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HEI Hotels CIO Clark Hanrattie Promoted To Principal & Chief Financial Officer
Hanrattie's Investment Experience Valuable in Further Strengthening Company for Continued Growth and Performance
Jan 18, 2013, 06:00 EST
NORWALK, Conn., Jan. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- HEI Hotels & Resorts announced today that veteran Chief Investment Officer Clark Hanrattie has been promoted to Principal & Chief Financial Officer, further strengthening the Company's commitment to its investors, guests, employees and communities. The company operates 43 hotels and resorts as part of its approximately $3 billion investment portfolio.
Hanrattie joined HEI shortly after its formation in 2002, and since then has been responsible for refining the firm's investment strategies, managing the acquisition and development process, monitoring economic and industry conditions, and supporting the areas of capital markets and investor relations. In addition to his current responsibilities, Hanrattie will lead teams supporting transaction sourcing, financial and investor reporting, equity and debt financing, risk management and asset management.
"As our Chief Investment Officer, Clark has been instrumental in providing the strong leadership necessary to build and strengthen our portfolio in so many key areas," said HEI CEO Anthony Rutledge. "Going forward as our new Chief Financial Officer, we will leverage Clark's expertise in new ways which will continue to provide significant benefits to our platform. HEI is clearly positioned for tremendous continued success, and Clark's promotion will further enable us to achieve our goals and maintain our industry leading positioning."
Hanrattie has spent the past 20 years focused on the hospitality industry, including all aspects of acquisitions, dispositions, development, equity and debt financing, renovations, and asset management. Prior to joining HEI a decade ago, Hanrattie was a partner at Olympus Real Estate Partners, the real estate-affiliate of LBO-firm Hicks Muse Tate & Furst. During his ten year association with Olympus, Hanrattie rose from associate to partner/investment committee member, and was responsible for the firm's hotel investment activities from 1999 to 2003. Over the past 20 years, Hanrattie has led or been a key participant in the acquisition of more than 100 hotels and resorts totaling in excess of $4 billion in transaction value. Hanrattie graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. degree in Economics with a concentration in Real Estate Finance.
"I am excited by the opportunity to assume even greater responsibilities at HEI," Hanrattie said. "We have built a truly outstanding owner/operator platform over the past 10 years which has and will continue to achieve great success from an investment returns, operating performance, guest satisfaction, employee culture and charitable activities perspective. Our success is a direct result of the resounding commitments from our employees, investors, brands, financial partners and guests. We will expand our platform and build upon our success in the years to come."
About HEI
HEI Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut with 44 properties in 16 states, creates socially responsible investment and employment opportunities through real estate portfolios of hotels and resorts throughout the United States under such well-known brand names as Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, Embassy Suites, and Hilton. HEI takes a holistic approach to creating value for its investors and employees by setting the highest standards across all aspects of hotel management and operation and focusing on the central principles of excellence and continuous improvement. HEI prides itself on some of the highest employee satisfaction scores in the hospitality industry, fuels local economic prosperity by investing in communities and is committed to environmental stewardship and sustainability. Over the past decade, the company invested in the construction of three new hotels that created almost 800 local jobs, and purchased several troubled hotels that preserved jobs and created economic enrichment to local communities. For more information about HEI, visit the company's website, www.heihotels.com.
SOURCE HEI Hotels & Resorts


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Chanhassen, MN — Life Time Fitness CEO Bahram Akradi expressed optimism about his company's club model during last month's conference call with analysts regarding Life Time's fourth quarter and year-end financials.
After the results were announced, an analyst asked Akradi how the club fared in the month of January. Akradi said that because of intensive marketing efforts and promotions, January was a strong month for Life Time, and he suggested club members still want to hang on to their memberships despite the difficult economy.
"In many of our clubs — two, three, four, five, six years old — we sold probably more membership units than we have ever sold before," Akradi said. "We had a great January. Parking lots [were] packed. Some of our clubs were shuttling people back and forth from crossover parking. I don't think that the consumer has walked away from exercise whatsoever. They are dealing with pinching stuff in every way they can, but I don't think that this is one of those things that they will easily let go."
Akradi called 2008 a bittersweet year, however, because it did not meet the company's expectations. Although revenue grew both in the fourth quarter to $194 million and for the year to $769.6 million (13.4 percent and 17.4 percent, respectively), Life Time's income in the fourth quarter decreased significantly. Net income in fourth quarter 2008 was $13 million — down 32 percent from $19.1 million in fourth quarter 2007. For the year, net income grew 5.6 percent to $71.8 million from $68 million in 2007.
Memberships grew 13.6 percent to 567,110 on Dec. 31, 2008, compared to 499,092 on Dec. 31, 2007. Membership dues increased by 14.5 percent in fourth quarter 2008 and by 17.2 percent for the year. In-center revenue grew 13.1 percent in fourth quarter 2008 and 19.7 percent for the year.
Operating expenses during fourth quarter 2008 totaled $164.6 million compared to $133.5 million for fourth quarter 2007. Full-year operating expenses for 2008 were $622.3 million compared with $518.4 million in 2007.
Life Time took a charge from its earnings of 8 cents per share related to previously announced plans to slow the development of new centers. The charges included severance costs and the write-off of assets related to land developments cancelled during the fourth quarter.
Akradi remained upbeat in his opening remarks, pointing out the 11 clubs that Life Time opened in 2008. He also highlighted the new Life Time member-only Web site and the more than 50 way-of-life events, such as indoor triathlons, that the club offered.
In fourth quarter 2008, Life Time opened four new centers in Mansfield, TX; Loudoun County, VA; Florham Park, NJ; and Westminster, CO. In February, the company opened two clubs, one in Berkeley Heights, NJ, and one in Atascocita, TX.
Akradi said that three to four more openings are scheduled for this year but added that the company is moving cautiously with its growth, keeping an eye on the credit market and internal cash flow. The company's revenue for 2009 is expected to be between $830 million and $860 million.
"There was much to be proud of [in 2008]," Akradi said. "We firmly believe in our business model. It has proven to be resilient and successful. Our most valuable asset, our membership base, maintains strong usage levels, and our feedback from our members continues to get better. We are a profitable company, and we intend to stay that way."
When an analyst asked Akradi if he had reconsidered expanding with smaller-sized clubs, Akradi didn't rule it out, adding that he and the company are examining other possibilities.
"You're asking me to tell you what I don't want to tell any of my competitors what we're doing," Akradi told the analyst on the call. "I'll answer you like this: Since 1983, since I've been in this business, I personally have built clubs as little as 14,000 square feet and as large as 300,000 square feet. In the initial stages of my career, every center we built was smaller facilities inside of existing space. So we have the total capability of taking advantage of the appropriate market, and I believe in the near future — in the next two to three years — there are going to be opportunities."

