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Hemp: Africa's Solution to Hunger and Poverty
Posted by hempnewstv under Agriculture, BioFuel, Construction, Economy, Environment, Food, Industrial Hemp, Paper | Tags: Africa, Economic development, hunger |
November 17, 2009 – Investing adequately in agriculture can lead to permanent structural transformation and hunger alleviation in Africa. Not only is the food system a major employer of the poor, but it also generates the capital and demand for expansion in non-agricultural sectors.
Consider the large scale growing of Hemp. The US Hemp food sales are experiencing an annual growth rate of 50% according to the US industry research group SPINS. China whose trade GDP quadrupled in 20 years exports Hemp that is grown on its 800,000 acres. Think of how much more Africa could grow.
Hemp is a crop that is multi-beneficial, and a strong step to creating productive, healthy and even prosperous conditions in Africa. Hemp has up to 25 000 potential uses. It is a high plant protein source and can be pressed into nutritious oil essential for our immune system and clearing the arteries of cholesterol and plaque.The oil from hemp seed can be sprouted (Malted) or ground and baked into cake, bread, and casseroles.
Hemp is an environmentally sustainable, economically viable "ancient wonder crop". Farmers around the world grow it without the use of pesticides or herbicides. Hemp is earth's number-one biomass resource. Biomass can be converted to methane, methanol, or Gasoline at a cost comparable to petroleum. It can produce 10 times more methanol than corn. The use of hemp fuel does not contribute to global Warming.
One acre of hemp can produce as much usable fiber as four acres of trees or two acres of cotton. Trees may take several years to grow, while hemp can be cultivated in as little as 100 Days and can yield much more paper than tree.
Until 1883, from 75-90% of all paper in the world was made with cannabis hemp fiber. Hemp paper is longer lasting than wood pulp, stronger, acid-free, and chlorine free.
Hemp can as well be a textile solution for Africa as it is softer, warmer, more absorbent and has three times the tensile strength. About 70-90% of all rope, twine, and Cordage was made from hemp until 1937. Hemp withstands heat, mildew, insects, and is not damaged by light. Oil paintings on Hemp and/or flax canvas have stayed in fine condition. Hemp fiber has strong, rot resistant carpeting potential eliminating the allergic reactions associated with new synthetic carpeting.
An acre of full Grown hemp plants can sustainably provide from four to 50 or even 100 times the cellulose found in cornstalks, or sugar cane (the planet's next highest annual cellulose plants). One acre of hemp produces as much cellulose fiber pulp as 4.1 acres of trees, making hemp a perfect material to replace trees, for pressed board, particle board, and concrete construction molds.
Heating and compressing plant fibers can create practical, inexpensive, fire-resistant construction materials with excellent thermal and sound insulating Qualities. These strong plant fiber materials could replace dry wall and wood paneling.
William B. Coned of Condi's Redwood Lumber,Inc., in conjunction with Washington State University (1991-1993) demonstrated the superior strength, flexibility, and economy of hemp composite. Archeologists have found a bridge in the South of France from the Merovingian period (500-751 A.D.) built with this process.
Hemp is a wonder plant that Africa should consider growing as a strategy to create wealth for the continent.
Please also see:
Can Hemp Products Save the World?
Canada – Hemp Bringing Highs to Farmers' Lows
Hemp: An Alternative Fiber for Making Paper
Posted by hempnewstv under Agriculture, History of Industrial Hemp, Industrial Hemp, Paper | Tags: Green Economy, Industrial Hemp, Paper |
November 7, 2009 – "Flax is so injurious to our lands, and so scanty produce, that I have never attempted (using) it. Hemp, on the other hand, is abundantly productive and will grow forever on the same spot." –
Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, Journal Entry of December 29, 1815
A reaction to the loss of the world's rainforests is an attempt to find alternate sources of fiber for paper – to replace wood fiber. One pro hemp group that some call the "industrial hemp movement" would have you believe hemp fiber is the answer to deforestation.
Some hemp supporters legitimately want to use hemp for manufactured products including paper. Others may be pursuing the agenda of legalizing Cannabis sativa C. Linnaeus for medicinal and recreational uses and are using the "alternative use" issue as an end-run to legalization.
Another name for this plant is marijuana.
The History of Hemp Fiber
The Chinese used hemp for paper as far back as 8,000 BC. Ancient documents have been retrieved that were totally hemp based. This is certainly a testament to the ability of hemp fiber to withstand the destructive nature of time.
Herodotus writes that Thracians used both the wild and cultivated fiber for cloth. He marveled at the garments made from hemp and compared it to linen. He also wrote about the purification rites associated with "vapor-baths" and breathing smoldering smoke from moist hemp seed.
Hemp's by-product is tetrahydracannabinol (THC) and is a psychoactive chemical generally absorbed through the respiratory system or digestive tract with a significant effect on perception and cognitive abilities.
Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were advocates of Cannabis fiber and recommended their fellow countrymen to use the plant for lamp oil and fabric for uniforms and clothing. Jefferson found its cloth a rival to cotton, at much less cost and he used it to clothe his farm hands. George Washington was said to be more familiar with the plant as a drug.
The last legal hemp crop was harvested in 1957 due to competitive industrial product shifts and a restrictive U.S. Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. Today, in many countries, it is illegal to grow hemp without a government permit – and the permits are nearly impossible to get.
The Industrial Hemp Movement
There is now a worldwide revival of value-added hemp products as an alternative material for building, food products, health and beauty aids, fabrics, car fuel, and paper. It does not seem to be catching on as the Worlds demand for industrial hemp fiber is not increasing.
The Argument For Hemp Paper…
Dave Seber, in an interview for High Times magazine, indicated that being in the "lumber business for almost 15 years now…I have watched the forests being taken out here." Seber has been a redwood logger and president of C&S Lumber, an R&D organization in Oregon dedicated to finding replacement fibers for wood.
"As I see it," Seber says "we've got 10 to 20 years, tops, before the entire ecosystem, as we know it, will collapse because of what they are doing in these forests." He goes on to suggest that the "environmental threat" to forests will worsen if no alternate fiber to wood is found. And, as you probably guessed, he thinks hemp is the answer.
Edit: This prediction was made in 1997.
Carol Moran heads a company called Living Tree Paper Company in Eugene, Oregon. She, according to an article in ENN Online, is convinced that hemp can "single-handedly stop worldwide deforestation." Her company's magazine is even printed on non-tree hemp paper.
Mary Kane, publisher of HempWorld, a quarterly journal of the hemp movement says that "eventually the DEA will be forced to relinquish the ban on hemp farming. It's a plant that can provide alternatives to anything synthetic." She further states that "hemp can save the world but we have to give it a chance."
Hemp advocates argue that hemp fiber is more durable than wood and can be recycled more frequently than tree fiber. Hemp produces a highly nutritious seed crop that can be of comparable value to the fiber crop. Agriculturally grown hemp would fit well with natural forests and tree plantations.
The Argument Against Hemp Paper…
Detractors of the annual agricultural production of hemp fiber are just as vocal against growing hemp fiber. They contend that hemp farming is very demanding on the environment and would negate any possible benefits ascribed to it. Hemp fiber would be cost prohibitive when compared to silvicultural production of wood fiber.
Any annual crop demands a period of establishment and reestablishment, during which the site has to be intensely cultivated and treated for weeds and pests. This has to be repeated until the crop is properly established and done on an annual basis for crops like flax, wheat, cotton, or hemp. Most tree species, even if grown on a fast rotation, would mean less site disturbance and have much less need for chemicals; Trees are more forgiving of site preparation, chemical support, and revisits after planting.
Large areas of cultivated fields would be necessary. This would, in itself, mean clearing land of trees and would comprise the best land in terms of fertility and topography. Irrigation would become necessary in some areas for best production. Tending hemp would be expensive and compete for land and other resources.
Dr. Patrick Moore writing on the subject on his web site Greenspirit indicates that "at least twice as much nutrient must be available in an easily assimilable form as will finally be removed from the soil by the leaf-free harvest". Hemp is a nutrient sponge. Crop rotation and the added expense of stripping leaves and flowers would be the desired method of nutrient replacement. All this adds to increased disturbance of the site, the addition of either manure crops or chemical nutrients, and an increase in per acre expense.
The last little kink in the use of hemp for fiber is a significant concern called cost. According to Austrialia's NAFI and Heike Von Der Lancken, "hemp pulp costs $2,500 per ton as compared to $400 per ton for typical bleached wood pulp." This would create the need for another farm subsidy to make costs match. By Steve Nix. Source.
Using Hemp to Halt Climate Change
Posted by hempnewstv under Environment, Industrial Hemp, Paper | Tags: Carbon dioxide, Climate change |
October 25th, 2009 – The hemp plant can be used in thousands of different products, including large-scale things such as houses and cars. Hemp is also able to be made into smaller goods as well, from health products to paints.
An extremely important goal that hemp must be applied to immediately is the reversal of global warming. Upon first hearing such a statement, it may seem ridiculous that one thing could solve a world problem. However, utilizing hemp on a massive scale could indeed achieve this objective.
To understand how hemp can stop global warming, you need to understand how climate change is occurring. Greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, build up in the atmosphere. This high concentration of gas traps heat inside the Earth, leading to a general increase in temperature.
The negative effects of the advanced stages of global warming would be devastating and destructive. We cannot afford to wait; we must act now to counter these horrible consequences.
When you are young, you learn that for plants to grow, they must photosynthesize. This involves taking CO2 from the air and converting it to oxygen. The nature of the hemp plant enables it to absorb incredible amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, much more than all other plants.
Hemp can not only absorb carbon dioxide, but it puts much of it into the soil. This not only permanently removes it from the atmosphere, but it enhances the soil. Few other plants actually leave the soil healthier after they have grown, rather than depleting it.
Not only is hemp effective at reversing global warming through its growth, but the processing of it into products is "green" as well. Hemp is especially efficient when it comes to paper. Essentially no chemicals are required, unlike the many toxic ones that are necessary for tree paper.
It is stunning to realize how amazing hemp is, yet it is still illegal. Is the human race really trying to kill itself? That is what it appears, being we have a truly miraculous resource almost literally right at our feet, and instead of embracing it, we destroy it. What kind of policy is that?
Posted by hempnewstv under Automotive, BioFuel, Construction, Economy, Food, Health & Beauty, Hemp based products, Hemp Facts, History of Industrial Hemp, Industrial Hemp, Paper | Tags: Industrial Hemp |
October 8, 2009 – If Hemp was discovered today it would be hailed a miracle for mankind as there are so many environmentally friendly products the plant and its byproducts can provide. If consumers want to contribute to a better planet, they need look no further than to choose products made with hemp. This post explores the huge potential impact of hemp – if only it were legal for farmers to grow and process in the United States.
The world is going through great suffering at present, with millions of people starving and millions more struggling to cope with the high cost of living. Most of these problems can be traced back to agriculture and oil. Current unnatural farming methods require large amounts of money to be spent on pesticides and herbicides, making farming practices economically and environmentally unsustainable.
At the same time, the world's population is increasing and the global community is desperate for a solution to meet the food requirements of all countries. Fortunately, there is a solution available – Hemp. Growing the hemp plant and using it to create thousands of products ranging from food, textiles, building materials, plastics etc. is a highly sustainable way to address hunger and a myriad of economic and social issues our world currently faces. (A more comprehensive discussion of this potential can be found here: Hemp: Africa's Solution to Hunger and Poverty )
70 Years of Propaganda
The media portrayal of marijuana and drugs is largely responsible for the negative perception of hemp, but most people fail to realize that commercial hemp is actually unfit for use as an intoxicant. THC, the active ingredient of regular cannabis responsible for producing the 'high' effect in drug users, is typically found in quantities of up to 20% or more. Industrial hemp on the other hand, generally contains less than 0.3% THC content, which is not enough to cause any physical or psychological effects. Smoking industrial hemp to get high is akin to trying to get drunk from non-alcoholic beer.
Hemp has a lengthy history of being a productive crop, even in the USA. Early presidents Washington and Jefferson used to grow the crop personally, and during a few different periods Americans were actually legally bound to grow hemp. The US government even produced a short movie in 1942 entitled Hemp for Victory to help encourage farmers to grow hemp.
Big Business Bans Hemp
Hemp was effectively banned with the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, but a chronic oil and material shortage during the Second World War meant the government desperately needed hemp again. It was re-legalized in 1942 and promoted with the Hemp for Victory movie. The original ban was at the request of big industry and after the shortages subsided it didn't take long before they once again made sure that hemp wasn't able to compete with their business interests.
The problem is that hemp is a naturally occurring solution to many of the world's problems, and therefore can't be patented and controlled by individuals. DuPont was one of the main companies behind the ban of hemp, which they pushed for shortly after patenting a nylon rope made from synthetic petrochemicals. In addition to the petrochemical industries, it also threatened the cotton, oil and timber industries, who formed an alliance to make sure hemp was outlawed.
As well as being one of the earliest known domesticated plants, hemp is one of the fastest growing bio-masses known. The bark of the stalk contains possibly the longest natural soft fibers in the world. These two properties provide tremendous advantages over other crops in terms of practicality and uses.
Hemp is also very environmentally friendly. It grows well in a number of different soil types and climates, and is naturally resilient to weeds and pests. Some farmers even use it as a natural weed suppressor. The use of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and pesticides and are widely unnecessary, with the plant rarely being attacked and strong enough to ward off the few pests which are attracted to it. They don't call it 'Weed' without a reason, as it is able to grow strong like a weed without any assistance.
Wide Variety of Uses
The practical uses for hemp never seem to end, ranging from replacements for many of our current energy, clothing and building material sources to more simple uses such as fishing bait, cooking products and paints.
Hemp seeds are possibly the most easily digestible source of complete proteins; contain high levels of dietary fiber and B-vitamins, as well as containing all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids in the most appropriate ratios for human consumption. Their profile is so complete that if a human was to eat one thing for the rest of their life, they would live the longest on hemp seeds. Since they can be eaten raw, ground, sprouted or made into milk; hemp seeds can be used as a replacement for flour, butter, protein powder, milk and ice-cream. By the way, the seed is not psychoactive and will not act as a drug.
Fuel and Plastics
Biofuels such as biodiesel can be produced from the oil in hemp seeds and stalks. The fermentation of the whole plant can also produce alcohol fuel. Hemp can produce ten times more methanol than is possible from corn and seems an ideal substitute for the massive amounts corn crops around the world planted to provide fuel for vehicles. The hemp fibers are perfect for producing plastic moulded products, rather than relying on oil for their production. They are also well suited for the creation of biodegradable plastic products.
