So this post is a little past due, but relevant all the same. Walking/hiking adventures don't have to be lengthy in distance or time, but preferably purposeful and memorable.
This "short" little jaunt checked all the boxes, especially having been shared with near "life-long" friends. It was the "brain-child" of my friend Sandy (aka. "Pole Dancer" of Half Dome "fame"). While she is not truly a fan of long distance hiking, she is a fan of challenges and adventures.
Potato Chip Rock located on Mt. Woodson summit, in Poway California, with an ascent of 2130 ft. from Lake Poway, which then puts you at around 2846 ft. in elevation once you get to Potato Chip Rock. This was "bucket list" item of sorts. Potato Chip Rock is a fractured rock formation that creates an illusion of being suspended over an abyss whilst standing on a giant "potato chip" (no flavor specified). It is the apex of a series of trails in and around Lake Poway, with tremendous popularity for both the "locals" and "curiosity" hikers, of which we fell into. After much "negotiation" within our "Vintage" women's water polo group/team of schedules and availability, an early Friday morning in December was selected wherein, sadly, only 5 of our group could attend. Having researched several other blog posts that succinctly describe this hike, we knew that setting out rather early in the morning would insure a higher probability of less "congestion" on the trail and specifically at our destination. Also, an early morning ascent would provide for more favorable temperature(s) to hike in, as this area of Poway is significantly drier and warmer than hiking in/near San Clemente.
Up and early we rally at Pole Dancer's abode and make the nearly 60 mile drive to Lake Poway as the sun is beginning to rise. Within the hour, we pull into the parking lot of Lake Poway (14644 Lake Poway Rd., Poway CA 92064) and are pleasantly surprised there is no one to collect a fee for parking at this early hour. As this trail is "dog friendly", our friend Erin has brought her dog to accompany us. A "potty break", to off-load the morning's ritual consumption of coffee, is in order. As with all trails, we begin this trek (leaving from the restroom) with an uphill, that then leads to a downhill, to the trail, and then an ever-climbing uphill to Potato Chip Rock. The air is brisk, for our So-Cal standards, but we are thankful that, although it will warm up, it will not be a scorching hot day.
As we march up the wide, well-maintained dirt trail we break off into cascading conversations, and admire the unobstructed views of the surrounding hillsides and Pacific Ocean in the near distance. We wonder why in college we never ventured here, but then realize that most of our recreation involved alcohol or aquatic related activities. Soon the trail narrows and stair-steps upwards, leaving us at times breathless with thighs-a-burning.
When we reach Potato Chip Rock we are relieved that there is not a crowd. Each of us make our way up and onto the "edge" of the rock with varied degrees of required effort, both physically and mentally.
One's choice of ascent and/or descent is either a "squeeze/shimmy" between two boulders, or a "short" leap, of sorts, from atop the adjacent boulder onto the bottom edge of Potato Chip rock (and visa versa).
My fear of heights and self-constrained "leaping" ability required I squeeze/shimmy and literally crawl to the rock's edge, all the while with concentrated breathing and encouragement from the now growing crowd waiting "patiently" for me to succeed.
Once photo-ops are taken, we have a snack and admire the view from another vantage point slightly down the trail, before heading back to our vehicles and the rest of our Friday.
This of course, was not without a 2moremiles "obligatory", and unintended, detour that required us to retrace our steps, which we chalked up to inattention and just plain jabbering, thus rounding out our 7 mile trek to an "even" 8 miles.
I will say, unequivocally, that I am blessed to have such good friends who are willing to join me (occasionally) on my adventures, however "misguided" they may be. In fact, planning for the next adventure has already begun…we just need it to "dry out" a bit!
Things got a little hectic and busy when we got back from our Wyoming trip, so here's the last installment of that adventure. In fact, I have at least two others from last year to post, which I will do next week. In any event, I expect 2019 to be filled with many "mini" adventures, and if all goes well, 2020 will see us hiking the CDT (Continental Divide Trail).
If you don't like the weather, wait a day…it might get worse (or better). Each day we spent in South Dakota, the weather presented us with the exact opposite of the day before. Our first day in South Dakota was grey, cold, wet and windy. Our second day was windy and cold, but clear sunny skies. Day three gave us no wind, with bright warm sunshine to take the edge off the cold. Day four we awoke to snow on the ground. I think the only constant for us was the fact that it was COLD everyday…compared, of course, to San Clemente's balmy average of 72 degrees year round. Traveling cross country and recreating in different states of our diverse and great nation always serves to put things into perspective and increase the appreciation factor for the hardships (and frankly the sheer grit) the pioneers who settled this land had. AND, an even greater appreciation for the ancient Native Peoples way of life. Throughout this trip I looked in earnest for, and couldn't help but imagine the hundreds of thousands of buffalo that once thundered across these vast parries of South Dakota, now essentially replaced by cattle. I asked Roy why more people don't raise buffalo, seeing as it is a rising trend in red meat consumption for those wanting leaner meats. "Fences" was his answer. For cattle, the three wire fences are demarcation walls as to where they can "roam". For buffalo, they are not even "suggestions". If you want to understand the essence of roaming, think buffalo. They are big, strong, and will go where they please, fence or no fence. Electric fencing seems to be the only way to contain them…temporarily, and that is not cost effective for most ranchers who often have thousands of acres of fencing to maintain. While on this trip I also came to a better appreciation of those hearty souls who choose to grow our food and raise the cattle we consume. It's a hard life. It won't necessarily make you financially wealthy (by SoCal, or even "big city" standards), but it is certainly purposeful and fulfilling for those I talked with. These people are "salt of the earth".
With our hunting adventure "over", we packed up, said our goodbyes, and hit the road…slowly. We were gonna hunt every edge of South Dakota we could, in a blizzard if we had to. As snow fell lightly all around us, we made our way down the county roads, and eventually to pavement and highways, where creeping along at 20 mph is frowned upon. We, are sad to report that we were not successful in our "road hunting". Turns out though, that our slow perusal may have saved us from disaster. Before we left the county roads and soon lost cell signal, we failed to check where the nearest/next gas station would be. We are used to one every 5 -20 miles or so, and therefore thought nothing of it. This is not the case when you are traveling across South Dakota, and thus, we had set ourselves up for abject failure. By the time we noticed our fuel gauge, it was at less than 1/4 tank, and we were driving into a hearty headwind through the now immensely rolling hills of South Dakota. Paul reduced our speed to 55mph, which got us some strange looks from those who passed us on a roadway posted 70mph. I'm sure they saw the California plates and thought…"Well that explains everything". We did the math in our heads, and made rough estimates as to how much fuel we still had and its possible range, give or take 5 – 10 miles with the headwind (using an average of 17-22 mpg). By the time we got cell service and could map our next gas station, the needle had just entered the reserve zone, (of which we had no idea, actually how much of the 19.3 gallons of fuel remained, via our analog fuel gauge). This meant we had either 2 gallons or 5 gallons remaining, as for when the needle "rests" on reserve, it has been known to sit there for quite some time without moving.
By now, we were at the point of no return for we surely didn't have enough fuel to go back to Faith (60 miles), and neither were we confident we had sufficient fuel to make it to Newell, let alone get picked up hitch-hiking to and from a gas station on this sparsely traveled highway. We resigned ourselves to the fact that we had no choice but to deal with whatever was going to happen, and began to pray (a lot) for at least a mini "miracle"…wherein we could coast within 2 -5 miles of the gas station. 35 miles to go, the fuel gauge was at the "empty" end of the reserve marker. 25 miles to go, it read "empty". 15 miles to go, we were sure we were on "fumes", and would soon be getting more than enough exercise. 9 miles and we are still rolling. 7, and we can see the outskirts of a town. 5 miles, and our prayers for a miracle have evolved into ones of thanksgiving. 2 miles and we creep into town and make the left turn towards the town's only two gas stations. With the gas station in sight, our tank has been on "empty" for at least 25 miles, and our car has yet to sputter to stop. We are more than relieved and overjoyed. Our prayers had been answered. I'm not just saying this, but this was truly a miracle, for even without a headwind and rolling hills, we should have run out of gas miles ago. Paul pulls into the first gas station and checks the fuel price (like it should matter at this point!). The one across the way is 3 cents cheaper per gallon, and to my amazement he continues to the next gas station. I fully expect the car to die in the middle of the road, having now truly pushed our luck, but thankfully it doesn't. We fill the tank. 19.3 gallons. Bone dry! From here we zero out the "trip gauge", and enter into "nerd zone". Math will be done. Physics formulas will be utilized. Theories will be tested. We have another 1200 miles till we're home. We should have a more than educated guess as to what constitutes a half/quarter and what even the "reserve" tank means, fuel and mileage wise. South Dakota turns into Wyoming, and as we enter Wyoming and head south along the I-85 we are treated (and tormented) by giant sized mule deer peacefully grazing in enourmous herds…on PRIVATE land! We pull to the side of the road and admire them from afar with our binoculars. Our destination is Cheyenne, Wyoming, or there abouts. Prior to reaching the outskirts of Cheyenne, I spy what I think is an elk standing majestically in full view on the opposite side of the road from us, as if it was a fullsize trophy mount you'd see in Cabela's or Bass Pro. As we look closer and pass the animal, it is NOT an elk but the largest (monster) mule deer we have ever seen…including Cabela's. We pull to the side of the road and turn around, hoping to get a better look and ideally take a picture. he, however, had turned tail and headed into a draw and out of camera view. We watched mournfully as he shepherded his herd back into the folds of the prairie, in awe of what we had seen.
Seeing as my father had turned us onto a discount camping membership, Passport America, we decided to price check the campgrounds in that area, as our normal option to camp on Forest Service or BLM land was really not much of an option by then. We chose the Terry Bison Ranch RV park . The price was good, we should see buffalo…finally, and it had a famous resturant, where Teddy Roosevelt is said to have dined.
The food was good, but a little pricey…for our tastes. As the check-in office was closed we wandered the camping facility, that was remarkably packed with what appeared to be long term RV campers. We found a "secluded" campsite in which to pitch our tent, and ended up with a bit of frostnip on our fingers by the time we were done. Paul placed the packages of our pheasant on the roof of our car to ensure that they would remain frozen for the next leg of our trip home. Scrunched down into our co-joined sleeping bags (the beauty of having Western Moutaineering bags, one right zip and the other left zip) we listened to an oldtime radio drama, about some man who felt the need to "escape" his wife who was too "adoring" and "needy", only later to drown her and marry this other gal, who was just as "needy" but then discovered that the spirit of the wife he drowned had assumed the body of the woman he had recently married…bum, bum, bummm. Of course this led to fantastical dreams that oddly enough included a train.
As light invaded our tent, so too did the sounds of the freeway and hordes of geese. What is it with Wyoming and geese? We unzip our tent and now realize we are within 100 yards of the freeway, and imagine that…railroad tracks (that explains the train). At least 100 geese patter about less than 25 yards from us, with more coming in. Our breath clouds before us as we exhale. Our tent, the pheasants on our roof, and our picnic table are coated in a crystaline frost. We pack up quickly and head to the shower room to thaw out and dress. We pay our fee ($25), at the now open office, staffed by California ex-pats who will be experiencing their first Wyoming winter…(good luck with that), and are on our way. Soon we exit Wyoming, and with the appearance of Fort Collins, Colorado, civilization in a concentrated and polished form smacks us in the face. Starbucks, Costco, Macy's, REI, with all manner of strip malls and fancy big box stores, and people. Lots of people, and lots of cars. What a difference 15 miles makes.
We continue from the I-25 to I-70 as we weave through a portion of the Rocky's and drool over the ski areas we pass. We initially were headed to Moab, Utah where we were to meet up with a friend of ours from our 2014 PCT adventure, "Hemlock", who is now a National Park Interpretive Ranger. Unfortunately we got our signals crossed, and she is headed on a 2-day backpack trip, so we vow to reschedule a visit with her. From the I-70 we decide to take a road, certainly less traveled on our way to Panguitch Utah, via the I-72. We have the road to ourselves and with daylight dimming we pull off the road at Forsyth Reservior and have the campground (with a USFS pit toilet) all to ourselves, complete with a plethra of perfectly aged/dried wood for a warming campfire to dine beside and "warm-up" before turning in. The skies are absent any clouds as day melts into night. Here there is no "light pollution" to mask the brilliance of Milky Way and bright white stars above us. It is perfectly quiet, save for our voices, as we speak in hushed tones. In no time the temperature drops wherein warmth of the fire is worthless, unless of course you are standing directly in it. How did the pioneers survive this?
Morning comes in brisk fashion. Our FJ's outisde temperature guage registers 17 degrees. Of that we would concur. The still frozen birds atop our roof are retrieved and replaced in our cooler. Hot coffee and slightly frozen day old donuts are this morning's breakfast. Panguitch Lake, and a Forest Service dirt road (Horse Valley Rd) to the Red Creek Reservior to survey the previous season's fire damage are this day's goal. Once again we have the highway to ourselves. Wildlife, with the exception of cattle is sparse. Open pastures turn into narrow canyons accompanied by even narrower streams and abandonned homesteader cabins in various degrees of decay. Prior to Panguitch we come upon the Robert Leroy Parker family homestead. Robert Parker, you ask? What's the significance, and why would the Park service make this a landmark Historical site? Robert Parker, was more famously known as BUTCH CASSIDY of southwest OUTLAW fame, and the memorable highly embellished movie, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".
It is a small historical park, in the process of renovation, complete with a restroom. Old pictures on site show that this area was once lush with vegetation, which helps answer 'who the hell would decide to live/homestead here' for goodness sake. A quick wander about the premises and voyeristic gander at the the one-room house and out-barn, and we are on our way once more. It is interesting to see from where this notorious outlaw hailed, and begs to question, at what point in ones life does one turn from a cute little kid with smiles and wonderment to a life of crime.
