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Monday, December 08, 2008
My Money Is Your Money, or, Faculty and University Budget Problems
Now, in theory, faculty did get a meager raise last year, and in theory we're in but a "soft" hiring freeze as opposed to a full-on one. In theory we still have money for travel.
But what's becoming apparent as we head toward the new year is that all of these theoretical things are kind of bogus. Because at the same time that these theoretical things are the case, what's really happening is the following:
1) Travel money that's already been given the ok is being "reviewed" and will unless gold falls from the sky be slashed. Note: research is ever more important at my university. Apparently we will now be expected to do this on our own dimes, which doesn't matter so much for people who have tenure, but will end up mattering a lot for people who have a few years to go on the t-t. It will also keep newly tenured people stuck at the associate level longer, which also keeps power centralized in certain ways longer. Funny how that works out.
2) Parking went up, health insurance went up, etc., and so that meager raise? Yeah, not so much a raise.
3) It's being strongly hinted that faculty should give money to keep certain things afloat.
4) Course releases seem to have gone the way of the dodo, for in these tough fiscal times we should find a way to do all of the extra things on top of everything else. Sleep be damned!
I get really angry when it comes to all of the above. The bottom line is that I work at this place, and every such request that faculty "do their part" makes me feel like my work isn't valued - like I'm not already doing my part by teaching in fucked up classrooms without the equipment that I need, quietly accepting that I have an office with no heat and that's 400 miles away from the printer, teaching four freaking maxed out classes a semester, etc. I feel like people have their hands in my pockets and like they're taking money that is mine and that I earned. And while I get the fact that a university is a special kind of place, blah blah blah, I kind of want to tell everybody that they can fuck off and that I don't make enough on a humanities salary, no matter how giving a heart I possess (and really, I don't possess one of those, but for the sake of argument), to keep a university in the black. Shit, I'm not in the black just in terms of my personal finances. And yet, because of all of the PR surrounding this shit, I feel guilty when I don't give. You know what? Screw it. No more guilt. I'll feel guilty when my student loans are paid off. Until that time, they'll just have to be happy that I do my freaking job.
14 comments:
- Historiann said...
Great post! I've been thinking a lot about this lately too, especiallly in relation to the worldwide, transhistorical notion that women should volunteer their work rather than expect to be paid. I don't know if I have the brainpower to work up a full post--I might just take the easy way out and link to you...
Stand firm, sister. You're right: for cripessakes, you teach a FOUR-FOUR load, and you've managed to publish a BOOK. What more can they ask for? Cookies for the bake sale fundraiser to get the copier fixed?
Historiann.com - 10:59 PM
- Bardiac said...
Yep, absolutely on the mark. We fall behind more every year to inflation, and there's no relief in sight.
In my case, though, it's the unwillingness of taxpayers to pay for their state universities. Compared to our neighboring states, we're in sad shape. - 11:44 PM
- Unknown said...
- helenesch said...
I've been thinking a lot about this, too. And I'm angry about the upcoming cuts, and yet also feel like I don't have a right to be (I have tenure at a research university, and I live in a state with nearly the worst unemployment and foreclosure rates in the country.)
There's also something weird about the university being run "democractically." I guess it's better than being told from above what we need to cut, but it's also not easy to make decisions that affect the lives of your students (grad and undergrad), your colleagues, and your own bottom line. We've had meetings at the department and college level in the last week where we've been told we need to decide how to give them back all this money from our current budget. - 12:57 AM
- BrightStar (B*) said...
Yes, exactly. I have been feeling like this, too. In the face of budget cuts, we're being asked to do MORE, with FEWER resources, and the message is that whatever we're doing is not good enough. So very frustrating.
- Belle said...
Amen sister. For years, when my uni asks for donations from faculty, I tell 'em I've been subsidizing them forever. I offer my credit card bills in evidence, which show such extravagances as dental care, food and survival stuff. The newest shit is to hit the fan today - full hiring freeze, harder course minimums, less/no travel funds, reduced budgets, the whole stinking fish. And what really, really ties it all in a noxious bundle are the multiple VPs with bloated staff. Those VPs do not value the faculty at all, and make twice what most faculty do.
Story on NPR this morning reported that animals (dogs, primates) have a sense of fairness. So why don't VPs??? - 8:57 AM
- Arbitrista said...
This isn't just a problem with academia. It seems like in most professions, even in good times, there is an expectation that one should totally divest oneself of any personal life in favor of being "one of the team," i.e. working oneself to death. It's bizarre and destructive and I hate it.
- Tara Kuther said...
My university is not subtle - we get multiple requests by campus mail (some of these mailings look expensive!) and by email. Repeated requests throughout the year. As much as I believe in public education, I find it outrageous that my employer asks me to contribute money - especially given that although our budget is slashed and will see further cuts, some administrators still spend to excess. That's beside the point, though. Like most in higher ed, we're not paid that well - to be asked to make a donation is beyond me. Circuit City is having major financial problems but my guess is hasn't hit up its employees for cash. Probably not great analogy but this whole issue pisses me off.
- Dr. Curmudgeon said...
You're obviously not the only one irritated by this. Here, they've been undergoing a long-term capital campaign that began before the economic downturn and that had in place a plan to beg money from faculty. I've got no problem saying no and ignoring the thing since I'm paid below the national average for my below-average-pay field. But what really pisses me off is the way these things are written in such a way that brand new faculty are fooled into taking it as an obligation and wind up going and donating because of fears about tenure perceptions.
- heu mihi said...
We've been told--in so many words--that *either* we can have new hires at some point in the future (so that we're not teaching 4 maxed-out classes + overloads every semester + serving on 40 committees) *or* raises--and given that my salary is almost $20k before the MLA's recommended starting salary for a t-t asst prof--well, hell. That's not much of a choice.
This is a great post. Your statement that being told to do your part makes you feel that your work is undervalued is right on; I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah. That's it.
(Lately the administration has taken to exhorting us to "work smarter, not harder." I need to do a whole post on all that is wrong with that statement soon.) - 11:21 AM
- Snarky Prof said...
The most obnoxious example I saw of this was when I was adjuncting at a major urban university. Even though we had not had a raise in 6 years, no access to any type of group health insurance and our class max had just been raised, administration sent us all lengthy mailings on how irresponsible we were if we didn't "give back" to the school that employed us. I should mention that the president had a multimillion dollar contract and got caught embezzling the entire grad student travel fund to the tune of hundreds of thousands. You have no idea how badly I wanted to shove that letter somewhere incredibly unpleasant!
- Good Enough Woman said...
I've been at my institution for ten years. I have colleagues who have been there more than 20. One of these 20-years folks mentioned to me that when she started, she was considered full time. Since then, according to her, "service" work--such as evaluations, student learning outcomes stuff, shared governance, technological skills maintenance, etc.--has all increased dramatically.
So if she was full time before all of the extra stuff, what is she now?
It's like we are some kind of vaporous gas that is supposed to fill whatever larger container it's given.
I am not a vaporous gas.
P.S. My verification word is "sheat." - 3:16 PM
- Dr. Crazy said...
Ann and Bardiac - See, that's why this should have been a Big Important Post, because it really gets at broader issues about how (and whose) work is valued as well as how the work that happens at universities is valued by the general public. Those are broader questions that I didn't address because I'm too busy feeling downtrodden about my personal situation, but ones that really need to be asked. What I really see underlying all of this is that the notion that professors are gentlemen intellectuals still rules the day when it comes to the way money works at universities, even at a university like mine where that is far from the role that any professor I know inhabits.
And yet, we're made to feel as if we should be grateful to *work*, which to this girl who originates in the working class just seems insane. I mean, dude, it's *work*. It's not like some vacation or something to go to my job. Sure, it's a good job, but that doesn't make it not a job. And this is where Helenesch's comment is so troubling. I don't see how much of the process of dealing with cuts *is* democratic, even though faculty are expected to participate in the discussion. At a certain point, we all know what will be cut and who will lose out, whatever bargains we try to make. The situation at my university is so dire that any such "democratic" process is more of a performance than anything (or perhaps I'm just too demoralized to see it as real democracy).
Arbitrista: Point taken about the fact that people are expected in a variety of careers to divest oneself of a personal life in order to be a "team player" but what gets me about this is that it's not just being a "team player" - it's being expected to pay cash in order to do the job that one was hired to do, instead of the other way around. In a world where performance reviews take things like presenting at conferences and research productivity into account, the fact that the budget no longer sustains these things doesn't mean that all of a sudden that isn't part of the job. In contrast, when my friend J., whose job in the Real World involves a lot of travel, and whose reviews are based on doing that travel, has to travel for work, they pay for it. She doesn't share hotel rooms to cut costs, and she doesn't have to pony up the money for airfare. And if the company decides not to pay for that travel, she's not held accountable for it. That's the thing that gets me about this particular moment in higher ed: the job requirements aren't changing - if anything they're increasing. It's just we're expected to fund them - not the employer.
To the rest of you, thanks for the comments. I'm still thinking these things through, and I'm wondering whether I'll come up with anything resembling a solution (though I doubt it). And sorry the blog has been such a bitchfest lately! I don't know what's gotten into me! (Well, other than the end of the semester....) - 4:06 PM
- Garble said...
Yeah, there's a lot of this going on all over. I see it at where I work. At my company if you don't like it you can go find another job. Extra work means that you'll be harder to replace. With our market shrinking there are lots of people in my area wondering if they'll have a job in a few weeks. If you piss and moan about it too much you won't have a choice about that.
But you've got tenure (and a job in the humanities. Go you!) so you're very secure in your job. You can say no, you won't do more work. You can kick up a fuss and unless your college goes out of business you're fine.
Maybe you could find another job where they appreciate your value more? Based on the number of adjuncts they'll have no trouble filling your teaching load, and based on what adjuncts are paid they'll be able to do it for less. To hear the freeway fliers talk about it they do a great job so I doubt the students will suffer. - 7:34 PM


