text:
I guess it's been well over a year since my last post. How time flies. I can't say I have been taken away from genealogy as I've been diving more and more into the varied families and thousands of names that are scattered through time. But this is becoming more important to me as I get older. In that I do not have children, it is a feeling of obligation to my family (as well as to myself) that I give a certain level of energy to something my whole family can cling to for generations to come. It is my intention that this work is only the beginning of discovery for others in my family. It will never be complete. The human family tree is vast but it is up to us to tend our own little branches.
I've had to learn to focus my efforts into the places where I tended to find that notorious "brick wall" genealogists talk about so much. You find there is a maze of such walls where you cross one and find two more waiting for you. But the journey is what keeps us involved. It's a great challenge and I have found the reward of discovery is worth every moment of frustration.
I'm returning to my blog to aid me in the process. I feel now I have more to discuss of my family and where we've been. I can never know fully who these people were, but as I learn more of the times in which they lived, and of my own feelings about how people behaved, I believe I can sense them all the better. I've learned to follow my instincts in the past year and it has served me well. A few things are predictable.
It's also the more important I continue blogging so that I follow through with the stories of those who fought in that inglorious conflict 150 years ago. In the coming few months, I'll be writing of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga campaigns that were so important to two particular lines of my family. So many sacrificed so much for different purposes.
As we move on, please remember the Family History site that can be linked to through this blog above the blog posts. It has links to many more resources and research locations for you to start your own discoveries.
I'm going to take baby steps back into genealogy blogging, but I will gradually gain the confidence to write of my family in greater details. I hope you will enjoy the journey with me. As for my family who follow this, I do this as much for you and our future generations as I do for myself. I hope that you recognize the importance of this and will help build onto these stories, fill the gaps that I cannot hope to do myself, and be able to share with your children the stories of OUR family. I do need your help with this. I don't own it.
This is a work of generations.


text:
The diary of a priest, being random thoughts and various things of possible interest from the founding pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Church in San Antonio, Texas.
09 February 2016
Welcoming Msgr. Newton
Our parish was delighted to welcome Msgr. and Mrs. Keith Newton for Quinquagesima and the days surrounding it.
Msgr. Newton preached a marvelous sermon at all the Sunday Masses on our responsibility to evangelize, and he was the celebrant at the 11:00 a.m. Mass.
Please pray for the work of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in England and Wales, and for God's blessing on the continuing leadership of Msgr. Newton.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first MLive.com user to add photos or videos of Ceremonial Universal
Since 2010 the company has been providing Wedding Chapel, Privately Operated.
Ceremonial Universal is located at 920 S Washington Ave # 9F, Lansing, MI. This location is in the River Point neighborhood. This business specializes in Wedding Venues.


text:
- Greenpat468
- 5 years ago
- Wedding: October 2013
Hi Bees, I ordered my dress a few months back, and it is a lace and tulle Sottero and Midgley. I did not see it on white, so I ordered the ivory. My fiance and I saw a bride taking pictures on a park last and he said that her dress looked dirty. Now, I am so worried that he will think the same of mine; I am not sure what color was here dress, but it did look strangely dark. Does any of you have Sottero and midgley Ivory lace or tulle dress. Can you tell me how it looked?


text:
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Time to Reflect and Time to Grow
This is a rambling post, one that is more personal that I normally post, so feel free to skip it and move on to the next blog in your reader. :)
This Year
I've overall had a good year. I have GREAT kids this year and I'm really sad to see them go. This has been one of my favorite senior classes in several years, full of kids with good attitudes and willingness to work hard (well.. at least until Spring Fever hits!). Fall semester was awesome - I had an extra plan period to help with my coordinator duties for Professional Development and AVID and that helped me out in so many ways. My Intermediate Algebra kids bonded and were willing to tackle tough problems with me. Then January came. Spring was tough. My coordinator hour went away as I team-taught a Forensic Science class that hour, which was definitely the highlight of the semester! My Intermediate class went from 17 to 28 and the additional kids made classroom management extremely tough. The variety of abilities in that class was exhausting on a daily basis. My additional responsibilities got pushed to evenings and at least 3-4 times a week, I made it home around 8 or 9 pm. I am physically, mentally, and emotionally spent from this year. However, even with the exhaustion, I am overall happy with how this year is ending.
Professional Growth
As a result of this year's challenges, I did not grow professionally this year as much as I wanted to. I did not keep up on blogs, books, articles, etc and allowed myself to stagnate. I sat down with my AVID District Director last week to reflect on this year and I have so much room to grow as a leader, as a teacher, and as a professional in general. My to-do list is ever growing. The one bright spot is #EduRead, which is forcing me to read and think about an article every week, so that's some growth, right? :)
Personal Growth
Honestly, I'm more proud of my personal (lack of) growth than anything else this year. Not many people in the blog-o-sphere know me in real life, but if you were to meet me a year ago, you would have met a fairly large woman in her mid-30s with a passion for teaching. A dear friend inspired me to start putting myself at a higher priority and starting on March 1, 2013, I did. The 2012-13 school year was not one of my favorites and I found myself relieving stress through food. (To be honest, that actually started after my nephew's passing in December 2004, then with one major death every year in our families, the cycle continued.) In March 2013, buoyed by my friend's success, I decided to use an app on my phone to track every bite that I took. By the time school started in August, I had lost 36 pounds. Throughout this current school year, I have lost an additional 43 pounds to date, bringing my total lost in the past 15 months to 79 pounds. In March 2014, hubby bought us both FitBit Flex Bands, which has encouraged us to walk more and this week was the first time I actually averaged 10,000 steps per day (yay!). In the 8 weeks that I have worn the FitBit, I have walked 243 total miles... wow! Even in a very stressful year, I have learned better habits and been more mindful of the choices I make on a daily basis. Of course, getting to buy really cute clothes doesn't hurt either! As some of my friends can attest, I have taken more "selfie" shots than ever! I have always been one to avoid the camera, but now I feel more confident in my physical self. :)
Memorial Day Clean-A-Thon
For some reason, Memorial Day weekend often ends up with me tackling some major household project and spending a lot of reflection time while doing so. Yesterday was a crazy day in many ways. We started out by running a few errands, which meant getting dressed and out of the house. I wore shorts for the first time in YEARS! (and I looked really cute.. just saying!) After buying several random items and some cute new clothes for hubby (who has also lost about 70 pounds), we came home to clean. My neighbor wants to have a garage sale and I already knew I needed to clean out my closet, so my bedroom got a total tear-down yesterday. If it didn't fit, it went away, which is kind of scary since I did a similar closet cleanout over Christmas break, so most of what I packed up this weekend is in that "semi-fits, but really baggy" stage. I told hubby on our evening walk that it was nerve-wracking to clean out my closet this time because what happens if I gain weight? Weight has been a life-long struggle for me and I've been every size from 12 to 24 in the 18 years I've been with hubby. However, with the technology available to me now, with the app that I record every meal and my FitBit I don't think I will gain it back, but it still scares me. Besides cleaning out all of my drawers and closet, I also tackled my jewelry area, the master bathroom cabinets, and the hallway linen closet. Before we ever went for our evening walk, I was already close to 9,000 steps for the day.
Saying Good-bye
Yesterday, we also said goodbye to one of our pets. Smokey was one of our first ferrets and we adopted him and his brother, Bandit, from a ferret rescue in November 2009. They were born in February 2006, so they were already 3.5 years old when we adopted them. Ferrets typically live about 6-7 years and we lost Bandit in September 2012. Throughout the time we had the boys, Smokey was always the more "sturdy" ferret, but for the past several months, we had watched him decline as old age set in. About 8 weeks ago, we put him into "hospice", which was a small cage in our bedroom so that his distance to the food/water and litter box was much reduced. He had developed cataracts in both eyes and moving around was difficult for him. We did everything possible to keep him comfortable, but we knew his days were numbered. Yesterday, while we were out running errands, Smokey passed quietly in his sleep, cuddled under a blanket.
End of my Ramble
I have run out of things to say and it's time to go shower and get ready to have lunch with friends... Enjoy the rest of your 3-day weekend!
5 comments:
- pamjwilson said...
Wow. I cannot wait to see you! You are amazing. It's tough to balance everything but when you take care of self you are more ready to help others! Love this post and the fact that you reflect on all aspects of life...like it or not they do become intertwined. I always appreciate your input and willingness to help. Though I enjoy eduread, last week's of school eat me alive. Looking so forward to this summer and chats/challenges!
BTW what app did you use?
- May 26, 2014 at 6:02 AM
- druin said...
Thanks! This was a hard post because I usually don't share this kind of personal stuff :)
I use the "Lose It" app, but I have friends that like "My Fitness Pal".
Can't wait to see you this year at TMC! We're going to have a blast :)
- May 26, 2014 at 10:58 AM
- kathy said...
Wow!! Ditto with the you are amazing!!! I don't know where you find the time/energy to do everything you do. Just keeping up and learning new technology and methods of teaching is exhausting, never mind maintaining several blogs, twitter, etc...
I too had a tough year with the loss of my brother and then my dad was battling cancer and passed in early December 2014. It's so hard to do everything, be a good sister, daughter, mother, wife, teacher, aunt, fiend etc...Not personally knowing you, I have always admired how dedicated you are and how willing you are to share!!! Kudos to you and your accomplishments!!!
- June 2, 2014 at 4:41 PM
- druin said...
Kathy -
Thank you! I am very blessed to be surrounded by very supportive people, including you!
I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your brother and father. I know how hard that can be. My sister and best friend passed away 4 years ago this week and while the loss never goes away, the pain does lessen. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
- June 2, 2014 at 8:29 PM
Hey, I only just read this today and I'm impressed by your authenticity. You shared a lot of yourself. I've appreciated getting to know you professionally through our #eduread chats. Your post about summer to-do lists made me think that it's time to make some plans for learning over the summer. Thanks.
- June 5, 2014 at 3:49 AM


