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It's a tropical summer night in the North Beach neighborhood of Little Buenos Aires. Silvina, a statuesque 34-year-old single mom in spandex and a navy blue sports bra, stands outside her kitchen door, sipping California white wine from a plastic cup. The humidity is total, true Miami, but Silvina doesn't sweat it.
It's almost midnight when a drug dealer on a bicycle flashes down 77th Street, which is freshly paved and lined with newly planted palm trees. From the ground up, white lights surround the palms like glowing auras. A Miami-Dade bus roars by. Two neighborhood hookers chat on the sidewalk, as casually as gossiping housewives (which they may be). Nearby, gathered on a corner, a group of Brazilians sing to the beat of their drums.
Inside Silvina's kitchen, yellow rubber cleaning gloves hang from the sink. A broom leans against a rusty refrigerator. The narrow kitchen's pink wallpaper reflects the shadows of a slowly rotating ceiling fan with light bulbs providing a warm, if tenuous, light. A CD by Los Redonditos Ricota, an Argentine rock group, is playing. Silvina's three kids -- two rambunctious adolescent boys and a three-year-old girl -- are, gratefully, fast asleep. So she is taking advantage.
Silvina lights up a Bronco brand pucho (cigarette in Argentine slang) and plops into a plastic lawn chair outside. Like a spotlight, the waning moon shines on her tanned body, on the red highlights in her dark, frazzled hair, on the painted green cement sidewalk running parallel to her apartment, and on the stairs leading to George and Andrew's pad, friends from the second floor.
Walter joins her, a young "homeless" guy from Silvina's Argentine coastal town of Miramar, in the province of Buenos Aires. Silvina starts to tell the story of how she came to Miami. It's at least the second time Walter has heard it, but he's happy to listen. Silvina's face lights up with Argentine craziness, and he feels a little less rootless, not so homesick.
"Bueno la entrada -- the entrance," Silvina begins. "I had them all laughing for days," she says, in an extended prologue to her story, exhaling smoke from her Bronco.
Walter can attest to this. So can George, Andrew, and "los chicos del siete," the guys from apartment seven -- John, Allen, John Paul, and Sean. These are Silvina's closest neighbors, and they constitute a kind of fan club; it's not too much to say they are her exile family.
Silvina left Miramar in August 1995. In a way she was trying to force Nelson, her sexy but dysfunctional husband of twelve years, to assume more responsibility. Though his job at a Pepsi factory was enough to support the family, Nelson spent most of his paycheck on himself, Silvina says. "We depended mostly on my mother, Maria," she recalls. (In Argentina Silvina, her husband, and children lived in a house on her overbearing mother's property.) In order to flee from under Maria's wing, Silvina had to radically cut loose. "I told Nelson: Let's go to Norte America,'" she recalls with a smirk. "He said, No.'" Silvina looks defiant, scanning the sky. "He wouldn't even leave Miramar for Buenos Aires, so you can imagine! I was tired of the cold weather. I was tired of the family bickering, of being pulled in different directions. So I said to Nelson: Che, let's go to Miami. Let's catch some sun.'"
As it turned out, Nelson arrived a month before Silvina and the kids, got himself a job as a housepainter, and rented an efficiency in the North Beach neighborhood not yet called Little Buenos Aires.
Silvina flew from Buenos Aires with her two boys, Mathew and Anthony, then seven and five, respectively. For the trip she and the kids each strapped on a backpack and wore Eskimo-style winter jackets with hoods. (Argentina is colder than New York in winter.) "We could hardly move," she laughs. The family had to change planes in Rio de Janeiro. "It was hot in Rio," Silvina remembers. "I thought we would suffocate -- this is the part where everyone starts to laugh....
"When we arrived in Brazil, sabés como nos miraban los negros -- do you know how all the blacks looked at us? It was like we had come from another planet," Silvina says.
"I can still feel the heat wave that enveloped us as the doors slid open," she says, describing the moment they exited the airport in Rio to catch a minivan to another terminal, where they would hop a flight to Miami. Mathew stoically said, "Mom, it's hot," and then kept quiet for the rest of the trip.
Silvina and her children entered the airport shuttle like three astronauts lost in space: "Mis pibes [my kids] were sweating so much their cheeks were red," she remembers. "The shuttle was full and everyone was lightly clothed. A tall, muscular black man smiled at me as I entered the bus. I hung from the railing above and my kids hung onto me. Che, somehow the black Brazilian ended up standing behind me. His body shone with sweat."
"And you liked it," Walter says, laughing.
Everyone laughs, mostly from too much wine, and also because Silvina admits she did enjoy the feeling of having such an exotic man standing so close behind her. "It made me hotter," she says frankly, smiling in her trademark twisted way. Her eyes light up with a swirl of insanity as her friends laugh uncontrollably.
"And so we said adios to Brasil," Silvina says. "We finally got smart, unzipped from our winter gear, and then fell asleep."
Silvina met Nelson at a boliche (nightclub) in Miramar. It was 1986, and Silvina was nineteen years old. Nelson was two years younger but hot, a jitterbug from Mar del Plata, an hour away, who would cruise over every weekend with his buddies to dance and get laid. "Le gustaba la milonga a ese," says Silvina. "Todavía le gusta la joda. [He liked to party. He still likes to party.]" But so did Silvina: "Era un tiro al aire yo. [I was a loose cannon. I liked Nelson, I liked his friend, I liked the neighbor, I liked them all.]" Three months after their eyes first locked, Silvina was pregnant. Yet they didn't marry until Mathew -- their oldest boy -- turned eleven months.
Having a child out of wedlock and being older than your groom-to-be are distinctions frowned upon in Argentine society. As in most Latin-American countries, "respectable" women in Argentina are still expected to remain virgins until marriage, and they usually marry much older men. "Usually there are two categories into which women fall," says Andrew, Silvina's gray-haired, 32-year-old confidante, who also is from Miramar. "There are women for the kitchen, the kind you want to have a relationship with, the type you want to have children with. And there are women who are only good for fucking." Silvina has blurred the lines. "She likes men," acknowledges Andrew. "But she's also a struggling mother trying to make it. La flaca es una buena mujer. Silvina [who's called la flaca -- the skinny one] is a good woman," he concludes.
"The first year of my marriage with Nelson was great," Silvina relates. "We got along very well. We had fun together and went out often. We led very social lives, and at first it was exciting." But by the second year, he began making his rounds with the ladies once again. "He had an affair with a girl from Buenos Aires. Even when my boys were sick in the hospital with respiratory problems, he had affairs. He had affairs through my pregnancies. It didn't matter. He fucked every woman he could.... My mother said to me: He's never going to change.' She was right. Here it only got worse. There's more variety. Already he's been through Colombia and Brazil," Silvina laughs.
In Miami Beach, Silvina says, Nelson's white painter's pickup truck became his roving bachelor pad: "He had it equipped with everything he needed. I just got sick of it. I couldn't stand him touching a single hair on my head. I was disgusted by him."
Last December, soon after the last time Silvina caught Nelson in bed with yet another woman, she met a young guy named Alex through Andrew and George. Alex is also from Miramar. The skinny, black-haired 26-year-old, who's into motorcycles and has tattoos of an eagle and a unicorn, is the father of a five-year-old boy in Argentina. Silvina began a relationship with him and kicked Nelson out.
"George told me one day: Guess who's got his eye on you?'
"Who?' I asked, surprised. He said, Alex.' I said, QUEEEE! -- what!' I never looked at him in that way." Then one day Alex expressed his feelings. "He said, ¿No sabes las ganas que tengo de comerte a besos? [Don't you know I want to eat you with kisses?]'" Silvina recounts. "I melted. From then on we've been inseparable. He even keeps the cigarette butts of the first ones we smoked together."
But Alex put up with a lot, Silvina admits. During his weekend stays at her place, Nelson would burst into the house and hurl insults at the lovers. In their absence he'd break into Silvina's apartment and search through all of her and Alex's belongings. He'd follow the couple like a shadow, and on several occasions spied on them through the windows while they had sex. "Twice I caught him looking at us while we made love," Silvina says with her hands on her waist. Her eyes are smiling, and she's biting her bottom lip.
One day Nelson slipped into the back seat of Silvina's black Honda Civic just as she was parallel parking, with Alex in the passenger seat. "Keep driving," Nelson told her. When she refused, Silvina recounts, Nelson pulled her out of the car, threw her on the sidewalk, and began kicking her in the ribs. Alex leaped out of the passenger seat, and Nelson ran away. On the beach one day he grabbed Silvina by the stomach and twisted her skin. Alex was sunbathing nearby. "There were times I really struggled to contain myself," Alex says. Silvina's husband even threatened to run her over with his truck.
One night he came close to following through on his threats. According to Silvina and her neighbor George, Nelson once again broke into her apartment through the living-room window and then began screaming he would kill himself with a kitchen knife if Silvina didn't leave Alex. "But first he tried to stab me," she says. Somehow Silvina managed to wrestle the knife away from Nelson. She chased him out of the apartment and her lanky husband made it to his white truck. But Silvina followed and they wrestled like WWF stars inside the pickup. "He kept saying he was going to kill himself," Silvina now laughs hysterically. "So I called 911. I thought he was going to do it." But then he drove away. "Es un hincha pelotas mi marido. Un boludo -- He's a nuisance, an idiot. He got lucky that night," she boasts, still laughing. "I was holding back because I really thought he'd do it." George, from upstairs, witnessed the scene. So did Silvina's three-year-old daughter, Jessica. "The only thing I could do was hold on to the girl," George says. "She's a rare woman, Silvina."
Eventually Alex went back to Argentina, and Silvina sometimes thinks of joining him.
When they first arrived in North Beach, Silvina, Nelson and the two boys rented an efficiency with the help of a family friend they knew from Argentina who had been living there for several months.
North Beach, an area that stretches from 63rd to 87th street between Collins Avenue and Indian Creek Drive (which becomes Dickens Avenue north of 71st Street), is a magnet for Argentines. "It's easier to adapt to North Beach," says Graciela Mitchelli, who co-owns a newspaper in Miami called El Argentino Mercosur with her husband, Alberto. "There are other Argentines living there, the rent is lower, there is greater access to public transportation, and the language barrier is minimal." Of course the main attraction in this neighborhood of Miami Modern apartment buildings, single-family homes, Jewish learning centers, and Argentine delis and restaurants, is the beach. "Argentines love the beach and the heat," says Mercedes Garcia, a 28-year-old economic reporter from Buenos Aires, recently in Miami looking for freelance work. Alberto Mitchelli agrees: "It's a dream most Argentines have to live in a tropical place." (He has been in Miami since 1981.)
