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I'm a fan of very small formats as well as very large, for the really different "looks" they give.
Here are four excellent Minolta 16mm cameras, all bought very reasonably at the *bay. These were built before the 110 cassette was invented and fit the same niche and are far superior, not least because the cassette is easily opened without breaking it and easily reloadable. They take 16mm film, which is standard cine film that goes in a darkroom-reloadable cassette (shown). BW film for home processing is easy to get, and lasts for ever. The cassettes, sadly, are not easy to get any more.
Back row:
Left: Minolta 16 Ps. 25mm (f3.5-11); 1/30;1/100. Fixed focus manual exposure.
Right: Minolta 16QT, 23mm, f3.5 to f22 and 1/30, 1/250 manual/metered exposure
Front row:
Left Minolta 16MG 20mm f2.8 lens 1/30-1/250 programme exposure with meter. Built in close-up lens.
Right: Minolta 16II 22mm f2.8 lens, fully manual 1/30-1/500 and b, 2.8-16. No focus but a full set of close up lenses are available.
All take images that are 10x14mm except the QT which is 12x17mm (and goes over the sprocket holes on one side of the particular kind of film I was using). Of the group, the 16II is my favourite, being solid and positive in feel, and fully controllable, albeit a bit slow to use. It's also by far the smallest when folded. The 16MG is the best looking and feels nice in the hand and very positive in its action, but I found the programmed exposure awkward to predict. The 16Ps is unusual in having a portrait rather than standard or wide lens (63mm equiv). That might give it an edge in some situations, and it is fully manual but only with two shutter speeds. The QT needs a battery, but I just used mine as a manual-only camera without battery. It has the advantage of built in focusing. There are of course many others.
Full test coming up.
Merry Christmas to all of you .Wish you people remain attached to NATURE and the way NATURE gives , gives and forgives , you get,get and never forget the blessings of God .Your next Month is full of these flowers .
Picture Clicked by my father Mr Rameshwar Chander this month at Chandigarh Chrysanthemum show which host various varieties of chrysanthemum grown by professionals and amateurs .
Calender prepared with www.bighugelabs.com
"Surfacing"
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In July of 2011, while photographing and freezing fireworks no longer felt like a challenge, and I began to realize that a lot of the pictures had seemed to look way too similar to each other. To solve this problem, I wanted to get a little experimental and spice things up a bit with some creativity. I developed a few deeply thought out techniques to be executed within the camera at the time of the photo being taken, to that make the fireworks look like anything except for what we are used to perceiving as an actual "firework".
This experimentation and creative technique, had proven fireworks to be my favorite things to photograph, as well as leading me to win 3rd place in the Popular Photography Magazine's "Your Best Shot Contest", with this photo:
"Abstract Explosion"
www.flickr.com/photos/nickbenben/5939053732
(Which can be found in the April Issue of Popular Photography Magazine)
When the celebrations began in 2012 for the anniversary of America's independence, I set out with a mission to photograph as many firework displays as I possibly had the time and energy for. My goal was to refine and improve my techniques and experiment further, to get and idea of what other immense and colorful designs I would be able to create - with no expectations.
***Instead of uploading a whole batch all at once, I will be revealing a new abstract firework photograph DAILY, for the next 30 days - to keep things more interesting***
Thank you so much for taking your time to read what I wrote, and for spending the time to look at my work.
Please, don't be afraid to share your thoughts- I'd love to know what you think.
I hope you enjoy some of my most recent results!
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© Nick Benson, All rights reserved. Use of this image without permission is illegal.
If you like my work and you would like to see more, please feel free to visit my website, nickbensonphoto.com.
One of the best ways you can stay updated with my current and most recent work, is by liking my fan page on Facebook!
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I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve, snuggled up with the ones they love.. And those who aren't - don't forget that you're not alone. Christmas can be a very tough time for so many people.. Expectations are so high.. But so often what we get is less than the white Christmas with the peaceful fire crackling and hissing softly while we watch cherub-faced little ones dance around the tree in anticipation, eyes all aglow.. If we're lucky, we get a few of those Christmases where all of the pieces are where they should be. I've had many of them myself, and I'm so thankful for them..
But in the end, we take what we can get, and make it work the best we can. Sometimes it's a wet and windy Christmas - sometimes you have to pull an all-nighter to get the bikes assembled, or the pies baked for tomorrow's dinner.. Sometimes it's a missing loved one that keeps it from being that perfect day.
So, if you're having one of those Christmases where everything has somehow come together at the last minute - where "tab B" has indeed slipped into "slot C" - where there were no bolts left over after the bike is "finished - where you found the right size batteries in a drawer - or where all the right people have managed to make it into town despite the awful weather... If you're having one of those Christmases... Congratulations..
For the rest of us - remember - a few extra bolts is not necessarily a bad thing - I think they put a few extra in the bag just to drive us crazy! Merry Christmas everyone!
Day Three-hundred-and-fifty-six ...
I've temporarily dropped the flamingo and gone violet!
And what have I learned? That I MUCH prefer being a photographer than a model! I need to play with the camera, not just sit there - plus I look really old when I get the lighting wrong ;)
Project Based Leadership Training. Tierra organized a coat drive to help victims from the Tsunami in The Phillippines.A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
The new site for the photo team of myself and mike smith ( flickr.com/madsnappers )
is now up and running. Please come check it out. We are really excited to get and use feeback of all kinds.
Millbrook Resort is one of my favorite places in Queenstown. Its a real testament to the quality of architecture and building practice from a time that has since past.
My Dad, Simon, was the Project Manager for the majority of the development. He served with Millbrook for 9 years, seeing it grow and develop over time to become a spectacular resort that attracts visitors form around the world... As our family grew up in Queenstown, my brother and I would spend huge amounts of time exploring the grounds. We used to fish for golfballs in the rivers, climb on half finished buildings and during winter we would have fun on the frozen lakes.
This particular scene really drew me in. I usually set myself goals when seeking shots, and in this case I was determined to expose for long enough to capture the movement in the water wheel, and capture the wonderful tones and colors of the surrounding area and the water in the foreground. I did feel a bit silly standing outside the resteraunt with my camera, people tend to wonder why I want to take a photo of a seeminly 'ordinary' subject. But in my mind I knew what I wanted to get... And this is it!
--
During post, the only real challlenge was balancing the various elements in the scene, not drawing attention to anythin in particular... I awlays strive to give the eye several things to look at. Other than the usual adjustments, I ran an equalize over the water (try this trick, it works really well!) and mask in the origional sign to get rid of the motion blur caused by the wind.
--
I like this shot & I hope you do to...
Please let me know what you think in the comments section below, I read them all and they really make my day!
“Nothing has turned out as we expected! It never does. Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect. We take what we get and are thankful it's no worse than it is.”
Model: Ída Írene Oddsdóttir
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
Some more night light shots taken as the passenger of a moving car.
You do not have any control over the composition. You get what you get and that is that.
Make sure your shutterspeed is slow enough to acheive this result. About 5 seconds works well. And make sure your aperture is at a minimum of f8.
Try to hold the camera as steady as you can and the movement of the car will create these unique images.
You will never get the same image twice. Not even if you try to copy exactly what you done. It will be totaly different.
The copyright is for sale. Contact me here or df1682@gmail.com
Cheers
Don
Riddle, the last of the Monster Hunter trio, has finally arrived at my house. After finally getting Nhim (the Fox) to talk to me with words, I derived that there was still one missing Monster Hunter. I was finally able to bring her here after much persuasion, because she is a go getter, and is more then fine with fighting monsters on her own without her team mates. She uses weapons to fight the monsters, unlike her fellows, and enjoys kicking the crap out of them whether they are friendly monsters or not.
Clip from AusMap. From the iPad app by
Aus Map is the mobile version of www.street-directory.com.au. It provides the most up-to-date map of Australia incorporating the latest Melway, Sydway, Briway, Melway Perth, and PSMA maps with the following features:
Sent from Bill's iPad.
Esperance to Balladonia
• I travel these roads regularly - The Parmango Road and to Mount Ragged and Israelite Bay . If you want experience in mud and water, the southern end is the place to go.
The Parmango road itself is a shocker and I know that as I broke a shocker mount on my vehicle on this road last year. If you travel this road you might get a trailer through, but the diversion to Israelite has a multitude of detours and the old Balladonia Track from Mount Ragged is better with floaties in some areas. If you miss a detour in a couple of places you will have water over the bonnet. I would not dare try to get a trailer through this as you need all the momentum you can get and a trailer sliding on a different course to you would mean disaster. All this information applies to winter and spring.
Keep in mind there is no place to wash a vehicle after if you are travelling east and you could have trouble at the road block coming into SA if you are covered in mud. There is no water on the Nullarbor, for car washing. Many of the roadhouses have to make their own water as it is. If you are going back to Esperance please wash your car there. There is a good car wash with high pressure on Sheldon Rd.
I have good reason for saying this as the country you would be travelling through has patches of dieback (Phytophthora) and I for one would not be happy to see it spread to the eastern states as there are already many areas of WA closed because of it. Steve. Great Australian Bight Safaris. Email: info@greatsafaris.com.au Web: www.greatsafaris.com.au
• I led the Sydney Land Rover Club through to Cape Arid over May of 2007 but in reverse. I would not advise travelling with a large off road camper personally, but plenty try to take them every where they can, sometime with disastrous results. The track is sandy and rough and on the occasion we were there extremely wet and in fact rescued a Land Cruiser in dire straights. We could not get to Israelite Bay as the track had disappeared under flooding water, and we had to detour back to another track to head west but higher than planned but still emerged on the lower track avoiding the water. Next time will get to Israelite Bay I guess.
Maps I used were Hema Tourer Atlas and GPS that kept us in touch with the track most of the time. Once on the right track not easy to get lost, but you do need the map. Also Raster map on CD on the lap top used as well. Track from memory was fairly well sign posted especially from the Esperance end and we didn't get lost, good sense of direction helps as a good portion of the track was navigated at night looking for suitable camping for five vehicles.
There is not a lot of camping over the course of the track, as the track is tight single lane with very little pull offs as its mostly a ribbon through low heath in the southern section and trees starting to appear as you make your way north, but a single vehicle could squeeze in some where. Bryce, LROCS.
• I found this info in the HEMA Maps Western Australia Road and 4WD Atlas, requires quite a bit of page flipping, but if you start from Esperance and follow either Fisheries or Merivale roads, these lead to Balladonia Road and eventually to Balladonia Road House. Looks like an interesting trip. Phil
• I have a book that has 8 pages of info re that journey. It has camping information, trip notes and a basic map. It is called Australia 's Top 4wd Getaways by Craig Lewis and Cathy Savage. Aart
from Westprint Friday Five 2009-8-21
I was alway fascinated with globes and maps as a child dreaming of all the cool places I could travel to. Lucky for me my dad was in the army so I got to do some travel then I did even more traveling in college and then my husband join the army well even more travel until he decided to get and move the family back to Jersey...yup good old Jersey :)
Here is my updated version of the Chateau De La Cazine in LDD. It's basically the same as the other one, except for the roof has been changed to all black to better reflect the real CDLC (and because the parts will be easier to get and it will probably be less expensive to build than the black and blue roof), and the upstairs facades are now decorated with curved bow pieces as opposed to slope pieces, also to better reflect the real CDLC.
Nia is researching Entontol, Enkaroni and Entaipiri to give pads to their class 6, 7 and 8 girls, 200 to 250 girls. She choose these schools because the head teachers continue contact with me tho we have completed our projects of water, latrines, desks and uniforms. They are go-getters and they were honest in their dealings with me.
As always, we will require 20% financial input (pads, soap, panties, instructions, training and bag). This will be approximately $3 (a considerable amount when you are a farmer) from each of the girls' families. I am told the pads last between 1 and 2 years. This will give them the boost to purchase them on their own at a later time.
Training is also included, boys too!
The award-winning author of 28 books for children and young adults, Jan Slepian expresses her sentiment and insight on being old in her first-ever collection of verse, continuing the themes of getting and being old she published previously in two collections of essays, both of which were adapted for the stage. What is familiar in this collection of 30 poems is the author's voice of wit and humor.
For more information, please read my review, at www.goodreads.com/book/show/26805701-jellybeans-in-space
Up on the west mesa beyond Fairacres was this recreational relic -- a waterpark that all but dried up.
Back in the daze of the good old early Reagan administration, someone built a waterpark featuring a pool, a game room, a refreshment stand, and a two-chute waterslide with a fantastic view of the Mesilla Valley. My good friend from high school, John, got a summer job there as one of the guys who stood at the top of the slide and ushered kids down. At the time, I thought it was one of the coolest jobs to get and a lot more fun than what I was doing (I cleaned off dirty tables filled with dishes of soggy pancackes down at Village Inn).
For whatever reasons, the waterpark lasted about two or three seasons and then closed forever. Was it a deathtrap? Was it too far away from town to get enough business? After it closed in the early-mid 80's, no one ever dismantled the waterslide and here it stood some 25 years later back in 2008.
The pool and rec area below the slide was renovated and came back to life as a recreational venue known as "Kahuna's" back in the early-mid 2000s. But, that enterprise has since shut down for good.
