text:
Humans and computers, how long until total interface?

Alright, fine, I suspect some of you want to know how the hypnotherapy training module went, so briefly…

It went well, I have now hypnotised someone myself, as opposed to the more regular dose of me being the one in trance. So fine, yes, someone did put me under as their test, but the new experience was me, putting someone else into trance. It went well, and I’ve signed up for the full course. So by the end of next March, I should be a certified hypnotherapist, wow! Well, I wanted the chance of an interesting new career, and this would definitely be that.

I know that most of my readers on here are across ‘the pond’ from me, but just in case someone is local to Yorkshire, I’m looking for volunteers to let me practice with my training script. Just a good feeling, and relaxation one, nothing more than that. Anyone who is able to, email me at, or comment here, and I’ll get in touch. If you email, use a title that wont set the spam filter off, pretty please.

But OK, this is the mind control/sci fi blog, so lets have a bit of that. Its hard to believe now, but just 30 years or so ago, mobile phones, were large, chunky, and the battery life was about 3 hours. Yes, things have changed a lot from those things, that could only do calls, texts, and nothing else! Nowadays we have tiny phones that do all that, take pictures, connect to the internet, and everything else! And thats before you get into tablets, and the like!

But nowadays, when you see some people on the trains, or the buses, it doesnt always look like people, and their phones are separate items, more like surgically attached. And yes, give it 10 years or so, they probably will be part of you, which leads me to this article

Yes, for now, you might think you have control of your machines, but at some point in the future, who will really be in control might be a moot point! Alright, fine, I might enjoy the machine controlling me, but anyway…OK, OK, I would enjoy the machine controlling me, so…

Just think, 20 years from now, the desire to be a robot, or at least be a cyborg might not be a possibility, but reality. Sadly, I’ll be too old (if still alive) to care by then.

OK, the video, no relevance to this whatsoever! But this is fun, and definitely proves Sting has a sense of humour, what more can I say?


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From District Interact Co-Chair Erin Haye -

On November 10th and 11th, 48 Interact students representing 13 schools in District 7780 headed to the Big Apple. This year UN Interact Day was held in Geneva, Switzerland instead of NYC, but the Interact Committee decided to continue offering this five-year tradition to the city and take a tour of the UN instead.  Information was shared about the importance of Rotary in the UN to the students and, for many, it was the first time touring the building and very informative. The students and chaperones also toured the Empire State Building, Times Square, and saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway.  The frigid temperatures, traffic and busy streets did not discourage these 15-18 year olds.  A survey conducted indicated that 100% of the students felt safe and would highly recommend the trip when they went back to their Interact group to other students.

A Big Thank You to all of the Rotary Clubs who supported these students.  While is  was very exciting to be able to see a show, the sites of NYC and eat some yummy food - the most important part of this trip was clearly the conversations and relationships that these students created in the name of Interact.  We hope that they will continue on with the 4 Way Test in their daily lives.  The highlight of the trip for me was when we were told by a manager in a restaurant that after 7 years of working at the Hard Rock Cafe, and serving groups from around the world, these were the most well-behaved students he has ever encountered. So proud of these students and looking forward to a great turnout at the Interact Conference in the spring.

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Posted by: irenesroth | April 5, 2014

Book Review for Tyndale

It Had to be You
By Susan May Warren

This is an absolutely GREAT Christian novel about Eden who is trying to grow and find out where God wants here to be. There are moments of grace and absolutely divine thought and movement in the novel. I was transported right into the story.

I usually don’t like stories that are about hockey since it is not my favorite sport. However, Susan May Warren did such a great job embedding this sport into the story and making it wonderful. I even stared watching a bit of hockey in my spare time.

Many of the themes in this novel are very familiar to women, such as doing a lot more than expected and not being appreciated for all that we do. But even the negative and sad overtones in this book have an incredible grace. I just was so moved by the themes and sub-themes.

This book is geared mostly to women although I think that older teenage girls may also enjoy the book. They will certainly learn a lot about Christian values.

I am new to Susan’s works. However, I am now absolutely hooked on her work. I found a new author to read! I will be placing a hold on more books by Susan May Warren in my library. In fact, that is what I plan to do as soon as I post this review to Tyndale and my blog.

Thank you Susan for such a GREAT and moving book with such wonderful Christian overtones!

I received this book from Tyndale Publishers for review purposes.

Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Irene S. Roth

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Rowyn (rowyn) wrote,

Rules Breaking (56/80)

TME Header 056

Miro’s breathing slowed and his body slumped against hers as he fell asleep. Ardent cursed inwardly as she realized she’d given another accidental order. I have to be more careful. Well, I’m not gonna wake him up just to apologize. Poor thing. She stroked his hair, shoulder, the velvety fur of his back. I am gonna miss him so much.

All right, focus, Ardent. Stop thinking about maudlin stuff and get to work. Even after that thought, she remained beneath him, not wanting to move, to lose the warm comforting weight of him. With a final reluctant sigh, she lifted him on a bed of aether designed to mimic her body’s position and temperature, so he wouldn’t be disturbed. Some part of him sensed the change anyway, and one of his long fey ears twitched. But he nestled down into the aether cushion and did not wake.

Ardent got to her hooves and cleaned herself and Miro off with a quick wash of aether. She fiddled with the locale-crystal in the corner until she found an office-styled room. She changed to that instead of the beach, in the hopes of putting herself in the right frame of mind. Ardent left the office dimly lit and maintained the susurration of waves to help Miro sleep.

It was a splendid office, with a long arc of empty desk and a big comfortable chair. Various supplies were already at hand in cubby holes above the desk. It even included a bookcase stuffed with basic reference volumes. That was the thing about life in the Etherium: everything was always so convenient. With a gesture, Ardent mounted the glass slate with all of its component pieces on one empty wall. She waved her bag, locket, Ocyale mirror, and the tracer golem onto the desk, then picked up the tracer. She put a bubble of silence around them, and asked it, “How many people can you trace at one time?”

“One,” the golem answered.

“And you can only follow them in public places.”

“Were you designed to only follow one person in public places, or did Play Until Collapsing Dreams add those limitations to you before she gave you to me?”

“Play Until Collapsing Dreams has instructed me not to answer questions about my manufacture.”

“I’ll take that as a yes. Let’s start breaking some rules.” Aethersense showed Play’s aether signature on the enchantment, still as clear and undamaged as when she lent it to Ardent. In case Play had felt generous when she handed it over, Ardent made the gesture to assume ownership of the golem. She raised her eyebrows and laughed when it took. “Oh, Play. You sweetheart.” Ardent used a reveal-spellwork on her new golem, searching it for any rules that prohibited behaviors. She skimmed past the standard rules against breaking other possessions, found one that she didn’t recognize, and excised it with a tendril of aether. “Can you follow people in private places now?”

“Yes,” the golem answered.

Ardent flicked the excised rule into her bag in case she needed it later, and continued through the spellwork. She didn’t find any other rules that looked out of place. “Guess you were built for just one trace at a time, though. I am sure Play would have an elegant solution for this. Or she’d just make more golems. But what I have is more power. So.” She focused her will on allowing this golem to trace multiple targets, and cast a spell fuelled with sun aether. “All right, how many at once now?”

“Oh, we can do better than that.” Ardent poured more sun aether into the effort. “Now?”

“…one hundred twenty-six.” The golem shook its head, ears flopping in confusion. “I’ll need more paper for this.”

“You can have all the paper your li’l clay heart desires, kiddo.” She patted its canine head. “Are you able to trace Mirohirokon?” She showed it an image of his present sphynx form.

“That person is not within my range or not in that form,” the golem reported.

Ardent grinned. “Perfect. Ooh, let’s see about increasing your range. How far outside the Moon Etherium can you trace?”

“Fifty miles.”

“Pfft.” Ardent focused on its range and poured extra sun aether into it, and kept pouring until the dog-headed golem started writing. She stopped to look at its report: Verdant Generosity was one hundred eighty-five miles to the southeast of the Moon Etherium. That put them in the Old World, in one of the mortal cities. Iltima, if Ardent recalled correctly.

The satyress paused. I am using aether to locate someone not only outside of the Etherium, but in the mortal world. Outside of the fey shard entirely. That’s pretty impressive, fey girl. She smiled and licked her teeth. Let’s see what else we can do at this range. Ardent turned her attention to the Ocyale mirror. She checked its range, which was surprisingly small: it could barely make it two miles out of the Etherium. Right, I asked Play for her stealthiest scryer. It is probably stealthy by using aether with high efficiency. Let’s not wreck its stealth by applying brute force to the poor thing. She patted the Ocyale mirror’s side, and summoned the largest scrying mirror she already owned, the one from her apartment that doubled as the standing mirror in her bedroom.

