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Liberia and Its Legacy
// July 26, 2012
// Posted in Africa, History, Leslie Overton, Uncategorized
Over the course of my twenty years in the travel business I've been privileged to visit many places completely off the grid, watching them develop into trendsetting hot spots. Cambodia comes to mind. When Ken Fish led his first journey there back in 1991, before the embargo was lifted, he had to pay $300 at the Grand Hotel (now the Raffles) to get the electricity turned on. These days, Siem Reap and its chic hotels grace the glossy covers of the trendiest travel magazines. The town we knew then, with its lone luxury hotel and a handful of small restaurants, has transformed into a city packed with some of South East Asia's most prestigious hotels and too many restaurants to count. These days it seems real travel secrets are nearly nonexistent, but after my recent visit to Liberia I know there are still a few out there. This June I had the opportunity to visit this West African country with our partners, American Jewish World Service (AJWS), to meet with their grassroots grantees. We truly witnessed a country and a people that have moved past their complicated history and are looking forward to more peaceful times ahead. Although I've worked with AJWS for several years, this was the first time I had the chance to see the powerful impact of their work in person. From our visit with the first elected female head of state in Africa, Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and our time spent with Leymah Gbowee ,the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner, our schedule was packed with experiences that were both deeply gratifying and hugely inspiring. As a woman, it was especially heartening to witness the impact of the Liberian women who have pulled the country together after a horrific civil war and have truly rebuilt a country worthy of its name: Liberia — "Country of the Free."
My journey affected me in so many ways that I scribbled down my thoughts along the way in an effort to capture the power of this unique experience. Here are a few: June 16: They say here that Monrovia is Liberia because 75% of the population lives here, but that is hard to imagine because Monrovia is so small by western urban standards. There are two main roads, and on one of them, Broad Street, you can look back at the center of Monrovia and it's only about five blocks long. Only 2% of the country is on the national power grid. Before the rest of the group arrived, I had the opportunity to do some touring in Monrovia. Sadly, much of the touring is related to the horrors of their civil war, including a stop at the beach where Samuel Doe executed 13 members of President Tolbert's cabinet on television after killing President Tolbert. On a much happier note, we also visited the Mamba Point craft market, which is very small but had some lovely beadwork, wooden sculptures and paintings. It was a great indication of how far Liberia has come. June 17: The AJWS group arrived today. Little did I know it at the time, but this is such a wonderful group of people – and amazing troupers through a lot of hardships and inconveniences. We had no air conditioning, no internet, and sometimes no power or water. But everyday everyone was up and ready for the next experience with the people of Liberia. I just loved their sense of adventure and their sensitivity and engagement with what we were seeing around us.
June 18: We had the worst rain of my trip last night. It came down so hard it crossed my mind that my bungalow might just float away. Luckily, it cleared about the time that we were ready to board our vans because this was our first day of visits to NGO's that AJWS supports. We went to a "low cost" refugee village with Self Help Initiative for Sustainable Development (SHIFSD) to see an adult literacy program. The whole village came out dancing to celebrate our arrival. The women were so proud to show off their newly acquired ability to write their names. There was one man who particularly touched my heart, as he was the first man to enroll in the program. At first the other men made fun of him, but then he learned to write his name and now there are 7 men in the program. He was wearing a blue tee-shirt with Cookie Monster eyes on it. The women told stories of being married off at a young age, having many children, and struggling to make ends meet. The children were adorable, and it was so hard to see them dressed in thread bare adult t-shirts, especially when I know how my own three year old boy's clothing shows so little signs of wear. Some of the kids were wearing clothing that wasn't at all right for the climate, a heavy knit wool dress for instance. The people see so few visitors that they were taking pictures of us as we were taking pictures of them. The two guys who started SHIFSD were particularly inspiring. They saw a need in their refugee camp in Ghana and filled it, and when they came back home to Liberia they kept filling it. In a moment I think we will all remember, Abraham, one of the AJWS group members, was given a scrap of paper by one man he had been talking with which simply said, "Remember my name – Mohamed."
Today we also visited with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She is an inspiration and her thoughts on women and power are not opinions that are normally voiced by heads of state. We had our picture taken with her and it was published in the Daily Observer, one of Monrovia's major papers. It was a very memorable encounter. June 19: This morning we met with the American Charge D'Affaires at the brand new US Embassy. It was like a piece of the US picked up and dropped into Monrovia. We had a very enlightening discussion on the limitations of US aid in Liberia and the connections between our two countries. Afterwards we visited Imani House, a health clinic. Two of the younger AJWS travelers, Abe and Louis, played with the kids the whole time and were totally engaged with them, a real testament to the value of travel for young people. It warmed my heart. The kids loved them, and Abe and Louis looked like giants compared to the little kids. It was a little like traveling with our own carnival ride because all the kids wanted Abe to pick them up over his head. Later on we visited the health clinic, and seeing where women give birth was frightening. There is no electricity so it is just a metal bed and an old fashioned scale. It made me feel so privileged to have had all of the bells and whistles present when I gave birth. Then we went to a literacy center that was right off of the busy marketplace. It was the first Muslim place we had been, even though there was a Christ painting on the tower. The market was extremely chaotic: the garbage, the piles of shirts and jeans, the plastic covering the umbrellas, the people everywhere.
June 20: We had no electricity tonight. That means no fan, no light in the bathroom, no water, and certainly no air conditioning. It was so stuffy it was hard to sleep. Then we went and visited the women of West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) today. These women protested in the fish market with Leymah under the beating heat of the mid-day sun every day for years to stop the war that was killing and torturing them and their families. This realization makes it hard, or really impossible, to complain about not having a fan for one night. We also visited our first peace hut, a safe place where women can make complaints about their treatment and they are responded to officially. It is inspiring to see how women have been so important to the turnaround of Liberia, and how they continue to be a force to improve their own conditions. June 21: Today we visited Mano River Union Peace Network Liberia (MARWOPNET) which runs a community radio station, "The Voice of Women of Peace," micro-enterprise programs, and literacy training. The highlight for me was the radio station. Many of us got to speak on the radio. AJWS tour member Aaron's goal back in the US is to find a radio station to partner with the Liberians. If you can help, let us know. June 22: Our visit today was with Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), taking a look at land rights issues in a village in Medina. This was by far the poorest village we visited. Once they had enough food for three meals a day for everyone, but due to a land rights dispute their farm land was taken away and now they have barely enough food for one meal a day for their residents. In some cases the children here wore scraps of clothing: a ripped Boy Scout uniform, a tattered Hawaiian shirt, a tee-shirt with a saying or logo on it. But they were also the most excited to see us and to have their pictures taken. They would pose and jump up just to get into our pictures. One little boy carried a black plastic purse and a pair of luggage keys he had found somewhere. It was clear these were his prized possessions and he wanted to show them off because they made him cool. Eva noted that the children had reddish hair, which can be a sign of malnutrition. For me this was the most difficult village to leave, knowing what they are up against.
Liberia doesn't have the African equivalent of an Angkor Wat to put it on the map and draw people in, but I left this amazing nation feeling that it was similar in that it was on the verge of something spectacular. In five years, I probably won't recognize the Liberia I found on this trip. I can't say that they are ready for constant tourism, as it is strictly defined, but it is ready for people to see what they have been up against and what they are doing every single day to overcome their circumstances. I believe there are great things ahead for Liberians. There is even world-renowned surfing three hours from Monrovia. Of all the trips I've taken with Absolute Travel, I found this trip truly gave me the gift of compassion and enriched my connection to Africa in a way I never experienced before. It was empowering and inspiring to work with AJWS and to have the privilege of contributing to their work on the ground. I will never forget it. Contact us to discuss a customized itinerary that includes Liberia, or for more information about upcoming study tours please contact our partner at AJWS, Rena Dascal, via e-mail (firstname.lastname@example.com) or phone 212 792 2829. Leslie


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So what is it we do:
We spend most of our time in a state of discovery, this happens through conversations with each other, stakeholders and users, but most of our discovery happens, if we let it, from the build and delivery.
We do it early because it's an important part of discovery and enables us to deliver. Building something useful is our purpose but we build in such a way that we can adapt our design as we discover better ways of doing it.
If we are free to build rapidly we need a clean environment to build on. Cleaning activities include refactoring, automation and general removal of problems: day-to-day, social or systematic.
We deliver often because the feedback leads to discovery.
If we discover the right thing to build and our code and environment are clean there isn't much to fix
So. What's changed? A mindset that values discovery, brought about by the realisation that we cannot know till we try. Discovery happens naturally if you let it, we soon discover that keeping clean is more effective.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dear Editor,

Thank you for the excellent article by Francis Baker, Going hungry in Canada (Editorial, The Confederate, Nov. 7)

This story is very true for Mount Forest. Of course poverty is not merely a matter of a lack of money. Some people have grown up without the resources to be able to deal with life in a healthy and positive way. A lot of people are in the situation they are, through no fault of their own. Regardless of how they got there, helping is always possible.

We have many groups and individuals who are supportive of those in need. More of us could be. The community pantry (food bank) assists many people and families monthly. At St Andrew's we began "the Father's table", a once-a-month meal, free of charge, to anyone who wants to come, whether they are looking for a social time, a good meal, or help with extra food. The United church puts on a similar meal every other month. There is room for other groups to do the same, coordinated with the groups currently helping.

The Christmas hamper campaign is underway for the coming season, but people need help all year round. The question to ask ourselves is: what can I do? How can I help someone in need? Out of a loving and giving heart, most of us could do more. There is room for much more to be done in this community to make lives beter. But will we?

Nan St Louis


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O'Neills pub in High Street, Winchester, is holding a charity music marathon on January 26 and 27.
Money raised at the event will go towards Naomi House children's hospice and Wessex Cancer Trust.
The event starts at midday on both days. Entry is free but there is a suggested donation of £2.