Similar to the way ancient cultures added straw to clay to reinforce bricks, hemp fibers added to concrete increase tensile strength, as well as reducing shrinkage and cracking. It can also be mixed with gypsum to produce light panels, or lime to make plaster. A combination mixture can be used for foundations, walls and ceilings, which is lighter than cement and has better sound and heat insulating properties. There has even been a ceramic tile equivalent produced. The quality of building materials is such that whole houses have been made based on hemp fiber.
The actual building structure is not the only thing that can benefit from hemp's insulating properties. The production of thermal insulation products is one of the most important sectors of the hemp industry. Hemp hurds are perfect to use due to their high silica content, and can be mixed with lime to produce a material which can be blown into areas requiring insulation. Since it is naturally renewable, it is better for the environment and can help to reduce heating costs for existing households.
Hemp is a major competitor to the cotton industry. It produces 250% more fibers than cotton and doesn't require the same cocktail of chemicals cotton needs to grow successfully. It is said that around half of the world's pesticides are used on cotton crops. Hemp is also far stronger, durable, absorbent, insulative and resistant to UV light and mold than cotton. Although it is generally coarse, advancements in processing have enabled a softening of hemp fibers to a comfortable level. Apart from shoes and clothing, hemp can also be used to produce coarse textiles such as upholstery and carpets.
The United States Constitution was drafted on hemp paper. Hemp can produce more than four times the dry weight of fiber in comparison to the average forest on the same size land. Additionally, trees will take approximately twenty years to regrow, where hemp can reach maturity in around four months. Apart from being far more practical to produce paper in terms of growth times and production levels, hemp paper is of a far superior quality to tree paper. Wood pulp paper may be lucky to last 50 years, whereas hemp pulp paper has been known to last centuries or even millennia. It can also be recycled many more times than traditional paper.
Hempseed oil has a wide variety of uses, especially in the personal care product range. It is widely used in creams as a moisturizing agent and is excellent for skin care. It is also present in a number of leading brand's lotions, moisturizers, lip balms and perfumes. Bathroom products containing hemp are also popular, with soaps, shampoos and bubble baths being sold having a hemp component.
Today, many car parts are manufactured using hemp products. Their history dates back to 1941, where Henry Ford produced a car with a plastic body which was made from approximately 70% hemp fibers. Although the idea came about partly due to a steel shortage, tremendous benefits were revealed. The car could withstand blows ten times greater than steel without denting. It was so powerful that Ford used to swing an axe at the vehicle to show it would not be damaged. Unfortunately, the Marijuana Tax Act made production unviable and although some car parts are produced today, the full potential of hemp cars has never been realized.
THE PERFECT SOLUTION
Never has a more perfect solution been available to solve so many of the world's problems. But the sad fact is that unless we rise up as a people and demand a change, we are unlikely to ever see the full benefits of hemp around the globe. This is because there are so many well established interest groups in the many sectors of the economy where hemp can provide benefit – interest groups who do not want to see it succeed. The potential benefits to mankind though are just too large to ignore – and we must work together to see that hemp is once again returned to a revered status in our economy.
Source.<
What's all the Hype with Hemp?
Posted by hempnewstv under Agriculture, BioFuel, Construction, Consumer Textiles, Economy, Environment, Food, Hemp based products, Hemp Facts, History of Industrial Hemp, Industrial Hemp, Industrial Textiles, Medicine, Paper | Tags: eco-friendly, Green Economy, Industrial Hemp, prohibition |
October 3, 2009 – by Hana Haatainen Caye – Do you know what happens when you smoke hemp? Not a whole lot. You may end up with a cough or a headache, but you certainly won't end up with a high. Surprised? Most people are because they mistakenly think hemp is the same thing as marijuana. It's not; even though they are both members of the plant species cannabis sativa and bear an uncanny resemblance. Actually, the psychoactive properties in marijuana come from the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) found in the flower of the plant. While the THC values in marijuana are about 15% – 20%, they're only standardized at about 0.3% in industrial hemp.
So what's all the hype with hemp? It's actually an eco-friendly renewable resource that is once again warranting attention in the United States (although it's not legal to commercially grow here). Hemp is an excellent alternative to cotton when it comes to clothing, as hemp is more resilient and water-resistant, offers better breathe-ability, and is, quite simply, softer and warmer. With the look of linen and the feel of flannel, it's no wonder clothing made of hemp is gaining in popularity.
But clothing isn't the only thing hemp is used for. Consider these facts:
* When used for building material, hemp is known to be better than wood in terms of quality and strength, as well as being less expensive
* Paper made from hemp can be recycled up to 7 times, versus only 4 times for paper made from wood pulp
* Hemp has 10 times less toxicity than salt and is as biodegradable as sugar
* When used to make bio-diesel fuel, it emits 80% less carbon dioxide and close to 100% less sulfur dioxide
* It boasts a production rate of up to 10 tons per acre every 4 months
* It matures in about 100 days versus the 50 – 100 years for a tree to mature
* Hemp crops are heat, cold, mildew, pest, light, drought and rot resistant
* There are far less chemicals used to produce fabric made of hemp than of cotton and other fibers
* The woody stalks, or hurds, of the hemp plant are used for a variety of products, including: paper, plastics, animal bedding and more efficient and cleaner burning fuels, such as ethanol and methane
* The plant fibers are perfect for clothing, canvas, paper, textiles and rope, as well as replacements for heavier toxic fibers and building materials generally made with recycled plastic and fiber
One of the most beneficial parts of the hemp plant comes from the seed which contains many nutrients for both human and animal consumption. The hemp seed consists of
* Calcium
* Magnesium
* Phosphorus
* Potassium
* Vitamin A
* Protein (25%)
* Insoluble fiber (15%)
* Carbohydrates (30%)
It also is the absolute best vegetable source of essential fatty acids, with 55% Omega 3 linoleic acid and 25% Omega 6 linoleic acid, as well as gama linoleic acid.
Hemp seeds can be used in baking or cooking, crushed or whole. Hempseed oil is the principle product derived from the seed and has many uses from nutrition to cosmetics to paints and varnishes.
The multiple uses of the hemp plant, coupled with its eco-friendly properties, makes it the perfect crop choice for farmers across America. So why are we not seeing this invaluable plant being harvested from coast to coast?
Well, not to sound cynical, but you'd have to ask a politician about this. After all, it's the powers-that-be that enforce the law that makes industrial hemp production in the U.S. illegal. But it wasn't always this way.
Up until 1883, nearly 90% of all paper in this country was made with hemp rather than wood pulp. Four million pounds of hemp seed was sold in the States in 1937, and up until that year, almost 90% of all rope and twine was manufactured from the hemp plant. Then there's the car Henry Ford built in 1941, made from a hemp and wheat straw plastic. However, the popularity of hemp and its abundance seemed to be cutting into the potential profits of men like William Randolph Hearst and Pierre DuPont, who collaborated and succeeded in making hemp an illegal crop in the U.S. in 1937. What did they have to gain? Well, Hearst held interests in multiple lumber mills and personally owned huge forests. DuPont used petroleum to manufacture synthetic fuels and fibers, such as rayon, nylon and a variety of plastics. The versatility of hemp wasn't welcome in their world.
Seventy-plus years later, what have we learned? Well, we've experienced an energy crisis, polluted our air and waterways, found that chemicals in synthetics can be a danger to our health, endangered our wildlife species with the destruction of the forests, created holes in our ozone layer, etc., etc.
Could this have been avoided? Possibly. Researchers estimate the if just 6% of the continental United States would be planted with hemp crops, this would provide for ALL our national energy needs. Is this factual? I don't know. But it certainly should be worth investigating. So why is our government sitting on its hands on this one? Is it that there are too many Hearsts and DuPonts out there blocking the way for real change?
I don't know about you, but this makes me angry. When I think about the possibility that we could have fuel with far less toxic emissions, affordable clothing that wouldn't be chemically treated, healthy alternative sources of essential fatty acids, etc. I just want to schedule a meeting with the higher ups and ask them why it isn't happening. They talk the talk of independence from foreign oil, but when given a sensible alternative, they turn a deaf ear. Angry…you bet I am. And frustrated with the stupidity and ignorance of people who continue to think it should be illegal, because they refuse to differentiate between hemp and marijuana. Source.
Hemp Paper – World-Changing Innovation Held Back By Corporations
Posted by hempnewstv under Environment, Hemp based products, History of Industrial Hemp, Industrial Hemp, Paper | Tags: Industrial Hemp, Paper |
September 27, 2009 – Society may be moving away from paper dependency, but we're not there yet. Forty-two per cent of the world's industrial wood harvest goes to the production of paper, and 87 per cent of that paper is used by industrialized western nations like the United States and Canada. And despite its pristine appearance, paper is anything but clean.
The process industrial paper makers use to turn wood pulp into paper has been shown to result in a number of harmful chemical by-products such as carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxide, mercury, nitrates, methanol, benzene, chloroform, and dioxins. Despite its negative side effects wood paper is the only game in town these days, but it wasn't always that way.
Back in the day hemp paper was a popular and widely used alternative to wood paper. Many of the founding documents of the United States are printed on hemp: two drafts of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Hemp paper doesn't require bleaching, lasts longer and is more durable than its wood-based brother. So why didn't it catch on?
At first the reason was a practical one. When the Industrial Revolution took the Western world by storm, people built machines to make larger amounts of paper faster, to meet with the growing demand brought on by the spread of literacy. Hemp, however, proved too much for the first machines. Its fibers were too tough. And so wood pulp based paper became the golden standard.
People didn't give up on hemp, though. In the early 1920s and '30s mechanization was getting more sophisticated and industrial hemp paper production looked like a viable option. Hemp, being a highly renewable resource and relatively easy to grow, had the potential to revolutionize the paper industry (among others). Deforestation could be slowed and many of the harmful chemicals used in the making of paper could be done away with.
But by this time there was a whole industry based around the use and production of wood pulp paper. People had become rich off wood and they wanted to keep the money coming, people like William Randolph Hearst.
Hearst owned a large number of newspapers in the United States. He also owned large tracts of forest and paper mills. Using his newspapers Hearst launched a massive smear campaign against hemp. He published any number of articles with headlines like, "Marihuana Makes Fiends of Boys in 30 Days," and "Hasheesh Goads Users to Blood Lust." His articles actually popularized the term Marihuana. Many of the articles published in Hearst's papers would later be used as evidence against hemp in the mid-1930s when the U.S. government held hearings to consider whether the plant and its relatives should become controlled substances.
In 1937 after various hearings on numerous levels of government, the U.S. adopted the Marihuana Act. This act didn't criminalize the possession or cultivation of hemp, but it might as well have. A tax was levied on anyone who dealt commercially with hemp (by this time Hearst's campaign had proved so successful that cannabis and hemp were considered practically the same thing) and strict rules surrounded its production.
Farmers were required to pay $1 a year to register as growers but could be subject to a fine of $2000 or five years in prison if they inadvertently violated the conditions of the Act—for instance should any plant in their crop test above the allowed level of THC (the average income at the time was about $500 a year). Those who chose to pay the tax were required to register their names and place of business with the tax collector who was then obliged to give out that information to anyone who wanted it provided they paid the fee ($1 for every 100 names). Those who wanted to import hemp were charged $1 per ounce of hemp they wished to buy, and were charged a fine of $100 per ounce if found in possession without paying the tax.
As a result most farmers were either too poor or too afraid of the consequences to attempt commercial hemp production and the cost of trying to import hemp into the eager U.S. market became prohibitively high. The technology that would have allowed the large-scale production of hemp paper withered for lack of opportunity, wood pulp kept its monopoly on the paper industry and Hearst continued to make money. The laws that Hearst encouraged with his media blitz are still in place today in the U.S., though in a slightly different form. Source.
Jobs Watch: Hemp for the Masses
Posted by hempnewstv under BioFuel, Consumer Textiles, Hemp based products, Industrial Hemp, Paper | Tags: Adidas, BioFuel, Green Economy, Hanes, Industrial Hemp, Levi Strauss |
September 23, 2009 – Anyone who believes that the hemp industry is best left to the half-baked stoners of the world should spend a few hours talking textiles with Ken Barker. Five minutes into the conversation it becomes clear that this guy is onto something big, and he knows exactly what he is doing.
Barker recently served as head of apparel at Adidas North America in Portland. Before that he held executive positions with Adidas and Levi Strauss in Canada. He knows how hard it is for apparel companies to meet the rising demand for clothing from earth-friendly sources. When he was with Adidas he entertained proposals to make fabric from soy, bamboo, even seaweed. None of them made as much sense as hemp, the plant that once served as the backbone of U.S. industry before it was banned in the 1930s.
Barker and another former Adidas executive, David Howitt (a brain behind the success of Oregon Chai), run an investment firm in Northwest Portland called the Meriwether Group. They have two hemp companies in their portfolio. Living Harvest, which makes hemp milk, is one of the fastest growing companies in Oregon. Naturally Advanced Technologies, the company Barker has run since 2006, recently raised more than $900,000 and plans to get its product to market within six months.
You know you're talking to an entrepreneur when you ask how close they got to running out of money and you get a grin and a nod. "We took it down to under $200,000 just 30 days ago," says Barker. "But once we were able to announce that we had some global players signed on as partners, we went out and raised a quick million dollars. That's enough to take it to commercial production."
NAT's partnerships with the decidedly non-hippy powerhouses Hanes and Georgia Pacific offer hints about the company's plans. The goal is the no-nonsense, low-cost, mass production of industrial hemp, initially for the apparel and pulp industries and eventually for natural plastics and biofuels. The company has trademarked a fiber technology called Crailar that Barker hopes to build into the next big apparel ingredient in the tradition of Lycra and Gore-Tex, but plant-based and organic.
The idea isn't to replace the mountains of petroleum-based polyester used by Nike and Adidas, or the fields of pesticide-covered cotton gobbled up by Hanes and Levi Strauss, but rather to introduce Crailar into the existing system of textile manufacturing, as an option for manufacturers interested in going green. Thus the partnership with Hanes and textile researchers at North Carolina State.
The same general principle applies to the pulp industry, which is in deep trouble these days and could use some fresh ideas. Think paper towels and napkins without the stumps. The fact that Georgia Pacific has signed on suggests that the potential is there.
Barker calls hemp a "super-crop." There is no disputing that hemp is a proven performer that grows like a weed without pesticides. It is also illegal, at the federal level, although Oregon recently became the seventh state to vote to legalize it at the statewide level. Barker argues that harvesting hemp locally would make sense, but in the meantime he says it is easy to import from Canada.
The potential for hemp has been there for decades — make that centuries. What has been missing in modern times (in addition to intelligent federal policy) is a team with the experience and expertise to take hemp production to the next competitive level. Barker and his partners could end up doing just that. If his plans come to fruition, they could breathe new life into the nation's suffering pulp and textiles industries and offer a new option in the search for viable biofuels. All of which would build nicely on Oregon's strengths in the apparel industry and in the business of going green. By Ben Jacklet. Source.


