text:
July 1, 2013
Dear University of Maryland community:
Today a new policy takes effect that will make the University of Maryland a smoke-free institution. The policy, adopted by the Board of Regents last year, required that every institution in the University System of Maryland develop a plan to achieve this goal. The policy applies to everyone on campus, including visitors and contractors. It covers all buildings and all campus property, except for four designated smoking areas.
The Campus Affairs Committee of the University Senate reviewed the USM policy and made recommendations for the UMD-related policy. The University of Maryland strives at all times to provide a respectful, supportive environment. This smoke-free policy is no exception, and I ask each of us to do our part.
We have an opportunity to make this a constructive experience that will promote our community's health and wellbeing, and at the same time provide support to those who want help to quit smoking. We have considerable smoking cessation resources on campus, such as those available at the University Health Center. More specific information is available online at smokefree.umd.edu.
Thank you for your assistance and support. We must all work together to implement this new policy for the benefit of our entire University community.
Wallace D. Loh
President, University of Maryland
The flagship institution of the University System of Maryland is now a smoke-free campus.
There are tremendous resources available to help you quit smoking. For example, did you know the State of Maryland has "quit coaches" to offer with advice and support? Visit their website at www.smokingstopshere.com or 1-800-QUIT-NOW (staffed 24/7).
If you prefer a more traditional smoking cessation program, contact the University Health Center or your private health care provider.
One UMD employee who is a former smoker recommends the book You Can Stop Smoking (1995) by Jacqueline Rogers. It is available for the Kindle or iPad, and has a five-star rating on Amazon.
Make this the year you quit smoking, eat healthier, and move more. Think how good you'll feel next year this time when you reflect on what you've accomplished and how much money you've saved!
Here's to your good health! Cheer the Turtle!
Internet Resources:
I. Purpose and Scope
a. Purpose. This policy establishes standards and requirements to provide a smoke-free environment for all UMD faculty, staff, students, and visitors, in compliance with the Board of Regents Policy on Smoking at USM Institutions (VI – 8.10).
b. Scope. This policy applies to all UMD students, faculty, staff, contractors and employees of contractors providing services at UMD, agents, guests, and visitors.
c. The following policy, VI-8.10(A) Policy on Smoking at University of Maryland, replaces any policies or procedures previously established at the University of Maryland that are in conflict with the purpose, applicability, or intent herein.
Policy VI-8.10(A) Policy on Smoking at the University of Maryland
Policy VI-8.10 Policy on Smoking at USM Institutions
II. Definitions
a. "Institutional Property" means any property owned, leased, or otherwise controlled or operated by UMD, including buildings, other structures and grounds, and vehicles owned or leased by the institution.
b. "Smoking" means carrying or smoking a lighted tobacco product or the burning of any material to be inhaled including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, hookahs, and pipes.
III. Prohibitions on Institution Property
a. Prohibitions against Smoking
i. Consistent with Maryland law, smoking is not permitted in any institution building, including academic buildings, residence halls, administrative buildings, other enclosed facilities, or vehicles, except as provided in Section III(a)iii, below.
ii. Smoking is prohibited on all institution grounds and property, including walkways, parking lots, and recreational and athletic areas, except as provided in Section III(a)iii, below.
iii. Smoking in and on institution property will be permitted only as follows:
1. For controlled research, and educational, theatrical, or religious ceremonial purposes, with prior approval of the President or the
President's designee;
2. In limited and specifically designated areas on University property and areas leased to third parties as may from time-to-time be approved by the President; or
3. Subject to any other exception to this policy recommended by the President and approved by the Chancellor.
b. Prohibitions against Sale. The sale of tobacco and smoking-related products is prohibited on institution property.
IV. Smoking Cessation Assistance
a. Assistance Programs. The University Health Center shall make available smoking cessation assistance to students, faculty and staff, which may include opportunities to participate in smoking cessation seminars, classes, and counseling and the availability of smoking cessation products and materials.
b. Smoking Cessation Information. The University Health Center shall be designated to answer questions, refer students and employees to on-campus and outside resources, and otherwise provide information about smoking cessation assistance options and opportunities.
V. Implementation Process
a. This policy shall be administered by the Division of Administration and Finance.
b. Communication. The University shall provide initial and ongoing information to communicate the requirements of this policy, including:
i. Dissemination of the key elements of the policy to faculty, staff, students, and others on websites and in appropriate written materials; and
ii. The placement of exterior and interior notices and signs announcing that smoking is prohibited.
c. Community Outreach. The University will engage in outreach to the community, as appropriate, to facilitate coordination with local government authorities and to assist residents and businesses near the institution in preventing trespass and littering that may
result if members of the campus community seek to smoke in nearby off-campus areas.
d. Consequences. The University may establish appropriate procedures and consequences, which may include fines or disciplinary measures, for violations of this policy.
e. Implementation. The provisions of this policy shall be implemented at the University of Maryland no later than June 30, 2013.
Talking Tips
Please be respectful and listen. Empathize.
Script idea: "I know this new smoking policy may be difficult for you. Let me help you identify resources to help you stop smoking. For example, were you aware that the University Health Center offers smoking cessation support?"
Talk to your smoking employees to provide information regarding breaks and resources. Help establish a connection to smoking cessation programs at the University Health Center and through the Employee Benefits Program in the Chesapeake Building.
Script ideas: "I know you already have information about your breaks during the workday. Would you like me to show you where the health center is located on a campus map? For more information, you can call (301)314-9629 and they will be happy to schedule an appointment with you.
You may not be aware, but as a state employee, if you are enrolled in our health insurance program, the Caremark prescription plan covers certain smoking cessation treatments such as Zyban. You may want to talk to your doctor about that. There are also quit coaches available through the State. You can find more information about that on smokefree.umd.edu."
Be polite, and be direct. Make it clear that the University is counting on all members of the community to comply with this important policy.
Script idea: "We are concerned about the health and wellbeing of our employees, and we want to support your efforts to quit smoking. We ask you to commit to the policy and cooperate so that you will be healthier and our campus free from cigarette litter."
If you have an employee with repeat violations of the policy, refocus on the policy itself and engage the person in action planning to resolve the problem.
Script idea: "Chris, now that we've discussed the UMD Smoke-Free policy, what steps are you going to take to ensure the policy isn't violated again? How do you plan to handle the urge to smoke when the situation arises?"
Check-in with your smoking employees at regular intervals to monitor their progress in respecting the policy.