subset: commoncrawl


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Jena Leigh is the author of Revival, a YA romance with super powers, secret government agencies, and a really hot guy! She dropped by the virtual offices recently to chat about her book.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Jena Leigh] Caffeine addict, writer, shameless geek, freckle-faced lover of music and slave to the written word. I live on dreams and coffee.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Revival?
[Jena Leigh] Revival is the story of Alex Parker, a girl who finds out during her junior year of high school that her world is nothing like it appears to be. When her life is turned upside down by a fire-wielding hit man and she's rescued from a burning bookstore by the handsome—if somewhat exasperating—Declan, she discovers that she can harness powers beyond her wildest imagining. Now, with the help of her new friends, she must not only face off against shadowy figures from her past, but also the government she once thought protected her.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Jena Leigh] Like a lot creative types, I'm hopelessly addicted to coffee. When I was still living in North Carolina, I lived within walking distance of this fantastic coffee shop called Bohemia. They used to serve up their cafe latte's in a giant blue mug, with different designs and patterns drawn into the foam on top. One day the barista drew an amazing image of a bird in flight… and it looked a little to me like a phoenix in flames. While I sat there staring appreciatively at the image (and having an internal debate that went something like, "I can't drink this! It's too beautiful!" and "It's not artwork, it's a beverage. Stop staring and drink it, you weirdo…") I conjured up the mental image of a young girl running through a burning bookstore. The image was so vivid and full of possibility that I wound up ignoring my coffee completely in favor of writing out a scene that would later become the opening of Chapter 4 in Revival. Inspiration in a cup of Joe! I did get around to drinking the coffee eventually, although it was pretty cold by that point. The rest of the story as well as the characters all developed out of that one scene.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Alex?
[Jena Leigh] Loyal, evolving, determined.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Declan had a theme song, what would it be?
[Jena Leigh] It's tough to pick just one! Although I will say that "I Stand Alone" by Theophilus London is a perfect Declan song. He's always been something of a loner and for years his bad attitude and acerbic wit helped him to keep the people in his life at arms length. That all changes when Alex shows up on the scene, and the lyrics of "I Stand Alone" capture how he finds himself falling for her in spite of himself.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Alex won't leave the house without.
[Jena Leigh] Shoes! Although to understand that one, you'll need to read the story…
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Declan's pockets?
[Jena Leigh] You'd never find a house key (mostly because, if the door was locked, he could simply teleport inside), spearmint gum (though you would almost certainly find cinnamon), or an iPod with pop music on it (he's more of a punk-rock/alt-country sort of guy).
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Alex's greatest regret?
[Jena Leigh] Early on in the story, Alex learns that she was the reason for the deaths of many people—including her own parents—when she was a small child. When a madman set his sights on young Alex, others came to her defense… and many of them lost their lives in the process. Once she learns the truth about her past, that becomes her greatest regret.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Jena Leigh] When it comes to authors whose works have been an influence to me, no one stands out more than Neil Gaiman and Meg Cabot. I'm also influenced by my own life experiences, my love of science fiction and comic books, and by the places I travel to. All of my experiences—both the good and the bad—influence the way I write my characters and the various turns their adventures take.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Jena Leigh] A computer equipped with the Scrivener writing program, at least two cups of coffee in my system, and music (or the sound of rain) to help me tune out the world around me.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?
[Jena Leigh] I just finished reading Jenny Lawson's memoir Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) and absolutely loved it. Lawson (a.k.a. The Bloggess) has the most fantastic sense of humor! Her life experiences made for excellent reading material and it was the first time in ages that a book made me laugh until I cried at least a dozen times over. It's one of those books that I plan to force into the hands of everyone I know, so that they can enjoy it too.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?
[Jena Leigh] When I was in elementary school, I saw my first rerun of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and soon found myself on a desperate mission to read everything about the quirky director that I could. One day, I got lucky and discovered a tattered copy of an Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators novel in the school library. I read it in a day and began searching high and low for every other book in the series that I could find. It wasn't long before I discovered other young-adult and middle-grade novels at my local public library and began working my way through every book they had! I haven't stopped reading since.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren't writing?
[Jena Leigh] I love to travel! Taking road trips with friends and flying off to foreign places is something I'll always enjoy. I think that wanderlust is what inspired me to write about characters with the ability to teleport—to travel instantaneously from one place to another. It's an ability that puts the entire world within your reach. If I ever woke up one day with a superpower, that's the one I'd want to have!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?
[Jena Leigh] You can find me over on my website (http://www.jenaleighbooks.com), or send me a message by e-mail at jena[at]jenaleighbooks[dot]com. I'm also on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+! I love meeting new people, so don't be afraid to drop me a line and say hello! 🙂
Goodreads Author Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/JenaLeigh
Website/Blog: http://blog.jenaleighbooks.com
Twitter: @jenaleighbooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jena-Leigh/482680308418806?ref=hl
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/112563664842231043707/posts
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jenaleighbooks/
Revival's Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Revival-Variant-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00A7Z20VK/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_2
[Manga Maniac Café] Thank you!
You can order Revival from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the links below. Available in both print and digital (the eBook is only 2.99!)
More about the author:
Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Jena Leigh spent ten years in the mountains of North Carolina before returning home to the lightning capital of North America. A shameless geek, she loves bad sci-fi movies, Skittles, writing cracktastic e-mails to friends and taking shenanigan-filled road trips to faraway concerts. She has a degree in English from Appalachian State University. REVIVAL is her first novel.
More about the book:
Possessing the uncanny ability to fry a television set from twenty paces can really wreck a girl's social life.
If you're looking for proof, just ask sixteen-year-old Alexandra Parker. After catching her boyfriend in the arms of the prettiest girl in school, she made the journey from social elite to social pariah in a haze of electricity and exploding electronics. But finding herself at the bottom of Bay View High's social hierarchy was nothing compared to the shock of discovering who—and what—she really is.
After being zapped out of a burning bookstore by the mysterious Declan—a hero nearly as handsome as he is infuriating—Alex finds herself under the protection of the powerful Grayson family. It's through them that she learns the truth: that the world she's always known is nothing like it appears to be… and that she has far more in common with them than she might want to believe.
Now, on the run from a fire-wielding hit man and a secretive government organization, Alex must navigate a strange and treacherous new world filled with superhuman mutants known as Variants. As she begins to unravel the many secrets of her family's past, she uncovers the real reason for her parents' death twelve years earlier—and finds out that the threat to her family, and to everyone she cares about, is still dangerously real.


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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit workers moved a step closer to a work stoppage after voting overwhelmingly to allow union officials to call a strike if contract negotiations fail, union leaders said Wednesday.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit workers moved a step closer to a work stoppage after voting overwhelmingly to allow union officials to call a strike if contract negotiations fail, union leaders said Wednesday.
Members of BART's two largest unions representing train operators, mechanics, station agents and maintenance workers voted Tuesday to authorize a potential strike, union officials said.
More than 98 percent of voting members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 1021 and 99.9 percent voters from the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1555, approved a strike vote.
Despite the vote, the two unions representing some 2,300 members say they're committed to negotiating a new contract with BART and currently have no immediate plans to walk out after their contract expires late Sunday night.
"We're not trying to strand the Bay Area," said ATU Local President Antonette Bryant before heading to another bargaining session. "All we want is fair compensation and a safe workplace."
BART's last strike occurred in 1997 for six days. A new strike would affect hundreds of thousands of daily commuters, virtually affecting every mode of transportation throughout the Bay Area. About 400,000 people use BART each weekday.
In the event of a rapid transit stoppage, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission plans to help increase other transportation options such as buses and ferries. This despite the union representing some 1,800 Alameda-Contra Costa Transit workers could also go on strike as early as next week as its contract also expires on Sunday.
BART spokesman Rick Rice said Wednesday that its unions' strike authorization vote was expected.
"We're prepared to negotiate as much and as often and as long as they want to," Rice said. "We'll continue to work to get a deal done."
The unions are asking for raises adding up to about 23.2 percent over three years. BART has offered 1 percent raises, contingent on the agency meeting economic goals, in each year of the four-year contract it's proposed.
"We've still got a lot of talking to do," Rice said referring to the huge gap concerning pay.
The unions also say they're fighting management's efforts to have workers contribute to pensions, pay more for health insurance, and help reduce overtime expenses.
The opposing parties remain optimistic however that a deal can be reached, despite the unions' filing a lawsuit on Monday against BART seeking an unfair labor practices declaration and claims the transit agency is not bargaining in good faith.
Employees currently pay a flat $92 fee each month for health insurance, no matter the plan or how many people are covered. Rice said the agency wants to increase that payment, but he offered no details on an amount.
The transit agency also said it needs to control costs to help pay for new rail cars and other improvements. The unions contend BART has a $125 million operating surplus, and members deserve some of it for increased ridership and high service reliability rates.
"The money is there for them to do their capital projects and still give us the decent pay raise, benefits and health and safety measures that we're asking for," Bryant said.
The unions would not have to give the agency notice before calling a strike, but reiterated on Wednesday that they would give the public a 72 -hour notice.


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Message Board
Rikki Lee Travolta Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Travolta has written!
Author Travolta's Book Reviews
My Fractured Life
The unwanted offspring of Hollywood, Jesse Newman and Rikki Lee Travolta battle through the turmoil of emotional childhood abuse. In a sorrowful quest for the emotional acceptance that eludes them from their distant and abusive families, as young men they turn to careers themselves in Hollywood in the hopes that fame will provide a substitute for love. Newman is blessed with the skills to succeed as an actor. Travolta is a guy who looks good with his...


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We have several bachelor's degree options to help you meet your goals.
If you want to teach, there is an option for you. If you want to be an engineer, we have that, too. If you plan to go on to graduate school or straight into the workforce, you can study general or applied physics.
Find out more about our majors:
To officially declare one of these majors, go to any Academic Advising center, (the Cooper Advising Center is in CP 253), fill out the Major/Minor Change form and submit as directed. This action will add these course requirements to your DAPR and assist you and your advisor in program planning and course scheduling.


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The case for Tamihere or a case of the Independent member for Waitakere?
I'm going to say something controversial. John Tamihere isn't this dumb. It seems John wants to eat his cake and speak with a mouthful while spitting bits of frosting all over everyone.
Why would he generate all this attention in gaining back his Labour Party membership? Turning up at the conference only to be turned away, calling Paula Bennett fat, referring to a female reporter as a 'silly girl', doesn't any of this strike you as political branding rather than dickheadedness?
Maybe I'm being far too generous to Tamihere, but there is a case to argue for Tamihere standing in Waitakere.
Let's just for a moment put aside the jaw droopingly stupid sexist and homophobic locker room chatter with Wishart for a second, and look at how National will attack Labour in 2014.
Tamihere as a candidate inoculates Labour from the social engineering tag that Labour have been so spooked by since the 2008 loss. Bennett would have little chance against Tamihere and he re-blokes the Labour Party enough to appeal to a voter base who have left Labour for political fence sitting.
The problems with Tamihere standing are however numerous. His comments now and then are deeply offensive to many factions of Labour and it would be a slap in the face to Carmel Sepuloni who has become one of the Party's shining new hopes if Tamihere was parachuted in.
Carmel would have to be rewarded with a top list ranking if Tamihere ran in Waitakere.
What Tamihere needs to do know is start articulating some big ideas that cut past his sexism and talks about inclusion.
That is if he is serious about being a member for Labour.
What of another option? What if Tamihere attempts to run as a candidate in Waitakere for Labour and he gets turned down on the grounds that he's too bloke and Tamihere runs as an independent? Such a twist would gain voters from Bennett and Sepuloni.
It may be better for Mr Tamihere to be inside the Labour tent than outside it.


