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Laser Battlefield
BeamishLaser Tag
Suitable for 9+ •Indoor, Outdoor 21.5 miles from Barrasford
No Limits Paintball and Laser
GatesheadLaser Tag
Suitable for 4+ •Indoor, Outdoor 21.6 miles from Barrasford
Battlezone Laser Gateshead
GatesheadLaser Tag
Suitable for 9+ •Indoor 21.9 miles from Barrasford
Ocean Beach Pleasure Park
South ShieldsTheme Parks and Funfairs
Suitable for all ages •Indoor, Outdoor 28.7 miles from Barrasford
Quasar Elite
South ShieldsLaser Tag
Suitable for 9+ •Indoor 28.7 miles from Barrasford
Laser Quest Sunderland
SunderlandLaser Tag
Suitable for all ages •Indoor 31.6 miles from Barrasford
Aztec Soft Play
CarlisleIndoor and Soft Play Areas
Suitable for 0-12 •Indoor 33.8 miles from Barrasford
Laser Quest Carlisle
CarlisleLaser Tag
Suitable for 9+ •Indoor 33.9 miles from Barrasford
Planet Leisure
Newton AycliffeActivity Centres
Suitable for all ages •Indoor 38.6 miles from Barrasford
Brompton-on-SwaleIndoor and Soft Play Areas
Suitable for all ages •Indoor, Outdoor 49.6 miles from Barrasford
Find The Best Laser Tag in Barrasford
We've rounded up the best laser tag in Barrasford in our quest to discover brilliant family attractions and places to visit near you. There are 10 Barrasford laser tag to pick from. Alternatively, why not explore some other sightseeing days out nearby, including indoor and soft play areas. Find the perfect places to go with your kids and get out on your next adventure!
All the laser tag we list are rated according to the ages they are suitable for, facilities and whether they are suitable for rainy days or best when the sun is shining.
Many of the places we list are historic or educational in nature and would be suitable for class trips or as ways to keep the learning up whilst having fun over the school holidays.
Adventure Attractions in Barrasford
Animals Attractions in Barrasford
Sightseeing Attractions in Barrasford
- Theme Parks and Funfairs in Barrasford
- Museums and Art Galleries in Barrasford
- Tourist Attractions in Barrasford
- Landmarks in Barrasford
- Castles and Palaces in Barrasford
- Caves and Mines in Barrasford
- Sports Stadiums in Barrasford
- Tours and River Cruises in Barrasford
- Stately Homes and Gardens in Barrasford
- Railway and Transport Attractions in Barrasford
Sports and Activities Attractions in Barrasford
- Ice Skating and Rollerskating in Barrasford
- Ten Pin Bowling Alleys in Barrasford
- Go Karting and Driving in Barrasford
- Paintballing in Barrasford
- Skiing and Snowboarding in Barrasford
- Horse Riding and Stables in Barrasford
- Cycling in Barrasford
- Crazy Golf in Barrasford
- Arts and Crafts in Barrasford
- Laser Tag in Barrasford
- Indoor and Soft Play Areas in Barrasford
- Pottery Centres and Ceramic Cafes in Barrasford
- Cinemas and Theatres in Barrasford
- Trampoline Parks in Barrasford
- Indoor Skydiving in Barrasford
- Sports Centres in Barrasford


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DENVER (AP) Convention isnt Andrew McMullins strong suit. He became a contractor after receiving a degree in creative writing. To get to the tip of South America, he rode his bike. From Northern California.
So McMullins dwelling fits his theme: He lives in a house he built himself out of metal storage containers, the kind you see on ships and being hauled by trains. He got the idea while driving across Wyoming, listening to the Jack Kerouac book On the Road, and observing a train hauling a long line of containers.
I thought, I could build a house with them, said McMullin one frigid morning in his concrete-floored house. It sits on a pile of rocks, high above the town of Nederland. When the gusts reach 100 mph, it is hard to hear anything but the wind.
Building the house took him 18 months, stretching over two cold winters. The job involved lifting up the back of a tractor-trailer and pivoting it (to get the containers up his curved driveway); cutting doors out of the shipping containers metal bodies; and installing a wood stove for the dwellings main source of heat. It involved a bank that didnt want to finance a house built from storage containers the bankers, said McMullin, became involved with the house design, which did not please him.
But now the California native and rock-climbing addict he moved to Nederland for its proximity to walls of granite and construction jobs finds much pleasure in his house, which he shares with a roommate.
The view from up here is amazing, he said. A transparent garage door, which flanks the south side of the house and opens into the main living space, helps leverage that view. It is difficult to miss.
Clever builders and architects build houses from all sorts of things mud bricks, straw bales, missile silos, grain bins. And prefabricated houses have been in vogue for a decade. McMullins house touches on both the strange and the prefabricated.
Shipping containers, he said, have great potential as the bedrock of buildings from houses to offices to storage spaces.
They are highly standardized probably one of the most standardized products in the world. All of them are either 8 feet (wide and tall) and 20 feet long, 8 feet by 40 feet long, or 9 feet by 40 feet long.
International law dictates that containers can be used for only seven years. They are supposed to float, and after seven years, their buoyancy is less dependable. So there are lots of old shipping containers lying around.
McMullin paid $2,500 for each container. He found the largest ones, with the 9-foot ceilings, at a place in Longmont. The big ones are called high cubes.
Together, the containers represent 640 square feet of the houses total 1,650 square feet. McMullin finds the containers aesthetically appealing in multiple ways. He likes the thick, stressed steel. He enjoys thinking about the places the containers traveled and what they held.
And he finds the containers almost elegant in their simplicity.
But they are not necessarily big money-savers. In Colorado-style climates, they must be insulated, which adds labor and material costs. They also must be delivered. Since McMullin is a contractor, he saved on labor costs; otherwise, he thought the costs probably would be close to what it would cost to frame and build a room.
His home is not the first to be cobbled together from shipping containers, but it may be the only one of its kind in Colorado, at least for now.
Brad Tomacek, a Boulder architect with Studio HT who designed McMullins house, said he routinely gets calls from Coloradans who say they want to build shipping-container houses; so far, he has designed only McMullins. He did, however, use a shipping container to build a bird-watching structure at a Nebraska park.
Shipping containers, he said, make sense in the right conditions.
We talk to a lot of people about it, he said. You really have to like living in a container.
In McMullins case, its not so much that you must like living in a container, but it would be helpful if you enjoyed sleeping in them.
McMullin used a container for two bedrooms and a pair of bathrooms; the other container holds the kitchen. In between the shipping containers sprawls McMullins open living space, a broad concrete pad with high ceilings, steel beams and walls of Utah clay.
Solar panels provide the dwellings power. Heat comes from the woodstove and a system McMullin built that runs hot water beneath the 6-inch-thick concrete floors. The floors act like heat sinks, he said, trapping heat and then radiating it into the house.
I dont have any bills, he said.
He does, however, have a lemon tree parked beside the garage doors.
I have strong feelings about houses, said McMullin. I dont like hallways. I dont like house designs that separate people. When you are in this house, you are with everybody. There is nowhere to hide.
The house is exactly what I envisioned, said McMullin, and it presents surprises, too.
During the day, it feels wide open, especially during the summer, when McMullin often keeps open the garage door that leads into the living space.
At night, though, you can barely see through the windows, because there is no light up here. So it becomes a cozy place.

subset: commoncrawl


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I've sorted out the rather horrible looking text problem by ignoring FT2's 1/64th pixel resolution in favour of absolute millipoints. If text should fit in an inch at 12pt size, it should fit in a half inch at 6pt (and the dpi of the display should not be allowed to affect that).
NetSurf is coming along, in a horrible, hacked way!
In general, nothing to release, but still working on it.


