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How to Protect a Four Year Old from Earth Day?
It's hyped on PBSKids, with some of her favorite shows like Curious George and SuperWhy. It's on billboards, radio, and signs at the grocery store. And I'm afraid that they will talk about it tomorrow at her morning preschool class. They have already talked about Reduce/Reuse/Recycle, so I'd be surprised if it doesn't come up.
If I thought it would help, I'd have her stay home tomorrow just to avoid it, but as I said, Earth Day is everywhere and we're going to have to address it somehow. I just have no idea how.
I'm trying to think of some way I can spin it positively, but I'm at a loss. Should I not address Earth Day directly and instead concentrate on promoting positive values and activities like productive work, science and ingenuity? This may not be too bad of an option, because my guess is that any indoctrination they might try in preschool will be limited to "keeping trash out of our parks" or something similar that a four year old can grasp, which isn't too insidious. If that's the case, my only concern is the positive association that will be implanted between Earth Day and being good.
Does anyone have any ideas about this? Things that worked for your young person or things you tried that didn't have the effect you intended?
19 comments:
- Rational Jenn said...
What I try to do (but this issue hasn't come up too often for us) is point out what the benefits to humans are, if something that is being promoted is or could be a rational value. The park example: I would say, and this is true, that I much prefer clean parks to dirty ones, and that dirty ones aren't much fun for people to visit because they attract unwanted wildlife, bugs, etc. And they don't look as nice. Make sure she can tell that the focus should be on HUMAN values, not "The Earth" as such, if you can see what I'm getting at here.
With the recent "Earth Hour," we were pretty direct about what we thought some people were up to and why we wanted to pay tribute to the humans who invented our power supplies and light bulbs, etc. (My kid is older, so maybe yours isn't quite there yet--but she is pretty astute, if I do say so myself.) I think I even told him that of course it benefits us to turn off unused lights, because then we don't have to pay for them, and it just makes sense--no point in lighting up a room when no human is in it who might need that light!
And we told him that some people were wrong in thinking that power itself was a bad thing for the Earth. And then touched on how of course smart people do not want to destroy the Earth because that's where we live. He looked at me like I was an idiot, because really, such things are completely obvious to children.
I don't know how I would counteract another adult who is an authority figure (friend, teacher, etc.) telling my kid the opposite of what I think, other than to point out that I disagree and try to show some in examples reality to support my point. Now that I think about it, we've done that kind of thing with religion.
I am interested in how others have handled this stuff, too. For us, emphasizing that the focus should be on the benefit to humans seems to work. And if there is no benefit, then why would we do it?
- C. August said...
Thanks, Jenn. This approach -- trying to emphasize the human benefits -- is a great approach. You've done an OK job with your squirts, I guess, so I value your opinion. ;-)
"Going negative" so to speak, would do nothing at this age. There would be no context for her to interpret my assertions, and she'd just think "oh, Daddy doesn't like this!" This wouldn't give her any useful information, and may even backfire in that she'd think she couldn't even ask about it.
I only bring that up because my personal thoughts about Earth Day are so strong that I have to consciously avoid making any comments sometimes, simply because I don't want to make things any more confusing.
This year however, I don't know that this whole thing will be an issue. She seems blissfully ignorant of all the crap around Earth Day, and it turns out she doesn't have school tomorrow... school break.
I know she's noticed the talk about Earth Day, because she saw a mention of it after Curious George the other morning, and repeated the words "Earth Day?" in a kind of "what the heck is that?" way. But she didn't ask a question and I didn't pursue it. I've asked her some leading questions, just trying to probe what she was thinking about, and it hasn't made an impact as far as I can tell.
Based on past experience, we may hear more about it in a couple of weeks, when she'll suddenly have a ton of questions. But at that point, if it comes, she'll have some solid ideas that we can work with. Right now, I can't see any reason to bring it up if it isn't bothering her.
I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill. But this environutjobbery is so awful that I'm more concerned about it than I am about religion. There's no way my kids are going to be infected with religious thought, but the environmentalists cloak their crap in scientific-sounding jargon, and sometimes appeal to reasonable ideas (we all like clean parks to play in!). It becomes the secular public shool version of Catholic school indoctrination.
I just have to remember that the sum total of living in a rational household with parents who value human life and reason is much more influential than the occasional examples of irrationality, and not worry so much.
- softwareNerd said...
The few times I've chatted with my 9 year old about such things, I take an approach similar to what Jen described.
I might ask: "Why do people want to protect the earth?"
A little later, something like: "So does it make sense to protect something on the earth in a way that nobody can ever use it?"
- C. August said...
Thanks, softwarenerd. I think the first question is one I could definitely pose to my little one. I'm curious what her answer would be.
It could lead to some good opportunities to promote life-affirming values. Though I think she'd probably just say "Dad, can I go ride my bike now?" :-)
- Kelly said...
Hi there, heard about your post on Rational Jenn's blog.
I think I have a unique perspective as both my parents are Objectivists. I went to public school and was exposed to a lot of the environutjobbery as well as the ethnicitynutjobbery that was going around then. My parents always answered my questions about those kinds of topics in a very straightforward, rational manner. Armed with that "intellectual ammunition" (as my father called it), I rarely succumbed to the irrational ideas they were teaching in my school (and even when I did, it didn't take much to undo). Kids are incredibly rational and will very easily see the truth of the matter when you present it to them.
Good luck with your kids! My husband and I are planning for kids a few years down the line, so I'm really enjoying reading about how other Objectivists are doing with raising their kids!
- Deb said...
I, too, loathe Earth Day.
I have 7- and 8-1/2-year-old daughters. When my girls were in Montessori preschool, they were surrounded by all of the blather, especially as the school was the kind where you could hear the granola crunch as you drove up the driveway.
The situation came to a head when my oldest was in first grade, and people teased her because she brought in Lunchables to school, because the packaging in it was "Hurting the Earth." When she finally complained to the administrators about the teasing, the administrator gave MY DAUGHTER an earful about why they discourage kids bringing packaging to school that "Hurts the Earth" because "We must all do our part to save the earth." Needless to say, my husband was in the school the next day to give THEM an earful, and we ended up pulling her mid-year (because of poor academics, not just their poor philosophy, although that didn't help) and starting homeschooling.
The worst part of the treehugger arrows being aimed at our little kids is that they, directly or indirectly, convey the message that these little kids are living in a world that has been made unsafe by the Big Bad Grownups that they are supposed to trust. Not only that, but it's somehow every kid's job to try to fix what their parents have destroyed.
This is a terrible message to send to little kids. Even if it were true, the time to break it to a kid is not in preschool or early elementary school.
My girls know that the world is divided up into people who are thinkers and those who are not, those who are creators and those who are destroyers (like those who throw trash on the trail), those who spout nonsense and those who must carefully pick their way through the nonsense. It's really a shame about the nonsense, we tell them, but we'll show you how to navigate around it.
My oldest loves to pick through philosophical issues like environmentalism and religion (are they really any different?) carefully, so we do it with her all the time. She loves to explore these issues, and she has radar for what pushes my buttons...she knows that wacko environmentalists do so, and sometimes she teases me about it.
We have explained it to her this way: We love the earth being beautiful, because we love hiking through it. We have a local nature trail that starts a block from our house, and WE are the people who often bring along a trash bag and gloves, because we want to leave a place better-looking than when we arrive. We have no right to trash someone else's place, and we avoid people who do so, and we do what we can to make our own environments beautiful.
When people make nonsense claims such as that one must turn off electricity, or avoid plastic, or "buy local" because it's saving the earth from destruction, we tell her that those people are wrong, that they're using bad science and bad logic. She likes to make such claims, just to watch me snort, and to start a conversation to sort through these issues yet AGAIN...because even though we home school, the treehuggers are, indeed, everywhere.
Again, though, it depends on the kid. My youngest knows our views, is comfortable with our certainty, and couldn't really care less about this..."Okay, I get it, no problem, can we get back to Nancy Drew now?" So how you tailor your response really does depend on the child. You can casually say that someone is wrong about something and leave it at that, or you can let your passion show and go into your reasons in depth, if that's what's called for.
My older daughter, though, has always tended to be very concerned that people she cares about are wrong. We have had to tailor our answers and attitude over the years so that she doesn't get anxious about it, e.g.: "Oh, yes, your Brownie leader is wrong about that, no biggie, you have to take the good with the bad and, in some circumstances, just ignore the things about which they're mistaken. That Mrs. M really does know how to organize a benefit for the overseas soldiers, doesn't she?"
It really is a constant balance...to teach kids to live joyfully and confidently and productively, while at the same time navigating them through the treacherous waters of others' poor reasoning. And each kid does it differently.
- C. August said...
Thanks for the comment, Kelly! I know it wasn't your main point, but I'm really interested in your public school experience. I went to PS also, but my parents weren't Objectivists (though both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged were on my mom's bookshelf, I didn't read them until I was 19.)
I go back and forth as I worry about sending my kids to PS. On the one hand, I think that being raised in a rational household with plenty of intellectual ammunition will give them the tools they need to thrive. But at the same time, I wish I was able to provide an environment where I didn't need to arm them just to make it out unscathed.
If you don't mind my asking, roughly when did you graduate high school (half-decade is good enough) and what area of the country were you in? What was your opinion of PS, and would you have preferred some other schooling?
I had the benefit of seeing two very different PS systems, one in Colorado and one in Minnesota. One, CO, was great, challenging and didn't pander to mediocrity. The other, MN, was a wasteland of the lowest common denominator. If I knew my kids' school system would be like my CO experience, I'd have no hesitation. My wife and I moved to a town outside Boston that we think has good schools, but things can change. It's just a big black cloud of the unknown on the far horizon right now.
- C. August said...
Deb, thanks for such a thoughtful comment. I read your blog fairly often, and am inspired by the stories of your girls.
I think you raised a really important point when you said:
"The worst part of the treehugger arrows being aimed at our little kids is that they, directly or indirectly, convey the message that these little kids are living in a world that has been made unsafe by the Big Bad Grownups that they are supposed to trust. Not only that, but it's somehow every kid's job to try to fix what their parents have destroyed."
That last sentence reminds me of my experience in elementary school, though I don't remember which grade... maybe 4th? There was an anti-smoking unit in science class, and to illustrate how awful cigarettes are we set up little experiments to "smoke" a cigarette with what was essentially a bellows, and it deposited the tar onto a piece of paper. Seeing how much tar came out from one cigarette, on top of all the other scary cancer data, freaked me out. I remember walking home, scared, holding the tar-stained paper. I sat my mom -- who smoked -- down at the kitchen table and relayed to her everything I had learned, showed her the tar-paper, and told her I wanted her to quit because I didn't want her to die.
It worked. She stopped. I think tears were shed, but I don't fully remember.
There are some obvious similarities and differences between my experience and what the treehuggers do in their indoctrination. With the anti-smoking thing, the experiment I saw was real, the science suggesting a link between smoking and cancer was good, and I was acting to preserve the life of the most important person in my life. The treehuggers present the same type of argument to kids and likely scare the crap out of them, but the science is not proven, the philosophy behind it is anti-life, and there is next to nothing the poor kid could do to fix things even if it was true. But still, there are probably 4th-graders walking home, shaking in fear, and confronting their moms about how their purchase of Lunchables is killing the planet.
Oh, and I liked your description of how differently kids handle the thorny issues. I think my oldest is much like your youngest, at least so far, at the tender age of four. Right now she is much more concerned about making a craft or riding her bike. And I'm perfectly happy with that.
- Kelly said...
Hey, no problem! I've been lurking on all the blogs I've been reading and have made it a point to come out of hiding a little :)
Public school from an insider's perspective hmmmm...Well the first comment I would have would be about "socialization skills". Anti-homeschoolers often express the worry that homeschooled kids will not have any social skills. I would say that most, if not of all of what I learned about social skills from public school was negative. Children were commonly allowed to bully, steal (also know as "sharing" by my 2nd grade teacher!) and hurt other kids with little or no repercussions.
I think there are a lot of skills that I could have learned (especially in geography, math and history) that were very very poorly taught by my schools, and by the time my parents realized, I was honestly too far gone to care. I am still scared of calculus at age 27. That said, because of my parent's dedication, I ended up a pretty happy, productive person. It's really a toss-up though, like you said. My sister did not fare nearly as well in public schools. She was considerably more sensitive than I, and gifted. I don't think the public schools were able to give her what she needed. In fact, they often held her back. I was also sometimes held back in certain subjects I was good in (the humanities). It's a problem with the lowest common denominator environment the schools set up. there are, however, the occasional bright spots. Had I been homeschooled, I don't think I would have been involved in the band - something I loved and also an experience that made me who I am today.
