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7 Tips - A Guide to Skincare for Cyclists
Here are 7 Tips for looking after your skin, when you are enjoying an active outdoor lifestyle. My featured brand in this piece is the Czech/Swiss brand Sportique, who make by far the nicest and most effective range of natural skincare products that I have found to date.
1 - Lip Balms and Barrier CreamsApplying a lip balm and the Sportique Elements Cream are two of my pre-ride rituals. The lip balm helps to avoid painful chapped lips, and the Elements Cream provides a unique natural protective barrier from the wet, cold, and from harmful UV rays.
2 - Chamois CreamThe seat area of your anatomy undergoes constant abrasion and friction while cycling. A good quality chamois cream will help to reduce friction, and reduce the chance of saddle sores. The natural ozone found in Sportique's Century Riding Cream also provides an anti-fungal and anti-microbial treatment, to help reduce the chance of infection.
3 - Embrocation Creams
The cold and wet conditions of the British winter can make it difficult to get your muscles warmed up and functioning properly. Embrocation creams, such as Sportique's Get Going Cream are ideal to add some warmth before stepping out into the cold. Like the rest of the Sportique range, the Get Going Cream is natural, and doesn't feature any of the harsh chemicals found in a lot of the warm-up creams on the market.
4 - Body Wash
Post-ride, removing the dirt and grime from your skin can be tricky. Often, it will require soap and a fair bit of scrubbing. Lots of the soap products on the market will only dry your skin out further though, and leave it irritated and sore. The Hair and Body Soap range from Sportique are beautiful natural soaps, which leave your skin feeling clean and rejuvenated.
5 - Post Ride Pampering
After you are washed and dried, it is time to help your body recover. The Sportique Muscle Gel uses natural ingredients like cloves and arnica, to notably reduce tension in your muscles and joints. Whether it is niggling pains, or just generally sore muscles, this is a great product to use.
6 - Healing Hands and Fresh Feet
Bike riding, and bike washing (another essential part of winter riding), are hard on your hands and feet. Hours of damp and cold conditions leave them dried out, and at risk from microbial infection (Athlete's Foot). The hand creams and foot creams from Sportique are natural ways to restore freshness to your feet and hands.
7 - Cuts and GrazesFinally, a worthwhile precaution for any athlete: avoid infection. The Sportique Road Rash Remedy is a disinfecting balm, which is ideal to treat grazes, cuts and small nicks. It is infused with natural ozone, which is anti-microbial and anti-fungal, so will help to combat any infections that might try creeping in.
Looking after your skin and muscles holds a long term benefit to any bike rider. It will help to reduce ageing and painful infections, as well as improving the way you feel after a hard bike ride.
- Check out the Sportique range at sportique.net - Sportique can be quite tricky to get hold of in the UK. If you find a stockist, and would like it to be listed here on the blog, then please get in contact.


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I'm in a rush so need to be brief as I'm getting ready to demonstrate some of the lovely recipes from my WI Cookbook this Saturday (May 2nd) at Penshurst Farmers Market. The weather is promising to be suitably springlike so I'm channelling my thermals for freezing winds and showers and am preparing a fairly hearty soup to warm up visitors but, of course, it's the WI so there will be plenty of historic cake too. And I'm planning to flambe some Crepes Suzette as a tribute to the Sixties.
I'll be signing copies of both the WI Cookbook and my other book Back in Time for Dinner and revealing a few stories behind researching and working on these two wonderful projects. So come along for a chat and a piece of cake….
And make sure you read on to work out just what to buy as you wander around the marketwhen you do.
What to buy this MAY at the Farmers' Market
Longer days with some warm spring sunshine means May is always an exciting month at the Farmers' market, as we start to see the first signs of the bounty of produce that will be with us in the coming months. Best of all there is wonderful English asparagus, one of the great treats of the season. A cool March and early April has kept the spears waiting in the ground but they are pushing through the earth now ready for harvesting. And it looks like it's going to be a bumper harvest. So when you find the first spears available, buy them! Asparagus is at its sublime best when picked and cooked within hours, something easily achievable when bought locally at the market, unlike the supermarket version which may be several days old and have lost both the distinctive sweetness and tender texture as a result. Make the most of the delicate flavour by serving simply steamed with melted butter or hollandaise, or toss with crumbled local goat's cheese, some toasted pine nuts and a simple olive oil and lemon vinaigrette. Or try the luxurious chicken recipe below.
Other spring vegetables are just starting to appear after the cold of the winter. Look out for are tender little early English new potatoes giving the Jerseys a run for their money. Leaves such as spinach, watercress, rocket and lettuces can now be found sitting alongside the last of this year's main vegetable crop of purple sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, cauliflower, spring greens, spring onions and radishes. Radishes, spring onions and samphire show that lighter eating is now an easy choice for the cook. The wealth of summer berries are still ahead of us but do continue to make the most of green outdoor rhubarb this month in crumbles, pies and fools. Or try making your own rhubarb jams and chutneys – the tart flavour of the fruit is ideal used this way, particularly if you add ginger as a flavouring. By the end of the month the earliest gooseberries should be available ready to pair up with their perfect partner – elderflowers. Just add a head or two of creamy white flowers (pick away from roads or sprayed fields and shake to remove bugs) to the gooseberries as they cook and lift out before serving.
Wild sea trout is one of the season's great treats – smaller fish make a lovely meal for one. Lemon sole, cod, halibut and sea bass are all good at this time of year and shellfish fans should keep an eye out for razor clams and cockles. For meat eaters spring lamb will start to appear during the month – lambs are sold the year of their birth and the early season lamb is tender and fine flavoured. Look out for salt marsh lamb coming in at the end of the month, with its juicy meat and distinctive flavour. Roast and serve simply with new potatoes cooked in their skins with a sprig or two of fresh mint and samphire to enhance the salty tang to the flesh. To cook samphire just rinse and boil in water briefly – don't add any more salt – then toss in a little local butter. The texture should be still crisp. Local reared beef and pork will be at their most succulent as the grazing starts to green up.
Chicken with asparagus, cream and lemon
This classic dish is luxurious enough for spring entertaining but simple enough to prepare for an after-work supper. Serve it with steamed new potatoes and a green salad or with buttered tagliatelle
Serves 4/Prep 10 minutes/Cook 25 minutes
25g butter
4 chicken breast fillets, cut into thick lengths and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
100ml dry white wine
300ml chicken stock
juice and finely grated rind of 1 lemon
450g bunched asparagus, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
100ml local double cream
2 – 3 tbsp each chopped fresh mint and parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a medium heavy-based casserole, add the chicken stripsand brown lightly on all sides over a medium high heat. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion to the pan and cook over a low heat for several minutes until lightly coloured. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Sprinkle over the flour, stir and let it cook for a minute. Increase the heat and add the white wine, stirring. Gradually add the stock and lemon juice and bring to the boil, stirring, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
Add the asparagus and seasoning, pushing the asparagus under the surface of the liquid, and continue simmering for about 5 minutes, until the asparagus is just tender. Stir in the cream, lemon rind and chopped herbs and heat through back to simmering point. Check the seasoning and serve with steamed rice or new potatoes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Water Contamination from the Oil Spill
The 2010 BP Gulf oil spill devastated thousands of homeowners throughout the Gulf coast area in many ways, with water contamination being a major concern. Drinking water could have been contaminated as a result of the oil spill, potentially result in dangerous illness. If this disrupted your daily life after the oil spill, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your damages.
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iSoftStone partnered with a major luxury retailer to assess current digital technologies and develop a custom roadmap to digitize their supply chain.
Our client managed it's digital assets in multiple disparate file repositories and systems. They were looking for a robust system that could cohesively bring together their people, processes and data. Foundational to accomplishing this goal was the establishment of an enterprise digital asset management solution (DAM) to address existing business challenges and pain points. The client's current state presented a number of challenges including issues with user experience, single source of truth, metadata and search and collaborations (including workflows, approvals and publishing). There were additional concerns around permissions, security of file repositories and scalability of their systems. This client engaged iSoftStone to create a solution blueprint for implementation of a DAM solution with enterprise capabilities.
