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MAUI, HI – November 7, 2007 – SEMI has announced that Richard Hong of KLA-Tencor is the recipient of the ninth annual Bob Graham Award. The award was presented to Hong last night during a reception at the SEMI International Trade Partners Conference for his outstanding contributions in semiconductor equipment and materials marketing.
Hong was nominated for his pivotal role in helping Samsung to be one of the first companies in the semiconductor industry to deploy the concept of "In Line Monitoring," which has become pervasive throughout the industry, and has resulted in faster fab ramp-up and increased wafer yields for semiconductor companies.
"The example Richard Hong set back in 1993 through his successful implementation of the In Line Monitoring concept at Samsung has had many positive implications for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Once it was shown to be successful, it was rapidly integrated into advanced fabs worldwide," said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. "Richard exemplifies the qualities of a Bob Graham Award recipient, and we are pleased to confer this honor upon one so deserving of it."
KH Kim, former CEO of Samsung Electronics notes that when Samsung first tried to produce the 16 meg DRAM, they boldly decided to be one of the first companies in the industry to move to 200 mm wafers. The larger wafer size forced Samsung to deploy production equipment which was in the early stages of development, and the larger number of die per wafer resulted in massive amounts of defect data which could not be manually analyzed. Yields were zero for nearly 6 months, and it was not until the application of automated in-line monitoring that Samsung was able bring yields to a more viable 70%. KH Kim says, "Our aggressive approach nearly ended in a disaster. In-line monitoring not only saved Samsung, but helped us leap frog the competition and become #1 in the memory business."
Hong holds Bachelor and Masters Degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Myungii and the University of Yonsei respectively, an MBA from Golden Gate University and Executive MBAs from UC Berkeley, University of Sei-jong and Seoul National University. He has almost two decades of experience with companies including KLA-Tencor, Samsung Semiconductor and Al Omran. In addition, he has been active on a number of industry association boards including SEMI, FORCA, the Korean American Semiconductor Association (KASA), and the Korea IT Network.
The Bob Graham Award was established to honor individuals for the creation and/or implementation of marketing programs that enhance customer satisfaction and further the growth of the semiconductor equipment and materials industry. The award is named in honor of the late Bob Graham, the distinguished semiconductor industry leader who was part of the founding team of Intel and who helped establish industry-leading companies Applied Materials and Novellus Systems.
Eligible candidates are nominated by their industry peers and are selected by an award committee comprised of members of the Sales and Marketing Executive Council of SEMI (SMECS), which includes past recipients of the Bob Graham Award. Previous recipients include Art Zafiropoulo (2000), Jim
Healy and Barry Rapozo (2001), Jerry Hutcheson and Ed Segal (2002), Steve Shigeru Nakayama (2003), Edward Braun (2004), Archie Hwang (2005), Aubrey C. (Bill) Tobey (2006.), and Richard Dyck (2007).
SEMI is the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chains for the microelectronic, display and photovoltaic industries. SEMI member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. Since 1971, SEMI has been committed to helping members grow more profitably, create new markets and meet common industry challenges. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Beijing, Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.semi.org.
Scott Smith/SEMI
Tel: 1.408.943.7957
E-mail: email@example.com
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04/02/18 - It's a Wrap! Our New Documentary is Complete.Memory Bridge is delighted to announce the completion of our new documentary, Love Is Listening.
If you are interested in receiving an update when Love Is Listening is available for viewing, please drop us a quick email indicating as much. We will be sending out an announcement with information related to viewing the documentary as soon as it is available.
01/31/18 - Memory Bridge 2018 Five-Year Retreat ReunionThis summer, Memory Bridge will host a three-day reunion for all of the retreat graduates from 2013 - 2017.
08/07/17 - Upcoming Australia PresentationMichael Verde has been invited to speak in Narrogin, Australia. The Alzheimer's WA and the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) is hosting the program as part of their Dementia Friendly Communities Project on Friday, August 11, at 10:30 a.m. With 7 out of 10 Australians being touched by dementia, Michael will be speaking about how to create community connections for people living with dementia in rural communities near Narrogin.
For more information on attending, please see the event page.
07/09/17 - Excerpts from Memory Bridge Training Retreat Participant Evaluations
Participants in the Memory Bridge Training Retreats from 2013 to 2017 had this to say about their experiences:
Joshua Crane, West Hatfield, Massachusetts
Sometimes I feel like my decision to work in an assisted living facility for people with dementia isolates me from a certain "normal" world that is going on without me. The retreat, however, allowed me to feel like I am right where I need to be, in terms of mattering as an important part of society.
01/03/17 - 2016 Retreat Testimonies
Participants of the Memory Bridge Summer Retreat 2016 were asked to share their thoughts about their experience. Below you will find their testimonies.
Emily Cousins
The sense of community and understanding that was built collectively during the week was overwhelming. A very real and genuine connection developed among the group in such a short space of time. It was incredible to see and feel the bond of trust that emerged due to the mutuality of sharing, the authenticity of contribution, and the tangible commitment of everyone to the space and the work. It was truly one of the greatest experiences – professional and personal – that I've ever had.
11/01/16 - 2017 Summer Training Retreat
We are pleased to announce the fifth annual Memory Bridge Training Retreat and Scholarship! The 2017 training, co-sponsored by the Center on Aging and Community at Indiana University, will be held June 1 - 6 in Bloomington, Indiana — and we're covering all the expenses, except for travel.
Specifically, we are seeking people who share our dedication to ending the social isolation of people with dementia through learning how to be with them in emotionally and spiritually sustaining ways.
Applications are open to care providers—both professional care providers and family care providers ("non-professional"), therapists who work with people with dementia, administrators, and service providers whose field of service enriches the lives of people with dementia.
09/26/16 - Memory Bridge Summer Retreat Testimonies
Participants of the Memory Bridge Summer Retreat 2016 were asked to share their thoughts about their experience. Below you will find their testimonies.
Maegan Pollard
My experience with the 2016 Memory Bridge Training Retreat was a completely unforgettable and life changing experience. When I applied, I had an idea of the kind of ground-breaking paradigm of care for the person with Alzheimer's that I would be encountering based on the documentary, There Is a Bridge. But what I wasn't prepared for was the sense of emotional fullness that I felt during my experiences with the group, on my own, and with my buddy. My hope is that as I see more and more patients (currently I'm a medical school student) and find myself zeroing in on what it is that might be "wrong" with them, that I can bring to mind the faces of those I met at Memory Bridge who taught me that love is listening- and REALLY listen.
12/31/15 - Australia Hosts Presentations on Dementia
Michael presented on the subject of being with people with dementia in Western Australia from October 21 to 29, 2015 at eight public events attended by over 1,000 people. Michael's presentations were hosted by the City of Melville, in partnership with Attitudinal Healing International and Alzheimer's WA and were consistently described as inspiring and life-changing.
The press release for the event can be found here.
12/11/15 - 2016 Summer Training Retreat
We are pleased to announce the fourth annual Memory Bridge Training Retreat and Scholarship! The 2016 training will be held June 17 - 22 in Bloomington, Indiana — and we're covering all the expenses, except for travel.
Specifically, we are seeking people who share our dedication to ending the social isolation of people with dementia through learning how to be with them in emotionally and spiritually sustaining ways.
Applications are open to care providers — both professional care providers and family care providers ("non-professional"), therapists who work with people with dementia, administrators, and service providers whose field of service enriches the lives of people with dementia.
07/15/15 - Upcoming "Love is Listening" Presentation in Toronto
Michael Verde will be presenting in Toronto, on Monday, August 10, 2015, on the topic of healing the dis-ease of Alzheimer's. Michael's presentation will explore how we can participate in ending the emotional isolation that is the disease of Alzheimer's through being with someone whose need to give and receive love has not disappeared. Click here for more information and to register.
07/13/15 - "I am a Bridge" Training at Sandhill CoveMemory Bridge's 3 1/2-day experiential learning journey, "I am a Bridge," was held July 9,2015- July 12, 2015, at Sandhill Cove's Water's Edge Extended Care in Palm City, Florida. This is Michael Verde's fourth training at Sandhill Cove in two years. To date, 60 "I Am a Bridge" graduates have learned from people with dementia what if feels like to "be with" a person with dementia, and how vital being together is to all our lives, regardless of our cognitive capacities. A community of Bridge Builders visit their Buddies at Water's Edge on a regular basis, ending by their gift and reception of love and joy the loneliness that constitutes the unnecessary suffering of dementia.
06/24/15 - 3rd Annual Memory Bridge Retreat
Memory Bridge hosted their third annual 5-day training retreat at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Center in Bloomington, Indiana. This year's retreat attracted participants from all over the world, including, the U.K. and Australia. The retreat provided 12 participants an experience-centered learning journey that positioned people with dementia in the roles of teacher, guide, and companion. In addition to the one-to-one and group visits with the Buddies, the training incorporated presentation, daily meditation, I-Land mapping, literature discussions, drumming, and peer-to-peer and intragroup sharing. More information on the annual training retreat scholarships can be found here.
05/06/15 - St. Christopher's Hospice in London Hosting WorkshopThis May, St. Christopher's Hospice in London invited Michael Verde to present on the subject of "Bridging the Dis-Ease of Social Isolation: Empathic Care of the Chronically Ill and Cognitively Impaired." The one-day workshop for caregivers explored theories of empathic communication, as well as verbal and non-verbal ways of "being with" people with cognitive impairment. Participants were introduced to theories of empathic communication, and how the fundamentals of those theories can be translated into emotionally skillful ways of participating in the healing of emotional isolation that is the dis-ease of the myriads of kinds of dementia.
01/14/15 - "Love Is Listening" Vero Beach Museum of Art
The Vero Beach Museum of Art, in Vero Beach, Florida, hosted Michael Verde for his presentation "Love Is Listening." Michael's presentation was part of the museum's larger commitment to Art For Health's Sake.
01/08/15 - Presentation at Sailfish Point, Stuart, FloridaNinety residents of Sailfish Point, a residential community in Stuart, Florida, participated in Michael Verde's presentation on "being with" people with dementia in emotionally rejuvenating ways called "Love Is Listening."
11/28/14 - 2015 Summer Training Retreat
We are pleased to announce the third annual Memory Bridge Training Retreat and Scholarship! The 2015 training will be held June 19 - 24 in Bloomington, Indiana - and we're covering all the expenses, except for travel.
Specifically, we are seeking people who share our dedication to ending the social isolation of people with dementia through learning how to be with them in emotionally and spiritually sustaining ways.
Applications are open to teachers (who want to bring the Memory Bridge Initiative to their schools), care providers, therapists who work with people with dementia, administrators, and service providers whose field of service enriches the life experiences of people with dementia.
09/04/14 - Keynote Speech in London
The St. Christopher's Hospice is hosting Michael Verde as the keynote speaker for the conference, "Celebrating Care Homes: What Works" on May 7th, 2015. This bi-annual two-day conference will focus on exceptional practice in care homes. More information about St. Christopher's can be found on their website.
09/03/14 - Keynote Presentation at 7th Annual Gerontology Conference
Michael Verde is the presenter and keynote speaker for the 7th Annual Gerontology Conference – sponsored by the Michiana Gerontology Institute on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, IN.
The presentation, "Love Is Listening: Healing the Dis-ease of Dementia through "Being With" Care" explores the depth of empathetic communication and what is often overlooked in traditional approaches to giving care; how much of the quality of our lives, while grounded in functional needs, depends finally upon the meeting of our relational needs.
09/02/14 - Testimony Excerpts from the 2014 Summer Retreat
Memory Bridge has received the testimonies from our 2014 Summer Retreat and would like to share them with you. Please take a look and enjoy:
05/27/14 - Two Workshops Presented in South Africa
On May 21 and May 29, 2014 Michael is presenting two workshops in South Africa at the Universities of Pretoria and Kwa Zulu-Natal, respectively. The workshop, Bridging the Dis-Ease of Social Isolation: empathetic care of cognitively impaired elders is organized around themes central to communicating with elders with dementia in emotionally vital ways. Last year's workshop on the same topic attracted participants from several countries across Africa.
05/12/14 - Chicago Tribune Coverage of John Hancock College Prep Initiative
The Chicago Tribune highlighted a recent Memory Bridge initiative involving John Hancock College Prep High Scool in Chicago and Birches Assisted Living in Clarendon Hills. The article covers the significance and meaning that the Memory Bridge "I Am a Bridge" program has for the participating high school students and assisted living residents with dementia.
05/01/14 - News Coverage of Training Workshop
Memory Bridge's "I Am a Bridge" immersion training workshop recently held at Sandhill Cove's Water's Edge Extended Care in Palm City, Florida was included in Stuart Magazine. Memory Bridge founder Michael Verde and internationally acclaimed author Lisa Genova, who also participated in the 3 1/2-day immersion training experience, were published in this article.
12/06/13 - Lisa Genova Joining the Bridge in Bloomington
We are delighted to announce that the New York Times best-selling author Lisa Genova will be joining Memory Bridge for our 2014 Training Retreat. Genova's novel Still Alice has been adapted as a major motion picture starring Julianne Moore, to be released in June, 2014. Still Alice describes the sudden descent of a 50-year-old professor into early onset Alzheimer's disease. The Boston Globe says Genova's novel is "written not from the outside looking in, not from the point of view of a caretaker or a husband or a friend, but from the inside looking out."