To celebrate International Women's Day, we were invited down to Goodison Park to be part of a girls - only football event with Everton in the Community. The day was filled with football games and activities, and even a FIFA tournament! We loved spreading our MissKick message, and meeting all the girls who attended.
Tuesday 15th January, 2019 - MissKick gets Accelerated!
Grace again. I have some more exciting news... myself and MissKick have been accepted onto cohort for the AccelerateME 2019 course! What does this mean you ask? Well AccelerateME is a 12 week business start up programme, that comes with funding, office space, mentorship and professional help. 125 start ups applied, and I was in the selected 15! I'm really excited about being on this programme, as I'll be based in Manchester, with other student startups just like me, so hoping to learn some vital skills to help grow MissKick in 2019.
To find out more here's the website https://www.accelerateme.co... It all kicks off on Friday 1st Feb (excuse the pun), so make sure you are following our Instagram to keep updated with all the goings on in MissKick HQ! @MissKick.
(btw the picture on the left is not the most flattering picture of me... I'd just gone through a gruelling 8 hour selection process, and just come out of pitching my idea.) Ha!
SSE Graduation - I did it!
Sorry I haven't posted in a while, final year of University is catching up with me!
I just wanted to share with you that I graduated my School For Social Entrepreneurs start up programme. It was here that I formed my idea for MissKick and I learnt vital skills such as marketing, pitching and understanding my business model.
The SSE help 1,000 people a year develop the skills, strengths and networks needed to tackle some of society's biggest problems. They run courses that equip people to start, scale and strengthen organisations that make a positive difference. If ever the opportunity arises to apply for a SSE course, I couldn't recommend them enough. Without applying for the course, I wouldn't have sparked an idea for MissKick - and imagine a world without MissKick! - haha.
I just wanted to take this time as well to say I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a happy new year. Thank you to every single person who has supported me. I am thankful for every single like, comment and purchase. Here's to 2019!
I just wanted to share with you all how excited that I am to be a part of the #ThisGirlCan campaign! This Girl Can is a celebration of active women who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look, or even how red their faces get (if you know me, you know how red my face can get!). Funded by the National Lottery and developed by Sport England, their aim is to help women overcome the fear of judgement that is stopping too many women and girls from joining in.
This is a big one for me... I always felt like that I was being judged for being a girl and wanting to play football, especially when I was younger. I remember being in Primary School and always wanting to play with the boys but was too scared about what people would think of me. So when I heard about the campaign I was so thrilled that I was asked to be a part of it. I want to show girls that it's okay to love football and want to play. Football is as much of a sport for girls at it is boys and we shouldn't let the fear of judgement stop something that we enjoy. You can read my story on their website http://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/stories/grace/ - MissKick even gets a little mention. I'm hoping that this will be another avenue to inspire girls to try out football. What do you guys think?
Equal Focus Football Win Preseason Giveaway!
A company that provides opportunities for girls in football won our preseason giveaway this week. Equal Focus Football (EFF) set up by Charlton Athletic star, Amber Stobbs, bagged new footballs, equipment and MissKick tshirts after her girls at her football camp delivered the best goal celebration!
We hope that our first contribution to growing girls and women's football has a real impact and we are able to help more teams and organisations similar to EFF. Keep posted for more competitions, games and giveaways!
We are now offering FREE PERSONALISATION when you order 10 or more tshirts. Our tshirts are perfect for match day travel, training, warming up or even as a little gift for your team!
To redeem this offer, please contact us via one of our social media platforms or email Grace at grace@misskick.com.
Our biggest competition yet has just been launched! You could win a prize worth over £300 for you and your team mates! Have you entered yet?
All you have got to do is send us in a video of your team's best goal celebration? Either post it to our Facebook page or tag us in it on Instagram or Twitter at @MissKick_UK and use the hashtag #MissKickChallenge.
We made the newspaper! Did you see us?
Skem Athletic Tournament - MissKick Launch 2018!
Last weekend saw the launch of MissKick at the Skem Athletic National Girls Tournament. I was super excited (as well as super nervous!) about being there and finally putting out my first lot of t-shirts. But it went extremely well - you girls got me! When speaking with you all, the thing that stood out to me was that you too felt like there wasn't enough for girls football. MissKick is all about raising the profile of the women's game, as well as empowering and inspiring girls to break society's boundaries around stereotypes in girls football. It was lovely to know I had your support and you believed in what MissKick was trying to tackle. Oh I forgot to mention as well - we was interviewed by Sky Sports!
Thank you all who came over and said hello! It was nice to speak to so many of you from all over the country who just loved playing football! You looked great in your MissKick tshirts and I'm loving all the pictures you are sending in to me. I am really looking forward to what MissKick could become. My next step is to try and attend more girls football events over the summer as well as prepare some new exciting products for the up and coming 18/19 season.
I'll keep you all updated on my progress on here!


