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01/30/2008, Isla Margarita
When I'm in a new anchorage I get a certain "out of place" feeling for the first day or two. It is a combination of not knowing the country, the people, the culture, the prevailing conditions, the holding or the boats around me. It is part of the exhilaration of traveling to far away and remote places. It also guarantees that every unknown noise gets me up to do a lap on deck at night.
This may seem like an unpleasant disturbance. In reality it is part of fully enjoying a new place that you will only be able to witness for a short time. Seeing the stars, the accelerated winds or overnight calm, as the case may be, watching the nocturnal activities of the creatures of the sea and enjoying the solitude are all part of the fulfilling whole.
After a couple of late night, early morning tours on deck, I got up to listen to Chris Parker on the SSB. Venezuela has some funky timezones so I wasn't exactly sure what official local time was but our Oregon Scientific weather station had somehow got a hold of the Colorado atomic clock signal again and was displaying East coast time. I tuned into 8.104 Megahertz at 8AM AST to get the low down. Just as Chris started his broadcast a vessel broke in with a distress call.
The captain was having heart trouble, their engine was down and the only crew (wife I think) didn't know how to sail. The vessel was well off of Martinique and in the end it seemed that getting assistance from the officials (undecided whether that would be US, French or Venezuelan) was going to take some time. The US CG did say that if the vessel set off the EPIRB to indicate need for immediate assistance that they would air evacuate them. Didn't sound like the crew was quite ready to abandon the vessel though. This ended up eliminating the weather and propagation died before we could listen in on another frequency (Chris does several broadcasts each morning). Some vessels more in the area were in contact with the boat in distress when we shut the radio down.
Our next task was to decide whether to stay in Los Testigos for a day to fully enjoy the beach and the stark isolation of the place. SCUBA was supposedly illegal here, per the cruising guide. I was really bummed out by this. Places as out of the way as Los Testigos make for great diving. You really get to explore new territory as few people ever see 100 feet in an area this remote.
We went ashore to explore a little with Roq. The beach right in front of the anchorage was beautiful, with lovely sand and a very short walk to the windward side with its crashing surf. We hiked up to the top of the hill between the anchorage beach and the cove where the fishing huts are. You have to be careful here because the area is rife with prickly balls, really sharp ones. Roq and I were hobbled in short order as we were both bare footed. Hideko with her flip flops attended to us and we walked carefully when away from the beach thereafter.
We met a French family on the beach and shared some information about ports and anchorages. As we continued down the beach an Italian single hander came ashore. We had a nice chat with him as well. He was concerned about security in Margarita and had decided to stay in the out islands during his travels.
Security is a concerning issue in Venezuela. The country has a large population of folks that more or less just get by. Many of them are happy to fish and live in the small villages as they have for several generations. Others choose to take from those that have things they want. This of course happens in New York, London and Tokyo as well. I could see how it could be a little more dangerous for a single hander, especially if folks discover that you are alone. Having a big dog is a very real benefit which I would heartily recommend.
Hideko had an idea in her head about Margarita. She envisioned Miami Beach. My Los Testigos stay was thus vetoed. I didn't have the heart to tell Hideko what I expected at Margarita. Unfortunately I was a little more on target.
We left Los Testigos around noon. We needed to make decent speed to get into Porlomar by nightfall. The cruising guide and charts make the approach look pretty straight forward but I always like to make new landfall during daylight. Unfortunately it was light and variable. We were getting low on diesel but we motor sailed anyway, hoping the fables of diesel flowing for pennies a gallon were true.
You hear lots of stories of folks sailing these waters only after dark and with all of their lights out and their radar turned off. While I think it is fine to be cautious and there are certainly reasons to be extra careful in Venezuela I'm not quite that concerned. In fact the only vessel we saw on the way to Margarita was a Venezuelan Navy cutter.
They came at us pretty fast so we took note early on and checked them out in the binoculars. I heard some Spanish on 16 with the word "velero" in it a few times. I had just read a section in the Spanish for Cruisers book which informed me that velero was sailboat in Spanish and that if you hear it on the radio, perhaps someone was hailing you. Sure enough.
As I was trying to get together enough of a sentence in Spanish to respond they made their third hail. This time in English. Whew. I responded and they asked us some routine questions taking down our vessel information and making sure that we had checked in at Los Testigos. They were very professional and I was not only impressed but reassured that they were out there patrolling. We saw some fishing boats on the distant horizon and some shipping on the AIS from time to time but otherwise had a quiet passage.
When Margarita came into view I had to recheck out position a few times with the paper charts. Our Navionics charts have been very good in the developed islands and those that serve as a playground for the western world. They go south fast in third world countries however. You find yourself anchored on shore in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. So far they have been fine for getting you to the anchorage in these places but you can't use the plotter or the charts to get around inshore. I was concerned here because is looked like we were coming in way south of the island. Our Imray-Iolaire charts have been good in these places however and showed us on course.
After inspecting the above water contours the situation became clear. Margarita has some fairly high peaks but they are fairly far north of the very flat, swampy tongue that forms the southern area of the island where the primary yacht anchorage is.
As the sun sunk lower on the horizon the wind came up. Before long we had the engine off and were making a good 9 knots under sail. It was only for the last our of our six hour trip but is was great to sail around the point into the anchorage.
We tried to hail Juan Barow the cruising guide recommended customs agent to determine if we should try to clear in right away or wait until morning. Juan listens to 72, the local cruisers channel. There were 50 or 60 cruising boats in the anchorage as we arrived. After a few hails Fred from Denali Rose came on. Fred is one of those people who just makes everyone around her feel welcome. We had met her in Chagaramas and she gave us the full low down on Margarita and told us to check in with Juan in the morning. People like Fred making cruising that much more fun.
We played the catamaran card in the anchorage and eked our way into the 5 foot something water as close to Juan's dock as we could get. The rag tag marina to starboard had a few boats sunk in the shallows and you could see the swell breaking in the one foot low tide mud near Juan's dock. The high rise apartments of Margarita dotted the shore line to port with the lone Concorde Hotel under reconstruction at the base of the point of the starboard bow. It wasn't Miami but it was Margarita, with the excitement of a new place to explore and a chance to experience a very different culture and lifestyle.
01/29/2008, Los Testigos
We waited up for Johnny Sails until about 11PM last night but he did not come out to the boat. I called him at the end of the day and told him to drop off what he had because we were leaving at 5AM for Venezuela.
At 4AM we heard a knock on the hull. We could hardly believe our ears. Yet, sure enough, there was Johnny and his crew on the dock. It is not that I don't appreciate the valiant effort to complete the work before we left. Not at all. It is just that you don't take measurements for this type of work, show up and install it and walk away. You have to do things incrementally if you want to get it right and make everyone happy. Johnny knows this of course.
We allowed them to work on the boat and delay us an hour in our departure. In the end we had to cut them off. The work was perhaps half complete but to start up a new shop on the project would require a lot of effort due to the fact that the tricky bits were still remaining. I think Johnny is a capable canvas worker but I would recommend that you pay as you go to ensure the proper incentive.
We were looking forward to a long downwind sail to Los Testigos. We motored out of the Saint Georges lagoon and were surprised to see fog as we looked back! I had never seen fog in the Lesser Antilles before. The wind was light and sailing downwind made it lighter still.
Once we were clear of the port we raised the main sail, from the cockpit, on the power winch. It was so hassle free we both were thrilled with our new rig setup. We motor sailed along with one engine running at between 9 and 10 knots making up for our late departure. We wanted to be sure to arrive in Los Testigos before sunset.
On our way out a large pod of high jumping dolphins kept us company for several minutes. We saw a couple of sailboats far off to port about mid passage, going to Trinidad as best we could tell but otherwise had no contacts.
We sighted Los Testigos off in the distance a little before 14:00. They are a rocky group of islands with sandy beaches and coral crusted coves. Many birds ply the air in the vicinity. By 16:00 we were coming around the northern point of Testigo Pequeno.
Testigo Pequeno and Testigo Grande are almost connected by a sandy spit that turns into a sand bar in the middle of a shallow pass. The best anchorage we saw in the area is right between the two islands. The seas are completely broken down by the bar between the Pequeno and Grande but a little chop comes through if the waves are large. There is a fishing village on cove over to the north and we found several fishing boats anchored in the area and three or four cruisers as well.
Once settled into the anchorage I dingied over to the main pueblo on Isla Iguana Grande. You have to be careful in failing light here because the docks at Isla Iguana all have boats with lines ashore and nets and whatnot running to the dock and through the water. I ended up tying Little Star up on the windward side of the southern most dock and wading ashore.
The Guard Costa office was manned by a young man who spoke no English. I had my trusty Spanish for Cruisers book with me (which has been a life saver) but made a fairly poor showing. I did manage to get us checked in though. We were given three days before we would need to proceed to Margarita or a port of entry on the mainland for proper clearance. All they do here is write you into a big book.
The young guard of the coast wrapped matters up with a request for booze. Not what you like to see in the officials of a foreign country but not surprising given the remoteness of the location. I said "no comprendo" a lot, which seemed to get me out of most difficulties.
I dashed back across the sound as the sun set. Hideko, Roq and I enjoyed a quiet dinner and a beautiful sunset as we marveled at the picturesque islands of our anchorage. It was nice to be back out there.
01/28/2008, South Grenada
We were in pretty good shape for an early departure tomorrow. Johnny Sails was still saying he would come by and get things finished. This was virtually impossible but we decided to let him try.
In the mean time I took the opportunity to help out Helen Mary Gee again for the morning race. It was fun to race again with Paul and Helen and things went fairly well during the race. I needed to get back to Swingin' on a Star by noon though so that Hideko and I could wrap up things at the marina and clear out. Paul dropped me off at the Prickly Bay fuel dock between races and I grabbed a cab back to Port Louis. The cab driver ripped me off charging double what I would normally pay, but I forgot to ask him the rate up front. I was so used to dealing with the good folks of Grenada I had forgotten that there are still jerks out there.
Hideko and I finalized all of our business and got ready to sail at first light. Johnny Sails was still a no show. I called him and told him to just bring the materials over so that we could get the work completed somewhere else.
We had a nice dinner at Port Louis later that evening with Paul and Helen after they finished the races. We bid them farewell at the end of a wonderful evening and went home for our last night in Grenada.
01/27/2008, Port Louis
It is two days before we travel to Venezuela. We have been looking forward to this trip for several months and hoping that we would have all of the boat updates and project complete before leaving the islands that we have come to know so well. It was becoming clear that this was not to be.
Our board rack was ordered so late in the game that it was amazing Technick could produce it in time at all. We certainly would not have time to install it. Nick brought it by today and it is perfect. Johnny Sails has been a no show, which is getting concerning since we gave him a fairly large deposit.
Hideko had worked very hard yesterday cleaning up the boat. Bret and Ian did a great job cleaning up after all of the glass work but with so much stuff going on in the boat you just end up with a lot of things un-stowed and a lot of stuff that needs to be cleaned up. I was of course off sailing in the regatta (a slight imbalance in spousal fun factor).
We spent the day today cleaning the boat some more and wrapping up projects. All of the rope clutches got labeled and all of the lines got hot knifed and whipped. All of the decks got swabbed and all of the tools got put away. We also got out logs ready for the trip to Los Testigos, set up our routes and all of that.
At the end of the day I felt like we were finally going into the next phase of our travels. Phase I had been moving aboard and sailing around in Florida. Just getting used to living on the boat was a big adjustment. Phase II had been the Bahamas and TCI. Close to the US and filled with American and Canadian yachts but still out in the world of beautiful islands. Phase III was the Dominican Republic, our fist time sailing in the third world with immersion in a foreign language. Phase IV was the eastern Caribbean. While each is unique, the Virgins through Grenada are all fairly similar in the big picture; small island nations with basic services and close proximity through Coast Guard, Airlines and tourism with the western world. Sailing through Venezuela with a US flagged vessel would be a new experience.
01/26/2008, Grenada
We had met the folks on Helen Mary Gee a few days back when they helped us get the cross beam bolted back down on Swingin' on a Star. Paul and Helen are a wonderful couple from the south of England who have sailed to the Caribbean on their Sovereign 470. When they asked me to help out aboard Helen Mary Gee as they raced in the Grenada regatta I happily agreed. I'm not a big racing talent but I always enjoy helping out. We were in the cruising class so things would be focused on the fun side of competition, but competition all the same!
There were two other crew members aboard Helen Mary Gee, Matt who had crossed the Atlantic in the ARC with them and Georgy, the Mate on a charter racing Beneteau 40.4. Matt is about seven feet tall and knows the boat backwards and forwards. Georgy normally races on her Beneteau, Combat, but it was fully crewed for the Regatta with the Captain and the charter guests. This was fortunate for us because Georgy has considerable racing talents which were very valuable to the Helen Mary Gee team.
