Among the lost opportunities in this crazed electoral system is any real discussion of the topic all candidates claim to value above all others: namely, the aims toward which the United States commits force, the strategies and weapons and doctrines with which it does so, and the obligations it owes to the one percent of the population exposed to life-and-death risks in the country's name.
This was the theme I addressed early last year in "The Tragedy of the American Military" (for which my working title was "Chickenhawk Nation") and that readers have been discussing over the months in this thread.
I've had your article "The Tragedy of the American Military" bookmarked for several months but just now got around to reading it….
It's not an easy task to "call out" the military establishment but it needs to be done. You note in your article "those who did not serve are almost invariably afraid to criticize the military because of their not having served." I wonder if part of this hesitancy might derive from or be heightened by the actions of some veterans and current service-members who are quick to point out when people they disagree with haven't served, as an attempt to de-legitimize their views or attack their character.
As an example, the internet is rife with commenters dismissing the new Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning as not suited for the job simply because he hasn't served, despite his impressive resume and qualifications. The same type of vitriolic comments are frequently directed at Secretary Carter and other civilians within the DOD, as if prior military service is the most important factor in determining someone's qualifications or even their worth as a person.
In my 5 years (and counting) in the National Guard, ROTC, and Army Reserves I've run into manifestations of this looking-down-the-nose attitude in many different places, although it seems to be more prevalent within active duty circles than among the weekend warrior types.
It's rare to go a day in the Army without hearing at least one reference to the oft-quoted 1% statistic. I once had a commander who frequently remarked that he hates "dirty nasty civilians." I think a certain amount of contempt for laziness and the other diseases of modern society is a natural result of the disciplined, regimented lifestyle that one has to adopt in the military, but taken to the extreme this contempt becomes generalized and applied towards civilians as a whole, the very people whom we're sworn to protect. Actions like these from the veteran community leave a bad taste in the mouth and certainly don't add anything positive to the discussion.
This elitist attitude, while understandable, is perhaps even more detrimental for those who perpetuate it than the target of their scorn.
As you've pointed out in your article, a military exempt from public scrutiny is a military prone to waste, fraud, and abuse. One of the hallmarks of our democratic system of government is the presence of checks and balances, and I can't help but feel that there are largely no such checks and balances on our military.
I am painfully aware of the ramifications of the issues you describe, but am effectively muzzled (as are many) from speaking out by fear of career or UCMJ repercussions. In the Army we're encouraged to refrain from being vocally political, especially in regards to the organization we are a part of. There's an unwritten code of silence which keeps us from speaking out against those in charge. We're encouraged to bring up issues first within our chain of command, and only if that fails can we then seek out an alternate audience.
These restrictions, unwritten or not, are there for good reason - in order for the military machine to function effectively, the utmost discipline and order must be maintained, and public criticism of your superiors doubtless erodes the respect necessary for discipline to be unhesitating and complete. But the unfortunate side effect of this is that those who are most affected by problems of leadership or administration have the least ability to do or say anything about those problems.
Some who have found themselves in a similar place have chosen to stay in, but this is not without risk. Col. David Hackworth, a Vietnam-era hero and one of the finest officers the Army has seen (whose book "About Face" I hope you've read,)[JF: yes] chose to fight for change from within, but it effectively cost him his career and won him CID surveillance and threats of court-martial.
I have (as do most) a love-hate relationship with the Army, but something about it keeps me coming back for more, and so I will likely try to stick it out until I'm too old or unfit for service and do my best to make a difference from within. But the challenges are many and my voice is weak, and it will remain so until I have more of a base of experience and rank to speak from.
I beg you to keep writing on this subject. I feel that those with a voice who feel strongly about issues facing their countrymen have a civic duty to use that voice. Calls for accountability from those within the military or veterans often seem to go unheard, but perhaps the same calls from someone from without might have more of an impact. As you note in your article, the only things that seem to garner any sustained or meaningful political attention these days are scandals, and many of the issues plaguing the military seem far too entrenched and widespread to be considered scandals, at least by those who serve. I feel that more mainstream coverage of the administrative and bureaucratic issues facing our service-members, by civilians, would grant legitimacy to our complaints and help shine a light on the problems in our organization.
No one can threaten [outsiders] with a court-martial or dismiss you as a disgruntled veteran for speaking out, so I kindly ask that you keep that in mind and continue to write for those of us who would be put in a bad spot by doing so ourselves.
In my article I defined a Chickenhawk Nation as one willing to do anything for its military except take it seriously. That kind of serious attention is what the reader, along with others like him I have heard from, is asking from the other 99% of us.


Henry Knox (1750-1806), United States Army general, was chief artillery officer of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and first United States Secretary of War from 1789 to 1794. The Henry Knox papers consist of letters sent by Knox to military officers and government officials on various matters, as well as a few personal letters and miscellaneous military documents. The bulk of the letters are written in his capacity as Secretary of War, mainly to state governors and U.S. Commissioners of Loans in several states. These concern strengthening frontier defense, pension payments to invalid soldiers, and instructions on naval matters such as the repatriation of prizes seized by proscribed privateers and maintaining the embargo of 1794. Letters written during the Revolutionary War, chiefly to Army Quartermaster General Timothy Pickering, concern requests for ordnance, horses and drivers, and payroll matters. Personal letters to General Henry Jackson and M.M. Hays pertain to Knox's land purchases and related debt. A letter to U.S. Vice President Thomas Jefferson dated March 9, 1800 introduces Mr. Pope, inventor of improvements to a horizontal wind mill, and expresses disappointment with the path of his son Henry's naval career. Documents signed by Knox consist of a certificate of debt settlement and military discharge, and a warrant to survey land for a soldier's military bounty.


text:
Q: JAVA for creating all possible combination of words I am trying to get all the possible combinations of words input by user. Such as words input like aa, bb, cc should give
aa
bb
cc
aabb
aacc
bbaa
bbcc
ccaa
ccbb
aabbcc
aaccbb
bbaacc
bbccaa
ccbbaa
ccaabb

They can in any order but preferably in sorted order.
I have been trying to accomplish this for past hour and I think I am confused about something that I can't figure out and keep going in circles. Can someone please point me in the right direction.
The code so far is
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class WordCombination {
private static String[] wordlist;
private static String[] wordcomb;

public static void main(String[] argv){
    Scanner a = new Scanner(System.in);

    System.out.print("Enter Words:");
    setWords(a.nextLine());

    creatCombinations();

}

private static void setWords(String words){
    System.out.println("Entered words: " + words);
    wordlist = words.split("\\s+");
    Arrays.sort(wordlist);
    System.out.println(Arrays.toString(wordlist));
}

private static void creatCombinations(){
    int size = wordlist.length;
    int perm = (int) Math.pow(size, size);
    int c = 1;

    wordcomb = new String[perm];

    String word = "";
    /*
    for(int i = 0; i < size; i++){
        word = wordlist[i];
        for(int j = 0; j < size; j++){
            word += wordlist[j];
            System.out.println(c + ": " + word + ".com");
            c++;
        }
        word = "";
    }*/
    int l = 0;
    for(int i = 0; i < size; i++){
        int permj = (i+1) * size;
        System.out.println("------------------> " + permj + " permutations for " + (i + 1) + " words combination");
        int iterations = permj * (i+1);
        System.out.println(" Iterations: " + iterations);
        word = wordlist[i];
        for(int j = 0; j < permj; j++){
            for(int k = 0; k < i+1; k++){
                int permi = i * size;
                int index = permi + (k%permj);
                wordcomb[c-1] += "" + wordlist[l%size];
                out(l%size + "");
                l++;
            }
            System.out.println(c + ": " + wordcomb[c-1]);
            c++;
        }
        word = "";
    }

}

private static void out(String s){
    System.out.println(s);
}

}
*Edit: The output I am getting is *
    Enter Words:1 2 3
Entered words: 1 2 3
[1, 2, 3]
------------------> 3 permutations for 1 words combination
 Iterations: 3
0
1: 1
1
2: 2
2
3: 3
------------------> 6 permutations for 2 words combination
 Iterations: 12

Enter Words:aa bb cc
Entered words: aa bb cc
[aa, bb, cc]
------------------> 3 permutations for 1 words combination
 Iterations: 3
0
1: aa
1
2: bb
2
3: cc
------------------> 6 permutations for 2 words combination
 Iterations: 12
0
1
4: aabb
2
0
5: ccaa
1
2
6: bbcc
0
1
7: aabb
2
0
8: ccaa
1
2
9: bbcc
------------------> 9 permutations for 3 words combination
 Iterations: 27
0
1
2
10: aabbcc
0
1
2
11: aabbcc
0
1
2
12: aabbcc
0
1
2
13: aabbcc
0
1
2
14: aabbcc
0
1
2
15: aabbcc
0
1
2
16: aabbcc
0
1
2
17: aabbcc
0
1
2
18: aabbcc

A: One problem is that wordcomb[c-1] starts off as null, not an empty string. When you add to it, null gets converted to "null" and the rest gets added to it.
So you need to initialize wordcomb[c-1] to an empty string:
for(int j = 0; j < permj; j++){
    wordcomb[c-1] = ""; // <--------------------------
    for(int k = 0; k < i+1; k++){
        int permi = i * size;
        int index = permi + (k%permj);
        wordcomb[c-1] += "" + wordlist[l%size];
        out(l%size + "");
        l++;
    }
    System.out.println(c + ": " + wordcomb[c-1]);
    c++;
}

A: I think your approach is fundamentally flawed. In your output, the first character of a permutation = the last character of the previous one + 1, and each character of a permutation = the previous character + 1, which is not how permutation work. So I don't think it can easily be fixed.
Below is a working way to do it, using recursion. It simply tries every character in a position, then recurses to the next position.
import java.util.Arrays;

public class NewMain
{
   public static void main(String[] args)
   {
      c = Arrays.asList("aa","bb","cc").toArray(new String[0]);
      permutation(0);
      System.out.println("Number of permutations = " + count);
   }

   static String[] c;
   static int count = 0;

   static void swap(int pos1, int pos2)
   {
      String temp = c[pos1];
      c[pos1] = c[pos2];
      c[pos2] = temp;
   }

   public static void permutation(int start)
   {
      if (start != 0)
      {
         for (int i = 0; i < start; i++)
            System.out.print(c[i]);
         System.out.println();
         count++;
      }

      for (int i = start; i < c.length; i++)
      {
         swap(start, i);
         permutation(start + 1);
         swap(start, i);
      }
   }
}

