text:
This first historical fiction book in the "Viking Quest" series by Lois Walfrid Johnson is published by Moody Publishers.
Raiders From the Sea is written for kids ages 10 to 14. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
Briana O'Toole (Bree) felt that her life was going to change on her 13th birthday. What she did not realize is how drastically this change would be for herself and her whole village. Viking marauders take her and her brother, Devin, to their ship. Both children must figure out how to fight for their freedom, while still trusting that God knows what is happening and has a plan for their lives.
God's provision and faithfulness is the main theme. As Bree and Devin encounter life-changing circumstances, they are constantly reminded of God's provision. He is still there for them and wants to lead them. God leads Bree to a place of forgiveness for the Vikings who have taken her away from all that she knows and loves. Because Bree is willing to forgive, God works through her to perform a miracle for her fellow prisoners and the Vikings. This shows the Vikings how powerful the One True God is.
Devin and Bree have respect for their parents and Brother Cronan who is their teacher. Their parents are God-fearing adults who do their best to raise their children as God wants them to. Brother Cronan does his best to teach the children a love of the Scriptures. Mikkel, one of the Vikings, shows respect for his mentor, Hauk. Originally he disobeys Hauk's orders but then tries to make amends by offering Hauk a gift. Mikkel does not want Hauk to be displeased with him.
During a serious storm, Mikkel, Hauk and the rest of the Vikings call out to their god, Thor. They wonder why he is upset with them, and they offer to throw the prisoners overboard to appease him.
If your children have read this book or someone has read it to them, consider these discussion topics:
Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. A book's inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
This historical fiction book is the fifth in the "Viking Quest" series by Lois Walfrid Johnson and is published by Moody Publishers.
The Raider's Promise is written for kids ages 10 to 14. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
As Bree, Devin, Mikkel and Leif explore a new land, Mikkel is excited about starting a new chapter in his life. Under Leif and Devin's examples and teachings, Mikkel's Christian life continues to grow. Mikkel shows signs of being a good and just leader like his father when he helps to decide Hammer's punishment for attempted murder. As Devin sees Mikkel's feelings for Bree grow, he feels the need to warn him off. Devin wants Bree to have a chance to marry an Irishman not a Norseman. Mikkel promises to keep his distance, but still keeps an eye on Bree because he knows the kind of trouble she can get into. As the group returns to Greenland after their great adventure, Mikkel immediately prepares to take Devin and Bree to Ireland as he has promised. Much to their amazement, Mikkel plans not only to pay back what he has taken, but also to make full restitution. Devin and Bree are thrilled to see the change that God has worked in Mikkel's life.
The story mainly focuses on how to walk the Christian faith. Mikkel has become a Christian but needs to figure out how to live the daily life of a Christian. Devin and Bree have been Christians for a long time, but they also need to live their lives in a way that is honoring to God. Because Devin and Bree have chosen to continually forgive Mikkel, they are able to form a strong friendship with him. As God changes Mikkel, Mikkel is surprised at how his former goals hold no allure for him. Another theme that runs through the book is forgiveness. Mikkel is surprised by the forgiveness readily given to him by Brother Cronan, Bjorn and the O'Toole family.
Leif has authority over Mikkel, Devin and Bree during the voyage. Leif is a kind, just, Christian leader, who mentors Mikkel before and during the voyage. Brother Cronan, Bjorn, Aiden O'Toole and Mam O'Toole are in authority over Mikkel when he travels to Ireland. They show compassion and mercy toward the person who has changed their lives forever. Mikkel also submits to Aiden and Mam's authority when he wishes to marry Bree.
When Mikkel leaves Bree the first time, he kisses her hand. At the end of the book, Mikkel holds Bree's hand and puts his arm around her as he proposes marriage.
This book is in the "Daughters of the Faith" series by Wendy Lawton and is published by Moody Publishers.
Ransom's Mark is written for kids ages 8 to 12. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
Note: If parents pursue additional study, they will learn that the Oatmans were a Mormon family.
When Olive Oatman and her large family head West with a large party of pioneers, she longs for peace and security. But when her family splits from the group, a renegade band of Yavapai Indians massacre them, taking the surviving Olive and her younger sister, Mary Ann, with them. Treated cruelly, the sisters cling to each other and the faith taught to them by their parents. They are surprised to find their prayers answered in the unexpected figure of Topeka, a Mohave chief's daughter, who pays a ransom for them. She takes them to her people. Over time, Olive and Mary Ann regard the Mojave as family and suffer through drought and famine with them. Olive even wears the facial tattoo of the Mojave, a permanent reminder of her ransom and rescue. Failing health and malnutrition finally claim Mary Ann, and Olive's faith falters under the weight of the "Why?" she repeatedly asks God. To her surprise, Olive learns that one of her brothers not only survived the massacre but has been searching for her. The Mojave release her to her people, despite the fact that she feels like a young woman caught between two cultures. She learns that ultimately she belongs to the God who never abandoned her and paid her ransom on the Cross.
The author draws parallels to Christianity in the following ways:
The Oatmans' faith is present on nearly every page. Olive's mother is a nurturing mother and a submissive wife who values her Bible most among her possessions. Olive's father is troubled by the strange religious teachings and use of divination by the group's leader, which prompts him to separate his family from the leader. When Olive is discouraged, her mother reminds her that God is always with them, even when things are tough. Psalm 18 becomes important to Olive throughout her trials in the story. In the hours after her family is massacred, Olive has a strong sense that God is still with them and weeps at the evil that has been done.
After the massacre, Olive and Mary Ann encourage each other by remembering Scripture and God's faithfulness. They adhere to the family tradition of praying before work every morning. Together and individually, the sisters pray for someone, somehow, to rescue them from their captivity. When the Mojave, Topeka, ransom them, they learn that God put the desire in Topeka's heart to rescue the girls. Olive learns that God's answers to prayers do not always come in the form she expects.
As the Oatman sisters work their small field given to them by the Mojave, they pray over every shoot to prosper. Mary Ann senses the coming of her own death but tells Olive not to worry because she [Mary Ann] will be in heaven with the rest of the family. When Olive struggles with her own faith, she knows enough to pray for more of it. Her Mojave friend helps her learn to tap into her own faith by remembering God's provision and protection in her life. When Olive has a chance, she shares with her Mojave family about Jesus.
Lawton establishes the Christian themes of substitution and ransom early and often. Early on when Olive's brothers play Indians, Olive gives herself to be their captive in place of her younger sister. Olive explains clearly to her sister that Christ provided the original example of substituting one more valuable for the one in need of rescue. Olive also tells Mary Ann the story of Beauty and the Beast, emphasizing Beauty's willingness to take her father's place in the castle of the Beast. As a captive herself, Olive learns about being ransomed and being claimed. She understands that the tattoo she wears on her face forever marks her as a Mojave, just as her faith in Christ forever marks her person as His.
Mr. and Mrs. Oatman are fair in their parenting, and the children demonstrate love and respect for them. Mr. Brewster, the leader of the wagon train, tries to convince the others that he is a prophet, but many of the men he is leading question his authority and reliability. When Olive and Mary Ann live with the Yavapai, the authority over them is wielded with cruelty, but the Mojave leaders (tribal and family) are welcoming, encouraging and even sacrificial.
Little is explained about the Mojave beliefs, although they are called pagans, and Olive understands that they do not believe in God the same way she does. When members of the tribe die, they are wrapped and burned, although the chief allows Olive to bury her sister in the ground. Note: If parents pursue additional study, they will learn that the Oatmans were a Mormon family.
No profanity. Lawton handles the horror of the massacre appropriately for this age group. The confusion and fear Olive feels is described more than the scene itself. One of her brothers is briefly described being clubbed; one of her sisters is struck and falls on her; and after the massacre, Olive sees the bodies on the ground.
Note:If parents pursue additional study, they will learn that the Oatmans were a Mormon family.
This science fiction/fantasy suspense thriller book is the first in "The Gatekeepers" series by Anthony Horowitz and is published by Scholastic Publishing.
Raven's Gate is written for kids ages 10 and older. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
After 14-year-old Matthew Freeman helps an older boy rob an electronics warehouse and is caught, he is sent to a remote English town called Lesser Malling for foster care and rehabilitation. A strange, cold woman named Mrs. Deverill is Matt's new guardian, and the townspeople are odd. When Matt begins seeing lights and hearing chanting at night, he tries to escape the town, but every path he takes leads him in a circle, right back to Lesser Malling.
Matt discovers an abandoned power station called Omega One and realizes it is the source of the strange lights he's seen. The man guarding it (Burgess) warns him to leave town right away. Burgess gives Matt a necklace — a talisman — that will allow him to escape the confines of Lesser Malling, and he promises to explain the mysteries of the town to Matt the next day. But when Matt goes to Burgess's home, where they had agreed to meet, Matt finds Burgess's mutilated body. Burgess has left one clue scrawled in paint on the wall: Raven's Gate.
Matt seeks the help of a bored, skeptical newspaper reporter named Richard Cole in a nearby town. The reporter initially rejects Matt's story but later saves Matt from a nightmarish creatures conjured up by Mrs. Deverill and the villagers, who are modern-day witches. In their efforts to learn about Raven's Gate, Matt and Richard consult a scientist name Marsh who helped build the Omega One. He dismisses their concerns, saying that anyone could be using the old power plant now. They also visit a psychic named Miss Ashwood, who directs them to Professor Dravid, a renowned anthropologist.
Dravid meets Matt and Richard after hours at the London Natural History Museum and explains he is part of a covert group called the Nexus, which keeps the story of Raven's Gate alive. Raven's Gate, he tells them, was an ancient circle of stones pre-dating Stonehenge. Powerful, evil creatures called the Old Ones created chaos on earth until a group of five special children overthrew them, sending them into another dimension and sealing off their re-entry point with the stone circle. Somehow, Matt is one of these five children. Though the stones were destroyed, the gate still exists. As Dravid, Richard and Matt try to exit the museum, dinosaur bones come to life and battle them. Dravid dies, and Richard is nearly killed.
Mrs. Deverill captures Matt and Richard and returns them to Lesser Malling, where they are held until the witches' Black Mass celebration. The villagers place Matt in the Omega One chamber, which, with the help of Marsh, is back in working order and powered with uranium. Marsh and the witches believe that, by using a combination of witchcraft, technology and Matt's blood, they can reopen Raven's Gate and free the Old Ones, whom they worship. Matt and Richard escape, foiling the experiment. Most of the witches die, Mrs. Deverill falls into a vat of acid and an Old One gets through Raven's Gate just long enough to kill Marsh before being returned to its prison.
The Nexus arranges for Matt to stay with Richard and provides money for all of their needs until the group is ready for additional help from Matt.
The ancient writings of a Spanish clergyman led to the discovery of Raven's Gate. The Nexus has connections within all-important corridors of power, including the Christian church. A bishop who is a Nexus member tells the group that, officially, the church doesn't believe in the Old Ones anymore than it believes in demons or devils. Miss Ashwood says they should pray Matt finds the Nexus before the Old Ones are set free.
Matt's parents were killed in a car crash when he was 8. Aunt Gwenda, a half-sister of Matt's mom, only agreed to serve as Matt's guardian because of Matt's inheritance money. She whines and complains about what a burden he's been. Her live-in boyfriend, Brian, sometimes beats Matt but was careful not to leave visible bruises. Mrs. Deverill has stalked Matt for years. She doesn't allow him to leave Lesser Malling because she and her fellow witches plan to use his blood for their ceremony. Richard helps Matt and takes him into his home, primarily to get a good story he can sell to the papers.
Mrs. Deverill and the residents of Lesser Malling are all witches and warlocks. During what Matt thinks is a dream, Mrs. Deverill and other townspeople perform a ritual and give him snake's blood to drink. They frequently chant the Lord's Prayer backward and conjure up ghastly, deformed dog-like creatures from fire. While trying to rescue the Old Ones, they hang a cross upside down with a goat-horn knife underneath it. Because she has been tracking Matt, Mrs. Deverill believes that he has precognitive abilities, and Matt later admits to Richard that he had foreseen in detail the accident that killed his parents. Matt's powers once allowed him to break a glass with his mind. He harnesses them again and keeps Marsh's knife from killing him inside Omega One. Matt and Richard consult with Miss Ashwood, a psychic and spiritualist who speaks with people on the other side just like she speaks with living humans. Miss Ashwood is a Nexus member who expresses her deep sense of foreboding about the future. She says all history has been preparing itself for the return of the five special children and the battle ahead. Miss Ashwood also tells Matt she feels the power in him and has never felt such strength before. Dravid tells Matt and Richard that the witches will try to release the Old Ones on Roodmas, which begins at sundown on April 13; it is the day of Black Sabbath when dark powers are their strongest. Dravid tells them the Old Ones were the original evil, and that the Christian church's talk of Satan, Lucifer and other devils is just memories harkening back to the greatest evil. Another Nexus member, Fabian, tells Matt about a prophesy that says five children saved the world and they will do it again. As Marsh prepares to sacrifice Matt, Marsh says that blood is the most powerful form of energy on the planet, which is why it has always been used in magical rituals.
