text:
November 30, 2011
TRIBO MASSAHI - Estrelando Embaixador (1972) / EMBAIXADOR - 45 (19??)
Tribo Massàhi is a perfect example of how user-generated content online is overturning how we create cultural canons. This obscure gem has been posted on a great many blogs over the last several years. Though seemingly much loved, details about the album or its creators still remain unknown. La Colmena de Humo seems to have pulled together a few facts. Apparently the lead songwriter—known as Embaixador (Ambassador)—appeared in at least one film in Brazil, playing a gangster in the James Bonds-like musical Roberto Carlos em Ritmo de Aventura (1968), and is reported to have died in the 90s. I am assuming he recorded the single first, a more conservative affair as evidenced by the tamer version of "Fareuá" on the B-side, before making an ensemble album, Estrelando Embaixador, under the collective name Tribo Massàhi. The production quality and experimentation on the Tribo Massàhi recording is an exponential leap forward from the the 45. Estrelando Embaixador is candomblé-inspired psychedelic party music, taking the Afro-Brazlian sound into some wild territory. It's a heady mix of tropicalismo, chimed guitar, conversational chatter, studio fuckery, and heavy percussion with a female chorus. The songs blend together so that each side of the record runs as a continual piece. Side A is called "Timolô, Timodê;" Side B "Lido's Square."
A few notes: Though the original record Estrelando Embaixador plays nonstop start to finish on each side, I have separated the tracks here for your mp3/deejay convenience. I also tried to slightly clean up the sound, but the higher bitrate here may be misleading; I appropriated the same source files as posted on Brazilian Nuggets, which is where I bid you go if you prefer the unedited files. I also just ripped the singles for the Embaixador 45 off of Youtube because that's the only way to hear them so far to my knowledge. More info in the comments section.
8 comments:
- Murky Recess said...
Players on Estrelando Embaixador:
Aymmi, Koffi, Korede, Kolawole, Duro Timi, Omopupa, Iyalode, and Abeke.
Lápis (cow bells), Romildo (Bass), Rui Barbosa (Acoustic guitar), and Nathalie (vocals).
Thanks again to La Colmena de Humo for the info.
- December 1, 2011 at 12:01 AM
- Jo/No said...
Wow, thanks a lot Murky! This certainly looks interesting!
You may enjoy my latest post with a screwed down Perfidia:
- December 2, 2011 at 5:40 PM
- Holly said...
Thank you, Murky!
- December 5, 2011 at 5:49 PM
- williams said...
thanx man, was looking for this one!!! amazing grooves
- February 25, 2012 at 12:47 AM
Great album. Thanks
- March 6, 2012 at 12:33 AM
link appears to be damaged, will no longer dl
great website though
- March 19, 2012 at 11:53 AM
- mmonteiro said...
Hi,the information that Embaixador reported to have died... where did you get? The album is about to complete 40 years. I am a journalist, would be great to talk with him or anybody involved in the album. Can you help? Thanks. Marcelo Monteiro
- June 8, 2012 at 9:33 PM
- Tom Torres said...
great album...thx for the d/l :)
- April 2, 2015 at 5:08 PM


text:
Troops Embark on 'Why We Serve' Public Outreach Mission
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2007 - Eight servicemembers with duty experience in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa, who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American public, met with Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England here March 30.
"It's important and it's vital, particularly now," England told the group of their mission to relate their experiences to the American public. "This is the time to be out with the message of the importance of what you do every day, and all those who serve."
The eight enlisted and commissioned Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps members are participating in the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
The United States has always relied on the courage and selflessness of military members who have fought to preserve America's security, freedoms and way of life since the nation was established, England pointed out.
"What you're doing is hugely important," the deputy defense secretary told the servicemembers as he shook their hands and passed out his personal coins. "And, while you're out there, deliver a great message for America."
The "Why We Serve" program began last fall and was initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The program is conducted in quarterly segments and eight military members, two from each service, are selected to participate, said Air Force Maj. Ann N. Biggers, the program's director.
"We're sending the best of the best from each of the services," Biggers said.
Participants are attached to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs for periods of about 90 days. They travel to communities across the nation to tell their personal stories of military service. Speaking engagements range from veterans organizations to grade schools to business groups.
But first, the servicemembers undergo three days of training consisting of standards of conduct, public speaking, policy and ethics, interview skills, speech preparation and more, Biggers said.
"We know that the American public is hungry to hear about what these young men and women have been doing," Biggers said. "It's important for our speakers, as well, because they are out there serving their country, and they want to be able to tell their stories."
This is the third "Why We Serve" group since the program began, Biggers said. The group members are:
-- Air Force Capt. Michael J. Frasco, 35, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.;
-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert P. Jubie, 35, Hill Air Force Base, Utah;
-- Army Capt. Jessica L. Murphy, 28, Fort Drum, N.Y.;
-- Army Staff Sgt. Matt Olson, 25, Fort Jackson, S.C.;
-- Marine 1st Lt. Matthew H. Hilton, 28, Camp Pendleton, Calif.;
-- Marine Sgt. Paula Payne, 23, Camp Pendleton;
-- Navy Lt. Junior Grade Katie Hagen, 24, Norfolk, Va.; and
-- Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia Marie Mayo, 29, Camp Pendleton.
The servicemembers have unique experiences they'd like to share with the American public.
Jubie, a military carpenter who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, recalled helping Afghans to rebuild their homes during his stint with a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan. He also cited the death of two of his fellow soldiers in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Sept. 8, 2006.
"That really drove home to me to a great desire to continue the mission," Jubie, an Arlington, Wash., native said. "Unfortunately, their lives were ended short, but their legacy lives on through the PRTs."
Frasco, who hails from Albuquerque, N.M., volunteered to be a supply convoy commander during a tour in Afghanistan in 2006, a normally done by an Army officer. He also served as a trainer for the Afghan National Army.
Frasco remembers once working 30 consecutive 16-hour days during his tour in Afghanistan. However, he said, it was worth it to help the Afghans get back onto their feet after enduring years of brutal rule under the Taliban.
However, "despite all the long hours, despite all the hardships that we'd gone through and despite all the difficult things that we'd faced during our deployment, servicemembers are ready to go back" to assist the Afghans to make them stronger, Frasco said.
Servicemembers perform dangerous duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other far-flung places to preserve America's security and freedoms and to protect loved ones and other Americans back home, Frasco said.
In Iraq, Mayo organized medical triage and movement of casualties and also participated in more than 15 combat-related missions, including convoys and dismounted patrols. She said she wants the American public to know "there are so many opportunities and positions of leadership" available to women in the military.
"If you can do your job and can hold your own, then, there's nothing that can stop you," Mayo, a New Port Richey, Fla., native, noted.
Murphy, a Milwaukee native and military police officer, said she and her soldiers worked closely with local residents during tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We interacted with the community a lot in both countries. It was very rewarding. I've seen how we can affect what is happening on the ground and help people have a better life," Murphy said.
"I know the news kind of portrays the sensational side" of events in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Olson, who hails from Grantsville, Wis. "I'm kind of hoping to get the whole story out there, the good news stuff." Having served two tours in Iraq, Olson recalled participating in humanitarian missions to provide supplies for Iraqi school children.
"Seeing those children's faces was rewarding," the wheeled-vehicle mechanic and noncommissioned officer said.
Hagen, who calls Slidell, La., home, recalled performing anti-pirate missions off the coast of Somalia while deployed on a Navy destroyer in the Arabian Gulf in 2005-2006.
"It's something that I'd never expected. I didn't even know until I got there that there actually were still pirates out there," Hagen said. "It was a pretty unique experience."
Hilton, an intelligence officer who's slated to be the ceremonial ringmaster for an April 4 evening performance of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in his native Fairfax, Va., said he'd share his positive experiences with the Iraqi people during his two tours in Iraq.
"The Iraqi people are great people," said Hilton, who'd served as an advisor to the 7th Iraqi Army Division. "They're very hospitable people, and I think the American people don't get a chance to see the warm, inviting culture that they have, that I was able to experience."
"I think the American people don't get enough (news) about the good things that are happening in Iraq," Payne, a communications noncommissioned officer, said, because of the preponderance of stories that publicize the negative. For example, the Grandville, Mich., native said, it was a routine occurrence to see Iraqi children joyfully accepting educational books and candy from U.S. soldiers and Marines.
"There are wonderful things that are happening over there, and those are the things that need to be covered more," said Payne, served two tours in Iraq, in 2005 and 2006.
For general questions about the "Why We Serve" program, call Maj. Ann Biggers at (703) 695-3845.
[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=32665]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Just a few months after cold, unfeeling automatons came to Valve's hit co-op shooter in Mann vs. Machine, the publisher's unleashing waves of the undead on Team Fortress 2.
According to Polygon, An update to the Team Fortress 2 website announced a two-week Scream Fortress event that will herald the return of necromancer Merasmus, who seeds all kinds of dark magic over the game's usual match types. The new Wave 666 map will be where showdowns against zombies happen and players will also be able to get enchantments that will summon ghosts as part of the event. How long until we get zombies vs. robots, y'think?
Scream Fortress [Team Fortress 2, via Polygon]