But there are other reasons why Miami in general, as opposed to other cities in the country, is on Argentine immigrants' radar. "Argentines, especially porteños [natives of Buenos Aires], are all about living the good life," explains Garcia. And Miami has that image. "In Argentina it's considered cool, or chic, to live in Miami. The city represents a mix of prosperity and the good life. New York is for people who want to break their backs working. Miami is for people looking for a more laid-back approach."
But soon Argentines face reality. They find that even for those just trying to survive, Miami is not much different from New York, Graciela Mitchelli says.
Shortly after they arrived from Argentina, Nelson painted buildings and Silvina cleaned hotel rooms in South Beach at night for minimum wage. During the day she also cleaned apartments in Miami Lakes for about $30 each. After two months she got a job at a pasta factory, for a meager salary as well, and the family was able to move to her present address. The one-bedroom apartment was at least bigger, if not less dingy. In January 1998 Silvina had a third child by Nelson, a daughter, Jessica. Suddenly the family had to make do with one paycheck and more demands on it. "Me sentia para la mierda -- I felt like shit," Silvina says about having another child. By then finances were intruding on her dreams of America, and of marriage.
Every day Silvina struggles to make ends meet. Often the most basic necessities, such as food, are not easy to get. There are days when she goes "hunting" to feed her children. Hunting, in Silvina's world, is asking for enough money for food for the day. She'll corner her husband until she's finally able to scrape $40 from him. "That's on a good day," she gripes.
If Nelson turns out dry, Silvina resorts to neighbors. She owes Andrew ten dollars. And recently she borrowed $60 from Elsa the Paraguayan, who also lends Silvina her old Mercedes-Benz to run errands with. "Silvina is alone," Elsa says. "From the time I've known her she's always depended on the kindness of others." Then there's the Cuban girl who lives on 77th Street. When Silvina needs to use the phone because hers has been disconnected, she calls on the Cuban girl from her kitchen doorstep and voilà -- she's telephonic again. And when Silvina's electricity is cut off every now and then because she hasn't paid the bill, she'll cook over there, too. The Cuban girl saves for her everything from rice to toilet paper to leftover pizza, so Silvina's children won't have only a school lunch in their stomachs.
Silvina's last job was cleaning the Key Biscayne home of a rich Buenos Airean family who owns an air cargo company with offices in Miami, Chile, and Argentina. They paid her $250 per week to clean, do the laundry, iron clothes, and bathe the dogs. Silvina says that aside from exploiting her, the family was also verbally abusive, though not intentionally. "It's just the way they are," she asserts. "Although la mujer es un asco [the missus is disgusting], and she screams at me for nothing, she likes me. She's just very domineering." (Like Silvina's mother.) "The other day she called me every name in the book because I mixed colored towels with white ones in the dryer. You should see their house. They buy rare, exotic objects from places like Russia and Greece. I'm afraid to even go near them. Can you imagine if I broke some high-priced vase? I'd probably be working for a year to pay for it."
Silvina's way of overcoming humiliating experiences is by laughing. The smelly sneakers she wears to work became a big joke between her and Ronaldo, a Nicaraguan man who worked with her in Key Biscayne. "The other day I was cleaning the dining room when Ronaldo said, Silvina, the smell coming from your feet es impresionante -- impressive.' So I grabbed a can of country-scent Raid and sprayed out the room." Silvina laughs at the thought of using roach spray as an air freshener.
But she doesn't take everything lightly. "When it gets to be too much, I lose it," she says. "I have a very short temper. Me rayo." Recently she told Estela, the rich Key Biscayne Argentine, to basically "fuck off." She got fired but the next day was hired back, with an apology. "She told me: Voz sos una barbara Silvina, eres unica.' [You're a barbarian, Silvina, you're unique.]" But eventually Silvina quit that job. Currently she's out of work.
In the past, when there was no other way, Silvina lap-danced at Porky's II in Miami. For three months beginning in March, she worked steadily at the nude bar and made about $500 every weekend. One night at my house she proudly showed off her routine.
Silvina leaped up from a rocking chair, admitting she enjoys lap dancing, and sashayed across the living room and into the dining room, where she mounted a chair. "If you saw me you wouldn't recognize me," she said, while slowly grinding an invisible man. "Me transformo -- I transform myself." The vertical blinds of my dining-room window were open. Silvina's friends from above her apartment have an inside view of my home. That night los chicos del siete were also at Andrew and George's place playing video games. They became her audience. I warned Silvina about peeping Toms, but she didn't care. "Three or four girls do the lap dance together in a room," she explained. "There's one man for each girl. Then we rotate. You should see how those old men wet themselves. It really turns me on," she said, lifting up her shirt, her nipples erect. The following day, whispering excitedly, she confided like a teenager: "The guys from upstairs told me they were dying last night."
Though Silvina may escape most problems via comic relief, when it comes to her children, she's stern and often gets physical. Indeed dealing with her adolescent boys has become more of a challenge since her separation from Nelson, she admits. To each other the boys speak English, a language their mother doesn't understand. And of course Silvina receives no moral support from her husband. "The other day one of the boys asked his father for money. Nelson said, Go tell your mother to turn tricks so she can give you a few bucks.' Do you think after hearing that my boys will respect me? That's why they act they way they do."
Thirteen-year-old Mathew and twelve-year-old Anthony began getting into trouble in the neighborhood. One day in June the brothers were shooting rockets out on the street. Night had fallen when Anthony threw one and it landed inside a Brazilian woman's apartment, setting her curtains on fire. Amid the fire-rescue sirens the woman ran to Silvina's home. Clutching her cordless phone, she began lecturing Silvina on how to raise her children. But in the broken Spanish with a Portuguese twang, the lesson fell on deaf ears. After the incoherent sermon, Silvina called Anthony to her and smacked his face. The boy ran away crying.
Trying to make ends meet and raising three children on her own is just part of Silvina's struggle in a foreign land. Staying healthy is another. Because she has no medical insurance, Silvina hasn't been treating a kidney infection. On a recent night she drove herself to Jackson Memorial Hospital when the pains became unbearable. "It was like I was going through labor," she says, horrified. The doctor gave her a prescription, but Silvina hasn't filled it. Recently she suffered from a strong headache, and her physical therapist referred her to a neurologist who, according to Silvina, said she had suffered a brain convulsion. "He said I could have died," she shrugs.
Silvina was the twelfth child born to a poor family from Mar del Plata, 60 miles from Miramar. When she was two months old, her biological mother abandoned her in a stroller in the middle of a road. "I don't understand why she left me," Silvina recounts. "She already had so many children. What difference would one more make?" According to Silvina, a driver came upon the baby and took her to a hospital in Mar del Plata. There a well-off but childless Italian couple living in Miramar adopted her.
Though her family treated her as if she were their biological daughter, Silvina says she grew up feeling discriminated against by extended family members. When she was eight or nine, she began asking questions. "I first began noticing through photos. I always thought I looked so different. It was a strong feeling I had of not really belonging," says Silvina, a curvaceous woman whose full lips naturally pout when she complains, which is often.
On its official Website, Miramar is described as "la ciudad de los niños -- los chicos nunca se olvidan [the city of children -- children never forget]." The coastal town, population 20,000, faces the Atlantic and is about 500 kilometers south of Buenos Aires. It is heavily dependent on tourism in the summer; its beaches are good for surfing. In the winter "we die of hunger," say the Miramarans living in Little Buenos Aires. The winters are harsh, jobs are few, only the butcher and the baker have work, attests Allen, a witty, curly-haired 24-year-old who arrived from Miramar about five months ago and who lives in apartment seven, behind Silvina's place. But, he cautions, Argentines, as part of their national character, tend to exaggerate a lot.
Indeed says Mark Szuchman, professor of Latin-American history at Florida International University, anguish is an Argentine way of life. In fact, he says, there are more psychoanalysts in Buenos Aires per capita than in any other place in the world. "If Woody Allen knew this, he would move from New York," Szuchman assures.
Mercedes Garcia, the Argentine economic reporter, agrees. "We're a pessimistic people," Garcia concedes. "We're tragic, melancholic, and we like to complain a lot. Individually, we're overconfident and arrogant -- in Argentine slang we call it being chanta. But we lack those qualities as a nation. Argentines have no faith in Argentina."
According to last year's census, there were nearly 23,000 Argentines concentrated in South Florida. But according to the General Consul of Argentina in Miami, Deputy Maximo Gowland, there are more than twice that number -- about 60,000 -- residing in Miami-Dade alone, a growth of 61 percent since 1992. He warns the figure is only approximate. "More or less," Gowland says. "Though I would venture to say it's more." (By some accounts at least 100,000 Argentines have reached South Florida.)
Three years ago the number of Argentines coming to Miami-Dade increased sharply, as South America's second largest economy entered a demoralizing slump. To date Argentina remains mired in a muck of economic and political turmoil. "Things have gotten worse," says Szuchman. "There's been a considerable and growing amount of unemployment."
Mercedes Garcia, who works for El Cronista, says her country's economic woes are deeply entrenched in the nation's idiosyncrasies. "During the years of President Carlos Menem, between 1990 and 1999, there was a lack of economic reform," she explains. "The economy was growing, there was a lot of privatization going on, but instead of embracing needed changes, the government went all out. Argentina's foreign debt was enormous. Yet despite the country's growing deficit, the public sector continued to spend money left and right and nothing was really getting done. The mentality was mientras pueda safo' --get away with it while you can. It's the Argentine way."
Currently, Garcia explains, international markets have no faith in Argentina. The South American country was pounded into a recession three years ago when Brazil, Argentina's biggest trading partner, devalued the real, Brazil's currency. As a result Argentina, which depended heavily on Brazil to purchase its exports, lost one of its biggest customers.
