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Ready for lawn parties, patio dining and treks to the dog park? Make sure your dog has the tools to enjoy this season with you. Consider this your warm-weather pet checklist:
Stock up on preventatives
Pests will be pervasive this spring and summer, thanks to unusually warm winter months. I just killed one mosquito the size of a Toyota Prius, and it's only April. Avoid the temptation to slack off on meds that help your pet fight fleas, ticks and especially heartworm, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. Newly released generic formulations make it easier — and cheaper — to take action. You can purchase chewable PetTrust Plus heartworm tablets at Sam's Club and Walmart pharmacies, and Pet Armor topical flea and tick medication at major retailers such as Target and Walgreens.
"A lot of pet owners don't want to get dog's nails trimmed or give medication because it's so much trouble," says dog trainer Harrison Forbes. "Now it's easy and it's really going to help. With heartworm in the South, my vet says there are two kinds of dogs: dogs on heartworm preventatives and dogs that have heartworm. There's no in between."
Dr. Arhonda Johnson, owner of The Ark Animal Hospital in Atlanta, also says to expect plenty of pests this spring and summer. For dogs, she recommends a chewable tablet called Trifexis that tackles fleas, heartworm and intestinal parasites. For cats, she suggests Revolution, a topical solution that fights fleas, ear mites, heartworm, hookworm and roundworm. Whatever formulation you select, set a date on your calendar — or smartphone — to administer meds every month without fail.
Keep pets cool
Make sure pooches can access plenty of fresh water. For outdoor dogs, Forbes typically recommends what he calls "poor man's air conditioning." Fill two, 2-liter soda bottles with water and freeze them overnight. In the morning, place a bottle in your doghouse for day use and replace with the backup bottle that evening. He also recommends placing your doghouse in the shade. Heatstroke can affect dogs quickly, particularly if they have dark, thick coats. Don't forget about chilled treats such as ice cubes or frozen veggies.
"A big mistake people make is they put a bucket of water out in the sun," Forbes says. "A lot of times dogs don't want to drink that and hydrate themselves."
Keep an eye out, especially at the dog park
Dog parks allow pets to burn off excess energy while socializing with four-legged friends. Check out Dogpark.com to find a location near you, and read park rules before grabbing the keys. Most parks require dogs to be up-to-date on vaccinations. Good dog park etiquette also means cleaning up after your dog. Even if you follow every rule to the letter, accidents can happen. In addition to extra bottles of water, it helps to keep a pet first-aid kit in the car, just in case.
"I'm not a huge fan of dog parks," says Forbes. "So many people that go to dog parks don't follow any kind of etiquette or don't have a grasp of their dog's social skills. One split second of a bad incident happening — a traumatic experience where another dog jumps on them and attacks them — and then you have emotional problems with your dog for a long time."
Since dogs benefit from interacting with other pooches, he suggests visiting dog parks during off hours or scheduling playtime in a neighbor's backyard. Dog day cares also offer monitored play under adult supervision.
Watch for stray pets during walks
My dog Lulu gets offended when other dogs intrude on our sidewalk, so relaxing strolls can quickly turn into a game of tug-of-war. During a recent walk, a Jack Russell terrier came charging at us, determined to cause a scene. Amused by the pint-sized pooch's tenacity, Lulu waited patiently for the dog to give up while I spent a stressful few seconds trying to avoid a dog bite. Thankfully, the dog's shocked owner quickly ushered her beloved terrorist back inside.
If you encounter a rogue pooch — or cat — during your walk, dog trainer Kristen Collins of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says it pays to remain calm and remove your pet from the situation. As summer approaches, it also helps to review safety rules with children, who are more prone to being bitten.
"The child needs to say close to the parent," says Collins, who advises kids to be a tree. "Don't move quickly; that can trigger chasing."
If the dog continues to charge, she tells kids to become rocks by assuming the same position used during tornado drills. "Be as small as possible. Use arms and hands to cover your neck and face. This is the safest position for a child if a dog starts biting."
Watch for allergic reactions
Cats and dogs can suffer allergic reactions to pollen, so watch for signs such as excessive chewing, scratching and sneezing. Monitor the pollen count and keep pets inside when the forecast predicts pounds of the powdery stuff. While Benadryl can help relieve allergy symptoms, Johnson recommends calling the vet for proper dosage levels. Oatmeal shampoo also helps relieve itchy skin for cats and dogs. Let the grooming season begin!
All the best.
— Morieka Johnson
Share your tips for pet-proofing the house this spring and summer. Join the conversation on Twitter @soulpup and @MNNPets.
Got a pet question? Send it to email@example.com or submit other questions to Mother Nature and one of our many experts will track down the answer. Plus: Visit our advice archives to see if your question has already been tackled.
Photo: rharrison/Flickr; MNN homepage tease photo: Shutterstock


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Freshman & Sophomore girls
- Image
- View Full Item
- Created Date
- 1939
- Description
The Clark County Idaho Historical Photograph Collection consists of 5,000 images that depict people, events and locations from the early history and subsequent development of Clark County, Idaho. The collection spans the years from the 1890's to the 1990's. The Clark County Historical Society collected the photographs from the book it published in 1990 for the Idaho Centennial called "Settlers of the Silver Sage." The Collection includes all the photographs that the Historical Society had collected from donors throughout the area, including many photos which were not used in the publication.
- Contributing Institution
- Brigham Young University-Idaho
- Subjects
- Clark County (Idaho)
- Type
- image
- Language
- English
- https://utah-primoprod.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=digcoll_byu_12ByuiHistPho/10885&context=L&vid=MWDL
- Rights
- Public access
- Chicago citation style
- Freshman & Sophomore girls. 1939. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, https://utah-primoprod.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=digcoll_byu_12ByuiHistPho/10885&context=L&vid=MWDL. (Accessed June 4, 2020.)
- APA citation style
- (1939) Freshman & Sophomore girls. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, https://utah-primoprod.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=digcoll_byu_12ByuiHistPho/10885&context=L&vid=MWDL
- MLA citation style
- Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America <https://utah-primoprod.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=digcoll_byu_12ByuiHistPho/10885&context=L&vid=MWDL>.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cor on Family Tree Circles
view: full | list
Journals and Posts
any Devine's
looking for my great grandfather, James DeVine.
In 1878 that was where my great grandfather was born. He moved to Central Lake, MI in 1900 as a lumberjack. In 1905 he married Harriett Murphy of Echo Township,MI. He moved to Charlevoix,MI in 1923 farming 40 acres in Antrim county during the summer and working the woods in the winters. He later worked at Loeb farms. He had three sons:
Gordon born in Ridgetown,Ontario
Harold of Charlevoix County
Carl who died in 1956.
Amos Mile Towsley was my great grandfather. He died in 1969. My great grandmother, Harriett lived until 1990 ( born in 1885!! You do the math!!!).
I am searching for Amos' parents and siblings. I have always been told there were hard feelings in the family because he moved to the USA. I have never been able to find a name or birth certificate...
- Displaying 1-2 of 2 Journals
- 1
- of1


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Voices: The Atlantic City blues
The last words of the trailer for Atlantic City, the excellent 1980 movie directed by Louis Malle and starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon, sum it up perfectly: "For anybody who's ever needed one more chance."
Back in the 1970s, Atlantic City — once the World's Playground, famed for the Boardwalk, the Miss American Pageant, the saltwater taffy — was a struggling, faded resort that desperately needed one more chance. So it gambled on gambling.
Casino gambling was going to be the magic elixir that restored the health of the dying city by the sea. The future would feature sparkling new pleasure palaces, free-spending bettors, lots of new jobs, tax revenue for the city and state, and renewal for the city's crumbling neighborhoods only blocks from the fabled Boardwalk.
The casinos came, yes, and so did the jobs and the tax money (although there was never really much of a spinoff — those neighborhoods remained pretty dreary). For decades, the places you went to gamble were Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Now you can gamble pretty much anywhere, and Atlantic City's casino scene, and its prospects, are fading fast. Gambling revenue has been shrinking for years. One casino went under this year, another is going out of business in September and two more plan to close their doors soon if they can't find buyers.
All of which makes me very sad. I have to admit it, I've got a soft spot for the place.
When I was a kid, my family would rent a house in Margate, a lovely beach town south of Atlantic City. My brothers and I loved making the pilgrimage to the Boardwalk as often as we could, riding bikes in the morning, enjoying the amusements on the fabled Steel Pier and our favorite, Steeplechase, at night. After they took us home, my parents, avid cha-cha dancers, would dance to Jay Jerome's orchestra at the Traymore — the very hotel seen being blown up in the beginning of Atlantic City.
Atlantic City was already well past its prime, past the glory years my grandmother Ceil would tell me about, when women would dress up in fur coats to go out on the Boardwalk at night, never mind that it was the middle of summer. But it seemed awfully exciting to me.
