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RT @newssyrev Warning || no reports of Bashar Al Assad's death/escape have been confirmed ... but we hope they will be soon. #Syria shahar halperin (@checkmate9) December 1, 2012
The Assad government restored Internet and cell phone service to Damascus and most, but not all parts of Syria today after having pulled the plug for 48 hours.
Internet is back in #Syria although not all cell phone lines seem to be workingâ?? dona (@donatelladr) December 1, 2012
Damascus Airport was also shut down at the same time and now a single plane [SYR441] has departed only hours ago amidst much speculation and rumors of high-profile passengers aboard.
The only flight thats left #Syria in around 48 hours, and its going to Moscow, hmmmmmm no suspicion at all.flightradar24.com/2012-12-01/17:â?¦â?? MohaNNad Rachid Ù?Ù?Ù?د (@TheMoeDee) December 1, 2012
Re previous tweet: there are unconfirmed rumours of someone important aboard Damascus-Moscow flight flightradar24.com/data/flights/râ?¦ #syriaâ?? Brian Whitaker (@Brian_Whit) December 1, 2012
#Damascus Airport has been closed for a 3 days, but this Airbus just departed. I wonder who's on board. goo.gl/hiUyN #Assad #syriaâ?? Raed Jarrar (@raedjarrar) December 1, 2012
Today we also have this report on Syria from EAWorldView:
1910 GMT: Syria. Reports are circulating of Syrian fire again crossing the border --- Turkish journlaist Mahir Zeynalov:
Three Syrian shells land in border villages of Turkey's Hatay while one bomb fell near a camp where Syrian defected army officers stay. Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) December 1, 2012
1841 GMT: Egypt. President Morsi has formally received the draft Constitution from the Constituent Assembly. He will soon address the body in a ceremony shown on State TV.
The Egypt Independent has posted an English translation of the proposed Constitution.
1741 GMT: Turkey and Syria. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has described the Syrian regime as an "armed militia" and a threat to the "well-being of the region". Speaking in Istanbul at a summit of Arab leaders, Davutoglu said:
[Syria] has turned into an armed militia power that resorts to all kinds of brutal methods just to stay in power.
The Syrian regime, which is a serious threat to the future of its own people and country, with each passing day increases the threat it poses to the well-being of our region, through its actions that target peace and security beyond its borders.
Turkey recently asked NATO for Patriot surface-to-air millies to secure its border with Syria. Formal approval from NATO is expected to come this week. NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said yesterday that "if the decision is taken it could take several weeks to deploy, rather than months.
1705 GMT: Syria. Cloudflare is tracking the gradual restoration of Internet connections.
1655 GMT: Syria. BBC journalist Lina Sinjab reports from Damascus on "daily life" during the 3-day internet blackout:
People are going back to the old ways of checking in on each other - landline phones or visiting each other door-to-door.
This has been the hardest time here - and we've seen the most intensive firing from government forces.
The bombardment of Damascus' suburbs, with MiG warplanes and helicopter gunships, has been unprecedented.
For now, basic supplies are not a pressing problem in Damascus - but every time you go to a store, there will be something missing from the shelves.
The capital is supplied by its suburbs but the violence and the shutdown of some of the factories there have caused shortages.
In addition, the prices of petrol and diesel, which many people use to heat their houses, have shot up.
1639 GMT: Syria. Despite claims by officials that Damascus International Airport has reopened and is returning to normal, most international flights scheduled for today appear to have been cancelled.
1609 GMT: Dr Sean Foley, a contributor to EA, confirms from a source in central Damascus that the Internet is up and running in central Damascus.
Residents also said that services had resumed in Homs and Hama after a blackout of more than 48 hours.
"All communication lines are back up in Damascus, after maintenance works were completed," State news agency SANA said.
After an earlier flutter that Virtual Private Networks and the anti-filtering, anti-surveillance system Tor might not be available, it appears they can be used:
A friend inside #Syria is unable to use #TOR nor #VPN. Trying to find out more on this. #Syria #InternetBackInSyria Razan Ghazzawi (@RedRazan) December 1, 2012
I confirm that Vidalia #TOR and #VPN working fine in #Syria. Friends are using them now as we speak #InternetBackInSyria Razan Ghazzawi (@RedRazan) December 1, 2012
1605 GMT: Iraq and Syria. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said today that his country is not able to search all Syrian-bound planes that fly through Iraqi airspace.However, responding to accusations by the US that Iran is sending weapons bound for Damascus via Iraq, al-Maliki said that he is committed to preventing arms being shipped to Syria.
1559 GMT: Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Western states oof trying to advance democracy abroad through "iron and blood", as he reiterated Moscow's refusal to demand the exit of President Assad.
"Russia is not opposing Western influence or putting a stick in the spokes of Western-initiated projects out of spite," Lavrov said. "The fact is, advancing democracy through iron and blood just does not work, and this has been made clear in recent months --- the past year-and-a-half."
The Foreign Minister claimed that intervention "in most cases it produces the opposite reaction" and leads to "the strengthening of extremists and repressive forces, decreasing the chances of real democratic change".
1536 GMT: Lebanon/Syria. The Lebanese government has said it is investigating the deaths of Lebanese fighters who were reportedly killed by the Syrian army in the town of Tal Kalakh. There are conflicting reports about the incident and the number of dead. Yesterday, The Daily Star, citing a Lebanese security source, reported that "at least 20" men had been killed, however it is possible this number may be a lot less. The Lebanese Interior Minister, Marwan Charbel, told The Daily Star today that they have only been able to confirm three deaths.
We are trying to get information and what is available to us now is that there were some Lebanese who were killed, some kidnapped and others who escaped. But we cannot determine the exact number that were killed.
The picture is still unclear. We need at least 24 hours to understand what happened.
Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat described the dead Lebanese fighters as "marytrs", but he also called upon the government to better secure the border with Syria, adding that his party was against any larger military involvement.
1532 GMT: Syria. Multiple activists and news outlets are reporting that the internet is now back online in Damascus, as well as other parts of Syria.
Internet is back in #Syria this very minute. Good to be back to the Internet World. Lina Sinjab (@BBCLinaSinjab) December 1, 2012
1250 GMT: Syria. A couple of interesting notes in a Global Post overview, "Are Syria's Rebels About to Win?":
Ali, a 28-year-old Alawite living in Lattakia, the regional capital, said Alawite villages he recently visited had been nearly emptied of men after the regime enforced conscription for any member of the Alawite sect aged between 18 and 50....
Every day there are 50 to 60 wooden coffins brought through Lattakias Bassel al-Assad Airport. There are funerals in most villages every day, he said. The regimes media used to cover the martyrs funerals but in the last few months they stopped broadcasting news of dead soldiers.
1230 GMT: Syria. As heavy fighting continues around the capital Damascus --- including along the road to the airport --- regime forces are reportedly shelling suburbs in an attempt to secure the perimeter. Areas hit include Douma, Darraya, and East Ghouta.
0615 GMT: Syria. Friday was testimony both to the efforts of the regime and the opposition to gain the upper hand at what appears to be a critical point in the 20-month Syrian conflict.
The Internet and large areas of mobile phone service were shut down for the second consecutive day, as the Assad forces tried to repel the gathering assault of the insurgents on the capital Damascus, following opposition advances throughout the country.
However, despite that effort, the opposition were able to bring out some news of fighting and defiance. While clashes continued near Damascus International Airport, shut down on Thursday and on limited service on Friday, a series of videos --- posted in EA's Friday coverage --- testified to opposition protests.
2121 GMT: Today is Friday, and while the world is focused on battles and meetings and organizations and diplomatic recognitions, on Friday there is always another story. Every Friday since March 2011, protesters have taken to the streets in Syria. Even in towns where bombs fall and bullets fly, somewhere close by it is possible to find an anti-government protest somewhere in Syria.
Also, every Friday has a theme, agreed upon by activists ahead of time by voting on Facebook. Today's theme does not translate well into English, but according to Zilal, it means roughly "the sign of victory over the palace" or "The Fingers of Victory over the palace." The meaning is clear --- the opposition believes it is winning, and is close to grabbing control from President Assad.
There were interesting twists this week. In Aleppo, some of the protests were more focused on the insurgency than the regime (one activist we spoke to said this was because the fall of the regime is taken for granted now). AFP reports:
"Free Army, go to the front lines," protesters in Aleppo's eastern district of Shaar shouted, criticizing FSA fighters who stay behind in rebel strongholds.
Civilians, particularly in northern Syria, have made accusations that some rebels take part in intimidation, extortion and vandalism in "liberated" areas of the country.
"[Members] of the Free [Syrian] Army are thieves, we want an Islamic army," the demonstrators chanted angrily as they marched through the streets.
What we did see were protests that demanded the revolution get back to its roots - helping the Syrian people improve their lot in life. But we didn't interpret this the way the AFP did - we saw it more as a criticism of the immorality of some of the fighters by people who are tired of having war in their backyards. Zilal explains:
Today there were protests in Anadan town and in the Shaar neighborhood of Aleppo during which protesters demanded to "purify" the FSA from elements that joined just to loot. They say what they think each time.
This video clearly shows protesters chanting, "the people demand the purification/cleansing of the revolution."
A large protest in Al Bab, Aleppo:
More protests in Aleppo:
Qalamoun, rural Damascus:
Yabroud, Damascus:
The people of Kafranbel bury one of their martyrs and share biting words of criticism for those countries, namely the US, whom they believe has not done enough to help the Syrian people defeat Assad:
1936 GMT: Journalist Felim McMahon shares some interesting information about our last post. He notes that he's found a video that was uploaded five hours earlier than our last video, perhaps taken from State media journalists (he notes it aired on Iranian linked Al Alaam TV). It shows Assad troops manning a checkpoint near the road, and it also shows the gunfire echoing over the same stretch of highway leading to the airport:
We should have noted, by the way, that these videos were both taken hours earlier, as it is now night in Syria. However, there are fresh reports of fighting near the airport. We likely won't know until dawn, however, what the result is.
Regardless, the airport is likely to be fought over for days - or longer - as both the Assad military and the opposition have marked it as a priority.
1916 GMT: Communications from the common person are hard to come by with the internet down. One of our sources, Zilal, says she's had difficulty getting news from the Damascus area tonight. However, there are many reports of fierce battles to the south, near the Damascus international airport. The FSA continues to try to take the road that leads to the airport, effectively shutting it off from the outside. It's unclear if they are militarily in a position to succeed, because the Assad regime is dedicating large amounts of firepower towards protecting the road. Still, videos showed FSA moving down parts of the road with little resistance, so it's clear that the regime is struggling.
This video was taken near the road to the airport - you can hear some gunfire:
So much of our data, so many of our sources, point towards extreme regime military weakness. However, we accept that this data is incomplete. For this reason, it's good to know that the most ardent supporters of the regime are also under the impression that the Assad regime is in a state of collapse:
"Dramatic" collapse in Syria army, units decimated, military hospitals unable to treat wounded. From a pro-regime site syriatruth.org/news/tabid/93/ Liz Sly (@LizSly) November 30, 2012
1830 GMT: More signs that this conflict is spreading beyond Syria - according to AFP, 17 Sunni Lebanese were killed by Assad forces in a town just on the other side of the Syrian border:
"Young Islamists from different parts of the city left Tripoli this morning [Friday] and were killed in an ambush in Tal Kalakh by regime forces," an Islamist leader in the city told AFP.
"According to our information, they were summarily executed and not killed in combat," he said.
A security source reported that shots were fired on Friday night from the mainly Sunni Bab al-Tebbaneh district toward the neighbouring Shiite district of Jabal Mohsen.
He added that the army had been heavily deployed along the aptly-named Syria street dividing the districts, whose traditional rivalry has sharpened over the uprising in Syria.
1804 GMT: Back from the road to find that the death toll is Syria has increased significantly. 106 people have been killed nationwide, according to the LCC:
48 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its suburbs; 18 in Aleppo; 17 in Daraa most of them in Tafas; 8 in Homs; 7 in Deir Ezzor; 7 in Idlb; and 1 in Hama.
See our note on the casualty figures published by the LCC.
Despite the earlier trends, the death toll is mostly increasing in Damascus where the violence has only intensified as the day has drawn on. 13 of those killed reportedly died in the southern districts of Babilla and Beit Sahm.
1552 GMT: An ugly video from Ras al Ain, in northern Syria. The insurgents, claiming to be from Jabhat al Nusra, have taken prisoners. One man, at the start of the video, is complaining, and he is then shot in the arm. The prisoners continue to be loud, at at one point a fighter appears to fire between them, in some sort of AK-47 version of the knife game "Five Finger Fillet." It does not appear that any are killed, but it's not clear:
Video: Jabhat al-Nusra playing with the lives of Syrian army soldiers who surrendered to them in Ras Alain near #Turkey youtube.com/watch?v=ubLVet Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) November 30, 2012
1535 GMT: According to the Local Coordination Committees, 62 people have been killed so far today (as of an hour ago, this number does not include our latest update below):
18 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its suburbs; 17 in Daraa most of them in Tafas; 13 in Aleppo; 6 in Homs; 5 in Idlb; and 3 in Deir Ezzor.
See our note on the casualty figures published by the LCC.
Journalist and Syria Analyst Michael Weiss and I have been discussing this number. Considering the amount of violence, the number is not that high on the whole. However, in Damascus the conflict is focused around several areas that have been embattled for days - many residents have likely fled. Elsewhere, the numbers have been declining for some time because Assad's artillery and air forces have been focused on a smaller number of targets - in Damascus, Aleppo, and near Ma'arrat al Nouman in Idlib province. Some of this is also luck - sometimes explosions hit a full apartment building and kill 20, or other times they hit the one next door which may be empty.
However, particularly concerning is the high number in Tafas. this small town north of Daraa (map) has been the site of heavy fighting for days. Several days ago a large tank convoy besieged the town, and since then the Free Syrian Army has launched a counterattack to take the town back.