Personally, I think the schools have gotten worse since I was a child. My mother was a Montessori teacher for a lot of my childhood. When I told her I couldn't see putting my children in the public school system, she agreed. It's just far too risky and potentially damaging. I think as more parents become homeschoolers, even more opportunities for homeschooled kids will arise, including music, arts and sports opportunities.
I'm not shy about when I graduated...I'm 27, so I graduated in 1998. I went to high school in NJ. It's hard to say if I would rather been home schooled. Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Like I said, there were things I loved in public schools, but also a lot of negatives.
- C. August said...
Thanks for the perspective, Kelly. I graduated HS in '90, and I don't know how much really changed in the 8 years between you and me. Based on what I saw firsthand from one good experience in CO -- elementary through freshman year in HS -- and the last three years of HS in MN, it was as different as night and day. I was in a gifted and talented program in elementary that was phenomenal, where I dissected animal organs (incl. a deer eye!), did logic puzzles, went to museums, etc. I was in an honors bio class in my freshman year that was harder than any class I took in college (except for 2nd semester calculus, which I just never understood very well, and happened to be an engineering weed-out class at Purdue. I was a bio geek.)
In MN, I did NOTHING for three years and got straight A's. There were no honors classes, and since I was ahead in science I took all my science classes with the years ahead of me. That was fun. Half the kids in school had no idea if I was in their class or another year. It was such a waste.
I don't know if schools today have gone to hell in a handbasket ("In my day, I had to walk 5 miles to school, uphill, both ways, with no shoes and it always snowed!") or if the variation is district by district. I have the sense that it's the latter. At least I hope so, and I hope that we're in a good school district now.
I thought it was interesting that you immediately chose homeschooling as the alternative to PS in your comments. Was that because most secondary private schools seem to be either Catholic, or super-expensive day schools that cost more than college?
Have you read about the VanDamme Academy? LB, the blogger on 3-ring-binder and I have bemoaned the lack of a VDA in Massachusetts. Even then, it would only go to 8th grade.
And homeschooling isn't an option for my family, so we need to make something else work.
One point about homeschooling that I'm sure RationalJenn could expound upon is that there doesn't seem to be any lack of extracurricular activities for homeschoolers, including band. Deb from Mariposario (earlier comment) just blogged about her daughter singing in a Bach childrens' chorus. There are sports organizations and bands and all sorts of things, as far as I can tell.
And I agree with you that most of the supposed benefits of socialization in PS are only good for examples of what NOT to do.
- Kelly Elmore said...
Hey C. Jenn directed me to your blog. I wanted to tell you about a conversation my daughter and I had about environmentalism recently. She was asking what "Save the earth" meant. I think we heard it on the radio. I told her that people said that when they liked owls or snakes or rivers or trees more than people. I explained that we really liked owls and snakes and rivers and trees, and that we wanted to keep them and enjoy them. But we like people more. So we want people to take what they need from the earth (I gave examples of paper and animals to eat and space to live in). I don't know how much of this she understood (she is almost 5 and doesn't always tell you what she's thinking), but she said a few times how she liked people best but snakes second. :) Anyway, I try to make sure she knows that the world is for us to use and enjoy.
- C. August said...
Thanks for stopping by, Kelly! I can see how A. (my little one) would respond well to the "we like snakes and birds but like people more" line of reasoning. She's not quite 4 1/2, so she's pretty close in age to your daughter.
That seems to be on her conceptual level, but it's hard to tell. She makes leaps in grasping abstractions that I would never anticipate (so cool!) so it's hard to tell what will stick sometimes. In the end we try all sorts of lines of reasoning with her, from lower level concepts and concretes to broad abstractions, and follow up based on where she takes the conversation. If she doesn't really respond, I still make my point (albeit briefly, because she'll just tune me out) because it often happens that whatever I talked about will come up again in a week or three. The kid is a sponge! She hears EVERYTHING, even if she seems totally engrossed in something else.
And I can totally see her saying "I like people best... but snakes second" with a sly grin, poking fun at me.
- Kelly said...
I wouldn't say that my choice of homeschooling was immediate. It's something I've been thinking about for years, and it was a tough decision, because I know it means a huge dedication of time. I also realize we may not be able to make it work, so my second choice would be a very good private school. My choice has to do with partly with the cost of private schools, but also with comments I heard about a lot of private schools being no better than public schools (with all sorts of environmentalism and Dewey-esque indoctrination). This is something that can be viewed somewhat on a case to case basis, but as it stands now, I want to make sure I am entrusting such a large part of my children's education and well-being to someone I can trust. My hope is that homeschooling will become more popular, especially among Objectivists (I know my best friend for example, wants to homeschool) so that parents can work together and exchange expertise to help give their children the best education. But if, as you, we couldn't afford it, we'd have to make something else work. Like I said before, it is possible to raise thinking children outside of a homeschooling environment. At this point, it's just not my preference.
I have heard about the VanDamme Academy, and have been to their website. I would love to have a VDA here in NY. Based on what I know of it, I could certainly entrust my children to them.
I have heard there a large number of activities that homeschooled kids can enjoy. I think a lot of my worry about that has come from talking to a lot of people who are strongly against homeschooling.
- Rational Jenn said...
One quick point to address something mentioned briefly--there are more extracurricular options for homeschoolers than ever before, due to the increase in the number of people taking their kids out of government schools (whatever their reasons might be). And there are a surprising (to me) number of non-religious if not outright secular options, too. Depends on where you live, of course. My oldest child is just reaching "official" school age and we will not be without activities, that's for sure! In fact, we're off to chess class in a little while.
Also, and this is so exciting, I can think of 8 or 9 Objectivist homeschooling families off the top of my head. Sadly, we live all over the country, but still!
- C. August said...
Kelly (not Kelly E.) I just meant that I thought it was interesting that you chose homeschooling as the primary alternative to PS in your comment, not that you hadn't been thinking about it. :-) The usual choice is public vs. private, with homeschooling as a distant third, so it just struck me as worth noting.
I agree with your concern about private schools, even the "really good" ones. Here in New England, I thinks it's quite likely that they would be hotbeds of strongly leftist ideology. It's a non-issue for me, though, because there is zero chance that I'll be ponying up $15,000 a year for elementary and $40,000 a year for high school.
Maybe RationalJenn, LB, or Deb (all Objectivist homeschoolers) will chime in here, but it seems like homeschooling is gaining ground. I think one of the issues is that there often isn't a sufficient concentration of Objectivists in any geographical area to make up a vibrant group. That's why they join apolitical groups and seek out like minded people to associate with. Obviously I'm distilling a ton of conversations and postings from a number of homeschoolers into a generalization, but I think it's accurate.
You said: "I have heard about the VanDamme Academy, and have been to their website. I would love to have a VDA here in NY." I was thinking about this too. I wonder if Lisa VanDamme would be willing to start up an east coast franchise or two? One in metro-Boston and one in metro-NYC? I'll just shoot her a quick email and get that started. :-)
Ah, if it was only that simple!
- Kelly said...
Oh no worries. It's hard to get tone across on the internet. I didn't think you thought I wasn't thinking about it....:-P
From what I've heard/read, homeschooling is gaining some ground. I'm hoping there will be even more resources out there when Dan and I decide to have children. Maybe one of our homeschoolers can blog on that or give a link to some relevant info.
I'm lucky, as living in the NYMetro area, there is a pretty large concentration of Objectivists. I don't know any around here who really want to have kids though.
- Stella said...
Just to add to the discussion about having been educated in a public-school environment and what that meant/means...
Unlike Kelly, I was not raised by Objectivist parents -- far from it, my parents are very devout Christians and raised me to be one too. (I went agnostic in college, then atheist/Objectivist when my boyfriend of 4+ years re-introduced me to Rand's works.) I wouldn't say the public school I went to ruined me, but it certainly wasn't an ideal education by any means. When I read Lisa VanDamme's articles on education in The Objective Standard, I realized that I, like most kids, was taught without the necessary hierarchy of knowledge that makes learning meaningful.
I was in the gifted program at my school district and it was still too slow for me. By a lot. I got A's without trying -- meaning skimming a book the night before a test rather than reading it carefully as I was supposed to, the sort of study habits that lead to a superficial "knowledge" of a subject rather than real understanding. I have an excellent short-term memory and was thus able to ace all of my tests in high school, but how poorly I really understood what I was parroting back was not revealed until college, when the test questions suddenly required application of principles rather than memorization of facts. Suddenly I, the straight-A student was still pulling A's in my humanities classes (where I could still get away with putting together a mishmash of ideas and making it sound plausible) but was getting C's in the sciences, where my lack of understanding of concepts became clear.
At the time I went to school (I graduated HS in 1996), environmentalism wasn't as hot as it is now, although there was a definite altruist streak (in order to get into the National Honor Society, for example, you had to do a certain amount of "service to the community").
Now, things are much worse in my former school district -- both in terms of altruism being taught and in terms of lack of educational hierarchy. My niece attends the same middle school as I did (and will be starting at my former high school next year), and I often ask her about what she's learning in school. This is how I find out that she's reading novels about nomadic life in the Sahara in "English" class, learning about tribes in Africa in "social studies" (never mind calling it "history," and of course they teach about how all cultures are equal except Western civilization, which must self-immolate), and being told about microstructures within cells in science class before even understanding what a cell is. My boyfriend and I try to augment her education as best we can given that we don't get to see her often (fortunately, she loves attention from adults and is happy to let us teach her math, vocabulary, etc.), but I still worry that she's growing up with an even worse foundation than I had, plus more altruism in the form of environmentalism and multiculturalism.
I am not sure whether or not I will have children, but if I were to do so and Lisa VanDamme were to open a second school on the East Coast, I'd send my children there in a heartbeat. If not, I do love my career, but I would consider giving it up for a time to homeschool the kids so as to bring them up with better ideas than are being taught in most schools (public or private) these days.
- C. August said...
Stella, thanks for that detailed comment. I think the perspective you offered of being able to see how your one school district has changed is really valuable to this discussion.
My wife had a similar experience with her gifted program in school. And I think if I had spent my whole public school experience in MN instead of just the last 3 years, I would have had a similar story to yours.
This is how I find out that she's reading novels about nomadic life in the Sahara in "English" class, learning about tribes in Africa in "social studies" (never mind calling it "history," and of course they teach about how all cultures are equal except Western civilization, which must self-immolate), and being told about microstructures within cells in science class before even understanding what a cell is.
It's hard to believe this is actually going on. I wish you were making it up.
It did give me the ideal to make another close examination of the curriculum in our district, and take a look at things like what books they read, and whether they respect a hierarchy of knowledge at all. Luckily they post detailed accounts of their curricula so I'll get the hard facts about it, rather than unfounded assertions.
- Mona said...
On the subject of public schools, I'll share my experience attending both Catholic and public schools. I was raised by non-Objectivist but generally rational parents. I attended Wisconsin public grade schools, then spent 2 years at a Catholic high school school and 2 at a public one in Illinois. The Wisconsin schools had a great gifted program, and I always liked school, but I could tell as early as third grade that there was little in the way of a hierarchy of knowledge. I was attracted to religion prior to attending the Catholic school, probably for several reasons, but once I learned about Catholicism (at the religious school), I rejected it. I then started looking around for other religions and went through quite a few before reading Age of Reason and becoming agnostic. Then I switched to the public school, where I was exposed to all sorts of liberal ideology and proceeded to reject that. I became interested in politics and became a libertarian, although I was sufficiently put off by other libertarians to have reservations. (By now you're probably ready to homeschool your kids at all costs, but I think I turned out okay in the end.) I eventually found the ARI essay contests, read the Fountainhead, and straightened myself out.
Academically, in general, the Catholic school had more challenging classes, more passionate teachers, and more studious students, but fewer outstanding students. The public school was more of a sink-or-swim environment, in which independent learners could thrive in the many AP classes, but they had to overcome disruptive students and sometimes poor teaching. (I graduated in the early 2000's.)
In retrospect, I'm glad I had both of those experiences, because I was able to identify what I didn't agree with and use the process of elimination to try to figure out what I did agree with. I'm sure your kids will be even better equipped to sort through it all than I was. Obviously if a better option exists in your area, take it, but don't despair if your options look bleak. I'm not terribly concerned about my little sister, who will be attending one of these schools next year, but when I have kids, I intend to homeschool and/or send them to the Van Damme Academy if I live close enough.


