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Wine Details
Wine Description
Vincent Mongeard and his wife Anne are the current custodians of this domaine, which was founded when Vincent's grandfather and grandmother pooled their vineyards resources in the 1920s. Today, they have over 30 hectares of vineyard, stretching from Savigny in the south to Fixin in the north, and ranging from basic Bourgogne to holdings in Grand Crus like Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Echezaux and Grands Echezaux. The 25-60 year old vines are Guyot pruned. In the spring severe debudding takes place to regulate the crop. A green harvest is carried out in the summer to increase the chances of read more...high quality and maturity. Harvest is always carried out by hand. This Pinot is clear ruby red in colour with touches of garnet. On the nose red fruits and spices dominate with touches of vanilla, smoky and woody aromas. With age these will develop into more vegetal or animal notes with scents of mushrooms, truffles and forest floor. The complexity of aromas and flavours makes this wine both rich and elegant. It is silky, full-bodied and mellow on the palate with fine, delicate tannins, good acidity and a long, complex finish. (hide)


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Memorial jewels that commemorate an event or a specific cultural moment in time have existed since antiquity and continue to exist as long as there is a developed society that can share the event publicly.
These are the jewels which indicate periods of loss or victory, marking events that can be looked towards as the catalysts for change which resonate through the daily lives of the society which wore these jewels. In this Charles II locket, we see a combination of two hearts and a rose symbol to the reverse. The locket itself is important for its time in many respects. This is a society which had survived the English Civil War, a war which not only destabilised the Monarchy, but led to internal religious challenge through the rise and fall of the Puritans within the Church of England.
Charles II
Charles II's reign is marked as the period of Restoration of the English Monarchy. Following on from the wars of the Three Kingdoms between 1649 and 1651, leading to the defeat of his father Charles I (executed in 1649) during the English Civil War and the establishment of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, Charles II affirmed stability back into English society. The fallout from this was a society challenged by variation in religious opinion, confronted by unstable monarchical rule. Along with this, the world had opened up through new technologies and colonisation.
Richard Cromwell, Oliver Cromwell's third son, succeeded him and led to the fall of the Protectorate (a period where the body of power over the British Isles was controlled by a Lord Protector), as his methods to open the Protectorate beyond the rule of army into acceptance by the populace led to challenging debate of Cromwell's rule.
Without control of the parliament or army, Richard's rule was overcome by the Rump Parliament, as established through a "Committee of Safety" that displaced the Protector's Council of State. This was then replaced by a new Council of State in May 1659. It was a dissolution of power for Richard and led to the Monarchy's restoration in 1660.
The restoration of the monarchy began in 1658, following the death of Oliver Cromwell and the decline of the English Interregnum. In 1660, Charles II began many reforms (and revisions of history stating that he had succeeded his father from 1649). Most importantly to memorial jewellery and the culture of mourning was the Clarendon Code, which in a series of Acts (Corporation, Uniformity, Conventicle and Five Mile), effectively re-establishing the Church of England.
Several events during the reign of Charles II led to the jewels of mourning and affection that dominated through to the 19th century. These being a combination of the Great Plague of London in 1665, with a mortality rate of an estimated 100,000 people, causing the king to flee London to Salisbury in July 1665. The Great Fire of London in September 2nd, 1666 was another such occurrence that, while not causing the high mortality rate of the plague, decimated London (13,200 houses, 87 churches) and left a lasting impression on a culture that had been challenged through political and religious thought.
Combine with this a period of cold, during the "Little Ice Age", where the River Thames frosted over. One such notable event was the Great Frost of 1683-84, with a two month frost that led to 11 inches of ice depth in London.
Connection between communities was advanced through the use of written language, particularly that within chapbooks. Chapbooks, pamphlets containing popular literature, were a popular source for many of the sentiments written in jewels, particularly inside posie rings. These cheap pamphlets grew in popularity, as they were sold cheaply (commonly a penny or halfpenny) and contained many popular ballads from the time. This pre-dates mass produced media of the early 19th century, when steam presses led to the rise of cheap newspapers. From the mid 16th century, these cheap and crudely produced booklets contained relevant popular content that varied from entertainment to political and religious content.
Society was at a point where events had overtaken the immediacy of global rule and communications that didn't end at the limit of a village. Now, the world had opened up in ways which forced society to accept the relationships developed on a personal nature to be the truth, beyond religious or crown judgement.
Jewels for the Crown
Having a monarch that was representing God and the people was still an element of pride in a society amongst an ever-growing world. At a time when new lands were being discovered and colonised, the victories of a society were to be worn and shown as a cultural indicator of status. When a member of the crown was born, married or died, a jewel in their memory would be created.
In this jewel, we see the profile of the king, used quite like that of a coin. Immediately, this sets the locket apart from the typical pieces showing the frontal image of Charles II, such as below:
Many pieces with the king's image don't necessarily correlate with the exact time of the rule, with the image being painted a generation later for study or for commemoration, which is why this locket is so interesting. The detail isn't as outlined for it to be a character study, but immaturely stamped and etched into the metal.
Upon the reverse is the Rose of England, the national flower, introduced as the Tudor rose by Henry VII (representing the House of Lancaster, a red rose, the House of York, a white rose), also stamped into the metal.
Charles II's coronation as King of Scotland was 1651, as he was seen as the best hope of restoration, but wasn't crowned King of Ireland and England until the 23rd of April 1661. This locket may have been formed as a souvenir/token for the coronation, given that the locket was in heavy usage by Royalists during the Civil War as a way of wearing a hidden dedication to the crown, it was a popular piece of jewellery for sentimentality.
Two Hearts
The dual heart motif is an unusual one, leading towards the assumption that the locket was made to commemorate Charles II's marriage to Catherine of Braganza in 1662. Negotiations for this marriage began after the Restoration and the papers were signed on the 23rd of June 1661. Two ceremonies were held, a secret Catholic one and a public Anglican one at the chapel of Dormus Dei in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
Otherwise, the two hearts may lean towards the Royalist nature of the locket, being a union of the person and the crown, which establishes a loyalty to the crown.
Incidentally, it was the heart as a symbol which had become the personal means of representing love in jewellery symbolism, a symbol that still resonates today.
Locket and Construction
Using a material other than gold indicates that the jewel is one of a token or personal nature. The quality of the piece suggests that this was intrinsic to the wearer, or replicated for a small community to commemorate the crown in whatever fashion it may have been created for.
Higher-end jewels of the time utilised gold, crystal, enamel and gems to convey their status, making their wearing something which was part of social fashion. Lockets differ in that they were often worn under the clothes, rather than presented outside. A ribbon slide, common in the latter 18th century and worn at the neck or wrist, were more popular for denoting morning, sentimental affection and relationships, having everything from hairwork to gold wire cyphers and symbols being placed under faceted crystal.
This locket is unassuming. Its hand-etched "CR" is obviously done without the skill of the pressed profile of the king. Even the sides don't match together at the base of the heart motifs. As can be seen from the interior stamp of the reverse, there is not equal symmetry to the design. This may be an affliction of age. Having the locket last so long and be damaged over time and wear would account for the metal inconsistencies, but not the design. The stamping and etching of the design was made for a purpose, but what we can understand through this is that it was singularly for the purpose of piety towards the crown.
Capturing the Sentiment
This locket may have held a token of love, an item of remembrance or a memory indicator for its specific time. There is no precedent for what it may have held, apart from the sentimental dedication to the crown, which it displays in a proud and profound way. Tokens for the crown exist today in jewellery, with all forms of miscellany made to denote a wedding, birth or death, however, this locket comes at the earliest time for continuity into the jewels we still produce today.
Further Reading:
> Embellished Georgian Heart Love Pendant"
> Georgian Heart with Hairwork Twist in Crystal, 1824
> Three-Dimensional Urn Locket, Garnets, Pearls and Ribbon!
> Georgian Eye Miniature Inside a Pendant, c.1820
> Late Georgian Heart Pendant With Hairwork
> Rien Sans Amitie, Cabochon Garnet French Mourning Locket
> Merit Claims Esteem/Bow Heart Locket, 18th Century
> French Ribbon Pendant, 18th Century
> 18th Century Ribbon Motif Pendant
> An Eternity Knot in a Crystal Heart Pendant
> Mourning Crystal "Georgian" Heart
> Stuart Crystal Heart Pendant with Angels and Crown
> Memento Mori Stuart Crystal Heart
> Diamond Navette Ring, Late 18th Century
> 18th Century Diamond Fede Ring
> Late Georgian Heart Pearl Pendant 19th Century
> The Hon Alice Nugent in a 1730 Mourning Locket and the Hairwork Eternity
> Is It, Or Isn't It? Heart Pendant – First Impressions

