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Thursday evening I was pretty tired so had planned to go to bed around 10 pm. I usually stay up until 11 - 11:30 and sometimes later. Just habit I guess.
John always goes out to check the cows around 10 one last time before he goes to bed to see if any of them look like they are having trouble calving. If a cow needs help or needs to be put in the barn he does it then he will go out later to check that cow again. Well, on Thursday he went out to do his maternity watch and discovered that part of the herd had broken out. They had run through an electric fence and were calmly grazing on all the new weeds and grass scattered outside the lots.
I was ignorant of what was happening for a while just watching the news and thinking I really should go to bed. All of a sudden I could hear one of the ATVs . Sounded like John was just tearing around the farm yard so I went to a window and looked out just in time to see a cow run past the windmill and take a right by the first grain bin with John in hot pursuit on the ATV.
I changed my shoes (was wearing some new sandals trying to break them in), grabbed a jacket and my dust mask and headed out the door. Finally got a second ATV started and helped get the pesky cows back in where they knew they belonged. Of course it wasn't quite that easy....think the cows thought we were playing hide and seek. We have rows of the large round bales near the lots, lines of machinery, a couple of large buildings and several grain bins in the area where they were "playing".
Being that it was dark they could quickly step out of the head lights and disappear. Think John and I went round and round for an hour getting one or another and finally decided we had them all where they belonged. I had looked in my yard around the house and thought, "thank goodness they didn't get in here".
The next morning I picked up a couple of neighbor boys that I had hired to help me clean the flower beds and garden of last year's debris. I of course had to wear that dust mask again - I hate the things as they are so scratchy around my chin and cheeks, plus my glasses just don't sit right on top of it and they get very hot. Here is what it looks like...of course that isn't me, I have different colored hair and am not a man but you get the idea. Actually his hair doesn't look so bad, mine was a mess after putting that rubber band thing around it. It could have had a little longer straps too as it is really tight. Guess that is the whole purpose of these masks is to keep the dust out. It does have one nice feature though and that is that my glasses didn't fog up because it has a breathing filter.
The boys and I worked all morning, broke for lunch then worked another hour and a half after lunch but got all the flower beds and garden areas cleaned up. It took the three of us 4 hours to get it done since most of the time we were on our hands and knees clearing the dead stuff out of the new growth. We worked hard and steady and now it is beautiful, clean and ready for the flowers to grow.
The last part we were cleaning was my vegetable garden and flower bed on the back side of the house. The 11 yr. old was raking the strawberry bed, I was on my knees cleaning around and in my rhubarb and the 13 yr. old was nearby removing old flower stalks. I am setting the scene so you can visualize what happened next.....
The rhubarb had dead leaves and stems that I was carefully removing since the new growth was about 6" tall and pretty dense. Just as I grabbed one brown/black dried up stem another one moved. I instantly screamed and tried to scramble backwards half crawling, half rolling to get away. It was a garter snake... I know, I know, they are harmless but scare the pa-jee-bees out of me anyway. I certainly did get the attention of the boys though. I know they were not trying to laugh at the sight of me screaming and rolling away from the rhubarb but were very kind and didn't let me see their smiles. (By the way - this is not me in the photo but probably a close facsimile but you need to add the beautiful dusk mask to the photo, age me quite a bit and give me reddish blond hair to make it more accurate.)
The older boy very calmly picked up the snake and I asked him to please take it to the far reaches of the farm yard so it would never be back in my yard again which he calmly did. Took me an hour to stop shaking from the experience! I do think I am traumatized from childhood as we had rattle snakes around where I lived and were taught to always presume any snake was a rattler.
Last evening my muscles were so tired but a good kind of tired from a job finished. This is the first time I have hired the neighbor boys and will do so again as they were a tremendous help.
No quilting done yesterday, but a day well spent (with the exception of the snake of course.) I want to leave you with a much nicer image in your head.....
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The Continuing Adventures On Our Farm
2 comments:
- DeAnna S. said...
Wow...life on the farm. Loved your story and especially the pictures. Can't wait to see that flower bed in full bloom. I'm sure you will think of that snake every time you go near the flower bed.
- April 3, 2010 at 3:06 PM
- tich said...
Good grief!! What a frightening experience. Loved the pictures, though. Hope you have settled down now. How long have you to wear the dust mask?
- April 3, 2010 at 5:21 PM
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Meet Nickelback!
Nickelback will be at Darien Lake on July 25th. They are throwing a special BBQ back stage before the show.
The new 96.1 Joy-FM has your invite! Listen all this week for the guys from Nickelback to tell you when to call 644-9696. You'll grab a pair of tickets to their show and have a chance to be at their BBQ before the show and meet Nickelback!
On Friday, we'll be giving away tickets every hour from 9am - 5pm.
Part of your Summer Vacation on the new 96.1 Joy-FM

subset: commoncrawl


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65-year-old Stamford man sentenced for selling poison heroin
STAMFORD — As the mother of a man killed by fentanyl-laced heroin stood by, the 65-year-old man who supplied the deadly drugs to the woman's son last summer was sentenced to 28 months in prison at the Stamford courthouse Wednesday.
But before James Pipicelli was led out of the courtroom in leg shackles and handcuffs, he apologized.
"I'm sorry for what happened, judge. It wasn't intentional. I'm sorry for your loss," Pipicelli said to Linda Peretz, the mother of Daniel Peretz, 28, who died of an overdose last July."I really don't know what to say. It's sad."
"He was always a good kid, an Eagle Scout and the captain of his football team in college," she said. But Peretz said doctors kept giving his son pain killers so he could continue playing football and he got hooked. "It's the same story we hear all the time," she said.
Judge Blawie told Pipicelli that heroin users are at a much greater risk of being killed with the new and more powerful synthetic opiates being sold on the streets now.
"It is a loss all the more tragic in this case given the tremendous lost potential of your son," he told Peretz.
But Blawie had little sympathy for Pipicelli.
"And those who participate in this deadly stream of commerce like yourself, sir, must pay the price. Intent to kill is not an element of the crime you are convicted of. Given the deadly mix of heroin and fentanyl, anyone who injects unknown substances into their body runs a real risk of what occurred here. And because you played a part in putting that substance into that person you have to pay the price for it," Blawie said.
Pippicelli, of West Main Street, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter for causing Peretz's death on July 14, 2017.
When Peretz missed meeting up with his ex-girlfriend last July, the woman went to his apartment and found another woman there doing her laundry. Peretz was there too, but lying facedown on the couch with a glassine envelope of heroin stamped "Takeover" lying next to him. When she went to wake him, he was unresponsive and was declared dead by medics called to the scene. In Pipicelli's five-page arrest warrant, police say Peretz' body was stiff and cold to the touch, indicating he had been dead for some time.
The woman found inside the apartment admitted to doing drugs with Peretz that day, but told police she thought he was just sleeping.
Three days later, Pipicelli was arrested by officers in the Narcotics and Organized Crime squad while in possession of 10 envelopes of "Takeover" heroin, his arrest warrant says.
When police had the heroin examined scientifically, they discovered that, along with the heroin, the glassine envelope also contained two fentanyl compounds, which is known to be added to heroin and can be many times stronger than the drug itself.
Linda Peretz seemed resigned to the sentence handed down by Blawie on Wendesday.
"It is what it is," she said before leaving the courthouse.


