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Until the breeding spells are perfected, I recommend that the rys be kept ignorant of their powers and trained to look up to native tabre as their superiors. ~ Daykash Fane, 1806 Kwellstan Calendar
The unfamiliar games of tabre acolytes sparring outside the tower distracted Dacian. Prodding his discipline, he tried to focus. Halor expected him to discuss Emjar's treatise on clairvoyance "Perceiving All" that afternoon, and Dacian had barely reached the middle of it.
Halor honored him by allowing him to study the treasured record that Emjar had written a thousand years ago. Only preservation spells were keeping the book's delicate binding and thin stone leaves together. Dacian enjoyed a rare privilege to actually touch the book that was on loan from the Atocha for the summer.
Dacian attempted to read again. The fine script was only faintly etched on the brittle stone wafers, and the letters blurred in his vision when another blast of raw magic shook his senses. Leaving the book open on his desk, he went to his window. The panes with their purple triangle designs were open, and a fresh pine breeze carried in the omnipresent chill of the nearby glaciers. Oblivious to the icy peaks, warm sun fell upon a green valley reveling in its furlough from hard winter. Flowering meadows and cold sparkling streams fed Lake Nin amid the primeval pines. Dacian saw the landscape. He smelled it. He heard it. He felt it, all the way from the drip of snow upon the mountainsides to the strained grinding of monstrous stone deep inside Ektren beneath the blue stone mountains.
The Rysamand, he thought lovingly.
Dacian transferred his sight into the farseeing senses of his mind. Perhaps Emjar's "Perceiving All" could teach him the finer points of clairvoyance, but his natural ability served quite well. Flying through the trees, fragrant with pitch, Dacian spied upon the tabre acolytes.
He saw two teams of three tabre males running among the trees north of the tower. They carried weapons and their eyes blazed with a diamond glow. One of them was sprawled upon the ground. Pine needles clung to his black hair and stuck to his wet lips when he rolled over. A tabre came down an outcropping of rock. Made nimble as a mountain goat with tiny levitation spells, the tabre descended the rock face where small pines grew in stubborn defiance of their poor luck in having sprouted in so hard a place.
The tabre laughed as he jumped onto the ground and trotted to his victim. Gloating, he prodded the tabre with his staff.
"I have bested you," the victorious tabre said. "You are out."
But his supremacy ended as quickly as he uttered the words. Spells latched onto him from two sources. He cried out indignantly and sheltered himself from the magical onslaught with a shield spell that encased him in a shimmering bubble of energy.
Two tabre came out from the cover of the trees near the rocky outcropping. They intensified their attack spells as they came closer. The tabre who had been knocked down got to his feet. Although still swaying, he picked up his staff and charged his opponent. The two tabre struggled until the one previously sure of victory was thrown down.
"Nooo!" he shouted angrily, but with the smooth walnut staff of his opponent shoved under his chin, he could not work himself free.
The two tabre who had saved their friend ran up to the struggling duo. While one of them scanned the area warily, the other insisted that the opponent yield. Pinned by physical force and magic, the tabre admitted his defeat with a sour grimace.
Dacian could see the two remaining teammates of the bested tabre. They were creeping around the outcropping of rock. They hid themselves with an interesting spell that apparently cloaked them from their opponents' perception. Although their spell wanted to deflect Dacian's senses and make him see nothing more than lichen, rock and trees, he still detected them. He studied the spell, fascinated by the concept. He wondered when the other tabre would detect the cloaked tabre.
The two cloaked tabre rushed forward. They were a blur in Dacian's mind. Too late the trio of tabre sensed their attackers. Before they could fully turn around, attack spells blazed across their backs and the two cloaked tabre leaped at them. One was struck with a high swinging kick to the head and another tabre suffered a blow from a staff between his shoulder blades. The attack dropped two of the tabre instantly. The third, who was still rattled from his near defeat, raised only a puny shield spell, and the two tabre fell upon him with swift blows. Raising his hands, he crumpled to his knees and cringed beneath the bashing staves of his opponents.
"My team is done," he cried and covered his head.
The surrender was accepted and the tabre lowered their weapons and grinned happily. One helped his third teammate up while the losing team dusted themselves off and rubbed their sore spots.
For half the morning, they had been rushing about the forest, hurling attack spells and trading blows like unruly hooligans. Now they talked as friends, recounting the better moments of the fighting game.
With the game over, Dacian realized how caught up he had been in their competition. Their violent struggles had been thrilling. Dacian wondered what it would feel like to flex his magical powers in such a contest.
He observed the tabre on their walk back to the tower, using their staves now as walking sticks. They continued to chatter about their game. Even from five elti away, Dacian felt their eagerness as they planned another match for the next morning.
The voice of Halor called Dacian's attention back to his body. His senses whirled, and the jagged treetops veered beneath his farseeing mind. A half dead pine, taller than the others around it, wore an eagle's nest crown. His mind flew by the lofty platform of sticks, and he noticed two fluffy white eagle chicks before his mind plummeted into the tower.
Dacian turned from the window and dipped his head to his master.
"You are supposed to be studying," Halor scolded and frowned at the abandoned book on the desk.
"I was, Master," Dacian responded. "But the fighting of the acolytes from Kahtep seized my interest."
"Rowdy fools," Halor muttered. He fidgeted with his collar. "They treat their visit here like a holiday instead of taking their tour of the realm seriously. I should tell Master Darjeir to mind them more closely."
Halor checked to see where Dacian had left off in the book. His student's progress was quite insufficient, and he said so. "Dacian, you should not let yourself be distracted. I came up here because I sensed your mind wandering all over," he said.
Still reluctant, Dacian left the window. He regarded "Perceiving All" with little enthusiasm and said, "Master Halor, I think that I will go join the sports tomorrow."
Halor stared at him. The presumptiveness of his student was nearly as surprising as his disinterest in his scolding. But, as usual, Halor softened and looked dotingly upon Dacian. Putting a hand on Dacian's shoulder, he gestured out the window and said, "Dacian, you should not waste your talent on such primitive sports. There are far better things than knocking each other about."
Dacian looked wistfully at Emjar's great work. Such studies had always been his passion, but today something new had aroused him.
"Master Halor, the acolytes were using spells that I do not know. Some of them could—"
"Dacian," Halor cut him off. "You surprise me. You are no brute. Did Daykash Breymer want to see how well you could hit someone with a stick?"
Dacian did not doubt that Halor was a wise and good teacher who gave him many scholarly opportunities, but it now occurred to him that perhaps not everything could be learned from one teacher. Apparently tabre acolytes in other Nufalese schools enjoyed learning more subjects.
Accepting that Halor had no interest in sports and perhaps had never thought to instruct him, Dacian said, "I will get back to my studies, Master Halor."
Halor smiled, and the curve of his fine lips accentuated the length of his nose. "Of course you will, Dacian," he said and wagged a finger at Emjar's book.
Dacian returned to his seat.
"I expect to discuss the first half this evening. No excuses, Dacian," Halor said.
Dacian nodded and Halor left. Taking a deep breath, Dacian lifted his eyes past the book and looked out the stained glass window again. The urge to observe the tabre acolytes persisted, but he did not dare. Halor was monitoring him.
Dutiful again, Dacian applied himself to the book and sensed Halor move off. Dacian's annoyance with his master started to pass. Dacian supposed that he did not need Halor's approval in every matter, and this realization comforted him.
That evening Dacian discussed his reading with Halor. Dacian stood in Halor's receiving chamber on the second highest level of the tower. The stone bricks of the floor were laid in a great spiral that radiated throughout the round room and Dacian stood at the vortex of the floor bricks while Halor sat in a high-backed chair upholstered in green leather. Halor questioned him on certain points and nodded with approval for some answers and corrected him on others.
As usual, Dacian received more approval from his master than correction. Halor seemed pleased with him again, but the satisfaction that these sessions normally provided Dacian eluded him this time.
"You have done well, Dacian. You are excused," Halor said.
"Thank you for the instruction, Master," Dacian said and bowed out of the room.
Standing now on a great balcony that encircled the hollow center of the tower, Dacian could see the rim of the topmost level where Nebakarz priests occasionally met for ceremonies. But, because the Jingten Tower had never been formally declared a Nebakarz temple, ceremonies were infrequent. The stars that he could see through the skylights complemented the glowing crystals set in the walls. The lighting offered a pleasing ambience, and Dacian studied the many spells that had been incorporated into the tower's construction. He admired them like a gardener notices an impressive flower bed.
He walked along the balcony until he reached the levitation shaft and gripped the focused line of energy as easily as a squirrel jumps and seizes a branch. He gave just enough of his weight over to gravity and rode the energy down to the third level that contained the common areas for the Nebakarz residents.
A great sprawling kitchen and dining area arced around half the tower. Pillars separated the kitchen and dining area. Cooking fires, racks of gleaming copper pots and pans, and shelves of food were visible beyond the tables. Chandeliers of glowing crystals hung over the dining tables that were made of hardwood imported from the forests of Nufal. The white light from the crystals lighted the faces of tabre gathered at the tables. A few rys, who were employed at the tower, sat in cliques separate from the iron-skinned Nebakarz acolytes and priests.