Enjoying a great view after the picnic is the best desert you can get. And yes, there are flamingoes in the background.
David Salariya reads The first picture books with Virtual Pop-up...Augmented Reality (AR) 'What lola Wants...Lola gets' and 'Tyrone the Clean 'o' Saurus. Published by Scribblers A division of Book House an Imprint of the Salariya Book Company. at a Sneak preview the Book Nook, Hove.
tuesday, september 22, 2009.
sunday morning yoga is generally very challenging and the entire class is ready, willing, and able to go there. people are more or less fresh and give it their all. monday night is a literal and forceful chaotic ball of manic energy with everyone rushing from work to be still. it is here that when we chant and sing that i am raising my voice as loud as i can and i can't hear myself due to the 120+ other voices all getting and giving energy mat to mat to mat. it is generally in monday's class that i have to be reminded to not go over my edge, not under my edge, but to my edge. but tuesday, tuesday morning is the most interesting of them all. tuesday is more centered and the most challenging since we are all rung out from the night before and there is a smell in the room of funk from last night and ahimsa is only the half of it since i am tired and hungry from not eating breakfast. it is almost like the opposite of ahimsa, it is the need to be reminded to challenge myself and go to my edge, not back off it. if my legs are shaking in my seated forward bending poses i am at my edge. if my gyan mudra is still my dristi is still, i am at my edge. if my breath is there and the sweat is dripping, i am happy.
today we did one of my favorites, Utthita Parsvakonasana with a bind to bird of paradise. it is in that pose that i am reminded of callie and feel like she is with me. generally speaking i break out into a big smile and root my standing foot with such force that i feel strong and beautiful and with purpose. and when i do that pose with the energy of others it is like nothing else.
Today’s polybag, 30211 Uruk-hai with Ballista, is a nifty little set. You get a Uruk-hai minifig and a mini ballista. This is the perfect army-builder set. There is no reason NOT to want to get as many Uruk-hai as you can possibly get. And even if you get only one, there’s something comical about a […]
www.fbtb.net/lego-lord-of-the-rings/2022/06/29/a-year-of-...
The reason I chose these busy fabrics for this top was that I wanted to see just how wild you could get and still have the circles show up when you joined the Kaleidoscope blocks. The batik background has areas of the very same colors as the striped fabrics, but I can still see the circles. Not easily, but I can see them :)
Sisters Restaurant was well-known in the area and served delicious food. The problem was getting and keeping employees.
Some photos from the Montane Spine challenge, mostly taken as they came off Black Hill.
The Spine Challenger is a non-stop, 108 mile race between Edale and Hawes with a time limit of 60hrs. This challenging and technical section of the Pennine Way is a physically and psychologically demanding route that demands concentration, good physical fitness, resolve and respect.
Later in the day the Montane Spine Sprint started, I didn't get and photos of this, The distance is 46 miles and the time limit is a generous 18 hours, you will start in Edale and finish in Hebden Bridge. There were a few of Oldham Mountain Rescue Team running this year.
This particular turkey had its belly skin trimmed a bit more than we would have liked, but you can still see the effect of fresh sage leaves under the skin. The sage infuses the breast meat with a wonderful aroma, and the crispy skin with sage is fantastic.
You can also see how browned and crispy the stuffing gets. And because we brined the turkey the stuffing gets fully cooked AND the turkey breast meat drips with juice when you slice it.
As allways if you want to made a group foto: Some people will miss it. So I decided to make a photo of all I can get and put others to this foto. Now you can see the complete team. I 've used photoshop and I think, it worked well, not perfect but I'm satisfied. I'm interested if you will find out which one was not originally in the foto. Please put a note on these heads.
The complete team from November 2007: (Left to right)
R3: Wiebke, Katja, Nicole, Judith, Miriam, Susanne
R2: Jenny, Hendrik, Daniela, Bettina G., Kristin, Lisa
R1: Me, Bettina S., Daniel, Catlin
071108_AM_Team_Final
@ xi'an 西安, shaanxi 陕西, china 中国
this is not much of a shot but it was a nail biter to get. i got to this street partially blocked by local crowds and security forces. a block of residential buildings was being torn down hastily. i wasn't sure of the security but they were all in genuine police uniforms only lacking numbers - not sure if this meant they were off duty or just private hires. i stood at the line with the mob of mostly pentioners and raised my big camera for a shot. instantly i was screamed at by two guards with real anger i hadn't seen in china so far - full in my face loud barking. i took my hand slowly from the shutter and lowered the camera like i was disarming myself to avoid being shot. i gestured "what's the big deal?" and they screamed at me to move on. i'm not sure why other than the circumstances i felt a need to document this but further down the block possibly still within site of the first guards and nearby another group of guards i leaned against a tree and continued to watch the demolition for a few more minutes. without looking around to see who was watching i framed and shot this one photo with my rifle fire like shutter. then i just turned and walked by all the guards without making eye contact. there some commotion and some words were directed at me and some shouting but i kept walking slowly and directly away. it was an incredible instant of heightened awareness, chills and a sensation of a hand about to grab my shoulder - the adrenelin was making my knees weak. i suppose for me this was all false danger but still i got a shot that i felt i was not supposed to get and it gave me just a hint of what the glandular activity might be like for one of the real photo journalists i so admire...
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The little telephone tree
"... Their ideas weren't conducive with protecting our homes and protecting ourselves. There was a social interaction, which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is a very serious matter, is a bushfire, and when you have children, when you have your property, all your treasure inside your house, you want to know how you're going to look after it and be very, very serious about it ..."
It was good to see Chris Harvey on the news last night making a submission to the 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission. It's better he's there on the stand telling his story at the public hearings and getting the day, Black Saturday out of his system.
A native of Yorkshire, I can hear his accent again in the report. Something to do with the way he mangles the tenses. I hadn't heard what circumstances he and his family escaped. Now I can. The submissions are open so you can read what happened as he retold the story yesterday.
Chris lived just down the road from this shot on Bald Spur road. Chris is a pretty composed, no-nonsense sort of person. Chris has been to some pretty far out places like South America. Trained to control his emotions, organised and not one to panic. He's a mate of my dads. I hope this doesn't change him much. He's got a wicked sense of humour. Well he makes me laugh. Half the time you can't understand his accent, the rest of the time I make sure I take the p*ss out of the fact he's a Pom.
Chris lived at the top of Bald Spur road while Gary and Jacinta lived at the bottom.
///////////////////// 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission: Chris Harvey //////////////////////////
1 UPON RESUMING AT 2.00 PM:
2 MS NICHOLS: Commissioners, I call Dr Chris Harvey.
3 Dr Harvey's statement is found in volume 33 of the hearing
4 book at tab 9.
5 <CHRISTOPHER HARVEY, sworn and examined:
6 MS NICHOLS: Dr Harvey, did you prior to the 7 February fires
7 live in Bald Spur Road in Kinglake?---Yes.
8 Had you lived there for about 23 years with your family?---Yes.
9 Have you, with the assistance of the Commission's lawyers,
10 prepared a written statement in relation to your
11 experience of the 7 February fires?---I have the copy here
12 and here.
13 Is the statement true and correct?---Yes.
14 I tender the statement, Commissioners.
15 #EXHIBIT 67 - Statement of Christopher Harvey.
16 MS NICHOLS: Dr Harvey, before I ask you about your experience
17 on 7 February, I would like to ask you about your general
18 and historical planning for bushfires. You say that one
19 thing you did with your neighbours about 20 years ago is
20 that you established a telephone tree. What's involved in
21 a telephone tree?---This was at the behest of the CFA to
22 form some sort of a knowledge in how we could protect our
23 homes because we do live in a vulnerable position. Once
24 you live in the forest, you know that it is not a matter
25 of if there is a bushfire, it is when there is a bushfire,
26 and it is what sort of actions we could take in order to
27 protect our properties and protect ourselves. We formed a
28 small group called a fireguard group which consisted of
29 six people. There weren't so many people living in Bald
30 Spur Road.
31 Dr Harvey, before you go on, could I ask you to move closer to
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 the microphone so we can hear you. You were saying you
2 formed a small group?---With half a dozen people, young
3 people, young families as we were then. What happened was
4 we had a coordinator who coordinated with the CFA which at
5 the time everybody else was basically at work, and my wife
6 was at home looking after very young children, so she was
7 a point of contact for the CFA and if there was any
8 information which should be relayed to us or any paperwork
9 which came with regards to have you done this check, have
10 you cleaned up your leaves, have you done all this stuff,
11 the paperwork would come to us and on the pleasant
12 evenings we would walk and go and see our friends and give
13 them the pieces of paper and we would talk about what we
14 were going to do and how we would do things.
15 Twenty-five years ago, or 23 years ago, sorry, we didn't
16 have much money. A fire pump was a luxury, a generator
17 was a luxury, but we were still intent on keeping our
18 properties clean and clear of any fuel which could burn.
19 So was the person from the CFA a conduit of information, if you
20 like, which was then distributed by you to your
21 neighbours?---Yes.
22 You describe it as a telephone tree, but was it really more
23 like a network?---No, I was giving you an overall
24 impression of how it was. There was a little more to it
25 because obviously, were there a fire approaching us, the
26 point of contact, which would have been Francis, my wife,
27 would have been contacted initially by the CFA, and then
28 we would have had the little telephone tree; you ring
29 number 1, 2, 3, 4. You ring number 1, we are number 1, we
30 ring number 2, number 2 is not in, we ring number 3,
31 number 3 is in, they would then ring number 4, and we
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 would get on with whatever we were supposed to be doing to
2 try to save ourselves or leave, whichever, and that was
3 basically how simply these fire trees were working.
4 Was that something that was initiated by you or your neighbours
5 or was it something that was suggested to you by the
6 CFA?---It was definitely suggested by the CFA.
7 You also say that, "We went to CFA training sessions and
8 everything the CFA said to do to prepare for a fire, we
9 did"?---Yes, the training sessions were in our homes. We
10 would have someone come up to see us to say, "Have you
11 cleaned up? Have you done this? Is your grass cut? Are
12 you in a reasonable state to fight a bushfire?" None of us
13 were, I don't believe.
14 We will come to 7 February in a moment, but were those kinds of
15 preparations something that you and your neighbours did
16 year-in and year-out?---Yes, throughout the year. It is
17 not a matter of having a one day clean-up with the amount
18 of fuel and leaves that fall down around us. It is a
19 constant job to keep it clear.
20 You indicate in your statement that at some point the group
21 became too big and the telephone tree became too
22 complicated. How did that happen?---My wife stopped being
23 at home. She came down to my office to do work; she is an
24 accountant. She came down to work to help with
25 the accounts and such like and of course she wasn't there
26 for the constant point of contact, as we would have liked.
27 The fire tree had grown at that point as well. Everybody
28 wanted to be in it, all the newcomers into Bald Spur Road.
29 I just - they were starting having ideas which weren't
30 conducive. This is only - this is my opinion. Their
31 ideas weren't conducive with protecting our homes and
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 protecting ourselves. There was a social interaction,
2 which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is
3 a very serious matter, is a bushfire, and when you have
4 children, when you have your property, all your treasure
5 inside your house, you want to know how you're going to
6 look after it and be very, very serious about it rather
7 than just going out and buying a fire pump and a generator
8 when the electricity goes off and making sure you have
9 some water. You need to know how to use these things.
10 There is more to just owning equipment; you need to know
11 how to use it correctly and how to judge things. My
12 company at that time, it was a very small company, now it
13 is an international company, it is a multi-national
14 company, and we regularly have firefighting people,
15 fully-trained people to come in and show us how to fight
16 fires inside my chemical plants and such like that.
17 I make sure everybody goes through that training and
18 I realise that it's not easy.
19 And is that experience something you have taken and transferred
20 into your domestic situation?---Absolutely, yes.
21 Absolutely. You know, most people own a fire extinguisher
22 in the house and they wouldn't know how to use it if they
23 were required to use it. They may not even have the right
24 type.
25 Can I take you to just before 7 February. You indicate in your
26 statement that your property was equipped to withstand
27 fire. One of the things you talk about is the fact that
28 you had a separate water system for fighting fires, a fire
29 pump and sprinklers on the roof. Can you describe how
30 that system was set up as at 7 February?---The galvanised
31 steel tank is at a higher elevation at the top of the
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 block which used to fill from our carport. That was fed
2 by a copper pipe underground through a five horsepower
3 Honda pump, which was a petrol driven pump which was in a
4 cooler part - with my stupid ideas of how to try and
5 prepare things, I tried to make it in a cooler place,
6 hidden away where I could start it very quickly because
7 I would start the pump every two or three days just to
8 make sure it was operable, and then the water was pumped
9 from there up copper pipes, onto a sprinkler system where
10 we had four sprinklers down either side of the roof. Our
11 roof is only 20 metres long. It was only 20 metres long,
12 I should say, so there was a sprinkler basically every
13 four metres on there with a throwing arc of seven or eight
14 metres, even only on half power on the fire pumps. So we
15 could put a lot of water down very quickly, but on
16 7 February we never used it.
