text:
The Task of Religious Institutions
in Strenghtening Families
Prepared By
Don Browning
Director of the Religion, Culture, and Family Project(1)
University of Chicago
A communitarian family policy aspires to balance the good of society with the good of families
and their individual members. It holds that the well-being of families, individual family members,
and society is best guaranteed when the health of each is promoted equally. This principle is easy
to state but difficult to actualize in concrete circumstances. The following proposals are designed
to promote this goal.
In this paper, we ask what churches and synagogues as institutions of civil society should do to
promote family well-being. What should they do for the families they immediately influence, and
how should they work to shape public policy? We pursue these questions in this order because of
our conviction that the strength of a society flows outward from its voluntary institutions--religious
and civil--to public institutions and their policies. We hold, however, that government programs,
religious institutions, and other institutions of civil society should be complementary in what they
do for families. The state, market, churches and synagogues, and other voluntary organizations play
different roles in relation to families, but these roles should be appropriately coordinated.
Our proposals are guided by three normative ideas.* First, although the various spheres of
modern societies--government, business, religion, education, law, and the therapies--have unique
responsibilities and privileges, they do not and cannot function independently from deeper ethical
guidelines and constraints.
Second, family and local community should be allowed to exercise initiatives and natural
capabilities in their spheres of immediate influence without undue interference from either govern-
ment or market, even though both of these have their rightful role in supporting families and local
communities. This concept is close to what the Roman Catholic tradition calls the "principle of
subsidiarity"--an idea that can be given religious meaning even though it also has ancient
philosophical roots.(2)
Third, an ethic of "equal regard" should guide both the inner lives of families and family public
policy. We realize that the idea of a family ethic of equal regard needs a definition.(3) We offer the
following: this ethic means that a husband or wife should 1) treat the other with unconditioned
respect (as an end and never as a means only) and 2) within this mutual respect work to enhance the
well-being of the other. Concretely, the ethic of equal regard means that husband and wife should
each in principle have equal access to the privileges and responsibilities of both public and private
worlds, although this may be realized differently in specific households depending on individual
interests and talents.
A familism guided by an ethic of equal regard is a "critical" familism--another term that requires
definition. Critical familism is different from naive "familism," which generally is interpreted as
placing family togetherness above other values such as equality between husband and wife, the well-being of children, and the flourishing of individual family members. Critical familism balances
family cohesion with the ethics of equal regard. It does this by uncovering and critiquing distortions
in power in families which block the realization of equal regard among members.
The equal regard family does not relinquish parental authority; instead, it uses this authority to
promote equal regard, dialogue, and the raising of children to gradually grow toward adult relations
of mutual respect with their parents and others. In the case of relations between families, the ethic
of equal regard holds that each family has the moral obligation to respect and work for the good of
all other families. In turn, each family has the right to be respected and have its good promoted by
We affirm the emerging view that religious institutions are central to the health of civil society.
Religious institutions are major wellsprings of philanthropic action and seedbeds of civic, religious,
and familial virtues. In light of their importance, we make the following recommendations.
First, churches and synagogues should play a leadership role in stimulating the dialogue that
creates a new familism. It is our judgment that, with few exceptions, religious institutions have not
exercised this leadership in recent decades. To reclaim this role, they must retrieve their marriage
and family traditions, even though they must do so critically. Religious institutions should examine
their heritages, enter into dialogue with other denominations, work with secular institutions, survey
the human sciences, and articulate a fresh vision of marriage and family--something close to what
we have called critical familism.
In addition to the marriage theologies of various denominations, this recommendation also can
be illustrated by what Catholics and Protestants variously have called the "first" or "little" church.
The continuity between the official church and the church at home has been a constant theme
throughout Christian history. Because the early church met in homes, sacred actions around common
meals in the gathered ecclesia were imitated in private home life. The importance of domestic rituals
is even stronger in Judaism. When home rituals and the liturgies of church or synagogue reinforce
each other, family life is made more cohesive and integrated more completely into the wider
community. When these rituals or devotions are followed by free discussion between parents and
children, they give rise to the reflective or critical assimilation of family traditions.
There is evidence that home-based rituals are extremely important for the creation of family
cohesion. Family rituals at the dinner table, before bed, and on trips correlate with the effective
communication of family traditions.(4) Rituals are important as well for families with a primarily
secular identity. In these families, rituals may consist of carefully planned beginnings and endings
to meals, family meetings, and other shared and regularly scheduled family activities.
Second, religious congregations should join with other parts of civil society to foster a critical
marriage and family culture. In some instances this cooperation might entail partnerships with the
state. In establishing these cooperative ventures, religious institutions must simultaneously seek to
maintain their unique identity while striving to respect the separation of church and state. They can
do this by searching for the points of analogy between their specific goals and the state's concern
with the common good. The state, for instance, should be guided by an ethic of justice for individuals
and families analogous to the ethic of equal regard promoted by religious institutions. Government
also should abide by the principle of subsidiarity that respects the initiative and responsibility of
families yet supports them when they need help.
Some cooperation between religious and public institutions already exists: witness the coopera-
tion between churches and public health institutions. Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social
Services both receive some state support. Note also the cooperation between churches and other
institutions of civil society such as the Red Cross, a model that could be expanded and applied more
directly to family issues. For example, a complex cooperative project between church, state, and
other voluntary organizations can be found in recent efforts to expand the idea of a Community
Marriage Policy. This program was first used to organize common marriage policies among local
Protestant churches but has now been expanded in some communities to include judges, justices of
the peace, and secular marriage counselors.(5) We say more about this policy below.
Public institutions should not become isolated from the energies and positive cultures of specific
religio-cultural traditions. Sociologist James Coleman argued that Catholic high schools provide
better education than public schools because they receive more support from parents and church.(6)
As societies organized around extended family have disappeared, Coleman believed that market,
corporation, and government have expanded their influence on society, including schools. Catholic
schools are succeeding, he argued, because they are an exception to this trend; they represent the
values of families and their churches. Coleman urged us to abandon the idea that schools are solely
agents of the state. Rather they should more nearly reflect the values of the family and local
community, including religious institutions.(7)
Our view is sympathetic to Coleman's but is somewhat different. We do not believe that family
and church should dominate public schools. We hold that families, religious institutions, market, and
government each has its rightful expertise and authority for influencing the values and purposes of
schools. Hence each of these spheres should conduct an intense dialogue about the direction of
public schools and what they teach about marriage and family. This dialogue should result in
developing new educational approaches to marriage and family life--approaches that have continuity
with, but may not be identical to, the basic values of particular local families, traditions, and
Some proposals by William Bennett and Senator Dan Coats in their Project for American
Renewal illustrate how state and civil society, including religious institutions, can cooperate. Coats
and Bennett were mildly critical of programs that gave welfare for families to the states. They also
rejected the idea of centering social programs for families mainly in the federal government. They
call, instead, for funneling government support directly to the institutions of civil society, including
the churches. They argue that these institutions are the conveyors of civic virtue, do most of society's
moral education, and need to be revived in order to provide some of the cultural and institutional
supports needed by families. They propose allowing individuals to give $500 of their tax liability to
worthwhile non-governmental charities that help poor families.(8) They recommend demonstration
grants for programs that match welfare families with religious communities that offer moral
guidance and help. To encourage savings by poor families, demonstration grants would be provided
for family deposits to be matched by churches, foundations, and corporations. Funds would be made
available for pre-divorce counseling.
It is not our intention to advocate these particular programs but rather to show that such
proposals exist and deserve careful evaluation as possible ways for civil society, religious institu-
tions, and the state to cooperate. Furthermore, we use them to illustrate the meaning of subsidiarity--the way large units of society such as government can support family and local communities without
taking over the functions these smaller institutions perform best. Such cooperation also illustrates
a dialogical view of authority, i.e., how family, local community, state, and market can work together
in creating a critical family culture.
Third, churches must join with other churches and synagogues to create a new critical marriage
culture. Seventy-five percent of all marriages, even today, are performed in synagogues and
churches. This suggests that churches still have a significant role in marriage and should therefore
work together in proclaiming and implementing a marriage and family culture.
But how can this happen? Michael McManus recommends that churches cooperate in adopting
something like the Roman Catholic Church's coordinated program of premarital and marital support
called the "Common Marriage Policy."(9) It has been adopted by the vast majority of Roman Catholic
dioceses in the United States. Because of this common policy, Catholic churches have a unified
front on marriage issues. Young Catholic couples confront a common set of expectations and a
common culture about what it takes to prepare for and thrive in family relations.
This common policy has five components: (1) a six-month minimum preparation period, (2) the
administration of the new premarital questionnaires that have been tested for their capacity to predict
marriages likely to end in divorce (PREPARE, the Pre-Marital Inventory, or FOCCUS), (3) the use
of lay leadership and "mentoring couples" with the engaged and newly married, (4) the use of
marriage instruction classes (weekend workshops, evenings for the engaged in the homes of mentor
couples), and (5) engagement ceremonies held before the entire congregation.
McManus proposes bringing together Catholic, evangelical, and mainline Protestant churches
(we would add synagogues), to create a "Community Marriage Policy"(10)--an ecumenical and
interfaith common marriage policy that would help congregations across denominations to develop
a united stance on marriage and family. Such a united front could help churches and synagogues
counter the individualism and impatience of couples and parents who expect ministers to perform
marriages on demand without careful preparation. The common elements McManus proposes look
much like the Catholic model, but he suggests shorter waiting periods to adapt to more liberal
customs among some denominations. Although the model needs further refinement, early reports
suggest it is an idea moving in the right direction.
Fourth, churches and synagogues should take the lead in preparing youth for a critical familism.
Large portions of society have retreated from guiding and inspiring youth in the areas of marriage
and family. Many churches do not do adequate marriage preparation with engaged couples; they do
even less with youth and teenagers. Churches have yielded leadership in these areas to public
education, at both the college level and below.
As churches have retreated from sex, marriage, and family education, secular courses, often at
the college level, have taken their place. A recent authoritative review of college textbooks by
Professor Norval Glenn of the University of Texas has revealed that most of these texts are devoid
of historical knowledge of the family, overly optimistic about the successes of alternative family
forms, neglectful of children, and uninformed about new research on the benefits of marriage.(11)
They tend to ignore evidence showing that married people are mentally and physically healthier,
have more wealth, have much more sex, and are generally far more content with life than those who
are not married.(12) Churches and synagogues should not only be concerned about this state of affairs
but develop better alternative educational resources.
Religious institutions should be aware that there are very few adequate educational resources
addressing issues of marriage and family in secondary schools.(13) Sex education courses aim
primarily to prevent disease and out-of-wedlock births.(14) Setting aside the question of their
effectiveness in realizing these goals, they say little about marriage or family except to promote an
attitude of tolerance for different family forms. One of the most competent sex education programs
(designed by Marian Howard of Emory University) is not about education for marriage but about the
delay of sexual activity until "maturity."
Existing educational programs emphasizing preparation for family life are either deficient in their
use of religious resources or fail to present an adequately critical view of marriage, as do most
fundamentalist religious programs. We believe that religious institutions should use the powerful
new video technologies to teach their religious traditions, the best insights of the new marriage
education programs (PREP, PREPARE/ENRICH, etc.), and realistic understandings of the
economic, legal, and medical aspects of marriage.(15)
Fifth, churches and synagogues should develop theologies and programs that give priority to
promoting the health of intact families while also helping other family forms. The cultural and social
forces that are disrupting families are relentless, and high rates of family disruption are likely to
continue in the foreseeable future. While we do recognize that family dissolution is often advisable
in cases of violence, abuse, and addiction, religious institutions should recognize that many families
could function well together if they had better supports.
There is much that can be done to mitigate strains on disrupted families, be they never-married
single parents, the divorced, or stepfamilies. Finally, we must recognize the advent of families with
gay and lesbian parents and families consisting of heterosexual parents with gay or lesbian children.
Although there is a range of positions in the churches about the nature and moral status of
homosexual practice, almost all churches, conservative or liberal, wish to minister to these families.
Religious institutions should imitate those churches and synagogues that simultaneously and
aggressively prepare people for stable and fulfilling marriages yet support and assist alternative
family forms. For example, there is a burgeoning white Pentecostal church in the western suburbs
of Chicago that has, in addition to its strong emphasis on marriage and opposition to divorce, a
highly popular twelve-week post-divorce support program.(16) Many African-American churches
have such complex ministries. The Shiloh Baptist Church located in the poorer section of
Washington, D.C. has a complex approach. It has delicately balanced programs designed to increase
the number of intact families while, through its Family Life Center, it also reaches out to disrupted
families in the community.
Sixth, religious institutions should address one of the major sources of strain on families--the
tensions between family needs and the demands of paid work. Mothers have joined fathers in the
work force, the average workweek has been extended, parents spend less time with children (the
"parenting deficit"), and married couples spend less time with each other. Clearly, it takes time and
energy to create an equal-regard family with parents guiding children into an ever-deepening
dialogue with them, their faith traditions, and the wider society. We propose a model not exceeding
a total 60-hour workweek for a mother and father with young children. The compensated working
hours could be divided between husband and wife as 30-30, 40-20, or 20-40. There is evidence that
the happiest families are those in which both husband and wife have some paid employment, share
household chores and child care,(17) and work less than two full-time positions.(18) Churches, in their
theologies of work and leisure, should support such arrangements.
If the equal-regard family, however, is to become a reality within the context of modern work
demands, it will need to gain the skills of intersubjective communication (the ability to see and feel
issues from the partner's point of view) required to define what is just and equitable. Church-sponsored day-care centers, support groups for working parents, church-sponsored baby-sitting
networks, church-sponsored nursing support for parents of sick children--dozens of programs are
possible. But more fundamental than any of these is a theory that sanctions the balance of work and
parenting and the development of the communicative skills required to iron out the practical
arrangements of everyday life.
Seventh, religious institutions should do more to address the reality of divorce. While religious
groups differ on the question of divorce, they all have tended to be either cautious, or genuinely
restrictive, about this issue. Despite trends in secular society toward the easy acceptance of divorce,
churches and synagogues should continue to be conservative in their attitudes on the dissolution of
marriage. However, this does not necessarily mean an absolute prohibition of divorce.
We recommend four strategies that local churches can use to address the reality of divorce. First,
prevention is the best cure. The best divorce prevention is extensive marital preparation of the kind
envisioned by our proposal for a Community Marriage Policy and our suggestions for early church-based and school-based education for marriage and family.
Second, both church-based and secular marriage counseling should begin with a humane bias
toward preserving marriages. One of our team has written with reference to both the counseling
pastor and the secular psychotherapist: "As therapists, we are moral consultants, not just psycho-social consultants. We should not try to impose our beliefs on undecided clients, but we can
advocate in an open manner when appropriate."(19) Counseling that presents theological and moral
reasons for the importance of preserving marriage is entirely justifiable as long as it is not coercive,
does not override the decision-making integrity of the individuals involved, does not suppress
important dynamic and communicative issues that the couple should face, and does not ignore abuse,
violence, and addiction. The idea that divorce is generally not good for children and that couples
not involved in physical and mental violence may be able to learn to communicate and love one
another again must be taken seriously in the counseling of churches.(20) Recent social science research
by Paul Amato and Alan Booth in their acclaimed A Generation at Risk (1997) indicates that only
one third of all divorces are preceded by high conflict of the kind destructive to children. This raises
the question as to whether the less destructive remaining two thirds might have avoided divorce had
they found the proper help.(21)
Third, synagogues and churches should love, minister to, and sustain the divorced and their
children. In spite of what worshiping communities do to discourage them, divorces will occur,
although we hope with less regularity. Churches and synagogues must also make a special effort to
support children of divorced parents, whose experience of the divorce may be quite different from
that of their parents and whose journey through childhood may be different from many other
children. The religious communities that simultaneously promote a marriage culture, discourage a
divorce culture, and promote a culture of care for the divorced, remarried, and their children,(22) are
the ones that make full use of their theological traditions to hold authentic ideals together with a
charitable sense of human weakness. Furthermore, these congregations help disrupted families create
the networks--what sociologists call "social capital"--necessary for the support and enrichment of
all families, especially those disrupted by transitions. Finally, churches and synagogues, even at the
local level, should join the national discussion about whether our divorce laws should be revised.
Eight, churches and synagogues should do more to address the growing absence of fathers from
their children. If the movement toward father absence is to be abated, nearly every aspect of civil
society must address it and religious institutions should take the lead. There is much to learn from
black churches about restoring responsible fatherhood. The 10,000 member Apostolic Church of
God on Chicago's south side routinely and vigorously addresses father absence and discusses the
positive contributions to children that fathers make. Another nearby church does all these things but
with more consciousness of African themes. This church has rites-of-passage ceremonies for both
teenage boys and girls that combine African themes and Christian meanings in defining adult male-female relations. It has an "adopt-a-school" program in which adult males relate to a neighborhood
school, give courses on "responsible living," and help guide male students away from gangs and
sexual involvement and toward their studies.
Churches and synagogues should become involved in public policy beyond the natural confines
of their memberships and immediate communities. We hold that public policy should not and cannot
maintain "value neutrality" on family matters. Furthermore, family issues cannot be solved strictly
through technical and economic interventions by state and market. A critical familism is first a result