Most had finished eating. The rys chef, Exaton, sat at a table with his apron tossed over his shoulder. He looked up from his penarta game when Dacian walked in. He told Dacian some soup was keeping warm on the middle hearth and then he resumed his game with his two friends. He drew in one eyebrow as he concentrated on using his magic to move a cube-shaped piece across the penarta board.
Dacian thanked him but he was not hungry. He had come to see the acolytes from Kahtep. They lounged around their table talking. Their dinner plates and bowls were strewn before them. Dacian approached the table and stood there while the acolytes continued their discussion without looking up.
Eventually one of the tabre looked at Dacian when he realized that the rys was not going to clear the dishes. Dacian recognized him as one of the tabre who had been able to cast a cloaking spell.
Impervious to the tabre's haughty attitude, Dacian introduced himself.
One of the other acolytes chuckled. "So you are the rys being schooled in Nebakarz ways?" he said.
"Yes," Dacian said, ignoring the tabre's disdain. "I would be pleased to acquaint myself with the visitors from Kahtep. I hope that you are finding my homeland interesting."
The tabre who had initially acknowledged Dacian rose from the table. Leaning close to Dacian's face, he said, "Yes, this is indeed your homeland."
"May I join you?" Dacian asked.
Nonplussed, the tabre said nothing, and Dacian took it as an invitation to sit. He stepped into the bench at the table. The tabre slowly returned to his seat, bothered by Dacian's assertiveness.
Dacian looked around the table. The six tabre stared at him with various degrees of discomfort.
"Your name is Bagdoa," Dacian said to the tabre on his left. He then named the others at the table. "Athur, Teev, Mithel, Ensel, and Blaysh."
"How is it you know our names?" Bagdoa asked.
"I have heard you talking," Dacian said.
"It's rude to eavesdrop," Teev complained.
"Is it?" Dacian said, amused to be scolded for such a ridiculous thing. Tabre, rys included, all possessed varying degrees of clairvoyance. Without taking precautions for privacy, a tabre could expect that anyone might be hearing his words and seeing his actions. It was the way of things.
"What do you want?" Bagdoa said impatiently.
Dacian analyzed the feelings of the Kahtep acolytes. Their hostility wounded him.
Why do they think me so low? he thought, but said pleasantly, "I watched your game this afternoon. I am interested to know more about it."
"What about it?" Bagdoa prompted.
"Everything. May I join you in this game?" Dacian said.
The tabre acolytes relaxed, and they exchanged grins around the table.
Athur spoke. His smile showed off his big bright white teeth. "You lack the training to spar with us in Bozee bouts," Athur said.
"What know you of my training?" Dacian rejoined.
Teev and Mithel chuckled loudly, but it was their apparent ringleader, Bagdoa, who answered. "It is common knowledge that you study under Master Halor. He is not a teacher of the Bozee."
"He is a librarian," snickered Ensel.
Although there was nothing ignoble about being a librarian, the comment still stung Dacian. "I would still join you in a Bozee bout. I learn quickly," he said.
"He is not on my team," Blaysh declared and set his hands on the table.
Dacian looked at him sharply. He was becoming riled, and the sensation was strange to him. He had done nothing to provoke these arrogant acolytes, who were barely past their tablinghood.
Bagdoa chuckled. "For once, Blaysh, you are quicker than me. But there will be no teams. I would be happy to let Dacian study the Bozee in a one-on-one bout with me."
"Excellent," Dacian declared and looked Bagdoa in the eye. "I would be honored," he added, employing some sarcasm of his own. Dacian then let his power show in his eyes. Bagdoa flinched ever so slightly.
"Meet us in the forest tomorrow at dawn," Bagdoa said.
Dacian agreed. He excused himself from the table. The rys kitchen workers were looking at him with surprise, perhaps even respect. Dacian glanced into the eyes of the chef when he walked by his table. Dacian was not sure what he saw there, but his heart was beating with an excitement foreign to him.
Dacian went warily into the forest. Even in the summer, the pre-dawn hours were crisp in the Jingten Valley. The starscape above him was bordered by the tops of the pines, blacker than the dark sky. Each tree around him hummed with a lifeforce that he could feel, but Dacian worked to tune out the natural notes that always sang through his senses. He expected the Kahtepian acolytes who were capable of cloaking themselves to ambush him.
When the dawn whispered the first word of its bright spell, the night was banished. Blackness turned gray and cast the colors of the land in strange shades that were only visible in those short moments before the sun crested the eastern peaks.
Dacian stopped and scanned the area. As he had predicted, cloaked tabre were approaching his position. He spied Bagdoa, Athur, and Ensel all cloaked in their magic that they assumed would conceal them from his senses. Dacian decided to waste no time putting a stop to their tricks. He wanted his chance to spar with Bagdoa in a fair fight and learn properly.
Picking out Bagdoa from the trio of skulkers, Dacian jogged directly toward him. Bagdoa continued to come toward Dacian, moving from tree to tree. Sometimes his cloaking spell did filter him from Dacian's perception, but Dacian always quickly picked up his lifeforce again.
Close to Bagdoa now, Dacian ducked behind a tree and in his mind watched the tabre creep closer.
"I see you," Dacian announced into the forest. "I can see all of you."
The sun was just coming over the mountains and shining mauve light into the valley and glowing pink upon the snowy peaks. Bagdoa froze. The fresh morning light shimmered on the magical forces that enveloped his body. Dacian sensed Bagdoa's uncertainty.
The tabre did not stop his cloaking spell, so Dacian decided to demonstrate his sincerity. He nudged Bagdoa with his mind and said mentally, "You are not hidden from me."
Dacian left his hiding spot and continued to the meeting place where Teev, Mithel, and Blaysh waited. Dacian greeted the three tabre who stood leaning on their staves. After a silence that revealed their surprise at Dacian's arrival, Teev finally spoke a stale good morning.
Pleasant birdsong was filling the forest now, and finches and sparrows were flitting happily about the meadow where Dacian stood with the tabre. Dacian reached out his hand and a white butterfly flew jaggedly and landed in his palm. Dacian studied the insect casually and did not look up as Bagdoa, Athur, and Ensel entered the meadow from separate points.
"Are you ready for your lesson?" Bagdoa said.
With a smile, Dacian bounced the butterfly back into the air. He could see that Bagdoa was no longer so cocksure. Dacian asked if he could borrow someone's staff.
"You should have brought your own, rys," Athur said. He walked up to the group and closed the ring of tabre that surrounded Dacian.
Dacian was not immune to the stinging tone, and, for the first time, fear stirred in the pit of his stomach. Bagdoa smiled, and Dacian realized that the acolyte had liked his sudden disquiet.
"Give him your staff, Athur," Bagdoa commanded. "First level Bozee is fought with staves, and Dacian must have one if he is to learn."
Dacian accepted the staff from Athur that was grudgingly given. The wooden shaft had been enhanced with spells of strength, and Athur's magic felt foreign in Dacian's hands.
"Shall we?" Bagdoa said. He stepped back with one foot, assumed a fighter's stance, and held his staff defensively.
The other tabre moved back and formed a wide ring at the edges of the meadow. Mimicking Bagdoa, Dacian took up a similar position. He could not tame his pounding heart, and he was not used to his emotions interfering so wildly with his concentration.
This is a good thing to learn, Dacian realized. No matter what Bagdoa did to him this morning, he would be better for it.
To his surprise, Bagdoa began to give him a genuine lesson. He demonstrated a half dozen basic attack moves with his staff.
"Center thrust. Back hand. On the spin," he explained. "Overhead. Ankle sweep. Double strike." He repeated the moves and then began to methodically strike at Dacian with them but stopped short of hitting him. Bagdoa named the moves again and increased his speed with every demonstration. "Now imagine the countermoves. Do the countermoves," he instructed and came at Dacian with a real attack.
Dacian blocked awkwardly and caught part of the blow on his knuckles. He stumbled back, gasping at the pain. Bagdoa came again and this time Dacian failed to protect himself at all. Bagdoa schooled him with a painful double strike by cracking each end of his staff across Dacian's shins.
Dacian cried out and retreated farther.
"Pitiful!" Athur yelled. "You are not worth my stick."
"Clumsy rys," Blaysh said. He stood with his arms crossed, as if bored.
"A human could do better!" Mithel declared.
Their jeers rattled Dacian and he suffered more blows to his knees, his elbows, an ear, and finally across his jaw, which dropped him to the ground.
Grinning, Bagdoa relented. "Get up," he commanded.
Dacian gripped his staff tighter and saw his purple blood oozing from his bashed knuckles and dripping on the lush grass. Shocked by his patheticness, he commanded himself to do better. He had to concentrate. Watching a drop of his blood drip down a blade of grass, he connected to the land beneath him, the land of his birth.
My pain is nothing, he told himself and pushed himself quickly to his feet. He lashed out at Bagdoa and caught him off guard. Dacian hit him on the torso just above his hip. Bagdoa shouted in painful surprise but then laughed as he recovered and deflected Dacian's next swipe.
"Good. Good," he said. "We'll have a bout yet."
They continued through the morning, trading blows without rest. Dacian began to imagine the countermoves, and he performed them. He blocked. He attacked, and they sparred with increasing speed as Dacian's ability and confidence swelled.
When their staves were locked after a long flurry of exchanges, Bagdoa took one hand off his staff and cast a spell at Dacian's face.
"Attack spell," he said and a flash of white light dazzled Dacian.
Dacian yelled in dismay and Bagdoa hit him hard in his momentary blindness. Dacian buckled over and hugged his belly where he had been hit. Bagdoa struck him across the shoulders and forced him down to the trampled grass and flowers.
"That was not even a real attack spell, Dacian," Bagdoa said.
The other tabre were laughing. Dacian allowed himself two breaths to renew himself before springing back to his feet. He reminded himself that the fighters had been trading attack spells when he had watched them yesterday. The Bozee was much more than knocking together wooden sticks.