17 You say that your family had a fire drill. What did you do to
18 practise that?---Outside, strip all the fittings off the
19 hoses inside. We used to - everybody knew how to start
20 the fire pump; everybody knew how to start the generator
21 because the first thing that goes in a fire is the
22 electricity, the household power; where the extension
23 leads were to plug it into the actual water pressure pump,
24 because we are not on mains water, we live on rainwater
25 tanks. So that was basically it, and where our masks
26 were, where our gloves were, where our face shields were
27 and everything. That was the things that I wanted people
28 to know.
29 You say you had also cleared around the property and there were
30 no leaves?---Our property, along with my neighbours and
31 our deceased neighbours, our properties were prepared.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 The bush wasn't.
2 Prior to 7 February you had been through the Yea fires in 2006
3 which went through Kinglake?---It was heading directly
4 towards us. We had some experiences with ember attacks
5 with smoke and various other things, and I have a strange
6 feeling in my heart - again this is only my opinion - that
7 we were led into some sort of belief that that was as bad
8 as a bushfire is going to get and I think there was a
9 false sense of security amongst the group in Bald Spur
10 Road.
11 You say in your statement that you knew that 7 February was
12 going to be a bad day because of warnings you read in the
13 media. What was your impression about what kind of a day
14 it would be and what the implications were for
15 you?---Never having experienced a 47 degree day before, it
16 was quite different. I have discussed this thing with
17 lots of people. The 7th February, it was a culmination of
18 days prior to that. It was eight weeks without any rain.
19 Listening to the same warnings from the CFA about "Today
20 is a day of extreme fire danger" - I can nearly do it
21 verbatim for you - "Today is a day of extreme fire danger.
22 Do not use chainsaws, mowers, slashers, welders or
23 grinders outdoors unless it is extremely necessary" and
24 I can't see any necessity to use a grinder on a 47 degree
25 day. Now, we have listened to this warning every since
26 the day we came to Australia. My first day in Australia
27 over 25 years ago was going up to Wangaratta when Bright,
28 Wangaratta, everywhere was on fire. I had never seen so
29 many fire engines in my life, and this was coming from
30 freezing cold England to a place that was on fire and it
31 was quite a strange experience, I can assure you, to have
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 smoke everywhere, and I just didn't know what to do. So
2 we have lived with fire since day one being in Australia.
3 Listening to the - it was almost immune, you were almost
4 immune to the warnings because it is the same - you get
5 football commentators, when they are talking about a
6 football match, they are using incredibly colourful and
7 creative language to describe a guy who jumps up in the
8 air and grabs a ball. He becomes a hero, he becomes a
9 world class player at everything. Okay, it's exciting,
10 but people have become immune to this type of colourful
11 language and when something is extreme, it doesn't get any
12 worse than extreme on any other day, whether it is a 27
13 degree day or whether it is a 30 degree day and we have a
14 north wind blowing. The factors that go into making an
15 extreme fire danger day are not described to the people
16 who really need that warning. We needed more. My dead
17 neighbours, my deceased neighbours, my friends, we needed
18 more information. An extreme fire danger day to us is a
19 day to be vigilant. That is as far as I would describe
20 that.
21 Dr Harvey, you would say that on 7 February, when that day
22 came, you were indeed being vigilant?---I had been
23 vigilant for quite some time prior to that. Anything
24 would have set that bush on fire, anything. Even a spark
25 off a car going over a piece of flint on the road, it
26 would have gone. It was crispy under foot. That's the
27 only way to describe it. Everything was crunchy.
28 Can I take you to the 7th. You say you started the day
29 obviously at home and your wife and you were listening to
30 774?---Yes, that's correct.
31 Can I ask you to have a look at the map which we will project.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 You will see it in front of you on the screen?---Yes.
2 Can you indicate approximately where your property is marked
3 with that balloon-shaped character?---Yes, right on top of
4 the spur. Yes.
5 And where is Mount Disappointment in relation to your
6 property?---West.
7 And Kilmore East?---That would be to our west, north-west.
8 You say that during the day you didn't hear of any fires in
9 your area, but you did hear there was a fire in Kilmore
10 which you estimate to be about 35 to 38 kilometres away
11 from your property. Drawing on your past experience that
12 you had had at 7 February, what did you think about how
13 long that fire might take to reach you, if in fact it
14 reached you?---Well, I would have considered that we had a
15 day at least, two days. The fires in 2006 were moving
16 slowly and that's where your measure of confidence comes
17 from, in your previous experiences. This fire, it was
18 beyond comprehension the way in which this thing came
19 quickly. We have had fires up at our vineyard, we have a
20 vineyard in Eurobin, which is more of a pastime, and there
21 were some bad fires in Myrtleford and they went within
22 hundreds of metres of our property. In fact, there was a
23 spot fire on our property. The CFA fire units were
24 sitting at the end of the road. They couldn't go in
25 because of the rules and regulations, they could not go in
26 and put the fire out that had started from some spotting
27 earlier on, and the farmers took off and put the fire off.
28 It's as simple as that.
29 In relation to this fire, is it fair to say that nothing you
30 had heard or been advised of or warned about gave you any
31 impression about how quickly a fire might reach your
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 property?---No, absolutely not. No. I think it was
2 unprecedented, the speed of the winds, and the conditions
3 that prevailed on the 7th were - as I say, it's a
4 culmination of days, it's not just what happened on that
5 day. If you look at the Sunday, the day after, it was a
6 coolish day. It was a cool day. Monday was cool.
7 Can I take you to about 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 7th.
8 You say you'd seen - there was a clear blue sky and there
9 was no evidence of any fire that you could see from your
10 house at that time?---That would be because our views is
11 looking towards the east. We looked straight over towards
12 Mount St Leonard, which is, you know, maybe 100-odd
13 degrees out and our house is in a hole. We dug it into
14 the mountainside as we were sort of advised to, to create
15 some sort of a fire break with it, so obviously we
16 couldn't see anything from the windows apart from a
17 hillside.
18 And at about 3 o'clock you left to go where?---We had to go to
19 the airport to pick up my daughter, which was, for me,
20 I was annoyed about it. It saved my life. A 47 degree
21 day, I cannot imagine what a bloke really wants to do;
22 would want to sit down, would want to get the remote
23 control out and watch the TV and that's it and do
24 absolutely nothing, not that it doesn't need to be
25 47 degrees for that to happen, but that is how it was on
26 that day. We had to go and pick up my daughter. The
27 reason we had to pick her up was she had had - her
28 boyfriend wouldn't pick her up and that was it. We just
29 got in the car. Absolutely no sign of the fire. No sign
30 of it whatsoever. The wind was absolutely howling. It
31 was like a baking oven going outside. Got in the car,
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 drove up to the top of our driveway which heads, I would
2 say, pointing west, and that was the first time we saw the
3 smoke, and we just - it was such a pall of smoke, it was
4 just extraordinary. As I say, I have seen a few fires,
5 but I have never seen anything like this in my life. It
6 was massive. I don't want to start with this colourful
7 language to try and describe how it was. It was massive.
8 And that was over Mount Disappointment?---That would have been
9 coming from that direction, yes.
10 And you kept going towards the airport because you had to pick
11 up your daughter?---We turned right from our driveway to
12 get to the main road and that was where we decided that we
13 needed to listen to the radio to find out anything else.
14 The fire was purportedly in Kilmore and we just carried on
15 driving. The weather conditions were absolutely
16 atrocious. I have never experienced weather like it.
17 I have lived all over the world and I have been in
18 conditions which would scare a lot of people, earthquakes,
19 various other things, and the one thing that does give me
20 moments of trepidation are high winds. It is something
21 you cannot control or get out of the way of.
22 You drove down the hill from Kinglake West towards Whittlesea
23 and by about 3.30 you could see the fire coming along
24 Mount Disappointment?---Yes.
25 At that stage you say you thought it was going to hit Humevale,
26 but if there was a wind change it would probably reach
27 Kinglake?---If I have put "if" there is a wind change,
28 I should have said "when", because, as I say again, it is
29 a matter of when. We know that when the wind swings
30 around from the north, even if it only went to slightly
31 south-west, it would have shot up the mountain anyway.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 But it did come up with an incredible ferocity.
2 You kept going towards the airport listening to the radio as
3 you went, you say?---Yes.
4 What, if anything, did you hear about Kinglake?---Nothing. We
5 considered that we had enough time, with our past
6 experience and knowledge of talking to people about fires,
7 we felt we had enough time to get to the airport, pick our
8 daughter up, take her to Port Melbourne and drive back to
9 Kinglake to prepare to fight the fire.
10 So once you got to the airport and got out of the car, what was
11 your experience of the wind?---It was to the point where
12 my wife and I hung on to one of the poles outside of the
13 Hilton Hotel, the wind was blowing so hard. There are
14 some poles which hold up - steel poles about eight inches
15 round. Literally we had to hold on to them. People were
16 being blown off their feet, there was such a tremendous
17 gust of wind at that time, and my wife said to me, or
18 I said, "We're gone," and she said, "We went ages ago,"
19 I think were her words.
20 Meaning what had happened in Kinglake?---Kinglake's in trouble.
21 Dr Harvey, you say that you received a voicemail message from
22 your neighbour which you didn't get until the next day,
23 but you understand it was sent about 4.30?---It was
24 exactly 4.30. I will never forget it. I will never
25 forget it on my telephone when it told me the message was
26 received. However, due to communications breakdown,
27 whether it was weather conditions, I don't know, I don't
28 know what affects radio signals so much, but it didn't
29 come through until the next day on my telephone.
30 What was the message from your neighbour, Carol
31 Holcombe?---Carol said, "Chris, this is Carol Holcombe
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 speaking. It's half past four. We have been told there
2 is a fire at the bottom of Bald Spur Road and there is no
3 need to worry. We don't believe it is a problem." And
4 that was it, that was it. And Carol - she is a very
5 confident person, she is a high school teacher, she
6 teaches 18 year old kids, so she has a good strong voice
7 and her voice was faltering a lot more than mine was just
8 then. She was scared. I can assure you if I had answered
9 that telephone I would have told them to get out.
10 And Carol and her husband died in the fire?---(Witness nods.)
11 At their property next to their car?---In their driveway, yes,
12 heading that way.
13 Dr Harvey, you picked up your daughter from the airport and it
14 doesn't indicate this in your statement, but is it right
15 that you dropped your daughter off at the apartment in
16 Melbourne that you have?---In Port Melbourne, yes.
17 And then you sought to make your way back to Kinglake but you
18 were stopped at a roadblock in Whittlesea?---Yes.
19 Did you stay there for some time before eventually returning to
20 your apartment in Port Melbourne?---We stayed there until
21 half past 10, 11 o'clock at night. It was light, it was
22 very light. There was nothing open in Whittlesea
23 food-wise. From the position we were, I know the
24 topography of the mountain very well indeed, so we could
25 see where the fire was. We knew where it was, so we just
26 said, "Well, we're tired" and we went.
27 So you went, stayed in Melbourne briefly and then returned to
28 Kinglake very early the next morning?---That's correct,
29 yes. We were in the queue by half past 5-ish.
30 What did you find when you went back to your property?---Well,
31 the police wouldn't let us back. We have lived on the
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 mountain a long time. We know our way up the mountain.
2 And when you eventually got to Bald Spur Road?---It was gone.
3 The whole community was gone. Our friends, gone.
4 Dr Harvey, having put all of the preparations in place that you
5 did and having had the long history of fire preparation,
6 now having lived through the 7th of February, what would
7 you do again? If you were faced with that situation
8 again, would you stay behind or would you leave?---We
9 intend full well to build, rebuild our home, but we are
10 not making any preparations to fight or stay to fight any
11 fire ever again.
12 You made the comment earlier in evidence that "our properties
13 were prepared but the bush wasn't"?---Yes.
14 What did you mean by that?---The idea is if you reduce fuel,
15 there is no fire. If there is no fuel, there is no fire.
16 Bald Spur Road has never, or the mountain either side of
17 it, has never had a fuel reduction burn. The last fire
18 which went through Bald Spur Road was in 1962 and it was a
19 reasonably cool bushfire. There is 47 years of negligence
20 on that mountain. I would suggest, from the duty of care
21 which we as residents deserve to have, we prepared
22 ourselves. Murrindindi shire and the DSE did nothing to
23 help us. They have to have a bushfire plan. They have
24 plans. They have an officer inside their shire with plans
25 which are reviewed every three years by the CFA to say,
26 "Yes, your fire precaution plan is okay." These are Acts,
27 this is a 1959 CFA Act or something like that. The DSE
28 have never been up there to do any burning off, which it
29 would be the state forest which wasn't prepared. It was
30 metres deep in places with leaves and debris from 47 years
31 worth of - do we call it negligence? I would call it
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 negligence, but I don't know whether I'm being fair. It
2 may well be an inability to perceive the problem or it was
3 easier not to perceive the problem maybe. I don't know.
4 This is my opinion, and I think it is also other people's
5 opinions also.
6 Dr Harvey, you say that you feel that most of your neighbours
7 who were caught in the fire did not understand how
8 dangerous it was going to be and you talk about the view
9 that the forest fire danger index should be made more
10 publicly available. Can you explain why you think
11 that?---Because the CFA and the DSE are not private
12 companies, however much they may wish to appear to be.