View a summary of the key changes contained in the application.
The Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP 2.0) is an affordable health insurance program from the state of Indiana for uninsured adult Hoosiers. The Healthy Indiana Plan pays for medical expenses and provides incentives for members to be more health conscious. The Healthy Indiana Plan provides coverage for qualified low-income Hoosiers ages 19 to 64, who are interested in participating in a low-cost, consumer-driven health care program. Hoosiers with incomes of up to $16,297 annually for an individual, $21,967 for a couple or $33,307 for a family of four are generally eligible to participate in the Healthy Indiana Plan. The Healthy Indiana Plan uses a proven, consumer-driven approach that was pioneered in Indiana. HIP 2.0 builds upon the framework and successes of the original Healthy Indiana Plan.
If you have any questions, or to find out if you may be eligible to participate in the Healthy Indiana Plan, please visit www.in.gov/fssa/hip/ or contact 1-877-GET-HIP-9 (1-877-438-4479).


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» Home » Science » (E) Honey 'could help fight cancer' University of Zagreb
(E) Honey 'could help fight cancer' University of Zagreb
By Nenad N. Bach | Published 12/7/2004 | Science | Unrated
Honey 'could help fight cancer'
The humble bee may be able to help fight cancer
Honey and royal jelly could become part of the arsenal of weapons against cancer, researchers say.
A team from the University of Zagreb, in Croatia, found a range of honey-bee products stopped tumours growing or spreading in tests on mice.
Writing in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, they say human cancer sufferers may also see benefits.
But they said the products should be considered for use along with, not instead of, chemotherapy treatment.
Tumour growth
The researchers looked at the potential benefits of bee venom and honey.
There is no doubt that honey has beneficial properties and can be very good for you
Dr Emma Croager, Cancer Research UK
They also examined compounds found in propolis, or bee glue, a resin-like substance which is used in the construction of honeycombs.
And they also looked at royal jelly from the salivary glands of worker bees - used as food for young larvae,
Tumours were generated in the mice via the injection of cancer cells, and each bee product was given to different mice before, at the same time, or afterwards.
It was found that giving honey orally appeared to inhibit the development of tumours when it was given before the injection of cancer cells - although if given afterwards, it appeared to fuel the development of secondary cancers.
Injecting the mice with royal jelly at the same time as they were injected with tumour cells significantly reduced the spread of the cancer.
And injecting bee venom into the tumour appeared to lead to it shrinking.
When propolis or caffeic acid, a chemical found in propolis, were injected, researchers saw significantly reduced subcutaneous tumour growth and an increase in the survival time of mice.
The researchers say it is not yet clear how bee products affect cancer cells.
But they suggest they may cause apoptosis (cell suicide) or have direct effects which are toxic to the cells, or which help the immune system fight the development of tumours.
The research team, led by Dr Nada Orsolic, said their study indicated honey-bee products could be a useful tool in the control of tumour growth in research.
They added: "The intake of honey-bee products may be advantageous with respect to cancer and metastasis [secondary cancers] prevention.
"Further animal and clinical research utilising these substances is suggested."
Dr Emma Croager, a science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "There is no doubt that honey has beneficial properties and can be very good for you.
"However, this work is preliminary and careful large-scale studies in people are needed to confirm if eating honey can protect us from cancer."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4063377.stm

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I found this survival kit in a gun shop the other day and thought I would share the contents with you all. Anyone else ever find something like this before?
I love seeing the priorities of someone who has spent his entire life outdoors BEFORE the big prepper/survival craze of the last decade.
just a nice conservative kit with the basics. a kit built up over many cold nights around the fire.
no gadgets, no camo rucksack with enough molly webbing to strap everything you own to it… just a bag with some useful stuff.
"Mora" is a knife making town in Sweden and they all used to use that name in the name of their knife company or on their knives in some form or fashion. Sort of like how a lot of companies also used the word "Bruk" such as with Gransfors Bruk and Hultafors Bruk. So I'd say you have quite an interesting find their. Personally…I'd have paid more than $10 for just the knife.
Thanks for posting. That was interesting.


The blue, white and red colours of the French flag that covered the Eiffel Tower after the terrorist attacks of November 13 in Paris are gone. Instead, the tower has gone green.
The structure went green for the opening of the Paris climate conference, marking the launch of an art project that will see "virtual trees" grow on the landmark to support reforestation.
The project, the work of the artist Naziha Mestaoui, is called 1 Heart 1 Tree. It allows participants to add a tree to the installation through the project's website or a mobile app, by buying a virtual tree. That purchase also supports the planting of a real tree as part of one of the reforestation programs aligned with the project, including in Brazil, Peru, Senegal, Kenya, France, India and Australia.
"The idea is to connect the virtual and the real, technology and nature, and give everyone the opportunity to act in a tangible sense," the artist said.
The launch came as some 150 world leaders gathered in Paris for a fortnight of talks starting on Monday intended to clinch the first international pact to limit emissions of the greenhouse gases blamed for climate change.