11/26/13 - 2014 Summer Training Retreat
We are pleased to announce the second annual Memory Bridge Training Retreat and Scholarship! The 2014 training will be held June 13 - 18 in Bloomington, Indiana - and we're covering all the expenses, except for travel.
Specifically, we are seeking people who share our dedication to ending the social isolation of people with dementia through learning how to be with them in emotionally and spiritually sustaining ways.
Applications are open to teachers (who want to bring the Memory Bridge Initiative to their schools), care providers, therapists who work with people with dementia, administrators, and service providers whose field of service enriches the life experiences of people with dementia.
09/16/13 - New Book in ResourcesA new book has been added to our resources section by John Swinton, Dementia: Living in the Memories of God. In this book, published at the end of 2012, Swinton develops a practical theology of dementia for caregivers, people with dementia, ministers, hospital chaplains, and medical practitioners as he explores two primary questions: Who am I when I've forgotten who I am? What does it mean to love God and be loved by God when I have forgotten who God is?
08/01/13 - "Love is Listening" News CoverageKane Center in Stuart, FL recently hosted Michael Verde, who discussed how to end the isolation of those with dementia. The TCPalm newspaper covered the event in this article."We can't cure Alzheimer's, but there's something we can do to diminish the isolation that Alzheimer's brings," said Verde.
07/10/13 - "Love is Listening" Presentation at Treasure CoastThe Council on Aging of Martin County is hosting Michael Verde for the presentation, "Love is Listening" - Empathetic Communication in Dementia Care. Family, Friends, and Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia are invited to attend on Tuesday, July 23 from 1-3 p.m. Michael will explore how we can begin healing the dis-ease of Alzheimer's by entering into the emotional lives of people with dementia.
06/06/13 - Preliminary Results from the South Africa InitiativeResearchers at the University of Pretoria in South Africa are in the process of gathering data from students and teachers who participated in the Memory Bridge Dementia Immersion Training program. Initial feedback has been reported from the April 15 -- May 23, 2013 Memory Bridge training, in collaboration with the Department of Social Work at the University of Pretoria. University of Indiana awarded the Creative Paths to Peace grant to Memory Bridge to train seven select teachers and seven high school students in South Africa in empathetic communication aptitudes and methods.
04/12/13 - Empathetic Communication Workshop in South AfricaUniversity of Pretoria in South Africa welcomes back Memory Bridge founder Michael Verde to conduct a workshop on May 28, 2013 on "Empathetic Communication in Dementia Care." The Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) will host this one-day workshop to explore how caregivers and organizations of care can communicate with their loved ones and residents with dementia in emotionally meaningful ways.
03/04/13 - Life Is a Bridge Recognized as Best of WebA big thank you to a leading senior care review website, Caring.com for recognizing There Is a Bridge as one of the best caregiver stories on the web. The article features Memory Bridge and seventeen other caregiving blogs, videos, and photographs that are acknowledged for providing relief, support, and hope.
02/20/13 - Two Workshops Announced for Autumn 2013Registration is now available online for two Memory Bridge workshops in September. The workshops are being hosted by The Altenheim Resource and Referral Center and Faith in Action Caregivers, Inc. at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia.
12/07/12 - 2013 Summer Training RetreatMemory Bridge is inviting 12 people from across the U.S. to join us for our 2013 Training Retreat (June 23 - 28) in Bloomington, Indiana — and we're covering all the expenses, except for travel. Specifically, we are seeking people who share our dedication to ending the social isolation of people with dementia through our learning how to be with them in emotionally and spiritually sustaining ways. Applications are open to teachers (who want to bring the Memory Bridge Initiative to their schools), care providers, therapists who work with people with dementia, administrators, and service providers whose field of service enriches the life experiences of people with dementia.
07/20/12 - Kenosha News Covers How to Rethink AlzheimersIn an recent interview with Kenosha News, Memory Bridge is introduced as " not waiting for the creation of a magic drug or the advent of a new technology". Read more of the article about how Memory Bridge promotes communicating and interacting with Alzheimer's patients by eliminating misconceptions and redefining what is normal.
06/25/12 - Memory Bridge InterviewAs a part of the Riding for the Memory benefit ride on July 21, Michael Verde appeared on Milwaukee's TMJ4 program The Morning Blend. A segment, from the Memory Bridge documentary There Is a Bridge , is shared before an interview where Michael discusses how to be a companion with someone who is affected by Alzheimer's disease. Watch the clip now. The segment from the documentary can be viewed here.
05/23/12 - Join Us at Riding for the MemoryMemory Bridge is proud to participate in the Alzheimer's Riding for the Memory motorcycle ride in Burlington, WI on Saturday, July 21, 2012. The ride will be a scenic route through southern Wisconsin and will end at the Burlington Street Party.
The ride is hosted by Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation of Burlington and six Wisconsin Harley Davidson dealerships will be participating. Aaron Sims, from the Milwaukee Admirals, will be announcing the ride and Michael Verde will be joining the ride. All money raised will benefit the Alzheimer's Association, Memory Bridge, and Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center. For more information please open the ride information in the PDF below. For any additional questions, please contact Amber at firstname.lastname@example.com or 262.221.5572.
03/02/12 - Memory Bridge Initiative in South AfricaMemory Bridge is going to South Africa in May 2013 to build bridges of peace in racially divided high schools. The Creative Paths to Peace grant was awarded by the The Research and Developmental Committee at Indiana University to bring the Memory Bridge Initiative to South Africa for the advancement of peace and education.
03/01/12 - Life is a Bridge Dementia Immersion ProgramThe Life is a Bridge Dementia Immersion Program was presented Friday, February 17 to Monday, February 20, 2012 by Michael Verde to high school students and residents at Treasure Coast Hospice in Stuart, FL. Attendees also included Treasure Coast Hospice staff that care for patients in Skilled Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Residents, like nurses, certified nurse's aides, social workers, and chaplains. The teenage and hospice residents learn to build bridges by expanding compassionate care for patients and each other. Starting Friday evening with an introduction and wrapping up Sunday afternoon, the itinerary includes a progression of workshops, intensive training, buddy visits, as well as individual and group activities.
02/15/12 - Lecture series includes Michael Verde on Treasuring Life through LiteratureA new lecture series, "Treasuring Life", offered by the Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning at Indian River State College, included Michael Verde as one of the four lectures offered in the series. He presented "Treasuring Life through Literature" on February 15, 2012 about what it means to be a compassionate reader. He also led a discussion on a masterwork of 20th century literature, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera.
11/10/11 - Memory Bridge at Treasure Coast HospiceThe Life is a Bridge program will be presented Thursday, November 10 to Sunday, November 13, 2011 by Michael Verde to volunteers and staff at Treasure Coast Hospice in Stuart, FL. Attendees include Treasure Coast Hospice staff that care for patients in Skilled Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Residents, like nurses, certified nurse's aides, social workers, and chaplains. Participants will focus on learning to build bridges by expanding compassionate care for patients and each other. Starting Thursday evening and wrapping up Sunday afternoon, the itinerary includes a progression of workshops, buddy visits, as well as individual and group activities.
11/09/11 - Upcoming Summit PresentationMemory Bridge is proud to announce Michael Verde will be the first speaker at the Pathway Annual Summit. He will be presenting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 9, at Bobak's Signature Events, 6440 Double Eagle Drive, in Woodridge, IL 60517. Google Map
09/22/11 - Conference Presentation at Palliative Care Conference
Guest speaker Michael Verde is a participant in this year's ELNEC-VA/EPEC-VA Palliative Care Conference, hosted at North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System in Gainesville, Florida. Michael will be speaking about dementia on September 21, 2011, 10 A.M., at the Malcom Randall VA Auditorium.
08/12/11 - Naomi Feil and Michael Presenting in Cleveland
One-Day Validation training with Naomi Feil and keynote presentation with Michael on August 12 - 14 at the Embassy Suites Downtown, Cleveland, Ohio. For more information about the event visit www.compassionate-touch.org/naomi
08/10/11 - Tribune UpdateAfter featuring Memory Bridge on the front page, the Chicago Tribune posted a gallery of photos from the experience. The gallery can be found here.
04/25/11 - Memory Bridge to Lead Hospice Training in Florida's Treasure Coast
Participants in this three-day, guided journey in connecting with those with dementia will explore what it means, and does not mean, for a person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and not merely from the outside-in, the bio-medical perspective, but from the inside-out, from within the lifeworld of a person living with dementia. Developed by the Memory Bridge Foundation, this experience-based, empathy-centered workshop pairs each participant with a person in hospice diagnosed with irreversible dementia--a Buddy. Volunteers and Buddies will meet two times in person over the three days of training. Combined with the supported companionship with hospice clients will be a variety of other learning experiences--presentation-based, creative, reflective, peer-to-peer dialogue, case study, and sharing circles.
03/25/11 - Michael Presenting at Life Services Network 2011 Meeting
Michael is presenting There Is a Bridge: Healing the Dis-ease of Alzheimer's at this year's Life Services Network Annual Meeting to be held in Chicago, Illinois at Navy Pier. Michael's presentation will define the crucial differences between the neurogenerative disease called Alzheimer's and the intersubjective experience of emotional and social isolation that is the dis-ease of Alzheimer's. Rooted in a vision that challenges the cliched and fear-mongering marketing scripts through which Alzheimer's is typically framed for public consumption, Michael's presentation explores the intra- and interpersonal lifeworlds of our collective humanity and points the way to meaningful action that we can take now to begin healing the suffering associated with Alzheimer's.
03/16/11 - Study of Memory Bridge Initiative Published in Educational Gerontology
This study evaluated the Memory Bridge Initiative (MBI), an educational, experiential program pairing high school students with older adults who have dementia. A qualitative, single group design with baseline and follow-up measures examined whether or not students would have a positive learning experience while gaining newfound appreciation and understanding of older adults with dementia. Findings showed that students' perceptions of older adults and of Alzheimer's disease became more optimistic and hopeful after participation in MBI. Students also favorably described their learning experience and recommended improvements for future programs. This evaluation informs future service-learning and dementia-care programs with results supporting wider dissemination of the Memory Bridge Initiative. Study available through Taylor & Francis Online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03601271003608860
01/13/11 - Educational Workshop with Naomi Feil and Michael VerdeNaomi Feil and Michael to lead a one-day, educational workshop on connecting with people with irreversible dementia in Port St. Lucie, Florida on January 13, 2011. The workshop, sponsored by Treasure Coast Hospice, is designed for care-partners and hospice volunteers. The event will be held in the Port St. Lucie Civic Center � 9221 SE Civic Center Place. For more information visit www.tchospice.org.
01/08/11 - Michael Verde on Radio Talk Show Today
WTTB radio host Cindy Bryant interviewed Michael prior to his presentation for Treasure Coast Hospice's Treasuring Life Speaker Series on January 13, 2011. In this interview Michael explains the difference between Alzheimer's disease and the dis-ease of Alzheimer's, and why understanding this difference can be the beginning of the most important spiritual journey of our lives. Click "read more" to hear the interview.
10/15/10 - Memory Bridge Begins Fall Classes
Memory Bridge begins its sixth year of bridge-building outreach in Chicago public schools. High school teens in eight Chicago public schools are partnering with elders diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in this fall's CPS Memory Bridge Initiative. This semester's selected schools, located in diverse areas across the city, are Corliss High School, Gwendolyn Brooks Prep. Academy (2 classes), Roberto Clemente high School, Walter Payton High School, Kelvyn Park High School, and Taft High School.
04/14/10 - Memory Bridge Makes Front Page of Tribune
The Memory Bridge Initiative was featured on the front page of the Chicago Tribune on April 14, 2010.
To read the Tribune article, click here for the online version.
01/15/10 - The "I Have a Dream" Foundation Partners with Memory Bridge
The "I Have a Dream" Foundation is partnering with Memory Bridge to launch Dreamers and Mockingbirds, a 12-week after school, service-learning and literacy-enrichment program based on the Memory Bridge Initiative. The Dreamers participating in Dreamers and Mockingbirds will read and explore To Kill a Mockingbird individually and as a class. Dreamers will also read parts of the novel to their Buddies (the elders with dementia participating in the program with the Dreamers), both in one-on-one and group contexts.
10/15/09 - Michael Presents at Florida Hospice Forum
Michael Verde will be presenting There Is a Bridge at the 2010 Florida Hospice & Palliative Care conference on May 20 & 21 in Orlando Florida. Michael's presentation explores those facets of personal identity that Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia can not extinguish.
06/18/09 - John Kotre's "White Gloves" to be included in Memory Bridge curriculum
John Kotre, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, is the author of "White Gloves", a book which introduces the idea of autobiographical memory, which he describes as "the people, places, objects, events, and feelings that go into the story of your life."
06/10/09 - Memory Bridge featured on Aging Matters
Michael Verde was interviewed on Aging Matters, a radio program that deals with issues affecting seniors and their families.
06/01/09 - Memory Bridge highlighted in Forget Memory
Anne Basting, Director of the UWM Center on Age & Community, has written a book entitled Forget Memory: Creating Better Lives for People with Dementia that emphasizes the importance of activites that focus on the present when caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