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Famously home to such companies as Schott Glas and Zeiss, Jena offers a remarkable combination of industrial and intellectual heritage, research, innovation and academia. This is as evident in the city's institutions and universities as it is in the bars of the wonderful old quarter, which as cosy as they are traditional.
Light, glass and optics: thanks to the 'big three' – Carl Zeiss, Ernst Abbe and Otto Schott – Jena became one of Germany's leading industrial cities during the second half of the 19th century. Their collaboration produced the Zeiss factory and Schott Glas, both famous around the world. Research and enterprise cemented Jena's status as a centre of science and learning – a status that brings with it some exceptional museums. Chief among these are, of course, the Schott Glass Museum and the Optical Museum, dedicated to the life and legacy of Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe. But there are fascinating museums of literature and art history as well, including the City Museum at Alte Göhre or the Kunsthof Jena gallery. Jena is also dotted with architectural monuments, many of them associated with famous names. For example, there's the Zeiss planetarium that first opened in 1926, or the telescope-shaped JenTower, the tallest building in the city and the second tallest in eastern Germany.
Three other high-rise buildings are of particular interest too, each one helpfully named after the year of its completion: Bau 15 (Germany's first ever high-rise), Bau 36 and Bau 59 are prominent features of the city centre. Jena's idyllic setting in the Saale valley, ringed by steep limestone cliffs, makes it a very special destination. This was not lost on Goethe, who enjoyed regular trips to Jena, spending a total of five years in the city. Fellow writer Friedrich Schiller lived in Jena for twice that time. His summer house on Schillergässchen is a magnet for literature buffs – the oval stone table where he often sat with Goethe remains in the garden to this day. Then as now, the well-kept streets of the old quarter were the centre of social, student and literary life. Today, of course, there are also trendy cafés, excellent restaurants and delightful shops. You can even still see some of the 'seven wonders' of Jena here, such as the ornamental astronomical clock on the town hall and the Draco from around 1600, a terrifying dragon with seven heads thought to represent a board of examiners at the university.
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History of Arda
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In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the history of the fictional universe of Eä began when the Ainur entered Arda, following the creation events in the Ainulindalë and long ages of labour throughout Eä, the universe. Time from that point was measured using Valian Years, though the subsequent history of Arda was divided into three time periods using different years, known as the Years of the Lamps, the Years of the Trees and the Years of the Sun. A separate, overlapping chronology divides the history into 'Ages of the Children of Ilúvatar'. The first such Age began with the Awakening of the Elves during the Years of the Trees and continued for the first six centuries of the Years of the Sun. All the subsequent Ages took place during the Years of the Sun. Most Middle-earth stories take place in the first three Ages of the Children of Ilúvatar.
Music of the AinurEdit
The supreme deity of Tolkien's universe is called Eru Ilúvatar. In the beginning, Ilúvatar created spirits named the Ainur from his thoughts, and some were considered brothers or sisters. Ilúvatar made divine music with them. Melkor, who was then the most powerful of the Ainur, broke the harmony of the music, until Ilúvatar began first a second theme, and then a third theme, which the Ainur could not comprehend since they were not the source of it. The essence of their song symbolized the history of the whole universe and the Children of Ilúvatar that were to dwell in it—the Men and the Elves.
Then Ilúvatar created Eä, which means "to be," the universe itself, and formed within it Arda, the Earth, "globed within the void": the world together with the three airs is set apart from Avakúma, the "void" without. The first 15 of the Ainur that descended to Arda, and the most powerful ones, were called Valar, and the Ainur of lesser might that came with them were called Maiar.
Valian YearsEdit
In the fictional works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Valian Years are used to measure the passage of time after the arrival of the Ainur in Arda. This definition of a year, named for the Valar, continued to be used during periods that used different definitions of a year, such as the Years of the Lamps, the Years of the Trees, and the Years of the Sun. The Valian years continued to be measured in Aman after the first sunrise, but Tolkien provided no dates for events in Aman after that point. The account in Valian years is generally not used when describing the events of Beleriand and Middle-earth.
In the 1930s and 40s Tolkien used a figure which fluctuated slightly around ten before settling on 9.582 solar years in each Valian year. However, in the 1950s Tolkien decided to use a much greater value of 144 solar years per Valian year, and included this figure in The Lord of the Rings appendices as the length of the elven year (the yen).
This new figure elongates the established timeline: The Flight of the Noldor took 5 Valian Years (~50 of our years); with the new figure this would be 'translated' into ~700 of our years. Some commenters[1] suggest that these new figures would be too long if applied directly to the existing dates and therefore the new definition is a wholly different measure than the one used in the timeline and cannot be applied directly. In contrast, Tolkien described time as having flowed more slowly in Aman, such that a Valian year there would 'feel' like the passage of a single solar year in Middle-earth despite being much longer.
Years of the LampsEdit
When the Valar entered Arda, it was still lifeless and had no distinct geographical features. The initial shape of Arda, chosen by the Valar, was much more symmetrical, including the central continent of Middle-earth. Middle-earth was also originally very much larger, and was lit by the Two Lamps, Illuin and Ormal, made out of the misty light that veiled the barren ground. The Valar concentrated this light in two large lamps, Illuin and Ormal. The Vala Aulë forged two great pillar-like mountains, Helcar in the north and Ringil in the south. Illuin was set upon Helcar and Ormal upon Ringil. In the middle, where the light of the lamps mingled, the Valar dwelt at the island of Almaren upon the Great Lake.
This period, known as the Spring of Arda, was a time when the Valar had ordered the World as they wished and rested upon Almaren, and Melkor lurked beyond the Walls of Night. During this time animals first appeared, and forests started to grow.
The Spring of Arda was interrupted when Melkor returned to Arda, and ended completely when he assaulted and destroyed the Lamps of the Valar.
Arda was again darkened, and the fall of the great Lamps spoiled the symmetry of Arda's surface. New continents were created: Aman in the West, Middle-earth proper in the middle, the uninhabited lands (later called the Land of the Sun) in the East. At the site of the northern lamp was later the inland Sea of Helcar, of which Cuiviénen was a bay. At the site of the southern lamp was later the Sea of Ringil. After the destruction of the Two Lamps the Years of the Lamps ended and the Years of the Trees began.
Years of the TreesEdit
Shortly after the destruction of the Two Lamps and the kingdom of Almaren, the Valar abandoned Middle-earth and moved to the continent of Aman. There they built their Second Kingdom, Valinor. Yavanna made the Two Trees, named Telperion (the silver tree) and Laurelin (the golden tree) in the land of Valinor. The Trees illuminated Valinor, leaving Middle-earth in darkness lit only by stars. The Years of the Trees were contemporary with Middle-earth's Sleep of Yavanna (recalled by Treebeard as the Great Darkness).
The Years of the Trees were divided into two epochs in Valinor. The first ten Ages, known as the Years of Bliss, saw peace and prosperity in Valinor. The Eagles, the Ents and the Dwarves were conceived by Manwë, Yavanna, and Aulë respectively, but placed into slumber until after the awakening of the Elves. The next ten Ages, called the Noontide of the Blessed, saw Varda rekindling the stars above Middle-earth. This was the first time after the Years of the Lamps that Middle-earth was illuminated. The first Elves awoke in Cuiviénen in the middle of Middle-earth, marking the start of the First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar, and were soon approached by the Enemy Melkor who hoped to enslave them. Learning of this, the Valar and the Maiar came into Middle-earth and, in the War of the Powers (also called the Battle of the Powers), defeated Melkor and brought him captive to Valinor. This began the period of the Peace of Arda.
After the War of the Powers, Oromë of the Valar summoned the Elves to come to Aman. Many of the Elves were persuaded to go with Oromë on the Great Journey westwards towards Aman. Along the journey several groups of Elves tarried, notably the Nandor and the Sindar. The three clans that arrived at Aman were the Vanyar, Noldor and the Teleri. They made their home in Eldamar. After Melkor appeared to repent and was released after his servitude of three Ages, he sowed great discord among the Elves, and stirred up rivalry between the Noldorin King Finwë's two sons Fëanor and Fingolfin. With the help of Ungoliant, he slew Finwë and stole the Silmarils, three gems crafted by Fëanor that contained light of the Two Trees, from his vault, and destroyed the Trees of the Valar. The world was then dark, save for the faint starlight.
Bitter at the Valar's inactivity, Fëanor and his house left to pursue Melkor, cursing him with the name "Morgoth". While his brother Finarfin chose to stay in Valinor, a larger host led by Fingolfin followed Fëanor. They reached Alqualondë, the port-city of the Teleri, who forbade them from taking their ships for the journey to Middle-earth. The first Kinslaying thus ensued, and a curse was put on the house of the Noldor forever. Fëanor's host sailed on the boats, leaving Fingolfin's host behind—who crossed over to Middle-earth on the Helcaraxë or Grinding Ice in the far north, losing many. The War of the Great Jewels followed, and lasted until the end of the First Age. Meanwhile, the Valar took the last living fruit of Laurelin and the last living flower of Telperion and used them to create the Moon and Sun, which remained a part of Arda, but were separate from Ambar (the world). The first rising of the sun over Ambar heralded the end of the Years of the Trees, and the start of the Years of the Sun, which last to the present day.
Years of the SunEdit
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Years of the Sun were the last of the three great time-periods of Arda, together with the Years of the Lamps and the Years of the Trees. They began with the first sunrise in conjunction with the return of the Noldor to Middle-earth, and last until the present day. The Years of the Sun began towards the end of the First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar and continued through the Second, Third, and part of the Fourth in Tolkien's stories. Tolkien estimated that modern times would correspond to the sixth or seventh age.[2]
Ages of the Children of IlúvatarEdit
The First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar, or Eruhíni, began during the Years of the Trees when the Elves awoke in Cuiviénen in the middle-east of Middle-earth. This marked the start of the years when the Children of Ilúvatar were active in Middle-earth. Later in the First Age the second kindred, humans, also awoke.
In some texts Tolkien referred to the 'First Age of Middle-earth' or the 'First Age of the World' rather than the 'First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar'. These variations had earlier starting points, extending the First Age back to the creation of Arda, but consistently ended with Morgoth's defeat in Beleriand.
Tolkien wrote that the later Ages lasted about 3,000 years, though this duration was not fixed and he felt that the Ages 'sped up' over time. Each ended following the completion of some major event in the history of the Children of Ilúvatar.
The terms 'First Age of the Sun' and 'Ages of the Sun' are commonly used by many fans, but do not appear anywhere in Tolkien's writings. The 'First Age of the Sun' in this conception is held to begin with the first rising of the Sun and continue until Morgoth's defeat nearly 600 years later. While this is at odds with Tolkien's statements that the First Age was the longest by far it is a common misapprehension because the subsequent ages all took place entirely during the Years of the Sun.
First AgeEdit
The First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar began during the Years of the Trees when the Elves awoke at Cuiviénen, and hence the events mentioned above under Years of the Trees overlap with the beginning of the First Age.
Having crossed into Middle-earth, Fëanor was soon lost in an attack on Morgoth's Balrogs—but his sons survived, and founded realms, as did the followers of Fingolfin, who reached Beleriand after Fëanor's death.
The Noldor for a time besieged Morgoth's stronghold of Angband, resulting in the Long Peace. This Peace lasted hundreds of years; during which time Men arrived over the Blue Mountains. But the peace was not to last; and one by one the kingdoms—even the hidden ones of Gondolin and Doriath—fell. The initial battle that allowed Morgoth's forces to break free of the Siege of Angband was aptly named Dagor Bragollach, or The Battle of Sudden Flame. Morgoth issued flames and lava from Angband which enveloped the surrounding area. A mighty force was then sent forth to break their centuries long siege.
At the end of the age, all that remained of free Elves and Men in Beleriand was a settlement at the mouth of the River Sirion and another settlement on the Isle of Balar. Eärendil had possession of a Silmaril, which his wife Elwing's ancestors Beren and Lúthien had taken from Morgoth. But the Fëanorians had a claim on the Silmaril still and so there was another Kinslaying. Eärendil and Elwing took the Silmaril across the Great Sea, to beg the Valar for aid against Morgoth.
They responded. A great battle, the War of Wrath, ensued. Melkor was exiled into the Void; and most of his works were destroyed. This came at a terrible cost, as most of Beleriand itself was sunk.
Second AgeEdit
The Second Age lasted for 3441 years, and ended with the downfall of Sauron, when he was defeated by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men following the downfall of Númenor. This age was characterized by the rise of Númenor, the rise of Sauron in Middle-earth (which saw the creation of the Rings of Power and the Ringwraiths), and the early wars of the Rings between Sauron and the Elves.
The 3441 years of the Second Age are, for the most part, unchronicled. Besides the hints about the Second Age found in The Lord of the Rings, several shorter writings fill in some of the gap between the downfall of Morgoth at the end of the First Age and the first downfall of Sauron which marked the beginning of the Third Age.
"The Tale of Years" in Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings outlines the major events of the Second Age, especially as they relate to the Rings of Power and the events and characters of The Lord of the Rings. Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings contains genealogies of the royal house of Númenor. Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings gives details of the Númenórean calendar, including special intercalation in the years 1000, 2000 and 3000, and notes on how this system of intercalation was disrupted by the designation of S.A. 3442 the first year of the Third Age.[3] In addition, several sections of Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth deal extensively with Númenor and several of its kings. Also, at the end of The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth", or 'the falling of a star,' recounts the fall of Númenor and its kings, and also the rise of Gondor and Arnor.
The Men who had remained faithful were given the island of Númenor, in the middle of the Great Sea, and there they established a great Kingdom; and the White Tree of Númenor was planted in the King's city of Armenelos; and it was said that while that tree stood in the King's courtyard, the reign of Númenor would yet last. The Elves were granted pardon for the sins of Fëanor, and were allowed to return home to the Undying Lands.
The Númenóreans became great seafarers, and were learned and wise beyond all other men; and they were granted a lifespan three times that of other mortal men; and at first, they held to the Ban of the Valar, never sailing into the Undying Lands. And so they travelled east, and coming to Middle-earth they helped teach the lesser men valuable skills. After a time, they became jealous of the Elves for their immortality. Meanwhile, in Middle-earth it became apparent that Sauron, Morgoth's chief servant, was still active. He worked with Elven smiths, especially Celebrimbor, the grandson of Fëanor in Eregion on the craft of rings, and secretly forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom to dominate them all. But as soon as Sauron put on the One Ring, The Elves were aware of him and removed theirs. Sauron then made war on the elves, and nearly destroyed them utterly; but when it seemed defeat was imminent, the Númenóreans, led by Tar-Minastir, joined the battle and completely crushed the forces of Sauron, thus saving Gil-galad and the elves of Middle-earth from obliteration. Sauron never forgot the ruin brought to his armies by the Númenóreans, and made it his goal to destroy them by whatever means necessary.
Towards the end of the age, the Númenóreans were growing increasingly proud. Now rather than helping the lesser Men of Middle-earth, they sought to dominate them and establish kingdoms abroad. Ar-Pharazôn, the last and most powerful of the Kings of Númenor, humbled even Sauron and brought him to Númenor as a hostage, although this was Sauron's goal. At this time still beautiful in appearance, Sauron quickly worked his way into Ar-Pharazôn's court and became high priest in the cult of Melkor. At this time, the Faithful (who still worshipped Eru Ilúvatar), were persecuted openly by those called the King's Men, and were sacrificed in the name of Melkor. Eventually, with the help of the power of the One Ring, Sauron even convinced Ar-Pharazôn to attempt to invade Aman, promising that immortality would result.
Amandil, chief of the Faithful, sailed westward to warn the Valar of this. His son Elendil and grandsons Isildur and Anárion prepared to flee eastwards, taking with them a seedling of the White Tree of Númenor before Sauron destroyed it, and the palantíri, gifts of the elves. When the King's men had landed on Aman, the Valar lay down their guardianship of the world and called for Ilúvatar to intervene.
The world was changed into a sphere, and the straight road from Middle-earth to Aman was broken. Númenor was utterly destroyed, as was the fair body of Sauron; however his spirit drifted back to Mordor, where he again took up the One Ring and gathered his strength once more. Elendil and his sons were spared, and together with the remainder of the Faithful, they found safe passage to Middle-earth, where they founded the realms in exile of Gondor and Arnor.
Sauron arose again and challenged them. The Elves allied with Men to form the Last Alliance. For seven years, the Alliance laid siege to Barad-dûr, until at last Sauron himself joined the battle field. And there he slew Elendil, High King of Gondor and Arnor, as well as Gil-galad, King of the Elves of Middle-earth. But when it seemed all was lost, Isildur took up the hilt of Narsil, his father's now shattered sword, and cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. And Sauron was defeated, but not utterly destroyed. For Isildur ignored the counsel of Elrond, and rather than destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, he kept it for himself. But the Ring betrayed him, as it slipped from his finger as he was escaping from an Orc ambush at the Gladden Fields. Isildur was slain, and the Ring fell into the Anduin River, where it was lost for a time.
Third AgeEdit
The Third Age lasted for 3021 years, beginning with the first downfall of Sauron, when he was defeated by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men following the downfall of Númenor and ending with the War of the Ring and final defeat of Sauron, the events narrated in The Lord of the Rings. Virtually the entire history of the Third Age takes place in Middle-earth.
The Third Age saw the rise in power of the realms of Arnor and Gondor, and their fall. Arnor was divided into three petty Kingdoms, which fell one by one, whilst Gondor fell victim to Kin-strife, plague, Wainriders, and Corsairs. In this time, the line of the Kings of Gondor ends, with the House of the Stewards ruling in their stead. Meanwhile, the heirs of Isildur from the fallen kingdom of Arnor wander Middle-earth, aided only by Elrond in Rivendell; but the line of rightful heirs remains unbroken throughout the age.
This age was characterized by the waning of the Elves. In the beginning of the Third Age, many Elves left for Valinor because they were disturbed by the recent war. However, Elven kingdoms still survived in Lindon, Lothlórien, and Mirkwood. Rivendell also became a prominent haven for the Elves and other races. Throughout the Age, they chose not to mingle much in the matters of other lands, and only came to the aid of other races in time of war. The Elves chose to devote themselves to artistic pleasures, and tended to the lands which they occupied. The gradual decline of Elven populations occurred throughout the Age as the rise of Sauron came to dominate Middle-earth. By the end of the Third Age, only mere fragments of the once-grand Elven civilization survived in Middle-earth.
The Wizards arrive during this period to aid the Free Peoples, most importantly Gandalf and Saruman. The One Ring was found by Sméagol but, under the power of the Ring and ignorant of its true nature, he retreated with the Ring to a secret life under the Misty Mountains.
Middle-earth's devastating Great Plague originated in its vast eastern region, Rhûn, where it caused considerable suffering.[4] By the winter of late T.A. 1635 the Plague spread from Rhûn into Wilderland, on the east of Middle-earth's western lands; in Wilderland it killed more than half the population.[5] In the following year the Great Plague spread into Gondor and then Eriador. In Gondor the Plague caused many deaths, including king Telemnar, his children, and the White Tree; the population of the capital city Osgiliath was decimated, and government of the kingdom was transferred to Minas Tirith. In Eriador, the nascent Hobbit-realm of the Shire suffered "great loss" in what they called the Dark Plague.
The so-called Watchful Peace began in T.A. 2063, when Gandalf went to Dol Guldur and the evil dwelling there (later known to be Sauron) fled to the far east. It lasted until 2460 T.A., when Sauron returned with new strength. During this period Gondor strengthened its borders, keeping a watchful eye on the east, as Minas Morgul was still a threat on their flank and Mordor was still occupied with Orcs. But no major escalations occurred except for minor skirmishes with Umbar. In the north, Arnor was long gone, but the Hobbits of the Shire prospered, getting their first Took Thain, and colonizing Buckland. The Dwarves of Durin's folk under Thorin I abandoned Erebor, and left for the Grey Mountains, where most of their kin now gathered. Meanwhile, Sauron was not idle in the east: he created a strong alliance between the various tribes of Easterlings, so that when he returned he was more powerful and had many Men in his service.
The main events of The Hobbit occur in T.A. 2941.
By the time of The Lord of the Rings, Sauron had recovered again, and was seeking the One Ring. The events of the ensuing War of the Ring leading to the end of the Third Age is the subject of The Lord of the Rings, and summarized in Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age (written c. 1948 and published in The Silmarillion). After the defeat of Sauron, Aragorn takes his place as King of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor, restoring the line of Kings from the Stewards of Gondor. Aragorn marries the daughter of Elrond, Arwen. And as the age ends, Gandalf and many of the remaining elves of Middle-earth leave in a ship which departs from the Grey Havens, and go to Aman.
Fourth AgeEdit
The end of the Third Age marked the end of the involvement of the Elves in Human affairs, despite a short-lived revival of Elven presence in Gondor under Legolas. Most Elves that have lingered in Middle-earth leave for Valinor—those that remain behind "fade", and eventually diminish. A similar fate happens to the Dwarves: although Erebor becomes an ally of the Reunited Kingdom and there are indications Khazad-dûm is refounded, and a colony is established under Gimli in the White Mountains, they become ever more reclusive, and disappear from human history. Morgoth's creatures are almost wiped out and never recover. During the later Fourth Age the tales of the earlier Ages turn into legends, until they are eventually thought of as fantasies, as the heirs of the Númenóreans forget their heritage.
See alsoEdit
- ^ Lalaith's Tolkien page Archived 2010-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. (1981), The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, #211 p. 283 footnote, ISBN 0-395-31555-7
- ^ "After the Downfall in S.A. 3319, the system was maintained by the exiles, but it was much dislocated by the beginning of the Third Age with a new numeration: S.A. 3442 became T.A. 1. By making T.A. 4 a leap year instead of T.A. 3 (S.A. 3444) 1 more short year of only 365 days was intruded"
- ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1955), The Return of the King, 2nd edition (1966), George Allen & Unwin, appendix A part I(iv), p. 328; ISBN 0 04 823047 2
- ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1980), Unfinished Tales, George Allen & Unwin, part 3 ch. 2(i) pp. 288-289; ISBN 0-04-823179-7