It got a much better range: thirty miles. Ardent boosted it with sun aether until it was up to forty miles. At that point, she decided getting it all the way to Verdant’s current position was not worth Miro’s sacrifice. She regretted that she’d sent her crystal ball away with Sessile; its natural range was better. Still, seeing isn’t the important thing, here. Ideally, what I want to do is get something like a golem to Verdant’s position, then use that golem to put a Mark on Verdant’s cargo. While Verdant’s not looking. That last part is unlikely to be a challenge. I doubt Verdant is expecting either trouble or trackers. But getting a golem to a shifting position outside of the Etherium…ugh. Messengers don’t work outside of the Etherium, and I doubt even sun aether is going to fix that. I’d have to send my only tracer with it. Or send a smart golem, like Sessile. Whom I already sent out of the city. Justice. Well, I can wait for Verdant to get closer, or I can go myself to meet him. Which would have the advantage of getting Miro safely out of the city. And also make Fallen instantly suspicious again.

…or I could just send Miro by himself. He’ll be out of the Etherium so not in danger. And he’s untraceable, so Fallen won’t be able to see him leave. Hmm.

The other thing she wanted to do also required Miro to be conscious. Ardent took one of the reference books down and browsed through it instead. After a few pages, she decided she wanted a higher-quality library and considered her options. All right, this part I kinda want Fallen to know I’m researching, so I don’t care if she’s watching. She sent a message to White Rose.

They groused in their reply: “Those’re restricted books. I can’t let you see them without authorization from the Justiciar or the Queen.”

“I’ve got authorization from the Queen. Would you pull them for me and let me know when it’s ready for pick up?”

“Really? The Queen?”

“Really! Promise. I’ll show you when I pick it up.”

It only took a few minutes – White Rose must have been curious to see her carte blanche. Ardent grabbed the tracer golem and popped over to the Archive. She showed the dragon the queen’s authorization.

While White Rose was reviewing it, the Underground notified her that her privacy had been breached. “Justice!” Ardent ported back to Miro.

She appeared in a combat crouch on the aether cushion above Miro in the office. He’d stirred only enough to raise his head and blink. The wards on one side of the room were a wreckage of collapsed space and broken wood. Two unfamiliar fey were in the room with them. One, a three-headed chimera, noticed her, squawked a warning, and ported away. The other, a minotaur holding a rod similar to the one Cat had wielded, took a moment to grab the Ocyale mirror. That gave her enough time to pounce him. He tried to evade, but she used sun aether to catch him anyway, and wrapped him in both arms. “Hello, kid. What’re you doing in my room?”

Surprised and frightened, the fey teleported away. Since Ardent was wrapped around him and he couldn’t evade her, he brought her with him. They were in a round room, with a vaulted ceiling full of murals and ringed by tall white columns. A balcony beyond the columns overlooked a garden. “Nice place,” she told him. “I’ll remember it.” She took them back to the Underground room. “One more chance: why’d you come to my room and try to steal my stuff?”

He shifted the wardbreaker rod in his hand, and Ardent said. “Wrong answer.” She twisted it out of his grip, while he tried ineffectu- ally to squirm free of her arms. He ported them again, to the top of a tower. Ardent took them back to her room. She formed an intangible spike of aether from her knuckles and punched her fist into his face. His eyes rolled back in his head and he buckled, collapsing in her arms.

Miro was standing on all fours, fur bristling, staring in shock. “You didn’t – did you kill him?”

“Nope.” Ardent dropped him unceremoniously to the floor. She put a privacy bubble around them to supplement the room’s damaged wards. “Just used a sleep-aid spell on him. With a lot of sun aether. Forcefully. Maybe too forcefully. I can probably wake him intentionally in an hour or so. Otherwise, I expect he’ll sleep for eight.” She turned the wardbreaker rod over in her hands, thoughtfully. It was a short wand, a foot and a half long, made of smooth dark wood, with a kind of fetish of long cream-and-purple feathers tied with thongs to the tip. She glanced from it to Miro. “So what’s this cretin’s soul like?”

Miro waggled the fingers of one handpaw. “Mediocre to unpleasant. He has more vices than most. And a major obligation to someone. I wonder who that could be,” he finished, with heavy sarcasm.

“Can’t imagine.” She eyed the sleeping minotaur, and made a gesture to record his aether signature. “You sleep all right? I’d meant to let you nap longer.”

“Oh, I’m awake now,” he assured her. “And alert. Have you need of me, my lady?”

“Always.” With a sweep of aether, Ardent dumped all her things from the office back into her bag, including the Ocyale mirror, wardbreaker wand, the full-length scrying mirror and the glass slate she’d organized her notes on. Then she jammed the bag into her locket. “I may be pushing the limits of how small I can crunch even nonliving items,” she commented, squeezing it shut. “You said you can follow the trail of his obligation?”

“Yes, my lady.”

She handed him the homunculus for his normal form, then put his collar about his neck again, complete with the chain to her wrist. “If you would be so kind, my prince?”

Don't want to wait until the next post to read more? Buy The Moon Etherium now! Or check out the author's other books: A Rational Arrangement and Further Arrangements.
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Bedtime For Batman

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  • Regular price $21.50

Bedtime For Batman - Hardcover Edition

When a dark night comes to the big city, one little super hero prepares for a great adventure . . . bedtime! He dons his pajama uniform, speeds upstairs, cleans up the nightly grime, and keeps watch from his towering bunk bed. Written by award-winning author Michael Dahl (Goodnight Baseball, Goodnight Football, and Goodnight Hockey) and illustrated by Ethen Beavers (DC Super Friends), this bedtime tale will have Batman fans, young and old, delighting in their nightly routines. Bedtime for Batman is the perfect way to say goodnight to your little Dark Knight.
About the Author:
Ethen Beaver is a professional comic book artist from Modesto, California. His best-known works for DC Comics include Justice League Unlimited and Legion of Superheroes in the 31st Century. He has also illustrated for other top publishers, including Marvel, Dark Horse, and Abrams.Michael Dahl is the prolific author of the bestselling Goodnight, Baseball picture book and more than 200 other books for children and young adults. He has won the AEP Distinguished Achievement Award three times for his nonfiction, a Teacher's Choice award from Learning magazine, and a Seal of Excellence from the Creative Child Awards. And he has won awards for his board books for the earliest learners, Duck Goes Potty and Bear Says "Thank You!" Dahl has written and edited numerous graphic novels for younger readers, authored the Library of Doom adventure series, the Dragonblood books, Trollhunters, and the Hocus Pocus Hotel mystery/comedy series. Dahl has spoken at schools, libraries, and conferences across the US and the UK, including ALA, AASL, IRA, and Renaissance Learning. He currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota in a haunted house.


text:
Avent Natural Starter Set

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  • Regular price $69.99

The Philips AVENT Infant Starter Set is the ideal set to get started with bottle feeding with the Natural Bottle. BPA-free.Includes bottle and nipple brush, 3 4oz Natural Bottles, 2 9oz Natural Bottles, 1 formula dispenser, and 1 Soothie pacifier. Recommended for ages 0-6 months


text:
Summer Days and Summer Nights in St. Petersburg and Berlin

If it’s art, culture, history and discovery you are looking for, experience a magical day or two in the incomparable cities of St. Petersburg and Berlin.

As the capital of the Russian empire for over 200 years, St. Petersburg is home to some of the world’s most unrivaled treasures and artifacts. Case in point – the enchanting, opulent and decorative Fabergé egg. Designed in 1885 by the award-winning goldsmith and court jeweler to the Tsars Peter Carl Fabergé when commissioned by Tsar Alexander III as an Easter gift for his wife Empress Maria Feodorovna, an iconic collectible was born. Influenced by the 18th-century Saxon Royal Egg, the House of Fabergé would produce imperial Easter eggs for the next three decades.

Today the work of the famed house can be seen at the Fabergé Museum which contains nine of the historic imperial Easter eggs to decorative works made by the Russian masters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Billionaire Viktor Vekselberg donated his priceless collection along with 4,000 pieces from the estate of American newspaper magnate and financier Malcolm Forbes.  Located in the idyllic Shuvalov Palace on the Fontanka River, the splendor of the staterooms is a perfect complement to these delicate works of art.

And if you ever wondered why St. Petersburg was called the “Venice of the North,” take a canal cruise around the city. Russia’s second largest city is built around a maze of bridges (some 343 total), rivers and canals and provides the perfect vehicle to view the many architectural gems the city has to offer. Take in the history on a cruise along the Moika and Fontanka Rivers or along the banks of the River Neva and see the Winter Palace, Peter and Paul Fortress and Vasilyevsky Island along the way.

Both cutting-edge and historical, the famed city of Berlin is not to be missed. A city that was once steeped in revolution and war has undergone a major cultural renaissance as a trendsetter in architecture, film, fashion and cuisine and now shares the title of “the city that never sleeps.”