In Argentina salaries have been slashed, workers have been laid off, hundreds of small businesses have closed, and consumers have stopped spending. "It's a cycle that seems to never end," Garcia says. Argentine political scandals have aggravated the situation. (Last year former Vice President Carlos Alvarez resigned in the aftermath of a vote-buying debacle in the Senate. Menem is under house arrest for his alleged role in arms sales to Croatia, while an international arms-sales embargo was in place during the Balkan wars, and to Ecuador during its border war with Peru; ironically Argentina was a peace guarantor for a cease-fire.) "Just one of 20,000 cases of corruption," Garcia contends. Like most of her countrymen, she is cynical about her government. The disillusion is strongest among young people attempting to come into their places in Argentine society. They feel shut out by age and corruption.
Raul Costa, a political analyst from Cordoba, Argentina, paints a dismal picture affecting not just Argentine youth. "No matter what the government does in reaction to the economic crises, common Argentines, the ones sitting out in the bleachers, will have no victories to celebrate, no matter what the result of the game," writes Costa via e-mail. "For ordinary Argentines the suffering won't end when the referee blows his whistle.
"Here there is not a single day that goes by without protests or bad news," Costa writes. "The economic slump has translated into a national psychological depression. The situation is worse for young adults. You can't find work without a profession. But even for young pros, it's hard. In Argentina there are no social programs for people without jobs. Being without work can easily translate into homelessness. To have to live in a country where you can't plan beyond a few days is truly difficult."
Indeed the middle class has been pulling up roots and settling in places like Italy and Spain, where many Argentines not only have strong cultural ties, but citizenship as well, and for the more adventurous there's Miami. Professor Szuchman, an Argentine specialist, explains Miami is a natural attraction for business types and professionals. "I hear that every other Argentine waiter in South Beach is an architect."
But Deputy Maximo Gowland describes the exodus as being heterogeneous. "There are all kinds," he says. "From investors to blue-collar workers to the sons and daughters of the comfortable middle class." This group of young people, in their midtwenties to early thirties, comes as tourists and then sticks around to "see what happens." Some are students, others are typical middle-class slackers, often partly subsidized from home by Mom and Dad.
In the North Beach enclave known as Little Buenos Aires, working-class Argentine families with little or no educational background mix with the sons and daughters of the privileged middle class. "Their parents were European immigrants who saw Argentina rise. Ironically just as their parents emigrated to Argentina from Europe, this new generation have themselves become immigrants, however temporary it may be," professor Szuchman says.
Argentines can travel as tourists to the United States without American visas and stay in the country for up to 90 days, thanks to something called the Visa Waiver Permit Program. Owing to hard times back home, many Argentines are taking advantage of their traveling perks. But they're overstaying their visits in Miami-Dade. According to Gowland, there about six flights daily arriving at Miami International Airport from Argentina. More and more are beginning to drink their maté in public.
In Miami there are at least ten publications for Argentines, according to Gowland. Three civic organizations in the area -- the Association of Argentines in Miami, the Lions Club, and Association San Martiniana (named after Argentine independence hero San Martin) -- are among the dozen groups throughout Florida. On the beach soccer fans wear their favorite team jerseys everywhere -- red and white River Plate fans; yellow and blue for Boca Juniors. (Fútbol is Argentina's passion, and the game played in North Shore Park often sparks into flame.) One guy I met had Diego Maradona's face -- an Argentine soccer legend-turned-coke addict -- tattooed on his arm. Neighborhood cars are adorned with Argentine flags and nationalistic paraphernalia. Argentine delis, cafés, and restaurants are lined along Collins Avenue between 65th and 75th streets and along the 71st Street commercial corridor. "They stand out from other Latin Americans," says one non-Argentine neighbor. "They come, they stay, and they're loud about it."
"The question is how long are they here for," Szuchman says. "Argentines have had a history of migrating and then returning. They don't leave Argentina happily."
Silvina is an exception. She was thrilled to leave Miramar, the cold weather, and her domineering mom. "I was one of the first to arrive here," she claims. "In 1995, when I came, there were very few Argentines. Now they're everywhere."
"I tried to get away from [los Argentinos], and they followed me," Silvina contends sarcastically. "They should all go back to Argentina. Que se vayan," she says loudly, one day walking back from the beach. A young Argentine couple is walking hand in hand just a few steps in front of her. Silvina breaks out into frenzied laughter. "Que se vayan todos los Argentinos. Son una porqueria -- they're trash."
Apartment seven, behind Silvina's place, is the nightly gathering spot for the clan of Miramarans inhabiting this slice of Miami Beach, Silvina's fan club, los chicos del siete, of which Allen is the newest member. Jokingly he calls his place el boliche -- the nightclub. "People are constantly coming and going," he says "We can even identify everyone's particular knock. So we don't bother opening the door anymore, we just shout, Come in,' or else we leave the door open. Though lately the mosquitoes and palmetto bugs have been forcing us to close up." Los chicos used to throw asados [barbecues] every Friday, just outside their apartment. The Argentine tradition is perhaps the closest thing to a meat-eater's nirvana on Earth: "If I go a day without meat, I feel something is not right," Allen affirms. "We're carnivores," he adds with a mischievous smile. "Vampires!" Birra -- beer -- is usually the chicos' drink of choice. And cigarettes (puchos) are chain-smoked. "Oh ... I can tell you some anecdotes about our gatherings," John says one night, while sitting near the sidewalk.
Now that Alex is gone, Silvina has started frequenting apartment seven again, once her children are tucked into bed. There she is the center of attention. The "boys" from Miramar see her as both a mother figure and sexually tempting. "When I hang out with them, se cagan de la risa -- they die of laughter. Que tengo, payasos en la cara. What is it with me? Do I have clowns coming out of my face? No la verdad es que son unos buitres. No, really, they're vultures. You see their faces, and you think they're angels. They're not," Silvina warns. "Mujer que ven, mujer que quieren montar. Any woman they see they want to ride. In fact," she adds, "there's so much jerking off going on in apartment seven they could open a ricotta factory.
"But I have no problems," Silvina continues. "I'm into menores [minors]." Silvana, however, is mostly all talk. Lately her mind has been on Alex, who's back in Miramar. "Alex used to say to me: Silvina, you're so liberal. I love that in a woman. You have no problems with sex.'"
"Do you consider yourself a feminist?" I ask.
"Yo lo que soy es una desgenerada -- I'm more of a degenerate," Silvina answers with a smirk, biting her bottom lip. A sexual predator in the most pure and innocent way, Silvina loves sex, men, and flirting. Riding in the car with her one night, on our way back from Normandy Supermarket, she flirts with every man walking on Dickens Avenue: "Here all you have to do is smile and wave and before you know it you'll have a handsome bachelor sitting in the passenger seat of your car."
Most of the things Silvina says are expressed with sexual undertones. She loves to pose in front of the camera. Before Alex left he shot photos of her dressed in black Victoria's Secret lingerie. He left her one photo and took the rest to Argentina. Silvina showed most of her young male neighbors and even displayed the pic on her refrigerator. Back in Argentina Alex showed the ones he took with him to his father and friends. "They told him he was crazy for leaving behind such a woman," Silvina says.
One night in apartment seven, John and his roommates were playing a soccer video game. (Losers wash the dishes.) AC/DC was playing on the stereo, and the slackers from Miramar were passing around a faso (a joint). The walls are adorned with a Bob Marley poster, a magazine cut-out of a marijuana plant, and a giant Indian dream catcher. A bookcase is filled with empty liquor, beer, and wine bottles. "The bottles are an offering to La Virgen de las montañas," Allen says. But, I remark, there's no statue of a Virgin to place an offering to. "I don't think she'll be coming here," Allen laughs. "We just want to be ready."
Once the weed kicks in, John answers my questions about why he came to Miami. "Our parents are comfortable in Miramar," he says. "But they have only enough for themselves. There's nothing for us there. In South America Miami is the golden dream." A friend who is visiting argues that leaving Argentina for Miami, Spain, or Italy has become fashionable among young Argentines. "Okay, so it's appealing, but people are leaving because they are prompted by a reality," John counters. "The reality is that there's no room for us. But now that I've lived the dream, I think I'd rather go back."
Economics wasn't the motive for Silvina's move, she contends. She was upper middle class, her family traveled frequently to Europe. Her father, who passed away in Silvina's arms when she was sixteen, was in the military for ten years, then became a contractor on profitable construction projects. Silvina hardly ever worked. In fact, confirms her mother in Argentina, she owns two homes, five apartments, and two retail spaces in her native country. But none of the rental property is occupied. "I attended the best private schools," Silvina says. "The only thing missing was knowing where I came from."
When Silvina married Nelson, the couple depended partly on the family's riches and partly on Nelson's job working at a Pepsi factory. "My mother gave us anything we needed," Silvina revealed one night while hanging wet clothes on a line outside her place. "I wanted Nelson to start playing a more dominant role as the family's breadwinner. That's why I decided we should relocate. But look at me. Here in Norte America I'm poor, working as a housecleaner, de cabaretera [lap-dancing] on the side." Recently Nelson was fired from his job painting buildings. "He would show up to work whenever he felt like it," Silvina says. For her part she couldn't take any more of the cleaning life. So tonight, in a different part of town, Silvina is looking for work as an exotic dancer. By the end of the month she'll have to pay rent.
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"I'm probably going to end up moving in with my husband," Silvina pouts. "Where else am I going to go? Me, the kids, and the big-screen TV....
"I suppose I could sell the TV ... but no, what am I crazy? I can't sell that TV -- it's a great TV....
"I mostly just glance at it when I can. My kids have it mostly tuned to music videos. But I don't care what's on. Che, the few seconds I get sucked into it is like being at the movies. It's one of my few escapes, sabes? Alex is another escape for me ... even though he's gone."
Names in this article have been altered in some cases. All incidents are true.


