Relates to this post at City of Sound.

This group of four images relate to the Water Commission Channels - a sign with brief (very) information about the channels and three images of different portions of the channels. I've yet to locate information abou these channels other than what is on the descriptive sign - the search continues.

These images were shot in the Werribee Gorge State Park which we arrived at via motorcycle (a Moto Guzzi 1200). The geotagging of these images is approximate.

You can more information on this beautiful part of Victoria through the following suggested links:

- Parks Victoria - Werribee Gorge State Park;

- Visit Moorabool - Werribee Gorge State Park; and/or

- Walks Victoria - Werribee Gorge Walking Trail.

I’ll relate to y’all, my beautiful readers, a simple tale of an ordinary average Central Texas Trumpet Case Bear. It was 95 degrees F (35 C) out of doors. Little Texas Aggie Trumpet Case Bear was about to go into heat exhaustion (symptom before heat stroke).

Alamo Basement Fightin’ Texas Aggie Ring whispered to me, “We need to get frozen Margaritas into the little bear immediately before he goes into a coma and dies. Have you looked at the price of black market bears lately?” I pulled out the large container for the Ninja and fired it up.

After about quatro or cinco Margaritas necesitas, Little Texas Aggie Osa (bear) was starting to feel much, much better. At this point, there was a spilt Margarita. It’s not important who spilt the Margarita, but it did totally soak Little Texas Aggie Bear.

I for one, am not about to allow a trumpet case bear who smells of tequila and is all sticky, near my 1947 Rudy Mück jazz trumpet. I had two options — Take him out to the woods and shoot him or — give him a bath in the kitchen sink.

Bears know how to swim. In fact, they love water. In some states, they will come into your backyard and take the waters in your swimming pool or jacuzzi. There are videos on YouTube.

I sanitized the sink and prepared a nice, warm bubble bath for Little Texas Aggie Bear. He hesitantly lowered himself into the sink. He let out a “bear sigh” of pleasure. When I took out the camera, Little Texas Aggie Bear started to cry. “What’s wrong?” asked Alamo Basement Aggie Ring.

“It’s the bubble bath.” sobbed the little bear. “If anyone in the Trumpet Case Bear Union sees those photos, I’ll loose my certification and be forced to become the worst sort of bear ever — a tuba/Sousaphone case bear.”

I assured the little bear that no one would ever see any of these photos and think that he’s some sort of “Barbie Dream House” bear. This seemed to put him at ease and please him.

After I rinsed him a couple of times, Aggie Ring and I realized we had a very, very wet bear to deal with. “If you don’t get him dry soon. He’ll start to smell like wet dog!” said Aggie Ring.

My first thought was, “Well… the ceiling fan will get him dry! I’ll just hang him up by the neck to it.” Sadly, when I turned on the fan, Aggie Bear went flying across the room and onto the hard floor like a child who wasn’t strapped in properly in a Disney World wild ride.

[More to follow]

A recently launched corporate social responsibility program has revealed shocking facts and figures relating to the Saudi youth.

During an event held at the Jeddah headquarters of Saudi wealth management company, SEDCO Holding, results of a survey that the company has shown that 11 percent of the Kingdom’s youth keep track of their spending and 80 percent of income goes on mobile phones and travel while 46 percent rely on parents for funding big purchases.

These findings are exactly why SEDCO chose to launch “Riyali,” which addresses the need to educate the Saudi population on financial literacy and empower people with the personal financial skills required to achieve a desirable standard of living. The first phase of this program targets college students.

Announcing the program, Dr. Adnan Soufi, CEO of SEDCO Holding, said, “We have selected financial literacy as our flagship social responsibility initiative. The program aims to enable upcoming generations with crucial skills to manage their personal income.”

Riyali will reach 50,000 beneficiaries over the next five years, aiming to impact 15,000 university students in its first phase. As the program expands, other demographic groups will be included.

SEDCO employee volunteers will serve as ambassadors to train the students on Financial Literacy through a curriculum focused on basic savings, budgeting, investing, and borrowing. Sessions will be evaluated immediately upon completion and the students tested on the information and knowledge shared during the course.

Riyali will be carried out at universities using a series of interactive workshops that will bring about a change in youth behavior towards financial planning and responsibility. Hence, it will create a difference in their overall spending and saving habits.

In developing the program SEDCO partnered with Operation Hope, a leading global social empowerment non-profit organization founded in 1992 with a mission to expand economic opportunity through financial literacy education. To date, Operation Hope has served over 2 million people in the United States, Haiti, South Africa, and Morocco.

John Hope Bryant, founder and Chief Executive of Operation Hope attended the launch where he addressed the attendees explaining the importance of speaking the language of money.

“If you don’t understand the language of money and you don’t have a bank account, you are risking becoming a slave to today’s financial system” he said.

Bryant also announced that he is committed to learn Arabic within 1 year after he fell in love with the language and culture.

SEDCO Group’s investment and wealth management company, SEDCO Capital, has also contributed to the development of Riyali by helping to construct the curriculum. Its staff will be the main source of ambassadors who will give participants in the program the benefit of their expertise in the same way they advise companies and corporations but adapted for personal financial management at an individual level.

Hasan Aljabri, CEO of SEDCO Capital, said: “We here at SEDCO Capital believe that the value of any economy is the individual and he alone is able to extract the wealth of the land and use its resources to supplement technologies, industry, agriculture and various aspects of science and the arts.”

Leading educational institutions in the Kingdom, including King Abdulaziz University, Effat University, Dar Al Hekma College and the College of Business Administration, have partnered in the initiative.

Track and Field archives

The National Athletics Archive is held at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, and comprises an extensive volume of archival materials. These papers primarily relate to the history and development of athletics in the United Kingdom throughout the 1800s and 1900s. In addition to organisational collections, such as the papers of the Amateur Athletics Association, the National Athletics Archive includes various discrete collections of individual athletes. These include papers relating to Sydney Wooderson MBE, 1914-2006. Wooderson was an English athlete who was dubbed ‘The Mighty Atom’. His athletics career peaked in the 1930s and 1940s and he set the world mile record of 04:06:40 at London’s Motspur Park on 28 August 1937. This record stood for nearly five years.

The collection also includes ephemeral and grey literature relating to various athletics clubs, meetings and events. Papers relating to major athletics championships include material generated during the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff. These Games introduced the ‘Queen’s Baton Relay’ which has been conducted as a prelude to every British Empire and Commonwealth Games since.

Programmes and manuscript results compiled by the athlete and coach, Dennis Cullum, 1913-1985.

Reference: ATH/DC/2/1

House Bill 980, relating to “Highway Safety” (aka Distracted Driving Bill) – This measure is effective July 1, 2013. While all counties have some form of a distracted driving ordinance in place, this measure establishes a state law that creates consistent requirements across all counties for the use of mobile electronic devices while driving and will simplify enforcement. Crash data from the DOT shows that during 2007, 32 percent (2,871 of the 8,770 collisions) were attributed to inattention to driving.

Senate Bill 4, relating to “Motor Vehicles” (aka Universal Seatbelt Bill) – This measure requires all front seat and back seat occupants to buckle up, effective immediately. Adults and children must use their seat belts and child restraints at all times. Unrestrained back seat passengers were more than three times as likely to have injuries that were fatal or required hospitalization compared to restrained back seat passengers, based on DOH’s analysis of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records. Additionally, among back seat passengers who were treated for injuries by EMS, average medical charges were nearly tripled among those who did not use seat belts ($11,043), compared to restrained passengers ($3,817).