Script idea: "Let's meet again in a few weeks to discuss how you're doing. You are important to me and I want to make sure you have the support you need to succeed in this plan. Call me any time if you're having difficulties.
Keep reinforcing smokefree.umd.edu.
What is the UMD's Smoke-Free Policy?
The Smoke-Fee policy prohibits tobacco and smoking-related products on institution property (owned, leased or controlled), except as designated by the President.
Who does the policy affect?
The policy affects all UMD faculty, staff, students, contractors, and visitors.
Where can I find the policy?
Policy VI-8.10(A) is available on smokefree.umd.edu or on the policy website.
How was this policy developed? Was the campus involved?
On June 22, 2012, the USM Board of Regents approved VI-8.10 "Policy on Smoking at USM Institutions" and required that each constituent institution develop implementation procedures by June 30, 2013.
On this campus, the University Senate was charged with developing UMD's policy and implementation procedure. The Senate's Campus Affairs Committee began their work by surveying students, faculty, and staff, and they received over 2,900 responses. The survey covered topics such as smoking habits, awareness of the new Smoke-Free policy, and views toward having designated smoking areas. The CAC also studied best practices at peer institutions regarding prevention and education, as well as enforcement practices. Following the CAC's research and analysis, a draft policy was developed that was ultimately endorsed by the full University Senate, and approved by President Loh on May 2, 2013.
How is this policy being communicated?
The formal communications strategy began with the President's message to the University community on July 1, 2013. At that same time, the message was communicated on the University's homepage, smokefree.umd.edu became available, and appropriate signage began to be sited strategically on the campus. There will be additional communications throughout the summer and as students arrive back in the fall.
Are there any areas I can smoke on campus as I work toward quitting?
There are four locations on the campus that have been designated by the President for this purpose (online map):
1. South of Ellicott Hall, between Byrd Stadium and the lacrosse practice field
2. South side of McKeldin Library, facing Somerset Hall
3. North of the Riggs Alumni Center, near the entrance to the parking garage on Stadium Drive
4. South side of Xfinity Center, to the left of the main staircase
In addition, there is no prohibition from smoking in personal vehicles.
What should I do if I see someone smoking on the campus?
Faculty, staff, and students who observe someone smoking outside of the designated areas should respectfully inform the person that the institution became Smoke-Free on June 30, 2013. Suggest they visit smokefree.umd.edu for more information or if they seek assistance.
What happens if I violate the policy?
The initial emphasis of the policy's implementation is to broaden awareness within the community and help make connections to smoking cessation programs and other informational resources. However, all members of the UMD community should comply with this policy as they are expected to comply with other University governance policies.


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Poetry is in Franz Wright's blood: his father, James Wright (1927-80), was one of the most acclaimed poets of the late nineteen-fifties and the nineteen-sixties. The younger Wright, born in 1953, is the author of thirteen books of poetry, the latest of which, "The Beforelife," was published earlier this year. Wright talked to The New Yorker's poetry editor, Alice Quinn, about his new book, his career as a poet, and his relationship with his father. Three of Wright's new poems appear in this week's magazine and following this interview.
ALICE QUINN: For a long time, it seemed that you were a well-kept secret, a poet's poet, and now, with this new book, you're not such a secret anymore.
FRANZ WRIGHT: For some reason, in the past couple of years I've experienced a stream of writing beyond anything I could possibly have imagined before. For about twenty years, if I managed to write ten or twelve poems in a year I considered that a pretty successful year, but I wrote "The Beforelife" within a year. When I'm in certain moods, a conversation will start up in my head, and suddenly I'll realize that the language has reached a very high and interesting level, and then lines and stanzas will just kind of appear, full-blown. My father helped me very early with this kind of thing. When I was about fifteen, I got up one morning and took a walk, and, bam, suddenly a poem was there. I was very excited about it, and I started sending him some of these early poems, which were horrible, but to me they seemed like poems. At this time, I was in California and he was in New York. The first letter he wrote to me about this started with the phrase "I'll be damned. You're a poet. Welcome to hell." Then he made a suggestion: Try, no matter what—no matter what sort of maelstrom of distraction you find yourself in at any given time—try to write one single clear line in a notebook every day. If you manage to do that, over time, when a certain mood of inspiration does come to you, when you're feeling happy and things are going well, and you want to write, you have this store of material, and it's as if the lines start to bond together, or something starts to crystallize around a particular line. In fact, I love the fragments so much that I really don't, for a long time, even want to make a complete poem out of them.
Many people set out to become poets because of their early profound attachment to poetry, but your circumstance is special because your father was a central figure among poets.
My dad wasn't around after I was eight years old. My parents were separated, but before that and, intermittently, throughout my childhood, there were a lot of writers in the house. Mainly, what I thought was that all adults were insane. Because the poets around were John Berryman, and my father, and Richard Hugo, and different people who were, frankly, already full-blown alcoholics.
Were you afraid of poetry because of all the ruined lives you witnessed? And did you ever worry that your gift might not be great enough to make it all worthwhile?
Well, poetry had been in my mind for a long time. When I was nine, I started reading Homer. I would get up at four o'clock in the morning, before I had to go to school, in third or fourth grade, and, for several hours, I would read The Iliad or The Odyssey. Between the ages of eight and fourteen, I read more than I've ever read since. And then, when I was around fifteen, I was up at Clear Lake, in northern California, and I walked out into some big walnut orchard and sat down, and that poem I mentioned came to me, very spontaneously. From that moment on, through some pretty hair-raising vicissitudes—in my sixteenth year, I went into a year-long clinical depression, my first of many—I knew that there was a possibility of tapping into this real force. Very early on it seemed to me a kind of quest. You lived your regular life, and then, at the same time, you had this hidden other life. And, if I behaved and deserved to be allowed in, it would be there. That can lead to problems, too. It's difficult sometimes to distinguish that imaginary place from the real world. The other danger that I've noticed over the years is the tendency I've had to turn poetry into a kind of religion. This is a terrible mistake. It took me until I was forty-five years old to realize it, and I think I had to get very sick first. Art is not a religion. That other human beings are more important than poems would seem obvious to other people. But for me, who depended so terribly on this other activity, this realization came as a surprise.
I think one of the reasons that poetry promotes that kind of intensity and vulnerability is that words are so transparent. You're using the language that we use every day, and when you're a poet and these are your materials it's a particular onus.
It is, absolutely. I've always envied people who compose music or paint, because they don't have to be bothered with the sort of crude mess that language normally is, in everyday life and in the way we use it.
