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Bear Hunt–“No” Vote

Article is excerpted here.  Read entire article here.

Florida’s growing bear population will be out of the hunting crosshairs for this year.

But a one-year pause may simply help the state build a better case for a hunt in 2017.

After hours of objections from animal-rights advocates and support from hunters, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 4-3 late Wednesday against a staff recommendation to hold a hunt in October that could have been smaller — in terms of permits and hunting grounds — than the 2015 event in which 304 bears were killed over two days.

The commission agreed to accept a recommendation for there to be no hunt this year.

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The call for the hunt came as the number of bears annually killed by vehicles has steadily increased the past quarter century. There were 243 bears killed by vehicles last year, up from 241 a year earlier. In 1990, the state recorded 33 bears killed by vehicles. In 2000, the number was 109.

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Over the same time, the number of phone calls to the agency related to bears has grown from 99 in 2000 to 6,094 last year. The 2015 number marked a drop from the 6,688 calls in 2014.

Commission officials have said the decline could be due to ongoing efforts to reduce bear-human interactions, such getting more people to use bear-proof trash containers.

Critics of the hunt said the road-kill and incident numbers are due in large part to humans moving into traditional bear habitat.

In Case of Shooter . . .

Basics on how to survive a shooting

Training focuses on what to do in case of an attacker

The Florida nightclub shooting fits the pattern in recent years that one’s chances of survival depended on initial reaction. ( Spencer Platt/Getty )

By Joel Achenbach     The Washington Post,    Chicago Tribune 6.22.16

WASHINGTON — The mass shootings that have terrorized the country have led to a new focus on how to survive them. Though far from an exact science, these efforts are based on a disturbing amount of data — including case studies, the body counts from these tragedies and the personal narratives of people who somehow got out alive.

A number of private companies now train office workers in how to respond in an active-shooter event.

The experts agree: Following a few simple rules can help boost a person’s chance of survival. Being mentally prepared to take action in a crisis — or simply knowing where a building’s exits are — can make the difference.

The recent massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., fits with the general, horrifying pattern in recent years, in that life and death pivoted to a large degree on how the people there reacted in the initial minutes.

Research shows that it usually takes about three minutes for police to arrive at an active-shooter situation — although the Orlando club had an extra-duty uniformed police officer working security, and he engaged the shooter.

The best move for civilians, as always, was to get out of the place immediately by any possible route. Many escaped through rear and side doors onto a patio. Less fortunate were those who went into the restrooms, a dead end, and became trapped when the gunman came in after them.

“When you go somewhere, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where if you get found, you don’t have any options,” said Pete Blair, executive director of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, based at Texas State University.

Blair co-authored “Active Shooter: Events and Response,” which includes guidance for civilians. The book’s mantra is “Avoid, Deny and Defend.”

The Department of Homeland Security has endorsed a similar concept, built around the words “Run, Hide, Fight.”

The latter option gained attention after Washington, D.C., Police Chief Cathy Lanier said on “60 Minutes” last year that people should be prepared to take out an attacker before the police arrive.

Blair said that kind of action is a last resort: “When we do our training, we always stress that it’s ‘avoid, deny, defend,’ and they’re in that order for a reason.”

He said he’s not entirely comfortable with the “hide” concept; killers can find people under a desk, for example.

“Hide is a passive action. As opposed to ‘deny,’ where I try to keep you from getting to me,” Blair said.

The more active response is to barricade a door, or ideally lock it; his organization does not know of a case in which an active shooter breached a locked door.

He also cautioned against playing dead as a strategy: Although news reports have suggested that some of the Orlando victims survived by pretending they were dead, that often has not worked, Blair said.

“When you play dead, we see time and time again in these situations the shooters continue to shoot people who are down and who they think are dead,” Blair said.

Blair’s book warns against people with concealed handguns trying to engage a killer except as a last resort:

“The last thing you want to do in an active shooter event is to pull your gun out and go hunting for the shooter. If there are other concealed gun carriers in the attack location, they may shoot you. If the police show up, and you are running around with a gun, they will probably shoot you. Remember that no one knows who you are. The responders are looking for someone with a gun, and you match that description.”

Research on active-shooter events, as well as other mass-casualty incidents, including the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, reveals the many mental and physical challenges that arise when a person is suddenly plunged into an unfamiliar, unexpected and terrifying situation.

Few people have ever experienced anything like this. As a result, most people are slow to grasp that something terrible is happening.

In the Pulse nightclub, people heard the initial gunfire from the shooter, Omar Mateen, but many assumed it was firecrackers or part of the music.

In a crisis in a confined space, people often instinctively behave in ways that do not boost their survival chances. For example, people typically try to leave a building through a main entrance rather than a secondary exit. That can create a bottleneck.

The classic example, involving a fire and not an active shooter, happened in the Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., on Feb. 20, 2003. A heavy metal band’s pyrotechnic display led to a fire in the wood-frame club. At first people thought it was part of the show. The fire spread rapidly and people stampeded toward the main entrance, where firefighters later found 25 bodies. A hundred people died in the fire.

That leads to one obvious tip to increase your chances of survival — know your secondary exits.

As a routine matter, people should understand how to get out of a building through emergency exits or back doors in case some event takes place that demands speedy evacuation.

All buildings have these exits — they’re required by fire codes. The point of fire drills is to train the mind to know where to go, without having to ponder the issue, in a situation that might be confusing and when people might not be think clearly.

A building may have more exits than people realize at first glance.

Consider the case of a food court: There may be only a couple of primary entrances and exits, but the food vendors probably have their own exits, via their kitchens. If trapped in a food court, Blair said, he’d jump a counter and flee through a kitchen.

Research suggests there is little hope of reasoning with a mass killer, Blair said.

The better move, if there’s no way to flee or find protective cover, is for multiple people to swarm the attacker. They should use whatever they have at hand as a weapon — coffee cups, car keys, anything.

“In general, this person has already shown a desire to murder people. To murder a lot of people,” Blair said. “Is there a chance you might be able to talk him down? There might be a chance. That chance is probably small. We just don’t see it happen in these cases.

“But we do know that in about 1 out of 5 cases we’ve seen people successfully stop the attacker.”

– See more at:

Pit Bull–Friend or Fiend ?

Note:  We have gentle, friendly pit bulls in our family.    rjn

Image result for pit bull photos

MONTREAL — Less than two weeks after a woman died following a dog attack in her backyard, Montreal’s mayor has announced a plan to ban pit bulls and other breeds that are deemed to be dangerous.  source   The Huffington Post

NPR logoFresh Air

Friend Or Fiend? ‘Pit Bull’ Explores The History Of America’s Most Feared Dog

 Interview with author of book The Battle over an American Icon  by Bronwen Dickey

montreal pit bulls

A pit bull named Athena goes for a walk at the SPCA, on Tuesday in Montreal. (Photo: Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

Author Bronwen Dickey says the idea of pit bulls as predators is based on myth and misinformation. In the early Hollywood era, Dickey says, the dogs were often chosen to appear in comedies.

This is FRESH AIR. I’m Terry Gross. Pit bulls are probably the most feared dogs in the U.S. They’re associated with dogfighting, attacking people and serving as guard dogs for drug dealers. Their bite is feared as being more dangerous than the bites of other dogs. Many cities and towns have passed laws making it illegal to own pit bulls. But in the new book “Pit Bull,” my guest Bronwen Dickey says that a lot of the popular beliefs about pit bulls as predators are based on myth and misinformation.

Today’s profiling of pit bulls contrast with the dogs’ image in the first half of the 20th century when pit bulls were often cast in films as trick dogs and comic sidekick rolls. Luke the bull terrier performed tricks and comic stunts in Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Fatty Arbuckle films. A pit bull co-starred in the “Our Gang/Little Rascals” film comedies. A pitbull starred in the Buster Brown comic strips and appeared in the logo for Buster Brown children’s shoes.

Bronwen Dickey’s book is a history of pit bulls and our changing preconceptions of them. She is the daughter of the late writer James Dickey, who is most famous for his novel “Deliverance,” which was adapted into the film of the same name.

Bronwen Dickey, welcome to FRESH AIR. So first of all, let’s get it on the table that you say most dogs that we think of as pit bulls probably aren’t pit bulls. So why is there so much confusion about what kind of dog is actually a pit bull? What’s officially a pit bull? And that’s important to know because you have all these stereotypes about pit bulls, and in some cities and towns, pit bulls – you’re not even allowed to have a pit bull. It’s important to know what is a pit bull?

BRONWEN DICKEY: Right. And that’s the biggest misconception is that the term pit bull refers to one distinct breed when really it refers to at least four pedigreed breeds of dogs and then all these other dogs that get lumped into the category. So you have the American pit bull terrier. You have the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and a newer breed called the American bully.

But increasingly because those dogs are kind of generic looking and they share these characteristics with at least 25 other breeds of dogs, such as smooth coats or blocky heads, then anything becomes a pit bull. And so the category just grows and grows and grows. And when people ask, well, why are there so many pit bulls in the news? It’s because at this point almost anything is considered a pit bull.

GROSS: So there are a lot of commonly held beliefs about pit bulls. Let me ask you about a couple of them. One is that they’re natural fighters and they’re hardwired to kill. Is that true?

DICKEY: No, there is absolutely no credible scientific evidence of that. You have specific subpopulations that have been used over time in the illegal pursuit of dogfighting, but they really can’t be held up as the standard for all pit bulls in America. That would be – in the book I kind of say it would be like using the Navy SEALs as a standard for all American men. There’s no evidence at all that this entire huge group of dogs – that there is anything different about them whatsoever.