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Why Bond Prices Go Up and Down
by Annette Thau
With bond investing, prices go up and down in response to two factors: changes in interest rates and changes in credit quality. Bond investors tend to worry a lot about the safety of their money. Generally, however, they tie safety to credit considerations. Many bond investors do not fully understand how changes in interest rates affect price. Since the late 1970s, changes in the interest rate environment have become the greatest single determinant of return on bond investments. Managing interest rate risk has become the most critical variable in the management of bond portfolios. In this article, we'll see why.
Interest Rate Risk
"Interest rate risk," also known as "market risk," refers to the propensity bonds have of fluctuating in price as a result of changes in interest rates.
All bonds are subject to interest rate risk.
If nothing else makes an impression, but you learn that all bonds are subject to interest rate risk, regardless of the issuer or the credit rating or whether the bond is "insured" or "guaranteed," then this article will have served a useful purpose.
The principle behind this fact is easy to explain.
Let us suppose you bought a 30-year bond when 30-year Treasuries were yielding 4%. Further suppose that you now wish to sell your bond and that interest rates for the same maturity are currently 10%. How can you convince someone to purchase your bond, with a coupon of 4%, when he can buy new issues with a 10% coupon?
Well, there is only one thing you can do: You mark down your bond. In fact, the price at which a buyer would buy your bond as readily as a new issue is that price at which your bond would now yield 10%. That would be approximately 30 cents on the dollar, or about $300 per bond.
But, you will object, if I sell my $1,000 bond for $300, I have lost $700 per bond!
That is precisely the point.
In the bond investing area, significant changes in the interest rate environment are not hypothetical. During the past decade, swings of 1% (100 basis points) have occurred on several occasions over periods of a few weeks or a few months. During the late 1970s and 1980s, rates moved up and down, in sharp spikes or drops, as much as 5% (500 basis points) within a few years. Between September of 1998 and January of 2000, interest rates on the Treasury's long bond moved from a low of 4.78% to a high of 6.75%, almost 200 basis points. If you held bonds during that period, you will remember it as a period when the returns on bond investments were dismal.
With bond investing, the basic principle is that interest rates and prices move in an inverse relationship. When interest rates went from 4.78% to 6.75%, that represented an increase in yield of over 40%. The price of the bond declined by a corresponding amount. On the other hand, when interest rates decline, then the price of the bond goes up.
What can you do to protect your money against interest rate fluctuations?
The best protection is to partake in a bond investing program that buy bonds with maturities that are either short (under one year) or short-intermediate (between two and seven years).
While all bonds are subject to interest rate risk, that risk is correlated to maturity length. As maturity length increases, so do potential price fluctuations. Conversely, the shorter the maturity of the bonds you invest in, the lower the risk of price fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rate levels.
To illustrate, let's look at Table 1. This table shows what would happen to the price of a bond selling at par ($1,000), with a 7% coupon, for several different maturities, under three different scenarios:
- Interest rates rise modestly by 50 basis points, to 7.5%;
- Interest rates rise by 100 basis points, to 8%;
- Interest rates rise steeply, by 200 basis points, to 9%.
Table 1 shows that if interest rates rise modestly, by 50 basis points, the price of the two-year bond changes very little. But even that modest rise results in a decline of 3.5% ($35) for the 10-year bond and 5.9% ($59) for the 30-year bond. For the 30-year bond, the decline of 5.9% wipes out almost the total amount of interest income for the entire year. If a much sharper rise in interest rates occurs, from 7% to 9%, declines become correspondingly larger. Clearly, if interest rates go up, the holder of bonds with shorter maturities would be less unhappy than the holder of bonds with long maturities.
Table 1. Interest Rate Risk: Bond Price Changes if Interest Rates Rise)
($1,000 par value bond with a 7% coupon)
|Change in Bond Price If Interest Rates Rise To:
|2 Years
|5 Years
|10 Years
|30 Years
|Source: Merrill Lynch (material supplied to author).
This phenomenon, happily, operates in reverse. As interest rates decline, bond prices rise. This is illustrated in Table 2, which shows changes in price for various maturities under three declining interest rate scenarios. Once again, the change in price is much smaller for the two-year maturity, but it rises gradually through the maturity spectrum. In this instance, the holder of a bond would benefit from holding the longest maturities because the longer the maturity, the higher the gain. That is the reason that bond investors anticipating a decline in interest rates position themselves at the long end of the maturity spectrum, in order to realize the largest capital gains.
Table 2. Interest Rate Risk: Bond Price Changes If Interest Rates Fall
($1,000 par value bond with a 7% coupon)
|Change in Bond Price If Interest Rates Fall To:
|2 Years
|5 Years
|10 Years
|30 Years
|Source: Merrill Lynch (material supplied to author).
Several qualifications need to be made concerning both of these tables. First, the exact price changes illustrated are assumed to have occurred as a result of instantaneous changes in yield. In practice, such changes may take weeks, months, or even years. Changes occurring over longer time periods would result in somewhat different numbers because, as noted earlier, the price of a bond moves toward par as it gets closer to maturity, and those price changes occur regardless of what happens to interest rates.
Secondly, the exact price changes illustrated apply only to bonds selling at par, with a 7% coupon. The numbers would be different for bond investments with coupons that are either higher or lower. Price changes would be somewhat larger, in both directions, if the coupons were lower than 7%, and the price changes would be lower if the coupons were somewhat higher than 7%.
Thirdly, if you look at the price changes that occur in both directions, you will note that these changes are not linear. If interest rates rise, the price of a bond declines as maturity length increases, but those increases occur at a declining rate. That decline in the rate of increase begins to be noticeable approximately after the 10-year mark. Similarly, if interest rates decline, the price of bonds increases as maturity length increases, but again, at a declining rate that begins to be noticeable at the approximate 10-year mark. Nonetheless, it remains the case that price changes are greatest at the highest maturity length.
Finally, note that the price changes that occur if interest rates move up or down are somewhat larger if interest rates decline than if they go up. For example, for the 30-year bond, if interest rates go up by 100 basis points, the price of the bond declines by 11.3%. But if interest rates decline by 100 basis points, the price of the same bond goes up by 13.8%. Similarly, if interest rates go up by 200 basis points, the price of the 30-year bond declines by 20.6%. But if interest rates decline, the price of the same bond goes up by 30.9%. That distinction is obviously a desirable characteristic for the bond investor: Your bond appreciates more in value if interest rates decline than it loses if interest rates rise. This characteristic has a somewhat formidable name: It is known as convexity.
In summary, while the numbers vary somewhat for different bonds, both Table 1 and Table 2 illustrate two basic principles applicable to bond investing. First, the prices of bonds and interest rates move in opposite directions. If interest rates decline, the price of a bond goes up, and if interest rates rise, the price of a bond declines. Second, bonds with longer maturities incur significantly higher interest rate risk than those with shorter maturities. That is a disadvantage if interest rates rise, but an advantage if interest rates decline.
So now we have the two faces of interest rate fluctuations: risk and opportunity. It may sound paradoxical, but a rising or strong bond market is one in which interest rates are declining because that causes bond prices to rise. You can sell a bond for more than you paid for it and make a profit. A weak bond market is one in which interest rates are rising and, as a result, prices are falling. If you have to sell your bonds, you have to do so at a loss. In either case, with bond investing, the changes in price are correlated to maturity length.
Here are some bond investing questions and answers that will help illustrate several other important aspects of managing interest rate risk:
Bond Investing Question #1: If long-term bonds are so risky, why would anyone invest in them?
One reason is that many investors believe that long-term bonds provide the highest yields (or maximum income). That, however, is not necessarily true. If all other factors are equal, long-term bonds have higher coupons than shorter-term bonds of the same credit quality. But intermediate bonds in the A to AA range often yield as much as AAA bonds with far longer maturities, and they are much less volatile. (Note that this relationship is considered normal. But there are times when interest rates on short maturities are higher than interest rates on longer maturities.)
You might, of course, want to invest in long-term bonds for other reasons. One would be to "lock in" an attractive interest rate for as long as possible, if you think you are not going to sell the bonds before they mature. Also, if you think interest rates are about to decline, bond investing at the long end positions you for maximum capital gains. That would imply that you consider potential capital gains as important (or more so) than interest yield, and in all likelihood that you intend to resell the bonds before they mature.
Bond Investing Question #2: How do interest rate fluctuations affect the price of a bond if I hold it to maturity?
If you hold bonds to maturity, you recover your principal in full (assuming there has not been a default). No matter what kind of roller coaster ride interest rates take during the life of a bond, its value will always be par when the bond is redeemed. Bond investments made above par (premium bonds) or below par (discount bonds) are also redeemed at par. The price of discounts gradually rises to par; the price of premiums falls to par. These changes occur very gradually, in minute annual increments and are reflected in the current price of any bond.
Bond Investing Question #3: I own bonds issued years ago, when coupon rates were 4%. Rates are now much higher. Can't I sell my old bonds and buy new ones with higher coupons in order to earn more income?
The swap by itself will not result in higher yields: If you buy a bond that is comparable in maturity length and credit quality, the transaction will be a wash, because you would have to sell at that price at which the buyer of your old bonds would be indifferent to buying your bond or one carrying a higher coupon, meaning at the exact price which would result in the prevailing yield. Therefore, your income from the bonds would not change.
For example, let us assume you own 10 bonds with a par value of $10,000 and a coupon rate of 4%. That means that annually you receive interest (coupon) income of $400. Assume further that over a period of several years, interest rates have risen to 8%. You sell your bonds for approximately $500 per bond, for a total of $5,000, which you now reinvest. You now own $5,000 (par value) bonds, and you will now receive annual interest of 8%; that is, $400. Therefore, even though you are now earning a coupon rate of 8%, you will be earning the same dollar amount as before the swap. Moreover, you would be out the transaction costs (commissions) incurred in selling the old bonds and buying the new bonds.
This does not mean that you should never consider swaps. There are other valid reasons for swapping. On the preceding transaction, you would generate a capital loss of approximately $5,000 and that might be used for tax purposes to offset capital gains on other transactions. Or you might swap to upgrade credit quality. You might increase yield by buying lower-quality bonds, or by buying different bonds.
Please note two caveats. In the preceding example, you would have taken an enormous hit to principal. Also, costing out a swap accurately is complex.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Topps Vault has been unlocked, releasing hundreds of never-before-seen player portraits to the market. All aspects of these portraits are designed to preserve the authenticity of the original image. This authenticity extends through to the manufacturing process, as each print is manufactured in the United States using sophisticated digital technology to capture a level of detail that is absolutely breathtaking.
This Bert Blyleven card is particularly unique in that the future Hall of Famer was traded to Pittsburgh before the season began - leaving his Rangers uniform outdated. In 1978, Blyleven went 14-10 with the Pirates with a 3.03 ERA in 34 appearances.
Intellectual Property Notice: © 2013 All Rights Reserved. Topps is a registered trademark of The Topps Company, Inc.


