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The information on this page is taken from "'What are you doing?': Examining a colonial period Jewish cemetery in the Caribbean", a paper given by Michelle Terrell at the 31st Annual Meetings of the Society for Historical Archaeology held in Atlanta January 6-10, 1998.
If you were to visit the small island of Nevis located in the Eastern Caribbean and if you were to take a tour of the popular historic sites of the island you would most certainly visit the 17th- and 18th-century Jewish cemetery in the center of Charlestown, the capital and main port. Here you would gaze upon carved inscriptions in Hebrew, Ladino, and English that bear testimony to the experiences of an uprooted and persecuted religious group.
Glancing around the cemetery you would likely notice that the remaining nineteen grave markers are unevenly distributed within the lot. One lone stone is located in each corner of the property while the majority of the surviving stones are clustered together (Figure 1). On the surface it appears that the Jewish community of Nevis purchased a much larger plot of land than they needed.
Figure 1. Map of the surviving grave markers and the outer wall of the cemetery.
Considering, though, that the cemetery existed for at least 50 years and that the Jewish population in Charlestown numbered as many as 75 to 100 persons during that period, it seems likely that there were additional burials within the cemetery that are no longer marked.
After the Jewish population left the island during the second half of the eighteenth century, the cemetery fell into disuse. In the Nevis Blue Book of 1863 in a collection of remarks on squatting we find the following excerpt: "...in the peripheries of Charlestown there is an ancient Jewish Cemetery long since disused by persons of that persuasion on which from time to time for more than thirty years past, a number of houses have been erected by squatters." The cemetery continued in this neglected state into the twentieth century. When Rabbi Malcolm Stern visited the island in 1957 he found the cemetery overgrown and delineated by the remains of a single-strand wire fence. Stern and his wife recorded some of the epitaphs on the stones and through their publication in the journal of the American Jewish Archives brought the state of the cemetery to the attention of several philanthropists who set about refurbishing the burial ground, resulting in its rededication in 1971.
Considering the uneven distribution of burials, in conjunction with the presence of broken stones within the cemetery, the paucity of burials from the first quarter of the 18th century when the community was at its supposed peak, and the history of neglect it seemed highly likely that the 19 surviving markers did not reflect the total number of burials. Additional burials may no longer be marked, perhaps because they have become covered over, their markers were not as substantial, or they were removed. It was therefore the goal of the electrical resistivity survey carried out by archaeologists Michelle Terrell (Ph.D. Candidate, Boston University), Eva Hill (M.A., University of Minnesota) and Lynn Newton (M.A. Student, University of Minnesota) to try to identify additional burials.
The survey used a non-destructive technique known as electrical resistivity. This procedure employs the knowledge that soils and rocks conduct electrical currents differently based on their moisture content, clay content, and porosity, among other factors. Implementation involves applying a current to the ground via two electrodes, while measuring the potential difference through a second set of electrodes. Disturbed ground, such as ditches, allows for a greater buildup of water molecules thereby lowering electrical resistance whereas stone and rubble foundations have high levels of resistance. For this reason resistivity surveys have proven to be an effective method for locating unknown grave sites and foundations.
After having mapped the existing gravestones, trees, and any additional evident ground disturbances within the cemetery, we laid out a uniform 50 cm grid of north-south transects for the survey. This interval of electrical probe separation has proven effective in other surveys in locating historic-period burial shafts. And as the average width of the surviving grave markers is approximately 80 cm, a larger spacing could potentially miss burials. The grid was oriented to the surviving grave markers in order to facilitate the identification of anomalies as traditional Judaic burials tend to oriented east-west, and as orientation of anomalies is often visible at this scale of investigation. Using the Wenner configuration with the probes spaced evenly 1 meter apart, we took readings every 50 cm. We thereby got a reading of the resistance in ohms 1 meter below the surface every 50 cm. The resulting 3,179 readings were then converted to ohm-meters and displayed as raster images.
We anticipated that burial anomalies would be characterized by their size and east-west orientation. Often burials, due to moisture retention within the grave shaft, are typified by low resistivity values. If a mortuary chapel was present, and if it had stone or rubble foundations, it should also appear as an anomaly in the survey data, though most likely one of high resistivity values. Of course that is not quite how things turned out.
Here are the resistance data for the entire cemetery with an overlay of the existing stones and the outer wall of the cemetery in white. Reds and yellows represent high resistance, blues and purples low resistance, and green mid-range (Please note that black represents areas that were not tested and that north is to the right):
Figure 2. Raster image of the resistivity data projected using a normal curve.
Looking at this raster image (Figure 2) of the survey values projected using a normal curve you can immediately see some rather large and quite apparent anomalies: the right-angled linear anomaly of high resistance in the lower left and the clusters of low resistance to the right.
Figure 3. Image of the resistivity data with high (reds) and low (blues) anomalies outlined.
The rectilinear nature of the lows at the right (Figure 3) are typical of disturbed ground associated with former structures. The size of these anomalies - the largest being approximately 9 x 6 meters and the smaller ones 3 x 4 meters - and their arrangement may indicate that these are evidence for the "number of houses" erected by squatters as indicated in the previously mentioned 1863 document. A scatter of artifacts visible on the surface along the eastern wall of the cemetery just to the left of one of the low anomalies contained samples of pearlware, colonoware, blue and green shell-edge, and sponged whiteware confirming a nineteenth-century presence within the cemetery and the likelihood that at least one of the anomalies was domestic in nature and most likely a former squatter's house.
The right-angled anomaly of high resistance values in the lower left corner of the cemetery (Figure 3) is approximately four meters wide and is oriented at the same angle as the house features. This orientation indicates the possibility that the feature is a compact roadbed associated with the former houses. It's abrupt terminus, along with the incomplete anomaly in the lower right, demonstrate the artificial nature of the eastern boundary of the cemetery hinting at the likelihood that the modern cemetery configuration does not reflect the original layout of the cemetery plot and the possibility of additional burials beyond the cemetery walls built in 1971.
But are there possible grave anomalies? Close examination of the normal projection indicates some grave-sized anomalies of higher resistance with an east-west orientation appearing in the upper right and lower left. These values, though, are muted by the extremely high values of the roadbed feature.
Figure 4. Image of the resistivity data with the high anomaly masked and using an equalized projection in order to emphasize high values (red).
By removing, or masking, the values associated with the roadbed and producing a raster image with an equalized projection, thereby equally emphasizing the higher and lower values as much as the mid-range, we get an image in which the highs (shown in red) are brought to the fore (Figure 4). Several grave-shaped anomalies with an east-west orientation now become visible. It is of interest to note that the grave-sized anomalies present in the cemetery were indicated by high resistance as opposed to the expected low resistance of grave shafts. Examination of the extant gravestones within the cemetery indicates that the bases of the slabs are constructed of local stone or brick and it is possible that these anomalies represent buried footings, gravestones, or fill. In order to clarify this image and highlight the potential graves, an additional raster image (Figure 5) was produced of all values over 29 ohm-meters,
Figure 5. Image of all of the values over 29 ohm-meters.
By taking these last two images, the one with the equally stressed high and low values (Figure 4) and the image with all of the values over 29 ohm-meters (Figure 5), and blending them based on the hue and saturation values of the rasters, an image results (Figure 6) in which the grave-sized anomalies are emphasized. Likely grave anomalies with an east-west orientation and high resistance values are here outlined in black.
Figure 6. Blended image of Figures 4 and 5 with potential graves outlined in black.
The result of this survey was the identification of at least 44 possible burials within the cemetery in addition to the nineteen marked burials. There is also the potential for additional burials within the disturbed areas of the squatter's houses and the road-bed, but resistivity data alone can not identify burials within these areas. The revised picture of the cemetery then is one in which the space within the burial ground was indeed used in its entirety (Figure 7) but post-abandonment disturbances and neglect resulted in the present configuration of markers. The resistivity findings also located probable nineteenth-century features in the form of the squatter's homes and a probable associated roadbed. Often verification of resistivity data would take place through excavation, but as there is no impending threat of disturbance to the cemetery no excavation is planned. The knowledge of additional burials within the cemetery will be incorporated into the demographic and spatial analysis of the community and will thereby contribute to a more complete picture of colonial-period Jewish life on the island of Nevis.
Figure 7. Revised image of the cemetery with high (red) and low (blue) anomalies, potential grave locations (green), and the surviving grave markers (white).
The Jewish Community of Nevis Archaeology Project | The Nevis Synagogue Archaeology Project
Nevis History | The Nevis Jewish Cemetery | The Cemetery Resistivity Survey


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Dorky thought: if he were to blame one of his reviewers for letting that line slip through to the final version of the preface, we would have something structurally analogous to the Liar's Paradox on our hands.
All anonymous comments will be deleted. Consistent pseudonyms are fine.
