text:
Cosimo Matassa
In a tiny, unassuming room in New Orleans' French quarter, Cosimo Matassa worked magic.
The savvy studio owner was one of the first to recognize the goldmine that was New Orleans' music scene. He has worked with the likes of Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner and Little Richard.
Cosimo Matassa's studio was the center of the New Orleans recording scene for two decades.
Some of the greatest rhythm & blues and rock and roll sides of all time were laid down in Matassa's small, unpretentious room, including seminal recordings by Fats Domino and Little Richard. Roughly two hundred fifty nationally charting singles and twenty-one gold records were cut at Matassa's studio. These include virtually every hit by Fats Domino, beginning in 1948 with "The Fat Man," as well as such New Orleans R&B classics as "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" by Lloyd Price, "Mother-in-Law" by Ernie K-Doe, "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Roy Brown and "Shake, Rattle and Roll" by Big Joe Turner.
Matassa, whose first name is pronounced "Cosmo," was born and raised in New Orleans, where he worked at his father's corner grocery store. After studying chemistry at Tulane University, he dropped out and began working for J&M Services, a jukebox business that he eventually bought. Matassa identified and filled a need on the New Orleans music scene in the mid-Forties. It was a city full of talented musicians but lacked recording studios. "For a long time, I was the only show in town," he noted.
Opened in 1945, Matassa's original J&M Studio occupied a room at the back of his J&M Appliance Store and Record Shop, located at 838-840 Rampart Street (on the corner of Dumaine, at the edge of the French Quarter). The room was only fifteen-by-sixteen feet in size, "as big as my four fingers," joked Matassa. In the early years, Matassa recorded direct to disc until he could afford a tape-recording system. J&M Studio operated at its Rampart Street address until 1956, when Matassa moved to a new location on Governor Nicholls Street, which he simply called Cosimo's Studio.
Over the years Matassa worked closely with bandleader-arranger Dave Bartholomew and a stellar corps of New Orleans musicians that included drummer Earl Palmer, keyboardist Huey "Piano" Smith and saxophonists Lee Allen and Alvin "Red" Taylor. All were involved in the recording of Fats Domino's and Little Richard's hits during their phenomenal runs in the Fifties.
In addition to those already mentioned, the list of notable musicians who recorded at Matassa's studio includes Smiley Lewis ("I Hear You Knockin'"), Shirley and Lee ("Let the Good Times Roll"), Guitar Slim ("The Things That I Used to Do," featuring Ray Charles on piano), Frankie Ford ("Sea Cruise"), Professor Longhair ("Mardi Gras in New Orleans"), Paul Gayten ("Since I Fell for You") and Chris Kenner ("Land of 1,000 Dances").
Music journalist Emily Gaul asked Matassa, "What do you think defines the New Orleans sound?" He responded, "It's a party sound. New Orleans was a partying town because it wasn't a very wealthy town. The ethnic makeup of New Orleans was such that music was part of everybody's lives."
In the Sixties, Matassa started his own label, Dover Records, to compete with all the out-of-town companies signing New Orleans talent. He even got involved in distribution, handling two national hits—Robert Parker's "Barefootin'" and Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is"—for local labels. After leaving the music business in the Eighties, he returned to work at Matassa's Grocery, his family's business for three generations.
Reflecting back on his life in music in a 1999 Goldmine interview, Matassa described his role as one of facilitator. "It was to get the performance and the performer on the tape with the least interference and the least resistance," he said.
But Matassa's contributions went far beyond that. Legendary New Orleans producer and pianist Allen Toussaint referred to Matassa as "a genius with worlds of information...We all came through Cosimo." Matassa passed away on September 11, 2014.
Inductees: Cosimo Matassa (producer, studio owner; born April 13, 1926, died September 11, 2014)


text:
By Davion Dare
Mos Eisley is a powerful card. A Location that lets you draw any card type can win you the game. In this article, Davion Dare shows you how to build Light Side and Dark Side decks around Mos Eisley, speeding up decks for such recently spotlighted cards as Han's Promise and Blockade.
When I first looked at Mos Eisley, I immediately thought of Demonic Consultation. Those of you familiar with Magic: The Gathering remember the days when you could use this to get any card from your deck -- and also recall how powerful this was.
Both Mos Eisley and Demonic Consultation have similar effects, although both also have the huge drawback of discarding cards from your library.
Mos Eisley's effect is, to say it again, powerful. A Location that lets you draw any card type can win you the game, instantly. If you run only one card of the chosen card type, then you'll get the exact card you want -- assuming you built your deck around it. When you have a particular card your deck needs to function properly, Mos Eisley effectively acts as an additional copy of that card. Sure, given enough loss to your library, this can end the game for you; however, in the right deck, it shouldn't be too difficult to make Mos Eisley work.
Lastly, the drawback of discarding cards from your library can even be beneficial, given the right circumstances. Such cards as Han's Promise and Second Wave reward you for having cards in your discard pile, so they work extremely well with Mos Eisley. Han's Promise on its own is a very powerful Mission (just take a look at David Cornford's recent article). Combine it with Mos Eisley, and it's all just icing on the cake. Mos Eisley discards from your library, Han's Promise puts a discarded Character back into play -- so how does it sound to play Orn Free Taa (A) for 3 build points or Yoda (D) for a 10-build point discount?
For our Light Side deck, we'll start with Mos Eisley, four copies of one card type (Mission, in this case) that we'll build our deck around, and an additional Mission card (Han's Promise, naturally) that has synergy with Mos Eisley's "drawback."
So what do we get?
This deck is simple to play.
First off, the build curve is low, so you can cycle through more cards during setup. While in setup, build as much as you can in the Ground and Space arenas. Try to deploy your utility Characters, if possible. On turn 1, play Mos Eisley. On turn 2, use Mos Eisley to name "Mission," and let the fun begin.
In addition to Mission, there's also one Battle card. I chose Starfighter's End, because of its synergy with starfighters and Second Wave. Personally, I wanted to keep this deck on the aggressive side. However, Discuss It in Committee, Strange Lodgings, Change in Destiny, or (another of my favorites) Artoo's Repairs (which works well with Unmodified Snowspeeders) could also be used instead.
Notes on Character UnitsRemote Seeker Droids are included to give the deck a non-activated, non-Mission source of Force gain. A small Chewbacca (G) engine was also included, as well.
And note that without damage prevention, this deck will need to rely on the Evade abilities of its units to survive.
Notes on Ground Units Don't forget about the Snowspeeder Squads, which can be brought back from the discard pile as well. One trick is to attack with all of your Ground units, then discard two Rebel Speeders to bring back Snowspeeder Squad from your discard pile and get another attack -- only this one at seven dice.
A deck without Jawa Sandcrawlers? I chose not to run them, since Mos Eisley already causes us to lose lots of cards. I didn't want Jawa Sandcrawlers adding to the drain. One of the main reasons was that I chose to run Rebel Hoth Army, since I can tutor for Mos Eisley, then late in the game tutor for Rebel Trenches for that Trenches/Wedge/Speeder lock.
The Dark Side doesn't get to be as effective as the Light Side when it comes to playing with Mos Eisley. It doesn't really have any good ways to make up for its discard drawback, but we do get a good card to build a deck around. It's also a Mission and indeed, also powerful.
Blockade {TPM} stops everyone from deploying units and playing Battles. Dark Side players can deploy first, and then use Blockade to hinder the Light Side. This is usually a minor annoyance, but still, being able to have four consecutive turns without deploying units can be an absolute game-breaker. (For more on Blockade, see Joey Leake's recent article.)
This deck is admittedly more difficult to play than its Light Side counterpart.
During setup, you need to deploy low-cost units and try to let your opponent commit to an arena first with a big unit. Then attack the other two arenas. The goal is to have board advantage in at least one arena after setup.
This deck wants to win by turn 4. If you don't, things really start to look bad on turn 5, when units that were building are allowed to come into play. Coup de Grace is in the deck for this circumstance. Usually in the later turns, Light Side is hanging on by a string; Coup de Grace further helps by taking out a damaged unit without wasting an attack. You can then swarm any Light Side reinforcements trying to come in. In fact, it isn't improbable to have two Coup de Graces by turn 5 as well as having the Force to play each one. (Another possibility here is Vader's Vengeance, but I like not having to worry about dice.)
In this deck, Blockade actually improves a couple of units. Both the Avenger (A) and AT-AT were sub-par units before, but Blockade stops the drawback of units retreating away from them. Suddenly, there's no place left to go.
A major problem for this deck is Han's Promise, as is Chewbacca (G). Han's Promise allows the Light Side to put a Character into play under Blockade. Chewbacca (G) does the same thing, though he needs to be deployed in setup. However, Chewbacca isn't as much of a problem as Han's Promise, since Chewbacca also won't be allowed to retreat -- leaving him as vulnerable as every other unit under Blockade.
As I've said, the Dark Side isn't as effective as the Light Side when using Mos Eisley, but its versatility and power simply can't be ignored. Of course, I'm sure Han's Promise and Blockade are not the only cards that work well with Mos Eisley. Try looking through your cards and single card strategies and see what you can come up with.
Thoughts or comments? Visit the message board thread for this article here.
PRIVACY STATEMENT©2007 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or TM where indicated. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Share This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutFacebookEmailTwitterGoogle+LinkedInPinterestPets in need of adoptionPet adoptionsPost to FacebookPets in need of adoption Pet adoptions Check out this story on thegleaner.com: http://www.thegleaner.com/story/news/local/uca/life/2016/11/01/pets-need-adoption/92507628/CancelSendSent!A link has been sent to your friend's email address.Posted!A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the ConversationTo find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQsComments This conversation is moderated according to USA TODAY's community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. Pets in need of adoption Henderson Published 12:07 a.m. CT Nov. 1, 2016 CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORERead or Share this story: http://www.thegleaner.com/story/news/local/uca/life/2016/11/01/pets-need-adoption/92507628/