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Early voting underway in Ward 1 runoff election
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Early voting is now underway in the runoff election to decide the Ward 1, Position 2 City Council race in Fayetteville.
Voters will decide between candidates D'Andre Jones and Tanner Pettigrew in the race.
Jones took 3,108 votes (38%) and Pettigrew received 2,413 votes (30%) in the general election earlier this month, alongside Pedro Fimbres (20%) and Oroo Oyioka (12%).
In Arkansas, if a single candidate does not win a majority of the votes, the two people with the most votes head to a runoff election unless the leading candidate receives more than 40% of the votes and is ahead of the runner-up by 20%.
Early voting in the runoff is now available at the Quorum Court Room of the Washington County Courthouse, located at 280 N. College Ave., Suite 300 in Fayetteville. Early voting is only available from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25 and Monday, Nov. 30. The courthouse is closed Nov. 26-27 for Thanksgiving.
The runoff election will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Runoff day voting centers include Baldwin Church of Christ (4377 Huntsville Road), Genesis Church (205 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.), Sang Avenue Baptist Church (1425 N. Sang Ave.), and the Yvonne Richardson Center (240 E. Rock Street). Polls are open from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. on runoff election day.
Moiseichik Appointed to Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies
Northwest Arkansans concerned $600 stimulus bill will not be enough


Beautyrest® ST Mattress-In-A-Box features intuitive sleep technologies paired with our Beautyrest® Sleeptracker® monitor in one box.
Our high-performance Memory Foam mattress is designed to help promote freedom of movement and pressure point relief. AirCool MAX Memory Foam helps conduct heat away from the body to help maintain an optimal sleep temperature. Paired with our wearable free sleep monitor, you can now see the results of a great night's sleep on your Beautyrest ST mattress. Priced at $999.
Highly conductive memory foam helps redirect heat to maintain an optimal temperature.
Gel properties in this unique memory foam provide pressure point relief and a luxurious sleep environment.
This system monitors your sleep with pinpoint accuracy while our user-friendly app translates precise data into smart, actionable advice designed to help you unlock a better night's sleep and Be More Awake™.


Way down at the bottom of this page, as far down as possible, hidden for the most part, is a counter. I tried to make it smaller but that's as small as it gets. Yes, I've finally come to the realization that I need to lose weight. Darn it.
But it's a realization I needed ... I've gained almost 20 pounds in the last year ... strangely during that year I discovered blogs and rediscovered my sewing machine. Surely just coincidence, right?
I've immersed myself in weight loss library books, especially The Biggest Loser, which I found to be extremely easy-to-read and understand. I've only tried twice to lose weight, once after A. was born (and I lost most of what I was trying to lose) and a few years ago when I was running (and lost it then too ... and even got muscles in my legs ... and then one night a stranger stopped me and told me a wild, large cat had been seen in the neighborhood ... I'm still not sure if the wild cat or the stranger worried me more but I stopped running alone at night after that and then stopped running altogether). Before last week I had no idea how to go about watching what I was eating and eating the right things ... things I thought were a-ok were not! Darn it.
The best thing so far is the C. wants to exercise with me, and it's so good to have her pushing me! And it's great to take long brisk walks with her and chat about life in general ... it's not easy squeezing in good quality one-on-one time in this house. And then there are the days we try Denise Austin aerobics ... and spend most of the time giggling at ourselves and all our left feet.
My hope is that by mentioning it now and then I'll keep myself motivated. Maybe? The eating thing isn't hard for me so far, we are big on fruits and veggies anyway ... so pretty much I just have to watch the fruits and cut out the sweets. But the exercise ... that's where I can slack so easily. Darn it.
And yeah, this probably isn't the best time of year to start this ... but there's really no time like the present right?
So share your success stories or tips!


I am getting a message that external e-stop is requested. I have no switches hooked up on the machine. How do i disable this function?
Config/Ports and Pins/Input Signals scroll down to Estop and change Active Low to checked if unchecked or to unchecked if checked.


We are an independent optometry office located inside Costco. Due to this unique set up, patients do not need a Costco membership to be seen in our office.
There are many benefits to choosing our office for your eyecare needs. We are commited to providing the best quality eye care to each and every patient. We provide a wide range of services including comprehensive eye exams, contact lens fittings, treatment of eye infections and other eye conditions, as well as Lasik co-management. We only perform exams and do not sell any eyeglasses or contact lenses. This allows us to be completely independent and honest with our eyeglass and contact lens recommendations. We only care about what's best for you.
Dr. Chen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. He then went on to earn his Doctorate of Optometry (O.D.) from the prestigious Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton, CA.
Dr. Chen is commited to providing quality eye care to many patients in the community. He performs more than 3,000 eye exams each year on patients ranging from 5 years old to 90 years old. Dr. Chen has performed more than 30,000 eye exams in the past 10 years.
As an eye doctor, Dr. Chen enjoys working with his patients to provide the best eye care with state of the art technology while providing affordable services.


Condition: Unused, Box little damaged Brand: adidas. International Buyers – Please Note. The item "Adidas Fevernova 2002 FIFA World Cup Official match ball Soccer Ball" is in sale since Wednesday, March 13, 2019. This item is in the category "Sporting Goods\Team Sports\Soccer\Balls". The seller is "mk7679_japan" and is located in japan. This item can be shipped worldwide.