That makes me think of Wallace Stevens's portrait of the poet as "The Man on the Dump," with the wonderful lines "One sits and beats an old tin can, lard pail./One beats and beats for that which one believes."
Stevens always had, at the center of all that magical pyrotechnical language, some very grave and serious ideas and perceptions. Interesting language is fine, we need to have that, too, but it's ultimately sterile if it doesn't have this other power in it. I can almost tell, when I read something, whether a poet has some other higher goal, or whether the person cares more about the words than about what they mean. The poems that endure and that are enduringly interesting, I think, are the ones that come out of some other, higher experience.
There are a few moments in your book that do not describe despair outlived or transcended—moments in which you make it clear that dissolution involved some very seductive and vividly beautiful moments. In "Homage" there is a vision of a girl with no shirt on lighting a cigarette and brushing her hair in the mirror.
That poem for me is principally about things I will miss, including language, when I die. But, yes, I had a really good time, and there's a nostalgia for those periods of euphoria. This is one of the most sinister things about addiction. Somebody said that alcoholics and drug addicts are spiritual people. They're searchers. All of the alcoholics I know are incredibly sensitive, intelligent people, no matter what walk of life they come from, even if they're completely illiterate. They're all on a quest. They're just looking in the wrong way.
As the Chinese say, what is not sought in the right way is not found.
Right. And if they're lucky that dawns on them, and they start to recover their true personality, which is what happens. You don't get a new one, you get your original one back.
I love the humor in your work, the way, for instance, really tough turns are alluded to so nimbly in "Commercial for Absence":
Try it,
just a touch
of being noplace
at the pulse points.
And the wonderful opening of "Translation":
Death is nature's way
of telling you to be quiet.
Your father also took risks with wit. I'm thinking of the kind of nervy admonition in the lines:
If you do not care one way or
another about
The preceding lines,
Please do not go on listening
On any account of mine.
Please leave the poem.
Thank you.
Sometimes I think my father overdid that, but sometimes he did it to great effect. I like some of his later prose pieces because he's able to do something I've never seen in anyone else, which is to speak in this very clear, direct, prosaic way and then, suddenly, in the middle, to veer into the completely inexplicable, with magical non sequiturs.
He was also—like you, I think—able to bounce back from the edge of darkness with a poem like "Today I Was Happy, So I Made This Poem," which sounds a little like Frank O'Hara.
God knows he had enough darkness. We both did. I probably got it from him. I knew his mother, and she was one of the big talkers—a manic talker. It went to him, and then it went to me, and we all suffered from manic depression and bipolar conditions.
It's extraordinary that your father, like you, wrote his first poem when he was fifteen and had a nervous breakdown when he was sixteen.
Well, we know that this genetic stuff is real, and I have to say that, in many ways, I am frighteningly a genetic mirror of my father. Which also means I feel like I have a death sentence hanging over me all the time. My father's death from cancer of the tongue at a pretty young age—fifty-two—was so obviously a result of his smoking and drinking.
Your relationship to God has changed significantly recently, hasn't it?
Very much so. In September, 1999, I was once again going through the struggle to stop drinking, and I was trying to do it by myself, which never works. I was just sitting here at my desk, and something flowed over me. All my life I had found myself, wherever I lived, wandering into Catholic churches and sitting in the back, and wanting very much to participate but formally not being allowed to, just enjoying being there. But right then I got up the nerve to get initiated into the Catholic Church. It's a very liberal institution these days, making an all-out effort to reach out not only to Jews and Protestants but also, strangely, to Buddhists. Priests are studying with Buddhists, particularly a form of meditation that involves no thought, no image, just a total turning toward whatever it is we conceive of as God. That became very important to me. I started to write in a way that I thought only other people could do. I would be talking to my wife, Beth, and I'd say, Wait a minute, and I'd walk from the living room into my work room, and, by the time I got there, all I'd have to do was sit down and type out the poem. They just appeared in front of my eyes.
Are these the poems in "The Beforelife"?
Yes, mostly they were written, without alteration, in ten minutes. The long poem, "Thanks Prayer at the Cove," was written in forty-five minutes, in one sitting.
That's the one that has the line "I didn't know you were there God," and ends "I make up nothing/not one word."
Yes. Beth and I had been living in a horrible one-room apartment in the South End, in Boston, and we moved out here, to Waltham. It's very beautiful; the Charles River is here, and there are trees and woods, and I found a place where I could walk along the river. There's a cemetery on the other side of it, and a cove. After I'd been walking there for a while, I looked on a map and saw that it was called Purgatory Cove. I thought, O.K., this means something, because I certainly thought of myself as being in some sort of purgatorial condition. I was not saved, but I was not sick anymore, and I was getting well, and here was this place that I loved called Purgatory Cove. I spent a lot of time there, and many other things happened which were beyond coincidence. Before that I had spent over two years in a sort of psychotic depression. I had been in McLean's, I had been in Mass. General, nobody could do anything about it. The prognosis, if you go beyond depression into psychosis, is very, very bad. But, little by little, I started having these experiences, and I did start to get well. I think there are only two things that can get you through just about anything. One is, as Van Gogh said, in one of his late letters to his brother, to learn to suffer without complaint. And then, to try, in some small way, to alleviate the suffering of another human being. Sometimes all someone in deep affliction requires is that you look at him and acknowledge his existence. I've experienced prolonged psychotic depressions, and I know that one of the symptoms of it is the belief that no one sees you, that you're invisible.
You've spoken about writing this book in a state of skeptical rapture.
Because I felt that at any moment I might be pulled back into that hell. But I was fighting it. I was taking action. I was in A.A., I got initiated into church, I started working with a group of eight- and ten-year-old children who have recently lost a parent. And I would wander around down at Purgatory Cove, and, one day, I started talking to myself. I was in this very clear, still state of mind, and I started talking to myself, and my notebook was out, and I sat down by the river, right in the spot that I described in the poem, and it was cold—it was November, the wind was blowing. But it was fine, and I sat there and I wrote that poem in forty-five minutes. I know for a fact that I am not intelligent enough to have written that poem with my will and my intellect. Some other thing had to have entered into the process and told me what to say. And I have that experience, vividly, quite often now.
April Orchard
We think if we're not conscious we exist
we won't exist, but
how can that be?
Just look at the sun.
Oh, if only I could make myself
completely unafraid—once
born, we never die—
what talks we'd have, and will. It's theorized
the universe is only one
among others, infinite
others. Though
didn't Christ tell us, In my father's house
there are many rooms . . .
