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30 Free Things to Do in Boston in 2019
August 5, 2019 By Dave
Boston Public Gardens
Growing up in New York, Boston seemed to slip through the cracks of my youth. I never went on a family vacation or school trip there, nor had any particular reason to go as an adult.
That all changed when I chose to attend the TravelCon (travel blogging) conference this year. I gave myself a few full days to explore before and after the event; I discovered dozens of free things to do in Boston.
Upon arriving at Boston Logan International Airport, I hopped in an Uber for the short ride to HI Boston Hostel.
Located downtown, HI Boston is just a few blocks from Boston Common and Boston Public Garden, two beautiful green spaces in the heart of the city. It's the perfect place to base yourself.
Many of the free things to do in Boston listed below are within walking distance. And if you need guidance or company, HI Boston offers free volunteer-led tours daily!
Parks, Walks, and Historic Landmarks
Relax in Boston Public Garden
Find the Good Will Hunting Bench
Walk the Freedom Trail
Massachusetts State House
Park Street Church
Granary Burying Ground
King's Chapel and Burying Ground
Old City Hall, Benjamin Franklin statue, and site of former Boston Latin School
Old Corner Bookstore
Old South Meeting House
Old State House
Location of the Boston Massacre
Paul Revere House
Old North Church
Copp's Hill Burying Ground
Bunker Hill Monument
Experience The New England Holocaust Memorial
Tiptoe Through the Boston Public Library
Explore the Back Bay Neighborhood
Cross Harvard Bridge
Take the Harborwalk
Go to Harvard University
See the Great Dome on the MIT Campus
Food and Breweries
Browse The Boston Public Market
Tour the Samuel Adams Brewery
Get Lost in The Museum of Fine Arts
Geek Out at the MIT Museum
Founded in 1630 by English settlers, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It has played a prominent role throughout the country's history.
Established in 1837, Boston Public Garden was the first botanical gardens in the United States. The park features a lagoon and plenty of green space for hanging out, whether you prefer sun or shade.
Historical figures are memorialized as statutes, including George Washington and Charles Sumner. The Ether Monument is dedicated to the successful use of ether as a surgical anesthetic.
The park is free and open to the public daily from 9 am to 7 pm.
4 Charles St, Boston.gov
Bench from the movie Good Will Hunting
The Boston Public Garden was also the location of an emotional scene in the 1998 Acadamey Award-winning movie Good Will Hunting.
I'm a huge fan of the movie, so I made it a point to find the exact bench where Sean (Robbin Williams) talks to Will (Matt Damon) about living a rich and full life.
The bench is unmarked, though there's a marker on Google Maps to help you out. Once I found it, I waited a few minutes for a couple sitting there to leave and then took a seat.
The view is beautiful but by no means the only pretty place to sit in the park. When an older woman came and sat next to me to feed the squirrels, I took it as my cue to move on.
Facing the water, just north of the Boston Public Garden Bridge.
See also: 15 Cheap and Fun Things to Do in New Orleans
The Freedom Trail seal
The Freedom Trail is a must for any first-time visitor to Boston. Walking the trail was my highest priority.
The 2.5-mile trail begins at the Visitor's Center in Boston Commons and winds its way past 15 historic buildings, monuments, churches, meeting houses, and cemeteries.
The trail can be walked independently for free. Access to Google Maps can help keep you on track.
Red bricks laid into the sidewalk are a physical manifestation of the trail and a helpful visual.
Created in 1634, Boston Commons is the oldest public park in the United States. The 44-acre park is adjacent to the Public Garden in downtown Boston.
Like the Garden, it's worth walking around and features several monuments and statues, including the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (1877) dedicated to those who fought in the Civil War.
To start walking the Freedom Trail, head to the Visitor's Center on the east side of the park, near the intersection of Tremont and West Street. Do like Dorothy (in the Wizard of Oz) and follow the red-brick road.
139 Tremont St, Boston.gov
Looking out over Boston Common from the other side of Beacon Street is the gold-domed Massachusetts State House.
The State House has been home to the Massachusetts government since it opened in 1798.
24 Beacon St, malegislature.gov
The Park Street Church was built in 1809 and featured a 217-foot high steeple, which was once the first thing visitors would see when approaching the city.
The interior is rather dull compared to other churches on The Freedom Trail. But it's free to enter Park Street Church, so don't hesitate to take a quick peek inside.
1 Park St, parkstreet.org
Paul Revere's grave
Established in 1660, The Granary Burying Ground is the eternal resting place of approximately 5,000 Bostonians, including notable figures in American history such as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams.
The cemetery, located next to Park Street Church, got its name from a granary building that once stood next to it. The most significant burial marker is an obelisk dedicated to Benjamin Franklin's parents.
1 Park St, Boston.gov
Inside King's Chapel
King's Chapel was founded in 1686 and is home to Boston's oldest burial ground. The current church structure was built with granite in 1754.
Once again, it's free to walk inside. Instead of long pews, you'll see partitioned box seats where families would worship together. I don't recall ever seeing a church, at least not in the United States, with this feature.
The Corinthian columns linking the nave add grandeur to the space. An elegant pipe organ sits above the entrance, so be sure to look up on your way out.
58 Tremont St, kings-chapel.org
Pro Tip: Across the street from King's Chapel is the Omni Parker Hotel where the Boston cream pie was invented. Learn more about it and other can't-miss Boston foodie experiences on Feastio, my food blog.
Statue of Benjamin Franklin
Founded in April 1635 and opened for classes in 1645, Boston's Latin School was the first public school in the USA. The school offered free education for boys, regardless of their family's status or wealth. Girls were taught at home.
Notable alumni include Benjamin Franklin, whose statue marks the site of the school but dropped out before graduating, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. All three were later signatories of the Declaration of Independence.
45 School St, oldcityhall.com
Built in 1718, the Old Corner Bookstore is Boston's oldest commercial building. In a sign of the times, it is now home to a Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Still, that's a better fate than the demolition it faced in 1960, though it would be nice if the city re-purposed it as something other than a fast-food restaurant.
Constructed in 1729, the Old South Meeting House was Boston's largest building in colonial times. The building served as a place for Puritans to meet, debate, and protest British rule.
On December 16, 1773, 5,000 men debated the tea tax here. When they failed to reach a compromise, Samuel Adams signaled the start of the Boston Tea Party, and over 300 chests of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor.
310 Washington St, osmh.org
Dating back to 1713, the Old State House is Boston's oldest public building. It's free, of course, to walk around the exterior.
Inside, there's a small museum with American Revolution-era artifacts. However, there's an entrance fee of $12 for adults. Intent on saving money, I skipped it.
206 Washington St, bostonhistory.org
Site of the Boston Massacre
Behind the Old Meeting House is a cobblestone circle marking the site of the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770.
What began as a street fight between Bostonians and a British soldier led to a riot with British troops (known as "Redcoats") firing on Bostonians, killing five people.
The violent event helped unite Americans against the British rule and is seen as a precursor to The American Revolutionary War, which began on April 19, 1775.
On a lighter note, the next stop on The Freedom Trail is Faneuil Hall, a market built in 1741. Today, the three halls are filled with cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops.
There's a nice mix of indoor and outdoor dining space. It's easy to linger here. While I walked through Quincy Market and was tempted to eat every cookie and cupcake I saw, I held out for lunch elsewhere.
4 S Market St, faneuilhallmarketplace.com
Paul Revere's house
Paul Revere's House is a welcome change from the larger, public buildings along the Freedom Trail. Initially built in 1680, Paul Revere owned it from 1770-1800.
It's free to view the house from the street. A short walk through the interior carries a $5 admission fee for adults.
Inside the oldest original structure still standing in downtown Boston are several furnished rooms. No photos are allowed.
19 N Square, paulreverehouse.org
Built in 1723, the Old North Church is the oldest church in Boston. It's famous for being the place from which Paul Revere began his ride on horseback on April 18, 1775, to warn colonists the British were coming.
It's free to view the church from the street. Admission to see the interior (without a tour) is $8 for adults.
I paid for admission to take a look around but skipped the guided tour. The all-white interior is the nicest of the churches you visit on The Freedom Trail, and there are plenty of plaques to provide info about critical events and historical figures.
193 Salem St, oldnorth.com
Up the street from the Old North Church is Copp's Hill Burying Ground, the third and final cemetery on The Freedom Trail.
Dating back to 1659, it's Boston's largest colonial burying ground, and worth a quick look.
It had taken me about five hours to reach this point in The Freedom Trail, so I called it a day and headed back to the hostel.
Hull St and Snowhill Rd, Boston.gov
Follow The Freedom Trail across the North Washington Street Bridge and turn right to visit the USS Constitution.
Nicknamed "Old Ironsides," this warship is the oldest in the US Navy and is still operational today. It's free to visit, however, a $10-$15 donation is suggested. If you're 18 or older, a photo ID will be required.
3rd St, ussconstitutionmuseum.org
The Bunker Hill Monument is the 16th and final stop on The Freedom Trail. This 221-foot tall obelisk memorializes the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Ascend the hill for scenic city views and to mark the end of your free walking tour.
Monument Sq, Charlestown, nps.gov
Holocaust Memorial
The New England Holocaust Memorial is a thoughtful tribute to the genocide that occurred at the hands of the Nazis from 1939-1945 when six million Jewish people were murdered.
The six glass towers, each symbolizing a death camp, reach a height of 54-feet. Steam rises from grates at their base, an ominous reminder that the Nazis used gas chambers for mass murder.
Walking through the memorial is free and a must for those of us who vow never to forget such atrocities. It's located a block from Faneuil Hall, making it an easy stop on The Freedom Trail.
98 Union St, nehm.org
See also: Nazi Concentration Camps – Walking Among Ghosts in Poland
The reading room at Boston Public Library
Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library was the United States' first big, free city library. It's located across the street from Copley Square.
It's free to walk through the halls and outdoor courtyard of the Boston Public Library, which is enough for most visitors. Free daily public tours are also available. Visit the website for times.
700 Boylston St, bpl.org
Back Bay neighborhood
Back Bay is an affluent neighborhood bordered by the Charles River to the north, Boston Public Garden (and downtown) to the east, and Fenway Park to the west. The tree-lined streets are easily walkable.
I recommend starting in Public Garden and walking west through the park that runs parallel Commonwealth Avenue. In addition to shade, several intriguing statues line the path.
This route is primarily residential, with expensive townhouses on both sides of the park. To get a drink, bite to eat, or do some window shopping, walk back along Newbury Street.
Commonwealth Ave and Newbury St
View of Boston from Harvard Bridge
At the western end of Back Bay is the Harvard Bridge, which connects the city of Boston with Cambridge on the other side of the Charles River.
The northern end of the bridge (closer to Cambridge side) offers spectacular views of the Boston skyline. Go all the way across the Harvard Bridge, and you'll be on the MIT campus, which I mention shortly as another free place worth a visit.
Massachusetts Ave Bridge
Boston waterfront
The Harborwalk is a system of pedestrian paths that line the Boston Harbor.
Chances are you won't have time (or the desire) to walk the entire network. Just know it's there and incorporate some time on it as you go to see other sites.
Various locations. Go to 88 Sleeper St (for the view above), bostonharborwalk.org
Buildings on the campus of Harvard University
Boston is a university city, and no university is more well-known or highly respected than Harvard University.
Technically, Harvard is located in Cambridge, just across the Charles River from Boston.
It's easy and free to visit Harvard's campus. I took an Uber; however, you can also take the subway's red line to the "Harvard" station, which exits onto Harvard Square.
From there you have to cross the street to enter Harvard Yard, the main campus and home to dormitories and the imposing Widener Library.
Free, student-led guided tours are also available, but I enjoyed just walking around on my own. Several museums dot the campus, which can be visited for a fee. I skipped them in the interest of time.
As my dad attended Harvard Business School, I also walked across the North Havard Bridge to check out that campus. Unlike Harvard University, there were absolutely no tourists there.
Harvard Yard, 2 Kirkland St, harvard.edu
The Great Dome at MIT
Cambridge is also home to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the greatest technical schools in the world.
The Great Dome, a symbol of the university, is the Barker Engineering Library. It's free to walk around and through it.
Good Will Hunting fans may also recognize the building from a movie, as it's where Will worked as a janitor when his mathematical genius was discovered.
Memorial Dr, MIT campus, libraries.mit.edu/barker/
The indoor Boston Public Market is just a block north of Faneuil Hall, making it another free and easy thing to see along The Freedom Trail.
The market is home to 40 New England food providers, ensuring if you choose to eat here, you're supporting local farms and food entrepreneurs.
100 Hanover St, bostonpublicmarket.org
Sam Adams Brewery
Samuel Adams led the craft beer charge in the 1990s, and I've been a fan ever since. Beer fans will make the time for a pilgrimage to their Boston brewery.
Free tours, including a complimentary tasting of three beers and a souvenir glass, are available daily. Must be 21 or older to participate. Additional paid tours that introduce you to barrel-aged beers are also available.
Sam Adams, always a good decision!
30 Germania St, samueladams.com
See also: Steamboat OktoberWest – A Celebration of Colorado Craft Beer
Impressionist gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts
Boston's Museum of Fine Arts is world-class. It features one of the largest collections of paintings by Claude Monet outside of France, plus works by artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, and Paul Gauguin.
The regular cost of admission is $25 for adults. However, access is free every Wednesday after 4 pm. Admission is also free on five "Open House" days each year. Visit the website for details.
465 Huntington Ave, mfa.org
Robot exhibit at MIT Museum
Last, but not least, I want to share the MIT Museum, which is free the last Sunday of each month, September through June.
I happened upon free entry my last night in Boston by sheer luck of my schedule. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
The ground floor has old robots, while the upper level has several exhibits including a fascinating one entitled Gestural Engineering: The Sculpture of Arthur Ganson.
If you can't make it on the last Sunday of the month, adult admission is $10.
265 Massachusetts Ave, mitmuseum.mit.edu
There you have it, an extensive list featuring dozens of free things to do in Boston.
About half the ideas are along The Freedom Trail, with the rest being spread around downtown Boston and Cambridge.
I'm confident it's enough to keep any first-time visitor busy for a long weekend, if not a full week.
Did I miss anything good? Let me know in the comments below!
My stay at HI Boston was in partnership with Hostelling International USA. However, I would've stayed there on my own as well given the location and excellent value.
Last Updated on August 5th, 2019
Filed Under: Features, United States Tagged With: boston
Tash M says
The Public Gardens and Markets seem as though they would be the perfect addition to a day in Boston. Cheers!
Absolutely worth spending time there!


