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Joey Fitzpatrick
Our reviewer for the July Writing Challenge was Joey Fitzpatrick, a Halifax-based writer, recently retired from The Chronicle Herald. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com
For the moment that's as much of a profile as he has offered. However, on closer examination it is learnt that he was until recently an Editor at the provincial newspaper and is experienced in traditional and online journalism, newspaper writing, feature writing, story telling, creative writing and editing among a host of other skills. He has provided our entrants with much-appreciated feedback.
The choices for the writing challenge for July-August were as follows:
– Describe the last nightmare you had.
– People must not look outside at night from 3 AM to 6 AM. Children are often kept in windowless rooms and adults often wear blindfolds during sleep to avoid incident.
– The evil super villain and the hero are siblings. They still have dinner at Mom and Dad's house for the holidays.
– It seemed like a good idea yesterday…
– Nobody else is awake.
– Write a story that will make me afraid of the dark.
– Write a story that starts with a word you pick out of the dictionary at random – in this case please state the word in the prompt line.
I am delighted to report that we had eight entries. And here are the stories in the order received.
A Believable Nightmare
by Noor AlNoaimi
Describe the last nightmare you had. (This is not the last nightmare though.)
We were instructed to stay inside, but we never listened to anything they said. They; my aunts and mother, women like children, were ordered to do the same and so did not merit any of our youthful respect. I recall the vision in a blur of grey and sand. The TV was unreadable, an old 80's model that failed to catch any signals and provide much entertainment, so we sought to entertain ourselves. It wasn't the best of times, Kuwait and Iraq were at war and thus we were told that the air outside still contained the sickening fragrance of the offshore missiles. We sneaked out of a window in the corner room anyway. The windows were sealed, and we had to pry the tape off in order to escape- My cousins and I. There were three of us attempting our rebellious adventure- None of us really understood what war was, but it did not look good. Nobody acted like themselves, and instead started talking about people we never heard of- a name did reoccur, I think he had a 'Bush' of some sort.
I saw my cousins grinning below me, motioning for me to follow which I excitedly did- We barely reached the main gate then, for suddenly my eldest cousin stopped, his gaze towards a khaki colored jeep filled with people. I don't know why, but we were all afraid of them- The men inside were armed, their countenance did not look friendly when it met ours, and I did not think they were beyond shooting us where we stood.
I heard my uncle's voice then, I don't remember what he said but I recall his tone, he was so fierce- we children imagined him transforming before our eyes into a dangerous lion, Instead he drew a gun- I did not see it initially- but he shot it, not towards them but to the sky. We've been momentarily struck deaf by it's after effects despite the good distance between us and his weapon. I watched as the jeep fled leaving behind clouds of dust, and my uncle; giving us a good whiff of what our aunts meant about the smell of war.
I never really understood that dream, and I wish I could remember what my uncle said to them- We were very young during the war, but even so- Our sleep was still disturbed by it.
By the Lake
by Shalini Vaghjee
It seems like a good idea yesterday…
During summer holidays, we always went to my grandmother's house far from the hustle and bustle of the city. That year, things were quite different though. I had lost my grandmother and my father just few months Earlier… But I knew that I had to take a break to that house where we have been spending our summer for the last nineteen years…
My mother would come a bit later with my sister and her newborn baby girl. Mixed feelings from the intense sadness of the loss of my father and grandmother but a deep joy for my sister who's dream came true in the form of this angel she recently gave birth too… How happy dad and grandma would have been…
I took the train and then walked through the forest as we did in the past. But somehow the forest looked denser and even the house looked further away… Finally I saw the beautiful cottage next to the blue lake. I felt happy and all the tiredness vanished away… I ran to the house… Oh! Grandma was not here anymore to welcome me with her huge hug, so I took out the keys and opened the door…
As I entered, beautiful memories of giggling and the nice aroma of grandmas favorite pie came to me. The house had been closed since grandma fell unwell and moved to our place in the city for her treatment. The house desperately needed a good make over and I decided to dust and clean the house as our newborn princess would be here for her fist visit. I opened all the windows to let the fresh air and beautiful sunshine in. Then I went to fetch water from the lake, cleaned the house and two hours later, the sun was down. I had some sandwich which I brought and then crawled on the couch and fell asleep.
Few hours later, I suddenly woke up and wondered where I was. Of course I'm in grandma's house, nothing to worry. But something felt awkward. I looked outside to see the dark night with hardly any stars. This was very rare.. Could it be cloudy? But the sky was blue during the day and here it had never rained during summer. Something was weird. I switched on the lights and to my dismay, blood was oozing out from my skin. I tried to rub my arms and body. But more blood continued oozing out. I felt something crawling on me, clinging to my skin and at times I felt being stung by something, but nothing invisible. On my head, in my nose, my ears… And the blood kept oozing out… I stood on a puddle of blood, my own blood. I was breathless and even though I wanted to shout for help, I knew this was in vain. There were no neighbors for some kilometers and no one ever came on this side. Then I realized that these tiny insects were coming from the window and they clang to the skin to suck the blood out. These insects were microscopic and could be detected by the rays of light only. I desperately tried to close the window but again in vain. Looks like an army of their kind had held the window and I could not close them no matter how hard I tried. I felt dizzy, I did not know what to do, who to call. Then I remembered one of my friends who stayed nearby and quickly sent her a message. My throat was choking, so calling would not be appropriate. But I did let some missed calls on her phone. Then I fainted…
Two days later, I opened my eyes in the hospital. My body was bandaged and I was given an intravenous blood drip. I still felt a bit dizzy but I badly needed to know what happened… There were police officers, forest guards as well as my mother were waiting for me to open my eyes. We learnt that these insects were always in the forest but they never did any harm to people or even animals. However, recently some bully teenagers came in the area and they destroyed the underground habitat of these tiny insects. These were inevitably enraged and since then they started attacking men and animals. Once they attack someone, they left the body only when all the blood had oozed out. These insects did not depend on blood nor they like human flesh. They did it only as a revenge to what these teenagers had done to their family. We learnt that they came only at night and windows need to remain shut, not like earlier… I guess opening the window at night to enjoy fresh air seems like a good idea yesterday… But not anymore…
by Mike Rollins
Nobody else is awake in this dark half of the world but we two, it seems, as I sit beside his bed through the hours that God forgot. And then there is only me.
I rang my brother as early as I thought fair, and he knew as soon as he heard my voice.
"When did he… go?" John couldn't bring himself to say die. Guilt? I don't know, but they had not spoken for more than two years now. And John had been Dad's favourite. But I was the one who had been looking after him: Living with the rages and the stony silences; putting the fires out; apologising for his behaviour.
"One this morning. I didn't see any point in waking you. It's not like it was an emergency."
I had no idea at the time what it was that caused the rift between them. They had always got on well. Dad was hardest on the eldest: You guessed it. He never hit me though. He would ground me, take away my stuff. He once burned my football boots because I made the girl next door cry. I couldn't believe it: I didn't make her ugly, I just confirmed it for her.
Mum had died when we were young boys. I barely remember her. She is just a presence that lingers in a certain room at a certain time. There and gone. I grew up thinking that Dad hated the world because she died, until at fourteen I saw him through the partly opened door of his bedroom, holding a picture of her and crying like a child; noiseless sobs that were all liquid sighs and short breaths. I realised then that he was a mean bastard because of love, which made it easier to understand. It didn't make him any easier to live with.
Our fight at the funeral might have been less of a spectacle if it had been a cremation, and if it hadn't been raining for three days.
It started as the coffin was being lowered. I happened to murmur, "And don't come back." I know; not the nicest thing to say, but my life had been hell these past few years, looking after him with no real respite… I suppose it just all welled up in me right there, right then.
John swung at me, missing my jaw as he slipped on the mud and hitting me on the shoulder. I had been wanting to smack him one for a long time and got in a good one as he skidded past me. Up on his feet, covered in mud, he charged at me. We tumbled into the hole and Dad's coffin broke beneath us, the cheap wood splintering.
We lay there in Dad's grave, the rain pelting down on us, the funeral party staring,, as silent as they'd been during the service. John's body suddenly convulsed above me, starting to shake: I thought he was crying. I was wrong. He raised his head, rolling on to his side, and I saw that he was laughing; laughing so hard that tears were mingling with the rain and the mud streaking his face.
That started me off. We lay there and howled our laughter at the grey sky.
As we walked across the stone garden, John leaned into me. "I stopped speaking to him when he found out I was having an affair. He was so disappointed in me, James; I couldn't look him in the eye. It was over in a few weeks but I just couldn't face him."
We went for a drink later and talked about how much we loved Dad.
Nobody Else Is Awake
by Preeti Rana
Nobody else is awake.
It's the chirping of the birds as always.
They hold up the dawn by their beaks. For me. Close to the window so I can see better. I can see better. I am so close. To the pane.
Something about the night has remained both sides. One side my breath frosts the warm glass. On the other side, I see bits of grass on the sill. The night wore green too. Or the bulbul must have stopped construction to peer in.
A laden cloud has rubbed the scent of rain against our window.
The breeze blows nothing new. Today holds the same as all the recent yesterdays. I must go. I need to change. The way you look at me. That look that you know. But won't tell, spells difficult words. All the plans I've been whispering to you. You barely nod anymore.
Once before you looked at me that way. All those years back. And I hadn't cared. Unbound by you knowing. I was so young. At heart. He had leaned across, hadn't he, in the light of our dinner table, to listen. To me speak. He pushed aside my careful narrative with all my references of you, family, kids. With that deep hooded look. It doesn't matter who you are, he had said. What matters is what you want to be.
Maybe he never said it. It could have been all me. Imagining those sparkling eyes as telling.
But they were intoxicating thoughts, worded, imagined. They held me those years. As if by my waist. Carrying me over hills and valleys and I saw views from impossible mountain peaks. You wouldn't tell me I had gone insane. You hid every mirror that could reflect the insanity in my eyes. Thank God, I began to paint. Everyone, so relieved they had my art to politely applaud. Draw attention away from my madness. You made sure I never ran out of sheets and paints.
I see that night. Me sitting by this window. In my paint splattered apron. It was the first time in a long while you saw my tears roll. Form and roll. Instead of asking what the matter was you said to me "come back to bed".
As if you didn't need to ask. I told you I want to leave, that night. "I cannot stay or function around you". Oh, I said that, didn't I. You held my hand and took me back to bed. Tucked me closer to you. Held me till I slept.
He was gone. Long gone. Like any passer-by. Or a traveller, leaving behind things he didn't need.
Or they would have come back for it.
I kept them in poems and aquarelles. But he was gone from it all. What remained held only me.
You almost knew my story. One talks about leaving to those who stay close forever. 'I don't love you' are words said to those you do. It tore my heart as I said it. And you only attended to my wound. I love you. My darling.
You never left my side.
Even today it's me who has left yours. I must return to you. Jaan. Jaan. Why can't you hear me? Wake up. This glass. How do I return, how can I get back in. Why can't you hear me? I'm cold again. I long for our warm bed. The way I fit in your embrace.
I am in a fall. Falling from this height is a flight. There is a fierce velocity against my flesh. No. My bones. No. Against me. I am dissolving. I see a chasm form between us. It spreads like an ink blot, my love.
You still hold my hand. Head back and asleep in my reading chair.
The babies we made on the sofa, that rug.
Asleep under the blanket of morrows. Surrounded by your books. Under our roof. Oh, look at her. Isn't she lovely. Her heart will crush into a million pieces as this sun rises. No one would see the mosaic lines. Except us. The lightest blow could make it crumble. And she'll build a fierce protective shell. Oh, let the heart chip with use my darling. Tell her that. Tell her now. Oh, I should have.
And look at him. Our crown prince. You have taught him to resolve with restrain. At the eighteenth hole, when he thinks no one is watching I know he will cry. And there will be no one to wipe his tears. Oh, my gentle boy. Hold him till he cries on your shoulder. Hold him now.
I wish I could breathe just one more breath.
It's late yet only now I am awake.
Nobody Else is Awake
by Renjith P Sarada
"Nobody else is awake", that was the thought which crossed my mind intermittently when I was lying on the bed, awaiting the Goddess of Sleep to bless.
"Am I the only person who is awake in the midst of darkness at this point in time?"
"Why am I unable to sleep despite a long and tiring walk a few hours ago?"
"Why am I bereft of the much-needed five-letter word, 'sleep'?"
"Why nobody else is awake?"
A chain of questions radiated out of my head and persuaded me to find out the corresponding answers. But, I was clueless.
I looked at the wall clock. I could barely see the time despite the fussy night lamp. The time was around two in the morning. Felt glad to know that the night lamp, like me, was also awake – perhaps beseeching the goddess' blessings.
I stared at my wife who was sleeping like a baby. I felt jealous.
"When would I be able to sleep like this?", I pondered. I tried my best to contain the fact that one can sleep serenely along with another person who is deprived of it – both, under the same roof. I got off the bed and switched on the fluorescent lamp, with a deliberate intention to disturb the sleeping beauty. After an inaudible grumble, she turned towards the other side of the light and resumed her slumber.
Let me elucidate further. I have got nothing to do with insomnia or sleeplessness or any kind of jargons indicating a sleep-deprived condition, from a medical standpoint.
What has taken the sleep out of me was a recent comment made by someone who or what shouldn't have been of any concern to me. Because, the "someone" being referred here is someone who is a friend of my son's classmate's neighbour.
