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This Valentine's Day, as usual, I received several heartfelt anonymous messages. "You're not funny, you cock", "Why are you such a smug shit?", "Just seen you on a repeat of Mock the Week, I wish you would die". That sort of thing.
But then I get that every day - all comedians do (apart from the funny non-smug ones who are already dead). In fact, everybody does; that's one of the joys of the internet age. On 14 February everyone used to look forward to the possibility that someone would share their passionate feelings incognito, and now it happens all the time. As soon as you have a Facebook wall, a Twitter feed, or simply a name that someone can type, Anonymous Missives Inc is open for business. And it's not only people who are the targets of strangers' ardour - restaurants, bars, hotels, books, movies and DVDs are all the objects of feelings so strong that those holding them are embarrassed to reveal their identity.
I'm sure embarrassment is what it is. Like love, hate is something that makes us go red in the face. It's safer expressed covertly lest it be rejected. If the local cafe knew it was you who found the service unfriendly or the muffins over-priced, it would make you feel vulnerable. This way, you get to call the manageress a wart-faced crone without it getting personal. Anonymity, like a secret ballot, is a guarantee of sincerity.
There was certainly nothing insincere about the 30 negative reviews of The Good Life restaurant in Shrewsbury that were posted online last autumn. They came from the heart. In fact, they came from the same heart: all 30 were written, under different names, by Ms Helen Griffiths, a marketing manager from Salford. But she wasn't managing the marketing for The Good Life - this wasn't an elaborate exercise in reverse psychology. Ostensible offence at "cold and unattentive" staff and "hairs in my quiche" hid Ms Griffiths's real dislike: the vegetarian restaurant's owner, Joanna Langfield. Griffiths was angrier than even tofu can make you, because Langfield is the ex-partner of Griffiths's husband and, last August, became involved in some legal dispute with him.
The online review dispute, in contrast, was deemed illegal. Ms Griffiths, after being given a police caution for harassment, had to publish an apology for the aspersions she'd cast, carefully picking them out of the house hummus and admitting that she'd "never actually visited or eaten at the restaurant". This was the end of a long battle for Joanna Langfield to restore The Good Life's good name in the face of a hate barrage that had caused a 25% slump in the restaurant's profits.
One can readily see Langfield's problem. When a restaurant owner approaches a website to ask for some negative reviews to be removed, saying they're biased, the claim is going to be viewed with scepticism - in the unlikely event that the website has any staff to view it at all. Online reviews, either anonymous or with no verifiable name, customarily go up unchallenged. We assume that the wisdom of crowds will ensure that a fair impression is given overall - that the uncensored self-expression of hundreds of millions will tend towards the truth. Half the time it just regresses to the mean.
And the rest of the time it goes the other way: over-effusive, hysterical praise. So often you'll read a review that couldn't be bettered if the hotelier, restaurateur, musician, bar owner or author had written it themselves. In the notorious case of the description of Orlando Figes's The Whisperers - Private Life in Stalin's Russia on Amazon as "Beautifully written ... leaves the reader awed, humbled yet uplifted ... a gift to us all," it's because he had. But he was even-handed enough to cast his eye over rival works of Russian history, anonymously describing Molotov's Magic Lantern by Rachel Polonsky as "the sort of book that makes you wonder why it was ever published" and Robert Service's history of communism as "an awful book"; and, while sucking on the sourest grapes of all, to write of Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, which beat The Whisperers to the Samuel Johnson prize: "Oh dear, what on earth were the judges thinking when they gave this book the Samuel Johnson prize?"
Figes was unmasked in 2010 and apologised unreservedly for having been caught. But let's imagine for a moment that Figes isn't just a foolish man whose sense of proportion and decency got lost in a research trip to the interminable steppe and give him the benefit of that imagined doubt: perhaps he was trying to teach the internet a valuable historiographical lesson about the limited value of unattributed sources. If you don't know who's written something, you can't know why it was written and so you can't trust it. It might genuinely be a fan of Russian history rightly panning some sloppy research, or a quiche expert correctly informing potential customers that, if there's human hair in it, it isn't vegetarian any more. But, if so, why won't they give their names? If they remain anonymous, there's a decent chance it's an envious historian or the wife of the owner's ex.
When you read a bit of graffiti that says something like "Blair is a liar", you don't take it as fact. You may, independently, have concluded that it is fact. But you don't think that the graffiti has provided that information. It is merely evidence that someone, when in possession of a spray can, wished to assert their belief in the millionaire former premier's mendacity. It is unsubstantiated, anonymous opinion. We understand that instinctively. We need to start routinely applying those instincts to the web.
Some argue that anonymous online commenting should be restricted, that websites shouldn't allow it - they should make you put your name to your words. But that would lead to annoying cries of "Censorship!" and would inhibit the web traffic by which news agencies hope to increase their imperceptible online advertising revenues to a noticeable pittance.
Instead we should merely heed Figes's warning. If you read a review, an opinion, a description or a fact and you don't know who wrote it then it's no more reliable than if it were sprayed on a railway bridge. We should always assume the worst so that all those who wish to convince - whether vegetarian gastronomes or lovelorn suitors - have an incentive to identify themselves.


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The used-car dealer's offer is just too tempting: a clean-looking hybrid sedan for a great price. The gas–electric hybrid system works perfectly, and the previous owner has thoughtfully provided fuel receipts that prove the egg-shaped little car is consistently capable of 40-plus-mpg fuel economy. The only problem is that the internal combustion engine has blown a head gasket, but the price asked by the dealer is tasty enough that you can easily fix that yourself and still be ahead of the curve.
Limping the wounded critter home from the dealer is undramatic, the gasket set is a reasonable price, and the flat-rate manual says the job can be done in one day. Figure four days for a DIY job—one afternoon to pull the head, a couple of days in the machine shop getting the head rebuilt and another day to reassemble—and you'll be ready to drive in gas-sippin' style while thumbing your nose at Big Oil. Sweet.
Until you open the hood to take it apart. Warning labels with lightning bolts, orange "DANGER" placards and strange-looking boxes full of electrical gadgets threaten to turn your fingers into kielbasa and your children into orphans. Maybe trying to work on your own hybrid car isn't such a good idea.
Barbecue, Anyone?
Hybrids, and the upcoming round of plug-in hybrids, have one thing in common, regardless of the specific type of hybrid power system they use: a big-ass DC battery pack—as much as 280 volts—that's capable of delivering enough current to instantly turn you into a crispy critter. Anytime you are working on one of these vehicles, whether it's on the engine or the body or anywhere near the battery pack or cables, you need to take extra precautions. The DC battery pack is only one source of high-voltage danger. There are also multiple fat cables that run from the pack to the motor controller, and more cables that carry even higher AC voltage—as high as 600 volts—from the controller to the electric traction motor.
More From Popular Mechanics
Fortunately, the AC side of the circuit is energized only when the electric motor is powered. So your first line of defense is to be sure the vehicle is truly turned off, which is not always obvious. Since one of the gas-saving features of the hybrid is the ability to cut the engine when the car isn't moving, your auto could be ready to go even if the gas engine isn't running. Imagine this scenario: You've parked your car and left the key in the ignition (or even in your pocket, if you've got a smart key) while you tinker. Now—did you remember to turn the car well and truly off? Or is it still in "ready" mode, which is the equivalent of a conventional car idling patiently away? Aside from a discreet light on the dash, there's no audible or tactile confirmation that your hybrid is completely shut off. The engine or the cooling fan could suddenly start—without warning—while you work underhood. That's an easy way to lose a finger, or worse. Make a habit of removing the key from the ignition or, if your car uses a smart key, of keeping it a safe distance away—10 feet or more—to be sure you haven't made a mistake. Similar precautions apply for pure EVs, although those vehicles are still rare at this point.
As always, the factory service manual specific to your vehicle is the definitive resource for proper repair procedures.
Unhooking the Beast Within
Internal servicing of the battery pack, the motor controller and the traction motor is still specialized enough that it's best left to qualified professionals. That doesn't mean that a careful Saturday Mechanic armed with a factory service manual (and a few hand tools) couldn't or shouldn't be able to swap out a pack or controller if necessary. To do so, the battery pack needs to be disabled before twisting any wrenches. Just as important, it's essential to disable the battery pack before doing any work, whether it's powertrain-related or not, anywhere near the pack or any high-voltage AC components or wiring.
Start at the Bottom
The first step to disabling the vehicle is to disconnect the low-voltage battery. Start by writing down the radio presets for later, because they'll evaporate within a few seconds after disconnecting the battery. Also, if your radio has a security code, be sure you have it written down, or you may be forced to visit the dealer to get it working again.
Now you can simply remove the negative clamp from the battery. Do not remove the positive clamp, which could potentially short to some nearby ground and strike a pretty good high-amperage spark. The negative clamp is already grounded, so it can't arc to anything except the positive terminal.
Let's Talk Safety
I'm going to assume that you have taken the most basic precautions and have your hybrid or EV parked indoors or at least out of the rain and that the work area and the car are reasonably dry. The battery pack is isolated electrically from the vehicle ground, so the only potential difference is between the two fat orange wires leading from the pack forward to the motor controller. So, unlike working on household wiring, there's no need to work on a dry floor or wear insulated boots. In addition, the pack has its own ground fault device.
Pulling the Plug >>>
Insulated Gloves
Working near the battery pack should be a low-risk operation if you follow procedures and wear insulated gloves. We bought ours at Grainger, but any electrical-supply house will have an assortment. You need gloves rated for 500 volts, but we generally prefer more headroom—ours are rated for 1000 volts. The thicker rubber is less prone to damage but more difficult to work in. Reserve these gloves for electrical work—any surface contamination might degrade them, and the smallest pinhole could allow a current leak.
Every time you reach for these gloves, perform this simple test: Cuff the gauntlet of the glove, roll it up a few inches and squeeze it to inflate the fingers and palm area. Any air escaping from a pinhole should relegate these gloves to dishwashing duty.
Pulling the Plug
Remove any interior or access panels over the high-voltage battery pack. Pull on your gloves (see below). Now you can unlock the clamp on the service plug and remove the plug from its socket. You've just disconnected the battery pack from itself internally, somewhere near the middle of the stack of individual cells. This means the voltage that you could measure at the pack's output connectors is zero. If it's necessary to remove the pack, you could stick your fingers into the output connectors safely (although I recommend against it). Our photo car is a Toyota Prius PHEV, which has three battery packs: one supporting the normal hybrid function of capturing energy from braking, and two providing the Prius's short-range EV operation. Consequently, there are three service plugs. Other hybrids use a simple switch on the battery pack, hidden from view, to deactivate and make the battery pack safe. Again, check your service manual.
When you're done, simply put your gloves back on and insert the service plug back into its socket. You'll need to be sure the plug is fully seated and its locking bail is thrown completely shut. There are additional contacts in the socket that tell the onboard computer the plug is installed and the lock is fully seated. Now you can reinstall any access panels or trim and reconnect the 12-volt battery's negative clamp. Key in any radio security code and the station presets.
Disabling the battery pack is the first step to working on any hybrid or EV. While the full battery voltage, anywhere from 144 to nearly 300 volts DC, is available at the output terminals, battery manufacturers have left us a simple way to deactivate the contacts and safely work on or remove the pack. The battery pack is a long series of individual cells. Somewhere near the electrical center of this string is a service switch or removable plug. Opening this connection breaks the circuit so there's no voltage across the pack's main connection. Regardless, take normal precautions when working around any electrical device with this potential.
Digging In
Owners of older hybrid cars may experience a loss of fuel economy as the battery pack ages, leaving many to wonder if anything can be done to restore performance. Usually, only a few of the pack's individual cells—the total number of cells can vary from a dozen to well over 100—are to blame. These bad cells can be victims of dendrite-growth internal shorts, caused by metal-salt crystals bridging the electrodes inside the cells. These cells can sometimes be refurbished by zapping them with a large, high-voltage capacitor, vaporizing the dendrites. The onboard charging circuitry does not have this capability, which is okay since the work is best left to the pros. More often, subassemblies of six to eight individual cells can simply be swapped out. But identifying which cells are bad requires sophisticated test equipment. So what's the DIYer to do? Your best bet might be to remove the battery pack, crate it and ship it to a company that refurbishes battery packs. Prices for a rebuilt or refurbished battery pack vary, from $400 to $1200, depending on the problem. That's still far cheaper than the $1800 to $5000 for a new one at the dealer.
Why not a junkyard pack? Experience in the field reveals that partially charged battery packs that have been sidelined for a few months have a short life span when returned to service.
The weakest cells discharge faster and can even reverse their voltage. That consideration also makes hybrids a poor choice for snowbirds or anyone else whose needs for a car are episodic, not daily.