As an adult, I made forays to sample the nightlife, dancing at the Opus, listening to soul music at Club Harlem and to a band called Goliath at a club I can't recall. I was a young reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer at the time, and my idol, Inky reporter and noted man about town Don McDonough, had a summer place in Atlantic City. On Monday mornings in the City Hall press room, Dandy Don would regale me with tales of his adventures over the weekend with "Skinny at the 5" — Paul "Skinny" D'Amato, Frank Sinatra's good friend, proprietor of Atlantic City's 500 Club. Completely cool.
The city's first casino, Resorts International, opened May 26, 1978, and I was there that day. The optimism and excitement were palpable. Part of what makes Atlantic City such a special movie is the way it captures the spirit of that era, deftly using the city's nascent recovery as a metaphor for the idea (hope) that there are second chances, that all things are possible, that dreams really can come true.
Don Guardian, Atlantic City's wonderfully named mayor, says his town "has a long and storied history of reinventing itself," and its "best days are still ahead."
Here's hoping he's on to something.
Rieder is USA TODAY's senior editor for features and media columnist.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote on the Green New Deal, a sweeping plan by Democrats to combat climate change and create thousands of jobs in renewable energy. The plan calls for a New Deal-style mobilization to shift the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
Mitch McConnell, senior US Senator from Kentucky; he is a member of the Republican Party., Photo Date: May 24, 2017 / Photo: Sen. Mitch McConnell / Facebook / (MGN)
McConnell and other Republicans oppose the plan but are hoping to force Senate Democrats — including a crowd of 2020 presidential candidates — to vote on a proposal Republicans say would drive the economy off a cliff and lead to a huge tax increase.
President Donald Trump slammed the plan at a rally Monday in Texas, saying it would "shut down American energy."


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Evensong meditative candlelight service on New Year's Eve
How will we begin a new year? St. Barnabas Church offers a time of reflection and beauty on Monday, Dec. 31, at 5:30 p.m. to which everyone is invited. Evensong is a meditative candlelit service, and will include scripture readings, chant, silence, and organ preludes. The church is located at 110 W. North St. Call 565-7865 for more information.
Community New Year's Eve Service
Everyone is welcome to a 3rd annual community New Year's Eve Service on Monday, Dec. 31, from 10 p.m. until midnight. The Cortez Family Worship Center and Vida en Victoria Foursquare Churches will bring in 2013, honoring the Lord with praise and worship, prayer, the Word and prophetic declarations. We are located at 500 N. Washington St. Call 749-9774 for more information. Finger food will follow the service at midnight. Call 749-9774 for more information.


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The Senior Games
by Debra Wood, RN
The first National Senior Olympic Games were held in 1987 with 2,500 competitors. Now, the Games have over 10,000 competitors each year.
The Senior Games offers a variety of sports from which to challenge yourself, whether you are an archer or a triathlete. The games are held every 2 years in different cities around the US. If you want to compete, you must be at least 50 years old and qualify in a state competition in the year prior to the national competition. You can qualify in your home state or a state that allows outside participants.
Some, like John, 80, of Florida, and Lynne, 60, of California, have never competed nationally before. Others, including Richard Davies, 64, of Tennessee, are prior medal winners in the international arena.
"When you participate in the Senior Games, you get a feeling from year to year that you really aren't getting older," says Davies, who brought home gold from the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. "Senior Games gives me an opportunity to compete again on a national level and maybe one of these days on an international level."
It's Never Too Late
John began his athletic career in 1992 after watching seniors compete in an event near Orlando, Florida.
"I said, 'I can run as good as those guys and probably beat them,'" John recalls. And he has, winning more than 140 medals, including 125 gold. "I work hard at this, and I'm dedicated to the running. I feel that I'm a senior athlete as opposed to a senior games participant."
John alternates workouts—running and sprinting one day; lifting weights, rowing, and doing push-ups, sit-ups, leg-pulls, shot put, and long jumps the next. He participates in 6-10 track meets every year and feels his newfound fitness has improved his cardiovascular health.
Bouncing Back Better Than Ever
After leaving amateur athletics and launching a successful career at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Davies stayed in shape and played tennis. When he retired and moved to the mountains, he learned about the Senior Games. A bout with prostate cancer motivated him to begin competing again.
"If I could keep some distance or times or improve upon them, that meant I wasn't going downhill but progressing," Davies says. He has surpassed his expectations, throwing the javelin farther than he has since college.
Like many older athletes, Davies competes in several events: basketball, tennis, badminton, and track and field. Although competition stays intense and winning medals is important, for most of the athletes, the games offer more than a chance to prove they are the best.
"There's an interesting camaraderie that I never experienced in college or international competition," says Davies.
From Fan to Dedicated Athlete
If it were not for people like Davies, Lynne may never have become an international champion.
"One of the reasons I was able to go back in the pool after my first swim meet and do a second one a year later was that everybody was so positive," Lynne explains. Lynne has competed in the Senior Olympics and Masters Swimming.
Lynne's husband, Harry, fueled the family interest in the games when he began playing basketball.
"I hadn't even been in a pool for two-and-a-half years," she explains. "I started working out and swimming a half mile twice a week, and I got a couple of my friends doing it."
She now spends 4 or more hours a day, Sunday through Friday, in the gym and pool at Loma Linda University. The hard work has paid off, in medals and personal satisfaction. Her current times surpass those she had in high school. She holds a gold medal from a world Masters' event.
"I'm pleased with what has happened with my body," she says. "There's a thing called endorphins, and they work. It's a high you get from exercise, and it sticks with you."
Just Plain Fun
Lynne says competing in the Senior Games has enriched her life in other ways. She and Harry have met several new friends who share their love of exercise and sports. Even when shoulder surgery temporarily forced Lynne from the pool, people she had met through swimming gave her a needed boost.
"I was surprised how many calls or messages I got from people I had met around the country and the world," Lynne says. "That recognition and acceptance is probably the strongest I have ever had in my life."
Information and registration for the 19 available sports can be found at the http://www.nsga.com website. National and state qualifying dates are available on the website as well.
National Senior Games Association
Team USA
Canadian Heritage
Canadian Senior Games Association
History of NSGA. National Senior Games Association website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed June 29, 2017.
Senior games promote health and wellness. AARP website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated September 1, 2012. Accessed June 29, 2017.
Last reviewed June 2017 by EBSCO Medical Review BoardMichael Woods, MD, FAAP
Last Updated: 7/13/2015
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This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
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Waste-to-energy project in Puerto Rico secures key federal permit
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The U.S. government approved a key permit Tuesday that helps pave the way for construction of a waste-to-energy plant in Puerto Rico that local environmentalists have long opposed.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded New York-based Energy Answers International an air permit to operate a 77-megawatt facility in the northern coastal town of Arecibo. It would be the U.S. territory's largest recycling plant if approved.
Other permits are still pending for a facility that would generate enough power to serve more than 76,000 homes in five municipalities a day.
"We are very, very pleased," project director Mark Green said in a phone interview. "It is probably the most demanding of all the permits that the project needs to secure."
If approved, the $650 million facility would be built in three years, generate some 3,800 jobs and have a capacity to process more than 2,100 tons (1,900 metric tons) of garbage a day.
It's the first time a waste-to-energy facility in Puerto Rico has received such a permit, said Jose Font, the EPA director for the Caribbean. He said the agency reviewed 3,000 public comments before issuing its decision.
Members of an Arecibo-based coalition that oppose the project plan to appeal the EPA's decision, saying they are worried about contamination. The coalition has held weekly protests in front of the mayor's office for more than two years in a push to block the project.
"We feel this project is a serious threat to the health of people in Arecibo and the island," said Angel Gonzalez, a coalition member and president of the public and environmental health committee of Puerto Rico's Association of Surgeons.
The coalition recently celebrated a decision by Puerto Rico's Justice Department to annul the government's contract with Energy Answers International for legal reasons. Green, however, said that company lawyers are fighting the decision and expect to succeed.
Environmental consultant Alexis Molinares said the facility would use waste produced at home, receiving everything collected by municipal and private garbage trucks that is not recyclable. The energy created would then be sold to the state-owned power company, he said.
The EPA's announcement comes as Puerto Rico prepares to close several landfills as it runs out of space for garbage, with the island producing an estimated 10,000 tons (9,000 metric tons) of garbage a day. Puerto Rico has some 30 landfills, but government officials have said that only about five meet local and federal standards.


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Last week I wrote wondering who will police EMRs and EHRs. With the release of IOM's report recommending the creation of a different federal agency to serve as EMR watchdog, this topic has been generating buzz in healthcare circles. I'm by no means an expert in healthcare IT or policy matters but the discussion surrounding this topic has helped me think things through better than last week. Commenter Don Fluckinger answered the blog post with the first comment on the post – saying "these guys" and pointing to EHREvent.org. Commenter Carl Bergman said the FDA, which is already tasked with gathering adverse events for medical devices, might be the ideal go-to-agency for software adverse events as well. It is my understanding that medical software would receive Category 3 classification, if FDA were to provide the oversight.
IOM's approach has been to suggest the creation of a non-regulatory, NTSB-like body. IOM's rationale for undercutting FDA's role has been that FDA classification system might stifle health IT innovation. (I've only had the time to read the very first few pages summarizing the rest of the IOM report, so I'm not sure if/how they address these concerns later.)
