text:
Living Like A Hummingbird
You've heard of this theory before. It's been floating around for ages. Some call it "Time Dissonance," but the idea is simple. Tortoises take life slowly and live a really long time. Hummingbirds take life quickly, and are gone in a season. But what if each experiences the same "amount of life"? To a hummingbird, a day feels like a month. To the turtle, a day is but an hour.
On your calendar, May 15th is just another human day. You start this morning off with an early dawn. You awaken before light at 5:40 and doze briefly until the light trickles in, say 6:30am. A dark line of squalls is visible to the east and south, punctuated by frequent lightning flashes. Bowling balls echo in the distant. You get the crew up and moving and pull the hook off the bottom by 7am. Your dazed wife squints through the morning haze as she weaves out through a narrow slit between gnarly rock studded islets dead into the wind with a nice 3 foot chop – threading the needle out of North Eleuthera's Royal Harbor inlet.
You turn 90 degrees and unroll the headsail for a 3-mile scrabble to a second narrow cut which is all that shields you from the open Atlantic, 4,220 meters straight down into muted electric blues. A rain line passes over, but quickly fizzles. You release the hoochies (squid-like fishing lures) from both rods, port and starboard, as you watch the depth meter drop from 4 meters to virtual infinity.
The super computers of the National Weather Service, running the best atmospheric modeling that mankind is able to devise, say you'll have 9-11 knots of wind today from the south. If you fly your big genny head sail you should make 5+ knots and arrive well before dark in Great Abaco's Little Harbour, just over 50 miles north. This should also mean a nice, easy, downwind ride.
You've practiced genny deployment and retrieval two dozen times with your crack crew of small girls and a patient wife, but every time it's executed the blood still runs hot. Really, the girls at the other end of the roller furling line weigh less than 70 lbs a piece and can rarely get the peel off an orange without extra muscle. As long as everything goes smoothly, it's all good. But this is sailing; things go wrong like lawyers stretch the truth, every day and at most opportunities.
Sure enough, as you turn the corner behind Egg Island and cross over the abyss, the wind is nice and from the south. You let the big rag fly. It's picture-perfect clockwork, every little crayon-size hand doing the right thing at the right time. You cut the engine and slide silently into that magical carpet ride of sailing smoothly over a silken sea. Breakfast noises commence. The motion is smooth so everyone is happy and smiling. It's 7:40am.
A stack of hotcakes arrives on the table and the crew enjoy a well-earned bite. You glance to port and see sea birds ducking and swirling nearby, then racing past to check out your lures. Birds are a good sign. You pick up other hard-to-articulate clues that this is prime fishing time. The early morning, the heavy overcast, the oil sheen surface with confused swirling chop of deep underlying currents converging and rising. You are already thinking fish, when, Wham! the port pole takes a deep bow and the reel goes into chainsaw mode.
You drop your plate of cakes and dash to the rail. By the time you have the pole out you can tell this is going to be a close fight. The fish is spooling meter after meter of line off as you tighten the drag down a touch. The fight belt is wrapped around your waist from behind as other hands tab the autopilot into a full downwind angle. You want to go as slow as possible while still making the 1-2 knots it takes to keep the fish behind the boat and not seeking refuge around your props. You've just giving a first good pump of return fire when the line goes slack. He's gone. Audible groans are heard. The second loss in as many days.
You had hand-sharpened that hook this morning with the file on your Leatherman. Yesterday's loss had made you suspicious and, sure enough, the hook had been dull, but no longer. Maybe the leader parted. You start cranking it in for inspection when the starboard pole folds down hard and its reel starts smoking off 100 lb test. You're there the next instant, subconsciously avoiding the tangle of halyards and running lines with practiced steps. You get this pole out of its holder and realize this could be trouble. The fighting belt is adjusted and the dance begins. You're not one minute into this duel when the port pole goes off again, hard and screaming. Your wife sprints across the cockpit but isn't sure what do next. The fish could easily become entangled with each other so best to let that one run its course while the port side is landed.
Five minutes later our 64lb eagle-eyed fish spotter calls your catch a Barracuda based on a sliver of head shape that flashes past in the blink of an eye. Barry's are good eating in places, but not here. Forty percent chance of them being poisoned with Ciguatera. You are wasting effort, wasting tackle and wasting time.
You crank the Barry in and land him on the back step. He's pretty sizable and adorned with a double row of wicked 3/8" pincers. You need to get the hook out and him overboard quickly, but the thought of losing a finger gives you pause. You roll your Leatherman over in your hand; it suddenly feels very, very small. To short for comfort.
You dash downstairs and grab a longer pair of needle-nose. A grab, twist and jerk and the monster is free, but too dazed to flip himself back in the drink. You dance around the slippery sucker being sure to keep tender ankles well clear of the needled jaws. Then you seen an opening; a swift kick in the right place. Croc meet Barracuda. He rolls down the back steps and into the murky deep.
Pole #1 is still waiting. In the interim, your patient wife, who cares nothing for fishing, has been hand pulling a foot of line at a time and reeling it up, not knowing how to "make the handle work" by tightening the drag. No worries, fish #3 is still on the line.
With the boat going slowly along at 2-3 knots and the belt already in place it's an easy transition. This guy has been fighting now for some minutes but still has plenty of punch. It's 'gain a yard, lose two' for a while until he starts to tire. These aren't stupid fish. By angling right and left in quick arcs they do their best to leverage your forward speed against you. It feels like you are dragging a sheet of plywood through the water. The pressure is immense; you are soaked to the bone from the rain squalls, chilled and cramping.
Your twin eagle-eyed spotters are focused and intent. They are following the line into the dark waters hunting for any sign of color or shape. Then he leaps! A huge Mahi Mahi bull comes full out of the water, turns a flip and flashes fury in his neon blue back and vibrant yellow-green skin. That's mahi skin color code for "Whoever is doing this is going to pay!" The spotters are elated.
Yard by yard he tires. At last you're making 10 feet for every one lost. He leaps again and again, then dances a jig on his tail while thrashing his head against the surface like a boxer being pinned against the corner. Wife #1 has already retrieved the fish tub; your first ever fish was dropped in the cockpit, but the blood bath was astonishing and turned rank hours later in the tropical sun. Now, experience as your guide, you welcome incoming guests straight into a 18 gallon Rubbermaid tub and slap the lid on. And sit on its top for good measure.
Up comes the Mahi with a last explosion of thrashing. The moment he arcs over the gunwale you realize getting him into the tub is pointless; he's way too big. This isn't the first time and the crew knows the punt routine. You drop him on the step, seize the tub lid and pin him against the engine firewall.
Was that a wind shift?
He's gasping for breath, eyes roll. The fish bonker is handed to you handle first; a few good whacks find their way home. Then the knife does its work and the blood pours down the scuppers beckoning the men in gray suits. You wait a long time, until his color shifts through metallic silver, then back to green and yellow. Mr. Mahi's now in fishy heaven. It's 8:22am. The weather geeks are just settling into their cubicles.
A momentary lull, then a wind shift of 40 degrees and a howl in your ears jerks you awake to the world you still inhabit. A dark squall line pricked with white caps is bearing down on the starboard side. Visibility drops in moments from 1-2 miles to a quarter mile, a wall of rain hammers into you. The boat surges ahead, her big genny straining with each gust.
Squall walls are usually very quick, passing in minute or two. You turn again to run downwind, allowing your boat speed to take the teeth out of the wind that the rigging is now resisting. The boat lunges forward. Nine knots, ten. Your wind meter is tracking up, like a stock on the rise. Seventeen knots, apparent, 19, 20, 22. This is insane! The highest you have seen the genny withstand before is 22, and now we are seeing 29 apparent wind, meaning the wind is nearly 40 knots if you were standing still.
The boat is now in space-launch mode surfing down the squall's building swell. Spray is exploding through the 20,000 pin holes in the tramp as we fly off a wave and crash into another. You keep telling yourself, 'it will pass, it will pass'. But no. Now you are sailing so fast you're riding the squall line like a surfer on a wave. You need to turn across it to let it pass, but that would increase the apparent wind that the sail is feeling up to 35 knots, more than doubling the pressure. You could release the sheet (line holding the tip of the sail) to allow it to flog like a flag and reduce the load, but in this wind that could flail the sail to shreds in an explosive, violent minute.
Getting the genny down requires all hands on deck but the thought of taking your 12 year old daughter out in the maelstrom to man the halyard runs a cold wet chill down your spine. You feel mortally torn.
Then the patient wife pipes in; the one that didn't know how to reel in a fish. "Hey, can't you use the little headsail as a shield, then pull the big one in when the wind isn't pushing on it so hard?"
Brilliant. You can't believe you married that lucky. You unroll the headsail from the cockpit to where all the lines lead and sheet it home. The genny is visibly relaxed, but the wind is a steady 20+ knots. You turn a little upwind and winds soften a touch as the wall passes. The waves, newly born, quickly die and the ride starts smooths out. You marshal forces and drop the genny in one smooth concert of teamwork,the 12 year old tied on a short tether at the base of the mast, expertly dropping the kevlar-laced halyard with a smooth, measured release.
As your crew scrambles back to safety, you pin the living room-sized sail to the tramp and wrap it quickly with bungees. The boat falls off a large swell and 600 gallons of water explodes upward through the tramp, your shorts and your torso with the force of a fire hose. It's warm and salty.
The winds taper off. You raise the main and head sails, now reaching in the boat's sweet spot, 15 knots of wind at 90 degrees on the beam. The rain builds and you open your tanks to drink in the bounty. The Mahi Mahi is waiting, folded into the tub and ready for processing, but the adrenaline is still a little too thick for surgical work. It's 9:30am and the geeks at the National Weather Service are just settling down to their second cup of Joe.
The clouds lighten and the gusts continue to drop. Boat speed falls to 6 knots, then 5 then the mid-4s. The wind begins to shift to the south. All hands on deck and up goes the genny again.
You break out the measuring tape to document the patiently waiting fish specimen. Forty-three inches from bull snout to razor sharp tail. The flashing fillet knife does its work and, 15 minutes later, pounds of pale flesh are in Ziplocs in the fridge.
The sun emerges and suddenly it's hotter than hot. The rain is cooked off in the decks in minutes and all the windows are open to the softening breezes. You are soaked through and through to the bone and beyond. There are towering thunderheads building again to the west, but you take a risk and change into dry clothes anyway. Your hands start to assume normal texture. You find yourself famished and roving the kitchen for stray scraps. It's 11:40am. The geeks are emailing each other about lunch plans: Mexican or Chinese take-out today?
Now the wind is virtually gone. You grit your teeth and fire up an engine. The sounds and the smell of the exhaust, borne by the slight following breeze straight into the cockpit suck the joy out of the ride. You're making headway, but it's costing you dearly. The genny is laying limp, like a sheet on a clothesline.
High clouds obscure the sun again and you see lightning in the gray under-shadow of the cloud banks to the west. Strain as you might, it's impossible to determine if they are shifting your way or not. A dark shadow falls and you see the top of a monstrous anvil-headed cloud that has been swept overhead, casting a hue of dread over the tranquil waters.
Then you feel a breath on your cheek and see a line of rippled water headed your way. The breeze is back and shifts to the side. The sails fill and the engine goes silent. Everyone relaxes.
The crew make hungry sounds, so you dig out a ham and whip up some quesadillas. Lessons are finished and the ride is slow and smooth, mostly in the 4 knot range. More clouds, then sun, a sprinkle. Lightning flashes in the distance, a few impressive bolts arc to find relief on the gray ridges of Great Abaco, just visible in the distance to the west.
The wind backs you and the main is now bouncing around in the swell making a terrible racket as the boom slams left and then right. Preventers help, but it's still a clang fest. You wait for a lull, then drop it while running downwind; it's just about a mess, but quick work by the crew gets it doused in time. You have now changed sail configurations 9 times. It's 2:30pm and the weather geeks are back from lunch and feeling sleepy, like a tortoise.
Under massive genny alone you now ghost along in a gentle cross swell. The crew have long since finished school work and out comes the favorite board game, Sorry! Little sister scores one win and then a second. She is triumphant in her victory, bouncing, dancing and yelling. Oldest sister sulks and glares. A third game and little sister is left out, second sister taking her place.
Then little sister hits on the plan, "scratch my back for winning luck!" she coos with a beaming smile. Older sister groans. You scratch the sacred back. On your next turn, with one of your pieces 2 spaces from Home and one still in Start, you draw two 2s back-to-back and then a 4-backward. "See?!" little sis exclaims, "Scratch for winning luck!" Older sister moans and pretends to throw up. It's 3:40pm. The geeks are checking their stock performances on the day and making last minute trades.
You ghost along now, hour after hour, with no connections to time or space. The sea slips by, distant land changes like the hour hand on a clock in second grade. You do some math and conclude you will arrive under sail after 7pm; before dark but it will be close. You elect to keep sailing, and save the diesel for your entrance through the cut at Little Harbour.
Dense clouds have blocked the sun again and the light takes on a metallic gray hue. Sea birds appear, spinning and dashing over the surface. You get that tingling sensation at the back of your neck again. Fish are at hand. But, it's still warm and the thought of landing and cleaning another monster just sounds too daunting. You yawn and turn back to your book. The kids listen to stories.
The radio crackles and you hear another boat calling a boat you know, a boat with kids. Everyone clusters around the transceiver as you call in a message which the first boat relays to your friends. They are waiting where you intend to anchor. Joyous bouncing ensues. It's 5:30pm and the geeks are stuck in traffic on the homeward commute.
It's dinner time but no one seems hungry yet. Lightning flashes again in the west and north, but seems to be bearing away. Time winds on, chapter after chapter of your Bronté book marches by. It's 6:40pm.
Eventually the cut from the ocean to the lagoon behind clears. The crew douses the genny and you motor through the gap. Your friends are visible now at anchor and your own crew is out in force, hollering their lungs out. You motor a circle around them exchanging greetings and news. You drop the hook and settle in for the night. Out comes the fresh catch and you enjoy a fantastic dinner of Mahi salad in the soft breezes of a falling night. The air is nearly still now, but pregnant with humidity, the warm sea radiating energy skyward.
Thunder rolls from north to south as the crew is tucked in. You stand in the cockpit for twenty minutes watching the billowing heads march northward, pitch dark until flashed with fingers of fire.
You collapse into your berth aching and exhausted as thunder rolls overhead like boulders through your mind. A month of emotions in twelve and a half hours of sailing.
"Is this how a hummingbird feels at the end of each day?" you wonder. And you smile.


