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$50,000 REWARD IN DEATHS OF TREE FARMER, 2 OTHERSRobbery may be motive in slayings Authorities describe how shootings occurred Associated Press INDEPENDENCE, Va. --The family of a prominent North Carolina tree farmer has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for his slaying, as well as that of his son and an employee. Authorities said robbery was the apparent motive in the shooting deaths Thursday of Ronald Hudler, 75, his son Frederick Hudler, 45, and an employee, 25-year-old John Miller. The three were slain on Ronald Hudler's property in Mouth of Wilson, Va., just...

CINCINNATI -- A grand jury indicted three people in connection with the armed robbery last month of Boy Scouts at a Christmas tree sale. Prosecutors said Friday that Kenneth Hodge, 19, David Keeling, 19, and Nashon Wallace, 20, would face charges in the Dec. 3 robbery outside Tom’s Drive-Thru in North College Hill. The Boy Scouts, ages 13 and 11 years old, said they were selling Christmas trees in the parking lot along West Galbraith Road shortly before closing when three men approached, with one carrying a sawed-off shotgun. The boys said they thought the men were joking until one...

When it came time to decide what to do with his family's Christmas tree farm in Monroe Township, Thomas Allen didn't have a lot of options. His grown children had no interest in the business, and Allen couldn't work the land while holding down his full-time job supervising town recreation. The farm in Middlesex County, where Christmas trees have been sold for 40 years, didn't generate enough profit to provide his sole income. So Allen did what so many farmers in New Jersey before him have done. He sold his land to developers. As farmers like Allen leave the cut-your-own...

TOKYO - Warren Nobuaki Iwatake's family has seen more than its share of calamity. When he was still a child his father was lost at sea off Hawaii. With no breadwinner, his family was forced to move to Japan, where Iwatake was drafted during the war. He lost a brother when the bomb fell on Hiroshima. But through it all one thing has remained constant. The tree. His parents bought it in 1937, and his family has brought it out every Christmas since, without fail, even when that meant risking arrest. "This tree was a shining light, because it was...

Potted dwarf Christmas trees are gaining in popularity. They range from 18 to 54 inches tall and sell from $14.99 to $80. Customers like them because they're a lot smaller and easier to handle. Dwarf pines, cypresses and spruces grown in pots for the holiday are certainly smaller and lighter than live trees whose roots are balled and covered with burlap. Owners are supposed to plant them outside after Christmas, but often they get tossed. But even if they're planted, they're not sure to thrive. People can do a poor job of taking care of them. The trees also might...

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A Christmas mystery is unfolding in the New Jersey Pinelands, right along the shoulders of the Garden State Parkway. For the past few weeks, someone has been adorning two large pine trees next to the southbound lanes of the highway with Christmas ornaments. It started before Thanksgiving at mile marker 58.2 with two glass ornaments, with a shiny red ball about the size of a cantaloupe, and a smaller oblong red ornament with swirly gold glitter running from top to bottom. They were tied to branches by long strands of white cord, so that...

Third Brigade Combat Team Soldiers waved Chemlights while singing Christmas carols during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, Dec. 8, at Forward Operating Base Hammer. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs. FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Soldiers of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT) attended a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, Dec. 8, at Forward Operating Base Hammer to welcome a Christmas season spent with their Army family. “I enjoyed the ceremony. It was very motivating and very uplifting,� said Staff. Sgt. Derrick Mears, from Richmond, Va., a communications non-commissioned officer in Headquarters...

Deck the Parkway? Someone is hanging Christmas ornaments with care, not by the chimney but on trees along the Garden State Parkway. It started before Thanksgiving with two glass ornaments a shiny red ball about the size of a cantaloupe and a smaller red oblong with gold glitter swirls tied to branches of two large pines. They were easily visible to motorists blasting down the southbound lanes on a stretch of highway in the Pinelands where there are no nearby houses. Then more decorations popped up. One week it was a glitter-enhanced green ball the same size as the original...

