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Probably the biggest reading "event" of 2013 was my epic read-through and review (1, 2) of the Arthur C. Clarke shortlist, something I hadn't done since 2008. Though I found the shortlist variable (and am ambivalent about the eventual winner, Chris Beckett's Dark Eden), the experience of immersing myself in so much recent SF, and then having to write about it in long-form in what felt, towards the end, like a feverish haze (it still amazes me that my review came out anything like coherent given that I put the finishing touches on it hours before its publication) was heady enough that I'm almost tempted to do it again this year. Another important reading event was my participation in Crooked Timber's seminar on Felix Gilman's The Half-Made World and The Rise of Ransom City (the latter of which is one of those books that might, if the wind were from a different quarter, have made this year's best books list). Having to consider a work from the point of view of an essayist, rather than a reviewer, was challenging and interesting, and I'm pleased with how my contribution came out. But I also very much enjoyed reading the contributions of other participants, and the resulting discussion.
A little less than half the books I read in 2013 were by women, which was not a foregone conclusion given the weight that the all-male Clarke shortlist had. Around the middle of the year I made the conscious decision to balance my reading, and read at least one book by a woman for every book I read by a man. I haven't stuck to that resolution very religiously, but it's definitely a guideline that I plan to keep in mind. Books in translation made up 15% of the year's reading, which I'm fairly certain is a high point, but also a number worth improving on. I had several reading projects planned for this year that I never got around to--a continuation of the Women Writing SF series from a few years ago, and a large stack of recent Israeli genre books that I wanted to blog about. Perhaps having made those intentions public means that I'll finally get around to carrying them out in 2014.
Without any further ado, then, here are 2013's best books, its honorable mentions, and its dishonorable ones, in order of the author's surname.
Best Books:
- Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
In a field suffused with YA novels about plucky young girls with secret powers in an unforgiving world, it's easy to dismiss Hartman's debut out of hand. The fact that its fantasy creatures of choice are dragons certainly doesn't help--it conjures up far too many examples of authors who treat dragons like oversized, sentient cats. But Hartman's dragons are remarkably fresh and unsentimental, as is her titular heroine, whose bravery and competence are convincing without being overstated, and who conveys the anguish of living a double life, and of doubting her own humanity, without losing sight of the fact that her problems are not the most important thing in her story. The most impressive thing in Seraphina, however, is the novel's broad, detailed world, and how Hartman establishes it, complete with a storied history, culture, and geography, in a relatively slim novel without ever letting the plot's pace flag. As appealing as I found its central story--which revolves around prejudice, religion, and the painstaking process of making peace--what makes me eager for Seraphina's sequel(s?) are the half-dozen sub-plots and side quests that Hartman introduces in it, creating a sense of a fully realized world that I am eager to continue exploring.
- Intrusion by Ken MacLeod (review)
If I ran the Clarke award, MacLeod's understated but quietly devastating novel would have won it with hardly any competition. Working in the time-honored tradition of social SF, MacLeod raises questions about the meaning of freedom when he imagines a world in which government interference in its citizens' lives is well-intentioned and often benevolent, but nevertheless onerous. This makes it a challenging read if you're someone who thinks that seat belt laws and public smoking bans are a good thing, but rather than browbeating his readers MacLeod creates a world that is stifling almost from the book's first sentence, and places at its center a vivid, sympathetic heroine whose refusal to accommodate her society's definition of public good isn't entirely understandable, even to herself. Intrusion is not without its flaws--a secondary plotline in which a character is caught up in brutal anti-terror tactics is more heavy-handed than the main plot strand, and the book's conclusion is somewhat overheated. But as an example of what SF can do, even with a very limited segment of its toolbox, it is both masterful and exciting.
- The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates
Bar none, the weirdest, most exhilarating book I read in 2013. Oates is one of two authors on this list whom I read for the first time this year, and The Accursed sets a high bar that it is hard to imagine the rest of her writing clearing, if only because no one could possibly be writing stuff this strange on a regular basis for decades. At its heart a ghost story about the misfortunes of a single, upper class American family in the early 20th century, The Accursed proceeds in multiple plot strands and shifting styles to become something much baggier than that simple description suggests. It gestures at a simple explanation for its characters' suffering, indicting them for the repressive system that they prop up and benefit from, and for the vicious, frequently brutal prejudice against black people in which their culture is steeped. But always when the novel seems about to resolve itself and reveal a method to its madness, it twists away and recommits to the inherent irrationality of its events. All of which is to make The Accursed sound difficult and weighty, but in reality this is a propulsive, exciting, frequently quite funny novel that begs you to keep turning the pages, whether through characters who remain sympathetic despite frequently deserving their suffering, a knowing and witty pastiche of seemingly every major work of 19th century literature, or the gonzo outrageousness of its plot.
- Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi
The other author into whose bibliography I made a late foray in 2013, and if Mr. Fox is any indication I have no idea why I waited so long. A novel in stories whose parts--multiple retellings of the Bluebeard story as well as realist fiction tinged by it--are as engaging as its whole, in which an author in the 1930s is castigated by his muse for killing off women in his stories, and his dissatisfied wife suspects him of having an affair with a woman who may be a figment of his imagination. Mr. Fox veers wildly between styles and modes, but its three main characters remain vivid in any guise, and the romance between them is as sweet as the issues that underlie the novel--the role of women as muses, helpmeets, or murder victims, but never artists in their own right--are trenchant and painful. This is a witty, funny, romantic work, whose pleasures are both cerebral--working out the connections between the stories and the way that each one reflects on the framing story and the novel's themes--and deeply emotional.
- A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar (review)
Samatar's debut takes a while to resolve itself, seeming, in its first half, like a beautifully written travelogue of a vividly imagined fantasy world. This in itself, of course, is no mean accomplishment, and the rich, poetic prose with which A Stranger in Olondria relates the experiences of its narrator in the titular empire is very nearly worth the price of admission in its own right. But it's in its second half that the book transitions from accomplished to genuinely special, slowly and subtly introducing themes of race and colonialism in a way that makes them resonate all the more when they finally become apparent, and weaving into them a powerful discussion of the power of books, one that avoids the soppy sentimentality that such discussions usually descend into. Reminiscent in some ways of Jeff VanderMeer's City of Saints and Madmen, A Stranger in Olondria is also very much its own, unique creation, a powerful reminder of what fantasy is capable of even within the seemingly limiting category of secondary world fantasy.
- Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks (review) - A vital component of Banks's Culture sequence, this novel functions as a sort of puzzle, which only resolves in its final pages. This made for a frustrating read, but one that in retrospect only gains in power and importance.
- Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick - Focusing on the stories of six North Korean defectors, Demick's book is both an engrossing, heartbreaking primer on that country's history and present misfortune, and a portrait of how ordinary people cope with life in an irrational system--of the lengths they go to, first to justify their world, and then to escape it.
- Going to the Dogs: The Story of a Moralist by Erich Kästner - The same satirical sensibility that made Kästner such an exceptional children's author is here used to skewer and lament pre-war German society, with results that are both funny and terrifying.
- 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (review) - A whirlwind tour through the solar system of 300 years hence combined with a sweet love story between a woman from Mercury and a man from the moons of Saturn. Though not without its flaws (chiefly its handling of Earth and the question of first world aid to third world countries), the sheer scope of the novel's worldbuilding, and the touching humanity of its characters, made it impossible to resist.
- Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih - Small but perfectly formed, this portrait of a small village in post-colonial Sudan touches on a myriad subjects in less than 200 pages, and veers between naturalism and allegory. And yet it never feels overstuffed or shapeless, and its ideas about the lingering effect of colonialism are powerful and undeniable.
- NOD by Adrian Barnes (review) - A near future apocalypse novel that, under its gloss of originality, is essentially a bog-standard zombie story. That the narrator is profoundly unpleasant is clearly deliberate, but just what this is in service of escapes me.
- Zero History by William Gibson - The Bigend trilogy ends with a whimper, as Gibson continues to rehash ideas about technology and its effect on the world that, while groundbreaking ten years ago, feel like old hat today.
- Dodger by Terry Pratchett - That Dodger is poorly written and not very funny is perhaps to be expected (and perhaps also not something that it is fair to criticize Pratchett for, though his publishers are certainly fair game). That it continues the alarming trend of Pratchett's progressivism ossifying into milquetoast, middle class liberalism, however, is simply a tragedy.


