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In July 2010 our fully-planned trip to Alice Springs took a very different direction when the wet weather called a halt to the tours we had booked. Because of this turn of events we were able to spend time in and around Alice Springs itself and learn about the uniqueness of this area – a town stuck in the middle of a desert and how its people have adapted their lives to survive. It was a great time, and we vowed to return sometime to renew our acquaintance with the township and hopefully take the tours that were cancelled.
And return we did, at the start of August 2011. The weather was amazing – clear blue skies, temperature not less than 28 degrees, and no wind to speak of, quite a contrast to the previous year.
We arrived in Alice on Sunday 31 July a little earlier than scheduled. Our trip on The Ghan was a great experience. We travelled Gold class, complete with pocket-handkerchief-but-efficient en suite.
Our journey began in Katherine at 4:45 pm. but just a little rewind to get us on board. Thank goodness we had had the time to rebalance my bag earlier in the day.
While DH was sorting out the return of our rental (in 12 days and 3 hours we covered 1 853 km) and our receipt was being printed off, I started the walk to the bus stop. I had a mild panic when a bus with The Ghan written on the side pulled out of the area, but the driver explained she was doing a tour and the shuttle bus would be along soon. Finally the bus arrived and we joined the journey back to The Ghan, but when we got there the train wasn't there! Instead a freight train was in its place. Apparently freight trains take precedence over the Ghan - it's the Ghan that has to pull onto a siding when a freight train approaches.
The Ghan finally pulled in and then it was a mad scramble to board so we could leave on time. We were directed to carriage M so we headed there. We were met at the steps by a young woman named Yasmine who told us to board and she would be with us very shortly. We were the last on board for our carriage so 'very shortly' was actually straight away. We were in cabin 3 and 4, not sure why two numbers but there you are.
Yasmine welcomed us on board and explained the bathroom, demonstrating the pull-down toilet and hand basin, and stressing the need to pull the curtain right round when having a shower. She then explained that the staff would be along in the evening to organise the beds for us. We were told if we had any questions don't hesitate to ask. Catherine, the team leader, came to introduce herself and to ask which sitting for dinner we would like to join - 1800 or 2000 hours. We opted for the earlier sitting and were handed our red cards plus our account card. This card is used for any purchases made on board, then the night before or the morning you leave the train you quote your account number and settle the bill.
Once all formalities were over, we settled on our couch and watched the world whizz by. It seemed only a few minutes later when our sitting for dinner was announced, and the time of our welcome aboard gathering. We made our way to the Queen Adelaide Dining car, where we were greeted by Yasmine, who seated us with a young couple from Melbourne. We had a delicious 3 course dinner accompanied by a very pleasant wine but can't remember what either was 7 months later. Being someone who finds it quite difficult to talk to people I don't know, I was surprised how easy the conversation was, and how quickly our meal-time passed. It was then to the Outback Explorer Lounge for the welcome aboard, followed by some hilarious games of Yahtzee with several others including our dinner companions. About 10:00 pm we headed back to the cabin and sleep. I slept well until about 4:30 am, although DH found the rocking motion rather off-putting. I had travelled in my very young days on the overnight train between Palmerston North and Auckland when a poor student at Training College, and it was a little like going back to those heady days of trying to sleep sitting upright except this time we were in bunks!
We were "awakened" with a cup of coffee just after 6:000 am, and before long it was time for breakfast at 8:00 am. This too was a 3-course meal, and again a most enjoyable breakfast. We had a lovely, older lady for company. Back to the cabin for a quick packup, and then relax for the last few kilometres into Alice.
It was a beautiful day to return to Alice – 28 degrees celsius, no wind and not a cloud in the sky. Once booked into the Crowne Plaza, we taxied into the shopping area, found somewhere to have a snack and a coffee, then renewed our acquaintance with some of the shops we frequented in 2010. There are a couple of good souvenir shops where we have bought some different quality souvenirs. A few groceries swelled our purchases, and it was back to the hotel. On both our trips to Alice we have stayed in a "mountain view" room at Crowne Plaza. I enjoy watching the sunrise, and just love the East Macs with their interesting formations and flora. We haven't seen any fauna from the balconies – yet. This side of the hotel also looks across the golf course, just a hop, step and jump away from the hotel.
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A town like Alice – not just a book and movie title!
In July 2010 our fully-planned trip to Alice Springs took a very different direction when the wet weather called a halt to the tours we had booked. Because of this turn of events we were able to spend time in and around Alice Springs itself and learn about the uniqueness of this area – a town stuck in the middle of a desert and how its people have adapted their lives to survive. It was a great time, and we vowed to return sometime to renew our acquaintance with the township and hopefully take the tours that were cancelled.
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dottyp, what fun to 'go along with you' for the ride on the Ghan. Hope to see more!
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Thanks, Sue. Instalments are written for two of our four trips in Alice, but will post in stages so that the reading is not too onerous at one time!
Monday was an early start. We were collected by Leigh of4WD Outback Experience in his trusty well-travelled Toyota Land-cruiser for a trip to Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley. We followed the Old South Road which in turn follows the Old Ghan track and the Overland Telegraph line. First stop was Ewaninga to look at some unusual Aboriginal rock carvings. At the start of the stroll to the carvings there is a stretch of the original telegraph line from the 1870s. These rock carvings are interesting, quite different to any other Aboriginal art I have seen. Every flat surface seems to have been used to record their stories. Beside the rocks is a claypan which fills quickly when the rains come and remains full for several weeks. Plants grow rapidly, and animals and birds are attracted to the water, thus providing food for the traditional land owners.
From there we travelled through Rodinga Siding, a settlers' camp built during the extension of the Old Ghan railway to Alice Springs during the 1920s. Apparently every 60 km a railway cottage was built. These cottages were called Fettlers Cottages. (A fettler is a person who maintains and repairs the railway.) Six people - 1 foreman, 1 cook and 4 labourers - lived in these cottages and were responsible for keeping the track open. The tracks were laid straight on to the dirt. The only reason the buildings are still standing made from concrete.
On to Maryvale Station. Cuppa time, and time to look around the little store that is on the station. Here they sell basic groceries, and Aboriginal art works. Maryvale is a very large cattle station, a mere 1 000 000 acres in total. We stopped at a dam that was surrounded by cattle, several of whom just looked at us then carried on doing what they were doing before being rudely interrupted, while the rest took off to safer ground from which to watch the intruders! There are 12 bores and 10 dams on the property. They farm mainly Herefords but are introducing Brahmins. I'm pretty sure there is a school on Maryvale with about 30 children attending who are guided by 2 European and one Aboriginal teacher.
The road continues to wind through this quite harsh country, through the Hugh River (named after Hugh Chambers, son of James Chambers who was a sponsor of John MacDouall Stuart) and onto the Charlotte Range. It seemed very odd driving over dry river beds after seeing so many rivers in flood the year before in Alice Springs. The Charlotte Range, too, was very dry, and occasionally a little zephyr would blow a little dust across our path. The dust clouds being whipped up by the vehicle's wheels confirmed how dry the land was. It is very many years since I travelled on dirt tracks over such a long distance, but seeing the dust clouds brought back memories of those trips and the bouncing-along on rutted tracks. The main difference was these new dust clouds were tinged with red!
On top of the Charlotte Range you have an amazing 360 degree view of flat land (the Simpson Desert) with some lumpy bits in the very distance that break up the flatness. One of those lumpy bits 10km away is Chambers Pillar, which stands 50 metres above the surrounding land. It takes quite a while to reach Chambers Pillar though because of the sandy track. As you drive into the Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve you pass another rocky formation called Castle Rock. The following is from a fact sheet about Chambers Pillar issued by the Northern Territory Government:
"In the Dreamtime it is said the Gecko ancestor Itirkawara(pronounced it-turk-kar-wara) left the Finke River and journeyed north-eastward. As he travelled he grew into a huge and powerfully built man of super human strength and extreme violence of temper. On the way home to his birth place he successfully challenged and killed a number of unfortunate ancestors with his stone knife. Flushed with the ease of his successes he then disregarded the strict marriage code and took a wife from the wrong skin group. His enraged relatives promptly banished him and the girl. The two retreated into the desert, Itirkawara raging in fury, the girl shrinking from him in deep shame. Among the dunes they rested and turned into prominent rocky formations - Itirkawara into the Pillar, the girl, still turning her face away from him in shame, into Castle Rock to the northeast, about 500 metres away."
Unfortunately we didn't have time to have a closer look at Castle Rock but perhaps another time . . .
Leigh's partner Sandra had packed us very substantial, yummy individual salad lunches which we enjoyed at the picnic site before moving on to the Pillar. From the picnic site you can either walk or drive to the Pillar – we two ladies chose to go in the car with Leigh while the men walked. It is only 400 metres or so but in that 400 metres we learnt quite a bit more about the flora of the area.
Chambers Pillar is quite awe-inspiring. The Pillar stands atop a mound of ancient, layered rocks on which have been created some steps to the Pillar itself. Spinifex bushes grow amongst weeds and grasses around the mound, and my scaredy-cat eyes were ever watchful for the Mulga Snake plus any other snakes, and the scorpion who inhabit this area. However on the other side I was hoping to see the dunnart, the mice, the Boobook owl, and bats although probably not the last two during the daytime so much. Thankfully and sadly I saw none of them – just a common old magpie who stood guard at the entrance of the path to the Pillar.
Along with Leigh (our guide) and the other female passenger, I remained on the ground below the Pillar while my DH and her husband climbed the rather exposed steps to the actual base of the Pillar. We dutifully took photos of them waving with glee (or was it terror?) from the top of the steps. When the men returned they said it was scary going up and coming down the steps – there were very limited handrail sections, and those there were were mostly around the base. Just standing on the ground and looking up to the top of the Pillar made you feel the size of an ant. There seems to be several different types of rock and stratas making up the Pillar. I wish I had listened more carefully when our Science teacher was talking about rocks, etc, then I would have been able to report knowledgeably about the Pillar's makeup.
I took a photo of The Pillar for the Dental Nurses at school to hang in the clinic as an example of what happens when you don't look after your teeth! They were highly amused – not sure if the children who went were, though.
Photos will follow the final instalment of the two days we spent with Leigh, such a knowledgeable and obliging guide. He will stop anywhere, anytime within reason for you to take photos.
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While not having traveled on the Ghan I have traveled on trains with a similar numbering system and it refers to your seat and berth numbers.
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Aha, thanks for explaining that, Alan.
We retraced our tracks from the Reserve, over the Charlotte Range again to a track on private farm land, running alongside the Central Australian Railway. This is the only place we saw feral camels. One, the lookout, was sitting in the track but as soon as we came along it took off and rejoined its gang in the paddock beside the track.