The bill signings were done in conjunction with the DOT’s launch of the annual “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign, held in partnership between the state and counties with federal funding. During the national Click It or Ticket mobilization from May 20 to June 2 and throughout the year, police statewide will be continuing strict enforcement of the state seat belt and child passenger restraint laws.

I am sure that most people will relate to that ‘Monday Morning Feeling’. The dreaded realization upon waking that it is NOT Saturday or Sunday. It’s not even any other weekday. It’s Monday. The day when you long for that extra half-hour in bed more than on any other day of the week. The day when, due to some meteorological quirk of nature, the weather, more often than not, is depressing. The day when you question your career choice!

I was certainly no different. As an Art teacher for nearly 35 years, I would make my way up the school drive wondering whether some mutated virus may just possibly have incapacitated only the disruptive pupils in the school. In the Winter there was always the possibility that the heating system had broken down and the pupils would be sent home, or the pipes had burst over the weekend. The reality for a Monday was that staff absence would be heavier than normal and, if one had a non-contact period (can’t call them ‘free’ periods any more), looking at the daily ‘cover’ list would see one’s name down to take class 9Z for ‘Life Skills’ or something similar because Miss Binge had a ‘migraine’ or Mr. Skiver had developed the ‘workshy virus’.

By mid-morning break, of course, usually, one’s mood had returned to normal and life really didn’t seem that bad. In order to militate against the likelihood of a mass-suicide pact in the staffroom on a Monday morning, I began to produce a ‘Picture of the Week’ with a caption beneath, for the ‘Cover Noticeboard’. These raised a smile and I was sometimes asked for a copy. I have begun to upload them here for the benefit of anyone who has a similar sense of humour to myself! I will upload the first few and then add to them on a weekly basis.

Feel free to add your own caption.

I’ll relate to y’all, my beautiful readers, a simple tale of an ordinary average Central Texas Trumpet Case Bear. It was 95 degrees F (35 C) out of doors. Little Texas Aggie Trumpet Case Bear was about to go into heat exhaustion (symptom before heat stroke).

Alamo Basement Fightin’ Texas Aggie Ring whispered to me, “We need to get frozen Margaritas into the little bear immediately before he goes into a coma and dies. Have you looked at the price of black market bears lately?” I pulled out the large container for the Ninja and fired it up.

After about quatro or cinco Margaritas necesitas, Little Texas Aggie Osa (bear) was starting to feel much, much better. At this point, there was a spilt Margarita. It’s not important who spilt the Margarita, but it did totally soak Little Texas Aggie Bear.

I for one, am not about to allow a trumpet case bear who smells of tequila and is all sticky, near my 1947 Rudy Mück jazz trumpet. I had two options — Take him out to the woods and shoot him or — give him a bath in the kitchen sink.

Bears know how to swim. In fact, they love water. In some states, they will come into your backyard and take the waters in your swimming pool or jacuzzi. There are videos on YouTube.

I sanitized the sink and prepared a nice, warm bubble bath for Little Texas Aggie Bear. He hesitantly lowered himself into the sink. He let out a “bear sigh” of pleasure. When I took out the camera, Little Texas Aggie Bear started to cry. “What’s wrong?” asked Alamo Basement Aggie Ring.

“It’s the bubble bath.” sobbed the little bear. “If anyone in the Trumpet Case Bear Union sees those photos, I’ll loose my certification and be forced to become the worst sort of bear ever — a tuba/Sousaphone case bear.”

I assured the little bear that no one would ever see any of these photos and think that he’s some sort of “Barbie Dream House” bear. This seemed to put him at ease and please him.

After I rinsed him a couple of times, Aggie Ring and I realized we had a very, very wet bear to deal with. “If you don’t get him dry soon. He’ll start to smell like wet dog!” said Aggie Ring.

My first thought was, “Well… the ceiling fan will get him dry! I’ll just hang him up by the neck to it.” Sadly, when I turned on the fan, Aggie Bear went flying across the room and onto the hard floor like a child who wasn’t strapped in properly in a Disney World wild ride.

[More to follow]

A repository of images relate to Banana (Musa spp) shared by members of MusaNet. The album depicts images from different African, Asian and countries from the Americas where collaborative work on Banana research is done.

©CIAT

Please credit accordingly and leave a comment when you use a CIAT photo.

For more info: alliance-comms@cgiar.org

Vitality relates to our sensation of power or aliveness. It correlates highly with satisfaction with life, happiness, and health. It indicates optimum human functioning. Discover the factors that help in higher degrees and how to boost your vitality. Have you ever before considered what vitality implies to you? Lots of people are familiar with the concept of "vitality", but extremely few recognize exactly how it is. This short article reveals you a method of examining your vitality and invites you to make a commitment to obtain your personal ideal.Visit our site www.z-factor.com/ for more information on Vitality

Relates to the Franco-Prusssian War, 1870-1871

I relate to Bibs alot,, he likes to sit and chill in the garden. He loves to walk around the garden and look closely at bugs and smell the air . He likes his own company and tolerates other cat & 'hooman' beings around him . He is my cat soul mate ;) lol

For many of you, I'll bet part of Memorial Day weekend with your families was a lot like mine. We enjoyed the "unofficial" start of summer soaking up sunshine, cooking outdoors on the grill, and of course, the sounds of squealing kids playing in the water. ;)

Sorry most of the squealing can't be heard over the sound of my laughing. (You gotta love the pause for butt scratching) I hope you all enjoy the kids in your lives as much as I enjoy the ones in mine.

Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final

by Roger Corbett

Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.

Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.

The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.

Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.

Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.

The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.

By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.

As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.

From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.

As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.

From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.

Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan

Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson

Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)

Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie

Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.

Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.

In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.

Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.

Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.

Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.

I´m interested in buddhism and bought this figure of Buddha....and I find the figure of Buddha very inspiring and beautiful...

Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final

by Roger Corbett

Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.

Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.

The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.

Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.

Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.

The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.

By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.

As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.

From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.

As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.

From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.

Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan

Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson

Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)

Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie

Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.

Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.

In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.

Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.

Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.

Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.

House Bill 980, relating to “Highway Safety” (aka Distracted Driving Bill) – This measure is effective July 1, 2013. While all counties have some form of a distracted driving ordinance in place, this measure establishes a state law that creates consistent requirements across all counties for the use of mobile electronic devices while driving and will simplify enforcement. Crash data from the DOT shows that during 2007, 32 percent (2,871 of the 8,770 collisions) were attributed to inattention to driving.

Senate Bill 4, relating to “Motor Vehicles” (aka Universal Seatbelt Bill) – This measure requires all front seat and back seat occupants to buckle up, effective immediately. Adults and children must use their seat belts and child restraints at all times. Unrestrained back seat passengers were more than three times as likely to have injuries that were fatal or required hospitalization compared to restrained back seat passengers, based on DOH’s analysis of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records. Additionally, among back seat passengers who were treated for injuries by EMS, average medical charges were nearly tripled among those who did not use seat belts ($11,043), compared to restrained passengers ($3,817).

The bill signings were done in conjunction with the DOT’s launch of the annual “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign, held in partnership between the state and counties with federal funding. During the national Click It or Ticket mobilization from May 20 to June 2 and throughout the year, police statewide will be continuing strict enforcement of the state seat belt and child passenger restraint laws.

Title: Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, April 10, 1865

Production Date: April 10, 1865

Articles of Agreement in Regard to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee, April 10, 1865; War Department, Record and Pension Office, 1892-1904; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917; Record Group 94; National Archives.