text:
Download King Lear Study Guide
Sample Essay Outlines
The following paper topics are designed to test your understanding of the play as a whole and to analyze important themes and literary devices. Following each question is a sample outline to help get you started.
Topic #1
Shakespeare has woven the subplot into the main plot in King Lear to intensify the emotional effect of the tragedy. Write an essay analyzing the way in which the subplot parallels the main plot. Discuss the areas of father-child relationships, political power, and the deaths of the protagonists in the double plot.
I. Thesis Statement: The emotional effect is heightened in King Lear with Shakespeare's use of a subplot that mirrors the father-child relationships, the corruption of political power, and the death of the protagonist in the main plot.
II. Parallels of father-child relationships
A. Lear's daughter Cordelia parallels Gloucester's son Edgar.
1. Both Cordelia and Edgar are loyal to their fathers to the end.
2. Cordelia is banished and Edgar is forced into hiding.
B. Lear's daughters Goneril and Regan parallel Gloucester's son Edmund.
1. Goneril and Regan flatter Lear just as Edmund deceives Gloucester.
2. Both Lear and Gloucester talk of the ingratitude of their children.
C. Lear and Gloucester are both blind to their children.
1. Lear is blind to Cordelia's love and to Goneril and Regan's ulterior motives.
2. Gloucester is blind to Edmund's deceit and trickery.
III. Parallels of greed in political power
A. Goneril and Regan seek political power.
1. They strip the King of all his train of followers.
2. They reject the King's title and turn him out into the storm.
B. Edmund has high political aspirations.
1. He allows Gloucester to be blinded for his own political gain.
2. He usurps Edgar's legitimate title as the future Earl of Gloucester.
C. Kent and Edgar both lose their nobility.
1. The Earl of Kent is banished for his honest defense of Cordelia.
2. Edgar loses his claim to nobility through the deceit and trickery of Edmund.
IV. Parallels in the deaths of Lear and Gloucester
A. Both die in the presence of their loyal children.
1. Lear dies with Cordelia in his arms.
2. Gloucester dies after Edgar has revealed himself as the Duke's son.
B. Lear and Gloucester both die in "extremes of passion."
1. Lear dies of a broken heart. "Break heart, I prithee break!"
2. Gloucester's "flaw'd heart" bursts of "joy and grief" after his reunion with Edgar.
C. Both die with renewed insight.
1. Gloucester needs to be blinded before he can see Edmund's deceit and Edgar's loyalty.
2. Lear needs to suffer the rejection of his older daughters before he can see Cordelia's loyalty
3. Both find that the loss of title and position humbles them.
V. Conclusion: The subplot intensifies the emotional impact of the main plot in the areas of child-parent relationships, the corruption of political power, and the death of the protagonist.
Topic #2
Through suffering, King Lear is transformed from an arrogant, dictatorial king and father to...
(The entire section is 1,376 words.)


text: Share: Comments Print August 26, 2013 at 12:47 PM ESPN announces Sunday women's college basketball package Posted by Jayda Evans Not that the Pac-12 is heavily featured, but big news for women's hoops fans overall. Here's the release about ESPN's 2013-14 broadcasting package: ESPN Announces Sunday Women's College Basketball Package on ESPN Return of Big Monday on ESPN2 Begins January 13 The top Division I women's basketball programs in the nation will be showcased in a new ESPN Sunday afternoon package, in addition to ESPN2's Big Monday presented by Bud Light series. The five-week series – a first for women's college basketball – will begin February 2. The popular weekly Big Monday series on ESPN2, in its eighth season, will run from January 13 to March 3, including doubleheaders on January 27 and February 10. All games will be accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members and on Apple TV to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. The schedule will feature seven 2013 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Americans: Stefanie Dolson (Connecticut); Chelsea Grey (Duke); Kayla McBride (Notre Dame); Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Connecticut); Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford); Odyssey Sims (Baylor) and Alyssa Thomas (Maryland), in addition the 2013 Final Four Most Outstanding Player Breanna Stewart (Connecticut) and several teams listed in bracketologist Charlie Creme's espnW 2013-14 preseason top 25. espnW will supplement ESPN's in-depth schedule with season-long content, including a preview piece that will run November 4-8. Big Monday highlights: · Preseason favorites No. 1 Connecticut, No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 5 Maryland, No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 12 Baylor will each make two appearances, with 13 ranked teams featured in the schedule. · Defending National Champion Connecticut opens the Big Monday package on January 13 at Baylor and also closes the schedule at No. 8 Louisville on March 3 – a rematch of the National Championship Game. · Two doubleheaders include: o January 27 – Notre Dame at Maryland at 7 p.m., followed by USC at No. 4 Stanford at 9 p.m. o February 10 – No. 7 North Carolina at Duke at 7 p.m., followed by No. 22 Vanderbilt at Tennessee at 9 p.m. ESPN Sunday highlights: · As the predicted top preseason team in the ACC, Duke will play three times on the ESPN Sunday package, including both games featuring new league member Notre Dame on February 2 and February 23. · A top American matchup will pit Louisville at Connecticut on February 9, followed by a SEC tilt on February 16 between No. 6 Kentucky at Tennessee. · With potential conference title implications on the line again, North Carolina will host Duke on March 2, closing out the regular-season Sunday schedule. espnW.com content highlights: · Season preview will include complete preseason top-25 rankings and top five players at each position. · Each week, writers Mechelle Voepel, Graham Hays, Kate Fagan and Michelle Smith, as well as analyst Rebecca Lobo, will write in-depth profiles of some of the nation's top teams, players and coaches. · Beginning Monday, Jan. 13, and running each week, "In Tune for Nashville" will give a comprehensive look at all the latest news from the teams in the nation. · Prior to each Big Monday game, an updated Bracketology segment from Creme and a game preview for that night's matchup, as well as postgame coverage with video analysis will be posted on espnW. 2014 ESPN2 Big Monday presented by Bug Light Women's Basketball Schedule Note: All games are on ESPN2 (Schedule subject to change) Date Time (ET) Game January 13 7 p.m. Connecticut at Baylor January 20 7 p.m. Notre Dame at Tennessee January 27 7 p.m. Notre Dame at Maryland 9 p.m. USC at Stanford February 3 7 p.m. Baylor at Oklahoma February 10 7 p.m. North Carolina at Duke 9 p.m. Vanderbilt at Tennessee February 17 7 p.m. Maryland at Duke February 24 7 p.m. Penn State at Nebraska March 3 7 p.m. Connecticut at Louisville 2014 ESPN Sunday Women's Basketball Schedule Note: All games on ESPN (Schedule subject to change) Date Time (ET) Game February 2 2 p.m. Notre Dame at Duke February 9 1 p.m. Louisville at Connecticut February 16 1 p.m. Kentucky at Tennessee February 23 1 p.m. Duke at Notre Dame March 2 1 p.m. Duke at North Carolina The full regular-season basketball schedule will be announced at a later date. Comments | More in Pac-12, TV Alert


text:
Florida Hospital Waterman
Patient Portal
Dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room
Need your medical records from Florida Hospital Waterman?
We can help. Just follow these easy steps:
Saving Money for Florida Hospital Waterman Patients on:
Money-saving offers on:
Health Insurance
Medicare Plans
Prescription Drugs
Dental Plans
& more


text:
My cousin, Maureen Burton (née Ormston) has just sent me a fascinating newspaper cutting about our Aunty Jean. Aunty Jean is actually our great aunt. Jane Ann Evans (née Turner) was born in Amble, Northumberland in 1896. After marrying a Welshman, William Daniel Evans in 1924, she moved to Swansea. The cutting shows Aunty Jean, aged 90, meeting stars Sue Pollard and Matthew Kelly after a cycle ride around Gower in aid of the British Heart Foundation.
Tag Archives: Jane Ann Turner
Family history through the alphabet – E is for Evidence
It took me far too long to learn the importance of evidence and of documenting my sources as I find them. This was partly because I found the formal documentation of sources in my tree software rather daunting. I now realise that even though I hopped over the formal documentation to start with that I could have saved myself a lot of extra work if I had at least used the notes section to jot down where I had found my information. The benefits of hindsight. Hopefully some day I will catch up with myself.
E is for Evans
E is also for Evans. Not a pedigree line for me, but nevertheless an important branch on my tree. My grandmother's sister Jane Ann Turner (Auntie Jean) married a Welshman, William Daniel Evans in 1924. They lived in Swansea and had two boys born in the 1930s. Although I knew Auntie Jean from her regular visits to Northumberland I never met any of her family and have no idea whether her sons are still living or whether they had children. Too many Evanses in Glamorganshire for that line of research to be easy. Would love to hear from any of her family, so if you are one of her descendants reading this please drop me a comment and I will get back to you.
If you would like to know more about this alphabet challenge take a look at Family history through the alphabet.


text:
China Lion Film Distribution has announced that it will release Feng Xiaogang's Back To 1942 in the US and Canada on Nov 30, day-and-date with its mainland China release.
Based on Liu Zhengyun's best-selling novel Remembering 1942, the film tells the story of the devastating famine that ravaged Henan province during World War II.
The cast includes Xu Fan, Zhang Guoli, Chen Daoming, Zhang Mo and Zhang Hanyu as well as Adrien Brody and Tim Robbins.
The film will initially receive a limited release throughout major North American cities, including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington DC and Vancouver, on Nov 30.
It will open in Chicago and Seattle on Dec 7 with further bookings to be announced.
In China the film will be released by its producer, Huayi Brothers, which is an investor in China Lion, along with Bona Film Group and other partners.