text:
News In Print
All the Best, Neill: Letters from Summerhill, edited by Jonathan Croall (Franklin Watta, 387 Park Ave. South, New York, N.Y. 10016; 264 pages, $15.95).
Mr. Croall presents a compilation of letters written by A.S. Neill, the founder of Summerhill, the English progressive school for "problem students" that over the years became an international symbol of anti-establishment theories of schooling. In his letters, written from 1930 to 1973 to famous personalities of the time, fellow educators, and friends and relatives, the education reformer reflects on a variety of education-related topics as well as on politics, writing, and fatherhood. Mr. Croall has written a biography of Mr. Neill; most of the letters in this volume, issued 100 years after Neill's birth, are published here for the first time.
Teaching: The Imperiled Profession, by Daniel L. Duke (State University of New York Press, State University Plaza, Albany, N.Y. 12246; 184 pages, cloth $29.50, paper $8.95).
Maintaining that the teaching profession is in a greater state of peril than ever before, the author seeks to identify a set of concerns on which policymakers can focus attention in an attempt to forestall its further deterioration. The author analyzes problems associated with teaching--including ineffective teacher assignments and school organization, research agendas that alienate practitioners, and poor teacher-education programs--with an eye to preparing prospective teachers and guiding improvement efforts. Mr. Duke directs the educational administration program at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore.
Using What We Know About Teaching, edited by Philip L. Hosford (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 225 North Washington St., Alexandria, Va. 22314; 224 pages, paper, $12).
In an attempt, says the editor of this volume, to bridge the gap between researchers, who are the developers of knowledge, and teachers, who are its users, 23 educators present their ideas on such topics as how research in education compares with research in other professions and how its findings are applied in the classroom. In one chapter, Manuel J. Justiz, director of the National Institute of Education, presents a view of the research agenda from the agency's perspective.
Guides and Directories
A Manual on Nonviolence and Children, by Stephanie Judson (New Society Publishers, 4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19143; 160 pages, cloth $24.95, paper $9.95).
Created as an outgrowth of the Nonviolence and Children Program, this book provides resources for educators and parents to teach children the skills necessary to "resolve conflict without resorting to violence" and to gain an understanding of cooperation and interdependence. The book includes more than 100 exercises, games, and activities designed to reinforce these values.
A Practitioner's Guide: Strategies, Programs, and Resources for Youth Employability Development, by May Long Pritchard, Thomas J. Smith, and Carol Thomson (Public/Private Ventures, 399 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106; 92 pages, paper, $10).
For social-service workers and policymakers, this book provides guidelines on the development of a comprehensive youth-education and employment system for those who are at the greatest risk of becoming or remaining chronically unemployed. The authors look at the population of at-risk youths and present seven strategies for providing them with the competencies they need to enter the workforce, taking into account such factors as their educational background, knowledge of the world, and readiness to learn. Appendices include information on programs, federal funding sources, and additional resources.
Excellence in Our Schools: Making It Happen, by William G. Spady and Gary Marx (American Association of School Administrators, 1801 North Moore St., Arlington, Va. 22209 and the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, 1855 Folsom St., San Francisco, Calif. 94103; 32 pages, paper, $7).
In an effort to turn policy recommendations into "plans of action," the authors of this guide present an analysis of 500 recommendations in nine reports on education, including "A Nation at Risk," "The Paideia Proposal," and "A Study of High Schools." The booklet also focuses on how district leaders and interested citizens can work to implement the reform proposals in their schools.
Other Resources
High Tech Schools: The Principal's Perspective, by Janis Cromer (National Association of Secondary School Principals, 1904 Association Drive, Reston, Va. 22091; 62 pages, paper, $6).
A group of 46 principals examines the effect on schools of the "information age" and suggests how principals and other educators can best prepare for coming changes. They make recommendations on educational planning, curriculum, professional development, finances, and the establishment of school-improvement partnerships.
Improving Instruction with Microcomputers: Readings and Resources for Elementary and Secondary Schools, edited by John H. Tashner (The Oryx Press, Suite 103, 2214 North Central at Encanto, Phoenix, Ariz. 85004; 271 pages, paper, $24.50).
The effect of microcomputers on education is examined in this collection of writings on such topics as hardware, software, computer languages, curriculum integration, and teacher preparation. Includes a glossary of computer terms, a list of information sources, and a compilation of suggested readings.
The Case for the All-Day Kindergarten, by Barry E. Herman (Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, Eighth and Union, Box 789, Bloomington, Ind. 47402; 37 pages, paper, 75cents).
As more districts explore the feasibility of establishing all-day-kindergarten programs, the author presents arguments for and against such programs, research findings, a look at one program in New Haven, Conn., and guidelines for establishing all-day programs.
Anne Bridgman
Vol. 03, Issue 36
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text:
Marisol Cordero-GoodmanMCGoodman Law LLC
- Estate Planning, Probate, Business Law
- Oregon
My name is Marisol Cordero-Goodman, I am an attorney who guides my clients to discover what kind of legacy they aspire to leave behind, what kind of values they wish to impart to love ones, family members and/or business partners. I meld my legal expertise in estate planning, estate administration and corporate formation with real life issues. I strive to empower my clients to make informed and impactful decisions about their quality of life, distribution of assets to love ones, on whom to bestow financial and health decision making powers, and how to implement their legacy before and after death. I strive to listen to my clients' wishes, desires and fears and provide my clients with caring and effective counsel.
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New clients receive a 30 minute free towards their first consultation
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text:
More and more people are troubled by a fatigue that they just can't seem to shake off. The yawn and sigh their way through the day. And that's a good sign that more may be amiss.
Not so much your sleeping pattern as your breathing pattern, British scientists claim.
3 signs that you're breathing wrong:
- Sighing more than usual: a habit our body has when you unconsciously hold your breath. This can be caused by stress and can become a habit without your knowledge.
- Yawning more: a sign that we breathe insufficiently. When we are relaxed, we breathe up to eight times more per minute. Someone who breathes too shallowly breathes up to 20 times per minute. This means we only take in small amounts of oxygen; less than when we breathe deeply and still too little.
- Grinding your teeth at night: stress and shallow breathing are often the cause. Even experiencing pain in your neck, shoulders and back may mean that you breathe wrongly.
The two major reasons for unhealthy breathing:
- Breathing through the mouth: people who are anxious and who have a busy schedule often open their mouths to breathe. This doesn't only lead to them having a dry mouth, but they also tire a great deal quicker.
- Holding your breath: holding one's breath is a common problem among people who experience a lot of stress in their lives, those who are very passionate about their work. They are often very fit, but also anxious by nature. This subjects the natural way of breathing to stress.


