text:
Samuel Butler, trans. (1835–1902). The Iliad of Homer. 1898.
Book XIVAgamemnon proposes that the Achæans should sail home, and is rebuked by UlyssesJuno beguiles JupiterHector is wounded
As he spoke he took up the shield of his son Thrasymedes that was lying in his tent, all gleaming with bronze, for Thrasymedes had taken his father's shield; he grasped his redoubtable bronze-shod spear, and as soon as he was outside saw the disastrous rout of the Achæans who, now that their wall was overthrown, were flying pell-mell before the Trojans. As when there is a heavy swell upon the sea, but the waves are dumb—they keep their eyes on the watch for the quarter whence the fierce winds may spring upon them, but they stay where they are and set neither this way nor that, till some particular wind sweeps down from heaven to determine them—even so did the old man ponder whether to make for the crowd of Danaans, or go in search of Agamemnon. In the end he deemed it best to go to the son of Atreus; but meanwhile the hosts were fighting and killing one another, and the hard bronze rattled on their bodies, as they thrust at one another with their swords and spears.
The wounded kings, the son of Tydeus, Ulysses, and Agamemnon son of Atreus, fell in with Nestor as they were coming up from their ships—for theirs were drawn up some way from where the fighting was going on, being on the shore itself inasmuch as they had been beached first, while the wall had been built behind the hindermost. The stretch of the shore, wide though it was, did not afford room for all the ships, and the host was cramped for space, therefore they had placed the ships in rows one behind the other, and had filled the whole opening of the bay between the two points that formed it. The kings, leaning on their spears, were coming out to survey the fight, being in great anxiety, and when old Nestor met them they were filled with dismay. Then King Agamemnon said to him, "Nestor son of Neleus, honour to the Achæan name, why have you left the battle to come hither? I fear that what dread Hector said will come true, when he vaunted among the Trojans saying that he would not return to Ilius till he had fired our ships and killed us; this is what he said, and now it is all coming true. Alas! others of the Achæans, like Achilles, are in anger with me that they refuse to fight by the sterns of our ships."
Then Nestor knight of Gerene answered, "It is indeed as you say; it is all coming true at this moment, and even Jove who thunders from on high cannot prevent it. Fallen is the wall on which we relied as an impregnable bulwark both for us and our fleet. The Trojans are fighting stubbornly and without ceasing at the ships; look where you may you cannot see from what quarter the rout of the Achæans is coming; they are being killed in a confused mass and the battle-cry ascends to heaven; let us think, if counsel can be of any use, what we had better do; but I do not advise our going into battle ourselves, for a man cannot fight when he is wounded."
And King Agamemnon answered, "Nestor, if the Trojans are indeed fighting at the rear of our ships, and neither the wall nor the trench has served us—over which the Danaans toiled so hard, and which they deemed would be an impregnable bulwark both for us and our fleet—I see it must be the will of Jove that the Achæans should perish ingloriously here, far from Argos. I knew when Jove was willing to defend us, and I know now that he is raising the Trojans to like honour with the gods, while us, on the other hand, he has bound hand and foot. Now, therefore, let us all do as I say; let us bring down the ships that are on the beach and draw them into the water; let us make them fast to their mooring-stones a little way out, against the fall of night—if even by night the Trojans will desist from fighting; we may then draw down the rest of the fleet. There is nothing wrong in flying ruin even by night. It is better for a man that he should fly and be saved than be caught and killed."
Ulysses looked fiercely at him and said, "Son of Atreus, what are you talking about? Wretch, you should have commanded some other and baser army, and not been ruler over us to whom Jove has allotted a life of hard fighting from youth to old age, till we every one of us perish. Is it thus that you would quit the city of Troy, to win which we have suffered so much hardship? Hold your peace, lest some other of the Achæans hear you say what no man who knows how to give good counsel, no king over so great a host as that of the Argives should ever have let fall from his lips. I despise your judgement utterly for what you have been saying. Would you, then, have us draw down our ships into the water while the battle is raging, and thus play further into the hands of the conquering Trojans? It would be ruin; the Achæans will not go on fighting when they see the ships being drawn into the water, but will cease attacking and keep turning their eyes towards them; your counsel, therefore, Sir captain, would be our destruction."
Agamemnon answered, "Ulysses, your rebuke has stung me to the heart. I am not, however, ordering the Achæans to draw their ships into the sea whether they will or no. Some one, it may be, old or young, can offer us better counsel which I shall rejoice to hear."
Then said Diomed, "Such an one is at hand; he is not far to seek, if you will listen to me and not resent my speaking though I am younger than any of you. I am by lineage son to a noble sire, Tydeus, who lies buried at Thebes. For Portheus had three noble sons, two of whom, Agrius and Melas, abode in Pleuron and rocky Calydon. The third was the knight Œneus, my father's father, and he was the most valiant of them all. Œneus remained in his own country, but my father (as Jove and the other gods ordained it) migrated to Argos. He married into the family of Adrastus, and his house was one of great abundance, for he had large estates of rich corn-growing land, with much orchard ground as well, and he had many sheep; moreover he excelled all the Argives in the use of the spear. You must yourselves have heard whether these things are true or no; therefore when I say well despise not my words as though I were a coward or of ignoble birth. I say, then, let us go to the fight as we needs must, wounded though we be. When there, we may keep out of the battle and beyond the range of the spears lest we get fresh wounds in addition to what we have already, but we can spur on others, who have been indulging their spleen and holding aloof from battle hitherto."
Thus did he speak; whereon they did even as he had said and set out, King Agamemnon leading the way.
Meanwhile Neptune had kept no blind look-out, and came up to them in the semblance of an old man. He took Agamemnon's right hand in his own and said, "Son of Atreus, I take it Achilles is glad now that he sees the Achæans routed and slain, for he is utterly without remorse—may he come to a bad end and heaven confound him. As for yourself, the blessed gods are not yet so bitterly angry with you but that the princes and counsellors of the Trojans shall again raise the dust upon the plain, and you shall see them flying from the ships and tents towards their city."
With this he raised a mighty cry of battle, and sped forward to the plain. The voice that came from his deep chest was as that of nine or ten thousand men when they are shouting in the thick of a fight, and it put fresh courage into the hearts of the Achæans to wage war and do battle without ceasing.
Juno of the golden throne looked down as she stood upon a peak of Olympus and her heart was gladdened at the sight of him who was at once her brother and her brother-in-law, hurrying hither and thither amid the fighting. Then she turned her eyes to Jove as he sat on the topmost crests of many-fountained Ida, and loathed him. She set herself to think how she might hoodwink him, and in the end she deemed that it would be best for her to go to Ida and array herself in rich attire, in the hope that Jove might become enamoured of her, and wish to embrace her. While he was thus engaged a sweet and careless sleep might be made to steal over his eyes and senses.
She went, therefore, to the room which her son Vulcan had made her, and the doors of which he had cunningly fastened by means of a secret key so that no other god could open them. Here she entered and closed the doors behind her. She cleansed all the dirt from her fair body with ambrosia, then she anointed herself with olive oil, ambrosial, very soft, and scented specially for herself—if it were so much as shaken in the bronze-floored house of Jove, the scent pervaded the universe of heaven and earth. With this she anointed her delicate skin, and then she plaited the fair ambrosial locks that flowed in a stream of golden tresses from her immortal head. She put on the wondrous robe which Minerva had worked for her with consummate art, and had embroidered with manifold devices; she fastened it about her bosom with golden clasps, and she girded herself with a girdle that had a hundred tassels; then she fastened her earrings, three brilliant pendants that glistened most beautifully, through the pierced lobes of her ears, and threw a lovely new veil over her head. She bound her sandals on to her feet, and when she had arrayed herself perfectly to her satisfaction, she left her room and called Venus to come aside and speak to her. "My dear child," said she, "will you do what I am going to ask of you, or will you refuse me because you are angry at my being on the Danaan side, while you are on the Trojan?"
Jove's daughter Venus answered, "Juno, august queen of goddesses, daughter of mighty Saturn, say what you want, and I will do it for you at once, if I can, and if it can be done at all."
Then Juno told her a lying tale and said, "I want you to endow me with some of those fascinating charms, the spells of which bring all things mortal and immortal to your feet. I am going to the world's end to visit Oceanus (from whom all we gods proceed) and mother Tethys: they received me in their house, took care of me, and brought me up, having taken me over from Rhæa when Jove imprisoned great Saturn in the depths that are under earth and sea. I must go and see them that I may make peace between them; they have been quarrelling, and are so angry that they have not slept with one another this long while; if I can bring them round and restore them to one another's embraces, they will be grateful to me and love me for ever afterwards."
Thereon laughter-loving Venus said, "I cannot and must not refuse you, for you sleep in the arms of Jove who is our king."
As she spoke she loosed from her bosom the curiously embroidered girdle into which all her charms had been wrought—love, desire, and that sweet flattery which steals the judgement even of the most prudent. She gave the girdle to Juno and said, "Take this girdle wherein all my charms reside and lay it in your bosom. If you will wear it I promise you that your errand, be it what it may, will not be bootless."
When she heard this Juno smiled, and still smiling she laid the girdle in her bosom.
Venus now went back into the house of Jove, while Juno darted down from the summits of Olympus. She passed over Pieria and fair Emathia, and went on and on till she came to the snowy ranges of the Thracian horsemen, over whose topmost crests she sped without ever setting foot to ground. When she came to Athos she went on over the waves of the sea till she reached Lemnos, the city of noble Thoas. There she met Sleep, own brother to Death, and caught him by the hand, saying, "Sleep, you who lord it alike over mortals and immortals, if you ever did me a service in times past, do one for me now, and I shall be grateful to you ever after. Close Jove's keen eyes for me in slumber while I hold him clasped in my embrace, and I will give you a beautiful golden seat, that can never fall to pieces; my club-footed son Vulcan shall make it for you, and he shall give it a footstool for you to rest your fair feet upon when you are at table."
Then Sleep answered, "Juno, great queen of goddesses, daughter of mighty Saturn, I would lull any other of the gods to sleep without compunction, not even excepting the waters of Oceanus from whom all of them proceed, but I dare not go near Jove, nor send him to sleep unless he bids me. I have had one lesson already through doing what you asked me, on the day when Jove's mighty son Hercules set sail from Ilius after having sacked the city of the Trojans. At your bidding I suffused my sweet self over the mind of ægis-bearing Jove, and laid him to rest; meanwhile you hatched a plot against Hercules, and set the blasts of the angry winds beating upon the sea, till you took him to the goodly city of Cos away from all his friends. Jove was furious when he awoke, and began hurling the gods about all over the house; he was looking more particularly for myself, and would have flung me down through space into the sea where I should never have been heard of any more, had not Night who cows both men and gods protected me. I fled to her and Jove left off looking for me in spite of his being so angry, for he did not dare do anything to displease Night. And now you are again asking me to do something on which I cannot venture."
And Juno said, "Sleep, why do you take such notions as those into your head? Do you think Jove will be as anxious to help the Trojans, as he was about his own son? Come, I will marry you to one of the youngest of the Graces, and she shall be your own—Pasithea, whom you have always wanted to marry."
Sleep was pleased when he heard this, and answered, "Then swear it to me by the dread waters of the river Styx; lay one hand on the bounteous earth, and the other on the sheen of the sea, so that all the gods who dwell down below with Saturn may be our witnesses, and see that you really do give me one of the youngest of the Graces—Pasithea, whom I have always wanted to marry."
Juno did as he had said. She swore, and invoked all the gods of the nether world, who are called Titans, to witness. When she had completed her oath, the two enshrouded themselves in a thick mist and sped lightly forward, leaving Lemnos and Imbrus behind them. Presently they reached many-fountained Ida, mother of wild beasts, and Lectum where they left the sea to go on by land, and the tops of the trees of the forest soughed under the going of their feet. Here Sleep halted, and ere Jove caught sight of him he climbed a lofty pine-tree—the tallest that reared its head towards heaven on all Ida. He hid himself behind the branches and sat there in the semblance of the sweet-singing bird that haunts the mountains and is called Chalcis by the gods, but men call it Cymindis. Juno then went to Gargarus, the topmost peak of Ida, and Jove, driver of the clouds, set eyes upon her. As soon as he did so he became inflamed with the same passionate desire for her that he had felt when they had first enjoyed each other's embraces, and slept with one another without their dear parents knowing anything about it. He went up to her and said, "What do you want that you have come hither from Olympus—and that too with neither chariot nor horses to convey you?"
Then Juno told him a lying tale and said, "I am going to the world's end, to visit Oceanus, from whom all we gods proceed, and mother Tethys; they received me into their house, took care of me, and brought me up. I must go and see them that I may make peace between them: they have been quarrelling, and are so angry that they have not slept with one another this long time. The horses that will take me over land and sea are stationed on the lowermost spurs of many-fountained Ida, and I have come here from Olympus on purpose to consult you. I was afraid you might be angry with me later on, if I went to the house of Oceanus without letting you know."
And Jove said, "Juno, you can choose some other time for paying your visit to Oceanus—for the present let us devote ourselves to love and to the enjoyment of one another. Never yet have I been so overpowered by passion neither for goddess nor mortal woman as I am at this moment for yourself—not even when I was in love with the wife of Ixion who bore me Pirithoüs, peer of gods in counsel, nor yet with Danaë the daintily-ancled daughter of Acrisius, who bore me the famed hero Perseus. Then there was the daughter of Phœnix, who bore me Minos and Rhadamanthus: there was Semele, and Alcmena in Thebes by whom I begot my lion-hearted son Hercules, while Semele became mother to Bacchus the comforter of mankind. There was queen Ceres again, and lovely Leto, and yourself—but with none of these was I ever so much enamoured as I now am with you."
Juno again answered him with a lying tale. "Most dread son of Saturn," she exclaimed, "what are you talking about? Would you have us enjoy one another here on the top of Mount Ida, where everything can be seen? What if one of the ever-living gods should see us sleeping together, and tell the others? It would be such a scandal that when I had risen from your embraces I could never show myself inside your house again; but if you are so minded, there is a room which your son Vulcan has made me, and he has given it good strong doors; if you would so have it, let us go thither and lie down."
And Jove answered, "Juno, you need not be afraid that either god or man will see you, for I will enshroud both of us in such a dense golden cloud, that the very sun for all his bright piercing beams shall not see through it."
With this the son of Saturn caught his wife in his embrace; whereon the earth sprouted them a cushion of young grass, with dew-bespangled lotus, crocus, and hyacinth, so soft and thick that it raised them well above the ground. Here they laid themselves down and overhead they were covered by a fair cloud of gold, from which there fell glittering dew-drops.
Thus, then, did the sire of all things repose peacefully on the crest of Ida, overcome at once by sleep and love, and he held his spouse in his arms. Meanwhile Sleep made off to the ships of the Achæans, to tell earth-encircling Neptune, lord of the earthquake. When he had found him he said, "Now, Neptune, you can help the Danaans with a will, and give them victory though it be only for a short time while Jove is still sleeping. I have sent him into a sweet slumber, and Juno has beguiled him into going to bed with her."
Sleep now departed and went his ways to and fro among mankind, leaving Neptune more eager than ever to help the Danaans. He darted forward among the first ranks and shouted saying, "Argives, shall we let Hector son of Priam have the triumph of taking our ships and covering himself with glory? This is what he says that he shall now do, seeing that Achilles is still in dudgeon at his ships; we shall get on very well without him if we keep each other in heart and stand by one another. Now, therefore, let us all do as I say. Let us each take the best and largest shield we can lay hold of, put on our helmets, and sally forth with our longest spears in our hands; I will lead you on, and Hector son of Priam, rage as he may, will not dare to hold out against us. If any good staunch soldier has only a small shield, let him hand it over to a worse man, and take a larger one for himself."
Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. The son of Tydeus, Ulysses, and Agamemnon, wounded though they were, set the others in array, and went about everywhere effecting the exchanges of armour; the most valiant took the best armour, and gave the worse to the worse man. When they had donned their bronze armour they marched on with Neptune at their head. In his strong hand he grasped his terrible sword, keen of edge and flashing like lightning; woe to him who comes across it in the day of battle; all men quake for fear and keep away from it.
Hector on the other side set the Trojans in array. Thereon Neptune and Hector waged fierce war on one another—Hector on the Trojan and Neptune on the Argive side. Mighty was the uproar as the two forces met; the sea came rolling in towards the ships and tents of the Achæans, but waves do not thunder on the shore more loudly when driven before the blast of Boreas, nor do the flames of a forest fire roar more fiercely when it is well alight upon the mountains, nor does the wind bellow with ruder music as it tears on through the tops of the oaks when it is blowing its hardest, than the terrible shout which the Trojans and Achæans raised as they sprang upon one another.
Hector first aimed his spear at Ajax, who was turned full towards him, nor did he miss his aim. The spear struck him where two bands passed over his chest—the band of his shield and that of his silver-studded sword—and these protected his body. Hector was angry that his spear should have been hurled in vain, and withdrew under cover of his men. As he was thus retreating, Ajax son of Telamon, struck him with a stone, of which there were many lying about under the men's feet as they fought—brought there to give support to the ships' sides as they lay on the shore. Ajax caught up one of them and struck Hector above the rim of his shield close to his neck; the blow made him spin round like a top and reel in all directions. As an oak falls headlong when uprooted by the lightning flash of father Jove, and there is a terrible smell of brimstone—no man can help being dismayed if he is standing near it, for a thunderbolt is a very awful thing—even so did Hector fall to earth and bite the dust. His spear fell from his hand, but his shield and helmet were made fast about his body, and his bronze armour rang about him.
The sons of the Achæans came running with a loud cry towards him, hoping to drag him away, and they showered their darts on the Trojans, but none of them could wound him before he was surrounded and covered by the princes Polydamas, Æneas, Agenor, Sarpedon captain of the Lycians, and noble Glaucus: of the others, too, there was not one who was unmindful of him, and they held their round shields over him to cover him. His comrades then lifted him off the ground and bore him away from the battle to the place where his horses stood waiting for him at the rear of the fight with their driver and the chariot; these then took him towards the city groaning and in great pain. When they reached the ford of the fair stream of Xanthus, begotten of Immortal Jove, they took him from off his chariot and laid him down on the ground; they poured water over him, and as they did so he breathed again and opened his eyes. Then kneeling on his knees he vomited blood, but soon fell back on to the ground, and his eyes were again closed in darkness for he was still stunned by the blow.
When the Argives saw Hector leaving the field, they took heart and set upon the Trojans yet more furiously. Ajax fleet son of Oïleus began by springing on Satnius son of Enops and wounding him with his spear: a fair naiad nymph had borne him to Enops as he was herding cattle by the banks of the river Satniöeis. The son of Oïleus came up to him and struck him in the flank so that he fell, and a fierce fight between Trojans and Danaans raged round his body. Polydamas son of Panthoüs drew near to avenge him, and wounded Prothoënor son of Areïlycus on the right shoulder; the terrible spear went right through his shoulder, and he clutched the earth as he fell in the dust. Polydamas vaunted loudly over him saying, "Again I take it that the spear has not sped in vain from the strong hand of the son of Panthoüs; an Argive has caught it in his body, and it will serve him for a staff as he goes down into the house of Hades."
The Argives were maddened by this boasting. Ajax son of Telamon was more angry than any, for the man had fallen close beside him; so he aimed at Polydamas as he was retreating, but Polydamas saved himself by swerving aside and the spear struck Archelochus son of Antenor, for heaven counselled his destruction; it struck him where the head springs from the neck at the top joint of the spine, and severed both the tendons at the back of the head. His head, mouth, and nostrils reached the ground long before his legs and knees could do so, and Ajax shouted to Polydamas saying, "Think, Polydamas, and tell me truly whether this man is not as well worth killing as Prothoënor was: he seems rich, and of rich family, a brother, it may be, or son of the knight Antenor, for he is very like him."
But he knew well who it was, and the Trojans were greatly angered. Acamas then bestrode his brother's body and wounded Promachus the Bœotian with his spear, for he was trying to drag his brother's body away. Acamas vaunted loudly over him saying, "Argive archers, braggarts that you are, toil and suffering shall not be for us only, but some of you too shall fall here as well as ourselves. See how Promachus now sleeps, vanquished by my spear; payment for my brother's blood has not been long delayed; a man, therefore, may well be thankful if he leaves a kinsman in his house behind him to avenge his fall."
His taunts infuriated the Argives, and Peneleos was more enraged than any of them. He sprang towards Acamas, but Acamas did not stand his ground, and he killed Ilioneus son of the rich flock-master Phorbas, whom Mercury had favoured and endowed with greater wealth than any other of the Trojans. Ilioneus was his only son, and Peneleos now wounded him in the eye under his eyebrows, tearing the eye-ball from its socket: the spear went right through the eye into the nape of the neck, and he fell, stretching out both hands before him. Peneleos then drew his sword and smote him on the neck, so that both head and helmet came tumbling down to the ground with the spear still sticking in the eye; he then held up the head, as though it had been a poppy-head, and showed it to the Trojans, vaunting over them as he did so. "Trojans," he cried, "bid the father and mother of noble Ilioneus make moan for him in their house, for the wife also of Promachus son of Alegenor will never be gladdened by the coming of her dear husband when we Argives return with our ships from Troy."
As he spoke fear fell upon them, and every man looked round about to see whither he might fly for safety.
Tell me now, O Muses that dwell on Olympus, who was the first of the Argives to bear away blood-stained spoils after Neptune lord of the earthquake had turned the fortune of war. Ajax son of Telamon was first to wound Hyrtius son of Gyrtius, captain of the staunch Mysians. Antilochus killed Phalces and Mermerus, while Meriones slew Morys and Hippotion, Teucer also killed Prothoön and Periphetes. The son of Atreus then wounded Hyperenor shepherd of his people, in the flank, and the bronze point made his entrails gush out as it tore in among them; on this his life came hurrying out of him at the place where he had been wounded, and his eyes were closed in darkness. Ajax son of Oïleus killed more than any other, for there was no man so fleet as he to pursue flying foes when Jove had spread panic among them.


