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Featured Golf News
Tiger Shooting for Fifth Green Jacket
It's been since the 2008 U.S. Open that Tiger Woods last won a Grand Slam event. That memorable performance at Torrey Pines near San Diego, where Woods overcame a severely damaged knee and endured 91 holes to finally beat Rocco Mediate in a rare Monday finish.
So it's been nearly five years since Woods has shined on golf's grandest stage, a remarkable fact considering he turned pro only 12 years prior to winning his 14th major title at Torrey Pines. Despite six top-10 finishes in the 16 majors since then, Woods still hasn't gotten that elusive 15th title that would move him to three behind the record mark of 18 majors held by Jack Nicklaus.
But Woods, who in recent years has endured personal and physical travails along with a totally revamped golf swing, is in the best place he's been in recent memory. The 37-year-old has already won three tournaments this year already - moving him to 77 career victories, only five behind Sam Snead's all-time mark - and returned to his former regular haunt as the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world.
So, because of his fine play in 2013, Woods is the odds-on favorite to win at Augusta National Golf Club this week, despite not visiting the Butler Cabin for the champion's green jacket ceremony since 2005.
Nicklaus, for one, believes that the window is closing on Tiger to overtake him. "Obviously the older he gets, and if he doesn't win, it makes my record move out further," Nicklaus said Tuesday.
That said, the Golden Bear thinks Woods can do it. "But I've said it, and I continue to say it, that I still expect him to break my record. I think he's just too talented, too driven, and too focused on that.
"From this point, he's got to win five majors, which is a pretty good career for most people to start at age 37," Nicklaus continued of Tiger's effort to get to 19. "He's played very, very well this spring. I think if he wins here, I think that it would be a very large step towards regaining the confidence that he has not won a major in, what, five years . . . He's going to have to figure it out.
"But I think if he figures it out here, it will be a great boost for him. If he doesn't figure it out here, after the spring he's had, I think it will be a lot tougher for him."
On Tuesday, Woods met with reporters and talked about making that cherished trip again. If he does win a fifth Masters, he'll be only one away from Nicklaus's record of six. Here's Woods he told the media during a lengthy, wide-ranging interview from Augusta National.
MODERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, it is always a great pleasure to introduce and welcome our four time Masters champion, Tiger Woods, back to Augusta. This marks Tiger's 19th appearance at the Masters. We congratulate you on your sensational season so far, with wins at Torrey Pines, Doral and Bay Hill, and reclaiming the No. 1 spot in the Official World Rankings. Tiger, you know this course as well as anyone, and you are indeed playing exceptionally well. Before we open up it to questions, would you share with us your thoughts on the condition of the course and how your preparations are going for this week.
TIGER WOODS: You got it, Rob. The golf course is in fantastic shape. I came up here last Sunday on Easter and played 18 holes. Played this week, well, 14 holes on Sunday and played nine yesterday. The golf course is playing pretty long. It's pretty dry. But the greens are coming up to speed and they are starting to get there. They have the ability right now, I think, that they can basically put this golf course however they want. They can slow it down. Won't take much to speed it up. And it's going to be, hopefully going to be a dry Masters and we get to have some excitement out there.
Q. Can you talk about No. 7 and 11, obviously those holes have changed dramatically and your scoring; has your strategy changed this year and recent years in particular on how you try to attack those two holes?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I've played the old holes, it was a 1 iron when I first got here back when we used to use 1 irons off of 7. Then it was a 2 iron down there and you'd have somewhere - get down to the bottom, a little flat spot on the right hand side and have anywhere between 9 iron to sand wedge and play that hole. Of years past, when we've had a little easterly wind, I've hit 3 wood and I've hit 4 iron, not exactly a green you hit a 4 or 5 iron into. So it's a tricky little tee shot. They have planted a bunch of trees on the left hand and right hand side.
11 is a way different hole. We didn't have that span of trees down the right hand side that we do now, and the tee was much, much farther up and to the left. We used to be able to hit driver down there. I remember playing with like Seve and Raymond always said to just hit it over where the gallery is, that's the angle you want to come from. Well, you can't get over there any more, the hole is playing to the left. It's a much different hole. We are hitting a good drive, will leave me somewhere between 8 iron to a 5 iron in there, whereas before it was a driver and a sand wedge, pitching wedge.
Q. Congratulations on your No. 1 again. Was there ever a time in the last couple of years, golf is such a mental game, where before you started this surge, you said, I may not get this back? The game is littered with guys who have lost that edge and never got it back. You're getting it back. Was there ever a time you questioned yourself?
TIGER WOODS: No, there wasn't, because I wasn't physically capable of doing it. I wasn't healthy enough. Couldn't practice, couldn't play, sat out major championships and just wasn't able to do any of the sessions that I needed to do to improve. And I was making a swing change with Sean. So all that happened at the same time, so the number one concern, number one intent was, first of all, get healthy, get strong enough where I can practice. And once I started to be able to practice, things turned and they turned quickly.
Q. Health issues aside, how different do you feel coming into this Masters compared to, say, the last three, whether it's your swing, confidence, comfort level; maybe what's the difference between coming into this one and those other ones?
TIGER WOODS: I feel comfortable with every aspect of my game. I feel that I've improved and I've got more consistent, and I think the wins show that. That's something that I'm proud of so far this year, and hopefully I can continue it this week and the rest of the year.
Q. Is that different from the last, say, three years or so?
TIGER WOODS: Well, last year, I won my first event in a couple years at Bay Hill. And you know, so that was a big difference. Since then, I've won six times in 12 months. So those are all positive things heading into this week. You know, playing well in the Florida Swing, winning twice there, and then headed up here, I feel very comfortable with where things are at.
Q. Everybody is saying you're so much happier, you seem more at ease with your life. I wanted to ask you, are you happier and how much is that translating into your golf?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I think life is all about having a balance, and trying to find equilibrium and not getting things one way or the other, and I feel very balanced.
Q. Aside from last year, you contended here every year since you last won. How much would you put it on putting for not being able to come through? I mean, is it simply saying if you would have just putted better, you would have won a couple of times?
TIGER WOODS: Absolutely. I was there ball striking wise a few years through that stretch where I think I hit it pretty well. Hit a lot of greens, but just didn't make enough putts. I was there on Sundays with a chance, and unfortunately just didn't get it done. But as we all know, you have to putt well here. You have to make a lot of putts. The other person that theoretically didn't really putt well was Vijay when he won, and he hit more greens than anybody has ever hit to do it. But generally, you have to make your putts. You have to make the majority of the putts inside ten feet, and you've got to be just a great lag putter for the week. You're going to put the ball in some spots, especially if the wind blows the way it is, it's going to be tough to get the ball close.
Q. I've read that winning fixes everything; is that true?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I've said that since the beginning of my career. That's something you guys have asked me about, what does it take to become No. 1, Player of the Year, money title and all that, and I've said that from the very get go when I first turned pro. That was an old quote that Nike put out there and people jumped on it, but that's something I've said since I've first turned pro.
Q. Emotionally, physically, mentally, how much more difficult is it to try to win a major than it is a Tour event?
TIGER WOODS: Well, there's only four. I mean, you can play 30 some odd events. Obviously the opportunities are four more when you play regular events, there's only four of these, and these are always the toughest conditions and also the best fields. So we have a lot of tests for here, as for this championship, the greens are always the biggest key here. Now with the length and the second cut and more grass in the fairways, it tests every facet of your game. That's what major championships are supposed to do. This is our first opportunity of four.
Q. What are your first memories of seeing Amen Corner, that very first time, walking across the bridge? And what makes it such a great stretch of holes?
TIGER WOODS: You know, I first came out here, a Monday afternoon, in '95. And I played and I hit driver off the 10th, the old tee, when it was farther up and to the right. Didn't know; you know, just drove it down there, drove it right in the bunker. Okay, that's not going to work. You know, play 11, and I couldn't believe how expansive; TV doesn't do it justice how expansive it is from that whole open area on 12 and 13. And certainly, the commentators try and give it justice, but I don't think they really can, of how much it swirls.
You hear guys trying, saying, don't pull a club on 12 until you see both flags on 11 and 12 are moving the same direction. They are never, ever moving the same direction (laughter). You can play - I've played it so many times where I've played 11, 12 and 13 either all downwind or all into the wind. You just - how does that work? You know, you get down there and Bobby Jones has turned this fan on down there and it swirls (laughter).
Q. In the last two weeks when you've gone down 10, have you taken a peak to where Bubba pulled off his shot, and your thoughts on it and do you think it's something that can be done by a right handed golfer?
TIGER WOODS: First of all, no, I haven't looked over there. Don't want to be over there (laughter). Second of all, I think that obviously a right hander could pull that off, because you know, we're cutting it, and lining into the hill. Him being a lefty, it helped being so far down there where I think he hit a wedge in there; that he was able to hook it, but also have the slope from right to left so he could kill it into the hill. Now if it was running the other way and had the slope been going from left to right, at this green speed, he wouldn't have been able to keep the ball on the green. Certainly it helped that he had a wedge, had some loft, be able to curve it and obviously be able to spin it into that hill, and he pulled off an unbelievable shot that will certainly go down as one of the best ones ever.
Q. During your first long reign at No. 1 and when you won the 14 majors, you had the singular focus of not being a parent. The balance that you spoke of in your life, does that work against having the focus that you need for another long reign at 1 and winning all these majors?
TIGER WOODS: No, life is better. Life is better since I've had kids.