The words crap, sucks and d—n each appear once. Kelvin knifes a security guard to death in the warehouse he and Matt are robbing. Mrs. Deverill uses her powers to make a street criminal stab himself in the heart with a kitchen knife. She says she wants to be the one to slit Matt's throat. Some Lesser Malling children play a game where they lure ducks with food then kill them with BB guns. Matt visits Burgess, only to find the man has been killed in a gruesome manner as if by an animal. Richard destroys the witches' dog-like creatures by setting them on fire with gasoline. The scene where dinosaurs come to life is dark. Other gruesome, descriptive death scenes include Mrs. Deverill's farmhand falling on his sickle, Marsh being crushed by an Old One and Mrs. Deverill falling into a vat of acid.
Matt initially lives with his Aunt Gwenda and her boyfriend. Richard lived with a girlfriend until she left him for another man.
Lancashire's Children's Book of the Year, 2006; Redbridge Children's Book Award, 2006
Note: Evil: Marsh explains how he came up with his theory for rescuing the Old Ones this way: "Do you really think it's so crazy to draw parallels between the power of the nuclear bomb and the power of black magic? Do you really believe that a weapon capable of destroying cities and killing millions of people in a few seconds is so far removed from the devil's work?"
Stealing: Matt shoplifts a number of times, under Kelvin's direction. Matt searches Mrs. Deverill's room for money to steal when he prepares to escape from her custody.
Alcohol use: Steven, a juvenile crime specialist looking after Matt's welfare, drinks two miniature whiskeys on the train. Richard has a beer at his home.
This first adventure book in the "Redwall" series by Brian Jacques is published by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Group and is written for kids ages 8 to 12. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
The mice and other peaceful creatures of Redwall Abbey celebrate the Summer of the Late Rose — until an evil rat named Cluny the Scourge arrives to shatter their serenity. Cluny decides he wants Redwall for himself, and he plots with his army of vermin to destroy the current inhabitants. Matthias, a young, novice mouse, begins receiving signs from a legendary Redwall hero of ages past called Martin the Warrior. As Redwall comes under siege from Cluny's army, Matthias faces adventures and dangers in a quest to find Martin's sword. In the end, Matthias retrieves the sword, conquers Cluny and saves Redwall.
Matthias and the other mice are members of an order of monks who believe in doing good and living peacefully — but they never mention God or any "higher power" as the motivating force behind their monastic lifestyle. On one occasion they say grace, but they aren't actually praying to anyone. Martin the Warrior's sword is stolen and hoarded by an evil snake named Asmodeus; this may or may not be an allusion to the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
Abbot Mortimer and Brother Methuselah look out for Matthias and offer him direction concerning his future. Brother Methuselah reveals secrets to Matthias about Redwall's history and gives him clues to finding Martin's sword. Though both are strong believers in peace, Mortimer and Methuselah don't prevent Matthias from fighting when they come to believe he's destined to be a warrior. Cluny the Scourge treats his underlings with contempt. He assembles an army by threatening reluctant soldiers and their families, and he has no difficulty brutally injuring or killing those who disobey.
Martin the Warrior seems to reincarnate himself in Matthias. Cluny calls for a healer — a fox named Sela — to cure him with her charms, spells and magic herbs.
A few words including d--n, darn, and a-- appear in the book. Cluny the Scourge and his army perpetrate many brutally vivid, scary acts of violence. Cluny talks freely about hell and Satan, and his cruelty is punctuated by his lack of regard for life and his willingness to kill.
This high fantasy adventure book is the third book in the "The Lord of the Rings" series by J.R.R. Tolkien and was first published by Allen & Unwin, a former British publishing house.
The Return of the King is often read by kids 12 and up. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
Boundless.org, a ministry of Focus on the Family for young adults and newly married couples, has written an article that offers insight into this series: The Lord of the Rings
This coming-of-age book is the fourth in the "Becoming Beka" series by Sarah Anne Sumpolec and is published by Moody Publishers.
The Reveal is written for kids ages 13 to 18. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
Beka goes to Haiti on a missions trip to spend more time with Josh but ends up spending very little time with him. He leaves for college, and she starts her senior year. When Mr. Madison tells his girls, Beka and Lucy, that he and Gabby are going to start dating, Beka uses this opportunity to get her dad to relent and let her date Mark. Mai befriends Lucy and tells her that the only way to popularity is through sleeping with boys. Beka rescues Lucy from inappropriate situations a couple of times, but Lucy still thinks Mai is her friend. Mai wants the editor's job at the school paper, which is Beka's position. Mai threatens to reveal Beka's secret about having spent time in a psych hospital if Mai doesn't get her way. Beka's friend Lori catches her dad looking at porn and doesn't know what she should do. As Beka and Mark are dating, he tries to get too physical with Beka. She is uncomfortable with aggression. While contemplating all her problems at the beach, Beka ends up rescuing a friend, Gretchen, from committing suicide. Mai eventually reveals Beka's secret, and Mark breaks up with her. Josh and Beka exchange letters. Gabby's brother and sister-in-law come to town over the holidays and listen to Beka's song at the holiday concert. Gabby's brother likes it enough that he asks her to make a demo for his company. Mr. Madison proposes to Gabby on Christmas. Beka visits her mom's grave and understands that she is beginning to open up to love others and to let them love her.
Beka is a Christian but struggles with her day-to-day choices and doing things God's ways. Beka works on forgiving her mother and others. Beka realizes how upset she has been at her mom for dying and how she has been taking that anger out on Gabby. Beka asks for forgiveness from God and Gabby.
Beka's father consistently is portrayed as attempting to do what is right for his family. When he is confused about a situation, he chooses not to make an immediate decision but rather prays about it before he decides.
Mark says he is a Christian, but he also states that Beka is way too serious in her beliefs. He believes that he can be a Christian but still have worldly "fun."
Mark and Beka kiss throughout the book. He pushes Beka further in their physical relationship. When they finally are permitted to date, Mark tells Beka that since they are dating, they are allowed to do more than just kiss. They don't have to have sex, but they can do a lot of other stuff. Beka does not agree. When Mark and Beka go to Mai's party, there is a make-out scene between Mai and Lance. Beka also finds Lucy in a bedroom with Ethan. Nothing has happened, yet, but Lucy believes that in order to be popular, she needs to have sex. David, Lori's dad, is caught four different times watching pornographic movies on his computer. When confronted, he is angry because he does not think that pornography is a big deal.
This historical novel is the eighth book in the "Anne of Green Gables" series by L. M. Montgomery and is published by Starfire, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.
Rilla of Ingleside is written for kids ages 12 and up. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
Teen Rilla Blythe, the youngest of Anne's children, grows up during World War I. The war affects everyone in the community, and their lives revolve around news and the latest battles. Rilla saves the child of a soldier when his wife dies. She changes from a girl who dislikes children to one that loves the baby she has saved. She hopes for her brother, boyfriend Kenneth and neighbors to return unharmed from the war and wonders if Kenneth and she are actually engaged. Rilla leads a Junior Red Cross chapter in her town to provide a way for young women to assist with the war effort. Her dearest brother, Walter, dies in battle, and Rilla later receives his last letter to her. At the end of the war, friends return. When Kenneth returns, he comes to see Rilla.
Rilla, her family and the community hold firmly to the belief that God is on their side in the war that Germany began. They sing hymns and Psalms at church. Walter shares the visions he has of a piper calling him to fight. He believes God has given him the vision. When Kitchenere, England's Secretary of War, dies, Susan, the Blythe's housekeeper, declares that God was the sole one for the allies to trust. Mr. Meredith, Rilla's pastor, shares how the sacrifice and bloodshed of so many would also bring a new vision and understanding of life and faith. He talks about how the kingdom of heaven is within a person. Mr. and Mrs. Meredith struggle over Bruce's act of sacrifice. He offers up his beloved kitten, bargaining with God to keep Jem safe. His parents know the lad is too young to understand that God doesn't always answer our prayers as we hope and that we can't bargain with God.
Gilbert Blythe, her father, tells Rilla that she must take full responsibility for the baby she has rescued and brought home and not expect her mother to take over. Rilla obeys and uses the authority of a book she reads to care for the child. Mr. Meredith's words bring hope to the Blythe household.
Gertrude is considered superstitious, especially because she has dreams about the war, although they tend to be prophetic.
Their neighbor, Cousin Sophia, shares true stories about a girl who drops dead dancing and a boatload of youth who drown. Jem shares a story about a doctor who has both legs smashed in a war, yet as he died he held a bandage around a bleeding soldier and saved the man's life. When Germany declared war, Walter explains how the war would last years and they would grapple with death and millions of hearts would break. The news reports Germans bayoneting babies and soldiers gassing people. Walter shares his fear of bayoneting a man and of lying torn, mangled and thirsty on a battlefield. Jem writes home about the first soldier he saw shot and describes how rats and cooties fill their trenches. Walter writes home about a rat-spearing contest they hold. Women and children share fantasies about hurting the German Kaiser by boiling, caging or poking him. News reports tell about the sinking of the Lusitania and how babies and women drown and their bodies floated in ice-cold water. Susan, the housekeeper, entertains Rilla and Kenneth with memories of the childhood spankings that have been given and of a child who dies from swallowing his mother's medicine. Norman Douglas, a church member, shakes the town pacifist at a church meeting and calls the man derogatory names. Mr. Pryor chases away a government man with a pitchfork. Jims, the war baby, is sick and a friend heals him by holding his head over hot coals and sulfur vapors until he coughs up the membrane that was choking him. Jerry Meredith is shot in the back in battle. Mary Vance reports that her beau, Miller Douglas, is wounded and has had his leg amputated. Carl Meredith is shot in the eye and loses his vision in that eye. Jem is shot in the thigh, is captured, grows delirious with fever, is imprisoned, escapes and then is hospitalized. Susan struggles with the temptation to swear and said darn twice. Rilla watches a movie where a German soldier tries to drag away a heroine who grabs a knife and stabs the soldier. Little Bruce Meredith drowns his kitten as a sacrifice to ask God to spare Jem's life. By the end of the book, news reports that 50,000 Canadian boys have died in the war.
Ken gives Rilla her first kiss and asks her to promise not to kiss anyone else until he returns from the war.
This mystery by Michael D. Beil is the first book in "The Red Blazer Girls" series and is published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.
The Ring of Rocamadour is written for kids ages 8 to 12. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
Sophie, her best friends Margaret and Rebecca, and the new girl, Leigh Ann, are excited to don their red blazers — a sign that they're now freshmen at St. Veronica's, a school for girls. Their lives consist primarily of intensive study, baby-sitting siblings and pursuing their art and music hobbies, until an elderly woman (Ms. Harriman) enlists their help to solve a mystery. By following a series of clues involving complex math problems, puzzles and questions from literature and the Bible, the girls learn that a valuable artifact — a ring supposedly touched by St. Veronica — is buried in the church next to their school. Several individuals, including Ms. Harriman's ex-husband, her maid and a man working at the church, arouse the girls' suspicion when they seem overly curious about the case. The girls solve the case, retrieve the ring and return the jewelry to its rightful owner. In the process, Sophie learns how to better handle relationships with her friends and Raf, the boy she likes.
The girls believe Veronica (their school's namesake) is the name of a woman in the Bible, although the name itself is not mentioned. In Catholicism, Veronica wipes Jesus' face with a cloth as He carries the Cross. Supposedly, His image is imprinted on her veil, and the fabric then has divine powers. While wandering through the church, Sophie and her friends make fart jokes from the Monty Python movie The Holy Grail. Sophie says she's such a good girl that she actually embellishes her confessions to make them seem more penance-worthy. Raf teases Margaret about having a Bible in her backpack, and she quickly assures him that it's because she has religion homework. Ms. Harriman's father (who planted the clues about the ring) was a leading authority on second- and third-century Christianity. One of his clues leads the girls to Luke 23:24 and a painting depicting Pilate sentencing Christ. Sophie thinks, "Lord, forgive me," for dozing off in religion class. When the girls have a sleepover the night they retrieve the ring, they feel some force (perhaps St. Veronica) has compelled each of them to wake up in the night and put the ring on the finger of one of the other girls so that they can each wish for a miracle.
Sophie's parents work a lot and are frequently away from the house. They do attend her school play, and the family enjoys movie nights together. Mr. Eliot, the girls' English teacher, is a kind, enthusiastic man, who tries to instill a love of literature by hosting an annual skit night where students perform scenes from Dickens' novels. He helps the girls find some of the information they need to solve their case and urges them to be safe and smart while snooping around. He lies to a priest about why he and the girls are in the church. Mr. and Ms. Harriman encourage Sophie and her friends to hone their talents by introducing them to people who can help them improve their skills. When Rebecca fears she'll have to drop out of St. Veronica's because her mother has lost her job, they help her mom get another one. The priests at St. Veronica's, including Fathers Julian and Danahey, show patience and respect for the girls by allowing them to continue their investigation in the church and trusting their motives.
Mrs. Harriman suggests that her cat may be psychic, possibly the reincarnation of her great aunt. She believes karma brought her and the girls together. Margaret pretends to meditate, turning her palms up and chanting, "ohm." Sophie sees a man sneaking out of the church, and she believes it is an ominous sign. Another time, she sees artwork in the church bearing her last name (St. Pierre) and wonders if it is a good omen. The girls say on several occasions that they're going to cross their fingers for luck.