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Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and other regional leaders have signed a declaration of independence from Spain, following the disputed referendum.
However, they say the move will not be implemented for several weeks to allow talks with the government in Madrid.
The document calls for Catalonia to be recognized as an "Independent and sovereign state".
The move was immediately dismissed by the Spanish central government in Madrid.
A 1 October referendum in the north-eastern province which Catalan leaders say resulted in a yes vote for independence was declared invalid by Spain's constitutional court.
Earlier, Puigdemont told the Catalan Parliament in Barcelona that the region had won the right to be independent as a result of the vote.
The referendum resulted in almost 90% of voters backing Independence, Catalan officials say. But anti-independence voters largely boycotted the ballot which had a reported turnout of 43% – and there were several reports of irregularities.
National police were involved in violent scenes as they manhandled voters while implementing the legal ruling banning the referendum.


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Keerthana Velappan Receives Substantial U Award
By: Erika Dietrick, Undergraduate Director of Marketing and Communications
From the moment EC Scholar and Honors College student Keerthana Velappan stepped onto ECU's campus, she was determined to change the world. It began with outstanding performance in her classes as a University Studies/Children's Hearing Studies major and eventually transformed into leadership positions both on and off-campus: tutoring children of all ages in math, leading as treasurer of the Indian Student Association, and working as a summer research intern at the Kresge Hearing Research Institute (part of the University of Michigan Medical School). In between her service and research, she found time to make the Dean's or Chancellor's list every semester and was inducted into a number of honors societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, which nominated her for the Outstanding First-Year Student Award. However, something even bigger was brewing for this multi-talented scholar.
Her passion for feminism, education, and positive change eventually led Keerthana to establish the East Carolina University chapter of She's the First during her sophomore year. The national non-profit organization sponsors girls' education in low-income countries, allowing them to become the first in their families to graduate from secondary school and to break the generational cycle of poverty. In an earlier blog post from April of this year, Keerthana describes the origin of this powerful organization and how the ECU chapter raises hundreds of dollars on campus. Just six months later, her leadership in the ECU chapter has already surpassed their initial goals: instead of sponsoring two girls in Nepal and Uganda for a year at $720, the organization is very near being able to support four.
It is for this reason that she was anonymously nominated for the 2015 Substantial U Awards. Presented by Substantial Magazine and NC Civil, the award seeks to recognize a college student who dares to be different in order to change the world. As is apparent to everyone who meets her, Keerthana's genuine compassion, tireless work ethic, and unique perspective shone through–she was presented the award in October 2015.
In an interview with ECU, Keerthana explained that her initial motivation for starting a chapter of She's the First was the confusion around the feminist movement and the power of education. "Over the course of this year, I have become more involved in and informed about feminism and the feminist movement," she said. "I strongly believe that education is the key to change. Educating only half of the world's population should not be an option."
Her role model, Emma Watson, embodies a similar mission to Keerthana: to show the world that feminism is about equality between genders, not the overpowering of one or the other. The inclusive philosophy was a central topic of discussion at ECU's first annual Day of the Girl Conference. Hosted by She's the First*{East Carolina University}, the conference focused on redefining and owning the word feminism and included lectures from several guest speakers, including a keynote lecture by Honors College Faculty Fellow Dr. Liz Forgarty about today's feminist movement around the world.
As She's the First*{East Carolina University} nears its one-year anniversary, the Honors College at East Carolina University would like to commend Keerthana for embodying our mission of leadership and service to the fullest. She is a stellar role model in the Honors College Living-Learning Community, and we can't wait to see what she accomplishes next. Undaunted by challenges and unwilling to compromise, Keerthana Velappan will continue to inspire others with her vision, her achievements, and her heart.
Professional photography from the 2015 Substantial Awards. Use #Substantial Awards when sharing or reposting their photos to give proper credit and spread their mission statement!
Click here to make a donation to She's the First*{East Carolina University}. If you are an ECU student, you can e-mail email@example.com to get involved in the chapter.


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Las Vegas Website Maintenance Plans
You wouldn't drive a car around for years without getting a tune-up, right?
Websites are not that different than cars. With attention and care, they can last a long time. But if neglected they can be hacked or non-functional.
Our website maintenance plans ensure that your WordPress site and plugins are up to date. Updates are necessary for security and to keep up with browser changes. We also do a complete security run-throughs of your website and monitor for any significant issues.
Our website maintenance plans also help you keep your site refreshed which is beneficial to Search Engine Optimization. A great site continues to evolve over time and stay up with the latest trends. Sign up for a maintenance plan below today.
Monthly Las Vegas Website Maintenance Plans
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Any work that you need to be done on your site (excludes custom programming).
Standard maintenance requests are completed on a first come, first-served basis during our scheduled maintenance windows.
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If your request is urgent and you require the work to be completed within one business day.


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Graffiti artist from Toulouse (France), Lenz founds in 2000 with two of his friends, the SDX Crew, with who he emptied his first bombs using urban furniture as initial canvas.
Thereafter he joined the TG Crew where he perfected his technique. Over the years, meeting artists, he finally found his place within the collectives TER and VAO .
This unendingly inspired artist experiments with different techniques and art media before turning back to his childhood and pursue his first love, the LEGO.
In 2006, he launched a serie of the famous NIKE Dunk made only in LEGO. Since that day, his work is mainly sculptures and paintings in LEGO, though not totally abandoning his bombs.
Today, Lenz has the chance to share the workshop of Tilt, an internationally renown artist, which will allow him to learn a little more each day.


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Western Governors Release Sage Grouse Report
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A group of Western-state governors has released a report on voluntary efforts in 11 states to conserve the habitat of sage grouse as part of an effort to avoid a federal listing of the bird under the Endangered Species Act. The 32-page "2014 Sage-Grouse Inventory" released Thursday by the Western Governors' Association identifies conservation work during the year and is accompanied by a 101-page appendix listing efforts since 2011. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a deadline of Sept. 30 to decide whether to propose the greater sage grouse as needing protections that could limit ranching as well as oil and gas drilling.
The association says a listing will reduce voluntary conservation work and hurt states' economies. The chicken-sized bird once numbered in the millions, but the population is now below 500,000.