Q. How do you juggle that, though?
TIGER WOODS: It's a beautiful juggling act (smiling). I think as people who are all parents in here will certainly attest to that; that's the joy in life and to be able to be a part of their life and watch them grow and help them grow. Getting out there and taking them on the golf course with me every now and again, they will have a great time. To me, that's what it's all about. That's how I was introduced to the game, and that's how I built such a great relationship with my father is to be able to spend that quality time out there on the course like that. I've been lucky enough to have a nice little setup in the backyard, so can hit a few wedge shots and the kids will come out and enjoy it, too, as well.
Q. Rob mentioned it's your 19th Masters. Could you imagine playing in this golf tournament at the age of 14, and how would a 14 year old Tiger Woods have done against this 14 year old?
TIGER WOODS: Well, as I was saying to some of the guys yesterday, I mean, this kid can't play high school golf. He's not in high school yet. So it's hard to believe. When I was 14, I was trying to get on trying to play more tournaments and I was running track and cross country; you know, trying to get homework done. I couldn't imagine not just playing in a Tour event, but the Masters.
Q. But your game at 14 and his game at 14?
TIGER WOODS: You know, I think I was probably longer at the time. Granted, Dustin and I were talking about this, we were the longest of our generations, so it's a different game. But he's so consistent. He was hitting a lot of hybrids into the holes yesterday, hitting them spot on, right on the numbers. He knew what he was doing, he knew the spots he had to land the ball, and to be able to pull it off. Good scouting, good prep, but also even better execution. From a 14 year old to be able to come out here and handle himself the way he's done is just unbelievable.
Q. We always hear about athletes talking about winning championships at different stages of their career meaning different things; what would it mean to you to win this major at this point?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I think it's -
Q. And how is that different?
TIGER WOODS: Well, it would be nice. That's something that I'm certainly looking forward to the opportunity to do this week. You know, that's one of the neat things about our career; it's so long. We have an opportunity to play basically 30 years solidly at a high level. Some of the guys have come out here at 20 and done well into their 50s. We have very expansive careers and I feel like I'm basically right in the middle of mine. I have a lot of good years ahead of me and I'm excited about this week.
Q. With that in mind, what thoughts go through your head when you hear this gentleman say that this is your 19th Masters?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, scary. Coming up on my 20th. I never would have foreseen that, when I first came here at 19 years old. It was a bit overwhelming to play here and to be part of the Masters, to stay in the Crow's Nest and accidentally run into the champion's locker room and all those different things. Got to watch Gene Sarazen and Byron Nelson tee off on that first hole, Sam Snead. It was just incredible. To be a part of that, and to see how it's changed over the years, and to have won it, and I got lucky, I won my first professional event here. It was nice to be able to do that and know that I can come back here basically for my entire lifetime.
Q. We're used to seeing you play your practice rounds early in the morning. This year you're going out late. What went into that decision?
TIGER WOODS: Just wanted to mess with you (laughter) (smiling broadly). Did it work? Maybe?
Q. Do you typecast your game as a fit for certain courses, or do you feel like you've got the all around game to eventually win at courses where you might not have had the most success?
TIGER WOODS: I think both. Just because I think that, well, over the course of my career, there are courses where I didn't really feel that comfortable on, but I've won tournaments on, won major championships on. But it didn't necessarily fit my eye, but you still have to execute. There are other golf courses where they really fit my eye and I've had a lot of success on them. So this being one of the golf courses where over the course of my career, I've won or contended a bunch of times.
Q. When you won on a course where it didn't actually fit your eye, what's been the difference for you to overcome that and win?
TIGER WOODS: Just do it.
Q. Short game, putting?
TIGER WOODS: Just figure it out. It's one week and just have to figure it out. A lot of times it's major championships where the golf course doesn't quite work, but you've got to figure it out. You know, one of the courses was Tulsa. That didn't quite fit my eye, but I ended up winning. Hoylake wasn't a golf course that really fit my eye, but I won there, as well.
Q. You're such a face of the sport and probably nowhere more so than here at Augusta; can you share with us your thoughts when it went public that they added a female member or two, actually?
TIGER WOODS: I think it's fantastic. The club, it was the right timing. And well, for me, knowing Condoleezza over all these years, couldn't have had a better person, and got a chance to see her on Sunday. She just finished up playing, I think, with Phil and a couple other people. Yeah, I think it's just fantastic. And the timing's right.
Q. Could you foresee a time when you could come here and be an Honorary Starter? (Laughter).
TIGER WOODS: Okay. What's the minimum age? (Smiling) 70 plus? Or who is the youngest? Jack? No - Jack's the youngest? Jack's the youngest right now. Yeah, that's a long time. Let me just try to get to 40 first.
Q. Taking you back a couple of years to the HSBC Champions when this young 14 year old you're talking about hit that great fairway wood to about ten feet, with you beside him. The impressions he made on you at that moment; and secondly, by playing in the Masters at 14, what is this going to do for him moving forward in his career by playing in this event at a young age?
TIGER WOODS: Well, first off, I think going to China for a number of years now, it's just amazing to see the amount of talent that they have, and at such a young age. They have a lot of players who can play. It's just about giving them enough starts and enough opportunities, and they are going to be, you know, out here on Tour or playing other tours, but they are coming, and he's one of them. To see him hit the ball out there at 12, we knew he was going to be good; we didn't think he was going to be in the Masters in two years. To win a golf tournament and we were talking about it yesterday; that he led the entire way. That's pretty impressive. And to win the Asian Amateur like that, and we were talking about how he made a putt on the last hole from eight feet, you know, what were you thinking? Just making it. He's 14, you know. Good stuff.
Q. You talked early on about how you adjust your approach on No. 10 after seeing it for the first time. What other ways have you adjusted your approach over the years as your game has changed and the course has changed?
TIGER WOODS: First year I played here in competition, it was kind of a drizzly day, and I hit a driver and a 60 degree sand wedge into the first hole. What bunker? You know, that was a different golf course then. 5 was different, carry it over the top of the bunker and have another little sand wedge in there. It was 50/50 I could hit the green with a sand wedge back then, but it was nice having sand wedges in.
But the golf course is so different. The length, not only the tee angles, but they have changed 13 quite a bit, added a couple trees in there. It's mostly angles, and then trying to make us play from virtually the same spots that the guys from yesteryear played. I think the difference is that the golf balls don't spin as much, so if you want us to hit 5 irons and 6 irons, well, we are not hitting with as much spin. The ball just doesn't spin as much, so it's coming at a different angle. That's obviously one of the challenges. But also a 5 iron now for most guys are about 220 ish. I think Jack hit 5 iron on 16 when he won in '86, and you know, we are hitting mostly 8 irons and 9 irons now to the same number. It's a different game.
Q. Golf would love to see you and Rory McIlroy going head to head on Sunday afternoon; is that personal contest something that is of interest or motivates you in particular, or do you have no particular feeling for who you actually are vying for the title?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I'd like to be there first, and we'll figure out who is there, as well. But my main responsibility is to get there and then be part of that mix.
Q. Congrats on World No. 1. What does that actually mean to you and where does it rank in terms of your overall priorities?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I think first it was nice to get back to ranked No. 1. There are a lot of players who try to get there and have never been able to do it, and I've been able to get there a few times throughout my career. And to battle the injuries that I've come through and to get through all that and to win enough golf tournaments and to win consistently enough to get to that point is something I'm very proud of. I'm excited that at this point in my career that I've been able to get healthy and to be able to give myself another chance.
Q. Would you trade the ranking for another major?
TIGER WOODS: Oh, absolutely. Are you kidding me? (Smiling).
Q. What would you have thought at that green jacket ceremony in '05 if somebody said it would be another seven years before you won again?
TIGER WOODS: I wouldn't have been happy with that.
Q. Does it feel like a long time ago?
TIGER WOODS: It does. I put myself in the mix every year but last year, and that's the misleading part is that it's not like I've been out of there with no chance of winning this championship. I've been there, and unfortunately just haven't got it done. I've made runs to get myself in it. I've been there in the mix on the back nine, either not executed, not made enough putts or didn't take care of the par 5s, or whatever it may be. I've been in the mix, just I haven't got it done.
Q. To follow up, how surprised are you by that? I know you always say, yeah, it's very hard to do; but given that you win three in your first six trips as a pro, how surprised are you?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I'm not surprised that I haven't gave myself chances. Obviously not real happy with the fact that I haven't won more. I've been in the mix and as I said, just haven't gotten it done. But the whole idea is to give myself opportunities, and as of right now, I'm tied for second on the all time win list here, so that's not too bad, either.
Q. Is it fair to say that your confidence comes from ball striking; that when you feel like you're flushing it, all of a sudden the chips get closer and the putts go in? Is that true? And secondly, have you ever won a major with a goatee?
TIGER WOODS: Never won a major with a goatee on, no, because it takes a long time for this thing to grow, you know.
Q. Seven years?
TIGER WOODS: It takes a long time (laughter). What was the next part of your question? Okay.
Q. Just the confidence about when you're flushing it, do you find that it puffs your chest out a bit, the chips go closer, the putts go in?
TIGER WOODS: I think it's the overall game. It's prep and winning golf tournaments. I'm pleased at the progress I've made with Sean and the things we've done. To going from where I went from at 58 in the world to get to where I'm at now, I'm pleased with the progress I've made. The confidence comes from being able to do it on the range first, and being able to do it at Medalist back home and come out here and do it consistently and I'm starting to do that. The wins have piled up the last couple years.
Q. You talked about your work with Sean, and golfers talk about when they have that click moment and then they don't have to think about their swing on the golf course. When did that happen for you with this swing change with Sean?
TIGER WOODS: I don't think it has. We're still always messing with things, tinkering around with things. I mean, things are always - golf's fluid. We are always trying to get a little bit better somehow and refine it, and there's always room for refinement. That will never change.
Q. Much was made of your weekends at the majors last year, and various people surmising different things. Do you feel more pressure to win majors than you used to?
