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Editor's Note: Geek Culture
This is my tribe, our tribe. We recognize each other in cultures and geographies different from our norm. We recognize the clothing, we know the entertainment media, we understand each other's interests.
Hi Julianne,
Good article, but I'm not sure I agree with the central premise. Specifically, are gamers geeks? Is there a 'gamers' tribe?
I can believe that somebody who isn't computer literate would describe a gamer as a geek, but if you delve under the surface it seems more complex. This is a world in which people want to fly their individuality like a flag, for every gamer who's considered (or considers themselves) a geek, there's somebody else who considers adult gamers to be overgrown children, and believes you're not a geek until you've submitted your first linux kernel patch (or at least installed Debian as your primary OS).
In the same way as my gran may have considered Meat Loaf to be of the same musical genre as Slipknot, it becomes easier to generalise the less involved or knowledgeable you are on a subject. For people who don't like or understand computers, giving a four letter label to a huge swathe of the population is easier than learning about them. I like the way geek has been reclaimed as a positive or at least semi-positive term, but feel its use is too broad to claim a group identity amongst those 'tarred with the brush'.
Just like someone freshly introduced to the word Christian might struggle to understand the enmity between different Christian churches while a devout follower would be able to define exactly why their church was 'correct', I think 'geek' is a term that has comparable layers of complexity beneath what seems a straightforward definition.
I suspect there are a few software engineers out there who would scoff at the idea that playing GTA4 qualified you as a geek, just like there are plenty of gamers who would accept being called a geek but be contemptuous of somebody whose work was technical but not interesting to them.
I'm also sceptical of the idea that there's a gamer tribe. The scenario you describe in the parent article could describe any trade event regardless of the specific industry. It sounds like industry 'networking' more than tribal behaviour.
I certainly haven't seen people wearing the same clothes outside of work requirements (that would scare me) and I'm not convinced that people who work in the same industry necessarily share interests.
For example, if I take two friends at work doing the same job as me, one of them is fascinated by War memorabilia, the other by hunting, while I like British 'kitchen-sink' plays of the 1950's and 60's.
Musically, one likes classical music, another strange 80's synth bands, while I listen to Indie (British and American) and most of the artists who are/were on the Anticon label.
All three of us agreed that Bioshock was a really well executed game, but my colleagues haven't played most of the games I consider my favourites and I haven't played a lot of their favourites either.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, there's very little crossover in our interests, as much as we're good friends there is no communal feeling or tribe. Each of us feels with equal certainty that our taste in games/music/films/politics/people etc. is correct and that the others are only sticking to their opinions out of stubbornness and a reluctance to lose face. (Three chiefs, no followers)
Having said all the above, I'm fully prepared to be told that I'm being a misanthropic old man and should stop picking holes in other peoples articles. Am I too old to be reading this?
My geek culture is a Commodore 64 playing Gribbly's Day Out or a Spectrum playing Jumping Jack. I'm not sure how widely shared that vision is, if I've got a tribe I don't think it's large enough to go picking fights.
Yours (hoping the warpaint covers what the loincloth doesn't)
Nothing like the good ole pack mentality!
Hi M
Thanks for your comments! There's a lot here to consider.
First, I'll have to say my way of looking at people and labeling people is a little different than you describe - I don't tend to firmly label people. They have such a way of surprising me and stretching beyond expectations in both wonderful and terrible ways that I find it to be an exercise in futility. But, I do look for commonalities in order to relate to and understand them.
I use the word tribe as a kind way to express that commonality, I guess. It's not that everyone in the tribe is exactly the same, or that we share the same views on everything from music to politics. It's more that we do have some things in common and it's those things that connect us.
That having been said, I do believe there's a "Geek" tribe. You mention it having been a derogatory term in the past, and sure some people still consider it so. I don't! :) I wasn't labelling the people in my tribe geeks, but rather the people in it are interested in "geeky pursuits" like videogames, sci-fi TV, working in game or tech fields, or other such geek culture.
Sure, my hanging with people in Hungary was work-related, but the rest of the trip was not. I randomly bumped into these people on my travels, and perhaps it's simply my naivete, but I felt a kinship with them. I understood their interest in things not commonly held as popular. Understanding where most others do not is a strong pull for both sides and breaks the ice a bit.
And I have some fond memories of the Commodore 64 - I vividly remember playing QIX with a friend of mine after school...
^^^^^ I believe firmly in what you have said and am surprised at how hit home for me. I fully understand when you speak about the "Geek" tribe. I'm personally the gamer and sci-fi TV part of the geek culture due to my impairedness at anything cumputerized.
Diablo 2 was my elementary school days and BSG is OK, but Stargate all the way!!!
I think this is a really interesting and difficult point. My original piece for this issue (that morphed into "How to bite the head off a chicken") was going to argue that the 'Geek Tribe' has become a self-imposed myth.
18, arguably 19 of the 20 top-grossing movies of all time are sci-fi or fantasy based (http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/alltimegross?region=world-wide). Games and tech are rapidly becoming part of everyday life, especially for young people in developed countries. I agree that there's still something joining 'people like us' around the world, but this is surely on the point of going nova.
Whatever real tribalism that remains often seems like a defensive, destructive thing: like the Browncoats who made "Serenity' into a mad geek totem pole rather than the mass-appeal film it really was, and hurt it severely in the process. For me, at least, 'Geek Culture' makes me wonder if we're not clinging to the idea of a small, special club with a 'keep out' sign on the door...
Thank you as always, Julianne, for pushing the discussion.
Colin Rowsell
I think somewhere between Julianne's comments and Colin's comments there's the fundamental truth I was trying to get at, that for those not interested in technology, there's just a mass of people all considered geeks (with a faintly negative connotation)
However, if you get closer, this group can be sub-divided almost endlessly.
As an example, suppose I pick on console gamers as geeks. Especially among younger gamers you'll find that their resources stretch to one console. This is why, whatever the generation there's always a similar debate to C64 vs Spectrum, Amiga vs ST, ps3 vs xbox360 etc.
Whatever a person has they defend vigorously, because it would be unthinkable to them that they'd bought the 'wrong' product and they'll waste breath attacking a rival system. (while one rich kid with both sits in the background asking 'Can't we all just get along?')
Lines are drawn in the sand.
It doesn't end there though, because if you focus on the users of one console you can sub-divide again. Along with gamers who like games regardless of genre, you'll find people who are only interested in certain types of game and regard other game types as boring.
So if we had a tribe called ps3, a number of followers would break away and try to identify itself by becoming the 'ps3 gamers that only play [insert genre here] games' tribe (which is a really bad name for a tribe)
I agree with what you say (Julianne) about people being capable of much more (or less) than an expectation, but if 'geek' has become a club and symbolic of a type of individual, rather than an actual description of an individual, it is effectively a marketing tool to get to a certain demographic (I'm aware I'm writing in the forum of a computer gaming magazine)
As Colin points out in his post above, people define themselves not only by what they like, but also by what they don't. I can think of a number of friends who would be highly offended if they thought that geek meant being part of a gang, rather than an aloof idiosyncratic individual.
Yours (aloof and idiosyncratically)
Well, M, your friends can be aloof and idiosyncratic all they want. And when they're done with that, they can come over and play bass and guitar while I sing in Rock Band. And then we'll go see the new Indiana Jones movie. You can come, too. But you are Not in charge of naming the band, as you've shown your tribe-naming skills to be ... lacking. ;)
But that's how I am. Perhaps I'm weird that way. I see both The Mysterious M and Colin seem to see the tribe thing as a way to keep people out. I see it as a way to include people who might be interested, or find a commonality upon which to build another friendship.
M mentions tribes as marketing tools; well, sometimes I use it as a way to think about my readership for The Escapist and WarCry (our other media property) to understand what they'll be interested in, to direct the content we publish. It's nothing nefarious, simply trying to figure out what will make my readers feel happy they stopped in during their lunchbreak or in their precious freetime in the evenings.
Truly, yes, we can all be broken down into our own little tribes of one, as we all are complex enough that no one is completely the same. But what good is being different if no one else is around to see it?
I think we might be surprised by the kinship we would feel with fellow geeks who dislike something we like. I don't care much for Battlestar Galactica, but I would bet I would get on more with them and have an interesting discussion about how much it isn't as great as people think it is (he he), than I would with, say, your average football fan. It's quite obvious that there are vast differences in the Geek Tribe, but that still does not get rid of the fact that the tribe exists. A Catholic and a Protestant, to reuse an analogy, would still find more in common with each other than with a Hindu or Muslim. (probably)
Another example: my flatmates and close group of friends largely share the same ideas: we are libertarian, embrace diversity and are generally atheists or non-literal theists etc. (although one does have tendencies towards eugenics) Yet we have far more disagreements than I did when I met a conservative creationist, because we have so much more in common. We are our own tribe.
Every group can be sub divided endlessly, but there's always going to be that dividing line where we can look and say a person is this, or that, and be largely accurate. I myself hate the Aristotelian method of categorising everything, but it can be applied. Sort of.
Ultimately, we're all commenting on a forum devoted to computer games. We're geeks. Strip that of both positive and negative connotations, and just have it as a description.
For the record, if I am now 'The Mysterious M' then Colin is going to have to do better with his 'superhero sidekick' name.
Yours (fighting crime and pushing his luck with the brackety sig thing)
I dunno. It has kind of a Batman and Robin quality.
Viva le GEEK
Well next time you're in Paris actually say hi to us. We don't bite.
Who? Where?