text:
Dear Panelists for the 2nd IABU Conference:
Please take notice of the new program on the conference website:
The new program will be uploaded SOON, version dated 27.4.2012
Disregard all previous versions - for most: your speaking times and placement-order (only for a few) have changed.
We had to include more break times, and less speaking time.
Therefore, please prepare your presentations, not to exceed 10 minutes.
Each panelist will be given a 3-minute Q&A slot.
If you have POWERPOINT Presentations, please send them to our great staff, Ms. Tong.
We ASK that NO PANELIST read from their paper, since we all will have the complete PUBLICATION on hand, at the conference.
Please speak freely on your topic, to get us interested in reading your piece, at our later convenience.
Additionally, our university is still growing, and if you wish to DONATE some books to our humble library, we would appreciate this generosity.
If you have published a book, or your university/members of your faculty have books, that you think we should have in our library, please DONATE some material to us.
Good books that we can use in academics, in the field of religions, or particularly Buddhism are welcome - but all material will be accepted (sciences, etc...)
Please DONATE these Books to the IABU Office, Room D400.
You may place them on my desk.
(Dr. Dion Peoples's desk is in the IABU Office, on the right side, center-desk, below the Air Conditioner!)
We look forward to seeing all of you, and we hope that this new arrangement better pleases everyone.
Thank you, very respectfully,
Dr. Dion Peoples
Manager, IABU Secretariat


text:
More and more studies have found that sleep is a valuable health asset. Difficulty sleeping not only makes it hard to make it through the next day but can make you more vulnerable to infections like cold or flu. Regular sleep deficits can even increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately not all sleep problems can be managed by simply getting to bed earlier. Women in or around menopause may have trouble getting a good nights rest because of symptoms like night sweats of hot flashes. Severe symptoms maybe treated with hormone therapy but this treatment is not the best option for everyone because of its link to heart disease and certain cancers. Lifestyle changes on the other hand may provide a way to manage menopause symptoms and improve sleep without the negative potential.
Researchers from University of Pittsburgh wanted to examine if physical activity could help improve sleep in women with vasomotor symptoms. The study, published in Menopause, found that women with regular physical activity had fewer sleep problems.
About the Study
The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation is a large study that assesses physical, biological, psychological and social changes experienced in women across the United States during and just before menopause. The study began in 1994 and followed women, age 40-55 years, with annual blood and urine specimens and questionnaires about lifestyle and health. A subset of 104 women that had reported their sleep and physical activity habits were included in this sleep study. The following results were reported:
- Women who reported higher amounts of physical activity were more likely to report higher sleep quality.
- Women who reported higher amount of household physical activities were more likely reported better sleep characteristics such as not waking up during the night.
How Does this Affect You?
Both the larger trial and the smaller sleep trial are observational studies, which means information is collected and changes are observed. The researchers do not take any steps to control factors that can affect the outcome, so the trials can not determine cause and effect. Instead these trials are used to look for potential connections. This trials appears to have found a connection between physical activity and menopause related sleep problems. Although, other trials would need to be done to confirm the link, it is reasonable to believe that a connection exists. Past studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with better quality of sleep and decreased intensity of menopausal symptoms.
This study showed that it was not only exercise-specific activities but any physical activity, like housework, that had an impact. Aim for some physical activity each day. Little bits like taking the stairs instead of an elevator, parking a little further away, or breaking up extended periods of sitting with a little stroll may also be helpful. If you are having trouble sleeping because of night sweats or hot flashes, consider adding exercise or physically active tasks to your daily routine. If the problems persist, talk to your doctor about other ways to help you manage symptoms of menopause so you can get the sleep that you need.
- Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD
- Review Date: 09/2013 -


text:
Designer: KUBORAUM
Shipping: Free FedEx Worldwide!
Designer: KUBORAUM
Shipping: Free FedEx Worldwide!
Product Description
About the KUBORAUM U3 METAL HEADZ Mask(2019 Jungle Capsule Collection)
Kuboraum Eyewear is not an inanimate and inorganic object, but obtains the power of a mask. It changes the perception of self. Those who wear the Kuboraum mask, come to life and accept the challenge to free their identities. These masks represent cubic rooms, a new dimension where we can feel at ease, comfortable with ourselves and the world around us. Kuboraum is no logo. It is a mask with its own look and power, but as soon as you wear it, the mask doesn't highlight itself, but it highlights the personality and features of the person wearing it. Kuboraum's identity is about this relationship.
All masks are dreamed entirely in Berlin and handmade in Italy.
Availability: Please note, all KUBORAUM eyewear is handmade to order in Italy. If we do not have the frame you desire in stock it can typically take 2-3 weeks for us to receive. Especially since KUBORAUM is the most handmade and constantly changing we highly recommend contacting us first to inquire the availability of the frame you desire.
Available Colors:HHGS/STERLING SILVER WITH GREY LENSES
Read more about KUBORAUM eyewear
Warranty Information
Add Lenses
To add lenses to your frames follow the steps below:
1. Select Lens Material - Determined by your prescription. We have created a guide just for this HERE.
2. Choose Vision Type From Dropdown - Single Vison or Progressive (No Line Bifocal)
3. Add Any Additional Options you desire for your new lenses. Anti-Reflective Coating Recommended.
Click the + Add to Shopping Bag button.
Contact Us with any questions you may have or for our professional lens recommendation.
Read all about the lenses and options we have listed below HERE.
All prices include both lenses.


text:
Local Student Nominated for National Exemplary Student Service Award
DES MOINES, IOWA (February 28, 2017) – The National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) is thrilled to announce the student finalists for the Exemplary Student Service Award!
This award was created to honor a student who has served their school, community, city, and state through the skills they honed through speech and debate. From more than 140-thousand student members of the NSDA, the following students were selected as finalists for this award.
Kylie Almeida - Widefield High School, Colorado
Victoria Bevard - Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology, Virginia
Chloe Dennison - Asheville High School, North Carolina
Henry Lininger - South Eugene High School, Oregon
Andres Mata - Salina South High School, Kansas
Delanya Storey - Jefferson County IB School, Alabama
"Speech and debate changes lives," said NSDA Executive Director J. Scott Wunn. "These students use their speech and debate skills to impact others and better their community. We're extremely proud of their hard work, dedication, and passion to speech and debate."
The finalists were nominated for the Exemplary Student Service Award by educators, coaches and administrators across the country. The winner will be recognized as part of National Speech and Debate Education Day on March 3, 2017. For more information about the award, visit www.speechanddebate.org/honor-society.
About the National Speech & Debate Association
The National Speech & Debate Association is the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization serving middle school, high school, and collegiate students in the United States. The Association provides competitive speech and debate activities, high-quality resources, comprehensive training, scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition to more than 150,000 students and coaches every year. For 90 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has empowered more than 1.5 million members to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders in our society. For more information, visitwww.speechanddebate.org.


text:
Download The Merchant of Venice Study Guide
I hate him for he is a Christian;
But more for that in low simplicity
He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
(I, iii)
In the first act, one aspect of Shylock's nature is clearly revealed. Here he complains that Antonio, by lending out money for free, brings down the interest rate at which he can lend money. Shylock's greed is apparent throughout the play, and statements like these help draw a caricature of what Shakspeare's audience would recognize as the stereotypical, selfish, medieval Jew.
Signior Antonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys and my usances;
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
For suff'rance is the badge of all our tribe;
(II, vii)
Here Shylock responds to Bassiano's request for money, pointing out that he is not deaf to all of the criticism he has endured; rather, that he turns a blind eye to it. Shylock makes a good point in this conversation with Bassiano: despite their obvious hatred for him, they come to him for help in the form of money.
'All that glisters is not gold,
Often have you heard that told;
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms infold
(II, vii)
The Price of Morocco finds this note written on a scroll when he opens the golden chest. He mistakenly equates Portia with material value, and thus the chest serves as another example of Christian values that run deeper than surface appearance. Indeed, the quote suggests that the pursuit of "gold" often leads men to their tombs.
Therefore, thou gaudy gold,
Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee;
Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge
'Tween man and man: but thou, thou meagre lead,
Which rather threaten'st than dost...
(The entire section is 622 words.)


text:
A world class web hosting platform. Our vision is to enable millions of people around the globe to unlock the power of Internet and give them the empowerment to learn, create and grow.
loyalty Limited time offer: get an SSL certificate for FREE
Budget plan, for a tech-savvy small blog owner or learning developer
₹99.00/mo when you renew
Exclusive plan for a big e-commerce site or popular blog owners
₹399.00/mo when you renew
Small tip: save even more - get a free domain name that comes with each Premium & Business web hosting plans!
If you're not 100% satisfied with Hostinger, we'll refund your payment. No hassle, no risk.Learn More


text:
18mm Nylon polyamide tubular sewn sling. MBL in new condition 25kN black with 3 red stripes also available in olive and in many other lengths upon request. Please note: Sling lengths quoted are 'effective length'. i.e. end to end, not circumference unless stated.
Other lengths available on request up to 480cm
Conformance: EN566, EN795 Type B


text:
Tumbled Wool Wide-leg Trousers
All orders will be fulfilled by Burberry Limited and shipped from the UK. When you place your order, you accept Burberry's Terms and Conditions and confirm that you have read our Privacy Policy.
Size Guide
Use the Size Guide to choose the best fit for your measurements.
In this window, you can find out the shipping and returns options for the selected item.
In this window, you can contact customer service for further assistance.
- Wide-leg trousers with press-stud pockets and a front pleat, cut from tumbled wool for enhanced drape.
- Trouser inside leg length: 82cm/32.3in, hem width: 23.5cm/9.3in. This is based on a size IT 50 as proportions change slightly according to size.
- Model's height: 188cm/6ft 2in
- Outer: 100% wool
- Lining: 100% cupro
- Buttons: buffalo horn
- Regular rise, concealed hook-and-bar, button and zip fly closure, press-stud flap pockets, back welt pockets
- Specialist dry clean
- Made in Italy
Item 45578431


text:
Student or Learner
Hi all,
I need some help this paragraph.Is it right as grammar especially passive?
"Thank you for your interest.
The bilatreal agreement was sent to you by post in last week by the my university tha ABC.Furthermore I know XYZ's application deadline 30 November.It may be late our post.For this reason all the same I am sending our bilatreal agreement and my application documents by mail and besides by post."
thank you
thank you for your reply @pyoung
it was very useful


text:
The Baltimore Police Department on Thursday added to the growing wave of video valentines to the Ravens on the eve of the AFC championship game against the new England Patriots. Among the cast of hundreds: a mounted unit, a K-9 unit, homicide cops, the bigwigs and a group that seemed pretty conversant with hand-to-hand combat.
Based on the production values, it appears only single digits of your tax dollars were at work here. So enjoy! Let us count the ways:
0:19: Pro-Ravens freestyle posturing underscored by coordinated pink lipstick.
0:59: We live here, and even we have trouble translating this officer's Baltimore accent. But he seems supportive!
1:11: Ray Lewis, if your colleagues aren't getting it done, this guy "has your back!"
1:40: Police helpfully demonstrate how, precisely, they suggest the snot will be kicked out of Tom Brady. We should point out, though, that the NFL does fine for head-butting.
1:48: Unclear: Wobbly variation on the Squirrel Dance?
2:37: Hey, it's the homicide crew! They look just like they did on the TV show, too. But happier. Now, get back to work. You still have to find the real killer of Luther Mahoney.
2:44: New police Commissioner Batts very supportive of team. Isn't he from Cali, though? At least he's learned the names of the players.
2:54: Ray Lewis to Baltimore Police Department: "There's no me without you." Discuss.