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Dale R. Underwood of Bedford, passed away Saturday morning 3/21/09 at Stonebridge Health Campus at the age of 88.
Born in 1920 in Lawrence County to parents Alfred E. and Ruth (Panza) Underwood, Dale was a veteran of the US Army serving during WWII with the 65th combat infantry division.
He was a member of the St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, Nights Of Columbus, and the American Legion Gillen Post #33.
Dale worked at Central Foundry in Plant Protection until his retirement in 1980.
He is survived by his wife of 70 years Lorna June, one daughter Donna and her husband Don, three sons: Dale and his wife Camille, Jon and his wife Barbara, and Denny and his wife Melinda.
He is also survived by his two sisters: Donna and Sarah, and one brother Don, as well as 9 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his uncle Tom, two sisters: Norma Jean and Evelyn, as well as one brother Walter "Ike".
Services will be held Tuesday, March 24th at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church at 10:00 A.M. with burial to follow in the Green Hill Cemetery.
Visitation is Monday, March 23rd from 3:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. at Day & Carter Mortuary.
A rosary service will be conducted Monday, March 23rd at 7:30 A.M.
Family and friends are invited to sign the guest book and light a candle in memory of Dale at www.daycarter.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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yeaha! Finally finished! A new workbench feels like a new birth. I am really looking forward of getting started here. I will tell you a short story about the why and the what:
As my girlfriend becomes a teacher at the moment (what i will do next year), we really had some soft arguments about our flat, which we live in for 4,5 years now. It is too small, everything is crowded and mostly my workspace made one room mostly only cool for me - some did call my place there: the dark hole. I will show you some shoots of my workbench 1.0:
Overview 1.0:
The temple of colours 1.0 in all its glory:
Storing has been like this, haha:
The cabinet 1.0 somewhere else in the room. Also a dark hole area, haha.
Yeah hell i did loved my chaos - but sometimes i did not find important things, haha. My girlfriend really got sick of this room where she used to do her school stuff too. No good mood in the room to work together and that isn't very good for a relationship. We decided that i am going to ask around for a small studio room and found a friend who got one, where i could move my work.
After the day of moving came closer and closer, we both talked again about it and decided that we don't want to be seperated. Now that was a great decision. We planned the "BIG-macgyver-room-changing-everything-thing". And it's now finished. Feeling like a butterfly woken up to rise, blabla - here it is:
The temple of colours 2.0 - now mostly everything else has been moved from the table. Really great to have such space to get everything else away - just away one short move to get everything.
The cabinet 2.0, nothing else but better place in my eyes...
So far from my workspace - this weekend we have a little painter's meeting to paint and have some fun with a guest from Graz/Austria and another guest from Hamburg/Germany. Can't find words how happy i am and i will soon be back with some colours on miniatures so that you don't think miniatures are dead on this blog - i'll be back to set the records straight soon :)
Keep on happy painting!
There are 4 Kommentare for Workbench 2.0, background information - ready to rumble soon :)
Looks good, nice job Mr. MacGyver!
Since there'll be no studio now, I hope
that I might still visit you for a painting session without your girlfriend getting mad at me. ;)
Posted on: September 11, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Awesome :)
It's a big improvement, even better than my hobby room... that reminds me i have to give ikea a visit to finish it :D
Thumbs up!
Posted on: September 11, 2009 at 2:17 PM
That's a gr8 improvement on your workbench. I like the glass display cabinet... Looks like from IKEA. hehehe..
Posted on: September 12, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Roman aka jar
I guess we have to check this out ;)
Ikea makes your dreams come true... i am intrested in the idea that white really feels very strange to me^^
Most of the stuff is from IkEA ;) - now it's up to me to check out the workbench improvemt - hopefully it'll help me too, haha.
Posted on: September 14, 2009 at 10:58 PM
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April 25, 2012
Nominate a K-State Hero today
Do you know a student who goes above and beyond the call of duty in a club or organization? Do you know someone who serves the community, but doesn't receive any recognition? Nominate them for a K-State Hero Award. Five students will be chosen as K-State Hero Award winners and receive $500. Nominations are due by 11:59 p.m. May 1.
This is an amazing opportunity to show appreciation for students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication to improving the K-State community through campus leadership, community service or other areas of campus life.
Nominate a student at http://www.found.ksu.edu/forms/heroaward_form.php.


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The Inquirer's Eagles-Bears Predictions
There's been a lot of ink (gigabytes, whatever) spent this week on the Bears' passing game, its lethal receivers and its multipurpose running back that I think there's been one key component lost in the hype: Chicago's defense is terrible. The Bears' run defense is last in the NFL and it's been justly earned. LeSean McCoy will not be neglected this week. He will get more than eight carries, and if he doesn't Chip Kelly should jump to the head of the pass-happy coaches line, just in front of Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg.
I don't think there's any chance Kelly will forget his franchise tailback, though. He generally prefers a balanced offense and the Bears run defense will be just too appetizing. Chicago has allowed a 100-yard rusher in 9 of 14 games. Some of the names you would expect: Adrian Peterson and Reggie Bush (twice), DeMarco Murry, Ray Rice, Eddie Lacy. Some you may not – Brandon Jacobs, Benny Cunningham. The Bears are allowing 152.4 yards a game on the ground.
Defensive end Shea McClellan is vulnerable against the run, as is strong-side linebacker James Anderson. Tight end Brent Celek will be a key blocking cog in the run game. If there is a silver lining for the Bears it is the expected return of weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs (fractured shoulder).
The Bears pass defense is 11th in the league in total yards allowed, but 25th in passing net yards per play. The interception has often saved the secondary. The Bears are tied for sixth in the NFL with 17 picks. But they will be without veteran cornerback Charles Tillman, whose play slipped this season, but still managed to keep the defensive backfield competitive. Zach Bowman has taken Tillman's place. Tim Jennings is at the other corner and is solid. The 5-foot-8 corner could be tasked with mirroring DeSean Jackson, who had a career day (10 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown) against the Vikings.
Kelly's offense put up 475 yards last week, 428 through the air, but it never seemed to click. Nick Foles wasn't the same quarterback when asked to carry the team on his shoulders. Sprinkling in more of McCoy and the other running backs should get Foles back on track.
Now to the Bears offense and the challenge that awaits the Eagles. Marc Trestman's scheme is explosive. The Chicago head coach uses all sorts of concepts to free up his dangerous receivers, much as Kelly does with the Eagles. The personnel is different, but he is innovative, using packaged plays, high-low combination routes and vertical passing concepts to get the ball into the hands of Brandon Marshall (90 catches for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns) nd Alshon Jeffery (80 catches for 1,265 yards and seven touchdowns).
Both are big (Marshall is 6-4, 230; Jeffrey is 6-3, 216) and both are quick. The Eagles don't really have an answer for either in their secondary. It will be interesting to see what kind of zones defensive coordinator Bill Davis concocts in an attempt to at least slow the combo. The Eagles are expected to get Earl Wolff back at safety, so that means Patrick Chung will head back to the bench. Wolff has missed the last four games with a knee surgery, but anyone expecting the rookie to be the savior for this group is kidding himself. Backups Kurt Coleman and Colt Anderson aren't expected to play Sunday, so the Eagles signed Keelen Johnson off the practice squad. There was more good news on the injury front. Brandon Boykin was cleared to return to practice on Thursday after suffering a concussion and should man his usual spot in the slot.
If the Bears had just Marshall and Jeffery and quarterback Jay Cutler throwing to them, then stopping that offense may not seem as daunting. But Chicago has additional weapons. Running back Matt Forte is third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,722). McCoy is first with 1,850 yards. The Eagles run defense has been stout most of the season, but Forte will present problems catching the ball out of the backfield for linebackers Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans. Tight end Martellus Bennett (59 catches for 659 yards) presents a different challenge for the linebackers.
The Bears offensive line is much improved over the unit that couldn't consistently protect Cutler for several years. Free agent signings Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson make up the left side and rookies Jordan Mills and guard Kyle Long are on the right. The Eagles need to generate more pressure than they did in Minnesota to offset the deficiencies in the secondary.
Finally, you can't write about the Bears without mentioning returner Devin Hester. The Eagles avoided Vikings kick returner Cordarelle Patterson at all costs, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see them kick away from Hester both on kickoffs (28.6 yards) and on punts (12.2 yards).
Ultimately, I see the Eagles winning in a shootout. I'm not sure we'll see Davis' defense return to holding opposing offenses to 21 points or less, as it did during the nine games before last Sunday's disaster. But I expect to see enough big plays – a turnover here, a red zone stop there – to keep the Bears from running up and down the field and Kelly's offense atop the scoreboard.
Prediction: Eagles 40, Bears 31.
What goes right: McCoy rushes for over 175 yards and breaks Wilbert Montgomery's single-season Eagles record of 1,512 yards.
What goes wrong: Marshall and Jeffery each go over 100-yards receiving.
I've spent all week vacillating over this game. Watching both the Eagles and the Bears during the past few days, it's easy to be impressed with them and find issues with them. The matchup reminds me of the Cardinals game in so many ways.
Ultimately, I expect the same result – a one-score game that comes down to the final drive, and ends with an Eagles win.But the score I predicted below could easily be switched to the other, and I wouldn't be surprised.
There are two obvious mismatches – the Eagles rushing against the Bears rush defense, and the Bears passing against the Eagles pass defense.
LeSean McCoy will get more than eight carries on Sunday, and I expect him to be a major difference maker. Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker is a good coach and the return of Lance Briggs will help Chicago, but not enough to stop McCoy. Pay attention to Jay Ratliff, who has played well since entering the line. The interior of the Eagles' offensive line must run block well to spring McCoy.
I also expect Nick Foles to have a strong performance. The Bears did a nice job limiting Dallas receiver Dez Bryant and Cleveland receiver Josh Gordon during the past two weeks. DeSean Jackson is different than both of those players, and I'd expect to see Jackson used similarly to last week, when the Eagles moved him around often to free him up in coverage. Zach Ertz will have another strong game – I can see 4-6 catches from the rookie on Sunday night. The Bears have allowed the fourth most receptions to tight ends this season.
Field position is going to be critical for the Eagles defense. The Bears can move the ball – Marc Trestman was an outstanding hire, and those two receivers are outstanding – but what served the Eagles well during their winning streak was giving up first downs, but not touchdowns. That needs to be formula on Sunday. They're not going to stop Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and Matt Forte will get his yards running and receiving. But if the Eagles pin the Bears back and play well in the red zone, they can turn sevens into threes. That's what needs to happen -- field positions and red-zone defense could dictate the game.
As much attention as the receivers and Forte deserve, tight end Martellus Bennett is having an impressive season. The Eagles must key in on Bennett throughout the game. They're the best defense in the NFL against tight ends, but they haven't faced many like Bennett. Earl Wolff's return will help the Eagles, and he cannot show rust.
Jay Cutler has a quick release and strong arm and has been improved under Marc Trestman, although the 10 interceptions in nine games stand out. The Eagles must force turnovers to win this game – it was their formula during the winning streak, and it must continue on Sunday.
One area that will be important to watch is special teams. The Eagles allowed two touchdowns in the snow two weeks ago, and they would not kick to Cordarrelle Patterson last week. Chicago has strong special teams – especially in the second half of the season – and Devin Hester is one of the most dangerous return men in NFL history.
The results of the earlier games could been an intangible on Sunday that's difficult to predict, but I see the Eagles getting their ninth victory – and potentially clinching the NFC East depending upon what the Cowboys do.
Prediction: Eagles 31, Bears 27
What goes right: McCoy rushes for more than 100 yards and gets within reach of Wilbert Montgomery's team-rushing record. The Eagles win the turnover battle.
What goes wrong: The Bears top 300 passing yards. The Cowboys win, setting the stage of a memorable Week 17.


