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Biographical Directory of the United States Congress from 1774 - Present
Confederate Military History
Volume 10
Chapter VI
Pages 49-61
The echoes of the fight at Chalmette had become silent. Smith, at the interior line as already known, had done his duty in making a last stand at the works intrusted to him. The fleet was steaming from Chalmette to the city. At that moment, when the guns grew still and the fleet came in sight, Marion A. Baker* was standing on the roof of the city hall. It was a supreme moment in the history of New Orleans. Under orders from the mayor, Baker had gone upon the roof to hoist the flag of Louisiana on the city's flagstaff. He was to hoist it the moment the fleet was seen coming up from Chalmette. It was a crisis, unlike any known to the city, in its broad experience of dramatic interplay—a crisis in which the mayor had prudently sought counsel from Hon. Pierre Soule, former senator and minister, and from Durant de Ponte, editor of the New Orleans Delta. By this time the fleet had already anchored in front of the city. The mob was still on the levee, proclaiming its unlicensed law higher than the fleet's loaded guns.
*Marion A. Baker was at that time a rising young journalist of the city. He discharged with zeal and ability the duties of a post then of peculiar difficulty. Being Mayor Monroe's representative, he was in fact the real agent of New Orleans throughout all the negotiations leading to the surrender. Mr. Baker is, as he has been for several years, the brilliant literary editor of the Times-Democrat of that city.
At 1:30 p.m. two officers came as bearers of a triple demand from Flag-officer Farragut. This included a demand for the surrender of the city; for the lowering of the State flag from the city hall; for the hoisting of the flag of the United States over the post office, the custom house and the mint. In the interview which followed, General Lovell was called in. That officer resolutely refused to surrender the city, himself or his troops. Reorganizing the futility of resistance, however, he declared that he would retire with his forces, leaving the city authorities full discretion to represent the citizens in the crisis. In this, Lovell acted with judgment. The Mayor's action, in replying to the demand, was firmly negative. To the first clause, he gave General Lovell as the proper person for the surrender; to the second, an unqualified refusal; to the third, a polite declination.
On the morning of April 26th, Mr. Baker, at Mayor Monroe's request, went to the Hartford to explain to Captain Farragut that the council would meet at ten that day, and that a written reply would be made to his demand. On board, Baker found in the flag-officer one who had known him intimately from boyhood. Conversation on the ship took a pleasant turn, and Farragut grew eloquent telling of the passage of the fleet. "I seemed to be breathing flame," he said.
The council met at the appointed hour to consider the Mayor's reply. In this, the Mayor had strongly said: "We yield to physical force alone and maintain allegiance to the Confederate States; beyond this, a due-respect for our dignity, our rights and the flag of our country does not, I think, permit us to go." The council, having first accepted the message, did not long remain in its compliant mood. The Mayor soon received from that body a request to substitute for his reply a letter written by Mr. Soule. Mayor Monroe, a thoroughly decided man, respected, as all the city did, Mr. Soule's high reputation. Accordingly he yielded to the council's substitution. Before Mr. Soule's letter could be copied, Lieutenant Kautz and Midshipman Read came on shore with a peremptory written demand for the "unqualified surrender" of the city and the hoisting of the emblem of the sovereignty of the United States over the city hall, the custom house and the mint. The day was Saturday, April 26th, and the hour was by meridian of that day.*
Baker delivered the Mayor's reply to Captain Farragut. With Mr. Soule's letter, now properly copied, went one paragraph added by the mayor himself, promising a reply to the official demand. Meanwhile a question had been creeping up, destined to assume a tragic prominence a few days later. The private secretary felt its sinister presence when he first saw Captain Farragut. "As a matter of fact," Mr. Baker says, "the United States flag had already been raised on the mint, and I called the attention of the Federal commander to the fact that a flag had been raised while negotiations were still pending. Captain Farragut replied that the flag had been placed there with out his knowledge, but he could not order it down. His men, he said, were flushed with victory, and much excited by the taunts and gibes of the crowd on the levee. Pointing to the "tops" where a number of them were stationed, some armed with muskets, others nervously clutching the strings of the howitzers, he remarked that it was as much as he could do to restrain them from firing on the crowd; and, should he attempt to haul the flag down, it would be impossible to keep them within bounds."
The ways of a broken peace are as cracked as a shattered piece of pottery. The flag-officer, as seen in his reply to Baker, stated that the flag had been placed on the mint without his knowledge. It follows clearly—he being, as flag-officer of the victorious fleet, the chief Federal authority in the city—that the flag, the tightened folds of which were, within forty-two days, to hang W. B. Mumford, had been placed without the authority which alone could legalize the act of hoisting. On Saturday, April 26th even in the then political intermission, no authority of the United States was as high as that of D. G. Farragut, "Flag-officer western Gulf blockading squadron." In Farragut, and in Farragut alone, was power, and with power the warlike means to impress it upon all contestants.
* "Farragut's Demand for the Surrender of New Orleans."—Baker, in Century Magazine, April, 1886.
Sunday passed without communication with the fleet. Monday brought a letter from the flag-officer under which was veiled a threat. Reciting all the city's misdoings, Farragut admonished the mayor that "the fire of the fleet might be drawn upon the city at any moment… The election is with you, but it becomes my duty to notify you to remove the women and children within forty-eight hours, if I have rightly understood your determination."
Brave Mayor Monroe showed coolness, along with the dignity worthy of the chief magistrate of a city threatened. To Commander Henry H. Bell, the bearer of the letter, Mayor Monroe remarked: "As I consider this a threat to bombard the city, and as this is a matter about which the notice should be clear and specific, I desire to known when the forty-eight hours begin to run." "It begins from the time you receive this notice," replied the captain. "Then," said the mayor, taking out his watch, and showing it to the captain, "you see it is fifteen minutes past twelve o'clock." The mayor's reply to the flag-officer's letter was also drafted by Mr. Soule. In it the mayor simply re-asserted his refusal to lower the flag of Louisiana. "This satisfaction you cannot obtain at our hands. We will stand your bombardment, unarmed and undefended, as we are." Accompanied by Mr. Soule, Baker took his reply to the Hartford early on the morning of April 29th. On the ship Mr. Soule favored the flag-officer with a learned discussion of international law. That same evening, General Lovell had come down to the mayor's residence from Camp Moore with a plan for making a combined night attack upon the fleet. Lovell's plan contemplated, as the attacking machine, a flotilla of ferryboats. Ammunition of the fleet was supposed to have been exhausted through the fierce broadsides of April 24th. Lovell was eager to try this plan; but discussion on the details was postponed until next day. Early next morning word came from Captain Farragut notifying the mayor that the forts had surrendered, adding that he was about to raise the United States Flag on the mint and custom house. He was for making the lowering of the State flag over the city hall the work of those who had hoisted it. Before Baker had left the Hartford, however, he had prevailed upon Farragut to yield that point. In his proclamation, requesting all citizens to retire to their houses during these acts of authority which it would be folly to resist, Mayor Monroe threw a passing triumph in his assurance that the flag was not to be removed by "their authorities, but by those who had the power and the will to exercise it."
The people had gathered, a compact mass, about the city hall. They were silent, but looked angry and threatening. Suddenly a body of men appeared, marching through the Camp street gate, drawing two howitzers after them. It was a strictly naval demonstration, comprising officers, marines, and sailors. The marines lined the St. Charles Street in front of those shinning bayonets, the crowd, always silent and angry, waited for what was to come.
Upon Captain Bell, Farragut's chief-of-staff, fell the burden of hoisting the flag. To his notification the mayor, strongly moved, replied, "very well, sir, you can do it; but I wish to say that there is not one in my entire constituency so wretchedly renegade as would be willing to exchange places with you." Upon receiving, well or ill, these words of the mayor, Captain Bell, accompanied by Lieutenant Kautz, proceeded to the roof. The crowd below, sullen and indignant, looked up from Lafayette square and St. Charles street to watch the transfer of flags. A silence of intense sympathy greeted the hauling down of the flag of Louisiana. Silence, deeper because a silence of scorn, followed the sight of the stars and Stripes rising in the air.
While this was going on, Mayor Monroe walked down into the street, where he placed himself "immediately in front of the howitzer pointing down St. Charles Street." Here he continued, unmoving, until Lieutenant Kautz and Captain Bell had reappeared.
The sailors, at a word from their officers, drew their howitzer back into the square; after them marched the marines. With a rattle of steal, glitter of bayonets and rumble of wheels, the Northern pageant passed through the Southern crowd. As the last rifles were disappearing through the Camp-street gate, the crowd—so long silent in accordance with their Mayor's request, threatened no longer. Instead, as Mayor Monroe turned toward the hall, they broke into cheers, which followed the retiring soldiers like defiance. In her high fever, New Orleans had swayed to and fro with the symptoms. At times, her crowds, quivering with unrest of body and mind, showed the madness of a mob in delirium. Its excitement was of the fruitage of revolution. While matters remained undecided the mob spirit had been growing ugly. When, by the final act of surrender, formal authority had once been tardily accepted by the civil functionaries, in lieu of the Confederate status quo, the crowd found itself compelled to learn a new lesson of order under a fresh political dispensation.
On May 1, 1862, General Butler took formal possession of New Orleans. He at once ordered the disembarkation of his troops. One regiment, the Twenty-first Indiana, was stationed at Algiers. On entering the city, Butler prudently carried with him the remainder of his army.
The consisted of six regiments of infantry from Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Michigan and Connecticut. With these came the Fifth and Sixth Massachusetts batteries and Second Vermont battery, with two companies of cavalry. It was a force fully adequate, in the absence of their sons and brothers in Virginia and Tennessee, to overawe a population of women and children. The city, however, was turbulent and its mob unruly. In every sense, armed troops had become and early necessity of the occupation. Butler himself posted and quartered his army of all branches at the custom house, city hall, mint, and on Lafayette square. These were all admirably designed as cosigns of vantage to meet and check surprises, bursting from a passion-tossed mob. With armed men around him he was, by his own admission, angered on landing at hearing "cheers for Jeff Davis and Beauregard." Physical force is a potent factor for a quiet mind. "This has been checked," he adds, "and the last man that was heard to call for cheers for the rebel chief has been sentenced by the provost judge to three months' hard labor at Fort Jackson."
Up to his rule in New Orleans, the civil war was still young. It was unlearned in the meaning of outrages based upon malignity. New Orleans was the first large city in the Confederacy which had been placed at the mercy of a military dictator surrounded by his guards. It had, before that officer had been put over it, borne the terrors of warfare with equal firmness and lightness of heart. Its people, as brave as they were frank, had not lost a reputation for possessing the courage of their convictions. The city and its people had, consequently, become the earliest objects of official despotism. Butler had entered New Orleans as though he alone had conquered it, and maltreated its citizens as though they had been the captives of his spear. A city is like man—it resents tyranny and is conciliated by kindness. New Orleans chafed under the malice of the ruler set over her. Her citizens could not fail to see it, nor could they once forget it. It made itself as evident as a file of soldiers commanded by a corporal. With these, the general made arrests the comedy of his local administration. Figaro's mouth and Pasquin's pillar were never far away from the office of the major-general.
General Butler, in the administration of the city, busied himself in writing military orders, "general" and "special." He began by issuing a detailed proclamation, covering a variety of threatening orders to the city and its people. This was speedily followed by General Orders No. 19,21,22, and 23, each treating of interests as varied as the needs of a large city. General Order No. 25 was a trifle more carefully prepared. In the name of Sympathy with the mechanics and working classes of the city "in their deplorable state of destitution and hunger," Order No. 25 was a specious appeal to them to cease to be the serfs of the wealthy classes, whom he styled the "leaders of the rebellion." A strong bid to attract the needy was a quantity of beef and sugar, captured from the Confederates and now ready for distribution among the "deserving poor of the city." In these papers, the hand of the politician was far more manifest than that which held the sword.
These orders were, indeed, the special medium through which General Butler strove insidiously to array class against class. They were fairly in the line of duty of a general commanding a surrendered city. Most of them represented such care of its interests as might lawfully spring from an honest desire to fulfill the obligations of his position. In none of them, except in General Order No. 25, concerning certain manifest needs of a section of the population, did he seem to understand the temper of the people. He was wholly blind to it when he signed Special Order No. 70, in the case of Wm. B. Mumford. The military commission in finding verdict took no account of the excited state of public opinion existing on April 27th. Nor did it consider that the city had not then surrendered; that the authority of the United States had not been acknowledged by the citizens; and that, technically, no crime had been committed against the power which, in a city in rebellion, had as yet no official existence. Flag-officer Farragut's fleet was abreast the city. It was fully capable of enforcing, at a moment's notice, its surrender. That the city was still Confederate, even with the Union fleet in sight, and that it remained as such from April 27th (inclusive) to April 29th, are made as clear as the fact that the surrender had not absolutely been accomplished. Mumford was still a citizen of a Confederate city, in which Confederates, having evacuated the city with their army, had not yet abdicated their civil authority. On April 28th Mayor Monroe had no intimation that "it was by your (Farragut's) orders, that the United States flag was attempted to be hoisted upon certain of our public edifices." On April 29th, two days after Mumford's act, Flag-officer Farragut addressed the following communication to Mayor Monroe. It was delivered to the mayor by two naval officers from the fleet:
"U. S. Flag-Ship Hartford,
At anchor off the city of New Orleans, April 29, 1862. His Honor, the Mayor of the City of New Orleans,
"Sir: The forts, Saint Philip and Jackson, having surrendered and all the military defenses of the city being either captured or abandoned, you are required, as the sole representative of any supposed authority in the city, to haul down and repress every ensign and symbol of government, whether State or Confederate, except that of the United States. I am about to raise the flag of the United States upon the custom house, and you will see that it is respected with all the civil power of the city. I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
D. G. Farragut
Flag-officer Western Gulf Blockading Squadron
A flag is the symbol of authority. In the final demand of surrender of all authority on the part of the authorities of New Orleans, Farragut made a formal request that the flag of the United States, which he was about to raise upon the custom house, be respected with all the civil power of the city.
It appears from this note that on April 29, 1862, the city had for the first time formally surrendered to Flag-officer Farragut. Before this date, not after it, Mumford had torn the flag down from a public building. The city, until the surrender had been accomplished, was still under the authority of its own municipal officers. The State, of which they city was a part, was still a State of secession, a State not yet brought into a Union of which she had declared herself "independent." Before the surrender was affected, on April 27, 1862, the flag of the United States was a foreign flag. As such, that flag possessed no more authority as a symbol than that of France or Spain, two governments that, like the United States, had at one time wielded authority in Louisiana. An insult to the flag constituted, under such circumstances, an act of war; in no sense an "overt act of treason." It could not under those circumstances deserve the penalty of death. Before the military commission had decided against Mumford, however, there is official testimony that his death had already been determined upon. On April 29th, the day of the city's surrender, General Butler, being at the time in the city, showed vindictiveness along with the faculty of observation:
I find the city under the dominion of the mob. They have insulted our flag—torn it down with indignity. This outrage will be punished in such manner as, in my judgment, will caution both the perpetrators and abettors of the act, so that they shall fear the stripes, if they do not reverence the stars, of our banner."
If words convey purposes, William B. Mumford was by them prejudged. When they were written he was deprived of all chance of mercy at the hands of the commanding general. The following is a copy of the finding in the case of the rash young man:
"Headquarters Department of the Gulf,
"New Orleans, 5th June, 1862
Special Orders, no. 70
William B. Mumford, a citizen of New Orleans, having been convicted before the Military Commission of treason and an overt act thereof, in tearing down a United States flag from a public building of the United States, for the purpose of inciting other evil-minded persons to further resistance to the laws and arms of the united States, after said flag was placed there by Commodore Farragut, of the United States navy—
It is ordered that he be executed according to the sentence of the said Military Commission, on Saturday, June 7th inst., between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 a.m., under the direction of the provost marshal of the district of New Orleans; and for so doing, this shall be his sufficient warrant.
"By command of Major-General Butler,
Commanding Department
One universal thrill of indignation swept through the city being stronger in proportion to the rigor of the iron rule which had made its manifestation treason to the authority of the United States. After Mumford's death, General Butler's usefulness in New Orleans—long, indeed, before General Banks superseded him—was practically at an end. He had not at that time displayed his full unfitness to be the representative of a hostile government in a city lately restored to its power. Apart from the legitimate functions appertaining to his official position, however, his future in New Orleans oscillated like a pendulum between the horror with which the conviction and death of Mumford surrounded him, to the mingled scorn and contempt which—resenting the outrages committed by him virtuous womanhood through Order No. 28—scourged him like a whip of scorpions, not only from the respect of all true men, but from the office from which his brutality was, within eight months, to drive him. In a history of Louisiana and her soldiers it would be out of perspective to do more than suggest the absolute failure, beyond his "sanitary" precautions, of General Butler in his capacity of commander in the "Department of the Gulf." His acts, which being first despotic became shortly afterward crimes against men and women—contributed largely to his lack of successful administration. In the annals of our civil war General Butler will be known as the "Man of Two Orders." Not such blazing orders as those conferred by royalty upon merit; nor those which, attested by a jewel and a ribbon, distinguishes a man in the presence of his fellows. His "Orders," flecked with blood and stained with malice, are of more sinister character than those. Twenty-eight and seventy are the numbers which they bear for posterity. Had General Butler contented himself with issuing No. 70, he might have been called, with the harshness of Dravo, pitiless. Had he to No. 70 joined the order prescribing the "ironclad oath" and classifying the "registered enemies" to the United States, he might have been classed with the Duke of Alva in the Low Countries. It was reserved for him, however, by his own act, born of insatiate spite, to fall into a deeper depth than any tyrannical viceroy recorded in the history of courts. That depth is found in the following order "Order No. 28."*
Its issuance was an offence against decency; a crime against the womanhood of a city which is foremost in the land in rendering knightly reverence to the sex. Without it, the story of the Butler regime would be left "like the tale of bold Cambustes," only "half-told."
*With some hesitation I have given here, as being the only proper place for it, "General Order No. 28." While giving it, attention is called to the fact that it is a "General Order," not a "Special Order," showing that its designed application was a general as the sex in New Orleans.
"Headquarters, Department of the Gulf,
"New Orleans, May 15, 1862
General Orders, No. 28
As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subject to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans in return for the most scrupulous non-interference and courtesy on our part, it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall by word, gesture or movement insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation.
By command of Major-General Butler
The universal condemnation produced by this order spread like an ever-widening flood. From the city in which the order was born, and in which it was put into execution, it enlarged to the State, from the State to the Confederacy, from the Confederacy to the North, from the North to Europe. Thus, in human story, a bad deed from a man in high place is told throughout the broad earth; like in the telling, yet in itself most unlike the dust of that John Huss which in honor is borne, floating from river unto river, through all the waters of the globe.