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If you're serious about getting the most mileage from that brain of yours, a new study points out that people form stronger, more lasting memories when they're relaxed.
From Reuters:
Synchronization in the brain is influenced by "theta waves" which are associated with relaxation, daydreaming and drowsiness, but also with learning and memory formation, the scientists explained in the study in the journal Nature.
While scientists already know that relaxed minds are better at receiving new information, this study pinpoints a mechanism by which relaxation neurons work together to improve memory.
So next time you're stressing about about cramming every last piece of information you can into that brain of yours, relax—it'll help. Photo by Andrew Kalat.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tragic accident in Cobble Hill Wednesday feet from closed LICH in Brooklyn
Witnesses say accident 'gruesome,' driver decapitated
Police and emergency units on Wednesday swarmed the off-ramp of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) at Atlantic Avenue and Hicks Street, just feet from the now-shuttered Long Island College Hospital (LICH), after a gruesome accident where a car plowed into the back of a large flatbed truck after a police chase.
An NYPD spokesperson told the Brooklyn Eagle that a 22-year-old male, Leroy Samuel, died in the accident, which took place at 12:02 p.m. "There was a traffic stop, but when the officer got out of his car, the driver kept going." NYPD said the man "was DOA" at the scene, and one other person, a woman, was injured.
FDNY told the Eagle that the injured woman was taken by ambulance to Lutheran Medical Center in Sunset Park. Two other injured passengers refused treatment.
A person at the scene told the Brooklyn Eagle that "a police chase ended with the car crashing into the truck." The man was told by a witness that the driver's head was sheared off.
An eyewitness told the New York Post the driver's head was in the backseat.
A white sheet was draped over a smashed black four-door Infinity stopped just behind LICH's parking garage.
The SUNY board of trustees officially voted to sell LICH to a developer Wednesday morning. Once treating more than 50,000 patients a year in its ER, the limited emergency department there now can handle only minor health issues.