GROSS: OK, and people believe that their bite is more lethal because once they bite their jaws kind of, like, lock. So, like, you are in the teeth of that dog and it’s a stronger and more longly held bite.

DICKEY: Yeah, that’s not true at all. And once again there is no credible scientific evidence to that. All the evidence we have shows that the biggest determinant of a dog’s bite strength is actually its body mass and not its breed.

GROSS: So, like, the bigger the dog, the…

GROSS: …The worse the bite?

DICKEY: The bigger the dog, yes.

GROSS: But you say that dogs learn to calibrate their bite when they’re in the litter and when they’re trained by their mother.

DICKEY: They do.

GROSS: But of course sometimes they’re taken away kind of soon.

DICKEY: Exactly. There’s a lot of individual variation. And I think with all of these things it’s really important to remember that we think of breeds as being these static categories when in fact they aren’t. There’s tremendous variation within every single breed. And in fact the studies that have been done have shown there’s more variation within breeds than between breeds.

GROSS: But weren’t pit bulls initially bred to be fighters?

DICKEY: Yes, that is true. The original bull and terrier dogs in the 19th century – or, you know, you can even trace it back further than that – but the original American pit bull terrier that started in 1889 in Massachusetts, it was originally a fighting dog, yes.

GROSS: So doesn’t it – wasn’t it kind of bred to have fighting abilities?

DICKEY: Well, fighting abilities are extremely complicated and rare. So the dog fighting investigators that I have spoken with over the years who have studied this, who have studied hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of these dogs and some have even gone undercover as dog fighters themselves, they stressed to me that if one dog in a litter – and this is a litter that has been actively selected for these certain traits – if one dog in a litter actually possesses the traits necessary to be a fighter then that’s considered a very high success rate. So fighting is not just one static thing. It’s a whole suite of very complex behaviors. And each one of those is different. And each dog will or will not display those at a different level.

GROSS: When the American pit bull terrier was bred to be a fighting dog in Massachusetts in the late 1800s, what were dog fights like then compared to what dog fights are like now?

DICKEY: My understanding, at least from the historical literature, is they were tamer. And I use that kind of hesitantly because no matter what you’re talking about, this is the torture of animals. But they were shorter. They were not as bloody and brutal. Dogs did not die very often, and in fact it was kind of rare for a dog to die in the pit. And then in the kind of ’70s and ’80s and ’80s and today things got much more brutal. But fortunately…

GROSS: And more amped up – right? – with, like, steroids…

GROSS: …And amphetamines.

DICKEY: Exactly. With drugs, cattle prods, things just kind of reached a new level of sadism, unfortunately, which isn’t to excuse the fighting of the past. It was always pretty harrowing. But it definitely got worse.

GROSS: So it’s interesting how, as you put it, the pit bull went from America’s mascot to a symbol of, like, the fighting dog. And, you know, it was like the dog on the RCA logo and the dog in the Buster Brown logo and the dog in “Our Gang,” you know, in the series of short films.

So what changed and when did it change to make the image of the pit bull, like, the fighting dog, the guard dog, the vicious dog?

DICKEY: Right. Well, there’s always been a kind of subset of people who didn’t like the dogs because of what they represented. And it is again – it is true that they did originate as fighting dogs. But throughout the 19th century, there were increasingly bred as pets and kept as pets by people all over the social spectrum but predominantly people in the working class.

And so the dog with the patch over his eye became kind of this branding symbol of pure tenacity and American fortitude and individualism. And then in the 1950s, there was more of a push for more genteel pedigree dogs – dogs like Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers and Irish setters that were more associated with kind of the genteel lifestyle that went more with what American families in the 1950s were trying to cultivate.

And then you had the ’60s and ’70s, there was a time of much more social upheaval. And there was a very well-intentioned move made by the humane movement to eradicate what was left of professional dogfighting because it was growing so brutal and sadistic. And because they operated in different states, they were very hard to catch.

So in order to make that crime a felony, the humane movement enlisted the help of the media. And there was this kind of media blitz to bring dogfighting to the forefront of the American mind and make people care. But it turned into kind of a speculative free-for-all, and the dogs really got caught in that.

And so once people started reading stories about these dogs called pit bulls that had these supposedly horrific characteristics, all the people who were already selecting dangerous dogs then just basically switched which dog they wanted.

GROSS: So you think the pit bulls were demonized instead of the people who were training them and fighting them?

DICKEY: Yes. Yes. They were almost presented as though they were kind of willing participants in their own torture, which was terribly sad and wrong-minded.

GROSS: So what did you hear from people in the humane movement about how they now think they got it wrong?

DICKEY: I heard a lot of regret. People who have been in the movement for a long time expressed to me that if they had it to do it over again, they would be a lot more careful with the things they said. They wouldn’t allow wild speculation about the behavioral characteristics of the dogs because so little was known back then.

We just didn’t have the understanding of animal behavior that we have now. And they certainly would not have presented all pit bulls as fighting dogs when really that’s just such a small percentage.

GROSS: So what changed in the ’70s, which is the decade that you cite as being the decade when pit bulls became popular guard dogs and did start being used as fighting dogs, though not to the extent that the popular imagination has thought that they’d become fighting dogs?

DICKEY: The culture of dogs changed a lot during the 1970s. As crime rose in American cities, people became basically terrified of being victimized. And this is the age before alarm systems. So it was increasingly popular during the 1970s to get guard dogs.

A huge number of guard dog businesses sprang up. And with that you had people very fly-by-night people kind of selling unstable dogs.

Bites escalated I believe in New York City. In 1974, there was something like 35,000 bites reported, whereas recently that was down to something like 3,500. So the whole culture of dogs changed.

GROSS: You suggest in your book that you think a lot of racism was projected onto pit bulls because they became popular in African-American urban communities not just as fight dogs and guard dogs but just as popular dogs to have at home and as dogs that could reliably help protect you if you needed protection. So in what ways do you think that, like, race entered into perceptions of pit bulls?

DICKEY: I think especially when kind of the stories about them started to spiral out of control in the late ’70s and then into the Reagan ’80s, they became kind of proxies for a lot of the racial tensions that were brewing in America.

And I think as people felt these tensions – yet it was increasingly unpopular to voice them out loud about other groups of people, I think gradually those just got shunted onto the dogs. And so the dogs became proxies for human prejudice really because when the dogs were kind of working-class, average Joe, all-American dogs in the 1920s, that was one thing.

But when the dogs became associated with the urban poor, then there was this move to ban them and to eradicate them and to portray them – as we know, I mean, you think about kind of Hillary Clinton’s unfortunate superpredator comment, the dogs were also called superpredators.

GROSS: You have a pit bull.

DICKEY: Yeah. Well, I have a shelter dog who may or may not be a pit bull.

GROSS: What do you mean may or may not be a pit bull?

DICKEY: Well, we know that lots of dogs that are identified as pit bulls in shelters are identified based on just kind of someone’s guess as to what the dog’s heritage is. And we know that recent studies have said that visual identification of breeds is really not reliable.

In fact, it’s not reliable over 80 percent of the time. So the fact that she may look a certain way, who really knows what’s in her genetic background? We can only guess.

GROSS: Well, you know – you actually had her DNA tested...

GROSS: …Didn’t you?

DICKEY: Yes, right.

GROSS: So tell us…

DICKEY: And they’re actually – yes, we did have her DNA tested. And statistically speaking, there were a quarter of Australian shepherd genes floating around there. So, you know, again, she looks very much like a type E (ph) pit bull, and yet there’s more going on there underneath the surface.

GROSS: So she’s part German Shepherd?

DICKEY: Australian Shepherd…

GROSS: Australian shepherd, OK…

DICKEY: But what’s important about the DNA tests though because they haven’t been scientifically verified in labs – they’re consumer products – they really are dealing in statistical probabilities and not metaphysical certainty.

GROSS: So from the way you describe your dog, it sounds like your dog loves to snuggle (laughter).

DICKEY: She does. She does. She does.

DICKEY: She’s probably one of the most affectionate pets I’ve ever had.

GROSS: If you’re just joining us, my guest is Bronwen Dickey. She’s the author of a new book “Pit Bull.” Let’s take a short break, then we’ll talk some more. This is FRESH AIR.

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR, and if you’re just joining us, my guest is Bronwen Dickey, author of the new book “Pit Bull: The Battle Over An American Icon.” So a lot of pit bulls were euthanized without the shelters giving them a chance to find a home. You said that at some facilities, the bodies of dead pit bulls were piled so high that they resembled a sandbag fortress. You even have a picture like that in the book. Did you see evidence of this?

DICKEY: No, I didn’t take that photograph. That photograph was given to me by someone who had seen it. But I certainly attended euthanasias of shelter pit bulls, and it was very sad. The dogs that I saw that were euthanized were, to my untrained eye, just completely normal, happy-go-lucky pets that would’ve been fine in any home. But the shelters were so crowded with them, they had to be put down.

GROSS: So some animal lovers say there’s no bad dogs, there’s just bad owners. But you point out that there are some dogs with chemical imbalances or neurological problems that aren’t from abuse and they’re not from training. So can you talk about those kinds of problems and the subsequent problems that they create, you know, when a dog has a chemical imbalance or a neurological problem?

DICKEY: Sure. I think it’s really important that people don’t paint with any broad brushes. And so when people have said to me, you know, the, quote, “pit bull problem” is all about X, such as there are no bad dogs, there are only bad owners or it’s all how you raise them, that’s just as inaccurate as saying that they are all kind of biologically hardwired to kill. But And that’s not something that a certain amount of love or training can help with. That requires the help of trained professionals and medical professionals.