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Dear TIME-Reader:
At daybreak one morning, a girl with a bright kerchief over her head walked into the chapel of the Maryknoll mother house near Ossining, N.Y. in the company of a group of black-hooded sisters. Soon, the religious were intent on their missals, following the recital of the Mass, while the visitor slyly tried to peer about without moving her head. The sisters were full of piety; the girl in the kerchief was full of curiosity. She was TIME Researcher Deirdre Mead Ryan, at work on the week's cover story.
To study Mother...
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Now I know cat lovers out there are convinced that our feline friends should be worshiped and revered for the intelligent and superior beings they are. Let it be known that I too, am CATegorically an animal lover. Nevertheless, I refuse to accept that the reason Ripley furtively slipped out of the house, disappearing into the night, not to been seen or heard of for days, was because she "heard" us talking about her impending appointment with the V.E.T.
She was, as my husband insists on saying, due to "have her femininity taken away" the next day. She'd been as fruity as a bag of Gummi Bears. It was time.
Anyway, that was immaterial as she had done a runner. Maybe off for a last chance for "lurve" before the urge was removed? She may be domestiCATed but she was still amorous. When she failed to return after a couple of days we began to worry and Finje, now upset, started to ask questions about her loCATion. I wanted to plaCATe her but I too had feelings of dread. I tried to soften the blow by saying there was a good chance Riply would return but if not we had to accept the other possibility. Finje preempted the grimness by deliCATely asking:
"Is she dead?"
Before I could pontifiCATe over an appropriate response, she followed up with "What does dead mean?" I replied that it's like going to sleep forever. Somewhat of a simplifiCATion I know, but she nodded, indiCATing no further interest and continued to play.
The German word for dead is "tot". Pronounced "tote" like the betting system not "tot" as in jelly! Having accepted my explanation with no indiCATion of perplexion I was rather taken aback when her kindergarten teacher asked for a quiet word. Never a good sign.
"Frau Nowak is everything alright with Herr Nowak? Finje said he was......well..... dead!"
My husband, suffering from a nasty chest infection, had taken a generous dollop of Night Nurse and was not for being roused that morning. Finje had communiCATed this (omitting the Night Nurse detail) and apparently demonstrating no signs of anguish whatsoever was telling everyone, "Mein Vater ist tot!"
Time for some more eduCATion me thinks.
How do we talk about death with three-year-olds?


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Spoilers ahead!
A few not-so-shocking giveaways about this week's new movie releases, including Justice League and Frank Serpico
Matthew Lickona 6 p.m., Nov. 17
(Page 3 of 5)
"We took out a one hundred percent loan to value," Harlan says. "But our real-estate agent double-ended the deal. So the place had appraised at $550,000, and basically she cut us a check for half of her commission."
The Harlans paid no money down. Their mortgage is around $2900 per month, homeowners' association (HOA) fees are $378 per month, and taxes are another $450 — for a total payment of just over $3700 each month.
Their 1100-square-foot unit is on the sixth floor — the top floor — and it faces the tree-lined courtyard inside Union Square. It has two stories, with a 300-square-foot private deck, stainless-steel appliances, and granite countertops.
Their unit reappraised last year for $450,000. But now, Jordon Harlan says, the value is closer to $400,000, or maybe even $350,000.
"With the economic situation," Harlan says, "it could take five years for my place to get back up to the value it had when I bought it. At that rate, with me paying the interest payments on it and not actually amortizing the loan at all, it doesn't make any financial sense to stay in the place. For instance, we figure that over the next three years it'll cost us about $133,000. We'd need to see an increase in value for that to be worth it. And it's not likely to happen."
Harlan and his brother are looking into loan solutions offered by the government, but they're not finding relief there. "There's an $8.5 billion settlement offered by Countrywide," Harlan says, "although that applies to subprime loans and pay options, which is where you can make a minimum payment for less than the interest on the loan [resulting in negative amortization]. And this is basically predatory lending. So they're allowing you to call Countrywide and just have your place refinanced. But they don't have those programs for prime loans, which sucks, because my value's being hit by the subprimes and the pay options and the foreclosures, but they don't have any solutions for me. But I'm going to call in and try to work out something where either they refinance the value of my loan down to a fair-market value. Or I'd even be open to the lender renting it to me, with the option of buying it back a few years from now."
Harlan is a second-year law student at USD, and he waits tables a couple of nights a week at Tapenade Restaurant in La Jolla. But mostly, he's going into debt, paying school loans on top of his home loan, without much income.
Harlan's brother is in the search-engine-optimization business.
Harlan learned about real estate by reading books such as Home Buying for Dummies and from spending hours on the phone with his real-estate agent.
"My loan is an 80/20," Harlan says. "The first is a 5.75 percent interest rate, which is really reasonable. And it was full doc [fully documented], which means they got all my income and my brother's income. The 20 percent is a home equity line of credit, and that fluctuates with the prime rate."
A new possibility that the Harlans have put on the table is foreclosure. "I don't want to sit in the house for six years," Harlan says, "waiting for the value to come back. It doesn't make any sense financially. At this point, I'm going to pay more to stay here than I'll ever make from selling it. Not to mention that the adjustable rate I got was for seven years, which was, I thought, more than enough. So my loan could actually adjust, which I thought would be unheard of when I first bought it.
"You feel like a failure, you know," he says. "Because you made such a huge investment, and you had your naysayers when you did it. And you had your supporters, too, people who backed you up, people you trusted. And you didn't know who to believe or what to believe. And then to have to foreclose is to say that you made the wrong decision. To admit that you had poor judgment. And there's the credit issue. Landon's credit has rebounded from the 500s to over 700 now. Mine is bordering on 800. I've never been late for a payment in my life. So to have a foreclosure, it's like, Jesus, I went through so much work to get my credit where it is.
"We had the income to finance a house this size. But 100 percent financing was a bad idea, from the bank's perspective. When you're looking at a half-million-dollar house, if you don't have any equity in it, and it stops appreciating, then you have no reason to stay in it except for your credit. You have no equity.
"It's a tough situation to figure out what to do, because, how do you price your credit score, you know? And it's an interesting side note for me, because I'm going through a moral-character application for the California bar, where they evaluate your financial record. So essentially, a foreclosure could keep me from being admitted to the bar. I have to worry about what this whole housing situation might do to my career."
From a Developer's Point of View
"This isn't particularly a bad time for us," says Brian Stoddard, emphasizing the word us, "it's a bad time for everyone." Stoddard is the president and chief operating officer for Calgary-based Pointe of View, Vantage Pointe's developer. "We're not having any project-related issues, we're having market-related issues. We continue to believe in that building, and we continue to believe in San Diego. We're putting up a landmark in a world-class city."
Stoddard says that Pointe of View hasn't made the decision yet whether it's going to offer properties for rent. "Am I going to rent out units, or reprice the units, just because we're in a bad market?" Stoddard asks. "Or am I going to sit there and carry those units and sell them at a time when I think the market may be better, if I think that's going to be months instead of years away? That's a mathematical equation for me. And it's the kind of thing we've done in the past. We've sat on units. I have no reason to fire-sale units. We are a large developer. We have thousands of units all over the continent. We have buildings in Ontario, Calgary, British Columbia, Arizona, Hawaii, Orange County, and we have another site in San Diego (at 11th and Broadway), just two blocks away from Vantage, which we haven't begun to build on yet. Again, we believe in San Diego. Those units in Vantage Pointe are going to sell. Is it going to take 8 months, 10 months, 15 months to sell them? Maybe. I don't know. But it's not going to break us to sit there and carry that building for the next year. We know the market is going to come back, and someday, we're going to have two big residential buildings in San Diego. At least two."
I am completely sickened at how a collection of greedy swine took such an easy-going, laid-back, relatively inexpensive place, like San Diego used to be, and RUINED it. I'm glad I got to experience San Diego (and indeed the whole of southern California), before it was destroyed by the locusts.
Do the math:
The average wage in San Diego is just over $40k per year.
Take away just 25% for taxes, and you're left with $30k net.
That's $2,500 take home pay per month.
If half of it is going to housing, (which is high), you can only pay $1,250 per month for your mortgage, HOA, and taxes combined.
Nothing downtown at that price.
Well, let's assume that all the people living downtown are exceptional and make double the average in San Diego...$80k per year.
Still only $2,500 per month for your housing.
So your spouse or partner must make at least another average ($40k) salary just to make ends meet on a one bedroom place. Either one of you lose your job, and you're in trouble. No 401k or retirement savings to dip into for a rainy day now...
In other words, under any foreseeable combination of circumstances there are going to be a growing number of those who cannot afford their downtown condo in the next several years, and almost certainly the alleged values of these properties must drop further from where they are today.
It's a lot cheaper to rent, with no risk of going further under water, I can't understand anyone who is buying at today's prices.
Look at craigslist and see...
The elected officials of our nation, and San Diego especially, at the behest of their development and finance backers, threw fuel on the housing fire during the bubble years. Now, with unemployment shooting up and people's savings wiped out, how will they respond to the new crisis?
One thing is certain. CCDC's job is over. It built out downtown, as it promised, and now we've got too many condos that are simply too expensive for most San Diegans to ever buy.
Now the city needs to concentrate on encouraging wealth creation not through property speculation but by actually producing things of value. I'd like to see the city encourage start ups in some of these vacant units, especially the ones near the ground floor, where telecommuters and knowledge workers can actually find well paid work here.
We'll see what happens over the next decade, but I predict it's going to get uglier still if we don't adapt to the changes in the world around us, or hold our heads under the sand.
You really need to me making $150,000 per year in San Diego to pull it off and live a nice life.
No kids. No dog. No wife.
$300k if you want those things.
Anyone know where to get a job in San Diego for 300k?
And we don't even have topless beaches with Model girls.
So what is the next move?
I think all the people who were interviewed sounded like d-bags. With their "mommies and daddies" paying for these places, and "recent USD Grad's" - what do they know about struggling? Interview a family with two parents working to supports kids and a house and how stressed out they are about making their mortgage that they busted their a**es for and took everything they had to get into in the first place and it would really change the tone of this article. I don't feel bad for these people....at all. Maybe Spick, because at least he seems intelligent.
To Stevewag23: I really have no answer as to the next move. The damage has been thoroughly and extensively done. I left in complete and total disgust in December of 2000. The San Diego that exists now is a sickening, loathsome aberration of the real San Diego. At this point in time, I wouldn't care if I never saw it again (and I NEVER thought I'd live to say such a thing!!).
Lets not talk bad about USD.
Its one of the last bastions of class this town has.
I have to hand it to you.
I moved back in 2000!
You are smarter than me.
A lot of this country is in a similar boat so its difficult at times to figure where to move.
Any suggestions?
What a great article for all San Diegans. I came across the same article as NinaNaNaNa and saw her comments. It was a good article because it was San Diegans honestly sharing thoughts about their City and it's future. That is what The Reader is, and has always been, about. I have lived here since 1963 and I miss the old San Diego, too. But, it's always your choice where you live. BTW, NinaNaNaNa, have you met these people or walked in their shoes? USD has always been about excellent grades, scholarships and ethics. Rich kids get expelled. Did you really read the article or are you just standing on a pedestal playing poor me? Are you raising your children to be victims of the economy or to hate what is evolving? If you can take the time to criticize, you must be intelligent. Why don't you take the time to go to City Hall {202 C St. 12th Floor}? Do something to make your children proud and not embarrass them further.
Anyone know where to get a job in San Diego for 300k?
And we don't even have topless beaches with Model girls.
Only place to get a $300K per year job in San Diego is with the government-and that would include the benefits.
USD has always been about excellent grades, scholarships and ethics. Rich kids get expelled.
nofears, USD expells no one. USD is simply a trust funder univerity who gives every advantage to their rich pampered students.
I personally had a trust funder friend at USD who would have not lasted 2 semesters at San Diego State-but because he was at USD he was allowed to withdraw from classes on virtually the last day of class-which he did repeatedly because he was failing and would have received an F. This went on for 8 years. He withdrew from 1 specific class he needed to graduate on 9 different occassions.
BTW-this clown finally graduated with this extra ordinary private university flexibility-which you would never in a million years find at a public university.
Dont tell me USD is the meritocrocy of education you make it out to be. It's not.
Oh my God! I don't think I've ever read so many lies.
There aren't going to be any walk throughs" or punch lists for months and months!
No one is going to be moving in in April OR May. I work in that building. It's so far behind schedule it's a joke.
We have all heard that all of the unsold units are going to be rentals.
What a crock.
Run away!!!!
Spick should bail out of his condo and face his family responsibilities. Downtown is no place to raise a child. The area is rife with dopers and drunks. He should give up his dream of a fantasy lifestyle that he probably can't afford and remain in Scripps Ranch where the schools are decent. He's never going to get a loan to buy the condo anyway. Lenders know that he'll walk on the Scripps Ranch loan if he receives a loan to buy the condo. They've seen the pattern over and over.
I agree with Burwell that the schools are decent in Scripps Ranch. If not in Scripps Ranch then in Carmel Valley. You can't raise a kid in downtown. Spick should get out now while he can.
Hate to tell you this, but more than a few of you are being a bit too optimistic. When things go pear shaped you're going to see condo projects being abandoned outright. No finishing, nobody moving in. Shooting galleries with stainless steel washers and dryers.
What will change things?
Federal indictments. Indictments on people in local government. Indictments on upper management at the Union/Tribune. Indictments on upper management in construction companies. San Diego will have to go into receivership, with a Federal judge as "Governor General".
Add in one or more local judges, plus at least one state official (Yo, Moon Beam!) in that list of indictment recipients, and San Diego's gonna be a happening place pretty dang soon. You'll know things are going down when Mike Aguirre is called to testify before certain Congressional committees and sub-committees.
Don't faint when you read this, but you are 100% correct and I couldn't agree with you more as per your above comments.
"Only place to get a $300K per year job in San Diego is with the government-and that would include the benefits."
Yeah, but what about the topless beaches with Model girls?
"Downtown is no place to raise a child. The area is rife with dopers and drunks."
It actually could use more dopers.
It would make it more fun and we would get more tourists coming in.
Anyone with kids in downtown would be transporting their kids to private schools anyway. They surely won't send them to public ones there. There are surely not load of dopers compared to how it used to be. Friends used to hold gigs in Croce's basement in the mid 80's, when Croce's was the only place there. Now there were dopers then! Or even round '90 when we used to track from 5th ave down to, oh was it 9th and G St? to go to Java, now there were really dopers!