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$1M lawsuit after troubled teen's arm broken by police in removal from school bus
Rotterdam chief says his officers took appropriate action
Rotterdam police allegedly broke the arm of an emotionally disturbed 16-year-old boy after two cops tried to remove him by force from a school bus he refused to leave, and a video revealed the cracking sound of a bone followed by the teenager's moans and shouted expletives.
Now an attorney representing the teenager's family is suing the town and seeking damages in excess of $1 million for a fractured humerus, possible nerve damage, medical expenses and pain and suffering.
The attorney said the teenager's medications were being adjusted at the time, limiting his ability to move. He has been diagnosed with multiple emotional disorders, including Tourette syndrome, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and pervasive developmental disorder, according to the family's lawyer.
The incident unfolded on the morning of Oct. 9, 2013 in the driveway of the teenager's Rotterdam home and came to light late Friday in a news release issued by Rotterdam Police Chief James Hamilton who said a review determined that "officers followed department protocol and procedures."
In addition, police charged the teen, Jacob Gocheski, with obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a misdemeanor. He appeared in Rotterdam Town Court on Nov. 18 on the charge, which is pending.
Attorney Kevin Luibrand filed a notice of claim on Jan. 6 against the town on behalf of Gocheski and his parents. "There was clear and obvious use of excessive force," Luibrand said Friday. "They placed his arm in a position where they locked the arm and proceeded with significant force to break the arm between the shoulder blade and elbow, creating a displaced fracture."
Luibrand released an X-ray of the teenager's left arm that showed a gruesome break and a shattered bone midway up the bicep.
The video from the bus showed Sgt. Daniel Ryan and Officer Ronald Armstrong talking for nearly 15 minutes to Gocheski, who wore a camouflage hoodie and kept his head down as he sat alone in a bus seat two rows back from the driver, who worked for Mohonasen Transportation.
Police were called after the driver said he felt he could not safely transport Gocheski to school at Parsons Child and Family Center, "based on threats that the student made in an aggressive manner," police said in the release.
The video showed Gocheski's brother, another teenager and a female aide sitting in their seats during the 15-minute discussion as the police conferred with Gocheski's mother.
"I haven't seen him quite this defiant in quite a long time," a woman believed to be the mother was heard to say from outside the bus, captured by the bus video camera.
The two cops waited on the bus for an ambulance to arrive to take the teenager to Ellis Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
That plan was verbally approved by the woman believed to be Gocheski's mother.
Ryan tried to engage Gocheski, who sat in silence, with his head down. "What are we going to do here?" Ryan asked. "You can either walk off the bus, or we can drag you off the bus, strap you on a stretcher and take you to Ellis Hospital. You can walk off the bus like a young man or we can hog-tie you."
Ryan added, "You're making all these other kids late for school."
"I don't give a (expletive). I don't give a (expletive)," Gocheski said.
"If we have to fight, someone might get hurt," Armstrong said.
The video showed Armstrong and Ryan as they pulled Gocheski out of his seat, pushed him standing into an empty seat across the aisle. Ryan apparently was trying to handcuff Gocheski as he pulled and twisted the teenager's left arm at an awkward angle until a cracking sound of bone could be heard on the video.
"Ahhh (expletive). Oh, God...Ahhhh...You broke my (expletive) arm," Gocheski yelled between groans of pain as the two officers walked him off the bus.
firstname.lastname@example.com • 518-454-5623 • @PaulGrondahl