GROSS: So one of the stories that really brought pit bulls to the attention of the American public was the story of football star Michael Vick’s 49 fight dogs that he had. And I think all those dogs were confiscated and then many were retrained, rehabilitated and found good homes afterwards. So how do you interpret that story? What does that story mean to you?

DICKEY: For me, especially when I first read about it, it was an incredibly powerful reminder of, one, how resilient dogs are, and, two, that even dogs from the most dire and severe circumstances deserve a full behavior evaluation and a full shot. That doesn’t mean that every single dog from a severe situation, such as a fight bust, can necessarily come through that. Just like humans, we all deal with trauma differently. And some people handle it better than others. But they certainly deserve a fair shot. Writing them all off is a real missed opportunity.

GROSS: Pit bulls aren’t the only breed that’s faced discrimination. For instance, you say after World War I, dachshunds faced discrimination because they were German dogs – or considered German dogs.

GROSS: So tell us about the dachshund after World War I.

DICKEY: Yes, after – during and after World War I, the dachshund was widely persecuted because they were thought to be sneaky and treacherous. And so in wartime propaganda posters, they were also often seen wearing kind of pickle helmets and marching behind the Kaiser. And people took to stoning them in the streets while breeders in the U.S. actually scrambled to rename them liberty pups and liberty hounds. So, yeah, that was quite a trend.

GROSS: How did that change?

DICKEY: I think just over time, people moved on to other breeds and just realized that this was nationalistic silliness, that it really didn’t have to do with the dogs at all. It had to do with groups of people.

GROSS: Did German shepherds face any kind of discrimination after World War I or World War II?

DICKEY: They did, but, ironically, a number of servicemen brought German shepherds home with them and thought that there would be wonderful possibilities to use them here as police dogs, which, obviously, there were, and they became popular here. But there was a certain movement to brand them as sneaky and treacherous as well – also, much like the pit bull, to brand them as explosive and unpredictable and savage. And in New York City at one point, there was a move to ban them here.

GROSS: So did Rin Tin Tin change things around ’cause Rin Tin Tin was a German shepherd?

GROSS: And he was a hero.

DICKEY: Yes, Rin Tin Tin…

GROSS: He saved lives every week.

DICKEY: …and Strongheart. Yes – and Strongheart, his predecessor. Yes, once they became phenomenal movie stars, things changed for them quite a bit.

GROSS: My guest is Bronwen Dickey, author of the new book “Pit Bull.” After we take a short break, we’ll talk about dogs in her life and we’ll talk about her late father James Dickey, who’s best known for his novel “Deliverance,” which was adapted into a film starring Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty. I’m Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR.

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. I’m Terry Gross, author of the new book – no, I’m not (laughter). My guest is. My guest, Bronwen Dickey, is author of the new book “Pit Bull.” It’s a history of the dog and how the popular image of pit bulls was transformed from family pet, comedy movie sidekick and popular mascot to America’s most feared dog. And she says many of those fears are based on misconceptions.

So let’s talk about a little bit about dogs in your life. Your father is the late writer James Dickey. Your mother was, I think, his second wife. And he was a heavy drinker. She had become a drug addict. You had nine dogs growing up. And you write, none of them lived with us longer than a few years. Most roamed the neighborhood where one was hit by a car, some were chained in the backyard, where one strangled and died, all of them howled long into the night. And because of all of this, your neighbors viewed you all with contempt and thought of you as being irresponsible in terms of how you treated your dogs. So what was your relationship to dogs growing up with these nine different dogs who neighbors thought your parents treated irresponsibly?

DICKEY: I always wanted to have close relationships with dogs when I was young. And I think – I watched a lot of television. I watched “Lassie.” I looked at my neighbors and their children and the relationships they had with their pets, and that was something I wanted very badly. But because there was so much chaos in my family, that was very, very hard to have.

And I think that kind of alerted me early on to the fact that love is one thing but life is very complicated and people have a lot of layers to them. And just because you might not be able to provide for an animal in the way you would like to doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t love it. And I saw that a lot when I was reporting out in the streets, looking at people with their pit bulls for sure.

GROSS: Why did your parents want so many dogs? I assume they didn’t have nine at one time, but that…

GROSS: …That they were…

DICKEY: No, I think probably for me. I think – I really loved animals, and I think sometimes they probably bought me a puppy here and there because it was something that I really wanted. But the dogs just got lost in a very tumultuous and chaotic family cycle.

GROSS: So were these child-friendly dogs?

DICKEY: Yes, very much so, even despite their hard and deprived existences. They were all wonderful.

GROSS: You write that you were 6 when your mother told you she had a drug problem. You were 9 when your mother was arrested for cocaine possession. You were 12 when your father’s liver failed from years of drinking and 15 when he died of liver failure. How did they take care of you when you were young if they couldn’t take care of the dogs?

DICKEY: That’s a good question. They did the best they could. And I think that’s really all I can say. They did the best they could. I never felt that I was unloved at all. And fortunately we had the financial resources – which many American families don’t have – that I was always looked out for by someone at some point. But my parents, just because they had problems doesn’t mean they were bad people. And just because they couldn’t provide certain levels of care, whether, you know, it was for our pets or even for me, it certainly doesn’t mean they were bad. They were just complicated and their lives were very chaotic and troubled.

GROSS: At some point, Christopher, who was the son of your father’s first marriage, intervened and arranged for you to attend boarding school. Was that helpful for you?

DICKEY: It was. My parents had separated at that point. And I was 14 and I think he saw that my father didn’t have much time left and wanted me to be in a place that was safe and relatively stable when my father passed away. So, yes, that provided a level of structure that I really needed at that point in my life.

GROSS: And I should mention that in addition to James Dickey’s poems and novels, what he’s probably most famous for is writing “Deliverance,” which was adapted into the film with Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty. There was a long stretch of his life, you say, during which he believed that nothing really counted but his great poetic project. What was that project?

DICKEY: His desire to create and surpass his own talent, I guess – to keep striving for poetry that could attain something he previously thought unattainable. And so everything for – I would say probably for most of the ’70s, everything in his life was devoted to that. And unfortunately I don’t think he cared much who he alienated during that time in his life.

GROSS: Does that include you? Did you feel like you came in second to the great poetic project?

DICKEY: No. No, no. And that was what was really interesting about my upbringing versus Chris’s. And that by the time I was born in 1981, a lot of that had kind of burned itself out. And he was very, very present for me as a father in terms of his attention, in terms of reading to me, spending time with me, listening to my questions, teaching me to ask others. He was very, very devoted in a way that he unfortunately wasn’t for Chris and my brother Kevin – or he was for Chris early on but then kind of the “Deliverance” fame shoved that to the side a bit.

GROSS: Yeah, and I should mention your brother Chris is Christopher Dickey, who was a longtime Newsweek correspondent and is now often seen on MSNBC, has an international affairs blog. He has covered the Islamic world for a long time. He is based in France. So did your father, James Dickey, make writing seem like torture or like something really wonderful?

DICKEY: For him it was wonderful. It was difficult, but it was wonderful. He got up at 6 a.m, played guitar every morning and then went straight to his typewriter. And he always instilled in me the idea that if you work hard enough at it, things will get so much better. He would take a poem through perhaps a hundred drafts if he had to. But he always put the work in. He did not believe in what he called the Mozartian (ph) flights of the imagination. Not to say he didn’t believe in talent, but he worked at his writing every day and he worked very hard. But he never felt that writing was a burden and he never conveyed that to me.

GROSS: Since your family dogs had several misfortunes and since your parents weren’t considered to be very responsible owners of those dogs, how old were you when you felt like you could get a dog and take care of it well?

DICKEY: I was 21. And for a long time I think it was kind of a really powerful statement as to how much I carried that shame with me, that I didn’t really feel I deserved the love or companionship of a dog until I was probably 21 years old. And even then it was filled with a lot of doubt and fear and worry that somehow I would screw things up or that I wouldn’t do a good job. And so I really felt so much for the people I met while reporting this story. The kids that I saw out in the neighborhoods who so wanted that relationship with a dog and just didn’t have the right resources to be able to have it, it really kind of pulled at my heart pretty strong.

GROSS: Tell us something about your first dog.

DICKEY: My first dog was a shelter dog that I rescued. Her name was Roxy. And she was a beautiful, beautiful dog. I had always wanted a German Shepherd when I was a kid because I watched reruns of “Rin Tin Tin.” And my mom had a German Shepherd when she was a child. And I was – I think also growing up in a situation of turbulence and chaos, I was very drawn to the idea of having a dog that was a protector. I wanted to feel protected.

And so I adopted a dog when I was 21, 22 named Roxy. And she was some kind of mixy-something (ph), but she looked kind of like a German Shepherd. But she was really way too much dog for me to handle. I didn’t know my limits. I didn’t – she was too large. I didn’t really know how to properly train and manage her, so I had to give her back to the rescue, unfortunately, after a few weeks. So then…

GROSS: Oh, that must have felt so terrible.

DICKEY: It was. It was. It was actually crushing. I felt that I had failed again. So then I kind of went to the other end of the spectrum. And my first dog that I raised successfully was a pug.

GROSS: Why did you want a pug?

DICKEY: Oh, I think I probably…

GROSS: Small.

DICKEY: They’re, yeah, small, easy to walk and frankly just adorable. And so he was my little buddy. And he just turned – he just turned 12.