Sophie and her friends use the Lord's name in vain numerous times. They mainly use God's name in versions of Oh my ---, but readers also see phrases like Oh good ---, I wish to ---, --- knows what, etc. D---n and crap also appear frequently in their dialogue. At one point, a priest says holy crap. Less frequent uses of words such as butt, heck, gosh, jeez, bite me and fart can also be found. Rebecca blatantly swears in front of her younger siblings. The girls mock their nemesis, Mr. Winterbottom, behind his back by calling him names, such as "Winterbutt" and "Winterbooty." They also laugh about a word in one of their clues that sounds like ovaries. The girls chat with their teacher's doorman about how much they enjoy gory, "dead teenager" movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th.
Sophie recalls a time when her parents embarrassed Margaret by talking about their first sexual experiences. Raf puts his hands on Sophie's hips in an attempt to demonstrate some of the overly sexy moves kids were trying at a recent school dance. At the end of the book, Raf kisses Sophie once. The church security guard, Robert, is always reading women's magazines like Cosmopolitan and Glamour.
Booklist Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth, 2009
Note:The girls lie to their parents and other adults quite a bit. Sophie says she generally tries not to "out-and-out lie" to her mother because she doesn't feel the need, in light of her relatively good behavior. If she were going to nightclubs, getting tattoos or becoming a Wiccan, she could understand her mother being concerned.
The girls break into St. Veronica's Church and admittedly use peer pressure to get the hesitant Rebecca to join them. They also use a hairpin to open a locked door inside the church.
Several characters, such as Sophie's dad and Raf (when in sixth grade), used to smoke. Sophie's dad stops because his wife is pregnant, and Raf stops because his mother catches and threatens him. Ms. Harriman's maid (Winefred) smokes, and her partner in crime, Mr. Winterbottom, smokes so much the girls call him an ashtray with legs.
This realistic book is the second in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series by Jeff Kinney and is published by Amulet Books, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Rodrick Rules is written for kids ages 8 to 12. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
Gregory "Greg" Heffley's mother buys him a second diary, which he calls a journal. From the beginning to the end of it, Greg has a difficult time with his older brother, Rodrick, who is a bully. After Rodrick finds Greg's first journal, Greg gets it back and hides in the bathroom at his grandfather's retirement center to keep Rodrick from getting it again. Too late, Greg realizes he is in the women's bathroom. Rodrick holds this embarrassing secret over Greg and forces him to do many things because of it.
Greg spends a lot of time getting out of things. To get out of swim practice, he hides in the locker room. To get rid of the Cheese Touch, which he got at the end of the last journal and makes classmates run from him, he gives it to an unsuspecting new kid at the school. He attempts to get out of studying by sitting next to smart kids and out of book reports by writing about short stories instead of books. He is OK with copying other people's papers, but won't buy an assignment from anyone unless he is desperate. The only person he can't trick or bully is his brother Rodrick.
The one time Greg compliments his brother is when they have to rake leaves for their grandmother and are being paid per bag. Rodrick shows Greg how to only partially fill the bags so they run out of bags before the job is done and are paid for each bag. When Rodrick throws a party because their parents are gone for the weekend, he locks Greg in the basement for the duration but then makes Greg help him clean after it is over. The next time their parents leave town, the boys have to stay with their grandfather.
Because Greg won't videotape Rodrick's band at the talent show, Rodrick tells everyone about Greg's embarrassing secret. Instead of being teased and humiliated at school, guys treat him well, and he is suddenly popular. The original story that Rodrick told was placed in the women's bathroom in a retirement home but as one person tells another, the place becomes the bathroom in the high school girls' locker room.
In the end, Greg realizes that Rodrick isn't nice to him, but Greg doesn't want his brother to fail science because he didn't turn in a science project; therefore, Greg does the project for him.
When Rodrick gives Greg a ride home in his van, Greg is tossed around the back of it because he has to sit with Rodrick's band instruments. Greg prays that the instruments don't hit him in the head, but in this use, it really refers to "hoping" versus a prayer to God. There is mention that the family goes to church. Greg forgives Rowley for ratting on him when a situation turns to Greg's advantage after the truth is told.
Greg's father forces him to join the swim team, which Greg hates. His father doesn't like when Rowley comes over because he thinks Rowley is clumsy and doesn't want him destroying his miniature Civil War battlefield in the basement. His father sneaks out of watching romantic movies with his wife so he can work on his battlefield. His father goes to the mall on Saturdays and takes Greg with him, not to spend time together, but to get away from the noise that Rodrick's band makes at the house. Instead of telling teens to leave his property, he puts on classical music via a boom box, and soon they all leave. Their father can't stand the idea of Rodrick not writing a good paper for school, so he rewrites and types all of Rodrick's papers. When Greg needs a middle school paper completed, his father tells him to do it himself. When his father can't stand the relatives in his house on Thanksgiving, he turns up the thermostat, and they eventually leave.
For swim practice, Greg's mother makes Greg wear skimpy racing trunks that used to belong to Rodrick. Everyone else wears swim trunks, and Greg is teased for wearing the racing trunks. His mother does not forget his "screwups" and reminds him of them. She writes a parenting column for a local newspaper and discusses Greg's failures and problems, using his name. Greg thinks this is one way she gets back at him. He blames the reason he lies on his mother. When he was young, she deceived him by pretending to call the dentist and ask about dentures because Greg refused to brush his teeth. This lie made him brush his teeth.
Because Greg has promised his mother to be honest, he goes around being rude to others (honest from his perspective). When his rudeness hurts his mother, she no longer requires him to keep his promise not to lie. His mother went with Greg to Leland's house to watch Leland (a neighborhood baby sitter), Rowley and Greg play Magick and Monsters. In the game, she keeps Greg from buying Meade and doesn't support his killing of so many monsters. Still, she encourages Greg and Rodrick to play the game together.
Greg's grandmother shows favoritism toward Manny, Greg's younger bother, and his grandfather shows favoritism toward Greg.
Greg writes a paper that includes the evolution of people versus the evolution of a moose. He also illustrates the evolution. People get arms, and the moose get horns that are worthless in Greg's opinion.
Mild words, such as jerk, sissy, dumb, geek, stupid, and freaked out, are used in a derogatory way.
After Greg calls Rodrick a jerk for making him sit in the back of the van, they get into a fight on the front lawn. Their mother makes them draw a picture of what they did wrong so they won't do it again. Rodrick draws a picture of pushing Greg over a cliff to a waiting shark.
Greg is relieved that Rowley, his best friend, sits on the tin-foil ball with toothpicks sticking out of it that Greg's younger brother made for Greg. Greg's mother wouldn't let him throw it away, and he was afraid he might sit on it himself some day. He does not empathize with Rowley's pain.
Greg slugs Rowley for suggesting that they could be "diary twins" after Rowley buys a journal. Greg justifies treating other boys at his school poorly because he isn't big or tall and doesn't have many victims from which to choose.
Greg's male classmates see him as a hero because of the rumor that he not only gained access to the high school girls' locker room, but also was there for some time. In actuality, he accidentally entered the women's restroom in his grandfather's retirement center.
This play by William Shakespeare is published by Signet Classic, Penguin Group and is written for adults but is sometimes studied by high school classes.
An early fight scene introduces readers to the Capulet and Montague families and their long-standing feud. Romeo, son of Lord Montague, believes he's in love with a girl named Rosaline until he and Juliet (a Capulet) lock eyes at a party and determine they must be together. The lovers marry in secret, with the help of Juliet's nurse and Friar Lawrence — but all hope for their happiness seems lost when Romeo is banished for killing Juliet's cousin, Tybalt. Juliet, who is being forced by her father to marry Paris, drinks a concoction that will put her in a coma so she appears dead. She's entombed and Friar Lawrence promises to let Romeo know of the plot so he can come wake her. The plan goes awry and Romeo, thinking Juliet is really dead, kills himself in her presence. She wakes to find him lifeless and stabs herself with his dagger.
Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet and plots to help them stay together. While his actions may seem well-intentioned, his scheming, deception and knowledge of mystical elements (such as the sleeping potion Juliet drinks) render him a holy man of questionable character.
Lord and Lady Capulet push for Juliet's marriage to Paris, believing it is in her best interest. Lord Capulet's temper flares when Juliet protests. Juliet's nurse essentially raises her, even breastfeeding her as an infant. She serves as Juliet's confidante and messenger, helping the lovers execute their secret romantic schemes and putting Juliet's happiness above her loyalty to her employers. Romeo's parents demonstrate concern about his depression, and his mother dies of grief when he's banished from Verona. Prince Escalus demands peace in Verona at all costs.
Even the earliest lines of the play, which state that Romeo and Juliet are "star-crossed lovers," indicate that cosmic destiny, not God, will guide the actions in this story. The tragic events that follow, culminating in the death of the young lovers, are attributed to fate. "Love" itself becomes a religion for Romeo and Juliet: Their passion causes them to reject nearly all of the people, values and laws they once held dear. After they first meet, Juliet even refers to Romeo as "the god of my idolatry."
God's name is used in vain several times. The bulk of the profanity in this play appears in the off-color innuendos and double-entendres for which Shakespeare is famous. Mercutio and other minor characters often jest about sex and the intimate parts of male and female anatomy. As far as violence, there is swordplay, and the main characters' suicides are emphasized.
Romeo and Juliet kiss. The first time is on the night they meet. A few days later (though no explicit detail appears in the script) they consummate their marriage. Veiled sexual humor appears throughout.
This fantasy adventure is the first book in the "Ranger's Apprentice" series by John Flanagan and is published by Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.
The Ruins of Gorlan is written for kids ages 12 and up. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
On "Choosing Day" in Redmont Fief, 15-year-old Will feels anxious. It's the day he and his four friends, all orphaned wards of the generous Baron Arald, will be selected by local Craftmasters to learn a trade. Each of Will's companions already has an aptitude for his or her career of choice. But Will, who wants to go to Battleschool because he's been told his father was a brave warrior, is too small to be selected. A Ranger named Holt offers to take Will as his apprentice. Will is apprehensive; he's heard the superstitious villagers suggest that the Rangers, a secretive group that guards the kingdom, are black magicians. Will goes to live with Holt and begins to enjoy his training with the somber but kind man. He learns the weapons, tools and tactics of Rangers, which involve more skill and stealth and less brute strength than typical warriors use.
Meanwhile, Will's friend Horace, who was chosen for Battleschool, demonstrates unique skill that gains the attention of his commander, Sir Rodney. But Horace is miserable. He struggles at the hands of three older bullies who pick on him mercilessly. His frustration with life causes him to behave rudely toward Will and the other orphans when they reunite for a holiday.
When Holt learns about a large wild boar causing the locals trouble, he enlists the help of Baron Arald and Sir Rodney to kill it. Sir Rodney invites Horace along. During the intense hunt, a second boar attacks. Will saves Horace's life. Townspeople talk about Will's victory, but the Battleschool bullies taunt and beat on Horace all the more for allowing a Ranger to make a fool of him. When the bullies decide to go to Will's home and teach him a lesson, Holt turns the tables and makes the bullies fight Horace one-on-one. The bullies are defeated.
Will and Holt attend a Ranger Gathering, where they meet up with Holt's former apprentice, Gilan. The Rangers learn that Morgarath, an evil Baron who seeks to overthrow the kingdom, is preparing for battle. His armies include two types of vicious creatures: Wargals and the even more evil bear-like assassins, the Kalkara, who can paralyze their prey by looking in its eyes. Holt, Gilan and Will hunt for the Kalkara in a distant area called the Solitary Plain while the other Rangers prepare for war. When they determine the Kalkara may be after the king, Holt sends Will to Redmont Fief to enlist Baron Arald and Sir Rodney as reinforcements. The Baron, Sir Rodney and Will arrive just in time to help Holt battle two Kalkara, ultimately destroying both with fire.
Will becomes a hero, and Baron Arald honors him at a public ceremony. The Baron offers Will the chance to attend Battleschool, but Will chooses to remain a Ranger. He learns that part of the reason Holt recruited him was that Will's father once saved Holt's life.
Baron Arald, Lord of Redmont Fief, is a generous and compassionate man who makes sure orphaned children are raised and given proper care. Holt, though not demonstratively warm with Will, treats the boy with respect and kindness. He patiently trains him in the ways of the Rangers, stressing virtues such as honesty and teamwork. Sir Rodney, who leads the Battleschool, recognizes Horace's special talents. He encourages Horace to improve, yet doesn't reveal the full scope of Horace's potential to him so the boy won't become conceited. All of these men are upstanding and protective of the young men under their supervision.
Superstitious villagers believe the Rangers practice a black magic that makes them invisible to normal people. In reality, the Rangers are just trained to conceal themselves well. Will thinks it's bad luck that he hasn't had long to train before a huge confrontation takes place. The Kalkara have hypnotic powers that allow them to control the minds of their enemies. Morgarath controls the Wargals with his mental orders.
The words d--n, h--- and the Lord's name taken in vain each appear a time or two. Several violent and mildly gory images are presented, including a wild boar hunt, a fight between Horace and bullies from his school and attacks on the Rangers by the nightmarish Kalkara creatures.
Will's old schoolmate, Alyss, gives him a brief kiss and tells him she's proud of him.
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award, 2008; Great Stone Face Children's Book Award, 2006-2007
Alcohol: Two of the Battleschool leaders drink a jug of beer together.