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Church Security Expert Available for Comment/Interviews
Contact: Ty Mays, 770-256-8710, firstname.lastname@example.com MARYVILLE, Ill., Mar. 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- The pastor of a Maryville, Illinois, church was shot to death during a service today in front of horrified parishioners, who then tackled the gunman, according to news reports. The pastor of the First Baptist Church of Maryville was shot and killed during the 8 a.m. service, and the attacker and two parishioners suffered knife wounds in the attack. The gunman walked in during the service, walked up to the pulpit and opened fire. The pastor was shot three times. The gunman then pulled out a knife and wounded himself. Two worshipers who were attempting to detain him were also injured by the knife.
The following statement was issued today by Jeffrey Hawkins, executive director of the Christian Security Network (www.christiansecuritynetwork.org), a national organization that provides security planning, training and emergency preparedness and response resources for Christian churches, ministries, schools and missionaries:
"The shooting this morning is a tragic situation, but unfortunately, one that has been witnessed many times over the years. This most recent violent incident against a Christian church in a small town in downstate Illinois is another reminder that these incidents are not going to stop and can occur anywhere, at any time. The only recourse that churches have to is to acknowledge that it can happen to them and to be prepared.
"In the first two months alone, the Christian Security Network has tracked 139 incidents in 31 states against Christian churches, schools and ministries."
Formerly chief security officer for a large international Christian ministry, Hawkins is a senior public safety and security professional with more than 27 years experience working for profit, not-for-profit and government organizations locally, nationally and around the world.
Hawkins is a Certified Institutional Protection Manager (CIPM) and a Certified Institutional Protection Instructor (CIPI). He currently serves on the U.S. State Department Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS International) Leadership, the world's largest organization of security professionals.
A Chicago native and a graduate of the Chicago Police Academy, Elmhurst College (B.A - Business Administration), National-Louis University (M.S – Management), Hawkins has more than 1,000 hours of post-graduate training in security, law enforcement and emergency management with such specialty agencies as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and counter terrorism agencies in Israel.
Hawkins has worked with White House Advance Teams under Presidents Reagan and Clinton, conducted investigations with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and coordinated protection details for politicians and foreign dignitaries with the Diplomat Security Service (DSS), the U.S. Secret Service and foreign security agencies.
To arrange an interview with Mr. Hawkins, contact Ty Mays @ (770) 256-8710 or email@example.com.


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The young and the hopeless in Bangladesh's camps
The young and the hopeless in Bangladesh's camps
COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh, January 23 (UNHCR) - For 20 years, they have been given food, water, shelter, health care. But the thing they need most - hope - has proven elusive. And according to the refugee youth in this area bordering western Myanmar, the future is growing dimmer by the day.
Hasan Sharif's family fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in the early 1990s, eventually settling in Kutupalong, one of two government-run refugee camps in south-eastern Bangladesh.
"My parents said that in Myanmar, there is no freedom, no legal movement anywhere," said 16-year-old Hasan. "They felt persecuted as Rohingya and thought that if they stayed, their family and children's future would be damaged. That's when they came to Bangladesh."
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in Rakhine state are stateless because they are not considered to be citizens under Myanmar's nationality law. Before the inter-communal violence of June and October last year, there had been two large-scale exoduses from Myanmar to Bangladesh, in 1978 and 1991-2. Although large numbers returned, the Rohingya continued to face forced labour as well as restrictions on their freedom of movement and the right to marry.
Hasan was born in exile. In fact, nearly three-quarters of the camps' population - over 70 per cent of 30,000 registered refugees - were either born in Bangladesh or arrived when they were under 10 years old. Few have a clear idea of home, often relying on stories told by their elders.
Their reality involves regular distributions of food, clothing and household supplies in the camps. They know that they will get basic water, sanitation and health services. They can study up to Grade 5 in the 21 primary schools in the two camps.
"The registered refugees have everything they need to survive," said Dirk Hebecker, who heads UNHCR's office in Cox's Bazar. "But there is no future and no way to participate in the development of society. We are advocating with the authorities to create more opportunities for them."
Mohammed Islam arrived in Bangladesh when he was seven. Twenty years later, he is the chairman of the camp management committee in Nayapara camp. "I'm worried about the next generation," he said. "The main problem here is that we're deprived of higher education. Education is the breadbasket of a nation, it's necessary for all of society."
The UN refugee agency is unable to provide secondary education in the camps. Local secondary schools outside the camps do not officially admit refugee children, though a few have managed to gain admission informally.
"There are more and more boys like me in the camp," said Hasan. "They don't have anything. They want to get a secondary certificate. They hope to be engineers, pilots, sailors. But if they don't get an opportunity for some education outside of the camp, how can they improve their life?"
Unlike the other boys, Hasan is one step closer to his dream. The aspiring computer engineer is currently working as a trainer in UNHCR's computer centre in Kutupalong camp.
However, the way forward is unclear. The recent outbreak of inter-communal violence in Rakhine state has dashed hopes of voluntary repatriation in the near future. Life in Bangladesh seems unlikely to go beyond survival mode.
Resettlement to a third country has been suspended since late 2010 and the statelessness of the Rohingya, which is the root cause of the waves of displacement, remains unresolved.
Mohammed Islam is also at a loss. "We love our country, it's in our hearts. We want to return, but the situation compels us to stay in Bangladesh," he said. "I want my home. I don't want peace for myself, I want it for my community. I want to be alive with my people."
In addition to the 30,000 registered refugees in Kutupalong and Nayapara camps, there are an estimated 200,000 undocumented Rohingya living outside the camps with little access to humanitarian assistance.
By Vivian Tan in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh


