through the best mode and at the best time. Newer generations are more comfortable navigating a technology-driven environment, and their attention spans are much different from the generations of the past. Adapting to this changing thought process can be a slow transition for many trainers, but for long-term impact, it is beneficial to integrate a technology-driven instructional environment for today's audiences.
Video production is one popular trend that has arisen recently in law enforcement training and marketing of classes. As younger generations enter the law enforcement profession, many talents and skill sets are presented to training coordinators. Training teams should embrace those who are interested in creating dynamic training videos. Leaders will be surprised to see the experience and interest in this new field and how it can be applied to law enforcement training efforts.
Various video production software packages are used in many agencies because they are user-friendly and create a high-quality end product at little cost. Often, officers who have a thirst for this type of training platform can produce such videos in a short time frame. With some training and more hands-on experience, agencies can benefit from such a minimal investment. There are also numerous companies, such as the Response Network, which has partnered with the IACP, that are starting up entire Web portals dedicated to training first responders and sharing the best, most credible, and most updated electronic training and access to other information and networks for a low per-officer cost. Although e-learning is certainly not a replacement for more traditional training efforts, it is a less expensive and more efficient vehicle to provide certain types of training.
Relationship Building
Just because an agency builds and values relationships does not mean it does not have a bottom line of accountability or is not focused on results. On the contrary, staff must know that there is a mission to be accomplished and that they are supported but are accountable for their decisions, actions, and results. There must be a constant feedback and evaluation process, both formal and informal, that focuses on continual improvement.
The law enforcement profession contains many disciplines and other areas requiring sound decision-making skills: technology, resources, facilities, changing legal decisions, civil litigation, physical fitness standards and expectations, navigating union environments, the criminal justice system, community policing, and crime trends, to name just a few. However, the most difficult aspect of building a strong team environment is ensuring the proficiency of those on the team in navigating the "human terrain" and possessing emotional intelligence. Dealing with people is a challenging skill set that not everyone possesses; like integrity, it is difficult to teach. Leaders often fail to navigate well in the human environment, which can have a catastrophic impact on training and leadership efforts.
For these reasons, it is critical to ensure that staff members are capable of working in a team environment. Maturity and a sense of clarity in the understanding of the mission are necessary characteristics for all team members, as well as a willingness to make sacrifices to further the goals that support the mission. Solid training leaders get to know their people, actively listen to them, and incorporate their ideas throughout the program. As with any organization, people are the most important asset. Staff members must understand that they are important, are valued, are recognized for their excellence, and are appreciated. Part of this process entails not only picking and developing the right people to be trainers but also removing those who are not appropriate for the team, for whatever reasons. As leaders build relationships with their training teams and the teams grow closer, there will likely be many unanticipated positive developments.
Future Challenges
One piece of concluding guidance is to develop a plan and provide the team with a clear direction while providing it with input and a sense of ownership in the process. Create a sense of urgency and value while incorporating the fact that leadership, innovation, and risk taking are desperately needed. Recognize and reward successes and support staff through failures and learn from them when they occur. Leaders who find themselves operating in a poor training environment should remember that the problems were not created overnight and that they will not be fixed overnight. Insanity has been defined as continuing to do the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. Step back, discern where the agency needs to be, and realize that much can be done to effect change in significant and positive ways. ■
Captain Luther Reynolds has served the Montgomery County Police Department for nearly 20 years in various assignments and executive positions. Currently director of the Special Operations Division, he is a member of the IACP Training and Education Committee and has presented at the annual IACP conference.
A 16-year veteran with the Montgomery County Police Department, Sergeant Alfven Uy is currently assigned to the academy, supervising and leading the in-service program. He has been an adjunct professor at Patrick Henry College in Virginia as well as the University of Maryland–Shady Grove, teaching criminal justice and counterterrorism courses.
From The Police Chief, vol. LXXV, no. 11, November 2008. Copyright held by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 515 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA.