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The commemoration of LUMCON's 25-year anniversary in 2004 inspired many LUMCON employees to think back about the Consortium's modest beginnings. It's difficult to imagine that all of what LUMCON is today began with just one trailer, a trailer that still stands in the shadow of the DeFelice Marine Center. LUMCON was visualized and created for one main reason-there was a need. The waters off of Louisiana, stretching from the great Mississippi Delta in the east, to the Atchafalaya Delta in the west, required greater examination by scientists. What better way to improve research efforts in this region than by building a marine center on the coast between both deltas and offering a means to coordinate marine research among the state universities?
LUMCON's DeFelice Marine Center is situated at the end of LA Highway 56 in the small fishing community of Cocodrie, LA. Landsat Thematic Mapper Satellite Image-2002: LA DEQ, Baton Rouge; USGS National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.
In the late 1960s, Louisiana university representatives began to discuss plans for the development of a marine consortium that could meet the growing needs of researchers and provide educational enrichment for students throughout the state.
As written in a LUMCON brochure from the early 1980s,
"A proposal to form the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium was endorsed by the Louisiana Board of Regents and enacted into law by the Louisiana legislature in 1979. Architectural planning for the Marine Center began in 1980 and ground was broken for construction in April 1983."
But LUMCON began operation at the end of Highway 56 in Cocodrie several years before the Marine Center was constructed. Some LUMCON employees, when remembering these times refer to them as the "Trailer Days."
This article combines material from the three history installments that appeared in LUMCON News from Spring 2004-Fall 2004
The Trailer Days
"I guess I was crazy for applying to run a marine research consortium," says Dr. Don Boesch. "I was only 34 and I went to interview with the council thinking I really had nothing to lose, but honestly, I never thought I would get the job. I went home thinking, 'Well, that was an interesting experience.' I got a call the next day; it was Sunday, and amazingly they were offering me the job. This was a dreamlike opportunity to build a research center in a place where I was born and raised…in a place where I used to go fishing with my father."
Dr. Don Boesch, a New Orleans native, was Executive Director of LUMCON from 1980 to 1990. He now serves as President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Boesch left a faculty position at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 1980 to return to his home state of Louisiana and build LUMCON's DeFelice Marine Center and the research vessels Pelican and Acadiana, a feat that would prove to be more difficult and complex than he had ever imagined.
"When I came here in August 1980, it was pretty crude; we were operating out of a run-down trailer," recalls Boesch. "There was great promise and commitment for the facilities, but within the next two months it started to disappear. I was here for over two years with no real appropriations for the building or the vessels. My job, which I thought was to build the consortium, turned out to be convincing everyone to provide funding for the facilities. When I came in, there was a political transition; the new administration had to figure out who we were and what we were trying to do."
The trailer in the foreground housed the kitchen and dormitories, the trailer on pilings contained the administrative offices, and the rear trailer contained the library and vessel operations and maintenance offices. Photograph by Michael Dagg.
When Boesch signed on as Executive Director of LUMCON, Louisiana had recently elected David Treen as its governor. Treen served as governor from 1980-1984, replacing Governor Edwin Edwards, who had served from 1972-1980. Edwards was reelected to serve as Louisiana's governor from 1984-1988 and 1992-1996. Boesch eventually succeeded in acquiring funds to continue with the construction of LUMCON's Marine Center and build the vessels, a great relief to LUMCON's first faculty member, Dr. Michael Dagg (1981-present).
"I had nothing. I came down here from Long Island and for six months was living in one end of my trailer; my lab was on the other end," says Dagg. "It was a totally primitive lifestyle; any kind of experimental work had to be very simple. I remember I had a microscope and a few things I had brought with me, but we had no ships and we were unable to do much field work. Thankfully, we did have electricity?most of the time. And I had mosquito netting to sleep under. People were always walking in and out of the trailer and it was filled with mosquitoes…without the netting I couldn't sleep.
Dr. Nancy Rabalais stands in front of the trailer that served as her laboratory and office from 1983-1986. She estimates this pictures was taken in 1984.
LUMCON's second faculty member, Dr. Nancy Rabalais (1983-present), laughs when asked about her first impressions of LUMCON, but quickly adds, "I had come to visit Don and to see the place. I had spoken to a few people. I knew what I was getting into."
"There were just five trailers when I got here in 1983…the library, the administrative offices, the zooplankton lab, the benthos lab, and the kitchen/dormitory," says Rabalais. "They were finished dredging the marina for the facility and had just begun driving pilings into the ground. We were continually reminded of the construction because of the ground shaking and the noise."
The DeFelice Marine Center Rises From the Marsh
Louisiana Senate President Sammy Nunez and Governor David Treen (center) prepare to break ground for the Marine Center. Ten-year-old Kristin Boesch, the daughter of Dr. Donald Boesch, stands in the foreground.
After four years of operating out of trailers and swatting the ever-present mosquitoes, the time had finally come for LUMCON to break ground on construction on its Marine Center. It was April 1983, and Governor David Treen (1980-84) was scheduled to fly in to attend the much-anticipated event. Dr. Donald Boesch remembers the day clearly, although the weather was anything but clear.
"It was the morning of the ceremony and after an unusually long period of dry weather, we had this tremendous rain that turned the construction site into a quagmire," said Boesch. "Governor Treen had traveled down from Baton Rouge by helicopter and had almost turned back because of the intensity of storms. I remember the Governor getting out of the helicopter and looking rather green in the gills because of the harrowing ride…I also remember wondering if he was thinking he had made a big mistake."
The groundbreaking ceremony was moved into a National Guard tent that LUMCON had borrowed in anticipation of rain. Soggy guests packed into the hot and humid tent as plans were quickly rearranged in response to the less-than-opportune conditions.
"I had a lump in my throat and my heart was at my feet, but we still started the ceremony as planned with the Dusenberry Family singing the National Anthem in French," recalled Boesch. "When they sang in their beautiful harmonizing voices, it was so moving. I believe it transformed the whole process and everyone forgot about the adversities we were encountering that day."
Wilma Dusenberry (front left) and several of her daughters open the Marine Center groundbreaking with song.
As ground was broken under the army-green tent, LUMCON took its first steps towards construction of its current Cocodrie facilities. With its observation tower that rises 65 feet above the ground, the Marine Center is a striking feature on the flat marsh landscape. This 75,000-square foot building and the neighboring maintenance center, together sit on over 800 pilings, each 120 feet long. The Marine Center was designed with ample protection from hurricane flooding and winds-the main floor is elevated 18 feet above mean sea level, the exterior is constructed to withstand wind gusts of up to 250 miles per hour, and the laboratories are centrally located within the building.
LUMCON employees moved into the new Marine Center in 1986, even though its construction was not completed until 1987. "Moving into the building was absolutely wonderful. It was a joy to finally be in here,"recalled LUMCON scientist Dr. Michael Dagg.
This photograph shows one wing of the Marine Center as it appeared during construction in fall 1983. Photograph by Michael Dagg.
The Marine Center's dedication ceremony was held beneath the facility in May 1987 and was attended by approximately 200 people, including Governor Edwin Edwards, LUMCON Council Chairman Dr. Darryl Felder, U.S. Representative Billy Tauzin and U.S. Senator John Breaux. "John Breaux can clearly be considered one of the political founders of LUMCON. He supported the concept of the Consortium back in the late 1970s," said Boesch.>
Another strong advocate of the Consortium was Woodrow J. DeFelice (1914-87). In January 1996, the Marine Center was renamed the W.J. "Woody" DeFelice Marine Center in recognition of his support for LUMCON and his dedication to improving education in Louisiana. DeFelice served as Lafourche Parish School Superintendent from 1959-71 and served on the Louisiana Board of Regents from 1974-80.
As LUMCON forged ahead, increasing its number of employees and expanding and strengthening its research and education programs, the old, weather-beaten trailers began to slowly disappear. Only the administrative trailer that housed Boesch's office still remains in its original location.
LUMCON Takes to the Sea
Marine research and education centers are often known as much by their land-based facilities as they are by their seagoing vessels. LUMCON is certainly no exception. LUMCON's research vessels, crew and marine technicians have long been an integral part of the Consortium's success. Whether cruising along the continental shelf for several weeks of oceanographic research, or simply venturing into Terrebonne Bay for a two-hour educational cruise, LUMCON's vessel operations have gained the Consortium respect from researchers and educators worldwide.
The R/V R.J. Russell managed to stay afloat for many years, despite a perpetual leak of water into the forward bunk room. The vessel's crew was never able to locate the exact location of the leak. Photograph by Michael Dagg.
LUMCON acquired its first research vessel, the R.J. Russell, from Louisiana State University in 1982. Cruises on the Russell were more than a little rocky, as Wayne Simoneaux, LUMCON Marine Center Superintendent, can attest to firsthand. "We always came back with what we left the dock with personnel-wise…but not always equipment-wise,"said Simoneaux, who was hired in 1985 to work as a cook, engineer and assistant captain on the Russell. Steve Rabalais, LUMCON Director of Operations and Facilities, has his own memories about the ship.
"The ship's fiberglass was leaking and the plywood started rotting and growing mushrooms," said Rabalais. "There was this huge bracket fungus growing in the wheel house," Rabalais recalled, extending his arms to either side of his head to demonstrate its enormous size. "The Captain, Lee Black, called it his garden."
While LUMCON's employees were thankful for the Russell, they realized her limitations and their need for a larger, better-outfitted oceangoing vessel. Boesch and Rabalais, spent several years planning for this new ship, and when the 105-foot sparkling blue and white R/V Pelican turned the bend and sailed into LUMCON's harbor in May 1985, it was greeted with great celebration.
"When the Pelican came in, we all came out of the trailers and drank champagne," recalled LUMCON professor Dr. Nancy Rabalais. "Everyone felt like it was their boat."
LUMCON's R/V Pelican was designed by Gulf Marine Design, Inc. of Mandeville, Louisiana, and was built by Allied Shipyard in LaRose, Louisiana. She has proven herself to be an exceptional ship, repeatedly ranking as one of the nation's top University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) vessels. "For the last eight years we've been the most utilized class four vessel in the entire UNOLS fleet, often utilized more than larger class three vessels," said Steve Rabalais.
Dr. Donald Boesch (on right) shakes hands with Tommy Dantin, President of Allied Shipyard, over the keel of the R/V Pelica during the vessel's keel-laying ceremony in 1994. Photograph by Glen Pitre.
While the Pelican was well-suited for oceanographic research, LUMCON needed a smaller vessel for nearshore research and educational cruises. In 1986, LUMCON sold the R.J. Russell and added to its fleet the R/V Acadiana, a 58-foot ship that was built by Breaux's Bay Craft in Loraeuville, Louisiana. School groups from across the country have sailed through Terrebonne Bay aboard the Acadiana, learning about the estuary through hands-on activities such as fish and invertebrate identification and water quality testing.
Interest in LUMCON's marine education program rapidly expanded when the Consortium's first Marine Education Instructor, Dr. John Trowbridge, was hired in June 1987. "My first day I had about two hours of trying to figure out what to do before the phone started ringing and people wanted to bring students down," said Trowbridge. "It was quite amazing. It blossomed very quickly." In fact, the interest for marine science education in Louisiana was so strong that LUMCON's only marine educator often relied on staff from other departments to accommodate all of the visitors. "Everyone was super and really kicked in. It was very much a family environment and a labor of love," said Trowbridge.
LUMCON's marine education program has continued to flourish over the years as instructors have expanded programs for K-12, university and teacher education. LUMCON's research programs have likewise grown and diversified. With interests ranging from monitoring Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, to improving marine aquaculture techniques and predicting toxic algal blooms, LUMCON's scientists have focused on answering important marine science questions that are pertinent not only to the residents of Louisiana, but also to the nation and the world.
As LUMCON looks to the future, it almost unavoidably looks back to its humble, yet hopeful beginnings. "There are a lot of people at LUMCON who have seen it through the hard times to where we are today," said Dr. Nancy Rabalais. "There's a lot of dedication." From a few trailers clustered on the side of a harbor, to a world-renown research and education facility with a fleet of sought-after vessels and a top-notch staff, LUMCON has clearly come a long way. No matter what surprises lay ahead, the Consortium will continue to chart forward as long as it has the strength and support of its employees and of those members throughout the state who utilize its many resources.
LUMCON's DeFelice Marine Center as it looks today. The R/V Acadiana is in the center of the photograph, the R/V Pelican is on the right. Photograph by Danielle Richardi.


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Largo di Torre Argentina is an excavated square containing the remains of four temples and the Theatre of Pompey, where Caesar was assassinated. It's also home to a no-kill cat shelter and hundreds of cat friends. We spent so long standing in the rain spotting as many as we could, you'd think we didn't have any where we came from.
Sadly the shelter has been threatened with closure and are currently waiting to see how the city's new administration feel towards them. Good luck guys!
Hello, I'm in Japan! I will write more soon, but in the meantime you can see what I've been up to here.
Reading books
1Q84, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Claudine At School, Hunger Games (x 3), A Sense of an Ending, Bossypants, and now Bonjour Tristesse.
Planning and scheming
About Europe, and a few other exciting things that are a long way off.
Walking up small mountains (this trail leads up there), and also getting 3/4 of the way through couch to 5k (and I'm going to finish). I'm shocked and appalled to find myself actually enjoying it.
I tried a 30 day drawing challenge on instagram and gave up after about a week, but have continued drawing bits and pieces. My friends and I had a couple 'drawing clubs' and they were basically heaven.
Zoo sleepover
I slept over at a zoo with about 27 other people. The sleep was horrible, but the early morning time we spent wandering before the zoo opened made it more than worth it. Above: important sleepover paraphernalia.
People (and pet) time
Easter days were gloriously spent with several groups of amazing gals (and a few lads) eating, drinking, dancing, playing games, decorating easter eggs and cookies, and toasting to Blumphrey. The first of those days was at my lovely friend Amie's place and she just has the most amazing pets. So jealous.
Always eating.
As I mentioned in my last post, we recently had an amazing time in the Nelson-Tasman area. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Mapua and nature was all around. Plant and animal life is so different just a few short hours (and a ferry ride) away from Wellington, and it was awesome hanging out with tui, quails, fantails, geese, and many baby pukeko. So fluffy, so cute. Jason took these photos, most with his macro lens on digital and the first and last on his minolta.
Hello strangers! Been a long time, shouldn't've left you without a dope beat to step to. I'm so sorry I have been MIA, partly it's because I've been thinking about starting a new blog, something that's a bit more me now and little less twee. Don't worry, I shan't be forsaking all the twee, ya'll know I still love kittens, I'm just not quite happy with the name of this one.
I have been having a marvelous summer, I've ticked off so many things on my Summer Goals list without even meaning to, only about five things left to go! I thought I'd start my return to blogging by sharing my summer instagrams with you.
Wellington: Eating, drinking, Christmas parties, and more recently, gigs. This weekend I went to Fleet Foxes and Beirut – too much fun.
Auckland: Awesome Christmas family time, shopping and strolling in Cornwall Park. All the food.
Raumati: Holidaying in a spacious bach with lots of good people. Rain, sunshine, barbeques, fancy NYE dinner complete with cat's ears, fluffy neighbour kittens, and I Have Never in the best fort ever.
Nelson: The ferry, a bed and breakfast with a glorious garden full of tuis and friendly cats, beer tasting, magical treehouses. Not pictured: Emma's amazing wedding! I was too busy helping Jason take the official photos to grab any snaps.
Sorry for such photo-heaviness, I only put up about half of what I wanted to! If you'd like to follow me on instagram, search for kate_mcleod.
Fancy vintage ladies and cats on leashes are a match made in heaven. A 1961 casting call for 'The Black Cat' from the Life archive, via Thought Patterns.
Pet foxes, from National Geographic's Taming the Wild. I can has, right?!

subset: commoncrawl


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Some Excellent Quotes For/About Those Who Don't Believe In GOD/Creator
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its a free gift. that last for an eternity. really people think about it.Quoting: alexblanelayder 1306989
what is there to lose???? or to gain?????
Can't be free if you have to do something to get it, by definition.
No one is perfect. A babe before walking will first stumble and fall many times but NEVER gives up until he succeeds.
Always remember, ultimately, to never follow any person's belief. Your relationship with God is between you and God.
If nothing else, remember this: religion = subservience, control and conformity, the same template as EVERY government
"Most believers would kill truth if truth threatened their religion." L. K. Washburn
"This crime called blasphemy was invented by priests for the purpose of defending doctrines not able to take care of themselves." Robert Ingersoll
"If anyone wants to know how God feels, it's a warm light as if the sun is poking through dark clouds and lifting your spirits with pure joy."
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If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped. --Evelyn UnderhillQuoting: TXGal4Truth
Without God man has no reference point to define himself. 20th century philosophy manifests the chaos of man seeking to understand himself as a creature with dignity while having no reference point for that dignity. --R. C. Sproul
To sustain the belief that there is no God, atheism has to demonstrate infinite knowledge, which is tantamount to saying, "I have infinite knowledge that there is no being in existence with infinite knowledge" --Ravi Zacharias
A creature revolting against a creator is revolting against the source of his own powers--including even his power to revolt...It is like the scent of a flower trying to destroy the flower. --C.S. Lewis
The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful, and has nobody to thank.--Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Atheism is a crutch for those who cannot bear the reality of God. -- Tom Stoppard
Atheists express their rage against God although in their view He does not exist. --C. S. Lewis
It amazes me to find an intelligent person who fights against something which he does not at all believe exists. --Mohandas Gandhi
Nobody talks so constantly about God as those who insist that there is no God. -- Heywood Broun
In some awful, strange, paradoxical way, atheists tend to take religion more seriously than the practitioners. --Jonathon Miller
Thank G-D I'm an atheist.
|Halcyon Dayz, FCD
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How is a braindead collection of religious apologia anyway helpful?
It certainly won't changes the mind of any person who doesn't believe in any god or gods to begin with.
All we require is PROOF of the claims made.
50,000 years later, still nothing.
reflecting on his work near the end of his life, charles darwin confessed:Quoting: Sword0fGideon
I was a young man with uninformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything; and to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire. People made a religion of them."
Being bedridden many months before his death, Darwin was often found reading. when one visitor asked what he was studying, he replied:
Hebrews, still Hebrews. "The Royal Book," I call it.
After speaking on "the Holiness of God" and "the grandeur of this Book," Darwin declared:
Christ Jeses and his salvation. Is not that the best theme?
Does the 9th commandment ring a bell...?
Fucking hypocrite.
An idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it. — Don Marquis
Hatred is a cancer upon the world.
It rots the mind and blackens the heart.
Hi! My name is Halcyon Dayz and I'm addicted to morans.
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Religion Is man made -Napoleon BonaparteQuoting: Anonymous Coward 1136891
Religion was Created to keep the poor people from killing the rich people. -Napoleon Bonapart
"I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him." -Napoleon Bonapart
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upon recieving a copy of Pierre Simon de Laplace's book, Mecanique Celeste, Napolean Bonaparte remarked:Quoting: Sword0fGideon
You have written this huge book on the system of the world without once mentioning the author of the universe.
And Laplace replied, "I had not the need for that hypothesis."
|Excellent site to view current " live " cryptocurrency quotes " Don't Panic !"
|5 STARS!!! Go watch 'GOD'S NOT DEAD!" Excellent movie for Easter, excellent movie any day!!!
|Onion a day keeps doctor away? Cornell researchers find some onions do indeed have excellent anti-cancer benefits
|Excellent Argument for the Holy Bible being God's Word
|God Does Excellent Work Taking Care of Me.