On April 9, 1865, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met in the parlor of a house in Appomattox Court House, VA, to discuss this surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, which would end the Civil War. According to the terms, the men of Lee's army could return home in safety if they pledged to end the fighting and deliver their arms to the Union Army.

Persistent URL: arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=300386

Access Restrictions: Unrestricted

Use Restrictions: Unrestricted

This image relates to the departure of the Kangaroos rugby team onboard AWATEA, July 1937, and shows two men in Kangaroo team jackets, standing in front of a grandstand. The man on the left wearing glasses is R. Savage and on the right is H. Sunderland - joint managers of the team. Inscription on Sunderland's pocket reads: 'Australia Rugby League Tour 1937-1938'.

The Australian National Maritime Museum undertakes research and accepts public comments that enhance the information we hold about images in our collection. If you can identify a person, vessel or landmark, write the details in the Comments box below.

Thank you for helping caption this important historical image.

Photographer: Samuel J Hood

Object number 00022596

Title: Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, April 10, 1865

Production Date: April 10, 1865

Articles of Agreement in Regard to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee, April 10, 1865; War Department, Record and Pension Office, 1892-1904; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917; Record Group 94; National Archives.

On April 9, 1865, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met in the parlor of a house in Appomattox Court House, VA, to discuss this surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, which would end the Civil War. According to the terms, the men of Lee's army could return home in safety if they pledged to end the fighting and deliver their arms to the Union Army.

Persistent URL: arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=300386

Access Restrictions: Unrestricted

Use Restrictions: Unrestricted

Source: Pearce, Thomas. The poor man's lawyer, or, Laws relating to the inferior courts laid open ([London] In the Savoy: Printed by Henry Lintot; for W. Owen, 1755); 19 cm. Call # Taussig 098 short.

"I took an Occasion lately to inspect into several of those Prisons; and on my first Entrance into one of them, to my great Surprize and Astonishment, I found a poor Country Taylor, lying on the Stones, almost Expiring for Want; and being told, he had been taken up by the Constable of the Night, was for want of Sureties of the Peace, committed to hard Labour; and that his time of Commitment being expired, was, for want of payment of the Gaoler's Fees, continued in Prison without the usual Allowance of Bread, &c. and was afterward carried out of the said Gaol on a Man's back, and laid in the Streets, for fear he should die in the Prison."

Various papers relating to Mr.Thomas Wheeler my late Grandfather.Sadly he died when I was just eleven years of age.I do however recall it was he that took me on my very first fishing trip using the first fishing rod and reel that he bought me.The images here are from WWII papers when he was an active serviceman and I only recently found these in an old album of my late father`s.These are the first twenty images in nigh on eighty images of both his army papers and my Great Grandparents (to come later) images.Some images are somewhat the same but have different focus points and apertures,mainly to suit prospective customers on Alamy.com stock images.I sincerely hope you enjoy the images and hope you see,as I did,what I think is one of many of the Identity Card issued during WWII.As you can see my Grandfather first signed up in September 1940 and seved right up until the end of the war 1945.He was then signed up for the reserves.Do Not Use Without Express Permisison From Peter Wheeler.

some work relating to David Hume being projected onto the monumental column in St Andrew's Square - sorry, no tripod so rather fuzzy picture I'm afraid, must come back round the various spots some evening with the tripod, although as some of the projections are animated not sure that will help! Will have to try though! In this case the letters scampered right up the height of the towering column above and back down to the base as we watched

The enLIGHTen project sees quotes from contemporary writers responding to quotes from Scottish Englightenment era writers and thinkers like Allan Ramsay or David Hume, the words being projected onto buildings in the New Town (which we still call new even though it predates the founding of the United State! That's new in Edinburgh terms!). It will run from March 1st to 18th, must try to get round them and take some picture of the various spots

enlightenedinburgh.wordpress.com/

A couple of years ago a similar project from the Edinburgh City of Literature campaign and their friends had poetry projected onto buildings at night, brightening up dark, winter evenings:

www.flickr.com/photos/woolamaloo_gazette/4327917781/in/se...

Foto: Washington Costa/ASCOM/ME

via

Tips about how to Prevent Sewer Blockages from Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) in Horace, North Dakota

What exactly is FOG?

FOG relates particularly to fats, oils and grease getting into the sewer system when put down drain pipes in houses, apartments rentals, eating places, market and public venues.

As a end result of cooking, FOG is normally present in:

Baking goods

Butter, lard, shortening

Cooking oil

Fats and oil from cooked meats

Food scraps

Gravy

Mayonnaise

Salad dressings

Sauces

Sour cream

Why is FOG an issue?

Obstruction can cause sewer line overflows in your yard. More often than not, fats, oils and grease are discarded incorrectly in the course of preparing food and kitchen area clean-up. When put down the sink (drain or floors), FOG can accumulate and form up, obstructing clean sewer lines. This build up but not only cuts down on the capability with the wastewater collection system, additionally it changes its usefulness.

In serious instances, obstruction can result in:

Sewage back ups into businesses and homes and

Sewers that flood on to roads and real estate, ultimately pass into nearby rivers, leading to contaminants.

How will you assist?

The simplest way to resolve the grease issue and assist to stop overflows of raw sewage would be to keep this substance out from the sewer system. As a result of education and learning and also by implementing specific behavior, you can easily reduce FOG places in your own home.

In the kitchen area, fats, oils and grease (FOG) will come mainly from pre-rinsing pots and pans or cleaning cookware. When cooking food FOG is permitted to go down the sink, it cools down within the wastewater system and stays with plumbing, making FOG accumulation. The accumulation leads to blockages and backups in businesses and homes, wastewater overflows, and leaks on personal residences, roadways, and local surface areas. FOG accumulation also raises the expense of sustaining Horace wastewater treatment methods, therefore affecting prices and will also generate community health issues.

Suggestions to maintain your drainpipes fat-free:

Put cooled down fats, oils and grease in to a jar and place the jar inside the garbage. If you do not possess a pot, put aluminum foil in to a coffee mug or comparable, add FOG, let it cool and get rid of.

Prior to cleaning, make use of a paper napkin or paper hand towel to clean FOG from pots and pans and dump it inside the garbage.

Use kitchen sink strainers to capture food items waste materials.

Place food leftovers inside the garbage, not over the garbage disposer.

The easiest method to handle grease and fats will be to clean them off of or put them into storage containers and get rid of them in the garbage disposal. By no means place fats or grease down the kitchen sink drain pipes or in to the commode.

There’s a nationwide marketing campaign called “Can the Grease” all through the USA that promotes using correct removal of FOG.

Restaurants along with other business kitchen areas have to have grease traps or interceptors put in. These companies are controlled by inspection regularly by Local personnel. Make sure you call us to learn more.

Exactly what is a grease trap or grease interceptor and just how do you use it?

Grease traps and interceptors are units built to maintain Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) from getting into public sewage lines. They may be found inside of or outside of the kitchen area, based on the application. Generally, they are created to keep FOG-laden discharge for enough time for grease within the water to cool down, firm up and separate from the rest of the waste materials. When the grease has split up, it may be discarded correctly.

Should i use a grease trap or interceptor inside my eatery or food service business?

Any business that deals with any kind of food really should use a grease trap or interceptor. Even smaller food providers like coffee houses who serve items with dairy products need to use a grease trap or interceptor to help keep FOG from heading down the sink. A business will have to use a grease trap or interceptor if the side sewer line contains a visually apparent build up of fat, oil or grease. Make reference to the most recent Standard Plumbing Code (offered at your public library) for dimensions requirements.

Just how much will a grease trap or interceptor cost and who should I contact to obtain one to get set up?