subset: commoncrawl


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Former Test cricketers have united in condemning the day Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty of conspiring to fix parts of a Test match as a sad one - but hope it will bring an end to spot and match-fixing in the game.
Jurors at Southwark Crown Court found both guilty of conspiracy to cheat at gambling and of conspiring to accept corrupt payments during Pakistan's match against England at Lord's in 2010. Fast bowler Mohammed Amir had already pleaded guilty to identical charges.
The offences carry a maximum prison term of seven years, with sentencing fpr all three due to begin on Wednesday morning.
And as soon as the initial verdicts were reached Sky Sports News HD canvassed the opinion of former Test cricketers.
Sir Ian Botham hopes the guilty trio will be made examples of to deter others, while Michael Holding, who was working in the Sky Sports commentary box that day last summer, urged the ICC's anti-corruption unit to do more to combat the problem in world cricket.
Nick Knight hopes the game will clean up its act given the attention this case has been given and Angus Fraser, a former England fast bowler, now managing director of cricket of Middlesex, believes, like Sir Ian, that this should act as a deterrent for any players who are tempted to get involved in fixing or betting scams.
Here's what they had to say...
Sir Ian Botham (England, 1977-92)
"It's nice that something's actually happened and it's been dealt with because I think a lot of people have ignored the fact that this has been a problem for a very long time. The only way you're going to stop it is to make examples. The bigger the sentence the bigger the deterrent. Enough's enough. The public have been wondering for some time now when you think back to games that have been played and you wonder 'Ooh that was a bit strange, why did that happen?' Now suddenly everybody will start asking questions and questioning things. And if you don't make an example, the game of cricket in the long term suffers.
"You've got make sure that the deterrent's there and players know that if they get caught with their fingers in the pot they're going to get severely burnt and that's the only way you're going to do it. You've got to put the fear into the players and make them realise 'This is my career, this is my future - is it worth it?' One of the problems you've got is that once these bookmakers get their claws into these youngsters it's very hard to get away so you've got to stamp it out very early. You've got a 19-year-old kid who was one of the most promising young bowlers around who may never play cricket again now and he's got to live with that and so have the people who corrupted him.
"It had to be dragged out and now it's got to be stamped on. Players have known that things have been going on for some time. There's always been Chinese whispers about so-and-so and this event and that event. Well hopefully this will bring more of it out into the open and I think what you've got to do is get to the source of it. That won't be so easy getting there because of the threats and these guys will live in fear of turning that kind of evidence over, but you've got to keep on chasing these people, you've got to get rid of the big boys who are instigating this.
"You can't keep on sweeping it under the carpet. You know it's there - go and do something about it. We hope it goes away and we hope it can get resolved. The ICC need to stop sitting on their hands and do something, be constructive. Everybody seems to avoid the situation as if it isn't there. It is there and it has got to be addressed."
Michael Holding (West Indies, 1975-87)
"I think it's very unfortunate for the game that these things are happening. The jurors obviously think they are guilty, they have had enough evidence one would hope that going forward this will be a big deterrent to those that think they can get away with cheating in the game and with match-fixing and spot-fixing. I think rumours have been going around a long time in Pakistan about different players and different circumstances in which things have been happening. This is now proof to them that there are people involved in their team in Pakistan that are doing the wrong thing and one would hope that the teams and the people that are supporting these players will be a lot more vigilant and that they will come down very hard on any player one that is suspected - and make them prove they are not doing anything wrong.
"It's sad for the worldwide game, but especially for Pakistan. Pakistan has so many problems now, even outside of cricket that they need something to lift them and they don't need to be cheating in the game.To be honest, initially when I met Salman Butt I thought he was going to be a very good captain for Pakistan; I thought he had the team's interests at heart - obviously that is not the case. I was there commentating on that game and saw things on the field. Obviously I had no idea what was going on, but consequently you can see that he was involved and as I say, it's sad for the game and it's even sadder for Pakistan.
"I don't think it's very easy to pick up on these things at all. As you all know we have a lot of former cricketers in the commentary boxes and particularly the Sky commentary box we have a lot of great former captains of England and none of us watched the game on that day, or have watched a game on any given day since, and can conclusively say 'yes there something wrong with that'. People will bowl no-balls, drop catches and play bad shots - how can you tell whether that is wrong?
"It is up to the anti-courruption unit within the ICC to do the investigative work and do the sort of things the News of the World did to uncover this, because just watching a game you can't know."
Nick Knight (England, 1995-2001)
"It's a desperately sad situation. The jury obviously made their decision and I'm not ultimately overly surprised at that decision. Let's just hope in many ways that it's a seminal day for the game and that the game can move forward.
"What I don't know enough about, in all honesty, is how this all comes about, what pressures these guys are put under and the situation of grooming these people. It's a desperately sad day for the game and it's desperately sad for Salman Butt, who's going to pay the price.
"Hopefully this is the moment where the game can move on and people in the future who are susceptible to getting involved in this type of thing can avoid it. Hopefully they can clear up the whole system and we can move on and the credibility of the game is enhanced. Whilst it's a desperately sad day for the game, maybe this is the moment where the game can look forward."
Angus Fraser (England 1989-98)
"I think in the past penalties for potentially being involved in something like this have been very wishy-washy. Players have been banned, then they've not been banned and they seem to them hold important positions in countries' cricket set-ups elsewhere in the world. I think this is the first time, when we're you're talking about prison sentencing, that a real consequence is in place. I hope that it is the deterrent that the game needs. It's a sad day for cricket no matter where it took place, whether it was Lord's or somewhere else in the world, at a ground without the history.
"Now because of the fact that something has happened, it is a pivotal day in the game that hopefully we can move forward from and players will realise that if they get involved in things like this and get caught they're in real trouble. It's not just a question of losing their cricket career, they could end up serving time. It's very difficult to tell - one of the no-balls was only an inch to an inch-and-a-half over and bowlers would get it wrong on a regular basis by that amount.
"You start wondering now if things have gone on in days gone by. But the fact these were picked out suggests it was too much of a coincidence to be that far over on balls that were identified before it took place. If you're looking at the question of spot-fixing, to get a player to behave in certain manner often needs the captain to be on-side because he is the one that can dictate those things more easily than anyone else.
"But the fact that the captain has been implicated in such a way does highlight its seriousness but they're probably greater targets than anyone else because they can affect more outcomes in a day's play than anybody else. It's a sad day for cricket, but it's a sad day for Pakistan as well as they're the team that contain the players that have been found guilty of these offences. But again, you hope it is a watershed day. I would have thought now the consequences of misbehaving have risen severely and it will warn players of getting involved in something like this for years to come."


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Christine Fang Meng-sang discovered at a young age that helping others makes life meaningful.
Inspired by her late father, Harry Fang Sin-yang, a prominent orthopaedic surgeon whose devotion to the rehabilitation of the disabled touched many lives, Fang has made creating a fair society and empowering people in need her goal.
"Life is more than living an easy and happy life of your own. The joy that I see in people who have overcome difficulties [motivates me]," says Fang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), an umbrella group of more than 400 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that provide 90 per cent of social services in the city.
Nobody should be deprived of fair access to resources because of their social class, skin colour or disability, Fang says. In a career of more than 30 years, she has sought to close the "opportunity gap" between the haves and the have nots, first as a community worker at a temporary housing area in Sham Shui Po, later as the secretary general of the Hong Kong Red Cross and, subsequently, as the head of HKCSS.
She is constantly inspired by the courage of the people she meets. They include her first client, a drug addict who reached out for help because she no longer wanted to let her grandmother down; disaster survivors coping with trauma and loss whom Fang came across when she was with the Red Cross; and the severely disabled she meets during visits to NGOs in her present capacity and whose resilience she finds admirable.
"It is when you are cared for and loved by another human being, then you have the strength to change and hang on in difficult situations.
"I am privileged to see the strengths of humanity and learn from the disadvantaged," she says.
From government policies to business practices, Fang has been tirelessly advocating changes necessary to make a difference to the lives of the poor and the marginalised. Together with her team at HKCSS, she raises public awareness of needs in the community, organises visits to NGOs for policymakers and corporate leaders, and has become adept at articulating problems and making suggestions using government language. This year, she became a member of the preparatory task force of the government's commission on poverty, chaired by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
"We help people see things eye to eye and foster solidarity to find the solution together. Helping the disadvantaged isn't just the responsibility of social workers," she says. Under Fang, HKCSS is becoming a bridge that connects goodwill and needs of society. Among its initiatives are WiseGiving, which links volunteers and donors with NGOs, and Caring Company, which encourages businesses to be responsible to employees, the environment and the community, and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. More than 2,000 businesses have earned the "caring company" title.
"I am in a position to build bridges among people, increase social capital and make people see the impact they can create by working together. I love my work," Fang says.


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Despite the hopes of geeks and nerds everywhere Blizzard announced Diablo III isn't coming until 2012. It will definitely crush the dreams of some, but Blizzard is good at what they do, and this is definitely about getting things right from the get go. It may suck in the short term, but I expect it will be worth it in the long term.
(via Joystiq)


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Continued from page 1
Great entrepreneurs focus intensely on an opportunity where others see nothing. This focus and intensity helps to eliminate wasted effort and distractions. Most companies die from indigestion rather than starvation, i.e., companies suffer from doing too many things at the same time rather than doing too few things very well."It is important for us to realize in which sector the exponential potential lies which in result helps us to recognize the incoming technologies from all over the world. For example, genetics, studies conducted on intelligence, neuroscience and, helps us in applying the science in various other platforms including education which is of utmost importance.
The authorities and the parents need to alter the pattern and ways we educate our children. This would bring positive changes in our society. Similarly, in healthcare sector we need a technology or software that candiagnose the disease better and faster than the technologies that are being used now. Moon Express, is currently working on a mission that is set to bring Helium-3 and Platinum and other important elements from the moon back to the earth. We need to build stronger infrastructure to experience great progress in our country.
We need to create a mindset of solving the problem. We need to be fearless in whatever we do in order to see some positive changes. Using new methods for education would help us in a great extent. Coming with a peculiar way of changing the education platform is the best possible solution. The ecosystem needs to be strongly connected in which we witness hundreds of entrepreneurs helping each other experiencing a positive change in our society.