subset: commoncrawl


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This all-in-one cleaner removes tire blue, brake dust, dirt, and grease. It's great for cleaning raised white lettering. Simply apply and lightly scrub off. Nontoxic, biodegradable formula is safe to use on chrome, aluminum, or painted wheels.
Another premium Mopar appearance product that makes it easy to ensure your Chrysler PT Cruiser looks its very best.


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Peace Corps, PSU partner in Prep Program
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 2:00 AM
Pittsburg, KS
Representatives of the Peace Corps and Pittsburg State University gathered at PSU on April 26, to officially announce a new partnership to increase opportunities for students to prepare for Peace Corps service.
The Peace Corps Prep Program offers institutions of higher education a way to gain a competitive advantage through a specialized curriculum promoting international service. PSU is just the seventh university in the nation to partner with the Peace Corps Prep Program.
"Pittsburg State encourages its students to make a difference by becoming global leaders through community service and international study," said Acting Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet. "We are excited to welcome them as a partner with the Peace Corps Prep Program and we look forward to more Pitt State alumni becoming our next generation of highly skilled volunteers."
Lynette Olson, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said the Peace Corps Prep Program is a good fit for Pittsburg State University.
"Pittsburg State has a long history of encouraging students to develop a global perspective," Olson said. "Whether it is through international study and travel, providing a welcome environment for international students who study here or working to internationalize our own curriculum, Pittsburg State has opened windows to the world for thousands of American students. It is also a place that encourages and supports the concept of student service."
Undergraduates at PSU will be able to immediately incorporate Peace Corps Prep's internationally focused curriculum into their studies. They will be required to take courses in foreign language, and have course options in social sciences, health sciences, environmental sciences, business and education.
The Peace Corps Prep Program is intended for students who plan to apply to enter the Peace Corps upon graduation. Students who complete the program requirements will be competitive applicants, however completion of the program does not guarantee acceptance in the Peace Corps. Although participation in Peace Corps Prep doesn't guarantee that applicants will be accepted as volunteers, the specialized curriculum and experience should make them strong candidates for service.
Since Peace Corps was established in 1961, nearly 100 Pittsburg State alumni have served as volunteers. To find out more, students can contact Peace Corps recruiter Linda Tucker, firstname.lastname@example.com.
During Peace Corps service, college graduates work to make a difference in communities overseas. Volunteers return home as global citizens with cross-cultural, leadership, language, teaching and community development skills that position them for advanced education and professional opportunities in today's global job market. Ninety percent of volunteer positions require a bachelor's degree. Americans with backgrounds in agriculture, environment, teaching English as a second language, and other technical or language skills related to Peace Corps assignment areas are encouraged to apply for service one year in advance of their target departure date.
About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 210,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 8,073 volunteers are working with local communities in 76 host countries in agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth in development. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agency's mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.


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The Women on the 6th Floor
Sometimes released as Service Entrance, this breezy upstairs/downstairs comedy has been a hit both at home and abroad. It's 1962. An uptight middle-class couple – Fabrice Luchini and Sandrine Kiberlain – are barely aware that the servants' quarters on an upper floor of their Paris apartment building are overflowing with refugees from Franco's Spain: the sisters and aunts and mothers and cousins of the legal occupant (Carmen Maura). After they hire one of them, the beautiful, mysterious, quietly challenging Maria, to be their housemaid, they are gradually made aware of their own unintentional insensitivity and are drawn out of their tired routines. Kiberlain's touching remoteness from the infectious gusto of the tenants brings a little edge to the film's comic fantasy, while Luchini has a ball as the stuffy fusspot rescued from himself by the chance to play godfather to a houseful of hot-blooded Spanish country girls.
1hr 46mins long
PG Contains nudity
Sandrine Kiberlain
Nuria Sole
Natalia Verbeke
Lola Duenas
Fabrice Luchini
Carmen Maura
Berta Ojea


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The eldest daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver says she fled to London after her parents separated, in part to escape a storm of unwanted attention.
Katherine Schwarzenegger tells Harper's Bazaar magazine she wanted to "go away and realize that it's not as big a deal in other places."
Shriver and the former Republican governor are in the midst of a divorce, after Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed in May he fathered an out-of-wedlock child with a former housekeeper.
Their 21-year-old daughter never mentions her now-teenaged half-brother in the interview, while discussing what she calls "definitely a difficult time."
She says she tries "not to care about what other people … think," but adds she's been consoled by Twitter messages from supporters.
She tells the magazine, "I've always been way closer to my mom."
— Associated Press