History abounds in this Germany’s capital city with so much to see. One of the biggest and most popular tourist attractions is the Berlin Wall. Key sites of the wall include the East Side Gallery that houses the longest surviving section of the wall, the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the Potsdamer Platz.  Art enthusiasts will enjoy Museum Island that provides a convenient way to see five museums such as the Neues Museum that houses Egyptian mummies and sculptures including the most famous, Queen Nefertiti.

And no trip to Germany would be complete without a visit to a fairy tale castle. Nestled on a small island in Lake Schwerin (a 90-minute drive from Berlin), Schwerin Castle was once the home of Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Considered one of Europe’s prime examples of historicist architecture, the 653-room five wing castle’s highlights include the Throne Room, ancestral gallery and dining and living rooms filled with marquetry floors, gilding, Carrara marble and intricate carvings and stucco work. The Baroque gardens that surround the garden with a panoramic view of the lake add to the beauty of the “jewel of Lake Schwerin.”

St. Petersburg and Berlin are just a few of the exciting ports on Seven Seas Explorer’s Summer in St. Petersburg itinerary. Plan your voyage today.

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Aaron Rodgers Photobombs Common at Oscars

TheFumblePublished: February 29, 201637 views
Published: February 29, 2016

During the NFL season, Aaron Rodgers loves to photobomb his teammates before home games. He is now photobombing people at the Oscars. In fact, Rodgers was the Oscars red carpet MVP. The Green Bay Packers quarterback accompanied his girlfriend, actress Olivia Munn, to the Oscars on Sunday. Rodgers spent most of his time before Sunday night's awards show at the Dolby Theater in the background, while Munn did red-carpet interviews. Rodgers was also able to have some fun on the red carpet, photobombing Common while he was being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest. Take a look:

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Main Street High Bridge in the 1950’s…
…and today.

In 1950’s America an interesting phenomenon occurred. Hot on the heels of the ‘flying saucer flaps’ (as they were then known) which had been occurring since 1947*, a small group of people went public with claims that they had both met and travelled with men and women from outer space.

These ‘contactees’, as they came to be called, began going public with prophetic messages and dire warnings about mankind’s future which they claimed originated with the men from Venus.

The first and most famous of these was George Adamski who went from dishwasher in a burger joint to millionaire after the publication of his book about his ‘encounters’ with space people but he was not the last. There was at least a score of others peddling pretty much the same line in space dust.

Howard Menger bl.jpg

One of those who became almost as famous as Adamski was Howard Menger of High Bridge New Jersey. Menger claimed that when he was a young boy back in the 30’s he encountered a beautiful woman sitting upon a rock in the woods outside of town. The woman revealed herself to be from Venus and told Howard that he would meet her again at some point in the future.

Menger, in his book From Outer Space to You, claimed that this proved to be the case when, in the 50’s, he witnessed a spacecraft which landed in a field outside High Bridge. Menger alleged that one of the three figures that emerged from the craft was the very woman he had met 20 years before. Furthermore, he claimed she had not aged a day in the intervening years.

It seems amazing to think that people bought into Howard Menger’s tales of encounters with Venusian amazon women but many did. Howard claimed that many beside himself also witnessed the craft he frequently saw and filmed. However, even a cursory examination of his images leaves the modern viewer more than a little unconvinced and wondering what his so-called witnesses thought they were seeing.

Among Mengers more outrageous claims is that he was taken by the Venusians to Earth’s moon and that it had an atmosphere and horticulture. He even claimed to have brought back a ‘moon potato’.

If this all seems rediculous, it’s worth noting that Howard often spoke to very large gatherings of devoted believers (some of which took place right here in High Bridge) and he appeared often on the radio where he waxed lyrical about the teachings delivered by the Venusians**.

There are still people living in High Bridge today who claim that Howard was a hardworking and honest local businessman who was well liked and respected within the community. His own wife, Connie, met Howard when, as a local journalist, she came to interview him about his experiences with the Space Brothers. Connie was so impressed by him that she married him, quit her job, and started preaching the message too (something she continued to do even after Howard’s death in 2009).

The contactee movement has been chalked up largely to the extreme paranoia of the ‘A-Bomb Generation’. Many people (intellectuals among them) were convinced that mankind was on a fast track to annihilation and the thought of benevolent and technologically advanced beings intervening in our affairs like protective parents must have held a lot of appeal for those traumatised by their fear of the bomb.

I’ve watched some of Menger’s filmed interviews and there’s no denying he was charismatic and seemingly sincere. Perhaps he actually believed what he was saying or perhaps he just needed to believe it was true.

*It’s probably not a coincidence that these ‘flaps’ occurred as the paranoia of Cold War was gearing up.

**In later years (once space exploration had proven that the other planets in our Solar System were hostile to humanoid life) Menger and the other contactees claimed that they had misunderstood their Space Brothers as to their point of origin.

Menger claimed he now believed they merely had a base on Venus (or maybe Mars) and actually came from outside of our system.

Iron men: Part 4

Part 3

The town my family are now living in is named for a bridge that cannot be seen. Despite its considerable height (34m) and length (400m), the iron trestle bridge is invisible to the eye.

It was built across the South Branch of the Raritan River by the Central Railway Company of New Jersey in the 1850s but saw almost no use in its originally intended form.

The official reason given for this was that the bridge was too ‘costly to maintain’ but the truth was that the bridge swayed whenever a train crossed and people were simply reluctant to use it.

This was a scandalous state of affairs but the solution chosen had a touch of genius about it. The railway simply buried the bridge supports under rail-truck loads of earth (and indeed even the rail-trucks themselves were dumped over the side to add anchorage to the mound).

For scale, the painted flag adorns a full sized shipping container.

Another scale comparison.

It took five years to complete the job but by 1864 the bridge had been replaced by a massive embankment. The only visible structure that now remains is a double tunnel through which a road and the river pass beneath the embankment. However, the bridge in some form still exists at the core of the mound.

LRV -7672

LRV -7679

High Bridge was originally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 29, 1871, ironically, named for a bridge which technically no longer existed as such.

Words and images are my own.

Charlotte sometimes (sometimes Lolotte)

In my last post, I mentioned that I had written previously about Napoleon’s niece visiting New Jersey. This turned out to be incorrect. I had researched it (based on a story I’d been told about her making a sketch of Lebanon, NJ) but never actually got around to writing a post. Situation rectified.

Charlotte Bonaparte (known to her family as Lolotte) was the daughter of Napoleon’s brother, Joseph. After the Emperor’s fall from grace, Joseph, who at the height of his brother’s power had been crowned King of Naples and Spain, fled to America and settled for a time in, of all places, Bordentown, New Jersey.

After a while, his young daughter joined him there. Below, is an eyewitness account of the Princess’ arrival in Philadelphia.

The path to the carriage that awaited the princess was covered with a carpet. The dock was full of people anxious to see a princess in the flesh. She was very young, vivacious and, I believe, feeling free from the strict surveillance of her governess and of her devoted physician, Dr. Stokoe, exalted at the sight of the crowd. She took off the fur hat that she had worn during the crossing, to respond to the many greetings, and it fell out of her hands into the Delaware. She immediately took the captain’s from the bulwark and waved it. Then she put it on her head, where she kept it until arriving at the hotel.

The next day she returned to the ship…with a new hat for the captain, which she attempted herself to place on his head, telling him she would keep his as a souvenir of the cordial reception that the inhabitants of Philadelphia had given her, and of the incident that had deprived her of her own.

Life on her father’s New Jersey estate must have seemed a little dull to a girl who had visited some of Europe’s grandest cities but Charlotte was a gifted artist who travelled about the state with her easel, painting and drawing whatever caught her eye.

And one of the subjects that did catch the Princesses eye was the tiny village of Lebanon in Hunterdon County (which is where our family were living until our recent move to High Bridge).

A view of Lebanon by Charlotte Bonepart.

Charlotte’s idle in the green pastures of New Jersey would be short-lived, however. After three years she returned to Brussels to be married.

Perversely, the instructions in Napoleon’s will stated his nieces and nephews should marry amongst themselves to “conserve the Bonaparte wealth”. Therefore, Charlotte’s sister Zénaïde married her cousin Charles and on July 24, 1826, Charlotte married their cousin Napoleon-Louis.

This marriage too was to be a short-lived affair. On the 17th March 1831, after just five years together, Napoleon-Louis died while fighting with the insurgents who were trying to drive the Austrians out of Italy.

Later Charlotte would fall pregnant to a married Polish Count, with whom she was having an affair. In February 1839 Charlotte set out by ship from Rome for Genoa with her physician, intending to have the baby away from the shameful scrutiny of her own society (her chief concern seems to have been keeping the pregnancy a secret from her mother).