I was meeting him for the first time in my life – that too during a wedding reception of someone else who was equally far from me in all aspects. As a courtesy, I was introduced to this "someone" by my son's classmate's father as we all happened to share the same dining table.
Being strangers to each other, this "someone" had no business to comment on something which was very personal. Because, that off-the-cuff comment of his, which he might have thought as a casual pleasantry was strong enough to take my sleep away for a couple of days thereafter.
"Is this your son?" – even a blind person had once told about the striking resemblance between my son and myself – but not sure of the mannerisms and/or thoughts whether they match perfectly. Though I was vexed by his opening shot, I nodded with an affirmative answer without showing any displeasure.
The next was the googly (in cricket terminology) which snatched my sleep away.
"Was it a late marriage?".
"What"?, I grimaced, but asked myself. On hearing the unprecedented question posed by "someone", the person who introduced me also started to turn pale – reminding me of the litmus test which I had learnt during my high school days.
"What he had to do with my marriage – if it had happened later or earlier?", I wondered. In a fraction of a second, I could make out where he was coming from. I recollected that he was looking at my more-salt-less-or-almost-no pepper hair while talking to me.
To speak the truth, he was far better than many others from a diplomatic perspective. I recall many who put it straight at my face asking why am I not "dyeing" (in proper contextual meaning, and not in the meaning of its rhyme, of course).
"Oh! I hate anything artificial. Moreover, I am dead against dyeing. Scientifically, you know, the chemicals used in dye making are hazardous……", I smiled and changed the topic towards some current affairs – both national and international.
Bringing my thoughts back, I looked at the mirror and stared at the reflection of my head.
"True, my head has become very rich – from black metal to silver".
I was tempted, but stood confused – whether to dye or not to dye!
Because, I knew it was not at all going to be an easy game for me to get into the habit of dyeing, as I had been a strong anti-dyeing advocate, at home. Many a time, I had efficaciously argued against my wife and other people who either supported or sported dyeing. And throughout the debate, for the sake of it, I used to give lectures on the drastic side effects of dyeing based on true or untrue scientific reasons and also throwing "gyan" on made up stories about people in far away countries who lost hair and complexion due to excessive dyeing. The demography of these protagonists were ideally chosen to avoid any follow up by the opponents, especially my wife who is an expert in using Google and making use of other reliable sources.
I sat down at the corner of the bed, contemplating.
Then, I decided. Yes, I decided to swim against the tide – but on a safer route. I wished not to be paraded by those who were put paid to my arguments whenever they see me with glossy black/brown hair.
Before executing the plan, I prepared my own points justifying as to why I changed my mind and started dyeing. Having convinced, I concluded that there is nothing wrong in my decision. I had been voicing against dyeing, or rather against applying "artificial" colors and paints – definitely not henna. So, nobody would have the guts to blame me for violating my argument points or call me a hypocrite if I do a henna treatment on my hair. Moreover, henna is natural.
I remembered spotting henna powder in the 'things to buy' list a week back, but was unsure whether it was bought and if so, whether it was black or brown. Without making much noise, I rummaged around my wife's vanity bag. Thankfully, I could get hold of a packet of powdered henna – and that too, having the label '100% Natural Henna".
For a systematic execution, I came out to the TV room where the lighting was better than bedroom. I read the instructions on the pack many times to ensure that I am not doing any mess-up with my hair, consequently affecting my face. I looked at the list of ingredients mentioned – all were written in biological names – felt quite agnostic, but were solid enough to substantiate my justification.
"Soak the powder for 4 to 6 hours and then after applying the paste on hair, leave on for 3 to 4 hours".
I looked at the clock. The time was almost three.
"Oh! my God! If I go by the instructions word-by-word, the process would not be completed even by lunch time the next day", I thought.
Not thinking any further of pros and cons, I cut opened the packet, made up the henna paste with utmost confidentiality by getting in to the bathroom. In line with the instructions, I added a few drops of vinegar to get some highlighting. After the mixing was done, I sadly realized that I had partially tanned the wash basin by spilling the colourful paste inadvertently! I feared of the consequences that are bound to happen the next morning, when the sleeping beauty gets up. I sprung into action to clean the bathroom at half past three – something I had never done in all these donkey years!! What a plight at night!
I waited patiently in the bathroom itself, for the paste to set in. Feeling bored, I came back to the bedroom and lied down beside my wife without disturbing her sleep. Moreover, I wanted to give her a surprise the next day morning by posing a different look and feel! I envisioned my potential appearance, and how everybody would be complimenting me for the new look. After waiting impatiently for an hour, I examined the paste and confirmed that the same is good to go.
"Goodness!, There are no hand gloves available. If I use my hands, I would end up like an Indian bride aftter a Mehendi/Henna ceremony".
As a stopgap arrangement, I made use of a plastic carry bag – transformed it to a hand glove, applied the henna with much enthusiasm (like how the floors of traditional houses were coated with cow dung during pre-technological era).
I saw my reflection on the mirror – I looked ugly – which I presumed as a precursor to the imminent handsomeness. After applying henna on the head, I covered it using the same carry bag and tied it with a rubber band. Due to lack of experience, I could not paste adroitly thereby spoiling the bathroom floor. I sprung into action again – cleaning the bathroom, the second time in a span of two hours.
After the cumbersome exercise, I found it prudent not to get out of the bathroom thereby spoiling the floor of bedroom too, because I had no fascination to do cleaning any more.
I decided to stay put in the bathroom. As I had nothing else to do, I read all my pending official mails on the phone. Feeling discomfort, I decided to forget all the instructions and clean off the hair without waiting for even an hour. I was unsure about the henna stains while washing as I did not wish to clean the bathroom for the third time in a row. So, I took off a trickle from the head, put it on the floor and confirmed no stains remained when I washed it off with running water.
Good to go !
I took off the carry bag from the head, opened the shower and stood underneath. The colors washed off from my head through my face. I felt breathless for a while, but managed to finish the shower quickly.
Anxiously, I looked at the bathroom mirror.
"Awesome!" All the white strands on the hairs had vanished. I looked much younger. I came off the bathroom, dried my hair and combed it with perfection.
"Oh! my God!" I looked at the mirror again after switching on all the available lights.
I literally screamed.
This reflex of mine awakened my wife who got up from her sleep with a jolt, screaming likewise. I got a shock of my life and that made me scream again.
She looked at my face helplessly.
"What is this?? What have you done with your hair??"
Shame! I looked like a peacock, with only brown feathers. My head had turned completely brown as if my head was varnished. I didn't know what to do. As I lacked expertise to reverse the wrongdoing, I kept quiet. I knew that I would be a laughing stock in the office if I go in this peacock design!
I asked my wife to suggest a remedy before the day breaks. She told me that the only quick and effective choice left was to use a black dye to cover up the brown shade – but she was unsure whether the henna stains would remain or not.
I envisaged as to how I would be in my office attire the next morning – white shirt, blue trousers, black & brown hair.
"No way! Its ridiculous. It is against my ethics. Moreover, the dye is having lot of chemicals ….". With a typical facial expression, I was stopped abruptly by my wife handing over a sachet of black dye, which obviously contained artificial colors and chemicals.
Hesitantly, I applied the dye, waited for another hour, washed it off and came out of the bathroom – just to find my wife sleeping calmly as if nothing had happened.
I looked at the mirror.
"Not bad! Yes, I am looking much younger. Why was I against this magic all these years?"
I felt like singing a romantic song in my rough voice.
Luckily, nobody else was awake.
by Michelle Schultz
The last nightmare I had involved eating out at one of my favorite coffeeshops. My husband and I had arranged to meet with friends I hadn't seen in a while the week before, so I had been looking forward to it. Our schedules didn't often mesh with work taking my husband or our friends late into the evening with no warning, so it was a pleasant surprise that everyone was able to come and no one had to cancel at the last minute.
As I had come to expect, the coffee was wonderful: nutty, earthy, or faintly floral depending on the type that I chose. The desserts were hopelessly decadent but large enough to share, so share we did. The subdued music piped through the speakers upstairs covered any silences in the conversation, but I had plenty to discuss with these lovely individuals. We talked of everything except politics; we'd all had enough of that cropping up in our Facebook feeds. I learned that one of my friends was taking vacation soon, and another was strongly considering adopting a cat. As I was always eager to talk with other cat people, I made a note to ask in the coming days if the adoption had worked out.
I only knew two hours had passed because of my watch. It was almost ten at night by the time we had to call it a night. Time had flown, leaving me with that disorienting feeling I get when I've stopped focusing so much on making charming small talk and worrying about the next interesting thing I'm going to say. Instead I just let the conversation take me where it wanted, and it had gone beautifully.
I drove us home, the windows down to let the humid air make enough of a breeze to cool me. For a summer night, it was surprisingly pleasant. Maybe I was adapting to the climate here after all.
Given the hour, my husband and I only took a few minutes to pet the cats before readying for bed. It was quiet in the house, and the neighbors in the houses on either side were somnolent as well. You would hardly know anyone else lived in our compound given how peaceful it could be at night.
I lay down in bed, tired enough in a pleasant way from so much conversation, that I didn't need to read like I usually did before going to sleep. My books were safe on the nightstand as I turned to study the insides of my eyelids instead. I felt the familiar bump as one of our cats bumped my feet before settling down to sleep on one ankle. I could feel his purr in my bones as I drifted asleep.
I blinked awake minutes or hours later. The room was dark, no curtains cracked like I used to do. My feet were cold and devoid of cats.
I turned my head, barely able to make out our dark pillows against the pale bedspread, but my husband's pillow was empty. He must have gotten up to use the toilet and woken me. I rearranged my pillow and turned over, waiting for him to come back because he'd only wake me up again if I fell asleep.
The silhouettes on the other side of the bed were wrong. I realized that his side of the bed was neat, as if it was still made up. How odd for him to make the bed when he was coming right back.
I sat up and shook the cobwebs out of my head. I leaned forward, half-climbing out of bed to look down the hallway outside the door.
It was as dark and lightless as our bedroom.
No water ran in the bathroom, no whir came from the fan running, and no one stubbed their toe in the dark as they came back to bed.
The room was suddenly too quiet. The lack of sound was like an annoying buzz in my ears, static to fill in the empty spaces that was far too loud once you could sense it.
My husband hadn't been home for weeks. Work had taken him out of the country, and he was supposed to have been home this week, but those things often changed.
How had I forgotten? What a bizarre, utterly mundane dream to leave me so confused. It was just like last year after my aunt died, when I dreamed of talking to her on the phone only to wake up and realize that the memory of that conversation wasn't real.
Had I even met with our friends tonight? I strained to recall, but their faces were a blur. I couldn't remember where we had gone. I couldn't even tell whether I had met my husband's coworkers or my friends from church. What had we talked about? Babies? The news? Those things were always coming up in conversation, but nothing seemed familiar.
My imagination must be having a rough time if this was the best dream it could come up with: uneventful conversations with people I already knew in which nothing changed. My muses must be bored. I should make a note to read some more interesting books.
I reset my phone to play nature sounds and lay back down to sleep.
I had a meeting that morning for the monthly women's gossip session, or at least, that was how I thought of it. Ostensibly it couldn't all be about women since men could come too, but most often, only women showed up to share what workout they were currently obsessed with because it was the greatest thing ever invented and solved their myriad, highly specific, and trendy health problems when combined with this very particular diet tailored to their genetic heritage, their environment, and the supplements available to them in this location.
I drank black coffee given my bad sleep the night before and sat on the fringes of the latest group to convert to cross-fit/Paleo, or was it Paleo/yoga? Were those regimens even compatible? It didn't matter. I knew enough vagaries to talk about either if someone asked my opinion. It wasn't important that I share my experiences so much as ask more about theirs. It was the same with babies: ask the moms questions because deep down, they don't want to talk about you. Nobody does.
Once my requisite hour was up socializing with the other ladies, I left the room with a excuse about needing to get to my errands. I promised to meet some of them later that week for coffee or lunch so we could discuss the work that we had originally met up to talk about.
I called my husband/rescuer once I got out of sight and asked where he was. Fortunately, he had just finished up some paperwork and was free to drive me home given the heat outside.
I had to wait outdoors so I didn't run into any of the ladies I had just abandoned, and the heat made me sleepy by the time my husband's car appeared. On the way home, I just closed my eyes to block out the sun.
When I opened them, it was dark and I was lying down.
I flinched, kicking out and catching only bedcovers. Bedcovers?
I turned my head to get my bearings, but it was as dark as the inside of a black hole and probably just as quiet… unless planets or comets screamed as they were crushed to death, in which case it was probably as noisy as that pregnant silence that filled my ears like a wasp humming.
Once I realized it was my pillow under my head, I almost smiled in relief.
Wow, the muses really were dying of boredom. Now I was being treated to reruns of the last year of my attempts to socialize with other ladies before ultimately giving that up. With only slight variations, that dream could have been any one of a year's worth of pointless coffees and lunches.
"Sorry," I said just to break up the quiet as I turned over. I reached out to poke my husband's shoulder and apologize for probably waking him up with my kicking about.
The shapes were all wrong.
His side of the bed was made up, which was odd. Why would he waste the time if he was coming right back to bed? Had he gone to pick up one of our cats as he sometimes did if he heard it meowing in the hall?