Prints:
aa
aabb
aabbcc
aacc
aaccbb
bb
bbaa
bbaacc
bbcc
bbccaa
cc
ccbb
ccbbaa
ccaa
ccaabb
Number of permutations = 15

A: This problem is basically caused by printing null String object. Try to check the creation or the printing. There is somewhere String that has null value :)

A: You should sort by invoking another method
Arrays.sort(sortedIDXs, new Comparator<String>() {
 public int compare(String idx1,String idx2) {
    //Your method of sorting here
    //return 1 if string idx1 should be before, 0 if equal and -1 in opposite
 }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Quotes tagged "Sexual Orientation"
"The reason is what we believe. The most powerful idea in the history of the world, I think beats in the heart of the people of this country. It beats in all of us. No matter your race, your ethnicity, no matter your gender identity, your sexual orientation, no matter your faith, it beats in the hearts of the rich and poor alike, it unites America whether your ancestors were native to these shores, or they were brought here and forcibly enslaved, or they're immigrants with generations back, like my family from Ireland or those coming today looking to build a better life for their families."
— Joe Biden, Joe Biden Iowa Trump Rebuke Speech Transcript August 7, 2019- Rev
Tagged: America, Proposition Nation, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Slavery
"There is latent homophobia in our community. They tried to say that being gay is a sin, and I said that adultery is a sin. Adultery is responsible for breaking up more marriages, but do we put that in the Constitution? It's absurd."
— Al Sharpton, Sharpton Pledges Fight Against Homophobia Among Blacks
Tagged: Homophobia, Community, gay, Adultery, Sin, Marriage, Constitution, Absurd, Sexual Orientation, identify
"I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice. But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."
— Coretta Scott King
Tagged: Insjustice, Sexual Orientation, Gender Equality, rights
"I believe all Americans who believe in freedom, tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice based on sexual orientation."
— Coretta Scott King, Shadow in the Land: Homosexuality in America
Tagged: Americans, Freedom, Tolerance, human rights, Sexual Orientation, bigotry
"Move the conversation to talk about dating and relationships. This is a great time to drop in that you're gay, but at the same time it gets them thinking about you in that way. At the same time you can also discuss your interests and preferences when it comes to dating which is a great way to find out if you're compatible and it allows you to discuss a common interest – something that straight people can't really utilize in the same way."
— Adam Sinicki, Flirting Tips for Lesbians
Tagged: Lesbian, sexuality, Sexual Orientation
"Obviously you should drop hints that you like the other person – that's what flirting is. At the same time though, drop hints as to your own sexual orientation. This quickly makes the problem of finding out if they're gay or not obsolete – as once they know you're into women they'll figure out what's going on and they'll either start flirting back… or move away slightly…"
"Bark up the right tree. This is a must! A prelude to the whole flirting scene is knowing first that you are flirting with the same breed."
— Nina Rizon, 7 Flirting Tips to Get You Some Girl on Girl Action
"Fear is inherent when having an 'unconventional' sexual orientation. The fear of who will accept you or not, the fear of physical attack, the racing heartbeat you feel every single time you come out to someone - over and over again through your entire life."
— Jacob Geers, Being Christian Is Gay
Tagged: Sexual Orientation, gay, LGBQT, Coming out, LGBT
"Change is hard. Change is scarring. Change can be painful. We fear the change that comes with new jobs, new opportunities - things that we see as generally positive. It should be no surprise, then, that changing one's perceived sexual orientations is fucking hard."
Tagged: Sexual Orientation, LGBQT, LGBT, Same-Sex Relationships, Homosexuality, Coming out, Bisexuality, Questioning, Change

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Last Friday, January 3, about 65 people braved the winter cold of Washington, DC (okay, compared to Midwest right now, it's balmy) to participate in a discussion on the relevance of history to Americans. Leading the discussion with me were Tim Grove of the Smithsonian Institution and Cathy Gorn and Kim Fortney of National History Day.
It was an exciting mix of participants. The room was not only filled with historians who were attending the American Historical Association conference, but also people who work at history organizations in the DC region. These various perspectives sparked a convivial and lively discussion (especially when we debated the difference between opinion and perspective).
Most frequently mentioned words when asked about the relevance of history.
Know the individual and society benefits of broad historical study and engagement.
Apply historical thinking for the benefit of themselves and society.
Feel pride, confident, and inspired.
Engage in democratic and civic processes.
We then solicited their reaction to the five Big Ideas that came out of previous discussions. No one had any comments about "developing critical thinking skills," but "forming identity," "encouraging civic engagement," "building leadership," and "creating a legacy" received lots of attention. The major comments concerned how these ideas are (or are not) unique to history (e.g., leadership happens in sports and Scouts, too), they seem to be overused jargon (e.g., "civic engagement"), and imply exclusiveness. The term "legacy" seemed especially troublesome and in need of clarification. Some alternatives suggested were plural forms (e.g., identities and legacies), defining whose identity or legacy, and substituting civic or leadership with community, connections, or participants (everyone can't be a leader). Several people suggested that relevance and meaning must go beyond the individual and personal interest to include the broader community (e.g, "identity can't stop with me"). We also received several suggestions to add the value of history in building confidence, pride, and independence; that it recognizes change over time in context; distinguishes what is significant; identifies things what happened in the past that affect life today; and have an emotional and affective impact (e.g., joy, entertainment that comes from doing history, and empathy of other people past and present).
To our list of potential stakeholders and activists in this effort, we received suggestions of groups that focus on non-American history, for-profit groups such as Ancestry.com, the Gilder-Lehrman Institute, Khan Academy, textbook publishers, tribal groups, and library societies.
UTeach at University of Texas at Austin: STEM teachers required to take "Perspectives," a course on the history of math and science.
Brooklyn Historical Society working with teenagers in after school and collaborative programs.
Thanks to everyone that participated and if you're not familiar with the History Relevance Campaign, you'll want to read my earlier post or join the group on LinkedIn. Our next scheduled session is at the annual meeting of the National Council on Public History in March 2014.
This entry was posted in Community engagement, History and tagged American Historical Association, History Relevance Campaign on January 7, 2014 by Max van Balgooy.
I'd add to this list the Civil War Washington Teacher Fellows program, run by a consortium here in D.C., that works to engage teachers in thinking about how the history of the District is linked to its present state from a variety of perspectives, and how they can engage their students in that thought process. You can learn more at the websites of: Ford's Theatre (www.fords.org); Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (www.nps.gov/frdo); President Lincoln's Cottage (www.lincolncottage.org); and Tudor Place Historic House (www.tudorplace.org).


text:
EXC: Top U.S. Tech Execs Attended Conference Sponsored By Chinese Communist Group Which Pushed COVID DisInfo Campaign
Executives from American tech giants such as Facebook and Google attended an annual conference organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the body responsible for leading the Chinese Communist Party's digital campaign to censor factual narratives and push fraudulent information about COVID-19.
The unearthed attendance of U.S. tech leaders to the World Internet Conference follows leaked documents from the Chinese Communist Party revealing that its Cyberspace Administration – which spearheaded the conference – was tasked with deploying legions of hundreds of thousands of people online.
These individuals, comprising China's "wu mao" army, were deployed to combat negative narratives about the Chinese government and peddle misinformation to create a facade that China was adequately containing the virus.
Firewall Fealty.
Conceived in 2014, the annual World Internet Conference is organized by Chinese Communist Party bodies including the Cyberspace Administration of China, the State Council Information Office, and several municipal governments.
In addition to Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping speaking at the conference, companies that have been identified by the Department of Defense as assisting the Chinese military for over two decades such as Huawei, China Telecom, and China Electronics Technology Group, have routinely attended.
China Telecom has collaborated with the Chinese military since 1999 per the Department of Defense
Other Chinese companies such as Tencent and ByteDance, whose own the controversial WeChat and TikTok apps, have participated in the conference alongside a bevy of high-level Chinese Communist Party officials.
And the conference's goal of increased technological collaboration between China and the U.S. is misguided, as the prospect presents a hotbed for government-sanctioned intellectual property theft, espionage, hacking, and cyberattacks.
Despite this, American companies including Microsoft, LinkedIn, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon have participated in the state-run event. In 2017, Apple Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai took high profile speaking roles at the event.
Chinese Communist Party Leader Xi's first stop during the 2015 conference was to meet with Alibaba CEO Jack Ma
Facebook executives have attended the conference for over half a decade. In 2016, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg also took up a speaking role alongside Vaughan Smith, Vice President of Facebook's Corporate Development.
Zuckerberg on panel next to Alibaba's Jack Ma.
These corporates offered their support to their conference even after a 2014 controversy where the conference allegedly attempted to have attendees ratify a 3-page declaration advocating for "enhanced cyberspace connectivity."
Of paramount concern was collaboration on thwarting breaches of "cybersecurity and cyber terrorism," a blistering display of hypocrisy in light of the Chinese Communist Party leading the world in sanctioning these attacks.
In The (Think) Tank for China.
Also collaborating on the venture are a host of D.C.-based think tanks that advocate for closer U.S.-China ties such as the Brookings Institution and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
Brookings has repeatedly sent delegations to the conference to participate in forums alongside Chinese Communist Party administered bodies such as the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies, an affiliate of the body that sanctioned COVID-19 misinformation.
In 2019, the institute co-hosted a panel on the "interaction of civilizations and role of think tanks in the information age," and in 2017, Director of the institute's China Center Li Cheng spoke on a forum advocating for greater collaboration between U.S. and Chinese tech companies.
Brookings listed alongside Chinese Communist Party body as panel co-host
Another mainstay in the pro-China lobby group, the National Committee on U.S. China Relations, also sent its President Stephen Orlins to speak at the conference. In 2017, for example, Orlins wanted to ensure that "the internet serves the complementary, rather than the conflicting, interests" of China and the U.S.
Conferences & Collaborators.
American tech companies liaising with Chinese Communist Party linked firms and party members at the World Internet Conference is not an isolated incident.
This exposé follows a long list of National Pulse reporting calling out the same companies for attending a host of conferences bankrolled by the Chinese Communist Party with companies such as Huawei, Tencent, and ByteDance in attendance.
Cortes: If Biden Were Sure of His "Victory", He'd Welcome Transparency.
Steve Cortes
RIP OFF: U.S. 'Stimulus' Sends BILLIONS To Sudan, Venezuela, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan
EXC: Biden Just Picked A CIA Director With a 7-Year-Long Relationship with Chinese Communist Party Fronts
EXC: Biden's Chief Financial Regulator Headlined Chinese Chamber of Commerce Event Alongside Communist Party Officials