Paul came by at about 8AM, swung the port beam of HMG close enough to Swingin' on a Star for me to jump aboard and we were off. Most of the races take place on the south side of the island so we had to motor for a ways to get into the start zone. There were several Beneteau 40.4s in the racing class. They seem to have almost a one design popularity. The obligatory J Boats were involved, an open 60 was there for fun, many local boats were participating in their own races and there were several cruising boats.
The races were a lot of fun. We had three to run today. The crew was pretty motley and though our skipper tried hard to whip us into shape it took most of the day for us to get into a groove. We had some pretty clean tacks working by the last race and finished in decent standing. I don't think anyone aboard really cared how we did, it was all about the joy of racing just to race.
Paul brought HMG back to the Port Louis dock as the sun sunk low. Everyone was tired and ready for a cold drink. Within moments after we tied Helen Mary Gee up in her berth Paul and Helen produce some icey cold beers, the end of a perfect day.
01/25/2008, Port Louis
It is Friday and we have three more work days to go before we have to take off on Tuesday. While I hate to admit it, we have gotten more work done on the boat than I expected at this point, even so we were a bit behind on several fronts. The fiberglass work had taken longer than expected do to the difficulty of the work space, the extra grinding required to remove the glass laid up over the hulls gel coat and the large amount of clean up.
Johnny Sails was supposed to start on our project Wednesday but has only stopped by once to re-measure some things. This worried me because it is easy to imagine how a sail maker during regatta week could be distracted. I was still hoping he would come through though because he is a wonderful guy who uses the best materials (Sunbrella, UV safe thread, etceteras) and really understood what we wanted made.
On the bright side I met Nick of TechNick, who runs the steel fabrication shop in the Spice Island Marine complex. I asked him if he could make me a water-sports board rack on short order. I couldn't believe he said yes. Since our great experience wind surfing, Hideko and I have been trying to find a place to stash a windsurfing board. While at it I figured I'd make room for my old 8'6" surf board that Thomas is looking after for me.
We considered several locations and finally decided on making a rack to bolt underneath the hard bimini. The Saint Francis hard top is so far off the deck that I can't touch it reaching over my head. This gives us plenty of room to install a rack and still have ample head room for 6 foot plus folks. My only hesitation was that the boat is so clean as is and I don't want it to start getting it cluttered. The Saint Francis 50 has so much storage space that nothing intrudes on decks. No jerry jugs or solar panels on the rails, no lines or hardware on the side decks to obstruct the walk way, just a clean layout. Unfortunately the board lockers, which although awesome, are only 7 feet long, just a bit too small for a windsurfer.
I wanted to wrap up the rigging tasks today to ensure that we will be ready to sail on Tuesday. Some of the jobs left to do involved putting holes in the mast but I didn't have a tap set. I had searched most of the island and found some taps but no drivers. Richard accidentally snapped off a tap when installing a pad eye earlier in the week and that was using a good tap set. It was a bear getting the broken tap out without damaging the threads. I wanted to make sure that any holes I made in the mast were done carefully and correctly, which meant a proper tap driver. The only way I could think of to finish the project would be to borrow the tools from Turbulence rigging and I wasn't sure they would do such a thing.
Later I wound up in Island Water World across the lagoon to pick up some more things for Brent. IWW had already told me that they had no tap sets but I decided to scrounge around in their locked case anyway while I waited in line. Lo and behold, there on the bottom of the case, under a couple of packaged drill bits I found a little yellow box. I opened it and inside were the exact taps and drill bits I needed with a nice T handle driver. I guarded it with my life on the way to the check out counter.
Back at the boat I carefully installed the pad eye for the topping lift block and the foot block for the main halyard. The Main halyard is a special case. It must bear a lot of load the entire time the boat is underway, and thus anything in its path must be strong and secure.
When making the rigging mods I wanted, in so far as possible, to leave the operations at the mast intact. In other words I wanted to make things accessible from the cockpit but also allow the old mast operations to function as well for double coverage. Thus the line jammers for the reef leach lines are still in place as are the clips and tack rings. To do the same thing with the halyard I needed to leave it running through the mast jammer. To make this run fair I had to lead the halyard under the winch mounting bracket to a block on the side of the mast. A footblock worked best here and only required the removal of a single cleat to make the run back to the deck organizer. Once installed it made a perfect run.
The topping lift goes on when the main is down and off when the main is up. It is rarely used otherwise. This and the fact that the topping lift comes down on the port side of the mast where the winch feeds on the aft side made a pad eye with a Dyneema loop and block a good solution. The topping lift no longer runs through the mast jammer but this is fine because the topping lift is not really a critical system as long as the compression post is functioning.
During all of this the compression post was a big consideration. I wanted to make sure that all of the lines were unobstructed on any point of sail. Using the Dyneema attached blocks allowed us to get the block outboard and as far up under the boom sheaves as possible. That combined with the most outboard installation of the deck organizer as possible keep the line paths clear of the post under almost any trim of the boom. If you let the traveler all the way down and let the sheet out until the main's battens are bending on the shrouds you can touch the compression post to the lines, but I doubt most folks would be willing to treat their main sail so.
Next I ran all of the new Dyneema lines for the topping lift and reef two. I watched Richard do this and picked up the trick, which was butting the two lines together and then putting three loops of whipping twine through them with a sail-makers needle to connect them together like a train. Then you pull the existing line out as the new line feeds in. The main halyard was already long enough to reach back to the cockpit. Saint Francis put a very long halyard on the boat to give you flexibility and it saved me a lot of money here. In fact when we finally had things situated I cut some of the halyards tail off we had so much extra. The extra length would be good if you used the main halyard to haul things up over the rail but we either use the davit block and tackle or the Spin Halyard for that type of thing.
As the sun sets on the lagoon we usually get a calm patch. When it came I quickly raised the main to see if I had flubbed up any of the line lengths. They all needed a little trim but the reef lines I installed had so much extra that you could only call the installer (me) paranoid. The old tails are now nice spare Dyneema lines in our line locker. It was a joy to see the primary project we have wanted done on the boat since we bought her flapping in the calm breeze. Hideko and I dropped the main and couldn't wait to go for a sail on Tuesday.
01/24/2008, Port Louis
Bow reinforcement. This was one of those jobs you really don't want to do. We have always had gel coat cracks around the cross beam attachment points and the cracks have grown somewhat from the time that we purchased the boat from Saint Francis. Grinding off all of the gel coat inside the small bow area to check the fiberglass is no trivial task. In the end, if the glass looks fine, you may have just wasted a whole lot of time.
Yet we are headed into the South Pacific. The crossings there are much longer than those in the Caribbean and the boat services are much harder to come by. With a couple of exceptions, everyone I have talked to, including the factory, suggested I add a few layers of glass to the area to be sure there wouldn't be a problem.
Before we started we examined both bows in detail. Upon inspection it became obvious that a layer of glass had already been added to the cross beam attachment points after the boat was assembled. My suspicion is that the addition was done in Exuma not at the factory. There was fiberglass on some of the electrical conduit (which would not have been installed until all of the glass work was done at the factory) and the patch was laid on top of the interior gel coat without grinding. Glassing on top of gel coat is discouraged and greatly reduces any benefit that may be gained by adding glass. My greatest disappointment was that the factory did not inform me of the repair at the time of purchase or anytime leading up to this work.
We had to remove several bits of hardware to get the area ready for grinding. Three or four tramp track bolts had to come out, a stanchion backing plate had to be removed and the wiring conduit for the running lights had to be pined out of the way. Oh yeah, and of course the cross beam backing plates had to come off.
Catamaran rigs are pretty simple. You have your swept back shrouds and you have your forestay. You may have lowers and an intermediate fore stay as we do but the point is a huge part of your mast's stability relies on the cross beam. To unbolt this baby is a delicate thing. I prepared the boat for this by taking all three of the forward halyards down to bow cleats, two on one side and one on the other. I then sequentially winched each halyard up nice and tight but not too tight. Next I loosened the cap shrouds a bit.
Once prepared, we said a prayer and removed the backing plate on the port side. The cross beam immediately broke the residual hold of the bedding and rose up a good four inches. Everything stopped there, I began to breath again, and all was well. Ian went to work grinding off the last areas of the bow interior. The cross beam would stay disconnected for more than a day while the work was finished.
The grinding took longer than expected because we had to not only grind off the gel coat but also the fiberglass and additional gel coat layer of the after factory patch. In the end we had a clean area of factory glass cleared all around the backing plate attachment area. This gave us an area with four connected planes to reinforce: both sides of the hull, the bottom of the deck and the bulkhead.
Once we had the glass cleared I looked for cracks in the glass itself. Neither Brent, Ian nor I found anything concerning in the actual factory fiberglass. There may have been no strength issues in the first place. Then again there may have been early stage issues or small amounts of fiber cracking, hard to detect in the laminate at present. Though I was happy and reassured to see that the hull looked fine, my reinforcement plans would go forward regardless.
After considering several exotic alternatives I decided to use 1808 biaxial glass fabric for the reinforcement. Some folks have suggested Carbon Fiber or Carbon Kevlar cloth hybrids but after careful analysis I think that 1808 biaxial is the right material for the job. It is heavier than some of the exotics and in some ways not as strong pound for pound. Some of the benefits of the exotics are not relevant to this task however and the glass is far easier to work with. The area where we would be reinforcing has several 90 degree bends and there are places where the glass will need to be applied overhead. Kevlar in particular is famous for being tricky to wet out. All factors considered I was happy to be using epoxy and glass.
Brent carefully measured and pre cut the cloth into several layers. The first consisted of two large sheets that met at the top of the bow with a four inch overlap, covering the entire hull area that had been cleared. The second was a smaller pair of sheets that ended three inches or so from the edges of the first layer to ensure that no point loading would take place. The final sheet was a patch about six inches larger than the steel backing plate itself.
Brent and Ian used acetone to clean the surfaces and then pre wet the area to be covered. They then carefully applied the pieces of glass and rolled on additional epoxy carefully eliminating bubbles. Each layer was given time to setup before the next was added to ensure good adhesion, especially in the overhead spots. When they completed the hull layers they tabbed in the bow bulkhead area reinforcing the bulkhead, which had cracked at the bottom, and the entire bow laminate.
With the fiberglass work complete, the standard approach would be to gel coat the area to seal it. Instead I asked them to seal it with a layer of epoxy, just as many folks do to their bottoms before applying bottom paint. This is not as cosmetically appealing but it is extremely waterproof and also transparent. This way if I ever get paranoid I can just climb up there with a flash light and relax. No one would otherwise see this part of the boat.
The next task was to bed the backing plate with epoxy and 404. Any application of fiberglass on a curved surface is going to create a less than perfect plate bed. To avoid point loading the fiberglass with the edges of the plate you must create a perfectly flat bed for the plate to rest on that is mechanically connected to the rest of the laminate. The 404/epoxy mixture worked perfectly here. The guys placed a light layer of release wax on the plate to allow it to be removed once the epoxy had setup.
Once everything inside was set we re-drilled the crossbeam bolt holes through the new laminate and prepped the surfaces to be re-bedded. Now, how to get the cross beam back down to the level of the holes...
This was an issue I went over again and again in the day or so that the beam was floating nearly half a foot above its permanent home. Brent suggested we install the backing plate and the hull plate by removing the single bolt that attaches the beam to said plates. This was a great idea. Now we had only one bolt to slip into place once we got the beam down into position.
I had spent a bit of the day loosening the shrouds quite a bit in anticipation of this task. My next step was to scour the dock looking for people who looked like they could balance on a cross beam. In the end I turned up the crew of the Helen Mary Gee and a couple of Marina employees. I told them beer was involved and they briskly joined me at the work site.
Next Ian and Brent aligned the beam as they hung on it and I added one person at a time to the cross beam, lowering it bit by bit. When I finally had enough humans balancing on the cross beam to line it up I slid in the big bolt. It was a tricky operation due to the bushings and washers and such but we finally secured things and tightened the final bolt. The celebration began shortly thereafter.
The starboard side was trickier than the port due to the cramped quarters created by the washer/dryer but easier because we kept the cross beam in place by leaving two bolts in with washers and nuts at all times. My beer supply couldn't take another press gang and my blood pressure couldn't take another floating cross beam.
At the end of the day, the work Brent and Ian did was impeccable. The fiberglass layup in the bows of our boat are a model to strive for. They never settled either. When the bolts for the backing plates were long enough but not all the way into the nylon locking threads, they bought longer bolts instead of using the old bolts. That type of thing. If you are in Grenada and need to have some fiberglass work done I can not think of anyone I would recommend more highly than Brent and Ian. You can reach Brent at 418-6311.