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Quantum Quality Production's latest strategy software to hit the market, "The Pure Wargame", offer the same type of quality gamers have come to expect from QQP. This hex-based strategy game explores an area of World War II seldom discussed, much less simulated. The focus is on the strategic importance of airborne troops. These units often were followed by a main attacking force, so their success was vital to overall victory in the war. Five famous scenarios are available to challenge you into changing history. Play against the computer AI at various difficulty settings, or battle it out head to head with a human opponent on the same PC.
The Pure Wargame (or TPW) is very similar to many other wargames out on the market. Wargame veterans can easily jump right in and get started without even glancing at the manual. TPW was obviously not created with the intention of attracting new gamers to this type of game. The graphics are nothing to gawk at, but they look sharp and don't distract you from planning your strategy. For boardgame war fans, the traditional icons represent each unit, but can be toggled to symbols to make it easier for unseasoned players. Destroyed units are simply taken off the map, no fancy animation here. QQP chose to stick to the basics, and focused on perfecting the game engine, not covering up an inferior engine with snazzy effects. The sound effects are great, but extremely repetitive. When an airborne unit attacks, it produces the same crackle of rifle fire every time. The music, however, is the most comprehensive I have ever seen in a strategy game. On the CD-ROM version, over 60 classical music selections play in the background! The musical scores created by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and others take advantage of sound cards that use wave table synthesis and sound excellent.
Gameplay remains the popular turn-based system, which gives the player ample time to plan the next move. On a players turn, attacks, retreats, moves, etc., are performed until all units have exhausted their energy. Air strikes can be performed if the scenario permits it, and artillery can fire within their limited range. Fatigue remains a factor in all units actions during the battle, as well as morale. If this level of realism proves to be too difficult, you can start a scenario with the fatigue effects off, but bear in mind that your opponent will no longer experience fatigue effects either. Before moving a unit, it can be switched between different "modes", such as march, attack, defend, reserve, and entrenched. These modes determine the different variables for combat and movement.
The attackers units are limited due to the fact that they are from airborne squadrons. Troops are the mainstay, with a sprinkle of light artillery and the occasional recon patrol. Defenders often possess a wider range of combat types. Each unit is given a numerical strength score, that diminishes during fighting. These strength scores are generated from actual war documents, so the historical scenarios are quite realistic. Players will surely enjoy the hypothetical "Operation Sea Lion" in which Germany invades lower England.
Overall, TPW is a very strong wargame for those already interested in the strategy genre. Beginners may get frustrated too quickly to spend more than the 3 hours or so it takes for some of the scenarios. The biggest weakness is the lack of head to head competition through modem or net play. This has become a standard actually set by QQP with "The Perfect General", and I was disappointed not to see it as an option here. However, the scenarios are very entertaining and the AI is smart enough to provide many hours of play. While QQP still strives to create the "pure" wargame, they informed me they have no immediate plans for future installments to TPW. In the meantime, fill your enemies skies with thousands of small white chutes and prepare them for occupation!
The Pure Wargame is a quintessential turn-based wargame. The first one in a proposed series (and the only one released), it involves eight different airborne operations centering on tactical level operations of airborne warfare, from the scattered landings at Crete to the ill-fated bridges of Arnhem.
The first in an aborted Pure Wargame series, this late WW II game was disappointing in every respect: poor AI, confusing interface, and badly written manual. As loyal fan of the company, I can only speculate that the obviously premature release of the game was compelled in part by pressure from American Laser Games (QQP's new parent company) to quickly improve the company's shaky finances. Despite the interesting and less-known historical scenarios, the game was released way too prematurely. If you want to know what a bad QQP game is like, this is it.
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A Football Hero
Alumni > Sport > A Football Hero
22nd November 2018 alumni
Recently named a higher education hero by British universities & colleges sport for going above and beyond for her contribution to women's football for the university of hull, sports rehabilitation graduate Amber Amey is leading the charge for getting women and girls involved in football across the world.
When she started out at the University of Hull, Amber Amey didn't know what opportunities awaited her. Now, having achieved a first class degree in Sports Rehabilitation, she's already worked with Doncaster Rovers and Hull FC. This summer she's been on a three-week tour with the Archbishop Sentamu Academy Rugby League scholars, after which she flew to Ghana for a three-week stint coaching football to children from different communities.
"From the start of my studies, I knew my career was in sport rehabilitation, but I didn't know just how many opportunities can come from applying yourself at university life," says Amber. "Studying at Hull has provided me with opportunities to work with so many different people and organisations, and through this I've been able to continuously build connections."
Facilitated by the University's Football Leadership Programme, Amber has been working with the University's Sport Development Team to develop female participation in football for all ages. She has also been supporting the transition of female players from recreational programmes into the women's football team. Further still, she has led a community outreach programme to support girls' football in schools, creating a pathway for girls to take part in the SSE Wildcats sessions in Hull. These sessions – a country-wide FA initiative sponsored by SSE – provide girls with regular opportunities to play football in a fun and engaging environment after school and at weekends.
"I'm proud of making the most of these opportunities," says Amber. "It's easy to come through university just doing what's necessary, but by seeking new experiences I've been given amazing opportunities." Now back from Ghana, Amber is looking ahead to embarking upon a career in the British army where she aspires to put her skills in physiotherapy and leadership to use in helping active servicemen and women around the world.