text:
Bee-do, bee-do, bee-do, attention all, its about that time! Despicable Me 2, the new animated sequel from Universal and Illumination, is just days from release. If you haven't seen Despicable Me, you live under a rock - unless you're Patrick Star. He's seen it. If you haven't heard of the Minions, you don't live on Earth. The Minions could be called the "new Spongebob". They're yellow, they have big eyes, they're popular and they're on half of the products in Walmart. So is Despicable Me 2 the second coming of animated movies?
Despicable Me was the sleeper hit of 2010; the Minions, Gru, and Agnes soon became worldwide phenomenons. Universal realizes the appeal and potential of the Minions so they've set a 2014 release date for their spin-off movie, and they've marketed the heck out of Despicable Me 2. It has scored over $254 million in marketing tie-ins, one of the biggest of all time. So is the awareness there? Oh yes. The thing about the Minions is they're so easy. They're simple happy go lucky "beans" with big eyes which makes them easy to slap on bags, boxes, and containers. There's even a "Despica-blimp" flying around America - the first time a studio has used an airship to advertise.
Animated movies are tricky. They're stereotyped as "only for kids", just like cartoons. Animated movies usually do big at the BO, but when you think about it, half of its money is coming from parents who had to bring their kids, which gives animated movies a leg up over say PG-13, since most teenagers are too hip to be seen at the cineplex with mom and dad. Possibly the biggest advantage DM2 has is its adult appeal. Not just kids, but teens and adults also love the Minions (I know 40 year olds excited for this, yall). Go ahead and call them annoying, you're a minority. Like I said, "new Spongebob". People call Mr. Squarepants annoying, but does that stop him from being the #1 cartoon character of the 21st century? Nope. And can he be #1 if he's only adored by kids? Not even. The Minions have had commercials during high-rated sports programs, they have a Progressive commercial, which for those of you that don't know, Progressive is car insurance, and considering kids can't drive, it's meant to appeal to adults, and they already have their own ride at Universal Studios Orlando. What great and smart product placement.
Why was Shrek 2 the biggest animated movie of all time? And still is. After 9 years. And why was Shrek big enough to start it all? A big reason is likely that CG animation was still in its infancy and not saturated back in '01 and '04, but another big player was the adult appeal. Shrek and Shrek 2 had many jokes for kids, like fart jokes, but also many jokes for adults that flew right over kids' heads, like celebrity references. Shrek's heavy reliance on pop culture and adult humor brought adults in in droves and Despicable Me utilized the same style, hence a reason why many people are calling it the the next Shrek.
I believe that Despicable Me 2 will be the biggest animated movie between Toy Story 3 and Finding Dory (I think FD will be the movie to dethrone Shrek 2). Universal's A+ marketing, the universal appeal of the Minions and Gru (see what I did there?), adult appeal, perfect release date, 3D, and a lackluster looking July could drive Despicable Me 2 to at least $350 million and huge numbers overseas. But can it hit $400 million? It's hard to call, and pretty tough, but again considering that all ages admitted are excited for this and and the positive responses for Despicable Me, even on home video, it could. I'm going to stick with $350 million to play it safe, but if the Minions cruise past that, its gravy to me. The movie is already trampling records in the UK and other countries and if they are any indication, Despicable Me 2 is in for a wild lofty run. And I leave you with this.


text:
Although I have yet to physically visit Soul Art Studio, (there is really no excuse for me, it's located here in Hamilton, Ontario!) I feel very much apart of the Soul Art experience thanks to the wonderful newsletters that owner, Laura Hollick sends out via email every Sunday.
Laura is an amazing artist! Her imagination is boundless and she uses it to creatively inspire others!
So if you want to feel that inspirational muse tapping on your shoulder, head on over to www.laurahollick.com. You'll be glad that you did!
Here's a taste of what you see over at Laura's site:
Om Shanti
~Pat Ann~
Monday, November 16, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Faeriecon 2009
I'm ready for Faeriecon this weekend! If you're in Baltimore, come and visit our booth! http://www.faeriecon.com
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Guardian Graffiti Art
New Graffiti
3-D Graffiti
Graffiti Technica is dedicated to the progression of hardcore electronic art and 3d graffiti.
3d graffiti - 'After from Graffiti Technica on Vimeo.
Graffiti-esque sculptures at Peeta, I love this subtle wall piece!
Crossing Lines - Conor Harrington in Israel and Palestine at Wooster Collective (below).
Crossing Lines from Andrew Telling on Vimeo.
Graffiti Better Than Good Flickr pool.
I love this piece at together


text:
|© Michael Chevy Castranova 2016
When I started "Slipped" in 2008, I was still living in southwest Michigan, land of snow due to its proximity to Lake Michigan. I created the strip simply because I wanted to — using as inspiration the newspaper comic strips I enjoyed reading: the adventures strips of the 1930s and '40s such as "Terry and the Pirates," "Scorchy Smith," "Wash Tubbs" and "Little Orphan Annie." Ongoing tales in which one adventure dovetailed into the next that focused on a few main characters, and with other foes and allies coming and going and then reappearing possibly years later.
And I did it online because it was free.
I've moved a few times since then, but I've managed to keep the strip alive. I'm not claiming "Slipped" is great art — nowhere near the skill of Caniff or Sickles or Crane — but for me it's still fun.
At first I plotted out the stories some chapters in advance. But I learned the Scarlet Sparrow has her own ideas of what should happen next. So I don't try to get too far ahead in the narrative. (To be accurate, Tyler Wilson is the daughter of the original Scarlet Sparrow, but she has taken his mask and gloves, so she, too, gets to carry that name, I guess.)
She's also not terribly fond of other female characters hogging the spotlight for any excessive amount of time — that might be why Cartier Tour appears to exiting the main action. We'll see if she stays gone for long. We — Tyler and me — might have need of her again.
So thank you for reading.
And please, take a look at the latest chapter. The Scarlet Sparrow is about to return to center stage …


text:
The Benefits of Adjustable Mattresses
So many individuals are impressed with the excellent advantages offered by the adjustable beds and adjustable mattresses that's why these are becoming popular. These are able to offer users with really fantastic experiences that's why they continue to become in demand nowadays. As there are more people going for these, you can also see more manufacturers of these products today. There are so many sizes and designs offered by the various brand names.
There are still people who don't believe on what the adjustable mattresses or adjustable beds can offer. They are still in doubt about why they should invest in this product. Here are some of the benefits that you can experience if you opt for an adjustable mattress or an adjustable bed.
Adjustable mattresses give you a very comfortable sleep experience since you can obtain a fantastic body support. It is very easy to change positions and you don't have to exert much effort when you do so. The transformation is free of any hassle and this is why you will find this product a wonderful investment.
People with health problems can take advantage of the adjustable mattress comfort. People who cannot easily shift or move can appreciate this fantastic bed foam because you don't have to disturb them if they need to change position. Rather than moving the patient regularly that could cause tension or other problems, you just have to change the mattress' position through the remote control. Through this, there is no additional pressure inflicted. Also, bedsores are prevented which are obtained from sleeping in just one position for a long time.
When you use adjustable mattresses then the stress level can be minimized. This is because you can position or the adjust the bed according to your preferred position. This allows you to sleep in a position that you are most comfortable sleeping in. This makes you feel refreshed and rejuvenated as you wake up after a relaxing sleep at night. In relation to this, mood swings are minimized because of being able to rest properly.
There are also some with special features like a massage and warmth control which provides lots of benefits to the users of the adjustable mattresses and adjustable beds. With these features, you will be able to relax your tensed muscles so that you can get a very good sleep. These also help improve blood circulation to the various parts of the body. The pregnant women can also benefit a lot from the adjustable mattresses and adjustable beds because they can position the bed according to the best sleeping posture that they want to help them relax and for a longer duration.
About The Author: Thomas Arline is a freelance writer and expert. He enjoys brainstorming new ideas, blogging, and having a nice cup of coffee. Get more details about this article's subject: http://www.comfortaire.com Find out more on the author's site.
Home » Personal Product amp; Services » Interesting Research on Beds - Things You Probably Never Knew


text:
These guys were so good that I completely forgot to photograph the assembled burgers – but here they are fresh off the grill.
The burgers are the brainchild of Jessica, author of How Sweet It is, and they were a hit – tangy and flavorful, with just the right amount of heat from the wing sauce.
I made a cool, creamy ranch spread to accompany them, adding extra vinegar and stevia to Katie's recipe.
Chris declared it "so much better than store-bought ranch" and didn't even flinch when I revealed its true identity – glorified silken tofu.
To assemble, we melted some cheddar on top of the burgers and spread "ranch" on Udi's buns before devouring.