text:
Final rules adopted by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. will deny PBGC guarantees for benefits earned after an employer files for bankruptcy and before the agency takes over the plan.
Under the rules, published in the June 14 Federal Register, a participant's guaranteed benefit would be based on service and compensation, if applicable, as of the date the plan sponsor filed for bankruptcy.
The rules implement provisions in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 that are designed to reduce the agency's exposure to losses.
As a result, if an employer filed for bankruptcy and continued its plan after bankruptcy, with the PBGC later taking over the plan, benefits earned by participants while the employer was in bankruptcy would not be guaranteed by the agency. PBGC benefit guarantees would be tied to the date of the bankruptcy filing, not the date of plan termination.
Additionally, only benefits that are non-forfeitable as of the bankruptcy filing date would be guaranteed. For example, early retirement subsidies to which a plan participant became entitled after a bankruptcy filing date would not be guaranteed.
In fiscal 2010, the PBGC reported a near-record $23 billion deficit, up from a $22 billion deficit in fiscal 2009.
Filed by Jerry Geisel of Business Insurance, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail email@example.com.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Jolt Pieced Top
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- Lace overlay heathered top
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text:
- Thursday May 17th, 2012 :: 08:17 a.m. PDT
Go Metro and Avoid Driving in Extra Downtown LA Traffic this Weekend - Many Sports Events
Traffic alert: avoid driving to downtown Los Angeles this weekend (especially Sunday) and Go Metro to Tour of California, Kings, Lakers and Clippers playoff games!
*Traffic Alert* Downtown LA & area traffic heavier next wknd: Amgen Bike Tour, Dodgers, Kings, Lakers, Clippers
Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff's station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call "LA Crime Stoppers" by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
Captain Mike Parker
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Rocky road
On welfare and national security, will Americans remember past crises and make a comeback?
THE FOUR GOOD ROCKY MOVIES (SKIP ROCKY V, please) had a common plot element. Out of low or high self-esteem, the boxer isn't doing what he is called to do: train hard and have the "eye of the tiger." Revived midway through the movie by his wife's love or a friend's death, he gets in shape and eventually wins.
The nation of Israel had a similar problem of forgetfulness throughout the Bible. Nehemiah (chapter 9) is one of many books that notes how God performed miracles, but then "our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks." Stephen said the same thing in Acts (chapter 7), and those who could not handle the truth stoned him. Only the work of the Holy Spirit could revive Israel's Rockys.
And what about us? Right after the 9/11 disaster Americans of all persuasions knew we were in a war. Now, 31 months later, much is forgotten. Democrats and some Republicans bloviate about the Patriot Act, as if we lived in peaceful times. In the same breath we hear complaints that the Bush administration is guilty for underestimating the terrorist threat before 9/11 and overestimating it ever since.
The current welfare-reform gridlock represents another case of misplaced memory. I spent 20 months on leave from my teaching responsibilities in 1995-1996, commuting to Washington and pushing for that rarest of all Beltway items, legislation that did not follow the laws of political entropy. I saw close-up how solons were desperate for some way to stop the upward march of welfare's raw numbers. I also saw, just a mile from the White House, the raw despair among those merely enabled to stay in poverty for a lifetime.
Semi-miraculously, a strong welfare-reform measure made it through a Congress energized by the sensational GOP triumphs of November 1994; Bill Clinton, seeking
reelection, signed the bill. Groups like the Urban Institute and the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities wailed: Marian Wright Edelman of the Children's Defense Fund was typical in her prediction that welfare reform "will hurt and impoverish millions of American children." Even the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, usually level-headed, denounced welfare reform as "the most brutal act of social policy since Reconstruction."
Eight years later, even those with short memories should be able to look at stats: welfare rolls down more than 60 percent since 1996, and not jumping during recession; a 20 percent decline in poverty among children of single moms, and a greater decline in black child poverty; a 50 percent rise in the employment rate for poor single moms. Almost every study shows great improvement.
One criticism of the 1996 welfare reform is valid: It propelled single moms into the work force but not into marriage. Marriage should be the long-term goal, because only a responsible husband can provide the true safety net that a mother needs. As columnist Michael J. McManus has pointed out, many single moms come close: One study of 4,700 new and unwed parents in inner cities found that at the birth of their child half were living together, another quarter were romantically involved, and four out of five mothers and fathers were considering marriage. But since only 15 percent do marry, the key question is: Why not more?
It's not that the dads are deadbeats: Some 82 percent of the fathers in that "Fragile Families" study were employed, earning $17,500 on average, and only 2 percent had hit or slapped the mother. If that 15 percent figure for marriage could become 50 percent or more, the biggest offensive ever in our continuing wars on poverty would be underway. The innovation in this year's welfare-reform bill is a "Healthy Marriage Initiative" that could help couples to commit and could help to save young marriages in trouble.
But a new initiative might be asking for too much: If we could just remind old dogs of old tricks, we'd be a step up. Sadly, Senate Democratic leaders are now holding welfare reform hostage as they push for an increase in the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.00 an hour. That may or may not be a good thing, depending on whether the improvement in wages for some would outweigh the declining job prospects for others, especially inner-city teenagers. The real issue is: Can we remember the crises of 1996 and 2001 and be grateful for improvement, or is Congress auditioning for Rocky VI?