subset: commoncrawl


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Spielman not afraid to take QB in 1st round again
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is well aware of the biggest shortcoming on his resume.
Whether it was in Miami or Minnesota, Spielman has not been able to find a franchise quarterback and that remains the Vikings' biggest need heading into this year's draft. Most recently, Spielman missed badly when he chose Christian Ponder 12th overall in 2011.
When the Vikings come on the clock at No. 8 in the first round Thursday night, Spielman said he can't afford to let past failures color his judgment if he believes a quarterback is there with the potential to be team's the long-term answer.
''You can't be afraid,'' Spielman said Tuesday. ''Regardless of position, if there's a guy there that you have strong feelings for, whether it's at 8 or 40 or 16, then you take him.''
Spielman did just that with Ponder in 2011, believing that Ponder's combination of mobility, intelligence and personality made him an ideal fit. Taking Ponder that high surprised many observers and he struggled in three seasons with turnovers, inaccuracy and injuries. Veteran Matt Cassel will enter training camp atop the depth chart, but the Vikings are still very much in the market for a young guy who can eventually take over.
''When you don't do that, you know, I don't know how you get better,'' Spielman said of trusting the work the scouting staff puts in evaluating players. ''So to me you always have to be aggressive. You have to do things that you think are going to help your football club and help you win ballgames on Sunday. You always have to have that mentality and approach.''
In a year when the draft is being held much later than usual, there appears to be more confusion and uncertainty at the top than in recent memory. There are differing opinions on the quarterback class that includes Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, Central Florida's Blake Bortles, Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater and Alabama's A.J. McCarron.
Spielman said he has run through countless scenarios that include taking a quarterback in the first round or waiting until later in the draft to address the position. If the Vikings don't go with a quarterback right away, they could address needs on the defensive line or in the secondary. Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley, Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald and Bortles are among the many names being linked to the Vikings.
''I've read the mocks,'' Spielman said with his usual self-assuredness. ''Everybody reads the mocks because we're tired of yelling at each other. At night I read the mocks, kind of get caught up on things. You guys are missing some names on our spot at 8, I can tell you that.''
There remains a strong possibility that the Vikings will trade down Thursday night. Spielman said he ''loves'' wheeling and dealing on draft day, and he has a history of making deals to accumulate extra draft picks, and then using those draft picks to move around if a player the team covets is sliding down the board.
He said he's already had multiple inquiries about potential deals, and not just in the first round. As usual, he will let things play out and see where things stand on Thursday night when the Vikings come on the clock before making a decision.
Spielman said he would not trade Ponder on draft night because the team has only two quarterbacks on the roster. Spielman also shot down rumors that the Vikings were speaking with the St. Louis Rams about trading for Sam Bradford.
''I have not had any specific talks with the Rams,'' he said.
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL


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New Mortal Kombat Aims to Be 'Golden Standard' of Online Fighters
"We are looking for someone who wants to push the boundaries of what is possible with online interaction," reads a job listing for WB Games Chicago uncovered by TRMK. That someone will be expected to help "implement cutting-edge online features to ensure the Mortal Kombat franchise is an industry leader in online functionality."
The Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe team, recently rebranded WB Games Chicago, and series co-creator Ed Boon are currently working on a new entry tentatively dubbed Mortal Kombat 9. Little is known of the new project, with Boon having promised that the game is targeting a Mature rating, has "sick" fatalites, and won't include any superheroes.


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And even more fun to win, of course!
After the 3rd snow storm in three weeks, the Chap and I felt very brave venturing onto dangerous roadways to attend the Red Carpet Fundraiser and Academy Awards show viewing at the independent cinema in downtown Concord. (We are members and supporters...I was present at its grand opening 5 years ago.)
The theme of this year's event was "Classic Hollywood" and black and white attire was encouraged. We complied--easy for the Chap, as his tux meets the specifications! I found a gown with lots of top structure (boned bodice, white rosettes) and a full skirt with crinoline beneath to add body. Because the glamourous female stars of the 30's and 40's often wore plumes in their hair, I created a matching headdress.
Part of the tradition involves walking the Red Carpet, being interviewed by a reporter for community television, and a line of "paparrazzi" snapping photos. A buffet was served in the smallest screening room, dubbed "The Stork Club" for the evening, where a jazz combo was playing. We circulated, meeting friends and making new ones. My ensemble received lots of attention and compliments, which was gratifying.
The Oscar telecast was streamed live in one of the large screening rooms. During commercial breaks the hosts led a Oscar trivia game. As usual, I scored a prize, thanks to my knowledge about Daniel Day-Lewis. (Prophetic, perhaps, as later in the evening he won the award for Best Performance for male lead!)
Adding to the fun is the chance to have a photo taken holding an real Academy Award. I didn't do it last time, but this time we did photo op--together and separately. The award belongs to Ernest Thompson, author of On Golden Pond, who won for his screenplay. Things I love about this particular statue:
1. It was awarded for writing!
2. On Golden Pond was filmed in New Hampshire's Lakes Region (mostly on Squam Lake) and some of the boating scenes were shot on our Big Lake!
3. Our cottage looks almost exactly like the one in the film, except that one has two levels of living space and ours has only one (our lower level is a wood shop and crawl space.)
We didn't stay for the entire broadcast, as the Chap was starting his new job (!!) today. The DVR was running at the Lodge, but of course I followed the action via Facebook and Twitter on my cellphone during the homeward drive.
In contrast to the elegant evening, we had spent much of the day clearing snow--shovelling and raking and so on--and worrying that we'd lose electricity. We had about 14 inches total, which is twice what the weatherman predicted for our area. The clouds rolled in Friday night and it was still snowing on our white-knuckle drive home from the Oscar party, late Sunday.
This is the scene on our decks this morning. It was back to shovelling for me, because--did I mention the Chap has a new job?
Accumulated snow on the decks.
In the "honour to be nominated" section of this post...the cover art for The Love Spoon has been so designated for February releases. You can read about it here.
I'm thrilled that the novella is doing well. It cracked the Top 100 bestseller list for Amazon Kindle in Short Stories (not just romance, but all short stories) as well as romance. Thanks to everyone who purchased it! And thanks to my very talented cover artist!
I'm guest-blogging later this week and will return with a link when the post goes live.