The silence in the room became the slow grinding of gears as my brain caught up with the rest of me.
My husband had been gone for over a month. There was no one here or in the hall.
I flinched anew. Why did this feel so familiar?
Wait, hadn't I already had this dream? Or a dream? Hadn't it too been utterly normal, as if I was spending time with friends or acquaintances that used to live here?
My phone hadn't rung in days if not weeks. No one was calling me to arrange dinner with my husband and me. I hadn't gone to a ladies' meeting in over a year.
I lay back down after glancing at the clock. I still had hours to sleep.
"Did you bring the game?" my friend asked as I entered his apartment.
"It couldn't be anything else in a box this big," I said, hefting the giant bag holding my favorite card game and one I was eager to teach this group. "I didn't have time to cook—"
"That's okay. We were just going to order in this time," my friend interrupted, closing the door behind me. "Have a seat. Coffee's in the kitchen, beer's in the fridge, take what you will."
"Thanks," I said as I set the box with the others at the table. I looked around at the familiar faces without being able to put names to any of them. My memory for faces was pretty bad when I'd only met them once, so this was normal enough.
I sat down.
"Hi, everyone," I said, grinning although it felt a little manic. "I… um, I wanted to show you all my favorite game, the one you asked about last time."
"Sounds good," one friend said. "I looked it up. Apparently it won some Euro game award recently."
"You'll see why," I said, opening the box with help from two others at the table. They started removing packs of cards without my asking, eager to get started.
"Did you want something before we start playing?" my other friend asked, standing up slightly.
"That's alright. I just… want to show you how to play. So we can all play," I said, my throat closing up around the words.
What was wrong with me?
"One sec. Allergies," I said, waving a hand before leaving to find the bathroom and some tissues. My eyes were all scratchy too, so I leaned down to splash water on my face. "I'll be right back. I'm not going anywhere. Please don't go anywhere."
I opened my eyes.
It was dark, and the room was quiet.
How funny, to dream of something so mundane. I had been showing… Steve, right? I had been showing Steve and some others how to play my favorite game. My husband hadn't been there that time, but he would come to our next game night now that he was home.
Wait. I'd had this dream already. Now the dreams were Technicolor mundanity, complete with solicitous friends and eager listeners and clear dialogue. How completely unlike real life.
I checked my phone. The last message I'd had from Steve was from almost two months ago.
I put the phone down. It was still a few hours to dawn. My nature sounds had stopped playing, and the quiet was bothering me again. I turned so I could at least stare at my husband's back.
The shadows were all wrong.
I sat up on one side and put out a hand. The blankets were all still tucked in, the pillow cold.
My husband had been gone for months. How had I…?
The Nightmare
by Sara Madan
Stranded on the side of the road not a single car had passed by…
My car had broken down in the foggy mist of nowhere. Trying my mechanical skills would be a death wish because I had none. My phone was dead. I decided to walk and find some form of life. I scavenged a flashlight from the dashboard and some left over snacks to keep me going. The foggy mist grew weary to the point I felt I was deep in clouds. The cold kept clinging to my skin like a death trail. I was alone and lost…
I had walked for almost an hour and half. Neither the fact that no vehicles had passed by, nor any sighting of a living form did not bury my confidence, I kept going. Then out of the blue, I saw something like a road sign in a far of distance. As I drew closer, the sign read "Silent Hill population none". I thought, could this be a joke? My curiosity was begging me to unravel this fact, could it be true? Or was it a prank? Curiosity got the best of me as I moved forward and finally saw the shadows of the town in the distance.
I had finally arrived, the fog disappeared and the view was crystal clear. Houses and buildings were burnt down and I could hear faint groaning and rustling from the ruins. The trees had ghostly look and fearfully strange. As I moved further down I came across a mysterious town hall which was intact without any destruction. I decided to enter and find any signs of life that could help to fix my car. I was getting late and I am sure my parents were looking out for me. As I lunged open the door, I saw a shadow on the other side of the hall, I called "is anyone there? No answer, so I made my way to the other side of the hall, the shadow re-appeared it was skinny like a skeleton of an old man the only thing that was live was his fiery eyes. He had a crooked grin for a smile and as he spoke I could see his guts through his mouth. I asked him about the town, his reply was "welcome to hell". My heart began to beat as he described how the foggy and misty road was the entrance to hell and that I had passed out at the side of the road in a horrific car accident. How could he have known about the road accident? Panic crept into my chest….you are dreaming…I try to assure myself and manage to cling on to that futile hope.
I whisper to myself…… am I really dead? My heart pounded furiously.
Where am I?
I eyed the portraits which were from the ceiling to floor, wall to wall; of people I knew, like my granddad and neighbours who had passed away long ago. I wondered why their portraits were here in this mysterious burnt out town. All of a sudden when the clock struck 12 midnight (that's what I sensed), I heard someone whisper my name and then, simultaneously, all the portraits on the wall came alive. To my horror they were all disfigured faces staring at me, trying to touch me I turned to run out of the building to escape but the door was no more there, the creatures tried to claw into me, I futilely tried to escape, but my knees buckled the creatures were upon me, they said "it's time to say goodbye" , I was choking in agony , blood oozing from my eyes, when I woke up screaming in cold sweat and my grandma holding me, whispering …it is only a dream, you are safe now.
A Life in Darkness
by Noor Nass
The dark as an adjective means with no light. The word dark as a noun means the absence of light in place. When the almighty created the earth, the earth was nothing but pitched black to the deep. The blackness to the creator was like a white page to the writer. There was nothing in that darkness not even a letter or a vowel in place. Like a blank paper ready to be written on, it was waiting to draw something.
To get the writer to be in character then he must write. Just like the creator used darkness and made light for things to be found and became a creator. Therefore, the writer must write to find the written word and be a writer.
Let that word be a story of darkness that took over my life, since I can recall. And, to find the light I had to walk the same path that I rejected over and over again.
I grew up with a 10% functional mother when I was a child. And, just because darkness took over her life.
She did not see life the way her children did or the way her husband did. As much as she was in darkness, the reality of the life we view today only made sense with a few words to her. Like "I am your mother" and "G'd is going to curse you and revenge me". I lived with that threat constantly.
Growing up in the uptown of the East of the Island, when I was in second grade she hit me up harshly for telling her that I studied and got a 60% pass on one my subjects. She took the degree and shoved it in my face and kept on verbally repeating where is the study you studied. Then the verbal humiliation became physical, she took her heavy hands and slammed it on my 35 KG body.
First, she aimed to my arms, then she took her hands and slammed me on top of my legs- the thighs. And, last to the side way of my body. I was so bruised that you can see the purple effect on my skin.
I went running to my room locking the door behind me. I was saved by her big body that couldn't keep up with me running around the room escaping her lashes, or my fate would have been worse.
My dad came back from work and found me that night crying myself to sleep and asked me what went wrong. And, I told him the story with showing the scars from the effects of the slams. We could tell, me, my dad, and my family that something was not right with this woman. As a child, I would be forgotten a few times after school due to her long naps and delusional state in the other world.
My mother wouldn't work. Although she came from a well-off family that owned their own restaurant, and sent all brothers to western educational colleges. And, her sisters sent all their children to private schools for a British education. They would only allow a marriage to happen with their blessings to their offspring's and siblings. Such as if the Man was not taught, did not work and did not pray five times a day, then it's pointless to ask. In other words, a rocket science with no moon.
On the other hand, she dedicated herself to raise the children up instead of perusing a college degree. And as we grew older she perused a diploma degree in children's education. Which, of course I can only remember her when it came time for food or visiting the evil castle of her sisters.
I tried to be a good child by listening to her but nothing she said would benefit me socially, emotionally, educationally, or physically. Her approach was always to serve her and to please her or I will be cursed because mothers hold the keys to heaven and I don't.
of course, a lot of my friends do not get why I did not spend time with my mother or why I was so mean about it. Perhaps, what I could not understand about her mental situation made me in so much darkness.
Most people would go with just the feeling to be with a parent, I had to go with sympathy, apathy, guilt, forced kindness, obligations and duty. Her situation was difficult and because of social taboos her sisters and her would say there was nothing wrong. To the extent that they believed their own lies. Which is not a bad way of living but the planets will still not grow in my garden and that's why it was a problem for me.
When I can see her speak to herself in the other world, fantasizing a different husband while she is in a marriage. Every family opportunity was invested on fighting with my father for torturing her to be on medication that are not working.
Then, it will move for his delusional understanding of the working environment, then it will move about how he should not talk about her Lebanese family. The woman used to make up fights and make up gossips that never happened. She cuts out family ties because she insists that my Aunt spoke behind her back when my aunt was in middle school. I was cursed with living with the devil's creation, it was darkness like hell on earth.
On top of it we were brought up in a modern, Arabic setting where we relied on our parents to set the path for a good block to start our future. Unfortunately, due to the darkness we were in – it was impossible to see the light at the end of tunnel. Except if I meet someone, which I did.
Like an optimist I failed to see the challenges that came with the marriage or some people would say delusions, others would say like a good wife. But that life that made me experience my life for the first time and not force my parent's life on me lasted until it lasted.
My Armageddon happened, my unexpected happened, and my worst nightmares happened. Like the air breeze stopped blowing my direction and began to mean a different meaning.
The meaning of my husband has altered, the best friend and my rock. That cutty hitting on me in the office while I thought he was separated turned against me. the idea of work, turned into a science experiment in my head. Should I salute the girl that was praying for something along those lines to happen, because I over smiled to everyone.
Mania gave me the feeling of euphoria like an apple falling to the ground at collision with the earth sounded like gravity to me and altered my reality. Like a different parallel world. Except this parallel world felt like a computer scientist that moved as fast as the speed of light to manage my information data.
My life was bummed, it was not like nothing was said and nothing was heard. I ran with my music. like a disease of the mind that held me- there was no place for comfort. Like a thief in the middle of the night that came and grabbed me and my family. To each member their own path. The city of light did not grab us, but religion did. And, it taught us one truth that in the end of darkness there were the pits of hell waiting for the time of our grave. Where it called on us.
To enjoy life, each escaped to their own madness. Except mine became officially true with a pen and a paper. It was dark with no hope. Only to empty my pockets more and ignore my heart, and fill in the pockets of that gold stamp of thee educated person with the convenience of their comfort. No one gave me comfort and no one gave me light, if they tried to pass on the light they would only burn me with it. That included anything I tried to build with that burned light.
I ran for six years in and out of mental institutes, they were painful, harsh and unrealistic. The symptoms of mania would get worse. I would not want to live because I would stop feeling. I would gain weight and be paralyzed .. not to mention sleep all the time. It was obvious it was not working and the more time you gave it. The mental institute would point out how stable I looked. Not to see their own blood on their hands. Like an elephant who was given stabilizers with no purpose to attend to.
The words of wisdom of the world order would not make sense anymore. Except the almighty gave me some truths that the light in my heart kept on fading away as the years passed on and the poisonous torture continued. I found some examples of life and versus helpful and they were: "Ask, and it shell be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh recives; and that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." And, in my world it was "those that peruse will find." But in reality, I knew from numerous examples in anything someone sets his hearts to shall find the desired outcome. In other words, light decided to shine on my state of darkness. It came as a lovely video stating the new technological evidence of micro-nutrition's effecting mental health. I couldn't believe what I heard.
It meant I can walk, talk and look like me. And not like an instrument for the devils and demons. Maybe, with Angels and a G'd.
It was the fifth month being on the doctors advise and no mother or father or a lover shed a tear for what I was feeling. I was in so much physical and emotional pain. I spoke to my father and he placed an order for the micro-nutrition bottle. Of course, being skeptic about the validity of it working. Like dreading the fact that I might come to life again. My order came two weeks after the initial request. I took the bottle from him and went back home. Every day as soon as I wake up I would take some vitamins, and at noon time I would take one again. After four days to one week I felt better. However, It was until I dropped the psychotic crazy drugs that the micro nutrition kicked in the stranger effects. There were hardly any voices, my chemicals felt relaxed and I did not sway with my emotions. As far as everyone is concerned I was experimenting what everyone feels in their daily experience of living on this earth. However, it was until my mind survived over and over the days ahead that I realized that it actually worked. That micro nutrition was able to give my chemicals a natural creation of serotonin to my body that would take me away from my parallel reality. It was not hiding the wounds but it was creating the natural substances of my own tissue. Like my own white blood cells. I finally found the light in my darkness. To remain there would have kept me in darkness; which was painful, would not shut up, would stop, would not rest and with no purpose that is visible in reality or outside of reality. I was scared and all on my own, with no justification but condemnation. It was Dark and I was scared.