However, a storm at sea forced them to travel overland and the rough roads caused Charlotte to begin to haemorrhage. She gave birth to her child in Sarzana via caesarean section but the baby did not survive. On March 2, 1839, Charlotte herself died from loss of blood; just 36 years old.

And so that is the story (somewhat truncated) of how members of what was once the most powerful family in Europe came to bide a while in Jersey.

Words but not images are my own.

Brave New Jersey

8 factoids about New Jersey of which you may not be aware

Factoid 1. The first near-complete dinosaur skeleton to be discovered and mounted for display anywhere in the world was found in New Jersey. It was uncovered in a field outside the Town of Haddonfield and was named the Hadrosaurus foulkii in that town’s honour.

Factoid 2. The oldest bridge in the US is located in New Jersey. The Kingston Bridge, in Somerset County, dates back to the Revolution when it was built to replace an older bridge that had stood at the same spot and which had been destroyed during the hostilities.

The stone arch bridge is no longer in use but has been preserved for its historical significance.

Kingston Bridge (image: Wikipedia)

Interestingly, both Haddonfield and Kingston are situated along the stretch of road known as the King’s Highway Historic District. This forms part of the oldest road in the US which was built between 1650 and 1735 by order of Charles II and stretches from Charleston, South Carolina, to Boston, Massachusetts.

Factoid 3. Dr. Humphry Osmond (who coined the word “psychedelic” and guided Aldous Huxley on the mescaline trip featured in “The Doors of Perception,”) also inspired a group of CIA doctors working through Princeton University and the New Jersey Neuro-Psychiatric Institute’s Bureau of Research to carry out MKUltra style mind control experiments on unsuspecting subjects in the late 60’s.

In subject, Paul Jeffrey Davids’, own words; “We knew we had volunteered for hypnosis and LSD research but the fact that it was being funded by the CIA and that the doctors we trusted … were working for the CIA — we didn’t know about [until] 10 years later, when MKUltra was exposed.”

Weirdly enough, Princeton is also situated on the King’s Highway.

Factoid 4. For fans of the original 1968 classic Planet of the Apes, you may be interested to learn that the city of the Apes known rather creatively as Ape City will be situated somewhere in New Jersey come the year 3955 AD. That’s right, Dr Zira’s a Jersey girl.

It’s the high hair that gives her away. (image: 20th Century Fox)

How could I possibly know this? Simple deduction really. When Charlton Heston’s character, Astronaut George Taylor (presumably named for the Civil War General* who was also from Jersey) leaves the Apes and strikes out on his own, he follows the shore (that’s the Jersey shore) north and discovers the Statue of Liberty. It logically follows, therefore, that he’s spent the entire movie in post-apocalyptic Jersey.

Factoid 6. Speaking of movie classics, the first-ever drive-in was opened in 1933 in Camden New Jersey (which is also my nomination for the possible future location of Ape City).

Factoid 7. As I’ve already mentioned in a past post, Napoleon’s niece once visited New Jersey but she wasn’t the only ‘member’ of the Bonaparte clan to do so, his penis also came to visit and liked it so much it’s still here (if we’re being pedantic, Napoleon’s brother also lived for a time in Jersey).

After being “accidentally” separated from the ex Emperor’s body during his autopsy, it eventually ended up in the possession of a lady from New Jersey who kept it in a suitcase under her bed for 30 years. She still has it and has reputedly turned down an offer of over a hundred thousand dollars for it.

Factoid 8. And finally, for those who enjoy a good board game (or just torturing friends and family members) The original 1929 version of Monopoly was based upon Atlantic City, New Jersey.

That’s all I have for now but my research continues.

*I wrote about General Taylor here and here.

The words (but this time not the images) are all mine.

Iron men: Part 3

Part 2

I mentioned in part one of this series that High Bridge and, specifically, Taylor Iron and Steel had produced a Brigadier General for the Federalist Army during the Great War Between the States.

General Taylor was to die from wounds received at the Battle of Manassas Station and be buried in nearby Clinton, NJ (one town over from High Bridge). At the time of writing that piece, I had not yet had the opportunity to visit Taylor’s tomb but I have since done so and I thought I’d share some images for those who might be interested.

Taylor’s nephew (who was killed in action a year after his illustrious uncle) is buried alongside the General.

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The General’s nephew.

I wasn’t expecting to be in Clinton on this particular day and so didn’t have my camera with me. These shots are off my phone and so a little basic.

In the fourth and final instalment, I’ll be exploring how the modern town of High Bridge got its name.

Words and images are my own.

Iron men: part 2

The original building before the addition of a third story and the remodeling of the front. (image: Annandale Historical Society)

Part 1

New Jersey has a problematic relationship with her past. Most of the historically significant sites I write about on this blog are in a very poor state of repair and in danger of disappearing altogether. Some, such as the American Hotel, are already gone: lost forever.

Money and corruption seem to be the culprits here. History just doesn’t even seem to come a close third to development and profits.

Here in High Bridge, stands an extremely significant building that is very much in need of some kind of intervention. It can be found on the grounds of the old Taylor Iron and Steel Company. This was the first purpose-built office building in New Jersey and was the administrative centre for the 13th oldest continuously operating business (of any kind) in history.

According to the website of the nearby Annandale Historical Society, “The TISCO Office building dates to around 1725, and pre-dates the incorporation of the Union Iron Works. The structure had always housed the general office of the steel companies and contained the offices of the presidents William and Allen in 1742 through George R. Hanks in 1972.”

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As you can see from my pictures, the building is in a shameful state and, if left so for much longer, will probably need to be demolished.

I’m told by local historians that this is a common situation in New Jersey which is madness as this state (one of the original colonies) played an enormously important part in the history of the Nation.

The American Industrial Revolution was born in New Jersey and Taylor Steel played a very large role in that industrialization. It is to be hoped that, at some point, town and city officials will begin to take seriously the legacy left by their forebears and begin to make moves towards preserving what is left of the country’s rich past.

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The Building immediately after the remodelling in or around 1930. (Image: Unknown)

Words and images (except where otherwise stated) are my own.

Iron men: Part 1

High Bridge, New Jersey has a long and colourful history. The area was established around 1742 when two men, William Allen and Joseph Turner, leased 3000 acres from the West Jersey Society and built an iron forge on the banks of the Raritan River.
The area was a remote wilderness but the men were attracted by the fast flowing river which they harnessed to drive the machinery of the mill and the heavily forested hills which promised a ceaseless supply of wood for the furnaces. The iron-works that they built and called Union Iron Works, ran continuously until 1971 making it the oldest foundry in US History and the 13th longest continually operating company in the world.
There had been settlers already farming in the area since 1700 but, with the granting of the lease, they all became squatters in law – a situation which lead to unrest and rioting. The situation was eventually resolved only by the intervention of the British Army.
When the American Revolution broke out, Turner and Allen – both loyalists – were forced to flee and Robert Taylor became superintendent of the iron-works. Taylor – a fierce patriot – was soon charged by the American Government with the incarceration of the loyalist colonial Governor of Pennsylvania, John Penn and his attorney-general, Benjamin Chew in the house attached to Union Iron Works.
Solitude House today.

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These slave quarters at the rear of Solitude House are a reminder of darker times.

The two were held for seven months in reasonable comfort (they had their own Italian violinist for entertainment and were allowed to wander six miles from the house unescorted) and Generals Washington and Lafayette, Colonel Charles Stewart, and Aaron Burr all visited them in their captivity.
The Union Iron Works (which would soon be renamed the Taylor Iron and Steel Company was at that time (1777) busy producing cannon balls and musket barrels for Washington’s army.
Around the same time that the Allen and Turner mill came into being, an inn was built on what would later become Main Street. I don’t know what name it went by at that time but it came to be called the American Hotel and it existed in the same spot from the 1740’s until it was razed in 1979.
All that now remains to commemorate the American Hotel.

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This bench should bear a plaque reading “General Washington slept here”. It would be both funny and accurate.

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This ‘artistic rendering’ is all there is at the site to give an idea of the building’s appearance.