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What is it, to be a man? This is the question, indeed, many of us ask ourselves. In this, our post-macho, post-feminist, post-metrosexual era, what then becomes the measure of a man? What is it that defines his life, gives him meaning, makes him a man? Indeed such a question is difficult to answer, at times perhaps even seemingly impossible. And so we enter an era of confusion, of aimlessness, until at last something emerges from the chaos to point the way, to illuminate us, to help us along on our journey and, at long last, make the answer as clear as the crystal blue waters of Cozumel. What is it, to be a man? Let Franco Nero tell you. No, no — let Franco Nero show you.
The first fifteen minutes of Enzo G. Castellari's Shark Hunter play as follows. We meet the titular shark hunter, Franco Nero, looking like he just stumbled out of the jungle and fell into a puddle of crazed hippie biker, while perched on a rock overlooking the ocean. Suddenly a shark catches his eye, causing him to leap up, run down the beach while accompanied by the sounds of Guido and Maurizio DeAngelis prog rock, and struggle to haul the thrashing beast to shore. He then retires to his open air beach bungalow to make love to his beautiful Mexican senorita, then goes to a bar where he beats the crap out of half a dozen thugs. Happy that Franco has whooped ass on the goon squad, a local takes him out for a bit of parasailing. I know, I know. You're thinking to yourself that while hauling in a fishing line hooked to a man-eating shark is tough, and making love on the beach to a sexy gal is tough, and beating up half a dozen hired bruisers is tough, there's not much that's tough about parasailing. That's what sunburned fat Americans do when they visit resorts, right? What's so tough about that? Well, nothing. But while Franco does admittedly get a kick out of the parasailing, what makes this tough parasailing is that, while in mid-air, he spies a shark in the water below, let's out a primal whoop of excitement, cuts himself loose from the parachute harness, plunges into the water, and immediately starts punching the shark in the face.
Although everything about the movie, from the title to Franco Nero's seemingly unquenchable thirst for punching sharks in the face, would lead you to believe that this is going to be another in the brief but highly enjoyable line of Italian Jaws rip-offs along the lines of director Castellari's own L'Ultimo Squalo, a film that so closely aped (or sharked) Jaws and Jaws 2 that an injunction was issued against it, spoiling big plans to unleash it in American movie theaters and, in fact, even going to far as to ensure that it would never see the light of day even on home video. However, after the insane opening and Franco Nero's lesson on how to be a real man, Shark Hunter settles down into being a rip-off not of Jaws, but of another American film, 1977's The Deep starring Nick Nolte and Jaqueline "Miss Goodthighs" Bisset as scuba divers who stumble across a fortune in sunken drugs. That film was remade in 2005 as Into the Blue, starring Paul Walker and Jessica Alba. That movie was completely idiotic, but I enjoyed it if for no other reason than it had cool scuba scenes and lots of shots of Paul Walker and Jessica Alba being scantily clad. Plus, it's not like doing a dumb remake of a movie that was pretty dumb to begin with was any great crime against cinematic art. Of course, I also like The Deep, and it used to scare the crap out of me as a kid.
You see, I come from a long line of scuba divers, and by "long line" I mean my dad and, later, my sister. But I grew up around diving and diving equipment, and as a kid I used to get into my old man's trunk full of equipment and get gussies up in the way-too-large for me wetsuit and flippers, mask, and dive knife, which I referred to more dramatically as the shark knife. I'd then stomp around the basement, playing Thunderball and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and trying to throw the knife into the bare 2x4s of the unfinished walls. When I got to watch The Deep on our brand new Betamax video machine, it enthralled and terrified me. I loved all the scuba stuff, and even at a young age I know there was something special about Jaqueline Bisset in a bikini. But the one thing anyone remembers about that movie is the moray eels. My dad used to tell me outrageous tales about moray eels, and how the way their teeth curved in meant that once they bit you, it was impossible to remove them. You just had to pull out your knife and amputate your arm. The Deep certainly backed those stories up, and for years, the sight of sharks and barracuda did little to phase me, but I was always wary of eels. Even after I learned that moray eels are basically docile so long as you don't go shoving your arm into their hidey holes, I still get antsy when I turn around underwater and see one of them floating there, staring at me inquisitively with that horrible, evil grin they all have.
Shark Hunter, however, is better than either The Deep or Into the Blue, and Franco Nero looks less like Nick Nolte in The Deep and more like Nick Nolte in his more recent mug shot. But the gist of Shark Hunter is that Nero's character, Mike di Donato, gets pressured by a local gangster into helping salvage a downed plane full of loot. Franco and his parasailing buddy try to figure out a way to get the gangsters off their back and outsmart them. Despite the expectation generated from a title like Shark Hunter, there isn't much shark action in this film other than the beginning and the very end. Most of the action revolves around Franco Nero in his ratty shirt and bell-bottom dungarees getting into fights on the beach, only to have his beloved Juanita (Patricia Rivera) threatened by the gangsters. And there's a lot of scuba diving, sometimes with sharks present, which is a touchy subject for a lot of people.
Scuba scenes usually get a bum rap in movies for being somewhat slow moving and boring. They do happen underwater, after all. I actually think a lot of scuba diving scenes are kind of keen, owing to my enjoyment of scuba diving, and depending on how they are filmed. Thunderball, for example, has pretty thrilling scuba scenes. All those Jacques Cousteau documentaries have cool scuba scenes. The Incredible Petrified World does not succeed as well with its many scuba scenes of guys sort of doing nothing for like ten minutes at a time. Anyway, point is that scuba scenes don't have to boring, even if they frequently are. Shark Hunter has pretty good scuba scenes, though one wonders why Nero spends so much time diving in his blue jeans when he later reveals he owns perfectly good shorts and a wetsuit. I don't know if you've ever tried to swim in blue jeans, but it's not pleasant. The scuba scenes are also aided by the fact that Castellari was fond of slow motion action scenes anyway, so you hardly even notice the diving is slow. At least he didn't film them in slow motion.
Castellari and Nero worked together several times before most notably on the superb 1971 poliziotteschi thriller High Crime. Among the many, many directors who made a living in the murky waters of Italian exploitation films, Castellari was one of the best when he was on his game. Like Umberto Lenzi and Antonio Margheriti, Castellari managed to direct some really great action films. He also managed to direct some really awful ones. Castellari, however, directed fewer truly awful films than did Lenzi and Margheriti, possibly because Castellari managed to avoid having to make crappy cannibal movies. Where as other directors skipped from one genre to the next based on whatever trend was at the forefront of exploitation cinema that week, Castellari stayed pretty well grounded in action films. He avoided horror almost entirely. Even when he ventured into the realm of other genres — most notably a few post-apocalypse Road Warrior rip-offs in the 1980s — he treated them more or less like action films. The one time he worked almost completely outside the realm of what he was familiar with was 1989's Sinbad of the Seven Seas, and we can see how that worked out for him. By the 1980s, there was no doubt Castellari knew his stuff, even if he wasn't exactly what you might call a visionary artist. He did have his style though, and he seems interested in Shark Hunter, which he keeps moving along nicely and crammed full of action both above and below the ocean surface.
If there's anything to criticize in Castellari's direction, it's the choice to use footage of real sharks being caught and killed. This only happens once or twice, and I suppose scenes of shark fishing are more defensible than other scenes of real animal cruelty that pop up in Italian exploitation films, but it's something to warn people about. I understand why they used real footage, though I don't necessarily agree with the decision. But then, I used togo fishing, and lord knows we used to take pictures of ourselves with our fish, so I guess that's why I can't see to getting too worked up about the scenes of a hooked shark in this movie, as opposed to the far more frequent and far more abusive animal killing that goes on in those cannibal films.
Franco Nero is in good form here, looking completely deranged and badly in need of a shower. You'd think a dude who constantly went swimming and shark punching in the clear waters of Cozumel, Mexico, wouldn't have so much soot and crap smeared all over his face, but then you'd also expect that a guy with a girlfriend that pretty would have at least two pairs of clothes. But the only thing he has is his outfit, and then the same outfit with a hat and sunglasses. Nero throws himself headlong into the role though, lending it gravity and a great intensity, and the look is pretty spectacular. Nero made a career out of playing bad-asses, and while he's not as bad-ass here as he was in some of his old cop films, he still punches sharks in the face and jumps out of parachutes to wrestle them. Eventually, the movie gets around to explaining why sharks piss him off so much, but it's pretty uneventful and predictable. He goes on to have family members killed in a traffic accident, but he doesn't run around Mexico punching cars and trying to drag them back to his bungalow. And given how much the guy hates sharks, and how he seems to spend all day sitting around just waiting for a change to sock one in the jaw, you have to wonder they come to his aid all Aquaman-style during the underwater finale. I guess they respect his predatory, killer instinct and knotty tangle of blond locks.
Helping the movie be that much cooler is the music by Italian exploitation film staples Guido and Maurizio DeAngelis. Blending rock, prog, and film orchestration, G&M, who also worked under collective name Oliver Onions for some reason, turn in a great score that perfectly matches the action and fires up the blood. Pairing all that with nice location work in Cozumel — my dad's favorite dive spot, incidentally — makes for an all-around thrilling action film that is far different than the Jaws inspired title would otherwise lead you to believe.


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Mike Vecchione
Born in Youngstown, Ohio and raised Italian American and Catholic. My father was involved in a family business and my mother was/is an elementary school teacher. As a family, we moved back and forth between northeast Ohio and South Florida throughout my childhood. Started playing contact football at age 9 in Florida and wrestling at age 13 in Ohio. My senior year of high school I placed second in the Florida AAA State Tournament and went on to college at Pennsylvania State University where I wrestled in 1991-1992 and tutored student athletes. Moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1995 with my bachelors degree in criminal justice. Began work counseling adjudicated teens and children with mental health issues. Started teaching special education in the Philadelphia School District in 1998. Received my masters in Special Education in 2001 from Cabrini College and continued to teach in both public school and residential school settings. Started stand up comedy in 2000 and moved to New York City in 2003. Was the 1983 and 1984 Spelling Bee runner up at Pine Grove Elementary School. I failed to advance to the national bee in Washington D.C. because of the complexity of the word roothless, which I still spell with two o's.