text:
Baseball Batter Wall Decal Sticker 26
- Removable: Safe for your children, pets, and your walls.
- Easy to apply: Comes ready to install with installation instructions included.
- Sticks to many surfaces: It sticks to smooth walls, laminated wood, sheet metal, glass and windows.
Our Baseball Wall Decals are applied just like a sticker. It comes ready to apply; follow the easy instructions included in your package and... you are ready to go! Your home and room decor projects just got easier with a great selection of airplane silhouettes offered in many sizes and colors to fit your needs.
Manufactured with the highest quality products in the market and they can be removed leaving no residue. All of our decals are Made in USA.
amazon baseball wall decal decals decor batter for walls sticker stickers player nursery players silhouette silhouettes art removable kid kids room rooms theme themed applique appliques sale cling clings etsy Canada mural murals walmart idea ideas graphic graphics stencil stencils vinyl window big cheap classic diy full giant kohls large modern glossy uk sport sports pinterest unique us usa hitter hiter lefty left-handed sinister southpaw
We Also Recommend


text:
Must-Have Demos to Showcase Your Voice Acting
As a voice actor, you need to have recorded demos that indicate your abilities and skills to prospective clients. Voice-over demos fall into four main categories, each having their own purpose, style of performance, intended audience.
Commercial: These demos last 60 to 90 seconds, and they're usually a montage of four to five snippets from radio and television ads. They should highlight a full range of emotions, selling styles, moods, and characters.
Narration: These demos last 60 seconds to five minutes, and they usually are a read excerpt that gives your listener a taste of the narrator's style. With this type of demo, you want to demonstrate your ability with narration, characterization, and consistency in tone and pace.
Animation: These demos last one to two minutes that demonstrate a wide range of characters. You want to showcase your ability with humor, characterization, accents, and comedic elements.
Promo: They should last one to two minutes and promote a comedy, a drama, a news intro, and a movie trailer.


text:
Q&A: Stanford scholar on how high-skilled Asian immigrants have become the benchmark for achievement
Silicon Valley has seen a large wave of immigration, and now has one of the highest per-capita populations of foreign-born residents in the United States. Social scientists have given a lot of attention to how immigrants have adjusted to their new home and how they do – in education, work and economic status – compared to the U.S.-born population.
But until now not much research has looked at assimilation from the other direction – from how the host population is shaped by immigration, in cultural, demographic and political terms.
Stanford Assistant Professor Tomás Jiménez departs from the traditional sociological approach in his latest research project that examines three areas of Silicon Valley – Cupertino, East Palo Alto and the San Jose neighborhood of Berryessa – and how their third-generation American residents are being impacted by an influx of immigrants.
In an interview with the Stanford News Service, Jiménez discusses the project and his findings from the Cupertino case study, "When White Is Just Alright: How Immigrants Redefine Achievement and Reconfigure the Ethnoracial Hierarchy," which was recently published online in the American Sociological Review.
Jiménez is working on a book that will incorporate the findings from the entire project.
Why did you pick East Palo Alto, Cupertino and Berryessa?
I'm trying to enhance our theoretical, and in some degree empirical, understanding of assimilation. What does immigration mean for all of the people whose families have been here for multiple generations? Each of these communities gives an opportunity to look at different populations, different socioeconomic status.
In the case of East Palo Alto, it's how are Latino immigrants shaping life for the black population? In Berryessa, which is mostly middle class, there is a pretty large Vietnamese population, but also notable immigrant populations from Mexico, China and India. The established population there is also mixed: white, Latino, African American and Asian.
Cupertino is, socioeconomically, at the other extreme from East Palo Alto. It's a very affluent area with highly skilled Asian immigrants at the same socioeconomic level as the host, or white, population. There are also Asian Americans with deep generational roots in Cupertino.
How do you study assimilation compared to how it has been studied in the past?
The traditional way of studying the native population with respect to assimilation is to ask native-born whites about their opinion of immigrants and whether they think immigrants compete for jobs, and to see whether their views are motivated by racial animosity or a realistic group threat.
Some researchers are now asking the same kinds of questions of African Americans. The underlying idea is that if whites, as the dominant population in American society, looks positively upon immigrants, then it will be a lot easier for immigrants to assimilate. But most of the social science research examines how immigrants and their children adjust to a new social, economic and political environment.
These same social scientists – and I include myself in this group – often marvel at how much immigration is changing the United States. But what we haven't really looked at is what this means for the people who don't trace their recent family history to an immigrant origin.
So, if immigrants are changing the very social, economic and political dimensions of U.S. society – and I think they are – then we have to ask how everyone else is adjusting to these changes. In essence, I'm taking the questions we ask of immigrants and applying them of the established populations.
So far, you have results for the Cupertino case study. What did you find?
The broader finding is that Cupertino implies immigrants are not just coming here and fitting into established ethnic and racial categories and all that those categories imply with respect to some very important aspects of life, like education. But instead, in some contexts, immigrants might be flipping established categories on their heads.
What do you mean by flipping established categories?
In survey research, if you want to know whether immigrants are assimilating socioeconomically, you compare them to native-born whites. How are Latinos doing in school compared to whites, for example? In Cupertino, that white benchmark has been squashed and replaced by Asian. And most surprisingly, the shift impacted what "white" means. It doesn't represent the top. The conception of achievement was upended. Historically, a "model minority" can meet or even exceed the standard-setters but there is no effect to the standard-setters because the relevant comparison is between Asians and other minorities. In Cupertino, where there are no other minorities, whiteness has come to represent academic mediocrity, while "Asianness" stands for high achievement, success and working hard.
How did you do your research?
We [Jiménez and sociology doctoral student Adam Horowitz] didn't set out to uncover how whiteness was being flipped on its head from what it traditionally means; we really set out to understand quite inductively how individuals U.S. born who have U.S.-born parents are making sense of these massive, immigration-driven changes going on around them. We interviewed families, teachers, school administrators and other city or neighborhood leaders.
Does this just confirm stereotypes that Asians are smart and driven?
The study is not about stereotypes, affirming them or not. What is new here is that an immigrant group has managed to change how the host population is viewed and sees itself. And how immigrants can redefine achievement norms.
Is this unique to Cupertino?
This study is not generalizable, and it wouldn't be an appropriate use of our data to try to make broad empirical statements. You can't take our findings here and say that this is how it is in other communities. There were conditions, this study suggests, that allowed this ethnoracial hierarchy flip. First, it's a very upper class setting. What distinguishes Asian immigrants – who make up 70 percent of students in the population – to whites – who make up 23 percent of students – is not class. They [white and Asian] also have the same desires for their kids: good college, the goal that their kids replicate their good fortune.
These conditions make it so if one does extremely well, by comparison, the other is perceived as not doing well. Though make no mistake, white students in Cupertino are still doing fine and they're going to do well. But in Cupertino, we found that this flip in what it means to be white results in whites changing their behavior to adopt the norms of Asian immigrants and there even results a stereotype threat for whites. Some white students, for example, said they felt they were expected to do poorly in certain subjects because they were white.
From an academic standpoint, this project examines an issue in a different way than has historically been done. For the nonacademic audience, what can be gleaned?
There are many nuances that are entailed in the way that immigration is changing things. One important nuance is that immigrants are not just the poor, the tired and the huddled masses. They are also people who are coming here and doing extremely well. And they're doing extremely well from the get-go. That has implications for everyone else – how they think about themselves ethnoracially, how they perceive what it means to fit in.
The theoretical lesson from Cupertino is not that whites are in decline or that being white no longer connotes privilege but rather there's a variation in the experience of being white. Hopefully this shows the utility of thinking about assimilation as something we're all doing to varying degrees.


text:
Title: Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet
Author: Kashmira Sheth
Pages: 243
Time took to read: 4 days
Cover Rating: 4/5
Plot Rating: 3/5
Character Rating: 3/5
Plot Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: 3/5
I liked this book, but I must admit, I had higher hopes for it. I really like to read about different cultures, especially the Indian culture. So I really liked the setting. The plot was pretty good. I also really liked the main character Jeeta. So what's not to like???? I did not like the open ending. It really never had a conclusion, which I don't mind sometimes, but I did not like it in this book. I did like however how the author made you at first not like the mother, and then she kind of grew on you.... All in all, I liked it, but it was not my favorite. I do recommend it, just not as highly as I do some.
Jeeta's family is caught up in the whirlwind of arranging marriages for her two older sisters, but the drama and excitement leave Jeeta cold. She knows that tradition demands the parade of suitors, the marriage negotiations, the elaborate displays, the expensive wedding parties - but where is the love and romance that the movies promise? She dreads her turn on the matrimonial circuit, especially since Mummy is always complaining about how difficult it will be to find Jeeta a good husband, with her dark skin and sharp tongue. As Jeeta spends more time with her new friend from school, Sarina, and her educated, liberal parents, she begins to question her tradition-bound family's expectations. And when she falls in love with Sarina's cousin Neel, Jeeta realizes that she must strike a balance between independence and duty and follow her own path.