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Flyers - 150gsm Silk - 150gsm Silk Flyers
Finished Size: A3, A4, A5, A6, DL
Print: Four colour process (CMYK)
Delivery: Included in price.
Turnaround times: 3 to 4 working days.
We use a combination of digital and litho methods to allow us to give you the best price we can. As a general rule of thumb, print runs up to 1000 are printed digitally while runs above 1000 will be printed litho but this cannot be guaranteed.


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Honorary Rangers Combined Forces And Held A Display At Mkhuhlu Plaza Near Hazyview In Mpumalanga.
11 June 2008
During late May 2008, the Honorary Ranger's National Project team for Public Environmental Awareness Program (PEAP), together with People and Conservation at Skukuza combined forces. They held a joint display at the Mkhuhlu Plaza near Hazyview in Mpumalanga.
"With the able assistance of the HR members from the Lowveld region in Nelspruit, they hosted a two day long display at the Plaza.
Disappointment was high when interested parties learned that the display and items would be going back to Gauteng afterwards. Members of the public who attended the display, and learned from it, were keen to see it stay in their mall, like a permanent reminder.
SANParks member of staff, Miyelani Mhlari was a great help in the display. The public were especially interested in the counter poaching effort, as well as the snakes, both of which are a major concern in their area.
Thank you very much to all who contributed, and made the effort to assist, as well as the huge public interest, who made this a big success.


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William "Bill" Leonard Hall (born December 28, 1979, in Nettleton, Mississippi) is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Houston Astros.
In the 2005 season, Hall helped the Brewers to their first .500 season since 1992. Splitting time among third base, shortstop, and second base, Hall had a batting average of .291 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs.
The following season, Hall played behind newly acquired third baseman Corey Koskie, shortstop J. J. Hardy, and second baseman Rickie Weeks. On May 17, 2006, Hall became the Brewers' starting shortstop after Hardy injured his ankle.


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To the editor:
Republican President Dwight Eisenhower spent millions on our country's infrastructure and government services that made life better for everyone. Ironically, today it's the House Republicans who block use of tax revenue — our tax dollars — for government services that nearly everyone wants.
President Eisenhower invested huge sums in constructing interstate highways, which provided jobs for about anyone who wanted a well-paying opportunity. Demand for road and bridge building contractors, engineers and skilled equipment operators lifted many into the middle income bracket. Workers had money in their pockets. Small businesses and industries sprung up along the highways to serve travelers.
Tea Party Republicans are squeezing government income so hard that we can't even hire the teachers, police officers and firefighters we need. Republicans even block attempts of President Barack Obama to hire unemployed construction workers to repair the highways and bridges that President Eisenhower built. Ironically, President Obama has the same philosophy of government's role as Eisenhower — kick-start investment in things people want and need. That's what we pay our taxes for. Under President Eisenhower, we truly had "government of the people, by the people, for the people."
House Republicans don't care about the masses. Their incomes aren't in danger. They get rich off of perks and payola distributed by lobbyists of billionaires seeking lower taxes. Modern robber barons of Wall Street pressure them with largess to shift Social Security tax dollars into 401(k) accounts. They want to use that money to wheel and deal on Wall Street, investing in global corporate stocks, where the big money is, and they are privy to inside information. There goes the safety net of our great grandchildren when they retire.
More gravy comes to House Republicans from the private health industry, which is trying to kill President Obama's attempt to bring mushrooming Medicare costs under control. The private health industry, with the help of other billionaires, spends enough money on its Fox News propaganda network to pay its cost several times over. Fox News is a purveyor of misinformation organized by Rupert Murdoch.
Water and denial
To the editor:
Regarding the announcement of Pat Mulroy's exit from the Southern Nevada Water Authority ("Water manager leaving," Tuesday Review-Journal), are we supposed to be happy that rates will go up? That the SNWA did the best it could? And should we give the outgoing water czar a party? If we accept all that with a shrug, then we'll get what we deserve.
Denial is a great guilt cleanser. Here are the facts:
1. The water authority had no business building a museum (Springs Preserve) for a reported $235 million, with no way to cover ongoing expenses. Did the Springs Preserve really need a gourmet chef's enterprise for food services?
2. Builders were never required to adequately cover planning for flood control, desert landscaping and funding for water infrastructure. You know why.
3. Water is a problem for at least eight western states, and Nevada's water authority should have made it an ongoing priority with the federal government. The city of Soldotna, Alaska, pointed out that its Kenai River dumps all its spring flow into the ocean every year. Why don't we pipe such water to the West? We can bring down water from all the places where it's more than abundant, and do flood control and possible hydroelectric generation to boot.
4. Desalination is more than feasible. Talk to the Israelis and Saudis about that.
Yes, the water rates will skyrocket, the rich will pay and pass the costs on to whomever, and the outgoing water czar will get a great pension and a wonderful going-away party.
Staring at the Sun
To the editor:
I feel it necessary to comment on the obvious demise of the Las Vegas Sun. In the 1980s, I lived in Baltimore. The city had a more conservative newspaper called the Baltimore News-American, and the liberal paper was and is The Baltimore Sun. The News-American lost readership and went out of business. Nobody screamed that we needed a conservative paper to balance things out, or that conservatives needed a voice.
The Sun's Brian Greenspun is no William Randolph Hearst. Put on your big boy pants, Mr. Greenspun, stop crying and get a new life. I don't like paying for your childish-looking paper, though my dogs, all four of them, love it.
Sequester hits veterans
To the editor:
Active duty personnel aren't the only ones affected by the ongoing sequestration budget cuts. Veterans are getting the short end of the stick, too ("Military families agonize sequester, planner says," Monday Review-Journal). These cuts have affected programs that train veterans for new jobs. They've furloughed medical staff at military clinics that help troops and veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Sequestration cuts will even hit Veterans Affairs next year, which is bad news for veterans who already must wait months or years to get answers about the benefits they've earned.
Of course, caring for our veterans costs money, just like everything else, and money is tight right now. Yet sequestration is a clumsy strategy for trimming our budget, blindly cutting essential programs while leaving real government waste untouched. For instance, while programs to help homeless veterans take a hit, the Pentagon's most expensive program in history, the Joint Strike Fighter, has avoided sequestration altogether. This is despite the fact that the program is billions over budget, years behind schedule and has received poor marks from test pilots. Some Pentagon insiders recommend we cancel it outright.
These are the real discussions Congress should be having about the budget, instead of allowing sequestration to cut veterans services.