text:
Shop right here online, and we'll send your purchases direct to your door for free.
Keep up with our latest deals, special offers and more by signing up for our email newsletter.
Watch our wall for the latest deals, new store openings, event highlights and more.
Follow us @MicrosoftStore for deals, news, new store openings and other fun topics.
Unfortunately this Microsoft Specialty Store has closed. The good news is you can click below to find our other store locations.
Like us on facebook and let us know where we should open our next store.
Getting ready to print...
No stores were found based on your search criteria.
To try again, please enter a different state or zip code or
See all locations.
Whoops, seems we've run into an error.
Please check the information you provided. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Straight leg. A classic straight leg style that merges traditional fit with everyday versatility. Constructed from exquisitely soft Italian-made sateen, this steely grey 5-pocket design injects the day-to-day wardrobe with a suave sensibility. Finished with tonal stitching, zip fly, and button closure.
FINAL SALE - cannot be returned or exchanged. No price adjustments.
only left in this size


text:
Can You Solve This Equation: WLST = GVICS?
Jack Hoffman, a 7-year-old YouTube star, will throw Saturday's first pitch.
World's Largest Softball Tailgate
By Randy York
The N-Sider has its fair share of inquiring minds and Husker loyalists, but I'm betting few, if any, can translate this: WLST = GVICS. Give up? Here's your answer: World's Largest Softball Tailgate = Greatest Value In College Sports! How do I know? Nebraska Athletic Marketing tells me so. Honestly, those hard-working marketers can back up facts with specific truths that should be self-evident for any family smart enough to follow the Huskers to Bowlin Stadium on Saturday. It's more important to bring a song in your heart than cash in your pocket. No. 16 Nebraska hosts No. 9 Michigan, which brings a nation-leading 22-game winning streak to Lincoln. Where else can a fan see a matchup like that for absolutely nothing? Yes, admission to the game is free Saturday, but not on Friday or on Sunday. The tailgate will run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with first pitch at 1 p.m.
But wait. There's more to help make Saturday a day of fun and opportunity. Hot dogs, chips and Pepsi are also free, while supplies last. Get there early so you can see one of the year's biggest littlest national heroes – 7-year-old Jack Hoffman, who will throw the ceremonial first pitch after joining some Husker softball and football players in the autograph zone beginning about 11:40 a.m. Little Jack inspires many Nebraskans, including the Husker softball team, so the team invited Jack and the Hoffman family to be a part of this big day to show support for Jack's brave fight and for increasing awareness of the disease itself.
Talk about timing. Jack's name was discussed on the U.S. Senate Floor Thursday afternoon when Deb Fischer (R-Neb) emotionally introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate Sept. 26, 2013, as National Pediatric Brain Cancer Day. A friend of the Hoffman family, Fischer introduced the unanimously approved legislation in honor of Jack, an iconic 7-year-old with brain cancer. His 69-yard Spring Game touchdown 19 days ago has more than 7.7 million video views.
The autograph zone will be open for two hours beginning at 10:20 a.m. and will feature members of Nebraska's NCAA Sweet 16 women's basketball team, the Huskers' NCAA national champion women's bowling team, plus the Nebraska soccer, volleyball, rifle, men's basketball, football and softball teams, with each team taking turns signing for short periods of time. Fans will have the opportunity to check out the Husker Helicopter and the Nebraska Football Equipment Truck. They also will be able to take their photo with the Big Ten Softball Trophy. Door prizes that will be given away include day camps with some of our Husker coaches and gift cards from First National Bank. There also will be inflatable fun, balloon artists, face painters and more. Saturday is, after all, the World's Largest Softball Tailgate. Put everything together and you have an AFE …an Absolutely Free Experience, turning the WLST into the GVICS … Greatest Value In College Sports. Who knows? Saturday's game may even become a true NUSWOYW … National Upset Special Without Opening Your Wallet.
Softball/Twitter Softball/Facebook
Send a comment to firstname.lastname@example.com (Include town/city, state)
Follow Randy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RandyYorkNsider
Randy's N-Sider Column Archive


