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Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe: Someone was laying out substantial nets and rather overdoing it. That is a little different from just slinging out a line and hoping for the best. That is enough anecdotal evidence.
The corporation has tried extremely hard to make the riverside attractive to people. In that context we have provided whole stretches of landscaped riverside paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Where possible in new developments we have tried to create a strategic Thames path. On the planning committee we are meticulous in that where permission is applied for we insist that the riverside pathway is incorporated as part of the development. There have been one or two incidents where people have tried unilaterally to block off the path. We have had to be fairly firm with them. In fact, we have always kept it open, but after a bit of trouble, sometimes.
We have built bridges over some areas. Noble Lords probably know Limekiln Dock, Limehouse and St. Saviour's Dock, Bermondsey, so that we have a continuous path. Some of the bridges have won awards. So we are really trying down there. We have signposted riverside walks so people going through the streets can see where they can get easy access. Noble Lords will know that we have promoted the refurbishment of the warehouses. We have preserved them to keep the history of the river alive and to turn them into accommodation.
Perhaps I may mention also "TourEast London" which is a partnership for tourism led by the London Docklands Development Corporation and chaired by our energetic marketing director, Sunny Crouch. Together with colleagues and other organisations, she is promoting the use of the River Thames as something which unites, rather than divides, the whole of the area. The project is attempting, in all sorts of ways, to attract people down here not only because the River Thames is an enjoyable feature in itself, but because, without being immodest, the corporation has done a remarkable job there. Its work is well worth seeing.
Lord St. John of Bletso: My Lords, I am grateful to my noble kinsman Lord Luke for having introduced this most topical debate. It is a great pleasure for me to refer to "my noble kinsman" and this is the first time that I have been able to do so in this House. My noble kinsman was right when he said that there is a perception that the Thames is under-used and not fully appreciated. I certainly welcome his call for more co-operation between the public and private sectors with regard to the commercial and tourist opportunities that the river offers. At the outset, I must also congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Gordon of Strathblane, on his outstanding maiden speech. I agree with his warning that London should not be complacent about tourism.
It is easy in a debate of this nature to get bogged down by the raft of statistics from the London Tourist Board, the Joint London Tourist Forum, the Port of London Authority and other bodies on the numbers of tourists and the benefits to the local economy. What I did find of interest, however, is the statistic that 30 per cent. of visits to London attractions are to facilities, venues and galleries at riverside locations. My noble kinsman mentioned that 26 million tourists visit London every year, but only 2 million take a trip on the Thames, of whom 55 per cent. come from overseas.
There is no doubt that there is huge potential for using the river as a linking device as well as for the expansion of river trips in their own right. As my noble kinsman pointed out, there has been a rapid expansion in the activity, holiday and leisure market on the Thames, with an increasing number of sports such as sailing, windsurfing, rowing and water skiing. All of these attractions have created visual interest and activity on the river, attracting additional visitors to the riverside.
Many of those interested in the development of tourist and commercial activities on the Thames welcomed the previous government's initiative earlier this year when John Gummer launched a planning guidance for the
Reports such as the LTB's Tourism Strategy for London and BTA's Overseas Visitors to London report in 1993 suggested that London as a whole and the Thames itself did not necessarily require more visitor attractions. They believed that what was required was an improvement in quality and standards of service as well as visitor management and marketing to match visitors' constantly rising expectations. There have been many criticism about the shabby appearance of many of the sites along the Thames as well as about many of the "unsightly rubbish barges", to use the words of my noble kinsman.
It is therefore most encouraging that the Deputy Prime Minister has promoted an integrated river transport system for the Thames which should address the concerns of the London Tourist Board that many activities on the Thames which are tourist-orientated have been fragmented due to no overall strategy and very limited co-operation and co-ordination between the tourism businesses and local government.
As noble Lords will have noticed, over the past few years there has been an array of high profile developments and refurbishment of buildings along the Thames. These were discussed in an excellent article in the Sunday Times of 6th April 1997 which highlighted 13 ambitious schemes from the proposed £500 million entertainment and leisure centre to be built at Battersea power station to the Millennium exhibition in Greenwich. These should potentially transform the Thames into a gigantic playground. I warmly welcome the 180-mile Thames path. I am sure that my noble friends will be pleased to know about that. I welcome also the opening of the Thames cycle route. I am a cyclist, a rambler and a runner so I have an interest in all such developments and I am pleased that we, as Londoners, now have more opportunities to make the most of the paths along the Thames.
The potential for utilising the Thames to offset the transport headaches of London are enormous. The noble Lord, Lord Mountevans, made some extremely interesting suggestions about that. There is a commonly held view that the Thames is London's most under-utilised transport asset. It is therefore most encouraging that the Thames 2000 initiative has focused on boosting river transport for both tourism and commercial freight transportation. It will certainly be a major environmental benefit.
As the noble Lord, Lord Mountevans, also mentioned, there have unfortunately been a number of failed scheduled river commuter services. It is hoped that future proposed ferry services, if properly promoted to London's residents, will be much more commercially
In conclusion, there is no doubt that there are excellent opportunities for sustainable tourism through the revitalisation of the Thames as well as for increasing the huge transport potential along the river. I hope that this debate will highlight not just the potential benefits of the river, but also the benefits of an integrated strategy for the Thames.
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I start by congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Gordon of Strathblane, on his most entertaining and informed maiden speech. My own maiden speech is fairly recent in my memory, so I know how pleased the noble Lord must be feeling to have got it out of the way. That means that we can now look forward to him springing up on all sorts of occasions because he is now free to speak in your Lordships' House whenever he chooses. So, congratulations and welcome!
I must declare three interests in the debate. First, I am a tourist. I am not a Londoner, so for part of this winter, to keep fit, I am walking the Thames path from its source deep in the Cotswolds in a field one mile from Cricklade Station to the mouth of this mighty river, some 180 miles downstream, taking the Thames Barrier as the finishing point. I shall check later to see whether I am using the book written by the noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn. I am sure that it would be enormously useful to me.
Next Sunday I shall reach Oxford, where the river suddenly becomes the Isis. I cannot work out whether it is a tributary there or not, but it becomes the Isis. I am becoming very aware that The Wind in the Willows country river of Ratty and Moley, of reeds and ducks, and of match fishermen has already changed. As I have walked, it has changed into an ordered set of locks, barges and motor cruisers. It is about to move on serenely to punts and picnics before it arrives at Teddington where the tidal Thames starts to transform itself into the play place of the rowers and sailors before we come to the tripper boats and cruisers and it then gets down to the serious business of being the country's busiest commercial port. It transships and transports over 50 million tonnes of cargo a year. Massive quantities of oil, forest products, sugar, food, aggregates, sand, refuse, cement and much else travel right into the heart of our city on this very fast tidal river. The river runs at three knots, which is faster than you or I can walk, and dips down and up by seven metres. It rises and falls by 22 feet on a tide.
I declare my second interest. I serve on the board of the Port of London Authority, whose statutory duty is to be the conservancy and navigation authority of the
While this mighty river flows up and down at such speed all of the working traffic upon it proceeds from east to west. That traffic must cope with other tourist boats which nip across from north to south. That can be a very dangerous procedure.
There is no doubt that people see the commercial and industrial activity. That is why London turns away from the river. It is a mucky river. That is what a working river should look like. People try to compare the Thames with all kinds of rivers. It is not right to compare it with the river that runs through Paris. If one is to make a comparison it should be between Paris and Oxford. London should be compared with Rouen because that is where the heavy work is carried out. Certainly, the work is not done in pretty Paris.
People try to turn the Thames into something else. Of course, Venice is a lagoon. The noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn, has expressed concern at the suggestion by the Port of London Authority that the Thames barrier should be raised in order to make a lagoon for just one day, or just 18 hours, for the purposes of the millennium. That suggestion has been met with an intake of breath on all sides and great worries by bird lovers and conservationists, of whom the noble Lord is obviously one. That suggestion has received no response as yet from the Deputy Prime Minister, who will be the one to decide on what will be possibly the greatest tourist venture of the century on our mighty river. My noble friend Lord Luke, in his splendidly informed speech, said that each year two million people took a river trip. He would like a lot more people to do that. That concerns me.
I declare my third interest. I am president of the National Federation of Consumer Groups. In this case they are consumers of tourist facilities. Tourists have six requirements: choice, access, information, safety, fairness, and redress. From what we have heard, choice is improving. Access is not so good. My noble friend Lord Luke has said that parking is very bad and that the piers could do with a little help. More bridges are being built but it is all a very slow process. Noble Lords also heard from the noble Earl, Lord Carlisle, about safety, quite rightly.
There are rules of the rivers, but not everyone abides by them. Not all boats are registered. At the moment any one can buy a motor boat, yacht or rowing boat and take it out on the river without a single lesson, any registration or anything else. He can go right down the Thames and out into the wide open sea. If we are to make greater use of our working river as a playground the Government must be encouraged to look at proper registration and forms of testing before people are allowed to take boats out
As to equity, is there value for money on the river? How does one compare like for like on the basis of what is being charged? Noble Lords may be interested to know that in Henry VIII's time when there was only one bridge on the river there was a good deal of trouble. The lightermen and watermen, of whom there were thousands, were brought into order by one price being set by the King and his Council. As to the question of redress, I do not believe that there is a regulator or ombudsman. I apologise if what I have just said is incorrect. A sea and a shore appear to be two very different matters.
I believe that if the proposed GLA is set up correctly the Government have the opportunity to provide co-ordination and better regulation of river services. Like my noble friend Lord Mountevans, I believe that if there is to be a new and integrated transport system for London there must be a public subsidy to make that happen. Not only will we have to subsidise the actual journeys but a good deal more access points must be built.
My noble friend Lord Luke is to be congratulated on tabling this Question at a time when London and its life and governance are under serious consideration. The River Thames is a main artery to the heart of London. It is big, fast and powerful, and at least once a week someone dies in it. People earn their living from it, are fed by it and play on it. The river is already a magnet for tourists. My noble friend Lord Luke wants a lot more. Given good governance, planning and generosity on the part of the Government, the future tourist potential is enormous.
I should like to finish with a warning. Much of my life has been spent in docks or afloat on ships, because I come from the fishing industry. Fast-moving water is a dangerous highway. Slippery steps and missed footings can kill and injure. People understand the dangers of other highways. As far as concerns road-borne traffic, people understand their rights and responsibilities as pedestrians and car owners, but afloat that is not the case. I urge the Government to take time to carry out a consultation exercise which brings together the port authorities, riparian councils and consumer, health, safety and tourist representatives before they raise the expectations of tourists to our tidal Thames and its environment.