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Lindsay Lohan -- Extremely Late, Very Irate
Lindsay Lohan is declaring war on a reality TV show -- claiming she's being unfairly portrayed as an irresponsible slacker who almost sabotaged a photo shoot for her own line of leggings ... problem is, it's all true.
It's all over tonight's episode of the Bravo reality show "Double Exposure" -- which is centered around Lindsay being several hours late to a NY photo shoot that went down back in September. The episode is titled, "Is Lindsay Here Yet?"
Lindsay -- obviously pissed about the way the episode is being promoted -- went to her Twitter page a few hours ago and claimed everything on the show is, "UNTRUE" -- adding, "Sucks when 'friends' use you(in this case for ratings) even if they're lyin."
But sources close to the production tell us Lindsay really was 11 hours late for the shoot -- which was scheduled for 10 AM. We're told Lindsay's excuse was that "she woke up late."
However -- when Lindsay did eventually show up, one source tells us, "she was fantastic to work with ... it's the 'getting there' that's another story."


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By JOSH FUNK
OMAHA, Neb. — Donald DeVault wonders what kind of memories his Triumph motorcycle helped make in the 46 years since it was stolen, and he's looking forward to making more of his own when it's returned.
The 73-year-old Omaha man learned last week that California authorities had recovered his 1953 Triumph Tiger 100 at the Port of Los Angeles. The bike was about to be shipped to Japan when U.S. Customs & Border Protection agents who checked the vehicle identification number discovered the motorcycle had been reported stolen in February 1967.
DeVault said he's eager to get the bike back, but he thinks investigators may be even more excited than him about the motorcycle's recovery. DeVault had had the bike for only a year or two when it was taken from his fenced backyard.
"I really want to protect it this time," DeVault said. "I'm sure there's people out there that would want to take it away."
The bike was valued at $300 when in 1967. The shipping documents listed its value today at $9,000.
DeVault already has a Harley-Davidson and a Kawasaki motorcycle in his garage, so he plans to reserve the Triumph for special rides.
DeVault said he's talked about the motorcycle over the years whenever he was around bikers. It had a couple features unusual for Triumphs made in the early 1950s, such as its hardtail frame.
DeVault recalls Marlon Brando riding a similar Triumph bike in the movie "The Wild One," and after that it seemed like everyone wanted to ride a motorcycle.
But DeVault said he was already riding motorcycles by the time the movie came out, and continued riding for much of his life.
What sold him on the Triumph was the blue color and the name "Li'l Blue Bitch" airbrushed on the side of the gas tank.
A friend with a trucking company is helping DeVault arrange to ship the motorcycle home from California.
Once he gets it back in a couple weeks, DeVault plans to have someone restore the bike's name and paint "46 Years Later" on the gas tank.


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Between 0800 and 0900 this morning, sunshine poured down onto the KVK, and deepened all the colors. Sand Master (more of these fotos tomorrow) was positively radiant while waiting–it seemed– for something to happen before it can get into the fuel dock.
Then I saw the "something" as Mount Hope began to inch stern first into the stream. Laura K. Moran surged from port
to starboard to assist in the rotation, her power and precision captivating me. But then, way atop the superstructure, movement
caught my attention, a bit of ceremony I've never noticed before. A crewman made the flag fast to the halyard and
ran it up, as if to say . . . we
are now open for business. Here is some of the traffic: Mount Hope outbound passes APL Japan inbound.
OOCL Nagoya seemed to try to get up on plane, and
in doing so . . . tailed by Barbara McAllister, deftly carved an arc between the bank and an incoming Affinity on the hip of Marion Moran.
I then went to my appointment on the land side of Richmond Terrace, noticing from indoors two Ital container vessels (Moderna and another) passed. Before noon, as I headed back home, I noticed that Oyster Creek with the bunker barge was refueling Shorthorn Express north of the VZ Bridge as
(this foto thanks to John Watson) Queen Elizabeth headed into port. Draw what conclusion you will from the juxtaposition of these last two vessels.
Thanks to John for the foto. All others by Will Van Dorp, who imagines that without that flag-raising, none of this traffic would have happened.
By noon, bright sunshine had turned to overcast gray and then drizzle. No snow, though.


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Natural Born Killa Custom Lowrider Bike
Now a 23-year old native of Miami, Florida, Dany recalls the stages of his project. "I wasn't sure how to start the bicycle, it went from green to red, and now magenta," he says. The entire process became very time consuming, frustrating a young Dany. The bicycle was shipped to Bugs Auto Art and Karate Studio in Chandler, Arizona, who laid a Kandy Magenta and Kandy Purple mixture throughout the bicycle frame. The intricate skull murals were airbrushed in between the flowing pinstripe and graphics by master airbrush artist Rick Westcott.
Masterpieces take time to come into their own; witness the evolution of "Natural Born Killa" which began back in 1994. As his brothers were enjoying the Lowrider lifestyle, Dany Morales was an 8-year old onlooker, wishing he had a Lowrider to call his own. When his older brother decided to give him a Lowrider bicycle that he no longer had the passion to put together, Dany began his Lowrider career, resulting in what is now known as "Natural Born Killa."
Instead of doing the standard hydraulic setup that many people have done, Dany decided to minimize his use of wires and keep his bicycle as a reasonable weight, sacrificing the pump and batteries. He removed a CO2 tank off a paintball gun and used hard lines to run an air suspension kit to the front, adding a 4-inch cylinder and a hidden compressor in the rear of the bike. Bone Collector in New York also lent a helping hand in the setup, before the bike was ultimately sent back to Fat Bugs for the color matching. Eddy Picado of Eddy's Hand Engraving was given the task of engraving the skulls and patterns throughout the frame.
Dany purchased chrome and gold 20-inch wheels from Toyshop Customs, and added the bicycle name on the vogues for an extra touch of style. Henry's Custom Upholstery in Los Angeles, California was enlisted to build an apple seat, which lifts up and displays a cut- engraved mirror for show purposes. The head lamps were also engraved with skulls to keep in line with the bike's theme. Neon tubing was shaped and installed by Mr. Neon in Hialeah, Florida, to give "Natural Born Killa" that menacing glow.
The process might have taken Dany fifteen years to complete, but perfection truly comes with time and patience. As an Electrician at a major Florida power company, he knows first-hand that you can't rush anything if you want it done correctly. Dany followed his older brother's footsteps by joining Rest In Peace Car Club in Miami, Florida. Dany tells us, " I couldn't have completed this without the help from my brothers Nick and Frank, Eddy the engraver, my mom and dad, my girlfriend Myra, and everybody from the club." He adds, "you haven't seen the last of Natural Born Killa!"
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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
The mission of the Economic Development Department is to promote economic development and business recruitment and retention in the Village of Villa Park. Economic Development provides assistance to new and existing businesses that chose to invest in the community.
The department oversees the management of all Tax Increment Financing districts (TIFs) and actively recruits new diverse and sustainable businesses to the Village. Through various marketing initiatives, social media and membership of various organizations, the department holds street corridor meetings with business owners, coordinates broker/developer meetings and represents the Village at regional events
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Code of Practice
Moon Mothers® are women who have completed a Moon Mother® practitioner workshop as taught by Miranda Gray, or by one of her certificated and authorised Teachers, and have received the qualification certificate.
1. Moon Mothers® shall have respect for the religious, spiritual, and social views of any individual irrespective of race, colour, creed, gender or sexual orientation.
2. Moon Mothers® shall always conduct themselves in an honourable and polite manner in their relations with their clients, the public and with other Moon Mothers®. Proper moral conduct must always be paramount in all Moon Mother® relations with others.
3. The relationship between a Moon Mother® and her client is that of a professional with a client.
4. A Moon Mother®'s attitude with a client must be competent and sympathetic, hopeful and positive, thus encouraging an uplift in the client's mental outlook.
5. Moon Mothers® must respect the confidentiality of anything their client shares with them and adhere to the data protection laws of their country.
6. Moon Mothers® must never claim to 'cure', diagnose or prescribe. The possible benefits of the Womb Blessing® Attunement and Womb Healing exercises and any other authorised Moon Mother® activities may be described. Moon Mothers® must always advise the client to see a professional medical practitioner if a medical diagnosis is required.
7. Moon Mothers® should ensure that they themselves are medically, physically and psychologically fit to practise.
8. Moon Mothers® with qualifications in other energy care practices may offer them before or after giving Womb Blessing® Attunements and Womb Healings but they may not include them as part of a Womb Blessing® Attunement or a Womb Healing.
9. Moon Mothers® must keep confidential any client notes.
10. Moon Mothers® must have appropriate and adequate insurance to practise in accordance with the laws of their country.
11. Moon Mothers® must not contradict instructions or prescriptions given by a professional medical practitioner.
12. Moon Mothers® must not give Womb Blessing® Attunements to girls who have not experienced their first menstruation or to women who are beyond halfway through their pregnancy. Moon Mothers® with Doula or midwifery or medical qualifications may give Womb Blessing® Attunements to a client throughout the pregnancy and immediately after childbirth. Young girls over seven years old may receive the Womb Healing.
13. Advertising which refers to the status of 'Moon Mother®' and to 'Womb Blessing® Attunement', 'Womb Healing' and related activities, must be dignified in tone and shall not claim to cure any disease etc.
14. Before a Womb Healing or a Womb Blessing® Attunement, Moon Mothers® must explain what will happen. Afterwards they must supply the client with the documentation provided by Miranda Gray.
15. Mothers® may charge an appropriate fee for both Womb Blessing® Attunements and Womb Healings, either as separate therapies or in association with another therapy.
16. Moon Mothers® have the right to refuse a client a Womb Healing or a Womb Blessing® Attunement.
17. Moon Mothers® may offer the Womb Blessing® Attunement as a healing therapy or as personal development, spiritual practice, spiritual support or celebration.
18. Moon Mothers® are not entitled to create or teach other Moon Mothers® without the required Level 1 Moon Mother® Teacher Training provided by Miranda Gray.
19. Moon Mothers® will meet all the legal requirements for practising Womb Blessing® Attunements and Womb Healings in their country.
20. Moon Mothers® are expected to manage their personal issues with other Moon Mothers® with respect, tolerance and politeness, and to resolve differences in private without involving other Moon Mothers® or the public in the dispute. Moon Mothers® must take positive and timely action to create a solution and harmony.
21. Moon Mothers® will always present the Womb Blessing® and the Womb Blessing® System to the public, to their clients and to the Moon Mother® community in a positive manner. They will be quick to amend any information that they are informed is inaccurate or misrepresentational and to make the public aware of these amendments.
22. Moon Mothers® will not take any action that will harm in any way the local, national or international identity and status of the Womb Blessing®, the Womb Blessing® System and Moon Mothers®, or harm the Womb Blessing® System's organisation, volunteers or Moon Mothers®.
23. General complaints are managed by the Moon Weaver Circle.
24. Moon Mothers® who do not adhere to this Code of Practice, or to the Practitioner Authorisations and Womb Blessing® Vision may be subjected to a Formal Complaint. A copy of the Formal Complaint form is available on request. The Moon Mother® who is the subject of the complaint will be sent a copy of the Formal Complaint and given the opportunity to defend the complaint. If the Formal Complaint is upheld by Miranda, the Moon Mother® will receive a warning. If a second complaint is upheld by Miranda the Moon Mother® involved will lose all authorisation and copyright permission to practise as a Moon Mother®, to be called a Moon Mother® and offer Womb Blessings®, and will no longer have permission to access or use any of the material associated with being a Moon Mother®. Miranda's decision in these cases is final.
January 2020


