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Book your room at Quality Suites Lansing
Get an overview of this hotelHotel in Lansing with free breakfast and fitness center
Located in the heart of Lansing, this hotel is 1.7 mi (2.7 km) from Lansing Mall and 2.7 mi (4.3 km) from Hawk Meadow Park. Michigan State Capitol and Michigan Supreme Court Learning Center are also within 6 mi (10 km).
Hotel Features
This hotel features a fitness center, coffee/tea in a common area, and a 24-hour front desk. Free full breakfast is provided, as well as free WiFi in public areas, free self parking, and a free manager's reception. Additionally, a convenience store, RV/bus/truck parking, and a front-desk safe are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 117 rooms provide conveniences like sofa beds and refrigerators, plus free WiFi and cable TV. Microwaves, coffee makers, and free weekday newspapers are among the other amenities available to guests.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
Quality Suites Lansing901 Delta Commerce Dr Lansing MI 48917
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A complimentary breakfast and manager's reception are offered (may not be available daily). Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. This Lansing hotel also offers a fitness center, gift shops/newsstands, and coffee/tea in a common area. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
- 24-hour front desk
- Airport transportation
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free reception
- Elevator/lift
- Fitness facilities
- Free breakfast
- Free self parking
- Free WiFi
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Grocery/convenience store
- Number of floors - 4
- RV, bus, truck parking
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Total number of rooms - 117
Family Friendly Amenities
- Free Wi-Fi
- Grocery/convenience store
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Sofa bed
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking, RV, bus, truck parking
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Cable TV service
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free weekday newspaper
- Desk
- Free local calls
- Free WiFi
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Microwave
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Sofa bed
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary full breakfast. A complimentary manager's reception is offered each day.
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
- Pets allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Hotel Name
- Quality Suites Hotel
- Quality Suites Hotel Lansing
- Quality Suites Lansing
- Lansing Quality Inn
- Quality Inn Lansing
- Quality Suites Lansing Hotel
- Quality Hotel Lansing
- Quality Suites
We should mention
Children 18 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.


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Heart Awareness Month
September is Heart Awareness Month – an entire month dedicated to raising awareness about cardiovascular disease in South Africa, culminating with World Heart Day on 29 September. Together with the World Heart Federation, we at the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA aim to spread the word that at least 80% of these premature deaths (before the age of 60) can be prevented with a healthy balanced diet, being physically active regularly and avoiding smoking
South Africa has one of the highest rates of high blood pressure worldwide, with 1 in 3 people currently living with high blood pressure. Yet almost half of the people affected don't even know they have high blood pressure! So, for Heart Awareness Month 2014 we are encouraging South Africans to "Beat the pressure. Get tested". High blood pressure is one of the leading causes for heart attacks and stroke so we urge South Africans to go for a free blood pressure test this September to find out if they are at risk. Along with getting their blood pressure tested, we're also encouraging South Africans to lower their salt intake, as a high salt diet is a key driver for high blood pressure.
Book an appointment at any Clicks Clinic for a FREE blood pressure test during the month of September. Call 0860-254-257 to book an appointment. For more information about heart health, and where you can get screened, contact the Heart and Stroke Health Line on 0860 1 HEART (43278), email firstname.lastname@example.com or view our screening calendar.

subset: commoncrawl


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2011/2012 Camaro Z28 Sheds Some Camo - Shows Grille, Front Lip Spoiler and Cowl Shape
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Drives: Ultra-Grin
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Crapramento, Crapifornia
Posts: 13,057
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Originally Posted by
Someone please tell me why a top-mounted supercharged engine would even need any ram air opening at all on the top of the hood??
Cooling? Wouldn't the sc have it's own cooling? So if it's just ancillary cooling, fine, but I'm not gonna get excited over that.
It's not going to be ram air; probably a heat extractor or such. Good luck forcing more air into the engine than the alleged SC, lol
I could definately see getting air out from under the hood though. I hope it doesn't get all crazy, though, and start to look like some rice or something. If it's along the lines of it's competitor, I think it'd be perfect. If it had the scoop and bulge of the TF2 hood, plus the extractors of the JL hood, I think that'd look d@mn nice. Maybe a blend of the TF2 front facia and the JL facia, and GM would leave me no reason to change anything. Nothing in terms of rocker moldings and rear facia have really caught my eye. Personally, I like the GM GFX for those, but time will tell
05 Hummer H2 SUV on OEM Air Ride
Forged 11.1:1 408 LQ4 (K1 crank & rods; Mahle pistons)/CPP LS3 CNC heads/BTR Stage IV LS3 cam and valvetrain/home ported L92 intake manifold/ported 90mm TB/custom Volant CAI/mid-length headers/AFE dual 3" CB/Corvette Servo/el cheapo lift/Cognito UCAs/e'fan conversion/aluminum radiator/Moroso catchcan/HPTuners by me/LED exterior lighting/Pioneer AVH-5600BHS/Pioneer GM-9601/2-Pioneer TS-W310D4/Obcon Labyrinth dual-12 box/lots of other stuff
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Hotels in Hogansburg, New York
Search & Compare Hogansburg Hotels
Trending now in Hogansburg
Hotels in Hogansburg
- Most bookedAkwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort
15 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"My husband has just passed away and my girlfriend decided that I needed to get away. Since it was her birthday, we decided to take a trip to the casino. Never been to one before and had a blast. Lawrence, who was our first point of contact, checking in, set the tone for the whole trip. I hope the..."
A Traveller, Jun 2016, US
8 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"We had a most excellent stay. The rooms were very clean and comfortable with nice bedding, a beautiful clean shower, and they even helped us with some toiletries that we forgot. We also had difficulty getting our car started (it was frigid) and they immediately came to our assistance with a smile..."
A Traveller, Feb 2016, US
Hotels within 10 miles of Hogansburg
213 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
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"Nice upgrades granite counters and wood moldings very nice. Outdoor pool was lovely on a July evening. "
A Traveller, Jul 2016, CA
52 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
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"We arrived on a very hot day. The pool was a welcome relief and is very inviting and bright. The breakfast offered a wonderful selection of options."
A Traveller, Jul 2016, CA
32 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
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"Our stay was pleasant. Good Wifi. Room was very clean. From my searches, this is the best hotel choice in Cornwall. I would stay again."
A Traveller, Jul 2016, CA
24 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
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"Good for a one- night stop over . Great price! The continental breakfast was lacking."
A Traveller, Jul 2016, CA
21 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"Get what you pay for, this is a motel with basics. Decent 32" flat screen with cogeco cable, two VERY firm queen beds, small fridge, window unit a/c and microwave. Staff are efficient and motel is exactly as advertised, cheap overnight rest,"
A Traveller, Jun 2016, CA
20 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"business trip. everything went smoothly from check in to check out. the one thing was that the room had been painted recently and the smell of paint was still present. Other than that, a very good stay at a very good price."
A Traveller, Feb 2016, CA
12 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
- Fairview InnNo Guest Reviews yet
3 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Best hotels in Hogansburg
If you are looking for Hogansburg hotels in a particular area, you can use the search feature at the top of the page to search by neighborhood, landmark, address or zip code, or you can search by using the built-in map feature. You can also browse hotels in Hogansburg by type, amenities, and star-rating so that you can find the best hotel. Currently, top rated hotels in Hogansburg are:
- Comfort Inn & Suites adj to Akwesasne Mohawk Casino
- Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort
- Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Centre
- Ramada Cornwall
- Comfort Inn
The location of your Hogansburg hotel is important. If you are traveling to Hogansburg, &StateorCountry for business, you may want to consider getting a hotel close to the airport or near your meeting venue. By doing so, you can really cut down on transportation costs and time. You may also want to book a hotel that offers free wifi just in case you need to get some work done.
If you are traveling for vacation, figure out which attractions or landmarks you want to see and book a hotel that is within close proximity. Although hotels near attractions might cost a little more, you may find that spending those extra few dollars is worth the convenience. You can even find hotels that align with your interests. For example, if you are looking for a relaxing vacation, a spa hotel may be the perfect choice for you.
You'll also want to determine which type of accommodations will suit your needs before booking a hotel in Hogansburg. If you're traveling with the kiddos, a family friendly hotel will offer larger rooms and more sleeping arrangements. For those traveling for an extended period of time, booking a hotel suite with a kitchenette is a smart move and will feel a little more like home. If you are budget conscience and just need a place to rest your head, a hostel or motel may be all you need.
If you are looking to score the best discounts and deals, use the filter to sort by price from low to high. You can book a hotel in Hogansburg for as low as $134 per night. If you are looking to cut down on expenses, look for hotels that include free breakfast and parking. Some hotels even offer free shuttle service to and from nearby places. You can also sort by star rating, proximity, and guest rating.
Before you book, check out user reviews. Hotels.com has 121 reviews in Hogansburg. We show reviews from Expedia and TripAdvisor so you know that you are reading genuine, reliable reviews. Be sure to download the Hotels.com app so you can book your reservations on the go, view amenities, and save the hotels you want to view and compare later.


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William Henry "Bill" Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, philanthropist, investor, computer programmer, and inventor. In 1975, Gates and Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft, which became the world's largest PC sof...tware company. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of chairman, CEO and chief software architect, and was the largest individual shareholder until May 2014. Gates has authored and co-authored several books.
Connect any celebrity with Bill Gates to see how closely they are linked... romantically!
Bill Gates is the all-time best man in the world!
Talk to yourself atleast once in a day, otherwise you may miss a meeting with an exllent person in this word. best evening.
life is so easy.....
its over.clear on Macoy thinking,the girl from Twilight has a chicken pox scar because I have that picture on Rain ahh and a cushin on the show criminal minds image-CSI Miami for not mentioning something for a while,and Danny Devito is always up in there-the right one.
