text:
|Fig. 23.—Plan and Section of the Laacher See, a lake on the borders of the Eifel, occupying the crater of an old volcano.—G. Gravel and volcanic sand forming banks of the lake and rim of old crater; L. Sheet of trachytic lava with columnar structure; B. Basaltic dyke; S. Devonian slate, etc.
The Laacher See is a lake of an oval form, over an English mile in the shorter diameter, and surrounded by high banks of volcanic sand, gravel, and scoriæ, except on the east side, where cliffs of clay-slate, in a nearly vertical position, and striking nearly E.W., may be observed. Its depth from the surface of the water is 214 feet.[10] The ashes of the encircling banks contain blocks of slate and lava which have been torn from the sides of the orifice or neck of the volcano and blown into the air; and there can be no doubt that the ashes and volcanic gravel is the result of very recent eruptions.
At the east side of the lake we find a stream of scoriaceous lava of a purple or reddish colour, highly vesicular, and containing crystals of mica; but the most important lava-stream is that which has taken a southerly direction from the crater of the Laacher See towards Nieder Mendig and Mayen, for a distance of about six miles. This great stream is covered throughout half its distance by beds of volcanic ash and lapilli, but emerges into the air at a distance of about two miles from the edge of the crater (see Fig. 23), and was formerly extensively quarried in underground caverns for millstones. Here the rock is a vesicular trachyte, of a greyish colour, solidified in vertical columns of hexagonal form, about four feet in diameter, and traversed by transverse joint planes. These quarries have been worked from the time of the Roman occupation of the country; and, before the introduction of iron or steel rollers for grinding corn, millstones were exported to all parts of Europe and the British Isles from this quarry.[11]
The district around the Laacher See is covered by laminated ejecta of the old volcano, probably of subaërial origin, through which bosses of the fundamental slate peer up at intervals, while the surface is diversified by several truncated cones.
(g.) Trass of the Brühl Valley.—The Brühl Valley, which unites with that of the Rhine at the town of that name, and drains the northern side of the volcanic region, has always been regarded with much interest by travellers for the presence of a deposit of "trass" with which it is partially filled. The origin of this valley was pre-volcanic, as it is hewn out of the slaty rocks of the district. But at a later period it became filled with volcanic mud (tuffstein), out of which the stream has made for itself a fresh channel. The source of this mud is considered by Hibbert[12] to have been the old volcano of the Lummerfeld, which, after becoming dormant, was filled with water, and thus became a lake. At a subsequent period, however, a fresh eruption took place near the edge of the lake, resulting in the remarkable ruptured crater known as the Kunksköpfe, which rises about four miles to the north of the Laacher See. The eruptions of this volcano appear to have displaced the mud of the Lummerfeld, causing it to flow down into the deep gorge of the Brühl, which it completely filled, as stated above.
On walking down the valley one may sometimes see the junction of the tuff with the slate-rock which enfolds it. The tuff consists of white felspathic mud, with fragments of slate and lava, reaching a depth in some places of 150 feet. After it has been quarried it is ground in mills, and used for cement stone under the name of trass. It is said to resemble the volcanic mud by which Herculaneum was overwhelmed during the first eruption of Vesuvius, and which was produced by the torrents of rain mixing with the ashes as they were blown out of the volcano.
Sufficient has probably now been written regarding the dormant, or recently extinct, volcanic districts of Europe to give the reader a clear idea regarding their nature and physical structure. Other districts might be added, such as those of Central Germany, Hungary, Transylvania, and Styria; but to do so would be to exceed the proposed limits of this work; and we may therefore pass on to the consideration of the volcanic region of Syria and Palestine, which adjoins the Mediterranean district we have considered in a former page.
[1] Daubeny, loc. cit., p. 71. The geology of this region has had many investigators, of whom the chief are Steininger, Erloschenen Vulkane in der Eifel (1820); Hibbert, Extinct Volcanoes of the Basin of Neuwied, 1832; Nöggerath, Das Gebirge im Rheinland, etc., 4 vols.; Horner, "On the Geology of Bonn," Transactions of the Geological Society, London, vol. iv.
[2] The views of Dr. Hibbert are not inconsistent with those of the late Sir A. Ramsay, on "The Physical History of the Valley of the Rhine," Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc., vol. xxx. (1874).
[3] Von Dechen, Geog. Beschreib. des Siebengebirges am Rhein (Bonn, 1852).
[4] Hibbert, loc. cit., p. 18.
[5] Horner, "Geology of Environs of Bonn," Transactions of the Geological Society, vol. iv., new series.
[6] H. von Dechen, Geog. Führer in das Siebengebirge am Rhein (Bonn, 1861).
[7] Ibid., p. 191.
[8] Dr. Hibbert's work is illustrated by very carefully drawn and accurate views of some of the old cones and craters of this district, accompanied by detailed descriptions.
[9] The lava of Schorenberg, near Rieden, is interesting from the fact, stated by Zirkel, that it contains leucite, nosean, and nephelin.—Die Mikros. Beschaf. d. Miner. u. Gesteine, p. 154 (1873).
[10] Hibbert, loc. cit., p. 23.
[11] At the time of the author's visit the underground caverns, which are deliciously cool in summer, were used for the storage of the celebrated beer brewed by the Moravians of Neuwied.
[12] Hibbert, loc. cit., p. 129.
(a.) Region east of the Jordan and Dead Sea.—The remarkable line of country lying along the valley of the Jordan, and extending into the great Arabian Desert, has been the seat of extensive volcanic action in prehistoric times. The specially volcanic region seems to be bounded by the depression of the Jordan, the Dead Sea, and the Arabah as far south as the Gulf of Akabah; for, although Safed, lying at the head of the Sea of Galilee on the west of the Jordan valley, is built on a basaltic sheet, and is in proximity to an extinct crater, its position is exceptional to the general arrangement of the volcanic products which may be traced at intervals from the base of Hermon into Central Arabia, a distance of about 1000 miles.[1]
The tract referred to has been described at intervals by several authors, of whom G. Schumacher,[2] L. Lartet,[3] Canon Tristram,[4] M. Niebuhr,[5] and C. M. Doughty[6] may be specially mentioned in this connection.
The most extensive manifestations of volcanic energy throughout this long tract of country appear to be concentrated at its extreme limits. At the northern extremity the generally wild and rugged tract of the Jaulân and Haurân, called in the Bible Trachonitis, and still farther to the eastward the plateau of the Lejah, with its row of volcanic peaks sloping down to the vast level of Bashan, is covered throughout nearly its whole extent by great sheets of basaltic lava, above which rise at intervals, and in very perfect form, the old crater-cones of eruption. A similar group of extinct craters with lava-flows has been described and figured by a recent traveller, Mr. C. M. Doughty, in parts of Central Arabia. The general resemblance of these Arabian volcanoes to those of the Jaulân is unquestionable; and as they are connected with each other by sheets of basaltic lava at intervals throughout the land of Moab, it is tolerably certain that the volcanoes lying at either end of the chain belong to one system, and were contemporaneously in a state of activity.
(b.) Geological Conditions.—Before entering any further into particulars regarding the volcanic phenomena of this region, it may be desirable to give a short account of its geological structure, and the physical conditions amongst which the igneous eruptions were developed.
Down to the close of the Eocene period the whole region now under consideration was occupied by the waters of the ocean. The mountains of Sinai were islands in this ocean, which had a very wide range over parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe. But at the commencement of the succeeding Miocene stage the crust was subjected to lateral contraction, owing to which the ocean bed was upraised. The strata were flexured, folded, and often faulted and fissured along lines ranging north and south, the great fault of the Jordan-Arabah valley being the most important. At this period the mountains of the Lebanon, the table-lands of Judæa and of Arabia, formed of limestone, previously constituting the bed of the ocean during the Eocene and Cretaceous periods, were converted into land surfaces. Along with this upheaval of the sea-bed there was extensive denudation and erosion of the strata, so that valleys were eroded over the subaërial tracts, and the Jordan-Arabah valley received its primary form and outline.
Up to this time there does not appear to have been any outbreak of volcanic forces; but with the succeeding Pliocene period these came into play, and eruptions of basaltic lava took place along rents and fissures in the strata, while craters and cones of slag, scoriæ, and ashes were thrown up over the region lying to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the sources of the Jordan on the one hand, and the central parts of the great Arabian Desert on the other. These eruptions, probably intermittent, continued into the succeeding Glacial or Pluvial period, and only died out about the time that the earliest inhabitants appeared on the scene.
(c.) The Jaulân and Haurân.—This tract is bounded by the valley of the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee on the west, from which it rises by steep and rocky declivities into an elevated table-land, drained by the Yarmûk (Hieromax), the Nahr er Rukkâd, and other streams, which flow westwards into the Jordan along deep channels in which the basaltic sheets and underlying limestone strata are well laid open to view.
On consideration it seems improbable that the great sheets of augitic lava, such as cover the surface of the land of Bashan, are altogether the product of the volcanic mountains which appear to be confined to special districts in this wide area. Some of the craters do indeed send forth visible lava-streams, but they are insignificant as compared with the general mass of the plateau-basalts; and the crater-cones themselves appear in some cases to be posterior to the platforms of basalt from which they rise. It is very probable, therefore, that the lavas of this region have, in the main, been extruded from fissures of eruption at an early period, and spread over the surface of the country in the same manner as those of the Snake River region, and the borders of the Pacific Ocean of North America, and possibly of the Antrim Plateau in Ireland, afterwards to be described.
The volcanic hills which rise above the plateau are described in detail by Schumacher. Of these, Tell Abû Nedîr is the largest in the Jaulân. It reaches an elevation of 4132 feet above the Mediterranean Sea, and 1710 feet above the plain from which it rises; the circumference of its base is three miles, and the rim of the crater itself, which is oval in form, is 1331 yards in its larger diameter. The interior is cultivated by Circassians, and is very fruitful; the walls descend at an angle of about 30° on the inside, the exterior slope of the mountain being about 22°. The cone seems to be formed chiefly of scoriæ, and the lava-stream, which issues forth from the interior, forms a frightfully stony and lacerated district.[7]