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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 O-O 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.f3 h6 9.Bh4 d5 10.e3 Nbd7 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Bxd8 Nxc3 13.Bh4 Nd5 14.Bf2 c5 15.e4 Ne7 16.Ne2 f5 17.exf5 Nxf5 18.dxc5 Nxc5 19.Nc3 Rad8 20.Rd1 Rxd1+ 21.Kxd1 Nb3 22.Bc4 Rd8+ 23.Ke1 Nbd4 24.Bxd4 Nxd4 25.Kf2 Kf7 26.Rd1 Kf6 27.Bd5 exd5 28.Rxd4 g5 29.Rd1 Rc8 30.Ke1 Ke5 31.Kd2 Ba6 32.Re1+ Kd6 33.Nd1 Bb5 34.Ne3 Bd7 35.Kd3 Be6 36.Kd2 a5 37.g3 Bd7 38.Kd3 Bb5+ 39.Kd4 Rf8 40.Nxd5 Rxf3 41.Nc3 Bc6 42.Re2 Rf5 43.Rd2 g4 44.Ne4+ Ke6 45.Nc3 Bf3 46.b4 axb4 47.axb4 h5 48.Ra2 Rf6 49.Ra6 Kf5 50.Na4 Re6 51.Nc3 h4 52.gxh4 Rh6 53.Ke3 Rxh4 54.Rxb6 Rxh2 55.Rb5+ Ke6 56.Kf4 Rb2 57.Re5+ Kd7 58.b5 Kd6 59.Re1 Rb4+ 60.Kg3 Kc5 61.b6 Kd4 62.Rb1 Kxc3 63.Rxb4 Kxb4 64.b7 Bxb7
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Our precious little beagle Snoopy is available in a trendy color palette of blues, gray, white and a touch of yellow. Of course his best pal Woodstock is always by his side. An array of modern patterns, silhouettes, polka dots and circles add to the charm. In addition, a "grow with me" lamp, musical mobile, soft, cuddly appliqued blanket and two-piece wall decor complete this fun filled nursery collection.


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Car rental in St. Croix Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX), Virgin Islands, U.S.
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Melipona interrupta, também chamada de jandaíra, é uma espécie descrita por Pierre André Latreille 1811, do gênero Melipona e família Apidae. A especie é listada no Catálogo da Vida. É uma abelha social do Brasil setentrional. A espécie apresenta coloração negra com listras amarelas no abdome, produz mel claro e aromático.

Também é popularmente conhecida como jandaíra, uruçu-mirim ou manduri a Melipona marginata, abelha social que mede 6 mm a 7 mm de comprimento, também de cor negra, com  pelos grisalhos e abdome com faixas amarelas onduladas.

Galeria

Melipona
Fauna da Caatinga
Fauna do Ceará
Insetos descritos em 1811
Abelhas do Brasil

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El Paso and Ciudad Juárez hope to open the first system to connect both sides of the Rio Grande by the end of 2018.
As the debate about President Donald Trump's long-promised wall along the U.S. Mexico border drags on, plans for an entirely different kind of infrastructure project are also proceeding: The cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua are considering a scheme to build an integrated binational bikeshare system between the two cities.
The initiative, proposed by El Paso's Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) more than a year ago, was presented at the Transportation Research Board in Washington D.C. on January 7. The project has an estimated $1 million budget, most of which would be used to construct bicycle lanes and equipment on the Juárez side, and it could open as soon as autumn 2018.
The system would build on El Paso's existing bikeshare system, SunCycle, which began in September 2015. The ultimate goal: a binational system with 30 stations and 300 bicycles, all of which will be available to use on either side of the Rio Grande.
Biking across international borders is relatively rare, but not impossible. There has long been talk about a bike path running between Tijuana and San Diego, the busiest border crossing in the U.S., as CityLab noted in 2016. El Paso's bikeshare plan is more ambitious, however, since it would require not only new lanes and infrastructure but additional cooperation with immigration agencies.
"The next step is to work with CBP to determine the costs that this could have, and to agree on cooperation between the city of El Paso and the immigration authorities to see the times in which this booth could be operating," says Medina. Ultimately, the system would cover all ports of entry to the United States along the Ciudad Juárez–El Paso border.
Many other details remain to be worked out. Right now, SunCycle allow members free use of bikes for up to 30 minutes—not enough for someone who wants cross the border, clear immigration and customs, and reach their destination. "We want to make sure that whoever uses the bikes to move from one country to another will not be penalized," says Medina. One option would be to create "Border Jumpers"—special bicycles located at docking stations in both cities that would allow users to hop from one country to another for a longer period of time.


Skin Cancer is the medical term for the uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of skin cell. This occurs when the DNA of the particular skin cell has been damaged, usually from UV light, which results in a cell that is a mutant of the original parent cell and it does not behave in a normal manner. Skin cancer cells divide and multiply more rapidly than normal skin cells. They also lack the protective function of normal skin cells so that a skin cancer tends to bleed or weep easily. Skin cancers may extend and destroy nearby tissue, and some are able to spread to vital organs where they establish a secondary cancerous deposit which can become deadly.
There are three main types of skin cancer. Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and Melanoma. Actinic Keratosis (AK), or sun spot, is considered to be a pre-cursor to Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Bowens disease is a term for an SCC that is confined to the outer layer of skin only, and a Keratoacanthoma is a rapidly growing lesion that shares many features of an SCC. In addition there are many other types of skin cancers and tumours, such as Merkel Cell Carcinoma, Atypical Fibroxanthoma, Microcystic Adnexal Carcinoma, Mycosis Fungoides (a type of white blood cell form of skin cancer) and others. Fortunately these are not common forms of skin cancer.
In Australia we have a huge problem with skin cancer which accounts for 80% of all new cancers diagnosed. It is difficult to know the true incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) diagnosed in Australia each year as there are no central records kept. However, it has been estimated that there are more than 450,000 new non-melanoma skin cancers diagnosed with around 500 deaths (mainly from SCC) each year. Melanoma statistics are recorded in state registries, and on average there are 12,000 new melanomas diagnosed, and around 1200 deaths from melanoma per year. Early detection and treatment of skin cancer saves lives.