TIGER WOODS: No. Still the same. These are our four biggest events. They are the best events to play in, the toughest conditions, best fields and the most demanding and challenging. I mean, that's what you want. That's the fun part.
Q. Has your new equilibrium in life changed how you view 19 majors? Is that still as important to you as it was?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it is. I would like to be able to get to that point. It took Jack a while to get to 18, all the way until he was 46 years old. So there's plenty of opportunities for me.
Q. You've shown that you've been more at peace and comfortable in this domain, even in media rooms. Do you believe that it's more winning has led to happiness or your happiness has led to winning?
TIGER WOODS: I think it's just a balance, a balance in life, and I think that's what you're seeing.
Q. Rory said this morning that he could not consider himself as your rival because of all you did, the 77 victories, him six; and 14 majors, and him two. Would you consider him as your main rival?
TIGER WOODS: I think that over the course of my career, I've had a few. You know, certainly Rory is this generation. I've had Phil and Vijay and Ernie and David for a number of years, and now Rory's the leading of this new, younger generation. So yes, definitely.
Q. What kind of interaction or conversation did you have or what kind of questions did he ask?
TIGER WOODS: He asked a lot of game questions, whether it's what am I doing in my game or a strategy on the golf course, practice, playing. A lot of golf stuff. And I was asking him about school and stuff like that (laughter). What classes are you taking?
Q. Did you get a sense of his personality?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, he speaks great English. He's picked it up really well. I'm kind of making a half joke about it, but when I was here, I was getting ready for mid terms and things like that. So what's he doing? Books here or anything? Just golf. No, it was cool to see, just the attitude and just the open mindedness. He's just taking it all in. He's going to learn and become so much better because of this experience and certainly going to grow as a player and as a person.
Q. To what extent do you think the changes in equipment since you first played here as a pro in'97 have altered the need for creative golf, particularly at this golf course?
TIGER WOODS: Well, it's different. We played - the fairways were tighter, much faster. I remember playing practice rounds with Seve and Ollie and Raymond and having them basically school me on how to hit shots with a 7 iron through 4 iron, what spins, what angles, how to roll my hands, how to hold the face, all these different things. We don't play those shots here anymore. The grass is too thick, too lush. So it's a much different game. Guys are bringing out 64 and 62 degree wedges this week, just for this week, because of how lush and dense it is. It's just sticky around the greens. It's so different than what we used to do and what we used to play.
Q. Do you think it's brought fields closer together?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I think it's - well, part yes and no. I think you can look at it the fact that the longer hitters certainly have done well here over the years, but also, it's the shorter hitters like Mike or Zach still have an opportunity to win. Just got to be really good with their wedging. But you still have that opportunity to play so many different ways, but you'd better be precise, either way, whether you're long or you're short. This golf course just demands being precise.
Q. Can you talk about your overall strength and your flexibility compared to eight or 10 years ago?
TIGER WOODS: Well, certainly at 37, I'm not what I was when I was 19 as far as flexibility. I'm far stronger and far more explosive than I was then. Just certainly don't have the elasticity, and that's, you know, a function of age. It's MJ jumping over everybody, and then the next thing you know, he's got a fade away. You have to adapt and you have to play and you have to adjust. That's what we do as players as we mature through the game.
Q. Is the goal of your swing to improve performance or to save your knee from getting hurt?
TIGER WOODS: Both. Both. Absolutely both. Sean and I certainly had a number of talks early on on how we need to protect this knee and keep it healthy. You know, the changes that he recommended, I was very happy with and the biomechanics of it. He researched it and certainly had a bunch of knowledge behind it, or when he suggested numbers and of that nature. We started working on it, and here we are.
MODERATOR: Well, ladies and gentlemen, thank you so very much. And Tiger, thank you for spending time with us, very gracious.
The transcript for the above interview is courtesy of ASAP Sports.
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Intertitles: A Thing That Lives on Tears: Goodness and Clarice Starling
By Genevieve Valentine
17 March 2014
"Will is a more interesting protagonist than Clarice Starling—or, for that matter, Will Graham in Manhunter. Clarice, while memorably brought to life by Jodie Foster, is too purely good to be all that engaging as a character." —Mark Peters, Slate
"Over this odd world, this half the world that's dark now, I have to hunt a thing that lives on tears." —Thomas Harris, Silence of the Lambs
Once, Jack Crawford called up a trainee barely old enough to rent a car, and asked her to interview the most notorious serial killer currently living, in order to catch one that was, for the moment, slightly less notorious. He knew he was making her a sacrificial animal; the second he saw her, Hannibal Lecter knew it, too—the hidden language of powerful men who understand each other. Hannibal was offended to have been sent a student; he had been prepared to crack whoever Crawford sent him until they broke, and felt he'd been robbed of an honorable victory by being given someone so green and so doomed to failure.
But she was Clarice Starling, and she won.
You're very frank, Clarice. I think it would be quite something to know you in private life.
NBC's Hannibal has received due praise for its dark, lush retelling of the liminal space in Thomas Harris's Hannibal novel series, the footnote of the canon chronology in which Hannibal is technically "aiding" the FBI with serial killer investigations, barely able to restrain his glee at the hundreds of cannibal puns that nobody caught on to for thirteen episodes. This season, Will Graham (who got framed but good) is locked in prison, wearing Demme-Hannibal blue, and out for revenge. It's a dark twist to Harris's work, and while there are a lot of callbacks to canon, it's not a show obsessed with faithfulness; it's already abandoned the course set by the books, charting uncertain but interesting new territory.
Will Graham is a compelling protagonist even before you count the nuanced lead performances; naturally, this twist makes him still more compelling, not least because of the zest of the unexpected in what's falling out before him. In canon, Will Graham is an upstanding agent, haunted by his own brilliance (but of course), whose discovery of Hannibal's crimes is a shocking revelation of how deeply he can be mistaken in someone. It leads to a sudden and terrible attack that forever shakes him and affects how he approaches investigations, and years later, he comes under the gun again thanks to Lecter's slow-burning revenge for being found out. Handily, this ongoing feud keeps both Graham and Lecter alive in the narrative, trapped in a symbiosis of consequences. The show presents a darker timeline, and so Will Graham is darker, too—and at this point, as much a damsel as a mirror. The show also has the benefit of charting that breakdown over a dozen hours, rather than a single film; the slow-burning fever that literally and figuratively consumes Will is a curtain pulling back painfully slowly on a terrible tableau. It's a story of betrayal, from someone who trusted where he shouldn't have trusted.
Clarice Starling hears of Will Graham through FBI scuttlebutt; she looks up Lecter's history and the events around his arrest during her research. To be surprised by someone you thought was a colleague and an ally is devastating; to know what Hannibal is creates its own dread. There's never a moment of doubt that she's in danger—Crawford tells her, Chilton warns her, and as comes to be a defining trait, she's done the necessary legwork on her own. She knows exactly whom Hannibal's ruined, and how, before she ever faces him.
That's why you sent me in there, isn't it? To get his help on Buffalo Bill. Sir? Well, if that was the case, I just wish I was in on it, that's all.
The first lines Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter exchange are pleasantries. The next are an argument over her credentials. He asks her to step closer so he can see them—something she's been warned against, something he knows she's not supposed to do. On the surface, it's a test to see if she'll obey a seemingly innocuous request that would feel like a defeat. She knows that's what it is.
Still she steps forward (her face passing through shadow and back into the light), holds up her credentials only inches from the glass, and looks Hannibal Lecter straight in the eye. He looks away first.
She looks him in the eye when answering his question about the obscenity his blockmate Miggs aimed at her; she looks him in the eye when he calls her a rube. She never once drops her gaze when he's daring her to. (He gets more practice in; he flinches away from her again after he asks if Jack Crawford thinks of her sexually and she counters with, "It sounds like the sort of thing Miggs would say.")
Director Jonathan Demme had a very deliberate design for this film, a low-level visual and psychological warfare that plays out over every line of dialogue. There are dozens of close-ups of men from her POV in the first third; aside from some establishing shots and travel sequences, her field of view is dominated by men in positions of power over her. Lecter's close-ups are partially for the benefit of the audience—a prurient glimpse of the monster in question, close enough to get bitten—but it's no accident that Demme shot Starling's first impressions of Crawford and Lecter identically, their faces swamping the shots, or gave us a tour of Chilton's nostrils. They are all, the camera recognizes, treating her appallingly. (And for all their vague platitudes about being careful, it's worth noting that the film makes sure her ostensible mentor Jack Crawford never even explains to her what Hannibal really is. When she asks him, there's a smash cut to the exterior of the hospital, where Chilton gets the honors of the line, "A monster"—singular, as if there's only one she need worry about.)
But Demme restores a visual balance of power by flooding the frame as much with Clarice as with any of the men. Every reaction—fear, frustration, triumph, relief—is up close and personal, her body removed from the camera's objectifying gaze and her internal psychology front and center. The iconic close-up of a piercing Dr. Lecter finds an uncanny mirror in her later in the film—a less famous shot, perhaps, but no less effective. The audience feels the force of her gaze; the camera understands how easily she fills the mind.
In a movie rife with symbols, made from a story rife with symbols, perhaps there's no moment more illustrative than Starling coming across a door she can't open. There's no sufficient help, so she brings a jack from the trunk of her car, and fights it open just enough to squeeze through. (Barely—the door draws blood as the price of admission.) She hands a bystander the number to call, should the worst happen; then she vanishes into the dark unknown, with nothing but a flashlight for company.
That is rather slippery of you, Agent Starling. Sit. Please.