Daniel Kuehn is a doctoral candidate and adjunct professor in the Economics Department at American University. He has a master's degree in public policy from George Washington University.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's a new world when it comes to the concept of "sweet." Growing up, my mother used Sugar in the Raw, and we stayed far away from Sweet 'n' Low.
As a parent, I gravitate toward agave nectar, but have wondered about the glycemic index impact. I also like stevia in my tea, but find that it's bitter in coffee. I love the way my son's teacher makes birthday cakes with maple syrup and yogurt. It's so good!
Recently I've been experimenting with Susta. It's a new natural sweetener that contains fructose, fiber, and even probiotics. It has a really low glycemic index, and is recommended for people with diabetes (including gestational diabetes). I also like the way it tastes in homemade baked goods. Here's a recipe for brownies made with Susta. Yum.
Homemade Brownies
2 sticks butter (softened) or
1 cup Smart Balance
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1cup flour (all purpose)
½ cup cocoa (Hersheys type)
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup SUSTABOWL
1 cup granulated sugar
(chopped nuts are optional)
Use an electric mixer or Kitchen Aid mixer: Whip butter until fluffy, add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla and mix on high speed for 5 minutes or until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together, flour, cocoa, baking powder, SustaBowl and sugar. Slowly add dry ingredients into mixer and mix for 2 minutes until uniform.
Spead batter into 9 x 9 inch or 9 x 13 inch pan that has been well greased and dusted with cocoa. Batter will be thick and creamy.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes if using the 9 x 9 inch pan and 25 minutes if using the 9 x 13 inch pan or until toothpick comes out clean.
Yield: 16-20 brownies
If you have any questions about Susta, leave them in the comments section and I'll do my best to get them answered.
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Drake, Lil Wayne Have A 'Street Fighter'-Inspired App For Their Tour
Lil Wayne said fans could expect a battle between him and Drake on the Drake vs. Lil Wayne tour but no one would have ever expected a video game. In preparation for the tour, which kicks off Friday night, they have designed an interactive app for Google Android and Apple iOS.
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CORRECTED - CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Aimco says Q3 FFO may beat forecast
(Corrects second bullet point and paragraph 6 to show that the company has recommended to the board, and not set, the declaration of a special dividend. Also dropping incorrect reference to the dividend in the headline)
* Q3 FFO to meet or exceed forecast
* Recommends special quarterly dividend of $1.80 a share
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Oct 10 (Reuters) - Apartment Investment and Management Co (AIV.N: Cotización), one of the largest U.S. apartment landlords, said it expects third-quarter funds from operation to meet or exceed its previous forecast and set a special dividend for the quarter.
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Funeral Notices for May 29, 2013
Floyd Marvin "Stub" Austin — 11 a.m., Christiansen Cremation & Funeral Care, Greenville.
Charles L. "Pooder" Carberry — 11 a.m., St. Mary's Catholic Church, Carson City. (Lux and Schnepp Funeral Home, Carson City)
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Dr. J. Allan Ralph — 11 a.m., First United Methodist Church, Greenville. (Hurst Funeral Home, Greenville)
Katherine M. West — 11 a.m., Marshall Funeral Home, Greenville.
Ann Marie Mills — 1 p.m., Sheridan VFW. (Barden Funeral Home, Stanton)
Janet Marie (Race) Powell — 2 p.m., Lakeview Brigham Funeral Chapel.
Thomas F. Petersen, 69
GREENVILLE — Thomas F. Petersen, 69, of Greenville, died Tuesday at his home. Funeral arrangements are pending at Christiansen Cremation & Funeral Care, Greenville. www.ChristiansenCares.com.
Frank Bradfield, 82
HOWARD CITY — Frank Bradfield, 82, of Howard City died Friday. Funeral services are 1 p.m. today in Nashville, Mich., at the Peace United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Berryville Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to the Heckman Funeral Home of Howard City.
Janet Marie (Race) Powell, 70
LAKEVIEW — Janet Marie (Race) Powell, 70, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died Saturday. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday at Brigham Funeral Chapel, Lakeview. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. on Sunday, also at the Lakeview Brigham Funeral Chapel.
Vergaline Weston, 97
SHERIDAN — Vergaline Weston, 97, of Stanton, died Friday. Funeral services beginning at 11 a.m. will be held on Thursday at the Simpson Family Funeral Home in Sheridan. Interment will be in the McBride Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be at the funeral home on Thursday beginning at 10 a.m., one hour prior to the funeral service.


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The lights flashed in the cozy Cannery Ballroom of Nashville, TN, on Tuesday night. Behind the rails, the crowd waited eagerly for each strobe flash. Every repeated strike of neon light meant the next artist involved in the Journeys Noise Tour was soon to perform. During set-ups, mainstream throwback tunes played over the speakers, including Sisquo, Shaggy, and Ginuwine, stalling the audience from screams of anticipation. So as the show started, so did the screams. The Journeys Noise Tour, featuring 3OH!3, the Summer Set, Wallpaper. and New Beat Fund acted as a reminder that young and almost-veteran musical acts can pull it together for a fun ride of a night.
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Words and photos by Natasha Simmons.
[nggallery id=journey-noise-tour-simmons]


text: I'm sorry, MycroftHe just stood there, hands in pockets, looking at his big brother as nothing had happened. Well, it was his usual look, the one that couldn't tell you much of the thoughts and emotions hidden behind those eyes. Actually, Mycroft was not much different, they were brothers after all and they were both extremely good at hiding feelings. So they were standing staring at each other trying to guess the following movement of one another. Sherlock expected everything, just everything, he never knew what could Mycroft do if his honour was wounded, and Sherlock was sure that it was. He hadn't told his brother about the plan, he had made him consider his little brother dead. It hurt, it definitely hurt. Not his feelings, but his pride. He had always been the person who knew everything about everyone. And now he was fooled by his own little brother. And that fact made the great Sherlock Holmes feel nervous. Like he was again five years old standing before his brother with his broken toy in one han


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Demon Hunter Multishot Fire Build with Yang's Recurve (Patch 2.5 / Season 10)
Table of Contents
- 1. About the Author
- 2. Builds
- 3. Rotation
- 4. Strategy, Skills, and Runes
- 5. Best in Slot Gear and Alternatives
- 6. Paragon Points
- 7. Gems
- 8. Kanai's Cube
- 9. Follower
- 10. ChangeLog
Having received yet another damage spike in 2.4 through the skill bonuses on Dead Man's Legacy and the introduction of Visage of Gunes and Dawn, Demon Hunters add to the Yang's Recurve arsenal for a formidable, endgame Multishot build. This far range, huge AoE playstyle is available in both solo progression and speedfarming variations, explained in that order.
The build requires the following set pieces:
- Helm: Accursed Visage;
- Chest: Cage of the Hellborn;
- Gloves: Fiendish Grips;
- Boots: Hell Walkers;
- Pants: Unholy Plates;
- Shoulders: Unsanctified Shoulders.
1. About the Author
This build is presented to you by Deadset, one of the very few professional Diablo 3 players. Deadset regularly publishes video guides on Youtube, where you can see how this and other builds play out in practice.
2. Builds
|Active Skills
|Evasive Fire Focus Multishot Arsenal 1 Preparation Invigoration 2 Vengeance Seethe 3 Vault Tumble 4 Companion Wolf Companion
|Passive Skills
|Active Skills
|Evasive Fire Focus Multishot Wind Chill 1 Preparation Invigoration 2 Vengeance Seethe 3 Vault Tumble 4 Companion Wolf Companion
|Passive Skills
3. Rotation
The major dynamic of the build comes from building up Hatred through Evasive Fire Focus and dumping it through Multishot. That same rhythm upkeeps the bonuses from your jewelry set, Focus and Restraint. Preparation is a source of Discipline, but the build spends little of it and primarily adopts this skill for the Unhallowed Essence set benefits from Invigoration. With the assistance of Dawn, Vengeance should be kept up at all times for the formidable damage increase and resource regeneration it provides. On a moderate cooldown, Companion is also taken for the Wolf Companion damage bonuses. Finally, Vault is an inexpensive safety tool, which you should use as often as you need.
4. Strategy, Skills, and Runes
The main damage dealer in the build is Multishot, taken with the highest damage potential rune, Arsenal, when Greater Rifting. The unrivaled performance of this rune over the course of a prolonged fight dictates some of the passive and gear choices, but this conformity does not change the core strengths of Multishot: long range, manageable Hatred price, and a signature screen-wide AoE. Note that in speedruns, you can optimize the build by switching into Wind Chill. This cold rune applies a chilling effect prior to dealing damage, proccing Bane of the Trapped and Cull the Weak without the need of spending a passive slot on Thrill of the Hunt. In turn, this allows you better speedrun passives, discussed in the passives section. Wind Chill's party-wide Crit Chance increase only sweetens the deal.