Pushing his sweaty black hair out of his face, Dacian began to unbutton his jacket. He slipped out of the fur-trimmed black brocade jacket and walked it to the edge of the meadow where he hung it on a pine branch. A mountain breeze fluttered across his sleeveless linen tunic and cooled his bare arms.
Returning to face Bagdoa, he gripped his staff anew and said, "Show me an attack spell."
Bagdoa raised an eyebrow. He thought Dacian foolish but was eager to give the lesson.
Dacian stood patiently, unafraid and ready to learn. He sensed how Bagdoa summoned the spell, and Dacian was gratified when Bagdoa briefly had trouble focusing. Dacian hoped that his confidence unsettled Bagdoa a little.
Bagdoa's spell exploded with hot fury all over Dacian's defenseless body. His skin blistered, even beneath his clothes, and his nerves were seared deeply with a pain he had not ever imagined. Even his scream was weakened by the instant agony. Dacian sagged and sweat glistened on his bubbling skin. He delved into an unexplored reservoir of strength and battled the pain.
Aghast, Bagdoa stared at him. He had thrown a heavy attack spell at Dacian, wanting to impress him with his power, but he had not expected that Dacian, ready for the blow, would not protect himself with a shield spell.
Bagdoa lowered his staff. He took a few steps forward but stopped short of offering help. He could see the hot ugly blisters on Dacian's arms and face, and he was startled by the damage. Bagdoa had not hurt someone so badly before.
"You were supposed to do a shield spell," Bagdoa whispered.
Dacian looked around him. The other tabre had tightened the circle, but no one dared come close enough to aid him. On their faces he saw a growing fear of what the consequences of his injury might be. They were all guilty of wanting to hurt him. They might ridicule Halor as a weakling scholar but they did not want to be punished for harming his best student.
But Dacian knew spells greater than their brutish magic.
His eyes glowed fiercely as he organized his magical power and enveloped himself in a healing spell. The clinging pain of the burns dissipated and fresh healthy skin replaced the angry blisters.
When he was finished, he smiled to Bagdoa. "I have learned your spell," he said and, raising his hand ominously, added, "Teach me a shield spell, Bagdoa."
The bold acolyte from Kahtep did not hesitate. Having seen Dacian's amazingly swift and thorough healing magic, he realized the power of his opponent. When Dacian cast his first attack spell, triumphant power flowed from his mind and through his fingertips. Bagdoa staggered within the blaze of blue energy that Dacian sustained as he advanced with his raised staff.
Bagdoa gave ground now, shielding himself with his magic and his staff. Dacian pounded at him with his weapon and repeated attack spells. Although his assault was heavy-handed and artless, he enjoyed watching the tabre, so supercilious at dawn, now learning that he could be hurt as the sun reached its zenith.
Smoke began to rise from the ends of Bagdoa's staff. Dacian heard the other acolytes yell for the bout to stop. Dacian was not about to stop and pride prevented Bagdoa's surrender.
Dacian was learning his opponent's shield spell, and he dismantled its energies a little more with each application of attack magic. One end of Bagdoa's staff actually caught fire and Dacian struck off the glowing coal and shortened the weapon. He cast another attack spell and bored through the shield magic like a plow cutting through turf.
Bagdoa screamed. Dacian felt his magic burning into the flesh of his opponent, whose lifeforce shuddered from the impact.
Bagdoa fell backward clutching his chest, and Dacian stopped his magic. Bagdoa's clothing was on fire and his exposed chest was scorched a horrible black and violet. Half of his face was badly burned as well, but he seemed not to know it yet. Teev and Ensel, who were closest to their fallen comrade, rushed forward and smacked out the flames on Bagdoa's clothes.
Flailing at his friends, Bagdoa screamed on.
The glorious joy of fighting and winning abandoned Dacian, leaving only concern for his victim. He rushed forward, but Bagdoa retreated madly. His feet dug into the turf and he flopped backward, shaking off the hands of his friends. He shrieked for Dacian to stay away from him.
His terror startled Dacian, who had never harmed anyone before. The stink of burned flesh tainted the clean air, and Dacian learned that violence was not a game.
He pushed past Teev and Ensel and, dropping to his knees, grabbed Bagdoa. Immediately Dacian poured his awareness into the tabre's body. Bagdoa's struggling became feeble. Dacian felt his heart fluttering in deepening shock.
Dacian's healing magic quenched the burns and then renewed Bagdoa's flesh as sod mends a bare spot in a lawn. When it was done, Dacian eased Bagdoa into a comfortable position. His clothes were tattered and blackened, but his skin was whole again and he rested, free of pain.
But fear remained in his dark eyes. Bagdoa set a hand on his chest that had been so grievously charred and he looked as if his body would never entirely be his own again.
Dacian did not know what to say.
The shadows of the other five tabre crisscrossed over Dacian and Bagdoa, and in the shadows, Dacian saw their heads turn. Only then did he hear the approach of riders, one of whom was Halor.
Dacian could feel the wrath of his master already. He stood, brushed off his pants, and walked to the pine tree to retrieve his jacket. He was pulling his arms through the sleeves when Halor and Master Darjeir from Kahtep galloped into the meadow. Their black and red robes flapped around their bodies and matched the dark moods cast upon their faces.
Master Darjeir went to his group of acolytes, and Halor confronted Dacian.
"What are you doing?" Halor demanded. He jumped from the saddle and stalked up to Dacian.
Dacian did not answer. He assumed that Halor had seen all or much of what had happened.
Silence was no defense. Halor hollered into Dacian's mind. "Raw impudence! What cause have you to disobey me?"
He thrust his rage down the length of Dacian's spine. Dacian cringed. He had not expected to evoke such anger from his master. He had only been curious.
"Curious!" Halor railed upon reading his mind. "Your power is not to be twisted in games. You hurt him!"
"I healed him, Master," Dacian defended.
"Bah! You know not what you have done, fool," Halor said.
The insult startled Dacian, but he remained convinced of his innocence "If I had known how to properly play at the Bozee. If I had been instructed—"
"Silence!" Halor commanded. "Get back to the tower."
Halor narrowed his eyes at Dacian and looked down his long nose. Disappointment highlighted his anger, and he shook his head slightly before getting back on his horse.
Halor rode over to the group of Kahtepians. By now Master Darjeir had helped Bagdoa to his feet. His acolytes were gathered close, each offering an explanation for what had happened.
"Master Darjeir," Halor said. "Is your pupil well?"
Master Darjeir patted Bagdoa affectionately on the shoulder and murmured for him to be quiet. Darjeir answered that his student had been properly healed. When he said this, he glanced at Dacian with a look that bore more suspicion than gratitude.
Halor said, "Good, yet I must admonish you to keep your reckless acolytes away from my special student. You are here to observe not rouse trouble where there is none."
Ever so slightly, Darjeir bristled at the upbraiding from one of his equals, but he did not argue. He knew he should have watched his acolytes more closely around the rys. In retrospect the whole trip to Jingten was probably ill conceived.
Dacian approached the tabre. They tensed at his presence, and Bagdoa slid half a step back. Dacian regretted the fear he had accidentally inspired.
"Bagdoa, I offer my apology," Dacian said. "I should have controlled my actions better. I did not know that excitement could be such a hindrance to caution."
The honestly spoken apology softened Bagdoa's fear. "I know," he whispered. "I apologize as well."
"Enough," Halor snapped. "Go."
Hurt by the incomprehensible harshness from his master, Dacian meekly turned away from the tabre. Confused by more things than he realized, Dacian walked back to the tower with Halor glowering down at him from the back of the horse.
When they reached the white gravel lane by the tower, Dacian heard each piece of grit grinding beneath the horse's shod hooves.
"I am forced to curtail your freedom for this," Halor announced.
Dacian looked up at his master. The degree of punishment moved him to boldness. "I was only exploring new activities. I think you are overreacting, Master," he said.
Halor said, "An acolyte does not re-think his master's decision."
"I am not a rysling. I deserve my freedom," Dacian insisted, unintimidated by Halor's scowl.
The word "deserve" riled Halor, but he bit back his angry response. Calming himself, he dismounted and came around the head of his horse to speak to Dacian on an equal level. He held the bridle and petted the white horse's soft black face while he spoke. "Dacian, my most prized student, I must make sure that you regret this recklessness. To be a Nebakarz is to learn far more about your power than a normal tabre. But you must be careful. I know you learned this today," he said, once again the kindly teacher.
Dacian resisted his natural need to accept the soothing tone of his master. "Will Bagdoa be punished?" he demanded. "He hurt me as well, and I had to heal myself. They were not going to help me. I doubt if they could," he added with sudden arrogance.
Showing exasperation again, Halor told his pupil that it was Master Darjeir's place to discipline Bagdoa.
Dacian refrained from making another outburst. He remained confused by the episode and needed time to sort out his feelings. He resigned himself to losing his freedom. He expected that Halor would grow lenient with him and restore his privileges in due time.
Halor smiled once he saw that Dacian's aggressive mood had relented. Gently, Halor reaffirmed the reasoning that had always fostered Dacian's conformity. "This reprimand will pass, and news of it will not reach Daykash Breymer, at least not from me. Remember to tread carefully in these coming years, Dacian. To be the first rys to enter the Nebakarz priesthood will be a great and good thing, but it will not be an easy thing," Halor advised. "With my help, you will teach the rest of the Nufalese to respect your fellow rys. You know that you are the one to do this, but it cannot be done without patience and obedience."
Dacian hung his head and rubbed the purple scabs on his knuckles, realizing that he had not healed all of his hurts yet. "Yes, Master," he muttered. He knew that it was not right to cause trouble in a peaceful land.