text:
Manchin takes on NRA in TV spot
Sen. Joe Manchin, co-author of a plan to expand background checks on gun sales, is launching a TV ad to defend himself from attacks by the powerful National Rifle Association.
Manchin isn't up for reelection until 2018 – but that's exactly the problem for the West Virginia Democrat and other potential targets of the NRA. There's no time to waste if they're going to defend their actions on gun control. In order to be successful, they need to stop the NRA narrative now before it takes hold.
Story Continued Below
Manchin will pay for the TV ad out of his reelection campaign and will start running it later this week, although details on how much he'll spend on the ad buy and its content were still being finalized late Sunday.
( PHOTOS: Politicians speak out on gun control)
Both sides in the gun control debate are trying to take advantage of the failed Senate background check vote while it's still somewhat in the public's mind. Groups founded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Rep. Gabby Giffords are bankrolling ads against senators who voted against the measure. And the NRA has subsequently defended those lawmakers.
The NRA is spending at least $100,000 on its ad campaign hitting Manchin, and an aide for the senator says he plans to "at least match" that buy. Manchin had nearly $1.8 million in his reelection campaign as of March 30, according to Federal Election Commission records.
For Manchin and his top aides, the dispute with the NRA has become increasingly personal. Manchin's chief of staff, Hayden Rogers, a lifetime NRA member, has let his membership to the group lapse. Rogers even pulled the pro-NRA sticker off his own truck.
Manchin has been increasingly critical of top NRA officials in recent months, attempting to portray the organization's leaders as out-of-step with its 5 million rank-and-file members.
( Also on POLITICO: NRA targets old ally Manchin)
He accused the NRA of lying about the background checks measure during the Senate debate. "They are telling members that our legislation would criminalize the private transfer of firearms by honest, law abiding citizens," he said in April. "That is a lie, that is simply a lie and anyone that can read knows that is not factual."
"The Washington NRA leadership is clearly out of step with the American people and law abiding gun owners, and is now attacking Senator Manchin for a position they once supported," said Manchin aide Jonathan Kott. "The Washington NRA leadership is trying to distort Senator Manchin's commitment to the [Second] Amendment because they know he is one of the most credible defenders of gun rights who also believes that it just makes sense to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those found severely mentally ill."
The NRA ad accuses Manchin of "working with" President Barack Obama and Bloomberg, and questions Manchin's commitment to the Second Amendment. Manchin had long received top marks from the pro-gun rights group until he began pushing the expanded background checks bill in the wake of December's tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
The ad blitz comes as the fate of the background checks measure from Manchin and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is still unclear. The Senate failed to pass the bill on a 54-46 vote in April, short of the 60 votes needed. Only four Senate Republicans voted for the measure, while all but four Democrats supported it.


text:
Borers & Drills
CNC Machining
Dust Extraction Units
Glue Spreaders
Material Handling
Shredding & Briquetting
Spindle Moulders
Universal Machines
Other Machinery
Used Borers & Drills
Used CNC Machines
Used Dust Extraction Units
Used Edgebanders
Used Glue Spreaders
Used Planers
Used Presses
Used Sanders
Used Saws
Used Shredding & Briquetting
Used Spindle Moulders
Used TigerStop
Used Universal Machines
Other Used Machinery
We also stock many used and reconditioned machines from other manufacturers not listed above.
R&J Machinery has a long, successful history in providing high-quality new and used woodworking machines to our customers. All of the machines are available to view at our showroom by appointment, and all used machines undergo a strict quality-check process and are serviced prior to being listed on our website.
As a family-run company, R&J Machinery understands that customer service is all important, and we enjoy a fantastic relationship with our customers whether they are coming to us for the first time to buy their Panel Return Systems (PRS), or have bought from us in the past. We are happy to discuss your machinery needs!
Some of these Panel Return Systems (PRS) will be available to view first-hand at our showroom, so why not pay us a visit to view these machines in operation first-hand?
Barbaric Panel Return System
Cehisa Return Conveyor


text:
At last, a record that takes on the nebulous new genre of witch house. In No Witch, The Cave Singers declare they just can't take it anymore – it's too damn grim. Okay, that's not true. I don't know their feelings on cacklecore, or whatever it's called now, but The Cave Singers do dwell on the brighter side of paganism. They're earthy, not occult. Guitarist Derek Fudesco describes their music as a 'group hug'. In past albums, they've mainlined warmth and hope from their folk roots, and they're not scared to be comforting voices in the dark, as opposed to creepy ones. And even while pissing on campfires and dancing on graves in 2007's Invitation Songs and 2009's Welcome Joy, they evoked a kind, bountiful universe. No Witch, indeed.
But something's different. Maybe The Cave Singers thought that if they got any more warm and woodsy – which, by god, they could, I'd love it – they'd get mistaken for hippies. Or pussies. 'Cos they're not, alright? They're growling, grizzly men of the Pacific Northwest, with bellies and tats and beards and sweat. Roar. So heed the gongs. Watch as their cave rattles and the earth shakes and gives way to a mighty chasm. Because now Sunn O))) and Boris producer Randall Dunn is at the helm, and The Cave Singers are bringing the rock.
It takes two songs for them to get going, but when they do, 'Black Leaf' is far more pulsating and primal than anything they've created before, even Welcome Joy's stormy 'At the Cut'. The shift continues with 'Falls', a sparse slinky sliver of minor key moodiness, which, unusually for The Cave Singers, saves the injection of warmth until the very end. And 'No Prosecution If We Bail', the album's closer, is a thumping bluesy rocker that makes it very clear, in case you weren't listening, that The Cave Singers can now ROCK.
Problem is, I've just named No Witch's weakest songs. They're still enjoyable, although much of that enjoyment is found in the controlled anger that slides around in, and sometimes bursts out of, Pete Quirk's gravelly voice. But when you look at The Cave Singers's songcraft, the rockers on No Witch use exactly the same template as the folkier songs. A gripping melody lures you in, then the reedy vocals crop up, then drummer Marty Lund's controlled rhythms get going. Arrangements expand around the three minute mark, then inevitably tighten towards the end.
When this template works, it's beautiful. The best songs here have the hypnotic mix of grittiness and sweetness that defines The Cave Singers at their best. 'Clever Creatures' and 'Haller Lake' are beguiling, evoking the kind of warm comfort you – at least, I – get on summer evenings when I realise that not everything is as perfect as I'd like, but that it's more than good enough. Ahh, summer. The rousing 'Haystacks' gets its gospel on so well that it's hard not to let loose a few spirited handclaps as you listen. And when Quirk sings "let's take tonight, my little one" on 'Distant Sures', it makes me gulp each time I hear it. But as with Invitation Songs and Welcome Joy, the same formula yields as much pap as greatness. Which begs the question – how can they use it again and again and be either incredible or forgettable?
I don't know, but I hope they see that experimenting with heavier sounds doesn't mean evolution, when nothing in No Witch tops anything they've done before. I hope they'll realise they don't need to plunder much more garage rock to be great. I think they need to chain, like, Popol Vuh, until they realise their rough and raw version of hippie mysticism still has places to go. Stay lovely, boys! And then if they can figure out how to untangle what's fascinating and gorgeous from what's bland, they'll be onto a winner. Three albums in, they haven't yet – but I trust The Cave Singers – I think their next might be the one.
6Els's Score


text:
Visit The *EVEN NEWER* Barrow-Downs Photo Page
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Haunting Spirit
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 67
Doing research at the Wade Center!
Hey, everybody! Sorry about my long absence. I wanted to share my recent activities at the Marion E. Wade Center. I'm currently writing my dissertation on Donald Swann's song cycle, The Road Goes Ever On, and I'm up here in Wheaton, Illinois reading Tolkien's correspondence with Donald Swann. I'm really enjoying my time here, and it's so fascinating getting to see Tolkien's own handwriting.
I've actually been able to help correct some errors in the Wade Center's transcripts of these letters, including deciphering some of Tolkien's less legible marginalia and some incorrect Tengwar!
I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for (specifically, materials relating to Tolkien's instructions that he gave to Swann concerning Elvish pronunciation and issues with the Namárië chant), but that's alright; there are lots of great materials up here, especially recordings. It's really been a treat.
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lonely Isle
Posts: 694
Good to hear from you!
It's good to read what you've been doing in the Marion E. Wade Center, Corsair_Caruso! I'm one of those here who have written about music and Tolkien; and I've no doubt that many more will also be interested in your research into The Road Goes Ever On.
I laughed when I read that you were able 'to help correct some errors in the Wade Center's transcripts of these letters, including deciphering some of Tolkien's less legible marginalia and some incorrect Tengwar!'.
Your reference to the 'lots of great materials' there illustrates the dangers of research; you can come across lots of interesting information, that sadly you can't use in what you're writing... That's happened in any research I've done.
I also think when involved in research of Samuel Johnson's saying, 'The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write: a man will turn over half a library to make one book'.
All the best!
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Windrider was founded on the belief that stories are truly the storehouses of culture and that visual media, our culture's principal form of storytelling, is the most critical, value defining medium of our age.
"I have had no bigger fans and no better time with this movie than I have had with the folks at the Windrider Film Forum."
"We love the guys from Windrider. They showed a lot of support for 'Sympathy for Delicious' at Sundance, so I thought it would be nice to return their support by screening our film out in the Bay Area."
"Our best movies don't just provide answers. I think . . . our best movies ask great questions. This Windrider event is a terrific start to creating some dialogue, creating some community."
The New Copernicans are modern explorers. Many are Millennials, but other generations are part of this journey as well. They don't view life in traditional binaries of sacred vs secular or left vs right. They don't place all their life experiences into clean categories or systems. Instead, they embrace a life lived off the edge of the map. This series is about how this worldview came to be, and what it means for human society.