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10 apply for City Council seat by deadline
July 16, 2010
Steamboat Springs — The candidate pool for the vacant Steamboat Springs City Council seat topped out at 10 Thursday, as a deputy district attorney and two members of the real estate community jumped in before the application deadline.
Patrick Welsh, deputy district attorney for the 14th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Steamboat Springs; Bart Kounovsky, chief operating officer of Colorado Group Realty; and Dave Moloney, a Realtor with Prudential Steamboat Realty, were the final three applicants for the at-large City Council seat vacated earlier this month by Jim Engelken, who is moving to the Front Range with his family.
The trio gave different — and similar — answers to an application question asking what they think are the three most important issues facing the community.
Kounovsky, 46 and a former senior financial analyst for TIC, cited city budget management during the continued down economy; encouraging base area redevelopment "as quickly as possible" while maintaining a long-term vision at the ski base; and preserving Steamboat's sense of community.
Kounovsky is a business partner in the downtown Space Station gas station and convenience store. He said that role has given him insight into the small-business environment.
Moloney is 49 and has been a licensed Realtor in Steamboat since 1990. He cited long-term planning, especially through updates to area community plans; maintaining "economic viability" to boost declining sales tax revenues; and promoting and preserving "the assets that make Steamboat Springs an appealing place to be."
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"You will find that I am not a 'growth at any cost' type of a person," Moloney wrote. "I believe in well planned, community focused, environmentally friendly, growth."
Welsh, 38, said the city's high unemployment, lack of local professional positions and lack of affordable housing all must be addressed. He said in his work with the District Attorney's Office, he often meets with "numerous people from all walks of life and (has) the opportunity to discuss what's happening in their lives," providing a rare window into the community.
Welsh said city voters' March rejection of the proposed Steamboat 700 annexation — which he said had a "flawed" plan — means that affordable housing remains a key issue for city officials to address in new development.
Tim Rowse, who applied for the vacancy earlier this week, was the public voice of the Let's Vote group that successfully opposed Steamboat 700.
Rowse said he decided to apply after realizing he could play a role in local government.
"I believe and feel there needs to be a closer connection between public opinion and council decisions," he said. "700 is a great example of that."
Rowse, 40, said he's trying to figure out what to do next, career-wise, after recently closing a construction business.
Those four candidates join local businessman John Fielding, beverage distributor Kevin Kaminski, landscaper Kyle Pietras and three Steamboat Springs Planning Commission members — Cedar Beauregard, Rich Levy and Kathi Meyer — in the bid to serve the remainder of Engelken's term, through the November 2011 election.
City Council President Cari Hermacinski has said that some candidates will be eliminated from contention Tuesday night in Centennial Hall, when City Council will select finalists.
Hermacinski said narrowing the pool to "three to five candidates" would allow the City Council to spend ample time with finalists during interviews Aug. 3. Steamboat's city charter requires the council to appoint a candidate that night, but Hermacinski said the new member likely won't begin service until Sept. 7.