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- In early Spring of 2008 the economic crises hit our household when my husband was laid off from his job. His employer was sad to have to let him go, but had no choice "due to the economic turn-down". Mr. MoSop was provided with a small severance package, and a glowing reference letter, which were greatly appreciated. Although this was not a pleasant situation, we had weathered similar storms before and we were positive that new employment would be found quickly.The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. As time passed, our financial circumstances grew more and more worrisome, and the outlook seemed more and more uncertain. We entered a brand new calendar year with still no employment on the horizon, and things felt bleak. We now have an empty savings account, our credit cards are maxed out, and our mortgage and other bills still must be paid somehow anyway. It feels like we are trapped in an endless, dark abyss – with no emergency exit.Deep in my soul, I know there is hope. I have always felt that things will work out. Things have always worked out before, so it holds to reason that they will work out this time, too. But it would be nice for them to work out soon! I'd like to say I've been a pillar of strength through all of this, but unfortunately, I've been struggling with fear and discouragement. Obviously, the Lord's view of the situation is different than mine. He has a higher perspective I'm not allowed to see right now.
Today, I started thinking about all the tender mercies which we have received due to this unemployment. Here are just a few from the list: We have never gone hungry. Until this month, we have been able to scrape together enough to pay our bills. I received a bus pass and was able to ride to work free, saving hundreds of dollars. None of our family members have gotten ill since the layoff! (Ironically, our only out-of-pocket medical expense turned out to be for the dog). Inspite of it all, we've kept our marriage strong, and celebrated 19 years. Due to all of our networking calls and emails, we have been able to reconnect with many dear friends we have "meant to call" for years, but never did, until now. This has resulted in many wonderful and joyful conversations. Since Mr. MoSop is job-hunting full-time from home, he has taken advantage of walking the dog each day which has resulted in some healthy weight loss (for him, and the dog). He has also been keeping the house clean, doing the laundry, and making dinner each day! (Mrs. MoSop would actually like to see that part continue!). We've been able to spend more time together as a family. In short, there have been many tender mercies, and great blessings included in our "Adventure" package.
Today, I read a talk by our dear past President Gordon B. Hinckley which has helped give me encouragement, and proper perspective:
"Long ago I worked for one of our railroads whose tracks threaded the passes through these western mountains. I frequently rode the trains. It was in the days when there were steam locomotives. Those great monsters of the rails were huge and fast and dangerous. I often wondered how the engineer dared the long journey through the night. Then I came to realize that it was not one long journey, but rather a constant continuation of a short journey. The engine had a powerful headlight that made bright the way for a distance of 400 or 500 yards. The engineer saw only that distance, and that was enough, because it was constantly before him all through the night into the dawn of the new day. The Lord has spoken of this process. He said:
"That which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (D&C 50:23–24).
"And so it is with our eternal journey. We take one step at a time. In doing so we reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the way. If we will cultivate that faith, we shall never walk in darkness."
"…My call to you this morning is a call to faith, that faith which is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1), as Paul described it.
Mr. MoSop and I have been chugging along our dark little stretch on our "railroad track of life", reaching out into the unknown, and doing our best to hold onto faith. I want to express appreciation. I thank you for the many kind words, messages, and prayers which have been offered on our behalf. I thank you for reading my posts, even when I have gotten a little cranky and less-than-thankful. These things have been great additional tender mercies during our experience. We have never been alone. We know that there are people who care for us, and we know that God loves us. We know there is a reason for all things, and that some day we may know the reason for this interesting trial. We also know that faith casts away fear:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" – Psalms 27:1
The Lord truly is our Light in the darkness! – MoSop
Author Post-Script:
Life never ceases to amaze. As this post was being published, Mr. MoSop sent a text message. He has just been extended a job offer! The offer has come from a company he interviewed with several weeks ago. It was a position he had high hopes for at the time, but then nothing happened. We assumed they chose another candidate. Apparently, the position had not been filled after all!
Praise the Lord for His goodness, mercy and Light!
(and His sense of humor)


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Baseball meetings roundup: Napoli to Red Sox; Loney to Rays; A-Rod out
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Boston Red Sox began to play catch-up by getting All-Star catcher Mike Napoli, Tampa Bay took a chance on James Loney and the New York Yankees prepared for more time minus Alex Rodriguez during a brisk Monday at baseball's winter meetings.
Soon after the Hall of Fame welcomed three new members from long ago, teams got busy. The World Series champion San Francisco Giants kept center fielder Angel Pagan while the Texas Rangers brought back catcher Geovany Soto and neared a deal with injured closer Joakim Soria.
Top free agent Josh Hamilton remained in play after hitting 43 home runs with 128 RBIs for the Rangers last season.
"I saw Josh on the flight here Sunday by accident. Coincidence, I guess, is a better word than accident," Texas general manager Jon Daniels said. "Chatted with him a little bit in the airport. I know he's here probably to meet with some other teams."
Quite a contrast to last year's session, when the Miami Marlins often appeared to be the only player with their high-priced splashes. This time, inside the vast Opryland Hotel complex that houses a studio for famed country music station WSM, several teams had a grand ole time.
Coming off a last-place finish, Boston tried to resolve its catching situation. Napoli got a $39 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
"Awesome addition to our team!" Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester tweeted.
The Red Sox are aiming at another prize, too, exploring trade possibilities to pry Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey from the New York Mets. Boston GM Ben Cherington didn't mention the knuckleballer by name, simply saying the price for pitching was "definitely pretty steep for the better guys."
Mets manager Terry Collins, meanwhile, left the trade talk to others.
"Anybody, anything can happen any time. I've been in the game long enough to understand that," he said. "I don't think as managers we can sit here and get caught up on one move or another move and say, well, this is - we can't worry about that. We've got to worry about what we have and how we're going to get better."
"When we go to spring training, I'm going to look at the names on those lockers, and I'm going to figure out what we've got to do to be successful with the names on the lockers, depending on who they are," he said.
The Yankees know Rodriguez won't be in the lineup on opening day. The 37-year-old third baseman, looking nothing like the slugger who ranks fifth on the career list with 647 homers, will have surgery on his left hip and could be out until the All-Star break.
"It's a significant blow," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. "But we've dealt with significant blows and, hopefully, we'll be able to deal with this one, as well."
Rodriguez is a 14-time All-Star and baseball's highest-paid player at $275 million. This will be his sixth stint on the disabled list in six seasons, including a trip in 2009 after surgery on his right hip.
Loney found a new home in Tampa Bay. The 28-year-old first baseman hit a combined .249 with six homers and 41 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston.
Soria was close to a deal with Texas after missing the entire season because of his second Tommy John surgery. Kansas City declined its option on the two-time All-Star for next year.
The first announcement at the meetings podium came from the Hall of Fame, which said its pre-integration panel had elected former Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, longtime umpire Hank O'Day and barehanded catcher Deacon White. They were honored for their achievements before the first half of the 20th century, and increased Cooperstown's membership to 300.
Ruppert brought Babe Ruth to New York, built Yankee Stadium and transformed the pinstripers into baseball's most dominant power. He did so much, many people just figured he was already enshrined.
"The family is so thrilled," great-grand-nephew K. Jacob Ruppert told The Associated Press by phone. "His mark is now indelible."
"Growing up, I was under the impression that he was inducted sometime in the 1940s or 1950s. But I guess it never happened. Some things in history aren't appreciated. If it's not in the here and now, it's off the radar screen."
Expanded replay, however, is still important to Major League Baseball.
Commissioner Bud Selig has said he wants to add video reviews for trapped balls and fair-or-foul calls next season. MLB executive Joe Torre said "we're looking at it" but offered no guarantee that the technology would be in place by then.