And I would tell you
what it's like,
real fear. And
how there are human beings for whom the sun
is never going to shine
is never going to rise again, ever, not
not the real sun.
They're not exactly waking up
in radiant awareness
and celebration of their own presence these days,
who'd get rid of themselves with no more thought
(if it were possible) than you would give to
taking off a glove.
How in deep sleep sometimes even we get well.
So you can believe me, in the far deeper
sleep (these new apple leaves, maybe) we are all going
to be perfectly all right.
That glass was it filled with alcohol, water, or light
At ten
I turned you into a religion
The solitary
four-foot priest of you, I kept
the little manger candle
burning, I
kept your black half-inch of
in the hiding place
of the world
That empty
In which city was it, in fourth or fifth grade, Mother
read in the newspaper you'd be appearing
and dressed me up in suit
and little tie
and took me
I wanted to run to you—who were all these people?—
I sat alone beaming
at you who could not meet my eyes, and after
you shyly approached
and shook my hand
If I'm walking the streets of a city
covering every square inch of the continent
all its lights out
and empty of people,
even then
you are there
If I'm walking the streets
overwhelmed with this love for the living
I will still be a blizzard at sea
Since you left me at eight I have always been lonely
star-far from the person right next to me, but
closer to me than my bones you
you are there
It's 1963 again, the old Minneapolis airport so vast
to me, and I am running
after the long flight alone I am running
running into your huge arms—
I am forty-five now and I am dreaming,
will ever believe this—I'm dreaming
we are together again we are both forty-five
and I have you all to myself this time, and we are walking
together we're walking down a glowing-blue tunnel
we're on time for our flight, I can hardly believe it
we are travelling somewhere together alone
God knows where we are going, and who cares
we're together, walking
and happily talking
and laughing, and breathing
The Word "I"
Harder to breathe
near the summit, and harder
to remember
where you came from,
why you came
harder, and harder to say
the word "I"
with a straight face,
and sleep—
who can sleep. Who has time
to prepare for the big day
when he will be required
to say goodbye to everyone, including
the aforementioned pronoun, relinquish
all earthly attachment
completely, and witness
the end of the world—
harder in other words
not to love it
not to love it so much

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
I need to find out orientation of buildings and perform simplification of sides of buildings with a tolerance. I came to know from StackExchange that OpenCarto has useful libraries for geometrical functions.Basically i have stored data in PostGIS. Is there any possibility to use Opencarto Java Library to perform this on buildings? I thinks it is possible to connect Java with PostGIS through JDBC driver.
Cheers, Sanjeewa.


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If it was good enough for the King himself, it's great for all of us. When Elvis and Priscilla tied the knot at the old Aladdin in 1967, they set the stage for decades of Elvis themed weddings. Now that the Aladdin is Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, it's no surprise the hotel has its Elvis package ready and waiting. At Planet Hollywood, and all across Las Vegas, you can get hitched and serenaded, by any number or style of Evli.
Las Vegas is the Elvis impersonators' natural habitat. And for the most part we let them roam free. But the ones that perform weddings are a special breed. Some pick up the happy couples in limos. A few have been known to roll in on four-seater bicycles. But whichever you choose, it's a safe bet that you'll get to hear Elvis' signature songs.
For a tropical affair, the Viva Las Vegas Chapel has a wedding dedicated to the King and covered in memorabilia, sets, and props from Elvis' iconic Hawaiian adventures. They've even got a Priscilla impersonator.
And the A Las Vegas Wedding Chapel offers an "Aloha Las Vegas" package where Elvis and hula girls sing and dance four songs. You can even get an hour's performance from Elvis at your reception.
Get married or renew your vows at Cupid's Wedding Chapel. An Elvis impersonator will perform the ceremony, entertain you with three songs and pose for photographs.
Ever pretended you're a long lost kid of the King? We dream of that all the time. At the Silver Bell Wedding Chapel, you can indulge in the fantasy by having Elvis walk you down the aisle. He'll even leave you with a satin scarf and songs you won't soon forget.
Not to shatter the illusion, but it would be pretty hard to get married by the real Elvis. We believe in Vegas magic, but that might be a little much. So impersonators like Jesse Garon of Elvis Las Vegas are the next best thing to a séance. Garon has been marrying couples in various chapels since 1992. He's appeared on "The Tonight Show," "Regis and Kelly," "HBO," "E!," and more. He sings and dances for wedding parties. And he's even been known to take visitors for rides down the Strip in his pink Cadillac.
And, of course, there's the Graceland Chapel. They started it all 25 years ago as the first chapel to specialize in Elvis themed weddings. Have an impersonator entertain you at your wedding or perform renewal ceremonies by signing up for the appropriately, or inappropriately, named King's Package.
What companies offer these ceremonies /services: Planet Hollywood Hotel Chapel, Silver Bell Wedding Chapel, Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, Graceland Wedding Chapel, A Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, Cupid's Wedding Chapel, A Hollywood Wedding Chapel, Shalimar Wedding Chapel, Elvis of Las Vegas. For more information on these chapels, visit the Vegas.com guide to wedding chapels.
We can think of a few reasons you might want a drive-thru wedding. Some are sweet, passionate and romantic, and others are a little naughty. But the drive-thru wedding craze actually began as a way for disabled people to get married at the Little White Wedding Chapel without having to get out of their cars. Since the '90s, it's turned into one of those uniquely Vegas endeavors that allows anyone to roll through the Tunnel of Love Drive-Thru and take the plunge in the comfort of their own vehicle. Bouquets, boutonnieres, photos and DVDs of the ceremony are available. And for an added fee, you can drive a bright pink Cadillac and have an Elvis waiting at the chapel window.
What companies offer these ceremonies /services: The Little White Wedding Chapel. For more information, click here.
Your wedding is an excuse to "Shout it Out Loud"! So think guitar picks instead of rose petals, smoke effects instead of candlelight, and a Gene Simmons impersonator instead of a priest. Your KISS wedding is guaranteed to be "Hotter Than Hell."
What companies offer these ceremonies /services: KISS by Monster Mini Golf. For more information, click here.
Yeah. You read that right. You can get married, knock out a Grand Slam, then get something to eat at Denny's. (See what we did there?) The 64,000-square-foot restaurant on Fremont Street is the first Denny's in the world with weddings on its menu. Any time, day or night, you can score some pancakes, tie the knot and, thanks to the full-service bar, tie one on. The cake is even made of Denny's Pancake Puppies!