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We prefer businesses that drown [us] in cash. An example of a different business is construction equipment. You work hard all year and there is your profit sitting in the yard. We avoid businesses like that. We prefer those that can write us a check at the end of the year.
- Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway 2008 Annual Meeting Notes
In Is Your Stock a Sinkhole or a Geyser? Part 1, I categorized companies like Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE:MSO), Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD), Goodyear Tire (NYSE:GT), Great Wolf Resorts (NASDAQ:WOLF), and Pacific Ethanol (NASDAQ:PEIX) as "sinkhole stocks." These are businesses that have generated negative free cash flow for the last 7-10 years. As a result, they have been forced to issue debt and stock in order to keep their doors open. In order to pay a dividend, a sinkhole stock must rob Peter to pay Paul-- and sometimes even rob Peter to pay Peter.
Today, I want to discuss the opposite type of business: "geyser stocks." These are businesses that are absolutely gushing cash, like IBM (NYSE:IBM), Hansen Natural (HANS), Thor Industries (NYSE:THO), WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC), and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (NASDAQ:RMCF). All five of these companies have generated positive free cash flow for the last 10 years, in each and every year: (Click to enlarge)
These companies are in different industries, and in both high and low margin businesses. But they all possess an almost magical ability. Each is able to take a dollar of revenue from selling its products or services, use it to pay its suppliers/employees/rent/utilities/insurance/etc. and to maintain its equipment, and still have money left over to write its owners a check.
Unlike sinkhole stocks, these geyser stocks are free to use their cash gushers to expand the business, pay off debt, buy back stock, or pay shareholders a dividend.
Geyser stocks are often self-funded by their own free cash flow: McDonalds (NYSE:MCD) is famous for having never issued stock (on net) since its IPO (though it has taken advantage of low interest rates to conservatively lever up the company over the last few years). In-N-Out Burger and Trader Joe's presumably spit out so much cash that they have been able to remain private and fund their growth internally.
Take a look at the companies in your own portfolio. Do you own all geysers, or have a couple of sinkholes slipped in? Few people are willing to tolerate negative cash flow on a rental property, yet every day investors line up to purchase shares of sinkhole stocks.
No price is low enough for a sinkhole stock. Theoretically, a sinkhole stock should trade at a negative share price to compensate you for taking your perfectly good cash and incinerating it.
No price is low enough for a fox that eats golden eggs. Which begs the question, how much should you pay for a goose that lays golden eggs, like a geyser stock? The answer will have to wait for my next article.


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The year of Andy
Yeah, I know. Even I'll admit: a year of me is too much. But when I downloaded the iPhone App called "Everyday" at the airport in Phoenix a year ago, I made a commitment. Every day, or as close to every day as possible, I would take a self-portrait.
The result, one year later, is interesting, albeit not very flattering. When flattened into a 42-second movie, I see some good photos, some pretty bad photos and some photos that immediately evoke a memory.
The ones in my office sort of blend together, but the day of Tim Cuprisin's funeral, or the day I had back surgery, are clear as a bell. I'm amused as I watch my Brewers playoff mustache grow in October. I'm less amused by the shots where I look like like a pasty, 50-year-old man. I've learned that the shots where I'm lying on the couch look the absolute worst.
Still, it was an interesting exercise, and I ended it where I started it, at the Phoenix airport a week ago. Enjoy my little art project.


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Brooks Lodge is an historic, three-story, landmark, all seasons vacation home located on the north side of Brooks Lake in Newaygo, Michigan. Located about one hour north of Grand Rapids, Brooks Lodge offers vacationers a spacious, accommodating, and relaxing environment available by the week or for shorter term stays. Brooks Lodge is the perfect place to unwind, reconnect, and renew.
During your stay, enjoy 110 feet of sandy beach front, fishing docks, and shallow wading area. Grab a lounge chair and head to one of three spacious wood decks that offer panoramic lake views. Or hop on a paddle boat or canoe for a lake excursion.
Inside, enjoy this gorgeous, fully furnished, 100+ year-old home that has been completely remodeled and features
hard wood floors, fully stocked kitchens, spiral staircases,
ceramic tiled halls and baths, and ample living space.


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Utility Service Blanket
The simplicity of this wool blanket puts the natural woven texture and classic whip-stitched edges in the spotlight. Crafted by a family-owned American company that has been milling wool for over a century, this versatile blanket is thick and durable. Traditional spinning and dyeing processes are applied to a quality wool blend, resulting in a blanket that is not only beautiful but also machine washable and dryable for easy maintenance.


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"Game changer" is a term you hear often when people talk about how technology has changed their industry.
Many managers think their sales teams need help building their negotiation skills but can't articulate why. Most salespeople possess some level of intuitive negotiating skills, but many lack the discipline necessary to simultaneously sell and negotiate. The result can be less value for the company and bonus dollars for them.
So how do you know if your sales process or compensation plans are working or could be improved? Accordence consultants assess nine factors to see where we can assist in making improvements to your sales teams' selling and negotiation approaches. If you cannot respond about your team to at least six or seven of the factors with "we do this very well," then there are likely additional gross margin dollars to be captured through better selling and negotiating. In today's market, those dollars are very important; it's just a matter of a little better blocking and tackling. We'll present five of those factors in Part I of this two-part article. Part II will be posted on Dec. 22.
5 Factors for Assessing Negotiation Weak Spots:
1. The sales teams responsible for driving 70% of your gross profit cannot articulate how you fit into their customers' long-term strategies and are not seen as an important part of their execution.
When preparing for selling and negotiating with a customer, I always want to know not only who are the interested parties but more importantly, who are the parties I need to get interested in us. Most customers are more likely to use your products and services if they understand how it supports their strategies. That means getting beyond the purchasing buyer to those charged with developing and executing strategy within the customer's organization. Once your customer understands that you are helping them achieve their strategic goals, price becomes less of a relative factor (although it will always be important). Many times it will not be your product or service, but rather what it will accomplish for them that creates value.
For instance, Accordence consultants were working with a company that sold operating room equipment. We had the doctors and technicians on board but we were blocked by the director of operations. She was a staunch supporter of our competitor, which offered a less expensive solution, although it was not the best for the hospital. So how did we get them to see this and maintain our relationship with the director of operations? We decided to hold a meeting between their senior executives and ours to discuss each other's visions of the operating room of the future. We found they wanted more flexibility to perform procedures in multiple areas not just in one operating room. Therefore, in the future, equipment had to be mobile and easily transported up and down hospital halls. (The competitor's equipment was not easily moved and too tall to get down hospital halls.). Once the administration saw us as helping them implement their strategy, price and our competitor became less of an issue. The focus became solving the customer's problem of the future not of the present. We won that deal.
2. Customers rarely try to renegotiate their contract before its expiration or fail to live up to its terms.
This is an indicator that you either did not understand everyone's interests or did not have all of the relevant parties at the table when concluding the negotiation. As a lawyer I used to say that all the work began after the contract was signed. This was because rarely had the parties vetted out what they really needed from each other ahead of time. Usually they found out too late and the conflict began; non-compliance with the contract and a poor customer relationship. World class sales forces spend time, almost four times that of their less-effective counterparts, listening and not talking, then crafting agreements that match what each other needs. The extra time spent up front results in fewer agreements not being complied with or needing amendment.
3. There is little pricing and terms integrity in your market place.
This is an indication that a sales force may not have objective standards on how to make offers, counteroffers, or concessions. In addition, it shows that we are not using objective criteria to distinguish pricing of one sale to another. We were working with a company selling laboratory testing equipment and consumables on a deal in the Northeast, which was proceeding as well as we could have expected. On one of our last visits to finalize some timing details we were surprised when the potential customer showed us a sale that had been consummated on the West Coast on almost the exact products and terms and conditions for 17% less than we had in our proposal. Eventually they went with our competitor even though the product was not as superior as ours. They lost trust in us.
4. Negotiation strategies do not exist for 70% of your business and are not integrated into your sales training and marketing programs.
Without these strategies and their integration, your sales team may not have thenegotiation tools and approach to capture and hold on to value in their selling andnegotiating processes. There are many companies which are great at training sales on itsproducts and services, and sometimes there is even good training on the sales process.But we see things fall down when the sales team is trying to negotiate and sell at the sametime. Marketing tools are usually very good at describing features and benefits, but not ataddressing deal timing or concession strategies, which are left to the sales team. So salesthen gets "creative" and doesn't stick to the pricing, terms and configurations prescribedin the marketing materials. We may have hired Sales to be creative, but they may havebeen given little to no leeway in creating good offers, concession strategies and counteroffers.In addition, sales development usually focuses on teaching the marketing approach and features and benefits, yet not enough time spent understanding negotiabletrade-offs or what they could even negotiate. Instead they are taught to overcomeresistance, a necessary skill but not sufficient alone.
5. Salespeople do not have clear guidelines and authority to culminate agreements
without management assistance, including walking away.
In all of our years of teaching negotiation and negotiating we find this to be the one area that hurts companies the most. Usually I hear from the sales team that they cannot walk away from a sale. So I ask, "Does that mean you will take any deal?" Of course the answer is "No, not any deal." But what happens if they counter or show a competitor's deal that seems to be better than yours? That is when the sales manager comes in. Usually the negotiation then becomes all about price rather than value, a very inefficient resolution and more loss of revenue.
What we find is usually the sales team wants to negotiate and walk away from bad deals. But the team lacks the guidelines and walk away points. They should learn to control the tempo of the negotiation and walk away when the sale makes no economic sense or destroys pricing integrity in the market. Without these guidelines and authority, all sales make sense until someone says no. The most efficient and effective person to negotiate is usually the salesperson.
The authors are executives at Accordence, a negotiations and interactions training consultancy that helps organizations maximize negotiation as a competitive advantage. You can find Part II of this article HERE.