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Have Legal Questions? Ask a Lawyer Now.
Hi, my name is XXXXX XXXXX I'd be happy to answer your questions today.
You can actually amend your answer.
Because you have counterclaims, you can only amend your Answer before the plaintiff responds to them.
So, all you have to do is take the Answer, add what is missing, change the title to "Amended Answer," and then serve a copy on the plaintiff and file it with the court.
even if it is actually in the counterclaim to the answer?
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.
The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided "as is". To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the "Verified" symbol in the Expert's profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).


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Tenants are quickly filling up Project One in downtown Greenville. (Photo/Liz Segrist)
By Liz Segrist
Published Dec. 19, 2012
Tenants are quickly filling up Project One, the development that's transforming a block of Main Street between Washington and Coffee streets in downtown Greenville.
The ground floor of Project One is designed for mixed-use. Anthropologie, CertusBank and Tupelo Honey are among the ground floor tenants. (Image/Provided)
The projected $100 million Hughes Development Corp. project is on the site of the demolished Woolworth Building. Phase I, the partially glass structure on the northern part of the site, is nearing completion.
Law firm Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd plans to move in by mid-January. The retailer Anthropologie expects to move in sometime in spring 2013.
Piazza Bergamo, the space between Project One and Laurens Street, will undergo renovations as well to become a downtown gathering place.
The ninth floor of phase I is completely available and designed for multiple tenants. Robert Hughes of Hughes Development Corp. said there are ongoing negotiations with potential tenants for the available floor.
New tenants, such as Smith Moore Leatherwood, have recently announced plans to move into phase II in 2014.
Tenant breakdown
The law firm will occupy 42,000 square feet on the second and third floors of phase I.
CertusBank will occupy 21,000 square feet on the fourth floor of phase I. The bank will also occupy roughly 140,000 square feet on floors two through eight of phase II. Its retail and flagship branch will occupy 7,350 square feet on the ground floor.
The retailer will occupy 9,500 square feet on the ground floor.
Clemson's MBA program and professional development services will occupy 70,000 square feet of space on floors five through eight of phase I. It will also have 1,200 square feet on the ground floor.
The Asheville-based restaurant will occupy 5,030 square feet on the ground floor.
The law firm will occupy roughly 34,000 square feet on the top two floors of phase II, occupying most of the 10th floor and the entire 11th floor.
SOURCE: Hughes Development Corp.


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The Ultimate Jury of Your Peers
Are you are a high school student who has recently received a traffic infraction? Are you looking for a way to keep your driving record clean? Youth court may be what you're looking for. To qualify for Bothell Youth Court:
At the Youth Court you will appear before a judge and jury of your peers to explain the circumstances of your infraction. You may be able to have witnesses testify on your behalf. The teen jury will then decide on an equitable consequence which may include, but is not restricted to:
There is a 6 month deferral period for each case, after which, if all conditions have been completed successfully, the charge will be dismissed. If you feel that you may qualify for Youth Court, click on the link below, fill out the form, and submit to the court with a $30 transfer fee. If you have any questions, please call the court at 425-487-5587
©2008-2016 City of Bothell. All rights reserved.