They range in price, based on dimension and application and will begin as little as a few hundred to thousands. Make sure you speak to a licensed pluming company in your community for costs.

Who decides if I require a grease trap or interceptor?

In the event your food company business deals with food items and washes pots and pans, you probably have to use a grease trap or interceptor. Your decision depends on the kind of use and decided upon from the professional and local staff.

Who is mainly responsible for setting up a grease interceptor?

Each and every business that deals with food items of any type – from your coffee house offering dairy along with milk products to your bistro preparing deep-fried meals – is likely releasing FOG. All food providers are accountable for putting in a unit to help keep FOG from getting into their side sewer line and also the general public sewer range.

What happens if I do not install a grease trap or interceptor?

If your business handles any food items which contains fat, oil and grease, you may ultimately experience a maintenance issue for instance a obstruction within the building sewer line. A obstruction can certainly create sewage back-up circumstance and consequently a possible health issue for your business. If the issue is within the building sewer line, then your business is directly accountable for having to pay for the clean-up fees and damage to property. A business can also be instructed to shut down the business until an examiner certifies all health problems are solved.

When the obstruction is incorporated in the public sewer main and Horace, North Dakota can validate how the methods of the particular business has resulted in the obstruction, then that business might have to pay for any public clean-up expenses, damage to property and public sewer servicing expenses to alleviate the obstruction. The business may also be instructed to put in a grease trap or interceptor or update a current system to intercept food and FOG.

Septic Tank Cleaning Horace ND

How frequently do i need to thoroughly clean my grease trap/grease interceptor?

A grease trap or interceptor needs to be on a regular basis taken care of in order to meet the 25% Rule – no more than 25%, by volume, from the trap or interceptor ought to accumulate of food and FOG. If in excess of 25% of food and FOG build up within the trap or interceptor, it is more probable not to work correctly and releasing food and FOG to your building sewer line as well as the public sewer system. Exclusions to the 25% Rule are suitable for devices that can keep greater than 25% FOG and will also be exclusively produced in the manufacturers specs.

Every business ought to figure out a particular cleaning routine that suits their organization. Some organizations will have to clean their trap or interceptor more frequently than others. It is very important to keep in mind that using kitchen very best management methods, like scraping your dishes, cooking pots, and pans, will decrease the volume of food and FOG that release right into a trap or interceptor, consequently reducing the regularity for cleaning.

Just how do i keep clean and maintain my grease trap/grease interceptor?

Grease trap maintenance is generally done by maintenance employees or any other workers from the business. Grease interceptor (GI) maintenance, that is generally done by authorized haulers or recyclers, includes taking out the total quantity (liquids and solids) from the GI and effectively getting rid of the FOG in compliance with all federal government, state, and/or local laws. When executed correctly and at the correct regularity, grease interceptor and trap maintenance can help reduce the release of FOG in to the wastewater collection system. The necessary routine maintenance frequency for grease interceptors and traps will depend on significantly on the volume of FOG a center yields together with any best management practices (BMPs) that the business utilizes to cut back the FOG released into its sanitary sewer system. In most cases, a business that utilizes BMPs will recognize financial advantage via a decrease in their needed grease interceptor and trap maintenance regularity.

fromhttp://portaprosepticservices.com/grease-trap-cleaning-horace-nd/

portaprosepticservices.weebly.com/blog/grease-trap-cleani...

Photo credit: Kelsea Clingeleffer/UNDP Cambodia

Relates to the UNDP-supported project 'Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems to Support Climate-Resilient Development in Cambodia' www.adaptation-undp.org/projects/ldcf-ews-cambodia

I’ll relate to y’all, my beautiful readers, a simple tale of an ordinary average Central Texas Trumpet Case Bear. It was 95 degrees F (35 C) out of doors. Little Texas Aggie Trumpet Case Bear was about to go into heat exhaustion (symptom before heat stroke).

Alamo Basement Fightin’ Texas Aggie Ring whispered to me, “We need to get frozen Margaritas into the little bear immediately before he goes into a coma and dies. Have you looked at the price of black market bears lately?” I pulled out the large container for the Ninja and fired it up.

After about quatro or cinco Margaritas necesitas, Little Texas Aggie Osa (bear) was starting to feel much, much better. At this point, there was a spilt Margarita. It’s not important who spilt the Margarita, but it did totally soak Little Texas Aggie Bear.

I for one, am not about to allow a trumpet case bear who smells of tequila and is all sticky, near my 1947 Rudy Mück jazz trumpet. I had two options — Take him out to the woods and shoot him or — give him a bath in the kitchen sink.

Bears know how to swim. In fact, they love water. In some states, they will come into your backyard and take the waters in your swimming pool or jacuzzi. There are videos on YouTube.

I sanitized the sink and prepared a nice, warm bubble bath for Little Texas Aggie Bear. He hesitantly lowered himself into the sink. He let out a “bear sigh” of pleasure. When I took out the camera, Little Texas Aggie Bear started to cry. “What’s wrong?” asked Alamo Basement Aggie Ring.

“It’s the bubble bath.” sobbed the little bear. “If anyone in the Trumpet Case Bear Union sees those photos, I’ll loose my certification and be forced to become the worst sort of bear ever — a tuba/Sousaphone case bear.”

I assured the little bear that no one would ever see any of these photos and think that he’s some sort of “Barbie Dream House” bear. This seemed to put him at ease and please him.

After I rinsed him a couple of times, Aggie Ring and I realized we had a very, very wet bear to deal with. “If you don’t get him dry soon. He’ll start to smell like wet dog!” said Aggie Ring.

My first thought was, “Well… the ceiling fan will get him dry! I’ll just hang him up by the neck to it.” Sadly, when I turned on the fan, Aggie Bear went flying across the room and onto the hard floor like a child who wasn’t strapped in properly in a Disney World wild ride.

[More to follow]

Photo credit: Kelsea Clingeleffer/UNDP Cambodia

Relates to the UNDP-supported project 'Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems to Support Climate-Resilient Development in Cambodia' www.adaptation-undp.org/projects/ldcf-ews-cambodia

Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final

by Roger Corbett

Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.

Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.

The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.

Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.

Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.

The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.

By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.

As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.

From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.

As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.

From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.

Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan

Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson

Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)

Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie

Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.

Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.

In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.

Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.

Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.

Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.

Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final

by Roger Corbett

Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.

Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.

The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.

Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.

Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.

The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.

By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.

As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.

From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.

As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.

From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.

Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan

Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson

Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)

Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie

Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.

Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.

In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.

Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.

Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.

Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.

"A myth for the pink dogwood flower's delicate color relates to a blush of shame as it was used to make the cross for Christ's crucifixion."

~ Author Unknown

memories, memories, memories...

As most people collect, they end up meeting interesting people that they can relate to. I've certainly met my share of them, and have managed to obtain a few pieces with some assistance from them. As a result, hailing all the4 way from Singapore, we have the Hot Toys Exclusive (whatever that means) Avengers 2: Age of Ultron - Maria Hill figure.

I know they weren't super expensive back in the day (MSRP I mean), but by the time Sideshow got their hands on it, this figure cost $215 USD, which definitely cost more than your run of the mill figure back in the day, all the while being less equipped than they were. I managed to snag one that was opened and resealed in a box for $170 USD shippped.

You get the figure, 3 pairs of hands, walkie talkie, Bluetooth earpiece, and a pistol. Oh, and the usual base/stand.

Now, I learned about Pleather deterioration, but completely forgot about how tropical weather like in Singapore would affect a figure. It's not the worst I've seen, as some of my Widows have similar damage, but they've lived in Canada all their lives.