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It's a problem every self-styled Clark Griswold is going to face at some point when stringing up lights during the holiday season.
"You have a light set of 100 and half of the set's out," said 22-year-old Glenview resident Brian Gusak. "A lot of people would think that you have to replace 50 bulbs, but realistically it takes one point of interruption to put a series of lights out because of the way they're wired."
The bells on bobtails ringing don't make spirits nearly as bright as the colorful decorative light displays illuminating our homes. But when one of those strings of lights burns out, those spirits can darken quickly.
"When light sets are being repaired, words often get used that aren't in any Christmas carols," said John DeCosmo, president of Ulta-Lit Technologies.
That's when people turn to DeCosmo and his merry band of elves at a nondescript industrial park in Glenview and not, as it were, the North Pole.
For years, Ulta-Lit Technologies have set up a holiday lighting hotline to save the sanity and marriages of people frustrated by malfunctioning holiday light sets.
"I feel like a lot of people feel pressured to just get these lights on," Gusak said. "They hang them up and it's like oh wow, it's already hanging up in my front yard and only half of it's lit and they don't want to be represented that way."
Gusak is one of two temporary employees brought on by the company specifically to staff the hotline.
"I never expected to learn all that I did. I've really enjoyed it to be honest," he said. "It's really cool to be able to help people using that basic knowledge. Identifying that one point of interruption, moving forward is pretty easy from there."
Before being turned loose on the phones, he and others had to go through a training process that started back in August, when most peoples' cheeks are rosy with sunburn and not the winter cold.
That's because DeCosmo wants to make sure that when the holidays roll around, his employees wind up on his customers' "nice" lists.
"Not everybody is meant for [working the hotline[," DeCosmo said. "I want them smarter than almost every one of our callers, and I insist on that. We just have a rigorous training. If you call and my people are guessing, something's wrong."
The company, which produces tools specifically designed to diagnose and fix malfunctioning holiday lights, has had employees manning the phones seven days a week since just after Thanksgiving, diagnosing problems and helping customers save their light sets.
Most of the people taking calls are full-time employees like 24-year-old Portage Park resident Linda Barrientos, the company's sales and marketing manager who will spend about half her work day helping customers repair their light sets over the phone.
"Around this busy season, our full-time job does become technical support," she said. "We want to put the customers first. Yes, I have other things that I need to tend to, but that comes second when it comes to customer service."
While most of the callers are people using one of the company's products, every now and again they'll get someone who is trying to fix their light set the old fashioned way.
"We go back a step and go back to checking bulb by bulb, but if the person is willing to put in that type of time, we'll stay on the phone with them and guide them through that, offer any suggestions we can think of," Barrientos said. "Of course, we do want to inform them about the products and let them know because it can save them a lot of time."
While the holiday season is meant to lift people's spirits, dealing with issues with their Christmas lights can leave many people feeling irritable. Barrientos and Gusak said they've been able to develop ways of diffusing those situations and putting the happy back in the holidays.
"We really try to keep it light on the phones," Barrientos said. "If you can, crack a joke here or there. It's helpful to remind them that you're in it together. We can do this. I'm on the phone as long as you need me."
"It takes a lot of patience," Gusak added. "You pick up the phone, you hear somebody on the other line, and you just try to picture what they're doing and what process they're going through. I know that if I give the person the patience and just understand the situation, we'll be able to work through it."
They'll have somebody on the phones through Christmas Day taking calls from across the country, making sure both lights and spirits stay bright. If you're having a problem with one of your light sets, call 888-ULTA-LIT.
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Kentucky USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director John W. McCauley announces that producers now have until Jan. 15, 2014, to report crops that have a Nov. 15, 2013, or Dec. 15, 2013, reporting deadline without paying a late-file fee. Crops under this waiver include wheat and native and improved grasses intended for grazing or haying. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) did not grant a waiver so producers need to consult their crop insurance agent for deadlines for insured crops.
It's time to clean up the bramble patch: In order to maintain healthy and productive blackberries and raspberries, we need to prune out the old to make room for the new.
Most brambles are biennial, which means they fruit on second-year growth.
Blackberries are easy to deal with, just remove the arching canes that fruited this year and trim up and trellis the new growth from this summer, which will bear next summer's fruit. Repeat the same thing next year.
U.S Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan Garcia announces that the processing and disbursement of 2013 crop commodity loans has resumed.
The commodity loan programs provide interim financing to producers for agricultural commodities stored after harvest and then sold throughout the year. Crop year 2013 commodity loan-making was suspended Oct. 1, 2013, to make changes necessary to accommodate the automatic funding reductions known as sequester. Sequestration is mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011.
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia announces that the 2013 FSA County Committee Elections began Nov. 4 with the mailing of ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 2, 2013.
Southern States Cooperative will review its operations at a series of local annual meetings, including the upcoming meeting for members of Southern States Lexington Cooperative, Inc. – Lexington, Cynthiana and Paris Branches.
John W. McCauley, State Executive Director for Kentucky's Farm Service Agency (FSA), announces that the loan limit for the Guaranteed Loan Program increased to $1,355,000 on Oct. 1. The limit is adjusted annually based on the "Prices Paid to Farmers Index", compiled by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
"Raising the guaranteed loan limit will allow FSA to better meet the financial needs of producers across the Commonwealth," said McCauley.
Leaf raking is an autumn chore that only children enjoy because they get to undo it in one fowl swoop. We rake and pile and they jump. I propose a new approach that just may make us all happy: adults can still rake a little, children can still play and trees will benefit from some mulch and fertilizer. At the farm raking leaves is passé; we let them stay where they fall (with reason, of course) which is usually beneath their canopy.
By Gary Carter, Co. ext. agent
Dr. Kenny Burdine, Ag Economist at the University of Kentucky will give his predictions for the beef industry at the Harrison County Beef Cattle Association Annual meeting. The meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 5 at the Harrison County Extension Office. The program will begin at 6 p.m.
This program is an event to inform the public about our industry and also conduct the business portion of our local association. The Board of Directors would like to invite anyone interested in the beef industry to attend this meeting.
When it comes to bulbs we don't always meet with consistent success. And, before you blame the chipmunks, the girl who mows the grass or the bulb company for their lack-luster performance, consider some of the other factors that influence how well flowering bulbs flower.
Sunlight; crowded bulbs; pre-mature removal of foliage the previous season; or a winter rest period that wasn't cold enough or long enough may play a role in poor performance.
Brittany Bennett of Cynthiana was named one of Kentucky's leading youth livestock exhibitors and honored for her efforts during the 2013 show season at the 10th annual Kentucky Proud Points Luncheon Oct. 19 in Frankfort.
"The lessons you learn showing livestock will translate into being productive citizens as adults," Agriculture Commissioner James Comer told the exhibitors at the luncheon.
Bennett was a top Kentucky Proud Points exhibitor in dairy.
Copyright © 2018
The Cynthiana Democrat is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Cynthiana, KY and the surrounding area.