Baroness Hamwee: My Lords, I too should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Luke, for introducing such an enormous subject. It is not a subject to which one can possibly do justice in the hour and a half that has been allotted to it. It is not one subject but two. Further, this debate gives the House the opportunity to hear the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Gordon of Strathblane. It is conventional to say how interesting and informative are maiden speeches. But I learned a good deal this evening about matters that I did not expect to hear. I congratulate the noble Lord.
Both the Thames and tourism have many aspects. In preparing for this evening it appears to me that perhaps, like other topics, they break down into three headings: strategy, sustainability and mechanisms to deal with various issues. I should also declare an interest. I am a councillor of a London borough which is a riparian borough. Apart from Docklands, my borough is the only London borough on both banks of the Thames. If I refer to Kew and Hampton Court noble Lords will understand my interest in tourism and the interconnection of the Thames with my own borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. I am also very lucky to be able to live on the Thames. My little stretch of the Thames is not typical of others. The river is by no means homogenous. I am able to observe daily some of its uses and, I am afraid to say, some of its abuses. Irresponsible movements by boat owners is something about which I feel strongly.
Tourism, as noble Lords have said, on and around the Thames is not just an issue for central London. We have heard of the rural stretches upstream. Downstream there are enormous opportunities for regeneration; for instance, new conference facilities. I dare say that that will be one of the developments which may be in the minds of those who look at further development in that area. We have new bodies which will be taking these matters on board. They are strategic issues, as the noble Lord, Lord St. John of Bletso, rightly said.
The noble Baroness, Lady Wilcox, referred to the new greater London authority. I, too, look forward with great expectation to its involvement in this big issue and to that of the London Development Agency, which I hope will quickly come under the aegis of the new authority. I am sure that those bodies will look at the river, as the noble Lord, Lord Cocks, said, not as a dividing line or boundary but as a focal point. We are apt to look at rivers as though they are geographical boundaries. River basins of course are not. People look towards the river and not away from it.
We have talked about the use of the river for tourism. Comments about day visitors--Londoners visiting their own river--are well made. The noble Lord, Lord Gordon of Strathblane, said that showing visitors around heightens one's own awareness. That is a telling point. The noble Lord, Lord Mountevans, made a similar point.
There is also tourist-related employment. Here there is an issue of sustainability, not in the environmental but in the social sense. We are all aware that employment in the tourist sector is often low paid. There are then all the issues related to the wider economy.
I talk about sustainability in the social sense, but there is also sustainability in terms of location, land uses and movements. I was fascinated by the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn. We must be wary of totally demand-led development. I am thinking especially of hotels, but they are only one example. There is undoubtedly a demand in London
We must consider the whole quality of the built environment as well as the natural environment; the setting and quality of buildings. I include bridges. When I chaired a committee in Richmond upon Thames, I was much involved with a major development on the river there. The most gratifying aspect was seeing the public enjoying access to the river in an urban setting. There were different views about whether the building was of the right type. I should have liked to have seen a modern building. It would be good to see more up-to-date buildings on the river. The public were able to enjoy the facilities of an interesting setting and the river all in one.
Tourism is essentially not a sustainable activity because it encourages travel. Many comments have been made about transport. I shall add one about tourist boats and the noise that they create. It is not the noise of their movements but the noises that comes from them. It sounds as if I am being rather a kill-joy, and in fact I am a kill-joy about this because disco noise--I can hardly call it music--as it is heard from the river bank is more intrusive than social.
I turn now to mechanisms and resources. I end by commending to noble Lords and to those who are involved in such matters the Thames landscape strategy--the work in the area from Hampton to Kew--which was a partnership of local authorities, supported by a number of organisations. I do so because it is an interesting piece of work and one which is continuing. The policies it identifies indicate to me how important it is to be detailed and specific about one's ideas for taking forward what is important. It includes policies such as--I pick these almost at random--identifying areas where fishing is not in conflict with nature conservation and the integration of jogging routes in path circuits.
The noble Lord, Lord St. John of Bletso, is a jogger, walker and cyclist in one. With cycling along the Thames, detailed waymarking is required. There are different modes of transport which need piers and other forms of access to the river in the right places. Other aspects of the strategy include promoting river tourist transport services, improving publicity and, where appropriate, rebuilding piers and jetties to increase access and linking services into the existing public transport and car parking network, controlling tourist boat noise and wash levels to minimise impact. That is a tiny selection of the policies which illustrates the balance that needs to be struck when considering the issues that your Lordships have been debating.
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Luke, has rightly been congratulated on introducing this debate. Those congratulations are not due just to him but to the other well-informed
I understand that the noble Lord, Lord Luke, prepared for the debate by travelling on PLA vessels up and down the Thames. When I served on the GLC, I do not remember that being offered, except in the form of visits to the estuary on sludge vessels. I am told that any possible unpleasantness from the sludge was mitigated by a plentiful supply of alcohol which was internalised, shall we say, as the voyage to and from the dumping grounds proceeded. I never went on those trips, but I am, and have been, an admirer and lover of the Thames all my life. I have benefited greatly in knowledge and understanding from the speeches this evening.
The Government are in no doubt about the importance of tourism on the Thames. Tourism in London is of great importance to the economy, not just of London but the whole country. After all, 54 per cent. of overseas visitors to this country spend some time in London. The numbers last year were a record. The statistics show that £7.5 billion was spent by visitors to London. So far as concerns the London economy, that represents 7 per cent. of our GDP. So, as I say, we do not underestimate its importance.
I was challenged by the noble Earl, Lord Carlisle, to make a commitment to co-ordinate work on the Thames. He is right; I do not know whether I can give him a clear and unequivocal answer. However, I hope that my comments about some of the aspects of tourism on the Thames will give him encouragement.
Perhaps I may first talk about new riverside attractions. The point about attractions on the side of the Thames--the phrase "string of pearls" has been used to describe what has been done and what is being proposed--is not only what they do for themselves (I am talking about galleries, museums, sports attractions and so forth) but the way in which they act as a catalyst for other developments, provide jobs and contribute to the surrounding communities.
A remarkable number of attractions have opened during the past 25 years. I pay tribute to the work of the noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn, in his reference to Brunel. More are planned. There is to be a multi-purpose entertainment centre at Battersea, a Royal Artillery Museum at Woolwich, a Docklands Museum at Canary Wharf, a wonderful proposal for the Tate Gallery of Modern Art at Bankside and, above all, the new Millennium Experience. Surprisingly, little attention has been paid to that in tonight's debate. It is not only that the new Millennium Experience will exist for a year or however long some of the facilities can be kept open but that there will be permanent development--what has laughingly been called "Presserville" after the Deputy Prime Minister--alongside the Millennium Dome, which will provide an ecologically sound community of 1,000 homes for a long time after the dome is no longer with us.
A number of noble Lords referred to the river links and we recognise their importance. From my experience on the GLC, I recall the problems with the river buses, which were referred to by the noble Lords, Lord Mountevans and Lord Gladwyn. It is true that more could be done for river transport if there were more piers. Indeed, more piers are proposed and there is to be a new footbridge from Charing Cross to the South Bank. Furthermore, the more attractions there are on the river the more likelihood that river buses will be successful.
I take seriously the warning of the noble Lord, Lord Mountevans, and the noble Baroness, Lady Wilcox, about the problem of regular commuter traffic. I am afraid that that will not be eased because the Jubilee Line and the Docklands light railway extension to Lewisham will provide effective competition to what could otherwise be river bus traffic. Therefore, emphasis is likely to be on the infrastructure rather than on subsidising river bus services. Of course, there will be a huge boost from the millennium because it is planned that of the 12 million visitors 1 million will go from central London by river bus and 600,000 could use downstream park and sail facilities. Perhaps from that investment in infrastructure there could be a spin-off which will continue.
A number of noble Lords, notably the noble Lords, Lord Gladwyn and Lord St. John, referred to the need for better access to the Thames, and my noble friend Lord Cocks gave a very encouraging account of the work of the London Docklands Development Corporation, which has certainly contributed greatly to access to the Thames and to use of the Thames in the area of the London Docklands.
I was asked about piers. The new Millennium Experience Company and the Cross River Partnership have proposals which are still in preparation for new piers. We are confident that there will be new piers at least at Blackfriars and Waterloo and that they will have Underground and rail links.
A number of noble Lords, notably the noble Baronesses, Lady Hamwee and Lady Wilcox, and the noble Lord, Lord St. John, referred to the need for co-ordination and a simpler structure of authority. Of course, that is what is planned for the London mayor and the greater London authority. The consultation document raises the question of whether the London transport authority which is to be set up should have the power or the duty to promote river transport.
If one looks at the Government Office for London's strategic planning guidance for the River Thames, many of the ideas are good but the recommendations all say that planning authorities should give consideration to this or that. That is not very powerful. The document from Thames 2000 is excellent in many ways but it is a wide range of bodies which is supposed to take action and it does not seem to me to be a recipe for co-ordination.
In the very short time available to me, I shall refer briefly to specific points made by noble Lords. My
The noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn, referred to work on the Thames path and my noble friend Lord Cocks made the same point. There was some disagreement between my noble friend Lord Cocks and the noble Lord, Lord Luke, about the desirability of turning the Thames into a non-tidal pool. I rather sympathised with the noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn. Perhaps it is
In dealing with the various issues, I have dealt with most of the points raised, except that made by the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, when she referred to the need for standards and safety standards in particular. That is further evidence of the need for a greater London authority which could take over control of those matters.
In the 30 seconds which I have left, I repeat my thanks to all noble Lords who have taken part in the debate. I assure them that their suggestions, comments and opinions will be taken seriously by government.
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Little Rock (AR) Pulaski Academy offensive guard Parker Mack has recently narrowed down his list of schools that he is interested in. A surprise on that list was Syracuse University.