subset: commoncrawl


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MINI Cooper Clutch & Transmission Questions
mininevergo Posts: 1Don't buy this car. I bought one at 48,000 miles and needed transmission repair at 56,000. If I had kept driving it would have been the "catastrophic failure" u read about. Clutch started slipping and then dropping very dark oil like drops on the ground. Input shaft bearings in transmission falling apart and draining oil/grease down the flywheel. All bearings are sealed except the nasty input shaft bearings. When lose enough bearings, the input shaft drops and guts the inside of the transmission so bad you can't even reuse the case. I did find a friend to repair mine no labor- $1400- new clutch, flywheel, input shaft bearings, back seal etc etc. Despite Mini telling people you can't get parts for trans due to illegal from Germany blablabla- the transmission was actually made outside Chatanooga, Tn. You can get parts from them. Don't wast your time though- repair bought me another 20 thousand miles is all and bearings out again. Friend says would never do it again for under $3500- still great price. Now funny sound under load or compression braking kind of like severe exhaust leak but only in 2,3,4,5 gears. 3rd really bad. Can rev with clutch in or neutral and sounds great. And 1st is great. Rest of gears will get me followed by wrecker drivers. Bleeding dark oil again with fresh honey colored oil in the engine. I am going to sell the engine and other parts and continue my payments for the next 4 years. I will take what is left and make playground equipment out of it. As far as the new cars having clutches go out in 5,000 miles just like in 2002 and all other years- sounds to me like BMW should be brought on fraud charges or something.
robbrennate Posts: 1I have an '02 Cooper Sport...it is an aftemarket "S" that is a 5 speed manual tranmission. I had a grinding sound that kept getting louder. I was told by my friend, and mechanic, that the transmission was grinding and that it was producing metal shavings in the tranny. He gave me about 6 months, but I got 2 years out of it. Today, 9/08/10, my tranny died in first gear. It was "hell" getting it on the tow truck!!! Now I have to get a new tranny! It was brought to my attention that BMW knew of thus problem and did nothing about it! If you have an '02-'06 you will ultimately experience this problem. Please let me know if you have had this problem, as well as where to look for a new tranny replacement...even if it is used!
march30 Posts: 2I have a 2006 MINI S standard shift. I cannot shift into 2, 4, or 6th gears. This situation also happened to me in 2008. In 2008 a few shifter cables were replaced and some lube was added and shifting was back to normal. Between then and now I had some shifting difficultly but the next time I would use the car it would be fine. Could be a cold weather thing I was told. Warranty was up this February 2010. Right before the warranty expired I had the MINI Inspection I. Everything great. Couple weeks ago the shifting became slightly diffcult again and now I can't use 2, 4 or 6th gears. I cannot get the shifter into those slots. Brought car into MINI service center and they said I need a new transmission. What! I am in shock. The car has only 36,000 miles, is treated very well, and mostly has highway miles. Anyone have a similar problem? Any advice? They said a new transmission will cost about $5000.
CeeeeCeeee Posts: 25However, I thought only the automatics needed replacement transmissions and that the standard shift models had clutch challenges. Your experience seems unusual! I look forward to hearing from others.
boxingday Posts: 9Actually in my experience you have done very well...got to 36000 miles on one clutch.
I got to 19000 and needed the 3rd clutch replacement.
Sort and sweet ....these clutches are trash and Mini should own up and do the right thing! However that would mean $$$$ and ...well you know the rest of the story...Good Luck ;(
sable24 Posts: 4I have a 2007 Mini Cooper S. The clutch and flywheel went out at approx. 16,000 miles. The service rep basically blamed it on my driving and said it would not be covered! I continued to pursue it -- talked to the service manager after I informed them that I had posted my experience on several internet sites -- they finally agreed to cover the $3,000 expense as a "good will" gesture. Now at 37,000 miles, I again noticed some slipping at times, took it in to Mini to check, and they say that I will need another clutch and flywheel replacement in the near future, and of course, you guessed it, again it is because of my driving habits! (And let me just add that after the first failure I was very careful with this car so that they couldn't blame me for this again.) I have driven manual transmission cars for years and have NEVER had any unusual problems until these experiences with the Mini. It is obvious to me that MINI is never going to own up to the fact that there is a problem with the car, and they will continue to blame the owners/drivers. 2 clutch/flywheel replacements at 37,000 miles? It's outrageous!
forkliftguy1 Posts: 1I need to find the bearings and 5th gear assembly. Can you give the contact information for the transmission company in Chatanooga?
Now the dealer is trying to say that it is due to my "bad driving". I have been driving clutch my whole life, and actually learned how to drive on a manual car.
Anyhow, driving my kids to school, car started smoking and that was it!
I had to have it towed, FOR THE SECOND TIME mind you! The first time I had it towed (at 200 miles) same burning smell. Police stopped me to tell me that something was terribly wrong with my car and I needed to pull over. The dealer claimed that they had accidentally left a piece of plastic wrap on one of the parts? BS...why didn't the plastic start burning the minute we drove it off the lot instead of 200 miles later?
Anyhow, tow truck driver said he has had to pick up a few minis lately.
We plan to fight with the dealer on this one. They want us to pay $3500 for a new clutch...at 1K miles! We don't even have our new tags yet! Our mini dealership has no idea what's about to hit them if they don't fess up and deliver a new clutch to us at no charge.
I cannot believe there is no class action lawsuit yet.
We live in Orange County CA. If anyone is interested in joining the fight, or starting a class action - let me know!
gfochtman Posts: 1Hi Winnie,
I am in Pennsylvania and I have had the same issues with my 2002 Mini. Currently I am in the process of a court hearing with my extended warranty company who has said that it was my negligence that has caused the transmission to fail. I would love to join your group!
Hi There!
I feel your pain; my clutch went out on my new JCW Clubman at 5,000 miles. I live in Los Angeles and belong to the Southern Cal. MINI Maniacs. We have members throughout the entire SoCal area. When I posted my problem with my clutch on our forum website, A lot of the members came to my defense and helped with getting the dealer to replace the clutch at no charge; the power in numbers was such a help. Please consider joining our club as all members are interested in the welfare of fellow MINIacs.
Best of luck in your fight with the dealer and MINIUSA!!
Hey Thanks!
My fight begins tomorrow, when we get THE CALL from Irvine Mini. They will let us know what our fate is. I'm sure they will tell me that it's "driver abuse".
will update!
Yes! Please keep me posted. I will check with fellow Maniacs if they know anyone at Irvine Mini who can assist you. There is a rather large contingency of us in the O.C. In fact I met the Area Manger-Western Region of MINI USA at a charity rally we had in the Tustin Marketplace. Depending on your outcome, you may need his assistance in settling this problem.I can give you his contact information if you need it. BTW, I heard that MINI of Ontario and Monrovia are very good in their customer service area. I know it is far from you, but it is reassuring that not ALL the dealerships are flakes!
Good Luck and FIGHT ON!!
I would like to communicate directly with owners of 2006 or later model MINI Cooper S models who experienced a failure of the clutch disc and/or pressure plate while the vehicle was still under warranty.
I had a 2010 that had 3,600 miles on it when the clutch and flywheel went out. "Driver abuse". I battled and eventually, they fixed it once as "good will". I sold it a couple of weeks later.
Please email me by clicking my profile. My email is not marked private.
timcahill98 Posts: 1Stumbled across this forum while searching for info on my Mini issues. I can't believe all the other people who are having clutch issues and are being told the same thing (it's your driving - you must be riding the clutch). I do NOT ride the clutch - never have in more than 20 years of driving manual transmission cars. I drove all the VW brands in the 80's and 90's and never had a clutch go out, even after more than 100,000 miles of driving.
I just had to have the clutch replaced for the second time in two years. I'm driving a 2003 Mini, still at only ~59,000 miles, but out of warranty (naturally). So these repairs are getting way too expensive for me. Unfortunately I bought it used and still have more than $10k to pay on it, so there's no hope of selling it any time soon. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
I know one thing so far - I'm never getting another Mini again. Nothing but a money pit.
Bought Mini S convertible Nov 2009. First clutch went at 2,000 miles. Dealer replaced clutch but cited driver abuse and no replacements per warranty again. clutch went again at 11,800 miles. Dealer threatened very much but after lemon laww attorney got involved (went to BMW Norht america in Englewood, NJ) dealer replaced clutch but again cited severe wear and driver abuse. Come on!! Have driven manual transmission for over 20 years and never replaced clutch at less than 80,000 miles. Is Mini hiding a problem?
zgrrrl Posts: 147I have a 2006 Cooper with 36k miles. I had my car in for an alignment just a couple of weeks ago, and since the warranty is up next month I asked if they could do a safety check to see if anything needed to be done before the warranty was up.
They did some front break work for me and replaced the clutch all under warranty. After reading these posts I feel very fortunate they did that for me without any hassle at all.
I have contacted the dealer and they are calling MINI to see if the $3000.00 they want to replace the DISC, Throw out bearing and pressure plate will be waived. 2009 JCW Clubman Car is 3 weeks old sold as new with 137 miles on it. A Clutch kit costs 415.00 probably about 10hrs labor in Chilton book. but that's besides the point.
1.Car had a burning smell from the first day I drove it.
2. Clutch pedal really hard to push down.
My opinion no free play or bad installation, no way I did anything and if I did something that car is not for me because it would be the first clutch ever to go out on me in 40 years (probably because I don't keep cars that long). It was never raced most of the miles are highway going 200 miles back and forth.
Was told I would have any answer in 24 hours that was 30 hours ago will keep the forum posted of the outcome.
I had the same problem with my 2010 mini, as have countless others I'm sure. Burning smell etc.
Dealer tried to charge us $4k for a new clutch. I told the dealer that I would rather give them the car back then pay for a new clutch. I pushed hard, they caved and did everything for no charge.
I had to be towed TWICE and the dealer tried to tell me that it was due to my bad driving habits. First tow was at 700 miles. Second was at 1200 miles. Battery also died on me twice. And all before I had my California plates! I still had temp tags...
Don't you pay a penny to Mini. Keep us posted.
That burning smell since day 1. We had the same and thought it was new car smell. Little did we know it was "driver abuse". MIni will replace the clutch. contact Lemon Law attorney or contact BMW North America in Englewood, NJ. Tell the dealer to take a hike.
If it is a defective part, or a bad installation that would make sense as to why the material came off of the plate, if it was my driving that caused the material to come off the clutch plate the way I have driven the car on a scale of 1 being like extremely gentile and 10 like I wanted to win a road rally I would fall in the 4-5 bracket for 95% of the driven miles and 5% of the time in the 7-8 bracket for just having some fun! At any case if Mini states its abuse then I will not be able to keep the car as it is not reliable.
Does anyone have the exact verbiage my book is with the dealer all I could find is as follows
The power train is covered by the new vehicle warranty. Unlike many makes, the MINI does not have a separate policy for power train components.
anothernjguy Posts: 1Just got off the phone with my Mini Dealer. They want to replace the clutch disc and the flywheel for the second time in the 10,000 miles that I have owned my 2009 Mini Cooper S. "driver abuse" again they say!
Get a good lemon law attorney (1-800-My-Lemon); David Gorberg deals solely wityh MINI and BMW North America (Englewood, NJ) It seems as if the dealer mantra is driver abuse. Sorry that just does not fly in the face of mounting evidence. Cars are meant to be driven normally which I am sure that 99% of us do. The common thread is the poor design/manufactuer of the entire clutch assembly. Go your your nearest dealership and file an informal resulution with the manufacturer. But first contact a lemon law attorney. Yhis "driver abuse" problem has been around for years and years/ Don't take no for an answer. Get your car fixed on their dime.
texasinaz Posts: 5considering buying a new mini s. would like to get the manual tranny, but with all the issues about the clutch i am willing to spend the extra money to get the automatic. notice that most of the issue with the clutch are on older models. is anyone having issues with 2010 models?
Yes! Mine was a 2010 with 3,600 miles on it. If you read through all of these posts, you will see it is common and happens to some people more than once which is why I sold mine.
Just got a call from the MINI dealer even though the clutch was fried they are going to cover the entire cost of replacement. But I was cautioned that the next clutch if driver abuse is on me.
1. I am relieved they are standing behind the situation due to the fact it was only driven for 2200 miles
2. That they did not put up a fight
3. That if lucky the next clutch will be a better one and I wont have any problems for at least 50k miles or longer.
I love my MINI and hope I am happy with the performance in the future.
Please contact me. My email is not marked private.
Don't let them fool you for one second. How can you , or I, or anyone abuse a clutch within 2,000 miles? Answer is they know better and will replace the clutch even if you put up a fight. Go to a lemon law attorney if it happens again. We are trying to get rid of our MINI. Two clutches in 12,000 is 2 too many.


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A patient care assistant at Nassau University Medical Center has pleaded not guilty to charges of attacking a 6-year-old boy in the hospital.
Azoumana Ouattara, 45 of Freeport, was caring for the boy in the hospital's psychiatric ward at the time of the alleged attack last month, police said.
"He used unnecessary force," said Detective Lt. Raymond Cote of Nassau County Police. "The boy describes being forcibly held around his neck, with squeezing taking place, while he was being held to the bed."
Photos taken by the boy's mother showed red marks on his neck.
The mother, Angela Iovino, told NBC New York Wednesday she's still haunted by what her son said to her after the assault.
"He said, 'Mommy, after it happened, I was crying for you but you weren't there,'" said Angela Iovino. "That really made me upset."
"No child should be treated like that, period," said Iovino.
The boy had been hospitalized for what his mother called a medication adjustment. The boy suffers several psychological disorders, said Iovino.
On Oct. 29, after a visit by his mom, the boy became agitated, cursing at Ouattara, said police. According to Cote, the hospital worker became "upset" and choked the boy.
Ouattara, a husband and father, has worked at the hospital for five years and had a clean work record, according to a hospital union representative.
"I can say he was cleared by his bosses to return to work after they investigated [the alleged assault]," said CSEA executive vice-president Linda DiMonda.
Ouattara pleaded not guilty to assault and other charges. He is due back in court this Friday.
The 6-year-old boy has since returned home and is faring better, said his mother.
"People that work in wards like that should be more sympathetic about why people are there," said Iovino.


