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Have you ever seen Ping Pong? It is a movie about two high school students, Peco (Yosuke Kubozuka) and Smile (ARATA) who play ping-pong and discover how that sport shaped their friendship, or maybe, rivalry that might ruin their bonds. I really, really, want to review this movie… But, I really, really want to try sticking myself to schedule – a movie/dorama review per month. Maybe, posting about the soundtrack won't hurt. ^^
Continue reading [Top 5] Supercar's Songs from Ping Pong OST


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Early childhood abuse lingers into adulthood, and can have a devastating effect on a person's life. Yet those who can overcome the trauma often have the biggest hearts. Je'net Kreitner is one such incredible woman.
Je'net Kreitner experienced unimaginable abuse from people she trusted beginning at age 3.
Kreitner's babysitter's boyfriend had sexually abused her, and she did what she was supposed to do: she told her parents about the abuse.
At first her father admonished her about the accusations. However, one night he came into her bedroom and asked her to show him what the babysitter had done.
Three-year-old Kreitner showed her father what she had endured, but instead of helping her, he began sexually abusing her as well.
"That's where trust in my life ended with a slammed door. I think from that moment on I knew that I couldn't tell anybody ever again because if I did they might start doing that to me as well," Kreitner told The Epoch Times.
Her father began trafficking her between the ages of 6 and 8.
When she was 14 years old, her father died of a heart attack on Father's Day. Finally, the abuse was over for the time being.
Kreitner kept the abuse to herself, and for years suppressed the memories.
A budding actress, she attended the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California, in 1978. And in the summer of 1980 she traveled to Los Angeles and was cast as Sally in the musical "Cabaret."
Kreitner also played roles in sitcoms such as "Three's Company," and won a Drama-Logue award for her role as Jill in the play "Equus."
"So I had fledgling musical theater career," Kreitner explained.
But one role, which Kreitner now describes as ironic, cut close to the bone.
She was cast in a production called "Homeless: A Street Opera." Her character grew up with an abusive dad and with a mom who wouldn't protect her. The character's story was a close reflection of her actual childhood.
A family member came to see the show, and took her out for breakfast after the show closed. They began talking, and memories started resurfacing.
"It was like a switch that switched, and things just started to come back to me that, in hindsight, didn't look right," Kreitner described.
A flood of abusive memories came rushing back through Kreitner's mind, and she fell apart. She had no family around to support her.
Her mother had married a man in "high social circles" and they didn't want her to talk about the abuse. Kreitner turned to alcohol and drugs to try to numb the pain.
She lost her job and her marriage.
Kreitner was in Anaheim, California, at a bar with a friend when a man approached her.
"I realized this man had me pegged from the very beginning," Kreitner recalled in hindsight.
He was willing to talk to her about the abuse, and she felt comfortable with him because everyone else in her life up to that point hadn't been willing to listen.
He convinced her to sell her side business and move out of California with him. However once they left, she was isolated.
That's when he began to violently abuse her. Three years later, he packed up all her belongings into two suitcases and abandoned her and her son Jeremy at Disneyland on a rainy January 24, 1994.
Kreitner was 36, and her son Jeremy was only 6 when they became homeless.
"It was like my mind was in two places. I was like, I can't believe he did this, and I should have seen this coming," Kreitner recalled.
Kreitner and her son spent the beginning of the first night in a phone booth. A prostitute graciously invited them to stay in her motel room for the rest of the night.
She called her mother from that phone booth, but her mother had begun to suffer from the early stages of Alzheimer's.
Unaware of her mother's illness, Kreitner felt abandoned because her mother wouldn't and couldn't help her.
"How do you turn your back on your daughter who is literally on the street with your grandson?" she remembered thinking.
"I felt completely and utterly helpless and alone at that point. She hadn't rescued me or helped me when I was little and she was turning her back on me one more time," Kreitner said.
Kreitner was homeless for the next six months. She was able to have Jeremy stay with her ex-husband's mother.
During the week Jeremy would stay with his grandmother, and Kreitner would have him on the weekends.
She would do whatever she had to do to earn a little money for a motel room for Jeremy on the weekends.
On June 24, 1994, Kreitner took Jeremy back to his grandmother's house, then took a book called "Bad Love" by Jonathan Kellerman to the park.
She was sitting on a bench reading when, in her peripheral vision, she saw a man walk up to her.
"I'm just thinking to myself, 'Oh God I know he's going to try and solicit me, I don't want anything to do with that today,'" she remembered.
The man said he had a case of the books back at his home, and she lashed out.
Unperturbed, the man explained himself, and sat down next to her. It turned out he worked at a nearby convention center and had just left a book show.
Kreitner softened and began to tell him her whole story.
"I can tell that he cared," she remembered. "It felt good to get that off my chest."
They parted ways, but there was a knock on her motel room the next day. She opened the door and the man from the park was there.
"He looked me in the eye and said 'Je'net, you don't belong out there.' There was something in the way he said it like he really means this, he sees me," she recalled.
He told her he lived in a converted one-bedroom apartment. He promised to give her and Jeremy the bedroom and he would sleep on the couch in the living room.
She took him up on his offer, but in the back of her mind she didn't fully trust him.
"I put him through hell for three years. I figured this guy was going to give up on me and turn around and be a bad guy," Kreitner said.
But it didn't happen.
"He just never ever stopped being supportive," she said.
Three years later she married the man, Patrick, and they had a child together.
But that's not where the story ends. Kreitner still had to address her mental health and come to terms with the abuse she had endured. She had to contend with her emotions regarding her past before she could find employment.
On her road to recovery, Kreitner joined a church, and for the next 12 years found strength in speaking with incarcerated men and women about changing their lives.
She then began working for a variety of non-profits.
During this entire period, the Kreitners took in homeless women to stay in their own home.
At one point they had 10 women and 10 children living at a local motel that functioned as a shelter.
The kindness of opening their home to the homeless and housing them in the motel would develop into Grandma's House of Hope three years later, which provides shelter and assistance for homeless women.
Grandma's House of Hope was officially founded in 2004. In order to provide assistance to homeless men, the Kreitners plan to open Grandpa's House of Hope this year.
The Kreitners have helped over 2,000 women, and have served over 2 million meals to children living in motels.
"Our mission at Grandma's House is to empower the invisible. I felt invisible for so many years of my life because nobody was seeing what was going on with me because nobody was taking the time," Kreitner explained.
"I'm really out here for the underdog, and the one who keeps getting turned away."