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What's it like to live in London, the real London? The real London, beyond the fanciful equestrian courses with jumps styled as chess boards or crescent moons, or the vast, wavelike Olympic Aquatics Centre designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid.
One can imagine no better guide than Craig Taylor, a Canadian transplant to London, who lives and works like an embedded foreign correspondent and walks in the huge shoes of Studs Terkel. I cannot claim family relation to Craig Taylor, only wish for the connection.
Like Terkel, Taylor finds great Londoners and elicits great stories from them. The book, which could easily have gone on for hundreds of more enjoyable pages, gathers stories that seem to capture the full scale of experience: Currency traders, subway workers, homeless people, city planners, transgendered people. Taylor gets past the stiff upper lips, ego puffery, denial and delusion, and finds eloquent truth tellers.
Five years in the making, and after more than 400 interviews, Taylor's artful – and disciplined – micro-Londons come together in a powerful, moving form of art.
"Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now -- As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It and Long for It" by Craig Taylor
Ecco/HarperCollins, $29.99, 413 pages


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Posted on August 16, 2011, in Uncategorized and tagged 2011, Glow, Teaser Tuesday. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
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Project Manager - ETRM/CTRM
- Recruiter
- Harrington Starr
- Location
- London (Greater)
- Salary
- £70000 - £90000 per annum + Job Satisfaction
- Posted
- 19 Jul 2014
- Closes
- 16 Aug 2014
- Ref
- Project Manager 01
- Contact
- Andrew Thomas
- Sector
- Banking, Finance & Insurance
- Function
- Job Level
- Experienced (non manager)
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Project Manager Trading Platform Implementation London
My client is a leading provider of Energy focussed consultancy/advisory services in the world and we are looking for highly motivated and talented individuals.
The Senior Project Manager role provides considerable challenge, variety and opportunity for development in a client-facing environment. Their clients range from investment banks to global energy trading houses and are advising on the usage and optimisation of their treasury and energy trading products
The ideal candidate will have the following knowledge and experience:
- Professional project management experience, according to level, in roles that demonstrate the ability to take ownership and deliver results in challenging, client-facing environments
- Experience in a professional business process / IT consulting experience and/or industry experience, in roles that demonstrate the ability to deliver operational / technical solutions in challenging, client-facing environments
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, especially those demonstrated through business process analysis or IT systems delivery
We require the successful candidate to have industry experience and/or a working knowledge in one or more of the following are essential:
- Energy Trading (gas, power, oil, coal, and/or carbon markets)
- Commodity Trading (metals, agricultural products and/or freight trading)
- Trading systems (e.g. TriplePoint, Brady, Eka, Allegro, Openlink, Murex, Calypso, Summit, Amphora, Aspect, SunGard, Veson, etc.)
My client wants to fill this position urgently and urgently seeking to interview candidates immediately. This is an incredible opportunity for an experienced sales professional looking to capitalise on their huge success. Please contact David Peglar - email@example.com


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AppleT&T faces twin texting suits
'Mouseprint disclaimer' insufficient
Apple and AT&T are facing a pair of strikingly similar class-action lawsuits charging that the companies misrepresented the iPhone's ability to send and receive MMS messages when upgraded to iPhone Software 3.0.
Reports of the first lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana, began crowding the web yesterday. And today, AppleInsider turned up another, filed in the US District Court in the Southern District of Illinois.
Both suits go into great detail to document Apple's marketing of iPhone Software 3.0 as MMS-capable as being deceptive and describe the reason for AT&T's failure to provide such support being because "AT&T has never upgraded its towers so as to support the functionality necessary for MMS."
Interestingly, the language in the two complaints that describes the failure of Apple and AT&T to get their MMS acts together is essentially identical - and identically snarky.
After detailing the AT&T Answer Center's unhelpful advice on MMS support - "iPhone does not support sending, or receiving picture, audio, or video multimedia messages" - the suits contend that "The 'Fix' was essentially to say 'tough luck.'"
When an MMS message is sent to the iPhone (or any non-MMS-capable device), the suits complain, the Answer Center provides a URL and and advises that "To view the MMS message, please access the website from a computer." This displeases the plaintiffs. "Incredibly," the suits marvel, "AT&T was directing customers interested in MMS to go to a computer to view the message."
Neither are the plaintiffs satisfied with Apple and AT&T's explanation for the missing MMS support. "The only excuse offered by AT&T and Apple is a mouseprint disclaimer on the website, in barely readable font," the suits assert, "which reads 'MMS Support from AT&T coming in late summer.'"
Both suits have named plaintiffs - Christopher Carbine, Ryan Casey, and Lisa Mauer in Louisiana and Tim Meeker in Illinois - and both seek to extend the suit to cover all purchasers of 3G and 3GS iPhones purchased in each jurisdiction.
The Louisiana case claims that the affected class would include "at least 10,000 individuals." The Illinois case move the decimal point one place to the right and ups the class to 100,000.
Both suits also claim that the "amount of controversy" in the case is over $5m - although the Illinois case tacks onto that figure "interests and costs." Both suits seek compensatory damages, and the Illinois suit adds "punitive damages in an amount which is fair and reasonable."
We can only assume that Apple and AT&T saw this coming from the moment when Apple introduced the iPhone 3GS and iPhone Software 3.0 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8th and revealed that AT&T wouldn't support MMS until "later this summer." After all, we Americans are a litigious lot - especially when the rest of the world gets something which we are denied.
What may have come as a surprise, though, is that two identical suits popped up it two different courts mere days from one another.
There are 94 US District Courts in the American judicial system. It will be interesting to keep our eye on the remaining 92. ®


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By Marice Richter
DALLAS (Reuters) - The city of Dallas on Monday demolished a dilapidated two-story apartment building where Lee Harvey Oswald had lived briefly before he assassinated President John F. Kennedy in November 1963.
Oswald, his wife Marina and their daughter lived in the 10-unit building at 600 Elsbeth Street from November 1962 to March 1963. It was one of several places Oswald had lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The razing of the building followed a four-year dispute between Dallas and owner Jane Bryant, who bought it in 2007 with the aim of renovating and preserving the building for historical reasons. Bryant could not be reached for comment.
The Warren Commission, which investigated Kennedy's assassination, included the apartment in a chronology of Oswald's life as part of its report that concluded Oswald had acted as a lone gunman in assassinating the president.
Gary Mack, curator of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which chronicles the assassination and the Kennedy legacy, said the apartment in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas held little significance.
"The apartment was where Oswald lived when he ordered the revolver he used to kill Dallas Police officer J.D. Tippit 10 months later," Mack said.
Tippit was on patrol when he stopped Oswald in Oak Cliff, a short distance from downtown Dallas where Kennedy had been shot while riding in a motorcade. Oswald shot Tippit and was arrested a few blocks away shortly afterward.
Mack said Oswald had ordered the rifle that investigators found had been used to kill Kennedy 10 days after the family moved from the Elsbeth Street apartment.
The city sued Bryant in 2008 over deterioration of the complex, which was built in 1925. She failed to meet a deadline to make repairs that would bring it up to city standards and a municipal court judge ruled the property could be torn down.
(Editing by David Bailey and Christopher Wilson)


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Welcome to our " apartments for share in Brooklyn " section: You will find 136 advertisements, for the sharing of furnished apartments in Brooklyn. From small budget, simply furnished apartments to luxury ones, all the apartments to share in Brooklyn are presented on the Lodgis website and include many photos. These can be found by doing a search by zone, availability dates or the level of standing. Each apartment for share in Brooklyn has been rigorously selected.
These offers for furnished or unfurnished apartments to share are perfectly adapted for roommate students in Brooklyn, wishing to find inexpensive apartments to share in Brooklyn and looking for a furnished bedroom in apartment to share in Brooklyn, for a monthly or yearly apartmentshare.
Apartmentshare in Brooklyn is an alternative to student apartment or a young working person's residence and meets the requirements of roommates, who wish to settle in Brooklyn, in temporary apartment sharing or whilst waiting for traditional apartment.
As a roommate, whether you are looking for one or several furnished or unfurnished bedroom, the offers for furnished apartments to share in Brooklyn that we present can be destined for long term rentals, being used as a main residence or short term rentals, being used as a secondary home. On our website, each apartments for sharing has been visited by a professional.