Aligning stakeholders
We partnered with stakeholders (both creators and consumers) of digital assets across businesses, channels, geographies and media types. Stakeholders consisted of individuals working in creative services like photo, print, and digital, marketing, merchandising, product design and development, manufacturing, E-commerce, external partners and IT.
Understanding the current state
Through a series of small workshops with key stakeholders our team documented the current state of the organization including:
- Gathering and documenting current practices and painpoints
- Identifying common and business-specific processes
- Developing horizontal and vertical views of the current business
- Quantifying and prioritizing pain points
- Creating alignment with business areas and leadership
Developing the target state
With a clear understanding of the current business state, we designed a target state for the business, including:
- Developing business scenarios and use cases
- Documenting business requirements
- Identifying required IT capabilities
Similar to the current state approach, our team grouped common processes with enterprise capabilities and business-specific processes that required unique capabilities.
Creating the digital asset management solution blueprint
After documenting the current state and identifying the target state, our team developed a high-level solution blueprint with recommendations across people, processes and technologies. Our suggested approach was a phased design and implementation with an initial "lift-and-shift" application to quickly transition stakeholders from current systems to a single digital asset management platform. There were multiple subsequent phases to enable new capabilities and new users, as well as fully integrating with the client's system landscape.
The refined solution blueprint addressed business, technical and commercial requirements and included:
- Current and target state documentation
- Vendor assessments, demos and evaluations
- Development of business and investment cases
- Structuring of functional proof of concepts
- Architectural and implementation design and framework
- Technical assessment
- Preliminary commercial terms and costs
Overall, we guided this client through the design and solution assessment, aided in the selection of a preferred vendor and facilitated the implementation of their new Enterprise DAM solution.


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Hans Wehr Dictionary Hard Bound
Product Description
Every word in the dictionary is transliterated, which is useful for indicating sounds which are sometimes used in Modern Standard Arabic pronunciation, but that cannot be easily represented in standard Arabic script.
The Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic by Hans Wehr is widely regarded as the foremost Arabic-English bilingual or translation dictionary and has particular usefulness for students of Modern Standard Arabic. The morphology and syntax of written Arabic is essentially the same in all Arabic countries. Unlike many other Arabic-English dictionaries, it arranges each Arabic word according to its consonantal root. Foreign words are listed in straight alphabetical order by first letter (in the Arabic script). Arabicized loanwords, if they can clearly fit under some root, are entered both ways, often with the root entry giving reference to the alphabetical listing.
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Policing the Shell to Sea Campaign
I've blogged previously about the policing of the Shell to Sea Campaign but a number of developments of late are worth noting. Last week 9 activitists were in court on charges of public order but had the charges struck out as the court held that they had been unlawfully held for 27 hours in Garda custody before being brought before a judge.
Indymedia explain that one of the nine cases was used as a test case, that of Eoin Lawless. Mr Lawless was arrested at 2.20pm on 28th June last year, on a public road. He was detained at the Shell site for two hours, before being brought to a police station. He was charged at 9.15pm. He was not brought before a court until 5.30pm the next day. The Supt at court offered the explanation that there insufficient officers at hand to deal with prisoners, but this of course is not a satisfactory reason to deny a person their right to liberty.
The local district court was not normally sitting the next day and the judge he had contact with stated that she would not be available until 5.30pm. The supt did not attempt to contact another judge, nor did he investigate the possibility of bringing the prisoner at a much earlier time to a court which was in sitting, such as Galway District Court.
Haughton J found numerous problems with this process
- the prisoner should have been brought to a station without delay
- he should have been charged without delay
- he should have been brought before a court without delay
From 4.30pm the detention was unlawful. No explanation was provided for the 7 hour delay in charging him. The Supt failed in his duty to ensure the prisoner was brought before a court expeditiously. Indeed the court went so far as to find that these actions were a conscious and deliberate breach of the accused's constitutional rights. Charges against the other 8 defendants were subsequently withdrawn.
Indymedia speak of the importance of this judgment for the Shell to Sea Campaigners, who for years "have complained about different 'illegalities' attached to the activities and behaviour of Shell and the Gardaí." Indeed the lead story on the Indymedia site today is of how Shell manage to evade legal obligations to submit applications to the EPA while this week 27 campaigners are before the courts, one of whom has already received a five month sentence.
This story received a bare 150 word coverage in the Irish Times and this writer can't find mention of it on either the Independent or Examiner websites. Yes this is a clear finding that in one of the longest running protests in the State, which raises very serious questions about the disproporationate application of the law to the powerful and, legally speaking, the powerless in society, the police of our State have breached fundamental rights of the campaigners. This is not a case which should be glanced over. Detention of persons for more than 24 hours is reserved in this state for the most serious of offences. The charges against these individuals have been described as public order offences none of which would merit more than 6 months imprisonment which means that the police weren't even entitled to detain them for four hours without charge. In these cases detention should have been for the purpose of arrest which should have been for the purpose of bringing the accused before a judge. This is not what happened.
Once again very serious questions are emerging about how the Shell to Sea Campaign is being policed but more broadly about how the campaigners actions are being criminalised while Shell can continue to breach laws and regulations without sanction.
March 31, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Excellent concise post and it is great to see this issue getting attention and critique from human rights lawyers.
April 10, 2010 at 12:39 am
So very pleased to have read your article. It's imperative that these abuses are publicized. I am the sister of Pat O'Donnell living in New Jersey. Pat is currently serving a seven months sentence in Castlerea Prison for his activism against Shell's planned gas pipeline route. He was found guilty solely on the word of a Garda. According to the Irish Constitution "The State guarantees liberty for the exercise of the following rights …the right of the citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions". Doesn't a man like Pat who loves his family and cares deeply about their health and future have a right to speak about his convictions and opinions? Thank you so much for the article. It's disheartening to see that the national papers do not publicize these abuses.
April 10, 2010 at 1:20 am
First of all, quoting directly from the Indymedia article (ie. the protesters website) hardly provides for un-biased, effective journalism.
"Once again very serious questions are emerging about how the Shell to Sea Campaign is being policed" – always from the same biased source: the protesters themselves! I'm sure drug dealers dont like the Gardai either and the reason is the same – they dont allow them to break the law or behave in any manner they please as they attempt to achieve their goal.
What these protesters need to realise is that just because their protest is 'non-violent' (which it isn't always), that does NOT make it peaceful or lawful.
The methods employed by the protesters more often than not encroach unduly on the rights of other citizens (blocking public roads, preventing people from going to work etc) and often amount to criminal damage. Furthermore, the thuggish behaviour of many involved is a hinderance to protesters genuinely concerned with the safety of the pipeline and about the deal agreed with Shell.
While I, unlike the posters on 'Indymedia' who cry 'conspiracy' every time a Court rules against them, will not argue with the finding of the Judge, I feel it is important to point out that their insistence on venting their frustration at the government towards An Garda Siochana has become unacceptable.
One need only look at their website or see any of their posters plastered (illegally) on many towns and cities walls to see their campaign has become nothing more than a campaign of hate against the Gardai. I peronally pulled down a Shell to sea poster in Galway last week that had over 200 words on it – all about the gardai. Not once did it mention the words 'corrib' or even 'gas'. Their youtube videos are clogged with scenes of protesters using the most disgusting and derogatory language towards Gardai including one statement about a member killed in the line of duty which was simply too distatseful to ever repeat.
The Gardai are not in Bellmullet because they care either way about the project. In fact many may well agree with the protesters but like myself may be unwilling to assocaite themselves with a group who endorses such thuggish behaviour.
The Gardai are there to uphold the law. Its as simple as that. Whenever a large crowd assembles in any area, be it for a sporting event, a concert etc (nevermind a situation as volatile as this one) there is ALWAYS a chance of riot, violent disorder or other offences contrary to the Public Order Act and the Gardai are there to police the situation.