text:
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 Products
Model: K3 |
Catalog #: 55040956
The Motorola K3 DECT 6.0 handset works with Motorola K301, K302, K303, K304 and K305 phone systems.
Model: K301 |
Catalog #: 55040957
The Motorola K301 is a DECT 6.0 cordless phone made specifically for people with special hearing and...
See the Full Product Details
Online prices and product selection may vary from our retail stores. All prices and offers are subject to change. Copyright RadioShack Corporation 2014. All rights reserved.


text:
Could you be both at the same time, realist and romantic? A dreamer who didn't believe in dreams?
—Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells (via had-h0pe-amy)
I posted this three times tonight and had three people tell me that I helped save their life. Thank you to those people who have decided to struggle through to let us enjoy the gift of one more day of their prescence gracing us all. I hope that you all reblog this, to save another few. Because we all dserve another chance and hope in life. I went to the hospital 6 times before I decided to keep my life but I hope none of you suffer that much. And I hope you all can make that scary, seemingly painful, blind, hoping, wonderful step to live.
I want to help you in any way I can. ANYTHING. I mean it. If I had had someone stay with me and text me or talk to me all night, just one time, it would have changed my life. I know how hard those nights can be.
^I love this girl more than words can express.
foundmywaywheniwaslost: I am always here if anyone ever needs to talk/vent. You have a purpose, Please Stay Alive. <3
Not just for tonight but for the rest of your life. You have so much to look forward to in the future that if you choose to kill yourself, it will be the biggest mistake of your life. You're going to miss out on people you'll never be able to meet, kids you'll never have, a partner to love or partys to go to. There's just too much that you'll miss out on. You deserve and have the right to be here as much as the person next to you does. You're just a drop in the ocean. You were meant to be here and you have a purpose. Don't ever forget that. And if you feel like you don't, just believe in yourself because you do. If you ever feel worthless or like shit, know that I love you and those dicks that tell you shit are jealous that you're who you are because there's something about you that they wish they could have. Please stay strong and never give up because things DO GET BETTER.
3rd time I reblog this xx
Keep your self awake, I hope your here to stay. This day is not yet over, let me be your four leaf clover.
Reblogged it and queued it so it'll post tomorrow too. And the next day and the next so I hope I can save someone. We all love you.
someone messaged me this morning saying it helped and thanked me, so im reblogging this again, and queuing it. stay strong guys.
I reblog this whenever I see it. If you don't reblog it, unfollow me right now. If you don't care enough to put this simple picture on your blog, I'm judging you.
The very first time that I reblogged this, I had someone message me the next day saying that because of me, they didn't kill themself. From then on whenever I see anything like this on Tumblr it's an instant reblog for me. After receiving that message it just changed something in me. Whenever anyone I see on my dash is having thoughts of self-harm or even suicide, I automatically go to their page and offer them even just an ear to listen. Nearly all of them I receive messages back from saying that they are grateful, and they end up sharing their story with me, and in return I give them advice as best I can. Several of them have said that their lives have gotten much better because they opened up and sought out help.
Out of those people, I'd say at least 5 have even gone so far as to say that they didn't kill themself because of me. That is, I kid you not, the best feeling in the world.
I needed this reminder.
(Source: pleasestopbeingsad, via rage-and-love-story-of-my-life)
shout out to people who have seen you naked but you can still have regular conversations with
shout out to people who can have regular conversations with you naked.
shout out to being naked
(via daisymerollinjoints)
(Source: staypozitive, via staypozitive)
I have lost and loved and won and cried myself to the person I am today.
—Charlotte Eriksson, Empty Roads & Broken Bottles; in search for The Great Perhaps (via stevenbong)
(Source: wordsnquotes, via epic-trip)


text:
Mercedes-Benz 420SEL Catalytic Converter Parts
Back to Exhaust parts
"Fast shipping and well packaged. Even came with some cool bracelets with their company name."- ggartleyReview Us
OEM, Genuine & Aftermarket parts for BMW, Volvo, Audi, VW & more.
OEM, Genuine & Aftermarket parts for Toyota, Honda, Subaru & more.
We have ASE certified technicians available to help answer questions.


text:
The BMC Racing Team put in a good showing Friday in the 95th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen in Koolskamp, Belgium. Alexander Kristoff took 7th place in the sprint.
"Working as a team"
Over the 15 rounds and 182.6 kilometers in West Flanders, a quartet of riders quickly formed that led the rest of the pack by up to two minutes. Mauro Santambrogio and Steve Morabito of the BMC Racing Team set the pace behind. Around 40 kilometers from the finish line, the gap had narrowed to 30 seconds. Martin Kohler describes: "There were many attacks. Then I set off with eight riders, but we were overtaken. Cadel also tried his luck in a group." By the last round, the field was complete again. Australian Leigh Howard (HTC Columbia) won the mass sprint. "We worked very well as a team," Martin Kohler concluded at the finish.


