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" UK Railway with 30 different stations. "
If it's possible to travel to your destination using any other service or mode of transport other than Transpennine Express, then I suggest you take it.
I commute Sheffield to Manchester and back every day. Problems include:
There is always a scramble to get a seat, as TP only put on 2 or 3 coaches for the busiest commuter services. So you quite often have to stand for an hour.
Trains are commonly late. Normally 5 to 10 minutes. 35 minutes this morning (prompting me to write this review.)
Trains are cancelled when the weather is inclement. A service was cancelled last week without notice, because of the rain. I had to return home and then drive to Manchester, resulting in me getting to work an hour and a half late.
The service provided by First Transpennine is pathetic. Please don't use them unless you have to...
...and then maybe I'll get a seat.
I bought tickets for my mother who lives in Spain and was travelling from Manchester Airport to Grange over Sands. While buying the ticket I am asked my mother's name (the ticket will be issued for the passenger nominated, the website warns, who will need to present proof of ID). Fine, I say, my mother comes from Spain so she travels with her passport. All along the booking and booking confirmation on their website I read about the passenger travelling both with the ticket and proof of ID. Only to find out, when they actually send you the e-tickets (which happens only almost 2 hours after booking) that for Transpennine proof of ID is the credit card I used!! As far as I am aware credit cards are not proof of IDs. So I called their customer service to explain this was not possible, I paid 5 pounds on a call to 0870 number that lasted 1 hour!! I was on hold around 35 minutes between two operators. Had to send an email for proof of what I was saying (reading PROOF of ID needed, and NOT credit card). Only to find out that my tickets are lost, not refunded, can't change delivery method and, as they have a monopoly on the train service I needed, if I wanted my mum to travel I will need to buy (just 10 hours after the first ticket was bought) a new train ticket. This is not a train service, this is a scam. If you can avoid using this train service and specially their customer service line and e-ticket facility, please do at all costs or you will pay.
Imagine you have just spent £152.00 on three First Class Anytime return tickets one week in advance of traveling. You purchase the expensive option, because you are going to be traveling all day, and the final leg of your journey, a 1-1/2 hour train ride, doesn't even begin until well after 18:00. You also know enough about the state of public transport in Britain to ensure that you have an assigned seat, preferably in the First Class carriage, which at least pretends to be a decent standard of comfort.
Then as soon as you read the confirmation e-mail, you notice that your outbound journey departure time doesn't correspond with the time you thought you booked. Now, it may very well be that YOU made the mistake, so you can't complain - even if you are fairly certain you set the time correctly on the online booking form.
No matter, the whole point of the Anytime ticket is that you can travel at any time on the day of purchase. Also, First Trans. have a customer support team, who you imagine will be able to correct the problem. You call them up, and notice a distinct and heavy Indian accent at the other end of the phone. No problem, much of the time, Indian call centers can be just as good as UK based even if there is the added burden of understanding the accent.
So, there I was, in just that scenario. Let me cut the story short here. Suffice it to say that I am completely dissatisfied with the level of support received.
Basically, there is simply no reason to purchase a First Class Anytime ticket, because the only guarantee for a seat is on the train time that you book. if you actually end up having to travel 'anytime' rather than the booked time - the whole point of stumping up the extra cash for the Anytime ticket, you will be left scrabbling for any available seat on whichever train you manage to catch. Your First Class credentials get you absolutely nowhere.
On average, I travel with Transpennine Express every three weeks (usually there and back) on the Cleethorpes - Manchester route, and more recently their service from Middlesbrough where I am at uni. I have been travelling with them all my life on a regular basis, so I hope I can give you an informed review on my experience with them.
From 2006, Transpennine Express brought in their new range of trains which have given an overall more positive customer experience as opposed to the old trains which were certainly "past it", by the time the company pulled them from their routes. They are now easy to spot purple/pink and blue trains, which operate a number of routes in the north of England and also Scotland.
On board, Transpennine Express trains have purple seats which in all honesty are not comfy if you are doing the entire route from Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes, yet they are adequate for journeys lasting about an hour. I definitely think there is room for improvement though, as East Coast trains seems to have much comfier seating in standard class than Transpennine express do.
There is a mixture of standard two seaters which face both forwards and backwards, and then about 4 tables per carriage. There are also radiators that run alongside all of the seats, although I'm not sure how often these actually get turned on! There are typically 3 carriages in total, with half a carriage dedicated to 1st class, and the rest standard class. There are also toilets located in each carriage.
In terms of cleanliness, it can be a bit of hit and miss. It is certainly unpleasant if you happen to be sat in close proximity of the toilet, and sometimes if you get on TPE trains towards the end of the route, it can be littered and generally a little grubby. I definitely think the inside of the trains could do with a deep clean every once in a while, particularly down the sides of seats as it's just nasty. Again for short journeys though, it's never too much of an issue and certainly not the worst I have seen.
The catering service on Transpennine Express services leaves alot to be desired, that's if it happens to be running on your service. Expect to be offered tea and a range of chocolate and crisps at not too outrageous prices. This is fine for shorter journeys, but again 3 hours to Manchester can seem a very long time with just a cup of tea and a Mars Bar! I think it would be great if they followed suit and offered a variety of hot pinini's and toasties, like East Coast and Cross Country do.
In terms of the staff, on the whole I find them quite polite and helpful. I have more recently encountered a conductor who made me re-buy my ticket, despite me telling him I didn't have any money on that card to do so. He was quite rude about it, considering it was a genuine mistake. This was also a little humiliating, however as this has only happened to me once it's not something I would normally expect from their staff who are usually quite the opposite in attitude.
A definite room for improvement would be in regards luggage and seating space. At peak times during the holiday season, when many families are heading to the airport, there is simply not enough room for larger cases as the luggage racks are tiny. There are overhead racks for smaller bags, but in terms of bikes and suitcases and other larger items, you can often expect to be hard pushed to find a storage space for them.
Between Sheffield and Manchester, there is also a very high customer demand meaning there aren't always enough seats. I was once at Sheffield on a Transpennine Express train whereby they did add an extra 3 carriages, but I have only seen this happen once. It is not nice to see people standing especially when they give you evil looks!
When it comes to fares, as always advance and online is the best way to go. If I book a return to Meadowhall which is a 90 minute journey, at least a week in advance then I can usually get this for about £8 return. However, buy at the station or on board and you can be left with a nasty shock!
If you are not a fan of rail replacement bus services, you probably will not be a fan of TPE. Last summer, all TPE services between Cleethorpes-Doncaster were closed for about 4 months for some unexplained reason. This meant the only option was to find alternative means of transport or use the rail replacement bus. I have since had to go via a rail replacement bus on their services, so it's not as uncommon as you would think. This is fine in terms of it still gets you there, it's just I paid to go on a train, not a clapped out 1970's coach! Enough said.
In our local train station, there is a sign claiming that TPE get 98% customer satisfaction for being a reputable train company/on time services. I can certainly back them up on the most part, however I have also waited 2 hours for a delayed train in the freezing midwinter at Doncaster station. On that note, I think they should adjust their timetable as people getting off at Doncaster waiting for their connecting train to Cleethorpes are often faced with a 45 minute wait, as the service only runs every hour.
Overall, Transpennine Express makes for a pleasant travelling experience but it's certainly nothing special and there is room for improvement. As they provide the main train route out of my hometown, I will probably continue to use TPE for many years to come. In the future, I hope that they will consider increasing their hourly service, particularly at peak times and consider adding more luggage and seating space. I think TPE and customers alike would also benefit from a more desirable trolley service.
I am currently living in Leeds and often travel home to Lancashire. First Transpennine express is the main train operator for my route between Leeds and Manchester and overall I have been pleased with the service.
There is nothing bad or exceptionally good to comment on from my experience of TPE other than their website, so this is what I will review.
www.tpexpress.co.uk is the brightly coloured and fun looking website of the train company. The home page is very easy to navigate away from ,with a journey planner to the right and a big bill board style box in the middle with their promotions flashing up on. I tend to go straight to the student section of the website, which can be found by clicking the 'students' tab underneath the 'bill board'.
The homepage of the student area is often advertising their latest prices and promotions, as well as competitions that run frequently. Currently there is the chance to win your student overdraft payed off!
The student promotion is 50% off when you book online in the student area, providing you also have a rail card.
Example fares are:
Sheffield - Manchester from £2.50
Manchester - Leeds from £2.95
Manchester - Edinburgh from £5.95
Other routes include York & Liverpool.