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Eliminating special education class size rules will no longer be a part of the Illinois State Board of Education's discussion when it meets Thursday and Friday in Springfield.
The current rules set class size limits and student-to-teacher ratios in special education programs.
Groups opposed to eliminating the rules, including the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Education Association and the Chicago Teachers Union, say that without the restrictions, students with special needs will suffer because they won't get the more individualized attention they need to do well.
"With the rule in place, when (class size) limits are exceeded, districts hire additional staff or find a paraprofessional to help," Melissa Seivers, a special education program supervisor in Jacksonville, wrote in an opinion piece that appeared in The State Journal-Register Wednesday.
"If class size restrictions are lifted, already-burdened special education teachers would not be able to meet the needs of their students," she wrote.
That's not the board's intent, according to ISBE public information director Matthew Vanover.
Vanover said the rationale behind eliminating the rules was that the board thought individual schools should be allowed to make their own personnel decisions when it comes to special education programs. He said that way, if a school determined it needed to modify its program, it could do so.
"Local districts should be able to best respond to the Individualized Education Plans instead of having that dictated from the state level," he said.
Individualized Education Plans, or IEPs, are required for each student in special education programs.
But those opposed to the rule changes are glad the board pulled the discussion from the agenda.
"We are very glad that the state board has listened to the thousands of teachers and parents who have expressed their very serious concerns," IFT spokeswoman Aviva Brown said. She said the federation supports keeping the current rules in place.
Jim Reed, the director of government relations at the IEA, agrees.
"We believe some kind of uniformity that relates to class size is a preferable way to go," Reed said, noting that schools that want to modify their special education programs can apply for waivers from the state board and that those applications are usually granted.
Vanover, however, characterized the waiver process as "onerous" and said the board would continue looking at ways to make it less so.
Money, too, is a factor in the opposition to the rule changes.
IEA spokesman Charlie McBarron said eliminating the rules would mean the burden of building special education programs would fall on school administrators who are under tremendous pressure due to the state's dismal record of funding its schools. Keeping the rules in place, he said, would prevent administrators from making "bad decisions" based on fiscal pressure instead of on students' needs.
"We have always had the indication that the state board listens," McBarron said. "They have heard from the experts in the classroom, particularly the teachers."
IEA President Cinda Klickna reiterated that point, saying in a statement Tuesday "the decision not to take up the rule change shows that the ISBE is listening to what the teachers and parents are saying."