Here's what I don't get: What's the point of creating yet another powerless body to issue guidelines? If there's already a body with regulatory and oversight powers that covers your domain, has a large database of medical device related adverse events, why can its capabilities not be extended further to medical software as well? Further, why are health IT vendors exempt from any slaps on the wrist?
No offense to anyone, but from what I'm reading about EHRevent.org, I don't see much to recommend them: John says they "are not going to have high enough profile to be able to really collect the reports… a reporting system is great, but if no one knows to report something there, then it's not worth much. Plus, if someone reports something but the organization doesn't do anything with that information, it's not very meaningful". Valid question but I think there could be some easy workarounds for the problem of not knowing how/where to report shouldn't be a major issue. Healthcare IT just needs the software equivalents of those "How's my driving?" flaps adorning the backs of 18-wheelers. The bigger question is what happens when the EMR system fails? Who pays? How much? How does the vendor ensure the failure doesn't happen again? Do we learn from the cumulative mistakes of the industry? Time will tell.


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Animal (not pet) pictures
A thread for animal pictures (not particularly pet pictures which there is another thread for elsewhere in this section).
Orphaned kangaroo and wombat are inseparable friends (they even share the same pouch)
Read more, and see more photos of them here:
Orphaned kangaroo and wombat are inseparable friends (they even share the same pouch) | Mail Online
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A photo may be worth 1,000 words, but professional photographer Hannah Stonehouse Hudson has learned it can also be worth 2.2 million views, 191,162 likes, 108,766 shares and 21,936 comments (and counting) on Facebook.
"My specialty is documenting relationships, whether it's a wedding or a man and his dog," says the Bayfield, Wis., photographer. "I have known my friend John and his dog, Schoep, for six years. I have seen Schoep age -- he's 19 now. John lives his life in a kind way. He rescued this dog as a puppy, they have gone everywhere together ever since. Schoep has arthritis now, and John finds that the water is therapeutic. He is the kind of person who wants his animals to be comfortable. I wanted to capture their relationship. I told John, 'I really need to get photos of you and your dog.'
Last Tuesday, we met at the beach for the photo. While John swam with the dog, I got on the dock so I could be at eye level. It took five minutes.
"In the shot, the dog is completely relaxed, with his head on John's shoulder, eyes closed, out cold. John's eyes are closed, too. The water is calm. It's completely serene.
"That night, I wrote on Facebook about the amazing photo session I had just had with a dog that is 19 years old and his human. It was just a preview of the photo, but people freaked out about it. I had no idea they'd get so excited!
"The next night, Wednesday, I was exhausted from shooting a wedding, but I knew I had to post that photo. I wrote: 'This (is) 19-year-old (Schoep) being cradled in his father's arms last night in Lake Superior. (Schoep) falls asleep every night when he is carried into the lake. The buoyancy of the water soothes his arthritic bones. Lake Superior is very warm right now, so the temp of the water is perfect. I was so happy I got to capture this moment for John. By the way, John rescued Shoep as an 8 month old puppy, and he's been by his side through many adventures.'
Within minutes, there were 100 likes. The next morning, Thursday, there were 600 shares. It was crazy.
"On Thursday, I was shooting a wedding on Madeline Island. My friends were emailing me, asking me if I'd seen what was happening with the photo on Facebook. I said, 'No, I'm working.'
By then, there were 5,000 shares. I literally broke down in tears.
"I am not a posed photo person. My photos are always in the moment, translating what I see in my heart and mind and showing it to others. I never thought that this many people would see the same thing.
"In this photo, people have said they see everything from pure love to hope for the world. They see peace, kindness, the relationship between man and dog. Two women, both whose husbands died from cancer, said they never thought they'd see love again, but this photo showed them love. People are leaving me messages, crying and opening up about dogs they've lost, spouses they've lost. Women are also asking me if John is single!
"I know this is not about me -- it's about a guy who loves his dog -- but I am in complete awe that my photo has had such an impact."
Prints can be purchased from the photographer, and part of the proceeds will go toward vet bills for Schoep.
Molly Guthrey can be reached at 651-228-5505.
One man, one dog, one Facebook photo that has touched thousands of hearts - TwinCities.com
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This is one big reason why I can't wait to get my goats!! So funny!
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SNOW HILL — A Worcester County man found guilty of second-degree murder in 2008 will not be granted a new trial after the state's highest court last week ruled the Circuit Court did not err in denying his alleged last-minute request to replace the public defender representing him in his original trial.
Kendall Irin Northam, now 23, of Pocomoke, was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree assault in September 2008 for his role in the beating death of Judy Wojcik in an apparent sex for drugs deal gone wrong in a rural area near Pocomoke in January 2008. Northam was later sentenced to 30 years in prison at a sentencing hearing in December 2008, but quickly appealed the conviction on a variety of issues.
Last April, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals heard arguments in Northam's ruled favorably on Northam's appeal, reversing the conviction from his September 2008 trial in Worcester County Circuit Court, however, no decision was made at the time whether or not to retry the case. The state then asked the Court of Appeals, the highest court in Maryland, to review the lower appeals court's decision, seeking clarification on a variety of issues, not the least of which was Northam's alleged last ditch effort to replace public defender Burton Anderson before his trial in 2008.
Last week, the Court of Appeals reversed the lower appeals court's decision on Northam's plea for a new attorney, essentially denying the convicted killer a shot at a new trial, on that point only. However, the high court ordered Northam's case be remanded to the Court of Special Appeals for a review of his other appellant issues.
Northam's appeal was based on a variety of issues, not the least of which was the trial court's alleged error in not allowing the suspect to change lawyers prior to his trial in September 2008. According to the appeal, Northam first expressed a desire to discharge his public defender in February 2008 in the form of two letters to the court stating he wished to drop his counsel and have another assigned to his case.
The Worcester County Circuit Court judge acknowledged Northam's request for a new attorney in March 2008, but "never explicitly ruled on it," according to the appeal. Instead, the judge told Northam to be patient because it was a long process and his appointed public defender would have plenty of time to discuss his defense, according to the appeal.
Months passed as Northam's trial neared, but his continued requests for new counsel fell on deaf ears, according to the appeal. In the days leading up to the trial, Northam submitted a motion for a change of venue, which also included a request for new counsel. On September 11, 2008, Judge Thomas Groton, who was now presiding over the case, denied the motion for a change of venue with a written order, but failed to address Northam's request for new counsel.
In its opinion released last week, the Court of Appeals ruled neither the Circuit Court judge nor Anderson had failed Northam by not granting his request for the new attorney.
"If, either at the conclusion of the September 24, 2008 pretrial hearing, or prior to the commencement of trial on the following day, the respondent requested that Mr. Anderson arrange for him to be represented by another defense counsel, Mr. Anderson would have been obligated to notify Judge Groton that the respondent had made such a request," the opinion reads. "As Judge Groton was not so notified, the respondent is not entitled to a new trial on the ground he was not permitted to explain the reasons for requesting permission to discharge Mr. Anderson."
A Worcester County grand jury indicted Northam and his co-defendants, Shawn Treherne, 23, of Bowie, Md., and David K. Justice, 20, of Pocomoke, charging them with first-degree murder and other charges related to the beating death of Wojcik, whose body was found by a trapper in a rural area near Pocomoke.
Early on in the investigation, detectives identified Treherne and Northam as suspects, but it was not until later that they started to believe Justice was involved. Justice was later arrested and charged for his role in the beating death of Wojcik. In his statement included in the appeal, Northam said Treherne and Justice were the aggressors in the attack and that he was essentially just along for the ride in the sex for drugs and money case.
However, according to court records, a concerned witness told detectives he allegedly spoke to Northam shortly after the murder was reported to the police and that Northam said himself, Treherne and another man picked up Wojcik and drove her to a wooded area where she was to perform sex acts for money and drugs. Northam allegedly told the witness a disagreement arose for some reason at which time they beat and kicked Wojcik and left her in the wooded area. Northam later admitted he was present during the fatal attack on Wojcik but downplayed his participation, claiming he never wanted to have sex with the victim, nor was he interested in the drugs in the transaction.


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Hackers Raid Blizzard, Make Off With Answers to Secret Questions
Aug 11, 2012 5:00 AM PT
Hackers have hit Blizzard's Battle.net online gaming network, stealing users' email addresses, the answers to their personal security questions, and information relating to mobile and dial-in authenticators.
The intruders hit the company's North American servers, which support players in North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
Subscribers' credit card data, billing addresses and real names have apparently not been compromised, the "World of Warcraft" maker said. The combined data is not enough for anyone to gain access to Battle.net accounts, Blizzard contended.
However, the security breach could still be troublesome due to the exposure of email addresses, Philip Lieberman, president of Lieberman Software, told TechNewsWorld.
"Combined with disclosure of their personal security answers, you have a pretty bad situation for many users, especially if these same questions are used for activities such as banking," Lieberman elaborated.
The company has published warnings on its sites about the hack and apologized to users. It also said it is working with law enforcement.