After several kms of yet more rutted tracks we entered the Henbury Station. This station had just been bought by R M Williams, who plans to get rid of the cattle, and turn it into a Conservation area. We will watch the progress with interest.
Rainbow Valley is part of the James Range, and consists of free-standing sandstone cliffs and bluffs with claypans adjacent. Erosion and weathering has caused the valley shape. Apparently the best time to be there is at sunrise or sunset when the sun hits the coloured layers of the cliffs. I hope to see this one day, too. However, the cliffs and bluffs were quite striking while we were there in the middle of the afternoon.
A lot of work has gone into preparing information boards and special 'boardwalks' to enable visitors to get the most out of their visit. They explain about the makeup of the cliffs, the flora and fauna, and what you can do while there. The only walk is the Mushroom Rock trail, but you can get a permit to visit other areas of the park. There is a camping area available for those who want to spend more time there than just a quick visit.
We walked to the cliffs along the very edge of the claypan, stopping to look at the interesting little plants growing there, and back to the car park via the netted 'boardwalk'. Both ways had their highlights.
We had time to explore some interesting rock formations including Mushroom Rock. We saw something that looked like piles of grit on the underside of Mushroom Rock. I wondered if they were Fairy Martin nests although we didn't see any of these birds around at all. Maybe they were insect homes instead. Quite fascinating, though.
Definitely worth a visit to Rainbow Valley, and I guess if you can be there for sunrise or sunset would be a bonus.
A quick trip back to the main highway, and we were back in Alice Springs in less than an hour. It seemed strange that we were so close to Alice when in the middle of the Simpson Desert.
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A couple of days later we were out again with Leigh, this time heading for the East MacDonnells, Trephina Gorge and Arltunga. Shortly after leaving Alice we took a shortcut on an offroad track which took us across our first river bed for the day, and on the edge of a farm before rejoining the Ross Highway to Trephina. Along the way Leigh gave us snippets of the local history, some of which I have written below:
- the Binns Track, a plan to link all outback tracks from South Australia to Central Australia so people could travel through the country without going into towns if they wished;
- the homestead used in an Australian film –not sure which one – was out this way
- William Benstead was a local builder who built the first hotel in Alice Spring, and whose wife was named Tryphena. The Gorge was named after her although the 'y' has been replaced by 'e'.
- The very large family farm of several generations diversifying into cabbages, pomegranates and grapes due to the financial downturn.
From the turnoff to Trephina Gorge , we travelled down sealed road for a few kms and then onto an unsealed road where we crossed over some creek beds, this time with a little water in them, such as the Trephina Creek. However, we crossed Bitter Springs Creek several times, and there was just no water at all. The reason for the water in Trephina was because the springs behind Mordor Pound were still full. (Apparently Mordor Pound has been likened to Tolkien's Mordor.)
We walked from the car park to the departure point for several walks around Trephina. As one of our party was not able to walk great distances we took the 500m stroll to the waterhole in the Gorge, with the magnificent rocky walls towering above us and the River Red Gums alongside the creek. As I keep saying I hope to come back to this area to take a couple of the other walks, and explore, one day . . .
Back on the road out of the Gorge area we stopped to look at the largest Ghost Gum in Central Australia. It doesn't look too large when you stop in the car park, but as you walk closer it begins to loom a little bigger. Leigh suggested we try to hug the trunk. Even the four of us couldn't connect around the rather large trunk!
The road from here to Arltunga goes past. amongst other sights, an interesting almost-teardrop rock formation, across Paddy's Plains near Paddy's Jump Up Mine (an abandoned uranium and copper mine), and past some horses from a station that had been turned out to graze some years before, and are now roaming free. Of course there were many ups and downs to the gravel road, some of them higher or lower than others, and all adding to an enjoyable and informative trip. For those of us who are not Australian – these small undulations in the road are apparently called "jump ups".
The first building we saw in Arltunga was the hotel, now closed. It would appear to have had quite a chequered career, not always the fault of the various mine hosts, and certainly not the current encumbents, who are totally involved in the maintenance and restoration of the area and its history. It seemed to me to be a necessary place to be open for travellers to call in after 33 km of a gravel, undulating and sometimes steep road!
The Visitors Centre, a little further on from the hotel, is an oasis in the middle of the desert – well, so it was for us. Spacious flushing toilets and running water were very welcome!
The Centre itself has a very informative wall display about the history of the mining in Arltunga, with a selection of labelled artefacts of the time. In addition to this is an interesting short DVD about Arltunga. We wandered around the outside where there are further displays of items used in mining and examples of life in those days. I chuckled when I saw the toy "trucks" made from lidded tin cans, stones and wire – I remember my brother making similar "vehicles" over 50 years ago!
We sat outside at a picnic table and ate yet another yummy lunch courtesy of Sandra, with the company of a crested bellbird who just wasn't sure how close he could safely come to us but really wanted to share our lunch. Lunch eaten and a much-needed coffee drained we headed off to explore the area.
First stop was at the Government Works site. This information is quoted from their information sheet, available at the Visitors Centre:
"The Government Battery and Cyanide Works was established in 1898 as a facility for crushing and processing ore worked from local mines. Until mining activity faded in 1913, this was the heart of the Arltunga Goldmines."
The buildings around the site are what remains of the houses and offices of the workers. The sites are numbered, and armed with the Self-Guided Walk sheet you can identify each building. Most of them have had some clever maintenance work done to extend their life. It was an interesting stroll around, although again my scaredy-cat eyes were alert for snoozing or slithering snakes, after seeing a reminder to watch out for snoozing snakes on one of the info boards! Trying to imagine how the people lived in such cramped conditions made for good discussions. I am not machinery-minded but I found the old machines, some of which I had never seen or heard of in my life, quite fascinating in their appearance and workings. I was rather embarrassed, however, to go into one of the houses and to find among the graffiti on the wall signatures from some NZ people. Although we spent nearly a leisurely hour looking around, the estimation of approximately 40 minutes to complete the walk would be pretty close.
It was back to the carpark from where Leigh headed for the Arltunga Police Station and Gaol. The current Station and Gaol were built in 1912, and were used as the district Police Base until 1944. The reconstruction of the Police residence and gaol was completed in 1985 following deliberate vandalism. At the front of the Station is a working tamping rammer made of wood, a reminder of the gold-mining history. There is also a covered well just outside the entrance to the Police Station. Not sure if it had water in or was just a deep hole.
On the road between the Police Station and the White Range Cemetery we passed the old Bakehouse at the Crossroads. The ovens were visible, appearing as if they had been accessed from the back of the building. Another point of interest was the Crossroads Cemetery, where we looked at a couple of graves, one enclosed in a very well constructed four-walled fence of local stones and complete with a drainage hole at the foot of the grave. This grave and accompanying grave stone seems to have been organised by a friend of the deceased. Just opposite was another grave that had its site marked out by a rustic fence, while next to that was yet another site that was just covered in stones.
The White Range Cemetery is at the end of the road. This is an unusual cemetery, with the graves marked out by post and rail fences. It is a lonely site for a cemetery, on the side of a hill in the middle of nowhere. Of the 13 people buried there 8 are named and the rest unknown. Amongst those buried here are Joseph Hele who first found gold in the area in 1877 (or 1887 – both dates appear in information I have read), and Henry Luce who discovered the reef gold of White Range in 1897. The whole cemetery is inside a modern post and chain fence.
Just a few steps up the hill from the cemetery is the lookout to the White Ranges, so called because of the quartz that gives the Ranges their white appearance. The first mine closed in 1913, reopened and closed in the 1950s, and then again in 1987 the mine was opened. This mine closed in the 1990s. In 2001 another company began production. However, ore is not being dug out any more but instead material from the waste dumps and pits is being processed.
This seemed a fitting place to finish the visit to Arltunga. We retraced our tracks through Arltunga, past the Police Station and the hotel, still closed, and on to the Ross Highway towards Alice Springs. Not far past the intersection is a memorial to the Eastern and Central Arrernte people who passed away in Arltunga and the surrounding area between 1942 and 1953. The Little Flower Mission was established in Arltunga in 1942. In 1942 Alice Springs became a military base and for unknown reasons two hundred Aboriginal people were evacuated to Arltunga, remaining there until 1953, when it was decided to move the mission to Santa Teresa due to lack of adequate water.
Corroboree Rock is about 40 minutes from Alice Springs. Although we had been there last year in misty rain, it was good to see the Rock in total sunlight. It is worth the short walk around the Rock to see its many faces, and the wildlife around here, including a cat. We didn't see any perentie though they live in the area. Common belief is that this area was used as storage for important objects by the Eastern Arrernte people.
Next stop was Jessie Gap, followed by Emily Gap a few kms closer to Alice Springs. These two places are important spiritual sites to the Eastern Arrernte people, forming part of the dreamtime story, in particular the caterpillar trail. At Emily Gap there is a rock painting that depicts the caterpillar dreaming.
Our final stop was a quick call into the Heavitree Gap Lodge to see the rock wallabies that come down at dusk to entertain the guests and others, and of course to be fed. In 2010 there were mainly children gasping with delight, but in 2011 it was mainly adults. What children we are at heart.
This was our last full day in Alice Springs, and we felt full with pleasure at the wonderful places we visited, the sights we saw, and the people we met. I do recommend spending more than a day in Alice Springs – it has an interesting history and an amazing present and future.
Link to some photos of The Ghan and the trips just reviewed.
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Our tour on Wednesday was out to Palm Valley. We headed out along Larapinta Drive (Larapinta is Aboriginal for Finke) as far as Hermannsburg. Larapinta Drive is reputed to be the first sealed road in the Northern Territory, and Hermannsburg reputed to be the first town in the Northern Territory. Here, our driver Greg turned left onto a dirt road, which lead into the Finke Gorge National Park. We followed this road for a few kms then reached the "Official" entrance to the park. As we drove in we noticed there were iron posts with fabric tied between them. Greg told us these act as a fence, a deterrent to the wild horses going into the valley and damaging the trees. Apparently before the fence was put up there were only 1 200 mature red cabbage palms left in Palm Valley but now there are 13 000!
At this point we left the dirt road and headed onto the Finke River bed. We drove along here then up on the bank then back to the river bed. Finally we crossed over the little trickle of water left in the river where the Palm River flows into the Finke River, and onto another dirt path. To the left was a camp site, but we drove past that. Eventually we came to a flat parking area that had a toilet block and two shelter huts. Greg pulled up here for morning tea. While he was getting this organised there was a mad dash for the loos!
After morning tea he talked to us about the native bushes that were around the parking area. First bush was an acacia more commonly known as the Witchetty tree. You can tell if there are bugs there in three different ways - if there is a dead part of the bush, if there is a mound of dirt around the dead part, and if, when you dig around the roots of the bush in the mounded part, the roots sound hollow if tapped. The bugs are found in the root system. Greg said he had tried one once - made the mistake of not biting the head off first. The head popped and crunched like popcorn, and the body tasted like melted peanut butter in marshmellow. I will take his word for it!
