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Dante'S Infanzia Chapter 17: I Am Mine
Written by: Personalias
Everything had come down to this: Dante's death, the Judy's, Lysa, Midori, the Newborn Room, Caroline, regressing, Jamal, Vivian, Kevin, his Grandparents, the truth about Lysa, approaching the threshold, finding his anchor, singing, standing, being punished, Saint Jude, things getting even worse, and now this. Dante was about to commit his one last act of defiance against the forces of Heaven and their jailors in Limbo. They would see the mortals in their care as something to be respected, not manipulated; that they were more than just simple children to be rewarded or punished as deemed appropriate.
Some very small part of Dante questioned himself; felt guilty. Maybe the Judy's were doing the right thing in the long run. Then he remembered that the Devil was once an angel as well. Not even angels were perfect. They only held onto that pretense. These things were just as capable of fault, pride, and monstrousness as any sentient creature. They just had special tools to help them in their designs. Hopefully Dante's plan would shock them bad enough to where they'd think twice, but he wasn't doing this for them. Not at all. Fuck them with a giant spoon and twist it sideways.
Dante always thought that guilt was the last thing to go. Apparently not. He had so many other emotions running through him that he couldn't register them all. Anger, fear, hope, even a little bit of pride. He'd never felt like this.
He counted to a hundred slowly, as the stroller moved along the winding narrow path. Then he counted backwards from a hundred just to be sure. He wanted to be at about the half-way point before he started, too far away from Limbo or Heaven for reinforcements to arrive in time to make a difference. It was fortunate that the Judy in the green dress hadn't stripped him of his ability to count. Dante smiled. Then again, maybe she did, and he was just taking it back anyways.
Dante knew exactly what song he wanted to use. It wasn't "You Gotta Keep 'Em Separated", but he liked it better in this instance. "You Gotta Keep 'Em Separated" was a story about punk kids that shirked responsibility and consequences. "You're under 18 you won't be doing any time. Come out and play." That wasn't who Dante was anymore.
This song, Dante's new song, was about all the wonderful things that people had inside of them, and how they shouldn't shut those things away. They'd be incomplete without them. It was about how indomitable the human spirit was and how in the end, everything was going to be okay. That was Dante now. It wasn't what people wanted him to be, but it was what he chose to become.
Dante started tapping his foot in the stroller, counting to himself to keep the beat. It was in 3/4 time so it was trickier than your average pop song. The strongest part of the beat came on the downbeat at the beginning. Kind of like a waltz. ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three. Okay Judy, let's dance.
Dante began to sing, just barely above a whisper. Weaving his final, greatest spell. He sang:
"the selfish, they are all standing in line,
faithing and hoping to buy themselves time.
me i figure as each breath goes by,
i only own my mind."
He felt the strength and coordination return to his arms. He could picture the words in his head, with actual letters.
"the north is to south, what the clock is to time.
there's east and there's west and there's everywhere life.
i know i was born and i know that i'll die,
the in-between is mine.
i. am. mine."
Lysa looked over at him. She had heard. She started tearing up in realization. She mouthed the words "No". Dante kept going into the chorus. Louder this time, with pride, so that Judy could hear. He unbuckled himself from the stroller.
"When the meaning gets left behind,
All the innocence lost at one time"
The stroller stopped suddenly. It shook a little as the angel tried to unsuccessfully spank Dante through the back of the stroller. It was too padded and reinforced to make it through. Dante sang on in wait.
"Significant behind the eyes"
Dante looked to his left and waited. With the road being so narrow, it was Judy's only route.
"There's no need to hide."
He reached out and jabbed the Judy in the stomach. The angel wasn't used to full strength contact and doubled over.
"We're safe tonight!"
Dante lunged sideways out of the stroller, and like a tiger swiped at his captor's head. A smile formed on his lips and Eddie Vedder's guitar riff sounded that much louder when he saw her ear plugs fall out. Dante glanced around. Just like last time, every angel that could hear his voice was still and entranced.
Especially, to his satisfaction, the Judy in the nursery scrubs. Time to bring it home.
He stood up on his own two feet.
He ripped off the blue baby t-shirt.
The diaper followed.
He strode up to the Judy, the hairs on his body sprouting out of him, stubble coating his face. Dante reared his fist back….
The Judy stumbled back from the force of Dante's blow and tumbled off the side, down through the celestial sky. Apparently, having never been designed or purposed to leave Heaven or Limbo, these so-called angels lacked wings. Dante nodded his approval and grinned. His turn now.
"What in God's name is happening to the Judy's, Molly?!" a familiar voice rang out in the stillness. Dante's head whipped around. His grandparents were no more than 30 feet from him. What were they doing here? He turned to face them.
"Frank, he's staring at us…and he's naked," Grandma whispered a little too loudly. "Do something."
"Uh…sorry to interrupt." Grandpa stammered. "We got permission to walk on down this road and pick up our grandson early so we could spend some more time with him." Dante saw that Grandma was holding a child's potty under her arms, and Grandpa had a package of what could only have been Pull-Ups.
"Wait a second, Frank." Dante's grandmother said, squinting at Dante. "He looks just like our Bobby did when he was a teen-" then it clicked.
"Dante?!" they both said in unison. The plastic potty chair rattled as it was dropped to the ground.