text:
Friday, July 1, 2011
Tigers Pounce Pelf!
6 comments:
Well... at least another 10 hits, and seven against Verlander who's been practically unhittable lately. And as you pointed out... we did have our chances. But Pelfrey has been far too inconsistent. Maybe Hudgens needs to work with HIM. Love this site, BTW. Read the Times article and I've been through the archives. Especially loved your Bill Gallo tribute.ReplyDelete
Well done Joe!ReplyDelete
Hi Joe, I really like your Mets blog and artwork. Is it possible to buy one of your works of art?ReplyDelete
Thanks for all of the comments. When I started this Journal, I really just wanted to get through a season. I had no idea so many people would come to this blog and enjoy it. I appreciate the interest in the art.I will soon be publishing select pieces.ReplyDelete
Please check back. thanks.
Awesome site, friend forwarded me the NY Times article. Great work, keep it up and Let's go Mets!ReplyDelete
Nice that you guys let us take one game...:)ReplyDelete


text:
Putin puts Russian troops on alert amid tension over Ukraine
Simferopol, Ukraine: Russia's flag flew over the regional parliament in Ukraine's Crimea region on Thursday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin put 150,000 combat troops on high alert for war games.
Moscow denied that the previously unannounced drill – which comes after days of sabre rattling over the ousting of its ally Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev – was linked to events in Ukraine.
But in the Crimea, an area with an ethnic Russian majority, armed men were reported to have seized the regional government building and parliament on Thursday, after clashes on Wednesday between pro-Russia separatists and supporters of Ukraine's new leadership.
A local leader of the Tatar ethnic group, which had clashed with the Russians, said on Facebook: ''I have been told that the buildings of parliament and the council of ministers have been occupied by armed men in uniforms that do not bear any recognisable insignia. They have not yet made any demands.''
The Crimea is home to part of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which Moscow had earlier said it was taking steps to secure.
The upheaval came as Arseniy Yatsenyuk – a prominent leader of the protests that unseated Mr Yanukovych – was named Ukraine's new prime minister. Mr Yatsenyuk, 39, was the leader of Yulia Tymoshenko's opposition party in parliament.
The announcement by Evehen Nishchuk, spokesman for the protest movement, was made to a packed Independence Square in Kiev. Oleksandr Shlapak was named finance minister.
On Thursday Mr Yanukovich said he was still the legitimate president of Ukraine and people in the country's southeastern and southern regions would never accept the ''lawlessness'' brought by leaders chosen by a mob.
Russian news agencies quoted a statement by Mr Yanukovich as saying he had asked Moscow to guarantee his personal safety. ''I, Viktor Fedorovich Yanukovich ... consider myself the lawful head of the Ukrainian government,'' he said.
Russian news agencies reported that Russia had agreed to ensure his personal safety of Mr Yanukovich.
In Brussels, NATO defence ministers issued a statement supporting "Ukrainian sovereignty and independence, territorial integrity, democratic development, and the principle of inviolability of frontiers". They made no direct mention of the Russian war games.
The United States warned Russia it would be a "grave mistake" to embark on a military intervention in Ukraine and said Washington was considering $US1 billion ($1.1 billion) in loan guarantees for Kiev.
"For a country that has spoken out so frequently ... against foreign intervention in Libya, in Syria, and elsewhere, it would be important for them to heed those warnings," US Secretary of State John Kerry said. "Any kind of military intervention that would violate the sovereign territorial integrity of Ukraine would be a huge – a grave mistake."
Russia's Foreign Ministry said Ukrainian extremists were "imposing their will", and a Ukrainian church affiliated with the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church had faced threats.
Earlier Moscow denounced the rise of "nationalist and neo-fascist sentiment" in Ukraine's mainly Ukrainian-speaking west and said Russian speakers were being deprived of rights. It has repeatedly expressed concern for the safety of Russian citizens in Ukraine, using language similar to statements that preceded its invasion of Georgia in 2008.
"In accordance with an order from the President of the Russian Federation, forces of the Western Military District were put on alert at 1400 today," Interfax quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.
Mr Shoigu also said Russia was also "carefully watching what is happening in Crimea" and taking "measures to guarantee the safety of facilities, infrastructure and arsenals of the Black Sea Fleet" in remarks reported by state news agency RIA.
Since Mr Yanukovych's downfall last Friday, all eyes have been on Mr Putin, who ordered the invasion of neighbouring Georgia in 2008 to protect two self-declared independent regions with many ethnic Russians and others holding Russian passports, and then recognised the regions as independent states.
Any military action in Ukraine, a country of 46 million people that has close ties with European powers and the United States, would be far more serious – the closest the West and Russia have come to outright confrontation since the Cold War.
Despite the alarm raised by the sabre-rattling, many analysts expect Mr Putin will pull back before taking armed action.
The war games would cause tension in Ukraine and Europe but were probably for show, said Moscow-based military analyst Alexander Golts: "Any rational analysis says that Russia would get nothing out of military intervention – it would become an international outcast."
Ukraine's new authorities say they are worried about separatism in Crimea, the only part of Ukraine where the majority is ethnic Russian, although many ethnic Ukrainians in other eastern areas speak Russian as a first language. The Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula administered as part of Russia until the Soviet authorities transferred it to Ukraine in 1954, has frequently seen separatist tension at times of mistrust between Moscow and Kiev.
Demonstrators poured into the regional capital Simferopol, where the provincial parliament was debating the crisis. Pro-Russian crowds, including Cossacks in silk and lambswool hats, shouted "Crimea is Russian!". More were bussed in, swelling the crowd. Police denied a report by a Russian news agency that there had been an explosion.
Rival demonstrators backing the new authorities – mainly ethnic Tatars repressed under Soviet rule – rallied under a pale blue flag, shouting "Ukraine! Ukraine!"
The International Monetary Fund has said it is prepared to send a team of negotiators to Kiev, but a government must first be formed there and request aid. Russia is all but certain to cut off a $US15 billion lifeline it offered Mr Yanukovych as the prize for turning his back on ties with the EU in November.
Mr Yanukovych fled Kiev on Friday night after days of violence in which scores of his countrymen were killed, including demonstrators shot dead by police snipers from rooftops. The government wants him tried at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
On Wednesday the new authorities disbanded the Berkut "Golden Eagle" riot police units blamed by the public for posting sharpshooters on rooftops who killed protesters. Protester self-defence units that have occupied central Kiev were ordered to remove ski masks to be less intimidating.
A street leading to Independence Square where many were killed has been renamed Avenue of the Glory of the Heavenly Hundred for those slain. It is now covered with heaps of flowers and candles. Pictures of the dead are nailed to trees.
Acting prosecutor Oleh Makhnytsky announced he had ordered police and intelligence agencies to draw up a list of foreign accounts held by Mr Yanukovych's aides and their connections to search for "not millions, but billions" in stolen assets. Every economic deal concluded in the four years of Mr Yanukovych's presidency would be carefully re-examined for possible corruption, Mr Makhnytsky said.


text:
with Bankstown Public
These workshops are focused on creating stories and poems that will be performed on stage in front of live audiences. Working with BYDS, and renowned director Felix Cross, students are going to develop a theatre production for the end of the term.
This is a closed school workshop series.


text:
In order to login you must be registered. Registering takes only a few moments but gives you increased capabilities. The board administrator may also grant additional permissions to registered users. Before you register please ensure you are familiar with our terms of use and related policies. Please ensure you read any forum rules as you navigate around the board.
Terms of use | Privacy policy
© 2013 Privacy | Terms | Sitemap | Disclaimer | Forum FAQ | Affiliates


text:
New Mexico inmate left in solitary confinement for 2 years gets $15.5 million
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A southern New Mexico county announced Tuesday that it reached a $15.5 million settlement to end the legal battle over the case of a man who was held in solitary confinement for two years without a trial and was so neglected that he took out his own tooth.
The settlement stems from mediation ordered by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Dona Ana County was appealing a lower court decision that upheld a $22 million judgment that was awarded last year to former county inmate Stephen R. Slevin.
That verdict was one of the largest federal civil rights settlements in history.
The county's board of commissioners said in a statement that it regrets the harm Slevin suffered while in custody between August 2005 and June 2007.
"Over the past seven years, Dona Ana County has made significant improvements to detention center staffing, training, facilities and procedures," the county said. "Dona Ana County is committed to ensuring consistent and appropriate treatment of every detainee in its care."
Slevin spent 22 months in the county jail after being arrested for drunken driving but was never convicted, according to his lawsuit.
Attorney Matthew Coyte said his client ended up in solitary confinement after someone noted he was suicidal. He was so neglected, Coyte said, he was left in his cell for months at a time, had untreated dental problems and toenails that grew so long they curled under his feet.
The county defended its operation of the jail following the initial $22 million judgment in January 2012. It argued that Slevin was offered a chance to join the general jail population, but declined and the only option was to place him in one of the jail's segregation cells.
The county had also said that Slevin's criminal history at the time of his arrest included out-of-state convictions for robberies, burglaries, drunken driving, receiving stolen property, firearms violations and, possession of drugs.
As part of the settlement, Slevin gave up the punitive damage award but did not give up any of his other compensation, Coyte said Tuesday. He called it a "long and hard fight."
"This settlement, although very large, does not give back to Mr. Slevin what was taken from him, but if it prevents others from enduring the pain and suffering he was subjected to, then the fight has been worthwhile," Coyte said. "I only hope they follow through on their promise to do better."
The county jail has an annual budget of $23.5 million, up from $12.7 million in 2006. Most of the money has gone toward improving staff, training and inmate access to care and services.
The county said that the settlement will not affect its long-term financial stability. The New Mexico Association of Counties will pay $6 million of the settlement and the county will pay the rest out of its cash reserves.
Less interest from those reserves, however, will require "careful financial management," the county said.
The commissioners took into consideration the risks of continuing the legal battle, as well as the potential costs of the $22 million jury verdict. With interest and attorney fees, the county said it would have not been able to bear that burden.
"While we believe the Slevin award was excessive, we respect our judicial system and the role of juries to award damages," the county said. "In the wake of this large settlement, we can say definitely that we have learned from the past. We can also say with confidence that we are leading the way for the future."