Furthermore, if a group of protesters take it upon themselves to sit in the middle of a PUBLIC road (often, as can be seen on the Shell to Sea youtube page, in dangerous, wet, dark conditions) it is the duty of the Gardai to remove them by whatever means necessary (and they only do so after endless pleas – again, this can be seen on the shelltosea youtube page). They do this to protect the rights of other citizens. For example, what about an inexperiened driver who comes upon such a scene and runs over a protester, or swerves and seriously injures or kills himself.
The Gardai in this country are more accountable than most police forces in the world. The quality with which they do their work has been recognised internationally on many occasions. Just a couple of weeks ago a judge in one of the UKs highest courts praised the Gardai for their vital role in one of Europes biggest ever drug seizures. There are endless examples of Gardai putting their lives at great risk, and indeed sacrificing them, for the protection of others.
While there is no doubt that they need to be highly accountable for their actions (which this case, ironically, proves that they are) I suggest it is bad practice to add fuel to the fire of a group who has completely lost sight of the purpose of its existence to help them scandalise and insult the Gardai.
April 10, 2010 at 8:05 am
Good article.
In reply to D Tully's stating "The Gardai in this country are more accountable than most police forces in the world."
Professor Dermot Walsh of the Director of the Centre for Criminal Justice at Limerick University has called the Gardaí one of the most secretive police forces in the world. "Unlike many other police forces in western liberal democracies, they are reluctant to open up. They really need to start allowing their policies, their practices to be opened up to public scrutiny,"
With regard to policing Shell, the Gardaí have been totally one-sided in their application of the law. The people who were arrested in this case and were found to have been illegally detained were brought into a Shell compound from the public road. Why??? The Shell compound itself had no planning permission or consents.
In light of what happened at Pollathomais Pier the Garda Ombudsman asked permission from the Minister for Justice permission to investigate how Gardaí handle protests. Dermot Aherne refused them permission to investigate.
D Tully's point regarding quoting from Indymedia surely stems from the point raised in the article that media chose to ignore the story.
25 of the 27 people who were up in court that week relating to the campaign had their charges dismissed or dropped. That shows something strange going on.
In 2006, Supt. Joe Gannon stated that the Gardaí had initiated a no arrest policy for policing the Corrib. How do you police a large number of protestors if your not arresting any of them? The answer was to batter them.
April 10, 2010 at 10:54 am
Thanks to Vicky Conway for her article. Often the legal details have to cover many of the more personal stories like the young people from England who were on their ninth appearance in a Mayo District Court spread over the months since June 09 only to learn that their appearance before the Court was not lawful. Each of them had spent almost 1000 euros to get themselves to the Court. Will they be reimbursed? The concern is the manner of faciltitating the Right to Protest — one did not see policing or prosecution of the protestors over days at the Passport Office recently. The situation at the G 20 in 09 produced an almost immediate inquiry into policing aptly named ADAPTING TO PROTEST. It is accessible on the web under that title and would make useful reading for the Ministry of Justice, the DPP and An Garda Siochana.
April 10, 2010 at 11:41 am
In response to SCleary's point about Prof Dermot Walsh's outlandish statement – this was refuted by even the head of the INDEPENDENT Garda Ombudsman Commission. It did serve to get Mr Walsh's name in a few of the national papers though…
If you think they are not one of the most accountable forces in the world ask yourself honestly what would happen the protesters if they tries to pull off many of their illegal acts in another jurisdiction.
You dont have to post your answer here but it's ok to accept that you're wrong even if you are still against the project (which it barely mentions on the whole of this page what that's about…strange.)
April 10, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Also, while the safety of the pipeline is indeed a very important matter, when you look at the methods adopted by many of the protesters one has to question their motivation (especially those who are not from the locality).
They way in which they behave is disgraceful (just watch ANY of their own youtube videos).
Of all of the major wrongs and governmental shortcomings in this country why do they insist on wasting Garda overtime for this cause (one which, while there are a few drawbacks, HAS also changed many peoples lives for the better).
April 10, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I would say the safety of the proposed pipeline is an extremely important matter, especially to those who have to live near it, but also to those for whom it will set a precedent for transporting raw gas from an offshore site through a residential area at extremely high pressure.
If our government force this scheme through by using heavy handed police tactics, there is no doubt that Shell will try to replicate the project in Ireland and around the world. The savings to the company would be enormous.
None of the tactics used in protest against the scheme are particularly unusual; sit-ins, lock-ons, hunger strikes, etc have all be seen before and since. What has been unusual has been the roadside " rough justice" handed out by the gardaí, the close co-operation with Shell, and the refusal of the Department of Justice to accept recommendations from the Ombudsman.
Attacking the protesters by comparing them to drug dealers and calling them "thuggish", as D Tully does above, is juvenile and meaningless.
April 11, 2010 at 9:44 am
DTully – the reason why these sources are relied on is because of a lack of coverage elsewhere, as pointed out in the article. I have contacted the Courts Service for a copy of the judgement and am still waiting.
Further I am not supporting the use of unlawful methods by protestors. I am, however, questioning the application of the law. Dozens of protestors have been imprisoned but there have been on cases against either Shell (who are failing in their legal obligations) or the Guards. You say that this case shows the accountability of the Guards but it does not result in imprisonment of the Guards involved or any form of sanction.
As to the quote by Dermot Walsh, that was in fact from a joint paper we delivered at an international policing conference in Limerick last December. I fully appreciated that the protestors would have been treated worse in other jurisdictions but does that not make the guards the most accountable in the country. If you look at the figures emerging from the Ombudsman close to half of complaints continue to be investigated by the Gardaí. That is not independent. But that is just one form of accountability. Dermot Walsh's book THe Irish Police makes it very clear that democratic mechanisms in this country our very weak, so if we as members of the public have questions or concerns about policing, but no specific complaint, we have no method of having those heard. Joint Policing Committees are highly ineffective in achieving this. Other countries have much more developed methods for this such as Policing Boards and Authorities. Numerous international bodies have raised very serious concerns both about policing in Ireland but also about the Ombudsman Commission itself (European Committee for Prevention of Torture, the Human Rights Committee of the UN). It cannot be concluded that the Guards are the most accountable – take the basic fact that only one Guard was prosecuted in the wake of the Morris Tribunal.
At the end of the day this is not about the protestors did wrong so its irrelevant what the Guards did. These are seperate issues which need to be looked at. The Guards have greater responsibilities in society given the rights and powers they have bee afforded so we should in fact be even more concerned about any unlawful acts committed by them. The comment by Eamonn above shows just how serious this can be (thank you for sharing that Eamonn).
April 11, 2010 at 11:25 am
First of all, as to Eamonn's foul mouthed, aggressive comment (which is typical of any conversation with a Shell to Sea protester), no I was not there on the day in question but have been there on other occasions.
As to your very serious allegations of assault causing serious harm, I'm sure you can understand why I can't take your own claims at face value. Of all of the many many hours of footage of 'police brutatlity' in Bellmullet, coupled with my own first hand experiences, I have never seen force used that would 'cripple' any person. Also, it is a common claim (another that I am sceptical about) that 'women and children' were assaulted. One has to ask why were parents bringing children to what they claim to be an unbearably violent situation at the hands of the Gardai?? Talk about human rights violations….
To Brian – Let me make very clear that I am 100% supportive of ensuring the pipeline is safe. However, what has become very clear to me is that very little of the protesters energy is directed towards Shell or the government anymore. It is nothing more than a hate campaign against the Gardai and some of the statements and allegations made (see Eamonn above) are ridiculous. EG. the poster I refer to above claiming 'attempted murder' by the Guards. Ask yourself what guard in this country would do something like that?
Finally, just to clarify, my likening the sitution to 'drug dealers' was simply an attempt to highlight the fact that ALL law-breakers dislike the Gardai – from people who are caught speeding to the most serious criminals. This unfortunately went over your head.