of cultural visions--indeed religio-cultural visions--that come from the institutions of civil society,
especially churches and synagogues. Nonetheless, economic measures from both state and market
are also important for families.
Religious institutions should explicitly support several economic strategies that can help
families. First, the tax structure should be far more family-friendly than it is. If the child exemption
on federal income tax returns had kept pace with its value when first enacted in 1948, it now would
be equivalent to $8,200 rather than its current $2,500.(23) Second, we applaud the recent adoption by
Congress of a $500 per child tax credit. But it may need to be more. The 1991 report to the President
of the National Commission on Children recommended a refundable tax credit of $1,000,(24) and
William Mattox of the Family Research Council has called for a $1,500 credit.(25) Third, we support
the earned income tax credit for poor families that is generally believed to have contributed to the
stability of low-income working parents. Fourth, the so-called marriage tax penalty--the fact that
married couples often pay considerably more in taxes than they would if single--is both a real and
symbolic assault on the social value of marriage and should be removed.(26)
Then there is the issue of welfare. We agree with those who argue that government's first
obligation, at this moment in history, is to strengthen the institutions of civil society--churches,
clubs, community organizations, voluntary service organizations--to carry more of our welfare
system for families. But, at the same time, government must be involved in welfare to assure
consistency, sufficient funding, and universality of some very fundamental programs.(27)
In this statement, we will not debate whether such goals should have been realized in a revised
national welfare plan or through one administered by each of the 50 states, as established by the 1996
welfare reform. Instead, we are concerned about an issue in workfare, whether administered by states
or by the national government. In keeping with our proposals that married couples with young
children should not work in wage employment more than a total of 60 hours a week between them,
we propose that single welfare parents with young children not be required to work over 25-30 hours
per week, roughly five to six hours a day.(28) Even this time should be undergirded with state-supported child and medical care. The idea of thirty-hour working weeks for single parents and 60-hour working weeks for married parents has been tried with success. For two decades, from 1930
to 1950, W. K. Kellogg ran his Corn Flakes plant in Battle Creek, Michigan on a six-hour day.
Recent research based on interviews with older employees reveals a high level of employee satisfac-
tion with the arrangement.(29)
New welfare reform efforts should raise this model to public consciousness. A critical familism
rewards family formation, gives social supports to those seeking gender equality, encourages paternal
responsibility, discourages family welfare dependency, equips people for work, supports them with
child care and medical care, and makes these policies as consistent as possible throughout the
various states.
Second, churches and synagogues should urge policymakers to promote a family-friendly
workplace. Some people advocate minimizing work strains with tax reductions that lower the need
for families to have two incomes, thereby giving parents more time with their families. Many
commentators argue that these proposals simply support the nineteenth-century model of an
industrial family with its wage-earning father and domestic mother. President Clinton has tried to
solve family-work strains with proposals such as better job conditions for parents, more flex time,
an extension of the Family and Medical Leave Act, twenty-four hours a year for parents to keep
school appointments and take children to doctors, portable family insurance, health insurance for
poor families, compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay, and new federal child care programs.(30)
These proposals acknowledge women's desire to work and the realities of the postmodern family.
We support both strategies--tax breaks and supports for family-friendly work conditions.
But these strategies do not go far enough. To implement the 60-hour workweek, state and market
must cooperate in creating the new 20- and 30-hour a week positions necessary for families to
arrange the right combinations. These jobs should provide retirement and medical benefits. This
raises the need for a basic universal health plan. We do not presume to settle here the best way to
provide universal, cheap, and equitable health coverage for all workers, whether employed twenty,
thirty, or forty hours a week. But to create flexible work arrangements that give parents sufficient
time with their children, some such system of health care is required.
Third, although there is a need for more and better care for the children of employed parents,
some of the proposals we advocate should mitigate that need. If parents limit their employment
outside of the home to 60 hours each week, fathers and mothers will have more time for child care.
If the tax breaks listed above went into effect, couples will work fewer hours, have more time for
child care, yet be able to afford better quality care because their overall income will improve.
Nonetheless, government initiatives to stimulate the development of more affordable quality
child care are necessary. Government should invest in training and upgrading child-care workers,
stimulate the development of minimum standards of care, encourage child-care provisions in parent's
place of employment, and offer more flex time and home-based employment. Government operated
child-care facilities eventually may be necessary but should not be the country's first approach to
meeting the needs of families.
Fourth, public policy should provide for marriage and family education. As we saw above, the
state is already participating in marriage education, mainly through university-level courses on the
family and elementary and high school sex-education classes. Much of this instruction is deficient
on marriage and family and some is directly misleading. Although marriage and family life should
not be reduced completely to simple public health issues, at this level alone the state has every right
to promote marriage and family education. Other countries, such as Australia, sponsor marriage and
family education courses. Sometimes these programs function through existing institutions of civil
society. They emphasize communications skills, conflict resolution, and parenting skills.(31) At the
level of junior high and high school education, such programs would not be addressed to couples but
would emphasize education in intersubjective communication skills that, later in life, would prove
important for sustaining marriage and family.
Fifth, religious institutions should support public policies that help both mothers and fathers with
the new challenges they face. We advocate measures that go beyond finding ways to force deadbeat
fathers to support their children. We agree that measures should be used to garnish wages, use
federal and state income taxes to collect delinquent payments, and compel responsibility by
canceling auto or professional licenses. But such policies, although necessary, are basically punitive.
The state should become a moral and financial partner of the initiatives in civil society to
promote better fatherhood. Take, for instance, Charles Ballard's widely recognized National Institute
for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Development, which receives some state support. Ballard's
program is designed to reunite fathers with their children, help fathers support their children
financially, and foster in these men an attitude of respect for former girlfriends or wives. Counselor-educators (called Sages) visit alienated fathers in their homes, help establish paternity, and model
responsible fatherhood themselves.(32) Other programs receive moral support from government even
though they get no direct financial help. The National Fatherhood Initiative was founded during the
autumn of 1994 with bipartisan support from Democrats Al Gore and William Galston as well as
Republican William Bennett. It addresses the growing absence of fathers from their children by
distributing information on the importance of fathers and the social costs of father absence.(33) Ken
Canfield's National Center for Fathering is an older hands-on program with considerable grassroots
impact.(34) Both organizations have more general audiences than Promise Keepers, and their messages
are less laden with the language of a particular religious tradition. Both programs work intensively
with religious organizations.
The situation of mothers in contemporary society has been very different from that of fathers.
Fewer mothers have fled families, but may instead feel trapped by them. Even today many women
feel that they must choose between paid employment or time with their infants, a choice that often
leads mothers to leave the work force and fall behind in job and career advancement. This
predicament has led economists Richard and Grandon Gill to propose what they call a Parental Bill
of Rights.(35) Just as American men were given the GI Bill to help them make up for lost career time
after serving in the armed forces during World War II, so should parents who take time to care for
their children receive child-care payments, modest annual child allowances, job training, education,
and other protections so that the years spent caring for their infants will not cause long-term
financial, job, and career losses. The authors estimate that this Parental Bill of Rights would cost
citizens no more than $200 per capita in 1990 dollars.
Sixth, religious institutions should back the revision of divorce laws. Since the advent of no-fault
divorce in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the marriage contract has become weaker than most
business contracts. In many states, it can be broken unilaterally, and the dissenting partner has little
recourse. From a both a philosophical and theological perspective, we hold that marriage agreements
should be more like covenants, i.e., binding agreements between a husband and wife, between them
and the wider society, and, for the religious, between these two individuals and a transcendent power
as they conceive it. Such multi-dimensional agreements should not be broken with ease. In reality,
marriages should be conceived as both contracts and covenants. The system recently enacted in
Louisiana which gives couples the option of choosing no-fault marriage contracts or more binding
covenant marriages is a sound and non-coercive way to reestablish the legal seriousness of marriage.
The members of this Task Force do not agree as to whether the present system of no-fault
divorces should be rejected completely by the several states. We do agree, however, that in cases
where couples with children want divorce by mutual consent, they should undergo required
counseling on parenting after divorce and on the potential impact of the divorce on the children.
Furthermore, couples should be required to develop a long-term financial plan to cover the needs of
children until they are 18 and in some cases older. This plan would have to be accepted by the court
before the divorcing couple could begin dividing property between them.(36)
Some members of the Task Force believe that the assignment of fault may not be necessary if
waiting periods, required counseling, and long-term financial plans for child support are part of the
proposal. However this is decided, we believe that marriage, even before the law, increasingly should
be seen as a public covenant vital for both individuals, children, and the common good.
Seventh, the institutions of civil society and churches should join with government and the
market to launch a critique of media images of marriage and family. The emphasis should be on
providing criticism and well-grounded evaluations, not censorship. Nor should criticism be voiced
in ways that obscure the good that educational television can do and the positive images that some
programs and movies convey. But critiques of the unhealthy aspects of the media should be relent-
less, should come from many different voices, and must be heard.
From one perspective, the media are an expression of the overflow of cost-benefit, individualistic, and consumption-oriented patterns of the market that increasingly pervade our society. We are
not against the market, but we do believe that the rational-choice and ethical-egoist motives of the
market can and should be restrained by an ethics of equal regard for persons within and outside of
families. This applies as well to a responsible critique of the family images found in movies, televi-
sion, popular music, and popular journalism.
Rather than portraying the media, however, as single-mindedly seditious,(37) we follow Kay
Hymowitz's analysis of the dialectical relation of the media and social attitudes.(38) She points out that
the values governing marriage and family have changed due to a variety of economic and cultural
trends. The media, she explains, do not by themselves create these changes, but they exploit and
exacerbate them. Furthermore, in order to sell movies, TV series, and consumer products, the media
use shock and excitement to create interest and viewing addiction to the more titillating aspects of
these changes. The media give a stamp of normality to behavior and conditions once thought to be
immoral and still deserving of analysis and moral criticism.
Censorship is not the answer. A new critical familism is the answer. But this familism and
marriage culture should be supported by multiple voices critiquing and sometimes boycotting the
media--voices no longer afraid of the charge of moralism. So far, the groups willing to do this are
few in number. Such criticism is generally limited to the important reality of violence; addressing
family and marriage issues seems to be more difficult.(39) More needs to be done on both questions.
The kind of criticism we have in mind is found in a long document by Roger Cardinal Mahony,
archbishop of Los Angeles, in which he publicly urged the entertainment industry to "adopt general
guidelines for the depiction of violence, sex, family, and the treatment of women."(40) Recent steps
taken to adopt an industry-administered rating system that will later be reinforced by the parent-controlled V-chip may help.(41) Watchdog organizations such as the National Institute on Media and
the Family should be encouraged.
But until a new artistic sensibility informed by a critical familism emerges, these suggestions will
inevitably constitute partial measures. Just as Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna
Shalala challenged Hollywood to live up to its creative potential by inventing stories not featuring
people smoking cigarettes, so too should multiple voices challenge the media to tell more truthful
and positive stories about human love, sexuality, marriage, and families.
There is no single cure for the family crisis in our society. There is no magic bullet. We have
listed over a dozen strategies that religious institutions, voluntary associations, government, and
market should take in cooperation with one another. The power of these strategies will become
apparent not when viewed in isolation from one another, but when they become orchestrated into
a new gestalt--a new critical familistic culture with accompanying social supports.
1. This position paper was adapted, with extensive suggestions from the members of the Communitarian Family Task Force, from chapter 11 of From Culture Wars to Common Ground: Religion and the American Family Debate, by Don Browning, Bonnie Miller McLemore, Pamela Couture, Bernie Lyon, and Robert Franklin (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1997). This is the summary book of the 11-book Religion, Culture, and Family Series produced by a research project located at the University of Chicago and financed by a generous grant from the Division of Religion of the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
2. For a discussion of the Aristotelian roots of the concept of subsidiarity, see From Culture Wars to Common Ground, pp. 238-244, 363. For a more proximate source of subsidiarity in Roman Catholic thinking, see Pope Leo XIII, "Rerum Novarum," Proclaiming Justice and Peace:Papal Documents from Rerum Novarum through Centesimus Annus (Mystic, CT:
Twenty-Third Publications, 1991 (1894) ).
3. The philosophical and theological grounds for the ethic of equal regard is extensively developed in the introduction and chapters 4,5, and 10 of From Culture Wars to Common Ground. Chapter 8 also gives a discussion of the concept of subsidiarity and demonstrates how both American Roman Catholicism, the thought of evangelical Ralph Reed, and the social philosophy of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan all have been influenced by this idea.
4. William Doherty, The Intentional Family (New York: Addison-Wesley, 1997).
5. As reported by Judge James Sheridan and Michael McManus at the "Smart Marriages: Happy Families" conference on July 10, 1997, Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C.
6. James Coleman, "Schools, Families, and Children," (Ryerson Lecture: University of Chicago, 1985), pp. 9-18.
7. Ibid., p. 18.
8. Dan Coats, "Can Congress Revive Civil Society?" Policy Review (January-February 1996), p. 27.
9. Michael McManus, Marriage Savers: Helping Your Friends and Family Stay Married (Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), p. 131.
10. Ibid., p. 267.
11. Norval Glenn, "The Textbook Story of American Marriages and Families," (Publication No.: W.P. 46: Institute for American Values, N.Y. City. May 1996).
12. Linda Waite, "Does Marriage Matter?" Demography 32:4 (November 1995): 483-504.
13. One of the best videos for high school education for marriage and family is prepared and distributed by the American Bar Association. It brings legal perspectives on marriage together with insights from the new psycho-education movement. See Partners: An Interactive Televised Course (Chicago,IL: ABA Family Law Section).
14. There are few careful studies of the values clarification approach to sex education that show it to be successful. This is an approach in which teachers take no stand on moral issues. Decisions are left to students about how to use information. See Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, "The Failure of Sex Education," Atlantic Monthly (October 1994), pp. 55-80.
15. For information on PREPARE, write PREPARE/ENRICH, P.O. Box 190, Minneapolis, MN 55440-0190, and on PREP, write Professor Howard Markman, PREP, Inc., 1780 South Bellaire Street, Suite 621, Denver, Colorado 80222.
16. Paul Numrich, "A Pentecostal Megachurch on the Edge," in Congregations and Family Ministry, eds. Bernie Lyon and Archie Smith (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1997).
17. Rosemary Barciauskas and Debra Hull, Loving and Working: Reweaving Women's Public Lives (Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1989.
18. Rosalind Barnett and Caryl Rivers, She Works/He Works: How Two-Income Families are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off (New York: Harper/Collins, 1996)
19. William Doherty, Soul Searching (New York: Basic Books, 1995), p. 33. See also, Don Browning, The Moral Context of Pastoral Counseling (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1976) and Bonnie Miller-McLemore, "Will the Real Pro-Family Contestant Please Stand Up? Another Look at Families and Pastoral Care," Journal of Pastoral Care 49:4 (Spring 1995), pp. 61-68.
20. Michelle Weiner-Davis, Divorce Busting (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995).
21. Paul Amato and Alan Booth, A Generation at Risk: Growing Up in an Era of Family Upheaval (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997), p. 220.
22. The Willow Creek Community Church, a megachurch in the northern suburbs of Chicago, is an example of a church with a strong marriage culture that promotes intact families but also has a wide range of services for the divorced, single parents, stepfamilies, and singles.
23. Free to Be Family, (Washington, D.C.: Family Research Council, 1992), p. 35.
24. Beyond Rhetoric: Report of the National Commission on Families (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991), p. xxi.
25. Mattox, "Government Tax Policy and the Family," The Family, Civil Society, and the State, a conference sponsored by The American Public Philosophy Institute, June 21-22, 1996, Washington, D.C.
26. Free to Be Family, pp. 34-43; Nick Rave, "Married Couples Feel Jilted by Uncle Sam," Chicago Tribune (March 17, 1995), p. C6.
27. John DiIulio, "Government Welfare to Support Families--the Right Way," The Family, Civil Society, and the State, a Conference Sponsored by The American Public Philosophy Institute, June 21-22, 1996, Washington, D.C.
28. Proposals for part-time work for welfare single parents have been advanced by David Ellwood, Poor Support: Poverty in the American Family (New York: Basic Books, 1988), pp. 135-137; Pamela Couture, Blessed Are the Poor (Nashville, TN.: Abingdon Press, 1991, pp. 178-184.
29. Benjamin Kline Hunnicutt, Kellogg's Six-Hour Day (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996).
30. Alison Mitchell, "Clinton Prods Executives to 'Do the Right Thing,' New York Times (May 17, 1996), p. C 4; Alison Mitchell, "Banking on Family Issues, Clinton Seeks Parents' Votes," New York Times (June 25, 1996), p. C19.
31. Margaret Andrews, "Developing a National Strategy of Marriage and Family Education," address given to the International Conference on the Family, University of Melbourne, July 1994; see also "Moving Counselling to Community Agencies," Threshold: A Magazine about Marriage Education 49 (December 1995), p. 3.
32. Brochure provided by The National Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Development, p. 2. To contact, write the National Institute For Responsible Fatherhood and Family Development, 8555 Hough Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-1545.
33. Taken from a brochure titled "Creating a Father-Friendly Neighborhood: 10 Things You Can Do," (Lancaster, PA.: National Fatherhood Initiative).
34. For information, write the National Center for Fathering, P.O. Box 413888, Kansas City, MO 64141.
35. Quoted from Richard Gill and Grandon Gill, "A Parental Bill of Rights," Family Affairs 6:1-2 (Winter 1994), p. 1.
36. These suggestions were, to our knowledge, first put forth by Mary Ann Glendon, Abortion and Divorce in Western Law (Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press, 1987), pp. 93-95. Later they were affirmed by Elaine Ciulla Kamarck and William Galston, "Putting Children First: A Progressive Family Policy for the 1990s," (Washington, DC.: Progressive Policy Institute, 1991), p. 30.
37. Michael Medved, Hollywood vs. America: Popular Culture and the War on Traditional Values (New York: Harper Collins, 1992).
38. Kay S. Hymowitz, "'I Don't Know Where This is Going': What Teenagers Learn about Marriage from Television and Magazines," (New York: A Council on Families in America Working Paper, Institute of American Values, 1995).
39. An excellent program sponsored by Family and Community Critical Viewing Project is unfortunately limited to violence. See Taking Charge of Your TV: A Guide to Critical Viewing for Parent and Children. For information on an extensive list of resources write Family and Community Critical Viewing Project, 1724 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-1969.
40. New York Times (October 1, 1992), B1.
41. Mark Caro and Steve Johnson, "Foes of New TV Ratings Worry about 'Forbidden Fruit' Factor," Chicago Tribune (December 23, 1996), Al, p. 4; Richard Morin, "Confronting Sex and Violence on TV," Washington Post National Weekly Edition (December 23, 1996), p. 38.
The Communitarian Network
2130 H Street, NW, Suite 703
Washington, DC 20052