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Hatchimals Surprise are finally here and they have an unEGG-spected treat in store for you! For the first time ever, you can hatch TWO adorable Hatchimals! These loveable twins are hidden inside a magical speckled egg. Use your love and care to help them hatch! Hold and play with your egg and the Hatchimals inside will make delightful sounds that tell you how they feel! When its time to hatch, you'll see rainbow eyes! Once your first Hatchimal has pushed its way out of the egg, lift your second Hatchimal out and let the fun begin! Each twin has a unique personality! One twin loves to move, while the other twin can repeat whatever you say! Raise them from baby to toddler to kid and they'll learn new things at each stage! Your twins will talk, dance, sing, tell jokes, play games and more! These Hatchimals love to interact with each other! They'll say "I love you" and, like any siblings, they'll even bicker! Inside each Hatchimals Surprise you'll find magical, adorable creatures! Who will you hatch?
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Mets looking to stay hot at chilly Citi Field
NEW YORK -- Collin Cowgill had some advice for any hitters suiting up on Wednesday at frigid Citi Field.
"Don't get jammed," Cowgill said, laughing. "You might not feel your hands again for two innings."
Such was the worry before Game 2 of the season, with icy winds ripping through the ballpark and temperatures expected to dip into the low 30s. Cowgill, who spent much of last year hitting in Oakland, said players sometimes forget how brutal Northeast weather can be following springs in sunny Florida or Arizona.
"It's not just the cold, it's the wind that becomes a major issue," manager Terry Collins said. "Once you're playing you do stay fairly warm, but when you come in and you sit on that warm bench and maybe you start to get a little heated, then go back out and have that wind chill …"
Collins fretted in particular about third baseman David Wright and second baseman Daniel Murphy, who missed long stretches of Spring Training with core muscle strains. Cold weather can not only chill players, but also make it more difficult for achy muscles to stay loose.
It's a concern even for completely healthy players such as starting pitcher Matt Harvey, who claims he is used to the cold after years of high school ball in Eastern Connecticut.
"The biggest worry is the time between innings," Collins said. "We'll do the best we can to make sure he stays warm. But when this baby starts to dip down into the 20s wind chill factor, it becomes an issue."
More than usual, cold weather may vex the Mets this April. Following a six-game homestand in chilly New York, the Mets will head on the road for three games in Philadelphia, three in Minneapolis and four in Denver -- the latter two cities always potential snow traps early in the season.
"It's just part of the game in April, realistically," outfielder Mike Baxter said. "It's the reality of April baseball in the north."