subset: commoncrawl


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Par TravisScottBeat2 dans Accueil le 14 Novembre 2016 à 13:04
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Clinic | WIG303 | Released: 04/03/13
Following last year's release of Free Reign – the sixth studio album by Liverpool's stalwarts of the surreal Clinic, the band have now announced the imminent landing of Free Reign II – a set of alternate mixes of the original album by revered producer Daniel Lopatin.
Initially involved in the mixing of several songs on the original Free Reign, the band felt that Lopatin's vision for the record deserved to be fully realised and available. Zoning in on the creeping dub influence that's always been bubbling in Clinic's work, Lopatin's mixes mutate the already mind-clouding originals into something heavier, narcotic and more hypnotic than before. As he himself puts it, "I wanted to give it a burnt, 60s/70s stereo dub feel and was under the influence of a lot of Amon Düül II and Les Rallizes Dénudés when I was mixing."
A fascinating new perspective on the original album for those wise enough to have sought it out already and a great work in its own right for Free Reign newcomers, this collaboration with one of contemporary, experimental electronic music's greatest innovators is testament to the enduring influence of Clinic – one of the most trailblazing British bands of their era.
WIGLP303 | Out nowAdd to cart: £15.99
- 01. Sun & Moon II
- 02. You II
- 03. King Kong II
- 04. For The Season II
- 05. Miss You II
- 06. Cosmic Radiation II
- 07. Seamless Boogie Woogie BBC 10pm (rpt) II
- 08. See Saw II
- 09. Misty II
- 10. Done & Dusted II


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Ellen DeGeneres is opening up about her new role as a judge on Fox's hit show – American Idol. The latest season of AI, set to premier Tuesday, January 12th, will feature Ellen replacing Paula Abdul as one of the judges.
When asked about fellow judge Simon Cowell, Ellen had the following to say: "We both like each other and accept one another," DeGeneres tells Wall Street Journal. "At the same time I think he's mean and I think he says things in an insensitive way and I don't think that's the way to get a point across. I've called him on it to his face. I'll do the same thing to him (on Idol)."
Ellen goes on to discuss the type of judge she aims to be. The talk show host promises to be opinionated, but can't promise she'll be as warm and fuzzy as her predecessor Paula. "I don't know if I'll be as nurturing as she is. She always found a positive thing to say instead of attacking," says Ellen. "I'll probably try to be somewhat encouraging. … But I'll be honest. I don't think it helps anybody to be encouraged and not told the truth."
The first couple of weeks of AI will feature guest judges. Ellen will come on the show alongside Simon, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi later on in the season.