While the build invests heavily into resource cost reduction, you can easily dump your Hatred pool with Yang's Recurve attack speed bonus — so the inclusion of a Hatred generator is inevitable. The spec falls back on another Demon Hunter staple: Evasive Fire. This primary fires in a convenient cone shape reminiscent of Multishot, and sports one of the strongest generation runes — Focus. Remember that alternating your spender with regular Evasive Fires is critical not only for Hatred upkeep, but also the Focus and Restraint set bonuses.
The defensive Demon Hunter resource, Discipline, remains mostly untouched — the result of low costs utility skills and the 2-piece bonus of Unhallowed Essence working together. This is quite fortunate for the build, as the set translates every bit of additional Discipline into a source of damage and you can take full advantage of Preparation Invigoration. The skill extends your Discipline pool with an additional 20, and can still serve as an emergency 30 Discipline refill.
Taking full advantage of the skill and item reworks surrounding Vengeance, the Multishot DH incorporates the skill into the build and strives for its permanent uptime through a cubed Dawn. This potent 40% damage buff will also increase Hatred regeneration to 10 per second from the Seethe rune. Depending on your Cube choices (discussed further), Vengeance can also reduce incoming damage in half from the Dark Heart rune, gained for free from a cubed Visage of Gunes.
With multiple utilities to pick from, the Multishot Demon Hunter chooses a DPS buff role for the Companion skill through the Wolf Companion rune, boosting you with a temporary multiplicative damage increase. While the Wolf Companion buff sports a generous 10-second uptime, this build runs a moderate amount of Cooldown Reduction on gear — so try to pop the Companion active in key moments like elite fights, or heavy trash density.
The final ingredient is an aggressive movement tool, the Demon Hunter staple Vault. Easy on the Discipline consumption, this skill can take you great distances before you feel any toll on your reserve. You will adjust the rune according to your Cube armor slot choice — Tumble if you run Visage of Gunes (or when speedrunning with Multishot Wind Chill), or Trail of Cinders if you opt for Cindercoat. Either way, Vault enables you to dive in and out of combat, picking the best spot to plant yourself and decimate your enemies from during the appropriate proc of Convention of Elements.
This concludes the overview of the Active Skills, now let us look through the Passives.
Reworked in Patch 2.4, Thrill of the Hunt is an excellent inclusion to the build that slows all enemies hit by Multishot by a whopping 80%. Safety concerns aside, it doubles as an effortless proc for Bane of the Trapped and Cull the Weak, freeing you from Caltrops dropping duties, or from hoping on a Slow proc from your secondary stats on gear. When speedfarming, the utility of this passive is trumped by the chilling effect of Multishot Wind Chill, freeing up the slot for Blood Vengeance. Blood Vengeance will not only expand your Hatred pool, but also enables a Reaper's Wraps-like effect that replenishes both Hatred and Discipline when picking up health globes. This passive will benefit immensely from the cubed Avarice Band and result in stable resources despite the heavy spending in speedruns.
Working in unison with your Dead Man's Legacy, the Ambush passive will deliver during the first 25% of the enemy health pool, and the quiver will pick up the carnage from 60% and below. The 40% damage increase is multiplicative in nature, emphasising its superiority over other options.
Cull the Weak is a Demon Hunter mainstay, bringing a multiplicative 20% damage increase against Slowed or Chilled enemies. The benefits from this passive further encourage you to include the reworked Thrill of the Hunt when Greater Rifting, or switching to Multishot Wind Chill during speedfarm.
Bolstering the power of Arsenal, the Multishot Demon Hunter picks up Ballistics in Greater Rifts — yet another multiplicative increase to your damage, doubling the effectiveness of the rockets splitting from your spender. The chance for a free additional rocket is just icing on the cake. When speedfarming with the rocket-less Wind Chill passive, switch this slot into the Tactical Advantage movement speed buff, which cuts down time spent searching for fights.
As a 5th passive from your Hellfire Amulet, it is strongly recommended that you take Steady Aim to boost your damage with a 20% multiplicative increase (a change as of Patch 2.4.1) as long as you maintain the trivial requirement of 10 yards between yourself and the enemy. If you prefer having a cheat death at your disposal, Awareness is a free life on a decent 60-second cooldown, coupled with a brief window of safety and life regeneration when triggered.
5. Best in Slot Gear and Alternatives
The build incorporates the complete Unhallowed Essence set, taking all six available pieces and opening up the jewelry for the Bastions of Will set and its damage multiplication bonuses. Rolls-wise, this Multishot-centric playstyle takes good advantage of Cooldown Reduction, Skill and Area Damage affixes. You will be trying to reach a 37% CDR breakpoint for permanent uptime of Vengeance, attainable from Paragon points, Flawless Royal Diamond in the helm and 3 other items with max CDR rolls, distributed as you see fit (i.e. on shoulders, quiver and one ring).
The BiS roll for Fiendish Grips includes double Crit stats alongside Dexterity and Vitality. Discipline in the secondary and Hatred Regeneration in the primary stats are the notable requirements on the Cage of the Hellborn. Area Damage and CDR rolls will be helpful on the Unsanctified Shoulders. The Unholy Plates can sport an Evasive Fire % bonus, but it is recommended you focus on Toughness stats there. The Accursed Visage and Hell Walkers can roll Multishot % bonus, and it is mandatory to seek the skill bonus at least on the boots.
Not skipping on any of the pieces required to obtain the 6-piece bonus leaves space for a potent combo in the jewelry: the Bastions of Will set, Focus and Restraint. This ring set adds an impressive 2.25 independent damage multiplier as long as you alternate between a primary and spender attacks; thus, learn to weave frequent Evasive Fire shots in your Multishot spam. In the stats, aim for Crit Chance, Crit Damage, and an open Socket.
Completing the jewelry, you have a number of options for the amulet slot. Arguably, your best option would be a well rolled Hellfire Amulet, with a helpful fifth passive like Steady Aim or Awareness. You could also attempt a safety route, and make yourself immune to Reflect Damage through The Star of Azkaranth, as Reflected damage now elementally matches your own. Other variants include the grouping of The Ess of Johan to ease AoE, or the ranged damage reduction of Eye of Etlich. Regardless of your choice, the desired stats are Crit Chance, Crit Damage, an open Socket, and appropriate elemental damage (Fire in Greater Rifts, Cold in speedfarm).
Created as a direct answer to the excessive frailty of the Demon Hunter class, the Wraps of Clarity bracer reduces damage taken by up to 35% for 5 seconds after using a Hatred Generator. Along with the Bastions of Will set, this item fortifies the position of Evasive Fire in the build, and serves as a constant reminder to alternate your primary and secondary skill. When speedfarming, it is recommended to switch away from the progression-oriented Wraps of Clarity, as their protection is overkill and the slot is best taken by a utility legendary. Either wearing Nemesis Bracers and cubing Warzechian Armguards or vice versa will speed up your clears with more frequent elites and environment destruction speed boosts.
You have two belts competing for the waist slot when Greater Rifting: the safer Hunter's Wrath and the glass cannon The Witching Hour. Hunter's Wrath belt is a tool for spender-heavy builds to quickly rebuild Hatred reserves, reducing spender downtimes. Its ability to roll four tanky primary stats makes it a safer choice to the all-out DPS of The Witching Hour, but the latter is unmatched in burst potential with its unique Crit and Attack Speed rolls, making it preferable for high endgame pushing. In speedruns, fights take mere seconds and render the generator-assisting Hunter's Wrath belt useless; the burst-oriented The Witching Hour makes a little more sense, but the preferable belt for Torment clears is Goldwrap. Synergizing with Boon of the Hoarder and Avarice Band, Goldwrap will render you practically invulnerable and allow you to focus on killing and looting without regards for your safety.
Tailor-made for Multishot builds, the Yang's Recurve bow features too many helpful affixes to ignore. Naturally rolling with up to 50% Resource Cost Reduction, it is already a strong contender for expensive spender builds. What seals the deal is the unique property of the bow, speeding up Multishot by 50% and turning the solid attack rate into an unyielding barrage. The other desired stats are high damage range, high Dexterity, % Damage and Discipline in the secondary stats.
No less important than its weapon counterpart, the Dead Man's Legacy is a Multishot-specific quiver that picks damage up almost where Ambush leaves off. With an optimal roll, this quiver will apply a second Multishot hit as soon as your enemy reaches below 60% health, including the rockets from Arsenal. An ideal roll would also include a high Multishot % bonus (up to 100% with the 2.4 rework), Cooldown Reduction and Discipline in the secondary stats.
|Stat Priority
|Ring #1
|Ring #2
6. Paragon Points
|Paragon Points
7. Gems
Bane of the Trapped is a potent source of additional damage, as it is its own multiplier in your total damage calculation. The gem will be procced by Zei's Stone of Vengeance, Thrill of the Hunt, crowd control secondary stats on your gear (Slow %, Freeze %), or Wind Chill in speedfarming.