There are a few videos from the town today. One video claims to show the military (and "shabiha") withdrawing from the town, though this has not been confirmed. This one claims to show the damage in the center of the town:
According to an opposition Facebook page, 11 people were killed there - all by shelling or fire.
1459 GMT: In the past, when the regime was angriest at a town or village, the ugliest chapters of the Syrian conflict were written. Assad troops or their allies have committed many massacres - in nearly every area in the country - typically after a surge in protests, or a wave of insurgent military victories.
Now there are reports, coming from the LCC, that a massacre has been committed near Mayadin as Assad soldiers are pulling back in the area:
The regime committed a massacre in Al-Riz village, resulting in 7 martyrs thus far and may wounded after aerial shelling.
The LCC reports to verify all claims they publish, but we have not independently verified this report. Stay tuned.
1446 GMT: Despite the fact that the government has reopened the road to the Damascus International Airport, The Guardian finds this video which claims to show insurgents looting a government building stationed on the road:
Note - none of the material in the video is definitively military property - most of it appears to be in boxes.
1436 GMT: There have been more intense air raids and shelling campaigns against western Damascus and its suburbs. This livestream, which ended two hours ago (again, the internet shutdown isn't working) shows smoke rising from every corner of Darayya (map), as distant explosions and sounds of gunfire echo through the streets - note, the gunfire did not even stop for prayers:
Meanwhile, multiple sources report heaby bombing in Kafer Souseh (map). This video, posted by the LCC an hour ago, shows smoke rising, reportedly after bombs fell.
1425 GMT: After more clashes last night near the Damascus International Airport, it Egypt and the United Arab Emirates will probably not be flying to and from Damascus any time soon. The Guardian reports:
"Airlines are not operating to Damascus today," said a Dubai-based airline official. EgyptAir and Emirates suspended flights to Syria on Thursday.
A Damascus-based diplomat said he believed the escalation in fighting around the capital was part of a government offensive which aimed to seal off the state-controlled centre of the city from rebel-held rural areas to the south and east.
"We want to liberate the airport because of reports we see and our own information we have that shows civilian airplanes are being flown in here with weapons for the regime. It is our right to stop this," rebel spokesman Musaab Abu Qitada said.
However, the airport is not closed. According to SyrianAir, they are running flights out of the airport:
Today after the road was secured, we sent a new telegram to inform them [airlines] that security was restored, the source added. For the moment, we have not had any arrivals, but the airport is operating normally.
The director of SyrianAir, Ghida Abdul Latif, said a flight to the Saudi city of Jeddah via Aleppo had departed on Friday as had two domestic flights bound for Latakia on the coast.
Flights to Cairo and Khartoum were scheduled for later on Friday.
The SyrianAir director blamed Thursdays interruption on a technical problem on runway 23, which was quickly repaired.
1412 GMT: Yesterday the big news was the shutting down of Syria's internet. Today, it has been down for more than 20 hours, and it will not likely be turned on for some time (perhaps not until this conflict is over). However, yesterday activists, sources, and our own analysis suggested that the internet slowdown would not stop the opposition from communicating. To be clear, all sense of normalcy in Syria is now gone. All internet commerce will have stopped, and Damascus, the business hub of the country since the war reached Aleppo, is now completely cut off from the outside world. Also, the average citizen in Syria will have no internet connection. However, it is perfectly clear that the opposition is not the average citizen. Opposition groups, like the LCCs, have been working with the United States since the start (or before) to prepare for this contingency, and Syrian activists have learned methods to communicate despite government interference from Iran's Green Movement, Egypt's revolution, and other online activism.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. My email inbox is full of videos, eyewitness reports, and even streaming video from Syria. If the government thought they would stop the opposition from communicating, they were wrong. It will likely be tougher than normal to get information now, but it is clear that the mission to silence the opposition has failed.
1359 GMT: The regime has pulled out of the key oil fields east of Mayadin, near the border with Iraq (map). Al Jazeera reports:
Syrian troops withdrew from Omar oil field, one of the last regime positions east of Deir Ezzor city near the Iraqi border, a watchdog said Friday, adding that rebels now control the country's major fields.
"Government troops pulled back on Thursday from the Omar oil field north of the town of Mayadeen after having lost the Conoco gas reserve on November 27," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
The insurgents took control of an oil field for the first time on November 4 when they overran Al-Ward, the most important in the province, the Observatory said.
After also losing control of Al-Jofra field also in November, the army now controls not more than five fields, all located to the west of Deir Ezzor city, the watchdog said.
This is significant for three reasons. First, the regime has now lost the majority of their oil fields, to say nothing of the trade routes they were using to smuggle the oil out. The financial implications are obvious, but if this conflict drags on the regime will also need the oil to power generators, power plants, tanks and other vehicles.
The second reason - the insurgents have already started to sell oil through Iraq and, by some accounts, Turkey. This influx of money will help fuel the revolution, as well as potentially provide revenue to buy more weapons. Speaking of weapons, many of the weapons in the east have already been purchased from Iraq, supplementing the weapons captured from the regime. This is not all about weapons, though. The insurgents, and the people under their care, need food, medicine, and other supplies - to say nothing of fuel for their own generators as winter threatens those affected by this crisis.
The last reason why this is important is that it is yet more confirmation of the regime's incredibly weak military standing in the east. The oil fields, and the Deir Ez Zor airport, are the remaining key locations in regime possession in this province, so if these oil fields have been abandoned it means that Assad's remaining forces know they are in a tactically unwinnable situation.
This was also one of the few locations south of Deir Ez Zor city that remained in regime hands. It seems the stage is now set for the insurgent forces to strike further north.
Once Deir Ez Zor falls, the insurgency will have uncontested access to hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of square kilometers of territory. With no significant threat to the east, the insurgents will be able to move to other locations. Their most likely path would bring them northwest, down the road that travels through Al Raqqag and on to Aleppo. If this road falls to insurgents, the Hassakaha governorate would be completely cut off from the rest of Syria, allowing the insurgents to quickly take that area as well.
James Miller takes over today's live coverage. Thanks to Scott Lucas for getting us started today.
1250 GMT: The United Nations refugee agency has said conditions in Homs are desperate, with an assessment team finding half the city's hospitals shut down and "severe shortages of basic supplies ranging from medicine to blankets, winter clothes and children's shoes".
Spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said there are 250,000 people displaced in and around the city with thousands in unheated communal shelters and many children unable to attend school.
Fleming said the agency delivered nine trucks of quilts, blankets, mattresses and other supplies and more will be sent soon.
Fleming also said that Syrians have been shot at as they fled to Jordan.
1150 GMT: Iran's Press TV claims that a bomb has exploded near its office in Damascus, damaging six vehicles belonging to it and Iranian Arabic-language network Al-Alam. There were no casualties.
0935 GMT: An airline official in Dubai has confirmed that Damascus International Airport is not accepting flights today.
Two airlines based in the Gulf --- Air Arabia and flydubai --- normally operate flights to Damascus on a Friday.
Syria's Ministry of Information said on Thursday that the airport road was safe after security forces cleared it of "terrorists".
0930 GMT: Several US host companies have said they are taking down the websites of agencies linked to the Assad regime, such as State news agency SANA, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the General Authority for Development, and the local government of Hama.
An executive order by President Obama prohibits US companies from providing Web hosting and other services to Syria without obtaining a license from the Treasury. On Thursday, State Department officials confirmed that providing the services was a violation of US sanctions: Our policies are designed to assist ordinary citizens who are exercising their fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly and association.
0810 GMT: The Local Coordination Committees report 96 people killed on Thursday, including 51 in Aleppo Province amid regime shelling in and near Aleppo city.
0600 GMT: In a development which some --- including EA's James Miller in our analysis --- saw as a sign of regime desperation and others feared as an overture to an expansion of violence, the Internet was suddenly cut off on Thursday.
The country effectively disappeared from the Web at 12:26 local time (1026 GMT). Mobile phone services were also widely disrupted.
Officials insisted that the Government was not responsible, blaming either "terrorist" activity or technical malfunction, but examination of the cutoff pointed to a deliberate move by the regime.
The blackout followed news of insurgents closing on the capital. Fighting near Damascus International Airport forced the suspension of all flights, with some international carriers saying they were stoppoing flights indefinitely. Opposition fighters also advanced in Deir Ez Zor province, taking more regime armour and equipment, while Assad's warplanes attacked in and near Aleppo, killing at least 20 people and injuring 80 others with barrel bombs.Here are my related diaries on Syria:
UPDATED: #Syria goes dark as "cleansing" begins in Damascus
BREAKING: #Assad's Troops Wipe Out a Playground Full of Children in #Syria
BREAKING: #Russia denies #Syria-n army on brink of collapse
BREAKING in Syria: Explosion rocks #Damascus as people use "Truce Day" to protest regime
We condemn Israel. So why the silence on Syria?
Norodom Sihanouk at his finest & more on Syria
Meet a Syrian who doesn't think both sides are equally bad and is betting her life on it!
Two statements about Syria
Syria Today: New videos from the revolutionary war
Syrian Defector: Assad behind "terrorist" bombs
How Assad fights "terrorism" in Syria
REVISITED: FSA says it killed Russian General in Syria
Turkey attacks Syria
Truth Out: How Assad helped France kill Qaddafi
Panetta: Unilateral U.S. Military Intervention in Syria Would Be a Serious Mistake
BREAKING: 305 Syrians slaughtered in bloodiest day yet
Syria: Secret source of rebel arms revealed
BREAKING: Amnesty on Syria - Assad Regime guilty on indiscriminate slaughter
Syrian Revolution Digest shows "disgusting" photos!
Syria: The Killing Field the World is Learning to Live With
Barack Obama's Courtship of Bashar al-Assad
LIVE VIDEO: World Silence is Killing #Syria Rally in #DC
Free #Syria responds to Robert Fisk
UPDATED: #Assad: "#Syria doesn't need a green light!"
#Obama opposes French support for #Assad's opposition in #Syria
BREAKING: Amnesty site hacked, Assad propaganda posted
BREAKING: 630 Slaughtered in new massacre in Syria
Special message from Syrian children to Obama
Assad's Redline and Obama's Greenlight!
General Meade at Gettysburg
Tell US gov't to stop endangering Syrian activists
UPDATED: #Obama "green lights" #Assad's slaughter in #Syria
Syria: Turning Battlegrounds into Playgrounds
BREAKING: Bashar al-Assad is alive as deaths in Syria reach 25,000
The Left and the Arab Spring
Iran increasing its intervention in Syria
Syria: Images from the Battle of Aleppo
Fears grow of WMD attack in Syria
UPDATED: FSA says it killed Russian General in Syria
BREAKING: Syria releases new images of Bashar al- Assad | Are they fakes?
NOT BREAKING NEWS: Just another massacre in Syria
UPDATED: Syrian prime minister defects
Syria: FSA says Iranian pilgrims really Republican Guard
Syria: Aleppo under Siege!
BREAKING: UN votes to condemn Assad Regime as Reuters posts false story on Syria
BREAKING: Kofi Annan resigns as envoy to Syria
Syria: Bashar al-Assad not heard from on Armed Forces Day!
BREAKING: Senior Syrian diplomat to Armenia defects
BREAKING: Big Explosion hits #Damascus #Syria
UPDATED: Syria's Charge D'Affaires Quits London Post
BREAKING: Ground assault on Aleppo begins!
BREAKING: Protests across Syria in spite of Assad regime violence
ALEPPO: Step outside the Matrix and witness the Horror
UPDATED: US fears massacre in #Aleppo, #Syria
BREAKING: Reports of clashes between Jordan Army & Assad's Syrian army
BRAKING: Obama stops Putin from re-arming Assad in Syria
Syria: Foreign meddling increases as crisis builds
BREAKING: Aleppo, Syria bombed with fighter jets
BREAKING: Syria issues a correction, it has no WMD to use
BREAKING: Arab League asks Assad to step down!
Bashar al-Assad: New images released as slaughter continues in Syria
no blood for oil
BREAKING: Activists report toxic gas attack in Deir ez-Zor, Syria
Glenn Greenwald sees Islamist Terrorism as main issue in Syria
Will Syria's Assad make a chemical attack in Damascus on Saturday?
BREAKING: I know where Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is!
BREAKING: Massive Fire near #Assad's Presidential Palace in #Damascus, #Syria
BREAKING: Is Syria's Bashar al-Assad dead or dying?
BREAKING: Damascus explosion kills Defense Minister, other key figures
The battle for Damascus is coming
BREAKING: General Strike in Damascus
BREAKING: Intense fighting reported in Damascus now!
BREAKING: Syrian defector spills beans as important new defection reported.
Does Syria's Assad have something on Kofi Annan?
Tremseh Massacre in Syria: What we know
BREAKING: ~227 reported massacred by Assad's forces in Tremseh, Syria today!
Syria: Is Assad regime on the verge of collapse?
BREAKING: Russian Warships reported in Syria
BREAKING: #Russia changing on #Assad but not as fast as conditions in #Syria
UN Observers say violence in Syria is Unprecedented
BREAKING: Defection of major Assad insider reported in Syria
BREAKING: WikiLeaks releases 2.4 million #Syria emails
When did "Never Again" become "Whenever?" | #Douma
BREAKING: Incredible mass rally in Aleppo, Syria today!
BREAKING: HRW releases torture report on Syria
BREAKING: Syrian General defects with 293 to Turkey
BREAKING: Items not in the MSM on Syria
My response to Phyllis Bennis: Where is the non-violent opposition in Syria?
BREAKING: Syrian Air Force attacks Douma, 10m from Damascus, thousands flee
BREAKING: As Syria Burns, UN Blows More Smoke
BREAKING: Kofi Annan to propose Syrian unity gov't sans Assad!
BREAKING: Douma, Syria under massive attack, another massacre feared
BREAKING: Another mass defection from Syrian army
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NATO meetup tomorrow as more defect from Syria
BREAKING: Turkey calls for NATO consult on downing of jet by Syria
BREAKING: Senior Syrian Officers Defect
UPDATED: Russia reported to be preparing to evacuate from Syria
BREAKING: Syria fighter pilot defects
BREAKING: Britain stops Russian ship carrying attack helicopters for Syria
BREAKING: Russian troops headed to Syria
Qaddafi forces Strike Back in Libya
BREAKING: UN suspends mission in Syria
Libya & Syria - two videos - no comment
BREAKING: Russia denies supplying Syria with NEW attack helicopters
Syrian people rise up against the massacre
Another "Houla style" massacre in Syria
Fake Houla Massacre Photo: Was the BBC set up?
Idlib, Syria protest today on anniversary of Kent State killings
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Syria is bleeding
Syria: Ceasefire faltering as mass protests breakout