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Saudis paid for US veterans to visit Capitol Hill, lobby against 9/11 lawsuit law
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — After Congress passed a new law allowing Sept. 11 victims' families to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts, opponents mounted an expensive political campaign, including paying American military veterans to visit Capitol Hill and warn lawmakers about what they said could be unintended consequences.
What few people knew, including some of the recruited veterans themselves, was that Saudi Arabia's government was largely paying for the effort, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Despite a World War II-era U.S. law requiring lobbyists to immediately reveal payments from foreign governments or political parties, some of the campaign's organizers failed to notify the Justice Department about the Saudi kingdom's role until months afterward, with no legal consequences.
Even now, some opponents of the law, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, still won't say to whom or how many exactly they paid thousands of dollars each to influence state and federal elected officials on behalf of Saudi Arabia, stymieing public knowledge about the scale of foreign influence on the push to overturn the legislation.
The chief lobbyist for the Saudi Embassy in Washington said it encouraged its subcontractors to be as transparent as possible. But the campaign and the allegations surrounding it show what can happen when the often-murky world of lobbying intersects with emotive American issues like patriotism, protecting U.S. troops and the memory of Sept. 11. It also highlights how federal laws governing disclosures of foreign influence in American politics are only as strong as they're enforced.
"If the purpose of the statute is to make a public record about how foreign sovereigns are spending money to influence U.S. policy, it's not clear how the Justice Department's relatively lax enforcement of the statute furthers that goal," said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor and national security law expert at the University of Texas.
Congress voted overwhelmingly for the law in September, overriding a veto by U.S. President Barack Obama in his final weeks in office. The law, known by the acronym JASTA, gives victims' families the right to sue any foreign country found to support a terrorist attack that kills U.S. citizens on American soil. Its critics warn the law opens U.S. troops, diplomats and contractors to lawsuits that otherwise couldn't be filed under the terms of sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine usually protecting governments and its employees in court.
While the bill mentioned no countries, its supporters acknowledged that it took direct aim at Saudi Arabia. Fifteen of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudis. The attacks masterminded by al-Qaida's Saudi-born leader Osama bin Laden killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
The U.S. government's 9/11 Commission's final report said it found no evidence that the Saudi government or officials funded al-Qaida. However, it said the terror group found "fertile fundraising ground in Saudi Arabia, where extreme religious views are common and charitable giving was … subject to very limited oversight."
Saudi Arabia's rulers, who fought a bloody al-Qaida insurgency in the years after 9/11 and who now face another from the Islamic State group, long have denied funding extremists. After JASTA became law, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said it hoped "wisdom will prevail and that Congress will take the necessary steps to correct this legislation in order to avoid the serious unintended consequences that may ensue."
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia later this month.
The veterans' lobbying effort began within a month after the vote. Soon, some 70 new subcontractors would be hired by Qorvis MSLGroup, a Washington-based lobbying and public relations firm that represents Saudi Arabia, according to Justice Department filings examined by The Associated Press. Nearly all listed JASTA as their main focus, with their objective as alerting lawmakers and others to "potential legal liabilities arising for U.S. military, intelligence and diplomatic personnel."
The veterans who spoke to lawmakers had their flights and accommodation paid for with Saudi money distributed by the subcontractors, according to the filings. Some stayed at the Trump International Hotel in Washington. Saudi Arabia's involvement was first reported by The Daily Caller, a conservative website, and later explored by the Saudi-skeptic website 28pages.org.
Included among the lobbyists who registered were public relations experts, those who had done work with veterans and a state lawmaker, Nevada assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod. Those who disclosed their salaries listed payments ranging from $12,000 up to $100,000, which Jason E. Johns of Oregon, Wisconsin, received.
Johns told the AP on a conference call he organized with other veterans that all involved clearly were told that Saudi money funded the effort. He also acknowledged organizers suggested that veterans wear their medals when meeting with Congress.
"It was entirely up to them," he said. "It's no secret: People pay attention on the Hill — staffers, members — when you show that you're a combat veteran up there speaking your mind."
But David Casler and brothers Dan and Tim Cord, two other veterans on the tour, said their first inkling Saudi money funded the trip was when Johns told the assembled group in Washington that they should speak for themselves and "not the king of Saudi Arabia." They later spoke out on social media over their concerns.
"It was very evident that they weren't forthcoming; they weren't telling us the whole truth," said Casler, a former U.S. Marine sergeant who took part in one of the events. "They flat-out lied to us on the first day with the statement: 'This is not paid for by the Saudi Arabian government.'"
That's not the view of Chuck Tucker, a retired U.S. Air Force major general who took part in the lobbying and Johns' conference call with the AP. He said it was clear that Saudi money funded it.
"You stay with your wingman. We have allies. They're not perfect, we're not perfect," Tucker said. "It's not like it was blood money. We're taking money from somebody who is our friend and ally helping us around the world."
Other lobbying firms also disclosed they were doing work on behalf of Saudi Arabia after the JASTA vote, without mentioning specific efforts. Among them was the Glover Park Group, founded by former White House and Democratic campaign officials, which subcontracted three months of work to the CGCN Group for $60,000 and more work to the McKeon Group for an undisclosed sum, according to Justice Department filings. Glover Park declined to comment.
Qorvis MSLGroup subcontracted with Flywheel Government Solutions for $25,000 to "conduct outreach to governors and lieutenant governors" about JASTA and try to get them to write columns or make public statements opposing it. Flywheel declined to comment about its work.
A parallel veteran effort involved with Qorvis MSLGroup was run by Scott Wheeler, a resident of Lake Elsinore, California, who runs a political action committee called The National Republican Trust. Wheeler's firm, called the Capitol Media Group, reported receiving $365,000 from the Saudi Embassy in three payments corresponding to visits by veterans to Washington.
Wheeler's firm "was retained to organize, supervise and escort" the veterans, receiving $30,000 per trip as a "service and administration fee," Justice Department filings show. The filing said the firm paid $3,000 to cover expenses of "groups of 25-35" in three trips, saying it could offer "individual names" if requested.
Under federal law, anyone working on behalf of a foreign government is required to register within 10 days of being contracted and before beginning any work. But in Wheeler's case, a lawyer filed his paperwork on March 31 — three trips and months after being contracted.
Wheeler declined to answer any questions about his lobbying work, saying the AP was "perseverating over a non-story."
Matt J. Lauer, an executive vice president at Qorvis MSLGroup, said his organization told all its subcontractors to comply with federal lobbying regulations. He said his organization had a long history of filing full reports with authorities on its foreign agent lobbying activities.
"Overall, we would have a very compliant and transparent process," Lauer said. "We encourage everyone to understand the guidelines set by the Department of Justice."
But those Foreign Agents Registration Act's guidelines, first put in place over concerns about Nazi propagandists operating in the U.S. ahead of World War II, require the Justice Department to enforce them. Between 1966 to 2015, the Justice Department has brought only seven criminal cases involving the act, according to an inspector general report released in September. The report recommended the Justice Department's National Security Division, which oversees registrations, improve its oversight, including making sure filings are made on time.
In recent months, the act has gotten more attention due to controversies surrounding the foreign work done by President Donald Trump's one-time campaign manager Paul Manafort and his former national security advisor Michael Flynn. But Vladeck, the professor, said more needs to be done to make sure that the law to inform the public is properly enforced.
"The whole point is that this (foreign lobbying) is perfectly legal, but we have a right to know," he said.
An American flag flies over Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 6, 2016.
National News Saudis paid for US veteran trips against 9/11 lawsuit law
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You want to encourage your child to move away from the TV and the video games and enjoy some fresh air and exercise. Grab a ball and head to the back yard, and you can all hone your kicking skills. Enlist the entire family to join the fun -- the more, the merrier. Even toddlers and preschoolers can participate in kicking games. They'll practice eye-hand coordination and develop gross motor skills. Put on your sneakers and let the games begin.
This is a variation on the game of bowling. Set up 10 cones in the yard to represent 10 bowling pins. Designate a boundary line suitable for your child's ability level. She kicks the ball from the boundary line, trying to knock over the "pins." She gets three kicks and scores one point for each cone that she knocks down. Family members or friends can set up pins and keep score. Rotate positions so everyone gets a turn to kick. After 10 rounds, the highest scorer wins.
Draw a circle on a large sheet of poster paper. Draw another, smaller circle inside the first one. Write "5 points" on the large circle and "10 points" on the small circle. Tape the paper on a wall in an outside area. Depending on your child's ability level, designate a starting point. He tries to kick the ball and hit the 5 and 10 point targets. Keep track of the points he scores. If more than one child participates, give each child five turns.
Set cones in random places in your back yard. Give your child a large ball and time him as he kicks the ball and knocks over the cones. Record the time. Play the game again to see if he can beat his time. If you have a group, each child gets a ball, and they all work as a team to knock down the cones.
This game works best with at least four players. Three of the children form a large triangle, and one child stands in the middle area. The three outside children kick a large ball to one another, trying to keep it away from the "monkey in the middle." The child in the middle tries to intercept the kicks. If she does, the last person to touch the ball takes the center spot.
You can adapt this game to suit your child's age. One or more children can play. Choose a starting point -- your child initiates his kicks from that spot. The object is to kick a large ball to various places in the yard. Assign point values beforehand to each destination. Shorter distances result in fewer points. Keep track of the points your child scores in 10 minutes. If more than one child plays, keep track of each child's score.