|Fig. 24.—Extinct Craters in the Jaulân, north-east from the Sea of Galilee, called Tell Abû en Nedâ and Tell el Urâm, with a central cone.—(After Schumacher.)
Another remarkable volcano is the Tell Abû en Nedâ (Fig. 24). This is a double crater, with a cone (probably of cinders) rising from the interior of one of them. The highest point of the rim of one of the craters reaches a level of 4042 feet above the sea. A lava-stream issues forth from Abû en Nedâ, and unites with another from a neighbouring volcano.
Tell el Ahmâr is a ruptured crater of imposing aspect, reaching an elevation of 4060 feet, and sending forth a lava-current, which falls in regular terraces from the outlet towards the west and north.
The ruptured crater of Tell el Akkasheh, which reaches a height of 3400 feet, has a less forbidding aspect than the greater number of the extinct volcanoes of this region, owing to the fact that its sides are covered by oaks, which attain to magnificent proportions along the summit. Numerous other volcanic hills occur in this district, but the most remarkable is that called Tell el Farras (the Hill of the Horse). It is an isolated mountain, visible from afar, and reaches an elevation of 3110 feet, or nearly 800 feet above the surrounding plain. The oval crater of this volcano opens towards the north, and has a depth of 108 feet below the edge, with moderately steep sloping sides (17°-32°), while the slope of the exterior, at first steep, gradually lessens to 20°-21°. These slopes are covered with reddish or yellowish slag. The above examples will probably suffice to afford the reader a general idea of the size and form of the volcanoes in this little known region.
It has been stated above that the great lava-floods have probably been poured forth intermittently. The statement receives confirmation from the observations of Canon Tristram, made in the valley of the Yarmûk.[8] This impetuous torrent rushes down a gorge, sometimes having limestone on one side and a wall of basalt on the other. This is due to the fact that the river channel had been eroded before the volcanic eruptions had commenced; but on the lava-stream reaching the channel, it naturally descended towards the valley of the Jordan along its bed, displacing the river, or converting it into clouds of steam. Subsequently the river again hewed out its channel, sometimes in the lava, sometimes between this rock and the chalky limestone. But, in addition to this, it has been observed that there is a bed of river gravel interposed between two sheets of basalt in the Yarmûk ravine; showing that after the first flow of that molten rock the river reoccupied its channel, which was afterwards invaded by another molten lava-stream, into which the waters have again furrowed the channel which they now occupy. The basaltic sheets descend under the waters of the Sea of Galilee on the east side, and were probably connected with those of Safed, crossing the Jordan valley north of that lake; owing to this the waters of the Lake of Merom (Huleh) were pent up, and formerly covered an extensive tract, now formed of alluvial deposits.
(d.) Land of Moab.—Proceeding southwards into the Land of Moab, the volcanic phenomena are here of great interest. Extensive sheets of basaltic lava, described as far back as 1807 by Seetzen, and more recently by Lartet and Tristram, are found at intervals between the Wâdies Mojib (Arnon) and Haidan. On either side of the Mojib, cliffs of columnar basalt are seen capping the beds of white Cretaceous limestone, while a large mass has descended into the W. Haidan between cliffs of limestone and marl on either hand.
Around Jebel Attarus—a dome-shaped hill of limestone—a sheet of basaltic lava has been poured, and has descended the deep gorge of the Zerka Maïn, which enters the Dead Sea some 2000 feet below. This gorge had been eroded before the basaltic eruption, so that the stream of molten lava took its course down the bed of this stream to the water's edge, and grand sections have been laid bare by subsequent erosion along the banks. Pentagonal columns of black basalt form perpendicular walls, first on one side, then on the other; while considerable masses of scoriæ, peperino, and breccia appear at the head of the glen, probably marking the orifice of eruption. Other eruptions of basalt occur, one at Mountar ez Zara, to the south of Zerka Maïn, and another at Wady Ghuweir, near the north-eastern end of the Dead Sea. There are no lava-streams on the western side of the Ghor, or of the Dead Sea.[9]
The outburst of the celebrated thermal springs of Callirrhoë, together with nine or ten others, along the channel of the Zerka Maïn, is a circumstance which cannot be dissociated from the occurrence of basaltic lava at this spot. In a reach of three miles, according to Tristram, there are ten principal springs, of which the fifth in descent is the largest; but the seventh and eighth, about half a mile lower down, are the most remarkable, giving forth large supplies of sulphurous water. The tenth and last is the hottest of all, indicating a temperature of 143° Fahr. Thus it would appear that the heat increases with the depth from the upper surface of the table-land; a result which might be expected, supposing the heated volcanic rocks to be themselves the source of the high temperature. To a similar cause may be attributed the hot-springs of Hammath, near Tiberias, and those of the Yarmûk near its confluence with the Jordan. Some of these and other springs break out along, or near, the line of the great Jordan-Arabah fault which ranges throughout the whole extent of this depression, from the base of Hermon to the Gulf of Akabah, generally keeping close to the eastern margin of the valley.
(e.) The Arabian Desert.—The basaltic lava-floods occupy a very large extent of the Arabian Desert, from El Hisma (lat. 27° 35' N.) to the neighbourhood of Mecca on the south, a distance of about 440 miles, with occasional intervals. The lava-sheets are called "Harras" (or "Harrat"), one of which, Harrat Sfeina, terminates about ten miles north of Mecca. The lava-sheets rest sometimes on the red sandstone, at other times, on the granite and other crystalline rocks of great geological antiquity. In addition to the sheets of basalt, numerous crater-cones rise from the basaltic platform at a level of 5000 feet above the sea, and two volcanic mountains, rising far to the west of the principal range, called respectively Harrât Jeheyma and H. Rodwa, almost overlook the coast of the Red Sea.[10]
(f.) Age of the Volcanic Eruptions.—It is very clear that the first eruptions, producing the great basaltic sheets of Moab and Arabia, occurred after the principal features of the country had been developed. The depression of the Jordan-Arabah valley, the elevation of the eastern side of this valley along the great fault line, and the channels of the principal tributary streams, such as those of the Yarmûk and Zerka Maïn, all these had been eroded out before they were invaded by the molten streams of lava. Now, as these physical features were developed and sculptured out during the Miocene period, as I have elsewhere shown to be the case,[11] we may with great probability refer the volcanic eruptions to the geological epoch following—namely, the Pliocene. How far downwards towards the historic period the eruptions continued is not so certain. Dr. Daubeny, quoting several passages from the Old Testament prophets,[12] says it might be inferred that volcanoes were in activity even so late as to admit of their being included within the limits of authentic history. The poetic language and imagery used in these passages by the prophets certainly lends a probability to this view, but nothing more. On the other hand, these regions have suffered through many centuries from the secondary effects of seismic action and subterranean forces, and earthquake shocks have laid in ruins the great temples and palaces of Palmyra, Baalbec, and other cities of antiquity. The same uncertainty regarding the time at which volcanic action died out, with reference to the appearance of man on the scene, hangs over the region of Arabia and Syria, as we have seen to be the case in reference to the extinct volcanoes of Auvergne, the Eifel, and the Lower Rhine. In all these cases the commencement and close of eruptive action appear to have been very much about the same period—namely, the Miocene period on the one hand, and that at which man entered upon the scene on the other; but in the case of Syria and Western Palestine, the close of the volcanic period may have been somewhat more than 2000 B.C.
[1] Lake Phiala, near the Lake of Huleh, is also situated to the west of the Jordan valley. Its origin, according to Tristram, is volcanic.
[2] Schumacher, "The Jaulân," Quarterly Statement of the Palestine Exploration Fund, 1886 and 1888; and Across the Jordan, London, 1886.
[3] Lartet, Voyage d'Exploration de la mer Morte (Géologie), Paris, 1880.
[4] Tristram, Land of Moab, London, 1873; and Land of Israel, 1866.
[5] Niebuhr, Beschreibung von Arabien, 1773.
[6] C. M. Doughty, Arabia Deserta, 2 vols., 1888. A generalised account of this volcanic region by the author will be found in the "Memoir on the Physical Geology of Arabia Petræa, and Palestine," Palestine Exploration Fund, 1887.
[7] Schumacher, loc. cit., p. 248.
[8] Land of Israel, p. 461.
[9] "Geology of Arabia Petræa, and Palestine," Memoirs of the Palestine Exploration Fund, p. 95.
[10] Doughty, loc. cit., vol. i., plate vi., p. 416. An excellent geological sketch map accompanies this work.
[11] "Memoir of the Geology of Arabia Petræa, and Palestine," chap. vi. p. 67.
[12] Nahum, i. 5, 6; Micah, i. 3, 4; Isaiah, lxiv. 1-3; Jeremiah, l. 25.
(a.) Contrast between the Eastern and Western Regions.—In no point is there a more remarkable contrast between the physical structure of Eastern and Western America than in the absence of volcanic phenomena in the former and their prodigious development in the latter. The great valley of the Mississippi and its tributaries forms the dividing territory between the volcanic and non-volcanic areas; so that on crossing the high ridges in which the western tributaries of America's greatest river have their sources, and to which the name of the "Rocky Mountains" more properly belongs, we find ourselves in a region which, throughout the later Tertiary times down almost to the present day, has been the scene of volcanic operations on the grandest scale; where lava-floods have been poured over the country through thousands of square miles, and where volcanic cones, vying in magnitude with those of Etna, Vesuvius, or Hecla, have established themselves. This region, generally known as "The Great Basin," is bounded on the west by the "Pacific Range" of mountains, and includes portions of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, and Washington. To the south it passes into the mountainous region of Mexico, also highly volcanic; and thence into the ridge of Panama and the Andes. It cannot be questioned but that the volcanic nature of the Great Basin is due to the same causes which have originated the volcanic outbursts of the Andes; but, from whatever cause, the volcanic forces have here entered upon their secondary or moribund stage. In the Yellowstone Valley, geysers, hot springs, and fumaroles give evidence of this condition. In other districts the lava-streams are so fresh and unweathered as to suggest that they had been erupted only a few hundred years ago; but no active vent or crater is to be found over the whole of this wide region. A few special districts only can here be selected by way of illustration of its special features in connection with its volcanic history.