text:
Q: C#, SQL, знаки вопроса вместо кириллицы Доброго времени суток,пишу десктопное приложение на c# (wpf), использую сервер на Microsoft Azure.
При передачи строки varchar, на сервер приходят знаки вопроса, но только в отдельном столбце.
Строка подключения (первоначальный коннект, без доп свойств):
 SqlConnection sqlConnection = new SqlConnection("Server = **; Database = **; User Id = **; Password = ***;");


text:
Trial time frame likely pushed back for Silver Spring white nationalist
Recent filings suggest an initial path to begin the trial as early as May 20 is in doubt, because of extensive evidence defense lawyers must review.
Author: Mike Valerio
Updated: 7:16 AM EDT March 22, 2019
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Echoing the atrocities carried out by the New Zealand gunman, prosecutors said Christopher P. Hasson of Silver Spring dreamed "of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth."
The Coast Guard lieutenant and Marine Corps veteran amassed a $14,000 arsenal in the past year, including nine rifles, six handguns and 1,000 rounds of ammo.
His hit list spared few in the upper echelons of Democratic politics. Prosecutors said his work computer in Washington contained detailed search histories of the Unabomber and Virginia Tech gunman.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Sykes said Hasson identified as a white nationalist in the dark recesses of the Internet, and later referred to the 49-year-old in court as a "domestic terrorist."
PREVIOUS: Coast Guard lieutenant from Silver Spring compiled hit list of lawmakers, Feds say
As Hasson remains in jail without bond on federal drug and weapons charges, court documents show both government lawyers and public defenders are slowing the time frame of the domestic terror suspect's trial.
RELATED: Trump downplays white nationalism threat after New Zealand massacre
Through the legal process of discovery, Hasson's lawyers have the opportunity to review evidence before trial. Defense lawyers may ask for evidence to be suppressed or excluded, a task Hasson's public defenders said cannot be completed by an April 1 deadline.
"Discovery in this case is expected to be voluminous," wrote Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth G. Oyer. "Defense counsel believes that additional time will be needed to review these materials."
Under the Speedy Trial Act, the trial of a defendant charged in an information or indictment is supposed to begin within 70 days.
The clock for Hasson, in theory, began its countdown on March 11, the day he was arraigned. Seventy days later would lead to a trial date of May 20.
But both prosecutors and defense attorneys said in court filings this month the "ends of justice are served," if U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel extends the time frame.
Additional clarity is expected April 3, when both sides will discuss the future of the case.


text:
Beterbiev: Yarde is a Good Fighter, Has Good Experience, He's Dangerous
By Declan Taylor
Published Sun Jan 15, 2023, 09:24 AM EST
ARTUR BETERBIEV is the only world champion with a 100 per cent KO ratio - but the best light heavyweight in the world insists he finds no joy in knocking people out.
The 18-0 Russian, who currently resides in Montreal, Canada, has emerged as one of boxing's foremost punchers over the course of his 10-year career which has gleaned the IBF, WBC and WBO titles at 175lbs.
He will put them all on the line on January 28 when he faces Brit Anthony Yarde, the mandatory challenger for his WBO strap, at the Wembley Arena, London. Beterbiev is a heavy favorite and odds makers believe another early finish from the champion is likely.
But if he does make it 19-0 (19), Beterbiev says the finishing shot will not bring him happiness.
"In this moment you close off your feelings," the 37-year-old explains.
"We have both signed a contract to fight. He is trying to hit me as hard as he can and I am doing the same. There are no feelings.
"After the fight I just hope he is OK. Do I enjoy knocking people out? No. There's no pleasure in it. I just hope everything is OK with them.
"I just want to do good boxing, not hit people."
In fact, Beterbiev joked that one day people may give him credit for something other than punching very, very hard.
"I know for sure, 1000 percent, that the secret to my power is somewhere in my boxing gym but I don't know exactly where," he adds.
"I don't know which exercise or bag gave me this secret. I don't know where it comes from. I wasn't always like this either, it has come from working every day.
"But really my dream is to be a good boxer one day."
Another key ambition for the 2009 world amateur champion is to hold all four belts at light-heavyweight, which will likely mean agreeing the long-awaited showdown with his compatriot Dimitry Bivol, the current incumbent of the WBA title.
"I need Bivol," Beterbiev admits. "I'd prefer to fight Bivol because he has the one thing I need.
"I hope I fight him in 2023 but the hold up is not from my side, it's from their side. In the last three years he always says he will fight me next but in this time we've done unification fights against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Joe Smith. We've done that whereas he has just been talking about it.
"We used to be on the national team together as amateurs, I knew him then, but he is younger than me. We haven't talked for 10 years now. He was 75kg back then, too small for me. We were never friends."
But for now, Beterbiev must focus on the challenge of Yarde, whose tail is up as a result of three stoppage wins in a row since losing a split decision to Lyndon Arthur back in December 2012.
Victory for the Londoner would be one of the biggest upsets by a British boxer in decades but his opponent is adamant he is not taking the challenge lightly.
"I don't know much about him," Beterbiev says of Yarde. "We've watched several of his fights. He's a good fighter, has good experience as a professional and he's a boxer. He's dangerous so I have to prepare for this fight like I always do.
"What motivates me is that first of all I have three belts and I need to defend them - I can't just give them away. If someone wants these belts they need to fight. I'll try to be 100 percent ready and we will fight them to see who is better. What motivates me right now is having these belts and needing to defend them - that's it."
Incidentally, this fight takes Beterbiev back to the city in which he last tasted defeat - his 2012 elimination from the London Olympics at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk. Yarde's promoter Frank Warren pulled off a deal to get his man home advantage but Beterbiev has no problem travelling to defend his titles.
He said: "You know I would've preferred to have the fight in USA or Montreal but there is no big issue with going to London to fight. It's boxing. In London there's a ring, in the US there's a ring and I fight in a ring. I think that's enough for me.
"I was at the Tottenham stadium for the Fury-Chisora fight. It was a huge fight and I don't think I've been to a show like that before. There was a full stadium with 60,000 fans. It was a very nice show and I liked it. There's a chance I'll fight in the UK again after this if it all goes to plan. There is nothing special. I can fight anywhere."
On 2012, he added: "It was the Olympics and the result stands. I'm not happy about the result but I can't say I've got bad memories of London. What happened has happened and it's in the past, now we're going for the future. We are excited and hope that everything in the future goes to plan."
That task starts on January 28 but do not expect a celebration if he gets the job done early.


LG IPS225V-BN - this is a monitor with a screen diagonal of 21.5 inch. The IPS-monitor keeps the stability of color regardless of which angle you look at the screen of the monitor: top, bottom, side or right. Thanks to the use of led technology, the monitor has a slim design, which allows you to conveniently place it on the desktop. Display contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1. Maximum display resolution 1920 x 1080. Monitor dimensions 513 x 398 x 191мм, weight of 3.2 kg.


We all know why we need to back up. If you use your computer as much as I do, then you're constantly creating, modifying and collating new files; your hard drive swelling by the minute. Ensuring that your backups are current and comprehensive is an arduous job, often complicated by the fact that most people have small hard drives on their machines.
Thankfully, some products aim to ease this task. One of them is Backup and Recovery Home 14, by German software titan Paragon. The tool runs on Windows 2000 through Windows 8.1 and offers an comprehensive approach, from backing up your files to your entire system. Earlier versions have received glowing reviews, and the latest version impresses with a number of killer backup and restore utilities for the low price of $40.
But is it any good? I gave it a spin.
I installed Paragon on a wheezy, Lenovo crap-top from yesteryear, rocking an anemic AMD Vision processor, a solid state drive and a fully up-to-date install of Windows 7. This isn't a powerhouse, but it still managed to run it without any perceptible slowdown.
Installing it was as simple as installing any Windows application, although I was prompted to install a couple of dependencies at the start. After 10 minutes, Paragon Backup and Recovery 14 was sitting pretty on my hard drive.
Yeah, the landing page inexplicably takes a page or two from the Windows 8 aesthetic. However, this veneer of Metro-ness was removed after entering the guts of the application, upon which we are greeted with something which looks a bit more familiar.
Although not advertised in the name, Paragon Backup and Recovery can check the file system for imperfections and flaws. This is handy, as it gives you a heads-up as to if your HDD / SSD is on the fritz, effectively warning you of impending data loss.
I decided to give this a try, running both a surface test which looks for bad sectors, as well as a file-system scan.
This required a restart, upon which my computer booted up into a slightly scary looking program. This informed me of the progress of the scans I was running, as well as if there were any issues with my drive (there weren't). One slight complaint was that the estimated time of completion wasn't accurate. It said that each scan would take around 30 minutes, but took significantly longer, resulting in me eventually leaving my computer running overnight and going to bed.
If you're planning to use Paragon to check on the health of your hard drive, you'd be advised to do so when you're not planning to be productive.
One of the main features advertised by Paragon is the ability to back up files, folders and your entire hard drive. In addition, you can also back up emails retained locally on your computer. I decided to create a backup archive of my Documents folder. This was a relatively simple process; I selected the type of backup required, the folder I wanted to back up and the place where I wished to store my backup.
It's worth noting that the tool offers a plenty of backup options, including 'Smart Backup', 'Differential Backup', 'Incremental Backup' and 'Synthetic Backup'. It's not immediately obvious what each one of these is, and they aren't fully explained. However, this is a design complaint, not a functionality one.
Backups can be scheduled, and also scripted, allowing you to handle backups and restorations without any stress.
The process of creating a backup was a little bit slow, given that I was running a SSD in peak health and given that my Windows computer isn't my main machine, the Documents folder isn't especially full. Despite this, the backup was created accurately, and was restored with a minimum of fuss. Which brings us onto our next point – restorations.
Once I created my archive, I decided to restore it. This was stored in a pre-defined location in my Documents folder, and when I visited it with the file explorer, I was unable to directly open it.
Instead, I had to open it with Paragon. Restoring backups was a simple, relatively quick process (especially in comparison to creating the initial backup). It uses a wizard, which presents each archive chronologically in a list, and you are able to select which one you wish to restore. You can also decide what files and folders you wish to restore.
After that, it's a simple matter of pressing 'Next' a few times until your files have successfully been restored.
I really like Paragon Backup and Recovery Home 14.
Sure, it has its fair share of warts, including some incomprehensible design choices and inaccurate ETAs. But it does handle backing up and restoring files perfectly, and for that it ought to be commended.
Give it a go and let me know how you find it in the comments below!
Explore more about: Data Backup, Data Recovery, File System.
I hope I never will 'lose a file again'. I have just kicked Acronis 2014 into touch as it failed to back up my wife's Thunderbird settings despite using disk image backup (imagine the earache after the 'restore'. It took days to get her emails etc back together using the restored data)!!
I am sincerely hoping that Paragon will prove better. i had used Acronis for years and it always did what I hoped after a virus or crash until last week. Seems Acronis can have a problem with open files. The Acronis F11 boot time rescue would not work on her Lenovo laptop either.
The only worthwhile test of a backup program is whether it can easily be restored. Oh, for product that works as well as Arcserve did 20 years ago when I was working.
EASUS ToDo Backup Free (for home use) is more than adequate for a home user.
Simple to understand and use - and did I mention? - it's FREE.
Will it backup NAS drives, either as a mounted drive or as a share on a network? I've found several backup software packages which cannot or are unreliable.
Without more experience on the matter I couldn't say for sure, but I wouldn't see why not. I was able to backup my whole external 1TB Segate hard drive, and (I don't think, corrrect me if I'm wrong) that's not very much unlike a NAS, it's still considered by Windows as a "foreign" device.
You would think that were the case. I have tried several free packages only to find that a drive directly connected to the host PC via USB works just fine however as soon as you try to specify a backup source, these packages either don't see the NAS drive or if they do see the mounted drive they give you a useless error.
The Western Digital backup S/W which came with my 4TB external (USB, and my backup destination) refuses to see the NAS unless you pony-up something like $250 for the pro version. That may be okay for a business but crazy expensive for home use.
I've been trying to use another free package called Cobian Backup. It is a very flexible "pro" product and will do full backups of whatever source I want however when it is time to do either an incremental or differential backup, it backs-up all the right folders but none of the files within the folders.
This stuff goes on-and-on with every free backup product I've tried.
How does this product compare with Acronis True Image 2014?
will it backup to the external hard drive.
I don't see any useful in getting backup to my document .
Yes, it will back up to anywhere in the Windows file tree.