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There's an urgent need for sustainable housing solutions for the urban poor around the world. Meet the people hoping to revolutionise slum living with their hi-tech, low-cost ideas.
Migration of people to cities has reached unprecedented levels in recent human history. Over a third of these people – around one billion in total – now live in slums, informal settlements and shantytowns, often in little more than corrugated iron and zinc sheet shacks lacking access to even the most basic sanitation, clean water, security, or clean energy sources.
Africa boasts the fastest rate of urbanisation, and it has the highest share of informal settlement residents (62% of sub-Saharan Africa's urban population live in slums). If trends continue, by 2050, there will be an estimated 1.2 billion people inhabiting Africa's swelling slums, according to the UN.
Slums are often hubs of impressive innovation and creativity by residents working to get by – rigging electricity, sanitation and water systems in the absence of real infrastructure. But there is an enormous and urgent need for better, more sustainable solutions to house the urban poor in Africa, and worldwide.
Living the iLife
The "iShack" isn't Apple's attempt at affordable housing. It's short for "improved shack living", an innovative approach to slum housing improvements that's being piloted in Enkanini, a growing slum just outside Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Developed by a group of students at the University of Stellenbosch, the iShack featuresa solar panel to power three lights, a mobile-phone charger and an outdoor spotlight for security. The roof is designed to collect rainwater, and windows are placed to allow better airflow and sunlight heating. The interior walls are insulated with recycled cardboard boxesandTetra Pak containers, the exterior walls are coated with fire-retardant paint, and bricks create solid foundation flooring.
The iShack is less about being a complete physical dwelling, and more about a series of incremental tech upgrades that give slum-dwellers safe access to basic services, saysBerry Wessels, iShack's field co-ordinator. "The idea is for us to develop a kind of social enterprise that will enable certain infrastructural solutions and products to be implemented in informal settlements."
For example, one of the greatest challenges faced in slums is energy. Tightly packed informal settlements act as tinderboxes, and a small fire from candles or kerosene lanterns (the cheapest forms of lighting) can – and often do – spread like wildfire. Just last week in Enkanini a fire destroyed nearly 600 houses. To help prevent these situations, iShack is developing an affordable pay-as-you-go meter system for supplying solar energy to houses.
Working on upgrading technology for slums isn't easy, the team says. "In these informal settlements, there is no real leadership structure, it's very fragmented", says Wessles. A major barrier is what Andreas Keller, developer of the iShack's concept, calls an "insecurity of tenure". People may be hesitant to make major investments into their shacks, because their ability to reside there in the future is uncertain – the result of perhaps shifting jobs, unstable income, or disasters.
As a result, the team is making sure that any solution can be adapted and used in any future environment – whether it's an upgrade or downgrade. "When you move into a new home, you can bring the appliances/technology with you," says Keller.
Affordable challenge.
iShack's prototype concept costs around 5,600 rand ($660), excluding the solar power system. Six hundred dollars may seem cheap to some, but thecost of living in slums is full of hidden costs.
"Designing for the poor forces you to rethink all assumptions you have," says Christian Sarkar, co-founder of the "$300 House" initiative, a global crowdsourcing effort to design sustainable living for the poor.
There is a common misconception that the poor can't afford certain things, but the reality is that they end up paying far more than people think for services like electricity, housing and water, says Sarkar. This, he claims, is an enormous opportunity for more businesses to design profitable yet market-appropriate solutions.
Sakar's $300 House idea,launched essentially out of a 2010 blog post in the Harvard Business Review by Sakar and Vijay Govindarajan of Dartmouth College, is an effort to find the people and companies who want to solve this problem, and encourage collaboration. "We want to push people to go down this road, and encourage big companies to get into the housing market for the poor, because it's a giant market," he says. According to the social entrepreneurship NGO Ashoka, the number of people in need of safe housing will triple to around 5 billion by 2030 – which makes this a multi-trillion dollar market opportunity.
Sakar and Govindarajan's efforts led to the "$300 House Open Design Challenge", which attracted everyone from the India's corporate giant Mahindra Group, who won the corporate award for building an integrated village with civic amenities like sanitation, toilets and solar power, to Texan Harvey Lacey, a self-proclaimed "redneck engineer", who came up with a design based on blocks built out of recycled waste, called Ubuntublox.
Another winner was Patti Stouter, who is piloting and prototyping a low-cost, low-tech building material called "Hyper-wattle". The idea draws from her experience building sustainable housing in Haiti, and based on something called Earthbags – bags filled with subsoil stacked to make a house. Stouter's idea is a cross between two wall systems, using plastic mesh tubing (the kind used for erosion control), and a straw-fibre matrix encased in clay. This can be made using straw or hand-compressed trash, meaning it can be built locally and affordably in rural or urban slum settings, says Stouter, who runs Build Simple Inc, a company based in southwestern United States. "Hyper-wattle can be built by women, the elderly, or handicapped workers because it is much lighter than other masonry."
Social divides
Yet there's one important thing to consider. The hopes and aspirations of most of the world's poor – like the rich – are not to have houses built out of trash or mud, no matter how sustainable they may be. "A house is not just a house, it's a status thing," claims Sarkar, "and just because you can build it doesn't mean people will live in it."
In Nairobi, Kenya, which is home to one of Africa's largest slums, one company is looking beyond improvements of slum dwelling, to actual home ownership for the poor.
Irfan Keshavjee, local serial social entrepreneur and Founder of Karibu Homes, a new company that aims to bring home ownership along with a secure, sanitary, and progressive community to low-income families, says that upgrading efforts like iShack or Hyper-Wattle houses are valuable, "but not the answer to the massive problem of rapid urbanisation." What's needed is to build something scalable, making real bricks-and-mortar housing more affordable and accessible to the poor.
Karibu Homes is developing low-cost, secure, housing complexes with 1,000 homes, in areas where urbanisation and slums are mushrooming – like growing industrial areas that are witnessing "the genesis of a slum". They want to catch the problem before it happens, and give people the opportunity to settle somewhere more permanent.
"The hope of having a house bridges a great social divide," says Keshavjee. He claims that only 10% of Kenyans can actually afford to buy the homes on the market, and that his lack of housing "creates a weak social fabric." Alioune Badiane, a Director at UN Habitat, agrees, adding: "there are many people in the slums who are not poor. It's just the market cannot afford them anything they want."
By using an innovative and scalable building process, Karibu hopes to be able to drive the price of home ownership down to people making $300 per month. Owners will pay around 30% of their monthly income – about same as they would pay in a slum – and be on their way to fully owning their home in 15-20 years.
"The problem in Kenya is the first step out of the slums – we're lowering the first rung of the ladder for people to get out," Says Keshavjee.
It's a solution for some, but not all. Many residents of the slums are making far below $300 a month, and still can't even reach this ladder. And for them, the problem of finding safe, affordable housing is only growing. Slums are becoming more packed and less secure as migration from rural areas continues. Tech interventions like iShack, or more local and affordable building materials like Hyper-Wattle provide valuable solutions to the problem, but there's still a massive gap to fill.
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.