The next bush was another acacia, the Mulga bush. The bush has toxins in it that can be poisonous. Aboriginal men would make spears from the branches, using them in hunting. If they speared a kangaroo and cooked it then the toxins were rendered harmless. However, if they made a fire and inhaled the toxins there were problems! Women made digging tools from the plant, and would use them to dig down into the roots. They were looking for the honey ants, a delicacy.
The other acacia was the wattle, also known as the 'dead and finished' - once the plant has flowered that is the summer over. He also pointed out a pretty yellow bush with long yellowy-green pods, known as the chocolate senna tree. The Aborigines used it as a laxative! Another pretty flowering bush was the long-leafed hakea, a member of the grevilia family. It is a grey leafed plant with a small pretty purple flower.
The last tree was the bloodwood tree, a member of the eucalypt family. The Aborigines used it as an antiseptic.
Next stage was to the Cycad Gorge.
If I had known about the next very rough rock-and-roll stage I might have set out earlier and walked it! For 3 kms it was nerve-racking for me, worrying whether or not we were going to survive the journey. The Cycad Gorge was just a narrow part of the area with some large cycads and mature red cabbage trees mixed with other trees. Quite an interesting area, with the trees in amongst the large rocks which gave them shelter from the hot sun.
Another rock-and-rolling 1 km and we were at the Palm Valley. Greg lead a walk up the escarpment and down into the valley, the Arankaia Loop walk. Some of us chose not to take this walk as there were some very narrow steps, and it was in the middle of the day and rather warm. Instead we walked along the bottom of the valley which was interesting. Amazing rock formations line the Valley walls. I saw a really good example of red cabbage tree growth. The plants start life red in colour, leaves and stem. As they grow the leaves begin to turn green although the stems remain red. Gradually they are no longer red but a very bright green with yellowy-green tips on the leaves, and often when you look at them they are tinged with red.
DH went on theA rankaia loop walk, and got some interesting photos from up there. He said it was well worth the climb in the heat (around 34 degrees) for the views. One poor woman tripped and put her hand down to save herself - in the spinifex bush. She got quite a few spinifex prickles in her hand. Greg took out what he could. During the rest of the day, she spent quite a bit of time trying to remove the prickles.
From there we returned to the picnic and toilet / shade hut area for lunch - a tasty wrap, an orange or apple, and a small bottle of juice. Pack up completed, we rocked-and-rolled back to the Kalarranga Lookout area. Again, Greg lead a group of walkers up to the Lookout, while some of us chose to stay at the shelter for the same reasons. DH again chose to climb up, and said it was an amazing view of a different aspect of the Valley.
Back in the vehicle, and back to the main road. Everyone clapped when we rejoined the Larapinta Drive. I guess they too did not really enjoy the tossing about.
We visited Hermannsburg, the birthplace of Albert Namatjira. Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time there. I missed the gallery but DH and I did have a piece of the renowned apple strudel (absolutely delicious) with our coffee, and I did manage to get a few photos and look inside a couple of the mission buildings.
On the way back to Alice, Greg stopped for us to take photos of the MacDonnell Ranges. The sun was not far from setting and so there was a really cool light on the ranges.
I do hope the rest of our trips do not cover such a rough 4 km as we travelled on today!!
Interesting facts:
Northern Territory is 1.4 square million km in area. Of that, 52% is Aboriginal land, 44% is farms and stations, and 4% is townships and National Parks.
The MacDonnell range is the 2nd largest in Australia after the Great Divide. The rock is made up of quartz, dolomite, shale, mudstone, limestone, and ironfells (?) bark which gives it the red colour, over 1 000 years.
In 2009 rainfall was 77 mls, 2010 770 mls, so far in 2011 they have had 300 ml.
People asked why there are still burnt tree stumps from previous bush fires. It is because they take 20 - 40 years to decay.
The land along Larapinta Drive used to belong to the Vesty family, and stretched 1 400 kms away from Alice through to a river whose name I could not read in my notes. When the law came in allowing stations to be sold off in smaller blocks, some of the station land was sold to Aboriginals and farmers.
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Thursday 4 August
We were out the front at 0600 ready for our pickup. For the first time I needed my shirt on. It might be 28 degrees during the day but the nights can drop to below 10! We waited and waited, and then I began to worry that they might have forgotten us. Finally at around 0625 hours the EmuRun bus appeared. We joined the large group, some of whom were going to Kings Canyon with us, and some who were going to Uluru for the day. As we got on one of the 2 drivers handed us a pack that contained a small box of fruit juice, a yoghurt-and-fruit bar, and a small pack containing 3 crackers and Mainland cheese, advising us this was our bacon and eggs! After introducing themselves, they explained the lights would be going off although people could read if they wanted, and that announcements would be kept to a minimum until closer to Erldunda.
At Erldunda we had a break for our 'brekky' coffee or tea, although we didn't bother, and to connect with our bus to Kings Canyon. We wandered around outside and took photos of the oversized models of an echidna and a frill-necked lizard instead. Our bus for Kings Canyon arrived and we were able to get on and secure a front seat behind the driver, and then we visited the shop for souvenirs and postcards.
Shortly afterwards we were on our way with Bob, our driver and guide for the Kings Canyon trip. Bob is madly interested in snakes, and is hoping to set up a snake reserve, where people can view snakes in their 'natural ' environment.
Not far from Erldunda and for a few kilometres along the Lasseter Highway, were quite a few yellow balls lying on the side of the road. I noticed that they seemed to be connected by string, and then it dawned on me - they were . . . oh no, forgot what the name was. However, Bob came to the rescue and told us they were paddy melons, and not for human consumption. I remembered that from our visit to Uluru in 2010. We did see something enjoying them though. Several Major Mitchell cockatoos were having a wonderful meal.
Somewhere along the way we pulled into a layby for a quick morning tea. There were quite a few crested pigeons hanging around, ever hopeful for the odd crumb no doubt.
Around 100 kilometres we turned off the Lasseter Highway and onto the Luritja Road which leads to Kings Canyon. It was a fair distance along this road (approximately 150 kilometres), and for most of it we were constantly aware of the smoke haze around us. Most of the fires were controlled burn-offs but a few were deliberately lit by some senseless individuals. We saw one fire that had obviously just jumped the road and had started burning quite strongly.
Eventually we pulled into the Kings Canyon carpark, and had our lunch. A little pied butcherbird flitted around the scrub, and was the first of several different birds I saw. Everyone but me decided they would attempt the climb around the rim of the canyon. I could have done the walk if it had been much earlier in the day, and I didn't have a 3 hour time limit on me. (My right hip causes problems when climbing, a real pest. Flat or very slightly undulating land provides a much more enjoyable walking surface for me. Perhaps I could be airlifted on to the rim by helicopter!) At the beginning of the path to the Rim walk there is a memorial acknowledging Jack Cotterill, who organised the first tours to Kings Canyon in the very early 1960s.
I watched them all reach the top of the canyon, then I set off for a very pleasant stroll along the Kings Creek Walk. There are interesting plants, including a couple of cycads which look out of place for some reason, as well as amazing rock formations to admire. As you get further into the walk, the walls of the canyon are clearly seen, and quite magnificent. Across the creek and up a short climb is the end of the walk and a seat. It is truly "being at one with Nature" up here. The silence is so relaxing and peaceful, befitting the age and grandeur of the surrounding walls. For a while I even forgot to look out for those slithery creatures!
Back at the carpark I watched some little field mice have fun chasing each other around the largish stones. They were quite clever, climbing onto some slightly higher stones then jumping down as the other mouse would scurry past, and sometimes one mouse would creep forward to check around a stone to see where the other mouse was.
I watched grey-headed and white-plumed honeyeaters drinking water from a puddle, and a Western Bowerbird and friend came to visit me where I sat.
It was fun watching the intrepid explorers returning from the strenuous walk. Gosh, some people are incredibly fit. I chatted with a young man in his 30s (NZer living in Queensland) who started up the climb well after "my" group but was back before them. He admitted to jogging in places, and I did wonder if he was able to absorb the atmosphere and wonder of the Canyon. To each his own... Others wandered down and expressed the feeling it was probably not a good time of the day to have gone up there as they found it quite hot. I think the temperature was around 27 °C when we were eating lunch so it would have been more than that on the rim. Gradually members of our party drifted down the hill, pleased they had experienced and completed the rim walk, and in awe of the size of the canyon. If DH's photos are anything to go by it looks a very special place, one I hope to be able to visit myself in the future.
While I was being entertained by the local wildlife I noticed the sky was becoming an interesting fawny colour – the smoky haze had reached the carpark of Kings Canyon. The fire we had seen on the way to Kings Canyon had burnt quite a stand of scrub and trees and was quietly smoldering away.
As we travelled back towards the Lasseter Highway Bob pulled into Kings Creek Station, where we were able to meet the sulphur-crested cockatoo and purchase ice-cream and/or mementoes. At the junction of Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road is an interesting construction, labelled "Red Centre Way". The Red Centre Way stretches from Alice Springs to the World Heritage Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. According to the accompanying signboard there are several podcast stories available for the West MacDonnell section of the drive. This was a cool place to watch the sun set – the red of the setting sun seemed to intensify the red and brown colours of the structure.
Our last stop before Alice Springs was the Erldunda Motel for dinner and to connect with the coach from Uluru. It was a quiet trip, partly because it was getting late in the evening and partly because of the exertion expended by all on board. At one stage I was aware of something red in the sky. I realised it was the moon made blood red by the fires. Fantastic sight.
Around midnight we arrived at The Crowne Plaza ready for bed but happy to have been able to visit Kings Canyon. When we began planning our trip to Alice Springs 2010, my dad said we must go to The Olgas / Kata Tjuta and Ayers Rock / Uluru as well as Kings Canyon. Well, we have done all three now and understand what my dad meant about the aura that surrounds all three.
Photo link for Palm Valley and Kings Canyon
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Just a quick postscript / aside to my Alice report.
I was pleased to hear a travel agent (from one of NZ's bigger travel agencies) advise the Wellington radio audience that after spending 3 days in Alice Springs he realised that that was just not enough time to do Alice justice! Let's hope he follows through on his own advice with his clients!
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Last year I made a Flash presentation and I need to edit it. I can't find the version saved on the Vista machine that made it, but I have backups saved on a Mac. When I try to open the Fla files, it says "Unexpected File Format".
I haven't upgraded the Flash Version since I made this (CS3). I've tried removing the extension on the mac and adding it back on on the PC and zipping it and unzipping it. (These are two solutions I've found for this problem.)
Does anyone have any other ideas?
Thanks E
Usually this error occurs when you try to open an fla say created in CS5 and try and open it in CS3Can you post your fla and i can try open it?
Thank you.
If anyone can open this I would be eternally grateful.http://s181455844.onlinehome.us/ccmp_intro.v8.fla
You need cs5 to open it
That's strange because I made it on CS3.
Did it open for you? If so which platform are you on MAC/PC?I guess I could download the demo and convert the file.
I just downloaded the demo. It worked like a charm. Thanks E.
I am on PC.
If it doesn't work in cs3 then you try the cs5. There's nothing wrong with trying.