text:
Text Size: + -
2009 By-Laws
Hours of Operation During the 2019 Holiday Season
Monday, December 23, 2019
9 AM to 4 PM
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Friday, December 27, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
9 AM to 4 PM
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
9 AM to 2 PM
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Thursday, January 2, 2020
9 AM to 4 PM
Friday, January 3, 2020
9 AM to 4 PM
In the event of an emergency, please contact Cathy Case 519-521-4180
Council Grant Policy and Application
Council has recently approved a NEW process for requests of grants, and donations from groups in the Township. Please review the policy and submit your application as instructed within the policy. Email requests without the application will no longer be accepted by Council.
For more information on the policy and application, click here.
Notice of Open House and Public Meeting
Further information pertaining to the Special Policy Areas Review Open House and Public Meeting that took place Thursday, October 17, 2019 can be found here.
The Township of Adelaide Metcalfe with the assistance of Middlesex Dairy Producers is introducing a program called "Play it Forward". This subsidy program is intended to assist families from the Township of Adelaide Metcalfe whose financial situation limits their child's ability to participate in community recreation programs, namely basketball, hockey and soccer. Click on the link for the Information Letter and Application.
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Case, CAO/Treasurer.
July 29, 2019
Media Release
Play It Forward Financial Assistance Program
Have a concern with a CN railroad crossing in Adelaide Metcalfe?
Members of the public can reach out to CN directly via CN's Public Inquiry Line at 1-888-888-5909 or at email@example.com
Property Taxes are due yearly on the following dates:
The Township offers a variety of payment methods: cash, cheque and debit are available at the office, as well as telepayment through your bank and online banking. The Township also offers Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP). There are two (2) options….monthly or on the due date. If it's outside office hours and you need to drop a payment off, no problem!! The Township has a drop box beside the door. Your choice for your convenience!
To see a full list of road closures/road construction in the Township during the 2019 construction season, please click here.
2019 Budget
Council approved the Budget for 2019 on Monday, June 3, 2019. Click here to view the proposed budget.
Adelaide Metcalfe Recycling Program
Bluewater Recycling Association has announced changes to the program. To view those changes, click here.
News | Calendar | Site Map | RSS


text:
See below for today's outlook on possible disruptions to Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz.
When forecasted weather or other conditions may cause flight delays and possible cancellations, affected airports are listed below by date, region and city.
To automatically receive alerts for delayed or cancelled flights on your mobile device or by email, sign up for Flight Notification.
{{key | createDate: "MMMM d, yyyy"}}
{{outlook.r || outlook.cLabel}} ({{outlook.r || outlook.c}})


text:
Firefox was started with the intention of taking the best of the Mozilla browser suite and stripping it back to create a small, fast browser equally at home on any of the main operating systems.
Firefox features all of the usual browser innovations including pop-up blocking, tabbed browsing and integrated search, and thanks to its growing popularity, it is supported by most banking sites. There are still occasional sites that will throw Firefoxers into an unsupported browser page, but it's possible to easily change the User Agent String to fool a site into thinking it's seeing Internet Explorer on Windows XP. Fortunately, this is a very rare occurrence.
The popularity of this browser also means that the likes of Google, Yahoo! and Amazon have all released Firefox-specific versions of their toolbars which can be used to access a range of services from these providers. Installation of extensions is easy, thanks to the XPI system, and as development of the application is a public affair, there are tons of extensions available, from Gmail readers to FTP clients.
RSS technology is integrated into the browser in a very smart way: when you navigate to a site with an RSS feed available, an icon appears at the bottom-right of the main window. Clicking it will add the feed to the bookmarks menu (or toolbar), and this bookmark becomes dynamic - constantly updating to reflect the changes in the site. Select a story from the bookmark to jump to the page.
Firefox is an excellent Safari replacement. It's free and benefits from an increasingly high profile. While it may not feel familiar to long-term Mac users, it does a good job of staying consistent with the OS, but you may miss services Speech which the more 'native' browsers support.


text:
Manufacturer: BANDAI
Warning: Last items in stock!
Availability date:
Product In the Photos shown above has got professionally painted. Color swatches are for informational purpose only and may differ from the actual merchandise. color on your screen are affected by monitor setting and browser.
Check product Condition in Description :
This Product needs to be assembled : it comes with a snap-fit assembly, matching colored pieces, accessories and fully pictured contruction manual. you don't need paint or glue.
UNICORN TOYS - Toko Gundam dan Model Kit


text:
Looking Good Live! DVD
Featuring Nancy Nix-Rice
Learn how to look like a million NOW—not after you lose 20 pounds. Nancy shows you how to dress the body you have and make it the best it can be. Learn to create "points of connection" between you and your wardrobe—colors, styles, design details and accessories–to spotlight your assets and minimize your challenge areas. See Cindy's wardrobe transformation and discover techniques to update your own closet. Whether you buy clothes, sew your own, or both, you'll never again have to utter those famous words, "I have nothing to wear." 1 hour, 40 minutes.
Shipping and handling for Palmer/Pletsch DVDs: 1 to 3—$5.00; 4 to 6—$7.00; 7 to 10—$9.00.
Item shipped within the Continental U.S. only.


text:
Get to Know Facebook's Privacy Settings
Security expert and Carnegie Mellon University associate professor Lorrie Faith Cranor discusses best practices for Facebook users when it comes to privacy. Photo: AP Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... the New Saab on Michael Casey it seems that among the concerns voiced was off by Facebook uses ... is of course privacy ... privacy sitting on the website itself ... the many privacy options he uses the trick is knowing how to use the ... county million Visy associate Professor Lawrie Faith Cranor all ... choices is going ... to go when Lauren tells a little ... while we can do look out sales ... well it's really important people in stock based on proven to be aware of who's going to see what they heard it so ... it's really important in its reach to your privacy settings to make sure the only your friends can see where it hurts to ... ride in a day you actually have a reporter spotted out Big Data Soft report today in the Piper ... and it's it's a really useful God in fact a month when it's paid off five of the paper ... just to run through some of the more important ones for us if you don't mind numbing utopia to the most secure browser this isn't a Mobius the veteran and how many people this is really do that ... Gray on why people are unaware that that doesn't really when you send messages and Facebook the ... eavesdropping detection could be ... but you can turn on secure the sch browsing cheaper than that I can also change your settings so that your applications are not going to stand on your friends every time you can play in her son ... one that jumped out of me you've got to click here to configure who can see in future posts and see where the wind way you think that ... that tagging function that it does seem like an insidious problem when interviewed about units attacking itself but by the dual tagging you ... the pop up on somebody is streams are correct or so away to protect itself against a ... re entry you can adjust your settings ... somebody else had she lived there ... you get notified in so you have the opportunity to block the ... use and haggis offences ready ... what what are some of the other ones there ... I'm in it that that this is a whole host of things that that the deal ... pray well every time you cursed there's a little icon next year as they say she was going to see your ... son so stubborn to take a look at that ... you can also be in your timeline and find out ... who has seen here is the pastor of the kid who couldn't see your snapped as she you cannot go back and say anything that has the public needed to change that I don't want my life to the public forever ... aam but one that causes a lot of that now that ... the defense team with with Facebook I'm ... that that this privacy concerns ... great so there are whole range of settings that Ally needed control what apps get to know about you and also ... the only acts that has tons year timelines that your friends see your interaction that to you can control that if you find the right sentence ... ok ... thank you very much to time they're of our practices to propose to have you with this


text:
Found 5 resultsAuthor Title Type [ Year]
Filters: Author is Bracho, Rosvel [Clear All Filters]
Nonlinear CO 2 flux response to 7 years of experimentally induced permafrost thaw. Global Change Biology. (91):3646-3666.. 2017.
Tundra is a consistent source of CO 2 at a site with progressive permafrost thaw during 6 years of chamber and eddy covariance measurements. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 122:1471-1485.. 2017.
Potential carbon emissions dominated by carbon dioxide from thawed permafrost soils. Nature Climate Change.. 2016.
Biotic and climatic controls on interannual variability in carbon fluxes across terrestrial ecosystems. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 205:11-22.. 2015.
Observed increase in local cooling effect of deforestation at higher latitudes. Nature. 479(7373):384-387.. 2011.


text: The small rural community of Truro is known for its wild, natural beauty, dramatic sandy cliffs, and prehistoric kettle holes. Its beaches are unsurpassed. Truro is so narrow that from the top of a dune, it is possible to see the ocean on one side and the bay on the other.


text:
Greatly inspired by St. Paul (his congregation is named the Barnabites, after the companion of that saint), Anthony preached with great vigor in church and street, conducted popular missions and was not ashamed of doing public penance.
He encouraged such innovations as the collaboration of the laity in the apostolate, frequent Communion, the Forty Hours devotion and the ringing of church bells at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays.
His holiness moved many to reform their lives but, as with all saints, it also moved many to oppose him. Twice his community had to undergo official religious investigation, and twice it was exonerated.
While on a mission of peace, he became seriously ill and was brought home for a visit to his mother. He died at Cremona at the age of 36.


text:
• I grew up in Wisconsin but have lived in 6 states. Wisconsin, Massachusetts (briefly), California, North Dakota, Washington and Iowa.
• I wanted to be a Barbie designer when I was little
• I grew up in Wales, Wisconsin and was frequently asked why I don't have a british accent.
• My news crush is Brian Williams
• I like every kind of music. Classical to rap, I love it all.
• I adopted my dog, Ozzy, from the Animal Rescue League after he came to the station for a Today in Iowa
• Saturday adoption segment
• I played soccer from the time I was 6 through high school
• I was voted most fun to be with in middle school, wait for it, by the teachers
• I was a band geek. I played French horn from 5th grade through my freshman year in college
• I went to four different universities. UW-Stout, UW-Green Bay, UW-Whitewater and Minot State.
• I climbed the High Skyline Trail on Mt. Rainier
• I really am a morning person. My mood gradually declines until I'm a grouch by the evening.
• I love shoes!!
Jenny joined the Channel 13 News Team in December 2007. She began working as a news producer, producing Today in Iowa Saturday and Sunday and serving as an associate producer for Today in Iowa. She is now tackling the role of Multimedia Journalist.
Jenny came to the station after taking a hiatus from television news to raise her children. Prior to her hiatus she worked as a reporter and anchor at KXMC in Minot, North Dakota.
In her free time Jenny likes to spend time with her kids, David, Drew and Peyton, walk her dog and shop for shoes.