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Effect of Clonidine on Responses to Imagery Scripts
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00318760
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : April 27, 2006
Last Update Posted : April 5, 2018
|Tracking Information
|First Submitted Date ICMJE
|April 25, 2006
|First Posted Date ICMJE
|April 27, 2006
|Last Update Posted Date
|April 5, 2018
|Study Start Date ICMJE
|June 14, 2005
|Primary Completion Date
|Not Provided
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT00318760 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|Effect of Clonidine on Responses to Imagery Scripts
|Official Title ICMJE
|Effect of Clonidine on Responses to Imagery Scripts
|Brief Summary
- Research has shown that clonidine, a drug originally prescribed to treat high blood pressure and some symptoms of opioid withdrawal, can help block stress-induced relapse to heroin and cocaine seeking in rats. However, it does not seem to block cue-induced relapse in rats. Researchers are interested in studying whether clonidine shows the same pattern of effects on stress- and cue-induced cravings for heroin or cocaine in humans.
- To compare the ability of clonidine to reduce stress- and cue-induced cocaine and heroin craving in drug abusers.
- Individuals between 18 and 55 years of age who are current cocaine or heroin users.
|Detailed Description
Background. Stress and exposure to drug-related cues (environmental stimuli previously associated with drug availability) are considered factors that increase the risk of relapse to heroin and/or cocaine use. The two factors may act through different neural mechanisms. Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, such as clonidine, have been shown to block stress-induced relapse, but not cue-induced relapse, to heroin and cocaine self-administration in rodents. The ability of clonidine to attenuate stress- or cue-induced heroin and cocaine craving in drug abusers has not been tested. It is important to determine, in humans, whether clonidine blocks the acute effects of only one putative class of relapse precipitants, or whether its effects are more general.
Scientific goal. To compare the ability of clonidine to reduce stress-induced and cue-induced cocaine and heroin craving in drug abusers.
Participant population. A total of up to 160 drug abusers using cocaine, heroin, or both will be enrolled. Target enrollment will include 40% women and 60% minorities (mostly African-American).
Experimental design and methods. Participants will be randomized to one of three groups receiving clonidine 0.1 mg, clonidine 0.2 mg, or placebo orally under double-blind conditions. The study will consist of a single 5-6 hr experimental session in which there will be baseline measures, drug administration, and four script-guided imagery sets, each followed by a period of data collection. Three hours after dosing (when peak plasma clonidine concentrations are reached), participants will be exposed to four scripts: one stress-inducing, one describing drug cues, and two with neutral content. The standardized script-guided imagery procedure has previously been shown to reliably induce negative affective states (stress scripts) and/or craving (stress and drug-cue scripts) compared to the neutral scripts and to have internal and external validity (Tiffany and Drobes, 1990; Maude-Griffin and Tiffany, 1996; Taylor et al., 2000; Sinha et al., 1999, 2000, 2003; Singleton et al., 2003; Tiffany and Haekeneworth, 1991; Elash et al., 1995; Drobes and Tiffany, 1997; Taylor et al., 2000; Singleton et al., 2003). Outcome measures will include subjective ratings of drug craving and mood, autonomic response (galvanic skin response [GSR]), and endocrine responses (salivary cortisol and salivary ?-amylase, a measure of endogenous adrenergic activity during stress (Chatterton et al., 1996; Nater et al., 2005; van Stegeren et al., 2005)).
Benefits to participants and/or society. There are no direct benefits to participants. However, if clonidine is effective in blocking stress-induced and/or cue-induced craving, then the results will be used as a basis for designing a treatment trial, and drug abusers and society may benefit from the eventual use of clonidine or other alpha agonists for prevention of relapse in cocaine and heroin users. In addition, this research will provide information on the clinical relevance of a preclinical model of relapse, possibly strengthening arguments for its use in medication development.
Risks to participants. Participants may experience side effects from clonidine such as sedation and are expected to experience brief, mild psychological stress and drug craving from the laboratory script procedures. Prior to leaving the session, participants will be assessed for the presence of continued drug effects. If participants are experiencing any stress or craving at the end of the session, they will undergo a 10-minute guided relaxation session, which will be repeated until feelings of stress or craving dissipate, before being released from the laboratory. Participants may be kept longer than the planned session length, up to and including staying overnight on the inpatient ward, because of continued side effects or elevated stress or craving. If the MRP deems it medically necessary, participants will be sent to JHBMC emergency department for further evaluation and treatment.
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase
|Phase 1
|Study Design ICMJE
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Condition ICMJE
|Intervention ICMJE
|Study Arms
|Publications *
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Actual Enrollment ICMJE
|Original Enrollment ICMJE
|Actual Study Completion Date
|August 7, 2013
|Primary Completion Date
|Not Provided
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Women who do not agree to use these medically effective forms of contraception while in the study will be excluded.
|18 Years to 55 Years (Adult)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|United States
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|Not Provided
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|IPD Sharing Statement
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Not Provided
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
|Verification Date
|July 8, 2014
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


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Donate to Hurricane Florence Relief
1405 SW Greenville Blvd.
Greenville, NC 27834
Service Times
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Sermon Series / Don't Spit It Out
Founded in February 1989 in Greenville, North Carolina, Koinonia Christian Center Church Ministries is a vision-led church with a passion for making a difference in the lives of people.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop us a note. If you have a prayer request, you can also add it to our Prayer Wall.
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looking for the Roberts that arived in Canada in the late 1800 or early 1900 from England
Hello,my name is jaynelynn rogers E-mail address: [email protected]
I am looking for some info on my Birth Family (The Roberts family that arrived in Cape Briten Nova Scotia in the late 1800's or early 1900's.) I am also looking for information on my Birth Father.
any one knowing any info on this Roberts Family I would love to here
from them.
My story began when I found out my birth family name was Roberts.
It was to my disappointment,that my birth mother was no longer living,
she died in 1994.
I have been searching ever since for some family info.
I came up with a few facts, they are as follows:
Judith Diane Roberts (MY Birth Mom),was 20 years of age and single when she got pregnant with me. She was not working and had no means of looking after a child at that time and gave me up for adoption.
I was born in Middleton, Nova Scotia at the Soldiers memorial Hospital.
Judith Diane Roberts later married Donald Rockwell. He had 2 children perversely (stepson)Kenneth Rockwell, living in Connecticut in 1994. and (stepson)Donald Rockwell,living in California in 1994.
My Birth Father was born in approximately 1927 and was 35 years of age. He was single when I was born. He was born in the Province of Nova Scotia.
He was of Roman Catholic faith. He past away in February 1962 due to an unexpected illness.
He Completed Grade 5 education and was employed in the transportation sector.
My Birth Father was 5'3" tall. he had brown eyes with dark hair and a light complexion. He was described as having a pleasant disposition.
My Birth Father had 5 siblings. They were:
. a brother, who resided in Nova Scotia at the time of my birth
. a brother, who resided in the United States at the time of my birth
. a sister, who resided in the United States.
. a sister, who resided in Nova Scotia at the time of my birth
. a sister, who resided in Nova Scotia at the time of my birth
David Roberts (my Great Grand Dad) was born on Feb 9, 1880 in England and died on Aug 10, 1954 in Glace Bay Nova Scotia. He married Alice Rose,(i am not shore on the name Alice Rose)
Children of David Roberts and Alice Rose
1. Albert William Roberts (My Grand Dad) born in 1920 in Glace Bay Nova Scotia and died on May 21, 1944 in Nova Scotia
2. James Elias Roberts was born in England and died on an unknown date
3. Amies may be Allies Roberts was born ?
4. Theodasia Roberts was born in England and died on an unknown date
5. lydia Roberts
6. Mrs. Elijah Wareham Roberts
7. Alice Roberts.
Albert William Roberts one of the children of David Roberts was my Grand Dad. He Married Selina Osborne (daughter of Eleazer Osborne and Alice Brown).
He had served with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. He had spent several months on duty in Labrador and while there he became ill. He was flown from Labrador to halifax where he underwent a period of treatments at Cape Hill Hospital.
Following his release from the institution he was discharged from the army because of his physical condition and returned to his home. He became ill again and admitted to Camp Hill Hospital where deth took place on May 21 1944.
Selina Osborne Roberts (My Grand Mom)was born on June 11 1921 and died in late June or July 1 1947 in Glace Bay Nova Scotia.
Selina Osborne Roberts had at least one sister Doris Osborn (Mrs. John MacMullin)she was living in Cape Briton in 1994.
Albert William Roberts and Selina Osborne Roberts had two young girls,
Judith Diane Roberts (My Birth Mom) and Marilyn Roberts (Mrs Ronald Simpson)(my Aunt),living in Fort McMurray, Alta. in 1994. both borne in Glace Bay Nova Scotia.


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I am absolutely obsessed with the new fall 2011 Juyan Watanabe collection! From the fabrics to the detailed stitching the Japanese designer has certainly out done himself this time.
Watanabe was originally the protege of Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo. Born in Fukushima, Japan in 1961, he attend Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, graduating in 1984. It was around this time that he began his apprenticeship at Comme des Garçons as a patternmaker. Eventually he was promoted to chief designer of Tricot knitwear line and then quickly moved on to design for the Comme Des Garçons Homme line. In 1992 he began to work under his own name as part of Comme des Garçons.
This season sees Watanabe steering towards a more contemporary aesthetic seasons, Japanese fashion designer Junya Wathetic than we have seen from him in the past. He builds off basic Americana styles, giving them a more romantic spin. The collection features items such as duffel coats, sport coats, knit sweaters, all with modern tailoring.
Take a look at collection below. What do you think of it?