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I've decided to broaden the "What I'm Reading Wednesday" posts to just things that I am into right now, rather than limiting myself to articles or other things I've read that I have found interesting.
Since it is a New Year, I'd like to start this post off with things that I've learned or have "improved my intelligence on" over the most recent past:
- Good food starts with good ingredients and takes time. By this I mean the literal, that you need to start with ingredients that are, well, quality. Whether this means that they are fresh, or locally grown (in your backyard or in another's), sustainable, seasonal, or a combination of those, I believe that the ingredients you cook with need to be, for lack of a better term, real. They need to be something that was generally not altered in anyway; no added sugar or other additives, "unpronounceables", etc. The "takes time" part of the statement, to me, means that either it took time to grow the ingredients (perhaps you grew your own basil and tomatoes for sauce) or that you took the time to make an ingredient from scratch or even that you took the time to cook at all, rather than buying take-out. That is not to say that I do not enjoy take-out or even having someone else do the cooking for me (either in a house or in restaurant) every once in a while, but just that the general idea of good food taking time and starting with good, quality ingredients. Here are a few recipes that are good examples of this that I have made (and might go into more detail about later on): Crumpets (aka English muffins), Brussels Sprouts salad, Corn and Tomato salad (may not have followed this exact recipe, but did make something similar), and Grilled Swordfish
- Practice does not necessarily make perfect, but it can get you pretty close. I have learned this in several different ways, over many years, and through many experiences, but most recently, I have realized this in the "things I do for fun" category. Take biking, for example; I recently learned how to ride a bike and have only been riding for a few months. However, I know most of you out there probably learned a young age and/or know that this is something that is taught at a young age (and that learning it as an adult can be harder than learning it as a kid). This is where the practice comes in. If I did not ride and put my mind on thinking about how to ride a bike, I would've never learned how or have gotten better. The same goes for many other skills that I have acquired lately. I would've never gotten better at climbing, or cooking, or baking for that matter. If I did not study and practice these skills, I would never learn how and I would never improve. The main thing that I learned recently though, is that no matter how much you practice, no matter how much you study, you will never be perfect at whatever it is and you can never know everything there is to know about the subject you are studying. You can come close, and certainly people have come so close that they are considered experts in their fields. But, as a chef/professor once said, "if you think that you have nothing else to learn, you might as well just quit". So while you may call yourself a "perfectionist", you might want to change your way of thinking just slightly because even though you might strive for perfection, you might not ever get there, and you have to be okay with that.
- Looking at something through a different perspective is important. Whether this means simply, taking a different approach to doing something, or more deeply, taking a walk in someone else's shoes, it is important to examine the potential in any given situation. On the first, more simple understanding of this idea, of taking a different approach to something, I have learned this by way of learning how to (rock) climb. When I first started out, I took the approach of "just do it, don't think about it". I think that I mainly took this approach at first because of my fear of heights and I needed to just be comfortable climbing to these heights and being secure if I should fall. This was just in the very beginning. Now that I have gotten over that stage, I have started to take a different approach to learning how to climb. I have more of a strategy and more of an understanding of how to create a strategy of where to go next. I think about what I am doing more and look around for the best option that will help get me in climbing up the wall. (You could also take these lessons in climbing as a figurative way of approaching some other things in life, but that's a another story for another time, perhaps.) As far as the more complex and deeper, more intimate way of looking at something from a different perspective, I have, and am still learning, to look at the way others might view the situation at hand. I have taken into consideration how my boyfriend might think of a situation, or how he might learn something, or even his approach on learning the same thing that I am trying to learn. (I'm not trying to be vague here, and if you want more information, let me know; I am just trying to keep this post relatively short.) I have learned that seeing things from another's perspective is important in learning and connecting with the other person. If you want to have a better relationship with someone, whether we are talking romantically, professionally, or whatever, you need to have a basic understanding of their ideas on the subject(s) and see things from their perspective because then you can communicate with them a bit better and have better, more meaningful connections with them.
I think, if you made it this far through the post, you can see that I've learned a lot in the past year or so and still have a lot of learning to do. I hope you will join me on my journey and you will learn with me and that we can learn from each other. Also, a little something that might make you smile.
Reader question: What have you learned lately?


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Goose Bay
Goose Bay's approach to winemaking is rather simple. Goose Bay's winemakers also don't believe in building a winery business by constantly talking about how great they are. They are in the business because they love the life...the viticulture, the winemaking, the marketing and thepeople they work with and meet. They also love doing unusual and challenging things...such as kosher and Compassion wines. They enjoy doing all these things and if they can make the world a little better through the promotion of these wines, then so be it.


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Krauthammer used false stat on felon voting rights to condemn Clinton bill
Expressing his opposition to legislation introduced by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) that would require states to restore voting rights to all convicted felons who have completed their sentences, syndicated Washington Post columnist and Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer falsely claimed that "only a third of states now allow felons to vote." In fact, 36 states -- more than two-thirds -- and the District of Columbia currently allow individuals who have been convicted of a felony and have completed their prison sentences, probation, and parole to vote.
Krauthammer's criticism followed a video clip of Clinton introducing the Count Every Vote Act of 2005, which includes the voting rights provision, on the Senate floor on February 17.
From the March 2 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:
CLINTON [video clip]: These people should be given the right to register to vote. An estimated 4.7 million Americans are not eligible to vote as a result of felony disenfranchisement laws.
KRAUTHAMMER: Look, first of all, it's incredibly hypocritical. The Democrats are arguing that states ought to decide things like gay rights and not the federal government. And here they want the states imposing the rule on the felons, where only a third of states now allow felons to vote.
In fact, only 14 states currently have laws preventing convicted felons who have completed their sentences from voting, according to a January 2005 study by The Sentencing Project, a research institute that studies criminal justice. Of those 14, six permanently deny voting rights to convicted felons, while eight have specific laws that extend the denial of voting rights beyond the end of parole or probation for certain finite periods or for particular offenses.
Clinton's bill would allow convicted felons to vote only if they are no longer on probation or parole, or currently serving a prison sentence [section 701(d)], a standard already matched by the 36 states noted earlier and the District of Columbia. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), John Kerry (D-MA), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) have co-sponsored the bill.


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Q This is something I've never seen in your columns but I'm sure is common. My daughter went to get gas, and when she went inside to pay, she accidentally gave the cashier the wrong pump number. When she walked outside and realized it, she was about to pull her car forward to the pump she had paid for when another car jumped in and pumped "her gas" into his car.
Being the nice person she is, she asked him nicely to move, and he told her he didn't have time for all this, finished filling his car and left. She went inside to ask the cashier about it, and he just shrugged his shoulders and said sorry. She left and got gas elsewhere. I told her she should have taken a picture of his license plate and called police. What would your advice be?
Kelley Sproat
San Jose
A Your daughter made an innocent mistake, and the other guy was a jerk. He basically stole a tank of gas from her. I'm sure there are folks who think she should have demanded that the station attendant turn the pump off, as well as taken a photo and called the cops.
But I'm not comfortable with that. I fear that the gas thief might go ballistic, and if she called police, it would not be the sort of evidence that could have forced him to pay. Her moving on may have avoided an uglier incident, so I commend your daughter for remaining calm.
Q What kind of construction are they doing on Interstate 580 over the Altamont Pass about a mile east of Flynn Road?
Theo Simmons
A This is the start of the long-awaited truck climbing lane from Greenville Road to 1 mile east of North Flynn. The current work is excavation for the additional lane and shoulder. In addition to the truck passing lane, Caltrans will repave the eastbound lanes. Work will take two years.
Q I drive 4,000 miles per month, and the westbound lanes over the Altamont Pass on 580 are easily the most pothole-filled minefields in Northern California. I see they have done some work eastbound, but when is work planned westbound?
Robert Fairclough
A Not until 2016, when repairs will be made from I-205 west to North Flynn.
Q I am a pediatric nurse who commutes from Oakland to San Francisco three days a week on BART. About a year ago, I was the first and only responder to a potential heart attack while at the 12th Street station in Oakland. We called 911, and it took close to 10 minutes for EMTs to be there. I come to find out there are no automated external defibrillators in BART stations. When gyms can afford and manage them, why can't BART stations have AEDs?
Kathleen Maniatis
A Bad news. BART has no plans to install AEDs, saying firefighters have primary responsibility to respond to medical emergencies at its stations. BART does contract with EMT services to provide an additional level of response at its busiest stations at the busiest times of day.
I think your idea is a good one, but BART sent a very long list of requirements it would need to meet, and the transit agency says it is unable to meet many of them.
Q We're weird. We're planning a trip on Interstate 5, but to that alien place known as Oregon. I appreciate the wonderful information Caltrans makes available on I-5, but alas, it is all applicable only to southern destinations. Is there any satisfaction for us strange birds going against the flow?
Paul Brown
A Sure is. From Corning to the Oregon border, several projects are underway, but delays so far have been minimal. For more information, go to http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov or http://oss.weathershare.org.
Join Gary Richards for an hourlong chat noon Wednesday at www.mercurynews.com/live-chats. Contact Gary at email@example.com or 408-920-5335. To read columns online, go to www.mercurynews.com/mr-roadshow or use the main navigational bar under Opinion-Columns or at www.mercurynews.com/traffic.


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Snapshots from Rome: Granita from Gelateria del Teatro
As the temperatures rise in Rome, nothing could be more refreshing than a granita, Italy's answer to (and predecessor of) the American slushy. But a granita is so much more than the granular ice and fake-flavoring mixture that we've come to know in the States, especially when it's a granita like this one, from Rome's Gelateria del Teatro.
Located near Piazza Navona, Gelateria del Teatro serves up granite and gelati made from all-natural, high-quality ingredients. Since a granita is just water that's flavored, frozen, and crushed, chemicals and preservatives taste even more obvious, while an all-natural granita, like this one, tastes simply delicious.
Flavors range from strawberry and sparkling wine to sage and raspberry, to an uber-rich dark chocolate; outside, the lucky few who have grabbed tables relax over their cones and cups, watching the passersby on the cobblestoned Via dei Coronari.
Choosing a flavor of granita is tough. Do you go with the classic lemon? Coffee? In the end, I opted for the lime-and-mint flavor, and couldn't have been happier. Bright and citrusy, it tasted exactly like a wedge of lime topped with mint. Only sweeter... and frozen. In other words, the perfect refreshment on a hot Rome day.