Evil Is Upon Us
The hackers "could use the email addresses for spearphishing campaigns," Frank Artes, a research director at NSS Labs, told TechNewsWorld.
"Any time you can gather critical personal information, you gain the upper hand in performing a social engineering exercise to gain control of an account," Artes continued.
Fear My Moo of Fury
Blizzard has recommended that subscribers change their passwords for Battle.net. It also suggests users who employ the same or similar passwords as on their Battle.net accounts for other purposes change them as well.
Over the next few days, the company will prompt players on North American servers to change their secret questions and answers through an automated process.
"Blizzard users should change the answers to their personal security questions at all sites where they used the same question-and-answer pair," Randy Abrams, a research director at NSS Labs, told TechNewsWorld. Using the same answer to the same password reset questions at multiple sites is "almost exactly the same thing as using the same password again."
Blizzard will also prompt users of its mobile authenticator services to update their authenticator software.
The company reminded users that phishing emails will ask for their password or login information, and it pointed out that emails it sends will not ask for their passwords.
Why You Poking Me Again?
Blizzard's site was previously been hacked in May, and the company tightened up security in response.
However, "there is little that gamers or users of any other online service can do to prevent these attacks other than voting with their wallets to encourage online services to secure their data," Richard Wang, manager of SophosLabs U.S., told TechNewsWorld.
On the other hand, Blizzard's "is a massive network with very many portals and third-party interconnects, and its main purpose is to be used by the consumer market," NSS's Artes pointed out. "There is a balance between usability and lockdown that has to be maintained to keep it viable."
I Am Vigilant
Some questions were raised about why Blizzard announced the hack nearly a week after the attack was discovered.
However, "from [Blizzard's] announcement on the breach you see a lot of security maturity," NSS' Artes remarked.
Blizzard has a contingency and event plan "and have executed it," Artes continued. It "appears to have used encryption, not just a hash as others have, on the passwords."
The hackers obtained cryptographically scrambled versions of passwords rather than the actual passwords themselves.
Blizzard encrypted users' passwords using Secure Remote Pass Protocol. This protocol is resistant to dictionary by eavesdroppers and enables strong security using weak passwords.
Further, Blizzard "appears to have separated billing information from authentication and account data," which mitigates the damage from the breach, Artes stated. Finally, "they have notified customers and did it very clearly and quickly."
Blizzard did not respond to our request for further details.


text:
Lightning-Proof Wind TurbinesSoren Find Madsen
Global Lightning Protection Services A/S, Lejre, Denmark
Søren Find Madsen, Global Lightning Protection Services A/S, Lejre, Denmark
Global Lightning Protection Services A/S (GLPS) is an engineering consultant firm specializing in lightning protection. Their current research involves protecting wind turbines from lightning strikes, which can interfere with the electronic equipment in the housing of the turbines.
To analyze optimum design, GLPS created a CAD model of the wind turbine's structure and imported it into SpaceClaim® Engineer to remove small details. Using COMSOL's LiveLink™ for SpaceClaim®, the model was then transferred into COMSOL Multiphysics, where a series of scenarios imitating realistic lightning current pulses were studies.
The model permits GLPS to vary the contact points, calculate current amplitudes, and map the distribution and duration of current in the structural components. The research is used by GLPS's customers to improve wind turbine design.
Illustration of the magnetic field after a 200 kA @ 25 kHz lightning strike strikes one of the blades
- GLPS_MS12.pdf - 0.28MB


text:
Smash and Grab
|Smash and Grab
Vincenzo Cilli telling Toni Cipriani about the failure of his men to rob a petrol station.
|GTA Liberty City Stories
|Vincenzo Cilli
|Rescue Leone Family mobsters from the AmCo station.
|Atlantic Quays, Portland, Liberty City
Death of Toni Cipriani
Arrest of Toni Cipriani
Death of the Leone Family mobsters
|Hot Wheels
|Unlocked by
Smash and Grab is a mission in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories given to protagonist Toni Cipriani by Vincenzo Cilli from his warehouse in Atlantic Quays, Portland, Liberty City.
Toni drops by Vincenzo's warehouse in Atlantic Quays to get more work. Vincenzo is not happy to see Toni, since he is furious about three members of the gang who have botched up a job at the AmCo petrol station in Harwood. Toni pokes fun at Vincenzo, who then sends Toni to rescue them from the Liberty City Police Department officers.
Toni grabs a four door vehicle and drives to the petrol station in Harwood. After entering the petrol station, the Leone Family gang members get in the car, Toni receives a three-star wanted level, and Toni drives to the Pay 'n' Spray in Red Light District and loses the police. Toni then drives to Vincenzo's warehouse in Atlantic Quays to complete the mission.
Vincenzo Cilli: Oh, it's you.
Toni Cipriani: Yeah, how 'bout that. It's me. What-do-ya-know!
Vincenzo Cilli: I'll tell you what I know tough guy. Some of our boys have screwed up a simple, no brain, fucking job. Lousy bastards can't even pull off a simple raid. Marron! Why am I surrounded by so many fucking idiots?
Toni Cipriani: I don't know... 'birds of a feather?
Vincenzo Cilli: Oh, you're a fucking comedian! Well, laugh this off wise-guy. You're the one who's gonna clear this shit up for me! Now get over there and drag those morons back here!
(Toni drives to the AMCo Petrol Station in Harwood)
Mafioso: We're screwed.
(Toni gets into the AMCo Petrol Station and the Leone family gang members enter the vehicle)
Mafioso: Floor it Toni!
The reward for completing the mission is $1,000 and the unlocking of the Hot Wheels mission.
Toni Cipriani entering Vincenzo Cilli's car on his way to Harwood.
Vincenzo Cilli's men at the petrol station.
Toni Cipriani getting the car re-sprayed at Pay'n'Spray to lose the police.
Toni Cipriani returning Vincenzo Cilli's men to Cilli's warehouse in Atlantic Quays.
Video walkthrough
|PS2 Version - GTASeriesVideos


text:
February 22, 2005
Go to
our forums
to discuss this article
J.N. Anderson is an occasional
guest columnist on AutoRacing1.com. In this article Mr. Anderson points a
finger of blame at the CART insiders who were as much to blame for the demise of
this once great racing series as Tony George did by creating the IRL. What's
left of the tattered and struggling sport of Indy Car Racing can be blamed on the
greed and ineptitude of those involved.
When motorsports historians write
about this chapter in the history of CART and 'The Split' it is my hope they will
FINALLY do so with the benefit of some first person narrative from the team owners
and CART managers who, by the time their recollections are requested for
posterity, might be willing to finally share with us the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth (by then the statue of limitation should have run out
for those who broke the law) on how they plotted to bring down CART from within.
In my opinion the planning for this palace coup d'état began LONG before the
Detroit Grand Prix pop-off valve incident. The conspiracy to assassinate CART more
than likely began with the search to replace F1 bound CART President Bobby Rahal.
Actually, the plan was probably
hatched long before that when one of the more influential team owners secured a
handshake agreement with one of the Japanese engine builders to support this
owner's considered defection to the IRL. Who knows what this team owner may have
promised to the engine builder to convince them to support the move, but based on
the commercial performance of the IRL since the defections I'm pretty sure they
didn't get what was promised to them. Including the death of CART.
I would further speculate the
handshake deal with the motor men was done only after the influential team owner
had already made HIS decision that the grass was somehow suddenly much greener on
the IRL's side of the fence. Who knows what inducements may have been promised to
this team owner, and by whom, to arrive at the conclusion the IRL was where he
really wanted to be racing. But the choreography for the wholesale defection of
engine builders and teams from CART to the IRL soon began.
It's probably worth noting the
defections from CART more than likely saved the IRL from its grave in its 11th
hour. Where would the IRL be right now IF, at the very least, the team owners had
stayed loyal to CART?
What demands deep historic scrutiny are the actions of CART's board members during
this time frame. If the minutes of CART board meetings, particularly those of the
engine committee, could be carefully studied and compared to the stock trading
activity of various CART team owners it would become painfully clear SEC
regulations (Federal law) were likely broken by these robber-barons.
Besides the issue of insider trading
it would also be interesting to know the SEC's opinion as to the degree to which
various CART board members may have breached their fiduciary responsibilities to
both the corporation and, more importantly, to the true owners of the company,
CART's stockholders. I'm sure significant stakeholders like Jonathan Vannini would
like a copy of those answers as well. I will leave this question to be pondered by
the appropriate legal professionals, some of whom I hope are Champ Car fans and
readers of this fine web site.
It didn't really matter who the CART board selected as the final candidate for the
position of President after Bobby Rahal. Whomever they selected was doomed to
failure from the first day he walked into CART's suburban Detroit office.
The self-dealing owners needed someone
with strong street-smarts as a corporate leader, ideally someone with strengths in
some area of the business in which CART was lacking, such as television, but who
did not come from the motorsports rank and file.
This naiveté on the part of the new
President was one of the requirements that didn't appear in the job description
and necessary to insure the owners plotting would not be unearthed until it was
too late. The damage would already be done.