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03/23/2016 Delivery record in the large crane class – 500th Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 mobile crane handed over
F. l. t. r.: Mario Trunzer, Dr Ulrich Hamme (both Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH), Uwe Langer (Riga Mainz GmbH & Co. KG), Christoph Kleiner, Dr Hubert Hummel (both Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH), Tim Langer, Friedel Langer, Karl Reitz (all Riga Mainz GmbH & Co. KG)
The LTM 1500-8.1 is a phenomenon in the mobile crane world. First unveiled by Liebherr at the Bauma 1998, the 500-tonne machine has developed into a bestseller and is now delivering a reliability all over the world. The 500th LTM 1500-8.1 was delivered to crane and heavy haulage contractor Riga Mainz in a festive ceremony in March. The Liebherr crane is the most successful telescopic crane in its class in the world – and has won Liebherr a delivery record in the large crane class.
The two Managing Directors of Riga Mainz GmbH & Co. KG, Uwe Langer and Karl Reitz, as well as senior manager Friedel Langer and son Tim Langer visited the Liebherr plant in Ehingen to take delivery of their brand new LTM 1500-8.1. The new crane will replace a 14-year-old model of the LTM 1500-8.1 at Riga, which has done sterling work at the company. "It's the best crane in the world" is how Uwe Langer describes the Liebherr 500-tonne machine, backing up his statement with a few facts: "The LTM 1500-8.1 delivers high load capacities over the entire working range and it is very versatile in use. Its overall handling, function and control system are superb." One of the reasons behind the success of the LTM 1500-8.1 is the variability of its telescopic boom. The crane can be operated with a 50-metre or 84-metre telescopic boom. Crane contractors also appreciate its ease-of-use and the simple, fast erection processes, for example the installation of the ballast, the Y guying and the lattice jibs.


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Slow Cooker Ham & Potatoes
6-8 slices ham
8-10 potatoes, peeled & sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz) can cream or celery or mushroom soup
Layer half of ham, potatoes and onions in bottom of slow cooker. Sprinkle with one half of the grated cheese. Repeat with remaining ham, potatoes and onions. Spoon undiluted soup over the top. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Creamy Ham and Potato Skillet
5 cups pared, sliced potatoes
1 lb. fresh green beans, cut into 1″ lengths
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Combine potatoes, green beans, celery and water in 12″ skillet. Add salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain vegetables; reserve cooking liquid. Add enough milk to make 2 1/2 cups; set aside. Saute' onion in melted butter in same skillet until tender. Add flour; blend well. Gradually stir in milk mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Boil 1 minute. Add drained vegetables, ham and parsley. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serves 6.
Ham & Cheese Casserole
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 lb. pasteurized prepared cheese, cubed
1 (16 oz) pkg. frozen green beans, thawed
2 (15 oz) can whole potatoes, drained & quartered
4 cups diced, cooked ham
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Coat a 5-qt. casserole dish with cooking spray. In a soup pot, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour until smooth. Add milk and cheese. Stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and gently stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into casserole dish and bake for 50-55 minutes until hot and bubbly.
All recipes from Personal Collection


