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It's My Party & I'll Cry If I Want To
3 Short Stories Of Nightlife Nightmares (Hollywood Edition)
1. The Real Slim Shady : So a few years ago, my girlfriend at the time and I decided we wanted to throw an event in WeHo for our LGBT friends in a venue that was pretty much the perfect fit and vibe for what we were looking for in the party we wanted to produce. At this time pretty much all of the events we were attached to or producing were because of our networks, following and mailing list. You wouldn't really catch us at something that was wack and didn't have a diverse crowd of people dancing and having a good time. I can't quite remember how we met with this guy who was advertising the space but we decided to roll the dice and check it out. Most new venues in LA don't last long, I'd say a 3-5 year shelf life if they're lucky, Hollywood/WeHo being even more difficult to maintain. So we go and meet up with this guy, he seems legit. Introduces us to the security, bar manager, bartenders, and proceeds to give us a complete walkthrough of every nook and cranny of the place. We were asking the right questions to assess the situation while given the tour and he seemed to answer everything with the typical responses and expectations. Now at this time, we already had 1 or 2 other events going on in the following month or so, the majority of our funds were in the hands of others for deposits, almost like escrow on a house. So we were pretty tapped out, but we still wanted to do this party as the space was ideal and fit the criteria for our needs. Being that we were pretty much out of our own funds, it was a matter of getting sponsors who have been in bed with us for awhile with other functions, or asking one of our investors. We figured it was too short notice to hit up our typical partners and sponsors, so we got the money from 2 investors. She got 1 half of the bread together, while I obtained the other in lieu of them making a 10-15% on their investments. Having the money ready to go for the deposit on the space, we asked for a contract. The fact that we received the investment from 2 friends put more pressure and emphasis on us having a successful event. Saying as all of our other parties were very lucrative, we didn't have any doubts about this one being anything but equal if not greater, and honestly we were really fucking excited to do something different. We get the contract for the space, negotiate the terms, kick it back and forth a bit until everything is correct and in order for us to feel comfortable with doing business with the space. After signing the contract, we send off the check as you typically would. At this point we're ready to go, and start putting together the pieces of making the flyer, booking talent, setting up our marketing and promotional efforts, and generally getting all of our ducks in a row. About 3 weeks out from the event, we need some additional amendments made and we spend about 2 days of not being able to get a hold of the guy. His social media is active, so I hit him up online to no response, a day after messaging him that we couldn't get a hold of him. All of his social media accounts magically vanish, not responding to emails, phone is disconnected. Oh and keep in mind, we already gave him the $$$ to lock in the date. So at this point we start to sweat a little bit for obvious reasons, let's not forget the fact that the $ came from (2) people who trusted us greatly adding more fuel to the fire of this whole scenario. I call the venue, apparently in the timeframe of our contract and now, the ownership of the club has changed hands, there's completely new operators, and nobody seems to know the guy who wrote up a contract and put names of former owners ( who hadn't been attached to the venue in months ). We look at their calendar, the night that we were looking at is booked with some other event. At this point, I kinda fall into private investigator mode. I type in his name to google, see some old flyers in google images that have his logo on them. I start to look up the other companies/logos I see on the flyers beside his and begin reaching out to all of these random strangers with this whole story. The calls and messages generally started like " Hello, I know this is going to sound really weird, but do you happen to know of anyone by the name of xxxxxxxx? with a promotional company called xyz?" the first three people I contacted literally had responses like "Wow, that guy again? yeah I know of him, he owes my brother xyz amount of money, if you see him to fuck off " another answer was like " Yeah, I've got a restraining order against him, he owes my sister a ton of money " the calls just kept getting more and more hostile as I dug deeper and deeper. At this point, the event is essentially paused til we get to the bottom of the situation, but more importantly was us retrieving this money, otherwise we'd be on the hook for it. I keep going through these old event flyers and looking at the talent, the logos, the hosts, the clubs, and keep contacting more and more people to hear more of the same stories of essentially this guy ripping off about a dozen people, not paying back a cent and getting away with it. Now, I didn't grow up with money, I've worked hard my entire life for everything that I have and I've never been the type to just "charge it to the game" or "let someone off the hook" because "it's Hollywood" or "I mean what do you expect with people in nightlife or promotion". I have to admit, I was pretty intrigued to hear all of the different people and stories of how they all managed to get taken advantage of by the same guy, and how nobody really gave a damn about catching the guy. Meanwhile I was hot on the case and building a pretty hefty story, logging these conversations, saving everyone in my phone as (Scammed) – Which mindfully, they still are in my phone if you'd like to see next time you're around 🙂 even some of these people I've since built friendships with! Anyways, back on track – so he still is off social media and hiding, we don't really have to cancel the event with the venue because they don't know who this guy is and there's nothing on the calendar or contract anyways besides forged signatures and other phony information. After about a week his phone is back on, so my girl and I took it upon ourselves to call him every night between the hours of 10pm til 5am about 30x anyways because we were already up and it was no skin off our back. Eventually he said he'd meet up with us with the money after hearing countless voicemails and text. We literally filled his inbox to the point that it couldn't take anymore messages. We agree to meet at The Falcon in Hollywood to get our money back. I end up waiting in the cold for this fool for almost 3 hours, eventually I see him show up in his pickup, drive by slowly, he sees me and bolts off. You could imagine how frustrating this is to be chasing your money like this. At this point, I start calling up the big homies infuriated explaining the situations, and seeing who's interested in handling this shit in a not so polite manner. I look back at emails we exchanged, check the source and I'm able to find the IP address he was corresponding from. I plugged in that IP address and managed to find his place on Googlemaps! Low & behold, in the google street view screenshot, the same truck he rolled by The Falcon with and originally picked up the cash from and met us in was there, blocked in by 2 other vehicles in front of the garage on the driveway. At this point, we had already been more than patient. I did reverse phone lookups and more and managed to get a hold of his sister and mother. At this point, I sent over a cropped image of the google street view of his place, said we had already spoken to both his mother, sister and ex-girlfriend with the restraining order and he'll either get us our money and some extra for the effort or we'll be by his place to …take what we need to in order to make up for the wasted time, money and recover the balance. Surprise surprise, dude calls us back almost immediately and asks us to meet him in downtown Whittier at some sushi spot. I explain the severity of the issues at hand and state that if he's not there this time and we don't get our money returned in this attempt, we will be taking it into our own hands to solve the problem. Fast forward, we're sitting at the sushi place eating, dude shows up in a brand new tux, gives us our money and then some… says maybe two words. neither of which were my bad or I'm sorry and then just disappears. Annnnnnnnd that's all folks 🙂 so the bottom line, be very careful who you do business with, keep records, and cross-reference people. It never hurts to research the business and people you are intending on doing business with before actually doing business, that's just being smart. plain and simple. Don't Trust Anyone.
2. And For My Next Trick! – Ugh, so this was like 2011 or 12 I think? I launched a series called Westside Wednesdays at Dim Mak Studios in Hollywood with some kids I was helping with parties, we featured Warm Brew, Andre Nickatina, YG, Casey Veggies, and Pac Div alongside several other acts. Also had my homies from HamOnEverything on a bill or two – crazy to see how far we've all come. I'm only going to focus on one of those shows, because there was just all kinds of fuckery throughout this whole place. Let's start at the beginning, so let's imagine you just drove across town to catch YG who was a buzzing artist and blowing up right before your eyes. Now I can talk further about the bullshit I had to go through to even "make the show go on" … like calling my friend Nocando who had a connection to a guy named Brandon who was managing him at the time with Stampede, but we're just gonna skip over that part and focus on the stupid club shit. Right, so imagine you drove across town to see this artist, you wait in line for 30-45mins while nobody is inside, you finally get to the front. They ask you for ID, then take it it from you, while simultaneously pushing you forward into the venue, so by the time you got upstairs and the bartender asks you for your ID – you realize that you somehow have managed to lose it between the doorman who asked for it prior, and the bar. Sounds like the start to a good night, right? So imagine getting back downstairs and the head / lead guard has your ID, and says they found it on the ground. Furthermore, they say you're not allowed inside the venue (after paying) without an ID. Then they say if you want to get your ID back, you'll have to pay them $40 and if you don't have it, you're going to have to leave because you cannot be inside the venue without a valid ID. Fun right? Well beyond that shady shit, so there was a moment where my homegirl Ashley who was working the door caught these guards running side deals all night, basically slip a guard anything from a 20 to a 100 under your ID in line, and he'll have you step out, and enter through the alternative entry OR just walk you in past the door. Some people would pay in line, get the lineskip, then have to pay again at the door, but would be complaining at that point about having just paid someone (a guard) for entrance. This shit happened at least 5x in the night to the point that it was brought to my attention by Ashley who I then rounded up all the guards with and said stop fucking cutting side deals. We will take care of you guys at the end of the night, just please do your jobs right. Between holding the line in order to get impatient people buying into this garbage technique of a hustle. To the ID thing, to YG's entourage of 40 bloods then all the people who went in behind them it was just a shit show from start to finish. His set was good, people who got in without the bullshit enjoyed themselves despite the discomfort of the room being packed with people who were there for more security/support than anything. The 30-50 people who got fucked with that night proceeded to write me and sound off. The owner said he'd talk to his crew the next day and take some action (yeah right) – long story short, nothing was done. Our series ended and we got the fuck out to never return. Again, just a moment of trust, and being on your p's and q's, this shit killed the customer experience and definitely ruined some peoples night, and it also cost us quite a bit of money at the door. Some people were leaving after seeing those in front of them just being whisked right in for an additional surcharge.
3. Cruisin For A Bruising – I feel like I'll end this one on a high note as this story is kinda funny with some twists and turns. This happened on a Thursday night when LA has a residency called Respect, a dope gathering for people into Drum & Bass, Jungle and similar sounds. The regulars here are/were as consistency as Low End Theory's crowd is for electronic instrumental production. Always a good time, community vibes featuring emcees, producers and dj's alike. This event happened at The Dragonfly, a place I've blown the roof off of with a few events, and was happy to have a good relationship with. Bear their head guard was always there to greet people and his crew was solid and ethical. Anyways, so I was out doing my rounds, dropping on events that friends were producing and performing at, and was on santa monica blvd passing by and decided to drop in. I grab a drink at the bar, get on the dance floor a little, step outside for some air and to smoke some trees. This girl comes out of the hallway and walks up to me, asks for my name, introduces herself. She's cute so I talk it up with her for a bit, meet her friend briefly who then disappears and leaves me to chat with this girl further. I ask if she wants to smoke, she says no, I go inside. At this point I felt like I had already been here too long, I normally don't spend more than an hour or so in a spot unless it's really jumping, I have friends with me or I just don't have anymore stops for the night. So I end up going inside by the entry near the photobooth. She walks up and grabs me and begins to start kissing me. Now I'm not mad, again she was cute – I didn't think she was drunk or on anything at the time so I was like, this is different, let's see where this goes. back against the photobooth, we go inside of the booth and continue making out a bit. She starts taking off my belt, pants, etc, turns around and before you know it, we're fucking in the photobooth. Irony here is this isn't the first, or second time I've handled biz in a photobooth, but I had mixed feelings here because I literally just did an event a month or so prior and I genuinely respect the spaces that treat event coordinators/promoters and nightlife pros right. Plus I knew a handful of people there, and really just wasn't completely sold. Too fast, too soon? Who knows. Anyways, a guard comes to the booth… he opens it up with me pants down. Of course it's a guard I fucking know, and he's like "awww it's you bro? I don't even know what to do at this point, do you wanna finish? want me to stand outside? I was like nah man, I'm good here it's cool – I don't wanna disrespect the spot. So I exchange info with the girl ( which I guess would've been smart to do beforehand ) – she says she's gonna go outside and smoke, I say I've gotta bounce to Echo Park. She asks me to come back to her place, says she's only in town for a few days from the bay. I say I live here, I'll be around tomorrow if she wants to get together. I promptly go out front ready to leave and Bear calls me out saying "that was you? damn man, with xyz girl? yeah, she's cute" so he convinces me that the girl is worth going after, verifies her ID wasn't from LA, and was military. Said her friend was already in the car waiting for her…I tell him I've never in my life chased pussy and really just let things kinda take shape on their own. Somehow he convinces me to go with her. She comes out shortly after this convo and then asks me to follow her to her hotel in studio city. At this point, I figured you know, why not – I was already past the point of no return with her so I may as well just go further. I follow her up wilcox, she pulls into 7-11. I pull in behind her, grab some condoms, a gatorade and smartwater and ask if she wants anything. She already has her starburst and whatever the fuck else. I hop back into my car and lower the window, saying "so we're good, I'll meet you over there – it's only about 13minutes away right" and she says yeah, closes the door. Friend is still asleep in the passenger seat. She moves her car into reverse and then slams into the front bumper of a BMW m6, smashing the front lights and grill. Then she immediately pulls into drive and jets out of the 7-11 parking lot and north into the freeway. The dude runs out of the store and chases her car on foot after cursing a bit then hops in his car and speeds out of the lot and up the freeway too. At this point her phones dead, I'm following him and I don't see her car in front, but I'm assuming that he does with the way he's driving. Eventually my GPS tells me to get off as the hotel is down the street, I take the exit, sit at the light and then just go to the hotel and wait… Her phones dead, my phones dying. So I wait in the parking garage of the hotel for 15minutes or so. At this point, I'm just like is it even worth it? This is such a crazy night, and now she's committed a crime. I should just bounce. I express the story to my homie who was the guard by text and then head start heading to echo park keeping in mind that this is exactly why I don't chase women haha. I get to the gas station before the freeway and think, maybe I should go back and just at the very least see if her and her friend are alright. I go back to the parking garage, the cars there – all fucked up, looking like she backed into the fist of the incredible hulk. I call her phone, dead. I ask the hotel manager/cashier person if he could tell me what room the two girls just went into, he said without a police escort he's not permitted. I took that as a hint as I should definitely just leave and not come back. I go on with my night, drop by short stop, say hi to some friends, tell the story, shoot some pool, then head home. The next day she hits me up with paragraphs of apologies by text, tells me she's got another day in town til she goes to Vegas. Adds me on social media, I see she's got a kid… It was all too much for me. Haven't seen or spoken to her since. Dragonfly is now closed, Respect DNB has moved. Haven't seen Bear since (sadly), The End.
🙂 So I hope you enjoyed these stories, with over 7 years of events I've got some pretty funny, sad, interesting, cool and exciting memories to tell. Since these are all Hollywood, I'll probably jump to DTLA next then maybe Westside or EchoPark/Silverlake/EagleRock… Even got some crazy SXSW and 6th street stuff from when I lived in Austin, and a few from when I lived in New York.