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We are using Drupal as our CMS of choice to provide all content for www.mingw.org. We need to maintain the Drupal software with current versions of Drupal. We have need for someone to help keep up with our Drupal installation at the server level. This job is not a difficult task, Drupal itself will give you a report of what needs updated. The job requires once a day or two the following tasks:
- Check the site status report for notice of updates
- If updates are required
- Give a notice of expected downtime at least 4 hours before the downtime
- Prepare the software by downloading the required versions before the site goes into maintenance mode.
- At the time of maintenance put the site in maintenance mode.
- Perform the maintenance operations per the guide that will be given you.
- Set the site back into online mode.
- Check the site for normal operation.


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Safe PaymentPay securely with India's best payment gateway CC Avenue
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- The All new high performing SoundAxe Groove Wooden Acoustic Foam panels are best for echo reduction, sound diffusion and sound absorption !The surface area of this product is higher than Pyramid and Wedge due to its new design.
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- Made using high density Acoustic Polyurethane. NRC > 1.00, STC > 33 DB certified by ARAI.NRC is Noise Reduction coefficient means it will absorb 100% sound it encounters.
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Colour Family: Pattern
Fabric Type: Aida
Fabric Count: 14 count
100% Cotton evenweave from Fabric Flair, the leading manufacturer in the USA. Fabric Flair have taken their wonderful fabrics and printed them with an "Overdyed Effect" which when used for your needlework projects adds a new dimension to the finished piece. With a wide array of Overdyed Effect colours, there is a perfect fabric for your cross stitch and needlework project.
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Large Tree Removal in Greer, South Carolina
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GålåNo Report Available
Season Pass Pricing for Gålå
Check out Gålå season pass pricing here. Season pass pricing is provided to OnTheSnow by Gålå. The pricing is updated as Gålå makes changes to their season pass pricing. OnTheSnow is committed to providing the most up-to-date season pass pricing to our readers, so skiers and snowboarders can make informed decisions on purchasing a season pass to Gålå for the ski season. Season passes for Gålå are often the most cost-effective way to ski multiple days at Gålå during the ski season.
Gålå Season Passes
Gålå lift pass prices are provided to OnTheSnow.co.uk directly by the mountain resorts and those resorts are responsible for their accuracy. Lift pass prices are subject to change. Call resort for updates.
Ski and snowboard enthusiasts from around the world:
We have been proud to provide you with free access to snow reports, resort guides and more, and we are beyond grateful for your readership and contributions to our community over the years.
Unfortunately given the changing media landscape, Mountain News Corporation has experienced financial declines in recent years. With additional economic challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic now facing our business, it is not financially viable to continue operating.
Mountain News Corporation and our OnTheSnow and Skiinfo websites will be shutting down. We will explore the possibility of selling, partnering, or contributing assets to another media outlet if there is an opportunity to allow for a consistent or enhanced online experience. For inquiries about Mountain News Corporation, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.
We want to thank our loyal employees for their tireless work over the years to bring great information to all of you. We take comfort knowing that our collective passion for the sport of skiing and snowboarding will certainly live on.
We'll see you on the mountain.
– Mountain News Corporation


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Feature- The Vegan Girls Guide To Life
Melisser Elliott is the author of the upcoming book "The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life", as well as the blogger behind award-winning blog, The Urban Housewife, beauty blog Cruelty Free Face, and the founder of Sugar Beat Sweets bakery in San Francisco, CA. When not at the keyboard, she participates in animal activism, vegan outreach, &
spends time with her husband Ryan, & rescued friends Strummer, Beamish, & Scurvy. She currently resides in Vienna, Austria.
Inspiration behind the book:
I wanted to write a vegan lifestyle book from a female vegan's
perspective, although it's certainly not only for a book for women. The book includes not just about the food we eat, but the other things people forget about or may not know about veganism. I wanted to reduce the learning curve for new vegans by showing them how easy it can be, while appealing to current vegans with new recipes and fun crafts. It's an easy read, but informative, nonetheless.
Q: Who is your target audience? I know that it is the "vegan girls guide" but do you think it applies to men as well?
Melisser: I consider it a lifestyle guide for the vegan curious, as well as current vegans. The book was written from a female's perspective, but men can utilize it as well. They may find the beauty section less useful though!
In your book you ask many of your featured bloggers questions such as:
Q: What is your funniest vegan moment?
Melisser: It's hard to pinpoint one, there's been lots of silly misunderstandings and unbelievable questions I've been asked!
Q: What is your favorite accidental vegan food?
Melisser: Hungarian Baumkuchen from Naschmarkt in Vienna!
Q: What do you say to vegan haters?
Melisser: It depends on the situation, but I love to throw out facts to prove them wrong or make them think. Sometimes it's better to just make a joke back to them, being a hater back is rarely effective.
Q: What is the one thing that you want you readers to get out of this book?
Melisser: Anyone can be vegan, it's not a lifestyle for a certain type of person, gender, race, or orientation. With a bit of research and strong convictions, you can make the important decision to lead a vegan lifestyle.
Q:I know you are on a big book tour right now where else will you be stopping?
Melisser: I'm in the UK now doing talks in London, but in January I'll be in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland- dates coming soon!
My Take: I really wasn't sure what to expect when I received this book for review all I knew was that it as written by Melisser Elliot a very well known blogger (and blog I follow) and had something to do with being vegan (obviously). I finally sat down and started into the book and this is what I came to find:
- I found a lot of information that I already knew– being a 4 year vegan and a holistic health counselor and a lot of the information regarding food and nutrition I already knew. The information regarding animal welfare, factory farming, ect was all information I am already very informed about.
- Interviews: There were interviews with bloggers and vegan company owners. I really loved these because it gave me an opportunity to learn more about the bloggers behind the blogs I read and about the business entrepreneurs of stores that I already shop from, as well as about new bloggers and new places to shop.
- Besides the beauty info this book is not just for girls. Yes this is The Vegan Girls Guide to Life and is written through the perspective of a girl but the information is really good for anyone male or female- however some men may find that the information about beauty supplies does not apply to them; however if you are like my husband you might take interest anyway.
- A few recipes. This book was not meant to be a recipe book and you can tell by the lack of vegan recipes, however there are a few and they all sound really yummy.
Overall I think that this is a very well done book and is perfect for those who are vegan curious or a new vegan. If you have been around the vegan block a few times on a whole this book probably won't hold your interest for very long; however don't be too quick to dismiss it because the recipes, blogger features and vegan store/shopping info is worth reading.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book for review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway or add this to my OpenSky shop in return for a discount on this product.


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Beyoncé's new single "Pretty Hurts" is a beautiful piece of work that you need to hear. For those of you who don't live under a rock, you probably already own Beyoncé's self-titled album. Those that own the album are not new listeners to this track.
The 7 minute music video portrays the song's message perfectly. The introduction is two minutes long. The video begins with B staring at her reflection in the mirror. The screen fades to Miss 3rd Ward wearing a brown/beige dress.
She looks flawless! Back to the music video—yes, she's a pageant girl. Fast forward to the next scene, we're now in a room filled with pageant girls. The girls are wearing gemmed up body suits, spray tanning, and doing their hair and make up.
Then we get to see her putting on some petroleum jelly on her teeth. Do models really do all these things? Man, that looks like a tough life.
She has all these trophies, the beauty, the only thing that seems to be missing is, happiness.
Next up, it's show time. Miss 3rd Ward gets called up to the stage. She sings an acapella version of "Pretty Hurts." It is perfection, flawless, and beautiful.
Next scene, the song finally starts. Preparation for the pageants are still on the schedule. Need we say more? Just watch the video for yourself. The message is beautiful. We don't want to ruin the rest of the video for you all. But happiness does not come with money or appearance!