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The demands on the state budget are greatest during lean economic times ("Look what Minnesota might have: an extra $1B," Dec. 6). Yet, that's precisely when state government revenue is at its lowest. The key to preventing this problem is for the state to save its surpluses for that inevitable rainy day. If the fear is that government will spend the surplus rather than save it, then we should at least pay off on the debts we already have. For example, we could pay cash for the state's share of the new stadium. This approach would also help prepare the state for future shortfalls.
Chris Mau, Oakdale
More public input
for the ballpark
The new Saints Ballpark design seems to have hit a resounding sour note with many who had been early supporters with its move to Lowertown. The Saints made many promises when they were looking for the public funding to pay the great majority of the $63 million price tag. Among the promises were establishing a true neighborhood advisory committee, support of Lowertown artists and holding the current prices on tickets and concessions. However, the issue of facade design and how it relates to the Historic District has made the most people unhappy.
I accept that design is a matter of taste, but whether one loves it or hates it should not drive this decision. How it fits into Lowertown and how it transitions into a ballpark, need to be satisfied. The public, ultimately on the hook for its cost, should have the greatest impact, not the architects, nor the Saints and the Parks Department, not paid consultants nor a handful of ballpark supporters (among whom I am one).
There has been little true public input into the design of the ballpark beyond a committee whose role has not been to solicit public input but rather comment on the one design brought forth after a year of meetings. At no point was there discussion or review of design options — what you see is what you get. Furthermore, all levels of government provide clear preservation design guidelines that so far have been ignored.
It's not a coincidence that Lowertown is a commercial and residential success. This is a result of a 30-year disciplined journey of careful redevelopment that valued its historic character. We're now told what is best for us by some with little or no experience in Lowertown.
The Lowertown Redevelopment Corporation, which led the Lowertown revitalization effort independent of political influence beginning in 1978, provides a track record regarding public participation and respect for historic guidelines. These efforts have attracted well over $1 billion of public and private investment. The driving force behind this effort was Weiming Lu's leadership and the principles outlined in his book "The Tao of Urban Revitalization" which will be released this week (Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m.) at the Landmark Center. This book describes the pathway to successful redevelopment that was inclusive and built on community strengths and assets.
We all want the ballpark to be a success. There is no reason not to come up with a design that most everyone feels is St. Paul's and that can be completed on time and on budget.
John Mannillo, St. Paul


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THL Grizel, a professional graphic artist and well-known web wizardess in the Midrealm, created the site at the urging of Mistress Constance Fairfax, OL, who asked Grizel to start a ride board after seeing her work in creating the Midrealm laurel site at http://www.midlaurel.com/ .
The progress of MKRideshare.com from design idea to production was astonishingly fast, taking only about ten hours of work. Grizel relied on Open Source software tools, including the PHP web scripting language and a freeware bulletin board program called phpBB (http://www.phpbb.com/). phpBB includes a template feature (also called "skins") that allows customization of the look and feel of a web site without changing the underlying software.
Grizel says that she bought the domain mkrideshare.com at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and started development immediately. "By dinner time," she says, "the site was done."
When asked about imitators who might copy the idea in other kingdoms, Grizel was very supportive of the idea. "That's what I was hoping someone would do," she said, when asked about someone creating a similar site for the soon-to-be Kingdom of Northshield. "Anyone can have one of these forums very easily." She emphasized that creators of such sites don't need to be programmers, but only need to know basic web design to edit the templates. She praises the phpBB software highly: "Easy to install, easy to run, easy to use, easy to customize. And secure as fort knox when needed to be."
Grizel, a web and graphics designer in the modern world, is the owner of Very Big Design (http://www.verybigdesign.com/). She is also the creator of the Midrealm Laurel web site (http://www.midlaurel.com/), home to over 3500 medieval arts and culture links, and her own medieval beadwork site, http://www.medievalbeads.com/ .
The SCA isn't her only hobby; Grizel also runs a number of other personal web sites, including:
- http://www.pixeldecor.com/
- Desktop graphics patterns with an American 1950s theme
- http://www.domeorama.com/
- A site featuring her snowdome collection
- http://www.macmentor.org/
- A technical and end-user help site for those switching from Windows to Macintosh computers.


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There are lots of beautiful recipes out there for almond-based "faux fetas" that a worthy of a central spot on any cheese tray. Typically, they require straining a blended mixture of almonds, lemon juice, salt and olive oil in cheese cloth over night, before baking the final product the next day. There's a great example and tutorial at Maple Spice. I highly, highly recommend making this if you're in need of a cheese fix, or if you're going to a dinner party and don't want to be a vegan wall flower when the cheese tray comes out. I made almond feta for my decidedly un-vegan wedding guests and received nothing but rave reviews.
The following version, however, is for people who want almond feta NOW and/or don't have time/energy to fuss with cheese cloth. This can be put together in five minutes to go on top of pizza, to garnish a soup, to spread on crackers, or my case - to go into the spinach pie I will be baking later tonight. I'll post the recipe if it turns out well. Also, as almonds already have plenty of (good) fat, so I leave out the olive oil and cut the salt in half. Enjoy!
1.5 cups blanched, ground almonds
1 big fat garlic clove
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
- Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth and serve.
- For hot feta, bake at 350 until heated through and crusty on top.


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Washington's failure will hurt our hometowns
Published 4:46 pm, Friday, March 1, 2013
The failure of the United States Congress to do its job and agree to a spending plan is setting into motion a process that will hammer our hometown budgets and throw Connecticut back into recession.
The process, called sequestration, was designed as way to encourage a long-term fix to the federal budget. In the scope of American history, sequestration is a rare thing: a law so devastating that it was never intended to actually get implemented. Created as safeguard against congressional gridlock, it would cause across-the-board spending reductions for the entire federal government, slashing funding for everything from firefighters to aircraft carriers.
If fully implemented (and it is looking increasingly like it will be), sequestration will cut the social safety net, cripple national security and put people out of work. It can only be averted if Congress comes to agreement on the level of taxes and spending necessary to keep the federal government solvent. Now, the nightmare has arrived and the effect on Connecticut -- and Fairfield County in particular -- will be devastating.
According to Gen. Ray Odierno, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, sequestration cuts will be "catastrophic to the military." At the same time, our economic security would be jeopardized. Leading economists have estimated that the uncertainty surrounding federal spending would dramatically slow economic growth at a time when the U.S. is only beginning to climb out of the Great Recession. Hundreds of thousands of Americans would immediately be at risk of losing their jobs or taking unpaid furloughs.
Connecticut cannot afford an economic slowdown. The loss of tax revenue will mean blowing a hole into an already tenuous budget being cobbled together by the governor and the Legislature. A survey by the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University predicts that Connecticut could lose tens of thousands of private sector jobs, and up to $2 billion in earnings. Combined with the loss of direct federal assistance to the state, sequestration would force Connecticut to reduce services, impose new taxes and cut municipal aid to every town in the state.
Fairfield County would be particularly hard hit. The economic downturn caused by sequestration would reverse the recent gains of the financial and defense sectors in the Greenwich area. In short, Fairfield County stands to lose more dollars from sequestration than any other section of Connecticut.
For hundreds of mothers and children in Bridgeport and Stamford depending on assistance for food, shelter and basic health care, it means losing more of the little they have. For students from Shelton, it means cuts in student loans that could prevent them from going to college. For firefighters and teachers in Norwalk and Danbury, it might mean facing layoffs due to cuts in municipal budgets. For defense sector workers in Trumbull and Stratford, it could mean not only a pink slip, but a reduced level of unemployment insurance and diminished job prospects. For small-business owners in Westport and Wilton, it could mean higher property taxes -- and fewer customers who have less disposable income.
Sequestration would be a disaster. It is a preventable, manmade disaster for Fairfield County, for Connecticut, and for our entire nation.
Fortunately, there is a way forward. President Obama and the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission have offered proposals that are the only plans that can solve our budget deficit. Their plans would decrease federal budget deficits, maintain core funding for essential services, and increase economic growth. Both plans are balanced: they include a mix of moderate spending cuts and the raising of revenue through the closing of corporate tax loopholes.
All Americans have much riding on the hope that sanity will prevail in Congress in the days ahead to avoid a coming fiscal and economic disaster. Here at home, here's hoping because the people of Fairfield County have more at stake than most.
Scott Bates is president of the Center for National Policy, an independent think tank based in Washington, DC. He is a resident of Stonington, Conn., where he serves as chairman of the Stonington Police Commission and vice chairman of the board of L&M Hospital.


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In a show of hands, a specially convened Sinn Féin ardfheis (party conference) has voted strongly in favour of a leadership motion expressing support for the PSNI police.
A lengthy six hour debate was dramatically cut short as the leadership forced a vote which will see the party move to take its place on policing bodies in the North in the event of power-sharing returning.
Speaking moments after the vote was taken, party President Gerry Adams described the decision as "truly historic" and said the potential had been created to change the political landscape of the island "forever."
"Its significance will be how we use this decision to move our struggle forward," Mr Adams said. Adams called on the unionist community to respond positively to today's decision, saying there was a need for "an historic compromise" between the communities and for "a real dialogue - an anti-sectarian dialogue between nationalism, republicanism and unionism."
Mr Adams described the yes vote as "one of the most important decisions in the recent history of our country." He told the ardfheis: "The decision we have reached is truly historic. We can use this decision to advance our struggle.
He added: "I am confirmed in my confidence that Sinn Féin has the talent, vision, determination and ability to build a new Ireland."
The 26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern welcomed the decision, while British Prime Minister Tony Blair described it as "historic" and said he recognises the leadership it has taken to get to this point.
DUP leader Ian Paisley said his party had forced republicans to recognise the rule of law in the North of Ireland, and said the time for "true and visible" Sinn Féin support for policing had arrived.
"The DUP has forced Sinn Féin to recognise support for the police and the rule of law as an issue of paramount importance for which there can be no other way," he said.
"Sinn Féin must now walk this road. No post-dated action can take the place of real delivery. The postponements must come to an end."