An early skirmish in this year's "War on Christmas" ended on Tuesday when the nationwide home improvement chain Lowe's apologized for referring to Christmas trees in its holiday catalog as "family trees." "That was a complete error," Maureen Rich, a spokeswoman for Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse - which serves more than 13 million customers a week in its 1,400 stores across the nation - told Cybercast News Service. "Right now, we're extremely disappointed in this breakdown in our own creative process. "We are apologizing to customers today for any confusion our holiday catalog created," Rich said. She explained that the...

Liberty Counsel targets K-Mart, Sears for refusing to use 'Christmas' in ads Allie Martin OneNewsNow.com December 7, 2007 A Christian law firm is targeting two retail giants after they offended Christians with their advertising. Officials at Liberty Counsel say K-Mart and Sears have renamed "Christmas trees" to "holiday trees" in their advertising. According to Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver, a ministry supporter asked K-Mart why it took the action. "A representative from Sears Holding Corporation, which owns K-Mart as well, wrote back and said that Sears is a diverse company and it did not want to offend any of its...

Bah humbug to puny Christmas tree BY NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON nia.henderson@newsday.com 7:36 PM EST, December 5, 2007 Apparently, when it comes to holiday symbols, size does matter. At least it did to some folks in Long Beach, who were none too happy with the elfin Christmas tree planted next to a 20-foot-high menorah at Kennedy Plaza infront of City Hall. They called, they sent letters, they testified at a public hearing at City Hall. Long Beach resident Rick Hoffman put it this way: "What's up with the giant menorah and the Charlie Brown Christmas tree?" he asked. "We wish it would...

SIERRA VISTA — Ron and Joanne Wagner were guests of honor during a special celebration at Sierra Vista Middle School on Monday. The Wagners, who had purchased a Christmas tree that had been donated to the Festival of Trees by the middle school, gave the tree back to the school for students and staff to enjoy. This marked the fourth year the Wagners purchased a tree at the Festival and returned it to the school that donated it. All the ornaments on the tree were hand made by special education students. Now on display in the school library, the tree...

(LONGMONT) — For anybody selling artificial trees, it’s a merrier Christmas every year. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 9.3 million American households bought a manufactured tree last year. That’s up from 7.3 million in 2001. And while real trees still have a three-to-one edge in sales, the long life of an artificial tree means that plastic is slowly crowding its way into the center of the Christmas card. Five years ago, a nation-wide study found that 60 percent of the homes that put up a tree chose to go artificial. “People will lie to you, but artificial trees...

Missouri State University is once again featuring a Christmas tree in strong hall. The tree was put up the day before thanksgiving, but then taken down on Monday. School officials say they did it because there was a need for discussion regarding holiday symbols. Everyone we talked to on campus today said putting the tree back up was the right decision. But, this story is about more than just a Christmas tree. Celebrating Christmas with a tree was not the beginning of concern surrounding religion at Missouri State. "Issues have been raised over the years and this was probably the...

Missouri State University has reversed a decision to take down a 20-foot Christmas tree and will instead reinstall it along with symbols from other religions, the university said today. The tree had been removed from Strong Hall on the university’s campus on Monday, after a Jewish faculty member complained that it showed a “lack of sensitivity” to other religions. But the tree will be reinstalled along with symbols from other religions... “We decided this is the right thing to do, and I am glad there was widespread agreement about it,” Missouri State President Michael Nietzel said in a statement. The...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Missouri State University has reversed a decision to take down a 20-foot Christmas tree and will instead reinstall it along with symbols from other religions. The tree had been removed from Strong Hall on the university's campus on Monday, after a Jewish faculty member complained that it showed a “lack of sensitivity” to other religions. But university officials now say the tree will be reinstalled along with a menorah and an "educational display of holiday traditions." Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, who had said he was "deeply troubled" by the Christmas tree's removal, praised the reversal of...

Napolitano pulls Christmas from AZ 'Holiday Tree' By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.29.2007 PHOENIX — What do you call the big green thing decked with colored lights, balls and doves in the lobby of state Capitol tower? Well, if you're the governor, you don't call it a Christmas tree. Instead, Janet Napolitano proclaimed it the "Holiday Tree." The governor formally lit the decoration this week in a ceremony. She also used the opportunity to promote "Hope for the Holidays," a special program to provide gifts to the children of parents who are incarcerated. So what...