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Ryan Hall has been gearing up for 2011 Chicago marathon by tweaking his training plan. Having been out run by the Kenyans every time, Ryan Has been studying the Kenyans and he now feels he has the answer to beat them.
"I'm realizing more and more how important it is for me to maintain contact. That's something I did well at Boston this year, where guys would get away from me," he said in an interview this summer with a Stanford alumni magazine.
"That's how I stay in the front, but how do I win the race? That's a whole different question," he added. "That's what I'm starting to address now."

subset: commoncrawl


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Why Build An Email List? Because it is life blood of your business whether your business is online or offline. And,the earlier you begin to build your list the more and faster success your business will enjoy.
It does not matter what kind of business you are in…you need an email list. Whether you are a brick and mortar business, an online marketer, a network marketer, etc. You need a list.
The most recent example I saw offline of someone building an email list was when I got my tires rotated the other day. When I was checking out they asked if I want to get updates on their specials. I said sure and they asked for my email address. My auto mechanic is ahead of so many businesses…he gets the question Why Build An Email List? Read More→


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Biblical Christianity has a vertical as well as a horizontal dimension. When you truly understand the message of the gospel it is going to affect how you relate to God (vertical) and how we relate to each other (horizontal).
In the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul explains the gospel. When we get to chapter 12 he tells us how this should change us. In the first several verses of Romans 12 Paul addresses the vertical dimension of faith. When we understand the message of salvation we will respond to God by giving ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God which is our spiritual form of worship. We will also seek to serve Him in the area where He has called us to serve.
In verse nine and following Paul begins to describe the horizontal dimensions of faith. He lays out the principle in verse 9: "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." The verses that follow amplify on the principle. This morning we are going to look only at the principle. The principles is pretty simple: Love must be sincere and love should be discriminating.
Paul's first command is "love must be sincere". This is one of those times when we can understand the text much better after we have looked at the words carefully. The word "sincere" comes from the Latin words sine cera, which means "without wax". The phrase comes from a practice where people would hide the cracks in cheap pottery with wax in order to pass the pottery off as being worth more than it actually was. Quality products were often stamped with the words sine cera to show it had not be doctored. It would be similar to those products today that are stamped, "all natural" or "100% pure". Paul is telling us to love in a way that is pure and genuine.
The Greek word translated "sincere" in the NIV is the word Anupokritos. The last part of the word is our word hypocrite. The prefix "an" means "without". So the Greek word actually means, "without hypocrisy". In classical Greek the word "hypocrite" meant someone who wore a mask is a play. Once again we have the picture that Paul says the true believer should love without a mask. The love should be real and not pretend. It should be without a hidden agenda.
Why does Paul state it this way? It is because we are much better at claiming to love someone than we are at actually loving them. We all learned the fine art of pretending very early on.
- We tell someone we will pray for them, but don't actually do so.
- We smile while someone is talking but we aren't really listening.
- We tell someone that we forgot to do something they asked us to do, but in truth, we just didn't want to do it.
- We tell someone to call "anytime" but when we see their number on our caller ID we won't pick up the phone.
- We say positive things to a person in front of them but when we are away from them we speak critically.
- We say "we'll keep in touch" even though we know we won't.
I hate to admit this but I saw this in myself again last week. We attended church last Sunday while we were out of town and after the worship I spoke warmly with the Pastor. However, as soon as I reached the car, I started picking apart the Pastor's message and his presentation! I'm embarrassed and ashamed of the fact that my love was not sincere . . . it was filled with wax! I feigned love on the outside but I was a savage on the inside!
I hope you can see these kinds of examples in your lives (I hope I'm not the only one). We are skilled at duplicity. We are masters of covering up our true feelings. In fact, most of us have been hurt at one time or another by those who professed love but were spreading lies about us behind our backs. It would be nice to think that this doesn't happen in the church . . . but it does. Many have left the church because of insincerity.
So is this such a problem? I am not expert but I have some ideas. First, I believe many of us are desperately insecure. We tend to feel that life is a contest. Consequently, anything good that happens to another person is at our expense. If someone else gets an "A" in a class it doesn't mean they have worked hard and should be congratulated . . . it means they have "ruined the curve"! If someone gets something new or has some success we don't congratulate them, we feel somehow we have been cheated. When someone needs something from us we feel "put out" but when we are in need and someone doesn't respond to us, we conclude the person is being insensitive or selfish. When a person doesn't want to do what we want to do for some reason we feel diminished.
As believers we need desperately to hear the message of the gospel. God's love for us is not based on how we measure up to others. It is not a contest. God loves us because of who we are. He loves us because we have been forgiven through the work of Christ on our behalf. What happens or doesn't happen in another person's life does not change our value one iota.
I believe there is a second obstacle to sincere love: we are too busy. I really believe that one of the things that hinders genuine compassion and love is our busyness. We are always in a hurry. As a consequence, we feel we don't have time for any real meaningful interaction. It isn't that we don't want meaningful relationships. Often, that is the very thing we hunger for more than anything. Our problem is that we always have to be somewhere so we can do some thing. Caring and love take time. When we are being pulled in many different directions we can't help but be emotionally drained. As a result we are without the emotional resources we need for a true and sincere love for other people.
So what is the answer? It seems like there are several things we can do.
First, we must focus on the truth of the gospel. It is only as we come to see the love of God for us that we will be able to love each other. As we come to understand that God loves us not because of our achievements, possessions or titles but because of who we are, we will experience true love. When we are secure in God's love, we will find that we are better able to love others.
I think you can't truly love without wax until you have experience that kind of love from the Lord. Every counselor has had to go through a period of counseling, every tradesman has had to serve some kind of apprenticeship, every teacher has been a student, and the best Doctors have been patients. In each case these people needed to experience what they were being asked to do. In the same way, sincere love requires that we experience the sincere love of the Lord. When we experience the freedom that comes as a result of God's sincere love, we will be eager to share that love with others.
Second, we must make an effort to love. We do this by working to listen to each other. We need to look a person in the eye. We need to hear what a person has to say (rather than simply waiting for your turn to talk). It involves interactive questions. However, to be fair, love also includes being attentive to when it is and is not a good time to share our burdens.
Third, we need to slow down. If you have a schedule you maintain, plan some time in your schedule to visit with those around you. In other words, if it is a 30 minute meeting . . .set aside 60 in your planner so you can interact and care about the others at the meeting. Work at asking people about their lives. Ask them "How are you doing?" and then hang around to find out the answer to the question.
Perhaps you need to cut out some things from your schedule and from your children's schedules. Where did we get this notion that we need to have our children involved in everything or we are somehow depriving our children of the opportunity to excel? Excessive activity is like a drug. When you are addicted to activity you can't sit still, you are always bored, and you are always need some new thing to entertain you. It is impossible to excel at anything if you are trying to do everything. We are developing children who don't know how to read a book, who labor to have an extended conversation, and who wouldn't have any idea how to simply sit back and enjoy the beauty of creation. True love means setting limits. This leads us to our next phrase.
Paul follows the command to love sincerely by saying, "hate what is evil, cling to what is good." In the Greek text the words hate and cling are participles which means the verse should read, "love should be sincere, abhorring evil, clinging to the good."
This sounds foreign to our ears. We believe that hate and love cannot go together. On the contrary, hating what is evil is a requirement of sincere love! As a parent do you hate it when you child comes home broken-hearted because someone was mean? As an employee do you hate it when an employer humiliates one of your friends publicly? Do you hate it when a drunk driver victimizes your friend? Of course you do.
We hate what is evil not because we are cantankerous. We hate what is evil because evil things hurt people and relationships. In Proverbs 6 Solomon lists some of the things that God hates,
16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Solomon tells us that God hates behaviors that destroy people and relationships. We are to hate evil and sin because they destroy people and push them away from God, the source of life. If we truly love people, we must hate what is evil.
We Can't Hate What We don't See. William Barclay wrote, "It has been said that our one security against sin lies in our being shocked by it. It was Carlyle who said that what we need is to see the infinite beauty of holiness and the infinite damnability of sin."
Barclay points to a grave danger. When we become numb to evil, when we stop being shocked by it, we are in trouble. This is a real danger. We see murders, adultery, lying, and stealing so much on the television that we are no longer shocked. The newspaper is filled with acts of unspeakable violence. We are so numbed by the depravity around us that we have become somewhat immune to it. We don't approve of evil deeds but we don't really hate them either. When evil/sin numbs our heart it also diminishes our ability to love without wax.
There is a difference between hating evil and hating the consequences of evil. It is like the difference between someone being sorry for what they have done or only being sorry that they were caught!
Do you see this in our society? Some teenagers don't cheat in school not because they value the truth and want to do their own work, but because they are afraid they may get caught and fail. Many of us drive the speed limit (or within that five mile acceptable limit) not because we are concerned with respecting authority but because we don't want to pay for a ticket and have our name in the paper if we get caught. We report our income accurately not because it is right but because we are afraid of the big fines if we are audited. In other words our true motivation often is not a love for what is good so much as the feeling that we can't get away with what we really would like to do!
What do we do? How do we escape the numbness of pervasive evil and this tendency to miss the point?
Clinging to the Good. In order to combat the erosive quality of evil in our lives we need to pursue truth. You are all familiar with the words of Paul is 1 Corinthians 13.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor. 13:4-6)
Did you hear verse 6? "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."
Clinging to the good is the same as rejoicing with the truth.
Practically, this means,
- Regularly and attentively reading God's Word seeking His instruction for our lives.
- Evaluating the events/thoughts of the day before the Lord in prayer
- Pursuing solid Biblical instruction through preaching, books, tapes, radio messages.
- Taking the truth we learn and putting it into practice in our daily lives.
If we do not continually sharpen the knife of truth it will become dull and useless in attempting to cut away the evil in life. If we do not continually return to the source of truth we will find that the line between good and evil will become increasingly blurred. This will lead us to be more self-absorbed and less able to love with genuineness.
We are only beginning our study of the love that God wants us to have in the body of Christ. In the weeks to come Paul will put some flesh on the skeleton we have seen today. However, we can already draw some important principles for how to love without wax.
First, we need to be ruthlessly honest with ourselves. Before we can love one another without wax we must be able to see when we are failing to do so. We have to be honest with ourselves and with God about our mixed motives, our pretend love, our manipulative ways, and the love we have of that which is evil. I challenge you to tell yourself the truth; even if it hurts.
Second, we must allow God to love us in Christ. It is time to take God at His word and let Him make you new in Christ. The Lord has promised to forgive us, cleanse us, cherish us, and make us new, if we will but put our trust in what Jesus has done for us. As we draw close to Him, His Spirit will have greater influence in our lives.
The love we are talking about is un-natural. This is a love that God must work in our heart. We need His transformation. That transformation comes as we draw close to Him. May I challenge you once again to put your life in His hands? Will you finally believe Him when He says, "He loves you?"
Finally, we must begin to act in loving ways. In other words, we must always DO what is right even when we don't feel it completely. I know that sounds like hypocrisy, it's not. Just as a child babbles before they really talk, so we must act in loving ways before we do so with the right heart. A person learns to cook by trying and sometimes burning the food. A craftsman learns to build by building some things that are flawed at the beginning, but they get better. It is the same way with love. We must try to do the loving thing first . . . .and a loving heart will follow.
What is the right thing for you to do?
call an old friend
send a note to someone who is grieving
release someone from a past failure (in other words, forgive)
anonymously buy some groceries for someone who is in need
sign up for a mission trip
give time to a mentoring program
go to visit someone who is alone
listen to someone who needs to talk
Your heart may not be in all of these things. You may find yourself dragging your feet and really resisting. However, if we will do what God is nudging us to do we will find that our heart will begin to change. We will see God's grace at work in our efforts and before you know it your love will be sine cere without wax.


text: Meeting on the Stairs is an independent Irish drama by first time writer/director Lorna Fitzsimons. Lovingly made on a tiny budget with a young cast and crew, it tells a sometimes stark story beautifully. It debuted nationally at Clones Film Festival, internationally at Washington's Capital Irish Film Festival, and is showing at The Underground Cinema, Kingston Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, on February 9.


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Guest Artists - Bernard Woma and Saakumu Dance Troupe - February 2, 3, and 4 2015
Saakumu Dance Troupe will give a free concert on Feb. 3 at 7:30 pm - All Faiths Chapel
Saakumu Dance Troupe residency
Monday February 2:
11:30 am – 12:20 am Freshman Survey (Music 225)
5:00 - 7:00 PM African Dance Class (Dance 350)
Tuesday February 3:
8:00 - 9:20 am Dance rehearsal for Bima (Dance 507)
9:30 - 10:20 am African Drumming (Music 281)
10:30 - 11:20 am Percussion Ensemble 2 (Music 280)
11:30 - 12:20 pm Music/Dance area – (informal showing/workshop)
7:30 pm Saakumu Dance Troupe performance in All Faiths Chapel (free)
Wednesday February 4:
11:30 am – 12:45 pm African dance master class – N008
2:30 - 3:20 pm Percussion Ensemble 1 (Music 480)
Bernard Woma has shared the performance stage with renowned artists such as Maya Angelou, Yo Yo Ma, and Glen Velez. He has performed for international dignitaries and presidents such as U. S. president Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II. He was recently honored as the cultural resource person for President Barack Obama's family when they visited Ghana. He is a true cultural treasure from Ghana who has toured the world as xylophonist and lead drummer of the National Dance Company of Ghana. Bernard is an extremely dynamic artist and deeply experienced educator. His recent appearances in the US include a performance with New York Philharmonic at the Avery Fisher, Lincoln Center, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra, residency with the Ethos Percussion group, performances and teaching at New York's AXF: African Xylophone Festival, and various universities and colleges. The performance of his composition "Gyil Nyog Me Na" in the spring of 2006 at Zankel Hall in Carnegie Hall is a testimony of his musicianship. Bernard is the Artistic Director of Saakumu Dance Troupe and the founder and director of the Dagara Music and Arts Center in Accra, Ghana.
The award winning Saakumu Dance Troupe is one of the leading traditional/contemporary dance and music group in Ghana, West Africa. Led by master musician, Bernard Woma, the group repertoire includes a range of spiritual, ceremonial, recreational genres to contemporary African dance forms. Their music and dance is joyful, expressive and highly participatory. For information, visit their website: http://www.saakumu.com
K-State Dance has a history of bringing visiting artists from around the country and the world with a variety of specialties. Each year, we bring guest teachers and choreographers in an attempt to expose the K-State student / dance community to a broad range of styles and experiences.