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Just going through some of the stuff in my craft room and I came across these stickers from Elizabeth Crafts and thought I'd better use them. I made the card with Karen Burniston's Spiral Pull card die and used a retired SU stencil for the background. I added the dots with a white gel pen and white embossed the sentiment – Love & Affection – on to some black card stock.
Here's the inside…………and another card!
Same idea – just Calypso Coral for the card stock.
You should be warned that I found a lot of these stickers! You might see some more designs soon! Hugs, Fran


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Forums → Games → I really dont know.
- 5 Replies
Im frustrated. I cant cope up with players that lots of money to spend on a MMORPG server. Does anyone knows where I can play without spending? Or atleast can play and can fight side by side without the need of using any money to be strong?
Don't play F2P MMOs. Go play Guild Wars 2, or suck it up and buy a subscription to WoW.
Well for me I'am currently playing on Rohan: Blood Feud. I just left from one of the P servers of Rohan, but then I realized it's not a good call investing on those since in a matter of months or time, sooner or later, their servers will be taken down due to copyright issues and etc.
[quote]Well for me I'am currently playing on Rohan: Blood Feud. I just left from one of the P servers of Rohan, but then I realized it's not a good call investing on those since in a matter of months or time, sooner or later, their servers will be taken down due to copyright issues and etc.
How come you end up going back to Rohan Blood Feud? Isnt it fun playing on fast paced game like private servers? Haha.
there arent really many "FREE" games out there where you can win everytime without having some kind of upgrades or equipment only available to people who have a premium/upgraded account or who bought the item separately using real money. thats usually the price for playing games for FREE (and it also helps the game servers stay running cause that is pricey) your best bet is to just stick to online fighting games if you dont want to play a online game you have to pay to win
There arent really many "FREE" games. Even it Free ,trail versions with limited access. Best thing is Buy it own It.
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[Vote] Vote for APEX, Romy Bizz, Choze, or Palermo Stone to open for +5 Showcase at The Shadow Lounge 5/11
And then there was four.
APEX, Romy Bizz, Choze, and Palermo Stone.
It's up to you, the fans, to choose who out of these four opens for the +5 Showcase at The Shadow Lounge! Comment below.
Voting ends Thursday April 19th, and on Friday we will reveal the winner.
Make sure you get ready to watch Beedie, Devin Miles, Pyrex Press, Hubbs, and Jon Quest May 11th. Click here for details!
Showcase also presented by Human Hustle Ent, Ya Momz House Studios, Timebomb Shop, Rep PGH Hip Hop, Blasfome, Frequently Fly, and Straight N Narrow Records.


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CALEY Thistle moved one step closer to qualifying for European after winning 2-1 at Hibernian in Saturday's Clydesdale Bank SPL.
With Ross County losing 1-0 at home to Kilmarnock, ICT opened up a five point gap thanks to their win in the capital. Motherwell's 3-0 cruise at Dundee keeps them three points ahead of the Highlanders in second place, although the Steel men are due to head to Inverness after the split.
Unbeaten in Edinburgh in the SPL this season, Terry Butcher's side were in confident mood following their 2-1 derby win against Ross County two weeks ago.
Kilmarnock-bound keeper Antonio Reguero came in for the injured Ryan Esson. Danny Devine replaced the injured Gary Warren in defence and Graeme Shinnie came back from suspension to replace Charlie Taylor.
The first half saw very few chances at Easter Road, although it was the visitors who had the best of them.
Owain Tudur Jones and Aaron Doran both went close, while skipper Richie Foran crashed a volley goalwards, which was held by keeper Ben Williams.
Hibs almost snatched the lead on the half hour mark when Ryan McGivern had a pop from distance, but his effort flashed into the side-netting.
The deadlock was broken just after the interval when Foran sent a deft pass through to Ross Draper and the midfielder coolly steered the ball above Williams into the net.
Hibs appealed for a penalty on 59 minutes when the ball seemed to strike Josh Meekings on the hand, but referee Craig Thomson waved play on.
The Leith team did draw level, however, moments later when Gary Deegan's drive deflected off Leith Griffiths to give Reguero no chance in goal.
It was another deflected shot which restored ICT's advantage on 65 minutes as Andrew Shinnie's shot hit off James McPake and beat keeper Williams.
Billy McKay almost added gloss to the scoreline when he closed in on goal, but a fine challenge from captain McPake denied him.
Inverness CT will hope to add to their 50-point tally on Friday night when fifth-placed St Johnstone head to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.
Hibernian: Williams, Clancy, McGivern, McPake, Deegan (Robertson 73), Griffiths, Doyle, Stevenson (Wotherspoon 83), Taiwo (Cairney), Harris, Thomson. Subs not used: Murdoch, Claros, Handling, Foster.
Inverness CT: Reguero, Raven, Graeme Shinnie, Tudur Jones, McKay, Draper, Foran, Andrew Shinnie (Ross 90), Meekings, Doran, Devine. Subs not used: Mathieson, Sutherland, Polworth, Pepper, Gibbons, Taylor.
Referee: Craig Thomson.
Attendance: 10,005.


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Pioneer Natural Resources supports Victoria College's Gonzales Center
July 30, 2011 at 2:30 a.m.
Pioneer Natural Resources recently donated $25,000 to Victoria College for the VC Gonzales Center Expansion Project.
Pioneer's support towards this project will help VC with the expansion of facilities and resources that will provide educational and training programs to ensure a skilled workforce for this region.
"At a time when education empowers economic recovery and helps ensure stability, we're very pleased to be expanding VC's facilities in Gonzales," said VC President Tom Butler. "This expansion project will further increase the educational opportunities available to our neighbors in Gonzales. We are grateful to Pioneer for their generosity in support of this initiative."
The expansion will create new classroom space and a fully equipped laboratory. The classroom space will be used for training in construction skills trades which will enable the VC Gonzales Center to provide certificate programs in welding, HVAC and electrical. The larger science lab will enable the college to offer additional science courses.
VC students in Gonzales have access to a variety of courses, both credit and continuing education along with dual credit courses for high school students. VC's Gonzales Center currently houses six classrooms and two computer labs, along with a resource and tutoring center. Additionally, the center provides students with a science lab and a large and well-equipped nursing skills lab.
"Pioneer is committed to strengthening the communities where we live and operate and education is a key area of our focus," said J. D. "Joey" Hall, vice president of the Eagle Ford asset team at Pioneer Natural Resources. "We want students to succeed - in school, in the workforce and in life."
"We are proud to partner with organizations that share our values and are dedicated to providing opportunity through education and community development," added Hall.
Pioneer is a large, independent oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Dallas. It has more than 300,000 gross acres and 11 drilling rigs currently operating in the Eagle Ford shale field.
Although Victoria County sits outside the Eagle Ford shale region, it will feel the economic benefits of the Eagle Ford development. Pioneer is one of a few exploration and production companies that operates its own hydraulic fracturing fleet, one of which is based in Victoria. The city has already seen more than 150 new local jobs created as a result of this pumping services division and its maintenance and support services.


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His Pathways
by Dailen Ashton
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Meditation Moments (Daily Devotional) 2005
His Pathways
In April 1992 I received a very precious birthday card from my parents. My dearest mother (now with the Lord) had written in the card. As I read it again today (some 12 years later), I realized afresh that God's promises are eternal, up-to-date and relevant.
Little did I know back then how my life would unfold: immigration, loss of my mother, illness. New directions, new hemisphere ... But the Lord knew and He guided her to write the following (along with some wonderful Scriptures):
"All our ways are known to the Lord,
every turn in the way is noticed by Him.
Yesterday's trial He knew:
Today's difficulty is under His eye,
And tomorrow's care is seen by Him,
And He says, 'Let not your heart be troubled' (John 14:1)" [original source unknown]
The full verse says: " Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me" (NLT)
This led me to read further in Psalm 27. Be encouraged.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The Lord protects me from danger - so why should I tremble? (v1)
"Teach me how to live, O Lord, lead me along the path of honesty, for my enemies are waiting for me to fall"(v11)
"Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord"(v14)
Psalm 25:10 tells us that "All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant"(NIV) "The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees"(NLT)
I'm reminded of the verse: "He knoweth the way that I take ..."
On life's pathway we are not alone. Unfortunately we do not always take advantage of the promises and resources He has provided. He is our Light, Salvation, Protector, Teacher, Leader and Guide.
We need to learn to trust Him more, be at peace in Him, brave and courageous.
As we rest and trust in Him, we will find strength, courage, faith, protection, guidance, salvation, love and peace.
He knows the path we take and He has promised "I will never leave you, nor forsake you". Praise His wonderful Name.
Created by Dailene Ashton 23/01/05 22:52
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Ex-NYPD officer gets prison for stealing guns
Updated 7:25 pm, Wednesday, November 28, 2012
NEW YORK — A former New York City police officer is going to prison. He admitted to stealing guns from police lockers and selling them to drug dealers to pay for his addiction to the painkiller oxycodone.
The Manhattan district attorney's office said Wednesday that Nicholas Mina was sentenced to 15½ years in prison.
Authorities said Mina sold four stolen NYPD-issued guns to a drug ring. He made a plea deal in October.
Mina, his suspected dealer, and three accomplices were arrested in July.
He was an officer nearly five years and worked in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood.
— Associated Press


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The FIFA_12_Sizzle_Gameplay_Trailer.mp4 file you have requested: Media / Videos and Trailers / Official Videos / FIFA 12 - Gameplay Sizzle Trailer - 35.14mb is not available. Perhaps try browsing all files for the game FIFA 12 and upload any files you want to share or are missing. This is the only information we could locate:
The latest sizzle trailer for FIFA 12 is full of goal-kicking action. Revolutionary changes to the best sports game on the planet. FIFA 12 brings to the pitch the game-changing new Player Impact Engine, a physics engine that delivers real-world physicality in every interaction. Gameplay innovations inspired by real-world football make FIFA 12 deeper and more engaging.
We recommend you return to the download list and browse the links from there. If the problem persists, contact us with the details.


