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Showing 97-137 of 137 items found in Outdoors & Play
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Bring a group of friends to play a round of paintball at Fox River Games. Open play or "walk-on" play is recreational play for all ages (age restrictions) and skill levels. Play as an individual or play in groups. Typically we are open every weekend Saturday and Sunday and during the summer we operate on Wednesdays and Fridays too. Please check our website for our operating schedule and specific hours of operation.
Aurora's interactive science and technology center offers over 200 hands-on exhibits demonstrating the principles of electricity, weather, astronomy and nuclear energy.
Coral Woods - McHenry County Conservation District
This sugar maple forest provides the sweet sap necessary for annual maple sugar programs, and is also known for its magnificent display of spring wildflowers. Activities include hiking, x-country skiing, picnic shelters and scenic views.
The Homestead Sculpture Garden and Labyrinth
Art lovers will admire the beautiful brick labyrinth and distinctive contemporary sculpture garden here.
Dawn until dusk, a 36 m. trail is the forefront of outdoor recreation passing through Elgin, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia and Aurora. It winds along the banks of the Fox River through miles of prairie grass, overshadowing trees and blooming flowers.
Boone County Conservation District
The Boone County Conservation District manages over 3,00 acres of prairies, woodlands and wetlands in scenic Boone County, Illinois. Minimum impact recreational opportunities, special events and educational programs are offered to the public throughout the year.
A fun and exciting play land offering 10 inflatable play structures, four party rooms and two age-appropriate play areas.
Go-karts, mini golf, bumper boats, a driving range and a game room are the draw at this entertainment center.
CITY:Sugar Grove
Lincoln Highway Seedling Mile and Interpretive Gazebo
Malta is home to the "first seedling mile" on the Lincoln Highway. As one of the 16 Interpretive Gazebos located along the Lincoln Highway, the Malta gazebo offers a unique way for visitors to enjoy stories of the early Lincoln Highway and its Illinois communities.
Let Aurora Skate Center share the joy of roller skating in a family-friendly environment. They pride themselves with offering something for everyone, from the little ones to adults who have been skating for years. Home of the Aurora 88s, Aurora Skate Center takes pride in their professional-quality hardwood maple "floating" floor. On Mondays they host a live organ-music dance session with Frank Pellico, organist for the Chicago Blackhawks, playing the only triple-deck Hammond X-66 Pipe Organ (w/ 26-ranks of pipes) in the country. See Friday and Saturday night on the "Daily Calendar" for "Fresh Fridays" and "Old vs. New School Saturdays!" See their web site for more events and details.
Illinois Lincoln Highway Interpretive Gazebo - DeKalb
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition presents 16 Interpretive Gazebos along the Lincoln Highway, a 179-mile National Scenic Byway in Northern Illinois. The DeKalb gazebo offers a unique and interactive way for visitors to learn the significance of the highway in DeKalb while enjoying stories of the early Lincoln Highway and its other Illinois communities.
Located in Algonquin only 30 short miles west of downtown Chicago is where you will find the Fox River Trail. This medium level trail hugs the Fox River between Aurora and Algonquin. The trail travels along the routes of historic railroad lines and crosses six bridges along the way while it changes surfaces between concrete, asphalt and crushed stone on its way through charming towns such as Carpentersville, Elgin and West Dundee.
Illinois' largest family entertainment center. Year round: bowling, bumper cars, roller skating, arcade, lazer tag and Rock-n-Roll mini golf. Seasonal: western trails miniature golf, go-karts, batting cages, soccer cages, jumpshot, Water Wars and bumper boats.
A 32-acre park built in cooperation with Batavia Park District, the city of Batavia and the Batavia Riverwalk Committee. Park your bikes by the Depot Museum and stroll the boardwalks through the wildflower garden.
Canoe & Pedal Boat Rentals: Pottawatomie Park
Enjoy the scenery from the waters of the Fox River! Rentals Mid-May through Mid-August. All rentals launch from the River View Miniature Golf Complex within Pottawatomie Park. Deposit required. Children age 15 and younger must be accompanied by an adult (age 18+). All rentals are subject to safe river & weather conditions. Sorry, no boat rentals on July 4th.
CITY:St. Charles
Located on over 325 acres including a 28-acre fishing lake with a one-mile multiple use trail and a restored prairie grass development. The remains of the extinct elephant-like mastodon were found in this lake in the 1930s. Attractions include a life-size sculpture of a mastodon at the Mastodon Gallery, the gorgeous Sunken Garden, an 18-hole golf course and driving range, a zoo, war memorials, a winter recreation area and a 8,000-square-foot BMX & Skate Park.
This 1930s living history farm features a farmhouse, barns, livestock, farm discovery trails, fruit orchard, garden plots and a picnic pavilion.
CITY:St. Charles
Farm products available for purchase include plants, fresh fruits and vegetables, plus a wide variety of Amish jams and jellies. A pumpkin patch and corn maze are featured in the fall.
Summerfield Zoo is home to a large variety of exotic animals, ranging from reindeer and monkeys to camels and mountain lions. We are proud to offer an up close and personal animal experience. While at the zoo, enjoy our education and fun animal encounter presentations. Summerfield Zoo is open selected weekends May through November.
Bea Gurler was nine years old when her father George moved his family into the house in 1893. Her cousins, the children of her father's brother Henry, had been living since 1888 in the Ellwood Mansion. Everyone said it was magnificent. Bea's parents George and Zillah, evidently shared a taste in homes that favored the elegance of simplicity. It was the unimposing yet dignified structure on Pine Street–where the back door was always open. George and Henry Gurler were both prominent businessmen, and joint owners of a number of dairies. They quickly became world-famous and respected by many dairy farmers. Bea eventually made it a goal of hers to renovate The Gurler House to be the home that she once new and loved. The Gurler House hosts an annual Folk Music Festival every summer, where people are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the music. While you are at The Gurler House, make sure to take a walk through their beautiful garden.
St. Charles Paddlewheel River Boats
Cruise the scenic Fox River from Pottawatomie Park in St. Charles on the Fox River Queen or the St. Charles Belle paddlewheel riverboats. Daily afternoon sightseeing trips or private charter cruises May 1-October 15.
CITY:St. Charles
Galena Cellars Winery & Tasting Room
You're in good company. Experience the charm of Galena in suburban Geneva. The newest addition to the Galena Cellars Family, the Geneva Wine Tasting Room & Gift Shop hosts a beautiful oak bar in a light, airy setting. In the warmer months, enjoy live music with wine and cheese on the outdoor patio. Sit. Swirl. Sip & Savor. Relax on our beautiful Wine Patio after shopping Geneva's historic district.
Whether you're interested in science or just fishing in the ponds near the buffalo herd you're welcome at Fermilab. Take a self-guided tour of the laboratory, the Art Gallery and science and educational displays. View the grounds from the 15th floor observation area. Visitors may also visit the Lederman Science Center. Performing arts and lectures. Groups welcome by appointment. Public tours are offered every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and as part of the Ask-a-Scientist event on the first Sunday of each month.
Lincoln Highway Interpretive Mural - Batavia
Dotted along the 179-mile byway, you'll find an unprecedented series of interpretive murals. Each artistically embodies the cultural heritage of the community where it is located and the legacy of the historic highway. Needless to say, taking a road trip to all or a couple makes for a nostalgic adventure.
Paddock Hills Equestrian Center
Imagine a golden ball of Midwestern sun breaking on the horizon. As the night dew still clings to the vines and the grass in the pastures, a farm comes to life with the sights and sounds of morning. Hot coffee steeps in the pot. Hard-working farm-hands begin the daily chores. Horses whinny as the cool rush of morning air fills their lungs. The gently rolling hills are aglow with another new day. This is the beauty of horses and the magic of a vineyard. Paddock Hills Equestrian Center is located with Prairie Orchard Farm vineyard in the majestic countryside of Union, IL, and is minutes from the I-90 expressway, but miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city and suburbs. Whether, attending one of our many horse shows, riding lessons, clinics, or programs, we are sure that your time with us will be well spent.
A tranquil oasis where history melds with nature and design. This historic garden affords the opportunity to experience the uniqueness of Japanese gardening and enjoy a moment of harmony with nature.
Zero-depth sand beach, two islands, youth water slide, drop slide and diving tower with two-and four-meter platforms. Kid tested and family approved. This beach features a sand bottom swimming area covering 60,000 sq. ft. that includes: slides, an island diving area, playground, sand volleyball courts, a large sandy area for building castles, picnic area and concessions. Open May 23 through August 16. Hours 12 - 6 pm (Hours extended to 7 pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).
Shred down the slopes at Raging Buffalo Snowboard Park in Algonquin. Officially the world's first snowboard exclusive area, the park features five different runs with numerous table tops, rails and half pipes to keep you getting air all winter long.
The Belvidere Park District spans stretches of the Kishwaukee River and Mill Race. It's a great place for fishing, biking and playing tennis, and includes a playground, picnic shelters, pool, swinging bridge and the historic Baltic Mill.
Take a journey on the Illinois Lincoln Highway, a 179 mile National Scenic Byway. From the Indiana border, west toward the mighty MIssissippi, you will find an adventure filled with variety, rich in history and heritage. As you travel the Lincoln Highway route across northern Illinois, take time to discover each communities' unique culture and special offerings and find a past era woven together with the present.
Open area with both indoor buildings and outdoor displays. Special events are held here nearly every weekend, including the famous Kane County Flea Market.
CITY:St. Charles
Vaughn Athletic Center and Indoor Water Park
The Vaughan Athletic Center is dedicated to fitness excellence with quality equipment and programs designed to offer members the best value for their fitness dollar. The newest facility in the Fox Valley Park District is the Vaughan Athletic Center located on Indian Trail near Orchard Road on the far west side of Aurora. The Vaughan Athletic Center features 225,000 square feet of athletic, fitness, and aquatic fun. The Vaughan Athletic Center is home to an aquatic center with three indoor pools. The aquatic center offers lap swimming, diving boards, warm water therapy, swim lessons, and aquatic fitness classes. In addition, there is an indoor water park featuring two water slides, a lazy river, and spray and play areas. In the Vaughan Athletic Center's 10,000-square-foot, full-service fitness center, members can use a wide variety of equipment, attend the Fox Valley area's best group exercise classes, and receive personalized, one-on-one help from certified trainers. This year-round indoor water park has tube slides, zero-depth entry and interactive water play.
Kuipers Family Farm is a 230 acre entertainment farm. U-Pick Apple Orchard September thru October. Orchard Store is open thru Mid December offering apples, pasteurized apple cider, our famous cider donuts, home baked pies, cream & butter fudge & country gifts and goodies. Have we grown a challenge for you at The Amazing Maize Maze open weekends only thru October. U-Pick Pumpkin Farm Mid September thru October features Scarecrow Acres where customers can enjoy hay wagon and pony rides, the Haunted Forest, a petting corral and much more down-on-the-farm fun! U-Cut or precut Christmas Trees Nov. thru Mid Dec.
CITY:Maple Park
This deluxe water park features tube slides, the second largest lazy river in Illinois, zero-depth pools, sand activity areas and concessions.
View the spectacular display of 15,000 flowers of 15 varieties, plus a three-tiered fountain and the Four Seasons statues that complement this exquisite English garden.
Bring your family out to our 65 acre site for a day of fall fun! Open from mid-August through November, enjoy the horse drawn hay rides, kid's activity area with a barn, bale pile, tractor cab and more. Pick your own apples or stop in the store and visit the bakery for apple donuts, pies, caramel apples, fresh baked bread and fudge. Jonamac Orchard is your family's fall tradition.
Established in 1915, this free zoo is open daily, year round. Exhibits include bald eagles, wolves, mountain lions, foxes, otters, elk, goats, llamas, turkeys and peacocks.
With 473 luxurious guest rooms, two championship golf courses, a renowned spa, award-winning dining and entertainment, three pools and extensive meeting and conference facilities, Pheasant Run hotel in St Charles IL is the perfect setting. And, while you're getting that special spa treatment or enjoying a romantic dinner or play, your children can have a great time in our Kid's Klub. This special program offers supervised activities for children ages 3 to 11 years. Activities include playing games, watching movies, and making crafts to take home. Plus, every Saturday you can visit the craft corner where Mom and Dad can join in on the fun and make some seasonal themed crafts with their kids. Board games are also available for check-out through the Activity Desk.
CITY:St. Charles
Azoosment Park at Santa's Village
Azoosment Park at Santa's Village is an amusement park/petting zoo. Unlimited pony rides and amusement rides with one paid admission.
CITY:East Dundee
Magic Waters Waterpark is waves of fun! Rockford Park District operates this family-friendly waterpark with high standards for safety, cleanliness, and friendly customer service.
CITY:Cherry Valley
Nestled on 54 scenic acres, Blackberry Farm is a family-friendly destination that features unique play areas for all ages, live animals, amusement rides, and a living history museum that brings Aurora's history to life through demonstrations, exhibits and extensive artifact collections. Blackberry Farm is fun for all ages and is a great choice for your wedding, company picnic, birthday party or family reunion. All attractions are included with daily admission. Enjoy unlimited rides on the train, hay wagon, pedal tractors, paddle boats, carousel and ponies. Ice skating rink in winter when weather permits.