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On the eve of the trade deadline, talk around Calgary isn't revolving around which players Darryl Sutter might add to his lineup.
Instead, the scuttlebutt is all about who he might send packing.
And right or wrong, Jim Playfair's name is at the top of that list.
But while speculation swirls the Flames first year coach could pay the price for a dismal road record, Sutter refused yesterday to clarify his stance on the debate.
"I don't even want to publicly comment," said Sutter yesterday, between phone calls from GMs around the league.
"It's about winning now and we think on paper we have the personnel."
Some will suggest Sutter just isn't the type to hand out public votes of confidence and simply believes he has no duty to keep the public abreast of his thoughts.
Others will suggest that by pointing out that the roster should be good enough to win with more consistency he is in fact readying himself for a return to the bench where he worked miracles in 2004.
"I'm not going there either," said Sutter when asked if he had any desire to add coaching to his GM duties again.
Asked if it was fair for fans to pin a 7-15-8 road record on Playfair, Sutter did offer his thoughts on their stunningly abysmal showing away from the 'Dome.
"We went from a team that didn't score enough to now being top five (actually, seventh) in the league -- the bottom line is we're giving up too many goals," said Sutter.
"That's not a coaching thing, it's a group thing. When they commit to that, they can have some success but time is of the essence."
Again, it's hard to read into his comments as some will suggest his reference to time alludes to what may be running out on his coach.
Or, he could be referring to the fact teams should be playing playoff-style hockey by now, especially given the Flames are eighth in the west and far from sewing up a playoff berth.
So, as part of the ol' how-many-times-can-you-ask-the-same-question routine, let's give it another go: Is he happy with Playfair's performance this year?
"The first month I wasn't happy with anybody, coaches or players," said Sutter, whose club is a league-best 25-6-1 at home.
"But since then they've played well. They just haven't been consistent. There has to be a balance between skill and work. If our team can make a committment to going into those tough areas and winning those battles we can be a really good team. When they don't they're just a bunch of good players. Our best month was January when Jarome (Iginla) was out and that tells you they're capable as a group and that it's not about one player -- it's about the collective."
A collective that might be bolstered by yet another trade before tomorrow's deadline perhaps?
"I just don't know," said Sutter, who is still looking at a few options.
"I like our team and anything we do is something we'd really have to look at carefully. I'm not sure I want to lose anyone we have right now."
Including Playfair?
"I'm not discussing that."
At least we tried.


text:
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|Investment Guide Indonesia
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Indonesia: Trade Representative Office – Risk to be deemed as Permanent Establishment
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The Argonauts are going to take a run at suspended NFL running back Ricky Williams.
The Argos added Williams to their negotitation list yesterday, a day after he was suspended for the 2006 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy for a fourth time.
All CFL teams have 35-player negotiation lists, which allows them to deal exclusively with players, even if they are under suspension.


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LONDON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Entertainer Boy George has been charged in London with false imprisonment stemming from a complaint lodged in April by a 28-year-old man.
The 47-year-old former Culture Club lead singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was charged Monday after appearing with his lawyer at a London police station, Metropolitan Police spokesman Andrew Newman told CNN.
Newman said the singer was first arrested in April for an alleged incident in East London.
NME.com said O'Dowd is accused of chaining a man to the wall of his home.
O'Dowd was released on bail and ordered to appear in Thames Magistrates Court on Nov. 22, CNN said.


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Emergency Supplies and Gear
Chemical Agents: Facts About Personal Cleaning and Disposal of Contaminated Clothing
Some kinds of chemical accidents or attacks may cause you to come in contact with dangerous chemicals. Coming in contact with a dangerous chemical may make it necessary for you to remove and dispose of your clothing right away and then wash yourself. Removing your clothing and washing your body will reduce or remove the chemical so that it is no longer a hazard. This process is called decontamination.
People are decontaminated for two primary reasons:
Most chemical agents can penetrate clothing and are absorbed rapidly through the skin. Therefore, the most important and most effective decontamination for any chemical exposure is decontamination done within the first minute or two after exposure.
How to know if you need to wash yourself and dispose of your clothing
In most cases, emergency coordinators will let you know if a dangerous chemical has been released and will tell you what to do.
In general, exposure to a chemical in its liquid or solid form will require you to remove your clothing and then thoroughly wash your exposed skin. Exposure to a chemical in its vapor (gas) form generally requires you only to remove your clothing and the source of the toxic vapor.
If you think you have been exposed to a chemical release, but you have not heard from emergency coordinators, you can follow the washing and clothing disposal advice in the next section.
What to do
Act quickly and follow the instructions of local emergency coordinators. Every situation can be different, so local emergency coordinators might have special instructions for you to follow. The three most important things to do if you think you may have been exposed to a dangerous chemical are to (1) quickly remove your clothing, (2) wash yourself, and (3) dispose of your clothing. Here's how:
After you have removed your clothing, washed yourself, and disposed of your clothing, you should dress in clothing that is not contaminated. Clothing that has been stored in drawers or closets is unlikely to be contaminated, so it would be a good choice for you to wear.
You should avoid coming in contact with other people who may have been exposed but who have not yet changed their clothes or washed. Move away from the area where the chemical was released when emergency coordinators tell you to do so.


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Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe by Paula Deen
Level: Easy
Time: 50 MINUTES
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 4 cups egg noodles, (approximately 2 cups uncooked cooked and drained)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9 x13 inch baking dish.
In a large, tall-sided saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, sauté until near translucent. Stirring frequently, add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for two minutes more. Stir in the flour and cook until the flour is absorbed. Slowly add the milk and 2 cups of cheese. Reserve 1 cup of cheese for casserole topping. Once the cheese is melted add salt and pepper to taste. Combine chicken, sour cream and noodles into cheese mixture. Stir until the noodles are coated with mixture.
Pour mixture into a prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
9 Reviews
Can't wait to tr
Can't wait to try this...So miss Paula on TV...
I have made this
I have made this several times and it is equally delicious each time. It is more work than just pouring a canned sauce over the ingredients, but it is actually worth it. The only thing I will say is that it says a 9 x 13 pan and I have found that an 11 x 7 pan is a better fit---the amount looks a little sparse in the larger pan. Other than that " try it, you'll like it"!!!
I've made a simi
I've made a similar version for years. My husband likes tuna noodle casserole and I just can not eat hot tuna(love cold). I use cream of chicken soup and some half and half. I do add some cheese to the casserole and top it with some extra at the end. I also add some water chestnuts for some crunch along with some broccoli florets. Any way you make it, it's still yummy.
I just made this
I just made this tonight and it's been a hit! I did make some modifications - I do not measure religiously when cooking (as opposed to baking), so I ended up with too many noodles - I just made another cup of cheese sauce and that worked. I added chopped celery, artichoke hearts (which I quartered), and sliced black olives. I wanted to add panko to the topping for some crunch, but my panko decided to play hide and seek with me and it won. So next time. Making this again, I would like to try sweet red bell pepper sliced into bite sized strips, and sliced water chestnuts for crunch. I also used unsweetened vanilla almond milk (because it's what we drink). But this recipe is definitely a keeper.
I'm making this
I'm making this tomorrow for the first time. I have a dumb question....do u cook the noodles before putting them in the mixture or put them in straight out of the bag?
This is really g
This is really good and easy. I do add chopped celery though.
Everyone loved i
Everyone loved it!
This is my famil
This is my family's favorite casserole recipe. Not only is it delicious, but it's so versatile. We often add 1/2 cup of diced ham to it. We have changed the cheese using Vermont white cheddar, but our favorite is Havarti cheese. We also add vegetables like carrots and peas. String beans are good in it too. I think asparagus would make a good addition. Since I am allergic to milk, we use coconut milk instead. It is especially delicious in this recipe. We also top it with Italian breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese instead of cheese on top. Thank you Paula for this wonderful recipe.
This is so great
This is so great and easy thanx paula!
Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe by Paula Deen
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 4 cups egg noodles, (approximately 2 cups uncooked cooked and drained)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes


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Monsanto Co. (MON - Free Report) , the world's largest seed company, announced that it won another lawsuit against Indiana soybean farmer, Vernon Bowman. In 2007, the company sued the soybean farmer, accusing him of patent infringement for planting and saving seeds containing Monsanto's genetically altered Roundup Ready technology.
As per Bowman, he bought the seeds as part of a mix of commodity seeds. In its court proceedings, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington issued a verdict toward protecting Monsanto's patented seeds from being sold in a mix of undifferentiated "commodity" seeds.
The "commodity" seeds are grown in the farms that use Roundup Ready technology as well as in the farms without the use of such technology. These seeds are also not tolerant with the round up ready technology. Hence, no licensing agreements are required with the sale of such seeds.
Whereas, Roundup Ready seeds of the company are tolerant toward the spray treatments of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide and the company restricts the use of its licensed Roundup Ready seed to a single commercial crop season. The court found that according to the technology agreements, Monsanto needs to save its patent forbidding farmers from selling the progeny of Roundup Ready seeds.
The court case revealed that Bowman planted Roundup Ready seeds as his first-crop in each growing season from 1999-2007 and did not save crops seeds complying with the company's licensing agreements. Rather he purchased commodity seeds from a local grain elevator for a late-season planting of "second-crop."
Moreover, the Indiana farmer applied glyphosate to his second soybean crops, which helped him identify herbicide-resistant plants, from which he saved seed for the subsequent years of second-crop planting.
However, Bowman argued in his favor that the patent rights of Roundup Ready soybean seeds that are present in grain elevators as undifferentiated commodity seed were already exhausted. But the argument stood void by the court and Bowman's act was marked as an infringement of Monsanto's patent by Bowman. The court affirmed the award of damages to Monsanto, set already by a lower court at $84,456.
Of late, Evogene Ltd. and Monsanto Company announced a successful completion of the third year of their research and development collaboration. During these three years, Evogene utilized its computational genomics technology to discover genes, predict, and provide validation in model plants. A number of the genes discovered by Evogene are thus currently undergoing evaluation in the target crops of Monsanto's research and development venture. Going forward, the two companies aim to discover newer genes while enhancing crop yield for farmers in corn, soybean, cotton and canola.
Missouri-based Monsanto Company, together with its subsidiaries, is a leading global provider of agricultural products for farmers in the United States and internationally. Monsanto's biotechnology research and rich product pipeline provides strong competition to its peers, such as The Dow Chemical Company , Syngenta AG (SYT - Free Report) , The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co (SMG - Free Report) , BASF (BASFY - Free Report) .
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Compiled by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Page 3: Advice from career experts on how workers and job-seekers can take proactive stance to improve their jobs and careers, even in tough economic climate.
On this page, tips for leveraging your strengths and accomplishments, updating your skills, remaining flexible, and being persistent.
Return to main page of Attacking the Job Market and Workplace Proactively in Tough Times.
Know and Leverage Your Strengths and Accomplishments
Remember when you go into that interview, that you are selling yourself to the employer. Before the interview try to develop a list of 4 to 5 things that you accomplished while in your last job. Make reference to those accomplishments repeatedly during your interview.
- — Sue Chehrenegar
Recognize your own strengths. Step out of yourself for a moment and realize the way companies themselves are grappling with the changes in economic patterns. Take a look inside at what you can do to be a positive force to assist your current or future employer today. How can you make a positive difference? Making a strong contribution will be felt by managers, co-workers and possibly the entire company. If you are job-seeking, stay clear on your accomplishments. Underline ways in which you have helped previous employers succeed. Be full of your own light. Staying calm and positive in a storm is a great quality in an employee at any level of any organization."
- — Inspiration Maven Erica M. Nelson, author of
Prospect When You Are HappyGet really focused on the results you achieve for your employers, and every time you are asked by anyone "What do you do?", answer this question instead, "Why should I pay your salary?"
- — John West Hadley, Career Search Counselor,
JHACareers.comIf you are focusing on only one thing, you are not doing enough to protect your career or obtain a new one. Other things you should be doing, particularly while employed are:
- Make yourself indispensable to your company
- Solicit regular reviews and feedback on your performance, not just annually
- Keep an updated "kudos file" — items from managers, peers, customers, vendors, and suppliers
- Join and contribute to industry organizations.
— August Cohen, Career Consultant, GetHiredStayHired.comStep back and answer the question, "What I have already done either individually or as part of a team that has produced a positive, measurable contribution to the bottom-line result for someone other than myself?" People looking to hire someone don't care how much you know or how much you can do until they know what you have already done for a company like theirs that produced a positive, measurable, contributing to the bottom-line result. The more you have an answer to that, the less you have to "fudge" what you tell prospective employers. The next step is to target companies that most urgently need that kind of result. Then if you have been accurate in your targeting, all you have to do is find a way into that company, tell them what you've already done for companies like them and then enroll them.
- —
- , author of four books, including
Get Out of Your Own Way at Work
- , Perigee.
Have confidence in yourself. Look back and see what you have accomplished in all the years you worked; see how far you have traveled to be where you are today. If you are beating the bushes looking for a job, never let the interviewer sense any feeling of anxiety. You have a lot to contribute to the work world!
- — Rachel Ingegneri, Author of
Ten Minutes to the Job InterviewGet very very clear on what you want your next job to look like. Before finding yourself in that commonly desperate jobless situation, take time to take stock. Do self-evaluations on interests, skills, strengths, and values to determine what kind of job and company matches you — where you would be best suited and most fulfilled.
- —
- , Career Coach, Workshop Facilitator, Author, San Diego County, CA
Identify, develop and market your most relevant skills and abilities, in your resume, your 30-second elevator speech, and all your networking situations.
- — Steven Provenzano, CPRW/CEIP, President,
ECS: Executive Career Services & DTP, Inc.
- , and author
Update Your Skills
Make sure your job skills are up to date. Enroll in a class or training session if necessary to show that you are staying on top of the very latest trends and technologies in your field.
- — Rona Borre, President and CEO, Instant Technology, Chicago, IL
For workers or job seekers in the field of marketing or advertising, get trained in the basics of search-engine marketing. Search engines have become the number one way that consumers gather information daily. There is strong demand for professionals with search marketing backgrounds even as advertising and marketing budgets are cut.
- — Katie Donovan, Training Director,
The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization
Remain Flexible
Stay flexible. Too often, [troubled times are] when people start to lay low and stay out of sight, but it's really when people should demonstrate their flexibility in learning new things, trying new jobs, and embracing change. [Flexibility] demonstrates an open attitude, which often translates into a positive attitude, which is exactly what a company needs in these otherwise trying times. Career-killer attitudes include: "It's not my job," "I know this job better than anyone else, so I have nothing to worry about," and "I've been in the workforce for 30 years; why should I have to take a class on anything."
- — Sharon DeLay, CPCC, CPRW, MBA, certified career coach and career confidence specialist, who works primarily with recent college graduates and those over 40 in career transition;
Permanent Ink Professional Development Services
Be Persistent
Keep applying and don't lose heart. The job-search process is not like it was the last time you looked for a job, whether that was 5, 3, or 1 year ago. You probably won't be submitting paper. You'll be submitting your resume to a company's Applicant Tracking System, and it probably won't result in an acknowledgement from a person. You probably won't be able to follow up with a person. It may be weeks or months until you hear something. Remember, these all used to be bad signs, but now they aren't necessarily; the flow of applying has changed, and you have to change your mindset with it or else you will find yourself plunging into the Job-Search-Why-Doesn't-Anyone-Want-Me-Abyss. Instead of complaining about the time it takes to fill out on-line applications, use the time to answer the questions thoroughly, completely and using all your best online manners — spelling, grammar, full sentences). Make sure you set up job alerts, so that you are alerted when jobs of interest are posted. Most of all, hang in there. You WILL get a job. You WILL.
- — Quintessential Careers Regular Contributor Maureen Crawford-Hentz
Don't give up. When the news around you seems bad, it's easy to say to yourself that your efforts will not make a difference. They will. Being proactive means consistency — doing one thing every day no matter what. These small actions will lead to big action and big results.
- — Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC, Career, Life, and Mentor Coach; President,
Surpass Your Dreams, Inc.
Continue on to Page 4 of Attacking the Job Market and Workplace Proactively in Tough Times.See also these Job-Hunting During a Recession Articles for Job-Seekers.
Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author, and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling in the job search at A Storied Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press), as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit her personal Website or reach her by e-mail at kathy(at)quintcareers.com. Check out Dr. Hansen on GooglePlus.


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As you can see, from my previous eggplant posting, that we love eggplant, of any kind, but Baba Ganoush, the Middle Eastern dish is one of our all time favorite. It is easy to just simply roast in the oven and cut it open, let it cool a little, and scoop out all that goodness from the pulp. Just chop it up with a potato masher, and add all the nice spices that it calls for...and don't forget the Tahini!
Baba Ghanoush
2 large eggplants
1/4 to 1/2 cup Tahini (sesame paste)
3 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
a pinch of ground cumin
a pinch of dry oregano (fresh is even better)
salt and pepper to taste
a small handful of fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup brine-cured black olives, or Kalamata olives
On a baking sheet, line aluminum foil, prick the eggplants all over with a fork, drizzle with a small amount of vegetable oil and roll it around, so that it's all covered with the oil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35t-45 minutes and test to see if it's soft. (It has to be totally soft.)
Remove from the oven, and cut in half, as show in photo, let it cool a little before scooping the pulp out. Place the eggplant in a bowl, and with a potato masher mash it to a nice paste. Add the Tahini, the garlic, the spices and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a nice serving dish and drizzle a little more extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with the parsley, and place the olives around the sides. Serve with toasted pita bread, or crostini. Naan is very good too to serve with. Serves 6.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Baba Ghanoush
Posted by Elisabeth Foodandthrift at 12:59 PM 8 comments Links to this post
Labels: Baba ghanoush, Cooking, Eggplant, Fruit and Vegetable, Home, Middle East, Middle Eastern, Olive oil
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" By a curious confusion, many modern critics have passed from the proposition that a masterpiece may be unpopular to the other proposition that unless it is unpopular it cannot be a masterpiece.
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The Republican candidates for president are gathering for their second televised debate of the year Tuesday. The debate will be held in South Carolina, a state that has never erred in picking GOP presidential nominees. The Fox News Channel is broadcasting the debate.
Andrea Seabrook talks with NPR's Mara Liasson about the debate, in which the candidates will undoubtedly evoke the message and legacy of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.
Copyright 2017 NPR.