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Tide of overdose deaths rising
Hempfield had more drug overdose deaths last year than any other Westmoreland County municipality, according to Coroner Ken Bacha.
Eight people died in Hempfield, Derry Township had seven drug deaths and Greensburg had six, according to 2012 statistics.
"I have no explanation whatsoever," Bacha said. "How and why, that is. I don't know."
Fairfield, Irwin, Loyalhanna, Manor, New Stanton, North Belle Vernon, Southwest Greensburg and Upper Burrell recorded no deaths.
So far this year, 46 people have died from drug overdoses. Another seven suspected deaths will be confirmed once toxicology reports are complete, Bacha said.
"That would put us on pace to experience approximately 110 by the year's end," he said.
Bacha said a newly created task force is analyzing the surge in drug overdoses, which peaked last year with 78 deaths, including 27 by heroin.
The 2013 numbers reflect increased fatalities in rural and suburban areas.
Bacha said geography may be linked to the death rate. A number of municipalities are along or near the Route 30 corridor, which is one area where the task force is focusing.
"Demographics is high on our list," he said.
Recent arrest reports show drug trafficking is prevalent along major highways in the region.
• Drug agents arrested 16 suspected drug dealers earlier this month operating along the Route 65 corridor from Pittsburgh's North Side to Beaver County.
• In April, Pittsburgh police nabbed 43 suspected dealers operating along the Brownsville Road corridor in Carrick, seizing $100,000 worth of heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs.
A portion of Route 30 leading to Ephrata in Lancaster County has been dubbed the "heroin highway" by law enforcement officials because of the flow of heroin from Philadelphia to Ephrata.
• State police routinely make drug arrests along Interstate 80, which is known as a drug route that cuts across Pennsylvania from Butler County in the west to Northumberland County in the east.
District Judge Mark Bilik, whose jurisdiction includes Derry borough and township, said most of the theft and burglary cases he handles are related to heroin use. He said three of the four people he arraigned Friday morning were held on heroin-related charges.
"They're after guns, jewelry — anything that will sell," Bilik said. "Maybe it's the Route 22 corridor. That gives them easy access to Pittsburgh and its suburbs. It doesn't take much to shoot down Route 22 and back into Derry."
District Judge James Albert of Greensburg said he believes there are more drug-related deaths in the Greensburg area than are reported.
"That's the ones you know about," Albert said. "I think there's more than that. I get parents in here who say their son or daughter robbed the mother of her jewelry to sell to get heroin. They have to have it."
Albert said he sees virtually no charges related to cocaine.
"I get almost no cocaine compared to seven, eight, nine years ago. Cocaine was the big thing," he said.
Hempfield Area School District Superintendent Andy Leopold said it's difficult to assess the level of drug abuse within the schools or the township.
"If we based it on disciplinary hearings or expulsion hearings, you'd think it was declining," Leopold said. "We know that's not the case. There's really no data to say drug abuse is on the rise or on the decline. We've been trying to be out in front of this because it's a frightening situation."
Peter F. Luongo, executive director of the Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions in Pittsburgh, has attended drug forums held in Westmoreland County since spring to address the drug problem and spike in deaths. What's happening in the county is not unique, he said.
"We are concerned," Luongo said. "This is now happening virtually in every state."
Richard Gazarik is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-830-6292 or at email@example.com.


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Show Stopping Flaming Steak Fajitas
Be the first to review
READY IN: 25mins
Recipe by NcMysteryShopper
I love cooking with spirits and I love fire shows (under control of course!) in the kitchen! Here are some show stopper Fajitas! Enjoy! From Regis and Kathy Lee.
See Discussion:
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 1⁄2 lbs lean skirt steaks or 1 1⁄2 lbs bottom round steaks or 1 1⁄2 lbs flat iron steaks, cut 1/4-inch thick and trimmed of visible fat
- 1 lime, juice of
- 4 large garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
- 1 -2 teaspoon pequin quebrado chiles or 1 -2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1⁄4 cup brandy
- 4 -6 flour tortillas (12 inch)
Accompany with a Bowl or Plate of each Topping
- 4 -6 romaine lettuce leaves, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips
- 1⁄2-1 cup salsa
- 1⁄2-1 onion, chopped
- 1⁄2-1 tomatoes, chopped
- 3 -4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup sour cream
- guacamole, for serving with the fajitas
Directions See How It's Made
- Cut steak into 6 equal portions. Pound portions until they are as thin as possible and coat with lime juice.
- Sprinkle steaks evenly with garlic and press in pequin or crushed red pepper flakes. (Pequin is intensely hot: 2 teaspoons will be fiery, 1 teaspoon will get your attention, 1/2 a teaspoon will still have a kick).
- Stack steaks and let stand for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke.
- While skillet is heating, stack the tortillas and wrap in foil, and place in the oven along with 4 to 6 dinner plates.
- Add oil and quickly sear the meat on both sides. Add brandy to the hot skillet. Flame the meat by touching the brandy with a lighted match and let the flames burn down. (If the flames get too high you can cover the pan with the lid.)You can do this table-side if you are careful!
- Place all the items on the table along with the steak. Guests can pick which items to add to their tortillas. Simply fill, roll and eat.


text:
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text:
Garlic Seasoning (Ajo Preparado)
The food of Tomasa Meléndez Hernández (of Las Brisas del Mar restaurant) is full of marvelous, intricate flavors. One of her secret weapons is this aromatic mellow garlic paste, which she adds to dishes shortly before serving. A stronger version of the paste, made with garlic and olive oil, is used in the same way in specialties from the Spanish province of Catalonia and from the Levant.
- Servings: MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP
- 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves (about 2 heads)
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
How to make this recipe
In a food processor or blender, puree the garlic cloves with the water. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the garlic puree and cook until the water has evaporated and small holes form on the surface of the puree.
Make Ahead
The garlic puree can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.