To Virginia Woolf's country retreat this weekend, Monk's House, near Lewes in East Sussex. The house played host to members of the Bloomsbury Group and some vegetable gardening in its time, and now takes in visitors twice per week.
Unlike George Orwell, who escaped to the island of Jura to write, Woolf kept her carbon footprint down by heading for a shack in her back garden. Which was probably more sensible.
The shack still stands, as do flowering artichokes in the vegetable patch, although it is unclear whether these are a more recent addition.
Woolf went about a mile down the road to drown herself in an unphotogenic river.


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ODESSA, Dec. 24, 2004 -- My wife Susan and I were seated on our bed late one evening in October. She had been reading, and I had wandered in from working on the computer.
We chatted about the day's events, the problems she was experiencing with her back, the chiropractic adjustments that had seemed to do no good, a couple of doctor's visits that had led nowhere, the next day's plans, and our boys -- and then lapsed into silence.
I don't know how long the silence lasted, but my eyes were downcast, staring into nothingness. I was lost in thought ... in feeling. Something on my face caught her attention.
"What's the matter?" she said. There was concern there.
"Oh ... I don't know. You look worried."
"Yeah?" I said, and pursed my lips. "No ... well ... yeah ... It's strange. I feel as though there is an ending coming."
"An ending?" she said, raising herself from an elbow to an upright position. "Are you okay? You're not sick, are you?"
"And it's not necessarily you. It's just ... a feeling. It seems like we're coming to the end of something."
I had been thinking about shutting it down for lack of discernible income. But that wasn't it.
We fell silent again, for fifteen, twenty seconds. Then she spoke.
"Yeah," I said. "I feel fine. Look ... never mind. I'm probably just tired. Fatigue can play tricks."
But I didn't think that was it, at all.
A week later, I took Susan to the hospital. Her back condition had suddenly worsened, affecting her ability to walk. She wanted testing done, and so did I. Best guess from chiropractors and from friends who had experienced back difficulties was that we were looking at a pinched nerve, or perhaps a disc problem. Physical therapy would be warranted at the very least, the conventional wisdom said, and perhaps surgery.
The tests that night didn't show a pinched nerve, though -- nor a disc problem. They showed malignant tumors, one of them wrapped around Susan's spine, threatening paralysis. She had fought off cancer the year before, and blood work had been consistently good ever since. But it was back.
Radiation treatments were started the next day, and repeated the two days following.
After a weekend respite from the treatments, a fourth one was administered on her sixth day in the hospital.
An hour later, Susan complained to an attending nurse that she was dizzy. And with that, she coded. Pulmonary embolism. A team of doctors frantically tried to save her, but couldn't, and she was gone.
Gone ... two weeks after I had sensed an ending.
Now, I don't bring this up to depress anyone ... or to try to apportion blame ... or to try and appease any compelling need to psychoanalyze my mind or senses, or hers.
I bring it up as a thought-provoking lead-in to some phenomena of interest that occurred after Susan's passing -- while I and her sons and her brothers and her parents and her various friends and cousins and aunts and uncles were dealing with the shock of losing a kind, gentle, compassionate and wholly good person so suddenly, and only in her early 50s.
I present the things that follow as a message, if you will -- a series of events which, by themselves (like the feeling of foreboding), are explicable in a logical, earthly sense, but which together constitute for me a message of hope that has tilted me in the direction of faith.
Hope and faith -- hallmarks, after all, of the Christmas season -- the season in which I write this.
Several days before Susan's passing, she was on the phone talking to our son Jon, who lives in Pittsburgh. He was telling her that he had finally quit a dead-end job at a deli that had been made a virtual living hell by a female boss we in the family had come to refer to in less than flattering terms whenever the subject of the job came up.
Susan (pictured at right with the camera she often used to take photos for this website) had cautioned him not to quit abruptly -- to instead give notice and perhaps get a job recommendation out of the experience. But his boss had manipulated him once too often -- and he had basically told her where she could put her machinations.
"I wish he had given notice," Susan said to me afterward.
"Sometimes you can't," I answered. "Sometimes you just have to leave."
"Yeah, I suppose," she said at last.
A day and a half after Susan's death, the woman in question -- the former boss -- died in a traffic accident in Pittsburgh. She was a passenger in a car that was struck by a second vehicle, and she died instantly. The only other person in her car, the driver, survived with minor injuries.
"Wow. How did Mom do that?"
I related that story to a friend, who thought it reflected badly on Susan.
"I mean, the woman died," said the friend. "Susan wouldn't do something like that."
Well ... no. She wouldn't in an earthly sense, I responded.
"But up there," I said, "assuming there is an 'up there,' I don't think that when they summon somebody, that they think in terms of killing them. I like to think of it like this: The woman had been extremely nasty to Jon, and Susan took exception, and maybe had built up so many good markers in heaven that she was able to call down to the woman and say, 'Hey, I want to talk to you.' And then pulled the woman out of here for a little chat."
True, I have some doubts on that one. But there is another matter in which I bestow my trust.
Just hours before the woman's demise in that crash, sunspot activity flared, and ion particles composing a plasma cloud were sent hurtling earthward on a journey that took less than a week.
The particles, when they reached the earth's ionosphere, yielded a light show normally referred to as The Northern Lights, and officially as the Aurora Borealis.
I saw the Aurora when I was a small boy, and was fascinated by its lights, and longed to see them again sometime.
But over the years -- over the decades -- I had been unable to do so. They are rare in our region, and so I hoped that at least once in our family's annual sojourn to Bois Blanc Island in Northern Michigan -- the very place from which I had witnessed the lights as a child -- I would again be bathed in their wonder.
Susan was very aware of this quest -- a quest that had spilled into the psyche of son Jon. He and I -- when together on Bois Blanc -- would venture out in the wee hours of clear nights to check the northern sky. But the years passed, and we never saw the lights. They never came out to play in our presence.
And I thought perhaps they never would.
But first, let me backtrack to light in general.
On the day of Susan's death -- in the emotional trauma that her passing cast upon us -- I found solace outside the hospital, in the parking lot across the street ... because of the sun.
It was a chilly day, but a bright one. The sun was strong, and its rays mitigated the chill.
I stayed in that lot for hours after Susan left -- grieving, fending off the good intentions of a hospital chaplain I didn't know, hugging family, wandering off by myself to struggle with the nightmare that had descended upon the Haeffners and upon Susan's family, the Baumans.
I would periodically turn toward the sun, close my eyes, and bask in its rays. They felt more than warm; they felt comforting.
"Bright," one member of the family said in passing when he noticed me facing the sun, head tilted toward the sky.
"More than that," I said. "I feel her in the light ... I feel her in the light."
On the day of the funeral -- a midday service at the Odessa United Methodist Church -- the minister in charge, Sheila Price, rose to speak. As she opened her mouth to present some loving thoughts about her friend Susan, the sun -- playing hide-and-seek in the day's cold sky -- suddenly burst forth as though on cue, pouring through the church windows and brightening the building's interior. The murmurs in the church -- which was filled with family and friends -- told me I wasn't the only one who noticed.
Later, as she spoke, after the sun had faded again, Sheila mentioned something about light -- I don't recall the exact context -- and it happened again. The sunlight burst through the windows, bathing the room, and Susan's casket, in its warmth.
There was another murmur, and I turned to my eldest son Bill, seated at my side.
"My God, she's here," I said.
The eulogy at the service was given by a man named Gary Tong -- a former Methodist minister now doing social work in the Syracuse area. He was, in fact, once the minister at that very church where the service was conducted. This was his first time back since leaving years before.
Susan and I had kept in touch with Gary over the years -- and on the night of the day Susan died, Gary and I connected by phone. Gary had decided, upon hearing the news, that he wanted to present the eulogy. But before I knew that -- while family was gathered at Susan's parents' house, dealing mostly in personal silence with the enormity of the day's events -- my son David had made this suggestion.
"You know, Dad, we ought to have Gary do the eulogy."
Upon our return home that night -- at 1:30 a.m. -- there was a message on our answering machine from Gary, saying he wanted to do that very thing.
"Think he's up?" I asked my sons.
"Well, probably not," said Jon. "It's really late."
"Yeah, you're right," I said, reaching for the phone. "But he soon will be."
As it turned out, Gary was up -- already working the eulogy into shape in his mind, creating what would be a personal and touching accounting of the life that was Susan's.