text:
Recent Articles
This Is How To Respond To A Veteran Contemplating Suicide
By Duane K. L. France Hopefully you'll never need it. Sadly many do. Here's what to say to a veteran considering suicide. I'll never forget him. Or his voice. That southern drawl made him … [Read More...]
In Minnesota, the promise of a test for Gulf War Illness
from The American Legion Magazine by Ken Olsen Brian Engdahl sees the day when a blood test could remove all doubt about who's suffering from Gulf War Illness. It may be less than five years … [Read More...]
Opinion – How to fix some of VA's Hairiest Problems
by JD Palmer No doubt about it. VA is facing enormous challenges. Rather than looking for new answers, maybe we should be looking for new questions. Here's a start: Take a taxi ride in a major US … [Read More...]
Who's Out and Who's In for VOSB?
The Cabinet selections that most directly affect veteran owned small business are in. President Trump has not made a selection for the Director of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy … [Read More...]
U.S. Department of Education removes webpage for federal disabilities act
I worked within the disability community for several years after I left the military...As a Committee member on disability for President H.W. Bush, I helped draft the accessibility section of the … [Read More...]
S. 121: Veterans Small Business Ownership Improvements Act
A bill to establish the veterans' business outreach center program, to improve the programs for veterans of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes. Introduced: Jan 12, … [Read More...]
5 Simple Questions to Help Determine Your Business Financing Options
By Marco Carbajo The funding strategy a business selects is something unique to each company and needs to be precise. Before an owner sets out and applies for financing, he or she needs to know … [Read More...]
Business Taxes: Everything You Need to Know
Taxes. Filing taxes for yourself can be complicated, but when filing taxes for your business, the complexities can multiply. To make tax season hassle-free this year, you need to understand the … [Read More...]
What If PTSD Is More Physical Than Psychological?
by Lynn Lowder Author Robert F. Worth's 6/10/2016 article in the New York Times Magazine is well worth reading and should be widely disseminated. … [Read More...]
New White House Policies Could Put Veterans' Health at Stake
from Money Alicia Adamczyk Veterans voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton by a 2-to-1 margin back in November. But a couple of changes that the new administration has … [Read More...]
McCain Has To Stand With Veterans Not For-Profit Colleges –
By Carl Forsling DoD and the VA can't do much while powerful senators protect the bad actors. Last year, the Department of Defense took a bold move against the for-profit colleges , … [Read More...]
Governor McAuliffe Announces New Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Initiative
Commends StreetShares Efforts to 'Turbo Charge' Veteran Small Business WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Terry McAuliffe presented today the first place award for the Virginia … [Read More...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 84
- Next Page »