text:
Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Tolkien's Legendarium: Essays on The History of Middle-earth… (2000)
by Verlyn Flieger
No current Talk conversations about this book.
"Paradoxically, it was Tolkien's very failure to bring his mythos/lengendarium to any kind of ordered completion that resulted in a body of work which, in textual terms, approaches a real mythology: a tangled body of related writings, highly variable in quality and style, sometimes banal, often enchanting, frequently inconsistent or opaque. It is a measure of his work's depth and richness (and a tribute to Christopher Tolkien's editorship) that a volume of essays such as this can not only be produced, but achieve a real sense of critical endeavour beyond mere fandom. The detailed textual history can be hard going, but that will hardly deter anyone who has tackled 'The History of Middle Earth' itself. Only rarely did I find myself wondering whether any of it mattered: most of the time I was simply fascinated." amazon.co.uk - MB 16-iii-07
References to this work on external resources.
Wikipedia in English (3)
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0313305307, Hardcover)
As a scholar of medieval languages and literature, J.R.R. Tolkien brought to his fiction an intense interest in myth and legend. When he died in 1973, he left behind a vast body of unpublished material related to his fictive mythology. Now edited and published as The History of Middle-earth by his son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien, these 12 volumes provide a record of the growth of J.R.R. Tolkien's mythology from its beginnings in 1917 to the time of his death more than 50 years later. The material in these volumes offers an unparalleled insight into Tolkien's process of myth-making and is a guide to the world of his literary works. This book is the first comprehensive critical examination of Christopher Tolkien's compilation of his father's Middle-earth legends.
An opening essay by Rayner Unwin, Tolkien's publisher for many years, surveys the publication history of the collection. The essays that follow, each written by an expert contributor, explore a wide range of topics related to The History of Middle-earth. Included are discussions of Tolkien's languages, the evolution of his vision over time, the shifting importance of central characters, and the effect of his mythology on The Lord of the Rings. By exploring this mythological compendium, the volume sheds further light on the entire body of J.R.R. Tolkien's works and is a valuable resource for all readers interested in his writings.
(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:13:03 -0400)
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To see the complete first round projections, click here
45. Kansas City - Wes Hodges, 3B, Georgia Tech
Hodges has battled a calf injury for the last several weeks, which has relegated him to DH duty. When healthy, Hodges should hit for a good average at the plate, and might add more power with his good bat speed.
46. Colorado - Lars Anderson, 1B, Jesuit HS (California)
Anderson has raked his way into the early rounds by launching 14 home runs this spring. He has great size and gets great leverage with his swing that gives him lots of power.
47. Tampa Bay - Chris Perez, RHP, Miami (Florida)
Perez has had some issues off the field, but has pitched well as Miami's closer. Perez can reach 95 with his heater, and his slider can be devastating at times, but he must get better control of his stuff and stay on top of his conditioning.
48. Pittsburgh - Jared Mitchell, OF, Westgate HS (Louisiana)
Mitchell has signed with LSU for football, but has shown a willingness to start his pro career. He has great athleticism and has a quick bat. He is obviously raw due to playing football, but he has a huge ceiling if it all comes together.
49. Seattle - Adam Ottavino, RHP, Northeastern
Ottavino has a nice frame that allows to sit in the low-90s comfortably, with more velocity to come. He has an outstanding slider, but the rest of his secondary stuff needs to be fine-tuned.
50. Detroit - Alex White, RHP, D.H. Conley HS (North Carolina)
A pure power pitcher and exceptional athlete, White could see his fastball reach the high-90s, once he fills out his projectable frame. White also throws an overpowering slider, but needs a third pitch and may need to go here to keep from fulfilling his commitment to North Carolina.
51. Atlanta - Adrian Cardenas, 2B, Monsignor Pace HS (Florida)
Cardenas had one of the best seasons of any player in America, smashing 18 homers and finishing with a .647 average. Cardenas should provide nice pop for a second baseman and be an average defender.
52. Cincinnati - Derrick Robinson, OF, P.K. Yonge HS (Florida)
Like Mitchell, Robinson is a football recruit who is committed to Florida. Robinson is the fastest player in the draft and has a good feel for the game, and he'll need extra time in the minors, but he could be a big weapon at the top of the order if it all comes together.
53. San Diego - Emmanuel Burriss, SS, Kent State
Burris emerged last summer in the Cape Cod League, using his blazing speed to swipe 37 bases. Burriss has a good understanding on how to utilize his speed, and should hit at the top of the order. He may face a move to second base, but some think he can stay at shortstop.
54. St. Louis - Jared Hughes, RHP, Long Beach State.
For his great size (6-foot-7), Hughes isn't overpowering, but commands the strike zone well and gets plenty of ground outs with his fastball and slider when he is on.
55. Arizona - Mark Melancon, RHP, Arizona
This is a very risky pick, due to Melancon being shut down with a strained elbow ligament almost two months ago. If the D-Backs, or any team for that matter, feel comfortable with his health, he could go much higher than here. When healthy, Melancon reaches 95 with his fastball and has a powerful curveball that makes him one of the top closers available.
56. Cleveland - Dustin Dickerson, 3B, Midway HS (Texas)
Dickerson has a lot of strength and raw power is 6-foot-4 frame, and is also a good athlete. His glove is inconsistent at third, so he may move to the outfield or first base down the line.
57. Cleveland - Jeff Locke, LHP, Kennett HS (New Hampshire)
Hailing from a cold-weather state, Locke hasn't been seen much, but he has a very projectable frame and reaches 93 with his fastball. His secondary stuff will need work, but he could be a terrific prospect in time.
58. Baltimore - Dellin Betances, RHP, Grand Street HS (New York)
At 6-foot-9, scouts can really dream on Betances' potential. He can touch the mid-90s with his fastball and has a plus curveball. Betances is athletic, but will need plenty of refinement with his delivery.
59. Washington - Matt Long, RHP, Miami (Ohio)
The first senior to go off the board, Long has had great success as a reliever after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He sits in the low-90's, but has thrown harder and complements it with a power curveball.
60. Milwaukee - Chris Archer, RHP, Clayton HS (North Carolina)
Archer has come on this spring, and could be a terrific prospect down the line. He works in the 90-92 range with a plus slider, and has a frame that projects a lot more velocity.
61. San Diego - Steven Wright, RHP, Hawaii
The Padres drafted Wright out of high school, and they could move him to the bullpen, where his low-90s fastball and outstanding slider might mean a quick trip through the minors.
62. New York Mets - Matt LaPorta, 1B, Florida
After failing to sign Pedro Beato, the Mets will be on the hunt for a first-round talent that slides in the draft. LaPorta is such a case, having Scott Boras as an adviser and suffering through a disappointing junior year. LaPorta has terrific power, and would give the Mets a much-needed impact bat.
63. Florida - Brandon Belt, LHP, Hudson HS (Texas)
Belt got off to a super start this spring, but tailed off towards the end of the year. He can touch the low-90s and is developing a good curveball. He should add velocity as he grows into his 6-foot-5 frame.
64. Minnesota - Matt Sulentic, OF, Hillcrest HS (Texas)
When you hit .676 with 19 homers, you're going to get some attention. Sulentic is a pure hitter with good power, despite his size (5-foot-10). He could play in the outfield, but some teams could move him to second base.
65. Philadelphia - Cody Johnson, 1B, Mosley HS (Florida)
Johnson has astonishing power for his age, and destroyed quality pitching on the showcase circuit last summer. He does have holes in his swing, and will need work defensively either at first base or the outfield, but could be a huge offensive performer.
66. Oakland - Josh Butler, RHP, San Diego
Butler made an early statement by beating Texas to start the season. He wore down towards the end of the year, but he can touch the mid-90s with his fastball, and has a good slider and curveball. He needs to get stronger, but has a solid repertoire.
67. Houston - Sean Watson, RHP, Tennessee
Watson has two above-average pitches in his fastball and his knuckle-curve, but has struggled with inconsistency at times, especially with his mechanics.
68. Atlanta - Tommy Pham, SS, Durango HS (Nevada)
The Braves covet tools-oriented players, and Pham definitely fits that profile. He also brings 90-plus heat as a pitcher, but wants to hit. In addition to his arm strength, Pham runs very well and the ball jumps off his bat.
69. Cleveland - Ryan Morris, LHP, South Mecklenburg HS (North Carolina)
Morris has seen his stock rise this spring by reaching the low-90s with a solid slider. Morris also has nice projection, giving the Indians another solid prospect from the prep ranks.
70. Washington - Steven Englund, SS, Bellevue HS (Washington)
Englund is loaded with tools, but is very raw on the field due to playing football. Englund began just to concentrate on baseball last year, and has made good strides, but will need plenty of time and refinement.
71. Boston - Mark Hamilton, 1B, Tulane
Another client of Scott Boras, Hamilton got off to a slow start, but he recovered nicely. He has great power, draws walks, but isn't a great defender at first base.
72. Atlanta - Zach Britton, LHP, Weatherford HS (Texas)
Like Clayton Kershaw, Britton has seen his velocity spike this spring to the low-90s. Britton has a good curveball, and offers plenty of projection, but needs to develop a changeup.
73. Chicago White Sox - Wade Kapetyn, RHP, Illiana Christian HS (Illinois)
Kapeteyn isn't as polished as some of the pitchers expected to go in this part of the draft, but he couldbe overpowering in time. His fastball has great sink and life to it, and his slider and changeup have made good progress.
74. St. Louis - Tony Watson, LHP, Nebraska
A draft-eligible sophomore, Watson has terrific command and can run his fastball into the low-90s with room for more to come. He has a great changeup and a slider that needs sharpening, but could move very quickly.
75. Cleveland - Ryan Adams, SS/2B, Jesuit HS (Louisiana)
Adams has drawn comparisons to Toronto's Aaron Hill, with the potential to be a productive middle infielder with the bat to go with a good glove. Adams has had issues with hamstring injuries, which may cause him to slide further than his talent warrants.
76. St. Louis - Devin Shepherd, OF, Oxnard HS (California)
Shepherd is already a physical specimen, and has great bat speed and raw power to go with a solid throwing arm. He hasn't always shown his power in games, and will need extra time in the minors to refine his game, but the finished product could be special.


text:
On Tue, 2006-01-03 at 04:06, Sean Waite wrote:
> Basically this guy is just leeching off of others work to make money.
Making mony on selling a burned cd for $0.99?
> If you look around you will see people doing the same thing with
> Asterisk now, something that can be easily downloaded for free off
> of sourceforge.net.
Welcome to the world of open source.
I don't se the difference in me putting an add in the local newspaper
stating that I will sell a asteriks-box, and me putting the same box on
ebay or any other online-shopping-site.
> I wonder if this seller could get reported for what he is doing as Ebay
> does have strict guidelines for what you can and cannot sell,
> as well as how you sell the items. At the very least he is hiding
> important facts.
Hopefully not. IMHO
The only thing he is doing wrong is caling it linux instead of FreeBSD.
Henning Wangerin <mailinglists dash after dash 041101 underscore reply dash not dash possible at hpc dot dk>


text:
Comedians 'The Bad Clowns' leading the IYAF parade through Kingston last Sunday to help promote the International Youth Arts Festival and also their night of comedy improv based on the Wizard of Oz at The Ram Jam club, 46 Richmond Road, Kingston on Thames, on Wednesday 23rd July at 8pm. Photo shows Christian Dart as Dorothy, John Bond as the Tin man and Sam Walls as the Scarecrow. Photo by Johanna Dart.
Based on information supplied by Angela Dart.