We stop at the only open diner in Panguitch, who's coffee was horrible, but their buttermilk biscuts more than made up for it! From Panguitch lake we turn off onto Horse Valley road make the bumpy run to Red Creek, where we normally deer hunt out of. In 2017 a massive fire, sparked from a knucklehead burning trash on private property…on a windy day. It consumed 72 square miles, to include a good portion of the area we hunt in. We wanted to scout it out, and survey the remaining habitat to see if putting in for the next year's draw would be worthwhile. This fire was hot and vicious as the fuel levels where at a historic high, as conservancies that "oversaw" the area(s) had failed to properly maintain the forest (as it had been done in the past) and remove/thin the trees and the thick underbrush, believing (mistakenly) that it was "better" for the wildlife for the area to stay "natural". The thick underbrush ensured that trees that would normally survive a forest fire, for the most part, didn't. Vast swaths of once healthy trees were transformed into groves of "widow-makers", with the soil beneath them sterilized by the intense heat leaving the ground still barren of vegetation over one year later. We were, however, happy to see that the area we normally hike into had escaped being ravaged by the fire. We had thought we would camp a Red Creek, but the day was still "young" and the wind had just started to howl, so we pushed on toward home. We wrestled with the idea of driving all the way home, but thought better of it, so just outside of St. George we decided to try our luck at Quail Creek State Park, as opposed to Sand Hallow State Park where we had camped the first night out on this hunting roadtrip.
It was nice pulling into a spot early for a change, and setting up with actual daylight and warmth. We had brought the rest of the wood from the previous night with us, and were further supplemented by a "neighbor" who was pulling up stakes to avoid the coming wind event/storm(50-70mph) forecasted for early afternoon the next day. We wondered if we should do the same, but elected not to as we would be on the road fairly early anyways, and we didn't have a trailer to contend with.
The evening's air was blissfully "warm", which allowed us to actually enjoy our evening's campfire and the remainder of our adult beverages in improvised "cups".
As the sun rose the next morning, we were further awakened by the intermittent shudder of our tent and banging of the vestibule door. It appears that the wind event was arriving a bit earlier than expected. By the time we packed up and were on the road, a red haze had filled the air. In the distance we can see Sand Hallow state park where we had considered camping, and are immensely glad we listened to that "little voice" prompting us to pull into Quail Creek in the first place. In the near distance, a gritty red "fog" hovers over Sand Hallow State Park. We could only imagine what it would have been like in a tent…at 4 in the morning. We head west bound on the I-15 with a hearty head-wind, reminiscent of "Windyoming", reducing our gas mileage significantly. As we exit Las Vegas and cross into California, the winds continue. "Arson weather", we remark to each other, not knowing that two significant and historically devestating fires are currently raging in their second day of chaos; the "Camp Fire" that wiped out the town of Paradise (killing 86 people, and leaving many more homeless), and the Woolsey Fire in the Simi Valley area that would later reach into Malibu and race toward the Pacific Ocean consuming practically everything in its way.
We arrived home to hazy skies and the acrid smell of smoke in the air. A bitter-sweet return from a memorable trip, thankful that our family was safe and free from harm's way, yet knowing that hundreds, if not thousands, of people's lives had now been turned upside down whilst we were out recreating.
A reminder to Count your blessings…daily.
Sleep came quickly, and the beauty of sleeping in allowed Jody to cook up some pancakes before we were to brave this day's brisk 17 degrees! Unlike the day before, the wind is mostly absent, and the sun is bright with skies clear of foreboding clouds. We bundle up, and even though it has "warmed" up to 19 degrees, it feels significantly warmer than the day before. Most of us are surprised to find ourselves somewhat sore in the "groinal" area, and tops of our thighs. It feels like we did a 10,000 yard swim set, all of which was kicking. Apparently wading through thick vegetation for a couple miles will do that to ya.
We load up in our vehicles and follow "Chuck" and his dog "Sam" to this morning's hunt location. Chuck tells us that in South Dakota (during hunting season) we can have our shotguns in the passenger seat with rounds in the magazine (NOT in the chamber) just in case we spy a bird along the way to our field. Awesome! In earnest we all scan the edges of the roadway as we drive. On the way we bag one bird, standing on the roadside.
We arrive at one of Roy's fields (he has 12,000 acres as a 5th generation "Homesteader") and pile out of our vehicles. This walk will be about a mile. Once vehicles are shuttled to the end of the row, we begin. No sooner does Chuck release his dog and give her the command, "find the bird, Sam", Sam flushes one up and it is taken down quickly. We miss the next two that are flushed and then the next three, Sam catches herself and brings them back to us. I'm a little annoyed, but then I think, 'this dog is smarter than all of us'. In her dog brain she must be thinking, "it's f@$^%$g cold out, and if these numbskulls keep missing, I'm gonna freeze my nuts off, if I had them". Hence the capture of the next three. Back on track, we take down another 4 birds, one of which includes a perfect shot…mine.
All head, no body. No pellets to pick out of the meat.
Paul is the first one with a limit, and the rest of us quickly follow. Within an hour and having only to walk a mile, we all have our limit.
It is 1130 am! Now what to do? We head back, clean the birds and have lunch. The boys are going to try their luck with varmits…coyotes to be exact. Even though they are a "nuisance" animal, I won't shoot anything I won't eat…unless it tries to kill me or my dog. Jody and I on the other hand, will go back to yesterday's field and try our luck at grouse and partridge in the lower cut area of the field.
Can you find the pheasant in the picture?
We kick up, and are startled by a dozen "flying footballs" (Hungarian Partridges), with no time to get a shot off. Those things fly a zillion miles an hour…away from you, land a tenth of a mile away from you and then run another 100 yards away. We (I) discover that without a dog, this is futile, but it is better than sitting on our butts at the Lodge. We then take on the task of finding and stalking as many pheasant as we can. With mild success.
Often it is a "Where's Waldo" kind of event.
Even though we have our limit, nothing says that I can't shoot pictures of them. Eventually one "poses" for us.
This occupies the bulk of the afternoon, and we somewhat fullfill our most daunting and ridiculous task…take a "selfie" with a live, and uncooperative, lone pheasant.
Now we originally were supposed to have a guide and his dog for the two days of pheasant hunting, however this morning is Election Day (we mailed in our ballots) and our guide is working in Minnesota as voting "officer". This however will not prevent or hinder this morning's hunt. We'll do it the "old fashioned way" and walk as a line in the partially mowed millet fields we have driven to. There are 4-5 strips of standing millet nearly a mile long each. We will walk into the wind, that is blowing 20-25 mph. When we stepped out of our car, the temperature read 26 degrees, so with windchill it had to be a brisk -4 degrees. Good thing we've been in worse and are actually going to be moving as opposed to sitting in these conditions.
Roy drops us at the east end of the crop rows where we spread out 5 yards apart and begin to wade westward into the wind through the mostly thigh high dried vegetation.
Who needs a dog when you've got the five of us. In no time, Paul literally kicks up a pheasant and brings it down with ease. Okay we think, at least we won't be skunked. I run into the next two, who refuse to fly, so I take them where they sit. 15 more and we will all have our limit for the day. In South Dakota your daily bag limit is 3 pheasant, all of which must be roosters (males). As we are from out of state, we are allowed a total of 10 days of which we can hunt, divided into two 5 consecutive day periods during the season. The most we can have in our possession for this 5 day period would be 15 birds, but then we'd have to hunt here for 5 days. At the price we are being charged, that is NOT going to happen. Besides we don't have that much freezer space. We finish the first row, with everyone having bagged at least one pheasant. Matt's bird is actually 1/2 of one. When the bird flushed, it got caught up in a gust of wind that pushed it directly up and over the top of Matt. His shot (the pellets) had no time to disperse, and as such, literally blew the bird in half, the remains of which then rained down on my face. Thank goodness I was wearing shooting glasses! Once at the end of the row, Roy picks us up and transports us back to the east end once more for us to walk the next row. From the bed of the truck, the boys spy two more pheasant, which now completes Paul's limit. Matt now has an intact bird. I spy another and fill my limit.
The next row, Kenny, Paul and I are the "bird dogs" and attempt to spot and flush birds for Matt and Brian. Brian fills his limit. On the drive back down to the next row, Matt got his last bird.
Not bad for 4 hours and about 3 miles of walking through millet fields.
Now time for Roy to go back to Ranch work and us (the boys) to clean the birds and bag them for the freezer.
Birds in the freezer, and time for us to thaw out…with some celebratory Whisky! Tomorrow's hunt will include a guide and his dog, and even colder temperatures.
Get your climbing shoes on! This place it whack! An hour or so outside of Durango Colorado is Mesa Verde National Park. It spans over 52,000 acres, 5,000 archeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings. The bulk of the park sits at 7,000 ft, with a 25 mile roadway that climbs from the base of the Mesa (Verde), where the Visitor Center is located, to its top. This one mesa top chronicles over 750 years (early 500's – late 1200's) of history of the Ancient Pueblo peoples, from mesa top to alcove (cliff) living. It wasn't until December of 1888 that the abandoned cliff dwellings, specifically the "Cliff Palace", were "discovered". Of course the Ute indians, of which the mesa was part of their land, knew full well what was there, but it's existence and subsequent fame was not brought to light until a rancher, Richard Wetherill came upon it. The Wetherill's brought several people to this site, to explore and document these magnificent dwellings. Of import, was a Swedish scientist, Gustaf Nordenskiöld. He not only surveyed and studied the cliff dwellings, but pilfered them as well…to fund his studies. At one point he had loaded nearly 2 train cars full of "antiquities" to transport "home" for sale. He was stopped by the authorities for "stealing", only to be let free, when as he reminded the "authorities" that there are no such laws on the books in which to prosecute him. This tale, amoung others, was the catalyst for the 1906 antiquities protection act. And it was in 1906 that Mesa Verde gained National Park status and protection. On our way into the park, we stopped at the Visitor Center. It is here that much of the artifacts retrieved from the park are housed and studied. It is here, that if you want to explore the cliff dwellings first hand, that you must purchase a $5/person ticket for one of 4 Ranger led tours. It appears that 55 persons is the max for most tours that begin on the 1/2 hour starting May 25 through October 21. As we had only one day at this magnificent park, we chose to tour the "Cliff Palace", which is the largest cliff dwelling in North America, and believed to not only be living quarters for 100-200 people but a center of civic activity for the area. With tickets in hand we return to our truck and head up the hill presenting our National Park annual pass to the Rangers stationed at the entrance station, otherwise the entrance fee would have been $20. There are two mesa tops that can be accessed and explored, Chapin Mesa (open year-round) and Wetherill Mesa (May – September, weather permitting). While inside the park, there is a campground (Morefield) and the Far View Lodge for those who wish to stay overnight in this day-use only park. Our first stop is at the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum located just before the road splits into two one-way only driving loops, the 6 mile Mesa Top Loop and the 6 mile Cliff Palace Loop where two of the Ranger led cliff dwelling tours (Cliff Palace, Balcony House) are located. In the museum we watch an informative movie, and peruse a collection of diaramas and displays of artifacts found at Mesa Verde.
It is here that I compare pictures of the pottery shards I discovered while exploring Peñasco Blanco at Chaco Culture Historic Park.
Soon it is time to head over for our tour of the Cliff Palace. Parking is at a premium, and one is best served taking the first spot one sees, as there is no opportunity to turn around, being a one-way loop.
At the overlook to Cliff Palace we are met by a Ranger, who explains how the tour will work and what we will see. This tour requires the descent of steep, uneven (non- OSHA approved) stairs, and the ascent of two ladders. Disclaimer completed, the Ranger collects our tour tickets one-by-one as we filter through the now unlocked gate that limits access to the cliff dwelling. The route is fairly short and not particularly difficult.
We muster under an alcove before we enter the site. Looking toward the site (pictured below), oddly it seems smaller than it looked from above, and I wonder how 100-200 people could have crammed themselves in here, especially in inclement weather. As we are used to having sites to ourselves for the most part, we find being on a "crowded" tour a little annoying, and not as "adventurous" as the last few days.
This, however, does not take away from how facinating these structures are, and their access is to us.
Closer examination of the walls, some of the adobe "plaster" still remains, but is slowly sluffing off and returning from whence it came. We are told, (and there is evidence) that farming took place atop the mesa, of which the staples were corn, squash and beans. Said crops were then transported back to these "fortress" like structures tucked under cliff overhangs and into alcoves. As the tour concludes, we exit the exact route the inhabitants of this "Palace" used via a ladder to the mesa top. Why the Puebloan people stopped living on the mesa top in "pit houses", and decided to build these structures is just as much as mystery as to why they climbed upon this mesa in the first place. My theory…to escape attacks from animals with sharp teeth/claws, and more fantastical and imaginative…dragons and/or pterodactyl (Thunderbirds).
After the Cliff Palace tour, we returned to the truck and continued along the Cliff Palace Loop, stopping at turnouts to view additional cliff/alcove housing/villages in differing states of erosion across the mesa from where we stood.
Our binoculars were particularly useful. With still plenty of daylight, we continued to the Mesa Top Loop, on Chapin Mesa where the full spectrum and "evolution" of "housing" that has been found at Mesa Verde.
We take a walk around the floor of an excavated Pit House "common" from 700-950 CE. There is a nearby village of Pueblo style building(s) "common" from 900-1100 CE. As it is getting late, we leave that walk for another time and head back down the mesa, stopping at each of the vistas to search out more dwellings tucked into alcoves and under eroding cliff tops.
On our way down, we pass by Far View, and its Lodge, and on this particular day, its name does not disappoint, for the views from Mesa Verde stretch into New Mexico where we can see Ship Rock jutting out on the horizon some 100 miles away. As we make our way down to the bottom of the mesa, we wonder aloud how remarkable a feat it was to build this road, and even more so, how the Ancestral Puebloans came to live upon this particular mesa top. With all of our technological advances, I feel somewhat "primative" compared to the ingenueity and skillsets these ancient peoples employed.