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subset: commoncrawl


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Love (Indianapolis)
|Robert Indiana
|Cor-ten steel
|370 cm × 370 cm × 180 cm (144 in × 144 in × 72 in)
|Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana
|Indianapolis Museum of Art
LOVE is an artwork by American artist Robert Indiana, located at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA), in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States. It was created in 1970 as the first sculptural form of the artist's famous LOVE painting and has been on continuous exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art since it was acquired in 1975.[1]
This pop art sculpture consists of three separate elements fabricated from 3/8 inch-thick sheets of Cor-ten steel. They are bolted together to render the two-dimensional text design in three-dimensional form. The hollow but enclosed block letters are 72 inches deep. The largest piece consists of the L stacked on top of the V and fashioned as one unit without a seam between the letters. The O and E are separate elements that attach to the LV. Two posts are installed on the top of the E for the alignment and stability of the O, which has corresponding openings on its lowest surface.
The right upper serif of the E comes into contact with and forms a smooth continuation to the proper left upper serif of the V. The bottommost curve of the O contacts the E in line with the E's inner vertical surface, and it contacts the L at the upper edge of the L's lower left serif.[2]
Historical information[edit]
Although the word "love" contained much significance to 1960s culture, Indiana attributes his connection with the word to an earlier, more personal source. Attending Christian Science church services as a child in Indianapolis, he was impressed by a small plaque over the reader's platform bearing the inscription "God Is Love."[3] By 1973, Indiana was no longer a practicing member of the church, but he insisted that the message of LOVE be taken as a spiritual one.[4]
The sculpture is based on the artist's original 1965 Christmas card design for MoMA, in which the majuscule letters of the word "love" are arranged in a 2×2 square, LO atop VE, and the O tilted to align with the diagonal of the square.[5] MoMA's commission for the card came one year after Indiana had designed similar Christmas cards for close friends.[6]
After pirated versions of the design began to appear in excess during the late 1960s, Indiana attempted to copyright his work, but this was rejected on the grounds that a single word cannot be protected.[7] Some art critics believed his switch to the large-scale, three-dimensional version of the artwork was an effort by Indiana to reclaim his design in monumental fashion.[7] Generally, however, the innovation of the letters standing as an independent form is seen as an aesthetic progression from his earlier sculptures which utilized typography painted upon flat surfaces.[3]
Other versions[edit]
The IMA's LOVE is the original sculptural rendition of the design. Many other versions have been made and are displayed worldwide, including editions in Hebrew, Chinese, Italian, and Spanish.
Location history[edit]
LOVE was executed in North Haven, Connecticut, in 1970 by Lippincott, Inc., a fabricator of large-scale sculpture.[8] After its move to Indianapolis, the sculpture was originally installed on the main plaza at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1970 for the opening of the museum's current building.[9][10] It then spent nearly a year displayed on the city hall plaza in Boston before being loaned to New York City, where it was exhibited in Central Park for the 1971 holiday season.[6][11]
Upon the artwork's return to Indianapolis in 1972, it was showcased for several months in front of the Indiana National Bank building[12] and later appeared for a short time on the mall behind Eli Lilly and Company's administration building.[11][13] The purpose of the latter instance was to use the sculpture as a backdrop for a TV commercial promoting the Lilly company; the ad intended to draw an analogy between the creativity of art and the creativity involved in research.[13]
LOVE has undergone a few location adjustments as the IMA building and grounds have developed over the years. In 2005, after a major museum expansion, the sculpture was restored and temporarily placed in the museum's Pulliam Court before it was moved outdoors to the main sculpture courtyard, where it is surrounded by decorative landscaping and faced Numbers 1-0, another Indiana sculpture.[1][14]
The sculpture was officially accessioned into the IMA's collection in 1975 through a "Gift of the Friends of the Indianapolis Museum of Art in memory of Henry F. DeBoest."[1]
Robert Indiana (b. Robert Clark, September 13, 1928-May 19, 2018) was an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement.
As an outdoor sculpture made of a weathering iron alloy, the surface of LOVE should naturally carry an even layer of iron(III) oxide, which provides distinctive coloration and also protects the metal underneath from further corrosion. The price of being a cultural icon, however, has continuously disrupted the formation of this layer; viewers have enjoyed climbing the artwork since its first public appearances, apparent through photography and damage to the appearance of LOVE.[6][11] Indiana acknowledged the inevitable appeal of his sculpture as a site of exploration for children, couples, and passerby. In a 1973 interview with Indianapolis magazine, he wished only "that people would take their shoes off first."[11]
Various conservation efforts to reduce the amount of direct patron contact and its effects, as well as to deal with moisture within the hollow letters have taken place throughout the sculpture's lifespan. The Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture surveyed LOVE in July 1993, and the sculpture was deemed to be well-maintained.[2]
In 2006 the sculpture was blasted with an inert medium (aluminum oxide) to strip away uneven surface corrosion, and then it was re-installed outside on an indefinite basis to produce a new patina through natural weathering. The intention is to recreate the original "crispy," purplish, and iridescent surface.[15] The restorative efforts of the IMA on behalf of LOVE were made possible through the generosity of Patricia J. and James E. LaCrosse.[1]
See also[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Love" (sculpture), Explore Art: IMA Collections. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ a b Save Outdoor Sculpture! (1993). "Love (sculpture)". SIRIS. Smithsonian. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ a b Day, Holliday T. (2000). Crossroads of American Sculpture. Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis Museum of Art. pp. 34–51.
- ^ Raynor, Vivien. "The Man Who Invented Love." Art News. February 1973. 59-62.
- ^ LOVE, MoMA: The Collection. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
- ^ a b c Dannatt, Adrian (2008). Robert Indiana: Hard Edge. New York: Paul Kasmin Gallery. pp. 14–19. ISBN 0-97941-644-2.
- ^ a b LOVE (painting), Explore Art: IMA Collections. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ "Love-O-Rama" mini-multiple no. 6 pamphlet. theARTgallery. October 1970.
- ^ Greiff, Glory-June (2005). Remembrance, Faith & Fancy: Outdoor Public Sculpture in Indiana. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society Press. p. 182. ISBN 0-87195-180-0.
- ^ Robinson, Anne P.; S. L. Berry (2008). Every Way Possible: 125 Years of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis Museum of Art. pp. 167 and 169. ISBN 0-93626-085-8.
- ^ a b c d "Love - Robert Indiana Style." Indianapolis. March 1973. 25–27.
- ^ "LOVE Returned". The Indianapolis Star. 15 February 1972. p. 12.
- ^ a b "Love Goes to Work." The Indianapolis Star. 19 June 1974.
- ^ Robinson, p. 272.
- ^ "IMA moves Robert Indiana's "LOVE" Sculpture - Indianapolis Museum of Art". Indianapolis Museum of Art. Retrieved 29 January 2011.


text:
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"a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved by the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability or object…often implies a lack of creativity" (thanks Wikipedia)
I wouldn't say as kids that we suffered from a lack of creativity, if anything, our imaginations had gotten the better of us here, as we'd killed off all three of our characters, without thinking where that left our game…
Happily, their younger siblings were conveniently present, but against a Geri Haliwell-inspired Shadow Master, there could be little hope. Enter Kyle!
I decided to write this today as it's Kyle's birthday – we've not spoken in a while but I'll link him this article later as I'm not sure he even knows about this! Kyle was another good friend who may have joined us in this game on occasion before he moved to Illinois from our hometown in Massachusetts. By the time of these events, he'd definitely moved, but that didn't stop his fantasy counterpart saving the day!
In a fashion reminiscent of (and likely copied from) the White Power Ranger, who returned super powerful and immune to evil influence (I will have the utmost respect for anyone who can correct me if I'm wrong here), Kyle intervened to single-handedly fight off and banish the Shadow Master, while clad, if memory serves, in all black armour (because white would've been too obvious). What a badass!
Certain death avoided, the younger siblings (I became 'Timothy', my sister possibly chose 'Jamie-Lynn', but we can't for the life of us remember what new name Andrew picked… ) lived to fight another day, safe in the knowledge that on the rare occasions our own prowess failed us (and, as we'd soon scheduled, printed and laminated our own 'magic university' timetables, that was a rare thing indeed) our absent friend would return once more.
Kyle – happy birthday, and I hope you appreciate what a part you still played in our lives after you moved away!
[The above is 333 words, by complete chance, and the last one was 444 words. If anyone knows of any symbolism I'm inadvertently messing with here (I'm worried 666 will be soon) do let me know!]