But it is unfortunate seeing how I didn't exactly score this figure for Garage Sale prices. I'm hoping my coats of leather paint prevents things from getting worse.

What I wasn't expecting was the effect of humidity on paint in contact with plastic. Hot Toys gave the sculpt some lovely blush to accentuate her cheeks. Well, that all turned from pink to yellow, so it looks kinda weird.

Unfortunate, but I treat it as a learning lesson on things to look out for when I finally make my way back to Asia to unleash holy hell on the secondary toy market.

So with the downers out of the way, the rest of the figure is pretty standard. I believe Maria uses a slightly taller version of the Widow body, which is a bit tall and narrow in the torso, but overall is a closer match to Colbie Smulders than Scarlett Johansson.

Maria was made when they still made softer fabric uniforms. I'd describe the feel of what she's wearing as being whatever Jeggings are made from. The upper body generally has full use of its faculties - unfortunately the body doesn't have Butterfly style shoulders, which is unfortunate as Maria could have really used them, especially for her pistol and arm crossed poses. Legs are restricted despite the softer fabric, though isn't as bad as with Winter Soldier Black Widow.

The head sculpt I'm actually quite impressed with. It's not perfect - they never are and if anyone says so, they're probably just not looking hard at the thing... or in some instances, not looking at all. The eyes are off, and the sculpted hair throws things off. But ultimately, it comes down to the jaw being too square, even for Colbie Smulders. On the whole, however, its probably 70 - 80% there, which is a lot more than I can say about any Black Widow up to that point, and Hot Toys accomplished that with one try as well.

Paint, I'm not really in a position to comment on. But, it appears if you can see past the discoloration, you'll see that the usual high quality is there. Build Quality is the usual high level, with nothing falling apart aside from the Pleather.

Overall, despite being a simpler figure I have to say I certainly like this better than I liked AoU Widow, which was just.. weird from a MCU perspective as well as from a Hot Toy perspective. I'll probably have to hunt down a WS Nick Fury to pair with her, but this time I'll be sure to make sure everything is is one piece.

Title: Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, April 10, 1865

Production Date: April 10, 1865

Articles of Agreement in Regard to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee, April 10, 1865; War Department, Record and Pension Office, 1892-1904; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917; Record Group 94; National Archives.

On April 9, 1865, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met in the parlor of a house in Appomattox Court House, VA, to discuss this surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, which would end the Civil War. According to the terms, the men of Lee's army could return home in safety if they pledged to end the fighting and deliver their arms to the Union Army.

Persistent URL: arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=300386

Access Restrictions: Unrestricted

Use Restrictions: Unrestricted

Departure of the prodigal son/Return of the prodigal son

James Tissot

Nantes, 1836 – Chenecey-Buillon, 1902

Date: 1863 / 1862

Tissot portrays the parable of the prodigal son in the Middle Ages. As a historical painter, he imagines the departure of the prodigal son to 15th-century Venice and his return as a destitute beggar to mediaeval Northern Europe. This mixing of eras was not universally popular.

The gospel of Luke relates the parable of the prodigal son: having claimed his share of inheritance from his father, a son leaves the rich family home. He squanders his inheritance then, struck by famine, decides to return home. His father, seeing him return, welcomes him with kindness. James Tissot has illustrated this story from the New Testament through two paintings depicting the beginning and end of the parable.

Carefully prepared through numerous drawings, these two paintings reveal strong influence by the old masters on Tissot’s style. As he wrote to his friend Edgar Degas: “I’m a follower of Carpaccio, and I’m not about to change”. It was indeed this late 15th-century Venetian painter who provided Tissot with a model for the Departure of the prodigal son. The surrounding buildings and general composition show clear resemblances to the Miracle of the relic of the Real Cross (1494, Venice, Accademia) and the Legend of St Ursula (1500, Venice, Accademia).

For the Return of the Prodigal Son, Tissot took inspiration from the Flemish masters and Nordic architecture. The rich clothing of the figures assembled in the courtyard are reminiscent of the art of Hans Holbein (1497-1544) in The Ambassadors, (1533, London, National Gallery). The buildings in the background of the composition are characteristic of the Flemish architecture of the late Middle Ages, a model which was mainly spread by the neo-Gothic fashion.

However, the unabashed eclecticism in the iconographic and stylistic sources was not to the taste of all the critics. In his report of the Salon, Hector de Callias suggested that Tissot should "look at the calendar" and was amazed that the painter should "set out to imitate Holbein”. Paul Mantz was ironic, and saw in these works the “Apotheosis of curiosity and the triumph of bric-a-brac” (the Gazette des Beaux-Arts).

Paradoxically The return of the prodigal son was better understood when it was exhibited in London. The Royal Society of British Artists exhibited the work in 1864. The English public appreciated the painting for its affinities with the Pre-Raphaelite movement. This first English exhibition encouraged Tissot to subsequently strengthen links with the British artistic world. It was also in London that he found refuge during the events of the Paris Commune.

These two works, exhibited together in the Salon of 1863, were acquired separately by the Petit Palais Museum seven years apart. Reunited again, the canvases allow us to fully understand the effect created by these two historical compositions at the Salon, and understand how they form two chapters of the same story.

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In his 2016 guide to Paris, Rick Steves says: "This free museum displays a broad collection of paintings and sculpture from the 1600's to the 1900's on its ground floor, and an easy to appreciate collection of art from Greek antiquities to Art Nouveau in its basement. Though it houses mostly second tier art, there are a few diamonds in the rough.... The building itself is impressive, and the museum's classy cafe merits the detour. If it's raining in Paris and your Museum Pass has expired, the Petit Palais is a worthwhile stop."

On one of our best days in Paris, we walked from our room on the Ile Saint Louis through the southern Marais to the Hotel de Ville Plaza, took the route #69 bus to the Eiffel Tower, and walked along the Left Bank of the Seine to the Pont Alexander III, where we crossed the river just in time for one of the best meals of the week in the "classy cafe" with it's view of the beautifully landscaped central courtyard.

I'll let you be the judge of whether the art is "second tier".

In his 2016 guide to Paris, Rick Steves says: "This free museum displays a broad collection of paintings and sculpture from the 1600's to the 1900's on its ground floor, and an easy to appreciate collection of art from Greek antiquities to Art Nouveau in its basement. Though it houses mostly second tier art, there are a few diamonds in the rough.... The building itself is impressive, and the museum's classy cafe merits the detour. If it's raining in Paris and your Museum Pass has expired, the Petit Palais is a worthwhile stop."

On one of our best days in Paris, we walked from our room on the Ile Saint Louis through the southern Marais to the Hotel de Ville Plaza, took the route #69 bus to the Eiffel Tower, and walked along the Left Bank of the Seine to the Pont Alexander III, where we crossed the river just in time for one of the best meals of the week in the "classy cafe" with it's view of the beautifully landscaped central courtyard.

I'll let you be the judge of whether the art is "second tier".

HOW ARE YOUR New Year's Resolutions coming? Do you relate more to the gif on the right or the one on the left? Comment below with which one you are. t.co/dmvNsa6kf7 (via Twitter twitter.com/McOmieDentistry/status/1084073178815778817)

This relates to my blog post

www.heatheronhertravels.com/how-to-eat-well-in-sardinia/

This photo is licenced under Creative commons for use including commercial on condition that you link back to or credit http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/.

See my profile for more detail.

Opening of UN police week 2017

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Lisa M. Buttenheim, Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support, Alexandre Zouev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions and Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs provided participants of UN police week an overview of major developments, political trends and strategic priorities and on how they relate to UN policing, followed by a discussion with heads of United Nations police components.