Dante smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, but it was for them. An idea occurred to him.
"Hey Grandma, hey Grandpa!" he shouted. "Tell everyone what you saw here, and give my regards to the Big Guy. Pass this along to Him for me, would ya, Grandpa?" Dante raised his middle finger in the air. His grandparents didn't move. Only nodded.
Dante peered over the side. Nothing but clouds blocking his view, but Dante knew what lay below them. Here goes nothing.
Dante felt a hand grab his wrist. A Judy. It had been too long since he had stopped singing. He spun around and swung his fist at top speed. His fist stopped an inch from connecting with Lysa's face.
LYSA! She was standing…SHE WAS STANDING! Just like him she was standing, and completely naked.
"Please don't go." she said, looking into his eyes.
"How?" Dante asked. "How did you-?"
"As soon as I realized you were singing, I started talking to myself. Lying. I kept telling myself lies again and again, and next thing I know, here I am."
"What lie did you tell yourself?" Dante questioned.
"That everything was going to be okay." A single tear danced down her face.
They just stood there. Holding each other between two after-lives. Not a word was spoken. Enough words had been spoken, lies had been told, and songs had been sung to last an eternity. Dante surveyed his battle field.
Judy's were starting to come to, shaking their heads as if they were waking from a dream. As soon as they laid eyes upon Dante and Lysa, the Judy's gasped. No shouting of "Orpheus" or "Contact the Saint." No battle cries or bum rushes. Instead, each angel knelt down and bowed their head.
They were in the presence of the Adam and Eve of Limbo. These two were idealized perfection about to fall from Grace. Whether from some form of reverence or pity, the Judy's all stayed their hand, and waited.
"Come with me," Dante whispered.
Lysa shook her head. "I can't," she told him. "I can't leave Caroline. Stay with me. Don't go to Hell. You don't deserve that."
"We all deserve it," Dante said.
"Doesn't mean it shouldn't be avoided at all costs.", she pleaded. She hugged him harder. "I'm not letting you go, Dante. I refuse."
"BOY!" an ancient voice boomed out. "STOP THIS MADNESS!" It was Saint Jude. Floating in the air above them. "STOP THIS AT ONCE AND I SHALL SHOW YOU LENIENCY!" He commanded.
"SORRY OLD MAN!" Dante shouted back defiantly. "YOU DON'T GET TO MAKE THE RULES! NOT THIS TIME!" He leaned over and whispered in Lysa's ear. "I love you. I'll always love you. I am so sorry." Then with all his might he bit down into her ear. Her screams echoed out into the open air. The Judy's all covered their ears at the sound of her pain. Dante torqued his neck and clamped down on her ear.
With horrendous effort, followed by a sickening ripping sound, Lysa's ear came lose in Dante's mouth. She let go of him and covered herself retreating back into the fetal position. The hair on her womanhood was already beginning to recede. Dante spit the ear down next to her so it could be reattached. Then, he took a step back and unfolded his arms, mimicking a cross. He fell back into nothingness.
He freefell into oblivion, past the clouds. The scene changed to an ever darkening night sky, the stars twinkling like candles in the background. Long drop. Very long drop. Dante's descent seemed to slow for an instant.
"NO!" Saint Jude's voice boomed from the clouds. "I CANNOT LET THIS PASS!" In half a second, he was on Dante, his gnarled hands reaching out to snatch him up and drag him back to Limbo.
"NOT THIS TIME MOTHER FUCKER!" Dante roared. "THIS TIME, YOU LOSE!" Dante swatted away the old man's hands with one arm and struck at him with another. Dante felt a satisfying crunch as he connected, breaking the self-righteous bastard's nose. Not dismayed, Saint Jude reached down and grabbed Dante by the wrist. Dante's fall slowed to a stop. Jude's grip like a vice. Dante dangled helplessly by his wrist.
It couldn't end this way. It just couldn't. Through sheer willpower Dante pulled himself up and bit into the Saint's arm. The old man cried out in pain as Dante tore with his mouth like a dog with a bone. (Thanks Dori) Blood poured into Dante's mouth…so a Saint could bleed after all.
The grip on Dante's wrist loosened and Dante didn't hesitate to swing with his free hand. He stiffened his palm and swung his hips the opposite direction as he connected with the Saint's elbow. A sickening, satisfying cracking of bones greeted Dante's ears, and Dante laughed in the old man's face as his elbow bent the wrong way.
"Finally free", he thought, as he fell into the blackness. Finally Free. He was a man.
Dante was awake before he opened his eyes. Either that or he was in complete darkness. Soft tinkling music permeated the air, like a lullaby.
"Wakey wakey, baby Dante," a Judy's voice caught his ear. "Time to get up and start your first day." He hadn't made it out after all. He slowly opened his eyes.
Wooden bars were in front of him. He was in a crib, again. The fleecy feeling on his skin told him he was in footie pajamas and the crinkle and bulge between his legs confirmed he was back in diapers. Something was wrong though. A Judy peered down at him in the crib, smiling wickedly. Not just any Judy though; the Judy in the nursery scrubs. His Judy. And she was enormous.
He brought his hands up in front of his eyes. They were tiny, pudgy little things. He reached to the top of his head and felt only a few wisps of hair poking out. He screamed in shock and a high pitched squeal came out instead. She wasn't giant; he was now in the body of a baby. Fuck! He had to sing, he had to sing, he had to sing. He had to get out of this place!