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As I am preparing for my own family's Thanksgiving celebrations, I think of all my friends and clients and wish them well over this wonderful holiday weekend! So much to be thankful for! Drink too much, eat too much, love too much! :)
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MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (AP) — A southwest Ohio cement plant worker has died after becoming trapped in a silo full of fly ash.
Authorities said 42-year-old Tim Taylor died Tuesday night from asphyxiation, about four hours after he was overwhelmed by some 8,000 pounds of fly ash — a substance used to make cement.
It happened at Central Ready Mix in Middletown, between Dayton and Cincinnati.
It's not clear how he became trapped. Taylor was doing some work in the container, which is about 80 feet tall and was nearly full.
Taylor was the second man this week to die after becoming trapped in a silo in Butler County. A man died Monday after becoming trapped in a farm silo.


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text:
If Boeing opts to replace its 737 with a new single-aisle aircraft around 2020, it would probably address the 777 first, company Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney said on Wednesday.
Boeing has teams looking at upgrading or replacing both airplanes, and executives have said in recent months that the company looks more likely to replace the 737 rather than give it new engines.
The 737 faces new competition from upstarts such as the Canadian Bombardier CSeries, Chinese Comac 919 and Russian United Aircraft Corp. MS-21. Meanwhile, Airbus' composite A350 XWB is going after the 777 market.
"We see a new airplane opportunity out in the 2020 range," McNerney said Wednesday, on the third-quarter earnings conference call. Given that, he said, executives continue to question the case for re-engining.
If the company does, in fact, opt to replace the 737 around 2020, McNerney said: "We would probably have to address changes to the 777 before then."
Asked what Boeing might do, he said: "We're studying everything from a completely new airplane to modification to the wing and the engines."


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The question: Are celebrities human?
The Roman Catholic church does not make saints: it recognises and proclaims them. The formal procedure of canonisation does not move a heroic individual into heaven. Rather, it confirms that she or he has been there all along (after death, that is). Doubtless, there are countless true saints – perhaps orders of magnitude more than are formally proclaimed, and perhaps including large numbers of non-Catholics, non-Christians, and even non-believers – who are never so identified.
The modern process of recognition is, frankly, really rather rigorous. (Even if you don't believe in miracles, you must admit that requiring two medical marvels construable as prompted by the putative saint's intercession – or even just the one, as for martyrs – is a fairly stringent criterion. And that's just the finishing touches.) It is also complicated, lengthy and expensive. All of which adds, of course, a significant selection bias to the whole endeavour. Basically speaking, to stand a hope of being recognised as a saint, you need a considerable body of people committed to the idea. These include proposers, postulators, donors, historians, theologians, and above all, pray-ers.
It is here, of course, that celebrity and sainthood begin to overlap. In fact, the very first step of the formal process requires that a certain celebrity status – in other words, "a widespread reputation of holiness or of martyrdom as well as an authentic and widespread reputation of intercessory power" – has already been acquired. (This reputation, incidentally, must be "stable, continuous, widespread among trustworthy people and existing among a significant portion of the People of God".)
Furthermore, since Catholics are humans too, the cultus of a (would-be) saint may incorporate all the usual elements of celebrity worship: putting up posters; wanting something owned or touched by them; journeying to significant places; treasuring a lock of hair or a bone. The cult of saints is certainly illumined by the anthropology of celebrity fandom, even though it is not reducible to it (after all, Michael Jackson probably isn't able to intercede with God). And as far as I'm concerned, if Paris Hilton and Justin Bieber receive such adulation and attention, then so too should Gemma Galgani and Pier Giorgio Frassati.
The requirement of "widespread reputation", moreover, adds an interesting factor to the sociology of saintmaking. More often than not, sanctity in this life goes unnoticed and unappreciated: comparatively few since-recognised saints were legends in their own lifetime. For some, postmortem acclaim came swiftly: in the case of Frassati, when thousands of Turin's poor flocked to their benefactor's funeral following his death from polio aged 23 – much to the surprise of his father, a senator and newspaper publisher, and his well-to-do friends. But for most others, word spreads far more slowly, over decades or centuries. It is no accident that so many recognised saints were the founders of religious orders or congregations. In these cases, not only is there a defined group with a vested interest in the founder's recognition, but there are also clear channels for promoting the cause to others, such as through the group's schools, parishes or missions. Needless to say, widespread reputations do not arise ex nihilo.
The process is not, however, necessarily a slow one. The two swiftest beatifications (the last-but-one step prior to full canonisation) of recent times, Mother Teresa's in 2003 and Pope John Paul II's this coming Sunday, came only six years after their deaths. Neither came as a surprise, and once again celebrity is a key factor. Teresa was widely (albeit not universally) regarded as a "living saint" for several decades. She too, of course, was the founder of an order – the Missionaries of Charity – promoting her cause across the globe. The previous pope, meanwhile, travelled constantly, attracting huge crowds wherever he went. Hence millions have had their own, personal "John Paul moment" – crucial for fostering a personal devotion. (Coming from a country where people take saints, and praying to them, seriously, didn't hurt either. Had Cardinal Newman been Polish, he might well have been beatified a lot sooner.)
Such swift official recognitions, driven by popular acclaim, are not unknown before the modern era (Anthony of Padua was canonised within a year of his death, Francis of Assisi within two). Yet the rise of modern media and, most of all, the internet – the catalysts of celebrity culture too, of course – mean that accelerated recognitions of saints will become ever more common.
The seeds of a "widespread reputation of holiness or of martyrdom", which might previously have taken centuries to build, could "go viral" on social media in a matter of days or hours. Indeed, this is happening now: within hours of a Pakistani politician's murder in March, "Shabhaz Bhatti, pray for us" was appearing on my Facebook page. Sectors of the buoyant Catholic blogosphere – to which the Vatican is paying increasing attention – are already proclaiming him a martyr.
If Bhatti is indeed a saint, then it won't be Facebook and Twitter that has made him one. Though if the church ultimately recognises and proclaims him as such, then (strange as it is to say) it will partly be due to the same social and technological forces that have made a celebrity of Rebecca Black.


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A new recovery option is opening in August for Tennessee's drug-addicted criminals — a recovery court intended to treat substance abuse and free up prison space for violent offenders.
The Tennessee Department of Correction said the program is the nation's first statewide residential recovery court, diverting offenders in need of substance abuse treatment from prison.
TDOC partnered with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse to open the treatment center, which will be operated by the private Davidson County Drug Court Support Foundation.
The Morgan County facility opens in Wartburg, Tenn., on Aug. 1 and will offer services for up to 100 individuals needing mental health treatment, which is expected to reduce the number of repeat offenders.
"This program should not be considered being soft on crime," said Derrick Schofield, TDOC commissioner. "What it says is that we're going to place people in the best option to ensure they don't re-offend. But also, we're going to make sure we have a prison bed available for people who commit violent offenses that harm our communities.
The recovery court is expected to cut prison expenses by costing nearly half as much per person than incarceration. According to TDOC, there are currently 3,378 drug offenders in the state system, which is 16 percent of the total state inmate population.