GROSS: So you still have him?

DICKEY: I do. And he’s declining as he ages. But, yes, I still have him – Oscar. He’s my buddy.

GROSS: How does he get along with your pit bull?

DICKEY: Oh, they get along fine. They’re complete polar opposites of one another, but they work quite well together.

GROSS: Bronwen Dickey, thank you so much for talking with us.

DICKEY: Thank you so much for having me.

GROSS: Bronwen Dickey is the author of the new book “Pit Bull.” After we take a short break, rock historian Ed Ward will profile Clarence Carter, who he describes as one of soul’s great singers and songwriters. This is FRESH AIR.

Pit bulls were created by breeding bulldogs and terriers together to produce a dog that combined the gameness and agility of the terrier with the strength of the bulldog.[3] In the United Kingdom, these dogs were used in blood sports such as bull-baiting, bear-baiting and cock fighting. These blood sports were officially eliminated in 1835 as Britain began to introduce animal welfare laws.

Pit bulls successfully fill the role of companion dogs, police dogs,[10][11] andtherapy dogs.   Wikipedia

Image result for pit bull photos

Elderly Hero

Jo Cox

77-year-old former miner was named today as the pensioner who was stabbed as he bravely tried to tackle Jo Cox’s killer.

Bernard Kenny was waiting outside Birstall library in his car, after taking his wife there to return a book, when he saw the MP being attacked and got out of his car to help her.

He was stabbed in the abdomen by the gunman, and remains in hospital being treated for serious injuries, which are described as “non life threatening”.

 West Yorkshire’s Acting Chief Constable, Dee Collins, praised Mr Kenny’s actions today, saying he had “bravely intervened to assist Jo”.

Friends said Mr Kenny’s selfless act was typical of his character, as he had risked his life as one of the rescuers involved in a colliery disaster 40 years ago.

(I haven’t been able to find a photo of Kenny.  rjn)

Warming Kills Off Little Critters

Image result for melomys photosSmall critter’s absence on Aussie isle leaves a big hole

Rodent may be 1st mammal wiped out by climate change

By Ben Guarino    The Washington Post,  Chicago Tribune 6.17.16

At first glance, the Australian island of Bramble Cay is unremarkable except for the lighthouse at one end. Otherwise, the small isle is dotted with a few grass clumps, shorebirds and nesting sea turtles.

Years ago, however, anglers who visited the island in the Great Barrier Reef could also spot little, ratlike rodents scurrying over the sand and coral rubble.

As mackerel fisherman Egon Stewart told scientists in a new report, around 2009 there had been “a heap of sticks and a smashed up dug-out canoe at the north-western end of the island.”

When Stewart flipped over the pile, a few of the furry critters took off.

This was the last time, researchers believe, anyone saw a living Bramble Cay melomys, a rodent round in body, long in whisker and lumpy in tail. The creatures are probably the first mammal casualty of man-made climate change, University of Queensland researcher and study author Luke Leung said in a statement.

Despite subsequent search efforts, there is no evidence the animals remain on the island, the only place they were known to live on the planet.

The first recorded Bramble Cay melomys sightings date to the 1800s.

In 1978, researchers estimated several hundred rodents lived on the island, but the numbers dropped to double digits by 1998. Twelve of the rodents were caught in 2004; in 2011, scientists looking for them turned up empty-handed.

“The results reported here, from thorough survey, confirm that the Bramble Cay melomys no longer occurs at the only site from which it has ever been reliably reported,” the scientists wrote.

It was, in all likelihood, death from lack of resources.

In the decade between 2004 and 2014, the amount of leafy plants on Bramble Cay shrunk by 97 percent, the authors say. Without plants providing food and shelter, the scientists believe rodents succumbed to local extinction.

And the lack of plants, in turn, was probably caused by a rising sea that swept over the island during storms and high tides — ocean inundation, as the scientists call it.

Bramble Cay rises no more than 9 feet above sea level at its highest point.

Image result for melomys photos

Based on observations of erosion, scattered driftwood and dead plants, the authors concluded, “Bramble Cay has been subjected to repeated episodes of seawater inundation.” The scientists also noted that data from tides and satellites indicate the average sea level in the area has risen a quarter-inch per year.

University of California at Berkeley climate change expert Anthony Barnosky told The New York Times the apparent fate of the Bramble Cay melomys is a “a cogent example of how climate change provides the coup de grace to already critically endangered species.”

Cowboy Catches Bike Thief

Rancher on horseback lassoes would-be bike bandit in Walmart parking lot

Robert Borba mounted his horse and chased down the thief, according to police who responded to the 911 call about the Oregon bicycle theft

The cowboy crusader.
The cowboy crusader. Photograph: Image courtesy of KTVL

An attempted bicycle theft in a Walmart parking lot was foiled by a cattle rancher on horseback, who chased the thief down and lassoed him until the local police in southern Oregon could arrive.

The bicycle was stolen from a bike rack outside a Walmart in Eagle Point, a town about 170 miles south of Eugene, Oregon, at around 10amon Friday morning. The woman who owned the bike and several others gave chase on foot but were unable to catch him.

Then a rancher named Robert Borba brought his horse out of its trailer, mounted up and chased the thief down, according to Chris Adams, an officer with the Eagle Point police who responded to the 911 call about the theft.

“When we arrived, there was a large crowd standing around a younger gentleman who was on the ground, the rope around his ankle, hanging on to a tree,” Adams said. Victorino Arellano-Sanchez was arrested and charged with theft, the police said.

The suspect clings to a tree after being lassoed.
The suspect clings to a tree after being lassoed. Photograph: David Stepp

“I seen this fella trying to get up to speed on a bicycle,” Borba told the Medford Mail-Tribune. “I wasn’t going to catch him on foot. I just don’t run very fast.” He added: “I use a rope every day, that’s how I make my living. If it catches cattle pretty good, it catches a bandit pretty good.”

Not a lot is known about Borba because he is new in town, Adams said, but “it appears he will be a good fit. Eagle Point is a small city, and people watch out for each other. That’s exactly what he did.”

David Stepp said that he had been sitting in his car nearby when he saw the cowboy trotting across the parking lot on his horse after the thief, who was trying to escape on the stolen bicycle.

When the thief dismounted and tried to flee on foot, Stepp watched as the cowboy lassoed him by the ankle. The thief then grabbed a tree and held on to it until the police arrived. “Best day of my life,” Stepp said.

“I was laughing too hard to intervene,” he said. “I’ve seen it all, but I’ve never seen anything like that in my entire life.”

Stepp said he would love to buy the cowboy a beer. “This guy should be our next president.”

“The guy was just hanging back like ‘you ain’t gonna steal no bike in front of me’,” Stepp said about Borba. The owner of the bike was “just happy to have her bike back”, he added.

Sails in the Sunset

One of the pleasures of living high over Belmont Harbor on Chicago’s lakefront was to see the boats come home after a day’s racing out in Lake Michigan.  They sailed in line, their colorful spinnakers full and glowing in the late sun.

These boats represent a different kind of racing–millions of dollars invested in design, construction, and sailing toward the America’s Cup on an ocean course.

Anthony Souffle/Chicago Tribune

Sailing teams practice near Navy Pier for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series. Chicago is the sixth stop in the competition, essentially qualifying races for next year’s main event in Bermuda. Six teams from around the globe, including defending America’s Cup champion Oracle Team USA, are competing on Saturday and Sunday in the first freshwater races in the event’s history. The others are Emirates Team New Zealand, Softbank Team Japan, Team France, Land Rover BAR (Britain) and Artemis Racing (Sweden).

– See more at:

Eliminate Zoos ?

To zoo or not to zoo?

By Lara Weber and Michael Lev  Chicago Tribune 6.10.16

Boo to zoos? After the unfortunate shooting death of a gorilla named Harambe at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Gardens — a necessary action taken to protect a young boy who had climbed into the animal’s enclosure — our discussion led to a debate over the merits of zoos. Good? Bad? Read on.

Lara to Michael: So, let’s recap: A 3-year-old boy wriggles into a gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo and tumbles into a moat. Gorilla scoops up boy. Zookeepers shoot and kill gorilla to protect the child. Outrage ensues! And all I can ask is: Why do we even have zoos anymore?It’s time we phase out this anachronistic idea that it’s OK to keep wild animals captive for our human enjoyment. Down with zoos!

Michael to Lara: And replace zoos with … an app? I feel disconnected enough from the natural world. Very few people have the chance to venture beyond their own native habitat to see animals in the wild. For a Chicagoan, that means great familiarity with squirrels, rats and red-tailed hawks and no experience with apes, lemurs or ocelots beyond zoos. Seeing a selection of the world’s diverse animal population means appreciating and valuing our fellow travelers, and thus I hope, protecting them. So the idea of the zoo — a destination to observe the world’s creatures — works for me. What specifically are your concerns?

Lara: You mean you don’t enjoy a good face-to-face rat encounter in a dark alley? Seriously, the Chicago area has such a rich diversity of native wildlife, and there have been tremendous efforts in the past few decades to protect and nurture it. Imagine how much it would do for conservation to teach kids to notice and appreciate what lives in their own ecosystem — instead of rushing past all of that to get into a zoo. I love strolling around Brookfield Zoo as much as anyone, but it was kayaking along the Chicago River — and spotting great blue heron and baby red foxes — that made me care about cleaning up that water. Zoos had their time, but wouldn’t you like to see smarter ways to introduce people to wildlife?