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Sasha Davis
Sasha is available for Private Sessions at The Body Control Pilates Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays when she is in the UK.
Sasha Davis has been teaching Pilates for more than 30 years and has maintained an active connection with Body Control Pilates since its inception.
Originally from London, Sasha is now based in Houston, Texas. She came to Pilates through dance, having entered the world of ballet at the age of 4.
At the Royal Ballet School she was selected for further study by Dame Ninette de Valois and it was at this time (aged 13) that Sasha took her first Pilates class. She went on to become a member of the Royal Opera Ballet Company at Covent Garden and of the San Francisco Ballet.
After suffering an injury which curtailed her dancing, she studied Pilates under Alan Herdman before moving to Houston and joining his staff at the Houston Ballet Academy. After 10 years there she established the Pilates programme at the Houstonian Spa and Club alongside her work at Pilates Concepts of Houston. Sasha is a certified Gyrotonic instructor and continues her studies in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis as well as ensuring she continues to update her knowledge of the Pilates technique. Sasha teaches at the Body Control Pilates Centre whenever she is in the UK. Please contact us to check her next availability.
To book a Private 1:1 Session with Sasha please call The Body Control Pilates Centre on 020 7636 8900.
1:1 Sessions: £60 per private session
1:2 Sessions (Duets): price on request