text:
Support the VMC, donate today!
Support the VMC, donate today!
Positive Solution to Save Canmore Rabbits, a working group campaigning to save the approximately 800 abandoned pet rabbits in Canmore, Alberta, has launched a letter-writing campaign, and are considering a boycott should the town take draconian action against the resident rabbits while non-lethal alternatives are available at no cost to the town.
Currently the town is cooperating with EARS, a group which took in many of the UVic rabbits last year, in Canada's largest rabbit rescue in history. Offers from other rescue groups have been turned down by Canmore city council, and advocates are concerned that the city will turn to cruel measures if EARS is unable to accomodate all the rabbits within the town's abrupt schedule.
For more information see the most recent campaign press release:
Canmore rabbits need your help as animal advocates struggle to save all 800 rabbits from death by gassing in this Alberta town.
Please ignore media posts saying all the Canmore rabbits have been saved. We contacted city council on Monday to confirm whether or not council is going with non-lethal and got no reply after one week. We need to keep up the pressure on Canmore council to make sure they continue on the path of non-lethal rabbit population control on an ongoing basis. According to the city's current plan, they may resort to trapping and gassing for the remaining rabbits. We need to convince them this is the wrong way to go, for many reasons (see sample letter below).
EARS is taking as many rabbits as receive funding, so if you want to help the rabbits, keep emailing council and other federal and provincial politicians, and send a donation to EARS at:
To date 186 of the approximately 800 Canmore rabbits have received funding for one year of care required to ensure them a shelter space at EARS. A spay and neuter blitz was held this past weekend in Calgary and 200 rabbits were sterilized, thanks to the efforts of EARS and Calgary Humane Society, and volunteer veterinarians.
Here are some tools to help you advocate for the rabbits online. I include some important links, as well as some important emails to send your letter to.
A short letter is all that's needed. Remember to put something about the rabbits in the subject line, for example, CANMORE RABBITS HOT BUTTON ISSUE/CANMORE RABBITS PLIGHT PROVOKES BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN/CANMORE CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO ADOPT BEST-PRACTICES FOR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT/CANMORE RABBITS MUST BE SAVED/ABANDONED PET RABBITS IN CANMORE MUST BE SPARED...and so on....
Your letter can be simple, just include the fact that you want a NON-LETHAL approach, and that it is in the long term cheaper, more effective, and sustainable than killing, which only reduces numbers in the short term. Talk about the effect on tourism, Canmore is a pretty, tourist town. Talk about Canmore adopting best-practices in wildlife management.
Sample letter:
Dear Canmore councillors,
Thank you for working with EARS to save some of the abandoned pet rabbits in Canmore. I hope you continue to work with EARS and other groups who offer a non-lethal alternative to wildlife management.
Population control through sterilization campaigns and public education on responsible pet-ownership are the keys to solving the issue long-term. This is a human problem with a human solution.
Please be part of the solution and save the Canmore rabbits. Your town will gain not lose tourists if you show you have a big heart for our wildlife. Nowadays, the public expects no less from their elected officials.
Your name, affiliation, group....
Canmore city council and other politicians email list is:
firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com
Link to Positive Solution to Save Canmore Bunnies facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/PSTSCB/179518735484971/
Link to Save the Canmore Rabbits petition which goes to all Canmore city councillors: http://www.change.org/petitions/save-canmore-rabbits
Link to Alberta Premier Alison Redford's facebook page (you can post on it about the Canmore rabbits): http://www.facebook.com/PremierRedford
Alberta Premier Alison Redford <email@example.com>
Provincial member for Canmore Janice Tarchuk <email@example.com>
firstname.lastname@example.com – leader: Raj Sherman
firstname.lastname@example.com – Kent Hehr, Liberal Justice Critic
firstname.lastname@example.com – ndp leader: Brian Mason
firstname.lastname@example.com – rachel noley, NDP Critic (lawyer)
firstname.lastname@example.com – wildlrose party MLA – calgary
firstname.lastname@example.com wildrose party MLA – airdire (near bow valley riding for canmore)
email@example.com – wildrose candidate Tom Copithorne (rancher)
firstname.lastname@example.com – lloyd snelgrove, independent MLA
email@example.com – exec assist to Premier Alison Redford
firstname.lastname@example.com - Advisor to the Premier and Legislative Affairs
firstname.lastname@example.com - municipal affairs – deputy minister
email@example.com – exec assist to Paul Griffiths, Minister Muni.Affairs.
firstname.lastname@example.com – deputy minister – tourism
email@example.com – assist to min. of tourism Jack Hayden
email@example.com – deputy minister – sustainable resources (Wildlife Act)
- Minister Frank Oberle