Jerry and Gates Comedy Hour ?
Rwanda,one laptop per child.Jerry
I dont know where to start... hav tons of quesion to ask, well i just wanted 2let U know that I hav always admired u as a hero, U hav set an example that only few cud hav ever dream t of. God I really wan to be successfull like U but m still a bud havn`t yet decided where 2 start... hav just completed ma degree in software engg but m in no mood to get stuck in some company as a programmer i wanna do something far more than this. At this point i`ve a question to ask... did u really got lucky or it is ur hardwork tat gave U all this??? watever it is money really do matter everywhere for which i hav to start from a small scale... dont even belive tat i can ever come close to ur status but its just a dream tat i wont forget when i wake up... will love to meet U in person... ever well wisher of Ur`s MANA........
can i have some of your money i am a hobo! but i am on my friends computer! plz all i have is a bag of clothes for me and my kids and about $20! i dont even have a car or house! i am a pure hobo! have not had a shower in about 7 months! i reak!
Dear Sir (I don`t know very good English) please tell me your opinion and thought about mine antique pictures and painting Monalisa`s copy beacuse I want saling Grateful. N.R.Rahmani
Bill and melinda Gates, I respect you a lot because you as beneficient couples always think about other peoplle. THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PICTURES 1.These pictures belong to grand father and grandmother.They were taken in turkmanastan-sovit union.(30 years after the invention of photography)the forehead-band was made by grandmother and it was sewn on velvet.2.The copy of monalisa was losted for 2 years and 3 months.The size of the picture is 53*77 and it is in oil colour.3.The perfume bottles belong to netherlands.the big one was made for the groom and the small one for the bride. 4. This old printed picture shows the workers in fork and spoon factory in afghanistan. thank you nemat rahimzadeh rahmani
i really admired you
Bill Gates is so hot, i really like him.


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Culture: DogPatch
An artist's life and the dogs who have shared it, is examined
When Paul Fierlinger was living in Prague in the 1960s, his dogs kept his spirit alive. Living under totalitarian rule, surrounded by suspicion and class hatred, Fierlinger might have perished had it not been for Roosevelt, a charmer who knew how to sneak into restaurants undetected, and Ike, a friend so vital, true and ultimately essential that in six years Fierlinger was never once separated from him.
Those are just two of the tales of dog love that Fierlinger, an animator who emigrated to the United States in 1968, shares in his autobiographical 26-minute documentary, Still Life with Animated Dogs. Kind in nature, but tempered by Fierlinger's sardonic Eastern European humor, Still Life is a marvelous work that offers more emotion, poetry and reflective wisdom than the vast majority of feature-length, live-action films.
Narrated by Fierlinger, who draws and animates himself at various stages of his dog-loving existence, Still Life is broken into episodes, each one remembering a special dog and the lessons he left behind. The animation is deft and surprisingly expressive, and the original music by composer John Avarese underscores the film's delicate, affectionate, never-sentimental tone.
I loved this film, pure and simple, and recommend it with unabashed enthusiasm to anyone who loves dogs--and even to those not lucky enough to include themselves in that category. I make a living as a movie critic, so I see upward of 200 films per year--the good, the dreadful, the instantly forgettable. I doubt if I'll see much this year that speaks to me more deeply than Still Life with Animated Dogs.
At 64, Fierlinger has owned a series of dogs, watched them with an acute eye and in Still Life finds occasion to speculate on the mystery of dogs and our relationship to them. He opens with the story of Spinnaker, a terrier who was picked up on the roadside by a dog lover en route to a picnic for Animal Rescue Society volunteers. The dog found his way to the home that Fierlinger shares with his wife and collaborator, Sandra, and quickly became the filmmaker's constant companion.
Taking his friend on a walk through the woods Fierlinger, overhears the fatuous conversation of other dog owners and contrasts it with Spinnaker's avid engagement with the natural world. What's the secret of his dog's unfathomable levels of perception? When Spinnaker stretches and bows, Fierlinger reasons, "He's really saying, 'Follow me.' We are both practicing anthropomorphism...My dog uses the same signals with me as he would use with any other dog."
From here, Fierlinger drifts into reveries of the dogs he lived with in Czechoslovakia and named after American presidents. His great love, its seems, was Ike, a burly but gentle guy who, on the day they met, walked across the entire city of Prauge with Ferlinger.
That hike, he says, "created a stronger bond that any amount of treats would ever have accomplished." Together, they formed "an intimacy that only occasionally transpires between separate species."
It's upsetting, therefore, to see what happens next, when Fierlinger get his chance to leave Czechoslovakia and has to decide what do with Ike.
After 40 years as an animator, with TV commercials, political ads and shorts for "Sesame Street" under his belt, Fierlinger has the gift of saying a lot with his fanciful, deceptively simple art. His rendering of his crowded attic in Prague, for example, is so rich with detail and atmosphere that we can imagine how the room smelled, and feel how the cold wind felt as it leaked through the windows.
But Still Life is most amazing is its ability to incite our emotions. When Fierlinger recreates the day one of his dogs was hit by a car, I found myself jumping forward and yelling "No!" at the TV screen--astonished by the realism, but also reminded of the day my Cocker Spaniel, Nicky, was injured.
Still Life with Animated Dogs has that kind of power: to startle us, remind us of dogs we've known and cherished and illustrate the puzzling, ultimately unknowable nature of our friends. "Dogs were put on earth to make us better people," a friend of mine likes to say, and Fierlinger's film, at its best, offers unimpeachable proof of that fact.
Culture: DogPatch
Imagining the lives of famous people has always been a favorite American pastime. There are a whole raft of magazines designed to help us picture the inner worlds of the very talented and the very beautiful and the very rich. We envision the people we admire with such clarity that our ideas about them can seem, at least in the little movie theaters in our heads, quite true. Renee Fleming, for example. I imagine that she is always singing. I imagine her singing while she brushes her teeth in the morning. I imagine her wearing a modest rack of diamonds from Harry Winston while she trills like a lark to wake up her daughters, who pop up from bed, bright as daisies, singing in reply.
"Waf—fles for break—faaaasst?" Renee Fleming would sing.
"Yes, Mo—ther, pleeeeease," the girls would harmonize.
When I was asked by this magazine to write a profile of Renee Fleming's dog, the story spilled out before me like so much red carpet on opening night: Of course this would be a dog who lived for music, a dewy-eyed Lassie who stayed hidden in the folds of her mistress's Ferrer gown, a dog who slept beneath the piano, her tail brushing trustingly beneath the pedals. She would run from any corner of the apartment when the first scale was sung to be near the singer, leaving behind half a bowl of good canned food without a second thought in hopes of being present for a bright and shining high C.
This dog would never tire of rehearsals, and on performance nights she would pace vigilantly near the door, keeping an eye on the children while Renee took her fourth curtain call on the stage of the Metropolitan or Carnegie Hall. When Renee came home in the small hours of the morning, she would drop all the roses in her arms to scoop up the dog whom she loved, who loved her, who was, in fact, her muse.
Something like that.
There is a great deal of barking when I knock on the door, the kind of frenzied viciousness that implies protection of home and hearth. Renee Fleming greets me, looking extremely smart in high-heeled boots and a long black jacket, exactly the way I had imagined an off-duty opera star would dress. "That's Rosie," she says, and I catch a glimpse of my subject, a silky flash of pale fur who is both barking and backing up down the hall. Then she's gone.
"She's not great with strangers," Renee says, leading me into the living room. I look wistfully over my shoulder, but there's nothing there. I want to tell her it's the dog I'm here to talk about, but then I realize not even Rin Tin Tin could give a good interview. The best way to get to the Diva's dog is through the Diva herself.
And the Diva's daughters. Sage and Amelia, 8 and 11, respectively, come and sit with us in the living room. They are anxious to tell me the story I want to hear.
"Her name is Rosie and she's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel," Amelia says. "She has mahogany spots. She's like a cow, only mahogany and white instead of black and white." She tells me Rosie was born in Ireland.
"She came from Ireland before we met her," Sage says.
"We got her four years ago," Renee says. "It was after Christmas. It's hard to find a puppy after Christmas, like trying to find a rose after Valentine's Day."
Even though the story is very clear in my mind, I take the time to ask them about their dog's relationship to opera. The beautiful woman and her beautiful daughters stare at me. The little one blinks.
"What does Rosie do when I sing?" the soprano asks her daughters.
"She runs away," the older one says.
"Sometimes she makes a weird noise before she runs away," the little one says, "like a whine."
The older one thinks it through carefully. "Or she sleeps."
"She barks at oxygen," Sage says.
"She barks at the air, at nothing, and she's afraid of pigeons." The girls explain to me that she is both ferocious and cowardly, that she was impossible to house-train, that she sheds, and that they love her madly.
I'm beginning to worry a little. I am not here to write a story about a dog who is afraid of pigeons, a dog who will not come out into the living room. I ask again, isn't there some connection between Rosie and opera?
They are trying. Renee tells me a story about an Irish Wolfhound who howled along through her aria in Manon. She mentions that all of her mother's Great Dane's puppies were named after characters in Wagner. They continue to mull it over with great earnestness until I feel as if I've asked a heart surgeon how the family Basset Hound enhances her surgical skills. Why should a nervous Spaniel be artistically connected to the greatest singer of our time? Wouldn't it be enough simply to be Renee Fleming's dog?