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Hedychium coronarium
Authors: Tim Tunison, Global Invasive Species Team, The Nature Conservancy
Latin Name: Hedychium coronarium
Common Name: white ginger
General Description:
Erect, coarse herbaceous perennial, 1-2 m tall.
Pest/Weed Considerations:
Hedychium coronarium is considered a pest by Smith (1985) only on Maui and Hawaii.
Hedychium coronarium is capable of forming dense, single species stands by vegetative spread through the expansion of a dense rhizome. The importance of spread from seed may be minimal except at lower elevations. White ginger is one of the most disruptive alien plant species at Kamakou Preserve, particularly in drainages in mesic sites where rare plants tend to be concentrated. Control away from drainages can be carried out by herbicides, Escort being the most likely candidate. Control in the drainages should probably be mechanical/manual unless a non-mobile herbicide can be identified. Recovery in white ginger sites and production of viable seed at Kamakou should be monitored, if time permits.
Probably native to the Himalayas and southeastern China, and now naturalized in mesic (Wagner et al. 1990) and wet forest in Hawaii (Smith 1985). It is found on the five largest islands.
Naturalized in mesic (Wagner et al. 1990) and wet forest in Hawaii (Smith 1985).
The ecology of Hedychium coronarium has been little studied. It appears to be relatively shade tolerant, as indicated by its growth in partial shade at Kamakou Preserve. It is capable of growing in exposed sites. Seed is produced at lower elevations in Hawaii, but have lower dispersal potential because seeds are not displayed for avian vectors (Smith pers. comm. 1985). Seed is not produced on Hawaii Island at 1,200 m elevation (Cuddihy pers. comm., Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, 1991). White ginger does not produce seeds at Kalopa State Park at 600 m (Tomich pers. comm., State of Hawaii, 1991 ). Exact elevation limits to seed production are not known. White ginger distribution at Kamakou Preserve can be explained by dispersal of rhizome fragments by water or road maintenance machinery. Dense colonies arise vegetatively by spread of the rhizomes.
Smith (1985) ranks Hedychium coronarium as one of the 86 most disruptive alien plants in Hawaii because of its capacity to form extensive single species stands. It is considered a pest by Smith (1985) only on Maui and Hawaii. However, white ginger is also disruptively invasive on Molokai at Kamakou Preserve. It is not found at Waikamoi Preserve.
Management Requirements:
Hedychium coronarium should be controlled at Kamakou, especially in drainages because of a threat to rare mesic shrubland flora in these sites.
Kamakou staff has effectively controlled some Hedychium coronarium populations by a combination of manual and mechanical means. These labor-intensive methods are effective on invasive ginger species in Hawaii. Often considerable follow-up is needed because of the difficulty of locating and removing all rhizome fragments, which are capable of resprouting.
A mechanical method that has been effective on kahili ginger and would probably work on white ginger is repreated mowings. The shoots are cut off with a weed eater. Resprouting shoots are cut when they reach 12 inches. Ninety percent control is achieved with kahili ginger in approximately one year, although complete control may require several years (Markowitz pers. comm.).
Escort®, at a concentration of 4.5 g/l of water, without a surfactant, is highly effective on kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum) (Cuddihy pers. comm.(b)). This was also relatively effective on an unreplicated trial on white ginger at Hawaii Volcanoes.
Tomich (pers. comm.) found that undiluted Roundup® was effective on white ginger when applied to the above ground roots emerging from the rhizomes, after the shoots were removed. However, local State Department of Agriculture officials should be consulted before using this method, which may be interpreted as a foliar application rather than a cut-surface application.
Management Programs:
Hedychium coronarium has been controlled at Kalopa State Park (Tomich pers. comm.). Kamakou has successfully controlled some white ginger colonies.
Monitoring Requirements:
Recovery of sites where Hedychium coronarium has been removed by manual/mechanical or herbicidal means should be monitored at Kamakou Preserve. The production of viable seed or presence of seedling recruitment should also be monitored at Kamakou.
Standard plot counts and cover changes; observation of seed production and germination tests.
Management Research Programs:
Arakaki is studying the effectiveness of Escort in Hedychium coronarium control at Kamakou Preserve (Misaki pers. comm.)
Management Research Needs:
Identification of an effective non-mobile herbicide would be useful in control of Hedychium coronarium at Kamakou. Detailed studies of life-history and ecology, useful for state-wide control of widespread species such as clidemia (Clidemia hirta) are not needed for a localized threat such as white ginger.


text:
Bobcat Goldthwait
Listen to Bobcat Goldthwait
and similar artists
Play Now
and similar artists
Play Now
Born: 1962/05/26
Birth Place: Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Genres: Comedy/Spoken Word
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait (born May 26, 1962) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, rabid stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice. Goldthwait was ranked as the 61st greatest comedian of all time by Comedy Central.


text:
Guelb Mohgrein Copper Mine users Join Today
Registered Guelb Mohgrein Copper Mine Users Sign In Here
If you have not yet been authorised to access this site, please contact us (email@example.com)
The Guelb Moghrein Copper Mines deposit is located 250 kilometers northeast of the nation's capital, Nouakchott, near the town of Akjoujt in Mauritania. Guelb consists of an open pit mineable, copper /gold deposits. Ore is crushed and milled followed by flotation to produce a copper- gold concentrate which is shipped to offshore smelters. The remainder of the gold is produced from flotation tails which are fed to a carbon in leach circuit for recovery using standard cyanide techniques.


text:
Be inspired by The Broadway Florist's gorgeous Flower Couture and Floral DECO
collection detailing a selection of beautiful flowers for different occasions, scene setting
and seasons. Originally specialising in weddings,
Shelley Spencer the Creative Director has an enviable flair and exceptional talent that transforms flowers into coveted gifts, expressions of love and impressive displays. Whatever the occasion, be it a thank you,
I love you, I'm sorry, a celebration, event staging & home dressing or a Cotswold wedding,
The Broadway Florist can create bespoke displays or arrangements to add the wow factor.
The Broadway Florist makes the following areas a little bit more fabulous -
The Cotswolds * Cheltenham * Gloucestershire * Oxfordshire * Worcestershire
A fabulous new Cotswolds based event, The Guns and Roses Experience is a unique and exciting mix of flower arranging workshops and then out in the field shooting experiences. Find out more here.


text:
Hello. I have a problem with on demand. When I try to play my shows on free on damand there is a msg that pops up and it says " Unable to play video Please try again later. (VID 40041) in the right corner it says VS017a. Its been like that for about four days now. Please respond. I would really like to watch my shows. Thank you.
1 comment


text:
Quick Apricot Crisp Recipe
I like easy desserts that taste like some effort went into them, like this one. Apricots are a nice change of pace from apples.
- 1 can (8-3/4 ounces) apricot halves, drained
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 teaspoons cold butter
- Vanilla ice cream, optional
- 1. Arrange apricot halves in a greased 5-in. round baking dish. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired. Yield: 2 servings.
Nutritional Facts
1 serving (1 piece) equals 297 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 20 mg cholesterol, 91 mg sodium, 56 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein.
Reviews for Quick Apricot Crisp
© 2016 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC


text:
Alan Liefting
Alan Liefting (talk · contributions · Number of edits · recent activity · block log · User rights log · uploads · Global account information)
|Picture of the day
|East and north wing of the cloister at Zwettl Abbey, Lower Austria
Wikimedia Commons is one hell of a mess. It is worse than Wikipedia. I am in the process of collecting data to write an article about it. Stay tuned...
This article at Wikipediocracy highlights one of the major problems that we face.
|This is a Wikimedia Commons user page.
If you find this page on any site other than Wikimedia Commons, you are viewing a mirror site. Be aware that the page may be outdated, and that the user this page belongs to may have no personal affiliation with any site other than Wikimedia Commons itself. The original page is located at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Alan_Liefting.


text:
A guiding hand towards new employment
If you are unemployed through redundancy – or about to be made redundant – the Transition Project is here to help you with advice and information.
St Barnabas Church, Holden Road, Woodside Park, London N12 7DN. Tel 020 8343 5770 Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Registered as a Charity in England and Wales - Charity number 1131412


text:
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text:
Quentin Tarantino admitted at Cannes that he had "calmed down" over his outrage that his script for western "The Hateful Eight" had been leaked online. So he staged a live read of the 146-page first draft in Los Angeles that went well--we were there. And the filmmaker introduced Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars" to close the Cannes Film Festival, which was also celebrating the 20th anniversary of "Pulp Fiction," which won the Palme d'Or. It's the prize he treasures the most, he admitted at an entertaining 50-minute press conference, below.
In the conference Tarantino said he was working on the second draft of "The Hateful Eight" and was in no hurry to complete a third, and might shoot it, or publish it, or put it on stage, or "all three," he said. Now Roger Friedman--who has good sources at The Weinstein Co.-- reports that Tarantino is planning to shoot "The Hateful Eight" with the cast from the live read in Wyoming (where he shot "Django Unchained") in November.
That movie would star Samuel L. Jackson (Major Marquis Warren), Kurt Russell (bounty hunter John Ruth), Tim Roth (Brit Oswaldo Mobray), Amber Tamblyn (Daisy Domergue), Walton Goggins (Chris Mannix), Michael Madsen (John Gage), Bruce Dern (Confederate Gen. Smithers), James Parks (coach driver O.B.), Denis Menochet (Frenchman Bob), Dana Gourrier (Minnie), Zoe Bell (Six Horse Judy) and James Remar (Jody). What about Christoph Waltz?
In the conference (full 50-minute video below), Tarantino covers a lot of ground, from the death of digital to an idea for a four-part "Django Unchained" cable mini-series.


text:
I'm quite restricted in the platform I'm currently working on (JDK 1.3, BD-J). One JAR file I would like to use attempts to perform a self-integrity check on load and if it fails it goes into an inoperable state. It's quite difficult to find out why this is happening but most sources point to that it cannot find/access it self through the BD-J structure, so it dies.
This rules out using it at load time and instead to load it in the application itself. This is quite a large library so I have to create quite an amount of interfaces so I can cast a loaded object to it and potentially use it. This is where my problem lies.
The interfaces are loaded on normal load time and the library is then loaded during run time and casted to the previously loaded interfaces, is this a problem? I'm receiving ClassCastException
I've based the interfaces off the libraries public methods as best I can, but when I attempt to cast to an interface I receive the ClassCastException. Note: It all loads fine, I can access constructors and read the method names. Just when casting it for it to be useable it fails.
The interface packages are different in my project to that of the toolkit, does this matter?
I'm running out of ideas, is there something I have overlooked?