To Vicky – In my opinion there has been more than enough media coverage of the Corib Gas issue and as it seems that An Bord Pleanala will not allow Shell to complete the pipeline until we can be assured it is safe, it seems to me that the majority of people have come to terms with the project even if Shell have got a very good deal (the project has also been a massive boost to the local economy).
Let me stress once again however that I am not arguing the pros or cons of the project itself – I am expressing my annoyance at the so called 'Shell' to sea protesters are continuing to focus their attentions on the Gardai. It seems that as interest in the project itself has faltered, they have now invented a new 'human rights' issue to protest about. Rebels with a made up cause.
If you were referring to coverage of 'policing the campaign', perhaps the reason there is very little is because there is no reason for it. As I have said already, apart from the allegations from the protesters themselves of crippling injuries and women and children being 'battered' there is zero evidence to support claims of brutality on the part of the Gardai. I have even seen protesters clai that doctors and paramedics are in on the conspiracy. It's ridiculous.
As to procedural shortcomings on the Gardais part – lets not forget that the case which sparked off this discussion was one which found against the Gardai in court (which, according to the protesters also works for Shell) and in favour of the protesters!
You also say that the Supt. in question will face no sanction – how do you know that he will not be sanctioned for his error by a superior??
Finally, you say "The Guards have greater responsibilities in society given the rights and powers they have been afforded so we should in fact be even more concerned about any unlawful acts committed by them" – I agree with you 100% and there are many examples of Gardai being investigated and losing their jobs for breach of disciplinary procedures (just type 'Commissioner An Garda Siochana' into any of the case law databases).
Are you implying that unlawful acts are frequently carried out by the Gardai?? If so, please enlighten me with examples.
April 11, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Vicky in the final paragraph of your article you mention your concern that the protesters are being criminalised while Shell continue to breach regulations without sanction. Well surely by your later logic you would agree that these two issues are, and should be, completely seperate, especially given that the purpose of your article is Garda accountability. Shell should, of course, have no right to breach laws such as planning permission and other administrative regulations but what connection does this have to the policing of the protesters given that the Gardai have no right or duty to interfere with issues such as planning permission etc which are all dealth with by local councils and other such bodies.
April 11, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Examples are easily provided. The Morris Tribunal is a very clear case. I've a book coming out on the Tribunal this week if you are interested: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Wall-Silence-Tribunal-Accountability/dp/0716530317/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271006229&sr=1-2
Further, if you search the Dáil debates you will see that over €32million has been paid out in actions against the Gardai over a five year and nine month period: http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20090922.xml&Node=1368
Those payments will all be for unlawful acts such as unlawful arrest, assault and so on. Given that amount it can hardly be said that unlawful actions are infrequent.
April 12, 2010 at 8:57 am
JMcNulty, ideally yes they should be seperate however I am concerned that there is a larger issue here. If we take this as a situation with two players (Shell and the protestors), the weaker player is being penalised more than the corporate player, quite possibly because of the financial implications. The 'ref' in this situation, the government, can instruct the Commissioner to make the policing of the protest a priority and we have seen an intense policing presence at the protests. I haven't been to these protests, so I can't and won't comment specifically, but protest situations around the world have documented how a heavier police involvement can antagonise and inflame a situation. So the government decision may create more behaviour that merits a criminal response, as our law is defined, while Shell continue to breach regulations without response.
The very fact that planning permission etc is dealt with by local councils and authorities and council makes my point – a civil remedy is applied to those breaches of laws while a criminal one is applied to the protestors actions. I'm trying to challenge, to an extent, what we define as criminal and what we do not. We've seen a greater push of late towards police action on corporate crime. Many would argue that what Shell have done (both here and in other countries such as Nigeria) should be viewed differently.
April 12, 2010 at 9:54 am
Vicky, you are stepping all over your own point with your last replies and being very hypocritical.
Earlier you bemoan how the gardai are not accountable and yet now you say there are endless examples of unlawful acts by the gardai being dealt with by the courts (amounting to 32million euro). How could this be so if they are not accountable? If they are so unaccountable – who is taking all those costly cases?
Furthermore – the Morris tribunal should be seen as a positive response to an unwanted problem in the force. It highlights the fact that an Garda Siochana, from the rank and file members to the Commissioner, will not tolerate any wrongdoings by it's members.
On top of this what you now seem to be calling for is civil action as opposed to a criminal one against unruly protesters. This is a sharp turn away from the point of your original article.
When addressing any issue it is important to at least temporarily see past your own personal bias, which it is evident from your writings on this page you have failed to do.
April 12, 2010 at 10:02 am
I'm citing those cases as examples of unlawful acts by the guards. I do not believe that civil actions are a satisfactory means of accountability. If a police officer has done wrong to a citizen action should be taken against that officer by the state. It should not be down to a citizen to take on all the risks of a civil action to get any satisfaction. That is not an adequate system of accountability.
The Morris Tribunal does not establish any such attitude among an Garda Siochana. Indeed, quite the opposite, the unwillingness of officers to tell the truth at the Tribunal and the protection afforded by the representative associations, added to the refusal to hand over early internal reports to the government which culminated in substantial delays in establishing the Tribunal, indicate unwillingness to have wrongdoing exposed. Or certainly in relation to that issue. There are indications that change is beginning to happen but I'm not convinced its wholescale.
On your third point, I'm actually calling for criminal actions against Shell, less of a police presence at the protests, greater discussions with the protestors who have many valid concerns which are not being listened to and a general consideration of what we do and do not criminalise in this State.
April 12, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Eamonn- I did not say it didn't happen I said I can't say with certainty that it did happen just because YOU say it did. Of course you're going to claim something like that. Unfortunately nobody else has seen evidence to support your claim. Do you have any witnesses to the assault?? Where is the footage now??
Also, you can't just tell someone to 'stick it where the sun don't shine' because they disagree with you. Maybe you should have a doctor check did you hit your head in that assault….
Vicky- You keep repeating the same points (one's that I've already concurred with) "If a police officer has done wrong to a citizen action should be taken against that officer by the state". True – but as in all other criminal cases there has to be evidence to support it other than a claim by a protester. If there wasn't then you'd actually have a real human rights issue to write about.
You say that officers lied/didn't give evidence at the tribunal. Are you suggesting the courts are also involved in some form of cover up to allow that to go on??
You're blog should be entitled 'Anarchy in Ireland' instead.
Finally, you say there should be more discussion with protesters. That is true but you have to be met half way. Shouting '**** Off Pig' etc. etc. is hardly going to lead to any groundbreaking conclusions. The protesters involved are FAR from blameless in relation to these issues and this has been agreed time and again in the courts where they have been described as 'bullies' and 'secret police'. But of course that judge must be working for Shell too……
April 12, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Thats great Eamonn that a court saw the video.
It trust they administered justice accordingly so I fail to see why you are saying the Gardai are not accountable.
A garda 'chased away' an ambulance?? And a trained paramedic agreed to leave an injured person lying in the drain?? God your story is fascinating!
April 12, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Also Eamonn- you've seen the warning, suggesting some sort of 'meet up' is completely over stepping the mark.
If you can't compose yourself when typing a written text I can only imagine what you are like towards the Gardai in the heat of the moment.
April 12, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Eamonn you are clearly very passionate about the campaign and that is an admirable quality.
However, I too am entitled to my own opinion and see no harm in expressing it. This is an open forum and it is implied that 'heated discussion' may occur in relation to certain topics.
As I have said already I am as keen as anyone to see the pipeline is made safe, but I am entitled to disapprove of many tactics employed by the protesters which I see as counter productive. (i.e. their relentless attempts to scandalise An Garda Siochana)
This article has provoked a huge amount of discussion from people who are clearly opinionated about the project – yet we have not discussed Shell, the pipeline, alternative ideas or approaches or any sort of compromise agreement at all. This is precisely why the Shell to Sea campaign is beginning to falter. Venting anger at the Gardai will not help.