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text: Wallace Receives 2013 Exemplary Teacher AwardProfessor Bill Wallace has been selected to receive the 2013 Exemplary Teacher Award at Hamline University given by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. Professor Wallace was enthusiastically nominated by students and alums then, selected by a committee of local laity and clergy of United Methodist churches. Criteria for the award include excellence in teaching, civility and concern for students and colleagues, commitment to value-centered education, and service to students, the institution, and the community. The award comes with a letter of appreciation from the General Board, a certificate, and a monetary award of $500. Chaplain Nancy Victorin-Vangerud noted that the committee recognized Professor Wallace's accomplishments across all four areas--as alums talked about Wallace's ongoing professional influence on their lives and values, and current students praised his commitment to a supportive "open-door" environment. As one student, Karina Hunt '15 wrote: "The value most evidently embodied by Bill Wallace is that of hospitality. Each Saturday morning at 9am, when the approximately 40 work study students arrive at the theater, we are greeted with warm pots of coffee and tea, juice, fruit and bagels or donuts. On the occasional times we have to work late to get something finished for a show, Bill always has dinner waiting for us. Even though we are working 8 hours on a Saturday in a high-stress setting, Bill creates an environment that fosters both an enjoyable and educational work experience. He makes sure that once we've left Hamline we have not only the skills needed to be successful at a job, but also the resources and connections to find a job in whatever field we choose." Wallace was recognized by nominators for creating a home for the new Digital Media Arts program as well as his service to the community through opening up Anne Simley Theatre to local theaters for their own plays. As one alum Vanessa Lund '99 wrote: "Bill wouldn't solve anything for us, but more importantly, he'd help us discover the means within ourselves to solve whatever conundrum we found ourselves in. He has a big heart, an open mind, ears that listen and he offers tough love. His guidance has prepared so many people for life in the real world. We all need a little more of that." Congratulations to Professor Bill Wallace for receiving the UMC 2013 Exemplary Teacher Award at Hamline University.


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- Mercedes news
Hamilton not giving up on title despite Vettel's lead
Lewis Hamilton says he is not giving up on the possibility of chasing down Sebastian Vettel but admits winning this year's championship will be "very tough".
Vettel's victory in Belgium extended his championship lead to 46 points over Fernando Alonso and 58 points over Hamilton with eight rounds still to go. After finishing third at Spa Hamilton admitted it would be a tall order to close the gap but took heart from previous races this season where he has been able to beat Vettel on outright pace.
"It's a big, big gap; it's a huge gap so it's going to be very tough to close that but I'm going to keep pushing," Hamilton said. "It's going to be very, very tough, undoubtedly. He's just had a phenomenal car for a long, long time and it still is phenomenally quick and he does the job so it's the perfect package. But we've had some really strong races and we've been there or thereabouts competing with him and we have finished ahead of him in the past so it doesn't mean that we can't do that in these next races. But it is getting closer and closer to the point where we really need to be finishing ahead every single time to close that gap."
While Hamilton was hopeful that Mercedes would make some progress with its low-downforce package for Monza but said he was targeting Singapore as the best place to start chasing down Vettel.
"We're just trying to understand where we've missed out but I think the guys will work over the next few days to try and understand where we were slower. Eau Rouge was particularly slow for us and down the straights; in the next race maybe we'll be able to unlock something before the next race but if not I'm hoping that Singapore onwards will be much stronger.
"They're more windy circuits, more high downforce circuits and when you come to these two circuits [Spa and Monza] you get a downforce package and you're kind of stuck with it. It either has or hasn't worked, so we may improve in the next race or we may be in the same position, but we won't be any worse that's for sure. Then onwards we will have the higher downforce package that we had in the previous races but should hopefully be improved again so I'm hoping we'll be more competitive from then on."


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Considered a longshot to become the next Calgary Flames head coach, AHL affiliate bench boss Ryan McGill's style doesn't differ much from the favourite.
A Darryl Sutter disciple -- who was coached by the current Flames GM as a member of the Turner Cup-winning IHL Indianapolis Ice in 1990 -- has guided the franchise's farm team for four years with a similar brand of harsh accountability.
If he comes up short in a bid for the top job, and Sutter takes the reins himself, you can bet McGill will be beside him on the bench.
"That's a scary tandem," suggested Flames winger Eric Nystrom, who toiled for McGill in the AHL for parts of three seasons.
"When I was down there, he was very demanding. We did well. We were the toughest team to play against, by far, in the league.
"That's because we had such a distinctive style. That's something you need, especially at the NHL level. If you have a style of play everybody buys into, it doesn't matter how many superstars you have, it's hard to play against you."
Not wanting to comment until his fate with the Flames is determined, McGill is currently waiting for Sutter's decisions to be made.
The 40-year-old former defenceman, however, receives praise from those he coached and those he coached against.
Flames blueliner Dion Phaneuf was up against McGill's Kootenay Ice as a rookie in the 2001-02 WHL championship. Phaneuf's Red Deer Rebels fell 4-2 in the best-of-seven series. McGill's Ice went on to win the Memorial Cup.
"From what I hear from my buddies who played for him, he's a very good coach," said Phaneuf. "I'm sure he's being considered as well."
With the Omaha Knights and Quad City Flames, McGill established an identity similar to the one Sutter has tried to keep consistent. A team that is tough to play against.
And if some of his players weren't pulling their weight, they'd ride the pine.
That's something many feel Mike Keenan didn't do enough of with the Flames.
Sutter certainly has never been afraid of sitting his top guys. It sounds like McGill wouldn't, either.
"He just demands you buy into the team concept. If you're not going to, he has no problem sitting guys," said Nystrom, who played a full season under McGill in 2005-06. "When I was down there, if some guys weren't going, he would just play two lines. You'd be going every other shift if he thought you were one of the guys playing. If you weren't one of the guys going well, you were sitting on the bench.
"He didn't play favourites."
One of the toughest parts about coaching the Flames is getting the players to react well to your style. They might take it from Sutter. Would they be as responsive to McGill?
"That's something only time can tell," said Nystrom. "If he does get the job."


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Brodin's most popular size in a teardrop net.
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Flash Draw Created Jul 19, 2008 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2008 moogleymog.
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you seem to be a very beautiful person all your draws are so beautiful .coming from bottom of heart.....
I give my mother a fuchsia for Mother's Day and her Birthday every year, The colors of the one you drew is just about what I bought for my mama.Such pretty flowers, thank you for doing such a wonderful job drawing them!!
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so beautiful, look real, 5/5
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Dedicated to Community-Based Watershed Stewardship through Citizen Volunteer Monitoring
Alabama Water Watch (AWW) is a citizen volunteer, water quality monitoring program covering all of the major river basins in Alabama. AWW is a part of the Global Water Watch network.
The AWW vision is to have a citizen monitor on every stream, river, lake and coast in Alabama. The goal of AWW is to foster the development of statewide water quality monitoring by:
- Educating citizens on water issues in Alabama and the world
- Training citizens to use standardized equipment and techniques to gather credible water information using quality assurance protocols.
- Empowering citizens to make a positive impact by using their water monitoring data for environmental education, waterbody restoration and protection, and involvement in watershed stewardship.
AWW relocated from its old home in Upchurch Hall in the AU Fisheries Department and moved to the Center for Advanced Science, Innovation and Commerce (CASIC Building) in 2013 and became a program in the AU Water Resources Center. AWW receives support from multiple sources including the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, grants from various governmental and private agencies, and contributions from individuals and groups throughout the state.
We invite you to take a few minutes to view AWW's award winning video, produced in 1998 and digitally enhanced and updated in 2010:
This video documents key individuals and efforts in the early days that provided a solid foundation for the formation of a highly-successful statewide volunteer monitoring program, and updates of key success stories that have been built on this foundation.
The success of AWW depends on the volunteerism and commitment of Monitoring Groups. Volunteers may participate in AWW by becoming certified and regularly monitoring their waterbodies. They may also identify problems by analyzing data and taking action steps to resolve water quality problems. Support to monitoring groups, the program and the association is funded, in part, through membership dues, gifts and services. Check out the following video to see why it is important for you to consider supporting AWW:


text:
These Ballad Home poems are examples of Ballad poems about Home. These are the best examples of Ballad Home poems written by international PoetrySoup poets
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Johnny was my best friend through our early teenage years;
Wherever one of us went the other could always be found near;
Until he found a girlfriend who soon supplanted me,
But because he was my best friend, for Johnny I was happy;
Johnny had a girl
He had a girl
Johnny had a girl
She rocked his world
Johnny had a girl.
Throughout four years of high school I was always the third wheel;
Going off often by myself, leaving Johnny with his girl;
They learned about biology outside the class room walls;
Johnny always had plans with her every time I would call;
Johnny had a girl
He had a girl
Johnny had a girl
Oh, what a thrill
Johnny had a girl.
One week before graduation, coming home from a date,
Johnny never saw the drunk driver until it was too late.
For three months in a coma, I sat by Johnny's side;
I knew that when he woke up, someone had to tell him she's not alive;
Johnny had a girl
He had a girl.
I took him to the gravesite so he could see it with his own eyes;
We stayed there for hours so Johnny could say his goodbyes.
Johnny got in his car that day and started heading west;
Nobody has seen Johnny since, I wish him the very best.
I've taken care of her graveside for thirty years and more;
If Johnny ever comes home again, we'll be friends just like before;
Johnny had a girl
He had a girl
Johnny had a girl.
Copyright © Joe Flach | Year Posted 2010
DEAD AT HOME -For Veteran's Day
It's a gray day, in the café,
by the side of the road.
There's an old man, took a firm stand,
trying to loosen the load.
It is struck luck, with his last buck,
but he pays for his soup.
He has no wife, all of his life,
he is out of the loop.
He will bum thumb, in a ride from,
here to his cardboard box.
There's a sleeping roll, a piece of coal,
and a pillow made of rocks.
No glory.
A mad sad told cold story.
Alliteration, of an allegation, on how he kills for glory.
Then the lie dies, in GI's, when our soldier kills a man.
All told, he is not bold, but this tale is secondhand.
He preaches whale's tales, of army mad males,
as he calls for his god.
Then he dreams schemes, of the war machines,
and ghosts that run him odd.
Then he weeps sleeps, and a secret keeps,
and he hates the morning light.
He has lost his place, in the human race,
and he always will take flight.
He will dine fine, on the red wine,
which he drinks from a paper cup.
He will watch stars, and count his scars,
but his heart has given up!
No glory.
A mad sad told cold story.
Alliteration, of an allegation, on how he kills for glory.
Then the lie dies, in GI's, when our soldier kills a man.
All told, he is not bold, but this tale is secondhand.
-Edlynn Nau
Copyright © Edlynn Nau | Year Posted 2015
See the girl living on the streets? does anyone know she is there,
Do you see that girl down in the dumps? and does anyone care.
We don't know the reason that she left her home and do any of us want to know?
She's out in all weathers without any covers in rain, hail and snow.