(b.) The Plateau Country of Utah and Arizona.—This tract, which is drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries, is bounded on the north by the Wahsatch range, and extends eastwards to the base of the Sierra Nevada. Round its margin extensive volcanic tracts are to be found, with numerous peaks and truncated cones—the ancient craters of eruption—of which Mount San Francisco is the culminating eminence. South of the Wahsatch, and occupying the high plateaux of Utah, enormous masses of volcanic products have been spread over an area of 9000 square miles, attaining a thickness of between 3000 and 4000 feet. The earlier of these great lava-floods appear to have been trachytic, but the later basaltic; and in the opinion of Captain Dutton, who has described them, they range in point of time from the Middle Tertiary (Miocene) down to comparatively recent times.
(c.) The Grand Cañon.—To the south of the high plateaux of Utah are many minor volcanic mountains, now extinct; and as we descend towards the Grand Cañon of Colorado we find numerous cinder-cones scattered about at intervals near the cliffs.[1] Extensive lava-fields, surmounted by cinder-cones, occupy the plateau on the western side of the Grand Cañon; and, according to Dutton, the great sheets of basaltic lava, of very recent age, which occupy many hundred square miles of desert, have had their sources in these cones of eruption.[2] Crossing to the east of the Grand Cañon, we find other lava-floods poured over the country at intervals, surmounted by San Francisco—a volcanic mountain of the first magnitude—which reaches an elevation, according to Wheeler, of 12,562 feet above the ocean. It has long been extinct, and its summit and flanks are covered with snow-fields and glaciers. Other parts of Arizona are overspread by sheets of basaltic lava, through which old "necks" of eruption, formed of more solid lava than the sheets, rise occasionally above the surface, and are prominent features in the landscape.
Further to the eastward in New Mexico, and near the margin of the volcanic region, is another volcanic mountain little less lofty than San Francisco, called Mount Taylor, which, according to Dutton, rises to an elevation of 11,390 feet above the ocean, and 8200 feet above the general level of the surrounding plateau of lava. This mountain forms the culminating point of a wide volcanic tract, over which are distributed numberless vents of eruption. Scores of such vents—generally cinder-cones—are visible in every part of the plateau, and always in a more or less dilapidated condition.[3] Mount Taylor is a volcano, with a central pipe terminating in a large crater, the wall of which was broken down on the east side in the later stage of its history.
|Fig. 25.—Mount Shasta (14,511 feet), a snow-clad volcanic cone in California, with Mount Shastina, a secondary crater, on the right; the valley between is filled with glacier-ice.—(After Dutton).
(d.) California.—Proceeding westwards into California, we are again confronted with volcanic phenomena on a stupendous scale. The coast range of mountains, which branches off from the Sierra Nevada at Mount Pinos, on the south, is terminated near the northern extremity of the State by a very lofty mountain of volcanic origin, called Mount Shasta, which attains an elevation of 14,511 feet (see Fig. 25). This mountain was first ascended by Clarence King in 1870,[4] and although forming, as it were, a portion of the Pacific Coast Range, it really rises from the plain in solitary grandeur, its summit covered by snow, and originating several fine glaciers.
The summit of Mount Shasta is a nearly perfect cone, but from its north-west side there juts out a large crater-cone just below the snow-line, between which and the main mass of the mountain there exists a deep depression filled with glacier ice. This secondary crater-cone has been named Mount Shastina, and round its inner side the stream of glacier ice winds itself, sometimes surmounting the rim of the crater, and shooting down masses of ice into the great caldron. The length of this glacier is about three miles, and its breadth about 4000 feet. Another very lofty volcanic mountain is Mount Rainier, in the Washington territory, consisting of three peaks of which the eastern possesses a crater very perfect throughout its entire circumference. This mountain appears to be formed mainly of trachytic matter. Proceeding further north into British territory, several volcanic mountains near the Pacific Coast are said to exhibit evidence of activity. Of these may be mentioned Mount Edgecombe, in lat. 57°.3; Mount Fairweather, lat. 57°.20 which rises to a height of 14,932 feet; and Mount St. Elias, lat. 60°.5, just within the divisional line between British and Russian territory, and reaching an altitude of 16,860 feet. This, the loftiest of all the volcanoes of the North American continent, except those of Mexico, may be considered as the connecting link in the volcanic chain between the continent and the Aleutian Islands.[5]
(e.) Lake Bonneville.—Returning to Utah we are brought into contact with phenomena of special interest, owing to the inter-relations of volcanic and lacustrine conditions which once prevailed over large tracts of that territory. The present Great Salt Lake, and the smaller neighbouring lakes, those called Utah and Sevier, are but remnants of an originally far greater expanse of inland water, the boundaries of which have been traced out by Mr. C. K. Gilbert, and described under the name of Lake Bonneville.[6] The waters of this lake appear to have reached their highest level at the period of maximum cold of the Post-Pliocene period, when the glaciers descended to its margin, and large streams of glacier water were poured into it. Eruptions of basaltic lava from successive craters appear to have gone on before, during, and after the lacustrine epochs; and the drying up of the waters over the greater extent of their original area, now converted into the Sevier Desert, and their concentration into their present comparatively narrow basins, appears to have proceeded pari passu with the gradual extinction of the volcanic outbursts. Two successive epochs of eruption of basalt appear to have been clearly established—an earlier one of the "Provo Age," when the lava was extruded from the Tabernacle craters, and a later epoch, when the eruptions took place from the Ice Spring craters. The oldest volcanic rock appears to be rhyolite, which peers up in two small hills almost smothered beneath the lake deposits. Its eruption was long anterior to the lake period. On the other hand, the cessation of the eruptions of the later basaltic sheets is evidently an event of such recent date that Mr. Gilbert is led to look forward to their resumption at some future, but not distant, epoch. As he truly observes, we are not to infer that, because the outward manifestations of volcanic action have ceased, the internal causes of those manifestations have passed away. These are still in operation, and must make themselves felt when the internal forces have recovered their exhausted energies; but perhaps not to the same extent as before.
(f.) Region of the Snake River.—The tract of country bordering the Snake River in Idaho and Washington is remarkable for the vast sheets of plateau-basalt with which it is overspread, extending sometimes in one great flood farther than the eye can reach, and what is still more remarkable, they are often unaccompanied by any visible craters or vents of eruption. In Oregon the plateau-basalt is at least 2,000 feet in thickness, and where traversed by the Columbia River it reaches a thickness of about 3,000 feet. The Snake and Columbia rivers are lined by walls of volcanic rock, basaltic above, trachytic below, for a distance of, in the former, one hundred, in the latter, two hundred, miles. Captain Dutton, in describing the High Plateau of Utah, observes that the lavas appear to have welled up in mighty floods without any of that explosive violence generally characteristic of volcanic action. This extravasated matter has spread over wide fields, deluging the surrounding country like a tide in a bay, and overflowing all inequalities. Here also we have evidence of older volcanic cones buried beneath seas of lava subsequently extruded.
(g.) Fissures of Eruption.—The absence, or rarity, of volcanic craters or cones of eruption in the neighbourhood of these great sheets has led American geologists to the conclusion that the lavas were in many cases extruded from fissures in the earth's crust rather than from ordinary craters.[7] This view is also urged by Sir A. Geikie, who visited the Utah region of the Snake River in 1880, and has vividly described the impression produced by the sight of these vast fields of basaltic lava. He says, "We found that the older trachytic lavas of the hills had been deeply trenched by the lateral valleys, and that all these valleys had a floor of black basalt that had been poured out as the last of the molten materials from the now extinct volcanoes. There were no visible cones or vents from which these floods of basalt could have proceeded. We rode for hours by the margin of a vast plain of basalt stretching southward and westward as far as the eye could reach.... I realised the truth of an assertion made first by Richthofen,[8] that our modern volcanoes, such as Vesuvius and Etna, present us with by no means the grandest type of volcanic action, but rather belong to a time of failing activity. There have been periods of tremendous volcanic energy, when instead of escaping from a local vent, like a Vesuvian cone, the lava has found its way to the surface by innumerable fissures opened for it in the solid crust of the globe over thousands of square miles."[9]
(h.) Volcanic History of Western America.—The general succession of volcanic events throughout the region of Western America appears to have been somewhat as follows:—[10]
The earliest volcanic eruptions occurred in the later Eocene epoch and were continued into the succeeding Miocene stage. These consisted of rocks moderately rich in silica, and are grouped under the heads of propylite and andesite. To these succeeded during the Pliocene epoch still more highly silicated rocks of trachytic type, consisting of sanidine and oligoclase trachytes. Then came eruptions of rhyolite during the later Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs; and lastly, after a period of cessation, during which the rocks just described were greatly eroded, came the great eruptions of basaltic lava, deluging the plains, winding round the cones or plateaux of the older lavas, descending into the river valleys and flooding the lake beds, issuing forth from both vents and fissures, and continuing intermittently down almost into the present day—certainly into the period of man's appearance on the scene. Thus the volcanic history of Western America corresponds remarkably to that of the European regions with which we have previously dealt, both as regards the succession of the various lavas and the epochs of their eruption.
(i.) The Yellowstone Park.—The geysers and hot springs of the Yellowstone Park, like those in Iceland and New Zealand, are special manifestations of volcanic action, generally in its secondary or moribund stage. The geysers of the Yellowstone occur on a grand scale; the eruptions are frequent, and the water is projected into the air to a height of over 200 feet. Most of these are intermittent, like the remarkable one known as Old Faithful, the Castle Geyser, and the Giantess Geyser described by Dr. Hayden, which ejects the water to a height of 250 feet. The geyser-waters hold large quantities of silica and sulphur in solution, owing to their high temperature under great pressure, and these minerals are precipitated upon the cooling of the waters in the air, and form circular basins, often gorgeously tinted with red and yellow colours.[11]