text:
"Krups Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines, Grinders and Gold Tone Filters ; Passion, precision, perfection…"
Krups has become a household name synonymous with sleek designs, high quality and functional small appliances. Krups started a coffee revolution in the 1950's by introducing the world's first electric coffee grinder for the home. Launching their first coffee maker in 1961 and their first espresso machine in 1983, every Krups coffee product is backed with decades of experience and expertise that have made Krups a name you can trust.
- 1 - 1 of 1
- We Price Match!
Rating: Read Reviews
With steel flat plate burrs, the Krups GVX 1 Burr Grinder provides the availability to grind at many different levels of fineness. A knob on the side of the grinder allows you to easily adjust between 17 grind settings suitable for everything from drip coffee makers to pressurized style espresso machines. After placing up to 8 oz of beans in the hopper, simply use the dial on the front of the grinder to select the number of cups you want to brew and press the on/off button directly above it to...
- 1 - 1 of 1
- We Price Match!


text:
Karsten Kroon launched the successful attack of many by the BMC Racing Team Saturday at Paris-Nice. His reward was 120 kilometers of riding through strong winds and rain before being caught with 13 km to go.
Two-Man Breakaway
"I felt good today. I was even attacking 10 meters before kilometer zero," Kroon said. "At about kilometer 80, I did a little attack at a roundabout and was gone, but it was a bit of a shame only one guy joined me." Kroon and Eric Barthou (Bretagne-Schuller) built a nearly seven-minute lead before the Dutchman ventured on alone with 30 km to go. Rémy Di Gregorio (Astana) soloed to win the stage and Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) keep the lead. BMC Racing Team's Yannick Eijssen abandoned due to illness.


text:
Patterson Police Services is teaming up with nearly 40 agencies between Friday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 9 to curb drivers from using hand-held cell phone and texting while driving.
"Talking or texting on a cell phone while driving on the streets of Patterson is dangerous to everyone on the roadways, and officers will be out looking and ticketing with zero tolerance," Patterson Traffic Deputy Robert Banks stated in a Friday, Nov. 30 release.
Local police will receive assistance from the state Office of Traffic Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, California Highway Patrol and 36 other law enforcement agencies across Northern California. The federally funded pilot program aims to test tactics that may be employed nationally in the future. The news release that Sgt. Paul Yotsuya produced Friday did not specify what tactics are being used.
In 2010, 3,092 people were killed nationally, and an estimated 416,000 others were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.
First-time tickets will cost a minimum of $159, with a second offense costing at least $279. The goal of the special enforcement operation is not to issue tickets but to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, according to the release
Patterson Police urge drivers to:
• Turn off your phone and/or put it out of reach,
• include in your outgoing message you can't answer while you are driving,
• and don't call or text anyone at a time when you think they may be driving.
For more information on distracted driving: www.distraction.gov/sacramentoregion .
• Contact the Irrigator at 892-6187 or email@example.com.


text: Riding The Tiger "I discovered that being a President is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep on riding or be swallowed." Harry S. Truman Posted November 14, 2012 By Lynn Sanders, Carah Ong and Adam Hughes What's Up with White Women in 2012? Nothing new! White American Presidential Vote Choice. Graph by Adam Hughes. Gender has been in the news a lot this week, since women seemed to be vital to President Obama's reelection. Maybe they were, but the white ones? Not so much, John Cassidy noticed in a New Yorker blog post the Friday after the election. Challenging the much-hyped gender gap, Cassidy wondered "What's up with White Women"? They've headed the "wrong way," he claimed: in the Republican direction, causing what Cassidy called a "reverse gender gap" with white women preferring Romney to Obama by 14 points in 2012 (56% to 42%). What's more, wrong-way white women chose McCain (53%) over Obama (46%) last time around, while 55% of white women picked George W. Bush over John Kerry in 2004. So what's up? A little bit of history would've taken the punch out of Cassidy's line of reasoning. What's up with white women? Absolutely nothing. White women have not reversed or changed course. In 2012 and the two elections before that, white women voted about the same way they've been voting since the 1970s: almost always for the Republican Presidential candidate. Surprise that white women are doing what they've always done stems from distorting media spin on findings by polling organizations, such as Gallup, which suggests that women's concern for women's issues drives them towards the Democratic Party. Yet as political scientists have shown, the gender gap – that is the difference between women's aggregate vote preferences compared to men's – is explained best by differences in how the sexes see the size and role of government. Further, political scientists have shown that the gap opened up around 1980, when white men headed for the GOP, not when white women abandoned it for the Democratic Party. Way back in 1991, the venerable political scientist Warren Miller (gated article) cited work published even earlier, by his younger colleague Dan Wirls (gated article) in 1986, to wit: "the appearance of the gender gap in the Reagan years was not as much a function of a liberal, pro-Democratic growth in the partisan sentiment of women as a function of the sharply conservative pro-Republican move among men." What Wirls said in 1986 and Miller broadcast in political science's flagship journal, the American Political Science Review, in 1991 should have become conventional wisdom, but it didn't. So we repeat the (still not yet conventional) wisdom here. Using data from recent exit polls, NES data and other data, our colleague Adam Hughes created the graph pictured with this post to demonstrate the history of the gender gap. Like all polling data, these data are estimates of real votes (that of course are not recorded according to gender or any other personal attribute) to give us a sketch of the vote choices individuals make on Election Day. The graph shows how, for a long time, white women have reliably voted more Republican than Democratic, though less dependably so than their white male counterparts. The graph also shows that the only year in which white women are more Democratic than Republican in their Presidential vote choice is 1996, which also happens to be the only year in which there is a large, unequivocal gender gap in the sense that more white women voted Democratic than Republican and more white men voted Republican than Democratic. Read more → Media and The Press Polls Tweet


text:
HOME MLB Milwaukee Brewers Gear Milwaukee Brewers Mens Milwaukee Brewers Mens Sweatshirts & Fleece (29 items) Product ID: 1074238
Main Content
Established as a force to be reckoned with, the Brewers continue to be triumphant against their opponents. Now it is your turn to demonstrate that you are a dedicated Milwaukee fan. With the Proven Winner fleece hoodie, you'll be able to display your team pride in style. This full zip sweatshirt features a sewn-on team wordmark patch, along with distressed fabric and printed team graphics to show it takes hard work to be part of the Brewers.
- 51% Cotton/49% Polyester
- Distressed screen print graphics and fabric
- Fleece lining
- Full zip
- Hood with no drawstring
- Metal drawstring holes
- Officially licensed MLB product
- Rib-knit cuffs and waist
- Sewn-on patch
- Two front pockets
- Woven brand tag on pocket
Brewers Customers also liked:
Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


text:
Aloha Guys and Gals,
I have a dual cam 2000 jaguar with Z cams and am wondering if I should be useing a lube on the cams?? As I draw the bow makes a creeking sound wich is weird.
Any knowledge and ideas would be greeat. Thanks all a ton.
( I think its time to register)


text:
Cart (0) Account Newsletter Contact
866-539-4278866-539-4278 - Shipping - Returns
To make room on the shelves for new puzzles, many manufactures discontinued items each year as they release new ones. We call these End of Life items. Most of the puzzles you see here will not be in stock again - so get them before they're gone forever!
Use the filters to the left or simply scroll down to begin viewing all pages.
Free shipping and flat rate offers for US only but excludes HI and AK.
Need to return or exchange a puzzle? It's easy. Simply call us at 866-539-4278 or email firstname.lastname@example.com to request a Return Authorization Number, and we will send you a prepaid return label for the item.
Please note:
Copyright © 2014, Puzzle Warehouse, All rights reserved. St. Louis Jigsaw Puzzles
Puzzle Warehouse recycles everything it can to save the environment and to keep costs and prices low.


text:
Appointments still open for free mammogram
The local chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,Inc. and Novant Health Breast Center announces that appointment slots are still available for free mammogram screenings for women without health insurance. To make an appointment, call 704-640-0087. The deadline date for making an appointment is Sept. 6,
Women with Medicare, Medicaid and health Insurance can also make an appointment.
The mammogram screening is Sept. 14 at First Calvary Baptist Church, 200 S. Long St., Salisbury, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.


text:
Yes I know we are all thinking, "2016 already?" But yes, 2016 already. Senator Rand Paul is interested in a run for the White House when President Obama makes his exit in four years.
Rand Paul, a pro-life member of the U.S. Senate from Kentucky who is the son of former presidential candidate Ron Paul, says he is potentially interested in seeking the Republican nomination in 2016.
"That's classified," Paul told ABC's Jonathan Karl when asked if he intended to run. "Am I interested and thinking about that? Yes."
"I'm not...


text:
News from WTOP
News from the AP
Mike Causey
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
- The 2014 Big Picture on Cyber Security
- AFCEA Answers
- American Readiness: Renewable Power and Efficiency Technologies
- Ask the CIO
- Building the Hybrid Cloud
- CDWG/NetApp
- Connected Government: How to Build and Procure Network Services for the Future
- Continuing Diagnostics and Mitigation: Discussion of Progress and Next Steps
- Delivering the Digital Government Mission
- Federal Executive Forum
- Federal News Radio's National Cyber Security Awareness Month Special Panel Discussion
- Federal Tech Talk
- The Future of Government Data Centers
- The Future of IT: How CIOs Can Enable the Service-Oriented Enterprise
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- The Intersection: Where Technology Meets Transformation
- Maximizing ROI Through Data Center Consolidation
- Mitigating Insider Threats in Virtual & Cloud Environments
- Modern Mission Critical Series
- The New Generation of Database
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
- Targeting Advanced Threats: Proven Methods from Detection through Remediation
- Transformative Technology: Desktop Virtualization in Government
- The Truth About IT Opex and Software Defined Networking
- Air Traffic Management Transformation Report
- Cloud First Report
- General Dynamics IT Enterprise Center
- Gov Cloud Minute
- Government in Technology Series
- Homeland Security Cybersecurity Market Report
- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- Technology Insights
- The Cyber Security Report
- The Next Generation Cyber Security Experts
Shows & Panels
Search Result
Search Tags: Student Training and Academic Recruitment
Agencies, colleges share top recruiting tips in tight budget times
Tighter budgets are impacting agencies' ability to recruit new employees, according to the results of an exclusive Federal News Radio survey. But while budget dollars may be dwindling, agencies still need new hires to fill vacancies caused by retirements and others leaving civil service. Federal recruiters and college advisers say there are certain cost-effective and innovative techniques that work better than others when it comes to finding the next generation of federal employees.
Tags: recruitment , DoD , DHS , OPM , Pathways Program , Tim McManus , Partnership for Public Service , Jennifer Carignan , American University , Christine Cruzvergara , George Mason University , Tara Duprey , Georgetown University , National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terroris , Sara Fishering , University of Maryland , Carin Otero , Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Servic , Sheila Reid Dent , Michael OConnell , workforce , hiring , CHCO , exclusive


text:
Product Description
Pre-made covers include customization of title, sub-title, and author text, including a font change if desired. Each cover is exclusive and will be marked as "sold" once purchased. All covers have been created at a high resolution and are best suited for ebooks. Price does not include graphic changes or image manipulation. If you would like to purchase a pre-made cover, but need a few minor graphic changes, please Contact Us with your project details for a more specific price quote.