April 26, 2010 at 10:10 am
D Tully: You state that you have first hand experience of the situation, I would ask if you would expand on your first hand experiences. Are you a Garda? I think it would be useful to know where you are coming from.
I am involved in the campaign and it's clear that Eamonn is too and we also know where Vicky Conway is coming from so I think it'd just be useful to know.
You say:
"Of all of the many many hours of footage of 'police brutatlity' in Bellmullet, coupled with my own first hand experiences, I have never seen force used that would 'cripple' any person."
I have seen force used that would & could "cripple" people. I know at least 3 people that were protesting, who are still feeling the effect of injuries that were sustained at the hands of Gardaí a number of years after the incidents.
With regard to your assertion that the campaign has become too focussed on Gardaí, the campaign aims and the vast majority of the campaign is still very much focused on Shell/Statoil & Vermillion. See here as and example:
Unfortuately the Government have chosen to put the Gardaí as the main buffer between Shell and the protestors. So that what should have been a civil matter between 2 parties began a "law & order" issue with the Gardaí backing one party.
See here as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czw37WlF9tQ
Fintan O'Toole (& possibly could be said that retired Chief Supt. Tony McNamara too) said basically the same in his latest article.
However what I have been most shocked with from my experiences is from the Gardaí's behaviour has been their willingness to use violence against middle-aged and elderly people. Not that I'm saying they were correct in there handling with others but I've seen Gardaí pushing, hassling and using unnessary force and men & women over the age of 70.
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ4_TZQTj3Y
Supt Michael Larkin has stated that he sees protests as a "as a battle for democracy". I think that this is very dangerous & polarising language for the Garda in charge of the policing of Corrib to be using. Is he trying to say or insinuate that people who protest against Shell are enemies of democracy?
Are Shell on the pro-democracy side?
See: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/second-summer-of-conflict-looms-as-ship-returns-to-lay-final-pipes-94559.html
May 2, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Hi SCleary,
No, I am not a guard.
You say – "I have seen force used that would & could "cripple" people. I know at least 3 people that were protesting, who are still feeling the effect of injuries that were sustained at the hands of Gardaí a number of years after the incidents". These claims are very similar to Eamonns very serious allegations. He even claims t have video evidence of the incident. He also claims he got to show it to a judge after taking a case but the judge 'ignored it' because he 'works for Shell'. Are you also a conspiracy theorist? If so I see no point in continuing this discussion with you.
You say the campaign is mostly still focused on the Shell issue – in my opinion this is simply not true. see my examples re the 'Shell to Sea' posters above (a fresh batch of which have been illegally plastered around Galway City – nothing to do with Shell). Also on numerous occasions that stalls have been set up on shop st to raise awareness of the issue all I have seen and heard is discussion of the Gardai. As I say, I honestly believe the protesters are beginning to realise their campaign has been in vain and have now created this new human rights issue to fill up their free time.
Regarding your claims the Gardai have used force against the elderly – i have never witnessed this, nor have I seen any evidence to support this so will not speculate about it.
I don't see what the problem would be with using force, where necessary (as it often is in Belmullet) against "middle-aged people"….
Why is it so difficult for you to accept that many of the protesters methods, and I have witnessed them myself, are illegal and breach the public order act. That's a fact – not opinion. The Gardai have to enforce the law.
Lastly, I am not aware of the context your quote from the Supt. was made in so again am reluctant to speculate (or like many of the protesters do – lie).
April 22, 2010 at 8:04 pm


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So you have booked a family session and now you have no idea what to wear! Will that new dress you bought go with your husband shirt? Will you be able to pry your daughter out of her princess outfit she has been wearing for the last 3 months straight? If its in a park what type of footwear should we all wear. Don't worry I have put a list of 8 Do's & Don'ts for family photography outfits to help streamline your outfit troubles! Do coordinate colors but don't match: We have all seen those photos from back in the early 90s where the family is in exactly the… Keep Reading
Alberta Barrier Lake Family Photography – Canmore Family Photographer
I don't know where to even start writing about this amazing family session. The Johnson family sone of my favourite families I get to photograph year after year. Ashley and I went to play school and elementary school together, so we have known each other for years! If you can believe it we were the age of her two little boys when we first met. Since then I have had the amazing opportunity to photograph their maternity, newborn, family and even their stunning wedding last year!! It has been so amazing watching Jason & Ashley's family grow and change! This year for their Alberta Barrier Lake family photography session we… Keep Reading
Pearce Estate Park Family Photography – Lau Fall Family Session
I got the opportunity to meet the very adorable Lau family Saturday morning at the equally as stunning Pearce Estate Park in Inglewood. Between the crazy cute family and the insanely soft fall sunlight this session was a photographers dream! The autumn colors all around the park didn't hurt either! 😉 There is nothing I love more then capturing all those candid family moments and Benjamin was such a smily happy little man! Thanks for the amazing Pearce Estate Park Family Photography session Lau Family! You guys rock! Look at that smile! He was such a happy little guy! Such a curious little man! The sun in the session was something… Keep Reading
Calgary Cake Smash Photography ~ Evan is ONE!
When Katie & I first started chatting about Evan's first birthday cake smash we had planned for the session to take place outside on a beautiful summers day! Sadly mother nature had other plans for us and we were dealt with a rainy, cooler afternoon but we made sure to make the best of it! I had pre scouted out an "indoor" location for their shoot and found a super fun picnic area that was completely covered and also had this amazing wood texture walls. It ended up being the perfect place for his shoot. Evan also wasn't sure that actually touching the cake was a great idea but that didn't… Keep Reading
Confederation Park Family Photography ~ The Moleschi's Calgary Family Session
I love this little family and I love even more that they live 3 hours away, and always make time to swing through town for a photo shoot every now and then! I seriously have the BEST clients! I met Jarred & Trish at their engagement session, then got the oppratunity to photograph them again at their wedding day, and once more at their maternity! I love when I get to watch my clients grow and change but also be a part of all those amazing memories. This past weekend they were passing thru town from a family vacation and we snuck in a Confederation Park family Photography session at in… Keep Reading
Quick Family ~ Downtown Calgary Family Photography
I have know Tilly for many, many year so when she contacted me to take her spring family photos I was thrilled! Jeff and Tilly have the cutest, most energetic boys, and photographing them was SO MUCH FUN! Taylor was like an energizer bunny and was running and laughing the whole time. Jayden was more calm and content. He preferred to sit back and enjoy watching and learning from every moment. Both are insanely adorable! For their session we headed downtown Calgary to the historic McDougall School House. This building and the surrounding grounds are stunning this time of year. There is an amazing set of fountains lined by blooming cherry… Keep Reading
Baby Girl Amelia ~ Calgary Newborn Photography
I first Met Wes & Kathleen when I shot their maternity session last month. This week I finally got to meet their sweet little one Miss Amelia! How sweet is she?!? This blue eyed, red haired little beauty was the perfect little model. She knew exactly where to look and loved posing for the camera. Congrats you two! She is the perfect little addition to your already beautiful family!
Baby Boy Lenyx ~ Chestermere Newborn Photographer
If you asked my husband if I was great at surprises he would say no. I like to be in the loop and know whats going on so any surprises for me aren't always the easiest things to keep from me. However surprises for others I'm like a vault! I love them! Kelsey's mom contacted me a few weeks ago and wanted to give Jake & Kelsey a newborn session as a gift. I loved the idea and was immediately excited, remember I love surprises for others! I finally got to meet this little one on the weekend and seriously how cute is he? He joined big sis Isabella who… Keep Reading


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by nathan oster
The likelihood of the town ever switching to rollouts for the collection of garbage was greatly diminished Thursday when the Greybull Town Council directed Town Foreman Dalen Davis to pursue the purchase of a garbage truck with a left-hand-only drive setup.
Councilor Bob Graham, who cast the lone dissenting vote, had been pushing for a truck with a dual-drive setup (with steering wheels on both the left and right sides of the cab) and the hardware needed to one day install a grabber for the rollout dumpsters.