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Steven Kitshoff
HEIGHT 183 cm
WEIGHT 114 Kg
BIRTH DATE 10 February 1992 – Age 19
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2011
Loosehead Prop.
Played 28 minutes in last years Super Rugby against the Canterbury Crusaders. He benches 180kg's. He can run 40 meters in 5.1 seconds. He represented WP at Craven week 2009 & 2010. Known as the Red Shark, he is a good scrummager, likes the contact, devastating on attack and has good hands. It is his second year in the Stormers squad and is a definite possibility for Springbok rugby.
Johannes Lodewicus (Wicus) Blaauw
HEIGHT 186 cm
WEIGHT 120 Kg
BIRTH DATE 8 April 1986 – Age 26
Super Rugby Debut – Stormers – 2008
Loosehead Prop
Stalwart of the Stormers side, the Namibian born Loosehead prop has suffered a few injuries in the last couple of years that has sidelined him and allowed some of the youngsters to come through. Will be interesting to see how much game time he sees this year.
Deon Carstens
HEIGHT 183 cm
WEIGHT 115 Kg
BIRTH DATE June 3, 1979 – Age 32
Super Rugby Debut – Sharks – 2001
Loosehead Prop
He is a versatile player who can cover either side of the front row, but now prefers loosehead prop. He has represented the Sharks 62 times at Super Rugby level and 60 times in the Currie Cup. In April 2010 it was announced that Carstens had agreed to join the Saracans FC for the 2010–2011 season. He returned to South Africa to join the Stormers for the 2012 Super Rugby season.
Schalk Ferreira
HEIGHT 188 cm
WEIGHT 111 Kg
BIRTH DATE 9 February 1984 – Age 27
Super Rugby Debut – Stormers – 2007
Loosehead Prop
Schalk Ferreira, who quit rugby two years ago after a serious neck injury and had surgery to his neck, has recently been cleared by his medical team to play rugby again and has decided to make a comeback. He has played most of his career as a loosehead, but had also previously been looked at by Rassie Erasmus as a hooker, will again return to his favoured position, and only be used at loosehead.
Juan (Brok) Harris
HEIGHT 183 cm
WEIGHT 118 Kg
BIRTH DATE 22 February 1985 – Age 26
Super Rugby Debut – Stormers – 2007
Tighthead Prop
Brok, is the grafter in the Stormers pack. A work horse that gives you everything. An uncompromising player, who, will probably never be the hardest scrummager in the land, but by the same token, never let you down. Plays at tighthead, but will move across if needs be, as he did during the last season.
Jozua Francois Malherbe (Frans) Malherbe
HEIGHT 190 cm
WEIGHT 124 Kg
BIRTH DATE 22 14 March 1991 – Age 20
Super Rugby Debut – Stormers – 2011
Tighthead Prop
A former SA schools player 2009, he represented Western Province at Craven Week 2009 whilst also Captaining of Paarl Boys High in that same year. Played a total of 50 minutes in 4 matches (didn't come off the bench in the 5th) in last years Super Rugby competition. An up and coming star, seen as the future by Allister Coetzee.
Hendrik Petrus (Hein) van der Merwe
HEIGHT 190 cm
WEIGHT 122 Kg
BIRTH DATE 09 May 1988 – Age 23
Maties – FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International – 2012, 2011, 2010
Western Province – ABSA Under 21 Competition – 2010
Loosehead Prop
New to the squad, played for the Maties over the last few years, as well as for Western Province in the 2010 under 21 series. First season with the stormers. Strong scrummager, but still untested at senior level.
Tom Botha
HEIGHT 179 cm
WEIGHT 110 Kg
BIRTH DATE 31 August 1990 – Age 21
Western Province – ABSA Under 21 Competition – 2011
DHL Western Province – ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division – 2011
Maties – FNB Varsity Cup Presented by Steinhoff International – 2011
Tighthead prop
Strong and powerful prop with a tremendous work rate and great ball carrying capability, played under 21 last year, as well as a couple of appearances off the bench for Western Province.
Allister Vermaak
Loosehead Prop
Allister Vermaak rewarded for a great season by being selected as the Best Forwards player. Maties and Western Province under 21, a player for the future.
Deon Andre Fourie
HEIGHT 177 cm
WEIGHT 100 Kg
BIRTH DATE 25 September 1986 – Age 25
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2008
Deon Fourie, who has explosive pace, made his Super rugby debut in 2008. Accurate at the line out, and not afraid to shirk his responsibilities on the field, he is gradually growing into a potential leader. Has been mooted by Allister Coetzee on the side of the scrum, but will probably stay at hooker, rotating with Tiaan Liebenberg for the starting spot.
Clemen Lewis
HEIGHT 173 cm
WEIGHT 95 Kg
BIRTH DATE 10 October 1983 – Age 28
Boland Cavaliers 2005
Boland Stalwart, Lewis is an abrasive hooker, and powerful runner. Been a feature in the Cavaliers side since 2005. An honest player and hard grafter. How much game time he gets will rest upon the fitness of the other hookers, I guess.
Christiaan Rudolph (Tiaan) Liebenberg
HEIGHT 185 cm
WEIGHT 111 Kg
BIRTH DATE 18 December 1981 – Age 31
Super Rugby Debut – Cheetahs – 2006
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2007
Except for a short stint in France in 2009, Liebenberg has played for the Stormers since 2007, where he was a major cog in rejuvenating the front row when it was really struggling. Captain of Western Province 2011, he is one of the primary ball carriers for the team, with the physicality to match his opponents, is a strong scrummager, carrying the ball over the advantage line consistently. Excellent in the loose, with that permanent smile, has the ability to get right up the opponents nose. Barring injury, he share the starting spot with Fourie.
Siyabonga (Skarra) Ntubeni
HEIGHT 177 cm
WEIGHT 92 Kg
BIRTH DATE 18 February 1991 – Age 21
Super Rugby Debut – Stormers – 2011
Represented Golden Lions at Craven week 2009, "Scarra", as he is affectionately known, is renowned for his leadership abilities and his accuracy in the lineouts SA schools 2009. The burly 20-year-old hooker has represented Western Province and the Stormers with some success of late, and has enjoyed his time in the Cape Town-based. He played for 79 minutes from 4 matches (All subs) off the bench in last years Super Rugby tournament. Although he was dropped from the Stormers squad last year and appeared on the WP bench, he is back in the Stormers squad.
Andries Bekker
HEIGHT 208 cm
WEIGHT 118 Kg
BIRTH DATE 5 December 1983 – Age 29
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2005
Big and strong, lived in Matfields shadow for the past few years, the big No 5, is one of South Africas best lineout forwards, and not a man to shirk his duties on the frontline. A hard man and strong ball carrier, Bekkers lineout abilities and ball poaching second only to the retired Matfield. Consistant injuries may be the biggest problem.
Rynhardt (Rocky) Elstadt
HEIGHT 198 cm
WEIGHT 112 Kg
BIRTH DATE 20 December 1989 – Age 22
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2011
Still on the injured list, Elstadt hopes to be back before the 'Canes game. Some are still unconvinced, but Elstadt was as good an enforcer in his last year as any of the others I saw.
Eben Etzebeth
HEIGHT 203 cm
WEIGHT 117 Kg
BIRTH DATE 29 October 1991 – Age 21
Super Rugby Debut – Cheetahs – 2006
DHL Western Province – 2011
Tall, athletic lock with a high work rate, although yet to prove himself in the Stormers side, he has more than proven himself in both SA U20 competitions and in the WP squad. Probably the future of Western Cape rugby with Elstadt when Bekker bows out.
Hilton Lobberts
HEIGHT 190 cm
WEIGHT 105 Kg
BIRTH DATE 11 June 1986 – Age 25
Super Rugby Debut – Blue Bulls – 2007
Stormers – 2009
Better known as a loosie, Lobberts made his senior debut for the Bulls in 2005 and appeared in two Tests for the Springboks the following year. Western Province signed him 2009, but injuries have limited him to just 14 appearances in the blue-and-white striped jersey. A wily, street wise lock, he is a good scrummager, good lineout contestor and an enforcer, he is one of the hard men in SA rugby.
Quinn Roux
HEIGHT 196 cm
WEIGHT 117 Kg
BIRTH DATE 30 October 1990 – Age 21
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2010
Originally from Pretoria Roux came down to the Western Province Institute a few years ago, and started his career from there At the age of just 20, he is a tall and athletic lock, and shaping up to be one of the games new enforcers.
Michiel De Kock (De Kock) Steenkamp
HEIGHT 197 cm
WEIGHT 108 Kg
BIRTH DATE 16 February 1987 – Age 24
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2010
De Kock Steenkamp's chance came in 2009, following the departure of Chris Jack, and the injury to Springbok Andries Bekker meant that De Kock was thrust into the Vodacom WP's side during their Currie Cup campaign. This brought about a call up to the Stormers squad for 2010. The warm up game in Wellington saw him don the captains armband, and this coupled with the next warm ups, he will be hoping to prove himself as back up to Bekker this season.
Donovan Armand
BIRTH DATE 23 September 1988– Age 23
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2005
Loose Forward
New to the Stormers setup, Donovan Armand Played for UCT last year, usually at openside, but did have some time in the No. 5 jersey
Schalk (Schalla) Willem Petrus Burger Jnr
HEIGHT 193 cm
WEIGHT 114 Kg
BIRTH DATE 13 April 1983 – Age 28
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2004
Loose Forward
Coetzee has moved Schalla back to the openside this year, feeling to much emphasis is placed on the fetcher – time will tell.
Nizaam Carr
HEIGHT 184 cm
WEIGHT 93 Kg
BIRTH DATE 4 April 1991 – Age 21
DHL Western Province – 2011
Loose Forward
One for the future, this former Bishops scholar made the SA Under-20 squad to Argentina having played for Western Province and South Africa at every level in his age group. A multi-skilled loose forward with a lot to prove, his first outing to Wellington in the Stormers colours didn't disappoint.
Nick Fenton-Wells
HEIGHT 185 cm
WEIGHT 102 Kg
BIRTH DATE 11 August 1986 – Age 25
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2010
Loose Forward
Captain of the Ikeys squad last year, Felton-Wells has made the step up to the Stormers squad for 2012. A skilful loose forward, happy on either side of the scrum, He wants to specialise at openside. A bit of a late bloomer, he nevertheless had a good season with Western Province in 2011
Yassir (Yaya) Hartzenberg
HEIGHT 194 cm
WEIGHT 109 Kg
BIRTH DATE 6 January 1989 – Age 23
DHL Western Province – 2010
Loose Forward
A product of the Western Province Youth League, Yaya moved on to play for Western Province in 2010 after playing for the Ikeys. A strong lad, He will be playing off the back of the scrum the weekend in the curtain raiser for the DHL WP Vodacom Cup Squad. A strong ball carrier, we'll have to see what the season brings.
Reuben Benjamin Johannes
HEIGHT 183 cm
WEIGHT 96 Kg
BIRTH DATE 5 October 1990 – Age 21
DHL Western Province – 2011
Loose Forward
Will be coming off the bench at this weekends match against the Lions, Johannes scooped the best forwards player for the u21 category at the WP awards last year, he is a fierce tackling loose forward with ball stealing capabilities of note. He is athletic, agile, strong and hard working.
Rohan Kitshoff
HEIGHT 182 cm
WEIGHT 98 Kg
BIRTH DATE 13 September 1985 – Age 26
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2011
Loose Forward
After a successful World Cup for Namibia, the pocket fetcher is back, this time in the Stormers colours. Having began his career, inconsistent form plus a plethora if loosies in 2006 saw Kitshof move to Griquas. He rerurned to Western Province and the Stormers in 2011
Siyamthanda (Siya) Kolisi
HEIGHT 186 cm
WEIGHT 96 Kg
BIRTH DATE 16 June 1991 – Age 20
DHL Western Province – 2011
Loose Forward