Zei's Stone of Vengeance is another independent multiplier, whose range-dependent amplification can be easily maxed out by the long reach of Multishot. The level 25 property will add some minor control and safety to the build, as well as another proc for Bane of the Trapped.
Bane of the Powerful's duration scales very well with levels, and having a low uptime on a decently leveled gem is a telling sign that the rift is unfavorable anyway (winding layout, lacking density, insufficient elites). The gem's default 20% damage increase has been reworked into multiplicative, and the level 25 bonus now increases AND reduces elite damage by 15%, making it a well-rounded choice for many builds. For extremely high end pushing, swap this gem out for Bane of the Stricken to assist you in taking down the Rift Guardian. In normal rifts, this gem slot should be taken by Boon of the Hoarder. This high utility gem feeds you practically infinite gold and gives you a massive short-term speed boost while picking it up, automated by a cubed Avarice Band. It will also render you practically invulnerable through a worn Goldwrap.
|Torso and Pants
8. Kanai's Cube
The previously affix-less Dawn turns into one of the most attractive Demon Hunter crossbows to consume in the cube. With Vengeance reworked into a universally desired buff, reducing its cooldown up to 65% and achieving permanent uptime through gear is an opportunity you cannot pass lightly. An alternative for speedfarming is the cooldown-resetting In-geom.
Working alongside Dawn, the new helm Visage of Gunes allows you to store a convenient damage reduction bonus from Dark Heart in the Cube and work on your resource management through Seethe on the skill bar. The old favorite for the slot, Cindercoat, remains a strong alternative with its 30% cost reduction to Fire skills; it will result in a longer Multishot Arsenal resource dump (preferred for pushing GR limits), but takes you to the glass cannon extremities. As previously mentioned, during speedfarming you can pick between your best rolls of Nemesis Bracers and Warzechian Armguards, and simply cube the inferior. Nemesis Bracers will spawn you an elite for every shrine or pylon pick up, while Warzechians will consistently speed you up from Multishot's environment destruction.
In GRs, the jewelry slot will be best taken by the pure damage boost of Convention of Elements, whose rotation of elemental bonuses you will have to keep under close scrutiny. Once the sequence reaches the Fire element, you will enjoy a significant increase to your damage — so try to adopt a strategy of drawing monster attention during the off cycles, and major Hatred spending during the Fire cycle. When speedfarming, use the Act III cache legendary ring Avarice Band. Its unique property extends your pickup radius up to the massive 30 yards for a generous 10 second period. Triggered, maximized and constantly refreshed from the endless stream of Boon of the Hoarder gold, the ring and the gem will keep you sped up, invulnerable (from the worn Goldwrap) and resource-capped (through Blood Vengeance).
9. Follower
For more information regarding followers, we advise you to read our Follower Guide, which contains detailed advice for choosing the skills and the gear of your follower.
10. ChangeLog+ show all entries - show only 10 entries
- 28 Mar. 2017: No changes needed for Season 10.
- 05 Jan. 2017: No changes needed for Season 9.
- 21 Oct. 2016: No changes needed for Season 8.
- 23 Jul. 2016: Updated the guide to include speedfarming recommendations.
- 19 Apr. 2016: Revised the build's preferred legendary gems and added several clarifications.
- 12 Jan. 2016: Updated the guide to reflect its Patch 2.4 buffs, the introduction of Vengeance and related items, and Kanai's Cube swaps.
- Patch 2.6.0 - Patch Notes & Necromancer Guides
- The Necromancer DLC Is Live!
- Deadly Roots: The Lore of the Necromancer
- First Look: The Shrouded Moors & Beyond
- Twitch Prime Rewards for Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch
- Rise of the Necromancer Pack Arrives June 27!
- Necromancer Beta Ends
- First Look: Challenge Rifts
- Necromancer Bone Storm
- New Guide Layout Feedback
- Necromancer Skeletal Mages
- Necromancer Corpse Explosion
- Witch Doctor Gargantuan with Helltooth
- Barbarian: Whirlwind with Bul-Kathos's Oath and Wrath of the Wastes
- Necromancer Corpse Lance
- Missing Monk builds?
- Necromancer Bone Storm
- Necromancer Skeletal Mages
- Necromancer Corpse Explosion
- New Guide Layout Feedback
- Necromancer Corpse Lance
- Witch Doctor Gargantuan with Helltooth
- Barbarian: Whirlwind with Bul-Kathos's Oath and Wrath of the Wastes


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As with any budget, there is always room to cut.
But should everything be on the chopping block? Our federal budget deficit demands that we make cuts, and many of them will be deep and painful. However, just as with your personal budget, some things shouldn't be chopped.
As part of federal budget negotiations, $88 million in cuts were made to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Housing Counseling Assistance programs for fiscal 2011. The cuts will eliminate funding for nonprofit HUD-approved community-based housing counseling nationwide. Among other services, the counselors provide rental, pre-purchase and reverse-mortgage advice, homeless assistance and foreclosure-prevention help. More than 2,700 counseling agencies participate in the HUD program.
"If there was any doubt that middle- and working-class Americans are paying more than their fair share in the deficit-reduction battles, the budget cuts recently enacted to prevent a government shutdown make it absolutely clear," said Marc H. Morial, president and chief executive of the National Urban League.
It is unreasonable, in the midst of a housing crisis that has financially devastated hundreds of thousands of households, that we are taking away access to free or low-cost counseling that helps these families.
Yes, let's cut out funding to legitimate groups so that crooks can swoop in and take even more advantage of homeowners looking for help to prevent foreclosures. The cuts come just as HUD was launching a campaign to help homeowners facing foreclosure avoid scams by directing them to trusted housing counselors.
"With millions of homeowners in foreclosure or at risk of losing their homes as they fall behind on mortgage payments, and 8 million Americans expected to face foreclosure now through 2012, the timing of this campaign could not be more prudent," HUD said in a release about its "Know It. Avoid It. Report It" campaign.
Seniors especially could be affected by the cuts. Before taking out a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, which is a reverse mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Administration, seniors must get housing counseling. Reverse mortgages, which allow people 62 or older to borrow against the equity in their homes, were largely created for those who are cash-poor and house-rich. Without supplemental funding, seniors already are facing higher costs to receive the mandatory counseling.
We also are eliminating the aid to housing counseling groups when so many people still lack the basic knowledge to make better home-buying decisions.
A new survey by Zillow Mortgage Marketplace found that half of prospective home buyers don't understand mortgage basics. For example, 57 percent of buyers surveyed do not know how a 5/1 ARM, a hybrid mortgage that mixes an adjustable rate with a fixed rate, works. Potential buyers were asked whether a 5/1 ARM always resets to a higher interest rate. The majority of respondents answered yes. For the first five years, the rate is fixed. After that, the interest rate changes once each year for the remaining life of the loan. The interest rate on a 5/1 ARM adjusts to whatever the prevailing rate is at the five-year mark. This could mean rate could go up or down.
"Most people wouldn't jump out of a plane if they didn't know how to use a parachute, yet each year many buyers commit to the largest loan they will take out in their lifetimes without understanding essential information about mortgages," said Erin Lantz, Zillow Mortgage Marketplace director.
Some pre-purchase programs were found to reduce the incidence of any form of mortgage default by as much as 34 percent, according to report by the Mortgage Bankers Association's Research Institute for Housing America.
During fiscal 2010, HUD-approved agencies provided housing counseling services to about 3 million households, using HUD and non-HUD funding, the highest level ever, testified Vicki Bott, a deputy assistant secretary at HUD, before a House subcommittee recently.
Agencies provided foreclosure prevention counseling to more than 1.4 million households. In almost half, people were able to modify their mortgage.
Susan C. Keating, president and chief executive of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, denounced the funding cuts, urging Congress to do the right thing. Reinstate the funding, she said, "allowing millions of homeowners to receive the help they need." Considering all the bad mortgages people got themselves into (or were snookered into), one would think our government, which bailed out the banks that made those bad loans, wouldn't cut one of the most effective avenues to ensure that people make better home-buying decisions.
Readers can write to Michelle Singletary c/o The Washington Post, 1150 15th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071. Her e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com. Comments and questions are welcome, but due to the volume of mail, personal responses may not be possible. Please also note comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer's name, unless a specific request to do otherwise is indicated.


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P9 Pals:
At long last, I've finished installation of the ROTtec Carbon reclinable sport seats I purchased in December. It's been a long, hard slog, but they are in and I'm very happy with them. I was surprised that my wife actually likes them better than the standard Porsche seats. They are really comfy and hold you in very well in the sort of corners that can make your ears bleed. She says she's no longer "tossed around the car like a little doll."
Here's a closer look at the passenger's seat w/ belts:
BTW, these Schroth Enduro belts are the ticket! Very quick and easy to adjust the strap lengths, which is great for my students when I give demo rides at the track. Anyone who has struggled with standard Schroth belts knows they can be a little difficult when you're in a hurry to get back on track with a new victim and you need to make quick adjustments.