According to Davis, the town current has three garbage trucks, including an "alley truck." The plan, he said, is to replace the blue truck that was purchased in 2004 and to keep the white truck, which is slightly older, as a backup truck.
Davis asked the council for direction on the type of truck to purchase. In presenting the bids, he said the town could get a dual-drive truck with the hardware needed for grabbers for around $185,000. A truck set up exactly the same way as the one it will be replacing — in other words, one without the right-hand drive option — would cost about $8,000 less, or $177,000.
Mayor Frank Houk said he had asked Davis to get specs for both options, saying a dual-drive truck would give the town flexibility down the road to switch to rollouts, if it was ever deemed necessary.
"I thought rollouts were a dead issue," said Councilman Bob McGuire.
Graham agreed that rollouts were a dead issue "for this council," but quickly added, "For future council's, I can guarantee that it's going to come up again" as a way to combat rising landfill costs.
"I don't disagree that the price (at the landfill) is going to go up, but I am not sure rollouts are the way to solve that price issue," countered McGuire. "We'd be paying for something now that we may not use until 10 years from now."
Graham said towns that have already switched to rollouts, like Lovell and Worland, went through similar procedures. They reason they switched, he said, was because of rising landfill fees, not to mention problems with illegal dumping in Dumpsters.
Graham added that with technology improvements people could ultimately be billed just for the amount of garbage in their rollouts at the time of collection. With the current system, he argued, it isn't right "for a little old lady who takes a little bag to the Dumpster to be paying the same as I do or the same as a family of six. To me, I'd rather pay for whatever I put in the rollout.
"The landfill is going to raise its rate by a half cent, and the more we recycle, the more we take away, the higher their price is going to go because they have no other way to fund it until they finally figure out that it's going to require some sort of mill levy."
Councilors Jan Johnson and Kay Fleek admitted that they were initially intrigued by the rollout concept when it was first presented to them. But both said they heard vocal opposition to the plan from their constituents.
McGuire said he, too, heard "from a lot of people" who absolutely do not want rollouts.
"We all agree the price is going to go up … and whether they charge me $5 because I'm old or Kay $90 because she's young, it's still going to come out the same way. The issue isn't whether we have rollouts or dumpsters. The issue is still going to be financing on the bottom end, between the landfill and the town."
The question, McGuire said, is whether the town can afford the $8,000 to $10,000 needed to equip the truck to collect rollouts. For him, the answer is no. McGuire said the timing isn't right and that there are other more pressing needs, like costs associated with hiring an administrator, as well as for streets to be chip sealed and for more improvements at the Herb Asp Community Center. Any of them are "now" issues, rather than "potential" ones. McGuire's said his preference was for the $8,000 to $10,000 in savings to go to chip sealing.
When asked to weigh in on the matter, Davis said his preference would be for a left-hand drive truck, rather than the dual-drive truck. When the vote was ultimately taken, it was 3-1, with Graham in the dissent.


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Jerry Seinfeld can finally ''Bee'' himself
Jerry Seinfeld took a few minutes at Cannes to talk to EW.com about his life after ''Seinfeld'' and how he got Oprah to be in his upcoming animated ''Bee Movie''
Did you ever have a friend you haven't seen in years and didn't know you missed until the two of you went out for a beer together? That's what it felt like to sit down with Jerry Seinfeld on May 17 in the nifty penthouse of the Carleton Hotel in Cannes. Not only did he dress up like a bee in support of his new animated feature Bee Movie — about a flying, stinging insect who unravels the grand conspiracy behind human honey production — he even sat down with us to chat about it. Good times.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: At what point do you start feeling creatively ready to take on something scripted again?
JERRY SEINFELD: It was really this form that did it. I've seen these animated movies and it was like when Larry David and I started the show. We both thought, "I wish sitcoms talked about these things. Why don't characters talk like this?" I saw these animated movies which I liked, like Toy Story. But to be honest with you, I had never quite heard the kind of comedy that I thought might be fun in an animated film.
How long did it take to shake off the rust from Seinfeld?
I just can't express where I was at mentally after creating 90 hours of scripted television. That's 53 some-odd feature-length films in nine years. After that, no movie was going to appeal to me. And I don't have the ego to say, "Hey, did you see my movie?" I don't give a damn about movies. You know, it's just another gag, right? But this was like a whole technology and a whole new set of parameters, you know? Which were basically no parameters, in animation.
Why bees?
The bee thing had been a joke between me and Mario Joyner for years. Like, "Did you see that documentary about the bees?" And then we'd start doing the bee characters and imagining them in human context. I kind of really wanted to go for a '60s Jack Lemmon feel. But, you know, with bees.
So you really just love bees?
I do. I mean, the honey thing. It's a wonderful, amazing, miraculous thing. You know you can find honey in the tombs in Egypt? This is something special. This is not the same as centipedes. Or cockroaches. Then there's the hexagon in the hive. I could talk to you about the hexagon forever. And, of course, you have the hilarious stripes and the fact that they're overweight.
You got Oprah to play a judge in your movie. How the hell did you pull that off?
You know what, she told me she's been dying to be in one of these movies. But no one asked.
So you just called up Oprah?
I just called up Oprah.
You got a papal blessing, man.
Oh yeah. It is. Well, I thought that the bee trial of the century needed the moderator of the century. And that's Oprah.


text: Our first visit with the Boys of Saumur started with the inseparable pair, Romain Guiberteau and Brendan Stater-West. As it turns out, Brendan (who spends his days working for Romain) hit a wall in his pursuit of trying to make something more of his work in Saumur. Late last year, he was eyeing a small parcel of vineyards for his...[ read more ]


text: DAY 700: 12/29/2019 DAILY OBJECTIVES MET: My husband has been honest with me. ✓ Daily talk with my husband. ✓ Worked on Self-Care as defined here. ✓ Currently Reading: "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel Van der Kolk Current Daily Podcast: "7 Good Minutes" --------------------------------------------------- Dailies | Self-Care Completed: Self-care is not an indulgence. Self-care is a discipline. Morning routine / Verbalized my feelings Journal / Daily talk with hubby / Regulated my sleep. Tony Robbins List of Basic Human Needs | Text explanation here / Sound. 1. Certainty 2. Uncertainty/Variety 3. Significance 4. Connection/Love 5. Growth and 6. Contribution. 3 Things I am Grateful for Today: 1) Self-care. 2) Healing. 3) Getting Medical Answers. --------------------------------------------------- Last night, we laid in bed for some time and spoke about our day, we reflected back on the morning (not so great start for our new family tradition) but also how it went throughout the day, it ended up nice and how good it was to hear what our eldest daughter thought about the changes she has noticed, without us asking or mentioning anything. Then we began watching season 4 of The Expanse on Amazon, as he gave me a nice foot rub - which I am so grateful for. I have still been feeling like crap, so I barely slept again. Today on the 7 Good Minutes podcast I listened to "Developing These 3 Mindsets Will Change Your Life Completely", in this episode, we learn about 3 mindsets that will change your life completely if you develop them. 1) Ask crazy questions! For example, "What would I do if I had a million dollars?" or "What would I do if he/she/they want me?" Asking absurd questions sparks creative thinking and enthusiasm. 2) Apply a "fear setting" or worst-case scenario and recovery plan. This will convince you that acting on your dreams won't ruin your life--there's a way to survive anything! 3) Before bed, write/type one thing that will make the next day a WIN for you. That one thing each day should be a productive step towards your daily, weekly, yearly or life goal. Remember, if you change the way you look at things the things you look at change. OMG, we are on day 700!~ wow! so proud of @Wade W. Wilson! This morning, instead of a walk, I decided to go to see a doctor at urgent care because my regular doc has been rather useless. Good thing I did because he told me that I have both a respiratory and sinus infection, meanwhile, my regular doc told me nothing of the sort, she told me "it looks a little red, but I think it's okay", ugh. Anyway, now I'm on a really strong dose of antibiotics which I hope will end this month-long sickness! Then we ran a few quick errands and decided to have a lazy day at home so I can recuperate. What I liked about myself, today: (I am trying to find one positive thing to "like" about myself and make a mental note of it, every day. No matter how small or insignificant) I insisted on an X-Ray, even though normally I would have 'gone with the flow' and agreed with the doc that maybe I didn't need it. #Self-Care 3 Mindsets That Will Change Your Life --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Recovery Setback Dates | Inconsistencies or Lies 5/25/18 | 6/08/18 | 8/18/18 | 9/19/18 | 1/09/19 1/19/19 | 1/21/19 | 1/24/19 | 1/27/19 | 2/08/19 4/27/19 | 6/13/19 | 7/06/19 | 8/05/19 | ---------------------------------------------------


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[ | MetroActive Central | ]
Spin Out
Michael Amsler
Collision course: Marvin Krasnansky says plans to increase seating at Sears Point Raceway to accommodate 110,000 fans is a potential disaster for Sonoma.