Joe Heitzler
Am I the only one who has wondered why
Chris Pook, a skilled and highly credentialed motorsports professional, was passed
over by the Delaware board the first time around? "He wanted too much money" I
believe was the board's justification for passing on Pook. In my opinion Pook
could have offered to work for FREE but the job would still have gone to an
unsuspecting Joe Heitzler.
Once the CART board had the perfect fall guy in place the team owners on the
"Slander and Defamation Committee" went to work inventing the lies they would
later not so stealthily slip to pro-IRL rags like NSSN in order to besmirch their
President's professional reputation at the opportune time. I believe this little
escapade cost CART a cool $1 million in stakeholder equity in order to settle the
suit brought by Mr. Heitzler out of court, where, if the case had gone to trial, I
would speculate a great deal of CART's very dirty laundry would have been dragged
from its hamper!
Meanwhile the Engine Committee was
advising CART management to accept the IRL engine spec and making thinly veiled
threats as to what would happen if they didn't. By the time the Detroit Grand Prix
rolled around the stage was set. A willing accomplice within CART blows the
whistle on the design of the plenum and positioning of pop-off valve pressure sensor (a fairly BRILLIANT bending
of the rules in my opinion) thereby tricking the pop-off valve into allowing more
turbo boost in the Honda mill and we're off to the Kabuki dance.
I found it interesting Honda got
busted for this AFTER Penske Racing switched from Honda to Toyota power. Just a
coincidence? It has not yet been proven to my satisfaction whether the plenum
sensor infraction had been long known to CART's tech people, and they chose to
ignore it for fear the long swords would be unsheathed if they pressed it or if it
was, in fact, new information that had just recently come to their attention.
Either way Honda has been publicly
branded a cheater and in the best Bushido tradition face now had to be saved.
Heitzler is ill-advised by CART managers as to the potential ramifications and
makes what we now know to have been an uninformed (badly informed) decision that
the engine Samurai can not accept. We now have the "public" face for the beginning
of the end for CART.
In the aftermath of the Detroit Pop-Off Valve Controversy Joe Heitzler is
ultimately vilified and unceremoniously run out of town. Chris Pook is brought in
to "save the day" but instead spends CART into bankruptcy without any resistance
from CART's board ( " . . . sure Chris, spend it all!" ) who by now have managed
to successfully dump all their MPH shares without SEC detection.
I'm sure the final act in this passion
play was to have been Tony George swooping in to buy CART's assets, particularly
the race venues, in bankruptcy. But what Tony didn't count on was his curtain call
with a standing ovation being stolen by Kevin Kalkhoven & Company. Tony also hadn't
counted on the ineptitude of his attorneys who completely failed to grasp the
intricacies of the bankruptcy process in which they were embroiled.
It seems Tony thought he was showing
up at some kind of motorsports flea market where he could leisurely stroll, funnel
cake in hand, amongst CART's pace cars, transporters, venues, and the very photo
copy machines that would soon be spitting out his likeness with the word "Loser"
plastered over his face. Imagine his surprise when the court decided for OWRS'
lower bid! Tony was simply outgunned by OWRS' better legal team.
Someday the truth of The Defections and The Split will come out. Names will be
attached to actions.
Someday a trophy bride widow or a
trust fund spoiled child will comb through the notes or journals of a dead man
who, under much different circumstances, would have been held out as one of the
legends, an adored icon, of the great sport.
But for those of us on this side of
the split these men will only be remembered for their greed and their drunken thirst
for power. Remembered for their disloyalty and treachery to the very series that
made them their fortunes, and their reputations. And of course they will be
remembered for the incomprehensible damage they caused to a once mighty sport we
are all struggling to stay in love with.
Thank you gentlemen. You will be
remembered for the destruction of an entire industry and the handing of the USA
motorsports market to NASCAR on a silver platter.
Note: Since publishing this
article AR1 readers have pointed out (the best educated fans in the sport!) and my
own research has confirmed a couple of inaccuracies I would like to correct and/or
clarify: 1.) Team Penske raced under Honda power from 1999 through 2001, their
final season in CART. Team Penske raced with Toyota power in their 2002 debut
season in the IRL. It was Target Team Ganassi Racing that switched from Honda
power to Toyota power for their 2000 season and they stayed with Toyota powered
through the 2002 season, their last in CART. Like Team Penske, Target Team Ganassi
Racing made their IRL debut with Toyota power.
The Detroit pop-off valve controversy, as best as I can reconstruct, had nothing
to do with the CART issued pop-off valve but everything to do with the design of
the plenum chamber used on the Honda motor. It was alleged that the design of the
plenum somehow tricked a properly calibrated pop-off valve to allow more boost on
the Honda motor than the same valve would have permitted on the Toyota motor. My
apologize for the error. J.N. Anderson
The author can be contacted at
Go to
to discuss this article
Archived Editorials
More than meets the eye with CART's turbo move
It's time for CART to define its own future
Key upgrades at Road America
Back-breaking work
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A wakeup call for CART and the IRL
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2002 will be a critical year for CART and for Pook
Tongue-In-Cheek, we take out the crystal ball again
CART & IRL - it's becoming clearer where we're going
What's the holdup on Pook?
Will CART get Shanghaied?
2002 CART season shaping up just fine
CART Franchise Board fails to ratify new engines
Is Ginger just what the doctored ordered for Alex Zanardi?
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CART - a stranger in a strange land
German 500 - measuring the media impact
An in-depth interview with Jonathan Vannini
CART N/A Engine/Car Update
Comparing CART and F1
Vannini advocates major overhaul to rescue CART series
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Americans don't realize what they have in CART
A proposed solution to CART's engine dilemma
Ford Cosworth opens its doors
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My thoughts on a variety of CART issues - by Jon Vannini
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Setting the record straight on CART's German 500
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Things are happening at CART
CART' Data Acquisition Systems - there's a new kid on the block.
CART's next moves will be crucial.
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Andretti set to return to Indy
Sam Hornish wins Phoenix, de Ferran punted
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CART Engines, If it ain't broke, don't fix it
And the 2001 CART Champion will be....
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Soft walls or soft cars?
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Is CART's problem really a lack of American's?
CART vs. NASCAR - TV Coverage
Bubbas' rule auto racing
Book review - Autocourse 2000/2001
Do heroes make a sport, or does a sport make heroes
To-Do-List, for CART's new President
Lawsuits, Will Greg Moore's final legacy to racing be more than one of…….
Tire Warmers, an idea whose time has come
BrandingCART and their race cars
Will CART's next leader be a corporate visionary?
AddressingCART's TV issues
CART, do you know who you are?
Will CART miss this boat too, - Destined to shadow NASCAR?
Why the new Indy Lights cars should meet IRLspecs
SoftWalls - drivers take a stand while you still can
CART Fan Forum - Highlights from CART's very first Fan Forum
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Mario Andretti Tribute - America's Driver of the Century
Shift w/o Lift- How it works
Aerodynamics- CART's chance to make progressive changes
CART's HP dilemma
Soft Walls - Finally, a safer wall system
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A year of progress shapes Rockingham
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Warming-up at Nazareth
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Standing Start Rules proposed standing start rules for CART
Standing Starts are they right for CART?
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For Alex Figge and PCM it's baptism by fire
A tribute to Alfred J. Cipolloni
Champ Car owners move to silence critics
Establishing a firm foundation for Champ Car
One-on-one with Champ Car President Steve Johnson
J.R. Hildebrand is one American going places in a hurry
What's new for Champ Car for 2007 - Part 1
Champ Car positions itself for international expansion
Paul Stoddart confirms interest in Champ Car
An inside look at Champ Car TV production
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Stephen King explains Justin Wilson's novel Investor's Club
One-on-one with American sensation AJ Allmendinger
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Part 2: NASCAR/ISC get dirty in Phoenix, out to destroy Open Wheel
Part 1: NASCAR/ISC get dirty in Phoenix, out to destroy Open Wheel
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Why and IRL/Champ Car merger will be a big boost for the sport
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Richard Lyons looking at Champ Car for his next challenge
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Car lays out bold 3-year plan
Champ Car's 2005 driver lineup vastly improved
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with new team
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Feud - The story of the murder of Mickey Thompson
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Carl Russo is bullish on Champ Car
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Open Wheel Racing needs a win by OWRS - Part
The next generation Champ Cars - Part 2
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The genius of one Bernard Ecclestone
CART Champ Cars, the next generation - Part 1
Details emerging on CART race in Seoul, South Korea
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Push-to-Pass means no more parades for CART
An interview with CART's David Clare
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CART must differentiate itself - clearly
turbos make for superior street and race engines
For CART, it's now or never
Chicken or the Egg?
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What Bernie brings to CART
CART, Driven to where?
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If I were
The Champ Cars and St. Pete
informal survey of the St. Pete race attendees
Artificial Dissemination
CART, F1 coming to grips with doing business in China
Cancel the Funeral
CART and F1 must, and will, share a common V-10 engine
Book Review: Autocourse 2002-2003 F1 yearbook
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2002 CART TV ratings by the numbers
Now is the time for CART to redefine its ladder system
CART gets a taste of tifosi passion in Mexico
affair in Mexico
Making sense out of Bernie/CART rumors
Changing of the guard?