text:
Larry Plake was just outside the control tower on his way to bed aboard the Cheyenne, an oil barge anchored six miles off the coast of Nigeria, when he heard the shots. A veteran rig worker for Houston-based oil and gas contractor Global Industries, Plake, a Texan through and through, had just finished his evening shift and was in a bad mood after dining on a subpar version of African-style barbecued spareribs. At first, the "pop pop pop" sounded like someone lighting a blowtorch. But the deafening sound of bullets ricocheting off steel and bursting through the metal sides of the ship was unmistakable. They were under attack.
Plake never fit the stereotype of an offshore oilman. At 37, he was slight, with wiry arms and a head of prematurely gray hair. He'd worked offshore much of his adult life and was one of the few men aboard who'd earned a pair of college degrees along the way. But he was a hard-working, cocky son of a bitch with a young face and a dry sense of humor—all of which made him popular and a natural leader with the crew.
Plake entered the control room to find barge foreman Kevin Faller and fellow crewmembers Mike Roussel and Chris Gay crouched below the windows. They seemed paralyzed, so Plake grabbed the CB radio and began calling for help. He had memorized the security protocol checklist and began going through the steps.
"We're taking hits," he radioed a nearby support vessel, there to help Plake and the crew build pipelines for Chevron. "Cut and run! Cut and run!"
Plake couldn't see a thing outside the tower. No one had seen the three speedboats approach in the night or the armed men climb aboard. He could barely make out the sound of footsteps heading toward him over the blare of machine-gun fire and explosions throughout the barge. Plake wanted to send out a flare, but was afraid he'd be shot if he opened a window.
Step two, thought Plake, as he radioed out to the armed security boat. Just as someone answered, a crowd of Nigerians with assault rifles kicked down the door and rushed into the control room.
The gunmen, dressed in red, white and black masks and camouflage pants, with chains of ammo draped across their bare chests, surrounded the four Americans. Someone jammed the point of a gun into the back of Plake's head, forcing his face into the floor. One of the men cracked Faller across the cheek with his fist.
"Stay down, stay down," Plake heard a man say in a deep voice. "We want your captain. Where is your captain?"
Refusing to give anyone up, Plake told the men that the captain should be waiting on the ship's deck. They shoved him and the others down a series of ladders and stairs toward the lifeboats as bullets whizzed by. No other crewmembers were in sight.
Of the Cheyenne's 11 armed guards, three had initially fought back but were wounded. The others, crewmembers later told Plake, tossed their guns overboard, tore off their security uniforms and scrambled to the belly of the ship to join the roughly 240 other crewmembers on board who had barricaded themselves inside their rooms. Only Plake, Roussel, Faller and Gay remained topside.
Minutes ticked by, and the gunmen were getting edgy. "Where is the captain?" they demanded over and over.
"Where is that damned security boat?" thought Plake.
Stalling for time, Plake insisted the captain should be there any moment. They waited as some of the attackers scavenged the ship for whatever they could snatch: cigarettes, ammo and binoculars. Plake didn't know that the security ship was anchored a mile and a half away and wouldn't get there for nearly another two hours.
"We can't find the captain," said a thick voice. "We're taking you."
They pushed the Americans toward the stern and then shoved them off the barge down into their speedboats. Plake and Faller were in one boat, Roussel and Gay in another. The speedboats peeled away from the barge, circling it while the kidnappers pumped more ammo into its sides. Then they raced after the ship that Plake had been able to warn over the radio.
Plake prayed that the guards aboard the support vessel wouldn't open fire on them. The chase, however, didn't last long, and Plake felt a moment of relief when the kidnappers stopped shooting and steered back toward shore.
The boats skimmed along the ocean's surface toward the mouth of a river heading inland. Fifteen Nigerians were piled onto three 18-foot-long fiberglass speedboats with V-shaped hulls. Giant twin 275-horsepower engines hung off the back of each boat.
"Maybe I should jump," thought Plake. But he couldn't bring himself to abandon his companions. Instead, he sat silently, wondering where they were going and what was going to happen once they got there.
The boats wound along the oil-slicked waterways deep into the jungle. The jostling vibration of the motors roaring at top speed through narrow creeks nearly drowned out all other sounds. Plake could barely hear the man holding a flashlight in the bow who barked directions to the driver.
One of the men offered Plake a pack of the stolen cigarettes. Another cleaned his rifle, tossing empty shells into a bucket of diesel. Occasionally they would stop so the driver could replace an empty gas tank. Sometimes the boats broke down, and they'd float in silence as the men made repairs. Then it was full-throttle again until one of the drivers would inevitably ram into a log or run aground, nearly tossing everyone from the boat.
Just before dawn, the boats pulled up to a makeshift dock along the riverbank. For the first time, Plake could hear the sounds of the jungle, all the birds, lizards and insects surrounding him. Then Plake heard drumming. "It's just like a King Kong movie," he thought, as he watched villagers dancing, shouting and shooting their guns in the air.
They marched Plake and the others at gunpoint up a path into the camp. A medicine man splashed water on their faces, a blessing, they were told, allowing them to enter. The kidnappers forced their captives onto a hand-carved wooden bench and began interrogating them. "Name? Rank? Why are you in Nigeria taking all of the jobs?"
From the moment he was captured on May 7, 2007, Plake both hoped and feared that his kidnappers were members of a well-known insurgency group called the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND. For years, MEND had been kidnapping foreigners who worked for oil companies to use as leverage against Nigeria's corrupt government officials, who reputedly have been hoarding the billions of dollars the country makes from selling its crude instead of investing the profits in roads, schools or clean drinking water for its people. MEND was known as a ruthless, professional outfit, but most of its hostages eventually made it out alive.
As the interrogation continued, it became clear that Plake's kidnappers did not belong to MEND. These men said they belonged to the Niger-Delta Freedom Fighters, led by a rebel named Egbema One. They didn't necessarily want to make a political statement. They wanted money—more than $1 million per hostage.
Convinced that his company would never pay such a steep price, Plake closed his eyes and breathed deeply, thinking, "This is where I'm probably going to die."
Oil's been pumping through Plake's veins since the day he was born.
He grew up in Baytown, home to the largest refinery in the country, owned by ExxonMobil. His grandfather was an offshore legend, and his father rolled up his sleeves on some of the toughest jobs in the business in the North Sea. So it was pretty much expected that after Plake graduated from Ross S. Sterling High School, he would enter the family trade.
He worked offshore from ages 19 to 25, in seas all around the globe, off the coasts of India, South America and Malaysia. He worked for four years in Nigeria. One day in 1995, his back went out, and he had to come ashore.
By that point Plake had married 19-year-old Collette, whom he'd met in a local bar one night while he was home on leave. Collette, who the following year would give birth to their first daughter, Alyssa, was relieved to see her husband sidelined with a bad back. She missed him terribly on those long three-month stints and, much like a policeman's wife, lived in constant fear of that phone call at 3 in the morning.
Unlike many offshore oilmen who get itchy and long for the sea every time they touch land, Plake was OK with finding a new life. He had always been good with all things mechanical, earning him the nickname "MacGyver" among his friends, and enrolled in Baytown's Lee College, where he earned a degree in electronics. Plake next went to a specialty trade school in Watertown, Massachusetts, called the Ritop School for Mobile Electronics, where he learned to wire radios in exotic cars like Ferraris and Bentleys. With all his training, it didn't take Plake long to get a job in Deer Park, Texas, and start a new chapter.
But it wasn't easy. After 9/11, the economy seized up, and no one was spending money on luxury car radios. Plake bounced around for a while, eventually taking a job in Addison. But when the company hired too many radio installers, there wasn't enough work to go around, and Plake's paycheck once again nosedived. To support his family, which now included a second daughter, Jadyn, he delivered pizzas for Domino's, working for tips.
Late in 2006, the idea of again going offshore took hold of Plake. He was one week away from having his new home in McKinney put up for auction because he couldn't pay the mortgage, was working two jobs, never saw his wife and kids, and still couldn't make ends meet. He needed money, and fast.
"He came home one day," Collette says, "and said to me, 'Honey, I have no choice; I don't want to go back, but I have to.' He was crying for the first time in years."
(While giving interviews for this story, Plake and his wife were careful never to mention the name of the company he worked for, as per a legal agreement. The Houston Press, the Observer's sister paper, confirmed through news accounts and public records that Plake was working for Global Industries, which was doing contract work for Chevron. Global Industries did not return phone calls seeking comment.)
When Plake set off in March 2007 for the Cheyenne, both he and Collette went in with open eyes; they knew about the many assaults and kidnappings in the region where Plake was headed. For decades, as they understood it, corrupt Nigerian government officials had been pocketing more than their share of the country's oil revenues instead of investing them in developing the nation and helping their people.
According to University of Houston associate professor of history Kairn Klieman, who teaches classes about Africa including "Africa and the Oil Industry," the Nigerian government took control of the country's oil revenues following a civil war in the late 1960s. The government then purposefully left the Niger Delta region massively underdeveloped—no roads, electricity, clean water or jobs—hoping this would stave off any further attempts at revolution. Instead, people living there have suffered terribly, and vigilantism has become a way of life.
"Because the government was so greedy for oil revenues," Klieman says, "they let the oil companies work without following any kind of environmental regulations. So the land, the water, the air is all devastated, and the people there can't even live in the normal, old-fashioned way, which was to grow food. It's not even possible to live in the 19th-century model there anymore."
Nigeria ranks as the 121st most corrupt country in the world and is ranked No. 22 in Africa, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International, a global corruption watchdog group. The country's score of 2.7 out of 10 in 2008 was an improvement over its score of 2.2 in 2007, the year Plake was taken hostage. By comparison, Somalia, which has made headlines this year for acts of piracy off its shores, was ranked as the 180th most corrupt country in the world in 2008 and came in at No. 47 in Africa.