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On January 2, 2014 TriWest began administering a five year contract by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for their VA Patient-Centered Community Care (VAPCCC) program that serves nearly half of the veterans eligible for care in the country.
The VAPCCC contract enhances access to health care services for veterans by making a quality provider network available close to the veteran's home. This contract ensures veterans receive coordinated, high quality care in their community when VA refers behavioral health and specialty care to the network.
Through VAPCCC, TriWest will provide access to high quality health care services through their network of providers as well as referral management, patient appointing, medical documentation tracking, coordination of admissions and discharges in community facilities, clinical quality management and claims payment. According to VA, the total value of the VAPCCC contract over a five year period is estimated at $4.3 Billion.
The geographic area includes VAPCCC Regions 3, 5 and 6, encompassing Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISNs) 9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21 and 22. The VISNs cover all or portions of 28 states, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia, as well as American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Note: Utah is not included in the VAPC3 regions at this time.
View additional information on the TriWest website.
TRICARE Inquiries
Contact UnitedHealthcare Military and Veterans Services for any of the following:

subset: commoncrawl


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Podcast: Put Your Hands Together. Episode 13. Kevin Camia (SF), Chris Garcia (SF), Chip Pope, April Richardson, Bryan Cook. Hosted by Cameron Esposito. Download Link: Here. iTunes: Here.
Tags: Put Your Hands Together kevin camia Chris Garcia Chip Pope April Richardson Bryan Cook Cameron Esposito bay area sf san francisco
Bay-Area, CA based comedy blog from Bay-Area, CA based comedian blogger. News, event reviews, room reviews, journals, highlights, videos, links, and anything else from the San Francisco/Bay-Area comedy community.
If you have any shows happening in the Bay-Area or photos or anything comedy related shoot it over to firstname.lastname@example.com
Powered by Tumblr. Minimal Theme designed by Artur Kim.


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Silence is golden in this irresistible, Oscar winning delight. Best Actor Jean Dujardin stars as George Valentin, a silent film heart-throb who takes aspiring nobody Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) under his wing. But when "the talkies" change Hollywood forever, his star dwindles while hers continues to rise. French writer-director Michel Hazanavicius, best known in his home country for the popular OSS 117 spy spoofs, strips film down to its simplest form in this international hit. With a Best Director gong for Hazanavicius and Oscars for Music, Costumes, and - voila! - Best Picture, here's black-and-white proof that actions speak louder than words.Read Review
" the most joyous burst of pure pleasure to emerge on screen in years "Francesca Steele


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The Atlanta City Council approved a ban on smoking in city parks, with fines of up to $1,000, six months in jail or community service for those who light up.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports penalties will be up to the discretion of judges. Violations will not be reported to the Georgia Crime Information Center, so that citations will not create a criminal record for teenagers or job seekers, according to a city attorney.
The measure, which bans smoking or carrying lit tobacco products in city parks, will take effect immediately after being signed by Mayor Kasim Reed, who supported it. Other backers included public health activists, representatives of downtown businesses and high school students.
The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation lists 625 municipalities that have smoke-free park laws as of July 1, 2012.


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WAUKESHA, WI (WTAQ) - The family of a 12-year-old Waukesha girl who was stabbed 19 times last month is asking people to wear something purple Tuesday, to show support for the youngster.
Purple is said to be the victim's favorite color. The girl is reportedly getting better, after two 12-year-old classmates allegedly attacked her on May 30th so they could please the fictional horror character Slender Man.
The victim's family is using the Internet to get its requests out, as it tries to stay as anonymous as it can amid the national publicity the case has attracted.
The Hearts for Healing-Wisconsin Facebook page included the request to wear purple. It also has numerous messages of support from the victim's well-wishers.
There's also a Twitter account with the Hearts for Healing hashtag. Also, the group has a page on GoFundMe which continues to take donations to help the family.
Its fundraising goal is $250,000. Almost $43,000 was raised as of Tuesday morning.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)


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My First Birthday in Heaven
Calling all the angels -
It's a special day today!
For Angel's turning One year old!
Here's what he has to say:
"Momma, please dry all your tears;
I know you miss me so.
And if it had been up to me,
I'd never have chosen to go."
"For I knew that you would miss me
And the things that we could do,
And I wish I could have stayed on Earth
And lived down there with you."
"But, Momma, now I'm well and whole;
I sing and dance all day
With all the angel boys and girls
Who've come to heaven to stay."
"Lord Jesus holds us in His arms
And tells us of His love;
He knew that we were hurting -
That's why we came above."
"I love you, Momma, every day;
I send you kisses, too.
And some day you will join me here
And I'll always be with you."
"I've got to go--the party's on!
We'll sing and dance and play.
But I am always in your heart
And never far away."
"Please find a way to celebrate,
Even if you cry;
Perhaps you'll send me some balloons
Soaring to the sky."
"And I will know they came from you,
And I'll be flying near.
I send you love and kisses, too.
I love you, Momma, dear."
Originally Written For
Baby Tanner Horner
Lorraine (28)
Michael (32)
Michael Luis 27/03/00
Benjamin Angelo 28/10/03-28/10/03


text: FASHION Fashion Galleries Topman J-R Leather Jackets: Fall 2012 Leather Jackets: Fall 2012 Topman A-I Topman A-I Billy Reid Bond Peacoat Billy Reid Bond Peacoat Men's Boots: Fall 2012 Men's Boots: Fall 2012 Coming Next OR 0 11 Back to Top ▲ Topman J-R Topman J-R AskMen Exclusive Topman.com Promotion Charlie Parrish Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Shares 15% off* jackets and coats at Topman.com (US), with the checkout code: AM15OFFJC*For a limited period only.*This promotion runs from Monday 12th to Sunday 18th November.*This promotion is available to readers in the USA only.*To redeem, simply enter the above code in the shopping cart Topman. Next Page Comments Load Comments More Like This Promoted Best of the Web Special Features


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When sifting through the national media's coverage of the Orioles this offseason, it isn't tough to notice a trend.
The pundits love Dylan Bundy, they really like Buck Showalter – but ultimately they're pretty sold that the Orioles are going to have a tough time repeating their success from 2012.
Here's a sample of what some of those national outlets have been writing about the O's in the past week.
--- Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci writes that history isn't on the Orioles' side when it comes to winning like they did last year, and he has the numbers to back it up:
Teams that make huge jumps in win totals almost always backslide. The 2012 Orioles won 24 more games than the 2011 Orioles. Over the 17 full seasons with the wild card in use (1996-2012), they became the 15th team to improve their win total by at least 22 victories. Among the previous 14 teams with a +22 jump or more, all of them had worse records the next year and none of them made the playoffs.
Verducci also points out that "The Atlantis Casino in Reno put the over/under number of wins for the Orioles this year at 76.5, the lowest number of any team in the AL East and -- gulp! -- lower than those of the Pirates, Royals and Indians."
--- Bill Madden of the New York Daily news also takes a similar view with his check-in from Orioles camp in Sarasota, writing about how Showalter is out to prove critics wrong who say team can't repeat last year's success:
They made absolutely no improvements, either by the trade route or free agency, for a team that finished ninth in the American League in runs scored.
They could never repeat, or even come close to repeating, their 29-9 record in one-run games, in which their relievers had a collective 2.12 ERA.
And they can never expect to go 16-2 (including 16 in a row) in extra-innings games again.
It got to a point where Showalter just didn't want to hear it anymore.
--- Ben Lindbergh of Baseball Prospectus takes this line of thinking a step further, writing that there probably won't be any team this season that becomes the 'next Orioles' and has a similar out-of-knowhere season (NOTE: Subscription needed to read the full article):
The Orioles and A's, as everyone knows, made the playoffs last season and won well over 90 games despite not having done either of those things for some time —15 years in Baltimore's case, and six in Oakland's. Someone, somewhere, might have predicted their success, but it wasn't at Baseball Prospectus, and it wasn't Billy Beane. It was a wonderful story, and we're wired to want more wonderful stories. So now we need new Orioles and A's. Some people started looking for them last year; others started looking last week.
But there's a catch: Teams like the 2012 Orioles and A's don't come along often.
--- ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote yesterday about how the Orioles' starting rotation is far from settled:
If someone asks you to name the candidates to fill out this team's rotation, the correct response should actually be: "Got an hour?"
His colleague Christina Kahrl takes a similar glance at the crowded pitching picture. You already know all the names involved, so no need to rehash them here.


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As we push through the garden gate of the old homestead, we are surprised at how much smaller things are than we remembered them, and how much work needs to be done. -The Hummer-
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Treasure Chest Thursday
Today, I have a new treasure chest that I love and have to watch out that it doesn't become instead a Pandora's box and overcome my senses and time. It is the internet, twitter, Google search, Ancestry,
and Family Search to name a few. Tonight, I received a treasure from The Olive Tree Genealogy . Well technically it was Twitter, Lorine had twittered a piece about finding ships lists. When I went to look, I was brought to remeberance of Stephen P Morse's One-Step-Webpages for searching the ship arrivals and lists. I love that site! It had been bookmarked on my computer that crashed (a good reason for back up [Wiggling of eyebrows and a big smile]) and I had forgotten it because my focus has not been on immigration. I have been caught up in the Mexican War. Thanks Lorine! And a great big thanks to those that have developed such a wealth on information links for genealogy.
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UNDATED (WSAU) - The local Wisconsin tradition of going out to pick strawberries may be starting a little late this year.
The unusually rainy spring has stalled the growing seasons of strawberries and blueberries across the area. Pick Your Own fields are usually up and operating at this time, but a number of area growers say they're looking at delayed starts. Growers are seeing berries getting large from all the rain, but that just aren't ripe enough yet to pick.
Lakeview Berries in Mosinee reports they'll be open for picking Monday morning according to their Facebook Page. Other area growers are shooting for an opening the first week of July.