When you search your route it shows the prices of each journey option so you can easily see which one is the best price and time for you. The process between deciding a time and the checkout is very simple, and there are options for seat preferences too. You can chose to pick up your tickets from a participating station, have them posted next day (I think this is limited to where you live) and also have them posted out to your 1st class, this is often the best option because you will be booking your ticket in advance anyway so there will be plenty of time for your ticket to reach you.
I have often bought tickets weeks in advance and only ordered in the late afternoon yet had the tickets arrive the following morning!
Obviously the earlier you book, the cheaper the tickets available. You can only book specific journeys with this service, and be warned, sneaking on a different train and pretending you didn't realise DOES NOT WORK! I have been caught out twice and will not be risking it again :(
Last year, between September and December I was a regular user of the Cleethorpes - Manchester Airport train, getting off at Sheffield Station.
I didn't have many problems whilst using this service although on rare occasions I thought that the customer service was lacking.
Recently, the catering service has been suspended from Doncaster - Cleethorpes as there was not enough interest in the service apparently.
Perhaps the reason for this is that the staff serving food and drinks don't tend to have a smile on their face and some of them whizz past you without you getting a chance to show an interest in buying a drink, which means you have to wait and buy from the station you're stopping at (unless of course they don't have one).
The conductors don't always come checking tickets, which is annoying as others shout down the PA system at each stop demanding you get your ticket out immediately, even as the people getting on haven't had chance to step foot onto the train.
Overall I have found the train to be as pleasant as a commute from Grimsby - Sheffield can be, but it is slightly annoying when the staff cannot produce a smile to make you feel slightly better about your journey.
On one occasion the train was stopped at Doncaster to couple up with another and some passengers were told to move, and others to sit down, then the passengers told to sit down were made to move, so there were two trains worth of people on the one train and there was no real explanation or apology from the staff and noone was told where they could express their opinion on the issue to. This annoyed me slightly!
P.S. I cannot write about the toilets on the trains as I have never visited these.
First Transpennine Express (FTPE) are part of the First Group, a large transport corporation that does other train companies, buses & metro/light rail services across the UK and abroad. FTPE is a joint venture between First Group & Keolis who are the larest bus operator in France & the largest foreign operator in the UK, running many trains & buses across Europe.
FTPE run trains across three routes in Northern England over the pennines linking Liverpool & Manchester (inc. Manchester Airport) with Leeds & York then onto Hull/Scarborough or onto Middlesbrough or onto Newcastle, several times an hour (most routes operate hourly) all day everyday, and also services run from York & Leeds to Manchester Airport through the night (subject to engineering works of course). A new route started in December 2007 which links Manchester Airport with Glasgow & Edinburgh.
The trains are all brand new trains by Siemens, as part of a multi-million pound investment to improve the fleet of trains and is part of a wider spend to improve the overall performance & service provided to customers, it's also included station upgrades at some stations along the network that FTPE operate onbehlf of Network Rail including Hull & Thornaby which have seen big improvements. The trains have a fantastic bright purple coloured livery which is very eye catching & striking, it's stylish & modern so it's easy to spot your train at the station. Inside the interior is more light & airy, more open spaces with more room to move, tables at all chairs (some big tables and some fold up/seatback tables). The train has toilets throughout the train, as usual these are tiny & you can hardly move, apart from the disabled toilet located at one end of the train, which is large obviously to fit in wheelchairs. Their is ample space for wheelchair travellers, great for anyone in a wheelchair who wants to get out & about by train.
The onboard service is great, very friendly staff I don't remember EVER encountering an unpleasant or rude member of staff and I have used this train countless times, I've lost count how often I go FPTE on the Middlesbrough - Manchester route, so the team based on that route are fantastic. Always friendly no matter what time of the day or night. The onboard trolley service is a little expensive but this is actually ran by Rail Gourmet, NOT FPTE but staff wear FTPE uniform, they are also very friendly, smiling most of the time and they do offer good prices but still cheaper to buy before you travel if you get chance.
Fares, as with all rail fares are too expensive and getting out of hand but FTPE offer some very good fares for advance purchases and sometimes have special offers when booking direct, recently they had a kids go free offer and at the time of writing this, holders of the Young Persons Railcard get 50% off FTPE fares where as usually they only get 33% so they do offer better deals than other operators from time to time.
As with all trains they sadly suffer delays but most of the time its Network Rails problem not FTPE and when they do delay trains they apoligise and seem to care unlike some other operators I could mention.
I enjoy travelling with FTPE and would deffinately travel with them again and will be travelling several times in the future. Highly recommended company to travel with, great friendly staff. clean, refurbished trains which are airy and spacious, plenty of space for luggage too which is great since most trains go to the airport. And a fantastic timetable which operates pretty much 24/7.
There is not enough space on this review - nor is it entirely relevant - to express the multitiude of failings that privatisation has brought to British railways, but they are so keenly felt when travelling by First Trans Pennine Express trains.
First of all the carridges are almost always clean. The access to the trains are wide and spacious. The train service itself, on its restricted route, is usually fairly punctual. Thus far they seem to have succeeded when British Rail most infamously did not.
However, there is always a perplexing and frustrating lack of space within the trains, as they only ever have three carridges running each journey. There is permenantly a demand for more seats during busier times, and also off-peak there is never a guarantee of a seat.
The seats themselves are not overly spacious, nor much comfier than racing seats in a car. The fold down table can not hold a pad of A4 paper (what I would consider to be the right sort of requirement for these), and the net pocket underneath can barely hold a newspaper.
The bike storage is ridiculously inadequate. There is a "designated" space for bikes in the middle of the train which also doubles up as seating. The problem is that if you are not the first person onto the train with your bike these seats will very likely be in use and there can be difficult situations which cyclists are confronted with which shows a complete lack of forsight or disregard by the train companies. How are we supposed to develop an integrated transport system if taking a bike onto a train is such a laborious task?
For a train which visits Manchester airport regularly there is a distinct lack of storage space for more than two families with suitcases.
The brightness of the lights on the train also make the journey feel very exposed and more communal than comfortable.
For those who would like to travel first class there are few benefits to the extra money it costs except for bigger seats. The first class area is tiny, very exposed -as it is set behind large paines of glass, and often looked upon as several customers are often forced to stand, squashed up against the doors.
Overall the company shows little regards for the public, too much for its profits, and gets away with low standards comparatively as they hold a monopoly on the route.
Well as you will know if you read my last review, I travelled from Newcastle to Manchester earlier today. I wrote my National Express East Coast review from the comfort of my train seat, and I know you can do the same for free on Virgin trains. So perhaps this is why I presumed I would be able to do the same on the second leg of my journey, which was with First Transpennine from York to Manchester.
Sadly, I was wrong. Unlike so many places nowadays (even McDonalds for heavens' sake!), the First trains do not offer WiFi which was really irritating as I had planned to catch up on emails on the way. What frustrates me most of that the Newcastle to Manchester route is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination - you can often get cheaper tickets to London actually - yet the service provided is completely substandard in comparison with that of Virgin or National Express. My ticket cost just under £60 and the leg of my journey that I travelled with First was from York to Manhchester which took 1.5 hours.
Unlike the National Express service, this one was not running on time. It arrived in York 5 minutes late and got to Manchester 7 minutes late. Not massively late but if you had an onwards connection this could cause a problem, especially when the ticket sites don't leave more than a few minutes between connecting trains.
The Transpennine Express service runs from Newcastle (or sometimes further up into Scotland) to Manchester Airport, so it is useful for anyone flying out of there. However with a journey time of over 3 hours from Newcastle to Manchester Airport I certainly would not do this given any choice - if I needed to fly from a big airport I would always do an internal flight into Gatwick or Heathrow as it is just so much more pleasant.
I have a lot more experience with First Transpennine than National Express trains as when I was younger my best friend moved to Manchester so I used to visit by train at least once a month. As I was a teenager and the First Transpennine service is the only journey which has no changes between Newcastle and Manchester I was pretty stuck with them as my parents would not let me take a service which involved changing trains, they wanted me put on one end and met at the other (I was 17 by the way so not exactly very young!). Back then, the service was uetterly atrocious. The trains were so old and they were literally like sweatboxes in the summer and freezing cold in winter. I never once managed to make a journey in summer without being sick from the heat; it was just indescribably unpleasant. There was little (if any) ventilation which just added to the awful, chlostraphobic feeling you got and I literally counted down the minutes of my journey, willing it to be over.
I did not use the service again for a couple of years as my friend relocated to Scotland, and in this time the trains were all scrapped and replaced with new ones, so I was confident that when I travelled to Manchester in October 2008 I would have a completely different experience, as being brand new the trains would be state-of-the-art and rival the Virgin trains surely. Unfortunately this was being rather too optimistic. While the carriage temperature is much improved, the service has not. It is like travelling in an old fashioned train with a modern exterior.