Here's a view of the belts stowed away for the drive home. The 6 point Schroth buckle stays attached to the sub belt. It slips under the bar pull for the slider and stays there very nicely. If you didn't know it was there, you couldn't tell sitting in the seat. Cushions just Velcro to the seat. You can adjust the effective height of the seat by changing the amount of padding in the cushion. There is no height adjustment, no thorax air bag, no seat sensor and no heat.
Still trying to find someone who can turn off the air bag and seat belt warning lights. My Durametric Enthusiast version won't do it. You have to pony up for the pro version. I've asked one dealer and one independent shop. They're both afraid of getting sued. Where do I sign?
Here's a view from the hatch. The shoulder belts mount to the Heigo bolt-in roll bar crossbar. This bar also serves to stiffen the rear suspension points a bit as it attaches to the upper shock towers. Driver's belts are Hans compatible. The center of the crossbar has a big strip of soft Velcro stuck on it to keep it from scratching guitar cases. This car serves duty as my blues hauler on Tuesday nights. A small amp and my pedal board fit nicely in the front trunk.
The belts need to thread through the top holes in the seats because I'm just too tall for the low ones. The buckles and adjusters don't fit through the holes. This means, the shoulder belts have to stay threaded through the seats unless I unlash them from the rear crossbar.
I'm still fooling around with various ways to stow the belts while their attached to the seats. This seems to be the best. They don't rattle on the backs of the seats this way.
OK, now the bad news: Kids, this is not a "plug and play" sort of project. I think these seats are still in the development phase. Ray at ROTtec is a very nice guy and did his best to help me out, but there were a ton of problems.
Also know that these seats are not approved by anyone for use in a car on normal streets, let alone at a race track. Don't expect to be allowed to do Club Racing or SCCA races with these. OK for DEs but not for serious racing. I previously bought a Profi XL for the driver's side only and was going to go with that, but I'm just not enough of a racer boy anymore. Wanted something that would work on the street better. They are a good compromise if you want to race and drive on the street, but I'm not going to race.
The seats were not made for use with 6 point harnesses. I had to make the holes in the bottom and add a sub-bar, which was kindly supplied by Ray at ROTtec.
I'm blessed with a great garage and a nearby factory that allows me to borrow special hand tools and even machine tools in a pinch. I've received training as a tool and die maker and several other vocations after college. My function in life is sort of a sales engineer, putting customers buying high volume stampings on the right path to the best functioning stuff at the lowest price while creating the least hassle for our plant. (I'm not a real engineer but I play one on TV.) To do this, you have to know the strengths and weaknesses of the shop, the needs of the customer and the relative costs of things involved. I'm not expert at performing mechanical processes but I'm exposed to them daily and work with experts in several fields. I have a lot of mechanical aptitude and interest or I wouldn't have taken this on.
Hope this is useful for those who've asked for photos of my seats when they got installed. Sorry about the dirty winter mats. Weather's still a little iffy around here and I don't do Spring cleaning until it's actually Spring. We may still get some snow.


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CHESTER – The school board used the start of their October meeting to put in order three bids for the coming years and to find out how a major renovation project faired over the summer.
Last year, in response to air quality concerns and failing equipment, the school district decided that the air handlers over the gym had to be replaced. That project was completed over the summer and according to all involved, the work went smoothly and the results are phenomenal.
Dan Bisson, architect with Harriman, gave an overview of the process, which began in February with the completion of the contract documents and ended in September with the final bill from Eckhardt and Johnson, which performed the work.
Don Ennis, director of facilities. said he was pleased with the project. The company was good to work with, he said, but even better is the air quality in the gym. New controls maintain appropriate oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the air.
Teachers noted that Eckhardt and Johnson's workers were pleasant, even doing impromptu welding lessons for the kids in summer school.
The project cost totaled $196,613.
Interim superintendent Jim Gaylord emphasized that the money for the project did not impact taxpayers and said it was an important project in the school's long-term Capital Improvement Plan. Gaylord has been pushing in his years with the district to get all areas of the facilities in good shape.
Also at its Oct. 9 meeting, the school board awarded two bus contracts and the winter's snow removal contract.
Regular education busing will stay with First Student, the only company to bid the work. While the first year of the service, in 2014/2015, shows a 7.6 percent increase over current spending, administration said it was reasonable. Gaylord pointed out that he'd like to have seen that first year increase lower, but noted that the first year of the current three-year contract with First Student was level funded.
The next two years show 2.5 percent increases. The first year's cost totals $381,395, the second year totals $390,933 and the final year comes to $400,703.
As part of the award, First Student has agreed per school board request to outfit all buses with video cameras.
Special Education busing went to Provider for
a three-year total of $108,144. Two companies bid that contract, Provider coming in $31,388 below the bid of Seacoast Learning Collaborative.
Financial manager Annmarie Scribner noted that while Seacoast Learning Collaborative came in lower on the in-district busing, its costs were much higher for out-of-district busing.
Provider's contract comes to $3 more a day than the district is currently paying. It's a 180-day contract, with 18 summer days included.
The snow plowing contract will remain with Dillon Old Farm Nursery, the Chester-based company that handled the work last winter. The bids for the project ranged from $14,975 to $9,100, but two bids, including the low bid, did not follow specifications.
Dillon Old Farm Nursery bid $12,500 and was largely chosen because of a good working relationship evidenced last year. According to Ennis, the company had been accommodating both during and after the winter. Another positive was that the company is local.
In other business:
• Food service director Tyfany Carbone met with the board at its request for an update on how the kitchen is running. Carbone began by thanking the board for hiring her this past summer and noted that things were going well.
She said milk prices dropped another 10 cents; the pizza vendor has changed, bringing prices down and offering certain ingredients that the old vendor could not easily manage; salad consumption is way up; the kitchen is very clean, thanks to the kitchen employees; she is looking at starting a composting area; and with help from the agricultural commission, she is considering starting both a garden and a working arrangement with local farmers to bring Chester produce to the school.
The school board noted they had heard only good things about Carbone's work in the kitchen and thanked her for her energy and innovation.
Air Handling Project in Gym Yields Good Results
CHESTER – The school board used the start of their October meeting to put in order three bids for the coming years and to find out how a major renovation project faired over the summer.


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black + red suede
Originally uploaded by redbarren.
Enuf already, and Im sick of Gilchrist talking as if he's the messiah. Earth to Gilly - You aint Bradman, in fact at moment you are closer to Kim Hughes. The Cricket Blog : "Australia has gone roster crazy as Phil Jaques has been rested from club cricket this weekend. Now Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, I can understand. They're busy guys, they contribute their heart and souls to Australian cricket. But Jaques isn't even in the Australian team! I know taking sickies and preserving public holidays are great Aussie traditions but this is taking things too far. They also mention the stresses of preparing for his upcoming wedding. Get with the program, Jaques! Skiving off wedding preparation so the girl does all the work is another great Aussie tradition!" I agree, lets get Jacques opening for Australia again.


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Posted in Railways on Saturday 28th July 2012 at 10:59pm
I woke up this morning feeling like I had a hangover. I'd not imbibed a single drop of alcohol last night, and had settled down early to watch the circus around the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Perhaps it was the overload of images, provoked emotions and confusing messages which gave me the headache? This morning there were messages suggesting I "probably wasn't such a cynic now, eh?". I checked. I certainly was - though Danny Boyle's gently subversive take on a Britain stuck somewhere in the mid-2000s was oddly inspiring. I fell asleep somewhere during the parade of nations, and caught up guiltily with the rest this morning before setting off. Today then, was about escape. About going in the opposite direction to the Games, and about heeding that long-drummed in advice to travel differently. On that basis I'd headed north - not without it's risks as the football matches were scattered all over the country, but from initial indications reasonably quiet. Certainly, aside from the bonkers 'seat stealing' bloke, the first train was a little busier than usual due to being just two coaches, but 1M21 was mostly empty. I settled in for a lazy spin to Birmingham, hoping to shift my fuzzy head on the way.