subset: commoncrawl


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Of course I've been checking my trash compulsively (I filtered his emails to go in there. More of a gesture since I still look and retrieve them!) since then. He usually sees the IC on Tuesdays so I kept thinking maybe he's written...maybe he's written. Then I looked at his facebook page this afternoon(unfriended, so nothing to see, I was just scratching the itch of seeing if he was still friends with a friend of mine--i.e., will he notice me being in touch with that person? Will he have to remember I exist?) and saw he had updated his profile picture. It was a selfie taken outside near some bridge yesterday. Not any place in NYC where we live, so maybe this is the week he was traveling out of town for business. Which means...no IC yesterday. And that's his decision, his schedule, his life, nothing to do with me anymore--but I was still devastated to think, a) that he is living his life so totally apart from me that I have no idea where he even is any given day; b) here I am waiting for a breakthrough from an appointment he never had, investing myself in hoping for something from him, when I know all he does is disappoint me again and again.
Anyway. Here I am, setting myself up for disappointment for no good reason.
I'm moving my stuff out this weekend, seeing old friends, making new ones, trying to mourn the betrayal, but my heart has not caught up with my head yet and I feel so stupid for that. Like I'm pretending to have made all this progress but really, nope, still not detached.
I see you give great, heart-felt advice to people all the time.
Cut yourself some slack! You've moved on, it's over, you're doing other things... the 'feelings' stuff takes time...and more time!
That being said, do you REALLY want to know what he discusses in counselling?
Probably not, but you're maintaining a link, perhaps an email to him saying that it was a nice idea but on reflection not the best choice for you... and then do a bit more 180-type moving on and NC?
Kia kaha
It might help you if you truly block him, that way you can't see what he's doing. I'm not the best person to give that advice though, since I'd never do the same thing myself.


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i havent been on in so long and there have been so many changes in my i have a new place to call home a friend who i descovered will be there for me through anything.
its been months since i have seen feet but tick tock the count down has begun and my baby boy will be here hopefully in time to say trick or treat
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Related quotes
"They say the tongues of dying men enforce attention, like deep harmony: Where words are scarce, they're seldom spent in vain."
"You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear. Do it! Develop an appreciation for the present moment. Seize every second of your life and savor it. Value your present moments. Using them up in any self-defeating ways means you've lost them forever."


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For the Moment-A Soul Acoustic
- Artist: Dain Harris
- Genre: Soul/R & B
- Release Date: 5/27/2008
This tandem represents all that is good in this new soul music movement. Dain Harris and Brandon A. Thomas have chosen to release, market and support their music together. Their projects are unique but blend together in a wonderfully organic fashion. From his corn rows to his cowboy boots, BRANDON A. THOMAS is a Georgia original. This Atlanta-born guitarist first learned to play while sitting by a creek in the north Georgia mountains. Today, he not only lends his talents to soul, rock and jazz artists throughout the nation but he has created his own unique sound. That sound is on display on his EP, A SOUL ACOUSTIC. DAIN HARRIS is a young R&B singer/songwriter with an old soul. Born & raised in Atlanta, GA, this seasoned 21 year-old performer has shared the stage with India Arie, Keite Young, Chrisette Michelle, Eric Roberson and Anthony David, just to name a few. He now exhibits his vocal and songwriting skills in his EP, FOR THE MOMENT.
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your version of Flash Player.
|For the Moment-A Soul Acoustic
|Dain Harris
|Soul/R & B
|CD Baby
|Release Date:
|Product Type:
|Item #:
|This product is a special order


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Fox News host Greg Gutfeld clashed with liberal guest Alan Colmes Thursday night, pushing back against Colmes' contention that the Islamic State does not currently pose a direct threat to the United States.
"Why is it that lefties like you … have a hard time identifying actual existential evil unless it's a Republican or a stay-at-home mom, where you can condemn them?," asked Gutfeld, who was filling in for Bill O'Reilly. "But when it comes to somebody who wants to kill you, oh, you know, they're nobodies."
Colmes, who posited that it seems as though the Islamic State threat is being ginned up in an effort to potentially lead the U.S. into another war, said that he was by no means defending the Islamic State, but that he didn't want to see yet another American-led conflict unfold.
"I guess what it is is they're not reaching the Colmes level of barbarism," Gutfeld said. "They're just not vicious enough for you."
But Colmes held his ground, noting that the Islamic State would "have to be a threat to the homeland of the United States of America," in his view, in order for U.S. involvement to be warranted.
Gutfeld, though, disagreed, calling the liberal commentator's views on the matter "false."
"Why is it our battle to be in a fight between Shiites and Sunnis, which has cost us treasure, which has cost us American lives for a decade or more?," Colmes asked.
Watch the debate unfold below:
(H/T: Mediaite)


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Father: Edward Taylor Wingate b: 18 DEC 1802 in Lockwood's Folly, Brunswick County, North Carolina
Mother: Eliza Jane Stepp b: 14 MAR 1820 in St. Claire County, Tennessee
RootsWeb.com, Inc. is NOT responsible for the content of the GEDCOMs uploaded through the WorldConnect Program. If you have a problem with a particular entry, please contact the submitter of said entry. You have full control over your GEDCOM. You can change or remove it at any time.