text:
My favorite deployed milblogger throws a tough one at us:
Beyond such random outliers though, my favorite portion of the miscellaneous stack of our mail room are the letters written to soldiers by American schoolchildren. Most of them offer the same commonplace banalities sent our way from the greater American public – thank you for what you do, please return home safely, we'll pray for you. Empty words from an empty people; they want to show that they care, but this experience is so unlike anything in their realm of understanding only trodden clichés can fill their vacuum of confusion. I'm not bitter – yet – I'm just commenting on reality.He's partly right. Yes, one glaring reality is that those of us who live the soft life of American Sheep, protected by young men like LT G, will never truly get our minds around his experiences and what is now required of him.
But rather than decrease our gratitude, that ignorance increases it, burdens us moreso with the awareness that we live in ignorant innocence simply because they don't. And so we spend our lives knowing that there is an indebtedness that will never, ever be balanced, no matter how letters we write, packages we send, parades we hold, dollars we donate, or taxes we pay. The line has been crossed and nothing can take us all back to what we were before.
So we are left to stumble around like clumsy toddlers in the face of daily sacrifices big and small. What could we possibly say when confronted with such imbalances, when feeling guilt at observing that others do what we are incapable of by temperament, character or physical construction?
But then we remember that we have been taught what to say when receiving a gift, and so we revert to form, as commenter "KJ" does...
All I can say for myself, as someone back at home, is there are a lot of times that we wish we knew what to say... but since we don't (and since there probably isn't anything we could say) we use the simple phrases to blanket everything else we wish we knew to say."Thank you." Two tiny, little cliched words... not empty, but encasing entire volumes of inchoate emotion and intention.
Update: LT G responds in comments to his own post.
I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, on a milblog - most of you obviously understand that supporting American troops goes beyond slapping a yellow ribbon on the back of an SUV. I do not consider any of you "empty people" spouting "empty words," the responses my post elicited proves you think far deeper than that. So, if I hurt anyone with my words, I assure you, I did so unintentionally. I will however, leave the post as is, both for veracity's sake and for scathing one-liner's sake. My only lasting regret with all of this is that the empty line has detracted from the point of the post - which is that children are hilarious.
hugs, not drugs,


text:
Title: Myrlyn's Gate
Author: Dan Ehl
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Genre: Fantasy
Excerpt Heat Level: 1
Book Heat Level: 1
Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com
Vladimir Dragol XIII had an immense task--convincing the world he was
not following in his ancestors' bloody footprints.
When the chance to prove himself came in the form of an attractive princess on a quest to save world, how could he refuse? There was a slight problem--the
princess loathed the Dragol line.
There was also the dilemma that others alluded to in the quest
prophecy--a dragon trainee and wizard's apprentice--wanted nothing to do with the task.
Through Myrlyn's Gate was another foretold member of the quest
who had no idea what was in store for him, including a midnight raid on the
Dickeyville Grotto in the strange land of Wisconsin.
Together the quest mates would battle rogue dragons, a demented king¹s army and bikers at a bar in Bear River, Iowa.
Garin hesitated, dazed by the fierce headache. It was time to silence the bell. He didn't feel strong enough for the deed, but there was no other choice. He reached out and picked up the receiver.
"Mr. Garin Hemphill?"
"Good morning. I'm calling about our new triple-paned aluminum storm windows now on sale..."
Garin had predicted the night before that it was going to be an ugly morning, the kind that made dying in one's sleep an attractive option. The suspicion first reared its ugly head at two a.m. when a blurry-eyed Garin first noticed the army of dead beer cans littering the war zone of the kitchen floor. A few of the casualties had even made it to the living room before giving up the spirit.
Luck was certainly not on Garin's side. He had hoped to sleep through the morning and most of his hangover.
"I don't need new windows. The ones I have are perfectly good."
"But sir, you haven't seen our deluxe, triple-paned, easy access windows guaranteed for the life of you or your house, whichever goes first. What's your heating bill?"
"Your heating bill. Our windows can slash your heating bills in half."
Garin stretched the phone line and slumped into a kitchen chair. He winced at the bright morning light streaming in through the rippled glass of the old windows.
"My heating bill is fine. I don't need new windows."
"What color is your house?"
"What color is your house? We also have a full line of enamel coated window frames that can be matched to any house color."
Garin guessed the telephone call must be some kind of penance. What other reason could there be for this torture?
"And what?"
"What color is your house?"
'You're putting me on. Your house is yellowish-green?"
Garin rubbed his eyes and wondered if the cord would reach all the way to the medicine cabinet where the aspirins were located.
"Yes, chartreuse. Do you have some kind of problem with that?"
"No, it's just that we don't get many chartreuse houses. Did you pick that color?"
"Did you pick that color?"
"As a matter of fact, no. My mother picked it fifteen years ago. Of course it's getting a bit faded, but it is still recognizable as..."
"Shit. I just saw something fly by my window."
"An aluminum window?"
"No, a tiny dragon."
"A dragon."
"Now, is your window an ..."
"I just saw a tiny dragon fly toward the barn."
"Listen, if you don't want to buy new windows, why don't you just say so?"
"I have said so."
"You want to buy new windows?"
"No, I don't want to buy new windows. The ones I have are good enough."
"But sir, you haven't seen our deluxe, triple-paned easy access window guaranteed for the life of you or your house, whichever comes first. What's your heating bill?"
"Your heating bill. Our windows can slash your heating bills in half."
Garin staggered across the kitchen and hung up the phone. There was some guilt involved. He'd read a recent Associated Press story about the psychological problems experienced by telemarketers. Continual rejection, much of it very rudely worded, resulted in severe trauma. The suicide rate for telephone salespeople, the story claimed, was almost as high as for people who consistently listened to country music.
He didn't bother putting on a shirt or shoes, wearing only his jeans as he rushed out the door. He was numb to the gravel under his feet as he picked his way across the rocky and weedy farmyard. He climbed the fence of the empty cattle yard, walked past the wooden feed bunks and stopped at the barn door. This was going to be as bad as answering the phone, he worried, and stepped inside.
It was worse than answering the phone. Five people were sleeping in a pile of straw thrown down from the mow. Four looked as if they were dressed for a Robin Hood movie. The fifth was clad in the leathers of a biker, but instead of a big Harley, sprawled across most of the concrete floor was an immense black dragon.
Garin only had so much stamina and it gave out when a small wyvern darted into view and stopped only inches from his nose. They stared at each other eyeball-to-eyeball before Garin's legs buckled and he collapsed to the floor.