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Demonstrators began to gather near Ofer around mid-day, and found that the Israeli army was already there in large numbers, prepared for a demonstration. "Soldiers were everywhere, it seemed they were prepared for war. There were snipers on top of the houses," said Lema Nazeeh, an activist and board member for the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee.
The demonstration was an unplanned event held in response to the Nakba and in solidarity with the Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli prisons who today entered their 124th day without food. "Prisoners are paying the price in our fight for freedom and dignity," said Nazeeh.
Nazeeh explained that Nakba, which means catastrophe in Arabic, refers to "the continuous ethnic cleaning of Palestinians that has been going on for 66 years since the creation of the state of Israel." Nazeeh argues that it is important to recognize that the Nakba, "is not an event of the past, but a continuous reality. The Nakba is still going on and it is not ending anytime soon—unless the world recognizes what is happening."
The word Nakba refers to the creation of the state of Israel and the concurrent expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland.
Soldiers fire live ammunition indiscriminately
A group of young men and youths arrived around an hour into the demonstration outside the gates of Ofer prison. Upon their arrival, Israeli soldiers reportedly began to shoot randomly into the crowd.
Nadim Nuwara, 15, was shot between the shoulder and chest. He was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after arriving. Muhammad Abu Thaher, 17, was killed instantly when a bullet hit him in the heart. Muhammad Al Azah, 21, remains in critical condition in the ICU at Ramallah hospital after he was shot in the chest. The other five who were shot are stable and will not sustain lasting damage from their wounds.
"We know that they came that day with the intention to kill. To kill non-violent protestors," said Nazeeh, touching on the heavy military turnout and presence of snipers.
She emphasized that these killings are raw evidence that Nakba continues to this day: "Israel is targeting the new generation, the kids, shooting them right in the heart… This is terrorism, Israel is a terrorist state."
Nadim Nuwara's father spoke with the Palestine Monitor at the funeral, saying simply: "I want the world to know that Israel killed my son."
Bodies of martyrs are returned home to their villages
On Friday morning, family and friends of the two boys killed gathered at the Ramallah Hospital to collect the bodies. Nadim Nuwara's mother fainted when she saw her son's body and was rushed into the hospital to receive care.
The two bodies were wrapped in Palestinian flags and kuffiyehs (traditional Palestinian scarves). Mourners held them high and lead a procession from the entrance of the hospital to the vehicle that transported the bodies back to their home villages for the rest of the funerals.
"No one will ever forget Nakba. We won't forget and forgive. We are connected to the legacy of what happened to our grandfathers and grandmothers and what is happening to us now," said Nazeeh.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Panasonic's new Lumix digicam, the DMC-FT4, could be the ultimate camera for outdoors types.
The gadget packs in not juts a 12.1Mp sensor with a 1080p HD video recording capability, but also its own GPS pick-up, a compass and altimeter and a barometer.
Well tough: the Lumix DMC-FT4
In short, it'll pack your pictures with location, height and direction data - and give you a good idea what the weather was like at the time.
Metal-cased, the FT4 is waterproof to a depth of 12m, freezeproof, dustproof and able to shrug off drops from a height of 2m or less.
The camera has a 4.6x optical zoom, and features a time-lapse photography function. It has a 2.7in, 230,000-dot LCD on the back and weighs a not-uncomfortable 197g.
You can read the Lumix DMC-FT4's full tech specs at the Panasonic site.
The DMC-FT20
If you don't need the sensor data, but like the FT4's rugged features, then the Lumix DMC-FT20 may be more your kind of Kendal Mint Cake.
It also a similar everything-proof casing as the FT4, and features a 16.1Mp sensor and 4x optical zoom. It too can record video footage at 1080p.
There are full Lumix DMC-FT20 tech specs at the Panasonic site.
Both the FT4 and FT20 will be out in March. ®


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For many decades, Einstein scientists have conducted outstanding cardiovascular research. But we've been in need of additional resources to realize our full potential.
That is why the creation of the Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, announced officially at Einstein's Academic Convocation in October 2009, is so important to the College of Medicine. The new institute's mission is to better understand cardiovascular disease—the world's number-one killer—so that we can translate this knowledge into novel treatments to relieve suffering and improve health.
This new institute exists because of a generous gift from Einstein Overseer Zygmunt "Zygi" Wilf and his family. The Wilfs are longtime friends of Einstein and of Yeshiva University, whose Wilf Campus was named in honor of the family and its philanthropy. Their contribution will allow us here at Einstein to work toward preventing and treating heart attack, stroke, heart failure, hypertension, arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death, congenital heart disease and many other conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels.
We are now recruiting new faculty for the Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute as well as inviting selected existing faculty to become members. We plan to assemble a core group of some 40 basic, clinical and epidemiological researchers from a variety of disciplines. Our goal is for these scientists and clinicians to interact frequently, sharing their expertise and collaborating on innovative treatments for the long-standing human affliction that is cardiovascular disease. Together, we look forward to taking cardiovascular research to the next level.
Richard N. Kitsis, MD Director, Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research InstituteDr. Gerald and Myra Dorros Professor of Cardiovascular Disease


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Looks like we are headed back down to New York this Saturday, May 9th, to celebrate World Fair Trade Day. We will celebrate this incredibly important holiday by participating in the Fair Trade Vendor Fair, which includes AP, of course, but also Global Good Partners, Sustainable Threads, Interrupcion*, and a whole host of others! Along with the vendor fair there will be FREE Fair Trade giveaways including coffee and chocolate. Fair Trade video games, and Fair Trade info booth. Throughout the day there will be film screenings including "Bean to Bar," a film about Divine Chocolate and the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative and"Awaken Your Conscience," a film about the Equal Exchange cooperative as well as Fair Trade speakers and presenters.
So if you are in the Big Apple this weekend, please take the time to come talk with fellow fair traders, learn about Fair Trade, eat some delicious chocolate and of course say hi to us! We hope to see you there celebrating and spreading awareness!
WHEN: Saturday, May 9, 2009
11 am – 5 pm
WHERE: The Action Center to End World Hunger
6 River Terrace, Battery Park City, NYC


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PBRC research student wins best oral award at National Institutes of Health summer research symposiumUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Healani Chang, (808) 956-2146
Pacific Biosciences Research Center
HONOLULU — Ramon Christopher V. Go, a Pacific Region Diabetes Education Program (PRIDE) undergraduate research scholar in the Pacific Biosciences Research Center (PBRC) at UH Mānoa won the best oral presentation award at the recent National Institutes of Health STEP-UP (NIH STEP-UP) Summer Research Symposium held at Colorado State University. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is one of eight universities nationwide that participated in the symposium.
The UH PRIDE program is directed by Dr. Healani K. Chang at PBRC and is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The program aims to fill the nation's shortage of minority individuals in biomedical research by exposing high school and undergraduate students to the exciting discovery of scientific inquiry early in their academic training.
Go worked in the laboratory with Meredith Hermosura, a researcher in PBRC's Bekesy Lab of Neurobiology, and presented results of a study on zinc permeation and its possible role in diabetes. The study, titled ʻTRPMB2 Provides a Pathway for Zin Influx,' is a collaborative effort that was performed in Dr. Hermosura's lab and in Professor Stuart Thompson's lab at the Hopkins Marine Station in Stanford University.
"Ramon was articulate, poised, and impressive with the depth of knowledge of his recently completed study," said Chang, who also attended the symposium. "He is a skilled scientific communicator and was able to explain his experiments to both lay and professional members of the audience."
In addition to Go, five other UH PRIDE scholars traveled to Colorado this year to present work they performed over the summer in various UH labs affiliated with the program under the mentorship of UH faculty/researchers.
About NIH STEP-UP
The NIH STEP-UP Summer Research Symposium is supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and brings together undergraduate and high school research scholars from 6-8 universities nationwide. Participants of this year's symposium included: Colorado State University, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Maryland at Baltimore County, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Charles Drew University, Wayne State University, University of Washington and the University of Hawaiʻi. A total of 51 oral and poster presentations were showcased. Four awards were given, including: best oral and best poster presentation (undergraduate category) and best oral and best poster presentation (high school category).
About PBRC
The Pacific Biosciences Research Center at UH Mānoa seeks excellence in interdisciplinary biological research by fostering independent and original work and by training future academic leaders through education and research. The activities of PBRC are guided by principles of sustainability with respect for Hawaiʻi's culture, values and limited natural resources. It is the goal of PBRC to be a leader in Hawai'i and the Pacific in education and research. For more information, visit http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/.
For more information, visit: http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu


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Christ Is Risen!
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The Antiochians view this as a first step. Their new constitution says that the only exception to a ban on amending the structure of the church "would be such amendments, alterations or changes that would be necessary to implement Orthodox unity in America."
What exactly does this mean? I'm kinda wondering what they mean by 'changes to church structure', especially. Are they talking about redrawing diocesean lines or something else?
[Hopefully the outcome of the ROCOR's talks with the MP will be the ROCOR returning to its rightful place as head of the Russian diaspora, including the metropolia. ]That seems to be more wishful thinking than reality. In spite of rumors that come out of a certain jurisdiction every so often, the MP is not about to rescind the OCA's 'autocephally'.What happens to the ROCOR parishes depends upon their location. My guess would be that in western Europe they will become a european diocese within the MP.But here in the U.S. and Canada they will become an etnic diocese within the OCA and as such continue to have their own Bishops governing them. Only these Bishops will become members of the Synod of Bishops within the OCA and as such have equal governing rights within a merged church structure.Before the reunion talks between the MP and ROCOR, the MP was trying to get the OCA to form a Russian diocese within its structure like the Albanian, Bulgarian, Romanian, etc. This was to provide spiritual guidance to the newly arrived immigrants. ROCOR would be given that responsibility in any reunion between the MP and ROCOR.As for the term 'diasporia' there are too many of us who are second and third generation American born to believe we are living in a 'diasporia'Orthodoc
"We are going to face a very serious problem in the future," Philip said. "Ninety-nine and-a-half percent of our seminarians, when they graduate from the seminary, they get married. I don't know where I'm going to get bishops in the future."He may recruit from the Middle East, where more young seminarians are open to celibate commitment, he said."I have never pressured any of my seminarians to remain celibate," he said.The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America ia already the fastest-growing Orthodox archdiocese in the world, Philip said. And he expects the attention that these new bishops will give to their parishes to help that growth."I am looking forward to an era of spiritual rejuvenation, a spiritual renaissance," he said.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Ann Rodgers can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 412-263-1416)
Moving on...Another thing that get's me, which I don't think the Antiochian Bishops get since they are non-American is tact in an American sense. The statement he makes comes of very arrogant, pretty much ignoring anything the OCA has done and it's status. Yes, their culture is much more direct in expression, but they need to realize that they're in a diffirent culture, hurting things w/o realizing it by their words. This get's back to that (ironically, Antiochian priest's article I think) about things in The South. Tact (and politeness) people. Think before you speak.
Ummm....hello? What about monasteries?
Nacho: Uhhh, what statement are you referring to??? I didn't see anything that put a bad light on the OCA. Where was Met. Phillip being curt in the article also??? I couldn't find one statement I would disagree with.
Any attempt to seize control back from Orthodox Americans "is doomed to failure," he said."You cannot write a constitution in Russia, or in any Orthodox country overseas, and impose it on Orthodoxy in America. This will not stand."
Met. Philip's comments aren't ment for the choir (the people of the Antiochians and OCA) but rather is ment for those who are struggling in their own battle to help bring unity to America.
Here, here, Elisha! BTW -- happy namesday yesterday!
Again, it is the anti-monastic attitude of Met. Phillip.
Is there something on record to substantiate this claim?
There is an Archdiocesan trustee who publicly rails against monasticism. And there is the treatment of the one Antiochian nun by the "administration" that should give indication of how they view monasticism (and this nun is Met. Philip's cousin at that).
There is an Archdiocesan trustee who publicly rails against monasticism. And there is the treatment of the one Antiochian nun by the "administration" that should give indication of how they view monasticism (and this nun is Met. Philip's cousin at that).anastasios
My understanding is that is if Orthodox jurisdictional unity were to be reached. The Antiochian Dioceses in America would defer to the new, single national church structure. This entails a giving up of power by The Antiochian bishops, in order to merge with the new united strucure. This cannot be done without ammending Archdiocese's constitution. It would also possibly sever the current relationship with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch (which I personally have mixed feelings about).Would a unified American Orthodox Church be under the Moscow Patriarchate? The Ecumenical Partiarchate? Spiros
I was under the illusion that All America would have it's own Patriarchate. Isnt this one of the main reasons for unity in America?JoeS
Since I joined this board, I have honestly tried to avoid the polemics. However, I am angry at the extent of Antiochian bashing.
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WoW Radio (also known as WCRadio and Warcraft Radio) was an independent group of players that have come together to produce and promote live radio shoutcasts that air throughout the week. The shows are about 80% talk and 20% music, with most of the music being split between preshows and the royalty free music played when there is no show or archive playing on the stream.
Their existence and exhibitions are acknowledged and approved by Blizzard, and have been featured on the Official Website more than ten times, that being the official website of the WoW Community, and are now currently one of only fourteen fansites on the Official Fansite List. WoW Radio was even let in to BlizzCon and sent out the only live audio feed covering everything on the show floor.
The station began as one show, Saturday Nights with Athalus, on October 11th, 2004. Now they have one show every night of the week. Athalus left the station on the March 18th, 2006 after his final goodbye show. The station was then owned by Eriyanna and TotalBiscuit.
On January 3rd, 2009 the station announced that they would be broadcasting their final show in the following month. Individual hosts will move onto their own websites, or in groups. Totalbiscuit has created his own website called The Cynical Brit. The Donut Shop, MaxSpeed, Essence of RP, But Wait! There's Lore! and more will move to Original Media for Gamers, or OMFG. Finally Octale and Hordak, along with Casually Hardcore, have created Versus the World Productions, or VtW Productions.
On January 31, 2010 WoW Radio ended its 5 year live broadcasting with a send off by TotalBiscuit and Athalus the 2 owners during the stations run. The host of the shows have split into 3 new networks.
- TotalBiscuit has gone to his own site with Blue Plz and Gaming the System.
- http://www.cynicalbrit.com
- Octale, Hordak, Docdead, Natural20, Gnomewise and crew have joined together to create Versus The World(VTW) Productions.
- http://www.vtwproductions.com
- The rest of the shows from WoW Radio, along with a few old hosts and new hosts have created OMFG.
- http://www.omfg.fm
We all hope that you check out all our sites as we will be the same hosts you came to love on WoW Radio just in new homes.
WoW Radio has conducted a large number of interviews with various persons and organizations of note within the WoW community. The following is a selection.
- Premonition US First Kill of Yogg-Saron + 0.
- The Four Horsemen (Representatives from Nihilum, DnT, Forte and Method in a round-table debate)
- Caydiem (Blizzard Community Manager)
- Myndflame Entertainment (Authors of the hugely successful Zinwrath and Illegal Danish)
- Rufus Cubed (Authors of Return, Terran also worked on the WoW Southpark episode)
- Tristan Pope (Author of Machinima 101, Not another love story, Switchers, now works for Blizzard)
- Oxhorn (Author of a million and one popular machinima including Inventing Swearwords)
- Nihilum (World's #1 guild)
- Death and Taxes (America's #1 guild)
- Curse (Uber-guild and assocites of Curse-Gaming)
- Method (EU Alliance uber-guild, world second Vashj kill)
- Vis Maior (High ranking raid guild, downed numerous Sunwell bosses first on the PTR)
- Fangtooth (Ex-Community manager)
- Brewguy (Winner of WoW Idol 2005)
- Richard A. Knaak (Award-winning author of Warcraft and Diablo novels)
- Cide (Author of the wildly popular CTRaid boss-mod)
- CKKnight (Author of Fubar, Cartographer, a developer of Ace 2)
- Rob Pardo (Vice president of Game-design, Blizzard Entertainment)
- Spiritwolf (Popular comic author and forum personality)
- Ghostwalka (Eminent lore-buff)
- Sean Beeson (Composer)
- Cranius (Creator of the popular Big Blue Dress musical machinima)
- Baka-Savants (Creators of Chronicles of the Annoying Quest)
WoW Radio 24/7
WoW Radio announced that it would be going '24/7' at the start of 2007. In preparation for the project, the station upgraded it's streaming facilities significantly, recently upgrading it's quality to 128kb/s Stereo, at 44khz bitrate, whereas previously it broadcast in 56kb/s 44khz Mono format. WoW Radio's 24/7 project is known to involve scheduled reruns of archived shows, organized into blocks. It is also known that it intends to include several DJ sets, and includes a large selection of royalty-free music from such sources as OCRemix.
As of November 2007 the system went into public beta.
This system was successfully launched on December 1st 2007, coupled with a major fix to the website to cope with excessive traffic. As a direct result of this service and the fixes to the site, daily traffic has increased by approximately 90%.
As of December 1st 2007, WoW Radio's servers can handle 10,000 simultaneous live listeners.
See WoW Radio/Shows for a full list of current and future WoW Radio shows.- WoW Radio Closed its doors on January 31, 2010.
- See WoW Radio/OldShows for a full list of past WoW Radio shows.
Issues of negativity and past controversy
It has been highlighted on a number of occasions that WoW Radio can be highly negative and critical regarding the World of Warcraft computer game. This in-itself is not necessarily a flaw and helps the station to achieve an independent style in their content, coming across more as fans of the game, rather than a corporate message medium. It has been known however for certain shows (in particular Blue Plz and Epic, both hosted by TotalBiscuit, with Epic now having been retired) to have a particularly negative tone in places, both about general gameplay, and Blizzard in particular. It should be noted that many value this particular point of view since there are few fansites willing to openly criticize Blizzard and its policies out of fear of alienating them. WoW Radio has long survived without the aid of Blizzard entertainment and it can only be presumed therefore, has no such qualms. Some would argue that because of this independent stance, WoW Radio is currently the most valuable source for WoW-related media and information online.
WoW Radio has had altercations with Blizzard entertainment in the past, not least after an exposé of their treatment at BlizzCon in 2005. Hosts pointed out specifically the number of roadblocks that had been thrown in the way of their efforts to broadcast the event, despite being invited to do so, and the uneven treatment that they had received in comparison to other organizations attending the event.
More recently, WoW Radio came under fire from Blizzard EU for the efforts of Project Golddigger and the Chronicles of the Goldfarmer movies in which TotalBiscuit was banned from the European forums and retaliated with a viral signature campaign to promote the movies, which spread like wildfire throughout the EU forum community. A large number of WoW Radio fans and staff were banned during this incident. There are varying opinions on the incident. It can be argued that the bans were justified as players were acting in defiance of the community manager's authority. Others point to the opinion that most of these players did not in fact breach the Codes of Conduct of Blizzard Europe's forum community, some going as far as to say that TotalBiscuit himself did not fall afoul of these regulations and that the ban was nothing more than an effort to silence a voice of dissent within the community who was rapidly gaining a following.
What is clear however is that WoW Radio benefited significantly from the publicity of this event, some going as far as to call it a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt by station owner TotalBiscuit. As a result however, WoW Radio can no longer promote on the European forums, with those attempting to do so receiving bans without prior warning or justification. While it is clear that no-one is in possession of the full facts surrounding this debacle, some suggest that there is far more to this incident that meets the eye and go as far as to suggest that someone within Blizzard Europe is holding a grudge.
This problem was only made worse when the EU Forums were spammed with multiple topics per forum advertising the site, against the wishes of WoW Radio themselves who were running a controlled, voluntary realm forum promotional campaign. Whatever Blizzard EU's issues with WoW Radio, no doubt compounded by the person who spammed the forums, resulted in many more 7 day suspensions.
Resolution of the conflict with Blizzard EU
As of fall 2007, station owner TotalBiscuit announced that after talking to community managers from Blizzard Europe, the past issues had been reconciled and WoW Radio has since been supported on the EU forums and community watch segment of the website.
Listeners should be advised that the station will express the full and frank views of the show hosts and does not censor their opinions on any point. Please listen with an open mind and bear in mind that you may not necessarily agree with what you're hearing.