13 They are in the public domain. Information which they
14 have has to be given to us. We aren't idiots, we are not
15 fools, we are not imbeciles. There were professors and
16 teachers and educated people who died on that mountain.
17 We can take in information and we can calculate whether it
18 is dangerous or not. If you have the forest fire danger
19 index given to people along with the extreme fire danger
20 warning, that would be sufficient for people to make an
21 assessment. However, for people to learn how to interpret
22 the forest fire danger index people must be educated and
23 an education program has to begin right now to show
24 people, "This is how we calculate", the CFA or the DSE,
25 "This is how we calculate to give the forest fire danger
26 index"; fuel loads, temperature, wind speed, all these
27 factors that go into making this number that tells you
28 whether you are in trouble or not. We ought to be given
29 information about - well, I don't think - in 1939 they
30 didn't have something like that, but for Ash Wednesday I'm
31 pretty certain there was a forest fire danger index. Now,
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 we could possibly - there are a lot of computers that can
2 do all sorts of things nowadays and given the conditions,
3 that some people still remember 1939, we may well be able
4 to put these items into a computer, get a computation out
5 at the end of the day and say, "Look, guys, today is a day
6 of extreme fire danger." At 30" - I don't know, when the
7 forest fire danger index reaches 30, just for figures'
8 sake - "this is where we call an extreme fire danger day.
9 Now, on Ash Wednesday that danger suddenly got up to 50
10 and we don't really like people being around when it gets
11 this bad because you know what happened then." Now,
12 February 7th it was apparently, I have been told, I don't
13 know, 157, something like that. I don't know, I really
14 don't know for a fact; people bandy all sorts of figures
15 around. But people should be able to make their own mind
16 up about, "This is where an extreme fire danger day is,
17 this is what happened when it got to 50, this is what
18 happens when it gets to 157 and our computers," because
19 everybody believes a computer, "these are the computations
20 we did for Black Friday," which are probably three of the
21 worst fires that we've had in this state, and they would
22 say, "Okay, on Black Friday it did this, on Ash Wednesday
23 it was this, February 7th was this." People need an
24 education program to go along with it so that they can be
25 prepared. We can do it in schools. It can be started
26 now, that sort of thing, to make people more and more
27 aware of what an extreme fire danger is. You know, you
28 can't be calling it a very extreme fire danger day, you
29 can't use that sort of language, it just doesn't mean a
30 thing. Numbers mean things to people.
31 You say, Dr Harvey, do you, that in hindsight, with that kind
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 of information or that kind of understanding, you would
2 not, even though you weren't in fact at your property on
3 the day, you would have made the decision to go rather
4 than to defend?---Absolutely.
5 Dr Harvey, I have no more questions for you, but there might be
6 some other questions.
7 CHAIRMAN: Dr Harvey, can I just clarify the position. On the
8 information that was provided by the police, it seems that
9 there were four deaths at number 15 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
10 And four deaths at number 29 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
11 And four deaths at 39 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
12 And two deaths at number 50 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
13 Presumably you don't know the position at the other end of Bald
14 Spur Road where - - -?---Down at the bottom?
15 Yes?---Yes.
16 At 370 there was a death?---Down at the bottom of Bald Spur
17 Road - - -
18 You don't know that?---I only found out the other day, yes.
19 I was absolutely heartbroken to find out about my very
20 close neighbours and friends who we built our houses with,
21 and I only went down Bald Spur Road a couple of weeks ago
22 to have a look down at the bottom and it looked like a
23 cemetery to me with the flowers which were there. It was
24 providence that I wasn't there, that my family are safe,
25 pure providence, and my direct neighbours, they had an
26 appointment with their son at the doctor's at 9 o'clock in
27 the morning. Otherwise we would have all been in this
28 together. It would have been a lot higher.
29 Thank you very much, indeed, Dr Harvey. We very much
30 appreciate you giving evidence?---Thank you for giving me
31 the opportunity.
///////////////////// 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission: Chris Harvey //////////////////////////
next >>>
The little telephone tree
"... Their ideas weren't conducive with protecting our homes and protecting ourselves. There was a social interaction, which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is a very serious matter, is a bushfire, and when you have children, when you have your property, all your treasure inside your house, you want to know how you're going to look after it and be very, very serious about it ..."
It was good to see Chris Harvey on the news last night making a submission to the 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission. It's better he's there on the stand telling his story at the public hearings and getting the day, Black Saturday out of his system.
A native of Yorkshire, I can hear his accent again in the report. Something to do with the way he mangles the tenses. I hadn't heard what circumstances he and his family escaped. Now I can. The submissions are open so you can read what happened as he retold the story yesterday.
Chris lived just down the road from this shot on Bald Spur road. Chris is a pretty composed, no-nonsense sort of person. Chris has been to some pretty far out places like South America. Trained to control his emotions, organised and not one to panic. He's a mate of my dads. I hope this doesn't change him much. He's got a wicked sense of humour. Well he makes me laugh. Half the time you can't understand his accent, the rest of the time I make sure I take the p*ss out of the fact he's a Pom.
Chris lived at the top of Bald Spur road while Gary and Jacinta lived at the bottom.
///////////////////// 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission: Chris Harvey //////////////////////////
1 UPON RESUMING AT 2.00 PM:
2 MS NICHOLS: Commissioners, I call Dr Chris Harvey.
3 Dr Harvey's statement is found in volume 33 of the hearing
4 book at tab 9.
5 <CHRISTOPHER HARVEY, sworn and examined:
6 MS NICHOLS: Dr Harvey, did you prior to the 7 February fires
7 live in Bald Spur Road in Kinglake?---Yes.
8 Had you lived there for about 23 years with your family?---Yes.
9 Have you, with the assistance of the Commission's lawyers,
10 prepared a written statement in relation to your
11 experience of the 7 February fires?---I have the copy here
12 and here.
13 Is the statement true and correct?---Yes.
14 I tender the statement, Commissioners.
15 #EXHIBIT 67 - Statement of Christopher Harvey.
16 MS NICHOLS: Dr Harvey, before I ask you about your experience
17 on 7 February, I would like to ask you about your general
18 and historical planning for bushfires. You say that one
19 thing you did with your neighbours about 20 years ago is
20 that you established a telephone tree. What's involved in
21 a telephone tree?---This was at the behest of the CFA to
22 form some sort of a knowledge in how we could protect our
23 homes because we do live in a vulnerable position. Once
24 you live in the forest, you know that it is not a matter
25 of if there is a bushfire, it is when there is a bushfire,
26 and it is what sort of actions we could take in order to
27 protect our properties and protect ourselves. We formed a
28 small group called a fireguard group which consisted of
29 six people. There weren't so many people living in Bald
30 Spur Road.
31 Dr Harvey, before you go on, could I ask you to move closer to
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 the microphone so we can hear you. You were saying you
2 formed a small group?---With half a dozen people, young
3 people, young families as we were then. What happened was
4 we had a coordinator who coordinated with the CFA which at
5 the time everybody else was basically at work, and my wife
6 was at home looking after very young children, so she was
7 a point of contact for the CFA and if there was any
8 information which should be relayed to us or any paperwork
9 which came with regards to have you done this check, have
10 you cleaned up your leaves, have you done all this stuff,
11 the paperwork would come to us and on the pleasant
12 evenings we would walk and go and see our friends and give
13 them the pieces of paper and we would talk about what we
14 were going to do and how we would do things.
15 Twenty-five years ago, or 23 years ago, sorry, we didn't
16 have much money. A fire pump was a luxury, a generator
17 was a luxury, but we were still intent on keeping our
18 properties clean and clear of any fuel which could burn.
19 So was the person from the CFA a conduit of information, if you
20 like, which was then distributed by you to your
21 neighbours?---Yes.
22 You describe it as a telephone tree, but was it really more
23 like a network?---No, I was giving you an overall
24 impression of how it was. There was a little more to it
25 because obviously, were there a fire approaching us, the
26 point of contact, which would have been Francis, my wife,
27 would have been contacted initially by the CFA, and then
28 we would have had the little telephone tree; you ring
29 number 1, 2, 3, 4. You ring number 1, we are number 1, we
30 ring number 2, number 2 is not in, we ring number 3,
31 number 3 is in, they would then ring number 4, and we
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 would get on with whatever we were supposed to be doing to
2 try to save ourselves or leave, whichever, and that was
3 basically how simply these fire trees were working.
4 Was that something that was initiated by you or your neighbours
5 or was it something that was suggested to you by the
6 CFA?---It was definitely suggested by the CFA.
7 You also say that, "We went to CFA training sessions and
8 everything the CFA said to do to prepare for a fire, we
9 did"?---Yes, the training sessions were in our homes. We
10 would have someone come up to see us to say, "Have you
11 cleaned up? Have you done this? Is your grass cut? Are
12 you in a reasonable state to fight a bushfire?" None of us
13 were, I don't believe.
14 We will come to 7 February in a moment, but were those kinds of
15 preparations something that you and your neighbours did
16 year-in and year-out?---Yes, throughout the year. It is
17 not a matter of having a one day clean-up with the amount
18 of fuel and leaves that fall down around us. It is a
19 constant job to keep it clear.
20 You indicate in your statement that at some point the group
21 became too big and the telephone tree became too
22 complicated. How did that happen?---My wife stopped being
23 at home. She came down to my office to do work; she is an
24 accountant. She came down to work to help with
25 the accounts and such like and of course she wasn't there
26 for the constant point of contact, as we would have liked.
27 The fire tree had grown at that point as well. Everybody
28 wanted to be in it, all the newcomers into Bald Spur Road.
29 I just - they were starting having ideas which weren't
30 conducive. This is only - this is my opinion. Their
31 ideas weren't conducive with protecting our homes and
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 protecting ourselves. There was a social interaction,
2 which is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, but it is
3 a very serious matter, is a bushfire, and when you have
4 children, when you have your property, all your treasure
5 inside your house, you want to know how you're going to
6 look after it and be very, very serious about it rather
7 than just going out and buying a fire pump and a generator
8 when the electricity goes off and making sure you have
9 some water. You need to know how to use these things.
10 There is more to just owning equipment; you need to know
11 how to use it correctly and how to judge things. My
12 company at that time, it was a very small company, now it
13 is an international company, it is a multi-national
14 company, and we regularly have firefighting people,
15 fully-trained people to come in and show us how to fight
16 fires inside my chemical plants and such like that.
17 I make sure everybody goes through that training and
18 I realise that it's not easy.
19 And is that experience something you have taken and transferred
20 into your domestic situation?---Absolutely, yes.
21 Absolutely. You know, most people own a fire extinguisher
22 in the house and they wouldn't know how to use it if they
23 were required to use it. They may not even have the right
24 type.
25 Can I take you to just before 7 February. You indicate in your
26 statement that your property was equipped to withstand
27 fire. One of the things you talk about is the fact that
28 you had a separate water system for fighting fires, a fire
29 pump and sprinklers on the roof. Can you describe how
30 that system was set up as at 7 February?---The galvanised
31 steel tank is at a higher elevation at the top of the
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 block which used to fill from our carport. That was fed
2 by a copper pipe underground through a five horsepower
3 Honda pump, which was a petrol driven pump which was in a
4 cooler part - with my stupid ideas of how to try and
5 prepare things, I tried to make it in a cooler place,
6 hidden away where I could start it very quickly because
7 I would start the pump every two or three days just to
8 make sure it was operable, and then the water was pumped
9 from there up copper pipes, onto a sprinkler system where
10 we had four sprinklers down either side of the roof. Our
11 roof is only 20 metres long. It was only 20 metres long,
12 I should say, so there was a sprinkler basically every
13 four metres on there with a throwing arc of seven or eight
14 metres, even only on half power on the fire pumps. So we
15 could put a lot of water down very quickly, but on
16 7 February we never used it.
17 You say that your family had a fire drill. What did you do to
18 practise that?---Outside, strip all the fittings off the
19 hoses inside. We used to - everybody knew how to start
20 the fire pump; everybody knew how to start the generator
21 because the first thing that goes in a fire is the
22 electricity, the household power; where the extension
23 leads were to plug it into the actual water pressure pump,
24 because we are not on mains water, we live on rainwater
25 tanks. So that was basically it, and where our masks
26 were, where our gloves were, where our face shields were
27 and everything. That was the things that I wanted people
28 to know.
29 You say you had also cleared around the property and there were
30 no leaves?---Our property, along with my neighbours and
31 our deceased neighbours, our properties were prepared.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 The bush wasn't.
2 Prior to 7 February you had been through the Yea fires in 2006
3 which went through Kinglake?---It was heading directly
4 towards us. We had some experiences with ember attacks
5 with smoke and various other things, and I have a strange
6 feeling in my heart - again this is only my opinion - that
7 we were led into some sort of belief that that was as bad
8 as a bushfire is going to get and I think there was a
9 false sense of security amongst the group in Bald Spur
10 Road.
11 You say in your statement that you knew that 7 February was
12 going to be a bad day because of warnings you read in the
13 media. What was your impression about what kind of a day
14 it would be and what the implications were for
15 you?---Never having experienced a 47 degree day before, it
16 was quite different. I have discussed this thing with
17 lots of people. The 7th February, it was a culmination of
18 days prior to that. It was eight weeks without any rain.