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Polesque is coming back to Brooklyn!!!
For the fifth installment of Polesque we are coming back to Brooklyn, to one of our favorite venues The Bell House.
Date: March 24, 2013
Time: 7pm doors open, 8pm show
Polesque is a night of burlesque performances and a pole dancing competition. To compete in the pole dancing competition please send link of a video submission to firstname.lastname@example.com by February 24, 2013
Tell us an entertaining story by submitting a 2-3 minute unedited video of you pole dancing. Post your submission to a video sharing website by 12pm on February 24, 2013 and email the link to firstname.lastname@example.com. Be sure to include your name, email address and phone number. The Champion will receive a $200 cash prize!!
The stage at the Bell House is 26′ wide and 16′ deep. The pole is a 45mm stainless steel platinum stages spin/static pole and is 11'6″ tall.
This first round will be judged by a panel of three judges. They will pick four contestants to move on to the BATTLE round.
The first round will have the contestants performing in four groups. In between each group a burlesque entertainer or other special guest will perform. This is not part of the pole dancing competition. We just really like burlesque and know a lot of great entertainers.
During the BATTLE round four contestants will be on stage together and each contestant will perform a 30 second freestyle to the music of our DJ's choosing.
Then our host will ask the audience to choose the Polesque Champion!

subset: commoncrawl


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Definition: 'Inanition Fever'
inanition feverType: Term
Synonyms: thirst fever
The definition information for inanition fever is provided by Stedman's. You can search our medical dictionary here.
Stedman's, part of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, provides a comprehensive line of health-science publications for healthcare professionals and medical students.
Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.


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NBA playoffs: Conference semifinal predictions
The NBA conference semifinals start Monday. Time for predictions. Let's see how I did in the first round:
Thunder-Grizzlies: I picked OKC in seven games. Aced that one.
Spurs-Mavericks: I picked San Antonio in four. Dallas proved to be much tougher, taking the Spurs to seven.
Rockets-Blazers: I picked Houston in seven. Portland won it in six. But I got close. Damian Lillard's buzzer-beating 3-pointer probably kept me from another ace.
Clippers-Warriors: I picked LA in five. Golden State played much tougher, taking it seven.
Heat-Bobcats: I picked Miami in five. Turns out it was four. Charlotte might have won a game had Al Jefferson not been injured.
Nets-Raptors: I picked Brooklyn in six. Turns out the Netropolitans needed seven to win, producing a rare Game 7 road victory.
Bulls-Wizards: I picked Chicago in five, but instead, Washington won in five. The Bulls had nothing left in the tank.
Pacers-Hawks: I picked Indiana in six; it took the Pacers all seven games.
OK. Now on to the conference semifinals.
Thunder-Clippers: OKC in seven. Should be a rousing series, but the Thunder has better answers for the Clipper strengths than the Clippers have for OKC strengths. In other words, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Steven Adams and Nick Collison can contain Lob City better than LA can contain Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Spurs-Blazers: San Antonio in five. Portland has a solid team and a better starting lineup. But the Blazers aren't deep. The Spurs don't need anyone in particular to play well. The Blazers have to have Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge to play well.
Nets-Heat: Miami in five. The Heat's kryptonite is young legs and quality big men. Brooklyn has neither.
Pacers-Wizards: Washington in six. Indiana would have been out of the first round had it not been playing a 37-win team.


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• 1909 Reina Valera
• Voice only narration by Samuel Montoya
• Both Old Testament and New Testament
• 4 MP3 discs comes in hard plastic case
• Length: 76 Hours and 20 Minutes of Bible Reading
• Recorded at 64 KBPS, total file size is 2.1 GB for installation of the entire Bible
• Each chapter is on its on individual track so you can select the exact book and chapter you want to listen to.
Voice narrator/Artist:
• Samuel Montoya has been heard daily over Trans World Radio
• Mr. Montoya is widely known throughout the Latin American countries.
• He is the Most Requested Spanish Narrator.
• Samuel Montoya has a true love for the Gospel that can be heard in his recordings.
Translation Information:
• 1909 Reina Valera


text:
Nairn is unique in the Scottish Highlands. A traditional seaside holiday town that established itself as such during Victorian times, it enjoys a prime location on the Moray Firth coast and is blessed with a unique microclimate.
You can enjoy the award winning sandy beaches, riverside walks and the promenade, with fantastic views over the Moray Firth and mountains beyond, or perhaps a round of golf on the two championship golf courses. The town centre offers a wide range of independent and national retailers and has a great choice of coffee shops and restaurants.
There is a broad range of accommodation on offer to suit all visitors. We have caravan parks, bed and breakfast establishments , guest houses and small hotels through to award winning prestigious hotels with Michelin recognition.
Nairn is also increasingly recognised for the variety of festivals organised in the town. Annual events , such as the Book and Arts and Jazz festivals have recently been joined by the 'Cinema of Dreams' and 'Pilgrimage' events, organised by Tilda Swinton and Marc Cousins.
The town is an excellent base for exploring the Highlands of Scotland. Close by you'll find dolphins, Cawdor Castle, Culloden Battlefield, skiing, mountain biking, Fort George, Loch Ness, Castle Urquhart and the Whisky Trail.
Well situated for easy transport links the town is well served by bus, easily accessed from the A96, has its own station and is only 5 miles from Inverness airport with direct flights to other major British cities
Its location and facilities are such that Tripadvisor named it second most desirable world holiday destination for 2010. All things considered Nairn is a superb town, the ideal place to set up business, visit, or to live and work - with a quality of life that is second to none.


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Is it possible to order a MongoDB collection by the size of a nested array? Say for example we have a collection of Question documents and each document has a nested array of answers. I want to be able to sort the collection and pull out the most answered questions? I have been looking around and I am not sure its doable directly from MongoDB and I think it would be quite performance intensive to extract all questions and then sort them in Java.
You cann't query by size of nested collection, you need to create field with size of collection for such needs(mongo db documentation):


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If you happen to be near the Science Museum in London (which is free), I recommend a quick visit to the aviation section. On display there is a section, taken like a slice of cucumber, of a Boeing 747. The section is through the double deck area of the plane, and has seats, lockers wiring and piping in place. If, like me, you only normally get to see a passenger's view of a plane, then this display gives an idea of the size and complexity of a modern wide body and also how elegantly engineered it is.
Please check your spelling (press "Check Spelling" above)
©Copyright 2016 Demand Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved


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Baldessarini Private Affairs Cologne
By Baldessarini for Men
Baldessarini Private Affairs Cologne by Baldessarini, This fragrance was released in 2011. the brand's slogan is "separates the men from the boys". staying true to that, baldessarini private affairs is a rich classic scent that is sweet, warm and full of personality. it has a top notes are nutmeg, juniper and bergamot. the middle notes are lavender, geranium and leather. and the bottom notes are sandalwood, maple and cedar . All products are original, authentic name brands. We do not sell knockoffs or imitations. ... Read More
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News: s-r blog:NFL Cap Hits Added to Pro Football Reference
Douglas Brian Mackie
Position: T
Height: 6-4 Weight: 280 lbs.
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High School: SaugusCollege: Ohio St. (school history)
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Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the day's big Six Nations clash: England vs Ireland.
This rivalry always ensures a thrilling spectacle, and this afternoon's affair at Twickenham should be no different, with Ireland unbeaten in the Six Nations so far.
If Stuart Lancaster's men earn a victory, no fewer than four teams will be level on points after three rounds. Which should set things up for a thrilling finish.
Today is a special occasion, too, for Brian O'Driscoll, who equals George Gregan's record of 139 international caps.
Stay with us for all the action.
90 mins until kick-off. Team news soon.
England arrive at Twickenham, walking through a mass of fans into the stadium. #CarryThemHome https://t.co/Y9zXr0DJs2— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 22, 2014
With an hour or so until kick-off, here are your teams:
- England: 15-Brown, 14-Nowell, 13-Burrell, 12-Twelvetrees, 11-May, 10-Farrell, 9-Care; 1- Marler, 2-Hartley, 3-Wilson, 4-Launchbury, 5-Lawes, 6-Wood, 7-Robshaw, 8-Vunipola
- Replacements: 16-T Youngs, 17-Vunipola, 18-Thomas, 19-Attwood, 20-Morgan, 21-Dickson, 22-Ford, 23-Goode
- Ireland: 15-Kearney, 14-Trimble, 13-O'Driscoll, 12-D'Arcy, 11-Kearney, 10-Sexton, 9-Murray; 1-Healy, 2-Best, 3-Ross, 4-Toner, 5-O'Connell, 6-O'Mahony, 7-Henry, 8-Heaslip.
- Replacements: 16-Cronin, 17-McGrath, 18-Moore, 19-Henderson, 20-Murphy, 21-Boss, 22-Jackson, 23-McFadden.
Game over in Italy where Scotland have got their first win under their belts with a 21-20 victory with a last-gasp drop goal from Duncan Weir.
It had been a roller coaster affair with Scotland down 13-3 at half-time.
But fair play, that's one hell of a fightback.
Right, how about a little bit of pre-match tattle.
In 127 previous encounters, England have 73 wins to Ireland's 46.
However, the Emerald Isle have claimed three wins in their last five visits to Twickenham and are the only side who can win the Grand Slam this time round.
Prepared? I know I am.
Former England World Cup winner Lewis Moody reckons the Twickenham crowd has a big role to play today:
.@LewisMoody7 gives us his opinions ahead of #ENGvIRL at 4. Reckons Twickenham crowd will give England a big boost: http://t.co/zH6fuqBQob— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 22, 2014
So make some noise yeah! (Pretty much the gist of what he's saying).
The players are starting to make their way out at Twickenham.
Ireland, O'Driscoll et al. out first.
England follow, arriving to fireworks.
To the anthems...
England's first home game in the Six Nations is underway..
Crowd certainly up for it.
Suppose Brian O'Driscoll will be as well.
Won't be straightforward this. For either side.
Massive missed opportunity for England.
Pushed Ireland back with sustained pressure and Jonny May looked to be going over in the right corner...But he couldn't get it down.
The Red Rose had men over but in the end, made a hash of it.
Still scoreless.
Hear a lot in England camp about Jonny May's 'X factor'. Wonder what Simon Cowell would have made of that try line audition.— Alex Spink (@alexspinkmirror) February 22, 2014
13 minutes in...
Let's just say this has been physical.
There's not going to be any backing down out there by the looks of it.
BIG defence from England
Ireland went right, back left, right again and pushed England all the way back, but they couldn't get over that line.
And eventually in their frustrations gave away the penalty to let England out to safety.
Still 0-0, but I'm not really sure how.
England 3-0 Ireland
Owen Farrell fires over a penalty from about 50metres after a line-out penalty.
Plum strike from Farrell, couldn't have placed it any better.
England have Danny Care, but at the moment neither side is taking much.
It's all exciting and end-to-end, but a lack of composure in the attacking half has cost both so far.
Elementary mistakes dear Watson! (I'll hang my head)
England handed a penalty for wheeling by referee Craig Joubert.
Farrell has a second look over the posts but narrowly puts it wide.
Thus, the score remains: England 3-0 Ireland
We have no bias here, which is why we're more than happy to praise Rob Kearney.
Y'know, Lions star Rob Kearney.
If ever there was anyone you'd want catching anything dropping from a height - rugby balls, cats from trees, stars from space - he'd be the go-to guy.
England 3-0 Ireland
Lots of huff, plenty of puff, but neither has been able to blow the others house down.
Neither side are short of attacking intent, both are positively loving the physicality but neither has yet to land that first devilish blow.
Defences on top and Farrell's kick the only reason for points.
Some words from our man Alex Spink
HT: England 3-0 Ireland. Absorbing. Utterly. Last 5 might return to haunt Eng. Billy Vunipola injured then Farrell goes for touch not posts.— Alex Spink (@alexspinkmirror) February 22, 2014
Reckons a bit of safety play towards the end of the half could return to bite the Red Rose...Agree?
We're back underway at Twickers...
And we start with a foul in Ireland's favour for a shove.
Ireland head deep into England's territory straight away.
TRY: England 3-7 Ireland (Kearney)
Like the Tasmanian Devil, Rob Kearney blitzes his way through a gap in the England backline and heads under the posts for the first try of the game.
After the ill-discipline of that shove straight after half-time, Ireland take advantage.
Sexton adds the conversion, and Ireland are four points in front.
Consider that the cat very much let loose amongst the pigeons.