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The essentials of e-commerce: from setup to selling
Guardian Masterclasses
Monday, February 10, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM (GMT)
Event Details
The UK is, per capita, the largest e-commerce market in the world. An online store is now the simplest way to monetise a website, and for small businesses, it's the best possible route to providing national access to your products and services.
This jargon-free evening course will show you everything you need to know to make sure your website is open for business, including how to find the right e-commerce and order processing platforms for your needs, how to design an attractive storefront (or have someone do it for you), and how to ensure your visitors have the most engaging possible shopping experience. There are also tips on marketing your site through social media to maximise its commercial potential, and how to use simple tools to track the performance of your online store.
Course description
This lively, informative evening uses real-life case studies to provide a practical approach to the key skills and tools you need to get started right away. From chosing the right software to marketing the finished product, this evening could be the most significant night in the life of your site.
- Choosing an e-commerce platform thats right for your business
- From PayPal to Stripe – choosing the best payment provider
- Designing your first storefront – or commissioning the professionals
- Create an engaging shopping experience for your users
- From Instagram to Pinterest – marketing your site through social media
- Tools and tips for tracking the performance of your online store
This course is for you if...
- You're a small business owner looking to expand your customer base and marketing reach
- You operate a website and want to sell merchandise or offer your services to clients
- You want to be part of the e-commerce boom and want to better understand the opportunities
Tutor profile
Lee Simpson is a Senior User Experience Architect at The Guardian, working on Digital CMS and interactive projects. Prior to working at The Guardian, Lee worked working with clients such as ITV, Channel 4, TalkTalk, EE and the NHS as both a designer and developer. Lee has extensive knowledge e-commerce platforms including Shopify, and has bee guest lecturer on HyperIslands E-Commerce Business program. In 2013 Lee was as mentor on both the Ignite100 and SearchCamp start-up accelerator programs.
Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website
When & Where
The Guardian
Kings Place
90 York Way
N1 9GU London
United Kingdom
Monday, February 10, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM (GMT)
Add to my calendar
Guardian Masterclasses
Welcome to Guardian masterclasses – a unique programme of learning embedded within one of the world's most forward-thinking media organisations.
Masterclasses offer a broad range of short and long courses across a variety of disciplines from creative writing, journalism, photography and design, film and digital media, music and cultural appreciation.
Harnessing the expertise and specialisms within the organisation, our courses are led by first class and award winning guardian professionals whilst also drawing on the skills and expertise of other leading figures at the forefront of the creative and digital industries.
The programme is aimed at anyone interested in personal or professional development whether that be refining your skills, focusing your ambition or simply broadening your mind and gaining inspiration.


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Artist description:
haha as you can see...I found the *Scatter* button today ;) lol I need to have a day where I just sit down and draw...but I REALLY want a tablet.
Java Draw Created Apr 22, 2010 460 x 640px Unless noted Copyright 2010 Winter Dragon.
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:o wow!! you don't need a tablet, you'd be just as good without one!! 5/5 & added to faves!!!! :D oh and thanks for your comment on my spongebob drawing!! heehee XD
woa this draw is well good i like it 5./5!!
Lovely job with the scatter tool ... this looks great! :) I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get a tablet. ^___^ 5 ♥s
I hope one day get that table I really liked this picture is a very original drawing I'd like you won this competition so that at last you have your table ;D 5H!
haha glad u found the Scatter button! i thought you already had a tablet because your work is wonderful! love the rainbow
Awesome draw... i love rainbows, and you were very creative on it and created nice effects to look at! Scttering button is awesome, isnt it? I think i use it in every single draw I do! ^^ 5♥s
HAHA! Billy boy you just crack me up. ^,..,^ And thank you to everyone else. I think I want to do a drawing that looks just like the paint on the brush. only colors! I guess I can do it now...^,..,^
Wow, this is awesome. I like it. I just found out about the scatter effect as well! you should check my stuff out if you want.
Beautiful colors :) I love it 5/5h :):)
Nice 5h.


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Chia pudding and warmed berries with a granola we made using @sunsol_muesli nut lovers blend ❤- a bowl that satisfies with texture and flavour. If you'd like the granola Recipe, head over to their feed ❤ Tomorrow we will be starting a pampering giveaway with @sunsol_muesli – it'll include premium vegan goodies, and an extra special surprise that we are totally excited for. Stay tuned!
Shared by panaceas_pantry (Kath And Jade.) and selected for Food.


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Sea Salt & Turbinado Sugar Chocolate Almonds
March 19, 2012 - Fearlessly Archived - Still a fun read, price & availability may have changed.
Nuts About...
The venerable almond is a force to be reckoned with, no matter how it's presented. Whether raw or roasted, bare or salted, the almond scores points for flavor, texture and even nutritional excellence.
Perhaps, then, it is hubris to assume we can improve on the amazing almond. But assume we did, and achieve we have. Trader Joe's Sea Salt & Turbinado Sugar Dark Chocolate Almonds start as California-grown dry roasted almonds. We drench them in luxurious dark chocolate, and then gild the lily – just a bit – by dusting the chocolate with turbinado sugar (often called "raw" sugar, turbinado crystals are larger and darker than white sugar) and coarse sea salt produced from the natural evaporation of San Francisco Bay seawater. The almonds are crunchy; the chocolate is creamy; and the sugar and the salt add tantalizing coarseness that tickles the tongue. Each almond is bite-sized, and each bite is an explosion of flavor and texture in your mouth. A single serving is 13 almonds for 210 calories, giving you plenty of opportunity to indulge, without really being too indulgent. And our price isn't indulgent at all. We're selling each 10 ounce tub (about seven servings) for $3.99.
Culinary Curiosity: There are several types of large-crystal, "raw" sugars that are less processed than refined "white" sugar. We use Turbinado here. Its name comes from the centrifuges, or turbines, in which the evaporated sugar cane "juice" is spun to dry.
The Candy Dish: It's believed that almonds were a favorite of the Romans, and that their sugared almonds may have been among the first sweetmeats in history!


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Tarrant County prosecutors have struck a plea deal with a man accused of brutally murdering a woman in her southwest Arlington home.
Shane Lee Dixon, 37, pleaded guilty to murder in the slaying of 67-year-old Signe Edwards. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to a 30 year prison sentence. Prosecutors said Dixon will be eligible for parole after serving 15 years behind bars.
"This crime was committed with a special kind of evil," said Prosecutor Keith Harris. "Thanks to the committed investigators with the Arlington Police Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and Caddo County Sheriff's Department, as well as a concerned daughter, this crime was solved. A very violent man is off the streets."
On June 9, 2013, Edwards' body was found in her bedroom inside her southwest Arlington home by police officers conducting a welfare check at the request of her daughter. Officers at the scene reported Edwards suffered a massive trauma to her head and face. The Tarrant County medical examiner later determined Edwards died from multiple lacerations described as chop wounds.
Arlington police said early on in the investigation detectives learned Dixon had worked as a handyman for Edwards and that, according to multiple witnesses, the two had recently had a falling out.
According to those witnesses, Edwards had given Dixon both a gun to be repaired and the money needed to cover the cost of the repair. After some time had passed Edwards had become upset that Dixon refused to return either.
On June 17, 2013, Arlington police learned that Dixon had been arrested in Oklahoma by the Caddo County Sheriff's Department on unrelated traffic charges. Detectives from the Arlington Police Department went to Oklahoma to interview Dixon and confirmed that he had worked for Edwards, though he told them he had not been to the house in weeks.
Police said that a search of Dixon's vehicle revealed blood evidence that was later determined to be a match for Edwards. Police said a latent fingerprint found at Edwards' home was a match for Dixon.
After his arrest in Oklahoma, Dixon was extradited back to Texas to face the murder charge and an additional charge of unlawful possession of a firearm (Edwards' weapon) by a felon. Dixon also pleaded guilty to that gun charge this week and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. That sentence will run concurrently with the murder sentence.
"While there will never truly be a victory in this case, as we can't bring her back or unwind the tragic way in which she lost her life, we are feeling a sense of relief that he is where he belongs and won't be able to do this to another family's loved one," said Kelly Edwards Phillips, Signe's daughter. "Our sincerest gratitude is extended to Detective Caleb Blank and Mr. Keith Harris with the District attorney's office for their hard work and diligence in this case."
NBC 5 has learned Dixon has a 2008 conviction for assault causing bodily injury in Kennedale and a 1994 conviction for retaliation in Arlington.