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NewsIsrael News
Israeli Kids Back to School, Despite Threats
Israel Lawmakers Outraged Over Claim Police Used NSO Spyware
Dr. Fauci's Financial Disclosure Reveals Over $10M in Investments
Gov't Report Reveals: EU Invested $500M in Illegal PA Takeover of Area C
Students Back in Class Despite Rocket Fire Over Weekend
Despite Palestinian terrorists in Gaza firing a rocket at Israel on the weekend, officials reopened schools in southern Israel Sunday following a week in which at least 119 rockets and mortars were fired at Israeli towns and cities.
Some 200,000 school children returned to classes after educational institutions within 24 miles (40km) of the Gaza Strip were closed most of last week as Palestinian terrorists fired anti-personnel rockets despite an Egyptian brokered agreement to halt the attacks.
"What we seek with our rockets is not to kill Israelis, but to maintain a balance of terror," a senior leader of Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigade said in an interview with the AFP news agency.
At least five terrorist groups in Gaza, ruled by the Iran-backed Hamas organization that itself is recognized as a terrorist group by western democracies, claimed responsibility for firing over 200 rockets and mortars at Israel in the latest escalation of violence that began March 9.
Schools reopened last Monday for one day following the agreement, but Israeli officials took no chances and kept schools closed after one rocket exploded that evening in the town of Netivot injuring one resident, and the Iron Dome anti-missile system downed more rockets aimed at the cities of Ashdod and Beersheba – where a rocket detonated in a schoolyard on March 11.
«Stopping the Grad rockets brings a temporary quiet in the big cities, but in the communities around Gaza our fortifications protect the lives of the residents who continue with their daily routine," Haim Yellin, head of the Eshkol Regional Council said told the Maariv newspaper. Yellin pointed out that terrorists in Gaza have been shooting rockets and mortars at civilians in his district for more than 11 years.
Israeli areas around Gaza have been hit with an average of more than 10 rockets and mortars a week since 2001. Schools in Yellin's Eshkol district have been fortified with reinforced concrete shielding and bus stops in the area were converted into bomb shelters.
Last week terrorists targeted Beersheba with medium range Grad rockets, whose warheads are packed with hundreds of steel ball bearings to make them deadlier. Tal Fogel, 14, had to celebrate her birthday in a bomb shelter with only a few friends.
"It really depressed me because I wanted to go out but there were air raid sirens," Tal said in a Maariv newspaper interview. "In the end I partied with my friends but it was depressing. It's sitting in your house and getting bombs for your birthday. You're already used to rockets, to explosions and you celebrate knowing that any second there will be a rocket, every second is a siren and every minute you're in the shelter from the fear. Even those I invited couldn't come because their parents were afraid to send them even though we have a shelter."
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Posted on February 2, 2019 February 2, 2019 by Tonio Loewald
Farewell require, you're no longer needed…
This is a really technical article about front-end javascript programming. You have been warned.
For most of the last two years, I have written my front-end code using my own implementation of require. It was inspired by the mostly delightful implementation of require used at Facebook (which I spent had over a month of my life in the bowels of). Initially, I just wanted to use something off-the-shelf, but every implementation I found required a build-phase during development (the Facebook version certainly did) and simultaneously tried to abstract away paths (because during the build phase, something would find all the libraries and map names to paths).
I wanted a require that did not depend on a build phase, did not abstract out paths (so if you knew a problem was in a required library, you also knew where that library was, was easy to use, and supported third-party libraries written to different variations of the commonjs "standard".
What is require?
const foo = require('path/to/foo.js');
Require allows you to pull code from other files into a javascript file. Conceptually, it's something like this (the first time).
get text from 'path/to/foo.js'
insert it in the body of a function(module){ /* the code from foo.js */ )
create an object, pass it to the function (as module)
after the function executes, put whatever is in module.exports in a map of library files to output.
It follows that foo.js looks something like this:
module.exports = function() { console.log("I am foo"); }
The next time someone wants that file, pass them the same stuff you gave the previous caller.
Now, if that were all it needed to do, require would be pretty simple. Even so, there's one nasty issue in the preceding when you want to allow for relative paths — if you require the same module from two different places you don't want to return different instances of the same thing — both for efficiency and correctness.
But of course there are lots and lots of wrinkles:
Every javascript file can, of course, require other javascript file.
Circular references are easy to introduce accidentally, and can become unavoidable.
Each of these things is a synchronous call, so loading a page could take a very long time (if you put this naive implementation into production).
Javascript is a dynamic language. It's already hard to statically analyze, require makes it harder. It's particularly nasty because require is "just a function" which means it can be called at any time, and conditionally.
And, just to be annoying, the different implementations of commonjs make weird assumptions about the behavior of the wrapper function and the way it's called (some expect module to be {}, some expect it to be {exports:{}}, some expect it to be something else, and because require is just javascript can choose to behave differently based on what they see.
Under the hood, require ends up needing to support things like dependency-mapping, circular-reference detection, asynchronous require, inlining pre-built dependency trees, and pretending to be different versions of require for different modules. It's quite a nasty mess, and it's vital to the correct functioning of a web app and its performance.
So, good riddance!
ES6 Modules
So, all the major browsers (and nodejs — sort of) finally support ES6 modules and — perhaps more importantly — because this is a change to the language (rather than something implemented in multiple different ways using the language) various build tools support it and can transpile it for less-compatible target platforms.
So now, you can write:
import foo from 'path/to/foo.js';
And the module looks like:
export default function(){ console.log('I am foo'); }
A couple of months ago, I took a few hours and deleted require.js from the b8r source tree, and then kept working on the b8r source files would pass b8r's (rather meagre) unit tests. I then ran into a hard wall because I couldn't get any components to load if they used require.
The underlying problem is that components are loaded asynchronously, and import is synchronous. There's an asynchronous version of import I didn't know about.
const foo = await import ('path/to/foo.js'); // does not work!
To obtain default exports via import() you need to obtain its default property. So:
const foo = (await import ('path/to/foo.js').default;
In general, I've started avoiding export default for small libraries. In effect, default is just another named export as far as dynamic import() is concerned.
import — again because it's a language feature and not just some function someone wrote — is doing clever stuff to allow it to be non-blocking, e.g.
import {foo} from 'path/to/foo.js';
Will not work if foo is not explicitly exported from the module. E.g. exporting a default with a property named foo will not work. This isn't a destructuring assignment. Under the hood this presumably means that a module can be completely "compiled" with placeholders for the imports, allowing its dependencies to be found and imported (etc.). Whereas require blocks compilation, import does not.
This also means that import affords static analysis (unlike require, import must be at top level scope in a module). Also, even though import() (dynamic import) looks just like a regular function, it turns out it's also a new language feature. It's not a function, and can't be called etc.
An Interesting Wrinkle
One of the thorniest issues I had to deal with while maintaining require was that of third-party libraries which adhered to mystifyingly different commonjs variations. The funny thing is that all of them turn out to support the "bad old way" of handling javascript dependencies, which is <script> tags.
As a result of this, my require provided a solution for the worse-case-scenario in the shape of a function — viaTag — that would insert a (memoized) script tag in the header and return a promise that resolved when the tag loaded. Yes, it's icky (but heck, require is eval) but it works. I've essentially retained a version of this function to deal with third-party libraries that aren't provided as ES modules.
b8r without require
Last night, I revisited the task of replacing require with import in b8r armed with new knowledge of dynamic import(). I did not go back to the branch which had a partial port (that passed tests but couldn't handle components) because I have done a lot of work on b8r's support for web-components in my spare time and didn't want to handle a complicated merge that touched on some of the subtlest code in b8r.
In a nutshell, I got b8r passing tests in about three hours, and then worked through every page of the b8r demo site and had everything loading by midnight with zero console spam. (Some of the loading is less seamless than it used to be because b8r components are even more deeply asynchronous than they used to be, and I haven't smoothed all of that out yet.)
This morning I went back through my work, and found an error I'd missed (an inline test was still using require) and just now I realized I hadn't updated benchmark.html so I fixed that.
An Aside on TDD
My position on TDD is mostly negative (I think it's tedious and boring) but I'm a big fan of API-driven design and "dogfooding". Dogfooding is, in essence, continuous integration testing, and the entire b8r project is a pure dogfooding. It's gotten to the point where I prefer developing new libraries I'm writing for other purposes within b8r because it's such a nice environment to work with. I've been thinking about this a lot lately as my team develops front-end testing best practices.
Here's the point — swapping out require for import across a pretty decent (and technically complex) project is a beyond a "refactor". This change took me two attempts, and I probably did a lot of thinking about it in the period between the attempts — so I'd call it a solid week of work.
At least when you're waiting for a compile / render / dependency install you can do something fun. Writing tests — at least for UI components or layouts — isn't fun to do and it's not much fun to run the tests either.
"5 Story Points"
I've done a bunch of refactors of b8r-based code (in my last month at my previous job two of us completely reorganized most of the user interface in about a week, refactoring and repurposing a dozen significant components along the way). Refactoring b8r code is about as pleasant as I've ever found refactoring (despite the complete lack of custom tooling). I'd say it's easier than fairly simple maintenance on typical "enterprisey" projects (e.g. usually React/Redux, these days) festooned with dedicated unit tests.
Anyway, even advocates of TDD agree that TDD works best for pure functions — things that have well-defined pre- and post- conditions. The problem with front-end programming is that if it touches the UI, it's not a pure function. If you set the disabled attribute of a <button>, the result of that operation is (a) entirely composed of side-effects and (b) quite likely asynchronous. In TDD world you'd end up writing a test expecting the button with its disabled attribute set to be a button with a disabled attribute set. Yay, assignment statements work! We have test coverage. Woohoo!
Anyway, b8r has a small set of "unit tests" (many of which are in fact pretty integrated) and a whole bunch of inline tests (part of the inline documentation) and dogfooding (the b8r project is built out of b8r). I also have a low tolerance for console spam (it can creep in…) but b8r in general says something if it sees something (bad) and shuts up otherwise.
Anyway, I think this is a pretty pragmatic and effective approach to testing. It works for me!
What's left to do?
Well, I have to scan through the internal documentation and purge references to require in hundreds of places.
Also, there's probably a bunch of code that still uses require that for some reason isn't being exercised. This includes code that expects to run in Electron or nwjs. (One of the nice things about removing my own implementation of require is that it had to deal with environments that create their own global require.) This is an opportunity to deal with some files that need to be surfaced or removed.
At that point there should be no major obstacle to using rollup.js or similar to "build" b8r (versus using the bespoke toolchain I build around require, and can now also throw away). From there it should be straightforward to convert b8r into "just another package".
Is it a win …yet?
My main goal for doing all this is to make b8r live nicely in the npm (and yarn) package ecosystem and, presumably benefit from all the tooling that you get from being there. If we set that — very significant — benefit aside:
Does it load faster? No. The old require loads faster. But that's to be expected — require did a lot of cute stuff to optimize loading and being able to use even cleverer tooling (that someone else has written) is one of the anticipated benefits of moving to import.
Does it run faster? No. The code runs at the same speed.
Is it easier to work with? export { .... } is no easier than module.exports = { .... } and destructuring required stuff is actually easier. It will, however, be much easier to work with b8r in combination with random other stuff. I am looking forward to not having to write /* global module, require */ and 'use strict' all over the place to keep my linters happy..
Does it make code more reliable? I'm going to say yes! Even in the simplest case import {foo} from 'path/to/foo.js' is more rigorous than const {foo} = require('path/to/foo.js') because the latter code only fails if foo is called (assuming it's expected to be a function) or using it causes a failure. With import, as soon as foo.js loads an error is thrown if foo isn't an actual export. (Another reason not to use export default by the way.)
CategoriesBindinator, Web Development, Web Development Tagscommonjs, ES6 modules, front-end, JavaScript, require
Previous PostPrevious More on web-components and perf
Next PostNext Migrating b8r code to the New World Order


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PHP Gallery for Flickr
======================

A simple way to create an elegant gallery of your best photos hosted on Flickr.

Prerequisites
-------------
- A webserver that is capable of executing PHP scripts
- A Flickr account

Installation
------------
Copy all of this repositories files to your server.

Setup
-----
1. Open `includes/html/head.htm` and enter a sensible title for your new website and put it in the `<title>` tag.
2. Open `includes/html/foot.htm` with your favorite text editor and replace my details and profile links with yours. Delete everything you may not want to publish.
3. Open `images.txt`, enter the IDs of the photos you want to publish, each in a separate line.
4. Launch your favorite web browser and navigate to `http://yourserver.com/flickr-gallery/generator.php`. This will parse your `images.txt` and build your website.
5. Done! You should be able to see your site at `http://yourserver.com/flickr-gallery`

Repeat steps 3. and 4. whenever you add or remove any images to your `images.txt`.

Demo
----
I am using a slightly modified version of this gallery on my own website at http://jan-gerd.com.