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Ilya Levin
Ilya Levin received his Ph.D. degree in computer engineering in 1987, when being the Head of the Computer Science Department in the Leningrad Institute of New Technologies (in the former USSR). Between 1993 and 1997, Levin served as the Head of the Computer Systems Department in the Center for Technological Education, Holon, Israel. In 1997, he worked as a Research Fellow in the Computer Science Department of University of Massachusetts, USA. During four years between 2003 and 2006, Dr. Levin served as an Associate Professor of the School of Engineering in the Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. Presently, Professor Levin is a Head of the Department of Math, Science and Technology Education of the Tel Aviv University. His recent research interests include computer design, human concepts learning, and culturology of information society. He is the author of more than 130 research papers both in computer engineering and in education.
Biography Updated on 7 June 2013


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Jacob Martin Band
Jacob Martin Band "Wrap Around Porch"
Jacob Martin Band formed in early 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee through the underestimated power of Craigslist. Converging from all parts of the country, Jacob Martin (vocals/rhythm guitar), Josh Carlson (drums/background vocals), Jeff Coggins (lead guitar), and Mike Guy (bass/background vocals) came together to form a powerful, melodic band that captivates both country and rock listeners. Since forming, the band hit the road and built a following that would later land them opening slots for Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Justin Moore, among many others.
In the summer of 2012, Jacob Martin Band recorded an 8-song LP with producer Jody Stevens. In the process of making the new record, Jacob began writing with hit song writers including Jeff Stevens, Shane Minor, and Jim Femino. Upon the completion of the LP, the band quickly drew interest from Buddy Lee Attractions, and joined their roster of artists in September of 2012. Jacob Martin Band released Wraparound Porch to radio in January of 2013.


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Create personalized notes, posters, or labels that are as easy as A-B-C! Each package comes with letters, punctuation marks, and numerals. Also includes the letters É and Ñ. This set has 133 pieces. All stickers are acid-free.(approximately 1" x 1")
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Sony Adds $4,500 4K Handycam to Its Line-up
Posted by Mason Gradusky on Wednesday September 4, 2013 | Uncategorized
Priced at less than $5,000, Sony's new FDR-AX1 4K Handycam will appeal to indie filmmakers and videographers on a budget who want to move into 4K video without breaking the bank. Built around a BSI 1/2.3-type Exmor R CMOS sensor, the FDR-AX1 can record 4K as well as HD video. Movies are recorded in the... More ›


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Don't miss a story. Like us on Facebook. Like Dallas News' Facebook Page
The Irving Rambler reported on kid golfers taking part in a tournament at Las Colinas Country Club:
The Battle of the Boot, a Ryder Cup style tournament, recently took place at Las Colinas Country Club. First Tee Dallas and First Tee Fort Worth golfers participated.
The tournament is one of two annual events where the local First Tee chapters get together and the only competitive match between them.
The Rambler reports that President George W. Bush made an appearance at the start of the tournament, but media wasn't invited to attend.
The First Tee program provides young people with character-building and life skills lessons using golf as the platform. Through The First Tee, young people discover how skills essential to success on a golf course can also help them flourish in life. Visit thefirstteedallas.org.


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It was a thing of beauty: one of those things that happen once in a lifetime. People would be talking about it for days, weeks even, and Jacob realized this as he tweaked his board. That's just how big this air was-he actually had time to grasp the greatness of this moment-and then it was gone…
"Jacob," his teacher shouted. "Put that darn toy away and pay attention!" The class laughed, but Jacob didn't. He continued riding his signature model fingerboard toward his pocket, boardsliding his desk one last time. Their laughter turned to cheers as he held his board high on pinky and index, embarrassing the thousands of fans and promoting his sponsors. I, Jacob thought, am the shit.
In the weeks that followed Jacob was filled with anticipation, and October, hardly noticeable before, seemed three months long. Fingerboarding and reading snowboarding magazines was all that got him through those long days at Layton High. Not that there was much left of his snowboarding magazines (he'd used every picture to line his locker-JP Walker and Jeremy Jones wallpaper), but he still read every article, knew every ad, chuckled at every editors half-witted and undereducated remark. These efforts to calm his nerves only wound up feeding the fire that was within him, as he eagerly awaited opening day at his local mountain.
Until finally, it came. The night before was like Christmas Eve. No, it was better. Jacob and his friends had planned months in advance for this day. They'd already purchased their seasons passes, they knew who's mom would be driving, what car they'd ride in, and what they would be wearing. They even knew what runs they wanted to hit. And running into the local pros was the talk of the morning's drive to the hill. Mike's mom quietly smirked at the thought. "That would be like bumping into Michael Jordan at the basketball court," she said. But her remark went unheard. After all, she didn't know a thing about snowboarding.
When they reached the hill the crew piled out of the car like animals being set free from a cage, barley remembering to thank Ms. Mulder for the ride. "Be careful!" she said one last time before the boys disappeared into the lift line.
The hill was crowded and the snow was minimal, but no one seemed to notice. The vibe in the line was pure energy, and everyone there couldn't wait to take their first run of the season. The endless lift ride was quickly forgotten as Jacob strapped on his board. His real board! Adrenaline replaced blood as he leaped forward to get a jump-start on his friends, already anticipating the first hit just around the corner.
Sun shining, snow squeaking, wind racing, the thought of his epic finger air was still fresh in his mind. The approach to his jump was tricky, and this, being only his second year riding, made it hard to stay in control. But Jacob went for it anyway, and he caught his edge on the top of the jump, flying head first into a rock that was hidden just below the glistening snow.
Jacob died.
The first day I went to Brighton this year I saw a young snowboarder get helied out to the nearest hospital. In Colorado, not a week before, a young snowboarder flew off the side of the trail and died hitting his head on a exposed rock. I've been snowboarding for 12 years and went hiking early season every year, before I should have. I've seen many split open heads, many ruined seasons, because it's so hard to wait for the conditions to be right. I understand the feeling of invincibility. I make my living off of it. But please, if you want to have a fun and healthy season, listen to your mother, be careful.
Jason Brown is a pro snowboarder, musician, and fingerboarder. You can check out the rest of his world at www.jasonbrown.com.


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Hennessy pulls off 'priceless' Dundalk victory
A HUGE crowd turned out at Dundalk recently for the Boylesports International dual race meeting.
The whopping €20,000 top prize was aptly won by the Paul Hennessy-trained Priceless Sky, which led after a bump at the second bend in a race of attrition and won by five lengths from Farloe Trent in 30.16.
All six runners met some kind of trouble on their way around with reigning champ Quail Hollow boxed out at the first bend.
Favourite Roxhulme Billy was also in the wars early on, but recovered well and looked set to stake a formidable challenge before suffering more strife before the final bend.
Sawpit Sensation and Farloe Trent were forced to check entering the third bend, but the latter recovered well to trail Priceless Sky home.
From the International it is now straight in to the Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup at Dundalk which also boasts a winner's purse of €20,000.
Race 1 Drumcashel Dan won in 30.25 for Jonathan Fegan & Stephen Munroe (Newry)
Race 2 Chimes won in 21.57 for Rathangan owner/trainer Robert F. Roberts
Race 3 Revilo Blue won in 28.69 for owner Philip Fitzpatrick and Oldcastle trainer Philip Oliver Fitzpatrick
Race 4 Monleek Diamond won In 32.96 for Tullyallen owner Rita Downey
Race 5 Peads Hawk won in 32.92 for Keady owners Christopher Nugent & Barry Carr
Race 6 Steely Passion won in 21.38 for owner Master Terry Kerr and Castleblayney trainer Catherine Kerr
Race 7 Bulmers Baby won in 21.27 for Keith Mahon and Karl Clinton and Oldcastle trainer John McGee
Race 8 Priceless Sky won in 30.16 for Bryan & Kathleen Murphy and Gowran trainer Paul Hennessy
Race 9 Tayl Bound won in 18.76 for Mr. M Hussain & Mr MWS Amin and Birmingham trainer John Lambe
Race 10 Killinan Baby won in 30.18 for Joe McIlhone and Cappawhite trainer Pat Buckley
Race 11 Tims Girl won in 33.12 for H-X-5-syndicate and Dungannon trainer Laurence McHugh
Race 12 Airlie Dazzler won in 33.67 for Leon Smullen & Darren Riordan and Dublin Trainer Larry Mason
Race 1 Ballymac Trick won in 22.34 on 2nd attempt for Michael Calvey (Julianstown)
Race 2 Gorgeous Gal won in 19.22 on 1st attempt for Gerard Barrett & Anthony Rooney and Balbriggan trainer Anthony Rooney
Race 3 Click This won in 19.23 for Christopher Hand (Ballynadun)
Race 4 Drowsy Rosie won in 29.90 on 6th attempt for Ms. Sienna McGerty (Cootehill)
Race 5 Blacksmith Laura won in 30.84 for Anthony Feenan and Downpatrick trainer Damian Maginn
Race 6 Steely Endeavour won in 19.05 for Owner/Trainer Catherine Kerr (Castleblayney)
Race 7 Last Belle won in 29.20 for Owner/trainer David Ritchie (Portaferry)
Race 8 Queen Athena won in 29.36 for Trevor Whyte & Patrick Carroll and Dundalk trainer Peter Noone
Race 9 Cordoola Mist won in 19.24 for Billy Davey (Clones)
Race 10 Raras Ashgrove won in 29.18 for Owner trainer Veronica Weir (Dungannon
Race 11Dorsey Spider won in 29.38 for Michael McNulty (Newry)
Race 12 Manilla Lemon won in 29.23 for Mark Cahill (Newry)
The Argus