On the left of this image from 1917, you can make out the Hotel as it then looked. This is now the street that Jersey girl and I live on. (Image: The High Bridge Historical Society)
When Washington and his wife, Martha visited Penn and Chew at Solitude House (as the two prisoners had rather pithily named it and as it remains known to this day) he stayed at the tavern the original site of which I can actually see from my living room window.
Why such a significant piece of history was destroyed (replaced by a municipal car park no less), I don’t know but it is a sad state of affairs in my opinion.
The Taylors held on to both Solitude House and the Union Iron Works after independence had been won. They were still in possession when America’s next great trial came around.
New Jersey in the 1860s was by no means a strong supporter of the Union (industrialized New Jersey had many economic ties to the South) and had considered joining the Secessionist states before finally throwing its weight fully behind the Northern cause. Once committed to the fight, however, the men of New Jersey joined up in their tens of thousands.
Three entire New Jersey Regiments marched off to Washington fully armed and uniformed (one of the few properly outfitted Federal units at the war’s commencement). Over the course of the war, 52 N.J. Regiments would be formed.
When the 1st, 2nd, and, 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry were combined to make up the “First New Jersey Brigade”, it was a Taylor, Major General George W. Taylor, who lead them.
Taylor had been born at Solitude House and, after a stint at a Connecticut Military College, had joined the family business as a worker at Taylor Iron Works. But the young Taylor seems to have been possessed of a somewhat restless spirit. In 1827, he joined the Navy, serving in the Mediterranean before resigning his commission. Later, at the outset of the Mexican American War, He joined the Army and went off to fight.
By the time of the Civil War, he had been out to the Californian goldfields and was back working in the family business in High Bridge but he returned to military service to help organize the newly formed New Jersey Regiments.

In June 1862, Taylor was promoted to brigadier general of the 1st New Jersey Brigade. They fought under his command in the Seven Days Battles. On August 27, during the battle of Manassas Station, his brigade was surprised by General ‘Stonewall’ Jackson’s entire corps and routed. Taylor suffered a fatal leg wound from a cannon shot and died four days later.

His body was returned home by train and buried in the Riverside Cemetery in nearby Clinton. A large crowd gathered to pay their final respects. The poem “The General’s Death” by Joseph O’Connor commemorates the Death of George Taylor.

Words and images (except where otherwise stated) are my own.


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History of Anti-Corrosives

A clamped pipe is a temporary solution to stopping pinhole leaks. Anti-corrosives, including sodium silicates, help provide lasting protection from pinhole leaks.

For more than 80 years, sodium silicates have been utilized by municipalities to battle corrosion, a common issue within potable water systems.

The first reported experience of employing sodium silicates occurred in 1922 in a small municipality in England. The local water supply caused significant corrosion within the system’s lead piping, leading to a series of health issues. The introduction of sodium silicate into the water system significantly reduced the corrosive effects on the pipes and began the protection of the pipes’ structural integrity.

By forming a thin protective layer on the inside surface of metal water pipes, sodium silicates act as a barrier to corrosion, and continue to protect piping systems as long as the treatment is maintained. Sodium silicates not only protect lead and ferrous metal pipes, but also copper, brass, aluminum, and other soft metals and alloys.

Over the years, anti-corrosives have been adopted by municipalities, local water supply systems, residential properties, and others to help protect piping systems. Sodium silicates are used safely within the foodservice industry to refine vegetable oils, process eggs and clarify beer and wine.

Today, the U.S. EPA requires the use of corrosion inhibitors, including sodium silicates, in some public water supply networks. Some researchers have recommended silicates over other corrosion inhibitors due to its low-cost and environmentally-friendly properties.

Source: “Sodium Silicates As Corrosion Inhibitors in Water Systems – The PQ Corporation”


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Ready to Apply – Cover letters, resumes, selection criteria and interview techniques

The SALIN Committee Presents

R2A (Ready to Apply)

In an intensive, affordable, practical workshop we’ll teach you the secrets of:

> writing application letters,
> answering selection criteria and
> succeeding in interviews.

Facilitated by Benjamin Wheal and Melaina Tate
from The City of Tea Tree Gully Library Service.

Hand-outs will be provided to all participants.
Light refreshments will be available.

$7 admission.
Ira Raymond Room
Barr Smith Library
Wednesday 1st April.
5:30 Registration for a 5:45 PM Start.

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How to Improve Your Salon’s Client Retention

Ever wondered who are your most loyal clients? Men or women?

It’s an interesting question. I guess most of us would say women tend to be more dependable and easier to retain.

In fact, a recent study revealed that men and women are loyal to their hairdresser/beautician in different ways. If you understand these subtle differences you can improve your salon client loyalty rates quickly and cheaply.

Retaining hair and beauty clients

In a nutshell: on average, women are loyal to their stylist or therapist whilst men are loyal to the salon itself.

The research showed women attach greater importance to individual relationships whilst men relate better to groups and organisations – hence the pull of the golf club.

A female client is more likely to want a ‘trusted advisor’ relationship with her stylist or therapist and if that person moves salon she is more likely to move with her. Women are looking for a personal, one-to-one relationship whilst men are more comfortable staying detached from any one individual.

In contrast, men are content with a more anonymous relationship with the salon itself. They still expect great service and good hairdressing skills but are happier to move between stylists in the salon. Overall this tends to make men the more loyal salon customers.

Practical salon ideas to perk up retention rates

The study concludes these differences are down to fundamental psychological differences between the sexes. Here’s how to make these differences work for you when marketing your hair or beauty business:

Move men, not women, if possible

If you have to move clients around due to a stylist’s sickness or holiday then move the men rather than the women, if possible. Guys are less likely to feel uncomfortable with a different stylist and thus more likely to return and not feel ‘put out’.

Boost salon referral rates as well as retention

Recommend a Friend cards will get best results when handed out to women clients by their personal stylist or therapist.

Men, on the other hand, will generally respond better to a request to refer the salon itself (as opposed to an individual) from your receptionist.

Birthday cards say you care

The study into the differences between the sexes verified, as I think we’d all guess, that personal birthday cards are likely to score more highly with women and help retention.

I always recommend a salon uses a card and an oldfashioned stamp rather than an email.

Why? Because it shows you care. It shows you’ve taken some trouble. And as the research confirms, women react well to this. A card through the post (rather than a text or an email) also looks less blatantly commercial and as the study highlighted we women are much better at detecting insincerity than men.

A back-up plan to keep your clients

This practical idea works well in hair salons but could also be adapted for certain treatments at beauty salons.

Reduce the risk of losing a female client if a stylist moves on by encouraging her to form a relationship with two stylists.

The ‘reserve’ stylist can be involved in the consultation by the usual stylist “I really value Jane’s opinion and I’d like her thoughts on…” Thereafter, the ‘reserve’ can build rapport with a quick ‘hair’ chat or wash their hair without the client feeling they are being “passed around”.

If a client does move on then scribbling a personal, friendly and understanding message on your lapsed client mailer will work better for a woman. Tell her you genuinely are sorry the relationship has been lost, you value her and miss seeing her in the salon.


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Fashion Friday | Contemporary

Starting with my new blog format I’ve decided that the post a day challenge last year was something that I just couldn’t keep up with consistently. So, this year, I’m going to do the post a week challenge instead. There might be some weeks that I’ll post more than just once, but at least this way, I can be sure that I hit that goal and not run out of fun things to share with everyone. Having said that, I’m going to start Fashion Fridays. That’s when I’ll share something fun from the fashion world. It may be celebrity fashion or maybe a recreation of an outfit with my fun jewelry line accessories.

Today, I’m staring this awesome new bangle bracelet from our new Spring Jewelry Collection. It’s called Contemporary. I LOVE IT!!! I have smaller wrists but when I saw this, I knew I was buying it. Contemporary is a hinged bangle and it is very comfortable to wear too.

The shiny silver finish is nice and can be worn with a more casual outfit to run errands on the weekend, or even dressed up and worn to the office. Either way that you decide to wear it will work and that’s what I love most about this jewelry.

What do you think of Contemporary?

In friendship and style…


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Will you be saved?

Will you be saved? This is a profound and fundamental question. Fr. Anthony Mary, C.Ss.R pushes hard on this question and its implications. His talk is powerful, and its content will be almost entirely foreign to Protestant ears.

If I could summarize this talk in the least number of words, I would say it is a warning against the sin of presumption. However, to Protestants it will sound like Fr. Anthony is promoting salvation by works. But we see in Holy Scripture that we are to “work out our salvation,” and that “faith without works is dead,” and that we should “run the race as to win,” etc. It is precisely because we are saved by God’s grace alone that we can work, strive, run, hold fast, put on armor, be holy, and seek perfection with all our might. If we do not care to do this, or if we always have a quick reason at hand declaring we don’t need to, then how badly do we want salvation?

Modern Christianity, certainly born out of the Protestant rebellion, but also part of so much modern Catholicism as well, downplays the seriousness of all this because: 1) Christianity should be about being happy, and thinking of judgement makes us uncomfortable and unhappy; 2) sola fide, a heresy on its own, has morphed into the the “funny inner feeling” that allows oneself to forgive oneself and to declared oneself saved based on one’s feelings about oneself; and 3) we fear that it’s true that faith is actually hard work, and that we are in fact called to holiness and perfection, and that we cannot truly know who will be saved, so we create a Christianity of convenient excuses and social conformity that supports our excuses, which lay the foundation for the sin of presumption. I admit this is an indictment of much of my life.