19 Listening to the same warnings from the CFA about "Today
20 is a day of extreme fire danger" - I can nearly do it
21 verbatim for you - "Today is a day of extreme fire danger.
22 Do not use chainsaws, mowers, slashers, welders or
23 grinders outdoors unless it is extremely necessary" and
24 I can't see any necessity to use a grinder on a 47 degree
25 day. Now, we have listened to this warning every since
26 the day we came to Australia. My first day in Australia
27 over 25 years ago was going up to Wangaratta when Bright,
28 Wangaratta, everywhere was on fire. I had never seen so
29 many fire engines in my life, and this was coming from
30 freezing cold England to a place that was on fire and it
31 was quite a strange experience, I can assure you, to have
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 smoke everywhere, and I just didn't know what to do. So
2 we have lived with fire since day one being in Australia.
3 Listening to the - it was almost immune, you were almost
4 immune to the warnings because it is the same - you get
5 football commentators, when they are talking about a
6 football match, they are using incredibly colourful and
7 creative language to describe a guy who jumps up in the
8 air and grabs a ball. He becomes a hero, he becomes a
9 world class player at everything. Okay, it's exciting,
10 but people have become immune to this type of colourful
11 language and when something is extreme, it doesn't get any
12 worse than extreme on any other day, whether it is a 27
13 degree day or whether it is a 30 degree day and we have a
14 north wind blowing. The factors that go into making an
15 extreme fire danger day are not described to the people
16 who really need that warning. We needed more. My dead
17 neighbours, my deceased neighbours, my friends, we needed
18 more information. An extreme fire danger day to us is a
19 day to be vigilant. That is as far as I would describe
20 that.
21 Dr Harvey, you would say that on 7 February, when that day
22 came, you were indeed being vigilant?---I had been
23 vigilant for quite some time prior to that. Anything
24 would have set that bush on fire, anything. Even a spark
25 off a car going over a piece of flint on the road, it
26 would have gone. It was crispy under foot. That's the
27 only way to describe it. Everything was crunchy.
28 Can I take you to the 7th. You say you started the day
29 obviously at home and your wife and you were listening to
30 774?---Yes, that's correct.
31 Can I ask you to have a look at the map which we will project.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 You will see it in front of you on the screen?---Yes.
2 Can you indicate approximately where your property is marked
3 with that balloon-shaped character?---Yes, right on top of
4 the spur. Yes.
5 And where is Mount Disappointment in relation to your
6 property?---West.
7 And Kilmore East?---That would be to our west, north-west.
8 You say that during the day you didn't hear of any fires in
9 your area, but you did hear there was a fire in Kilmore
10 which you estimate to be about 35 to 38 kilometres away
11 from your property. Drawing on your past experience that
12 you had had at 7 February, what did you think about how
13 long that fire might take to reach you, if in fact it
14 reached you?---Well, I would have considered that we had a
15 day at least, two days. The fires in 2006 were moving
16 slowly and that's where your measure of confidence comes
17 from, in your previous experiences. This fire, it was
18 beyond comprehension the way in which this thing came
19 quickly. We have had fires up at our vineyard, we have a
20 vineyard in Eurobin, which is more of a pastime, and there
21 were some bad fires in Myrtleford and they went within
22 hundreds of metres of our property. In fact, there was a
23 spot fire on our property. The CFA fire units were
24 sitting at the end of the road. They couldn't go in
25 because of the rules and regulations, they could not go in
26 and put the fire out that had started from some spotting
27 earlier on, and the farmers took off and put the fire off.
28 It's as simple as that.
29 In relation to this fire, is it fair to say that nothing you
30 had heard or been advised of or warned about gave you any
31 impression about how quickly a fire might reach your
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 property?---No, absolutely not. No. I think it was
2 unprecedented, the speed of the winds, and the conditions
3 that prevailed on the 7th were - as I say, it's a
4 culmination of days, it's not just what happened on that
5 day. If you look at the Sunday, the day after, it was a
6 coolish day. It was a cool day. Monday was cool.
7 Can I take you to about 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 7th.
8 You say you'd seen - there was a clear blue sky and there
9 was no evidence of any fire that you could see from your
10 house at that time?---That would be because our views is
11 looking towards the east. We looked straight over towards
12 Mount St Leonard, which is, you know, maybe 100-odd
13 degrees out and our house is in a hole. We dug it into
14 the mountainside as we were sort of advised to, to create
15 some sort of a fire break with it, so obviously we
16 couldn't see anything from the windows apart from a
17 hillside.
18 And at about 3 o'clock you left to go where?---We had to go to
19 the airport to pick up my daughter, which was, for me,
20 I was annoyed about it. It saved my life. A 47 degree
21 day, I cannot imagine what a bloke really wants to do;
22 would want to sit down, would want to get the remote
23 control out and watch the TV and that's it and do
24 absolutely nothing, not that it doesn't need to be
25 47 degrees for that to happen, but that is how it was on
26 that day. We had to go and pick up my daughter. The
27 reason we had to pick her up was she had had - her
28 boyfriend wouldn't pick her up and that was it. We just
29 got in the car. Absolutely no sign of the fire. No sign
30 of it whatsoever. The wind was absolutely howling. It
31 was like a baking oven going outside. Got in the car,
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 drove up to the top of our driveway which heads, I would
2 say, pointing west, and that was the first time we saw the
3 smoke, and we just - it was such a pall of smoke, it was
4 just extraordinary. As I say, I have seen a few fires,
5 but I have never seen anything like this in my life. It
6 was massive. I don't want to start with this colourful
7 language to try and describe how it was. It was massive.
8 And that was over Mount Disappointment?---That would have been
9 coming from that direction, yes.
10 And you kept going towards the airport because you had to pick
11 up your daughter?---We turned right from our driveway to
12 get to the main road and that was where we decided that we
13 needed to listen to the radio to find out anything else.
14 The fire was purportedly in Kilmore and we just carried on
15 driving. The weather conditions were absolutely
16 atrocious. I have never experienced weather like it.
17 I have lived all over the world and I have been in
18 conditions which would scare a lot of people, earthquakes,
19 various other things, and the one thing that does give me
20 moments of trepidation are high winds. It is something
21 you cannot control or get out of the way of.
22 You drove down the hill from Kinglake West towards Whittlesea
23 and by about 3.30 you could see the fire coming along
24 Mount Disappointment?---Yes.
25 At that stage you say you thought it was going to hit Humevale,
26 but if there was a wind change it would probably reach
27 Kinglake?---If I have put "if" there is a wind change,
28 I should have said "when", because, as I say again, it is
29 a matter of when. We know that when the wind swings
30 around from the north, even if it only went to slightly
31 south-west, it would have shot up the mountain anyway.
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 But it did come up with an incredible ferocity.
2 You kept going towards the airport listening to the radio as
3 you went, you say?---Yes.
4 What, if anything, did you hear about Kinglake?---Nothing. We
5 considered that we had enough time, with our past
6 experience and knowledge of talking to people about fires,
7 we felt we had enough time to get to the airport, pick our
8 daughter up, take her to Port Melbourne and drive back to
9 Kinglake to prepare to fight the fire.
10 So once you got to the airport and got out of the car, what was
11 your experience of the wind?---It was to the point where
12 my wife and I hung on to one of the poles outside of the
13 Hilton Hotel, the wind was blowing so hard. There are
14 some poles which hold up - steel poles about eight inches
15 round. Literally we had to hold on to them. People were
16 being blown off their feet, there was such a tremendous
17 gust of wind at that time, and my wife said to me, or
18 I said, "We're gone," and she said, "We went ages ago,"
19 I think were her words.
20 Meaning what had happened in Kinglake?---Kinglake's in trouble.
21 Dr Harvey, you say that you received a voicemail message from
22 your neighbour which you didn't get until the next day,
23 but you understand it was sent about 4.30?---It was
24 exactly 4.30. I will never forget it. I will never
25 forget it on my telephone when it told me the message was
26 received. However, due to communications breakdown,
27 whether it was weather conditions, I don't know, I don't
28 know what affects radio signals so much, but it didn't
29 come through until the next day on my telephone.
30 What was the message from your neighbour, Carol
31 Holcombe?---Carol said, "Chris, this is Carol Holcombe
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 speaking. It's half past four. We have been told there
2 is a fire at the bottom of Bald Spur Road and there is no
3 need to worry. We don't believe it is a problem." And
4 that was it, that was it. And Carol - she is a very
5 confident person, she is a high school teacher, she
6 teaches 18 year old kids, so she has a good strong voice
7 and her voice was faltering a lot more than mine was just
8 then. She was scared. I can assure you if I had answered
9 that telephone I would have told them to get out.
10 And Carol and her husband died in the fire?---(Witness nods.)
11 At their property next to their car?---In their driveway, yes,
12 heading that way.
13 Dr Harvey, you picked up your daughter from the airport and it
14 doesn't indicate this in your statement, but is it right
15 that you dropped your daughter off at the apartment in
16 Melbourne that you have?---In Port Melbourne, yes.
17 And then you sought to make your way back to Kinglake but you
18 were stopped at a roadblock in Whittlesea?---Yes.
19 Did you stay there for some time before eventually returning to
20 your apartment in Port Melbourne?---We stayed there until
21 half past 10, 11 o'clock at night. It was light, it was
22 very light. There was nothing open in Whittlesea
23 food-wise. From the position we were, I know the
24 topography of the mountain very well indeed, so we could
25 see where the fire was. We knew where it was, so we just
26 said, "Well, we're tired" and we went.
27 So you went, stayed in Melbourne briefly and then returned to
28 Kinglake very early the next morning?---That's correct,
29 yes. We were in the queue by half past 5-ish.
30 What did you find when you went back to your property?---Well,
31 the police wouldn't let us back. We have lived on the
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 mountain a long time. We know our way up the mountain.
2 And when you eventually got to Bald Spur Road?---It was gone.
3 The whole community was gone. Our friends, gone.
4 Dr Harvey, having put all of the preparations in place that you
5 did and having had the long history of fire preparation,
6 now having lived through the 7th of February, what would
7 you do again? If you were faced with that situation
8 again, would you stay behind or would you leave?---We
9 intend full well to build, rebuild our home, but we are
10 not making any preparations to fight or stay to fight any
11 fire ever again.
12 You made the comment earlier in evidence that "our properties
13 were prepared but the bush wasn't"?---Yes.
14 What did you mean by that?---The idea is if you reduce fuel,
15 there is no fire. If there is no fuel, there is no fire.
16 Bald Spur Road has never, or the mountain either side of
17 it, has never had a fuel reduction burn. The last fire
18 which went through Bald Spur Road was in 1962 and it was a
19 reasonably cool bushfire. There is 47 years of negligence
20 on that mountain. I would suggest, from the duty of care
21 which we as residents deserve to have, we prepared
22 ourselves. Murrindindi shire and the DSE did nothing to
23 help us. They have to have a bushfire plan. They have
24 plans. They have an officer inside their shire with plans
25 which are reviewed every three years by the CFA to say,
26 "Yes, your fire precaution plan is okay." These are Acts,
27 this is a 1959 CFA Act or something like that. The DSE
28 have never been up there to do any burning off, which it
29 would be the state forest which wasn't prepared. It was
30 metres deep in places with leaves and debris from 47 years
31 worth of - do we call it negligence? I would call it
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 negligence, but I don't know whether I'm being fair. It
2 may well be an inability to perceive the problem or it was
3 easier not to perceive the problem maybe. I don't know.
4 This is my opinion, and I think it is also other people's
5 opinions also.
6 Dr Harvey, you say that you feel that most of your neighbours
7 who were caught in the fire did not understand how
8 dangerous it was going to be and you talk about the view
9 that the forest fire danger index should be made more
10 publicly available. Can you explain why you think
11 that?---Because the CFA and the DSE are not private
12 companies, however much they may wish to appear to be.
13 They are in the public domain. Information which they
14 have has to be given to us. We aren't idiots, we are not
15 fools, we are not imbeciles. There were professors and
16 teachers and educated people who died on that mountain.
17 We can take in information and we can calculate whether it
18 is dangerous or not. If you have the forest fire danger
19 index given to people along with the extreme fire danger
20 warning, that would be sufficient for people to make an
21 assessment. However, for people to learn how to interpret
22 the forest fire danger index people must be educated and
23 an education program has to begin right now to show
24 people, "This is how we calculate", the CFA or the DSE,
25 "This is how we calculate to give the forest fire danger
26 index"; fuel loads, temperature, wind speed, all these
27 factors that go into making this number that tells you
28 whether you are in trouble or not. We ought to be given
29 information about - well, I don't think - in 1939 they
30 didn't have something like that, but for Ash Wednesday I'm
31 pretty certain there was a forest fire danger index. Now,
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 we could possibly - there are a lot of computers that can
2 do all sorts of things nowadays and given the conditions,
3 that some people still remember 1939, we may well be able
4 to put these items into a computer, get a computation out
5 at the end of the day and say, "Look, guys, today is a day
6 of extreme fire danger." At 30" - I don't know, when the
7 forest fire danger index reaches 30, just for figures'
8 sake - "this is where we call an extreme fire danger day.