text:
Welcome to the Aras® Partner Network. We continually seek out and cultivate strategic partnerships with industry leaders around the world to ensure that our customers have access to the most innovative solutions and high-value professional services available anywhere.
Aras partners are leading professional services firms and solution technology companies that combine extensive experience and specialized competence expertise in solution deployment, systems integration, application development and more.
Aras Partners Provide:
- Specialized services by geography, industry and technology
- Add-on solutions to take your Aras implementation to the next level
- Experience and expertise to help you achieve your business objectives
The Aras® Partner Network
Aras is dedicated to strategic partnerships with industry leaders to bring customers the most innovative solutions and high-value professional services available. Find a partner.
Aras® Systems Integration Partners
System Integration Partners combine their methodologies, development skills and specialized vertical expertise to deliver Aras-based services and solutions to our joint customers. Aras works closely with Systems Integrators to meet the unique needs of various industries.
Aras® Solution Partners & OEMs
Solution Partners develop, market and productize industry specific applications based on Aras technology and their own domain experience or market segment expertise. In return, Aras provides Solution Partners with technology, development assistance and revenue opportunities.
Aras® Support Partners
Support Partners resell and distribute Aras subscription packages and services as a key component of their go-to-market strategy. The Aras® Support Partner Program offers VARs and distributors an exceptional revenue opportunity as it enables them to expand market reach, improve time-to-market and deliver best-in-class open source enterprise solutions.
Aras® Training Partners
Aras® Training Partners offer a wide range of affordable and convenient training solutions, including public training, on-site and custom training.
Aras® Hosting Partners
Aras® Hosting Partners provide customers with cloud solutions powered by the Aras Innovator Application Framework.


text:
nissan skyline hoodie
i remember playing gran turismo 2 as a kid, and finally getting a nissan skyline after a few months of coming in last place in every race with a honda civic. of course i was inspired by 2 fast 2 furious, do not lie, that's how you found out about the skyline.
Custom-made in LA, special for you
- We craft everything by hand in Los Angeles, after you order — please add 1-2 weeks of order production to your shipping time.
- 94% of our customers approve of on-demand manufacturing...help us support high-quality, eco-friendly, ethical, USA-based manufacturing!
- 1-2 weeks of made-to-order production, additional 3-5 days for shipping
- 100% made locally in Los Angeles, CA
- 50% cotton 50% poly fabric, produced locally in California
- Printed using natural, non-toxic, water-based ink
Fit / Size
- Our clothes are unisex, please refer to the detailed size guide in the last image of this product gallery.
Related Products
Customer Reviews
Sweater came faster than expected and is extremely comfortable. The print isn't just plastered on so its meant to last would buy again.
store reviewsfrom 1624 reviews
The quality of these products are immaculate, from the texture of the clothing to the high quality of the designs these hoodies are no doubt a must cop fiend anyone into sending a message with what they wear!
Hoodie is dope. Arrived fast. Super comfortable. Highly recommended!
This hoodie is fire. People are constantly complimenting me on it. I like the way the fabric feels and it never gets too hot. I also like the touch of using Korean lettering instead of Japanese. The fit is clean!
I absolutely love this hoodie.
really nice designs and quality
Love it, great detail in the colors and fits super comfortably
The delivery was fast and the product is well made and fits perfectly. The quality was on point and I wear it all the time. Well worth it
Great fit, sick design, what more could you ask for?
Huge shout out to this store and Eric Wu! I love the shorts and shirts I bought. Went on a week trip with the boys and got mad compliments.
I was hesitant at first cause I hate Instagram ads and am skeptical of online companies. I couldn't have been more incorrect and happy I went against my gut on this one.
Thank you Eric Wu and Publicspace!
I ordered some stuff last month but there were some Problems at customs in Germany, thankfully Eric helped me out so that i can get my clothes. The customer Service is really great and i can't thank them enough for their help. The clothes are awesome, they're really comfortable to wear and feel like long lasting, high Quality. This is the most aesthetic place to get some uniqe Designs.
Shipment was quick and the customer service was amazing. Would shop from you again! 😁
Surprised my buddy, who loves Fiji water with these shorts.
He loved them!
Also— great communication around the status of my order, and fantastic customer service.
the shirt is comfortable, made out of comfortable material, and i really have no complaints or issues with it. thank you publicspace <3
Nice material, showed up exactly and if not better than what I expected! Thanks public space
Such wonderful care was put into creating what I can safely say is my new go to hoodie. Every part of the design is so vibrant and unique and is beyond every expectation. I'm super looking forward to wearing it everyday into the Fall and Winter; as well as repping my favorite starter. I'm also very proud of supporting the artist responsible for their artwork, as an aspiring artist myself, I hope they're aware that their artwork has brought such a smile to my face when I wear it. 11/10 will DEFINITELY be ordering from this site again and again.
My co-worker freaked out when I gave this to him. He loved the print and the material of the shirt
Great shirt, the design is awesome to every detail, it's perfectly comfortable and the size is about what I expected. I love that 90s aesthetic so much and it's perfectly executed in the design, very satisfied with it.
Surprisingly high quality, feels like a sports jacket, designs are beautiful and super clear. I'll be buying again for sure
Great product, fast delivery!
Really cool and fits perfectly!
Was slightly skeptical of buying from publicspace initially but couldn't be more happy with the purchase. Im about 160 lbs 5'10 and the medium slim fits perfectly with a great quality design
Really comfortable, looks great. Absolutely happy with this purchase
Print looks so awesome! Can't wait to use this hoodie more
Amazing, soft fabric and the print looks awesome! Will buy another one for my boyfriend
This shirt fits great and the material is feels great. I love this shirt
Solid purchase of an incredibly A E S T H E T I C set of pants, sent them as a gift expecting them to take a while to ship but they shipped almost immediately and arrived on time. Recipient loved em and I will absolutely be grabbing some other stuff from here again
got so many compliments and was actually better than i expected.
Initially I was a little disappointed since it's not cotton (didn't read the description carefully) and kind of shiny, but actually now I think it's great. Comfy and pretty warm and looks great!!
Love the design on this thing so much. I kind of wish the neckline was a little bit more snug, as it's kind of caught between a regular crew neck and something looser, but I pay a lot of attention to stuff like that. With a close-fitting undershirt it still looks awesome.
The fit is excellent, the fabric is soft and the print is really well done. The only thing I'd say is that it's quite a bit shinier in person than it looks on the site, but if you're familiar with polyester fabrics at all you should know what to expect. All in all I love it.
Love these pants! So stylish and so comfy! The inside is very soft to the touch. I do recommend buying a size bigger than you think you might need, as these run a bit slim. The outer graphics look great! Might even buy another pair just to have on hand! Love it!!! <3
It's a really good hoodie I like it a lot.
this is an inside joke between my cousin and i and i saw it and had to get it for her - this is made with standard sweatshirt material and is comfy, she loves it.
okay so I randomly found this online and was in LOVE with the colors. so i ordered it - they were super responsive and friendly and it arrived hella quick. the fabric isn't like a traditional sweatshirt but still really soft and comfortable. it's definitely my new favorite sweatshirt and it's worth it given you're supporting a small business. i think my only critique is that if you order a 3x it really only makes it longer rather than wider and slightly longer? but it still fits me just a bit more snugly. idk i still love the fuck out of this - shit it even inspired me to make more out of the box designs in my own design work ✨
It's so soft and clean, very well made and the printing on it is immaculate. I will for sure be buying from this website again!
The time for it to come said about 2 weeks but it came quicker than that. The fit was a little bigger than I expected but it doesn't bother me at all & I like how the fit is. The quality is amazing & I've received so many compliments on it! I'm definitely going to buy more product especially since I can use afterpay
Simple as that. Great style and fit. The designs aren't some cheap print on - really pleased
I followed the sizing chart and these pants fit perfectly. I immediately got compliments on them the first day I started wearing them and also they're comfy enough to sleep in.
I bought this recently and after putting it on for the first time I was amazed by the quality of the hoodie. It's comfy, it has a awesome design and it's one of the best hoodies I own now. I will definitely buying more hoodies from public space!!!
Great design and soft material. Shipping to LA took about 6 business days.
Customer Reviews
Sweater came faster than expected and is extremely comfortable. The print isn't just plastered on so its meant to last would buy again.


text:
Garden Plots
Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 April 2019 10:14
Garden plots are available at Sunnyside Park at $30 per growing season. Reserve your site by calling (509)338-3227.
Stipulations and Agreements
Sunnyside Garden Plot Agreement
- GENERAL: For a $30.00 per season use fee, payable at the time of the garden plot reservation, the City of Pullman will rent to the below named person or group. One 20x20 plot of earth located in Sunnyside Park for the sole purpose of vegetable/flower gardening. This fee covers the cost of spring and fall roto-tilling, initial weed control, and water expenses within the garden plot(s).
- TIME SPAN: Depending upon spring soil and weather conditions, the assigned plot may be used from approximately April 15 through October 15 of this year.
- SITE CONDITIONS: The plots are laid out, marked, and roto-tilled initially by the City (a map is available from the Parks & Recreation office). The ground is good black loam on a gentle north slope unobstructed from the sun. Garden plots will share the water sources. Access to the nearest parking area is off the Wawawai Road. Proceed up the Colfax Highway and turn left at the Hilltop Inn, or go to the end of West Main then left 200 feet. Vehicles are not allowed in the park. It is approximately 300 feet to the gardening area from where you park. You will have to carry in your gardening supplies, tools, and hose.
- MAINTENANCE STIPULATIONS: Please do not dig or stake anywhere outside of your designated plot(s). We have plastic irrigation pipes in the area that puncture easily. (If the lines are puncture your are responsible for the cost of repairs). You may erect a low chicken wire fence or something similar, if you like, around your plot(s), and/or trellises for vine crops.
- Be a good gardening neighbor and keep your plot neat and weed free. Garden wastes should be deposited at an identified location near the parking lot, and it will be hauled away. Gardeners are responsible for keeping the garden area neat and clutter free. Caution: No restricted use pesticides are permitted within your garden plot. Off the shelf gardening supplies and chemicals are permitted. Remember that caution is required in the use and disposal of chemicals and their containers. In the fall, please remove your garden wastes and fences. WE WILL DISPOSE OF ANY REMAINING MATERIAL AFTER OCTOBER 15TH.
- RELEASE FROM RESPONSIBILITY: Upon signing this contract, you are releasing the City of Pullman from any responsibility for the loss or destruction of any garden produce, tools, or enclosures by any means at any time during the gardening season. We cannot and will not be policing the garden sites. Necessary park maintenance (which may include the use of chemicals to control noxious weeds) will be occurring in the park and around the garden areas.