With not long to change at New Street, I prioritised. Straight to the coffee shop then down to the Nottingham train. Again rather quiet, as I managed to find my way accidentally to my booked seat. Again the trip was hazy and sleepy, but I was beginning to feel human again. The sun had risen unexpectedly given the forecast and any hope of snoozing was dashed by a local with a gratingly noisy West Midlands accent who sat a few seats away, moaning at his dad mournfully about energy drinks. We reversed at Derby, where I'll be again next week on very different business indeed. Even here things didn't really get too busy, so I dared to hope the next journey might be OK too. After a passing of the Railway Technical Centre which is always interesting, we made the slow creep around Trent Junction before accelerating towards Nottingham. The station is in something of a transformative stage, and is due to close entirely at some point for this purpose. But for now it's cordoned off, temporary toilets and hardboard hoardings on the platforms. Amongst this, things function pretty normally - the Skegness unit was as ever two coaches for a huge crowd. This didn't bode well. However, a good deal before due time, a pairing of a 156 and 158 arrived on our platform. Plumped for the 158 because of the aircon and found a seat at the back of the unit. Amazingly, as we departed Nottingham, there were just two of us in the back coach. Granted, the front unit was busier - but this was rather surprising given previous experience on these services. The plan was to stay on all the way to Liverpool - something I'd not done for about six years on the way back from an All-Line Rover trip. After a scud along the Erewash Valley we reversed at Sheffield. Still the unit was pretty quiet, as we did the fast run over the Pennines through remarkable summer scenery. West of the hills things weren't quite so summery, but after a pause at Stockport we pressed on for Manchester. The expected crowds once again failed to materialise and we departed for the last leg of the trip to Liverpool with just a group of boisterous lads sitting nearby.
Arrival at Lime Street was dogged with difficulties - getting off the train was hard enough as I became entangled with my seat, then had to negotiate the bottleneck on the barrier-controlled section of the station. As I wandered towards the exit the standard "Be careful in today's wet weather" announcement could be heard. I sniggered at how they'd got mixed up - until I realised that the loud noise in the background was the station roof being pelted with heavy rain. A huge summer storm swept across the city, the now opened out glass front of the station providing a panoramic view of people dashing for cover. Nearby, a hen party dressed in flimsy costumes looked worried. I was almost as ill-prepared without a coat. Decided to get some lunch and see how things worked out. In the end, I managed to make a dash between showers to my usual coffee haunt in Bold Street, and then back to the station getting a little damp in the process. This circuit of the city always feels strangely therapeutic for some reason. Hopped onto the late-arriving stock for the 15:34 back to Birmingham. Once out of Liverpool the skies cleared and it was a pleasant, slightly busier trip down to the Midlands, retracing last weeks steps to some extent.
Switching to the usual routine home after another break to watch the world go by on the concourse, I wondered at how quiet the network was today. We're people really keeping away as they'd been told to? Or were they just busy watching sport at home? Today's trip really didn't take me anywhere new - but it was a long, relaxing spin around the network, and especially to parts and services I don't often see these days. It was a world away from the events which still occupied my mind in Stratford, but it had also stilled my odd urge to head for London at the worst possible time.Movebook Link
Posted in Railways on Saturday 21st July 2012 at 10:26pm
Lately, I seem to have given up a lot of things. This is a habit I have, of undertaking a huge mental tidying up. Sometimes - just like in a physically frenzied cleaning session - you throw away things you never really meant to. In the heat of this confusing, angry summer I'd managed to do just that. Letting a few doubts and externally fuelled fears get under my skin, I'd parked my music blog indefinitely. Quietly, calmly and without undue drama though - which is not the usual style around here. But already, less than a week into the situation, I was feeling bored, purposeless and dull. The only thing I was finding motivation to write about was the impending Olympics - and given vast areas of my brain to range freely around, this was in danger of becoming an obsession. The great fear was that in a few weeks time it would be gone, and the legacy was a longer term project. Granted it would deliver it's own losses and controversies - but I needed to fill my mind up. In the long term for sure, but initially - just this weekend jaunt. I'd set out when planning for this sparse summer, to do a West Midlands Day Ranger today. I'd booked the tickets to Birmingham and back, and left it at that. There was a point towards the end of the week when I scrabbled for cheap tickets to London - desperate to get to the area with no clear purpose. But sense and financial constraints prevailed and I found myself on the train to Birmingham, only a vague plan and free to listen to music for a change. It was going to be a quiet sort of day...
On arriving and booking my ranger I decided to stick to the usual plan to start with. Off to Crewe on the 09:01 - a bustling but not packed train which took an hour to scud through misty Staffordshire and Cheshire. Lots to see around Crewe's depots, having not been here for a while - and it's also apparent that I'm well out of touch with the changes in the locomotive fleets. Congestion delayed our arrival which meant a pleasantly short wait for the 10:33 - a Euston-bound train. Luckily, given that it took nearly three hours to navigate the slow lines, it wasn't a viable option because I could still have easily changed my plans. Tweets and blog posts tumbled in, resistance to the excesses of Olympics was suddenly everywhere. Adidas had backed out of their tax exemption too. The sun was shining. Things felt possible. The train began to fill, and I decided to use the time and weather to do something I'd tried to do on these trips before - the crab-wise crossing of Warwickshire, which was a mess of bad connections and infrequent trips. So, off at Nuneaton. Last week a friend had mentioned that the Boris announcements were here too, and he was right. Dire warnings to "get ahead of the games" and the voice of the Mayor, strangely out of place up here. The reason became clear on the next leg - a rattling 153 to Coventry, which passed by the Ricoh Stadium. One of the football venues, this will in fact see use in anger before the main park, with the matches beginning next week. It was festooned with pink and maroon, and surrounded by Police officers. A pang of regret for not being stalking around the marshes today passed.
At Coventry I had a wait of about 45 minutes for one of the Crosscountry services which used the Kenilworth line to get to Leamington Spa. These used to be scarce trains, operated by Class 47s heading for Reading or Paddington, but now they're hourly with many going on to the South Coast. Minutes after arrival, a charter was announced and the Northern Belle slipped quietly in, the stewards waving to assembled enthusiasts. I managed an embarassed nod in return, before capturing both the locos for posterity. Time for coffee in the sunshine, watching a day and his enthusiastic daughter photographing trains. Managed a seat on the busy Voyager too, which was a surprise. I've always rather liked Royal Leamington Spa's station with its original Great Western features and broad views over the bridge towards the town. Having visited a couple of times in recent months, it was nice to have a little longer to spend here. It was busy, served by frequent trains and felt strangely comfortable. My own train was the 14:17 to Stratford-upon-Avon, one of a number of services which provide a practically all-stops Marylebone to Leamington service, before curving away through Hatton to the Warwickshire terminus. I'd last done this line in 2007, on the "Bard'n'Birch" railtour which suffered for following a week after one of the best tours I've ever done. On that occasion, due to signalling positions we got sort of wedged on the branch. No such problems this time, and we were soon arriving in the fine little station at Stratford-upon-Avon. A world away from the other Stratford which had been dominating my thoughts! Time for a coffee, and to watch life at this rather sparsely served end of the line. Contemplated the tracks curving away on what used to be the route to Cheltenham and thought how useful that could be nowadays. Eventually onto a cool, clean new Class 172 for the slow stop-start trip into Birmingham. A lucky signalling check at Tyseley meant a good look at the depot there, before hopping off at Moor Street. Having spent a little time here last visit, I decided to do the same and found a bench, dug out my book and watched life around the station.
The route home was strange - first the complicated roadworks outside Moor Street station, with an army of Hi-vis clad workmen employed to ask passers by if they are "aware the traffic now comes from that way?". At New Street, realised I'd a little less time than I thought, but still enough to shop and get coffee while I jotted my thoughts and watched the evening post-shopping, pre-clubbing lull appear. As ever, back on 1V65 to a surprisingly busy Bristol, with us just squeezing onto Platform 1. The Class 50 hauled charter was a little late, and my HST arrived just as it did, obscured by full platforms. Over the next fifteen minutes the train filled up - almost completely. I'd not given a second thought to the Harbour Festival, but these folks clearly had. It had been a slow, surprisingly relaxing day on the rails - which had almost taken my mind of other things.Movebook Link
Posted in London on Saturday 14th July 2012 at 10:53pm
I'm not a Londoner. Never have been, and it's fairly certain I never will be. My relationship with London is a strange and complicated one - sometimes bordering on reverence, and sometimes borne of a strange distaste. Spurred on by literature and music, snippets of legend and odd coincidences, I've gradually mapped out a city of my own during the last twenty years. This has grown eastwards - from my early timid steps out of Paddington towards the City, then over the boundary and into Spitalfields and Hackney. As my knowledge grew, so did my appetite for the literature and history of the eastern edges of the city. I was hooked, finding untold possibility in every dead end, every scruffy side-turning. Having carefully evaluated this view from safe distances I was sure it wasn't some dreadful middle-class 'slumming' thing. I was genuinely finding myself bound up in the boroughs, and wanting to understand them as best I could.