Looking at the antiheroes with which popular culture is currently decidedly enamored, it becomes very easy to dismiss goodness as blandness. Protagonists are caught in impossible positions, forced to give up the very last of themselves, live with terrible secrets. Pleasant and stalwart sorts in such stories are often presumed to be excluded from all that, and duller; they exist to provide a control group for the interesting stories. Not very complicated. The oatmeal of people.
The Silence of the Lambs seems on the surface to be a heavily psychological procedural. It isn't. The actual procedural aspects are fairly standard, a frisson of transphobic exploitation and a stack of symbols working to give depth to a standard serial-killer narrative. Despite the ever-present Jame Gumb, Hannibal Lecter is by design the center-stage antagonist. He's also, without doubt, a monster. His laughable edict that he eats "the rude," as if deputized by some celestial finishing school to reclaim the dropouts, is a thin veneer over much less discriminating appetites, literal and figurative. (Clarice gets reminded, just before she meets him, of the damage he did to a nurse who was leaning over him during a medical emergency he feigned.) And later, he becomes the ultimate Harris antihero (particularly in the deeply uneven Hannibal, a sequel that slides so far off the rails that the movie version altered the ending wholesale), the gentleman killer so intelligent and discriminating that his mythos in the genre does attain something of the supernatural after all.
But not in The Silence of the Lambs. That story exists to profile Clarice Starling. The novel is a proof of goodness not as default, but as something at stake.
Clarice is ambitious, she's angry, she's easily frustrated; her ability to work well within the FBI system is dictated almost entirely by how much she can placate men—her most painful assay might be her initial attempt to smooth-talk Chilton out of a snit, but there are, unfortunately for her, plentiful opportunities to try again. Half a dozen times she allows herself to think about violence against the men in her way. (She only acts on it once, and no one will begrudge her a serial killer here and there.) There are suggestions that her disadvantages have actually prepared her to be sharper, faster, and more effective than the men who surround her. She and her roommate Ardelia recognize coded speech—the senator's plea for the life of her daughter, a psychological gift to a man in power—in a way the men around her notice but don't parse. After a single brief meeting Clarice is able to decode Lecter's advice, too, unpicking his words with a nimble ruthlessness, staying closer to the case than anyone else can manage, and already trusting her reasoning more than she trusts her orders.
It's the essential irony of the film that the only man who sees closest to the truth of this is the supernaturally perceptive serial killer; her boss hazarded a guess, but, the film suggests, doesn't recognize her true potential (the camera frames them accordingly, with him repeatedly turned away from her, a not-quite-cold shoulder in a car or a funeral home, meaning well but always elsewhere). Hannibal Lecter gives her his full attention, even—especially—when his plans for quid pro quo backfire on him. He hopes to get her to reveal secrets, but her refusal to be ashamed has all the power of a magic spell or a master key; he turns his face away from her honesty like it's a too-bright sun.
When speaking of the thing that lives on tears, she's thinking of the death's-head moth, but of course that's the least of the predators she knows. The thing that lives on tears is Hannibal Lecter; the thing that lives on tears is Clarice, alone in the world, and determined to save the ones who are weeping.
Clarice Starling's goodness isn't a default in a character description, an absence of anything better. It's a weapon, a flaming sword that cuts through everything in her life and drives her forward, sparing neither herself nor Hannibal Lecter (who ends up more deeply rattled by her than the reverse). She's in the FBI to get justice for victims, her intelligence as an investigator subject to that compulsion as strongly as Will Graham's talent for profiling, and with as complicated a psychology behind it. For Clarice, to be good is to be constantly struggling upstream; by the end of The Silence of the Lambs, the camera lingers on a face much more guarded than at her introduction; she's already being molded and shaped by the struggle, adapting to the need.
She confesses to Hannibal at last a childhood trauma of trying to save lambs from the slaughter (Harris wasn't risking anyone missing the point), which was also her first failure to save anyone, including herself—she was sent to an orphanage as a result of her disobedience. But that's a footnote in her reverie, a side effect of a moment's weakness: "I thought if I could save just one, but he was so heavy."
And when Hannibal asks if she thinks saving Catherine will stop the screaming of the lambs in her memory, there's no idealist's platitude waiting in the wings. Clarice answers, voice cracking in the middle, "I don't know."
She does save Catherine. It's a close thing, but there's no real doubt that Clarice will win; she's very good.
I have no plans to call on you, Clarice. The world's more interesting with you in it.
As it turns out, the imprisoned and obsessed serial killer who tries to string her along is the least of Clarice's opponents. (He gives her just enough information that she and Ardelia put the rest together in the end; if anything, he's an accidental sidekick.) Even Jame Gumb is a secondary concern. Clarice's greatest enemy is everyone else.
It's Chilton, who smarmily asks her out even before he's taken her to see Hannibal Lecter. It's well-meaning Dr. Pilcher, who asks her out even before the death's-head moth is out of its cocoon. Above all, it's the boys' club of the FBI, where she's repeatedly sidelined and patronized to the point that the organization and its members become, in specific and in general, her primary antagonist. Jack Crawford champions her, but Hannibal's seed of doubt was well planted, and Clarice becomes swiftly disenchanted with Crawford's willingness to use and manipulate her. In a wider sense, the FBI prevents her from doing her best work, and when she does it despite them, the FBI dismisses her discoveries. (For all Hannibal's shortcomings, Harris made a careful through-line of Clarice's impassable, impossible frustration within the system designed to ignore her.) It's framed as a superhuman feat that she takes down Jame Gumb—not because in itself it's so difficult to do, but because she's done it against so much, and so alone.
The FBI think she's too young to get involved (not too young to be sacrificed, just too young to do anything about it). After she begins to unravel the mystery, they insist she's following a secondary lead. And all the while she's on the phone with Hannibal Lecter, getting a lifetime dispensation from a man she's bested with sheer strength of character, they think she's still a bit too inexperienced to know what she's doing. They think she's lucky, but too sweet; too simple.
They think she's too purely good to be all that engaging.
Well said, I agree completely. I'm very curious to see what Hannibal, the series, will do with Clarice. In some ways, it's already featured her, or her character type, twice. Miriam Lass, the trainee whom Jack Crawford cavalierly sends out into the field to dredge up information about Lecter (or the Chesapeake Ripper, as he knows him), suffers the fate that Starling escapes - though she demonstrates much of the intelligence and determination that Starling possesses (she even identifies Lecter as the Ripper after moments in his presence, something that Jack and Will have failed to do for months), Lecter clearly doesn't find her as interesting as the version in the books and movies finds Starling. And this season, forensic technician Beverly Katz has started playing the quid pro quo game with Will, whom she obviously views with the same disgust and fear with which Starling views Lecter, but is willing to trade with, like Starling, in order to save lives.
But of course, neither of these characters are as central to the series as Starling is to the books, and Beverly in particular seems to exist mainly to further Will's exoneration. Hannibal has a lot of interesting, multifaceted, complex women, but they all seem to exist to service the story of the two (sometimes three) men at its center, and the show doesn't seem as concerned with the issues you raise in this post, of how a marginalized person can still strive to help and protect others despite the roadblocks in her path (or rather, it's interested in them only inasmuch as they apply to Will, who is marginalized for the same mental problems that grant him his special snowflake status). At this point, it's hard to imagine the show introducing a Starling who can embody these issues, much less take Will's place in the obsessive relationship he's formed with Hannibal.
Abigail --
I'd suggest that Miriam's fate more represents the "Earth 1" version of Will in this universe; in Red Dragon, he discovers Lecter following the ER visit, and it's the same art print that clues him in. He's just a tad luckier than Miriam and merely almost dies. But that was the signal, to me, that they were diverging completely into two separate universes.
Katz, though, is definitely taking more of a Starling role, although I'm not sure I agree about her disgust for Graham.
This is awesome--well said.
Your first few paragraphs here led me to go rewatch the movie (which I'd been meaning to do eventually) before I read the rest of your article. I'm not sure I entirely agree with you about a couple of points: specifically, I didn't get the sense that Lecter was more rattled than Starling (though I did think she did a great job of striking back, especially with the Miggs line you mentioned), and I'm not seeing Clarice as becoming "swiftly disenchanted with Crawford's willingness to use and manipulate her"--she does tell off Crawford for his using her as an excuse, but he mildly says "Point taken" and I kinda feel like on the whole she still likes and trusts him.
But I do agree with most of what you're saying. (And even re Crawford, I like and agree with your "not-quite-cold shoulder" line.) Good stuff. I especially like your observation about "her body removed from the camera's objectifying gaze and her internal psychology front and center"; great point.
A couple of related thoughts:
1. To elaborate a little on your comments about the guys who immediately hit on her: I feel like there's an examining-the-male-gaze thing going on in the dialogue all through the rest of the movie, too, with lots of talk about how women look, lots of the coveting of women that Lecter ascribes to Buffalo Bill.
2. It's nice that there are multiple women in this movie. In particular, it passes the Bechdel test totally casually in the opening minutes (03:47), as Starling and Ardelia Mapp greet each other as they pass on the stairs, smiling at each other (does Starling smile happily at any other time in the movie? I don't remember) and clasping hands, and then Mapp goes on to be a fairly important character in later scenes, even though basically a sidekick. I feel like in a lot of movies the role that she fills would have been played by a man, probably a potential love interest. In a movie less about gender, it might have been just a coincidence that they gave Starling a female friend. But it feels intentional to me in interesting ways.
3. IMDB says: "Although when characters are talking to Starling, they often talk direct to camera, when she is talking to them, she is always looking slightly off-camera. Director Jonathan Demme has explained that this was done so as the audience would directly experience her POV, but not theirs, hence encouraged the audience to more readily identify with her." It's not quite always true; for example, when she first meets Lecter, there are a couple of shots of her looking directly into the camera (at 13:13, for instance). But it's a neat idea anyway, and I think ties in with things you said.