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I always wanted to be a filmmaker, but I started acting when I was 9 years old. I looked a certain part that I wasn't, really. I played, you know, a high school jock with a lot of attitude or a spoiled rich kid, and I was neither of those things. I was from a very working-class family in Van Nuys.
With the help of this images you can make your own " Steve Antin Image Quotes"
All the Images, Wallpapers, Backgrounds, Pictures, Graphics, Arts are Copyrighted to The Respective Creators, Designers and Authors.
We Don't Intend to Showcase Copyright Images, Pictures, Graphics, Arts.
The Wallpapers, Arts, Graphics available on our website are for Personal Use Only (For Desktops, Laptops, Mobiles, Tablets Screen Backgrounds).
None of the Image should be used for Commercial Purpose.


text:
Quer guardar como a sua moeda permanente, ou apenas nesta visita?
The Berkeley Hotel
Top Hotel boutique
1200 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA
0,7 km de
132 €+
Ao navegar no nosso site, concorda com o nosso uso de cookies para fins técnicos, analíticos e de marketing. Mais informações aqui. fechar
Loved the location and the style of the hotel (very modern with pops of color). The room was beautiful and had everything we could ask for. The location is the best in Richmond. Our room was only surface clean when we arrived. There were dishes in the dishwasher that were still dirty, and the dishes in the cabinet didn't look too clean either. The floor felt like it hadn't been vacuumed since the previous residents' stay, and there was a suspicious stain on the comforter. The sheets, bathroom, and kitchen surfaces did appear to be clean.