Called in as cover for Vermeulan last year, by Allister Coetzee, after having played for the SA U20 side at the Junior World Championship. Siyamthanda is physically a big man, strong ball carrier, has a sound defence, he breaks the advantage line regularly and has awesome support play. He has been touted in some corners as the next Brussouw, and is a player of the future.
Ralph Nicholas (Nick) Koster
HEIGHT 193 cm
WEIGHT 104 Kg
BIRTH DATE 22 February 1989 – Age 22
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2010
Loose Forward
Once touted by Nick Mallet and Jake White to be the next big thing in South African Rugby, Koster still has a thing or two to prove. A brilliant season in 2008 Absa Currie Cup saw him get a Barbarians call up. Rassie Erasmus moved him to the wing in 2009, a move again backed by Mallet, but it is safe to say that he is back at No.8. Not as physical as Vermuelen, Koster nonetheless walked away with the award for best player at last years WP annual awards evening. Koster will start at 8 in Fridays game with Vermeulen still crock.
Daniel Johannes (Duane) Vermeulen
HEIGHT 193 cm
WEIGHT 108 Kg
BIRTH DATE 3 July 1986 – Age 25
Vodacom FS Cheetahs Super Rugby – 2007
Stormers – 2009
Loose Forward
Duane began his career at Puma's in 2004, before moving to the Cheetahs in 2007. After a 2 year stint there, he moved to the Western Cape in 2009 and immediately slotted into the Vodacom Stormers loose trio with Schalk Burger and Francois Louw. His physical play and barn-storming running style make him a formidable obstacle for any opponent. A serious knee injury ended his season last year, and whilst still not fit, Allister Coetzee is confident he will be back for the opening rounds of the Super 15 proper.
Johannes Haindly Joseph (Bolla) Conradie
HEIGHT 170 cm
WEIGHT 76 Kg
BIRTH DATE 24 February 1978 – Age 33
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2002
With 18 caps for South Africa, 73 for Stormers and WP alike, Bolla comes in from the cold. AC's feeling at the end of last year said that they would be monitoring his fitness. A while since he has played for the Stormers regularly (2007 to be precise), he had a good outing with them in their first outing this year against the Cavaliers. A bit long in the tooth now, he will be the back up at best.
Dewaldt Otto Duvenage
HEIGHT 173 cm
WEIGHT 78 Kg
BIRTH DATE 22 May 1988 – Age 23
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2009
Still on the injured list, Duvenage will, when he makes it back, be the No.1 scrummie. One of the best in the country, he won the back line player of the year at the WP annual awards last year. Duvenage is one of the most underrated and well-rounded scrum-halves in South Africa, giving a crisp service from the base, and has very good vision and awarness. A very good tactical kicker, as well as an accomplished place kicker when called upon. At only 23, Dewald is the senior scrummy, currently on the injured list, he will take over the staring berth when he returns
Nic Groom
HEIGHT 171 cm
WEIGHT 93 Kg
BIRTH DATE 21 February 1990- Age 21
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2011
In 3 seasons this pocket rocket went from schoolboy to the Stormers in 2011. A youngster with with a lightening pass and accuracy out of hand, Nic is also strong in defence. He has the potential as a leader of the future, a youngster with a level head and remarkable vision. One for the future.
Louis Schreuder
HEIGHT 184 cm
WEIGHT 82 Kg
BIRTH DATE 25 April 1990 – Age 21
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2011
As with Nic Groom, Louis Schreuder has made the rise to Stormers level very quickly. A very talented rugby player who is quick to the break down, and a good service, if, but for a second step sometimes that does slow him down, he has represented SA at the IRB U21 World Cupand has huge ability, and a great boot. Again a good visionary and reader of the game, and a leader for the future.
Ricky Darryl Schroeder
HEIGHT 168 cm
WEIGHT 77 Kg
BIRTH DATE 5 January 1991 – Age 20
DHL Western Province – Vodacom Cup – 2011
Another product of Paul Roos Gymnasium, Schroeder has risen through the ranks, playing Craven week in 2009, 2010, WP U19 in 2011 rising to WP in the Vodacom Cup. The young half back will gain invaluable experience by being in the squad.
Gary van Aswegen
HEIGHT 178 cm
WEIGHT 88 Kg
BIRTH DATE 18 February 1990 – Age 21
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2011
Fly half
Looks like a definite Fly half for the future, this young lad has all the makings of a strong fly half, who doesn't shirk his responsibilities on defence. Hampered by injury last year, AC feels he has all the aspect of a 10.
Demetri Catrakilis
HEIGHT 176 cm
WEIGHT 82 Kg
BIRTH DATE 6 July 1989 – Age 22
DHL Western Province – 2011
Fly half
Catrakilis, who by his own admission bases his game on Wilkinson and Carter spent some time with Racing Metro before returning to South Africa and UCT to score 136 points to help lead the Ikeys to be crowned 2011 champions. Called up to the WP squad because of injuries to the regular fly halves, he fitted in to give a good account of himself as a fly half. Great place kicking ability, as well as good tactical kicking add to a portfolio of excellent defence, solid tackling, and a mature generalship of the back line. A potential bok of the future.
Kurt Kendall Coleman
HEIGHT 177 cm
WEIGHT 82 Kg
BIRTH DATE 29 January 1990 – Age 21
DHL Stormers Super Rugby – 2011
Fly half
A product of Grey High, Coleman was given the opportunity to play last year with the injury to Peter Grant. Another to come out of the WP rugby institute, Coleman has the talent, but yet to really prove it on the Super 15 stage. His kicking in the warm up match was very wayward, and this area of his game really needs to improve if he is to get regular game time.
Burton Francis
HEIGHT 184 cm
WEIGHT 90 Kg
BIRTH DATE 2 January 1987 – Age 25
Blue Bulls Super Rugby – 2008
Fly half
Having played Super Rugby for the Lions and the Bulls, Francis has moved down to the Stormers for the 2012 campaign. With all the fly half injuries last year, it was felt that this was an area that needed bolstering. A sound place kicker, and powerful boot, Francis was nudged out of the staring lineup at the Lions by Jantjies and James. He was Vodacom Cup Player of the Year in 2008, and will be hoping to re-discover some of that formfor a bit more game time this year.
Peter Grant
HEIGHT 186 cm
WEIGHT 92 Kg
BIRTH DATE 15 August 1984 – Age 27
DHL Stormers Super Rugby – 2006
Fly half
A solid player, has done well for the Stormers since being picked for the team. A solid and reliable kicker, Grant is a player with a big heart, and will never let you down. Having always struggled to take the next step up, he moved to the Kobe Steelers acouple of years ago to ply his trade there. For the last 2 he has flitted between the Steelers and the Stormers, and although he looked sound when he came back last year, we are yet to see how his form has held up for this season.
Willem van Wyk
HEIGHT 180 cm
WEIGHT 71 Kg
BIRTH DATE 29 May 1991 – Age 20
DHL Western Province – 2011
Fly half
A product of Paarl Gym, Van Wyk is an exceptionally good place kicker and light on his feet with great ball handling skills. He was the leading points scorer in the U19 Absa Currie Cup competition in 2010. Realistically will only play if the injury list mounts, but a talent for the future.
Marcel Girard Brache
HEIGHT 190cm
WEIGHT 88 Kg
BIRTH DATE 15 October 1987 – Age 23
DHL Western Province – 2010
2 years ago Brache was social club rugby for the Ikey Tornado's, now he is the Stormers squad. Good feet, and good acceleration means he can play centre, back or wing, all though his speed, or lack there of, means he probably wont be utilised on the wing. First played for WP in 2010, but officially signed up for them in 2011.
Juan Leon de Jongh
HEIGHT 177 cm
WEIGHT 87 Kg
BIRTH DATE 15 March 1988 – Age 23
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2010
Stuck in the shadow of De Villiers and Fourie for so long now, Juan de Jongh has the chance to really show his ability. He debuted for the Boks at the age of 22 against Wales, and celebrated with a try and a win. A very dynamic and strong centre and agile on his feet, he can carve up any defensive line. This season will see him pair up with De Villiers for the starting partnership in the centre.
Jean de Villiers
HEIGHT 190 cm
WEIGHT 103 Kg
BIRTH DATE 24 February 1981 – Age 30
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2005
Coming towards the end of his career, Jean de Villiers has been a great servant to the Stormers and South African rugby. Having played on the wing earlier in his career, has made centre his own. He will start most of the matches with De Jongh, unless injured.
Berton Klaasen
HEIGHT 185 cm
WEIGHT 92 Kg
BIRTH DATE 24 January 1990 – Age 21
DHL Western Province – 2010
Maties boytjie, debuted against the Sharks last year, a young and up-coming centre with a bright future. Described by AC as an abrasive player.
Juan-Pierre (JP) du Plessis
HEIGHT 185 cm
WEIGHT 92 Kg
BIRTH DATE 29 April 1991 – Age 20
Melbourne Rebels – 2010
A very strong runner with an excellent stepping ability, JP grew up in SA, before heading to Australia to play league for the Sydney Roosters. He signed for the Melbourne Rebels last year, but saw no game time. From here he was released and signed with the Stormers for the 2012 season.
Adrian Kritzinger
BIRTH DATE 22 May 1988 – Age 23
Ikeys Vice Captain last year.
Michael George van der Spuy
HEIGHT 180 cm
WEIGHT 86 Kg
BIRTH DATE 20 February 1991 – Age 21
DHL Western Province – 2011
Another Grey College boy, he is a versatile utility back.
Gio Giaan Aplon
HEIGHT 175 cm
WEIGHT 78 Kg
BIRTH DATE 6 October 1982 – Age 29
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2007
Blistering turn of speed, and great hands Aplon has also played 7's with great Success. Always perceived to be on the light side, he is never one to shirk his responsibilities, He tackles way above his weight and has a very good technique coupled with bravery and natural timing. He is a versatile backline player, an elusive runner and can spot a gap from a mile. He provides cover at fullback and at wing.
Bryan Habana
HEIGHT 180 cm
WEIGHT 94 Kg
BIRTH DATE 12 June 1983 – Age 28
Golden Lions Super Rugby – 2004
Not much is needed to be said with Habana, apart from he just doesn't seem to have captured that magic of yesteryear. Having been re-signed by the Stormers at s reputed vast cost, he simply must perform.
Daniel Johannes George (Danie) Poolman
HEIGHT 189 cm
WEIGHT 92 Kg
BIRTH DATE 10 March 1989 – Age 22
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2011
Paul Roos, Maties and Stormers, a very good wing, both powerful and athletic. He was the top try scorer for the U21 Currie Cup division and is now a regular member of the Stormers 2011 squad.
Gerhard Jacobus van den Heever
HEIGHT 190 cm
WEIGHT 94 Kg
BIRTH DATE 13 April 1989 – Age 22
Bulls Super Rugby – 2009
Loose Forward
A recent acquisition from the Blue Bulls, Gerhard joined the Stormers for the 2012 season. Another, who will be hoping to capture his form of a couple of years ago. Only 22, he has plenty in his tank yet.
Johan Christiaan (Joe) Pietersen
HEIGHT 180 cm
WEIGHT 80 Kg
BIRTH DATE 18 May 1984 – Age 27
DHL Stormers Vodacom Super Rugby – 2006
Full back
Can play at full back, wing or flyhalf if needed. Joe is a versatile fullback, having just returned from a stint at Bayonne, he will slot straight back into his preferred position. He will take over from Conrad Jantjies, and apart from being very dependable under the high ball, good in defence and attack, he can place kick if needs be.
Timothy Gregory (Tim) Swiel
HEIGHT 179 cm
WEIGHT 80 Kg
Full back
Tim Swiel, just 18 y/o joined the Stormers for the 2012 season. By AC's own admission, he hasn't seen much of him, but he excelled at schoolboy rugby for Bishops. He will slot in at full back as understudy to Joe Pietersen. It is rumoured though, that this kid has prodigious talent…watch this space.