SANDY - A holiday tree on display at Utah's annual "Festival of Trees" is getting unfair treatment -- according to some -- for its tribute to the state's fallen soldiers. The Festival of Trees was started in 1970 by a group of women along the Wasatch Front.  Since then, it has raised millions of dollars for Primary Children's Medical Center.  Each tree is decorated and donated by various persons and typically honors a child who has died.  The tree is then purchased and the proceeds go to the hospital. This year, one particular tree has been singled out because organizers...

A couple of Boy Scout troops lost more than $1,500 worth of Christmas trees to thieves between Nov. 19 and Friday. Troop 1390 out of Dale City and Troop 1396 out of Lake Ridge set up shop every year in the lot in front of the SunTrust Bank in the Forestdale Plaza on Dale Boulevard. The Scouts generally get a semi-truck load of balsam firs from Nova Scotia, said Doug Doerr, the scoutmaster for Troop 1390. This year someone stole 34 of the 300 trees the Scouts ordered. "We have never had a situation like this," said Doerr, who has...

It is becoming readily apparent that there is a real war escalating against both Christmas and Christianity in our beloved country. The battle lines are determined by being a "friend or foe" of this favorite American holyday. It seems retailers need to learn a lesson. Last year Loewe's began the festive season by selling "holiday trees," but under consumer pressure quickly returned to calling them "Christmas trees." Wal-Mart began the season by telling its employees they could not say "Merry Christmas" to shoppers. Both legal pressure and public displeasure caused them to back down from this policy. When executives from...

SEATAC, Wash. — The official Christmas trees may still be missing from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but a few individual airline employees have decided to try to put some spirit back into the holiday. Employees at both Delta and Frontier airlines took up a collection on Monday and bought a few foot-tall decorated trees for the check-in counter. The airlines employees' move came after airport officials removed all nine Christmas trees in the building in response to a rabbi's request to add an 8-foot menorah to the holiday decorations. Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky made the request weeks ago, when he demanded officials...

There will be no more Christmas trees at Sea-Tac Airport this season after the Port of Seattle received at least one complaint about them. For more than 25 years, the airport has celebrated the holidays with Christmas trees over its entrances. But overnight, the Port of Seattle ordered all 15 trees removed. "I think it's very unfortunate. Why lose the Christmas spirit? Christmas is for kids," said passenger Lisa Jones. The Port allowed "holiday" decorations to remain but decided to take down all the Christmas trees after a Jewish religious leader complained they were offensive. "It's a Christmas tree! It's...

Greens Stump for a Treeless Christmas By Marc Morano CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer December 23, 2005 (CNSNews.com) - Some environmentalists are expressing angst during the Christmas season instead of joy, worried about what they view as the negative environmental impact of both real and artificial Christmas trees. The Sierra Club, in its publication Sierra Magazine, recommends that people look for "a storm-felled branch, or a piece of driftwood" to decorate in their homes, instead of the traditional Christmas tree. Eric Antebi, the Sierra Club's national secretary, also suggested that people consider celebrating Hanukah instead of Christmas because Hanukah is a...

BERLIN (Reuters) - Some Germans would rather spend Christmas with a tree than with their families, a new poll shows. The survey in Thursday's Focus weekly news magazine found 75 percent of Germans could not contemplate Christmas without their beloved "Tannenbaum", the traditional tree many cover lavishly with candles, lights and decorations. But only 65 percent said spending time with relatives was also essential for a good Christmas. Singing carols was the next most vital ingredient, with 57 percent saying they could not do without them, while 42 percent said Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without presents. The modern tradition...

AL ASAD, Iraq -- “Twas the night before Christmas, all were asleep, curled up in their racks. I looked all about, a strange sight I did see, no tinsel, no presents, instead a plastic bottle Christmas tree.” These words, from Andrea Schutz’s version of “Twas the night before Christmas,” bring the traditional holiday poem to the deserts of Al Asad, Iraq. Schutz, the key volunteer advisor for Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 28, and the families of deployed Marines have been able to participate in the Christmas celebration here by making and sending Christmas ornaments for a water bottle Christmas...