Does anyone wonder if she's ever lonely when we're all tucked up in our beds,
when she's wet and cold, and we're warm and cosy does it ever enter our heads.
She might have been beaten when her home she left, she's sad and she's lonely and often bereft.
Does anyone see me alone on the streets? trying to smile at all that I meet,
asking for pennies for a warm cup of tea, we're not all on drugs, at least not me.
I'm trying to avoid going down that road I try to remember the things I've been told.
Stories of people lying in the gutter, and people passing by all of a mutter.
Do they care, what they see there? I suppose they think it's everywhere !
But I would like to say to all of you . I don't take drugs, I'm one of the few.
So to all of you sat home by your fires, spare a thought for me,
when you pass me by tomorrow, I'd love a cup of tea.
Copyright © jacque lee | Year Posted 2007
Who was this white haired Claus
With rabbit teeth?
Carrying a ton of peanuts
For all to eat.
Dragged in a sleigh pulled
By Agnew and Nixon,
Who ran right beside
Donnar and Blitzen?
He circled Camp David,
A fast fly by;
With lox and bagels for
the Jewish guys.
A carpenters' pencil
Was poised by his ear,
And boxes of nails dangled,
From the gear in the rear.
Why! Its Jolly Ole Carter Claus
Draped in menorahs.
Handing out home plans to
the Arab before us.
Visions of world peace
Danced in his head;
As, he flew straight to Afghanistan
'Fore noggin hit bed.
When down from the sky
In the form of deer dung,
Fell fruit tree seeds
Too be sown in the sun.
And, as CarterClaus' whip cracked
O'er Nixon's ear,
As Agnew blanched,
His eyes filling with tears.
Droplets hit sand with
A plop and a splatter
'Pon the fruit tree seeds with
Nary a clatter.
The desert grew green;
Trees sprouted and grew;
Hearts filled with wonder,
Bellies with stew.
Homes were rebuilt,
as before the fall,
Cook fires were lit.
Children grew tall.
And Ole Carter Claus
Flew home in a daze.
Passing out sandwiches
That Roslyn had made.
Copyright © Debbie Guzzi | Year Posted 2008
Where is
that place were I can just be,
silent and peaceful
Like the paced
waves of the sea. I long for a
space inside heaven
Were I'm free,
I'm finally home just like it was
meant to be.
Friends and
family wear their hearts on
their sleeve, love and devotion
Meets our every
No longer
do we struggle, or faint or
fight to be free, for
We are finally in
the place we can just be.
Not a blemish
or fault can be found within
me, my savior has cleansed
Me of sin I am
free, to worship and praise in
complete divinity.
My father
and his son and a place made
just for me, crown on my head
White robe down
to my feet, beautiful mansion
towers over the sea, emerald
Waters glisten
diamonds for free. I can run,
jump, even fly if need be, in
Wonderful home
created just for me
No pain, fear
or worries plague this heart
inside me, and I am alive and
Coexist in
complete harmony.swung open
are the garden gates, as they
Intended to be, I
now sing, laugh and play in
heaven where I'm free!
Copyright © Yvonne Roberts | Year Posted 2010
For them.
To her the word love refers to a boy.
Something she yearns for and misses dearly.
The day they met was cold and fraught with January chill.
"Oh, that does seem so long ago."
That is the untarnished memory she replays over and over again when events in her life go array.
Back then it was tangible and real, their lives together had not been succumb to so much misery and woe.
They have triumphed, failed, and even caused each other more pain than can be imagined; But through it all they always walked the path together, holding each others hand.
She loves him unconditionally and for that some people cant understand but love needs no excuses, certainly not for them.
She adores him for working so hard, slaving to the man trying to base a future and a plan for them, but she feels guilty that their small American dream over the years has always led down a dead end.
With today's hard times she knows they are not to blame, but still her idol hands carry burden with them.
A plot of land, a small farm, and a home to call their own so they may grow old.
that's all the pair desire.
He loves her to, a thought that at times is unfathomable.
He admires her dreams, even if they are bigger than the world and never distills fear in her that they wont one day come true. She thinks ill rationally and believes in things as a child would, but this merely makes him smile at her spontaneous outlook.
To him she is like a wild bee, searching ferociously for something.
At times he doesn't think she will ever find it, that's why its so hard to see her cry.
Life hasn't been fair for them.
It's a tragic book that just keeps reading on.
But they muscle through living on their dream and knowing that as long as they have each other, everything will be alright.
And as they drive home to their house with no walls, catching glimpses of each other in their ratty car they don't feel so alone.
Behind those blue eyes, she will be forever nineteen to him and to her, as she gazes into his brown large pupils; the boy she knows has grown into a man and at that moment they know, one day all the sacrifices they have made will pay off.
Copyright © Whitney Hart | Year Posted 2012
trawlers steam out from dutch harbour
patroling the frozen waves
serching for gold under the sea
to feed my family
in the wheelhouse the stars shine in
skyes dark and air so thin
no mater where this vessel takes me
my heart is yerning out for you
heaven on the water
is where im dreaming of my love
i see your face on the misty spray
as im calling out your name
heaven on the water
it wont be long my love
for a few more days i know you`l guide me
guide me home to you
icey winds shiver my spine
as we bring out catch abord
empty net and broken dreams
as the waves come crashing down
storms break loose with a crash of thunder
rolling across the bering sea
up and down around then under
but still i dream of you
heaven on the water
is where im dreaming of my love
i see your face on the misty spray
as im calling out your name
heaven on the water
it wont be long my love
for a few more days i know you`l guide me
guide me home to you
i see you face as the boat goes down
sea whispering my name
beconing me to the river
where we first found love
heaven on the water
im still here my love
watching you and our daughters
from the stars above
heaven on the water
calling out your name
calling out your name
heaven on the water
calling out your name
Copyright © Matt Doe | Year Posted 2007
Home was just a mellow state of mind
A place a rambling man would never find
Home was anywhere the rivers flowed
Spent most of his days on the open road
Couldn't find a reason to settle down
Morning would find him in another town
Standing still was too big a price to pay
He wouldn't have it any other way
He's a dying breed standing in the rain
Longing for the sound of an old freight train
Sometimes sleeping 'neath the stars above
Living the life he's learned to love
Got all he needs strapped across his back
Too much up ahead to start looking back
Live for the moment. Don't regret the past
All the years go by so fast
In a cheap hotel on a lonely night
He felt the pain and the time was right
He prayed Dear Jesus I'll no longer roam
Tell my Father I'm coming home.
Copyright © Vince Suzadail Jr. | Year Posted 2008
He looks through the curtains as the meal is served
The sweat on his brow and the I.V. drips
Mom wears her apron with a picture of a turkey on it
It was her favorite and the music playing
And I'm coming home to where I'm loved
Father sits watching the game as the plate goes round
He had money on the wrong side but he swigs a beer
Everyone seems happy and content so he knocks on the door
No one hears and he stirs,trying to break free of the restraints
And I'm coming home to the warmth when I'm cold and alone
Where a man works and his wife cleans and raises the boys
Where desolation has no place to hide and no regret
And Mom hasn't begun drinking because her son left and will never come back
Where the geese still fly South to the warmth
Dogs bark and people have to stand to switch the channel
And I'm coming home
No cell phone or video games to gaze at and 24 hour news
The nurse brings a syringe and plunges it into my I. V.
The Angel wipes my soaking brow and gives me comfort
I'm alone with the mist and the murmur of the crickets
I'm coming home
The house is quiet and emptiness within
But Mom left a light on with expectation
A sign was set for all to know I'm coming
The quiet is lovely and the light welcomes
Copyright © Patrick Cornwall | Year Posted 2012
Well, I'm high on country music.
And my mind, it won't refuse it.
The memories of our love.
I'm comin' home..
And I'm high on constellations.
Buddy, I've got relations.
The memories of our love.
I'm comin' home..
Now, you see it your way.
And baby, I see it my way.
The memories of our love.
I'm comin' home..
'Cause I'm high on country music.
And my mind, it won't refuse it.
The memories of our love.
I'm comin' home..
And I'm high on constellations.
And buddy, I've got relations.
The memories of our love.
I'm comin' home..
Now, you see it your way.
And baby, I see it my way.
The memories of our love.
I'm comin' home..
'Cause I'm high on country music.
And my mind, it won't refuse it.
The memories of our love.
I'm comin' home..
Country Music-Lyric By Kim Robin Edwards
Copyright 1996,2014..ALL rights reserved..
Copyright © Kim Robin Edwards | Year Posted 2014
Be still your heart my foster mom
I made it 'home' safe
God welcomed me with opened arms
In his peaceful place
I know your decision was so hard
Yet it had to be done
I thank you for my trip abroad
You are second to none
I once have had nothing much
Until you came along
A bonded pair we were such
With a love that is so strong
So thank you mom for loving me
I've loved you right away
Until we meet again, you'll see
Me, waiting along the way.
Forever love & gratitude,
Fudge, Ebony & Angel
Copyright © Candi Lynn | Year Posted 2014
Oh, to be in Trinidad
where the hot scented currents flow;
from Caroni wetland to Nariva
chaconia and silk cotton tree grow.
Where reaching palms whisper
across island reef and coconut lagoon,
and the forests of Papa Bois
flower with water lilies in bloom
Oh, to be in Trinidad
in the time of the house of Trestrail,
and be again that child before
the Voyage of Six leaving did sail!
Where in antiquity ocean flight
Amerindians crossed its riverbends,
and tall masted clipper ships
sailed the spice seas to its far ends
Oh, to be in Trinidad
when equatorial rains have passed;
and gaze Big Wet to Big Dry
burning canefield and wildgrass.
Lowland baptism of blossom
resurrect from Toco to Mayaro Bay,
and in reacquainted seasons
waves of consciousness slip away
Oh, to be in Trinidad
where tales of bacchanal abound;
how old chimes with new
yet uprising does a trumpet sound!
And ghosts of the revolution
fan the flames in the hot raging sun;
where dat voodoo spirit rise
the Obeah Man when day is done
Oh, to be in Trinidad
for crab and callaloo on Sunday...
let the Boca gulf gates lull
and stars over Tobago my fears allay.
Dream and moonstruck gaze
till Monos windsong wakes no more;
listen and you too shall hear
rapping upon her hideaway shore
Oh, to be in Trinidad
for the scarlet ibis returning flown;
hummingbird's backward dance,
beauty I'm richer for having known!