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As far as I can tell this is the third completed review in English for the Fuji X-T1. It is ready for you to digest at Pocket Lint.
The X-T1 is available for pre-order for $1300 at Amazon and Adorama and B&H Photo with an early March 2014 release estimate.


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The official source of product insight from the Visual Studio Engineering Team
With VS 2013 Preview now available for download, we're excited to share how we've been using the feedback and data you've shared with us to drive performance improvements to Visual Studio. In this first post, we'll walk through how we're prioritizing and scheduling performance investments based on your feedback, and outline the best ways for you to provide additional feedback on performance. We'll also highlight a few product improvements available for you to try out today. Over the next few weeks, we'll follow-up with additional blog posts that walk through the details on how we've evolved our performance telemetry systems (including "PerfWatson") to make it easier for you to help us find and fix product performance issues you encounter, and we will share with you a sampling of performance gains we've made, including improvements to our C++, Web, and core IDE experiences. If you are interested in understanding how we've factored performance into our engineering plans for some of our newer experiences, there's some great content already available in Thursday's post on Windows Store XAML apps, and in a few days we'll share more about how we built the Synchronized Settings capabilities into VS 2013 Preview, keeping performance at the forefront of that experience.
As we share the work we've done, we'd especially love to hear back from you in the comments section below about your experiences with the product and the overall usefulness of these performance blog posts. We'll use this to improve the quality of the content for future blog posts.
With that out of the way – let's start by discussing where we look for feedback, and how we've been incorporating your feedback into our performance plans. You've been very clear that you'd like us to invest further in Visual Studio performance. In fact, since launching our Visual Studio UserVoice site, we received over 5,000 votes requesting that we "Improve the performance of Visual Studio" making it the 4th highest voted suggestion ever on our site (just under support for better Lambda expression debugging):
Performance also shows up as an area of particular interest in developer surveys, in Connect bugs, on twitter, in forums, in blog post comments, and most recently through VS 2013 Preview's Send a Smile feature:
We pay very close attention to feedback from all of these sources as we plan each release, and combine it with telemetry data from people who have opted into our Customer Experience Improvement Program via "Help -> Customer Feedback Options" to help us identify where we have the largest opportunity to make an impact on performance. Things that we factor into this decision when prioritizing and scheduling performance investments include:
For example, one of the top areas of feedback for the past few releases has been about improving solution load times. While we made significant improvements in VS 2012, looking at performance telemetry (summarized below), there's still opportunity to further improve this experience in a very perceptible way. (We'll discuss the work we've done to further improve this scenario in more detail in an upcoming blog post – stay tuned!)
The key thing to note here is that performance work is prioritized and scheduled based on a combination of direct feedback and actual product usage data. By choosing to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program and trying out product pre-releases like the VS 2013 Preview, you are influencing where we invest and helping us validate improvements, even if you don't have time to send us written feedback.
Sometimes, performance issues are simply bugs that may not affect a large number of users, but can be very painful or completely blocking to someone who hits an issue. We take these issues very seriously and try to publish workarounds as soon as possible. When the complexity and risk associated with fixing these issues is small, we try to schedule fixes for delivery with our VS updates (like the recent VS 2012 Update 3 release). The tools and techniques we use to discover and fix these issues are a little different than our aggregate feedback and telemetry systems. We still use systems like the "PerfWatson" system we blogged about last release to auto-detect classes of issues like UI hangs, but we augment this with bug reports filed through Connect - preferably using the Visual Studio Feedback Tool [VS 2012 Download, VS 2013 Preview Download].
While this list certainly isn't comprehensive, here is a sampling of some of the more notable of performance fixes that were published between VS 2012 RTM and VS 2012 Update 3:
When fixes are larger in scope, or are likely to break 3rd party extensions or SDKs that have already shipped on top of the current VS release, we still try to publish workarounds quickly, but may defer a fix until our next VS Release. This gives our partners the time they need to try out the fixes and report any resulting issues, and lets us better coordinate with teams who may also be doing feature work in an impacted area. In addition to the items above, the VS 2013 preview also includes targeted improvements in the following areas:
When these fixes are combined with new performance features and investments we've made across the product, we hope that you'll find the VS 2013 Preview to be notably faster than our previous releases.
I hope this post has been helpful to communicate how we think about and prioritize performance work for Visual Studio based on your feedback. If you'd like to use any of the feedback systems noted above to share your performance suggestions or issues with us, here's a few quick links to get you started:
Over the next few weeks, we'll be having members of our engineering teams come share details on specific performance features investments we've made in VS 2013 for C++ developers, Web Site developers, and to Core IDE experiences. We'll also share details on advancements we've made to our performance telemetry systems to auto-detect and report on key product scenario performance. As we do, we'd love your feedback in the comments section below about how we can make performance-related blog posts even better for you.
Nathan Halstead - Program Manager Lead – Visual Studio Fundamentals Team
Short Bio: Nathan Halstead has worked at Microsoft since 2004, and currently leads a team focused on continuous improvements to Visual Studio performance and reliability. He's an avid skier, plays in an adult recreational ice hockey league, and loves playing with new technology.
I appreciate the fact that the team is trying to pay attention to performance. My frustration is that this could have been done over the last three years and left out all of the work for a Metro UI look. I have yet to see a single vote on uservoice post the 2010 release asking for monochrome icons, all caps menus, and all of the other nonsense that has gone into the product.
More to the point regarding performance – a smiley face or a frowny face??? Really???? Developers are not kindergarten children and should not be treated as such. There are a good number of high quality developers that have the ability to both think and express themselves. From my point of view, this is even more juvenile than "clippy".
I do have to say that after using 2012 for a while and then having to work on a project in 2010, the performance improvements in 2012 were really noticeable. Glad to see this is a continued priority for 2013.
I don't know how smart it is to focus on performance -- Scott Hanselman isn't going to be happy unless you permanently bind shortcut key Shift-Ctrl-P to a Powershell script which uses SignalR to spin up a new MVC 5 project that includes support for the AJAX Toolkit and .NET 2.0 incorporating a Web Essentials front-end running Modernizr to surface an Amazon S3 interface talking to Azure Mobile Services with Twitter-based logging. It's almost certain that nobody would ever actually use such a feature, but it would make for quite a demo at BUILD 2014.
Performance? Bah!!
Sorry Scott, almost forgot ... this may be too obvious to mention but that Shift-Ctrl-P key binding also needs to involve NuGet in some way. Thanks.
Great work, sounds good! And VS2012 indeed seems to be much faster than VS2010 was (however I still dislike the new UI, even after several months of usage). Regarding performance: When are you going to fix the XML editor? It hangs VS for 30 seconds to reformat a mid-size XML file (around 1MB).
@LS - Thanks for the feedback. Regarding the smiley/frowny - is there a visual metaphor you think would be more appropriate as an icon?
@Mike - We'll let Scott know he needs to add some more complexity into his demos ;) On a more serious note, Scott's been great at sharing any feedback he receives on performance, and helping teams collect the information they need to make improvements, so our thanks if you have shared feedback with him through email, his blog, or twitter.
@Ooh - It would be helpful if you could add your votes to that suggestion on our UserVoice site, and any comments about the scenarios you are encountering in the XML editor that are still problematic. Having your comments and feedback added to that item will help us prioritize what we fix, and your votes will help influence when (or if) we invest further here. Here's the link:
"@LS - Thanks for the feedback. Regarding the smiley/frowny - is there a visual metaphor you think would be more appropriate as an icon?"
Couple of ideas: thumbs up/down or Up arrow/down arrow? Must admit, the smiley faces seem a little out of place.
Your blog contain really very useful information. Thanks a lot for sharing this information here.
@ Nathan
Don't use icons at all. They are as useful as facebook likes. That is to say, they hold no value whatsoever.
Instead, if you want feedback, allow the developer to submit meaningful, written feedback. The downside of this is that someone on the VS team would have to read the data. Even though that can be a someowhat daunting task, it will bring the VS team closer to what developers are actually thinking.
Of course, uservoice already provides this sort of feedback. The downside of uservoice is that many of the submissions probably do not provide true value to MS. Sadly, the ones that do, appear to be ingored since the issues with the most number of votes seem to be declined.
Perhaps you could enlighten us on the semantic value that the VS team believes it will derive from someone clicking an icon.
I agree with everything you said, but I think you're reading too much into this smiley icon. The point of it isn't to get serious feedback, but it's simply MS trying hard to "fit in" and be popular in this social networking craze we're in. It's interesting how these things look natural in real teenager apps, but when companies/websites that don't normally cater to this try to do it....it looks odd. That's a hint to the company trying it that they should stop.
I wish MS would stop trying to fit in; they have the ability to make awesome things, but these days they are too distracted by chasing how to have teenager-friendly software.
I don't know how you guys do it on a daily basis...I'd be embarrassed to show that user-voice screenshot when there are legitimate user-voice items with even more votes that are either: declined with no real reason, or have been left there to stagnate.
Look at this one: visualstudio.uservoice.com/.../3041773-bring-back-the-basic-setup-and-deployment-project-
...this one has over 5700 votes and was declined in classic MS style: a few generic words with no real reason.
@LS - Thanks for following up - your concern makes much more sense to me now. One thing I should have clarified in my post above is that the "send-a-smile" launches a plain-text feedback form for you to share the reasoning behind your smile/frown. We use the choice of smile/frown to help us clarify the intended tone of the feedback, which may not always be clear (especially if we translate the feedback from a language we don't natively speak on the team). There's also an option to provide an email address and indicate whether the feedback is about a bug, so we can follow-up 1:1 if needed to resolve an issue.
Our goal with this feature was to provide a low-overhead way of sharing any feedback you might have. When incoming feedback volumes are low (such as the first week or two after a release), we typically read every comment. As the volume of feedback increases, we use clustering techniques to help us categorize the feedback so we can identify trends and any hot-issues we may need to react quickly to.
Sorry for any confusion - I agree if this were a simple like/dislike mechanism, it wouldn't be very useful for soliciting performance feedback.
@StartedWithDOS - I understand your frustration with the decision not to bring back the setup and deployment project type. Unfortunately, I don't have much context on this decision, and can't really elaborate any further than what was already published to UserVoice. However, I have passed your feedback along to the team that closed out that UserVoice item so they are aware of the dissatisfaction you share wih other commenters on that item.
@ Nathan, thank you very much for the explanation. Your methodology makes quite a bit of sense. Before you explained things, I thought the VS team had taken a complete leave of their senses! :)
"fixes that were published between VS 2012 RTM and VS 2012 Update 3:
Fixed issues causing a "Please wait for a background operation to complete" dialog to show when copying code to the clipboard"
Whats the easiest way to ask the VS team to remove the perspective switcher 'feature'. I hate it that my Windows keep jumping around uncontrollably whenever I start/stop debugging. Why doesn't stuff just stay where I put it? At the very least 'leave my windows where I put them' should be an option.