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SAN FRANCISCO – This week, Triple Voodoo Brewing is launching our latest offering, our Belgian Witbier we call Witopia.
Witopia is brewed with generous portions of wheat and spiced with coriander, orange peel, and ginger. The addition of the ginger adds subtle spice notes and helps balance out the other spices. ABV clocks in at a modest 5.5% making this a very easy drinking beer. Look for Witopia on draft before the end of October and in 22oz bottles before the end of November.
Last month, Triple Voodoo Brewing launched the first beer in our "barrel aged" serious. This was our Grand Cru aged in a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel for three months. This beer was done in collaboration with a San Francisco beer and spirits shop and only 19 cases were produced.
The next offering in the series will be a barrel aged version of our Inception Belgian Triple. This will also be aged in a Buffalo Trace barrel for two months. Look for this beer to be released in very limited quantities around mid-November.
We are excited about the response we are getting for our first barrel aged beers and are looking to expand our barrel program in 2013.


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NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- A number of Kenya's Cabinet members and defense officials were warned about the possibility that the terror group Al-Shabaab was planning to carry out a Westgate-style attack a year before gunman stormed the Nairobi mall, according to several police and intelligence sources.
The warnings were made by the country's National Intelligence Service as part of regular situational reports given to cabinet members, the inspector general of police, members of the National Security Advisory Council and military intelligence.
CNN has seen an electronic version of those reports, which contain an extensive list of terror threats from several regions across Kenya over an extended period, but they also specify Al-Shabaab posed a threat to several targets, including Westgate Shopping Mall.
The news about the intelligence warnings come amid revelations that the mall favored by Westerners and tourists was long-considered a possible terror target.
CNN has also learned that the Westgate mall attackers tortured some of the hostages.
Military doctors said militants severed hands, cut off noses and, in some cases, hanged hostages. CNN has seen photographic evidence of one dead victim with a hand amputated.
Inquiry begins
Members of Parliament are expected Monday to begin grilling intelligence bosses, including the head of the National Intelligence Service, over the apparent intelligence failures.
The news of the intelligence warnings follow the September 21 terror attack at Westgate that resulted in a four-day standoff that left at least 67 people dead and parts of the shopping center destroyed. Thirty nine are still unaccounted for, possibly buried beneath the rubble.
The attackers claimed to be members of the Somali-based Al-Shabaab.
Al-Shabaab itself made statements claiming responsibility, including saying on Twitter that it sent the gunmen in retaliation for Kenya's involvement in an African Union military effort against the group, which is al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia.
Kenyan forces killed five terrorists, and 11 others are in custody over possible links to the attacks, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
Immense work remains
But an immense amount of work remains to learn how Al-Shabaab, a terror group thought to be badly bruised by recent losses in its Somalian homeland, was able to pull off such a well-coordinated and brazen attack.
Last year, the Kenyan military was part of a peacekeeping force that defeated Al-Shabaab forces to liberate the key Somali port of Kismayo.
Since Kenya launched attacks against Al-Shabaab in Somalia in 2011, the group has hurled grenades at Kenyan churches, bus stops and other public places.
It was the deadliest terror attack in Kenya since al Qaeda blew up the U.S. Embassy there in 1998, killing 213 people.
Terrorism experts say the attack bears eerie similarities to the 2008 siege of a hotel in Mumbai, India -- another upscale target with Western appeal. Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani terrorist group that attacked the hotel for more than three days, killing 166 people.
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


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There are many types of electric vehicle charge points to choose from.
午夜非会员试看60秒,非会员试看60秒体验Low Carbon Energy work closely with you to ensure we install the most suitable charge points for your needs – whether for your customers, staff or other visitors to your car park.
We will identify, supply and install the charging solution you require, providing end to end project management for your charge points.
To help you decide which type of charge point (EVCP) is best for your car park, consider the following:
At Low Carbon Energy, we will work through each of these considerations with you, to ensure the EVCPs installed meet your current and future requirements.


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Solitary Kidney
What is a solitary kidney?
When a person has only one kidney or one working kidney, this kidney is called a solitary kidney. The three main causes of a solitary kidney are
- birth defects. People with kidney agenesis are born with only one kidney. People born with kidney dysplasia have both kidneys; however, one kidney does not function. Many people with kidney agenesis or kidney dysplasia do not discover that they have a solitary kidney until they have an x-ray, an ultrasound, or surgery for an unrelated condition.
- surgical removal of a kidney. Some people must have a kidney removed to treat cancer or another disease or injury. When a kidney is removed surgically due to disease or for donation, both the kidney and ureter are removed.
- kidney donation. A growing number of people are donating a kidney to be transplanted into a family member or friend whose kidneys have failed.
In general, people with a solitary kidney lead full, healthy lives. However, some people are more likely to develop kidney disease.
What are the kidneys and what do they do?
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. Every day, the kidneys filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine, composed of wastes and extra fluid. The urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The bladder stores urine until releasing it through urination.
Do people with a solitary kidney need to be monitored for kidney damage?
People with a solitary kidney should be tested regularly for the following signs of kidney damage:
- albuminuria
- decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
- high blood pressure
Albuminuria Testing
Albuminuria is an elevated level of the protein albumin in the urine. Albumin acts like a sponge, drawing extra fluid from the body into the bloodstream, where it remains until removed by the kidneys. When albumin leaks into the urine, the blood loses its capacity to absorb extra fluid from the body. Although the increased albumin in the urine may not cause any symptoms, it often indicates an increased chance of kidney disease.
Dipstick test for albumin. The presence of albumin in the urine can be detected with a dipstick test performed on a urine sample. The urine sample is collected in a special container in a health care provider's office or a commercial facility and can be tested in the same location or sent to a lab for analysis. With a dipstick test, a nurse or technician places a strip of chemically treated paper, called a dipstick, into the person's urine sample. Patches on the dipstick change color when protein is present in urine.
Albumin and creatinine measurement. A more precise measurement is usually needed to confirm albuminuria. A single urine sample or a 24-hour collection of urine is sent to a lab for analysis. With the single urine sample, the lab measures both albumin and creatinine, a waste product of normal muscle breakdown. The results are reported as a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. A urine sample containing more than 30 mg of albumin for each gram of creatinine may signal a problem. With a 24-hour collection of urine, the lab measures only the amount of albumin present. Although both tests are effective, the single urine sample is easier to collect than the 24-hour sample and is usually sufficient to diagnose and monitor kidney disease.
Decreased GFR Testing
Blood drawn at a health care provider's office or a commercial facility and sent to a lab for analysis can be tested to estimate how much blood the kidneys filter each minute, called the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The results of the test indicate the following:
- eGFR of 60 or above is in the normal range.
- eGFR below 60 may indicate kidney damage.
- eGFR of 15 or below may indicate kidney failure.
High Blood Pressure Monitoring
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the blood vessel walls as the heart pumps out blood. Blood vessels are also called arteries. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is an increase in the amount of force the blood places on the blood vessels as it moves through the body. Blood pressure is written with two numbers separated by a slash. For example, a blood pressure result of 120/80 is said as "120 over 80." The first number is called the systolic pressure and represents the pressure as the heart beats and pushes blood through the blood vessels. The second number is called the diastolic pressure and represents the pressure as the heart rests and the blood vessels relax between heartbeats.
A person's blood pressure is considered normal if it stays below 120/80. Prehypertension is a systolic pressure of 120 to 139 or a diastolic pressure of 80 to 89. High blood pressure is a systolic pressure of 140 or above or a diastolic pressure of 90 or above.1 High blood pressure is diagnosed when multiple blood pressure tests—often repeated over several visits to the health care provider's office—show that blood pressure is consistently above 140/90. Health care providers measure blood pressure with a blood pressure cuff. People can also buy blood pressure cuffs at places such as discount chain stores and drugstores to monitor their blood pressure at home.
High blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the kidneys, reducing their ability to work properly. Damaged kidneys may be less able to remove salt and extra fluid, raising blood pressure further and creating a dangerous cycle.
What steps can people with a solitary kidney take to protect their health?
People with a solitary kidney can protect their health by eating a nutritious diet, keeping their blood pressure at the appropriate level, and preventing injury to the working kidney.
Eating, Diet, and Nutrition
People with a solitary kidney do not need to eat a special diet. However, people with reduced kidney function may need to make changes to their diet to slow the progression of kidney disease. More information about recommended dietary changes is provided in the NIDDK health topics, Nutrition for Early Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults and Nutrition for Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults, and Managing Chronic Kidney Disease. People should talk with their health care provider about what diet is right for them.
Controlling Blood Pressure
People can control their blood pressure by not smoking, eating a healthy diet, and taking certain medications. Medications that lower blood pressure can also significantly slow the progression of kidney disease. Two types of blood pressure–lowering medications, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), have proven effective in slowing the progression of kidney disease. Many people require two or more medications to control their blood pressure. In addition to an ACE inhibitor or ARB, a diuretic—a medication that helps the kidneys remove fluid from the blood—may be prescribed. Beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and other blood pressure medications may also be needed.
Preventing Injury
For people with a solitary kidney, loss of the remaining working kidney results in the need for dialysis or kidney transplant. People should make sure their health care providers know they have a solitary kidney to prevent injury from medications or medical procedures. People who participate in certain sports may be more likely to injure the kidney; this risk is of particular concern with children, as they are more likely to play sports. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends individual assessment for contact, collision, and limited-contact sports. Protective equipment may reduce the chance of injury to the remaining kidney enough to allow participation in most sports, provided that such equipment remains in place during activity. Health care providers, parents, and patients should consider the risks of any activity and decide whether the benefits outweigh those risks.
Points to Remember
- When a person has only one kidney or one working kidney, this kidney is called a solitary kidney. The three main causes of a solitary kidney are birth defects, surgical removal of a kidney, and kidney donation.
- In general, people with a solitary kidney lead full, healthy lives. However, some people are more likely to develop kidney disease.
- People with a solitary kidney should be tested regularly for the following signs of kidney damage:
- albuminuria
- decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
- high blood pressure
- People with a solitary kidney can protect their health by eating a nutritious diet, keeping their blood pressure at the appropriate level, and preventing injury to the working kidney.
Clinical Trials
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support research into many diseases and conditions.
What are clinical trials, and are they right for you?
Clinical trials are part of clinical research and at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. Find out if clinical trials are right for you.
What clinical trials are open?
Clinical trials that are currently open and are recruiting can be viewed at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.
Alternate Versions
- PDF Version (388 KB)
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
The NIDDK would like to thank:
Akinlolu Ojo, M.D., Ph.D., University of Michigan