text:
Becoming Just A Christian
Chapter two
Clarence W. Fell
That They all May Be One
John 17:21
Becoming Just A Christian
Different groups have different ideas about how a person becomes a Christian. Some teach that all a person has to do is say a simple prayer, while others teach that a person is saved only after many long hours of prayer. Some teach that baptism is a part of becoming a Christian, but others teach that it is not. Some even say that God has already decided if you will be saved or lost. These conflicting ideas confuse people. Tragically, many fall victim to Satan's divide and conquer strategy.
We can cut through the confusion, defeat Satan's strategy, and just be Christians. We do this by following the simple plan of salvation found in the New Testament. When we follow that plan then we are safely on the path that leads to heaven.
Another benefit of being just Christians is that we will be working for the unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17:20,21. Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." We can stand together in unity. We can stand together on the common ground of a solid book, chapter, and verse foundation and successfully fight Satan's divide and conquer strategy. We can stay focused on the simple truth of God's Word and gain victory for ourselves and our loved ones. Together we can make a difference.
Grace and Salvation
Grace makes salvation possible. Without God's grace we would be hopelessly lost. We simply don't have the ability to create our own plan of salvation (Jeremiah 10:23). Only God can make a plan of salvation.
To properly understand the role of grace in salvation we need a solid Bible foundation. We don't need the theories and speculations of man. Our aim is to understand grace the way God meant for it to be understood. To do this let's consider some of Bible examples.
Noah and Grace
Noah's experience is an excellent example of God's grace. In Genesis 6:7,8 we read, "So the Lord said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.' But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Noah's escape was a gift of God's grace. It came in the form of a special plan that God designed. In Genesis 6:14 we read about this plan, "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch."
Noah and his family stood together united upon the common ground of God's plan. Their escape was by God's grace. It was a gift from God. Yet, Noah and his sons had to follow God's plan. They had to build the ark to escape the coming destruction. Grace did not exclude work on their part. God did not build the ark for them, but rather He supplied the plans for the ark. In this way Noah and his family were saved by the grace of God.
God offers us a way to escape eternal destruction, but we must follow His plan. The Christians of the first century followed God's plan and were saved. Today we must choose whether to follow that same plan or follow a plan designed by man. One will save, the other won't.
Joshua and Grace
Joshua is another example. God gave Joshua the city of Jericho. God said, "See! I have given Jericho into your hands, its king, and the mighty men of valor" (Joshua 6:2), yet there was something that Joshua had to do to receive this gift from God. Joshua and his army had to march around Jericho exactly the way God said before they would receive this gift from God. Joshua's obedience does not change the fact that God gave Jericho to Joshua. When we use Bible words in Bible ways there is no conflict between God's grace and man's obedience.
This principle is easy to illustrate. Imagine that you are watching an infomercial that offers you a plan to make a million dollars in one year, guaranteed. Normally such a plan would be expensive to buy, but today, and today only, the plan is absolutely free. Now, because the plan is free, a gift of grace, does that mean it will automatically work without any effort on your part? Of course not. You still have to work the plan. This is the same principle involved in God's plan of salvation. He gave us the plan of salvation absolutely free. It's a gift of grace, but we still have to follow His plan.
Paul taught, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10). God's Grace does not exclude man's obedience. There are some things we must do, things that God "prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." These things are "not of yourselves" but rather are "the gift of God … prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." God freely offers us this plan of escape, but we must follow it. (Other verses of interest are Gen. 19:19, Num. 21:4-9, II Kings 5, Psalm 84:11, Proverbs 3:34, and Jonah 4:2.)
Faith and Salvation
"For by grace you have been saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8). If salvation was by grace only, then everyone would automatically be saved because God does not want anyone to perish (II Peter 3:9), but salvation is not by grace only. It is by grace through faith. Faith is required to receive the gift of salvation from God. "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6).
What is Faith?
Where can we learn about faith? Do we look it up in Webster's dictionary, ask just any preacher, or study the Bible? Let's look in God's dictionary, the Bible, to learn about the faith that receives the gift of God's grace.
"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?'" (Romans 10:16). In the Bible the faith that receives God's grace is the faith that obeys the gospel. Obeying the gospel and believing the gospel are virtually the same thing (See also Heb. 3:18-4:6, I Peter 2:7). Translations vary in how they translate the original Greek. Some use the word obey and some use the word believe. These variations exist because saving faith and obedience are so intertwined that you can't have one without the other.
There is a type of faith that does not receive God's gift of grace. John 12:42,43 records such a case, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." They believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but they rejected Him and so their faith was worthless.
James wrote about saving faith and worthless faith, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect. … For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (see James 2:14-26).
When we understand that saving faith obediently surrenders to the will of God, then we can easily see how other verses fit into God's plan. Verses such as...
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). A person must actually do what Jesus said to do, not just claim to do it (see also Luke 6:46).
"...taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thessalonians 1:8). Again, we see that God requires our obedience. He clearly states that He will take vengeance on those who do not obey the Gospel. If faith is going to save, then it must be an obedient faith.
"He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him" (Hebrews. 5:9). People who don't understand how saving faith and obedient surrender blend together are often puzzled by verses like this one. But when they learn that saving faith includes obedient surrender, then verses like this pose no problem.
The faith that receives the gift of God's grace is like Noah's faith; it trusts God's plan and follows God's plan. Saving faith is a firm conviction that God's plan is the right plan. It is a personal surrender to God that changes the way we live. Saving faith is the essential key to accepting the gift of God's grace. To reach the saving blood of Christ we must obediently surrender to His will.
In our effort to stake out common ground, we are calling people to obediently surrender to the will of God, to let go of man-made doctrines, and trust in His Word. In this way we can stand together fighting Satan's strategy of confusion. Our loyalty will belong to Christ, and our goal will be heaven for ourselves and our loved ones.
Repentance and Salvation
The Bible also connects repentance to salvation. Peter taught that God is "...not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). Those who perish are those who don't repent.
In Acts 11:18 we read, "When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, 'Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.'" Repentance is an opportunity "granted" to us by God. It's a part of God's plan of salvation (See also Luke 13:3, 5).
In Acts 17:30 we read that God "...now commands all men everywhere to repent." Repentance is not optional. It is a command.
So, what is repentance? Repentance is a change of direction. In our case it is turning away from sin. This is a natural part of saving faith. If a person does not turn from sin, then there has not been a personal surrender to God. To receive the gift of salvation, a person must stop rebelling against God.
While we can talk about saving faith and repentance separately on paper, the two cannot be separated in practice. A person who does not repent has not exercised saving faith. He has not surrendered to God. He is like the rulers in John 12:42 who acknowledged the truth but refused to accept it in their own lives.
We are calling people to repent, to make a personal surrender to the will of God, to let go of man-made ideas, and turn to the pure Word of God. When we do that, then we stake out common ground, stand together in strength, and fight Satan's strategy of confusion.
Confession and Salvation
The Bible also connects confession to salvation. "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10).
"But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:33).
What is the confession that we make? It is the good confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. For example, "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:36,37, also see John 20:30,31).
This confession is a natural part of saving faith. If a person refuses to confess, then there is no personal surrender. So, while we can talk about saving faith, repentance, and confession separately on paper, the three cannot be separated in practice. The person who refuses to confess has not obediently surrendered his life to God.
We are calling people to make this good confession, to let go of denominational traditions, and simply trust in the Word. The good confession is a step toward that common ground where we can stand together in strength fighting the divisive schemes of Satan.
Baptism and Salvation
Faith, repentance, and confession are generally accepted by most religious people without much discussion, but when the subject of baptism comes up, disagreements erupt. Why or how Satan has managed to make this a major point of division we cannot say, but he has successfully used baptism to divide and conquer many people. Some preachers say that a person must be baptized and some say that baptism does not matter. Many of these preachers have academic degrees from religious colleges and still don't agree. If preachers can't agree, then where does that leave you? Should you be baptized or not?
We desire to stand where the Christians of the first century stood. We do not want to defend pet ideas or denominational traditions. We want the pure Word of God to base our eternal hope upon. We want to stand together in the unity that Christ's prayed for in John 17:20-23.
Baptism is from God
Baptism is not something that man created. Baptism is in the Bible because God put baptism in the Bible. The Christianity that Jesus taught includes baptism (Matthew 28:18-20). If we are going to practice that same Christianity, then we must also practice baptism. A Christianity that excludes baptism is something different than what Jesus established.
Man has no right to take baptism out of Christianity or to redefine baptism. To change baptism in any way is to rebel against God (Rev. 22:18,19). If a preacher, any preacher, tells you that you can practice the same Christianity that Jesus taught without practicing the baptism taught in the Bible, then that preacher is wrong.
Baptism and the Blood
Sins are washed away by Jesus' blood (Rom. 5:9, Eph. 1:7, 2:13, Col. 1:20). Our salvation hinges entirely upon coming to the saving blood of Jesus. A person cannot be saved until the blood of Christ washes away his sins. We should ask: At what point is the blood applied, or how does one come to the blood? Different people answer in different ways. The only safe answer is a Bible answer and the Bible answers…
"And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). The saving power is not in the water itself, but rather it is during baptism that Jesus' blood washes sins away. That is why Ananias could say to Paul, "Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins."
Peter wrote, "There is an antitype which now saves us—baptism" (I Peter 3:21). Baptism saves because God set it up as the point where the blood of Jesus washes our sins away.
Perhaps the clearest text is Romans 6:1-11. The essential role of baptism is seen by answering this one question, when are we united together with Christ in the likeness of His death? Read Romans 6:1-11 and let the Bible answer. The Bible says, "...as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death...For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." We are united with Christ in the likeness of His death in baptism. If we are not united with Christ in His death, then we will not be united with Christ in the resurrection.
If a preacher tells you that you can be united with Christ in the resurrection even though you have never been united with Christ in death, then that preacher is teaching something different than what God's word teaches. Don't listen to him (Matt. 15:14).
Obedient Surrender Is Not Optional
Those who take baptism out of their Christian practice or redefine baptism to suit themselves are saying in effect that obedient surrender is optional. Yet, obedient surrender to the will of God is not optional. John tells us that the obedient are blessed and enter the gate leading to the tree of life (Rev. 22:14). If you want access to the tree of life, you must surrender to the will of God, and baptism is a part of His will.
Oddly enough some preachers teach that obedience is optional. Even though Hebrews 5:9 directly states that Jesus "...became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him," and Luke reports, "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him" (Luke 7:30). Look at these two verses again. These verses don't require a degree in theology to see that God requires obedient surrender. Consider also Paul's warning that Jesus will take "...vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thessalonians 1:8). The necessity of surrendering to the will of God is a clear Bible teaching (Matthew 7:21-23). If a person truly surrenders to the will of God, then that person humbly obeys all that God has said. If a person disobeys in some things, then that person did not truly surrender (James 2:10).
If a preacher tells you that obeying God in baptism does not matter, then that preacher is wrong. God said, "To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). Is Baptism good?
The Apostles Commanded It
The apostles commanded people to be baptized. They did not just suggest it or merely encourage it, but rather "...commanded them to be baptized" (Acts 10:48).
This case of Peter commanding baptism is even more impressive when we go back up to verse 44 and see what occurred before they were commanded to be baptized. In verse 44 the Holy Spirit moved upon these people. Peter saw this with his own eyes and heard with his own ears the effect of the Holy Spirit upon these people. And after seeing the action of the Holy Spirit upon these people, Peter "...commanded them to be baptized." The action of the Holy Spirit did not excuse these people from baptism. Peter did not merely suggest baptism; he commanded them to be baptized.
If a preacher tells you that God does not care whether or not you are baptized and that you can excuse yourself from baptism, then that preacher is preaching a different gospel than Peter preached (Galatians 1:6-9). Peter did not excuse people from baptism. Even after the Holy Spirit fell upon them he still did not excuse them from baptism. By what right does a preacher today excuse people from baptism? (See also Acts 2:38 and 22:16.)
Why Did the Apostles Command Baptism?
You might wonder why the apostles commanded people to be baptized when just the opposite is commonly taught today. The reason the apostles commanded people to be baptized is because they were under direct orders from Jesus to go into all the world and baptize people. Teaching and practicing baptism was not an option for the apostles (Matthew 28:18-20).
Matthew 28:20 shows us that the apostles' converts were to practice the same things the apostles practiced. The command of baptism did not end with the apostles but was passed down to their converts and their convert's converts and so on down through time. Thus nearly 2000 years later we are still under that same command. Yet, as unbelievable as it sounds, there are preachers who teach that God does not really care if you are ever baptized or not.
If a preacher tells you that baptism does not matter, then you know that he is following a different teaching than Jesus taught. In which case you will have to decide whether you want to follow Jesus' teaching or some preacher's teaching. (I personally recommend following Jesus' teaching, John 12:48).
Following Jesus
Followers of Jesus are suppose to follow His teaching and His example. In Luke 6:46 Christ asked, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do the things that I say?" He was disappointed that while some professed Him as Lord they did not obey Him. This same sad situation still exist today. Jesus directly told us to practice baptism. He also set us an example by being baptized Himself, and yet some who claim Him as their Lord refuse to follow Him in baptism.
Jesus' baptism illustrates the importance of baptism. In Matthew 3:13-15 we read that Jesus was obedient unto baptism in order to "fulfill all righteousness." Now think about this for a minute, if Jesus, the sinless son of God needed to be baptized in order to "fulfill all righteousness," then how much more do you and I need to obey God in baptism? How do we dare excuse ourselves?
Baptism Is How We Get Into Jesus
Baptism is our entrance into Christ. Prior to baptism a person is not yet in Christ. I know that this goes against what many preachers say, but the message of the Bible is…
"Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" (Romans 6:3).
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
A preacher might claim that a person who rejects baptism is still walking in the way of God, but the Bible says otherwise (Luke 7:30). Before you follow such a man, first verify whether or not he will be your judge in the day of judgment. See if he has the power to override God's Word and get you into heaven even though you rejected part of God's Word? If you are not absolutely positive that he can achieve this on your behalf, then I suggest that you humbly obey God in baptism.
But What About the Thief on the Cross
Many people point to the thief on the cross as an excuse for not being baptized. Let's consider the thief for a moment.
1. Was the thief baptized?
We don't know for certain if the thief had ever been baptized. Many people overlook the possibility that the thief could have been baptized sometime before his arrest and crucifixion. We know for a fact that some disciples fell away (John 6:66). Could the thief have been such a disciple? Yes, but we can't say for certain either way. We know for a fact that great numbers of people were baptized before the crucifixion (Matt. 3:5,6; Mark 1:5; John 4:1). Could the thief have been a part of the multitudes that were being baptized? Yes, but we can't say for certain.
Our lack of certainly about the thief's past makes him a dangerous basis for rejecting baptism. To say that the thief was never baptized is just a guess. Most of us will agree that a guess is not a good foundation to build our eternal hope upon.
2. How did the thief know so much about Jesus?
We know for a fact that the thief was familiar with Jesus and His teachings. While suffering the torture of crucifixion, the thief had enough conviction to defend Jesus saying, "This man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23:41). How did the thief know Jesus well enough to come to His defense?
How did the thief know Jesus' teachings well enough and have enough faith in Jesus to request just prior to death, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42).
3. Jesus had the power to forgive sins.
This fact is overlooked when considering the thief. Jesus said to a paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven you," and then to prove that He had the power to directly forgive sins He healed the paralyzed man (Luke 5:17-24).
Today Jesus does not physically walk the earth and directly forgive sins as He could do in the first century. Today He has set a plan of salvation in place by which anyone can come to His saving blood and be cleansed, but to reach the saving blood we must follow His plan. Pointing to the thief as a pattern of salvation is a dangerous practice to say the least.
4. Old
Testament or New Testament.
The thief lived and died under the Old Testament. We live under the New Testament which went into effect after Jesus' death. The New Testament tells us what God expects of us in our time. Refusing baptism based on the example of the thief reveals a misunderstanding of the Old and New Testaments. (For further study see Jer. 31:31,32; Gal. 3:19-24; Col. 2:14-17; Heb. 1:1,2; 8:7; 9:15-17; 10:9,10).
5. Today we are baptized into Jesus' death (Rom. 6:1-11).
It was not possible for the thief to be baptized in the likeness of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection before Jesus' death. The baptism that we practice today was not delivered to the apostles until after the resurrection (Matthew 28:18-20). The thief might have been baptized under John the Baptist's teaching, but he could not have obeyed the baptism that God expects of us today.
6. Making an exception into a common practice.
If it could be proven that the thief had never followed Jesus or had never been baptized and that he was truly an exception to the common practice, this still does not prove that baptism is optional today. We do not take an exception and make it the common rule of practice for everyone. If it was an exception, then that necessarily infers that the common practice was to require baptism.
7. Who are you going to follow?
You have two choices, a thief that may or may not have been baptized, or Jesus who was baptized (Matthew 3:13-15). Which one do you choose to follow into eternity?
God's Plan of Salvation
While we can talk about saving faith, repentance, confession, and baptism separately on paper, these cannot be separated in practice. The person who refuses baptism has not obediently surrendered to God (Luke 7:30). When these four elements are brought together as God designed, then the blood of Christ washes away our sins (Rom. 5:9, Col 1:20, I John 1:7).
Just as God's grace devised a plan of escape for Noah and a plan of victory for Joshua, God has devised a plan of salvation for us. If God Himself had not devised this plan, then faith, repentance, confession, and baptism would be worthless. It is God's grace that gives these value. These are gifts of God's grace. In these God has granted us a way to reach the saving blood of Jesus. When we follow these Bible steps, we are becoming Christians the same way the people of the first century became Christians.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Matthew 7:21-23
Chart of Conversions in Acts
Day of Pentecost Acts 2:36-42
Samaritans Acts 8:4-12
The Eunuch Acts 8:26-39
Saul Acts 22:1-16; 9:17-20
Cornelius Acts 10:25-48
Lydia Acts 16:13-15
Philippian Jailor Acts 16:23-34
Corinthians Acts 18:4-11
The Bible and Obedience
The following references show you what the Bible says about obedience. It is important that you read the Bible for yourself and get your feet firmly grounded on a solid book chapter and verses foundation. This list is not exhaustive but it provides plenty of verses.
Matthew 7:21-27 Matthew 12:50
Mark 3:35 Luke 6:46
Luke 8:21 Luke 11:27,28
John 10:27 John 13:17
John 14:15, 21, 23, 24 John 15: 10, 14
Acts 5:29, 32 Romans 1:5
Romans 2:6-10 Romans 6:16,17
Romans 8:1,13 Romans 10:3,9,13,16
Romans 11:22 Romans 12:1,2
Romans 13:2 romans 14:12
Romans 15:18 Romans 16:17,19, 26
I Cor. 7:19 I Cor. 9:27
Eph. 2:10 II Thes. 1:7-9
II Thes. 3:14 I Tim. 6:14
Hebrews 5:9 Hebrews 11:8
James 1:22 James 2:10
I Peter 1:2, 14 I Peter 3:1
I Peter 1:14 I John 2:3, 17
I John 3:22, 24 I John 5:2,3
II John 6 II John 9—11
Rev. 22:7, 14
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Hildur Lilliendahl Viggósdóttir, an Icelandic feminist who has captured the attention of a nation ever since she set up a Facebook album back in February, ' Men Who Hate Women '...
In the popular album she points out the perpetrators of the everyday casual sexism directed at women in general, and feminists in particular, that she has found on public forums across the web.
Interestingly a British website, The Everday Sexism Project, has recently been set up to document similar sexist comments on a daily basis. The idea has caught on across Twitter – with many people now regularly contributing to the collection using the hashtag: #everydaysexism.
Some have applauded Hildur's bravery; others have been less supportive. Last month, in a comment to an article on Icelandic newspaper DV's website subsequently published on his publicly-visible Facebook wall, one man declared: "If I 'accidentally' ran over Hildur, she is probably the only person on earth that I would back up over, and leave the car on top of her with the hand brake on!!!" He concluded with the provocation, "Put this in your 'men who hate Hildur' folder, Hildur Lilliendahl."
So she did. The result? Hildur has now been slapped with a 30-day ban from the social networking site - the fourth time her account has been blocked since first setting up the album .
"I have been reported several times on the grounds of screenshots posted in the album," Hildur says. "I moved the album to a Tumblr page after Facebook blocked me so that I could keep it open."
It is against Facebook's terms of service to post images of other people's Facebook pages without written permission. "At Facebook we deplore bullying," said a spokesperson. "We made this rule because screengrabs are one way that bullies can try to bypass privacy and sharing settings."
Man posts death threat against woman on his Facebook page; woman posts screenshot of it on her Facebook page; Facebook suspends her for 'bullying' him
Current Status: Published (4)
Seeded on Fri Nov 16, 2012 10:44 AM
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Plov: Vegetarian Style
Sometimes I make a dish with no idea what is going to happen at the end – to include if it will even be edible. I had heard of Plov before, thanks to Silk Road Bistro, but wanted to make it more of a main dish without the standard lamb. Lots of googling gave me a good list of vegetables to start with: carrots, onions, and garlic – along with the addition of some variety of currant. When it came to the main protein all I knew is that I didn't want to go with tofu, I wanted something with a firm bite to it as a contrast to the soft vegetables. I decided to go with chickpeas since their origins in Turkey led me to believe they would have easily spread to the Central Asia region that I was focusing on for this dish.
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp coriander
1 vidalia onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups chickpeas
1/2 cup cranberries
- Heat the vegetable oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute before adding the onion and garlic.
- Continue cooking the onion and garlic for 15 minutes, the onion should start to caramelize and the garlic should be a rich golden color. Add the rice and stir, until coated in the oil then add the water.
- Bring the water to a boil then cover and turn heat to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the chickpeas and recover.
- Cook for a final 5 minutes then stir in the cranberries and Serve!
Another thanks to /r/52weeksofcooking for sending me on another delicious food journey – I've learned so much in doing these weekly challenges and can't wait til the next one! Though of all the dishes I've made for this challenge, this one is easily in the top 5 as the ingredients are all standard ones making it super easy to prepare. Ever since Wegmans added cranberries to their bulk food section I've had a fresh supply in my pantry – and while they aren't burberries they are delicious.