According to Oyibos Online, a Web site that tracks security incidents in Nigeria, 62 foreigners have been kidnapped so far this year. In 2008, 81 were taken. In 2007, the year Plake was captured, 172 people were abducted. That's not to mention the hundreds of maritime assaults, hijackings and pipeline bombings over the same time span.
"You've heard of 'blood diamonds'?" Plake says. "In Nigeria they call it 'blood oil' because of all the deaths and kidnappings over it. They'll steal and kill their own brother because they're such a depressed people. Life is cheap."
Tribes and insurgency groups take hostages who work for the very oil companies that the government relies on to extract and move the country's vast reserves. Their stated political goal is to stop the country's ability to export oil and thus end the corruption, as well as to pressure the government to develop the region.
But nothing is ever so cut-and-dried. Motivations range from obtaining basic necessities to pure greed. Much of the environmental devastation is the result of insurgents blowing up pipelines to make their point and then attacking crews sent in to repair the damage. Many times the men will "bunker," or tap into, a pipeline to steal the oil—which they sell on the black market to pay for weapons and provisions—leaving a busted pipe spitting oil into the ground.
A central problem, Klieman says, is that the oil companies simply factor the cost of ransoms and hostage-rescue missions into the price of doing business, making the insurgents' efforts effectively moot.
Moot, that is, to everyone except the men who are taken hostage and their families.
Exhausted and in shock after being kidnapped and interrogated for most of the day, Plake, Roussel, Faller and Gay were searched and stripped of their wallets, watches, necklaces and cell phones. One of the militants demanded Plake give up his wedding ring, but Plake refused, insisting that his wife had put it on his finger and he'd be damned if it was coming off while he was still alive. Another villager stepped forward, telling Plake he could keep it because Plake was a Christian. By some miracle, they didn't find Plake's pocketknife, which he hid in his shoe.
That first night, the men were locked in a crudely fashioned thatched-roof hut with screen windows and walls made out of pegboard. Inside there was a table, a bench and a fan connected to a small generator stashed in the corner. A naked light bulb swinging from the ceiling burned brightly all night.
When the men were finally alone, panic set in. They knew the Nigerian military was afraid of venturing this deep into the jungle and that they might as well be trapped on an island. A thousand thoughts raced through Plake's mind, always ending with, "I think we're pretty much fucked."
Plake slept less than an hour that first night, next to Faller on one of two thin foam mattresses in the room.
The next day, on Tuesday, May 8, Plake woke up at 5 a.m. to beating drums and gunfire—a ritual that would continue throughout their captivity. A man unlocked the door and led the hostages to the side of the building, where each was given a plastic lawn chair to sit in all day. This became the daily routine.
That night, in McKinney, Collette was feeling anxious as she rushed through the front door of her suburban home. She had just picked up her daughters from gymnastics and had to get them fed, but all she could think about was that her husband was going to be mad at her. They had a standing appointment every night to talk on Skype, an Internet telephone service, and she was late. She tried to get online, but the connection wasn't working, so Collette walked upstairs to her bedroom to cool off. The phone rang.
Thinking it must be her husband, she headed back downstairs to pick up the main phone in the kitchen, but the answering machine beat her to it.
"I never caught their name," Collette says. "He just said, 'This is so-and-so from Larry's company,' and my heart sank because I knew."
Collette picked up the phone and listened as the man told her that Plake's barge had been attacked. No one knew if he'd been kidnapped, only that he was missing.
"I got so angry right there on the phone," Collette says. "I blamed them and said, 'You better find him and get him back! So help me God, if he dies over there, I'll own your company!'"
When she hung up, she turned and saw her two daughters staring at her. They had heard every word.
"Is Daddy dead?" asked 5-year-old Jadyn.
"No, baby," Collette answered, hugging them tight. "Right now the bad men with guns have Daddy. But we're going to get him back."
Collette is a no-nonsense woman with a sharp voice that could split a diamond. Furious at what had happened, she called everyone she knew—family, neighbors—telling them the news. Yet she was just as angry at herself for letting Plake go. Down deep she knew this would happen. It had only been a matter of time. She and Plake had been talking on Skype for weeks about how an increasing number of hostages were being taken. There had been several recent kidnappings in the same area where Plake was captured.
Collette did not sleep that night. Her sister drove up from Baytown and arrived around 4 a.m.
Amazingly enough, Plake called the house that afternoon, saying he was alive and in the middle of nowhere. He sounded frantic, but said he'd call again and then hung up. Collette felt relieved, but knew the hard part was still to come. She had to get him home.
That night, agents from the FBI showed up at her door. They tapped her phone, put a tracking device on it in case Plake called again and told her that if he did call, to let the FBI know before she told anyone else.
Collette says that when Global Industries found out about the FBI's request, they got upset. She says a company representative told her that if Plake or his captors contacted her again, she should call Global Industries first and the FBI after that. Collette says company officials told her that they didn't want anyone to interfere with their rescue efforts.
"I felt so stressed-out and conflicted," Collette says. "But the FBI explained to me that my husband was now a U.S. hostage because of the company, and there went my loyalty. Every time Larry called, I'd call the FBI first."
Global Industries officials also discouraged Collette from talking to the other three crewmembers' wives, threatened to cut off her home phone line if they thought she was trying to negotiate with the militants and forbade her to talk to the media, Collette says. The only news item she saw was on a CNN ticker that said four Americans had been taken off the Nigerian coast.
All of the additional pressure helped push Collette into a deep depression. Her mother and sister cared for the kids while Collette spent day and night in her living room. She didn't eat, losing 20 pounds. Plake would occasionally call, but as the days rolled by it felt like no one was making any progress. On Mother's Day, she received a bouquet of flowers from Plake that he had ordered online the day before he was kidnapped.
From the moment they arose each morning, Plake's kidnappers, wearing nothing but boxer shorts, started drinking, smoking dope, shooting their guns straight up in the air and arguing. They kept their marijuana in 50-pound rice sacks and would put what they didn't smoke into jars of moonshine made out of palm tree sap to ferment. Invariably drunk by noon, they'd gulp down this potent mix until they passed out at night, but not before a couple of the militants would typically get into a fight and go after each other with machetes or clubs.
In the humid afternoons, while Plake sat bored in his chair, many of his captors would play cards or huddle around a small television and watch the same five Rambo and Jean-Claude Van Damme films over and over.
Then it dawned on Plake, This isn't enjoyment for them, it's training. They think it's real. The men asked Plake how many people had died in the movies. He had to explain that it was just Hollywood.
There was bottled water to drink, but not much in the way of food. One morning the villagers tossed a chicken in a pot of water and boiled it all day. When it came time to eat, the meat was so rubbery and overcooked that Plake couldn't pull it off the bone. Another time they dug a trench and slaughtered a sickly goat. There was a cache of potted meat and canned tuna fish, which became Plake's meal, mixed with a sweet blend of rice and corn served daily at 4 p.m. After several weeks, Plake convinced his captives to push dinnertime back so that he could avoid the hordes of flies that would swarm around his plate, preferring to eat amid the mosquitoes that came out at night.
Before bed, Plake stripped off his filthy jeans down to his boxers to stay cool. His fair-skinned body, peppered with swollen red bug bites, became a testament to jungle living.
Some of the villagers bathed in the polluted river; Plake did not. He had a spider bite on his left ankle that was oozing pus and he wasn't about to dip it in the same water that the entire village used as a toilet. Instead, he just rubbed soap under his arms and apologized for his stench. Nor would Plake shave with the razors used by the militants for fear of getting AIDS. At one point, his white moustache flopped down over his bottom lip.
At night, the Americans would stay up late plotting their escape, hatching scenario after scenario. One had Plake taking out a guard with his pocketknife while the other men grabbed his gun. "But what then?" Plake thought. "What if we do take the camp over? We've got to motor out. But what if we run into them on the river? We don't know where to go anyway. Plus they have lookouts along the creek in crow's nests with machine guns. We'd be sitting ducks."
Plake started giving his kidnappers nicknames such as "Mike the Administrator," "Ben the Weapons Expert" and "Bubba the Explosives Guy." Many of them told Plake they dreamed of one day going to the United States to be criminals there. They wanted to rob banks and get rich, and they all seemed to admire Osama bin Laden. When Plake told them that the al-Qaida leader had killed innocent people during 9/11, they didn't seem to care. They felt he was a hero for standing up against America.
Over time, Plake got to know "Sonny the Cook," who was in charge of making sure the hostages had food, bottled water and cigarettes. Sonny told Plake that all he really wanted was to open a restaurant in the United States. Plake began to sympathize with his captors. While taking hostages wasn't the way to go about it, he understood why they were fighting their government for basic rights. All this oil money was pouring into the country, yet their government treated them like animals.
The leader of the Niger-Delta Freedom Fighters was called Egbema One. He told Plake he was a prince and had once worked offshore as a ballast control engineer. He wanted to use the hostages as political leverage, but it soon became clear to Plake that Egbema One was in the minority. Everyone else just wanted cash. And when Egbema One left the camp to get supplies, tensions would rise. The militants would force Plake to use a prepaid cell phone with a bamboo-and-wire antenna to phone Global Industries, his wife or Nigerian politicians, demanding the ransom.
"Tell them to send the money now!" the militants shouted in Plake's face. "We're gonna kill you tomorrow if we don't get the money!"
The men cracked the side of their rifles against the back of Plake's neck and threatened him constantly. One of the larger men repeatedly said he was going to cut off Plake's pinky finger and send it to Plake's employer to prove he wasn't playing around. Then he'd laugh in Plake's face. The bomb-maker told Plake he'd never get out alive, and that he'd made a special explosive for Plake if it ever looked like the Texan was going to be released.