The seats are narrower than on National Express and the tables are also much narrower which causes big problems if TWO people are both using laptops as there just is not enough room. Surely they could have thought the sizes out a bit more carefully!
The window table seats do have a power socket though, which is very useful for charging laptops or phones. Hard luck if you aren't seated next to one but this is the same on all standard class trains so it is not a problem that is specific to First Transpennine in fairness.
In the entire journey the refreshments trolley did not come round once which again just really lowers the standard...they were quick enough to check tickets though!
Overall, I would not recommend First Transpennine to anyone but unfortunately if you are travelling from Newcastle to Manchester by train you will have no choice but to endure half of your journey with them.
What sensory overload the privatised railway has brought the long suffering travellers of Britain. Back in the day, you could have any train you wanted, as long as it was painted in some generally dull variant of the British Rail colours. Now we have discordant symphonies of hideous colours across the country: multi-coloured tin cans filled with commuting sardines trundling from A to B (provided there aren't any leaves or collapsed electricity wires on the line).
Right across the north of England and the central belt of Scotland, the colours of the railway are livened up with a particularly hideous combo: the purple and pink Barbie style of First TransPennine Express.
Let's look beyond the nauseous brand. Or let's try anyway, because if you happen to live on one of their busier routes you might find yourself watching that acrid purple and pink train leave without you - overcrowding continues to be a problem on these popular routes.
The multinational transport group First and their co-partners Keolis have won the franchise to run the TransPennine Express franchise until 2012, with an option dependant on performance until 2017. The concept of express services across the north of England, connecting some of the biggest cities in the country, emerged after privatisation when the first privatised train operating companies started to distinguish their "express" services from the locals. This lead to a new franchise, and it is this that we see today. There are three main corridors of train services, allowing for multiple hourly departures on the busiest routes.
TransPennine South connects Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes via Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Doncaster and Scunthorpe.
TransPennine North connects (amongst other smaller stations) Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, Scarborough, York, Hull, Leeds and Huddersfield on the east of the Pennines with Manchester and Liverpool to the west.
TransPennine NorthWest connects Manchester Airport & Piccadilly with Blackpool; Manchester Airport & Piccadilly and Preston, Barrow-in-Furness and Windermere; Manchester Airport & Piccadilly with Preston, Carlisle, and Glasgow/Edinburgh.
Services are fast and frequent; TransPennine Express is one of the few train companies to offer 24hr service on some routes, primarily because the natural extension of Manchester terminating services to Manchester Airport has seen phenomenal growth in the number of passengers taking the train direct to the airport terminal throughout the day and early hours.
Fares are in line with the rest of the country (i.e. getting more and more unreasonable with every year) although some cheaper advance purchase single tickets can be found if you book online and in advance. Check http://www.tpexpress.co.uk/ for details of current offers and be flexible if you are travelling on a budget.
With the exception of the Manchester - Hull route, the vast majority of services are operated by modern German-built class 185 trains. These have three carriages, 2+2 seating in second class (with a good ratio of tables to airline style seats) and 2+1 seating in the moderately more comfortable first class. The additional carriage and wider doors located 1/3 and 2/3 down the carriages provide faster entry and egress and more room for standing passengers than the smaller trains they replaced in 2006/7. Unfortunately there are some drawbacks with these trains. The family of trains from which the 185 come are interurban / commuter vehicles, so on the longer Manchester - Scotland routes passengers are liable to find the hard non-sprung seats quite uncomfortable. Overcrowding continues to be a problem and consequently a greater proportion of rush hour passengers now have to stand. And while the Department for Transport has, in late 2008, approved the commissioning 200 extra carriages to join the TransPennine Express fleet, the four train manufacturers who made it through the long-winded bidding process to the tender shortlist do not include Siemens, who built the current fleet. Extra coaches for these trains will not be built, entirely new and likely incompatible trains will join them.
So, on the upside: a modern fleet of larger trains is now in full and reliable service, connecting Britain's biggest regional cities and the popular airport at Manchester. Trains run at regular clockface intervals throughout the day and skeleton services at night make most early morning flights from Manchester reachable by train, and most nights out in other cities accessible.
On the downside: the new trains may be brighter, cleaner and more suitable for busy commuter routes, but they are most definitely not comfortable, and certainly not up to the long distance intercity routes to Scotland (of around four hours). And despite years of sensible investment in a standardised modern fleet with specially constructed maintenance centres, the government's incompetent Department for Transport has decided that instead of simply ordering more coaches for these trains to be lengthened, a whole new fleet of untested trains will be ordered to work alongside them.
And they're still ugly. Just shockingly hideous. Shoot the branding gurus. Before they do it again.


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America Recycles Day
Fairfax County Office of Public
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Nov. 14, 2005
Fairfax County Celebrates America Recycles Day Nov. 15
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has designated Tuesday, Nov. 15, as America Recycles Day in the county. Noting that recycling is an essential component of the county's long-range solid waste management plan, the Board of Supervisors urges all residents to reduce waste by reusing, recycling and buying recycled products. Recycling saves millions of dollars in disposal costs, creates jobs and is recognized as an easy way for everyone to help protect the environment.
In recognition of America Recycles Day, Fairfax County presented the Community Recycling Roadshow at Herndon High School on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Recycling Roadshow was sponsored by the Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program and Clean Fairfax Council in partnership with Herndon High School's environmental group known as SAGA, the Students Against Global Abuse.
At the event, more than 100 bicycles, 100 pairs of eyeglasses, 50 pounds of rechargeable batteries and cell phones, and hundreds of pairs of shoes were collected to be donated to community groups. Safeguard Shredding of Falls Church provided document shredding and recycling services to residents to help prevent identity theft.
More than 20 tons of obsolete computers were collected for reuse and recycling by the Keep It Green program, a partnership between ServiceSource, Fairfax County and CDM E-Cycling Inc. To date, the program has kept more than 2 million pounds of electronic waste out of the Fairfax County environment by providing an alternative to simply disposing of the material. The Keep It Green program was recently awarded the Community Trustee Award for a Nonprofit from Leadership Fairfax Inc. at the organization's 2005 Northern Virginia Leadership Awards held at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly. The program exemplifies the benefit of local government partnering with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations for the betterment of the community. Keep It Green provides jobs for people with disabilities while preventing pollution in Fairfax County.
For more information about Fairfax County's recycling outreach efforts, contact Pamela Gratton at 703-324-5498, TTY 711 or firstname.lastname@example.com.

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I decided to take to this course with hopes of learning more about taking better care of myself and I'm very glad that I did. As I am getting older, I do realize that there are basic things in life that we all take for granted, that can make us feel better. We just have to be reminded sometimes and follow the basic guidelines for better living.
Looking back into my personal health journal, I have noticed a change in my body and mind. I noticed how much better I feel physically when I'm putting the right foods into my body. I also have made more of a point to have some "me time" to relax and calm my mind. I have been making more time to attend yoga and relax my body and mind. Every lesson I have done reminds me in some way to always think positively. As I now know, this can make or break me on certain days. Allowing myself to be calm has been so beneficial. I will continue to refer back to my lessons and discussions in this course to live more healthy, mind, body and spirit. This class has been truly a blessing. Thank you, Mrs. Snyder!
Over the past six weeks I have come to know myself in ways that were new to me. I found that keeping a journal for three weeks proved to be very enlightening. I feel so much stronger; knowing that I have the power to live life to the fullest. Of all the lessons, I think I learned the most from the positive therapeutic touch. I would only hope that more people could or would utilize this technique in order to make this world more loving and at peace. I can't imagine how you would feel being able to help relieve someone's pain. Totally awesome!! I definitely intend to use all of the information and knowledge I have acquired in this class to enhance my life.
This class has been great for my personal learning and enrichment. There are a lot of areas I did not know or didn't know as much about. There are numerous things I will take from this with me in life, especially the section on mosquitoes! This is one of those classes where you question why this information isn't more common place or a requirement in school or even integrated somewhat. The ideas, theories and methods are ones that can help anyone and seem so common sense even though they really are not and there is so much garbage you would need to sift through if researching everything that is presented here on the internet. Definitely one of my favorite classes to date! Thank you!
By implementing many of the therapies that I have learned, I feel a calmness and peacefulness that I had not felt before. I notice that I can now accomplish many things that I would set aside. I am sleeping better than I have in awhile. Even my eating pattern has changed. I am extremely grateful that I took this class because it has made a big change in my life. Thank you, Theresa Snyder, for everything that I have learned.