But suddenly Renee is onto something big. "There was a King Charles in a production of Der Rosenkavalier," she says, and I wonder how she could have failed to tell me this before I had my coat off. "Every night I played the Marschallin they brought me this lovely King Charles on stage, and we fell in love. That's when I decided I wanted one."
"And her name is Rosie," I say excitedly. "Is it short for Rosenkavalier?"
Renee looks at her daughter Amelia, the namer of dogs.
"Rosie was just the first thing that popped into my head," she says.
"So maybe Rosie could play the Cavalier King Charles in the next production at the Met?"
"No!" the three of them say in unison.
"She would start barking and try to run away," Amelia says. Journalistic ethics prevent me from telling the story my way: Rosie was the puppy understudy for that King Charles Spaniel, and one night the famous dog mistakenly ate a box of bonbons meant for a tenor and was too sick to go on. It was Rosie's big chance, and when she was handed to the famous soprano dressed as the Marschallin, their big eyes locked onto one another and in an instant, each knew she had found her destiny. Rosie gave up the stage to be a lap dog. Renee's heart nearly broke with gratitude.
I think the story is better my way, but I'm not the one who gets to make those choices.
Culture: DogPatch
My 10-year old Boxer, Otto, and I have a ritual in which the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Maxine Kumin plays a central role. The ritual is enacted during our annual late-spring pilgrimage to a farm owned by generous friends in a profoundly underrated portion of upstate New York. Along with Otto, the main players in the rite are the dozen or so frogs who reside in the pond that lies just steps away from the farm-house. The ceremonial text is Kumin's wonderful poem "Custodian," from her book Nurture, published in 1989.
The annual custom commences just as soon as we arrive. Once Otto is relieved of his leash and I of my shoes, we make our way down to the pond with me well-worn copy of Nurture in hand. There, Otto circumambulates the water's edge, gently disrupting the concentration of each and every frog, one after the other, until all have been evicted from their cozy spots in the sun to wait it out in the water before calmly kick-stroking back to the muddy shore. As Otto conducts this painstaking effort, I stand, barefoot in the mud, reading Kumin's "Custodian" aloud.
I read it partly by way of apologizing to the frogs--formal recognition that our presence here brings a certain amount of inconvenience to them. I read it partly as an invocation to the pleasures of being outdoors, dog and woman sharing the day, free of our urban fetters. I read it because saying poems aloud when out-of-doors is, for me, one of life's greatest pleasures--all the more so when the poem is so perfectly suited to the occasion, simultaneously reflecting on and enlarging it.
As you'll see in the sampling of work presented here, reflection upon and enlargement of the occasion--be it feeding the many creatures in one's care or recounting the life story of a much-loved Dalmatian--are important aspects of Maxine Kumin's writing. The author of more than a dozen books of poetry, the most recent of which is The Long Marriage, Kumin has also published four novels, a collection of short stories delightfully titled Why Can't We Live Together Like Civilized Human Beings?, over 20 children's books, and four books of essays, including Women, Animals, and Vegetables, in which her essay "Mutts" appears. Animals of all kinds--dogs and horses frequently among them--populate much of Kumin's work, which may be seen, at its essence as an ongoing treatise on empathy.
The annual ritual enacted by the pond in upstate New York with the Help of Maxine Kumin's poem is, for me, a way of honoring the importance of poetry, the arrival into nature and the beautiful ways of dogs and other animals. And, like Kumin's "Custodian," the ritual celebrates ritual itself--continuance, inevitability, the endless cycles of living as passing away, "the taking and letting go," as Kumin puts it, "that same story."
Culture: DogPatch
I treasure the last time I saw John Steinbeck. We met for lunch in San Francisco while he was on the final lap of driving his camper around the United States, the basis of his best-selling book Travels with Charley. We were at Enrico's sidewalk care, and Charley, the big Poodle, sat obediently in a corner near our table. With us was Howard Gossage, the innovative advertising man who, among other things, had given the world the current rage, Beethoven sweatshirts. Oh, to have had a tape recorder and been able to catch the sound as well as the words on the following dialogue, because John growled out his sentences in ursine grunts while Howard's congenital stammer heightened rather than hampered his wit.
"Look at that dog over there," said John. "Yesterday in the great redwoods of Muir Woods he lifted his log on a tree that was twenty feet across, three hundred feet high and a thousand years old. Howard, Howard! What's left in life for that poor dog?"
Howard thought of the terrible dilemma for a moment and then said, "Well, J-J-John, he could always t-t-teach!"
Nobel prize-winner John Steinbeck had a great affinity for domestic animals, as can be seen in many of his novels and short stories, but nowhere is his love and understanding of dogs more apparent than in his picaresque and picturesque Travels with Charley. I recently re-read the book and was dazzled by it and fascinated by the eponymous dog, Charley.
Early in the 1960s, Steinbeck, who had left California and was living on Long Island, New York, was feeling restless, with a growing and insistent urge to renew his acquaintance with America—all of America. Accordingly, he bough a small, one-man camper truck, which he christened Rocinante, after Don Quixote's horse. He outfitted it for a long and serious hegira that would last for sixteen weeks and result in a classic literary work. At first he was going to do it all alone, but then he asked his wife if he could take along their beloved big Poodle for companionship.
"That's a good idea," she said. "If you get into trouble, Charley can go for help."
"Elaine," John answered sternly, "Charley isn't Lassie?"
But John, at the age of 58, was somewhat worried about traveling alone off the beaten path, and he was delighted that his dog would be with him. Tough gentle in disposition, Charley was, according to Steinbeck, "a good watch dog—has a roar like a lion, designed to conceal from night-wandering strangers the fact that he couldn't bite his way out of a cornet de papier."
Day by day as Steinbeck prepared his camper for the long swing around America, Charley grew more excited—and more worried about being left behind; like so many watchful canine companions, he could read the signs of departure, "long before the suitcases come out." But this time Charley would not be left behind. Finally they set out, Charley sitting in the front seat, his head almost as high as the six-foot Steinbeck.
For the next sixteen weeks the pair would travel around the United States, eating and sleeping together in the little camper, Steinbeck recording his impression of the places and people he encountered. Charley loved the traveling and would take a great interest in the scenery as well as the people and animals they encountered.
There are so many wonderful happenings in this delightful odyssey. I had not read the book in thirty years, and I was amazed at how informative, fresh, funny and often profound it is. I was sorry when Rocinante finally came to the end of its voyage of discovery, but in reading I learned a great deal about America, as well as John Steinbeck. And perhaps best of all, I came to know and love a remarkable Poodle.
Culture: DogPatch
In a film career that spanned nearly 60 years and more than 130 films, Myrna Loy played many parts, but her greatest fame came from her role as Nora Charles in the series of six Thin Man movies made between 1934 and 1947. She starred opposite William Powell as Nick Charles, the martini-swilling, wisecracking detective loosely based on a character by Dashiell Hammett, and a little dog named Skippy, whom millions of movie fans came to know as Asta.
One not-so-secret ingredient in the success of the light-hearted series, besides the obvious chemistry of the two human stars, was their willingness to share the screen with Asta, a Wirehaired Fox Terrier who perfectly complemented the tipsy detective and his spunky high-society wife. Though a high-society dog himself, Asta was masterful at finding dead bodies or sniffing out guns in drainpipes, but prone to hide under a bed or table with his paws over his eyes when things got rough. These unlikely crime fighters made up an unforgettable trio. "Not one day in my life passes," Loy wrote many years later in her autobiography, "without someone asking about Bill (William Powell) or Asta."
Before Lassie's debut on the silver screen in 1943, Asta was the top dog at MGM. Owned by Hollywood's legendary animal trainer, Henry East, he was born into the business. Like many in Hollywood, Skippy adopted a stage name, in his case from the first Thin Man movie, which was made in 1934. Born in Van Nuys, Calif., Skippy made his first appearance in a Three Stooges picture as a pup of six months.
In The Thin Man, Asta makes his grand entrance at the same time Myrna Loy makes her own, not-so-grand entrance. As the little rascal desperately pulls his leading lady—who's struggling with a giant pile of Christmas boxes—she falls flat on her face in front of the camera. When asked to take the dog outside, Nick assures the waiter, "It's all right. It's my dog. And uh, my wife." To which Nora replies, "Well, you might have mentioned me first on the billing."
By the end of the film, Asta had earned his spot on the marquee. The audience loved the inscrutable but loveable terrier, and his popularity spawned a national craze for his breed. When the first Thin Man sequel was announced in 1936, the New York Times noted that the dog detective was no bit player. "Asta, the dog that fought with William Powell and Myrna Loy for top honors in The Thin Man," the Times noted, "will compete again with the two in Metro's After The Thin Man." True to the Times' prediction, when the second film appeared, Asta not only received major billing, but the film opened on his wagging tail, and introduced a subplot concerning Asta's strained relationship with "Mrs. Asta," whom Asta believed was having a romance with the dog next door.
Skippy was trained by the best in the business: brothers Frank and Rudd Weatherwax and their assistant Frank Inn, whose Studio Dog Training School went on to train many of the biggest dogs in Hollywood, including Toto, Daisy from the "Blondie" series, Old Yeller, Benji and many generations of Lassies. Skippy lived on a special vegetable mash, was sure to get 12 hours of beauty sleep a night, and retreated to his own dressing room when not working so as not to be distracted by the attention of fellow cast members and crew. He always did his own stunts, and was particularly adept at hide-and-seek.
Myrna Loy said she never really became friends with Skippy (he actually nipped her once on the set) but he was a wonderful dog. One of the secrets of his motivation was a little rubber mouse named Oslo. "He did everything for a little squeaky mouse," Loy said. "I'd squeak the mouse and put it in my pocket, and then Asta would do whatever he was supposed to do." One squeak sent him into " transports of delight."