Gary, in his preparation, went to sleep either that first night or the next -- I was never clear on which -- and as he drifted off was visited by a vision of Susan.
He was, at the time, planning to utilize in the eulogy some material from Robert Fulghum's wonderful book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten.
"You can't use that," Susan told him in his sleep.
"What? Why not?" he asked.
"You just can't," she said.
He told me days later about that visit, and about how he listened to Susan, and utilized another book instead.
Only after the fact -- during the funeral -- did he understand why Susan had been so insistent.
Nobody is ever prepared to figure out the details of a funeral -- not a surviving spouse, anyway. And yet, during funeral week, all decisions come down upon the spouse's shoulders. He (or she) is operating in a fog of grief, fighting back waves of emotion, while trying to make sure the needs of other family members are met. And yet decisions -- about the service, and the casket, and the calling hours, and the burial -- must be made.
Somehow, through that fog, I negotiated the shoals of particulars -- trying to balance the desires of family members with those I knew, or thought I knew, were Susan's. She and I had not, alas, discussed these funereal things in detail, so I was flying on the wings of intuition -- or, in retrospect, perhaps divine guidance, sent along through the light.
At the formal meeting at the funeral home, the matter of the funeral cards came up -- cards that would be distributed at the service. The funeral director asked me which verse of Scripture should be printed on them. He suggested that any verse Susan had cared about would be appropriate.
"Well, she read the Bible," I said. "But she wasn't a Bible quoter. So I don't know."
I turned to my son David, seated next to me. Other family members were around the table, watching and waiting.
"What do you think?" I asked David.
I thought a moment, and looked around the table for possible help. Seeing none, I thought some more.
"Fulghum," I said, and turned to David again. "Do we still have your mother's personal effects out in the van?" We had placed the effects bag given us at the hospital into the back of the van on that awful day -- and hadn't, to my recollection, moved it.
"I think so," David said. "You want me to go check?"
The van was parked outside, next to the funeral home.
"Yeah," I said. "There should be a book in there by Robert Fulghum. All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Bring it in, will you?"
"You got it," he said, and stood and left.
"Where's the Fulghum book?" Susan asked. It was Sunday night, Oct. 31 -- her final night, as it turned out, though we blessedly were unaware of that fact.
I looked around her room -- a private room at the Arnot-Ogden hospital in Elmira.
"Over there," I said, spotting it with a couple of other books -- one of them the Bible -- on the window sill near her bed. I stood and walked over to get it.
"Here," she said, holding out her hand to receive it. "I want to read some of it to you."
I had brought the book from home the day before, at Susan's request. Fulghum was one of her favorite authors -- a man of simple wisdom.
I handed it to her and returned to my seat -- a chair on the other side of her bed, near her.
And as I sat there, she opened the book and read from it -- the first chapter, which encapsulates the Fulghum philosophy, and then the second. I found it oddly comforting.
This was a quiet time-- late at night, long past visiting hours -- when we could share one another's company as we had for more than twenty-seven years, when we could enjoy the simple presence of the two of us, alone. And in the comfort of that situation -- despite the circumstance of a hospital -- I drifted into brief sleep,dozing for a few moments.
When I awakened, I felt a little sheepish.
"Sorry," I said. "Long day."
"It's okay," she said. "I just like hearing you breathe."
The Fulghum passage of import in that first chapter lists the things the author learned in kindergarten that had gotten him through life.
Live a balanced life -- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
As I looked through the book David had just brought me from the van -- a book signed by Susan in the front -- that last lesson jumped out at me.
"Fulghum," someone at the table said. The tone was neutral, but I thought the speaker sounded a little disbelieving.
"She read this to me the last night," I answered, not taking my eyes from the book, rereading the chosen line. "I think she was pointing me toward it."
Yes, I thought -- and still think -- that Susan knew ... knew that she was leaving.
In her final full day, a Sunday, she made phone calls to many people, including one to someone with whom she wanted to make amends. Which surprised me. Susan was a good woman, a caring woman who rarely created any situation requiring amends. And to pursue that end now ... well, when I learned about it after her passing, it merely solidified my opinion.
She had found a peace in her closing days -- had gone from feeling as though a nightmare had enveloped her, to these words on that final Sunday.
"Whatever happens," she told me, "it's okay. I'm in God's hands. It's okay."
The Fulghum quote, having been denied Gary Tong and introduced into the funeral planning session, made its way to the funeral card, and somehow -- I think I mentioned the book to her -- into Pastor Sheila Price's funeral oration. She included in that talk the list of Fulghum lessons, getting a chuckle from the assembled mass when she smiled and said, "Flush."
Hearing her speech, and seeing the funeral card quotation, Gary Tong realized why Susan had visited his dream, and was reassured once again that his strong faith in God is wholly justified.
And he told me of Susan's appearance, and her instruction.
Two days after the funeral, fatigue finally took me into a sleeping state that had proved elusive until then. I dozed in a recliner in my living room, the TV on. I started sleeping fairly early in the evening, and continued past midnight, into the small hours of the morning.
I was awakened by my son Jon -- staying with me for a couple of weeks as he tried to cope with the grief brought by the loss of his mother. His brother David was back at school in Morrisville, where he was nearing finals week.
Jon brought me out of my sleep by gently shaking me, and saying something.
"The lights," I recall hearing. Huh? I thought. What lights?
I opened my eyes, and there Jon was, leaning in toward me, his face earnest.
"The Northern Lights are out," he said. "You gotta come see these."
"Oh, my God," I said, and sprang from the chair -- and with Jon ventured out into the cold night.
The best place to view the Northern Lights was away from extraneous, man-made lights. The best place for that -- and immediately accessible -- was the Odessa-Montour school property, just a short walk from our home.
We wandered there, casting looks skyward as we went, marveling at the show. Fingers of light -- only faintly colored, mostly white -- were dancing upward from the horizon, and seemingly sending fine mists of particles across the sky.
"Let's get to the athletic field," I said to Jon as we stopped at the side of the school. There were extraneous lights in the roadway below, and on the side of the school building. We walked along, through increasingly thick darkness, until we reached the field and felt our way along the fence and through the gate. From there, we finished our trek within a few yards, choosing a spot near the field's northern end.
Lying down on the damp lawn -- we didn't care about the moisture -- we gazed up at the Aurora, and watched as it sent wave after wave of those particles, of gauzelike white film, across the night sky .... pulsing, receding, pulsing again, covering the entire dome above.
"Oh, brother, is it," said Jon.
We lay there a few minutes, and Jon voiced the unspoken thought I was harboring.
"How's she doing that?" he asked.
I waited a few seconds, and answered.
"I don't know, but I think she's having fun."
And we stayed there, quietly, letting the night and its wonders embrace us and apply a salve of reassurance, a blessing of peace.
I broke the stillness with a request to the heavens ... to my wife.
"Nice show," I said. "What else can you do?"
And within a second, maybe two, a shooting star -- a majestic arcing band of light -- appeared from the southeast and carried across the fullness of the night, clear to the northwest horizon.
We stayed there a half-hour, entranced and amazed and feeling a little better about things -- and then the clouds started moving in from the west, obscuring the Northern Lights.
"Show's over," I said, and we rose from the wet lawn.
We retraced our steps around the school, and out through the parking lot and down the road to our house. As we reached the lawn and started crossing it toward the back door, the clouds parted.
"There they are again," Jon said -- and indeed the lights on the horizon were visible again, though only faintly because of the encroaching streetlamps.
"Yep," I said, and noticed, above, a movement -- and tilted my head back to get the full effect.
It was another shooting star, moving from behind us, to a point above us, and then over the roof of the house and out of sight. And as it disappeared, so did the Northern Lights, as the clouds once again closed their curtain.
"Thank you," I said again, and went inside.
In this Christmas season -- one in which my family is finding it difficult to embrace the joy and gift-giving zeal that came easily in years past -- I find solace in the light.
I found it in the sunlight of a horrible day, and in the sunbeams that attended a funeral service, and in the night lights that played in the northern sky and danced across the dome of the visible universe.
I found it in the light trail of a shooting star above an athletic field, and in another star that traveled above me and out of sight, as if saying "Good night."
I find it still in the sunshine of a winter's day -- and will, I'm sure, in the spring and following seasons.
It is my message to you, this light.
It was Susan's message to me, I am sure -- one of reassurance and love -- and I entrust it to your care.