This course has really opened my eyes to a lot of new information. I can't pick just one favorite lesson because I loved them all. I would find myself re-reading some lessons just for fun and to mentally quiz myself on the information. I have been inspired to incorporate much of what I learned into my everyday life. Aromatherapy is something that I have been researching more and have already begun burning various oils in my bedroom. I have also been more conscious of my eating habits and make sure I have time to make healthy meals instead of just something quick and running out the door. My tea and herb collection is steadily growing and I have checked out some yoga and meditation DVDs from the library I work at. This course provided just the right amount of information on various topics to get a person moving toward a happier and healthier lifestyle.
I've always had a passing interest in natural and holistic healing, so when I ran across this course I knew I had to take it, and I'm glad I did. It not only refreshed my knowledge of the things I have already learned through research, such as use of herbs, spices, healing touch, meditation, and the alinement of the chakra, but showed me other ways to help myself and others with oils.
This course taught me exactly what it was laid out to teach. The broad, overall general knowledge to each segment kept me engaged and interested without feeling like I was getting behind or not comprehending the material.
During the course of this lesson, I've changed my lifestyle for the better and, as a result, have better health...Hydrotherapy and diet have helped most. And overall, I feel more relaxed, happy and in charge of my own health and healing!
Learning the basics has only grasped my interest to take this knowledge to the next level.
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I haven't really given my review of the Bravos XL Washer and Dryer from Maytag that I received a few months back. I've now had a chance to really use it like I do regularly.
I have no idea what brand of washer and dryer my mom had when I was growing up, but I know it didn't have all the features of the Maytag Bravos XL has!
I'll be honest, I haven't even been able to try all the different cycles and features it has yet! In time…
A few features that I have come to count on with this laundry pair.
It's extra large. And Maytag really means XL. It has cut down on the number of loads I do in a week by a third (saving me time, as well as cutting down on costs). However, with baby number three here now, my loads are increasing again! But that's to be expected.
The detergent dispenser. I spill a lot. I'm just messy that way. Somehow, the washer cleans up any spills I've made when pouring the detergent in. So there's no sticky residue left around the cup.
Wide opening lid. I literally just pick up my basket of sorted laundry and dump it in. I do a quick rearranging of the clothes in the washer so that the center is open to the bottom (for balance). The lid also has a SmoothClose feature (kind of like those fancy kitchen drawers that I'd love to have), so there's no worries about loud slams when you're doing laundry during nap time or fingers getting pinched when the boys are begging to help.
Cold wash cycle. I've been using Tide Coldwater laundry detergent which goes hand in hand with this cycle. Getting my clothes the cleanest, getting all the stains out, while being the most energy efficient.
A cycle for sheets. A cycle for towels. A cycle for bulky items. A cycle for whites. A cycle for delicates. All preset cycles that knows if you should be using hot or cold water, or to max extract with the spin cycle, or no spin at all for the most delicate of items. I can only imagine how easy this is going to make teaching the boys how to do laundry! My mom always had a sheet of paper taped above the washer with directions for each load!
The dryer has a lot of these same cycles too, as well as a wrinkle prevent feature that continually tosses the clothes until you're able to take them out of the dryer!
A simple luxury with this laundry pair is that I'm able to turn off the end signal! My last dryer didn't have that and I didn't realize how nice it is to be able to shut it off when I do laundry during nap or after the kids go to bed since the laundry room is right next to their bedrooms.
When I found out I was going to be a Maytag Mom, I asked you guys what you'd like me to test. Here are my answers.
Folding. It doesn't do it. Sorry gals.
Wrinkles. The dryer has the a wrinkle control cycle as well as a wrinkle prevent setting that seems to work well. I tend to take my laundry out pretty quickly after its done though since I'm on the once-a-week laundry system.
Shoes. I wash shoes pretty regularly in the laundry. It handles them just fine. I do like that the washer is a top load for this reason, less clunking and banging around. The dryer is still pretty loud with the shoes. I always throw the shoes in with a small load of towels to help soften the sounds. I just make sure I don't wash shoes during sleep time!
Sticky stains. I briefly talked about stains. My kids are pretty messy, so am I. For the most part, everything comes out. I don't generally treat stains, I just make sure to wash them right away if I think its going to stain. And I haven't really had any issues. The PowerSpray Technology seems to do the trick!
Any other questions you have of the Maytag Bravos XL Laundry Pair?
Ask in the comments and I'll be sure to answer to the best of my knowledge!
The Maytag Page
Maytag's Twitter Page
Maytag's Facebook Page
Disclosure: I wrote this post participating in an Maytag Moms Dependable Laundry Ambassador program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Maytag. I was provided with the Maytag washer and dryer set to facilitate my post.


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We have little idea what a new Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon, or Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban will look like, but we now know this: the new SUVs will have some components stamped at a new, $200 million facility in Arlington, Texas.
Arlington is undergoing some serious changes, what with an already existing $331 million upgrade going on to expand production there. The new $200 million stamping facility will come online in 2013; thanks to its proximity to the assembly line in Arlington, it promises to save GM about $40 million in logistics in the making of its Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL.
As for the SUVs themselves, we know just a little bit: the SUVs will keep their underpinnings in common with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, which means they'll keep their position as the only SUVs made by GM that don't use unibody architecture. To keep weight low, it's expected that GM will graft in more high-strength steel as well as other alloys. Topping it all off, there's talk of new eight-speed automatic transmissions and even direct injection for the small-block engines underhood. For green-minded people with enough scratch, an updated version of the GM two-mode hybrid (perhaps some sort of rumored four-mode system) may come as well.
The next crop is due sometime late in 2013 (for the 2014 model year), which would roughly coincide with the new crop of Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks. Considering the closure and retooling at the plants that handle both the trucks and SUVs are scheduled for this year, we should see at least something more serious about the trucks soon.
Source: General Motors


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Marine veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer will speak Thursday in San Diego at a job fair for veterans and military spouses. More than 40 employers, from major corporations to small businesses, with jobs available at all experience levels are expected at the "Hiring Our Heroes" expo.
The fair was organized by the National Chamber Foundation, a nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the RecruitMilitary employment website, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, The American Legion, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve and the Department of Labor Veterans' Employment & Training Service.
Sponsors of the free event include Toyota, Prudential and Call of Duty Endowment. General Electric is hosting an employment workshop with one-on-one mentoring for job-seeking veterans and service members, with tips on resumes and interviewing techniques.
Meyer was awarded the nation's highest award for valor in combat for repeatedly fighting his way into an ambush to evacuate fallen comrades in Ganjgal, Afghanistan, in 2009. He was the first living Marine since the Vietnam War to receive the distinction.
After leaving active duty as a sergeant, Meyer teamed with Hiring Our Heroes and Toyota to help veterans and service members transitioning into civilian life market themselves to employers. For more information about the Personal Branding initiative, visit www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes/personal-branding .
Since its launch in March 2011, the Hiring Our Heroes program has held more than 380 job fairs nationwide and helped more than 14,000 veterans and military spouses find employment, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said.
The job fair runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Liberty Station's NTC Promenade, 2875 Dewey Road. Job seekers should register at www.recruitmilitary.com . Walk-ins are welcome; veterans must provide military ID.


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Avery® Dry Erase Multiuse Decals 22214, Removable, Peel & Stick, 10" x 10", 2 SheetsProduct Number: 22214
Now there's a fun, convenient way to communicate with family, friends or roommates with these Dry Erase Multiuse Decals. They're easy to apply—just remove the liners and stick the decals on a clean, dry surface. Our removable adhesive lets you take the sheet off cleanly without any residue, and reapply elsewhere. Use dry or wet erase markers to write and erase again and again. These decals are perfect for use on refrigerators, walls, doors and mirrors. Messages, notes and reminders for family and friends are now just a wipe away.
Product Description:
Reviewed by 1 customer
- Easy to Use
- Is Stuck To My Window
- Unreliable
Best Uses
- Everyday Use
This review is from Avery Dry Erase Decals, 10"x10", Square/Oval, Blue Wrought Iron, 2 pack 22214:
They are very easy to use and erase. One of the two is stuck to my window. Can not get it to peel of and I have t died tower it down to scrape it off and it' will still nor come off. Please tell me what will peel it off. If that works, I will buy more,


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Frieri climbs back in saddle against D-backs
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ernesto Frieri officially rejoined the Angels on Monday, three days after his wife gave birth to the couple's second daughter, Veronica, in Phoenix.
Pitching the fourth inning against the D-backs at Salt River Fields, the 28-year-old closer -- who posted a 3.80 ERA and converted 37 of 41 save chances in 2013 -- pitched a 1-2-3 inning, getting a lineout, a groundout and a flyout.