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- One thousand Christmas trees arrived in Bahrain Dec. 12 to be delivered to forward-deployed service members in the Middle East. This is the second year in a row that New York businesses and veterans have coordinated with DHL, a worldwide shipping service, to fly Christmas trees to military members in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Bahrain. Bill Ashton, DHL assistant local affairs director for the Middle East, said DHL planes routinely fly to Bahrain, Iraq and Afghanistan delivering letters and gifts to troops in the area. When DHL was approached in 2004 by New York businessman Jim...

Should Christmas trees be called holiday trees? No, they are Christmas trees. Yes, the Nazis tried to replace Christmas with Wintersonnenwende and the Soviets tried with New Year. If foreign socialists can give it a shot so can American ones!! Maybe, but if they do manage to steal Christmas what can they have the Grinch try to steal?

San Francisco officials decided Wednesday to keep open a lot that has been used to sell Christmas trees during the holidays for the past 40 years. The five-member Board of Appeals unanimously voted to turn down resident Monio Pilpel's appeal of city permits that allow Cyril Hackett and his family to sell trees at the corner of Sloat Boulevard and 19th Avenue before Christmas. Hackett's popular lot is also transformed into a pumpkin patch around Halloween. The case drew an emotional standing-room crowd to City Hall, with most supporting Hackett's claim that the lot is a city "tradition." Hackett will...

SAN FRANCISCO -- City officials are set to decide tonight whether to shut down a lot that has been used to sell Christmas trees during the holidays for the past 40 years. The Board of Appeals, which meets at 5 p.m. at City Hall, will take up resident Monio Pilpel's appeal of city permits that allow Cyril Hackett and his family to sell trees at the corner of Sloat Boulevard and 19th Avenue before Christmas, and to transform the spot into a pumpkin patch around Halloween. Pilpel has complained that during the eight months of the year the lot isn't...

WASHINGTON — Maryland Christmas tree farmers are combining savvy marketing with a bit of holiday cheer this year by donating some of their Christmas trees to U.S. military bases.----

Jewish National Fund: Christmas Trees for Foreign Press 4/12/2005 ref: do - 2613 To: Members of the Foreign Press From: Orly Doron, Spokesperson - The Jewish National Fund Dear friends, Re: Christmas Trees As has become our custom, Jewish National Fund will be pleased to distribute Christmas trees that have been thinned out from its forests to its Christian friends and members of the Foreign Press. The procedure of thinning out of the forests this time of year is part of the regular curriculum in the Jewish National Fund forests. Trees can be picked up from our Givat Yeshayahu Nursery...

HOLIDAY BLUESLowe's listens: 'Christmas trees' Chain dumps 'holiday' reference after WND report, complaints One day after a WorldNetDaily story brought national exposure, the home-improvement retailer Lowe's dropped references to "Holiday Trees" in favor of "Christmas Trees" only. As WND reported, a Lowe's store in Austin, Texas, featured a banner that referred in English to "Holiday Trees" but in Spanish said "Christmas Trees." The American Family Association says its supporters contacted Lowe's to express their displeasure. The company responded in a statement: "To ensure consistency of our message and to avoid confusion among our customers, we are now referring to the...

Tradition trumps inclusiveness It's a Christmas tree Joanne Laucius The Ottawa Citizen Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Rideau Hall performed a rapid about-face on the name of its seasonal evergreen yesterday after a staff member called it a "holiday tree" in a CBC interview. "At Rideau Hall, we will be putting up a holiday tree as we find it reflects the traditions of many cultures, and it is inclusive," Rideau Hall spokeswoman Lucie Brosseau said. Not so fast. Soon after, in response to a query from the Citizen, Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean's spokesman said there had been a mistake. It was...

There have been reports from around the country about stores being afraid to say "Merry Christmas" and using the term "Holiday Trees" rather than "Christmas trees." One giant retailer has solved the problem. Lowes home improvement stores caused a controversy with a sign in their parking lot advertising Christmas trees in Spanish and Holiday trees in English. A Tulsa, OK radio station outed the local Lowes in Tulsa. According to a woman with whom I just spoke at Lowes customer service HQ, the controversy has been solved. She told me that they were called Christmas trees inside the store. They...