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Trendsetters are sure to gravitate towards the accessories found in the Sunset Sightings collection. Featuring more drastic designs, bold colors, and funky combinations found outside the box, the pieces of the Sunset Sightings Trend Blends could easily be found on young Hollywood icons or in the pages of People magazine.
Includes one of each accessory featured in the Sunset Sightings Trend Blend in January's Fashion Fix:
Necklace: "Learn the HARDWARE Way" (P2ST-BRXX-071WU)
Earring: "HARDWARE-Headed" (P5BA-BRXX-027WU)
Bracelet: "Get Into Gear" (P9BA-BRXX-033WU)
Ring: "Switching Gears" (P4TR-BRXX-054WU)


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Publisher: London: Faber, 2010, R214.95**Book price at time of review
Affiliation: 1Department of History, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
email: email@example.com
Postal address: Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
How to cite this article: Nasson B. The beasts of Berlin. S Afr J Sci. 2011; 107(3/4), Art. #648, 2 pages. DOI: 10.4102/sajs.v107i3/4.648
Copyright Notice: ©2011. The Authors. Licensee: OpenJournals Publishing. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
ISSN: 0038-2353 (print) ISSN: 1996-7489 (online)
In the early stage of the First World War, the Union of South Africa invaded the neighbouring colony of German South West Africa at the request of the British War Cabinet. The assignment was to knock out a German coastal wireless station, but South Africa's war leaders, Generals Louis Botha and Jan Smuts, got above themselves. Going the whole hog, they seized the territory from Berlin. In the peace negotiations which finally ended the Great War, Pretoria persuaded the victorious powers to allow it to keep the former enemy colony under its jurisdiction as a League of Nations mandate territory.
One of the arguments of the South African case was moral and humanitarian. The promise of a new colonial administration under the Union was that it would be enlightened and decent, far more humane than the former German overlords who had treated the Herero and Nama peoples with exceptional brutality. Granted, Botha and Smuts themselves were no milksops in their governing of Black people, but they had an irrefutable point. The Union's 1919 Blue Book was probably not too far wrong in depicting German South West Africa as a kind of charnel house, stocked with corpses, chains, whips and execution yards.
As this sober and densely documented study reveals, Kaiser Wilhelm's African colony of 'South West', resembled nothing so much as the Congo Free State, the gory Heart of darkness portrayed by the English novelist, Joseph Conrad. In the 1880s, Belgium's King Leopold II had ravaged the Congo, flattening villages and hounding uprooted peasants into inhospitable forest and swamp land, where they were left to starve. Two decades later, the soldiers and bureaucrats of Kaiser Wilhelm II went a step further: between 1904 and 1909 they did their very best to plan and carry out the extermination of the Herero and Nama of present-day Namibia. It was undoubtedly the worst episode of colonial genocide in the 20th century.
What prompted it? In 1904, having grown increasingly discontented over the increasing land confiscations of German settlers greedy for lebensraum (living space), the pastoralist Herero and Nama peoples rose up against colonial domination. Their rebellions were scratchy affairs, neither properly coordinated nor effectively planned. And they went the way of other African peasant risings against colonial power, with rebels fated to be out-gunned, out-ridden and here, in sparsely populated South West Africa, also outnumbered. The cost to their German adversaries was trifling, but it did include the life of a farmer or two.
The ferocity of the imperial response was unimaginably disproportionate. Berlin embarked on a protracted war against not only resisting rebels but their societies. Conducted as a campaign of extermination, it has been estimated that over 60 000 Herero and 10 000 Nama were killed. The British–Nigerian and Danish authors of this well-researched book conclude that at least 80% of the Herero population were liquidated in what they call, quite aptly, The Kaiser's holocaust. Unsurprisingly, that ill wind blew well for the lebensraum appetite of German colonists, as by 1908 the imperial German government was able to snatch many millions of acres of grazing land from wilting Herero and Nama inhabitants.
Of course, this was never (to make no bones about it) a routine colonial land war. It was a peculiarly ruthless and utterly relentless war for corpses. Olusoga and Erichsen document, in graphic detail, exactly what transpired in Kaiser Wilhelm II's south-western Africa, a possession that he never even visited. A mountain of bodies piled up in the concentration camps into which people were herded after being run to ground in the wastelands of the Kalahari. The first and most notorious of these was established on Shark Island, off Luderitz, today a tourist resort known for shark-diving and seafront restaurants. Not all German bystanders were indifferent to what their countrymen were doing on Shark Island in the 1900s. With his stomach turned by what he was witnessing, in 1905 one distressed German missionary declared, 'Luderitz lies heavy on my heart'.
A large chunk of The Kaiser's holocaust is devoted to advancing its overriding argument about the colonial origins of later German genocide. Drawing on a wide range of evidence, these authors provide an assured account of the intellectual culture and political ideology of racial supremacy, rising like some pernicious yeast in late-19th and early-20th century Germany. Almost all of its settlers, soldiers and officials in South West Africa instinctively categorised Africans as subhuman if not animal, and were urged by the Kaiser personally not to allow themselves to be restrained in their actions by instincts of Christian morality or ethics. As a low species of life, these did not apply to the Herero and Nama. Wilhelm II rather fancied himself as a deep Teutonic thinker, visualising the German empire as a badge of superior racial nationhood, unlike the British, to whom empire was a grubby cash register. Unsurprisingly, he was fond of inviting both German and Dutch university professors to his country residence for tea and cake, over which to discuss the grand destiny of the German people, and the desirability of disposing of lesser peoples.
The demented logic of such visions led to the academies of Berlin. There, scientists who were increasingly obsessed with racial classification, phrenology and other measuring of racial types, were soon eyeing pictures of the bodies accumulating in Swakopmund and other places. Skeletons and severed heads preserved in alcohol were retrieved from concentration camps and their burial dumps and shipped back to university laboratories for evolutionary and other scientific study. Among many gruesome illustrations in this richly documented story is a standard soldiers' postcard of the kind sent home to families from overseas service. It depicts a squad of smiling German soldiers busy packing Nama skulls into crates for shipment to Berlin, row by row.
The chilling shadow which that image throws is at the core of this grim story. For Olusoga and Erichsen, the roots of Holocaust Germany are to be found not in the carnage and trauma of the First World War, nor in the crises of German society produced by the burdensome terms of the Treaty of Versailles, but in its African colonial past. South West Africa was an early laboratory for genocide, just as civil war Spain was a practice ground for Luftwaffe aerial bombing techniques in the Second World War. The monstrous excesses of the territory's military Commander-in-Chief, General Lothar von Trotha, in his open season of systematic killing and the deadly internment camps were the seed of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. In this view, Luderitz and Swakopmund were the Auschwitz and Dachau of their day. This argument may not be entirely convincing, given that it runs together two exceptionally distinct historical contexts. But it is certainly presented in a vivid, powerful and often compelling way, as the authors trace continuities in ideology, methods, functionaries and even dress styles between German colonial Namibia and Nazi Germany.
Whatever one's view, this is a good and provocative perspective to consider. At the same time, the scholarly quality of The Kaiser's holocaust is let down a little in a couple of respects. Although there is no shortage of fresh archival research, especially on the camps, the book is over-insistent on the novelty of its historical revelations. The terrible Namibia story has been turned over by a number of historians in specialised works in both German and English. Some of these, like those of Horst Drechsler, have been around for many years. Others, like that by Robert Gerwarth, are more recent and also more direct, as in his 2009 'Windhoek to Auschwitz' essay in the European History Journal. This could all have done with some acknowledgement.
Then, too, there is the wider claim of historical amnesia over the fate of the Nama and Herero in this period. The Kaiser's holocaust treats the Namibian genocide as a semi-subterranean episode, festering away in concealment, uncovered, papered over, reluctantly unearthed again but never fully confronted. To be fair, though, during the 2004–2005 centenary remembrance of the genocide, Germany and Namibia were both home to a rash of writing and public discussion of the significance of this traumatic moment in the history of the territory. For its part, the German government acknowledged its country's bloodied hands and made a full apology.
So there is an air of looseness about some of this book's more strident assertions. But, as a well-crafted example of accessible scholarship, it does an admirable job of laying bare what it was that weighed so heavily on the heart of at least one compassionate Luderitz missionary.