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Institutions and Individuals at the Turn‐of‐the‐Year
- Abstract
- Full Text PDF
- Author(s): RICHARD W. SIAS, LAURA T. STARKS
- Published: Apr 18, 2012
- Pages: 1543-1562
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.1997.tb01120.x
This article evaluates the tax‐loss‐selling hypothesis against the window‐dressing hypothesis as explanations for turn‐of‐the‐year anomalies. We examine differences between securities dominated by individual investors versus those dominated by institutional investors and find that the effect is more pervasive in the former. Controlling for capitalization, we find that in early January (late December), stocks with greater individual investor interest outperform (underperform) stocks with greater institutional investor interest. These results hold for both stocks that previously appreciated in value and stocks that previously depreciated in value. The results are most consistent with the tax‐loss‐selling hypothesis as an explanation for the turn‐of‐the‐year effect.


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Artist description:
No description entered.
Java Draw Created Jul 15, 2013 1024 x 736px Unless noted Copyright 2013 sistercool.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
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interesting drawing!
nice drawing. 5h
Good job!
Lovely work :) ~5/5
so beautiful and unusual :)
wow! really cool! 5/5
This is really cool. :)
i love the texture of this piece, and it is really mysterious! 5/5!
this reminds me of that book by steven king the gunslinger where he finds the door on the beach and walks through it to another dimension


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Running is my mental-Ctrl-Alt-Del.
Very soon! Yay!
How is it feeling now? Can you walk fast without pain? Have you tried to jog at all yet?
Woohoo! I know you already know this, but I have to say it anyway, make sure to take it easy when you get back out there.
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
Refurbished Hip
I am planning on trying my first test run in a few weeks too, Hilary! Sometime around Christmas. I biked today for the first time.
Huh, I have a blog?
It's best to never get injured, but if you do, make sure you learned something from it.
What did you learn?
Soon little one soon!!LOL
Hilary, I think you have probably gained some good perspective through this tough time.
Honestly I didn't run a real race until I had been running for 3 years and it was a half marathon (did the Race
for the Cure 5k in my first year but it was more of a charity/girls thing for me).
I am actually grateful I had those 3 years where I was running simply because I loved running and it was fun.
I didn't know any other runners, didn't know anything about running message boards or racing.
Now after almost 10 years of racing I can honestly say that when my races days (or days of racing 10+ times/year
and marathons) come to and end that I will still love running for it's own sake. When that day comes I will change
my siggy to "Racing, who cares?"LOL
I hope when you come back you are running well and pain free.
You too Mandy!


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The second and third years of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship football game in Jacksonville resulted in low ticket sales for games matching Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech and Virgnia Tech vs. Boston College.
And somehow, ACC officials made the implication that it was the fault of the Jacksonville area football fans ... or else they wouldn't have moved the game to Tampa. At the very least, the national media buzz was that Jacksonville couldn't get it done when it came to supporting the game.
Well, now we know ... it's the overall mediocre quality of ACC football and lackluster championship games that are at fault.
Saturday's rematch between Virginia Tech and Boston College (won by the Hokies 30-12), resulted in ticket sales only a fraction more than last year's game in Jacksonville (53,927 ticket distributed in Tampa, only 715 more than last year). The Associated Press estimated the actual attendance to be less than 30,000. Gator Bowl officials said a bit more than 40,000 people actually were in the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium for last year's game.
Not only was the upper bowl of Raymond James Stadium bare, but many seats on the 50 were clearly unoccupied when the cameras panned the seats during the telecast.
Here's the kicker: ACC officials said Tech and Boston College combined for 4,800 tickets sold. The amazing stat is that perhaps Virginia Tech's reputation for fan support has either dropped off, or they expected to win, and decided to sit out the ACC title game in Tampa since they believed they'd be playing in the Orange Bowl in Miami less than a month later.
The mistake apparently is the ACC's for believing that the game could work in Florida -- or it could work if Florida State played Miami every year, as was the rather arrogant expectation. Maybe hard-core ACC fans were right when they believed the game should have been put in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium from the beginning, but here's my question: will people in Charlotte buy more tickets than Jacksonville or Tampa fans for a Virginia Tech vs. Boston College game?
Either way, it's now clear support of ACC title games can't be blamed on Jacksonville football fans. The ACC has a few decisions to make. Either move the game to Charlotte and hope a North Carolina team makes it, or impress upon their member schools and alunni base that they need to start supporting this game by purchasing tickets when their team is in it. It's embarrassing, for example, that Boston College has sold a combined 5,000 tickets or so in the last two years for the title game, the first attempts it ever had to win a conference title.
ACC can't blame Jacksonville for this one
The second and third years of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship football game in Jacksonville resulted in low ticket sales for games matching Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech and Virgnia Tech vs. Boston College.


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Solid product By Buster on 2/4/2016Buster would recommend this product to a friendDoes everything it needs to do and it works perfect for me! I love how you can adjust the height and how secures sits in my sump.
Great product By Ryan on 1/5/2016Ryan would recommend this product to a friendThe product is great, easy to set up and install to the system.
Very Nice Piece By Brett on 10/1/2015Brett would recommend this product to a friendWorks great on my sump, very nice piece and built very well.
Works great! By Benjamin on 4/21/2015Benjamin would recommend this product to a friendI have 2 of these and they both work great. Being able to adjust the height of each one made it possible for me to stagger them just enough to fit them into a limited space in my skimmer section of my sump.
East to install & looks great By Sean on 3/19/2014Sean would recommend this product to a friendThese sock holders look attractive, are easy to install, and have a good design.
Great for what it is By David on 1/14/2014David would recommend this product to a friendGood thick felt sock was very effective at trapping gunk. Convenient as a portable sock bracket - hang it on a bucket if needed.
Adjustable length inlet tube is a great feature - but I wish it were more securely attached to the bracket.
Great pre filter By John on 3/29/2013John would recommend this product to a friendDoes just as it should and catches almost all free floating debris. A must for that crystal clear water.
Great buy! By Mark on 10/9/2012Mark would recommend this product to a friendNow I can lose the bio balls and put in a fat cone skimmer. Shipping is fast!
50/50 on this one By roger on 4/27/2011roger would recommend this product to a friendThis thing does keep everything in my sump cleaner which i like but has some draw backs. one is its a pain to change the fiter sock and that long pipe gets every thing wet when i change it. for me thats about every four days. i would cut the pipe but after experimenting with this it started a loud chug chug sound. make sure to get a bunch of extra fiter socks too because there a pain to clean (i do mine in the washing machine). i think the mesh socks would be easier than the felt one that i have. one more thing, make sure there is enough room above your sump or you will not be able to lift the pipe out of the way to change the filter. sounds like a neg reveiw but it is the best way i know of to get all the lil particals that used to float around my tank out and keep my sump squeeky clean, so for that i do recommend this product.
Nice but not bullet proof By Joe on 2/28/2011Joe would recommend this product to a friendBeen using one for a few years, I managed to break the black acrylic at the bend as its a weakened the way they form the bend. Got creative with a way to still use it and it still is fine. Depending how long you make the pipe in the sock it can be hard to get a sock on/off but it also quiets the water sound having the pipe a little longer.


text: Hey dudes. I haven't been here in many years. Not since I got my very first bass, a Squier P-bass. Forgot my account info so I had to make a new one Anyways I was wondering if someone could help me out. I'm a pretty big noob when it comes to the bass. I never got the motivation to get past the beginning stages of learning the bass. You know, the stage when you suck. I'm looking to buy a new bass because my old cheap P-bass is super messed up. Not even worth fixing. After a bit of research I decided I want a new bass with specific qualities. Can anyone recommend good quality basses with the following specifications: 1. 5-string with low B 2. 35" 3. 3-band EQ 4. active pickups (it seems to be pretty standard, but I want 2 pickups with a blend control also) 5. no more than $800, $500ish would be best 6. no animal parts if possible, like mother of pearl inlays and stuff like that I understand some of this is overkill, but I want to get used to a 5-string and I want the flexibility of a 3-band EQ for later down the road. I'm going to be stuck with this bass for a long time.


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MMM would do this. We have a guide for it, Multi Mod Manager.
i have wiimc installed and it is acting funny, on another thread someone suggested uninstalling IOS58 and reinstalling it again. i would like to try this but i have seen in a few places "NEVER UNINSTALL A IOS" how might i go about safely uninstalling IOS58 so i can run the IOS58 installer again?
MMM would do this. We have a guide for it, Multi Mod Manager.
thank you for your reply cj, i do have the mmm, i just wasn't sure if the ios58 was ok to remove. in the original guide that i followed on "how not to brick your wii" it was written in about 20 places "NEVER UNINSTALL IOS" especially ones less than 200. but i guess this one is safe to remove. thanks for your help.


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College Towns Stay Vibrant
Examples considered in the article include Columbia, Missouri; College Park, Pennsylvania; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and Davis, California.
"Universities have long served as incubators for fresh thinking and new research. They also provide a solid economic base for area residents, allowing college towns to hold the distinction as areas of low unemployment. The economic activity trickles down into the host city, influencing the ethos of its civic life, from outdoor leisure pursuits to the performing arts."


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Stones of Contention: Tiny Homo species tied to ancient tool tradition
New discoveries have shifted a prehistoric, island controversy from bones to stones. Simple stone tools accompanied the fossils of Homo floresiensis, the half-size human cousin that inhabited the Indonesian island of Flores around 74,000 to 12,000 years ago, but some scientists argued that those tools had been made by Homo sapiens. Now, much older tools discovered on Flores suggest that H. floresiensis individuals carried on cultural practices initiated by their island ancestors.