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Just how serious should parents be about teaching their children the evidences for creation and against evolution? How early should parents begin teaching their children that they did not evolve from ape-like creatures? How intense should the instruction be regarding laws of science that contradict evolutionary theory (e.g., the law of biogenesis)? Should parents with young children in public schools be all that concerned about the godless theory of naturalistic evolution? And what about families living in the South, where a general perception among some is that "our schools aren't really affected that much by evolutionary theory"? Is evolution really that big of a problem for young, school-age children?
At the commencement of the 2008-2009 school year, a first-grade teacher in Mississippi received a handout, titled "2010 Mississippi Science Framework," in her teacher's packet. The stated purpose of the handout "is to provide a basis for curriculum development for K-12 teachers." What is the framework wherein K-12 teachers in Mississippi are supposed to work as they teach children science? Since "[t]he National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) strongly supports the position that evolution is a major unifying concept in science and should be included in the K-12 science education...," teachers and administrators in the state of Mississippi have been instructed in the following manner:
The department of education in one of America's more conservative states, Mississippi, has instructed its school teachers and administrators to "emphasize evolution" and among other things "not mandate policies requiring the teaching of...'arguments against evolution'" ("2010 Mississippi...," 2008, emp. added). Notice carefully that the emphasis on evolutionary theory and the rejection of challenging ideas does not begin in high school or in middle school, but in kindergarten: "...the position that evolution is a major unifying concept in science should be included in the K-12 science education" (emp. added).
In the mid-1990s, evolutionist Daniel Dennett wrote a book titled Darwin's Dangerous Idea. One of the most disturbing comments in Dennett's book concerned parents who teach their children (among other things) "that 'Man' is not a product of evolution" (1995, p. 519, emp. added). Dennett wrote: "[T]hose of us who have freedom of speech will feel free to describe your teachings as the spreading of falsehoods, and will attempt to demonstrate this to your children at our earliest opportunity" (p. 519). Notice the jab at religious parents—accusing them of lying and not "freely" telling the truth about man's origins. More pressing, observe how he then proceeded to testify that evolutionists like himself will endeavor to convince the children of theists at the "earliest opportunity" that evolution is not fiction, but a fact.
The fact is, children all over this country, many of them from Christian homes, are taught a false, corrupt doctrine of naturalistic origins from the time they enter kindergarten at the age of five. We at Apologetics Press believe there is a great need for more children's material that specifically counters the threat of evolution and emphatically teaches the fact that God created the world and everything in it. To that end, and with the help of Almighty God and our gracious supporters, we are continuing to produce materials on creation and evolution for young children, including our Creation Cards (for toddlers), Digger Doug's Underground DVDs (for toddler-elementary school children), Learn-to-Read books (5-6 year olds), Early Readers (6-7 year olds), and soon-to-be-released Advanced Readers (for 8-9 year olds).
If you are interested in any of these materials, please visit our WebStore to read more about them. It is our hope that we can help you as you help your children learn, at an early stage in life, about their God and His amazing creative ability. Remember, it is never too early to begin teaching your children the truths of God's Word and His world.
"2010 Mississippi Framework" (2008), Mississippi Department of Education, July 25, [On-line], URL: http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/ACAD/ID/Curriculum/Science/ 2010%20draft%20for%20webpage%20May%201%2008.doc.
Dennett, Daniel (1995), Darwin's Dangerous Idea (New York: Simon and Schuster).


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- 2 Beds
- 2 Full Baths
Property TypeResidential – Condominium
SubdivisionSunriver Condos
Listing Date06/10/19
Year Built1981
Lot Size0.04 Acres (1,742 SqFt)
Property Description
SunRiver is the ideal mountain getaway centrally located to both Vail & Beaver Creek. Move right in to this south facing turn-key home boasting an open one level floor, plan 9' ceilings and numerous updates throughout. Fresh paint and quartz counter tops to be installed this month. This is resort living at its best with on-site amenities include an outdoor heated pool, hot-tub, private fishing and covered parking. A home not to be missed!
Presented By
- Bus Route
- South Facing
- Cross Country Trails
- Golf-Public
- Hiking/Pedestrian Trail
- On Bus Line
- Pool
- Tennis Courts
- Fireplace - Wood
- Pool
- Spa and Hot Tub
- Tennis
- Cable TV
- District Sewer
- District Water
- Electricity Avail.
- Baseboard
- Dryer
- Washer
Financial Information
About EagleVail
Situated between two world-class ski resorts, the community of EagleVail is one of the valley's most prime locations in terms of access. With an 18-hole golf course, par 3 golf course, tennis courts, community pool, hiking and biking trails, sporting fields, a community garden, local restaurants and more, this community has something for everyone. EagleVail serves as a basecamp for families, second-home owners and adventurous thrill-seekers alike. Wave hello to your neighbors on an evening stroll around the golf course, hang out at the community pool or ski home from Beaver Creek — whatever lifestyle you're looking for, EagleVail delivers the perfect setting for it. Real estate in the community includes a healthy mix of condominiums, townhomes, duplexes and single-family homes. In EagleVail, neighbors hang out together at the community garden, driving range, Turkey Trot or the pool. EagleVail is also just a bike ride away from Vail, Avon and Edwards, and multiple county bus stops in the neighborhood provide easy shuttle service to anywhere in the valley. With its commercial and residential zones, adjacent National Forest lands, beautiful green spaces thanks to the golf course and other pocket parks, EagleVail features alpine living without sacrificing any conveniences. It's also a community that offers pricing from entry-level to luxury buyers.
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The data relating to the real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Vail Multi-List Service, Inc.
Copyright © 2020 Vail Multi List, Inc. (VMLS). The information displayed herein was derived from sources believed to be accurate, but has not been verified by VMLS. Buyers are cautioned to verify all information to their own satisfaction. This information is exclusively for viewers' personal, non- commercial use. Any republication or reproduction of the information herein without the express permission of the VMLS is strictly prohibited.
Listing courtesy of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - Villa Montane


text: Order pizza Beringen Welcome to the website of ordering pizza for the residents of the city Beringen! Order pizza delivery for free. Here you can order any pizza. The courier will bring a hot pizza to your home. — Italian Margarita, Signora Graciosa, Graciosa! The most famous pizza "Patriotic" and "popular" have gained recognition all over the world. The simple dish of the poor, flat pita bread with vegetables, transformed tomato has conquered the throne. Today she is well received in every home and delivered at any convenient time and place. To order a large pizza. Fans of the Goodies in the city Beringen service order a pizza fond, freeing up time for your favorite cases, they still do not limit themselves periodically arranging a holiday belly. This one Delicious pizza The benefits of pizza delivery in the city of Beringen for the house is undeniable. A wide range of pizza allows you to dream and imagination and to indulge in party menu. Classic pizza with anchovies and tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Pizza delivery to the house. Pizza with cheese, Basil and spinach. Pizza with your favorite seafood and vegetables plus tuna. Cheese pizza. Four seasons — four pizza. Overall, a tasty pizza around the clock the right size for any taste with various fillings. Order a pizza in Beringen convenient for employees of companies. Taking advantage of free pizza delivery, ordering it in a certain amount, you get a loyalty card. A nice opportunity to enjoy discounts constantly. Pizza hour delivery. Buy pizza online is a very convenient service any time of the day or night. You have unexpected guests or having a party, delivery pizza at home is indispensable in such situations. And the time saved on the preparation for the party is an opportunity to give yourself and your loved ones more time than usual. Mama pizza order. Good option for freeing up time! Twenty minutes and you have on the table in Beringen delicious lunch and full snack. Interesting facts Experts in Beringen has defined the criterion of "real pizza", because of the huge variety of pizzas. Quality mark — the D. O. C. Main dough and its preparation method manual. Rolling cakes, with planting and rotation, without a rolling pin. Pizza price. Basic baking pizza in wood burning oven at 200 degree temperature. Baking pizza is the national dish has no boundaries, year produced two and a half billion pizzas, the boundaries of States is exported and a half. Truly a favorite dish of residents of the city of Beringen! 85% of Internet users choose the delivery pizza at home. Order pizza delivery for free. Just a phrase to order a pizza type in a search engine, almost 70 thousand users. "Margherita", "Marinara", "Four seasons" what would you like? Select the desired pizza Let the number of pieces Order Beringen Call the courier Payment after delivery Author's How to order a pizza? Yes, very simple. To order pizza in the city of Beringen you must carefully fill in the application form on the website, leaving their contact details. Pizza cost. In the near future you will contact the courier will deliver the order at the specified address in Beringen at the appointed time. Bon appetit! Order Belgium: Brussels | Aalst | Enghien | Andenne | Hannut | Antwerp | Antoing | Arlon | Aarschot | Ath | Oudenaarde | Oudenburg | Bastogne | Beringen | Binche | Blankenberge | Beaumont | Borgloon | Beauraing | Bree | Braine-le-Comte | Bruges | Bouillon | Wavre | Walcourt | Waregem | Waremme | Wervik | Verviers | Veurne | Vise | Vilvoorde | Virton | Geel | Genk | Ghent | Geraardsbergen | Gistel | Damme | Deinze | Dendermonde | Diksmuide | Dilsen-Stokkem | Dinant | Diest | Durbuy | Genappe | Gembloux | Jodoigne | Zoutleeuw | Zottegem | Izegem | Ypres | Comines-Warneton | Kortrijk | Couvin | Landen | La Louviere | La Roche-en-Ardenne | Le Roeulx | Lessines | Leuven | Leuze-en-Hainaut | Limbourg | Lier | Lokeren | Lommel | Lo-Reninge | Liege | Maaseik | Malmedy | Marche-en-Famenne | Menen | Mesen | Mechelen | Mons | Mortsel | Mouscron | Namur | Neufchateau | Nivelles | Ninove | Nieuwpoort | Ostend | Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve | Peer | Peruwelz | Poperinge | Ronse | Rochefort | Roeselare | St Vith | Saint-Ghislain | Saint-Hubert | Seraing | Ciney | Sint-Niklaas | Sint-Truiden | Spa | Stavelot | Soignies | Scherpenheuvel-Zichem | Tielt | Tienen | Tongeren | Torhout | Tournai | Turnhout | Thuin | Houffalize | Philippeville | Fleurus | Florenville | Fontaine-l'Eveque | Fosses-la-Ville | Halen | Halle | Hamont-Achel | Harelbeke | Hasselt | Herentals | Herk-de-Stad | Hoogstraten | Charleroi | Chatelet | Chimay | Chiny | Chievres | Eeklo | Eupen | Herve | Herstal | Huy Posted by Admin Tuesday, April 21, 2020 3:43:00 AM Rate this Content 0 0 Votes Tweet Comments New Comment Email Address Name Url 1 + 7 = Solve This To Prove You are a Real Person, not a SPAM script.


text: The forward bend test is a test used most often in schools and doctor's offices to screen for scoliosis. During the test, the child bends forward with the feet together and knees straight while dangling the arms. Any imbalances in the rib cage or other deformities along the back could be a sign of scoliosis.