Credits
-------
This product uses the Flickr API but is not endorsed or certified by Flickr. It uses the [socialico font](http://fontfabric.com/social-media-icons-pack/) by Fontfabric and [Arvo](http://files.korkork.com/index.php?/fonts/arvo/) by Anton Koovit.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Eye Physicians Of Austin always appreciates feedback from our valued patients. To date, we're thrilled to have collected 1483 reviews with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Please read what others are saying about Eye Physicians Of Austin below, and as always, we would love to collect your feedback.
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Great first-time experience. I plan to return.
Dr Khan Farooqi represents the perfect combination of in-depth knowledge and warm, reassuring care. See him once and you'll want his eyesight expertise the rest of your life.
The most professional, thorough eye exam I have had. From the time I entered the door till I left, I left I had all the right answers to my questions. I was even shown how I would be able to see with the new RX. That is a first!
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It is a relaxing atmosphere. The assistants are pleasant and informative. Dr. Walden is terrific and I feel very secure with him.
Dr. Pierce is always professional, courteous and friendly.
Pleased to learn that "mole" present on retina has remained same. No action needed on overall vision.
I had my doubts on getting cataract surgery. After talking to friends that had it done , I decided to consult with Dr. Dai. He explained it to me in a way that even a child would understand. I'm glad I had the surgery done. Dr. Dai is the best.
I am so thankful for Dr. Dai and Dr. Buckingham. With my cataract surgery scheduled later this month, my left eye developed a concretion, diagnosed and treated initially by Dr. Buckingham. The eye was extremely painful, pouring tears, and swelling shut. The eye improved with steroid drops but worsened after 3 days. The cornea had been scratched due to the concretion and the eye was painful, pouring tears again and swelling shut. I was embarrassed but returned. Dr. Dai smiled and reassured me. He examined the eye and cleaned the area. My measurements were scheduled for the following week but the stubborn condition in the left eye continued to be a problem. Dr. Dai examined the area, cleaned it and had me return to the steroid drops. The eye is doing extremely well now. Dr. Dai will do the cataract surgery on the right eye first, giving the left eye more time to heal. Dr. Dai and Dr. Buckingham are fantastic. Thank you!!
Wonderful and on time doctor. I'm very happy with Dr. Wollan.
At Eye Physicians of Austin, we accept most major insurance plans. Here is a list of some of the plans we accept. Please contact our office if you do not see your insurance provider listed.


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Hans ZIMMER signing at Amoeba : The Pictures !
We are grateful to Hans Zimmer, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Records for donating their time and the proceeds from the July 13 red-carpet premiere of Inception to the Alliance for Climate Protection, and thank you for your interest.
The Alliance for Climate Protection was founded in 2006 by Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. With more than five million members, the Alliance is a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to educating and persuading people everywhere about the urgency and solvability of the climate crisis.
Your donation will support our work. Through our programs, including Repower America, The Climate Project, and the WE Campaign, the Alliance seeks to build a movement that will inspire choices and changes that will protect our planet for future generations.


text:
Of Coin Flips and 'Climate Change'
Tom Finnerty • 24 Aug, 2021 • 3 Min Read
Suckers!
Heads I win, tails you lose. That might as well be the motto of the left these days, and not least of its Green flank.
For instance, it has become a commonplace that whenever anyone anywhere jokes during winter that global warming sounds nice right about now, for leftist condemnation to come in hot and heavy. As Eric Felton reminds us, when Donald Trump tossed off a one-liner to that effect during a speech on a frigid day in 2019, he was bitterly mocked by environmentalists. Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale's project on climate change communication (yes, such a thing does exist) said that the then-president's comment was "scientifically ridiculous and demonstrably false," adding,
There is a fundamental difference in scale between what weather is and what climate is. What's going on in one small corner of the world at a given moment does not reflect what's going on with the planet.
Good to know. But its hard not to notice that whenever it suits their purposes Greens will unreflectively sling bowls of hot, steamy, anecdata with the best of them. Have you noticed that you hear more about hurricanes during hurricane season these days? Climate change! Still wearing shortsleeves on Halloween? Climate change! Catch the news about that big tornado down south? Climate change!
As noted college drop-out and rich guy Derek Jeter said at Davos a few years ago, "[W]e're seeing more and more natural disasters each year... Something has to be causing it." Something other than the 24 hour news cycle and the rise of social media, I think he means.
Felton has a helpful evaluation of this summer's hottest example of this observation bias, the heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest which saw temperatures consistently exceeding 100ºF. In a piece for RealClear Investigations, he discusses an organization called World Weather Attribution, "a group organized not just to attribute extreme weather events to climate change, but to do so quickly." While the heatwave was still ongoing, WWA put out a statement claiming that they'd analyzed the data and that the extreme weather would have been "virtually impossible without human-caused climate change."
Considering their mission statement, it's hard to label this conclusion a shocker. But their claim of scientific objectivity gave cover to virtually every mainstream media outlet to confidently report that the heat was attributable to climate change. So saith the science!
Or saidth -- until a climatologist named Cliff Mass took the time to actually look through the data himself and came to an entirely different conclusion. Mass happens to be an expert in the weather of the Pacific Northwest -- he has actually written a book entitled 'The Weather of the Pacific Northwest' -- and his own weather models accurately predicted the heatwave.
According to Felton, Mass's modeling suggested that "global warming might have been responsible for two degrees of the near 40-degree anomaly. With or without climate change, Mass wrote, the region 'still would have experienced the most severe heat wave of the past century'." In short, the true culprit was the environmentalist movement's least favorite -- "natural variability."
Mass made it a point to call out the shoddiness of World Weather Attribution's analysis, and they responded to his critique, saying that his report was "misleading and incorrect." But Felton notes that, after the release of Mass's study, WWA's statements on the topic were much more cautious and equivocating.
Let us all be inspired by their belated humility. Caution is king, at least where climate science is concerned. Better to be cautious than embarrassed when someone comes along and checks your work.
Tom Finnerty writes from New England and Ontario.
Article tags: climate change, climate science, Data, data manipulation, environmentalism, science
senior-writer
Global Warmists Go Disney 10 Aug, 2020
David Suzuki and the Great Climate Carnival 31 May, 2020
When Satire and Science Speak Inconvenient Truths 20 Aug, 2020