text:
Shops Photo
Local Map
Trails End BMW Services
Motorcycle Fabrication
Vehicles Serviced by Trails End BMW Services
About Trails End BMW
Trails End BMW located at 1450 Karen Way in Fairbanks, AK services vehicles for Motorcycle Fabrication. Call (907) 479-2367 to book an appointment or to hear more about the services of Trails End BMW.
Business Information
Business Name: Trails End BMW
Address: 1450 Karen Way
Phone Number: (907) 479-2367
Email: not listed
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Teen Mom
Is Farrah Abraham Going to Jail For Missing Her DUI Court Date?
Farrah Abraham has been enjoying the high life since her infamous porn, Farrah Superstar: Backdoor Teen Mom, hit the interwebs and X-rated stores everywhere. It landed the newly-crowned porn princess a nationwide strip club tour. To make things even better, today is the momtrepreneur's birthday and she's celebrating with a fun-filled night at Passions Nightclub in Hollywood, Fla. But could the Teen Mom star be spending her birthday behind bars instead?
As we mentioned in a previous article, the pasta sauce maker pleaded not guilty to her St. Patrick's Day DUI charges, and she and her lawyer were awaiting trial on May 31 — aka today. But the reality starlet missed her court date due to all the porn-filled fun she's been having on her x-rated tour.
Expecting to be locked up in jail for missing her court date (à la Teen Mom 2 star Jenelle Evans, who was recently thrown in the clink for dismissing her mandatory court appearance), Farrah tweeted:
"Omfg I'm going to #Jail today." Whoa. Can you imagine what would happen if Farrah was put in prison where inmates have probably seen her naughty bits? Not good!
Luckily for Farrah, the porn gods worked their magic and made her problems go away. At least that's what we think since the little lady tweeted: "#NoJail The #Party Lives On:) #EXXXOTICA #FL @5:30-9pm & Party @Passions #HardRock woooohooo:)Best Birthday EVER:)))) #22"
Phew! Now, if we can only find a way to make it down to Florida and dance the night away in our stripper heels with the birthday girl...
Do you think Farrah should've gone to jail for ditching her DUI trial? Tell us below!\


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It's generally accepted small business internet marketing is now one of the most important marketing activities for businesses of any size, and that includes small local firms which have generally relied on local newspaper advertising and flyer delivery as a way of bringing in new business.
The importance of small business internet marketing is reflected in studies which show most people now turn to the internet first to find a local supplier of a product or service. It's no coincidence the Yellow Pages is shrinking (although it is a great source of revenue for some businesses).
Small business Internet marketing under the microscope
So which internet marketing strategies should a small business use to get the best return on investment? One of the most profitable types of small business internet marketing — if not the most profitable – is email marketing. The great thing about using email as a marketing tool is you have direct access to your customers and prospects, and can communicate regularly to send them offers or tell them about new products and services. Being able to contact your customers and clients whenever you please gives your business a huge advantage over other businesses which rely on prospects replying to a newspaper ad, a flyer, or a piece of direct mail.
Follow-up until they buy, die or cry for mercy
Small businesses can take advantage of email marketing by simply building an email list of customers and clients — whether they're based locally or further afield, including worldwide — and then keeping in regular contact. The internet has no boundaries, and a small business can use internet marketing strategies like email no matter how close or far away its customers are. Most business owners are far too timid when it comes to email marketing, though, which is to their own detriment. Regular emails sell. End of story.
Internet advertising — Pay per click, remarketing and banners
Another powerful technique when it comes to using the internet to generate new business is online advertising, and of all the small business internet marketing tips this one is well worth taking note of. Why? Because most business owners think it's just for the big players, especially banner advertising. Not so.
The cost of banner advertising has come down tremendously. putting it well within reach of any small business's internet marketing budget. Couple this with Google's remarketing service and you have a winner (no joke: your local corner shop can advertise on big websites like the national newspapers' sites for just pennies, and they don't even pay that until someone actually clicks on their ad).
The big advantage of some online advertising systems is that the ad appears only in response to a search query, meaning only those prospects looking to buy – or at least gather information about a certain type of product – are shown the ads.
On top of this, the online advertiser pays only when a prospect clicks on the ad, making this type of online advertising a highly-effective and profitable marketing channel. The most popular internet advertising system by far is Google Adwords. Signing up for an account takes just a matter of minutes, and ads can be appearing in the search results and generating business in just a few minutes more. You do need to take care when using Adwords, though, since getting it wrong can cost a big chunk of money – and without any sales to show for it.
That said, mastering how to use Adwords is one of the best things a small business-owner can do, since a well-planned, well-structured campaign – along with a professionally-produced website tweaked for direct response marketing – can bring in huge amounts of business and generate large amounts of revenue. Even better, once the online ad campaign is working well, the leads and sales can be largely automatic.
But it all comes down to a numbers game and watching your ROI. Adwords and remarketing are definitely not "autopilot" online strategies for small businesses, even though the process of online lead generation itself is automated.
Social media advertising
Another online advertising system that should be part of any website marketing strategy is Facebook Advetising.
It's nowhere near the size of Google's ad network, but Facebook advertising can be highly-targeted, both in terms of geographical area and the likes and interests of the prospects. This makes it ideal for small business internet marketing, as it's possible to advertise to the exact type of prospect who would make the ideal customer.
I don't want to say too much about this here because it's changing pretty much daily. But watch this space: I suspect when they get it right (and they're getting there), Facebook advertising could be the Google killer – small business internet marketing on steroids.
Good old search engine traffic
Of course, it's impossible to talk about small business marketing and the internet without mentioning search engine optimisation, or SEO as it's known.
In effect, SEO consists of various techniques to make a particular site – or more accurately a particular page on a website – appear high in the search results when someone searches for a particular product or service. Some businesses will want their web pages to appear high in the search results on a national level, while others – businesses selling in a local area – will be content with good positions for locally-based searches.
One of the many professional SEO marketing companies floating around out there can help your web pages achieve good positions both on a national and local level, though of course getting your site ranked on a national level is a far more difficult job, and consequently a much more expensive one.
A good SEO consultant who understands the importance of internet marketing for small business will also know how to get the best from local search techniques, including how to get high positions within Google Local, the local search index.
Choose wisely: there are a lot of "snake oil" salesmen out there, and you can pour a lot of money down the 'black hole' of SEO with nothing to show for it. Even if you don't want to do it yourself, learn how it works and familiarise yourself with best practice so you don't get sold a lemon! My advice is to start cautiously, invest a little at a time and continue only if you're getting measurable results.
These local search marketing services are becoming increasingly important, and will only increase in importance as time goes on, especially as they integrate with other more general small business internet marketing services such as email marketing. In short, the web really cannot be ignored as a marketing channel, and to get the most from the strategies it can be a good idea to hire a small business internet marketing consultant.
But… again… choose wisely!
A good small business internet marketing consultant will know exactly what effect the internet has had on small business marketing. He or she will also be able to integrate old-fashioned offline marketing techniques – such as newspaper advertising and direct mail – with the latest technology-based marketing ideas, especially email marketing, to bring real results for those businesses ready to make the most of what's available.
Whatever you do, don't fall for the hype. Ask to see references and follow them up. You're looking for evidence of results not testimonials about what a nice guy he is.
Think in terms of building an integrated small business internet marketing system and there's a good chance you'll reap big rewards in terms of increased numbers of leads, revenue and profits.