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has a large and varied body of work. Due to high level
of quality control - or self-consciousness - the company's
product is almost beyond reproach. Sure there are
companys with bigger blockbusters but few can match
the level of consistency that Capcom has with producing
such high quality games in their body of work.
Capcom to any self-respecting gamer and they're liable
to think of fighting games. And who could blame them?
With titles such as Street Fighter, Final Fight and
Capcom Vs SNK, Capcom virtually wrote the book on
the fighting genre. But Capcom is synonymous with
more than just fighting games. In this compilation
you can expect shooting, puzzles, platformers, racing
and action adventure games. There are more than 20
titles that showcase Capcom's diversity; some are
classics and some are just old. There are bound to
be some games that you've never heard of or at least
never played before. I can't say that they're all
excellent but they are certainly worth playing. Obviously
you'll find favor with a handful of them and probably
ignore the rest - just like in a real arcade. Even
if you only manage to get an hour out of each game
that's probably more than you would have spent with
each one at the arcade.
of the games featured are Street Fighter I & II,
Final Fight, Merc, Bionic Commando, Attack of the
Savage Bees, Son Son, Trojan, Gun Smoke, Vulgas and
the 1942 series. There are no horror survival games
in the vein of Resident Evil but how about Ghosts
N' Goblins? How about Ghouls N' Ghosts? How about
Super Ghouls N' Ghosts? These are all included and
offer countless hours of frustration.
all of the games are identical ports of the original.
Some graphics are a little more low-res than I remember
them but for the most part they have been ported as
good as can be expected. Each game comes with some
background information that you should find useful
and interesting. You'll learn who came up with the
idea and what inspired it in the first place. Original
artwork is included as well as some tips and tricks
on how to better master the game. Some of the games
have remixed tunes that you can access. Most of the
music is original but some of those older games suffer
from some really sappy and repetitive tunes so it's
nice to have an alternative.
gameplay hasn't been tinkered with on any games that
I am aware of but some new features have been added
to games to make them more interesting and challenging.
For instance, you can import some fighting characters
from other games and access more difficulty levels
in others. New challenges have been established to
unlock some of the above-mentioned goodies. It gives
you something more to aim at than just beating the
game or attaining high score. The multi-player modes
manage to keep the arcade simulation in high gear.
Your old pals will beat a path to your door just to
try to kick your ass at a favorite game once again.
compilations can be a crap shoot since there are a
few good games but also a lot of filler that you will
never play twice. There are few duds in this collection
but which ones are duds will likely differ from person
to person. There are more good quality games in this
compilation than in most others so if you see a handful
of games that interest you, by all means get your
hands on this as you'll likely be exposed to another
handful of great games.
you've never heard of the arcade emulation software
MAME then you'll probably freak out when you read
what games Capcom is including in their upcoming Classics
compilation disk available for PS2 and Xbox (sorry
GC owners) features 22 games, 99% of which are EXTREME
videogame classics in the truest sense of the word
which encompass a variety of genres including fighting,
beat-em-up, side-scrolling, vertical shooter and just
plain shooter.
games included are the actual arcade games, not console
renditions from the early 90's found on the Nes, SNES
and Genesis. These are the real deal.
out what you'll get for $19.99: 1942,1943, 1943 Kai,
Bionic Commando (yes!), Commando, Ghosts & Goblins,
Ghouls & Ghosts, Super Ghouls & Ghosts, Exed
Exes, Gun.Smoke, Street Fighter II, Street Fighter
II Hyper Fighting, Street Fighter II Champion Edition,
Trojan, Pirate Ship Higemaru, Vulgus (Capcom's very
first game!), Section Z, Forgotten Worlds, Legendary
Wings, Son son, Mercs and Final Fight.
to say we're pretty excited about getting our hands
on these treasures. Sure I can play them anytime on
my PC with MAME, but it will be nice having everything
all one disk that I can play on the Xbox or PS2. The
Ghosts & Goblins series are some of the most difficult
side-scrolling affairs ever created and if you're
even thinking that you're an uber-gamer, beat these
first and then come and talk to us. You haven't paid
your dues until you've reached the final boss in any
of the Ghost games and then....oh, why ruin the fun
by telling you? Let me just say that in my youth,
I hurled a joystick across the room after a certain
something....play it to find out it's devilish dark
classic arcade compilations are your thing, watch
for Midway Arcade Treasures 3 and an upcoming collection
from Taito entitled Taito Legends.


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Natalie Wood Wagner
[The following information comes from FindAGrave.]
|Jul. 20, 1938
|Nov. 29, 1981
Actress. Most remembered for her role of Susan Walker in "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947), a Christmas classic movie. She appeared in over 56 movies for the silver screen and television, and was nominated three times for an Oscar (she never won).
She was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko, of Russian emigrants in San Francisco, California.
Natalie won a bit part at age 4 in a movie, "Happy Land" (1943), then being shot in her Santa Rosa neighborhood. The family then moved to Los Angeles, hoping to land more film roles for her, but her second role did not come until 1946, when she appeared in "Tomorrow is Forever." In 1947, she won the role of Susan Walker in "Miracle on 34th Street," and began a successful career as a child star, appearing in 18 films. In 1955, she played in "Rebel Without a Cause", the famous James Dean movie, and won an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. She played opposite John Wayne in "The Searchers" (1956) and in "Kings Go Forth" (1958). Roles continued to come to her. She appeared in "Splendor in the Grass" (1961), West Side Story (1961), as Gypsy Rose Lee in "Gypsy" (1962), and in "Love with a Proper Stranger" (1963), for which she earned her third academy award nomination. She had earned a second nomination for an academy award as best supporting actress for her role as Maria in "West Side Story." In 1966, the Harvard Lampoon voted her the year's worst actress, and she made Harvard history by appearing at the celebration to accept the award (she was the first person ever to appear in person to accept their award). After filming "This Property is Condemned" (1966), she stayed away from films for 3 years, returning to play the role of Carol Sanders in "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice" (1969). After that, she made a few appearances on television, but spent most of her time with her family. Her only major role until 1980 was in the television mini-series "From Here to Eternity." In 1981, she began work on "Brainstorm" (released in 1983), but she did not live to see it finished.
While sailing on her yacht off Santa Catalina Island with her husband, Robert Wagner, and their friend, Christopher Walken, she disappeared one night, supposedly while trying to get into a dinghy. Her body washed ashore the next morning, and the circumstances of her death have never been fully determined. Cause of death was determined as drowning. In a book written by her actress sister, Lana Wood, Natalie was portrayed as insecure and unhappy in life. She was married three times, first to Robert Wagner (December 28, 1957 to April 27, 1962, divorced), then to Richard Gregson (May 30, 1969 to August 1, 1971) with whom she had a daughter, Natasha. After discovering Gregson was having an affair, she divorced him and soon remarried her first husband, Robert Wagner, again on July 16, 1972. They had a daughter, Courtney Brooke Wagner, in 1974. (bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson)
1938 1981
A view of her actual resting place.
Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
****I thought of using Natalie Wood this weekend when the DH and I were watching an NCIS marathon, and in which one show featured Robert Wagner [Natalie Wood's first and third husband] as Anthony Dinozo Sr. Natlie Wood was one of my favorite actresses as a teen.


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|HOF Class of '01
Robert McNamee was one of the Blue and Gray's biggest threats on the hardwood in the 56-year history of the men's basketball program. He led Kings Point hoopsters in their first-ever 20 win season during the 1984-85 campaign and a berth in the ECAC Division-III New York/New Jersey Championship Game.
During his career with the team, McNamee earned four varsity letters, two MVP awards, and set a number of Academy scoring and rebounding records. At the time of his graduation, he set Academy standards for points in a season, points in a career, rebounds in a season, and rebounds in a career. To date, he remains the Blue and Gray's All-Time Leading Scorer with 2,162 career points and holds records for field goals made in a career (885), field goals attempted in a season (524) and field goals attempted in a career (1,853).
During his senior year, McNamee served as team captain. He earned accolades as a Division-III All-Metro selection in 1984, Division-III player of the year in 1985, and was awarded the Adm. Stedman Trophy for being the Academy's most outstanding senior athlete in 1985.


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|Celebrating Darwin's Birthday Album One
|Assistant Professor of Biology Amanda Ingram invited the campus to join the Biology Department Thursday for an "Adaptation Celebration. "Biology professors will regale you with tales of their favorite adaptations that evolved by natural selection," Professor Ingram had promised, which turned out to be a lot more fun than most might have guessed. The celebration marked the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth. Professor Ingram's favorite adaptation: flowers!