This is a cool feature.
But I'm wondering if that only works for the 3DR SOLO ???
Also the UVC dongle does not show the green led 'on'.
I looked in the settings, have UDP enabled (5700 serverport) and also UCV enabled.
Please see the pic to see the hardware.
When I connect the video Rx module to the tablet running Tower, the program (Tower) goes off.
and flight data on Tower simultaneously.
Please, could somebody explain me what I'm missing?
Any luck to get the video streaming to your tablet ? Over a year ago, I was successful to stream a video to my tablet without using USB OTG hub, so I was not able to connect the telemetry radio at the same time. But now I forgot what I did to succeed in the streaming.See attached my UVC receiver connecting to the Android cellphone running Tower V4.0. I set up all according to the Wiki (Video streaming using UVC device), such as UDP, check "UVC video" and decheck "Solo video" . But when I connect the UVC receiver to the cellphone, and then open Tower, the app keeps on stopping and close. I just can't remember what I did a year ago.
Tower was stopped developing some time ago now, try with Mission Maker, its a remake, if you have better luck.
Noted Tower disappears from Google play. Have briefly tried Mission Maker.
You can still find the Tower and Tower beta as an .apk file for downloading and install.
I solved the problem with a tablet from "Flysight"
Both antennas and Rx connected at the same time.
Ah ............ forgot to say that I'm not using the newer Mission Maker because I got an "Parse Error"


text:
Letters to the editor, March 22
Canadian view on health care
I'm a Mid-South boy who has been living in Canada for almost 50 years.
Donald Trump spoke in Nashville and defended the Republican health care plan.
Given that situation, I thought you might like to hear a story about the Canadian health care system. The system is socialist and the doctors are socialists.
Don't get excited. All that means is the doctors try to hold down health costs. Crazy idea, right? They are actually pretty good at it, but there is a down side.
I'm a senior who still jogs and tries to stay fit. Two years ago, Christmas 2014, I fell and twisted my knee. I was racing a snowplow down our residential street here in Winnipeg.
When I limped home, my dearly beloved's reaction began with "how many times..." and got stronger from there. My socialist doctor was just about as helpful.
He has a chart of health problems 68-year-old men are supposed to have. Racing the neighborhood snow plow is not on his chart. I got no treatment, not even an MRI.
My friends and relatives in Memphis all assure me I would have had an MRI and, likely, minor knee surgery if I were living in Memphis. I believe them.
You don't have to choose between socialism and the free market. You, my former fellow citizens, can have the best of both worlds.
Take the advice of an old Baptist who backslid all the way to Canada. There is no ideological purity in health care. You all could have a mixed system that treats everybody (it's cheaper) and treats its old and restless with respect, too.
Hey, Tennesseans, don't blow it now, when you are so close.
Aubrey Neal, Winnipeg, Canada
Wait for high court vote
Regarding last year's vacancy on the Supreme Court, both of Tennessee's Senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, explained to me that they wanted to wait to have the American people express their voice in deciding the future direction of our country. They did not state: let the Electoral College process play out.
In November, the American people did speak, with over 56 percent of Americans voting against Donald Trump.
In the Tennessee Republican primary, over 61 percent of voters voted against Donald Trump.
The American people did not want this president nor did the Tennessee Republicans. The people have spoken about the future direction of our country. Donald Trump is a minority President.
The Senate held confirmation hearings for appointee Neil Gorsuch this week, and I would like our senators to stay true to their word – listening to the voice of the American people. Let's wait four more years until a majority of Americans agree on a President.
The senators have been fine for one year without a ninth justice. We can wait four more years.
Patrick Slay, Nashville 37204
How will vouchers work?
Has anyone, legislators or parents, seen a list of private schools willing to accept a $7,000 voucher as full tuition?
Are the premier private schools on the list? You know, the schools that charge $20,000-$25,000 per year for tuition. Does anyone seriously expect private schools like that to suddenly decide to accept $7,000 just because a parent has a voucher?
What kind of schools and education will children get with their vouchers? Has anyone checked this out before pushing a school-voucher bill? Has anyone checked on other states' experiences with vouchers?
Elise Stevens, Nashville 37216


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Sir Charles Duncombe (1648 – 9 April 1711) of Teddington, Middlesex and Barford, Wiltshire, was an English banker and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1685 and 1711. He served as Lord Mayor of London from 1708 to 1709. He made a fortune in banking and was said to be worth £400,000 later in life, and the richest commoner in England on his death.

Early life
Duncombe was baptized on 16 November 1648, the second son of Alexander Duncombe of Drayton Beauchamp, Buckinghamshire, and his wife Mary Pawley, daughter of Richard Pawley of Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire. He was apprenticed to the London goldsmith Edward Backwell in 1665 and became in 1672 a member of the Goldsmiths' Company. He was tipped off by Lord Shaftesbury to withdraw a large sum of money from the Treasury before the Government suspended payment, and when Backwell was ruined because of the suspension, Duncombe took over his premises in Lombard Street at the sign of the Grasshopper.

Banker and official
In 1680, Duncombe was appointed Cashier of excise at an annual salary of £600 p.a, holding the post until 1697 and Commissioner for the Mint, holding the post until 1686. He was six clerk in Chancery from 1682 to 1683. On the basis of the public income from all these posts he helped found a new type of credit agency. He was also able to make additional money by rigging the market in Exchequer tallies.  He also served as alderman for Broad Street ward in the City of London from 1683 to 1686 (from which he was discharged by Royal Commission). In 1684 he was appointed Commissioner for tin coinage 1684 until 1687, and Cashier of hearth-tax at a salary of £400 p.a. in return for a £50,000 loan to the King at five per cent interest, holding the post until November 1688. When James II fled the country in 1688, Duncombe refused him a loan of £1,500 to aid his escape.

Political career
At the 1685 English general election, Duncombe was  returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for  Hedon  as a Court supporter. He was very active in Parliament and served on 14 committees, including the committee of elections and privileges. At the 1690 English general election he transferred to Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) where he was again returned unopposed. At the 1695 English general election he transferred again to Downton, supporting the Tories.  During this period he opposed the establishment of the Bank of England. In 1694 he bought the 40,000 acre Helmsley estate, now Duncombe Park.

In 1698, Duncombe was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London, and subsequently expelled from the House of Commons, for "contriving and advising the making of false Indorsements of several Bills, made forth at the Receipt of Exchequer, commonly called Exchequer-Bills", in other words a tax fraud. He was expelled from the House of Commons on 1 February 1698.  However, at his trial, he was acquitted through a mistake in the information. He was knighted on 20 October 1699. He was Alderman for Bridge Within ward from 1700 until his death and was Sheriff of London in 1700.

At the first general election of 1701 he was defeated at Downton but was returned to parliament as MP for Ipswich. At the second general election of 1701  he was defeated when he stood for the City of London, and having not stood at either Ipswich or Downton, was excluded from Parliament until the 1702 English general election when he was returned for Hedon and Downton, choosing to sit for the latter. He was appointed to a committee to investigate the prices of coal in London and in February 1703 he handled his constituents' petition for an extra market day at Downton. He avoided voting for the Tack in 1704. At the 1705 English general election he was returned again for Downton and voted  against the Court candidate for Speaker on 25 October 1705. He was fairly inactive in Parliament but in the City of London he came under attack from Whigs who removed him as a militia colonel, and his mayoral ambitions were overlooked by the court of aldermen.

At the 1708 British general election, Duncombe was returned again unopposed for Downton and in September 1708 became Lord Mayor of London to the indignation of the Whigs. He was to have had a publicly performed pageant for his, but it was stopped by the death of Prince George of Denmark (Queen Anne's husband), the day before.

In May 1709, he endorsed the candidacy of Dr Henry Sacheverell for the chaplaincy of St Saviour's, Southwark and later showed Tory partisanship by reportedly giving only £50 for the relief of the Palatine refugees, and only for the sake of his office. Though generally known for support of charitable causes and praised by the poor debtors of the Wood Street compter for his help while Mayor, the Palatines were a Whig cause. He opposed the impeachment of Sacheverell in 1710, later entertaining him at his home in Teddington. He was returned as MP for Downton at the 1710 British general election, and was later cited as one of the 'worthy patriots' who in the first session of the 1710 Parliament helped to detect the mismanagements of the previous administration'. However Harley was disappointed that he was  unforthcoming in providing any financial support for the administration.

Death and legacy

Duncombe died unmarried  at Teddington on 9 April 1711, and was described as 'the richest commoner of England'. His brother, Anthony Duncombe, was also MP for Hedon, died before him. His nephew and heir, also called Anthony, was later ennobled as Lord Feversham. His sister Ursula Duncombe inherited half of Duncombe's fortune and was the ancestor of the present-day Barons Feversham.

References

'Dakins - Dyer', The Rulers of London 1660-1689: A biographical record of the Aldermen and Common Councilmen of the City of London (1966)
House of Commons Journal, 18 March 1698
Dictionary of National Biography

1648 births
1711 deaths
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
Sheriffs of the City of London
18th-century lord mayors of London
Place of birth missing
Place of death missing
British MPs 1707–1708
British MPs 1708–1710
British MPs 1710–1713
Charles
English MPs 1685–1687
English MPs 1690–1695
English MPs 1695–1698
English MPs 1702–1705
English MPs 1705–1707
Members of the Parliament of England for Hedon

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Gigantic sports dome, hotel to open next to Great Adventure
By Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Roller coaster fans would have a nearby place to stay, and athletes from New Jersey and beyond would have indoor fields and courts to compete on, under a plan to build a Hilton Garden Inn hotel and a huge sports "bubble" on a site next door to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township.
South Jersey developer Vito Cardinale will host a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for his Adventure Crossing project, to be built on a 150-acre site on Monmouth Road adjacent to Great Adventure, the vast amusement and safari park complex in Ocean County that — while well known for its dozen twisting, spinning, plunging thrill rides — still lacks much in the way of surrounding overnight accommodations.
"We're trying to create an opportunity for Jersey families to come over and stay," Cardinale said in an interview on Monday. Referring to the absence of a hotel near the Six Flags chain's New Jersey property, Cardinale added, "They couldn't get it to work with just (the) one-day mentality of the park."
What Cardinale envisions adding to the area's allure is a reinforced inflatable dome that will measure 300 feet wide by 400 feet long and 89 feet tall — an area nearly 3 acres in size — containing basketball and volleyball courts, including a "show court" with spectator seating, as well as four multi-purpose turf fields, and a laser-tag area. Cardiale said the hotel and sports dome could be completed by 2020.
The space would also include a 12,000-square-foot mezzanine structure overlooking the playing areas, where workout classes and related activities could take place.
Cardinale, a sports enthusiast who played catcher on his high school and college baseball teams, said he has talked to people affiliated with the National Football League and National Basketball Association about operating sports camps inside the sports dome, which will be available year-round.
At the same time, Cardinale said he has a deal with Hilton to build one of the hospitality brand's extended stay Hilton Garden hotels on the site, which would attract guests of Great Adventure, as well as participants in athletic tournaments and other gatherings at the Adventure Crossing complex.
Cardinale said the hotel would also include a 10,000-square-foot banquet hall for conferences, awards ceremonies and other uses.
Cardinale said he has all the necessary approvals for the project. The 11 a.m. groundbreaking will kick off the installation of water and sewer mains, being laid at a cost of $9 million. Cardinale said the hotel and sports bubble will cost another $50 million, and that there will be additional development of restaurants, retail establishments and other sports-related uses to follow.
The bubble itself will also include facilities to accommodate non-sports activities related to sporting events or gatherings there, including sports bar and food concession areas and an arcade.
Cardinale said Six Flags Great Adventure is not involved in the Adventure Crossing project, although some of the land involved would be acquired from the theme park's owners.
Not everyone is eager to see the project completed. The New Jersey Sierra Club's director, Jeff Tittel, said the deforestation resulting from such a large project in the environmentally sensitive Pinelands region could negate the benefits of a deal his group and others struck in January with Great Adventure, which avoids the clear-cutting of 90 acres of forest that the theme park's owners had proposed for a solar farm.
"This will totally destroy the benefits we got from the deal to avoid the clear-cutting," Tittel said.
// nj.com