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Sophie Holmes works the camera hard for the Nicole Miller S/S 2011 campaign. The confident model sports sleek, straight hair and wears long floor-grazing dresses, along with polished business attire and a perfect pretty pout.
The black and white Nicole Miller S/S 2011 campaign was photographed by Robbie Fimmano. This campaign has got me wondering if the outfits come in color! Ultimately, this is an interesting marketing strategy that could reel in some curious fashionistas.
Perfectly Pouty Pictorials
More Stats +/-
Leggy Lingerie Catalogs
70s Glamazon Editorials
Wearable Wooden Dresses
Luxury Leisure Lookbooks
Blonde Trio Fashion Ads
Sophie Holmes Works it for the Nicole Miller S/S 2011 Campaign
- By: Chalaine ManthaJan 24, 2011
References: nicolemiller & touchpuppet
References: nicolemiller & touchpuppet


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Make easy work of boat loading with a push of the button.
By Ariel Cabrera
Originally published March 2009 print edition
Hubs stay dry while boat glides onto the trailer.
No one wants to hand-crank a ton of fiberglass while a Saturday crowd looks on, and the fact is, you shouldn't need to.
A float-on trailer with correctly positioned bunks and guide poles makes loading and launching a breeze. In the Florida salt, however, special attention—and cash—must be devoted to trailer construction and maintenance, particularly submerged wheel bearings.
For some boat owners, an electric winch is a suitable alternative. The remote control, or RC, type is especially attractive. With well-maintained rollers on your trailer, and slicks on the bunks, you may find it feasible to keep your trailer high and dry without breaking a sweat.
I've enjoyed good results with the Powerwinch by Carefree of Colorado. The company sells complete kits with wiring harness and quick disconnect mounts. Cost ranges from $200 to $500. As with any winch system, select a model rated for the weight of your vessel, taking into account the incline of the ramp.
Installation instructions are easy to follow. I chose temporary wiring, which allows me to switch vehicles when needed. I crimped alligator clips to the ends of the wire harness. A dedicated deep cycle battery kept in the trunk of the tow vehicle is convenient; make sure you charge it periodically. (This extra battery may also come in handy in the event you need to jump-start a boat or truck at the ramp.)
Permanent wiring requires you to run the wiring under the vehicle to the battery, attaching tie wraps at approximately 18-inch intervals to the vehicle frame.
Power winches generally have similar operating instructions. When launching, turn the clutch control clockwise to release the brake. Do this slowly to control the speed at which the boat comes off the trailer; the clutch knob is like the safety on your hand-crank winch. You may have to give it a push.
Loading requires extra power, so plug the wiring harness into the winch. Free wheel enough cable to hook the bow and tighten the clutch knob to set the brake. Now press the IN button on the winch or remote control. When the boat reaches the bow stop, take your finger off the button and disconnect the harness. Don't forget to use a safety chain and trailer straps when you're ready to hit the road.
All modern, high-quality power winches have an emergency hand-crank lever in case your truck battery goes dead or you forgot your winch cell. Also, remember to keep your truck engine running while winching; a hard-working winch can drain a car battery in just one pull. Some boaters opt to upgrade their automotive alternators or starting batteries for this reason.
A few important details to consider: Secure your investment with anti-theft protection. I used a Master coupler lock to protect my winch from thieves. At the least, throw an old towel or make a raggedy canvas cover for it, to keep your new winch out of sight.
Truck-mount hydraulic recovery winch.
Hydraulic winches, such as those made by Mile Marker, run off the vehicle power steering pump while the truck is running. These rarely overheat, but they are more complicated to install due to a solenoid necessary to activate fluid to the winch. Mile Marker also has quick disconnect kits with removable stands, which can be used on the front or rear of a tow vehicle on the common receiver hitch. Great to have in the woods or for the fisherman/duck hunter who needs to launch and retrieve in awkward places. This system can be adapted to a boat trailer and would be a great choice for continuous work.
On the subject, I feel every marina should have a recovery winch—hydraulic or electric. I have seen trucks and cars literally swallowed by boat ramps. Winches definitely make it easier to get out of tough places and recover personal property. FS


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Fawn Dorr »
Updated: Top Twenty Canadian Indoor List – 2/12/2014
Here is an interesting ranking of Canadian athletes today. Not endorsed by Athletics Canada, but compiled form Douglas Clement. Top Twenty Canadians Indoor to February 12, 2014 Men Name Event Mark IAAF points * Cam Levins'89 2000 4:55.35 1223 * Aaron Brown'92 200m 20.53 1206 * Nathan Brannen'82 Mile 3:54.22 1205 * Sam Effah'88 60m 6.58 1167 Brendon Rodney'92 200m 20.78 1167 * Mike Mason'86 High Jump 2.30m 1166 JeremyRead More »
National Track League resumes Saturday with Edmonton International Track Classic
National Track League The 2013 National Track League (NTL2013) resumes Saturday morning in Edmonton, Alta., with four medalists from the 2012 Olympic Games at the Edmonton International Track Classic. Americans Jason Richardson (silver) and SanyaRead More »
Can't miss events at the 2013 Canadian Track and Field Championship
Emily Hooper – Athletics Canada The 2013 Canadian Track and Field Championship serves as the selection trials for the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships and JeuxRead More »


text: On Thu, 2002-02-28 at 06:39, Daniel Stone wrote: > On Thu, Feb 28, 2002 at 02:53:16AM +0200, Eray Ozkural wrote: > > On Wednesday 27 February 2002 21:36, Daniel Stone wrote: > > > I will not provide any form of support whatsoever for these packages. > > > > And these are not packages btw, it would be just a large tarball. > > Oh! How wonderfully useful! If you're going to do it, at least do it > right. A leet "KDE hacker" (it may be useful to note the laughter from > KDE upstream whenever your name is invoked, not to mention the response > from Debian) like yourself would know that it takes one line in > debian/rules to enable Athlon optimizations. > > Stupidity has no bounds; logic will not sway you. > > d > Daniel As a newcomer to this list, I'd be interested to know if you have always been this arrogant, unhelpful and self-centered. Maybe you have a personal issue with Eray, but please don't inflict it upon everyone else. Kyle


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Har. This really isn't far from the truth.
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Har. This really isn't far from the truth.
One of the worst things I did when I was selling cars was when these two idiots told me they had to "pray" over the deal. I'd always wanted to try this when this came up so I finally did. I told them I wanted to pray over it also to make sure it was in God's plan that they buy the car as well as me selling it. We held hands and prayed. I prayed a minute longer than they did. After I noticed them looking at each other I stopped praying and told them God didn't want them to have this car. He wanted them to have a different one there was a big bonus on for selling. (The bonus was between me, God and the sales manager)
Made a big fat commission on the car "God" chose for them. Thanks God.
Car salesman and Jesus freaks are two of a kind. Both deceived and deceiver.
Hahahahaha! Now this is the kind of video I can appreciate and the laugh was worth my visit. Great place you guys have here. It's like a family. I have bookmarked you and thanks for making my day..
Brilliant!!! Genius!!!…well..ok I'm easily pleased….just ask the wifey…but that was damn good!!!


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3/28/2012–Mount Airy, MD–The Mt. Airy Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol Maryland Wing recently held its annual awards banquet to recognize the efforts of its members during 2011.
The potluck style dinner, hosted by new commander Capt. Steve Weinhold, featured many excellent dishes and desserts provided by the squadron families. Maj. Grace Stapf, the squadron's deputy commander for cadets, was the master of ceremonies for the event.
Squadron members were fortunate enough to be joined by several special guests for the evening: the CAP National chief of staff, Col. Russ Chazell; Maryland Wing commander, Col. John Knowles; Maryland Wing Group 1 commander, Lt. Col. Bruce Drury; and aviation pioneer, Col. Mary Feik.
Drury commended Capt. Weinhold and the squadron's cadet commander, Cadet 1st Lt. Melissa Weinhold, on the squadron's remarkable achievements in 2011. He also thanked former commander, Lt. Col. Judy McLellan for her assistance during the year.
The evening had many memorable moments, including presentations of a Wright Brothers Award to Cadet Staff Sgt. Josh Boline, the Gen. Billy Mitchell Award to Cadet 2nd Lts. Aaron Huie and Jacob O'Connell, and the Amelia Earhart Award to Cadet Capt. Kevin Lohoefer.
The squadron also recognized the color guard for its first place wins at the Maryland Wing and Middle East Region Color Guard competitions. This was the first year Mt. Airy placed first at the regional level and earned the opportunity to compete at the national competition. Though they did not win national, the cadets came away from the competition with memories that will last a lifetime. Members of the color guard were cadets Aaron Huie, Megan Bassett, Josh Flanick, Keith Lohoefer, and Ashley Petersen.
Cadets Josh Boline and Ashley Petersen were honored with a Feik certificate presented personally by Col. Mary Feik. Several years ago, Civil Air Patrol named its third achievement in the cadet program after Feik. Feik, a Maryland resident, has been an aircraft mechanic for over 50 years and is a pioneer in her field. She has restored many fabric aircraft and became an engineer when females were usually prohibited from doing so. At age 88, she has traveled around the country and presented thousands of her personally designed Feik Awards to cadets. Col. Feik said it was her ultimate honor that a Civil Air Patrol achievement was created in her name.
The culminating point of the evening was recognizing members for excellence in the past year in areas such as drill, military demeanor, physical fitness, leadership instruction, and overall improvement. The awards ceremony concluded with the presentation of the "of the year" awards. Cadet Staff Sgt. Joshua Boline earned Cadet Airman of the Year, Cadet 2nd Lt, Aaron Huie was awarded Non-Commissioned Cadet Officer of the Year, Cadet 1st Lt, Melissa Weinhold was named Cadet Officer of the Year, and Cadet 2nd Lt. Adam Flanick earned the Cadet of the Year Award. 2nd Lt. David LaPointe was the squadron's senior Officer of the Year.
In addition to the individual awards, the squadron earned the prestigious Quality Cadet Unit Award during 2011. The award, given by CAP National Headquarters, recognizes units that display strong cadet program fundamentals through the year.
Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 54 lives in fiscal year 2011. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to nearly 27,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 70 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.
More than 1,500 members of CAP serve in Maryland. Last fiscal year wing members flew 42 search and rescue missions and were credited with 31 finds. For more information, visit www.mdcap.org.
The Mount Airy Composite Squadron meets every Thursday at 7 pm at the Carroll County Senior Center above the Mt. Airy library. Visitors are always welcome. To learn more, stop by for a meeting, call 301-829-3603 or visit mtairy-cap.org.
Editor's Note: Lt. Col. Judith McLellan and Sr. Member Sheryle Weinhold contributed to this article.