"Blabble abbbble goo gaa!" came out of his mouth instead of any actual words or identifiable melody.
"Poor, poor, STUPID…BABY…DANTE!" the nanny said mockingly. Her eyes literally flashed red for an instant. "You couldn't think of any worse torture than being treated like a baby for all time. Well you know what? Neither could we." She unbuttoned her blouse and reached down and picked Dante up. "We just made some improvements."
"I was sooooo mad at you when you knocked me off the path." she continued, "Taking care of little babies just like you was all I knew how to do. But now, I have a new name and a new purpose. And that purpose is making sure that you're the best baby ever!" She brought Dante's lips closer to her nipple and shoved his face in.
Dante cried as he began suckling. All hope abandoned. All bravado drained.
"Don't worry though, baby Dante," the fallen angel cooed as she stroked Dante's bald head, every word honeyed with venom. "this isn't angel milk, any more. You won't forget who you are, or regress, or anything. But I'll still get to feed you and burp you and dress you and change your diapers and bathe you and read to you and play silly little games with you. You'll just be a big strong MAN trapped in a BABY'S body. Doesn't that sound fun? Mama Lucy will take such good care of you."
It had been three days since Dante had leapt into Hell. Three days since Lysa had failed to stop him from going. Failed. Again. Failed. Failed. Failed. Lysa was a failure at everything. Lysa sat in her playpen feeling sorry for herself and mourning Dante. She had expected to be taken immediately to the Newborn Room and share a cot with Caroline for all eternity, but that's not what happened.
Instead, her ear was reattached with a kiss, she was redressed as a baby, and carried back to Limbo. All of Limbo had been in such disarray after Dante made his stand that she suspected that she had just slipped through the cracks and she would be punished for her part later when it was convenient.
New Judy's, one's she hadn't recognized, had been popping up all over the place, either transferred from other nurseries or created out of thin air. Lysa didn't know why. Her current caretaker had short black hair and brown eyes. Instead of nursery scrubs, she wore a modest white blouse and black skirt; just this side of school marm.
Other than that though, everything was still the same. Calling themselves "Mama Judy", cooing, tickling, feeding; the whole nine yards. Lysa had gained back control of her emotions, speaking, and all that other semi-adult stuff. It was almost as if Dante had never existed. She didn't have words for how awful she felt for thinking that.
The new Judy came over and checked her diaper. She was wet, she knew, but Lysa didn't bother telling her that.
"Ugggh" the angel groaned as she placed Lysa on her hip. "You're getting' heavy, Lysa. Pretty soon, Miss Judy isn't going to be able to carry you anymore." Miss Judy? Hadn't heard that one before. Where had that come from? Lysa shoved the thought from her mind before.
"A moment, if you please, Judy," a raspy voice called out. It was Saint Jude- the old man who had flown after Dante and only came back with a bloody nose and a broken arm. He looked fine now…if you could still look like an old prick and be fine, that is. No broken bones or anything.
"Please leave us," he instructed and the Judy complied. He pulled Lysa up so that she was sitting on the changing table. "I wish to talk." he said. Lysa just stared at him. She let her silence be her opening volley. The old man sighed. "We'll be putting up a guard rail along the narrow path so that something like this never happens again." There was a long silence.
"That's what you came to tell me?!" Lysa spat. The old man opened his mouth. Then closed it again. He shook his head.
"Ye-…No.", he replied. "What I really wanted to say was that I am sorry for your loss. The boy was very special to you. Given time he could have been something special to all of us."
"His name is Dante," she scolded, "and this is all your fault."
"I am aware," Saint Jude replied. "Now I am anyways. I did not realize that the Judy's were capable of such cruelties, that they would resort to the sort of treatment that pushed the boy…Dante, to his act of rebellion. I am Regent of Limbo, but there are many more nurseries than this one, and I am not omniscient. I wasn't alerted until it was too late."
"How's your boss taking the news?" Lysa asked, looking for something to rub in the Saint's face.
"The Father was less than amused when an old man told him the story of his grandson rebelling against his treatment and then gave Him the finger. Do worry," he added, "the Lord did not unleash his anger upon the messenger."
"Who did He release it on?" Lysa pressed.
"There's the less than satisfying part." the Saint conceded. " The two conspirators that set this into motion- one is already in Hell, and the other was allowed to be unmade. She chose non-existence over an eternity in the Inferno and so the Lord unmade her. Beyond that, it is up to me to decide where we go from here.. A task that I do not enjoy, but…I am the Saint of Lost Causes. It is my duty."
"So what now?" Lysa asked.
"First and foremost," the old man spoke, "we'll be changing the rules around here. Any resident of Limbo who can maintain their hold on themselves for more than a month without slipping back into innocence will be given the option of moving to a different section of the nursery. There they will be cared for as infants- physically at least- but they will be given the respect they deserve as dignified, intelligent, and experienced human beings. Those that wish to become as they once were in the beginning will of course be allowed to stay and embrace their innocence." Lysa waited.
"That's it?" she finally asked.
"For now," the Saint said as he turned around and began to walk away.
"That's not fair!" Lysa called out after him, still sitting on the changing table in a wet diaper. Saint Jude stopped in his tracks and spun around. He marched up to Lysa, lightning flashing in his eyes.