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LifeTimeline
Keaton Poulter
Waiting for his forever family
First swim
Taiwanese clothing
First visit to the zoo
Officially a Poulter!
First met Nana and Granddad Poulter
Pumpkins and trick-or-treating
With Uncle Zachary
Amazing his brothers and sisters
Smiling Keaton
United States Citizen
Peekaboo in the park
Twin Cities trip
Uncle Austin's birthday
Customized wheelchair
Afternoon nap
Bubbles with Chelsea
Toy bear
Denzel toting Keaton
Visit with Rock cousins
Cruising in his walker
Taking the walker for a spin
Swinging in the park
Visiting Disney World
Minnehaha Park
Karaoke with Chelsea
Playing Uno with Denzel
Viking Lake with Grandpa
Breathing treatment
Snoozing on the couch
Visiting grandparents
Lucy's Lay Ups
A celebration of Keaton's life
Keaton's headstone
Memorial Run
Bench dedicated in Keaton's honor
Taitung
Ke Chin, who later would become Keaton Poulter, was orphaned at birth and lived the first year of his life in a hospital in Taitung. He had heart surgery that first year to repair holes in his heart. When he was released he lived in a nursing home because his medical needs, including cerebral palsy, were so complex that no orphanages would take him.
By Steve Buttry
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Mandy and Matt Poulter worked with Morning Light Home Taiwan to adopt Keaton. While waiting to finish the adoption process, they posted photos from the international adoption agency on their refrigerator in Texas, praying and waiting for the day they would join them in person.
Steve Buttry
Here's another photo from that refrigerator.
Mandy and Matt Poulter flew from their home in Texas to Taiwan to bring Keaton home. Mandy gave this account of the trip to Taiwan, arriving June 14:
"When we flew into Taipei, Taiwan, we were supposed to catch a quick one hour flight to Taitung. There was a typhoon going on so all flights were canceled. I was panicking and thought we need to get to Keaton as soon as possible, so we bought train tickets to Taitung. While on the train there was a mudslide that went down the side of a mountain onto the tracks, due to the typhoon. The first two cars of our train were dangling off the side of a mountain. We were all immediately evacuated from the train and bussed to the next train stop to catch another train. Quite a whirlwind trip!"
When they finally made it to the nursing home on June 15 and met Keaton, he was crying. He stopped as soon as Mandy picked him up.
Mandy explains other photos from the trip to Taiwan: "Photo of Keaton and I with the nurses who cared for him in the NICU for the first year of his life. Photo of Keaton and I with Deana and Luke Pan and their 4 children at Taitung Baptist Church in Taitung, Taiwan. Luke is the pastor there. Deana is the missionary who helped us with all of Keaton's paperwork in Taiwan and she pushed his paperwork through in record time. Photos of Matt and I sightseeing with Keaton. We went to Taipei 101, Botanical Gardens, and many other sights of Taiwan."
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Keaton had two homecomings: First at the Kansas City airport, where grandparents, aunts and uncles greeted him, then when he reached his new home in Flower Mound, Texas.
Note that his green card says Ko, not Ke. His mother, Mandy Poulter, explains: "It's actually a funny story, because when we got to Taiwan we were freaking out because the paperwork was done wrong and some of it was filled in as Ko Chin and some was Ke Chin. It ended up being OK, and we didn't have trouble getting through the airport, even though the passport said Ko Chin and the plane ticket said Ke Chin. There were a few panic moments though because of that mistake :-)
"We actually went with the name Keaton because the KE at the front of the name was a similar sound to what he had grown up hearing."
Flower Mound, Texas
Mandy remembers: "We went swimming for Ethan's birthday at the community pool. Then we came home and swam in our backyard pool. Keaton always loved the water. He thought it was so funny when we would help him splash his feet in the water."
Mandy explains: "Nana and Granddad Poulter always give each child a gift card to build their own bear when they join the family. Our kids had a great time helping Keaton create his very own bear with a karate outfit and glasses."
Mandy recalls Keaton's first months in his new home: "He had many doctor visits and a surgery just a few weeks after he arrived to place a G-tube in his stomach. You can tell the before and after pics from if he has a tube taped to his face or not. He was so happy not to have that thing in his nose anymore. The kids loved getting to know their new little brother and loved helping out with him whenever they could. There is a picture that I love in here of Ethan holding Keaton during one of his feedings. Keaton's brothers and sisters always had something fun planned to do with him and loved learning all they could about his medical needs. Keaton just fit perfectly into our family and enjoyed every second of being the little brother. You can tell from the giant smile on his face how very loved he is!"
Keaton in traditional Taiwanese clothing. Brothers and sisters with their shirts from Taiwan.
Mandy remembers: "We took Keaton to the Dallas Zoo. The kids loved showing him all the animals. Keaton always loved animals and visiting the zoo was one of his favorite activities."
Keaton's adoption becomes final. Mandy remembers: "This was such an exciting day for our family. Keaton officially became a Poulter!!! We are blessed beyond measure to be his parents, brothers and sisters. He was so excited to finally have a family of his very own."
Keaton met Nana and Granddad Poulter on a trip to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.
Mandy remembers: "Keaton loved celebrating his special day with his family. Keaton would get so VERY excited whenever we would sing the 'Happy Birthday' song. It was one of his favorites. He would smile so big his little eyes would disappear. We sang it to him so many times each year on his birthday."
At the pumpkin patch in Flower Mound and trick-or-treating as Mickey Mouse.
Shenandoah, Iowa
Keaton's middle name is Zachary after his Uncle Zachary. Mandy remembers: "They always had a special bond and Zach just adored Keaton. I love this picture because they both have the same adorable smile on their face."
Mandy remembers: "This was such a special Christmas for us because it was Keaton's first Christmas. We enjoyed making Christmas cookies, decorating the tree, and a lot of fun on Christmas morning! We always enjoy going to the Corral in Shenandoah to have a big family Christmas get together with the Buttry side of the family. Keaton had so much fun opening presents and playing games with his cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents."
Pella, Iowa
Mandy remembers: "Easter morning is always a special time to remember Christ and His gift of eternal salvation that He offers each one of us. Keaton had fun hunting for Easter eggs and attending the Easter service with his family."
Black Hills, South Dakota
This was the first family vacation we went on with Keaton. We weren't sure how he'd do and he did wonderful!!! He loved riding on our backs during hikes, playing at the waterpark at our hotel, and seeing the sights.
Keaton's brothers and sisters were amazed that, with his new stander and feeding tube, he could stand, sleep and eat at the same time.
Mandy, Keaton's mother: "Every day I look forward to seeing this big happy smile again someday in heaven."
Keaton became an official U.S. citizen. Mandy, looking at his citizenship certificate, noted, "his hair was looking a little crazy that day :-)"
Mandy remembers the summer fun: "With Great Grandma at a family reunion. Fun with brothers and sisters. Picture of Keaton with his new leg braces. Photo of Keaton in his new blue Special Tomato chair with his hand activated switches that would activate his toys."
Mandy remembers: "We spent 4th of July in Shen with Granny and Grandpa Buttry, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We were in a parade in Shen and walked with the military in memory of Brandon. Keaton had fun at the pool with Granny."
Sister Maya plays peekaboo with Keaton. "It's one of my favorites because I LOVE his laugh!" says mother Mandy of this video.
Mandy remembers: "We celebrated in Pella and went to Lake Red Rock. Keaton always loved his special day and got spoiled by his family. He would get very excited to have is siblings help him open his presents."
Keaton and his family visited Uncle Austin at the Iowa Department of the Blind for his birthday.
Mandy: "This is the day Keaton got his customized wheelchair. We went to Target afterwards and Denzel thought these glasses were super funny. This is Keaton's first ride in his very own wheelchair."
This is Maya as Doc McStuffin, Chelsea as Lammy, from DocMcStuffin, and Keaton as Stuffy, from the Doc McStuffin cartoon.
Grinnell, Iowa
Mandy remembers Keaton's fall fun: "We went to the pumpkin patch in Grinnell, Iowa. Keaton loved playing in the corn. He was Stuffy from Doc Mc Stuffin for Halloween. Maya was Doc and Chelsea was Lammy. He had fun trick or treating with all his cousins."
Mandy remembers: "Christmas is one of our favorite holidays. So much family fun and activities. Keaton couldn't wait to see what Santa had left for him this year!"
Keaton enjoys bubbles with his sister Chelsea.
Fun at a hotel and ski lodge. Making Valentine boxes and celebrating Valentine's Day with the family in Pella.
Mandy: "Keaton with the special bear he got from First Baptist Church of Shenandoah, Granny and Grandpa's church, for his upcoming eye surgery."
Mandy: "The heavier Keaton got, the more creative Denzel got in ways to carry his little brother around the house. :)"
A visit with Keatons Rock cousins in Minnesota included sledding and a trip to the Mall of America.
Mandy: "Keaton loved watching the new baby ducklings. He thought they were SO VERY funny!!!"
Keaton swings in the park.
Wheaton, Illinois
Mandy remembers: "Keaton had fun at the waterpark at King's Island in Ohio. He wasn't too sure about the dinosaur skeletons at the Creation Museum in Kentucky but loved the botanical gardens. It was also Keaton's first time on a boat, when we took a ferry ride. We also stopped by Wheaton College on the way home. It was nice to see the place where Grandma and Grandpa Buttry first met." Mandy's referring to her own Grandma and Grandpa Buttry, not Keaton's. The story of their meeting as college students is told in Luke Buttry's LifeTimeline: https://www.lifeposts.com/p/milestone/24/.../l/lifetimeline/
Mandy remembers: "Keaton was overly excited about his birthday this year. He really understood what birthdays were about and couldn't wait for his special day. I love the picture of him in his walker with his birthday hat. The smile on his face says it all! He loved this day so much and was so happy about each and every gift he opened."
Mandy remembers: "Another special Christmas morning to remember the birth of Christ. A lot of smiles from Keaton while he was making cookies, decorating the tree, and enjoying time with his family."
Mandy remembers: "A beautiful spring day that was filled with Easter fun searching for eggs and celebrating our risen Lord!"
Keaton's favorite part was meeting the characters. He thought sitting on the Star Wars flyer with Whitley was fun. Keaton always liked watching Star Wars with his brothers and they gave him the nickname "Chewy" because he could make a sound that was exactly like Chewbacca's wookie call.:)
Mandy remembers: "Keaton's favorite parts were the Dumbo Ride, It's a Small World and meeting the characters. He would get the biggest smile and sometimes get embarrassed when the characters would come up and talk to him."
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Keaton and his mother and siblings send Mother's Day video greetings from Florida to his grandmother, Pam Buttry. Mandy remembers: "Keaton had fun splashing in the waves and watching the seagulls. He also enjoyed playing in the sand with his brothers and sisters."
Sister Whitley takes Keaton down the water slide.
Mandy: "Keaton LOVED it when we read stories to him. This is one of the things we all miss the most."
Stanton, Iowa
On Keaton's first day of kindergarten, he is pictured at his desk, with his teaching associate, Pam Hartman, with a friend and with the class.
Keaton's brothers and sisters loved to help him. Here Chelsea helps with a breathing treatment.
These photos and video are from Keaton's last birthday. The More Bears! book, a gift from his Aunt Missy and Uncle Andrew, was a custom book with his name and photo in it.
Mandy remembers: "Fun at the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins. Keaton was Olaf for Halloween, Maya was Elsa and Chelsea was Anna from Frozen."
Family photos were taken by the Poulters' friend Sarah Turnbull.
Pictures from Keaton's last Christmas.
Mandy remembers: "Christmas dinners are always celebrated with traditional English Christmas crackers. Keaton always loved wearing his paper crown and seeing what special prize he got in his Christmas cracker."
Fun playing with Granddad Poulter and celebrating Nana Poulter's birthday.
Alan Poulter
Being able to spend time with our grandchildren was a wonderful addition to our life experience. A picture of Keaton smiling is at my workstation and I cannot help but smile back everyday.
Preparing for Valentine's Day with Maya. This was one of the last photos of Keaton.
These are the last video and photos of Keaton. His mother, Mandy, explained:
"It was on a Saturday and The following Thursday he went to be with Jesus. It is a little basketball program for special needs children in our community. The little girl, Lucy, that it's name for, is adopted from Africa. She has multiple special needs and her dad runs the basketball programs in town. ... It was just a very special day because it was the last photos and videos we have of him. It's a fun very special event for special needs children that him and Chelsea have participated in the past two years."
The lead photo in the album is the last picture taken of Keaton.
Keaton passed away because of complications from the flu on Feb. 18, 2016. His grief-stricken family shared this celebration of life at his service Feb. 22 at Liberty Evangelical Free Church.
Mandy explains the images and words on Keaton's grave marker:
"The teddy bear that is on the front is a picture of the bear we gave him when we first met him in Taiwan. I actually carry that bear around in my purse with me every day. We had the bear holding six balloons for our six children who are still with us, and the seventh balloon going up to heaven to represent Keaton.
"The kids helped us choose what to put around the top of the base. Some of our favorite memories of Keaton. I tried to take it in four different pictures, it wraps around the top of the base. It says, 'We are forever blessed to be your family. Will always remember your unspeakable joy, big smile, giggles, reading books, Chewy, bright eyes, our biggest fan, so ticklish, your unconditional love, our baby boy.'"
Keaton will be remembered with a memorial run a couple weeks after his birthday. The race will be a fund-raiser to continue to help orphans around the world. Mandy explains plans for the run:
"We will be having a free will donation to help build an orphanage in India that our church is working on.
"Keaton's life will continue to impact us and many others in such amazing ways. The love he brought to our family will continue to grow as we find ways to honor our Keaton, while helping others and orphans in need."
Keaton's family will remember him as described in this quote by Dr. John Rice:
"For the Christian, death is not a tragedy but a glorious promotion, not the sad end, but the glorious beginning. Sometimes we hear people say how sad it is that one should die so young. Many of the fairest buds that ever grew on earth have blossomed in heaven."
Sandra Kuntzweiler
Happy Heavenly Birthday to my best little buddy! The pictures were wonderful. Will always remember his big smile whenever I talked to him. Love you lots sweet boy!!
Mandy tells about the bench dedicated in Keaton's name at his elementary school. "This is a bench that Keaton's elementary school put out in front of the school in memory of him. I just love it! The school colors are green. The saying is just perfect for Keaton. It is a saying by Winnie the Pooh. The bench says,"Always wear a smile because your smile is a reason for many others to smile." Nothing could describe Keaton better than his smile. He always had such a big smile when he went to school, and always. He just loved his teachers and all the kids. They were so kind and loving to him and we are truly blessed by the many people who touched our lives and Keaton's at Madison Elementary School. The little tree planted behind the bench was also planted in memory of Keaton. It is a tulip tree. It's winter so obviously there are no leaves on it, but in the spring it will have a beautiful yellow flowers. After I took these pictures and was looking at them on my phone, I thought the picture of the nameplate was blurry. Then all of a sudden I realized it was beautiful sunbeams shining through the letters of the bench. It brought a smile to my face thinking about how Keaton was such a beautiful ray of sunshine in our lives, and how he must be shining his beautiful light down from Heaven to be a part of that picture. I also love the rays of sunshine coming down on our kids as they are sitting on Keaton's bench in the last picture. Just a reminder that sometimes it feels like Keaton is so far away, but we know he is not and we will be with him again someday in glory!"