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- $25.00(Email Delivery) Regal Movie $25 eGift Card4.0 stars (20) ratings
- $25.00Fandango $25 (Email Delivery)4.5 stars (2) ratings
- $50.00Fandango $50 (Email Delivery)3.5 stars (5) ratings
Having trouble coming up with gift ideas? Walmart's specialty gift cards offer a wide range of options. Treat someone to dinner at their favorite restaurant or a night at the movies. Or choose a card that will let them get music, video games or apps. Walmart also carries gift cards from major credit card companies, which can be used wherever the credit card is accepted. These are safer than cash and give the recipient virtually limitless options, so there's no need to guess what they want.
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subset: commoncrawl


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[Please note, this topic will be posted throughout the forum for maximum exposure. All the topics will be locked, but one. One of these topics will be open for discussion and will be located in the first forum of TeaChat, TeaChat Announcements and User Guide]
It has always been "proper" for members to post about vendors they use and have no affiliation.
However, anyone who has been around the forum for a while will know that historically TeaChat membership has had an aversion to vendors spamming their beloved TeaChat. However this has not stopped vendors from spamming the forum.
Often spam was guised in the form of false testimonials and the like. Sometimes it was a brazen first post (or 20 first day posts) proclamation with total disregard of the forum's clearly stated rules. I often wondered how a vendor could be so idiotic to think that a forum that is NOT completely and utterly plagued by advertising (in fact is completely devoid of advertising***) could be virgin territory ripe for their ad campaign, like a forum that no other vendor has yet discovered.
The no spam rule was not my creation, I simply wrote the generally unanimous wishes of members, TeaChat would be a spam-free zone ... an oasis from the www of advertising we are all constantly bombarded with as soon as we leave TeaChat.
There is a place for advertising, but TeaChat was simply not the place. This rule was strictly enforced for a number of years with countless bannings and post deletions. The worst offenders would sometimes receive "special enduring treatment" that would be left as a warning to the offender and others as well, a metaphorical of skull and crossbones with "stay out" written beneath.
You know it is truly amazing just how many people are trying to make a buck out of tea, many honestly and others unscrupulously This is generally not bad per se, but many of the attempts have been an affront to our love of the TeaLeaf and accompanying Teaware not to mention our sensibilities.
***The obvious exception is Adagio, the owner of TeaChat. However even they must follow the forum rules outside of the banner and the Adagio category.


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You limited your search to:
Partner: UNT College of Visual Arts + Design
Year: 1909
Serial/Series Title: Ten Types of Love
A brief note about your search: All of the results matching your search query require you to be a member of the UNT Community (you must be on campus or login with university credentials for access).
Couple with Umbrella Behind Tree
Date: 1909
Creator: Kaburaki Kiyokata
Description: A large tree trunk figures prominently in the composition and a couple behind the tree are underneath an umbrella. The colors of the postcard are muted and along the left hand edge is some Japanese text.
Contributing Partner: UNT College of Visual Arts + Design


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Noon Rotary Club Adds Three New Members
Terri Kindberg, Lee Magneson and Dawn Samuelson recently joined as members of the Jamestown Noon Rotary Club.
Born in Jamestown, Mrs. Kindberg is the executive director of the Chautauqua County Children's Safety Village. A former nurse, Mrs. Kindberg worked at WCA Hospital and at Jamestown Pediatric Associates before assuming her current position. She coaches Upwards Basketball and attends Bemus Point Methodist Church with her husband Gary and four children. The Bemus Point resident attended Falconer High School and Jamestown Community College.
The Rev. Lee Magneson is the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Bemus Point, moving to the area in September 2011. Ordained in 1975 at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Magneson served two congregations in Ohio before accepting a call in Jacksonville, Fla. The new Rotarian grew up in the Southwest before moving to Port Huron, Michigan, where he married his high school sweetheart and raised two children. Later a widower, Magneson married his present wife, Chari Stanley-Leitch, in January 2011 and moved to the area to serve the Christ Lutheran Church.
Dawn Samuelson is the owner of Grandview Farm in Bemus Point where she works as a behavior specialist. She is a co-owner of "Beyond the Reins" equine assisted psychotherapy and is a national clinician specializing in problem horse training. The mother of two children, Mrs. Samuelson is a graduate of Colorado State University with a bachelor's degree in animal science. Mrs. Samuelson is a volunteer Bemus Point firefighter and sits on the board of directors of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Transplant Unit.
The Jamestown Noon Rotary Club meets at noon Mondays each week in the banquet room of the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown. For more information, call interested persons may call 661-1680.