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"Prague, Paris, Vienna..."
Whether you will eat at the Prague or Paris restaurants during your stay, you can be sure you will receive excellent gastronomical service. The qualities of the local chefs were honored at several international culinary contests. The accommodating and qualified personnel will, of course, also take care of you in the Café Vienna, or the Imperial Club.
Restaurant Prague
The Prague restaurant serves food in the form of buffet tables and a counter. Besides its excellent menu, the non-smoking restaurant offers another "delicatessen". The guests can watch a top-notch "OPEN KITCHEN" - an open kitchen. The food is being prepared right in front of the guests.
ALL INCLUSIVE service in the restaurant – selected alcoholic and soft drinks are served free of charge.
Breakfast : Sunday – Friday 7:00 – 10:00 | Saturday 6:45 – 10:00
Lunch : Monday – Sunday 12:00 – 15:00
Dinner : Monday – Sunday 18:00 – 21:00
Restaurant Paris
This restaurant in the French style offers lunches and dinners à la carte. If you prefer a glass of good wine with your meal, the waiters will offer a selection of Czech and imported wines. For hotel guests are selected alcoholic and soft drinks served free of charge.
OPEN: 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
For congress events etc., Restaurant Prague can be interconnected with a concert hall and Restaurant Paris.
Café Vienna
It almost seems that the time in Café Vienna has stopped. The stylish interior truly imitates the appearance of the original café from 1912. Besides a rich selection of coffee and high quality teas, one can enjoy first-class cakes and desserts. Live music makes the already hospitable atmosphere even more pleasant. The café also has a summer terrace.
Café Vienna also includes a patisserie preparing home-made products. The sweet specialties of our pastry chef will be appreciated by all guests with a sweet tooth.
OPEN: 09:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
For congress events etc., Café Vienna can be interconnected with a concert hall and both restaurants.
Club Imperial
A cozy night club is furnished in the English style. Besides an appetizing menu, it offers a rich selection of wines and mixed drinks. Live music and a dance floor tempt guests to dance. Jazz and theme evenings are held regularly. Come have fun!
OPEN: Mo-Su 08:00 p.m. – 03:00 a.m.
Forms of boarding
All the food is served à la carte and table d´hôte. The buffet table contains both hot and cold plates, diabetic products, rational and diet nutrition, a versatile assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, etc.
The choice of boarding is up to the hotel guests. We offer:
- Breakfast (BB) - includes only a breakfast
- Half-Boarding (HB) - includes breakfast and lunch or dinner
- Full-Boarding (FB) - includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner
You can choose the form of boarding during your online accommodation reservation.
Our chef and his team are ready to accommodate your wishes. They can also prepare for you a birthday or wedding feast. They can also take care of the boarding of participants of conferences, congresses, etc. They can prepare a complete menu for any occasion:
- Family celebrations
- Buffets
- Coffee breaks
- Banquets
- Etc.
Other services
- Room service - provided for a fee only if a guest is ill
- Preparation of an individual nutrition plan by a nutrition therapist
- Option to borrow children seats on request
- Option to ensure boarding services on request
Hotel Imperial provides complete gastronomical services. Please contact us with any questions or requests. We will gladly accommodate your requests.
You can reserve accommodation and other services online. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or special requests.