text:
1. Introduction
IT Services try to extend the accounts of all students who are applying for a course in the next academic year. This enables students to continue to use their email, Remote Access and SSO accounts over the summer.
Please note that University card finish dates are not changed. Any process that relies on a physical card being current will not work after card expiry.
Don't be tempted to get round the card expiry issue by issuing a returning student with a Cardholder status card. If you do, the student's Nexus mailbox will be deleted. Instead, use College Staff or Academic Visitor status as these will preserve Nexus accounts.


text:
Nationally nearly 60% of both males and females graduate high school adequately prepared to pursue further study in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). However, females typically make up around 15% of college freshmen STEM majors. Nationally, women make up around 10% of computer science majors.
Working to increase the success of educational systems to support girls and women in STEM fields, Iowa was recently selected as one of two states to join the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity's STEM Equity Pipeline Project.
In 2005, females made up 17% of participating students in Project Lead the Way courses, Iowa's primary pre-engineering curriculum in high schools. In 2006, the number of sites where Project Lead the Way was offered expanded, but the percentage of participating females decreased to 15.1%. Women make up 57% of Iowa's college and university enrollments, and have a higher educational attainment then men. Women comprise 51% of Iowa's population.
The 2006 American Community Survey, shows the following differences between the annual salaries of men and women working full-time in Iowa in the following occupations:
Female Responsive Green
Energy Unit for middle school teachers
in Science and Engineering at University of Iowa
Program for Women in Science and Engineering at Iowa State University
of Women Engineers- East Central Iowa
and Minorities in STEM Programs at Iowa's Public University
and in the High School Program Project Lead the Way
Organizations at Iowa's Community Colleges (Vision 2020)
The National Girls Collaborative Project
Girl Scouts and STEM
Scouts and IT
in Engineering Proactive Network
Women of Wind Energy
Masters in Data Science


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Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor Englandby Thomas Penn
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
A fresh look at the endlessly fascinating Tudors—the dramatic and overlooked story of Henry VII and his founding of the Tudor Dynasty—filled with spies, plots, counterplots, and an uneasy royal succession to Henry VIII.
In 1501 England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy and civil war. Through a combination of luck and ruthlessness, Henry VII clambered to the top of the heap—a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's crown who managed to win the throne and become the first of the Tudor kings.
Although he built palaces, hosted magnificent jousts, and sent ambassadors across Europe, for many Henry VII remained a false king. But he had a crucial asset: his family—the queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. However, it would not be his favored son, Arthur, who would succeed him, but the younger Prince Henry, who was never intended to be king. Winter King portrays the transformation of the vulnerable Prince Henry into the aggressive teenager who would become Henry VIII, and of Catherine of Aragon, his future queen, as well as Henry VII—controlling, avaricious, paranoid, with Machiavellian charm and the desire for power.
Rich with incident and drama, filled with wonderfully drawn characters, Winter King is an unforgettable tale of pageantry, intrigue, the thirst for glory—and the fraught, unstable birth of Tudor England.
IN 1501, ENGLAND HAD BEEN RAVAGED FOR DECADES by conspiracy, coups, and violence. Through luck, guile, and ruthlessness, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor kings, emerged as ruler—but as a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's throne, he remained a usurper and false king to many, and his hold on power was precarious.
But Henry had a crucial asset: his queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. His marriage to Queen Elizabeth united the houses of Lancaster and York, the warring parties that had fought the bloody century-long Wars of the Roses. Now their older son, Arthur, was about to marry a Spanish princess. On a cold November day sixteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon arrived in London for a wedding that would mark a triumphal moment in Henry's reign. But Henry's plans for his son would not happen—and waiting in the wings was the impetuous younger brother, the future Henry VIII.
Rich with drama and insight, Winter King is an astonishing story of pageantry, treachery, intrigue, and incident—and the fraught, dangerous birth of Tudor England.
About the Author
Thomas Penn is editorial director at Penguin Books UK. He holds a Ph.D. in medieval history from Clare College, Cambridge University, and writes for the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, and the London Review of Books, among other publications.
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text: There's always something new to experience at Glen Ivy! Both locations feature a seasonal selection of promotions, treatments and events. Special offers available this month are listed below. For reservations please call Central Reservations at 888-GLEN IVY (888-453-6489) Monday-Friday between 7:30 am & 6:00 pm & Saturday-Sunday between 8:00 am & 4:00 pm PT. Reservations are required for all specials. There is limited availability and specials may not be combined with other offers.


text:
This heavy hitter fights the signs of aging and keeps skin refreshed, providing the benefits of 7 anti-aging therapies plus a burst of invigorating mint-extract complex to keep skin feeling refreshed. It's lightweight, oil-free, and leaves skin smooth, more even-toned, and definitely younger looking.
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• Fighting dullness for a healthy-looking radiance
The moisturizer is a dream under makeup or alone, and hydrates skin with no greasy feel or film left behind; it sinks into the skin quickly and really improves appearance. Since receiving a sample, we haven't been without it!
$22.99 at drugstore.com