text:
main(713) 222-2273
Schedule an appointment online with ScheduleNow
Safety Tips
To search Houston doctors, please select a specialty & submit your Zip Code below.
To schedule an appointment online, select provider type, service and submit your ZIP code below.
Falls are the leading cause of injury across the
lifespan. For children under the age of 4, more than 80% of these
injuries occur in the home. Most of these home injuries are due to a
lack of parental supervision or safety precautions around stairs,
furniture, and windows and the use of infant walkers.
Older children
experience falls while outside on playground equipment. For older
Americans, falls represent a serious health problem, causing thousands of
deaths and hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations annually. Each year, one
in three adults age 65 or older will experience a fall, risking traumatic
injury or disability and increasing the likelihood of future falls.
Additionally, falls are the leading cause of injury death among Americans aged
65 and older. (CDC, 2013). Fortunately, falls are preventable. See the tips
below for information on how to prevent falls for your yourself and your loved
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention
For information on Injury Prevention, email our Injury Prevention Coordinators at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The wonderful wave at Skookumchuck. {smoothgallery folder=images/gallery/skook}
Monthly Archives: July 2007
Skookumchuck Creek
There are several rivers called Skookumchuck, the one we found is located in the Canadian Rockies not far north of the US border. The first adventure was getting to the river – it was our introduction to BC logging roads – poor Macy, but we looked after her. We found the take out suprisingly easy, but then it was a 25mile drive along dirt/gravel roads (1.5hrs) to the put in. We started down a road that required a 4wd high clearence vehicle, and soon stopped when we noticed it getting worse & good job we did, the road was closed slightly further on down. This was the lower put in. the upper put in was another couple of miles up the road. We found it and debated what to do; it was 3pm – we'd spent all day just finding the river. The decision was taken to wild camp at the put in – a very picturesque place & we'd then put on early tomorrow.
We elected to avoid subjecting Macy to too many more trips along that road – this meant someone not paddling and driving her down while we were on the river, otherwise we'd need to make two more trips along the road and spend another 3 hours driving along dusty roads. Sharon very kindly volunteered (thank you).
The day got off to a flying start when Conrad's over-enthusiastic off road driving resulted in a flat tyre on the trip back from the motel that he and Gina had booked. With the flat tyre and waiting for them to arrive, and some faff over how far up we should put on, it was about midday when we put on. It was due to take 3-6hrs according to the guide book,
Macy's Healthy!
After a delayed pick up from the CAA (Canadian Automobile Association), Macy was dropped off at a closed garage. The next morning, we went to find out what the problem was and was told that she may not be seen that day but to call in at noon. After a little whimpering and some hints as to what may be the problem, the mechanic came out and diagnosed the problem as a likely timing belt issue. At noon, we returned to pick up boats and find out if they had the spare parts. Turned out they had a cancellation and Macy was nearly fixed, so David and I decided to wait around. Soon she was being driven out of the garage – a very good sign since the engine hadn't been turning over before! She's all happy as are we, now we're all reunited – hopefully we'll be able to go paddling again soon…
Animals and an ill Macy
We went to the British Columbia wildlife park to get our cute animal fix, but I think David and I had been spoilt with the refuge we went to in Oregon. It was very much more of a zoo than a refuge as we were led to believe, and a lot of the animals looked like they would much rather be somewhere else. In fact, our favourite sight was the cheeky chipmunks who were running around freely stealing food! There were two grizzly bears, who felt like their spirits had been broken – nothing like the awesome magnificence of the one at Oregon, who you felt honoured to be able to see but very glad there was an electric fence in the way! There was a cute badger, but I think she would have prefered more space and far less concrete in her area. The raccoons were cool, one seemed to be pawing at an area that looked shallower – I wonder if they were planning to make a break for it…
The drive to Golden in the rain was interesting, apparently the others saw a black bear run across in front of them, but we got to see the stunning lightening storm. The plan today was to run the Kicking Horse river, however Macy's got a bit homesick. I think the little bit of sunshine we've had after all the rain has made her miss California, and so we're waiting for our faithful friends, the AAA. We will update you….
BC rivers – the beginning
A summary of the rivers we've paddled since crossing over into British Columbia.
After heading up to Vancouver to pcik up goodies from MEC and Gav, we went to Squamish to pick up boats and celebrate David reaching his first quarter of a century. 20th July, we finally got to paddle some fresh water again at the Mamquam. This had a rather interesting shuttle, but Macy did very well while Jerald the Jeep decided he was a little thirsty. However even though the fuel light came on and we were some distance from the main road, he survived. This was a river Sarah had done before and the guidebook told us the first rapid was indicative of the rest of the run. It started as a low volume boulder garden and soon flatted out to a rather too low volume gravel bed, and so I thought it would be a very nice gentle run with nothing to worry about. There was lots of water in creeks on the sides of the road with all the rain we've been having and I hoped that wouldn't make it too high but it seemed simple enough. Suddenly the river picked up somewhat and became more continous than I was expecting. Towards the end the additional streams had doubled the volume of the river and there were some more interesting high volume features with lots of waves and a few stoppers. It was a fun river even if it wasn't quite the gentle warm up that Gina had hoped for and I had expected. Apparently it was a little higher than when Sarah had run it, but it was still below medium levels according to the guidebook.
Next stop was the Chiliwack with its several sections – Simon and Cheryl had pointed out one as being more pool drop and good fun, so we decided to go with that. It was lovely grade three bouncy waves with some trees to avoid, but nothing that caused any problems. Part way down, we were waiting to see the other group when two boaters came down. Dismissing them as 'not part of our group' we started to recognise the boats and kits – Simon and Cheryl had caught up with us. After admiring my new cag, and catching up on what we'd been up to since Skook, we carried on downstream. This was a great fun tigger like river – a rather relaxing float down.
Some people hadn't had enough water for one day and did another section which was pushier. However at the put in, an icecream van rather conveniently pulled up, so I made the most of the opportunity and shared an ice cream with David.
We went back to the same section today that we had paddled, but the rain had worked its magic and brought up the river by a reasonable amount, and talk started about the Slesse Creek.
David says:
Slesse creek was a 3/4 in the guide book – exactly the same as every other river in the area – so we decided to look at it. From a logging track we could scout the canyon, it was a short fast section with lots of waves, small holes and confused water, but it looked great fun & most importantly it was clear of trees. BC seems to have a big problem with trees falling into the rivers. Conrad found a sign that says some trees are deliberately placed in the river to stop gravel bed erosion or to encourage fish habitat, not good for us kayakers. Soon after the Slesse creek put in was a river wide tree, but no eddies above it – it was a time to invent an eddy – which we did to varying degrees of success. I ended up deciding it was easier to paddle through the tree and let Claire use the eddy I was in, but I flipped and ran it upside down, which was fine. Fearing that this would be the the same for the whole river, Cheryl and Claire got off, leaving Conrad, Simon and I to run the rest. There were more trees, but we'd spaced out even more and were far more cautious, so didn't have a problem – I think the smaller group helped too. The canyon was awesome, though, and made the tree limbo worth while.
Tomorrow we're driving towards the Rockies but will stop off and see some animals in a rehad centre in the morning.
Sharon's phone
Apparently Orange don't like their pay as you go customers using their phones in Canada, so I won't have any signal until I get to New Zealand… Well I may have some when I back in the USA, but anyway its not worth trying to contact me on that at the moment, so please use David's phone number instead if needs be! Or there's always good old email.
Animal Watching
Gina and Conrad have arrived in Canada and for their first few days they organised a sea kayaking trip, which is something that neither of us had done before, so we joined them.
To get to the Broken Group Islands, which is where our 3 day sea kayaking introduction would take place, we needed to take two ferries from Vancouver and several hours drive.
There were 6 of us – Sharon and I, Gina & Conrad, Conrad's sister Claire and their friend, Sarah whose been living out here for 6 months – and we'd hired out 3 double sea kayaks for the adventure. The plan was to see lots of animals and it started well with Gina spotting what she thought was a black dog through her binoculars on the ferry over to the Broken Group. However she had spotted her first black bear over here. Later on a guy from a diving school spotted a whale, and we also saw lots of jumping fish in the water. While waiting for the kayaks to be ready, we saw a jellyfish and lots of starfish including a giant one.
The wildlife we saw included: humpback whales, deer, a river otter, seals, sea lions, mink, porpoises, more tiny jumping fish, bald eagles, slimy gigantic slugs, and lots and lots of starfish of all colours suggesting the 90 species may not be an overestimation. We also saw tracks along a beach which were rather large and very wolf like – however we didn't get to see what made them – I was hoping to hear one howl but no such luck. The whale put on a great show and we saw him bring his head out of the water – it was very impressive. There were other birds that we saw but unfortunately our bird identification isn't quite up to speed yet.
The scenery was wonderful too. It was great to do something different, but we're looking forward to getting back to some rivers now.
Photos will be posted soon.
Sharon and David.
P.S. Thanks to everyone who sent stuff on the Chocolate Express (aka Conrad and Gina's flight), it's great to have loads of English goodies & especially loverly to have cards to open on my (David's) birthday.)
It's a long way to Skookumchuck
It'a a long way to Skookumchuck,
it's a long way to go…
It's a long way to Skookumchuck,
To the sweetest wave I know.
So flock we did. The tide tip off we had said it'd be good right before we needed to be in Vancouver to meet Gina and Conrad, and given that 'Skook' isn't far from the City, it worked out well. Simon and Cheryl were heading over with their friend Alex and so we tagged along.
The trip started with an exciting 45 minute ferry from the mainland – it really felt like we were going on holiday. The views from the ferry were great, with mountains rising from the water all around us. A 50 mile drive across the peninsula brought us to a beautiful lake with a good, if a little noisy campsite. The heatwave was still with us, so a cool down swim in the lake was needed and a floating log provided amusement as we tried to balance and walk along it.
Conveniently the tide meat that we didn't have to do anything unti lunchtime, which is about when we started our 10 minute paddle out. At a point around the bay from Egmont the sea channel narrows between the mainland and the island and as it does so, it forms a huge series of standing waves when the tide is flowing fast enough.
We arrived just after the slack water point, and got to see the wave build from nothing – it started off flat and built right up to a wave train of a dozen or so of the largest waves I've seen. As it starts to form the ripples get larger and larger, until they're surfable – at this point the longer, faster boats provide good long surfs and the queues are short. As the wave builds and the pile (white bit) gets bigger, the shorter more playful boats come into their own. We'd obviously chosen a good time to go, since there were probably 20 other paddlers around and about the same number of observers.
When the wave is at it's biggest, the water downstream is an almost indescribable mess of churning and bubbling water with nothing better to do than unseat even the most careful paddler. I got knocked off the far side of the wave and one time didn't manage to quite get back in far enough, I managed to stay upright, but couldn't quite fight the huge boils and spent much longer getting back into the eddy than I would like – the locals call this taking the tour. Cheryl didn't fare as well when she took her tour, the water was higher and faster making it even messier and she was eaten by a whirlpool that sucked her out of her boat and spat her out. Eventually. She was safely reunited with her boat and paddled back to shore, cold but otherwise ok. This marked the end of our first day at Skook.
Friday morning started too early when unexpected thunder rolled in and threatened to dampen our drying kit and stoves that had been left set up form the night before. The meanacing thunder crashes never materalised into the heavy deluge we expected, and soon after we started the hike back in, just after lunch, the sun started shining again.
Our timing was spot on again and we arrived just in time to rest a little before kitting up and jumping on. At first it was just the 5 of us on the water, with Sharon catching almost the first surf of the day and impressing the audience no end. Soon the crowds got on the water and the wait increased, but so did the water. It was quite a high tide, which means the wave gets bigger faster, eventually becoming too big to surf. However, before it got too big and the whirlpools became huge we all got some good rides in and then sat around watching paddlers who either hadn't got up as early as us or clearly had more energy.
I'm glad we saved some energy for the paddle back, we decided the 3 mile hike would be too far with a boat on our shoulder, so paddled back around the bays to our launching point in Egmont. It was a hard paddle against the current – it would have been dark had we waited for the slack water – and took about an hour. But we did get to see Seals playing about during the paddle, as well as purple starfish and what we think was a kingfisher.
Skook is a great all day activity, we turned it into two full days, it's one of the best playspots I've been to and set in awesome scenery, it's well worth a visit and would make an impressive spectacle for the non paddling visitor who chose to walk the trail too. Our tides were maxing out at around 17 knots, which is a little too large for it to be ideal, so I'd probably go on smaller tides next time.
Logistics: Getting there from Vancouver is easy, follow signs to Horseshoe Bay, get on Langdale ferry ($50ish return). Once on the Peninsula drive towards Sechelt, this is the last main town and best bet for picking up groceries and petrol. Camping is good at Klein Lake, not far up the road from Egmont and the Egmont Marina does good food, hot showers and has laundry facilities.
Paddle out on a slack tide, ~ 3hrs before the peak flow. Once on the water, turn right and follow the bays around, past a red house, then a chain link fence with "Skookumchuck Provincial Park" sign and then take out at the next point & watch the wave build, getting on when it looks like fun.
Sharon says: Skook is one of those names in kayaking that has an almost mystical quality about it – its where some of the best moves can be seen since the wave is so big and fast. However turning up in creek boats wasn't such a bad idea since the early stages of the wave forming is when its at its glassiest and greenest and thats when I got my surfs. The water is some of the clearest sea water I've ever seen and while sat on top of this magnificent glassy wave, you can clearly see the rock creating the rapid and seaweed dancing underneath you. My Mamba did me well and treated me to long rides, surrounded by snow topped moutains – it is indeed an awesome place, where the seals play as much as the pro-boaters – definitely a place I'll look forward to returning to (especially when I can throw some of the moves there!)
Non paddling days
What we got up to when we took a few days off paddling.
On our way up north, we stopped at Mount St Helens and found Apes Cave which promised low temperatures – a pleasure to hear in the heat wave we were in the midst of. The leaflet suggested we would need 2/3 light sources each which seemed a little excessive so armed with headtorches and a gas lamp Cheryl had hired, we headed down and quickly put our fleeces on – it was rather chilly! The walk was interesting for sure, with lots of clambering over boulders and shimmying up an 8 foot lava tube. It was an incredible place to go in to and reassuring that it hadn't been banned for health and safety purposes. Apparently the cave was first explored by boy scouts in the 1950s, I can't imagine what they thought as they walked along this underground lava tube, it was a great way to spend a couple of hours. Climbing out the steps, the warmth soon hit us and the walk back to the car was itself a pleasant experience with the discovery of strawberries along the way.
We paused nearer Mount St Helens and climbed seemingly endless steps to get a better view at the very appropiately named Wind Ridge. From here you could clearly see the dam formed by the last eruption plus an impressive log jam. Smoke could be seen leaving the top of the volcano but thankfully nothing to worry about!
After camping at the Johnson River take out (but not paddling it) we headed up to Mount Ranier National Park where many of the roads had been damaged in floods just a few months before. However the road up to Paradise was open and from here we walked and played amongst the snow, of which there was plenty, and saw a glacier. Again it was a stunning place, but none of us fancied the walk to the summit which would've taken two days – not quite the afternoon stroll we were looking for.
The drive out took us past some impressive falls and we were asked if we were planning to run it – its funny what effect it can have turning up at a tourist sight with kayaks strapped to your roof! However, we're not that daft but it was lovely to be cooled with the mist kicking off the drop.
We soon returned to paddling again which we'll update about soon.
Mount Saint Helens and Ape Cave
Photos: Underground in the Ape cave – an old lava tube and above ground at the impressive Mount St. Helens volcano. {smoothgallery folder=images/gallery/mtsthelens/}