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An Oak Hill man was arrested Monday in connection with the burglary and arson of a Fayette County home on Saturday.
Christian Warrick, 31, was charged with the felony offenses of first degree arson and nighttime burglary of a residence at 51 North Errington Road in the Prudence area near Oak Hill.
According to a press release from the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, the fire was originally reported at approximately 6 a.m. on Saturday and was extinguished by firefighters from Oak Hill and Mount Hope volunteer fire departments.
The Fire and Arson Unit of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department was able to determine that the fire was intentionally started by igniting a couch in the living room in an attempt to conceal the fact that the residence had been burglarized. The owner of the home was incarcerated in the Southern Regional Jail on drug charges at the time.
Investigators were able to retrieve and view video surveillance footage of the crime, according to the release.
Viewing the footage and speaking with neighbors allowed investigators to identify Warrick as a potential suspect. After a search warrant was obtained to search the suspect's house, officers recovered several items linking Warrick with the crime.
After being confronted with the evidence, Warrick confessed to committing the crime.
He was arraigned in Fayette County Magistrate Court and released on a $25,000 bond posted by a relative.
"The video surveillance footage recovered from the scene was extremely important in permitting us to solve this crime so quickly," Fayette County Sheriff Steve Kessler stated in the release. "We also received substantial assistance from the residents in this area in the form of tips and leads that enabled us to quickly identify a suspect in this crime.
Without the assistance of the public, crimes of this nature can be extremely difficult to investigate."


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The gist of the point I am making is that, besides the issue of accessibility, there is a whole realm of good business reasoning to following the principles of these guidelines, and I feel those benefits increase, the more passionately these guidelines and principles are adopted. I am not talking about laying down the guidelines as The One And Only Law; but rather as a concise set of guidelines, that also show that this WG is not only addressing the issue of accessibility, but convey the concern that it also addresses much wider business benefits as well. The guidelines enhance better usability principles and better and smarter business practices, and better ROI. I am also not saying; ban images, or images are wrong, or anything like that. One can follow the guidelines loosely or strictly (as in the DTDs) and still meet high degrees of accessibility. That is not the point I was making in all this discussion. What I am saying though is, in places I have worked, I have had to work to requirement documents and specs, and everyone one of those was taken literarily. If the WCAG1 Guidelines are the specs, and they require AA conformance, those guidelines and their application are taken literarily, because there is a comeback if they are not interpreted literally. Generally, I feel a great deal of gratitude and appreciation to the people who have provided such GL, because I regard them as insightful, knowledgeable, skilful and liberating, rather than restricting. (That is another thing; you can embrace a discipline wholeheartedly and be liberated by it). Now again, I am not saying everyone needs to see it this way, obviously they don't, and that contributes to the process too, that is not the point I am making. But I do feel it is disheartening to see (what I see as) loose adoptions of the guidelines on sites with AA and AAA logos. It's also interesting to note just how many sites that have AA or AAA on them do not comply with WCAG 3.2 I do agree that there may be more expense in the build phase when trying to achieve AAA compliance. But when it applies to large sites managed by content management systems, the savings are immense. > I would argue that if an experienced and knowledgeable consultant or > developer, in 2002, is still using images where text/HTML/CSS are now a > valid alternative, they are adding costs to the design and running of their > client or employer's site, as well as the additional cost of maintenance. This is not an argument based on accessibility, though. Our mandate is not to create guidelines which provide for The One True Way To Do Web Design, our mandate is to provide advice on how to make content accessible. If someone wants to add costs to the design of their site, that's not our place to come in and say it's banned. Likewise, designing for accessibility often adds to the cost of designing, running, and maintaining a site, so clearly this argument is not one that should hold weight within our guidelines. > If you use images to represent text; > * They do not scale (re: Jim Ley's comments 17th Jan) If you use images at all, they do not scale, comments about SVG aside. (And SVG can't be used for all applications.) The solution is not to say "never use images" no more than the solution is to say "never use images as text." > * They only look good at certain resolutions, try looking at graphic > navigation text designed for 800 x 600 in 17-21 inch monitors at upwards of > 1280-1024 and it start to become ugly and unusable. I'm confused, is "ugly" suddenly part of accessibility as well? Is it our place to write guidelines based on aesthetical appeal? There is also a strong argument to be made that it makes more sense to "look good" to 99% of the audience and "look ugly" to 1%, as long as the content is still reachable in some manner. Note that pure CSS designs "look ugly" in default rendering on Netscape 3, but our argument has always been "that doesn't matter, the content is accessible." If we are going to ban "images as text" then we should ban CSS. > * Don't print as well as text (as mentioned by Bruce Bailey) This again isn't an accessibility problem, except through the most contrived of arguments. This is an argument about the aesthetics of printed images. But so what? Is there going to be a rule saying that I can't have an ugly page, next? See, the whole problem here boils down to the "banning", in my opinion. The guideline doesn't say, "if you decide, for whatever reason, to use these, then here's how to ensure you don't lock out people" -- it says simply "you can't use those, period." Arguments saying "there are good reasons not to use this" are fine and good, but they don't justify outright banning, if there are legitimate ways to use these types of things while still ensuring accessibility. This kind of thinking is a step back to 1996 style web accessibility, when the message seemed to be "don't use images, they're evil" and "don't use multimedia, it's evil." The message for 2002 has to be, "here's how to make something accessible." You wouldn't say, "don't put an audio recording on a web site, there's maintenance problems nd it's ugly," you'd say "go ahead and put up the audio recording, but make the content available in text as well." --KynnReceived on Wednesday, 23 January 2002 14:46:34 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 16 January 2018 15:33:40 UTC


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Take Home Depot's fourth-quarter comps — positive 5.7% — add it to Lowe's fourth-quarter comps — positive 3.4% — and you have the highest combined comp sum in six years. You'd have to go back to the fourth quarter of 2005 for a higher figure (positive 13.3%).
Sales were also a positive story with a 5.9% fourth-quarter increase emanating from Atlanta, and an 11% increase at Lowe's.
Here is how the sales stacked up across the past two years for the two industry giants:


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June 5, 2014
Pepper The Japanese Robot Can Read People's Emotions
Peter Suciu for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online
Japanese mobile giant SoftBank, which bought a 70-percent stake in American mobile phone carrier Sprint in late 2012, unveiled a new robot named Pepper on Thursday. The cooing, gesturing robot showed that it could move around freely on wheels much like other robots. However, it can react to heart-felt emotions as well.While the robot doesn't have an actual heart, it does have an "emotional engine," along with a cloud-based artificial intelligence system. With this it can read human emotions by analyzing gestures, expressions and voice tones.
According to SoftBank, Pepper is a "humanoid robot" and can take in "his" surroundings and react pro-actively using proprietary algorithms, while he is also equipped with an interface that enables communication with people. This includes voice recognition technology, joint technology to realize gestures and emotion recognition that can analyze expressions and voice tones. From this Pepper can apparently interact with people in a natural way.
Pepper was developed in cooperation with Yoshimoto Robotics Laboratory, Inc., a Yoshimoto Kogyo Group company, and with France-based Aldebaran Robotics, in which SoftBank took a majority stake in 2012. In addition to reading emotions the robot can also learn through daily interactions with people.
"Since foundation, we have followed our corporate philosophy of 'Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone,'" said Masayoshi Son, chairman & CEO of SoftBank Corp, in a statement. "To realize our vision, we have made a new entry into the robot business with the aim of developing affectionate robots that make people smile. Using emotion engines and Cloud AI, which evolves with collective wisdom, we're making this happen. As our first entry, we are pleased to offer the world's first personal robot that reads emotions, Pepper, which we developed with Aldebaran."
Also released is the Aldebaran software development kit (SDK), which will be provided for creating robot apps, which developers can incorporate into Pepper.
"For the past nine years, I've believed that the most important role of robots will be as kind and emotional companions to enhance our daily lives, to bring happiness, constantly surprise us, and make people grow," said Bruno Maisonnier, founder & CEO of Aldebaran, in a statement. "The emotional robot will create a new dimension in our lives and new ways of interacting with technology. It's just the beginning, but already a promising reality. Thanks to Pepper, the future begins today and we want all of you to be a part of it."
It isn't surprising that Pepper is being developed in Japan and for a Japan market, which the BBC reported is one of the largest robot markets in the world – worth about $8.4 billion in 2012.
Honda Motor Co. developed its own walking and talking Asimo robot in 2011, which it claimed was the "world's first autonomous behavior control" robot. Asimo won't be giving Pepper much competition as it is still too sophisticated and expensive for home use and has only appeared at Honda events and a few showrooms.
However, robots continue to be used in businesses to offset labor shortages, but could increasingly be used for households that seek to use robotic assistants to care for the elderly. With a rapidly ageing population and falling birthrate the demand for robots in Japan is expected to rise.
"Even if one can pre-programme such robots to carry out specific tasks based on certain commands or gestures, it could go long way in helping improve elderly care," Rhenu Bhuller, senior vice president of healthcare at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, told the BBC. "And with the technology improving fast - you could see big improvements in managing labour requirement in the sector."
SoftBank Group announced that Pepper will be commercially available in Japan from SoftBank Mobile beginning in February of next year; and the robot will be demonstrated at SoftBank Omotesando and SoftBank Ginza stores in Japan beginning this Friday.
The robot is slated to have a retail price of 198,000 yen -- $1,930 (US) or £1,150 (UK).