Today was wet, and as I stepped out of Bow Road Station I was met with a shining roadway and trees dripping dolefully on me. I shouldn't be here. I'd vowed again that I'd made my last trip before the Games, but as the activity and focus intensifies in the press - so does my desire to be here. I've got this horrible feeling that it won't be the same again, that this is the end of things. Perhaps it's melodramatic - but it seems like the end of London. My London at least. But it doesn't feel like it this morning, and the margins of Bow Road are as raggedly familiar as ever - the Ferodo Bridge sheltering me as I tap out messages which scud over the channel to a desperate friend. Everyone is on the edge. Turning into Fairfield Road, the leafy quiet descends. This residential corner of Bow has always felt pleasant and perhaps a little dull from the train above, but here at ground level it's a surprisingly busy walk. People shuffle out of their buildings, taking the chance of a gap in the torrents. Once under the railway bridges - carrying the Great Eastern on its run into Liverpool Street and the little used curve from Bow to Gas Factory Junction - the Lexington Building becomes a dominating presence. The ornate gatehouse signals a former use - Bryant and May's sprawling match factory, site of one of the earliest feminist actions in the 1888 strike organised by Annie Besant. Closed in 1979 and left to languish along with much of this part of the city, it is now Bow Quarter. A gated village which has hosted celebrities on the up, and sometimes on the way down. But my journey here is once again related to the Olympics. On top of one of the startlingly tall, red brick watertowers are surface-to-air missiles. Part of a ring of defences for the Olympic Park which do not offer much in the way of reassurance - if these missiles with their five mile range need to be fired, a plane will fall over the eastern reaches of London with all the attendant misery and horror. There is no assurance in the presence of these weapons at all. I circle the building - there is only a glimpse of the hardware available - a sinister presence on top of the building, capable of dealing death - indirectly - to many thousands. The locals are stirring. A pretty, but stiffly miniskirted young woman swishes along the path under her umbrella, finding my shambling presence a worry and crossing the road quickly. A blonde, rakishly housecoated young man smokes and drinks tea barefoot on his doorstep. It's quiet. No vehicles move except the occasional Tesco or Ocado van, and the relentless stream of 488 buses heading for Bromley. I remind myself that's where I need to head too, and speed up my circuit of the building in search of the photograph which sums it all up. I'll know it when I see it. On Wick Lane, a mad traffic scheme has made it hugely difficult for pedestrians, and under the railway bridge it is blocked by a works compound. There is no way to double back through Bow Quarter so I'm forced to retrace my steps. As I pass the gatehouse, two figures silently emerge - both uniformed, one in the olive green of the British Army. My lurking has not gone unnoticed and I have questions to answer.
The light-touch interrogators claimed my presence had "upset the residents". I bit my tongue, thinking how theirs had probably in fact caused far more upset. But I'm allowed to leave unmolested with a suggestion that I avoid the area until September 14th on pain of arrest. There's no paperwork, no proof of the injunction. This is instant service, delivered without a smile. I'll have little choice of course. But I'm late for my meeting with a friend, so I plough on into the rain, back to Bow Road and across into the quiet centre of Bromley. I follow estate paths and quiet residential roads. Families scuff quietly through the rain, snakes of children dawdling, either idly ignorant or indifferent to the changing face of their locale. I come upon the station from the north, and red faced, breathing hard and feeling distinctly old I meet my friend who has agreed to join me for a walk around some of my recent trails. I relate the morning's tale to her amusement, and we head out of the station, alongisde the Blackwall Tunnel Approach road and into Three Mills Lane. We talk about how she is now a Londoner and wants to see the city - all of it. She can circuit Buckingham Palace on her bus to the station, but it's these wanders into the unknown which interest her. I retrace recent steps, wondering just how much of the walk I'll be able to achieve post Lockdown. Our first taste of the Games comes just on the edge of Three Mills - the towpath south of here is closed, the swollen mouth of Bow Creek off limits. Tour groups shuffle damply behind their leaders, still being told there is no means of entry to the Park but that they can see the sights. I wonder where and how, given the route these opportunistic guides have been taking is now severed? Avoiding the groups we wander onto Three Mills Green, the new wholesomely crunchy pathways under puddles of water after the last few weeks of rain. The lock on Prescott Channel is silent, the bridge to Abbey Mills closed. My friend spies the building and is transfixed by it. We'll get there I promise, silently wondering if we can? Skirting the park we cross Three Mills Wall river and take to the streets. My friend remarks how quiet it is, and how it could be 'anywhere'. The calm streets of current and former council properties seem immune to the events just a short walk away across Stratford High Street. The rain starts to sheet horizontally across us. Visibility diminishes. We struggle up the slippery wooden steps onto the Greenway and find a vantage point where the vast temple of the Pumping Station can be appreciated. Its strangely eastern influences seem out of place in the misty, drizzly air. The chimney stumps, inert since 1941, look sinister and squat. Ahead of us Channelsea House towers, apparently unaffected by regeneration and near abandoned. We turn and walk towards the Olympic Park, the increasingly irritating Orbit structure dominating the skyline. The temporary bridge remains defended by razor wire, so we edge down to the crossing then work back towards Stratford. Warton Road is closed to cyclists and pedestrians, so we turn into the Carpenters Road Estate. I get a sudden, amusing realisation that all those railway junction names which seem so exotic and unknown when plotting unusual routes represent this topography. Carpenters Road Junction to Channelsea Junction - and there is on the map at least - a watercourse between the estate and the railway, a ghost of the buried Channelsea River? If so, it is now entirely gone. Culverted in 1958, the river has a legendary past linking it back to Alfred the Great. There is no way through for us though, great iron gates claiming we're "Welcome to London 2012". I've never felt less welcome.
We follow shoppers over the footbridge, descending at Stratford Station. The tide heading for Westfield is a shadow of that sunny Saturday throng I witnessed just a couple of weeks back. The rain, and the threat of exceptional crowds holding them back perhaps. We head over the rust-coloured bridge, pausing to look at the park. "It's horrible, from here at least" my friend remarks. It's her city, not mine - but usually I'd have felt that pang of defensiveness. There's nothing there though, and I agree with her wholeheartedly. We head into Westfield and find a pub where we can catch up properly - The Cow is a strange effort - a glass and metal shed on the edge of the shopping centre, looking out over the Stratford Gate to the Olympic Park. Inside, the exposed utilities are accompanied by amusingly silly wooden beams and lots of bovine memorabilia and signage. Drinks are expensive, but the staff are surprisingly polite. Throughout our conversation, I keep returning to the Olympics - perhaps people are right, and I am obsessed? I mention the fence again and again, it troubles me - haunts my walks, offends my eyes. I explain the lineage of my concerns - from reading early, worrying accounts of what would occur here, through endless crossings and recrossings of the park by rail, and eventually on foot while I still could. An urgency caused by the increasingly draconian attempts to render the park inaccessible. We touch on radioactivity, Clays Lane, the allotments, football pitches. All the old arguments rehearsed again. I try to pitch the difference between wilderness and wasteland. I have a sympathetic audience, but it's all too late. It still feels like the end of London. After we part at Stratford Station, I walk to the edge of the Westfield site. Over the fence near the International Station, groups of children are practicing for the Opening Ceremony in the precincts of the Athlete's Village. The fence is a presence even here. I dare not linger, and catch the driverless DLR train to Stratford, curving through the park, the alignment following old curves of railway lines then dipping under the buildings. At Stratford I change to the older DLR line which uses part of the railway which cuts north-south through Bow and takes me back to my starting point. On route, we linger at the closed Pudding Mill Lane station waiting for the line to clear. In the midst of the Olympic Park, this is a deleted station. Beside us, the piers of it's replacement are half made, work on Crossrail abandoned until after the event. London is on pause. Waiting. I alight at Bow Church and ascend to the street just feet from the end of Fairfield Road, where I began the strangely frustrating journey today. Blocked at every turn, but oddly I want to walk these streets more than ever now. I want to explore every possible route through this complex and ancient district. I desperately want to come back.
Even at Paddington, the Games dominate proceedings. The Mayor's voice - ill-suited to public announcements - lisps and quacks through his urge to travel differently. Pink signs point the way to the park like it's just around the corner rather than a city away, greeters stand idly on the Heathrow Express platforms waiting for athletes and media representatives to arrive. Beside the exit, a new tunnel has opened to provide access to transport for Games officials. I can't remember this passageway before, and any hope of exploring is scuppered by security guards. On the way home, I flick through reports about the Army presence. Anyone who'd walked the area knew they were here weeks ago, and now they're here in remarkable numbers. G4S get the blame for falling short, but it feels like the military were always coming and this is just a great excuse to explain it to the public. And its these things - disingenuous accounts, towpaths suddenly closed, pedestrians banned - which make me wonder if we'll ever get any of this back? Will the towpath along the Lea ever be walkable again? Will the soldiers ever leave the area completely? It's for these reasons that this feels like an ending - like London won't ever be the same post-Games. Looking west from the 205 bus, there is a hint of sunshine on the horizon, but back east it's black and ominous.Movebook Link
Posted in Railways on Saturday 7th July 2012 at 10:02pm
Despite regular gripes that there isn't much going on this summer, I have found myself with a number of fairly purposeful trips in recent times - and have a bunch of others planned. I'm not sure if this is just that opportunities I'd maybe normally have missed due to being off on a railtour have been seized or whether I'm finding ways of compensating for a working life pretty much devoid of purpose in recent times, but it's good to be able to get out, meet people and do things I'd maybe not normally choose to. That includes going to Barnsley... I'd passed through the town a number of times, but hadn't visited since April 2005, when I stopped off due to missing a connection at Meadowhall and wanting a run on a recently introduced Meridian, which then served the station. That time, I recall managing to upset a local to the point of rudeness, and still to this day didn't know quite how or why. So, today's trip promised to be an interesting reappraisal of somewhere which had left a poor impression.