What companies offer these ceremonies /services: Denny's at Neonopolis. Find out more about it here.
This may be Sin City, but we've still got an eye for romance. Our very own Paris Las Vegas is a fitting tribute to the romance capital of the world. Ride the elevator to the outdoor observation deck on the 50th story of the Eiffel Tower and wed your beloved overlooking the real city of lights. Live music by a guitarist or pianist, suite package, photography, spa passes and full video recording from the ride up to the ride down are all available to make your romantic day eternal.
What companies offer these ceremonies /services: Paris Las Vegas. For more information on packages, services and office hours click here.
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What companies offer these ceremonies /services: A Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.


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Horror and shock found in dreams
Awe during waking moments
Music tied to a time frame or person
The transitioning of one's perspective
Also, how correct are the memories you forge?
My memories are definitely embellished as one glorifies the dead. Impressions affect me to ridiculous degrees and if our hard drives have limited space, much of what I remember is not trivia, it's all these times and they are made of many continuous moments, not to be confused with what is represented by a still photograph, my mind is full of my past, too full to receive much else along the lines of an education. Am I wired in some whacky way most aren't?


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[Tel Aviv, October 27. Image via Getty]
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 27: An Israeli woman officer (L) chats with her U.S.counterpart as they take part in a joint Israeli-American military exercise at a Patriot missile battery site October 27, 2009 in Tel Aviv, Israel. More than a thousand U.S. troops are in Israel to pratice shooting down ballistic missiles. (Photo by Ziv Koren-Pool/Getty Images)


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I know Anastasia is gonna kill me because she isn't too fond of the book, but I gotta admit they look so adorable in this pic! Awww Bella and Edward, LOL.
I already bought my ticket to see the movie, I am excited to see how it turns out in comparison to the book as well!
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
They look hot! Twilight HOT!
I know Anastasia is gonna kill me because she isn't too fond of the book, but I gotta admit they look so adorable in this pic! Awww Bella and Edward, LOL.
21 comments
- Tammy said...
The actor that plays Jacob is SO cute..geez I feel like a pedafile..lol
- November 12, 2008 at 9:36 AM
- fuzkittie said...
Haha, he was at the mall I went today last night.. I didn't even bother to go look, all I heard was teenage girls screaming. xD
- November 12, 2008 at 9:40 AM
- Anonymous said...
Both my sister-in-laws are obsessed with this series! haha
- November 12, 2008 at 11:27 AM
- Janelle said...
Haha I love these Twilight posts! They all look so good in those pics, gah I'm excited to watch! :)
- November 12, 2008 at 12:08 PM
- Phyrra said...
I love that last shot where everyone is so cuddley and affectionate. That makes me happy :)
I didn't like the way some things were written in the series, but I understand why she used them as plot devices, and I enjoyed the story overall.
I still probably prefer Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels or Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, but Twilight was pretty enjoyable.
- November 12, 2008 at 12:28 PM
- Ethereal Prey said...
she looks way different than the conservative, dumpy, homey self in the movie. i wonder how it will all turn out. so this is the new harry potter. i miss anne rice.
- November 12, 2008 at 12:43 PM
- ritaliator said...
With all the tv spots and clips that have come out online, the movie looks promising.
I think I spoiled it for myself already lol.
Love love love your blog, Vanessa =)
- November 12, 2008 at 2:00 PM
- jeSmakeup said...
never seen this or heard of it...
- November 12, 2008 at 3:32 PM
- Raiza said...
I love the books!
I'm dragging my bf to watch it with my on the day it comes out.
- November 12, 2008 at 3:34 PM
- Emeria said...
they look hot there..but to me i feel like she's the wrong person..maybe its the voice? I kinda pictured her a little prettier :[
- November 12, 2008 at 4:12 PM
- Anastasia said...
Graaaah. I just finished the second book, I downloaded an e-book (e-mail me or leave a comment on my blog's chatbox with your e-mail or something if you want it) because I refuse to give that woman more money for her trash.
I will admit, I found myself feeling emotional in some of the scenes, not because I cared for the characters but because it was making me miss my boyfriend, who's away on business.
Nevertheless, I still HATE Bella vehemently and want her to die. She's a thoroughly awful person, just as pathetic, useless and horrible in the second book as the first, and the worst possible example to young girls I could imagine. Let's just encourage everyone who's been dumped to jump off a cliff! Yay!
It was mildly entertaining, I wasn't surprised once. Absolutely every "plot" device was contrived and obvious and pretty much everything in the second book was completely obvious in the first. Perhaps because it's been done a thousand times.
Not to mention all the sneaky Mormon references Meyer slaps in there.
- November 12, 2008 at 5:19 PM
- Anastasia said...
Furthermore, for the sake of teenage girls everywhere, I feel it needs to be pointed out that if you (not, y'know, YOU, but anyone) behave like Bella, justifiably no one should ever, ever love you. Horrible, horrible Mary Sue. "Isabella Swan", pfft.
- November 12, 2008 at 5:21 PM
- Crystal Gale said...
I'm really curious about this series..I'm still debating wether I first watch the movie then read the book or read the book first then watch the movie? hehe any suggestion Vanessa? :)
- November 12, 2008 at 6:34 PM
- Emeria said...
I know Bella isn't suppose to be a "Rosalie," but someone better should have played. Well who am I to judge. I haven't seen the movie yet..I'm so excited though for it!!
Emily Browning's eyes have a very intense/ childlike innocence quality. Her lips are very Angelina Joliesque so I don't think she would have made a good Bella either lookwise, but I think more so then Kristin Stweart. It's the voice!! Sounds a bit too masculine for me!!
- November 12, 2008 at 11:41 PM
- sab said...
omg! they're all so hot!
- November 13, 2008 at 6:42 AM
- Anastasia said...
I think Timothy Spall would've been great as Bella.
I can't get over how incredibly EMO New Moon was, ugh. Not to mention all the racist Mormon references to "perfect pale white skin"! And there will never ever be any fighting, sex, or conflict at all in any of these books, because Edward is the picture of a good Mormon boy who would never do such a thing.
Guys, the new Artemis Fowl book is out. That's a good book, go and spend money on that, instead.
- November 13, 2008 at 7:17 AM
- JennBee said...