text:
Please select a language you
want to receive our newsletter in:
Eco tourism has never been so variable and exciting in this region, which has embraced the concept with seriousness and relish.
Bulgaria has a unique geographical location in the far Southeast corner of Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. The territory of the country is rather small but it is situated at the crossroads of three bio-geographic regions. They are the Middle European forest, the Eurasian steppe, and the Mediterranean. This location with the huge variety of different landscapes – Black Sea, wide plains and steppes, rivers and lakes, valleys and forests, hills and mountains ensures a rich biodiversity. You can enjoy all four seasons, each one with its own character and colour.
Bulgaria has three National Parks – Pirin, Rila and Central Balkan. They have a total area of 193,049 hectares and comprise more than one-third of all protected areas in Bulgaria.
Pirin, Rila and Central Balkan are among the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe. They contain some of Europe's remaining, extant, wild regions. Identified as Category II protected areas by the World Conservation Union, the Parks are managed in accordance with the latest conservation principles and approaches.
In Bulgarian national parks, unique samples of natural habitats and elements of ecosystems are preserved within reserves.
The Bulgarian National Parks offer excellent opportunities for tourism, scientific research and education. The National Parks also include rivers, lakes, natural landmarks, waterfalls, and exceptional landscapes. The Central Balkan Ecotourism Association, Kalofer, and Rila Ecotourism Association, Samokov are among the newest models of ecotourism around the National Parks.
The sea itself is unlike any other, and the focus of many environmental studies. The Black Sea is believed to have been a freshwater lake between seven and eight thousand years ago, until seawater from the Aegean breached the Bosphorus, the strait bisecting western Turkey, turning it into an inland sea. Some believe that the Black Sea was the site of the deluge in the story of Noah and the Ark.
Romania and active tourism go hand-in-hand: camp, hike, swim - or survey the countryside from horseback.
Georgia's national parks span terrain from subtropical coast to the Caucasus Mountains. Kolkheti National Park, bordering the Black Sea, has wetland areas with fabulous bird watching. Borjomi National Park is excellent for hiking, and horse trekking is another popular way to see the countryside.
In a country that still boasts large stretches of relatively untamed natural areas, ecotourism in Ukraine is fast becoming a big lure. The value of this kind of tourism can never be underestimated as it not only provides the people of the country with much needed foreign currency, but it also helps to set up systems which protect the natural wildlife and help promote a more stable environment. Ukraine ecotourism is a popular travel option and is well worth looking into.
Among Ukraine National Parks are the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathian Mountains, (listed by UNESCO), which extend all the way to Slovakia. Mountaineering, hiking, and mountain biking are all on offer, and a good way to spot some of the abundant wildlife as you explore.
The majority of protected wildlife areas are spread over large areas and this means that you will be required to move about quite a bit. There are a few Ukrainian ecotourism companies which offer guided tours from safari vehicles, but the best way to see the wilds of Ukraine is to get out in the elements. As a result, there are guided hiking tours and guided mountain biking tours which are very popular with both Ukrainians and tourists from other parts of the world. Ecotourism guides are fully trained and qualified to present an informative and relatively safe environment where you will be able to enjoy the wonders of nature from amongst the flora that has become home to many animals. They will be able to help visitors leave as small a mark on the environment as possible whilst at the same time providing fascinating insight into the natural world around them.
In Turkey the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Turkey is a non-profit, non-governmental foundation that aims to enhance the conservation of Turkey's biodiversity and promote the sustainable use of its natural resources through, among other avenues, eco-tourism. Istanbul-based WWF-Turkey spearheads conservation projects throughout Turkey.
The WWF has successfully lobbied the Turkish government to prohibit logging, hunting and grazing and new road construction and other activities which may damage the environment. All tour groups must be accompanied by a trained guide which can be found through the nearest local authorities or eco-tourism centres. "We train and use only local guides. It is part of our program to get the locals interested in their own region and to appreciate the culture and natural beauty of the place they live in," says Mr. Sedat Kalem, Ph.D., Director of the WWF's Forest Program.
The Balkan Peninsula forms the southeast part of Europe, a region where different cultures.
Dramatic scenery, winter sports, the northern lights and the midnight sun, saunas, and reindeer.
The Rhine, one of Europe's great rivers, brings to mind wine and beautiful landscapes.


text:
What Bernanke Did
Peter G. Klein presents a Misesian commentary on Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's recent decision against tapering the Fed's ongoing quantitative easing scheme. Klein is the Mises Institute's Executive Director and Carl Menger Research Fellow.
From: The Mises View , Friday, September 20, 2013 by Peter G. Klein


text:
Search for
additional physicians or researchers:
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- Johns Hopkins Community Physicians
Or find a doctor at another Johns Hopkins Medicine member:
Dorianne Rachelle Feldman, MD
Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Appointment Phone
Main Location
The Johns Hopkins HospitalView All Locations
Out-of-State & International Patients +
Out of State Patients
Call 410-464-6641 (8a.m. to 6p.m., EST, Mon-Fri)
International Patients
Call +1-410-502-0773 (7a.m. to 6p.m., EST, Mon-Fri)
- Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Research Interests
Critical Care Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
BiographyDr. Feldman graduated from a combined Bachelors and Masters Program in Physical Therapy in 1999 and practiced as a Physical Therapist. Later, she enrolled in Medical School. She graduated frommedical school in 2005. Following medical school, she completed a Preliminary Year in Internal Medicine at Mercy Medical Center/University of Maryland and then a Residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She served as Chief Resident from 2008-2009 for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She combines both her skills as a Physical Therapist and Board Certified Physiatrist when treating her patients.
- English
Additional Resources
Education +
- George Washington University (Washington DC) (2005)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Baltimore MD) (2009)
- American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehab / Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (2010)
Research & Publications +
Selected PublicationsAbstracts:
Feldman, D., Cahalin, L. The Relationship of Ventilatory
Muscle Strength to Chest Wall Excursion in Normal Persons and Persons With Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Abstract published in the Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal, vol. 9 (4), 1998
Book Chapters:
Feldman, D, Gonzalez-Fernandez, M, Singla, A, Singh, S, and Krabak, B. Hip and Pelvis Injuries in Special Populations. The Hip and Pelvis in Sports Medicine and Primary Care. Ed. Peter H. Seidenberg and Jimmy D. Bowen. Springer, New York. First Edition. 2010.
Gonzalez-Fernandez, M, and Feldman, D. Stroke Rehabilitation. Rakel & Bope: Conns Current Therapy 2010. 62nd ed. Ed. Robert E. Rakel, Edward T. Bope, and Rick D. Kellerman. Elsevier, Philadelphia. December, 2009.
Feldman DR, Gonzlez-Fernndez M. Dysphagia in Stroke and Neurologic Disease. The Handbook of Behavior, Diet and Nutrition,Preedy VR, editor Springer. (In press)
Feldman, D, and Bushby, M. Wheelchair Prescription. PMR in your Pocket. Ed. Marlis Gonzalez-Fernandez and Jarrod Friedman. 1st Edition. Demos. ( In Press).
Gonzalez-Fernandez, M, and Feldman, D. Stroke Rehabilitation. Rakel & Bope: Conns Current Therapy 2011. 62nd ed. Ed. Robert E. Rakel, Edward T. Bope, and Rick D. Kellerman. Elsevier, Philadelphia. December 2010.
Needham, D, Feldman, D, and Kho, M. The Functional Costs of ICU Survivorship: Collaborating to Improve Post-ICU Disability. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (In Press)
Academic Affiliations & Courses +
Activities & Honors +
HonorsJohns Hopkins Healer Award: 2008, 2009
Videos & Media +
Events +
Contact & Locations +
LocationsThe Johns Hopkins Hospital600 N. Wolfe StreetMeyer1-163Baltimore, MD 21287Phone: 410-502-2436Appointment Phone: 410-614-4030Fax: 443-769-1243Location Map
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation


text:
Gator Bytes
Tag: Metro Sports Agency
Former Florida safety Will Hill hopes to go in first three rounds of draft
- 4:43 pm Thursday, January 13th, 2011 by Jason Lieser
The longer Gators safety Will Hill thought about the potential to make millions of dollars in the NFL, the more he felt he had to forgo his senior season at Florida and turn pro. Once former coach Urban Meyer announced his resignation, Hill's choice became easier.
Hill will enter the upcoming NFL Draft and said he informed Florida of his decision. The main factor that pushed him to leave Florida was [More]