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It's happening. Trends that I've already lived through and dismissed are experiencing a resurgence. This time I find myself loving distressed denim. What was so wrong about rips and tears? Nothing, when they're in just the perfect places.
Take these jeans for example. I went a hog wild at the words "ASOS Sale" and "Free 2-Day Shipping" and wound up with four pairs of distressed denim to try. As it turns out, there is something to be said for just the right amount of distress. This pair, though, was love at first try-on. So comfy, so cool. They're not super "distressed" looking, just one busted out knee that's not all that obnoxious, right? Especially when paired with the best heels ever. Also, can I just say that this is also my first pair of lighter wash jeans in ages? I'm in love and if you know me, don't be surprised if you see me in these everyday. Seriously.
Get the look:


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Formula One driver Max Chilton and his Marussia race car will be one of the sights to see at the Warren Classic and Supercar event on Saturday, May 4.
The inaugural one-day event takes place at the Warren Golf and Country Club, near Maldon, Essex. Family entertainment will include air displays, music and games.
The main attraction, however, will be the cars. Event organisers promise a unique slection of classic cars and supercars, with displays celebrating the centenary of Aston Martin and the 50th anniversaries of Lamborghini, the Porsche 911 and the Aston Martin DB5.
The complete Le Mans XJR works team will also be present.
Music will be provided by the Heart FM roadshow and live bands, and competitions will include the chance to win a Mercedes-Benz worth £30,000.
Max Chilton said: "The event provides an excellent opportunity for families and car enthusiasts to see a wide selection of the world's most magnificent automobiles."
Tony Stanton, Warren Golf and Country Club managing director, said: This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for both car enthusiasts and the people of Essex to see a spectacular array of world-renowned automobiles from the last hundred years in one place."
Parking is free and public entry on the day is from 10.30am. Tickets can be purchased on entry and are priced at £10 for adults, £5 for children aged 5-16 and £25 for a family of four. Entry for classic car owners is from 7.30am and priced at £20.00 per car.
For more information go to the Warren Classic Facebook page, or www.warrenclassic.co.uk.


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Two growing school districts in Lubbock don't expect that growth to slow anytime soon.
Both Frenship Independent School District and Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District have handled an increasing student population by asking voters to approve bond elections and building new schools.
"There's vibrancy in the growth, and there's opportunity in the growth," Frenship Superintendent David Vroonland said, adding growth also presents challenges.
For Frenship, the value of the growth hasn't kept pace with the number of faces, but that seems to be changing. When businesses in the area grow at a similar pace to housing, property taxes will be lower, he said.
"We love it when Costco comes in, when Cabela's comes in," Vroonland said.
Demographers have provided reports to the district that show Frenship will continue to grow, adding 400 to 500 houses a year for the foreseeable future. Those houses come with 400 new students a year, Vroonland said.
The district is also working to maintain the small-town values and unity that some call one of its draws.
"There's just a sense of pride and community," Vroonland said, noting that all Frenship schools have the Tigers as their mascot.
That was a reason a Frenship committee of parents and teachers chose to recommend the district build a ninth-grade center adjacent to Frenship High School instead of building another high school, Vroonland said.
Like Frenship, Lubbock-Cooper has decided against building another high school, and is working on plans to add new classrooms to Lubbock-Cooper High School, spokeswoman Jo Ellen Henderson said.
Lubbock-Cooper added 350 students to its district enrollment for the 2013-14 school year.
"For the past three to five years, we've been growing by about that much," Henderson said. "It's a challenge to keep up with all the growth."
Henderson acknowledged there aren't a lot of businesses in Lubbock-Cooper, but said the widening of South Indiana Avenue and South Quaker Avenue has brought a lot of business to the district located south of 98th Street.
"Our tax base has continued to grow because of all this new residential construction," Henderson said. "We're starting to get more businesses."
A key difference between Frenship and Lubbock-Cooper is the districts' transfer policies.
While Frenship allows most transfer requests from students who reside in surrounding districts, Lubbock-Cooper allows very few transfers.
"The transfers here are limited really by just a couple of things," Vroonland said.
Students who transfer in cannot have discipline or attendance problems, Vroonland said, and they also are not allowed to attend a school that is already 90 percent full.
The percentage of transfer students from surrounding districts has decreased, but Vroonland said it's still around 6 or 7 percent of the Frenship enrollment — about 500 to 600 students.
Henderson said Lubbock-Cooper accepts transfers under special circumstances, such as if the student's parent works in the district or the student's after-school caretaker is a grandparent living in the district. If one student is approved, his or her younger siblings are usually allowed to transfer in.
Lubbock-Cooper also reserves the right to revoke a transfer, and Henderson said the district requires students to meet expectations on grades, test scores and discipline.
"It has to be some sort of extenuating circumstance, and the superintendent makes that decision," Henderson said.
Neither Frenship nor Lubbock-Cooper are recruiting students to their respective schools, officials said.
"We've been fortunate that people do want to come here," Henderson said. "When you have children and you build a home, I think you make a conscious decision about what school district you want them in."
Lubbock-Cooper offers a great education, competitive extracurricular programs and an orderly environment in its schools, she said.
Vroonland said Frenship is not trying to attract parents to move to Frenship, but the district's efforts to make students successful has proven attractive.
Advertising the benefits of Frenship probably would prove ineffective, Vroonland said.
"I don't think that's what attracts people," he said.
But, Vroonland said, Frenship seems to have become a "destination district."
During the summer, Vroonland attended an open house where he witnessed a parent talking to a builder.
He was around the corner and out of sight when the comment was made, but he heard the parent tell the builder, "I don't care where I live, I just want to live in Frenship."
• 766-8726
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All quotes tagged Matthew
(52 quotes found)
"If not, it's a super hot dude. Oh hey, it's Matthew Fox in a wet T-shirt. Because he's 'Lost.' He found a water fountain, evidently."
"I feared the worst on Sunday and it has been confirmed that Matthew has ruptured his Achilles. Of course, we are keeping our fingers crossed he can return as soon as possible, but you are looking at six months out."
"As coach, I could have asked for nothing more from Matthew as a player and as the captain of the Port Adelaide Football Club for the past five years,"
"We had eased Matthew back carefully after his other injuries and had hoped he would be available for the finale to the season."
"Dear Chief: I had a feeling that at the very close of today's Conference we may have fitted Matthew Arnold's closing lines in 'Dover Beach' wherein he refers to those 'Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight / Where ignorant armies clash by night.' "
"Matthew was our setter last season as a sophomore, so he learned a lot about our offense. We wanted to get him more involved with our attack and he's been doing a good job at that, as well."


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Written on: 13/07/2012
Could not unlock my Nokia from 3 - but took the payment quite happily - still waiting for refund (8 June, now 13 July!) - customer 'service' reply to enquiry was a standard 'your account has been refunded - refunds can take 4 - 7 business days) - not even addressed to me, but started with "Hi". Poor, poor, poor - would not recommend to anyone. (Went to 3 in the end for the unlock, and although it cost more, it was done there and then over the phone - he even stayed on the line to check it worked ok). Wish I'd read some of these reviews before parting with my money - I would not have bothered.


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Tag Archives: being a great dad
The Fatherhood Series – How being a father has changed me.
Honestly, being a father was the furthest thing on my mind when we found out we were going to have our first daughter Hannah. I was pretty much starting my career in the hotel industry, a few years out of … Continue reading
Posted in Fatherhood Series Tagged being a father, being a great dad, Fatherhood, first time dads Leave a comment


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SEOUL (AFP/Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has overseen a military drill , state media said Saturday, his third such inspection in as many days as tensions run high following Pyongyang's third nuclear test.
Accompanied by top military commanders, Kim watched a flight exercise and a paratrooping drill by the Korean People's Army, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "He called on the KPA service personnel to put spurs to making preparations for going into action, keeping themselves at maximum alert at all times. "Once the enemies make a provocation, you should give full play to the inexhaustible combat capability to deal deadly blows at them ... and blow up their strongholds of aggression," he was quoted as saying by KCNA.
The state news agency did not to give the date of the visit but it was believed Kim's latest trip was on Friday. KCNA said Friday Kim had also inspected a tactical attack exercise combined with live shell firing. On Thursday, KCNA reported he had visited KPA Unit 323, which is believed to be an anti-air missile unit.
North Korea also on Saturday warned the top US military commander stationed in South Korea that his forces would "meet a miserable destruction" if they go ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korean troops, North Korean state media said.
Pak Rim-su, chief delegate of the North Korean military mission to the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, gave the message by phone to Gen. James Thurman, the commander of the US Forces Korea , KCNA news agency said.
It came amid escalating tension on the divided Korean peninsula after the North's third nuclear test earlier this month, in defiance of U.N. resolutions, drew harsh international condemnation. A direct message from the North's Panmunjom mission to the US commander is rare. North and South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.
The US-South Korean Combined Forces Command is holding an annual computer-based simulation war drill , Key Resolve, from March 11 to 25, involving 10,000 South Korean and 3,500 US troops.
The command also plans to hold Foal Eagle joint military exercises involving land, sea and air manoeuvres. About 200,000 Korean troops and 10,000 US forces are expected to be mobilized for the two month-long exercise which starts on March 1.
"If your side ignites a war of aggression by staging the reckless joint military exercises...at this dangerous time, from that moment your fate will be hung by a thread with every hour," Pak was quoted as saying.
"You had better bear in mind that those igniting a war are destined to meet a miserable destruction." Washington and Seoul regularly hold military exercises which they say are purely defensive. North Korea , which has stepped up its bellicose threats towards the United States and South Korea in recent months, sees them as rehearsals for invasion.
North Korea threatened South Korea with "final destruction" during a debate at the U.N. Conference on Disarmament on Tuesday.
SEOUL (AFP/Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has overseen a military drill , state media said Saturday, his third such inspection in as many days as tensions run high following Pyongyang's third nuclear test.