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Now you've finally clarified it.
To increase throw, you increase the depower line length along with steering line lengths.
While it aint rocket science, it is all rather confusing until you lay it all out and attempt it yourself.
Attempting the mod on the slingy wasn't good for me because half the depower line is thicker on the bottom and did not allow the line to be inserted into the vario cleat as low as I would prefer - subsequently its a limiting factor on the depower length. Not sure where you would get longer thick spectra but certainly not at the local hardware store so I just abandoned the project for now...


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You are here: Root > By Topic > Text Processing > Regular ExpressionView the dependency graph for this library
String processing library. It "handles matching using regular expressions, substitution, and splitting of strings in a thoroughly Lisp-like way".
Among its features are function objects for describing simple searches, routines for performing algebraic operations on simple searches, binding-trees for representing complex searches, extensible syntax, and more.
Although it has been tested on a limited number of platforms, it should be easily portable to any Common Lisp system.
|Web site
|Mailing list
|20 November 2003 - Wednesday, 19 November 2003
|OS compatibility
|ASDF installable
|Official Download
|Mirrored Download
|Source code repository
Regular Expression | Libraries | Mac OS X | LLGPL
You must be logged to add a note
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Dr. Joel Wallach begins the show discussing the importance of people taking care of their own health. Asserting that people should do their own health tests safely at home. Stating that doctors tell their patients "just eat a healthy diet". Contending that's wrong because there are only three minerals in foods missing 57 others.Pearls of Wisdom
Doug Winfrey and Dr. Wallach discuss a news article regarding a health clinic in Ohio that was defrauding it's patients. Telling patients that they had Alzheimer's or other dementias when the people did not have it. In fact one patient upon getting the Alzheimer's diagnosis went home and committed suicide.Callers
Michael's wife has osteoporosis so bad her dentist wants to remove all her teeth and give her dentures.
Lily has questions regarding her arthritis.
Josey has several has several health challenges including IBS, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Hashimoto's disease and cysts on her liver.
Lorraine's husband has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Call Dr. Wallach's live radio program weekdays from noon until 1pm pacific time at 831-685-1080 or toll free at 888-379-2552.


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Summer Fellowship
In today's job market, experience gives you the edge you need to start your career after college. But the question is how you get that experience when you're still in school or just starting out? Fellowships and internships are a great way to earn real-world and hands-on experience.
The Indiana Secretary of State's office offers a summer fellowship. As a Secretary of State Fellow, you'll be working on meaningful projects for one of Indiana's highest elected officials.
The fellowships are offered to college students, graduate students, and recent college graduates.
Summer Fellowship Program
Every summer beginning in May, the Office of the Indiana Secretary of State welcomes the opportunity to give bright, young minds hands-on experience in the arena of state government. Summer fellows are able to learn about many aspects of the office by working in each of its four divisions.
The fellowship program includes three months of comprehensive experience in the Secretary of State's office. Duties and responsibilities given to the fellows include special projects and assignments essential to the services provided for Hoosier taxpayers.
Fellows rotate between the four divisions of the Office of the Secretary of State in order to gain experience in as many areas possible. Fellows will work in the Securities, Elections, Auto Dealer Services and Business Services divisions - as well as the Secretary's Statehouse office.
Click here for more information on the Summer Fellowship Program.


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From Openmoko
I try to make comprehensive documentation on how to transform numbers in international form and how to use them.
Request For Comments!
In my opinion, Openmoko really needs to support this.
For two reasons. First because using non international numbers on a mobile network is plain stupid and can only be excused by ignorance or lazyness. Numbers just stop to work when you take your phone in another country. And second, because we like to match numbers, whatever form they are in.
Igorance is probably the biggest issue. People just use the numbering schema hey are used to and do not anticipate the problems they can get with this appoach.
Supporting a more sane approach directly in the phone absolutely helps to put and end to this.
VoIP also works best with international numbers.
Number Transformation (Perl Code)
sub canonicalForm { my $number = shift; # my dial plan. I added some examples for a German dial plan in the comments my $PAPrefix = publicAccessPrefix; # No PBX. But usually 0 my $IDPrefix = internationalPrefix; # 00 my $LDPrefix = longDistancePrefix; # 0 my $Country = countryCode; # 49 my $Area = areaCode; # 761 my $PBX = pbxCode; # external number of your PBX $number =~ s/[^+0-9]*//g; # strip white space etc. if ( $number =~ m/^[^+]/ ) { $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix$IDPrefix/+/; # replace int. dialing code if ( $number =~ m/^[^+]/ ) { $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix$LDPrefix/+$Country/; # long distance number if ( $number =~ m/^[^+]/ ) { $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix/+$Country$Area/; # local number if ( $number =~ m/^[^+]/ ) { $number =~ s/^(.*)/+$Country$Area$PBX$1/; # else cononicalize } } } } return $number; }
This is a perl method we use in our company for that purpose.
Please note that publicAccessPrefix and pbxCode are superflous for our purpose. Because we are not behind some PBX.
This code is free.
For this to work, we need to know the users dialling habits when not using international form. This is usually called a Dial Plan.
How a Dial Plan works depends on the users location and or provider.
Known problems
Joachim Breitner notes: In Argentina, Buenos Aires, you usually dial 15-xxxx-xxxx for mobile phones in the area, not including the area prefix. Worse yet, to call from abroad (or if you just want to use the fully qualified number), that number would become +54 9 11 xxxx xxxx, with 54 being the country code, 11 being the area, and 9 being some strange "this is a voice call to a mobile phone" selector. If you send an SMS, you omit the 9.
Other fucked up dial plans might exist too. They probably need some special workaround.
How to find out the users Dial Plan
Because the dial plan depends on the position or provider. We could probably make some automagic match.
We could probably ask the network or SIM about our country or Number. Please submit ideas...
Some crude location based approach might work too. But this has the problem that even when my location (country) changes, the numbering schema in my head does not change. And all my existing numbers i entered in local form relate to another dial plan. So switching dial rules depending wherever i go does not make sense.
Ask the user
If automagic fails or is not conclusive. We could just ask the user about his dialling habits.
Two solutions.
- Create a control panel where the user can enter his dial plan.
Benefit from using a dial plan to normalize numbers only applies when the user actually entered something there.
- Ask the user on the first non international form number he puts into his address book.
The user might be anoyed or not able to answer this question right away. So we should give him a way to enter these information later. (previous approch)
What to do with this?
Number matching against address book
When a call comes in. Try to match it against our telephone book.
Just transform every number before matching.
Transform every number in international form when the user enters it
Transform every number after user put it in his phone book.
Only save internationalized numbers if possible.
This would condition the user to use international form and acknowledge its existence and significance. This should be done in some user visible way. So he sees what happens with his number.
This is my personal favorite because, well non intenrational numbers on mobile networks are stupid...
Convert back to local number
sub dialNumber { my $number = shift; my $PAPrefix = publicAccessPrefix; my $IDPrefix = internationalPrefix' }; my $LDPrefix = longDistancePrefix' }; my $Country = countryCode' }; my $Area = areaCode' }; my $PBX = pbxCode' }; $number =~ s/[^+0-9]+//g; # strip syntactical sugar. $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix$IDPrefix$Country$Area$PBX//; # inhouse phone call $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix$IDPrefix$Country$Area/$PAPrefix/; # local phone call $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix$LDPrefix$Area$PBX//; # inhouse phone call $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix$LDPrefix$Area/$PAPrefix/; # local phone call $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix$IDPrefix$Country/$PAPrefix$LDPrefix/; # long distance call $number =~ s/^$PAPrefix$PBX//; # inhouse call $number =~ s/^[+]$Country$Area$PBX//; # inhouse phone call $number =~ s/^[+]$Country$Area/$PAPrefix/; # local phone call $number =~ s/^[+]$Country/$PAPrefix$LDPrefix/; # long distance call $number =~ s/^[+]/$PAPrefix$IDPrefix/; # international call return $number; }
Converting numbers back makes certainly no sense at all for dialling them on GSM.
But two usages come to my mind.
Number formatting
We could present the user with a number in his local version. I really dislike this idea, because in my mind the only good number is a correct number. Good looking is secondary. But if someone likes this, go ahead...
Non GSM/VoIP Dialling
This is my favourite.
Imagine you have all your numbers stored in your phone, as most of us have. But you somehow have the need to dial a number from you address book via a land line/POTS phone. Maybe because it is just much cheaper to use the land line.
Answer. DTMF!
Just play the number as DTMF on the phone speaker and hold in on the mouth piece of the phone handset.
Problem. In this case you need to use the local dial plan. More important the local dial plan of this particular phone. So this is nothing that could work out of the box, but would work reasonable well if we present the user with the option to choose or change a special dial plan.
This is not much related to the rest of this issue, but a rather cool idea anyway. I want this.