The kidnappers set up a bench about 50 yards into the jungle, hidden from the camp. Every time they heard a noise, be it a voice, a boat or the snap of a twig, they'd grab the hostages and hurriedly beat them like horses toward the clearing, where they'd wait until whatever it was had passed. After just a few times, the men learned to race over to the spot themselves whenever they heard something, day or night. The kidnappers told Plake that if anyone tried to rescue them, they'd execute the hostages before returning to defend the village. This happened as many as 10 times a day.
Hostage negotiations seemed to be going nowhere.
One of the phone numbers Plake had to contact Global Industries had been disconnected. When he dialed the company's main switchboard, Plake says, a company operator couldn't hear him, cursed at Plake and refused to patch him through. The kidnappers had Plake call the president of Nigeria, but his secretary would have nothing to do with them. The prepaid phone credits would always run out in the middle of conversations. The militants, just for the hell of it, once set off a bomb behind Plake while he was on the phone, knocking down the bamboo antenna. Disgusted, Plake stormed back toward his plastic chair, knocking over a table of automatic rifles.
"This is like working with children," Plake thought.
At home in McKinney, Collette was just as frustrated.
"I got so that I was losing my mind because it kept dragging on and on," she says. "I kept thinking, 'I can't bear to wake up another day and sit in my house all day long'...I felt so helpless. It was like I was a hostage in my own prison camp."
As the days slogged on, Plake suffered mood swings. There were moments of peacefulness, when Plake would sit in his plastic chair twisting his wedding ring around his finger for hours at a time, picturing taking his wife and daughters bowling. He took comfort knowing he had a will, and they would be taken care of if he died. The hostages relied heavily on each other. When Plake lost it, they'd calm him down. When one of the others cried, prompting the militants to laugh, Plake would stand up and say, "Just because he's crying doesn't mean he's not a man."
There were also days when Plake felt resigned and became aggressive. If the kidnappers didn't kill him, he thought, then someone or something else would. He was sick of the abuse and the false threats to blow him up or slice off his finger.
"There's no way I'm spending six months here," he told his captors. "You'll have to kill me."
He clutched his knife like a security blanket. He knew he'd never get out alive, but thought, "God, give me a sign to let me know it's go time. I'll send a few of these guys to hell before they send me to heaven."
But he never got the chance. "Gunboat Sunday" intervened.
During the weeks of negotiations, members of MEND had discovered that the Niger-Delta Freedom Fighters had kidnapped the Americans and were demanding a huge ransom. This rubbed them the wrong way. MEND believed hostages were to be used to achieve political leverage against the corrupt government, not for individual gain. They decided to teach this small band of extortionists a lesson.
On Sunday, May 27, 2007, MEND staged a rescue mission. As MEND's boats neared the shore, Plake's kidnappers started whooping, shrieking and firing their guns. Someone grabbed the hostages and pushed them toward the river, telling them they were being placed in the middle of the battle. That way, the man said, bullets from MEND would kill them and their deaths would not be the kidnappers' fault.
As Plake ducked and tried to crawl out of the way, the MEND boats retreated. They saw what was happening with the hostages and never fired a shot, disappearing as abruptly as they had arrived.
Plake and the other three hostages ran back to their room and locked the door. A moment later, a muscular, 6-foot-tall man named Jean-Paul kicked it down and pointed a gun at them. Plake thought he was dead for sure, but suddenly a group of villagers tackled Jean-Paul and wrestled the weapon away from him. With MEND closing down on the camp, the hostages were now more of a liability than ever. Many villagers, like Jean-Paul, simply wanted to get rid of them to save their own hides.
After the commotion died down, the insurgents let the hostages use the phone. Plake called his parents and then Collette to say his final goodbyes.
"There are some things going down over here, and it doesn't look good," he calmly told his wife, who was crying on the other end. "The chances of me coming home are pretty slim. Take good care of the kids. I've always loved you."
The next morning, members of MEND and tribal elders from a nearby village visited the camp and met with Egbema One all day. At one point, Sonny said to Plake in pidgin English, "Maybe you go home today. They talking serious." Plake refused to believe it. He didn't trust anyone. But that evening, the hostages were told to pack up; they were heading out.
Egbema One escorted the hostages by boat to the nearby village. There, Plake saw a sack of money change hands. Egbema One then took Plake's wrist and placed it in the hand of an elderly man named Good Luck, who walked with a cane and wore flowing white clothes.
"You belong to me now," Good Luck said. "You'll be leaving soon."
Leaving Egbema One and the Freedom Fighters behind, the hostages and members of MEND piled into another boat and began motoring toward the MEND camp. Plake wasn't convinced he'd be set free, but was hoping the new camp would at least be a little better. They snaked along the river for more than six hours. Occasionally the driver would tell Plake not to smoke because there was so much oil in the water. The members of MEND ridiculed the Freedom Fighters, calling them "little boys" and "dogs."
Finally, the boat pulled up to the MEND village. Just as when he first arrived at the Freedom Fighters' camp 21 days earlier, medicine men splashed water on Plake, blessing him as he entered. He was marched into a concrete building with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s stacked against the wall and told that a helicopter would get him in the morning. It was like entering a military barracks after spending weeks at a Boy Scout camp.
Plake didn't sleep much that night. The morning came and went. No chopper. "Maybe at noon," a MEND soldier said. Still no helicopter. Plake just figured this was yet another lie and he was screwed. Then, at about 6 p.m. Plake and the other hostages were loaded onto a boat.
They cruised along the water in silence. The canal was getting wider and wider, spanning more than 100 feet across. In the middle of the river, the driver suddenly cut the engine. Plake looked around, thinking: "This is it. They're going to kill us now and dump the bodies."
Plake watched as the driver's hand slowly disappeared into his coat pocket. Plake reached for his knife. Then he saw the man's hand emerge; he was holding a cell phone.
"We've got them," the man said into the speaker.
Before he knew it, Plake was stepping out of the boat and onto a dock near Warri, a major city in the Niger Delta, where a car whisked him off to the governor's house to meet up with Global executives and FBI agents who were waiting. From there, he flew to Lagos and then to London to see a tropical disease expert.
After 22 days, Plake, Faller, Roussel and Gay were finally free.
Collette had just returned home from a rare trip to McDonald's with the kids when the phone rang. It was someone from Global Industries.
"We've got him," said the voice.
The next day she was on a flight to London.
Because of convoluted English insurance laws, Plake and the other men were not allowed into the tropical disease center. Instead, they went to an urgent-care clinic. Other than the nasty spider bite, Plake checked out OK. Two of the other men had intestinal parasites and had to remain there a little longer that day. But not Plake; he was ready to go. For the past 48 hours, he'd been shuttled across two continents, poked and prodded by doctors, forced to do press interviews with the African media and listen to Global Industries officials tell him to keep quiet about everything that had happened. All he wanted to do was to see his wife.
Collette was sleeping when Plake finally made it back to the couple's London hotel room. His electronic key, though, had been accidentally knocked offline when Collette checked in earlier that day. He couldn't unlock the door. He started banging and hollering, but Collette didn't answer. Finally, Collette heard the knocking and ran to the door. When it swung open, she leapt into Plake's arms.
"You couldn't peel me off of him," she says.
That night, the four men and their wives celebrated, getting drunk at a nearby pub. They laughed and kidded each other about which movie stars would play them if their story ever made it to the big screen. Plake claimed fellow East Texan Matthew McConaughey. But the smiles wouldn't last long.
Back in McKinney, Plake was not readjusting well to normal life. For months he didn't want to talk about being kidnapped. He had nightmares. Sometimes he thought he'd heard footsteps and was ready to run over to the clearing in the jungle to hide. Other times he dreamed of being under attack on the barge, but this time he had a gun and fought back. He'd wake up lathered in sweat.
Plake saw a couple psychologists, but they didn't seem to help. He even checked himself into a mental hospital for a week. Time seemed to be the only cure. Plake had surgery on his spine in late 2008 to repair two discs that had been ruptured by repeated blows to the neck with rifles.
He now suffers migraines so bad that his vision is blurred and he throws up. He takes a long list of medications, including pills to fight depression, anxiety and pain.
Plake says he doesn't trust anyone anymore, no longer has a short-term memory and has developed a dangerously short fuse. He's caught himself yelling at his kids over dumb stuff such as eating an ice cream cone that he'd forgotten he himself had given them. He refuses to sit in plastic chairs and doesn't shave. It's taken him two years to start working again. He recently bought a property nearby that he's renovating and hoping to flip for a profit.
"Larry never regretted going back offshore," Collette says, "because he saved our home from being sold out from under us. But it's something he'll never get over. He just has to learn to live with it. It redefines who you are."
Plake still keeps up with Faller, Roussel and Gay. Scattered across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, they couldn't get together for a second anniversary at the end of May. When they talk on the phone, they almost never mention what happened. They stick to what's going on now in their lives, their jobs and their kids. Plake says he's never going back offshore. Some of the others are considering it, he says, but no farther away than the Gulf of Mexico. The money is still as good as it's ever been.
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!
For a long time, Plake would search the Internet every morning for news of Egbema One or MEND. Not anymore.
Earlier this year, Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua granted amnesty to a host of militants in the Niger Delta. According to Vanguard, a news publication covering the country, Egbema One was on the amnesty list. Yar'Adua has also reportedly directed his government to step up its efforts to rebuild and develop the region. But still, the violence only seems to increase. MEND has recently taken credit for a rash of pipeline bombings against Shell and Chevron, propelling Chevron to evacuate hundreds of employees from the area, according to The Christian Science Monitor. The group continues to wage attacks against the oil companies, claiming that amnesty is not enough to solve the long-standing problems.
The irony of it all is not lost on Plake.
"The group I had heard about and was most afraid of, MEND, were the ones who ended up rescuing us," he says. "I've been told it never happened before or ever since. I understand their plight more now and the reason why they do all this. I'm very appreciative because no one else was coming to get us. But the bottom line is that I got out. I'm here now, and I'm staying put."