text:
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Visiting the White Lady
The petrol station was something of a revelation; poverty exposed in way we hadn't seen before. Lots and lots of people squatting or slouching in the shade, most with no apparent connection to an actual vehicle. Poor clothes - patches and holes - and one quite young man who had lost the vision of his right eye to a cataract. We immediately attracted the attention of several men carrying scalpels and nuts on strings: these men scrape a living of sorts by cutting scenes of wildlife on the side of these nuts, and adding the names of tourists to make a personalised souvenir. Competition was fierce - as soon as the secret of our names was out, several heads were bent in concentration as they carved; we had had absolutely no intention of buying any such thing, but ended up purchasing from 3 men nuts with the names of various friends and family, swayed by a combination of their pitiful clothes, their desperation, and the memory of the Red Cross aid station we'ld passed a block or so back. Glad to leave town: we'ld felt a little besieged.
Moving south, we found an increasingly parched landscape; the large farms of the east now replaced by modest little holdings, the imposing gates and long drives exchanged for ramshackle farmhouses within sight of the road. A parallel traffic system is operation, with the (very occasional) pickup truck using the main highway (a gravel road of generally good quality) and donkey carts using tracks on either side of the main road. Beautiful scenery, dominated by the Brandberg Massif, but a very tough climate - we crossed only a single bridge in a whole day's driving - hundreds of kilometres. There are plenty of rivers on the map, but these are, almost without exception, bone dry. We did encounter some wet sumps (bring a 4x4) but the road is mostly very good. Very little traffic; despite this, the roadside in the vicinity of the Ugab river is full of souvenir stalls operated by ladies in spectacular traditional dress.
Arriving at the White Lady turn-off, we were stopped in our tracks by four or five skinny little children who wanted in the first instance to get water, and in the second to trade food for rock crystals. We filled their bottle, and promised to return later - which we did, swapping biltong for an embarrasingly generous amount of rock crystal. Big heartbreaking smiles from the shoeless, shirtless children.
Reaching the car park at the foot of the mountain, we paid our entrance fee - for which we received the services of a guide. Covered in insect repellent and sun screen, we began the 45 minute hike to the paintings only after swilling enormous quantities of water - the heat of the afternoon in that windless ravine was, if not furnace-like, at least oven-like. Our guide turned out to be excellent - as well as living near by, he had studied the geology, flora, fauna, and history of the mountain, and was able to enlighten us on subjects ranging from basaltic outcroppings to life cycle of the enormous tadpoles swimming in the river that flows along the floor of the ravine. The walk is quite easy (apart from the heat), but does require fording the river eight or so times - flip flops would be a better choice than hiking boots. Reaching the White Lady herself, we appreciated the shade of the boulders very nearly as much as the cultural and historic aspects. Incidentally, the "White Lady" is actually a man - probably what we would call a "Witch Doctor". Painted by the San (also known as Bushmen) , the paintings are a relic of a culture since vanished from the area. Ever wondered why they live in the harshness of the Kalahari? Because other drives drove them out of everywhere else (other tribes forced them from this area four or five centuries ago).
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
From Etosha to Damaraland
Eventually, in a grove of ghost trees (as odd looking as the name suggests) , pressure of time forced us to turn south and begin working our way out of the park. South of our last rest camp, we found distinct indications of elephants - enormous lumps of dung, dinner-plate sized footprints, and broken branches littering the ground. Sadly, the stench of fresh droppings was as close as we got to finding Etosha's elephants. Leaving the park, we drove south on a very monotonous arrow-straight tarmac road till we reached Outjo, at which point we turned west and drove towards Khorixas. Gradually, the flat country fell behind, and the hills of Damaraland rose about us. This region was noticeably more rural than the central area of Namibia - traffic was very light, and consisted exclusively of pickup trucks ("bakkies"), usually driven by whites, and pedestrians (black, skinny, and usually with nothing but the clothes on their backs). Eventually, we reached the turnoff for Vingerklip Lodge - a 19km dirt road, all of it through privately owned land - essentially, a 19km driveway. Just as I'ld planned months previously, the vistas for which Vingerklip is known opened up before us, epic in scale, golden with the last of the sun.
The lodge itself occupies the spine of a ridge, with a bar, restaurant and gazebo strung out along the ridge line itself, while the guest cottages sit just below these, each enjoying panoramic views. The gardens - of local, drought-hardy plants - are beautiful, as are the structures themselves: huge timbers, still with their old trunk form, soar above to form an exceptionally high roof vault; the heavy thatch and low eaves keep out the heat of the day. We drank our sundowners - entirely fruit-based, for once - in the gazebo, enjoying the view you see above. After sunset, I had a starlit dip in the plunge pool; later, we sat on our balcony and watched a massive storm rage with true tropical fury, hurling a barrage of lightning against the parched land far to the south. Dear visitor, if you happen to be anywhere near the general vicinity, don't miss a trip to this place.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
In which Virtue is Rewarded
My first dawn within Etosha found me sitting by the watering hole adjacent to the Halali rest camp. Four springbok were drinking and grazing, with bouts of play-fighting – they lock horns, and try to force each other back. All four were extremely wary, huge ears all a-turning and a-twitch.
We left camp after breakfast, intending to stay out in the bush all day – inside Etosha, park rules say tourists must stay in the vehicle cab when outside the rest camps, except for a handful of toilets in "safe areas". Our morning drive was fairly uneventful- just a few wildebeest, ostrich, assorted antelope. After lunch (makeshift picnic of biltong and biscuits), the viewing got a little more interesting – some giraffe (surreal, graceful, occasionally hilarious). Exploring a very quiet track in poor condition (lots of bumps and large puddles), we found two tourists peering beneath a rather sickly looking hire car. We pulled up immediately; Mrs P swung up onto the roof of the cab to watch for lions, elephants, etc. (not so easy, in the dense scrub along that track), while I hopped down to examine the "patient".
Quickly diagnosing the hapless machine as "too sick to tow", we noted its latitude and longitude, and - our cab being only a two-seater - opened the tailgate and offered the Spartan comfort of our pickup's bed to the stranded Germans (an anxious mother and her teenage son). Abandoning our game viewing, we drove them straight to the Okaukuejo rest camp, this being the closest place from which they could call for assistance, and also our destination for that evening. A little disappointed at having had to cut our drive short, we rested by the pool with cold drinks, before consulting the animal sightings book at reception (filled in by other visitors), then took the north road from the camp (a road we wouldn't have been travelling that day, if we hadn't been doing our Samaritan act).
A few kilometres out, we were buzzed by a Cessna performing the most unorthodox pre-landing circuits I've seen outside an air show. Just after this, a South African in a big jeep heading south flashed us down: lions ahead! Smiles and thanks, and off we went; in fact, we had already spotted a few jeeps pulled over up ahead. The area was very open – grassland – and soon we spotted leonine heads raised above the grass blades. Three lionesses lay together on our left, while a single male was off to our right. Searching with her big lense (500mm telephoto), Mrs P soon found another male lion some way off behind the lionesses. None of the animals were particularly close – the lionesses, which were nearest, were at least 30M off – but, even at that distance, they were beautiful, menacing, fascinating animals.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Wild times in Etosha
Friday, May 19, 2006
Hunter's Price?
By local standards, rainfall is fairly good in this area - there are a lot of big cattle farms - but we thought it was dry as almost anywhere we'ld seen. This was the first town to give us that "third world" feel - stopping at the petrol station, we immediately attracted the attention of a couple of hawkers (thin, poorly dressed). I'm afraid they didn't get much from us - we picked a scrawny young lad to be our "parking guard", and crossed the road to the stalls of the traders - this is one of the largest craft markets in the region.
After some browsing, we soon found ourselves inside the stall of Oliver Moto (in the picture, the first on the left). Oliver is a nice young man with a relatively relaxed selling style. We liked his stock - plenty of carvings, mostly in wood, with some soapstone and a few in horn, bone, or tooth. On this, our first visit, his opening price for a wooden mask sounded a bit rich, so we shook our heads sadly. He soon confessed to quoting us a "hunter's price", and dropped about 20% from his starting price. Mrs P and I exchanged significant looks: we knew how this dance went. I slipped into my old role of distinterested spectator, and my wife dusted off her old bargaining weapons; the most important of these is that she never pays more than she initially intended to, and is genuinely prepared to walk away from a deal if the price is even 1% above her limit. On this occasion, the bargaining went fairly smoothly. Oliver played well, but faced an implacable and experience opponent, who, taking her time, eventually wore him down to a price that that surprised even me.
For readers who haven't shopped in this way, the game is played like this: the trader will generally open at a fixed - outrageous - multiple of their lowest acceptable price. For example, in certain markets in the Far East, we found a common multiplier of about 7; We found that a lower multiple is current in Okahandja, but I'm not going to tell you, dear reader: we like Oliver, and we hope he does well.
We returned to Okahandja for a hour or two towards the end of our trip, and dealt with Oliver again; his range is good, and having compared his prices with those of other suppliers, we're sure he gives good value (but the bargaining is up to you!). When we'ld finished with our purchases, we took his contact details (he has a mobile phone, but not an e-mail address); I think perhaps the goods he is trading could find a wider market, particularly the range of animal carvings (zoos) and drums (crusties, art students). One of the most revealing moments of our dealings in his stall came when he was writing down his postal address for us: spelling "Okahandja" - the town where he lives - required a short debate with his friends (brothers? colleagues?). The educational legacy of apartheid?
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Close encounter - of the feline kind
This beautiful creature, seen walking a dry riverbed in search of a cool place to sleep and digest, is a member of a small pride which hunts a territory within the Timbavati reserve (adjacent to
He was walking the track just a few hundred metres from our tents, coming our way. Our guide pulled over to the verge to let him pass (we were riding in an open landrover; think a stretched version of a world war II jeep, right down to the folded-flat windscreen and rifle by the driver's hand). I had an excellent view as he strode past within a couple of yards, protected only by his indifference to me. Big and brutal, he had a surprisingly melancholy mein (but a nice big mane - sorry). Talking to the tracker, we found out why.
At 12 years old, it seems he is "over the hill". Our guide's assessment of his prospects was bleak; within a year or so, other lions will come to fight him for his territory, and he will lose. If he "doesn't make too much fuss", then he might be allowed to live, to shamble off into exile, where he might scratch out a lonely existence for another year or too. I don't like his odds – he is the last of four brothers, the third being killed within the last 12 months by another pride to the north of his territory. It seems that that even the lion, the "king of beasts" himself, has only a short and precarious existence. Even knowing how the old villain maintains his position, I pitied him. Strange that such brutal animals should be so attractive – but we find them endlessly fascinating, particularly the cubs.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Paradise Lost
Last Thursday afternoon, I was bobbing in the warm, warm waters of the Indian Ocean, taking this picture of the tiny (uninhabited) island of St. Pierre (you can see more or less the whole island in this picture), part of the Seychelles group. The trees are heavy with fruit (coconuts, almonds), and the leaf litter is disturbed only by the passing of the occasional skink (this is skink heaven: I've never seen them so fat, sleek and lazy). In the surrounding sea, huge schools of fish swim over white, white sand and gorgeously baroque corals; hawkbill turtles graze peacably just below the surface. There are sharks, too - whitetips (reef, not pelagic), which fled at my approach. I hired a boatman to maroon Mrs. P and myself there for a few hours. Never so happy to be stranded... unfortunately, he turned up again just before sunset, as promised.


text:
A few weeks ago, I confessed that I have never given blood. My needle-phobia has not gone over so well in the past. To make it worse, after a week of plotting with my friend, Hannah, our hematocrit levels were just too low. The needed 12.5 was just out of my reach and way out of Hannah's.
We were sent home, Red Cross blood donation shirts in tow, with the ultimatum to raise our iron level… or no donation.
After a few rounds of vitamins and several meals of fish and chicken, we returned with our hopes high and fingers crossed.
PRICK goes the first finger. Result: 12.2. I tried a second time and got a 12.5. I can give blood! Then I got the text message from Hannah: "Both of mine were below 10.6. I can't give blood again."
I walked to the back room to conquer my fear… alone. Actually, she followed me in there, but I was alone on the "Give Life" part.
So I got taped down and hooked up. Then I prepared myself.
"Don't look at the needle," Hannah said.
I covered my eyes, looked away and thought about my happy place. Actually, Hannah distracted me. I won't lie. The needle hurt a little, but it was worth every ounce. It took about an hour. Hannah and I chatted. I even looked at the blood a couple of times… without throwing up or passing out. And that's all that matters.
As I found out, the standard donation of blood is about one pint – approximately one-tenth of a person's total volume. Scary as it may sound, blood refills itself after about 24 hours. Another fact, blood donations plummet dramatically in the summer.
So, thank you Marlee Matlin for reminding me how important it is to donate blood. I'll definitely go again. If I can make it, I think you can too.
Click here for a few tips for a good donation experience. Good luck!


text:
You may remember yesterday that we reported on an unfortunate scene in Chicago at the North Avenue Park. A woman's purse was stolen and dumped under a park bench. According to the phone call Mandie of "Just We Moms" received today, the owner of that purse has been reunited with her belongings and is ever-so-thankful to have recovered a portion of what was lost.
In other news, the beloved horse, June, who has made Cosley Zoo home for the past several years died yesterday. She was 14 years old. According to one of the zookeepers, she was sick and taken to the vet, but did not survive. She died on Sunday evening, July 12, 2009. June was an American Cream Draft Horse and shared her stall with Pro the Shetland Pony. Pro appeared to be somewhat lost while on display today. Normally he is seen following June as she wanders in the horse enclosure. The zookeeper said, "He knows something is different, but I don't think he knows what," as she sympathetically scratched him behind his ears. Since June was not in the stall with Pro at her time of death, the keeper staff does not believe she is mourning at this time. According to Danielle, a zoo spokesperson, they hope to get a new companion for Pro since horses thrive with companionship.
There will be a memorial fund to remember June, but details are not yet available. If you are interested in making a donation in honor of June, you can do so by contacting the staff of the Cosley Zoo.
On a personal note, while the ducks are String Bean's favorite zoo animals by far, she is always thrilled to see the horses. Today was a sad day as the big white horse no longer is with us.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Today's News
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
I started out late Thursday with the best of intentions --- to wait until dusk and then go over to Sacred Heart Church and mark the eve of Epiphany by taking a photo of the lighted exterior creche, which is quite lovely.
Then I got home thoroughly chilled after running a few errands and it occurred to me that I had these photos to use instead --- I'm a fair-weather photographer and it was darned cold.
So here they are, taken during Christmastide 2014, two years ago.
It's a pet peeve of mine, regarding Christmas, that we turn off all the bright lights and pack away the sparkle just when we need them most, during bleak January.
"In the Bleak Midwinter" is not exactly an Epiphany carol, but the lyrics are lovely and appropriate for winter in Iowa, or anywhere else in the frozen northland. And the final verse has an Epiphany theme.
The words are based upon a poem by Christina Rossetti and the setting is by Gustav Holst. Here are the words, in case you'd like to follow along:
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk,
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air -
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man
I would do my part;
Yet what I can, I give Him -
Give my heart.