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Meerkat, Slender-tailed Meerkat, Suricate
(Suricata suricatta)
Facts about this animal
Meerkats reach a head-body length of 25-31 cm and a tail length of 20-24 cm. An adult weighs about 620-960 grams. The head is broad and rounded, with a sharp-pointed muzzle. The hindquarters are stockier than the forequarters. Their coat is buff-brown to silvery and has rows of reddish-brown spots along the back. The eyes are distinctively dark-ringed. They have dark-tipped, short-haired, tapered tails.
The meerkat is a social and territorial species. Average group size is ten members, comprised of equal numbers of males and females. They are also diurnal, and take refuge in burrows at night or when threatened.
Meerkats practice a seasonal breeding order which, amongst others, allow for no more than one female to breed at the same time within the same group. Depending of rainfall and availability of food, females will produce between one and three litters per year. Pregnant and lactating females forage more intensively than other members of the group, to meet their increased energy budget. The entire pack participates in the care and maintenance of young. While the others are out foraging for food, one helper remains at the den to tend to the young.
Meerkats feed on insects, small rodents, geckos and snakes.
Did you know?
That one meerkat always stays on guard while the others sleep, forage or do any other activity where they can't possibly watch out for themselves? Meerkat predators include animals like eagles and jackals.
|Name (Scientific)
|Suricata suricatta
|Name (English)
|Meerkat, Slender-tailed Meerkat, Suricate
|Name (French)
|Name (German)
|Name (Spanish)
|CITES Status
|Not listed
|CMS Status
|Not listed
Photo Copyright by
Jan Mehlich
|Southern Africa
|Dry, open plains
|Wild population
|Unknown (Red List IUCN 2011)
|Zoo population
|1'499 reported to ISIS
In the Zoo
How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 78 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Mila Zinkova
Why do zoos keep this animal
Meerkats are not an endangered species. They are however very attractive animals, and because they are always busy and display an interesting social life, are an ideal species for educational purposes. Meerkat exhibits may be combined with underground tunnels and look-outs for children allowing them to play meerkat, which are important means to awake a positive attitude towards animals and nature. Meerkats may be kept in mixed exhibits, e.g. together with rock dassies, small antelopes, like steenbok, or hornbills.


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Get the Latest Extreme News:
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Feel What It's Like!
Experience a Hot Air Balloon Ride with THRILLINGER.com! This amazing journey soars you away to enjoy the world at a much calmer pace. And, with our largest network of providers, you can trust THRILLINGER.com to provide you with a light than air time. Discover what you have been missing out of your life!
Call 1-850-972-9777 to arrange your Hot Air Balloon Ride today!
For a true taste of flight take a hot air balloon ride in Michigan, it's a fascinating dance of tranquility. Nothing quite compares to the joy of soaring, especially when shared with friends, or with that special someone.
Our hot air balloon rides gives you a panoramic view of the city from a breathtaking vantage point. You will enjoy soaring high above Flint on this exclusive ride for two. This amazing Flint balloon ride is the perfect enchanted getaway.
The pricing for this experience includes two (2) people
Flint, Michigan Metro Area
The flight takes place April through Mid-November during the Sunrise and Sunset hours.
The entire experience will last for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. This includes inflation, flight, deflation, and post-flight celebration.
Guests are welcome to come and take part in the "chase" of the balloon from the ground. What an opportunity to have your guests photograph you from the ground.
Weather can be a factor as aerial activities become too dangerous with high winds, heavy rain, fog, or other inclement weather. Rescheduling several times may be necessary as pilots may have to postpone your flight due to inclement weather.
Dress comfortably for outdoor activity-wear appropriate footwear for walking in fields. Early mornings can be cool and damp- waterproof shoes will add to your comfort. Dresses, shorts, or sandals are not recommended. If bringing a camera, be sure to secure it with a strap.
Children must be at a minimum 7 years old and/or at least 48" tall for safety reasons.
Approximately 220 lbs. per person
What is the secondary date for?
All of the activities offered through Thrillinger have a set amount of slots, per day, that can be filled. The secondary date is to give Thrillinger a backup reservation in the event that your first choice was not available. If your preferred date and secondary date are not available, Thrillinger will contact you to set an appropriate date for your reservation. [ Questions? ]
Recently Updated Adventures:


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How To Get The Best Home Studio Recording With One Mic
How To Get The Best Home Studio Recording With One Mic
Our guide to finding the best microphone.
How to develop your mic technique.
'Limitation can be the mother of creativity' and here The Recording Revolution show just how true that axiom can be. One microphone, an Avid Fast Track Solo audio interface and Pro Tools Express are all that were used to make this great sounding recording.
While the amazing advances in technology allow professional recording at home the rule of rubbish in, rubbish out (or the less polite SISO) still applies. The guys at Recording Revolution knew this well and have used some great gear in the recording.
It appears to be some kind of limited run Fender Tele in the video but that classic crunch can be gotten for under £250 with this Squier Tele Custom II. P90 pickups are the key to that mid rich tone.
That driving tone has the unmistakable churn of a driven Vox amp.
Always a popular choice, particularly for folk and rock musicians. Warm, smoky tone with great body, it can only be a Martin.
Just go direct into your interface with the bass. The Squier Jaguar Bass gives you versatility to play in a range of styles, with single coil pickup switching.
So that's you sorted with your backline instruments and ready to record with your Fast Track Solo and Pro Tools but what microphone to use for home recording? Fear not, here's our pick of the best condenser microphones under £100. Now you could use a dynamic mic but if you want to capture the full frequency range and all the detail with one mic then a condenser is the only choice. Here's our pic of the best budget mics.
sE Electronics SE2000 Large Diaphragm Condenser
Samson c02 Stereo Pair
Rode M3 Cardioid Condenser
Exclusive To Dolphin - AKG Perception Bundle With Stand And Auralex Treatment


text: Family, Senior DatingNever Too Old August 4, 2013August 4, 2013 Boomers Not Blommers Advertisements It Is Good Karma To Share:GoogleTwitterFacebookLinkedInPinterestTumblrRedditEmailPrintLike this:Like Loading... Related Published by Boomers Not Blommers Alternative & Holistic Health Goals are dreams with a deadline In life's pursuits, you either move ahead or find yourself falling back; you are never too old to follow your dreams. Enjoy! View all posts by Boomers Not Blommers


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IAT (Iso9660 Analyzer Tool is a tool for detecting the structure of many types
of CD/DVD images and is part of iGnus Project.
With Iso9660 Analyzer Tool you can:
* Create Cuesheet file from image CD/DVD
* Create TOC file from image CD/DVD
* Convert image CD/DVD to ISO9660
* Debug image
Maintained by: Elvio Basello (HelLViS69)
Keywords: iso,analyzer,cue
ChangeLog: iat
Download SlackBuild:
iat.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| iat.SlackBuild
| iat.info
| slack-desc
© 2006-2018 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
Web Design by WebSight Designs | Managed Hosting by OnyxLight Communications


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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Jackson State has hired Wayne Brent to be its men's basketball coach.
The 45-year-old Brent is an accomplished high school coach, winning four state championships in six seasons with Callaway High School in Jackson. He was also an assistant coach at Mississippi for four seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s, helping the Rebels advance to the NCAA tournament three times.
Brent was introduced on Monday, and will have a strong nucleus to work with next season, including guards Dundrecous Nelson (Ole Miss) and Julysses Nobles (Arkansas), who will both be eligible after transferring from the Southeastern Conference. He'll also have several returning players from last year's team that finished with an 11-18 record.
Brent takes over for Tevester Anderson, who retired after 10 seasons leading the Tigers.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Jackson State hires Brent to lead program
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Jackson State has hired Wayne Brent to be its men's basketball coach.


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Network: CBS
Episodes: Ongoing (hour)
Seasons: Ongoing
TV show dates: September 27, 2012 — present
Series status: Has not been cancelled
Performers include: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Aidan Quinn, and Jon Michael Hill.
TV show description:
This TV series gives a new take on the classic Arthur Conan Doyle characters. It's a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases.
Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare — a sober companion, Doctor Joan Watson (Lucy Liu). She was a successful surgeon until she lost a patient and her license three years ago.
Watson views her current job as another opportunity to help people, as well as paying a penance. However, the restless Sherlock is nothing like her previous clients. He informs her that none of her expertise as an addiction specialist applies to him and he's devised his own post-rehab regimen — resuming his work as a police consultant in New York City.
Watson finds she has no choice but to accompany her irascible new charge on his jobs. In the end, Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she has a knack for playing investigator.
Sherlock's police contact is Captain Tobias "Toby" Gregson (Aidan Quinn). He knows, from previously working with Scotland Yard, that Sherlock is brilliant at closing cases, and welcomes him as part of the team.
Episode #TBD
This TV series has not ended yet.
First aired: TBD
What do you think? Do you like the Elementary TV series on CBS? Do you think it should be cancelled or renewed for another season?


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South Dakota's Joe Glenn on Missouri State Win, Indiana State Game
This was certainly not the first win in Joe Glenn's long, and very successful, coaching career.
It wasn't even his first win since taking over at South Dakota last season.
But the combination of the USD's first Missouri Valley Conference victory, in front of a big homecoming crowd, in come-from-behind fashion, all added up for something special when the Coyotes beat Missouri State Saturday, 17-14:
The one constant for the Coyotes this season has been defense, as it was on display Saturday, limiting the Bears to a season-low 177 yard of total offense, while forcing three turnovers, including a Kyle Guziec interception return for a touchdown in the first half:
Saturday was the best of times for senior Tyler Starr. The all-conference linebacker had eight tackles and a pair of sacks, but his second half hit on Missouri State quarterback Kierra Harris was ruled helmet-to-helmet, earning Starr an ejection, and barring an appeal, a spot on the bench for the first half of this week's game with Indiana State:
Offensively, Kevin Earl took over for Josh VanderMaten to make his first start at quarterback and he finished 22-of-35 with one touchdown and one interception. He completed six-of-nine on the final three drives of the game, which resulted in 10 points:
Earl also made a key throw on a two-point conversion attempt, hitting Riley Donovan to pull USD even in the fourth quarter:
One of the other key performers on offense was running back Trevor Bouma, who lead South Dakota in rushing and receiving with 59 yards on the ground, and 56 yards through the air. 44 yards of that total offense coming on USD's lone touchdown drive:
USD struggled again with penalties Saturday, 10 for 94 yards, and were burned on the kicking game a couple of times, with a Miles Bergner missed field goal from 31 yards, and a botched snap on a punt that led to a blocked kick and a touchdown for Missouri State:
But the special teams redeemed itself in a big way, when Bergner drilled the game winner from 41 yards with 1:24 left, thanks to the quick reflexes of holder Ryan Saeger, who grabbed a high snap and got the ball down in time for Bergner's boot:
For that game winning kick, Bergner earned himself Missouri Valley Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Next up, Indiana State at the DakotaDome Saturday.
The Sycamores thumped USD 45-14 last season, behind 150 yards from all-conference running back Shakir Bell. But Bell is hurting this season, and so is ISU, now just 1-4 after losing to Youngstown State last Saturday. This is the same team that won five of its first six in conference play last year:
Kickoff is 1:00pm Saturday afternoon in Vermillion.