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text:
Fifty Seven
The rest of our week moves along, Zoe C and Elle have classes, they swim, hike the property, work out in the gym. McKenzie and I make meals, she swims every day.
Her IPad came in, Elle charged it before we gave it to McKenzie. She explained how it worked, showed her the online tutorial and left her to go at it.
She burned through the first charge, Elle showed her how to recharge and that she could also use the device while it charged. Usually in the afternoon, post her nap, we can find her lying on the mat, head on Zelda's flank, touching and swiping. When she finds something interesting, she shows the screen to Zelda and explains what it is. Zelda sniffs the screen, sniffs McKenzie's neck, then back to snoozing.
It's Friday, yay, Natalie is here, I go out and take her small valise, she's leaving clothes here now, not a wardrobe, enough to cover our common casual and a couple of things if we decide to go out for diner.
She gives me a kiss, scoots inside and is met by Zelda, gets her clearance as a friend, McKenzie is just behind her.
"Zelda is protecting."
Nat, "She sure is, and I am happy for it," she stoops and buries her fingers in the wrinkles for a scratch.
She stands, leans and gives McKenzie a peck on the cheek, strokes the gorgeous auburn hair, young girls have perfect hair, soft, shiny, rich, McKenzie is no different.
The girl and the mastiff, turn and go to their spot on the mats in front of the couch, martial arts mats that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Very comfortable to lay on and easy for Zoe C to clean.
Zoe C, "Hey Nat, can I get a kiss too?"
"Of course, where's Elle?"
"Showering, it's past tea, time for cocktails, you want wine or something stronger?"
"Three fingers of Elijah Craig on the rocks will do perfectly."
We park on the patio for cocktail hour, there's peeled jumbo shrimp, caviar and toast points, sour cream plop on, then top with caviar.
Elle comes out, lean legs drip from a tiny t-shirt, "Hey Nat," leans in for a kiss.
Natalie, "God Elle, you should be illegal."
Elle giggles, "If you promise to ogle, I'll sit next to you."
She sits, crosses an elegant leg, Natalie runs her hand down the tight thigh.
"Jesus, you and Zoe are racer hard."
"You seem to be hanging in."
"We stay at upscale hotels, there's always a gym. Unless it's a dinner with clients, I skip the after work drinking sessions and go there instead."
"You skip the bonding ritual?"
"I don't care about bonding, not with those guys, they've decided I must be a lesbian, I don't bother to explain. My boss verbally head slapped them, said as soon as they brought in as much revenue as I do, they could start with the name calling. They shut up."
Zoe C, "Good for you. Want a McKenzie update?"
Of course she does, and Zoe C gives it to her, "We've let her find her way, we're here if she wants something, we give her space otherwise. Her pal, besides Zelda, is Chef."
"That's because of the cooking, she's not affectionate, not standoffish, she is attentive, absorbs things instantly. I've never had to tell her what to do twice."
As if on cue, McKenzie appears with her pal in tow, she's got her tablet. She climbs on Natalie's lap, "Look."
Natalie takes the tablet, flips through the last few sites, "She's searching Hypatia and the Stoics, Marcus Aurelius, the whole crowd. Honey, that's fantastic, what have you learned?"
"Keep only what is necessary, endure what comes, do not fight life, swim with the current."
Natalie, "Dear One, only eight and a half and you have more depth than most adults," she kisses the girl.
McKenzie hops up, "Zelda wants to walk."
She follows the massive mastiff up the hill to the rear, the pool area faces down the mountain so we can enjoy the ocean.
Natalie, "It seems like the best idea is to leave her alone, did you see what's she's been reading on the tablet?"
Zoe C, "Nope, we don't intrude."
"She's between Western philosophy, consciousness studies and Eastern philosophy. I paged back, she's been on the J. Krishnamurti website. What happened to video games?"
I jump in, "She tried those, she gets through them in no time, they bore her."
Natalie, "You see no need of a school, one with kids like her I mean?"
"That's your call, but based on what happens around here, I don't get the point."
"Well, they talk about socialization, even ultimately preparing for her to live on her own someday."
"My own take is not to put her someplace simply to learn conformity to a dangerously sick society. I understand that people, if they knew, would say we're sick. That's fine, they will believe what they wish."
"Let things motor along like they are, besides, I doubt taking Zelda out of her day would be much welcome."
"And I doubt Zoe C, Elle, me and the mutt would welcome her being gone much of the day. Plus I enjoy the kitchen assist."
Elle, "Speaking of…"
"Dinner, beet salad with shredded cabbage and onion, Tahini dressing, fried catfish, baked beans, steak fries. Dessert, wedding cake and white frosting, I cheated and got that from Louisa."
McKenzie and Zelda return, Zelda gets her rinse, shakes water everywhere, then plops between Elle and Zoe C.
McKenzie comes over and blinks at me, "Cook now."
I stand, "Cook now."
We leave the girls, Zelda will come in when she's dry, I'm sure she's up for a surreptitious treat courtesy of McKenzie.
She takes her spot on the stool, I said fried catfish, but it's really battered in Panko then baked. I will fry the fries, beans have been baking on for over an hour already.
"First, we batter the catfish. Dip the strips into the egg mixture," I show her, "then into the bread crumbs, coat all over, put the strip on the baking pan."
I've coated the pan with grapeseed oil, they need to be turned halfway through and the light sheen of oil keeps the fish from sticking.
When she's got them arranged, in perfect rows of course, I take the container of fries I'd cut earlier, they've been in the refrigerator soaking in water.
"Lay the fries on the paper towels, I'll heat the oil."
Fish goes in the three fifty oven, "We'll fry the fries when the fish is halfway done."
Timer dings, pull the pan of fish out, "Now two quick fingers and flip them over, they won't be too hot yet, but don't hold onto them, just lift and turn."
"We'll give Zelda a piece when it's done and cooled," pan goes in the oven again.
McKenzie, "Fries now."
"Yes, oil is hot, very," I show her how to ease in the potato piece halfway then let it go, it won't send a stray drop of hot oil out of the pot that way.
"Put in a dozen, when they're nice and brown, I'll take them out, they go on these paper towels to drain."
She eases in a dozen pieces, I flip with a slotted spoon. When they look right, I take them out and arrange them on the platter covered in three layers of paper towels, we repeat three more times. These are fat steak fries with the skin on, forty fries for four adults, a sprite and a dog are enough.
Zoe C is behind me, "Wine, beer?"
"I'll take a beer, if anyone wants wine…"
"We have white opened already."
Timer dings again.
McKenzie, "Fish now."
I open the oven, take a look, yep, fish now.
We leave the platter of fish, the platter of fries and the glass pan of baked beans on the counter. Plates are stacked next to the fish, utensils on the dining table, plus seafood sauce and serving spoons.
"Round up the others Zoe C."
We gather buffet style, take a plate, serve yourself, then sit at the dining table. I see McKenzie has one piece of fish pushed to the edge of her plate. Zelda is right next to her studying it, her head sways between McKenzie and the tidbit. McKenzie pokes it with a finger, breaks it in two and tests it again, lays it aside.
"Lay down Zelda, too hot."
Damned if the monster doesn't just slip from sitting to laying patiently.
Natalie, "Zelda listens to every word she says."
"Zelda is smarter than most humans, she knows there's something for her and she knows there's a reason she has to wait. Don't ask me how she knows, I don't know how she knows."
Fifty Eight
An evening of BBC Sherlock, break for cake and Cognac, seltzer for our girl. McKenzie loves, maybe too strong a word, fascinated? by nineteenth century England and Sherlock's brusque manner.
At least we think she's fascinated, she keeps her attention on the screen, her spot on Zelda's flank, reaches up to scratch the mastiff's double size head. Zelda doesn't move, content to have her charge in direct contact.
The program ends, Natalie asks, "What do you like best about Sherlock McKenzie?"
"Smart, focused."
"You could be Sherlock."
"Then who would be McKenzie?"
Natalie giggles, "That's not what I mean, you are like Sherlock."
No reply.
Natalie shrugs, "So much for bonding."
I jump in, "She's bonding at her pace, not ours. Zelda was easy, girls love big dogs, big dogs love little girls. The rest of us serve as she needs us to, not as we want to."
Natalie, "I'm learning, she's on her time, not anyone else's."
"She's good about Zelda time, breakfast first, walk, maybe swim or fool with the tablet, dinner at five, walk, whatever we have planned for the evening. I take it as a compliment that she spends her evenings with us, she could as easily go to her room with Zelda and fiddle around on the IPad."
"Good point, not being here all week I don't see the interplay."
McKenzie stands, "Go out Zelda."
Zelda pops up, goes to the sliding patio door and opens it. I've installed the split screen and taken down the sliding one, Zelda pushes through and goes off for her pre-bed pee. She's back in two minutes. McKenzie slides the door shut and they go upstairs.
Natalie giggles, "And goodnight to you too."
Zoe C, "She doesn't goodnight anybody, but I bet it would be okay if you went and tucked her in. She's pretty self sufficient, flosses, brushes her teeth, bath or shower, she stays hygienic."
Nat hops up and heads up the steps.
Elle, "Bet she doesn't make six more months at Goldman."
"Why she's bringing in…oh, you mean McKenzie."
"Yeah, while we watched Sherlock, Natalie watched McKenzie, the girl is more important to her than being a Goldman money pump."
Zoe C, "If you offered to finance her startup, I bet she'd quit."
"I'd finance it in a heartbeat, I've essentially told her so."
"Yeah, but she needs you to ask her, and to make it clear that if she wants to move in, she's welcome."
Elle, "And don't tell her it's okay if she moves in, like you're doing her a favor, tell her it's what you want. If it isn't, fine, don't say anything at all."
"You're saying my girlfriend management skills leave something to be desired."
Zoe C, "You're a man, you have no girlfriend management skills."
"You may have a point."
"I do have a point, listen and learn."
I nod, I live on a planet of women, even the dog is a girl, think I would pick up on these cues. But she's right, men don't read women very well, which frustrates both the man and the woman. We want them to be more direct, they don't operate that way, not when it comes to what is commonly called relationships. Their world is subtle, more feeling less fact. One reason I can relate to McKenzie, she's all fact.
"Okay, got it, if I overcorrect, let me know."
Zoe C, "Chef, tell her what you want, leave the subtleties to her. Maybe she wants to keep it occasional. I don't read it that way, but we've never discussed it."
Elle, "No, if there was no McKenzie, then maybe arm's length, the girl changes that."
"She's here, in your house, she likes the pool, Zelda, cooking with you. You brought structure, not rigid, fluid structure. Natalie sees that the child is adjusting well, she admires that."
"So I'm dad."
"Call it what you want, nobody says you need to be married, but, yes, you are a father figure to the girl. Don't deny, you like it."
A half hour passes, Natalie doesn't return, the others go to their bedroom. I go up and pass by McKenzie's, Natalie is in there, both of them asleep, McKenzie is enveloped by Nat, Zelda is next to the bed on her own bed. Guess the girls are on to something.
I'm out for the count, next thing I know it's morning. I blink awake, Zelda is eyeballing me.
"Good morning, what time is…cripes, eight thirty, have you been out? I'm sure you have, must be hungry."
In the kitchen, I pour her bowl, she's at it, then water, slurp-slop, then out she goes through the open patio door. She must have gone out earlier too, I closed the door before I went to bed.
Coffee, what to crank out for breakfast, maybe a big breakfast and light lunch, or vice versa?
I sense a presence, look down, McKenzie staring up at me, "Good morning, any breakfast preferences? I'm trying to decide whether to make a big breakfast and light lunch or the other way round."
No reply, I stroke her shiny clean hair, "Light breakfast, we'll see about lunch later," Zelda comes in and parks next to the girl.
"I fed her already, let's put out yogurt, smoked salmon, mascarpone and bagels. I'll slice the bagels, you get yogurt, there's a package of salmon in there and the cream cheese."
I slice five bagels, put two in the toaster. McKenzie opens the salmon, slides the fish on a plate, adds a fork, places it on the dining table.
"Just leave the mascarpone in its package, the yogurt too, they can take what they want."
Ding! Our bagels are ready, nice and crisp. I cut the halves in two, put two on a plate, "Here you go, want milk, juice?"
The only juice we keep is sugar free cranberry, I put a glass down next to her plate, she busy handing a piece of salmon to Zelda. Her pal taken care of, she takes a slice for herself, spreads mascarpone on her bagel and takes a couple spoons of yogurt.
Natalie shows up, a kiss on the cheek for McKenzie, one on the lips for me, "She's an amazing sleeping companion, didn't move all night," she grins, "of course I had her wrapped up in my cocoon."
"I peeked in, didn't appear she minded, I think she felt secure."
"Zelda keeps her secure, hell, Zelda keeps me secure, she's security for the whole place."
McKenzie picks up her plate, rinses it in the sink and puts it and her utensils in the washer, then her glass in the glass washer.
Nat, "Geez, she's learning the routines."
She returns to the table, stares at the salmon, takes a knife and fork and separates the slices, then arranges them in a circle with four slices in the middle. The pieces are like triangles, sort of, wider at one end than the other anyway. Her design has all the tapered ends facing out for the circle, the inner slices are laid together alternately such that when she's done it comes out square.
Natalie, "Beautiful McKenzie. Except which piece do I chose? I don't want to mess up your presentation."
The girl takes a plate and selects two pieces from the middle, one from each side so the square remains, just smaller.
"Of course, still perfect, thank you dear one."
Elle and Zoe C come along, kisses for McKenzie and Nat, I pour their coffee. McKenzie takes two plates, puts the slices left in the middle on one, then two slices, one from the top of her circle, the other from the bottom. Gives one plate to Elle, the other to Zoe C.
McKenzie, "Bagels with mascarpone, yogurt."
Zoe C, "Thank you sweet."
I have two more bagels toasted, cut again in quarters, Zoe C takes two, Elle takes two. I toast the last bagel, I know the girls, they'll finish them off.
"It's nine, lunch will be at one, cold cuts and hummus. Tonight, roasted chicken with cornbread stuffing, green beans cooked all day with bacon, ham pieces and onion. We have cake left for dessert."
Elle, "Damn, now I want lunch and dinner. Zoe C, we need to get in the pool and work it."
Zoe C, "We can sun for an hour first, catch the rays before the afternoon gets too toasty, I think it's supposed to rain later but it's clear now."
Natalie, "Good plan, I'm in."
Elle, "Nice day for Chef, three exhibitionist girls out by the pool."
"Hear me complaining?"
McKenzie, "Walk Zelda," they disappear up the hill that faces the front of the house.
Natalie, "That dog is a treasure, like McKenzie."
Elle, "I worry that, combined, they're smarter than the rest of us."
"McKenzie is smarter than the rest of us, Zelda just makes it worse."
They laugh, Natalie wonders, "What if, and I don't mean to make it like some test, but what if I let her follow the trades in the stock market, just follow the tape, otherwise say nothing?"
Zoe C, "She loves numbers, it might be interesting."
Natalie, "I have a Bloomberg, she can follow the markets live."
"What's the idea?"
"Nothing, we do it and see what happens. If she's bored or doesn't care, she'll just walk away. I don't want her told anything, not until she's observed for a few days. If she has no interest, we've lost nothing."
"Don't you have to subscribe to Bloomberg? Can anyone use it?"
"Yeah, but I'm subscribed, all I have to do is log in from her tablet or your laptop."
"What about if you need it, at work I mean?"