text:
Resolutions are made to be broken
Control Talk columnists McMillan and Weiner provide their unique brand of commentary on process trends and dynamics, then offer up some humor with their Top 10 broken New Years resolutions.02/13/2006
HMI software is disappearing
Senior Tech Editor Rich Merritt takes a look at the HMI marketplace and finds today's software packages are getting better and cheaper, but are increasingly disappearing into control system vendors' portfolios.02/13/2006
Lasers come to level measurement
Laser-level technology is expanding options in sensor applications, and CONTROLs favorite sensor expert, David Spitzer, writes about the good and bad points of this new measurement technique.02/10/2006
The past, present and future of PLCs
Famous futurist and 2005 ISA Rimbach Lecturer, Jeff Harrow, contributes to the discussion of the future of process automation and how todays PLCs will eventually feel like the TTL logic chips of older days.02/10/2006
To safety standards and beyond!
In 2004, ISA adopted the most recent safety standard, ANSI/ISA 84.00.01. And though its a good start, its clear that S84 is just the tip of the iceberg toward management of functional safety.02/10/2006
Is FDT good for fieldbus and device networks?
CONTROLs Ian Verhappen, Chair of the Fieldbus Foundation User Group, looks at the latest battleground in the Fieldbus Wars. Is this Fieldbus Wars II or can FDT/DTM and EDDL work together?02/10/2006
Institutional knowledge for the future
Knowledge earned by hard work and experience in process automation is waning at an alarming rate, but there are a few shining lights on the industrial landscape. CONTROL Editor in Chief Walt Boyes comments.02/10/2006
The MOD Squad: Process automation at Dow
In the first of a six-part series, a team from Dow Chemical shares its perspective and techniques for developing its own process automation and safety systems, lessons learned, and why it took the path it did.02/10/2006
Standards bring order to chaos
Implementation of the New Sampling/Sensor Initiative (NeSSI) standards will simplify sample system design, installation and operation, fundamentally changing and improving the way we do process analysis.02/10/2006
2006 Process Automation Hall of Fame
Look, kids! Real automation heroes! Editor in Chief Walt Boyes reports on the automation stalwarts whose contributions to the art and practice of the discipline earned them a spot as inductees into the Process Automation Hall of Fame.02/07/2006
Global warming: A trillion-dollar hoax
Senior Tech Editor Rich Merritt comments on the hoax being foisted upon us by tree-huggers with some enlightened research that completely debunks the junk science surrounding global warming.02/07/2006
This month on ControlGlobal.com
Here's what's happening this month on ControlGlobal.com, the online resource of CONTROL magazine.01/30/2006
Dissolved oxygen and fermentation control01/30/2006
Users left with skid marks
Senior Tech Editor Rich Merritt takes an unbiased and detailed look at the way end users and skid builders feel about each other and concludes that what we have here is a failure to communicate.01/22/2006
Flame detector stops false alarms
Multi-spectrum IR sensing and neural network processing is combined in one device to give automation professionals a potent new tool in protecting people and plants from dangerous flame sources.01/22/2006
Improved performance for accredited thermal processes
The move to a greater degree of furnace compliance for thermal treatments is building confidence between thermal processing equipment manufacturers and customers. This paper introduces ways you can optimize equipment to meet the need for improved performance.01/18/2006
Microsoft Factory getting ready to take control
Senior Tech Editor Rich Merritt surmises that when Microsoft Factory software arrives in the not-too-distant future, the cost of asset management will drop to the point where everybody can afford it.01/16/2006
Control system migration or migraine?
Birds know when to fly south for the winter, but how do automation engineers figure out when it's time to migrate? CONTROL Editor in Chief Walt Boyes looks at the latest battleground between vendors.01/16/2006
Under the hood of override control: Part 2
Users can accomplish forced initialization under adverse conditions, output tracking, and other methods of implementation, including selection based on error and override control using Foundation Fieldbus01/16/2006
A spoonful of industrial computers
CONTROL's contributing editor Wayne Labs notes that while that well-known spoonful of sugar may work for sick kids, manufacturers may need a dose of industrial computing to cure ailments in their processes.01/16/2006


text:
Sunday was the second day of IUPUI's Jaguar Invitational. Since we played in the early games on Saturday, we were given the later times today. We met at Hinkle a little before noon, loaded up the vans and set off to compete.
Coach Hall was leading the group in his huge pickup truck, followed by Coach Slack driving one van and Coach Clutch driving the other. The vans we took today were upscale compared to yesterday's vans. They were a much bigger so we weren't sitting on top of each other, and they were complete with arm rests. Nice.
We had been on the road for less than five minutes. Still on the side roads behind Butler, Coach Hall stops at a stop sign and gets out of his truck. He walks up to Coach Slack's van, the one in which I was riding shotgun, opens the door, sticks his head inside, peers at the gas pedal and looks back up at Coach Slack with a little smirk on his face.
"The gas pedal's right there on the right."
He then slammed our door, got back in his truck, and we continued on.
Apparently she was driving too slowly for his taste.
We were scheduled to play Kaskaskia, a junior college whose name I still fail to pronounce, and IUPUI, the game we had been most looking forward to. We won both games.
We beat up on the Jaguars, which was rather enjoyable seeing as though we have established a cross-town rivalry with them. Meaghan Sullivan had a day at the plate. She collected all but one of the RBIs. She then scored the final run on a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze play with Lauren McNulty.
In all, it was a fun day. Taking all four games was a great way to start the year. Having a successful weekend will help build confidence for our next outing at Indiana State, which will take place in two weeks.


text:
The creators of Indestructibles are Amy Pixton, a mother of triplets, and her mother-in-law, Kaaren Pixton, an artist and children�s educator.
Humpty Dumpty introduces the work of Jonas Sickler, a children�s illustrator whose paintings, full of detail and personality, have a fresh, whimsical sensibility, a pleasure for both baby and parents. The book gives a new spin on a traditional nursery rhyme, so parents can really have fun with the subject�Humpty Dumpty is about an egg named Humpty who�s perched on the Great Wall of China. The text for the nursery rhyme is printed on the back cover.


text: So I have heard it both ways; some cyclists say that the hops and barley in beer can be good for after cycling and others say that alchohol and cycling just don't mix (no punn intended). I was going to post this on the SS/Fixed gear forum, seeing that is what I ride, but I thought that the replies may be to one sided seeing how SS'ers love beer I figured here should be more nuetral. So, what is the truth about this? Beer and wine a no-no???


text:
Eye Candy!
check out the various exhibits on this site..
check out the various exhibits on this site..
I've just started a pair of socks using the Universal Sock Pattern. This is just my second pair of socks, the first being done in sport-weight wool and a bit loose all over. I want to make sure I've cast on a good number of stitches before I get too far into it. My stockinette gauge is 7.5 st per inch (though the leg will be worked mostly in K3 P1 rib). So, per the pattern I've cast on 60 stitches. To my inexperienced eye, after having done the cuff and a bit of the leg, this doesn't seem like enough stitches.
JPaul told me about a wonderful reference book of knitting terms in foreign languages. I have had need for such a book from time to time as I will occasionally get a pattern from Europe which is not in English. Recently, I obtained a pattern in French to knit a Becassine doll and I couldn't follow it.
The book "Knitting Lanugages" by Margaret Heathman (2005) is a spiral bound 240 page book. The dedication is noteworthy: "This book is dedicated to all knitters who look beyond themselves to the wider world and embrace a universal knitting heritage." Sounds to me a lot like our MWK community! The languages translated into English are: Danish, Estonian, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, and then a reverse listing of English into these languages. I can speak some Italian so I found that section a lot of fun. I photographed the page with the Swedish terms in honour of our Scandanavian members!
Think I've made a huge mistake buying the Eskimo wool for the Drops Design Hoodie. Dreadful stuff. Horrible. Made the mistake - against my own previous advice - of buying the wool on-line so hadn't seen how crap it is! and the colour is awful! It's an unstructured yarn a bit like Lopi. It is very thick and looks like the matted dangly bits off a lamb's backside and I'm not talking about the tail, you understand. It splits constantly and is felting as I knit. The colour is a bilious green and not the pleasant sage-green I thought it was. Not good value at all although it only set me back £36 ($50?). I seriously doubt that the garment could be worn more than a few times without trashing and I would say it would be impossible to wash or clean. One for the dog basket I think, except I don't own a dog...bugger!
Whatever you call it - here is one I knitted. From just one skein of Noro Kureyon. This mojo bag is a gift for a friend's birthday who is a ghost hunter. I placed a smudge stick inside for when he goes a-hauntin'.
I should know by now that not everything in life is fun and exciting. However, I am really hating this sweater I have been working on FOREVER!!!!!!!!!! It's for my partner, a few of you may remember me griping about it earlier,.....but I find myself knitting a few rows per evening and then putting it down....it is an irregular rib pattern...that takes a little more concentration than other projects. I know some would say i should just let it go and go on to something I enjoy....but Allan is loving the way it looks and really so am I....I just hate doing it. I have told myself I'm not starting anything else until I finish it....just for motivation. I guess I will just "two-row-a-night" it until I get there. Anyone else have this issue???? I need words of encouragment....please!
Ive had the worst week of knitting, One I hate this yarn i bought. Carons simply soft. It untwists and splitts easly. I thought the red heart was bad. I would rather go back to red heart and burn this crappy yarn. I have six projects going and none of them near completion. I need to knit something up fast so i can finnish something. The socks im working on i have been working on for a while. im still on the leg of the first sock. the kite string or yarn is so small and the needles so small they arnt knitting up as fast as what i was led to believe. How could anyone get satisfaction out of socks. you could spend months on just one pair. Sorry just needed to vent.
Lots of birthdays in the spring! Here are some of the gift items I've been working on for the last couple of weeks ...
Felted clogs following the Fiber Trends pattern. These knit up very quickly using a double strand of yarn and US 13 needles. I felted a pair for myself but plan to present the others with a humorous set of felting instructions so that the recipients can experience the amazing process (and the aroma of wet wool) for themselves.
When creating socks, gloves or anything requiring that you make two or more identical pieces do you:
(a) count rounds as you knit using a stitch counter or tick marks on paper?
(b) work until the size is approximately right, then count how many rounds you've done?
(c) use a measuring tape and not worry that you may be off by a round or two?
(d) hold the finished piece next to the one you're working on, again not worrying about having exactly the same number of rounds?
(e) some other method?
My sense of perfectionism demands (a) or (b), but I wonder if maybe I should just relax a little and go for substantially similar rather than identical. What's your approach?