Skippy's film career lasted through 10 years; nine pictures; and screen time with greats such as Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Irene Dunne. The last Thin Man movie, Song of the Thin Man, made in 1947, starred his son, "Asta II," whom Powell was said to have called "Half Asta." But no one could replace the original, a four-footed amateur detective who helped Nick and Nora put the bite on crime.
Culture: DogPatch
Dr. Eric Davis and the RAVS team take their veterinary show on the road to benefit underserved animals everywhere.
Growing up in Portola Valley, California, Dr. Eric Davis lived in a household with lots of animals around—dogs, cats, sheep, cattle and birds. He learned to treat living things humanely, but acknowledges that "little boys will be little boys." When he was five, he taped a "daddy long-legs" spider to the floor by its legs. His mother saw him, and pointed out that he was hurting the spider, which was just as alive as he was. "My parents started me down the road to working in animal protection," Davis remembers, "by teaching me that all living things had value and feelings, and deserved kindness and respect."
Davis became a veterinarian and an advocate for animal welfare and outreach. "Every animal deserves to be taken care of with the best quality care possible," he maintains. Today, he's the director of Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS), a program of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that provides veterinary medical services and education to underserved rural communities in the United States and around the globe. In 2005, RAVS' four full-time veterinarians, working with hundreds of volunteers—veterinarians, vet students, vet technicians and others—provided health care to more than 32,000 animals in 115 communities. Though the estimated value for aid rendered was in excess of $1.5 million dollars, communities receive RAVS' services at no cost.
RAVS began in 1995 as the veterinary arm of Remote Area Medical (RAM) Volunteer Corps, a private medical aid group for people, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. At the time, Davis was on the faculty at the University of Tennessee; his wife, Ila, also a veterinarian, was a graduate student in immunology. At RAM's request, the couple agreed to set up a rabies vaccination clinic in Rosebud, South Dakota. They took some supplies and three volunteers with them, and the five-member team worked hard and treated the people and animals kindly and respectfully. Neighboring tribes heard about the program through word-of-mouth, and realized that their animals could also benefit from the sort of veterinary attention that Eric and Ila Davis and their associates were providing. The program steadily grew. Davis ran this animal-aid project as part of RAM until 2001, at which time the project affiliated with HSUS and became RAVS.
The organization primarily deals with companion animals, but also treats livestock, horses and, according to one vet, "whatever critter needs help." Basic health care services for dogs and cats include spay/neuter surgery, vaccination programs and parasite treatment and control. The education component, which is designed for both adults and children, addresses disease prevention, humane pet care and dog-bite prevention.
RAVS teams visit countless rural communities and Native American reservations in the US, places such as Scott County in Appalachia and Turtle Mountain in North Dakota, which have little or no access to veterinary care. Internationally, expeditions travel to the Pacific and Caribbean islands and Central and Latin America, among other remote locations. Even Easter Island is on RAVS' well-beaten path.
Clinics last between two days and two weeks. Some consist of a full-service mobile veterinary facility, complete with surgery suite, state-of-the-art equipment, and separate intake and recovery areas. Others are more makeshift, operating with limited personnel, water and electricity, instruments, and supplies. Regardless of the conditions, Davis maintains strict protocols regarding pain control, basic surgical principles and anesthesia. He insists on providing whatever is needed for each animal's comfort. He credits Ila, "the smartest veterinarian in the world" in his words, for helping him maintain this focus. In every case, he poses the question, "Are we doing the best we can for the individual animal?"
"The biggest thing I've learned from Dr. Davis is the absolute value of the individual animal," says Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, a veterinarian at a private clinic in San Francisco. In her eight years with RAVS, she's traveled to Romania, Chile, Bolivia, Micronesia, the Bahamas, the Marshall Islands and Easter Island. It can be tempting to allow standards to slip, she admits, "but if it's not good for the individual, it's not good." She explains that by setting the bar higher than just getting the job done, RAVS provides a great example to communities at home and in other countries. She loves helping people by improving the lives of their animals. "RAVS has been nothing but absolute joy for me," she says.
The realities of busy field clinics—rustic living and working conditions, long hours, unfamiliar environments and cultures, limited resources, and unforeseeable challenges—are not for everyone. However, for some, these realities are what draw them to sign up for trip after trip. Lisa Toolen, a third-year student at California's UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, is a five-time participant. "RAVS encompasses everything I love about veterinary medicine," she observes. "Dr. Davis is a natural-born leader." She pays what may be a student's ultimate compliment to a teacher: "I know there will be situations throughout my career where I'll hear his voice in the back of my head."
The trips offer participants a mother lode of experience: performing physical examinations, administering medications, helping with anesthesia and surgery, communicating with clients. Some vet students claim that one RAVS trip gave them more practical surgical experience than four years of school. Davis hopes participants also gain a sense of altruism and an appreciation for the animal welfare problems that exist in the US and beyond. Three of the organization's staff veterinarians started as RAVS student volunteers. Toolen, for one, says her RAVS experience has truly shaped her career goals; in the future, she hopes to concentrate on animal overpopulation.
Randolph Runs After is a tribal environmental health specialist on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in north–central South Dakota. About 14,000 tribal members and their animals live in this remote land, and the closest veterinary care is 40 miles away. RAVS has made annual trips to the reservation since 1997. "RAVS is one of our invaluable resources," Runs After says. "It's an integral piece of the puzzle for our animal efforts." His own dog, Sissy, a Blue Heeler/Lab-mix, is a rescued RAVS dog
Davis has garnered accolades and recognition for his contributions to animal welfare from a variety of sources: the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Surgeon General, his peers and students. His home is filled with gifts of appreciation: porcupine quill earrings, a rattlesnake tail, beaded bracelets, ceremonial blankets, pieces of Mayan pottery. Yet some of his greatest rewards have been simple words of thanks.
He recounts an exchange with an "old, grizzled Chiklero" (someone who harvests chicle—a gum obtained from the latex of the sapodilla tree—in the jungle) after an equine clinic in northern Guatemala. His bony horse was the only thing this man had in the world, Davis remembers, and "he thanked me for treating his animal so kindly." The man's gratitude touched Davis. "This told me that the people really cared about their animals and that the clinic had given them an opportunity to recognize that."
As RAVS heads into its 11th year, there are signs that it is bringing about long-term change. In some communities, returning vets report a decrease in dog bites and mange or an increase in animals as pets as opposed to semi-ferals. They revaccinate animals they had previously spayed and neutered. Local people seem to be responding to the educational resources and support as well. High school kids volunteer in the clinics and express an interest in public health and animal welfare issues. In some communities, groups have formed humane societies, brought in an animal control officer or started raising money for a shelter.
The Davises live in Salinas, California. Ila works as a veterinarian for Monterey County, and both teach at Hartnell Community College. They have their own sanctuary, which, according to Davis, is filled with "unadoptable dogs, unadoptable bunnies, unadoptable horses, an unadoptable ox, several unadoptable sheep, and numerous unadoptable chickens and ducks." The similarities between his own animals and those he encounters on the road are not lost on Davis. In part, they fuel his tireless efforts and dedication. "I would not operate a clinic where I would not take my own animals."
Culture: DogPatch
Following her discovery of a small pamphlet about Dogtown, a long-gone Massachusetts hamlet, Anita Diamant set to work creating a deeply imagined story of its life, and its demise. She captures the town's story in her latest book, The Last Days of Dogtown (Scribner), in which the lives of its few remaining citizens, and the pack of dogs tat lived in their proximity, are perceptively rendered. Recently, Anita was kind enough to indulge a few of Bark's questions.
YES. Buddy (Miniature Schnauzer from Schnauzer Rescue of NE) is my current canine companion. He is my mood elevator, exercise machine and pal. He is also the "neighborhood dog," especially beloved by the kids on the block. He is my third dog: first was the Beagle, Bartholemew, them Pom the Poodle. I have written about my love of dogs for publication, too. (See the "Dog and Katz" essay in my collection, Pitching My Tent: On Marriage, Motherhood, Friendship, and Other Leaps of Faith.
In your research, did you come across information on dogs of the time—how they lived, how they were regarded?
I didn't come across anything about the dogs of the 1800s. There were farm dogs, wild dogs, and pet dogs, as there have been for centuries. In all matters canine, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas' wonderful book, The Hidden Life of Dogs, was my guide.
What led you to incorporate dogs into the story?
Well, the name of the town was Dogtown. However it should be noted that "dogtown" was kind of a generic and not-very-nice term for a place that was on the skids, especially a rural, "slum." Someplace that was "going to the dogs" was called a dogtown.
In all of these cases, the loving relationships were not planned by the humans. These were not farmers, who kept working dogs, but very lonely poor people, for whom dogs were a sort of last resort, and for whom the shared affection comes as a surprise, and ultimately, a form of salvation from loneliness. As for the relationship of the dogs to one another, I really, really tried not to anthropomorphize (in honor of Ms. Thomas) though that's probably not possible for a human.
What lay behind your decision to tell part of the story through Greyling's eyes?
I suppose I wanted an outside perspective and also to introduce the intelligence of the dog. That was a challenge since, even in that case, I really wanted to avoid "humanizing" the canine. So while she's intelligent, she's totally non-judgmental, which is a non-human attribute.
Wellness: Food & Nutrition
Donald Strombeck's book cooks up nutritious recipes for your dog.
When he wrote Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative, Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD, created one of the first-of-its-kind pet nutrition books. It went on to become a standard reference for veterinarians and those looking for an alternative to commercial pet food.