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In recent years, endangered manatees have been sighted during summer and fall months in states along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from Massachussetts to Texas. In October 2008, a manatee was rescued from Sesuit Harbor in Dennis, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the manatee -- named Dennis after the town where he was rescued -- died en route to SeaWorld Orlando after suffering severe cold stress.
In the fall of 1994, a manatee named Chessie gained national attention after being sighted in the Chesapeake Bay. Save the Manatee Club helped fund Chessies rescue and transport back to Florida, and the Club has consistently been involved in manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts over the years.
It is crucial that citizens report manatee sightings outside Florida, particularly as the weather turns cooler, so that wildlife authorities can monitor these animals and intervene if necessary, says Dr. Katie Tripp, Director of Science and Conservation for Save the Manatee Club.
While manatees can typically locate sufficiently warm water and abundant food supplies in northern waters during the summer, once waters begin to cool in the autumn, manatees must return south to Florida. As a subtropical species, manatees cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to water temperatures below 68 °F. Along the east coast of the United States, water temperatures will soon be dropping and approaching or surpassing this critical threshold.
"Generally speaking, manatees that have not returned to Florida waters by autumn are at risk from developing cold stress syndrome, which is a potentially fatal condition," says Tripp. Younger, juvenile manatees that wander north are particularly susceptible to these colder temperatures because of their smaller body size. Such manatees may also be naïve and less likely to successfully find their way back to Florida.
Non-Florida residents can report sightings to their local wildlife officials. Contact information is available at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/networks.htm. Those local officials should then contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Jacksonville, Florida at 904-731-3336.
Citizens should be prepared to report the number of manatees observed; the physical location of the manatees, with reference to any nearby landmarks; and a general description of the size and behavior of the manatee," says Tripp. "If possible, photos of the manatees, particularly clear photos of any scars or injuries, should be taken as these photos help biologists identify individual manatees. Citizens can also contact Save the Manatee Club with questions about unusual sightings by calling 1-800-432-JOIN (5646) or e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
Manatees are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Please do not feed or touch manatees or give them water.
Get more Manatee Information
Return to the Manatee News page