"Not fair?" he asked, "You know what's not fair? Postponing your eternal reward for a lifetime of devotion and-"
THWACK! Lysa slapped the old man across the face. He just gawked, rubbing his cheek.
"No!" Lysa stared him in the face. Unblinking. "You don't get to play that card. You're not the martyr right now. You don't deserve that feeling of being right, cause you're not!"
"This is my fault," the old man repeated. "But I am not perfect. To err is human, to forgive di-"
"Quit that!" Lysa scolded. "You don't get to do some prepared speech or wise old saying, shrug, wink, and then walk away. You talk to me like I'm a person damn it!" Saint Jude was taken aback. No one in Limbo spoke to him this way. No one.
"I'm sorry…" Saint Jude stuttered at the girl.
"You could have saved him." she insisted.
"I don't think I could," Jude defended himself. "I honestly don't think I could have. He wanted to go, and if I had pursued him any further, I would have gone to Hell myself. I have no power there. Everything of me is invested in this place. I'd be trapped, just like him." All of the pomp deflated out of the man. Practiced humility gave way to the genuine article. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I could have done. None of the other Saints could have either. They're already in their appointed roles and tasks. We can't defy our purpose, girl. We just can't."
"Just because he wanted to go destroy himself, doesn't mean you let him," Lysa countered, her righteous anger building. "You don't let a baby touch a hot stove or bang their head against the wall, do you? And even if you couldn't have saved him, you could have tried harder. Some things are worth fighting for, even if you know you'll lose."
Saint Jude looked up. "What did you say, girl?"
"You heard me," she folded her arms across her chest. The old man smiled for the first time.
"My dear," the Saint said looking her in the eye. "I can't believe I'm actually getting to say this, but you don't belong here anymore. You've grown up."
"Huh?" Lysa was confused. "I died when I was 16. I don't' go to Hell. I won't leave Caroline."
"No, you're not going there. Not yet, anyways. As for your daughter, we normally don't allow babies to leave Limbo for any long period of time. But exception can be made…for Saints." His eyes twinkled with happiness and mischief. Lysa didn't know what to make of this. "I have a present for you." he said as he reached under the changing table. "It's not much, but it's a start."
He lifted her up off the changing table and set her down. She was standing on her two feet again, under her own power. She was so frightened she was shaking. With his free hand, Saint Jude untapped her diaper and let the sodden garment plop down to the floor. He took a baby wipe and cleaned her between her legs while she stood. Lysa dared not move.
Then he showed her what he had in his free hand. He presented her with a diaper. No quite, actually. It wasn't white. It was pink with a picture of Cinderella on it. It was thinner too, and no tapes. Kind of like a cross between regular underwear and a diaper, Training panties, Pull-Ups. Lysa started to cry. The moment that she never thought was going to happen was happening.
Saint Jude popped the training pants open. Lysa stepped into the leg holes and he slid the Pull-Ups up her hips and around her waist.
"It won't be easy," he said to her. "And it will take a while. Possibly longer than you've even been here, but I think you're ready." He stood up and gave her a hug.
"Lysa Strata. Your training begins today." Lysa was still trembling.
"Judy!" the Saint called out. The Judy came. "There seems to have been a change of plans. Lysa does not belong here anymore. She's grown too big. I want her enrolled in the Purgatory Pre-School immediately!" He laughed.
"Oh, Lysa, I am so proud of you!" the Judy beamed, and took the girl by the hand. Walking her out of Limbo. "You're such a big girl now! I have got just the cutest little outfit in mind for you.
A purple shirt with some matching pants, and the cutest little white sneakers. You'll love them! Then there will be your big girl bed and your big girl clothes and your big girl-" Lysa tuned her out, lost in her. A whole universe was opening back up to her. But most importantly of all, she had a hope.
"Hold on Dante, everything's going to be okay" she promised, not a lie this time. "I'll come for you."
The author would like to dedicate this story to his wonderful wife.
She found out my secret, loved me for it anyways and married me.
Without her encouragement, this story would never have been written and I would still be lurking on these sites, too afraid to even post a comment, dreaming
Special thanks to all who read this story and commented on it. It was good to know that there were people actually reading what I wrote. It made the vastness of cyber-space feel a little less empty.
It's been a crazy ride. Thank you all for riding it with me.
Source: http://www.dailydiapers.com/board/index.php?showtopic=34668&pid=561199&st=80&#entry561199
You can find more story's like this one posted on My ABDL Life. The only thing you need to do is to check out this page to find them.


text: Facing Elko in the final section game of the season, the Miesville Mudhens already got out of a jam in the eighth inning with runners on the corners. And in the ninth, Miesville relief pitcher Erik Olson had trouble closing out the game as the Express loaded the bases with two outs. But Miesville was able to persevere as Olson forced John Parker into a pop up that let the Mudhens leave Jack Ruhr Field with a 5-4 victory and the No.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mercedes Special Edition SL Mille Miglia 417 celebrates anniversary of surprise winView gallery - 7 images
Mercedes has unveiled a special edition of its SL Roadster. The SL Special Edition Mille Miglia 417 celebrates the unexpected victory of a 300 SL in the Mille Miglia endurance race 60 years ago. Among its features are improved performance and upgraded comfort features.