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Link: www.youtube.com
And here's your End of the World Soundtrack, below the fold:
Link: www.youtube.com
And here's your End of the World Soundtrack, below the fold:
Prison, Not Probation, For Addict After Nine Robberies
OMAHA – A supporter said John Passarelli's robbery spree was so half-baked it was "almost humorous."
In a string of nine robberies in 13 hours in October, two clerks were so nonplussed that they refused to turn over money to the 6-foot-tall, blond-haired man with a slight build. He robbed the same Kwik Shop twice within five hours.
And for his last hurrah, Passarelli entered a Family Dollar store only to have a clerk order him to leave.
What wasn't comical, however, was the root of the robbery spree: Passarelli's persistent addiction to alcohol and drugs.
The addiction has been a battle for the 27-year-old Passarelli, the son of an Omaha attorney by the same name. Passarelli has entered treatment five times at four different facilities.
And that addiction-fueled robbery spree landed him in prison Thursday.
While supporters asked for Passarelli to be placed on probation, Douglas County District Judge Gary Randall said he couldn't ignore the fact that Passarelli was awaiting trial on felony forgery charges when he committed these robberies.
Omaha attorney Jon Jabenis, who has served as Passarelli's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor for about two years, said Passarelli has turned a corner. He urged the judge to send Passarelli to a work-ethic camp in McCook and then put him on probation.
"He's done nothing but work on his addiction and work on his spirituality," Jabenis said of Passarelli's jail stay. "He's taken the right path."
A few weeks ago, we posted about an article (h/t JD) about how BC was adopting a disease or medical approach to alcoholism. The article was interesting, because, while the disease model has proven disastrous in the US, BC's take on it seems less about the politics of recovery and all about adopting a practical, effective approach to the problem. In other words, seeing alcoholism as a medical condition allows funding for treatment and research to flow more freely, which is the best application of the disease model I can think of.
Here's a follow-up on that article:
Costs of Alcohol: Alcoholism as a disease up for debate but no denying society pays a heavy price
Whether or not these costs are a result of diagnosable disease remains an ongoing debate and a loaded question that [Tim] Stockwell [director of the Centre for Addictions Research B.C.] is wary of answering.
"At some point, you might label somebody as having a disease and if that helps get them treatment, fine," Stockwell says. "I think it's a great simplification."
The term didn't fit for Michael Walsh, who was living a sober life, following recovery from a cocaine addiction and alcohol abuse, but still harbouring the negativity associated with labelling himself an alcoholic. Seeing a lack of support options available in Greater Victoria, Walsh founded the Canadian branch of LifeRing, a peer-support addiction recovery group based on the principles of sobriety, secularity and self-help.
"I'm Michael and I'm more than someone who has struggled with addiction and abuse," says Walsh, executive director LifeRing Secular Recovery (Society Canada), a registered charity that has nine groups that meet regularly in the Capital Region. "I had to shake that."
Some of the beliefs imparted on Walsh early in his recovery – being told that alcohol abuse was a disease, that it was hereditary and that the only support was through Alcoholics Anonymous – only complicated the process for him and are not a part of the LifeRing platform, (although members are encouraged to use any additional support systems they find personally helpful).
For Stockwell, the most appropriate way of looking at the problem is to say there's "a continuum of dependence severity" that includes anyone who uses substances. As far as alcoholism being hereditary, there are genetic components to almost everything a person does and thinks – substance use is no different.
Twenty-five years of using drugs and drinking fractured relationships in Walsh's life. Those haven't yet been repaired after years of sobriety and he continues to attend meetings periodically as he steers the organization.
"Part of what we encourage people to do is open up," Walsh says. "There's more to life than recovery. Anything's possible."


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Tannakian Categories. P. Deligne and J.S. Milne
Expository Notes
A Primer of Commutative Algebra
Motives---Grothendieck's Dream
What is a Shimura Variety?
Introduction to Shimura Varieties
Shimura Varieties and Moduli
Tannakian Categories
The Work of Tate
pdf (first posted 13.05.11, 72 pages; latest version 15.08.12 minor corrections).
This is a corrected TeXed version of the article "Deligne, P., and Milne, J.S., Tannakian Categories, in Hodge Cycles, Motives, and Shimura Varieties, LNM 900, 1982, pp. 101-228". The numbering is unchanged from the original. Significant changes to the text have been noted in the footnotes. All footnotes have been added by the second author. First posted on the web May 13, 2011.
Tensor categories.
Neutral Tannakian categories.
Fibre functors; the general notion of a Tannakian category.
Graded Tannakian categories.
Motives for absolute Hodge cycles
Appendix: Terminology from nonabelian cohomology.


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Ivan Cordoba has reflected on the fact he will be leaving Inter in the summer and also hinted at his plans for the future.
The defender has confirmed that this will be his last season with the Nerazzurri, having spent 13 years with the club since joining from San Lorenzo in 1999, and bid farewell to the San Siro crowd before the Milan derby at the weekend.
"The affection is always welcome…at San Siro the other night it almost broke my heart…the emotion," reflected the 35-year-old on Inter Channel today.
"I also kept the match ball from the derby, with all my teammates' signatures on it. And anyway, I repeat, I want to thank everyone, because these have been fantastic years, difficult and beautiful, it was all part of a beautiful dream."
The Colombian gave his opinion on Coach Andrea Stramaccioni, who is only eight months older than Cordoba.
"He is very precise, even in the instructions he gives us, he has good sense, good instincts and makes us understand things on the fly, qualities that have been important in this short period of work. Before the derby he had told me that he might need me during the game and in doing so he has given me great confidence."
Cordoba has been linked with a move into a technical role at Inter, something he was reluctant to go into detail on.
"If my ideas and suggestions are helpful in the future for Inter defenders then I'll gladly go into coaching. I know what I will do, but I will wait a few days before announcing it."
See the latest Serie A predictions and betting tips with Eurotips.co.uk [12]


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Provost Briefs
Public Policy
Steve Lee (Philosophy) is currently doing public policy research at the Centre for Ethics at the University of Toronto. He has recently completed a paper on the ethics of drones, especially for targeted killings.
Claire Criniti '13 and Billy van der Wal '15, both Public Policy minors, along with Jordan Hawn '13 and Samantha Prouty '15 presented findings from four different original research projects on the sexual double standard in college culture in a poster session at the annual meeting of the Eastern Sociology Society (www.essnet.org), held this year in Boston, March 21-24, 2013. Their research projects were conducted in Prof. Renee Monson's (Sociology) Research Methods (Soc. 211) course in Fall 2012.
Hilary Gove '14 was recently chosen to be a 2013 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, which celebrates those students who have worked to find solutions for challenges facing their communities. Gove is just one of 181 students from 36 states to be named a fellow. On campus and in the Geneva community, Gove has dedicated her time building playgrounds, tutoring local children, and volunteering at food pantries. She has helped raise funds for the West Street Elementary Playground and contributed to the effort of the community playground build in October 2013 as a part of the Colleges' work with KaBoom!
Over the past year, R. Eric Barnes has been continuing his work in both bioethics and debate theory. He published his second article on ethics and autism (co-authored with Helen McCabe) and he has two articles forthcoming about debate adjudication. His current work includes research on righteous indignation, slippery slope argument and game theory."
Caleb Campbell (H '11) returned to campus in April 2013 to facilitate discussions in all three of Craig Rimmerman's (Public Policy) classes (two sections of Democracy and Public Policy and Sexual Minority Movements and Public Policy). He also presented a talk to the entire Hobart and William Smith community titled: "What We Aren't Talking About: Broadening the LGBT Dialogue." Campbell was the Hobart Commencement speaker in 2011. His talk incorporated and drew from personal life experiences to provide suggestions regarding how we at Hobart and William Smith and the community at large, can be more aware and sensitive not just to outspokenly and open gay individuals, but to those who may be struggling with their identities as well. Since graduating from Hobart in 2011, he has worked at the Center for American Progress in their War Room, provided guidance and consultation for progressive leaning politicians while working at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, and worked on the Obama reelection campaign as a field coordinator in Florida.
Letter from Provost Titilayo Ufomata
Update from the Office of Provost and Dean of Faculty
Representative Academic Departments
- Aesthetics
- Anthropology and Sociology
- Art and Architecture
- Asian Studies
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Classics
- Dance
- Education
- English and Comparative Literature
- Environmental Studies
- French and Francophone Studies
- German Area Studies
- History
- Japanese
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies
- Mathematics and Computer Science
- Media and Society
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Policy
- Religious Studies
- Spanish and Hispanic Studies
- Women's Studies
- Writing and Rhetoric