John Howard possesses the best of all the qualities associated with "naturalist." He has an insatiable curiosity and a perennial sense of wonder. He can tell you something interesting at the drop of the hat about everything from a stone to a sedge to a stonefly, and he can find amazing things in nature that the rest of us walk right by. Studying the backroads of Adams County his entire life, he knows nearly all -if not all- of the dragonflies, butterflies, vascular plants, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and has a good working understanding of everything else. John has a particular fondness for insects – and Adams County has more of its share of the odd and wonderful. Taking a nature walk with John is a rare privilege for even his close friends, who don't think twice about driving half-way across the state for an opportunity to join him to watch fireflies, catch salamanders heading for the vernal pools, photograph the first spring flowers in bloom even if they are only 1/2 inch tall and tomorrow's forecast calls for snow, or look for a new-to-science moth or caterpillar on an obscure plant. John has recently retired from General Electric at the Peebles Jet Engine Testing Facility, is devoted to his family and beloved grandchild, and supports a packed schedule of guided outings. Without a doubt, we are excited to have John lead our butterfly identification field studies.
Nancy has been the Director of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System since she co-founded the non-profit back in 1995. In the span of directing the organization over the last 20-plus years, Nancy has cultivated a vigorous citizen advocacy network in Ohio, what Nancy like to refer to as a "tree-roots network." In the last 23 years, Nancy has led the charge to save and preserve 6200 acres of natural areas in Appalachian Ohio, representing 22 preserve regions and well over 100 separate real estate negotiations and fund-raising campaigns. In addition to her land preservation work she has been a life-long student and teacher of nature, founding the Arc's Appalachian Forest School to ensure the perpetuation of natural history skills in our culture, field knowledge that is best taught person-to-person. Fireflies has become a recent passion for Nancy. She looks forward to the light shows of June each year, and sets aside time during the glowing nights of summer to learn the firefly inhabitants of yet unexplored territories. She LOVE igniting others to the joy of the firefly pursuits. Previously in her career, Nancy served as Chief Naturalist for Ohio State Parks with the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (actually working with Brent for some of those years!). Later on, she operated Benevolence Café and Bakery in downtown Columbus' city market for 20 years, where she promoted healthy and intentional food choices.