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A Dunstable charity worker had a lucky escape when she managed to stop her car just a metre from a falling tree.
Sally Martin, of Churchill Road, Dunstable, was returning home from work at around 1.30pm on Wednesday, when a 40ft fir tree fell in front of her car on West Street.
The 26-year-old, who works for children's charity Kids in Action, stopped her Peugeot 107 just in time.
"The tree made no noise," she said. "It was windy and rainy and it just went.
"It didn't make any noise when it landed. It came down quite quickly.
"I can laugh about it now but it's lucky no-one was hurt."
Sally was taken into the nearby cemetery office and given a cup of tea while neighbours who had been warning residents on West Street to move their cars during the day because of fears for the trees falling during Wednesday's storm, checked her car.
"I think I went into a bit of shock when I got home," she said.
William Roe and his neighbours on West Street had been warning about the risks of falling trees after nearby paving slabs started to lift because of the bad weather.
Council contractors removed the tree and others at risk, on Wednesday.


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Needless to say, it's been a rather eventful week for the guys of Green Day. Billie Joe Armstrong unleashed a barrage of punk rock rage and f-bombs onstage in Vegas, landing him in rehab for unknown substance abuse issues and canceling a slew of promo appearances, including a show at the Red Bull Sound Space in Los Angeles.
Still, the Green Day machine marches on, with the band's long-awaited new album ¡Uno! being released today (September 25), and already receiving rave reviews. To coincide with the album's public debut, Billie Joe and the boys have revealed a new performance video for the song "Stay The Night."
Unlike the more conceptual (and babe-laden) videos for "Kill The DJ" and "Oh Love," the clip for "Stay The Night" is a classic Green Day performance, showing the punk-pop power trio blaze through the catchy new song in an empty warehouse.
With Green Day's immediate plans on hold while Armstrong is in rehab, the singer will still appear on popular TV singing competition show The Voice as a mentor for Christina Aguilera's team. According to MTV News, the scenes were shot over the summer, and will not be affected by Armstrong's rehab stint.
–Scott T. Sterling, CBS Local


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On October 21, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), shown on left, announced his introduction of S.J. Res. 25, a constitutional amendment that would prevent Congress from exempting themselves from the mandates they impose on their constituents.
Paul's proposed amendment states: "Congress shall make no law applicable to a citizen of the United States that is not equally applicable to Congress." Under applicable provisions of the measure, the executive and judicial branches of the federal government would likewise be subject to all laws passed by the legislature.
Revelations of the subsidies granted to Congress under ObamaCare are the obvious impetus for Paul's proposal.
As has been widely reported, ObamaCare requires federal officials to enter the healthcare exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act, but offsets the cost of these medical insurance plans by the continuing contribution of the federal government to the purchase of the policies.
When laws do not apply to the lawmakers, we have entered an era of despotism. The choking grip of this type of tyranny is tightened when the people are forced to pay for the lawmakers' exemptions.
This is the situation facing citizens of the United States of America in the age of ObamaCare. Federal employees — be they congressmen or judges — are to be spared the economic ravages of the president's hallmark healthcare act. Each of these "public servants" will receive subsidies aimed at offsetting the cost of complying with the myriad mandates of ObamaCare.
After these subsidies were made known, Senator David Vitter (R-La.) offered a bill that would have eliminated these exemptions. Vitter is pursuing several options to enact his effort to make congressmen live under the laws they pass.
"This is really about fairness, making sure that Washington is forced to live under the same train wreck of Obamacare that is forced on the rest of America," Vitter said in a press release. "It will take the policy makers in Washington walking in the same shoes as the millions of Americans to actually make real policy changes, and clean up the train wreck."
Senator Paul is carrying the cause into new territory by trying to alter the Constitution.
"My amendment says basically that everybody including Justice Roberts — who seems to be such a fan of ObamaCare — gets it too," Paul told the online Daily Caller during a phone interview from Michigan, where, the article reports, he recently won a 2016 presidential straw poll.
"See, right now, Justice Roberts is still continuing to have federal employee health insurance subsidized by the taxpayer," Paul said. "And if he likes ObamaCare so much, I'm going to give him an amendment that gives ObamaCare to Justice Roberts."
When asked by the Daily Caller what he thought of Vitter's effort, Paul said, "I support any effort to make all laws applicable to Congress that we pass." He supports the bill, but thinks his own effort is the stronger medicine the country needs to cure itself of at least one of the many ObamaCare diseases.
"I think mine is a little more inclusive," Paul explained. "Mine — compared to Vitter's — would include all federal employees, and save billions of dollars.... Why don't we do it for all federal employees? And mine would save quite a bit more money," Paul explained.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sees nothing wrong with adding to the tax burdens of middle-class Americans so that federal employees can get cheap healthcare. "That's what the law says, and we'll be part of that," Reid declared, as quoted in the Daily Caller piece. "We'll be treated like the rest of the federal employees," Reid said. "It's nothing unique that employers help pay for health care."
There's also nothing unique about the federal government behaving in every particular like an elected aristocracy, believing themselves entitled to bloating themselves on feasts funded by the American people. Then, when the table is set, they demand that we, the people, serve them and then feed ourselves on whatever scraps fall from the tables of the privileged.
While Senator Paul is to be commended for his commitment to denying Washington the welfare they are so fond of, the use of a constitutional amendment to accomplish this worthwhile goal seems unnecessary for a few key reasons.
First, although many enemies of the Constitution frame any debate on the constitutionality of an issue by arguing that the Constitution doesn't forbid this or that act, that approach is the reverse of that intended by our Founders.
The Constitution does not catalog restrictions on power. That is to say, the Constitution was not designed to be a list of all the things the federal government cannot do, rather, it was written to contain an exhaustive, all-inclusive list of the authority granted to the federal government by the states that created it.
As James Madison explained in Federalist, no. 45, "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite."
So, rather than argue about whether a power is or is not restricted by the Constitution, we should examine the document to discover if a particular power is granted therein. If the power isn't explicitly given to the federal government in the Constitution, then the debate stops there, without need to entertain legalistic arguments about the "constitutionality" of the topic.
Next, in a related vein, there is no need to add an amendment to the Constitution forbidding Congress from doing something that it isn't allowed to do in the first place.
Regarding ObamaCare, the Constitution gives Congress neither the power to force Americans to purchase health insurance, nor to exempt itself from that mandate. Therefore, the Paul amendment is moot.
Imagine, furthermore, the never-ending list of amendments that would be necessary to attach to the Constitution were we to set about enumerating all the things Congress cannot do! Congress and the people would have time to do little else than to vote on these proposals.
Finally, consider the following words of Alexander Hamilton from the Federalist Papers. In this essay, Hamilton was arguing against the inclusion of a bill of rights in the Constitution, but the principles he puts forth apply to the question of a constitutional amendment forbidding Congress from exempting itself from laws.
For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do? Why, for instance, should it be said that the liberty of the press shall not be restrained, when no power is given by which restrictions may be imposed? I will not contend that such a provision would confer a regulating power; but it is evident that it would furnish, to men disposed to usurp, a plausible pretense for claiming that power. They might urge with a semblance of reason, that the Constitution ought not to be charged with the absurdity of providing against the abuse of an authority which was not given, and that the provision against restraining the liberty of the press afforded a clear implication, that a power to prescribe proper regulations concerning it was intended to be vested in the national government. This may serve as a specimen of the numerous handles which would be given to the doctrine of constructive powers, by the indulgence of an injudicious zeal for bills of rights.
Although Senator Paul's sense of justice is correct and commendable, his choice of a constitutional amendment to accomplish that end is questionable and potentially very problematic.