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Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
I am Kirrrrrrock!
I'm always a sucker for licensed Pajamas but these truly are my favourite of the bunch, the Six Million Dollar Man PJs are pretty routine style guide work but the Captain Kirk set is really odd.
Instead of an action pose we have Shatner looking as if he's giving one of those choppy speechs at the end of an episode "You.....have to......get along". That, or he's singing "Lucy in the sky with Diamonds".
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
The Cloak never caught on
Monday, August 28, 2006
Battle of the Planets Toys
Added some cool photos of my wife's collection of Battle of the Planets/Gatchaman/G-Force items and added them to Plaid Stallions.com
Click here for Battle of the Planets toys
Don't forget to become our My Space friend.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Don't be messing with Leroy Brown
He's so bad he don't even smile for Catalog shots! Leroy Brown can take on all comers, Buford Pusser? Billy Jack? Sherrif Lobo? There's chunks of each of them in his stool.
Leroy comes in three colours.
Be sure to check out the new site and please be our myspace pal.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Josephine and the Technicolor Yawn Coat
Damn! I'm not sure what to say here. When I used to look at my parents patio furniture I never thought "Wow, that would make a great full body robe" I can't imagine how many bees would harass you in this
Check out our new site Plaidstallions.com and please be our My Space Friend
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
It's Disco Herschel!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Vintage Toy Store pics on plaidstallions.com
In celebration of launching plaidstallions.com, I've created a gallery of vintage toy store pics from the seventies/eighties. This something I hope to be doing a lot more of.
The site is in it's infancy but you can access the new archive and soon I hope to add more content. You can email me at email@example.com with your comments.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Up your nose with a rubber hose!
ooo! ooo! ooo! The practice of wearing your favorite sitcom on a dress shirt is now long forgotten and that's a shame because I'd love to get my wife a "King of Queens" blouse for Christmas
This thing is truly the greatest bit of clothing I've put on here since I started PS, the catalog copy tells a horrible joke and says "sounds like Mr Kotter? looks like him too" I kind of think that if Mr Kotter showed up for work in a shirt in a polyester portrait of his students, he'd be seeking new employment. Creepy.
A closer look at the horror. Be sure to top it off with the biggest belt buckle you can find.
Big News Dept: I just purchased the Plaidstallions.com domain, expect more content soon on the new home.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Jerry Falwell's Lingerie collection
Judging by the looks of the 1978 Sears Canada catalog, people used their beds for one thing alone, sleep. Page after page of shapeless, body covering burcas.
If you were born in 1979, it was a miracle....
Thursday, August 17, 2006
A fashion trend I don't miss
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The His N Her of the Future.....
What's up with these? It's the "His N Her" of the Post Apocalyptic wasteland. I'm immediately reminded of Micheal York's after hours costume in Logan's Run which bothers me, because I usually only like to think of Jenny Agutters......
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
You can find toys in the weirdest places.....
I took the family north for my son's first camping trip, how far north? 9 hours from my house north. We actually got frost one night, we were smack dab in the middle of nowhere.
This was about my family, even though i passed dozens of flea markets on the way up, I fought my mego hunting instincts and kept going.
On Saturday, my son wanted to build sand castles, I gladly helped out and we built a pretty cool little city. While digging, I felt something in the sand, I dug it up. As i brushed it off, I figured out it was not only a toy but one i had as a kid!
It was the sea sled from the Fisher Price Adventure people! Not only did I have this as a kid but mine is missing! I couldn't believe it, I'm miles away from anything and I find a vintage toy part i need buried under two feet of sand! Needless to say I dug that whole beach up but this was the only treasure......
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Genuine Imitation Brand Fonzie!
I wonder how many guys went to school wearing a rip off Fonzie jacket thinking it'd raise their social standing. Most kids in my high school seemed to dress like Schneider from One Day at a time. Most of them probably still do.....
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Best Dress alike couple ever!
I actually giggled this morning when i found this, it could be the silliest "His n Her' i've ever seen. I think it's even worse than this.
Where do these people live? A Biodome? Do they have jet packs?
Suddenly the uniforms from Space:1999 look tasteful.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Damn You Stretch Monster!
I don't like to be beaten by a toy but Stretch Monster is the proverbial "one that got away" for me.
Enemy to Stretch Armstrong, I have coveted one since my neighbour Donny brought one home in 1977. Yet, someone always beat me. The last time I tried to win one (1998) my lousy dial up connection broke and I lost out. I just gave up and a couple of years later, I sold my stretch doll collection.
You've won this round Stretch Monster.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
No Wonder the Venus Space Probe is Rare
This 1978 Wards page explains a good deal as to why the Venus Space Probe from the Kenner Six Million Dollar Man line is so tough to find.
The one obvious reason is the line had run out of steam and buyers were now ordering lightly. The other reason might be that the Venus Space Probe was actually marketed all by it's lonesome. It's the sole SMDM piece in this Ward's catalog, what fun is it, if you can't get a doll to go with it?
We all know the rest of the story, this piece had a limited run and is ungodly rare. I don't collect Steve Austin and crew but I find the "Grail" in any line oddly attractive.....
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
The Lone Ranger Dolls
Here is one of the nicest actio figure sets made in the 1970's, the Lone Ranger series by Gabriel/Hubley/Marx (someone want to explain that to me?)
I don't own any of this stuff and I never did as a kid, it just didn't appeal to me. As a kid, I had to spend every Saturday around horses and i resented it a little, so I never was much into this kind of stuff.
What really sucks is there is no "megomuseum" for the Lone Ranger line, it's beautiful, full of foreign exclusives and variants but nobody keeps a record anymore.
C'mon people, get with the program!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
The Metal Men Rock
I have a real fondness for the Metal Men from Zee toys. These generic looking guys used to be sold at a local hobby shop when i was a kid. I remember being confused by the lack of a back story but they were just so neat looking.
As an adult i realized that many of the Metal Men share body part with the Mego Micronauts but the liberties taken with these figures is what is so cool. I guess wish I could afford to buy more, these guys can get expensive......


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Updated September 15, 2022 at 1:27 PM ET
NEW YORK — Kanye Westsays he's breaking up with the Gap.
An attorney for Kanye West, who goes by Ye, told The Associated Press that a letter has been sent to the clothing chain Thursday seeking to terminate the contract between Gap and West's company, Yeezy.
The clash comes a little over a year after Yeezy's first item— a blue puffer jacket — appeared in Gap stores. The deal was announced in June 2020.
In the letter that West's lawyer shared with The AP on Thursday, it said that Gap failed to meet obligations in the pact, including distributing merchandise to Gap store locations and creating dedicated YZY Gap stores.
"Gap left Ye no choice but to terminate their collaboration agreement because of Gap's substantial noncompliance," said Nicholas Gravante, West's attorney with Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, in an emailed statement to the AP. "Ye had diligently tried to work through these issues with Gap both directly and through counsel. He has gotten nowhere."
Gravante said that Gap's failure to comply with the terms of the contract has been costly. He said West plans to begin opening Yeezy retail stores.
West has unleashed criticism on social media against Gap as well as Adidas AG where he has a similar deal. Adidas declined to comment. Gap didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.
The San Francisco retailer had been hoping the partnership with West would resonate with customers in a period of declining sales. For Yeezy, being in more than 1,100 Gap stores worldwide would have put his brand in front of more people.
West has had a history with Gap. He worked at one of its stores in Chicago as a teenager. And he told Vanity Fair magazine back in 2015 that he wanted to be creative director for the brand.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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I subscribe to a monthly fish box from Coast and Glen in Inverness. It's delivered on a next day service, perfectly filleted, packed and chilled and contains all my favourite fishy goodness with which to create amazing, healthy and delicious, family meals. You simply subscribe to their service and select your preferences of the fish you do (or do not) want to receive. It's as simple as that!
This month's box arrived yesterday (Friday), so on tonight's menu was a simple fish pie using a fillet of Shetland Ling and the smoked haddock, salmon and white fish trimmings pack that were in my box. Fish pie is an incredibly simple dish to make. Perfect to put in the centre of the table to share with family and friends; why not give it a try yourself?
3 large potatoes
15ml Rapeseed Oil
1 Medium onion, very thinly sliced
1 Medium carrot, very thinly sliced
50g Frozen peas
10ml Dried parsley
400g Fish, cubed
25g Butter
100ml Milk
15ml Cornflour
15ml Cold water
50g Cheddar cheese, grated
Large handful of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper
Tomato, thinly sliced
1. Heat the oven to 180℃.
2. Peel the potatoes, cut into small pieces and put them on to boil.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the onion and carrot.
4. Cook until the onion becomes transparent, but not coloured, and the carrot has softened.
5. Add the frozen peas and the dried parsley and cook gently until the peas have thawed.
6. Add the cubed fish and cook gently for a few minutes until the fish has become opaque.
7. Add the butter and the milk and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently.
8. Mix the cornflour and the milk, then add this to the fish and vegetables in the frying pan, stirring continuously until the sauce starts to thicken.
9. Reduce the heat and stir in the cheese and spinach.
10. Season to taste.
11. Transfer the fish to an ovenproof dish.
12. Drain and mash the potatoes with butter (if liked) until smooth.
13. Spoon the potato on top of the fish and top with thinly sliced tomato.
14. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the top of the potato has started to brown.
15. Serve.
This recipe is not endorsed or sponsored by Coast and Glen. I personally subscribe to their monthly fish box.