zetVisions AG is represented on conferences covering the topics of legal entity management and master data management on a regular basis. Numerous experts and users periodically get together and discuss trends and practical experiences. Here, you'll find up-to-date announcements.
With regular events, trade conferences, and trade journal articles on the topics of legal entity management and master data management, our employees and network of experts will open the door to valuable knowledge for you. Register directly for these events online!


Keep your inner secrets nice and safe within this magical unicorn notebook. It looks incredible with the golden horn, unicorn face and white soft fur all over. Super fluffy and soft to touch, inside you can keep all your darkest secrets and notes, doodles and lists.
A fancy notebook for sure, the pages inside are lined and have a little skipping unicorn on each page for added fun. A lovely gift for little ones as well as older ones who still believe in the power of the magical unicorn. Super cute for sure.


This week Tracy and Aaron talk about the highlights and surprising lowlights of this week's comics. There were some big disappointments, but it makes for an interesting discussion.
Newlywed Question: What comic would you like to see Brian Michael Bendis write at DC?


text:
module Main where

import Pelis

main :: IO ()
main = run

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The best advice I've come across about creating is "To create what you want to look at..." I love to look at work that is ambiguous and suggestive; work that leaves room for the imagination of the viewer. Thus I aspire to create something I've never seen, something I define as strange and otherly.
My art is ever changing and evolving based upon my recent research, discoveries and inspirations. I draw upon the symbolism and mythology of many ancient and present cultures, seeking to create a universal visual language of my own. I am fascinated with mythology, archetypes, ancient civilizations, divination, and mysticism.
My work may include layers of my handmade paper, handcast paper, found objects, recycled materials, paint, inks, mica and metallic powders, polymer clay, fabric and hand decorated paper. Thank you so much for taking the time to look!