subset: commoncrawl


text: Philo High School will conduct sport physicals from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Orthopedic Associates. Students in grades seven through 12 can get free physicals for the 2013-14 school year. Pre-physicals will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the high school. Seventh- and eighth-graders will have pre-physicals starting at noon Wednesday. Career Center students may stop in the nursing department at the career center and have their pre-physical.


text:
Jay Leno is pulling out the big guns for his first week on the job at his new show on NBC.
Tom Cruise, Halle Berry and Miley Cyrus will be among the superstars to appear on "The Jay Leno Show" during its first week when the show debuts September 14.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: She's Just Bein' Miley!
While neither star will join Leno in his new studio, they will both be featured in a new segment, "10 @ 10," which "connects Jay with celebs and newsmakers around the world," a NBC spokesperson told Access Hollywood.
Despite reports to the contrary, Miley will not be performing as a musical guest.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Tom Cruise - Hollywood's Original 'Maverick'
Cruise will appear in the segment on Leno's second night – September 15 – while Miley will appear the next night on September 16.
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, comedian Jerry Seinfeld will be the first guest on the opening night of "The Jay Leno Show." In addition, Halle Berry will join Leno for the show on September 17.
Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West will also hit the Leno stage as the show's first musical guests on September 14.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Halle Berry
Bruce Hornsby and Eric Clapton will also appear as musical guests during the first week, appearing on September 17.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Preview: 'The Jay Leno Show' - Are You Ready For Comedy?
PLAY IT NOW: Jay Leno Talks What's To Come On 'Jay Leno Show' (August 6, 2009)
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Jay Leno - TV - Jay-Z - NBC - Halle Berry


text: HOLLYWOOD, CA— The recording industry's top atonal composers gathered in Los Angeles Monday for the gala seventh annual Atony Awards. "Tonight is hostile music's biggest night," said Krzysztof Penderecki, nominee in the Most Dissonant Piece category. "I can't tell you what a thrill it is to be here, surrounded by so many legends of arrhythmic cacophony." The highlight of the evening is expected to be the awarding of the Olivier Messiaen Lifetime Achievement Award to Karlheinz Stockhausen for "more than five decades of aggressively impenetrable anti-music."


text: Go anywhere in style with the Eee PC™ 1201PN Seashell - An excellent netbook for multimedia enjoyment Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium Next Generation NVIDIA® ION™ offers an excellent graphics and video experience Massive 12.1" 16:9 HD LED-backlit glare-type display for multimedia enjoyment Enjoy Full HD 1080p video playback on an HDTV or big screen via an HDMI port ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre and SimHD™ technology provides Upscale SD to HD quality Shop Modal header 12.1" Widescreen display with HD 1366 X768 Experience the clear and vibrant pictures and movies you've previously enjoyed on a bigger scale with the EeePC™ 1201PN. With the largest screen ever featured on an EeePC™, its 12.1" widescreen 16:9 display provides HD quality visuals at resolutions of up to 1366 x 768. Experience an Immersive Multimedia World Armed with Intel® Atom™ N450 processor and the next generation NVIDIA® ION™ graphics platform, the ASUS Eee PC 1201PN delivers out-of-this-world visuals on their 12.1-inch High Definition plus (1366 x 768) display. With HDMI compatibility and SRS virtual 5.1 channel surround sound; they are designed to lure you into an immersive multimedia world. The Eee PC™ 1201PN also comes preinstalled with ArcSoft SimHD, which upscales standard definition video content to high definition. SimHD, a plug-in for ArcSoft TotalMedia Theater, dramatically enhances the quality of images and supports a wide range of file formats. Users can enjoy a smooth HD video experience on the unit's 12.1" high definition screen, or have the option of enjoying full 1080p HD video with true-fidelity 7.1 audio on HDTVs via the built-in HDMI port. Ergonomic Chiclet Keyboard for Unsurpassed Comfort The Eee PC™ Seashell's chiclet keyboard is more comfortable and less fatiguing to type on for prolonged Bridge the communication gap with the Eee PC 1201PN With 802.11n WiFi support, the Eee PC 1201PN lets you enjoy faster surfing speeds and higher throughput to ensure that you stay connected to the business world. Its built-in 0.3M webcam, microphone and speaker lets you participate in conference calls via Skype. The 1201PN ensures that you have clear and open lines of communications with the people that matter at all times. Massive Storage for Massive Multimedia Collections The Eee PC™ 1201PN is fully equipped to handle the large amounts of memory that digital media consumes. Boasting a 250GB HDD and 500GB*** of online ASUS WebStorage—a total of 750GB—the Eee PC™ 1201PN provides ample storage for users' movies, music and photos. ASUS WebStorage not only makes it easy for users to share their media with friends and family, it grants them access to free games, desktop wallpapers, and software via a simple drag and drop interface. Seamless Communication : Bluetooth V2.1 (Optional) With built-in Bluetooth support, the Eee PC™ lets you easily transfer data between Bluetooth-enabled devices' and brings forth excellent connectivity where work, learn and play experiences are enhanced by applications that easily connect two or more users remotely. Built-in 0.3M camera for instant video conference & msn chatting. * Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations. For more information, please visit here. The estimated maximum battery life in Windows® 7 is measured with MobileMark® 2007. ** Availability is dependent on selected model, country or operator support. Check with your local ASUS website for more details. *** Complimentary one-year 500GB ASUS WebStorage trial. Please visit www.asuswebstorage.com for more details. Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit www.asus.com for more information.


text:
Located in a densely built-up centre of Funabashi, northwestern Chiba Prefecture, this sombre, minimalist residence was developed by a a Japanese architectural practice fuse-atelier in 2010. Supported by a reinforced concrete structure, the three storey 91-square-meters house comprises a large and airy open-plan living room and kitchen area, a light-flooded bathroom, as well as an office space and an adjacent outdoor terrace.
More about the project:
'The outskirts of the site are the irregular blocks where there are houses and apartments. The client had a house near this land, but he chose this more convenient site. It was the planned site of 70 square meters of built-for-sale houses that divided one site into four. The client requested that 70 square meters of sites were the space of the house, and the living room and bathroom were large, simple and beautiful spaces where internal space and outside space were united. They assumed that they will use the first floor as an office several years later.'
'From the present conditions of the site, I reduced the window of the outer wall as to avoid the eyes from the outside as much as possible. Considering the height regulation, I set the space of the house by setting a 6 meters wall along a boundary line of site. The client requested to secure a living room and a bathroom as big as possible and to unite them with outside space. The living room is united with a terrace when opening a big sliding door partitioning off a living room and a terrace.'


text:
After losing one crew member to Lyme disease, the two of us are moving farther north through Hamilton County, to our third location. But we're continually optimistic, believing that each location will be somehow easier, offering better access, less rugged terrain or fewer wild dogs. After all, how can things get worse? At some point we'll stop bothering to ask. However, at our previous location we'd actually encountered one of the plants we were searching for, mountain skullcap, albeit mostly in an area of tattered bramble beside a clearcut adjacent to a rutted logging road, pretty far from its described habitat of undisturbed mid- to –late successional forests. Still, we did find a couple plants actually lurking in the woods.
Right of the bat we find ourselves unsure of how to even approach the new location. A small dirt pull-off to the east puts us at least a mile from our first transect and the south and west are too rugged and remote to even consider. So, we drive north, into the small neighborhoods tucked high on the edge of Walden's Ridge, hoping that some dead end street somewhere will turn out to be a logging road. As we turn off the main road a few people working outside immediately stop what they're doing and watch us pass. We wave to a man and his son. Neither wave back. At the end of the most promising street is a 6-foot fence, gated and locked, with a sign that says, "No Tresspassing! Turn Around Now!" So, we turn around, the logging right-of-way either long gone or not worth fighting to find. Standing in a yard are five old men, each watching us suspiciously as we get the truck headed back toward the main road. We wave and all five wave back in unison, the same suspicious frown remaining on every face. Sometimes being in a government vehicle is a liability, even one with a Dale Earnhardt sticker in the rear window.
After awhile we check our GPS map and see that, indeed, we're standing about 70 feet below where we want to be. Thinking that maybe the bluff will start to descend at some point, we keep walking. But the bluff does the opposite of descend. We walk the entire length of our location, unable to get to a single transect, some of which are only 30 feet away from us in horizontal distance, but over 100 feet away in vertical distance. The expedition has now taken hours and we're soaked with sweat. We turn around and start back as the afternoon slips away. We figure this is one place that's not getting surveyed.
We're about halfway back when I notice a waterfall. I go to have a look, mostly out of curiosity, and realize that just to the side of the waterfall, in an area hidden behind a rock outcropping, are some natural stone steps and, at the top, some trees to hold onto to help us the rest of the way up. It's steep and falling would kill you—or at least make you wish it had—but it is a way up.
The top shot is a toad's-eye view of our attempt to find a way up the bluff. The second shot shows what frustration can do to a man. The third photo is of the above-mentioned waterfall, although it's getting a little dry. That last photograph is from the base of the second bluff, so we still had some clibming to do. Just don't look down.


text:
There is only one immutable law in life - in a gentleman's toilet, incoming traffic has the right of way.
-Hugh Leonard
Other than that MC commercial years ago with his whole O-line, I can't remember a single commercial. (That print ad with the goat doesn't count. Good gawd, what was that?) He also does annual charity races, etc. but I don't count that, even though he gets visibility.
I think you're just jealous that my prostitute is prettier than yours.
This is actually my favorite skit Brady has done to date,and for the record I like Brady,especially if he plays JET killer this year.....
There is only one immutable law in life - in a gentleman's toilet, incoming traffic has the right of way.
-Hugh Leonard
In fairness to Peyton he really hasn't said much during this whole thing. It's been Irsay and a few jock-sniffing reporters portraying Manning as a martyr for accepting "only" $23 million per year.
Peyton has actually been cool about the process. I like the guy except for his endorsement of Oreos (I will explain in OG).
I love Peyton too, and all his endorsements. Dude is funny!
Yeah, he plays QB OK, too.
To get back to the issue raised by this thread's title...
Manning's legacy is to cement a Colt myth and tradition in Indianapolis. A team that fled Baltimore in shame, a team that was no sure thing in Indianapolis, is now routinely viewed as a model operation with great fan support.
And it's all thanks to Peyton Manning (with a little help from his buddy Bill Polian.)
Peyton Manning is the Johnny Unitas of Indianapolis. And they can never take that away from him.