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Criminals posing as legitimate businesses have accessed critical personal data stored by ChoicePoint Inc., a firm that maintains databases of background information on virtually every U.S. citizen, MSNBC.com has learned.
The incident involves a wide swath of consumer data, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, credit reports and other information. ChoicePoint aggregates and sells such personal information to government agencies and private companies.
Last week, the company notified between 30,000 and 35,000 consumers in California that their personal data may have been accessed by "unauthorized third parties," according to ChoicePoint spokesman James Lee.
California law requires firms to disclose such incidents to the state's consumers when they are discovered. It is the only state with such a requirement but such data thefts are rarely limited to a single geographic area.
Lee said law enforcement officials have so far advised the firm that only Californians need to be notified.
"The only incident that has been confirmed is in California," he said.
ChoicePoint maintains a dossier on virtually every American consumer, according to Daniel J. Solove, George Washington University professor and author of "The Digital Person."
The Atlanta-based company says it has 10 billion records on individuals and businesses, and sells data to 40 percent of the nation's top 1,000 companies. It also has contracts with 35 government agencies, including several law enforcement agencies.
Victims told months after the factThe incident was discovered in October, when ChoicePoint was contacted by a law enforcement agency investigating an identity theft crime. In that incident, suspects had posed as a ChoicePoint client to gain access to the firm's rich consumer databases.
Subsequent research by ChoicePoint revealed that about 50 fake companies had been set up and then registered with ChoicePoint to access consumer data.
California consumers who received warning letters from the firm last week were "in some way connected to searches" conducted by those fake accounts, Lee said.
The firm was only given clearance by law enforcement officials to disclose the incident two weeks ago, Lee said
While the criminals had access to ChoicePoint data, it's not clear what, if any, information was stolen, said Chuck Jones, another ChoicePoint spokesman. The letters were sent as a precaution, he said.
The FBI, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspector's Office are investigating, he said.
Consumer frustrated by notification
The letter urges consumers to check their credit reports for suspicious activity.
"We believe that several individuals, posing as legitimate business customers, recently committed fraud by claiming to have a lawful purpose for accessing information about individuals," it reads. "You should continue to check your credit reports frequently for the next year."
The two-page letter offers details on how to spot fraud, but no additional information about the incident, or what information may have actually been stolen.
"ChoicePoint has apologized for any inconvenience this incident may cause," said ChoicePoint spokesman Chuck Jones. "But ChoicePoint has no way of knowing whether anyone's personal information actually has been accessed," or used to commit identity theft, he added.
California consumer Elizabeth Rosen, who received the ChoicePoint letter Friday, was upset that the company only provided sketchy details about the incident to her.
"They gave a toll free number to call, but when I called, the person just read from a script ... they said disclosing too many details may hurt an ongoing investigation," Rosen said. "I'm not happy about this. I didn't even know who ChoicePoint was."
That reaction is common, according to Solove.
"Even though you might not have heard of ChoicePoint, they've heard of you. They are playing a role in your people's lives whether they know it or not," he said.
Privacy consultant Larry Ponemon, who operates the Ponemon Institute, said he was surprised criminals were able to pose as ChoicePoint clients.
"What really concerns me is when low-tech methods are used to gain access, than you really have problems," said. "Obviously this is very surprising, given that they are in the data business."
Jones said ChoicePoint had adjusted its procedures to "help protect against a repeat" of the incident.
Bob Sullivan is the author of Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic.


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Old lies or new truth, what do you listen to? Specifically what do you speak in self-talk, old lies or new truth? Here's some examples of old lies and new truths I've heard:
1. Old Lie: "You're fat and ugly too." This was the #1 lie I've heard throughout my life, a lie from Satan. This picture was made in May 2013.
New Truth: You're created in God's image. So you're beautiful. After all, God don't make ugly. In fact He delights in you just as you are. And He sings over you too.
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love, He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV
2. Old Lie: "You're a failure. You can't stick to a diet. Even if you lost weight, you'll just gain it back." This lie competes with #1 for first place.
Truth: With God on your side, you're guaranteed victory. "Never a failure. Always a lesson."
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 NKJV
But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV
3. Old Lie : You're older now, so its harder to lose weight. After all, your metabolism has slowed down to nothing. So why try? Just quit. Eat all you want and enjoy life.
New Truth: Eating, although pleasurable, is not the source of joy in life. Living in God's Presence is the ultimate source of joy. And He will fill you with His joy, true joy unspeakable.
You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your Presence. Acts 2:28 NKJV
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 NKJV
4. Old Lie: Everything's going wrong today. So go ahead, eat some comfort food. Then you'll feel better. Food is comfort and pleasure. After all, you're under a lot of stress. So get a treat.
New Truth: Overeating causes more stress. When your clothes get tight, the scales go up, and shame comes due to overeating, you have more stress.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 NKJV
God's Presence brings peace and victory. So what do you listen to, lies or truth? You choose.


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Author : Danielle Steel
Release : 2011-04-05
Genre : Fiction & Literature
Kind : ebook
Book Rating : 4/5 (439 reviews)
Book Synopsis 44 Charles Street by : Danielle Steel
Download or read book 44 Charles Street written by Danielle Steel. This book was released on 2011-04-05. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Danielle Steel's Betrayal.
A magical transformation takes place in Danielle Steel's luminous novel: Strangers become roommates, roommates become friends, and friends become a family in a turn-of-the-century house in Manhattan's West Village.
The plumbing was prone to leaks, the furniture rescued from garage sales. And every square inch was being devotedly restored to its original splendor—even as a relationship fell to pieces. Now Francesca Thayer, newly separated from her boyfriend, is suddenly the sole mortgage payer on her Greenwich Village townhouse. The struggling art gallery owner does the math and then the unimaginable. She puts out an advertisement for boarders, and soon her home becomes a whole new world.
First comes Eileen, a fresh, pretty L.A. transplant, now a New York City schoolteacher. Then there's Chris, a young father fighting for custody of his seven-year-old son. The final tenant is Marya, a celebrated cookbook author hoping to start a new chapter in life after the death of her husband. Over the course of one amazing, unforgettable, ultimately life-changing year, Francesca discovers that her accidental tenants have become the most important people in her life. The house at 44 Charles Street fills with laughter, heartbreak, and hope—and in the hands of master storyteller Danielle Steel, it's a place those who visit will never want to leave.