9 Now, on Ash Wednesday that danger suddenly got up to 50
10 and we don't really like people being around when it gets
11 this bad because you know what happened then." Now,
12 February 7th it was apparently, I have been told, I don't
13 know, 157, something like that. I don't know, I really
14 don't know for a fact; people bandy all sorts of figures
15 around. But people should be able to make their own mind
16 up about, "This is where an extreme fire danger day is,
17 this is what happened when it got to 50, this is what
18 happens when it gets to 157 and our computers," because
19 everybody believes a computer, "these are the computations
20 we did for Black Friday," which are probably three of the
21 worst fires that we've had in this state, and they would
22 say, "Okay, on Black Friday it did this, on Ash Wednesday
23 it was this, February 7th was this." People need an
24 education program to go along with it so that they can be
25 prepared. We can do it in schools. It can be started
26 now, that sort of thing, to make people more and more
27 aware of what an extreme fire danger is. You know, you
28 can't be calling it a very extreme fire danger day, you
29 can't use that sort of language, it just doesn't mean a
30 thing. Numbers mean things to people.
31 You say, Dr Harvey, do you, that in hindsight, with that kind
Bushfires Royal Commission
1 of information or that kind of understanding, you would
2 not, even though you weren't in fact at your property on
3 the day, you would have made the decision to go rather
4 than to defend?---Absolutely.
5 Dr Harvey, I have no more questions for you, but there might be
6 some other questions.
7 CHAIRMAN: Dr Harvey, can I just clarify the position. On the
8 information that was provided by the police, it seems that
9 there were four deaths at number 15 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
10 And four deaths at number 29 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
11 And four deaths at 39 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
12 And two deaths at number 50 Bald Spur Road?---Yes.
13 Presumably you don't know the position at the other end of Bald
14 Spur Road where - - -?---Down at the bottom?
15 Yes?---Yes.
16 At 370 there was a death?---Down at the bottom of Bald Spur
17 Road - - -
18 You don't know that?---I only found out the other day, yes.
19 I was absolutely heartbroken to find out about my very
20 close neighbours and friends who we built our houses with,
21 and I only went down Bald Spur Road a couple of weeks ago
22 to have a look down at the bottom and it looked like a
23 cemetery to me with the flowers which were there. It was
24 providence that I wasn't there, that my family are safe,
25 pure providence, and my direct neighbours, they had an
26 appointment with their son at the doctor's at 9 o'clock in
27 the morning. Otherwise we would have all been in this
28 together. It would have been a lot higher.
29 Thank you very much, indeed, Dr Harvey. We very much
30 appreciate you giving evidence?---Thank you for giving me
31 the opportunity.
///////////////////// 2009 Royal Bushfire Commission: Chris Harvey //////////////////////////
next >>>
I saw Andy taking some video footage of some different street scenes. He was by himself and I hoped to get the chance to talk to him but didn't want to interrupt his work. As soon as my daughter and I walked by he was picking up his camera and moving to a different location. I asked about some of the shots he was trying to get and it turns out he's a reporter for one of the local stations. He was incredibly friendly as he explained a story he was working on. It involved several things about the community including why the Springs doesn't have a city wide New Years celebration. Being that Andy works in front of the camera on a regular basis I thought he wouldn't mind me taking his photo for the project, and he was very receptive. In this picture I think I caught a great smile because I was standing on the tips of my toes trying to get eye level as he's a bit taller than me. I think this gave him a little chuckle. I was impressed that Andy was working on this story around 3pm and was going to have it all together for the 5pm news. As he was packing up he mentioned he was going to have to hustle. Even with this deadline he still took the time to talk with me and get a few pictures taken. Andy was incredibly friendly, professional and a great representative of his organization. Thanks Andy!
This picture is #55 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
Brand: Matchbox
Series: 2019 Construction 2/20
Livery: N/A
Scale: 1/64
Base: Black plastic - ©2018 Mattel
Collector/casting number: 31/100 - MB1073
Country of manufacture: Thailand
Place/date of purchase: Wal-Mart 2019
Condition: Minty fresh, boxed 10/10
Remarks/comments: I was happy to see a M.A.N. being released. Though as happier I'd be if it was a full on lorry, a tipper will suffice.
Although this batch of photos were taken just last night, these finds were from mid March. I've decided to do my best and un-packaged at least one of each car I get and store them in little clear boxes. At least for the ones that fit, the rest will have to do without.
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so, this is ONE of the hotels where the wedding will be that i'm shooting tomorrow... clearly at night, i wanted to get a different perspective from what most get... and of course this is with my 17-50mm 2.8
TheDiet Chronicles Documents an example of healthy eating or rather mindful eating. An idea of a way one "could" eat as a means to eat healthy and enjoy the process. As black belts and martial artist we are aware that Heart Disease is the number one cause of death among Americans and 1 out of 3 people will develop Type 2 Diabetes. It only makes sense then to make Healthy Eating a part of any self-defense program. Statistics show more people will be hurt by what's on their plate than they ever will be by a punch, kick, throw, or grappling match. Learning martial art techniques is important but where it stops the self-discipline of eating healthy and mindfully begins. Just an idea we explore and one that I ask my students to explore as well.
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
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Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
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We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
SoulPancake Week 3: Get Punched!
I got soul, but I'm not a soldier...
...While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
~The Killers, All These Things I've Done
[one of my favorites to jam to]
I've never been in a fist fight. In middle school there was a girl that wanted to fight me. We had other people around us, and she just kept ASKING ME to hit her first. I didn't. It'd mean I'd be the one to be suspended and I didn't want that. She eventually walked away and that was that.
Aside from the physical, there's the mental and emotional punches we get. And when I get one, and it's hard enough to stick w/ me and hurt, like a bruise would, I keep it moving forward. I put on my make-up, put on clothes and shoes that make me feel good, listen to good music and keep going. I don't "mask" the bruise, but I don't give it any glory. I find my way of healing instead of staying in the nursing stage too long.
So as the lyric says, "the battle is won, w/ all these things I've done".
and building too. a matter of brick after brick and things barely held inside. re: your subconscious somewhat spilling even though you're silent, even though you ain't been talking for hours on end and coworkers get funny about that and after a while somebody will come and say what's up with you? your head seems to be elsewhere and you'd really want to reply you can count on that, darling, it's as elsewhere as it gets and guess what, i'm not inviting you but somehow you just mildly stare and whisper oh, i got little sleep and turn around and laugh so loud that it deafens you but they won't hear a thing,
This is an old Intel 80386DX CPU die from an old Dell desktop computer from the late 1980's. This CPU die has been sitting in a draw for the last 20 years or so. I always wanted to see what one of these looked like in person. My first and second attempts at cracking open newer CPU's ended in failure. It seems that after the 686 series of CPU's manufactures started to use epoxy to permanently bond the CPU die to the socket, making it impossible to expose the die. These old CPU's simply had a metal cover held in place with glue. As you can see I did manage to crack the socket and the die itself.
This time I made sure the lens and CPU die were parallel to one another. This way I could get and even DOF throughout the whole image. This picture is also sharper to since I used the viewfinder and the D7000's rangefinder for better accuracy.
For this setup I used my D7000 and 40mm 2.8G DX macro lens. I fitted a +2 closeup filter which really didn't seem to do anything for this lens. The setup was tripod mounted facing down at the CPU. I had both of my SB-700's setup on either side of the lens both fitted with diffusers and both set to 1/25th power. My settings were aperture f22, shutter 160th and ISO 100. I used the MC-DC2 remote trigger and the D7000's mirror up function to eliminate any chance of camera shake.
I call this photo... A Winter Wonderland. This is more of a wide shot of my neighborhood. I was walking down the street and was inspired to get and object of color that pops out of the photo. If you look closely one can recognize the hazard cone in the photo. I took about 5 frames a second in order to get the perfect lighting from the sun. WB is set off. the ISO was on 6M
During a recent visit to Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, I spotted something swimming rather fast up one of the streams toward where we were walking on the boardwalk.
Luckily there was a small path leading to the stream, so I snuck off to the edge of the stream as close as I could get and waited to see what was coming our way?
Definitely a critter! And the Sanctuary had a sign posted nearby with the variety of wildlife there including beaver and muskrat. I'm guessing this is a Muskrat.
My first sighting ever and even though it's not the best shot, it was still probably the highlight of my visit at the BLBS!
09/26/2019 10:50 PM EDT
( Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Jim Jeffrey and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Defense Policy, Emerging Threats, and Outreach Thomas DiNanno of the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance On U.S. Policy on Syria and D-ISIS )
MS ORTAGUS: Okay, so we’re on the record. Everybody knows Jim. I’m not supposed to have a favorite special representative, but you’re my favorite special representative for Syria. (Laughter.) Feeling punchy at the end of the day here. Thomas DiNanno, who has the longest title at the State Department – he is the senior bureau official and deputy assistant secretary for defense, policy, emerging threats, and outreach, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance. That’s like —
QUESTION: Can’t you make that into an acronym?
MS ORTAGUS: I know, I know.
MR DINANNO: We have one, actually.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay, you guys want to come in? You guys, get a seat.
Okay, so Jim’s going to make some opening remarks, and are you going to make any opening remarks too?
MR DINANNO: Yeah, I’ll say a few things.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay. We’ll let the two of them and then we can go into Q&A, and then I’m going for a drink. (Laughter.)
Okay, go ahead, Jim.
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Okay, thank you, Morgan. Hello, everybody. In my two closely related portfolios of Syria-everything and Daesh in Iraq and Syria, my team brought us up here to do four basic things, and we think that we hit on all cylinders on all four.
First of all, the political process, the only way forward to resolve the Syrian conflict that’s been going on since 2011. We pressed hard, as did our partners, particularly NATO countries and Arab League members, for a constitutional committee under UN Resolution 2254. That’s been languishing since December 2015. With a lot of pressure from the international community and a great job by the secretary-general, we got the two sides – which means mainly the Damascus regime, because the Syrian opposition basically are willing to move forward. The Damascus regime was holding off for years. They agreed to launch this thing. It will be launched within the coming weeks. You saw the secretary-general’s announcement. We stand full-square behind this.
This is not the end of the efforts by Assad to get a military victory, we don’t think, or even the efforts of Iran and Russia to support him. But it shows that they were under pressure, and being under pressure, they’ve at least opened the door to a political solution. This is still symbolic at this point. We need to keep the pressure on and we will, and our friends and allies will as well, but we also need to recognize that there may be a glimmer of hope that this conflict can be ended the right way.
There is – between a political solution under 2254 and a military victory, as Assad wants it, these are mutually exclusive. I want to emphasize that. These are mutually exclusive. You cannot have one, you cannot have the other, and we particularly tell our friends who we negotiate with all the time in Moscow that that’s the way it is. That was the first thing.
Secondly, Idlib. That’s an example of people pushing forward. The Assad regime, supported by the Russians and the Iranians – it created a huge international outburst of anger and criticism. It led to the secretary-general just two weeks ago opening up a board of inquiry into what’s happened there and then a resolution in the Security Council that 12 nations, including the U.S., supported strongly. It was vetoed by Russia and China. It called for a ceasefire, a real ceasefire, but alas, Russia and China could not go on with one that didn’t give them what we call a cut-out to kill terrorists, which means to continue a bombing offensive against civilians and a massive military movement on the ground.
Thirdly, defeat ISIS. ISIS is still around, and it contributes to the insecurity and the problems in Syria in many different ways. We’ve worked very hard to keep the focus on ISIS with an accountability event that was kicked off by Amal Clooney this morning organized by the Dutch and the Iraqis – we support it strongly – on how to ensure that ISIS crimes are pursued by the international community and that those people that we have now captured are brought to justice. This is a huge priority for the President and Secretary, and we thought we made progress there.
The fourth is accountability. We had meeting after meeting, beginning with Caesar, the code name for the brave Syrian who took the 55,000 pictures of the horrors of the Assad prisons and who’s now the namesake of a bill working its way through Congress – we hope that passes soon – which will give even stronger tools to sanction the Assad regime to the U.S. administration.
And we expect that our allies, particularly the European Union, will find ways to increase their sanctions. In fact, they’re doing that right now. But we also looked at other events with the victims of Assad’s crimes, brought Syrians to the attention of the international community, to the UN, to NGOs such as the International Crisis Group which hosted one of these events, to our European partners.
And finally, today the Secretary laid out a particularly important case of accountability for the use of chemical weapons, and I’ll turn that over now to Tom to continue on that.
MR DINANNO: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. As Secretary Pompeo announced earlier today, the United States will provide an additional 4.5 million to support the OPCW mandate to investigate chemical weapons use in Syria. It supports two core functions of the OPCW: if chemical weapons were used; and to identify who did it, simply put.
This work is vital. It is important to ensure accountability. I’d also like to point out this is not a unilateral effort. We’d like to thank our partners and allies that have made a commitment and who share the burden so these ongoing attribution efforts can continue.
That’s all I have.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay. Shaun.