Mercedes says that the 300 SL started Italy's 1955 Mille Miglia at 4:17 am and with race number 417, hence the number in the name of the new special edition. Driven by American John Fitch, the car is said to have completed the 1,597 km (992 mi) route on public roads from Brescia to Rome and back in 11 hours, 29 minutes and 21 seconds, beating a number of racing prototypes in the process. It finished first out of the production sports cars and fifth overall.
The SL Special Edition Mille Miglia 417 is being made available as SL 400 and SL 500 models. The SL 400 is powered by a six-cylinder engine that produces 245 kW (333 hp), while the SL 500 is powered by an eight-cylinder engine that produces 335 kW (455 hp).
Both models will come with ESP Curve Dynamic Assist, that applies brief braking on the inside wheels to improve cornering at high speeds, and an adaptive adjustable damping system as standard. Optional Active Body Control is also available with each model, which uses sensors to monitor the pitch and roll of the car's body so that it can be hydraulically stabilized.
The Special Edition has a "magnetite black metallic" paint-job as standard, which can be changed to "designo night black magno," "designo cashmere white magno matte," or "designo diamond white bright shiny" paintwork. Red highlights feature, including on the lip of the front spoiler, the rear spoiler and the brake calipers. Elsewhere, red edging is also used for the AMG seats and the black center console. The car features leather headrests and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
The The SL Special Edition Mille Miglia 417 will be available to order from April 7 2015. The Special Edition Mille Miglia 417 package will cost €14,800 (about US$16,800) for the SL 400 and €12,800 ($14,600) for the SL 500.
Source: Mercedes
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Messengers of Peace
February 23 – March 30, 2017
The KCI Gallery is pleased to present Messengers of Peace. The exhibit by Ron Herman showcases images from Senegal, a country where the Muslim majority peacefully coexists with the Christian minority. Most Senegalese belong to one of four Sufi Muslim brotherhoods, a mystical sect of Islam. Foothill College Photography Professor Ron Herman's images focus on the Muridiyya, Senegal's most influential brotherhood, which blends African customs with traditional Islamic practices. Their doctrine consists of pacifism, prayer and work. Herman's images offer a counter narrative to the one-dimensional portrayal of Muslims that dominates mainstream media in the West. This exhibit is the result of a Fulbright scholarship that Herman received in 2016 to research religious diversity in West Africa. He was based at the West African Research Center in Dakar, Senegal, but traveled throughout the country over a 4-week period studying the Muridiyya and other Sufi Muslim brotherhoods.
Artist Lecture
February 23, 6:00 pm
Room 1501, Appreciation Hall, Foothill College
Following the lecture there will be a guided walk to the reception at the KCI Gallery on campus.
February 23, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) Gallery-Lower Level, Foothill College
Film Screening
February 28, 2:00-4:00 pm
Room 1501, Appreciation Hall, Foothill College
Film screening of the documentary film Touba by director Chai Vasarhelyi.
Lunchtime Gallery Talk
March 8, 12:00-1:00 pm
Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) Gallery-Lower Level, Foothill College
Ron Herman will discuss the photographs in the exhibition
Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) Gallery– Lower Level
Foothill College, Bldg 4000
12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Gallery Hours: Mon – Thurs: 8:00 am – 7:30 pm; Fri: 8:00 am – 6:30 pm; Sat: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm; Closed Sun.
Use Parking Lot 4. Parking is $3.00. Use quarters or $1 bills only. Disabled Parking in Lot 4-B


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Material culture explores why objects have meaning to us. For our contributor, it's because it does her wash.
In our last "It's A Material World" segment, contributor Gianofer Fields explained that even in the field of material culture - which studies the meaning of objects and the relationship between artifacts and their owners - some objects mean more than others.
These so-called "evocative objects" are the items that we hold dear, that have great meaning to us, that evoke powerful emotions, that in some cases we couldn't live without. Little did Fields know that just a couple weeks later she'd be faced with a crisis - that one of her own "evocative objects" was on the fritz - and she could lose it forever. That is, if her repairman John's own evocative object didn't save the day first.
Fields produces and curates the series, "It's a Material World." That project is funded by the Chipstone Foundation, a decorative arts foundation whose mission is preserving and interpreting their collection, as well as stimulating research and education in the decorative arts.


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June Voukolos
Head Coach/Administrator at NT Tenpin Bowling Association.
Sports Played:
Netball, Basketball, Softball, Hockey, Volleyball, Tenpin Bowling
Sporting Heroes and Influences on career:
John Halbert (Sturt SANFL Captain and player) for the way he always conducted himself and was a role model for all junior sports persons.
Husband George who could play any sport and play it at the highest level.
Dick Ritger former pro Tenpin Bowler and world renowned coach he taught me not only the art of teaching but how to help and encourage those I coach to have better life skills and balance.
Keith Kemp, a passionate sportsman and sports administrator who showed that anything is possible to organise and achieve in sport.
Personal Influences on sporting career:
My mum and dad who both played and loved all sports and encouraged me to do the same, transporting me to all games and sports which I chose to play often becoming involved as Coaches and Umpires to help out. The small children I have coached who are now adults, they have influenced me to change my style of coaching over a period of 18 years. Michelle Paccagnella Sports psych at NTIS motivated me at all times and taught me to never to accept an excuse for anything from athletes or coaches, that is a cop out they must always be responsible for their own actions and that has been the code that I have coached by over the last 10 years.