Once again the professor emeritus at the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine is breaking ground and demonstrating that his overriding concern is for the health of dogs and cats. When the first edition went out of print, the good doctor made all the information available free at dogcathomeprepareddiet.com.
So, why DIY? Here are a few simple reasons to homeprepare your dog's food, according to Dr. Strombeck.
Click here to read our 2007 interview with Dr. Strombeck.
Culture: DogPatch
YouTube hit touts the joys of adoption.
Stuck in a shelter, a resourceful Terrier named Harvey markets himself to prospective adopters with a video showing him delivering slippers, playing chess with junior, doing laundry, roasting chicken and even cleaning windows. It's a commercial within a commercial created by UK-based Thinkbox to promote TV as a marketing medium while making a sweet case for the joys of adopting a shelter dog. (The pup performer who plays Harvey was once a stray himself.) Harvey crossed the pond late last year via YouTube and Facebook — check him out.
Culture: DogPatch
Bill Plympton draws upon a universal doggedness—the search for love.
Animator Bill Plympton earned his first Oscar nomination in 1987 with the short film Your Face, but it was his 2004 short Guard Dog (also Oscar-nominated) that gave him a character audiences wanted to see again and again. The Dog, a goofy-looking pooch always on the hunt for love, has gone on to star in three additional shorts, and inspired Plympton to launch Guard Dog Global Jam, inviting animators all over the world to remake two- to four-second segments of Guard Dog, creating one collaborative, multi-style film.
You can also see the Dog bounding throughout Plympton's new book, Independently Animated: Bill Plympton. We talk to Plympton about his canine inspirations and why audiences empathize with the Dog.
In Guard Dog, we meet the Dog, who imagines that everything he encounters (a girl with a jump rope, a songbird, a flower) is a threat against his owner—with tragic results. What was the inspiration for this film?
There's a couple of influences for that film. One is, when I was a kid, I used to go to baseball practice, I was like 10 years old or so then. And there was this dog on the road that wouldn't let me pass. And I was on a country road, so there was no alternative route. And he used to chase me, barking at me all the time and I was frightened by it. I think psychologically, it kind of gave me this obsession with barking dogs. And then it was about six years ago, I was in the park right near where I live—it's called Madison Square Park—and I saw this dog barking at a little bird. And I wondered, "Why is a dog so afraid of a cute little bird?" And then I went inside the dog's brain and realized that he was afraid the bird would attack his master and he would lose his companion, his meal ticket, his master. So I thought, "Oh, that's a funny idea." And I immediately went home and started writing this storyboard about this dog who was so paranoid about these strange creatures that he imagined that they're like these fictitious fantasy attacks on his master. And the film was a huge hit. Really, I was amazed how popular this dog was.
So often, we see animated dogs anthropomorphized, but here it seems like you did the opposite and really tried to get at what the Dog was thinking.
Yeah, I don't like real cutesy talking dogs that take on human form. I like it when they're actually real animals that you can identify with and it sort of feels like your own dog, like you really know this dog and it's one of your own dogs. To me, that's what gives a resonance to this character. That's why people love him. It's because they know he's a real dog and not half-human.
In the later films Guide Dog and Hot Dog, we see the dog take on these more vocational roles—being a seeing-eye dog and a firehouse dog, respectively. Do you see some aspirational quality in dogs?
No, the basic idea for this dog is that he's searching for love. Everybody's looking for love and looking for companionship and someone to spend their life with, and that's what he's doing. So it's part of his search to find a caretaker, a master. And he goes to the fire department and he wants to be adopted as a firehouse dog. And then when he's a guide dog, he wants to help the blind people and he's hoping a blind person will adopt him as their guide dog. And there's actually a fourth one...and that is called Horn Dog, and that's where he falls in love with another dog, a beautiful long-haired Afghan. And that obviously goes very badly, too. So, that's his life, just getting rejected when he finds a companion, finds someone to take care of him.
So will the Dog ever find love?
No, that would be disaster. That would end the series. You know, he's sort of become my Mickey Mouse, and he's been identified with me quite strongly. So as long as I keep making the films, people want to see the dog. I like that, so I need to have him always in constant search for the love of his life.
Why do you think audiences connect so well with the Dog?
I think they empathize with him. They've been there. They know that oftentimes they make a fool of themselves trying to gain love or gain acceptance or gain approval and oftentimes it goes bad. And it's funny. If people loved him, it wouldn't be funny. It would be a romance. I prefer humor over romance. Well, that's hard to say. I do other films for romance.
Are there any more Dog films in the works?
I do. I have another one that I'll just tell you about briefly. It's called Cop Dog, and this is where he works in an airport, sniffing for smugglers, drug-smugglers. And he finds a valise that's full of drugs and he tears it open and the whole airport is filled with some sort of aphrodisiac. And everybody starts taking their clothes off and the airplanes start doing loop-de-loops and it's total, total madness—a little mayhem. So I'll probably have that one done over the summer.
The way you draw the Dog—his expressions, his walk—is so delightful. Do you spend a lot of time observing dogs?
The park where I first discovered the dog has a wonderful dog run, and so I do go over there occasionally and do sketches of dogs. They're fun to draw.
My dog is a Pug, I think; the one I use for the model, I think was a Pug. I love drawing dogs and I've spent hours there sketching dogs and finding the right animal. I like the Pug. I think he's a very handsome animal—very emotional, too. You know, the big tongue, the sloppy smile, that stuff.
And now you're working on Guard Dog Global Jam.
Yes, we just finished it, actually, and we're sending it out to festivals, and I think it's going to have its world premier at the South By Southwest Film Festival.
It must be incredible to see that so many people want to reinterpret your work.
It was amazing. We had over 200 submissions and we only had space for about 70 artists. So we had to say no to a lot of people; it was very sad.
From what I've seen, the styles are so varied. Did you give people a lot of license?
We told everybody the same thing. We just said, "Reinterpret my artwork in your style." And so the variety of styles is quite refreshing. I mean, we have one where it's little bits of dog food, and then someone recommissioned 100 other people to do every frame of fill, which is just mind-blowing. It's really beautiful. We have one that's very theatrical; it's almost puppets. .... It's really interesting, the variety of different looks and styles. I like that. One's a 10-year-old Chinese kid who did one, too. We had a Disney animator—a couple Disney animators and then a 10-year-old Chinese kid. So it's a wide spectrum.
You've said that you don't like anthropomorphized dogs in animation. Are there any animated dogs that are particular favorites?
I'll tell you what I don't like is the Hanna-Barbara stuff, like Scooby-Doo and Huckleberry Hound. They just don't feel real to me, emotional to me. I don't know; I'm trying to think. Goofy—I remember as a kid I loved Goofy. Pluto was not such a big favorite, but Goofy I liked a lot. I loved his sense of humor. He was an inspiration for a lot of my humor, the Goofy films.
I love how specific the movements in your animation are. Are you working in colored pencil?
Regular colored pencil. Regular, number two, Ticonderoga pencils that you use every day.
It adds so much texture. It's so amazing to see when so many people are moving away from hand-drawn animation.
Well, that's my specialty. It's sort of my trademark. Whenever I say, "Oh a Bill Plympton film," people always say, "Who's Bill Plympton?" and I say, "Oh, the colored pencil guy." And they say, "Oh! That guy!" Everybody knows who I am; they just don't know what my name is. They know my style. They know my technique. They know my stories.
Why do you hold so firmly to hand-drawn animation?
A lot of reasons. One is hand-drawn is much faster. Computer animation is very slow. Also, it's a lot cheaper. Computer animation is very expensive. For example, Toy Story 3 cost about $200 million to make, and it's a beautiful film. I don't deny it. It's money well spent. Whereas my films cost about $200,000. So I could make a thousand Bill Plympton films for one Pixar film. That's why I stay hand-drawn.
Is that true for 2D computer animation as well?
No, 2D is much cheaper, too. Especially with Flash, you can do it for a much cheaper price. But I still think it's a little bit more—well, it depends on who the artist is. You know, a film like The Illusionist, which is hand-drawn, that was not cheap; that was about a $40 million film. So it depends who's doing the art and how long the process is and what the market is—whether it's TV or movie theaters.
It seems like you have a lot more control in hand-drawn animation as well.
I totally agree. There are so many things that you can do in hand-drawn animation. The only limit is really your imagination, and that's why I love animation. I love drawing it and doing it. I did do a couple live-action films, and they were complete disasters because I couldn't control the actors 100 percent. They didn't allow me to sever their heads and have them start flying through the sky. They weren't into that. So, with animation, I have no problems with that.
Take a peek at some samples from Guard Dog Global Jam:
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Listed below are updated rankings for the four major skills positions, defense/special teams and the top 100 players, accounting only for projected fantasy value from Week 7 forward. These rankings are published every Tuesday, meaning they won't always reflect news that breaks late in the week. For week-specific rankings to help you set your lineup, check back on Wednesday.
Quick click by position, for easy reference:
Top 40 quarterbacks | Top 60 running backs | Top 60 wide receivers
Top 30 tight ends | Top 32 defense/special teams | Top 100 overall
Top 40 quarterbacks
• At this point it's absurd to question Ben Roethlisberger's top-10 status, after his performance seemed to improve with every passing minute of his 2010 debut. He's the leader of arguably the most balanced team in the NFL, and his numbers cement his elite, every-week status: In his past 42 regular-season games, he has thrown for multiple touchdowns 21 times and three or more 11 times, and he has thrown for 250-plus yards 17 times and 300-plus eight times.