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Skip to comments.Health Insurers Raise Some Rates by Double Digits
Posted on 01/06/2013 1:33:22 AM PST by Brad from Tennessee
Health insurance companies across the country are seeking and winning double-digit increases in premiums for some customers, even though one of the biggest objectives of the Obama administrations health care law was to stem the rapid rise in insurance costs for consumers.
Particularly vulnerable to the high rates are small businesses and people who do not have employer-provided insurance and must buy it on their own.
In California, Aetna is proposing rate increases of as much as 22 percent, Anthem Blue Cross 26 percent and Blue Shield of California 20 percent for some of those policy holders, according to the insurers filings with the state for 2013. These rate requests are all the more striking after a 39 percent rise sought by Anthem Blue Cross in 2010 helped give impetus to the law, known as the Affordable Care Act, which was passed the same year and will not be fully in effect until 2014. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Shocking...but expected. Since there's no pay raise in store to cover the rise....it all comes out of your pocket. So you have less money to spend on other things. It starts to train you to question each purchase (you probably don't buy magazines at the grocery anymore...you probably go an extra 4k miles on tires that ought to be replaced...you probably put off a new car purchase for an extra year). So it hurts the economy and we simply shake our heads.
All going as planned.
This is what Obama planned! He wants rates so high people won't/can't buy it so they'll have to use the insurance exchange in each state.
Since so many states refuse to set them up and won't have to because the Democrat law makers screwed up and didn't make it mandatory for the states, I expect that in 2014 he'll go for broke and go full NHS. If they get back the House in 2014, it's a done deal. That, and confiscation of guns.
HIP was trying for 41% in NY. WTF?
Simple solution is to get rid of medical insurance companies. Fat chance of that happening.
Obamacare — mugged by reality.
"Health insurance companies"
Are they? Or are they "investment" companies.
You and Obama think alike.
You'd do better by removing the lawyers from the situation.
Now would be a good time for Republicans to up tort reform in. Say it will save hundreds of billions of dollars. Have a big press conference, put out ads and force the Senate to say no.
Then defund Obamacare because it costs too much. Pillory the lawyers on the left. They went after business's we should go after the lawyers.
Tried to explain to people that this was going to happen.
They would say "Healthcare is a good thing". or I'm for healthcare. Simplistic fools.
When I pointed out that the day after that damn bill was approved, Healthcare insurer stocks went up an average of 4-5% and continue to rise, I asked them again.."Who do you think made out on this deal?" Simplistic fools.
I'm so flippin disgusted with people that fail to do even the most modest of reading or research into what the government is doing. Like talking to the wall.
I agree with your strategy however with doofuses like Brian Williams as the gate keeper in the lame streams media, it will get no airplay plain and simple. The 4th estate has become one of Oboingo's columns and they are complicit in all of his transformation efforts. How do we defund them, I have no other thoughts as to making them change to survive their failed model.
Actually, sakic is correct.
Willing buyer, willing seller is the only real solution at this point.
Insurance companies are able to be directed to cover anything government directs them to cover - and then let "the rich" pay - that is, anyone who can afford the new cost of their policies.
They are an anachronism and a mere extension of government at this point.
Under the willing buyer/seller scenario you'd be asked "it costs this much, do you want to buy it?"
Under the scenario you mock you'll be told "Wait in line and maybe you'll get it"
Wake up.
As more and more people can only buy what they need and not what they want, they will begin viewing the people that can buy what they want and not just what they need as the evil rich.
WINNING rate increases??? Sorry NYT, in a free market, a seller doesn't WIN a rate increase. He may CHARGE a rate increase, but in a free market, a buyer can simply find another supplier who doesn't charge as much.
.......Oh, wait!!! We now have Obamacare. I guess free market rules may no longer apply. The NYT may be right after all. One does WIN a rate increase when a government panel allows the WIN.
Wow - it's like you're watching my purchases over my shoulder. There are others, but you've pretty well captured it.
Meanwhile, the 47% will be entirely unaffected by any rate increases because they will never see the bill.
This was inevitable. Republicans should be working very hard right now to have ready a workable plan to replace this mess, as will become necessary when costs continue to explode.
The left just wanted to 'win' this issue, irrespective of what the details were. It's always a 'stick it to you' contest with them, and there is always a villain they're targeting. They knew that the only way to get a bill through was to make back room deals first, and there are plenty of these in this monstrosity of a bill.
People don't even know what insurance is anymore. They think they are buying a maintenance plan where everything little thing is supposed to be payed by somebody else. Somebody else = evil corporations. A large majority of Americans are TV addicted, celebrity worshipping fools and a collapse and Civil War is well deserved.
Obama does not want to get rid of health insurance. He wants a different form of it. Before health insurance our healthcare system was far better.
Another excellent idea.
In all fairness the cost of premiums is so high now that people do feel like they should get something for the ridiculous rates charged.
Now I agree insurance should only be for unforeseen events but the criminal govt has already destroyed the health system.
My small business got hit with a 42% increase. My solution? Reduced my staff by one. That more than covered the increase in premiums. I'm happy it turned out that the staff person most expendable happened to be the lone Obama voter.
———In California-——
California does not count and should not even be mentioned. California is one of a few foreign nations that happen to be included in the United States.
And by law you have to get it, so if you're in line and can't afford it we'll "tax" you until we take everything you have left.
True, most people will try to get what they can afford.
I really don't understand how insurance companies would think this is wise. Maybe my own thinking is too simplistic and am speaking out of ignorance (forgive in advance then) =
If I can't afford your insurance anymore- I'd have to go with a cheaper option which I suppose could be Obamacare right?
How will insurance companies win if they lose a bunch of customers to Obamacare? I'm confused. Common sense says they'd compete with better prices and service for your business.
Another thing that is happening is that many companies and their employees do not make enough to pay higher rates for their current health plans because of all the Obama Deathcare mandates that insurers are required to cover, so, the employers change plans to far higher deductables and copay rates.
Our doctor copays used to be 35 dollars, now we pay 100 dollars and they pay 35 dollars.
Sad part is that we pay more for the insurance now out of the paycheck.
What a friggin' nightmare. I didn't get to keep my plan or my doctor. She quit.
"Particularly vulnerable to the high rates are small businesses and people who do not have employer-provided insurance and must buy it on their own. "
Hey that's excellent. Obama needs this constituency destroyed anyway. He needs as many people as possible dependent on government.
Insurance is there with the idea that it is not supposed to be used unless absolutely necessary. People pay a little each month for certain services, that when used, cost far more then what you payed in, but the amount payed in by millions of others covers the cost. You were still expected to pay for something.
But now a nation full of people that lived unhealthy lives, and saved nothing, are sucking the pot dry and think insurance is a "take care of me 24/7 for the little I actually paid in" subscription service.
Yes, too, too true. Insurance is for catastrophic incidents that are infrequent occurrences. Not for everyone's condoms and aspirin.
The people are the govt., or at least were at one point.... So when it collapses - given it is a consequence of decades of voter stupidity (not just the past 4 years) - know that all the grannies crying over their lost Social Security checks are the ones who also caused it. For all the bitching about the Democrats I see on this board people need to find a mirror so they can point the finger of blame properly. It is the consequence of decades of affluence, Affirmative Action dumbing down, and TV fostered ignorance.
re: "How will insurance companies win if they lose a bunch of customers to Obamacare? Im confused. Common sense says theyd compete with better prices and service for your business."
I make no claim to be an insurance expert, but I believe the answer to your question is that private health insurance companies, in order to not only remain solvent and profitable, must charge their customers the REAL cost of what has been mandated to them by the government.
Obamacare, on the other hand, simply tells the doctors/hospitals/pharmaceuticals, etc. WHAT the government is willing to pay and WHAT they MUST accept as payment.
In other words, the government can undercut what private companies charge every time because the government is not interested in competition - just control. The more people who leave the private insurance companies, the more who will come under Obamacare - the more the control. See how this works? It is diabolical - or in laymen's terms: EVIL.
Surprise, surprise! You actually have to pay for things that are mandatory increases in benefits.
Insurance companies simply adjust rates to pay for the increased benefits. They aren't evil, just adjusting their income to cover their expenses.
Insurance companies will insure a burning barn worth $100,000 if they can charge a premium of $100,000 + admin costs of 10-35%.
With govt-enforced mandates on service and the move toward govt-enforced controls on premium costs, how can there be competition? There can only be competition in free markets.
The health insurance industry has not been a truly free market for a long time (govt enforced coverage mandates within states and no ability to cross state lines to purchase coverage from a company whose premiums are lower because their state has fewer mandates, for example).
As others have stated, obamacare is structured to eliminate the private insurance industry. Articles like the nyt are intended to feed public outrage about greedy insurance companies raising their rates so that there will be political pressure to institute price controls on premiums.
We are on the fast track to a National HELLth Service
For me in 2013, Medicare is up 6.01%, Medicare supplement is up a whopping 16.09% and Medicare D is up an even more whopping 22.52%.
I'd be interested in the experiences of other FReepers if you'd care to share.
Some people are too stupid to understand the more the government at their insistance demands an insurance company provide in services, the higher their premiums have to be to cover these services. There is no free lunch but of course in our idolcentric, TV mesmorized populace, that is never considered. So, we now have a law which guarantees a right one does not have, medical care, while at the same time the group of revolution bound targets debates how to limit or ban a constitutional given right to firearms. The whole system has been turned on its head and must be righted before the nation totally collapses.
Obama care is a "Cadillac" policy. It requires, for instance, contraceptives, abortafacients, mental health counseling, zero deductibles, etc. One of the most cost effective insurance policies, of any kind, is a high deductible policy. This puts you in control of day-to-day expenses, where you can make cost effectiveness decisions, and yet covers you for major medical expenses. It also keeps the mountains of paperwork away. It is also illegal under Obamacare. In short, it is illegal for an insurance company to "compete with better prices and service for your business".
My company here in California uses Aetna. The company gives us the bottom tier of coverage (because they're cheap). Rates have risen 20% for the last 2-3 years. When you take a certain number of 'potential' customers from the equation the actuaries provide statistics show your limited growth. Therefore, they raise rates on existing customers (most providers in the state are doing this so a new provider will not reduce your rates) to raise revenue. The company says our rate increased so your rates increase. My pay hasn't increased in years but my taxes and medical have.
There are 139 takers (government employee, pensioner or welfare recipient) California to every 100 tax payers (see Forbes 11/25/12).
That was my plan...get rid of the insurance companies and issue government backed loans to people who actually get sick...the insurance companies could be brokers for the loans. It would be the cheapest way to provide health care for everyone and wouldn't take 3000 agencies to run and the details can fit on one piece of paper...
Can someone please tell me what is wrong with this plan? Why can't Congress think of this?
Thanks Brad from Tennessee.
The NYSlimes inserted a lie right into the very first sentence.
Outside of obama's minions, did anyone really believe that? We saw the same effect when everyone was forced to buy auto insurance.
".... the lone Obama voter."
Wow, great!
Awesome! Reduced the staff and fixed a couple of problems.
thank you for your responses!
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text: Shoes/Cleats Tech Do You Have Trouble Shopping for Shoes Online (Video) Thomas Alford / March 19, 2013 Want to purchase shoes online, but don't know if it'll fit right? Get hip to this new company called Shoefitr. Shoefitr is an online tool that allows you do make the right choice when spending online. Continue Reading Share