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2009 Mazda Mazda6 Reviews and Ratings
Sedan 4D i SV
Expert Reviews
The 2009 Mazda 6 has moved up. All-new, redesigned and re-engineered for 2009, the Mazda6 has moved up in size, in features, and in power. All this without serious damage to price, fuel economy, or driving dynamics.
Virtually every dimension inside and out has increased with the introduction of these all-new 2009 models. The 2009 Mazda 6, or Mazda6 as Mazda calls it, now delivers plenty of room for four or five adults along with a big trunk that holds as much as some SUVs can fit under their luggage covers. For the first time in Mazda6 history, this one has been designed expressly for the North American market and is considerably bigger than the overseas version.
The 2009 Mazda 6 is offered with a choice of four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines, each larger and more powerful than before. Its new V6 is now among the most powerful in the class, producing 272 horsepower, and it comes standard with an automatic. Meanwhile, drivers seeking fuel efficiency will not be disappointed with the four-cylinder's 170 horsepower.
Four trim levels are offered on the Mazda 6 sedan, with prices ranging from less than $20,000 to around $33,000 for a fully loaded V6 model. All are four-door sedans. There is no wagon, hatchback, or MazdaSpeed version available for 2009.
Navigation is available on the 2009 Mazda 6 with voice activation. Bluetooth and blind spot monitoring systems are offered, as are audio inputs and noise-compensation sound systems. These gadgets are convenient, but what we like most about the Mazda 6 is its driving dynamics.
The Mazda 6 competes against an impressive group of midsize sedans, but we think anyone shopping Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, or Hyundai Sonata should have the Mazda6 on their comparison test-drive list. And its sportiness makes the Mazda6 an alternative to the Acura TL, Nissan Maxima, and Volkswagen Passat. The styling isn't conservative and the manners aren't boring.
The 2009 Mazda 6 comes with a choice of engines and trim levels. The Mazda6 i is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that gets an EPA-estimated 21/30 miles per gallon City/Highway with the five-speed automatic transmission. It's also available with a five-speed automatic. The Mazda6 s is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 with an EPA-rated 17/25 mpg and comes exclusively with a six-speed automatic.
The Mazda 6i SV ($20,250) comes with cloth upholstery, air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, tilt/telescope steering wheel with audio controls, 60/40 folding rear seat, floor and cargo mats, map lights, illuminated vanity mirrors, outside temperature display and Sirius radio-ready. Accessories include auto-dimming mirrors, fog lights, rear spoiler and 6CD in-dash changer. The SV trim level comes only with the four-cylinder engine and manual transmission.
All Mazda 6i manual transmission models come with black cloth upholstery, and are limited to four exterior colors; a five-speed automatic transmission ($900) is optional. All Mazda 6s models also get V6 badging, aluminum wheels, and a chrome exhaust outlet on either side.
Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring trim packages are available for each model. The Mazda 6i Sport ($20,250) and Mazda 6s Sport ($24,130) get an auxiliary audio input jack, cruise control, remote keyless entry and auto-down front windows. The Mazda 6s upgrades to larger, 215/55VR17 tires.
Mazda 6i Touring ($21,705) models should prove popular, boasting a 17-inch tire/wheel combination and fog lights, power driver seat, leather wheel/shifter, center console sliding armrest, electroluminescent gauges with trip computer, antitheft system, and advanced key with pushbutton start. Packages include moonroof and Bose package ($1760) with Bose Centerpoint sound system, 6CD in-dash, MP3, Sirius; and a Convenience package ($1610) of dual-zone climate control, Xenon headlamps, leather/cloth seats, Bluetooth phone/audio, blind spot monitors, rain-sensing wipers, and welcome mode lighting. Mazda 6s Touring ($25,075) models get all these upgrades plus 235/45WR18 tires on alloy wheels.
Grand Touring ($24,910) trim includes everything on Touring plus leather seats (heated in front) with three-position memory, auto-dimming (heated outside) mirrors, blind spot monitor system, auto headlamps, LED tail-lamps, rain-sensing wipers, Xenon headlamps, Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, HomeLink, welcome lighting, and a power passenger seat. Mazda 6s Grand Touring ($28,260) adds 18-inch tires. Grand Touring may be ordered with the moonroof/Bose package and DVD-based voice-activated navigation system ($2000).
Safety features include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags, electronic stability control, traction control and ABS. The Blind Spot Monitor is standard Grand Touring and available on Touring.
The 2009 Mazda6 is half a foot longer than the 2008 version, with 4.5 inches added to wheelbase and 2.3 inches to width. Despite these substantial increases it doesn't look like a big car, especially with nothing adjacent for scale.
Of the Accord/Altima/Camry/Malibu competition only the Malibu has a longer wheelbase, which doesn't translate to superior cabin or trunk dimensions, and only the Accord is longer and wider by fractions of an inch.
But with its flowing roofline similar to oxymoronic four-door coupes and real coupes like the Audi TT, wraparound overhangs that appear shorter than they are, and sleeker lines overall, the Mazda6 comes across as a smaller, trimmer car than the relatively box-like Accord.
From dead ahead or in your mirror the diamond teardrop headlamps laid over the front corners add a hint of French to a Mazda RX-8 face, and from any other angle the floating front fenders are signature Mazda: the edgiest front-end in the mid-size market. An upper body crease that would normally go to the front wheel stops just shy of that floating fender, and the rear wheel arches have double creases to mirror the front.
Although both Mazda and Acura use a five-sided grille, Mazda's has a deeper V-shape to it and it's all body-colored. There is no chrome beyond the logo wings, and darker colors show even fewer character lines for the most fluid appearance. Fog lights are set in horizontal openings but the lights themselves are vertically-oriented.
At the rear, taillamps wrap well around the sides, and V6-model exhausts are distinctively shaped stand-offs not actually connected to the pipes themselves. You could stretch the shape and find the RX-8's influence in numerous places on the Mazda6.
The Mazda 6 cabin uses contemporary materials, with metallic-finish surfaces rather than phony wood trim. The exception is the console trim that slashes across the passenger's dash which, on some models, appears a cross between silver-veined black granite and ash-black burnt wood with wide rings in it. It's a look we've not run across recently. Most finishes are appropriate although you will find hard plastic on the doors below the armrest and some console dash pieces; this parallels some cars in the class, while others like the Accord are better.
The seats are cloth on the SV and Sport, and have the same support and comfort as the upper trim lines, lacking only the extra degrees of power adjustment.
Touring uses cloth cushion and backrest centers with leather outboard; the black-and-white striped center seat sections suggest a snow leopard in motion and along with the surrounding leather this combination in the Touring nicely complements the rest of the Mazda6 interior trim.
We found the most striking interior on a Grand Touring, with very light gray leather upholstery and door panel inserts contrasted against black carpeting, lower seat trim, console, dash, and door tops and bottoms. It's a stylish way to get the sun-belt comfort of light colored upholstery without making a mess of a white carpet every time you get in. The Grand Touring is full leather with perforated center sections.
We found the Mazda6 seats comfortable front and rear, regardless of upholstery or power assist. The up-sizing of the Mazda6 has resulted in cabin dimensions similar to and occasionally better than the big Accord, so even 6-foot-plus bodies could sit in front and then jump in back without moving the front seat, even on cars with the moonroof. Frequently the case with rooflines like this one, heads of rear riders will be where roof meets rear window so make sure the belts are snug if you see a big bump coming.
The rear seat does offer spacious accommodation, a center armrest (no pass-through), and a 60/40 split seatback that's easy to fold, but we did not find any AC vents, reading lights, or center passenger headrest and the coat hooks will not hold a plastic hangar.
Outward visibility was good in all directions. The hood slopes out of sight, common in this aero era. The roof pillars are not so wide that they obstruct vision; the outside mirrors are fairly low and so is the dashboard, all adding up to a good view out. Projector headlights come with Xenon on some models, and dash and cabin lighting is more than adequate with either set of gauges.
Instruments are laid out with fuel and tachometer to the left, speed and coolant temperature to the right, with gear range (on automatics), odometers, and outside temperature indication between the two. When shifting an automatic manually the gear selected is shown in large font above the odometers.
At top center of the dash is a deep red digital display for climate, radio and clock information, easily read by anyone in the car. Below it are center vents, the audio system or navigation if so equipped, and basic three-ring climate controls. On the sides of the dash next to the big greenhouse windows are sizable, omni-directional round vents.
All the systems are simple to use, our biggest complaint being the beep that accompanied every volume adjustment made by the steering wheel toggle but this is probably one of the 24 adjustments (along with door lock programming, turn signal click volume, and blind spot monitor on cars with it) the dealer can alter for you.
The navigation system found itself, tracked, and rerouted quickly, and it responded to the first word we tried. However, the 333-watt Bose Centerpoint sound system with 10 speakers including a 9-inch subwoofer was infinitely more fun to listen to.
Most controls are on typical stalk layouts, while blind spot off, trunk release, stability control defeat and the like are to the left of the steering wheel next to a small storage tray. More storage can be found in the center console, doors, and glovebox.
Grand Touring models come with a blind spot monitor system (optional on Touring), though the Mazda6 has no significant blind spots. At speeds greater than 20 mph the system senses vehicles adjacent; it casts an orange image onto the exterior mirror if it senses your car going where another car is, and makes a noise if you signal while it senses a vehicle in the way. It worked better and caused fewer false alarms than similar systems we've tried on other brands.
Cargo space is one the strong suits of the Mazda6, as the 16.6 cubic feet of volume covers the class and is about double what some hybrids have. One needs to lift cargo only to the top of the bumper and slide it in, the car's sweeping roofline making the vertical opening much larger than the depth aspect. There are no hinges or trunk arms within the opening nor cargo shelf impediments, and the rear seatbacks can be released from the trunk.
We noted no fit and finish issues inside or out, and found the basic structure very stiff, with no creaks or squeaks entering steep driveways or angled traverses of sharp bumps.
Driving enjoyment is nothing new to Mazda and they successfully maintained that in the transition to a larger, more refined Mazda6. And while the car has gained weight with the added dimensions and features, it's also gained power, especially on the V6 models.
A small cadre of purists will bemoan the loss of a manual transmission choice with the big engine, or only black interiors on manual cars, but the four-cylinder manual is still quite entertaining and it is available on top-line Grand Touring models so you can have your nav, heated leather, and a stick together.
For 2009, the four-cylinder's been bumped from 2.3 to 2.5 liters, now at 170 hp, right in line with the base engine from Accord, Altima, Camry and Malibu. It gets the job done just fine, with the best coming on as the rev counter swings through the 4500-4800 rpm range and keeps pulling to near redline. It's plenty to get the Mazda6 around town or up a hill and cruises on the highway effortlessly at less than 3000 rpm, regardless of transmission.
Both automatic and manual have well-spaced gears to make the best of the four, and the shift and clutch action on the six-speed showcase Mazda's sports car abilities without any sports car compromises. Back to back drives showed only the Accord LX's (higher-rated) 190-hp four cylinder matched the Mazda's 170-hp engine overall, but the Honda needs higher revs yet for its best work.
Mazda's V6 has made the biggest strides for 2009, jumping from 3 liters to 3.7 liters and from 220 to 272 horsepower, with plenty of mid-range torque to go with it. This bigger engine, similar to that in the Mazda CX-9, is both larger and more powerful than that of any of the competitors and, absent timing equipment, we suspect it might outrun the others in class. The Mazda hasn't the best-in-class fuel economy but the differences are marginal, much smaller than the effect driving style will have.
Each Mazda6 model has its own calibrations for the same suspension system, and they tend to feel more buttoned down as price and engine size increase. But a lot of this can be traced to tires, and a four-cylinder car with the 17-inch wheels is arguably the most fun on a winding road because it's easily a couple of hundred pounds lighter than the V6s. Upgrading tires later would add to both fun and grip.
At the top extreme, a V6 on 18-inch wheels has plenty of grip and surprisingly good sharp-impact rejection (think lane-divider dots) but it is on the firm side, not recommended for lousy infrastructure and some road noise seeps in to the cabin. At the other end of the spectrum, a manual sport on steel wheels doesn't offer quite the same grip, but it does give the same good steering feel and response, directional stability, and solid braking. They all have stability control but even some ham-fisted co-drivers never invoked it, suggesting there's a lot of stability inherent in the design.
The closest competitors in the grip and ride components would be the Malibu V6 for ride, Altima V6 for fun, four-cylinder Accord for fun, and Camry for commuting comfort. The Mazda6 leans toward the fun end of the spectrum yet does so without the busy-ness or bounciness the Accord sometimes brings.
The 2009 Mazda 6 is all-new, bigger, roomier, more refined. It has moved from the fringes of the market closer to the mainstream mid-size sedans, yet Mazda has kept the soul of the niche that enjoys driving and doesn't consider a car mere transportation.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent G.R. Whale test drove the Mazda6i and Mazda6s models in Los Angeles.