text:
Jude is back in town so we did our first onsen in a month. The Hyotan Onsen just reopend after rennovations. I had always meant to go there and since I heard it had been refurbished I figured now was better than ever.
I checked the prices and prepared a pocket full of change to cover the 700 yen fee for me and the 200 fee for children under five. When I entered I found that adults are 550 after 6 pm and kids under 3 are free. A very good start.
After paying, we walked thru a courtyard which serves as a beer garden into the bathing area. It was HUGE. There was a rock bath, 2 banks of showers (about 20 showers each), a cypress bath (great aroma), a little bath shaped like a hyotan (gourd) a giant outdoor bath, and about 20 waterfall baths. These are high pressure streams of water that you let pound your shoulders and they feel great. Jude's fave was the Pebble bath. A narrow strip of a bath that you walk thru. it was bout 20 yards long and the bottom was covered in pebbles to give you a foot massage as you walked. We did about 20 round-trips through that thing. Jude also liked putting his plastic elephant watering can under the waterfall. I couldn't get him out of there!
They had a nice ice-cold water fountain in the dressing room which I liked to drink and Jude like to turn on and off.
I missed a work party here the other night, but I would like to come back and go for dinner and a bath here sometime. It is the perfect place to take company to. Anyone gonna be in town?
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Hyotan Onsen(ひょうたん温泉)
Posted by Joel at 4:24 PM
2 comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Election Boycott in Iraq
>> Saturday, March 06, 2010
This is a guest post by Dr. Emily Beaulieu, assistant professor of Political Science at the University of Kentucky.
Contentious elections usually make us nervous. To be sure, elections aren't the nicest of affairs. At best, elections are competitions where the accompanying rhetoric can, and often does, take a nasty turn. But when elections bring violence, accusations of fraud, and protests (threatened or real)—particularly in places where we want those elections to effect or improve or cement democracy—they are more than simply competitive, and they cause us concern. The good news: sometimes these contentious elections can induce elite concessions and move countries closer to real democracy. The bad news: this is not likely to happen in Iraq.
With the US withdrawal looming, the contention surrounding tomorrow's election has already raised concerns about the prospects for democracy there. Violence at the early polling stations has added to mounting tension from earlier accusations of electoral malfeasance. Sunnis cried foul (and threatened to boycott) when more than 300 of their candidates were barred from competition in late February. More recently, thousands of supporters of the INA—an opposition coalition of Shia religious parties considered the main rival to al-Maliki's SOL—are claiming their names have been stricken from voter registers, and are blaming "the Americans" for it.
There are numerous historical examples where similarly contentious elections have produced positive results for democracy. Election boycotts in the Dominican Republic (1974) started that country down a path of resistance that brought down its authoritarian regime within five years. That transition was short-lived, but democratization continued through more contentious elections in the early 1990s. Bangladesh spent the late 1980s to the mid 1990s experiencing a series of highly contentious elections, replete with boycotts, general strikes, mass demonstrations, and violence. These elections brought an end to the country's military regime and began a process of democratization (even if more work remains to be done). In the former Soviet Union the early 21st century witnessed a series of "Colored Revolutions" where accusations of electoral fraud and massive protests led to leadership alternation in Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. And, before recent tragic events, many observers felt that Haiti's long history of contentious elections might finally have put that country on the road to better, more democratic governance.
In other cases, however, contentious elections have had no positive impact. Election boycotts occurred in Pakistan (1985), Algeria and Egypt (1990), Belarus (2000), and Zimbabwe (2005), with negligible democratic impact. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have all experiences contentious elections, with protests and violence, in the past two decades and politics there remain undemocratic. Most recently, and perhaps most instructively, the boycott of Afghanistan's presidential election has yet to produce any positive changes for democracy.
Those cases where contentious elections furthered democracy all share one or both of the following traits: a massive ground-swell of domestic support, or pressure from key international actors. If electoral contention gets the people into the streets—clogging capitals and bringing business as usual to a halt, as it did in the Colored Revolutions and Bangladesh—leaders can be pressured to make democratic concessions. Alternately, or additionally, if contentious elections bring key international actors to intervene—as with the US in the Dominican Republic, and the US and the OAS in Haiti—real improvements for democracy are also possible.
So what does this mean for democracy in Iraq? Perhaps the best one could hope for is that the fraud complaints of the Sunni and Shia opposition might lead to an outpouring of domestic pressure for democratic reform. But given the current climate of occupation, where the incumbent is seen as largely indistinguishable from "the Americans", domestic unrest at this point could be more problematic than productive. And as with Afghanistan, the ambivalence of Iraq's most important international actor, the US, does not bode well for democracy. When faced with the opposition boycott of the presidential election in Afghanistan, the US chose to support the incumbent in a bid for stability, at the cost of real democratization in that country. Now, at the same time that Ambassador Hill is telling Iraqis that the US wants a clean election everyone knows the administration is hoping desperately to avoid any conflict that would delay the September 1 troop withdrawal. If the US makes this election another choice between democracy and stability, then those who care about democracy in Iraq should indeed be concerned.


text:
Doubletree Hotels Hastings-On-Hudson hotels are provided below. Search for cheap and discount Doubletree Hotels hotel rates in Hastings-On-Hudson, NY for your upcoming meeting or individual travels. We list the best Doubletree Hotels Hastings-On-Hudson hotels/properties so you can review the Hastings-On-Hudson Doubletree Hotels hotel list below to find the perfect place.
Our search will also list discounted Hastings-On-Hudson, NY hotels + motels that have a comparable rating of a Doubletree Hotels.Booking a group or meeting? Set up a group hotel block in Hastings-On-Hudson NY
How should we direct your call?


text:
the weekly market shop
The haul included: sweet potatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peas, Dutch carrots, regular carrots, tomatoes, radishes, apples, pineapple, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, kiwi fruit, cos lettuce, cauliflower, pumpkin, paw paw, new season Sebago's, roasting potatoes, celery, asparagus, corn, bananas, avocadoes, capsicum, red onions, strawberries (2 punnets of organic, about half the price of a month ago), ginger, eggs, coffee, lentils, walnuts, almonds, soy milk and for the first time – organic, brown basmati rice!
What sort of (dairy free) dishes would you make with this haul?
What does your weekly fruit and veg shop look like?
This is what you get for $150 at Vic Market.
Labels: fruit, markets, photos, shopping, vegetables


text:
I have a question for you, hope you don't mind me asking.
Is the safest thing to do, nothing? Whenever you wake up in the morning, as you try to ponder on what you might do that day, the safest thing is to remain horizontal and staring into emptiness, perhaps to the accompaniment of Magic FM or any radio station that attempts no form of engagement beyond nostalgia and whistling. You might have to get up, even go to work, and if so, only do what is immediately required of you, any more and you may be forced to contemplate ethics, morality or ideals. Do not look any charity collectors in the eye, ensure that you have persuaded yourself that it is either a scam or inappropriate as those collecting are on a percentage and while all other forms of work should be paid, charity chuggers should eschew all needs. Avoid all actions that may be seen as political, offer opinions confirmed by columnists, end your conversations with, "but what can you do about it?" or "what's the point? do you want another?"
I mentioned No More Page 3 again on Twitter and had some responses of "well, that is all well and good, and I am not really pro it, but aren't there more important things in the world?" (previous blog on this HERE)
I would say there are, so dos that mean inaction is the only choice until the register of causes has been properly collated, analysed and numbered?
I have found that many of those who live in the "aren't there more important things in the world" echo chamber, don't actually do anything about the more important things in the world either, it's a catchphrase that may be more of an opt out than a call to tackle the epidemics caused by dirty water or genocide. It is a triumphant shrug of disengagement.
This is not to declare that I am on the frontline, rejecting all wealth and succour as a selfless fighter for other people's welfare and justice. I am adept at being furious at injustice, but far less good at chaining myself to railings, creating human barricades to dam builders' bulldozers or risking arrest on arctic protests. I am a coward with a lazy streak whose alibi is that I sometimes tell jokes for 15 minutes at benefit gigs or writes blog posts that nail my colours to the mast while remaining safely on land.
Is it better to try a bit, aware of your failures and possible hypocrisy?
Personal actions can be seen as affronts to others. Should someone be forced to state they are a vegetarian at a party as the host attempts to force Scotch eggs on them, some antsy meat consumers will turn feral. Though you might meekly explain your reason for Scotch egg rejection, some omnivores hear, :"sorry I don't eat meat" as "the those with sausage meat on their lips are as guilty as Albert Speer in being the architects of a slaughter of innocents, your party houses an unruly orgy of pig death and egg murder, abattoir fornicators!". Then the inquisition begins, the search for the flaw in ethical commandments that you never even assumed in the first place. Shoes will be scrutinised, tales of screaming lettuces told, history's maniacs will be designated vegetarian status as if Hitler's (I believe mythical) vegetarianism means your use of Linda Mccartney's sausages and tofu links you directly the use of Zyklon B in extermination camps. If a ham eating, mustachioed painter ever attempts such tricks, remind him he shares more traits with Adolf than you do. I presume this anger and examination comes from deep guilt, as if your personal action is a direct attack on any who don't follow your position.
As for the "there are more important things in the world", then you find yourself like an inert philosopher, failing to make any decision on any issue until you have scrutinised the statistics and Marcus Aurelius so thoroughly that you can be sure you can commit, the problem then lies in the fact each action becomes pointless as the starvation, misogyny, extinction has done its work by the time you leave your cave. If I start to make a list of charities and causes and then place them in an order of importance before I start my sponsored walk or direct debit, I will find myself in a quandary. Is the rhinoceros better to save than Bactrian Camel? Should I give to a charity that helps homeless people with dogs or one where pets are not in the equation? Clean water or cataracts? The Actors' Benevolent Fund or the British Legion? It's not a side where just have to pick one.
"I'd love to help Medecins sans Frontieres, but I am afraid I am fully committed to occasionally wearing a T shirt saying 'No More Page 3' and tweeting intermittently, so I can't really. Bye now". One week, I found myself doing a benefit for Reprieve which deals with appalling human rights abuses of the incarcerated and another one that was to buy a new stair carpet for the Lyric Hammersmith. Are there more important things than the carpet beneath your moccasins as you go to see a musical based on the cautionary tales of a German doctor? I'd say yes, but it wasn't much bother.
(I think I seem to be starting a new blog post here, hmmm)
There are people who say, "I'm not political", but it's too late not to be political, our technology and civilisation doesn't give us that luxury. Where we shop, the computer I am typing this on, the groceries I buy, all have ramificiations. Am I ethically pure? hell no, I am murky and muddy, surrounded by quandaries, but does that make it safest to do nothing for fear of being trumped each time a new hypocrisy is unearthed, as I eat a banana that comes from the wrong farm or have forgotten to check the history of a cup of tea, ah balls, it's better to try a bit isn't it? Maybe not, you tell me?
My 2013 tour is nearly over, final London gig HERE and Cirencester, Kings Lynn, Tunbridge Wells, Dartmouth and Leicester, plus Christmas shows with Brian Cox and the like HERE
Happiness through Science DVDs HERE