So… are the examples of the saints mentioned in Fr. Anthony’s talk good pictures of how we should consider our own salvation? I cannot say for certain, but I would rather err leaning towards them than towards modern Christianity’s mostly saintless example.

And how am I doing with this? Terrible. God help me. Queen of Heaven pray for me.

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Filed under Catholic Church, Christian Life, Church History, Death, Gospel, Kingdom of God, Mary, Saints, Video

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Planetary Pride CEO Speaks to Upcoming Resolution to Ban Retail Cannabis Sites

Planetary Pride and SWW Farms CEO Rob Waddell released a statement to SaultOnline in response to the upcoming resolution (to be discussed at council on June 11th) put forth by Councillors Myers and Hollingsworth which seeks to ban retail cannabis stores in the Sault.

The statement reads as follows,

“The upcoming legalization of cannabis Bill C-45 for recreational usage is a step forward in policy for Canada, and the fear mongering motion put forth by Councillor Myers and supported by Councillor Hollingsworth is five steps backwards.

Yes, our city has an opioid problem, just like many cities and towns across our country. Cannabis is used as a exit strategy for many people who find themselves addicted to this drug. It is not a gateway drug that leads people into a life of chemical dependence and crime, as they (the Councillors) claim. This myth has been debunked by many scientists and researchers world wide.

As evidence provided to the Canadian Senate recently as they debated and amended the bill before eventually passing it, there’s little evidence that legalized marijuana poses a threat to public health and safety. In fact there may be benefits, says a new study from Canadian doctors and researchers.

Dr. M.J. Milloy with the B.C. Centre on Substance Use worked on the study and said researchers did not find significant declines in road safety in American states where marijuana had been legalized. Interestingly enough, they did find a drop in alcohol sales.

They also found that rates of fatal opioid overdoses went down in some places. “There is evidence to suggest that when legal cannabis is available, people substitute that for other substances,” he said.

Legal cannabis is a projected $20 billion dollar industry, do we really want to try to push this industry out of our community and be non-receptive to its financial windfall? After all, was there not a proposed Marijuana Production Facility on 2nd line that saw high profile members of our city, police, and Algoma Public Health on the Board of Directors?

We should be embracing Cannabis and encouraging growth locally , as an Award Winning grower, I can attest that World Class cannabis can be grown in our area.

It’s time to move forward and be forward thinking in Cannabis Legalization and embrace it, after all the city doesn’t really have the power to stop it.”

Rob Waddell
Planetary Pride
SWW Farms

Riley Smith
Riley Smith is an enthusiastic and versatile critical thinker who has been with SaultOnline since January 2018. She holds a double Honours Degree in History and Political Science from Algoma University, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Relations and Event Management from Sault College. She is Google Marketing Fundamentals certified, and is also working towards a Certificate in Diversity and Intercultural Relations. When she's not reporting, you can find her MC'ing the Soo Greyhound home hockey games, spending time with her basset hound, Douggie, or seeing the world one breathtaking view at a time.

  1. Way to tell it @Rob Waddell. That is exactly it, although trading one substance for another is not exactly ideal. It is better for health issues. I have ibd. & my specialist was out of options for me for medications, so marijuana was the only other next option. It is what it is. even though I refused. And went back on the way Toronto dr’s regiment and pills prescription was I got to feel a bit more alive, less pain. But I do still have bad days. But that’s what will happen when you’re not pain free.

  2. also for myself who hasnt been walking properly for over a year with my RA and gave up on my doc telling all I can use is T3’s and I am in a catch 22 situation..nothing she could do..who refused any type of weed I take a very low THC yellow oil and can sleep the night through plus am walking as much as possible with a clear head..other than the bone degeneration which I know cant be stopped..I would think twice before you judge..I am doc drug free now thanks to taking that step!

  3. Doug Ford doesn’t support making cannabis legal. Our city council is pro PC. Coincidence? You will find Ford will put even more restrictions in place in Ontario as he can’t stop it completely once it’s legal Federally.So locally they will do what they can to stop the sales while turning a blind eye on the opioid issues. In fact I would like to see multi storefronts selling. That way there won’t be a monopoly.

  4. Anne King maybe if you watched your husband crying in pain from cancer,and opiopds wouldn’t touch his pain,trief vaping weed as a last resort and it worked you might have a different opinion.I know I now do

  5. SSM should ban the internet with the same resolution. Things were SUPER back in the 70’s, then the hamlet got left behind. Let’s go back to the good old days. That’s the ticket! Put up a wall while you’re at it…

  6. Typical backwards SSM thinking. Studies in the states where marijuana is legal have shown a drop in opioid-related deaths. Why? For a large part because many people seek out pot for relief of pain and other issues. When they can’t get it, they get opioids instead, either legally or illegally, and/or they drink. Because of the current opioid hysteria, it’s getting more and more difficult to access prescription opioids even when a person truly needs them. When a person can’t get pain relief legally and they are suffering, they turn to the street, sometimes getting more than they bargained for.

    With legal marijuana, there’s no fear of it being laced with anything. People will get the relief they want without being forced to find a dealer and will be able to turn away from opioids. This is a good thing.

    If kids/people are going to try harder drugs, they’re going to regardless of if pot is legal or not. And if they do decide to try pot legally, at least they’ll be safe from being sold pot laced with something or synthetic marijuana, which can kill.

    Perhaps if those in opposition spent some time in the shoes of someone who is in severe chronic pain (especially one whose needed opioid access has been cut off because of the hysteria and stigma) or someone with PTSD or a parent with an epileptic child, they’ll step forth with compassion into the 21st century and reconsider their small-minded, unfounded fears.

    • You’re an absolutely uneducated ignorant woman to just be flapping your lips with ignorant comment. And I don’t mean rude kind of ignorant, I meant lack of knowledge kind of ignorant, the worst kind. Go back under your rock lady!! You’re a joke!!
      You aren’t from the Sault so why you commenting on our news pages anyhow?? Go away you uneducated old coot. Works in medicine yet is against something NATURAL!!! like really… my mother is a PSW, and even she said this was a long time coming!!! Should have been done already!! Byeee lady!

    • Karen Wilson actually I do and if I’m so stupid Karen then why was and IS my specialist still trying to put me on MJ???? Hmmmm!!! But I know nothing. Broad please, I have more medical conditions Than you care to know about, all of which could benefit from MJ, and I know a HELL of a lot more than you do, so sit down & shut your mouth 🤐, because you’re the only one looking IGNORANT like Anne on here!! Get tf out of here!!
      Go back to your job as a dietary aid… you work with service skills in the kitchen!!! That’s all you are too!! You know NOTHING about medication, you’re not a PSW!!! Hahahah!! BYEEEEEE!!!

  7. “We” as fools are electing these backwards thinking dinosaurs who are so close minded and set in their ways. Yet, we think they will somehow change and do something good for our city. What is the definition of insanity again??? If people need proper research…look and see what Portugal did to help with their drug problem. Legalization across the board and spent money on treatment instead of wasting money putting people in prison. There is still a drug problem but they have closed several prisons and it is not as bad as it once was. The western hemisphere is so far behind that we think we are in first place.

  8. Our city council is old, out of touch, and apparently stupid. I am deeply saddened by the lack of quality or common sense held by our local politicians. I’ve lived in many cities, and this is the only one I’ve ever lived where the old fartknockers live in a COMPLETELY separate world from everyone else.

    Believing in brutally dumb fallacies, going against science, going against modern law, and trying to pass directly harmful legislation sounds like the pattern.
    These politicians have literally defined themselves through stupidity. I don’t know how I didn’t expect this.

    • In October you have a chance to elect a new council, I hear in Ward 1 there’s a young man running for the seat. I wonder what is stance on this resolution is? Perhaps maybe he could comment on this seeing as the person he’s running against is the seconder of this resolution.

  9. Does this surprise you coming from the kook and her puppet sidekick?
    Thank God she is leaving as a Councillor, well overdue! Now if a few more would follow the city could get some fresh young blood that thinks rationally. As long as these backward types remain on council expect a lot more of the same uneducated thinking.

  10. I think Susan Myers is the type of person who didn’t get invited to fun times and parties earlier in life.

    After being rejected by her peers and seeing them having fun , she has become frigid and cold.

    Her parents were probably way too strict and with the combo of these things; she has grown into a full blown beech.

    just my opinion of why ppl end up the way she seems to be.

    She kinda sounds dictator-ish…. sort of trumpian. Listen to me Susan Myers for I AM GOD.

  11. The author has a vested interest in the promotion of the legal sale, and therefore the comments should be adjusted accordingly. Our millennial youth already has its head in a cloud, I don’t think we need to provide more.