text:
Click on the "Convert & Download Video + MP3" button to start the video conversion. After the video conversion is finished, you can download the converted video in the formats MP4 or 3GP (for mobile phones) or you can download the converted audio as a MP3 music file. This online service is completely for free.
http://wwactresses.blogspot.com/ Lollywood old time actress Neeli or Nili with Javed Shaikh. Urdu Pakistani song from movie Chief Saab. Lyrics: Dil Se Dil Mi...
DMCA: Are you the owner of this convertable material and do you want to disable the conversion of your media on clip.dj? Then you can request a conversion block for this video.366
Neeli and Javed Shaikh in Chief Saab song hd 720p.mpeg.


text:
John Meyer and 3D printingFuture of manufacturing
3D printing has a growing influence over the way Airbus designs, builds and maintains its products. Its use unshackles innovators like Jon Meyer from the constraints of traditional manufacturing methods.
Get to know Jon Meyer, additive layer manufacturing leader
From novelty to mainstream
New technologies are being applied more frequently to produce ever faster results in manufacturing. It's never been easier for companies to get left behind if they fail to embrace the right technology at the right time.
A good example is 3D printing. Its official name is additive layer manufacturing, or ALM: the process of building up three-dimensional parts in two-dimensional layers as little as 0.05mm thick.
ALM lowers the cost of entry into the business of 'making things'. It also raises the stakes for companies that build their reputation on their ability to innovate fast, whatever their size.
Unleashing creativity with 3D printing
Jon Meyer is Airbus Innovations' ALM roadmap leader. His enthusiasm for new technology is infectious. "In my first week at Airbus, I went to a meeting about ALM and I had no idea what anyone was talking about. I went to see a 3D printer and was immediately hooked," Meyer says with a laugh.
Meyer's job is to act as a bridge between those with an understanding of the problems they are trying to solve and those who understand the latest technology. "My hope is that ALM ceases to be a novelty and becomes a mainstream approach to manufacturing," he says.
3D printing requires a change of mindset to exploit the design freedom it brings. It revolutionises the speed at which we can iterate and test products. In a technology-driven environment such as Airbus, you can't underestimate the disruptive nature of that change.
Building from the inside
Advanced materials
Airbus is aiming to revolutionise the industry with 4D printing and digital materials, partnering with MIT's leading researchers.
Did you find this story interesting? Keep exploring!
The future is digital New ways of manufacturing
Find out how 3D printing is just one of a new wave of technologies sweeping through Airbus.View Story


text: http://aacnet.eu/3cx I have designed the above system for users to ask for help or discuss the system. It may take some time to get the experts on there, but bear with me. You can use text message or voice between users, so you could just listen to whats going on and improve your general knowledge that way also. Sorry, but only Windows at the moment, but it does work under Linux, using wine.


text:
Today's Specials: Iowa State looks for signature win vs. Kansas
The first time Iowa State and Kansas played, the Cyclones blew a late lead and lost. Can they get a marquee win this time around?
|Iowa State should have beaten Kansas the first time; can Korie Lucious and the Cyclones close the deal? (USATSI)
We're entering the final two weeks of the regular season, and Monday should feature at least two high-level games. Big East pecking order is on the line in one matchup, while Iowa State Cyclones looks to cement its at-large positioning with a win over Kansas Jayhawks . Plus, several mid-major races are heating up down the stretch.
Note: All times are Eastern, and the rankings are according to the AP poll.
Best game: No. 8 Syracuse Orange at No. 17 Marquette Golden Eagles (7 p.m., ESPN). Heading into the weekend, this could have been a matchup for first place in the Big East. However, Syracuse dropped a home game to Georgetown, and Marquette lost at Villanova Wildcats . What does that mean? The loser could be fifth by the time the weekend rolls around. The rebounding battle will be a major factor. Neither team is very good on the defensive glass, but both crash the offensive boards looking for second-chance points. Moreover, can Marquette find open shots inside the paint against the Syracuse zone?
Second-best game: No. 9 Kansas at Iowa State (9 p.m., ESPN). The first time these two teams played, Iowa State blew a late lead and eventually lost in overtime. It was Ben McLemore's coming-out party, as the redshirt freshman hit a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining in regulation en route to 33 points and the win. Both teams are hitting their stride again after a few bumps in the road, with Iowa State reeling off three wins in a row -- and scoring at least 83 points in five of its last six games. Kansas has won four in a row since losing three straight. Iowa State created matchup problems in the first meeting, with Georges Niang and Melvin Ejim stretching the defense and forcing Jeff Withey to leave the paint. That could be a key again.
Another one to watch: Villanova at Seton Hall Pirates (9 p.m., ESPNU). Villanova took a major step forward in its quest for an at-large bid by knocking off Marquette on Saturday, but the Wildcats can't stop there. The issue with them this season is not being able to sustain momentum of big wins -- will that trend continue against struggling Seton Hall? The key will be guarding the perimeter and limiting Seton Hall's 3-point attempts. Nova still has games remaining against Pitt and Georgetown, so a win here would be nice.
Guaranteed win: Kansas State Wildcats remains tied atop the Big 12 standings with Kansas, although getting swept at the hands of the Jayhawks mean they need to win the league outright. Facing Texas Tech Red Raiders at home on Monday is a good start (7 p.m., ESPNU). The Wildcats won the first matchup by nine on the road, but the gap should be even wider in Manhattan.
Potential upset: Savannah State Tigers has reeled off wins in 12 of its last 13 games, yet it still sits 2 1/2 games back of first place in the MEAC. There is still time, however, to make a run -- but the Tigers could have some trouble with Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (7:30 p.m.). Savannah won the first meeting by three points, but Bethune has won four straight home games. Adrien Coleman could be the difference.
Three things to keep an eye on:
- With the SWAC race winding down, it's still up in the air. Second-place Texas Southern Tigers can forge a tie for first place with a win at Alabama State Hornets (8:30 p.m.), while 13-3 Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions stays within striking distance with a win over Jackson State Tigers (8:30 p.m.).
- Grambling Tigers has three games left in which to get its first win of the season. A road game at Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils is up first (8:30 p.m.).
- Bryant University Bulldogs has lost its grip on the Northeast Conference, but a win over Sacred Heart Pioneers (7 p.m.) would put them one game back of Robert Morris Colonials -- before the head-to-head showdown later this week.
For more college basketball news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnCBB on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed and subscribe to our College Basketball Newsletter. You can follow Jeff Borzello on Twitter here: @jeffborzello
Motley hiring agent, stays in NBA Draft
Motley, who averaged 17.3 points and 9.9 boards, is projected as a borderline first-rounde...
Bennie Boatwright back, USC top-15 good
Sharpshooter's return figures to send the program to a place it has been only once before
Chino Hills High looking for new coach
Are you buying?
College hoops pod: Talking underclassmen
Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander also discuss UNLV's recruiting class
UNLV suddenly stocking up huge talent
The five-star big man is part of a surprise late-period recruiting coup by Marvin Menzies
Don't be mad at underclassmen in draft
It's time for random observers to stop being outraged by players' decisions


text:
Subcategory: Discs
Model: 1433
Tillage/Harvest/Spraying, PT Sprayers (4238) in Prudhomme, SK
100', 1000 gal. poly tank, wind screens, disc markers, autorate controller, chem handler, fence row nozzle, 16.5L - 16.1
View on Farmzilla
Tillage/Harvest/Spraying, Air Seeders (4253) in Hepburn, SK
Triple-flex cult. w/3100 tank, 9" space, 300 bu. grain tank, 3 comp. Tanks used for seed only. Agtron blockage monitor and seed brakes, c/w Green Drop 1200 gal. fert. tank/cart with Raven rate controller
Tractors, John Deere (4295) in Shoal Lake, MB
1992 JD 8760 tractor, 300 HP, 20.8 x 42 duals, 12 speed manual, 11,154 hrs, engine was rebuilt at John Deere at around 6000 hrs, Outback S2 AutoSteer, $29,500, Mervyn Simpson, Shoal Lake, MB, 204-365-7018
Machinery/Equipment, Parts & Accessories (4211) in Yorkton, SK
More carbide than OEM tips for longer life. Paired row, $140; Sideband, $110.