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Shelby County v. Holder: Don't forget the Elections Clause
on Feb 13, 2013 at 11:43 am
The following contribution to our Shelby County v. Holder symposium comes from Daniel P. Tokaji, the Robert M. Duncan/Jones Day Designated Professor of Law at Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and Senior Fellow at Election Law @ Moritz.
The debate over the constitutionality of Voting Rights Act preclearance has focused almost entirely on whether it lies within Congress's power to enforce the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution. That's understandable, especially since the Supreme Court's cert. grant in Shelby County v. Holder is limited to Congress's authority under these provisions.
There is, however, another provision of the Constitution that authorizes many – though not all – applications of the VRA's preclearance requirements. Under the Elections Clause of the Constitution, Congress has broad authority to regulate congressional elections. Given that Shelby County has brought a facial challenge to Sections 4(b) and 5 of the VRA, the existence of an alternative basis for upholding some applications of the statute shouldn't be overlooked. The Elections Clause is sufficient to prevent facial invalidation of the statute, regardless of how the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment issues are resolved.
Some background on the Elections Clause may be helpful in understanding its relevance to the constitutional issue in Shelby County. The text of Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 of the Constitution provides:
The times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations, except as to the places of choosing Senators.
The Elections Clause has long been understood to give Congress broad power over the regulation of congressional elections. As set forth in this amicus brief from seven election law scholars, including me, the Framers wanted to make sure that state and local officials couldn't undermine federal elections.
The Supreme Court has consistently interpreted the Elections Clause to give Congress comprehensive authority in this area. In Smiley v. Holm (1932), the Court wrote of the Elections Clause:
It cannot be doubted that these comprehensive words embrace authority to provide a complete code for congressional elections, not only as to times and places, but in relation to notices, registration, supervision of voting, protection of voters, prevention of fraud and corrupt practices, counting of votes, duties of inspectors and canvassers, and making and publication of election returns — in short, to enact the numerous requirements as to procedure and safeguards which experience shows are necessary in order to enforce the fundamental right involved. And these requirements would be nugatory if they did not have appropriate sanctions in the definition of offenses and punishments.
While Congress has the authority to issue a comprehensive code for congressional elections under the Elections Clause, it may also enact more limited regulations. For example, in Ex Parte Siebold (1879), the Court upheld a federal statute enacted a few years after the Civil War, entitled "An Act to enforce the right of citizens of the United States to vote in the several States of this Union," under which petitioners were convicted of ballot-box stuffing. The Court characterized the power to regulate congressional elections as "constitutionally paramount," saying that Congress "has a general supervisory power over the whole subject." It specifically rejected the argument that Congress must completely displace state election laws in order to exercise its Elections Clause power.
The Elections Clause thus gives Congress the power to make both sweeping and limited regulations governing federal elections. For example, the Court has held that the Elections Clause authorizes federal laws prohibiting voter intimidation (1884) and preempting state primary rules (1997). As Justice Scalia noted in his plurality opinion in Vieth v. Jubelirer (2004), the Elections Clause also empowers Congress to make rules regarding congressional districting. Federal appellate courts have upheld (here, here, and here) the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) as a permissible exercise of Congress's authority under the Elections Clause.
Congress was cognizant of its authority under the Elections Clause when it first enacted the VRA in 1965 and when it reauthorized the statute in 2006. Justice Black's lead opinion in Oregon v. Mitchell (1970), upholding certain provisions of the 1970 amendments to the VRA, relied on the Elections Clause.
It's true that Congress was mostly focused on the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment as authority for the most recent reauthorization. But for constitutional purposes, it's irrelevant whether Congress explicitly claimed the Elections Clause as a source of authority. As the Court has long held, and recently restated in upholding the Affordable Care Act, the "question of constitutionality of action taken by Congress does not depend on recitals of the power which it undertakes to exercise."
Many important applications of the VRA's preclearance requirements fall squarely within Congress's Elections Clause power. Those include the application of Section 5 to congressional redistricting plans, as well as the rules regarding voter registration, early voting, and voter identification applied in federal elections. It's conceivable that the Court could impose new limits on Congress's Elections Clause powers in Arizona v. Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, a case involving the NVRA that's currently pending before it. But it's unlikely that this case will so drastically alter its jurisprudence as to eliminate the Elections Clause as authority for all applications of VRA preclearance.
To be sure, there are some applications of Section 5 – to state and local redistricting plans, for example – that can't be justified under the Elections Clause. But remember, Shelby County has brought a facial challenge to the VRA's preclearance requirements. Such challenges are "disfavored" because they run contrary to established principles of judicial restraint. A facial challenge should be rejected where there are some circumstances in which a statute may constitutionally be applied. Like other local electoral jurisdictions, Shelby County administers federal elections as well as state and local elections. The Elections Clause is therefore a sufficient basis upon which to reject Shelby County's facial challenge – without considering the scope of Congress's power under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
One might object that Congress's authority under the Elections Clause doesn't empower Congress to treat some jurisdictions differently from others. Shelby County's challenge focuses on the coverage formula in Section 4(b), which requires certain state and local jurisdictions to obtain preclearance under Section 5 based on registration and turnout data going back as far as 1964. The county argues that this formula accords "unequal treatment" to covered jurisdictions.
The problem with this argument is that the Supreme Court has never suggested that Congress's Elections Clause power is subject to any such uniformity requirement. To the contrary, courts have upheld federal statutes which bind some state and local jurisdictions but not others, based on criteria set forth in the statute. One provision of federal law unsuccessfully challenged in Siebold, for example, authorized the appointment of election supervisors by federal circuit courts in "any city or town having upwards of twenty thousand inhabitants." And the NVRA was upheld by federal appellate courts, even though it exempts some states (specifically, those which had election day registration in 1994) from its requirements. In other words, the Elections Clause allows some jurisdictions to be treated differently from others based on statutorily defined criteria.
It's interesting that the United States hasn't relied on the Elections Clause in its defense of Sections 4(b) and 5. I don't know why, but suspect that it's for strategic reasons. To suggest an alternative basis for upholding some (but not all) applications of the statute might invite the Court to split the baby.
This strategy would make sense if one thought there were a high likelihood of the preclearance requirements being upheld in their entirety under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment. But the oral argument and subsequent opinion in NAMUDNO v. Holder (2009) provide reason to worry that a majority of Justices won't be persuaded. To be clear, I'm not saying that's a foregone conclusion, but it's hard to see how making the Elections Clause argument appreciably increases the risk of that result.
It's true that a ruling based only on the Elections Clause would leave open the possibility of VRA preclearance being challenged piecemeal in the future. For example, a covered jurisdiction might challenge the statute's application to state or local redistricting plans. At that point, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment questions would have to be addressed. It's possible that the Court would ultimately conclude that some applications of the statute exceed Congress's authority as to some state or local jurisdictions. But again, the Court shouldn't declare VRA preclearance facially unconstitutional, if it concludes that the Elections Clause authorizes some applications of the statute. For supporters of preclearance, that would be a much better outcome than having Sections 4(b) and 5 struck down on their face.
In this case, at least, half a baby is better than no baby.


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World Bulletin / News Desk
Senior Syrian opposition figures are questioning whether they should attend peace talks next month following U.S. warnings that the swift departure of President Bashar al-Assad from power cannot be guaranteed, opposition sources said on Friday.
Speaking after meeting U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford in Istanbul this week, they said he had told them not to expect quick results from the talks, due to start in Switzerland on Jan. 22, and that it was not up to Washington to remove Assad.
The planned talks are the most serious international effort yet to find a political solution to an almost three-year-long conflict which has killed more than 100,000 people, made many millions homeless, and become a proxy war between the powers.
Assad, bolstered by Iran and its regional allies, has recovered some of the ground he lost to Sunni Muslim rebels and his officials have ruled out surrendering any power at the Geneva 2 talks, defying opposition demands that Assad must go.
Leaders of the main political opposition in exile, the National Coalition, said they are ready to attend the talks. But they insist that the process must lead to Assad's departure, and have yet to formally agree on participation.
While reiterating the U.S. mantra that Assad has no future in Syria, Ford warned the opposition that unless rebel brigades overcome a split between Western-backed moderate forces and Islamists who oppose the Genevatalks, Assad looked set to stay.
He also said the Geneva process was likely to go on for months, sources at the talks told Reuters.
"The message we got was that there could be no guarantees. The U.S. said they want Assad out, but it's really got to be in the hands of the Syrian people," said a coalition member who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
That kind of language has given Geneva sceptics within the coalition more ammunition.
"This makes the top leadership very upset. They are sincerely evaluating whether they should be going toGeneva," he added.
Coalition Secretary General Badr Jamous said the opposition believed neither the United States nor Russia - which along with the United Nations have pushed for the Geneva talks to take place - was doing enough to ensure their success.
"They are not putting enough pressure on Assad," Jamous said.
Coalition members are due to meet on Jan. 7 to decide formally whether or not to attend the Geneva talks.
"If things don't get better coalition members may decide that we won't go," Jamous said.
Despite its grievances the coalition is in little position to resist international pressure to show up in Geneva. It has no real political power base and its military wing, the Supreme Military Command of the Western-backedFree Syrian army, has minimal influence on the ground.
But Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both prominent supporters of the political opposition and rebel fighters, are wary of Geneva and could put pressure on the coalition to stay away.
"Some of the regional powers don't want us to go," said a coalition source, normally based in Europe, referring to the two Sunni Gulf monarchies.
"These countries are not against Geneva in principle but they don't see the current climate as conducive to a successful conference," he said.
"But if they don't want us to go they should be brave enough to ask for it. We are not strong enough to ask for the process to be postponed."
Coalition member Hadi Albahra also suggested on Friday that Middle East powers might hold up next month's talks, tweeting: "Possibility to postpone the Geneva 2 Conference due to lack of regional consensus around it".
Alongside the political divisions over the Geneva talks, chronic faultlines in the rebel forces have also undermined Western efforts to pressure Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for 40 years.
Last month fighters from the Islamic Front, an alliance of six radical groups opposed to the Geneva talks, took over a main weapons depot in northern Syria which had been under the control of the Western-backed Supreme Military Council.
The United States said this week the Islamic Front had spurned its offer of direct talks and warned that unless the SMC was recognised by other rebel brigades there was little chance that they could be an effective force.
"If there is not coordination, if there is not tight cooperation between the different armed groups that are fighting the regime, the regime is going to be successful in surviving," U.S. envoy Ford said.
That comment echoed his private message that the United States sees no role for Assad in Syria "but cannot force it", said a source who is a member of the coalitions' political committee.
A senior U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, echoed Ford's uncertainty about any Assad departure.
"Assad cannot be part of the transition. What is unclear is the exact timing of Assad's departure," he said. "He's going to need to disappear from the scene, at exactly what point that is is obviously what will be discussed inGeneva we hope."Güncelleme Tarihi: 27 Aralık 2013, 15:43