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By Sophie Carrigan Gray, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Osoyoos Times
Fire crews are gaining ground on the Palmer Lake wildfire which is now reported to be 27 percent contained.
Crews continue to battle the blaze discovered Aug. 18, trying to establish a controlled perimeter.
The fire is reported to now be over 18,000 acres in size and located less than 10 kilometres from the Canadian border, according to maps provided by fire officials.
Controlled burns are taking place around the outside of the fire to provide a buffer zone free of flammable materials to stem the spread of the fire. Crews are also using aircrafts to drop fire retardant and ignition to further secure the perimeter, according to fire officials.
"Firefighters made significant progress (Sunday)," said the Northwest Incident Management Team 6 in a written statement. "For the next few days, the focus will shift to mop-up and securing a 300 foot radius around structures in the fire area."
Over 500 personal continue to work on the fire. Evacuation orders remain in effect for two areas while evacuation alerts are in effect for two other areas near the towns of Oroville and Loomis.
The Town of Osoyoos Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is continuing to monitor the situation. The EOC is in regular contact with fire officials on both sides of the border to stay on top of the evolving situation.
A virtual public meeting will be held by Washington state fire officials at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25 via the Okanogan County Emergency Management Facebook page to provide an opportunity for questions and short presentation by the incident management team.
READ MORE: Wildfire burning across border with Osoyoos grows to 2,400 hectares
A view from the Palmer fire in northern Okanogan county with several active smoke plumes. Could lead to some hazy conditions downwind of the fire this afternoon and evening. #wawx pic.twitter.com/2LFeFiOgS4
— NWS Spokane (@NWSSpokane) August 22, 2020


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Fractal Design recently released a new chassis, aimed at the people who like a small desktop PC and well, don't want to spend too much money on a chassis. As such Fractal Design released the Core 3000, an all black, quite stylish mid-tower chassis.
This ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX ready tower chassis can house a pair of external 5.25-inch drive bays, for ODDs (optical disk drives) or anything else that uses that form factor of course. Then on the inside Fractal Design made sure you can house a lot of internal 3.5-inch HDDs as the bays allow six of them to be installed with the top bay being removable, which will allow you to use long graphics cards, and thus create enough space.
The chassis comes equipped with three fans, two 140mm and are placed on top and at the front and a third fan is located at the rear, and is a a 120mm model. For some regulation even a small fan controller is included with the chassis.
The Core 3000 has plenty of cooling options, up to 7 fans in various sizes can be installed. The front panel is easily removable and pre-fitted with fan filters to ensure a dust free interior. The sleek black interior is matched and contrasted with white expansion slots and HDD trays. Similar to the Define Series, all the HDD trays are fitted with anti-vibration silicon grommets. The upper HDD cage is removable and rotatable, which enables support for the longest graphic cards.
Key features
- Simple elegant front panel with mesh and filter
- Optimized for performance with multiple cooling options
- A total of 7(!) fan slots (1x 120mm + 1x 140mm in front, 2x 120/140mm in top, 1x 120mm in bottom,
1x 120mm in rear, 1x 120/140mm in side panel) - Three fans included (1x 140mm in front, 1x 120mm in rear and 1x 140mm in top)
- 6x white painted HDD trays, with silicone mounting grommets
- Upper HDD cage is removable and rotatable
- Easily removable front panel with clip on fan slots
- 6x 3,5 inch HDD trays, compatible with SSD!
- 2x 5,25 inch bays, with 1x 5,25>3,5 inch converter included
- 4x USB 2.0 and Audio I/O mounted on top of front panel
- Removable filter below PSU (PSU not included)
- M/B compatibility: Mini ITX, Micro ATX and ATX
- 7 expansion slots with sleek white painted brackets
- Supports graphic card lengths up to 270mm when removable HDD-Bay is in place
- Supports graphic card lengths up to 420mm without removable HDD-Bay
- Supports CPU coolers with height of 160mm
- Supports PSUs with a depth of maximum circa 160mm, when using bottom 120mm fan location.
When not using the bottom 120mm fan location, the case supports also longer PSUs, typically 250mm - Case size (WxHxD): 200x430x480mm with front and top bezel in place
- Net weight: 7,1kg
There's more though, an I/O panel that comes with four USB 2.0 ports and hey there is even room for some liquid cooling a we spot two pre-drilled water-cooling. Now the crucial part, you just read the primary specs... but this chassis is only 200x480x430mm making it a very small chassis. And that makes it interesting, let's hop onwards to the next page and review the fracker shall we?


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Living with Lymphoma: A Patient's Guide
As a patient, I feel the need to learn all I can about any new diagnosis. It helps me feel comfortable with my treatment decisions and what the diagnosis means for me. Most patients who receive a diagnosis of lymphoma have never even heard of it, let alone know that there are more than 30 different variations of the disease. Elizabeth Adler was one of those patients; setting out to learn all she could about lymphoma as soon as the diagnosis was suggested. Now deemed cured by her oncologist, she developed Living with Lymphoma , a guide for patients, family and friends or anyone involved in the life of a person with lymphoma.
The guide covers all the types of Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, symptoms and steps to diagnosis, treatments and an introduction to complementary therapies. Additional chapters introduce us to the immune system, basic cell biology, lymphoma classification and a glossary. Elizabeth was a neurobiologist and professor at the time of her diagnosis, giving the book a scientific background, but intertwining her personal story and humor helps make it more than a reference book. She takes the reader through symptoms, diagnosis and treatments on a level that isn't too scientific.
This is the most comprehensive book I have seen on the subject, short of a medical text. While 424 pages may sound like more than one can handle during a stressful time, the book is organized like the journey most patients will travel. Elizabeth notes that at different points on the journey, people need different information, hence the layout of the book. This allows the reader to refer to the sections as they pertain to them if they don't have a chance to get through the whole book at once. OncoLink highly recommends this guide.


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Junior High School Nationals: Day 1 Report |
By Shaun Smith | |
April 10, 2010 | |
This spring the USCF decided to hold
the JH Nationals in Minneapolis, MN (Check this link for pairings and results, which will be updated as soon as possible). Having never been to this
part of the country, I was excited to make the trip. As
the Tournament Manager for Chess-in-the-Schools in NYC, I come to each
of the Spring Nationals to help coach our schools. This year,
Chess-in-the-Schools brought just over 100 students, accounting for
about 10 percent of the total field of just under 1,000 players. The
following schools from our program made the trip: PS 180m, MS 279x,
MS 118x, and IS 318k. IS 318k brought over 50 students this year and is competing in every section of the event except for the K-9 Unrated, as all players at IS 318k are immediately placed in rated sections once introduced to chess. After round two, IS 318k from Williamsburg, Brooklyn is in first place in both the K-8 and K-9 Championship sections by two full points. With the large number of strong players this school has in both sections, it will be tough for any school to catch them. That being said, the individual titles in both sections could go to any one of the extremely talented players in both the K-8 and K-9 Championship sections. The K-9 Championship section is currently being led by a large group of young experts headlined by David Adelberg at 2182 who are all at 2-0. So far there have been a few upsets in the K-9 Championships, including Justin Karp (2061) of Horace Mann going down against Tristan Kaonohi (1732) from Hawaii. As evidenced by Eldon Nakagawa's big win in the Blitz Tournament, these young players from Hawaii who have travelled further than anyone else are here to play some serious chess. The K-8 Championship section is also being led by a large group of strong experts, including Dipro Chakraborty (2086), John Hughes (2084), Alexis Paredes (2037), Jeevam Karamsetty (2034), Brian Li (2017), and Nathan Lee (2011) with 2-0 scores. Alexis Paredes of IS 318k shared the following game with me. 4327 Saturday will challenge everyone to play three games in the tournament's longest day. The individual pairings will become more competitive and the team standings should start to tighten up. As the action heats up, check back for updated standings and reports later in the day. Photo Gallery: |