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TrackNotes: The Problem With Uncle Mo
In New York sports, more than any other town, you lose a few games and you are the lowest bums in existence. Win a few, and you are the juggernaut that only the Big Apple deserves and produces.
So it was fitting that this year's Kentucky Derby "it" horse, Uncle Mo, who just minutes before was touted as the next coming, touched off such revulsion after losing the Wood Memorial Saturday at Aqueduct, Ozone Park, NY.
TVG's Simon Bray and Todd Schrupp pulled an Ivory Soap and declared 'Mo a 99-44/100 percent lock. They would have declared a total full-nelson, but for things like his gate stall not opening or John Velazquez getting tossed off or the wicked witch releasing the flying monkeys, and not in that order of probability.
But as often happens in this game, the aftermath of Uncle Mo's "monumental" upset, finishing a tiring third at ridiculous odds of 1-9, has proven quite revealing as we ponder how he could have lost and where he goes from here. And why all those grizzled horseplayers drank the Kool-Aid and pounded 'Mo at the windows.
As the last gasps of hype lingered into the new week, there were those who reminded us that even the great Secretariat had lost this race - finishing third himself - on the way to winning the Triple Crown. If Secretariat was almost always a Ferrari running on all cylinders, Uncle Mo might be more like an Arab sheikh's gold-plated Mercedes that won't start. At least as far as his supposed collision course with the first Saturday in May is concerned.
Soon after the Wood, rumors began flying on the Internet and the demolition of his four-race reputation commenced in earnest. In classic Guys and Dolls style, this one guy's buddy's in-law swears Uncle Mo had surgery in Florida to clean out a joint. You could supposedly even see the surgery scar on his right front foreleg. Hence, the extended Christmas vacation.
Besides, as simply a precocious 2-year-old he had dream trips in both the Champagne last October at Belmont and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (the two horses he beat that day, Boys At Tosconova and Rogue Romance, are out of training with injuries). And don't forget that measly $78,000 Gulfstream stakes, the Timely Writer, where he ran against a bunch of lowly stiffs in a race basically written for him.
And one excuse he might have had in the Wood is that he grabbed a quarter and almost lost a shoe in the race, which could explain why he switched leads so often.
We won't get anything out of trainer Todd Pletcher, but I think the reason he didn't get going with Uncle Mo earlier and into a more authentic Derby prep regime is that he has a fragile horse who was anything from tired to sore to scoped over the winter. But this just in yesterday, Pletcher announced that the horse had/has a gastrointestinal infection and that it explains everything. And not to worry, 'Mo's not canceling his deluxe suite at Churchill Downs.
But why all the hype in any case? For one thing, America seems to need singular messiahs in its sports; witness Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Zenyatta is gone, although her personal marketing campaign continues, with sales spikes ahead when they unveil her statue or mark the obligatory anniversaries on the fives.
Racing seems to have adopted the same playbook with Uncle Mo, no doubt capitalizing on basic human neediness in identifying with a horse, any one horse. People yearned for it with Afleet Alex and the lemonade stand and Big Brown, despite his bad feet. It might have happened for real with Ghostzapper, until he was stolen away from the fans and sent to the breeding shed.
As for Uncle Mo, he came into the Wood 4-0, with one of the most impressive races of Breeders' Cup weekend, a 4.5-length win in the Juvenile. He also added the 2-year-old Horse of the Year Eclipse Award to his trophy case in January.
But as the Jerry Baileys and Randy Mosses of the world declared just moments after the Juvenile win, Indian Charlie colts can't get the distance, meaning the 10 furlongs of the Derby. Urban myth? Not really, it's pretty much true. And what chance will an undertrained, under-raced and out of shape Uncle Mo have to show us definitively that he can get the mile-and-a-quarter? Or not?
Despite the fact 2-year-olds sometimes do not improve, or improve much, in their 3-year-old year and a horse has only once parlayed the Juvenile into a Derby win (Street Sense in 2006-07), the 'Mo's hype train rumbled on.
If you had obeyed a basic rule of handicapping, you would have seen that his work record was blank all the way from the Breeders' Cup the first week of November to a 4-furlong work at the Palm Meadows training facility in Florida on February 13. His four-furlong works, a paid workout at Gulfstream and a bad showing in the Wood do not a foundation make.
Early on, Pletcher had said 'Mo would, for goodness' sakes, run in only two preps for the Derby and would start working in late January, pointing to the 8.5 furlong Tampa Bay Derby March 12 on the sandy-demanding Tampa Bay Downs course and then the Wood.
But the horse didn't start training until mid-February and then abruptly Pletcher changed course and announced 'Mo would go in the Timely Writer. The next red flag was that the Timely Writer was run at only a mile, 8 furlongs. This was puzzling, or telling. If Uncle Mo was so good and prepared, why would he turn back to a mile at Gulfstream, which he ended up running in 1:36-2 and a mediocre 89 Beyer Speed figure, against a bunch of going-nowhere horses?
Despite a trying start, 'Mo ran well in the Wood, taking on the pace for most of the race. But just after the eighth pole, he was swallowed up by Arthur's Tale (now off the Derby trail with an injury) and then by eventual winner Toby's Corner.
Like the big-for-his-age Little Leaguer, the other kids have perhaps caught up with him, especially when he might be misplaced in races longer than a mile. You keep hearing that as a Triple Crown candidate at the 10-, 9.5- and 12-furlong classic distances, 'Mo is going to make a helluva 7- or 8-furlong horse someday. Yet another who may not belong in the Kentucky Derby?
As for the Derby - and don't be surprised if he doesn't even make it into the gate - I can't believe he will have any of the foundation he needs. I'll need to see a nearly blazing 5-furlong-with-a-big-runout work from him fairly soon and Pletcher won't do that. I'll hope he still takes a lot of that civilian Derby money and he'll need to be a big price with a great post position for me to remotely consider him.
The cycle doesn't seem to end, so keep an eye out for The Factor. If he impresses in the Arkansas Derby Saturday, he's your new next coming.
The Disabled List
The Life At Ten saga continues.
Jockey John Velazquez was fined $10,000 for his part in the debacle that was the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. Half of it will go to the Disabled Jockeys Fund.
His sin is that while he twice told a nationwide ESPN audience that Life At Ten didn't seem herself before the race, yet he failed to inform the gate veterinarians and ask them to look at her.
You know how I feel about the incident. While JV apparently violated the cockamamie "protocol" as divined by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, remember that jockeys are independent contractors, riding at the whims of trainers and owners.
If Johnny V does anything to get that horse scratched, he loses business and suffers big-time at the peak of his career. He took a huge left hook to the chin "for the industry" and I respect the hell out of him. In the end, he did the right thing for the mare, running her easily around the track.
And here's some news. Life At Ten ran second in an $80,000 optional claiming race at Gulfstream Sunday. Trainer Todd Pletcher wasn't there.
Both Pletcher and chief steward - now there's an oxymoron - John Veitch were also aware of Life At Ten's troubles that day.
I hope to have some related news on those two guys at some point. Veitch? Maybe. Pletcher? Don't count on it.
Thomas Chambers is our man on the rail. He welcomes your comments.More from Beachwood Sports »
The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #235: Bears, Cubs Hangovers
Both teams and their fans suffering, but in very different ways. Including: There Is No There There; So, A Chiefs-Saints Super Bowl!; Manny Mania; Wrong Way Ricketts Wrecking Ball; Boiberg; and Bleak Blackhawks.Continue reading "The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #235: Bears, Cubs Hangovers" »
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Turnout has fallen in each election to the European Parliament since the first in 1979. At the same time, the power of the Parliament has increased from little more than a talking shop to today when, on most issues, the Lisbon Treaty gives it equal weight to Member States.
In the UK, in 2009, less than half of those eligible to vote chose to do so. Many that did, knew little or nothing of the work of the parliament or the individuals that they were voting for. Some treated it as an opportunity to make a statement about the performance of the British government; others about the state of British politics more generally and the expenses crisis in particular; some sought to express a view on Britain's membership of the EU itself.
We will go to the polls again next May to elect MEPs for another five year term and the European Parliament is seriously concerned that turnout will fall again, further undermining the legitimacy of the only directly elected of the EU's institutions. They are so concerned that they have committed £5.6 million to an "awareness campaign" called "This time it's different", complete with schmaltzy video designed to appeal to younger voters. The strap line for the advertising campaign is somewhat odd: "Act, react, impact".
Together with a further £5 million for European political parties to spend, this campaign will push the Parliament's budget for information and communications to £35 million.
The claim that these elections are different is based on the fact that the political parties will declare their preference for President of the European Commission, turning the parliamentary election into an election of the President. It is not clear, however, that the nominee of the largest group will necessarily be elected. No group will have an overall majority after the elections, opening the process up to the sort of horse trading we have seen in the past over the election of the President of the Parliament. Indeed Angela merkel is already saying that there is no "automatic link" between the party that wins next year's EU election and the next European Commission president
We Eurosceptics are fond of saying that more than 75% of our laws are made in Brussels. All "laws" are not equal, however, and counting their number is not the most useful way to measure the impact of European legislation on British citizens. We can, however, state with confidence that the impact of legislation passed by the European Parliament is significant and that its scope has widened since Britain joined the EEC. Whether it is the quality of the air that we breathe or water that we drink, or how many hours we may work, decisions of the European Parliament affect our daily lives.
Why then do so few chose to vote? The link between how we vote and political outcomes is weak. There is broad agreement between the centre-right European People's Party and the socialists, who between them dominate the Parliament, in favour of further integration and greater spending by the EU. Those of us who want Europe to do less better are, and will remain, a minority.
If the European Parliament and our MEPs seem remote, it is not entirely their fault. The South East Region, for example, is huge, extending from Dover in the east to the New Forest, and north to Milton Keynes. Taking in 84 UK parliamentary seats, it has a population of 8 million. It is difficult for voters to know their MEPs and, perhaps worse, for MEPs to know their voters.
We are not even asked to vote for a named individual, but for a party list. The South East elects ten MEPs, so each party presents a list of ten potential members. Seats are then allocated according to a formula based on the proportion of votes that each party records. In 2009, the Conservatives won 34.8% of all the votes in the South East and the top four candidates on the Conservative list were elected.
So, there is a great disconnect between on the one hand the voters and on the other their elected representatives in Brussels. I doubt whether one of 1000 people in the South East could name one of their MEPs and almost nobody would be able to name all 10.
But it does matter who we vote for. Whatever happens with a referendum in 2017, for the next five years we will send £90 billion of our money to Brussels to spend on our behalf, more than half of the laws passed in the next five years will continue to originate in the European Parliament, and almost all the regulation of British business will continue to have its origin in European directives. We need to elect MEPs who will work to protect Britain's vital interests, to reduce costly over-regulation, to ensure that we receive value for the money that we contribute, and that what is spent is properly accounted for.