"Doesn't matter, people like me log in from all sorts of locations, except I don't. I don't care about minute to minute trading. She can sit there all day."
"Okay, everyone go do something, I need to clear and clean, we'll put her on Monday when the markets are open."
Fifty Nine
The morning passes, girls swim, good thing I got a big pool, with McKenzie there are four swimming girls and a giant mutt sitting on the steps halfway in.
Late-ish lunch, then off to leisurely naps or just quiet reading. Zoe C was right, the clouds are accumulating, dark and morose.
Inside, two girls are on the couch, Natalie and McKenzie sit cross legged on opposite sides of the coffee table playing chess.
Once McKenzie got the rules in her head, Natalie can barely get a draw, "Maybe you should learn Go, I understand it's the most challenging of board games."
Natalie, "You learn Go, I thought you had to think of alternatives, stay four or five moves ahead. I'm getting trounced at chess by an eight year old that moves her piece instantly after I move mine."
McKenzie, "Eight and a half."
Nat, "Oh, in that case I don't feel so bad."
"McKenzie, have you played before, do you know any opening moves, like traditional ones?"
She shakes her head no.
"How do you decide which piece to move?"
Natalie is resetting the board, McKenzie is watching as if it's the most fascinating thing she's ever seen.
"Colors, I move the red piece to the red square, yellow to yellow, blue to blue, like that."
"What if Natalie moves into the colored space first?"
"She can't, the colors don't appear until it's my turn."
"Suppose there are several colors at once, how do you decide?"
She looks up and cocks her head at me, her expression when she's having to explain something she thinks is obvious.
"Only one color, only one move, not two colors at the same time, that makes no sense."
Zoe C, "She's got you there Chef."
She does.
"Okay, we'll learn Go together, I'll get a set this week."
Elle, "Can't you play online?"
"It's fine if you don't have a partner, I think better if you're playing a friend to use a board, feel the stones, hear the click as they're placed."
"True, hadn't thought of that, easier to watch her kick your butt too."
"I don't even know if she's interested, I should let her read the rules online, then she'll want to play or she won't."
Natalie, "Okay, back off, this is my game, I can feel it, and I'm white this time, I go first."
Ten minutes later McKenzie says, "Mate," and uses her queen to tip over Nat's king.
"Damn, good play McKenzie, you want to enter a tournament, there are chess clubs all over California."
She shrugs, indifferent to the idea.
"Maybe it's better to keep her skill among us. She doesn't care about recognition."
Natalie, "Neither do I, but it gets her out, and it's chess, she doesn't have to make friends or even chit chat."
"We'll take her then, to a tournament, let her observe, if she wants to enter the next one, good."
McKenzie, "Five o'clock, feed Zelda," she stands, chess forgotten, Zelda follows her to the kitchen.
I hear the bag open, the food clink into Zelda's bowl. McKenzie empties the water bowl and refills it with fresh, places it carefully next to her food bowl, giggles while Zelda laps, spreads as much water around the bowl as she drinks.
"Zelda is a messy girl, McKenzie will clean, go out now Zelda."
The dog gets to the patio door, opens it, lightening, thunder and a hard rain.
I go over and look, "Too messy for now, she'll have to wait," I reach down, not too far down, Zelda is a hundred thirty pounds and comes to my waist, give her a pat, "you can go later girl, but if you have to, I'll leave the door open."
She eases to a sit, watching the rain. If thunder and lightning bother her it isn't evident. The storm blasts away, she sits looking out at the pool, through the rain I can barely see the ocean churning off in the distance.
McKenzie sits next to her, the mastiff eclipses the little girl so she lays down flat, paws extended, snout in-between, McKenzie strokes along her head and down her back while they wait out the storm.
Elle, "Is it cocktails yet?"
Zoe C stands, 'I'll fix, what are you having Nat?"
"Wine, any kind."
"We have a rosé that's tart and tasty, Stolpman Vineyards, from Santa Barbara just up the road, and it's nicely chilled."
She pops the cork, pours out four glasses, and a half shot in a glass with seltzer for McKenzie, still parked next to Zelda.
I move to the kitchen, time to cut up chickens, cornbread stuffing is keeping toasty in the oven, green beans simmering in the big pot with a ham shank and bacon.
Nat comes behind me and circles my waist with her arms, peeks around my side, "Smells great, you just might get lucky tonight big boy."
"I would be delighted."
The chicken is in pieces laid out on the pan, stick it in the oven, "Dinner in twenty, has anyone selected something to watch, or if all the grown up girls want to shuck the t-shirts, I'll have something to watch."
"You had quite enough this morning, at your age, you need to watch your blood pressure."
I laugh, I'm thirty two and my BP is near perfect one twenty over seventy, at least the last time I checked, but I let it slide, I know what she means.
"Let's look up chess tournaments while the chicken heats," there's a tablet on the kitchen island, tablets and laptops are sprinkled around the house, Elle and Zoe C have school assignments which can be accessed online. Actual class attendance is optional, just get in the papers on time, take the tests, if they never show up for class nobody cares.
Nat returns to the living area, I hear them discussing movie or TV options.
I look over my shoulder, McKenzie and Zelda are still parked at the patio door, "Any preferences for TV tonight McKenzie?"
"Sherlock or Poirot."
Walk over to the girls, "McKenzie says either Sherlock or Poirot, if you want something more R rated, wait until she's gone to bed."
Zoe C, "Sherlock's fine, let's see, we did him last, maybe Poirot tonight, what do you think?"
Natalie, "Good with me, I haven't seen any of them."
"Then we'll go with the most famous, Murder on the Orient Express."
Back to the kitchen, things are hot and ready to go, "McKenzie, wash up and put the plates and utensils out please."
She obliges, I put the platter of chicken, bowl of stuffing and second bowl of green beans on the table.
"Dinner's up girls."
I hand McKenzie a piece of chicken breast, "Give Zelda her treat, then come and eat."
She does, the rain has slowed, thunder and lightning off in the distance as the storm moves through. Zoe C opens a second bottle of wine, this one a red table wine of indeterminate vintage. We often try blends, wine snobs notwithstanding.
Elle, "I don't get the problem, this red is perfectly acceptable, not that I'm a wine expert."
"It is acceptable, Baron Rothschild, of the wine making Rothschilds, said it was crazy for anyone to pay more than ten bucks for a bottle of wine, any wine, from any vineyard of any vintage."
Natalie, "You're kidding."
"Nope. Apart from wine that sits in casks for years, there is no substantial cost in a bottle of wine, it's fermented grape juice, inexpensive to make and store. All the other stuff is bullshit, like diamonds. Experts cannot tell the difference between an industrial diamond and one compressed by thousands of pounds of pressure in the Earth. Diamonds are absurdly plentiful, just kept under tight control by DeBeers. Without market control, a two carat diamond would cost about five hundred bucks, maybe not that."
Zoe C, "I'm never buying a diamond anything then. I can't stand that sort of price manipulation, they assume we're all fools."
Natalie, "Come on Zoe C, most people are complete idiots, especially rich people. Poor people have to look at value, the rich don't care, three grand purse, why not, it's chump change to them."
She looks up from the tablet, "There's a tournament every week by the LA Chess Club, at the Barrington Bridge and Chess Club on Santa Monica."
"Entry rules, can people just go and watch?"
"Let's see….yeah, visitors can observe, ten bucks admission."
"Okay, we'll let her look at the site and decide if she wants to go down. It's a lot of people in one room, she may not do well with that but we won't know until she's there."
"Nothing lost, it's twenty miles down the PCH."
A week passes, McKenzie was neutral on the chess thing, which I took to mean she had no objection to going for a look. It's Sunday, we're headed to the club now, Natalie, McKenzie and me, the other girls stay home with Zelda.
Free parking, dang, unusual in LA, then we're in, big room as you'd expect, part of the action consists of teams from schools, an adult section and a one o'clock junior tournament. They direct us to that registration desk.
I ask McKenzie, "Do you want me to sign you up to play? They use clocks here, you understand how it works?"
She nods in the affirmative.
When I ask if she wants me to sign her up, she shrugs, "I guess."
Natalie has her dressed adorably, slip on dress, sneakers, her hair is always combed out to straight as can be, shiny auburn to her shoulders. Small spray of freckles and crystal blue eyes.
The woman in charge comes along, "Welcome, first time yes?"
"Yep, our daughter plays at home, she's pretty good, but never in a tournament before."
"How exciting!"
She stoops down to get face to face with McKenzie, "And don't worry, some of these kids have been playing for years…with coaches. Do your best, the important thing is not winning, it's learning."
She stands, "She's adorable, quiet though, I hope she's not intimidated."
"Guess we'll find out, where's she go?"
"I have her against another girl, nine, she's played a dozen tournaments, aggressive style but only on the board. Otherwise she's a sweetie."
The tournament begins, and ends in fifteen moves for McKenzie's opponent. None of the others have finished a game. The woman comes over.
"Are you sure she's not played tournaments?"
"Not unless you count beating us at home, we don't do timers or anything."
"She moves before the opponent can tap the timer," turns to McKenzie, "You have to let your opponent hit the timer before you move, okay?"
I step in, "Like I said, we don't use timers at home, she'll get it, when's the next match?"
The woman has to think it over, "Well, it could be a while before the other matches are decided, you can observe or have some refreshment, up to you. We'll announce the new matchups when the last game is done."
We go for a Coke and a power bar.
I ask McKenzie, "What do you think?"
Another shrug, bite of her bar, sip the Coke.
Her next match is with a boy, maybe twelve, an arrogant little prick, tries for a psych out, "I won my last ten matches, I study with the best private instructor, don't feel bad when I kick your butt."
I smile, McKenzie stares with her ice blue eyes, says exactly zip. She's white this time, makes her opening move, taps the clock.
The boy isn't bad, at least as far as I can tell, he lasts twenty moves and a half hour, mostly due to his fiddling, McKenzie moved as soon as her opponent tapped the clock.
The boy is dumfounded, he's lost to a not yet nine year old girl, so much for his hotshot instructor.
McKenzie, "We will go now."
I find the lady organizer, "We're done, McKenzie needs a bigger challenge, how to we arrange a match with an expert?"
"She has to climb the same ladder as everyone else, that's the rules. Tell you what, if she will stay, I'll put her against one of the best juniors. The top junior isn't here today, but the boy I have in mind is no slouch, he's accumulated Master's points and will eventually claim the designation."
I look at McKenzie, "One more go?"
I fetch, she drinks, Natalie takes her off to the ladies. When they return, it's time for the match. This time a group of non-finalists hover around, curious about the new girl.
This time she's black. Doesn't matter, she wades through the boy like she's playing a novice, thirty two moves to checkmate. McKenzie stands, sticks out her hand as is de rigueur in the finale of a match, the boy swipes the pieces off the board and stalks off.
Natalie, "How rude, little bugger needs to learn manners."
Chess Lady comes over, "Never would have believed it, why don't I know who she is?"
"She has no credentials, never played a tournament as I explained. She's just good, really good, clearly better than the juniors you have here. Here's my card, call me when you have serious competition, no point in hurting a bunch of kids' feelings."
"We have rules, she has to compete her way up like everyone else."
I shake my head, staring at a chess prodigy, or even more, and she's tied up in rules.
A man comes over, "Excuse me Mattie, I'll take over now, organize the awards please."
He introduces himself, "Herb Hanson, sorry, we try to be fair, and fair often implies annoying rules. The young lady is gifted, I followed the last game, I saw moves that I've never seen before, that didn't make sense to me, and I have an extensive knowledge of games. If she has time, perhaps we can steal away to a corner and have a game. I don't offer to show anyone up, particularly not a young lady. I want to see her play."
"Up to you McKenzie."
She looks up at him, "Are you better than the others?"
He laughs, "I hope so."
She plays him to a draw.
"I've never seen anything like it, like her. My game would have trounced any junior, why don't I know who she is?"
"This is a minor hobby for her, she has no interest in trophies, awards or Master's points. It might be why she plays so well, she doesn't care about outcomes, only playing the game."
"She could have taken the game, but she played for the draw, was that intentional?"
"I have no idea, McKenzie, why didn't you take the game?"
She shrugs, "Just a game, time to feed Zelda soon."
"Who is Zelda?"
"Her dog, she likes things orderly and on schedule."
"Ah…I'm getting it," he looks down at McKenzie, "come again next week, I will arrange more challenging matches, not part of a tournament, no prize, no points."
McKenzie takes Natalie's hand, "Feed Zelda now."
I tell Hanson, "Duty calls, if she's willing, we'll show up again next week. If she's not, I'll call you, what's the number?"
Herb gives it to me, we go off, players are occupied, we manage to leave with no further interruption.
Home, McKenzie goes straight to the cupboard and finds the dog food, pours Zelda's bowl, it's just ticking five.
Zoe C, "Good thing you got here, Zelda kept wandering the house and grounds as it got closer to feeding time."
"McKenzie wiped out two juniors, I mean destroyed, then let one of the club director's off with a draw. If she's willing, we go again next week, but to play at a higher level."
Zoe C smiles down at the girl, "We are so very proud of you, good job."
McKenzie is studying Zelda crunching her way through the food, she stands and refreshes the water bowl.
"Follow the colors."
"I know that, but the colors arise from your brain, which means you have internalized the rules. Your brain takes the rules it's memorized and instantly turns them into moves. I think you see, subconsciously, more opportunities on the board than a normal chess player. That translates into colors for you, that part I can't explain."
Natalie, "The stock market will be open tomorrow, should we let her follow the live feed?"
"I don't see why not. We have you and Elle working on markets, Elle's algorithm is chugging along successfully, you can't start your fund until you're out from under Goldman and there's no big rush unless you just want to start."
"I'm good, good-ish, how much longer I can watch bankers take advantage of gullible or greedy CEOs is another matter."
"But you're surreptitiously warning them about bad deals. If you leave to start your own firm, they're going to pump their personal money into your fund, maybe even some of the company's money. You're building up trust points."
She grins, "Goldman won't see it that way."
"Fuck Goldman, if you walk tomorrow morning, you've made them money, they have no beef. They sure as hell aren't going to retaliate even if they find out that you've taken the back road and let a couple of CEOs know what kind of crap they were getting into. It goes public, they lose millions in future banking revenue."
"Well, I signed an agreement to arbitrate, which implies secrecy, I can't sue in court."
"Fuck arbitration, I have lawyers who can skate around that bullshit. You aren't leaving a paper trail, real or digital, are you?"
"No, all my conversations have been verbal, and low key. Besides, I don't tell them not to do the deal, I tell them potential pitfalls never mentioned in the full on discussions, and my comments are, if not exactly vague, open to interpretation. I plant a seed, the flower grows on its own."
"Good, deniability is good. I'll get McKenzie on the market thing in the morning, you're going….?"
"Yet another flight to Silicon Valley, which is short thankfully. Those east coast meetings are a bitch, even flying first class."
Previous Next