text:
The Saraday Collection: A Collection of New Gothic Stories
€ 8,83
epub eBook
Sofort lieferbar (Download)
Dezember 2014
BeschreibungA collection of David Gearing's first novels, now for a great discount.
The town of Saraday, South Carolina has been hidden from most people's places to visit. The wise visitors drive right through. Other more adventurous folks like to stop by and check out the Lil Teapot Cafe and the little plantation home that withstood the Great Fire of 1862.
Saraday is a place of ghosts and legends. Of Evil Incarnate and twisted dreams. Where Demons come to play.
So welcome to Saraday. Pull up a chair and listen a while. Once you come to Saraday, there's no turning back.
Included in this collection:
Savior: A young, gay detective attempts to atone for past guilt by saving a teenage boy. There's just one problem: the boy doesn't seem to exist.
Echoes: Shannon has always missed her best friend Rebecca. When she starts hearing her voice in the house, Shannon couldn't be happier. Until Rebecca reveals that she has a few loose ends to tie up.
Mr. White: Upon visiting his ailing mother in Raising Canes Adult Living Facility, Spencer meets the friendly and mysterious Mr. White. Their friendship is the stuff of nightmares.
Untertitel: ebook Ausgabe. Sprache: Englisch.
Verlag: David Gearing
Erscheinungsdatum: Dezember 2014
Format: epub eBook
Kopierschutz: Keiner


text:
| Clip Of Science, Technology and Innovation in Asia This clip, title, and description were not created by C-SPAN.
User-Created Clip
User-Created Clip
July 21, 2014 Mihram Arthur Mihram
People in this video
- Phillip A. Sharp M.D. President American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Jeanette M. Wing Vice President Microsoft Research->International
Hosting Organization
More Videos From
AAAS Forum on R&D
User Created Clips from This Video
Related Video
Federal Government Research and Development Funding
John Holdren gave the keynote address at an American Association for the Advancement of Science forum on science and technology policy. He…
After Words with John Naisbitt
John Naisbitt was interviewed about his book Mind Set!: Reset Your Thinking and See the Future, published by Collins. In his book…
China and the Koreas
Mr. Sutter spoke at a Summer symposium on U.S. foreign policy about relations with China and the Koreas. Among the…
Foreign Policy in Asia
Senator Brownback talked about U.S. policy towards Asia, including North Korean nuclear programs and his recent trip to…


text:
Syncrude Aquatic Centre
The Syncrude Aquatic Centre is located in the Suncor Community Leisure Centre, and has become one of the most popular leisure, fitness, and recreational attractions in Fort McMurray since opening in 2010.
The Syncrude Aquatic Centre includes the Canadian Dewatering 54m olympic swimming pool, the Aluma Systems 3m diving board, two 1m diving boards, a warm water leisure pool, a family whirlpool, the family water park, the Mix 103.7 FM spray park, the Country 93.3 FM Yellow water slide and the Rock 97.9 FM Rock water slide, four smaller water slides, a double tube slide, the lazy river, and a giant dumping bucket.
The Aquatic and Leisure Services team at MacDonald Island Park is also proud of its connection to the community. The Canadian Dewatering 54m swimming pool is home to the Fort McMurray Mantas Swim Club, Northern Lights Triathlon Club and the Young Aquatic Club.
Whether you're looking for a leisurely swim, lane swimming, a fun time, to relax, or a great workout, the Syncrude Aquatic Centre has something for everyone – for both young and young at heart. Make sure to check out our wide array of swimming and aquafit programs, classes, lessons, camps, and clubs through our website.
Click here to view Syncrude Aquatic Centre hours of operation.
Contact Us
Syncrude Aquatic Centre Bookings:


text:
This one wasn't too bad. It was more than an entertainment vehicle showcasing a then-unknown Michael Winslow (the Police Academy guy with all the sound effects). It took the Winslow character one step further and portrayed him as a vindictive psychopath who almost succeeded in the mayhem he plotted. His acting out in front of the mirror in the middle of the episode was hauntingly scary.
The parallel storyline involving the teacher trying to break free from her troubled past (played beautifully by the engaging Christina Pickles) was a good one and contributed to the story in a positive way. Not great, but definitely worth a watch.


text: MainStoriesCook County Lions Club Plunge for Special Olympics Listen Cook County Lions Club Plunge for Special Olympics Four members of the Cook County Lions Club took the plunge into freezing cold Lake Michigan in February 2014 to support Special Olympics of Illinois. Tamara Ivetic | Mar 24, 2014 | North America: Illinois On February 22, 2014, for the third year in a row, the Cook County Lions Club has plunged into freezing cold Lake Michigan to support Special Olympics of Illinois. Over the last three years the Cook County Lions Club has raised over US$9,100 by doing the Polar Plunge. Our members love this event and are looking forward to participating next year. We are always looking for people to join our polar plunge team. If interested, please contact us at email@example.com. About Me:I am the current membership chairperson the Cook County Lions Club. Related:Visit the Cook County Lions website Read More Stories A Reason to ExcelGenevieve JiangPearl of AnantapurRaman RekhiThe Kings of VermontBruce CampbellWe started downhill, and my son and Justin started carving ahead of us, and I had to stop to watch.Why is it so wrong?A.hamI was at school and I heard my friend Harrison say the r-word when I told him not to say it he asked why.Africa's Athlete Officiate Breaks Floor Hockey Record!Romi ReineckeFree Cataract Surgery from Lions Club for Kenya's Goal Keeper at World Winter Games 2017Romi ReineckeTeam Spirit Leads Sweden to Gold in FloorballSarah O'TooleYoungest Member of Bangladesh Team Takes SilverGenevieve JiangGrit WinsNance LarsenGirl PowerGenevieve JiangTaking Life In StrideNance LarsenDo You Have A Story to Share?Share Your Story More Stories


text:
Many a times excitement numbs our senses, easy and fast is also true with overlooking the details of the credit card agreement Read the fine print before you apply. Now the decision you take would be a wise one, entrusting personal information may be risky, so better to think before you leap. You could avoid unpleasant surprises later.
There a few things that you ought to do before you apply
• Seek the source of information.
• Make a comparative chart of instant approval credit card offers
• Short list the best offers and
• Finally narrow down to the best possible offer.
• Consider the one with most rewards and rebates – travel card, gas card, general one, entertainment car or driver's card.
The other features that needs your attention are, if you have a outstanding balance on the credit card, you would refer a option of balance transfer, also check , how soon that can that be, for many credit card companies only lets you do that on sign. The rate of interest also matters as you can enjoy a 0% interest on transfers, choosing the one that offers 0% rate of interest for a at least one year is a good enough The reward plans are exciting ones. One better than the other, check out its validity, point redemptions, air mile limits, location of the stores and the types of stores that redeem the offers.
Finally the fees - workout the application fees, new instant approval credit card charge no interest, but charge an annual fee, fees for balance transfers, or other kinds of fees. It needs a little homework to choose the right one that you feel dearer to you.


text:
Golden Boys: Ted Allen's Brooklyn Rooftop
Food Network Magazine joins Ted Allen and Barry Rice for their annual summer honey harvest.
Photo By: Spencer Heyfron
Photo By: Spencer Heyfron
Photo By: Spencer Heyfron
Photo By: Spencer Heyfron
Photo By: Spencer Heyfron
Photo By: Spencer Heyfron
Photo By: Spencer Heyfron
Photo By: Spencer Heyfron
10,000 Pet Bees
"When Barry first said he was getting into beekeeping six years ago, I thought he was crazy," Ted says. But now the bees are practically pets. They're Italian honeybees trucked in from Georgia (a box of 10,000 bees, plus a separate one for the queen), and they live on the roof of Ted and Barry's Brooklyn brownstone all year — with a pretty spectacular view of New York City. "It's been rewarding learning how their little ecosystem works," Ted says.
Photographs by Spencer Heyfron
Honey-Making Process
The honey-making process starts in the spring: After a winter of huddling up in the hive, the bees go into full-blown production mode when the weather warms up, gathering nectar from nearby flowering plants. They bring the nectar back to the hive so other bees can convert it into honey and seal it in beeswax. At the end of the summer, Ted and Barry remove the honeycomb and then, in the safety of their kitchen downstairs, they pour the honey into jars. A single harvest produces anywhere from 30 to 130 pounds of honey, a lot of which ends up in Ted's morning oatmeal and Barry's honey ice cream. Lucky friends and family get the rest, and Ted swears that it's better than anything you can buy — pale gold, floral and just slightly minty. "It ruins you for ordinary honey."
Step 1
Barry uses a smoker to calm the bees as he opens the hive (a tower of stacked wooden boxes). The bees build honeycomb on frames inside each box.
Step 2
Barry gently brushes the bees off each frame so he can access the honeycomb.
Step 3
Once Ted and Barry have removed the bees, they put the honeycomb-filled frames into wooden boxes so they can take them inside for the harvest.
Step 4
Barry removes a layer of beeswax from each side of the frames with a heated knife and a scratching tool.
Step 5
Barry puts the frames into a metal extractor and cranks it by hand for five minutes to release the honey from the combs. Then the honey passes through a fine-mesh filter and out the spigot. The honeycombs stay intact on the frames so the bees can get right back to work for next year's harvest.
Homemade Is Better
"When you make your own wine or beer, it's never as good as what you can buy," Ted says. "But this is really special; it's not like honey you buy at the store."


text:
Used Chevrolet cars for sale in Fleet
We currently have 1 used Chevrolet car available in Fleet. With the widest range of private and trade Chevrolet cars available in Fleet, you have access to the biggest choice and the best prices.
Feel free to browse our selected vehicles, further refine your search, and find your perfect car.
Latest second hand Chevrolet cars for sale in Fleet
|Showing 1 result
Chevrolet Captiva 2.0 VCDi LT 5dr
2011 (11 reg) SUV
Because we are an AA approved dealer, all our vehicles come with free AA …
Not found what you were looking for?
We currently have: 1 Used Chevrolet car available in Fleet on Auto Trader