text:
PCGamingWiki will use a Single Sign On (SSO) system to bridge wiki and forum accounts which is ready for testing. You may login using the 'Login with PCGamingWiki' button on both the wiki and the forum, which will soon be the only option. If you have any issues please message Andytizer on Discord.
There are no members to show
Popular Content
Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/02/2019 in File Reviews
There are no results to show


text:
2012 presidential election wasn't informed decision
The American people went to the polls in 2012 lacking the information needed to make an informed decision. They didn't know about the IRS targeting conservatives. They didn't know about the Benghazi scandal. They didn't know about the unprecedented gathering of people's phone records and e-mails. They didn't know about the attempt to intimidate Fox News. What is frightening is how all of this was suppressed prior to the election. If the public can be shielded from such information, how can we make informed decisions on who should be our leaders?
James Gehrke, Highlands Ranch
This letter was published in the June 21 edition.
For information on how to send a letter to the editor, click here. Follow eLetters on Twitter to receive updates about new letters to the editor when they're posted.


text:
From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint.
What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?
Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.
Product Details
|Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
|Publication date:
|Blessed Series
|Product dimensions:
|6.00(w) x 8.34(h) x 1.31(d)
|790L (what's this?)
|Age Range:
|14 - 17 Years
About the Author
Tonya Hurley is the author of the New York Times bestselling series ghostgirl and the Blessed trilogy. She has worked in nearly every aspect of teen entertainment: creating, writing, and producing two hit TV series; writing and directing several acclaimed independent films; and developing a groundbreaking collection of video games. Tonya lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, New York.
Read an Excerpt
Precious Blood
3 "Agnes!" Martha wailed, clutching the pale arm of her only daughter. "Is he really worth it? Worth this?"
Agnes's blank eyes were fixed on her mother as she went in and out of consciousness. Her body was unloaded from the back of the ambulance like a raw meat delivery to the local butcher. She was unable to muster the energy to raise her head or her voice in response. Blood soaked through to the pleather pad beneath her, collecting and then streaming toward her dark teal ballet flats before finally trickling down the stainless steel leg of the gurney.
"Agnes, answer me!" Martha demanded, anger more than empathy coloring her tone as an EMT applied pressure to her daughter's wounds.
Her shrill cry cut through the grating static of police radios and EMT dispatch scanners. The emergency doors flew open. The hard rubber gurney wheels clacked metronomically as they rolled over the aged linoleum floor of Perpetual Help Hospital in Brooklyn, keeping time with the blips coming from the heart monitor attached to the patient on board. The distraught woman was running, but still could not catch up to her daughter. She could only watch while the plasma—or liquid stubbornness and idealism, as she saw it—drained from her only child.
"Sixteen-year-old female. B.P. one hundred over fifty-eight and dropping. Ten fifty-six A."
The police code for a suicide attempt was all too familiar to the ER team.
"She's hypovolemic," the nurse observed, grasping the young patient's cold and clammy forearm. "Bleeding out."
The nurse reached for a pair of shears and carefully but quickly cut through the side seam of Agnes's T-shirt and removed it, revealing a bloodstained tank beneath.
"Look what he did to you! Look at you!" Martha scolded as she stroked Agnes's long, wavy auburn hair. She studied the girl's glamorous, old-Hollywood looks in wonder, her perfect skin and the brassy hair that fell in finger waves around her face, even more perplexed that she could do something so drastic over a guy. That guy.
"And where is he now? Not here! I told you over and over again. And, now, this, THIS, is what it got you!"
"We're going to need you to calm down, ma'am," the EMT advised, holding Agnes's mother back at arm's length as the stretcher made a sharp turn toward the curtained triage area. "Now is not the time."
"Is she going to be okay?" Martha pleaded. "If something happens to her, I don't know what I'll do."
"Something has already happened to her," the nurse said.
"I'm just so . . . disappointed," Martha confided, drying her eyes. "I didn't raise her to behave so thoughtlessly."
The nurse just raised her eyebrows at the unexpected lack of compassion.
Agnes heard clearly enough but said nothing, unsurprised that her mother needed comforting, validation that she was indeed a good parent, even under these circumstances.
"You're not allowed back in the trauma rooms," the nurse said to Martha, thinking it might be a good idea for her to cool off. "There's nothing you can do right now, so why don't you go home and get some fresh clothes for her?"
Martha, a rail-thin woman with short black hair, nodded, eyes glazed over, as she watched her daughter disappear down the harshly bright hallway. The nurse stayed behind and handed Martha Agnes's drenched teal T-shirt. Some of it was still wet with bright red ooze, and part was already dried black and cracking as Martha folded it and crunched it in her arms.
There were no tears shed.
"She's not going to die, is she?" Martha asked.
"Not today," the nurse responded.
Agnes couldn't speak. She was dazed, still more in shock than in pain. White cotton bandages were fastened around her wrists, tight enough to both staunch the bleeding and absorb it. Staring up at the rectangular fluorescent ceiling lights that passed one after another, Agnes felt as if she were speeding down a runway, about to take off—for where exactly was anybody's guess.
Once she arrived in the trauma area, the scene grew even more frantic, as the ER doctors and nurses fussed over her, lifting her onto a bed, attaching the various monitors, inserting an IV, checking her vitals. She had the sensation of walking into a surprise birthday party—everything seemed to be going on for her, but without her.
Dr. Moss grabbed her right wrist, unwrapped the bandages, and turned it firmly into the light above his head to peer at the bloody crevice. He did the same with her left wrist and recited his observations to the nurse at his side for the record. Agnes, now slightly more responsive, managed to look away.
"Two-inch vertical wounds on each wrist," he dictated. "Laceration of skin, vein, subcutaneous vessels, and ligament tissue. More than a cry for help going on here," he said, noting the severity and location of the gashes and looking her directly in the eyes. "Opening your veins in the bathtub—old-school."
A transfusion was started and she began to come to, slowly. She watched wearily, transfixed, as some stranger's blood dripped into her body, and she wondered if she'd be changed by it. This certainly wasn't a heart transplant, but the blood inside her heart would not be entirely her own.
Agnes started to moan and then became somewhat combative.
"Not a cry for help," she said, indicating she knew full well what she was doing. "Let me go."
"You're lucky your mom was around," he advised.
Agnes mustered a slight eye-roll.
After a short while, she heard the snap of the doctor removing his latex glove.
"Stitch her up," he ordered. "And send her up to Psych for an eval after she's fully transfused and . . . stable."
"To Dr. Frey?" the nurse asked.
"He's still up there? At this hour?"
"It's Halloween, isn't it?" she groused. "Just him and a skeleton crew."
"That's dedication," Moss observed.
"Maybe, but I think he likes it up there."
"He's got some of the worst of the worst in that ward. I'm not sure he has a choice."
Agnes overheard and couldn't get the image out of her head of a Mad Monster Party going on up there. And if they were waiting for her to "stabilize," they would be waiting a hell of a lot longer than even the poor uninsured souls in the waiting room seeking treatment.
"Another body outlasting the mind," Dr. Moss said under his breath as he stepped behind the next curtain to assist with a CPR case, already well underway. Agnes was feeling more herself and she selfishly welcomed the tumult, if only to distract her from her own problems for a minute. She offered her wrist to the physician's assistant and tuned into the commotion next to her, like the unwelcome music blaring from a car stereo outside her apartment window on a hot summer night.
13 "Seventeen-year-old female," the EMT shouted, as she continued compressions. "Suspected drowning."
The bony, blue-lipped girl in front of the intern was lifeless and turning whiter shades of pale with each passing second. He tried to examine her nails, but they were already painted blue.
"In the river?" the intern asked.
"On the street," the EMT offered, drawing raised eyebrows from everyone in the room. "Facedown in a pothole."
"She's in full arrest. Defib."
After several rounds of computer-assisted shocks were applied to her chest and rib cage, the tattooed teen bounced, spasmed, and came to.
"Bag her!" a nurse ordered.
Before they could get the intubation tube down her throat, she started coughing and spewing dirty water on the surgical gowns of her caretakers until some spittle ran down her chin. She might even have vomited if she had eaten anything that day. Tinted by her smeared red lipstick, the gravelly discharge left her looking bloody and muddy. Some murky runoff dripped down her underfed abdomen and collected in her belly button, flooding the innie and causing her steel ball barbell piercing to look more like a diving board, one end bobbing slightly up and down.
An IV was started; labs were drawn and sent off for testing.
"What's your name?" the nurse asked, checking her faculties.
"CeCe," the girl said wearily. "Cecilia."
"Do you know where you are?" the nurse pressed.
CeCe looked around her. She saw nurses and doctors scurrying around and heard relentless moans coming from some homeless people on gurneys parked in the hallway.
"Hell," she answered.
Cecilia looked up at the crucifix posted above the doorway and rethought her response. "The hospital." She looked at the mud on her secondhand faded Vivian Westwood bodice, double bird claw ring—gunmetal gold pheasant talons gripping her middle and ring finger—leather leggings, and black ankle boots. "What am I doing here?"
"Technically, you drowned," the nurse said. "You were found facedown in about an inch of water."
"Oh, my God," Cecilia cried, shortly before busting out into hysterics.
The nurse held her hand and tried to calm her before discovering that Cecilia wasn't crying, but instead, laughing uncontrollably. So much so that she couldn't catch her precious breath, further depleting her of oxygen.
"There's nothing funny going on here." Dr. Moss eyed the dirty residue and acrylic tubes emanating from her. "You almost died."
Of course he was right, but she wasn't laughing at the staff, just at the pathetic train wreck she'd become. Inhaling a puddle full of street gravy. How low can you get? Literally. Her friend Jim, who killed himself by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge and sucking down thick, murky East River "Chop Suey" water, sure would have gotten a kick out of this. The thought sobered her up enough to replay the evening, to visualize the guy she was making out with on the F train back to Brooklyn from the Bowery and whose name she couldn't remember, and the gig she wasn't paid for.
"Emergency contact?" the nurse asked.
Cecilia shook her head no. "Where's my guitar?" She felt around the gurney like an amputee for a lost limb.
She was naturally beautiful, gifted with deep green almond eyes and sharp features from early childhood. Her dark hair was shoulder-length, carefully unkempt in an edgy style. Tall and lean, with long bones and muscles. She would've had an easier time becoming a model, she was often told, and not just the kind recruited at shopping mall kiosks by pretty part-time employees with tans and belly shirts—but the real deal. And fashion was important to her. But she just couldn't stand the idea of becoming a billboard for someone else's creativity. It was stressful enough hawking her own. If she was going to be a messenger for anyone, it might as well be herself. Besides, music and her look was what got her out of bed in the early afternoon. It was what she lived for.
"The admission desk will have a record of whatever you were brought in with," Dr. Moss said. "I'll check on your guitar when things settle down around here."
"Do they ever?" she asked. The little smile she got out of him fueled her.
"Thanks," Cecilia said sincerely, as the doctor left her to contemplate her situation. "You're a goddamn angel."
"No, I'm a doctor. I can only fix damaged bodies."
7 "Doctor! Stat!" the charge nurse ordered, interrupting his attempt at a made-for-TV moralism. Without warning, madness burst through the ER entrance, signaling to Cecilia that it might be a while before she got the GPS on her instrument.
"Holy breast-fed Jesus," CeCe said, trying to decipher what the bright flashes of light against the wall above her cloth divider could be. It was like nothing they'd ever seen, or heard, before. It was almost as if a lightning storm had made its way into triage. The yelling that accompanied the flashes sounded like a pack of famished beasts picking over bones. It was the blaze of camera flashes and the cursing of paparazzi, all jockeying for position. All trying to get a shot. THE shot.
"Lucy, over here!" one yelled.
"Lucy, one shot of you and your IV bag!" another demanded.
"I can't see," Lucy mumbled as she put her vintage blond mink jacket over her head to shield her eyes and shroud her face, before promptly passing out.
"Back the hell up," a security guard at the visitor desk shouted repeatedly.
Neither Agnes nor Cecilia could make out much except what they could see beneath the hanging curtain and hearing the term "OD" thrown around. Articles of clothing began hitting the floor, first one spiked stiletto and then another, black leggings, a strapless push-up bra, Swarovski headband, vintage Chanel purse, and finally a silk dress that seemed to gently float down like a little black parachute.
"Looks like another recessionista's charge account came due," Cecilia said under her breath.
"What is this, teen night?" Dr. Moss asked rhetorically as he prepped the oral charcoal.
"No, just Saturday night in Brooklyn," the nurse responded. "Mondays are heart attacks . . . "
"Lucy!" another nurse shouted. "Lucy, can you hear me?" The nurse didn't need to check the clipboard for her name. Anyone who read the blogs or local gossip pages knew who she was and why she was accosted by the screaming paps.
Agnes overheard the chatter between the doctor and the hospital public relations officer who were standing outside her curtain.
"Keep those vultures out of here," he ordered, looking over at the salivating row of photographers perched restlessly in the waiting room. "No comment and no confirmations from anyone, got it?"
Dr. Moss walked in to examine Lucy. The oral-activated charcoal treatment had already been started. She was gagging on the tube, which he took as a good sign. She awoke abruptly, as if the starter rope was being pulled on a lawnmower. Fully aware and completely awake.
"Get me out of here," Lucy screamed, wrenching the tube from her throat. She was fidgety, crazed, almost manic.
"Relax, honey," a large-and-in-charge nurse said, pushing gently down on her shoulders. "You're safe from all those reporters out there."