• Even with my having explained the basis for these rankings in the season-opening edition -- you can read it again if you're interested -- it seems many readers don't fully grasp the concept of "year-to-end" ranks. We're ranking only for remaining games, folks, and to give a sense of what that entails, this week I composed a somewhat rudimentary spreadsheet to calculate strength of remaining schedule. It entailed totaling opponents' fantasy points per game allowed in each remaining matchup. Guess whose schedule ranks second-worst? (Matchups-proof Drew Brees was worst.) Matt Ryan, whose Atlanta Falcons face eight of the 13 best at limiting quarterback fantasy points (CIN, TB, BAL, @STL, @TB, @CAR, NO, CAR) and play only two more games against teams ranked the 19 most likely to allow them (GB, @SEA). In fact, his next five matchups are his worst: CIN (seventh-toughest), bye week, TB (13th), BAL (third), @STL (12th). Suddenly I'm not so convinced he's going to finish among the top 10 at his position.
• Mark Sanchez's seven-point Week 6 serves as a painful reminder that he's still closer to the realm of fantasy-irrelevant than clear-cut fantasy starter. (Stress: Put those designations on either side of a scale and see which side the needle edges toward.) Not that I'm trying to knock his skills; the point is more that he's the victim of being a game-manager quarterback behind a run-based offense, at least at this stage of his career. For instance, the New York Jets are on pace for 515 rushing attempts this season after an NFL-high 607 last season, but only 477 passing attempts after an NFL-low 393 last season. There will be times when Sanchez steps up to win a fantasy matchup on his own, but when he's incapable of exploiting a soft secondary like Denver's, it's fair to question how much of a matchups play he really is. My ranking demonstrates his ability to be fantasy-backup material, but somehow I feel as though Kevin Kolb would be smarter bench fodder if only we knew for sure Kolb was going to start for several more weeks.
• The Detroit Lions reportedly were thisclose to inserting inactive No. 3 quarterback Matthew Stafford (shoulder) into their Week 6 game after Shaun Hill had exited and Drew Stanton took a hard hit. That situation, coupled with Stafford having been in consideration to start the contest, is indication enough that he'll resume starter's duties once the team returns from bye in Week 8. Hill's broken forearm might firm up the Lions' quarterback picture and is almost entirely responsible for Stafford's two-spot bump, but I won't elevate him further until we get a clearer sense whether his shoulder injury might have lingering effects on his throwing.
• He's coming off arguably his best effort all year, and therefore there might be a bit of low-level buzz swirling around him, but Matt Cassel has yet to completely earn my confidence. Don't overlook that despite his matchup against perhaps the worst secondary in all of football in the Houston Texans, Cassel attempted only 29 passes to 38 rushing attempts by his Kansas City Chiefs, eight of those in the final three drives after the Texans had rallied back into the game. The Chiefs clearly don't trust him as a leading man and prefer him in a game-manager role, meaning his value is based in the pick-and-choose from rare, extremely favorable matchups. But Cassel did rise four spots in my rankings, and here's why: In my aforementioned "strength of schedule" exercise, he actually turned up No. 1. To break it down further: Six of Cassel's next seven matchups are against the 10 worst teams in terms of fantasy points per game allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and the seventh is against the Arizona Cardinals, who rank 13th. A thought: Consider him as a bye-week plug-in for the next month, then sell high before the Nov. 24 trade deadline in ESPN.com standard leagues. After all, you are not going to want to trust this guy during the fantasy playoffs; to that point, his schedule from Weeks 14-16 ranks dead last.
Top 60 running backs
• One of the challenges of the year-to-end rankings column is that news constantly changes in sports, and in this particular week, we have the trade deadline arriving at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, or several hours after we publish. (If anything big changes by then, don't worry, it'll be addressed.) For instance, you might have heard whispers that the Baltimore Ravens might trade Willis McGahee, after the veteran had nary a touch in Week 6, and the prevailing thought is that any McGahee deal would be a huge plus for Ray Rice's value. My reaction: Does McGahee's status matter all that much? Rice proved a week earlier that he had recaptured the goal-line role, and he has 55 carries and 67 touches the past two games combined, more than enough proof that the every-down gig is his. Your instinct might be to drop Rice a few spots after he managed a disappointing 11 fantasy points on Sunday, or an outside-the-top-10-running-backs number, but I think it's smarter to recognize he's a workhorse who still boasts top-five talent and rank him accordingly, whether McGahee is traded or not. One huge plus for Rice: His playoff-weeks (Weeks 14-16) schedule couldn't look tastier: @HOU, NO, @CLE.
• Speaking of horses, I present you Steven Jackson, a back so resilient I'm convinced he'd try to play through a broken leg if it was physically possible. Jackson has carried the football 20-plus times in each of the past three weeks and 76 times total during that span, and that's in light of a groin injury that by all accounts was supposed to shelve him in Week 3. I've heard all the anti-Jackson arguments -- he's injury-prone, he's on a bad team -- but the guy churns out double-digit fantasy games as efficiently as anyone. It'd take a lot for me to remove him from my top 10.
• Want to know who has the most favorable schedule among running backs the remainder of the season? It's new Seattle Seahawks starter Marshawn Lynch, who managed a respectable 44 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in his debut with his new team. Lynch's schedule is overwhelmingly favorable the next seven weeks, with five of those matchups against teams that rank among the 10 most fantasy points allowed per game to the position. That could paint him as another sell-high candidate as the ESPN trade deadline approaches next month, but for now it means he's right on the fringe of No. 2/flex value.
• If there is any running back currently outside my top 25 who seems a logical candidate to make a Lynch-like jump into (or just outside of) the top 20 in future weeks, Felix Jones is it. The Dallas Cowboys have been preaching for weeks that they intended to increase Jones' workload, and sure enough, they did on Sunday, giving him a career-high 24 touches a week after he had set a new personal best in that same category (19). Part of that might be their distaste for Marion Barber, who looks like an older back than he is and hasn't adapted well to a more limited role, but let's credit Jones for his improvement in the receiving department. His 10 catches were a career high and actually represent more than 25 percent of his entire career total in the category.
• Ryan Torain is another such candidate, but although he exploded for 100 yards and two scores in Week 6, remember that the matchup played completely into his hands. In a typical week, he might finish with two-thirds the yardage and be only a 50-50 bet to score, with his primary limitation that he's not quite as adept a blocker or pass-catcher as backup Keiland Williams. Williams will get his touches, and probably enough so that Torain doesn't quite rise to top-20 levels.
• A similar thing could be said for Chris Ivory, though there are two important differences: Ivory is a more explosive runner than Torain, and he has more competition for touches in the New Orleans Saints' backfield. Pierre Thomas (ankle) and Reggie Bush (leg) are on the mend, with both perhaps due back within the next two weeks, and that dilutes the backfield considerably. Ivory is a worthwhile pickup, but he's highly unlikely to gobble up two-thirds or more of the Saints' touches, at least not once one or both are back in action.
Top 60 wide receivers
• With word that DeSean Jackson will miss at least the Philadelphia Eagles' Week 7 contest and perhaps more time after their Week 8 bye, I'm dropping him from my top 10 and am tempted to slide him down several more spots. Both he and Jeremy Maclin, the man who benefits most during Jackson's absence, are comparable values accounting for Jackson's potential missed time, although the truth is that there's enough to go around in the Eagles' offense for Jackson to be a top-10 option, and Maclin a top-20 in his own right, when both are healthy.
• It's a similar decision between Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, who both rank in my 20s this week, although there's enough depth in the Indianapolis Colts' pass attack that either one could be a top-15 candidate if we only knew one clearly would be the one more targeted. Unfortunately, Garcon did enough last season to warrant a substantial role in the offense, but Collie has impressed enough out of the slot this season that he's not about to be relegated to a little-used option. In Week 6, Collie had more targets (9 to 7), but Garcon had more fantasy points (16 to 11). It might be a lot like that in future weeks.
• Roy E. Williams is back on the fantasy radar, and he can thank the presence of Dez Bryant, who deepens the Cowboys' aerial attack enough that he's finding his spots. Many of those have come in the red zone: He has four targets in those situations the past two weeks combined, three of those caught for touchdowns, and six in five games this season. Many fantasy owners gave up on Williams last season, but it's time to call him a useful starter in all but the shallowest leagues.
• Speaking of past notable names getting back on the radar, we present Robert Meachem, who finally had a meaningful fantasy game in Week 6, catching four passes for 71 yards and a score. You've heard it said: The Saints have been employing a more conservative game plan with their top running backs (most notably Bush, a huge cog in their pass attack) injured, but this past Sunday, Drew Brees finally looked comfortable taking deep shots, which is where Meachem shines. Bush is due back in the next couple of weeks, and once he's back, Meachem might yet find his openings against the league's weaker defenses.
• Uber-deep sleeper of the week: Danario Alexander, an undrafted receiver who was promoted to the Rams' active roster just more than a week ago, yet might have a legitimate claim to the No. 1 receiver role in short time. He led the team in everything receiving-related on Sunday and had a pretty, 38-yard diving catch of a touchdown, quickly capitalizing upon an opportunity to be Sam Bradford's top target in the wake of Mark Clayton's season-ending injury. It's not enough to make Alexander a fantasy starter, but certainly he belongs on weekly pickup lists.
Top 30 tight ends
• We'll wait to see how much Antonio Gates' toe injury affects him during the midweek practices, but most accounts -- including one by the San Diego Union-Tribune on Monday -- had him potentially available for the team's Week 7 contest. Even if Gates needs to miss a game or two, it's difficult to argue against his remaining the No. 1 name on this list because he still has a substantial lead over the No. 2 tight end in fantasy points, Dustin Keller; his 88 easily tops Keller's 61. Gates remains tops of the tight end class in all healthy weeks, and although there are some questions surrounding his health this week, in terms of year-to-end rankings, it's foolish to adjust for one week when there might be nine more healthy, peak-value performances remaining in his tank.