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A state Senate subcommittee plans to hold a hearing next week on findings by an oversight office that show nurse assistants who lost their certification with one state department over misconduct were later approved by another as caregivers for the elderly.
The report "Dangerous Caregivers," released Friday by the California Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes, revealed a loophole within the state Health and Human Services Agency.
The findings indicate nurse assistants who lost their certifications over issues such as abuse, negligence or theft in nursing homes can go on to work as caregivers in assisted living facilities.
In a narrow sampling using uncommon names, the report found 20 cases involving nurse assistants whose certifications were revoked by the Department of Public Health then cleared by the Department of Social Services to work as caregivers.
Both departments fall under the purview of the Health and Human Services Agency.
Social Services representatives were on state-mandated furlough Friday and could not be reached for comment.
The loophole results from the lack of a centralized database of workers that the state departments can check in pre-employment screenings, said John Hill, the consultant who prepared the 32-page report.
"A criminal background check is routine, but what they haven't done is check each other's administrative actions," he said.
Hill said the report has spurred Social Services to start checking caregivers' names with Public Health and other human services departments.
The state's 197,000 nurse assistants are trained to perform medical-related and caretaking tasks mostly in nursing homes, while some 140,000 caregivers help with the daily living of senior citizens who are generally not ill but need assistance.
Hill noted the loophole is putting some of the state's most vulnerable residents at risk.
In one case cited in the report, a nurse assistant lost her certification for hitting a blind, developmentally disabled client with a puzzle tray and throwing a softball into another client's stomach. Three weeks later, Social Services cleared her to work as a caregiver in a small assisted living facility.
In another case, a nurse assistant was decertified for stealing from nursing home residents. Nine months later, Social Services approved her to work as a housekeeper in another home.
"There is no excuse for allowing people with known histories of abuse to work in residential care facilities for the elderly or as caregivers in any other setting," said Michael Connors, long-term care advocate for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.
The loophole has come to state legislators' attention in the past. In 2006, a Senate bill required Social Services to set up a database of administrative actions by six Health and Human Services departments - Aging, Health Services, Alcohol and Drug Programs, Mental Health, Social Services and the Emergency Medical Services Authority - to cross-check prospective employees.
However, the database, which would cost $500,000, was never set up due to budget restraints, he said.
Hill said he started investigating decertified nurse assistants after hearing reports that they were obtaining caregiver jobs.
The investigation used a narrow sample of workers with uncommon names because more exact identifiers, like Social Security numbers and dates of birth, were not available, he said.
The Senate Subcommittee on Aging and Long-Term Care has scheduled a hearing on the report for March 24.
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My laptop is sitting in a bucket in front of our cabin, catching the spring drizzle as it falls. I thought I'd be telling you that I'm more productive than ever, that the computer was pulling me away from everything important, that I'm a better wife and mother without the internet. As it turns out, nothing much has changed.
The hugelkultur bed next to our cabin was just about ready for thinning and salad-making when the chickens busted through the fence and had a party of their own. We may have lost radishes and peas to a freeze last week and it's predicted to be 93 next week. Time to plant more seeds, I guess. Is it ever not a good time to plant more seeds?
A certain little lady had to stay out of the action this past week in order to heal up a bit. It always amazes me how fast they bounce back, and how utterly destroyed they are when life as they know it comes to a screeching halt. We are grateful that all it took was a couple of days of rest and a few extra hugs and snuggles from Daddy and Mommy both.
We made a couple of gallons of salsa last week. Two quarts went straight away and the rest we left to ferment. You can read about that, my adventures in kombucha sourdough making, and more over at the CFH blog.
And then there's this little ray of sunshine getting bigger and brighter by the day. She seems to be quite content to just be along for the ride and give her Daddy big grins when he pops his head in.
Oh, there are so many other things to share – a fun homestead project Stewart has been working on, some construction updates, and a bit of a rearranging I had almost finished before the laptop ended up in a bucket. Apparently none of that was meant to be shared just quite yet.
What have you been up to lately?


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Summit Hill community center mgr. says she'll keep serving
She hasn't officially been given the title of Community Center Manager in Summit Hill, but her duties dictate that this is what Monica Marshall is.
Since the Community Center opened, she has been the volunteer who has booked events, helped the borough council create rules for usage, and even has been cleaning the facility - all without financial reimbursement.
Two months ago, she tendered her resignation to council but agreed to continue the duties until a replacement is found.
No new volunteer for the duties has come forward.
Marshall told the borough council, "It's been 60 days since I decided to step aside," then gave them an offer they couldn't refuse.
She said she will operate the center for a small fee of $25 per month. This includes maintaining it and cleaning it.
The council voted unanimously to take her up on the offer.
It was noted that the center, located next to the Diligence Fire Company along West Ludlow Street, is booked every weekend through the end of October.
Marshall is also chairman of the Summit Hill Recreation Commission. This, too, is a volunteer position.
She informed the borough council that new rides have arrived for the Ginder Playground, but haven't been installed yet.
She said they are presently in storage and that a local company has offered to donate equipment to help with the installation.
In other recreation news, she said Kid's Weekend will be held at the Ginder Field from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.
The council accepted the resignation of Heather Schleicher from the Recreation Commission.
There were four new appointments to the commission.
Jennilee Kosciolek, who will serve as treasurer, was appointed to a term which expires Dec. 31, 2012.
Appointed to terms which expire Dec. 31 of this year are Barry Walck, Jamie Shelton, and Dean Founds Jr.


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DALLAS -- The parent of American Airlines earned a small operating profit and Northwest Airlines Corp. posted a smaller-than-expected loss for the second quarter, but investors remained wary that high fuel costs and fare wars will continue to plague carriers.
Shares of AMR Corp. closed down 6 percent, Northwest's stock slid 5.2 percent, and shares of America West Holdings Corp., which reported its fifth straight quarterly profit on Wednesday, tumbled 10 percent.
Ironically, Delta Air Lines, which reported a $1.96 billion loss earlier this week, was the only major airline stock to gain ground in trading Wednesday.
GM profits up
DETROIT -- General Motors Corp.'s profit soared 49 percent in the second quarter, boosted largely by record earnings at its financial services arm and improved global automotive results despite wider losses in its European operations.
Even as its profit rose, GM's global and North American market share declined, however.
The world's largest automaker said Wednesday it earned $1.34 billion, or $2.36 a share, in the April-June quarter, up from $901 million, or $1.58 a share, a year ago.
Gov't paid for gasoline
WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, Halliburton, charged the government $2.68 per gallon to import gasoline from Kuwait to Iraq while a U.S. government agency did the same job for $1.57 a gallon, a congressional Democratic report said Wednesday.
Halliburton's oil deliveries cost taxpayers an extra $166.5 million, when the company's per-gallon price is compared with the government agency's price, the report said.
Full disclosure for wireless companies
NEW YORK -- Some of the nation's largest wireless companies have just become more accountable to consumers.
Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless LLC and Sprint PCS entered into an agreement with the attorneys general of 32 states that will require full disclosure of service contract rates and conditions, more detailed coverage maps to consumers and a two-week grace period for new customers to terminate service without penalty. The carriers also agreed to be more transparent in their advertising.
The agreements end consumer protection investigations in the participating states that focused on allegations of misleading advertising and a lack of disclosure on rates, terms and conditions, said Ken Salazar, the attorney general for Colorado.
Mitsubishi to lay off 1,200
NORMAL, Ill. -- Mitsubishi Motors will lay off 1,200 workers this fall at its only U.S. plant, trimming car production as part of a worldwide revival plan the automaker hopes will pare mounting debts, the company announced Wednesday.
The Japanese automaker, battling losses from bad credit and recall scandals, said production will be cut from two shifts to one in October at the Normal, Ill. plant.
Rumors of job cuts have swirled at the plant since May, when Mitsubishi announced a reorganization plan to pare a $9 billion debt fueled by bad credit and recall scandals.
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Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Ryan Giggs admits he could hang up Man Utd boots in summer
RYAN GIGGS has admitted he does not know whether he will enter a 25th campaign at Manchester United as a player next season.
Giggs made his United debut over 23 years ago but ahead of his side's crunch Champions League tie with Bayern Munich has revealed he is considering retirement.
Sunday Express Sport revealed last weekend that the veteran is considering his Old Trafford future once the season ends.
And now the 40-year-old has hinted that this summer might see his glittering playing career come to an end, despite a healthy diet and dedicated yoga sessions extending it into his 40's.
"I don't know (if I will play on for another year)," said Giggs.
"I'll tell you after tomorrow! I am just trying to enjoy this season and then at the end I will take stock and see what I want to do.
"I am enjoying my football as much as ever, I feel fit and then at the end of the season, I will see what I want to do."