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Commercial, Products, Regulatory, Training
By By Thierry Dubois | March 1, 2010
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Initiatives from various parts of the world were discussed at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)'s third rotorcraft symposium in Cologne, Germany in December. Offshore operations are still a major focus, but some speakers warned that real problems may be somewhat below the radar—at small operators and/or in remote areas.
Vittorio Morassi, chairman of newEHA, gave an updated picture of the European industry. NewEHA (the New European Helicopter Association) is the association that represents European helicopter operators, except emergency medical services (EMS) operators, which are still regrouped in the European HEMS and air ambulance committee (EHAC). Negotiations to integrate EHAC into NewEHA failed at the last minute, in September 2009. NewEHA is based in Cologne.
In Europe, 2,000 companies operate a total of 6,960 helicopters. Two-thirds of them have only one aircraft in their fleet. The European fleet is used for commercial missions (28 percent), public service (21 percent), private flights (16 percent), EMS (10 percent), offshore oil and gas (4 percent) and other operations (21 percent). About half of the fleet is made of single-engine helicopters.
"Aerial work, private, air taxi and corporate operations have suffered a major drop in demand since the economic slump began," Morassi stated. EMS, firefighting and civil protection operations have been stagnating. Businesses involved in such operations have been doing fine "only where they benefit from stable relationships and long-term contracts." Offshore flights for oil and gas companies remain steady. "Overall, this situation has caused a lot of job cuts," Morassi said.
A number of rules impacting helicopters are in the making in the European Union now. "Helicopters are being included in the EU emission trading scheme (ETS) only for political reasons, to please the environmentalists," Morassi complained.
Regarding CO2 trading, Morassi said helicopters below 5,700 kilos (12,555 pounds) of MOTW are excluded from the European Union ETS. Still to be confirmed is that operators emitting less than 10,000 metric tons of CO2 per year will be allowed to use a simplified reporting procedure. The 10,000-ton threshold equates to 7,100 pounds of fuel used.
The OPS regulation, which EASA is working on for aircraft operations, is at the NPA (notice of proposed amendment) stage. NewEHA has requested that rotorcraft specificity should be taken into account. In response, EASA has appointed two "focal points" for general aviation and helicopters. There also has been a longstanding disagreement on single-engine operations over hostile environments. The industry finds current rules too restrictive. EASA is prepared to reconsider the matter, according to Morassi.
Some 14,000 comments have been received, EASA air operations officer Willy Sigl said. First draft rules should appear in April of this year. Then, in October, the agency will publish a comment response document. The new regulation is to be adopted in 2012.
NewEHA is also requesting to be involved in the development of specific flight and duty time limitations for general aviation and helicopter operations. "Airline rules do not suit our needs. Please keep rules affordable and proportionate," Morassi urged EASA. He praised EASA and the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) for working out "recommendations that are suitable."
The EHEST, a component of the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) that aims at cutting the helicopter accident rate by 80 percent by 2016, is issuing "consolidated recommendations" from a wide-ranging accident data analysis. It is thus encouraging the use of safety management systems (SMS), "based on real safety culture including risk management and codes of practice." Moreover, operators should be encouraged to establish and apply standard operating procedures (SOPs), EHEST representatives said.
Another recommendation is to focus on training to improve pilot decision-making before and after inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The importance of mission preparation and the benefits of installing flight data recorders (FDR) and conducting flight data monitoring (FDM, also known as flight operations quality assurance) were highlighted.
Commercial air transport, including EMS, accounted for 19 percent of the accidents EHEST has analyzed. General aviation accounted for 45 percent, while aerial work's contribution was 32 percent. State flights accounted for four percent. (See chart page 50.)
Robert Carter, principal inspector of air accidents at the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), confirmed that FDRs have been extremely helpful in recent investigations. However, such data "cannot do everything and sometimes make the investigation even more complex," he said. One probe used data from the helicopter health and usage monitoring system (HUMS). It proved useful but difficult to understand. "Investigations are as complex as ever," Carter insisted.
Another helicopter that has become common in offshore operations is the AgustaWestland AW139 medium twin. Francesco Paolucci, a flight test engineer with the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) and Nicola Pecile, an Italian Air Force experimental test pilot, explained how the 2006 certification for IFR/night VFR single pilot operations was obtained. The AW139 had been certified for IFR/night VFR dual-pilot and day VFR single pilot operations in 2003. In the meantime, a new, four-display cockpit configuration had become available, making it eligible for extended single-pilot operations.
Paolucci, Pecile and their team focused on pilot workload. The method added the time spent in primary tasks (flight controls) and auxiliary tasks (communication, navigation, etc.) over the total duration of a flight phase, such as approach. The pass/fail criterion was approximately 30 percent spare time available for normal operation.
Therefore, some emergency procedures were revised so the workload never reached 100 percent. "They are now more easily handled by a single pilot," Paolucci said.
Bernardino Paggi, an AgustaWestland specialist in new flight test methodologies, presented how the AW139 was tested for category A offshore takeoff and landing procedures. EASA approved such operations in July 2009. "We wanted no procedural change between all-engine-operative and one-engine-inoperative," Paggi emphasized. Quite simply, in case of an engine failure, the pilot should not do anything unusual. Otherwise this could have disturbing aerodynamic effects, Paggi said. AgustaWestland chose to allow some depletion in the rotor's rotation speed.
Tests showed that tail clearance to the deck's edge was about 100 meters (330 feet) in the worst-case scenario. This is when the engine fails at 17 feet, followed by the decision to continue takeoff. The takeoff decision point is at 20 feet. The difference between the 17- and 20-foot heights represent the pilot's reaction time. Should the engine fail at 15 feet, the takeoff should be rejected.
"We chose a low takeoff decision point to ensure the best helideck sight in case of a rejected takeoff," Paggi said. The 30-foot rotation point is 10 feet higher than the takeoff decision point to allow longer pilot reaction time for continued takeoff. It allows a greater deck edge clearance, too.
At the 15,000-pound MTOW, the maximum drop-down was 40 feet. This provides enough height above the sea, taking into account the deck's height.
In case of a balked landing, which should take place somewhat laterally away from the deck, the helicopter is never lower than the helideck level, Paggi said.
One more valuable insight into offshore safety was given by Bristow head of centralized engineering Mark Plunkett, who detailed how a second-generation traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS II) was fitted onto a helicopter—an AS332 Super Puma. Such an installation was until recently deemed impossible. Regulation states that helicopters cannot comply with TCAS II avoidance procedures, due to a lack of performance.
Yet, there is a need. First-generation TCAS can't be relied on for evasive maneuvers. It is just considered an aid to visually spotting traffic. Yet, in the North Sea, "visibility is not great," as Plunkett put it. The need is widespread. In Nigeria, there were 32 airproxes in a few years in the early 2000s.
Bristow and Rockwell Collins engineers proved the operator's helicopters can perform as required. They found a place to install the antenna, behind the main rotor. In flight tests, they demonstrated the absence of any blanking. They were awarded the first EASA supplemental type certificate (STC) ever for a TCAS II on a helicopter. The first TCAS II-equipped Super Puma started operating in the spring of 2008.
Bristow is now moving to other types. A Sikorsky S-92 with the antenna located above the windshield is close to flight testing. There are also plans for another Super Puma variant and the Sikorsky S-76. What about OEMs offering TCAS II on new helicopters? "There was skepticism but manufacturers' interest is growing," Plunkett said.
Offshore safety was decidedly a major focus at the symposium, as FAA rotorcraft directorate manager Mark Shilling gave an update on the experimental period that began in December for the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system in the Gulf of Mexico. It is hoped to improve traffic and weather information for helicopters flying to and from offshore rigs. Due to the distance from the shore, there is very limited radio coverage and no radar coverage. Position and weather reporting have been continuing issues. Moreover, instrument conditions exist frequently.
Yet, the Gulf of Mexico is the place for some 3,000 operations per day for the U.S. only, Shilling said. To report helicopter progress on its route, the existing process is "convoluted," Shilling said, as it involves satellite phones. To ensure aircraft separation, the airspace is divided into grid squares of 10 nm by 10 nm. The resulting air traffic control (ATC) capacity is very small—10 aircraft at a time.
The FAA and local operators place great hopes in ADS-B. The relatively simple system has been used by some fixed-wing aircraft operators. It periodically transmits information without any pilot or operator input. The position and the velocity vector are derived from the GPS. The transmitted information is available to anyone with the appropriate receiving equipment.
The painstaking grid scheme thus becomes useless. The main challenge is not to equip helicopters but offshore platforms. Relays are needed on the surface but space is scarce on the rigs. Final rules are to be issued in this month.
Giving a different mood to the symposium, Christophe Cubières, a Bureau Veritas senior engineer, pointed out that the real world is quite different from the regulators' expectations. Bureau Veritas has audited 45 rotorcraft operators in recent years. These audits took place in Europe, Russia, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Cubières and his team have seen recurrent weaknesses in quality assurance. "It is supposed not only to survey the compliance of the organization to the regulation but also to measure and improve its performance," Cubières pointed out. Except for large operators, SMS will remain a "dusty and pre-formatted book on a shelf," Cubières worried, due to a lack of knowledge and insufficient resources.
Maintenance training is noted to be "weak." Cubières sees a lack of formalized standards. He also emphasized a lack of records.
In Europe, EASA should bring national authorities closer to operators, Cubières suggested. It also should be "more involved in practical airworthiness matters."
David Downey, Bell Helicopter's vice president for flight operation/safety, expressed a concern that the three major authorities frame airworthiness directive (AD) compliance as if there is a major airline maintenance organization capability. "The infrastructure for engineers (maintenance personnel) to actually comply with alert service bulletins outside of North America and the EU is very different. There are 120 countries or so where Bell has helicopters."
There is still no Internet access in many places. "If an operator is flying out in remote areas—it can take a year before airworthiness directives actually get to a small operator flying seismic surveys in Papua New Guinea," Downey told Rotor & Wing. In Nepal, the national aviation authority only employs two people to oversee commercial operations, according to Downey.
At a small operator, a single person can be both the pilot and the mechanic. Therefore, Bell Product Support strives to make maintenance as easy as possible for these operators. "We try to avoid special tools like an expensive magnifier. We try to use tools the operator can find in his standard toolbox or can be locally procured," he summarized. One of Bell's ongoing safety initiatives is the development of a cockpit information recorder. It can be used for flight data monitoring (i.e. quality assurance) and accident investigation. A feature is that images of the instrument panel can be read by optical recognition software and in turn, can generate graphs.
Could flight simulators contribute to the targeted safety improvement? Thales Training & Simulation program manager for FSTD (flight simulation training device) development Bernard Del Ghingaro believes so. He explained how and why the use of simulators may well grow from small to significant.
"Training is the top category for the EHEST's recommendations," he said. One benefit of using simulators is helicopters are thus kept for revenue flights. Moreover, the instructor commands the environment, notably in terms of traffic and weather. Simulators also enable safer training when it comes to tailrotor failure, entry into IMC and autorotations. Still, in a full flight simulator, the trainee will be closer to the reality of a malfunction.
"In a real helicopter, malfunctions are fake. In a simulator, malfunctions are real," Del Ghingaro said.
Yet, in Europe, only 14 full flight simulators can be found for civil helicopters. "Historically, the cost ratio between FSTDs and real aircraft has not been as attractive as for airplanes," Del Ghingaro said.
This may be changing. FSTDs are becoming cheaper to use, according to Del Ghingaro. Simultaneously, FSTD standards are becoming more harmonized [see related story on page 12].
Technology is helping, too. Simulating the flight of a helicopter is highly complex. Now, the software and hardware to run these real-time models are available at lower cost.
Similarly, visual aspects are more important for helicopter operations, which take place closer to the ground. Simulators thus need larger fields of view and better details. "Visual system technology is now available to provide high-fidelity helicopter training," Del Ghingaro said.
Brian Humphries, who is both the chairman of the British Helicopter Association (BHA) and the CEO of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), presented the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) as a proven SMS approach available to the helicopter industry. This kind of effort is worth it, he insisted. For example, the fatal accident rate in the North Sea has been halved since the 1980s, notably due to the use of SMS. IS-BAO is suitable to both small and large operators.
Humphries introduced IS-BAO as a professional code of practice. A report analyzed 297 business aviation accidents and determined that more than one-third could have been prevented, if the operator had implemented IS-BAO, Humphries asserted. "Insurance companies are starting to understand by cutting premiums," he said.
IS-BAO has been in use for fixed-wing operators for some time, and "minimal adjustment" is needed for the helicopter industry. IS-BAO is based on ICAO standards and recommended practices. It also draws from corporate best practices, regulations and guidance. Finally, it tailors ISO9000 principles to aviation. It is already recognized as a standard by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN).
For successful implementation, "You need commitment from the top," Humphries emphasized. Implementation starts with a safety risk profile and gap analysis. Hazard identification, analysis and mitigation then becomes a continuous process. IS-BAO was developed and is administered by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). IBAC is a council regrouping 15 business aviation associations from around the wold. It represents business aviation at ICAO.
There are now more than 200 business aviation operators registered. For newcomers, support is available from other IS-BAO registered organizations and IBAC experts. There are approximately 100 auditors around the world, accredited and monitored by IBAC.
EASA rulemaking officer David Haddon unveiled EASA's philosophy in a sector that could become significant over the coming decades—unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). There are currently 257 unmanned rotorcraft types at various stages of development or in service in the world. A notable portion of them are candidates for civil roles, he said.
"Their safety is not demonstrated but manufacturers face a Catch-22 situation," Haddon pointed out. Regulators are not willing to develop rules before a need is established for such aircraft. But these companies do not want to invest without the assurance a design can be certified and operated in a civil activity, Haddon stressed.
"EASA wants to break this Catch-22 situation," he said. A principle is that base certification specifications will be chosen from kinetic energy equivalent. A lot still has to be worked out. For example, what could be safe separation distances?
"EASA is committed to develop rules for civil UAS but they will be allowed to operate only if they demonstrate equivalent safety to manned aircraft," Haddon stated. He insisted that the industry must get it right the first time.