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It's not secret that apps are a good part of the magic fuel driving the growth of the smartphone and tablet computing markets—users aren't restricted to using merely the function built into a device, and services like the Android Market and iTunes App Store provide myriad ways for users to get more function (or more fun) out of their devices. However, mobile metrics firm Localytics finds that while smartphone and tablet users are very willing to give apps a spin, comparatively few stick with apps and become loyal customers. According to their usage data, just 26 percent of new customers eventually become "loyal customers" of a mobile app, launching it 10 or more times.
Perhaps more troubling for developers just as many people who try an app—26 percent—never launch it again. And apps' additional usage drops precipitously from there, with fewer than half of an apps customers launching it four or more times.
All the figures reflect app usage starting the third calendar quarter of 2010 and running forward through early March 2011; the data reflect iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone 7 apps that are subscribed to Localytics mobile app analytics service.
"With over 10 billion downloads from just Apple's App Store, it's clear that people are very willing to try new apps," Localytics wrote. "It's equally clear that app developers and publishers need to look beyond downloads and focus marketing resources on attracting and retaining the quarter of customers who tend to become loyal users."
The figures match rsults Localytics published earlier this year indicating some 26 percent of mobile apps were launched just one time.


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New Fab
They are imminently releasing the new revision "jasper" with both a 65nm CPU and a 65nm GPU.
Maybe they decided the heat reduction would allow them to make a slimline xbox?
Microsoft could be in the final stages of renaming one of its Xbox 360 models - or introducing a new one - if a rather sketchy snap is to be believed. Xbox_Pure Metal plates have also been disregarded, whatever that means... A snap of what appears to be an internal company memo has surfaced on website Cheap Ass Gamer (CAG …
They are imminently releasing the new revision "jasper" with both a 65nm CPU and a 65nm GPU.
Maybe they decided the heat reduction would allow them to make a slimline xbox?
If I remember correctly "pure" is what the victorians called dog and cat mess, it used to be used for leather tanning. Xbox - pure - dogs**t..... say no more!
As long as it doesn't sound like a jet engine like the current. I've got one but only as I didnt pay for it (gift). Its not allowed in my lounge because of the noise (other half and cat hate it).
before putting the inefficient 360 internals into a smaller case, with even less airflow..
Still Microsoft have proven, consumers are idiots, and they continue to buy, regardless of how unreliable the product may be.
If you own a 360, you can congratulate yourself for totally destroying quality in consumer products.
So it is not even remotely possible that exhibit A here could have been printed on any other printer other than an XBox HQ printer?
It isn't GilZ putting a few random words on a page, printing and then scribbling over it with some incomprehensible daub.
How about a suggestion who the initialled names are: MG - is this Melinda Gates, stepping into hubby's role and taking control of M$' activities perchance?
I would expect something a shade more authentic-looking than this shot to lay claim to first spot - even if this is proved to later be true.
For shame, for shame.
Paris, cos at least she'd get a video while working undercover.
Having worked at Xbox I kinda doubt this is genuine for a number of reasons:
- Stuff like this would be handled by e-mail, and this doesn't even look like a print out of one.
- Microsofties address each other with their email handles (billg, steveb), not initials... though they've recently changed those, so maybe that's bollocks.
- A decision like this would need to be approved by more than two people unless you get REALLY high up.
- MSFT are religious about spelling it "Xbox" (i.e. capital X, lowercase box) though the higher up you get the less people care.
Then again it would make sense I guess ;)
it is a bit lean on features.
Actually you have to thank Sony for starting that with the PS1, MS just see that the supposed biggest and best get away with it.
I dont have a 360 or a PS3, i just worked in the industry during the launch. If the internets was as available back then as it is now then Sony wouldnt have even made it to the PS2.
CAG Podcast is having a contest, the winner is the one who writes a blog post with the best b.s. that gets picked up by the most mainstream news outlets. El Reg has been pwnd.
I've got three Xbox 360s and I will now congratulate myself that I hae achieved my evil design of single handedly destroying quality in consumer products. Mwhhhahhhhh A Job well done.
Is this all consumer products? Or just electronic ones? dog biscuits?
Al Quaeda look and learn .... dont bother flying into buildings just buy an xbox.
Sheesh some people
Remember hos the bulky, noisy PS2 was replaced by the slimmed-down workalike version?
That's what Microsoft wants to do. We'll see if they finally manage to make a better console than they make keyboards and mice!
According to other sources, the next step after Jasper's die shrink of the GPU is that in early 2010 we'll get the CPU and GPU combined into a single-chip solution. At which point the rest of the board can shrink, and that's when you'll get your smaller Xbox Box.
That, or this is just the replacement for the Arcade. The fact that they're talking about faceplates suggests it might not be a different size to the current models after all.
This has been confirmed a hoax. CAG ran a contest to see which of its members could create a fake rumor credible enough to be picked up by a news blog.
On current Xbox 360s the hard disc attaches to the top of the console when it's vertical. If MS decide to make a slim version of the 360 the current hard discs wont fit so they'll either have to:
1. Put the hard disc on the side which would look rubbish.
2. Abandon compatibility with current hard disc and introduce a new form factor.
3. Not support hard discs and rely only on memory cards. Given the rate at which flash memory capacity is increasing this might be practical within an 18 month time frame.
"Actually you have to thank Sony for starting that with the PS1, MS just see that the supposed biggest and best get away with it"
Actually, you have to thank SEGA for starting that with the Master System and the Megadrive... Both systems were later re-released after being shrunk down and the newer, smaller Master System even had Alex Kidd included on the main board...


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A taste of the Appalachian Trail
Honors Seminar 302 stimulated my students and me physically, emotionally and academically
By Kate Kessler, honors program
Academic freedom and adventure
It is extremely rare to be able to teach a class that offers tremendous academic freedom in an adventurous setting — and to be able to combine that freedom and adventure with serious research expectations and academic rigor is exciting. That is exactly what I was able to do last summer with Honors Seminar 302: A Taste of the Appalachian Trail. My course syllabus interwove multiple disciplines — economics, geography, history, sociology and psychology. The course fostered tremendous growth in my students — and in me.
My students — all part of the JMU Honors Program — were able to experience a combination of seminar and geography when they studied and lived on part of the Appalachian Trail.
Experiential and multidisciplinary
We hiked and camped on nearly 70 miles of the Trail around the Shenandoah National Park. My students learned about the history of the Trail, including politics that affected its original creation; studied the flora and fauna along the trail; and learned about the politics that currently affect its preservation.
The JMU honors seminar, A Taste of the Appalachian Trail, engaged students in experiential and multidisciplinary approaches to learn about the national park right in Harrisonburg's backyard.
Community and communication
Throughout the seminar, my students encountered a variety of trail folk, from section hikers to thru-hikers, from ridge runners to trail angels. (Section hikers hike sections of the Trail, and thru hikers hike the entire Trail until finished. Ridge runners are volunteers who patrol sections of the Trail, and trail angels provide the things hikers crave: beverages, snacks and rides into town). The long, linear family of Appalachian Trail hikers is one of the more unique communities in the world.
I also arranged for the author of three of our seminar texts to hike with us for a week. Leonard Adkins, author of 13 books about the Appalachian Trail, was a wealth of information. He knew every plant, animal and mineral along the way.
Students also engaged in one of the world's more unique communication systems: Appalachian Trail shelter registers. Each shelter — and there are hundreds in Virginia alone — contains a register. Hikers, using only trail names, record everything from reflections on the day to dreams of their next pizza. Each shelter has a volunteer caretaker who monitors its register, taking it home for safe keeping when filled.
Defining experience
As a testimony to how much JMU students enjoyed their trail seminar experience, several of them went hiking during this year's Spring Break. Many have also shared their seminar and other hiking experiences with me. "I consider A Taste of the Appalachian Trail to be the defining experience of my undergraduate Madison Experience," says Steven Irons ('10). "Professor Kessler is a quiet, strong presence, which made her ideally suited to lead a hiking seminar. Because of her experience hiking the entire Trail, she was able to offer us a lot of individual freedom to explore our own hiking styles without compromising safety. Our seminar agenda was structured, but also allowed for flexibility. After hiking through our second week in pouring rain, she asked if we would like to return to campus. We unanimously voted to continue on. This fellowship developed because of the respect and trust we had in our professor."
Published: Monday, October 1, 2012
Last Updated: Thursday, October 20, 2016


text: Soaring to overnight popularity and celebrity status when Madonna sported the Juicy Couture velour tracksuit back in the early 2000s the company has since become one of the most recognisable brands within the fashion industry. Offering women glamour and glitz at an affordable price the Juicy Couture earrings are a must-have staple accessory. Showcasing the latest styles throughout their selection of hoops, studs and chandelier earrings, Juicy Couture infuses fun and creativity into the brand's endless designs. Whether you fancy wearing a pair of dangling feathers or prefer a set of dainty heart shaped studs you're sure to dazzle when wearing Juicy Couture.


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Thousands Protest in Staten Island Over Eric Garner's Death
Event, Led by Rev. Al Sharpton, Caps Weeks of New Scrutiny of the NYPD
Thousands of demonstrators marched peacefully in Staten Island on Saturday afternoon, protesting the death of Eric Garner at the hands of a New York City police officer.
The "We Will Not Go Back" march, led by the Rev. Al Sharpton, was the largest public expression yet of outrage over Mr. Garner's death last month in an apparent chokehold during his arrest for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes.