4. Wrt some of the things you're talking about, I especially liked the opening sequence, establishing her as tough and independent and able to conquer the literal obstacles the FBI has placed in her way. Also the shot early on of her entering an FBI elevator populated with about nine FBI guys in identical red shirts, all of them at least a head taller than her. (04:15)
Okay, enough from me. Thank you for the article!
"The oatmeal of people." For that alone I thank you for this excellent essay on the inherent, but so often overlooked power and attraction of goodness and the strength and cleverness required to cling to this in the face of challenges. Antiheroes are, as you noted, popular to the point they seem to dominate the stages of popular culture. Dexter, Nancy Botwin, Don Draper, Enoch Thompson, Francis and Claire Underwood, Tony Soprano, Walter White . . . the list is long. It's a fad, a tired fad. Writers of these stories compete primarily in escalating the grotesque--my monster is worse than yours!--eschewing what I believe is the more difficult, fascinating challenge of writing the hero (and I applaud your metaphor) as engaged in a constant swim upstream. The swim can and must be exhausting, dangerous, fascinating; writing the journey without succumbing to the superficiality that typifies current antihero writing and makes the genre so dreary requires a sharp, nimble mind that knows how to wield that "flaming sword" that spares no one. Would that more writers were intent on creating characters as interesting in their adherence to goodness as Clarice Starling, women and men who can gaze into the abyss and endure that which gazes back. They may be rattled and wounded, but not destroyed, not transformed themselves into monsters. Thank you for showing how well it can be done.
An excellent story. Thank you!

subset: commoncrawl


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DA takes a new approach to marijuana cases
UKIAH, Calif. — When David Eyster took over as Mendocino County district attorney, felony marijuana prosecutions were overwhelming his staff and straining the public coffers.
With hundreds of cases active at any one time, taking an average 15 months to resolve, there were few victories to show for all the effort.
"The system hadn't broken yet," Eyster said, "but it was dangerously close."
That was a little over three years ago.
These days marijuana cases clear in about three months and the Sheriff's Department is flush with cash, thanks to what some are calling "the Mendocino method." To others, it's the Mendocino shakedown.
The transformation began when Eyster dusted off a section of the California health and safety code, intended to reimburse police for the cost of cleaning up meth labs and pot grows, and retooled it for a modern Mendocino County.
In exchange for paying restitution, which Eyster sets at $50 per plant and $500 per pound of processed pot seized, eligible suspects can plead to a misdemeanor and get probation. (The law says restitution is reimbursement for actual enforcement costs, but defendants waive an itemized accounting and state the amount owed is "reasonable.")
The relinquishing of allegedly ill-gotten gains seized in separate civil forfeiture actions — cash, trucks and the occasional tractor — also might be part of the deal offered under Eyster's "global resolutions."
The restitution program is available only to those without troublesome criminal backgrounds who have not wildly overstepped California's somewhat gray laws on medical marijuana. Those who trespass, grow on public lands or degrade the environment need not apply.
Eyster said it's a complex calculation that he jots out himself, by hand, on the back of each case file. The size of a grow is not necessarily the deciding factor: In one current case, the defendants have records indicating they are supplying 1,500 medical users, Eyster said. Another case involved just four pounds of processed marijuana, but evidence indicated the defendant was selling for profit.
Participants must agree to random searches while on probation, comply with medical marijuana laws and grow only for personal use.
Restitution funds, which have topped $3.7 million since early 2011, go directly to the investigating agencies. Asset forfeitures — the $4.4 million in cash and goods seized in 2013 was nearly double the previous year — are shared by the state, the district attorney's office and local law enforcement.
Among those who have criticized the program is Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Clay Brennan, who during a restitution hearing last year for a man with an 800-plant grow blasted it as "extortion of defendants."
A federal grand jury investigating county programs that derive revenue from marijuana enforcement has subpoenaed accounting records on the restitution program, Eyster confirmed. The reason is unclear, as the U.S. attorney's office declined to comment on the probe.
Legal analysts also have raised concerns about the potential for unequal treatment of defendants and the incentive for officers to focus on lucrative targets at the expense of those more menacing to public safety.
"It suggests a two-tiered system of justice," said Alex Kreit, associate professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, "where people who don't have the money for the restitution or don't have assets they can use as a bargaining chip may get more severe criminal punishments."
Eyster counters that he personally handles every marijuana case, and can opt to lower fines or not prosecute indigent suspects.
"The way we achieve consistency is that I do it," he said. "You can't pick every dandelion in the park."
A search warrant at Nicholas Koulouris' property last July turned up processed pot, a 171-plant garden, garbage bags of marijuana shake — or crumbs — and a 2006 Yamaha Grizzly.
By the time criminal charges were filed in January, a deal had been struck.
Koulouris received misdemeanor probation and paid the Sheriff's Department $10,750. A settlement agreement on the forfeiture shows that he paid the district attorney's office $5,000, the estimated value of the Yamaha, and got it back.
Neither Koulouris nor his attorney would comment on the case, which offers a road map to the global resolution approach.
Eyster teamed with Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, in 2011 to try to make pot cultivation a "wobbler," prosecuted as either a felony or misdemeanor. The effort failed, but he had devised another way to thin the caseload.
He drew on past experience with welfare fraud, where considering restitution before making a filing decision was routine. Convinced that not all defendants were created equal — the mastermind behind a for-profit grow is more culpable than hired trimmers — he decided to evaluate each case, consider potentially exculpatory evidence and cut deals as he saw fit.
He offers defendants guidance on how to stay within the law, and said paying restitution "shows a step toward rehabilitation."
"A month doesn't go by when someone doesn't say: 'Thank you for handling it this way,' " Eyster said.
Since he took office, 357 defendants have decided to pay restitution. About 20 of those violated their probation, resulting in 180-day jail stints and new charges. (On a second round, a straight misdemeanor charge is off the table.)
Eyster never accepts seized cash as payment of restitution, but his approach does throw such assets into the bargaining mix.
It is unclear how many probationers paid restitution and forfeited seized cash or goods, but Eyster conceded the practice is common. "One hundred percent of the time, the defense wants to do a global resolution," he said. "It's saving a lot of time and costs."


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Hey y'all. So I'm finally starting one of these journals. I have been reading Mark's blog for a couple of weeks and on Monday started the 21 day challenge. I hope I will lose a little excess fat and tone up some on this plan. My main motivation at starting as a college freshman is not to put on the freshmen fifteen.
As for me, I am a typical southern girl who loves being outside, having boiled p-nuts, and sweet tea. So I've got my work cut out for me. I'm about 5'8 at around 130lbs. I hope to embrace this new lifestyle although I'm sure college is going to prove a challenge in and of itself. So yea... Oh and does anyone know about how many calories I should be eating? Or if I should be counting calories at all? Thanks


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For the Mahoning Valley to capture its full potential of prosperity, it must elevate the educational attainment of its high school graduates. Several efforts - Youngstown State's presidential scholarships and the Regional Chamber's Steel to Scholars among them - have been launched. But perhaps the one that holds the most promise is Eastern Gateway Community College's Gateway Grant.
Every high school graduate in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties is guaranteed free tuition for two years at Eastern Gateway. We simply can't heap enough praise on this concept, nor can we adequately stress the importance for everybody - parents, guidance counselors, teachers, business leaders, community activists, everybody - to use the Gateway Grant as a catalyst to creating a buzz about higher education.
The Gateway Grant works like this: high school graduates must first receive their Pell Grant determinations. The Gateway Grant pays (for those with a 2.5 GPA and higher and who have no gap between high school graduation and college enrollment the next fall) all of the tuition not covered by the Pell.
This does not include books, which is good. To work best, the students should be required to have some buy-in.
The Gateway Grant would work best if the entire Mahoning Valley creates an environment in which higher education becomes a natural expectation. After all, the Gateway Grant is not simply a tool to make college more affordable, but to attract students who otherwise would not attend.
The challenge then becomes retention. Thus, a culture change in Pre-K through 12 is needed to condition students for college, and a comprehensive support network should be in place at Eastern Gateway.
Each of our communities, meanwhile, should use this as bait to attract more residents and businesses. Especially in communities engaged in aggressive housing demolitions, the attraction of a free college education could be the foundation of a rebuilding strategy.
In Kalamazoo, Mich., the Kalamazoo Promise pays four years of college for all city school graduates who attend any higher education institution in Michigan. On a sliding scale, it pays 100 percent for those who attend K-12 in Kalamazoo schools to 65 percent for those who begin in ninth grade. Enrollment in the city's schools increased 25 percent since the promise was announced.
The fact Eastern Gateway is only a two-year college should not pose a problem. To the contrary, it makes college more attractive. Ohio law has been changed for a smooth transition of credit hours from community colleges to four-year institutions. And in Kalamazoo, more than 25 percent of the high school grads attend community colleges.
The Oberlin College Partnership Scholarship Program provides free tuition to Oberlin High School graduates who are accepted into the highly selective university that costs $60,000 per year. Families moved into town just for the chance and the environment at Oberlin High School has shifted to a student body focused on qualifying for the scholarship.
That's an atmosphere that can be duplicated here.
College tuition is a high priority for most families, high enough that eliminating or reducing it can serve as motivation to relocate. Adjusted for inflation, government spending on colleges is at its lowest in 25 years while the cost of college tuition and fees is increasing faster than health care.
Forty-five percent of high school graduates borrowed money for college in 1993. This included money borrowed from family.
Sixty-seven percent of high school graduates borrowed money for college in 2008. This does not include money borrowed from family, just government and bank loans.
The average college debt last year was $23,300, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The Gateway Grant can be transformative.