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Archive review: Little Gloster
Reviews 27th April 2011 Matt and Cat 23
This is an archive review. Little Gloster is now closed.
There's definitely some kind of social pecking order out in Cowes, but being from Ryde, Matt and Cat really don't get it.
Take Gurnard, for example. Is it a wannabe suburb of the cosmopolitan hub that is Cowes; or is it actually the exclusive enclave that everyone in Cowes wants to escape to? So hard to say, or indeed to care. It's probably both, depending on whether you're talking to someone from Cowes or Gurnard. But one thing M&C can say with certainty concerns eateries in Gurnard. They don't have many, but they're very keen on the ones they do have.
So when last year a new restaurant opened in the former Outlook Bar, down at Gurnard Marsh, there was a fair buzz. The Little Gloster had some good coverage and got some favourable comments on this site – "You must, Must, MUST visit the Little Gloster on Gurnard Marsh", enthused Mr Happy; "Delectable from start to finish!", gushed Wendy V, and many more in the same vein. M&C did actually make a couple of attempts to visit, but got muddled with opening times over the winter, deciding eventually to come for a lunchtime session to be sure of getting it right. That undertaking finally came to fruition when your reviewers, with a couple of friends, made a foray to Gurnard one Sunday lunchtime and put the Little Gloster to the test.
It's advertised as having a Scandinavian influence, and that's probably a good job given the unusual building. Now M&C don't normal extend their reviews to architecture but this one can't be left to one side. It's a building that it's hard to perceive as anything but a yacht club – located by a busy slipway, bracketed by tenders and boaty junk, the fairly utilitarian structure has few windows on the landward side, although it's been made to look pretty smart. Once the visitor gets through a fairly functional lobby the reason for all this is clear – on the seaward side, the Little Gloster opens up to give panoramic views of the Solent and nearby garden. Huge picture windows surround the diners, with the kitchen and bar area wisely hidden out of the way, creating an excellent, airy, environment.
Having confirmed their booking to the waitress who greeted them, Matt and Cat found a table and settled in, soon joined by one of their dining companions. When the waitress returned to serve drinks, she was happy to leave the threesome to peruse the menu for a little while longer as they waited for the fourth member of the party, who'd been delayed. Very obliging; but once he'd turned up it was another half an hour before the party finally had to flag down a waitress and ask to order.
The menu was a substantial one for lunchtime. A good range of seafood and specials complemented a decent array on the standard lunch menu. Matt was fully convinced by the roast dinner option, and asked for roast pork with crackling, which was labelled as Isle of Wight produce. Cat, feeling dainty as ever, asked for the Bembridge crab and crayfish fishcake starter to be served as a main – a variation which was readily accommodated.
Waiting for their food the diners chatted and enjoyed the scenery, sneaking a peek too at their fellows at nearby tables. The spacious and open layout means that there is plenty of distance between the diners, but even so M&C couldn't avoid noticing the statutory table of well-heeled gurglers that seem to be a fixture of any restaurant in the PO31 postcode from April-September. It's a simple and touching scene that will be familiar to Cowes restaurateurs. An ample young gal adjusts her flimsy frock and simpers at the striped shirt opposite her. He obligingly bellows unlikely intimacies into her ear before the whole table bursts into chortles of delight, waving be-signeted hands for more iced Chardonnay. In fact the whole place had a pleasingly informal but classy feel – it made sense that this was particularly successful as a lunchtime venue, especially given the view.
Crab and crayfish cakes £8.95
Roast pork £15.95
Lemon tart £4.95
Chocolate brownie £5.95
Coffee x 2 £3.90
Total: £39.70
The food, when it made its appearance, was similarly satisfactory. Three mighty slices of pork loin, cooked to a turn, made up Matt's roast pork special. The vegetables caused expressions of delight, and one of the diners who'd opted for the similarly-served roast beef exclaimed that the carrots were the best she'd ever tasted. Matt could believe it – and the delicate green broccoli sprouts too were a master-class in how to present this much-misused vegetable. And if the gravy that came with it was slightly frugally applied, a request of the waitress brought some more soon enough – she even checked if it was to be pork or beef gravy. And yes, there is a difference. Alas the promised crackling was missing; a further request to the waitress was necessary for it to be produced.
Cat was delighted with her brace of crab and crayfish fishcakes and, having exposed one's core, insisted on taking a photograph to record just how much seafood was inside. Unlike so many similar offerings, these tasty morsels were not bulked-up with potato and breadcrumbs; they were pretty much chock-full of crustacean. A crisp and fresh watercress salad, anointed with an excellent tangy dressing, plus a little ramekin of dill and creme fraiche set the little cakes off very well.
Although the diners were not in any hurry there was a substantial break between courses. The desserts were worth the wait. Cat chose a lemon tart with blueberry and fruit coulis; the flan was subtly flavoured with a nice creamy texture. Matt enjoyed his warmed white and dark chocolate pecan brownie with vanilla ice cream. Both sweets were beautifully presented, with a comma of sauce here and a brandy-snap sail there; and with coffee were a decent round-off to the meal.
The sun worked its way down over the Solent as the party sat and chatted in the relaxing venue. The merits of horseradish sauce, and how to make your own, was a hot topic (geddit?). Matt rashly declared that he could find a horseradish root growing wild within a hundred metres of the restaurant, but was much relieved when nobody took him up on it, as he realised that at this time of year (spring) he'd have most likely failed miserably.
Eventually Matt and Cat took their leave of the Little Gloster after what proved to be a more-than-satisfactory meal. The cooking brought out the best of the locally-sourced ingredients; the taste and presentation of the food showed great attention to detail. The laid-back atmosphere was conducive to a relaxed dining experience but this casual approach was not so welcome in the intermittent service. Forgiveable, entirely, and even if the place wasn't the sublime choirs-of-angels experience that some of the more breathless Gurnard groupies had promised: the Little Gloster is undoubtedly worth the visit.
Little Gloster
- Excellent menu
- Wonderful setting and sea views
- Relaxing ambience
- Service not the fastest
My wife and I went to the Little Gloster with 2 very good friends last night for a special meal.We arrived and were shown to our table and immediately we all liked the atmosphere of the restaurant,Very tastefully decorated and a nice warm feel.
The food was very nice .We new that it was not going to be cheap but it was as we expected.Roughly about £40.00 each for 3 courses including drinks.the food was very well presented and very nice.Staff were very nice and the food was served in about the right times between courses.
The one complaint we all had was the cacophony of sound that pervaded the entire time we were there.The background music was much too loud and was toned down when we asked but even then was too loud.The acoustics were very bad all round .If any one reading this has eaten in the Marks and Spencer's cafe in Newport one could compare .Just not right !We all 4 of us have in eaten in very good restaurants here and all over the world and we all said we have never experienced the noise we had last night.A shame realty but all in all I would give this restaurant 7 out of 10 but if they improved the sound I would give 9 out of 10. -
Lunch out to celebrate my chef sons 21st Birthday.
The Little Gloster was amazing; the service and food top class.
Thanks to everyone at TLG for a memorable lunch.
We ate at Little Gloster on 28 December. The food was very good, with particular mention of the chowder, burgers and pear and frangipane tart. I would recommend the restaurant to anyone for the food alone, but the setting is also superb.
Yes great, I saw some pics of the food being prepared as our son is a chef there! I knew you were going so I thought you would have some kind of review.
I understand the winter set menu returns next week!! Bravo.
I have been waiting for a review at TLG for the Jay Raynor event. Did you forget your pencil? Was it a night off?
Matt and Cat respond: How about this, Sean? It wasn't actually a review as the restaurant knew who we were, so we were not writing copious notes. We were just there as ordinary diners like everyone else. And yes, we did pay in full and were glad to!
Reading your latest review (Yarbridge Inn) I agree about kidneys not gracing our menus often enough for us kidney fans…
We ate at The Little Gloster on Friday from their new winter menu and one of the dishes tried was lamb cooked 3 ways, a lamb and spinach risotto, with sliced lamb, and the most wonderful spicy sautéed kidneys, in a delicious jus, it was nothing short of sublime!
The 'arancini' risotto balls were worth a mention and the french onion soup, but the kidneys were just wow
Had a really lovely lunch here today.
Opted for the Sirloin burger with Gallybanger cheese…..it was marvelous!
Would love to come back here and stay the night in the suite upstairs, looks lovely. -
Dinner last night was one ofthe best meals we have had on the island. Recommend the shared platter for starters, crab cakes were the highlight. We both had fish, brill for my wife and IOW mackerel for me. Both beautifully cooked. Shared a pear and blueberry frangipani tart, could have a little more bite for my taste. A wine list that has been carefully selected and not over priced. Service was efficient and friendly, could have been a title more knowledgable about what was available and where the food was sourced from. Great location which they make the best of and a thumbs up for the choice of music!
Some time ago here on M&C I stated that the best devilled kidneys I had ever tasted were at The Taverners, being better than those sampled at Gordon Ramseys.
I would now like to say The Little Gloster has taken the title, had them Friday and they were just so good, as was the rest of our meals.
Had Sunday lunch at TLG and was very, very, impressed.
It may be a few quid dearer than some places at around £15 for the choice of roasts, but when tucking into IOW Pork, interesting and delicious veg, the best roast potatoes ever tasted (even better than the memory of Nans or so I think) and gravy just to die for.
It was worth every penny, and the ultimate accolade, we booked to go again soon. Try it or miss out!
Friends treated us to a wonderful meal at The Little Gloster last night. I opted for beetroot soup with creme fraiche (beatifully sweet), Gurnard fish fillets (perfectly cooked, with new potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli and a fab sauce), and the apple and blackberry trifle (which looked lovely and was just right, full of flavour and not TOO creamy). Ian equally happy with Bembridge crab and crayfish cakes, pork belly mains, and a knockout dessert of rice pudding with Bourbon whiskey sauce and plum compote. Good job he wasn't driving! Service was excellent.
Fresh from The Little Gloster's appearance on C4's Four In A Bed B&B showdown this week, I thought it might be busier on a Thursday night, but it was pretty quiet. Excellent meal, happily recommend it. -
I visited The Little Gloster during the busy Cowes Week period. This truly is a fantastic restaurant… Probably the best on the island. I have eaten at quite a few establishments around the world in my time – and this is way up there! I can't recommend the seafood platter more – it was absolutely delicious. The service was spot on… Attentive, very friendly – yet relaxed. A must visit for any island local – or visitor!
We went to the Little Gloster a few weeks ago and I have to say I wasn't impressed! The food was ok, though overpriced but the service seriously let it down! I might go back in the hope the service had improved but for the price I'm reticent!
I had lunch at the Little Gloster a couple of weeks ago. It certainly didn't feel roomy during our visit as it was packed (Tuesday lunchtime).
The New Forest Venison carpaccio was delicious, but only really offers so little sustenance that you should probably treat it as a starter. The caramelised rice pudding dessert was also excellent. Everyone I was with (party of about ten) enjoyed their lunches and had only positive things to say.
PS. I can also recommend the Veuve Clicquot champange (I can't comment on the price as thankfully I wasn't paying the bill!)
After a recent trip to little gloster at sunset one evening, i have to say it is my fav restaurant ever. i've eaten in many places, many famous tv chef's restauarant, but this place is far and beyond the best for food, atmosphere and venue!!!
Went for lunch on Sunday and can report that it is mighty fine: relaxed without being sloppy, and the seafood platter was just right. Big lawn area means that it was good for our little 'un too, which always helps. Prices reasonable too, for a place that could easily survive by extorting the yachties.
We're not all posh in Cowes you know 🙂
Glad you like it – I think the food there is great, but find that it's almost a bit too roomy inside and so lacks a bit of atmosphere….
However, I've eaten sarnies and chips on the lawn at lunchtime (fab) and had a very boozy girls' evening (where the bottles of wine consumed outnumbered the girls there) – and both were excellent.
Spot on review.
*Simper, simper, whilst flicking my luscious 'Kate of Cambridge' long locks and twirling my pearl necklace round my fingers…*
Was that another "flippant" remark?
To quote C.S. Lewis The lowest "Joke of all is Flippancy where the "Joke" is assumed to have been made long ago in shared contmept, so that any serious or virtuous subject can be referred to in a manner that implies- without explanation- that insiders see the ridiculous side. Lewis observes that flippancy is the opposite of joy: " It deadens, instead of sharpening the intellect and excites no affection between those who practice it."
Dear Matt and Cat, please advise what is a "breathless Gurnard groupie" It's not included in my Encyclopaedia of Fish.
M&C respond: we'll probably do the next review with subtitles. Or possibly without adjectives altogether. It might be safer. -
Dear Matt and Cat, please advise what a "gurgler" is? I have tried to Google it – to no avail. Is it a detrimental idiom?
M&C reply: a gurgler, in this context, is one who gurgles. It's a flippant way to refer to the cheerful noise that emerges from groups of youngsters enjoying a good meal in Cowes. We love the atmosphere of a busy restaurant, so from our point of view it's quite the opposite of derogatory. We'd encourage good-natured gurgling throughout the Island! 🙂
Sorry, might need to retract previous comment. I think you will find
it was an apostrophe of sauce, not a comma. -
Spot on, spider man!
you reallymust try the little gloster in gurnard just outside cowes. we visited last weekduringour holiday and can honestly say it is one of the best eating experiences we've ever had. the food looked and tasted outstanding (especially the pork belly),the staff were polite,accomodating and professional and the sunset looking at to sea was outstanding. reallymatta dn cat you just have to visit and makesure you go at sunset!!!
Matt and Cat respond: Hi julie, thanks for your comment. We went to the Little Gloster a couple of weeks ago – we're just putting the finishing touches to our review. Watch this space!