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I am new at haskell, I have to write a program context-aware,so I thought I can use the Reader Monad for keeping the context read from a file, I know how to read the file puting the content in a list of tuplessomething like [([Char],[Char])], but I do not know how to implement the Reader Monad for making the environment available to all the components of my program without using imperative style, In particular I do not know how to set and use the environment, as far as I understood I should give it as parameter to all the functions that need the environment with runReader function env, but I am very confused, can somebody give me some indications or a good tutorial? thanks in advance
I think it's easiest if you look at how you would solve this problem without using Reader, then compare the translated version. Here's a trimmed-down example from a program I'm working on where the environment is a set of callback functions to update the display. It's slightly more complicated because it uses ReaderT instead of Reader, but everything works in basically the same way.
Now I'll change it to use the Reader monad to pass along the environment. Since the code was already in IO, it's necessary to use the monad transformer version,
At this point, the program's main loop will essentially be:
So that's how you can use Reader. Every function that used to take an environment parameter no longer needs to. Functions that don't take the environment can be used directly or lifted if they're monadic.
The basic scheme for using any "normal" monad[0] is pretty much the same across the board. Essentially:
Do that, and all the messy details of the extra functionality described by the monad (in this case, passing an extra environment parameter around) are handled automatically.
Now, the usual Reader operations are
The "run" function is the creatively-named
As an example, here's some functions doing some meaningless calculation in a Reader monad, where the environment is a "maximum value" that says when to stop:
To run it, you'd use something like this:
Almost exactly the same structure can be used with other monads, such as
[0]: Where normal means not involving compiler magic, the most obvious "abnormal" monad of course being
This is IMHO best monad resource - All About Monads, and here's part for Reader monad.


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"Edited by Architecture for Humanity, Design Like You Give a Damn is a compendium of innovative projects from around the world that demonstrate the power of design to improve lives. The first book to bring the best of humanitarian architecture and design to the printed page, Design Like You Give a Damn offers a history of the movement toward socially conscious design and showcases more than 80 contemporary solutions to such urgent needs as basic shelter, health care, education, and access to clean water, energy, and sanitation." "Design Like You Give a Damn is an indispensable resource for designers and humanitarian organizations charged with rebuilding after disaster and engaged in the search for sustainable development. It is also a call to action to anyone committed to building a better world."--BOOK JACKET.… (more)
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Vancouver's ResponseTek Raises $6 Million to Power Overseas Expansion
ResponseTek, which specializes in enterprise customer experience management software solutions, this week announced a $6 million round of financing.
This investment will be used to power its continued growth and expansion into the Middle East and Asia. The capital injection was led by Beedie Capital Partners and GrowthWorks.
"ResponseTek is the leader in the development and deployment of complex customer experience management programs, particularly with big data solutions," Syed Hasan, president and CEO of ResponseTek, said. "This has made us the vendor of choice for many telecom and financial services companies that have committed to listening to the voice of their customers everywhere."
"We feel the industry and ResponseTek both have tremendous room for growth as customer interactions received through today's myriad of online, mobile and traditional channels are increasingly affecting enterprise-wide decision making," said Randy Garg, managing partner of BCP.
"With an established leadership position, a global footprint of world-class enterprise customers and proven ability to service this important market, ResponseTek is ideally positioned to scale," added Joe Timlin, vice president, Investments, Information Technology of GrowthWorks
ResponseTek is based in Vancouver and was founded in 1999.