Greatest Sporting moments:
Watching son Ronald bowling a perfect 300 game in Walter Rachuig Competition and Coaching winning Walter Rachuig Team NT Men in 2001.
Being with husband George when he became an NT Administrator's Northern Territory Role Model receiving the Steve Abala Award.
Being inducted into the Northern Territory Sporting Hall of Champions Honour Roll and then being inducted into the Tenpin Bowling Australia Hall of Fame.
Since 1988 when I first became a coach I have coached over 600 individual Territory bowlers and prepared 12 successful Territorians to be National Team members and coaches in all categories School age, Youth and Adult.
All positions with Tenpin Bowling Australia and the Northern Territory Institute of Sport have also been as a volunteer and continue to current in that manner.
Arafura Games has been a pet event and I have been either the Co-ordinator or the Asian Liaison for Tenpin Bowling for every event held in Darwin so far since 1991.
Career Highlights
Awarded joint award from Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, the Honourable Paul Henderson, an award for over 35 years service to Tenpin Bowling, promotion of women in sport in the Northern Territory and promotion of the Northern Territory through sport.
Inducted into the Tenpin Bowling Australia Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the National Championships.
Inducted into Northern Territory Hall of Champions, Honour Roll for services to sport in the community. This presentation took place at the Gala Dinner for the NT Sports Awards.
Feeling that the NT Tenpin Bowling Association needed to restructure has taken back the position of Executive Officer for the Association, has worked with a new committee to restructure the sport, increase membership in all categories and introduce some new events.
With Cheryl Munson coaches the Northern Territory Rachuig Teams to a silver medal in the Champion State/Territory at the Rachuig Competition, the highest place in that division since the Northern Territory commenced in the competition in 1978.
Prepared Northern Territory Rachuig Team with one goal, to win Ladies Rachuig Division and together with Ms Munson High Performance Coach and Ball Technician, Cheryl Munson OAM achieved that goal. The first NT ladies team to win this event since the Rachuig Competition began in the 1960s.
Awarded Lifetime Recognition Award to Tenpin Bowling Australia Limited for services to the sport at a local, national and international level in areas of administration, coaching, creating tournaments and development programs for all levels of athlete and coaches. She was also recognised for having an extraordinary vision for the sport in Australia.
Awarded the NTIS 10 year service award for continued outstanding volunteer service to the Northern Territory Institute of Sport and Tenpin Bowling Program and athletes.
Coached the Youth Girls Team to win first youth team medal for the Northern Territory.
Won NT Sports Awards, Coach of year Category. Named in American Bowlers Journal in top 100 females (position 75) to influence the sport of tenpin bowling in the world.
Named in Bowlers Journal top 100 influential women in World Tenpin Bowling (ranking 72).
Awarded the Australian Sports Medal by Prime Minister John Howard. Nominated by the Australian Sports Commission.
Elected to the Asian Bowling Federation as Vice President for Oceania as well as sub committees for World Tenpin Bowling Association for Women's Affairs, Commonwealth Games and Coaching. Served on these committees until 2004 but creating a strong network for the Northern Territory Tenpin Bowling Association.
Became the first female to head Tenpin Bowling Australia as Chairperson
Received the NT Sports Award, Administrator of the Year.


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Tips to Help with Special Event Photography
Taking photos in well-lit locations isn't hard. But when you're in places with poor lighting, you might have a tough time getting a good photograph. Here are some tips that'll help you when you have to take photos at special events:
Dress appropriately
When it comes to post-production, you can wear just about anything. But, during the event, you should wear something that will help blend in. This doesn't mean wearing a suit every single time. But for really important events, you could go for it.
Pre-event photos
It is a good idea to practice with some shots before the event. The event planner may even appreciate you capturing pictures before the guests arrive. This will help improve their portfolio and make it easier for them to get new customers. In return, they could recommend you as a photographer. It's a win for everyone.
Do not over shoot
If you're shooting videos and taking photos for special events, remember that the attendees shouldn't feel any inconvenience from your side. Even though it isn't a bad idea to click attendees, make sure you aren't clicking too many pictures of the same person. This will only annoy them and ruin their night.
Be quick
You need to be ready to shoot photographs at all times. If you take too long, you might miss a moment or you might start wasting the attendees' time. You should consider using a long lens when shooting panel discussions. Close shots should be taken using a wide lens.
Edits and delivery
Irrespective of how you take shots, you'll end up deleting a lot of them. Usually, it isn't because they were bad. It is just because many of them will look similar. Remember that your client only wants the best. So don't be afraid to delete shots.


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Overview of Pancreatic Cancer
The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system. It is located near the stomach and small intestine and has two major jobs or functions. The exocrine pancreas makes enzymes that help in the digestion of food products, and the endocrine pancreas produces several hormones that have diverse functions.
Pancreatic cancer usually starts and in the pancreatic ducts and can occur in the exocrine pancreas (classic pancreatic adenocarcinomas) or in the endocrine pancreas. This section will discuss exocrine pancreatic carcinoma.