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Milwaukee Event Calendar
Landmarks of Faith: Synagogues on Postage Stamps
Feb. 7, 2013 11:30 a.m. at Jewish Museum Milwaukee, 1360 N Prospect Ave.
Through his extensive collection of worldwide stamps that depict synagogues and Jewish ritual objects, Ellis Bromberg is able to trace the Jewish experience from the First Temple through Diasporic life in Europe, the Western Hemisphere, and contemporary Israel. Ellis is the general manager of Milwaukee Public Television. This program is being offered in connection with the exhibit "Revealed: Private Collections from the Jewish Community" on display through Feb. 28, 2013.http://www.jewishmuseummilwaukee.org/programs-resources/index.php


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PAX Prime's Indie Megabooth website is live now, featuring the full list of 30 developers, showcasing over 30-something projects. The collaborative buy-in for studios began at PAX East this year and was such a success that the tradition will carry on.
The booth space will include the latest indie hotness, like Vlambeer's Luftrausers, Capy's Super T.I.M.E. Force, Carbon Games' AirMech and many other titles we don't mean to insult by not listing here. There are a lot of high-quality projects to check out in the not-so-little booth. PAX Prime 2012 is sold out and will take place next weekend, August 31 through September 2.


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A federal judge has ruled a property management company owned by the founder of Domino's Pizza doesn't have to immediately implement mandatory contraception coverage in the health care law.
U.S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff ruled Sunday in favor of Tom Monaghan and his Domino's Farms Corp., near Ann Arbor. Monaghan, a devout Roman Catholic, says contraception isn't health care but a "gravely immoral" practice.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/31/judge-halts-contraceptive-mandate-for-firm-owned-by-domino-pizza-founder/#ixzz2GiQaV3Bm
Judge halts contraceptive mandate for Michigan firm owned by founder of Domino's Pizza
Current Status: Blessed (1)
Seeded on Tue Jan 1, 2013 1:46 AM
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Zimbabwe captain Peter Ndlovu has signed for South African club Mamelodi Sundowns.
Ndlovu moved to the Pretoria-based club on Thursday, after competing in English football for over a decade.
Ndlovu was given a free transfer by Sheffield United at the end of last season but at 31 is expected to be a major star in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
He will be paid a record signing-on fee and salary, although officials said the specific details will not be formally released.
The costs to Sundowns are expected to be as high as US$500,000 over the next two years.
Ndlovu's wage demands - which exceed the earnings of any player in the league - saw Kaizer Chiefs pull out of the race for his signature earlier this week.
Chiefs had been talking to Ndlovu for several months and were the initial favourites to get the player.
But Sundowns, who continually battle Chiefs in the image-conscious South African football transfer market, have pulled off a major coup over their arch rivals.
Already married to a South African pop star, Ndlovu has a house in Johannesburg and his elder brother Adam Ndlovu has played in the PSL for the last two seasons.
Sundowns is owned by Patrice Motsepe, a mining magnate who is fast becoming the Roman Abramovich of African football.
Last month, Motsepe prised Kaizer Chiefs' goalkeeper Brian Baloyi away from the club with a US$160,000 signing-on fee.
In the season-opening Charity Spectacular on 31 July, Baloyi's penalty-stopping form gave Sundowns victory over Chiefs in the final.