• Jermichael Finley, meanwhile, drops off the list in light of his injured-reserve placement on Monday. The Green Bay Packers had considered keeping him on the roster in the hopes he might be ready come playoff (not fantasy playoff, playoff playoff) time, but a slew of injuries the past two weeks left them in a roster pinch. Finley can be safely dropped in all but deep keeper leagues, the only bright spot being that this is a season when tight end replacements are plentiful. I'd be happy enough with any of my current top 12 as my No. 1 option, and everyone through No. 20 (Benjamin Watson) is at least roster-worthy.
• Although Willis McGahee was the Week 6 oh-fer among the running backs, Visanthe Shiancoe earned that distinction among the tight ends, failing to generate a single target (or reception, as it follows). That means that in two games since the Randy Moss trade, Shiancoe has seven targets and two receptions, compared with 17 and 11 in his first three contests. Percy Harvin and Randy Moss, by comparison, each have 16 targets, and eight and nine receptions apiece, evidence that Brett Favre's focus has shifted deep in general. And in terms of red zone production -- which is where Shiancoe earned his draft-day price tag -- Greg Camarillo and Harvin each have one target, while Moss has been frequently targeted just outside that zone. This isn't a two-week cold spell; Shiancoe has dropped to fantasy-backup status.
• This might not be the ideal time to pounce, being that the Houston Texans are on bye in Week 7, but if you're in a competitive league in which being a week ahead of the curve is critical, hop aboard the Owen Daniels bandwagon. Still available in 43.0 percent of ESPN.com leagues, Daniels managed season highs in targets (7), receptions (5) and receiving yards (79) on Sunday and said after the game that his surgically repaired knee is just about back to full strength. The bye week's rest can only help him edge closer to 100 percent, and in an offense where the team's deep threats are also battling nagging bumps and bruises, Daniels might yet be leaned upon more in the season's second half. I'm not prepared to rank him as one yet, but he has the skills to be a top-10 fantasy option at his position.
• Colt McCoy sure looked like a capable-enough NFL starter, didn't he? You know those crutch arguments people tend to use in fantasy, like this one: Young quarterbacks tend to throw to their tight ends more often. It's a foolish assumption to make across the board, but in McCoy's case, it's probably true, especially in light of the head injuries suffered by wideouts Mohamed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs in Week 6. McCoy appeared completely comfortable looking to Benjamin Watson and, to a lesser degree, Evan Moore, and Watson for sure might be his preferred red zone target judging by the early returns. There might yet be a matchup for the onetime Patriot to be a worthwhile fantasy starter.
Top 32 defense/special teams
Top 100 overall
Tristan H. Cockcroft is a fantasy football analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here, or follow him on Twitter @SultanofStat.


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attacks continued after installing it... totally useless
Very simple idea well executed.
I have a profound love-hate relationship with most "monsters" security plugins a la wordfence & co... and this plugin is exactly the opposite : it does ONE thing but does it WELL !!!
A big thanks to the developer.
I tried numerous other plugins without result. After I installed Security-protection, the continuous attacks stopped. Thank you for developing and sharing such a great plugin, great work!
This plugin fights against brute force attacks using a very inteligent solution. It is like a Martial Arts Master. Congratulations to Webvitaly!
(I recommend Anti-Spam too, it works by the same principle)
I cannot tell how happy I am!
My site was under a bruteforce attack for over 28 hours. I used limited login attemps plugin and I have Wordfence installed, but none of these where able to stop the brute force attacker from trying to hack my site. I got several login attempts per minute.
Luckily I found this plugin and guess what, right after I installed it, no more brute force hacking. Great work developer thank you so much!!
Probably the easiest and non-commercial plugin to stop the botnet attack. Unfortunately, it might eat up the server resources. Great support on the developer side.
I'm on WordPress multisite with mapped domains. I have WordFence running and set to alert on failed logins and block additional attempts after a small number of failures from the same IP.
I set this plugin on two sites. This morning, emails from WordFence confirm those sites were hit by successive attempts from a bot network along with the other sites in the network.
The theory sounds good, but in fact, if it works like it is supposed to, I believe it should have kept the bots from attempting to login at all. It did not.
Hopefully there will be a better version or someone else who finds a fix for botnets. So far, this doesn't seem to be it.
The plugin is working very well. It completely stopped all the fake registrations and spam attempts on one of my websites.
Thank you! :)
I started using the WP plugin "Stream" and monitored my sites via RSS.
Then I looked into the plugin "WordFence". And also tried "Rename wp-login.php".
I haven't yet tried "Security-protection" but the idea is very good for right now.
What a waste of energy, and creativity, all this hacking, trying to break into accounts. People spent days, weeks, months behind their computers to invent more nonsense.
Thank you for his plugin ;-)
I think you should set the default to sending emails; this way admins get an idea that the plugin is working; then they can turn the emails off.
You must log in to submit a review. You can also log in or register using the form near the top of this page.


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J.Lo Goes For Old-School Glamour, And We're Loving It
Last night the lovely Miss Jennifer Lopez received the honor of her very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While being inducted into Tinseltown royalty is all well and good, what we're reeling from is her show-stopping ensemble. J.Lo took a departure from her usual divalicious glitter-and-curves combos, and instead opted for a demure Christian Dior full skirt. We love seeing the star go all retro for the festivities — and could that peach shade be any more perfect for her skin tone? Mazel on all counts, Jen.
Photo: Stewart Cook/Rex USA
- Celebs & Influencers |
- Dior |
- Fashion |
- Jennifer Lopez | Jennifer Lopez Walk Of Fame Outfit - Christian Dior
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Here is the solution to my problem: http://www.defusion.org.uk/archives/...iphone-safari/
Hey guys, I'm having a weird problem on the iphone/ipad with a design I am coding. Everything looks good in a regular browser, you can see the site here: removed
If you don't have an iphone or ipad to test, here is a screenshot of what it looks like:
as you can see the background image doesn't take up the whole page like it should. If anyone could help me out with this I would really appreciate it, I've been racking my brain and can't figure it out!


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Latest News
Jul 26, 2016
Less than four weeks to go to this year's Festival & Summer School. Come along to Armagh from 21st-28th August and enjoy some fabulous music.
Jul 15, 2016
Jack Oades is the winner of our Composition Competition.
Jul 12, 2016
In the 150th year since Charles Wood's birth, we are aiming to increase our number of Friends to 150.
Jun 30, 2016
Bookings may be made online. Please note however that this excludes individual lessons with Paul Farrington and participant slots in his vocal workshops; these can only be booked by contacting Armagh Visitor Information Centre.
Jun 29, 2016
Download a brochure here or request a copy from Armagh Visitor Information Centre.
Jun 20, 2016
Schola Cantorum of Santa Fe will give a lunchtime concert on Friday 1st July at 1pm in St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral.
Jun 16, 2016
On Wednesday 15 June, the Charles Wood Festival and Summer School celebrated the 150th anniversary of Charles Wood's birth with a special event held in Armagh Royal School.
Jun 15, 2016
On this day, 150 years ago, Charles Wood, Armagh's most famous and influential composer was born.
Jun 13, 2016
Bookings for participants in Paul Farrington's individual lessons and vocal workshops will open on Tuesday 14th June at 9am.
May 25, 2016
Programme details for our birthday celebrations with Professor Jeremy Dibble and the Charles Wood Ensemble, directed by Ian Keatley, are now available.
May 19, 2016
Internationally renowned vocal coach, Paul Farrington, will return as vocal consultant this year.
Apr 18, 2016
Book tickets here for our celebrations on 15th June to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Wood.
Apr 6, 2016
Not long left to get your applications in to become a member of the Charles Wood Singers. The closing date to submit forms is 16 April.
Apr 2, 2016
Full details of our Composers' Competition, including entry forms, are now available. The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 8 July 2016.
Mar 27, 2016
To mark the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Charles Wood, we are offering composers the unique opportunity of having a work recorded, broadcast and performed by the Charles Wood Singers, under the direction of Dr. David Hill, one of the UK's finest choral directors.
Mar 16, 2016
Application forms to become a member of the Charles Wood Singers are now available. The closing date for applications is 16th April 2016.
Mar 10, 2016
Join us as we celebrate the 150th birthday of Charles Wood on 15th June at 8pm in the Royal School Armagh with Professor Jeremy Dibble and the Charles Wood Ensemble.
Feb 11, 2016
This year's Charles Wood Festival of Music and Summer School will be held on 21st to 28th August.
Feb 4, 2016
Clips of the Charles Wood Singers performing at Sung Mass and the Gala Concert, and Music for Two Organs performed by David Hill and Philip Scriven, are available on YouTube.


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Read an Excerpt
Fair Warning
By Hannah Alexander
Steeple HillCopyright © 2006 Hannah Alexander
All right reserved.
Willow Traynor's eyes opened to the blackness of deep night as the noise and flash of an overbusy dream receded into the mist of her subconscious.
She held her breath as her eyes adjusted to the square edges of the dresser across the room, the dim reflection of light in the mirror, the ghostly drift of gauzy white curtains above the heat register. Something had awakened her.
She knew the dream had not been a nightmare, because in the past two years it seemed as if nightmares had become her constant companions. She would have recognized the aftereffects. She didn't feel them now — no racing heart, no night sweats, no rush of relief upon waking to discover that she was still alive.
Something else, then. A noise? Perhaps a passing car, or a boat on the lake? The neighbors in the apartment complex? Sometimes the two little Jameson girls got rambunctious late at night, and Mrs. Bartholomew in the unit next door called to complain.