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Tommie Volleyball rallied from a 2-1 deficit in sets and edged visiting Carleton 3-2 Wednesday night in Schoenecker Arena.
Coach Thanh Pham's squad outlasted the Knights 22-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-14, 15-10, avenging a 3-2 loss at Carleton from 2015.
That ended a two-match losing skid for the Tommies (14-6 overall, 5-2 MIAC).
St. Thomas trailed 10-9 in the fourth set but used a 15-3 run to stay alive and turn momentum. UST used a 5-1 run to build a 13-7 lead in the final set.
Whitney Lloyd had 15 kills and hit .387 with four blocks; Ellie Etzell had 15 kills and hit .440; Katharine Mallak had 49 assists; and Ellie Meyer had 26 digs.
The Tommies compete Friday and Saturday at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational, with matches against Martin Luther (9-15), Minnesota-Morris (9-10), UW-River Falls (13-10) and UW-Superior (7-16).


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Friday, 21 August 2015
Sangria Royale
All that you need for a litre and a half is:
- A couple of teaspoons of brown sugar
- 1 Shot of Brandy
- 1 Shot of Vanilla Liqueur (We used a liqueur called '43', made with 43 different spices, although this step is completely optional)
- 1 Shot of Cointreau
- A Fruit Salad
- A Bottle of Cava
- Lemonade
All that you need to do:
- In a jug, place the sugar.
- Add brandy, vanilla liqueur, cointreau and fruit salad.
- Swirl and leave for 10 minutes to allow fruit to absorb liquid.
- Pour in a bottle of Cava
- Fill to top of the jug with lemonade.
- Serve!
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Our host illuminates Bible passages that are helpful for enhancing workplace evangelism.
Featured guests share their inspirational experiences of ministering in their marketplaces.
Weekly emails remind readers to stay focused on Christ throughout the week and preview upcoming shows.
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"January 16th, 2009, I prayed to God and said, "I will use this platform if you'll free me from the desire to do drugs." The next day, the desire was gone! Then miracles started happening." Listen to Mike's interview.
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Hi Guys!
I am so excited to share this book review with you!
This wonderful book is by Elizabeth Hartman, who blogs over at Oh Fransson.com, and I absolutely love this book! First of all, let me say…I am very much a beginner quilter and there are still questions floating around my head. I often look at my piecing and wonder if I am doing this right. Well, this book answered most of my questions and gave me a better understanding of the process of quilting.
This book is broken into 4 sections
- The Basics This sections really covers everything you should know as you are starting on the quilting journey. As I read this section, I found myself realizing just HOW MUCH I was doing wrong! I felt good when I went back to my projects because I was more confident in my quilting.
- Projects to Get You Started These projects are simples but very interesting designs. There are three projects in each sections and I found myself wanting to do all three. These projects also helped me understand how to read the patterns.
- Projects for Confident Beginner There are also three projects in this section. All are interesting but not overwhelming in the directions.
- Intermediate-Level Projects I really liked the patterns in this section especially the "Birdbath" project which I may make for my husband.
I also, in the past, have been intimidated by quilt patterns. Elizabeth's instructions are clear and concise and she even gives quick reminders or redirects you back to previous instruction just in case you did not "get it" the first time. With that said, she provides 12 Quilt Projects and I plan on doing the following (at some time):
- Fenced In
- Snapshots
- Small Plates
- Valentine
- Superstar
- Birdbath
I would indeed suggest this book to any new quilter like me! As proof in my understanding, here is my very best quilt so far:
I have named this quilt "64 Reasons I Love You." There are 64 squares! I will be posting about this quilt tomorrow and all I am currently working on. I am working on a lot! I also just purchased some fabric and received some great sewing Christmas gifts.
I do have some reminders ….or suggestions for you. First of all, register for the Spoonflower Giveaway (Here) and to check out Elizabeth Hartman's Blogger Choice set of fabric over at the Fat Quarter Shop (Here).
Until Tomorrow! Quilt Pretty!