Cancers of the exocrine pancreas are a very serious health issue. In the United States, the American Cancer Society reports that approximately 48,960 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and about 40,560 people die from the disease each year. According to data published in Cancer Researcha journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)pancreatic cancer is expected to be the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States by the year 2030.
Due to difficulties in diagnosis, the aggressive nature of pancreatic cancer, and the limited systemic treatments available, the five-year survival rate (number of patients who are alive 5 years after diagnosis) for patients who have pancreatic adenocarcinoma is only about 5 percent. According to the AACR, reasons for this include:
- the location of the pancreas (The organ is deep within the abdomen, making it difficult to visualize with imaging procedures.),
- the fact that pancreatic tumors are often surrounded by dense tissue that may interfere with chemotherapy delivery to the tumors, and
- data that suggests pancreatic cancer metastasizes early in its course.
Pancreatic cancer is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Because many patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have a poor prognosis, it is very important that patients are offered the opportunity to participate in clinical trials. Patients who have pancreatic cancer should speak with a physician regarding clinical trials that are available.
Updated by Remedy Health Media


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We know CERAGEM works and so do our customers
I plan to continue to use Ceragem every day.
I was told about Ceragem by 3 different friends one of whom gave me a leaflet. I have now been using Ceragem for four … More
Stress, feelings of overwhelm, weight control.
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We have enjoyed our study of the Middle Ages. We are starting to wind down and head into the Renaissance era, but before we did I wanted to do one more art project.
Trying our hand at stained glass art was fun last week. Today we made "stained glass" luminaries.
The book, The Story of Stained Glass, was just the right length to read aloud before starting our craft. It gave us the history of stained glass, the purpose of stained glass and how making stained glass has changed over the centuries.
All you need for these luminaries are:
plain jars
Mod Podge
tissue paper
foam brushes
The first step is to make a design by cutting up and arranging the tissue paper.
When you have the tissue paper ready, start slapping on the mod podge onto the jar.
Arrange the tissue into its previously planned design.
Kim had a plan, and that was to have a nice big
"k" on the front of her jar.
"k" on the front of her jar.
We made luminaries in the past:
You can see Halloween luminaries and


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In Exodus the Lord tells the prophet Moses, "And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord" (Exodus 28:30). The Jewish Targum Pseudo-Jonathan has the following for this passage:
And you shall put the breastplate the Urim, which illuminates their words and make manifest the hidden things of the House of Israel, and Tumim which perfect their deeds, for the High Priest who seeks instruction from the Lord through them.
In the Book of Mormon, Ammon tells King Limhi about a similar class of objects. One who possessed certain stones called "interpreters" by the Nephites was known as a "seer."
By them shall all things be revealed, or rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known (Mosiah 8:17).
The prophet Alma, who was also the Nephite High priest over the Church described how by means of the interpreters, secret things can be revealed and receive illumination.
behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness . . . .
And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazalem, a stone,
which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may
discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the
works of their brethren, yea their secret works, their works of
darkness, and their wickedness and abominations (Alma 37:22-23).


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hey these guys are a cool band.
Last time i saw them at fun fun fun fest 2 years ago at Waterloo Park. it sort of felt like they were getting close to peaking at that show, and I wonder if they have already. That show was right after Before Today, and i watched it from the side of the stage next to a beautiful dancer who was travelling with them. Flash forward to now: some of the new material is really strong, but i would consider it impressive if the next set is better than the current new set. They played for probably an hour and a half, and I thought the selections were interesting--a fair amount of the older songs they played were some of the more esoteric selections. It was their first show of tour, and there was a new drummer, who should get more comfortable a few shows in. The bassist was able to provide small jolts of energy here or there, but if they weren't naturally syncing in the pocket it seemed like the attitude was "hey im not the one messing up" which works if you're Prince, but hey I think it will be a moot point soon so why get into it. I do think the drummer played well and doesn't really deserve to be ragged on. I know theyve been doing it this way forever, but I think having Ariel not play an instrument at all is a little strange, while the 2 other guys are both playing keys and guitar. Like musically in the live setting he has no ability to lead, because he is just doing vocals (but it was the same arrangement they had during the FFFfest show which was awesome, so its not to say one way or another, really.)
Musically, the MVP of the band right now is Kenny Gilmore, who was playing stage left. He kept a wide douchebag smile on almost the whole show, almost punchdrunk. Especially at moments where maybe the beat was getting missed or something this really helped maintain the vibe, and it was a sweet pro move. I think he is probably one of those dudes where something burns deep inside of him, like he is a crazy person, and he would sooner walk on coals than face the prospect of being embarrassed on-stage because you thought your band was awesome but then it turned out you suck because I donno you got a big head about what you were doing? Dang, talk about a worst nightmare, now you gotta do a whole tour. Basically if you were a sailor in a hurricane, he would be your fellow sailor keeping your ass alive cause this is what you are and what you are doing and were not gonna die on my watch damnit, and hes bailing out water looking like a madman. It was some real lead from the front musicianship. Especially early on he had a few mondo guitar riffs one right after another and to me the vibe was "hey guys remember me im Kenny, this is what I do, im a crazy motherfucker," while some of the other musicianship was maybe a little more jittery to start. It kinda helped the show settle in. It was funny later in the show, the soundman (Their soundman, not the mohawk guy) was like rocking out enjoying the show forgetting he was at work, and Kenny tried to get his vocals turned up (turned on actually) and the soundman was missing his signals and just rocking out, and you could see Kenny get like red and he looked really pissed off in his eyes to me, but he just zoned into that super douchebag smile and i think it got him thru the moment. fuckin funny tho. I had snuck into the green room before the show just to be a fly on the wall and I heard the soundguy say ...he was talking about the list and he said something like "oh they are all very important people, like tour managers and bass players," which i thought was just well played musician humor and quite funny. Im always a fan of hubris in a comedic setting. I had some nice smack for him later, which I kept inside cause I just was gonna try and have a nice show without causing any altercations (a novel concept i know), but I did want to tell him "hey nice medallion, are you from Baltimore?" harhar. i think he would have taken it the wrong way ;p.