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Legal Question in Personal Injury in Pennsylvania
Here is my question. I was rcently in a car accident. I was stopped in line for construction. I was at least 3ft behind the car in front of me. A lady (i'm a woman too.) came from behind and rearended my car. My car touched the car in front of me.(No damage.) My car is damaged. I had to go to the hospital. (whiplash. ) My insurance had lapsed. (Limited tort). The woman who hit me came to my window and asked me why i stopped. Also she gave the officers her medical card for her auto insurance. I do not know if she has insurance. BTW(her car is totaled. She was going about 45mph). I got insurance back the same day. Can I sue her for my injuries and time lost for work? Also, do i have the right to sue her for the damages to my car? One mechanic said it would cost more to fix than i paid for the car. Thank you
1 Answer from Attorneys
You do the have the right to sue to her for your injuries, lost work, and damages to your car. However, whether or not your lawsuit will be successful will be determined by a lot of things, like your insurance, circumstances of the accident, your injuries, etc...
I would suggest talking to a lawyer who handles personal injury and tort claims.
Michael Kotik, Esq.
Two Penn Center (Philadelphia)
1500 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 220
Philadelphia, PA 19102


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We have three teams and every child and member of staff in the school belongs to their own Team:
There are regular Team Meetings throughout the year and each Team supports their own charity by organising various fund raising events.
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Click here for more information.


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My scouting trip got scuttled by last week's storm. I had been thinking of driving two-lane dirt roads in either South Jersey or up in Northeast PA, where even the highways were impassable.
So, stuck in icy West Philly, I decided to try another kind of scouting. I posted on the www.Phillyblog.com forums. The Phillyblog site has been great for neighborhood news, so I figured I'd throw up a general request for info on the herps readers find around West Philly and see what people find in their backyards. I also posted to the Roxborough/Manayunk/East Falls forum to see if anyone might have any leads on the elusive milksnakes (Lampropeltis t. triangulum) of NW Philadelphia.
It wasn't quite the avalanche of tips I'd been hoping for, but the postings generated some cute exchanges and filled in a few dots on the map in areas I haven't explored yet. Brown snakes (Storeria d. dekayi) are truly everywhere in West Philly, it seems, and garter snakes (Thamnophis s. sirtalis) seem to be widespread in Manayunk, which I find especially interesting given the lack of bodies of water between the Wissahickon and the Schuylkill.This weekend, I'm getting out, I swear it. Maybe not outside the neighborhood, but I'll be flipping something somewhere.


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Sat, Nov 22, 2014
Clinton, SC
Come on out to the Dance South 5k Turkey Trot and challenge your friends or just try to beat your best time. If you don't feel like running, feel free to walk. You can even make a family event out of it but remember to have fun. We will be taking up perishable items to donate to the local soup kitchen. Hope to see you there!
The 5K will start at 9:00am
Park in the church parking lot
Shirts available to the people that registers on or before November 1 and will be given out at the event.


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Malcolm X, a self-educated [black] Muslim brought essentially two philosophies to the forefront of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
After an introduction to the nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad while in prison, Malcolm developed a philosophy of independence and freedom for the Black race through racial and national separation. Along with this philosophy came a seemingly deep-set hatred for the white race with him often referring to them as a race of white devils.
His philosophy was met with much controversy. The theory of racial and national separation was in direct contrast with the theories of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King's philosophy included non-violent protest and a vision of a raceless society. Although Malcolm's religion was an inherently peaceful one, he believed that if the Negroes were attacked in any way, it would be fine to use force in retaliation. Because of this view, many regarded Malcolm and the rest of the Black Muslims as militant.
According to Malcolm, the idea of integration was a futile one. He believed that the American socioeconomic system was unable to give Blacks what they were really looking for--"mass class mobility". Also, if integration were to happen, the best the Black race would be able to expect was an entry into the lowest levels of the working class.1 For this reason, he believed that the Negro race should embrace their African-ness and build the race up from within itself; a theory not dissimilar from those of Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey.
After a split from the so-called Black Muslim groups, headed by Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm embarked on his pilgrimage to Mecca--the Hajj. On his Hajj, Malcolm, or El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, saw a different side of the Islamic religion. What he saw was Islam...


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The manufacturer of specialty equipment for the oil and gas industry HydraWell has completed an offshore decommissioning project for TAQA in the Netherlands.
The plugging job was conducted at one of the fields connected to the TAQA-operated P15 platform, situated approximately 35 kilometres north-west of Hoek of Holland. The dual casing Perf, Wash and Cement job was conducted from the Maersk Resolute. HydraWell's contract value is undisclosed.
To execute the project, HydraWell utilised its HydraHemeraTM Perf, Wash and Cement (PWC®) jetting system, which can install a rock-to-rock barrier in two days. In comparison, plugging offshore wells with conventional methods, such as section milling, can often take 10-14 days to complete. The latter drives the associated decommissioning costs up significantly.
"We have previously supported TAQA on the UK sector of the North Sea. The fact that our PWC® technology significantly reduces the cost of plugging offshore wells, is probably the reason why TAQA have invited us to the Dutch sector too," says Mark Sørheim, CEO of HydraWell.
To date, 16 operators – including major, national and independent oil companies – have utilised the PWC® technology, installing more than 250 plugs worldwide.
HydraWell is jointly owned by the company's management and private equity fund Norvestor VII, L.P., which is advised by Norvestor Equity AS – a leading private equity firm focusing on lower mid-market control investments in the Nordic region. HydraWell's headquarter is based in Stavanger, Norway, with additional offices in Aberdeen, UK, and Abu Dhabi, UAE.


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• Experience the thrill of being a true driver with a variety of realistic visual cues including a three-dimensional driver's display that mimics driver head movement, inertia and G-forces
• Show the world the kind of driver you are with your very own Driver Profile which tracks your evolution as a race driver from event to event
• Throw yourself into the danger of dynamic crash effects, where you feel the disruption and damage of hitting a static object or opponent's car
The Need for Speed series has been through many changes over the years. It has weaved through traffic, evaded police and even worked as an undercover detective as a racing series that is never afraid to try something radical. Need for Speed Shift, however, focuses on authentic motorsport, moving away from its story-driven predecessors.
You'll spend most of the game in one of two places: the game's Home menu or the cockpit of one of your cars. It's a streamlined interface that has you behind the wheel as often as possible and with minimal fuss.
This is a good thing because on the track, Need for Speed Shift looks fantastic. There's detail everywhere from the fully licensed cars to real-world locations such as London and Tokyo. The game also does a great job of making you feel like you're driving a powerful racing car. The sense of speed is tangible as the screen shakes and blurs as you accelerate along straights and the sounds are ferocious.
The first time you start a career, you're tasked with driving a test lap. Based on this, the game's Artificial Intelligence recommends a difficulty setting and suggests different levels of driver assistance, although you're free to set your own or try another test lap. Once you're happy with these settings, you're ready for your first race.
You start your career in Tier 1, with only a basic range of cars available for purchase, a modest amount of cash to spend and a handful of races to enter. Invitational Events, in which a car is provided for you, are an opportunity to try something a bit faster, and promotions are earned by collecting stars.
How you win stars depends on your driving style. You can stick rigidly to the racing line plotted on the course and try to overtake cleanly, or ram opponents off the road and slide out of every corner. Both approaches earn points towards those precious stars, and you also win badges specific to precision and aggression, which can be displayed on your profile so online opponents know your style.
Badges can also be earned for special achievements, such as mastering every corner on a circuit. The game logs your best attempt at every single corner, so you can go back and see which sections are costing you precious seconds.
Progressing through the ranks unlocks faster cars and different event types, such as Drift and Time Attack. You're also able to carry out modifications to your vehicles, ranging from basic body kits and engine upgrades to fully-customisable vinyl designs and alloy wheels. For the true petrolhead, there's a comprehensive suite of tuning options.
Online, you can jump into a ranked or unranked match for up to eight players or set up your own, dictating the match type, choice of cars permitted, track and time of day.
Driver Duel pits two online drivers against one another in a best of three series. The mode itself is organised as a tournament; in each round you're drawn against a random opponent. If you win, you progress and if you lose, you have to start again.
There are also leaderboards covering all of Need for Speed Shift's game modes, so you can see how your times stack up against the best of the rest.