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|Home > DEP Home > DEPweb > Learning Modules > Access to Safe Water
|Access to Safe Water
|Read the case, and then complete the exercises below.
The Water Problem in My Village, Bolivia
I'm not good at talking in front of a group of people. I'm a farmer and spend my days in the fields. The work is often solitary, but I like it. So when Father Rodriguez asked me to speak to the congregation in a neighboring village and answer questions, I was very nervous. What if I gave the wrong answer? Or stuttered? Or said something stupid and people laughed?
He wanted me to talk about the water problem in my village. Where my wife and I live with our baby son it is high and arid like it is here; we don't have electricity either, and we share some of the same health problems, like diarrhea, scabies, and respiratory infections. But unlike my village, this one doesn't have covered wells and hand pumps. And before last year, we didn't have them either.
I heard the priest call my name. I dried my palms on my pants, and with my head down, watching my feet so they wouldn't trip over themselves, I moved to the front of the church. When I lifted my head, sixty strangers were staring at me. My knees started to shake and I almost sat down again-until I remembered Juanita.
"My name is Miguel Sanchez," I whispered. My own voice sounded strange in my ears. I cleared my throat. "I've come from the neighboring village over the mountain to talk to you about water," I began. The congregation turned to each other in confusion. I could see the question marks stamped on their faces. Water? They seemed to be asking each other. Holy water? I started over.
"Two years ago my first child, Juanita, was born. She was a beautiful baby who looked just like her mother. She was chubby and happy with dark shining eyes. I used to love to put her on my shoulders and listen to her laugh. But after my daughter was weaned she started to get sick. She frequently had diarrhea and stopped gaining weight. The last time Juanita was sick, my wife made sure that she had plenty of well water to drink so that she would not become dehydrated. But it didn't seem to make her better and then, only a week later, she died.
"My wife and I were heartbroken, but we weren't the only ones who had lost loved ones. Other children in our village, and some older people with the same sickness, had died.
"Soon after Juanita died, the school teacher in our village heard about a new water system in a nearby town, and invited the people who helped them build it to come visit us. Some engineers and health care workers came to our village and tested our well water and river water and found that both sources were polluted with bacteria. Because the water was contaminated and we hadn't boiled it, the water we had been giving our daughter had been making her diarrhea worse. We thought we were helping her, but we had just made her sicker. In fact, the water was harming the whole village.
"The families came together and decided to work with the water project people to improve the water supply. The health care worker told us the bacteria comes from animal and human waste on the ground that washes into the well and the river when the rains come. The bacteria infects the water and makes it dangerous to drink and to wash with. The engineers explained how to build stronger well walls out of sand and mortar and how to build covers to protect the well water. They also studied the way the water drained after it rained to help us pick the best spot to dig the new well.
"At least one person from each familymen and womenhad a job to do on the water committee, some ordering parts, others digging the well, others learning how to repair the pump. The engineers trained each of us in different areas and taught us how to manage the well on our own. I'm not good with numbers, but a storekeeper who is figured out how much each household would pay for the water. I am good at working with my handsI was in charge of laying the stone foundation for our chapelso they trained me to do the masonry work. With help from the other men, we dug a new hole for the well, poured the cement and lime mixture, covered the well, and installed the hand pump. The school teacher taught the villagers how to become healthier by washing our hands and fruits and vegetables with clean water before eating and how to store clean water safely so that it doesn't become contaminated. He also taught us to boil our water before drinking it to be sure it is safe.
"Now all of us in the village take turns being in charge of maintaining the well and hand pump and replacing parts so it doesn't break down. We don't get paid with money, but we all benefit from having safe water. Occasionally the hand pump breaks, and then we must wait for a part. But together we take responsibility for the well, and we don't have to rely on outside help to keep it going. The longest we have gone without clean water in the last year has been just three days while we were waiting for a part. Even though my wife still has to carry the water from the well to our house, most days we not only have enough safe water to drink, but also enough to wash more oftenand fewer people have been sick.
"It's too late for our daughter Juanita, but now my wife and I feel that we have more to offer our son, and we are expecting another child in the spring. Father Rodriguez asked me to talk to you so that you would know what I had lost and now what my whole village has gained. Like the people of my village, you can work together to have better water and healthier lives."
|Explore the Case:


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The Teacher Work sample can be a valuable record of your student teaching experience when presented to prospective employers at interviews. The purpose of the Teacher Work Sample is to establish evidence that you are ready to start your career as an educator. It illustrates your impact that you had on your students, and helps you to develop a teacher's way of thinking that involves setting learning goals, assessment procedures, instructional planning, decision making, and student achievement.
To view the Teacher Work Sample click here.
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the whole avatar script has surfaced the internet for all fans to download and read! it looks like 20th century fox is pushing avatar to fetch as many awards as possible to crown their billion-dollar movie! now for your consideration, please head over to avatar screenings and download the script for your viewing pleasure. alternatively you can get it directly from here or here.
Eywa Ngahu. (may eywa be with you)
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Viking Accessories
Once you have your scope or binoculars then its important to look after your purchase buy keeping it in pristine order and most importantly making sure the optics are clean. We offer a range of cleaning products as well as cases which offer carrying convenience as well as additional protection. We also offer a range of strap upgrades, some benefiting from quick release straps so you have the option to remove the binocular from the strap when in use. We also offer binocular, scope and tripod carrying systems if you find it a strain to carry your optics when out for longer periods of time.


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Affordable Touring
River Cruising
Vacation Packages
America's National Parks
10 Day Tour from Rapid City to Salt Lake City
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The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on this vacation:
Free Wi-Fi available on your motorcoach and in most hotels.
Breakfast daily, 4 three-course dinners including a farewell dinner in Salt Lake City
Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description.
Welcome to the heart of America! At 6 pm, join your travel companions for a welcome drink. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure.
After an orientation tour of Rapid City, visit CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL, built in honor of the fearless Sioux Indian chief whose fame is derived from the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Afterward, explore MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, which features the monumental likenesses of four U.S. presidents-Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt—carved on the face of a mountain. Maybe stroll along the Presidential Trail for more intimate views, or visit the Information Center.
This morning, enjoy a drive through BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST and experience the area's colorful history on a guided tour of DEADWOOD, once a wild gold-mining town, and hear the stories of legendary Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Afterward, visit TATANKA to learn "The Story of the Bison" and experience the richness of the Lakota people, a Plains Indian buffalo culture. Then, continue through the Black Hills to the cattle town of Sheridan at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains.
Journey this morning into southern Montana to visit LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT, the site commemorating one of America's most famous battles. Tour the battlegrounds where Custer was defeated by approximately 7,000 Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors, and visit the museum. Afterward, continue your scenic drive through the Bighorn Mountains, arriving in Buffalo Bill's Cody, with time for an optional float trip on the Shoshone River.
This morning, visit the BUFFALO BILL CENTER OF THE WEST, a fine museum of historic weapons and Western art. Then, continue through Shoshone National Forest to YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, established in 1872 as the world's first national park, where wild animals roam freely in vast meadows and forest. Enjoy several photo stops along the way to your hotel, including world-famous Old Faithful Geyser. SPECIAL FEATURE: Enjoy a 2-night stay inside Yellowstone National Park. Each lodge has its own unique setting and atmosphere. Lodges featured are the Old Faithful Inn, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Grant Village, and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Specific lodges will be confirmed in your documents.NOTE:The routing and areas visited within Yellowstone are subject to favorable weather and/or road conditions. When conditions are unfavorable, routing may be adjusted accordingly.
Spend the day exploring Yellowstone. Travel along Grand Loop Road to Fountain Paint Pots to see the bubbling mud. Continue on to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone for magnificent views of Yellowstone Canyon and the spectacular Lower Falls—almost twice as high as Niagara Falls! Next, stop at Mammoth Hot Springs and take a short trail walk through steaming limestone terraces.
Journey south this morning into breathtaking GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK. Visit beautiful glacier-fed Jenny Lake at the foot of the rugged spires for a delightful walk along the shore before arriving in the all-Western town of Jackson. This evening, travel by horse-drawn covered wagon into Cache Creek Canyon and experience dinner at the BAR T-5 CHUCKWAGON COOKOUT and Wild West show. Feast on slow-cooked chicken made in traditional Dutch ovens, along with other local specialties.
Full day at leisure to enjoy this spectacular playground. Perhaps choose an optional float trip along the Snake River or stroll along the downtown boardwalks and enjoy a drink at one of the swing-door saloons.
Today's journey continues alongside some of Wyoming's most beautiful mountain ranges into Utah, home to five national parks. Arrive in Salt Lake City, founded by Brigham Young in 1847. Enjoy a sightseeing tour of the capital city and its historic monuments. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner at Temple Square.
Your tour ends this morning with guests departing on independent schedules. Transfers are provided to Salt Lake City International Airport.
With Globus, there's no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of your Tour Director. Averaging over a decade... we'd like you to meet a Tour Director, who is representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.
Escorting Tours for more than 26 years
Years of Experience: 26
"My career as a Tour Director began about 25 years ago, when I decided to put to practice the Travel and Tourism Management Degree I had obtained during my employment as an Industrial Engineer at Hasbro Toys. I began working as a Tour Director in the US and Canada, but since then my career has taken me to the Canadian Rockies, most European countries, Mexico, South and Central America, Africa, Antarctica and the US National Parks. Today, working in the National Parks, I am and will forever be fas"
445 Mt. Rushmore RoadRapid City, SD United States
The Adoba Hotel Rapid City is a great place to rest after spending a busy day in Rapid City exploring everything the city offers. The Adoba is an eco-friendly hotel representing sustainability in South Dakota. The rooms have a fun decor showcasing the beauty and flavor of South Dakota.