text:
30 November 2011 - Sydney, Australia and Lucca, Italy
Tagetik Opens Up in Australia
Tagetik's Performance Management software goes eastwards reaching Australia with a new exclusive distribution channel
Tagetik, a global provider of enterprise software solutions for Performance Management, Governance, Risk & Compliance and Business Intelligence, today announced the opening of a new operation in Australia, establishing its global reach in more than 80% of the industrialized world and confirming its rapid business growth internationally.
The brand-new 'Tagetik Australia' will provide medium to large organisations across all industries with the support and expertise they require to implement, manage and improve their planning, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, consolidation and corporate performance processes. Heading the new operation and based in Sydney is Geoff Noble, veteran of the corporate performance management industry in Australia with a reputation for solving problems and streamlining complex business processes for customers. As Country Manager, Geoff will report directly to Tagetik's Chief Operating Officer, Manuel Vellutini, and will be responsible for the development of the Tagetik brand, products and partnerships within the Australian market.
"Australia is a very mature market for corporate performance management software with highly sophisticated needs," says Geoff Noble, Country Manager at Tagetik Australia. "Customers are ready for a new generation product and we chose Tagetik for its exciting vision, strong unified product and a reputation for high customer satisfaction. We will be bringing Tagetik to Australian customers directly and through partnerships with leading consulting companies and 'boutique' performance management specialists."
"Geoff and I have worked together with large organisations including Lion Nathan, Macquarie Bank, Boral, Nufarm, Sony, and Mirvac," adds Brendan Aspery, Consulting Manager at Tagetik Australia. "Our goal has always been to simplify the complex in budgeting and financial consolidation processes and the Tagetik software embodies that perfectly. The built-in functionality in a single product will help us and our partners bring a whole new level of capability, reliability and governance to Australian customers."
"At Tagetik, we are consolidating our global scope in the European and North-American markets all while starting to expand market presence eastwards in Asia and Australia," explains Manuel Vellutini, Chief Operating Officer at Tagetik. "Our selected channel distributors are giving us the right scalability to implement the software worldwide, seamlessly supporting customers anywhere they do business. And Tagetik's brand-new Australian operation will bring a deep, tremendous expertise in Finance and Performance Management allowing us to serve customers with the best solutions, implementations and support services as well as improve our network skills with specialized competences and product enhancements."
Request a Demo
Our personalized demo allows you to speak directly with a senior solution specialist and discover the key functionalities of CCH Tagetik.
Would you love to know more about CCH Tagetik?
For more information, please complete the form and a member of our team will reach out to you shortly!


text:
An email went out today announcing the new company dress code. Instead of moving forward with the times, your boss is actually making the office dress code more formal. WTF?! Collars, ties and sport coats for the men. And you don't even deal with clients. WTF?!?! "Casual" Friday means no sport coat when you're at your desk.
Seriously - WTF!?!?!?
It's a night game. Your team's #1. Temps potentially dipping into the 40s.
Hmmm, what color toga should you wear?


text:
The Worldwide T-Shirt by PIMPIT Fight Team features a bold and striking design which more than does the job!
This shirt is made of 100% ultra-fine cotton and fits insane on a White t-shirt.
- 100% Cotton T-Shirt
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We do our best to provide accurate sizing info for all items of MMA Clothing & Equipment that we sell at MMA Universe.
You can find our sizing information here
Should you be unable to find the information you need you can contact us at any time, we would be delighted to help you!
We do our best to ensure that our shipping prices are as fair and competitive as possible. We offer four tiers of delivery each with their own benefits and we offer free delivery options with orders of £50 or more.
If you place your order with us before 2pm GMT on Mon-Fri, we guarantee to ship your order the same day. Orders placed after this time may not be processed until the next available working day (but we'll do our best to get your order on it's way ASAP). Our typical delivery times are:
|United Kingdom:
|Within 48 Hours of shipping
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Items to be returned for exchange or refund must be unworn and in the original packaging, unless faulty, in which case please wash them first!You can find more information about our returns policy here


text:
Thirteen of the patients are men, and all are aged between 33 and 74. One man has recovered and been sent home.
An additional 15 people are suspected to have the disease.
The cases are all linked to the south west of Edinburgh, namely the areas of Gorgie, Dalry, Saughton and Stenhouse.
Industrial cooling towers are said by NHS Lothian to be a potential source of the infection and cooling systems at four facilities in the area have been inspected and treated.
The Environmental Health Service and Health and Safety Executive will be testing other sites over the coming days, but it is expected to take at least 10 days before results are available.
What is legionnaires' disease?
Legionnaires' diease is caused by a bacteria called Legionella, which is dangerous if it finds its way into water supply systems like air conditioning systems, hot water supplies and cooling towers.
The disease is contracted by breathing in droplets of contaminated water, but it is not contagious and cannot spread from person to person.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms for the first day or two after infection include mild headaches and muscle pain.
These are followed by more severe symptoms including high fever, a temperature above 40 degrees C (104F) and more severe muscle pains and chills.
Sufferers can experience a persistent cough with mucus, possibly blood, a shortness of breath and chest pains.


text:
Dinner Tonight: Sweet Potato and Gruyère Turnovers Recipe
Your source for quick recipe every single week day.
I am not a baker. I almost always screw something up, leaving my kitchen disheveled and covered in a sticky coating of flour. But while these may not be the prettiest turnovers to ever emerge from an oven, even I have to admit that they were remarkably easy to construct. What else should expect from Real Simple magazine? Just purchase some premade frozen pie crusts, top with a filling, fold them over, and then pop these in the oven and in 25 minutes or so. That's dinner.
It's so fascinating how it all comes together here. The onion and swiss chard are quickly cooked, before being mixed in a large bowl with the cheese, seasonings, and raw grated sweet potatoes. I was completely in doubt that the sweet potatoes would finish cooking before the turnover was done, but they come out perfectly tender and nicely sweet.
- Yield:3 to 4
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems discard and leaves chopped
- 1/4 pound Gruyère, grated
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 refrigerated rolled piecrusts
- 1 egg
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 400°F. Pour the oil into a medium saucepan and heat on medium high until shimmering. Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the swiss chard, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in the grated sweet potatoes, Gruyère, fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pinch of black pepper. Let cool for a few minutes.
Cut the pie crusts in half, so you have four half circles. Spoon about 1/2-cup of the sweet potato mixture on one side of each half circle, leaving 1/2-inch border. Fold the dough over and crimp the sides. Using a knife, slice three openings on the top of the turnover. Repeat with the other three half circles.
Crack the egg into a bowl, and whip with a fork. Brush the top of each turnover with egg. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the turnovers on top. Bake in the oven until the turnovers are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
Monday, October 09, 2006
Your Distributed Medical Record
This issue came to light recently as we have struggled to integrate electronic information downloaded from pacemakers and defibrillators into the patient's medical record. As I have discussed before, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has agreed to reimburse physicians for the evaluation of data from pacemaker and defibrillator interrogations. But the patient uploads their information to a "server" owned by a company (usually the manufacturer of that device or their designated company). The server then compiles the information for the physician to review. Easy enough.
But CMS requires the graphical information be preserved from the EKG portion of the interrogation to verify billing. As such, this graphical information does not easily transport from one computer system to another. So it stays on the company's server.
But sometimes we might need that data later, especially in the case of a medical malpractice claim or to verify a bill. Years later, could we get this interrogation data? Perhaps, if we had stored an electronic or paper copy of the original interrogation locally and saved it on our server. But more and more, it seems the medical device companies will also have this data as backup. So I ask, who is responsible for protecting your medical data?
I believe this issue will become more and more common as the era of the electronic medical record takes hold. Your Electronic Medical Record (EMR) will soon be housed in more than one location - a distributed electronic medical record, if you will. But the issues of responsibility for that data, especially in terms of potential liability claims, will remain murky.
Sounds like the old "file-sharing" system like that of the original Napster music sharing web-site – a modified "peer-to-peer" model of the Electronic Medical Record, eh? But will the individual patient be like the Music Industry executives and prevent our "copyrighted" (well, at least private) sensitive medical information to be similarly restricted in its distribution?
I doubt it. The era of EMR "file-sharing" has arrived.
6 comments:
Medical records - all facets of medical records - is what I'm studying for my HIT degree, so this post really caught my attention.
I believe that we're going to go through quite a bit of this - "who's responsible for what?" - and - "what should be kept, and by whom?" - for a long while yet before we come to what I believe is going to be the ultimate answer to a lot of these questions: chipping individuals.
It's not a great answer, and it's going to be fought tooth and nail on several fronts, however I think that, in time, it will be seen as the only logical way to keep a lifetime of medical (and other) information about an individual. It can't be lost (or not easily) ... and with our advancing technologies, we're able to store more and more data on smaller and smaller chips. Depending on where it was placed, it would always be available to medical, law enforcement, and other professionals - even when the individual can no longer communicate.
The "Brave New World" we read about decades ago -(or at least a part of it) - is on the threshold of becoming reality.
- Mon Oct 09, 03:21:00 PM CDT
- Dr. A said...
Interesting idea. I never really thought about EMR file sharing. Who's information is it? Unfortunately, no one will be proactive on this. The solution will come about following some kind of lawsuit down the road.
- Mon Oct 09, 08:43:00 PM CDT
- DrWes said...
I assume by "chipped" you mean placing an RFID tag inside each of us, like is already being piloted at Hackensack Medical Center in New Jersey.
But I don't think those little chips will store all the information on each of us. But a unique identifier? Maybe. Or perhaps your embedded password as a "key" to access the data accross multiple databases...
A bit George Orwellian, isn't it?
And Dr A-
It sucks we always have to rely on the lawyers to determine our path, but I suspect you're correct. Proactivity is not the governments' or doctors' forte, we tend to be reactive, eh?
- Mon Oct 09, 11:07:00 PM CDT
- Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...
ahhh, i have an opinion here too! seems i am on a roll tonight!
my hubby, Charlie, has a Medtronic pacemaker installed in December. We live in two states. Both cardio drs. offices have medtronics personnel inhouse. he can also get checked over the phone.
since we are mobile i rather think medtronics should keep this info and make it available to whatever cardio dr. we go to see.
even if we were NOT mobile i still think medtronics should keep the info. the pacemaker will not change, the cardio dr. may change.
get what i'm saying or am i too dumb to make this understood? sorry i don't know any technical terms. but my dear Charlie is doing well guys!! thanks....bee
- Mon Oct 09, 11:11:00 PM CDT
- DrWes said...
I guess you could say your husband already has an RFID tag (of sorts) in his chest. His pacemaker contains a unique serial number than can "identify" him on Medtronic's database. And LOTS of medical information ALREADY resides on his pacemaker - check it out next time his pacemaker is checked - you'll probably find the date the device was implanted, who implanted it and where, the serial numbers of the leads, pacing threshold information of the leads at implant, etc., etc.
It doesn't take a leap to see where things might be going in the implantable medical device industry...
But if sensitive information could be placed on the pacemaker memory (say, HIV status) and housed at Medtronic, who would you want to have access to that information? How would you control access?
- Tue Oct 10, 07:42:00 AM CDT
- Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...
right doc. bee
- Tue Oct 10, 06:48:00 PM CDT