And in days of future past
tread again the hot Maracas sands,
or horse trails of Blue Range
and Rancho Caballero grasslands
Oh, to be in Trinidad
when the Oval's at its raucous best,
and the lions of Queen's Park
bay for Christians in noble contest.
Where the air sweet with rum
breathes of doubles and pepperpot,
and the drums and soca play
till everyone feelin' hot! hot! hot!
Oh, to be in Trinidad
playin' Mas' with cart and barrow;
when masquerade and fete
jump loudest to Kitch and Sparrow!
Calypsonian tents jammin',
limbo flame sparks the night flare,
and Carnival streets jumpin'
from St Augustine to old St Clair
Oh, to be in Trinidad
among the blood of African slave,
and not be destined, alas,
to lifeless fill a cold foreign grave!
Lo, where indentured cargo
in waves landed upon South Quay...
I pray the bells of Greyfriars
will gently toll in absence for me
Oh, to be in Trinidad
when the great Savannah dawns;
hot roti and roasted corn
in early light over its tracks and lawns.
Land of my nativity begun
from hills to blue Caribbean Sea;
I miss that golden age ended
and lament what must be must be
August 1995
Copyright © Keith Trestrail | Year Posted 2014
No man stands alone
in the street, the ring or the combat zone
some lay in the gutter
some sit on a throne
but no man stands alone
At the age of fourteen
he had a dream
to become a rabbi
Chicago 1924
then his dad was killed by men
who tried to rob the family store
his brothers and sisters were sent away
to an orphanage where they would stay
and though his faith was blown away
he vowed to bring them home someday
To God and man revenge he swore
he walked with gamblers,
hoods and whores
he fit right in
then on a whim
he walked into a boxing gym
he fought Canzoneri in '33
for the lightweight title victory
he made up with God
and finally
he could reclaim his family
Those McLarnon fights
were the stuff of lore
the only man
to ever put him on the floor
he won two out of three,
then in the Armstrong bout
he nearly died
but was never knocked out
then in 1941
the Japanese pulled a sneaky one
so he joined the marines
and he got a gun
and he sailed into the rising sun
On Guadalcanal,
he fought so brave
overmatched like old King Dave
he put twenty attackers
in an early grave
for the one marine
whose life he saved
in a hospital bed
for months and days
they kept him in a morphine haze
then sent him home
strung out and beat
to the pushers on the mean, mean street
Hollywood was very keen
to put his story on the silver screen
but they focused on the drug abuse
he tried to sue
but what's the use?
Barney Ross was brave and strong
they couldn't keep him down for long
his rabbi said that he must try
to be a model Jew in the public eye
but from the public eye he slipped
like a phantom radar blip
they say he hunted Nazi criminals
and he ran some guns to Israel
Barney Ross was brave and strong
I thought that he deserved a song
he did some bad
he did some good
and he saved the world
the best he could
Copyright © Art Wright | Year Posted 2013
I was raised on a little old farm
by my daddy who raised pigs in a barn
my mama well what can I say
she helped my daddy on our farm everyday.
I have two sister and two brothers
we tried to always help out one other
it was just a simple life when I was raised in the 50s.
I was raised on a little old farm
we plowed our corn fields with our old gray tractor.
because our pigs had to be feed
we shucked off lots of corn
to put way in old corn shed.
As hard as my daddy worked everyday
mama and him taught us good
values that still stays with all of this
to this day.
I was raised on a little old farm
my daddy worked as a Iron worker in the day
but on some days after daddy got home
he worked and added rooms to our old home.
Money was tight while raising 5 kids
but mama always seem to keep us all fed.
But we knew everyday mama and daddy loved us even if the
words[ I love you] was not offen said.
I was raised on a little old farm
in the winter we took time to ice skate
in the back field on a swampy like pond.
it was great living on a long dirt road
with our neighbors the Boggs who had
seven children of there own.
I was raised on a little old farm
and I am going to try to tell daddy story's
about or farm life to each grandchild in the
family that is born.
I hope you enjoyed this poem
because soon we well be selling
our childhood home.
I was raised on a little old farm.
2015 by charlotte
Copyright © SHARLOTTE NEWAN | Year Posted 2015
Remember when days were long
and all de children do is play:
or how de burnin sun hot like fire
and snow cone ice melt away,
when I was a wee lad in Trinidad
And licks fuh so in de bam bam
if I do or say I right when I wrong!
Playin cricket in de front yard
in ragged shirt and watchicong,
wit my bat and pad in Trinidad
Hear de dogs of Independence,
"masser's day has come" dey bark,
and snarl "now we in charge!"
But all dey do is fete and skylark,
dats why tings bad in Trinidad
Den me faddah "really speakin"...
and me muddah, how she grieve:
"aye yah yie, it time to vamoose...
oh crime...it time to leave",
dat all hell gone mad in Trinidad
I say to she "yuh makin joke!
Mummy, what is dis tomfoolery?"
Man, next ting I know I on a boat
past de Bocas headin out to sea,
and I was sad to leave Trinidad
Dey get vex and riot in de street,
trow stick, pelt stone, and cuss;
shout "Black Power...Malcolm X..."
PNM say "why all yuh makin fuss?"
But tings get real bad in Trinidad
Trinis start to swell up dey face
and ax demself "is all yuh fuh real?"
Criminals was skinnin dey teet
burnin and lootin lookin to steal -
destroyin what we had in Trinidad
But I would from my exile return
de land of rapso, kaiso, and calypso!
Where de panman play, "padna"
and de Cahneeval jumpin fuh so,
den I was glad to see Trinidad
Back to limin on sandy beach
wit buss-up and shark 'n bake...
drinkin rum, Carib, and Stag spyin
all de girls backside shake!
Girls sweet too bad in Trinidad
If yuh see party fuh so in East
or fete in de village dong Sout;
and Jouvay dawn at Pelican Inn
till Road March jump and shout,
dis is de lime I had in Trinidad
Me faddah, he like de ole talk,
de ghost of Jumbie Bridge in he head.
"Murder!" He laugh at all dem Trinis
and how dey all "fraid de dead!"
in Big Bertha clad from Trinidad
He tink of tings back home like
when de plum and de mango ripe;
"jeez-an-wrinkles!" He bol face say
how "crapo smoke yuh pipe!"
God bless my dad from Trinidad
Man, he steups so and he say "boy,
Trinidad full of ba'john and ole tief!
Riddled wit crime and corruption...
warahouns in charge, good grief!"
And for all dis I sad for Trinidad
Me muddah too, she say to me
"hold strain and calm yuhself chile!"
She say "son, doh be a saga boy,
doh flash and doh make style"
lest you be a cad from Trinidad
Man, de whole place gone to hell
and dey doh know how to fix she;
all de younger generation fuhget
what it mean to be a Trini -
to be proud and glad in Trinidad
Now dey pull out cutlass and gun
if on dey tail yuh lash out and cuff!
Man, dese days no-one safe at all,
Trins fed-up and had enough!
How tings get so mad in Trinidad
All yuh in T 'n T so blasted vex
at de government and Manning,
but in trute yuh still like to fete
and drink and lime and ting,
den bawl bobbol bad in Trinidad
It jus like back in de Canboulay
when de lawless slaves run wild,
or in de dark days of rebellion
and uprisin when I was a child,
when tings went rad in Trinidad
A pelau or buljol in yuh mout -
sorrel, mauby, or a ginger beers;
gimme pastelle and ponchecrema
from Christmas to Ole Years!
Dis is de taste I had of Trinidad
De Spanish come, de French too -
boy, de British dey bring a queen:
dat was way back when dis island
was de jewel of de Caribbean,
way before I was a lad in Trinidad
January 2009
Welcome Home
She stood by his grave in a long black veil
They found small remains in his jungle hell.
The honor guard, they all stand tall,
As they hand her a flag for her special wall.
She thought how young when he went away,
He was so proud to be leaving that day.
Now its many years since he's been gone
So she kneeled down and said:
Welcome Home,
OH Welcome Home, Welcome Home
You've marched off to deaths drum.
Some came back, but found darkness there
And it will always be their cross to bear.
So walk with me and carry on.
And know this.....
Welcome Home, Welcome Home
You've been away too damn long.
You've done your time, you've paid your price.
You've felt the pain, you've sacrificed.
I know you're tired and feel alone
So I say to you,
Welcome Home.
He was awakened by the call one night
A brother's body was on a midnight flight.
So many times like the times before
He's followed a warrior to a loved one's door.
So he rode his Harley to the service gate
Where there was a flag draped on a wooden crate.
And down inside laid his gallant bones,
As they passed he said....
Welcome Home,
OH Welcome Home, Welcome Home
You've marched off to deaths drum.
Some came back, but found the darkness there
And it will always be their cross to bear.
So walk with me brother and carry on.
And know this.....
Welcome Home, Welcome Home
You've been away just too damn long.
You've done your time, you've paid your price.
You've felt the pain, you've sacrificed.
I know you're tired and feel alone
So I say to you,
Welcome Home.
SFC (ret) Alva Brown
Copyright © alva brown | Year Posted 2016
Vehicles flow on the road
Engines rumble loudly throughout
All vehicles are running on the same road
But as each of them is different destination
So many people travel back and forth
They step on the same path
All of them are in a hurry and introvert
But they do not converse together
Each of them has own target
I blend with those people
I do not know them and they do not know me as well
I only recognize who am I? And where to go?
My destination is my beloved motherland
I look upon someone's waiting for my return
Darling...!! I will be back...
Phoukhong SONEVONGXAY
Ho Chi Minh City. November 04, 2014
Copyright © Phoukhong SONEVONGXAY | Year Posted 2015
One of the happiest days,
Is bringing our soldiers home alive,
To where they can be seen,
By their families once again,
To show them we love them,
And care about them,
In the ways we should,
Cause they gave up their time,
And their lives for this country,
For our freedoms we often take for granted,
To protect us from the domestic evils of today,
Whether we see them or not,
We should praise them all,
For all that they have done,
Including those who have fallen,
And can Not walk back through the gates of home,
For they have fallen and given more for this country,
And sacrificed more than we pay attention too,
To save us all for our freedoms,
Which our country will often forget,
With time the fallen one's,
Because we often pay attention to those,
Who are here in front of us and can fight,
One day at a time,
Which is the wrong way to be,
Cause all soldiers are made the same,
And should never be forgotten in anyway,
Day after day cause we have what we have,
To remind us all of all who have sacrificed their lives,
For the freedoms we have to keep us safe,
Each and everyday!
Copyright © John Hembree | Year Posted 2013
I was born in a small village,
with no distinction or privilege!