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And I say, "Thank you!". Wow, my prayers-in-jest were answered.
(I'll be keeping an eye on that chawan ).
Seeker wrote:Okay, had to post this, regarding the naming.
The red shino by Cory, definitely not treebeard.
THIS, is Treebeard:
chawan by Robert Fornell, aka Ronin Ceramurai on TC, ash matt glazed mino style.


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Tweets by @docomomo_us
MODERN AND INTERNATIONAL: brutalist connections 1955-75
Curitiba, Oct/15-18/2013
By Barbara Campagna
By Kim Barker on behalf of the Docomomo US/MidTexMod Chapter
Join us for the 7th annual Docomomo US Tour Day on Saturday, October 5, 2013. Save the date for this annual event gathering chapters, members, students, architects, historians and the general public to celebrate the modern movement in the US. Click here for more information.
Each year, Docomomo US and our chapters takes some time to look back at our achievements of the previous twelve months and highlight the events and people who continue to work tirelessly to raise the awareness of modern architecture in the United States. Included in the report are summaries from the chapters, contact information as well as the Year in Architecture, a visual archive of the sites we won, the sites we lost and those still threatened.
By Katherine Malishewsky
Image: Modern League organizers (l-r) Eliana Gallego, Julie Rosen, Adam Rubin and Brittany Reilly in the Sackler Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the second annual Scavenger Hunt
Text and photos by Natalia Melikova
NEW! Text now available in Russian.
Designed by the Russian avant-garde architect Konstantin Melnikov and completed in 1929, the well-known and highly praised Melnikov House currently finds itself in imminent danger. Natalia Melikova, a recent MFA graduate student of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, writes from Moscow about the threats to the house in her ongoing project on Russian avant-garde architecture.
Written by the Georgia Tech and UPenn studios - See end for details
Through a series of fortunate circumstances a unique collaboration has developed between the University of Pennsylvania's Historic Preservation Graduate Program and Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Architecture around the future of the Philadelphia Police Headquarters affectionately and not so affectionately known as the "Roundhouse". Designed in 1962 by Geddes, Brecher, Qualls and Cunningham with structural engineer August Komendant, a cross-discipline collaboration has united the UPenn historic preservation graduate studio with a 3rd and 4th year architecture design studio in an effort to contribute to the conversation in Philadelphia about the future of this important building.
Photo: UPenn and Georgia Tech students site visit, Credit: Suzanna Barucco
By: The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of Docomomo US
Images: Dr. Emily T. Cooperman
In the spring of 2012, the Greater Philadelphia Chapter was invited to participate as a consulting party in the federal review (Section 106) process of a proposed lobby addition on the Casa Farnese in Philadelphia. Originally known as Casa Enrico Fermi (renamed in 2004 in memory of its developer, Philadelphia attorney Andrew N. Farnese), was designed and built in 1964-1966 by the architectural firm of Stonorov and Haws. The building is 19-story, reinforced-concrete, senior citizen housing apartment building set at the western edge of the Washington Square West neighborhood of downtown Philadelphia. Casa Fermi was the first senior housing development to be created in Philadelphia under the Section 202 housing program of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and thus corresponds to the enduring "group housing" practice of important Philadelphia modernist Oskar Stonorov (1905-1970) into the last phase of his career.
Join Docomomo US and OHNY on Saturday, February 9th Saturday, March 9th (rescheduled due to snow storm) for the 2nd Annual Modern Architecture & Design Scavenger Hunt. Spend the day exploring the city and taking photographs of the best examples of modern architecture and design in New York for a chance to win great prizes!
Hunt alone or as a team and learn about modernism in New York - the buildings and public spaces as well as the architects who designed them. The hunt begins with an opening event at Room & Board in SoHo at 11:00am and concludes back in SoHo with a special closing reception at the Trespa Design Centre New York, where hunters can enjoy a drink and commiserate about their experiences.
Edward Durell Stone: A Belated Appreciation by Hicks Stone
Edward Durell Stone was my father. Father and I had a tenuous and at times a difficult relationship. He would have found it both comically improbable and deeply touching if he had been aware that I had written his biography. Even though our relationship was distant, I had a closely-held but deeply-seated admiration for his achievements. The underlying impetus to write his biography extends back to my childhood in New York during the 1960s. Anyone who came of age during those years recalls them as a time when activists would champion the rights of people unjustly relegated to living life at the margins of society. It was this sensitivity to injustice and an activist's desire to right wrongs that set me on the course that led me to submit a proposal to Rizzoli for my father's biography in the spring of 2008. Simply stated, Father has been unfairly treated for over a half-century, and the time for him to be accorded the simple decency, recognition and respect that he deserves from the architectural community is long overdue.
Docomomo US is pleased to welcome Modern-STL as an official Friend Organization. Led by local architectural enthusiasts and historic preservationists, Modern-STL was formed in 2010 as a membership-based non-profit seeking to protect and foster a deeper appreciation for the St. Louis region's mid-century modern heritage. The organization fulfills this mission through events, tours, and lectures, and serves as St. Louis' leading advocate for the preservation of local modern architecture.
As we reflect on the impact and legacies of John Johansen and Oscar Niemeyer, we thought we share some of the published work for the Docomomo International Journal and the Docomomo US E-News related to both architects.
By: Katherine Malishewsky
As contemporary architects continue to deal with the delicacies of creatively intervening in existing buildings, designing alongside iconic modern buildings has specifically proven to be a challenge (as seen in the struggle of adapting Eero Saarinen's TWA terminal or in the controversial addition to Corbusier's "Ronchamp" chapel by Renzo Piano). The most recent announcement in October of The Bacardi headquarters in Miami, Florida, now under its new owners (the National YoungArts Foundation), has hired Frank Gehry to convert the corporate complex into an art campus.
Docomomo International Specialist Committee on Education and Theory (ISC E+T) is one of the four committees of Docomomo International. It concentrates on the fundamental relationship between education, theoretical approaches, and the preservation of the modern movement.