The other complication was that Britain had been warned not to travel. It had rained, quite a bit in fact, and the drought of the early spring had become a deluge. The rail network had survived remarkably well - with a few common spots flooded and some landslips here and there, but mostly it was open for business. My first train was on time, and allowed welcome caffeine before the usual train to Birmingham. I'd split my ticket here to save money - but it turned out to be a blessing in some ways. The 09:03, which had originated down south and which I could have picked up at Bristol half-an-hour later, was cancelled. It had looked dubious earlier, and anyone heading north and already at the station had been ushered onto the 07:00. Conditions around Torbay were poor and services weren't getting out of the area as yet. Got my ticket stamped, had another coffee and headed for the 09:30. Oddly, found my usual seat free and despite being busy, had a fairly quiet and pleasant journey north - arriving only a few minutes later at Sheffield due to the quicker journey time on this service. A quick change onto a waiting Northern unit for Leeds, and I arrived in Barnsley only 11 minutes after I'd planned to. Typically, the friend I was meeting had some serious bus delays - so my triumph was short-lived, but this did allow an exploration of the station area. This has changed hugely since my last visit - with the large area between the town and the railway filled by a space-age, oddly Mediterranean styled building of terraces and mezzanines. It was light - the windows working like an unwelcome greenhouse in the surprising sunshine up here - and the facilities were excellent. This was not the functional, workmanlike Barnsley Interchange I recalled.
I was momentarily reminded of the rudeness from last time when I stood aside to let a buggy-pusher pass and the old folks behind me didn't agree with my chivalry. The decided I was "ignorant" but this was swiftly tempered by the jolly sparring of the couple in the excellent independent coffee shop, which reminded me of the pair who run the shop in Father Ted. Finally the bus arrived and we were out into Barnsley. The illusion created by the Interchange fell apart almost instantly, with the surrounding streets still rather drab and largely populated by closed shops and discount stores. A pedestrian walkway led through to The Civic, the main destination today. This is a rather fine Arts Centre building, spacious, including lots of different venue and exhibition spaces, and even fairly pleasant to look at. Entering via the rear, we ascended to the 28 degrees exhibition and spent a fine hour in the company of some surprising and intricate art and design work. Heading back out into the now rather warm afternoon, I had the rare pleasure of a tour of Barnsley from a near-native. This involved the markets - which rivalled most other town's efforts to be fair, and many poundshops and charity shops, one which had the unenviable accolade of being the only place I know to sell second-hand toilet seats. Finally, back to the Interchange for the journey down to Sheffield for a brief meeting.
I was surprised to find the Sheffield to Birmingham train reasonably quiet too, perhaps due to the rain - but this might be one worth using in future if it's as calm as this on a normal day. The run south was a little delayed, but very relaxing and pleasant. I'd had a fine day wandering and chatting to people - which bucked the usually rather solitary nature of these trips. I'd decided to break the trip south again at Birmingham which meant time for coffee and reflection, and the usual trains home which I rather look forward to these days. It had been an unusual day for me, but a memorable and pleasant one.Movebook Link
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.


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Popular documentary film series returns to Palm Desert
Organizers announce documentary titles featured in event's sixth season
PALM DESERT, Calif. - The Palm Desert Public Art Documentary Film Series begins January 16, with a screening of 'Class of '83'. Officials said the event gives you a chance to discover inspiring and thought-provoking cinema through public art-themed documentaries.
All films screen the third Thursday of the month from January through April at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at UCR Palm Desert, located at 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive. Admission is free, but organizers recommend you make reservations.
'Class of '83' is a compelling documentary that follows a group of friends who lost two high school classmates in the attacks on September 11, 2001, according to organizers. As their class prepares for its 20 year reunion, friends unite to create a place to reflect upon the lives of their fallen classmates.
Working with the guidance of fellow classmate and landscape artist Gus Wade, and a donation from a world renowned sculptor, the class transforms a section of their high school into a museum-quality sculpture garden.
Officials said a question and answer session with director Kurt Soderling will follow the film.
The documentary film series is in its sixth season and is presented by the City of Palm Desert Public Art Department and the University of California Riverside Palm Desert Graduate Center.
For more information or to make reservations, call (760) 837-1663 or you can register online.
Schedule of additional films:
- Feb. 20th - 'My Kid Could Paint That' - Called a "budding Picasso" at age four, Marla Olmstead quickly rose from total obscurity to international renown, selling over $300K in paintings. Five months into Marla's new life as a celebrity, a story on CBS' '60 Minutes' strongly suggested that Marla's painting were created by her father. Featured speaker Suzanne Houck, Certified Appraiser of Arts and Antiques.
- March 20th - 'Innocente' - This 2013 Academy Award-winning documentary short subject chronicles a young artists' fierce determination to never surrender to the bleakness of her surroundings. Told entirely in her own words, the film discovers Inocente as a 15-year-old homeless undocumented immigrant who realizes her life is at a turning point and takes control of her own destiny. Featured speaker is Matt D'Arrigo, founder and CEO of 'A Reason to Survive'.
- April 17th - 'Stolen' - In the early morning hours after St. Patrick's Day in 1990, thieves disguised as policemen gained access into Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and successfully executed the largest art heist in modern history. 'Stolen' is a full exploration of this unusual crime and the fascinating disparate characters involved. Featured speaker is Lynne Richardson, co-founder of the FBI Art Crime Team.


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KAYSVILLE - Three Utah members of the Animal Liberation Front claimed credit Monday for breaking into a Kaysville farm early Sunday, destroying property and releasing thousands of minks.
A statement posted on the ALF Web site states that the group entered the farm, released the minks and destroyed all breeding records. It states that they destroyed an electrical fence, vandalized trucks and equipment and cut about 100 holes in the perimeter fence.
The FBI has labeled ALF a domestic terrorist organization. The group has resorted to arson and the use of explosives to protest what they call the exploitation of animals for fur, food and lab testing.
Juan Becerra, spokesman for the the FBI's Salt Lake City office, said his bureau was assisting local detectives, but that it was too early in the investigation to speculate on "subjects or suspects" involved.
The FBI and Kaysville police began conducting interviews into the break-in but have not identified any group or person involved, they said. The Davis County Sheriff's Office is handling animal control.
Kaysville Capt. Paul Miya said Monday afternoon that there were no suspects whatsoever. After hearing of the news release, he said, "It's something we'll look into, but I don't give [ALF] a lot of credit for what they say."
Lt. Brad Wilcox with the Davis County Sheriff's Office said all but about 500 of the 6,000 minks released from Lodder Fur Farm had been recovered by Monday. About 500 of the minks died of heat exhaustion.
The break-in was the second recently in which minks were released in Utah and for which the ALF has taken credit. The other case occurred Aug. 19 in South Jordan and is still under investigation. The culprits there destroyed breeding records, and many of the minks died from stress or being hit by cars. Meanwhile, in the Kaysville area, Wilcox said the Davis County Sheriff's Office and animal control have been inundated with calls from residents in the west part of Kaysville and in Farmington west of Interstate 15 who have reported minks showing up in their yards.
Davis County animal control field supervisor Bryan Smith said he has received calls from locations up to 7 miles from the farm, which is near Shepard Lane and Sunset Drive.
"All day today, we've been getting calls on them," he said.
At least two animal control officers have been fielding those calls and catching the minks with nets. At least 40 were rounded up Sunday and 19 were captured Monday morning. "They're real fragile animals," Wilcox said. "They shouldn't be in this area naturally."
Anyone who finds minks in the yard should call Davis County Animal Services at 801-444-2200.


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Dresses by (clockwise from top left): Jenny Packham, David's Bridal, Matthew Christopher, Birnbaum & Bullock. All photos by Dan Lecca.
If you tuned in to last night's Oscars, you may have had a moment (or two) of envy for the celebrities walking the red carpet in such incredible couture gowns. But if you look closely enough, you'll find many wedding gowns available right now that have a similar feel. We're on the hunt for the red carpet lookalikes (and will share a bunch with you tomorrow), but for now, let us know if you had any favorites from last night and we'll find a wedding dress that has the same feel. Share your thoughts in the comments!


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2004 CHEVROLET Express 3500 Passenger Extended Van 3D
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2004 CHEVROLET Express 3500 Passenger Extended Van 3D
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