text:
ICE RINK CHIC: If you grew up going to the local ice rink, you probably fell a little in love with the setting, as you should have: The Plexiglas separating the bleachers from the rink action had its own look, as did the snack bar, which always seemed to be lined, along the counter at least, with those packets of instant cocoa and cider. And you probably got annoyed when people plunked down on the benches placed for those skaters needing to don their blades, people who only wanted to hang and not put on skates. But an ice rink can come in many flavors -- er, styles -- and the classic snack-bar-skate-shop-bleacher set-up isn't always required. Seasonal rinks pop up hither and yon from November through February, and the outdoor locations are always interesting: Sometimes a city, sometimes the woods, and sometimes a national park. Eager to try out fresh ice that has a little something different to it? Blade up and glide for...
CURRY VILLAGE: The Yosemite National Park rink is indeed a winter thing -- it is set to be "open daily" through the beginning of March -- and the backdrop couldn't be more national-park-y if Ken Burns came in to film it. (Hmm, well, maybe.) That's Half Dome in the distance, which makes any pictures you take on the rink really and truly one-of-a-kind.
ICE SKATING BY THE BAY: You and your skates won't be all that far from Monterey Bay at this wintertime rink at Custom House Plaza in Monterey. That means lunch on Old Fisherman's Wharf, of course, and maybe a hot drink along Cannery Row after your session.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
SKATING BY THE SEA: Picture it... on one side of you, the Pacific Ocean. On the other, the turret-pretty Hotel del Coronado. The sand-close rink is so picture-perfect that marriage proposals are a thing. Nice, but we don't want the proposer to take a spill and land on the ring, if it happens to be hidden in a backpocket. Glide carefully, lovebirds.


text:
LSI SandForce 5 Series SSD Firmware - TRIM Lost and Found, Performance Investigated (Page 1)
Five months ago we published a review of the SanDisk Extreme 240GB SSD. This drive, the first of its kind in more ways than we knew at the time, started a long and frustrating experience. The Extreme was the first product to cross our desk with new SanDisk 24nm Toggle Mode Flash. At that time, it was easy to point to the flash and say that any problem discovered had to do with the new exotic flash. What we didn't know at the time was the Extreme also brought with it our first look at Series 5 firmware from LSI SandForce.
The firmware system in place works roughly like this. The base code is produced by SandForce and that is where the revision number comes from. Before February 28th, drives coming in used what we call Series 3 (3.3.2, 3.3.4 and so on). The base code goes to manufacturers where it is key coded and customizations are added. In the customizations, features that produce Max IOPS, CapX 'Host Power Loss Protection' capability, throttle rate and other differentiating points are added. At that point the manufacturers release the code to the public. If there is a problem with the underlying base code, it affects everyone who builds on top of it. We see the same thing with motherboards, video cards and other products as well - if Intel's foundation code is off, then the problem is found on all motherboards using that underlying code.
In our testing the SanDisk Extreme 240GB was very fast, faster than any other SandForce based drive we've ever seen before"¦ at first. The problem started to show up as we worked our way through the benchmarks. After a standard run we went back and re-tested the drive without a secure erase cycle and the performance dropped like a brick. These were the very same tests we'd just run a couple of hours before and achieved record setting scores. For the next month we worked our way through all of the typical issues that could pop up. System stability, drivers and so forth were all tested out of the equation. By that time I had six test systems running in the lab 24/7 and a whole fleet of SanDisk Extreme drives.
During all of this, other new drives hit the office and they all tested normal, all with 3.3.2 and 3.3.4 based firmware. It wasn't until the Biwin Elite arrived that we started making sense of the problem. Biwin uses standard firmware numbering and this drive arrived labeled as 5.0.1. At that point we were able to match the performance profile of the SanDisk Extreme to the Biwin Elite, both drives showed the same high performance that quickly dropped off in our testing. What was different about the Biwin Elite was the flash, 25nm synchronous IMFT flash. With that knowledge we determined the issue wasn't with the exotic 24nm flash, but the base code. The firmware was screwed and TRIM was no longer working. How could I of missed it went through my mind at least once a day for the next week.
The Biwin Elite arrived roughly three and a half months ago. Since then we've received 25 other SandForce based SSDs, all with the same issue, all with broken TRIM. A few of these products we've went ahead and reviewed, like the ADATA SP900, the first SandForce based drive with 0-provisioning and the SuperSSpeed Hyper Gold SLC, the first SLC flash drive we've tested in quite a long time. Basically we determined that any SSD coming to our lab would need to be re-tested and re-written once a firmware fix was available. Since the option wasn't very attractive we only published reviews of 'special' drives like the 0-provision and SLC.
At the time we were spoon fed the same line over and over, "two weeks". A new firmware "is close", "coming soon" and "in testing now." We really didn't expect two weeks to turn into five months, but our hands were tied to some degree because writing one review is tough enough, but writing two over the same product is exhausting.
Last updated: Apr 7, 2020 at 12:31 pm CDT
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- Page 1 [Introduction]
- Page 2 [TRIM arrives on 5-Series Code - But you have to wait for it]
- Page 3 [But what about all of those reviews?]
- Page 4 [Benchmarks - Test System Setup and A Modified Look at Testing]
- Page 5 [Unformatted Tests, Sequential and Access Times]
- Page 6 [ATTO and PCMark Vantage Light Use]
- Page 7 [Incompressible Data Tests]
- Page 8 [Enterprise Testing]
- Page 9 [Compressible vs. Incompressible]
- Page 10 [Data on Drive - PCMark Vantage]
- Page 11 [Final Thoughts]


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Hans Lindblad' tag.
Hans Lindblad and I have just uploaded to the arXiv our joint paper "Asymptotic decay for a one-dimensional nonlinear wave equation", submitted to Analysis & PDE. This paper, to our knowledge, is the first paper to analyse the asymptotic behaviour of the one-dimensional defocusing nonlinear wave equation
where is the solution and is a fixed exponent. Nowadays, this type of equation is considered a very simple example of a non-linear wave equation (there is only one spatial dimension, the equation is semilinear, the conserved energy is positive definite and coercive, and there are no derivatives in the nonlinear term), and indeed it is not difficult to show that any solution whose conserved energy
is finite, will exist globally for all time (and remain finite energy, of course). In particular, from the one-dimensional Gagliardo-Nirenberg inequality (a variant of the Sobolev embedding theorem), such solutions will remain uniformly bounded in for all time.
However, this leaves open the question of the asymptotic behaviour of such solutions in the limit as . In higher dimensions, there are a variety of scattering and asymptotic completeness results which show that solutions to nonlinear wave equations such as (1) decay asymptotically in various senses, at least if one is in the perturbative regime in which the solution is assumed small in some sense (e.g. small energy). For instance, a typical result might be that spatial norms such as might go to zero (in an average sense, at least). In general, such results for nonlinear wave equations are ultimately based on the fact that the linear wave equation in higher dimensions also enjoys an analogous decay as , as linear waves in higher dimensions spread out and disperse over time. (This can be formalised by decay estimates on the fundamental solution of the linear wave equation, or by basic estimates such as the (long-time) Strichartz estimates and their relatives.) The idea is then to view the nonlinear wave equation as a perturbation of the linear one.
On the other hand, the solution to the linear one-dimensional wave equation
does not exhibit any decay in time; as one learns in an undergraduate PDE class, the general (finite energy) solution to such an equation is given by the superposition of two travelling waves,
where and also have finite energy, so in particular norms such as cannot decay to zero as unless the solution is completely trivial.
Nevertheless, we were able to establish a nonlinear decay effect for equation (1), caused more by the nonlinear right-hand side of (1) than by the linear left-hand side, to obtain decay on the average:
Theorem 1. (Average decay) If is a finite energy solution to (1), then tends to zero as .
Actually we prove a slightly stronger statement than Theorem 1, in that the decay is uniform among all solutions with a given energy bound, but I will stick to the above formulation of the main result for simplicity.
Informally, the reason for the nonlinear decay is as follows. The linear evolution tries to force waves to move at constant velocity (indeed, from (3) we see that linear waves move at the speed of light ). But the defocusing nature of the nonlinearity will spread out any wave that is propagating along a constant velocity worldline. This intuition can be formalised by a Morawetz-type energy estimate that shows that the nonlinear potential energy must decay along any rectangular slab of spacetime (that represents the neighbourhood of a constant velocity worldline).
Now, just because the linear wave equation propagates along constant velocity worldlines, this does not mean that the nonlinear wave equation does too; one could imagine that a wave packet could propagate along a more complicated trajectory in which the velocity is not constant. However, energy methods still force the solution of the nonlinear wave equation to obey finite speed of propagation, which in the wave packet context means (roughly speaking) that the nonlinear trajectory is a Lipschitz continuous function (with Lipschitz constant at most ).
And now we deploy a trick which appears to be new to the field of nonlinear wave equations: we invoke the Rademacher differentiation theorem (or Lebesgue differentiation theorem), which asserts that Lipschitz continuous functions are almost everywhere differentiable. (By coincidence, I am teaching this theorem in my current course, both in one dimension (which is the case of interest here) and in higher dimensions.) A compactness argument allows one to extract a quantitative estimate from this theorem (cf. this earlier blog post of mine) which, roughly speaking, tells us that there are large portions of the trajectory which behave approximately linearly at an appropriate scale. This turns out to be a good enough control on the trajectory that one can apply the Morawetz inequality and rule out the existence of persistent wave packets over long periods of time, which is what leads to Theorem 1.
There is still scope for further work to be done on the asymptotics. In particular, we still do not have a good understanding of what the asymptotic profile of the solution should be, even in the perturbative regime; standard nonlinear geometric optics methods do not appear to work very well due to the extremely weak decay.