Group urges county officials to put brakes on Sears Point Raceway expansion
By Paula Harris
ASK SONOMA Valley resident Marvin Krasnansky about the proposed $30 million expansion of Sears Point Raceway and this outspoken critic is more than happy to oblige: "I'm concerned about the total impact--the traffic, the noise, and what's at stake for the future of Sonoma Valley, and what we leave our children and grandchildren. This is a critical period.
"Do we really want this to become racetrack haven?"
Spurred by the growing popularity of NASCAR races, the North Carolina-based raceway owners initially wanted to spend $30 million to increase seating capacity from 25,000 to 110,000, and create a huge new grandstand 110 feet high and nearly two thirds of a mile long. However, after a public uproar, they came up with a revised plan that proposes reducing the height of the grandstand to 75 feet and making other cosmetic changes to "camouflage" the facility.
Krasnansky, who describes himself as a former "pushy New Yorker," is co-chair of the Sears Point Yellow Flag Alliance, a recently formed non-profit group of about 80 residents who says they're "committed to preserving Sonoma Valley's quality of life."
The draft environmental impact report on the controversial project was released in the spring, and the public comment period ended in July. The final EIR will be released in the next few weeks and then will go to the county Board of Zoning Adjustments.
But the Yellow Flag Alliance has slammed the draft EIR, saying it contains many faults. The group is worried that the proposed major expansion will lead to massive gridlock on Highway 37, endanger the environment with noise and air pollution, degrade wetlands and scenic open space, and open Sonoma County to irreversible commercial development.
The Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission, an agency appointed by the city of Sonoma and the county Board of Supervisors, also unanimously rejected the EIR as "inadequate and incomplete."
In fact, Krasnansky is so concerned, he did something about it that stirred up the debate even more. Last month, the retired public-relations executive rattled investors on Wall Street by paying a news service to distribute a press release on the Internet claiming that the county could shut down Sears Point because of noise violations. The statement contained written comments from Rachel Sater, an attorney hired by the Yellow Flag Alliance, with Brandt-Hawley and Zoia, a Glen Ellen-based firm specializing in environmental law. In her July 30 written comments, Sater told the BZA, "The EIR must disclose mitigation measures that would bring the raceway under existing and projected conditions into compliance with the county's noise code. ... The EIR fails to explain that noise levels associated with current operations violate the Raceway's current use permit."
Internet providers then electronically cross-referenced the press release with the company's stock information. The Speedway stock reportedly fell by almost $1.50 a share at that time, but it is unknown whether the press release caused the tumble.
KRASNANSKY is unrepentant about the high-tech tactic, but Sears Point president Steve Page, who had to field calls from shaken portfolio managers and investors, criticizes the move. "It was impossible to say what effect it had on stock prices, but it did raise concern," he says. "What worries me was the tactic itself. This is an open public process, and there is a right way to go about it."
The information in the release was misleading, he adds, noting that the race track is not in danger of closing. Indeed, he says that Sonoma County has no noise ordinance. "The general plan lays out certain standards recommended for business and various land uses," he explains. "Our use permit was modified in 1992 and incorporates a sound study that explicitly says Sears Point Raceway occasionally achieves noise levels in excess of county standards. To say we're in violation of the use permit is incorrect."
Sonoma County officials have acknowledged that the race track sometimes exceeds noise standards. However, there is no action pending against the facility and no citations have been issued in the past.
Meanwhile, the two sides have spelled out their positions in dueling ads, which have recently run in the Sonoma Index-Tribune. Sears Point officials say the proposed upgrades are intended to improve traffic management and reduce current congestion.
But the Yellow Flag Alliance is asking county government to scale back the proposed seating capacity by 60 percent. The group is urging the BZA and the county Board of Supervisors to cut the proposed seating capacity to 44,500, reduce the frequency of large events--especially during the height of the tourist season--and limit the use of the facility to motor sports.
The group claims the aggressive expansion is just the first lap in a long-term plan to accelerate Sears Point Raceway's growth. The group charges that, based on the track record of Sears Point's parent company at its four other raceways, "this grandiose expansion plan ... represents just the first step to increase the number of major events, attendance, and other development at Sears Point."
SPEEDWAY Motorsports Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., a publicly owned company with a market value of $1.15 billion, purchased Sears Point in November 1996. SMI also operates racetracks and entertainment complexes in Charlotte, Atlanta, Fort Worth, and Bristol, Tenn. These facilities are used for concerts and auto shows, and include condominium developments, office towers, restaurants, and private clubs with year-round memberships.
It's a scary scenario for critics residing in this scenic, semi-rural area, with its backdrop of vineyards and rolling hills, known as the "Gateway to the Wine Country." However, Page says there are no such plans for the 30-year-old Sonoma facility. "These allegations about potential rock concerts, etcetera, are not grounded in fact," he says. "There's no basis for this. Our use permit does not allow for it, and the statements are just intended to inflame and scare people."
Krasnansky is not convinced. "They say they have no plans right now, but it gives them an awful lot of wiggle room," he complains. "They need to justify their investment with increased use."
Page says the company has listened and responded to public input and will continue to do so, but the goal is to fix a sports facility that is "seriously substandard." He recognizes the battle ahead. "There's a group of people that just don't like the fact that there's a racetrack in southern Sonoma County and will not be accepting of anything we propose as long as Sears Point continues to exist," he says. "To them, somehow racing is an inappropriate [activity] for this area."
[ | MetroActive Central | ]
From the September 3-9, 1998 issue of the Sonoma County Independent.
© Metro Publishing Inc.


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|01 Aug 2016
RAID array won't boot after downloading Windows updates
This is so aggravating. I always put off rebooting because my computer is busy with downloading or I'm playing a game or have a conversation or whatever. So I get home from work and then I try to reboot. I click on the shut down button and Windows goes away and then I see the normal update progress percentage. I walk away, thinking it's fine. But, now my computer won't boot.
Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key
Through this, I tried to install the driver for my RAID controller, but it probably didn't do anything unless the array didn't work in this interface and required the driver. I wish the System Restore option worked, but it says, "To use System Restore, you must specify which Windows installation to restore. Restart this computer, select an operating system, and then select System Restore." Stupid thing doesn't even have its own restore feature and assumes I can get into safe mode at all.
So, I'm thinking this is a classic case of an update SNAFU, but I have no idea how to get around it. I tried using my Windows7 install DVD to fix it, but that eventually runs into a BSOD during the "Setup is starting Windows" period, which is very troubling.
Technical information:
|My System Specs
|01 Aug 2016
Windows 10 Pro x64 ; Xubuntu x64
Use the File Explorer UI and browse to C:\Windows\Minidump. If there are any .dmp files present, copy then to an external USB drive.