text:
What 'Hygiene' Means Around the World
© Smithsonian Magazine
By Janica Maya (@janicamaya)
During the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in many countries, people are encouraged to practice proper hygiene and cleanliness.
However, not all people view hygiene and cleanliness the same way, as different countries practice it in different ways. There may be some bathroom habits that may seem peculiar for us Westerners, or certain things we do that may seem odd to other cultures
© ABS-CBN LIFESTYLE
As the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, it lead to toilet paper pandemonium.
People are encouraged to stay home during this time, so many stocked up on toilet paper and cleared the shelves of many grocery stores. Toilet paper has become one of the fastest and hottest selling items in the U.S and Canada.
However, panic buying toilet paper is not an issue for some cultures that use other alternatives, like the bath pail. It is a tool used in other countries such as the Philippines, where it's called a "Tabo". The Tabo sits by the toilet, filled with water to wash oneself. Another alternative is the bidet, a toilet bowl with a spray found in some European countries such as Italy and Argentina. Similar to the bidet is the Shattaf. It is an attached spray used in many Muslim-majority countries. These countries found a way to reduce the need for toilet paper. However, some people adapted to the western-style bathroom habit of using both toilet paper and a bath pail or water spray.
© Pinterest
Cleanliness is valued and fused into the daily lives of other cultures, such as the removal of one's shoes once entering a home. Asian and Middle Eastern countries adopt this habit as not only a form of etiquette, but to keep a clean home. According to Charlene Solomon: "Japanese culture, believes a clear distinction between inside cleanliness and the outside world." Some Japanese homes have the Genkan, a traditional entranceway to remove one's shoes and change into slippers before entering into the rest of the home.
Washing your hands is a major form of hygiene in all cultures, but it is also practiced in different religions for ritual and symbolic reasonings. For instance, Muslims follow certain guidelines from the Quran on washing methods before praying. The procedure involves washing the hands, face, forearms, ears, nose, mouth and feet three times each. Muslims of all races, cultures and ages follow these certain habits.
© Newshub
Whereas, Hinduism emphasizes the importance of physical cleanliness by ensuring proper hygiene as a pathway to Holiness. Hindus are obligated to wash their hands and feet before entering any homes, temples, ritual places and before performing any sacred duty. Religion is an important contribution to proper hygiene and cleanliness. Enforcing certain hygienic practices demonstrates proper hygiene and cleanliness is embedded not only for health purposes.
The practice of hygiene and cleanliness is different in all parts of the world. It is important we practice these known habits to stay clean and safe in fighting COVID-19 together.
Stay safe, everyone.
Bigtunesday
CTFF
National Indigenous History Month

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The panel game show will return for Season 2.
ABC will be keeping game shows in its lineup for 2017. The network has renewed Match Game for a second season along with three other game show revivals. The new Match Game, hosted by Alec Baldwin, premiered its latest incarnation in late June as part of ABC's Sunday Fun & Games block, airing in the 10:00pm hour following Celebrity Family Feud and The $100,000 Pyramid.
The show premiered quite well for the network, giving ABC its largest summer audience in that time slot with regular programming in almost a decade. With Feud and Pyramid renewed as well, look for the game show block to return again next summer.
Great decision, ABC; I love this show! It's certainly better than those reality shows. Baldwin is a good successor to the late, great Gene Rayburn. This new "Match Game" is just as fun as the 1970's original.
I wish I could say that I was surprised that ABC would team up with a vitriolic racist like Alec Baldwin, but I am not. No one can replace Brett Butler and Charles Nelson Reilly, certainly not the politically correct D listers they found.
Alec Baldwin makes this show, he's hilarious. The wife and I are glad this and the other Sunday night game shows were renewed for another season.
Its hard to screw up this classic show, though a few have over the years. Fortunately ABC and Alec Baldwin have come up with the goods this time.
A really fun way to end the weekend on Sunday nights.


Lincoln, Neb., May 14, 2014 - A chimpanzee will wait more than two minutes to eat six grapes, but a black lemur would rather eat two grapes now than wait any longer than 15 seconds for a bigger serving.
It's an echo of the dilemma human beings face with a long line at a posh restaurant. How long are they willing to wait for the five-star meal? Or do they head to a greasy spoon to eat sooner?
"Natural selection has shaped levels of patience to deal with the types of problems that animals face in the wild," said author Jeffrey R. Stevens, a comparative psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the study's lead author. "Those problems are species-specific, so levels of patience are also species-specific."
Studying 13 primate species, from massive gorillas to tiny marmosets, Stevens compared species' characteristics with their capacity for "intertemporal choice." That's a scientific term for what some might call patience, self-control or delayed gratification.
The findings are based partially on experiments Stevens performed during the past ten years with lemurs, marmosets, tamarins, chimpanzees and bonobos at Harvard's Department of Psychology and at the Berlin and Leipzig zoos in Germany. In those experiments, individual animals chose between a tray containing two grapes that they could eat immediately and a tray containing six grapes they could eat after waiting. The wait times were gradually increased until the animal reached an "indifference point" when it opted for the smaller, immediate reward instead of waiting.
"In humans, the ability to wait for delayed rewards correlates with higher performance in cognitive measures such as IQ, academic success, standardized test scores and working memory capacity," he wrote. "The cognitive ability hypothesis predicts that species with higher levels of cognition should wait longer than those with lower levels."
But Stevens found no correlation between patience levels and an animal's relative brain size compared to its body size, the measure he used to quantify cognitive ability.
Researchers also have argued that animals in complex social groups have reduced impulsivity and more patience to adapt to the social hierarchies of dominance and submission. But Stevens did not find correlations between species' social group sizes and their patience levels.
"You need fuel and you need it at a certain rate," he said. "The faster you need it, the shorter time you will wait."
Metabolic rates also may factor in human beings' willingness to wait. Stevens said human decisions about food, their environment, their health care and even their finances all relate to future payoffs. The mental processes behind those decisions have not yet been well identified.
"To me, this offers us interesting avenues to start thinking about what factors might influence human patience," he said. "What does natural selection tell us about decision making? That applies to humans as well as to other animals."


Best Qualities Online Comic Sellers: The internet has made it easy for you to add to your comic book collection. You will find the comics you have an interest in on the various websites selling this type of books. The good thing is that you will find the best collectible books at auction websites such as eBay. You may also find websites specifically dealing with the collectibles. For the best experience, find genuine websites that focus on selling quality and rare comic book issues. You will always find a gem to add to your collection.
The ideal sites will have the following attributes that will make using them convenient and easy. This will save you time and a lot of effort in securing the comic books you want to add to your collection.
The website should be easy to use. It should have a good layout that is easy to navigate. This way, you will not feel frustrated as you use the website. The wording should be clear with tabs that work. You should not have a hard time locating the comics you want. The search option should be adequate for you to do this. The more extensive the search parameters, the easier it will be for you to browse the catalog better, especially when looking for a specific comic.
The best websites will have what you need or at least facilitate you getting it. It should focus on providing the collectible comics by dealing with just this. You will not have to sift the catalog through non-collectible comics, thus wasting time. The best site will always be adding to the catalog as this guarantees that they will always have a comic that you can add to your collection.
Quality is one thing that should factor into your purchase decisions. Remember, you are looking for collectibles that you will pay top dollar for. You want to be sure that you are receiving high-grade comics in good condition. Dealing with a genuine expert that only offers this is the only way to have this guarantee. Be sure that the website offers a way for you to see what you are bidding on having good quality photos of the items on sale. You can read more on how to grade the comic books you want to buy. You will then know what to expect in terms of pricing and quality.
The terms of engagement of the website should be favorable. Even if you are selling your collection, you should be sure to get fair prices. Buying from the site should also be fair. You should review terms of delivery, which should be swift and fairly priced. Sometimes you will need to bid for the item. You should know how high you are willing to go for your bid. You can be sure the rare high-grade books will go for more as they will be in demand. You should factor such elements as you prepare for auctions.


If you're trying to learn Oromo Nouns you will find some useful resources including a course about Nouns and Words... to help you with your Oromo grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Oromo. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Oromo Nouns is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you master it the more you get closer to mastering the Oromo language. But first we need to know what the role of Nouns is in the structure of the grammar in Oromo.
Notice the structure of the Nouns in Oromo.
Below is a list of the Nouns and Words in Oromo placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Oromo vocabulary.
Nouns and Words have a very important role in Oromo. Once you're done with Oromo Nouns, you might want to check the rest of our Oromo lessons here: Learn Oromo. Don't forget to bookmark this page.