text:
Final thoughts: So what at half-time looked like an unlikely result gives the US a welcome boost in their ongoing rebuild. That's their first win in three and a half years over Mexico, and in the second half at least, they were decent value for it. Green was a creative spark, Robinson aggregated his two game performance into a positive with his work down the left, and Steffen had another solid game in goal. And of course the fearless Adams continued his development with a coolly taken goal.
Zoldivar's sending off changed the game and Mexico never looked competitive again. They're now in their worst result sequence for 17 years and have questions of their own to deal with, but some of the work shown by Lainez in particular should give them hope that there's a way forward with the next generation.
The USA continue their sequence with games against Columbia, Peru, England And Italy next. The challenges will keep coming and maybe by then they'll have a coach, or at the very least a more familiar looking balance of internationals than this very experimental roster. For tonight, the gamble paid off.
Thanks for your tweets and emails. Sorry I couldn't use them all. Till next time. Good night.
90 mins+4: Wood gets to the byline on the right and pulls the ball back to where Green has his shot blocked. It's the last significant action of the game.
90 mins+3: Mexico trying to build for one last chance, but there's a renewed spring in the US players' step and they're back to closing all over the field in the dying moments.
90 mins+1: We'll have three minutes of added time. In the first of them Steffen comes off his line well to claim Ayala's outswinging cross.
Delgado comes on for Weah as the US start to run the clock down.
90 mins: Wood gets a yellow for a late challenge in Abella, that earned every part of the card. It was a pretty unnecessary foul.
88 mins: Pause in play as Wood is down with a head injury. He's up on his feet but the referee's making him go off to be assessed by the trainers, as per protocol.
Yedlin's first contribution is to pick up a yellow for some naughty chatting.
86 mins: No sign of Jonathan Gonzalez yet by the way. But another sub, Hernandez has a half chance when a crossfield ball picks him out at the back of the box. He flashes his volley over, but that was a great ball to pick him out by Aguirre.
84 mins: Carter-Vickers gives Moore a hard stare after his poor pass almost gifts a chance to Mexico, but the US get it clear.
Some teams look more dangerous with ten men. Mexico just look diminished.
Roldan and Yedlin on for Acosta and Moore
82 mins: Robinson scoops a cross to the penalty spot where Wood can't quite untangle his feet to turn and get a clean shot off. Robinson has been impressive since coming on tonight, after having a testing night against Brazil on Friday.
80 mins: Mexico trying to build around the US box but Acosta earns a free kick when Guzman puts him under pressure on the edge of the box, and the USA can relieve any nascent pressure.
Wood comes on for Zardes for USA. And Gallardo comes on to replace Guzman. Gallardo has the pace to cause some problems against a tiring US defense.
78 mins: Interesting challenge for a young Mexico team as well, of course. Including their World Cup collapse they've lost their last three games and this would make it four if the result holds. Beyond the score, they might be happy with the performances of some young individuals, but there are few moral victories in losses against your rivals. Can they find some pressure in the dying moments of the game?
76 mins: The USA have been the better team in the second half. Not sure they deserved their goal more than Mexico might have deserved one in the first half, but they took their chance and now have a chance to take a real morale boost out of what was looking like a muted experience at best.
74 mins: Events of the last five minutes have suddenly put a very different complexion on the evening's events. Even without the sending off the US have been looking better balanced since Robinson came on, and he had the telling touch to supply the goal.
Lainez off for Hernandez now.
USA move forward and Robinson cuts a cross back across the face of the box to where Adams has made a 35 yard run to crash the box. The teenager slides a calm sidefoot into the net for his first international goal! Great run by him.
70 mins: USA reshuffling to try and lay siege to the Mexico goal in the time remaining.
Red card to Zaldivar!
As the temperature rises Zaldivar clearly goes over the top and catches Trapp studs up. The referee reaches straight for the red card and Zaldivar's debut ends in a sending off!
USA had begun to make progress in this game, can they build on the man advantage?
66 mins: Adams surges up the channel and pushes the ball wide for Weah, but his low cross is straight at the keeper.
Now Miazga and Lainez clash on the edge of the box and Miazga indulgences in some taunting of his opponent's stature. He might want to cut that out a little, given that he's on a yellow from the first half, but he's at least woken the crowd up a little.
64 mins: Acosta's corner doesn't clear the first man. Set pieces have been indifferent for both sides tonight.
Now Green is fouled and takes a quick free kick wide left to where the sub Robinson whips a cross towards the near post where Zardes is just shy of getting a telling touch. That was smart thinking from Green. In his time on the field Green has established himself as the USA's most influential player. Certainly playing with the most urgency.
62 mins: Sloppy touch from Adams in his own box almost sets up Lainez, but the USA get away with it and go up to the other end. It's all a little ponderous though. They earn a corner eventually, but not for the first time this evening they wasted the chance of a swift break.
60 mins: So the hour comes up with the USA trying to work the ball goalward. Green picks up the ball in the center of the Mexican half, and for a second the goal opens up, but he's charged down before he can get a clean shot off.
At the other end Alvarado shoots from wide left in the box, buthat was always comfortable for Steffen.
58 mins: Alert interception from Trapp and the US initiate a scrappy but dogged surge forward. They have a little more bite about them right now. Can they turn that into a clear chance?
56 mins: Carter-Vickers makes an unorthodox diving clearance on the edge of his box and the USA come forward. They're circulating the ball for now, without looking particularly threatening. Decent possession though, for what it's worth.
Robinson comes in for Lichaj now as the second half subs get under way
54 mins: Mexico settling again and beginning to spread play again. Guzman picks the ball up some 35 yards out but his ambitious shot is always skewing well wide.
52 mins: The US look like they're trying to be more positive without quite knowing how they want to do it. Now Green finds a little space on the left of the box, but his speculative cross is deflected harmlessly clear.
50 mins: It's been three and a half years since the USA beat Mexico, which given the balance of power in Jurgen Klinsmann's first World Cup cycle, is a fairly damning stat. Still no chances of note in the second half.
48 mins: Cagey start to second half. US players in particular could do with a little urgency — so far, hard to see anybody in a US shirt who's made a compelling case for themselves.
Green continues where he left off however and now his spin and pass almost gets Zardes behind the defense. It's cut out, but his presence is as near to an animating force as the US have shown this evening.
Second half kicks off: Mexico get us under way again. They had 55% of possession in the first half, and most of the more effective possession for sure.
An email: Mathieu Legrenade writes with a succinct verdict:
"Good evening Mr Parker
Spanish-speaking channel Univision is calling that match "The battle of the Giants" but so far it's just yet another boring friendly game...
Hopefully the second half will have more action!"
Sometimes giants battle subtly, Matt. It's not been great, but Lainez has been almost wirth the admission price.
Twitter is out of here
Have you considered our rolling Brexit coverage. I won't spoil the ending
(the ending will spoil the ending...)
Half-time thoughts:
The USA have been second best for much of this game, though they started and finished the half decently.
Mexico, for their part, have seen some very encouraging attacking play from Alvardo and Lainez, which suggests a bright future for this cycle. They stretched the USA from side to side and along with the intelligent running and supply of Guzman, gave the makeshift defence of their opponents plenty to think about.
At the other end, Zardes looked isolated too often, but you could see glimpses of the improvements in his game since his move to Columbus from LA, as he made the odd telling touch to supporting players, on the occasions they were there to support him.
Tim Weah was very quiet until the final moments of the half, when he began to cut inside looking for the game, and Weston McKennie's departure through injury has given Julian Green more time than he might have expected to further his own long term case for inclusion. It's been a muted performance for the US so far, and we maybe have 15 more minutes for them to turn that around before substitutions start to take away any recognizable pattern from the game.
45 mins+1: One minute added on and Mexico looking content to see it out in possession, after the most recent mini-surge of US play. There's still time for Julian Green to seize on a loose ball, cut inside and curl a shot wide of the far post. he's looked positive in his cameo so far.
44 mins: Weah, who's come inside a little more, shows up 30 yards from goal to lash a low drive goalwards, that Hugo Gonzalez blocks a little awkwardly.
Trapp's not been great, but a little like Michael Bradley in some US games, he looks a little bit of a victim of trying to take on multiple responsibilities and not quite cleanly executing any of them. He's looked awkward tonight.
42 mins: Again, Mexico defend the corner comfortably. So much so far for that being their weakness. Apparently McKennie has got an issue with his knee, by the way, Green is on now.
A little flurry of pressure initiated by Green straight away, as his shot ricochets out to Trapp, who eventually sends a ball too far over the top for a goal kick.
40 mins: Green is coming on for McKennie, who looks to have picked up a knock.
USA force a rare attack and a neat little touch from Weah has Acosta racing into the box. He goes down under pressure, perhaps looking for the penalty, but that would have been harsh. Another chance from Weah sees his shot deflect for a US corner.
38 mins: Another lovely run from Lainez as he wriggles past two defenders at the byline before cutting the ball back to the edge of the six yard box, where the US are relieved to see Alvarado only able to prod the ball into Steffen's arms, as the goalkeeper is able to adjust his balance. Lainez is having fun.
36 mins: The USA barely seeing the ball at the moment and when they do they lack the natural width to stretch Mexico in the same way Mexico are stretching them. Weah in particular has been invisible.
34 mins: Lainez darts through traffic towards the D, before his shot is charged down. He and Alvarado have been very good so far tonight, other than those two set piece mishaps. Causing US all sorts of headaches from open play.
32 mins: Steffen charges out of his box to claim a through ball and ends up clearly handling it. Free kick on the right of the box that Lainez can swing goalward. He doesn't do any better than Alvarado though, as his shot bounces tamely off the wall.
30 mins: Half hour approaches and it's Mexico attacking again, with Guzman chipping a dangerous ball across the box that Miazga and Adams have to combine to clear. They'll be busy again now as Mexico have another free kick wide right. It's cleared initially, but then Guzman pops up again in the box to head the ball just wide from the second ball back into the box.
28 mins: Adams chips a ball forward smartly and Zardes and McKennie manage to combine to force a dangerous free kick on the edge of the box, when Zardes is pulled down as he spins towards goal. This is a decent chance. Can Acosta do better than Alvarado?
Not really. He blasts his first shot off the wall, And then sends his follow up wide of the near post.
26 mins: Alvarado has had a bright start, but that's one for the lowlight reel. He scoops the free kick high, wide and ugly, when a low drive across the box could have caused havoc.
Well, quite...