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November 11
1000 block of N. Buerkle
SPD Ptl. George Bethell took a report from a man who said someone broke into his vehicle and stole a Pioneer flip screen and a dual 12-inch speaker box with two MTX 12-inch speakers.
Nov. 13
1000 block of S. Maple
SPD Ptl. Jessica McSwain took a report from a woman who said she and a man had got into an argument. She said the man drug her down several streets fighting and hitting her. The woman had injuries to her top lip and scratches on her neck.
Stuttgart Police Department reports
November 11


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News for the Hospitality Executive
Del Mar, Calif.- May 15, 2013- L'Auberge Del Mar has announced two promotions and a new hire to its dynamic sales team. The promotions follow the departure of longtime Director of Sales and Marketing Francine Williams, who is starting her own marketing consulting business.
"After 12 years with the property, it's time to turn over the reins and start a new chapter in my career," said Williams. "L'Auberge Del Mar has always been fortunate to attract and maintain a strong sales team, and I have the utmost confidence that the new team will continue this tradition."
Robert Harter has been tapped to replace Williams as director of sales and marketing. Formerly the hotel's director of sales, Harter will oversee all marketing, communications and sales activity for the 120-room property. Harter joined L'Auberge Del Mar in 2012 after serving nearly six years as associate director of group sales at La Costa Resort and Spa. Prior to that, Harter spent nine years at Rancho Bernardo Inn working his way up from food and beverage manager to associate director of group sales. Harter has a degree in business administration from San Diego State University.
Jeffrey Livingston, Director of Sales
Jeffrey Livingston has been promoted to director of sales. He was previously associate director of sales and oversaw the San Diego and the Northeast territories. Livingston's background also includes serving as national sales manager for both L'Auberge Del Mar and its former sister property, Estancia La Jolla, where he was recognized as a 2011 President's Club member for top sales. Livingston is a graduate of California State University of Chico with a degree in resort and lodging management.
Jamie Clave, Sales Manager
L'Auberge Del Mar has hired Jamie Clave as sales manager overseeing San Diego and Southwest. Clave joins the hotel from Estancia La Jolla Hotel where she was sales manager. Clave's career history includes sales positions with Hotel Connections, LTD in New York, NY, Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, Calif. and West Inn & Suites Carlsbad, Calif. Her successful track record has earned her several industry awards including the Pacific Hospitality Group 2012 Full Speed Ahead Award, SITE Southern California Young Leader Scholarship and CH&LA's "Stars of the Industry" - Lodging Property Achievement Award for Guest Relations. She is a graduate of University of California, Davis with degrees in communications and psychology.
About L'Auberge Del Mar
Located in the heart of Southern California's most picturesque coastal village of Del Mar, L'Auberge Del Mar overlooks the Pacific Ocean and offers a resort experience reminiscent of a private, coastal estate. Managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, this historic seaside hotel offers 120 guest rooms and suites, refreshing dining options, a cheerful and cozy spa, a private path to the beach and peaceful pool area. The award-winning, signature restaurant, KITCHEN 1540, blends energy and intrigue with a fresh, lively atmosphere. The restaurant's extensive offerings meld the classic and the unexpected, making KITCHEN 1540 something one simply has to try when dining in Del Mar. For more information, please visit www.laubergedelmar.com or www.destinationhotels.com.
Lori Kennedy or Shae Geary
JLK Marketing + Communications
To Learn More About Your News Being Published on Hotel-Online Inquire Here


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Being in the middle of making the change over to Linux.... or trying to as the case may be, I have been trying to work out how to secure it, at least a bit, before I let it loose on the Net. After reading posts on here I have downloaded myself a copy of Firestarter and Snort, to take care of the firewall/ IDS side of things, just having trouble finding a decent free piece of anti-virus software. The only ones I have managed to locate so far seem to run at the command line, or through scripting only. Being a windoze user most of the time I would much rather have a GUI to look at aswell as having real-time protection rather than having to rely on scheduled scans. Any ideas anybody... before I tear the rest of my hair out? lol
Any other tips on securing the Linux box would be appreciated to, the Linux box is running Mandrake 8.2 on an Intel platform, connected to the nia via a cable modem (USB connection)