Another year, what have I learned and what have I done with it, how have I spent my time?
In just a few days the calendar will flip over to October. Then I will have yet another birthday (God willing) and it will be my last year in my 50's. Where does the time go?
Today I am happy and at peace with all areas of my life. I have become better at not "stepping in it." I see it all and I hear things and many times I shake my head. Our political climate is torture for someone like me who often believes that neither extreme is all right, or all wrong, but that grace truly lives in the center.
I like the center. I like it because it is there where I can view both sides. It is there where I can gather the best insight. It is there where I may find mutual ground and a place of peace.
Right this moment in time there are people in our country who believe they know, they know who is innocent and who is guilty just by looking at them. Sad. We are living in a time, where if you "feel" "think" and "sense" that someone is guilty or innocent that is enough. Me, I still like to have the facts. It is not enough just to think it, I want to know for certain. I want to be sure and armed with facts.
I have a friend who when I first saw her in public I honestly thought she was a weirdo and that she was NOT someone that I would consider as "friend material." Her story is that I didn't want to be her friend because she wore red cowboy boots. My story is that it wasn't just the red cowboy boots it was that she wore them paired with leopard print pants/tights and to pick up her elementary school aged children at a Catholic (conservative) school! The same school that my children attended.
We have been friends for more than two decades now. She still tells her "red cowboy boots" story and I tell mine. The end of the story is always the same for the both of us, "don't judge a book by its cover." Maybe it is even more than that … don't judge at all and certainly don't judge until you have all the facts. My friend is one of the most soulful, spiritual and deep-thinking people that I know. And if I would have clung onto my initial judgement we would never have been friends at all. How very sad that would have been.
The older we become the more aware we become of just how much life we have already lived and how many days are still ahead. Life has a way of presenting us with the people and the lessons that we need to learn. I am still learning. Every single day I learn, I seek out new and different things to learn.
This year was marked by a lot of work and success. My husband, my adult son (who lives at home) and myself have all been plugging away at different careers and jobs. We all work hard. But it was also marked with a significant loss in our most precious pooch Happy unexpectedly departing this life. The void and the grief months and months later still so painful. She had our hearts and was beyond joy for us. I waver between wanting to love another puppy and/or just focusing on the one that we still love and adore at home. Her death taught me once again, just how deeply I can and do love and for that alone I am most thankful. It also drives home for me just how much better I have become at letting go. Practice lots and lots of practice of loss but it hasn't hardened my heart. Thank God!
Yes, like most people I am a work in progress. Today I love myself, warts and all, I know who I am, where I come from and most importantly what I am made up of. Life-long living that all adds up to my sum-total of me. I have lived well, I have loved deeply, and I have lost incredibly too. Together it all adds up to a rich rewarding and full life.
As with most years we have traveled to the beach to the mountains and so many places in between. Our road trips are just one of the secrets of our long, loving and lasting marriage. There is nothing like spending hours and hours in a car together to determine if you are compatible.
Through our almost 27 years together, my husband Brian and I prove that we are by all our many road trips and many miles spent together, really together. We get along, we enjoy the same things, we travel well together. It is us and us alone in this big beautiful world. We talk uninterrupted and with full attention and we look out for each other. We stop and explore we eat meals together at various restaurants. It is always a good time and opportunity to refresh our souls and our marriage.
Getting older is cause for trimming back some things and valuing more in less. My prayers are often but also less complicated too. Each day I pray to God to help me to be the very best that I can be, what more could I really ask for?
Here is to another year, another chance and another opportunity to learn and to continue to grow. Be happy, it is a choice and one worth making day after day and year after year.
Living, learning, loving and losing, what else is there and what else really matters?
It seems like these four words could sum up life … and/or at least be a pretty good road map for a good and rich life.
We live and do the best we can with what we know, we learn or we die, learning keeps us alive and is the breath of life. Loving, what else really makes life worth living but loving, having the ability and the capacity to both give love and to receive love? And losing where so often it is in losing that we learn our biggest lessons. The lessons that both mold us and stay with us.
Living, learning, loving and losing might also be periods of our life or seasons of life. The periods and seasons that can and may overlap too.
So I guess my questions to you my readers are what are you living for, what is defining your life right now?
And what are you learning? What is adding to your growth and development and bringing the necessary oxygen to your life?
Loving probably the greatest gift of them all, what are you loving? Who are you loving and what and who is loving you?
Each experience comes down to, what will we do with it? How will we perceive it? Will we see it for what it is or try and make more or less of it? In the end will we take and appreciate the gifts and leave the rest behind?
Happy living, learning, loving and losing, as each affords us new and different life experience, challenges and riches.
Today and every single day it is important to have self-love, self-esteem and self-care and no it is not at all selfish. In order for us to love others, we must first learn to love ourselves. The relationship we have with ourselves is the longest relationship we will ever have here on earth.
When you are the object of someone else's hatred and anger, remember self-love. Don't ever allow another person to take your glow and your shine from you. Shine on!
God loves you just the way that He created you. Be yourself! Be your best self! Do it for yourself first and then for all others.
We teach others how to treat us by what we accept and what we tolerate and what we reflect. Most battles are won and lost within ourselves.
Stand tall, be proud and lead with your best self and most of all learn to love and to accept yourself. There really are no winners or losers there are happy people and unhappy people.
Happy people understand that it comes from within and that happiness is a choice.
There are so many life lessons that are learned in the garden. Some are so simplistic and others much more complex. Like a flower that needs lots of water and sunlight and another variety that does better in shade and dry soil. Each flower, each planting has its own specific needs.
We learn how water and sun create some of the most beautiful green plants. We learn that a specific growth in a planting is a result or more and sometimes less amounts of acidic soil. The garden teaches us the importance of cutting back and weeding. Some of us talk to our plants, after all they are living things.
Each year I marvel at the plants that naturally return every season and the ones that I start new from seeds. Each plant and flower tell us their own story. Depending on the time of day and the time of year each plant has a different look.
I grew up on a small farm in Northeast Pennsylvania that was once an orchard. That farm taught me about fruited trees and growing food such as tomatoes, potatoes and more. To be a good gardener you have to be a good nurturer and in touch with different types of plants, their needs and requirements for their very survival and existence.
Roses can be tricky they require lots of water and sunlight and they are also magnets for disease and leaf eating insects. It can be a delicate balancing act and yet every year when they are cut back and survive a cold harsh winter, it can be amazing to witness them return to life in the spring.
There are so many life lessons that we learn in our gardens. Every plant is a living thing that requires different kinds of care, much like the people in our lives. People and relationships that thrive and survive under different care, nurturing and circumstance. Others like our flowers and plantings that just don't survive and thrive at all.
Our gardens are a place where we learn many valuable life lessons just like we are afforded in all of our relationships. What works for one might not work for all. Some of my fruits and vegetables are attacked by animals and never make it to maturity. We see that happen in life too. Where a life is altered and changed by others that it encountered along the way.
I find peace, love and joy in my garden just like what I seek out in all my relationships. Like a garden that needs love, light and to be nurtured so do the relationships that we hold near and dear.
There comes a day when you learn that letting go is so much healthier than hanging on. That love can be and is the best gift and best medicine for most all that ails us.
That laughter releases the negatives and soothes the soul and that you listen and see and hear and yet never feel the desire to speak. And then comes the day when just like your garden, that changes daily, weekly and with each season, so too have you changed.
Then comes a day when you accept and embrace the flaws within yourself and in others and you come to that place of peace where there is nothing that you are willing to engage in, if it isn't love or coming from a truth based place of love.
Then there comes a day when you find all the joy, love and peace within your own heart and soul. Rather than seeking out others to fill your own voids.
There comes a day when you are content with little and lots just looks like more to manage. There comes a day when you realize that enough, truly is enough.
There comes a day when you are in alignment with your own heart and centered enough to know who and what you are all about, that nothing other people do or say is about you. It never was or will be about you, but rather all about them.
There comes a day when you are free and understand what freedom means, what it really is and brings with it and places upon us.
There comes a day … when we finally trust enough to let go and let God lead us and we know that there was never a need for control or fear or anxiety.
No one wants to be that person, the one who gets left behind. Sooner or later we all have that experience and it never feels good. Whether we are left by choice, by divorce or by death, being left behind is hard and it is a scary feeling.
We build our lives with others, we have friends, we have families and we have our pets. When they leave and we are left behind we feel that void. That special place they once held now is an open space.
Our bichon Chipper is grieving his sister Happy who passed over just a few weeks ago. We have never heard such deep intense cries from him in all our seven years with him.
Every time when of our children grew up and left home, we almost immediately replaced them with a furry baby. Each dog has held our heart much like our young children once did, today we grieve Happy. It drives home again, that feeling of being left.
Yet with Happy is was a soft pain and loss because we have so many happy memories with her. She was just so easy to care for and to love. It was natural.
From day one my husband Brian and I acknowledged that one of us would be "widowed" again, one of us would know that feeling again … that feeling of being left behind. We do everything in our power to honor all the time that we share together by living our best life and living it as centered and honest as possible.
Each of us finds that day when we move past the loss … past the grief … and truly celebrate what once was and what was once shared. We learn once again that life is for the living and that we must live it!


What we currently are offering is a line of Jeep Cherokee XJ Bumpers designed to fit all XJ Jeeps from 1984 to 2001. Our base model being just that, a bare 3/16 2x6 steel bumper with no accessories. Available upon request for $200. All additional options have a set price.
For the front bumpers we offer, Flush Mount LED pods $50, D-ring mounts $50, Recessed winch plate $80. Bull Bar $50, Stinger $50, Front mounted receiver $30. We are also offering a stubby version at same price with same options available.
Built to fit the 1984 to 2001 Jeep Cherokee. This is our loaded rear bumper option. It comes with flush mount LED pods, 3/4" x 4" D-ring mounts and a 2" Receiver hitch for an additional recovery point or quick add accessory.
Built to fit the 1984 to 2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ. This is another one of our loaded front bumper options. It comes with flush mount LED pods, stinger, and 3/4" x 4" D-ring mounts.
Built to fit the 1984 to 2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ. This is another one of our loaded front bumper options. It comes with flush mount LED pods,Bull Bar, and 3/4" x 4" D-ring mounts.
Built to fit the 1984 to 2001 Jeep Cherokee. This is our loaded rear bumper option. It comes with flush mount LED pods, and 3/4" x 4" D-ring mounts.
We are constantly adding new products, stay in the loop.