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Here's the latest article from the Daughters site at BellaOnline.com.
How To Empower And Inspire All The Time
See if you can pick yourself out of the many phrases or words that scream empowering. Or at least see how you can be inspired to be the best you.
Please visit daughters.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Daughters.
To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Daughters located here -
I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!
Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!
Tuculia Washington, Daughters Editor
One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com


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This was published 7 years ago
Linda Pugach, the woman who married her lover after he hired hitmen who blinded her, dies aged 75
She was 22, a sheltered, dark-haired Bronx beauty said to look like Elizabeth Taylor.
He was a decade older, a suave lawyer who courted her with flowers, rides in his powder-blue Cadillac and trips to glittering Manhattan nightclubs. He was married, although not to her.
Before long, tiring of his unfulfilled promises to divorce his wife, she ended their affair. He hired three men, who threw lye in her face, blinding her, and went to prison for more than a decade.
Afterward, she married him.
Linda Riss Pugach, whose blinding by her lover, Burton N. Pugach, in 1959 became a media sensation, and whose marriage to Pugach in 1974 became an equally sensational sequel, died at Forest Hills Hospital in Queens, New York on Tuesday at 75.
The cause was heart failure, said Burton Pugach, her husband of more than 38 years and her only immediate survivor.
In 1974, The New York Times called the attack on Riss "one of the most celebrated crimes of passion in New York history'.' In the years since, the strange romance of Burton and Linda Pugach (pronounced POOH-gash) has seldom been far from public view.
A book about the couple, A Very Different Love Story, by Berry Stainback, was published in 1976. More recently, the Pugaches were the subject of a widely seen documentary, Crazy Love.
Part cautionary tale, part psychological study, part riveting disaster narrative, the film, directed by Dan Klores, was released in 2007 to favourable, if somewhat astonished, notices.
In the decades after their marriage, the Pugaches seemed hungry for limelight. Although reporters who visited their home wrote often of their unremitting bickering, the couple just as often appeared in the newspapers or on television to declare their mutual devotion.
They received renewed attention in 1997, when Burton Pugach went on trial in Queens on charges that he had sexually abused a woman and threatened to kill her.
At the trial, at which Pugach represented himself, Linda Pugach testified on his behalf, telling him in open court: "You're a wonderful, caring husband."
When she had a serious romance as a blind woman, she did take off those glasses, and the suitor ran away. So who, in her mind, was the one man that only saw her as the beauty that she was?
The alleged victim in the case was Pugach's mistress of five years.
He was convicted of only a single count — harassment in the second degree — of the 11 with which he was charged in that case, and he was sentenced to 15 days in jail.
"We loved each other more than any other couple could have," Burton Pugach, intermittently weeping, said of his wife in a discursive telephone interview on Wednesday.
He added: "Ours was a storybook romance."
But to judge from the news accounts then and now, the story in question was Beauty and the Beast. Or, more precisely, it was that story's unseen second act — the one in which the title union has degenerated into long, grinding yet strangely indissoluble banality.
Linda Eleanor Riss was born in the Bronx on February 23, 1937. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and she was reared by her mother, her grandmother and an aunt.
She graduated from James Monroe High School in the Bronx; when she met Burton Pugach, who specialised in negligence law, she was working as a secretary at an air-conditioner dealership.
After breaking off her affair with Pugach, Riss became engaged to another man.
The attack, in June 1959, scarred her face and left her almost completely blind; over time, she lost what sight remained. To the end of her life, her face was framed by large dark glasses.
After the attack, Burton Pugach appeared determined to continue their relationship. He telephoned her to suggest that they reconcile and later wrote her a torrent of letters from prison.
"At one point," The Times reported in 1959, "he was said to have promised, 'I'll get you a Seeing Eye dog for Christmas."'
"She was a sheltered, naive young girl," Klores, the filmmaker, said on Wednesday. "Her identity was centered around her physical beauty. When she had this romance with this older man — this obsessive relationship — he worshipped her for that physical beauty. And when that was taken from her, the scars weren't merely on the outside."
On Wednesday, Burton Pugach, 85, denied having ordered the use of lye.
"I asked one guy to find someone who would beat her up, to try and get her back," he said. "I didn't ask anybody to throw lye at her."
Testifying at Pugach's trial in May 1961, Riss said he had told her: "If I can't have you, no one else will, and when I get finished with you, no one else will want you."
There were ultimately two trials connected with the attack, and even by the standards of high-profile proceedings, they were spectacular. Burton Pugach was declared insane three separate times, only to have the decisions reversed at his behest.
On another occasion, about to start the day's proceedings, Burton Pugach removed a lens from his eyeglasses and slashed his wrists, crying: "Linda, I need you. Linda, I love you. Linda, I want you."
The wounds were not serious, and the trial continued.
Convicted in July 1961 for his role in the attack, Pugach was eventually sentenced to 15 to 30 years in state prison.
The case was ultimately appealed to the US Supreme Court on the grounds that wiretap evidence against Pugach had been obtained illegally; the court ruled against him, 7-2.
Pugach was paroled from the Attica Correctional Facility in March 1974, after serving 14 years for his role in the attack and for an earlier conviction on related charges.
By the time he got out, his wife had divorced him. (He had also been disbarred; afterward, he worked as a paralegal.)
In November, after Pugach had gone on television several times to propose to Riss, they were married.
In later years, Klores said, the couple went to movies and watched television, with Burton Pugach narrating the action for his wife. Linda Pugach knitted and sewed, and did volunteer work with the blind. It was all quite unremarkable, apart from the singular tie that bound them.
Even after one reads accounts of the case, and even after one sees Klores's film , the precise nature of that tie remains tantalizingly elusive. In interviews, Linda Pugach tended to characterise it with platitudes that revealed little.
Asked to define it on Wednesday, Klores, who spent three years with the couple during the making of his film, invoked Linda Pugach's ever-present sunglasses in connection with a romance that she had after the attack, while Burton Pugach was in prison.
"She always wore those sunglasses, even with me," Klores said. "I asked her to take them off at the end of filming — she wouldn't do it. When she had a serious romance as a blind woman, she did take off those glasses, and the suitor ran away. So who, in her mind, was the one man that only saw her as the beauty that she was?"
"I don't use the word 'guilt,"' Klores continued, striving to put his finger on what had moved the couple to marry. "But I'm not using the word 'love."'
The New York Times


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After finding out my bike has a road rear (130 mm) & disc brakes, it's been difficult to source rear hubs. Cyclocross allows disc brakes, and more commuter/cx frames are appearing but all seem to use the 135 mm spacing... Chris King's Universal Disc rear tandem has a 130 mm option, but as a two piece axle?
Could someone explain the difference, and provide pros/cons?