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Doctor Who: The Big Bang
Review by Tom Dickinson
The Big Bang is one of the most thrilling, most enchanting, and most exciting Doctor Who stories I've ever experienced in any medium. But it's also one of the most deeply flawed, primarily because it gets too bogged down in its own impressive complexity. Recently I was watching the featurette on the Mawdryn Undead DVD, in which Peter Davison, Nicholas Courtney and Eric Saward all wonder whether that story might have been a bit too complicated for Doctor Who. If they were watching The Big Bang, it must surely have made their heads spin.
Russell T Davies was often (and rightly) said to have under-thought the logical, science fictional plot progression of his stories, giving his writerly attention instead to the drama and the emotional journey of the characters. But Moffat over-thinks his, to the extent where the science fiction is not so much a story that we're shown as a logical argument that we're told. It's like a Neal Stephenson book, crammed into fifty-five minutes. The story of The Big Bang (or at least its middle part) isn't much more than a bunch of people being chased around a museum by a stone Dalek (which is, I admit, kind of fantastic). And every so often, they pause to exchange bizarre pseudo-logical pronouncements such as "exploding at every point in history" and "the universe literally never happened," gradually building up the ultimate explanation in a way that's bewildering, but impressively bewildering.
It's bewildering, but impressively bewildering.
But does it make sense? I'm scared to think about it all too hard, for fear I might get trapped in its intricacies (or, if you prefer, arrant nonsense) and never emerge. Just look what happened to poor Neil. I'm not going to challenge whether there's actually any sense in Moffat's convoluted maze of paradoxes, restoration fields, footprints of the never-were and fezzes. I'm going to take it as read that Moffat designed another intricate puzzle-box of harmoniously moving parts. I'm just not sure that's what wound up on screen. Recently, Chip (of the Two Minute Time Lord podcast) put out an episode featuring Erik (of the Bridging the Rift podcast) which gives plausible answers to some (but not all) of the questions raised in this episode. But the very fact that it's necessary for us to make up our own answers is a testament to just how muddled the plotting in this story is. I'm all for challenging drama, but too much ham-fisted sci-fi exposition can distract, to the point where it ceases to be drama at all.
Let's return to the Mawdryn Undead comparison. In that story, two versions of the Brigadier from different points in his timeline meet one another. In this story, we have two characters, the Doctor and Amy, meeting other versions of themselves… using two entirely inconsistent models of time travel: Amy meets a version of herself from an altered timeline, whereas the Doctor travels in tidy, self-consistent causal loops, crossing his own timeline (which flippantly violates the fundamental rules of Doctor Who storytelling, but who cares, because it's fun). And this turns out to be one of the more sensible, less complicated parts of this story!
Maybe this convoluted beast of a story would have worked if it had been spread out over multiple episodes, and the exposition was given time to develop more slowly. This is why Neal Stephenson's books are ofen so incredibly hefty. But we all know Moffat really couldn't afford that. The more information he gives us in advance, the greater the likelihood that we'd have figured out his entire plot. The television viewer of today is too sophisticated for his or her own good, and Doctor Who fans especially: look how much we managed to figure out based on the few hints we were given. We can whine all we want that the Pandorica's restoration field comes out of nowhere, but if Moffat had even hinted at its existence in The Pandorica Opens, we would all have known more or less exactly what was going to happen this week. So as a result, Moffat's got to deliver all his exposition in one go. It's a lose/lose situation.
You know what they say about a cosmos without the Doctor...
Unless there's another option, which of course there was: he could have cut it out entirely. We really don't need the head-scratching brainteaser because it's all just setup to what's really important: the brutal fact that, in order to save everyone and restore Amy's lost family, the Doctor has to revert the universe to its original state, only without himself ever having existed.* There are certainly less cumbersome ways we could have gotten to that point. Having the Doctor mumble something about "complicated space-time events" would have done it for me.
*(Which wouldn't really be a very good thing at all, would it? The universe needs the Doctor. Didn't Moffat watch Turn Left? Plus, The Doctor wasn't there to use the Moment to end the time war, which would of course mean that there wouldn't be a universe anymore because the Time Lords destroyed it and become beings of pure consciousness and energy. Didn't Moffat watch The End of Time? Or was there no Time War at all, without the Doctor inciting it in Genesis of the Daleks? Maybe we shouldn't think too hard about all this. You know what they say about a cosmos without the Doctor...)
But Moffat instead chooses to walk us step by step down his winding path, using time he could have devoted to other, more important things, such as giving us some idea of the identity of the villain of the piece. Yes, I understand that Moffat has chosen to play the long(er) game and postpone the answer to this question until next year. But while that's a refreshing and surprising way of handling plotting in Doctor Who, it comes at the cost of reducing The Big Bang to a dramatic fizzle. This isn't Lost. Questions such as "who is making the TARDIS explode" and "what do they stand to gain by erasing the universe" and "did the Doctor thwart their evil plan or is he somehow playing right into their hands" are pretty central to the dramatic stakes of this story now, and while the delayed payoff might make this story better when we revisit it next year or the year after, that's little comfort at the moment.
Moffat has chosen to play the long(er) game.
And I say all of this about a story I described above as "one of the most thrilling, most enchanting, and most exciting Doctor Who stories I've ever experienced in any medium." I complain because I care. In the end, the thing that saves this story is the very same thing I whined about earlier: the sheer concentration of the offending exposition. Most of the material I found really unpalatable was at the center of the episode, giving us a thrilling opening and a gloriously triumphant conclusion. And a strong introduction and conclusion count for a lot.
The teaser was just magical, re-enacting the opening of The Eleventh Hour with the younger (and, in my opinion, more likable) Amelia Pond with the details changed but many things very much the same. I wrote at length in my review of The Eleventh Hour about how much I loved the establishing shot of Casa Pond, and I love it just as much here if not more. It serves to establish one of the most important (and surprising) parts of The Big Bang: the ways in which it echoes the stories we've seen so far. While we fans have been scrambling to recognize the clues that would take on greater plot significance in the finale (and certainly there were a few), far more important are the moments of thematic significance. Against what we've come to expect from Doctor Who over the years, the duck pond is not an important plot point but rather an important metaphor for Amy's house and the void left behind when things are forgotten.
After the brilliant teaser (which ends with Amy in the Pandorica, one of the episode's biggest surprises), we're given a story whose focal point is Rory, or rather Auton Rory, who is fast becoming one of my favorite companions. His scenes with the Doctor are wonderfully written and performed (and shot, as well--kudos to newcomer Toby Haynes). I've had friends tell me that they found it difficult to get emotionally involved with this series, and I agree, but whenever Rory's on screen that problem fades away. And while Rory's return as the security guard is obvious (nurse, gondolier, doctor, plainclothes detective, centurian, security officer, groom... what will Rory Williams be next?) it's nevertheless extremely satisfying.
Nurse, gondolier, doctor, plainclothes detective, centurian, security officer, groom... what will Rory Williams be next?
Sadly this is the point at which the story beings to crumble under the weight of its own exposition, but by the time the Doctor has rigged the Pandorica to fly into the exploding TARDIS, most of the heavy plotting is out of the way and we're free to focus on the drama of the situation. Karen Gillan gives one of her better performances, and there's even a poignant moment for River Song (who is otherwise surprisingly irrelevant to this story) as she mourns the fact that the Doctor will now never get to know her, nicely inverting her sacrifice in Forest of the Dead.
The Doctor's journey backwards through the events of the series is a wonderful moment for Matt Smith, as he cements his "best Doctor ever" status (for me, anyway). The Lodger seems a strange choice, and I wonder whether there were other scenes scripted or filmed that were left out for time. In any case, the Doctor's reassurance of Amy from Flesh and Stone is better in context, and his bedtime story to Amy is inspired. On first viewing it plays as a natural outpouring of warmth and humanity from a defeated Doctor, telling a bedtime story to a little girl as his final act. And then on second viewing, it plays as a moment of sheer genius on the part of the Doctor and brilliant writing by Moffat as the Doctor seamlessly integrates the necessary clues into a story specifically designed to be remembered on one very particular day. When this pays off at Amy's wedding reception with the invocation of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," it's one of Doctor Who's finest and most triumphant moments.
There are those who will object to the plot point of Amy losing and recovering her memory as being too similar to Donna's fate in Journey's End, when really what's happening is quite the opposite: whereas Donna must forget the Doctor or she will die, Amy must remember the Doctor, or he will die (okay, never have existed. Today just dying is a result). In any case, the companion forced to forget his or her travels with the Doctor is really just an occupational hazard of time travel, used previously in Mawdryn Undead with the Brigadier's temporary amnesia (how glad I am that I watched that story shortly before writing this review) and stretching further back to The War Games in 1969. Perhaps that's a more apt comparison, considering the debt Smith's Doctor owes to Troughton. But while Moffat's owes much to the Doctor Who stories of the past (of course he does, that's how Doctor Who works), what he's doing here with the theme of memory and forgetting is richer and more complex than anything that's been attempted in Doctor Who before.
The most metatextual Doctor Who story since Love and Monsters.
And that's the kind of complexity that can really be appreciated in this episode and in the way the series functions as a whole: the thematic complexity. The running themes relating to fairy tales and imaginative storytelling are developed to a grand conclusion in The Big Bang where it's Amy's ability to remember the Doctor as a story that allows her ultimately to bring him back even when it looked like he might be gone forever. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to read it as an allegory for the Doctor being "forgotten" in the 1980s and subsequent "remembering" in 2005 by a generation of writers who had been affected as children by stories of the Doctor, making this the most metatextual Doctor Who story since Love and Monsters.
And so the episode ends with a joyous farewell to Leadworth and the old team back together again, with some tantalizing hints thrown our way about what's coming next year. If the Orient Express in space is a "sly dig at RTD," as I've heard suggested by some fans, then it's a dig too sly for me because I don't get it. It sounds fantastic to me, and if that's what we'll be seeing this Christmas then I'm all for it. And if not, well, that's okay too. I'm excited about the future of the show because, while this year has had its faults, overall I think it's featured some really fantastic writing, acting, and directing, so I'm excited to see where this team will take us in year two.
How many days 'til Christmas?


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Wonder if someone could help with this ,it is I think the name of a small craft in Hong Kong Kowloon Harbour!
I cannot get a better Pic so hope this will be readable!
As well I am putting a Pic of the actual craft ,so if anyone can identify I would be so grateful!
Thank You
Can you help with this please
Discuss the Chinese language.
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Michael Sona found guilty of robocalls scheme in the 2011 federal election
GUELPH, Ont. — Former Conservative staffer Michael Sona was found guilty Thursday of being part of a scheme that sent thousands of misleading automated phone calls to voters during the 2011 federal election.
Despite the fact there was no evidence proving Sona created or sent the robocalls, Judge Gary Hearn said Sona was "actively involved" in the plot to mislead voters.
Sona was director of communications for Marty Burke's campaign in Guelph, where more than 6,000 robocalls were sent to voters on election day. The bogus calls told voters their polling stations had changed.
Hearn said Sona likely didn't act alone.
Conservative spokesman Cory Hann said the party "did all (it) could to assist" Elections Canada investigators.
"As we've said all along, the Conservative party ran a clean and ethical campaign," he said.
But the NDP's Craig Scott, Opposition critic for democratic reform, said the verdict shows the opposite.
The verdict puts a "dagger through the heart of the Conservative spin that Michael Sona was a lone wolf," he said.
Scott said the fact the judge, as well as the Crown and defence, admitted Sona didn't act alone, proves the case should be reopened.
"A new look needs to be given (on the case) to investigate whether or not this was a team effort."
Sona's lawyer, Norm Boxall, suggested during the trial that other campaign staffers, including campaign manager Ken Morgan, were behind the calls.
Morgan wasn't charged and is reportedly living in Kuwait.
Hearn rejected much of the testimony from the Crown's star witness, Andrew Prescott, because it changed periodically over the past few years. The Burke campaign's IT manager seemed to remember new damning evidence against Sona years after the election. Prescott received immunity from the Crown for his testimony.
"My concerns about Mr. Prescott's reliability are obvious," the judge said Thursday.
He said there was still ample evidence against Sona from several former Conservative staffers who testified Sona boasted to them shortly after the election that he was the robocaller.
The staffers said Sona took pride in the plot to try to dupe thousands of voters so they wouldn't cast a ballot.
The judge said the staffers' testimony was candid, consistent, reliable and damning. The staffers knew details of the case "only known by Sona and anyone closely involved in the scheme," Hearn said.
Sona was convicted of willfully preventing or endeavouring to prevent a voter from casting a ballot.
He faces up to five years in prison.
Lawyers from both sides return to court Oct. 17 to present evidence, such as victim impact statements, which the judge will consider before sentencing Sona.