"Safe?" Lucy scoffed, fussing blindly with her makeup, her voice raspy. "Are you kidding me? This shot is gonna put someone's kid through college."
The nurse was clearly taken aback not only by her comment but also by the fact that the girl lying on the gurney was in full media mode.
"What are you talking about?"
"An emergency room photo? Do you know what kind of placement those get?" Lucy gave the irascible health aide the once-over and realized that she probably didn't. "Like you'd understand." Lucy pulled the overhead examination lamp closer and checked out her reflection in the chrome tray positioned over her gurney.
"Well, then, maybe you can get that officer outside to understand a little better what someone your age was doing passed out in the bathroom of a club?"
Lucy refused to acknowledge the seriousness of her condition, medically or legally, and reached down for the pieces of her scattered outfit. A searing pain stopped her short, and she doubled over, clenching her stomach in agony.
The nurse placed sticky-back electrodes on Lucy's chest and wired her to the cardiac monitor at her bedside. The switch was flipped and instead of the expected beep . . . beep of Lucy's heart rate, the sound was one long extended tone, indicating a flat line.
Then . . . nothing.
Lucy's eyebrows perked up nervously as the nurse fiddled with the machinery.
"Everyone says I'm heartless," Lucy jibed.
"Stop moving around," the nurse ordered. "You're messing with the monitor."
"Ugh, I think I'm getting my period." Lucy dropped her head down on the tiny pillow beneath her head. "Get me some Vicodin."
Dr. Moss shook his head and left the curtained cubicle. He noticed the photographers and bloggers uploading and posting from their mobiles, calling sources, vigorously updating editors on the second-rate "it" girl's breaking news. Suddenly, as if the fire alarm had gone off, the crowd dispersed, off to chase the next ambulance.
The nurse poked her head into Lucy's bay to let her know things had settled down.
"Shit!" Lucy spat, her chance for a little cheap ink thwarted by someone else's personal tragedy.
Hours passed, lights dimmed, staff, shifts, and dressings changed, and fifteen-minute-interval checks on Agnes's restraints took place—also mandatory procedure—but the sounds of the sick, the injured, and the dying persisted long past visiting hours, into the night. It was sobering and depressing. Patients came and went, some discharged, some admitted, others like Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy left in limbo, waiting for a bed or further observation, forced to endure the suffering of others as well as their own.
Agnes's cell went off and she knew immediately by the Dynasty TV-theme ringtone that it was her mother. She hit the mute button and tossed the phone, limp-wristed, onto the monitor stand next to her gurney, ignoring the caller just as she had the digital cascade of text messages that now clogged her mailbox. She sighed and drifted off to sleep, like Lucy, whose lost photo op, and a first round of questioning by the NYPD, proved totally exhausting.
It was practically silent. Still.
13 An ER tech ripped open the curtain all at once, as if he were ripping off a Band-Aid, and wheeled in a computer on a mobile stand. "I need to ask you a few questions Cecilia . . . Trent."
Cecilia didn't budge.
"Ah, okay." He skimmed the screen for an easier question. "Religion?"
"Currently, I'm practicing the ancient art of"—she paused as he typed—"I don't give a fuck-ism."
He continued typing until the end and then pressed the delete button. "I can't type that."
"Sure you can."
"No, I can't."
"And they say this is a free country," Cecilia said. "Okay, I'm a practicing nihilist."
"Why don't I come back later." He pushed his computer cart out of the room as he closed the curtain.
"Don't be like that," she called after him apologetically. "I'm just bored."
"Get some rest."
She should have been able to, with all that sedation flowing through her, but she couldn't. She kept replaying the evening over and over in her head, the little she could remember of it. After a while, the ER went almost totally quiet except for the sound of hurried footsteps. They sounded heavy, not like the surgeons' paper booties or the nurses' rubber soles that had been scurrying through the ward until then. Cecilia, an experienced night owl by nature and profession, felt uneasy for the first time in a very long time.
Cecilia looked up and noticed the shadow of a male figure on her curtain, passing by her bay. "Coming back for more? They always do."
She glanced down and saw the coolest pair of black biker boots she'd ever seen. Even in silhouette she could tell, whoever he was, he was hot. Definitely not the douche bag ER tech. She'd gotten really good at determining a guy's "attributes" in the dark.
He stood still, as if he were intensely plotting, his back to her curtain divider, giving her time to wonder about him. Visiting hours were over, and from the almost chiaroscuro outline of his hair, jeans, and jacket, she wondered if this was the guy she'd hooked up with earlier. She could barely remember what he looked like, but maybe he'd snuck past the desk to see her. See if she was okay. Even if it was out of guilt.
"Are you decent?" he asked. "Can I come in?"
"No and yes. Two things about me—I never get on a plane with a country star and I tend to never say 'no' to a guy."
She felt a tingle in her stomach as he slid aside the curtain. He looked anxious, almost like a chain smoker who had given up cigarettes earlier that day. Tense. He ducked quickly into the space. He was tall and lean, olive-skinned, with thick, styled hair, long, slightly muscled arms, and a barrel chest that was barely enclosed by his jacket and a T-shirt of The Kills.
A vision.
"I didn't think anyone was awake," he said in a baritone whisper.
"Here to give me last rites?"
"You have a death wish?"
"After last night, possibly."
"Do you always invite strangers into your room?"
"I prefer the company of people I don't know very well."
"Sounds lonely."
There was an awkward silence and Cecilia had to look away from him. The understanding and compassion in his voice was overwhelming. Her eyes welled unexpectedly with tears. "I'm not crying. I must still be high or something."
"I understand." He stepped forward. Closer to her. Shrinking the space between them. He smelled like incense. Cecilia began to question the wisdom of confiding in this guy. Hot guys cruising clubs was one thing, but hot guys creeping hospitals was quite another. She tensed up. "Do I know you?"
"Wouldn't you know if you knew me?"
The truth was she hung out with a lot of guys, and it was difficult to keep them straight. So running into one turned into a game of Twenty Questions with her. Something she was good at. "Were you at my gig tonight? Did you bring me here?"
"No . . . " he said slowly. "Cecilia."
"You know my name? You better be psychic or I'm screaming," she said, backing away suddenly.
He pointed to the foot of her bed. "Your name is on your clipboard."
"What do you want from me?" Cecilia asked, holding her punctured arms up as far as the vinyl tubes would stretch, like a medicated marionette. "I can take care of myself. Despite what it looks like."
"I can see that." He nodded and tapped her hand gently.
"Who are you?" she asked, immediately pulling away.
"Sebastian," he said, reaching for her again.
She relaxed into his touch.
He took notice of the hard-shell guitar case leaning upright against the wall beside her bed. It was stickered, stained, chipped, and battered. It had seen better days, but he had the sense it was protecting something precious. "You're a musician?"
"That's what I told my parents when I ran away."
"Everyone's either running from something or toward something."
"Well, then," she said, feeling some camaraderie. "Which way are you headed?"
"Both, I guess."
"At least one thing we have in common."
"At least."
"Seriously, I just always felt like there was something deep inside of me I needed to say," CeCe tried to explain. "Something . . . "
"Trying to get out?" he asked.
She looked up at him in surprise. He understood.
"Another thing we have in common," he said.
He moved in even closer. Into the light. Close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body and his breath. To see him. To smell him.
"So, Sebastian . . . " Even his name appealed to her. It fit him. She knew his type. Devastatingly good-looking guy, nice moves, but probably cheating on his night nurse girlfriend right under her nose. "What are you doing here?"
"A girlfriend?"
"Well, you don't look like a blood farmer, organ broker, or bone thief . . . ," she said. "Are you one of those dudes who cruises the hospital for sick chicks?"
The loud clang of a tray dropping and some hallway chatter startled them. He'd looked edgy since he'd walked in, but she could sense he was ready to leave. Right then. "You looking for someone or is someone looking for you?"
"I found what I was looking for," he said, reaching down into his jeans pocket.
"Whoa, what the hell are you doing?" Cecilia reached for the nurse call button. He beat her to it, snatching it away. She immediately extended her hand to grab it, then winced in pain, pulling back as the IV lines stretched to their limit and tugged at her veins. "Point blank, I will hurt you."
He pulled out a gorgeous bracelet made from what looked to be the oldest, most extraordinary rough ivory beads, and dangling from it, an antique gold sword with a slender cello bow fastened from the handle to the tip.
"Holy shit." Cecilia marveled at it and was both touched and spooked that a total stranger would give her such a stunning, obviously ridiculously expensive, personal, and unique gift. "Were you the one who brought me here?" she asked. "Were you the one who saved me?"
Sebastian placed the bracelet in her hand and clasped his around it, gently but firmly, and backed away toward the curtain. "Later."
Something in his voice sounded to her like he meant it literally. She believed him. This was the most honest conversation she'd had with a guy maybe ever. And he was a total stranger. But an old soul. Like her.
"Listen. I have a few gigs this week. Cecilia Trent. Google me. Maybe you'll find me and come down and check me out minus the IVs."
"Maybe you'll find me first," he said.
"Wait," Cecilia whispered hoarsely after him, holding up her wrist adorned with the bracelet. "What is this?"
"Something to hold on to."
Customer Reviews
Average Review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
What I liked about this book is it was able to draw you in slowly to the plot and it unfolds gradually by introducing you to the main characters and their backgrounds. You can't help but keep reading to see what will happen next. Your curiosity is piqued and it's worth reading through. There is a chapter here and there that lets you think 'Gee what the heck am I reading here' but it makes up for it wholeheartedly towards the ending of the book. The plot and the pace is slow but steady. You're taken through each girl's perspective and when they finally come together, if you can bypass the pettiness and mean girl attitude (some parts were quite fun to read, the comebacks are something to be filed away for future use should need arise) they actually do make a solid team. Each girl has their own story and their own pain to deal with. Of the three, I'd taken a liking to Cecilia. She's a tough one and although all three have gone through a substantial amount of pain, Cecilia seems to be the most likable and the most independent (plus she's a Rocker girl. Who doesn't think Rocker Girls are cool?) As the story unfolds, it gets chaotic towards the last third of the novel. Pretty good action - brutal at times so might not be for the faint of heart, and of course it leaves room for more things to come (two books follow after this one). Understandably this book might not be for everyone. Gratuitous swearing, references to Catholicism which may be offensive to some, some serious what the F chapters that make you wonder what kind of shrooms they're on, and references to rape are mentioned in the book. So while it may not be for everyone, I was surprised that I enjoyed reading this one so much. Although it took awhile for the book to gain momentum and this thing with Sebastian being a somewhat Charles Manson wannabe without the murders is a bit tedious, it was actually pretty good. However it comes across as a book that either you'll really like, or you'll really hate. So, when in doubt, just take it out of the library and save your money for other things.
I had an opportunity to get a copy of the audiobook for review. It was a book that I was semi-interested in because the physical book as a cover that is interchangeable, the blue side that looks very heavenly, but the other side is dark, black and mysterious. This gave me the idea that maybe the book could be darker than I was originally thinking it might be from the summary. When I first started listening to the audiobook I noticed right away the narrator, actress Kara Hayward, has a very distinctive voice. Which is not a bad thing, but I noticed right away that I was paying more attention to the way that she was pronouncing the words than what she was saying. It did take a long while before I got used to it. But I do think she did an excellent job showing each characters personalities throughout the story. The actual story did get a little dark, but maybe not as much as I was expecting. The resonating and very upfront religious focus in the story was a little off putting to me. But you really cannot deny that you didn't expect that when you look at the summary and the cover. It is very obvious. It's a slower paced book, the girls all going through some very painful times in their lives. It's emotional and overall they really do all have very strong, distinct, personalities. Quite easily they could become best friends or mortal enemies. What I can say is that now, even weeks after I have finished listening to it. The story has still stuck with me, and not in a bad way. I find myself thinking about the characters and how they eventually come together in those last chapters, it really ended on a high note. It is something that I will be looking forward to the next book in the series, because it's peaked my interest.
The Blessed centers around three girls, Lucy, Agnes, and Cecelia, who all wind up in the emergency room at the same time for different reasons. While there, they meet a mysterious stranger, Sebastian, who gives them each beautiful bracelets with charms on them. They later find out who Sebastian is, or believes he is. Circumstances throw all of them together as they seek refuge during a storm, where Sebastian tells them more about the Saints, who they also learn were all martyrs, killed for their beliefs. The story gets more complicated and darker as it progresses. It is deeply rooted in religious undertones, and is unique in both topic and plot. Much of the story centers on getting to know the three girls, with different twist and turns, emphasis on saints and martyrs, combined with conspiracy and mystery. I found this book interesting and different, though somewhat difficult to grasp at times. All the characters are well-developed and well-written, but I didn't really connect with any of them. This book is thought provoking, with some dark connotations This is one of those books that you have to really focus and pay attention to as you read. Though this wasn't something that fits my personal taste, it may be something you would like, especially if you are looking for something unique with a different perspective.
I think its pretty interesting ....read it!!