I'm choosing to ignore everything Anastasia has said, because it is downright rude and harsh to those of us who actually sympathize with characters like Bella. Personally I'm sick of all female characters being expected to be strong, courageous and perfect all the time - THAT would be a Mary Sue, but I don't think Anastasia knows what it really means. Haha. Anyway, I have respect for Bella, and I empathize with some of her hardships. I think she's a great character.
Anyway, I don't know if the movie will end up anywhere near as good as the book, but we can only hope. These pictures of the cast are gorgeous, though! They look way better here than in the trailers, that's for sure!
- November 13, 2008 at 2:38 PM
- Anastasia said...
@Jennbee: I apologise if I've offended you, and I don't want to get into a slinging match with you, especially not over something as daft as a book. I will, however, defend my opinion.
From Urban Dictionary, on the Mary Sue:
"The Mary Sue character is almost always beautiful, smart, etc... In short, she is the "perfect" girl. The Mary Sue usually falls in love with the author's favorite character(s) and winds up upstaging all of the other characters in the book/series/universe.
Victim!Sues: The Victim!Sue is your whiny, wimpy, pathetic female character who can't seem to do much of anything except cry and get herself into trouble that the romantic interest of the fic has to rescue her from.
Another thing to note is that a Sue will usually have a completely off-the-wall name, like "Viquetoria". The more weird and pretentious the name of the character, the more likely it is that she's a Sue."
Isabella Swan, who's so beautiful every age-appropriate male in the story is in love with her by chapter 50, but doesn't believe she is (ergo, no ego), is also extremely clever and was in an advanced program in Phoenix. She's whiny, totally helpless and needs rescuing from anything from crossing the street to walking down the stairs.
"Finally, Sues often have wierd, improbable or impossible bloodlines."
She's a human who's immune to many of the vampire's abilities and apparently smells extraordinarily good. I believe that sums her up fairly well, and her continual ungrateful/emo/whiny/suicidal attitude is a bad role model for young girls and an insult to anyone who has been through real hardship.
There's a difference between being strong and throwing yourself off a cliff and considering your life completely worthless without a boy.
I think part of my distaste for the series is the continual stream of racist Mormon references to Edward's "perfect white skin", as this kind of reference is littered throughout LDS literature (Don't believe me? Check it out http://www.bible.ca/mor-racial-slurs.htm )and shouldn't be perpetuated in a book meant for teenagers just because the author is religious.
Surely I can't be all bad, I offered to send people the first two e-books so they can read it.
- November 13, 2008 at 4:44 PM
- Piece of Cake said...
I saw the series translated books on the bookstore 3 days ago. Out of curiosity I picked up the first 2 books and haven't stopped reading the series. I just finished the 3rd book this afternoon and will go to the bookstore to pick up the 4th book. No translated version yet but I'm crossing my fingers that Breaking Dawn will be on the shelf.
@Anastasia :
I can't understand why "perfect white skin" reference matters much? After all, aren't they supposed to be real white? I'll be a tad disappointed if the main character's skins were olive, that's not exactly what I picture vampire should look like.
- November 15, 2008 at 12:12 AM
- Anonymous said...
question: who's the girl sitting... cuz i can name all the ones standing but im left dumbfounded by the "extra" girl on the ground -___-"
[from left to right: edward, emmett[sp?], carlisle, rosalie,bella,alice,jasper,james, laurent, jacob, then victoria]
so who's the last one??
- November 19, 2008 at 12:19 AM
- Vanessa said...
Hi Janine, the girl sitting down is Elizabeth Reaser who plays Esme, the mom of Edward....
- November 19, 2008 at 12:28 AM


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Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I'm Against MMP!!!
The moral of the story is this: every radical wingnut political group that couldn't win a seat if they tried - and they have - is for it. Therefore, you know it ain't good.
I'm sorry but this isn't Europe or, for that matter, anywhere else that implements MMP. This is Canada. This is CANADA. We have a Parliamentary system. We've always had a Parliamentary system. Imagine our forefathers rolling over in their graves right now thinking: MMP? WTF?
Recently we had a meeting here in Niagara Falls organized the The Citizens for Democracy (as long as you agree with THEIR version of democracy). Their faithful leader, Mel Grunstein (lost in five elections for the Alliance, Reform and Conservative Parties)argued FOR MMP. In the end, nobody attended, and, most importantly, nobody understood it.
So, as a bell weather riding such as this, nobody cares and nobody wants to care. My analysis then leads me to believe that that would be the general consensus of the rest of the province.
I have a hard time understanding why anyone in the two major parties (no the NDP is not one of the two) would even consider supporting MMP. It's a bad idea. Moreover, I think it would lead to even less representation by the smaller parties.
So, in October, I fully anticipate the sound defeat of MMP. Keep in mind, I know nothing.
19 comments:
- Mark Greenan said...
Just as many parliamentary democracies use PR as do our current system.
And the ones that do have higher voter satisfaction, better environmental policies, spend more on social services and less on prisons and defence (Lijphart - Patterns of Democracy).
- Sep 11, 2007, 8:47:00 PM
- Scott Tribe said...
That's a red herring argument if I ever saw one, Jim. The fact of the matter is, every "wing-nut group" would still have to get a minimum of 3% to get even a single seat in the legislature under the PR setup. The Green have only recently gotten over that threshold - no one else has even come close.
The real reason many of the big parties supporters don't like it is that they hate the fact they'd actually, you know, have to take the rest of the province's opinions into account. No elected dictatorships for 4 years - you'd have to make policies with consensus... and a lot of the party brass don't want anything to do with that.
We have a parliamentary democracy yes - but so does Germany - but they use MMP, and have since World War 2, and no one there is crying over wanting to go to our setup.
Tradition is no reason to keep something if it is flawed, and our 900 year old setup of government is. MMP isn't perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better then First-Past-The Post.
- Sep 11, 2007, 8:59:00 PM
- Dr.Dawg said...
Since the early 1930s, every single majority government in Ontario was elected by a minority of the electorate. Democracy, eh?
As for the canard that MMP is hard to understand, let me make it so simple that even I can understand it:
40% of the vote for a party means 40% of the seats in the legis- lature. Easy.
- Sep 11, 2007, 9:32:00 PM
- James Curran said...
So MMP is for the people, by the people? Really? So how do we address the 50% of the population that don't vote at all? Should we just leave some empty seats?
- Sep 11, 2007, 9:38:00 PM
- Jim said...
So how do we address the 50% of the population that don't vote at all? Should we just leave some empty seats?