"I'm very grateful to the Angels -- [manager] Mike Scioscia, [pitching coach Mike] Butcher -- because they gave me the opportunity to take care of my family stuff," Frieri said in Spanish. "Now everything is squared away, and I'm just happy to be able to come back here again, and get back on the same page I was on. We're doing a lot of good work over here. Spring Training has been very good. I'm happy I'm pitching again."
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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|January 2, 2002
Volume 4, Issue 1
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Happy New Year"
Print Page
Pass E-News on to your friends and colleagues—it's free!
Happy New Year
We wish you a happy, prosperous and safe New Year--one filled with love and hope. My prayer is that you also find joy punctuated with laughter. Whether your mood is angry or happy, I ask you to consider yourself an agent of birth change. You know more about birth and how it should be than almost anyone else on the planet; I ask you to use that rare gift of understanding to help change the culture of childbirth globally for society and individually for the women around you.
Women and their babies are being robbed of what should be their most life-changing miracle. Our calling is to make childbirth as joyful and powerful an experience as it was designed to be. I ask you to look at your own sphere of influence and see what you can do. Talk with everyone you can. You will make a difference. Pass E-News on to more friends. Wear a shirt with birth images--they spark conversation. We have several shirts to choose from in our shopping cart. Write for your local paper, magazines or Midwifery Today publications. Speak in the schools, from nursery school to college--people need to know about midwives and doulas, natural birth and breastfeeding. There are many videos you can show to encourage communication and understanding.
Midwifery Today will be 16 years old next month, and we have many publications and products to help you in your quest toward changing birth. Join in the many things we are doing. The International Alliance of Midwives (IAM) is online. Conferences and our publications Midwifery Today, The Birthkit and Having a Baby Today rejuvenate you, give you hope and great ideas for change. Our Web site is designed to inform and inspire you, to help you make changes happen in the way birth is handled. Please help us in our calling to make birth the best it can be for each woman, baby and dad. You were born for such a time as this and so was I.
Learn more about birth change!
* Birth change audio tapes:
* Global Midwifery In the New Millennium (Issue 53):
* Birth Change (Issue 43):
* 26 Ways To Change Birth Globally - by Sara Wickham, RM
This action list of small things midwives can do to change societal attitudes
toward birth and promote midwifery and the midwifery model was derived from some
research I carried out a few years ago.
* Anthropological Perspectives on Global Issues In Midwifery - by Robbie Davis-Floyd, Ph.D.
According to the international definition, a midwife is one who graduates from a program duly recognized in its jurisdiction. In the developing world, this generally means a two-year government training program. Read this article: www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/globalissues.asp
MIDWIFERY TODAY E-NEWS will return to its regular format with issue 4:2.
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© 2002 Midwifery Today, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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Monday Lazy Linking
- one correlate of the idea that time is progressive and that we. Captain Capitulation, eye of the storm (2009-10-04).
one correlate of the idea that time is progressive and that we are it which should give progressives pause is the way the idea has articulated cultures. so, for example, hegel held that africa had no history, was outside of history. in anthropology into the midlate twentieth century, you got...(Linked Saturday 2009-10-17.)
- it's amazing that when people discuss genocide, as in daniel. Captain Capitulation, eye of the storm (2009-10-17).
it's amazing that when people discuss genocide, as in daniel goldhagen's new book (at least as it's represented in the review; i intend to read it), or in the alternative views mentioned in the review ('"Mobilizing the Will to Intervene," a study by leading Canadian and American figures, identifies "poverty...(Linked Saturday 2009-10-17.)
- Economies of Scale in Compliance, by David Henderson. EconLog (2009-10-11).
This morning, after a highly-productive Liberty Fund seminar in Santa Fe, I went over to Pasquale's for breakfast. I sat with a woman who runs a Mexican restaurant in a small town in Colorado. We talked about various things, including her criticism of "factory farms" that, in her view and...(Linked Saturday 2009-10-17.)
- The Pill makes you attracted to pansies. Jill, Feministe (2009-10-13).
Or so says perpetually off-kilter Jill Stanek — except she uses the term "quiche-eaters." Basically, a study says that women who use birth control tend to be attracted to men with more boyish features with caring personalities, versus "rugged" men with controlling personalities. The study itself is questionable, and the...(Linked Saturday 2009-10-17.)
- RRND/FND Bleg. Kn@ppster, KN@PPSTER (2009-09-16).
I don't usually talk much about my day job here at KN@PPSTER, and when we run a fundraiser over there I usually give it at most a mention here. This one's a bit different and I figure it's a "hit hard, everywhere" situation. So:Dear readers,Over the years, we've tried various...(Linked Saturday 2009-10-17.)
- Berlusconi Hides Nipple of Truth. Kerry Howley, Kerry Howley: Reason Magazine articles and blog posts. (2008-08-06).
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi likes the painting to the right, a Giambattista Tiepolo work called "La Verità Svelata dal Tempo." (The Truth Unveiled by Time.) He likes it so much that he gives news conferences with a reproduction of the painting as backdrop. Truth, the young woman, is front...(Linked Monday 2009-10-19.)
- A bad attitude -- the new felony. firstname.lastname@example.com (Wendy McElroy), WendyMcElroy.com : News (2009-10-16).
A bad attitude -- the new felony(Linked Monday 2009-10-19.)
- the best version of this story i read ended with the moral "some infinities are bigger than others". HOW TRUE. Dinosaur Comics (2009-10-19).
archive - contact - sexy exciting merchandise - search - about– ← previousOctober 19th, 2009nextOctober 19th, 2009: The talk went well! Or at least, I hope it did. A CONFESSION: I queued up all these comics and posts way back when it was last Wednesday, because I was worried I'd...(Linked Monday 2009-10-19.)


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Wait, Payrolls Stink and the Dow is Up 100 Points? What Gives?
This being the stock market rally that has lifted the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 94.53 points, or 0.6%, to 15722.55, and the S&P 500 up 0.8% to 1,787.88. This being the 2.8% gain in Boeing (BA), the 1.4% rise in International Business Machines (IBM) and the 1.5% advance in Merck (MRK).
This shouldn't be happening because the U.S. payrolls report was a stinker. The economy was supposed to add some 170,000 jobs; instead it added 113,000. We should be worrying about whether the U.S. economy is slowing down; whether the Federal Reserve began tapering prematurely; and whether the stock market was peaking after last year's 32% rise.
But we're not and that's largely because the underlying numbers leave enough wiggle room to dismiss the headline. Strategas Research Partners' Don Rissmiller and team explain:
We believe that today's employment data provided more evidence of the intact [employment-growth] trend. The +48,000 increase in construction employment doesn't lend itself to a largeweather effect in this report – or, at a minimum it would suggest that construction would have been even stronger were it not for severe weather. The "not at work due to bad weather" series was not significantly changed y/y – one could argue that the weather effect showed up in December, and persisted into January (ie, no bounce yet), but again it's tough to know the counterfactual. Hours worked were flat, which (again) would suggest that the economy made up for a weather impact.
Furthermore not everything in this report was negative. Wage growth was up +0.2% m/m. Household employment rose a strong +616,000 (adjusting for population control changes), pulling the unemployment rate down to 6.6% (despite the labor force participation rate stabilizing around 63.0%)...
This report is not enough to lead us to change our base case of a recovery. We are staying the course, as full-time employment rises.
Societe Generale's Aneta Markowska, meanwhile, believes the payrolls data suggests the Fed will not accelerate its bond buying at its March meeting. She writes:
The outcome of the March 18-19 FOMC meeting is now a close call. At the start of the year, we predicted that the Fed would accelerate the pace of tapering in the spring on continued data surprises. In light of the recent soft patch, this is now highly unlikely. Moreover, we now see a real possibility that the Fed may take a pause in tapering at the next meeting. Our broader view on the economy has not changed, and we don't expect the Fed's central outlook to change either. Growth fundamentals have unquestionably improved over the past 12 months, and we struggle to come up with a fundamental explanation for the recent weakness. That said, the risk profile has clearly shifted to the downside, both due to the recent soft patch in US activity and due to the EM-driven market volatility. Unless weather conditions normalize and activity rebounds by mid-March, Fed officials may be reluctant to reduce the pace of asset purchases at that meeting.
Combine that with enough solid earnings reports from the likes of Expedia (EXPE) and my corporate overlord News Corp. (NWSA), and you have a market that just wants to go up.
Whether it stays there, well, that's a separate question.


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Get the ticket orders ready. Warm up the printer. Start circling some weekend dates in early January.
For the second consecutive season, the Broncos can make plans to play a home playoff game. The Broncos not only defeated miserably fading San Diego, 30-23, Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, they buried the Chargers' hopes of contending for the division title.