Michael: Cavorting with nature in Chicago’s waterways is a wonderful experience, but it’s an awfully narrow window on the planet. The concern you and I share with so many people is that our world is under environmental stress, putting many species at risk of extinction. There, I just communicated an important message in the dullest possible way. So let’s shift that conversation to an Arctic enclosure at a modern zoo and watch in awe as the spectacular polar bears cavort as in the wild. It’s a scene no kid forgets. Instant conservationist!

Lara: Yes, the polar bears! You bring up some important issues. Endangered species certainly benefit from the research and attention of zoologists and other wildlife experts — but why not put that effort into developing true wildlife sanctuaries, rather than public exhibitions? Even as zoos have designed more open, “natural” enclosures for their animals, the fact is that zoo animals are not in their natural habitats. Before we had so many multimedia tools, it made sense to round up a menagerie of animals so that people could see and hear — and smell — them up-close. But in today’s world, zoos send a mixed message to children about wildlife conservation. If ever there was a reason for live-streaming and virtual reality video, technologies that are advancing rapidly, experiencing the world’s wild habitats is it. No, it wouldn’t be the same as seeing an actual polar bear loping around Lincoln Park Zoo, but what is it teaching us to have a polar bear loping around Lincoln Park anyway?

A western lowland gorilla looks around her enclosure last week in Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. (Anthony Souffle/Chicago Tribune)

Michael: You frame it well: Smelling is understanding. So is hearing. One of the most remarkable scenes of nature I’ve ever witnessed was watching and listening as howler monkeys unleashed their demonic screams from the treetops of the Belize Zoo. I’ve watched them strut their stuff on YouTube, and it’s not the same. The role zoos play goes beyond educating and entertaining the public. The research aspect of zoos — captive breeding, for example — is a powerful weapon in the fight to maintain eco-diversity and understand the animal world.

Lara: Well, if you’re already in Belize, then it wouldn’t be a stretch to visit the jungles and experience those howler monkeys (and their demonic screams) in their natural habitat. Lucky you. But you’re right: For the millions of people who don’t have the opportunity to travel, YouTube is a poor substitute. That’s why I’m hopeful about new technology that, at least, will create a better experience than a basic video. I think you and I are heading in the same direction, though. The research and conservation aspects are essential. And the experiential aspect of a good zoo can influence young (and not-so-young) minds to think seriously about our planet. I know we’re unlikely to abolish zoos any time soon (even though I still think we should), but I believe we’re at a turning point and can start thinking differently about how to accomplish the important things they do.

Michael: It is certainly true that zoos are not the ideal habitat for wild animals. We’ve all seen sad enclosures and restless lions. But the best zoos can provide most species with an appropriate and adequate space to live. If we’re very lucky, maybe zoos will one day outlive their usefulness, but more likely, sad to say, they may be the only place future generations see many of the wild kingdom’s greatest citizens.

Lara Weber and Michael Lev are members of the Tribune Editorial Board.

The Real Muhammad Ali

Image result for muhammad ali photos

What Happened To The Muhammad Ali I Idolized, Blackistone Asks

Growing up, sports commentator Kevin Blackistone idolized Muhammad Ali. With Ali’s death last week, he wonders why the man he sees in the obituaries is so different than the Ali he remembers.

Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest this Friday in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. And all the remembrances since the passing of this legend have left commentator Kevin Blackistone wondering – what happened to the Ali he idolized?

KEVIN BLACKISTONE: What I remember most about the 1996 Olympics, when Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic cauldron in Atlanta, wasn’t Parkinson’s shaking him as he stood on what appeared a precarious perch with a flaming torch in one hand.

Image result for ali photos

Instead, it was Bob Costas later telling the millions watching on NBC that Ali would receive a gold medal to replace the one from the 1960 Rome Games that he lost. Lost, not that he chucked into the Ohio River, as he recounted many times, after being slighted because of his skin color, no matter the pride he’d won for his country.

It wasn’t Costas’ intent, of course. But it did accelerate the disfiguration of the Ali narrative. It began when Parkinson’s increasingly muted his righteous audacity 20-plus years ago. It is all but being cemented in the days since his death last Friday. Everybody loves the post-black power, post-anti-war movement, not-so-militant Ali who was being highlighted.

Image result for ali photos

But this is what happens to transcendent, radical, black figures. Image-makers, accidentally or intentionally, reconstruct their radicalism into something more digestible.Nelson Mandela becomes an avuncular figure rather than the mastermind of Spear of the Nation, the armed wing of the African National Congress. Jackie Robinson is no longer the strident race man who was court-martialed for refusing to surrender a bus seat in the Jim Crow South. And as Harriet Tubman moves onto our $20 bill, it will be for the Underground Railroad, not for leading armed freedom fighters on attacks against Confederate slave states.

The remembrances of Ali in the immediate wake of his death remind me that he must be reclaimed for what made him – for being defrocked of his first world heavyweight championship because he dared exercise his religious freedom, reject his given name Cassius Clay as a slave name and openly taking counsel from Malcolm X; for becoming a target of Hoover’s FBI; for mustering the boldness April 29, 1967, to refuse conscription into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and saunter from the Houston induction center despite threat of imprisonment; for suffering reams of defilement from media like the Los Angeles Times, which refused to call him by his name and denounced him as a black Benedict Arnold.

And still, Ali stood.

Most observers since Friday noted Ali as a singular personality, unique in our history. But he was part of a lineage of militant, black athletes. These include athlete-turned-activists Paul Robeson and Jack Johnson, the first black man allowed to fight for and win the heavyweight championship. Both wound up exiled for their boldness in challenging majority American, that is to say white, societal norms. And like Ali, most importantly, they came to inspire and energize radical activism, particularly among people of color, here and abroad. This is their story. It shouldn’t be so hard to tell.

MONTAGNE: Commentator Kevin Blackistone is a columnist for The Washington Post and teaches journalism at the University of Maryland.

Copyright © 2016 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.orgfor further information.


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Investor and Gambler

Ariffmahmood in his/her blog ( discussed about active and passive income with relative to Robert Kiyosaki famous Casflow Quadrant.

The author mentioned that to become rich,Â it is necessary to switch from an active income earner to a passive incomeÂ earner.Â  And one way is to become an investor as in the I quadrant of the Cashflow Quadrant.

The author then questioned the difference between an investor and a gambler.

In my opinion, I see that the primary difference between an investor and a gambler is the way they handle the investment risk.Â  I am assuming the definition of a gambler in the author mindÂ isÂ a personÂ who is trying to earn money by investing money.Â Â Â

Both are trying to make money work for them.Â  They invest to earn more money.Â  An investor becomes a gambler when he invests money into opportunities, without considering and often ignorant of the risk involved.Â  They are often blinded by their greed and do not make any sound judgement, either because they do not have the adequate knowledge or they are just too laziness to do so.Â  Sometimes, they are just too arrogance and think they know everything, as was mentionedÂ by Robert Kiyosaki in the “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” book.Â

For a gambler, the success or failureÂ ofÂ hisÂ investments is based on luck and blind faith.Â  And as in line with the Chinese sayings: “GambleÂ 10 times and you will lose 9 times”, a gambler will most of the time fail in his investments.

For an investor, the decision to go or not to go with an investment is based on sound analysis of the opportunity based on adequate and timely information and knowledge, and the management of the risk that comes with the opportunity.Â  It is mostly made based on facts, information and figures rather than “personal feel”.Â  Therefore, the chance of the investment successing is comparatively higher.

The difference between an investor and a gambler is therefore, the way they approach the investment.

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On Friday December 7, 2012 Keith Tsukishima, Debbie Lundrigan, President Barbara Duggan and her son Lucas Cawkell, joined other Rotarians in the CKNW radio pledge day fund-raiser for the Orphan Fund. It was a great experience, and lots of fun.
…a bit about the CKNW Orphan fund: Some time prior to 1949, CKNW radio began collecting Christmas presents for local orphanage up the road from the station. Today fundraising efforts focus on children with special needs such as those that require extra support for their development, including social, physical and mental.


text:
How to Recognize an Energy Vampire and What To Do About It - RiseEarth

How to Recognize an Energy Vampire and What To Do About It

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by Jocelyn Daher
The Spirit Science

I will start off by saying that everyone that is reading this article has most likely had an experience with an energy vampire living in the type of society we do today.

All of us experiencing this at different levels, whether it be a relationship where you were so manipulated you started questioning your own sanity. Having to scribe and keep track of each moment because this person was convicting you the sky was actually purple or simply a friend or coworker not being happy for fortunate moments within your life. It is the feeling of being drained of your energy, your natural joy and life force by someone around you. You can feel them deliberately or unintentionally sapping and mutating their surroundings into negativity.

Our main mission here on this planet is to love one another. To join hands and head and build the higher vibration to shake away all that is lacking. This energy sapping feeling has to start somewhere in my opinion, originating from a general expectation for the other person (the energy vampire) to share this feeling, this mission of mutual elation. The current societal construct has been built on the opposite ideology telling us unconsciously on a daily basis since birth, that when we do not get the emotional energy we need (that should be from sharing) we must then go into dominating or competing with others. An unconscious competition for energy underlies all energy vampire conflicts. By dominating or manipulating others, they get the extra energy they think they need. It feels good to them but both parties are damaged in the conflict. The truth is always inherently looming though, that we never have to control, overpower or manipulate anyone or any situation because each person has a direct line to source energy, the most abundant and powerful source of energy there is.

So what are the different types of psychic vampires and how do you spot them?