text: Pentagon officials said the US was to scale back its five-month mission in Liberia and Senegal in the coming weeks [Reuters] The US military is preparing to withdraw all but 100 of the 2,800 troops it currently has deployed to West Africa in response to the Ebola epidemic, the Pentagon has announced. In a statement on Tuesday, spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said "nearly all will return by April 30". US officials said Washington was ready to scale back its five-month mission in Liberia and Senegal in the coming weeks, as officials believed the crisis had largely been contained. The news came a week after The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the number of new Ebola cases had risen for first time in 2015 in all three of the hardest hit countries of West Africa. In the first week of February, Sierra Leone recorded 80 of the 124 new cases of the disease confirmed; Guinea accounted for 39 cases; Liberia five. The Red Cross wants to kill us. They put the virus in the water and spray it around the village, or when they take away the sick, the medication they give them contains Ebola. Lah Wiemou, resident in the village of Ouye, near Lola, The US development came at the mid-way mark of the Guinea government's 60-day target to eradicate Ebola completely, an aim hampered, said health agencies, by local resistance to containment efforts. Suspicion of aid workers Community suspicion of aid workers, the increasing geographical spread of infections in Guinea and the widespread transmission in Sierra Leone remained "significant challenges: to ending the epidemic", the WHO said. In Guinea, the country where West Africa's Ebola outbreak began, hostility towards aid workers, fuelled by conspiracy theories, continued to undermine efforts to contain the deadly virus. The market town of Lola has seen new Ebola cases in recent weeks, amid increasing fear and mistrust of health care workers. "The Red Cross wants to kill us," said Lah Wiemou, an elder in the village of Ouye, near Lola. "They put the virus in the water and spray it around the village, or when they take away the sick, the medication they give them contains Ebola." The most severe Ebola epidemic in history has killed nearly 9,000 people in West Africa over the last year, almost 2,000 of them in Guinea. "They set up barricades to stop us leaving. Some threw large stones that broke the car windshield, and others ran home to get their machetes," said Saa Yola Tolno, a local official in Lola, who accompanied a Red Cross convoy at the weekend. In Forecariah, a town southeast of the capital Conakry, Red Cross teams were driving unmarked cars, purposely hiding the recognisable logo. "I think that we should consider ourselves lucky and fortunate if we are able to stop it in 2015," said Birte Hald, who leads the Ebola unit of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In Liberia, new cases have dwindled to just one or two per day. Approximately 1,500 US troops have already returned home. Those staying in West Africa will continue to work with Liberia's military and regional partners in to contain the Ebola outbreak. SOURCE: Agencies Health Africa Ebola


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Great auto loan deals are available nowadays and it is all possible because of the changes in how people buy cars due to the internet. Shopping for cars used to be one-dimensional, especially new cars . Now, there are tools available online in internet car sites that had truly revolutionized how car buyers search for cars and make comparisons in pricing, features, and options of the multitudes of car makes and models easier.
With reliable internet car sites like Web2Carz.com and My Auto Loan.com
providing the above information and direct-sell sites like CarsDirect.com
and eBay
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It's Easy to Find the Best Auto Loan Deals
As you can see, the better your credit is, the better rates that you are going to get which shows why taking good care of your credit gives you the best auto loan deals
out there.


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Nanostructured materials: nano-clusters, nano-foams, nano-pillars
Control of the grain-size dispersion is extremely important in the experimental design of nano-structured materials. A nano-structured material with a broad grain-size dispersion will exhibit a lower overall yield/flow stress than a material with the same average grain size but with a much smaller grain-size distribution. To control the defect content and microstructure in nano-structured metallic systems a relatively new approach was explored based on sputtering, i.e. using a so-called magnetron based nanocluster source. Interestingly, the clusters are grown in extreme non-equilibrium conditions, which allow obtaining metastable structures of metals and alloys.
Over the last couple of years a strong impetus has been given in our group to studies of nano-cluster/nano-structured thin metal layers. The appeal of these types of thin films stems from their novel magnetic and mechanical properties, which can be intrinsically different from their macrocrystalline counterparts. Nano-sized clusters are investigated with in-situ transmission electron microscopy and various scanning probe techniques. Lorentz microscopy and electron holography methodologies have been explored for the first time to characterize the magnetic structure of these clusters as a function of roughness.
Metal foams have recently become a popular topic of research interest in the materials science community although these materials have existed for over almost fifty years. The commercially available metal foams have random microstructures but here we like to manufacture nanofoams with topologies that lead to properties superior to their stochastic analogues. Selective electrolytic dissolution of the less noble element out of a binary alloy gives rise to a disordered nanoscale foam network. In particular nanoporous metals with high specific surface are suitable as surface-stress induced actuation and sensing applications.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH Volume: 20 Issue: 7 Pages: 1785-1791 Published: JUL 2005
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS Volume: 83 Issue: 19 Pages: 3909-3911 Published: NOV 10 2003
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS Volume: 82 Issue: 2 Pages: 197-199 Published: JAN 13 2003
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH Volume: 20 Issue: 7 Pages: 1785-1791 Published: JUL 2005
ADVANCES IN IMAGING AND ELECTRON PHYSICS, VOL 125 Book Series: ADVANCES IN IMAGING AND ELECTRON PHYSICS Volume: 125 Pages: 119-194 .
We demonstrate that information about the morphological properties of the foams can be obtained from the computation of the Minkowski functionals for the 3DCT images. In this paper we outline the basic concepts of integral-geometry-based morphological image analysis. This approach yields an objective, numerical characterization of two- and three dimensional patterns in terms of geometrical and topological descriptors called Minkowski functionals. We review its mathematical foundation and show that it is easy to put the theory into practice by presenting simple computer algorithms to perform the analysis. Illustrative examples are given of applications of this approach to simple lattice structures, random point sets and minimal surfaces. As a more advanced application we show how the technique can be used to obtain a morphological characterization of computer tomography images of metal foams.
(Tensile test on aluminum foam - Adobe Flash movie)
ACTA MATERIALIA Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Pages: 609-618 Published: FEB 2008