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Quiz: Test your presidential knowledge
Published On: Feb 23 2012 10:47:51 AM CST Updated On: Mar 01 2013 11:36:43 AM CST
You may follow today's political news, but how much do you know about presidential politics through history?
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.


text:
"G'day to all the good folk at Catholic Answers. Words cannot express the invaluable service you provide to the world. Your faith tracts are fantastic and should be a must-read. Catholics need to be equipped with the history and the truth."
"I should not believe the Gospel except on the authority of the Catholic Church."


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Let Dry Bones Speak! Radiocarbon dating Bronze Age cremation burialsStaff: Adam Gwilt and Jody Deacon [with the Groningen Dating Laboratory and Dr Jacqueline McKinley (Wessex Archaeology)]
In recent years, a technique has been developed and proven at the Groningen Dating Laboratory to achieve precise radiocarbon dates from cremated human bone. This breakthrough means that Bronze Age cremations, excavated in past decades, and now residing in the collections may be dated for the first time. This provides a valuable independent means of testing the assumptions surrounding our artefact typologies and chronologies. As a result, it will help us to write increasingly subtle prehistoric narratives about life and death in the Bronze Age.
Seven cremation samples from three barrow monuments were selected, by virtue of the quality and range of pottery and metalwork associations in the graves and also in relation to the capacity to inform the complex histories associated with barrow use and re-use. These related to barrows at Candleston Cist, Merthyr Mawr, Bridgend; Six Wells 267, Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan and Kilpaison Burrows, Pembrokeshire. The samples produced successful dates and preliminary results were communicated in a paper at a meeting of the Prehistoric Ceramic Research Group held in Cardiff (October 2005). The implications of these dates, for wider understanding of Early to Middle Bronze Age material culture and relating to barrow histories in Wales are currently being researched.