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Anglo American Platinum, a unit of global mining giant Anglo American and the world's top producer of the precious metal, lost at least 191 000 ounces, worth over $300-million at current spot prices, to wildcat strikes which ended earlier this month at several of its South African mines.
More will certainly be lost as the operations slowly ramp back up to full production.
If the Amplats' review leads to job cuts it could further stoke social tensions on the platinum belt. Over 50 people have been killed this year in South Africa's labour violence, which has its roots in a vicious union turf war and glaring income disparities in the grim shantytowns that ring the mines.
Spokesperson Mpumi Sithole, confirming a report in Business Day, told Reuters the review would be presented to Amplats' board in January and made public shortly after that.
The review comes as the global mining group searches for a replacement for outgoing chief executive Cynthia Carroll.
Even before the strikes, part of a wave of deadly labour unrest that swept South Africa's mines this year, Anglo American was scrutinising its platinum operations as profits fell in the face of soaring costs and weak demand for the white metal used to build emissions-capping catalytic converters in automobiles.
South Africa is home to about 80% of the world's known platinum reserves and much of the industry is battling with falling profits.
But reduced South African supplies because of the strikes are lifting the metal's price and Nomura said last week in a research note to clients that the platinum price should climb with the profits and share prices of producers following.
The spot platinum price has gained about 15% this year and is currently fetching around $1 604 an ounce. – Reuters


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Special report: Covering the high costs of hearing aids
Bill would require hearing aid coverage for adults
There is a movement under way to help thousands of Mainers living cut off from much of the world because they can't afford the technology to help them hear.
Maine requires insurance companies to pay for hearing aids for children, but right now most adults are on their own.
Traditionally, insurance companies have not reimbursed customers for the cost of hearing aids, and the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act won't change that.
Poll: Do you think insurance companies should help cover the costs of hearing aids for adults?
That is why some are pushing for changes to state law that would benefit adults like Summer Noyes, of Auburn, who is 87 percent deaf in both ears because of a childhood illness.
"If you were to turn on music, I can hear the beat, but I can't hear the people singing," said Noyes.
Her hearing aid is her only link to the world of sound many take for granted.
"I should be wearing two, but I haven't worn two hearing aids in maybe 15 years," said Noyes.
That is because the cost of two hearing aids is too much for the 33-year-old mother to afford.
Noyes said her one hearing device costs about $2,700.
"I think that people assume that, because it's a medical condition, it's going to be insured by medical insurance," said Noyes.
However, in just about all cases hearing aids are not covered.
Most states don't require insurance companies to cover the costs of hearing aids, so most companies don't.
That forces many who need hearing devices to go without, according to hearing aid specialist Kelly Nelson.
Nelson works at Marty Layne Audiology in Scarborough.
She said hearing aids can be life-changing.
"I have put hearing aids on people and they just start bawling because they're amazed at how well they can hear," said Nelson.
Maine already requires insurance companies to cover hearing aids for children under the age of 18. A bill before the Legislature would expand that coverage to everyone.
"Very well-intentioned. We just want the legislature to understand that there is going to be a cost to this," said Chris Dugan of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Anthem is Maine's largest health insurance provider.
The company opposes expanding hearing aid coverage because Dugan said it will end up costing all customers more.
"It's really a cost issue. Premiums continue to rise. Cost of care continues to rise, and what we're really making sure the Legislature understands is that if you pass a bill like this, there is a cost to that. It's borne by all of the people who pay premiums," said Dugan.
Executive Director of the Maine Center of Deafness Elissa Moran said the issue is particularly important in Maine, the nation's oldest state.
"The need is just enormous and does nothing but grow every day," said Moran.
Noyes said she worries how long the one hearing aid she can afford will last.
"It's always over my head, so it's looming because, at any point, at any given time, it could stop working," said Noyes.
Lawmakers have tabled the bill that would require hearing aid coverage for adults until the next legislative session in order to conduct a study on the issue.