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By Chuck Douglas – New Hampshire Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Every year the nonprofit organization Public Citizen in Washington D.C. does a review of the data nationally for medical malpractice cases. Their most recent report has the data for 2011, which reveals that medical malpractice payments were at the lowest level since 1991.
The number of malpractice payments made on behalf of physicians fell for the 8th consecutive year in 2011.
While there is always a hue and cry about lawyers driving up the cost of medicine the reality is that medical malpractice payments on behalf of doctors accounted for just 0.12 percent of national health costs last year which translates into only one-eighth of one percent.
Despite allegations that most lawsuits are frivolous, the vast majority of payments compensate for extremely serious harms. In fact, 80% of the money paid in 2011 compensated victims or their surviving family members for harms defined by the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) as involving significant injuries like quadriplegia, brain damage, injuries requiring lifelong care and even death.
As for costs of litigation versus costs to consumers, between 2000 and 2011 the value of medical malpractice payments fell 12% while healthcare spending doubled to almost 97%. Thus, claims that medical malpractice litigation is responsible for rising health costs are totally false.
Unfortunately, not much has changed in terms of care since 1998 when the Institute of Medicine issued its famous report entitled "To Err Is Human." It concluded that as many as 98,000 patients were dying each year because of avoidable medical errors. Most of those people or their families never knew they had a malpractice case or went forward to file one.
The Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services concluded in 2010 that one in seven Medicare patients in a hospital's care experienced a serious adverse event. Unfortunately, of those adverse events including death, 44% were preventable. Those findings translate to more than 700,000 Medicare patients that experience a serious, preventable, adverse event every year, including nearly 80,000 suffering preventable adverse events that contribute to their death.
Comparing the prevalence of medical errors with the small number of malpractice payments led the Public Citizen analysis to conclude "that the overwhelming majority of medical errors do not lead to litigation." In contrast to the thousands of annual, avoidable adverse events discussed above, only 9,758 medical malpractice payments were made on behalf of doctors in 2011. In fact, research shows that about half the value of malpractice payments is intended to compensate for the future medical care and costs of patients. When victims of malpractice do not receive compensation, their future costs have to be borne by somebody. That is often the victims themselves or the government. Thus, what is told to legislators as fact by the hospital associations and medical societies does not reflect the reality of the situation.
If you believe you are the victim of medical malpractice, you should consult an experienced medical malpractice lawyer at Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C. at 1-800-240-1988 or fill out our online contact form for a free case evaluation.
Myth vs. Reality in Medical Malpractice
By Chuck Douglas – New Hampshire Medical Malpractice Lawyer


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The blood leaked from my hand in threes;
Into a pool it tapped and drank,
Much better than those stormy seas
Where ships sailed and gladly sank.
Bleeding all my woe in tomes
And beauty in the red of rose,
Where my battered spirit roams
And all my pain succinctly goes.
Burn on you blasted cut of mine,
Sting me with your fiercest blow;
Because I am the master of my time;
My skin will heal, knit and grow.


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To see this path, you must first go to "Marzan Abad" city (Mazandaran province) and stars walking from village "Kojor" (2-3 hours driving on road from Marzan Abad to Kojor).
Walking path begins about 10 Km after kojor. At first along off-road and after 4-5 Km among a beautiful jungle,there is a small river that you have to cross the river several times.
There are 2 small springs through the path, so at the beginning maybe you should take 1 or 2 litre of water and no more.
Location: Between Marzan Abad (City in Mazandaran Province) and Sisangan (City in Mazandaran Province)
Walking path length: About 27 km (17 ml)
Days of trip: 2 or 3 Days from Tehran to Tehran (Without heavy traffic you need 5-6 hours driving to kojor. Depends on your speed ,10-12 hours walking . Sisangan to Tehran also need 5-6 hours driving)
Attention: In holidays there is heavy traffic in all roads around Tehran.
Best time to visit: May to October
Daily time visit: No limit, but in summer middle of the day maybe hot
Difficulty level: Moderately difficult (10-12 hours walking among jungle, night camping with no facilities)
Requirements: Guide or GPS track, water, food, warm and waterproof clothes and tent, waterproof shoes, satellite phone, headlamp
Legal permission need: No
Overall risk: River overflow in raining times
Animal risk: There are a few number of wild animals like bear, wolf and leopard in this jungle. But no human attack has been reported and also in hot seasons mosquito bites may hurt during night sleep.
Lost risk: Yes
Rescue: Yes, you can call 115 but rescue teams need a long time to find you because there is no road there.
GSM Mobile Antenna: No
Hotel: No hotel in the path
Village: No village in the path, just a coal mine in 5 km after start walking
Shop: No shop in the path, just at the beginning and at the end
Gasoline: No gasoline in the path
How to get there:
1- Go to west terminal of buses in Tehran (more info)
2- Take a bus ticket to Chalus or Tonekabon or Ramsar
3- Get off bus in Marzan abad
4- Take a taxi from Marzan Abad to Kojor
5- Start walking
6- Get a taxi from Mola Kala (first village visited when you go out jungle) to Chalus
7- Get a bus or taxi from Chalus to Tehran
Nearest airport: No airport less than 100 km
Nearest train station: No station less than 100 km
Location on map:
GPS elevation profile:
Pictures of Kojor to Sisangan forests:
More pictures:


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Last week Mrs Beckham was launching her collection in the big M - my native city of Moscow :). Posh was looking stunning in this shirtdress (her own label)! I think she finally understood that less is more and is looking very classy these days. She's also no fool to branch out to Russia and is guaranteed to build up high end clientele. Bonne Chance or as we say in Russia - ni pucha ni pera!
Photo: fabsugar.co.uk


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Today was full of photos. First I had an amazing breakfast with Margaret, then I hit up a hilarious hot dog eating contest (Both of my friends who entered did not win — I think this is a good thing). and then fireworks and back to First Avenue for The Hold Steady (above). I have to admit, I don't really like The Hold Steady.
Now, now, calm down. I just can't get into his voice and that whole talking thing he does. But even *I* can admit that they put on one hell of a show last night at First Ave. And look at his face. The boys seemed pretty happy to be playing for the home town crowd. On a side note, I found Mr. Finn to be very endearing while performing. It is clear that he does NOT practice in front of the mirror (take note, Rhett Miller) and he just lets his inner dork out with all the dancing on stage. It's kinda charming. For more photos of such antics, look over here.
And lastly, I'm headed into the woods tomorrow for the rest of the week. It is very doubtful that I will have any internet service, so I'll post my week's worth of photos when I return — I promise. In the meantime, just imagine tons of photos of Memphis swimming in the lake and Jamie on the dock drinking beer.


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A reliable form of recovery of biofuels, wood chips and other bulk materials in silos and horizontal stacks in the open.
The Sweeper Screw with Transverse Motion is a device that consists of a helicoidal screw attached to two car guides, one of them motorized, which runs from one side to the other on rails fixed alongside under the silo or open pit deposit.
The translation system of Lippel's Screws Sweeper with transverse motion is made with hydraulic or pneumatic drive, ensuring an automatic speed adjustment according to the degree of compaction of the material, increasing its speed on loose, dry materials and decreasing speed when stacked with a high degree of compaction.
All service points and drive components are easily accessible through the corridors on the sides and center of the deposit.
• Facilities in the development of layouts;
• Simple and robust construction;
• The transverse movement is efficient even in high-compaction and hard materials;
• Have the recovery of the material uniformly continuous and controlled;
• Minimum maintenance requirements, providing a high availability of equipment;
• Provides inventory management, the first that enters is the first that goes out.
• It is achieved a good material homogenization, as well as mixtures of different materials.


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With over 40 years experience dedicated to the production of textile goods, we have specialized in hair fashion goods and accesories, having invented the endless in 1975. This article became indispensable as it holds your without damaging it.
In our catalogue you may find a wide range of products, in different sizes and colours. These include head bands and bath, beauty and sports products.
We deliver all around Europe and we offer our clients the possibilit of personalization.