QUESTION: Thanks. I was wondering if you could give us any more details regarding the Secretary’s announcement today about the chlorine attack. Is there anything more you can say about the incident and in terms of whether civilians were targeted – in particular, about the information that you had, and I mean, what actually transpired in (inaudible).
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We know that – first of all, the date. We know that a number of individuals were injured. We don’t quite know their status. No one was killed. And this was in an area that the regime had tried for several weeks to capture through military action. You’ll remember a year ago when the threat to Idlib first came out and the President, just before coming up here, stated that any offensive into Idlib would be a reckless escalation. That’s how we see it.
One of the many reasons for that is that we fear that the regime, which has very weak infantry forces, will try to use chemical weapons once again to make up for its inability to seize ground by combat power. So these warnings of not going into Idlib, while there’s terrorist problems if you go into Idlib, there’s refugee problems, there’s geostrategic problems, there’s also the problem of them using chemical weapons, and we wanted to make clear that we would respond if they do use chemical weapons.
In this case, we actually went public right after the event, saying that we had seen indications of this and were looking into it. It took us quite a while. Can you explain a bit why – how we weigh these things and what factors we use?
MR DINANNO: Yes, sir. I think it’s important, as the ambassador points out, that the chemical forensic work to gather the samples, it’s very difficult to get inspectors in. The regime denies the – any OPCW access at every chance they get. And it’s also critical that those samples are correct and that the forensics and the chemistry is done with great detail and to make sure they’re precise. So it took us some time to work through the results, and we’re confident today that we can announce with certainty that it was, in fact, chlorine.
QUESTION: Can I have a follow-up? When Shaun today asked about what the response was going to be, the Secretary seemed to make a distinction about these being chlorine attacks. My understanding was that the Douma attacks last year were also chlorine attacks, and they drew a very strong military reaction from the West. Why is that different from what these attacks are if it’s the same chemical?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: I think they were both chlorine and sarin. I’m not sure on the —
QUESTION: I don’t think OPCW concluded that.
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We’ll check. But the point is chlorine is covered by the CWC. It is a toxic chemical. All toxic chemicals are covered. Do you want to explain the difference with chlorine? Chlorine is a slight difference, as the Secretary indicated, because of another characteristic of it.
MR DINANNO: Yeah, it does have an industrial use, and that’s why it is actually not outlawed per se. But the weaponization of chlorine is outlawed. Article 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits —
QUESTION: Sure.
MR DINANNO: So chlorine is outlawed, but I also think it’s important that we point out that we feel that the action that we’re taking today is proportionate and it’s appropriate, and there are several levers of power that the Secretary laid out today. We’ve used them over the course of the Syrian events, and today we’re talking about diplomatic and economic levers that we, again, feel are appropriate and proportionate to what happened there.
QUESTION: So to be clear, we’re talking about number of fatalities, where the Douma attacks killed over 40 people and they drew a very strong military response from the West versus what happened in May of this year where several people were wounded but not killed, and right now we’re looking at diplomatic and economic punishments, correct?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We’re not going to tie ourselves down to any military or other political or diplomatic action based upon any specific criteria. We’re going to look at everything. To quote the Secretary, you should appreciate – “The world should appreciate the fact that we’re going to do everything we can reasonably do to prevent this kind of thing from happening again.” I think, to pick up – to carry off on Tom’s expression of proportional, the word “reasonable” is in there. Four people were wounded; it was four months ago.
MS ORTAGUS: Go ahead, Michael.
QUESTION: Michael Gordon, Wall Street —
MS ORTAGUS: Go ahead. Yeah, yeah. Sorry.
QUESTION: I’m Michael Gordon, Wall Street Journal. Just on that – two things just on that question. Can you just state for the record whether the Douma attack was chlorine only? Because my understanding is it was mixture of chlorine and sarin.
MR DINANNO: I think you’re right, but we’ll take that back.
QUESTION: No, but just let us know.
MR DINANNO: I think you’re right. Yeah.
MS ORTAGUS: No, we’ll get it. Ruben will do it.
QUESTION: My question is: In this latest episode, how high do you think the responsibility goes in the Syrian regime? Do you have any information to indicate this was an action by a low-level commander or a more senior Syrian authority? And was it one rocket, several rockets? And do you think any – the Russians would have been aware of this since they’re heavily invested and have a big presence in Syria?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We can’t give you a specific answer, Michael. First of all, it would almost be certainly be classified if we had a specific answer. What I can tell you is that from very extensive experience with an exposure to military decisions taken by the Assad regime, two things are apparent: First of all, every decision – seemingly, every little decision that are taken by sergeants and captains in the U.S. military go all the way to the top in that country. And given the record of what happens if you use chemical weapons during the Trump administration, it’s really hard to believe that somebody would have been foolish enough to do that without very high-level clearance.
The second point is that Russia has its advisory teams throughout the entire command and staff of the Syrian army at all levels. These are the best soldiers Russia has. They are extremely experienced, we deal with them every day on deconfliction and other things. They are first-class – we see their first-class work, staff work, their first-class professionalism. It is very hard for me to think that professionals as good as that, the way they are spread out, would not have known something like this, which is a very unique event. It’s the first time it’s happened in over a year.
MS ORTAGUS: Nadia.
QUESTION: Nadia Bilbassy with Al Arabiya. President Erdogan just said that he’s coordinating with the United States about setting up a safe zone in northern Syria. Can you walk us through some of this coordination, and how are you going to protect the interests of the Kurds considering the Turkish position?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Well, we’ve been working with Turkey on this issue for some time. You all know the background. We went in on the ground as part of the Coalition to Defeat ISIS back in 2014 to support local forces, many of whom were offshoots of, at the time, the YPG of PYD which is essentially a PKK-linked element of the Kurdish movement in Syria that later expanded into the SDF with many additions of Arab fighters to fight Daesh. And it was very effective. This is the force that finished off Daesh in March of 2019, just a few months ago, down on the Euphrates near the Iraqi border.
But beginning in Mambiche across the Euphrates back in the late spring of 2018, we worked agreements with the Turks because the Turks, understandably, having lost many tens of thousands of people to a PKK insurgency that began in 1984, are very worried about a large force of people commanded by folks who have ties to the PKK just to their selves. They have a big problem with the PKK presence in northeastern Iraq, for example, in the Qandil Mountains. And so they told us that they were worried about this. We acknowledged that. We actually talked to the people in northeast Syria – and there are many groups – and they all sort of understand that the Turks do have a reason to be concerned. The Turks have an option, of course, to act militarily. They did that in Afrin, they did that in Jarabulus, and al-Bab, either against PKK elements, or what they thought were PKK elements, or against Daesh – they attacked both.
So in order to preserve the security of the northeast and the stability, allow us to continue our battle against Daesh and meet Turkish and local security concerns, we worked up a safe zone proposal with everybody involved that has the YPG pulling back its forces and its heavy weapons various distances depending upon the location and the kind of activity. It then puts – pulls – it gets rid of all fortifications, again, in certain zones, then various patrols and activities and joint Turkish-American military activities take place. Many of them have already begun, including I think four joint helicopter flights, many Turkish overflights that they coordinated with us, and several joint patrols on the ground of U.S. and Turkish troops. This is going to continue and expand. We think it’s a success. The Turks, of course, want us to move faster on this; it’s their security interest. But all in all, I think everybody is doing a good job.
QUESTION: Can I ask a follow-up on that?
MS ORTAGUS: Sure, go ahead.
QUESTION: Reuters, Humeyra Pamuk. Erdogan also just said that their military deployment, and like their military preparations on the border are ready. A couple of weeks ago, he said that we’re – not in very definitive terms, but said that we will give them two weeks for the safe zone negotiations to be wrapped up, and then we’re planning an incursion. And they’ve done this before. How do you feel about this? What would the U.S. be doing if Turkey went ahead with this?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Okay, first of all we have an agreement – we actually called it an arrangement with the Turks, a military-to-military agreement that has certain political aspects that we are prepared to talk more about, such as refugee return. But this military-to-military arrangement, we are executing faithfully and as rapidly as we can. We believe the Turks are pretty aware that we are doing a good job. Everybody would like the other side to move faster, to be even better. That’s not something unusual in diplomatic affairs, but again, we are generally satisfied. We listen to the Turks’ concerns. We try to respond to them when we can. And we have made it clear to Turkey at every level that any unilateral operation is not going to lead to an improvement in anyone’s security – not Turkey’s, not the people in the northeast, not the people around the world who feel threatened by Daesh, which is the basic purpose for our U.S. military being in the northeast in the first place.
MS ORTAGUS: Conor.
QUESTION: Conor Finnegan from ABC. The stabilization work that the U.S. is doing in Syria is continuing with funding from other countries —
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: In northeast Syria, you mean.
QUESTION: In northeast Syria, correct. I’d heard that that funding is starting to run out. Are there diplomatic efforts to secure more funding from countries?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Yes to everything.
QUESTION: Very good. May I ask a second question then? What role would the SDF and their civilian counterparts in the civilian structure in northeast Syria play in a constitutional committee event?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Yeah, this comes up all the time, including with our Turkish NATO partners. We went into northeast Syria, as I said, to pursue Daesh and to help the people of that area defend themselves, because at Kobani they were making a ferocious stand against a equally ferocious Daesh attack. We have made it clear to all of our partners in northeast Syria that we do not have a political agenda other than the minimal amount of stabilization and political back and forth, including with our USAID and State assistance teams, and a few political officers we put out there as well the U.S. military’s special forces on the ground, to facilitate a stable platform to continue the defeat-ISIS activities.
Our only political goal for Syria is a unified Syria within its current borders that works its way through the process of 2254, which envisions UN-monitored and managed free and fair elections throughout Syria and among the large diaspora that has fled Assad. That is the political future of the people of the northeast, the people of the northwest, the people everywhere in Syria from our standpoint. We have no other agenda. We’ve made that clear a thousand times.
QUESTION: So would they participate, though, in the —
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Of course.
QUESTION: And would it do more than to empower the opposition if you could help to unite them and the other rebel groups in – elsewhere in the country?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: It’s an interesting question, but I’m looking around to some of my colleagues, including here, who, like me, have spent a decade and a half trying to do that on the backs of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops and hundreds of billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money, and we weren’t all that successful. We don’t have any kind of T.E. Lawrence political scheme for – or even a Jim Jeffrey 2004 Baghdad scheme to try to weave these things together, okay? So I’m getting too old for this.
MS ORTAGUS: No, never.
QUESTION: Just as you were speaking, there was a statement by the Russian foreign ministry that said the United States announcement about the alleged attack was going to maybe affect the perspectives of – the perspectives of the political process. Could you respond?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: If this political process in the eyes of the Russians is so fragile that telling the truth about war crimes committed by their ally, the Assad regime, leads to some kind of issue, whatever that might be because we don’t know what Lavrov is talking about, then the Russians weren’t serious about it in the first place.
QUESTION: But you still have discussions with Russia?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Of course.
MS ORTAGUS: And we meet them tomorrow. Jennifer.
QUESTION: Hi. Jennifer Hansler, CNN. Can you talk about any specific conversations that were had this week about combatting radicalization in these refugee camps like al-Hol?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We have had them. It has come up in essentially every – it has come up literally in every meeting that I have been involved in in a multilateral setting. That is, the various ones on accountability that were organized by the Dutch and the Iraqis, various meetings – we had the small group meeting at the ministerial level with Secretary Pompeo hosted by the British this afternoon. The issue of radicalization came up, and it comes up all of the time. This is something that we are very focused on. I can’t give you a specific date, time, and who said what because most of these things were behind closed doors and subject to diplomatic limits and restrictions. But I will say that it is on everybody’s mind.
QUESTION: Can you say any specific steps that might be taken to try and combat this (inaudible)?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: Right, the specific steps that everybody is more or less agreed on – although executing is more difficult – are to, first of all, separate the leaders, the instigators, from the rest of the community, work on small children to give them alternatives to essentially playing the same games that they watched their fathers and mothers play when they – Daesh was ruling a good chunk of Syria. And thirdly and most importantly, get the women and children, because that’s the main problem right now, in al-Hol camp, back to their communities. About 60,000 of the 70,000 there are from Iraq and Syria.
There’s efforts underway. I have talked this week with Iraqi officials specifically on that issue, and others are talking about that. We’re also working with the SDF, the SDC, and local authorities in northeast Syria to move people back to their communities because many of the 30,000 Syrian women and children come from the northeast. So that is the basic thing we’re trying to do, trying to deradicalize people in an environment like that. We’ve spent a lot of time, because it’s obviously in the media a lot, talking to people who are on the ground. I’ve been out there since this issue came up three times talking to the people who are delivering aid right in the camps, and their advice from years of experience, our military’s advice from running Camp Bucca and Abu Ghraib, is that when they’re concentrated like this, forget about trying to deradicalize a big number of them beyond, as I said separating out the instigators, spreading people out by moving them out of the camp, and going after vulnerable groups like children.
MS ORTAGUS: Michael.
QUESTION: Yeah. Michel Ghandour of Al Hurra.
MS ORTAGUS: I mean Michel, sorry. I’m really tired. You know what I meant. I got an M right.