Mexico has strengthened controls on imports of US and Canadian Christmas trees to avoid foreign plant bugs, Mexican environmental officials say. More than 100 agents are to be posted along the US-Mexico border. This time, rather than US officials trying to stop Mexican migrants heading north, it is Mexican agents who are stopping illegals from coming south. But these are no ordinary immigrants - they are insects carried on branches of Christmas trees for the festive season. The hunt will be focused on gipsy moths and pine shoot beetles, as they can cause the most severe damage. This crackdown comes...

I referred in the previous post to the world's "attempting to secularize Christmas this year as never before." Perhaps the best example so far (of which I am aware) is the use of the term "holiday tree" by retailers such as Lowe's: While this picture is of a store in Texas, I know of at least one Lowe's store in Alabama that is using this term. Although I am not particularly enthusiastic about the commercialization of Christmas, this attempt by secularists to completely remove the name of Jesus from the holiday in which we remember and honor His Nativity is...

  As the battle over Christmas continues across America this year, consumers are taking notice for themselves. Banner at Lowe's store in Austin, Texas advertises "Holiday" trees in English, but "Christmas" trees in Spanish (photo: Ed Krach) In Austin, Texas, for instance, a banner was displayed this weekend at a new Lowe's home-improvement store. In English, the sign reads: "Now Here! Fresh Cut Holiday Trees." But in Spanish, the sign reads: "Now Here! Fresh Cut Christmas Trees." "It's OK to offend all the English-speaking Christians, but no, not the Spanish speakers. They may be just visiting," Ed Krach of Austin...

Lawrence, Kansas - Todd Brabender remembers the December nearly 20 years ago when he and some University of Kansas friends gathered around a Christmas tree hanging upside-down from a water pipe in his apartment. It seemed like such a crazy idea then. But not anymore. The centerpiece of holiday decorating is more often being inverted — hung from the ceiling or mounted bottom-up on the wall — by those looking to save space, more prominently display pricey ornaments or simply distinguish their Christmas tree from so many millions of others. Upscale retailer Hammacher Schlemmer sold out of its $599.95 pre-lit...

It ssems Kmart is following in the same Anti Christmas footsteps as Walmart. Today I went into Kmart to buy a few odds and ends. Well I happened to walk pass their Christmas Trees for sale. Well they weren't called Christmas Trees. They were called "Mountain Trees". Yes you heard right. Some were also called "Snow Trees" because, they were white in color. Anyways I went on to www.kmart.com to check there as well, and the trees are called "Mountain and Snow" Trees as well. So it seems that the Anti Christmas Express is moving right along. Shame on Kmart....

<p>Has your holiday imbibing gotten out of control so soon?</p> <p>Maybe that Christmas tree you saw really is upside down. Upside-down trees are, well, turning the upcoming holiday on its head.</p> <p>Hammacher Schlemmer can't even keep its $599.95 pre-lit model in stock. It's already sold out.</p>

PONTEFICATIONS OUR SEVENTH OF JANUARY IS IN ORTHODOX RUSSIA the Christmas day that December 25 has become in the rest of the Christian world. The difference between these two Christmases is one of calendars. The Russian Church follows the ancient Roman method of dating imposed by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. The West follows the calendar established by Roman Catholic Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. On the day the Gregorian calendar was imposed, it differed from the old Julian calendar it replaced by 10 days. The Russian Orthodox faithful will be celebrating from January 7 until January 19, Theophany, the...

Wednesday, December 29, 2004 Atheist: Christmas tree recycling unfairProgram changed because incentive said to favor ChristiansPosted: December 29, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com An atheist activist forced Chicago to change its Christmas tree recycling program, complaining it was unfair to non-Christians. The city wanted to bolster its Blue Bag recycling program by offering a years worth of blue bags and some mulch to anyone who turned in a used Christmas tree. But Rob Sherman, known for his campaign to keep crosses off city seals, protested to Chicago, insisting the trees-for-bags exchange unfairly benefits Christians, the Chicago Tribune reported. "The concern was...