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This collection brings together the essays of one of the foremost American philosophers of economics. Cumulatively they offer fresh perspectives on foundational questions such as: what sort of science is economics? and how successful can economists be in acquiring knowledge of their subject matter?
Introduction: What is Philosophy of Economics? Part I. Methodology and Theory Appraisal: Part II. Causality in Economics: Part III. Postscripts.


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Converted to Platform 11, minor change to deprecated exception handling in the SortTest example module.
This extension is a generic record list sorter. It sorts any record list in ascending or descending order by any of its attributes.
Simply pass the record list and the name of attribute to base the sort and you're done!
Feature List
Action, 'SortRecordList', with three parameters:
Action, 'DistinctRecordList', with three parameters:
Notice: This component takes advantage of private and undocumented Platform APIs, which can change without notice. As a result, this component may unexpectedly break as the Platform is upgraded. We advise proper testing to ensure that your applications continue to work as expected when upgrading/patching the Platform.


text: "The fall in housing prices is beginning with the drop in prices we are already seeing for luxury housing, because that's where it begins," Minister of Construction and Housing Yoav Galant said at last week's annual "Globes" Real Estate Conference. A special survey published today in "Globes" in cooperation with a real estate website of the 30 leading luxury deals in 2016 leaves no room for doubt. The past year was more modest in the volume of expensive deals, in contrast to 2015, which featured deals exceeding NIS 50 million and a larger number of deals in excess of NIS 20 million. There was one NIS 58.6 million deal and another deal of over NIS 50 million in the Meier on Rothschild tower in 2015, while no deal in 2016 reached NIS 50 million, or even NIS 45 million. The decline is even more stark in comparison with 2014, when deals were posted for a record NIS 110 million in the 10 Herbert Samuel project, and Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP) cofounder Gil Shwed bought a house in Neot Afeka for NIS 130 million. It looks as if in 2017, the Israel Tax Authority can only dream of the tax revenue generated by such deals. The real estate market attributes the slowdown to the measures imposed on investors by Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon in late 2015, which included raising the purchase tax from 5% to 8-10%, in addition to the elimination of the exemption from betterment tax that took effect in 2014. These measures made it less worthwhile for property owners to sell them in order to make a profit. In addition, discussion began in 2016 about Kahlon's plan to impose a tax on owners of three or more housing units, which is also having an effect on the market. Marketers of luxury housing mostly dislike Kahlon's measures against investors, who it appears thought twice in 2016 about whether to invest in luxury real estate and pay an additional 10% of the amount of the deal in purchase tax. However, according to Yigal Zemach, CEO of Berggruen Residential, the developer of the Meier on Rothschild project, which featured the most expensive deals in both 2015 and 2016, "Just before the measures became effective in mid-2015, we closed huge deals in the project, and after they went into effect, we saw clearly that the type of customer had changed. "Those looking to make a quick profit by buying and selling after occupancy no longer came. For us, that was great, although they didn't realize it. In effect, Kahlon stripped the market of customers who were not end-customers. After that, only people who wanted to live in the project bought." RELATED ARTICLES Appraisers rebuked over home price contradiction Housing minister: Price rise is halting BoI slams housing starts statistics Bank of Israel warns on home price falls According to Zemach, all 148 apartments in the tower were sold, except for a penthouse offered for sale for NIS 75 million. According to real estate broker Rafi Kalina, who brokered the above-mentioned deal, "It's true that the luxury market has been affected by the measures introduced, including the 10% added purchase tax, a 25% betterment tax on the profit, paid by the seller, and betterment fees paid by buyers with no historic construction rights. Keep in mind, however, that even properties near the waterline, which are usually purchased by investors or foreign residents, take time to sell, and in the end are bought by special customers. "Since the Tzahala neighborhood features buyers who want to live in it and are not investors, it is not particularly affected by the measures imposed on investors." In late 2016, the Ministry of Finance chief economist published a survey that covered the purchase of homes in 2016 in comparison with previous years. The survey shows that 1,566 housing units were purchased by foreign residents in January-August 2016. In comparison with the corresponding periods in the 21st century, this is the smallest number of purchases by foreign residents since 2003. In Tel Aviv, for example, according to the survey, foreign residents bought 297 homes in January-August 2016, 36% fewer than in the corresponding period in 2015. Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on March 8, 2017 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017


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Wondering how the new Nikon D810 compares to the Canon 5D Mark III? Jay P. Morgan, from The Slanted Lens, got his hands on both and decided to throw the two in the ring together for a quick side by side comparison. Morgan puts the cameras through the phases as he compares color balance, sharpness, details, low light performance, and overall image quality. Watch the clip and feel free to leave your own analysis of which DSLR takes the crown in the comments section.
Future Is Bright: Magic Lantern RAW Footage In Canon Official Adby 8 Comments
We love Canon for taking a positive stand with Magic Lantern (in fact, we would not be surprised if when the entire ML story unfolds, it would be Canon who either funded or heavily tipped the custom firmware team)
It's not that Canon cameras takes bad video, but with Magic Lantern, the footage is unarguably better. The well known hack, is an open source project that is available as a third party add-on for certain Canon camera models. Filmmakers consider Magic Lantern essential and many still photographers utilize it as well. It delivers photographers full control over bitrate and framerate, while providing the option for custom bulb timers, bracketing for exposure, and more. It basically fills in all the gaps left by, what some may consider, underwhelming Canon firmware.


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Which field in Anthropology to study Rehabilitation to Criminal Offenders ?Continue
Started Aug 6, 2016
Hi, everyone, I am a Cultural Anthropology student and currently working as a research assistant in a university for a professor of social work. After working in my university for a month, I have…Continue
Tags: research, purpose, Anthropology, Cultural, contribution
Started this discussion. Last reply by John McCreery Apr 7, 2016.


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Sessional GPs Roles - Northampton
- Recruiter
- DHU Health Care
- Location
- Northampton
- Ref
- Starts
- Closes
- Recruit Type
- Direct Employer
- Hours
- Out of Hours
We presently have vacancies within DHU Health Care CIC GP Out of Hours service. Sessions available for GP's in Northampton. We have numerous working hours available, evenings, weekends and overnights.
In joining DHU we offer indemnity cover for work undertaken with us, a comprehensive paid induction programme and training in the use of Adastra, our IT platform. You would form part of a well-respected and high quality team, receiving excellent remuneration. Interested applicants must be on the Northampton or neighbouring Counties Performers List.
If you are interested to learn more then please contact by email - firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone, 0300 1000 410 option 2.
Similar searches: Northampton


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London students are refusing to pay rent until this demand is met
LONDON — Around 150 students at University College of London are refusing to pay the "soaring" rent until their demands for a 40 percent decrease are met.
The group UCL, Cut the Rent declared the strike yesterday on its Facebook page. The students say they are collectively withholding £250,000 ($356,343) from the university.
London's rent prices are the stuff of much Internet incredulity, with the most outrageous examples of tiny rooms and large rents provoking much scorn. Residential rents have risen by an average 5.3 percent each year since 2011, Reuters reports, with the median monthly rent now at £1,400.
The students say their rents have gone up by 56 percent since 2009. Rents at Ramsay Hall — one of the buildings over which students are striking — are £158.97 to £262.43 a week. It's 0.2 miles from the university's Bloomsbury campus, according to the university's site.
The rent at another student building which is 1.7 miles away from campus, Max Rayne House, is £102.97 to £232.40 a week.
"I'm striking so that future students have the opportunity to study at UCL on academic merit not financial background," one of the strikers, Nyima Murry, said in the group's release. "The housing situation in London has to be made affordable: Landlords have refused to cut the rent, so we have no option but to do it ourselves. Hopefully, we can inspire others to do the same."
OVER 150 STUDENTS DECLARE RENT STRIKE AT UCL! Strikers take action for affordable rent! #rentstrike pic.twitter.com/FWcESenHux
— UCL Cut The Rent (@rentcutUCL) January 25, 2016
The group claims that the university is making an annual profit of 45 percent off their rents, and this amounts to a "stealth tuition," further undermining access to education for low-income students.
A UCL spokeswoman told the Guardian that the university are seeking dialogue with the students and that accommodation isn't making a profit for the school.
"We make every effort at UCL to keep rents as low as possible, which is a difficult challenge considering our central London location," she said. "Our rents are competitive in comparison with equivalent London institutions, and far less than for comparable accommodation in the private sector."
However, a spokesman for the student strikers told Mashable that this wasn't the case.
"UCL's official response in some media reports has been that they have been 'actively seeking dialogue' with us. This is not true and in fact the last attempt at contact, an email threatening the rent strike if demands were not met, has gone ignored," the spokesman said.
"We certainly hope, however, that the university will come round to negotiations soon," he added.
The group members say they will strike indefinitely until their demands are met.
Last November, a group of students from the university won £300,000 in compensation from the university over their living conditions, which included rodent infestation and noisy construction that disrupted their sleep. In October, students won £100,000 over similar conditions.