text:
|Crystal Ehrlich, UX D.
|Sent on:
|Monday, July 15, 2013 9:55 AM
This Saturday, Greg Nudelman, who based in San Francisco, will be teaching a mobile design workshop in Santa Monica. All members of The Los Angeles User Experience Meetup are entitled to a 20% discount. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this rare opportunity and sweet discount.
Register on Eventbrite (All LAUX members get a 20% discount): http://nudelman.eventbrite.com/?discount=laux
Agile Mobile Design Workshop:
This workshop teaches how to create best-of-class customer experiences in the native iOS and Android mobile and tablet environments and mobile web. Using Mobile-First design principles, students will learn the practical modern agile UX methods and best design patterns and strategies for each platform, with special focus on critical elements of iOS and Android mobile apps: homescreen, search, navigation, forms and workflows. Majority of the workshop will be activity-based, focusing on hands-on applications of user-centered design approaches such as storyboarding user scenarios, user testing of paper prototypes using Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE) and practical application of mobile design patterns.
Register on Eventbrite:
Each registration includes a copy of Greg's new book, Android Design Patterns: Interaction Design Solutions for Developers (Wiley, 2013).
By the end of this workshop you will be able to:
1. Pick the best design strategy for each platform: iOS, Android and web.
2. Distill the experience down to essentials; re-invent your interface with mobile-first approach.
3. Document use cases and personas in context using storyboards.
4. Select the right design pattern for homescreen, search, and navigation to drive the desired user experience.
5. Design usable and effective mobile forms and workflows.
6. Create designs that work with cutting edge mobile design patterns (Geo-location, Multi-Touch/Motion, Faceted Search, Parallel Architecture, Voice, etc.).
7. Use new mobile patterns that are just around the corner (Image Recognition, NFC, etc.).
8. Create immersive experience using lessons from popular mobile games like Angry Birds.
9. Create wireframes for the core pages of your app using sticky notes.
10. Make light-weight guerrilla Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE) the core of your design process.
Register on Eventbrite:
Who should attend:
UX specialists, researchers, designers, developers, and business people interested in making the most of the iOS and Android mobile and tablet platforms. This is an advanced, graduate-level workshop, so some design background and familiarity with UX methods is highly recommended. A personal Android or iOS mobile device is required. Not required: technical expertise, art background, or programming.
Testimonials from SXSW 2013:
Agile Mobile Design Workshop at SXSW 2013 Testimonials:
Instructor Bio:
Greg Nudelman is Mobile and Tablet Experience Strategist, Fortune 500 Advisor, Author/Speaker and CEO of DesignCaffeine, Inc. For over 15 years he has helped his clients eBay, WebEx, Wells Fargo, PayPal, Safeway, Cisco, IBM, Associated Press and Groupon amass millions of satisfied customers. Internationally acclaimed design workshop leader (with sold-out workshops Adaptive Path's UXWeek, SXSW, MobX Berlin, UX Israel, IA Summit, WebVisions, Design4Mobile, Search Engine Summit, Enterprise Search Summit, Net Squared Conference, DrawCamp, and SketchCamp), Greg authored Android Design Patterns: Interaction Design Solutions for Developers (Wiley, 2013), Designing Search: UX Strategies for eCommerce Success (Wiley, 2011), co-authored Smashing Mobile Book (2012) and contributed to half-dozen UX design books.
Register on Eventbrite:
More info:
Already a member? Log in.
Already a member? Log in.
Meetup members, Log in
By clicking "Sign up" or "Sign up using Facebook", you confirm that you accept our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy


text:
bluebellgray® Melrose Striped Decorative Pillow
$49.99 Original Price $72.00
Savings: $22.01 (30%)
Inspired by Scotland's beautiful Loch Lomond, this pillow features a signature palette of turquoise punctuated with flashes of zesty, chartreuse green and fuchsia pink. Layers of watercolor create statement, abstracted stripes on this textured cotton pillow.
- 15-in. x 24-in.
- 230 thread count
- 100% Cotton
- Hand wash
- Imported
Shipping & Returns
Shipping your purchase is easy on belk.com. Depending on the destination of your package, you can expect it to arrive within 4-7 business days. Shipping Information
Returns are easy on belk.com. Easy returns


text:
Kyle Busch's triumphant return following a horrible crash the day before the season-opening Daytona 500 continued Sunday with one of the biggest wins of his career. He grabbed an elusive victory at Indy, where Busch won the Brickyard 400 for a weekend sweep at the historic track. http://goo.gl/by1ZcF
More from


text:
Burnley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0
WHEN you have been beaten by the likes of Peterborough, Bolton and Bristol City in the past two seasons, no cup tie can be treated as a formality but Liverpool extracted most of the sting out of this Coca- Cola Cup second round, first leg last night.
Goals from John Scales - his first since his pounds 3m transfer from Wimbledon - and Robbie Fowler ensured the Premiership team will travel to Turf Moor on 5 October with a reasonably comfortable cushion.
Liverpool dominated the second half, but it was not until Fowler struck with typical efficiency six minutes from time that they achieved an advantage over opponents who are not exactly setting the First Division alight since they were promoted last May.
The ball bounced invitingly around the Burnley area but while others seemed mesmerised by it, the 19-year- old prodigy reacted swiftly, hitting a sharp shot that squeezed through a narrow opening of no more than two feet from a range of eight yards. Fowler's tally for the season is now six.
'The big difference between the teams was the quality of the finishing,' Jimmy Mullen, the Burnley manager, said. 'I thought we matched them from area to area but they took their chances, we didn't'
In the early stages the visitors' play matched that of Liverpool's, and they probably felt aggrieved that they arrived at half-time a goal in arrears. Adrian Heath, a former Evertonian with a memory of derby matches as an extra incentive to score, was twice denied by excellent saves from David James, in the 29th and 31st minutes.
But Liverpool, elegantly marshalled by Jan Molby, were busy making in-roads into the Burnley defence and they took the lead after 42 minutes. Stig Bjornebye took a short corner on the left and Jamie Redknapp curled a cross into the area that hovered menacingly until Scales - 33/1 to score the first goal - made contact, his powerful header going beyond Marlon Beresford's dive to his left and into the top corner.
Liverpool (4-4-2): James; Jones, Scales, Ruddock, Bjornebye; McManaman, Molby, Redknapp, Barnes; Rush, Fowler. Substitutes not used: Babb, Clough, Stensgaard (gk).
Burnley (4-4-2): Beresford; Parkinson, Davis, Winstanley, Vinnicombe; McMinn, Harrison (Deary, 77), Harper, Eyres; Heath, Robinson (Philliskirk, 85). Substitute not used: Russell (gk).
Referee: R Dilkes (Mossley).
- More about:
- Burnley Fc
- Coca-cola
- Premier League
- Robbie Fowler


text:
This preview shows page 1. Sign up to view the full content.
Unformatted text preview: ...
View Full Document
This note was uploaded on 06/21/2009 for the course CHEM 130 taught by Professor Kia during the Spring '09 term at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
- Spring '09
- kia
- Periodic Table
Click to edit the document details