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Photo credits [Left to Right] Dean Impson, Mahurangi Technical Institute, Rajeev Raghavan, Bruce Ellender, Zeb Hogan
Welcome to the Freshwater Fish Specialist Group!
The group was established in 2004 and is a joint partnership between the IUCN Species Survival Commission and Wetlands International. Chaired by Dr. Richard Sneider, the FFSG are a diverse group of experts, spread over 17 regions around the world, with a solid record in ichthyology (the study of fish) and the conservation of freshwater fishes.
The FFSG is concerned with conserving the aquatic environment worldwide, maintaining fish biodiversity and ensuring sustainable fisheries in relation to people and water resource use. Our biggest challenge is the development of practical, global strategies for freshwater fish conservation in the face of species extinction and rapidly declining freshwater fisheries worldwide.
Working together, the FFSG focuses on a number of key areas; including strategy and policy development, provision of technical information and advice, training and education, IUCN Red Listing and biodiversity assessments.


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Ask the MB: Is Shannon Sharpe a Clown, or Sharp Dresser?
Some friends and I were drinking some Magnificent Bastards and talking football and, naturally, Shannon Sharpe's dress attire on CBS's pregame show came up. My buddies think he dresses like a clown. I think he dresses with balls and style. Real sharp, as it were. What does the MB say?
"Balls and Style." Sounds like a good name for a men's style site and corresponding e-commerce shop. Er, nevermind.
We can see where your buddies are coming from with the clown comments. Unfortunately, sometimes Sharpe wears wide, floppy, too-neatly-tied bow ties that definitely evoke thoughts of men in makeup who accessorize with squirting flower boutonnières. Take Saturday, for example (left).
But we agree with you, Evan. Sharpe is great at bold pattern matching and texture combinations. Everything fits perfectly. His lapels are just the right width and echo that of his ties. His knots are almost always appropriate for the collar shape. He often wears gingham and textured ties, both MB favorites (see Sunday; right).
And while we usually need to turn down the volume when he's making a point, he's a pretty good analyst, too.


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Potential HotspotsTerrorism Top Ten Conflicts War Updates
Next:LEADERSHIP: China Is No Paper Tiger
March 2, 2013: China has sent more battalions of infantry, and support units, to the Burmese border. Burma's decades old war with tribal militias in sparsely populated northern Burma is threatening to spill over. Some of the tribes are ethnically Chinese and have long operated on both sides of the border. In effect, the tribal militias use China as a base area and occasionally shells and bullets land on the Chinese side. More tribal refugees are coming into China. China wants the tribes to calm down and may use force to make that happen. The additional Chinese troops are there to give the Chinese government more options.
A retired Chinese army officer (a general) has caused an unpleasant situation for the military leadership by going public with details of corruption in the army. Many such details (like the unexplained wealth of many army officers) are not hard to spot but the government controlled media stays away from it, and there are so many other forms of corruption that directly impact Chinese that no one else bothers with the misbehaving officers either. But the general's Internet posts provide details on how the thefts cripple the ability of the troops to fight, or even operate, effectively. Historically, this is old news, as is the usually very poor performance of the Chinese military in the opening stages of a war. China is a large country, so wars usually lasted long enough for the corruption to be quashed and more competent leadership to set things right. But this costs a lot in terms of lives and money and the new, improved army is not supposed to following the bad old ways. But as the general points out, in the army the past prospers, at least for corrupt officers. The navy and air force have a way to fight corruption that the army lacks. The government can provide more money to have ships at sea and aircraft in the air more often. You can't fake that and the best training for sailors and pilots (and their maintenance crews) is constant use of their expensive equipment. The army leaders can more easily steal and they are doing so more frequently.
China's Cyber War activities are getting more publicity. The government does not want this kind of attention but Chinese hackers are getting cocky and careless and are increasingly detected and identified. For example, internet security researchers find identical bits of code (the human readable text that programmers create and then turn into smaller binary code for computers to use) and techniques for using it in hacking software popular with Chinese groups that sneak into military, government, and corporate networks in the West. The hackers are often traced back to China and increasingly to Chinese military and government facilities. The best hackers hide their tracks better than this. It's also been noted that Chinese behavior is distinctly different from that encountered among East European hacking operations. The East European hackers are more disciplined and go in like commandos and get out quickly once they have what they were looking for. Some Chinese operate like that, but a lot of them go after more targets with less skillful attacks and stick around longer than they should. That's how so many hackers are tracked back to China, often to specific servers known to be owned by the Chinese military or government research institutes.
The East Europeans have been at this longer and most of these hackers work for criminal gangs, who enforce discipline, select targets, and protect their hackers from local and foreign police. The East European hacker groups are harder to detect (when they are breaking in) and much more difficult to track down. Thus the East Europeans go after more difficult (and lucrative) targets. The Chinese hackers are a more diverse group. Some work for the government, many more are contractors, and even more are independents, who often slip over to the dark side and scam Chinese. This is forbidden by the government and these hackers are sometimes caught and punished, or simply disappear. The Chinese hackers are, compared to the East Europeans, less skilled and disciplined. There are some very, very good Chinese hackers but they often lack adult supervision (or some Ukrainian gangster ready to put a bullet in their head is they don't follow orders exactly).
For Chinese hackers that behave (don't do cybercrimes against Chinese targets) the rewards are great. Large bounties are paid for sensitive military and government data taken from the West. This encourages some unqualified hackers to take on targets they can't handle. This is seen when these hackers are detected trying to get into a high-security network like the U.S. White House network that deals with emergency communications with the military and nuclear forces. China doesn't want to discourage this sort of ambition and will likely tolerate it. China believes that no matter how angry the West gets, they won't go to war over this massive theft of government secrets and, more importantly, commercial data that is worth trillions of dollars to the Chinese economy. China complains that it is hacked as well, but for the moment China has a lot less to steal and its more important for China to keep plundering the West.
The government has to worry about a more mundane form of hacking closer to home. The growing number of surveillance cameras in China catches criminals as well government officials misbehaving. People with access (legal or otherwise) to these videos increasingly release onto the Internet vids showing misbehavior by government officials. Despite government efforts to censor this kind of publicity, it usually leads to the official being fired or prosecuted. The officials are definitely shamed and losing face like that causes much mental anguish in East Asia. Policing all that video has provided the police with an impossible task, so far.
The growing number of arrests and prosecutions of smugglers obtaining illegal weapons components for Iran have revealed a pattern of preferring Chinese suppliers and shippers to get it done. The Chinese government denies any approval of this sort of behavior. But corruption being what it is in China, enough cash can get you past whatever official prohibitions there are against helping arm Iran. The Iranians are willing to pay the extra charges.
The toll from Tibetans burning themselves to death recently reached 101. A growing number of Tibetans are questioning this practice because the Chinese government appears immune to local or international criticism for its harsh tactics in Tibet.
February 28, 2013: The government announced the success of another police crackdown on Internet pornography. This time over 300 web sites were shut down, along with at least 30,000 blogs and microblog accounts (Weibo, the equivalent of Twitter, which is banned in China). While porn was the main target, the police also went after pirated material, unsanctioned online gaming, and the politically incorrect. Operations like this serve to remind Chinese that they do live in a police state.
February 27, 2013: The first of many new 1,400 ton Type 056 corvettes entered service. Four or more will do so this year, as at least twenty are under construction. This is part of a massive naval construction program. In part, this was to help out Chinese shipyards suffering from a five year global depression in the ship building industry. This program also replaces hundreds of older Russian designs with new, more Western type ships. New technology makes these ships cheaper to run. The Type 056, for example, has a crew of only 60, which is a third of what ships of this size previously had. The growth in new patrol ships, which is what the Type 056 is, makes it easier to constantly cruise the disputed waters of the South China Sea and intimidate those who might intrude into waters claimed by China.
February 24, 2013: The government has finally admitted what Internet commentators have been pointing out for years; people living close to polluting industries have much higher cancer rates. The Internet critics call these places "cancer villages" and there are more and more of them as corruption enables more industrial facilities to bribe their way out of having to implement expensive environmental safety measures. Pollution is becoming a major national issue, as more and more public demonstrations against pollution take place. Some protest groups have succeeded in preventing a potential polluter from building a facility nearby. The only solution to this is environmental regulations that are actually applied. The pervasive corruption makes that impossible or, at the least, very difficult. Meanwhile, airborne pollution is becoming an international issue as South Korea and Japan are detecting more Chinese pollution (the prevailing winds are to the east).
February 23, 2013: A Chinese patrol ship entered disputed waters around one of the Senkaku Islands but left after an hour when a Japanese warship showed up. Japan protested to the Chinese government and said such transgressions would not be tolerated. Both China and Japan are escalating this dispute. The Chinese believe they can eventually bully Japan into giving up their Senkaku claims, but if you follow Japanese media you get the impression that the Chinese tactic is more likely to lead to war. This would probably be preceded by a Japanese announcement that they now have nuclear weapons. This process has long been openly discussed in the Japanese media, despite official Japanese hostility towards having nukes. With nukes, a short naval war would be a fair fight and one that China could lose.
February 18, 2013: Japan accused a Chinese destroyer of activating its targeting radar against a Japanese warship off the Senkaku Islands. China simply denied the charge and Japan refused to detail how it detected the Chinese electronic activity, as that information might aid the Chinese in future encounters.
February 12, 2013: North Korea carried out its third nuclear test. China was not pleased and escalated that displeasure by taking the unprecedented step of summoning the North Korean ambassador for some face-to-face criticism. North Korea responded, after a few days, by telling China that it is planning one or two additional nuclear weapons tests this year. This indicates that the February 12th test was a success and that a few more will enable North Korea to perfect their design, and then sell it to Iran (and anyone else willing to pay) for a lot of money. China knows this and the Chinese leadership are unsure how they should proceed. They could order a coup in North Korea, to replace the Kim family with a pro-China group. But this is not a sure thing, as the Kim clan has been aware of China cultivating members of the leadership over the last decade. There are periodic purges of senior officials, sometimes accompanied by a death sentence. If a Chinese sponsored coup attempt failed, then China would have to choose between military intervention or dealing with an even more hostile and unpredictable neighbor. The North Korean nuclear program is also causing popular unrest inside China. The Internet reaction, despite government censorship, was very negative and there were even some unauthorized demonstrations (usually at large public festivities where the protestors can do this sort of thing and avoid arrest) against the North Korean nukes.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Traffic fatalities rose 5 percent last year, according to an analysis of preliminary state data, reversing a seven-year decline in which the number of annual traffic deaths reached their lowest level in more than six decades.
An estimated 36,200 people died motor vehicle accidents in 2012, the National Safety Council said Tuesday. That's up from 34,600 deaths the previous year. It's the first increase since 2004 to 2005.
Crash injuries requiring medical care also rose 5 percent last year to 3.9 million, the council said. The estimates are based on monthly fatality data the council receives from every state and the District of Columbia.
The council and other safety advocates attributed the increase in part to more driving due to an improved economy and a mild winter last year.
While that may explain some of the increase, the rate of deaths also increased 4 percent to 1.23 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The estimated annual population death rate was 11.49 deaths per 100,000 people, also an increase of 4 percent.
One explanation is that not only are people driving more as the economy improves, but they're also driving differently, said Michael Sivak, a professor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
During the economic downturn, people tended to drive slower to conserve gas; there was less driving on rural roads, which are more risky than urban roads, and there were fewer freight shipments and thus fewer heavy trucks on the road, he said.
"Improvements in road safety that are based on economic factors are transient," Sivak said. "We should not be surprised that a part of the recent gain in road safety is beginning to disappear."
Increases in pedestrian and bicyclist deaths — a reflection of more people walking and biking in urban areas — may also be a factor, said Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices.
Distracted driving is also suspected to be a factor, "but the distraction data is very, very difficult to get," she said.
Cars are safer than ever, with an array of new high-tech safety systems beginning to permeate the new car market. But many of the causes of highway deaths remain unchanged: Drivers not wearing seatbelts, drunk driving, inexperienced teen drivers, unsafe trucks and motorcyclists not wearing helmets, said Jackie Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
"I don't buy this theory that, 'Oh, we have safer cars, what else can we do?'" Gillan said. "There are many more things we can do. It's not rocket science. We know what the cure is."
The estimated cost of motor vehicle deaths, injuries and property damage in 2012 was $276.6 billion, the council said. The costs include wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employer costs, and property damage.