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Robert Gustavson of Falmouth was exiting Interstate 295 onto Forest Avenue last November. A car was stopped ahead of him. Once the road was clear, the car in front moved into the lane. Gustavson followed, looking left to make sure the road was still clear. As he looked back, the car in front of him inexplicably stopped, and Gustavson rear-ended it.
"It was my fault, but I think the driver in front of me was confused or distracted," he said. "I've seen that a lot there."
It appears confusion and distraction might be elevated in Maine's most populous city and county.
The Maine Department of Transportation collects crash data every three years that it uses to rank intersections and segments of road throughout the state. The data is used to help identify where the state's safety dollars should be spent, a discussion currently taking place among transportation officials as they develop the next work plan for road projects.
Eight of the top 20 high-crash sites — identified as an area with at least eight crashes in a three-year period — between 2009 and 2011 were in Cumberland County. Four were in Portland, including the site of Gustavson's accident.
The MDOT weights the data, comparing the number of crashes against the volume of vehicles, so the higher traffic volume does not necessarily correlate to a higher number of accidents. An intersection in Minot could have as much chance of making the list as an intersection in Portland.
So why are Cumberland County and Portland so well-represented on such a dubious list?
"We have a lot of tricky intersections and a lot of aggressive drivers," said Jeremiah Bartlett, the city's transportation systems engineer.
Sgt. Troy Bowden with the Portland Police Department's traffic division said officers patrol and enforce wherever they can, but it's unlikely that police cruisers would ever be stationed at any of the identified sites.
One big factor that makes Portland more accident-prone, he said, is that it draws considerable traffic from outside the city, both as a commerce center and as a tourist destination. That means there are more drivers on Portland roads who are less familiar with them.
State transportation officials said the highest-crash sites are not always the most dangerous. In some cases, an intersection may see a high rate of crashes, but the majority of those might be fender benders, while in other cases, a stretch of road might see only a few accidents, but most are serious or fatal.
For the top sites identified in Portland, the majority of crashes are minor nuisance accidents, with Interstate 295 the culprit in each. Two off-ramps from I-295 onto Forest Avenue are on the list. Another site is the entrance to I-295 at Baxter Boulevard. Another is near the on-ramp to I-295 from Congress Street. Of the top 15 crash sites in Portland, eight involve I-295.
Bartlett said none of the locations surprised him. The Forest Avenue section, for instance, is at the top of the city's list for improvements and has received $1 million in funding from the state from the current work plan.
"It would be great if we could just take the list every year and knock the projects off," he said. "Obviously, that doesn't happen."
Other top sites in Cumberland County include two locations in Windham — the intersection of Route 3 and Falmouth Road, and the merging of Pope, Ward and Windham Center roads — as well as Cumberland Street and Warren Avenue in Westbrook, and the area of Brackett Road, Libby Avenue and New Portland Road in Gorham.
Augusta has just as many sites in the top 20 as Portland, two of which involve rotaries, often a source of confusion for drivers.
The highest-rated site from 2009 to 2011 was the intersection of Lewiston Road and Routes 9 and 126 in West Gardiner. From 2009 to 2011, there were 25 accidents there.
The second-ranked site, the off-ramp from Interstate 95 to Western Avenue in Augusta, had nearly four times as many accidents in that time but was still ranked lower.
To create its projects list, the MDOT uses a formula known as "crash rate factor" that takes into account the number of crashes and the number of vehicles traveling through each site, and then compares what actually happens to what the state predicts will happen based on a site's history.
It's not strictly a crash-per-capita formula.
Duane Brunell, a MDOT project manager, said the state's rankings are meant to evaluate a road's safety performance while comparing areas on an apples-to-apples basis. But he said the state uses the data as a starting point, not an end point.
"You can only tell so much from paper," he said. "Once we compile the list, then we have staff go out to these sites and look for any trends."
During every work plan — usually a two- or three-year cycle connected to the department's budget — projects are identified for completion depending on the amount of money expected to be available from the state and federal governments.
Transportation department spokesman Ted Talbot said the money set aside for safety improvements is derived from a complicated formula, but much of the funding is discretionary. The three-year work plan for 2013 through 2015 is expected to be finalized in the next few weeks, he said.
In the 2012 calendar year, the state approved 29 safety projects totaling just under $18 million. The biggest project was a $4.7 million rebuild of the busy Dunstan Corner intersection in Scarborough. The smallest was a $14,000 project in Otisfield that installed new safety signs and repaved shoulders on a section of Gore Road. Talbot said the funding for safety projects fluctuates from year to year, but he said it's also hard to calculate because of overlap.
For instance, a site or stretch of road that may already have been identified for improvements by the MDOT could receive funding outside of the safety improvement program. Another example might be a stretch of road that features more than one high-crash site. That may move up the priority list.
Maria Fuentes, director of the Maine Better Transportation Association, a watchdog over the upkeep of the state's roads and bridges, said the state, in her opinion, spends about half of what it should on roads and bridges. Areas where safety is a big concern are prioritized, but there is never enough money, she said.
John Duncan, director of the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, a planning agency, said the list of high-crash intersections rarely comes as a surprise to anyone in the transportation industry, but he said identifying the sites is only half the battle.
"A lot of locations are either really expensive to fix or extremely difficult to fix," he said.
Duncan said that whenever he has approached MDOT staff about safety-funded projects, the response has been good.
"We don't do it every year," he said. "Maybe we should."
An intersection's place on the high-crash list does not guarantee funding, particularly immediate funding.
A six-way intersection at Deering and Brighton avenues near the University of Southern Maine campus made the state list between 2006 and 2008 but was not chosen for funds. Portland officials have discussed changes, including the possibility of a rotary, but nothing has happened yet. That intersection was not on the MDOT's most recent list.
"It can be years between when you identify a problem to getting it fixed," said Bartlett, the city's transportation systems engineer.
Some of the highest crash sites from 2009 to 2011 were the same as those from 2006 to 2008, while others have moved up the list considerably. One of the I-295 off-ramps onto Forest Avenue that ranked third from 2009 to 2011 ranked 11th in the state from 2006 to 2008. Another off-ramp that ranked fifth in 2009-2011 ranked 114th in the previous three-year period.
Traffic may be a science, but there's plenty of guesswork, too.
"A crash is not a formulaic outcome," said Brunell of the state transportation department. "The tricky dynamic is driving behavior, and bad driving can manifest anywhere."
Bonnie Chisholm was in her car at a stoplight on Washington Avenue in January, waiting to turn left onto Allen Avenue. She saw the truck behind her coming fast, but there was nothing she could do to keep him from crashing into the back of her Honda Fit. Luckily, she wasn't hurt. The driver who hit her had been distracted when he ran into her, but the Scarborough woman doesn't blame him. She said she's been guilty of the same thing.
"People have so much on their mind now," she said. "It's cellphones, yes, but it's also just general distraction."
The state's dedicated safety improvement plan has been in place since 1989. Every year, there are anywhere from 15 to 30 projects of varying size selected to receive safety improvement funds. Once improvements are made, the MDOT tracks performance, starting with three years before the improvements and concluding three years after. Since the program was started, safety funds almost always translate to noticeable improvements, officials said.
Maine's roads do appear safer now than 10 years ago. The total number of crashes reported has been declining steadily since 2001, with the exception of a small uptick from 2006 to 2007. There are now fewer than 29,000 each year, down from more than 37,000 a decade ago.
Fatalities have been decreasing as well, from a high of 204 in 2003 to a low of 136 in 2011.
Transportation experts say even though more money helps, it is not the only answer.
"Transportation groups and local communities are doing a good job advocating for more investments, but we need to remember that drivers are a big part of this," said Fuentes of the Maine Better Transportation Association. "Safety improvements don't address driver inattention."
Staff Writer Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:
Twitter: @PPHEricRussell
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When Royce Pulliam talks about his company, he often uses the word "we" rather than the word "I." That word choice may indicate that he really believes it when he says he hasn't been a lone wolf in building Lexington, KY-based Global Fitness Holdings and its 30 Urban Active clubs.
"I've had a lot of really good people hooked to my hip that helped me lead and guide this company in the right direction," he says.
Part of Pulliam's team is his staff — from Glenn Gordon, the president, to Martin Stein, the COO, to all the managers, personal trainers and front desk staff.
Part of that team is Laurence E. Paul and his brother, Stephen Paul, who own Laurel Crown Partners, a private equity firm that has been partners with Pulliam in Global Fitness Holdings since 2006, when Pulliam was still a Gold's Gym franchisee with 15 clubs.
"They invested in our company, in our team, in our executive management team and in myself. They believed in us," Pulliam says.
Pulliam is passionate about what his team has created.
"We believe that members today want a great value, including a lot of energy," he says. To create that excitement, Pulliam makes sure something is going on in every room, from the kids room to the locker room to the smoothie bar café.
"Our objective is that we have a lot of young people in our company, and their goals are to continue to grow what we feel can be one of the best and most energetic fitness companies in North America," he says.
To pull that off, it takes quality people who believe in what the company does, have the same culture, have a strong work ethic and have energy and passion, Pulliam says.
The company will need that energy and passion to pull off Pulliam's plans to open six to seven clubs this year and 10 clubs next year. By 2010, Pulliam plans to have 50 clubs.
During the next 36 months, the company will open clubs or sign deals in the East, the Midwest and the South, he says. Planned locations include Omaha, NE; Des Moines, IA; Raleigh, NC; Charlotte, NC; Kansas City, MO; and St. Louis.
Pulliam also has plans for a club in Pittsburgh, PA, which is the hometown of the Paul family. In fact, the Pauls recently became part owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, but Pulliam says it's too early to say whether that ownership could translate to any deals between Global Fitness Holdings and the Steelers.
Pulliam and his partners determine their club locations based on competition, income of the market and real estate availability.
"Real estate is a big key to us right now," Pulliam says. "We like building [clubs] from the ground up. We really like creating our own vision, our own energy, our own passion and our own product."
Acquisitions are not part of the current plan.
Global Fitness Holdings has its own real estate development arm and works with three preferred developers to build its clubs, Pulliam says. He adds that the company owns 50 percent of its real estate, and the other 50 percent is owned by the preferred developers who lease back the property to Global Fitness.
Pulliam calls the real estate part of the business "a nice additional investment for us." However, he says that to build the number of clubs that he wants to each year, the company will have to continue to partner with developers because of the manpower required. Also, because the credit crunch is especially hurting the real estate market, he's had to scale back expansion plans — at least for now.
Still, Pulliam says the economy isn't affecting his clubs much because he says they are priced right, are convenient for their middle class market and offer programming and amenities that members want.
Pulliam expects his company to do about $100 million this year compared to $30 million when he left Gold's Gym in 2007. (See Largest Franchisee for Gold's Gym Moves On, Nov. 2007.) He anticipates an annual growth rate of 25 percent to 30 percent a year for the next two to three years.
Much of that increase in revenue will come from the new clubs, but personal training is adding a lot of ancillary revenue, too, he says.
"Personal training is a huge piece of our business," Pulliam says. "It's a big piece of the membership and how we retain members. We feel like our retention is fairly strong because a lot of our people buy training, and they're successful with their training."
Group training hasn't made a big splash at Urban Active yet. Pulliam says that 99 percent of the company's training business is still one-on-one. Rather than making training more affordable by offering group training, Urban Active is offering 30-minute personal training sessions.
Pulliam says another key to growth for his company is the addition of a three-story club model, the first of which opened in December in Columbus, OH. The three-story design allows Urban Active to go into densely populated areas where land is scarce without sacrificing any of its amenities, Pulliam says.
"If there's only 3 1/2 acres, we didn't want to have to cut out the track, basketball, the pool," he says. "We wanted to be able to provide what we do, but be able to fit it in an area where there's only X amount of property available."
Despite the growth that Pulliam has planned and his background as a franchisee with Gold's Gym and World Gym prior to that, Pulliam insists that he will not franchise Urban Active.
"You lose control of the product, the quality of service [if you franchise]," he says. "It gets so fragmented that you end up losing control of what you've built up."
However, Pulliam says he might partner with experienced operators who share his vision and carve out territories with them for some Urban Active clubs.
Pulliam also initially dismissed the idea of going public some day, saying that the Pauls own many businesses and few are publicly traded. However, he then added that he couldn't predict the future.
"Our mission is to keep our head down and continue to do what we do and not deviate from our business model at all and operate business as we know it," he says. "Whatever happens, happens."
Pulliam doesn't have an exit strategy from his company like some club operators have. He just wants to exit the business "before he dies."
"People do have exit strategies and exit plans, but 90 percent of those exit plans never come to fruition," he says. "No one can read that crystal ball, and we just haven't tried to."
For interviews with other executives in the fitness industry, visit the Executive Insights section of the Web site.


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The Unwritten Rules of the Costa Rican Roads
Three of the most important differences you should know:
1. Just like in the US, rolling stops are illegal. However in recorded history no one has been cited for a rolling stop in Costa Rica. A rolling stop at a stop sign in the US means you may get a ticket. A full stop at a stop sign in Costa Rica means you may get rear-ended.
2. In the US, passing on a blind curve is a sin. In Costa Rica not letting somebody in who passes on a blind curve may be a mortal sin. When you see a big slow truck in the oncoming lane, be ready for the guy behind him to be passing him -- and the woman behind you to be passing you.
3. Understand that driving in the US and driving in Costa Rica stem from vastly different cultural traditions. Driving in the US is derived from the lore of the Old West. There may be a veneer of courtesy, but down deep it is the showdown at high noon. If you back down your very manhood has been compromised - womanhood too. Hence road rage.
Driving in Costa Rica on the other hand is inspired by the ancient tradition of the bullfight. How close can you get without getting hurt? The driver who cuts you off in Costa Rica is not insulting you. He´s playing with you. Your role in the game is to not get cut off, as long as nobody gets hurt. Hence everybody tailgates.
The best way for you to handle this is the same as for newcomers to all games: play, but play by local rules; don´t play too intensely; and expect to lose. Defensive driving at all times is the key.
It is important that you understand that the rules and policies regarding car rental in Costa Rica are even more in favor of the company than they are in the US. Before renting a car in Costa Rica you should make yourself aware of the differences and be sure that they are acceptable to you.