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TNT had a conference call to talk about its All-Star coverage and members of their broadcast team were asked about several of the pressing issues facing the 76ers.
1. Andre Igoudala's future.
"They are going to have to come up with a solution for Andre Iguodala," Reggie Miller said. "Are they going to trade him or are they going to keep him? He's reading his name in the paper every time he's going into the sports complex. They bring back Allen Iverson the senior member of that team to try to bring back some stability. This is not the Philly team that we all expected; we expected them to be one of the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference so it's been a little tough. Lou Williams was out with that broken jaw for a month or two months, so we haven't seen the real Philadelphia 76ers."
2. The lack of a point guard.
"People now are starting to figure out how important Andre Miller was to that team," Doug Collins said. "You take a point guard off that team, Andre Miller is one of the best to throw the ball ahead on the break and let guys attack. Sometimes you lose assists that way and usually a lot of point guards hold on to that ball until the last second to get assists. This guy advances the ball, he can get down to the post, play out of the post. When you look at Philadelphia, the year that they had the really good finish and they went to the playoffs, it was a team that was built on speed and quickness, they played a small line-up. When you get Elton Brand and you put Elton Brand with Samuel Dalembert, all of a sudden you have two guys (Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala) playing out of position with no point guard. Now all of a sudden your struggles start coming and you've got to teach an offense predicated on cutting and moving and reading. That's an offense that takes a lot of time to learn and a lot of time to teach. Now you have some injuries and you bring Allen Iverson into the mix and they play a different style. They are twisting and turning in between, they are all over the board with what they are trying to get accomplished. That Philadelphia team is much better playing one big guy and four smalls and running and getting in the open court. I just don't think the pieces fit well and they really, really miss a point guard."
3. Iverson the All-Star?
"Sure (he should be starting), why not? The fans have spoken," Miller said. "It's not Allen Iverson's fault (that) the fans love him that much. I understand that playing in the All-Star Game shouldn't be a lifetime achievement award. I go back to his press conference in Philadelphia the first time around when I remember him as a snotty-nosed brat talking about practice. The press conference he had when he came back to Philadelphia has the emotion, the tears, it showed how grateful (he was) to be back in the league with the team that gave him his start; that was a man in front of us. I'm happy that he's going to be playing in the All-Star Game."


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BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Southeast Region of NCAA Division II Track and Field has a new leader atop the USTFCCCA rankings, released Wednesday afternoon. King College Men's Track and Field are now No. 1 in the region after a successful showing the last week's meet, the first time the program has achieved the feat in its history.
Full USTFCCCA rankings - click here
The Tornado surpassed Lees-McRae for the No. 1 spot in the southeast region after their strong showing at the Gene Anderson Invitational on Feb. 18. King finished strong in all four areas, led by sprinter Earl Rahming's win in the 400-meter dash. The Nassau, Bahamas native closed in on the national qualifying mark of 49.25 seconds after posting a new personal record of 49.60. Distance runner Spencer Frantom (Morristown, Tenn.) broke a school record and placed fourth in the 3k race with an 8:48.58 finish time. Freshmen jumpers Forrest Stuart (Appalachia, Va.) and Eric Jones (Kingsport, Tenn.) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the men's high jump event. In the field events, thrower Rickey Bell (Advance, N.C.) advanced to the finals and finished in the top-10 in the shot put with a 12.83-meter throw.
"This is a really proud moment for the program, the staff, and the entire men's team," said Head Coach Peter Dalton. "We will all enjoy this but know that we must keep working hard, execute through the rest of the schedule, and maintain this excellence."
The women's team dropped one spot in the Southeast region. Mount Olive took second in the poll by less than ten points, putting King third in the latest poll. The women are led by record-setting distance runner Danielle Alfano (Chattanooga, Tenn.) who has set a new school record in the 3k race in three consecutive meets. Maegan Henry (Bluefield, Va.) came within one half of a foot of the women's weight throw school record while sprinter Ashley Ruth (Cleveland, Tenn.) set a new PR in the 400-meter dash at the Gene Anderson Invitational, last week.
The Tornado added one event to their schedule, taking a trip to Winston-Salem, Va. to participate in the JDL Fast Track Invitational before going to the VT Final Qualifier, hosted by Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., on March 3. They will follow with the NCAA Indoor National Championship (Mankato, Minn.) on March 9-10.