I loved every inch of that land
And carved the roads on my hand!
I kissed each olive tree on the trunk
Some thought I'd been really drunk.
It's always been my old flame,
And I still adore it the same.
It's always been in my heart
It nurtured my taste and art.
Copyright © Habib Zaqzaq | Year Posted 2014
I remember living in one room dingy and dire
with old lino on its rotting wooden floor.
I remember crystallised spit dangling from guard at the fire;
as mother cleaned, he'd only honk the more.
I recall how we went hungry, waiting for the paltry sum
he allowed us for board and keep, the cheap fink,
and how he served apprenticeship to becoming a true bum
by treating as priorities his fags and drink.
I remember all the rows he caused demanding back the cash
which was supposed to feed and clothe his we'ans
I remember every Christmas morn' the gifts received were trash
because he'd pissed the present-money down the drain.
I recall one awful night my mother hunting high and low
with a hungry bedraggled child on either hand,
she finally catching that boozy stinker sate in the Dungloe.
How he fumed, outraged that food she dared demand.
I remember his begrudgement of those sparse few days away–
one hour upon the beach or at the fair:
how just when we were relaxing would be dragged from play.
Homeward-bound: him the 'bookies', us despair.
I remember trudging up to Creggan to the 'Housing Place'
every week with mother and sister, come rain or hail,
and how that worthless, selfish, monster did not even have the grace
to commend her dedication, instead railed.
I can picture his expression when she got herself a job,
determined not to lose her new clean home.
I remember his wild tantrums when she'd saved up for a hob–
the delivery man was perplexed at oral foam.
I remember those miserable times as if they were today,
how he made odd help with homework living hell–
so that now a friend's assistance, however gracefully
put, grates my tortured psyche so much I cannot tell.
When we started working, my sister dear and I,
it seemed for him a licence to give less.
Many weeks he'd keep house-money and, as the months went by,
we discovered he'd drunk the rent; that was a mess.
So now sot has retired, and it seems his mind has gone–
for he's telling all how great he was those years:
he built house on the prairie. He was such a con:
the only thing he constructed was a legacy of fear.
Copyright © Perry McDaid | Year Posted 2014
trotting across my back field
there's a storm brewing-in
it's misty friend is climbing
through the cold, prickly wires
Delicately drenched,
as wet as
a dog's kiss,
there's a-storm brewing-in
it's casual pal is breezing-
bothering the wicker trees.
his smile-
brightens my mind
like the italian renaissance.
inhaling red tipped
we chat under the glistening leaves.
But there's a storm brewing-in
it's hamper full dirty laundry
is drying-
stringing across my back yard.
his laugh-
is as pleasing
as old dogs learning new tricks.
Just one more outburst,
and I swear this storm will turn to stone.
I bask-
his attention is as gratifying
as a masters gentle stroke
just one more round of
darting eyes and light hearted jokes.
I realize now,
He grumpiness does best
to protect what's raw and rare-
from the snakes who try to tear us away from home.
Like stumpy cigarettes,
hanging off the tips
of tough our lips.
we'll share each other's worlds.
Yes, Like stumpy cigarettes,
hanging off the tips
of tough our lips.
let's melt into each other's worlds.
Copyright © Katelyn Dobbs | Year Posted 2012
I am a man born on earth
I am a man born on earth
To live is my right
For that i have to fight
I don't need
Anybody's green light
For it my own life
And i have the right
To be free
And be free
I have no place
Than the earth
I don't need
All these wealth
Neither gold nor silver
Can buy my health
The earth is my home
Copyright © Matt Ancient | Year Posted 2013
Nine years a stranger in a strange land
Travelling to my island in the sun;
A native son returning a native strand
Where the journey had all begun
I, Icarus, flew its skies but survived
The sun and thrust of engines loud;
On Bee Wee wings of wax we dived
Into that misty archipelago cloud
Piarco tarmac on grassy plains below
Soon upon the trail of Queen's Park;
Charting the maps of time long ago -
'Twas late and the boulevard was dark
The Banyan trees, the rustling palms,
Glow of that bright calypso moon;
To my soul a succour its island balms
And balmy breezes bore a gentle boon
Down the Churchill-Roosevelt to the sea
Beetham shanties and LaBasse go by;
But 'twas Port of Spain's restless quay
That conspired to grab my roving eye
Fishing boats off the high seas berth
Her old clamorous city docks and pier;
The Gulf of Paria's sleepy channel firth -
And look...it's Independence Square
Upon the corner of Sweet Briar and Gray
Where as a boy I played in the rain;
Waking by carol song on Christmas Day,
And hearken, Greyfriar's sweet refrain
See ancient Savannah parched and bare
Tormented by season's blazing sun;
Yonder hazy hilltop ridges no better fare
But soon the rains will in deluge come
Over blustery Northern Straits we flew
To Buccoo Reef and blue island coral;
Tobago's Crusoe shores came we to view
With her verdant hills rich and floral
Upon the Coast Road to Maracas Bay
Drinking a fool's fill by the fire's flame;
But I was seventeen almost to the day,
And at seventeen I was always game
I met a lass whose eyes through me tore,
More lovely than words can convey:
Beauty I've not known since or before,
I'd like to remember her this way
Fondly I gaze the dormant Oval grounds
Rapturous but for a short lived respite;
At my window did roar out the sounds
Of steelband and parang in the night
With February upon us quickly I fear -
Carnival's sleeping tribes awakened;
I had no costume, no robes to wear,
Yet my burning spirit was unshaken
Behold on Jouvay morn at break of light
Spilled hordes out of Sparrow's tent;
Revellers in the streets day and night
Till Last Lap, Ash Wednesday and Lent
But our time here had drawn to an end,
And leaving again bittersweet for me:
Saddened alas but my heart does mend,
For this is my home and always will be
May 1992
Copyright 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
White America hates me (as well as most of the world)...BUT JANINE HOOPS
(TURNER) HAS ALWAYS LOVED ME...like it or not...whether you believe it or
not...I WAS NOT BORN OF THIS WORLD...BUT I WAS 'DELIVERED' BY URSULA
THE WHITE WITCH...who came in the form of the actress...Ursula Andress! I was
'delivered' to Priscilla Lai ("Lily of the field") Fong ("Fairest of the land") Lam ("The Lamb of God")...who was wedded to Hwei ("The Devil")Yang ("Yellow")Hsi (FuHsi)...on April 23, 1959 at 1:01 am (Gena Rose Pahucki, as the 'delivering nurse'...the actual Gena Rose Pahucki died in a car accident on April 22, 1959...Gena ("For there will be an actress, Gena Davis")...Rose ("For your first girl-friend will be Rose Smead")...Pahucki ("For you will meet in law school as Pachefsky")...I was a glorious 'white' baby (Caucasoid)...with blue eyes...and hair with actual gold filaments! The Ancient Grimories picture the "Golden-Haired-Child of Destiny of China"...my posted internet photo! The fifty-five yearcurse broke on April 23, 2014...and I reached a height of five feet and eleven inches in the second week of (My final form will be six feet tall and I will weigh two-hundred-and-twenty-five lbs.!) July 2014...and 'beat' the 'Strongest Man in the World' at his 933 lbs. of bodyweight...I was 126 lbs...at Sam's Club (Honolulu, Hawaii)...involving a three-hundred-twenty-three lb. 'marine' battery! BUT...The Original...The Last...and...The Eternal Source of Life...HAS GIVEN ME THE HAND OF THE ROYAL WHITE WITCH RENATA...Princess Renata Andress Zeiss...of the Royal House of Zeiss...under the King and Queen of Germany! I AM STUNNED AND OVERJOYED BY YOUR SUCCESSES JANINE! In an 'alternate' universe? (COINCIDENTALLY, I WILL NEVER BE AN ADULTEROR!)
Copyright © Thomas Hsi | Year Posted 2014
All alone here I sit, in this hell I call home.
With no motivation to silence these moans.
There's junkies in the next room, and tweekers below,
outside on the street, a whore with no one to blow.
There's a crackhead with a pit-bull, and a toddler in tow
she's looking to score, but the gangster says "no".
She curses and shouts as she heads down skid row, to
the mark on the Drew, who's been known to hold blow.
Down the staircase I'm winding out and onto the street
with Cecillia as my anchor, we step to the beat.
I stagger or swagger,
it depends who I meet.
I'm off to see Mary, and the kids on King street.
When I get there it's early and the kids are asleep.
Their chemical consumption has altered their beat.
The street is deserted and I feel like a creep.
Ya, I'm fitting right in, in this hell I call home.
So I'm off to the station, with a head that can't think.
I curse the men with the money, and the ice in their drinks.
And the ones who reign judgment? I don't care what they think.
All I need is my escape from this hell I call home.
I arrive at the station and my mans at the booth.
I approach him and ask with the slang that is couth.
He fixes me up and I get high as the roof.
Another lost Thursday morning, in this hell I call home.
Copyright © robert burke | Year Posted 2014
I can say I'm glad to be back,
I can finally go and unpack
The country air is so sweet, just listen to the bird tweet, tweet.
I had been gone, far away in a hospital for a couple of days.
the town was small, smaller than mine, but I'm glad I left at the right time.
I felt home sick, it was like a tick, to be stuck in there, no fresh air.
Like the one I have here, it's very clear.
I'm just happy to be home, to be in a place I can't let go.
This place is my life, my guiding light, this place is home
my quiet zone.
Copyright © jessie conner | Year Posted 2015
I wonder what I am going to do.
I wonder where U are.
& I wonder why the cocktails, are no longer free at the bar.
I wonder why my ankles swell,
And I wonder if U know.
I wonder if the sugar's sweet, and if ice really tastes like snow.
If you think my sugar's sweet,
And ice really tastes like snow,
Then I wonder if when you remember me - you'll call home and let me know.
It would be better for both of us,
If you'd call home and let me know.
Perhaps then, I'd know where to go.
I wonder if U love me,
I wonder if you're true.
I wonder if the yard guy we hired is really out with the flu.
I wonder what happened to last night,
I wonder why I didn't know.
& I wonder if you will spit in my hand,
And try to sell it as snow.
If you believe you will spit in my hand,
And try to sell it as snow,
Then I ask if when you remember me you will help me, by letting me go.
It would be the best thing for the both of us, if you would let me go.
I'm alone when I'm with you, alone when I'm not
I swear babe, I just don't know.
I wonder why I give a damn,
Because clearly you do not.
I wonder when I'll get a life, and stop wanting the one that you've got.