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Portland man takes stripped-down approach to TSA screening.
John E. Brennan ran into a little trouble at Portland International Airport Tuesday evening. Apparently, as he was going through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, his clothes appeared to show possible traces of explosive residue, so he was held up.
There are many ways to address such a situation -- such as calmly waiting for further screening, protesting, or simply accepting one's fate. Brennan chose none of these. Rather, BoingBoing reports, he decided that the solution was to strip off the allegedly offending clothes and stand naked at the checkpoint.
All that got him was arrested.
Here's a local news report on the incident:
NEXT STORY: No 'Easy' Tax Day for Lionel Richie


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BALTIMORE – After having a little over a week off from competition, the UMBC track and field teams head to Boston, Mass. for the 2013 America East Indoor Track and Field Championships. Held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, the championships will take place over a two-day span from Monday, Feb. 11th through February 12th.
Both teams look for an overall improvement in the standings from last year when the women placed third, while the men took fifth place. Last year, the Retrievers were paced by Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) and Mercedes Jackson (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown), who each won an event and earned Most Outstanding Female Filed Performer and Most Outstanding Rookie honors, respectively.
Both Deller and Jackson have recorded strong invitational seasons in 2012-13, earning personal-bests along the way. Deller, a three-time conference indoor shot put champion and last year's weight throw champion as well, currently leads the America East in the shot after her personal-best toss of 15.00m (49'2.50") at the Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York. Meanwhile, the senior currently ranks third in the conference in the weight throw, with her season-best mark of 15.80m (51'10.00) coming at the Terrapin Invitational on Jan. 19.
For Jackson, it has been a stellar sophomore season so far after breaking onto the season last year as a freshman. The UMBC record holder in both the 60m dash and 200m dash, Jackson looks to claim gold medals in both events after winning the 60m event but finishing second in the 200m dash in 2012. This season, Jackson has broken both of her school records this season and is the top seed in the conference in both events, with her season-best 60m dash time of 7.34 currently in NCAA Championships contention.
For the men, a trio of Retrievers has paced the squad in the throws with senior Cameron McDearmon(Owings Mills, Md./Franklin) providing leadership and experience. McDearmon looks to earn his first conference title after earning bronze medals in both throwing events as a sophomore and finishing in sixth in both last season. The senior sits in second-place in the weight throw heading into the conference meet with his heave of 18.38m (60'3.75") at the Terrapin Invite, while sitting in seventh in the shot put. Junior Yao Adantor (Laurel, Md./Reservoir/Morgan St./Maryland) and sophomore Thor Serafenas (Olney, Md./Good Counsel) also had successful invitational seasons, ranking three-four in the shot put and then occupying sixth and fourth-place, respectively in the weight throw.
Back on the track, senior Trae Proctor (Brandywine, Md./Thomas Stone) looks to win the 60m hurdles for the third consecutive year at the America East Championships. This season, Proctor became the first Retriever to ever go under the eight-second barrier in the event while setting a new school record with a time of 7.89. Fellow senior, Dennison Long (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt/FIU) looks to join Proctor atop the medal stand after maintaining strong form in both the 60m dash and 200m dash. Both athletes currently lead the America East in their respective events.
Meanwhile in the jumps, senior Shioma Obemeata (New Rochelle, N.Y./Iona Prep/St. Prep) will try for the elusive gold medal in the triple jump after winning silver last year. Obemeata leads the conference heading to Boston after his career-best leap of 14.80m (48'6.75") at the Armory a little over a week ago.
The Retriever men will look to a young, but productive group to earn points in the longer sprints and distance events. Junior Andrew Smith (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley) leads the conference in the 800m run with a converted time of 1:53.05, while freshman Andrew Keresztes (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Port Jefferson) is seeded fifth in the 1,000m run. The Retrievers also have at least one athlete seeded in the top-ten in the distance events as junior Jake Albino (Hampton, N.Y./Minisink Valley) and Noah Hutton will compete in the one-mile run, sophomore Eric Schuler (Columbia, Md./Reservoir) will race the 3,000m run, and freshman Hassan Omar (Frederick, Md./Thomas Johnson) and junior Vinny DiSalvo (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) will lead the charge in the 5,000m run.
Junior John Rybak (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) and freshman Vincent Rentzsch (Oranienburg, Germany) will compete for the Retrievers in the Heptathlon. Last year, Rybak finished in ninth place in the seven-event competition.
Behind Jackson and Deller, the Retriever women will try to bolster the team effort in the longer sprint events. In the 200m dash, junior Kristen Jones (Brentwood, Tenn./M.L.K. Magnet) and freshman D'Nique Phillip (Elkton, Md.) are both seeded in the top-five, while they are both joined by sophomores Kalane'Abbey (Laurel, Md./Laurel) and Briana Young (Bowie, Md./Elizabeth Seton) in the top-ten for the 400m run. Sophomore Paulette Fogle (Washington, D.C./Bishop McNamara) will try to improve on her eighth place finish last year in the 500m dash and holds the top seed with her career-best time of 1:14.96.
The women's 4x400 relay team which earned a bronze medal at last year's America East Championship, looks to move up the medal stand this season as well. The team of Fogle, Abbey, Phillip, and Jones broke the school record at the Armory a week ago with a time of 3:46.97, and is seeded second heading to Boston.
Junior Emma Mayne (Mt. Ariy, Md./Linganore), and freshmen Nneoma Edokobi (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery) and Jennifer Nelson (Plainfield, Conn./Plainfield) lead the charge in the throws to support Deller. Mayne ranks fourth in the shot put and Nelson is sixth in the weight throw, while Edokobi holds a top-ten seed in both events.
The championship meet kicks off on Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. with the women's heptathlon. The afternoon session then restarts at 3:00 p.m. with the men's 5,000m run.


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Princess Posey is back! We first met this charming and utterly real small girl in Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade where she was dealing with very normal fears about starting first grade. Now, Princess Posey is back and very excited about her beloved teacher's upcoming birthday. She's going to give her the most perfect present; a lovely bouquet of flowers she grew herself. But then she sees her best friend give the teacher a huge bouquet bought from a florist. How will Miss Lee know that Posey likes her best now?Posey is a completely real first grader in her interactions with friends and family, her reactions, her hopes and fears. This adorable series steps away from the current fashion for quirky, hyperactive, and frankly annoying heroines (yes, I'm looking at YOU Junie B. Jones) and presents Posey as an Every Girl with everyday worries and delights that most little girls will understand and delight in.
Verdict: If you haven't already bought the first Princess Posey book, add it to your collection now, along with this sweet but never saccharine sequel. A third Princess Posey book is coming out later this summer. I'm excited that both volumes are currently available in paperback so I can add them to my library's series collection. A must have for every public and elementary school library.
ISBN: 9780399254628; Published March 2011 by Puffin; Review copy provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter 2011; Purchased for the library.


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Shopping > Friends
As you know, the Spice Girls are cutting out early from their reunion tour. Initial speculation centred around the Mels – that Mel B and Mel C could not bear each other and that their bickering had damaged the relationship beyond repair, to the point that they could no longer go on. Other UK gossips reported that it was all four vs Geri, and that Ginger felt so isolated, she demanded to be released.
But Mel C performed a solo gig in New York last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom and every Spice but the Posh showed up to cheer her on. Which leaves Victoria the odd Spice out and the obvious one to blame for the tour's premature end.
Apparently Posh is begging off because she needs to spend more time with her children and her husband, though that certainly hasn't stopped her from being a permanent fixture front row at fashion week. Or from dragging her youngest out shopping.
Always time for shopping, yes, but no time for supporting friends.
Mrs Beckham, you see, is so over being a Spice. Mrs Beckham doesn't need no spice. Mrs Beckham will get bit in the ass by hubris. Trust.
Photos from Wenn.com


text: >This condition could possibly be prevented by routine regulator maintenance and cleaning. DAN's records show similarities in calls concerning these otherwise unexplainable symptoms; and although this information is anecdotal, it deserves investigation. Unfortunately, most callers did not seek a medical evaluation while they were symptomatic, and reported symptoms after they had resolved. In each case the diver experienced flu-like symptoms within hours of the dive. This was always immediately after the first dive day or first dives in a series. Symptoms all resolved within 48 hours, many times within 24 hours.The limited calls to DAN do not indicate that this is a widespread problem, but DAN needs more information on this malady and its relationship to diving. Post-dive symptoms must be carefully considered; continuing to dive with symptoms could cause additional problems. DAN always recommends that you be examined by a physician or other healthcare professional. The possibility of decompression sickness must always be included in a differential diagnosis when a medical complaint is raised following a dive.