text:
Frustrated with what she saw as corporate influence and political bias in Thailand's print media, Chiranuch Premchaiporn helped launch a news Web site in 2004 to try to filter out the spin.
For a while it worked, with thousands of people visiting Prachatai.com every day to read stories they did not see in newspapers and to air their views on the Web site's lively chat boards.
But everything changed after a 2006 coup ousted then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
"After the coup, for a month I got contact from the ICT [Information and Communication Technology] Ministry warning us about some of the comments on our Web board," Chiranuch said.
Since then, she has been summoned by police eight times to answer questions about content on her site, while 20 pages on the site have been blacklisted and blocked by the authorities in the last five months.
Activists say the blossoming of blogs and Internet chat rooms poring over the kingdom's tumultuous politics has unnerved the authorities, prompting a crushing campaign of censorship to suppress dissenting voices.
The government installed by the coup-makers enacted a law in 2007 policing the Internet and the current administration of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva appears to be implementing it with vigor.
More than 4,800 Web pages have been blocked since last March, an ICT official said, notionally because they contain content deemed insulting to Thailand's revered royal family.
The monarchy's role in the recent political upheaval remains one of the most sensitive subjects in the kingdom, with few local newspapers willing to touch the issue.
"The Thai media is now being completely made tame. They don't dare report lese majeste cases or any anti-government positions," said Giles Ji Ungpakorn, a political science professor. "So people express themselves through the Internet and the government wants to try and put a stop to this."
Abhisit came to power in a parliamentary vote on Dec. 15 after ongoing protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) helped topple the Thaksin-linked ruling party less than a year after it won elections.
The PAD openly claimed the support of the monarchy, while critics of Abhisit say his Democrat Party enjoys the backing of the powerful military.
All the intrigue provided grist for the thriving chatrooms.
"It encouraged people to talk more and the Internet is the most liberal space in Thailand," said Supinya Klangnarong of Thai Netizen, a media group.
Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders says Thailand has more than 14 million Internet users and last month it put out a statement asking if Thailand was the world's "new enemy of the Internet."
They deplored the arrest of one user after authorities claimed to have matched his computer's Internet address to one used to post online messages deemed defamatory to the monarchy.
At the same time, analysts said that a record number of investigations were being conducted into lese majeste cases, which carries a jail term of up to 15 years.
Australian writer Harry Nicolaides was jailed for three years on Jan. 19 for defaming King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in a short passage in a 2005 novel.
Giles was officially charged on Jan. 20 with lese majeste in connection with a book he wrote about the putsch.