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May 25, 2016
JACKSON COUNTY (WILX)--The victims, a Summit Township couple had discovered cash along with a credit card missing from their residence. Further investigation revealed the stolen credit card had been used at several Jackson businesses shortly after being discovered missing.
With the assistance of Sheriff's Office Detective Andrew Sullivan, a 57 year old female home care worker employed by Evergreen Home Care was identified as the suspect.
The home health care worker had been at the residence providing care shortly before the items were discovered missing. Through the investigation evidence was recovered indicating the suspect. Sheriff Investigators allege the female then proceeded to go on a spending spree mere moments after the larceny.
News Tens Alyssa Fenske is looking into the story and will have more tonight at 6pm.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
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MAY 16, 2013 - Detroit Free Press
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|You are here: Main » Chetumal
Buckle Up!
Mexico now has
a seat-belt law.
Beginning where the Mayan Riviera ends, the Costa Maya stretches along the coastline down to Belize. No where near as much development has occurred here as the Riviera. Highway 307 veers away from the coast and by the time it gets to Felipe Carrillo Puerto you are more than 50 km away from the coast. Driving along dirt roads one can cruise the coastline, however, the roads are not well maintained and a 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended.
The Costa Maya is the last remaining section of coastal properties yet to be exploited and there are acres of coastal land with absolutely no development. The odd fishing village spots the landscape but not much beyond that. Flying along the coastline you encounter numerous cenotes and you can still see the outlines and impressions of villages that were there centuries ago.
For current Chetumal hotel and resort information including rates, availability and secure on-line reservations please see: Chetumal Hotels and Resorts
Chetumal is the capital City of the State of Quintana Roo. It is situated in the most southwestern part of mainland Mexico, 382 km from Cancun on highway 307 or 414 km from Merida via highway 184.
Chetumal was home to a number of coastal living Indians who traded marine assets with the mainlanders. Natural tributaries as well as man made causeways created the mode of transportation linking settlements as far away as Kohunlich. By the time the conquistadors arrived the splendor of the region was long gone and only sporadic fishing settlements remained. With the ever increasing number of British appearing to the south the Mexican government acted and in 1898 the "Spencer-Mariscal" treaty was signed acknowledging the border between Mexico and British Honduras [now Belize]. A garrison was established at Payo Obispo and troops stationed in an effort to curtail the illegal flow of arms and hardwoods. After the Caste War people migrated to the small village which then changed its name to Chetumal. In 1915 the regional government was moved from Chan Santa Cruz to Chetumal which then became the capital.
Today Chetumal has a population of over 120,000 people and all the amenities of any large city. It is also a major trading center between Belize and the rest of Mexico.
The city center is quite manageable on foot. Once you find the main intersection of Avenida de los Heroes and Avenida Alvaro Obregon you're within a short walk of several inexpensive hotels. The best hotels Chetumal has to offer are within five blocks of this intersection. You are also a short taxi ride away from the beaches.
Chetumal has an excellent Mayan museum well worth the visit. It is located downtown quite close to a large market for shopping.
Driving along the Costa Maya on highway 307 you do not encounter much except butterflies until you reach the city of Felipe Carrillo Puerto which is located 226 km from Cancun. Unlike Playa del Carmen and Cancun, Carrillo Puerto is a Mayan city and considered the most cosmopolitan Mayan city in the Peninsula. Rich with history Carrillo Puerto successfully blends traditional Mayan life with the advancements of modern technologies.
What you will notice in Carrillo Puerto is that the residents are extremely proud and dignified. You will not find the same kind of atmosphere here as you do in Cancun or Cozumel. What you do find is a stronger cultural ambiance. In fact if you are a "gringo" the locals will pay you no-mind what so ever. Even elder Mayans here are friendly if not completely ambivalent towards tourists. With no beaches near, this city is not a major tourist destination and you can go a full day here without seeing another tourist. This can be an interesting experience as just when you thought you had found a place void of absolutely every other "gringo" one walks around a corner and surprises you. The look of astonishment is usually mutual.
In 1847 after years of suffering, yet another Mayan village was destroyed at the hands of the invaders. Tepich laid waste and its people massacred. This intensified the Mayans resolve to fight back and reclaim their ancestral lands and gain autonomy for themselves. The Caste War escalated and it was during this period that a miracle occurred to a group of Mayans camping at a cenote in Kampocolche.
A small cross miraculously spoke to the people. The "small sacred cross" became "Chan Santa Cruz" and its notoriety quickly spread amongst the people. A Temple, the Balam Na, was constructed in its honor and soon living quarters and barracks were built around the Temple. Here lived the Mayan High Elders as well as the "Tata Polin", the interpreter of the Talking Cross.
By 1901 federal troops had occupied the town and the Maya Rebels had withdrawn deep into the jungle. The Temple was destroyed and its rocks used to build a Catholic Church.
Today the cenote where the cross first appeared and a small monument built to commemorate the event can still be seen in Carrillo Puerto at calle 69 and 58. The Talking Cross was never captured by the federals and its whereabouts remains a secret to this very day.
Just south of the small village of Limones on highway 307 is the exit for Majahual, which is located about an hour's drive east on the coast. Some people call it Mahahual with an "h".
Majahual town is a small fishing village that is gearing up to be the next Playa del Carmen. Much of the town has been purchased by speculators that hope the boom will eventually get down that way as it did in Playa. In fact many of the new residents are from Cancun or elsewhere.
In 2000 they finally completed their dock, which was certified to accept cruise ships, unfortunately the first ship that docked crashed into the new dock. Work to rebuild the dock was completed and cruise ships are presently docking there.
There is a new airport close to the coast however when we last visited, the power lines had not been strung all the way thus there was no power and the airport was dormant. We have not heard of any flights going to this airport yet, so we assume it is still not completed.
There is a road that runs along the coast however it is no longer under federal control and has become a pot-holed half road half sand path trail. It is a slow bumpy ride however if you avoid Majahual town and stay at Maya Ha then there is a brand new paved road that takes you almost all the way there. The remaining dirt road is a minor inconvenience and well worth the drive.
Majahual is best known for its diving with the world famous Chinchorro Reefs off the coast. The beaches are totally secluded and mostly natural. Real estate is moving in this neck of the woods and small cabanas are popping up in ever-increasing numbers. This does not however transcribe into more people, as many of the landowners do not live on the property.
This area attracts a lot of divers as well as bohemians who find the rustic lifestyle appealing. There are also numerous American expatriates living in the area which makes for lively conversation and socializing.
Xcalak is a small fishing village on the tip of the peninsula. It is the most southeastern point of Mexico. This is an excellent place for divers and fisherman. Marlin, dorado, and sailfish abound in offshore waters and tarpon and shad in the coastal lagoons.
Just east of highway 307, 125 km from Felipe Carrillo Puerto is the beautiful Laguna Bacalar. With crystal clear freshwater and gleaming white sands it is a rare jewel in the jungle.
The lake, known as the "Laguna de Siete Colores" [lake of seven colours] is linked to the Bahia de Chetumal [Chetumal Bay]. It gets its name from the seven different colours of water that appear throughout the lake. In some parts of the lake you can actually walk across and never get your hair wet. Along the coastline there are numerous rock formations that jut out like stone mushrooms that one can relax on and kick your feet in the warm water. There is the odd small island that abounds with birds.
In 1544 after the local residents either fled or were captured for slaves the village of Salamanca de Bacalar was founded. Over the years the village changed hands between the Mayans and the Spanish until marauding pirates forced the Spanish Monarchy to build a fort to protect the inhabitants. In 1859 the Mayans captured the fort and reclaimed the village only to surrender it in 1901 to federal troops.
Today the fort remains as a museum exhibiting colonial armaments and uniforms from the 17th and 18th centuries.
For current Chetumal hotel and resort information including rates, availability and secure on-line reservations please see: Chetumal Hotels and Resorts
[For each month of the year].
Average High Temperature
Average Low Temperature
Average Relative Humidity
And more
By air there are direct flights from Mexico City, Cancun, and Merida with connecting flights to Cozumel, Belize City and Flores.
By road highway 307 links Chetumal to Cancun and other destinations off of 307. Highway 186 runs westward to Escarcega and beyond. From Merida take highway 184 to Felipe Carrillo Puerto then 307 south.
The Museo de la Cultura Maya is an excellent museum on Avenida de los Heroes between Colon and Avenida Gandhi in Chetumal.
Ruin sites located in or near Chetumal are:
*** large site ** medium site * small site
View Ruin site Map for the state of Quintana Roo.
For more information regarding visiting ruin sites please investigate


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by Meredith O'Brien
"I was running so much that I was falling short on everything."
While I can't exactly relate to a mom who, along with her husband and two teens, was suddenly granted superpowers after a small plane carrying her family crashed into a body of water, I can relate to her complaint that no matter how fast or much she tried to tackle all her responsibilities at work and at home, she couldn't really keep up with everything.
Until she got those superpowers.
When that mom, the fictional Stephanie Powell on ABC's new show No Ordinary Family [1], realized that with her new super-human speed she could accomplish all her tasks at such a rapid clip that she suddenly had ample time to be with her family (to help her son with his homework and have a nooner with her husband), I was envious. Super-envious. What I wouldn't give to be able to complete my responsibilities well and with lightning speed and still be able to spend time with my kids and spouse at my leisure.
As the Powell family came to grips with their pre-superpowers inability to balance work and family – the dad, police sketch artist Jim Powell, felt like a failed artist although he was the parent who spent more time with his children – the children begged Stephanie and Jim to get their acts together, with the daughter saying, "This family isn't broken, you are." Maybe a little bending of the time-space continuum will help improve things for the Powells, as the superpowered parents will finally have time for everything on their plate. Wouldn't THAT be amazing?
While I imagined myself vicariously living through Stephanie and possessing super-human alacrity, over on NBC's Parenthood [2] this past week things were much more flesh and blood as mere mortal parents with feet of clay made fools of themselves while they pushed themselves upon their unwilling children.
I watched the cautionary tale in the form of Kristina Braverman, the mom of a teenage daughter who'd decided to run for class president, take over Haddie's campaign, insist that Haddie create a campaign platform, harass Haddie about reading a book about speeches and provide her with unsolicited advice on what colors to use on campaign posters. In response to her mother's hectoring, Haddie blew up at her and told her to buzz off. (Note to self: Do not micromanage my daughter's possible foray into middle school journalism world, no matter how much I might be tempted to do so.)
As the episode -- ironically entitled, "I'm Cooler Than You Think" -- continued, the picture it painted of thoroughly flawed, distinctly unheroic parents didn't cover the characters with glory.
Kristina's husband Adam revealed a naked longing to connect with his son Max and became ticked that the boy, who has Asperger's, constantly blew him off and didn't want to hang out with him. Adam thought he could ask his son's aide to make or "train" his kid to give a damn. "I'm his father, I would like him to be interested in me," Adam griped. When Kristina accused him of making Max's social interaction issues about himself rather than about their son, Adam replied, "What's wrong with making it about me a little bit? I'm his father. I'd like him to take an interest in me." (Note to self II: When my kids shake my arm off their shoulders or turn away when I try to kiss them – as they've all done -- I should swallow the hurt and remember that they're supposed to detach from me and grow up to become independent, no matter how much it pains me and makes me gnash my teeth. They love me even when they're acting like ungrateful little nitwits.)
Kristina and Adam were not in their finest form when they both admitted that how very much they wanted Haddie to triumph in her race for class president. "God I want her to win," Adam said. "I do too, so badly," Kristina added. (Note to self III: Don't let the kids know, even though I was against the entire thing for a whole host of reasons, how much I want them to fare well in their try-outs for their sports teams.)
Parenthood's coup de grace was when Sarah Braverman tried to prove to her teen daughter Amber that she was cool, as cool as Amber's rich friend's parents with whom Amber had been spending tons of time. It's not like Sarah's Lorelai Gilmore or something. Sarah being called "ma'am" by the bouncer at the club into which Sarah tried to get Amber and her friend, after she'd begged Amber to apply eyeliner onto her thirtysomething/fortysomething face so that it looked like her teenager's, was distinctly uncomfortable to watch. (Note to self IV: Don't try to persuade my kids that I'm anything other than what I am, which isn't cool, hip or twentysomething.)
That being said, when and where do I sign up for those superhero powers? They'd really come in handy right about now.