text:
Farewell 2 Fear | New Blood
by Mark Allen
– Senior Columnist —
If you long ago bid a less-than-fond farewell to radio-ready modern hard rock, then Farewell 2 Fear (F2F) is not the band to bring you back into the fold. Because just as McDonald's has never bothered to reinvent the Big Mac because it tastes good just the way it is, F2F feel no need to diverge from what works within the modern rock genre. But just like the Big Mac's classic combination of two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun results in food that tastes good, F2F's sturdy combination of crunchy guitars, slick production, catchy hooks, and attention-grabbing choruses result in music that sounds good.
Of course, sounding good and playing good doesn't automatically result in good things happening for a band. The market is glutted with groups that all sound a lot like F2F, which puts them at risk for being slapped with the generic tag. Do they deserve it? Honestly, much like discussing Charlie Sheen's sanity, you could argue either way. But if you chose to argue in favor of F2F being something other than another soulless corporate rock clone, you could readily point to their spirited energy and strutting confidence. Sure, F2F feature snappy hooks and big choruses, but rather than sounding crassly commercial, they sound organic and natural…even when they sound commercial.
Make no mistake, this is mainstream rock, but it's magnum-caliber mainstream rock. It's the kind of stuff that gets played on Sirius' Octane channel right next to Pop Evil, Nickelback, and Skillet, and if you like any of those bands, you're going to like F2F. The band has a fan mailing list of over 200,000 and you just don't get those kinds of numbers without doing something right.
One of the things the band did right was record and release a hard rock version of Rihanna's hit tune "Diamonds." The song struck a chord with modern rock aficionados and deservedly so; the song in its original form is infused with pop catchiness and F2F managed to retain that infectiousness while cranking up the guitars and transforming sugar-coated pop into amp-blowing rock. It grabbed ears like a miscast fishhook and made folks start paying attention to what F2F was doing.
While naturally some songs are better than others, nothing here will make you poke the Skip button. "Fire" is guaranteed to give your ears a sugar-buzz, it's so damn catchy, and the chorus sticks to your brain like melted taffy. "Out of Reach" brings some guitar sizzle to the proceedings as well as an extra dose of attitude from singer Mike Craig. "New Blood" features the kind of irresistible stop-start rhythm upon which so many hit singles are built. Gang backup vocals lend the track power, the hooks fly faster than insults at a celebrity roast, and the chorus really nails that sweet spot.
If you're a fan of modern hard rock, say bye-bye to the other albums currently in rotation on your stereo or iPod, because F2F is going to be hogging all your listening time for the foreseeable future. Granted, the band's sound is hardly innovative, but it's high-quality material within the confines of the modern rock format. Farewell 2 Fear may not inject any new blood into a bloated genre, but they're good enough to get your blood pumping, and that's good enough.
Genre: Modern Hard Rock
Mike Craig (lead vocals)
Bob Bearden (lead guitar, vocals)
Tony Lucero (guitar, keys, vocals)
Jeremy Sevens (bass)
Jimmy Adams (drums)
Track Listing
1. Start It Over
2. Running Out of Time
3. Fire
4. Finding My Own Way
5. Gone
6. Out of Reach
7. New Day
8. Victory
9. Won't Slow Down
10. The Suffering
11. New Blood
12. Diamonds
13. Unopened Door
Label: Silent Majority Group
Webpage: www.facebook.com/farewell2fear
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10