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Monday, August 15, 2011
Hindraf collecting evidence against British gov't
The suit, initiated and filed by Hindraf chief P Waythamoorthy (right) in 2007, prior to the group being outlawed and its leaders picked up under the Internal Security Act or forced to flee the country, has been in limbo since then.
"Because of the time limitation, we must go to trial before 30 August 2013," said Grover, explaining why his evidence gathering visit is of the utmost urgency.
He was speaking today to over 1,500 supporters of Hindraf and members of the Indian community at the Hokkien Assembly Hall, Klang.
Grover is scheduled to visit more locations around Malaysia to meet with more citizens of Indian descent to explain about the legal challenge, gather evidence and add more names to the list of claimants.
The civil suit which named the British Crown and government as the defendants, is to seek recompense for the alleged victimisation of Indians, whose forced relocation to then Malaya by the Empire, Hindraf claimed, had led to them a life of abject poverty.
Grover said that it is essential that he meet with as many Malaysians of Indian descent as soon as possible to include them in the list of claimants to the civil claim and to use evidence of their current life as a basis for their abject poverty argument.
However he assured those who may want to come forward that as provided under British law, their identity will be kept confidential in case of intimidation or possible reprisal by the Malaysian government.
'It will not stop here'
Grover also condemned the deportation of his fellow London based legal colleague Imran Khan.
"It does not make sense to exclude Mr Khan, when I am also going to do the same thing.
"They (the government) don't want the suit to succeed. They are afraid of you and your tenacity," claimed the London-based legal professional.
Khan (left) who is legal advisor to Waythamoorthy, was supposed to accompany Grover but was deported by Malaysian authorities yesterday for being a "prohibited immigrant.
Grover said that they will not stop there but will continue their fight for the case, including to challenge Khan's deportatation.
"Mr Khan will travel here again," said the lawyer.
The lawyer arrived at the packed hall to the cries of "Hindraf Vaalzhal!" by youths waving the orange flag of the outlawed organisation.
There was no obvious police presence throughout the event although there were individuals who could have been plainsclothes officers.
Prior to his arrival the sizeable crowd gave their rapt attention to videos and slideshow of photos featuring Waythamoorthy and other Hindraf leaders in heroic moments to the rousing 60s era Tamil songs.
Posted by barred at 12:47 AM
Labels: Civil Suit
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Posted 8 years ago
(716 items)
Some years ago I bought on a flee market this charming demi parure (necklace and earrings). I hardly paid nothing for this set. Made of vermeil (gold over silver marked 835, see photo) probably made in Germany during the so called Biedermeier period.
(Biedermeier (1790 to 1848) .During this period, wearing of jewelry was reserved for nobles and upper classes. Floral motives, tendril shapes and ribbons were particularly popular. Diamonds became ever more cherished in this time. Thus, even buttons and buckles were set with these precious stones. Along with the French Revolution, the supremacy of the aristocracy came to an end. The bourgeois demonstrated their new position by wearing jewelry. Biedermeier jewelry did not have its own style per se. Rather, Romantic and other style nuances from past epochs were copied.Biedermeier was an influential style of furniture design from Germany during the years 1815-1848, based on utilitarian principles.)
The set is nice enameled with blue and white enamel flowers with a heart of a little white bead. Is there somebody who can tell more about this set?


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HUM 1174 - Introduction to Geography
- 4 cr.
A topical overview of physical, cultural, economic and regional geography. The course is designed for those with little or no background in the discipline. Required for SSC majors.
HUM 2101 - Cross Cultural Understanding
- 4 cr.
Emphasis on the necessity for becoming knowledgeable about the target culture, the techniques that can be used to penetrate another culture and the responsibilities one has in achieving intercultural communication.
Crosslist Course: GCL 2101
HUM 2150 - Ethnicity & Performing Arts
- 4 cr.
A consideration of the impact of the performing arts (music and dance) within African-American, American Indian, Asian-American, and Latino/a communities in the United States. Our study is structured around social and political movements that have emerged out of the performing arts. By examining songs, poetry, dance and martial arts forms in their cultural, historical and political contexts, we consider how individuals and communities use them to construct racial, class and gender identity, to express world view, make political statements, question authority and seek social justice. Throughout the course, we seek out common themes and concerns faced by the four communities we study, but we also note the ways in which individual artists creatively engage with, express, and are empowered by cultural difference.
HUM 3366 - Travel Writing ( Integrations: VIOP - Open )
- 4 cr.
Designed for students interested in exploring Ireland through writing, this course emphasizes the writing process as adapted to travel experiences. Requirements include reading travel writing by others, keeping a journal of observations, writing several travel pieces, and participating in writers' workshops. When offered, the course is taught onsite in Ireland.
HUM 3378 - Spirituality and Prayer
- 4 cr.
Explores a theology and practice of prayer as reflected by some classic and contemporary Christian and non- Christian writers. This course encourages students to discover their own unique pathways of prayer, develop a personal relationship with God in their spiritual quest and engage in a prayer life that nurtures and inspires their quest for meaning in life.
HUM 3777 - Topics
- 2-4 cr.


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The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet regularly conducts HealthInfoNet cafés at conferences, where we demonstrate how to use our website. We exist to help 'close the gap' by providing the evidence base to inform practice and policy, and support those working in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. The cafés allow us a valuable opportunity to do this nationally, to reach many people including policy-makers, workers in government and non-government organisations, health service providers, program managers, clinicians and other health professionals (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers), researchers, academics and other teachers, students, and the general community.
This unique service takes place at a conference stand where a HealthInfoNet staff member demonstrates the website to individual delegates on one of several laptops. This gives delegates the opportunity to learn how the resource is structured, what is available and how to access the topics most relevant to their particular work, research or interest. The online yarning places, which aim to develop communities of practice around particular health issues are also promoted, and this usually results in delegates signing up for membership.
The cafés add tremendous value to a conference as a service to support delegates in their work by making them aware of this comprehensive free online resource. We also provide promotional materials that have been designed specifically for people working studying or interested in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and include our website address. They are handed out to remind delegates of the website and for them to give to other people who may be interested.
As we are based in Perth, conference attendance often requires travel and accommodation costs plus the freight costs of promotional items. Most conference organisers and committees recognise the value of our work as important for their members and delegates so we are fortunate that in most cases the conference fees are waived or offered at a considerable reduction. We choose events strategically to maximise exposure and to ensure that we reach workers in specific health areas, for example, substance use, nutrition and ear health, and particularly areas where we receive extra funding for promotional activities. The response to the vast resources on the website has always been very positive and our goal is always to raise awareness, and increase knowledge and usage of this unique resource.
To have a look at information about the latest HealthInfoNet cafes, View information: HealthInfoNet cafes
If you would like us to run a HealthInfoNet café at your conference please contact us