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Family of 3 seeks advice for 10 travel: Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone, Hiroshima
We are parents visiting our 21 year old during his spring break from Kansai Gaidai Univ. Osaka.
Thanks for your help.
Hi there!
It is a bit hard to give you some definite advance as you don't have an itinerary yet.
In general, a 7day JR-Pass is about the same costs as a return Kyoto Tokyo.
Let me know how many days you are considering staying in Japan and then I can help you with making a travel plan.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your reply. We are only going to be visiting for 10 days total. Day 1 will be in Osaka, then days 2 through 6 in Kyoto including a one day visit to Nara, we think. From what you say about the Kyoto Tokyo return, a 7 day pass might make sense if we visit both Hiroshima and Hakone. Would this be too much to accomplish in such a short trip ?
Thanks very much for your help!
Hi Karen,
That is a very is a good question! I feel it would be a little to much, assuming you would want to be back in Kyoto/Osaka on day 9 to get ready for flying back on the 10th day. This would mean traveling to Hiroshima on the 7th day, then the 8th to Hakone and back on the 9th. While certainly possible, I feel it would be better to stay somewhere for atleast a day without having to travel. For that period of time alone Hakone would be perfect, otherwise Kanazawa is a great destination too!
If you had a day more, say you would leave on day 6 to Hiroshima or be able to return on day 10, then I think it would really make a great trip. You would be able to see some of the most beautiful and imperssionate things that Japan has to offer.
If you decide to go to Hakone, consider buying a local Hakone Free Pass.
Hope this helps with your planning!
Hello again Daniel,
I hope you are still free and willing to help us plan our trip.
We have confirmed reservations for days 1 through 7 of our ten day visit:
3/21 Osaka, 3/22 -26 Kyoto including a day trip to Nara, 3/27 Miyajima Island.
This leaves 3 days and nights: 3/28, 29 and 30. Our flight leaves 3/31 late afternoon from Osaka.
We like your suggestion of Kanazawa and/or Hakone. Other ideas: Mount Koya, Ise peninsula.
What do you think? Should we get a 7 day or 14 day JRPass?
Again, thank you for your help!
Hello again,
Of course you are more than welcome!
Here is an example of your Journey to Miyajima,
The journey itself is quite straightforward so I don't expect any problems.
What to do in the last 3 days?
All the destinations you listed are great! Let me put it this way:
Hakone: Beautiful nature, lakes, forests and a breathtaking view of Fuji.
Kanazawa: A very charming town, with history, beautiful geisha quarter, caste and great mountain views over the city.
Izu Peninsula: Beautiful coast lines and great hot springs (onsen).
Mount Koya: Great Hiking tracks and an enchanting nights-stay at a Temple
Personally I would either go to Hakone or Kanazawa, if you have had enough travel from your return to Miyajima, Kanazawa is probably the most practical, because there is a direct express train between Kyoto and Kanazawa. So you get in and ride to your destination without further hassle.
In your situation I think a 7 day rail pass is best, with your return to Miyajima you will already have covered most of the costs (¥ 22560 of the ¥ 28300 cost) and with anymore travel to any of the destinations except for Mount Koya you would be sure to make some good savings. For mount Koya you have to ride a non JR-line from Osaka so only in this case a JR-Pass would not be the best option. I would the 7 day JRPass in the last 7 days of your trip, this way you can use it for your trip to Nara and the return to the Airport as well!
Hope this helps and let me know your thoughts!
Thank you!
Your suggestions are very helpful. We will be staying overnight in Miyajima at a lovely ryocan.
We will definitely get two 7 day JRPasses. Our son will be staying in Japan 4 months, so he
Thank you again!
Yes 3 nights would be great to visit Hakone! Like you say you would have enough time to explore and enjoy nature.
There is possible 20% discount for students that study in Japan if you are in the possession of a Student Discount Card (Gakuwari). These are issued by Educational Institutes them selfs (Universities etc) so you would have to inquire with them if your son is eligible for one. Some other Terms and Conditioning also apply. You can read more about it here.
Kind Regards,
Hi again,
As I have continued reading about opportunities in southern Japan, the chance that we might see cherry trees in bloom in Kyushu at the end of March lead me to book a hotel in Kumamoto March 28th. The trip south from Miyajima is not too far.
To recap, out trip is as follows:
March 21: Osaka hotel
Our questions now are:
Do we have time to visit Kanazawa ? We would have to travel several hours by train from Kumamoto
Or, should we simply travel back to Kyoto for our final 2 days?
What regional passes would be best to get for our son, who is in Osaka for 4 months (no JRPass)? He will accompany us on the entire trip. I don't think he would be eligible for the Gakuwari.
Thank you again for any help you can provide to us. We are almost finished with all these questions!!!
Kind regards,
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Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we ask the Globe's roster of hockey writers to answer a question on the hot topic of the day.
We invite you to give us your opinion via the comments section or at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Today's question: Should the NHL and the players association amend the CBA to require all teams to dress 18 skaters for every game?
I do think roster limits need to be introduced to prevent teams from playing salary-cap games, but I'm not sure that they necessarily have to set at 18 every night. When I started covering hockey some 30-plus years ago, teams dressed 17 position players and two goalies - and coaches needed to make a choice. Either they ran five defencemen and four lines; or six defencemen, three lines, plus a penalty killing specialist and an enforcer. It worked fine, and given how coaching staffs were a lot smaller than they are today, it forced the men in the fedoras to work a little harder on the bench, to get the match-ups they wanted.
Roy McGregor said it a couple of weeks back and he's right - you don't necessarily need 18 skaters a night to ice a competitive team, and if you cut back, well, the player you drop is usually the one that's causing the most mayhem anyway.
The problem is that the rule that applies to roster size is too vague as it is currently written. Teams are asked to dress 18 plus 2 goalies, except in cases of emergency. But what is an emergency? To New Jersey, last week, before Brian Rolston went on the long-term injured reserve list to temporarily solve their salary-cap issues, they had an emergency that could be blamed in equal parts on injuries and poor cap management. For one forgettable (and losing) night, they went with 15 position players. That to me is the absolute minimum that you can get away with, in this day and age, given the speed of the game, and its physical demands. Go any lower and suddenly, players risk injury because they are being overplayed.
Accordingly, if the league and the NHLPA were of a mind to amend the rule on the fly, in the same way they changed the rule relating to the back-loading of contracts, I would introduce minimums and maximums. The maximum would be 18. The minimum would be 15. Anything lower (14 skaters, 13, 12 even) would make it look like a pick-up game at the local rink - Mickey Mouse in other words, which is not how the best league in the world wants to be known or described, at any time.
To continue where Eric left off, the NHL is not yet a beer league, although the actions of the people who run it often make it look otherwise. And so it is when it comes to the roster rule.
The NHL has yet to descend to the level where a team cannot ice a full complement because Henrik's wife kicked up a fuss about him playing hockey for a third night that week and sawed his stick in half (45 years ago, someone did this to one of my dad's teammates) or Daniel's boss made him work late or Roberto misread the schedule, which meant an emergency call to Rent-A-Goalie, but it sure seems headed that way.
Agreed, dressing less than 20 players for a game is not a calamity. Leafs head coach Ron Wilson and others said in the wake of the Devils fiasco that players on their top three lines would love it because of the extra ice time. But to dress less than the roster called for because your owner and manager can't figure out the salary cap is bush-league in the extreme. This goes double when it is shrugged off by the commissioner and his sidekick, who can get away with this because the players union is still impotent.
A minimum needs to be written in stone. Eric's suggestion of 15 would work, although I'm inclined to say 17. But an allowance should be made for the (very) rare circumstance beyond a team's control like natural disasters and the like.
Dressing 18 skaters, and two goalies, for every game should be mandated and enforced. Good grief, this is the NHL we're talking about, not the Austrian second league.
NHL teams have the bodies, and if they manage their money properly they should have the cap room to call up a minor leaguer and get him to a game on time. If they can't - if they have to dress only 14 skaters as the Calgary Flames once did - then it's their fault and they should be chastised, penalized or forced to read the CBA in a dimly-lit room for 48 hours.
Guess I'll join the consensus - yup, teams should have to dress a minimum number of skaters, whether it's 16 or 18 or some other number. The PA's going to want to protect jobs, after all, in fact, you'd think they'd be going bananas about this stuff.
But salary caps are all about chicanery and gaming the system (dumping one's costly mistakes in the minors or the KHL anyone?), so if past practice is any indication, some clever legalist, probably in the employ of the Devils, will find a loophole. And pardon the cynicism and union agitprop, but might this whole cap/roster crunch thing be of a piece with the seldom-voiced desire on the part of some owners to do away with guaranteed contracts? Sure, we'll dress 23 every night, but it would sure help if we had the flexibility of cutting underperforming big earners loose à la NFL.