Poor me’s make us feel guilty and responsible for them.

This is the person that if you have the flu they have had it way worse than you or even the one who constantly has the bad relationship, financial state, and some looming affliction to top it off. Isn’t it coincidental that the ones who have not been awakened to their line to source are also sick, broke and out of luck-love? Or is that a coincidence at all? These people I see the most frequently but are also the least harmful as most are doing it from a non-malicious and most of the time unconscious standpoint. Although I have experienced some who this is the tip of the iceberg to reel you in to the layers of manipulation tactics to have you as their constant victim and host. When you don’t show up for their pity party this will come full swing with their arsenal of guilt trips to try to sap energy and attention. Always try to keep in mind this poor me attitude simply stems from not receiving enough love from within.

The Aloof sap energy by showing indifference.

This person is the one who is the too cool for school guy or gal that will indirectly without saying anything make you question whether what you are doing should be celebrated at all. They wallow in their indifference just long enough to psychologically affect your processes to where the tables and attention is turned towards them instead of your original source of joy. This is the guy who is completely but quietly disgusted by the raise you just got or the amazing lesson you have learned in life and want to share. There is also a siphoning feeling from what you are doing to them because their main tactic is to stop the flow of energy as a control mechanism.

Interrogators drain energy by judging and questioning.

These people are the ones who are incessantly and persistently intent to be right at all cost. Therefore it could be something that is generally known and they counteract what you are saying by simply wording different or more precise. These are the ones who are constantly stepping on your heels to try to get one imaginary (non-existent) step ahead of you by cutting you down and proving you “wrong”. Their objective is control and ego boosting since this is coming from insecurity. Their tactic is to form a mental separation from the universal truth and to have you question your inner compass and knowing so that they can be in control over you, themselves and the surrounding situation.

Intimidators steal energy from others by threat or fear.

In my opinion this is the deepest embedding vampire and the most sophisticated. This person needs to get close enough to know your personal fears to use them against you. This is a very primal, reptilian brain tactic that if you are in fear then they hold the steering wheel to your decisions and life force energy. This tactic is not to be taken lightly and often follows with a bribing system. For example: If you don’t do this you will compromise your or other’s safety. You wouldn’t want that would you? Very malicious. Very deliberate. Perhaps showing the mirror of what the true comfort to any situation would be instead of the fear. In my opinion, separation or ignoring is the best counter for this one.

Naturally the next question to ask would be:

How do I protect myself from energy vampires?

I always use this easy three step system:

1. Try to uplift the vampire to a higher vibration.

All things either come from love or are a cry for love. If the person trying to sap energy from you is looking for love which is the feeling of connection to their own line to source then remind them of this. Whether it be through an act of kindness or simply offering words of empowerment to their situation. This technique works the best for the poor me type.

2. If they are resistant to the vibration raising, you can always protect yourself.

If you try to offer them love, they resist this process you can always go into protection mode. Most people see this as building a wall, shutting down or visualizing a bubble of white light surrounding you. While I think the visualization is handy because it brings you back to your own line of connection and remembrance that you are a powerful extension of source, this is just a band-aid over the splinter from my perspective. Since it is only a temporary fix to the situation, if you want to keep this person around. The situation get sticky because we have expectations and they are understandable and universal expectations. This expectation is to share in the building and acceleration of the collective consciousness. We have made an agreement and it feels good to share good vibrations with other people to help raise humanity to ascension. Therefore when an energy vampire starts sapping your open energy instead of joining in to build the frequency, you give them open access becoming the victim. This is only because we lower our vibration in disappointment because of their reaction or action. We can stop this access by not being a victim of expectation, we simply expect the opposite for this person (to continue with the same energy draining behavior patterns). Recognizing that this is independent of our personal experience. You then can see that you have to be on the same frequency of an energy vampire to even become the host.

Another “tactic” would be a healing exercise I like to do when I am offended or feel let down by someone which is to ask myself what false belief I am holding to allow myself to feel let down to begin with. I go into this in great detail in my article How to Protect Yourself as an Empath if you would like to know more about this healing pathway.

3. Cut ties of communication or simply ignore them.

Lastly and I say this because I truly believe we are here as mirrors for one another to help heal one another through sharing but if this person is persistent enough to be causing you mental and even physical anguish then it is time to separate yourself whether you do that physically or mentally. Start focusing on the type of relationships you would like to surround yourself with and build your environment up with the frequencies you would like to be vibrating at, this is indirectly energy vampire repellent for two reasons. One is that energy vampires need a reaction or your negative attention to continue being vampiric and two they need to have you be in the frequency of being the victim. So in my opinion it is useless to try to justify yourself by teaming up with others “against” this person like a good guy-bad guy scenario because let’s be honest this is multidimensional. Everyone is neither all good or all bad, we are just in different levels of healing and perception. If you start to focus on what you want and less of what they are doing, you will be surprised at what ease these people disappear. When you listen to your inner heart compass, your connection to source, you will be surprised at what “power” you have “over” them because the truth is there is no higher power than another. There is no control, only oneness. Just keep following your joy.

To sum all of this up, the dynamics to any vampiric situation are quite simple as you can see, they start trying to draw energy from you, you start to feel the drama from their control tactic which temporarily leads you away from that sweet connection point to source. The more you partake in their lower vibration the more ”power” you give them.

No one wants to admit it but the truth is we have ALL been energy vampires at one point or another because we have been programmed to gain energy through childhood traumas and societal programming rather than the abundant all oneness. The scale and frequency to which we perform energy vampirism is unique to each person but the first step to healing humanity it to remind ourselves and others that we are not only loved but a channel for the universal all knowing, all powerful interconnected source. We should dive deep and become aware of the subtle energies around us and try to understand where the false belief is within your subconscious to cause this to situation to arise, then once recognized replacing it with the truth. When we do this there is just not any time or space for anything other than soaking up those warm, yummy, joyful frequencies. Radiating and sharing these accelerating frequencies with everyone surrounding within this universal now moment.

This article was inspired by the book The Celestine Prophecy to learn more about this book and the entire 9 insights check out Spirit Science episode 14 below.

Hi everyone, my name is Jocelyn Daher and I am a team member and writer for Spirit Science. I have been a herbal healing alchemist ever since I was old enough to pretend I was the Dr. Quinn Medicine woman equivalent. I am into studying astrological charts as well as how astrology relates to current events. I was a chiropractic assistant for two years, within that time I received my yoga teacher certification, which now I use as a bookmark but I acquired some neat information on how to direct and play with energy in my body. I see every person as an extension of my family. My passion is reminding humanity how to love, in hopes to ignite the memory that you are in fact a walking embodiment of universal perfection!
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  1. See how you made yourself enlightened or seperate from others who didn't have their souls scalped into this luciferian pyramid? And no this is not from a religious perspective, I'm calling a spade a spade. You have stated that it is a drag by even being around someone who didn't join this new hive. Do you feel it is justifiable for an employer to force you into mental and psychic mind control? I had an awakening but i do not partake in lying or coloring the imagination of people to access them, and i do not partake in the seasonal waves of energy. It is truly funny how you cancel out anyone who is not part of your so called light because being polite or having a conversation is too much of a drain without colored wordings and the same status quo sayings. It is also funny how you cancel out people who question the motives of others, that kind of goes against asking you or wondering why you have psi attacks by people to get a response. I recently had a woman with a shirt that had *bee* sayings on it notice me right away when i was minding my own business and she was like *uhh ohhh* while trying to draw my attention to her in typical vampire style. But in this new society she would be the one who is protected or considered a great person because she bought into her slave system. And I do not say slave system in a negative way, I say it as truth. By your attitude I am feeling a strong spider sense that you are a woman, but forgive me if i am wrong. I have a small collection of psychic vampire books and you take this idea to the *new* level, meaning if you don't belong to the new religion, then you are a psychic vampire. Unfortunately I do receive a negative vibe from some things you say and how it seems you might be part of an intentional eugenic program against people who view this awakening differently even if they have felt it but did not like it. I understand that with your double speak you will tell me it is my fault for not feeling right about letting myself be taken over by an alien parasite. If you are not familiar with Orwell's book 1984, i suggest you give it a read in all your abundant time. slavery is now freedom.

  2. If you start to focus on what you want and less of what they are doing, you will be surprised at what ease these people disappear. <---- I do this all the time, but it is disheartening that these same people put messages or markings around you so other people who can see them come to harass and stalk and drain.


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Tag Archives: El Paso temporary staffing

How to Find Temporary Staffing in El Paso

temp agency signsIf you are looking for a temporary job, you will probably want to do some research to help you find a great staffing agency in the local area. By searching “temporary staffing El Paso” you should be able to come up with a quality list of agencies you can go visit. These agencies will be able to help place you in a temporary job so you can earn income. If you are in the El Paso area and need assistance with this, our team at RM Personnel can take care of you. We know the importance of helping people find jobs to support themselves.

A Job Is Your Way Of Supporting Yourself

Having a job is incredibly important because it is a means to support yourself and your family if you have one. Without a job, things can feel hopeless and bills will probably start to stack up. This can be a bad feeling and cause a lot of emotional stress in the family. By searching for a temporary job, you will be helping yourself get back on your feet and make a paycheck. Without a paycheck, you cannot eat, pay rent, or enjoy getting out of the house to do fun things. With the help of a temporary staffing agency, you should be on your way to finding a great job in a matter of just a few days. Our team at RM Personnel can help you get back on your feet and start providing for yourself and your family again. Everyone goes through rough spots in life and when it comes to jobs, we are here to help.