Considering it only takes 40% of the population to elect a government, I think we should do away with the electoral system largely responsible for that 50% who doesn't feel it necessary to show up at the polls.
Empty seats, likely won't get them to show up - MMP, might, though.
- Sep 11, 2007, 10:04:00 PM
- James Curran said...
"After Bismarck's dismissal in 1890 by the young emperor Wilhelm II, Germany stepped up its competition with other European states for colonies and for what it considered its proper place among the great states. An aggressive program of military expansion instilled fear of Germany in its neighbors. Several decades of military and colonial competition and a number of diplomatic crises made for a tense international atmosphere by 1914. In the early summer of that year, Germany's rulers acted on the belief that their country's survival depended on a successful war against Russia and France. German strategists felt that a war against these countries had to be waged by 1916 if it were to be won because after that year Russian and French military reforms would be complete, making German victory doubtful. This logic led Germany to get drawn into a war between its ally Austria-Hungary and Russia. Within weeks, a complicated system of alliances escalated that regional conflict into World War I, which ended with Germany's defeat in November 1918.
The Weimar Republic, established at war's end, was the first attempt to institute parliamentary democracy in Germany. The republic never enjoyed the wholehearted support of many Germans, however, and from the start it was under savage attack from elements of the left and, more important, from the right. Moreover, it was burdened during its fifteen-year existence with serious economic problems. During the second half of the 1920s, when foreign loans fed German prosperity, parliamentary politics functioned better, yet many of the established elites remained hostile to it. With the onset of the Great Depression, parliamentary politics became impossible, and the government ruled by decree. Economic crisis favored extremist politicians, and Adolf Hitler's National Socialist German Workers' Party became the strongest party after the summer elections of 1932. In January 1933, the republic's elected president, Paul von Hindenburg, the World War I army commander, named a government headed by Hitler.
Within a few months, Hitler accomplished the "legal revolution" that removed his opponents. By 1935 his regime had transformed Germany into a totalitarian state. Hitler achieved notable economic and diplomatic successes during the first five years of his rule. However, in September 1939 he made a fatal gamble by invading Poland and starting World War II. The eventual defeat of Hitler's Third Reich in 1945 occurred only after the loss of tens of millions of lives, many from military causes, many from sickness and starvation, and many from what has come to be called the Holocaust."
Germany didn't start with an elected government. They started with Emporers. They never really figured out a Parliamentary system as we know it. I'm not sure if 614 elected officials begins to represent a government of efficiency Scott.
It would appear to me that two parties still control the government in Germany. You DO see that right?
- Sep 11, 2007, 10:12:00 PM
- Mark Greenan said...
"MMP is for the people, by the people"
Sounds like a good description on the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform to me!
- Sep 11, 2007, 10:16:00 PM
- Mark Greenan said...
What's the point of that long piece about Germany?!?
Sure, the historical development of its democracy is different than in Britain, but I don't think that means it's better.
And you're right, the government in Germany has been mostly led by two parties.
But a big difference is that voters in those countries have much more choice, as they can vote for many other parties and rest assured their vote will be reflected in the legislature.
I fail to see how this is nothing but a positive thing for democracy, accountability and good government.
- Sep 11, 2007, 10:33:00 PM
- James Curran said...
Here's a question. How many countries use MMP? Anyone?
- Sep 11, 2007, 10:48:00 PM
- Peter Loewen said...
No Scandanavian country uses MMP. And every country that uses MMP is a parliamentary democracy. You clearly know very little about what you speak.
- Sep 11, 2007, 10:49:00 PM
- James Curran said...
Thank you Peter, I concede the Scandinavian thing. Here's the MMP list that I know of.
New Zealand
9 out of 194 countries. Not an overwhelming endorsement for the MMP.
The two G8 countries that utiize MMP, Germany and Italy both instituted their systems after reigns of terror at the end of WWII...well, only half of Germany. The other half was a wee bit communist.
I'm certain that the Autonomy Liberty Democracy Party and their 1 seat out of 630 is having a huge impact on the state of Italy.
How much would it cost to run a government with 630 members in the house anyway? Think there's any waste there?
- Sep 11, 2007, 11:18:00 PM
- Peter Loewen said...
Italy does not use MMP. Nor does Hungary, strictly speaking. But, anyways, what's your point? They are all still parliamentary democracies.
How many countries, pray tell, use SMP as which we currently do? Hint: you could count them on one hand. Now, that's not a reason to vote against SMP. But it's not really a reason to vote against MMP either.
Funny that someone who wants to run for office thinks that politicians are a waste of money.
- Sep 12, 2007, 7:38:00 AM
- James Curran said...
Really. A handful? Here's the list of countries that use pluarality systems
Antigua and Barbuda
The Gambia
Federated States of Micronesia
Papua New Guinea
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom
United States (except for Louisiana)
Zimbabwe .
You must have one big hand.
- Sep 12, 2007, 7:52:00 AM
- James Curran said...
This is one of the better documents ofn electoral reform.
- Sep 12, 2007, 8:05:00 AM
- Peter Loewen said...
Jim, you have to compare apples to apples. There are few countries which use strict MMP and there are few which use strict SMP. If you compare those which use some element of PR with those that use some element of SMP, then both of the lists can explode, and overlap. The point is that how many countries use a system really doesn't matter all that much to its merits.
As for the document to which you've linked, I sd note that it ends with a recommendation for MMP.
Look, I think either system is democratic, though they have distinctly differnet strengths. But attacking one system on such flawed logic - like saying it will lead to less representation for smaller parties - demonstrates that you are fitting arguments to your conclusions and not the other way around.
Any response as to why you want to become another money wasting politician?
- Sep 12, 2007, 8:11:00 AM
- James Curran said...
Talk about fitting arguments. Where in this thread did I say "politicians were a waste of money?"
Duplicity of Government is a waste of money Peter. 630 members in the house and 350 members in the senate might lead to "extra costs".
I hardly think Lord Alexander, in his notes of caution in the report I offer to you gave his overwhelming endorsement to AV...a derivitive of MMP.
Attacking my decision to run for office one day is hardly a good argument to support MMP.
- Sep 12, 2007, 8:42:00 AM
- UofO Liberal said...
I am voting for MMP... simply on the basis that I know it will fail. I am voting for it in principle because if this province ever votes for a change in electoral system, it is the one I would choose over any other alternative.
Proportional Representation is impossible in a country as large as Canada. everyone touts PR for Canada because of its success in Europe... please someone take a geography lesson, our provinces are larger than upwards of 10 countries combined in terms of space! I am not going to endorse any system in Canada that will remove the ability for regional representation in our legislatures.