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St. Petersburg and the MLB Go Waaaay Back
It gets to me sometimes how people tend to wrap the "Tampa " label on the city by the Bay more and more on national baseball broadcasts, ESPN Sportscenter and during post-game interviews. The St. Petersburg area is the 4th largest cities in the state,and would be a far bigger city if it was not for that body of water on three sides of it.
But the media has a love affair and always get wrapped up in the sheets and covers of St. Pete's brotherly city over the water just east of them. It is not easy to understand sometimes since this city has had a long love affair with baseball since even before the 1900's. And to add to it all, the Minor League Baseball office is located in our fair city in front of Progress Energy Fields box offices right down by the waterfront.
The City of St. Petersburg, Florida has always had the moniker of being a town where older people go to die. It has been affectionately called, " Town of the Newlyweds and Nearly Deads" for as long as I have been alive. It is a town known throughout the world for the endless green benches, sunshine almost 360 days a year, and a bridge span that collapsed onto a tanker in the late 70's. But did you know that it was the last stop for President John F Kennedy before he left for Dallas, Texas?
The game's Sunshine State history reaches back to amateur ballclubs of the 1870s. In 1888, major league clubs began putting down Florida roots when the Washington Nationals came to the Jacksonville area for spring training. St. Petersburg welcomed owner Branch Rickey and the St. Louis Browns in 1914, and new transportation routes in the 1920s drew still more springtime teams–many lured to St. Pete by businessman and former mayor, Al Lang.
Baseball has been in the seasonal lifeblood of the region for over 100 years. And with so many clubs using this area for Spring Training, it is about expected that residual energy and phantom sightings and events would blanket the area with a paranormal presence. I have heard all kinds of stories growing up about the early days of baseball in Florida. Sightings among the mist at ballparks and strangers sitting in the empty dugouts that vanish when you walk up to them. Mystery and baseball sometimes go hand in hand with each other.
Stories of ballplayers' like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig staying in local downtown hotels, like the Ponce De Leon and Don Ce Sar Resort. And also unthinkable stories of events that today would cause an uproar, like how local innkeepers and restaurant owners would not let former Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson and some other african-american players eat or sleep with the rest of the team's players due to beliefs that would be considered horrific today. In the 1940's, racism was a social problem in the south, and ghostly reminders rear their heads at old haunts like Mirror Lake or beyond the top of "Thrill Hill" off 3rd Street South near Bayboro Harbor.
I have heard rumors and enuendos about deep sea boat trips deep into the Gulf of Mexico to follow game fish like the Marlin and players missing baseball games because of losing track of time out on the high seas. I actually saw a photo of Ruth and Gehrig deep sea fishing off the coast of Florida in of all places, the Diamond Club at Safeco Field. Take the stadium tour, you will see that, and an awesome photo of Babe Ruth as a Red Sox pitcher. Also the stories ans urban legends of the elaborate shindigs and parties attended by some of baseball's elite players in places like the old Hermitage Hotel, or the Detroit Hotel's courtyard, which is now the Jannis Landing concert venue.
With all that wild actitivites and the bold and brass characters of old-time baseball, you would think some of that would still be here, coasting within our eyesight. There are reminders everywhere in the city of baseball's past here. Little did I know how much of the past still is present in St. Petersburg until I made a pilgrimage to my local bookstore. I went on a baseball book hunt to one of the classic bookstore, Haslems to try and find some old editions or volumes written about baseball.
Now I know I could have gone to Barnes and Noble, or any other cookie-cutter store with their coffee shops and muffins, but I wanted to have a literary expedition into the past. I do not know what it is about an old bookstore that makes you feel, well nostalgic. Maybe it is the smell of the aging pages and binders glue, or maybe the accumulation of dust and mildew on some collections, but you can always find somethnig to peak your interest.
If you have never heard about Haslems' ,it is a huge collection and mish-mosh of books discarded and obtained from people and sources all over the world and every book known to man seems to flow to them. I came away with a few great books about our national pastime. They had a huge selection of autobiographies and collections of stories concerning baseball. I have to check out this book, " The 30-Year Old Rookie" the next time I am in there.
One of the book I chose was, Haunted Baseball, by Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon. To start with, the authors are Boston Red Sox and New York fans, which puts them in good company with the bandwagon fans the Rays attract 64 games a year ( minus the 17 against the AL East foes ) tends to attract at once to the Trop. this year. The book is a fantastic collection of events depicting the ghosts, practical celestrial games, and unexplained phenoms concerning baseball and some oif the hotel, motels and Holiday Inns around the league and the minors.
And to my delight, within the inside pages is a unique insight and local history of apparitions, events and local urban legends that only back up old stories and unwitnessed events I was told as a child. I have enjoyed reading this book. The authors have done alot of research with players, coaches and experts in the field of the unsual and the unknown. From the first chapter based on events in St. Petersburg, and it peaked my interest to revisit and explore these places again and again.
The first chapter is dedicated to a St. Petersburg park that sits less than a few miles from Tropicana Field, the Rays current home. I used to run around this park as a child and fish in it's lake and read under, and climb the huge banyan trees. The park has always had a eerie feeling to me,like someone was watching you from a distance, and I did not know why. Cresent Lake Park is also the site of Huggins-Stengel Field, which was one of the Spring Training sites for the old Yankees, Mets, Cardinals Orioles, and the young years of the Tampa Bay D-Rays..
Huggins-Stengel field located in the Southeastern corner of the park near the huge silver colored watertower that has served as a landmark since the 1920's. My grandfather used to live on 13th Avenue North between 5th and 6th Streets, less than a city block from the field. He used to take hours telling me about the legends both concerning the field and the playerd who called it home for many years. One of the wildest adventures into the bizzare world of the paranormal concerns former Yankee greats' Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle .
It is said that the spirit of the "Bambino" loved the Florida sunshine and the city so much that his spirit is still here, Some say that occsionally a figure is seen sitting in the dugout at twilight wearing a Yankee jersey on the third base side of Huggins-Stengel Field and can still be witnessed on occasions usually before the weather turns cold in Florida. Mikey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio patroled centerfield at the complex, and legend has it that the day after they died a brown spot turned up in the exact spots both of them used to play on the field.
Ruth also was playing in the outfield once and a bull gator decided to sun himself in deep centerfield and chased the "Bambino" from the field . Ruth also used to hit monster shots down the vine-covered leftfield area and kids used to clamor for the balls. Some say a lone figure is sometimes seen out there in the early morning mist just standing in centerfield as if waiting for a ball to be hit his direction. Most take this apparition to be Ruth, who loved playing at this quaint location better than the Yankees old facility in New Orleans. Truth be told, the Yankees moved the spring training site to St. Petersburg to keep Ruth from Bourbon Street and the late night life of New Orleans.
The old clubhouse is the scene of several unsual and unexplained happenings. It was like a second home to alot of the Yankee stars who spent plenty of late hours there before heading to the team hotel in town. After the D-Rays moved all their operation to the Ray Namoli complex in the Jungle area of town, the team turned the location over to the City of St. Petersburg, who converted the old clubhouse to an office space currently occupied by the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation team TASCO.
At Huggins-Stengel Field, some also say the ghost of Casey Stengel is said to have been seen and felt in the old clubhouse. Two plaques in front of a building are dedicated to Miller Huggins and Casey Stengel and that it was the New York Mets spring clubhouse for more than 20 years are all that distinguishes it from the dozens of other baseball fields in the city. There are 3 ex-MLB training sites in the city that are still standing. Besides Huggins-Stengel, there is the Busch Complex ( St. Louis Cardinals ) off 62nd Avenue Northeast, and the Namoli complex ( Mets, Orioles, Cards, Rays ) next to the Walter Fuller Community center in the Jungle Prade area of St. Petersburg.
Legend has it Ruth gave up shagging flies on the first day of spring training in 1925 because an alligator emerged from Crescent Lake to sunbath in the outfield. Ruth is said to be one of the few players to put a ball into the lake about 500 feet from home plate in right field. Among the others: Mets slugger Dave Kingman.
It is a series of wild tales of ghostly sightings and unexplained sounds and smells concerning the vast history that has graced this cement block building. The old Yankees clubhouse, built in the 1930s, was torn down and replaced by the current one in the early 1960s. Lockers from the original clubhouse were moved to the new one, and one of the wood stalls greets visitors in the entrance to the building now used for offices for a teenagers program, TASCO.
One of the wildest and most interesting tales concerns a thick cigar odor that is strong in the AM when the TASCO workers come in the morning, and the strange and odd happening after dark in the building. It is said that former Yankee manager Miller Huggins was a huge cigar smoker and would often light up in the clubhouse or the surrounding areas. But the lone figure in the dugout near nightfall has more of a place in the local lore. Some say it is the shadows that play against the overgrowth in leftfield that give the dugout its errie glow and shadows right before sunset.
I used to deliver Pepsi product to TASCO as a Special Events Coordinator, and I always had an uneasy feeling in that building. If I knew about these events, I would have loved to stay the night or visit there at night. The park is patrolled by local police looking for illegal activities, not ghosts during the night. The St. Petersburg Police Department has never had to respond to a burglar call or break-in at the complex, and the motion alarms have never been set off by the nightly escapades.
The third chapter of the book features the World famous Vinoy hotel where countless stories have victimized visiting teams, and newly promoted Rays players staying in the resort for Rays games. The hotel was vacant for over 20 years and fell into major disrepair before the site was cleaned up and restored to it's current state. It has been a long time since the hotel was a vacant shell on the waterfront, but true natives know how much the hotel transformed the Straub Park and Vinoy area back to respectability and extreme comfort for local visitors'.
The book goes into detail about the haunting and shenaigans of the spectres' in the old wing of the hotel. I know of one death in the hotel from when it was an abandoned shell. It is of a homeless guy who fell into the water-filled elevator shaft and drowned because there was no one there to hear him scream for help, or rescue him. Legend has it that sometimes the walls of the elevators produce a banging sound and the elevator shakes like someone trying to get in from below or above the unit.
I have also stayed in this hotel a few times on the 5th floor of the old wing and have not had a truly restful night sleep . One time it was due to weird scratching noises outside my 6th floor window. I took it as a dove or bird trying to find a niche for the night. Never thought about a ghostly apparition or spectre causing the chaos. I also know of doors and windows that have been locked, then appear open to the outer halls during the night while people have been asleep inside of the rooms. The main ballroom has been said to have nightly ghost parties where voices and footsteps are regular occurrances to unsuspecting staff members.
It has a Rays' twist in the form of a ghostly haunting involving Jon Switzer when he first got promoted up to the big club. You have to read the account to believe it. It is a tale you would not believe unless you read it. Other players and coaches have had events happen to them in this spirited hotel. There is even one player from the Cleveland Indians who will not sleep in the hotel due to a bad night sleeping or the feelings he gest from the old haunt.
the paranormal is present so much that it was profiled in an ESPN story involving the Cincinnati Reds reliever Scott Williamson. He says he was held down in his bed by an unforseen force in the night and in later research, it was noted that the former landowner of the Vinoy site before the hotel was built was also named Williamson.
As you can see, some residents of the past might have come back to St. Petersburg to check back into the hotel to rediscover their glory days or even revisit the best times of their lives. The city has always had a southern charm and relaxing feel to it, but the bumps in the night have gotten a new meaning after reading that book. I recommend that anyone who enjoys tales of paranormal or unforetold strange happenings should check out this book. The authors' also have a blog page here on MLBlogs.com where they leave blogs entries from time to time. Here is the page if you are interested in either the book, or their blogs: http://hauntedbaseball.mlblogs.com .
Well, got to go run by old Cresent Lake on my morning jog, maybe I will see the figure in the mist, or an old bull gator that could to be the re-incarnation of Babe Ruth on the lake bank behind the centerfield wall……………wish me luck, I love the unexplained.