The other keyboard and guitar player, I thought he was quite good. His role in the band is sort of as a glue guy. He is responsible for executing the meat of the most douchy overblown sounding riffs, or just play the chords with the autowah on it. Always good to have a guy on the team who will do the dirty work. Still, there was one song later in the set where I saw him doing some straight rocking out and it seemed like "finally, that guy gets a break." I dont know, I imagine he would prefer to be doing some more different kinds of things. He had some cool parts where he was playing 2 keyboards at once, I dont see why he cant play cool lines like Steven Drozd for example. There was at least 1 song where I doubt it was his idea to be playing auto-wah keyboard chords underneath whatever is going on, just because he had already done that on x number of songs and it seemed like maybe this was one where it just didn't work as well, and it sounded a little stale. Hopefully after they gel a little they will let him let loose a little, and he can find little spots to mix it up. There was also one song I think they need to drop from the set because it has the same rhythm on the hook as one of the older songs (which they had already played earlier in the set, i dont know which one exactly, sorry), and the basic idea of the new song is really just the trademark rhythmic pushes, so when its the same exact way its kinda noticeable. Dang, sorry you guys cant just do that anymore, consider yourself a victim of your own success.
As far as certain songs that stood out, I was pretty wasted but I'll give it a shot. There was an older one that sounds like L'Estate but isnt, I thought that was really good. The bass playing, same as the drums, wasnt really in the pocket at this show, first show of tour and all, but I think some of his best bass lines are the kinda moderately slinky walking bass type stuff. There was one song with a cool bass line, really cool changes, but some of the getting around the neck seemed a little, not necessarily forced but it seemed like the primary trick to get that texture, rather than following a melody or something, and getting that effect naturally just cause thats how the melody of the bass line is. Maybe I just need to listen to it more. Some of the older material sounded really good "Bright Lit Blue Skies" and "Flying Circles" came off pretty well, and seemed like especially later in tour they will open up pretty easily. "Hardcore Pops are Fun" I dont think was really the selection I would make off of House Arrest at all. Oh yeah the opener where he goes "My Name is Ariel and I'm a Nympho" it was right out of the gate, but I feel like they should save this one to be a peak of the set, it was maybe their strongest new song I felt, and it seems like the one to go nuts on. Im just a rock and roller from Beverly Hills. That song is sick. It gives Ariel a chance to get more involved. Honestly, I think he should, I dont know how he doesnt get bored doing a tour and not playing an instrument, he should just get a keyboard set up so he could play it whenever he wanted, and then they could have some 5-piece vibes as well as 4-piece vibes (musically speaking.) Just throw another pitch in the arsenal. Whenever I was watching him I felt like he was doing a good job of being a frontman, just looking weird and trying to zone out on it, but looking back on it I am surprised to think of how little I actually spent during the show looking at him---I was mainly watching the instrumentalists. He did have some cool whipcrack sound tongue clicks on a weird beat on one song that reminded me what i liked about his early stuff, but as far as musical moments actually finding their way into the set it seemed few and far in between. But settling in goes for singers too, once the band is settled in maybe it will be easier for him to go nuts in a way when hes singing, and that will pull some more balance back to him.
I think if you divided the show in half where the first half of the show was up until Ariel announced "5 more minutes," the first half was stronger. I never got bored during the second half of the show, partly just cause I think the music is really interesting in general, but it was lacking in standout moments after that point, and I think it would be cool to fire a couple more Aces from the back catalogue.
Anyways it was a good show from an interesting band. Definitely a first show of tour, I hope one of our many festivals can get them back to Austin on shortish order and I can get a chance to see them still on this basic set but once everything kinda settles in. It kind of makes me uneasy to think of Austin as a place where you would start a big tour for promotional reasons for "an indie band", but I think in 2012 that is how it is now. I do think that this band would benefit from not taking anything for granted as far as maintaining a sense of urgency and still needing to hold pushing it forward musically as the reason d'etre and also just jumping in the water as far as having the lifeblood be musical contributions from all 5 guys, because all those guys can play at such a high level I think it would ultimately be limiting if anyone's parts are really being dictated. Gotta get that full band unity-trust-hippie-shit going on. As far as they have come, at this point with all the ladies lining up and fuckin mexican food and fruit platters, probably complacency would be their worst enemy, but here's to shaking/brushing that off, and it was great for me just on a raw level to be so excited about a show for once and they pretty much delivered so word to that.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti review / Mohawk 9/8/12 (first show of tour)
hey these guys are a cool band.