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Ready to start preparing for the GMAT? We've put together a list of the best options for GMAT prep in Bloomington, the top business schools in the Bloomington area, and most popular GMAT test centers in Minnesota. Many schools in Minnesota require or recommend the GMAT. It's wise to find out the minimum GMAT score, if any, that a school requires.
The GMAT is a computer-based test, and is offered year-round at several testing centers in Minnesota. If you're not able to schedule a time to test in Bloomington, you can find other testing locations in Minnesota. Fridays and Saturdays fill quickly at testing centers.
It's important to get registered for the GMAT early, and to plan your prep time accordingly. Once you set your test date, you'll be more motivated to study – and that means you'll get the most out of your study time. On average, GMAT test-takers in Bloomington, Minnesota spend about three months preparing for the exam. That's not possible for everyone, so we've provided shorter study plans that can help you make the most out of your study time.
Check out the options below for recommended GMAT prep courses closest to Bloomington, Minnesota that will help raise your score. If you can't find a local option, know there are many online options with live instruction available.
GMAT Prep - Live Online
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The following are some of the best IAM Blogs that we follow.
We have separated the list into Individual Blogs which belong to IAM professionals who have a great depth of knowledge in their field, and Organizational Blogs, where often a great amount in insightful articles can be found.
Individual Blogs:
Peter Geelen, CISSP, CISA, MCSE:Security, MCSA: Security, and MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer) has been working in ICT since 1997, with a solid base on the Microsoft Windows server platform running IT & network projects, with MS server management and network support, 2nd & 3rd line troubleshooting, presales, enterprise architecture…
IAM Solutions Architect – FIM/ILM/MIIS Specialist, with 16 years SQL database (+OLAP) and MS.Net applications development/SI background, in particular on the SharePoint platform
I am a consultant / admin / tool writer who happens to have a "secret" identity as a Microsoft MVP for Windows Server Directory Services. By day I work for a large unnamed tech company and by night I sleep. Somewhere in between I take time to chat with people on email lists and newsgroups, write about stuff I know, and whip up various fairly useful tools.
I'm Thomas Vuylsteke. I was born in '83 and have been involved in ICT since 2006. I started working at RealDolmen as an all round Windows system engineer. Back then my focus was primary targetted at implementing VMware HA environments. Today I have a strong focus on Active Directory related matters. Besides AD I have a very broad interest, basically everything that runs on Windows, and I love exploring new stuff.
Roelf Zomerman is a systems engineer, specialized in Active Directory and the Microsoft platform. This has been recognized by Microsoft when achieving the Master in Windows 2008 Directory services status. He is well known with the wide range of the Microsoft platforms with the skill to develop, build and maintain secure Microsoft infrastructures. He has been involved in many projects revolving Identity Management and Active Directory migrations. He is co-author of the Windows Security book published in the Netherlands by Weka publishers with quarterly updates and run's his own technical blog on http://blog.studiographic.nl.
Tony Murray (aka Anthony Murray-Smith, aka 'T') is a 50 something citizen of the world, currently residing in New Zealand. He dabbles in computing, but is still wondering what do when he grows up. It may be too late to be an astronaut.
This blog started out being about MIIS, but has extended to whatever I happen to be working on – particularly when I've had to struggle through incomplete documentation, blog and forum trawls, and good old trial and error to work through a problem. The posts reflect my own homegrown approach to problems I encountered and are entirely based on my own experiences – I will try to avoid theorising!
Maurice G. Pasman, CISSP CISM CISA CRISC Security officer | Risk manager | Auditor
Maurice regularly writes insightful LinkedIn Articles on various IAM related topics.
While this blog originally started out focusing on the challenges of rolling out IdM type projects in the enterprise, I will take a broader view of what some of the challenges are today around identity management.
Matt Flynn: Information Security | Identity & Access Mgmt Blog
Adam Callen is a world-renowned Identity Management strategist that has been helping companies and institutions professionally for over 6 years. Having come from a technical and security background (read: personally implemented everything he recommends), he is able to architect and design IdM infrastructures that will meet any clients requirements, no matter how complex, or tight a deadline.
Guillaume Noé Cyber Security Advisor. Passionate about Technology, Security & Privacy.
Organisational Blogs:
Kloud Blog
SailPoint Blog
Ping Identity
The Oracle Blog
Forge Rock Blog:
Please use the contact us section to suggest additions to this list.


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Spillage in the lab will always be possible, even though workers, scientists, lab supervisors, and students practice the safety shower Australian standards mandated frequently. In manufacturing factories where spillage is also prevalent, certain preventive measures are studied and practiced to avoid further damages. How do you practice Spill Response? Where do you start?
In this article, the nature of spillage in workplace and safety shower Australian standards mandated will be discussed. References such as the University of Queensland's Chemical Spill Response Guideline and Occupational Health and Safety Unit and Health and Safety Fact Sheet on Navigating the Chemical Guideline will be used.
Nature of Spillage in Workplace
Where does chemical spillage usually occur? It can occur anywhere from school laboratories to legitimate science labs. Spillage occurs because of carelessness, breaking down of equipment, or in more dangerous situations, because of natural circumstances like flood or fire.
Safety guidelines may be incorporated at the early stage of lab use and are continuously practiced, but this isn't enough. Laboratory personnel must have a spill response plan that indicates all the necessary procedures, tools needed, and people to contact when chemical spillage happens.
The procedures must:
- Dictate how to use a safety shower test kit and spill kits Brisbane companies provide.
- Guide the lab supervisors and personnel how to design a spill response plan of their own, as labs can have different purposes and designs
- Include a step-by-step instruction for a minor and general clean-up
Safety shower Australian standards mandated
The Australian Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment AS 4775-2007 is a set of standardized criteria for safety shower and emergency eyewash stations that are to be used in case of chemical exposure on the skin and the eyes. It was prepared by the Council of Standards Australia and published last October 2007.
If you're interested in purchasing safety showers that were approved and verified by that standard, you may try contacting Absorb Environment Solutions, a veteran in the spill response industry. They have an integrated product that includes a combination of eye or face wash and a deluge shower. It's priced at $1515. It's ideal for any workspace that stores and manages hazardous chemical directly. For off-site locations and temporary stations, they recommend the portable unit that provides water with an anti-microbial additive.
How do you manage chemical spills on your own?
The University of Queensland's Chemical Spill Response Guideline and Occupational Health and Safety Unit suggest that you prepare a spill response for both major and minor spills.
Every lab or workplace must have spill kits. These are common items that can be found in the lab or special items designated to absorb or treat chemicals like Bromine, Hydrofluoric Acid, Mercury, Acid and Caustic Spills, and Alkali Metals. These spill kits may be for maintenance and emergency response, which is sold by vendors like Absorb Environmental Solutions. They can be bought for $69-$71.00. They also provide spill kit training for workers.
Meanwhile, the Safety Unit and Health and Safety Fact Sheet on Navigating the Chemical Guideline strongly encourages each workplace to make emergency plans that contain chemical response strategies. It would also help to practice Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and train employees to respond to chemical spillage properly.
If you're interested in courses and training, you can browse https://absorbenviro.com.au/ for a training for spill response called Absorb NRT – Spill Response Team Training. In the course, you will learn how to identify and minimise environmental hazards for about $2,250 per session.


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- Menswear
- Shows
Emporio Armani: Menswear AW18
Every time I look at an Emporio Armani show, my first thought is always American Gigolo, and Richard Gere. American Gigolo because I now, 10 years into trying to be a gigolo and not being one, am jealous. Secondly, Richard Gere. Because, lets be honest, Gere looked fine. Not to mention the fact that the film, for which Armani himself designed the costumes, ushered in a new era of relaxed tailoring that allowed you, should your credit card stretch so far, to have your own Gere at home, to do with as you please. If you squinted your eyes.
Anyway, moving on swiftly, this season, Emporio Armani is championing the individual. Stick true to who you are and power on through. Needless to say there's an urban, city dweller element to the collection. Silhouettes, though classic in appearance, seem to be shrunk when worn on the body, accentuating the sharpness of the cut. There's nothing like a slightly too tight in fit shoulder to convey a message of power, visually manifesting itself through the raw bulk that lies beneath.
The opening of the show also spoke of power, of a different kind. Bomber jackets, open from the neck down, and paired with motorcycle helmets, hinted at a renegade attitude, before neatly segueing into more tailored suits, that when paired with mirrored, round aviators, ever so discreetly whispered Wall Street off duty. Have you ever, like me, dreamed of a world where Blade Runner and Wall Street merge into one? A stand-off between Rick Deckard and Gordon Gekko? Apparently some dreams can come true.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans


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If "non-foaming shampoo" sounds like a paradox on par with "non-delicious cupcake" and "boring unicorn," allow us to enlighten you. Non-sudsing cleansers are free of harsh parabens and sulfates, two ingredients that can cause damage to already-brittle hair. And this multitasker from Nelson j Beverly Hills doesn't just stop at cleansing—it works seven wonders for hair health, including conditioning and detangling. Bonus: the minty citrus scent is a delicious wakeup call.
I ordered TWO bottles of this shampoo after I was finished with my sample and have not been disappointed. I color my hair regularly (nasty greys!) and recently had a perm (not as bad as it sounds) and this shampoo is fantastic. It's gentle but cleans well and leaves a wonderful scent!5
I did not think I would like a non foaming shampoo, but I did like the results from this. It was hard to tell if I was using the right amount for cleanliness, so I probably used more than needed. Once my hair was dry, it was clean, but had a very moisturized texture and felt thicker. For my straight hair that often lacks texture, this shampoo was great. I used it several times in a row to and felt it did a good job of keeping my hair clean. It is a little more than I want to spend on a shampoo, but I may consider it if I see a special deal.4


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SIUE Alumnus Promoted to Major/Deputy Chief of EPD
January 19, 2018, 11:25 AM
SIUE alumnus Lt. Mike Fillback has been appointed to the rank of Major/Deputy Chief at the Edwardsville Police Department.
Fillback earned a bachelor's in business administration/finance from the SIUE School of Business in 1996 and is currently pursuing a master's in public administration and policy analysis at the University.
Details on Fillback's new position are available in The Edwardsville Intelligencer.


text: Exclusive to Waitrose, this excellent Champagne is smooth and fruity with a lightly toasty finish. Made by the award-winning team at Champagne Lombard & Cie from 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. The Pinot grapes give a depth of flavour to the wine that is most appealing. Alc Vol: 12.50% Please note that while we take every care to make sure the product information displayed on our website is correct, product recipes are regularly changed. This may affect nutrition and allergen information therefore you should always check product labels and not rely solely on the information presented here. If you require specific advice on any Waitrose branded product, please contact our Customer Care Team. For all other products, please contact the manufacturer. This information is supplied for personal use only. It may not be reproduced in any way whatsoever without the prior consent of Waitrose Limited nor without due acknowledgement.