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A 23-year-old man apprehended over the weekend after a three-day manhunt in Chesterfield Township was arraigned Monday for on charges he allegedly attacked and tried to kill his former girlfriend because she broke up with him, according to police and court officials.
Jonathan Elbers of Tuscola County was charged in 42-2 District Court in New Baltimore on Monday with assault with intent to murder, two counts of first-degree home invasion, unlawful imprisonment, and assault and obstruction of police.
Elbers is being held in the Macomb County Jail on a $2.1 million bond set by Judge William Hackel III. If Elbers posts bond, he was ordered to avoid contact with his former girlfriend and to wear a tether so authorities can monitor his activities.
He asked for a court-appointed attorney. A preliminary examination will be held at 1:30 p.m. April 16.
Elbers was apprehended at 12:45 p.m. Sunday by Chesterfield Township police Officer Frank Unger, who found him hiding in a deer blind in a heavily wooded area near Interstate 94 and Washington Road. Police said he surrendered peacefully and has been cooperative with investigators.
'It turned out to be an endurance test,' said Chesterfield Township Detective Sgt. Deron Myers. 'We were out there intensely looking for him and he was hoping we would give up before he hurt someone.'
According to police, officers early Friday were called to the 20-year-old woman's house on Nicolette Drive in Chesterfield Township to conduct a welfare check. Her family was vacationing in Florida and became concerned after hearing she was being pestered by Elbers after the two had recently broken up.
When officers arrived, they were allowed inside of the house by the woman's sister. Officers heard a cry for help coming from the basement, and found Elbers in the process of trying to place the woman inside of a large bag designed for Christmas tree storage. During a skirmish, the woman struck him with a porcelain statue, opening a cut on his head.
Officers ordered Elbers to surrender, but he was able to escape on foot after a struggle with police. Police found his truck nearby, along with duct tape and a rifle.
Since he had no transportation, police believed the suspect was still in the area and flooded the neighborhood with officers on Friday. Chesterfield police were assisted by Macomb County Sheriff's deputies and Michigan State Police, along with canine teams and a helicopter searching rural areas of the community.
On Saturday, police received word that someone had broken into a home near 25 Mile Road east of I-94. A resident in the area told police he saw someone running from the house and into a clump of woods. He faces a home invasion charge for that incident.
'We kept looking for him and persistency paid off,' Myers said. 'This man was extremely dangerous because he once had a rifle and he threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend.
'There was no telling if he had another weapon and what he would do if boxed in.'
Myers said Elbers did not give police any trouble after he was found him hiding in a hunter's tree blind. He also has cooperated with detectives during questioning.


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If you have a few minutes you can watch the video above of reader Oli Gill bravely modifying his Nokia Lumia 800 to enable wireless charging ala Palm/HP and their Touchstone charger.
There is no doubt that any of us, especially with the more high-end Lumia 900 would love to have this feature in our Nokia Windows Phone. In fact, we wonder if and when Nokia will take the big plunge and be the first Windows Phone OEM to do this officially. After all, if there was one hardware company that could do this on a wide scale it'd be Nokia (though HTC and Samsung are fully capable too).
We're not going to lie though, this mod is quite advanced and we're pretty sure we won't have the time or skills to do this. But we also know a lot of our audience is highly educated and love to do things like this, so for you folks, here you go!
Oh and Oli, if you ever want to start a small side business, we're sure many of us would gladly send you our Lumias to have this warranty-voiding hack. Anyone else?
Thanks, Oli, for the tip and video


text: Haven't heard much about Dean, couldn't really hang in. Last I heard he was DNC chair a few years back. I never even got to know his politics too well, that scream ended him quick. Wasn't very marvelous.OP, did you get off a wl yet? Fingers crossed with Penn .