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Get a glimpse of the stars that sizzled -- and fizzled -- on the red carpet at...View gallery
Check out highlights from television's biggest night.View gallery
George Clooney, who won the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award last night, said "it meant a lot" to reunite with former "ER" co-star Julianna Margulies on stage during the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards when the actress...
Put Bill Belichick behind a microphone and he's C-SPAN — minus the information. Pete Carroll is more like a Lifetime movie. Or, as defensive lineman Michael Bennett puts it, "He has that Benjamin Button...
"Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara defended her participation in an on-stage gag that one critic deemed an "over-the-top objectification of a woman."
Sarah Silverman showed off her "liquid pot" pen on the Emmys red carpet, catching E! host Giuliana Rancic off guard.
Your favorite stars mixing and mingling off the red carpet.View gallery
While the Emmys took over Hollywood Monday, many folks simply carried on with their typical evening—a point illustrated by host Seth Meyers and Billy Eichner.
Billy Crystal offers a poignant farewell to the fallen comedy great in the place where his career started: television.
If you love the "True Detective" duo consisting of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, they just became a little bit more loveable.


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Lemon curd – coming soon! I think I'll make hubby harvest while I'm out of town~
My Lemon Curd Recipe:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 Tbs. grated lemon peel
2/3 cup lemon juice
3 large eggs
Bring first four ingredients to simmer in a large saucepan. Stir constantly. Whisk eggs in separate bowl. Gradually whisk in several spoons of the hot butter mixture. Add egg mixture to pan and stir over low heat until thick and mixture leaves a path on the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Cover with plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight. Or pour into jars and give away to those you love.


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Chapter 1 - Gary Visits His Grandmother
I just turned eighteen in early August and my parents Kent and Tori (both in their late thirties and mom had blonde hair with blue eyes while dad was a brunette with brown eyes) insisted that I spend the weekend at my Grandmother Nancy's farm. I protested but lost out since they stated I should visit her before I head off to college. I reluctantly agreed and to make it even worst, my mother insisted that she drive me to grandmother's farm located ninety miles away. She said she would be back on Saturday to pick me up.
So it was Thursday evening when mom dropped me off at grandmot


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|Oklahoma cities starting with H
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Hiking, biking, and sea kayaking in Washington's San Juan Islands
7/15-7/21, 7/22-7/28, 9/23-9/29, 9/30-10/6
Click on a date to reserve your space
|Trip Length
|7 days/6 nights
|Group Size
|Seattle, Washington
|From $3,195 to $3,495
|If you have questions about this journey or would like to receive a detailed trip brochure, call 800-445-2995 or click here.
Spend your first two days hiking and biking the lovely, rolling landscape of San Juan Island, keeping your eyes peeled for whales, porpoises, sea otters, and bald eagles. Your base is a centrally located, well-appointed inn with fantastic views in the quaint town of Friday Harbor. The second tack of the trip takes to the water, with two days of sea kayaking and camping on secluded, outlying islands. These days are ruled by abundant opportunities for shoreline discovery, up-close encounters with marine wildlife, and interesting off the beaten path experiences. Last stop is Orcas Island, for hiking and relaxing at your historic resort.
This is the perfect Pacific Northwest adventure-vacation, with a little bit of everything: lovely inns, comfortable camping, biking, kayaking, and great food. Youll have a ball! Barbara Mall, Travel Advisor
Terms & Conditions • Travel Protection • Privacy Policy
Off The Beaten Path
7 East Beall Street
Bozeman, Montana 59715
1-800-445-2995 • Fax 406-587-4147


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This course is designed for lab technologists practicing in ancellary and specialty departments. Coruse work includes an introduction to Hyperspace and managing lab orders. Additionally, staff will be trained on functionality to communicate and manage in basket messages. Upon completion of the End-User Proficiency Assessment during this course, participants will be eligible to receive their log in to the Franciscan Epic environment.
Registration Required.
© 2015 CHI Franciscan Health


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Last summer, Tim Warren and Eric Donnelly, of the Bridgeport band the Alternate Routes, wrote "Nothing More" for Newtown Kindness, an organization founded in memory of Sandy Hook Elementary School victim Charlotte Bacon.
"Heroes don't look like they used to," Warren sings at the end of the third verse in a high, clear tenor. "They look like you do."
If there's a way to avoid getting choked up when he sings that line, I haven't found it yet.
Apparently I'm not alone. "Nothing More" was featured on the CBS drama "NCIS." It...


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3. Follow Pet Cakes on Facebook, and let them know @The Great Letdown Sent you!
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3. grab my button.
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4. Let me know why you would love a Pet Cake of your own?
Please note that ALL entries must have a individual comment for each. I will be checking when the winner is randomly selected is the mandatory entries were followed, if they are not you will be disqualified. Good luck and have a great weekend! Giveaway ends in one week from today, May 14th 2011 at 12 midnight central time.
*Note that this product was given to TGL free of charge in the reply that we give a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are that of TGL and not associated in any way with Pet Cakes.


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As IF you wouldn't want these boots! Totally awesome white mesh boots featuring a lace-up front and chunky textured rubber sole. Fully lined. By JC Play by Jeffrey Campbell.
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Sizes listed are US, unless otherwise noted.
If you're not utterly obsessed with your recent purchase, it's now so easy to send it back! All US returns can be completed online using our fast, hassle-free system. Check out the links below for more details.
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In case of emergency, after hours.
Please contact VCA Valley Animal Medical and Emergency Hospital immediately. (760) 342-4711
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Indio, Ca. 92201.
As part of the VCA family, we have over 83 specialty hospitals across the US and Canada which provide referral specialty care, so there may be one near you. Enter ZIP to find VCA specialty care hospitals near you.


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Oh, poor baby, that must have hurt! Ours went through a phase of chewing on our garden hoses. Every time we turned the hose on, we had a new place to patch where he had turned it into a sprinkler hose.
One time our dogs were wrestling each other and one got his lower jaw wrapped around the other one's collar. The one who's collar was twisted couldn't breathe and luckily the other one was yelping rather loudly and I ran outside to un-twist them. It was a lucky day, though, because normally I wouldn't have been home at that time of day and just happened to have a change of schedule. If I hadn't been there, I think the one what was breathless would have suffocated eventually (and painfully).


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Define a package task library to aid in the definition of redistributable package files.
Commenting is here to help enhance the documentation. For example, code samples, or clarification of the documentation.
If you have questions about Ruby or the documentation, please post to one of the Ruby mailing lists. You will get better, faster, help that way.
If you wish to post a correction of the docs, please do so, but also file bug report so that it can be corrected for the next release. Thank you.
If you want to help improve the Ruby documentation, please visit Documenting-ruby.org.