Heads of police components (HOPCs) in UN peacekeeping operations and special political missions came to New York for discussions, as well as briefings to the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the Security Council.

During the week, Heads of police components considered the recommendations of the Internal Review of the UN Peace and Security Architecture related to UN policing, as well as the status of implementation of the Secretary-General’s reform plan on UN policing as outlined in S/2016/952, following the adoption of Security Council resolution 2382 (2017) on UN policing.

On Monday, the Security Council adopted resolution 2382 (2017), which supports operationalizing the Strategic Guidance Framework for International Police Peacekeeping. The resolution also recognized the important role that United Nations police components play in the protection of civilians, including in preventing and addressing sexual and gender‑based violence, and violations and abuses against children.

In his address to the Security Council, Under‑Secretary‑General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean‑Pierre Lacroix said the United Nations police played a continued vital role in bridging the Organization’s work from prevention and peacekeeping to peacebuilding and development (Video recording). The Police Commissioner of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), Brigardier General Georges-Pierre Monchotte, briefed the Security Council on good practices of reforming the Haiti National Police (video recording). The Police Commissioner of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), Issoufou Yacouba briefed on strengthening the serious and organized crime capacities of the Malian security forces (video recording). Police Commissioner Priscilla Makotose of the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) briefed the Security Council on gender responsive policing (video recording). Following the briefing, Security Council President, Italian Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, the Head of UN peacekeeping USG Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Police Adviser Luis Carrilho (UNPOL) delivered a press briefing (video recording).

On Tuesday, the discussions of heads of UN police components focused on partnerships, good practices and challenges of UN capacity-building. More than 11,000 United Nations police officers from 89 countries (as of September 2017), are mandated to assist host-States in reforming their police and other law enforcement institutions.

Building on Security Council resolution 2382 (2017), Police Commissioners focused on Wednesday on how police can be more effective in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peace sustainment. Heads of UN police components also discussed how to achieve gender-responsive policing. As of September 2017, 1,118 female police officers from 70 countries serve in peacekeeping operations and special political missions. They act as role models for gender equality, inspiring women and girls to advocate for their own rights and pursue careers in law enforcement.

On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres briefly met and took a photo with the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, Alexandre Zouev, UN Police Adviser Luis Carrilho and Heads of police components in UN peace operations. In his message, Secretary-General Guterres stressed that United Nations police save countless lives, heal community tensions. The Secretary‑General also called for more women in United Nations police command positions.

Earlier on the same day, the UNAMID Police Commissioner Priscilla Makotose, MONUSCO Police Commissioner Awale Abdounasir and MINUSCA Police Commissioner Roland Zamora briefed the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) on transitioning, gender/electoral security and capacity development respectively.

On Friday, UN police week closed following a session on human rights in UN police activities. The closing remarks were delivered by Alexandre Zouev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions and UN Police Adviser Luis Carrilho.

UN Photo/ Hubertus Juergenliemk

Audience members react fondly as world famous Trinidadian calypsonian Lord Relator performs with the University of Southern Mississippi Steel Pan Orchestra and Jazz Lab Band 1 in the Bennett Auditorium of the Hattiesburg campus on April 19, 2013. From left: Aaron Strum, Hilary Bounds, Emilee Randall, and Cleo Lynch.

Look how she relates to my Isabella-girl, a true dog lover, she was a regular at our dog park easily recognizable by feeding kibble to at least 3 dogs, sometimes more, by throwing a ball for them to catch and rewarding them when they were returning the ball. So she combined food and exercise and liberally also shared with other dogs. Her dogs were always happy and excited, active dogs. She had trouble saying no to my girl's begging, but they did have an understanding, they really liked each other, I think it shows in this image form 3.3.09. Not many at the dog park may know that Ruth Anne was an enthusiastic Marimba player who practiced and performed with her own group. I learned only today, this morning, that Ruth Ellen passed on this July 26, 2013. The word is due to cancer. She was only 60 years old, kind and always ready with a smile. I am deeply saddened at this news, but I like to believe that true to her beautiful spirit she would have passed on peacefully. There will be a memorial at the dog park for her on August 17th 9 am.

Dundalk overwhelm Bangor in All Ireland Final

by Roger Corbett

Bangor’s amazing run in the All Ireland Junior Cup came to an abrupt end when they were comprehensively beaten by Dundalk, eventually losing by 55-5.

Where do you start when trying to relate and absorb the events of Saturday’s final at Chambers Park? Firstly, congratulations to worthy winners Dundalk who nullified the Bangor attack, then went on to produce some stunning plays which racked up no less than 8 tries, each by a different player. For Bangor’s part, they were unable to respond to the intensity of Dundalk’s game, and lacked the cutting edge which their opponents used to great effect.

The day started full of promise, as the strong support from North Down made their way to Chambers Park in Portadown, knowing Bangor would be fielding their best team. Once again, the pundits had Bangor as the underdogs – just as they had done so in the previous three rounds! In confounding the experts earlier, Bangor produced some awesome performances against top quality opposition to get to the final. Dundalk had produced some convincing wins in the early rounds of the competition, but had struggled to get past CIYMS in the semi-final, just managing to squeeze ahead at the second time of asking. However, with a number of key players returning to the side in time for this game, they were now back at full strength and would be a formidable force to contend with.

Having won the toss, captain Jamie Clegg elected to play into the stiff wind in the first half. For the first 5 minutes, Bangor doggedly retained possession and tried to play their way into Dundalk’s half through a series of determined forward moves. However, little ground was made and, when possession was finally lost, the Dundalk back line produced a burst that simply cut through the Bangor defence resulting in an easy touch down under Bangor’s posts for a 7-0 lead.

Bangor stuck to their plan and slowly, but patiently, got their attack moving forward, eventually winning a penalty to the left of Dundalk’s posts, but Mark Widdowson’s kick into the wind drifted just wide of the mark.

The contrast in play between the two teams was becoming clear, with Bangor trying to keep the ball close while Dundalk were throwing it wide. The latter strategy was proving to be the more effective as, with 20 minutes gone, a quick back line move with players looping around resulted in an overlap on the right wing which gave a clear run in to again, score under the posts. A further 9 minutes later, they did it again and, although the Bangor defence had sensed the danger and moved across to cover it, their tackling let them down allowing Dundalk to get over in the right hand corner, taking their lead to 19-0.

By now, Bangor were trying to hang on until half time when they could regroup and come out with the wind at their backs. Dundalk, on the other hand were anxious to press home their advantage and give them a more comfortable lead. To Bangor’s credit, although camped on their own line for lengthy spells, they dug in and managed to hold on until the referee’s half time whistle.

As the teams reappeared from the dressing rooms, it was obvious Bangor were ringing the changes, particularly in the backs. With the wind advantage having lessened considerably, Bangor got the second half underway. It was now Dundalk’s turn to adopt the slow, steady approach, just as Bangor had done earlier. However, their more confident off-loading and support play was, once again, taking play deep into Bangor’s territory. Frustration at not being able to gain possession and take play out of their danger area eventually resulted in a yellow card for Clegg after a succession of penalties. Dundalk kicked the penalty to touch, won their lineout and drove for the line. Although initially held up by the Bangor defence, Dundalk’s repeated drives were eventually rewarded with another converted score, extending their lead to 26-0.