Single-Transferable Vote is a very very complicated system much like the Alternative Vote, but my real beef with STV is the fact that it bulks ridings together, so instead of Ottawa having 9 ridings, it would have 1 riding with 9 representatives.... how do we ensure the francophone vote in Ottawa-East wouldnt be drowned by the west end??
The Alternative vote is very much like the ballots we used for Leadership DSMs. How many weeks did they have training sessions for members to vote, we going to do that EVERY 4 years with Canadians to understand HOW they are supposed to vote? If we had such difficulty with 200,000 members, what about 30 million?
MMP does have its flaws, such as the party's ability to nominate the list members and our legislature will increase in size. I believe if there is an honest debate on MMP in the party we can have a fair and open process for the nomination for list members - but who am I kidding...
MMP however will allow a slightly fairer representation of the minority parties - Greens and NDP, and might cost a couple seats to the Grits and Tories. However, we start to get a better balance of PR in our system, whilst at the same time ensuring solid regional representation in the provincial legislature.
I am for MMP only on the principle that there is NO other alternative to FPTP I would support... so if Ontario chooses change, IF it does, this is the change I would see as most functional in our system.
But a 60/60 rule during an election that has NO discussion on the topic, it is bound to failure! I find it quite hypocritical... everyone who is a political cynic complains about electoral reform... and now they have a choice to make, and NO ONE is seriously and publicly discussing this issue... so its sexy to complain, but not sexy to act?
- Sep 12, 2007, 9:59:00 AM
- Idealistic Pragmatist said...
I'm sorry but this isn't Europe or, for that matter, anywhere else that implements MMP. This is Canada. This is CANADA. We have a Parliamentary system. We've always had a Parliamentary system.
And so has every country that has MMP. Do you even know what a parliamentary system is? You're really not making the 'no' side look very good, here.
- Sep 14, 2007, 4:19:00 PM
- James Curran said...
The "no" side looks good on its own. It doesn't need me to help it along. More than I can say for the yes side.
BTW. The ballot will not have yes or no on it. Not anywhere.
- Sep 14, 2007, 4:45:00 PM


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A recent triumvirate of once-in-a-lifetime events occurred that led to the development of the latest release from Jim Byrnes. First, 2014 marked the 250TH anniversary of the founding of the city of St. Louis, which just happens to be where Jim spent his childhood. It also marks the Centennial anniversary of the publishing of perhaps the most well-known tune from the pen of W. C. Handy, "St. Louis Blues." Lastly, this year marks the tenth anniversary of Jim's musical partnership with guitarist extraordinaire Steve Dawson. Their collaborations have resulted in six albums, including this one, "St. Louis Times," which serves as one of Jim's most personal albums. He not only has taken songs identified with the Gateway city or its most famous citizens, but also includes four original works from Jim and Steve, whose vintage guitar style shines throughout.
Jim's vocals still go down as smoothly as your favorite bourbon as you listen to this history lesson in the blues. Also, some of the planet's best sidemen join in for the occasion, making this truly a fun listen. Jim spins a spoken-word tale of the St. Louis of his youth in "The Journey Home." And, "Cake Alley" may have cheap cakes, but the hoodlums that inhabit "Blair Avenue on down to 15TH Street" may be a bit more than you bargain for! This one features John Hammond, Jr. on National slide guitar, and a sweet Dixieland-style horn section.
Jim shows a soulful side also, on the somber, churchy, "I Need A Change," one of the original compositions penned by Jim and Steve. And, the playful Fontella Bass chestnut, "You'll Miss Me (When I'm Gone), has Jim in a duet with No Sinner's Colleen Rennison that captures the spirit of the "quarrelsome" lovers.
We had two favorites, too. We've always loved native son Chuck Berry's storied "Nadine" in her "coffee-colored Cadillac," and Jim's take is spot-on while Steve's pedal steel gives it a special touch. And, the hilarious " The Duck's Yas YasYas" has Jim in another duet setting, this time with John Hammond, Jr., who also adds harp in this slice of vintage blues.
With "St. Louis Times," Jim Byrnes offers a unique look at the musical history of one of the most important cities in blues. And, he does it in his own inimitable, very personal style, making this one his best set to date!


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Deianeira returns from the palace.
Friends, while our visitor inside the palace
is bidding farewell to the captive maidens,
I have come forth to you in secret, partly
to tell you what I have contrived, but also
to win your sympathy for what I suffer.
I have received this maiden - no, not maiden -
this mistress, as a sailor welcomes freightage:
a burden which my heart finds hard to bear.
For now he will have two of us to clasp
540under one blanket; this is the reward
Heracles, whom we call the good and faithful,
has given me for waiting all this time!
I cannot find it in me to be angry,
often as this disease has come upon him;
but then, to live together with her, sharing
my marriage-bed - what woman could endure it?
I see her youthful beauty blooming; mine
is vanishing: his eye will love to pluck
those blossoms, but will turn away from me.
550I fear that Heracles will soon be called
my husband, but this younger woman's man.
Yet anger, as I said, is wrong for women
of understanding. Let me tell you, friends,
the solacing release that I have found.
I have long had a present, which a beast
once gave me, hidden in an urn of bronze.
While still a child I took it from the blood
of shaggy-breasted Nessus as he died -
Nessus, a centaur who would carry men
560for pay across the deep Evenus river,
using no oars or sails to help convey them.
So, when my father sent me forth to follow
Heracles, as his bride, this monster bore me
upon his back and, when we reached midstream,
touched me with lusting hands: I screamed aloud:
then Zeus's son immediately turned round
and shot a feathered arrow whizzing through
his breast into his lungs. As he lay dying
the beast said, "Daughter of old Oeneus, listen
570to me, and you will profit from this voyage,
for I will never carry any other.
Take in your hands the clotted blood around
my wound, in which the monstrous beast of Lerna,
Hydra, once dipped his arrows of black gall;
and this will be a love-charm for the heart
of Heracles, so that he will not ever
love anyone he looks on more than you."
I thought of this just now, my friends, for since
he died I have concealed it in my house;
580and I have dipped this tunic in it, as
he said when living. Yes, I have performed it.
Oh, may I never come to know the meaning
of wickedness or women who are wicked;
but if I am able to excel this girl
by using magic charms on Heracles,
the means are ready. Do you think my actions
are rash? For if you do, I will not try them.