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No Ordinary Love: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Kim Porter
Combs, never one to mince words, is in love. He'll tell you in a magazine article, he'll tell you in person, and he'll tell you in the songs on his newest album Press Play, an effort he says was inspired by his 12-year on-and-off-again relationship with Porter, whom he met when he was an A&R executive at Uptown Records in the 1990's. "She's my muse," he says. "You know how they say it in the movies? It's corny but beautiful: She completes me."
But loving Sean Combs back is a difficult thing. He is a man driven by, if not demons, then something just as ferocious. It manifests as a complete inability to sit still, to enjoy the here and now, to be happy with what he has. Rather, Combs is caught in a perpetual quest for the next big thing, the next challenge, the next spectacle of which he is the shining star. Over the years he's transformed himself from a hip-hop impresario into a political activist, marathon man, fashion designer, parfumeur, Broadway star and reality TV personality. And now at the age of 37, when most rappers would be throwing in the towel, he's back onstage, ready to take on the likes of Justin Timberlake and Beyonce for a spot at the top of the charts.
It takes a strong and steady woman to stand by a whirlwind like that. But in Porter, 36, a former model who is due to give birth to the couple's twin girls this month, Combs seems to have found his match, which makes you wonder why he still hasn't given her that ring.
There's Something About Kim
"The first time I saw her, she was at the studio with her ex-boyfriend (singer Al B. Sure, the father of Porter's oldest child, Quincy, now 15)," says Combs, his face immediately brightening at the memory. "I wasn't trying to holler at her or anything, but I was admiring her—her lips, her eyes, her mouth, her shape, her energy—and thinking, 'I wish I had a girl like that.'"
Soon after, Andre Harrell, founder of Uptown Records, hired Porter as a receptionist. "Puff was in love with her from the first time he saw her," remembers Harrell. "You could tell from the way he looked at her." Every morning when he showed up for work, Porter would give Combs a smile. But still he didn't make a move. "She kind of made me nervous," Combs says. "She wasn't like a New York girl. She was Bohemian, mixed with Georgia-peach hospitality. I got the idea she'd like doing stuff like walking barefoot in the grass. I didn't think I could get her to like me." Combs says now that what struck him most, and, ironically, what would later become his biggest complaint, was her reserve. "She was smooth, you know, like ice. She's cool and collected and thinks before she speaks. You meet a lot of young ladies, and they just don't do that. Kim was never pressed; she was always in control."
It took a few years, a chance meeting at a party and several lengthy phone calls before the couple started dating in 1994. Quickly they became inseparable. "We went out together, we ate together, we played together," says Porter. "He would want me at the office; I would want him at my shoots. Our bond was so tight."
"It just didn't feel right without her," Combs says. "I'm talking about from a strip club to playing poker, she would be there." The girl could even throw a football, he adds. Then in 1997, Porter became pregnant with their son Christian. (Combs has another son, Justin, 12, from a previous relationship with stylist Misa Hylton-Brim.) It should have been the happiest time for both of them. Instead, that's when everything fell apart.
When a Man Loves Another Woman
"A friend called my cell phone," says Porter of the way she heard that Combs had fallen into the arms of a certain Latina with a world-famous behind. "Then a few weeks later, the press hit."
Porter, raised by her mother and grandmother in the quiet town of Columbus, Georgia, describes herself as a private person. Unlike other girlfriends of celebrities, she has never tried to parlay her relationship with Combs into a shot at fame. She's stayed low-key, focusing on her children, her man and her fledgling career as an actress. (She had a small part in 2001's "The Brothers" and this month stars opposite Tatum O'Neal in MyNetwork TV's new one-hour drama "Wicked Wicked Games". But when Combs took up with Jennifer Lopez, Porter suddenly found herself the focus of everyone's concern. "Everywhere I went, people were asking, `Are you okay?' I just hated that," she says, over a bowl of squash soup during a three-hour lunch at a French bistro in Manhattan. Dressed in black leggings and a striped sweater, and wearing very little makeup, Porter is more stunning in person than in any red-carpet shot. "People just believed everything they saw in print, and they were talking to me like I was really crushed," she continues, "But I had just had a baby. I couldn't be somewhere in a corner heartbroken. I have kids. I'm a grown woman."
Even Porter's mother, Sarah, was amazed by her daughter's calm in the face of such commotion. "The whole family was upset about the situation with (Jennifer) Lopez," she says. "You hear rumors, and you see things on television. And if your daughter is involved, you want to know if she's hurting. But Kim didn't fall apart. She didn't stop eating; she didn't do any of that. She behaved normally. As her mother I was checking her out all the time, looking and watching to see if she was putting on an act. But she's very resilient; she handled it like a champ, even though I knew she must have been hurting. I was so very proud of her."
But while Porter held her head up and went about her business, there was no getting around the media's insatiable appetite for the Bad Boy rapper and the starlet in that revealing green dress. The couple were photographed everywhere, at awards shows and nightclubs, and emblazoned across the cover of magazines. "They were like Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe," says Harrell. "Our generation had never seen anything like it." As far as Porter is concerned, that was exactly the problem. "He just got caught up in the hype," she says matter-of-factly. "And my man is Mr. Hype."
The Lopez years -- the couple dated from 1998 to 2000 -- were so public, so humiliating, so disrespectful, says Porter, and what made it worse was that it was all a lie. "That relationship wasn't real," she says bluntly. "The world just saw the bright lights and the camera. But I knew what was really going on. He was still in love with me." Porter, who says Combs fell for a "big booty and a smile," used to tell him that when he was finished with his "little Puerto Rican girlfriend," he'd be back. But, in fact, he never really left. The entire time Combs was seeing Lopez, Porter's phone never stopped ringing. "No one knows that part," she says. "He was calling fifty, sixty times a day. Sometimes I wouldn't even talk to him because I was so angry. I couldn't be 'nice Kim.' I had to be, you know, that bitch. Like, this is not going down."
At the time, Porter and Combs were living together. But as soon as she caught wind of the Lopez affair, Porter kicked her man out ("of my own house," he points out indignantly) and changed the locks. "I told him someone's got to go, and it isn't going to be me and these kids," she remembers. Combs moved into a hotel but ignored Porter's wishes to be left alone, continuing to stop by the house whenever he pleased. "It was like my life was not my own," says Porter. "He was very, very intrusive." The couple would eventually end up in the Manhattan Family Courthouse to hash out a visitation agreement, which Combs admits he did not stick to. "He would say he needed to see his son, but I was at a place where just the sight of him would turn my stomach," Porter recalls. "My feeling was, you made this decision, now stay over there. I can't repeat everything I said at the time, because it's really not that ladylike. But I was very expressive about it." In fact, she reluctantly admits that one day she got so angry she threw a television at Combs. "It was a small one," she says.
As Porter recounts this story of betrayal, she smiles politely, every bit the sweet southern girl. The only glimmer of venom you'll see is when you ask if Combs ever took their young son, Christian, around Lopez. "No," she bristles. " Hell" no! No. No. No. Do you see me? I'm a full Black woman. We don't mix and mingle like that. I'd kill him dead. So he knew better. And besides, does she look like the type that would want to play house and family with two little Black kids? No. I don't think it was that type of situation."
The next day over breakfast, Combs struggles to explain his side of the story. First, he admits he made a mistake. "I wasn't trying to hurt her, but with the cameras and everything it was probably the worst relationship for me to get into," he says. "I don't know if I could have been as strong as Kim was." But he also wants it known that when he did get into his "other relationship," he and Porter were already having problems. "It wasn't boom, I just woke up one morning and started messing with Jennifer and left Kim," he says. "That's not what happened."
According to Combs, it all started because Porter, who had won him over with her poise, turned out to be too laid-back. "I'm used to applause when I walk in the room," he says, "and she was just too cool. I would tell her, `I guess I'll go be with someone else who'll take care of me the way I want to be taken care of, who'll be a little more aggressive.' " He lodged his complaints, but much to his chagrin, Porter "wasn't really conforming to how I wanted her to conform." With Lopez, Combs says, he was "making a statement."
"Jennifer was my perfect match in terms of energy," he explains. "I thought, ' I'll test the waters and hopefully Kim will see I'm serious and come running after me'." Only Kim didn't make a move. "So I was back at the house, trying to figure out what the hell was going on," Combs says.
As her boyfriend speaks, Porter listens quietly, eating her Cream of Wheat and sipping iced tea. But then Combs, perhaps feeling defensive about having to explain his indiscretion to both the woman he wronged and a skeptical reporter, goes to that place no man in his right mind would: "Do you really think that God meant for a man to have just one wife?" he blurts out. "Or a woman to have one husband? Do you think God meant it that way?"
Porter shoots him a look. "Do you really want me having sex with some other man? You want that to happen?" she demands.
"No," he says sheepishly, "but God made us different."
"That's such a cop-out," says Porter. "I could be just like you. I choose not to be."
Combs rambles and stammers for a while. "Sometimes things happen," he tries. Then, turning to his girlfriend, he says, "This is the most monogamous I've ever been in my life…that's all I'm trying to say."
" Happily Ever After?"
The next evening, alone in the backseat of his $420,000 Maybach parked outside a studio in New Jersey where he is rehearsing for an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, Combs is more reflective about his love for Porter. "With Jennifer I was attracted to someone who had the same energy as me, but that isn't necessarily the best," he says quietly. "Because I'm so aggressive, the best energy for me is someone who slows me down and makes me feel like I can breathe. It's hard for me to breathe. When I'm around Kim I feel like I can do that."
Harrell, who's known Combs since he was a teen, agrees. "Puff is a superachiever," he says, "Kim is all peace, love and life. Puff finds calm in her presence. He never had that with Jennifer."
But no matter how much love the couple had shared, winning Porter back was going to take some work. In 2001, Combs was tried on weapons and bribery charges stemming from a 1999 shooting incident in which three people were injured at a Manhattan nightclub. Although Porter says she knew in her heart he was never going to jail, she was down on her knees praying that Combs would be exonerated. (He was eventually acquitted of all charges.) But with the trial "and the whole whooptie whoo, there was just too much going on," says Porter. So in September 2001, she moved back to Georgia to be with her family and raise her two young sons away from the chaos. And that's when Combs really came around. "I think the threat of losing his freedom forced him to grow up and take responsibility for his actions," says Porter. She adds that once she and the kids left New York, Combs was "forced to come to me to work things out. And he really had to jump through some hoops. He was on the plane every weekend, talking to my mom and my grandmother and telling the kids, 'Daddy made a mistake.' It wasn't like I had been going out with Puffy by myself, I had a whole family behind me. I had cousins who wanted to beat him up." Porter says Combs even had to make things right with her father. "I don't know what those conversations were like," she says, "but it was enough for my father to say to me, 'Kimberly, I made a mistake with your mother. We all make mistakes.'" In the end, Porter finally let her guard down because, for all his faults, there's really no man who can love her better. "I know him like I know my kids," she says, explaining their connection. Like all love, theirs is part chemistry and part mystery. Porter says she understands that some people don't get why she took Combs back. And she says that her biggest fear is that if it happens again the relationship will have to be over. But she feels no one knows him the way she does. Yes, she admits that the rumors of his legendary temper tantrums with his staff are "all true," but she insists he has a softer side. "He's gentle, giving and sensitive," she says with a smile, "especially to me. He's really a good guy, with a big, big heart. I get to see that. I'm really thankful I get to see that."
Porter says there's no end to what Combs will do for her. When asked to elaborate, she doesn't rattle off a list of lavish gifts of jewelry or trips or houses like one would expect (though he's given them all). She'll tell you about how last Valentine's Day, Combs rented a screening room, filled it with candles, and played for her a DVD he had compiled of photographs chronicling their life together. "There were red-carpet shots, but mostly it was us and the kids," she says. "It meant so much to me because I'd had a flood in my house and had lost all my photos." Like most women with millionaire boyfriends, Porter is often accused of being a gold digger. To that she just rolls her eyes. "I'm not impressed with things—not a bag or shoes or a car—I've got a lot of stuff," she says. "Impress me with your person. Show me you can be a really good man. That's how to impress me."
Still, Porter concedes that loving a man as driven as Combs will always have its challenges. "He could be a little more attentive to his family," she says with a nod, "but I understand who he is and what that requires of him. He's in a business where he wants to be the best, and he wants to make sure his family has the best. It takes a lot of his person to do that. You know, there's only so much time in the day. But as long as he makes us feel like we're a family, I'm fine. There'll be one day when he won't be working so hard, then we have a lifetime." She pauses for a moment and laughs. "I'm not a needy person," she adds. "If I were, I'd probably be somewhere pulling out my hair right now."
Since their reconciliation, Combs says he's made a real effort to "leave P. Diddy at the office" and make more time for Kim and the kids. "She taught me well," he says. "When you're in a relationship, there's a lot of give-and-take. Before I was just selfish." Of course, the juggling act is about to become a lot more complicated. This summer Porter told him she was pregnant and carrying twin girls by sliding a picture of her ultrasound across the table while the couple were eating dinner at Nobu in New York. The pregnancy wasn't planned, he says, and adds, "Someone must have been counting wrong." But on hearing the news, he bolted from his seat and ran around the restaurant. "I was ecstatic," he says. "I've wanted girls for a long time. I just picture the babies falling asleep on top of me."
Despite the love, the history and the twins on the way, the couple still have no plans to marry. Porter insists she doesn't care. She doesn't know anyone who has a good marriage (her parents divorced when she was a child), and the last thing she wants is for the relationship to sour under the strain.
Back in his Maybach, Combs considers the marriage question. "I know she deserves to get married," he says, "but I'm just not ready." He leans back into his seat. "It's not a reflection on how much I love Kim. It's that I'm just learning how to be a good boyfriend. When I'm finished with this step, I'll move on to the next." He pauses, then adds, "But when I do get married, you'll be invited to the wedding."
With that, he gets out of the car and heads off to rehearsal. But a minute later he's back, rapping on the window. "You should end the piece like that," he says, suddenly struck with the idea, "with me talking about getting married. It'll give hope to all the girls who fell in love with a player." As he walks away, he calls out one last correction into the night. "Ex-player," he says. "Make that ex-player."
Jeannine Amber is senior writer for Essence.
ESSENCE.com Exclusive: The Sean "Diddy" Combs and Kim Porter Interview Continued
Kim on the early days of their relationship:
"You'd think he wouldn't be the type of guy who would open the door, but he was doing little things like opening the door, closing the door. Even when he would be off doing his thing he would come by and say: 'Are you okay? Do you need anything?' Knowing his character, being attentive was something I wouldn't expect from him. So when he did things like that, it made me say 'Okay.' But more than that, we could talk to each other about anything. It was very comfortable. What's enabled us to sustain our relationship is that we can still talk like that. We have a friendship. These days people don't have the patience to nurture a relationship or a friendship."
Sean on being intimate with Kim:
"I love to kiss her. I love to make out with her. I love sippin' on her lips and looking into her eyes. I appreciate her. Every time I see her it's like I just met her. She has a spell on me."
Kim on monogamy:
"I'd like to think that a man or a woman could be faithful because when two people make a commitment, they should be monogamous. But I don't think that's realistic. I really don't. I'd hope in my relationship I'm enough of a woman for my man; or that I could give him what he needs. When men cheat, a lot of times I feel, it's not for sex. Maybe they're not getting something from their woman they want. So I try and make sure in my relationship that I'm giving my man everything he needs. Whether it's being a friend, a homegirl, a therapist, or a mom, I'm going to be all those things for him. But if he makes a choice, and he decides to stray, he has to answer to God on that one."
Sean and Kim on their relationship's new bond:
Sean: "There's some good and there's some bad; but our good is just so strong. I'm not perfect. But, she's definitely made me better."
Kim: "We had a rebirth of our relationship. Back then, that was an ugly period, but time heals all wounds. And, you know, one thing about love -- if it's true love -- it will prevail. Our relationship is definitely a testimony in that."
Kim on when she and Sean are getting married:
"When we do, it'll be a wonderful thing, a beautiful thing. But that's just not now. When it's time we'll know it, and we'll do it."
Watch behind the scenes footage here.
"You'd think he wouldn't be the type of guy who would open the door, but he was doing little things like opening the door, closing the door. Even when he would be off doing his thing he would come by and say: 'Are you okay? Do you need anything?' Knowing his character, being attentive was something I wouldn't expect from him. So when he did things like that, it made me say 'Okay.' But more than that, we could talk to each other about anything. It was very comfortable. What's enabled us to sustain our relationship is that we can still talk like that. We have a friendship. These days people don't have the patience to nurture a relationship or a friendship."
Sean on being intimate with Kim:
"I love to kiss her. I love to make out with her. I love sippin' on her lips and looking into her eyes. I appreciate her. Every time I see her it's like I just met her. She has a spell on me."
Kim on monogamy:
"I'd like to think that a man or a woman could be faithful because when two people make a commitment, they should be monogamous. But I don't think that's realistic. I really don't. I'd hope in my relationship I'm enough of a woman for my man; or that I could give him what he needs. When men cheat, a lot of times I feel, it's not for sex. Maybe they're not getting something from their woman they want. So I try and make sure in my relationship that I'm giving my man everything he needs. Whether it's being a friend, a homegirl, a therapist, or a mom, I'm going to be all those things for him. But if he makes a choice, and he decides to stray, he has to answer to God on that one."
Sean and Kim on their relationship's new bond:
Sean: "There's some good and there's some bad; but our good is just so strong. I'm not perfect. But, she's definitely made me better."
Kim: "We had a rebirth of our relationship. Back then, that was an ugly period, but time heals all wounds. And, you know, one thing about love -- if it's true love -- it will prevail. Our relationship is definitely a testimony in that."
Kim on when she and Sean are getting married:
"When we do, it'll be a wonderful thing, a beautiful thing. But that's just not now. When it's time we'll know it, and we'll do it."
Watch behind the scenes footage here.
Read more: http://www.essence.com/entertainment/essencecom_exclusive_the_sean_diddy_comb.php#ixzz0qQp4t6e8