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Sponsors > Vendors > Exhibitors > Venue > Hours > Setup > Teardown > Parking > Security > Table Price
The 30th Temple Model Train Show is sponsored by CentraMod Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas. The event benefits the Central Texas Area Model Railroaders. The event is made possible with the support of CentraMod Inc.
Vendors agree to hold harmless CentraMod Inc., the sponsors and organizers of the Temple Model Train Show for any and all actions that may occur involving the show and Vendor agrees to take full responsibility for the safe and tasteful conduct of its representatives while in attendance at the show.
CentraMod Inc, and the sponsors and organizers of the Temple Model Train Show reserve the right to allow or disallow any particular Vendor from participating in the show. Vendors are expected to sell train-related items at the Temple Model Train Show.
Requests for a full refund of Vendor fees will be granted before Jul 1, 2013. Request for refund of Vendor fees from Jul 1, 2013 to Aug 16, 2016 will be considered on a case-by-case basis. No refunds will be given after 9:00 p.m. Aug 16, 2013.
Vendors agree to keep their exhibits within the boundaries of the space allocated, and not to encroach on space designated for other Exhibitors, Vendors or movement of patrons throughout the show.
Each Vendor and their representatives will be provided an official badge which must be worn at all times and will be required to enter the entire Convention Center.
Each Vendor agrees to comply with the laws regarding Texas sales tax and collect and remit such tax in a legal manner if required.
Exhibitors agree to hold harmless CentraMod Inc., the sponsors and organizers of the Temple Model Train Show for any and all actions that may occur involving the show.
Exhibitor agrees to take full responsibility for the safe and tasteful conduct of its representatives while in attendance at the show.
CentraMod Inc, reserve the right to allow or disallow any particular Exhibitor or their representatives from participating in the show.
Exhibitors are expected to exhibit train-related items at the Temple Model Train Show.
Exhibitors agree to keep their exhibits within the boundaries of the space allocated, and not to encroach on space designated for other Exhibitors, Vendors or movement of patrons throughout the show.
Each Exhibitor and their representatives will be provided an official badge which must be worn at all times and will be required to enter the entire Convention Center.
The Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center 3303 N. 3rd St. Temple, Texas 76501. Main Hall, Rooms 1-7, and Lobby.
The show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 19th and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, September 20th.
Vendors and Exhibitors are expected to be fully set up and manning their space for the full duration of the public show on both days.
Train Show Setup
3 pm to 10 pm Friday, September 18th
7 am to 10 am Saturday, September 19th
It is NOT Permitted for any type of motorized vehicle or trailer to drive into the Main Hall to unload.
Unloading may be carried out at the front and rear of the Convention Center. Once you have completed unloading please move your vehicle so others may do the same.
CentraMod Members will be available to help on a first come serve basics.
Note that all tables may not be set up and available immediately at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Teardown hours are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, September 20th.
Loading may be carried out at the front and rear of the Convention Center. Once you have completed loading please move your vehicle so others may do the same.
It is NOT Permitted for any type of motorized vehicle or trailer to drive into the Main Hall to load.
Parking will be available at no charge.
RV Park Sites Available (Water & Electric) contact Mayborn Convention Center for availability and cost.
Security will be provided during closed times. Security will be handled by a private firm not associated with the Frank Mayborn Civic and Convention Center.
The Security Guards, Mayborn Convention Center Personnel, and CentraMod Members are given special orders. (No one will be allowed inside the entire Convention Center until 7 a.m. Saturday 15th September. All show personnel must clear the entire Convention Center by 5:30 p.m. Saturday, September 2st. No one will be allowed inside the entire Convention Center until 10:30 a.m. Sunday September 22nd.)
The organizers and sponsors take no responsibility for loss or damage at any time to any property left in the exhibit hall. Please be sure to carry out any personal belongings you will need Friday and Saturday night.
Table Price
Table prices are $40.00 per table.
Tables are a first come first serve basis. If you have any table arrangement preferences, please indicate them on the Registration Application form.
If you would like a Registration Application Form sent to you contact Train Show Chairman at
When you sign up to be with us at the Temple Model Train Show, we request that you stay both days and remain until the end of the day Sunday.
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Eisenberg & Young has been a client of Cubicle Fugitive for many years. The firm is led by Robert Young and Howard Eisenberg who are Hamilton's go-to certified specialists for Immigration Law. With over 50 years of combined Canadian immigration experience, they offer complete service with a diverse and global client base.
A long-time client of Cubicle Fugitive, Eisenberg & Young decided that it was time to refresh their website with a modern and attractive look and feel. The objective was to refresh the site so it could be used as a business generation tool for cultivating more qualified leads online. The firm was looking to ensure that the site was mobile-friendly and that it appealed to people all over the world, of all ages, occupations and backgrounds. CF worked with Eisenberg & Young to develop enticing headlines, revised website copy and updated photography. CF delivered on these goals and created a website with a fresh and attractive new look that achieved the firm's overall objectives.


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The Sopranos S1 Power Rankings
1. Tony Soprano
Who else could it have been? The anti-hero to end all anti-heroes. Except all he did was spawn more anti-heroes, so many anti-heroes. No matter, Tony S is probably the most compelling of them all. He is certainly the funniest. And funny goes a long way. This season is Tony at his most sympathetic and our "Rooting-for-Tony-o-meter" is at a healthy 10 (out of 10).
2. Livia Soprano
The true villain of the show, even if everything she says is unintentionally gut-busting hilarious. I don't think we all understand the magnitude—she wanted her own son dead. Because he put her in a nursing home! Or was it a retirement community?
3. Jennifer Melfi
Somewhat plot device, somewhat shallow side character, Melfi has often come under a lot of scrutiny from fans and critics. But look no farther than her scenes in the season finale and see why she earns this coveted Top 3 spot. Besides, how else would we get all the shadings of Tony's inner-workings if not for her therapy sessions? Voiceover? Please.
4. Christopher Moltisanti
A hotheaded douche for much of the early portion, until a mock-execution scared him shitless (he, um, actually shit his pants) and made him more sympathetic. But we didn't gain empathy for young Chris until we watched him struggle to write a script and find identity in his life. And Chris was right actually. He doesn't have an arc.
5. Paulie Gaultieri
Stereotype, sure, but hilarious nonetheless. Commissioned to kill Mikey Palmice, he ran into poison ivy, cried "I can feel it itching already!", and hastily pulled the trigger.
6. Uncle Junior
Tony's main opposition, but not really a villain, now is he? As we saw in "Boca", he has a tender side too. A source of dry old-school humor to go along with it. Best scene: denying that Tony was the one operating the business behind the scenes and that he, Corrado "Junior" Soprano, was in fact the Big Boss. Becomes one of my favorites in the next couple seasons.
7. Silvio Dante
Steven Van Zandt from the E Street Band. That'll get you Top 10 any time, in any list. And we even get "State Trooper" to close out the season! Silvio is the guy who's always there but isn't really there. He adds the much-needed color to fill out the mobster palette, that spicy gangster special sauce. No stories solely about him, but damned if it is a story without him.
8. Carmela Soprano
"College" isn't just a landmark episode for Tony, it's a landmark for Carmela and all aspiring female TV characters as well. Add some emotional complexity to that tired housewife shtick, and, by season's end, you'll be calling out the neighborhood priest for the manipulative, mooching asshole that he is! By season four, you might even divorce your husband!
9. Meadow Soprano
Still bratty and privileged and spoiled and snotty, but still hot and sweet and hot. My peak admiration for Meadow as a character is probably the "College" episode and my peak dislike for her is whenever her annoying friend Hunter is in the room.
10. Vin Makazian
The world treated him like shit so he jumped off a bridge. If that's all you remember of alcoholic gambler whorehouse-frequenting crooked cop Vin Makazian, then take it as a cautionary tale. One of the true tragedies of season one.
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An Audit of Baltimore City's speed camera program found that error rates were 40 times higher than what the city previously acknowledged, according to an article by the Baltimore Sun, and that far more erroneous citations may have been issued than what the city refunded.
The city initially withheld the report from the Baltimore Sun, resisting calls from some city council members to disclose the findings to the public. However a copy of the audit was leaked to the Sun despite the city's denial. The audit revealed an "error rate" of approximately ten percent, which is substantially higher than previously acknowledged, with about one in ten citations examined showing an error.
"It's outrageous. No, it's beyond outrageous," said City Councilman Carl Stokes, who has been calling on the city to release the audit. "Who ever heard of a secret audit? We should have told the public immediately. We should have declared complete amnesty, that all of the tickets were null and void. If anybody paid, they should be paid back."
The audit identified 13 cameras with double-digit error rates, including one at Loch Raven Boulevard that was giving out more erroneous tickets than accurate citations.
A camera in the 1000 block of Caton Ave. had a 35 percent error rate, the audit found. A device at the 6500 block of Eastern Ave. had a 45 percent error rate. And a speed camera in the 5400 block of Loch Raven Blvd. had a 58 percent error rate.
"That is extraordinary," said City Council member Robert Curran. "Anything more than a 2 percent error rate is unacceptable."
City officials said Wednesday that they shut down the entire speed camera program last spring — by then being run by a different company — within a week of reviewing the audit's findings. They pointed out that they have made some efforts over time to void or refund tickets they believed were obviously erroneous.
Laurie Thomas said she got a citation from a speed camera in the 5600 block of Bradley Boulevard for going 42 miles per hour in the 30 mile per hour zone on Dec. 27.
Paula Spasaro said she got one for going 43 miles per hour on Dec. 30. "I was absolutely not going that fast," Spasaro wrote.
Shaila Ohri said she got a citation from a camera in the 5900 block of Bradley Boulevard for going 43 miles per hour on Dec. 28. Jennifer Gaum said she got cited for going 42 miles per hour on Dec. 29. Vehicles traveling 12 or more miles per hour over the speed limit can be ticketed, according to state law.
They are a few of more than 15 residents who contacted BethesdaNow.com with citations for going 42, 43 or 44 miles per hour from the set of speed cameras on Bradley Boulevard near Huntington Parkway. Most denied they were going that fast, saying as residents they are well aware of where speed cameras are posted.
Channel 5 news has investigated the complaints. The head of Montgomery's speed camera program has denied that there are any problems with the camera because the devices are calibrated.
Montgomery County's contractor, Xerox, is the same one which previously ran Baltimore City's program during the time period referenced in the now disclosed audit, and Xrox's cameras in Baltimore City issued erroneous citations even when all calibration tests had passed. But hey "Trust us, it's different this time". And it is different in Montgomery County: unlike Baltimore's cameras, Montgomery County's cameras round timestamps off to the second. Because of this, verifying vehicle speeds after the fact using images is for all practical purposes impossible in Montgomery County, as would conducting the sort of audit for accuracy like the one Baltimore performed which showed high rates of errors. Last year Montgomery County spent extensive taxpayer resources opposing a requirement that such secondary evidence of speed exist.
In addition, Prince George's County is refunding $82,000 worth of citations after an investigation by WUSA9. The county disclosed that the location of the camera had not met a requirement of state law that the location of the cameras be published prior to it's activation. Refunds for the camera located on the 2300 block of Brinkley Road should be received within 45 days, according to police.