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Tribal Communities Benefit from Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program
Every year, around 750,000 American teens between the ages of 15 and 19 become pregnant.
Adolescent pregnancy is a particular problem for Native American girls. Although less than 3 percent of the U.S. teen population, Native Americans have significantly higher teen birth rates when compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts.
In fact after declining for more than a decade, the teen birth rate among Native American teens increased by 12 percent between 2005 and 2007 — more than any other racial/ethnic group.1
To help reverse this trend, the Family and Youth Services Bureau consulted with tribes and then decided to focus its newest grant funding opportunity — the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) — on the Native American community.
PREP, created through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, focuses on teen pregnancy prevention and is designed to help prepare young people in their transition to adulthood. Using or adapting interventions that have already been scientifically proven to change behavior, projects must educate youth on both abstinence and birth control with the goal of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Although we have evaluated many projects, only a handful of these strategies include Native youth. Part of the challenge of developing a tribal pregnancy prevention program was to incorporate and adapt models or elements of existing models to meet the particular needs of this community.
Encouraging a holistic approach to youth development, PREP projects integrate at least three adulthood preparation topics:
• Healthy relationships
• Adolescent development
• Financial literacy
• Parent-child communication
• Educational and career success
• Life skills - goal-setting and decision making
To ensure that the program honors Tribal needs, traditions, and cultures, FYSB conducted a series of public consultations in Fall 2010 and Winter 2011 that brought together more than 150 people from more than 30 Tribes.
Individual Tribal leaders and representatives of tribal organizations stressed their desire to design programs at the local level, where individual community needs and cultural values can be reflected.
"FYSB understands and honors the fact that Tribes have unique ways of approaching community challenges, ways that are deeply rooted in cultural traditions," Deborah Yatsko (Choctaw), FYSB's Tribal Liaison said. "We look forward to building and expanding our partnerships with Tribes and tribal organizations as they design community-based projects to address teen pregnancy, disease prevention, and the challenges youth face as they transition to adulthood."
By 2011, 16 Tribes and tribal organizations had welcomed PREP to their communities. First year grantees have received a combined $6.5 million to implement the program in Alabama, Arizona, California, Michigan, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Dakota.
1Hamilton, BE, Martin, JA and Ventura, SJ (2009). Births: Preliminary Data for 2007. National Vital Statistics Reports, 57(12).


text: The two-story, coed residence hall, was completed in 1991 and houses 102 students in three-bedroom suites. Each bedroom in the suite houses two students and has an attached private bathroom. Suites are furnished with two beds, two desks, and two chairs; the common area includes furniture, a refrigerator and microwave.


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Civil Service Openings
Western Illinois University is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity. In that spirit, we are interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of people. WIU has a non-discrimination policy that includes sex, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, religion, age, marital status, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Civil service employment is coordinated through the Human Resources Office.
Civil Service Employment – Information & Instructions
Complete a Job Application Form using one of the methods below.
- Fill out the Application online
- Pick up a copy of the form from the Human Resource Office, Sherman Hall, Room 105
- Download a copy on in PDF format
All application materials are due in Human Resources by the application deadline. Application materials may include transcripts, licenses, and certifications. Please include all employment history on your application.
Applications will be reviewed and if you qualify you will be called to set-up an appointment for testing as soon as possible. If you have any questions in regard to this process, you may call the Examination Division at (309) 298-1971.
If you believe that you may require a reasonable accommodation during the application evaluation or testing process, please notify the Human Resource Office at (309) 298-1971, prior to date needed so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
All application materials can be delivered in person or sent to:
Human Resources Office
Sherman Hall Room 105
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455
Fax: (309) 298-2300
Open: Monday - Friday 8:00 4:30


text:
DS is almost 7 months and I think it's time for him to learn how to use a sippy. I bought sippies a month or so ago (I think they are Nuby brand) but haven't tried using 'em yet.
So, question! Once DS learns how to use the sippy, and I put BM in there, will that interfere with our BFing relationship in any way?


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Porsche Has No Plans to Go Low-End
By Phil LeBeau, CNBC Correspondent
NEW YORK (CNBC) -- At a time when luxury automakers are speeding up sales by rolling out lower priced entry-level models, Porsche is taking a different route.
The German automaker says it has no plans to roll out a model below the Boxster.
In an interview with Automotive News, the sales chief for Porsche says he is still intent on doubling sales, but doesn't want to cheapen the brand by going with a lower price point for a new car.
Personally, I think it's the right call.
The expansion of luxury lines has no doubt been a huge success for several companies. Look at how BMW sales (and brand awareness) soared with the 3 Series and to a lesser extent with the recent addition of the 1 Series.
But as luxury line-ups grow it creates an opportunity for some luxury players to take advantage of the exclusivity that comes with not going down market. In other words, if you can afford dropping $50,000 to $90,000 on a Porsche you don't have to worry about seeing others driving around in lower priced entry-level models.
For Porsche, the minimum to get into the brand with a New Porsche Boxster is $49,500. A New Boxster S will cost you $69,900. At those prices, the market is strong. Strong enough to support doubling sales worldwide? That will be tough.
This year Porsche sales in the U.S. are up 2.7%, trailing the industry's growth. Last year Porsche outpaced the industry with sales growing 14%. That's solid growth, but doubling sales will require more. Like all luxury automakers Porsche is growing quickly in Asia and that will fuel much of its growth.
Staying with higher price points can work in the luxury car business, especially with a brand that has carved out a niche. For Porsche that means not trying to sell a car for $30k or $35K.
--Written by Phil LeBeau at CNBC


text: Hi! I have a difficult situation that needs advice from experienced people. My husband and I are planning to have another baby soon, and I want to BF, but have lots of problems. 8 years ago, I was in a car accident when I was 3 days postpartum, My milk had come in the night before the accident, and I was pumping due to my daughter being in the NICU. My right breast was internally split in half, and I have had 2 reconstructive surgeries on it, one being a scar revision and the other being another revision with a fat graph placed. I did continue to pump for 2 weeks after the accident, and was able to produce some milk, although I don't remember how much. I have a semicircular cut from the second surgery around my areola,and there is a scar band in the left side of my breast that is very large, I can actually pick it up within my breast using my fingers.I worry that this will make a proper latch on impossible. I had an abcess rupture onthe underside of my left breast, and while packing was being placed in the wound to heal it, the nurse ran out of packing and put fresh in on top. In short, the old packing traveled through the right side of my breast and came out in between my breasts 6 weeks later. Both breasts are numb, each halfway towards the center of my chest. I am draining some whitish clear fluid out of the right breast, (just started recently although the accident was 8 years ago) so that makes me think that maybe breastfeeding could be possible. I am an RN, and even attended a breastfeeding advisor and educator class, but I have yet to encounter a case like my own. Of course the main question is will I be able to BF, but I am also curious as to how my let down reflex may be affected. ANY advice would be great


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Pike and Wayne counties are literally awash in high quality (HQ) and exceptional value (EV) waters, and a policy being developed by the Department of Environmental Preservation (DEP) is intended to keep it that way. But many local officials have expressed the view that the policy is so restrictive it will kill development.
At the Pike County Commissioners meeting on April 3, the commissioners warned again about the negative impact of the law. Commissioner Matthew Osterberg said that in order to comply with the policy, a septic system would need to be located on a parcel of at least 11 acres for each individual septic system, and septic systems on smaller lots could result in additional costs of up to $25,000 to come into compliance.
The policy is being developed to keep nitrates from migrating from septic systems into ground water, but critics say there is no problem with nitrates in the area. Commissioner Rich Caridi said the safe level of nitrate as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is 10 milligrams per liter. Caridi said he had his own well tested and the level was .04 milligrams per liter.
So, if there is no nitrate problem in the area, why is the DEP moving forward with this policy? The answer is linked with a case regarding HQ and EV waters in Berks County.
In 2006, DEP approved a septic system for a development in Berks County in the Pine Creek Watershed. The Pine Creek Watershed Association appealed the approval to the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board, which ruled that the method used to determine whether nitrates from the septic system would reach a creek were "not appropriate."
According to a PowerPoint presentation prepared by DEP on February 8, "DEP's approval of the plan was rescinded and DEP was required to pay the watershed group's attorney fees."
Further, under a paragraph labeled "problem," the presentation says, "The Pine Creek Decision establishes a scientific standard that is extremely difficult to meet, thereby jeopardizing any future development using septic systems in high quality and exceptional value watersheds."
Because of this, DEP is in the process of developing best management practices (BMPs) for septic systems in HQ and EV watersheds, as it has done with other possible sources of pollution, such as agricultural operations, general construction, resource extraction and waste management.
DEP is developing a number of best practices, such as the use of permeable reactive barriers buried underground, which allow some materials to pass through, but not others.
Ironically, a municipal sewage facility in an HQ and EV watershed will not be subject to the new policy because it is a so called "point source" of possible pollution, and "some degradation of instream water quality may be allowed based on social or economic justice."
Septic systems are considered "nonpoint sources" of possible pollution, and under current law, DEP is required to "assure that cost-effective and reasonable best management practices a top nonpoint source control are achieved."