text: Autumn is a favorite season for me. It inspires reflection, creativity and just being cozy and thankful for all that I have been blessed with in my life. Autumn is filled with texture and colors that are velvety and rich. Like a full bodied wine or a soft cashmere blanket its all about comfort and simple and gracious living. Enjoy my mood board and may it inspire you to enrich your life with the colors, textures and patterns of fall.


text:
In 2016, I read 72 books, an increase of 17 (31%) over the 55 I read in 2015 and a 50% increase over the number of books I read in 2014. My overall reading average was 6 books a month. From January through June, I averaged 7 books a month. From July through December, I averaged 5 books a month.
Seventy percent of the books were fiction, 24% were non-fiction and 6% were poetry. Of the novels, 42% were fantasy, 18% were science fiction and 10% were mysteries. Of the non-fiction books, 65% were biographies and memoirs. Sixty-three percent of the books I read were e-books and 15% were audio books.
Here are the 16 best books that I read in 2016:
16. Going Home to Glory: A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961-1969 by David Eisenhower & Julie Nixon Eisenhower
An excellent memoir by the grandson of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife about the last years of President Eisenhower's life and his relationship with his grandson. I found it interesting that Lyndon Johnson relied for Eisenhower for support and council and that he spent considerable time visiting Eisenhower in the hospital in 1968 and 1969. The books is based on David's memories and the interviews with many people who knew his grandfather. This is the first book that I have read about the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower and I found it a valuable introduction.
Hillary tells the story of her mother and father and how her mother was raised by her grandmother. Her father was raised in Scranton, PA but escaped to Chicago as fast as he could. Hillary came of age when women had more opportunities to go to college. She tells the stories of her college years, meeting Bill and her time in Little Rock, AK. Much of the book is her experiences in the White House and her campaign to be the New York senator.
15. Living History by Hillary Rodham ClintonMy wife and I listened to this book on our 2,000 mile trip to the east coast. My guess is that Hillary Clinton is a introvert and Bill is an extrovert. Bill is energized by people and Hillary is drained. For me, this is also an explanation as to why so many people hate her. She has learned to overcome some of her shyness, but people don't seem to warm up to her easily. After listening to this book, I find Hillary to be a warm, caring individual committed to helping others.
Hillary tells the story of her mother and father and how her mother was raised by her grandmother. Her father was raised in Scranton, PA but escaped to Chicago as fast as he could. Hillary came of age when women had more opportunities to go to college. She tells the stories of her college years, meeting Bill and her time in Little Rock, AK. Much of the book is her experiences in the White House and her campaign to be the New York senator.
If more people had read this book, we may have had a different outcome in the presidential election. Unfortunately, too many lies have been told about Hillary. For some people, it is easier to believe the lie than search for the truth.
14. Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage by Jeffrey Frank
This is a fascinating book about two men who worked together for eight years and maintained a relationship for another decade. Ike tried in 1952 and 1956 to dump Nixon from the Republican ticket but ultimately failed. Ike often assigned Dick to do his dirty work and when Ike was ill Nixon along with the cabinet held the fort down.
This is a fascinating book about two men who worked together for eight years and maintained a relationship for another decade. Ike tried in 1952 and 1956 to dump Nixon from the Republican ticket but ultimately failed. Ike often assigned Dick to do his dirty work and when Ike was ill Nixon along with the cabinet held the fort down.
Like any marriage, the pair had their good times and bad times. Each felt injured or hurt by the other. Nixon used Eisenhower as his sounding board during his political campaigns and often sought his opinion. The two families were forever entwined with the marriage of Nixon's daughter, Julia, to Eisenhower's grandson, David.
I am surprised that other authors have not explored the relationship between Presidents and their VPs. I recommend the book to those who love history and biographies.
"You can't think of resigning. If you do, Eisenhower will lose. You will carry the scar for the rest of your life. If you do not fight back but simply crawl away, you will destroy yourself."
Whenever Nixon was depressed and wanting to quit because of the pressure of the outside world, Pat was always there supporting him.
Winning Pat's heart was not easy. She initially had little interest in Richard but he persisted and eventually won her heart.
I highly recommend this book because it tells the love story and the heartbreak of an American Presidential couple.
12. Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family by Condoleezza Rice
This book is Condoleezza Rice's love poem to her mother and father. She tells the story of a very supportive mother and father who sacrificed to give her opportunities she had. Condi grew up in a family of teachers and preachers in Birmingham, AL, during segregated 50's and 60's. One of her friends was killed in the 1963 church bombing. Both of her parents were college educated and strong believers in education.
Her father, John Wesley Rice, was a Republican because the Democrats in Alabama refused to register him to vote, but a Republican did.
This memoir, written after her experience as Secretary of State under George W. Bush, tells her childhood story through her college years, her acceptance as a professor at Stanford, her mother's death, and her years as Provost at Stanford University. The book closes with the death of her father and Condi moving to Washington D.C. in 2001 as the National Security Advisor to George W. Bush.
I highly recommend the book because of the powerful love story between parents and a child that it tells. The warmth and humanity of the book touched my heart.
10. Escaping Peril (Wings of Fire #8) by Tui T. Sutherland
Escaping Peril is the eight book in the series. My daughter and I have read all nine books in the series together and have enjoyed discussing them. She waited for several months for the new book about Peril to arrive. Peril was a character in the first book in the series and my daughter has been fascinated by her ever since. She could hardly wait until book 8 came out. And we were not disappointed. Like the other books, this one took several unexpected twists and turns. If you enjoyed the other books in the series, you will enjoy this one. I would not recommend reading this one until you have read at least the first five. While the book can stand alone, there are so many nuances that will be missed if you have not read the others in the series.
8. Being Nixon: The Fears and Hopes of an American President by Evan Thomas
What I did not know until I read this book was that Nixon's actions helped to destroy the economy of the Midwest in the 1970's and 1980's. Nixon was a consummate politician who knew very little of economics. He proceeded to sever the dollar's connection to the gold standard, knowing it would bring about inflation. He also irritated the Arabs with his support of Israel during the 1973 war. This led to retaliation by OPEC and the oil embargo which helped to increase inflation as well.
Evan Thomas, in this excellent biography, is focused on emotional and psychological nature of Nixon. I learned that Nixon was very shy and uncomfortable around people. He avoided confrontation and held grudges against those who had done him wrong. He had an inferiority complex and had a love-hate relationship with those he perceived to be a part of the East Coast establishment, especially the Kennedy clan. Nixon was not very self-aware. He did not like to focus on the past. He preferred to look to the future.
Nixon was very loving and kind with his immediate family — his wife and daughters. He seemed to compartmentalize his life, behaving one way with his family and another in the world of politics. He was driven to succeed at all costs. Like many of us, Nixon had multiple facets to his personality. One minute he could be kind and supportive and the next yelling and cursing. His closest aides learned not to take him seriously when he went on a rampage. They often ignored his commands. Yet, he was very supportive of the underdog. When the Democratic Vice-President candidate, Thomas Eagleton, was forced out the presidential race in 1972 because of his treatment for depression, Nixon wrote a very kind letter to Eagleton's son.
I decided to read this book when I read where Bill Gates recommended it because it was one of the more balanced biographies of Nixon. And while I have not read any other biographies of Nixon, I would highly recommend this one to anyone interested in Nixon and the time period of the 1950's through 1970's. Evan Thomas tells us both the negative and the positive about the life of Nixon.
Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas, the 3rd of 7 sons born to David and Ida Eisenhower. His father had moved the family from Kansas in 1888 to find work. The Eisenhowers only lived in Texas for 4 years before they moved back to Kansas. Dwight's ancestors originally arrived from Germany in 1741. David's father was a preacher with the River Brethren, an offshoot of the Mennonites. Like the Mennonites, the River Brethren did not believe in fighting in wars.
Religion was a major part of the fabric of Eisenhower family. David would begin the day by reading the Bible to the family. They said prayers before meals and the boys read the scriptures at night. Dwight had read the entire Bible twice before entering West Point.
Dwight's father was a very strict and stern man who did not play with his sons nor take them fishing or hunting. Ike's brother, Edgar, said about their father: "He was an inflexible man with a stern code. Life to him was a very serious proposition and that's the way he lived it, soberly and with due reflection."
Dwight's mother, Ida, had the greatest influence on the boys. She was present in their lives and usually found the humor in most situations. In spite of his pacifist upbringing, Dwight sought and received an appointment to West Point where he was admitted in June of 1911. Eisenhower graduated 61st in a class of 164 and was assigned to San Antonio where he met his future wife, Mary Geneva Doud. They were married on July 1, 1916.
Eisenhower did not have the opportunity to see any action on the battle field during World War I. Between the two wars he held administrative posts in various places. In December of 1926 Dwight was assigned to the American Battle Monuments Commission under John J. Pershing. In December, 1927 he moved to Paris to continue the work under the Monuments Commission where he explored first hand the terrain of France. This experience helped prepare him for the invasion of Europe.
In October 1935, Eisenhower sailed to the Philippines to serve under Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur delegated the day to day operations to Eisenhower and James Ord. MacArthur only came into the office about an hour a day.
In June of 1942, Eisenhower was given the command of the invasion of Europe. His first task was to establish a command structure. Eisenhower initially made some serious mistakes as the army tried to retake northern Africa before entering France. He had never commanded troops in combat and did not do well as a field commander. He was better at overall organization and in public relations. He was skilled in managing the top brass. Eisenhower was name Supreme Commander where he could devote his time to the political and inter-allied problems. Others were given direct field command of the soldiers. Dwight was promoted to a four star general. The invasion of Europe began in June, 1944. Eisenhower made the final decision when to start the attack. Victory in Europe made Eisenhower an international hero.
In 1952, Ike Eisenhower won the Republican nomination for President against Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic nominee. The 1952 campaign has been called one of nastiest on record at the time. There were bogus claims about a Communist conspiracy in the Truman administration and the GOP launched a negative campaign questioning the sexual orientation of Governor Stevenson. More than 61 million Americans voted and Ike won 55% of the popular vote. He won 442 electoral votes to Stevenson's 89.
Eisenhower served as President during eight years of peace and prosperity. When he left office in 1961, his popularity ratings were as high as when he was inaugurated.
This is an excellent biography by Jean Edward Smith. The book gains momentum with the discussion of Eisenhower's activities during World War II and his accomplishments and failures during his Presidency. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
So, all these years later, I decided to listen to Slaughterhouse-Five and loved it. The voice of Ethan Hawke set the tone for the book and allowed me to better appreciate the non-linear narrative. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Sometimes listening to a story is even better than reading it.
4. Shoeless Joe by W.P. KinsellaI read the Iowa Baseball Confederacy by Kinsella back in the 1980s, but never read Shoeless Joe. I have, though, watched Field of Dreams on multiple occasions. I usually don't like to read books after I have seen the movie, but decided to give this one a try. I found myself initially visualizing the characters in the image of the actors in the movie, but it was not a hindrance since I love the movie. All the major movie scenes are in the book, but a couple of characters in the book were cut from the movie — Ray's twin brother and Eddie Sessions, the farmer who sold the farm to Ray. Also the movie changed the character of J.D. Salinger to Terrence Mann.
The book at its core is about the nature of obsession and how people pursue their dreams against all odds. The book and movie are both motivational and inspiring.
I discovered after reading the book that W.P. Kinsella was Canadian. He did earn a Masters from the Iowa Writers Workshop. I recommend the book to all lovers of dreams and baseball.
3. Middle Age: A Romance by Joyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol Oates, a master novelist, is one of the most prolific writers of her generation. This is the second of her novels that I have read. Both novels start with an event — in this case the death of a neighbor and friend — and follow the impact on various people. The event triggers in each character an opportunity to re-evaluate his or her life. Some are more successful at this then others. This is a book worth reading by one of the great American novelists. Don't let the insipid title get in the way of picking up this book. There is more nuance and depth to this book then the title will lead you to believe.
The Girl Who Wrote in Silk is a brilliant novel by Kelli Estes. Set simultaneously in the 1880s and present day, Estes tells the tragic historical story of how the Chinese were driven out of northwest Washington by white men. The heart of the novel is the story of Mei Lien and her family who are forced out of their home in Seattle onto a ship that is bound for China back in the 1880's. Mei Lien discovers that the Chinese are not being taken to China, but that the plan is to throw them overboard when the ship is far enough from shore. When she tells her father, he makes the decision that she needs to jump overboard while there is still opportunity for her to swim to shore. Mei Lien is rescued by a white man who ultimately becomes her husband. Mei Lien's tale is the story of racism and the anti-Chinese hysteria that ran through the villages and towns on the west coast of Washington before it became a state.
Wrapped around Mei Lien's story is the story of present day Inara who discovers an embroidered sleeve and attempts to find out its historical importance.
The message of the story is very relevant today amidst the current immigration and anti-Muslim hysteria that has overtaken many people in this country. This is book is a must read for everyone who cares about people.
This novel is Kelli Estes' first published novel and has been fourteen years in the making. Estes writes: "In the fourteen years between quitting that job and selling this novel, I wrote six manuscripts, attended countless writing workshops and conferences, and raised two boys who are now in school all day, which allows me to focus on writing."
I highly recommend that everyone read this novel for a better understanding of a tragic time in American history and the pain that racism causes. Racism touches everyone and is not just about blacks and whites, but is also about Asians, Hispanics and anyone who does not fit the perceived norm.
1. The Sacrifice: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates Another fantastic novel by Joyce Carol Oates. She has the ability to create a realistic fictional world that feels right out of the pages of life. I would highly recommend that you listen to the reading of this story by multiple actors. This book provides a serious look at racism in America through fiction. Everyone should read this book.