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There Will Be No Warning When the Next Crisis Hits
Yesterday we wrote about the Cyprus bank "bail-in" noting that while ordinary citizens were screwed, connected insiders had ample time to get their money out of the banks before they were frozen.
Today, we note the following:
Russian oligarchs who are close to Vladimir Putin have a week to get their cash out of Britain before sanctions are imposed, it has emerged.
European Union officials started on Tuesday to prepare the list of businessmen and Moscow officials who will be targeted by the sanctions.
Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, has made clear the Britain's desperation to take action at those close to Mr Putin's regime, saying "the cronies of Mr Putin and his clique in the Kremlin are the people who have to bear the pressure".
However, British sources disclosed that it will not be until the end of the month that all EU countries will have prepared their lists of individuals to be hit with the sanctions.
The length of time before any action against these so-called Putin cronies will fuel concerns that they can withdraw their money before sanctions are imposed.
We don't ever recall hearing of an instance in which ordinary citizens or taxpayers were given a heads up to get their money out of harm's way. Usually when they bear the pressure it's measures in Dollars… not the number of days' warning they are given to save their capital.
Indeed, there are usually no warnings that trouble is coming because everyone at the top of the financial food chain are highly incentivized to keep quiet about problems.
Central Banks, Bank CEOs, politicians… all of these people are focused primarily on maintaining CONFIDENCE in the system, NOT on fixing the system's problems. Indeed, they cannot even openly discuss the system's problems because it would quickly reveal that they are a primary cause of them.
Remember back in 2007 and 2008? Time and again then-Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke stated that the sub-prime crisis was "contained" and that there would be little spillover into the economy.
Bernanke was not alone. Just about every CEO from every major bank spent much of 2008 claiming that all was well, that there was no real need to raise capital, and that their exposure to toxic mortgage backed securities was minimal.
Most of their banks had to be either merged with other entities or went bankrupt.
For that reason, you will never and I repeat NEVER see a Central banker, Bank CEO, or politician admit openly what is happening in the financial system.
Even middle managers and lower level employees won't talk about it because A) they don't know the truth concerning their institutions or B) they could be fired for warning others.
As former banker Jean-Claude Juncker put it, "When it becomes serious, you have to lie."
So why does these people lie?
Central bankers lie because they draw all of their power based on the fact that they are beyond oversight or regulation. The minute they lose this power, it becomes obvious that Central Banks and Central Bankers are one of the primary causes of the financial system's problems.
Ordinary bankers lie because if they were honest, their banks would collapse, they would lose their salaries/ bonuses, and they would very likely face legal actions.
This is why no one in a position of financial power will ever publicly state, "such and such bank is in trouble… it would be wise to move your money."
Instead, what you'll be told is, "we need to confiscate some of your savings to prop this bank up… if you don't agree to this, the bank will collapse and you'll have nothing."
This is of course, assuming you are even told this. As the folks in Cyprus found out, often times they're not even told what's going to happen, they simply wake up to find themselves locked out of their account.
This concludes this article. If you're looking for the means of protecting your portfolio from the coming collapse, you can pick up a FREE investment report titled Protect Your Portfolio at http://phoenixcapitalmarketing.com/special-reports.html.
This report outlines a number of strategies you can implement to prepare yourself and your loved ones from the coming market carnage.
Best Regards
Phoenix Capital Research
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The FED will bring out QE4 in 2015. They have no choice.
It's a very dry forest out there, and it looks like its getting dryer all the time. My feeling is there is going to be a big forest fire before any rain comes along to green things up. If we have to have a cleansing fire I only hope its a financial fire and not a radioactive one. Nobody can know where the right spark will come from, probably not even the arsonist.
It is said that there is both physical evidence of the biblical flood as well as documentary evidence from many cultures. What is not so well known is that there is also evidence, a charred layer, of a burning before the flood and just under the flood evidenced earthly strata. An extremely hot period or cleansing blast from the sun could have created the charring and also melt polar ice caps, creating the flood.
... or the cleansing could have been planned and executed by an intelligent force... or both.
"There will be no warning when the next crisis hits"
Bullshit, there are warning signs everywhere you look. Just like timing the bottom in the market is a losing game so is trying to time this. Take the warnings serious. This will likely be a series of crisis playing out for an extended time. The velocity of the dollar in the US has fallen off a cliff. No velocity, no economy.
Here is a warning.
Tomorrow night (Sat) is end of Ramadan in our USA. At that time all Malls are going to be FULL of People for movies, shopping etc.
Enemies are planning to attack this economic base and hope for a much larger than 9-11 casulty event. I am spreading this message as fast as I can because we have only a short time.
IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ!!!!STAY OUT OF SHOPPING MALLS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE!!!! PLEASE READ, FROM Name withheld for berevity. SHARE, AND TAKE HEED! FROM Name Intelligence Rumblings:
I have avoided sharing certain information because I took an oath and will not break that oath. I am skating on the edge today because of information that I would be derelict in my duty if I did not share it. Islamists currently in the country, aided by those who have recently arrived via the southern sieve we call a border and those who boldly came on aircraft in a variety of disguises have a purpose in their criminality. Be warned, this is not for the faint of heart.
The target will be shopping malls. The method will be with explosive devices meant to inflict suffering and death and to wound as many as possible. This is terrorism in its lowest form. The purpose is to inflict fear in the hearts of Americans through this targeting of where we go to shop and relax.
The date will be a significant one for the islamists. The event will happen simultaneously across America at hundreds of locations (note the number). The police, DHS, and security services throughout the nation should be warned and take appropriate action.
Why release this on Facebook? It turns out that the necessary agencies are reading my stuff. Why make phone calls when this gets the news out in a speedy fashion to all of them in an instant message.
Be warned, my sources on this are impeccable. I lay my 100% record of reliability on the line.
Name withheld for berevity.
I agreed ugliness lies ahead. I love the way it is always being kicked out a year or two and never going to happen tomorrow. It is as if we can't handle what is coming at us and need more time.
For a long time I have been trying to develop a scenario for a market "super crash" and a reasonable map that would arrive at such a situation. Below is an article looking at how it could happen sooner rather than later.
I don't understand this. Their money is not in London. It is in Grand Cayman, BVI, Hong Kong, Canada, Delaware......it is simply hidden in Nominee Accounts administered from The City of London via offshore havens and coded.
The Russian money in Cyprus is often laundered back into Russian enterprises but registered offshore to create legal certainties.
It is bizarre that Apple does not have its cash pile confiscated from those tax havens.
Anyway, the Russians have stated that attacking the Russian energy sector will probably be the coup de grace for the global financial system and bring down the house of cards - it was 1998 when LTCM watched the dry-run for 2008 and Goldman set out to destroy Lehman and Bear - a task accomplished by Hank Paulson
Really ? No Warnings ? Are the 99% listening ?
there was nothing eminently wrong with the system in 2008, certainly nothing worse than the current system, so why did THEY crash the market? i leave it to you
That is pretty obvoius, the market cash scare was needed to gain support for the bank bailouts.
The more important questions:
Why are they propping up the system now? And for how long?
The answer to the first is that they are preparing for the next big crash. The answer to the 2nd is a worth a lot of money, but I suspect it will all come down before the end of next year.
ready the blade w/intrepitude.
Has anyone actually gotten a free report from these guys lately? I keep requesting the "free" reports they offer but all I get is 2-3 "buy my newsletter" emails each day.
Hey now, I am confident Dear Leader will call the top for us and tell me when to go short. He told me in 09 that the bottom was in and he was right then so....
goldman sachs will tell you when to go short. not only do you need to know what the total short interest might be, you need to know who is holding it. the moment is near when the several investment firms hold most of the stock (on account, that doesn't matter), and can effectively short THEMSELVES, or their account holders. what\s the point? by selling into the market while GS et al is net net, a complete collapse of equity prices is a zero sum transfer. except of course for the feds balance sheet. they can destroy the feds balances sheet, by forcing interest rates up even 1/2%, but everything the fed holds is connected to equities, drive the stock market down to nothing, and the fed is out of business, but goldman et all collect on their short positions, so they are net neutral or close. why dont they do it today, well hell its a scary thought, but the upside is the phony fed is out of business, the liar politicitans are out of business and you can run a decent capitalist economy. the opportunity is there, its just a matter of will GS take it and how exactly will it all play out
The only Bottom or Bottoms the Dear Leader knows about is well known.
Those who do not lend their Bottoms to the Dear Leader find themselves at the bottom.
The stock market "circuit breakers" will kick in and the next day will follow the first.
Some won't heed the warnings and will hope to recover by litigation.
I believe this political theatre, cover for protectionalism and trade becoming more regional out of necessity. Insiders do better with globalization which unto itself is not bad (not promoting NWO but trade) but trade imbalances form out of mercantilism which insiders allow, then promote then back off.
There are real geopolitical risks during these times of war, I don't wish to downplay those very real risks. But this kind of action is how my intepretation of it, reading between the lines so to speak.
As to te authors premise I agree with the headline about warnings of crisis, though the banks did bring up how the market is frothy or in some more blunt analysis overvalued.
They won't broadcast "Hey, we're in the second leg of the W shaped depression that began in 2008 and since you realized the first 2/3 are inflationary the second 1/3 will be deflationary." That of course is why sites like this exist and some dutifull commentators.
I disagree. There will be warning. You have been warning us for the last 7 bajillion years, every single day, that the crisis is tomorrow. Keep it up and you will be right!!!!!
My friend said that, too, about people warning him about smoking over many years, many decades. He was pretty cocky about it, too. Until he died of lung cancer.
Tardball - An old saying: The devils in the details. It is why I come here. Se of the sarcasm gets stale in the commentary but some of it is funny. My intent of warnings which have been called prescient by others are for posterity, intent matters.
The biggest confidence killer in this economy has been binary law system and the police state, law enforcement as tax collectors are a horrible idea. I lived in one in NH and I can tell you if I had to stay there I would never open a business again. NH went bankrupt in 2011, retroactively changed laws then wired tapped my account.
It is what states or sovereigns do when they go bankrupt to resist painful reform, they get to continue to prosper for a short time by bugging the shit out of you and holding a gun to your head demanding you smile while the robbery happens. What happened in NH (or states like New Mexico I hear) with the gestapo shit is now happening nationally.
In the end, the enforcers get the axe too they are just last in line in austerity pecking order. Give that some thought old chap.
"Even middle managers and lower level employees won't talk about it because A) they don't know the truth concerning their institutions or B) they could be fired for warning others.
C) they could fall off of tall buildings, kill themselves with nail guns or shitgums.
Invest in lead and rope futures.
Stawks sell off, propped up repeatedly by algos & Fed intervention while collateral dries up & commercial paper market halts.
Of course all MM funds are frozen in place
Central bankers lie because they draw all of their power based on the fact that they are beyond oversight or regulation.
Polish CB head Marek Belka claimed he's above the law. Central banks are mafia more powerful and secret than all fucked up governments.
'Crony' such a precise legalistic term.It is perfect for the rule of men rather than the rule of law.
The current system has deteriorated beyond putirfication. It will soon be mulch. For now it just stinks.
Bring it!
It will be funny if these Russian withdrawls trigger a major meltdown.
The Ruskies can't do it alone....besides no one really wants to have their finger prints on the trigger when this thing blows.
It will be the fault of the USA and the way they managed the Bretton Woods (and post BW) system but they will act as victims and try to blame the nearest precipitating cause.
Hopefully, for the sake of world peace, it will be a mysterious 'fat finger' event and the 'true perp' will never be found. We will just roll into a new system. Like OJ we will never give up trying to find the 'real killer' of the dollar.
Lasvegaspersona (quite a screen name) - Your comments are half truth with half lie. On the one hand, sure the USA is reserve currency host and part of that job is global security detail.
On the other hand this is shifting to China at rapid speed. But it is not American citizens who decide who the next host will be in any event. BIS and CFR decide and that is a private club. So 'blame' from this perspective in the context of your comment is irrelevant.
Your speaking about geopolitics from either an uneducated position (doubtful considering the myriads of posts here on whom runs the global show for real) or you are being disengenerous. I believe the latter is true.
Here is how I think of America and its citizens: What does a rapist sometimes do to make sure the victim doesn't talk after the rape?
How many pithy quotes from historians and articles have we seen here about how leaders profit from war while the average Joe just wants to get home alive and back to his farm?
Take your persona and shove it in your ass.
Banco Espirito Santo...
That will be an Order of Magnitude greater than the Lehman Bros., AIG, and Bear Stearn trigger event.
It is happening right now before your very eyes. Most people are blind to it. Are you?
Seek posted a video link earlier today. I suggest that you watch it. It is a good metaphor with what is happening to our financial system
If you got out early then you survived. If you waited until the crowd started to leave in droves then...
Furthermore some of the ushers had blocked off some of the Emergency Exits.
What about that Money Market article today on Zerohedge?
Are you getting the picture yet?
Really. Watch that video. That is how the collapse will happen. Slowly at first and then all at once you will be engulfed in it.
Fair Warning.
One hell of an eye opener. Thanks for the link Tall Tom and Seek.
Q: Hi, I'm interested in opening a "MyRA" account. Do you offer those here?"
A: Your IRA should be in Ireland, where the capital is Dublin every day.
Hi, I'm interested in opening a "MyRA" account. Do you offer those here?
(One month later)
Bank calls customer to inform him that his new "MyRA" account is now called "OurRA"
I used to read all of this blather from Phoenix Capital, this is the first time in a few years I've read their stuff. Yep, they are still packaging and selling the same blather. Obviously their numerous dire warnings have not come to pass. Eventually there will be a major financial crisis and they will say, ""See, we told you so." All the while hoping people don't see how many times their dire warnings were wrong. They must be an unhappy lot of investors.