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Can't Wait To Get My Groove On In Tucson
Props go out to Sue over at Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts for winning the first ever…
"Which Rockie Am I?"
Here is Sue pictured with announcer Harry Kalas.
Sue asked that I give props to Jen from Phillies Phollowers for taking this picture of Sue at last year's Baseball 101 for women event.
Here are the facts I gave you from yesterday.
This Rockie is well over six feet tall.
He played basketball in High School.
<—-This dude has something to do with the name of this player's High School.
He's a switch hitter.
Sue guessed Dexter Fowler. He attended Milton High School where he played basketball. He's 6'5″ tall, and is a switch hitter.
Nice job and congratulations. I did make that one kind of easy🙂.
I'm going to continue on with the "Decide the Ride" suggestions and questions.
Next question is from Julia of Julia's Rants . She's the writer of the Number one fan blog here on MLBlogs.com:
"D — how about earliest memory about baseball. That "ah -ha!" moment when you knew you were hooked!.
Julia, I played team baseball when I was really young (7-11) and then only in gym class in Canada through my teens.
I always played first base because it sees a lot of action and I'm a bit of a show off when I'm good at something.
I love the feeling of making that really good play at first or scoring the game winning run.
Everyone loves being a hero, even if it's only for a brief moment.
Zack Hample and the Rockies got me hooked on batting practice. If I can't make BP I usually don't make the game. Spend an hour at BP chasing baseballs hit by your favorite players and see if that doesn't get you excited about seeing a baseball game.
I've said this before, batting practice is Zen for me. When I'm there I'm "In my Zone" and NOTHING else matters for that short period of time. Had I not read Hample's words and lived vicariously through his blog, I may never have taken a chance and attended a Rockies BP.
Next suggestion is from my Pops in Arizona:
"How about writing about the insane salaries they pay. No wonder these guys get in so much trouble. Too much too fast. You and I are paying for all this when we buy the product of the sponsors".
Your totally right Pops I can't argue with that statement. What I can tell you is not every player makes the "Big Bucks". For every player that signs a multi-million dollar contract, there are twenty other MLB players who make much less than a million.
Teams have farm systems that are full of young ball players trying to make it to the big leagues. Most players spend several years in the farm system honing their skills, hoping for that break, and working part-time jobs to supplement their income and support their families.
Other than that, I got nothing. Thanks for your comment dad :)
Next suggestion is from long-time reader, commenter and HUGE Rockies fan, Marianne in Colorado (aka here as R-Luv).
"Hey D,
Which do you think is more detrimental to a team, paying certain players enormous salaries or trading players around like playing cards.
On a more fun note, what was your first car and what is your dream car?
Marianne, this one is short and sweet for me. In my opinion paying the enormous salaries is more detrimental to a team because when you lock in a player for more than a couple of years and it's for big money, it limits your moves financially. In some instances it can cripple a team if say,..the player is injured or had surgery and can't play? (That in no way was a slam on Todd Helton).
Helton can do no wrong here in the Rockpile Rant.
Trading players often isn't a great move either. But here's my take on that. Most players (key word being "most") wouldn't be where they are if they weren't professionals. By professional I mean they should be used to seeing players come and go.
Change is a part of baseball as it is with all sports. Sorry I didn't go into prolific detail with that explanation, but for me the
answer really doesn't go much deeper than that.
My first car: A 1986 Nissan Pulsar NX. Red, sunroof, 5 speed. Brand spanking new.
My dream car: 2009 Jeep Rubicon with a 6 inch lift and a heavy duty winch. Then I could hang with my Pop's jeep.
King of Cali had a good question:
"If you were the GM of the Rockies what would you have done this off season?"
This is a touchy subject for me. On one hand I have a lot of ideas of what "should" have been done as I'm sure a lot of us do. But I don't want to mention any names at this point because I'll be standing in front of these guys in mere days asking them for an autograph.
K of C..You feel me on this one?
So lets just say, I was hoping for a big name pitcher and was willing to lose one as partial payment for another. Infielders, outfielders and coaching I'm ok with. A big name hitter would have been nice, but I'm anxious to get rolling with the players we have and see what we've got.
Thanks for your comment brotha..Matter of fact, thank all of you. The last time I told you that the Rant has been getting crazy page hits I moved one spot closer to first.
Well, the Rant's been getting crazy hits again…I'm just saying…D
10 Comments
D – thanks for answering my question! For me – I always watched baseball growing up, but the 1975 World Series – when Fisk hit the homerun in the 12th! (yes – my parents let my sister & I stay up that late!) I was hooked forever!
Hey D,
Hmmmmm, good points about salaries versus trading players.
A Nissan Pulsar huh? My 1st was a Datsun (see Nissan) 260Z. Back then I hung out with motorheads so it had a small block Chevy with tuned exhaust. Yeah, we had fun at Bandimere on Test and Tune night. Oh! Oh! Oh! I have to say that Rubicon is way cool!
born & raised in Colorado my 2 teams (before the Rox) were the Cubs & the Yankees, my first Major League Baseball game I went to was a Cubs game in Wrigley Field. Our seats were below the WGN booth prob 3 or 2 rows back but it was still close enough because I could hear Harry Carrey sing "Take me out to the ballgame" for the 7th inning strech *sigh* I'll never forget that, I've never been to a Yankees game in the old Yankees Stadium but I did get to see a Yankees game — when they played against the Rockies in 2002 & again in 2007 I was at Thurs Day game when Roger Clemmens pitched that game.
I do faintly remember going to some Zephyrs games way back then in the 80's, I still have a Zephyrs hat to remind me.
BTW: I do have pix of the 1st Yanks vs Rox game & I did take pix for the 2nd Yanks vs Rox game in '07 I'm just waiting for my dad to give me the CD he put them all on, I used a new camera of his that required a different kinda software that's not compadable to other photo software programs that the photo stores have, plus he's been on the road alot as a truck driver.
JULIA-Your welcome.
R-LUV-I know what a Datsun is lol…A gearhead eh? That's cool. I've lived here a while and never been to Bandimire Speedway.
MISSY-Zephyrs..That's old school. Thanks for shariing your Harry Carrey story…D
Hey D,
I know you know what a Datsun is but figured Gen Xers might not. (Some days I just feel soooooo old)
You got a nice deal for Holliday. Street and two top prospects.
And there is no commitment necessary for the project on my blog. Just comment when you can. I have the first assignment up.
Hi Ranter! Thanks for mentioning me🙂
I'm enjoying reading your answers to everyone's questions. Interesting that you only got to play baseball in gym class (I guess hockey is definitely the main sport in Canada).
Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts
D, I don't think I go my entire teenage years without going to or playing in a baseball game! If I had to, hockey would be my second choice, though, so maybe Canada would be okay. I'm loving reading all of these Q&As. You should do another one of these posts soon!
I think that Carlos Gonzalez could be better than Holliday in a few years and you got a nice closer in Houston Street. I think that was a great deal on the Rockies part
GOPHILS-After some time I was ok with the Holliday trade. Both of these guys have great potential and I'll be watching them closely in Tucson. I'll let you all know what I'm seeing…D
SUE-Your welcome🙂
ALEX-You can ask a question anytime you like. To set the record straight, I'm sure most schools in Canada have organized baseball, just not my school during the years I was there…D


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Join Boni Silverman and Debby Peikes Cohen for the third in a stimulating series of adult education classes (August, 6, 13, 20, and 27) at 6:45 pm in the TBI Library. The discussion of themes related to teshuvah will be based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's novel, The Penitent. You can join this class on any of the dates listed and do not have to have read the book in advance.
For additional information, to register, or to purchase a book, call 610.275.8797, ext.144 or email [email protected] [3]