text:
During her time as a law student, Fluke has engaged in a variety of internships and activities focused largely on women's rights. She has served as the development editor for the "Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law," co-president of Law Students for Reproductive Justice and vice president of the Georgetown Law Women's Legal Alliance. -- Caroline MayDemocrats think all women are stupid. What else would you call the "War on Women" a made up campaign slogan which Democrats have implemented as a political tool with which to defame Republicans and get Barry Hussein Soetoro reelected.
To whit, the whole Rush Limbaugh outrage was a made up scenario mean to feign righteous moral indignation against "demeaning women" and denying women their "reproductive rights." Neither claim is true. (see story)
Who among Democrats have not heard misogynist Bill Maher call women whom he disagrees with names much worse than "slut"? (see examples) What Democrat have not listened to Rappers debasing women calling them bitches and hos while inviting them to slide or back up on a credit card or treat a man like a lollypop?
The president has even said Ludacris is his favorite rapper. Who can forget the lyric of that meaningful uplifting Ludacris song entitled, "Move Bitch"?
Yet the real story is Democrats handpicked a political apparatchik, hack and activist, Sandra Fluke a 30-year-old Georgetown third-year student at Georgetown Law and past president of the school's Students for Reproductive Justice Group who is a known women's Libber. Fluke's expressed purpose for attending Georgetown is to, after researching that the University health plan did not offer contraceptive coverage, force the University to do so.
Fluke came to Georgetown University interested in contraceptive coverage: She researched the Jesuit college's health plans for students before enrolling, and found that birth control was not included. "I decided I was absolutely not willing to compromise the quality of my education in exchange for my health care," says Fluke, who has spent the past three years lobbying the administration to change its policy on the issue.--Sarah Kliff
According to the Daily Caller, Fluke attended Cornell University from 1999-2003, where she received a B.S. in Policy Analysis & Management and Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies.
While at Cornell, Fluke's organized activities centered on the far-left feminist and gender equity movements. Fluke participated in rallies supporting abortion, protests against war in Iraq and efforts to recruit other women's' rights activists to campus.
During that period, she gained experience engaging in disputes concerning abortion with religious organizations.
Fluke launched the agency's pilot Program Evaluation Initiative," her Public Interest Law Scholars (PILS) profile explains. "While at Sanctuary, she co-founded the New York Statewide Coalition for Fair Access to Family Court, which after a twenty-year stalemate, successfully advocated for legislation granting access to civil orders of protection for unmarried victims of domestic violence, including LGBTQ victims and teens. Sandra was also a member of the Manhattan Borough President's Taskforce on Domestic Violence and numerous other New York City and New York State coalitions that successfully advocated for policy improvements impacting victims of domestic violence."
During her time as a law student, Fluke has engaged in a variety of internships and activities focused largely on women's rights. She has served as the development editor for the "Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law," co-president of Law Students for Reproductive Justice and vice president of the Georgetown Law Women's Legal Alliance.
She claimed that she needed the government to force the University to add contraception to its health care coverage because contraceptives are too expensive. In addition, that expense is an impediment to her and other collegiate women's sexual activity. For that outrageous idea, she was rightly ridiculed.
All fair-minded women should see this ploy for what it is. This is the radical Progressive agenda using government to impose social values. Women's rights are the Trojan horse in which they embed their treachery.
Democrats are depending on stupid women to advance this fake women's rights complaint.
This is not about women's reproductive rights, on the contrary, contraceptives have remained affordable and easily accessible, and this is a clear cold case of advancing the far left Progressive liberal agenda by attacking Conservatives thereby attempting to reelect the most unconstitutional president in the history of the United States of America.