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The Minnesota legislature has been working with issues that relate to smart grid since 1983 when they first enacted net-metering and then revised the law in 2001 including interconnection and operating standards. [2, 3]
"In May 2007, Governor Pawlenty signed the Next Generation Energy Act of 2007, which changes how conservation is measured from the amount spent on conservation to the amount of electricity conserved (House File 436). The law considers load management to be a conservation measure." [1]
On issues loosely related to smart grid, Minnesota had already developed solar and wind access laws and easements, by 1978. In 1994 the Legislature also enacted the Radioactive Waste Management Facility Authorization Law (Minn. Stat. § 116C.779) which established the Renewable Development Fund (RDF). For solar and wind access the Minnesota Statute (§ 500.30) ensures that neighbors may voluntarily sign solar easements to ensure that proper access to resources is available to those who operate solar and wind energy systems. For the RDF Xcel Energy supports renewable-energy through payments into the RDF due to ongoing storage and operation of their nuclear power plant. [5, 4]
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission had approved Time of Use rates by 2005 for business customers and residential customers by 2010. It also addressed issues on demand side management at both a residential and business level prior to 2006. By 2008 the Commission had addressed distributed generation with several optional rates. [6, 7, 8]
"In August 2007, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission issued an Order in which it decided not to adopt PURPA Standard 14 ("Time-Based Metering and Communications") as enacted in EPACT 2005 but decided instead to adopt a modified version of it—which it will apply on a "utility-by utility basis."" [1]
Demand side management includes thermal storage systems, such as water heaters, that are controlled by the company and intermittent customer rates with variable load or backup distributed generators.
Distributed generators include backup generation, small power producers and qualifying net metering installations.
Time of Use or time of day rates break the cost for electricity, based on the utility, into seasonal periods with energy and demand priced on-peak, intermediate, or off-peak.
Alliant Energy
- Alliant Energy Rates
Minnesota Power
- Minnesota Power Rates
Northwestern Wisconsin Electric Company
Otter Tail Power Co.
- Otter Tail Power Co. Rates
Xcel Energy
- Xcel Energy Residential Rates
- Xcel Energy Business Rates
See the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) for information on consumer-owned Cooperatives: http://www.nreca.org/members/MemberDirectory/Pages/default.aspx
Minnesota offers PACE financing, wind and solar systems tax exemptions, grants for solar and renewable energy programs, and utility rebates for solar.
More information can be found in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=MN
State Energy Office:
- Minnesota Department of Commerce Office of Energy Security
State Authority Dealing with Energy Regulation:
- Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
- Docket Search: https://www.edockets.state.mn.us/EFiling/edockets/searchDocuments.do?method=showeDocketsSearch&searchType=new
Minnesota Statutes
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=MN
[1] Demand Response and Smart Metering Policy Actions Since the Energy Policy Act of 2005: A Summary for State Officials, Prepared by the U.S. Demand Response Coordinating Committee for The National Council on Electricity Policy, Fall 2008. URL: http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/NCEP_Demand_Response_1208.pdf
[2] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Minnesota Interconnection Standards, 01/27/2010. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=MN10R&re=1&ee=1
[3] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Minnesota – Net Metering, 09/23/2009. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=MN01R&re=1&ee=1
[4] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Minnesota Renewable Development Fund (RDF), 03/17/2010. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=MN09R&re=1&ee=1
[5] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Minnesota Solar and Wind Easements, 10/27/2009. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=MN02R&re=1&ee=1
[6] Alliant Energy, Utility Rates & Tariffs Minnesota: Interstate Power & Light Electric. URL: http://www.alliantenergy.com/UtilityServices/UtilityRatesFacts/014824
[7] Minnesota Power, Electric Rate Book, 5/2/2008. URL: http://www.mnpower.com/CustomerService/Rates
[8] OtterTail Power Company, Rates, rules and regulations. URL: http://www.otpco.com/ElectricRates/RatesReferenceTable.asp#MN


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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.
from notes by Stephen Hough © 2005
extrait des notes rédigées par Stephen Hough © 2005
Français: Hypérion
aus dem Begleittext von Stephen Hough © 2005
Deutsch: Anne Steeb/Bernd Müller
|The Stephen Hough Piano Collection
'In all, a cogent overview of and ideal introduction to Stephen Hough's artistry' (Classics Today (USA)
'As a retrospective of a fine pianist, this bargain issue has many virtues … If you have not already added these Hough performances ...» More


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18 Paper flowers in gorgeous cream, pink and orange tones to coordinate with the Mirabelle collection.
Delivery w/c 20th January 2014
Mirabelle is an enchanting collection of whimsical designs brought together in a papercraft collection. This premium collection of papers and embellishments are truly a delight to craft with.
The collection features premium papers, including the new A4 size pad, decoupage and embellishments. New embellishments in the collection include raffia ribbon metal keys & beautiful diamante cameo charms.
Red & cream paper flowers with stems, 2 colours in 3 sizes, perfect for
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Tis the Season by Dovecraft is stylishly
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Back to Basics Christmas Vintage paper pack is inspired by timeless Christmas designs. Stylish retro prints of holly, snowflakes and seasons greeting will give your Christmas crafts a stylish edge
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30 plain & printed paper blossoms with leaves; styled to coordinate
with the complete Forget Me Not craft collection.
Forget Me Not collection by Dovecraft is a gardeners delight. Delicate hand
drawn florals and gardening tools by talented artist Siobhan Harrison capture
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30 plain & printed large paper blossoms & leaves; styled to
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in love with the romance of Dovecrafts latest papercraft collection Sweet
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A mixed of 30
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of charming papers and embellishments for Christmas crafting.