text:
Glendurgan Garden
This section of the page features an image gallery, so if you're using a screen reader you may wish to jump to the main content.
Superb subtropical garden, with special interest for families
Lose yourself in the three valleys of Glendurgan Garden - full of fun, natural beauty and amazing plants.
Discover giant rhubarb plants in the jungle-like lower valley and spiky arid plants basking in the sunny upper slopes.
Wander through the garden down to the beautiful hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River: a place to watch birds and boats, skim stones and build sand-castles.
Find a boat-seat, gigantic tulip-trees and ponds teeming with wildlife. Learn about the Fox family who created this 'small peace [sic] of heaven on earth.'
For garden lovers
Don't miss our mixture of exotic plants that fill the lower valley at Glendurgan. Enjoy them at their best throughout September and spot the first signs of autumn.
For families
When Alfred and Sarah Fox began Glendurgan over 150 years ago they had the entertainment of their 12 children in mind. The maze, giant's stride swing and beach are waiting to be explored.
For walkers
Download one of our walks for the North Helford countryside around Glendurgan and explore the area taking in coastal views and historic features.
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Have fun creating some amazing wild art in the garden this autumn.
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an independent Tea Party group in DuPage County, IL
Questions? You can contact us via email:
carol at tolgraphics dot com
Call 630-830-0653
West Suburban Patriots envisions a nation where personal freedom is cherished and where all Americans are treated equally, assuring our ability to pursue the American Dream. Through civic engagement, we work to support personal freedom, economic freedom, and a debt-free future for our children and grandchildren. Our goal is to keep the American Dream alive for future generations.
ONLINE COMMUNITY: If you join this group, you will receive our email alerts and be able to share news, videos and movies. You can start a blog and communicate with other members via comments or private messages.
NOTE: A website administrator does lightly review posts to ensure that the topic is relevant to the mission of West Suburban Patriots.
The opinions expressed in items posted on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of West Suburban Patriots.
MEETINGS: Our monthly meetings are called The Patriot's Breakfast. They are held at 9-11am on the second Saturday of each month at the Wheaton Bowl.
This is your opportunity to hear first rate speakers and meet like-minded folks. Affordable breakfast food is available. We also feature a lending library, free literature and West Suburban Patriot T-shirt sales.
Please refer to the EVENTS for details about upcoming meetings and other events.
Yeah I must be in a letter writing mood this week. This time in response to a letter from the NRSC addressed by Jeb Bush (whatever), so I decided to write them back. Who knows if anyone will read it but it sure felt good to do it.
National Republican Senatorial Committee
PO box 97112
Washington DC 20090-7112
Mr. Bush (or whoever)
You have sent me a request to donate money to your committee. First of all I find it highly offensive…Continue
Posted by Jim Muratori on September 18, 2014 at 10:14pm — 2 Comments
Here is a copy of a letter I am sending to Dr. Larry Arnn President of Hillsdale College in regards to their 2014 Restore Liberty Project which will be passing out pocket Constitutions across the country.
Dear Dr. Arnn;
My name is Jim Muratori and I have enrolled in 2 of the online classes you are offering. I recently received your letter in regards to the 2014 Restore Liberty Project in which you will be sending out pocket Constitutions across the country. I…Continue
Posted by Jim Muratori on September 17, 2014 at 11:17pm — 2 Comments
Dr. Pesta's UTube presentation is worth your seeing if you do not understand the history of how Common Core came to be. It is shocking that, once again, a huge system of society: the governmental education of our children, has been hijacked by a small group of progressives WITHOUT public or legislative oversight.
Dr. Pesta tells it all! Go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si-kx5-MKSE#t=15
Posted by Ron Jaeger on September 9, 2014 at 11:28am
My name is Andrew Agnew. I'm a new member of West Suburban Patriots and new to blogging. For two and a half decades I have been a free-lance writer for non profit organizations. This is my first opportunity to share in an open forum my political perspective. I welcome free thinking comments from fellow WSP members. All others pay cash!
By way of introduction, I would like to share some…Continue
Posted by Andrew Agnew on August 27, 2014 at 10:30pm
Handed out at the DuPag County Fair, July 2014Continue
Started by jan s in Downloads from West Suburban Patriots Jul 28.
Sunday, June 1ATTENTION ALL TEAM KAIFESH CORPS VOLUNTEERSCOME AND JOIN LARRY AS HE PARTICIPATES IN The 55th Annual Rose Parade in Roselle Sunday, June 1stMeeting at Roselle Road and East Devon…Continue
Started by Carol D in Candidates May 29.
Attached is the handout that we distributed at the "Take Back Your Power" movie screening on May 27, 2014.Continue
Started by jan s in Downloads from West Suburban Patriots May 29.
Here is some info about the process that CMAP uses to inculcate itself and Agenda 21 into our communities, and thereby impact your private property rights. You may download a printable copy of the…Continue
Tags: DuPage, County, environmentalism, 21, Agenda
Started by Carol D in Agenda 21 & the green movement. Last reply by Carol D May 13.
Added by jan s
Added by jan s
Added by Carol D
Added by jan s
Added by Erin R
West Suburban Patriots is an independent group of concerned citizens. We are active in Dupage County and beyond. We spontaneously began in response to the United States government accelerating it's 100-year incremental descent into tyranny and losing sight of the fact that it serves at the will of "we the people". The principles of this movement are Fiscal Responsibility (reduce spending & lower taxes), Constitutionally Limited Government, and Free Markets.
West Suburban Patriot's mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.
West Suburban Patriots vision is to restore the United States of America to the constitutional republic as conceived and created by our Founding Fathers in the US Constitution.
Fiscal Responsibility by government honors and respects the freedom of the individual to spend the money that is the fruit of their own labor. Runaway deficit spending as we now see in Washington D.C. compels us to take action as the increasing national debt is a grave threat to our national sovereignty and the personal and economic liberty of future generations. Illinois' unfunded liabilities are equally reckless.
Video: Debt Limit - ... Fed Debt made easy (3:09 min)
Video: WI Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch... (8:04 min)
Constitutionally Limited Government: We regard the Constitution of the United States to be the supreme law of the land. We believe that it is possible to know the original intent of the government our founders set forth, and stand in support of that intent. Like the founders, we support states' rights for those powers not expressly stated in the Constitution. As the government is of the people, by the people and for the people, we support the personal liberty of the individual, within the rule of law.
Video: The American Form of Government (10:36 min)
Video: What happened to the constitution? (56:44 min)
link to The Heritage Guide to the Constitution
Free Markets: A free market is the economic consequence of personal liberty. The founders believed that personal and economic freedom were indivisible. Our current government's interference distorts the free market and inhibits the pursuit of individual and economic liberty. Therefore, we support a return to the free market principles on which this nation was founded and oppose government intervention into the operations of private business.
Video: Make Mine Freedom (9:28 min)
Video: Milton Friedman - ... the Pencil (10:00 min)
Video: Milton Friedman - Greed (2:24min)
Video: The Truth about Capitalism... (2:31 min)
Video: Thomas Sowell - Basic Economics (33:32 min)
Candidates and elected officials are welcome to attend our meetings. We will always introduce them and give them a few minutes, normally during the last half hour. We encourage candidates to stay afterwards for one-on-one discussions. details
Note: Our members' posts reflect their own opinions, and not necessarily those of West Suburban Patriots.
West Suburban Patriots is organized as a not-for-profit 501(c)(4), non-partisan, State of Illinois Certified Civic Organization. Contributions to West Suburban Patriots, Inc. are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes
© 2014 Created by Carol D. Powered by


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Dr. Matthew Cole, Dr. Jennifer Hitchcock (DBA graduate) and Dr. Jacqueline Stavros contributed their article "Bridging Research and Practice: Illustrations from Appreciative Inquiry in Doctoral Research" to the August 2014 issue of the AI Practitioner: International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry.
Dr. Anne Kohnke, Dr. Matthew Cole, and Dr. Richard Bush have published the article "Incorporating UTAUT Predictors for Understanding Home Care Patients' and Clinician's Acceptance of Healthcare Telemedicine Equipment" in the Journal of Technology Management and Innovation's second issue of its ninth volume.
Dr. Anthony Gatling (DBA graduate), Dr. Patricia Castelli and Dr. Matthew Cole recently published their article "Authentic Leadership: the Role of Self-Awareness in Promoting Coaching Effectiveness" in the journal Asia-Pacific Journal of Management Research and Innovation, Sage Publications.
The College of Management accepted the Blackboard Catalyst Award for Exemplary Course Program for its Global Strategic Management course (MBA 6073) taught by professor Michael Thibideau.
Dr. Patricia Castelli, Dr. Thomas Marx, and Dr. David Egleston have published an article in the spring 2014 issue of the Journal of Scholastic Inquiry: Business titled "Cultural Adaptation Mediates the Relationship Between Reflective Leadership and Organization Performance for Multinational Organizations."
Dr. Jacqueline Stavros published a short story in her experiences regarding Appreciative Inquiry with kindergarteners in the Taos Institute's Worldshare Book Series.
Dr. Sheryl Mitchell, a recent graduate of the Doctorate in Business Administration program, has been invited to present her thesis in a presentation entitled "Putting it to the Test of Research: Measuring the Impact of Priority Based Budgeting" at the 2014 Priority Based Budgeting Conference in Denver, Colorado, on August 6th, 2014.
Keke Gai, a DMIT student, and Dr. Annette Lerine Steenkamp have published the article "A Feasibility Study of Platform-as-a-Service Using Cloud Computing for a Global Service Industry" in the Journal of Information Systems Applied Research's seventh volume.
Dr. Michael Glovis, a recent graduate of the Doctorate in Business Administration program, Dr. Jacqueline Stavros, and Dr. Matthew Cole, have published an article in the Fall 2014 issue of the Organization Development Journal entitled "SOAR and Motivation as Mediators of the Relationship between Flow and Project Success."
Dr. Jacqueline Stavros and Matthew Cole hosted a workshop for superintendents, principals, teachers, and staff of K-12 school districts on April 29th, 2014, entitled "Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS), Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and SOAR Application in Developing Learning Organizations" at the Thomas Cooley Law School.
Dr. Patricia Castelli presented her research on reflective leadership in a presentation entitled "Reflective Leadership: An Empirical Study" at the Center for Scholastic Inquiry Conference. Proceedings sharing this title authored by Dr. Castelli, Dr. Thomas Marx, and Dr. David Egleston, has been recently published at the CSI website.
Associate Professor Patty Castelli of LTU's College of Management is the spring 2014 recipient of the Henry B. and Barbara J. Horldt Excellence in Teaching Award, which is funded by LTU alumnus Henry B. Horldt in honor of his father. Dr. Castelli's research specializes in leadership, management and organizational studies.
Dr. Thomas G. Marx published the article "Teaching Leadership and Strategy" in the Business Education Innovation Journal's December 2013 issue. Also in this issue, Volume 5 Number 2, is an article entitled "Social Media: A Viable Source for Collecting Research Data", coauthored by Dr. Marx, Dr. Patricia Castelli and Dr. David Egleston.


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MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) - Veteran all-stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett took over in the fourth period, helping Boston hold off the Milwaukee Bucks in a 96-92 victory.
It was payback for the Bucks' win 9 days before.
Pierce and Garnett combined for 16 points in the quarter, with Pierce leading the Celtics with 25. Garnett added 18.
Monta Ellis led all scorers with 32 points for the Bucks. Forward Larry Sanders had a double-double with 10 points and a dozen rebounds.
Rajon Rondo dished out 10 assists for Boston, the 30th straight game with 10 or more assists for the point guard. That's the third-longest streak of its kind in NBA history.
Boston struggled with its shooting for the first 3 periods, but started the final frame on a 10-4 run.
The game in Milwaukee was the first of four straight road games for the Celtics.