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Grow your own!
2 Comments »
Agreed! I live in an apartment with no outdoor space, but I do have huge south-facing windows with ledges. I finally bought some pots and soil for seeds I had been given a while ago, planted them without much hope, and am amazed as tiny green sprouts push their way up through the sod. Too bad I didn't label anything…my seeds included things for the cat (catnip, rye, oats) as well as herbs for my kitchen (basil, chives, parsley). I think I'll have to wait a while before I can figure out what's what, or risk putting catnip into my pesto.


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Contact Bal Prabhat Boarding School
New Road, Pokhara-9
Contact person: Prem Kunwar
Discription of the school
Bal Prabhat Boarding School is a private school. Nepal is one of the porest countrys, so don't expect much. You have a withboard and the children wearing a uniform. The teachers hit the childeren. It happens pretty much; when they haven't made there homework, when they aren't listening or not wearing the right cloths.
The principal is a really nice man. He wants the best for us and he takes good care for you.
Our stay
We've rent an appartment in Lakeside, the tourist side of Pokhara. First we had a small appartment. Jut one room and we lived on our beds. After a month we've moved to a bigger one. Now we had two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a good kitchen with livingroom. We also had a balcony. The houseowner was a really kind man. He was willing to help with everything.
We arrived the 26th of february in Pokhara. We started our internship the 27th. We arrived at the Bal Prabhat Boarding School at 10:00 am. The children were standing in line waiting for the teacher to give comments. In the mean time, we were introduced to the prinicipal. A really nice man and he was very proud of his school. There was a whole ceremonie planned for us. We got a scarf and a red point on our face with paint. It was a sign of respect. They were very greatfull. We also got the oppertunity to choose our own class. I choose grade 5.
After the weekend we came back to the school. We were observing the first few days. The children were very curious. They asked questions about me and the Netherlands. So i decided to teach them some Dutch words. I also saw the teachers hitting the childeren. They got beaten when they didn't know an answer or just disobate the teacher. It was really hard to see, but I did't know what to do. I was just a volunteer and, it sounds weird, but it's normal for them. The children even said that i had to beat, but I would never do that.
I had much time to teach, because sometimes teachers just didn't show up. I experienced it positive but also negative. The positive thing is that I was free to do anything I wanted. I could teach them things they never heard of like the second world war. The children were very supportive and enthousiastic. The negativ thing was that I never got feedback and most of the time I didn't get a chance to prepare my lessons.
Another nice experience during my internship was parentsday. The children were learning a dance. Every grade another traditional dance. They were practicing for weeks for that one special day. Parentsday was at the end of the school year and the children got the chance to show their dance to their parents. It was also a day were prices were rewarded. It was a long day for us, but it's nice to see so many happy faces on the stage.
Before I even went to Nepal, people were warning me for a culture shock. I knew Nepal is way different from the Netherlands, but I thing you can't prevent a culture shock. The only thing that's important is to be open-minded. Don't judge other cultures. There will be negative things, but try to see the positive things. For example the Nepali people never have stress. They are so relaxed. The negative thing is that they're always late, but the positve thing is that they're always wanting to help you.
I didn't have a real culture shock. There were things that i was fascinated about, but not real shocked or anything. The fact that children got beaten was really hard to see, but you get used to it. I tried to enjoy everything a saw like cows on the street and the fact that the traffic was horrible. It's also nice that we meet Nepali people. At that moment you learn the real Nepali culture. They took us to restaurants we would never go to.
I also wanted to go to Nepal because of the religion. I'm fascinated about the life style of the Budhism and Hindoeism. We visited a few temples and stupa's. It is hard to understand those religions, but the way they see things is something we western people can learn a lot from. I thing my culture shock came when I arrived back in the Netherlands.
We've rented an appartment in Pokhara, Lakeside. We did this with the help of our teacher and Prem.
We payed around 450 dollars with the three of us for one month.
There are also a lot of guesthouses were you can stay. But we wanted a place for ourself.
Our appartment was very nice, we had 2 bedrooms, a livingroom with a kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a balcony.
If you want to rent an appartment its a good idea to have a person in Nepal who can help you with it. Renting an appartment from your home country can be difficult.
We did our groceries at the local store. There was a big supermarket, where you can buy almost everything.
You can make a supper for less then 5 dollar. Also its a possibility to go out for supper, we've paid around 20 dollars with the three of us.
The people in Nepal are very kind and hospitable. The first time we meet our Nepalese mentor he was directly very kind to us. He even called us his family, and inivited us to his home for supper.
Also the people on the street are very kind. They are always willing to help.
There has been error in communication with Booktype server. Not sure right now where is the problem.
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Thoughts????? I have found that women love it. Men, not so much. I did a lovely shade of lavender a few weeks ago and got a lot of compliments from men. Interesting... The orange is a bit "Halloween-y" as Bill put it but something about it makes me happy.
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Clay County 4-H Contest Day #1 will be held on October 5, 2017 at the Wynn Building (45 2nd Avenue North, Ashland, AL 36251) at 6:00 PM.
Contest for this event are: (click for complete rules)
If you plan to participate in one or more of these contests please call the Clay County Extension Office at 256-354-5976 and let Tilda Taylor know the contest(s) in which you wish to participate. Please let us know by October 2, 2017 at 4:30 PM.


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'Youth Magnet' Cities Hit Midlife Crisis
Few Jobs in Places Like Portland and Austin, but the Hipsters Just Keep on Coming
PORTLAND, Ore. -- In October, as the stock market tanked and the economy shed 400,000 jobs, Matt Singer moved from Oxnard, Calif. to Portland, Ore. He didn't have a job, but he was attracted to the city's offbeat culture and hungered for change. Mr. Singer's plan was to get an editing or writing gig at an alternative weekly newspaper, the job he was doing in California.
Seven months later, the 26-year-old is still without a steady job -- and still here. "I wasn't really aware of how bad the job situation was at the time,"...