Philippine President Duterte may face public discontent and backlash from the country's business and military establishment if he continues to drift away from Washington, Jon Emont of The Atlantic noted. Still, the Philippine leader has good reasons for turning its back on the US, Malaysian academic Mathew Maavak told Sputnik.
It looks as if something is cooking in Washington for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
On Tuesday, the article entitled "The Limits of Rodrigo Duterte's Anti-Americanism" was published by The Atlantic, an American magazine which covers foreign affairs, politics, and economics. The author of the opinion piece, US journalist Jon Emont, argues that the Philippine president may face rising public discontent or tough backlash from the Philippines' powerful military and business groups if he continues to drift away from Washington and, most notably, expels the US military from the region. Emont highlights that "roughly half of the Philippines' middle and upper classes have relatives in the United States," while the US' remittances to the country (around $10 billion a year) remains "a major driver of the Philippines's economy." Foreign investments into the country have already decreased by 41 percent since last June while the peso fell to a seven-year low against the dollar following Duterte's anti-American comments, he stresses.


text:
Anniston/Gadsden
Birmingham Real-Time News
12th Avenue North bridge construction resumes, will run through Friday
The Alabama Department of Transportation will resume construction on the 12th Avenue Bridge Sunday night, closing the southbound and westbound left two lanes from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m.
ALDOT said construction will continue through the week at the same time, weather permitting, with the following lane closures:
"There will also be rolling roadblocks with complete lane closures between the hours of 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. each night," ALDOT announced in a release. "Traffic will be able to clear every 15 minutes or less."
ALDOT suggests motorists use alternate routes or extreme caution in the area. A detour will be installed to direct traffic to the 31st Street North Bridge for access to 12th Ave. North and Vanderbilt Road during construction.
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text:
Monash Medicine in review – Interviews and offers
19 July 2017 (updated 14 August 2020 ) | med in review monash medicine undergraduate clayton mbbs md interview mmi | Comment
New edition available
This post is quite outdated, and I've written a revised series here. For the curious, the original text of this post is below.
So let's suppose your fresh out of Year 12, or maybe a gap year, armed with a (fingers-crossed 🤞) competitive ATAR and UMAT score, and you're here in Melbourne for a shot at undergraduate medicine at Monash University.
The hit single from Green Day, 'Wake Me Up When VTAC Applications Close'
Disclaimer: This information was correct for 2017 entry, and has been updated where possible; however, details frequently change, and so the information in this document may be outdated, and no guarantees are made about its present accuracy. Always refer to the relevant sources for authoritative information.
The game is afoot
After the release of VCE results in December (or IB results in January), you receive an email from Monash University with an interview offer based on ATAR and UMAT.
Using the Allocate+ system detailed in the email, you accept the interview offer by booking one of the available interview timeslots. Should you be successful in gaining a place in a Monash course, you should expect to see much more of Allocate+.
Getting to Monash
(Click to skip to the MMI)
If you're arriving from interstate or overseas, Melbourne is serviced by two main airports, Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) and Avalon Airport. Avalon Airport is significantly smaller, and your options for flights there may be limited, but they are generally significantly cheaper, and getting to the city is about as convenient.
From Melbourne Airport, Airport Bus Dandenong operates a direct service to Monash University Clayton campus for $28, but it runs only approximately every 2 hours.
From both Melbourne Airport and Avalon Airport, the SkyBus runs direct to Southern Cross Station in the city for $19 from Melbourne Airport ($18 if booked online) or $22 from Avalon Airport.
From Southern Cross, the most straightforward way to get to campus on weekdays during the day is to catch a Pakenham or Cranbourne train from Southern Cross to Huntingdale, then catch the 601 shuttle bus, departing every 5 minutes weekdays from the bus loop outside the station, or the 630 (to Monash University) or 900 (to Rowville/Stud Park, not to Caulfield).
Note that you will need a Myki card to travel on any public transport in Victoria, which you can purchase from, among other places, Myki vending machines at the airport. You must touch your Myki on at the card reader when entering the platform or bus, and should touch your Myki off at the card reader when exiting the platform or bus to be charged the correct fare.
Your destination is Clayton (Monash University / Wellington Road). Other connections from different train stations are also possible. Check the PTV website or mobile app (Android, iOS) for more information.
For completeness, from Melbourne Airport (but not Avalon), you can avoid paying the SkyBus fare and take only public transport, though a 2 hour tour of Melbourne's outer suburbs is possibly a bold strategy for an important occasion like this. If the scenic route does happen to take your fancy, refer to the PTV app linked above.
The MMI
On the day of the interview, you are ushered into the South 1 Lecture Theatre, at 43 Rainforest Walk, just off the bus interchange.
In the foyer of the lecture theatre, you present your ID and documentation, and collect an ID sticker with your name and VTAC number, along with a lanyard with a colour and number.
In the lecture theatre, a short video explains the procedure. The colour indicates your MMI group, and therefore venue, and the number indicates which of the MMI stations you begin at.
Two groups are led by some student volunteers to the MBBS Faculty Teaching Building, at 27 Rainforest Walk, where most tutorials and practicals are held during the year. The building has two floors used for teaching, and within each floor is setup one MMI circuit. Other groups are led to different locations, such as the Glasgow tutorial rooms at 10 Chancellors Walk (also a feature of the course), and other locations around the campus.
On each door is a number and an upside-down folder. With your back to the door, the first bell rings, and you lift open the folder to reveal a flimsy plastic sheet protector containing a paper printout marked with Monash branding and 'CONFIDENTIAL' in Cambria. The paper contains a short passage, which raises some obvious points of discussion.
The bell rings again, and you open the door to find a single examiner seated at the table with an iPad. They begin with an open question about your thoughts on the stimulus, followed by a handful of specific questions, and the obligatory 'Anything else to add?' to finish up. Once you're done with the station, they try to make small talk, and then you both sit there awkwardly for a bit until the bell rings again, signalling time to move to the next station.
At the end of the circuit, your student volunteers lead you to another venue where, if you weren't sequestered before the circuit, you sit around for an hour or two while other groups complete their circuits.
And so, after much agonising about UMAT, and exams, and UMAT results, and exam results, and interview offers, and the interview itself, this is the way the medicine application journey ends, not with a bang but a whimper – a thumb-twiddling two-hour whimper. But of course, if the stars align, this will not be the only time you'll spend hours sitting in a medicine lecture theatre at Monash: Read on for what happens in MED1100 semester 1.


John and Diana Albright attended the SBAIN holiday party Saturday December 2, 2017. There were lots of new families and we moved around the room to meet them. Santa arrived and received hugs all the way to his chair. Twenty eight children share their special wishes. One little girl asked for world peace. Diana shared that SBAIN would be receiving a gift from Corvette Indy in the near future. We got many hugs of appreciation for your generosity.