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Mister Heavenly
Mister Heavenly is… a band, a threesome as charming and, sometimes, as tricky to pin down as their moniker suggests. They sing a theme song in which one voice pledges undying devotion, and another cheerfully asserts that he'll never be Mister Heavenly. Don't think of it as a conflict; it's more of a yin-yang thing. Mister Heavenly finds harmony in unexpected places.
Mister Heavenly is… comprised of indie rock veterans Nick Thorburn (Islands/The Unicorns), Ryan Kattner (Man Man), and Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse). Their mutual admiration society was in place before Mister Heavenly took shape. Modest Mouse and Man Man toured together repeatedly, starting in 2007. Nick and Ryan met in Philadelphia in the final days of The Unicorns, or maybe the early days of Islands. They're not sure, but they hit it off instantly. They bonded over a lot of things—music, cough syrup, being signed to the same label—but it was one of their fundamental differences that inspired Ryan aesthetically. "I always thought that the two of our voices together would make an interesting contrast since they occupy very distinct ends of the vocal spectrum," he says.
Mister Heavenly is… a trio of men who love dogs.
Mister Heavenly is… at the forefront of "doom wop," which is a state of mind rather than a nitpicky micro-genre. It is born from a shared love of 1950s vocal-based R&B classics by ensembles like the Penguins, the Platters, and the Moonglows, and also a fascination with ill-fated romance. The album title, Out of Love, is both a nod to passion as a motivator ("I did it out of love") and also the absence or dissolution of same ("She fell out of love with me"): two seminal lyrical themes in the annals of pop music. As it happens, the actual Mister Heavenly song "Doom Wop" owes as much to grunge and art-punk as it does '50s pop. When you mint your own style you can take such liberties.
Mister Heavenly is… a songwriting collaboration, a creative push-and-pull. Sometimes Nick wrote a chorus, Ryan provided the verse, and then they hammered out the final product together. They only had three ground rules: a) Keep it short; b) Keep it simple; and c) Keep it rooted in some semblance—harmonic, lyrical—of classic doo-wop. "I'd never had the opportunity to bounce songs off another person, especially one who I trusted would carry his weight, and it was very refreshing," admits Ryan.
Mister Heavenly is… pretty sure the ghost of Elvis Presley was hanging around Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, WA, where they recorded the album with Ryan Hadlock (The Gossip, Ra Ra Riot, Love of Diagrams). Either that or somebody plugged in a discreet peanut-butter-and-banana-scented air freshener before they arrived. Regardless, the King would've appreciated that Mister Heavenly does things the old-fashioned way, and recorded live to tape. The band recorded and mixed the entire album in 12 days.
Mister Heavenly is… open to chance. Initially, the participants weren't even sure their collaboration would be a band, per se. "We floated around getting different people to sing on each song, or making only one song, or making no songs at all but continuing to talk about Mister Heavenly as though it were a real thing with its own genre," discloses Nick. Dubious of signing on for all the rigmarole a full-time band entails, they started with modest goals: Make one seven-inch single, maybe just post a couple songs on the internet. But after a couple of songwriting sessions, Nick and Ryan had enough material for several 45s, perhaps even a whole album. Nick and Joe had never met before Joe flew out to rehearse with them in a Brooklyn basement, but they both took a what-the-hell attitude. "Everything about how this band came together kind of falls under that category," says Ryan.
Mister Heavenly is… very excited by the prospect of their music being used in a big-screen, teen romantic comedy, which seems appropriate for a band that describes their music as "post-apocalyptic Valley Girl meets the American Graffiti soundtrack."
Mister Heavenly is… greater than the sum of its parts. From the outset, the participants realized they had something unique on their hands. "The songs were dark and strange but oddly addictive," says Nick. "They really sounded like a mash-up of our styles but at the same time a wholly new entity." This many-headed beast produced beguiling novelties such as the percussive rock-at-a-cultural-remove of "Pineapple Girl," a mix of sweet and unsavory inspired by the unlikely correspondence between 10 year-old Michigan resident Sarah York and ruthless Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, and the swelling synth-pop/surf-rock fusion of "Harm You." "Reggae Pie" started out when Ryan attempted to pen a ditty in the style of American R&B singer Gino Washington but somehow migrated into burbling dub territory… except for the midsection contributed by Thorburn, which suggests a more-than-passing familiarity with Paul McCartney and Wings.
Mister Heavenly is… "pretty open and abstracted, and its future is undetermined, which is the way we all like it."
Mister Heavenly is… excited to hear what you think.
Featured Videos
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- Bronx Sniper Bronx Sniper
- Mister Heavenly Mister Heavenly
- Pineapple Girl Pineapple Girl


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Vendor- Picador
Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim
Regular price
How far will you go to protect your family? Will you keep their secrets? Ignore their lies?
In a small town in Virginia, a group of people know each other because they're part of a special treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may cure a range of conditions from infertility to autism. But then the chamber explodes, two people die, and it's clear the explosion wasn't an accident.
A powerful showdown unfolds as the story moves across characters who are all maybe keeping secrets, hiding betrayals. Chapter by chapter, we shift alliances and gather evidence: Was it the careless mother of a patient? Was it the owners, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? Could it have been a protester, trying to prove the treatment isn't safe?
"A stunning debut about parents, children and the unwavering hope of a better life, even when all hope seems lost" (Washington Post), Miracle Creek uncovers the worst prejudice and best intentions, tense rivalries and the challenges of parenting a child with special needs. It's "a quick-paced murder mystery that plumbs the power and perils of community" (O Magazine) as it carefully pieces together the tense atmosphere of a courtroom drama and the complexities of life as an immigrant family. Drawing on the author's own experiences as a Korean-American, former trial lawyer, and mother of a "miracle submarine" patient, this is a novel steeped in suspense and igniting discussion. Recommended by Erin Morgenstern, Jean Kwok, Jennifer Weiner, Scott Turow, Laura Lippman, and more-- Miracle Creek is a brave, moving debut from an unforgettable new voice.
Paperback April 7, 2020


text: Yoga makes a bride's body fit and flexible which will make them have a good poster. It also helps in skin improvement and the hair. Yoga is more about relieving body of stress and the toxins and it provides a calming effect to the mind. Weddingplz helps you find the best Gym that offer Yoga in Mumbai.


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A Kaweco Fountain Pen designed to recall an era when the future was yet to be written. Moleskine x Kaweco pens take you back to this wide-open future, combining nostalgia for a time you never knew with a buzz for the creative possibilities of today. It all starts with a pen that's just right, right now.
This classic fountain pen has a gold-plated size M nib and includes one blue ink cartridge to get you started. The cardboard giftbox makes a neat pencase or desk-tidy and has an 'In case of loss' notice for you to customize. Pen colors available include green, black, blue and red, each one with blue ink.
Designed for the love of paper, Moleskine x Kaweco Ballpens make a creative gift for anyone who appreciates the magic of exploring ideas by hand on the page.


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Love…is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, The Amplified Bible |
Walking in love is good for your health. Did you know that? It's true! Medical science has proven it. Researchers have discovered that hostility produces stress that causes ulcers, tension headaches and a host of other ills. Now when you think of hostility, you may think of the type of anger you feel when something serious happens. But according to the experts, that kind of thing isn't what causes the worst problems. It's the little things: when the dry cleaners ruin your favorite outfit, for example. Or when the cafeteria lady puts gravy on your mashed potatoes after you've specifically told her not to. Sound familiar? Just think how much stress you could avoid by being quick to forgive, by living your life according to 1 Corinthians 13 and not counting up the evils done to you. Imagine the physical and emotional benefits of living like that! If you've allowed yourself to be habitually bound by hostility, that may sound like an impossible dream, but it's not! Because as a born-again believer, you have the love of God inside you. If you'll yield to that love, it will set you free. Remember when Jesus called Lazarus forth from the grave? He was alive but still bound in the grave clothes. Jesus commanded the bindings to be loosed so that Lazarus could be free to walk. Jesus wants that same kind of freedom for you. So get into agreement with Him. Say to those deadly habits that have you bound, "In the Name of Jesus, loose me and let me go! I'm putting hostility, unforgiveness and selfishness behind me. I'm going on with God. I'm going to live the life of love!" Remember: It doesn't take a medical miracle to turn your life around. All it takes is a decision to yield to the force of love. Do it today! |


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Kitchen towel "Scandinavian Christmas". Linen kitchen towel with hook. Hand made in Lithuania. Unique Holiday kitchen decor, Christmas gift.
Measurements: 45 x 70 cm / 17.5 x 27.5 inches
MATERIAL: Safe Oeko-TEX® standard 100 certified linen fabric. Medium weight linen (140 g/m2).
– Wash with water temperature 40 ° C,
– Straightening and hang to dry,
– It will become softer with each washing,
– Iron upside down (for best results iron with lots of steam).
– Linen is a very durable, strong fabric, and one of the few that are stronger wet than dry. The fibres do not stretch, and are resistant to damage from abrasion.
Actual colours and prints may vary from picture due to computer settings.
Please note that shipping time does not include making time. It generally takes between 2 – 3 days for the garments to be made. If you need it fast, please send us a message first so that we can ensure we can get it to you.
We are more than happy to help with sizing to ensure that you are completely satisfied with your purchase!
Keep in touch with us on social media.
Facebook : facebook.com/printsonlinen
Instagram : @linenislove
Website: www.printsonlinen.com