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President Obama appeared to give ear to Governor Brewer's laments and he committed to present within two weeks a comprehensive package of assistance that the national government would provide to aid Arizona in their struggle against illegal invasion. Specifically, the President promised to deploy the National Guard to patrol the border and to spend $500 million to bolster border security in Arizona.
Please note, that while the President and Congress have abandoned the people of Arizona to their own devices in guarding themselves against ruthless armed criminal gangs crossing from Mexico, they have faithfully allocated $150 million dollars in order to build bridges for red squirrels to use in crossing mountains so they don't end up as road kill. What does that say about our national government's priorities and its estimation of the citizens of Arizona?
Two weeks have passed now since that Oval Office conversation and there has no been no substantial action taken by the President, in defiance of his promise made personally to Governor Brewer.
In response to the President's broken promise, Governor Jan Brewer (who by now should be accustomed to the national government's negligent disregard for securing our southern border) sent a letter to President Obama reminding him of his the commitments he made to her and to Arizona and his failure to follow through with them.
Governor Brewer's letter outlines a four-point "Border Surge Strategy," a proposal she shared some time earlier in a similar missive to Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The overall goal of the Governor's plan for fortifying the strength of our border with Mexico is to implement a threshold standard of "measures to ensure that illegal traffic of any sort is kept to an absolute minimum, and that Americans are safe and secure within our own borders."
The first of Governor Brewer's four-point strategy calls for the deployment of at least 1,200 National Guard troops along the southwestern border, with the lion's share assigned to Arizona. Governor Brewer suggests that a more substantial garrison of at least 6,000 troops would better suit the mission's objectives.
Additionally, the first point requests that the President authorize the " significant increase in aviation resources supporting border security operations on the ground." The Governor makes a particular request for National Guard OH-58 helicopters to patrol the border and give airborne assistance to law enforcement on the ground.
In her second point, Governor Brewer advocates the completion of a border fence separating the United States from Mexico (with obvious exceptions for legal and effective Ports of Entry at various points). In order to control costs, Governor Brewer suggests the use of inmate labor and the purchasing of material rather than the leasing thereof.
The penultimate point calls upon President Obama and the Congress to fulfill their Article IV injunction to protect the states from invasion. Governor Brewer explains that only through detention, prosecution, and incarceration of convicted criminals will the border be truly secure and free from constant invasion in the sense anticipated by Article IV. In order to achieve the goal of fair and forceful application of existing federal anti-illegal immigration laws, Governor Brewer recommends that federal law enforcement agencies (Immigration Customs and Enforcement and Border Patrol) be properly funded and that prisons and courts be fully staffed and prepared to accommodate the increase in docket size.
Finally, Governor Brewer pleads with the President to support the reimbursement of border states for the millions of dollars they spend each year to fight illegal invasion by aliens and the incarceration of those convicted of crimes. The protection of the national borders falls within the province of the national government and border states should not bear the crushing financial burden of federal lassitude.
At the time of the publication of this article, Governor Brewer's letter to President Obama has received no official response. There was however, an almost laughable demonstration of just how seriously President Obama takes the matter of border security and the terrifying growth in serious criminal activity along Arizona's border with Mexico.
Eighty miles from the border with Mexico in Arizona, the federal government has posted signs warning Americans not to approach any closer to the border, as it is a region of "active drug and human smuggling" and that those that ignore the warning may "encounter armed criminals and smuggling vehicles traveling at high rates of speed."
That is President Obama's answer to the seizure of American territory by foreign criminal cartels: stay away! In light of the constitutional guarantee that the national government SHALL protect each of the states from invasion, such a passive surrender of such a massive swath of the sovereign state of Arizona seems haughty at best and possibly actionably treasonous.
As Governor Brewer so rightly asserts in her video response to the posting of these virtual white flags, warning signs are not enough. These signs are just that: white flags of surrender flying 80 miles within the border of the United States of America. Is such examples of federal contempt of the border crisis enough to convince those who scoff at cries of treason and invasion?
As reported earlier in The New American, the federal government is planning to sue Arizona in federal court to enjoin that state from enforcing the anti-illegal immigration law it passed earlier in the year. The text of the law (known as SB 1070) runs about ten pages, but curiously, none of the administration officials clamoring for the federal courts to nullify the laws of the sovereign state of Arizona have actually read the law.
Examples of such admissions are currently found on YouTube.
While the admitted ignorance of administration officials borders on the humorous, the situation in Arizona isn't. Nor is the federal government's intractable refusal to protect the citizens of Arizona (and other border states, for that matter) from criminal invasion and from the incremental capture by Mexican drug and smuggling cartels operating on both sides of the (non-existent) fence with impunity and without fear of reprisal.
These death merchants don't worry about being caught and punished for peddling their criminal wares inside the border of the United States because within eighty miles of crossing into Arizona they will see the signs of our surrender, signs erected by our own national government.To assist Arizona in the funding of the impending legal battle over SB 1070, Governor Brewer has established www.keepazsafe.com, a website devoted to collecting contributions form concerned citizens who desire to help Arizona fight federal tyranny.
On May 26, 2010, Governor Brewer signed an executive order creating the fund. The order stated that money donated would be used to pay legal fees for outside counsel contracted by the state of Arizona to fight challenges to SB 1070 filed by the federal government and others.
As of June 28, over $25,000 has been raised to help offset Arizona's expected legal fees.
Photo: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer speaks to reporters outside the White House on June 3, after a private meeting with President Obama: AP Images


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Senator William Stachowski and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt Introduce Legislation to Move Buffalo Board Of Education Elections to November
Senator William Stachowski and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt Introduce Legislation to Move Buffalo Board Of Education Elections to November
May 7, 2009
Senator William T. Stachowski (D 58th) and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt,(D-Buffalo, Grand Island) have introduced legislation in the New York Senate and Assembly respectively to move the City of Buffalo Board of Education elections from May to November.
"Historically, the Board of Education elections in May draw as low as 5 percent of the eligible voters at a cost of nearly $150,000 to the City of Buffalo," said Senator Stachowski. "Moving the elections to the traditional Election Day in November would mean a significant increase in voter turnout as well as a savings to the city of Buffalo."
"This bill is designed to address the serious problem of voter apathy in the City of Buffalo, "said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt. " When you consider that we spend nearly three quarters of a billion dollars on our public education system and have a high school dropout rate of 55% one would expect that every voter in the city would be turning out to have a say in the oversight of our schools, and yet only a dismal 5% of registered voters voted on Tuesday. By tying school board elections to the regular election cycle we will see a greater interest in and participation in the school board elections which will benefit our children and the quality of public education in the city."
"I have introduced legislation in the Senate since 1995 to have the Board of Education elections changed to November," added Senator Stachowski. "Assemblyman Hoyt has also introduced legislation since 1995 and it has previously passed in the Assembly. Now with a democratic majority in the Senate the republicans will no longer be able to defeat such common sense legislation. With the support of Sam Hoyt, Dennis Gabryszak, Crystal Peoples and Mark Schroeder in the Assembly I am confident we will be able to pass these Bills in both houses."
Assembly members Dennis Gabryszak, Crystal Peoples and Mark Schroeder have signed on to the Bill in the New York Assembly.
Rochester and Syracuse are two upstate cities that currently hold their Board of Education elections in November.
Senate Bill #S1943


text: 688 Attack Sub is a submarine simulator game designed by John W. Ratcliff & Paul Grace, published in 1989 for DOS systems and 1990 for Amiga computers by Electronic Arts. A Sega Mega Drive version was also published. The player takes command of a US Los Angeles-class or Soviet Alfa class nuclear powered attack submarine and plays 10 missions ranging from into either Cold War scenarios or combat missions in a hypothetical global conflict. As modeled in the ...... more on Wikipedia


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Lets Make Texting REALLY Social
Ever want to "Like" a text message? #SocialSMS
We've all had that moment where you receive a text, read it, and because of how our social brains have been programmed by Facebook, you're first thought is to "Like" it.
Sometimes you don't want or need to send a full response to a text message, just as you don't with every Facebook post. You may just want to "Like" it. You have nothing to respond with, but you enjoyed the post, and want to show the Sender that you received and appreciated it.
Texting is one of those early "new" tech features that took the world by storm, and even-though over the years we have gained the iPhone, apps, HD video, touch screens, and more from mobile phones, texting itself has yet to actually improve past simple aesthetic updates. Texting looks a lot prettier than it did in 2000, but it still functions the same.
The first modern SMS text-messaging service to be made available in the U.S., was released publicly on November 15, 1995 by Sprint Spectrum in Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland. In 2002 when I was a Sales Manager for then, Circuit City Stores in Virginia, Sprint's text-messaging service had not changed in 7 years from the consumer's perspective. By the time I worked for Sprint in 2005, again the technology had gone unchanged. And an additional 9 years later, functionality is still fundamentally the same.
Why not take texting and social media and mesh the two together? How would you like to "Like" a text message? It's already become second nature. The motion of clicking "Like" on a text will feel natural. Trust me.
How about adding #Hashtags to texting, and allow users to group messages and more easily locate that message they sent to a friend last month? Ever want to find an old message, and instead just find yourself scrolling endlessly, and never finding what you're looking for?
How about adding @Mentions to text messaging? For example, @Mention your friends @Josh, @Susan, @Bethany, and @Chris in order to add them to a group message. This feature would allow you to group your friends. Separate your friends from co-workers and family. Think of it as Google+ Circles for text messaging. Once you set your groups, you can now more easily and quickly send tailored messages directed to particular sets of people.
Have you ever heard of Retext? Of course not. I just invented it. Just like a @twitter Retweet, but again for text messaging. Simply Retext a text that you've received, and it will post for your texting viewers to see it. The people you typically text, and/or your chosen groups.
If you "Like" a text this much, show the Sender how you feel by making it your Favorite. You do this on @twitter all the time. Why not with texting?
The bottom line is that text messaging is HUGE! That's why Facebook dished out $19 Billion for WhatsApp. But the problem is that without improvements, texting has little room to grow, and nowhere to go. It's time to take some old but effective technology and spruce it up a bit. Who knows, maybe this is what Facebook has in mind. #SocialSMS


text: The lyrics of Leah Turner – Take The Keys song is not available right now, but people who are occupied with the task to type and retype the song lyrics are doing the best they can at the moment to deliver and find Leah Turner – Take The Keys music lyrics to you. We dedicate a great deal of our time discovering the most precise lyrics. We aspire to always being in step with the most current music tendencies. We hope you will understand and support us!


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Two VA employees face drug charges
By DENNIS PUNZEL | The Wisconsin State Journal | Published: February 14, 2014
Two employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs face felony charges of buying and selling narcotics at a Middleton VA office.
Deeann K. Hansen, 53, was charged with selling morphine, and Amber R. Wirts, 36, was charged Thursday with possession of morphine following an investigation by Middleton police, Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force, VA police and the U.S. Inspector General's Office.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court:
VA police contacted Middleton police on Aug. 28 asking for help in the investigation of an employee suspected of selling prescription drugs during office hours inside and outside the facility at 8001 Terrace Ave.
A confidential informant told investigators Hansen had been selling oxycodone and morphine at the VA office for about six months. The informant witnessed Hansen filling a cup with pills and placing them on another employee's desk. The cup was later returned to Hansen's desk with money in it, one time with more than $1,300 inside.
Hansen asked the informant several times whether she wanted to buy any pills, which she referred to as "fabric," or knew anyone else who did.
An undercover agent contacted Hansen about buying some "fabric" in November and set up a meeting at the dock door at the VA. Hansen postponed the meeting, trying to set up a time outside of work instead.
Police learned that one of Hansen's customers was Wirts. Wirts told officers she had bought morphine pills from Hansen six to 10 times in the past year, paying between $200 and $300 each time.
When police interviewed Hansen, she admitted to selling her prescribed morphine and oxycodone pills, generating between $400 and $1,600 per month. She told officers she needed the money to support her daughter, who was in legal trouble, and that her home was nearly foreclosed on earlier in the fall.
Hansen said she sold the pills to Wirts at the VA office and that she also sold pills to about six other people outside of work, including several in the Wisconsin Dells area.