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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Good and Bad (05/07/09)
TITLE: The Revealing
By Mona Purvis
He knew the artist well. Self-portraits empty the subject of secrets long-hidden and flaws underneath the covering of skin and tissue. For years, he argued against painting it. He asked what does it matter how a man sees himself? But, he knew. He knew nothing mattered more.
The museum accepted the work with much appreciation, paying tribute to the estimable home-town boy who turned the art world upside down with his incredible gift. Art critics and museum patrons joined the mainstream to review the treasure.
He listened while a teacher gathered her students close and pointed out attributes found in the painting. She emphasized the calmness shown by his demeanor, the modesty of his attire. She saw trust in the eyes and humility in the smile. Students took notes and walked away confident in the knowledge that they saw and understood the painting and the painter. He sat overlooked on the bench; the admirers preferring hypothesis to truth.
He waited patiently for sunset when the light would stream through the tall windows and fall just so on the painting.
The artificial light-source used in museums controlled the measure of light on sensitive art, protecting paintings from the intensity of natural light. But, it was natural light, true light, that revealed the painter.
In the True Light, the demeanor disclosed anger, not calmness. The attire announced pride, not modesty. Where trust was claimed in the eyes there was jealousy and envy. No humility in a smile, but swagger in a smirk.
He sat and watched, fully aware of the ugliness within revealed by the True Light. It would never do to leave while the artificial light distorted, while the comments of devotees praised. He needed to be reminded of his true self, who he would be without forgiveness. Only then, could he portray creation in his work.
Lord, shine Your Light on me
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Traveling Luck for Bozhichen, Ruse, Bulgaria
Where is Bozhichen?What's around Bozhichen?
Wikipedia near Bozhichen
Where to stay near Bozhichen
Also known as Boshitschen, Buzhichna
The timezone in Bozhichen is Europe/Sofia
Sunrise at 07:08 and Sunset at 17:52. It's light
Latitude. 43.7167°, Longitude. 25.9667°
Weather near Bozhichen; Report from Gorna Orechovista, 77.8km away
Weather :
Temperature: 3°C / 37°F
Wind: 12.7km/h East
Cloud: Scattered at 2800ft Solid Overcast at 5300ft
Weather :
Temperature: 3°C / 37°F
Wind: 12.7km/h East
Cloud: Scattered at 2800ft Solid Overcast at 5300ft
Satellite map around Bozhichen
Loading map of Bozhichen and it's surroudings
Geographic features & Photographs around Bozhichen, in Ruse, Bulgaria
- populated place;
- a city, town, village, or other agglomeration of buildings where people live and work.
- Bozhichen (0km)
- Krasen (2.7km)
- Ivanovo (2.7km)
- Shtrŭklevo (7.9km)
- Basarbovo (8.8km)
- Koshov (9.3km)
- Pirgovo (9.7km)
- Trŭstenik (11.5km)
- Mechka (12.6km)
- Nisovo (12.9km)
- Tabachka (13.2km)
- Bŭzŭn (14.4km)
- Cherven (14.5km)
- Yastrebovo (15.6km)
- Pepelina (17.7km)
- Chervena Voda (17.9km)
- Dve Mogili (17.9km)
- Slobozia (18.5km)
- Vedea (19.4km)
- Semerdzhievo (20km)
- Malu (20.5km)
- Nikolovo (21.5km)
- Pisanets (21.5km)
- Ekzarkh Yosif (21.7km)
- Dolno Ablanovo (21.9km)
- Shirokovo (22km)
- Obretenik (22.5km)
- stream;
- a body of running water moving to a lower level in a channel on land.
- Beli Lom (5.4km)
- Cherni Lom (5.4km)
- Malki Lom (12.9km)
- Rusenski Lom (15.3km)
- Kadatzhik (15.9km)
- Privalul Ramadan (19.6km)
- Vedea (21.8km)
- Baniski Lom (21.8km)
- Gîrla Cama (22km)
- section of populated place;
- a neighborhood or part of a larger town or city.
- Gara Ivanovo (2.7km)
- Sredna Kula (11km)
- Dolapite (11.3km)
- Obraztsov Chiflik (15.3km)
- Guţu (19.8km)
- Portul Ramadan (19.8km)
- Lipnik (20.6km)
- second-order administrative division;
- a subdivision of a first-order administrative division.
- Obshtina Ivanovo (2.7km)
- Obshtina )) (( Shtrŭklevo (7.9km)
- Obshtina Ruse (20.6km)
- Obshtina Borovo (22km)
- railroad station;
- a facility comprising ticket office, platforms, etc. for loading and unloading train passengers and freight.
- Chervena Voda (12.9km)
- Obraztsov Chiflik (13.9km)
- Yastrebovo (14.9km)
Accommodation around Bozhichen
- administrative division;
- an administrative division of a country, undifferentiated as to administrative level.
- Comuna Slobozia (18.5km)
- Comuna Vedea (19.4km)
- Comuna Malu (20.5km)
- island;
- a tract of land, smaller than a continent, surrounded by water at high water.
- Ostrovul Ramadan (17.7km)
- Ostrovul Sfîntu Gheorghe (21.8km)
- bridge;
- a structure erected across an obstacle such as a stream, road, etc., in order to carry roads, railroads, and pedestrians across.
- Most na Druzhbata (22.3km)
- first-order administrative division;
- a primary administrative division of a country, such as a state in the United States.
- Oblast Ruse (3.8km)
- locality;
- a minor area or place of unspecified or mixed character and indefinite boundaries.
- Stŭlpishte (15.9km)
- meteorological station;
- a station at which weather elements are recorded.
- Rousse (17.5km)
Wikipedia entries close to
- Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo world herita
- Iwanowo (Bulgarien) city city n
- Russe (Stadt) city city e
- Giurgiu-Rousse Friendship Bridge landmark bridge
- Giurgiu-Ruse-Freundschaftsbrücke landmark landmark
- Giurgiu city city g
- Wetowo city city k
- Tsar Kaloyan city o
- Borowo city city l
- Daia (Sighişoara) city city o
- Opaka city city o
- Ezerche city city o
- Bjala (Oblast Ruse) city city i
- Zimnicea city city o
- Swischtow city city h
- Rusenski Lom river
Airports close to Bozhichen
Gorna oryahovitsa(GOZ), Gorna orechovica, Bulgaria (77.8km)
Baneasa(BBU), Bucharest, Romania (103.2km)
Otopeni(OTP), Bucharest, Romania (112.3km)
Varna(VAR), Varna, Bulgaria (188km)
Mihail kogalniceanu(CND), Constanta, Romania (251.4km)
Airfields or small airports close to Bozhichen
Stara zagora, Stara zagora, Bulgaria (178.4km)
Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners.


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Singita Sabora Tented Camp
- About
- Information
- Rates
- Enquire Now
Radiating simplistic elegance in the middle of the Serengeti plains, Singita Sabora Tented Camp evokes a romantic Out of Africa adventure with six vintage tents dressed in classic Edwardian safari style. Creating the feel of a lavish Bedouin tent, each canvas cocoon offers opulent luxury complete with antique mahogany travel chests, Persian rugs and silk curtains. At Singita Serengeti, sipping sundowners on the deck and gazing over the waterhole, you never know what you might see.
At Sabora, we delight in creating delicious feasts using locally grown organic produce, coupled with vintage wines, in surprise settings. Imagine dining beneath a lamp-lit acacia or under the boughs of a large 'Sausage' tree, with starlit skies and the distant chorus of nocturnal creatures.
Rooms & Suites:
Sabora Camp is situated on the Serengeti plains and is decorated in a 1920s style, and consists of;
- Nine luxury tents that are airconditioned and feature a bedroom and reading area, a bathroom with bath and outdoor shower viewing deck with Swarovski spotting scope.
- The camp has a wide viewing deck and a dining room.
- All tents are en-suite with bath, open air shower and dressing area.
- Each tent features an electronic safe, standing fan, hairdryer, direct dial telephone (US lines) and wireless internet access.
- The main camp offers a dining room, bar lounge with satellite television, DVD player and library and a wide viewing deck over the plains.
- A heated plunge pool and Jacuzzi alongside the deck area.
- At any one time, Sabora Camp can accommodate 18 guests.
Food & Wine:
- Highly trained chefs are available to take care of any culinary needs. Please inform Sabora Tented Camp before arrival of any special dietary requirements.
- A wide selection of fine wines, champagnes and sparkling wines, cognacs and cigars are available.
Guests have access to a wide range of activities, including:
- Early morning game drives and guided bush walks.
- Afternoon (into evening) game drives in open Land-Rovers.
- The African Trading Store stocks a range of African artifacts and curios.
- Visit the Spa complete with a fully-equipped gymnasium.
- Internet, Satellite TV and fax facilities are available to guests at both lodges.
- Camp Information
- - Lodge type; Luxury Tented Camp
- - Location; Grumeti Reserve
- - Lodge size; 6 tented suites
- - Recommended stay; 3-7 nights
- Camp Highlights
- - Game drives
- - Bird-watching
- - Photography
- - Guided safari walks on request
- - Spa
- - Fun activities such as archery, stargazing safaris and mountain biking
- - The Equestrian Centre
- - Yoga and gym facilities are available at Sasakwa Lodge
- Rates on Request
- Rates form part of Tanzania Safari itinerary
- Per person per night sharing
- Rates are in US Dollar
- Rates form part of safari itinerary
- *Rates may vary according to season
- Flights (return);
- UK - TANZ; from £ 515
- USA - TANZ; from $ 1128
- EUR - TANZ; from € 670
- Subject to availability & T&C's