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Home > Events > Olympics > Summer > Competitors
Olympic Games Competitors
Participants at the Olympic Games have provided some of the greatest world sporting highlights for over 100 years. Here is just a selection of the greatest, popular and influential. See also our discussion of the greatest Olympian of all time.
Royalty — there have been many royal participants throughout the history of the Olympic Games.
Disabled Participants — even before there the Paralympic Games there have been athletes with disabilities joining the able bodies athletes at the Olympic Games.
Olympic Cheats — there are many ways athletes have found to cheat throughout the history of the Olympic Games.
Transgender Olympic Participants
Oldest and Youngest Olympians
Oldest Surviving Olympians
Significant Athletes and Performances
Hélène de Pourtalès — the first female Olympic medalist
Bob Beamon — his 1968 long jump is regarded as the most exceptional single performance in the history of athletics
Eric the Eel — at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the slowest swimmer Eric Moussambani made quite a splash.
Dimitrios Loundras — the youngest ever Olympian.
Carl Schuhman — the most versatile athlete in the Olympics
Frank Kugler — the only competitor to win a medal in three different sports at the same Games.
Some of the Greatest
Usain Bolt — the world's fastest man
Michael Phelps — winner of the most Olympic medals.
Jesse Owens — ground breaking sprinter who competed at the Olympics just once, in 1936. He won 4 gold medals.
Carl Lewis — US track and field star from the '80s and '90s. He won 10 Olympic medals for the U.S., nine of them gold, in the 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump in the '80s and '90s. The International Olympic Committee named him "Sportsman of the Century," and Sports Illustrated called him "Olympian of the Century."
Steve Redgrave — five straight golds in rowing: 1984, 88, 92, 96 & 2000.
Mark Spitz — 9 gold medals in swimming, as well as a silver and a bronze. He set world records in every event he competed in Munich, then retired from swimming at age 22.
Larissa Latynina — Soviet gymnast from the 1950s and '60s. She won 18 medals, 14 of these in individual competition.
Paavo Nurmi — won a total of 12 medals (nine gold and three silver medals) in twelve events he participated in the Olympiad
Jim Thorpe (athletics) — all rounder in track and field.
Paavo Nurmi — Finnish middle-distance runner from the 1920s, winner of 12 medals in track and field (9 of them gold).
Nadia Comaneci — gymnast mostly known for achieving perfect 10s. She won nine Olympic medals in her two Games in 1976 and 1980.
Birgit Fischer — won 12 Olympic canoeing medals between 1980 and 2004. She is both the youngest (18) and oldest (42) Olympic canoeing champion.
Emil Zatopek — a Czech long distance runner. He won the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon in 1952, including breaking the Olympic record in all three events despite it being his first-ever marathon.
Edoardo Mangiarotti — an Italian Olympic fencing champion who piled up a medal haul of six gold, five silver and two bronze from 1936 to 1956.
Ray Ewry (athletics) — won eight gold medals in individual competitions
Marion Jones (athletics)
Ian Thorpe (swimming)
Aladar Gerevich — hailed as the greatest swordsman in the Olympics of all-time
Mark Spitz (swimming)
Sawao Kato — gymnast who took home 12 Olympic medals (8 of them gold) from 1968 to 1976
Reiner Klimke — an equestrian who won eight medals (six gold and two bronze) at the Olympics
Gert Fredriksson — the most successful athlete of all-time in Olympic canoeing
Top Olympic Medal Winners — two lists, ranking athletes by the most number of medals, and also by total gold medals won. Michael Phelps leads both lists.
More Athlete Profiles
Discussion about who is the greatest Olympian of all time
Poll: Who is the Greatest Olympian (Summer) of All Time?
List of athletes who have competed in both the Paralympics and Olympic Games
A short History of the Olympic Games
Olympics Extra
The next Olympics will be in Paris 2024, followed by the Winter edition in Milan-Cortina 2026. Check out the list of Olympic Games sports, as well as discontinued and demonstration sports.
Major Events Extra
The largest sporting event in the world is the Olympic Games, but there are many other multi-sport games. In terms of single sport events, nothing beats the FIFA World Cup. To see what's coming up, check out the calendar of major sporting events.