Hotel Amenities
Room Amenities
Moderate First-Class
612 N. Main StreetSheridan, WY United States
The hotel is located at the base of the astonishing Big Horn Mountain Range in historic downtown Sheridan. It is convenient to many local area attractions as well as shopping and dining. The hotel has a restaurant, lounge, indoor pool, hot tub, guest laundry, business center, and high-speed Internet access.
1701 Sheridan AvenueCody, WY United States
Located downtown, the Holiday Inn Cody is minutes away from local shops, restaurants, and attractions. Amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a gift shop, and 189 guestrooms.
National Park
Mammoth Hot Springs VillageYellowstone National Park, WY United States
On the historic site of Fort Yellowstone, this traditional hotel is nestled in the trees alongside the mountains. The features of this hotel include high ceilings, pine wood accents, and 211 cozy guestrooms. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is part of a collection of lodges operated by the National Parks; space fills up quickly at these lodges and is therefore based on availability. In the event that space is not available at this hotel, an alternate lodge of simliliar category will be secured.
475 North Cache StreetJackson, WY United States
The Rustic Inn Creekside Resort & Spa welcomes guests with warm Western hospitality. Outdoor enthusiasts and hedonists alike indulge in the lavishly appointed historic lodging accomodations and luxury log cabins.
215 West South TempleSalt Lake City, UT United States
The Radisson is located in downtown Salt Lake City near ample shopping, dining, and attractions. The hotel has concierge service, indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, guest laundry, gift shop, business center, restaurant, lounge, and room service.
The following list of optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These optional excursions might or might not be offered. Whether it's a special dinner, a local show or a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into an historical site, optional excursions are a wonderful way to enrich your vacation even further. Plus, they give you flexibility. We include the must-see sites and experiences, and we also understand that people take interest in different activities and may want to craft a more personal vacation by hand-picking optional excursions that appeal to them.
On this scenic white-water float trip down the Shoshone River, your guide maneuvers you through striking red canyons. See native wildlife and hear about the geology, mountain men, and pioneers of the area as you experience the thrill of the occasional rapid. You will be on the water for approximately 45 minutes. This river is a level 2 with occasional rapids, participants must be comfortable paddling, and it is very likely you will get wet. Note: Life jackets are provided and required. (Available Mid-May to Mid-September; subject to favorable weather & water conditions)
Approximate value: $39 USD per person
Our original 10-mile Snake River Scenic Float Trips operate wholly within Grand Teton National Park. Wild nature surrounds you on these river rafting trips, floating beneath the Grand Tetons in an area untouched by human development for generations. Barker-Ewing's experienced river guides offer extensive information on Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole geology and park history as well as information about the animals and their habitat. There are several species in the area including eagles, osprey, deer, bear, elk, moose and beavers, although animal sightings are not guaranteed, you will have a good chance in the heart of the park. (Approximately 2.5-3 hours, available Mid May - Mid September) Subject to favorable weather conditions.
Approximate value: $70 USD per person
The 8-Mile Scenic Float begins at Pritchard Creek and travels past the nesting areas of both bald eagles and ospreys. The trip is a great way to see the beauty of the river and the geology that forms the Grand Canyon of the Snake River, without getting wet. The river is home to a variety of waterfowl and native animals including moose, deer and river otters. Early morning is the watering time for most animals along the river, and affords the best opportunity for wildlife viewing. Feel free to bring your camera with you! (3 hours)
These Know Before You Go travel tips are designed with you in mind, with helpful hints to help you prepare for and enjoy your escorted vacation. They are your guide to getting ready and contain general information on travel documentation, customs, and the country/countries you will be visiting, including budgeting, transportation, climate, languages, and much more. With Globus, you benefit from our experience.
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Marmot Threshold Jacket - Women's
While the women's version hasn't been reviewed yet, there are 2 reviews for other versions of the Threshold Jacket. Read all reviews »
Retailers' Descriptions
Here's what other sites are saying:
CLOSEOUTS . Marmot's Threshold soft shell jacket is constructed with a four-way stretch soft shell fabric for unrestricted movement. Wind- and water-resistant exterior surface sheds snow and light rain as the warm fleece backing insulates against cold. Available Colors: BLACK, BLUE SKY, PORT. Sizes: S, M, L, XL.
- Sierra Trading Post
Marmot Women's Threshold Jacket
The Women's Threshold Jacket has been discontinued.previously retailed for:
The Marmot Women's Threshold Jacket is not available from the stores we monitor. It was last seen December 22, 2012 at Sierra Trading Post.
If you're looking for a new soft shell jacket, check out the best reviewed current models.


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Top Definition
A bullshit invited flavor that tv chefs pretend to be able to recognize, but can never define. Due to peer pressure they regurgitate keywords to make it appear that they know what it is, but in reality none of them have a clue.
"Dude I just saw Andrew Zimmern describe some butter as having an umami flavor. Last episode it was mushrooms. I'm pretty sure they are making this shit up as they go."
by Extramedium May 28, 2013
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
the tounge can taste 5 diferent things; salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. umami is the flavor that certain meat protiens have. (saw that on good eats)
man that meat has good umami.
by Jiggy fly May 12, 2004
Japanese slang for the flavor well maintained vagina.
I sure like the taste of her sweet umami.
by MyTasty September 22, 2008
Literal meaning: taste sensation that is meaty or savory and is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides (as glutamate and aspartate)
Slang: prounouced "you mommy"
This is the white version of "yo momma!"
Slang: prounouced "you mommy"
This is the white version of "yo momma!"
After being insulted, Christian yelled, "UMAMI!"
by Hoszat October 17, 2007


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Rochester police are searching for a driver who hit a bicycle and fled the scene on Friday night.
Officers said the white car hit a man on a bicycle in the area of Columbus Avenue and Portland Street and took off.
The bicyclist suffered minor injuries.
Police said the car may have damage on its rear passenger side.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Rochester police at 603-330-7127.


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I need your help!!! :)
The Betty Crocker site has a whole section of ideas!
Quoting KaylaMillar:
7 layer dip, chocolate chip cheese ball, jalepeno popper, pigs in a blanket, sliders
Oh hmm BBQ Pulled pork sandwiches..... a taco dip.. or some meatballs in grape jelly and chili sauce.... yummy
Veggie pizza is another good idea:O)
I usually make beef barbecue or chili for things like this. Make a vegetable tray, cheese and ring bolognie tray, buffalo chicken dip with chips. I make a macaroni or potato salad for a nice side dish.
Looks like you already have alot of great suggestions. This is always a hit at my house when we have a get together.
Super Italian Sub
Recipe #117061
Sandwich big enough to feed a crowd. You can make this up to 24
hours ahead, and just unwrap, slice and enjoy. Perfect for picnics.
by littleturtle
15 min | 15 min prep
1 loaf Italian bread (unsliced)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb capicola, thinly sliced (ham)
1/2 lb cooked turkey, thinly sliced
1/4 lb genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 lb provolone cheese, sliced
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
3 cups lettuce, shredded
1 green pepper, thinly sliced into rings
1. Cut bread in half lengthwise; hollow out top and bottom using
a small serrated knife or your fingers, leaving a 1/2" shell
(discard removed bread or save for another use).
2. Combine oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano and pepper; brush on cut
sides of bread top and bottom.
3. On the bottom half, layer half of the meats, cheeses, lettuce and
green pepper.
4. Repeat layers.
5. Replace bread top.
6. Serve immediately or wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate
Meatballs are always a big hit.
How about getting little pitas and having everyone make their own little pizza?
Make ahead some spicy meatloaf, roll into individual little hot dogs, put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer to get them to set up, then wrap individually in seran wrap and put in a freezer bag. You only have to take out what you plan on using. Either grill them or pop in the oven and have some spicy/sweet sauce to go on them....serve on a hot dog bun, of course! Always a hit with us to take camping!
BLT Dip
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 large roma tomato- seeded and chopped
1 pouch or jar of real bacon bits
Hawaiian bread or other bread for dipping
Mix together mayo, sour cream, tomato, and bacon. Serve with bread for dipping.
I make this for a lot of church gatherings and everyone loves it. It's so easy, too :)
First shug......how many people are coming? What type of Cuisine do u normally make that u know your guest will like?
for parties we go all out
We make Grumpie's-Reuben Pizza,Philly Cheese Pizza, Little Cocktail weiner's in BBQ Sauce on a tooth pick,we also make Chorizo an Cheese dip with Rotel tomatoe's-make sure u buy thick tortilla chips to hold the thick goodness....otherwise your guest will wear it?????


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Tuesday tornado risk follows record warmth
Record warm temperatures across a swath of the central U.S. are giving way to severe storms, high winds and possible tornadoes Tuesday.
The threat centers on an area from Texas to Alabama and as far north as Michigan.
The temperature in the central Missouri college town of Columbia reached 77 degrees on Monday, a record high for January.
The spring-like conditions came after a spell of freezing rain, and forecasts predict early-morning snow on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said the risks of tornadoes touching down Tuesday is greatest in northeast Texas, northern Louisiana, northwest Mississippi, southeast Missouri and much of Arkansas.
That system is expected to hit much of the eastern United States on Wednesday.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Parece que tu idioma preferido es Español.
If you are traveling in a large group, let our sister site - Hostelbookers, tailor an expert solution for you.
The Bed and Breakfast Casa Allegro is very welcoming and has 4 good-sized rooms. Each one is equipped with satellite...
Más información »


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My 2 cents
July 30, 2013
It is a common mis-conception that landlords are wealthy. We're just having a grand old time with all the money you pay in rent. So lets see where that money actually goes....