Mom, apple pie, CART and....Formula1?
Why CART and Bernie make perfect dance partners
Miami should be a CART and ALMS kickoff party
David slays Goliath in Miami
What to make of Gurney's F1 team
Taking it to the streets, why Miami is a war
CART, like the Phoenix, about to rise up from the ashes
There's more
than handwriting on the wall.....and here's the concrete facts
Day weekend 1952...A weekend I'll never forget
owners show support for CART
CART still
may be in cards for Villeneuve
Bryan Herta, USA's next best chance for F1
Is Paul
Ricard in CART's future?
CART's real attendance numbers
Is Brands
Hatch suitable for Champ Cars?
An Unappealing Appeal, George reigns in GEORGE-town
A candid
conversation with Chris Pook
More than meets the eye with CART's turbo move
It's time for CART to define its own future
upgrades at Road America
Back-Breaking work
rebirth of CART
hidden costs of Indy Car racing
CART's road and street circuits are clicking with the fans
Is it sport, or a P.T. Barnum show?
IRL at Fontana - a victim of friendly fire
CART's 2003 race venues #1 in the world
Meet the Gonzalez brothers
ISC is making enemies in Miami
Copyright 1999-2014 AutoRacing1 is an
independent internet online publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed
by the IRL., NASCAR, FIA, Sprint, or any other series sponsor.
This material may not be published, broadcast, or redistributed without
Copyright 1999-2014 AutoRacing1 is an
independent internet online publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed
by the IRL., NASCAR, FIA, Sprint, or any other series sponsor.
This material may not be published, broadcast, or redistributed without


text:
Take, for example:
Even if you know nothing about Alexandria other than the fact that it is a thing, "city named for Alexander the Great" must be a city with "Alexander" in its name, so a give away like this is practically giving away points (especially if one team negs, then the points are essentially "given" to the other team in this case)HSAPQ set 16 wrote:For 10 points, name this Egyptian city founded by and named for Alexander the Great.
compare this to a giveaway (from the same set) like
You need some sort of actual knowledge about Argentinian writers (either Borges or ones earlier in the question) to be able to answer this question, unlike the last one.HSAPQ set 16 wrote:For 10 points, name this home country of Jorge Luis Borges.
Of course, there are hundreds of examples, but I wanted to know if there is much of a rationale defending such easy give aways, or other people find them to be bad and they just fall through the cracks. I certainly understand that the give-away does have that name, but it should be able to make the question easy while still testing some sort of real knowledge.


text:
From Victoria O'Hara as told to Carrie Sloan.
For most of my life, I've felt like I would never have enough money.
Growing up, there wasn't enough, and my childhood was chaotic: I was born in Anchorage, Alaska in the 1970s, and my dad worked on the oil pipeline that was being built, so he was away a lot.
Then two freak accidents changed my life forever: When my sister was 5 and I was 2 1/2, she was killed by a falling tree. Two years later, our house burned down. The combo, I think, is probably what drove my family apart.
My mom, as you can imagine, pretty much fell apart.
My parents divorced when I was 5 or 6, and we were always moving. My mom always seemed to be blaming it on my dad. He had a good skill set when it came to money, but she didn't: She didn't know to—or know how to—apply for things like food stamps, so I literally never knew if there would be food on the table.
I certainly didn't learn anything about how to manage money. I only knew I didn't want the life I grew up with.
At the same time, the economy in Alaska changed completely. Because the oil companies were moving in—and willing to pay whatever housing costs were necessary for their workers—prices shot up: A one-bedroom apartment that had been $400 was now going for $1,000 or $2,000 a month.
Making My Big Move
I got married a few days after I turned twenty: That way, I figured, nobody could say I was "just a teenager." And, anyway, I wanted out.
About eight months after I got married, we moved to Tennessee. That's when it quickly became apparent that the marriage was a mistake. He really wasn't working; I was paying all of our bills. I finally filed for divorce when I was 23—about three years too late.
But now I had to move out on my own, and come up with all that money on my own—and there was no money to speak of. I also found out he'd been "dating" while we were married. It was a lot to go through emotionally. And I just wanted to be out of it so badly, I took all of the debt that we had.
Around that time, I was talking to my grandmother, who had fallen ill, and she mentioned that I had family—cousins of hers—in Tennessee. I looked them up in the phone book, called them, and couldn't believe the reception I got: They were thrilled to have a long-lost relative call out of the blue. "We would love to meet you," they said. "Come meet us at this restaurant!"
The Day My Fate Changed
Richard and his wife Carol, who were in their 60s, turned out to be the warmest people I'd ever met. They accepted me unconditionally. In fact, I had never felt so accepted and loved before.
Richard was a psychologist, and he quickly became my surrogate everything. He was kind of like a father, grandfather and mentor all rolled into one. His appearance was a total blessing in my life.
He also began giving me the financial education I'd never had. He and Carol were really into investing, so I began reading Barron's and The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg … anything I could get my hands on. They also introduced me to the National Association of Investment Clubs. Never mind that I was a club of one, my interest was piqued.
Then, just when everything seemed to be looking up, Richard was diagnosed with cancer. He died shortly before my 26th birthday.
A Bittersweet Birthday
It's funny how life works: I was utterly devastated. Then, within a month of him dying, right around my birthday, I finally landed the steady job I'd always wanted.
The United States Postal Service, where I'd been working part-time—one of my two jobs—hired me full-time as a distribution clerk sorting mail for the carriers. I took it not because it was a challenging job, but because it was a stable job, and that's what I needed.
It paid me an annual salary of $27,000. It also meant getting to work at 2 a.m., but I didn't mind. (Find out the salary that leads to true happiness.)
A couple of months after Richard's death, Carol said to me: "Victoria, this is what he wanted to give you for your birthday. He wanted you to have a bright future, to build a nest egg."
Richard's final gift to me was one single stock of my choice, that I'd research and he—now Carol—would buy for me. It may be the best gift I was ever given.
An Investor Is Born
I picked out a stock based on the NAIC magazines that Carol let me borrow, and I decided on Quaker Oats, because everybody knows Quaker Oats: Everybody eats it every day! So she bought me one share, then worth $45.
I missed Richard every day, and I kept on investing as often as I could. I would send in another $10 to buy more Quaker every other month—it was all I could afford—and I kept on reading like a fiend. I'd started reading companies' annual reports and quarterly reports, but I didn't really get into price-to-earning ratios. I would simply ask myself: Do I believe in this company? Do I completely understand what they sell? If I didn't understand what they do/make/sell, I wouldn't buy their stock.
About six months in, I began buying Wendy's, too. And as those stocks grew, I bought others—until I had about ten. Around 1999, I heard about ShareBuilder, an online brokerage through ING, and after thoroughly researching, I opened an account with $102—a lot of money to me at the time.
Life Pays Dividends
Magically, the money in my account was growing. I started a spreadsheet—one I've now had for twelve years—to keep track of everything. Soon, I began to learn about the power of dividends: Eventually Quaker Oats was bought by Pepsi, and they gave me more shares when that happened. I bought Volvo—I believe in their cars—and they were bought by Ford. That was a five to one split, something I'd never heard of before.
Besides believing in my picks, I'd started living and breathing investing. At night I'd have a hard time turning off CNBC: Watching the numbers go by was like a drug for me. (Read why women can make the best investors.)
But I was also patient: I would watch a stock for a while—sometimes as long as a year before buying. I would also watch a company's 52-week average to see how the price changed over time.
And I paid attention: For example, I started buying Netflix a long time ago. I work at the post office, and all of a sudden I saw all these red envelopes going by, and I said, What is this? I have to investigate. I bought the stock when it was $16. All in all, I bought $250 worth, and it's now worth $4,000. Real world experience is better than a hot tip from a friend any day.
Of course some of my stocks are only breaking even. Some are losses. And I've come close to making my share of big mistakes.
But now I'm 41, and sometimes I think I must be dreaming: I invested less than $10,000 and turned it into almost $60,000?
How I Did This as a 'Regular Person'
I've also done all this on a real-person's salary: I still have the same job today—16 years later, but now I'm back in Alaska. I make around $68,000 a year, which is pretty good for someone without a college degree.
I have a mortgage, and I'm trying to contribute the maximum to my retirement, too.
Maybe it's my childhood, but I still always feel behind—like I'll never have enough to retire, or stop working overtime. Probably because today my mom only has Social Security to live on, and I see people my age with a million dollars, but I'm only me.
Still, the thing I think I'm the most proud of is building this little club of me. I may be the only one present, but I know I have lots of people with me in spirit.
Victoria's Tips: My Advice for Would-Be Investors
Get a Financial Plan. Your investments should be just part of your big picture. I've always managed my own portfolio, but when it came to my finances, I consulted a Certified Financial Planner® I found at LearnVest. Knowing I have a plan helps me sleep better at night. (In honor of Mother's Day, you can get two financial plans for the price of one until May 30th. Click here to learn more.)