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Back from Germany, I am going to try another four-in-one blog post. I did not take part in the Faber-Castell factory tour mentioned in one of the previous comments because of a bereavement – which resulted in a very different trip than planned. I hope to take part in one of their factory tours in December and hope to find the time to visit Staedtler's shop in Nuremberg, too.
This is going to be a four-in-one blog post because I want to speed things up as there are so many things I want to write about but I do not write enough blog posts – so the queue gets longer and longer. The low number [1]i.e. one of comments on the previous four-in-one blog post about the Black n' Red polynote does however make me think that writing about multiple items in one blog post does not give each individual item the attention it deserves, so I might switch back to one or two items per post…
…but today another (the last?) many-in-one blog post.
The Kronenheft must be one of the most understated notepads available. I bought mine at Antiquariat Daniel Osthoff in August 2010. I mentioned this shop and some of the papers they sell in my blog post about the OHTO Super Clip. The Kronenheft notepad has been on the market for many years and is distributed by Carta Pura. It measures 15 cm x 10 cm and features a 290 g/m² Preßspanersatzkarton cover, an "imitation particle board" traditionally used, amongst other things, for book covers. It is a sturdy material made from wood pulp. The paper of this pad is 80 g/m² Salzer Werkdruck paper from Austrian paper manufacturer Salzer. Even though paper has been manufactured in Salzer's town since 1469 and at the their mill, Obere Papiermühle, since 1579, the history of Salzer is slightly younger as the founder Kaspar Salzer did not have his own paper mill until 1798. Even though the 80 g/m² Salzer Werkdruck paper is not their best paper it is very good with a great feel and texture and a slightly creme-coloured tint.
Carta Pura, the distributor, sells this notepad in twelve different colours for € 7 each. You can also get a refill (40 sheets) for € 3. I paid less, but I am not sure how much exactly. FontShop used to sell them for a good price, but when I check recently I could not find it in their online shop any more.
Morning Glory
This is the second appearance of a Morning Glory pencil at Bleistift. The first appearance was last month, when I wrote about RAD AND HUNGRY's STMT X Korea kit. This time I used a much older Morning Glory pencil that my wife bought about ten years ago, the morning glory No. 33322-45229 HB. You would think that such a long product number can definitely point to one specific type of pencil, but there are actually different versions of the morning glory No. 33322-45229 HB pencil, with different colours printed on the pencil, but with the same product number.
The pencil itself writes very well. It could be a bit smoother, but it is by no means a scratchy pencil.
Pelikan M100
Since today is Star Wars day (May the Fourth be with you) I have to include the Pelikan M100, too. I cannot look at this pen without thinking of Stormtroopers and am convinced that if Stormtroopers had fountain pens this Pelikan M100 would be standard issue! It is a great fountain pen and all of its parts are either white or black, even the nib is black. The piston mechanism does not feel as smooth as it does with a Pelikan M200 or a Souverän, but when this fountain pen was released in 1987 it was not an expensive pen so it is no surprise that the piston mechanism is not on the same level. The nib however is excellent for a steel nib and is quite flexible, too.
Noodler's X-Feather ink
The ink used in the M100 is Noodler's X-Feather ink, a black ink that is bulletproof, i.e. resistant to bleach, chemicals, light, etc. I have used this ink for years and am very happy with it. There is only one disadvantage I noticed. If you use it in a wet writer and use paper that does not absorb ink easily (e.g. post cards) it can happen that a layer on top of the ink does not 'dry' completely. In this case it can smudge or smear, even days after the text has been written. Under normal circumstances this is however not really a problem.
The Kronenheft is just great, but with its price tag I am not sure I will use it often. It copes well with ink (no bleeding though) and pencil and has a nice colour and texture.
You can find another photo of the Kronenheft in my previous blog post Wooden Letter Rack with Draw.
You can find English blog posts about Carta Pura at bloesem travel and at snowflakes & blackvampires.
Noodler's X-Feather ink has also been used in my previous blog post Carrefour Bloc-notes.
I'd like to thank Ms Schwamborn from Carta Pura for additional information about the Kronenheft.
In case you wonder where my Cherry G80-3000LSC went: the photos show my wife's desk, which is very similar – except the keyboard.
↑1 | i.e. one |


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After realizing I never made videos mentioning I would be at Emerald City Comic Con and SakuraCon this year, I decided something needed to be done. Here's a video outlining every other event I currently plan to be at in 2015 – though if new events pop up, you'll want to make sure you're following me on other social media!
Are you going to any of these events? Do you know of any other cool conventions I might not have heard about? Leave me a comment!


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The 5 bar ULTI Rack L1H1 Twin Door Model designed to fit the Toyota Proace City 2020 on van model.
Revolutionary robust aluminium rack that is easier and quicker to fit than other racks in the market.
Smart, heavy duty builder's rack that looks the part and does the job.
Aluminium & lightweight (up to 37% lighter than competitor racks), strong, won't corrode, fuel efficient.
Aerodynamic profile to minimise wind noise and drag.
Incorporates innovative Click & LockTM design to make fitting quick and easy.
Genuine one man fit.
8x4 capacity. Provides versatile and large roof storage space.
Includes full width stainless steel roller at the back for easy loading and unloading.
Hard wearing durable plastic end cones, connectors and spacers coated with UV protection to resist fade.
Top end quality at a truly competitive price.
Crash tested to maximum carrying capacity at 20G.
Designed and made in Britain.
Aluminium extrusion and side rails.
Stainless steel roller runs on nylon bearings enabling smooth rotation.
Comes complete with laser cut pre-galvanised steel & powder coated brackets.
At least half the fixings of other racks in the market.
ULTI Rack dimensions (mm) - L x W = 2100 x 1310.
Number of bars: 5.
Measurement from middle fixing point to underside of bar: 60mm
Measurement from middle fixing point to top of side rail: 230mm
Fitted weight: 20KG.
Maximum load capacity: 100KG (Maximum load must be in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer's load bearing capacity. Please refer to vehicle handbook.)


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After a sudden 8% decline in Swedish stocks, Citigroup Inc. said its London trading desk caused a flash crash in Europe that sent shares across the continent tumbling. A trader at the New York-based bank made an error when entering a transaction this morning, the bank wrote in a statement. The error was corrected shortly after the mistake was found.
Citigroup is in discussions with regulators and exchanges about the incident, reveals a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity in order to discuss non-public information. The OMX Stockholm 30 Index experienced a knee-jerk sell-off, which knocked over the main European indices by as much as 3% in less than five minutes, wiping out 315 billion euros at one point in time.
Nasdaq Stockholm spokesman said the short-lived slump was not a technical glitch. "Our first priority was to rule out technical problems with our systems, and our second priority was to rule out external attacks on them. "We have now excluded both," said Nasdaq Stockholm spokesman David Augustsson. "A very substantial transaction by a market participant is clearly the driving force behind this move in the market," he confirmed.


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MegaIX Route Servers
AS Number 58941
Select BGP Session to query:
Input Prefix:
You can perform traceroutes and pings through bgp.tools agents installed inside this network
There are 0 RIPE Atlas Probes on this ASN.
RIPE Atlas is a dynamic, global network of thousands of probes that have been measuring Internet connectivity and reachability in near real time since 2010. Anyone can directly access the data collected by RIPE Atlas, as well as Internet maps, graphs, tools and analyses based on the aggregated results, at https://atlas.ripe.net.
RIPE Atlas was developed and is operated by the RIPE NCC, along with the help of thousands of volunteers. The RIPE NCC is one of five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) that support the global operation of the Internet.


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The Vatican's timing was ironic. While Roman Catholic bishops in the U.S. were trying to revive their moral and political clout last week by battling President Obama over contraception coverage and religious liberty, a papally endorsed symposium was underway in Rome on how the Church has to change if it wants to prevent sexual abuse crises, the very tragedy that has shriveled the stature of Catholic prelates worldwide over the past decade, especially in the U.S. One monsignor at the Vatican gathering even suggested the hierarchy had been guilty of "omertà," the Mafia code of silence, by protecting abusive priests.
The Roman forum was a reminder—and the birth control clash is turning out to be one as well — of just how much influence the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has lost in the 10 years since the abuse crisis erupted in America. It hopes that its protest of a new federal rule requiring religiously affiliated institutions like Catholic hospitals and universities to provide no-cost contraception in their health insurance coverage, even if church doctrine forbids birth control, will help restore the bishops' relevance. They did win a partial victory last Friday when Obama, acknowledging the uproar, said those institutions would no longer have to pay for the contraception coverage themselves. But the President did not fully genuflect: The compromise will still oblige religious-based employers to offer the coverage, while their insurance providers foot the bill.
Although major Catholic groups like Catholic Charities and Catholic Health Services accepted that revision, the bishops are holding out for more. But their crusade to be exempted from the mandate is likely to fall short of its grail. If so, it's because Obama read the Catholic flock better than its shepherds did.
Granted, the bishops, led by New York Archbishop and Cardinal-elect Timothy Dolan, did get the White House to acknowledge how high-handedly and ham-handedly it had managed the contraception debate—confirming along the way the public's wariness of the so-called liberal elite—and convinced it to craft a deal that should have been policy in the first place. Yet in his refusal to cave completely to the religious liberty campaign, Obama has illustrated the reality that the bishops no longer speak for most U.S. Catholics—the nation's largest religious denomination and a critical swing-voter group—on a host of moral issues, according to polls.
Not on abortion or the death penalty (a majority of Catholics believe those should remain legal); on divorce or homosexuality (most say those are acceptable); on women being ordained as priests and priests getting married (ditto); or on masturbation and pre-marital sex (ditto again, Your Excellencies).
And especially not on contraception. Ever since Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Church's senseless ban on birth control in 1968, few doctrines have been as vilified, ridiculed and outright ignored by Catholics – evidenced by a recent study showing that 98% of American Catholic women have used some form of contraception. It's hard to believe, as the bishops would have it, that those women simply succumbed to society's pressure to do the secular thing. They've decided, in keeping with their faith's precept of exercising personal conscience, that family planning is the moral and societally responsible thing to do—for example, preventing unwanted pregnancies and therefore abortions. And it explains why a recent Public Religion Research Institute poll found most Catholics support the contraception coverage mandate even for Catholic-affiliated organizations. Presumably most endorse Friday's compromise.
Far more Evangelical Protestants, according to the PRRI survey, back the bishops than Catholics do. But that hardly makes the bishops, when it comes to the more independent Catholic vote, the same force to be reckoned with that they were in the 20th century. That is, before 2002 and the horror stories of how prelates like Cardinal Bernard Law, then Boston's archbishop, had serially shielded alleged pedophile priests. It's true that some bishops, like Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl, confronted rather than coddled accused priests. But when it became clear that so many of the men in miters cared more about safeguarding the clerical corporation than about protecting kids, episcopal "authority" vanished like so much incense smoke—and Catholics increasingly abandoned the 2,000-year-old notion that their church and their religion are the same thing.
That's essentially what Catholics like me are asking for, especially from my colleagues in the media, during episodes like the contraception and religious liberty fracas: Stop equating what the bishops say with what we think, because we're not the obedient, monolithic bloc that newspapers and cable news networks so tiresomely insist is in "jeopardy" for this or that party whenever they smell church-state friction. When a hardline U.S. bishop calls for withholding communion from a Catholic politician who supports legalized abortion, stop assuming all Catholics have the prelate's back rather than the pol's. When Catholic politicians draft legislation like the religious liberty bills popping up on Capitol Hill right now, stop accepting their assertion that the birth-control ban is "a major tenet" of Catholic faith, as Florida Senator Marco Rubio called it this month. For the vast majority of Catholics, it isn't.
And for that matter, stop forgetting that in the 2008 election, 54% of Catholic voters ignored their bishops and backed a pro-choice presidential candidate like Obama. I certainly don't point that out as some kind of endorsement of Obama in 2012. I'm simply noting that pundits and politicians need smarter criteria for gauging the Catholic vote—just as advisers in Obama's White House shouldn't have been so clueless about religious issues when they first decreed the contraception mandate. If the tragedy of the 2002 abuse crisis reminds us of anything, it's that religion does matter in politics. Just ask the church leaders who are still paying a political price for their religious code of silence.
Complete Article HERE!