Willow sat up and peered toward the small digital numbers on the nightstand clock. Two-thirty, April 1. Probably wasn't the children.
It might be something as insignificant as the unfamiliar silence. Even after two weeks she hadn't yet adjusted to the move — or rather, the escape — from bustling Kansas City to her brother's rural log cabinsix miles south of Branson in the Missouri Ozarks. Major change.
She had never lived this far out in the country. Although the eight-unit apartment lodge her brother managed meant they weren't exactly isolated from civilization, it was nothing like city life. Living in the cabin, situated on the shore of Table Rock Lake, was more like being on permanent vacation. Willow still struggled to come to grips with the comparative solitude.
As she stared into darkness, the square of sliding glass door at the far end of her room seemed to emit a pulsing glow. She blinked to clear her vision, but the glow increased. Headlights from a boat on the lake, perhaps? Except she heard no sound of a boat motor.
She turned her back to the light and plumped her pillow. "None of my business anyway," she whispered into the darkness.
Her brother, Preston, certainly didn't want her help keeping track of the renters. As he'd told her several times in the past two weeks, she needed to take a break and heal.
After a little more than twenty-three months, she'd almost given up hope of that. True, she no longer relived the night she'd received the visit from the police chief to tell her that her husband had been killed in the line of duty. At least, she didn't relive it every single night. Maybe more like once a week now.
And she no longer had the nightly awakenings to cries of her forever unborn child. Only a couple of times a week did she cringe when someone invaded her personal space.
People did that all the time now, because her personal space had extended, in the past twenty-three months, to include whatever room she was in. She usually allowed people she knew into her personal space, but there were still those times when she could do nothing but withdraw from the world.
Since two attempts had been made on her own life after Travis was killed, she'd found herself suspecting practically everyone. She had known when she married Travis that he had one of the most dangerous jobs imaginable — not only was he a cop, but he was an undercover narcotics agent.
Here in Missouri, the Bible belt, the heart of the nation, a war raged against illegal drugs, particularly methampheta-mines. She had never dreamed the danger would extend to the cop's family. But with Travis's death, it most certainly had.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, exhaled, tempting sleep with as much entreaty as she could muster, willing her body to relax. The art of relaxing had become a lost skill for her.
Since arriving here in the middle of March, she'd assured herself daily that the only things she had to fear in this place were her memories. If she died, it would be a side effect of the grief that had imprisoned her since the day she lost Travis.
There's nothing out there. It's your imagination. Again. Wasn't that what everybody kept telling her? Even Preston. They hadn't exactly told her they thought she was imagining the attempts on her life, but after the investigations turned up no evidence of foul play, she had felt her friends and her brother looking at her differently.
Try as she might, her eyes refused to remain closed. A faint flash of light greeted her again from the wall. She sighed and rolled from the bed, irritated by her exaggerated sense of responsibility. Maybe one of the renters was wandering around the yard with a flashlight, or maybe there was a party going on.
She slipped noiselessly to the glass door and unlatched it. All she needed was to prove to herself that no one hovered in the shadows watching her, waiting for her to go back to sleep so they could pounce.
And yet, what if someone was there this time?
She slid the door open and frowned. She caught a faint whiff of smoke, with an underlying scent of something else, pungent and strong.
What was it? Turpentine? Like the bottle of stuff Preston had been using in the shed a couple of days ago? No. Not turpentine...kerosene?
Her frown deepened. Had Preston left the door open to the utility shed in the back? He'd spilled some gasoline on his clothes yesterday when he was working on the boat motor, preparing it for the coming warm days of spring.
She sniffed again. Smoke. Fuel.
She caught her breath. Smoke? "Preston!" she cried over her shoulder. "Fire!"
She shoved the door wide and dashed onto the cold deck. The wood chilled her bare feet. The odor of smoke blasted her. She scrambled down the steps and around the west side of the cabin, racing between it and the east wall of the apartment lodge.
Light flared as she reached the front corner of the cabin. To her horror, she saw several jagged lines of flame streaking across the yard — snakes of fire, winding through the darkness.
She blinked and stared, stumbling in the grass, fighting confusion. What was going on? The flames pitched in headlong flight directly toward the cabin.
"Preston!" she screamed. "Oh, Lord, help us!" Please, let this be another dream.
She raced toward the front door. She couldn't shake the impression that she'd stepped into one of those B movies where a long, glowing fuse raced toward a bomb. Fuses. That was what those ribbons of flame looked like.
Before she reached the front steps, she saw her brother's dark form stumbling out the door onto the porch.
"Get away!" he called. "Willow, get —"
A curtain of flames suddenly blasted across the wooden porch with all the force of an explosion. Preston leaped free of the fire and caught Willow in a tackle that rocked her backward. They crashed into the privacy hedge separating the cabin's yard from the wider lawn encircling the entire complex.
He shoved her forward, through the hedge. She cried out as roots and stones bruised her bare feet. Preston kept pushing her farther from the danger.
They collapsed into the grass. "Willow, you okay?" Preston asked, his deep voice harsh with alarm, breathing as if he'd run for miles.
"Yes. What's happening?" She stumbled to her feet and drew back the hedge branches to stare at the fire, nearly deafened by the roar.
He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around to face him. "Listen, Willow, help me get the others out. I'll call 9-1-1 as soon as I get to a phone, so don't worry about that, just get the people out of here! Take the top level, I'll take the bottom, but keep a close watch on the fire."
She swallowed hard, her attention returning to the holocaust as if she were a human moth.
He took her by the shoulders, his fingers digging into her flesh with urgency. "Willow, go now. Hurry!"
Slipping on the damp grass, she scrambled toward the first unit. The lodge was built into a hillside, so both floors were at ground level, and both had scenic views of the lake below.
She reached unit One A and pounded on the door as she rang the doorbell, remembering the two little girls and their single mom who lived there.
"Sandi!" she shouted. "Get the girls and get out. Sandi, please wake up!"
She glanced over her shoulder. Preston was gone. Fire engulfed the cabin. Smoke billowed into the sky, casting an eerie glow. It was crazy! Those streaks of fire...like fuses... what was happening? As she watched, headlights came on about a quarter of a mile away, brushing the treetops with their probing beams.
No one answered at Sandi Jameson's apartment. Willow picked up a decorative flowerpot on the porch and flung it through the glass pane in the door. The crash of shattering glass should have awakened anyone inside.
"Sandi?" she shouted through the gaping hole. "Fire! Get out of there. Now!" She reached through the window, fumbled for the door latch and snapped it open, catching her right arm on a glass shard as she withdrew her hand. The sharp point sliced through the tender flesh of her inner forearm.
Gasping, she bent over with the shock of pain. There was no time to deal with it. She shoved her way inside. No light, no one came running into the room. Could they be gone?
She rushed through a kitchen cluttered with dirty dishes and trash of unbelievable proportions, past the living room. She found her way to the bedrooms at the far west end of the hall.
She heard a startled squeal through one of the doors and burst inside to find Sandi's two little girls, Brittany and Lucy, huddled together on the lower level of a set of bunk beds. They wore tattered, oversize T-shirts for nightgowns.
"Girls, it's okay," Willow said, rushing to them. "We've got to get out of this apartment now. Where's your mother?"
"Sissy, she's bloody!" five-year-old Brittany wailed, clinging to her older sister.
Willow looked down at her right arm and saw the blood dripping at a rate that alarmed her. "It's okay, honey. I'll take care of it later. Right now we've got to get you out of here. Please tell me where your mother is."
"Not here," said seven-year-old Lucy. "We can't leave the apartment. Mom said never leave the apartment when she's not here."
"Your mother's gone?"
The girls stared at her, one pair of green eyes and one pair of brown eyes wide with apprehension.
"Your mother will want you to leave this time," Willow said. "I need to get you out of here to safety. You can trust me. I'm not going to hurt you." She reached for Brittany, who cried out and backed away, staring at Willow's arm.
"But what's wrong? What's happening?" Lucy asked.
"Preston's cabin is on fire." Willow forced her voice to remain gentle and reassuring, though she felt anything but calm. "We need to get you out of here because the cabin is too close to the lodge."
"A fire?" Brittany wailed.
"It's okay, I'll get you to safety." Willow would deal with the negligent mother later. She switched on the overhead light and reached into the connecting bathroom for a towel.
In deference to the squeamish child, she wrapped her wound with the not-so-clean towel, then scooped the youngster into her arms and grabbed the older sister's hand. "Girls, you'll have to trust me. This way."
Brittany trembled in Willow's arms, but held tightly around her neck and burrowed against her shoulder.
There were more people who needed to be warned. Would she reach them all in time?
Excerpted from Fair Warning by Hannah Alexander Copyright © 2006 by Hannah Alexander. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.


text:
nickitodd31 on Jul 15, 2016
love these - just perfect
turtlepie on Jul 7, 2016
Card was a hit. Thanks!
Put what you had in mind, down on paper.
[ahr-ki-tet] - The realm of architecture... but with a little flair!
Specialzing in elegant and classic stationery, invitations, prints, wedding stationery and more. Put what you had in mind, down on paper.
In 2005, the idea of "Architette Studios" was born while Jennifer Bishop was attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York in pursuit of her Bachelors of Architecture. [ahr-ki-teht] - She drew, painted and illustrated in the realm of architecture... but with a little flair! After graduation and a few years in the field of architecture, she realized it was not her true calling.
In 2009, "Architette Studios" launched as an online shop featuring handcrafted elegant and classic custom stationery, invitations, prints, wedding stationery and more.
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