This beer was in this years Christmas Beer Variety case at State Line Liquors. This will be a first Breckenridge beer that I have had. Since there seems to be a category difference between RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com I'm really curious as to what this will taste like.
The beer pours a clear dark amber with orange hues and an off white head.
The nose is very pleasant with sweet caramel malt aromas with interesting nutty notes. With a gentle swirl of the glass with is the most interesting release of citrus and floral hop aromas.
What a great first sip; just and all around nice tasting ale.
The experience starts out with a touch of sweetness upfront on the tip of the tongue followed by and eloquent mouthfeel as the ale rolls over the tongue in the middle of the sip. The back-end is very easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. The finish is almost exquisite with smooth rich sweet caramel malt flavors and just a touch of earthy hop flavors. The final aftertaste is just a hint of these rich caramel malt flavors.
So far this is an impressive ale.
As this beer warms it just gets better.
We are now at 66 degrees.
This beer is as smooth as it is hardy. The caramel malt flavors are exquisite at this temperature and the sweet taste of alcohol is finally coming through. That was delicious to the last warm drop.
This is a solid A maybe even an A+.
Breckenridge Christmas Ale is an impressive 7.4 % ABV Winter Warmer with exquisite rich caramel malt flavors and silky smooth mouthfeel ending with the sweet touch of alcohol on the finish.


My name is Stan Rogers. I had been playing land based slots for ages but made the switch to online video slots. I love online slots. The production quality just gets better and better and the slot games are more entertaining today than ever before. There is also more value for your money in playing slots online. With my frequent slot play comes knowledge of what kind of deposit slot bonus offers are out there and I thought I could share that knowledge with fellow slot players. Hope you enjoy the site and please feel free to contact me as it's always great to hear from other online slot players to share stories and learning experiences.


text:
Hogan Lovells US LLP
Alicante Amsterdam Baltimore Beijing Beijing Birmingham Boston Boulder Brussels Budapest Caracas Chicago Colorado Springs Denver Dubai Dusseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hong Kong Houston Jakarta Johannesburg London Los Angeles Louisville Luxembourg Madrid Mexico City Miami Milan Minneapolis Monterrey Moscow Munich New York Northern Virginia Paris Paris Perth Philadelphia Rio de Janeiro Rome San Francisco Sao Paulo Shanghai Silicon Valley Singapore Sydney Tokyo Ulaanbaatar Warsaw Washington DC Zagreb
875 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10022, USA
Work +1 212 918 3000
www.hoganlovells.com
Alicante, Amsterdam, Baltimore, Beijing, Beijing, Birmingham and 49 more
Alicante, Amsterdam, Baltimore, Beijing, Beijing, Birmingham, Boston, Boulder, Brussels, Budapest, Caracas, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Denver, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston, Jakarta, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Louisville, Luxembourg, Madrid, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, Minneapolis, Monterrey, Moscow, Munich, New York, Northern Virginia, Paris, Paris, Perth, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Ulaanbaatar, Warsaw, Washington DC, Zagreb
United States: Media, technology and telecoms
Telecoms and broadcast: transactional
Within: Telecoms and broadcast: transactional
Hogan Lovells US LLP's full-service, interdisciplinary practice stands out for its expertise in new technologies, particularly unmanned aircraft systems, Internet of Things, and healthtech. Washington DC-based communications practice head Michele Farquhar serves as lead counsel for the PTC-220 stakeholder coalition, a rail industry group implementing positive train control systems, which recently sought to purchase additional spectrum for its operations. DC-based Steven Kaufman and Northern Virginia-based Randy Segal lead the firm's space and satellite team, acting for clients including Planet Labs, which retains the firm in several transactional matters including launch service agreements and contracts. The team is also involved in big-ticket deals such as 21st Century Fox's merger with Disney, where it is one of Fox's regulatory counsels, and Sinclair Broadcasting's terminated deal with Tribune Media Group, where it operated as Fox's lead transactional counsel in the purchase of divested stations. New York-based M&A specialist Alexander Johnson is another key contact in the cross-practice team; he advised Anschutz Corporation on its sale of the majority shareholding of Regal Entertainment Group to Cineworld Group as part of a $5.9bn deal. Senior associates Sean Spivey and Arpan Sura are up-and-coming names within the firm.
Hong Kong Enacts Competition Law
After years of debate, on 14 June 2012 and in its last days of office, the Legislative Council finally enacted Hong Kong's first cross- sector competition law.
- Hogan Lovells


text:
Jiná stanoviska
Pořad ČT24 Politické spektrum s Dušanem Stuchlíkem
na téma "Česká pole, příroda a lesy" Premiéra: sobota 25.5.2019, 14:30, ČT24
Křesťansko-konzervativní výzvy pro rok 2019 a odelhávání minulosti
čtvrtek 24. ledna 2019 od 17:15 hod., hotel Senimo, Olomouc
Pořad ČT24 Politické spektrum se Svatoplukem Kalužíkem
na téma referendum... Premiéra: sobota 2.12.2017, 14:30, ČT24
Kategorie: Zahraniční politika
Conservative party exhorts to welcome of state Israel into NATO.
The Foreign Affairs Office of the Czech Republic
To Mr. Cyril Svoboda, the Minister
Loretanske nam. 5
The Conservative Party
U Pruhonu 6
www.skos.cz, skos@skos.cz
Re: An open letter
Dear Mr. Minister,
In connection with the forthcoming NATO summit in Prague the Conservative Party appeals to you to address a proposal to the other NATO member countries to offer the NATO membership to the state of Israel. The reasons are as follows:
The first, Israel - as well as Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey - is a Mediterranean country, so the condition of attaching to the North Atlantic region is fulfilled.
The second, Israel is a liberal and democratic country, fulfilling this way another condition of the NATO membership.
The third, in a cultural social and civilization sense, Israel is a part of the Western civilization, for the defence of which the NATO has been primarily formed.
The forth, Israel as a democracy is in the same time endangered by some authoritarian powers seeking to destroy it, in fact never giving up this long proclaimed goal of theirs, in spite of various rhetoric loopings. In other words, Israel is in the same situation as Czechoslovakia was in 1938, Europe in early 40's and the whole Western civilization from the half of the 20th century to the end of its 80's. The Near East conflict is that of whether the only liberal democracy and a part of the Western civilization has its right to exist and whether it will survive as a political society. The NATO membership of Israel could help to answer the question in a positive way.
The fifth, it would be otherwise a great honour for our homeland to be the very country appealing the NATO to admit Israel as a member. With so much experience as for deceitful attacks against civilized forms of government disguised as eye-taking pretensions of the minority right of self-determination, the working class right of social progress against the reaction or the peace camp right of brotherly international aid against counter-revolution occurred in the years of 1938, 1948 and 1968, the Czech Republic has all reasons to know that a civilized form of government, if it should have the hope of surviving, must also have the right of active self-defence. The state of Israel now takes advantage of this right. It should claim our aid that could be ensured by the NATO membership. In the moment of its creation the state of Israel faced the immediate and violent attempt of destruction. In that moment it was the Czech Republic that granted a distinctive aid. So it is the Czech Republic that deserves all moral rights to call for the Israel to be admitted as a NATO member.
And, finally, the sixth, after ensuring the Israel's security by the NATO membership, it could also be hoped that the right and just claims of the Palestine nation would be met. In this way the NATO membership of Israel would also be a step towards the creation of an independent state of Palestine that would not become a threat to Israel. So the sincere adherents of the Palestine statehood should hail the NATO membership of Israel.
For this reasons we appeal to you, dear Mr. Minister, to do the right at the NATO summit in Prague.
Brno, September 19, 2002
MUDr. Jan Fořt
CC: Mr. Vaclav Havel, the President of the Czech Republic, the Cabinet of the Czech Republic the Defence Office, the NATO, the Embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Poland, the United Kingdom and the USA in the Czech Republic, press
<- zpět na: Dopisy


text:
Q: Feature Layer no longer accesible after MakeFeatureLayer_management I am creating a new layer out of an old one with MakeFeatureLayer_management like this:
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management("layername", "newlayername", "DEPTH = 1200")

This works for the first time but if I want to execute the function on the same layer again (with a new out_layer and a different where clause) like this:
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management("layername", "secondlayername", "DEPTH = 1400")

I get

Runtime error  Traceback (most recent call last):
     File "", line 1, in
     File "c:\program files (x86)\arcgis\desktop10.1\arcpy\arcpy\management.py", line 5774, in MakeFeatureLayer
       raise e ExecuteError: ERROR 000622: Failed to execute (Make Feature Layer). Parameters are not valid. ERROR 000628: Cannot set input into parameter in_features.