text: Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World, Fifth Edition 5 5 Learning Objectives Explain why identifying use cases is the key to defining functional requirements Use three techniques for identifying use cases Write brief, intermediate, and fully developed use case descriptions 2 5 Learning Objectives (continued) Explain how the concept of things in the problem domain also defines requirements Identify and analyze data entities and domain classes needed in the system Read, interpret, and create an entity-relationship diagram Read, interpret, and create a domain model class diagram 3 5 Overview Document functional requirements by creating models Models created during analysis phase activity – Define system requirements Two concepts help identify functional requirements in the traditional approach and object-oriented approach Use cases and the events that trigger them Things in the users' work domain 4 5 User Goals, Events, and Use Cases Use Case -- An activity the system performs in response to a user request Techniques for identifying use cases User goal technique Each goal at the elementary business process (EBP) level is a use case – a task performed by one user, in one place in response to a business event, that adds measurable business value, and leaves system and data in consistent state EBP 5 User Goals, Events, and Use Cases (continued) CRUD analysis technique (create, read, update, delete) Event decomposition technique 5 6 Identifying Use Cases Based on User Goals 5 7 5 Use Case Based on CRUD Technique 8 5 Event Decomposition Technique Event – an occurrence at a specific time and place and which needs to be remembered Business events trigger elementary business processes (EBPs) EBPs are at correct level of analysis for use cases Identify business events to decompose system into activities/use cases 9 5 Types of Events External Outside system Initiated by external agent or actor Temporal Occur as result of reaching a point in time Based on system deadlines State Something inside system triggers processing need 10 Events Affecting a Charge Account Processing System that Lead to Use Cases 5 11 5 External Event Checklist 12 5 Temporal Event Checklist 13 5 Identifying Events Can be difficult to determine Often confused with conditions and responses May be useful to trace a transaction's life cycle Certain events left to design phase System controls to protect system integrity Perfect technology assumption defers events 14 Sequence of Actions that Lead Up to Only One Event Affecting the System 5 15 Sequence of "Transactions" for One Specific Customer Resulting in Many Events 5 16 Events Deferred Until the Design Phase 5 17 5 Events in the RMO case Important external events involve customers Other external events involve departments Customer checks item availability, customer places order, customer changes or cancels order Shipping fulfills order, marketing sends promotion to customer, merchandising updates catalog Temporal events include periodic reports Time to produce order summary reports, Time to produce fulfillment summary reports 18 5 RMO External Events 19 5 RMO Temporal Events 20 5 Events and Use Cases Event Table – a catalog of use cases listed by event. Contains detailed information Trigger – a signal that indicates an event has occurred Source – an external agent that initiates event and supplies data for the event Response – an output produced by the system Destination – an external agent that receives the response 21 Information about Each Event in an Event Table 5 22 RMO Event Table 5 23 5 Use Case Descriptions Use case description – a description of the processing steps for a use case Actor – a person or thing that uses the system. Actors have contact with the system Scenario or Instance – a particular set of internal steps that represent a unique path of the use case Three types of descriptions Brief description Intermediate description Fully developed description 24 5 Brief Description 25 5 Intermediate Description 26 5 Fully Developed Description 27 5 "Things" in the Problem Domain Define system requirements by understanding system information that needs to be stored Store information about things in the problem domain that people deal with when they do their work 28 5 Types of Things 29 Procedure for Developing an Initial List of Things Step 1: Using the event table and information about each use case, identify all nouns Step 2: Using other information from existing systems, current procedures, and current reports or forms, add items or categories of information needed Step 3: Refine list and record assumptions or issues to explore 5 Questions to include it, exclude it, or research it 30 5 RMO Example "Things" 31 5 Characteristics of Things Relationship Naturally occurring association among specific things Occur in two directions Number of associations is cardinality or multiplicity Binary, unary, ternary, n-ary Attribute One specific piece of information about a thing 32 Relationships Naturally Occur Between Things 5 33 Cardinality/Multiplicity of Relationships 5 34 5 Attributes and Values 35 5 Data Entities Things system needs to store data about in traditional IS approach Modeled with entity-relationship diagram (ERD) Requirements model used to create the database design model for relational database 36 The Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) 5 37 Cardinality Symbols of Relationships for ERD 5 38 5 Expanded ERD with Attributes Shown 39 5 Customers, Orders, and Order Items 40 5 ERD with Many-to-Many Relationship 41 Many-to-Many Relationship Converted to Associative Entity to Store Grade Attribute 5 42 5 RMO Customer Support System ERD 43 5 The Domain Model Class Diagram Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagram Domain model class diagram Models things in the users' work domain Used to define requirements for OO (very similar to entities in ERD) 44 5 UML Class Symbol 45 5 Simple Domain Model Class Diagram 46 Simple Domain Model Class Diagram (continued) No methods shown in domain model 5 Domain classes are not software classes Very similar to ERD UML and domain model can be used in place of ERD in traditional approach 47 5 Multiplicity of Associations 48 University Course Enrollment Domain Model Class Diagram 5 49 Refined Model with Association Class and Grade Attribute 5 50 5 More Complex Class Concepts Generalization/specialization hierarchies General superclasses to specialized subclasses Inheritance allows subclasses to share characteristics of their superclasses 51 A Generalization/Specialization Class Hierarchy for Motor Vehicles 5 52 A Generalization/Specialization Class Hierarchy for RMO Orders 5 53 5 Whole-Part Hierarchies Whole-part hierarchies – hierarchies that structure classes by components Aggregation – whole-part relationships between and object and its removable parts Parts can exist separately Like car and its tires Composition – whole-part relationships between and object and its non-removable parts. Parts cannot exist separately Like Hand is composed of fingers and thumb 54 Whole-Part Aggregation Relationships 5 55 5 RMO Domain Model Class Diagram 56 Where You Are Headed 5 57 5 Summary Analysis phase – defines system requirements Models created to further learning process, reduce complexity, communicate with team members, and document requirements Key early step in modeling is to identify and list Events that require a use case in the system Things users deal with in work environment 58 5 Summary (continued) Use cases (activities) are identified from user goals and business events that trigger elementary business processes Business events are memorable, can be described, and occur at a specific time and place External events, temporal events, and state events Event table records event, trigger, source, use case, response, and destination A catalog of information about each use case 59 5 Summary (continued) "Things" are what user deals with and system remembers, such as customer placing an order Traditional approach uses entity-relationship diagrams (ERD) for data entities, attributes of data entities, and relationships between entities Object-oriented approach uses UML class diagrams for classes, attributes, methods of class, and associations among classes Domain model class diagram 60


text: Weekend adventures for me most usually involve the sea. This past weekend was spent mermaid swimming, girlie beach relaxing and shallow water frolicking. An impromptu underwater photo session spent ducking under wavelets on Main Beach and being carried down the shore by the gentle sweep. Swimming under and over and on top of each other, twisting around and around and being tumbled and washed with the waves. The outcome are the images you see here now.