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City Central Studio
Size30 m²
Floor No.1
- Internet/WiFi
- Towels
- Kitchen
- Washer/dryer
Accommodation summary
|Zitna, 110 00 Prague, Czech Republic
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
|2 days ago
Located just one block from Wenceslas Square and the national Museum.
Being in the heart of the city centre, there are numerous bars, restaurants, shops , clubs and supermarkets in the vicinity.
The apartment consists of entrance hallway, with doors leading to:
Bathroom, with shower unit, sink unit and W.C. and washing machine.
Large studio room with kitchenette consisting of Fridge, double hotplate, microwave oven, toast machine, kettle, coffee maker, plenty of pots, pans, cutlery etc.
A king size bed, and large wardrobe with built in drawer space are located in the sleeping area of the studio, whilst a sofa bed (suitable for 1 person) , breakfasting table and chairs are in the living the area.
For your convenience, the apartment has free wifi, washing machine, iron and ironing board and drying rack for laundry.
House rules
Standard check in time is after 15:00hrs
Standard check out time is before 10:00hrs.
We will try our best to accommodate clients travel plans where ever possible.
Garbage/Trash to be taken out at end of stay.
Apartment to be left in a clean and tidy state at end of tenancy.
No parties! the apartment is in a building with other long term residents who wont appreciate the noise!
|Monthly rate for up to 2 guests
|Price for > 2 guests
|$ 69 HKD per guest/night extra
|Check-in after
|Check-in before
|Check-out before
|Cancellation Policy
Reviews for this host's other properties
Extremely friendly host.
Excellent apartment.
Everything you need for a good stay there.
To be repeated
Uiterst vriendelijke gastheer.
Prima appartement.
Alles wat wat je nodig hebt voor een goed verblijf is aanwezig.
Voor herhaling vatbaar
Andrew is very polite and friendly. The flat was good, clean and close to everything we needed. Great job, Thanks Andrew. I can surely recommend this flat. Bye.
Andrew was a wonderful host. He met us at the train station and took us to his beautiful apartment. He spent more than an hour with us. He explained to us every thing we needed to know. How to use the metro, where to go and gave us very useful information about the local area.
We have no hesitation in recommending this beautiful apartment with a very nice host.
We were welcomed and adopted as well. Good advice from Mr. Scott were very helpful. The apartment is really central. However, a car in this environment is very cumbersome. Can also be neglected because of the excellent connections with metro and tram. The apartment itself is to say that it is really well decorated and spacious. We will gladly return.
Elke and Günter Rottländer and friend (elderly couples).
Wir wurden freundlich empfangen und ebenso verabschiedet. Gute Ratschläge von Mr. Scott waren sehr hilfreich. Das Appartement liegt wirklich zentral. Allerdings ist ein Auto in diesem Umfeld sehr hinderlich. Kann aber wegen der ausgezeichneten Verbindungen mit U- und Straßenbahn vernachlässigt werden. Zur Wohnung selbst ist zu sagen, daß sie wirklich gut eingerichtet und geräumig ist. Wir werden gerne zurückkommen.
Elke und Günter Rottländer und Freund (ältere Ehepaare).
Apartment is great. Close to metro and shops. Andy gave us great information regarding what tours to take to make the most of our stay. Will definitely come back.
Very nice apartment and convenient to downtown.
Appartamento molto carino e comodo per il centro.
After Bavaria, Prague, the apartment is consistent with the description, clean, well equipped, very well located. Close to shops, metro, tram and city center (few metro stations), once that was parked there the more uses. The neighborhood is quiet. Andrew is charming and helpful. The apartment is on the 4th floor with elevator. Very nice family holiday. Philip Cathy-China-Lou Ann
Après la Bavière , Prague, l'appartement est conforme à la description, propre, bien équipé, très bien situé. Proche des commerces, métro, tram et du centre ville ( quelques stations de métro), une fois que l on a garé la voiture on ne l utilise plus. Le quartier est calme. Andrew est charmant et serviable. L'appartement est au 4 étage avec ascenseur. Séjour très agréable en famille.
Philippe-Cathy-Chine-Lou Ann
We had a very pleasant stay at the appartment: it was spacious, well equiped and everything looked really nice. The friendly tips of the host helped us to get started in Prague. I would definatly advice this appartment to other travellers! It is located outside of the center of Prague, but the subway is nearby, as are shops and convenient stores...
The apartment is great, clean and well located. The images correspond absolutely to the facts. Andrew has given us great recommendations and was very friendly. And most important: Prague is a great city!
Die Wohnung ist prima, sauber und gut gelegen. Die Bilder entsprechen absolut den Tatsachen. Andrew hat uns super Empfehlungen gegeben und war sehr freundlich. Und das wichtigste: Prag ist eine tolle Stadt!
Before the trip, Andrew answered all the questions I asked him. The day of our arrival and our departure, he organized the transfer from the airport to his apartment. We could contact in case of problems, but this was not necessary. He even gave us some good addresses for restaurants "good value for money." As for the apartment located close to a subway station and not far from many within easy walking distance tourist places, it is very well designed for 4 people, very clean, very well equipped, just a little noisy due to fairly heavy traffic.
Avant le séjour, Andrew a répondu à toutes les questions que je lui posais. Le jour de notre arrivée et de notre départ, il a organisé le transfert entre l'aéroport et son appartement. Nous pouvions le joindre en cas de problème, mais cela n'a pas été nécessaire. Il nous a même donné de bonnes adresses pour des restaurants "bon rapport qualité-prix".
Quant à l'appartement situé à deux pas d'une station de métro et peu éloigné de nombreux lieux touristiques facilement accessibles à pied, il est très bien agencé pour 4 personnes, très propre, très bien équipé, juste un peu bruyant à cause du trafic assez intense.
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Dessert Recipes Under 200 Calories
Get Baking: Treats With Only 200 Calories Per Serving
Photo 1 of 15
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Get Baking: Treats With Only 200 Calories Per Serving
If the chilly Winter wind is still blowing where you live, baking is one cozy way to warm up. But you don't need to make high-calorie treats! We've rounded up some delicious homemade baked goods, and every one of these recipes creates a treat with a serving under 200 calories so you won't feel guilty about indulging in a little something sweet.


text: Woke up to Money in my BANK account,Feeling Great and Wonderful....When we have a Goal and Dreamwe must execute it immediatelybecause the universe loves actiontakers!!!!!!Im visualizing being in this Lambo right now are you? I am Free and Happy to do what I wantto!!!! Free Yourself Join the movement >>>http://amillionairemom.com


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Winter eagles arrive--after a slight delay
January 26, 2012 —
One thing that can be counted on in the region is the arrival of hundreds of wintering bald eagles to the Delaware River and other waterways. Typically starting in late December or early January, eagles arrive from Canada as they seek open water to forage for their favorite food: fish.
With the milder than normal winter so far, the eagles have been slow to migrate to the upper Delaware. Many of the northern rivers where eagles forage were still open as of the New Year, so that eliminated the need for them to migrate all the way to the wintering ground of our region for a few weeks.
Indeed, when the aerial portion of the NY Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Count was performed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) a couple weeks ago, the preliminary total count of eagles for all routes flown was just 96 eagles. In 2010, 96 happened to be the number of air counted eagles just for the main stem of the Delaware River; 2010 was a banner year, with 277 eagles tallied for New York during the aerial portion of the count.
A week or so later, temperatures dipped down into the single digits, and it stayed cold enough to cause sheet and frazil ice to form on slower portions of the river. The cold weather also got the eagles to move and finish their trip to the wintering grounds. On the 20th of January, I counted over 20 eagles during lunch hour near the Forestburgh NYSDEC eagle blind at the Mongaup Falls Reservoir. There were always eagles on the ice, with over a dozen at times on the frozen portions of the reservoir.
The river eagles seem to be picking up in numbers too, though not in the numbers experienced in the Mongaup region. A high concentration of "full time" resident eagles is present on the main stem of the Delaware River along with migrant eagles.
Open water areas such as the Lackawaxen confluence are a good bet for eagle spotting. For more information and eagle spotting reports, visit www.eagleinstitute.org .


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In my last column I had written that I was expecting a "new toy." This was an inflatable raft that I hoped to use while wading in a stream having a depth of two or three feet. Once the raft arrived, I eagerly opened the carton and spread the raft on the floor. It weighs 19 pounds, about eight or 10 pounds more than a float tube. The material is not flimsy vinyl. This raft is made to withstand both abrasion and bumping into river boulders. For 15 years, I have owned the full-sized raft that this company produces, and it is as good as new. My wading "junior"-sized model is four feet wide and five feet long. The oblong shape of the raft is open on the interior. A small seat takes up about one third of that opening. The other two thirds will allow me to wade upstream or down while totally surrounded by the raft.
A day or two after it arrived, I took it out for a trial on the East Branch of the Delaware River. I left my rod in the car, but did bring along my wading staff, just in case of any problems. If it worked as I hoped, my waist waders would be able to keep me dry even while sitting in the seat. Once on the water, getting into the raft was no problem. When I sat in the seat, I was as comfortable as if I were sitting in my favorite chair back at the cabin.
Now I needed to see if I would be able to wade while standing inside the raft. I stood up and took a few tentative steps upstream. Off I went, the raft protecting me on all sides. Then, oops, I tripped over a rock. I stumbled forward and would have fallen had I not been able to brace myself on the front of the raft. If I suffered any difficulty keeping my balance, the raft quickly came to my assistance. Since wading proved to be so easy, I decided to become lazy and sit down. I lifted my feet and began to drift along downstream. How relaxing. How delightful. Why had it taken so long to think of this solution to my wading problems? If I wished to stop drifting, I simply put my feet down. I could continue sitting or I could stand up.
As the light began to fade, I sat quietly some six feet off the bank, watching the East Branch flow by. About 10 minutes past eight, I had reason to wish I had brought my rod along. Here and there on the smooth surface of the flow those magical, ephemeral rings began to appear. Even without the rod, I enjoyed sitting silently in the East Branch watching trout of various sizes gathering their evening meal. Usually, these fish slide warily away from me when I try to approach them while wading upright. Now, these fish ignored me, feeding within 20 feet from where I was seated in the little blue raft. One night soon I would be back, this time with my fly rod. Shucks, even I can make an accurate 20-foot cast.
There is, however, one problem when it comes to using this raft. It will be difficult to use unless I am able to park my car near the water where I indent to fish. Darn, nothing in life is perfect.