Also the auto completion for in_features no longer shows the used layer.
What can I do to fix this?

A: Based on the edits to your original question, try something like this:
import arcpy

input = "featureclass or shapefile"

arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(input, "newlayer", "query")
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(input, "newlayer2", "query")

Make the input to the MakeFeatureLayer management tool the dataset rather than a layer created from the dataset.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Indian Army deploys new Heron drones along LAC
These are an advanced version of the Heron procured from Israel
The latest drone version can fly up to an altitude of 45,000 feet.
New Delhi, November 30
The Indian Army has procured a set of new surveillance drones that allow the ground controller to communicate through a satellite. These have been deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.
These are an advanced version of the Heron procured from Israel. Last winter, the Indian Navy had leased high performance 'Predator' drones from the US and these were used extensively.
The existing version of the Heron drones with the Army was without satellite communication and allowed only line of sight communication. This restricted operations in mountains of Ladakh. The drone could fly to a maximum 28,000 feet, couldn't operate in winter and its effective vision was limited to 7-8 km.
Also, the Army had to fly two drones in tandem, one that 'looked across' and the other to act as relay for communication to ground controller. Satellite communication drones remove such bottlenecks. The new version is all- weather capable and flies up to an altitude of 45,000 feet. The new drones perform a variety of missions, including intelligence gathering, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance. — TNS


Lots of people don't much like hiphop. My theory is that they just think they don't and they haven't heard the really good stuff. The idea behind this CD is basically that. A wide selection of honest to God downright awesome hiphop from most of my favourite hip hop purveyors. So if you like the beats and rhymes already, you'll hopefully like this, and if you don't then you can learn something!
This entry was written by damon, posted on December 19, 2003 at 22:09, filed under MIXES. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.


Here's a series of 12 card sets that are great fun—and full of serious challenges.
One of the hallmarks of a Tin Man Press product is that it's "fair" to all children. That is, our activities do not require children to have a prior knowledge base about a specific item in order to do them.
This is certainly true of "Think Abouts." Each card set has a familiar creature as its subject. Children will learn plenty about the creatures along the way— there are fact boxes sprinkled throughout. But the creatures are simply the jumping-off point for a variety of engaging thinking strategies.
"Think Abouts" are flexible. They're designed to be self-directed— students work from the cards but do the work on their own paper. They also can be used as centers.


text:
Portland, OR residents cool off in a city relief center during June's historic, deadly heat wave. Climate change almost certainly made the heat worse.
Photograph by Nathan Howard, Getty Images
Heat waves kill people—and climate change is making it much, much worse
A recent study found that more than a third of all heat deaths worldwide can be pinned on climate change. Parts of the U.S. are feeling the danger now.
Heat waves, like the one that has held the Northwest United States in its grip for the past week, are deadly.
The human toll of the record-breaking temperatures that slammed both coasts of the U.S. and Canada in recent weeks is already enormous. At least 80 people have died in the U.S during the past few days of extreme heat; in British Columbia, the number is in the hundreds. And, as more data trickles in, those numbers are likely to rise even further.
A mountain of scientific research has shown that climate change is making heat waves longer, hotter, more likely, and more dangerous. A recent study published in Nature Climate Change adds additional detail by assessing the human cost of that extra heat: In June, a team of some 70 researchers reported that for the 732 sites on 6 continents they studied, on average, 37 percent of all heat-related deaths can be pinned directly on climate change.
The study underscores the urgency with which we need to address human-caused climate change, says Ana Vicedo Cabrera, lead author of the study and a climate change epidemiologist at the University of Bern, in Switzerland.
"Climate change is not something in the future: It's something in the present, and it is already affecting our health in very dramatic ways," she says. Extreme, deadly heat events like the one battering North America are a foreshadowing of what will come. "We can expect that what we've seen in the past—that 37 percent—is going to increase exponentially in the future."
Extreme heat is deadly
Extreme heat kills more people each year in the U.S. than any other kind of natural disaster. Globally, its impacts are enormous. During historic heat waves—like 1995 in Chicago, 2003 in Europe, or 2019 in France—thousands of people can die, and many more suffer severe health impacts that can last long after the heat dissipates, says Camilo Mora, a climate scientist at the University of Hawaii who authored a study titled "27 ways a heat wave can kill you: Deadly heat in the era of climate change."
"These events can have long-term consequences, from kidney failure to your brain being damaged, to heart damage," he says.
Previous studies have linked particular climate change-fueled heat waves that sweep through a city with higher deaths. In the sweltering 2003 heat wave in Europe, for example, human-caused climate change increased the risk of dying by 70 percent in Paris. This new study expands this type of analysis globally, looking at more than 700 locations across all inhabited continents.
The researchers looked at all the recorded deaths that occurred during summertime, as well as temperature data for those same places and times, in order to sift out all the deaths that were likely to be caused by extreme heat. There are temperature thresholds beyond which people are much more likely to die, but those thresholds are different in different parts of the world.
The team developed a mathematical formula that linked extreme temperatures—how hot it was beyond the comfortable average temperature for that city or town—to the number of people who might die if it got that hot. This approach allowed the researchers to figure out how many people have died because of extreme heat in each location they looked at.
Then, they used a climate model to simulate an imaginary world in which human-driven climate change hadn't occurred. They used their formula to figure out how many people would have died of extreme heat in that alternate, theoretical universe.
The differences were stark. The planet has warmed roughly 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) since the late 1800s and stands to warm at least that much again by the end of the century without serious efforts to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
Without just that 1.8 degrees of warming that have already occurred, heat-related deaths would have made up just under one percent of all summertime mortality worldwide on average. But instead, heat-related deaths made up an average of over 1.5 percent of all summertime deaths—roughly 60 percent more.
If extended world-wide, that would mean more than 100,000 deaths per year could be attributed to human-caused climate change, though Vicedo Cabrera cautions that much more data and analysis are needed to come up with an accurate global estimate.
Climate injustice
The study found that, on average, more than one in three heat-related deaths can be pinned on climate change. But in some South American countries, Kuwait, Iran, and parts of southeast Asia, the human toll is much higher: as much as 77 percent in Ecuador, or 61 percent in the Philippines. This disparity emerges not just because these places are particularly hot, but because there is often less access to air conditioning, well-constructed housing that manages heat distribution better, and other factors that can lower people's vulnerability to heat.
The patterns of vulnerability the study uncovered reveal a profound inequity, says Tarik Benmarhnia, an environmental health expert at the University of California, San Diego.
"Think about who contributed to climate change over the last century, and who is seeing the most consequences today, and you see it is not fair. There is a huge environmental injustice in term of who is suffering the heat-related mortality caused by anthropogenic climate change."
The U.S. is responsible for about 25 percent of all planet-warming emissions currently in the atmosphere, while Guatemala, for example, has contributed roughly 0.0002 percent. But more 75 percent of the heat deaths in that country can be linked to climate change.
The impacts in the U.S. are also devastating: About 35 percent of the U.S.'s heat-related deaths could be attributed to the climate change that has already occurred. Other research has clearly shown that those costs are not borne equally: in many cities, older people of color are twice as likely to die during extreme heat events than older white people.
"Worldwide, the effects are unequal. Within the U.S., the effects are unequal. At the county, at the city, in the neighborhood—the effects are unequal," says Benmarhnia.
Deadly signs of climate change
Scientists are working to determine how much worse and more likely climate change has made this Northwest heat wave, but there is little question that it played a major role, says Mora.
"How many times do we need to prove that when it rains, we get wet?" he asks. "For decades now, we climate scientists have been hammering the drum that this is going to get bad. Now, it is that bad."
Even if all greenhouse gas emissions stopped tomorrow, the planet will continue to warm well past the 1.8°F it already has. That would make the kind of severe heat events we experience today more in line with a norm, rather than an extreme. But how bad the heat gets in the future depends on the climate actions we take now, says Mora.
"Our choices for the future are more of this, or a lot more of this. We can still choose between bad and worse," he says.
Either way, it is well past time to start helping people across the country prepare for extreme heat, says University of Washington's Kristie Ebi, a global environmental health expert. Some actions can be simple, like making sure people have access to fans, air conditioning, and shade. Other actions, such as figuring out how to make the electrical grid robust enough to stand up to the extra stresses imposed by too much heat, will be much more complex.
But the basic message is simple, according to Ebi: We can choose to save lives.
"Heat kills, but it doesn't have to," she says.