text:
TEL AVIV (Jul. 11)
The 80 members of the United Jewish Appeal Young Leadership Mission watched today the arrival of three plane loads of new immigrants from three centers.
Moving scenes occurred at Lydda airport as relatives met the newcomers. After a brief stay at the airport, where the immigrants were given refreshments and talked with UJA mission members, they were taken to their new homes in various parts of the country. Members of the Israel Army Women's Corps were on hand at the airport to help the newcomers with their children and belongings.
Each newcomer was given an identity card, a six-months paid-up health insurance certificate and money for initial arrangements. Earlier, the UJA members heard a report from Air Force Commander Ezer Weizmann who told them that "despite the fact that the combined Arab air force has numerical superiority over Israel's air arm, experts who know the shape of Israel's air force know that the Arabs live in a quite dangerous area."


text:
See all reviews or add your own review of this product
|Awesome jammies (5/5)
|Oct 23, 2012
|Deb P
|Cranford NJ US
|I love these pajamas! I am a size 4, 5'3" and 120 lbs and the medium fits me perfectly. They are soft and the trim detail is very nice. These are definitely a quality item.
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text: VW Canyon is just 4.7 mi (7.6 km) from the airport and offers a free shuttle. You can grab a bite to eat at the restaurant and visit the spa to be pampered with deep-tissue massages, body scrubs, or Ayurvedic treatments. There's an indoor pool and a bar/lounge, and rooms at this upscale hotel offer 24-hour room service and LCD TVs.


text:
Founded in 1984, North Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE) is a private, volunteer organization active at the state level, serving homeschoolers in North Carolina and beyond.
In order to better serve, NCHE divides the state into nine regions. Each region has an assigned number and Regional Director.
Homeschooling is the view that education is best when teaching and learning are integrated into the relationships and activities of the family.
The oldest form of education, homeschooling was legally recognized in NC in 1988.
Article 39 of chapter 115C of the General Statutes defines a Homeschool in NC. The Division of Non-Public Instruction (DNPE) administers the NC law governing homeschooling practice.
Our guide to your first steps
How to Homeschool High Schoolers
We're different in NC!
It is our goal to have the most informative website about homeschooling in North Carolinia.
Recordings of conference workshops & lectures.
NCHE is proud to share in the work of vast network of passionate educators who serve as authors, speakers, and volunteers.
There are many groups of North Carolinians who are working to promote or practice home education. Find home educators like or near you.
NCHE divides the state into 9 regions. Each region has a director.
Did you benefit from homeschool? Be part of a growing group of alums.
Middle and High school sports include Boys Baseball, Boys & Girls Basketball, Boys & Girls Cross Country (individual & team), Golf (individual & team), Boys & Girls Soccer, Boys & Girls Swimming (individual & team), Girls Volleyball
Join us and connect with other homeschooling families
Spend a week in Raleigh, serving in our capital
A multi-day event occuring in Winston-Salem in late Spring featuring national and regional speakers, workshops for the curious as well as the experienced and a vendor hall of over 45,000 square feet.
Coinciding with our annual conference, NCHE hosts a graduation ceremony for NCHE members.
Our biannual Spring event in Raleigh. Meet legislators and visit state museums.
Become part of an organization devoted to serving NC homeschoolers. Help us advance our threefold purpose: PROTECT the freedom of educating at home, PROVIDE encouragement & support to homeschooling families, and PROMOTE home education as an excellent method of education.
Do you have a passion for home education? Find a place to employ your talents and serve with NCHE!
Want to reach NC homeschoolers with your product or service?
Conference recordings are available as digital download.
|If I Could Do It Over
|General interest to all parents
|Inspiring the Writer in Your Child (Cheryl)
|General interest to all parents
|Is Homeschooling Just for Women?
|Is Homeshooling Math Straining Your Relationship with Your Children? Let's Identify the Trouble Spots!
|General interest to all parents
|Is Jesus the Only Way to God?
|Teens and Alums
|Is the Bible Intolerant?
|Teens and Alums
|It's Never Too Early
|Parents of young children preschool to early elementary, Parents of older elementary age/middle school
|It's Way More than Math Facts
|General interest to all parents
|Keep It Simple: How to Teach Your Whole Family Together
|General interest to all parents
|Keeping the H.E.A.R.T. in Homeschooling
|Keeping Your "SmartCookie" Challenged
|General interest to all parents
|Kids Are Writers Too
|General interest to all parents, Parents of struggling learners
|Kitchen Table Science: From Catapults to Giant Air Zookas
|Parents of older elementary age/middle school, Parents of teens (and possibly teens)
|Language Arts: It's a Natural Progression
|General interest to all parents
|Laying Down the Rails: The Power of Good Habits in Your Homeschool
|General interest to all parents
|Learning All the Time: Make Learning a Lifestyle during Childhood
|Beginners and inquirers, Parents of young children preschool to early elementary, Parents of older elementary age/middle school
|Learning All the Time: Make Learning a Lifestyle During Childhood
|General interest to all parents
|Learning Differences: Teaching to Your Child's Unique Learning Style
|Parents of struggling learners
|Learning with Games—Much More Than Chess
|Parents of older elementary age/middle school, Parents of teens (and possibly teens)
|Legal Issues Affecting North Carolina Homeschoolers
|General interest to all parents, Beginners and inquirers