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Love's Light
This beautiful banner was made by the amazing Marauder by Midnight! thank you! The sequel to My One Love! Life and love can only meet through colossal experiences…like turning into a vampire. This story is all about life with Bella as a vampire with Edward at her side, Jake and Ally's love, Emmett and Rosalie, Alice and Jasper, Carlisle and Esme, and of course, Dan's new life. We all do crazy things when in love, imagine being a mythical creature when in love! WELLLL. Chapter 30 is up and ready to read.
Please read My One Love before you read this, or some things might not make too much sense for you! :) Things are about to get a little crazy in the lives of our beloved characters.
1. Five Years?!
Rating 3.6/5 Word Count 1761 Review this Chapter
Edward's POV:
I walked into my room and looked towards the bed, where an angel lay; looking as innocent and beautiful as the day I met her. Her eyes were closed and she was spread over the bed like a trained model, much too gorgeous for anyone to deserve. It looked as if she were actually glowing with ethereal beauty.
Actually, she looked scrumptiously tantalizing…especially since she was only wearing one my white shirts that came to a stop just below her panties. Long, slim legs were shining deliciously in the moonlight, and she looked close to perfect with her arms crossed behind her head. I leaned against the wall quietly, simply observing her as she listened to the lullaby I had made for her many moons ago.
Five years. It had been five beautiful, wonderful, amazing, fulfilling, happy years since we were married. Tomorrow would be our fifth anniversary, and to tell you the truth, I was ecstatic. Just the fact that she was mine, and I was hers, and we were two equal beings in every way possible…it was pure heaven.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and leaned up on her elbows, catching me staring at her. We didn't even need to speak words to each other anymore, because we both knew what the other wanted, or needed. Of course, we still shared so many amazing conversations, but our communication wasn't only words anymore. It was in our eyes, our postures, our physical adventures, the way we reacted to each other and the way we didn't need to say how we felt, we just…knew.
She raised a hand and beckoned me with two of her fingers, smiling that oh-so tempting seductive smile that I had come to love so much. I smiled back at her and climbed onto the bed, hovering on top of her. In a second, I was under her, and she was the one hovering, grinning fiercely. I knew she loved her strength and the power she held over me since the day I turned her.
Her lips traced the edge of my jaw in the lightest of touches, automatically causing pleasure to burn through my nerves. She had been a different Bella from that day five years ago…still amazing, still the same, just new, and I loved it. She leaned in and whispered softly, seductively, in my ear.
"How was the hunt, Edward?" She said, her musical voice putting my mind into a daze. The way she said my name sent chills through my body.
"Good." I said, frowning at her ability to 'dazzle' me until I was nearly incoherent. She chuckled softly and I felt fingers trailing lightly on my abdomen. I bit my lip and let my eyes close in utter bliss.
Bella's POV:
A while later, I was panting softly and I couldn't wipe the grin that was currently on my face. I felt fingers trailing up and down my spinal cord and I closed my eyes, snuggling into his bare chest, no longer as cold to me as it used to be. I couldn't believe that it had already been five years since that beautiful day that we were married.
"You are amazing…" He said breathlessly, brushing his nose on my bare shoulder. It was so strange that even the slightest of his touches still made me shiver in delight after all these years…we still had the exact same electricity for each other from that first day of Biology.
"So are you…" I whispered, looking up and kissing him. He kissed back and I let my mind wander.
Our lives were perfect, everything I had ever wanted; but it was so different…so much more perfect when I was a vampire and he no longer had to hold back, and I could spend forever with him and our family. It had been five years since the night I had turned and I had no regrets, only happiness.
Our family had moved twice since then, and right now we were in a place called Augusta, Michigan. I mean, I thought Forks was small, sunless, and cold, but this…this was like the ultimate hideout for vampires; although we were the only ones here.
I smiled and pulled away from Edward, because a second longer and we would have gone back into the pleasurable acts we had been doing before. It turns out that both of our sexual frustration had caused immediate and eager acts most of the time, that fulfilled us both…and made me very happy to have such an irresistibly sexy husband forever.
"I love you," Edward whispered. Even after five years, the way he said those three words still thrilled me.
"I love you too. " I said back, watching as he smiled that crooked smile that made me fall in love with him.
Yep, life was pretty amazing. I was happy, and I was pretty sure that the rest of the family was happy, and we lived that low-key lifestyle, although we still had plenty of fun. I hadn't slipped on my diet control even once, and I was pretty proud of myself. The Volturi had completely forgotten about us, and I talked to Ally and Jake every single day. I had developed my power…
Edward suddenly groaned low in my ear, interrupting my musings.
"What is it?" I asked. He rolled his eyes and sighed.
"They're telling us to come downstairs and spend some time with the family for a bit…they seem to think we love the room more than we love them." He replied, grinning. I smiled too and got up.
"I don't know, it's a hard choice…the soft bed, the music, the seductive vampire that doesn't let me leave the room…" I trailed off, kissing his long, slim, fingers that worked magic on me…
"WOULD YOU TWO LOVERS GET YOUR BUTTS DOWN HERE ALREADY?!" Emmett's booming loud voice came from downstairs. Edward and I laughed, getting dressed and walking hand-in-hand down the stairs.
"Yeah, because we're the only two lovers in this house, right Edward?" I said sarcastically as the rest of the family came in view.
"Oh yes, and no one except us spends time alone in their room, correct Bella?" Edward said, with the same tone of sarcasm.
"Yeah, whatever. Esme has some news for us, so sit down and listen!" Rosalie said, looking in her compact mirror and fixing her hair for the umpteenth time that same day.
"Ok, well…it's not really that big of a deal, but I got a teaching job at the elementary school around the corner. I'm going to be replacing the other 2nd grade teacher that moved away." She said, smiling.
"Wow, that's great, Esme!" I said. We all stood up and took turns hugging her and congratulating her. She seemed really happy and we were all happy for her.
"Thank you all." She replied, before receiving a huge congratulatory hug and kiss from Carlisle.
Edward's POV:
I detest high school. Honestly, if there was one thing I wanted more in my existence than to be able to sleep during Spanish class, I could not think of it. I have already taken it at least twenty times, and am quite fluent in the language… why was I here?
A piece of paper hit my right cheek and I looked up, watching Bella snicker from across the room. She winked at me and I opened the note.
Hey Edward…how's it going over there?
I took the hint and scribbled something down.
Nothing much, my dear. I wish I could teach Senora Deale the right way to conjugate a Hispanic verb, but other than that…I would like to be at home, with you…
I smirked and threw it back at her, much too fast for a human to notice it flying between us. She caught it and grinned, probably happy that I was playing along.
She giggled as she read it, then wrote back and threw it at me. I caught it and opened it, biting my lip at her response.
I want to be at home with you too…alone…in our room…doing some oh-so-naughty things…
I looked up and saw her smiling that seductive smile all over again and playing with a strand of her hair. Her gorgeous brown hair was up in a messy pile on her head, and she looked as if she had walked out of the pages of some European fashion magazine. I let out a sigh, letting her acknowledge my longing…
Let's ditch the rest of the day and just go home! I wrote back. She feigned shock as she read it and threw it back at me in a manner of a couple seconds.
No, no, no. Alice and Rosalie would kill me. They would be like "if I have to go through this torture, than so do you…blah, blah, blah." You know how they get!
I rolled my eyes and suddenly the bell rang, so I got up and put the note in my pocket, gathering my stuff and walking over to Bella. I picked up her bag also and we made our way to the cafeteria. She smiled at me and put her arm around my waist, and I grinned lazily at the jealous thoughts erupting around me.
In this new school we had been attending for a year now, kids acted the same as always. Jealous of Bella, jealous of me, jealous of my whole family. I felt sorry for Daniel the most, considering that he was the only available one, making him a direct target.
I remembered what that had felt like before I met Bella…I hated it, but at least Dan couldn't read the thoughts that surrounded him, even though I could. And let me tell you, those thoughts got more perverted each day. I swear the next time I hear something so vile about my beautiful angel Bella, I was going to have a talk with some of these boys.
"Hey guys," Emmett said as we both sat down at our usual lunch table, away from everyone else. "Do you know where Dan is?"
I shook my head and so did Bella. I tapped into everyone's thoughts and didn't really get anything interesting, except for Alice…she was asking for my attention so I listened more carefully.
Edward! I blinked once, meaning I could hear her. We had this type of communication for many years.
I had the best vision ever! Do you want to see it? I let my eyes wonder upward, then down to the plate in front of me; signaling a yes.
Suddenly, my mind was filled with Alice's most recent vision; one of my brother, Daniel...
- Five Years?!
- Southern gentleman Bets!!!
- Talking to the New Girl
- Holy Shit!
- Coffee time!
- Book job, anyone?!
- special coins and CCCs
- Jane Shuler's Day
- The Date!
- Partay time!
- Those Three Words...
- Run Away
- Waking up without you
- Talking to God
- Of Angels and Monsters
- When You Hurt, I hurt
- Surpsrises just for you
- Carry Me Home
- Bittersweet homecoming
- It takes two to tango
- Can I be your tour guide?
- Of Jealousy and Imprinting
- Italian and Dan don't mix well...
- Prego-yoga, anyone?
- The Showdown
- Another Date
- Dead vs. Undead
- Abnormal
- When you come knockin'
- Pictures of you
- Author
- bleedforyou
- Rating
1 2 3 4 5
- Reviews
- 797
- Words
- 71150
- Views
- 1
- Published
- 09 Dec 07
- Updated
- 15 Nov 11
- Status
- In Progress


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Redskins bring in Tapp
Ashburn, VA – The Washington Redskins have signed veteran pass rusher Darryl Tapp to an undisclosed contract, the team announced Thursday.
Tapp, a Virginia native, joins the Redskins after competing the previous three seasons with NFC East-rival Philadelphia, during which he recorded 88 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks over 39 games in a reserve role.
The seven-year pro has spent his entire career as a defensive end for teams that feature four-man fronts, but is expected to transition to an outside linebacker in Washington's 3-4 alignment and provide depth at that position.
A second-round draft choice of Seattle in 2006, Tapp's best season came with the Seahawks in 2007, when he amassed 49 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles while starting all 16 games.