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Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.
Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.
Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.
|Ireland: Songs
'Perhaps these discs will at last bring the best of his songs back into live recital' (BBC Music Magazine)
'Three excellent young British singers share the treasures recorded here under the sage aegis of Graham Johnson. Lisa Milne's bright, keen soprano is ...» More
|The Sea
'A delight from beginning to end' (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)
'Guaranteed to move, charm, and generally fascinate' (The Guardian)» More
|A Treasury of English Song


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Silvertone Jet Flower Necklace
Style: 570079231
Out of Stock
The sparkle is contagious on a black floral necklace of flexible, linked settings. Cast in polished silvertone, they hold diamond-faceted pear-shaped cabochons and clear crystal brilliants. Shown with the Glass Pearl/Jet Fireball Earring.
- Adjustable length 18"-20".
- Lobster claw clasp.
- Acrylic cabochons and glass stones. Silvertone nickel-free metal.
Read more… Read less…


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By Tony Gutierrez, Freedom Newspapers
Ending his class at American Karate Studios, Markanthony Baca charges his students to display good sportsmanship and to stay out of trouble during the upcoming cage fight Saturday night.
Part of the proceeds from the fight will go to Clovis' American Red Cross. This will be the fifth fight Baca has hosted in Clovis.
"Every time I do a show, I always give back to the community, whether it be a youth-development program, American Red Cross," Baca said. "I do these for my fighters to raise funds for our training, but also for non-profit organizations in the community."
The fights are made up of three three-minute rounds and mix multiple martial arts, including boxing, kickboxing, grappling, karate, tae kwon do and jujitsu.
"People think it's a brutal, harsh, uncontrolled sport," Baca said. "In reality, it's a very controlled, highly structured, organized sport. This is the only avenue that I found I can reach out to troubled youth or young adults to help channel their energy in a positive manner."
Baca said many of his students and fighters used to be involved in gangs, but must stay out of trouble with the law to stay in the studio.
Willie "Shadow" Scott, a former gang member and one of the fighters, has been training six nights a week for eight months at either the studio or its branch in Muleshoe.
"This school taught me discipline, shows you how to respect people," Scott said. "Everybody brings something to the table."
During the fights, the cage fighters wear four-ounce gloves, mouthpieces and groin protectors.
Although Baca has students younger than 18, they cannot fight without parental consent. Several minors have fought previously before state laws prohibited them from fighting.
"When I first got in, I was only 16 for my first fight," said 17-year-old Dennis Meaes, Baca's top student.
Meaes has participated in two of the fights, but had to stop six months ago because of the new laws. Meaes also teaches at the studios in Clovis and Muleshoe.
Baca said 24 fighters from out of town will participate. Doors open at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Curry County Fairgrounds. Tickets can be purchased for $20 at the studio or $25 at the door.
"I've heard from many people many times that were skeptical about cage fighting, but when they come to our show (they) come tell me how impressed they were with the fighters and what the show was about," Baca said.


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just the week in - Soft Drinks & Bottled Water
Here's a round-up of this week's highlights in the global soft drinks & bottled water category. We are also running similar round-ups for beer and spirits & wine.
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Market research


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J-Lin is going to have to play a lot more games in order for me to see if he's worth that money.
I think some people either forget or blindly over look the simple fact of the Knicks having other great players on this team that is helping JLin look better than he actually is. If he (Lin) hasn't improved his handle, his defense, and his toughness/durablility...I'll pass on him and let Houston make fools of themselves again. I like JLin, but he is not a franchise player (yet), as of now...he's just a decent, smart, pass first PG with room for potential....potential that may be stunted due to his recent injury/surgury on his knee. If he's on a team with players that don't match the skill sets of the Knicks (Stat, Mello, Chandler, J.R) he and that franchise will have serious problems.


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Kirkland's proposed Section 8 housing ordinance prohibits discrimination; Landlord screening abilities retained/
The following message is from: Eric Shields, Director, Planning and Community Development Department
The City is considering an ordinance that would prohibit a landlord from refusing to rent to a tenant solely based upon the applicant's use of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. Recent community feedback suggests that there may be misunderstandings about the purpose of the ordinance. To allow time for additional education and community input, the draft ordinance has been moved from the February 19 to March 19 City Council meeting and the City will host a second community meeting on February 26, 7 to 8:30 p.m., City Hall, Peter Kirk Room.
The Section 8 Housing Voucher Program is funded by the federal government and administered by local housing authorities to assist low income families, the elderly and the disabled to afford housing in the private market. For Kirkland, the King County Housing Authority (KCHA) oversees the program. Section 8 participants pay a percentage of their household income for rent and utilities. Through a voucher system, KCHA pays the difference between the portion of the tenant's rent and the amount requested by the landlord.
The ordinance Kirkland is considering would require landlords to use the same criteria for Section 8 renters that they apply to any other prospective tenant. Landlords may use their standard screening process, such as rental and credit history checks and may retain existing rental practices for deposits and rental agreements. Landlords are not required to change how they operate their property. Any property that has rents higher than the rent limits established by KCHA would not be required to lowering rents to make units available to Section 8 participants. The program has administrative requirements such as an initial minimum lease period and property inspections. However, landlords who do not normally use the required lease period or who are unable to make any noted repairs, will not be required to participate in the program.
In November 2012, the City Council was presented with the draft ordinance and postponed action to allow for more outreach and education. The City erred in not providing adequate notice to some participants for a community meeting held on January 23, but more than 25 attendees, including Kirkland residents, landlords, property managers, and housing advocates, shared their thoughts on the proposed ordinance. The City committed to hosting another community meeting if needed.
Kirkland's proposed legislation supports the Council's goal of maintaining opportunities for households of all income levels and needs. If approved, Kirkland joins Bellevue, Redmond, Seattle and King County in adopting this legislation.
The City is committed to seeing that all voices are heard and considered in this decision. Community members and stakeholders are invited to attend the next community meeting, the City Council meeting or send comments to the City Council through Dawn Nelson, Planning & Community Development at firstname.lastname@example.com or 425-587-3230.


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How to control pests naturally
Natural Living: Pest Control
"I have been trying to get bees away from my house for the last seven years. I've had the house treated five times and called the bee exterminator three times with no luck. The bees come back to the very same area. I can't afford treatment every four months. I heard from a neighbor that the previous owners had the same problem. I think there must be a way to get rid of the bees. I need help. Can anyone help?"Get Rid of Roaches Safely
"I have tried everything to get rid of roaches, and I really need help. I am scared they will bite my kids or make them sick. I don't have much money so I was hoping you could give me some cheap ways to take care of it. I live in a very wooded area, and I am worried for my children. I would appreciate any tips you have."Natural Flea Control
Fleas. Just the mere mention of these annoying bugs has the ability to give pet owners nightmares. These hard bodied, wingless insects feed on blood but can survive for weeks without eating at all when living in carpet, soil, or grass. So how do we rid ourselves and our pets of these disease-carrying insects?Repelling Mosquitoes Naturally
With the advent of mosquito season, many people are feeling concern for more than just the annoying itchiness of a bite or two. Worries about West Nile Virus (and other mosquito-carried diseases) are leading many who would normally avoid excessive use of chemicals, to start spraying and slathering on insect repellents containing the chemical DEET. But are there valid, healthier options when it comes to repelling our fine buzzing and biting friends? You bet!Natural Roach Remedy
"Help! I'm desperate. I need a natural remedy for roaches. I'm being bombarded and have tried having the house sprayed several times. The critters will not leave. I've also tried spraying it myself. I need advice on something that will really get rid of roaches naturally."Nature's Best: Using Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Pests
Would you like to learn how to battle pests the natural way? Learn from my mistakes! This is what I tried and what did and did not work for me.Natural Flea Prevention
"I was wondering if there are any home remedies to get rid of fleas. I live in town and the house next door is about three feet from my house. They had extremely bad fleas and their yard is full of them. Anytime we go outside, if we are in that yard, we bring fleas into my home. I have two indoor cats and a toddler so I do not want to have to spray my house anymore than necessary."Humane Mouse Removal
"I've got mice in my garage. As I have to store car seats, kid toys, and other things I don't want doused with mouse wastes, I'm looking for a way to drive them out, short of getting a garage cat. Any "scarecrows" or other non-lethal ways of driving them off?"Natural Insect Repellents
"Does anyone have any ideas and information about natural or organic insect repellents, especially something that would be safe for children? Many commercial repellents contain DEET which may be cancer-causing."
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BARRE A Northfield man is being held without bail on charges he sexually assaulted two teenage boys, one of them for more than four years.
Alvin Windover, 47, pleaded not guilty to felony sexual assault without consent Thursday in Washington County criminal court in Barre. If convicted, he faces a maximum of life in prison and a $25,000 fine.
On Nov. 14, Windover pleaded not guilty to felony repeated aggravated sexual assault and also is facing a potential life sentence and a $50,000 fine on that charge.
According to the police affidavit for the most recent charge, Windover performed oral sex on a 14-year-old boy at Windovers home in Northfield two years ago. That charge stems from an initial investigation involving the boys friend that brought the Nov. 14 sexual assault charge.
According to the police affidavit for the initial charge, the original boys legal guardian allowed Windover to move into the boys home because Windover was homeless.
The guardian told police she suspected Windover was gay and had no problem with it, but did ask the boy, who was 16, several times if there was any inappropriate contact between him and Windover. The guardian told police the boy always said there was not.
On Nov. 3, according to the affidavit, the guardian told police she and the boy borrowed Windovers phone with his permission to check something online, and that when they turned the phone on they found gay pornography. The guardian told police she again asked the boy if Windover had ever touched him, and again the boy denied it, but she pressed and he eventually said there had been.
According to police, the incidents between the boy and Windover started before he even moved into the home. The boy told police Windover performed oral sex on him in the bathroom of the Northfield Community Pool. The boy was 12 at the time of the incident, police said.
After Windover moved in, the boy told police he and Windover would perform oral sex on each other at least once a week over the four-year period. The boy told police Windover would make him perform oral sex and that he had told Windover no several times but Windover just keeps bugging me until I say yes.
The boy also told police that he had sodomized Windover once and Windover sodomized him once.
Police said that when they questioned Windover, he initially denied having sex with the boy, but that after being told the boy had disclosed the incidents, Windover admitted the acts.
Windover told police he had sex with the boy anywhere from once a week to several times a week and that the two probably had sex with each other more than 200 times, according to the affidavit. He also admitted to the two incidents of sodomy, according to the affidavit.
Windover also told police the incident in the most recent charge was true, according to records.
Windover has four convictions of writing bad checks in 1990 and one conviction of writing a bad check in 1991, all out of New York.
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