text:
The UN and Temple Denial
By Steve Postal
On November 8, in a direct attack at the heart of Judaism and the Jewish People, the United Nations General Assembly passed two resolutions that mentioned the "Haram al Sharif" but not its Jewish synonym "the Temple Mount" as one of the "holy places of Jerusalem." This followed an October 26 resolution by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which called Israel an "occupying power" of the Temple Mount and the Western Wall Plaza, and demanded that Israel stop building and excavating in the Old City of Jerusalem. These statements deny the Jewish connection to Jerusalem, and implicitly deny that the Jewish Temples ever stood on the Temple Mount, a canard known as "Temple Denial."
According to a mix of Biblical history, recorded history and tradition, the Temple Mount was the location of the First Jewish Temple, built by King Solomon around 950 BCE and destroyed in the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 567 BCE, and the Second Jewish Temple, which stood from 516 BCE through the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Though Temple Denial reigns at the UN and within the Muslim world, statements by other Muslims and substantial archeological evidence show that the Jewish Temples did in fact exist.
Temple Denial within UNESCO
Muslim-majority countries exhibited Temple Denial by casting many of the ballots in favor of the UNESCO resolution. According to diplomatic sources, seven out of the ten committee members that voted for the October 26 resolution are from Muslim-majority countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Turkey. Of the twenty-four ballots cast in an earlier vote on the same resolution, fourteen were cast by Muslim-majority countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Chad, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, and Sudan.
Temple Denial within the Palestinian Authority
Temple Denial is common within the ranks of the Palestinian Authority as well. Calling the UNESCO vote a "victory for truth," Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the religious and Islamic affairs advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, said that "Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular, and the Al-Buraq Wall [the Western Wall] and the Al-Buraq plaza [the Western Wall plaza] are all purely Islamic and Palestinian assets and no one has the right to be our partner in that." In recent months, Fatah has repeatedly referred to the First and Second Temples as "the alleged Temple." In 2010, 2012, and 2015, Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem appointed to his post in 2006 by Abbas, claimed that there was never a Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Both Abbas and past Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat have similarly voiced Temple Denial.
Muslims Recognition of the Temple Mount's Jewish Origin
But the Temple Denial of the Palestinian Authority and UNESCO's Muslim-majority countries stand in stark contrast to their Muslim predecessors who understood the Jewish origins of the Temple Mount. Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Arab conqueror of Jerusalem, ordered the Patriarch Sophronius to show him "the sanctuary of David," according to Simon Sebag Montefiore, in his book Jerusalem: The Biography. Umar is linked to the building of the Dome of the Rock and its association with the Jewish Temple, according to a recently studied early Arabic (Kufic) inscription dated to the 9th or 10th centuries C.E. in a mosque near Hebron. The inscription states that "…this territory …and its entire area, is an endowment to the Rock of Bayt al-Maqdis [Dome of the Rock] and the al-Aqsa Mosque, as it was dedicated by the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab for the glory of Allah." The Arabic "Bayt al-Maqdis" is an older Arabic term for Jerusalem which derives from the Hebrew "Beit Hamikdash," meaning "the Holy Temple." (The modern Arabic term for Jerusalem, "al-Quds," is in turn a derivative of Bayt al-Maqdis.)
A commentary of an imam living from 1074-1144 reads: "The Holy Temple was the dwelling place of the prophets and the residence of the believers."
A guide to the Temple Mount, published in 1925 and 1929 by the Supreme Moslem Council, says that the substructure of the al-Aqsa Mosque "dates probably as far back as the construction of Solomon's Temple."
The 1932 version of the above-mentioned guide states: "This site is one of the oldest in the world… Its identity with the site of Solomon's Temple is beyond dispute. This, too, is the spot, according to universal belief, on which David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings."
In 1951, Aref el-Aref, a historian and the mayor of Jordanian-occupied Jerusalem, said that "the ruins of Solomon's Temple are under al-Aqsa," and that Umar (mentioned above) built a mosque on top of the ruins of the Temple.
In a July 2006 interview, a former senior leader of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, the religious authority that manages the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, said that "Prophet Solomon built his famous Temple at the same place that later the Al Aqsa Mosque was built. It cannot be a coincidence that these different holy sites were built at the same place. The Jewish Temple Mount existed." He was dismissed from his position after he had mentioned his beliefs on the Jewish connection to Temple Mount to his colleagues. He did not disclose his name in the interview because he believed that he would risk his life if he did otherwise.
The Waqf Discards Temple Mount Artifacts
Palestinian officials engaged in not only rhetorical, but also physical Temple Denial through grossly negligent excavation techniques of the Temple Mount. From 1996 to 1999, the Waqf removed via bulldozers and heavy machinery "roughly 400 truckloads" of dirt from the Temple Mount to build an underground mosque and a "massive vaulted entranceway." These truckloads of dirt were dumped in the Kidron Valley. In 2005, the Temple Mount Sifting Project was created to find if there were any artifacts linked to the Temple Mount that were discarded in this process.
Archeological Findings Substantiate Existence of Jewish Temples
Archeological findings provide incontrovertible evidence that both Jewish Temples existed.
First Temple. In 2015, archaeologists near the Temple Mount discovered a seal belonging to King Hezekiah of the First Temple period, with the words "Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah." In 2007, in a rare cooperation between Waqf and Israeli authorities, Muslim workers found artifacts which are believed to be from the First Temple, including "animal bones; ceramic bowl rims, bases, and [bowl] sherds; the base of a juglet used to pour oil; the handle of a small juglet; and the rim of a storage jar."
In 2005, the Temple Mount Sifting Project discovered an incomplete clay seal with a partial Hebrew phrase that may spell out "Belonging to Ga'alyahu son of Immer," with Immer being a priestly family dating to the First Temple period and referenced in the Bible.
Second Temple. Perhaps the largest and most obvious remnants of the Second Temple are the Western, Northern, Southern, and Eastern Walls (including the Eastern Wall Seam), Robinson's Arch, and the Stairs of Ascent.
Other large physical evidence of the Second Temple exists. In September 2016, the Sifting Project discovered and restored part of the mosaic marble floor of the Second Temple. In 2009, archeologists discovered the Magdala Stone while excavating the Migdal Synagogue near the Sea of Galilee. The Magdala Stone is believed to be a contemporaneous depiction of the Second Temple and contains the oldest carving of the Second Temple's seven-branched menorah. In 2007, archeologists found a quarry believed to be used by King Herod to renovate the Second Temple. In 1968, archeologists also discovered the Trumpeting Place inscription, a Second Temple parapet containing the Hebrew words "to the place of trumpeting," and also connected to Josephus' writings. In 1871 and 1935, full and partial Temple Warning Inscriptions were discovered, respectively, prohibiting non-Jews from entering the inner court of the Second Temple.
Additionally, archeologists have discovered many coins providing evidence of the Second Temple. In 2008, the Temple Mount Sifting Project found a silver coin minted during the Great Revolt (66-67 CE), with the ancient Hebrew inscriptions "Holy Jerusalem" written on one side and "half shekel" and the Hebrew letter Aleph (which is both the first letter and number in Hebrew, in this instance commemorating year one of the Revolt) written on the other side. This coin even contained fire damage that experts believe was from the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. In fact, many bronze coins found in the Temple Mount exhibited similar fire damage. The Sifting Project also uncovered a coin from the Great Revolt with the inscription "Freedom of Zion."
There is considerable archeological evidence demonstrating the destruction of the Second Temple. The most famous is the Arch of Titus in Rome, which contains a relief of Roman soldiers carrying away the Second Temple's seven-branched menorah, an event also recorded by Josephus in Antiquities and The Jewish War. In October 2016, archeologists found what they believe to be the "Third Wall" chronicled by Josephus, where the Romans breached the Second Temple, along with remnants of a protective tower as well as "over 70 ballista and sling stones in front of the wall." In 2006, the Sifting Project also found an iron arrowhead used by the Romans during the siege of the Second Temple. Some of the most famous coins from the Second Temple period are the "Judea Capta" and "Judea Devicta" coins ("Judea is Captured" and "Judea is Destroyed"), struck in 70 CE and for 26 years thereafter. These coins feature profiles of Emperor Vespasian, or his sons Titus (who led the army that sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple) and Domitian, with a captive sitting under either a Roman soldier or a war trophy.
The United Nations' votes to deny the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount is non-fact based political maneuvering on the part of the world body, and those countries that voted in favor of the resolution. Archeology and Muslim authorities not aligned with UNESCO and the Palestinian Authority provide evidence to support the claim that both Jewish Temples existed -- the claim that they didn't is blatantly implausible. The United Nations resolutions are is nothing short of a baseless attempt to rewrite Jewish history, and by extension, that of Western Civilization. In any future Arab-Israeli peace process, these resolutions will likely only harden the Palestinian Authority's position on the Old City of Jerusalem without justly preserving Jewish rights there.


CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A Duke Energy power plant is using renewable natural gas from North Carolina-based hog farms to produce electricity – the first application of the technology from in-state farms.
This OptimaBio facility in Duplin County, N.C., gathers methane gas from five local hog farms and converts it to pipeline-quality natural gas. The gas is transported to a Duke Energy gas power plant where it is part of the fuel mix. It is the first time Duke Energy has used renewable natural gas from in-state farms at its power plants.