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At the STEM Solutions conference in Texas this week, panelists discussed the impact community colleges can have on STEM education in under-served communities, which feel the shortage of STEM workers more acutely than other areas of the country. Although STEM and community colleges have long been connected, new efforts to strengthen the connection between K-12 and the community college could help open even more STEM doors to students in under-served communities.
The role of both the K-12 pipeline and the community college in STEM education are both well-documented: without adequate preparation and rigor in K-12 many students aren't even given the opportunity to develop an interest in science or math, and a large portion of the STEM workforce receives at least part of their education at a community college. Given that the U.S. population is expected to become both more diverse but also more low-income, accessing the human capital living in these communities is important to create the necessary available workforce.
But the hardships under-served communities face in creating and sustaining a STEM workforce are multi-faceted: They often have fewer, less rigorous K-12 educational opportunities for students, meaning their grads are less ready for college, if it's even presented as an option; few adults currently have the skills and degrees necessary; it's often difficult for communities to attract employment-generating businesses to areas with a dearth of economic, social, and cultural opportunities.
That's where community colleges come in. One solution -- which has a long and distinguished history -- is the "early-college high school" model, where community colleges partner with feeder high schools so students can earn their diploma and associate's degree concurrently. Students in these partnerships can even get credits toward their bachelor's, making the four-year degree more of a possibility and less of a pipe dream.
One problem presented by these solutions, though, is that they can unintentionally feed the "brain drain." As articulated in Hollowing Out the Middle, which profiles a small Iowa manufacturing town, once grads attain an education, they leave their hometowns to pursue more lucrative options elsewhere. One school, the Dallas County Community College, which keeps 75 percent of grads in its county, noted that it often educates students who are already in the workforce, increasing the odds that they'll stay.
President Barack Obama, Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden – a longtime community-college educator at Northern Virginia Community College—and philanthropist Melinda Gates have already committed dollars and energy to promoting community college as a key aspect of American higher education moving forward. Let's keep figuring out ways to continue to enhance the paths between the high school and the community college down the street and increase the numbers of STEM-skilled workers in our economy.
While the achievement, opportunity, and income gaps between white students and students of color still persists, STEM may just offer a way to bridge those divides. A recent report in the Research of Higher Education showed that minority students who major in STEM fields out-earn minority students studying other subjects by 25 percent – and those who took STEM-related jobs out of college out-earned others by more than 50 percent.
The students surveyed aren't exactly a representative sample – researchers focused solely on Gates Millennium scholars, meaning that the students are an unusually focused and driven bunch. Still it presents compelling evidence that STEM can play an important role in erasing discrepancies among student groups. And, as further number-crunching by the Chronicle of Higher Education shows, reaching our nationwide potential in STEM fields becomes truly possible when we narrow these divides.
As the USC researchers behind the Research report point out,
increased earning potential can become a huge incentive for students to keep persisting on STEM-degree tracks. Notoriously, these programs have extremely high attrition rates for all students, but particularly for students of color. This has become particularly problematic due to the growth in STEM fields, which ihas been outpacing growth in other sectors by a ratio of three to one, and the U.S. population growth rate, which is being fueled largely by minorities. As S. James Gates and Chad Mirkin demonstrate in the Chronicle article, the best strategy for coming up with the human capital to meet this demand rests on increasing the number of women and minorities pursuing STEM careers.
But to ensure that all students have an equal chance of success at the collegiate level and maximize this incredible economic potential, more can be done to improve access and rigor in K-12 programming. According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 29 percent of high schools with high populations of African-American and Latino students offer calculus; working backwards, the National Assessment of Education Progress shows large gaps in both science and math by fourth grade. Learning that minorities employed in STEM fields earn more than those in other fields is certainly a positive sign, but also can inspire us as we determine how to stem the STEM gap at all levels of education.
When most people hear the words 'Title IX,' their minds immediately go to football and field hockey. No wonder—Title IX of the 1972 Higher Education Act is most known for, quite literally, evening the playing field for young women. But the law, which had its 40th anniversary on Saturday, fully states that no young woman be subjected to discrimination in any "education program or activity." So why, when the mandate has been used to introduce thousands of young women to soccer balls and softball bats, has it not led to the same increase in women studying mathematics and mechanical engineering?
It's complicated, according to a recent article in Edweek. Overall, women have made huge gains educationally since the 1970s – they are now going to college at higher rates than young men and earn degrees in fields like law and medicine at nearly equal rates. In admissions and access, Title IX has had a huge impact, retooling admissions and financial aid policies for state institutions that once limited women's access to higher education. Further, according to a Wharton study, Title IX is likely responsible for 40 percent of the rise in employment in women ages 25-34 over the past 40 years.
However, a pronounced gender gap still exists in STEM education and employment. Changing the writ of law has only been the first step – studies point out that the number of female role models in science, pop-culture portrayals of STEM fields, K-12 curricula structures, societal attitudes, and longstanding hiring and tenure processes at companies and universities all contribute to the persistent, cyclical difference in achievement and opportunity.
In STEM, it starts young. The National Assessment of Educational Progress's most recent surveys of fourth graders showed a small, but statistically significant gap in both math and science. The gap is more pronounced in science – in fourth grade, girls scored, on average, two points below boys; by 12th grade it widens to six points. Translated, this means only 19 percent of girls are considered proficient in science, compared to 26 percent of boys Recent studies have shown that young girls have internalized the "math is hard" mantra by the age of seven. Women earn only 20 percent of the degrees and hold only 27 percent of the jobs in computer science; despite the rapid growth in STEM related jobs, growth for women in the field has remained flat for the last 12 years.
There are signs of progress. Young women out-enroll young men on exams such as the AP Biology test, and the number of women earning Ph.D.s in STEM subjects has quadrupled since 2006 alone. But until the opportunities for and achievement of young women are even in the lab and on the courts, we've still got work to do.
In the education world, a battle has long raged between knowledge and skill. Are facts most important? Or should the ability to apply those facts take precedence? The answer, of course, is yes and yes. Yet that doesn't keep the battle from raging on.
The latest combatant in this battle is esteemed scientist Paul Gross. In a blog posting yesterday, he shared a curious reaction to a recent national test of US students' ability to perform hands-on tasks in science. The test found that US students "were able to accurately report what was happening in scenarios with limited data, but were challenged by manipulating multiple variables and making decisions as part of running an experiment, according to the findings." While most could draw the right conclusions, few could explain them well.
For Gross, both the test and the widespread dismay at its results reflect the delusion "that scientific reasoning is separable from the content of science, or worse, that the content of science is some form of skill, parallel to, but not to be confused with, knowledge and experience."
The test does no such thing. The test's stated aim is to gauge "students' ability to combine their scientific knowledge and investigative skills in a real-world situation."
People on both sides of the Great Battle between Knowledge and Skills are sustaining the false distinction between the two. It is true that some advocates of hands-on learning have turned "facts" into a sort of curse word. Yet Gross's disdain for "hands-on tasks" is just as palpable. If you ask him, the claim that too much science in our schools boils down to "rote memory and how to follow instructions" is nothing but a "canard." Tell that to the many students who have lived through rote learning.
Unfortunately, bad science teaching comes in many flavors. To be sure, too many teachers of science lack the science background to foster their students' knowledge of science. But rote learning in US schools is not some kind of myth concocted by the boosters of hands-on. Data from NAEP confirm that a large share of US students are seldom or never asked to discuss, explain or write about what they are learning. It won't do to turn a blind eye on this problem.
Gross is right when he argues that "All good science teaching and learning, in school and the early college years, is about concepts, and about their application in situations beyond the original locus of elaboration." We should certainly celebrate the teachers who teach this way. But all too many teachers cannot, because they lack the background, the support, the time or the resources to do so.
In case you needed more proof….
A recent study finds that gender stereotypes affect children's performance in tasks like math and science. Tell a girl that boys are good at math, and watch her performance fall.
That, at least, is what happened in a study of some 150 children ages 4 to 7. As reported in Slate, they "played a game in which they looked at pictures of 3-D blocks shown from different angles, then matched pairs of images that showed the same block from a different perspective." After the first round of this game, "the adult leading the experiment told some children that the other gender group was successful at that game (so girls heard, 'Boys are good at this game'). A second group was told about other individuals' skills ('That girl is good at this game'), and a third group heard no further information."
Children in the first group saw their scores fall an average of almost 13 percent in the second round. Those in the second group saw their scores remain steady. Those in the third saw their scores fall about 3 percent. Simply hearing that another group (as opposed to another individual) does well had a big impact on young children.
The problem, of course, is that children are hearing these stereotypes in countless subtle and not so subtle ways. Recent research has shown that girls internalize the message that "math is for boys" as early as second grade. It's getting harder to ignore the possibility that pervasive stereotypes are a major reason for the paucity of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
It's not easy to combat gender stereotypes, because they're so pervasive. The worst thing we can do, however, is ignore them.