A Staffing Agency Can Be Your Miracle Worker

A staffing agency will not only help you find a temporary job, they can also help you find a permanent job if that is something you are interested in. Sometimes people look for temporary staffing positions because they need something to hold them over until their other job starts. Or maybe they need something temporary because they are only in the area for two or three months. The great thing about temporary jobs is that if you do decide you’d like to stay longer, some of these jobs do turn into full-time, permanent positions. This will all depend on the company, what they are looking for, and how good of a job you are doing for them. This can be great for someone who was testing out the job to see if it was a good fit and fell in love with the job.

RM Personnel Knows What To Do

Our temporary staffing agency at RM Personnel can help you find a job in a matter of just a few steps. We have experience helping many people find jobs based on their skill sets and experience. All you have to do is fill out some paperwork and we can help you find jobs that correlate with what you are good at. It might seem complicated, but it’s really easy if you are open to trying new things. If you would like more information on how we can help you with your job search, please contact us today!

Temporary Staffing Solutions Can Bridge the Gap

temporary staffing in el paso

Temporary staffing in El Paso can help you if you find yourself suddenly unemployed. Think about it, there are times when we are all down on our luck, searching for odd jobs here and there just to stay afloat. When this happens, temporary staffing solutions can bridge the unemployment gap and keep you from defaulting on your bills.

Temporary staffing can also be a good alternative for supplemental income. Maybe you’re just bored at home and want a little extra cash. Whatever your situation, having a job offers security and fiscal responsibility. Therefore, you should seek out temporary staffing services whenever you are in need of employment opportunities and just can’t seem to find a job on your own.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need income fast and you live in El Paso, then you are in luck because RMPersonnel is here to help you find the income you need quick.  We place all our candidates in the best job that fits your skill set and personality. At RMPersonnel, our professional staff seek out available options for you that works with your schedule and transportation needs. We take pride in being organized, efficient, and successful with our temporary staff and employer matches. We understand that it takes extra care to seek out people and jobs that will work well together and allow for personal growth in the workplace. We also understand how these temporary jobs sometimes lead to permanent positions down the road.

If you find yourself needing immediate work in times of crisis or just looking to make more money, then RMPersonnel can help you right away. You shouldn’t have to go another day stressing about how you are going to pay the bills or feeling tired of not having enough income every month. Let us help you immediately! For more information on temporary staffing in El Paso, contact us today.

Why do Companies Use Temporary Staffing in El Paso?

temporary-staffing-in-el-paso, employment-agency-in-el-paso

Owning and providing a service to people takes hard work and dedication which sometimes leads to using services like temporary staffing in El Paso.  You have a demanding business to maintain, people to take care of, and a huge pile of work to shift through.  Hiring people is a major issue, needing to replace old staff and bring in fresh faces for seasonal rotation.  However, you just do not have the time to sit down and work through resumes and interviews in contrast to your loaded work schedule.

Luckily for you, RMPersonnel is a temporary staffing service in the El Paso area that works to help you.  Their website allows for employers like yourself to put up job offers for short-term employees and have them approach you for the position.  The offers you will receive will lead you to finding the perfect fit for seasonal hiring, through their extensive applications and resume submissions.  Your potential employees can apply and send you their resumes through this site and you can peruse the offers on your own time until you find the selections made just for your business.

RMPersonnel understands that running a business is a hard and grueling task that eats away your time right before your eyes.  Their staffing services are available to you for this exact purpose.  To make your life easier overall and to reduce the amount of responsibilities that are called to your attention.  They will look for and find the perfect temporary staff your business needs to bring you a small bit of relief.  Let RMPersonnel do their best to bring you the temporary staffing in El Paso you are searching for, on your own terms. For more information call us or visit us today!

4707 Montana Ave. El Paso TX 79903 | 915.565.7674


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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Clean Water Challenge

This marks the fourth year that our church has taken part in Advent Conspiracy. This year I wanted to take things up a level. It hit me a few weeks ago that our church has never really had to take a huge risk, be it financial or otherwise. We've never set any goals which seemed impossible by human standards. So, through a series of several conversations and a lot of thinking, praying and dreaming, I decided to the issue a challenge this past Sunday night for our church to dig a well.

The past two years we, along with friends we've invited to our annual Clean Water Party, have raised $500 for clean water. This year the goal is $5000, and rather than just sending in checks to Living Water International, we are partnering with them to build a well for a specific village in Northern Peru.

For more details, as well as how you can get involved, click here.

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Podcast: The RTI Recap & React Show 11-6-17

    by -

    Every Monday the RTI team goes live on Periscope and Facebook Live to recap and let you react to the Vols’ game on Saturday. It’s our RTI Recap & React Monday show!

    In this episode, we discussed why we think the move to let go of Butch Jones hasn’t been made yet, why the mounting injuries on this year’s team is just as concerning as last year, and our thoughts on if the Vols can make a bowl game this season.

    If you missed the show, we have a few ways you can catch it all.

    Here is our Facebook Live link to the show:

    Here is our Periscope recording of the show:

    And if you prefer just listening to a podcast, click on the audio player below or you can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes here and get the podcast that way. Our free app for Android and iPhone users will also have the audio of the podcast.


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When first impression count, the last thing you want to worry about is your complexion. Taking advantage of our professional facial services is the first step in treating and healing your skin. No matter your skin type or the effects of age you have experienced, the Ron Wilson Hair Gallery team works to match you with a treatment that addresses your needs and provides a youthful, healthy glow. After your session with us, you can enjoy skin that looks rested and renewed.

Basic Facial: $40
Our basic facial is perfect for all skin types, and is designed to gently remove impurities, tone and balance your skin, and increase elasticity. This facial includes a custom cleanse and exfoliation followed by a hydrating masque. Your skin will feel noticeably softer and have a beautiful, radiant glow. (60 mins)
Hydrating Euro Facial: $50
This rejuvenating Euro Facial begins with a deep facial cleanse followed by a mild exfoliation, steam, extractions, a customized treatment mask, and a protective moisturizer. This spa facial will nourish your skin by stimulating blood circulation, and remove impurities for brighter, smoother and healthier skin.
(90 mins) (machine facial with masks)
Anti Aging Spa Facial: $65
Our Anti Aging Spa Facial is designed to help firm, smooth, nourish, and regenerate your skin. This amazing spa facial will deeply cleanse your face, and exfoliate dead cells, while revitalizing additives calm, hydrate and boost elastin & collagen and reduce fine lines & wrinkles. Your skin will be noticeably firmer, smoother and revived. Perfect for dry, sun damaged, dehydrated, and mature skin. (90 mins) (machine facial with masks)
Anti Acne Facial: $65
This Anti Acne Facial is recommended for oily, acne prone or any problematic skin, and is specifically formulated to suit your skin care needs. A deep cleanse and extraction will help target current blemishes while helping to prevent future breakouts and refine your skin's texture. (90 mins) (machine facial with masks)


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Posts Tagged ‘strategy plan’

The main advantages of Finished Basements

April 18th, 2011 No comments

The finished basement gives features at many several stages. Together with place turning into much more as well as a lot more scarce, the plan of using the basement because an additional space inside the particular residence is fast making up ground. A basement today has stopped being just a storage area location that is actually a fabulous place which often can very well be your living space, some sort of private area a study or just a occasional party space. In this connection the real estate market is observing increase in need for finished basements. Your house with a finished basement is going to sell to the real estate market quicker than the usual house that have an incomplete one.

Home remodeling is an excellent solution to in the cost of your home. If you invest in remodeling and reconstruction options nowadays you will make increased earnings later on. Basically repainting your house or getting brand new home windows fitted will help the main cause but the benefit you get from these projects is very marginal. As an alternative if you take into account getting your basements provided you will end up having your own long term earnings a notch higher. With this context you need come across individuals who transform their particular downstairs room into a personal gym. There are many causes of this particular shift in pattern. One is that creating a private gym at home helps since the individual doesn’t have to take break of their hectic schedule and visit a fitness center. And the 2nd cause is that getting a health club within your personal place away from disturbance can help you give attention to ones exercises.

A finished basement could also be used as the place of work area. When you’re working on a deadline day and need to target on your work the final thing you would need is actually someone troubling you. In such cases working in your Finished basements with all the features is the better plan. You can spend as much moment as you need with the basement and never bother about your work getting disrupted. We have observed how finished basements can be very beneficial to the house user however did you know that you can make a good looking amount of cash by letting your cellar out to people looking for apartment? Of course that is proper, your own cellar can be changed into a little size condo with independent entrance. By doing this you can earn profits on your investment more quickly compared to you in any other case would. You can also use the cash you get from the lease so that you can improve other parts of your house.


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Home ~

Around the World Cultural Food Festival

Around the World Cultural Food Festival

Celebrating the rich intercultural diversity, the “Around the World Cultural Food Festival” invites you to join us for our Annual event Saturday, June 16, 2018,  from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM on the National Mall in Washington D.C. This event is free of charge, with plenty of food and beverages available for purchase. Come enjoy delicious foods from around the world while watching a diverse folk show with singers and dancers from different countries, as well as a fashion show with traditional outfits from some of our participating countries.

Culture encompasses the customs and traditions of a country. Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things, United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Nearly every region of the world has influenced American culture, as it is a country of immigrants, most notably the English who colonized the country beginning in the early 1600s. U.S. culture has also been shaped by the cultures of Native Americans, Europeans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians.

Just as cultures from around the world have influenced American culture, today American culture influences the world. The term Western culture often refers broadly to the cultures of the United States and Europe.