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"Don't be such a silly man," he said, with the effeminate dignity of a curate. "Don't you see it's not necessary? Don't you see that we're both in the same boat? Yes, and jolly sea?sick."
Gregory could not speak, but he could not fire either, and he looked his question.
"Don't you see we've checkmated each other?" cried Syme. "I can't tell the police you are an anarchist. You can't tell the anarchists I'm a policeman. I can only watch you, knowing what you are; you can only watch me, knowing what I am. In short, it's a lonely, intellectual duel, my head against yours. I'm a policeman deprived of the help of the police. You, my poor fellow, are an anarchist deprived of the help of that law and organisation which is so essential to anarchy. The one solitary difference is in your favour. You are not surrounded by inquisitive policemen; I am surrounded by inquisitive anarchists. I cannot betray you, but I might betray myself. Come, come! wait and see me betray myself. I shall do it so nicely."
Gregory put the pistol slowly down, still staring at Syme as if he were a sea-monster.
"I don't believe in immortality," he said at last, "but if, after all this, you were to break your word, God would make a hell only for you, to howl in for ever."
"I shall not break my word," said Syme sternly, "nor will you break yours. Here are your friends."
The mass of the anarchists entered the room heavily, with a slouching and somewhat weary gait; but one little man, with a black beard and glasses -- a man somewhat of the type of Mr. Tim Healy -- detached himself, and bustled forward with some papers in his hand.
"Comrade Gregory," he said, "I suppose this man is a delegate?"
Gregory, taken by surprise, looked down and muttered the name of Syme; but Syme replied almost pertly --
"I am glad to see that your gate is well enough guarded to make it hard for anyone to be here who was not a delegate."
The brow of the little man with the black beard was, however, still contracted with something like suspicion.
"What branch do you represent?" he asked sharply.
"I should hardly call it a branch," said Syme, laughing; "I should call it at the very least a root."
"What do you mean?"
"The fact is," said Syme serenely, "the truth is I am a Sabbatarian. I have been specially sent here to see that you show a due observance of Sunday."
The little man dropped one of his papers, and a flicker of fear went over all the faces of the group. Evidently the awful President, whose name was Sunday, did sometimes send down such irregular ambassadors to such branch meetings.
"Well, comrade," said the man with the papers after a pause, "I suppose we'd better give you a seat in the meeting?"
"If you ask my advice as a friend," said Syme with severe benevolence, "I think you'd better."
When Gregory heard the dangerous dialogue end, with a sudden safety for his rival, he rose abruptly and paced the floor in painful thought. He was, indeed, in an agony of diplomacy. It was clear that Syme's inspired impudence was likely to bring him out of all merely accidental dilemmas. Little was to be hoped from them. He could not himself betray Syme, partly from honour, but partly also because, if he betrayed him and for some reason failed to destroy him, the Syme who escaped would be a Syme freed from all obligation of secrecy, a Syme who would simply walk to the nearest police station. After all, it was only one night's discussion, and only one detective who would know of it. He would let out as little as possible of their plans that night, and then let Syme go, and chance it.
He strode across to the group of anarchists, which was already distributing itself along the benches.
"I think it is time we began," he said; "the steam?tug is waiting on the river already. I move that Comrade Buttons takes the chair."
This being approved by a show of hands, the little man with the papers slipped into the presidential seat.
"Comrades," he began, as sharp as a pistol?shot, "our meeting to?night is important, though it need not be long. This branch has always had the honour of electing Thursdays for the Central European Council. We have elected many and splendid Thursdays. We all lament the sad decease of the heroic worker who occupied the post until last week. As you know, his services to the cause were considerable. He organised the great dynamite coup of Brighton which, under happier circumstances, ought to have killed everybody on the pier. As you also know, his death was as self-denying as his life, for he died through his faith in a hygienic mixture of chalk and water as a substitute for milk, which beverage he regarded as barbaric, and as involving cruelty to the cow. Cruelty, or anything approaching to cruelty, revolted him always. But it is not to acclaim his virtues that we are met, but for a harder task. It is difficult properly to praise his qualities, but it is more difficult to replace them. Upon you, comrades, it devolves this evening to choose out of the company present the man who shall be Thursday. If any comrade suggests a name I will put it to the vote. If no comrade suggests a name, I can only tell myself that that dear dynamiter, who is gone from us, has carried into the unknowable abysses the last secret of his virtue and his innocence."
There was a stir of almost inaudible applause, such as is sometimes heard in church. Then a large old man, with a long and venerable white beard, perhaps the only real working?man present, rose lumberingly and said --
"I move that Comrade Gregory be elected Thursday," and sat lumberingly down again.
"Does anyone second?" asked the chairman.
A little man with a velvet coat and pointed beard seconded.
"Before I put the matter to the vote," said the chairman, "I will call on Comrade Gregory to make a statement."
Gregory rose amid a great rumble of applause. His face was deadly pale, so that by contrast his queer red hair looked almost scarlet. But he was smiling and altogether at ease. He had made up his mind, and he saw his best policy quite plain in front of him like a white road. His best chance was to make a softened and ambiguous speech, such as would leave on the detective's mind the impression that the anarchist brotherhood was a very mild affair after all. He believed in his own literary power, his capacity for suggesting fine shades and picking perfect words. He thought that with care he could succeed, in spite of all the people around him, in conveying an impression of the institution, subtly and delicately false. Syme had once thought that anarchists, under all their bravado, were only playing the fool. Could he not now, in the hour of peril, make Syme think so again?
"Comrades," began Gregory, in a low but penetrating voice, "it is not necessary for me to tell you what is my policy, for it is your policy also. Our belief has been slandered, it has been disfigured, it has been utterly confused and concealed, but it has never been altered. Those who talk about anarchism and its dangers go everywhere and anywhere to get their information, except to us, except to the fountain head. They learn about anarchists from sixpenny novels; they learn about anarchists from tradesmen's newspapers; they learn about anarchists from Ally Sloper's Half?Holiday and the Sporting Times. They never learn about anarchists from anarchists. We have no chance of denying the mountainous slanders which are heaped upon our heads from one end of Europe to another. The man who has always heard that we are walking plagues has never heard our reply. I know that he will not hear it tonight, though my passion were to rend the roof. For it is deep, deep under the earth that the persecuted are permitted to assemble, as the Christians assembled in the Catacombs. But if, by some incredible accident, there were here to?night a man who all his life had thus immensely misunderstood us, I would put this question to him: When those Christians met in those Catacombs, what sort of moral reputation had they in the streets above? What tales were told of their atrocities by one educated Roman to another? Suppose' (I would say to him), suppose that we are only repeating that still mysterious paradox of history. Suppose we seem as shocking as the Christians because we are really as harmless as the Christians. Suppose we seem as mad as the Christians because we are really as meek."'
The applause that had greeted the opening sentences had been gradually growing fainter, and at the last word it stopped suddenly. In the abrupt silence, the man with the velvet jacket said, in a high, squeaky voice --
"I'm not meek!"
"Comrade Witherspoon tells us," resumed Gregory, "that he is not meek. Ah, how little he knows himself! His words are, indeed, extravagant; his appearance is ferocious, and even (to an ordinary taste) unattractive. But only the eye of a friendship as deep and delicate as mine can perceive the deep foundation of solid meekness which lies at the base of him, too deep even for himself to see. I repeat, we are the true early Christians, only that we come too late. We are simple, as they revere simple -- look at Comrade Witherspoon. We are modest, as they were modest -- look at me. We are merciful -- "
"No, no!" called out Mr. Witherspoon with the velvet jacket.
"I say we are merciful," repeated Gregory furiously, "as the early Christians were merciful. Yet this did not prevent their being accused of eating human flesh. We do not eat human flesh -- "
"Shame!" cried Witherspoon. "Why not?"
"Comrade Witherspoon," said Gregory, with a feverish gaiety, "is anxious to know why nobody eats him (laughter). In our society, at any rate, which loves him sincerely, which is founded upon love -- "
"No, no!" said Witherspoon, "down with love."
"Which is founded upon love," repeated Gregory, grinding his teeth, "there will be no difficulty about the aims which we shall pursue as a body, or which I should pursue were I chosen as the representative of that body. Superbly careless of the slanders that represent us as assassins and enemies of human society, we shall pursue with moral courage and quiet intellectual pressure, the permanent ideals of brotherhood and simplicity."
Gregory resumed his seat and passed his hand across his forehead. The silence was sudden and awkward, but the chairman rose like an automaton, and said in a colourless voice --
"Does anyone oppose the election of Comrade Gregory?"
The assembly seemed vague and sub?consciously disappointed, and Comrade Witherspoon moved restlessly on his seat and muttered in his thick beard. By the sheer rush of routine, however, the motion would have been put and carried. But as the chairman was opening his mouth to put it, Syme sprang to his feet and said in a small and quiet voice --
"Yes, Mr. Chairman, I oppose."
The most effective fact in oratory is an unexpected change in the voice. Mr. Gabriel Syme evidently understood oratory. Having said these first formal words in a moderated tone and with a brief simplicity, he made his next word ring and volley in the vault as if one of the guns had gone off.
"Comrades!" he cried, in a voice that made every man jump out of his boots, "have we come here for this? Do we live underground like rats in order to listen to talk like this? This is talk we might listen to while eating buns at a Sunday School treat. Do we line these walls with weapons and bar that door with death lest anyone should come and hear Comrade Gregory saying to us, Be good, and you will be happy,' Honesty is the best policy,' and Virtue is its own reward'? There was not a word in Comrade Gregory's address to which a curate could not have listened with pleasure (hear, hear). But I am not a curate (loud cheers), and I did not listen to it with pleasure (renewed cheers). The man who is fitted to make a good curate is not fitted to make a resolute, forcible, and efficient Thursday (hear, hear)."
"Comrade Gregory has told us, in only too apologetic a tone, that we are not the enemies of society. But I say that we are the enemies of society, and so much the worse for society. We are the enemies of society, for society is the enemy of humanity, its oldest and its most pitiless enemy (hear, hear). Comrade Gregory has told us (apologetically again) that we are not murderers. There I agree. We are not murderers, we are executioners (cheers)."
Ever since Syme had risen Gregory had sat staring at him, his face idiotic with astonishment. Now in the pause his lips of clay parted, and he said, with an automatic and lifeless distinctness --
"You damnable hypocrite!"
Syme looked straight into those frightful eyes with his own pale blue ones, and said with dignity --
"Comrade Gregory accuses me of hypocrisy. He knows as well as I do that I am keeping all my engagements and doing nothing but my duty. I do not mince words. I do not pretend to. I say that Comrade Gregory is unfit to be Thursday for all his amiable qualities. He is unfit to be Thursday because of his amiable qualities. We do not want the Supreme Council of Anarchy infected with a maudlin mercy (hear, hear). This is no time for ceremonial politeness, neither is it a time for ceremonial modesty. I set myself against Comrade Gregory as I would set myself against all the Governments of Europe, because the anarchist who has given himself to anarchy has forgotten modesty as much as he has forgotten pride (cheers). I am not a man at all. I am a cause (renewed cheers). I set myself against Comrade Gregory as impersonally and as calmly as I should choose one pistol rather than another out of that rack upon the wall; and I say that rather than have Gregory and his milk?and?water methods on the Supreme Council, I would offer myself for election -- "
His sentence was drowned in a deafening cataract of applause. The faces, that had grown fiercer and fiercer with approval as his tirade grew more and more uncompromising, were now distorted with grins of anticipation or cloven with delighted cries. At the moment when he announced himself as ready to stand for the post of Thursday, a roar of excitement and assent broke forth, and became uncontrollable, and at the same moment Gregory sprang to his feet, with foam upon his mouth, and shouted against the shouting.
"Stop, you blasted madmen!" he cried, at the top of a voice that tore his throat. "Stop, you -- "
But louder than Gregory's shouting and louder than the roar of the room came the voice of Syme, still speaking in a peal of pitiless thunder --
"I do not go to the Council to rebut that slander that calls us murderers; I go to earn it (loud and prolonged cheering). To the priest who says these men are the enemies of religion, to the judge who says these men are the enemies of law, to the fat parliamentarian who says these men are the enemies of order and public decency, to all these I will reply, You are false kings, but you are true prophets. I am come to destroy you, and to fulfil your prophecies.' "
The heavy clamour gradually died away, but before it had ceased Witherspoon had jumped to his feet, his hair and beard all on end, and had said --
"I move, as an amendment, that Comrade Syme be appointed to the post."
"Stop all this, I tell you!" cried Gregory, with frantic face and hands. "Stop it, it is all -- "
The voice of the chairman clove his speech with a cold accent.
"Does anyone second this amendment?" he said. A tall, tired man, with melancholy eyes and an American chin beard, was observed on the back bench to be slowly rising to his feet. Gregory had been screaming for some time past; now there was a change in his accent, more shocking than any scream. "I end all this!" he said, in a voice as heavy as stone.
"This man cannot be elected. He is a -- "
"Yes," said Syme, quite motionless, "what is he?" Gregory's mouth worked twice without sound; then slowly the blood began to crawl back into his dead face. "He is a man quite inexperienced in our work," he said, and sat down abruptly.
Before he had done so, the long, lean man with the American beard was again upon his feet, and was repeating in a high American monotone --
"I beg to second the election of Comrade Syme."
"The amendment will, as usual, be put first," said Mr. Buttons, the chairman, with mechanical rapidity.
"The question is that Comrade Syme -- "
Gregory had again sprung to his feet, panting and passionate.
"Comrades," he cried out, "I am not a madman."
"Oh, oh!" said Mr. Witherspoon.
"I am not a madman," reiterated Gregory, with a frightful sincerity which for a moment staggered the room, "but I give you a counsel which you can call mad if you like. No, I will not call it a counsel, for I can give you no reason for it. I will call it a command. Call it a mad command, but act upon it. Strike, but hear me! Kill me, but obey me! Do not elect this man." Truth is so terrible, even in fetters, that for a moment Syme's slender and insane victory swayed like a reed. But you could not have guessed it from Syme's bleak blue eyes. He merely began --
"Comrade Gregory commands -- "
Then the spell was snapped, and one anarchist called out to Gregory --
"Who are you? You are not Sunday"; and another anarchist added in a heavier voice, "And you are not Thursday."
"Comrades," cried Gregory, in a voice like that of a martyr who in an ecstacy of pain has passed beyond pain, "it is nothing to me whether you detest me as a tyrant or detest me as a slave. If you will not take my command, accept my degradation. I kneel to you. I throw myself at your feet. I implore you. Do not elect this man."
"Comrade Gregory," said the chairman after a painful pause, "this is really not quite dignified."
For the first time in the proceedings there was for a few seconds a real silence. Then Gregory fell back in his seat, a pale wreck of a man, and the chairman repeated, like a piece of clock?work suddenly started again --
"The question is that Comrade Syme be elected to the post of Thursday on the General Council."
The roar rose like the sea, the hands rose like a forest, and three minutes afterwards Mr. Gabriel Syme, of the Secret Police Service, was elected to the post of Thursday on the General Council of the Anarchists of Europe.
Everyone in the room seemed to feel the tug waiting on the river, the sword?stick and the revolver, waiting on the table. The instant the election was ended and irrevocable, and Syme had received the paper proving his election, they all sprang to their feet, and the fiery groups moved and mixed in the room. Syme found himself, somehow or other, face to face with Gregory, who still regarded him with a stare of stunned hatred. They were silent for many minutes.
"You are a devil!" said Gregory at last.
"And you are a gentleman," said Syme with gravity.
"It was you that entrapped me," began Gregory, shaking from head to foot, "entrapped me into -- "
"Talk sense," said Syme shortly. "Into what sort of devils' parliament have you entrapped me, if it comes to that? You made me swear before I made you. Perhaps we are both doing what we think right. But what we think right is so damned different that there can be nothing between us in the way of concession. There is nothing possible between us but honour and death," and he pulled the great cloak about his shoulders and picked up the flask from the table.
"The boat is quite ready," said Mr. Buttons, bustling up. "Be good enough to step this way."
With a gesture that revealed the shop-walker, he led Syme down a short, iron?bound passage, the still agonised Gregory following feverishly at their heels. At the end of the passage was a door, which Buttons opened sharply, showing a sudden blue and silver picture of the moonlit river, that looked like a scene in a theatre. Close to the opening lay a dark, dwarfish steam-launch, like a baby dragon with one red eye.
Almost in the act of stepping on board, Gabriel Syme turned to the gaping Gregory.
"You have kept your word," he said gently, with his face in shadow. "You are a man of honour, and I thank you. You have kept it even down to a small particular. There was one special thing you promised me at the beginning of the affair, and which you have certainly given me by the end of it."
"What do you mean?" cried the chaotic Gregory. "What did I promise you?"
"A very entertaining evening," said Syme, and he made a military salute with the sword?stick as the steamboat slid away.