Use 7zip to zip them, then upload them here as an attachment.
|My System Specs
|01 Aug 2016
I'm surprised this was even possible, but good ol copy and paste.
|My System Specs
|02 Aug 2016
Originally Win 7 Hm Prem x64 Ver 6.1.7600 Build 7601-SP1 | Upgraded to Windows 10 December 14, 2019
The majority of your 15dumps were 0x9f and you had a couple for 0xd1 both indicate device drivers, the 0x9f is DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE (9f) A driver is causing an inconsistent power state, and the d1 pointed to Mijxfilt.sys which is the MotioninJoy simulate Xbox 360 controller (virtual Xinput device) driver, but just going by your last error code you could try this:
You receive error: Stop error code 0x0000007B (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE) after you install Windows Updates
As noted in the second part of the 07B link there could be a boot sector virus involved I hope not, I did scan your .dmps with mbam and virustotal as I always do when working with unfamiliar files and nothing was detected.
Something else I thought of; Did you notice any flash/external drives in any USB slots because the 0x9f pointed to a PnP problem, and if you do have a controller plugged in pull that also before you try the 07B link.
|My System Specs
|02 Aug 2016
I'll try the offline Windows Defender thing later on, but that looks like the only thing I can do in the link, since everything seems to think that Windows is not installed at all and everything else there suggests options that would appear if Windows was detected.
That damned MotionInJoy driver has given me a couple BSODs, but that's apparently normal, as they're incredibly unstable if you keep installing and uninstalling the drivers. Not so much an issue for me anymore. It was only plugged in to recharge the battery, as I normally use it with bluetooth.
Other stuff that is plugged in 24/7:
Brother laser printer/scanner (USB 1.0)
Remote control receiver
External hard drive
There's also a portable media hub that attaches to USB headers for SD cards and stuff. It's detected as a device whether or not there's a card inserted. I don't think this causes any issues, as it was there when I installed Windows 7 in the first place.
I'll try to use my Windows 7 install disc again with everything unplugged, in case there isn't a virus, which is likely.
|My System Specs
|06 Aug 2016
Finally had time to attack the problem.
The link in the article to the Windows Defender Offline downloads doesn't actually have any downloads on it and I had to look around for 10 minutes before I could find it. Unfortunately, I couldn't do any scans because of this error:
This app can't be started.
Error: Unable to detect a Windows system drive. This could be
due to missing drivers, an encrypted drive, or a corrupted
Windows installation.
Error Code: 0x8004cc01
Then I tried unplugging my external USB drive, my printer, my remote receiver and even the weird DVI monitor thing I never use that plugs into my graphics card. I got the 7B BSOD again.
Previous looks at that BSOD error pointed me to changing the SATA setting in the BIOS from RAID/AHCI to IDE. My BIOS couldn't boot from my optical drive from this setting for whatever reason, but changing it to IDE and then force booting through the BIOS, I was able to start the Windows install program without a BSOD. And then it occurred to me that I've been very, very, very stupid.
I was using my Windows XP disc. Of course a 2005 operating system will have a hardware error with 2012 hardware. I did some cleaning up and found my Windows7 disc, but it somehow works even worse than Windows Recovery Drive. It can't even see my RAID drive. More telling is that it can't detect a 5th hard drive that isn't part of the array that I just use for storage. So any hard drives connected to my SATA ports aren't being detected. Installing the drivers again doesn't do anything.
I'm unsure of what to try next. I'm thinking I can try to copy my windows directories to a USB drive and see if I can boot from that and figure out what's causing the weird SATA myopia. Morale is low.
|My System Specs
|06 Aug 2016
W7 home premium 32bit/W7HP 64bit/w10 tp insider ring
Hi Tiger,
as an add-on, W7 hates being a secondary OS, so if your boot order puts it out anywhere else than 1st, especially if your dual booting. It does do perculiar things.
Try ESET on-line, if as Anak thinks it might be a virus, dissable MSE.
|My System Specs
|06 Aug 2016
I ... I don't know what happened.
So, I thought I'd swap out the "storage" hard drive for a clean one to move my Windows files onto. On a lark, I tried to run the startup restoration process again. Instead of spitting out the same failed error, it rebooted. "What just happened?" I said. Thinking it worked, I pulled the Windows Restore Drive out before the boot process hit it. Same 'insert' prompt as usual. So, I put the Windows Restore Drive back in and rebooted again. But instead of booting back into that ... my computer booted into Windows 7. I said WTF three times in a row out loud.
The drive I put in was blank. I had formatted it sometime in the past. I put the drive I took out back in and there was nothing wrong with it. All the files were present and accessible. I got a message showing that my updates were installed successfully.
Unfortunately, rebooting the computer again had proven the problem wasn't fixed. I still get the 'insert' prompt when I try to boot normally, but now, I can't even get into the Windows Restore Drive menu. It appears to boot Win7 normally, but it won't go all the way, crashing in a BSOD that autoreboots too quickly for me to see what the error code is. The good news is that I can get into safe mode now, but I don't know what that accomplishes, since restore points seem to be turned off and disabled in safe mode and I think I need the full environment to use that or to virus scan or anything. I didn't see any new files in the minidump folder.
The Windows Restore Drive seems to be locked into the repair startup action and I don't think I can get the menu back without erasing the key and reinstalling. It's something I'll do if I think I need to get back into that menu, but I think I'm done for the day and would like some feedback before I try anything else. The Windows7 disc still doesn't recognize the RAID, so repairing through that is not yet an option for me.
torchwood, my BIOS has boot option #1 set to Windows Boot Manager. There are two options that say Windows Boot Manager, but they seem to be the same, as I've tried both. There is an option under boot override that lists the RAID, but that doesn't do anything different. I would try ESET, but I'm pretty sure I need a full Windows environment to be able to do that. MSE is pretty useless as well.
|My System Specs
|09 Aug 2016
Nobody has an idea, eh?
I didn't do anything since Saturday, but something is different. I still get the insert prompt if I don't have the Windows Restore Drive or the Windows7 install disc, but the Windows Restore Drive booted to this error message that stays up for about two minutes, then reboots in an infinite loop:
Your PC/Device needs to be repaired
The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains errors.
Error Code 0xc000000f
You'll need to use recovery tools. If you don't have any installation media (like a disc or USB device) contact your PC administrator or
PC/Device manufacturer
The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again.
Next, I downloaded the Malwarebytes free scanner and ran it in safe mode. It didn't find anything but a thing called OpenCandy, which is just a thing for one of my programs that runs ad banners. Deleted it anyway. No other threats detected. I'm tempted to try other scanners, but I'm fairly certain I won't find anything else.
Just to be thorough, I opened the Western Digital Data LifeGuard Diagnostics and ran both the quick test and the extended test, which took over two hours. No problems.
I also poked around my startup file and found the option to enable boot logging. I restarted and then this showed up:
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the
cause. To fix the problem:
1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings, and then click "Next."
3. Click "Repair your computer."
If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer
manufacturer for assistance.
File: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Status: 0xc0000225
Info: The application or operating system couldn't be loaded because a
required file is missing or contains errors.
It's late, so I'll see what else I can do after work tomorrow. As always, I would appreciate any suggestions.
|My System Specs
|09 Aug 2016
Originally Win 7 Hm Prem x64 Ver 6.1.7600 Build 7601-SP1 | Upgraded to Windows 10 December 14, 2019
Life got in the way Tiger, I haven't forgot about you, but I'm gonna have to read up on your last two posts to get caught up, maybe another couple of days, meanwhile I'm gonna alert our group to see if anyone can pitch in so you might see some different avatars in a bit.
|My System Specs
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text: this is one of the 9 i had recently ordered off Amazon and honestly i like it. it's on apparently a list of one of the worst stories in the show's history and i dunno why cause there are far far worse stories out there. The Smugglers' is one that comes to mind and yes it's a lost story but i've seen the recon many times and i'm sorry but it's just plain boring! that's on my list of worst stories but since i haven't seen the whole series yet i dunno what i think is the worst one to be fair. as for this one is it just me or does it remind anyone of S&M Seriously the title alone and i'm not even into that kind of stuff either.