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Regional Reviews: Cincinnati
The Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the latest venue to host the throng of 40 to 50 year old closeted ABBA fans having the time of their lives as audience members of the new musical Mamma Mia! Structured around the well-known songs of the late 1970s super-group, the musical (in this, its second national tour) may be thin on plot and character development, but it delivers fun-filled performances and familiar tunes that produce a very entertaining show.
The story of the show is fairly simple. Twenty-year old Sophie is set to marry her sweetheart Sky in her Greek Island hometown. The bride-to-be has been raised by her mother Donna without knowledge of who her father is. Donna is an independent spirit who gave up a career as the lead singer in a female pop trio to settle down and run the island hotel. Sophie, after reading entries in her mother's diary, sends wedding invitations to the three men that could possibly be her dad. As the wedding day approaches, the three potential fathers arrive on the island, as well as Donna's ex-band mates, Tanya and Rosie. While Donna deals with the stress of seeing these men from her past, Sophie attempts to determine which one is her dad, so he can walk her down the aisle.
The book for this show must be recognized up-front as mainly a framework to show off the famous ABBA songs. The story by Catherine Johnson succeeds greatly in providing almost non-stop humor via numerous sight gags, high camp, decent one liners, and comical predicaments. The show never takes itself too seriously, so the audience is relaxed and ready to enjoy the many funny moments. The interspersion of dialogue during songs also helps to clarify and ground many of the lyrics. However, some lines sound like sitcom rejects and several plot holes exist. The overall storytelling is harmed further by the lack of plot advancement by the songs. It would be unfair to judge the tunes by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus by musical theater standards since they weren't written for this purpose. But, the lyrics do make many songs seem pigeonholed into the story and there is a heavy reliance on accompanying dialogue to show the significance of the material within the book.
Luckily, the tunes by the Andersson and Ulvaeus (with additional songs credited to Stig Anderson) come quickly one after another and their catchy melodies fill the theater to the pleasing delight of the vast majority of those in attendance. "Dancing Queen," "Our Last Summer," "The Winner Takes It All," "The Name of the Game," and "Take A Chance On Me" are just some of the twenty-two well known hits from the ABBA catalogue heard within the show. Martyn Axe leads an eight-piece band in pumping out the appropriate and festive orchestrations provided by Martin Koch.
A large asset to this production is the fine cast. As Donna, Monique Lund appears at home as both the strong, independent woman and the stressed out mother of the bride. She also displays fine singing in this leading role. Despite some minor vocal miscues, Kristie Marsden turns in one of the show's best performances and is appropriately bubbly and endearing as Sophie. Ellen Harvey and Robin Baxter (as Tonya and Rosie respectively) are hilariously over-the-top. The male characters here are less developed, but Chris Bolan (Sky), James Kall (Harry), Pearce Bunting (Bill), and Don Noble (Sam) make the most out of the material they have. All of the main performers do extremely well in the acting department, giving needed depth to characters that could easily come off as paper-thin. They also handle the musical requirements of the show skillfully. The remaining members of the ensemble provide likewise satisfactory performances.
Director Phyllida Lloyd deserves credit for keeping an appropriately fun tone and quick pace, while also emphasizing the music and silliness of the show. However, the decision to have an off-stage chorus join in about one-third the way through almost every song seems relentless and grows tiresome quickly. The choreography by Anthony Van Laast is suitable and enjoyable, if not overly imaginative.
Mamma Mia! is designed surprisingly simplistically. Mark Thompson provides a small, yet serviceable two piece set and other smaller props and modular pieces are altered slightly to change the location of the island settings. The lighting by Howard Harrison sometimes evokes the maritime locale and is bold and splashy during the performance numbers. Attractive costumes are also supplied by Thompson.
The Broadway production of Mamma Mia! is currently selling to full capacity and it is one of the four Best Musical nominees for the Tony Awards to be presented in June. Though it is likely to lose the prize to either Urinetown or Thoroughly Modern Millie, there is no denying that this show will continue to thrive in New York and on tour.
Mamma Mia! is far from groundbreaking theater. An in-depth, critical analysis reveals many flaws. None of this matters, though, as this musical doesn't aspire to such lofty goals. Rather, it strives to be a fun, humorous, and thoroughly entertaining show featuring nostalgic ABBA songs. And it succeeds wonderfully. The show continues at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati through June 2, 2002. To order tickets, please call (800) 294-1816.


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|September 17, 1997
A Ganesh Nadar
Will the villagers succeed?
Ganesh dashed off letters to the railways, Dhanuskodi Aditan, the district collector, the tahsildar and the inspector of the local police station. This time, he explained that, as all their petitions had fallen on deaf ears, they had decided to take the extreme step of going on hunger stir and then blocking the track. The letters were couriered, as the post office might have delivered the letters after the event.
Murugesapandi printed 500 notices and had them distributed in the surrounding villages. It explained the problem and the planned action. The notice said that two panchayat presidents, two union councillors, the district secretary of the Tamil Manila Congress and a local Muslim leader would go on a hunger strike. They gave the railways three days to accede to their request before blocking the track.
Dhanuskodi Aditan was in Tirunelveli. Murugesapandi, Radhakrishnan and the Angamangalam president went to meet him at his Palayamcottai office. The minister didn't turn up. His PA asked them what the problem was. They told him. He immediately phoned the DRM in Madurai and requested him to consider the villagers' plea. The DRM said he would think about it. The PA gave them a letter addressed to the DRM. It said Aditan was interested because the station was in his constituency.
On the way back home, they discussed who would go to Madurai. "We'll have to take Ganesh, the PA said the DRM speaks only Hindi and English," said Murugesapandi. "Remind Ganesh to use an even tone and not a challenging one," warned Radhakrishnan.
On Friday morning, Ganesh was chatting with some people near the canal. Murugesapandi met him there. "I was coming to your home. We have to go to Madurai today. Tomorrow is Saturday and Monday is hunger strike day." "Why?" asked Ganesh. Murugesapandi explained.
An hour later, they left for Madurai, 200 km away. At four pm, they were outside the DRM's office which is near the Madurai railway station. The sign said 'S C Gupta - divisional railway manager'. There was nobody outside so Ganesh barged in. Murugesapandi was shocked but followed gamely.
The DRM was discussing something with one of his clerks. He was surprised. "There was nobody outside, so I..." Ganesh used his most apologetic tone.
"That's all right. What's the problem?" said Gupta.
"I've bought a letter from the minister's PA -- he spoke to you yesterday." Ganesh handed over the letter. Gupta initialled it and said, "I'll look up the performance of Kurumbur station and get back to you."
Ganesh sat down without being asked. Murugesapandi plonked down on the next chair. "Sir, let me explain the problem. We have quota tickets on the Kanyakumari Express. How do you expect the passengers to reach Tirunelveli, if the connecting train doesn't stop there?"
"Quota tickets are just one facility we've given you to save you the trouble of coming all the way to Tirunelveli to buy a ticket. Just because I give you one facility, it doesn't mean you can demand another facility," said Gupta. "If I take away the quota, you'll be quiet."
"Suppose you give me a child and I tell you the child is crying of hunger, will you give me food or will you snatch away the child?" asked Ganesh.
"For that train to stop and start, we need 10 litres of diesel. It would otherwise travel 35 km on that diesel," said Gupta.
"Sir, the railways might be running on a profit in Madurai because of the population. But you can't expect every village to perform as well," said Ganesh.
"Apart from the quota tickets to Madras, nobody buys local tickets," said Gupta.
"The reason for that is that the train fare to Tirunelveli is Rs 9 and the bus fare is Rs 6.30," said Ganesh.
"Go by bus, then; why do you want the train?" asked Gupta.
"There are season ticket holders. We have college students travelling to Tiruchendur and Srivaikuntam," said Ganesh.
"I'll check that out and let you know," said Gupta.
"Sir, it's a bit late in the day to check. We are going on a fast on Monday and, three days later, we have to block the track."
"You come here on Friday to say you are going to fast on Monday. If you've come here to discuss, I am ready. If you have come to threaten, I am not willing to talk to you," said Gupta.
"By fasting, we hope to earn your sympathy. We don't mean to threaten you."
"Your have to give me some time," insisted Gupta.
"I've been writing to you for the last three months," said Ganesh.
"You should've asked your MLA or MP to write to me," said Gupta.
"The problem is that both our MLA and MP are ministers, so it isn't easy to meet them," said Ganesh.
"So what, ministers' PAs are more than ministers today," said Gupta with a grin. Ganesh wondered what the PA had told Gupta yesterday.
Gupta ordered coffee for them. They drank appreciatively. Gupta pondered awhile, "Okay, I'll stop the train on Saturday. I hear there is an evangelists' meeting there on Saturdays when 300 people use the station."
"Thank you. That'll make the Christians happy. But what about the rest of the population?" asked Ganesh.
"What do you want me to do?" asked Gupta.
"Give us a chance, we cannot go back to our village empty-handed," said Ganesh.
"Okay, I'll stop the train temporarily for a month and then check the ticket sales," said Gupta.
"How many tickets should sell?" asked Ganesh.
"Atleast 10 in each direction," said Gupta.
"Consider them sold," said Ganesh.
"I'll keep my word, you keep yours," said Gupta. He wrote out the order on the letter itself. The clerk's jaw dropped, he stared at the DRM in disbelief. "Stop staring at me like that. I made the decision, I'll take the risk. Just issue the order."
"But, sir!" said the clerk.
"No buts, just do it," said Gupta.
"How do we thank you?" asked Ganesh.
"Drink the coffee and say it's good," said Gupta.
"We'll make sure the tickets are sold," repeated Ganesh.
As they walked out, Gupta started discussing some other topic. Ganesh and Murugesapandi came back in high spirits. Next day, they printed 500 notices thanking Dhauskodi Aditan and S C Gupta for stopping the train. They distributed the notices locally and sent copies to the minister and Gupta.
The train stops at Kurumbur now. They have given the station master enough money to buy 20 tickets every day for the next one month. As for what happens next, we'll let you know.
Photographs: Ganesh Nadar
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A Ganesh Nadar