Dannygirl, thank you for explaining the situation a little more, makes more sense to me now. Unfortunately, there probably isn't a lot you can do for that. Though, the landlord/tenant registration, would help, in theory you'd be able to track where a tenant has lived. So you'd know whether or not the information they're providing you is truthful. Again that's all in theory.
Like there are a lot of slumlords there are also a lot of slumnants. It really does go both ways, it's not always the landlord at fault.
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I am a former landlord in Williamsport I say former because after the hassle it has been to get my tenant out I will never rent again.The tenant was given an eviction notice in October 2012 and to this day some of his property is still in the rental unit. This man had a little legal knowledge so I have been hit with every appeal possible concerning the eviction. He finally lost possession of his property in June so now I am stuck with the task of disposing of the property. I was left with the water bill as well as tons of garbage to haul off because the guy was a hoarder. Laws need to be changed to protect the landlord more and if a tenant owes a water bill it should not be the responsibility of the landlord to pay it.
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wwhickok....we did do and always do reference checks prior to offering the rental. There is no way that the references could have been actual previous landlords for the tenants based on the references we got vs the tenants they turned out to be. My guess is the references were friends of theirs. I feel bad for the landlord that the moved into as we never recieved a call to check references so they either didn't check references or they were given false references as well. We did at least file suites against them and won both times so when they look to move all the potential landlord has to do is run a check at the court house. Too many landlords don't do this (file suite) and the leach tenant just moves from place to place screwing one landlord after another. As long as the judgement is kept up to date they can't buy a house and it shows up on their credit. I will get the last laugh in the end as it will follow them and warn all future landlords to stay away.
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is a good tenant. Perhaps this Landlord/Tenant registration would make it a little easier for everyone.
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Honestly, I've only ever been a tenant, I've never been a landlord, but if there wasn't profit in being a landlord, no matter how small the margin of profit, people wouldn't do it.
More than likely however, a lot of landlords started out doing it prior to the margin of profit being so small. Mortgages and utility costs of risen quite a bit over the years. As a landlord you have the right to do background checks and reference checks, etc. The VERY first thing you should be doing is checking references and work information.
Dannygirl, you said a previous tenant lied on the application, did you check the references before or after they moved in? Because if you did so after the fact, that is your mistake. If you find someone is lying on an application, don't rent to them, period.
There are a few good landlords out there, a few. But I've got to say that I think there are a lot more greed driven and/or slumlords out there. It's as hard to find a good landlord these days as it
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michaelpaternostro-"krazyk- i started with "enigma" DAH !Wasn't talking to you. Whatever."
Just in case you haven't figured it out.... this is an open forum and your comments, even if directed to someone specific, are subject comments from other posters.
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With that high a water usage, someone must be taking a lot of long warm showers!
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CarlHiller, Thank you for the information. It sounds like once the renter gets in, they can be hard to dig out if they want to abuse the system.
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Thanks enooughalready, sorry I questioned it. I'll admit my bill is almost that high too and I don't feel we waste water. We do however live in a very old home that I'm sure doesn't have all the newer water saving devices that newer homes have.
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Yes, Gynsgt that is correct. Using my own water bill I determined I pay $10.60 per 1,000 gallons sewer and &4.95 per 1,000 gallons water. Thus using those rates I determined she used between 19,000 and 20,000 gallons that quarter. Sewage is calculated based on water usage if you were unaware.
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Francine please let's not make this a black/white thing. I think we got our share of that the last few weeks. I don't think it's a lack of compassion, I think a lot of people are just fed up about the rising number of people looking for handouts. Welfare spending is up 37% and almost 50 million people are now on food stamps. Yet we are being told by the administration that unemployment is dropping and the economy is getting stronger. The public assistance numbers sure aren't reflecting that. Either that or people just don't have any desire to take care of themselves and their families. Is it right that people are fed up, maybe not. Is it understandable? Absolutely.
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reading along and thinking OMG! just pay your bills, keyword YOURS, nobody elses just YOURS! I would work as many jobs as possible to pay my bills, I would not ever expect anybody to pay my way. Just pay your bills and be done with this, or send them to Francine, 11 disagrees, get the message Francine?
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Enough already, I don't think that is correct. The rate hikes that took place are for the sewage portion of the bill which is billed at a much higher rate than water. Did you figure that in when you estimated her water usage?
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krazyk- i started with "enigma" DAH !Wasn't talking to you. Whatever. They probably are his fault in some way, your right!
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michaelpaternostro says: ..."this is what Obama wants, dependency, he said he was going to fundamentally change the United States of America, he wasn't lying. Lets give some more warplanes to Egypt and keep paying the Fort Hood shooter (who should have been executed almost immediately) and spend millions more suing states that want a voter ID law via Eric Holder (race baiter). This is what you get with Obama and Hillary will be next. Give it all away, the working class will pay for it. They don't care."
Landlord issues in Billtown are Obama's fault. I agree and I too am angry because I have no idea when he's going to fix that pothole that he caused on the Hepburn St. on ramp.
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ToTEXASfromPA - "Can a landlord develop a contract that has different contractual terms and settlement/eviction language that is tougher than the state laws?" Yes there are certain changes that can be made. But a landlord cannot forcibly remove, change locks or restrict tenant from the premises, no matter what the lease states. A tenant can only be removed with court assistance, so the issue of eviction only changes by a matter of days. Leases of a year or less require a 10 day notice, of more than a year 30 days, for non-payment of rent unless otherwise noted in the lease. The landlord still must start the eviction process through a magisterial office. The time frames due to appeals and the laws own timing mechanisms to remove a non-paying tenant can stretch into a few months costing landlord not only money but time.
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If Ms. Coffer lives within city boundaries her $300.00 WMWA bill means she used between 19,000 and 20,000 gallons of water that quarter. That my friends is a lot of water....
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We have great tenants now but are still paying for the previous tenants damage and they have been gone for over a year. It is not ealy being a good landlord but it is important to us to keep our property up nice. It is hrad to find good honest tenants who pay their rent and don't try to leech off of others/ When you have a good tenant you try to do everything you can to keep them so they are few and far between. I am warry of people who move around too much...
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I am a small time landord who owns 1 renal. We have the water/sewer/trash included in our rent (after a previous tenant didn't pay the bill). After you take into account the morgage, taxes, insurance and and the bills listed above that we pay we are spending over $900 a month just on the bare necessaties. We get $1000 a month in rent. People are always complaining that rent is too high but we are left with a very low profit margin on our rental. Our last tenants gave us false references and were constantly complaing about everything as well as not paying rent on time habitually. We tried to work with them for too long and eventually had to file for eviction. We have 2 judgements against them and doubt we will ever see the money. I did try to attach wages but they lied on the form and the only way to prove they lied was to hire a lawyer as they are not required to provide paystubs to prove inclome. The laws are stacked against landlords.
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sigh---a, ran out of space with no warning. I wish either the amount of space would be increased or there would be some character count of warning of some sort that space was running out.
To continue....
At the time, the water company told me the bill was not for a specific person, but for service at that address. So, I had to pay the previous tenant's bill in order to have water turned on. I don't remember the amount, but it was nowhere in the range of what we pay now---I'm thinking I had to pay around $60 or so. But to have water, I had to pay it.
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I don't have any idea if landlord/tenant laws have changed in the last 20+ years, but in reading these comments I remembered what happened to me many years ago.
I rented a place that the tenant was responsible for all utilities. The landlord had all utilities shut off the day the last tenant left--and I found out later that that was his routine procedure even if the new tenant was moving in within a day or days of the previous tenant's departure. So, in order to have utilities I had to call and make arrangements to have them turned on and billed in my name. As it happened, the previous tenant had not paid the water and sewer bill, so in order for me to have them turned on the overdue bill had to be paid. The landlord since the utilities were not included he had no responsibility to pay any of those bills and if I wanted water I had to deal with the water company myself. At the time, the water company told me the bill was not for a specific person, but for service at that addre
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enigma- this is what Obama wants, dependency, he said he was going to fundamentally change the United States of America, he wasn't lying. Lets give some more warplanes to Egypt and keep paying the Fort Hood shooter (who should have been executed almost immediately) and spend millions more suing states that want a voter ID law via Eric Holder (race baiter). This is what you get with Obama and Hillary will be next. Give it all away, the working class will pay for it. They don't care.
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"So he got free money to put in 8 new heating systems so he could make the tenants pay their own heating bill.
Even though he was a decent landlord, we all felt we were taken advantage of in that situation." - mikekerstetter
Gee...I'd assume any good libertarian would have PREFERRED paying their own bills.
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continued: So with these losses, it hurts landlords and ultimately the property. This is why some are in such disrepair. As another poster put, sell them if you cannot afford to pay the upkeep; this is true. Laws do protect the tenant and it makes it very difficult for landlords to collect backrent. I only wish the Gov't cared more for landlords like myself. It is a simple fix to upgrade the laws to help protect us, but they wont do it. As long as they get their tax dollars, all is right in their world. Thanks for letting me rant some!
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Francine, so nice smiles will get you to pay a bill? Heck, mine goes from ear to ear then! Lets view it this way from a Landlord. I have a few properties and rent is fair and below the average. 1 for instance is $750 due every month and tenants will cover all other bills. Rent is paid as normal but this 1 month, no rent payment and the eviction process begins. Fortunately for me, they move; but still owe the back rent. Now the property needs cleaned, painted and minor repairs; costing about $1k, plus 1 more month of no rent.Oh don't let me forget, a late water bill of $110! New ads go up and we are seeking a good future tenant. Another month goes by and no rent.Now lets add this up, 750x3, 1k, 110. $3,360.Security deposit of $750=$2610 loss. This does not happen all the time, but that loss was money that could have been put back into the property. These properties are college funds, retirement accounts and other things for landlords.
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