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Col. William Colville
At the climax of one of the most ferocious days of fighting in the history of our nation, 262 Minnesotans stood between an enemy nearly eight times its size and arguably the defeat of the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg.
When "Gettysburg" and "charge" are mentioned in the same breath, "Pickett's Charge" is what usually comes to mind. But among other Gettysburg charges well-known to Civil War enthusiasts there's a charge that we in Chautauqua County should take a moment to remember: The battle-saving charge of the First Minnesota Volunteer Regiment, led by a man born and raised in Forestville, Colonel William Colville.
The Minnesotans' charge on July 2, 1863, was not only a testament to courage, discipline, the bond of fellow soldiers and belief in their cause, but, I believe, to the leadership and mettle of Col. Colville.
History is too full, in fact, of examples of soldiers in battle following orders despite long odds moving forward despite the grim and seemingly obvious outcomes in front of them.
And it goes way back. Twenty-first century movie-goers were reminded of the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, thanks to the 2007 movie 300, in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans held off a Persian army for two days before all were killed.
Also, many of us encountered Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade" at some point in our schooling. This famous poem captures the heroic desperation of a British light horse brigade charge during the Crimean War Battle of Balaclava.
And for WWI buffs like me, the senseless slaughter of the Australian 3rd Light Horse Brigade at the Nek, during the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915, where four regiments charged Ottoman-Turkish lines knowing full well that most would either be killed or wounded, is remembered to this day.
Undiminished by the passage of time, Colonel Colville's charge of the First Minnesota Regiment at Gettysburg 150 years ago surely deserves to be included on this or any list.
The Fenton Historical Society in Jamestown lists Col. Colville's father, William Colville, as one of Chautauqua County's pioneer settlers. Scottish by birth and a merchant by trade, Colville settled in Forestville in 1820.
Colville's son, William Colville III (later Col. Colville), was born in Forestville in 1830. Colville attended Fredonia Academy and later taught school in northern Chautauqua County. He also studied law, even serving as a clerk for former president Millard Fillmore in Buffalo. After that experience, he practiced law in Forestville for three years.
In 1854, 11 years before New York newspaper publisher Horace Greeley famously wrote "Go West Young Men," Colville did just that by moving to Minnesota. He settled in the community of Red Wing and launched a successful law practice.
Civil War and Gettysburg enthusiasts would come to know William Colville and the story of his First Minnesota well not only for their famous charge at Gettysburg, but for their tenacity at Antietam in 1862 and for their valor at the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861.
Certainly there was some serendipity at work on that faithful day of July 2, 1863. Awake at 3 a.m., the First Minnesota was positioned on Cemetery Ridge with a valley between them and the bulk of their southern foes encamped on Seminary Ridge, a mile or so to their west.
Charged with protecting a Union gun battery, the Minnesotans had every expectation of battle at first light. This precarious position (near Union commanding General George G. Meade's headquarters) was in cannon range of Confederate gunners, and instead of fighting, they ended up dodging incoming shells all day.
It wasn't until after 4 p.m. that hot July afternoon that the Minnesotans heard the sounds of battle, and later watched the desperate fighting to their left.
That fierce fighting, in a peach orchard, a wheat field and around rocks and boulders that the locals called "Devil's Den," would become as famous – and historically analyzed – as any battlefield sites in American history, as would the smaller of two round hills to the Minnesotans' left, Little Round Top. One-hundred-fifty years later, Little Round Top remains the most visited site on the Gettysburg battlefield.
As dark approached on that evening of July 2, no one had to tell Union Second Corp Commander, Maj. Gen. Winfred Hancock that his army was in trouble. Every Union solider on Cemetery Ridge who could peer through the combination of dusk and the smoke of battle could see and hear the enemy coming toward them.
Between the First Minnesota and the advancing waves of yelling, gray-coated Rebels were fellow blue-clad soldiers in full retreat. It was clear that General Robert E. Lee's right flank (under the command of Gen. James Longstreet that day) had broken the Union lines somewhere out in the fields before them.
To make matters worse for Gen. Hancock, the enemy was converging on a lightly-defended part of the ridge – the precise part of the ridge held by the First Minnesota.
Gen. Hancock knew that he had reserves to plug the hole in his line, but it would take time for those reserves to come up … time he did not have as he watched the enemy come closer by the second.
According to Colville after the war, Hancock looked at the 262 men of the First Minnesota and exclaimed, "My God, are these all the men we have here?" Clearly they were, and Hancock turned to Colville and asked "what regiment is this?" "First Minnesota," Colville replied. "Charge those lines," Hancock commanded.
Like the light brigades at Balaclava before them, and Gallipoli after them every Minnesotan immediately knew what the order meant: likely death or wounds to them all. And yet, without hesitation, the men stepped forward, understanding the situation confronting them and knowing that the battle, at that crucial moment, required their sacrifice.
No wonder the battlefield monument to the Minnesota volunteers is one of the best-known monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield. The inscription at the bottom of the monument concludes: "In self-sacrificing desperate valor their charge has no parallel in any war."
One postwar survivor recalled Colville stepping in front of the regiment and saying, "Will we go alongand we answered yes."
"I immediately gave the order 'Forward, double, quick,' Colville said after the war, "and under a galling fire from the enemy we advanced."
Quickly spreading out over 100 yards, and with bayonets fixed, the officers and men of the First Minnesota swept down the gentle slope toward a dry creek bed at the bottom of a swale (the now-famous Plum Run) and into the teeth of approximately 1600 advancing Alabamians, combat veterans who now had the Minnesotans squarely in their sights.
As musket balls and cannon fire poured into the charging Minnesotans, one-by-one they fell, wounded or killed – yet the First Minnesota did not stop until they reached the dry creek bed below. There, the surviving Minnesota bluecoats fired their first volley, which took down much of the first line of Rebel attackers.
By now, the superior numbers of gray-clad Alabamians had worked around the Minnesotans, and the men of the First Minnesota were taking heavy fire from both their front and their flank. More Minnesotans fell, including their commander, William Colville.
With battle smoke so thick that he would later say he could only make out individuals in front of and beside him, Col. Colville was right behind the regimental flag at the bottom of the slope when he was hit in the back between the shoulders. Almost immediately, he was struck again in the foot.
Hitting the ground, Colville fortuitously spied a small gully, which he forced himself to roll into. This action likely saved his life as the battle raged above him.
Severely wounded, Col. Colville was pulled from the gully later that night. He would survive the battle and the war, but he would not walk for months. His Gettysburg injuries would force him to use canes for the rest of his life.
The First Minnesota's gallant and bloody charge down Cemetery Ridge momentarily stunned the Rebels, stopped their advance and bought 15 minutes of precious time for help to arrive on both their right and left flanks. Without question, the First Minnesota had accomplished everything Gen. Hancock had ordered them to do.
The reinforced Union lines – as well as the darkness – forced the Alabamians to retire and, arguably, General Lee's best chance for victory on the second day of this country's most famous battle vanished.
But the First Minnesota paid an extraordinarily heavy price for their quarter-hour of combat. Of the 262 men who charged down that hill, 215 (including Colville) lay scattered upon what Lincoln months later would famously call "hallow" ground. Only 47 Minnesotans remained in the line.
When one considers the number of casualties versus the number of men engaged, the history of war in America up until that time reveals no comparative level of sacrifice. At 82 percent, it was the highest percentage of causalities suffered by any Union regiment in a single engagement in the entire war.
I do not know whether Colville ever returned to Forestville or not, the village where he spent his formative, first 24 years of life. However I do know that he died in Minnesota in 1905 at the age of 78.
A hero of immense proportions in Minnesota, as the symbol of the historic charge, the state of Minnesota unveiled a large statue of Col. Colville in the rotunda of their new state capitol in 1909 – a statue that remains to this day.
Over the years, thanks in large part to the dedicated local historical community, many of us have become familiar with the remarkable courage Fredonia resident Lt. Alonzo Cushing exhibited at the Battle of Gettysburg, before and during Confederate General George Pickett's famous charge on July 3, 1863.
Although more than 14 decades in the making, Cushing finally, and rightfully, received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2010, nearly 147 years after his death.
It's all-together fitting that school children in Chautauqua County now know of Lt. Cushing's heroic actions and ultimate sacrifice at Gettysburg. If anything, it's my hope that this article will spur further discussion of Col. William Colville, too – the Forestville native and Gettysburg legend who, 150 years ago, led one of the most famous charges in the history of our nation.
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Click the button below or email email@example.com to contribute your experiences with this product. Although not necessary, it's interesting to have a first name, city, state and country (no email addresses will be used). Any information submitted becomes the property of Tennis Warehouse.
Please include any relevant information such as skill level and style of play.
Comments: I wore the toe area into holes out within exactly 3 months but probably to be expected considering
these are speed shoes. Extremely comfortable shoes though and the low to the ground feel is nice. However, grass on the one
time I played on it and the dry sandy astro turf at my club proved difficult and I slipped a few times. The tread on the sole is quite
shallow. I would recommend these for Hard Court use.
From: Tom, 1/14
Comments: Very light shoe, no break in required. The only problems were that -- the outsole of the shoes began to
wear rather quickly and the line designs on the outside of this shoe fell off after about a week.
From: Lucas, 1/14
Comments: As others have stated before, I also found this shoe to be very uncomfortable. But after using the Super
Feet (orange) insoles, they are now the best tennis shoes that I have ever tried. I must say that I do not need any after market
insoles on my Feather IIs.
From: Curt, 11/13
Comments: Great shoes. It doesn't have quite the amazing support of the Barricades or other heavy duty shoes, but
it has enough to keep you stable when stopping or starting suddenly. I love the low to the ground feel and the traction is at a
good balance. My only complaint is that the collar of the shoe digs into my ankle a bit even after breaking it in. However, this is
almost impossible to notice when you're in the middle of a point.
From: Anon, 11/13
Comments: These shoes are very much like Vapors in terms of performance and durability. One thing about this
shoe is the tread is very shallow. I've had situations where just a bit of dirt or leaves on the court result in a more sliding than with
other shoes. If the durability were better, I'd think about staying with this shoe. It fits my feet very well and they do last a bit
longer than Vapors, but for the cost I have to move along.
From: Gary, 10/13
Comments: This is a very good shoe. It lasted me much longer than the Vapors, or for that matter, any other speed
shoe. The durability is not as great as a Barricade, but it is on par with the Asics Gel Resolutions. My outsoles are showing wear
after 2 months, but that is normal, and much better than I expected. However, the cushioning is no where near as good as
anything else on the market -- cheap $50 shoes are probably more cushioned. On top of that, the cushioning wears down after
about a month or so. The uppers are great -- very well ventilated, and lightweight. Overall, I'd give this shoe a 7/10. With the
next Feathers, I would like to see improved cushioning, as well as a better fit.
From: Jaquan, 9/13
Comments: I have been a Barricade user since the Barricade 2. This time I bought two pairs of this model because I
liked the colors. I like the way they feel -- very light and they fit my feet well. The only thing I was disappointed about was that
after barely two weeks of use they both tore on one of the shoe sides. I think the mesh is not quite suited for tennis, needs to
withstand rough movement! Overall I liked the shoes, but with the new Barricades 8 out, I definitely will be switching back.
From: Jesus, 8/13
Comments: Barricade user since the V. This is a great shoe. As the name suggests, very lightweight and no break-in
required. I like my shoes to fit snug so it does seem a bit too wide in the forefoot (I have medium-wide feet). The sole won't last
as long as the Barricades but I can't be bothered to break in shoes.
From: Pierre, 7/13
Comments: These are great shoes, very lightweight comfortable, supportive and stable -- nice colors too. Requires
a little break in for me as I found them a little stiff out of the box. I have wide feet so these fit me well, unlike the Courtballistec
4.3 which I felt didn't fit me well (plus it felt heavier). Comparing this adidas shoe to my other shoe which is the Nike Breathe
Cage, the Nike has better outsole durability and traction and a bit more responsive zoom air cushioning and slightly better
stability but the Adidas CC Feather II is just so light yet comfortable and stable as well.
From: John, 6/13
Comments: I like the weight and look of these shoes, but found them to be very narrow. I wear an 11 1/2 D/E and
bought a 12, and still found them narrow. Comfortable to walk in, but not to play in. Hurt my left ankle going for a volley to my
left, and still feeling it three weeks later. Going to go back to playing my roomier old KSwiss shoes, and use these for walking.
From: Doug, 6/13
Comments: I got these shoes and after 10 minutes of playing I was getting really bad foot aches. I have a pretty
wide feet so that might be the problem. I don't recommend these for wide feet, but for narrow feet, I think they would work fine.
From: Rafa, 6/13
Comments: After less than 3 weeks I already noticed that the sole was wearing out. I can see the yellow through the
black sole near the toe. And there is no warranty. The shoe feels great on the court, but I can't afford to buy new shoes every
From: Thomas, 5/13
Comments: I have really wide feet. Half-size up and these fit perfect. Faster and better support than my previous
New Balance. They really strike a balance between speed, light-weight and support. My other favorite shoe is the Nike Kobe 8,
which is even lighter but my quads feel much better after a long session with these adidas due to their padding and support. Fast
starts and I've never rolled an ankle in them. A+
From: Josh, 4/13
Comments: I have border line narrow medium width feet. The version I wear are narrower, more snug around the
toes and also felt more mobile because of their slimmer profile. Having said that, the newer version II whilst being wider in the toe
box still holds my feet securely. It is a better shoe overall. Softer without requiring a break in, lighter, better lacing system that
secures the foot tightly and is very stable. No ankle rolling. The lacing can dig into the foot if tightened hard. My other gripe is
that even if it is a light weight shoe I'd expect the soles to last longer. After 4 months of playing 5 hours a week on hard courts
the front of the shoes where I pivot are wearing through. All in all this a very good shoe. Other shoes that I have used are Asics
Gel Resolution 4 on clay which has a better fit, but is heavier and Babolat Propulse which had a snug fit but very heavy and
From: Samir, 4/13
Comments: These shoes require some break in time. I noticed the uppers around the ankle are hard and were
causing blisters. To prevent that, I tried to tighten the laces. Hopefully when the shoes break in, they will be more comfortable.
From: Derek, 3/13
Comments: This was a great shoe, but it only lasted for a few months (I play 40-50 hours a week). If it lasted
longer I would buy another pair. I definitely will be playing with lotto's next season.
From: Sam, 3/13
Comments: FYI - this shoe has a lower arch, so I added an insole from an old pair with a higher arch. I really like
these shoes!
From: David, 3/13
Comments: These are the worst tennis shoes I've worn. Just sent them back to Tennis Warehouse because they are
actually painful to wear. I never write reviews and am generally a fan of adidas, but they missed the mark on this one.
From: Matt, 2/13
Comments: I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to marketing ploys about sports technology and how much of a
difference it will make. I used a pair of cheap New Balance shoes for about a year that held up strong, and then switched to the
more expensive Babolat Propulse 3's with the hope that they would make some kind of change in my performance. The only
difference was that the soles wore out in about 3 months and they were even heavier and slower than the cheaper shoes. I decided
to take a risk and buy these Adidas CCs, and I really did notice a substantial increase in speed. I can't speak to durability just yet,
but they feel solid and explosive on sprints. My toes are a bit crooked and my arches are flat, so I was eager for a low shoe with a
wide front. These are the most comfortable athletic shoes I have worn and by far the lightest. I'll probably save them for real
matches instead of practice. Highly recommended.
From: Daniel, 2/13
Comments: They are really light but not durable at all. I got mine a week ago and they're
already wearing.
From: Jim, 2/13
Comments: Among the lightest tennis shoe available in the market currently. No break in required. It feels just like
a running shoe instead. Sprinting for down the line or drop shots are definitely easier with these. The Clima cool technology
makes it more breathable. Especially if your living in a hot climate. For the amount of weight they'd put in, traction, stability and
durability are still more than just satisfactory to me. These are definitely a huge upgrade from the first adizero feather. These will
be definitely a future classic. I hope adidas will continue with some other colorways for this specific model.
From: Haq, 2/13
Comments: This shoe was by far the most comfortable shoe I have worn while playing tennis. I have used the
Ace, the Asics Gel Resolution 3 and 4, and still believe these shoes to be far superior in weight, comfort and they don't seem that
they would wear down based on the rigor of play thus far and the lack of any signs of being worn down. I play about 2-4 hours a
and these have been great. Another shoe to add to the list of legendary shoes by Adidas!
From: Yat, 1/13
Comments: My favorite shoe! I have never had a speed shoe before and I sure hope that this one lasts a while.
From: Ryan, 1/13
Comments: Very nice shoes! Love the light weight and support!
From: Anon, 12/12