From the touchline, the Bangor faithful had felt that if their players had managed to score first in the second half, they may have been able to mount a fight-back and close the gap to their opponents. As it was, this Dundalk score simply bolstered their confidence and pushed Bangor deeper into trouble. With Bangor still a man down, Dundalk added to the score with a penalty and then another score in the corner. Everything was now working for the Leinster men, as even the difficult touchline conversion into the biting wind successfully split the posts, bringing the score to 36-0.

As the game entered the final quarter, and with Dundalk all but holding the cup, Bangor were now on the ropes. By contrast, the Dundalk players were in almost total control, and were not going to slow down now. In a 10 minute spell, they ran in a further 3 tries, making the scoreline 55-0. By now, any sense of dejection the Bangor supporters may have been feeling was now moved to feelings of sympathy for their players. However, pride was at stake and once again Bangor rallied as the game entered its final minutes. At last, the forwards got within striking distance of the Dundalk line and, although their repeated attacks were repelled, they finally managed to do what their opponents had done so effectively, and quickly passed the ball wide to Davy Charles. Even though they were 55 points ahead, the Dundalk defence made Charles work hard to drive through the tackles and score Bangor’s consolation try, bringing the final score to 55-5.

From Bangor’s point of view, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story of this competition. While the final may have resulted in a sad anti-climax for Bangor, the remarkable journey to get there will be remembered for some time. On the day, Dundalk were by far the better side, and Bangor would have to concede that their game was not up to the usual standard. However, there is no doubt the experience of competing at this level is something to relish and the goal now will be to secure a top four place in the league and try again next year.

Everybody at the club has nothing but the highest respect and praise for what has been achieved this year by not just the 1sts, but all the senior teams, and one poor result isn’t going to change that – the welcome at Upritchard Park for the returning players is testament to that. With that in mind, the players now need to put this disappointment behind them and provide the best possible response against a struggling Portadown side at home in the league next Saturday.

Bangor side: J Leary, A Jackson, P Whyte, F Black, G Irvine, R Latimer, J Clegg, C Stewart, R Armstrong, K Rosson, D Charles, M Aspley, M Weir, M Widdowson, C Morgan

Subs: S Irvine, O McIlmurray, D Kelly, M Rodgers, C Harper, D Fusco, M Thompson

Bangor scores: D Charles (1T)

Dundalk Storm To Title Dundalk 55 v Bangor 5 from KnockOn.ie

Dundalk Scorers: Christopher Scully, Owen McNally, Jonathan Williams, John Smyth, Ultan Murphy, Tiernan Gonnelly, James McConnon and Stephen Murphy 1 try each. Ultan Murphy 6 cons, 1 pen.

Bangor Scorers: David Charles 1 try.

In front of a big crowd at Chambers Park on Saturday afternoon Dundalk delivered a stunning and ruthless display to see off the challenge of Bangor and capture the All Ireland Junior Cup title for the very first time.

Three first half tries had them firmly in control at 19-0 ahead having played with the elements at the Portadown venue during the first half and while the wind dropped somewhat after half time the Dundalk intensity most certainly didn’t as they cut loose scoring five more tries.

Dundalk returned to a heroes welcome at their Mill Road clubhouse on Saturday night after a display of pure brilliance throughout the afternoon.

Precision, pace and skill from the Louth men from start to finish left Bangor playing second fiddle for long periods.

This relates to my blog post

www.heatheronhertravels.com/a-cool-gelateria-in-nuoro-in-...

This photo is licenced under Creative commons for use including commercial on condition that you link back to or credit http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/.

See my profile for more detail.

Badami (Kannada: ಬದಾಮಿ), formerly known as Vatapi, is a taluk in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake.

The name Vatapi has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agastya. There were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala. They used to kill all mendicants by tricking them in a peculiar way. The elder Ilvala would turn Vatapi into a ram and would offer its meat to the guest. As soon as the person ate the meat, Ilvala would call out the name of Vatapi. As he had a boon that whomsoever Ilvala calls would return from even the netherland,[citation needed] Vatapi would emerge ripping through the body of the person, thus killing him. Their trick worked until Sage Agastya countered them by digesting Vatapi before Ilvala could call for him, thus ending the life of Vatapi at the hands of Ilvala. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala.

Badami was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. It was founded in 540 AD by Pulakesi I(535-566 AD),[citation needed] an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirthivarman (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha I (598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples. The greatest among them was Pulakesi II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings but failed to capture Pallava's capital Kanchipuram.

The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples were sculpted mostly between the 6th and 8th centuries. The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism,[citation needed] Buddhism and Jainism. cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu,[citation needed] whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. Deep caverns with carved images of the various incarnations of Hindu gods are strewn across the area, under boulders and in the red sandstone. From an architectural and archaeological perspective, they provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.

The Pallavas under the king Narasimhavarman I (also called Mamalla Pallava) seized it in 642 AD. Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 AD. and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram, the capital of Pallavas [This statement needs reference]. The Rashtrakutas absorbed karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance. The later Chalukyas of Kalyani defeated them and were able to keep region from 973 AD to 1189 AD, when it was occupied by the Hoysalas.

Then it passed on to Vijayanagara empire, The Adil Shahis, The Savanur Nawabs, The Marathas,[citation needed] Hyder Ali. The Britishers made it part of the Bombay Presidency.

Badami has eighteen inscriptions, among them some inscriptions are important. The first Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script, on a hillock dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakesi I (Vallabheswara), the second is the 578 CE cave inscription of Mangalesa in Kannada language and script and the third is the Kappe Arabhatta records, the earliest available Kannada poetry in tripadi (three line) metre. one inscription near the Bhutanatha temple, on a rock, testifies to Mamalla Pallava's victory over the Chalukyas in the year 642 CE. It also has inscriptions dating back to the 12th century in Jain rock-cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha.

In the Karnatic music and Hamsadwani raga the Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje by the composer Mutthuswamy Deekshitar.[4] The idol of Vatapi Ganapati is now in Tiruchenkaatankudi near Thanjavur of Tamilnadu.

In 7th century, Vatapi Ganapati idol was brought from Badami (Vatapi - Chalukya capital) by Sirutondar(General of Pallavas) who defeated Chalukyas.

The Badami cave temples are a complex of temples located at Badami, a town in the Bagalkot District in the north part of Karnataka, India. They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya Architecture. Badami, the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka in the 6th to 8th centuries, lies at the mouth of a ravine with rocky hills on either side and a town tank in which water from the ravine flows. The town is known for its ancient cave temples carved out of the sandstone hills above.

The Badami cave temples are composed of four caves, all carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff in the late 6th to 7th centuries. The planning of four caves is simple. The entrance is a verandah (mukha mandapa) with stone columns and brackets, a distinctive feature of these caves, leading to a columned mandapa – main hall (also maha mandapa) and then to the small square shrine (sanctum sanctorum, garbhaghrha) cut deep into the cave.[3] The temple caves represent different religious sects. Among them, two (cave 2 and 3) are dedicated to god Vishnu, one to god Shiva (cave 1) and the fourth (cave 4) is a Jain temple. The first three are devoted to the Vedic faith and the fourth cave is the only Jain temple at Badami.

The cave temples date back to 600 and 700 CE. Their architecture is a blend of North Indian Nagara Style and South Indian Dravidian style. As described above each cave has a sanctum sanctorum, a mandapa, a verandah and pillars. The cave temples also bear exquisite carvings, sculptures and beautiful murals.

Important part of historical heritage at Badami cave temples are inscriptions in old Kannada script.

There is also the fifth cave temple in Badami – Buddhist temple in natural cave which can be entered only on all fours.