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The minister's a fraud! Well, only in so far as he's not actually a minister – he's a doctor, my Uncle Ron.
I found this photo in my Granddad's album of other photos of Ron and family from around 1984. I was rummaging for inspiration for my Sepia Saturday post and looking for a "men at work" photo. You know how sometimes you're on a roll and the ideas and words flow just fine, and other times you just can't get it together? I got distracted by this picture and wondered why Dr Ron would be photographed in a pulpit.
Lightbulb moment!
Ron's grandfather, William (my great grandfather) who was the father of Norman (from last week's post with cutie Rose) and my grandfather, Douglas, and another 5 sons, was the Church of Scotland Minister at Cults Church in Pitlessie, Fife. I wondered if this was Ron standing in the pulpit where his grandfather had preached from 1901 onwards. A quick Google and I found the Undiscovered Scotland Website which shows a much better quality photo of the interior of…. Cults Kirk! My grandparents must have taken a trip to the church with Ron when he was visiting and snapped a photo of him posing where his grandfather stood.
So I may have spent the afternoon messing about with photos and meandering the internet, but I stumbled upon an important photo that I didn't even realise I had. Isn't it great when things work out just fine despite having no plan? 🙂
Take a look at everyone else's Sepia Saturday contributions – Alan's pic this week features some hunky biceps 😉


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'Justice' urged for woman who claimed road rage in murder
Family, friends and fellow church members of a woman charged with murder in a case she said was self-defense must be vigilant to ensure that she receives a fair trial, her pastor said Wednesday.
"We will leave no stone unturned," Bishop James Dixon II said at a news conference at his Houston church, Community of Faith.
He and others came to support 23-year-old Crystal Scott, who was indicted Tuesday in the Sept. 17 fatal shooting of Jonathan Ables in northwest Harris County after a traffic accident.
At the time of the shooting, she told authorities Ables attacked her and she feared for her life. Authorities did not charge her, but a grand jury determined the case should go to trial.
"We will engage others in the community who are concerned for justice," Dixon said. "Other organizations, other personalities will be involved because we do understand we cannot take this for granted. We cannot be docile, we cannot be lackadaisical, we've got to be vigilant because justice is not automatically served."
A 'foul' smell?
Scott, who was not at the news conference, is free on bail after her booking Tuesday night on the murder charge, Dixon said.
Scott told authorities that after the accident, both drivers had pulled their vehicles into a Shell station on FM 1960 near Perry. She said Ables, 22, screamed profanities at her, struck her car and tried to open her door. Scott then shot him.
Abels' father, Kyle Aucoin, has disputed that version of events, saying his son had his hands up and was backing away.
Dixon, flanked by a dozen of Scott's family and supporters who included her mother, Tara Scott Williams, said he intended to talk soon with Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson to understand how the case came to an indictment.
"We're thoroughly convinced Crystal Scott acted in self-defense and doesn't deserve any charges," he said. "This is another case where an innocent's person's life is in jeopardy."
Dixon said he and Scott's supporters are confident that facts are "overwhelmingly" in her favor but not as confident that justice is always done. "Will she actually face a jury of her peers?" Dixon said.
Asked if he thought race was a factor in the case, Dixon said, "I can tell you we're in Harris County, Texas. With a white male attacking a black female's vehicle, it already begins to smell foul."


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Non-Enclosed, 4-Channel, SPST Relay, 60 VDC (1 A)/250 VAC (1.5 A) C Series Relay Output Module—The sbRIO‑9482 directly connects to a wide array of industrial devices such as motors, actuators, and DC devices. Each channel provides access to an electromechanical relay for switching signals up to 60 VDC (1 A) or 250 Vrms (1.5 A), features channel‑to‑channel isolation, and has a LED that indicates the status. Non-enclosed modules are designed for OEM applications.
Find complete product documentation to learn how to get started and use the product.
Explore a wide range of support content, including examples and troubleshooting information.


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University of Minnesota to Upgrade Facilities
On Wednesday, University of Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague went before the Board of Regents and presented the first part of a $190 million, six to eight year building plan to upgrade the Minnesota Golden Gophers facilities.
Teague's proposal will feature a new football practice complex, men's/women's basketball facility, Olympic sports indoor facility, outdoor track, women's gymnastics facility, wrestling training facility, training table and a new academic center.
The new complexes and facilities will be located where the old Bierman athletic building, football, baseball and softball complexes are currently located.
Earlier in the year, Teague speculated the project would only cost $80 to $120 million, but the final cost was well above what Teague thought the cost of the project would be.


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Ok. No suspense. I traded the V7 Classic for another bike. Last July I took her in for a 24,000 mile service to the local Dealer — TT Motorcycles — and told them to add change the tires and fix anything that they might find. TTM is a small, family-run operation. You wait for them to get to you, as everyone gets individual service and there are only so many bodies in the store. Could it be more efficient? Yes. Would it lose some of its charm in the process? Yes. Be patient.
While I was there, I walked around the showroom. They had a lot of bikes — many favorites. A 1200 Sport. Nice Monsters. A Tuono. Griso… There it was…
A killer little 2008 Orange Aprilia Shiver with 1800 miles on the clock. I threw a leg over it. hmmm. fits… so nice…. I got off, and asked about the bike. It was a one-owner, with actual miles, bone stock. 19 months left on the factory warranty.
I signed the work order and left the store. The bike kept talking to me… I no longer had that beastly commute on weekends between Chicago and Detroit as I had now moved to the area. My commute was from Grosse Pointe to Farmington Hills, as I had begun consulting at Mercedes Benz Financial Services; a 70 mile round trip. The Guzzi had 24,000 miles and was out of warranty. the Aprilia had 1800… The Aprilia had 77 horsepower….
It just gnawed on me for days. I went back to the shop to see how things were going. It was mid July and the shop was jammed with bikes in for work. I hadn't ridden in a week except for the Parilla, which was hardly a commuter bike for a 65-mile round trip. I asked, casually, about the Aprilia. He gave me the details. I said that it was interesting, and "I wonder what the out-the-door" difference would be in trade for my bike. He got diverted and we decided to talk later.
TT had my bike for 10 days. I pressed. He gave me a number. I shot back, and we got close. I saw a Suomy "Tattoo" Helmet that looked cool. He said he would throw it in.
So for very little money, I had a virtually new bike with warranty and a $500 helmet for a 24,000 mile bike. And I'm back on the road.
…For three weeks. I had just gotten back from the Mods vs Rockers Show in Cleveland where I had ridden the Parilla (and won Best European bike). The show was held during an unbelievably warm spell there, and I found out that the little Parilla really likes to be run hard; not go with too much stop-and-go traffic (I was riding with the mods).
I finally waved them off and met them at the location, with a quick blast around the beltways. This show is on my list. Great town. Really great people.
Upon my return, I continued commuting on the Shiver. All of a sudden I get the dreaded "Service" light, familiar to early Aprilia Shiver riders. I checked the Aprilia forums, and it seems that this is a "rite of passage" for ownership of the earlier bikes. Since it was under warranty, I dropped the bike off in hopes that it would be a small fix.
It wasn't a small fix, but it was a "free" fix. The boys at TT Motorcycles actually arranged a conference call with the Factory, TWICE, and they took voltage readings across the throttle settings. Turns out the throttle bodies were bad, and they replaced everything within two weeks. I think the amazing part of this story is how Piaggio has gotten its act together over the last 4-5 years and streamlined the ability to deliver parts to the customers in a reasonable time, and to work with the dealers to ensure that these same customers are happy and riding their bikes, instead of complaining about them over a beer to their friends that will be purchasing a bike sometime in the future.
Not much to tell about the rest of the riding season, as it involved a whole lot of commuting, nice morning blasts up the Lodge Freeway, and a couple of short trips around the area. There was a great Britbike show, where my Parilla came in second in European behind a spectacular Ducati 750SS that was very, very, original. Still, I rode (insert sour grapes) the 40 miles to the event.
It was a nice long autumn.
Paying the "Stupid Tax"
In early November I decided to get one last commute ride in before it got too cold. The weather man said the high would be about 58°, and I looked at the weather, showing 38° in the morning. I geared up and fired up the bike. Rolling out of the driveway, I took a left onto Meriweather, and then a right-left on Ridge to get down to Mack.
That was the plan. On the right-left "chicane" on Ridge, there were a few wet leaves that got under my front wheel, and just as I swapped my weight, I was skidding across the tarmac before I even knew what happened. It was only a 5mph low-side, but it was just plain silly and embarrassing I snapped off the brake lever, scratched the clutch cover, rubbed a tank bumper and plastic panel, and ground a little off the brake lever. $250 in stupid tax. Of course Piaggio had the parts in less than a week, shipped directly to me via my dealer.
Sometimes it pays to think a little before firing up. I let my want get the better of my better sense, and paid the price. I guess it was lucky I wasn't on the freeway.
Another Guzzi
I have a couple of aggregation sites that I watch showing Craigslist listings over most of the US. One of these showed a Moto Guzzi Stornello Sport in Indianapolis for $450. I traded some emails with the owner, and just after Christmas I picked it up. I promised Sheila that I would work on it after the kitchen is finished. It is very complete, and after running the serial numbers, I found it to be a 1965 Sport America, surprisingly stock, but in need of cosmetics and some of the chrome bits and stuff cleaned up, along with a complete wiring harness. Nothing scary.
It's all there. 17 inch wheels and all. I can't wait to fire it up this summer. Trying to decide on a color scheme. I think I have one in mind, along with a very stylized early 50's Moto Guzzi logo. Oh boy, it's going to be a fun 2013.