The AFC West is all but clinched after the Broncos (7-3) took a three-game lead — plus a head-to-head tiebreaker that essentially gives them a four-game lead — against the second-place Chargers (4-6) with six to play.
Photos: Broncos vs. Chargers
"We have to put our blinders on," said Broncos middle linebacker Keith Brooking. "Because it's easy to believe the hype. People are starting to tell you how great you are. How well you're playing. Our goal was not 7-3. Our goal was not to lead the division by three or four games when we were 10 games through the year."
For posterity sake, only one player got credit for the victory here on an unusually warm mid-November afternoon in Colorado. That was Peyton Manning. He threw three touchdown passes, although for the second consecutive week, it can be argued Manning and his offense were outplayed by the Broncos' defense and special teams.
Von Miller is fast becoming the NFL's most dominant defensive player since Ray Lewis in his prime, yet the Broncos' strongside linebacker and seemingly unblockable pass rusher is not the biggest star on his team.
Only quarterbacks have a won-loss record placed alongside their name, so Manning got credit for win No. 148 in his regular-season career, tying him for No. 2 all-time.
The quarterback Manning just tied? John Elway. Talk about a tie where both parties win. Elway is a Broncos quarterback legend whose legacy as a front-office executive is tied to Manning. As Manning succeeds, so does Elway as the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations.
"I want him to break all the records, especially the wins records," Elway said as he stood about 7 feet from Manning's locker. "I'd like to see him have many, many more wins. I'd like to see him double it."
It wasn't exactly fitting that Manning tied his boss on a day in which he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown and took a safety to account for the Chargers' first nine points.
Then again, did Elway always play stellar in victory?
"Oh no," Elway said. "A win's a win. The good thing is the expectations are now up."
It was a strange offensive performance in that the Broncos had four, three-and-outs and surrendered two scores. They also had scoring drives of five, three, one and three plays.
"The way they were playing defense, it was hit or miss," Elway said. "They brought a lot of pressure, a lot of blitzes, a lot of man to man. You play against that kind of defense, it's not always going to look choreographed. They're going to get theirs because they took a lot of risks. The key is to get ours. And Peyton got his share."
As the Broncos built a 24-9 lead midway through the third quarter, a blocked punt by Denver's Nate Irving set up one Manning touchdown pass, an interception by Wesley Woodyard set up a field goal and a sack and forced fumble by Miller set up another Manning throw for a score.
That's 17 of 24 points aided by units other than the one Manning commands. And on the one sustained offensive drive for a touchdown, Broncos running back Willis McGahee did most of the work before Demaryius Thomas tapped both toes down while snagging a 13-yard touchdown from Manning.
"It's great when everybody produces, but offensively we know we're playing with fire as far as our third-down production and turning the ball over," Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen said. "There's going to be a time when that bites you. We've got to fix it. Luckily we're winning games while we're doing this."
McGahee didn't finish as he left early with a knee injury. But Manning and the Miller-led defense are Denver's finishers, anyway.
In terms of personal statistics, Manning can take aim at Brett Favre, who is No. 1 in wins (186) and touchdown passes (508). Manning is alone in second place with 423 career touchdown passes and a win next week in Kansas City would put him clear of Elway for No. 2 in regular-season victories.
"I've said it before John Elway was one of my favorites growing up. He still is one of my favorite quarterbacks," Manning said. "I feel honored to be part of the same organization that he is part of."
Before Manning can get anywhere near matching Elway's five Super Bowl appearances and two world championships as a Broncos quarterback, he must first reach the playoffs.
Consider that first step pretty well taken. So who was the better quarterback, Manning or Elway?
Elway's face lit up.
"That's why you have your job," he said with a laugh.


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Florimon passes tests, ready for game action
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Shortstop Pedro Florimon, who had his appendix removed on Feb. 17, is scheduled to return to action and play in a Minor League game on Friday.
Florimon has been taking batting practice on the field in recent days, and has been taking ground balls for the last week. He faced live pitching on Thursday, and is slated to see his first game action on Friday.
"He took live BP, and I think he's planning on playing three innings in a Minor League game tomorrow," Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said. "After that, we're going to start stretching him out a little bit, and he'll get into some big league games."
There's still a chance that Florimon won't be ready for the start of the season, as he has about two weeks to get ready for Opening Day on March 31 against the White Sox. Eduardo Escobar, Jason Bartlett and Danny Santana remain candidates to start at shortstop if Florimon isn't ready.
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Bollinger Beat, and follow him on Twitter @RhettBollinger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Rudy Giuliani: America's Mayor
In the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center, Mayor Rudy Giuliani showed New Yorkers and the world what great leadership is about.
September 11 dawned a perfect day. Mayor Rudy Giuliani was finishing a private breakfast meeting at the Peninsula Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Outside, the clear blue skies and mild seasonal temperature promised a big turnout for the mayoral primary election, the first concrete step in ending the mayor's two terms in office. A phone rang, and an aide notified him that a two-engine plane had struck One World Trade Center. He dashed out of the hotel, and jumped into a tan van for the four-mile drive to the World Trade Center.
As the vehicle headed south past the twin spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral and the concrete facade of Rockefeller Center toward the Empire State Building on 34th Street, a phone rang again. It was Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik confirming that the North Tower was on fire. Inside the van, the mayor and his aides speculated about how big a plane it was, and whether or not it could have been an accident.
The mayor's caravan raced toward the scene. As it passed St. Vincent's Hospital just below 14th street on Seventh Avenue, Giuliani saw the nurses and doctors lining up stretchers out on the sidewalk, and he suspected the disaster was already unlike any other in the city's history. Then, for the first time, the World Trade Center tower came into view, smoke billowing from it. As he watched, Two World Trade Center, the South Tower, exploded from the impact of a second jetliner. "I realized at that point it was a terrorist attack," he said.
But he didn't turn back, ignoring any surge of fear to plunge headlong into the disaster zone. He found Commissioner Kerik already manning a command post at West Broadway just south of Barclay Street, where both towers were visible. They walked quickly to West Street, which fronted the Twin Towers, and found top Fire Department officers -- Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, First Deputy Fire Commissioner Bill Feehan, Chief of Department Peter Ganci and Deputy Chief Ray Downey -- and a chaplain, Rev. Mychal Judge. It was there, the mayor remembered in a Newsweek interview, where he saw a sight that he will never forget -- a man jumping from the 100th or 102nd floor: "I could see a man just dive out of the window, like he was diving into a pool. He came down the full hundred [stories] and then his fall was broken by the plaza…that was the first time I realized that this was beyond anything that we had ever faced before."
The falling debris and bodies forced the mayor to seek a more secure command center to begin coordinating the rescue efforts. Giuliani and Kerik left the fire department officials and the priest below the doomed buildings; it was the last time they would see them alive, except for Von Essen, who the Mayor summoned by radio to join him. Giuliani headed to a police command center at 75 Barclay Street, a building just two blocks from the burning towers. The mayor was on the phone with the White House. He wanted air cover for his city, wondering aloud if the third or fourth or fifth flying bomb was on its way, when he learned that a plane had struck the Pentagon. He was waiting to speak with Vice President Cheney when an earthquake-like rumble shook the building -- the South Tower was collapsing with an avalanche of debris. A detective ran in shouting, "Hit the deck." His words barely got out his mouth before the windows of the building began popping out and smoke and dust burst in through the door. The mayor's life was suddenly in grave danger. "I didn't realize until later just how dangerous it was," said the mayor. "And, virtually the entire leadership of New York City was in that room."
Giuliani and the officials, including Kerik, Von Essen and three of the city's four deputy mayors, couldn't leave by the front door where the streets were darkened by the billowing clouds of ash and dust. They ran into the basement, the mayor donning a gas mask, while being led through the maze of tunnels; both exits they tried were locked. They returned to the ground floor, where a janitor led them toward an underground exit into an adjoining building. They followed him, and on the second try they found an open door and scrambled to safety, emerging on Church Street where Giulani described the scene as if "a nuclear attack had occurred." He walked north, a walk that turned into a mad dash when the second tower collapsed. Finally, he found a fire station nearly 20 blocks from Ground Zero, where he spent the rest of the morning.
Mayor Rudy Giuliani's date with destiny had begun.
History's ledgers are filled with the names of men who in moments of crisis rise above themselves to achieve greatness. Men like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy are some of those great leaders. It is among those names that Rudolph Giuliani will take his place.