A Little Goes a Long Way: Make regular investments—monthly works for most people. And stay the course: You're investing for the long-term, so do not panic when the markets fluctuate. I built my portfolio $10 or $15 at a time.
Put Your Future Self First: Your biggest financial priority should be saving for retirement, and you have to start now because most places don't offer a pension. I tell my coworkers all the time: Put your paycheck in your retirement fund, and they say, "Oh, we're gonna go on a nice cruise!" (Worried you're behind? Read Retirement 101: Everything You Need to Know)
Do What Works for You: For most people, individual stocks may not be the way to go. They take patience and lots of research. I read all available company info, and I research the products and/or services before buying. I also watch the stock for about one year before I buy.
Buy What You Believe In: If I believe in the company and I use their products or services, then I decide whether to purchase the stock. This isn't just about making money for me, I am a conscientious investor. I have no Exxon-Mobil in my portfolio, because of the Exxon-Valdez spill. I won't buy Wal-Mart because they don't pay their workers enough to live. I won't buy stock in any company where I don't spend my money. (Here's how you can learn to be a socially conscious investor.)
Invest for the Long Haul: I was really broke after 9/11 because my portfolio plummeted, and my first big investment after that was like a leap of faith. But I just let the money sit and shrink, and it grew back up on its own. The first time it went back up to over $15,000, I thought it was a mistake!
11 Secrets Hiring Managers Won't Tell You
We'll Help You Get a Financial Plan: Just Start Here


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08.17.2011 - MiLB Toledo vs Buffalo (68/89)
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We're under attack
Listen up New Zealanders. Just imagine this news story appearing in the New Zealand Herald:
A pensioner from Oxford has been arrested by Food Safety officers for growing carrots in his backyard and sharing his produce with neighbours in exchange for silverbeet and cabbage. Officers raided the pensioner's premises without a warrant and were armed. Agribusiness company employees, backed by the armed Food Safety officers, were also in attendance and will be prosecuting the pensioner.
Do you think I'm writing an Orwellian-style novel? Nope. I'm simply projecting forward based on a nasty proposed Act out there – the New Zealand Food Bill 160-2 (2010) – and should it pass its second reading in early 2012, it could make the basic human right to grow food, save seeds, and share the produce with friends and family, a quaint relic of the past.
Under the rhetoric of "food safety", the NZ Government is about to hand over control of food production to mega-corporations like Monsanto, who want full control of the global food supply chain from field to table. Everything from farmer's markets to heritage seed banks, community and individual vegetable gardens could be affected. Frankly, it's Monsanto trying to get their genetically-modified seeds into every country on the planet and stitching up a monopoly on world food.
Go ahead and read the Bill. I'll wait. As currently drafted, you could interpret that saving seeds will be an illegal activity; or sharing excess backyard produce with your neighbours will be an illegal activity; or selling your produce at your local farmer's market will be an illegal activity. If you want a detailed overview of the Bill, go here.
I've read a lot on this, including the tin-foil hat wearing conspiracy theorists who say this is all part of the one world government future we'll be facing. I don't believe it will affect my right to grow a bunch of carrots in my backyard but it certainly could affect seed saving and heirloom, endangered plants and plants with medicinal properties. And that for me is the scary bit. Because it means that – if seed saving or heritage seed banks become illegal – all we'll be able to get hold of is genetically-modified seeds (like Monsanto's Round Up Ready soy beans) or seeds from a Big Food company like Monsanto. And if you want to learn about what Monsanto could do to you or me should we save a seed from a Monsanto crop or unwittingly grow a Monsanto-patented crop because some honey bee pollinated our land, just read this. Or this. Or this. It will scare the bejesus out of you.
If, like me, you have a small herb garden and use say mint leaves in your salad or brew a hot cup of mint leaf tea – well, your human right to do this could well be under threat. Why? Because the Big Food companies currently don't have patents over mint or ginger or lemon or sage. So they can't make mega-profits. The Bill is part of NZ's obligations to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Codex Alimentarius scheme for global food control.
Go off and search Codex Alimentarius – this is even more scary if you ask me. The Codex Alimentarius (or Food Code) basically limits health freedom. Because the more natural health products we use, the less profits Big Pharma, Big Food companies get. And that applies to the mint growing in the backyard. The Vitamin and Mineral Guideline of the Codex can ban all clinically effective vitamins, minerals and herbs. This means stuff you buy from your local health food. Don't believe me? Then read this. Or this. Or this.
The natural health industry could disappear and our level of nutrition will decline whilst Big Companies and Big Pharma push GM foods and synthetically-made drugs on us.
If you are concerned about the NZ Food Bill, you can sign an online petition. Do your own research on the Food Bill and Codex Alimentarius. There is some alarmist stuff out there – such as Big Companies and Big Pharma wanting to get rid of organic and homegrown food because we would then face ill-health and be forced to buy highly-priced prescription medicines. But when you read up about Codex Alimentarius, you have to wonder. So the NZ Food Bill could be one fatal step towards global corporations and Governments telling us what we can and can't eat.
You can watch a video about the NZ Food Bill and how it might affect you on the Campbell Live website. Meanwhile, I'll be defending my right to grow carrots in my own backyard.
Tiffany Outlet bites the dust
Well, I'd LOVE to lay claim to this – seems that the shonky Chinese website I complained about, Tiffany Outlet, has bitten the dust. Actually, it looks like the real Tiffany is suing the asses off a ton of shonky commercial websites, not just Tiffany Outlet. I've been campaigning against Tiffany Outlet I admit – via this blog, via Twitter and so on. I still have the email address for Tiffany Outlet – must send them an email to say "looks like you're toast". But I'm sure I'm just one of many poor sods that were taken in by shonky counterfeiters.
This is what the website of Tiffany Outlet used to look like:
And this is what it looks like now:
Notice anything? Oooh yeah baby: looks like Tiffany Outlet has been served Notice and the site has been taken down. If you go to the site, you'll see a whole host of legal documents. As someone with a law degree, I naturally waded my way through them to find the cause of action. And here's the gist:
- The plaintiff, Tiffany (NJ) LLC, filed an action against various unknown business entities who operate websites that advertise and sell counterfeit jewelry allegedly bearing Tiffany's registered trademarks;
- A number of these entities also incorporate "Tiffany" into their website domain names;
- It seems the named defendants (who appear in Schedule A) are caught within the Judicial District of Nevada – presumably because they were distributing or selling into that jurisdiction via interactive commercial websites;
- Willful and intentional infringement and counterfeiting of Tiffany's trademarks allegedly took place in total disregard of Tiffany's rights and have taken place despite the defendants knowledge that their use of Tiffany's trademarks was and is in direct contravention of Tiffany's rights;
- The defendant's registration of several domain names, which incorporate at least one of Tiffany's registered trademarks, constitutes cyberpiracy in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1125(d); and
- Irreparable injury to Tiffany has been caused by the defendant's unlawful activities.
There appear to be 223 defendants Tiffany is hot on the trail of. I checked out the websites of about 20 of them and they now all display the Notice To Defendants.
I need to look into this further and found out the current state of the lawsuit. But I just had to do a quick post because I'm very pleased that Tiffany is taking action against shonky Chinese counterfeiters. I think the cheap knock-offs we've all no doubt bought in China, Hong Kong, Thailand etc probably brought us momentary satisfaction but, let's face it, denied the rights of the legitimate maker of the product. Time has come for the knockoff sites and counterfeiters to bite the dust.
Tiffany Outlet
Well people, it's embarrassing to admit this but – I've been the victim of a very shoddy Chinese company. I've decided to blog on my experience because I am sooooooooooooooo annoyed. Here's what happened.
A friend of mine has always wanted the Tiffany solid pentagram-shaped silver keyring. And I've always fancied the Elsa Peretti silver mesh earrings. Being stuck in rural New Zealand, I can't exactly wander down to my local Tiffany & Co. Over the years, I've been given some Tiffany items and bought things myself, so I'm very aware of what Tiffany jewellery should look and feel like.
I don't usually order stuff off the internet because I'm paranoid about being ripped off. If I do order, it's from reputable sites like Amazon or Strawberrynet. However, I thought I'd search for what Tiffany & Co might sell online and came across a site that I genuinely believed was a Tiffany outlet – rather like designer brands have outlet stores.
Here's the site. Same distinctive Tiffany blue colour and use of the name Tiffany & Co. I spent time looking at the items and they seemed genuine. No sign of it being a non-American site – it even refers to the US Postal Service. I located the pentagram keyring and mesh earrings and I read the customer feedback. All glowing – but that's because (as I now know) the people behind the site moderate comments and don't seem to allow negative feedback to be posted.
So I ordered – here are the screenshots of the two items.
The site very clearly stated that I qualified for free shipping and that my order came to a total of $US65.20. The two photos below show what I received:
Notice anything? The keyring is NOT what I ordered and the earrings don't have the solid silver ball at the top. The items arrived in what looked like the distinctive blue box Tiffany & Co use as well as the soft blue pouches Tiffany use.