text:
I have a comment on this paragraph of this draft. "Clients are advised to take caution when sending multiple PATCH requests, or sequences of requests that include PATCH, over a pipelined connection as there are no guarantees that pipelined requests will be processed by the server in the same order in which the client sends them." Since 2616 says that clients SHOULD NOT pipeline non-idempotent methods, and since PATCH is a non-idempotent method, any reason why a similar conformance level is not presented here? Secondly, are there cases when pipelined requests will be processed out of order? 2616 explicitly prohibits sending responses out of order (184.108.40.206). Regards, Subbu On Oct 27, 2007 10:01 AM, James M Snell <firstname.lastname@example.com > wrote: > > An updated PATCH draft is available. > > http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-dusseault-http-patch-10.txt > > Main changes include: > > * Removing the Prefer header (now published as a separate I-D) > * Minor restructuring of the doc > * Some editorial changes > > - James > >Received on Saturday, 8 December 2007 23:03:56 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 1 March 2016 11:10:44 UTC


text:
well she's ready to go mess with peoples minds lol. we are doing a track rental so we can base line the car @ 2700lbs and a 522" mopar RB motor it should be fun.
well tried to share a video of us messing with the car before she went on the trailer but have no idea how if interested they are on my facebook and are set to public


text:
The north of Togo is often overlooked by tourists so those lucky enough to venture out there will find an unspoiled region ripe for discoveries…and no foreigners around.
Sokodé, the second largest city in Togo about 340km north of Lomé, is dominated by Islam and is the city with the highest proportion of Muslims in the country (70%).
It's a bit of a sleepy town except on market days where everyone congregate in the city center.
Continuing our road north bordering a new mountain range, one can't help but notice the few cars on the roads which are all filled to the brim transporting merchandise.
Now passing through the Faille d'Aledjo where Togolese workforce carved a route through a voluminous rock to facilitate passage on the main commercial road.
Street food and chop bars are very similar to what I had in Ghana though Togo being a French colony, everything somehow tasted better…
…especially this simple dish of rice and beans which blew me away.
Taking a dirt road towards the small town of Sarakawa, a familiar sight of students walking back home for their lunch break appeared.
With barely any backpacks available (a luxury here), most carry their books and other materials on their head which I find so gracious.
You could hardly tell that a few hundred meters away lies the only park in Togo with any animals left. A sad story to hear that Togo was once full of wildlife but the political unrest of the 90's and early 2000's has seen most animals killed by the local population. The Sarakawa Reserve belonged to the President and therefore was the only one untouched.
There was no one there when I visited and I had the park all to myself. Sure, it's quite small and frankly nothing compared with Mole in Ghana, but I got quite a few good sightings. The park was created to entertain the President so a lot of the animals here are not indigenous to the region (i.e. they flew in the zebras and gnus from South Africa). Not the most authentic experience but definitely a great way to spend a morning.
It was the first time I ever laid eyes on gnus (also called wildebeest), usually found in Southern Africa.
A trio of zebras was hanging out nearby, clearly very attached as they never left each others side.
Insanely beautiful…no wonder their attractive pattern has taken over the fashion world.
A waterbuck freshens up in the reservoir.
Others were more shy and hiding in the bushes.
OK, it wasn't up to the scale of the great migration but seeing them all flee (no idea from what) was a grand sight.
Special areas were wired and contained other exotic species such as ostrich. I've always been fascinated by the world's fastest two-legged animal and its prehistoric-looking feet.
She seemed as surprised to see me!
Her neighbors were a couple of big turtles mainly there for conservation.
They're being kept safe and well fed with a vegetarian diet of delicious pumpkin and other local crops.
Near the reserve stands a peculiar monument to the old President of Togo, Gnassingbé Eyadéma.
On 24 January 1974, a Togo Air Force C-47 carrying several notable political figures, including the president, crashed near Sarakawa. Rumors are that the French sabotaged it after the President refused to collaborate over the use of a phosphate mine…
The president survived but the French pilot and three other passengers died. Following the incident, a monument was established by the Togolese government near the crash site.
Moving on to the little town of Pya where a small community still practice traditional ironwork and pottery.
It's pretty hot in here as the village chief/master blacksmith and his assistant work a metal piece over hot coals. After heating up the metal, the piece is hammered with a big rock repetitively, slowly bending the metal in the desired shape, reheating the piece constantly in between – a very tiring job!
The metal comes from old rail tracks far away and will end up as a gardening tool, knife/machete, or weapon such as arrows.
In the courtyard, a potter is at work starting a traditional urn with clay.
The finished urn will be left to dry for three days before being turned upside down to finalize the bottom which will also be dried for three days. Afterwards, the urn will be baked slowly to harden it and make ready for selling it at the market or using it in the house as a water container or for storing food.
Back in the car, we finally head to the real reason we came all the way to the north of Togo – the alluring Tamberma Valley.
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this amazing valley is home to a unique collection of fortified villages with houses like mini fortresses.
These villages were built in the 17th century by people fleeing the slave trade in Benin and remained isolated until very recently. The local Batammariba people are skilled builders and have put together these castle-like structures using only clay, wood and straw, and no tools. The look they created was to help ward off invasions by neighboring tribes and served as a scaring tactic.
A typical house is called a Tata and consists of a series of towers connected by a thick wall with a single entry point meant to trap an enemy should the house be invaded. A hole in the ceiling of the first chamber would allow the house occupants on the roof to shower the enemy with arrows from above. Note also the huge fetish at the entrance of every Tata, used to ward off evil and bad spirits by receiving regular sacrifices (most often chickens).
The only functional room on the ground floor, the kitchen, is also the point of access to the rest of the house which is on the upper floor/rooftop.
Life here revolves around an elevated terrace where all the house chores are conducted such as drying the millet and corn…
…storing the millet and corn in conical containers on top of the towers…
…sleeping, and basically spending most of their leisure time.
A village will have a handful of houses, all belonging to the chief's many wives.
Spread out all over the valley, the constructions create a surreal place and easily an highlight of any visit to Togo.
Millet grows profusely between the villages and you notice how every Tata proudly displays skulls and other fetishes right outside their door such as this crocodile skull.
The Batammariba people also grow cotton and fields can be seen all around.
Here showing the stages of a cotton flower.
Before they started building the houses though, the locals would live inside giant Baobab trees to hide from enemies.
I squeezed in to look at the tight quarters, definitely not the ideal setup!
Spending some time with the local tribes is a great way to learn about their traditions and daily activities.
Some of the older women can be seen with a tooth of a wild boar inserted into their chin.
I was also able to witness some traditional dancing and celebration.
Working the earth for farming is done rhythmically while singing a very catchy tune.
Market day in the valley happens every Wednesday in Nadoba and is a must-see if you happen to be there then (like I was!).
Everyone comes from all over either walking or biking.
Some come to sell what they've made at home such as fresh cheese.
Tobacco is widely available as practically everyone smokes here. While a lot buy cigarettes, it's still really common and traditional to smoke with a pipe hence all the tobacco sold by the weight here.
The main reason though everybody shows up here is to sit and socialize at one of the numerous 'bar' to sample the latest brew. The brew of choice here is fresh beer made out of millet where millet and water is fermented over heat for a couple of days then stored for another couple of days in order to get the fermentation going. Most bars will have different strength of beer to taste.
Drinking buddies…
I quite liked drinking my beer out of these calabash bowls, makes you drink more though…and it's only 11am!
The market will be going on all day, selling mainly food, lots of beer, and second-hand clothing for the locals.
This is where I ended my stay in Togo, as only a few meters walk from the market stood the border to cross into Benin… TBC


text: Jon Stewart checked in on the Occupy Wall Street protests on last night's Daily Show; demonstrations in New York City, Philadelphia, Cincinatti and Washington D.C. are all going well. But "what the fuck happened in Oakland?" asked Stewart. On Tuesday, police used tear gas to disperse over 1,000 protesters, fracturing the skull of one. "Seems a little heavy handed," Stewart quipped. "Unless, was one of the protesters Godzilla?" Watch Stewart's weekly OWS round-up below.


text:
Prodigy D2 Distance Driver
Regular price $18.50
D2 is a very fast, over stable driver that is designed for strong throwers. Just slightly less stable than D1 this driver is good in all conditions and flies just as well into the wind as it does with the wind. It is an extremely reliable driver with the least amount of side-to-side movement of any driver on the market. It is equally as long, twice as forgiving and has a much gentler finish.
Disc Specs
Diameter: 21.0cm
Height: 1.9cm
Rim Depth: 1.2cm
Rim Width: 2.3cm
Max Weight: 174.3g
Stability: Overstable