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The brothers Hussein were buried today here in their hometown 11 days after they were killed by American soldiers. The funeral touched off an outpouring of nostalgia for their fugitive father and was filled with angry calls to rid Iraq of its American occupiers.
Coming out of seclusion, more than 100 members of Saddam Hussein's family gathered in a parched cemetery here and laid the bodies of Uday and Qusay side by side, and then, to conclude an emotional ceremony, buried a third relative killed in the American raid, Qusay's 14-year-old son, Mustafa. A group of American soldiers kept watch at first, then slipped away.
The mourners, many of whom thrived under Saddam Hussein's brutal but patriarchal rule, asked God to judge Uday and Qusay as heroes killed in a glorious battle against a foreign invader, and draped each grave with an Iraqi flag.
''Oh God, welcome Uday and Qusay as martyrs on the day of judgment,'' a man intoned as the bodies of each were lowered into the ground. ''Give them a soft place to rest in the earth, open the grave wider for them, and let each become your son.''
The end of the ceremony, attended by as many as 200 people in all, set off a frenzy. Family and friends seemed to stop mourning the passing of the sons as they began chanting for the return of the father.Continue reading the main story
''Our blood, our souls, we'll sacrifice for Saddam!'' the crowd roared, repeating the line.
When friends and family lined up in a traditional prayer to mark the end of the funeral, one of the members rose from his knees and exploded in anger, jabbing his finger at a small number of Americans standing by.
''Death to America!'' he shouted, with murmurs of assent behind him. ''Death to America!''
The ceremony ended the unusual transit of Uday and Qusay Hussein since July 22, when they were killed in a shootout with American forces in the northern city of Mosul. The brothers were not only among the most feared and awesome figures in their father's rule, but also the symbols of its future.
For the next 10 days, American commanders debated the fate of the bodies, caught between a desire to prove to skeptical Iraqis that the brothers were indeed dead and their reluctance to remind Iraqis so vividly of Mr. Hussein's government.
The Americans released photos of Uday's and Qusay's mangled, bullet-riddled bodies, but the doubts among Iraqis persisted. When the Americans surgically restored the bodies, and allowed journalists to take photographs of their their pallid and puffed-up faces, the questions persisted.
All the while, the anger among Mr. Hussein's supporters, and even among many other Iraqis, grew. Many accused the Americans of trying to manipulate the bodies for a propaganda victory and of flouting the Muslim injunction that the dead be buried as quickly as possible after death.
The debate ended this morning. Members of Mr. Hussein's clan, Al Tikriti, and his tribe, Bani al-Nasiri, said American officials had notified them at 6 a.m. that they could pick up the bodies at an American base in Tikrit. The Iraqis said the Americans had imposed strict conditions for the release of the bodies, obviously intended to minimize any outpouring of nostalgia for the old government.
The American officials were especially concerned that a funeral not be allowed to stoke enthusiasm for Mr. Hussein's rule in the very area where memories of him remain fondest. But they also hoped that the deaths would quell the guerrilla war being waged against American soldiers here.
The area around Awja is the center of an intense manhunt for Mr. Hussein; many American commanders have concluded that he is probably hiding among the members of his family and clan.
Leaders of Mr. Hussein's tribe had told the Americans that they wanted to stage a three-day funeral procession for the sons in Awja, where Mr. Hussein was born, and Tikrit, where he kept his home.
To stop that, the Iraqis said, the Americans prohibited Mr. Hussein's family from staging a procession in Tikrit. And they said they would allow no more than 50 carloads of people to attend Uday and Qusay's funeral.
The members of Mr. Hussein's family grew even more incensed when they finally took possession of the bodies.
Although refrigerated for the past 10 days, the bodies smelled and the faces were nearly unrecognizable, they said. So decomposed were Uday and Qusay that Mr. Hussein's family decided to forgo the usual Islamic custom of wrapping the bodies in a shroud. They left them in their coffins.
''In Islam, this is not the way you bury a martyr,'' said Sheik Ali al-Nida, the head of the Bani al-Nasiri tribe. ''The Americans have not allowed us to have a proper ceremony.''
The transfer seemed timed to keep the crowds at the cemetery to a minimum. With Mr. Hussein's family members eager to put the bodies in the ground, the funeral began and ended just before the beginning of midday prayers in Tikrit. By the time the imams told Tikritis that Uday and Qusay's bodies had finally been received, it was already too late for other people to get to the cemetery.
Yet even if the people of Tikrit had been allowed to attend the funeral, it was not clear how many would have come. Even in Tikrit, and even within Mr. Hussein's inner circle, there were many people who loathed the Hussein brothers, and who had suffered at their hands.
The ceremony itself unfolded in the withering heat of summer. The ground, baked hard by a lack of rain, was broken by a jackhammer, supported by a generator, that clattered and smoked as the tribal leaders, dressed in long white gowns and headdresses, watched.
Early on, a team of American soldiers kept watch, while another guarded the entrance and turned Iraqis away. But as the ceremony began, the Americans departed. More Iraqis arrived, the slogans began and the anger rose.
''Let's go kill some Americans,'' one Iraqi man said to his friend. ''Just like we did before.''
Yet at least part of the anger, it seemed, stemmed not only from the deaths of Uday and Qusay but also from the free-fall that Saddam Hussein's relatives have experienced since the American invasion. Little more than three months ago, the members of Mr. Hussein's clan walked proudly and drove expensive cars, often terrifying those around them.
Today, they seemed a diminished lot. Prominent members of Mr. Hussein's family did not attend the funeral. Many of those who did refused to identify themselves, out of fear that they would be interrogated by the Americans. Many came not in Mercedes-Benzes or BMW's, but in old, battered cars with license plates from cities far away.
As the crowd moved to leave, an Iraqi man approached an American reporter and jabbed his finger.
''We will make the Americans leave this country on their knees,'' he said. ''Just you watch.''Continue reading the main story


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We encourage research librarians to list this journals among their library's electronic journal holdings (see NeuroQuantology Site). • Our journal indexed in: The Science Citation Index Expanded • ISI Web of Science • Citation Index • Index Copernicus • Cabell's Directory • GALE CENGAGE Learning • ProQuest. This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system for Library.
NeuroQuantology is a quarterly peer-reviewed interdisciplinary scientific journal that covers the intersection of and quantum mechanics. The journal was first published in April 2003.
The journal describes itself as focusing primarily on original reports of experimental and theoretical research. It also publishes literature reviews, methodological articles, empirical findings, book reviews, news, comments, letters, and abstracts. The intended audience of NeuroQuantology is scientists, other educated adults, and inquiring students, and it emphasizes that articles should be approachable by a cross-disciplinary audience.
| NeuroScience + QuantumPhysics> NeuroQuantology :: Copyright 2001-2018


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Off-Panel: June 16, 2015
Our daily round-up of news around the comics space, from the gutters and beyond.
"According to the Redland Daily Facts newspaper, Shultz claimed that "It was shocking, I didn't expect to open the book and see that graphic material within. I expected Batman and Robin, not pornography." The student brought forward the complaint after the point at which she could drop the course without receiving a failing grade."
Yeah nooooooooo. So not okay with this.
"Even early on, they were publishing important women like Julie Doucet," said Hillary L. Chute, a University of Chicago professor and a cultural critic who specializes in comics. "They're important to what feminism and comics looks like."
Drawn and Quarterly's 25th anniversary book is gorgeous, so I love seeing them get mainstream press for it, and for their mission. If you haven't picked it up, it's so worth having on your shelves.
"With Captain America: Civil War currently filming in Atlanta, the pressure on Marvel and Sony to cast a Spider-Man is high. So it is that yesterday, rumors emerged that the short list has been whittled down to four actors – Tom Holland and Charlie Rowe, rumored to be the front-runners, with Matthew Lintz and Charlie Plummer still in contention."
I'm curious to see who they cast, but I'd be much more interested if there was a diverse actor on this list.
Follow us on Facebook for more comics fun.


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You Can Make This DIY Enchilada Sauce in 10 Minutes
Enchilada sauce is sold in most grocery stores, but with just 10 minutes of your time and a handful of ingredients, you can have a homemade version instead. Go the DIY route and you just might never look back.
The benefit of making your own enchilada sauce is being able to control exactly what goes into it. This recipe uses very simple ingredients, and it's vegan and gluten-free!
It yields about two cups of sauce, so you can use some for dinner ASAP and freeze the rest for later. Next time a craving for enchiladas strikes, you'll have this delicious homemade sauce all ready to go — no trip to the store required.
→ Get the Recipe: How to Make 10 Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce from Ambitious Kitchen
Published: Dec 1, 2016


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Our backyard 'expedition' had to meet a number of conditions. The first was that it had to happen on a Friday or Saturday night. If the night out was going to be a horrible experience we didn't need the kids to be grumpy at school the next day. The second condition we had is that it couldn't be ridiculously cold out. I'm not exactly sure what we meant by 'ridiculously cold', but given how cold it was until recently, I'm not sure it really mattered. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to camp out no matter what the temperature, but we don't have the proper gear and I want this to be an experience that we repeat.
The ideal conditions finally materialized the first weekend in March and everyone was healthy. After school on Friday we started building the quinzee. We took a break for dinner and allowed the quinzee to settle before digging it out. I went back out once we had finished and started digging. Unfortunately, it was dark out. This meant that in my haste I accidentally dug right through the wall. Our quinzee now had a sky light. It probably would have been fine had I left it. Instead I decided to put some snow on it from the outside so we didn't lose our warm air. That was a mistake. The hole only got bigger. I gave up on the idea of sleeping outside that night and started building the mound again. Perhaps the following night would work.
The next night one of our family members was not feeling well so we had to postpone. Perhaps the following weekend would work. Unfortunately, the rest of us got sick and the temperature warmed up. Our pile of snow began to shrink quite quickly. Clearly camping out in the winter was not meant to be. However, all was not lost. The kids are now super excited to camp out next winter. Hopefully, they will be asking me next year rather than me asking them.
We're already looking forward to next winter!