At a time when the world's greatest city reeled in shock and horror from a devastating terrorist attack, Mayor Giuliani stepped into the searing void of grief and took upon himself the weight of millions of New Yorkers' pain. He did it without regard for his own safety, and then, without regard for his own needs, sought out all who suffered in all parts of the city for 20 hours a day or more. He visited Ground Zero two to three times a day, picking his way through the rubble of both World Trade Center towers and half a dozen other collapsed buildings. He trekked to hospitals and relief centers. He consoled widows, widowers and survivors, and anyone suffering from anxiety and fear. He spent every day like a true New Yorker, jumping out of his official van to grab a slice of pizza for lunch or dinner, or a cup of coffee for breakfast, all while keeping up a whirlwind pace, all day, every day.
Giuliani stood steadfast, unequivocally in command, showing a daily mastery of the details of rescue and recovery, while keeping a worried citizenry informed about the pace of the work, and the rising toll of victims. In the days that followed, he became a ubiquitous presence at funerals, wakes and memorial services, not only in the five boroughs but in communities up and down the Hudson River and across Long Island. Some days, he attended as many as eight or nine services, trying ultimately in vain to do what he had always done, attend every funeral for a fallen New York City firefighter or policeman. He even appeared on "Saturday Night Live," the New York-based comedy television program, to issue a declaration that the city was back in operation. He also spoke to the U.N. General Assembly's meeting on terrorism, calling the attack a "direct assault on the founding principles of the United Nations itself." A New Yorker by birth and blood, he became the voice and the soul for all New Yorkers, and for all Americans, and for all those citizens of the world who love the city as he does.
September 11 was just the beginning.
Wednesday, September 12, arrived much too soon for most New Yorkers. A previous day glued to television sets, a short night and a fitful sleep had left everyone on edge. Each and every New Yorker, and every American, secretly wished that the horrible images were just nightmares and not reality. But against another pristine blue sky, the billowing clouds of smoke and dust filling the gap in the once-familiar skyline, gave the lie to that hope.
Mayor Giuliani had already found his footing, and his voice, managing to restore some of that hope in the early hours after the tragedy. As one pundit said, he managed to keep a "perfect pitch," in the words he chose and the things he chose to talk about in those first few days. In a news conference that day, he stared intently into the cameras and said, "We're going to come out of this stronger than we were before. Emotionally stronger. Politically stronger. Economically stronger." By then the tally of dead firefighters and police officers and Emergency Medical Technicians was a fact; 343 firefighters, 23 police officers and 2 EMTs were missing, either confirmed dead or presumed dead in the collapse. But Giuliani kept trying to reassure New Yorkers. "We must show we are not afraid. It shows our confidence."
By Thursday morning, the news was getting grimmer, and the dread was melting into despair. No one had been pulled out alive from the burning and smoldering rubble in nearly 24 hours. Amid the dark reports, people were rallying behind the mayor. "There's no question," Sgt. Michael Hanrahan was quoted as saying. "Giuliani is the man you want in charge of this situation." The mayor established a calm control over the rescue operation, and the fledgling efforts to get the city working again. "Do not overreact," he told New Yorkers. "People have to understand we are living with a great deal of faith here. Remain calm." He spoke with President Bush, and laid the groundwork for the president's visit the following day. During the day, he also revealed one of the horrific statistics that everyone had been waiting to hear: 4,733 people reported missing.
On Friday, Mayor Giuliani took President Bush on an aerial tour of Ground Zero, and reported later that the president had merely said, "Oh my." As they later walked into the site, the rescue workers stood on the mountains of debris, grimy from nonstop digging and removal of the heavy chunks and pieces of building debris and body fragments, and chanted: "U.S.A., U.S.A." But there were also cheers of "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy" as he guided the president through the hellish scene, wearing a Fire Department of New York windbreaker and baseball hat.
Saturday was a day for funerals in New York and the surrounding boroughs and suburban communities. While New Yorkers had found solace in their tears over those first four pain-filled days, the beginning of the rituals brought a measure of peace. Mayor Giuliani attended the funerals for Chief of Department Ganci and First Deputy Commissioner Feehan, the two firemen that Giuliani had parted with on West Street Tuesday as he searched for a command center. Rev. Mychal Judge, who died in the same group, was also laid to rest that day.
The mayor eulogized Ganci this way: "When the tower came down, he got his men out. He sent them north, and he went south, right into danger to get more of them out…You have to pay a big price for democracy. And now we're learning what that means. It means we have to sustain these losses; we have to have the strength to get through it."
During the day, the mayor also went to Ground Zero, and walked around alone, talking to the rescue workers and surveying the scene. He told Newsweek, "I'd taken so many people down there with cameras, I just wanted to walk by myself through there and see it and feel it and talk to people. While I was there, they found a firefighter and took him out. It was an unbelievable experience. The firefighters will not allow anyone else to extricate the bodies of their fallen brothers. They brought him down in between about 40 firefighters who stood there saluting and then a priest came and gave a blessing. They carried him off. If you watch that and you don't cry, then you have to question whether you're human."
Turning points are hard to pinpoint in times of crisis, but if one came, it took place amid the events of that first Sunday. Instead of just funerals and victim reports and updates on the tonnage removed from the site, Mayor Giuliani attended two events that held promises for the future: a promotion ceremony for fire department officials and a wedding.
At the promotion ceremony, the mayor was overwhelmed by the reality of the past week's event, and sitting on the dais, he folded his hands and rested his chin on them. He spoke for all New Yorkers. "I want you to know that the prayers of every single New Yorker, I believe every single American, is with you. Your willingness to go on forward undaunted in the most difficult of circumstances is an inspiration to all of us… Winston Churchill, the leader of war-torn England who saw his country through the Battle of Britain with bombings every day, once said, ëCourage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it's the quality that guarantees all others.' Without courage, nothing else can really happen. And there is no better example, none, no better example of courage than the Fire Department of the City of New York." He went on, saying that everyone in the world wants to live in a country where human life is valued the way New York firefighters value human life. "That's the future we want for our children. That's the future we want for the rest of the world. It's what America has always wanted. And, it's something that you embody in a way that can be an example to America."
Later, Giuliani attended the wedding of Diane Gorumba, whom he had met at the funeral of her brother, Michael, a firefigher who died on the job in August. Her father and grandfather also had died recently, and Diane's mother, Gail, wondered who would give her away. At that funeral, the mayor promised Diane's mother that he would walk her daughter down the aisle. Giuliani showed up in a tuxedo, and kissed her on the cheek and presented her to her new husband, 31-year-old police officer Michael Ferrito. "It felt wonderful to be part of this," the mayor said. "This is what life is all about. You have to go on and take advantage of the good things in life."
In a profoundly moving testament to the human spirit, by Monday morning, September 17, New York and New Yorkers started edging back toward normalcy. The New York Stock Exchange opened. The Mercantile Exchange opened. Mayor Giuliani told the traders at the latter that, "Somehow for some reason, God decided who was going to survive. You are all survivors, and I believe that's for a reason. Somehow, God wants us all to feel the obligation we have." His speech was greeted with chants of "Four More Years."
It was the seventh day, a week of hell on earth, but also a week when the spirit of New York and New Yorkers began to counter the evil that had been visited upon it. Mayor Giuliani uncannily, and repeatedly, found just the right mix of hard-nosed administrator, protector and sympathetic father confessor bearing the pain of his flock. Without fail, he presented an image of a man in control, while letting the world know his emotions were strong. "I've been able to mourn intermittently," he said a week later. "But no, I really haven't had time to mourn."
On Tuesday, Sept. 18, more than a week after the attack, he lifted the veil on another horrible fact: "We have to prepare people for the overwhelming reality that the chance of recovering anyone alive is very, very small." On Wednesday, he exhorted people to be more optimistic: "We're hurt, and we're going to hurt for the next day, for a month, maybe forever. I think we are going to hurt forever. But we have to be optimistic." Finally, on Thursday, he had to reveal another depressing statistic. The tally of the missing was raised from 5,422 to 6,333. A few days later it was revised to more than 6,400, and then later, mercifully, back down to 5,680 due to some double-counting of people.
The mayor's most compelling moment may have taken place Sunday, September 23, in Yankee Stadium, an interfaith memorial service for the city's firefighters, police officers and EMT workers. Giuliani was joined not only by friends and allies, and the leadership of the city's firefighters and police and rescue workers, but also by some of his political rivals. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Former mayors David Dinkins and Ed Koch. Gov. George Pataki. It was a public demonstration of something he had told a televised news conference. "There are no politics here. It's about being an American. Not a Democrat. Not a Republican. All those little ideologies. All those little fights we have. They don't mean anything. We're all together. We need to rely on each other. We need to help each other. We need to fight back. We need to prevail."