text:
Refine byClear all
PriceView fewer
Show in stock onlyView less
Product typeView less
BrandView less
ColourView less
Tie PatternView less
Delivery OptionsView more
Av. Review RatingView more
Ties & Bow Ties (59)
Adding panache to your formal get-up, our broad range of ties and bow ties are made from first-class fabrics and embellished with a mix of traditional and directional prints. Pieces from luxury labels like BOSS, Thomas Pink, Reiss and Duchamp sit alongside an elegant edit from our in-house designers


text:
OMAHA, Neb. - The Creighton women's basketball team hosts its lone exhibition match of the season on Monday, Nov. 4 as the Bluejays battle the Fort Hays State Tigers at 7 p.m. in D.J. Sokol Arena.
Bluejay Tidbits:
Bluejay Tidbits:
- Creighton received votes in both the Preseason AP (21) and USA Today Coaches (10) Polls.
- Creighton returns 80% of the starting lineup that closed 2012-13 (Fujan, Janning, Nelson & Kamphaus).
- Senior Carli Tritz announced the end of her playing career in early October due to chronic knee pain.
- Senior Sarah Nelson led the NCAA in assists (115) by a post player last season.
- Nelson was one of 30 WBB athletes named as a semifinalist for the Senior Class Award.
- Marissa Janning became the first Bluejay to earn a Freshman All-American honor (Full-Court) following the 2012-13 season.
- Senior McKenzie Fujan and junior Alexis Akin-Otiko ended 2012-13 with impressive free throw streaks. Fujan hit her last 26 consecutive from the charity stripe, while Akin-Otiko has made 18 straight.
- Senior Alyssa Kamphaus will face former Seward HS teammate Beth Bohuslavsky
- Creighton downed Southwest Minnesota State, 90-60, in its lone exhibition contest last season.
- Creighton hit a program-high 302 three-pointers last season.
- Creighton finished 2nd in the NCAA with 9.2 three-pointers per game.
- The Bluejays are coming off the first back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in school history.
- In each of the last two seasons, the Bluejays faced a BIG EAST team in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Falling to St. John's (69-67) in 2012 and defeating Syracuse 61-56 in 2013.
- The Bluejays are a combined 1-3 against BIG EAST opponents under head coach Jim Flanery. (0-1 vs. St. John's; 1-2 vs. Marquette).
- Head coach Jim Flanery became Creighton's all-time wins leader in 2012-13, surpassing Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen. Flanery enters 2013-14 with 215 wins.
- Matt Fritsche & Chevelle Herring joined the WBB coaching staff.
- Junior Alexis Akin-Otiko was reunited with her high school coach Matt Fritsche.


text:
Chopping meat is not a very easy activity as it involves hard work and right tools to ensure that the meat can be reduced effectively. The base for reducing the meat ought to be sturdy, challenging and long lasting and therefore the best alternative for it is the butcher block. It supplies a strong surface area that can sustaining the force of the knife and for facing the deterioration that is entailed in cutting of the meat.
Butcher block is a block of timber that is used for cutting meat. There are two kinds of butcher blocks which consist of the end grain butcher blocks and side grain butcher blocks. The end grain blocks are made by sticking the pieces of lumber with each other with timber fiber perpendicularly to the surface of the block which are of four inches thick for cutting huge amount of meat.
Side grain butcher blocks are used made by sticking the lumber with fibers parallel to its surface. It also avoids any sort of accidents that could happen if the butcher block is not sturdy and durable. These butcher blocks are normally 2 inches thick and are also very sturdy.
Health is also very important reason why you ought to utilize butcher block because meat leans from being messed up in lots of methods. It likewise assists in keeping the workstation clean and could be made use of in residences in the type of regular butcher blocks, counters and table tops. Hygiene, strength and sturdiness are incorporated with ease to tailor and shape the butcher block into any kind of type of cooking area space as it is the far better option for each kitchen area. These blocks are usually made of difficult timber due to the nature of its use. For that reason the lumbers that are made use of for making these blocks should be durable and one of the most recommended lumber features walnut, teak, maple and cherry. These butcher blocks are formed with the use of convectional tools to ensure that the wood is finished prior to being used. A mineral oil surface is put on the timber area for conditioning it and stopping it from splitting and contorting. The mineral oil need to be responded consistently on the block for make it long lasting. Varnique surface is water-resistant and can be washed as frequently as it is used without driving damaged.
Butcher block is a block of timber that is used for chopping meat. There are two kinds of butcher blocks which feature the end grain butcher blocks and side grain butcher blocks. The end grain blocks are made by sticking the pieces of wood with each other with lumber fiber perpendicularly to the surface area of the block which are of 4 inches thick for reducing big quantity of meat. These butcher blocks are mostly chosen by professionals like butchers and cooks. Health is also very essential factor why you should utilize butcher block because meat is susceptible from being messed up in lots of methods.


text:
On Mount Webster
Mounts Webster 3910' and Jackson 4052'
6.5 miles 2500' Elevation gain
Kevin, Judy and Emma saw Wendy, Lori and Glenn
We had been thinking about doing this hike for awhile. What we had actually planned was to hike from Webster to Pierce as we had never been on the Webster Cliff Trail between Jackson and Mizpah Hut. I guess that will have to wait for another time as the humidity and my being on antibiotics really sapped my energy. A bad tooth has been plaguing me. I thought I had it beat Thursday when I got an emergency root canal until I broke the tooth and filling Thursday night and the dentist wasn't in again until Monday. By Saturday morning I really needed a day in the mountains. So, instead of the Webster to Pierce hike, we lolligagged on Webster visiting with some friends before we trudged over to Jackson for some more lolligagging.
Webster/Jackson Trail
We hiked the loop in a counterclockwise direction which brought us past the beautiful waterfall on the Silver Cascade Brook. The log has been there since we first did this hike in '98. By mid afternoon the air did clear some, which made hanging on the summits a more pleasurable experience than the hike up in what felt like a tropical rain forest. Distant views were hazy, but Mount Washington to our northeast cleared and tremendous billowing cumulus clouds gathered nearby making the skies and scenery quite interesting and inspiring. We met up with our friends on Mount Webster where we had lunch together while watching the Conway Scenic Railroad train chug through Crawford Notch on its way to Crawford Depot.
Waterfall on Silver Cascade Brook
Emma was becoming overheated in the sun, so Judy started over to Jackson to get her back down in the shade of the trees. I followed after and soon caught up. The last few times we had been this way was on deep snowpack and we were sort of shocked to see that the trees were really 20-25' high, not the 10-12' they seemed when we were walking on snow. The trail between summits is pretty easy, winding through the trees and across several bog bridges. There are a few minor scrambles that are non-existent in the snow. Everything was wet and the trail muddy from the rain the night before. We soon made the short scramble to the summit of Mount Jackson where we discovered that the Presidentials had cleared to our northest and Mount Washington was standing proud above them.
Feeding the Whiskey Jack
Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis
By now I was feeling the effects of the humidity as well as the poor sleep the past few days from a sore tooth. There was nothing left to do but sit down and have a second lunch and enjoy the views. Before long our friends showed up and joined us again and we told some stories and had a few laughs while we watched the clouds. Soon some real entertainment showed up in the form of Grayjays and Judy set about the work of holding out treats for them to fly in and steal. We noted that like other beggar birds, such as Canada geese and pigeons, they were quite wary of the dog. They would fearlessly fly into a hand that could easily crush them, but would not come in if the disinterested dog was too near. Thousands of years of instinct bred into them to be aware of the small furry predator.
Mount Washington and the Southern Presidentials
We eventually dragged ourselves away from this peaceful scene to start the scramble down from the summit over the still wet rocks. This was made slightly more treacherous by the ample mud which stuck to our boots and gave slippery slides on even the dry surfaces. We made our way back down, around, over and through dozens of brooks and trickles and Emma had plenty of places to cool off and take a quick drink. The humidity of the earlier part of the day had taken its toll on us and we were all feeling the hike down seemed long despite its relatively short distance. Despite eating twice, I was starving and when we got down we quickly packed into the car and headed off to find something to eat. A good day out despite the humidity and the wrestling with a sore tooth.
Signs of Things to Come
Full set of pics HERE:


text:
The HTC EVO V 4G is Virgin Mobile's first 4G WiMAX Android device. And if it looks familiar, it is because the phone is the same as the EVO 3D, but optimized for this network.
Release date is set for May 31st, 2012, for a price of $300 off-co... Read More


text:
Anyone interested? Message me if you are and I can send you an invite. It's the CBS brackets.
Anyone interested? Message me if you are and I can send you an invite. It's the CBS brackets.
We usually do the Yahoo one but whatever. I'm down.
Keep Calm & Chive On
If you guys prefer yahoo ill set that up tomorrow. If you guys know anyone else who might be interested let me know.
I'm down for either CBS or Yahoo, but prefer CBS. They've got a GREAT set up.
In Masai we Trust.
Never done the march madness brackets thing before, but I'm down like Joey!
Count me in too, Tucas, if there is room.
I pmd my email.
Reminder that as of today you can set your brackets.
I got the U winning it all haha... lost big on UNLV today though, had them in the Elite 8. I got the two 5 vs 12's wrong, and those are always the upsets.
Hows everyone doing?
Keep Calm & Chive On
Yeah a bunch of games went nothing like how I thought they would. At least Davidson didnt pull off the miracle against Marquette.
We have seen a lot of the top teams struggle. Gonzaga, Marguette, Oklahoma State, and now New Mexico against Harvard.
Hell of a tourney so far.
Is it just me or are these upsets becoming laughably funny? The first seeds must be ecstatic by now.
Ya I'm in last place for both my brackets ... this is a hugely humbling experience .. that'll teach me not to copy the same bracket for more than one Tourney.
In Masai we Trust.
I can't believe Gonzaga is about to lose this game ... devastating. Well there goes my brackets.
In Masai we Trust.
And down goes Gonzaga... Lol I'd like to see anyone who at least has decent brackets at this point.
Twitter - @thekid_it
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)