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Biker n00b: "Wait, you chose to wear a neon colored jacket?"
1. You choose your helmet based on your motorcycle.
You'd love to wear a full-face, but only if borrowing a friend's Honda CBR600RR, otherwise you stick to your Bell Custom 500, no matter the riding conditions, when riding your Bonneville. Sure, the full-face is more comfortable and far safer, but what will people think?
Standard riding uniform as soon as the sun comes out.
2. Sun's out, guns out.
As soon as the temperature gets above 60 degrees, you're ready to get out there in a t-shirt or sleeveless vest. Riding down the road, squeezing the handlebars so your triceps flex, you look around to try and catch people watching you. You're only going 40 mph, nothing bad can happen.
READ MORE: 10 Things They Never Told You About Becoming a Biker.
3. If you don't rev your bike at idle, it might die.
Doesn't matter if you're on a 600cc sportbike or a bobber, any time your bike isn't in gear you give the throttle a few good twists just to let the world know you're a bad ass who'd be doing 100 mph if you weren't stuck at that light. When asked why, you mumble something about it being good for the engine, it being important to let people know you're there for safety reasons, or that it's just a habit and you, "don't realize you are doing it."
200 guys trying to show off all in one tiny parking lot...what could go wrong?
4. You meet up with your motorcycle friends in the most populated places possible.
Whether you prefer the local motorcycle café or just a super populated downtown area; you and your friends wouldn't think of meeting anywhere you couldn't line up all of your bikes for everyone to admire. Sure, parking sucks and there are pedestrians everywhere and the food is greasy and awful, but you just feel at home there.
5. You LOVE to stand around admiring motorcycles.
You could spend all day listening to some guy ramble about how much faster adjusting his rear-sets by 1/8 inch made him or explaining why he wasn't as fast as usual at a recent track day. Motorcycle shows are your absolute favorite, and you've almost perfected the ability to look at some builder's rat-rod and point out he's using the front forks from a 1967 Harley something or other.
If it's fast enough for RideApart contributors Jamie Robinson and Cody Blank, it's fast enough for me.
READ MORE: Why All BIkes Are Awesome!
6. You think 600cc sport bikes are for girls and new riders.
Surely, you will outgrow that puny engine as soon as you get comfortable with operating the clutch. The power is just so limiting, you actually have to be able to turn to keep up with your buddies and can't just catch them in the next straight. Also, absolutely no one is impressed when you say it makes 125 hp.
7. Your style of riding is the best version of motorcycling; everyone else is doing it wrong.
Those sportbike guys dress like idiots in their onesies and their bikes look like transformers. Those Harley guys look like pirates and ride bikes that are too heavy, too loud, too chrome, and too obnoxious. Those café dudes are posers who ride uncomfortable bikes just so people will think they look like Steve McQueen. Those dirt bike dudes, in their lifted trucks, flat bill hats, and Monster-fueled blood - have to actually truck their bikes places to ride. Those adventure guys just sit on their bikes, wearing brightly colored snowsuits, while miles accumulate underneath them; those things would be miserable to ride downtown.
Shocking that the Range Rover driver couldn't predict the motorcyclists next move, right?
READ MORE: What I Learned From Becoming a Motorcycle Journalist
8. Riding in appropriate formation is boring.
Riding in groups is only fun if you're either a) riding side by side with your friend like motor-cops do or b) if you're passing each other every few seconds. That lane position stuff they talked about at your MSF course was so lame, no one actually rides like that. What's the point of riding together if you aren't interacting the whole time?
Offended? You might be a biker n00b….


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USDA Paid $36 Million to a Lot of Dead People
GAO report reveals improper payments to thousands of deceased farmers.
The title of the GAO report really says it all: "USDA Needs to Do More to Prevent Improper Payments to Deceased Individuals."
That stark pronouncement comes after a recent GAO audit discovered that three USDA agencies had made $36 million in improper payments to 6,336 dead people between 2008 and 2012.
The USDA spends $20 billion annually on programs that support 1 million participants through income assistance, crop insurance and disaster relief. "Over the course of time, farmers who are enrolled in these programs may pass away," GAO official Daniel Garcia-Diaz said on GAO's Watchdog Report podcast. "If nobody notifies USDA or the agency doesn't have any particular steps to identify deceased farmers, it's possible that payments or other benefits may accrue to deceased individuals."
Of the three agencies GAO scrutinized, only one had procedures in place to prevent improper payments to the dead. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) used a procedure that compared program participants against the Social Security Administration's death rolls. This procedure allowed FSA to flag 28,613 deceased individuals, of which six percent, or 1,799 individuals, improperly received $3.3 million over two years—but $1 million has been recovered.
Two other agencies, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Risk Management Agency (RMA) didn't fair as well. Neither agency had any procedure in place. The GAO audit found that, between 2008 and 2012, NRCS made $10.6 million in payments to individuals who had been dead for one year or more. Over the same period of time, RMA paid $22 million to the dead.
In the GAO's report, the agency recommended that the three USDA agencies either tighten or, better yet, develop data-mining procedures that ensure payments aren't being made to the deceased.
See the full report here.