Wonder if I will grow some cajones,
I wonder where mine are,
And I wonder if it's after five cause then cocktails - are free at the bar.
Copyright © Mari Roberts | Year Posted 2013
Some songs
Are of saddest times
The skies of darkest days
Some words
Bring such discontent
There are no gentle ways
To tell the tale
Without the tears
That tear the heart in two
But I will share
This saddest tale
Of hearts both black and true
There was a widow
With a son
He was a spunky lad
And when she found
Another man
The boy turned
Mean and sad.
The maid who cleaned the widow's house
Saw the what was going on.
How each day the battle raged
As soon as she was gone.
The man took off
His silver belt
And like a man insane
He beat the boy, he cursed at him
And called him filthy names.
The mother's love had maddened him
He hounded the poor child
Jealousy had filled his head
By hate his heart defiled.
He loved the widow, now his wife
Her son was in the way.
He sent the boy away to school
On that their wedding day.
The boy wrote home--
He hated school
They beat him there and worse
They starved the boy
To punish him
For writing silly verse.
The boy wrote home to plead his case
He promised to be good.
He begged to be at home again
He'd even chop the wood!
At the widow's urging
The man re-read the letter
'He must come home'--his sweetheart cried--
'He's promised to be better.'
The man sent off the widow
Quick to get her son
She left him on the next train
Before the day'd begun.
The day was hot, the winds were bad
The clouds, they shouted rain
The neighbors said that angels wept
As they hailed the train
The man stopped by to get the mail
Without his widow'd wife
Another letter from the school
How tiresome was his life!
He put the letter in his bag
And headed his way home
When bedtime came he got it out
He liked to read alone.
'Your son is dead,' the letter said,
The hand was from a man
the school was starving naughty boys
the lawmen had a plan.
The school would close, the boys all leave
But one boy would remain.
The dead boy would be with his ma
When she returned by train.
The man who loved the widow
And took her for his wife
Hanged himself before the dawn
And took his own dear life.
The widow and her son
Returned through beating rains
She walked into that darkened house
And blew apart her brains.
Copyright © Victoria Anderson-Throop | Year Posted 2012
Hey, how are you
Have you heard this one?
Where there's a midnight sun
Listen to me now,
Listen up young one
One day I left someone
Where did you say
you were going?
She looked so sad
with her tears showing
showing her a map of you,
around the world to you,
flying so fast at you,
I left my Papua New Guinea,
my home sweet home for you.
So... like déjàvu,
You look so...
Do I know you?
No, don't say no...
I know you!
you were in my dreams
You know that moment,
when you see her,
the light,
that shines,
that lifts you high
into outer space so high
oh how I longed for you,
Just you and me,
your seasons, my wonder..
I wonder when thunders,
remind my mind,
my sleeping child,
suddenly awake,
But Nova's away..
They say people say,
you'd miss home,
you'll miss POM..
you said no,
No, No, No
you'll be home
From winter to Autumn
Just you and I
you'll be fine
So when the leaves fall,
Or when snow falls,
Remember me,
Remember us,
Our time, may be dying,
Maybe someday I'll find,
My child no child,
and the sun so fine,
I'll be home bound,
To my Ocean playground..
Copyright © Moi Kaira | Year Posted 2012
Come and listen awhile I pray
To hear a sad love story,
I have only a minute to stay
To tell the tale of Malcolm McCorey.
I'm Malcolm, Sally was my bride
I've loved her since grade school,
She was my life and my pride
And, I was her ever loving fool.
Work let off early that night
And it was pouring down in sheets,
When my eyes beheld the sight
Of Sally whoring 'tween the sheets.
My Sally was not forthcoming
And, I was blind by love's adoring,
I swear I never saw it coming
The day my Sally went a whoring.
This wasn't some casual adoring
That I might could understand,
This was at our home a whoring
In our bed with another man.
It was a cold and rainy night
And it was pouring down in sheets,
I wasn't prepared for the sight
Of Sally whoring 'tween the sheets.
The truth came like a blinding light
She couldn't wait to shut the door,
When I came home early that night
While she gaily played the whore!
She glared up at me in surprise
At seeing me suddenly arrive,
I stared back into her lying eyes
Down the barrel of my forty five!
It was a stormy and dismal night
And it kept pouring down in sheets,
I'll never forget the awful sight
Of Sally whoring 'tween the sheets.
The Padre' comes to comfort me
My life's now run it's course,
Today my pain will cease to be
Soon, I'll feel no more remorse.
I forgive myself of all at last
My soul will soon go soaring,
Today will soon be o'er and past
The pain, of Sally gone a whoring.
* Malcolm was executed in may of 1969. May God have mercy on his soul.
Timothy I. Brumley
Copyright © Timothy Brumley | Year Posted 2010


text: Just bought an Ibanez SR200 to learn on, and am very excited but I need a strong, good quality case as I travel a lot. Going from the reviews I have read, Ibanez cases are not great quality, or at least it seems the latches are prone to failing. Was hoping someone with more knowledge than me could recommend a good quality travel case that would fit my bass. I have no clue and the guy at the local store was not very helpful, so I am going to try buy one online. Thanks in advance!


text:
Anytime Fitness ownership changes hands
When the opportunity to own a gym presented itself, Steve Korn jumped on it.
Korn, a Chippewa Falls resident, bought the Anytime Fitness in New Richmond in May.
"I always thought the perfect scenario would be to be a gym manager or owner," Korn said.
Korn started taking his health seriously about 5-6 years ago when he weighed in at 450 pounds, he said.
Since then, he's lost 185 pounds through diet and exercise.
"It's been a process," he said. "Since I started working here (in September 2009), I've lost about 90 pounds."
In May, he bought the franchise at 144 W. Third St. and went to work on changing the public's image of the gym.
"When I took over, I paid off all the old loans," he said. "We had a really bad rap a while, but we're changing that."
Korn hired Josh Crawmer as the gym's manager and between the two, the facility is staffed six days a week.
"A lot of people looked at this place as a gym that was going down the drain," Crawmer said. "Now, attitudes have changed about the place and people are proud to call it their gym."
In a season when gym memberships tend to decline, Anytime Fitness in New Richmond has been growing, Korn said.
That can be attributed to the lower membership fees and the upkeep of the facility since in changed hands.
"Cleanliness is huge," Crawmer said.
While only one new machine has been added since Korn took over, he said he plans to slowly add to the facility.
"The next step is flat screen TVs," he said.
Another unique offering is a discount on tennis lessons.
Crawmer, who has been involved in sports his entire life, is a member of the St. Croix Valley Indoor Tennis Club and offers discounted private lessons to members of Anytime Fitness.
The lessons are just another way to motivate people to be active, he said. Motivation is something Korn and Crawmer said they work hard at.
"Everybody wants to (workout and get healthy), but we're the motivation here," Crawmer said.
Motivation doesn't mean members are exposed to a boot camp-like atmosphere, Korn said.
"Josh and I are jokester-type people," he said. "We want to make it a fun place for our members."
"The atmosphere is the best way to keep our members and make it comfortable," Crawmer said.
But it's not all fun and games, Crawmer said. Being in charge of a fitness facility is a lot of work too.
"We try to work with people to show them the equipment and answer their questions," Korn said. "We're fun, but that doesn't mean we're not knowledgeable."
For Jim Davis, gym member, the ownership change has been noticeable.
"Recently it's been more clean and better managed," he said. "It seems like people are here more often, which creates a good atmosphere. Their presence is significant and it shows when they invest some time in it."
Investing time is exactly what Korn plans to do.
"I've always liked hanging out at the gym," he said, "Now it's my life."
There are more than 1,400 clubs worldwide, Korn said. With Anytime Fitness' Anywhere Club Access, members have access to each club, no matter where they live.
For more information about New Richmond's facility, visit www.anytime fitness.com or call 715-246-4500.


text:
Monday, December 21, 2009
Dec. 1: Central Pierce Fire & Rescue Capt. A. Dulas salutes during a procession that escorted the bodies of four slain Lakewood police officers from where they were killed Nov. 29 at Forza Coffee to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office in Tacoma.
"A couple years into working on my undergraduate degree at Northern Arizona University, I was pretty sure I wanted to be a reporter or writer. I worked for the student paper and enjoyed the challenge of writing about new subjects and interesting people. Our publication's photography staff was very talented. Curious to learn more about their craft, I enrolled in a photojournalism class taught by Peter Schwepker, a photojournalist at The Arizona Republic. In his class it hit me: I wanted to tell stories through photographs. I was touched by how photographs could put the viewer in someone else's shoes. Photojournalism is important in today's media landscape because at its core it's supposed to be real. We do not use tools to make people skinnier, prettier or change the information in the image. There's room to be creative, take risks and grow. But our goal is to capture images that the public trusts." — Erika Schultz
Photography home | Most viewed photos | Purchase photos | Video home
© 2009 The Seattle Times Company


text:
Nine international horses trained outside of Australia and New Zealand will take to the Flemington track for Race 7 tomorrow as part of the 24-horse 2010 Melbourne Cup field.
The record number of overseas raiders looking to win the 150th Melbourne Cup means there is a strong chance the most famous Australian horse race and the 'Loving Trophy' will go to an international contender.
International Horses in 2010 Melbourne Cup Field:
- Campanologist (Saeed Bin Suroor)
- Illustrious Blue (William J Knight)
- Mr Medici (Peter Ho)
- Americain (Alain de Royer Dupre)
- Tokai Trick (Kenji Nonaka)
- Manighar (Luca Cumani)
- Profound Beauty (Dermot K Weld)
- Bauer (Luca Cumani)
- Holberg (Saeed Bin Suroor)
Of the northern-hemisphere Melbourne Cup hopefuls, French stayer Americain is the favourite among the punters paying $13 to win through Luxbet.
Winner of the Geelong Cup in fine style at their first Australian start on October 20, the Alain de Royer Dupre-trained and Australian owned Americain is due to jump midfield from barrier 12 with Gerald Mosse aboard, an excellent lightweight chance carrying 54.5kg.
Japan have their first Melbourne Cup runner since Delta Blues and Pop Rock ran the 2006 Melbourne Cup Quinella, with Tokai Trick lining up from the ideal barrier four draw due to be ridden by Japanese jockey Shinji Fujita.
Two internationals are back in the Melbourne Cup field after running in the race two years ago, Luca Cumani's 2008 runner-up Bauer and fifth placegetter Profound Beauty.