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Bolster Chicago's underused Blue Bag recycling program by tying it to the tradition of feeding Christmas trees into the wood chipper. Get a year's worth of blue bags along with some mulch. But trust Rob Sherman, a local activist and an atheist, to raise questions. According to him, the city's trees-for-bags swap is unfairly beneficial to Christians.

University of Haifa - Division of Public Affairs & Information [Translated by IMRA] District Court: Rejects Petition - Christmas Tree [Undated] The University of Haifa welcomes the decision of the District Court to reject the petition of a group of students who wanted to dictate how holidays were marked on the campus. The court accepted the position of the University that the decision to place a Christmas tree in the area of the Dean of Students was proper and passed all tests of the protection of free expression. In addition, the court did not recognize the committee of Arab students...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- For years, Pat de Garmo's Christmas tree was her aging yucca plant. She doesn't like the idea of killing trees, and the size of her yard prevents her from getting a potted one. So year after year she strung lights and ornaments on the indoor plant, hanging toy drums and colored orbs from its stiff branches. For environmentally conscious consumers like de Garmo, a venture that rents out living Christmas trees is filling a void. The Original Living Christmas Tree Company founded by John Fogel, 39, has rented out more than 400 Christmas trees this holiday...

JNF Gives Free Xmas Trees to Israel’s Christian Population Christman Celebrations Begin By Mayaan Jaffe In Jerusalem Thursday morning (23 December 2004), the municipality distributed free Xmas trees to members of the Christian community. The trees were provided by the forestry department of the Jewish National Fund. They were cut as part of seasonal thinning of new growth forest. Christmas Eve celebrations by Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant communities will begin Friday. The Greek-Orthodox and Eastern churches that still use the old Julian calendar will celebrate the holiday on 7 January. The Armenian Orthodox community will observe the holiday on...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - For years, Pat de Garmo's Christmas tree was her aging yucca plant. She doesn't like the idea of killing trees, and the size of her yard prevents her from getting a potted one. So year after year she strung lights and ornaments on the indoor plant, hanging toy drums and colored orbs from its stiff branches. For environmentally conscious consumers like de Garmo, a venture that rents out living Christmas trees is filling a void. The Original Living Christmas Tree Company founded by John Fogel, 39, has rented out more than 400 Christmas trees this holiday...

Kitsch ... a Japanese student admires Hello Kitty ornaments on a Christmas tree in Tokyo on Hello Kitty's 30th anniversary. Reflections ... a large ball holds a Christmas tree at the Swiss Sensations display on Place Vendome in Paris. Unity ... British, US, Australian and Japanese army officers decorate a tree at a military base at Basra in southern Iraq. Sparkling ... a large tree decorated with lights at Bolivar Square in Bogota. Harvest ... trees ready for Christmas celebrations in New Zealand. Dizzying ... inside a Moscow tree. Angelic ... the Rockefeller Center tree in New York, at nearly...

The city of Jerusalem distributed free Christmas trees to Christians on Thursday as part of a longstanding tradition. For decades, Israel has distributed the trees free of charge, particularly to the ex-patriot community of Christian leaders, journalists, diplomats and others. One observer quipped that the Jewish State is probably the only country in the world that gives away free Christmas trees to Christians. It is "symbolic of the way Jerusalem unites all three monotheistic religions," said Jerusalem municipality spokesman Gideon Schmerling in a statement. The trees are donated by the Jewish National Fund, which is the country's forestry agency. "Every...

Is it political payback or a case of bah-humbug? Or an example of a guy who refuses to follow the rules? Ron Beilke, who is running for City Council in Pico Rivera, says he is being unfairly targeted by the city, which has asked him to remove six, 6-foot-tall Christmas trees from the roof of his restaurant, a Weinerschnitzel on Rosemead Boulevard. "It's definitely the Grinch that stole Christmas," he said. He said he received a letter this week from city prosecutor William Holt. The letter said Beilke failed to get a permit from the city to put up his...