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Wealth Gaps Rise to Record Highs Between Whites, Blacks, Hispanics
Chapter 4: Asset Ownership
The most ubiquitous assets in American households are owned homes, motor vehicles and interest-earning assets at financial institutions (savings accounts, etc.). About half of all households also carry some form of unsecured liability. The combination of relatively high ownership rates and high levels of equity places an owned home at the center of most household portfolios.
Homeownership rates are highest for whites—unchanged at 74% from 2005 to 2009—and lowest for blacks—down slightly from 47% in 2005 to 46% in 2009. In between are Hispanics who experienced the greatest decline in the homeownership rate, from 51% to 2005 to 47% in 2009. Among Asian households, the homeownership rate fell from 60% in 2005 to 57% in 2009. A leading cause of the general decline in homeownership is the foreclosure crisis, which has had a greater impact on minorities.14 Hispanics and Asians are also more likely to live in areas most affected by the housing crisis, such as California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona.
Whites and Asians are much more likely than Hispanics and blacks to own financial assets. More than 80% of whites and Asians own interest-earning assets at financial institutions, compared with about 60% of Hispanics and blacks. Whites and Asians are also three to four times as likely as Hispanics and blacks to own stocks and mutual fund shares. For example, in 2009, 27% of whites owned stocks and mutual fund shares, but only 7% of blacks owned then. And almost as large a disparity exists with regard to IRA or Keogh accounts—about 35% of whites and Asians were owners compared with about 11% of Hispanics and blacks. Ownership rates for 401(k) and thrift savings accounts are about 45% for whites and Asians but only about 25% to 30% for Hispanics and blacks.
A sizable minority of U.S. households own no assets other than a motor vehicle. In 2009, that was true for 24% of black and Hispanic households, 8% of Asian households and 6% of white households. There is no increase of note in this share from 2005 to 2009.
Overall, asset ownership rates—real estate, financial or other—edged downward from 2005 to 2009, but in small measure. The drop in asset ownership is generally modest in comparison with the fall in the net worth of assets. Thus, declining value, not declining ownership, is at the heart of the loss in household wealth.
- See Bocian, Li and Ernst (2010). ↩


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Clarks' mid-week evening sale was very well received with the Liskeard saleroom hosting a sale of jewellery, coins & art. Auctioneer Paul Clark says "It was a lovely atmosphere & pretty much everyone in the room bid with many new faces too" adding "Fine wine & nibbles may have helped but at least I think most enjoyed the experience".
The sale itself produced some wonderful results for vendors. An 18ct diamond trilogy ring of around 2cts made £1900 with a local bidder beating off international interest on the phone whilst three fine Frederick Goff small watercolours of London, estimated at £300-400, secured bids of £1800, when a determined local bidder floored a London phone bidder & internet interest.
A pair of small 'G' colour diamond earrings made an impressive £540 to private interest while a 0.7ct diamond ring made an equally impressive £1000, again to a private buyer. A determined international phone bidder overcome a strong private commission bid when taking a damaged 19thC. yellow metal cameo bangle at £860 & various commission bids failed to overcome a local bidder for an 18ct gold verge pocket watch also in need of attention at £680.
A trio of small Bob Tucker Dartmoor oils surprised a few when easily exceeding their £60-80 guide at £400! Auctioneer Paul Clark said "Little surprises me in this business anymore but this did – it was nice to see two people bid with their hearts & not their pockets on what were three charming landscape paintings". On the subject of charms, a tiny 19thC. carved nut charm with miniscule sapphire eyes & gold limbs secured a hefty £170 at the hammer while a small 19thC. 22ct gold charm bracelet made £300.
It just didn't end there with great results throughout the evening. An Edwardian 15ct gold ring sporting the suffragette colours made £360, six times its pre-sale estimate while a similar ring this time with diamonds made £520. Antique jewellery is currently king with investors & collectors & a leading jewellery dealer had to give best to a private buyer on a small Ceylon sapphire pendant at an remarkable £920. Gold prices were also fantastic throughout the night with multiple lots exceeding basic gold weight values notably a 34g 9ct gold chain costing the bidder £440 & one sovereign standing a bidder in at almost £280 cost.
Paintings continued to do well throughout the sale. A Henry Hall coastal painting was well outside his regular genre of Scottish Highland scenes yet still sold well at £500 to a local collector & a 19thC. John Barrett watercolour of "the deer park at Mt. Edgcumbe" saw good interest at £130. A detailed Allin Braund study in oil of a sunflower made £100 & two Timmy Mallett oils made £460 & 500 respectively & two unsigned watercolours by Fred Yates made similar prices.
Good collectable coins are always well received by bidders & a rare Victorian William IV electrotype copy of a crown rewarded its buyer to the tune of £420. Other coins did very well too with an 18thC. Mexican Spanish colony 8 reales silver Philip V coin dated 1741 making £110 & a 1689 William & Mary silver half crown achieving £100 despite wear. Small 19thC. US gold dollars still have a strong following among collectors with an 1856 version selling online at £85, well above any intrinsic values.


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In looking for a good elephant to write about, I started with Wikipedia's List of Historical Elephants, and at that point I realized I would pretty much have a lifetime of material. You can start with Annabelle, known for her painting skills, and work your way down to Ziggy, named after Flo Ziegfield, whose famous confinement at the Brookfield Zoo led to protests in the early 1970s and the raising of money for his new outdoor facility.
In between, you've got Jumbo, the elephant P.T. Barnum bought in 1881 from the London Zoo for $10,000, despite letters of protest from 100,000 British schoolchildren to Queen Victoria, and whose skeleton is now in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History, and whose name has given us the word jumbo to mean "very large in size."
And then there's Mary, the only elephant known to be hanged, in Tennessee in 1916, as punishment for killing an elephant trainer. The picture of her hanging from a railcar-mounted industrial crane is as surreal and cruel as anything you could imagine.
But in looking for a story in which "the elephant in the room" was an actual elephant in an actual room, you probably can't do better than the story of Topsy.
Topsy was born in India around 1875 and brought to the United States, where she traveled around the country with the Forepaugh Circus. By 1903, she was one of the elephants that, with their trainers, freely roamed Coney Island's Luna Park in Brooklyn. Some elephants, including Topsy, gave rides, but before the park opened they had done some of the heavy lifting needed to build the attractions.
By the time our story starts, in 1903, Topsy had apparently developed a "bad temper" and had killed two handlers in Texas two years earlier. Then when a keeper in Brooklyn tried to feed her a lit cigarette, she picked him up with her trunk and threw him to the ground, killing him instantly. That's pretty much where the story should end, in my opinion, but it's actually where it begins.
The owners of Luna Park decided that Topsy should be publicly hanged for her crime. But the ASPCA intervened, saying that hanging was cruel and inhuman punishment (except in the case of Mary? See above.).
Meanwhile, over in Menlo Park, New Jersey, Thomas Edison was in the midst of a furious campaign to discredit alternating current. In 1880, Edison had established direct current as the standard for electricity distribution, but soon Nikola Tesla, working for George Westinghouse, came up with alternating current, which threatened to become the standard instead.
Edison, arguing that alternating current was too dangerous to use, had his employees publicly electrocute stray dogs and cats (and the occasional cow) using alternating current. (It is at this point that I should mention that my older daughter is especially enamored with Edison, which is partly due to this song, and I had to explain to her recently that though Edison was a great inventor, he was also something of a jerk.)
Anyhow, you can see where this story is going: Thomas Edison and Frederick Thompson, founder of Luna Park, knew a great publicity stunt when they saw one, and decided that it would be a great idea to use alternating current in order to publicly electrocute Topsy the Elephant. Killing two birds with one stone, you might say, if the metaphor weren't already there.
Topsy was first fed carrots containing 460 grams of cyanide of potassium to ensure her death in case anything went wrong. And then she was electrocuted.
New York's Commercial Advertiser described it the following day, under the headline "Bad Elephant Killed": "…a hawser was put around her neck and one end attached to a donkey engine and the other to a post. Next wooden sandals lined with copper were attached to her feet. These electrodes were connected by copper wire with the Edison electric light plant and a current of 6,600 volts was sent through her body. The big beast died without a trumpet or a groan." Is there anything more heartbreaking than this?
Edison had been there and had brought a film crew. The result is this, a stunningly chilling and gruesome film (seriously, I warned you) that Edison toured with around the country to prove his point.
As the Commercial Advertiser reported: "The execution was witnessed by 1,500 or more curious persons, who went down to the island to see the end of the huge beast, to whom they had fed peanuts and cakes in summers that are gone." Yes, those summers are surely gone.
In the end, of course, alternating current won out, not because of Edison and certainly not because of Tesla, but simply because its power was easier to transmit and easier to convert to different voltages.
For years, the story of immigrant genius Nikola Tesla was largely untold, overshadowed as he was by native-born Edison and Westinghouse, and the story of Topsy was largely forgotten as well.
In many stories of our most revered American heroes, there is often an elephant in the room, an obvious truth that goes largely unaddressed. In this story, it just happens to be an actual elephant.