Bauer is still an uncertainty to start in tomorrow's $6 million feature, awaiting clearance for a hoof injury.
Talented mare Profound Beauty, on the other hand, is an early fancy paying $26 to become the Melbourne Cup winner through Luxbet.
Irish St Leger runner-up Profound Beauty is trained by Dermot Weld, seeking his third Melbourne Cup win, and is due to jump from the wide Melbourne Cup barrier draw 22 with Patrick Smullen in the mount.
Other notable internationals in this year's Melbourne Cup line-up include Hong Kong champion Mr Medici drawn well in barrier five who will thrive on a rain-affected Flemington track, and the second runner for trainer Luca Cumani Manighar, a strong chance after finishing an eye-catching fifth in the Caulfield Cup.
To get behind any of these Melbourne Cup horses and to check out the full odds and betting options on the famous Flemington feature, due to jump at 3:00pm (AEDST) tomorrow, head to Luxbet now!


text:
KAI RYSSDAL: It's easy, when you're here in the middle of it, to talk about Dubai like it's a country all by itself. It's not, of course. Its just one city in the United Arab Emirates. But in a way Dubai is a lot of cities. New developments here have been divided up into tax-free, regulation-free zones each with their own neighborhoody names.
Broadcasters are in Media City. Internet companies are clustered in Internet City. There's going to be a Sports City soon. The model extends to all things medical, too. Healthcare City is shelling out half a billion dollars to build Harvard Medical School Dubai.
Marketplace's Sean Cole grew up hanging around Harvard Square so we figured he was the guy for this one.
SEAN COLE: To be clear, Harvard Medical School isn't going to own any hospitals or teach undergrads in Dubai. It's running post-grad and research programs at Dubai Healthcare City. And the guy in charge has a really long title.
Robert Thurer: My name is Robert Thurer I am chief academic officer of the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center Institute for Post-Graduate Education and Research.
Doctor Thurer spends about half his time in Dubai. I caught him at his Boston office before I went over there. He says the development of healthcare is a key part of Dubai's plan to become the de-facto capital of the Middle East.
Thurer: You really can't have a world-class international city unless people feel comfortable traveling and relocating and everything. And health care is important.
But the economic benefit could be more direct than that too. Dubai Healthcare City is hoping to become a hub of "medical tourism." that is people flying to different countries for specialized care. Not to mention the fact that the government of the UAE covers health care for all of its citizens. So if an Emirati flies to, say, London for heart surgery.
Thurer: In addition to paying for that surgery I mean they're paying for the person and his family to fly to London they'll put up family in a hotel room. So it turns out that most of these expenditures are not directly related to health care.
Cole: Whereas when you're there they won't have to do that.
Thurer: Exactly. The major teaching hospital is in the excavation stage. It will be done in about three years. So you'll see a big hole in the ground that gets bigger every day.
OK, I'm now in Dubai, uh, standing at the construction site and, sure enough, it is a large hole.
Thurer: You'll be able to have a Starbucks.
Cole: Just like in Boston.
It's actually eerie how much Dubai feels like a North American city and how many American businesses are here.
Maher Musallam: There is a Citibank here. There is a Raffle Hotel here.
Maher Musallam showed me a room-sized table-top model of Healthcare City and the area around it.
Musallam: There is a Grand Cineplex. There is a Grand Hyatt. And there is big huge park here for children they call it the child city.
Musallam was part of the Dubai Healthcare City sales team. He says a lot of really famous organizations have bought into the project.
Musallam: Mayo Clinic. We have Astro Zeneca. We have American Academy of Plastic Surgery. We have big, big, big names in Dubai Healthcare City.
And big names spell credibility. Dubai is all about being number one. Even Abu Nader, a local investor who'll be running a convenience store, beauty salon and travel agency in Healthcare City, is banking on big returns.
Abu Nader: Of course! Maybe as per his highness Sheikh Mohammad, the wise president and ruler of Dubai. He's always looking to be number one.
Cole: And are you also looking to be number one?
Nader: Of course I want to be number one in Dubai Healthcare City!
Musallam: That's why he's part of us.
It's really sheikh Mohammad that conceived of the whole theme-parky structure of Dubai. Healthcare City included.
Mudhadditha Al Hashimi: I would say it's a theme park. I really, I wanna say it's a destination.
Mudhadditha al Hashimi is the CEO of Healthcare City.
Al Hashimi: Like you would go to Disney for example, although it's not the right comparison. But you would go into Disney and you would feel that all your steps in Disney is all so well-thought through. That's what we want to do in Dubai Healthcare City.
And why ask for Harvard's help?
Al Hashimi: I don't think we found any other academic institution with the reputation that Harvard has to match the reputation that Dubai Healthcare City wants.
Cole: It's quite a name.
Al Hashimi:Yes. Absolutely.
And both Al Hashimi and doctor Thurer said that Harvard would likely benefit from the relationship too. But doctor Thurer says there's a much larger goal as well.
Thurer: To improve the standing of the United States internationally.
Cole: Well that's very grand.
Thurer: Oh I think it's incumbent on all of us. I mean ultimately international relations is human relations and if we have, you know, lots of ways we can help other people in a positive thing it's
incumbent on us to do that.
For my part I intend to spend some more time in Dubai teaching Emiratis how to say "Hah-vahd." No I don't.
In Dubai, I'm Sean Cole for Marketplace.


text:
LaCie LaCinema Rugged External Hard Drive Outputs Media to TVs Via HDMI
There are many ways these days to get media you've downloaded or ripped from your computer to your TV. Many involve using a wired or wireless network connection, such as with the Apple TV or a Windows Media Center Extender. LaCie, however, has taken a decidedly old-school approach to get downloaded and ripped media from your PC to your TV, by eschewing a network connection with its LaCie LaCinema Rugged, external, "multimedia hard disk." Instead of streaming media across a network, you plug the LaCinema Rugged drive directly into a TV's HDMI or Composite-Video ports to playback media you've copied to the drive.
Using an HDMI connection, the LaCinema Rugged can output video to a TV at 720p, 1080i, or 1080p resolutions (Composite Video-out is limited to 480i). Note that lower-resolution videos can be upscaled up to 1080i. The LaCinema Rugged works with both PCs and Macs and attaches to computers via a USB 2.0 connection. Like other external hard drives in the LaCie Rugged line, the drive's case "features a unique scratch-resistant aluminum shell, internal anti-shock absorbers, and a shock-resistant rubber bumper." Unlike other LaCie Rugged drives with orange-colored cases, the LaCinema Rugged drive comes in black-colored case.
Supported formats:
- Video: MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (AVI, VOB, IFO, ISO), MPEG-4 (AVI, XviD)
- Audio: MP3, WMA, AC3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC (Windows only)
- Photo: JPEG (up to 8 megapixels), GIF, PNG, BMP
- Subtitle: SRT, SSA, SUB, SMI
- Video: HDMI, Composite Video
- Audio: HDMI, Analog stereo (via A/V cable included), Optical digital audio (S/PDIF)
The LaCinema Rugged comes in three sizes: 250GB, 320GB, and 500GB. All three drives are available now in Europe, and will be available in the U.S. in November.
- 250GB: £118.30 (currently converts to $191 USD)
- 320GB: £135.32 (currently converts to $219 USD)
- 500GB: £186.38 (currently converts to $301 USD)
Note that the U.S. prices are estimates based on current exchange rates. Also note that above European pricing does not include value added tax (VAT).
Technical note: The LaCinema Rugged drive only supports FAT32 and NTFS file systems. Mac users will need to format the drive with a FAT32 file system in order to be able to write to the drive from a Mac. The FAT32 file system, however, can only be formatted up to 4GB. Therefore Mac users with a 500GB version of the LaCinema Rugged will have 100GB of unusable space on the drive. (The LaCinema Rugged cannot be formatted with the HFS+ file system.)
Filed under:Hard Drives & Burners, Desktops | HDTVs & Home Theater | Peripherals
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Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Apr. 15
If you're one of the few people who didn't post a grainy pic of last night's red-tinted, dust-distorted, eclipse on one of your various social media platforms last night, thank you. Instagram was nearly ruined in a single evening. Although, I have to say, this pic snapped by metal DJ and painter Joey Seeman in front of Single Wide last night, is not bad at all.
Tonight marks the beginning of a nearly month-long run of Beauty and the Beast at the Winspear. D Magazine intern Kristen Taylor interviewed the star of the show, Hilary Maiberger, who admitted that it was always her dream to play Belle:
Belle was always my favorite Disney princess growing up. I remember seeing the show when I was ten years old, and leaning over to my mom, saying, "Mom, I want to be Belle one day!" It's always had a special place in my heart—the film and the character. It's truly a dream come true.
Maiberger goes on to commend Belle for her independence, and it is true that the character's bookworm tendencies and lack of obvious romantic longing put her in stark contrast to other princesses. Read the rest of the interview here.
There is at least one other story that Disney adapted for the big screen playing this evening, though it's far different, and the feminism of its central character more obvious. That would be Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, and it's at the Music Hall at Fair Park this evening. Consider an early dinner at Meridian Room, followed by a quick walk across the street in time for the show. I did that a few weeks ago before a dance performance at the Margo Jones and it was lovely, even if the date was a bust.
Finally, one of the premier British dance icons of the 80s, the Pet Shop Boys, are at the Majestic Theatre, which is an appropriately reverent setting for such an event. I already designated this as one of the best concerts of the week, but allow me to reiterate it here. The group had a considerable impact on Dallas in their heyday, as they were certainly on rotation at the Starck Club. Consider going if you were part of that storied scene, as you never know who you might run into.
For more things to do tonight, go here.


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PERTH, Australia, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A massive 404-carat diamond worth up to $14 million has been discovered in southern Africa, the Australia-based Lucapa Diamond Corp. announced.
Miles Kennedy, Lucapa chairman, called the white diamond of near flawless quality a "spectacular" find.
"We're not used to valuing 400-carat diamonds, but if we look at other diamonds slightly less weight than this, you're looking in the order of $20 million [USD14 million]," he said.
The 7-centimeter diamond, the size of a credit card but considerably thicker, was found at Lucapa's Lulo Diamond Project, a 1,158-square-mile field in Angola's Lunda Norte province. The field has produced 60 "large, special diamonds" so far, the company said.
New York diamond retailer Yehuda tested the stone for color and clarity and pronounced it a virtually flawless "Type IIa" stone.
Sale of stock in the small diamond exploration company was suspended in advance of Monday's announcement, but the stock price jumped 30 percent afterward.