text:
True to its corporate mission of home improvement, Home Depot Inc. has been remodeling its $3.7 billion U.S. and $10 million Puerto Rican 401(k) plans.
The purpose is to add value and cut costs. In fact, the Atlanta-based company has cut expenses in half since 2009. There have been "reductions in record-keeping and investment management fees over time," said Brant Suddath, director of benefits. He didn't provide specific numbers.
The most recent cost cuts came in February, when Home Depot officials negotiated lower investment management fees with BlackRock Inc. for its LifePath target-date funds.
In addition to hard bargaining, Suddath said the company uses separate accounts, commingled funds, institutional mutual fund shares and open architecture to keep fees low.
The plans offer a core lineup of 12 options, in addition to the target-date series and a self-directed brokerage window to accommodate participants who want greater access to mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and stocks.
The core options include separate accounts for large-cap, midcap and small-cap growth equities; small-cap value; and stable value. Mutual funds are used for the large-cap and midcap value strategies and for an international blended fund. Index funds for bonds and large-cap equities are offered through commingled funds. The balanced strategy takes a fund-of-funds approach. The target-date series also is in commingled funds.
A company stock fund has been closed to new investments since September 2008—when it represented 24.8% of total plan assets—to encourage diversification, Suddath said. It now represents 17.8 percent of the plans' assets.
The brokerage window, added when the stock fund was frozen, has been used by less than 1 percent of participants, and represents less than 1 percent of total assets.
Home Depot executives have been making these changes even though the plans' overall participation rate of 60 percent is above the 51 percent average for retail companies tracked by Aon Hewitt, Lincolnshire, Illinois, said Alison Borland, vice president for retirement strategy.
Aon Hewitt is record keeper for Home Depot, while Hewitt EnnisKnupp is the company's investment consultant.
"They have been an early adopter of services like quick enrollment and mobile applications" to provide participants with easier access to their accounts, said Borland.
"They have unique challenges with a mobile workforce that is diverse in race, language and learning styles," she said. "They know their population very well. They are very deliberate in what they offer."
Robert Steyer writes for Pensions & Investments, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Stay informed and connected. Get human resources news and HR features via Workforce Management's Twitter feed or RSS feeds for mobile devices and news readers.


text:
Freshman Susie Miller and Landes tied for third on floor with 9.850's, while redshirt-freshman Samantha Wagner was USU's top finisher on beam, tying for fifth with 9.675
Boise State swept the individual honors, as Brittany Potvin-Green won the all-around with a 39.375, as well as winning vault with a 9.900 and floor with a 9.925. Caitlin Mann captured the bars title with a 9.875 while Bekah Gher and Lindsay Kazandjian shared the beam crown with 9.800's each.
USU led off on bars, with junior Amanda Watamaniuk opening up with a 9.650, followed by fellow junior Amelia Montoya with a 9.775. Holliday then notched a 9.725. That preceded Landes landing a 9.750, then a 9.825 from Jones.. Freshman Kaitlyn Betts closed out the Aggies' bar rotation with a 9.750, giving USU a 48.825 total, its fourth-best score of the season on the event.
Boise State scored a 49.125 on vault, led by Brittany Potvin-Green with a 9..900, and had a slim lead after the first rotation
On vault for rotation two, Watamaniuk also started things off for the Aggies, posting a 9.450, followed by Holliday with a 9.550. Freshman Breyanna Aufiero notched a 9.525 before Miller recorded an 8.925. Landes then stuck a 9.650 before Jones registered a 9.750 to complete USU's vault lineup.
The Aggies totalled a 47.925 on vault for a 96.750 score at the halfway point, while the Broncos had a lead after scoring a 49.150 on bars, led by Caitlin Mann with a 9.875, for a 98.275 sub-total.
Shifting to floor for the third rotation, the USU lineup's first spot looked just like the other two events, led off by Watamaniuk, scoring a 9.625. After a 9.575 by Holliday, Miller posted a career-high tying 9.850, for her third score of 9.825 or higher in the last four meets including the last two. Montoya notched a 9.750 before Jones stuck a 9.800, her fourth score of 9.800 or higher, and all have come in every other meet. Landes completed the Aggies' floor rotation with a career-best tying 9.850, her third 9.850 score this season and fifth score of 9.800 or higher on the season.
The season-high 48.875 on floor gave the Aggies a 145.625 after three, while the Broncos maintained their lead with a 147.025 after posting 48.750 on beam, led by the 9.800's from Gher and Kazandjian.
On beam for the fourth and final rotation, freshman Ashley Follett opened the beam lineup with a 9.375. After a 9.675 by redshirt-freshman Samantha Wagner, Jones notched a 9.525. Holliday hung a 9.575 on the board before a 9.275 by Landes. Montoya rounded out the rotation and the Aggies' action with a 9.125, giving USU a 46.975 on beam.
USU had its 192.600 while BSU won with its 196.125 after tallying a 49.100, led by Potvin-Green's 9.925.
Utah State has a quick turnaround after Friday's dual, as the Aggies return home to host in-state foe BYU on Monday, March 5 at 7 p.m. at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Monday will the USU's final home meet of the regular-season and will be Senior Night, honoring its two seniors, Haley Hogan and Rebecca Holliday.
Live results for Friday's dual are available by clicking on the "Live Results" link at www.UtahStateAggies.com, the official web site of USU athletics. *Note the link will only work after the meet starts. Fans can watch Friday's meet live online by clicking on the "Watch Live" link at www.UtahStateAggies.com, the official web site of USU athletics. Fans will need to pay a small fee to watch the meet.
Utah State is the host institution for the 2012 WAC Championships on Saturday, March 24. It will be the first time since 2006, USU's first year in the conference, that the Aggies will host the WAC Championships. Overall, it will be the seventh time that Utah State has hosted its conference meet. USU previously hosted the WAC Championships in 2006, the Western Gymnastics Conference Championships in 2002, the Big West Conference Championships in 1992, 1996 and 2000, as well as the High Country Athletic Conference Championships in 1988.
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BOSTON It's primary day in Massachusetts. The three Republican and two Democratic candidates in the special U.S. Senate election find out who will go on to represent their parties in the general election.
Monday morning, Republican state Rep. Dan Winslow, of Norfolk, was headed for a diner in downtown Quincy to greet voters.
"This election is wide open," Winslow said. "I've never seen an election like this."
Winslow's campaign has been tracking voters and found that as late as this weekend, many likely voters in the Republican primary were still undecided or willing to change their minds. Winslow hopes they break his way.
U.S. Senate Candidate Profiles
- 4/22: Republican Michael Sullivan
- 4/23: Republican Gabriel Gomez
- 4/24: Democrat Edward Markey
- 4/25: Democrat Stephen Lynch
- 4/26: Republican Dan Winslow
Complete Coverage: Special U.S. Senate Election
But things seems to be breaking Gabriel Gomez's way. The Cohasset private equity manager was also greeting voters at a diner, in Marshfield. Gomez is leading in the polls, but mindful that it's all about getting his voters out Tuesday.
"We've got people back at headquarters making phone calls on phone banks," Gomez said. "We've got over 100 town captains that are getting their towns organized and we're getting people ready to drive people to the polls."
Gomez has outraised his two Republican opponents, to the frustration of former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, who sent out an appeal for money to his supporters over the weekend citing his impression that Gomez was ubiquitous on television. But as he visited businesses in Hingham Monday afternoon, Sullivan pointed out the strength of his campaign.
"It's a grassroots campaign that got us on the ballot and it's a grassroots campaign that's going to put us to victory," Sullivan said.
Of all the candidates, Congressman Ed Markey has the most formidable grassroots organization, with enthusiastic organizers from the Obama and Elizabeth Warren campaigns throughout the state. Monday afternoon, before greeting commuters at South Station, Markey was asked how, in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, he expected to get people interested in this race.
"I think it's important that we have people come out and participate," Markey said. "We are the inventors of democracy and I think that's an important fact that everyone in our state is cognizant of, and I think we're going to see a very high turnout."
This has been a sleepy race. But Monday night, at Stephen Lynch's rally in South Boston, it felt anything but. You heard union workers talking to each other with confidence about how they were going to get the vote out and win Tuesday. And the Democratic congressman from South Boston gave them the most rousing speech of the campaign, with an ode to the police and fire unions on whom he's counting.
"So you can rest your head on your pillow at night, because you know whether you have crime in your neighborhood, or whether you have a fire on your street, or whether you have a terrorist attack on your city, those are the people who are there to protect you: our first responders," Lynch told his supporters, many of them firefighters.
Lynch reminded reporters that on 9/11 he won the Democratic primary in the special election for the seat he now holds. The phones were out for part of the day and union workers went door to door to bring voters to the polls.
For each of the candidates, it's all about how their teams get their voters to the polls now. Be prepared for some surprises.
This post was updated with Morning Edition feature content.