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County school board approves bids for two activity buildings
Centers will be at Lake View and Northport schools
TUSCALOOSA | The Tuscaloosa County Board of Education on Monday approved bids that came in over budget for the construction of activity buildings at Northport and Lake View elementary schools.
The budget for the construction of an activity building at Lake View Elementary was $625,000. But the lowest bid came from Trawick Contractors Inc. at $786,796.
Michael Ellis of Ellis Architects proposed adjusting the blueprint for the Lake View building to exclude concrete masonry units around three exterior sides of the gym in the building to save money. He also suggested removing one of the exterior porches, getting rid of all hard tile wainscots in the restrooms, not polishing the concrete floors and deleting the vinyl composition tile flooring from the coach's office.
Ellis said those adjustments would trim about $76,000 from the bid amount and bring the project to $710,796. But he said the amount still is $85,000 over the original budget.
The construction budget for the Northport Elementary activity building was set at $648,101. The lowest base bid was $715,000 from K&A Builders.
Jim Ward, principal architect of WSV Architects, proposed reducing the construction cost by not reconditioning the soil, omitting all polished concrete and making several other tweaks.
Incorporating his suggestions would bring the construction contract down to $658,406, about $10,000 over budget.
The board approved the adjusted amounts for both projects.
Joe Boteler was the only board member who didn't vote in favor of the bids.
"I have to say this: I would be remiss if I didn't once again say that when we need career tech centers and classrooms, activity centers should not take priority," Boteler said. "Activity centers are things that belong in the community and are something that the community should take care of."
Last year, when the board approved spending money to build activity centers at several schools, Boteler strongly objected to the idea saying that the money should have gone to building a new Holt High School, which would replace the oldest high school in the school system.
At that meeting and at ones that followed, other board members said they made commitments with the county commission to build the activity buildings.
Reach Jamon Smith at email@example.com or 205-722-0204.