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I really appreciate your help in advance.
This is what i am trying to achieve.
I have a file say "test.xls" in some location say "X"
I wanted to open this file and read data of it, for which i already have a program that actually does it.
But the problem is, it does not recognize the file type, because even though the file name says test.xls the type of the file is a webpage(*.htm, *.html).
Now the workaround is to manually open the file and change the filetype to Microsoft Office Excel Workbook(.xls)
Once i do this, i am able to do anything with the file using Java.
I wanted to know if it is anyway possible to change the type of the file using Java, without having to include the manual steps. I am Automating this process. Please help, i can provide you with more information if my objective is not clear.
Excel Version: 2003


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November Overview
The first statewide nor'easter of the season on the 26th-27th provided much needed rainfall and kept the month from becoming one of the driest on record. Storm specifics are found below, confirming that this event accounted for the bulk of the statewide monthly average of 2.83" and at least temporarily staved off worsening drought conditions. This was 0.81" below the 1981-2010 normal and ranked as the 52nd driest of the past 119 years. Temperatures seesawed a fair bit but overall, colder than average conditions prevailed for the second consecutive November. The statewide average of 43.0° was 2.6° below normal and tied with 1906, 1919, 1940 and 1986 as the 36th coolest on record. Rather frequent frontal passages resulted in winds gusting to 40 mph or greater on twelve November days.
Six November afternoons had one or more stations within the 54 station NJ Weather and Climate Network reach at least 65°. The 1st was the month's warmest day, with Hawthorne (Passaic County) and Mansfield (Burlington) topping out at 72°. Some 31 other stations reached 70° or 71°, with a balanced thermal environment across NJ finding High Point Monument (Sussex) and Seaside Heights (Ocean) the coolest locations at 64°. Seven stations reached 71° on the 2nd, perhaps the last 70° day of 2013. Cherry Hill (Camden) got to 69° on the 6th, and the Monmouth County communities of Oceanport and Howell reached 65° on the 7th. On the 10th Sicklerville (Camden) was 65° and Cherry Hill, Piney Hollow (Gloucester), and Clayton (Gloucester) were 69° on the 17th.
Minimum temperatures on ten November days fell to 15° or colder at one or more stations. On nine of these days Walpack (Sussex) was among the cold locations. In fact, this valley situated station was the sole one at 15° on the 4th, 9th, and 12th. It was 11° on the 15th, when the next coldest station was Pequest (Warren) at 20°. Walpack was 13° on the 20th and 12° on the 21st, when Pequest was 15° and Harvey Cedars (Ocean) had a mild 45° minimum.
The 24th saw High Point Monument (Sussex) at 12° and Berkeley Township (Ocean) and High Point (Sussex, nearly 400 feet in elevation below the 1750' Monument station) both at 13°. The coldest day of the month was the 25th, with Walpack at 7°, Pequest 9°, and 32 stations between 10° and 19°. West Cape May (Cape May) was "warmest" at 27°. The last two days of the month found Walpack down to 7° on the 29th, with Walpack at a monthly state minimum of 6° on the 30th and Pequest at 10°.
The first statewide freeze of the season occurred on the 13th when West Cape May and Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic) finally made it down to the freezing point. Harvey Cedars had first achieved that mark a day earlier. This made for a state longest 222 day growing season at the Marina, compared to the shortest of 119 days at Walpack.
Precipitation and storms
Peak rainfall totals for November included 4.54" in Little Falls (Passaic), 4.28" at Cedar Grove (Essex), 4.27" in Summit (Union), and 4.26" at Chatham (Morris). The vast majority of the NJ stations received between 2.50"-3.99". The least rain fell in Toms River (Ocean) with 1.99", followed by Lacey Township (Ocean) 2.10", Tabernacle (Burlington) 2.25", and Buena Vista (Atlantic) 2.28".
Several small snow events accumulated to monthly totals of 2.8" at High Point Ranger Station (Sussex), 1.8" in Wantage (Sussex), 0.7" in Jefferson Township (Morris), and 0.5" at several stations in Hunterdon, Morris, and Warren counties.
Of the five November events that deposited more than 0.40" of rain on at least one NJ location, only the 26th-27th storm saw totals exceed an inch. The first event included a quick hitting squall line that raced across the state on the morning of the 1st. Blairstown (Warren) received 0.65", Oxford (Warren) 0.61", and Summit (Union) 0.60". Most of NJ received one to several tenths of an inch, with gusty winds throughout, peaking at 52 mph in Wantage (Sussex) and 45 mph at Woodstown (Salem). Damage from downed trees and power outages were reported in a number of counties. The 7th brought Cape May County more than 0.20", while elsewhere totals were near 0.10". Sea Isle City (Cape May) caught 0.49" and Cape May Courthouse 0.37".
The second bout of snow flurries of the season (the first was on October 24th) fell in the north on the 8th. A dusting in the northwest hills and flurries elsewhere in NJ occurred on the 12th. The 16th brought early morning rain exceeding 0.10" to the far south, with less falling elsewhere. Cape May communities receiving the most included Cape May Courthouse 0.45", Sea Isle City 0.44", and Upper Township and Dennis Township both with 0.40". A pre-dawn squall line crossed NJ on the 18th, depositing 0.55" in Hope (Warren), 0.53" at Hackettstown (Warren), and 0.50" in Hardyston (Sussex). Most of the northwest and Cape May County caught 0.20"-0.30", with less over the Raritan basin, the southwest, and the central coast. Winds gusted to 52 mph at High Point Monument and 51 mph at Charlotteburg (Passaic). Three other locations gusted from 40-44 mph.
By the fourth week of November, most of the state had yet to accumulate an inch of rain, with only a few locations having received as much as 1.50". Given the dry conditions that had persisted across NJ, especially the northern half, since early September, the ONJSC recommended that the weekly US Drought Monitor designate the northern quarter of the state as D1 (moderate drought, with a return period every 5 to 10 years) and Burlington and Ocean counties northward to the D1 area as D0 (abnormally dry, with a return period every 3 to 5 years). Evidence of the dry conditions included northern reservoirs below normal seasonal capacity, well below-average stream flows and low ground water levels. Surface moisture was also quite low, contributing to the spread of a 230-acre brush fire in Cheesequake State Park (Monmouth) that began on the windy 24th and was not fully extinguished until the rains of the 26th-27th.
While 90-day deficits remain substantial, the pre-Thanksgiving storm, at least temporarily, put the brakes on encroaching drought conditions. For example, a Franklin Township (Somerset) station received just 2.98" from September 4 - November 25 (83 days) before collecting 2.82" from the storm. With conditions having been so dry, the heavy rain failed to bring streams over their banks and even kept most basement sump pumps quiet. Heavy rain, some northwest freezing rain, and strong winds contributed to holiday travel woes, though fortunately the worst conditions occurred during the overnight hours of Tuesday the 26th into Wednesday the 27th. Amongst over 250 storm reports from NJ CoCoRaHS observers and automated NJWxNet stations, Little Falls (Passaic) received the most rainfall, with 3.81". Verona Township (Essex) was close behind with 3.71", followed by Cedar Grove (Essex County) with 3.60" and Florham Park (Morris) 3.57". Over two-dozen locations received at least 3.00" and close to 100 were between 2.00"-2.99". The heaviest rain fell in a swath from Mercer and Hunterdon counties northeast to Bergen and Passaic counties, with somewhat less to the northwest and along the coast. Still, the lowest totals exceeded an inch, with the smallest total of 1.24" at Sea Isle City (Cape May), with Wildwood Crest (1.31") and Upper Township (1.47") in Cape May County coming in as the next "driest" locations.
In addition to the rain, which as previously mentioned froze on contact with some surfaces in the northwest early on, there was a bit of snow at the beginning of the event, totaling no more than a few tenths of an inch at higher elevations. Snow also fell at the tail end of the storm, though only accumulating at elevations above 750-1000 feet. This included 1.3" at the High Point Ranger Station (Sussex; 1500' elevation), 0.8" at Wantage (Sussex), and 0.5" and 0.2", respectively, in the Hunterdon County townships of Bethlehem and Holland.
Temperatures throughout most of NJ soared into the 50°s and low 60°s as the storm passed over NJ, with four stations making it to 64° in the pre-dawn hours of the 27th. In the northwest, High Point Monument (Sussex) only reached 47°, while cold air remained trapped in some valleys, thus Walpack (Sussex) never made it above 40° and Hope (Warren) above 42°.
The barometer fell to 29.30"-29.40" as the storm passed over NJ, and this contributed to winds gusting over 30 mph in exposed locations. This included maximums of 57 mph at High Point Monument and 55 mph at Wantage. Eight stations gusted into the low 40 mph range and 20 between 30-39 mph on the 27th, with Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic) and Wantage up to 44 mph and 40 mph, respectively, on the 28th.
On the heels of the storm, the strongest high-pressure system of the season arrived, bringing barometers up to the impressive 30.70"-30.80" range on the 29th-30th.
Aside from the winds gusting above 40 mph on the aforementioned 1st, 18th, 27th, and 28th, eight other November days had stations exceed that mark. High Point Monument got to 42 mph and Wantage 41 mph on the 7th, and High Point to 41 mph on the 8th. The 10th was a windy day, with High Point Monument to 44 mph, four stations from 40-42 mph, and 24 of 50 NJWxNet stations reporting winds in the 30-39 mph range. Clayton (Gloucester) reached 44 mph on the 12th and 42 mph on the 13th, with High Point Monument to 41 mph and 46 mph, respectively, on these days. The Monument station reached 49 mph on the 19th and 48 mph on the 23rd, with Wantage at 42 mph and 47 mph, respectively, on those days. The 25th was the windiest day statewide during November, with High Point Monument gusting to 58 mph, eleven stations between 40-49 mph, and 24 between 30-39 mph.
Fall summary
The major story of the fall was the dry conditions that prevailed over much of NJ. Statewide precipitation from September through November totaled 7.44". This is 4.20" below average and ranks as the 19th driest since 1895. Further information on the dry conditions and the temporary reprieve provided by the late November nor'easter was provided above.
Temperatures varied quite a bit during the season, with September and November averaging below normal and October above. Combined, the 54.9° average was 0.6° below normal and ranks as the 63rd coolest (or 57th warmest).
A storm that impacted the southern portion of NJ from October 9th-12th was arguably associated with the remnants for Tropical Storm Karen. Otherwise there were no tropical storm impacts on the region during the fall. The Atlantic hurricane season finished with twelve named storms, only two of which became minimal (category 1) hurricanes. This compares with a 30-year average of twelve named storms, seven of which reach hurricane status, with three of these major (category 3 or higher) storms. The remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea soaked NJ in June, providing the only other storm-related precipitation for New Jersey during the 2013 hurricane season.