text:
Hi there! This is Christina from Second Skin. Desiree asked me to guest post for her while she was away this week. This is my very first time so I apologize if I seem a little nervous. I just want to do her right. I have known Desiree ever since she started her blog. I think she may have actually contacted me just before she started and we exchanged several emails about it. This is sort of coming full circle now since this kind of feels like my very first blog post. To give you an example, I have just written and erased 3 paragraphs, one at a time. To be completely honest, my first blog post was literally erased to like one sentence eventually. It has taken a lot for me to open up on my blog, and now it feels like I am starting out fresh again. Really weird. I guess I am just doing what I always do in my posts, type what I am thinking at that exact moment, but I still can't help but feel that I will be judged by this post. The way that a first post does feel when you are writing it. Her formatting tools are all different from mine and nothing feels familiar, I am worried the formatting will look weird or that blogger will mysteriously fail to save my post. Oh well. That's how I am sometimes. Especially when things mean a lot to me. I don't want to let D. down. She is such a great mom, a stylish and sweet blogger, and a really genuine person. I am sure you all know about this since it is her blog you are reading anyway. I feel like I need to erase and start over again. Should I? Oh man this is so much harder than I thought it would be! Well, there you have it! A bunch of random rambling and nonsense from an insane person. I will probably never be asked to do this again! I am sure this is not what she was expecting. But, I mean, this is what I do sort of. Just ramble. It can't be too much of a surprise right? Desiree, I am sorry you had to be the first, since this was bound to happen my first time, but I hope that you knew from your very first email exchange with me, that I can be a bit over honest. I do hope you are enjoying your day away and, I guess know that you readers will be SUPER happy to have you back!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Random ramblings of an insane person
Posted by Desiree at 7:00 AM
5 comments:
- casual ambiguity said...
So glad I found this blog through your guest post!
I lol-ed (nerd) at the labels on this post heehee
- July 28, 2010 at 9:17 AM
- 20 York Street said...
I have been follwing Second Skin and haven't dared posted a comment eventhough I badly wanted to.
Now, I'm glad I found this blog, I think I'm following you too!
- July 28, 2010 at 9:39 AM
- Emily Kennedy said...
Now that the first one is done, bravery will be so much easier to embrace.
Love your shoes!
- July 28, 2010 at 1:21 PM
- LivingTheVogue said...
such a cute outfit! love the shorts!! great pics too!
- July 28, 2010 at 3:49 PM
- Morgan and Lua said...
haha good work Christina!
and nice blog you have going on here Desiree, you have some great style!!
- July 28, 2010 at 7:21 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Today, I'm happy to be a host for the blog tour for the Grimoire Trilogy! S.M. Boyce has written a young adult fantasy that features an complex world with intriguing characters. I wasn't able to finish the books in time to review them for the tour, but I will soon because they are fun reads!
Read on for info about the trilogy, a giveaway, an interview, and an excerpt from Treason! This is just packed full of fun stuff 😉
About The Books
The Grimoire turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it, and Kara Magari is its next target.
Kara has no idea what she's getting herself into when she stumbles across the old book while hiking a hidden trail. Once she opens it, she's thrown into Ourea: a beautiful world full of terrifying things that want the Grimoire's secrets. Everyone in this new world is trying to find her, and most want to control the new-found power the book bestows upon her. Even if Kara does escape, Ourea will only drag her back.
Braeden Drakonin grew up in Ourea, and all he's ever known of life is lying. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. He has one question to ask the book—one question that can fix everything in his broken world—and he's not letting Kara out of his sight until he gets an answer.
There's no going back now.
Ourea has always been a deadly place. The lichgates tying the hidden world to Earth keep its creatures at bay—for now.
Kara Magari ignited a war when she stumbled into Ourea and found the Grimoire: a powerful artifact filled with secrets. To protect the one person she has left, she strikes a deal that goes against everything she believes in. But things don't go as planned.
Braeden Drakonin can no longer run from who—and what—he is. He has to face the facts. He's a prince. He's a murderer. He's a wanted man. And after a betrayal that leaves him heartbroken, he's out for blood.
To survive, both Kara and Braeden must become the evil each has grown to hate.
Visit S.M. Boyce's blog for a chance to win one of:
- 3 Sets of Autographed Paperbacks (Lichgates & Treason)
- 3 Grimoire Clover pendants (your choice: clear or blue stone)
- 7 Unique, hand-wrapped sterling silver wire wrapped pendants with natural gemstones.
- 3 Journal & Pen sets (Your choice: Lichgates or Treason cover)
- $25 gift card (Your choice: Amazon, B&N, or Apple)
Don't miss out on this generous giveaway!
Fill in the blanks: Treason is like [TV show/book/movie] meets [TV show/book/movie].
Treason is like Alice in Wonderland meets Lord of the Rings.
Was there anything specific that inspired you to write this series?
The Grimoire Trilogy is one of those ideas that began with a thought and snowballed into something massive. I've been working on it since 2006, so my inspiration comes from everything: the world, places I visit, people I meet…you name it. It's a huge story, and you can learn more about it by heading to the official site: The Grimoire Online.
Book Order:
Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1)
Treason (Grimoire Trilogy #2)
Heritage (Grimoire Trilogy #3) – releases Fall 2013
How did you do your world building for Ourea?
This is actually a question I get a lot, so I wrote a blog post with more detail. It will be featured on December 11, 2012 over at Jen McConnel's blog, but you can read it now on my writing blog, Boyce's Guide to Writing, where I empower other authors through discussions on writing technique and the publishing world.
What do you think are some necessary elements to a good romance in a book?
I think romance needs to be balanced with action, or else the story gets dull. I'm not fond of books where the only real plot is the main characters getting together, but that's me.
Another element to consider is realistic implementation. That is, avoid "insta-love" where the MCs look at each other and love each other for no real reason. True love builds over time, and I think fictional romance should reflect that.
What are some of the children's/YA books you read when you were younger?
I loved The Hobbit. It's still one of my favorite books. I also read Goosebumps religiously, as well as the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and Artemis Fowl.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I usually start by listening two cinematic songs that I relate to whatever series I'm writing. Their orchestra gets me into the mindset of my novel, and it helps me daydream about what I want to happen next.
For The Grimoire Trilogy, my two cinematic songs are Requiem for a Tower (Escala rendition) and Unstoppable by E.S. Posthumus. Once I listen to these songs, I'm in the zone and can slip right into the mindsets of my Grimoire characters.
Who are some of your heroes, authors or otherwise?
Tolkien & Neil Gaiman, obviously (since I'm a fantasy nerd). But if we're talking non-authors, Jon Stewart is probably one of my greatest heroes. I think he's level headed and presents his arguments in both an entertaining and logical manner. I may not agree with everything he says, but I am always inclined to at least listen. I respect that finesse, because few people possess it.
What was the hardest scene to write in Treason? What about the funnest?
Fun question! Okay. Well, the hardest scene was the scene where Kara meets Death (I won't tell you any more than that). It was also my favorite, possibly because it was so difficult. I must have rewritten it a half-dozen times in an effort to convey the situation's gravity in the most delicate manner possible while still keeping the conversation engaging. I mean, nothing really happens in that scene; it's 95% dialogue. But the setting and conversation's content made it riveting to me, and I therefore wanted to give it every ounce of attention I could manage.
If you could go to Disneyworld with one of your characters, who would you choose and why?
Kara. She and I are similar on so many levels that I know we'd have a blast. We would also get into ridiculous amounts of trouble.
Can you give us a hint of what's to come in the next book?
Hmm…well, for you, yes.
Heritage will be a roller coaster, even more so than the first two books. Every major character (and some minor ones) will be forced to change if they want to survive. Many will die anyway. The question is…who? You'll have to read it, though, if you want to find out.
AH. Before I go, I wanted to let you and your amazing readers know about a fun new experiment. I created an ARC mailing list for book bloggers and reviewers. If you're a book blogger and love to read fantasy and young adult, I encourage you to sign up. You'll only get one email each time I prepare a signup sheet for a new book release. At most, you'll get about 3 emails a year. Very low key, but it's a great way to grab my new books before anyone else gets a peek.
You can also sign up for the Heritage ARC now.
Stay awesome!
Thanks for dropping by, SM! 🙂
Excerpt from Chapter One of Treason by SM Boyce
Kara pushed herself to her feet. "We should probably make our way back to the mansion, Braeden."
"Nope," he said.
"What do you mean, 'no'?"
"You wanted to learn to fight. We haven't trained today. We need to spar."
She groaned. They'd been sparring. She'd healed dozens of bruises and even a broken finger, all evidence to the fact she was barely able to react in time to a sword coming at her face, much less a magical technique. She just wasn't a very good fighter.
He laughed. "You'll never get better if you don't practice. Come on."
He drew his sword.
Her stomach twisted. "Right here? Seriously? On a ledge? Those are rapids!"
"Yes. Today, it's all about controlling your opponent's movement and fighting in difficult terrain. Since you aren't strong in this environment, drive me back up the stairs and to the forest, where you have more room to move. Also, you should never be without a sword."
"But I don't have one!"
"That was my point."
"Shouldn't I practice one lesson at a time?"
In answer, he swung his sword at her arm. She pressed her back against the cave wall, ducking the blow seconds before the blade cut the air. Goose bumps crawled up her neck.
Braeden laughed. "The best way to learn is baptism by fire. Let's go!"
Kara ducked another swing and looked around, but she had no tactical advantage. Braeden blocked her way to the stairs. She couldn't run past him or—she glanced over the ledge at the tumbling river below. Nope, she was not jumping into that. Her only escape was a nearby hole in a ledge that ran above her like a catwalk. If she could—
Braeden shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet, apparently ready to lunge and end this whole bout before it began.
No time to think. Just go.
Kara sprinted away, toward the gap. Braeden followed, and Kara jumped for the ledge seconds before he lunged. She grabbed the walkway, the splinters of rock digging into her arms as her momentum lifted her legs out of Braeden's passing reach.
His fingers brushed her ankle, sending a shiver up her leg. She resisted the impulse to smile at the tingling sensation his touch left behind. It made her think of his hand on her back, of their kiss—
"Clever!" he said.
Focus, Kara.
She pulled herself onto the ledge and wished she had a witty response, but she'd learned that lesson the hard way during an earlier match. She had distracted herself by talking, instead of distracting him like she'd hoped. Braeden had tripped her and knocked her clean onto her back. Dialogue was yet another weapon, one that required practice. Let the better fighters banter. Lesser fighters focus.
Kara got to her feet and raced along the upper pathway toward the waterfall, her satchel bouncing against her back while she ran as fast as she could. Braeden would be faster, but she had to try.
The ledge curved around a bend in the cave. Her feet pounded against the rock, sending shards of cave wall sprinkling to the ground below. The walkway likely hadn't seen action like this in its lifetime. She hoped it wouldn't crumble.
Braeden's steps echoed from under her as the edge of the catwalk came into view. It would end about ten feet before the stairs, so she picked up her pace. She couldn't slow down, or Braeden would catch her.
Five feet away, now.
Two feet—
Kara kept her eyes where she wanted to go, just as Braeden had taught her the last time they'd sparred. She'd tried to jump from a tree and wound up in a bramble bush.
Instinct and a dozen failed attempts in prior matches told her to tuck her head, to curl onto her shoulder and let the momentum propel her forward.
Rocks dug into her neck and shoulder before pushing against her back, but nothing stung. She rolled back onto her feet and took off again, not daring to look back for Braeden. She would probably trip if she did.
She grinned, adrenaline numbing her fingertips as she ran. She had no earthly idea how she would do it again, but to hell with it. She'd finally rolled!
Kara followed the path as it curved and disappeared behind the waterfall. The water misted along her neck, blocking all light as she passed behind it. She let her feet find the stairs as she bolted up two at a time. Braeden's light breaths came from somewhere in the darkness behind her.
Green sunlight illuminated the top of the stairs, the light blocked by a thick canopy of trees. Brown blurs came into view—bark. There would be a root right when she rounded the last stair, so she had to be careful not to—
Kara's foot hooked on the root anyway.
She shot forward and skidded along the dirt path. Sticks left gouges in her arms. Her cheek stung. She wiped her hand over her face, but that just made the stinging worse. Blood stained her fingers when she pulled away.
A sword glinted in Kara's peripheral vision. She sprung to her feet. Braeden stood a short way off, without a scratch on him. He grinned.
"Falling was an interesting choice," he said.
"Cute." Kara rolled her eyes and brushed dust off her clothes.
So, what are you waiting for? Go check this book out!


text:
Moody News
Local news for Moody, AL continually updated from thousands of sources on the web.
Argo council members clean up roads with volunteers for Earth Day
Saturday | The Trussville Tribune | Comment?
Moody news is powered by NewsRank ®
Updated: Sat Apr 22, 2017 05:14 pm
Copyright © 2017 Topix LLC


text:
I'm not a runner. I'm not even a fast walker but I have participated in the DAV 5K every year beginning with the inaugural event in 2013. All of those have taken place in Cincinnati and I feared I would not be able to take part this year because I would be out of town on race... er, I mean stroll day. The reason I'll not be in Cincinnati that day is that I will be on my way to a Route 66 related event in California. It was really nice to learn that Tulsa would be hosting a DAV 5K this year. The location fits perfectly with my planned route and the timing, though not quite perfect, is close enough. I'm looking forward to partictpating in my fourth walk for DAV and kind of excited to be doing it in a different town.
Why I "Go 5K"
Did you know there are currently 4 million disabled veterans in our country? I want to do my part to help veterans, which is why I'm participating in the DAV 5K Run to Honor Veterans. DAV (Disabled American Veterans) is committed to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high quality lives. Together, we can stand up and honor the brave men and women who served.
About DAV
DAV is a nonprofit organization that helps more than 1 million veterans in life-changing ways each year. DAV assists veterans by helping them gain access to the medical, financial and educational benefits they've earned along with connecting them to meaningful employment opportunities. All services are provided free of charge.
Please Support Me
The DAV 5K helps further the mission of the DAV to ensure our injured heroes are not alone on their road to recovery. When you support this event by making a donation, you are investing in the lives of our wounded American heroes who have sacrificed for our freedoms.