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Welcome to Awakened Lands! |
AwakenedLands.com is an online text-based role-playing game set in the near future. The world is much like today, with terrorists, gangs, and an over-zealous media. Large corporations control most of the worlds major industries, politicians are not so much voted for as they are owned, and interest-groups lobby to enact laws to their benefit. You are like many citizens of the land, struggling to make your mark in the world. Will you become the next superstar athlete? Perhaps you will become the world's greatest street fighter. Or will you join the ranks of an underground organized crime unit and go against the establishment? Come join us in Awakened Lands and compete with others. Registration is completely free, but donations are certainly welcome! Awakened Lands is in constant development, with constant additions to the game. But besides our future additions, our goal is to create a fun game that just plain works. This means putting an emphasis on fixing game bugs, unbalanced game mechanics, and other nonsense that makes the game not function as intended. To help stomp out these bugs, we need the help of our community. If you do happen to find a bug, or something that just doesn't work as you thought it should, let us know in our forums. |


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Growing up, one of the sweetest dogs I knew was a Pit Bull named Oliver. So I was pleased to find via Yahoo a photographic reminder that the Pit Bull was not always the feared dog it is these days. Apparently in the late 19th and early 20th Century, the Pit Bull was even known as "The Nanny Dog" because of its steadfastness and reliability.
This is a case where photographic evidence presents the most convincing proof. And the further you dig, the more supporting data you find. So here just a few images in defense of the breed.


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Florianer User
- Member since Sep 16th 2016
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Askas -
Hello Florian, I am writing to you because I have developed a calculation engine capable of predicting which is the fleet proportion that maximizes the benefit for the attacker.
I have developed it in javascript, it is very simple to implement in a simulator of battles.
Do you know if anyone could be interested in implementing it in any tool?
My greetings


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All of Tevye's life, it seemed like he was always saying good-bye. Back in the old country, what now seemed like lifetimes ago, his Hodel had left him for Perchik. Then Hava had run off with her gentile, and Shprintza had drowned. Then the heart and soul of his being, his devoted wife, Golda, had departed for a more eternal world. His beautiful Baylke had left for America. Then the family had been chased out of Anatevka to set off like gypsies without country or home. When Tzeitl had died, a candle in his soul had been extinguished, but the need to take care of her children had made him stand strong. True, he had the joy of being united with Ruchel, but Tevye wasn't convinced that his troubles were over. So, with one eye on his daily chores, and one eye raised toward the sky, Tevye waited for the next blow to fall. And so it was, when the time came to leave Zichron Yaacov for the new settlement site, Tevye had to say good-bye once again – this time to Hava who was staying on as a nurse in the hospital's malaria clinic. She had made up her mind. None of his arguments had an effect.
"May the Lord protect you and keep you," he said, laying his hands on her head and blessing her with the prayer which Jewish fathers had blessed their children for thousands of years. He hugged her and gave her a kiss, then once again climbed up into his wagon, just as he had been doing all of his life.
Fifteen pioneer families plus children were journeying off to establish the new Morasha community. Ruchel and Nachman. Hillel, Shmuelik, and Goliath. A near minyan of nine Hasidic families from Lubavitch. A family of Yemenite Jews. Tevye. And Reb Guttmacher, the undertaker, who repeated his motto to whomever he met, "I've dug enough holes for the dead. Now I want to dig holes for the living."
"To life!" Tevye agreed as their caravan left the Zichron road to venture east across the flatlands which led to the mountainous spine of the country. "L'Chaim!"
"L'Chaim!" the Hasidim exclaimed. Instantly a bottle of vodka was afloat in the air, passing from hand to hand until all of the pioneers had made a toast on the success of their enterprise. Not wanting to be left out, Elisha, the dark-skinned Yemenite, took a swig of the harsh-tasting brew. Choking, he spit the vodka out on the ground.
Tevye laughed. "We'll make a Jew out of you yet," he said.
The others joined in with his good-natured laughter. Hillel gave the small, exotic-looking Jew a whack on the back.
"You'll get used to it, don't worry," he said.
"You can keep it," the Yemenite responded. "I have something better."
He reached out a hand and one of his grown sons handed him a bottle.
"What is it?" Hillel asked.
"What's Arak?" the Russian Jew asked.
The Yemenite passed him the homemade brandy, distilled from the fruit of the etrog and herbs. Hillel raised it to his nose and inhaled a deep scent of licorice.
"If it tastes as good as it smells, I'll buy a few bottles," he said.
Throwing his head back, he took a big gulp. Suddenly, it was his turn to choke. Beneath the liquor's sweetness was the kick of a mule. Hillel bent over coughing. Now it was Elisha's turn to slap Hillel on the back. Soon both bottles were being passed through the air. Urged on by the Hasids, everyone, including the Yemenite, began singing a lively Baruch Haba welcome to Mashiach.
"Baruch Haba, Baruch Haba,
Melech HaMashiach.
Baruch Haba, Baruch Haba,
Melech HaMashiach.
Ay yay yay, Melech HaMashiach,
Ay yay yay, Baruch Haba,
Ay yay yay, Melech HaMashiach,
Ay yay yay, Baruch Haba."
When the long-gowned, long-sidelocked, prayer-shawl enswathed Yemenite had first arrived in Zichron Yaacov, the Russian Jews had found it difficult to believe that this golden-skinned apparition could be a Jew. The first time Tevye saw him, he mistook him for an Arab. But an Arab with tzitzit and peyes? The sight was a puzzle. When Elisha joined them in prayer, this seemed even stranger. Everyone knew that only a Jew could be included in an official prayer minyan of ten. Still more bewildering, the Yemenite spoke Hebrew more fluently than all of them. True, the melodious wailing which ushered from his lips was a Hebrew which Tevye had never heard, but it was the language of his forefathers nonetheless.


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What lies ahead for the local housing market in 2018? We sat down with Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner to get his thoughts. Here are some highlights:
Home prices will continue to increase, but at a slower pace
The strong local economy, high demand and very low inventory will continue to boost home values in 2018, according to Gardner. However, he believes that the double-digit growth of 2017 will moderate, and predicts home prices in King County will rise by 8.5% in the new year.
Mortgage interest rates will rise slightly.
Gardner admits that interest rates continue to baffle forecasters. The rise that many economists have predicted the past few years has yet to materialize. His forecast for 2018 sees interest rates increasing modestly to an average of 4.4% for a conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
More Millennials will enter the housing market.
Despite the relatively high cost of homes in our region, Gardner expects more Millennials to buy homes in 2018. They are getting older and more established in their careers, enabling them to save more money for a down payment. Many are also having children and are looking for a place to raise their family.
The tax reform bill will have a limited effect on our housing market.
The recent changes to the income tax structure will have an impact on homeowners, but Gardner does not believe that impact will be significant here.
The mortgage interest rate deduction will be capped at $750,000 – down from $1,000,000. But according to Gardner, just 4% of the mortgages in King County exceeded $750,000 in 2017. Most buyers of more expensive homes have been making larger down payments, or buying homes for cash.
Since the $1,000,000 mortgage deduction cap is grandfathered in for those who have already purchased a home, some homeowners may opt to stay put rather than move. That could result in fewer homes being placed on the market.
- The tax bill eliminates the deduction for interest on home equity loans. This is bound to slow down the trend of homeowners choosing to remodel their home rather than trying to find a new home our inventory-deprived market.
Bottom Line
The increase in home prices may moderate, but inventory will still be very tight. 2018 is on track to be a strong seller's market.


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18th Nov 2024
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This eLearning refresher course is ideal for you should you need to refresh your welding inspection theory prior to re-taking an examination or ahead of your CSWIP 10-year renewal examinations for Senior Welding Inspectors.
This eLearning option for the CSWIP Senior Welding Inspection theory refresher enables you to learn where and when you want, and at your own pace, tracking progress as you go. Online learning also eliminates the need for travel and accommodation, so you can save time and money.
You must book your exam separately. Examinations must be attended in person at the specified venue.
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This course will provide you with an overview of welding inspection-related content, including defects, duties, weldability, destructive and non-destructive testing, processes and consumables, assessment, reports, and more ahead of a retake or renewal examination.


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Londoners are used to hearing American (or other overseas) visitors struggling with what to us are very familiar names such as Leicester ˈlestə(r). We fail to realize how far from transparent the spelling is in such cases.
Sometimes, though, it's we Brits who are caught out by American names whose spoken form is just as surprising, in view of the spellinɡ. We may know about Houston and even Poughkeepsie pəˈkɪpsi — but I was brought up short recently by Ashtabula, Ohio.
Given the antepenultimate stress of nebula and fibula, not to mention tabulate, I think I might be forgiven for expecting this name to be stressed on the tæb syllable. But it isn't: it's actually ˌæʃtəˈbjuːlə. (Thanks to Michael Ashby for this one. I'd better add it to LPD.)
I wonder if anyone can tell us how Temecula, California, is pronounced.
A British name that caught my attention recently is that of the village of Wadeford in Somerset. In a news report about flooding I'm sure I heard a local refer to it as ˈwɒdɪfəd. The BBC Pronunciation Unit tells me, however, that
according to the parish council clerk, that is an older local pronunciation which isn't used quite as much now; most locals prefer ˈwɒdfəd.Anyway, it's certainly not the *ˈweɪdfəd that the spelling would seem to suggest.