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Home >
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Cooperative Education and Internships
Cooperative Education (Co-op) at LIU Post enables students to combine academic studies with solid work experience. The Co-op Internship Program provides you with the tools and opportunities you need to select a career, rather than settle for a job. Co-op partners with employers from different companies and organizations in a variety of industries to provide students with professional internship opportunities. This allows you to test out different careers and gain hands-on experience in an actual workplace. Internships and work experience on your résumé will catch future employers' attention and make you more marketable. In fact, at LIU Post, your internship placements and the names of the organizations will appear on your transcript for prospective employers to see.
The Co-op Internship Program helps you gain valuable job experience in a field related to your major. Plus, it's an important step to building a great résumé.
Alyssa Sciarratta
Major: B.S./MBA in Accountancy
Graduation Date: May 2014
Internships: D. Siegal CPA, P.C., Bayville, N.Y.; Coherence Capital Partners LLC, New York City Campus
Clubs: Vice President, LIU Post Accounting Society
My first internship was at a small accounting firm, and my second is at a hedge fund in Manhattan. Applying what you learn in class to the real world makes your education so much more valuable. It has also taught me time management and organizational skills. Learning about career opportunities and meeting successful people who started off the same way as me is inspiring – it makes me really eager to start my career.
We will be offering numerous workshops during the fall semester. For more information, click here.
"LIU Post's Cooperative Education program prepared me well for a career in a growing industry. As a student, I gained hands-on learning experience working as an intern at two major accounting firms. This gave me the opportunity to build my résumé and to gain invaluable skills."– Laura Arancio, B.S./M.S. in Accountancy, 2009 Graduate of LIU Post; Associate Real Estate Auditor, Marks, Paneth & Shron
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In reference to the comment of TFL member : subfuscpersona, here [1], where SF thankfully shared his idea of Freezing a yeasted BIGA for future use; i have finally done the proposed method, with little deviations of my own.
The recipe was adapted from Peter Reinhart's (Transitional Multigrain Hearth bread).
Soaker: 223g Bran + coarse whole Wheat middlings
(sifted remains of milled Wholewheat flour)
4g (1/2 tsp) Salt
173g water
Total: 400 grams
Biga: 227g Bread flour 50 % wholewheat
1g (1/4tsp) Instant Dry Yeast 50% Prefermented Flour
142g water Total Hydration: 70%
------------------------------------------ Bulk Fermentation: 45 min.
Total: 370 grams Final Fermentation: 30-45 min @ 25c
Final Dough:
400g All Soaker
370g All Biga
9g (2 ¼ tsp) Instant Dry Yeast
8g (1 tsp) Salt
Total: 787 grams
Deviations where in mixing the White Biga , fermenting it at room temperature for 4 Hours until it doubled, then immediately freezing it. biga was frozen for three days, and thawed slowly in the refrigerator for another 24 hrs prior to baking day. Amusing, how convenient these Yeasted Bigas are!
Yesterday, 2 hours before mixing, i removed the thawed Biga from the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature. Mixing proceeded, and i did not notice any adverse effects of the freezing on the structure of the Biga. Mind you, it was a White Biga, I'am sure the same would apply for a wholewheat biga, too.
The Final dough developed very quickly, and was bulkfermented, preshped, shaped, and fermented in a banneton. I wanted to try Franko's recent scoring style: here [2], Nice!
Thanks to Subfuscpersona, for his Ideas...! my Freezer shall be packed with Bigas from now on... :)


text: Using the Sidetracked Home Executives™ cardfile system to get organized at home? These printable S.H.E.™ worksheets will help you set up your S.H.E. system for organized success. Interested in learning more about S.H.E.? Read Cynthia Ewer's 21 essays about how to make this homemaking system work for you: S.H.E.s Organized! Printable File: S.H.E. To Be WorksheetCategories: S.H.E. Printables