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1. Methane, Faults and Sea Ice
Massive amounts of methane venting from the seabed, penetrating the sea ice, and entering the atmosphere over the Arctic Ocean. Faultlines indicate a further danger, i.e that earthquakes could trigger clathrate destabilization.
|For an animated version of this image, go to the post Methane, Faults and Sea Ice
Image #1. from:
Methane, Faults and Sea Ice
2. Biggest Story of 2013 (Methane over Arctic Ocean)
The 'Biggest Story of 2013' image shows cumulative methane for the period December 26, 2013, 11:00 am to December 29, 2013, 11:05 pm.
|Biggest story of 2013: Huge methane releases from the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean
The Biggest Story of 2013
facebook link:
3. Methane bubbling up in Baffin Bay
Huge amounts of methane can be carried out of the Arctic Ocean by the exit current through Baffin Bay.
|Methane bubbling up in Baffin Bay
Methane emerges from warmer areas
facebook link:
4. Methane emissions estimates
Sam Carana in 2014: "The amounts of methane being released from hydrates will be greater than the methane that actually reaches the atmosphere. To put a figure on the latter, my estimate is that emissions from hydrates and permafrost currently amount to 100 Tg annually, a figure that is growing rapidly. This 100 Tg includes 1 Tg for permafrost, similar to IPCC estimates."
Image #4. from:
High methane levels over the Arctic Ocean on January 14, 2014
5. Potential Release
5.a Potential Release: How much methane could be released, say, within a few years?
Image #5.a from:
Edge of Extinction
and from:
5.b Potential Release: Methane by Numbers
Sediments underneath the Arctic Ocean hold vast amounts of methane. Just one part of the Arctic Ocean alone, the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS, rectangle on map below), holds up to 1700 Gt of methane. A sudden release of just 3% of this amount could add over 50 Gt of methane to the atmosphere, and experts consider such an amount to be ready for release at any time (see above image).
Total methane burden in the atmosphere now is 5 Gt. The 3 Gt that has been added since the 1750s accounts for almost half of the (net) total global warming caused by people. The amount of carbon stored in hydrates globally was in 1992 estimated to be 10,000 Gt (USGS), while a more recent estimate gives a figure of 63,400 Gt (Klauda & Sandler, 2005). The ESAS alone holds up to 1700 Gt of methane in the form of methane hydrates and free gas contained in sediments, of which 50 Gt is ready for abrupt release at any time.
Imagine what kind of devastation an extra 50 Gt of methane could cause. Imagine the warming that will take place if the methane in the atmosphere was suddenly multiplied by 11. Whiteman et al. recently calculated that such an event would cause $60 trillion in damage. By comparison, the size of the world economy in 2012 was about $70 trillion.
Image #5.b from:
The time has come to spread the message
6. Historic Methane Levels
6.a Historic Methane Levels - The Methane Hockeystick
For the past 420,000 years, temperatures typically moved up and down by roughly 10°C or 18°F between a glacial and interglacial phase of the ice ages, suggesting that a 100 ppm rise of carbon dioxide and 300 ppb rise of methane go hand in hand with a 10°C temperature rise. By implication, current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere appear to have us locked in for a future temperature rise of more 10°C. For methane, the equation looks at least three times as bad.
Vostok ice core data for CO2 are in this graph http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/co2/graphics/vostok.co2.gif
the data have been available since 2003, e.g. at http://cdiac.ornl.gov/ftp/trends/co2/vostok.icecore.co2
Image #6.a from:
Mean methane levels reach 1800 ppb
6.b Historic Methane Levels - The Methane Hockeystick
Image #6.b is from:
What Does Runaway Warming Look Like?
6.c Historic Methane Levels - Historic rise of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide
While carbon dioxide emissions get a lot of attention (and they definitely must be cut rapidly and dramatically), the rise of methane is possibly even more worrying. The image below shows the historic rise (1750-2015) of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N2O).
|Historic rise of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide
(Also see above image #16: Methane's Rise since 2000)
Image #6.c is from:
Monthly CO₂ not under 400 ppm in 2016
6.d Historic Methane Levels - Historic rise of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide
Below is an updated version of this image, showing that CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O levels in the atmosphere in 2017 were, respectively, 257%, 146% and 122% their 1750 levels.
Image #6.d is from:
As El Niño sets in, will global biodiversity collapse in 2019?
7. Methane's Global Warming Potential (GWP)
7.a Methane's GWP and Lifetime (2013)
IPCC AR5 (2013) figures for methane's lifetime and methane's Global Warming Potential (GWP) over 20 and 100 years are in the top right-hand panel below. In the panel underneath is the formula used to calculate GWP.
Note that Shindell et al. pointed out in 2009 that when including some important direct and indirect effects, methane's GWP is 105 over 20 years (see image below). Over shorter periods, the GWP is even higher, as illustrated by above image below. Over a 10-year timescale, methane's GWP is 130, as calculated by Sam Carana based on Shindell's data. Over a 10-year timescale, the current global release of methane from all anthropogenic sources exceeds all anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions as agents of global warming; that is, methane emissions are more important than carbon dioxide emissions for driving the current rate of global warming, as illustrated by the graph in the left-hand panel of above image. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane's GWP does rise as more of it is released.
In the context of tipping points, which is most appropriate regarding methane releases in the Arctic, it makes sense to focus on a short time horizon, i.e. as short as a few years, rather than decades. Sam Carana calculates that, based on figures by Shindell et al., methane's GWP is more than 130 times that of carbon dioxide over a period of 10 years.
Image #7.a from:
What is the global warming potential of methane?
7.b Methane's GWP (2012)
|Methane's Global Warming Potential
A 2009 study by Drew Shindell et al. points out that IPCC figures do not include direct+indirect radiative effects of aerosol responses to methane releases that increase methane's GWP to 105 over 20 years when included.
In the context of tipping points, which is most appropriate regarding methane releases in the Arctic, it makes sense to focus on a short time horizon, i.e. as short as a few years, rather than decades.
As image 7.b (left) shows, based on the figures by Shindell et al. and using a horizon of 10 years, methane's GWP is more than 130 times that of carbon dioxide.
In image 7.b, the blue line is based on IPCC AR4 figures. The red line is based on figures from the study by Shindell et al., which also concludes that methane's GWP would likely be further increased when including ecosystem responses.
Image #7.b from:
Methane hydrates
8. Methane's Local Warming Potential (LWP)
Even more important than methane's high immediate GWP is methane's local warming potential (LWP), which includes the indirect effect of triggering further releases. In case of a large abrupt release, methane's lifetime will be extended, due to hydroxyl depletion. Much of the methane can be expected to persist locally for decades, at its highest LWP, since there's very little hydroxyl in the atmosphere above the Arctic in the first place, so very little methane will get oxidized there. The impact of such an abrupt release will be felt most strongly in the Arctic, where the release took place. Since it will take time for methane to spread away from the Arctic, much of the entire release will remain concentrated above the Arctic.
The additional warming that this will cause in the Arctic will make the sea ice decline even more dramatically than is already the case now. The combined LWP of snow cover loss, sea ice loss and methane releases in the Arctic is huge. This is bound to trigger further releases of methane in the Arctic, and their joint impact will accumulate, as illustrated in the next image.
Image #8. from:
Methane hydrates
9. The Threat of Runaway Global Warming
9.a The Threat of Runaway Global Warming (Methane Releases)
Smaller releases of methane in the Arctic come at great risk; their explosive eruption from the seafloor and their huge local warming impact threatens to further destabilize sediments under the Arctic Ocean and trigger further methane releases.
Image #9.a from:
High methane levels over the Arctic Ocean on January 14, 2014
and also used at the page:
How much time is there left to act?
9.b The Threat of Runaway Global Warming (Temperature Rise and Deaths)
With continued warming of the Arctic Ocean, heat increasingly threatens to reach the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean and unleash huge methane eruptions from destabilizing clathrates. The threat is that runaway warming will strike first in the Arctic, to spread from there, causing heatwaves and firestorms across North America and Siberia, while adding massive amounts more soot and carbon dioxide to the atmosphere globally, as forests, peat bogs and tundras at higher latitudes burn, with the threat of escalating into runaway global warming, causing huge temperature swings and extreme weather events, and contributing to increasing depletion of fresh water and food supply.
Image #9.b from:
How many death could result from failure to act on climate change?
10. Methane's Rise
10.a Methane's Rise (1984 - 2015)
This image shows the rise of methane levels from 1984, created with World Metereological Organization (WMO) data up to 2014. The square marks a high mean 2015 level, from NOAA's MetOp-2 satellite images, and it is added for comparison, so it does not influence the trendline, yet it does illustrate the direction of rise of methane levels and the threat that global mean methane levels will double well before the year 2040.
Image #11.a from:
Ocean Heat
10.b Methane's Rise (2000 - 2015)
Growth in methane levels has been accelerating recently. Contained in existing data is a trend indicating that methane levels could increase by a third by 2030 and could almost double by 2040. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane's GWP does rise as more of it is released. Methane's lifetime can be extended to decades, in particular due to depletion of hydroxyl in the atmosphere.
Image #10.b from:
Less sea ice, warmer Arctic Ocean
11. Methane levels are rising most strongly over Arctic (maps 2009 - 2013)
Image #11 from:
Dramatic increase in methane in the Arctic in January 2013
12. Methane rise at higher altitudes
12.a Methane rise at higher altitudes (April 22 version)
The image below compares mean methane levels on the morning of April 22 between the years 2013 to 2017, confirming that methane levels are rising most strongly at higher altitudes, say between 6 to 17 km (which is where the Troposphere ends at the Equator), as compared to altitudes closer to sea level. This strong rise at higher altitudes may not be as noticeable when taking samples from ground stations. This was discussed in earlier posts such as in this post, in this post and in this post.
|57016 feet
|44690 feet
|36850 feet
|30570 feet
|25544 feet
|19820 feet
|14385 feet
|8368 feet
|1916 feet
|17378 m
|13621 m
|11232 m
|9318 m
|7786 m
|6041 m
|4384 m
|2551 m
|584 m
|74 mb
|147 mb
|218 mb
|293 mb
|367 mb
|469 mb
|586 mb
|742 mb
|945 mb
Above conversion table shows the altitude equivalents in feet, m and mb.
10°C or 18°F warmer by 2021?https://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2017/04/10c-or-18f-warmer-by-2021.html
12.b Methane rise at higher altitudes (numerous altitudes)
The image below shows that on September 14, 2016, methane levels at 367 mb were as high as 2697 ppb and global mean methane level was as high as 1865 ppb.
Image #12.b from:
Arctic Sea Ice September 2016 - Update
13. Cartoons
13.a and 13.b Arctic Methane Monster Cartoons
|People seem to want it - IPCC keeps downplaying Arctic methane threat
Arctic Methane Monster
13.c Do NOT tell them the monster exists!
|Do NOT tell them the monster exists
Just do NOT tell them the monster exists
14. The buffer has gone
The danger is that, as Arctic sea ice continues to decline, more heat will reach the seafloor and will destabilize methane hydrates contained in sediments at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, resulting in huge methane eruptions.
|The Buffer has gone, feedback #14 on the Feedbacks page
Image #14 from:


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European Green Capital 2016
Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, may be small compared to other European cities, but it has much to offer. Fly with us to Ljubljana, a city of many cultural monuments, friendly inhabitants and countless cafés that are always full of life. Getting there is now cheaper than ever.
Ljubljana for lovers of history and culture
See the remains of Roman Emona, wander through the pretty Old Town, climb up to the medieval castle on its hill above the city, stop to admire Plečnik's Triple Bridge, walk through the colourful market, visit the National Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art, and relax in spacious Tivoli Park. As evening falls, you can take a boat trip along the Ljubljanica and enjoy a frog's-eye view of the sights. Ljubljana is also a city of culture, as demonstrated by the numerous music, theatre and film events and festivals taking place throughout the year.


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I'd like to use "say" in the terminal to create audio files with a custom phonetic dictionary, or at the very least, say things how I think they should sound. From my understanding, this can't be accomplished through the "Voice Over Utility" configuration screen.
So to have say "speak" things correctly, I'm willing to:
- use a custom phonetic dictionary or
- change my input text to some phonetic variant
For example, I'd like to be able to have the word "colossians" said as I expect it, which is phonetically something like "kuh LOSH uhnz" without the pauses that the spaces cause in the word.