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It's typical of men (or so the experts say) to try and solve problems, to fix things, to make it right. My wife complains about that trait in me all the time. I try to offer suggestions on how else to channel her frustration, without success.
I did learn years ago, though, that there are some problems that I just can't fix. As a flight instructor, I had a few students who had issues that simply were not going to go away. We either learned to work around the issues, or they switched instructors. One had to quit entirely, but that's a different story.
At the airlines, a pilot quickly learns that there so many things beyond his control that to try to fix everything is futile. If there is anything worse than a failed attempt to fix something, it is a promise unkept. As examples, pilots learn early not to promise that certain bags will make the flight, or connections will be held. Logic doesn't play here, and often there is a big picture that we don't see. It might make sense that, since your passengers are connecting to the last flight to Des Moines, the flight is going to be held so that they make the flight. You may not realize that the crew operating that flight is running out of duty time. Or there is weather in Des Moines that they need to race. Or the airplane is scheduled for maintenance in Des Moines that needs every bit of the time allocated. There are a thousand things that can go wrong, and you simply cannot promise the moon.
Nowadays, I don't pass on information that hasn't been confirmed by others. Connecting flights are the easy one. Getting that information confirmed is black and white. But when bags are pulled off for weight-and-balance purposes, I don't pretend to know which ones will stay and which ones will go. I did that—once—and it was the one time that agents on the ground totally screwed up, the wrong bags got pulled, and the passengers went berserk. They had every right to, but now they were mad at the wrong person (me), which means that they channeled some of their complaints to the wrong department (the chief pilots and flight ops), which only slowed down the ultimate creation of a resolution to their satisfaction.
The lesson? Choose your words carefully, and don't promise what you can't deliver. It sounds simple, but think of the companies that have built their name on a simple premise. UPS, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Amazon, and others have a simple end-product that they offer, and when it does not materialize, they are blistered. People get angry or even irrational, even if the failure is beyond their control.
If you can really fix something, great. If you can't, don't say you can. If you say you'll try, then do so. It's true in many aspects of your life, but it's most assuredly true in aviation, where not only are the expectations high, but so are the costs of failure.—Chip Wright
Tags: airlines, FedEx, professional pilots, UPS


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Talking Turkey: HPBA Tips and Recipes for the Ultimate Thanksgiving Meal
Americans are rethinking tradition this Thanksgiving with more than 70 percent of consumers saying they would opt out of using the oven to instead grill (18 percent), smoke (25 percent) or fry (28 percent) their turkey, according to HPBA's Thanksgiving poll. Turkeys can be fried in less than an hour, smoked over low heat for several hours or even cooked on a grill - each option offers a mouthwatering meal packed with juicy flavor and crispy taste.
According to the National Turkey Federation (NTF), an estimated 46 million turkeys will be cooked this holiday. Based on HPBA consumer poll responses, that means up to 32.2 million turkeys could be getting the boot from the oven! Americans agree that grilling, smoking and frying are preferable to the oven for a number of reasons:
- Allows you to try something new (54 percent of respondents)
- Gives you a more tender or juicy turkey (54 percent of respondents)
- Frees up space in your oven for other cooking (53 percent of respondents)
- Easier clean up (52 percent of respondents)
To heat up Thanksgiving meals, HPBA and NTF have the tips and recipes for a winning holiday feast:
Tips for Outdoor Cooking and the Ultimate Turkey Experience
- Check to make sure the grill, smoker or fryer is in working order.
- Be sure to read the owner's manual for safety precautions.
- Stock up on enough charcoal, propane, oil or wood chips needed to cook the meal.
- Be sure to use the grill, smoker or fryer outside only - never indoors and make sure that it's set-up on a flat, stable surface, preferably on a protective grill pad, and away from any combustible materials.
- Purchase a whole turkey according to the weight recommendations in your grill's, smoker's or fryer's owner's manual.
- Thaw the turkey completely and pat it dry. Cook the bird un-stuffed.
- Brine the turkey for increased flavor and moisture.
- Outdoor cooking times depend on many factors: the size and shape of the turkey, the distance from the heat and the outside air temperature. Allow more time on cold or windy days and at high altitudes. Allow less time in very hot weather.
- Have a food thermometer handy to measure the internal temperature of the bird; the temperature should be 165° F to 170° F in the breast and 175° F to 180° F in the thigh.
Don't Forget The Trimmings!
Did you know?
More than one-third of Americans plan to cook some part of their Thanksgiving meal outdoors this year. - According to HPBA's Thanksgiving poll
Beyond the bird, seven in ten Americans admit that they would like to see grilled side dishes on their Thanksgiving platters, including grilled vegetables (51 percent) or grilled bread, fruits or desserts (18 percent). While the turkey is the centerpiece of the meal, Thanksgiving's savory side dishes and trimmings can all be cooked outdoors. Try America's Outdoor Cooking Experts Bill and Cheryl Jamison's recipes for crispy smashed potatoes, grilled apples slices or grilled vegetable orzo.
For more information about turkey cooking, nutritional information and recipes, visit NTF at www.eatturkey.com.