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From: Labeth Myers
I love getting your emails and have learned a lot from you. I feel especially fond of you because you are from the general area of some of my husband's family: The George W Pendarvis family, including his great aunt, Louisa Pendarvis, who lived in Bradenton. I was delighted to find this article in The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK, Sunday, Feb.12, 2006. I wish I was in good health so I could help with this project. I knew you would love to read this, too.
THANK-you for scanning the article titled BURIED MEMORIES by staff writer Ann DeFrange, which is now in the "pay-per-view" area of the newspaper's website. The article mentions 77 book "Oklahoma Centennial Project" each one an index to county cemeteries. If you'd like to learn more about publications in this project see: http://www.oklahomacentennial.com/Publications.php?Category=14
It is there that I discovered the upcoming Oklahoma Land Tract Book Index to overcome the problem of land records filed only by land description. Once completed, you can search by name of purchaser. That's a LOT easier.
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
Snail Mail Address:
227 Bellevue Way NE PMB 544
Bellevue, WA 98004


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UNEMPLOYMENT in York has fallen to its lowest level in at least eight years - to the delight of politicians from right and left.
The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) fell by 213 to 1,577 in June, or just 1.2 per cent of those eligible to claim - half the national average.
The city has seen a reduction of 974 since June 2013, meaning that number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance has decreased by 38.2 per cent, and there are 300 fewer young people claiming JSA.
The latest figure is lower than at any time since January 2006, when a monthly time-series of statistics, provided by the Office for National Statistics, began.
It means the city is close to hitting one of its targets in its vision of a 'poverty-free York,' launched last year, which was for a 40 per cent fall in three-years.
However, there has also been a rise in the proportion of people in part-time, often low-paid work.
In Selby, the number of JSA claimants fell from 990 in May to 906 in June, or 1.7 per cent of those eligible - the lowest figure since September 2008.
In North Yorkshire, the number fell to 4,606 or 1.2 per cent of those eligible to claim, down from 5,044 or 1.4 per cent of those eligible in May.
In East Riding of Yorkshire, the number fell to 3,966 or 1.9 per cent of those eligible, from 4,216 or 2.1 per cent of those eligible.
City of York Council leader, Labour's James Alexander, said the figures were testament to the partnership working across the city to help secure jobs and growth.
"It has been a key focus of the council to work to ensure York bounces back from the recession with unemployment levels less than when it started and I am pleased to say we are there," he said. However, he stressed there were still issues of in-work poverty exacerbated by cost of living increases in housing, energy and childcare,
The Tory MP for Selby and Ainsty, Nigel Adams, said another large fall in unemployment was a sign that the Government's long term economic plan was working in the district.
"Since the Conservative led government came into office to rescue the economy, the number of people out of work in Selby and Ainsty has fallen by a staggering 45 per cent.


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Irvine, Calif., July 14, 2009 A drug similar to one used in clinical trials for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis has been found to rescue memory in mice exhibiting Alzheimer's symptoms.
The discovery by UC Irvine scientists offers hope that a new treatment may be on the horizon for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's, the leading cause of elderly dementia afflicting more than 5 million people in the U.S. and for which no cure exists.
The drug, called PMX205, prevented inflamed immune cells from gathering in brain regions with Alzheimer's lesions called amyloid plaques. Cell inflammation in these areas accelerates neuron damage, exacerbating the disease.
"We used a multidisciplinary approach combining an understanding of immunology and neurobiology to uncover a completely different target than other therapies," said Andrea Tenner, lead author of the study that led to the findings and a molecular biology & biochemistry professor at UCI.
Study results are reported in the July 15 edition of the Journal of Immunology.
For 12 weeks, Tenner and colleagues added PMX205 to the drinking water of mice genetically altered to develop age-related Alzheimer's-like symptoms. The treatment occurred at an age when plaques were accumulating in their brains.
Scientists gave the treated mice learning and memory tests and then examined their brains for evidence of the disease. Alzheimer's mice that were not given the drug performed significantly worse on the test than normal mice. But in all but one case the treated Alzheimer's mice performed almost as well as the normal mice. Those with the rescued cognitive ability had more than 50 percent fewer Alzheimer's lesions and inflammatory immune cells than the untreated diseased mice.
PMX53, a similar drug that can be taken orally, passed Phase 1 human clinical trials for safety with no major problems reported. Possible side effects include an increased susceptibility to some infections. PMX205 is a modified version that may be more potent for treatment of brain disorders.
"This approach may work even better if combined with treatments targeting other problems in the Alzheimer's brain," said Tenner, also a professor of pathology and neurobiology & behavior, as well as a member of UCI's Institute for Immunology and Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, or UCI MIND.
|Contact: Jennifer Fitzenberger
University of California - Irvine


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Warner Brothers has their sights set firmly on bringing the hit manga and TV series "Bleach" to the live action space.
According to everybody but Tim Burton himself, the director's next movie will be a feature length version of his 1984 short "Frankenweenie", a spoof on Mary Shelly's classic book surrounding a man who brings his dog back to life after being hit by a car. Expect confirmation from Burton any time now along with casting news announcing Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp in the lead.
If you were hoping to catch more 'Keifer Sutherland afraid to look at himself in the mirror' action, your dreams will be coming true. Kind of. October 19th will see the direct video sequel "Mirrors 2" released to the public. Shifting focus to a boutique store in New Orleans, the sequel will star Nick Stahl, William Katt, and Emmanuelle Vaugier.


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All he wanted was a quarter
By J.J. Jackson
Standing at the parking meter, a young man scrounged around in his pockets for a quarter so that he could have a few minutes to run in to the market and buy a loaf of bread. However, as his hand fumbled around inside the pocket of his clean and pressed slacks he realized that he had no change other than a couple pennies and his larger denomination notes.
He turned to a random stranger, just someone passing by, and sheepishly asked, "Excuse me sir, but do you have a quarter?"
The stranger, a man older than him, stopped dead in his tracks with eyes that grew wide. The young man though that the look he saw was one of disgust at even being bothered, but the words that flew out of this stranger's mouth caught him off guard.
"A quarter?" The man asked and before the young man could simply say yes the stranger blurted out, "You poor man! Oh, most certainly! I was poor once too and I know how hard it can be to make ends meet." The stranger threw his hands into his own pockets and began literally hurling change into the young man's hands.
"No, you don't understand. I just need …"
"Yes, I understand fully. No need to thank me," the stranger interrupted as the coins jingled and many spilled out of the young man's hands to the ground.
"No, you really do not understand sir. I'm not poor! I just needed a quarter for the parking meter here."
The stranger continued rambling on however, "You don't need to be ashamed good sir! Here, take all that I have!"
"No!" the young man replied as he began pushing the change back into the stranger's hands. Pulling out a crisp twenty from his pocket he explained, "See, I've got money! I have a great job that pays me well! I live in a house on the Upper East Side. I just don't have a quarter!"
Just at that moment a woman joined them and asked what was going on. The first stranger made sure to tell the whole story as he saw it despite being told plainly and bluntly otherwise. "This young man here is so poor he doesn't even have a quarter!"
"No," the young man interrupted, "that's not it at all!"
The woman snorted and then went off on a rant of her own, "That's what happens when the neo-cons and their big business allies are in power! Always taxing the people that make this country work while giving huge tax breaks to their corporate crony friends and cutting back on social programs."
"What? No, lady, I just need a quarter for the parking meter!"
"Tell me about it!" another stranger said as he walked up after hearing the woman's complaints, "this has got to be the worst administration in the history of this country! Why, I could not even afford my usual whole grain bread from the gourmet store down the road. I had to settle for this generic stuff that tastes like day old cardboard from the low class supermarket here!"
"Wait a minute!" the young man tried to interject but the growing crowd was having none of it.
"Look at this car," one of the new members cried pointing to the young man's car parked in the space beside the meter. It was a well kept black BMW he had bought used but it had quickly become the object of yet another stranger's ire. "Filthy rich people! Driving around in their fancy cars while people like this man suffer! Thinking they are so much better than him! The owner of this car should give this man the quarter he so desperately needs!"
"Sir," the young man replied, "that is my car!"
By now the crowd had really grown in size. Chants started to rise from the crowd demanding all sorts of things as the story of a young man without a quarter to his name had spread quickly down the block. "Support a Living Wage!" someone shouted after hearing a tale that a man was begging for change because his employer did not pay him enough to buy bread for his family. Another woman buried in the crowd somewhere could be heard screaming, "Free day care for working moms!" having heard that some woman was begging for quarters to feed her starving child. "Socialized Medicine now!" cried yet another voice after hearing about a man who spent his last quarter paying medical bills his greedy insurance provider would not cover.
"What the Hell is wrong with you people?" the young man shouted but could not be heard above the tremendous roar of the crowd.
Just then another person with a baseball bat jumped up on the roof of his car screaming, "No war for oil! Down with the President! Impeach him!" The stranger then began wailing on the roof with his weapon, denting the metal and the paint with glee.
"Stop!" the young man cried. "What are you doing? That's my car!"
The crowd began to chant in unison, "No justice! No peace! No justice! No peace!" as they had been joined by still others who had heard that a black man had been assaulted by police for begging. Then a large group of Latinos who had also become involved shouted even louder, "Si Se Puede! Amnesty now!" after hearing that a poor day laborer was struggling to find work to buy bread.
As the crowd became larger it also became more violent. The young man at the center of it all fought his way to through and eventually out of the ruckus where he saw a news crew interviewing an elderly Asian man. The reporter asked of the man, "So you say that all this started because someone stole your wallet?" The man replied through tears, "They took everything! Even my last quarter!"
"What? No! What are you talking about?" the young man questioned indignantly hearing the blatant lie. The anchorwoman interviewing the man turned to the young man in astonishment. "That's not what happened here!"
She replied, "Sir, what are you talking about? We got a report that a riot started because this man was robbed by an illegal alien."
"No! No! You've got it all wrong!" he pleaded. "I just asked for a quarter for the parking meter and ..."
"Pffft," her camera man scoffed. "You expect us to believe that all these people got worked up like this over you asking for a quarter for a parking meter?"
"Come on!" the anchorwoman said, "People aren't that insane. Now excuse us please. We have a story to cover."
"But it's all a lie!"
"Sir, we're journalists ... we know what we are doing. Now please, you are in our shot."
J.J. Jackson is a libertarian conservative author from Pittsburgh, PA who has been writing and promoting individual liberty since 1993 and is President of Land of the Free Studios, Inc. He is the lead editor contributor to American Conservative Daily and also the founder of SignalCongress.com. He is the owner of The Right Things - Conservative T-shirts & Gifts. His weekly commentary along with exclusives not available anywhere else can be found at http://www.libertyreborn.com.