Plaque on the Acre Bottom pavilion relating to the refurbishment of its clock and turret. Shame about the incorrect spelling. Pictured before an 87-run victory for hosts Ramsbottom over Fosters Lancashire Cricket League rivals Enfield.

Match statistics: Ramsbottom 192 off 50 overs (Daryn Smit 67, Tom Parton 42, Brad Fielding 41, Graeme van Buuren 6-72, Simon O'Loughlin 2-39) 12pts beat Enfield 105 off 31 overs (Joe Wrigley 20, Simon Read 5-43, Daryn Smit 4-18) 2pts by 87 runs. Ramsbottom won the toss and elected to bat. Admission: £4. Programme: 50p (28pp). Attendance: 175. Tea: £6.65 (home-made steak pie, chips and gravy; sultana scone and fresh cream; mug of tea).

Formed in 1845, Ramsbottom Cricket Club have played at Acre Bottom, alongside the Irwell, since 1864. The club employed their first professional, a Yorkshireman, in 1881 and nine years later joined the North East Lancashire League. In 1892, Ramsbottom switched to the Lancashire League, a development of the North East Lancashire competition. Rammy have won its championship five times - in 1921, 1925, 1974, 1992 and 2010. The Worsley Cup appeared in the Acre Bottom trophy cabinet for the first time in 1939, and has been lifted by the club on five occasions since 2001.

I’ll relate to y’all, my beautiful readers, a simple tale of an ordinary average Central Texas Trumpet Case Bear. It was 95 degrees F (35 C) out of doors. Little Texas Aggie Trumpet Case Bear was about to go into heat exhaustion (symptom before heat stroke).

Alamo Basement Fightin’ Texas Aggie Ring whispered to me, “We need to get frozen Margaritas into the little bear immediately before he goes into a coma and dies. Have you looked at the price of black market bears lately?” I pulled out the large container for the Ninja and fired it up.

After about quatro or cinco Margaritas necesitas, Little Texas Aggie Osa (bear) was starting to feel much, much better. At this point, there was a spilt Margarita. It’s not important who spilt the Margarita, but it did totally soak Little Texas Aggie Bear.

I for one, am not about to allow a trumpet case bear who smells of tequila and is all sticky, near my 1947 Rudy Mück jazz trumpet. I had two options — Take him out to the woods and shoot him or — give him a bath in the kitchen sink.

Bears know how to swim. In fact, they love water. In some states, they will come into your backyard and take the waters in your swimming pool or jacuzzi. There are videos on YouTube.

I sanitized the sink and prepared a nice, warm bubble bath for Little Texas Aggie Bear. He hesitantly lowered himself into the sink. He let out a “bear sigh” of pleasure. When I took out the camera, Little Texas Aggie Bear started to cry. “What’s wrong?” asked Alamo Basement Aggie Ring.

“It’s the bubble bath.” sobbed the little bear. “If anyone in the Trumpet Case Bear Union sees those photos, I’ll loose my certification and be forced to become the worst sort of bear ever — a tuba/Sousaphone case bear.”

I assured the little bear that no one would ever see any of these photos and think that he’s some sort of “Barbie Dream House” bear. This seemed to put him at ease and please him.

After I rinsed him a couple of times, Aggie Ring and I realized we had a very, very wet bear to deal with. “If you don’t get him dry soon. He’ll start to smell like wet dog!” said Aggie Ring.

My first thought was, “Well… the ceiling fan will get him dry! I’ll just hang him up by the neck to it.” Sadly, when I turned on the fan, Aggie Bear went flying across the room and onto the hard floor like a child who wasn’t strapped in properly in a Disney World wild ride.

[More to follow]

This lantern slide relates to a photograph taken by Clement Lindley Wragge (b.1852, d.1922), dated 22 March 1905.

The slide shows the photograph of the surface of the moon including craters Mercator and Campanus, on green glass.

Inscription Details: Handwritten in black ink on recto, top of plate, "Moon c" Handwritten in black ink on recto, left side "C.L.W. rep. Bangalore. Oct.Nov.'08". Handwritten in black ink on recto, bottom of plate, "Mercator & Campanus Morning. Handwritten in black ink on top, right, bottom, and left edges of plate, "MERCATOR MORNING". Handwritten in black ink on verso, bottom of slide, "(Reverse) for Evening before Sunset".

Credit: Shared by Auckland War Memorial Museum, Tāmaki Paenga Hira, as part of the Clement Lindley Wragge collection.

Rights: No known copyright restrictions.

Reference: 235887|PH-1984-1-LS78-3-116

For more details, please visit: www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/collections/record/1033326

I wrote to the NYPD to see if they had any records relating to my great-grandfather Michael Tierney who we believed was a New York policeman.

I know there was another (likely unrelated) Michael W. Tierney on the force around the same time. Michael W. was a friend of Theodore Roosevelt and higher profile member of the force who made rounds with TR when he was trying to clean up the police force from corruption and, apparently, much beer drinking.

You can find some interesting references to these in the historical NY Times in the summer of 1895. Click here for one example.

Within several weeks I happily received a letter back from the NYPD along with other information including this terrific Transfer and Assignment Card that contains all sorts of information previously unknown to us, including his birth, naturalization and death dates, precinct assignments, retirement date and pension ($700, apparently due to disability since a Surgeon's Certificate is noted), previous occupation (Hostler, or stableman), addresses (known from the census).

Sadly, he retired in March and died in December, 1913.

No origin location more detailed than "Ireland", but I'll take the rest, thank you very much.

His photo can be found here.

Several stories circulate relating to this grave, all alas, unsubstantiated. The most popular version appears to stem from a small plaque which one adorned the headstone and bore the following legend...

"it is alleged that this is the grave of a gypsy boy who, while tending sheep, fell asleep in a dike. In remorse he hanged himself because he feared to return to his tribe"

Unwritten tradition maintains that his fear was founded on his belief that, whilst asleep, one of his sheep had strayed. All however were found to be safe when counted home.

Recent researches, would appear to indicate that this story owes its origins to a claim that the original incident was chronicled in the 'Bury and Norwich Post', even giving an approximate date...1841. Substantial research has, to date, failed to identify this account, and part of the original claim verges on pure fantasy.

Prior to 1974 the grave was surrounded by ratten cane hoops similar to those used to fabricate the backs of certain chairs. To these, it is alleged, passing gypsies, on their way to Newmarket races, would tie ribbons corresponding to the colours of the predicted winner of the next big race.

Also about this time, stories began circulating about the mysterious maintenance of the site. Fresh flowers were regularly seen, new vases appeared and the grass was kept close-cropped. Gypsies remorseful of the lad's death, pixies, fairies and sympathetic locals were all attributed with it's upkeep. The reality however, was in fact far more mundane. A lady from Northolt in Middlesex, concerned at the graves apparent neglect, made fortnightly trips to the site.She errected a wooden cross on the grave which bore the words...

To Joseph

An unknown Gypsy Boy

R. I. P.

She subsequently confided that she selected the Mythical name Joseph because of its biblical connections, being that of Mary's husband.

Recently, that cross was replaced by the one pictured above which reads simply:

"Gypsy Boy"

Today it is known that gypsies pay scant regard to the grave, indeed their knowledge would also appear to have been gained from published sources.

Location

The grave, now surrounded by a simple chain link fence, still bears the simple wooden cross which carries the short epitaph. It lies immediately behind the signpost at the crossroads where the Chippenham to Moulton road cosses the one linking Kentford and Newmarket

Old Headstones relating to William Penn's family and the Meeting House

Gran cobertura mediática

Quote from students compiled by Grant Wiggins. Image is modified from a Microsoft Clipart file.