text:
HOUSTON—When it comes to candy, some varieties do a lot less damage to your child's teeth than others, according to a local dentist.
Dr. Rachel Perry, D.D.S of South Texas Dental named the three worst and best candies when it comes to cavities.
She said the worst candy is Sour Patch Kids. Dr. Perry said the sour component in the treat upsets the PH balance in the mouth.
"It creates an acidic environment in your mouth and then that breaks down the enamel in your teeth," Dr. Perry said.
Second worst is Laffy Taffy, she said, and third worst is Sugar Babies—both for the same reason. They stick sugar onto your teeth like glue.
Dr. Perry said the best candies for avoiding tooth decay are:
No.1 — Sugar-Free Life Savers.
"Because they don't have the sugar content and you are producing saliva to help neutralize your acid," she said.
No. 2 -- Hershey bars.
No. 3 -- Reece's Peanut Butter Cups.
"It's going to dissolve quickly," Dr. Perry said.
Since chocolate melts, it does not linger in the mouth as long as other candies and the less time candy spends in your mouth, the less damage it does, she said.
It is always best to brush after eating candy, Dr. Perry said. But if you cannot brush, chew sugar-free gum. It cleans debris off teeth and stimulates the salivary glands. Saliva helps wash and protect teeth, she said.
You can also drink some water, which washes away some of the sugar, Dr. Perry said.


text:
Dragon Fruit Health BenefitsTelah dituliskan: Oktober 19, 2013 Filed under: Health Tinggalkan komentar
As a common tropical fruit species, dragon fruits can bring great benefits for our health. It is named for its green skin which like the skin of a dragon and its taste is very delicious and has very high nutritional values for all people.
Dragon fruits are rich in vitamin c which is an important nutrient for maintaining the health of our immune system. Regular supplement of vitamin c would be necessary if you want any open wounds to heal as quickly as possible. The vitamins contained in fruits can be easily absorbed by the human body. As a result, taking fruits is a better choice for nutrients than the commercial nutritional health pills. In addition, scientific studies also confirm that fresh fruits can provide 50% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin c for the human body.
Another important nutrients contained in dragon fruits is the vitamin B family including B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin) and B12. Vitamin B1 can help the body produce more energy and is also helpful to maintain the balance of carbohydrate metabolism. Vitamin B3 is an important nutrients for the treatment of diabetics. Due to the low cholesterol content of the dragon fruit, it is an ideal food for diabetic patients. Vitamin B12 is a natural appetite stimulant which can facilitate the rehabilitation of appetite loss.
Moreover, dragon fruits are rich in dietary fiber and there is more than one gram of fiber contained per 100 grams of fresh fruit. The fiber contained in dried fruit are higher which is close to 10% of the total weight. People suffering from constipation or poor bowel movement can increase their intake of dragon fruits as a treatment method. Regarding the minerals, dragon fruits are rich in calcium and phosphorus. These minerals are crucial nutrients for the health of bones and teeth. Also, this fruit is one of the best sources of natural antioxidants which are helpful for protection against damages of free radicals and prevention of cancers.
Regular intake of dragon fruits can help to maintain the blood sugar level which is good for the patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, nutritional experiments also confirm that eating fruit can reduce the amount of insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes. Moreover, it can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and maintain the blood pressure within a perfect level. As a result, this fruit is a perfect food for patients with high risk of stroke and diseases related with high blood pressure.


text:
Isn't this a stunning cover?
Congrats Annie Seaton on your upcoming release with Entangled Publishing's Indulgence series (and sequel to Holiday Affair.)
Release date: June 10th 2013
For finance guru Tomas Richards, relationships have been a bad investment—give him stocks and shares any day. When Tomas offers a marriage of convenience to help Brianna secure her inheritance, the sizzle between the sheets promises an affair to remember, despite family complications at every turn.
But Tom must convince Brianna to stay, and make this Italian affair a lifelong commitment.
Pre -Order
Barnes and Noble…link http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1115250853?ean=9781622661374


text:
1. rest - verb
· not move; be in a resting position
Hypernym(s): be
2. rest - verb
· take a short break from one's activities in order to relax
Synonym(s): breathe, catch_one%27s_breath, take_a_breather
Hypernym(s): pause, intermit, break
3. rest - verb
· give a rest to; "He rested his bad leg"; "Rest the dogs for a moment"
4. rest - verb
· have a place in relation to something else; "The fate of Bosnia lies in the hands of the West"; "The responsibility rests with the Allies"
Synonym(s): lie
Hypernym(s): be
5. rest - verb
· be at rest
Hypernym(s): recumb, repose, recline
Antonym(s): be_active
6. rest - verb
· stay the same; remain in a certain state; "The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it"; "rest assured"; "stay alone"; "He remained unmoved by her tears"; "The bad weather continued for another week"
Hypernym(s): be
7. rest - verb
· be inherent or innate in
Hypernym(s): inhere_in, attach_to
8. rest - verb
· put something in a resting position, as for support or steadying; "Rest your head on my shoulder"
Hypernym(s): put, set, place, pose, position, lay
9. rest - verb
· sit, as on a branch; "The birds perched high in the tree"
10. rest - verb
· rest on or as if on a pillow; "pillow your head"
Synonym(s): pillow
Hypernym(s): put, set, place, pose, position, lay
11. rest - verb
· be inactive, refrain from acting; "The committee is resting over the summer"
12. rested - adjective
· not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing; "came back rested from her vacation"
Antonym(s): tired
The only site you need for word puzzles, home work, anagrams and scrabble games. The best site for two word anagram solutions.
Enter the letters to get anagrams for the word
Definitions, synonyms, antonyms and related words
Enter the word below with '?' to indicate missing letters
Enter the word to find the rhymes
Enter the letters of the beginning, middle or end of the word.
Unscramble.net is the free tool to unscramble letters and words for games like Text Twist, Words with Friends, Scrabble, Word Scraper, and of course the ever popular Jumble newspaper puzzle. It is also great for homework problems that frustrate many parents and students. Unscramble.net provides one and two word unscramble solutions from its extensive 280,000 word list that includes technical, medical and slang words. There is no limit to the number of letters entered for one word unscrambles and the site also provides for rhyming words and dictionary definitions for many of the unscrambled words. Two word unscramble results are provided in two formats for easy comprehension by the user. There is no limit to the number of word combinations provided whether for one or two word unscramble solution sets.
The site is mobile friendly and fully https/tls security compliant. Fast and easy, unscramble.net provides the most accurate and complete word, letter and anagram solutions available. Trust the oldest and most reliable unscramble tool on the net. Word lists are constantly being updated from reliable sources. Android and iOS apps are coming soon.


text:
The Smithsonian is closed, due to a federal government shutdown. All Pyenson Lab social media, including coverage of the ongoing joint UChile expedition, will be suspended starting 12 pm EST (noon) today (1 Oct).
Also, all federally funded Smithsonian employees are forbidden, under penalty of a $5,000.00 fine and up to 2 years in a federal prison, from logging into their SI email accounts or responding to their voicemails.
We will be out of contact until the federal government reopens.


text:
Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
View All Calendars is the default. Choose Select a Calendar to view a specific calendar. Subscribe to calendar notifications by clicking on the Notify Me® button, and you will automatically be alerted about the latest events in our community.
September 29, 2017, 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM @ Memorial Opera House
At first the Sycamores seem mad, but it is not long before we realize that if they are mad, the rest of the world is madder. Tony, attractive young son of the Kirbys, falls in love with Alice Sycamore and brings his parents to dine at the Sycamore home on the wrong evening. The shock sustained by the Kirbys, who are invited to eat cheap food, shows Alice that marriage with Tony is out of the question. Meantime, Tony, who knows the Sycamores are right and his own people wrong, will not give her up. No mention has as yet been made of the strange activities of certain members of the household engaged in the manufacture of fireworks; nor of the printing press set up in the parlor; nor of Grandpa's interview with the tax collector when he tells him he doesn't believe in the income tax.


text:
The M.S. in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development combines interdisciplinary course work with field experience and thesis research, training students to handle the unique, multidisciplinary problems associated with conservation and sustainable development. Students work with faculty to become independent thinkers, researchers and decision-makers.
Thank you for your inquiry about graduate work in the M.S. Conservation Ecology degree program at The University of Georgia.
The Odum School Graduate Student Association serves as a representative and decision-making body for the Odum School of Ecology graduate student community.


text:
How's that to pick up your day???
In "Fuckin' Shitballs!!!" news, Jason King of Yahoo! has literally just broken news that the nation's #1 basketball recruit, SG Xavier Henry, has already bailed on Memphis with the departure of John Calipari and will instead become a MICHIGAN MAN!!!
Henry's father, Carl, has confirmed the report.
Apparently, Xavier became enamored with Big Blue while watching the Dance and had an impromptu 30-minute talk with Johnny B after hearing about Cal-to-Kentucky.
Oh, and it didn't hurt he LOVES the Fab Five.
Said Carl: "Xavier's already got his black socks picked out."
A press conference is scheduled at 4:00 PM for his Oklahoma City High School, which will be broadcast live on ESPNEWS.
(FYI: It's pronounced "Zah-vee-A", not Xavier like the school - better get used to saying it!)
Needless to say, this is the biggest recruiting haul since the Fab Five and instantly puts Michigan in the 2010 national title hunt. Now please pardon us while we go barf up our Pop Tart.
Savor this link, people. (Yahoo!)
How's that to pick up your day???
Posted by The Realests at 1:11 PM


text:
We live in Colorado, in the mountains. Not that they're a pretty back drop, we're right in them. Its snowing, on the last day of April. Anyways... living here has made me want to make our house into some kind of mountain lodge, but with a modern twist of course. So I'm loving this lamp found here.
Have a Lovely Weekend.
14 hours ago


text:
A Lagos-based lady in the midst of the calamity that hit the Victoria Island and Lekki areas of Lagos struck a pose dangerously in the water. Lagosians have a way of making fun out of their pains as seen in the ridiculous photo taken in the flood that caused losses of properties worth millions of naira.
A lady regarded as a 'slay queen' took a picture in the flood that reached her knee level and uploaded it on social media.
This has aggravated the animosity between the Mainland residents and the Island residents in Lagos state which has led to scathing memes being exchanged.