But…and this is when I became alarmed….the invoice had Chinese characters on it and the items were frankly shoddy CRAP encased in equally shoddy cheap, clear plastic pockets.
To add salt to the wound, my credit card had been charged the shipping fee!!
I immediately sent an email (using the Contact Us tab) but…and here's the interesting thing…on trying to send the email, the system asks you for a validation code but I could not see or find any validation code. One therefore assumes they don't want you to contact them?
I then found an email address and emailed directly from my business email. A series of emails flew back and forth and have ultimately led to this post.
This is what transpired:
- they ended up admitting that they did not have the solid pentagram keyring in stock and took it upon themselves to send the star-shaped one instead. I reminded them that it says on their website that the pentagram keyring is IN STOCK and, if it's not, they should therefore take it down from their site or say "Not in Stock";
- they refused to comment on why the earrings that I received were not the same as the ones I ordered from the site ie the silver ball at the top of the earring was missing;
- their excuse about charging me for shipping? They said it only applied to Christmas 2010 orders. I pointed out that this was six months ago and their excuse was "oh website problems, sorry". They did offer to refund $US15.00 but what's the point of this?
- I then requested a full refund. The keyring is useless as it's not the pentagram shape and the earrings are not as described on the site. And frankly, the two items are very clearly CHEAP CRAP. They have remained silent since this request.
- I have sent them two further emails requesting a refund and courtesy of response – nothing. I told them I would be blogging and using social media to expose their lack of customer service and shoddy goods. No response.
How is it that the real Tiffany & Co doesn't sue these dudes assess off? The site is pretty clever at giving you some degree of comfort when it says: "We are officially licensed by Tiffany outlet sales distributor". But it's vague information, obviously designed to lure in the unsuspecting.
Sad to say dear reader that I have been duped. You've been warned – DON'T USE TIFFANY OUTLET. They will simply take your money and run, whilst you end up with cheap and nasty goods made in China.
UPDATE: quite a few readers have privately emailed me saying good on me for telling you about this shonky lot. They didn't want to give away to Tiffany Outlet how you can spot them as being shonky from the website.
FURTHER UPDATE: Yeehah! Tiffany Outlet is having their asses sued by the real Tiffany. Read my latest post.
Flushing out the greenwash
I've been taking a bit of a break from the ThinkingShift blog but you can still find me on the DailyOxford and ChinchillaBluePhotography blogs as well as on Twitter. Meanwhile, I've been working on doing a special post for a ThinkingShift reader who asked me why is it that people aren't concerned about privacy. I am doing that post dear reader but – the Christchurch earthquake got in my way, as well as huge winds that are a frequent occurrence in the Canterbury region. So I'm way behind but it will happen as they say.
My favourite media company contacted me recently and I must blog on this issue because it's quite a compelling, if not disturbing, story. When you think about sustainability, saving the planet, recycling and so on – do you ever stop to think about toilet paper packaging? You would think that if the packaging says "100% recycled paper" or "sourced from sustainable plantations" that you are buying a product that is environmentally friendly. But perhaps not.
A Choice investigation has found that environmental claims on toilet paper packaging are sometimes vague, leading the consumer into the trap of believing they are buying a superior product that protects native forests and biodiversity. Choice sites the example of a new toilet paper on the market that claims to be made from bamboo, straw, reeds and cotton – but cotton is a water and chemical-intensive crop and should be avoided for a single-use product such as toilet paper.
And then there are some toilet paper products that display an eco-label, such as Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), but a number of conservation foundations and societies say that this particular eco-label is meaningless as PEFC lacks on-ground auditing of forests and meaningful stakeholder engagement. So the consumer cannot be confident that the fibres sourced for the toilet paper are in fact environmentally and socially sustainable. Choice also could not find any toilet paper products that carried the The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) global eco-label, which is supported by Greenpeace, ACF and The Wilderness Society. An FSC label would indicate that the product is made from certified virgin fibre sourced from sustainable forests.
The Choice investigation found that most toilet papers do not use an eco-label yet claim the fibre is sourced from sustainably managed forests. But when asked to verify the source of the fibre, the companies are vague or cannot back up claims. Most toilet papers claim to use a process known as "elemental chlorine-free bleaching". Supposedly this is an environmentally-friendly bleaching process to whiten, but it uses chlorine. A far better choice is unbleached toilet paper because this is chlorine-free.
Another eye-opener is the triangular recycling symbol with the number four and LDPE acronym you often see on toilet paper packaging. It signifies that the product is low-density polyethylene. But Local Councils in Australia prohibit LDPE film in their recycling bins. The consumer is also led astray when it comes to logos of environmental organisations displayed on toilet paper packaging, saying that profits go to certain environmental projects. The problem here is that these environmental groups do not always audit environmental impacts or fibre source. Sadly, Choice concluded that most toilet paper manufacturers' claims about sustainable forestry are unsubstantiated and those using the PEFC eco-label are not supported by some major environment groups.
So is there any particular toilet paper that the consumer can be confident is a sustainable product? Choice gave a 5-star rating to the following (in order of sustainability):
- Coles Green Choice, which has 100% recycled content from used office paper;
- Dandy Enviro Friend, which you can buy from Aldi. Funds environment groups and projects;
- Envirosoft – elemental chlorine-free bleaching or unbleached;
- Naturale – Wastepaper from process is recycled; and
- Safe brand.
Singled out for favourable comment was Kleenex Cottonelle Toilet Tissue. Choice acknowledged this toilet paper for environmental innovation with its waste reduction strategy for kids. A puppy is printed on every three to four sheets, letting kids know when to tear off.
So next time you go to the supermarket, read the toilet paper packaging carefully and be a more informed consumer with the help of Choice.
Taking a break
So I'm still settling into my new life here in New Zealand. There's been so much to do I simply haven't had time to update the ThinkingShift blog. I'm going to take a break for awhile from this blog but you can still find me on my other two blogs – my photography blog, ChinchillaBluePhotography and my blog on life in New Zealand, The Daily Oxford. Both these blogs have a quick photo or post so they are easy to keep going with. ThinkingShift posts require research and reflection – I don't have the time for this right now. And you can always find me on Twitter.
In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has regularly visited ThinkingShift.
Living in peace
Dear reader. I continue to settle into my new country, New Zealand. I've been battling it out on a couple of fronts since arriving a few weeks ago, mainly with the removalist company that managed to damage or destroy quite a few of our items, including my grandmother's 1920s dining room table. You can expect a long, ranting (and possibly incoherent) blog post soon on what happened. I am still incensed by the whole situation. I'll be back to regular posts soon.
I've also been battling it out with THE bureaucracy here. All countries have bureaucracy but I must say New Zealand is pretty good at it. If it's not something that can be ticked off from some checklist, then authorities here don't want to know about it.
Having said all this, I can tell you that Christchurch is a lovely place and New Zealanders are a very friendly bunch. Some people seem to be having trouble with my accent. Mind you, I would not say that my accent is broad Aussie, since both my parents were from New Zealand. But I do get blank looks occasionally and a request to repeat what I just said. Note to self: work harder at cultivating the Kiwi accent.
Things here are far more laid back than Oz. The odd cultural thing I've noticed is – hardly anyone seems to reply to emails. With the odd exception, you either get no reply at all or a reply weeks later. Obviously, I pick up the phone too but the lack of email exchange is curious. And then there's customer service: it's either exceptionally good or exceptionally lousy.
But I'm glad to be living in the most peaceful country in the world. Yep, that's right folks: New Zealand has been named the most peaceful country in the world for the second consecutive year, according to the 2010 Global Peace Index (produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). Iceland, Japan and Austria also rank highly (mmm…Australia isn't in the Top 10). The 2010 map above shows countries ranked from most peaceful (in green) to least peaceful (in red). New Zealand was one of only three countries in the top ten to improve in peacefulness in the 2010 Index.
Globally, however, the world has been less peaceful in 2010, with violence impacting the global economy by US $7 trillion annually. Following the GFC and the faltering economies of many countries, there has been an intensification of conflicts on many levels from homicides to violent demonstrations and civil unrest. Interestingly, a 25% reduction in global violence would free up US $1.8 trillion annually. The good news for my American readers is that the United States has improved its 2010 score by showing the biggest improvement since 2007.
The top five countries have a number of things in common: stables governments and business environments, respect for human rights, low levels of corruption, high rates of participation in education and freedom of information.
So good news for me living here in peaceful New Zealand. And just to show you how peaceful and beautiful this country is, here's a photo I took yesterday of our property covered in snow and another I took the day before (a sunny day) showing the beautiful Southern Alps and the gorgeous landscape that you encounter so often here. Woot!
Back soon!
I will be doing a looooong ranting blog post soon about the Australian removalist company that moved our household stuff here to New Zealand. Basically, some furniture was destroyed (an antique dining table, which as you know with antiques, once there's damage the value diminishes) and various other precious items were either damaged beyond repair or smashed.
We are in the midst of coping with all this, including fighting it out with the removalist company. So I'll be back in a week's time or so and I'll bring you photos of the carnage. If I don't get satisfaction from the removalists, I'll be naming and shaming. Watch this space!!