Order in the next 14 hours and 32 minutes and receive your order on Monday 29 April when you choose DPD. International Deliveries take 3-4 Working Days by DHL.
Excellent quality blade but usually more red wood may be visible than on a grade 1 which does not affect the playability of the bat. Similar number of grains to a grade 1 with potentially the odd blemish or butterfly in the grain on the face.


Friday. May 25th there will be a good will offering dinner and silent auction at Terry Peak.
Food donated and prepared by Lynn's Dakotamart in Lead.
Items will be added to silent auction list as they come in.


text:
Adam Brody Is Having A Moment
Carrie WittmerContributing WriterInstagramTwitter
Real Adam Brody fans have been with him through it all: seasons two through four of The O.C., Mr and Mrs. Smith, Thank You for Smoking, In the Land of Women, Jennifer's Body, I could go on and on and on. Even more real ones went back and watched The Ring for his very small role as "Male Teen #1". The actor made a significant splash in the early 2000s due to his role as Seth Cohen on the FOX teen soap The O.C. Seth was a comic book nerd who was adorable (adorkable, even, sorry to even say it) at the time but in retrospect, is kind of an insufferable whiner. Seth Cohen moans and complains when things don't even slightly go his way, but Brody's inherent charm made Seth seem like the most romantic guy on television, like the loneliest teenage boy in the universe who deserved the world when, in fact, he was pretty self-serving.
Fleishman Is In Trouble, the FX series based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner's novel of the same name, follows Upper East Sider Alex Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg), who is amidst a nasty divorce with his ex Rachel (Claire Danes). The newly single Alex finds himself in a modern dating culture far removed from the one he was used to before his marriage. Seth, an old friend Alex lost touch with during his marriage, serves as a guide. Seth is played by Brody, who bravely took the role despite the character having the same name as the character that defines him.
Brody's innate ability to make even the vilest characters relentlessly charming manifests in Fleishman Is in Trouble. Seth isn't exactly an asshole but he makes grand statements that, if made by someone less appealing than Brody, would come across as insensitive and ignorant. For example, Seth says that no women on dating apps are 39 or 29. "There's only 40 and 30," he says.
In his first scene in the series, he orders a dish called the lumberjack with a side of grilled cheese, a moment that deserves to be commemorated. Later, he is shown eating the grilled cheese while making grand statements about why women have choke kinks now:
While Brody was a 2000s heartthrob and while he has had a consistently respectable career, he didn't exactly become a leading man. But over the past few years, he's built up to a moment. In 2019, he appeared in DC's Shazam!, and will return for the sequel early next year. Later that year, Brody was in the hit horror-comedy Ready Or Not, in a role that was perfect for him. In 2020, he officially became an FX boy with his small role as feminist Marc Feigen-Fausteau amongst some of the greats including Lydia Tár herself on the miniseries Mrs. America. Also in 2020, he led the extremely dark comedy The Kid Detective, in which he played a former child detective who in his adult life, comes across a missing person's case and had a role in the Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman. Now, Brody's back to being an FX boy on Fleishman Is in Trouble.
And suddenly, I find myself in a state of rewatching episodes of Fleishman Is in Trouble solely for Brody's performance, and I am planning to see Shazam! Fury of the Gods solely for his performance. The power that he has. Adam Brody is having another moment, and I hope it never ends.
Tags: ADAM BRODY, fleishman is in trouble


Watch: Florence + The Machine performs 'Big God' live with Kamasi Washington.
Florence + The Machine recently performed her song 'Big God' live at the Hollywood Bowl with Kamasi Washington, who also worked with her on her latest album, 'High As Hope'.
MusicBehind-the-scenes of Florence + The Machine's 'Queen Of Peace' & 'Long And Lost' video.


Johannesburg, November 28, 2016: New risks such as cyber incidents or data privacy, rising regulatory and shareholder activism and the influence of third party litigation funders are putting corporate leaders under more pressure than ever of falling foul of investigations, fines or prosecution over alleged wrongdoing, says Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS), a leading provider of Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance globally.
Directors and officers are walking a managerial tightrope as executive liability continues to increase annually. There is a growing trend towards seeking punitive and personal legal action against executives for failure to follow regulations and standards which could result in costly investigations, criminal prosecutions or civil litigation putting the company's assets, or their own, at risk, AGCS says in its new report D&O Insurance Insights: Management liability today. "While the legal landscape differs strongly from country to country, increasing shareholder or regulatory action has become a global phenomenon that needs to be given top priority within companies' internal risk management departments," says Bernard Poncin, Global Head of Financial Lines, AGCS.
According to AGCS analysis, non-compliance with laws and regulations is now the top cause of D&O claims by number, followed by negligence and maladministration/lack of controls. The average D&O claim for breach of duty costs over $1 million (€1 million). However, in large corporate liability cases D&O claims can be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. AGCS observes a general trend for D&O claims to be dismissed or resolved more slowly, meaning lengthier litigation, increased defense costs and higher settlement expectations. For example, the average US securities class action case takes between three and six years to complete while legal defense costs average around $10 million, rising to $100 million for the largest cases. In the past six years defense costs have almost doubled for large D&O claims in the US. The influence of third party litigation funding is also changing the global litigation map, with it being pivotal in the development of collective actions against financial institutions and commercial entities and their directors and officers.
Litigation against companies and their officers is on the rise. In the US, the number of security class action filings is rising and, at mid-year, was on course for its highest annual total for 12 years. Many Asian countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore are also moving towards a more litigious culture. The increase in claims has also been pronounced in Germany where the number of D&O claims for AGCS alone has tripled in the past 20 years.
D&O insurance is on the rise in Africa as a result of developments in corporate governance legislations and codes, which have codified directors' liability. In general the directors of a company in most African countries can be held personally liable for their executive actions where such actions are not in conformity Memorandum of Incorporation. Because a company may not indemnify its directors and officers, there is no guarantee however that the company will pay the heavy financial burden of defense costs in prolonged legal proceedings or damages awards. The company may also not have the financial resources to indemnify the directors and officers in the event of a claim.
"There has been a recent trend towards shareholders seeking to hold directors liable for losses as a result of the negligent or reckless conduct. The statutory underpinning for such claims is the Companies Act No.71 of 2008 which codified directors' liability in South Africa," says AGCS Africa Head of Financial Lines Nobuhle Nkosi.
In Ghana, the Companies Bill 2013 has been developed and is currently being progressed through parliament. It aims to increase clarity and to protect shareholder rights. Kenya's Companies Act 2015 provides duties that are onerous with tough fines and jail terms for directors and officers. The Insolvency Act 2015 aims to have managers and directors who failed the entity prosecuted. The Companies Act of Uganda, which commenced in 2013 stipulates that there are penalties for non-compliance.
Mauritius has a modern Companies Act. It provides detailed regarding director duties for all public and private companies. The island nation has a commercial court, which deals with corporate and bankruptcy matters. In Nigeria, the directors of a company can be held personally liable for their executive actions where such actions are not in conformity with the company's charter as set out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Also, directors are personally liable for executive actions aimed at a particular group of shareholders where those actions are fraudulent or illegal.
Other new management risks include negative disclosures or allegations around environmental pollution, climate change and modern slavery which could result in reputational risks and shareholder activism, public outcry or governmental action.
In order to tackle the increase in executive risk in future directors need to develop a highly sophisticated risk management culture. Examples include instilling first-class cyber and IT protection, keeping records of all information relevant to a managerial role and maintaining open communication with authorities, investors and employees. Executives should ask tough questions about compliance related topics such as sanctions, embargoes, domicile registrations, price-fixing and fraud and also learn more about "classic" D&O exposures such as M&A, capital measures and IPOs. The AGCS report contains best practice advice and checklists outlining how executives can mitigate risk.
D&O insurance has become a regular part of companies risk management in the past 20 years. It provides financial protection for managers against the consequences of actual or alleged "wrongful acts". Common D&O risk scenarios include HR issues, shareholder actions, reporting or disclosure errors. Coverage does not include fraudulent, criminal or intentional non-compliant acts or cases where directors obtained illegal remuneration, or acted for personal profit.