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Trips to La Brea/Fairfax
1 - 2 of 2 Results
Diner's Trip to Los Angeles
- 23 Restaurants
- 5 Activities
Many of today's food trends took root in L.A.: the devotion to local, seasonal ingredients, readily available from year-round farmers' markets. The eschewing of stiff Continental formality. (Yo... More
Guide to the Real Los Angeles
- 3 Hotels
- 3 Restaurants
- 21 Activities
In a groundswell of appreciation for historic buildings, revitalized neighborhoods, and seasoned practitioners of modest arts, the city of forever young is flouting the old clichés. More
1 - 2 of 2 Results


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Learn how to better manage your machinery investments from Greg Peterson, a.k.a. "Machinery Pete." He's been researching and analyzing machinery auction prices for more than 20 years.
The auction biz is in the blood.
I've been covering the farm machinery auction scene now for almost 24 years. I've seen tons of great auctioneers do their thing from coast to coast. Each has their own unique style. I've seen slow paced auction chants. I've seen fast paced. I've seen and heard southern drawls, northeastern accents, I've heard auction calls from the plains of Kansas back home here to Minnesota.
The one common denominator? Every auctioneer LOVES what they do.
One last distinction I've enjoyed over the years covering auctions....the age of the auctioneer. Last December (12/12/12) I dropped in on a nice farm estate auction in northern Illinois, a sale by my friend Gordon Stade with Gordon Stade Auctions. Just a pleasure to hear Gordon call a sale. Oh, did I mention...Gordon is now 80+ years old? Yep, but sharp as a tack and his sales move at a cracklin pace. Gordon is a great auctioneer.
I've run across tons of fantastic young auctioneers too, although I think I just found the youngest: 2-year old Barrett Polk of New Paris, IN. Barrett is the son of auctioneer Jeff Polk with Polk Auction Company and the grandson of legendary auctioneer Dennis Polk. I bumped into Dennis out on the auction trail 2 weeks ago and he sent me this video of 2-year old grandson Barrett grabbing the mic from dad Jeff:
Young Barrett has it down..."Going once, going twice...SOLD!" then grab and show the bidding No. Beautiful job Barrett. Just keep on watching and learning from dad Jeff and grandpa Denny. Who knows, maybe 80 years from now in the year 2093 Barrett Polk will still be calling auctions?
The auction biz...it's in the blood.


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Spotlight Article:
Experiences in an All-LED Home
As I reported in a previous article in Home Energy, this all started in August 2010, when we discovered that a rat had eaten gaping holes in the outlet hose of our dishwasher. When all the ...
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Experiences in an All-LED Home
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As I reported in a previous article in Home Energy, this all started in August 2010, when we discovered that a rat had eaten gaping holes in the outlet hose of our dishwasher. When all the ... [continue reading]
Accidentally Breaking a CFL - Is It Mayhem?
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Energy Star cracks down on deficient CFLs. [continue reading]
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Shower Customers With Energy Savings This Energy Action Month
You probably know that October is Energy Action Month, the perfect opportunity for home performance contractors to promote direct install ...


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January 29, 2014
Did you know that Northampton Community College offers dental cleanings to NCC students at no cost? You must be registered for credit classes this semester. Our dental hygiene students will be happy to schedule an appointment for you, including a cleaning, fluoride treatment, bitewing radiographs if necessary, dental health education and a screening from our staff dentist!
If you're not a current student you can still score a big deal! Dental cleanings for adults and children over five are offered for a low cost fee of $25. More comprehensive x-rays are an additional fee.
The dental hygiene clinic is located at the Fowler Family Southside Center. Please bring your NCC ID card to your appointment. Call the clinic at 610-861-5442 for more information and to request an appointment.
To review Northampton Community College's guidelines for public comments, click here


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President Obama Declared "January To Be National Slavery And Human Trafficking Prevention Month."
—USA Today
DEFINITION: "Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others." For sex, domestic or farm labor.
According to the United Nations:
• Someone becomes a victim every 30 seconds.
• Human Trafficking is the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world (after drug trade).
• Human Trafficking is modern slavery. Todays:
› It is approximated that 27 million people are currently enslaved worldwide (80% are females).
› Over half of the victims are children around the age of 13 (Every 2 minuted a child is being prepared for sexual exploitation).
› 85% of them are being traded for sex exploitation (The average victim is raped up to 30 times a day).
• The U.S is one of the top nations involved in human trafficking.
• In the U.S, it is estimated that around two hundred thousand minors are forced into sex trafficking every years (the average age of entry into prostitution is 13 y/o).
"Trafficking networks operate both domestically and trans-nationally, and although abuses disproportionally affect women and girls, the victims of this ongoing global tragedy are men, women and children of all ages."
—President Obama
• Today, there are more slave than there have ever been in the history of humanity.
–"A million it's just a statistic until you meet the one"
Visit us on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr to watch " Be Her Freedom" by The A21 Campaign.
Every Fucking month of the year should be human trafficking prevention. Fuckin retards man. Every person that violates...


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Structure your thoughts and ideas. Writer avoids settings for fonts and colors: all you can do is write. Writer Pro for iOS comes with an elegant keyboard extension that lets you navigate left and right, with direct access to punctuation. In addition, the keyboard extension contains statistics, formatting, Syntax Control, Preview, and Night Mode.
Writer Pro reduces to the essence: a pure, spartan writing experience. As soon as you type, the title bar disappears and all you see is a clean typing sheet, ready for your ideas to take shape. Use Sentence Syntax Mode to fully concentrate, one sentence at a time. Write in the dark with Night Mode. Paired with an iPad, or Full Screen mode on the Mac, Writer Pro is a writing machine.
Once your rough draft is done, switch to Edit to see your text as a reader would. Writer Pro for Mac lets you format your documents without taking your hands from the keyboard. Syntax Control dims everything but the chosen syntax, helping you to control your writing style.
With iCloud, any edits you make are instantly synced to all your devices. Built on beautiful typography, Writer Pro uses outstanding custom typefaces from the world-class type design studios Bold Monday and Klim Type Foundry.
For more on the thinking behind Writer Pro, including a detailed look at the workflow and typography, read our in-depth article on ia.net.


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Pastors United for Change and CPS parents called on leaders to lenghten Chicago Public School's school day and year at a press conference on Monday, August 8th at Benneker Elementary School on the South Side.
They hope to convince Jean-Claude Brizard, CEO of Chicago Public Schools and other leaders that the school day must be lengthened to keep children off the streets and give them an edge in a competative global economy.
"We are sick and tired of our children spending less time in the classroom and we are sick and tired of them being overlooked," said Rev. Maurice Gaiter, a pastor at Bethlehem Star Church. Chicago Public School days and years are shorter than every other major city in America, they said.
The group stressed that they are concerned both about keeping the city's children safe from crime and giving them the education they need to succeed.
"Children who are in school every day from from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. are just not going to be able to compete in the global economy," said Roosevelt Watkins, also a pastor at Bethlehem Star Church.
Brizard and Mayor Rahm Emanuel have said continuously that they plan on making the school day and year longer in Chicago. However, because of a budget shorfall they were unable to find the funding for an expansion this year. In fact, budget cuts have slashed after-school programs, making the school day even shorter for many students.
School started Monday, August 8th for thousands of CPS students who attend Track E schools, which run on a year-round schedule. However, while these schools start earlier in the year they have the same number of instructional days as regular track schools.
The leaders from Pastors United for Change also plan to deliver letters to aldermen urging them to support positive educational reforms, including lengthening the school day and year.
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Red wines that are more fruit-forward and lighter in tannin and body.
Medium bodied reds that go down easy, with smooth tannins and supple fruit.
Wines where earthy and/or spicy dominate the flavors – typically medium to full body.
Full bodied wines that have concentrated fruit and are higher in alcohol and/or tannins. Some need age.
A deceptively complex Monterey County Pinot Noir which focuses on a light and dry body style, with bright flavors of cherry and strawberry that accentuate the woody and herbacious finish.
Pessagno Winery is the culmination of a twenty-year vision of Stephen Pessagno, winemaker, to produce limited quantities of exclusive, prestigious single vineyard wines from Monterey and San Benito counties.
Established in 1999 with family and friends, Pessagno Winery is nestled in the scenic Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey county overlooking the Salinas River where cool climate...Read More About Pessagno Winery
The largest of California's wine growing regions, the Central Coast produces the majority of California's wine. The district sprawls out, covering most of the vineyard land between San Francisco and Santa Barbara. Smaller sub-AVAs of the Central Coast include Monterey Bay, Paso Robles, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains and many others. Notable Facts...Read More About Central Coast
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Not only does Pinot reign in Burgundy, it is also...Read More About Pinot Noir
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5 Huge Trades to Take Now: Must-See Charts
The exact same setup is forming in Visa (V) right now, but the payment network is closer to being buyable from here. Like BHP, Visa has been rallying hard in an uptrending channel since June, climbing more than 28% since the first trading day of that month. Now, as Visa comes down to test support for a ninth time, it makes sense to buy the bounce.
The fact that Visa has made so many bounces off of support already is a good sign. It proves that this stock can easily catch a bid at or below that trendline support level and that the rally hasn't just been a fluke. That doesn't change the fact that it's critical to wait for shares to actually bounce off of that support level before jumping onboard -- we still need to see that buyers in Visa are active before it makes sense to put real cash on this trade.
The 50-day moving average has acted as a good proxy for support over the last several months. That makes it a logical spot to place a stop below...
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