  12. Once again and as usual … those of us who have our s**t together have to do without due to those who don’t … while the rich get richer. 😡smfh

  13. Well said mr ceo anyone who thinks cannabis can not help with the ever present and growingopid crisis in our little city,has not done their homework.its this kind of backwards thinking that will hinder finding a way out of this deadly crisis.its time to step up and climb into the 21st century.we are all effected by this crisis,it’s no time to turn your back on it.there is more than sufficient evidence to the fact that cannabis helps.recent election shows that our government will not help,get your heads out of your asses and become a part of the cure not the cause

  14. Awesome Rob well said. We need more people of the truth to stand and speak. Doctors have got rich filling us with poison for The last 30 years. I am4/5 off opiates that were promised to be my future for life but doctorsand pain specialist. I am great full for marijuana . And tired of ole fear mongering nobody’s pertending to be knoledgable..
    I want to live
    Ppp to the truthfully….

  15. With the amount of illegal Cannabis use in this city, you’d think they’d be through the moon finally being able to legally charge for it. How is it worse than tobacco? Just tax it and be happy.

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Bridge under construction
Manhattan Bridge in New York City with deck under construction from the towers outward. Photo by Irving Underhill

Over the last 4 months, I have attended many of the major publishing conferences and have learned quite a bit about the average attendee. I am going to cut to the chase and say that we publishing professionals are missing out on engaging key audiences.

I was program co-chair for the STM Society Day back in April. For a session on open access, I invited Emilio Bruna, editor of Biotropica and professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at the University of Florida. I “knew” Emilio from Twitter and sensed that while he thought open access was the ultimate goal, as editor of a small but distinguished journal, he wasn’t sure how to replace the income from subscriptions by going OA.

Emilio gave a great talk but started by saying something very telling. He said that he had learned a lot about the business of publishing and about programs publishers were offering, including Wiley, the publisher partner for his journal, while at the STM meeting. This was the first he was hearing about publisher efforts to extend free or almost free subscriptions to developing countries.

Fast forward to the Council of Science Editors Annual Meeting in May. I invited my friend Jamie Vernon, Director of Science Communications and Publications and Editor-in-Chief of American Scientist at Sigma Xi, to talk about a student journal his organization has launched. Jamie’s passion is science communication.

The session on engaging young students in scientific research was fantastic. During one of the networking breaks later, Jamie said to me, “This is a great meeting. I don’t understand why my friends [in science communication] aren’t here.”

At the Society of Scholarly Publishing meeting in June, I attended a session with early career researchers. After the discussion, one panelist said that he wished he had come to conferences like this when he started researching and writing.

So back to my earlier point—these three meetings, each excellent at attracting publishers, publication managers, and editors, are failing to draw in the very people being served by the industry. Mostly, as in the examples above, a few “outsiders” are invited to speak and if we are lucky, they stay for the whole conference.

This kind of makes sense in that researchers go to their technical conference and science communicators are typically researchers with a side passion. Funds for conference attendance are limited and they rightly choose the meeting most relevant to their day job.

The “sound bites” I took away include:

  • Even if authors and editors hear about what publishers are doing every now and again, the info is not sticking. How many times has one of your editors ask that your journal do something that you have been doing for the last 5 years?
  • Editors get questions about you as a publisher from their colleagues. They need some basic information to answer those questions on the spot.
  • Researchers, especially younger ones, have lots of questions about what happens once they submit a paper. Even before they submit they are wondering what the editor will think, did they format the paper properly, will the reviewers understand what they are trying to convey?
  • Science communicators are allies in finding better ways to help researchers tell their stories and yet they are not working collaboratively with journal publishers.

It feels like publishers are missing the boat here. It’s not about telling researchers how best to format a paper or showing new collaborative writing tools. It’s about making the conversation inclusive. No matter what you see on Twitter and in blogs, not one of these communities can chart a course for the future of scholarly communication alone.

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it–there needs to be room for all kinds of business models, access models, even peer review. Shaking things up, talking about improvements, is very exciting and we have seen good things come out of it. That said, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It does not exist.

We are still stuck with two sides battling for the future of scholarly publishing and it all centers on one topic—open access. The open access advocates, some of them backed by large library groups, are pulling out all the stops to “take down” the traditional publishing establishment. On the other side are the publishers who expect to be compensated for the work they are doing on the finished papers. Both hardcore sides are small. Stuck in this middle are a lot of researchers that are interested in tenure who are not particularly concerned about whether they publish their work in open access journals or not. Also in this space are smaller society publishers that just want to provide the services their authors/members/readers value.

So how long will we stay in this quagmire?

Science communicators may be even worse off. They are screaming into the wind of a dumbed-down global media presence and a society that believes anything they see on Twitter three times. And yet, a group like the Council of Science Editors, of which I am currently the President, has this as their vision: “To be indispensable in the communication of science.” I believe in this vision, and the role publications can play, but how do we achieve this vision if those on the front lines of science communication are not fully engaged in our organization?

Maybe now is the time to bring folks together and see what we can come up with. There are no absolutes. No “it’s my way or the highway” demands. That is not working. There needs to be negotiation, not annihilation. How can we, as a combined ecosystem of smart people, figure out how to do research, disseminate research, and communicate research in a financially sustainable way? Here are some thoughts on how to get there:

  • More engagement: librarians, researchers, science communicators, and publishers need to invite each other the table. Maybe this can be done with workshops, joint conferences, or special sessions at each other’s conferences.
  • More listening: no one hears anything when people are shouting across the “room.” Stop shouting and be willing to have a conversation. Listen to what each sides needs and what each side has to offer.
  • More cross-over: we need to do more than just invite a few folks to speak at publishing meetings—which is already a hard sell. And if we do invite them, make it worth their time to stick around for the entire meeting. We all have a lot to learn from each other.

These distinct groups of people have a lot of cross-over and share similar goals. Not all of the goals are the same but some of them are identical. Let’s see where we match up and what we can work on together.

What do you think? Are there common goals and ways we can work together to meet them? Are there success stories of groups that are already working together to improve the ecosystem?

9 Thoughts on "Meeting in the Middle"

Sounds good, but I am unclear who the science communicators are. I would think journal publishers would be among them.

Since the Editor-in-Chief of American Scientist is your friend Angela, you might try to persuade him that the journal, like most other leading journals, should formally declare that it follows the COPE code of publication ethics.

Part of the challenge here, I think, is that front-line staff from publishing companies don’t do a sufficient job of communicating the big picture with partners such as client societies. They do a perfectly good job of organizing data about a specific journal, but they don’t do a great job of putting the performance of the journal or other intellectual property into the context of an evolving industry. As a consultant I spend a lot of effort providing this industry context for my clients, and I can tell you that it often seems to come as a big revelation. This leads me to wonder whether publishing companies themselves — particularly the big ones — do a good enough job of keeping their mid-level/frontline employees fully conversant with overall industry trends.

I share your frustration, Angela. For years I volunteered to be on panels about publishing at scholarly conferences, and inevitably our panels were up against a huge number of other panels in the same time slot and typically we would get maybe 20 people showing up, most of them grad students wanting to know how they could get their dissertations published. Eventually I began insisting that I would not be on such panels unless they were positioned either as plenary sessions or at least at a time when there were not a huge number of competing sessions. One other way, though, of communicating to a lot more scholars is to write articles about publishing for their newsletters, as I have done for the American Political Science Association, for example, in its journal PS and for the Latin American Studies Association’s Forum publication.

Some observations from a skeptic.

1. Authors and editors are primarily scientists and know their science

2. To authors and editors publishing is at best a tertiary concern if not lower

3. Most employees of publishing houses do not know nor are taught about the finances of publishing except on how to fill in a silly spreadsheet which has no meaning.

4. Publishers have a vested interested in keeping finances in a locked box

5. Probably and most importantly, publishers do not want communicators at the table.

2. To authors and editors publishing is at best a tertiary concern if not lower

I’m not sure about editors, but for researchers, this is definitely the case. As publishers, we tend to lose sight of the fact that we are not the center of the researcher’s universe. Publishing is something done on occasion and often with a good deal of annoyance. Reading is something done on the side of one’s real work. So the question of how much time at one’s annual meeting one would be willing to devote to something peripheral is a good one.

4. Publishers have a vested interested in keeping finances in a locked box

For some publishers with high margins and profits, this may indeed be the case. But for others in the not-for-profit realm, transparency can often offset some of the criticisms used to attack all publishers by lumping them all into one group.

I didn’t know publishers asked writers–or readers–anything. I was exposed to cynical realities about publishing several years ago from educators who wanted new things published to use in learning. The chief reality shared was that publishers publish what’s safe, and what’s safe is what had sold in the past and was selling, however well (or not), in the present. Publishing newness–new ideas, new progress, new trends–was therefore not on the publishing table or on the publishers’ shelves as finished works. So in essence, in a back-handed way, scholarship was pushed back for the lack of promotion in the present. Progress was pushed back.