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After Lakhani's Shawl Collection, recently Lakhani has introduced LSM Gorgeous Wintery Collection 2013 for winter, a brilliant combination of new designs on warm fabrics. Lakhany is offering cozy clothes and trendy prints for latest fall/winter. Lakhany silk mills - ( LSM ) Textile is eminent for classy and comfortable clothing, it always brings innovative ideas and unique style for every season to drape yourself in best fashion trend, and Lakhany Gorgeous Wintery collection 2013 is best example. In this Wintery magazine Lsm fabric has brought thick clothes nourished with embroideries and lace stuff. Lakhani dresses are perfect for party wear, casual and formal solution, because dresses detailed with classic embroiders by thread on prominent color scheme. So let's have a look on Exclusive LSM Gorgeous Wintery 2013 women collection.
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I am back to Japan!
People wear masks everywhere in Narita airport to prevent from swin flu.
All passenger of the airplane I took were all safe so far. It took about an hour to get out from airplane after the airplane landed. I felt the differences of the realization of the flu between the U.S. and Japan.
I think I have jet lag, so I waked up around 6 a.m. in the morning in Japan.
My lovely cat ignores me though she seems to remember me.
I age Sushi last night!!! I love Japanese food! I keep loosing my weight in the U.S. because of food?


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A new video, "Pennsylvania Train Stations — Restored and Revitalized," showcases train stations that have been preserved, restored and are being used in sometimes unique and innovative ways. Included is a station in nearby Palmerton.
Pennsylvania train buffs have something to celebrate.
A new video, "Pennsylvania Train Stations — Restored and Revitalized," showcases train stations that have been preserved, restored and are being used in sometimes unique and innovative ways. Included is a station in nearby Palmerton.
The video was released this week by Inecom Entertainment Company and is available through its Web site, www.trainstationsfilm.com and select Internet and railroad memorabilia outlets.
The video takes viewers on an unconventional journey to uncover the richness of these often-beautiful memorials to railroading, while telling the story of the people who saved them. The 56-minute video visits 16 stations, split equally between Eastern and Western Pennsylvania.
The film explores how the owners of these properties saw charm and nostalgic beauty in often-rundown buildings that in the early 1900s were the heart of each community and their doorway to the world. As America's heart was won over by the automobile, the train stations closed. Now, they are being brought back to life as homes, restaurants and businesses.
The 16 segments are from: DiSalvo's Station Restaurant: Latrobe, Westmoreland County; the Frame Station & Gallery: Berwyn, Chester County; the Public Library: California, Washington County; Shoeyville: Shoemakersville, Berks County; Chestnut Ridge Station: Palmerton; Carbon County; East Mahanoy Junction: Barnesville, Schuylkill County; the Station Restaurant: Tarentum, Allegheny County; Union Street Station: Pottsville, Schuylkill County; Youghiogheny Glass: Connellsville, Fayette County; Stoneboro Station: Clarks Mills, Mercer County; Historical Museum: Beaver, Beaver County; Seiple Station: Sunbury, Northumberland County; Woodring Station: Sunbury, Northumberland County; Columbia Station: Phoenixville, Chester County; Tourist & Promotion Agency: Washington, Washington County; Pennsylvanian Apartments: Pittsburgh.
The Palmerton station is the closest featured station in northeastern Pennsylvania. The video describes it as the Chestnut Ridge Station and tells the story of how it was purchased by John and Ella Ondria and transformed into a private research laboratory.
The station is gorgeous from the outside. It is a stone building. It was unusual for train stations to be constructed of stone.
The video provides a visit to the interior of the building, which has been restored and is set up as offices and labs.
Several calls were made to the Ondrias and at press time, no response was received.
A visit to the station found it to be closed and the grounds fenced off to potential visitors.
According to Palmerton historian George Ashman and railroad historian Pete Terp, the building was a Jersey Central passenger station, not a Chestnut Ridge station.
The Chestnut Ridge Railroad was primarily a freight railroad used by the New Jersey Zinc Company. The only passengers it carried were its employees at a time before workers had cars. It picked them up at a passenger station on Delaware Avenue just above the railroad trestle where it crosses. Employees got off the west plant and east plant and it went to Kunkletown.
The Jersey Central originally had a passenger station at the Lehigh Gap and a freight station that no longer exists used as the receiving point for materials to build the NJZ West Plant.
"There was agitation in Palmerton to have a railroad station in the community," Ashman said. "That's when the Central of New Jersey built the stone station around 1915. I have no idea why it was stone. It may have been subsidized by NJZ." The station made connections to Mauch Chunk, Allentown, Jersey City, and by ferry to New York City.
Passenger service stopped in mid-century and the building was sold to a real estate entrepreneur before the Ondrias bought it.
The producer of Pennsylvania Train Stations identified 50 stations that looked promising, contacted their owners and narrowed the list to 30 based on structure, condition, restoration, unique features and history. The final 16 were selected as the "best of the best."


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"The honorary duty of a human being is to love." Maya Angelou.
Loving someone isn't always easy. Sometimes it's incredibly hard...especially if that someone has hurt me or has done something that's left me scratching my head because of their hard stance. But I know I'm called to love my enemies, which, for me, can sometimes be like climbing mount Everest.
Thoughts of revenge pepper my mind more than loving the person who hurt or betrayed me. 'I hope they get what they give out. I hope something bad happens to them….to teach them. That's it...to teach them a lesson.' No love in that. But it's where my mind goes.
And then time happens and I start to think that I don't really wish them anything bad. Payback. It's not where I want my life to go. The thing is, Love changed me. Love made the difference. I want to live kind no matter what. I've learned that there's a process that needs to happen before I always end up in a softening place of choosing to forgive, choosing to love and choosing to be kind.
Happy Thursday, Guys.