text:
Are you looking for a stock?
Try one of these
Canadian home resale prices broke a three-month string of declines in December as five of six metropolitan markets rose, the Teranet-National Bank Composite House Price Index showed on Wednesday.
The index, which measures price changes for repeat sales of single-family homes, showed overall prices were up 0.3 percent in December from November, and up 4.1 percent from a year earlier.
The heavily-weighted Vancouver and Toronto markets reported price advances of 0.5 percent, and 0.2 percent, respectively. Teranet said the latest January data from the Canadian Real Estate Association showed "generally balanced" conditions in major urban markets.
"Toronto and Vancouver could even be considered rather tight markets," Teranet said.
The Calgary market posted its first gain in five months, up 0.1 percent in December, while Montreal gained 0.5 percent.
Halifax prices jumped most, up 3.6 percent, but Teranet noted its impact on the overall index was marginal.
The Ottawa market was the only decliner in the month, down 0.4 percent, its fourth straight monthly decline.
The index tracks repeat sales, so properties with at least two sales are required in the calculations. The report did not provide actual prices.
The Teranet index is similar to the U.S. S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. It lags other home resales data by about six weeks.
Canada's housing market contrasted with the global trend during the financial crisis, posting double digit price gains in late 2009 and early 2010 after a brief dip, as low mortgage rates and a healthy banking system spurred a wave of home-buying and helped draw the country out of recession.
The sector is still relatively healthy, compared with the U.S. housing market. Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller index on Tuesday showed prices for U.S. single-family homes fell for a sixth straight month in December and warned they could fall another 25 percent.
In Canada, analysts forecast only limited price growth for resale homes from now on as increases in interest rates dampen the market. Five-year mortgage rates have started to perk up in the past month.
"The housing market has owed much of its success this year to the continued improvements in affordability and willingness of Canadians to take on additional debt. However, going forward this is unlikely to persist," said Francis Fong, economist at TD Economics.
"Going into 2011, mortgage rates are at rock-bottom levels and indebtedness is at an all-time high. With the Bank of Canada set to resume hiking rates by mid-year, the housing market will be the first to feel that pinch."
New mortgage rules, announced last month, are also expected to slow the housing sector after they start taking effect in mid March.
The rules include reducing the maximum amortization period to 30 years from 35 years for new government-backed mortgages with loan-to-value ratios of more than 80 percent, as well as tightening refinancing and the use of lines of credit secured by homes.


text:
At a top-level meeting Wednesday, Boeing and the Machinists union agreed to resume contract negotiations in an effort to end a strike that's already cost Boeing more than $1 billion in profits.
At a top-level meeting Wednesday, Boeing and the Machinists union agreed to resume contract negotiations in an effort to end a strike that's already cost Boeing more than $1 billion in profits and left 27,000 workers without paychecks in a rapidly deteriorating economy.
Meanwhile the strike that has idled Boeing's jet factories for 34 days will continue, and neither side was ready to predict that new talks would quickly end a dispute that has halted aircraft-production work in three states. The talks themselves may not restart until the weekend or later.
The agreement to go back to the table was reached Wednesday afternoon in Everett when International Association of Machinists (IAM) leaders Mark Blondin and Tom Wroblewski met with Boeing Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive Scott Carson, labor Vice President Doug Kight and chief company negotiator Tom Easley.
In an interview, Blondin said he didn't want to raise expectations too high.
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"We want to keep it in perspective," he said. "Our members will be happy that we are back to the table. But if we bring something back [for a vote], it's got to be something that meets their expectations."
An official IAM statement Wednesday evening said that Machinist "solidarity brought Boeing back to the bargaining table," yet echoed Blondin's cautious tone.
"We hope this meeting marks a major step forward," the statement said. "The union will continue to do everything possible to bargain a contract that addresses the concerns our members have identified."
Boeing spokesman Tim Healy was also circumspect.
"We've agreed to pursue additional talks," Healy said. "We want to see if there is a path forward to a resolution that rewards employees but allows us to remain competitive.
"It's a good thing that we are talking," he added.
Economic toll
The return to the bargaining table comes as the strike's economic toll is rising. Boeing's lost profit, based on an extrapolation from an internal company estimate of the 2005 strike's cost, is estimated at more than $1.3 billion so far.
The ripple effects of the production stoppage have hit suppliers all across the country. Triumph Composite Systems in Spokane announced more than 200 layoffs; Hexcel Engineered Products in Kent laid off 100 more; and production workers at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kan., were reduced to a three-day workweek.
The renewed bargaining also follows tough talk earlier this week from Boeing executives.
On Monday, Chief Executive Jim McNerney sent an e-mail to employees expressing his resolve to stand firm. On Tuesday, Fred Kiga, vice president for government relations, warned that if Washington becomes known as a "strike zone," future assembly of airplanes here could be at risk.
Some informal and preliminary contacts recently took place in secret, though both sides had said they weren't in touch.
At a union meeting in Seattle Wednesday night, IAM district 751 president Wroblewski broke the news of the agreement to his members and said that in the course of the strike he and Blondin had "several conversations with Boeing."
People familiar with the details said two unannounced meetings last week between the union leaders and Kight set the stage for Wednesday's breakthrough.
Job security
Blondin said that in the Everett meeting Wednesday, Carson focused on understanding the IAM's demands on job security, which has emerged as the major issue blocking a return to work.
After McNerney's message on Monday, Blondin responded in an interview by limiting the scope of the union's demands on job security to stopping the outsourcing of local jobs to nonunion companies.
On Wednesday, he said he had couched his comments that way in a deliberate attempt to focus the discussion.
"With the McNerney e-mail, it seemed to me and Tom Wroblewski that maybe they don't get it," Blondin said. "What we are asking for isn't going to restrict their ability to compete globally."
He said the union recognizes that some work must be outsourced overseas as part of aircraft-sales agreements and that Boeing will continue to pursue its global strategy.
But he said the union will draw a line at delivery of airplane parts by suppliers and nonunion vendors inside the local assembly plants, as well as the outsourcing of facilities maintenance work. Beyond that, it wants only the chance to bid on any work considered for future outsourcing.
"We're not overreaching on this job security," Blondin insisted.
That approach is at least part of what has provided the basis for further talks.
"It's got to be solved around job security," Blondin said. "And all the issues will play in."
In addition to the outsourcing issue, the union strongly objects to extra employee costs added to the medical-benefit plans, and it seeks increases in the wage and pension offer.
Boeing's final offer to the Machinists included an 11 percent wage increase over three years; a monthly pension of $80 per year of service, up from $70 in the current contract; and a 2008 lump-sum bonus worth on average $3,900.
The average Machinist earns about $54,000 a year in base pay or about $65,000 with overtime.
However, newer hires earn much less. Company wage data filed with the state Department of Revenue show that, as of the end of last year, nearly 5,000 Machinists at Boeing earned less than $20 an hour.
Blondin said federal mediators will set up the new negotiations, probably "within the next two days." He said some people who are out of town must be recalled to join the negotiations.
A company source familiar with the discussions said that it may take longer, perhaps beyond the weekend, before the talks resume.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), a government agency charged with helping to resolve labor disputes, has been in touch with both sides since before the strike, and will facilitate the talks.
"We'll let the mediators be there. They may work between the parties or maybe face to face," Blondin said. "The mediation is good for assistance but the bottom line is the two parties have to come to agreement."
Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or firstname.lastname@example.com