text:
Wetsuit Sentence – Part 2
By sj_one.
The following morning, I had to shower in my wetsuit; it was a new experience. I could only actually wash my exposed hands, feet and head, of course. Still not having the nerve to go down for breakfast, I sneaked out of the building when no one was looking and went for an early morning walk on the esplanade. The keener surfers were already out on their boards and I went down on the beach and as close to the waterline as possible. That way I could perhaps pretend to be part of that community and not be as mortified by my new look. I splashed around a bit in the sea — at least wearing a wetsuit was appropriate for that.
When it got to about quarter to nine, according to the clock tower on the front, I made my way to the PHI building. James was already there, waiting, and Nick arrived shortly after I did. We didn't have that long to wait until Andrew showed up to let us in. He said to go through to the locker room; he'd be along in a minute to unlock us for our morning bathroom break. As I hadn't taken a leak since the previous day and had been swimming in the moderately cold Channel, my bladder was starting to complain bitterly! It was a relief when the supervisor came and applied the release tool to the crotch zip on my suit and I was able to drain myself with a contented sigh. After being locked up again, Andrew distributed biodegradable rubbish sacks and those mechanical litter-picking gadgets (to avoid having to bend down to retrieve items of detritus). Then he assigned us sections of the beach to patrol. Mine was the stretch from the lifeboat station as far as the yacht club. He, Martin or Ian would be along later to check how we were doing. We set out to make a start.
Since Nick's allocated area was beyond mine, we walked together to the dividing boundary between the two. That way, if we set out in opposite directions and zigzagged our way back and forth across our respective "beats", we could meet up periodically for a chat (assuming the "Boss" didn't object). We compared notes on the previous night. I said I'd been too scared to venture out into the town and had stayed in. Nick had been braver, having eventually got fed up with his hotel room. He'd gone out for a walk — after it had got dark, mind you. He'd not been hassled, except for once, when he had attracted the unwelcome attention of a gang of local youths on bicycles, who'd taunted him and made ribald comments. Fortunately, they had dispersed on seeing a community support police officer coming the other way. Discretion being the better part of valour, they had cycled off lest they have a run in with the Law and find themselves in the same predicament as Nick.
"What do you think of these wetsuits then?" he asked. I hesitated a moment before replying.
"It's strange. Part of me is embarrassed at being the obvious centre of attention and humiliated in it, but part of me is… well, turned on by it, actually," I confessed.
"Hmm, that's how I feel too. It's kind of…sexy, in a way."
I bit the bullet. "Um…you're gay, right?"
"Yeah, but how did you know?"
"I guessed yesterday, when James came out wearing that skintight wetsuit. I saw your reaction." Nick blushed. "No worries, he had the same effect on me!"
"Do you suppose he's gay, too?"
"No idea."
"He's cute, though, isn't he?"
"Very."
We arrived parallel with the slipway at the yacht club and decided we'd better make a start on our respective parts of the beach. It was not a particularly onerous duty. As yet, the sands were not crowded with holidaymakers, so there wasn't much litter to collect. All one had to do on encountering a crisp bag or coke can was to reach down with the claw, remotely grab it and lift it into the rubbish bag. Presumably, it would become ever more mind-numbingly tedious as the week progressed. I made my way back and forth in "stripes" — like mowing a lawn — from the top of the beach right down to the water's edge, periodically meeting up with Nick, who was doing the same.
Mid-morning, I passed Ian, sent to keep an eye on us, I expect. He acknowledged me with a small wave and carried on along the sand. The rest of the morning passed uneventfully and, rather to my surprise I found it was getting on for lunchtime. Since I was already heading in that direction, I walked back to base. Turning my head I saw Nick some way behind, following me in.
There was a coffee and a coke machine in the lecture room we could use, or we could go up to the esplanade and buy some sandwiches from a kiosk, if we wanted. After lunch, Martin brought the special "key" and unlocked our lower zips so we could visit the gents. Nick and I didn't see much of James during our lunch break — he'd apparently gone shy on us and was keeping himself to himself, pretty much. Our thirty minutes were soon up and Martin returned to make sure we were all zipped up again.
The afternoon shift followed practically the same pattern as the morning, except there were now more people about and consequently more rubbish to dispose of. We could either bring the full sacks back to the PHI offices or leave them at the top of the slipway from where the Council bin men would collect them later. It was a hot day and I was glad the wetsuit was protecting me from the sun, but it was also starting to make me sweat. On the plus side, I figured that after a week of this, including the extra exercise, I would conveniently loose a few pounds in weight. The side effect of sweating in such tight fitting suit was that it lubricated the smooth inside surface of the neoprene. As I walked, it rubbed my private parts, massaging them and making me horny. From time to time, I was throwing involuntary boners and anyone looking closely would have been able to see exactly what was going on! I desperately hoped no one would notice and tried to keep my mind off what I was feeling in an effort to suppress the physical effects.
One of the nice things about having to do this almost robotic task was it left ample opportunity to view the activity offshore. By the middle of the afternoon there was a lot going on — sailing, surfing, windsurfing, a couple jet-skiing and even one guy kitesurfing. Pity I couldn't join them; there was nothing to stop me watching, however.
By 5pm I had covered a good few miles and was ready for a breather. We gathered back at base for our final toilet break of the day, before clocking off. I thought I might be able to bear the ignominy of being seen about town in a wetsuit if there was someone else with me, so I arranged to get together with Nick later on that evening. Out of courtesy, we invited James to join us, but he declined the offer.
At seven, I met up with Nick in front of the clock tower and we decided to try and hit some bars, to see what would happen. We got politely, but firmly, asked to leave the first one — whether it was because we didn't meet their dress code, or whether the owner had seen our bizarre beachwear and jumped to the conclusion that we were "undesirables", I don't know. Either way, we found ourselves being turfed out.
The second establishment was more accommodating. It turned out to be a gay pub, in fact. Our entrance caused quite a stir, the background level of conversation dropping significantly as the clientele turned and saw two guys in garish wetsuits walk into their bar. We got quite a few admiring looks, not to say several envious ones too. Somewhat self-consciously, we made our way to the bar and ordered two pints of beer. Gradually, the hubbub returned to its former intensity, though I kept seeing guys stealing surreptitious glances in our direction. All things considered, it was very agreeable and we ended up staying there the whole evening. Both of us got chatted-up, while I was away getting in the next round. I was still uncomfortable with the idea of having to pee in my wetsuit, so I was cautious about having too much to drink.
On returning to our table, discreetly (as far as possible) in a corner, Nick said, "You know, it's just occurred to me, but this compulsory wetsuit business is an effective way to cut down on drunkenness." It echoed what I had already been thinking. I also recalled the reason why he was here in the first place. "A bloke's going to think twice about downing half a dozen pints if he knows he's going to have to piss himself later!" he went on. We both reflected on this for a while and managed to make our drinks last the rest of the night.
The next morning my bladder was really protesting, but I managed to avoid embarrassing myself (further). I was however, first to get to our place of work and first in the queue to have my relief zip unlocked. I was never so relieved to be relieved! The day panned out much the same as the one before. The three of us set out to do our bit for the environment.
During the afternoon I caught up with James, whose patrol was the nearest to the office. Our transects had coincided and we arrived alongside the lifeboat station at more or less the same time. I was starting to get tired and bored with the task in hand and paused to have a chat with him. We sat on the sand for a rest.
"How's it going?" I asked him.
"Oh, okay, I suppose. It's rather boring, to be honest, but I guess we're not here to have fun," he said glumly.
"Cheer up. At least your bit of the beach isn't that busy, so I presume it's not been too hard work." We got onto the subject of how we'd spent the previous evening. "Went out for a drink with Nick last night," I said. "We found a place where wetsuits are most acceptable!" I grinned at him.
"I didn't have the nerve to go out — just stayed in my room," he responded sadly.
"It's easier if you're not on your own. Safety in numbers and so on…Tell you what, why don't I have a word with Nick and we all go together tonight. I should warn you, the place we went to is a gay bar." I still didn't know whether he was gay or straight and I didn't want him to think I was coming onto him — at least, not until I was sure. "Is that a problem?" He looked at me a little dubiously.
"Not really…" He paused nervously. "…I thought I was straight — I have a girlfriend — but…" I put a hand on his arm.
"But…?" I encouraged, smiling kindly. He swallowed and came out with it.
"The day before yesterday, when you emerged from Andrew's office and you were wearing the same kind of tight wetsuit I was, I found myself thinking conflicting thoughts. You have a good body and skintight rubber really shows it off. I was strongly attracted to you." He went red. "Oh, I don't know, I'm so confused! That's why I was avoiding you and Nick yesterday."
"I see. So now you're not sure whether you're straight, gay or bisexual?"
"I guess that's it." This had never been a problem for me — from an early age I had known I was gay. I tried to put myself in his position.
"Just for information, both Nick and I are gay. Look, why don't you come with us for a drink later anyway — just as friends? It's got to beat sitting around in the hotel brooding!" He smiled ruefully and nodded.
"All right then, I will."
Neither of us had noticed, but as we were talking, Ian had come up to us on his tour of inspection.
"Oi, you two! You're supposed to be working!" He laughed good-naturedly, so evidently we weren't in for a major chewing out. We got to our feet, looking sheepish and went on with our litter patrol. Ian went with me, since we were both now travelling in the same direction and we chatted because it seemed the social thing to do. I discovered a fair bit about our "jailers". Andrew, for example, had been (and still was) an avid surfer and had taken this job because it meant he could afford to stay in his hometown and continue to indulge his hobby. Ian himself was just doing it because it paid the rent while he was trying to decide what he wanted to do long term. He didn't really know why Martin had signed up. At the yacht club, he continued onwards to supervise Nick, while I doubled back with my gradually filling bin bag. Another hour or so and it was time to knock off for the day. We made arrangements for the evening.
Just before seven, I made my way to our agreed rendezvous under the clock tower. Nick was already there, waiting. We hung around for a bit for James. It was ten past. Just as we were thinking he wouldn't show, he finally arrived.
"We were beginning to think you weren't coming," I said.
"I nearly didn't. But then I thought, what the hell, why not?" The pub was only a couple of streets away. As we made our way there, there was a shout from across the road and Nick was assaulted by a flying, overripe tomato. It landed on his upper arm with a splat! I guess that mob mentality hasn't changed much since the fifteenth century. Fortunately, he was wearing rubber and the squashy projectile didn't stick. With great reserve, he wiped the juicy mess off his arm with his other hand and coolly carried on, as if nothing had happened. Clearly, his unknown assailant had been expecting more of a reaction and went away disappointed, because nothing more ensued. We got to our destination without further incident and James and I staked a claim for a table while Nick went to get the drinks.
I should explain how we were able to carry things like money about on our person, despite not having any pockets. During the day, we each had a locker where we could store keys, cash and personal items. At night, it was possible to keep some money literally up our sleeves, which were tighter than a miser's wallet! Nevertheless, it encouraged paying exactly the right money whenever possible, as loose change was a lot less comfortable than bank notes.
Thinking back to the previous night and that morning, I reminded James of Andrew's admonition against too much drinking, that first day. It was before 8pm, so they were still serving hot food. We ordered meals, since both James and I were avoiding the dining rooms back at our accommodation. Nick had decided it didn't bother him any more.
"Though, this morning at breakfast there was a minor episode," he explained. "There was a family eating at the next table. The little boy — probably only three or four pointed at me and asked his parents, 'Why is that man wearing funny clothes?' There was a moment's silence as some of the other diners looked, before the mother pointedly told him to finish his breakfast, saying, 'It's rude to point.'" We all laughed.
Over the next couple of days we got to know Andrew (who now said we could call him Andy), Martin and Ian quite well. During a lunch break I endeavoured to chat to Martin, the least talkative of the three. Eventually, while he was unlocking me for a pee, I wheedled out of him why he was working there. It turned out he was mainly doing it because he liked the sight of athletic male bodies in wetsuits and this unusually assignment let him get up real close to them! Kinky!
To be continued… In part 3.


text:
Dear NHL: Hit The Puck, Not The Players
By Frank Deford
Michael Haley of the New York Islanders fights Stu Bickel of the New York Rangers in the first period of an NHL game at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Dec. 26.
Ah, we still do the town on New Year's Eve, but tearing the goal posts down is now verboten. Deemed too dangerous. In fact, as our new year approaches, it's a good time to look back on several other things in sport that have long since faded away.
Who remembers, for example, that at the end of each inning in the field, baseball players would just chuck their gloves onto the grass behind their position, leaving the field littered with mitts. All game long.
A lot of basketball courts were surrounded by a cage of chain link fence. That's why basketball players were called "cagers" before they were called "hoopsters."
Tennis players wouldn't put balls in their pockets. They'd hold two balls when they served, so that if the server got the first ball in, he'd carry a ball with him throughout the rest of the point.
Professional golfers smoked as they walked the links. On the green, a golfer –– I remember Arnold Palmer in particular –– would line up his putt, smoking still, then throw the cigarette aside, onto the green, putt, pick up his cigarette, inhale and move onto the next tee. It all seemed very rakish and debonair at the time.
Co-eds were called co-eds and had corsages pinned on them at football games.
Baseball players wore stirrup socks and basketball players wore short shorts.
So a lot of things in sport which seemed absolutely institutionalized as part of the game did change. Yes, some alterations are merely stylistic. Others, though, are quite substantive.
So will the National Hockey League –– especially Commissioner Gary Bettman –– please take note? It's time, in the year 2012, to do away with fighting in NHL games. Yes, some fans who grew up with it may like it and think it's a necessary part of the game. But it is anachronistic and idiotic and players get hurt. The idea that you have special goons to battle each other while the game stops completely makes hockey seem hokey.
If the NHL really believes that it needs staged fighting to succeed, then the people who run the NHL don't have much belief in the intrinsic worth of their sport as a sport.
Let us hope that one day very soon in the new year that Bettman simply announces that, that's it: Starting tomorrow, fighting in hockey is against the rules –– as it is in every other real sport. Then we could welcome ice hockey into the 21st century.
Of course, it would also be nice to get short shorts back, too.
Frank Deford
Frank Deford died on Sunday, May 28, at his home in Florida. Remembrances of Frank's life and work can be found in All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and on NPR.org.