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Formula 1 has always had a reputation for being full of drama. With its millionaire playboy drivers and roster of rival teams, the organization's nickname of "The International Circus" is all too fitting; and this time around wasn't going to be any different. The top two drivers were going into the United States Grand Prix with a very small points difference (most points wins the championship), the race was going to be at a track that no one has ever driven on, and it was being hosted in a city that has never hosted an event of this magnitude.
I was skeptical at whether the city of Austin would be able to handle the influx of race fans, especially since I've always known Austin to be a small-ish college town with a hippie vibe. When I tried looking for a hotel about three months before the race date, I found everything within an hour and half drive to be sold out or absurdly priced (1 star motels were asking $250+ per night). Things weren't looking good for the city of Austin and my friends who live there were ready to hunker down for that weekend.
Much to my surprise, the experience in Austin was extremely pleasant! Included with my race tickets were directions to a park and ride location where free shuttles would take us to the race track. I dreaded the line and the wait for the shuttles, imagining the most packed summer day at a brand new ride in Disneyland, but in reality, we never stood still in the line. In fact, we were always walking at a fairly brisk pace and eventually piled onto a nice charter bus for our 20 minute ride to the race track.
The race track itself was beautiful and new, and the track staff were kind and understanding. At every event that I've been to, people have never been allowed to stand on the stairs or take photos from a crossing bridge, but the staff at the Circuit of the Americas didn't seem to mind when people did so, as long as they were out of the way of foot traffic. The attendees were, for the most part, courteous and aware of their surroundings, except for that father-son combo that plopped down in their lawn chairs right in front of me, obscuring any view I had of the race. Other than that, everyone had a mutual understanding that we were all here for the same reason: to enjoy the sights and sounds of Formula 1.
Speaking of sights and sounds, the race was like nothing I've ever experienced before. I've been to my fair share of auto races and I've even ridden inside some real race cars, but there's nothing that can prepare you for the vibrations in your chest as one of these engineering marvels screams past you at 200 mph. It's amazing what today's engineers have accomplished with an engine that is smaller than what's inside of a baseline Toyota Camry. A lot of people have asked me about the race, probably hoping for some detailed description of my experience, but all I'm able to come up with is that is was two hours of sensory bliss. It's something that can't be explained in words.
I must say that I was very satisfied with the race and impressed with how the city of Austin handled the event. Some of the locals that I spoke with felt that the city over-prepared, but I thought it was just right. It could have been a major fiasco with people coming in from all over the United States and Mexico, but the city's organizers planned for just about every scenario. Kudos to you, Austin. You'll be seeing me again in 2013.
I leave you with a short video of footage that I shot from various places around the track. It really doesn't convey the power and ferocity of these million dollar works of art and technology, but maybe it'll inspire you to go experience it for yourself next year.
See what it's like to drive on the Circuit of the Americas in F1 2012, available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC!
[Photo via Circuit of the Americas]


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SOUTHERN PINES � One person has been killed after a police chase in Southern Pines.
The Fayetteville Observer reported (http://bit.ly/V1y7HJ) the person was killed in a wreck on U.S. 15-501.
Southern Pines Police Chief John Letteney says an officer had pulled over a driver just before 11 p.m. Wednesday for erratic driving. Letteney said the driver sped away after stopping in the middle of the road.
The chief says the driver an off the left side of the road and struck an embankment, flipping the vehicle.
The driver was ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating. The driver's name has not been released.


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IH Guru
Join Date: Oct 2008
Member Number: 656
Posts: 349
Tulare 09
Tulare 09
it came up on the ihcc site that a member needed to haul his tractor to the antique ag show in tulare. He has a 1936 farmall f30 on rubber that is too big for his trailer. Sounded like a good excuse for me to drive the 68 co loadstar to the show. We made the connection. Friday morning, I departed san bruno at 5am to meet steve carroll in manteca. Found his home easily on his good directions. We introduced ourselves and specked out the project.
The tractor was 4 wider than the bed of my truck. No problem, just careful loading involved. To load, he drove the tractor about a mile down the road to a neighbors place where there was a ramp. I backed up to the ramp. He pulled the tractor around to the slope for loading and it died. A little diagnostic work discovered a dead magneto. Parts from two made up a good one and we got the tractor loaded about two hours later.
We made a detour to visit a 96 year old neighbor who has numerous tractors and trucks on his place including a lot of internationals. We gammed [sailors talk for shooting the bull] For a while then had to get down the road. Another couple of hours had passed.
The trip down 99 to tulare went well. We finally had breakfast at brooks ranch just north of tulare at travers exit. What an interesting place with good food. Sitting in their parking lot is a 1948 IH k8 texaco fuel truck.
The ramp at the ag center was an easy off-load. The tractor started up and behaved well until the parade on Saturday. It died in the waiting queue. Several hands assisted getting the mag working again or was it the carb this time? Whichever, steve joined in the parade.
Sunday, headed home. Loaded that wide stance tractor back on the flatbed and headed north. 25 miles later, there was a loud bang and smoke was coming into the cab! Needless to say, I pulled over and bailed out. After determining that there was no fire, I raised the cab to inspect and found a burst water pump by-pass hose. Steve used his truck to go for water while I modified a spare hose to fit the location. We got back on the road after putting it back together and filling it up.
15 miles later, we were sitting beside the road, boiling over. And so it went, boiling every 15 miles or so. The temp would rise, we would stop, it would boil. We waited until it cooled then filled up the system and set off again. In the cab-overs, the radiator cap is right by your right shoulder under the cab. When it boils, the vibrating cap makes a siren sound which gets your attention fast.
We tried pulling the thermostat and blocking the bypass; it still boiled. Going at about 45 mph prolonged the run before it boiled. We got to manteca at 5 am.
We noticed that the radiator was hot on the top but not the bottom when we stopped. Several jugs of duponts best were poured into the system then run for a while to flush it well. Lots of yuk came out when we drained the flush.
Driving homeward bound on Monday afternoon I was able to nurse it to tracy before boiling. It was a good excuse to visit lance and connor to fill the jugs. He put me onto the old road over the altamont pass which was windy but not nearly as hilly as the freeway over the pass. I got to the west side before it boiled again. Called my brother in danville who sorted out a secondary road route to his place. Got to within a few miles before it boiled again. Stopped and washed the tulare ag center mud off then dropped the truck at his place and went on home: too tired to fight it another mile.
Saw patients Tuesday then rode a bart train back to brother jims home in danville. Just on a hunch, we dug out his timing light and dwell meter to check out the specs. Wow! Dwell of 20 degrees instead of 28 30 degrees and time was retarded 10 degrees! No small wonder it ran hot. Only an old IH motor would run at all that retarded. Then he discovered that the vacuum tap for the distributor was active at idle contributing to the timing mess.
With all that fixed, I drove it home 60 miles without a stop.
The ag show was somewhat lighter in attendance this year but a good show by any standard. I missed seeing all of the scouts west clan due to the demise of the western regionals. Pulled at my heartstrings a little to see that large empty area at the western end. There were several IH trucks around the show. George schimpf showed up with is early stock Scout 80 with the factory pto winch. We parked together and billed my cab-over as a Scout on steroids. The vendors, auction, kids games, evening dinner and show and several meals were all in their usual good form. The tractor pulls were especially good this year.
Ill be there next year. Look me up at the International Harvester collectors club booth.
Doc stewart
Doc Stewart
"Tough Old Geezer"
Charter member: IH Old Hippie Club
IHPA Tech Moderator - Retired & No Longer Online
Join Date: Jan 2007
Member Number: 10
Location: Leaburg, Orygone
Age: 72
Posts: 7,156
Re: Tulare 09
Great story doc!!!
And the IH network worked overtime this weekend!
Without stories like this playing with these rotbuckets wouldn't be near as much fun!
Are yawl ready??? If not here's some training ya might need to prepare:
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Member Number: 907
Posts: 3
Re: Tulare 09
Judy & brad will plan on being at tulare with the Scout next year. Wanted to be there this year, but the finances didn't allow it. My brother should be down from idaho for it also
IH Guru
Join Date: Oct 2008
Member Number: 656
Posts: 349
Re: Tulare 09
Technically, the western regional is no more but, there were several of us there this year and more will be visiting in 2010. Hq will be at the International Harvester collector's club booth/area by the huge white tent. Look me up there!
Doc Stewart
"Tough Old Geezer"
Charter member: IH Old Hippie Club
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The Waynoka Tribune. (Waynoka, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, September 9, 1910
Description: Weekly newspaper from Waynoka, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.
Date: September 9, 1910
Creator: Springer, Merritt E.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper
Partner: Oklahoma Historical Society