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Ong-Bak Comparison Review
Casimir Harlow has taken a good look at the Thai and Australian releases of new-age Thai actioner, Ong-Bak, which boasts bone-crus...
|Ong-Bak – Thai R0 (Sahamongkolfilm Co.) vs Aus R0 (Eastern Eye)
5th October 2005
Rating/Certificate: Thailand 85
Region: 0
DVD Release Date: 30th June 2003
Run Time: 104 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Video Signal: PAL
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
Genre: Action
Soundtrack: Dolby Digital 5.1 Thai, DTS 5.1 Thai, Dolby Digital 2.0 Thai
Subtitles: None
Extra Features: Filmmakers' Commentary, Ja Panom's Fight Choreography, Casting and Auditions, Storyboard Comparisons, Demo Scenes, Alternate Ending, Deleted Scene, 3D Animatic Comparisons
Easter Egg: Yes
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Starring: Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol
Related Movies: Drive, Way of the Dragon, Police Story 2, The Swordsman
Rating/Certificate: Australia MA15+
Region: 0
DVD Release Date: 25th August 2005
Run Time: 100 / 104 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Video Signal: PAL
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
Genre: Action
Soundtrack: Dolby Digital 5.1 Thai
Subtitles: English
Extra Features: Making-Of Ong Bak, Born for the Fight Thai Boxing Documentary, Cast and Crew Interviews, Fight Rehearsals, Special Muay Thai Fight Moves
Easter Egg: No
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Starring: Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol
Related Movies: Drive, Way of the Dragon, Police Story 2, The Swordsman
This review is sponsored by
For decades now we have been waiting for a fresh new martial artist to grab our attention in the same spectacular, awe-inspiring way that Bruce Lee did. Strong contenders included his son, Brandon, who was cut down in his prime, the energetic Jackie Chan, the skilful Jet Li and even the lesser-known but equally innovative Marc Dacascos, who introduced us to the art of Capoeira. Hell, even Steven Segal proved that being a towering cumbersome oak did not matter if you were a seventh Dan Black Belt in Aikido. However, none of them quite captured the grace and effortless mastery of his own self-taught martial art that Bruce Lee exhibited and now, most of them are past their prime. So it is time for a new star to emerge. Enter Tony Jaa, the Thai hero of the acclaimed new martial arts adventure, Ong Bak.
Ting is the most skilful martial artist in his village, so when a precious idol – Ong Bak – is stolen from their monastery, he is dispatched to recover it. Armed with only his deadly skills and a bag-full of what little money the villagers could gather, he must return with the idol otherwise his village will not survive – after all, it protects the village and without it the wells will run dry and the fields will not yield crops. However, after meeting up with his capricious and somewhat wayward city-dwelling cousin, S, Ting soon finds himself embroiled in the vicious world of underground fighting championships; first of all to recover the precious little money that he had, which S wilfully gambled away, and then to work his way up the food chain and find the man behind the theft of the idol.
The story behind Ong Bak offers little that we have not come across before – in one shape or another, whether in Van Damme's AWOL or even in Jet Li's latest kick-ass actioner, Danny The Dog. After all, most movies with plots that feature underground fighting tournaments (with one noticeable exception) do so merely to give stars who are better fighters than they are thespians a good reason to show off their talents. For Tony Jaa's debut, this is exactly what we need – any semblance of an excuse to prove that he's a serious contender. Despite its focus on style over substance, the action is superior enough (and frequent enough in occurrence) to keep you engaged from start to finish.
Once Ting starts fighting, we get about half a dozen tournaments fights, with myriad fighters that adopt every style from boxing, to chair-swinging, to even a weird Jamiroquai-like dancing movement that I simply could not take seriously. The fights get increasingly difficult for Ting and are interspersed with street battles with multiple opponents that showcase his talents for evading as much as tackling his many foes. Eventually we see him do a bone-crunching ring fight with an opponent who practices the same superior Thai martial art, which leads into the extended finale where Ting gets to show off some stick-fighting, sword-fighting and even fire-fighting (you'll know what I mean) on the way to his showdown with the big boss and his lead henchman.
The fighting itself is captured well, utilising the same repeat shot technique perfected for Van Damme's early efforts (you get to see many superior moves several times in slow-motion from different angles) and showcasing the very essence of this masterful new fighter. Exhibiting almost the same speed and focus as Bruce Lee, as well as the bone-crunching ferocity of his blows (with elbow strikes that nobody should be able to get up from), Tony Jaa is most definitely the next big thing. He has even got the charisma to boot – although this is not the perfect vehicle to show that, which is why his co-stars, Petchtai Wongkamlao (as George) and Pumwaree Yodkamol (as Muay) add some humour (and maybe even a hint of romance) to the proceedings. Aside from a brief cameo in Petchtai Wongkamlao's silly The Bodyguard, Jaa has yet to release another film but I am waiting with eager anticipation to see what this new talent has to offer us next (the upcoming Tom Yum Goong and Sword both could be good). In the meantime, Ong Bak is the perfect introduction to this new martial arts action star.
Spoilers alert: For the main feature, the Thai DVD presents the original Thai Uncut version only whereas the Australian DVD allows you to watch either the French Theatrical Cut or the Thai Uncut version. I found it particularly difficult to see the differences particularly since the fights seem identical. There are no noticeable cuts to the violence, with all of the elbow strikes intact and the vicious arm-break, leg-break, painful sledgehammer blows and the saw fight, all at the end, present and correct. The forced overdose is there and none of the blood from any of the scenes has been removed but the subplot behind the overdose scene (revealing that it is Muay's sister who is addicted to drugs) has rather strangely been removed. This only results in Muay's character's reaction to the death of the girl to go from understandable to inexplicable and I cannot understand why they bothered to omit it.
Both discs present Ong-Bak in near-identical 1.85:1 aspect ratio anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfers. Both have almost all of the same flaws, with limited detail, frequent softness and significant grain throughout. The colour scheme provides the most notable difference between the two releases, with the Thai palette looking a little faded, whilst the Eastern Eye colours are rich and vibrant. This also allows for slightly better contrast, deeper blacks and thus better shadowing. The lighting is generally not great in this movie (it is, after all, fairly low budget) and so the Eastern Eye disc often ends up looking slightly better because it has the edge when it comes to contrast.
Note: clicking on each image will download the full resolution screen grab.
Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm Co.) Region 0
Australia (Eastern Eye) Region 0
Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm Co.) Region 0
Australia (Eastern Eye) Region 0
Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm Co.) Region 0
Australia (Eastern Eye) Region 0
Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm Co.) Region 0
Australia (Eastern Eye) Region 0
Both versions also have a near-identical Dolby Digital 5.1 track in the original Thai language. The dialogue is generally perfectly clear, mainly coming from the frontal array, and we get various fairly standard score elements that come in throughout the movie. There are also a few punchy numbers with a great traditional Thai instrument edge, which play during the fights and allow for some minor directionality, but this generally feels like a stereo track that has been merely replicated across the rears, albeit to a quieter degree. There is no significant bass but there are quite a few effects – normally in the form of devastating blows to the head or smashing tables, although there are a few gunshots and some car crash mayhem to extend the range. For the Eastern Eye edition, this is the only track we get but the Thai disc provides a slightly superior DTS effort and also an inferior Dolby Digital 2.0 mix. Subtitles are unfortunately only present on the Eastern Eye release, limiting your options if you want to actually understand the dialogue (that is, if you don't speak Thai). The subtitles are generally clear and comprehensible.
Eastern Eye
First up we get a Documentary entitled Born for the Fight, which spends a whopping fifty-one minutes looking at The Art of Muay Thai Boxing. There are plenty of interviews with relevant parties talking about the evolution of this particular form of Thai boxing, how it fits in with the aspirations of the whole country and how it represents the general struggle of war and peace that is ongoing. They talk about the rougher side of Muay Thai – how it spawned kickboxing and how, for grudge matches, they often laced their hemp 'gloves' with glass. There is plenty of old footage of Muay Thai boxing matches, which still looks unfeasibly fast even though it may not have been sped up and we get to see lots of behind the fights footage where the trainers and experts discuss the purpose behind such items as the headband and the symbolic body prints. We get to see young kids training in this particular art, the regime and practice that this involves and then the shock of actually seeing these kids kicking each others heads in the ring. Surely that cannot be good news? Anyway, it is an extremely interesting and informative documentary that will teach fans of any martial art a great deal more about this particular one.
Next we get cast and crew interviews with actor Tony Jaa, director Prachya Pinkaew, actor Petchtai Wongkamlao and fight choreographer Panna Rittikrai. Each lasts a few minutes, in original Thai with decent subtitles. Jaa explains the different sequences and how he prepared for the demanding fight scenes in the movie, explaining how some of the crazy stunts were extremely tiring (understandably) and some of the potentially disastrous experiences on set. His second interview is a ridiculously brief and poorly edited snippet about the fire sequence where he even got his eyebrows singed. The Director has about nine interview segments, the first main one giving him the opportunity to talk about every aspect of the production, even digressing into the history of Muay Thai boxing and how it evolved from wartime conflicts when unarmed individuals wanted to defend themselves. In the others he talks about why he wanted to make Ong Bak, how he filmed the fights, the comedic secondary character and the chase sequence, with each one of these further interview segments lasting mere seconds. Petchtai, who provides the comedic elements, gets barely a few seconds to talk about his role, as is the same case with the fight choreographer.
There is a making of documentary that lasts a massive forty-nine minutes and is split into sections. The Market Fight, The Illegal Fighting, The Weapons Fighting and the end Cave Climax each have plenty of rehearsal footage, test runs, behind the scenes footage and alternative camera angles of the final cut. We get to see them practice the key sequences, with multiple takes, on-set gags and lots of instructions from the director. There is a little too much footage from the main film itself, but it is worth enduring for the sake of seeing yet more Tony Jaa action, along with some pretty funny on-set mistakes.
Then we get three behind the scenes featurettes on the Tuk Tuk Chase, The Fight Club and The Petrol Station. Each lasts only a few minutes and offers slightly poor footage of the cameraman filming the sequences, B-roll and dailies. I cannot see a great deal of difference between this and the footage on the main making-of documentary, except for the fact that it deals with different sequences. Anyway, it is perfectly good stuff, although seeing Tony Jaa in pain after having had his legs set on fire and also seeing the accidental blows he caused to fellow cast/stunt members was a little unsettling.
There are four Tony Jaa fight demonstrations. International Film Premieres runs at six minutes an is merely a music-laden montage of clips from him kicking around at couple of the premieres, both on the stage in front of the screen before the movie is played and just as a demonstration outside the screening room. We get three minutes of bone-cracking rehearsal fight demonstrations, nine different Muay Thai promos, with Jaa showcasing the same moves he explains in the main feature itself, along with these eight Muay Thai movements broken down into descriptions, each with the option of playing an animated example of the manoeuvre. Again, this is juicy stuff for martial arts enthusiasts.
Finally we get a terrible French music video by Blue Marlyn, some artwork galleries (with posters, stills and storyboards), the original trailers and a bunch of other Madman Trailers – the classic Seven Samurai, The Eye, Happy Together, Howl's Moving Castle and another anime called Madlax.
Sahamongkolfilm Co.
Here we get a wealth of extras but, just like the main feature, they are all without subtitles. This means that the fight choreography examples are understandable only from the brief animations, the deleted scenes (with director's introductions) make little sense (although there are no extra fight sequences) and only the fairly obvious alternate ending can really be fully enjoyed (I prefer this alternate ending – it is less incongruous with the sentiment of the rest of the movie). The casting and audition segments are also pretty pointless. The demo scenes are equally so because they are mostly just talk. We get to see the storyboard and 3D animatic comparison, although not before introductions which are again incomprehensible. The Easter Eggs section highlights some moments in the movie when messages to various directors are written on the walls in the background (Spielberg and Luc Besson both being mentioned). It all looks like interesting stuff, and much of it is different in content from that of the Eastern Eye disc, but it is all fairly worthless without English subtitling.
Ong Bak could be the start of the next big thing in terms of martial arts action as Tony Jaa steps into the limelight, kicking his way through endless foes to secure his place in cinematic action star history. When it comes to the two releases I have to favour the Australian Eastern Eye edition, not least because it has the vital subtitles but also because it boasts a better transfer and a second disc with more comprehensive extras (that are again subtitled). Completists may want the deleted footage and DTS track, but will probably find it all hard going unless they speak Thai. That said, in a movie like this, it is mostly about the action. In that respect, both versions are identical (the French cut is slightly redundant either way) and provide plenty of martial arts entertainment. Fans of any decent martial arts master since Bruce Lee will probably already have this, but if you don't then the Eastern Eye disc is worth picking up straight away. You won't be disappointed.
Thailand Region 0
Australia Region 0
The Australian release can be bought for $21.49 from YesAsia.
Editorial by Casimir Harlow
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I'll spare you all the ultra boring details of what's been going on, it's probably too much for me to remember it all anyway and I'd rather not revisit it all anyway. For the sake of time and my sanity I'll just say, "ugh!"
Moving on, while I've been away from the blog for a while, I haven't necessarily been away from my work and I'll try to get back into the groove of writing things down here as I go along.
One new thing that has happened and will directly effect the content here is my moving to Maryland this fall/winter. We'll be moving within the next few months so I'll have an all new state to explore and I'll be close enough to my old stomping grounds in Washington, D.C. to be able to get back to all the treasure troves of information there. I'll have to be sure to document it all here when the time comes. I've never done anything in Maryland but I did track one of my husband's lines to a family of Quakers in Maryland so potentially I could have at least two new things to talk about in those topics.
Hmmm, I might actually want to start working getting a Maryland research guide for myself together...or one of Maryland Quakers...or Quakers in general...or all of the above! Oh goodness, I have a lot to do, why am I still writing this! :) Stay tuned!


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The flag is back
With the removal of a giant pine that obscured the flagpole, the colors are once again flying at Hoxsie School. And to commemorate the occasion, the entire school turned out Thursday – Flag Day – for a program that included patriotic songs, comments from the superintendent and principal and the reading of winning essays on "what the flag means to me" by their young authors. Senator Michael McCaffrey provided the school flag. (Warwick Beacon photos)
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