Here, I learn two things that are promising. Publishers are part of the discussion on what’s happening now in scientific disciplines. Not only do publishers come to the table but they also sometimes make the table by creating the program opportunity for dialogue and discovery. The other promising thing I learned is that published material is offered to developing nations and communities for free or nearly free. We are going to be a global entity of discovery, progress, and promulgation of ideas and invention. We should be this entity now and teach it–have it learned–for the future.

Let’s keep these promising things–these paths, these routes, and the means to make them–built in the present and molded like new highway lanes (but without a fixed direction, necessarily) for the future.

I’m sorry, who am I but an educator semi-retired through disability. As such (semi-retired through disability), I have the opportunity to reflect, whether or not I like to. And I like to. Reflect.

Thank you, Angela Cochran, for this wonderfully evocative writing.

It would be remiss not to remind people of Advancing Research Communication and Scholarship which was a blog post curated by Alice Meadows from March 2015:

This event ended up being very successful for a first year event with over 200 attendees from a wide swath of disciplines in addition to publishers and librarians. We were able to obtain such a fantastic mix of attendees in part due to directed invitation and through a scholarship program we ran for early career researchers/scholars that provided travel funding to multiple people to attend the event. As noted above, for these events to be successful the incentive and level of engagement has to be balanced to accommodate our colleagues invested in careers in academia and science.With ARCS inaugural year, that balance was achieved through careful attention to insuring our program was not swayed by any single constituency. This translated to bigger panels and longer time frames for panel discussions.

We will be holding a funded competition geared towards early career researchers and scholars in the near future and are starting to develop our next event for Fall 2016. We invite all interested parties to review the conference program from 2015 and provide us with input as we go forward.

Good point, Jill. ARCS, FORCE 11 and I’m sure others are trying to create fora in which researchers and scholars are better represented in discussions with publishers and institutions around scholarly/ research communications issues. Rich’s point above is also a good one – no organisation can send everyone to such events, but it’s almost impossible for those who do go to truly convey to their less fortunate colleagues the ideas, the experience, the visceral sense of belonging and having a role to play, that comes from face-to-face interaction and immersion. I attribute much of my knowledge and relationships to having been able to attend events like UKSG from a very early stage of my career, but my attempts at documenting what I have learned at such events (from liveblogging and tweeting to writing reports and articles) is a pale echo of the multi-dimensional reality.

Perhaps all such organisations (SSP too!) could provide more scholarships / bursaries etc to enable more “front-line” people to experience the cross-stakeholder discussions etc that will inspire that interest in and engagement with the “bigger picture”.

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Get Your Training On With Hundreds of Free College Courses

Glenn Norman

Our whole purpose is educating and training up-and-coming hackers and security people. That’s why I run my CompTIA and EC-Council courses through this site, and add new videos and lessons as I get the chance.

But we don’t try to be everything; instead, we USE everything that’s useful and high-quality in our trainings. I’m always on the lookout for good, fresh material. And here’s a trove of it, not all related to IT or security, but some real gems among them.

Check out Dhawal Shah’s article on Quartz:

If you haven’t heard, universities around the world are offering their courses online for free (or at least partially free). These courses are collectively called MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses.
In the past six years or so, close to 800 universities have created more than 8,000 of these MOOCs. And I’ve been keeping track of these MOOCs the entire time over at Class Central, ever since they rose to prominence.
In the past three months alone, over 200 universities have announced 600 such free online courses. I’ve compiled a list of them and categorized them according to the following subjects: Computer Science, Mathematics, Programming, Data Science, Humanities, Social Sciences, Education & Teaching, Health & Medicine, Business, Personal Development, Engineering, Art & Design, and finally Science.

Right off the bat I note:

Introduction to TCP/IP from Yonsei University

Linux Server Management and Security from University of Colorado System

TCP/IP and Advanced Topics from University of Colorado System

and a ton more.

Go get it! Have fun. And if you’re registered with this site, let me know what training you find or use there in the Comments below.


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Interview questions: teacher (secondary)

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Last updated on 14 July 2017
School types: All · School phases: Secondary, 16 Plus
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What questions could we ask in interviews for secondary school teachers? One of our associate education experts suggested general and subject-specific interview questions for secondary school teachers. We also point to an article with interview tasks for teachers.

Article tools

  1. 1 Introductory
  2. 2 Teaching, learning and assessment
  3. 3 Behaviour and safeguarding
  4. 4 Working in a department
  5. 5 Professional development
  6. 6 Subject-specific
  7. 7 Closing
  8. 8 Interview tasks

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East Lothian 20/03

The East Lothian IBC contingent of Scott Kennedy, Jamie Higgins, Willie Wood MBE, Billy Mellors, Graham Robertson and Derek Oliver were last weekend part of a Scotland side that lost their grip on the Hilton Trophy despite the defending champions ending the British Home International campaign with a commendable victory over England at Stanley IBC in County Durham.

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Farmer Mental Health Research

Low mood and anxiety are experienced by lots of people throughout their lifetime. Research indicates that farmers and crofters may be particularly vulnerable to these difficulties and that they may not want to, or be able to access formal health care services for support. The current study is investigating the usefulness of providing farmers and crofters with an online course that teaches key life skills based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Research suggests that online life skills training can help with low mood and anxiety, and that it works best if it is relevant to the people that are using it. That’s why this project has been designed specifically for farmers and crofters.

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Another Chapter of Possible Animal Jam Book

Bleddyne awoke from the night’s sleep and cast her loving gaze down towards her belly, where her pups were nested. She had- once again- broken Animal Jam Rules and abilities, allowing all three pups to trail behind her, while looking like regular pet puppies.

Her attention was snapped to the nursery’s den entrance as the ferns ’round it rustled, acting as a doorbell.

“Selwyn!” Bleddyne softly cried out in relief at the sight of her mate, the sound stirring the pups. “I thought maybe you were a predator or something…,” Selwyn chuckled and licked her jaw.

The mates’ affectionate gazes were turned to the pups as all three slowly yawned and opened their tiny eyes. Darkpup, the only he-pup of the trio, turned and began to batter Cloudpup, the youngest of them, with his tiny forepaws. Cloudpup whined and Streampup, the other (and older) she-pup, scrambled atop her brother in defense of her younger sister. Darkpup proved himself to be the younger of the two older pups as his strength gave out and his paws slipped out from under him. Streampup received an amused growl from Bleddyne ordering her to come off of Darkpup now, because he was defeated. The victorious pup hopped off and stumbled to their mother.

“Look at them, warriors already,” Selwyn murmured, amusement dancing across his face. Bleddyne nuzzled him and looked down at the pups as they all gathered ’round her belly.

“Mother, I’m hungry!” Darkpup’s tiny voice yipped. “So’m I! Cloudpup, too!” Streampup and Cloudpup drew near to Bleddyne. “Come eat, then,” she scolded in a teasing growl. She drifted into a dreamless sleep as the threesome suckled at her belly.

Bleddyne awoke when Alpha’s howl rang throughout the camp, and observing the pups’ dozing, decided to push outside of the ferns, sitting just outside the nursery entrance.

“A very important thing has been accomplished!” Alpha declared. “Galen, our medicine wolf, has broken into enough and certain systems that: we are now able to roam in the human world!”

😮 I, personally, can’t wait to see where this is headed.

Adventurous Little Girl Idea

Here’s the Scribble for the Adventurous Little Girl idea… (and yes, I am now calling them Scribbles.)

[…] Stray now formed a scene in her mind where her dresser was a burning building and her bed was a teeny net.

“Coming in for the landing!” she shrieked, pummeling towards her pillows. FLOOF! Stray quickly sat up and whipped her glaring gaze towards an innocent-looking stuffed snake.

“You pushed me!” Stray accused, and attempted to grab the snake but a sudden gust of wind blew the innocent toy an inch or two away from its previous position. Stray’s grubby fingers closed on empty air, and she then changed her role play into a warning: “Alert! Alert! Tornado headin’ this way! Cover yer heads, it’ll be here in one minute!” Then, mistaking the length of a minute, she started counting down: “Ten, nine! Eight, seven, four, three! Six! One! Five! Two, IT’S HERE!”

Stray screamed excitedly and grabbed the snake, along with a toy mouse and a stuffed raccoon. She then dashed into her closet and  announced: “Head count! Two, eight, one, three… wait! LULLABY IS MISSING!”

Stray sternly ordered the animals to “keep yerselves there, now”, then zipped back out into the open and dove under her bed, squirming deep and kicking madly. Assorted items flew everywhere. […]

That’s as far as I got, because then two of my younger sisters threatened me about “if I didn’t shut the light off right then”… rolleyes