Where you can find us — Washington Monument

For information on how to become a Vendor or Sponsor at the event, please contact us at info@aroundtheworldfestival.com or visit the event’s website at www.AroundTheWorldFestival.com


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New Book: Boston Marathon Portraits -- Full Color Race Photos

Boston Marathon Portraits: Pictures of Inspiration

Boston Marathon Portraits features dramatic images of exceptional runners, in an exceptional race, doing the exceptional: starting, finishing and celebrating success on the ultimate runner's journey, the Boston Marathon. Live and in color.

On race day, Boston comes alive with anticipation, excitement, motivation, determination, speed, challenges, success, disappointment, elation, pain, and finally, no matter what it takes to cross that finish line: pride.

This book presents these emotions and the action of the Boston Marathon, focusing on striking scenes and candid photos of runners before the race, at the starting line, the finish line and when the celebration of finishing begins.

With images shot primarily at the 2009 Boston Marathon, the book features more than 120 full-color photos in a large 8x10 format, capturing the spectrum of inspiring runners of all ages from around the world.

Featured elite runners include Americans Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall, former champions Robert Cheruiyot and Lidiya Gregoryeva, race winners Salina Kogei and Deriba Merga, and others.

Publication Date:
Apr 05 2010
1451597363 / 9781451597363
Page Count:
Binding Type:
US Trade Paper
Trim Size:
8" x 10"
Full Color
Related Categories:
Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging


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RWSN Resources

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Author Year Downloads Title

Local Government and Rural Water Services that last: a way forward Rural Water Supply Reality Check

Downloads: 166

Author: RWSN
Year of Publishing: 2017
Publisher: Skat Foundation

This paper is a synthesis of the major themes discussed during the local government e-discussion held during May 2015, which included 75 contributions from 58 people presenting experiences in English, French and Spanish and cases from 43 different countries from across the globe. Each week focused on a specific theme. Dedicated week facilitators introduced the theme in the beginning of the week, led the discussion during the week and summarised the main discussion points at the end of the week. The paper highlights the discussed role local government can and does play in ensuring sustainable water service provision, the challenges that local government is facing in fulfilling these roles and responsibilities, and the opportunities for overcoming these challenges.

Pages: 1


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Premium Service set of cars Minsk–Sankt-Petersburg in Fast train № 52/51 Minsk–Brest

  • The set of cars includes compartment sleepers and four-berth economy class sleepers.
  • The fare travelling by Premium service set of cars (№ 12, 14, 15) on international routes includes the cost of a meal set, a hot dish or breakfast, as well as the cost for the use of a train bedding set (“Y1).
All branded trains


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massage 333

Best massage chair for home applications

If you want to realize the therapeutic benefits of having a massage chair, then purchasing the right massage chair is no option. More to this, like any other investment you need to be careful to avoid regrets in future. That said, here are things to consider when purchasing a massage chair.

Features to look out for when purchasing a massage chair

Massage functions

massage chair

Massage chairs can either be low or high end. Basic chairs offer rolling and simple massage. On the other high-end massage, chairs have lots to offer. Some of the features provided by this chair include rolling tapping, reflexology, pre-programmed functions vibrations and many more. That said, depending on your needs, you might settle for a high or a low-end massage chair.

Massage position

A good massage chair should not only help you massage your back but also other body parts. However, if this is not possible, you should consider buying one that can offer massage in the areas you prefer most.

Massage power

The strength of a massage session highly correlates with the effectiveness of the therapy session. As such, buying a massage chair, with high power is vital. To check on power make sure you buy a machine with several motors. More to this, purchasing a massage chair with a removable padding can help improve the power of the massage sessions.

Massage airbags

A good massage chair should deliver not only a rolling massage but also an airbag. This help in reduction of stiffness and tension relief. With this in place, you will not only enjoy the massage session, but you will appreciate the effectiveness of the therapy. Other features to look out for when purchasing a massage chair include massage rollers, warranties, recline machine and heated functions.

why you need a massage chair at home

Saves you money

One of the benefits of purchasing the Human Touch iJoy-2310 massage chair is that it saves you money. Imagine how much a single session of massage therapy costs and all related logistical expenses. As much as purchasing a massage chair may be expensive, it will help you save money in the long run. With this in mind, why don’t you consider purchasing a massage chair?

massage chair 45You will also enjoy convenience once you decide a massage chair. You can have a massage session anywhere. More to this, you have the freedom to have as many massage sessions as you wish. Best of it all, you do not have to worry about visiting your therapist in your busy schedules.

Health benefits

Besides saving your money and convenience, you will also enjoy health benefits. Some of these benefits include a reduction in chronic pain, anxiety, joint pains, and regulates blood pressure. Nonetheless, before you enjoy these health benefits, there is need to invest in a good massage chair.


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Last Updated: May 20, 2007 - 10:48:48 AM
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'Antakshari' contestant sings with 162 stitches in mouth
May 3, 2007 - 9:13:15 AM
He says he had fun on the sets of Titan 'Antakshari'.

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[RxPG] Mumbai, May 3 - Apurva Apte couldn't speak as a child. Now, with 162 stitches in his mouth after a major surgery, he'll be seen singing his lung off on May 28 on Zee's 'Antakshari'.

'I was born with cuts in my mouth, jaw and upper lips. I was operated when I was one-year-old and had got 162 stitches in my mouth,' Apurva told IANS.

It's a truly emotional moment for the young man's family and the other contestants. Before he was born, Apurva's father wanted him to be a very big singer.

'As I grew I realised my father's dreams and started practising singing. My father is my biggest inspiration and the only driving force in my life. It hasn't been easy. But I realised nothing was impossible for me. The two things that kept me going are positive thinking and sportsmanship.'

Apurva never felt handicapped as compared with other contestants.

'Not at all! Since the time I was four, my father had got musical instruments for me to practice singing. But at times I do feel a little nervous when I'm all set to face the world.'

Apurva hopes to become a professional singer.

'My dream will soon come true and I will be a rock star with all the blessings of my father and other family members.'

He says he had fun on the sets of Titan 'Antakshari'.

'I got lots of love from Karan Oberoi, Himani Kapoor - and other friends on the sets. It was just like another home where everybody made me feel so special and wanted.'

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Shilpa moves apex court over Gere kiss
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Narrating agony of homosexuals, eunuchs through film
I would've loved to do Sarkar's film: Vidya
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Haleigh & Joe | DC Estate Winery Wedding

Haleigh and Joe's wedding day started out with preparations at DC Estate Winery. After a whirlwind morning it was off to St. Peter Catholic Church in South Beloit for the exchange of vows. After the ceremony the brand-new Mr. & Mrs. headed back to DC Estate Winery to celebrate the night away with family and friends. Congrats Haleigh & Joe - here's a look back!

Vendor info:

Church: St. Peter Catholic Church South Beloit

Reception: DC Estate Winery

DJ: Luxe

Catering: Franchesco's

Flowers: Event Floral

Hair & Makeup: Salon 1300

Cake: Cake Creations

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Megan & Brian | Carnivale Wedding

Holy color, Batman. Megan & Brian's wedding exploded color like a piñata from start to finish. And I'm not just talking about the uniquely colorful decor of their chosen location - Carnivale in the Chicago's West Loop  - which was a visual feast.

I'm talking about the colorful personality and vivacious energy that permeated every second of their day. From the nervous anticipation of preparations, to an emotion-packed first-look atop the Wyndam Grand Riverfront's penthouse (also used as Bruce Wayne's Penthouse in The Dark Knight), through the infectious fun of shenanigans around Chicago and voguing it up at Carnivale, the energy was amazing. And I haven't even mentioned the heartfelt ceremony or the amazingly choreographed dance moves at the reception.

Whew...perhaps it's time to let the photos talk:

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29th Annual Ryan Place Croquet Tournament

Ryan Place Croquet Tournament Memorial Day

Monday, May 25th, 10:00am

2530 Ryan Place Drive

Croquet Clinics

Sundays May 10 & 17, 2015, 4:00pm

2530 S. Adams

The 29th Annual Ryan Place Croquet Tournament will be held Monday, May 25, 2015 in historic Ryan Place.   The Ryan Place Croquet Tournament is a single elimination tournament with each team consisting of two players.

Play will begin 10:00am Monday morning on the Croquet Tournament’s Championship Court at the home of Tommy & Susan Drake, 2530 Ryan Place Drive.  Winners of the Preliminary Round will play immediately in the Championship Final.

You may bring a partner or meet a partner at the Preliminary Round.  Everyone who comes to the Preliminary Round is welcome to play.  All ages and skill levels can compete for a chance to be in the Championship Final.

Ryan Place Croquet Clinics

2530 South Adams

Sunday afternoons May 10 & 17 at 4:00pm Croquet Clinics will be held to review the game rules, teach the techniques and learn the strategies of croquet.  Previous winners will be the special guests to share their secrets for tournament success.

Ryan Place Croquet Tournament Summary of Rules:

The Game:  American nine-wicket croquet

Teams:    Each team shall consist of two players.  Every age is welcomed and encouraged to   pay.  Players do not have to reside in Ryan Place

Pairings:      Teams will be paired with other teams by a drawing to be held at 10:00am Monday, May 25, 2015.

Format:       Single elimination until one team from each is declared the winner.

Preliminary and Championship Finals: At the Ryan Place Croquet Tournament Championship Court.

Check your email inbox and historicryanplace.org for up to the minute information

Information: Tournament Director, Croquet Czar, 817 319 2363