QUESTION: No worries. Did the small group on Syria take any decisions regarding the use of chemical weapons? And what steps then?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: The small group will be issuing a statement as I speak on the overall situation. It covers the chemical weapons. I believe the language is: The use of any chemical weapons in Syria is unacceptable. Secretary Pompeo, as he indicated in his press conference, did brief the small group on our findings and on his statement today.
MS ORTAGUS: David.
QUESTION: You said this happened four months ago, that it was four people wounded. Can you tell us why you’ve chosen to highlight it at this particular time given that there have been quite a number of similar attacks in the past?
MR DINANNO: Yeah, I think I mentioned earlier the attribution process, the technical process, the chemical forensics take some time, and we need to get it right. And there was coordination among friendly nations as well to share information, so —
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: As soon as we got it fully right, believe me, our decision to act, as the Secretary laid it out, including laying him on, choosing the venue, taking the actions that he described, moved at warp speed for the U.S. Government. So this wasnt something we were delaying just for the fun of it. As I said, it took us a while to figure it out.
MS ORTAGUS: Last question. Lara.
QUESTION: Jim, could you bring us up to speed on negotiations with the Turks on the size and depth of the safe zone? As you know, President Erdogan wants it to go to Deir ez-Zor and go down 20 miles. Where are we on the U.S. side?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: They are continuing on specifics, although a good deal of general military-to-military principles have been agreed. We dont discuss the specific depths of the safe zone, because from area to area and weve only done one basically one third of the northeast right now. Were doing this in three segments; weve only done one third. And it varies from area to area for one reason or another, including security for certain third country forces or other forces that are roaming around there. And depending upon the activity, theres one set of variable depths for the withdrawal of the YPG, another for the withdrawal of heavy weapons, another for joint U.S. and Turkish ground patrols, another for the movement of aviation. And so its quite confusing and we know and the YPG knows and the Turks know in a given area where the zone should be, and Ill just leave it at that.
QUESTION: Well he wants, as you know, to make it larger so more refugees can come back from Turkey and resettle in that safe zone.
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: We are talking to the Turks and we did today, in fact, about refugees returning, as we have agreed in our document, in a safe, voluntary, and dignified way. And the discussions weve been having with the Turks weve also been having them with the European Union focus on the role of the UNHCR and other international humanitarian agencies who would need to be helpful in any significant movement back. But we have signed up for the return of refugees to their homes if they came to that area. Thats part of our overall position on the Syrian conflict in general, and including the northeast, and including in this arrangement.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay.
QUESTION: And just ending at the Euphrates, correct still?
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY: This arrangement ends at the Euphrates. We have a separate agreement with the Turks on Manbij which also involves a return of refugees. Thats on the other side of the Euphrates. But this is why I get I start getting confused myself when I start talking about specific geographic areas and which specific depths and arrangements, and which agreement covers them. Were executing as best we can all of them and working with the Turks and with our local partners in the northeast for that end.
MS ORTAGUS: Okay. Thanks.
QUESTION: Thank you.
The first picture books with Augmented Reality (AR) 'What lola Wants...Lola gets' and 'Tyrone the Clean 'o' Saurus. Published by Scribblers A division of Book House an Imprint of the Salariya Book Company. Sneak preview at the Book Nook, Hove.
she saved one or more from every state she lived in. my great grandma is a very strong woman that has traveled the world, has always kept her faith in god no matter how hard life gets and has always kept herfamily together. i love u!
Most people here where I live will tell you, “If you’re not in New Jersey or New York, your pizza sucks!” Having lived here some 20 years now, I’d certainly agree.
I was reading a piece on the web the other day about hot dogs. I’d never given hot dogs much thought before. Growing up in Texas, my family didn’t really eat that many hot dogs. We had enough German places around that we’d usually get a bratwurst or some other type of sausage made of unknown, delicious “mystery meat.”
Even as a young kid in Texas, I could tell that Oscar Mayer hot dogs were as tasteless and as terrible as their bologna and I wanted no part of them. So, we didn’t eat many hot dogs in our house.
The article I was reading went into great detail about hot dogs made in factories in New York and New Jersey. It made a similar claim about hot dogs as pizza. That is, if you’re not eating a hot dog made at a factory in New York or New Jersey, you’re probably eating a fairly pedestrian and tasteless dog.
Evidently, our hot dogs tend to have more spices and a smokier flavor that hot dogs made elsewhere.
I consulted with the oracle (Jersey Shore Fightin’ Texas Aggie Ring) and we decided to do an unscientific hot dog experiment.
Aggie Ring and I visited Wenning (Jersey Shore wholesale meat market, est. 1922), the Restaurant Depot (major restaurant supplier) and a few other locations to procure the hot dogs and a few other supplies. Note: You can buy fresh hot dogs at some of the local Polish butcher shops, but we decided to go with just mass marketed hot dogs.
While there are quite a number of NY/NJ dogs, we simply went with the brands: Nathan’s Coney Island, Best’s, WindMill (a Jersey Shore tradition and Aggie Ring be all about tradition because that what he do), and Sabrett. If you’ve ever had a “dirty water” dog in NYC or a number of other places, it was probably a Sabrett. All of the hot dogs were 100% beef as the beef/pork dogs tend to be of lower quality and dry out when they are cooked. Each company makes a variety of hot dogs (length, beef/fat content, etc.) We attempted to buy the version that most of the food trucks or dirty water carts use. We picked both natural casing and skinless.
Turkey and chicken hot dogs weren’t even considered as turkey and chicken are no more hot dogs than vegetable protein is ground beef.
Aggie Ring and I also procured a pound of dried habanero peppers, hot dog potato buns, a bag of onions, kraut, and a half gallon of Cholula Hot Sauce (very popular hot sauce in NY/NJ).
There’s really only one proper way to cook a hot dog (or sausage for that manner). You boil it for 5 or 6 minutes and then you put it on the BBQ or hot skillet and crisp/blacken the outside. Otherwise, you’ll wind up with a dried out, sad, unhappy dog.
We consumed one of each type of dog in a typical Jersey Shore style. Potato roll, kraut, chili, and mustard. Garnish was chopped white onion.
One can pretty much use any brand of mustard. Aggie Ring had me pick out Nathan’s Coney Island Deli Style Mustard. First, because Nathan’s is as American as one can get and secondly, because Coney Island is the origin of Aggie Ring’s song. “What song?” you gentle readers might ask. Well, apparently there’s this song called, “The Aggie War Hymn.” Perhaps some of you reading this might have heard it before. Seems that while the lyrics to the “Aggie War Hymn” were written at A&M College of Texas, the music is from a song called “Coney Island Baby” or a title similar to that.
When Aggie Ring and I learned the history of the Coney Island song music, Aggie Ring told me, “Well… that explains why so many high schools around the United States have what we thought was the “Aggie War Hymn” as their fight song.”
As for the chili, it was chili with beans. Yes, we know that is redundant. If it doesn’t have beans, it can’t be called chili. It’s Sloppy Joe filling, not chili. Even the good folks in the Great State of Texas know that it’s not chili without beans. Well, the educated sophisticated ones do, at least.
One at a time, we boiled then pan grilled each type of dog. What can we say? They were all delicious. Aggie Ring noticed that the skinless dogs did crisp/blacken up easier than the ones in the natural casing. Not really an issue though. Just a minute or two longer on the pan.
I realized that I’d have way over 20 times the number of hot dogs that I could possibly eat in a week or two. Back when I was 16 and in high school in Bellaire, Texas (Houston) my band buddies and I started hitting the bars. Several of my high school band buddies were Czech speaking so we’d head up to Czech towns in Texas where they had family farms. Almost any little bar or country store in Texas back into the 80s had big ass jars of snacks. Usually, pickled eggs, pickled pigs’ feet, and pickled hot dogs.
Aggie Ring say, “We can keep these dogs for a year if we pickle them.” That what Aggie Ring do.
We boiled up a brine using white vinegar, hot sauce, dried habanero peppers, and pickling spice. We made the great mistake of standing over it while it was at the boil and accidentally inhaled it. “This is what the British soldiers in World War I must have felt like when the Germans used gas on them.” said Aggie Ring. It was painful and there were tears.
While the brine was cooling, Aggie Ring and I cut the dogs into thirds, sliced up a big ass bunch of sweet yellow onions, peeled four heads of fresh garlic and crushed it. We placed a layer of onion/garlic/ and sliced fresh habanero at the bottom of each of the dozen quart jars.
“Pack the hell of them dogs into the jars.” said Aggie Ring. “I don’t want any left over or we’ll have to eat them tomorrow and you are so close to getting back to your A&M waist size.”
We poured the cooled brine into each jar and sealed them. We’ll probably be giving most away to friends and to the local, Jersey Shore college musicians we know who live in the band house. Seems that when you smoke the “Texas Tea or Devil’s Lettuce,” one gets the munchies.
And thus, ends the short tail of the Texas Aggie Ring Jersey Shore Hot Dog Experiment.
After Action Review: I really need to buy a box of disposable gloves. I’ve taken a shower and washed my hands at least half a dozen times in hot soapy water and I can still smell garlic and onion on them.
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do
"Surprise Splash"
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In July of 2011, while photographing and freezing fireworks no longer felt like a challenge, and I began to realize that a lot of the pictures had seemed to look way too similar to each other. To solve this problem, I wanted to get a little experimental and spice things up a bit with some creativity. I developed a few deeply thought out techniques to be executed within the camera at the time of the photo being taken, to that make the fireworks look like anything except for what we are used to perceiving as an actual "firework".
This experimentation and creative technique, had proven fireworks to be my favorite things to photograph, as well as leading me to win 3rd place in the Popular Photography Magazine's "Your Best Shot Contest", with this photo:
"Abstract Explosion"
www.flickr.com/photos/nickbenben/5939053732
(Which can be found in the April Issue of Popular Photography Magazine)
When the celebrations began in 2012 for the anniversary of America's independence, I set out with a mission to photograph as many firework displays as I possibly had the time and energy for. My goal was to refine and improve my techniques and experiment further, to get and idea of what other immense and colorful designs I would be able to create - with no expectations.
***Instead of uploading a whole batch all at once, I will be revealing a new abstract firework photograph DAILY, for the next 30 days - to keep things more interesting***
Thank you so much for taking your time to read what I wrote, and for spending the time to look at my work.
Please, don't be afraid to share your thoughts- I'd love to know what you think.
I hope you enjoy some of my most recent results!
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© Nick Benson, All rights reserved. Use of this image without permission is illegal.
If you like my work and you would like to see more, please feel free to visit my website, nickbensonphoto.com.
One of the best ways you can stay updated with my current and most recent work, is by liking my fan page on Facebook!
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this f430 convert. was at Lexus Rivercenter for an autism awareness fund raiser. Did not get and great shots from this event (this was probably the best :()
A martial arts education of intelligent curriculum curated by Sensei Dan Rominski at his martial art school located in Rutherford NJ. Visit our website www.thedojo.org Self-Defense for children at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.thedojo.org
Children Learn Focus, Discipline, Self-Control, Concentration, Fitness, Confidence, Respect, Have Better Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating and Self-Defense.
Adults Learn How to get and stay in shape, Stress Release, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Slow start program (come as you are), a coach in every class, Confidence, Focus, Self-Discipline, Positive Peer Group and it’s Fun!
Parents, Download your FREE Report The 7 Steps for Parents: Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse Click HERE to visit our website
danrominski.squarespace.com/c...|/sexual-abuse-prevention
Sensei Dan is available for Scheduled TALKS & PRESENTATIONS.
Get more information about our Martial Arts Education of Intelligent Curriculum involving Everything Self-Defense at TheDOJO located in Rutherford NJ.
Contact Chief Instructor: Owner Sensei Dan Rominski at (201) 933-3050 or email SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org
Visit our website www.TheDOJO.org
TheDOJO - 52 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - Phone: (201) 933-3050 - Text us for info here: (201) 838-4177
Our e-mail address: SenseiDan@TheDOJO.org - Our Facebook page: Like us at TheDOJO or Friend us DanRominski
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/DanRominski - Our Twitter www.twitter.com/danrominski
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danrominski
A link to where our school is on Google Maps: www.google.com/maps/place/TheD......
If you live in the Rutherford, NJ area and would like to inquire about our programs, reach out to us at the phone and/or e-mail or text addresses above. -Sensei Dan
Read our Blog at senseidanromisnki.blogspot.com...
Read our blog at www.DanRominski.Tumblr.com
We Teach Children, Teens and Adults from Rutherford, NJ; East Rutherford, NJ; Carlstadt, NJ; Kearny, NJ; Lyndhurst, NJ; Woodridge, NJ; Hackensack, NJ; Belleville, NJ; Bloomfield, NJ; Nutley, NJ; Clifton, NJ; Montclair, NJ; and surrounding areas.
No Matter The Martial Art we’ll help you accomplish your goals through our expertise or help you find a school that will best suit you.
Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Juijitsu, Jiu-jitsu, Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Kendo, Iaido, Aikido, Mixed Martial Arts, Grappling, Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, Ryukyu Okinawa Kobudo, Shorin Ryu, TKD, Tae Kwon Do