In the memorial service at the stadium, he built on that theme with a story of St. Paul's Chapel, which was located literally in the shadows of the World Trade Center towers. On an inside wall at the chapel is one of the earliest known renditions of the Great Seal of the United States of America. "It's the majestic eagle, holding in one talon an olive branch, and in the other, a cluster of arrows, a forewarning of our determination to defend our liberty," he said. "On a banner above the eagle, it is written E Pluribus Unum, out of many, one." He described how a dozen modern buildings near the chapel, which was built in 1766, had collapsed or were heavily damaged but the chapel didn't sustain a single broken window. The mayor said: "The presence of that chapel standing defiant and serene amid the ruins of war sends an eloquent message about the strength and resilience of the people of New York City and the people of America. We unite under the banner of E Pluribus Unum."
Facing the people of the city he loved and standing in front of some his staunchest allies and most bitter foes, the Yankee Stadium service can only be seen as unequivocal evidence of a man transformed. One of his best friends, and cigar-smoking buddies, Elliot Cukor, dismisses talk that somehow the days since September 11, and his bout with prostate cancer last year, have fundamentally changed the mayor. Instead, Cukor explains they have let him show his true, inner self. "From day one, I was aware of the compassion that Rudy had. These times are only bringing to the surface what has always been there. In times of trouble, people's real inner self comes out and that's when you find out what the person really is. He hasn't changed. It's always there."
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani was born on May 28, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York, to Helen and Harold Giuliani. The Giulianis' extended family included police officers, firefighters and some members who were convicted of criminal acts. Rudy's immediate family moved to Garden City, Long Island, in 1951, where he attended a local Catholic school, St. Anne's, and then he commuted back to Brooklyn to attend Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School. His love of the New York Yankees began in those years, and today, he's a good friend of Yankees manager Joe Torre. He graduated in 1961, and attended Manhattan College, graduating from there in 1965 magna cum laude. He decided to go to New York University Law School, from which he received a magna cum laude degree in 1968. He clerked for Judge Lloyd MacMahon in the Southern District of New York. In 1970, he joined the office of the the U.S. Attorney, and then, he became chief of the narcotics unit at the U.S. Department of Justice. After working in a private law firm for several years, Giuliani returned to public service when President Ronald Reagan named him associate attorney general. In May 1981, at the age of 36, he was sworn in as the youngest associate attorney general in history.
His legal standing rose quickly at the Justice Department, as did his political connections in New York. By 1983, when an opening came for the U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, New York Sen. Al D'Amato pushed his nomination for the job. On June 3, 1983, he was sworn in. Giuliani had arrived in the legal big leagues, and he wasn't about to squander the opportunity.
Giuliani's convictions read like a lawyer's dream come true. He successfully prosecuted and won 100-year sentences against the heads of the major Mafia crime families in New York, including "Fat Tony" Salerno, of the Genovese family, "Tony Ducks" Corallo, of the Luchese family, and Carmine "The Snake" Persico, of the Colombo organization; the Bonnano family boss, Rusty Rastelli, was indicted but actually sentenced for another crime and Paul Castellano, of the Gambino family, was assassinated before the sentencing hearing. Giuliani also helped break up the Pizza Connection, a $1 billion heroin drug smuggling ring. The investigation led to the arrests of more than a dozen people around the country. He prosecuted very-high profile corruption charges against top politicians in New York. He sent Stanley Friedman, a former deputy mayor and head of the Bronx Democratic Party, to prison for 12 years for acting as a middleman in a bribery scheme. And, he convicted Mario Biaggi, a U.S. congressman from the Bronx, on bribery charges.
Some of his notorious cases involved white collar crime on Wall Street. He spearheaded the effort against Ivan Boesky, one of the most well-known financiers on Wall Street in the mid-1980s. Boesky paid a $100 million fine and served federal prison time. He also started the investigations of other Wall Street financiers, including Michael Milken, of Drexel Burnham Lambert. Although Milken's guilty plea and the $650 million fine paid by the firm took place after Giuliani left office, he was credited with launching the probe that brought Milken to justice for insider trading. In a rare instance of enemies commiserating, Milken and Giuliani reached out to each other in the wake of the Mayor's prostate cancer diagnosis. Milken, a prostate cancer survivor, offered up the resources of his research foundation, CaPCURE, which is dedicated to finding a cure for the cancer. They have now become friends.
Throughout his years in the U.S. prosecutor's job, speculation swirled around Giuliani that he wanted an elected job, either senator or perhaps mayor of New York. In 1988, he publicly ruled out a run for the Senate, and within five months of his resignation as U.S. attorney in January 1989, he announced his candidacy for mayor. He ended up losing by three percentage points to David Dinkins in one of the most tightly contested elections in New York City history.
Giuliani wasn't done. He bided his time, watching as New York declined in the recession of the early 1990s. In 1993, he announced his candidacy for a second run at the mayor's office. His campaign was driven by a widespread feeling that the city was hurting and needed someone to restore its luster. But Giuliani won by a fairly narrow margin of 45,000 votes.
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Enjoy a free, guided, outdoor, walking tour of the PlayhouseSquare neighborhood, and be entertained as history comes to life through historic character portrayals by cast members along the way! Learn about theatre history, Euclid Avenue, department stores and social clubs of the past, and, of course, the GE Chandelier. Meet at 6 PM in the State Theatre Lobby on Thursdays from May 19 through September 15, 2016.
Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation


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MANTECA, Calif. — Reasonable f.o.b. prices, strong demand and high quality have converged on California's northern San Joaquin Valley watermelon-growing region this season, and grower-packer-shippers aren't complaining.
"I think it's one of those things where the stars kind of lined up for us â it's hard to explain," said Art Perry, with George Perry & Sons Inc., Manteca.
Danielle Cultrera, a salesperson with Manteca-based Van Groningen & Sons Inc., agreed.
"It's kind of a weird year," she said. "Supplies have been good, but demand has been higher this year than years past."
On July 30, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service reported 35-, 45- and 60-count red-fleshed seedless watermelon packed in 24-inch bins out of the San Joaquin Valley District fetching 18-20 cents per pound f.o.b. Red-fleshed 35- 45-count seeded watermelons were running 10-12 cents per pound.
The bulk of the watermelons coming from the northern San Joaquin Valley are seedless, with a small amount of seeded varieties used as pollenizers.
Cultrera said West Coast customers prefer seedless, and only a few markets in the South favor seeded melons.
Von Groningen & Sons, which also handles melons from the Imperial Valley and Bakersfield., under the Yosemite Fresh label, started shipping from the Manteca area in late June â a few days earlier than normal.
"It was a good thing because watermelons were real tight this year, so we needed that extra volume," she said.
Perry & Sons offers year-round watermelons. Because of the company's involvement in the Kern County deal, it didn't start harvesting from northern San Joaquin Valley fields until about July 10 â a few days later than normal, Perry said.
This summer's growing season has been nearly ideal, with mostly warm days and cool nights. As a result, fruit quality has been excellent, which no doubt helped repeat sales, he said.
Perry also credited retail promotions for spurring demand.
"I think the retailers have done a great job," he said. "They've had them on ads ... and they're offering them at a fair price to the consumer."
Perry said the National Watermelon Promotion Board's educational programs touting watermelon health and nutritional attributes also appear to be resonating with consumers.
Despite strong markets, both Cultrera and Perry said freight prices also are a bit higher this year, although truck availability has not been a problem.
"We're paying more for freight than we were, but for some reason, it hasn't affected sales," Perry said.
Because watermelon is a heavy, bulky crop, both Manteca grower-packer-shippers said they focus mostly on West Coast markets.
Von Groningen & Sons plans to ship through early October whereas Perry & Sons plans to wrap up northern San Joaquin Valley harvest in late September.


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See Adorable Pics of Justin Bieber + Siblings on Vacation
Wanna OD on cuteness? Then check out these photos of Justin Bieber on vacation with his little brother Jaxon and little sister Jazmyn.
Cannot. Handle. It.
The Biebs clearly is in love with being an older brother to his dad Jeremy's other children, as you can see from these photos of them playing, hanging out (literally), snuggling and sleeping.
Little Jax and Jaz are going to be serious heartbreakers, just like their older brother.
We are not sure where the Biebs is sunning and funning at, but he did indicate that he was on vacation with the fam and that his Internet service sucked as he attempted (and failed) to pull off a chat with fans on the same night as the Grammys.
It didn't fail because Beliebers were all caught up in Music's Biggest Night but because so many fans wanted to talk to the teen that they broke the Internet and the web was ill-equipped to deal with a Biebs-hosted event.
The Biebs was pretty PO'ed at the Grammys for the big snub, where 'Believe' was ignored completely by voters and the organization.
At least the singer can enjoy some time off with family to help numb the sting over being dissed by Grammy gold.
Watch the Justin Bieber 'Boyfriend' Video
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