subset: commoncrawl


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Posted in Art & Design
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text: Don't let the elements take you out of your element. That's the message behind KOPPEN, Dick's Sporting Goods' new private-label outerwear brand. TracyLocke was tasked with introducing KOPPEN to a marketplace crowded with powerhouse names like Columbia, Patagonia and The North Face. The goal was to give an unknown brand a voice - a technology-inspired, performance-driven way for consumers to Take On Today. This type of marketing endeavor was a first for Dick's Sporting Goods. But in four short months, TracyLocke launched a fully-integrated campaign - everything from in-store signage, traditional and digital media, direct mail, event sponsorships as well as the development and launch of the brand website. The forecast for KOPPEN is bright. Check it out at koppenoutdoor.com


text: 3Com revised its restructuring charge for the June 1997 acquisition of US Robotics from $426 million to $270 million. The change is a response to a request from the SEC and resulted from the fact that the companies have different fiscal periods. The adjustments reflect a change in the timing and costs associated with product swap-outs, elimination of duplicate facilities, and goodwill write-offs related to acquisitions by USR prior to the 3Com merger.


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Staff writer
After just over seven months selling groceries and handmade baked goods, Flint Hills Market and Bakery emptied its inventory from its shelves Thursday and closed its doors in downtown Florence.
The market's closure no doubt disappointed many in the community, including building owners Judy and Randy Mills.
"Everything happened so fast," Judy Mills said. "We don't know why she [business owner Jenny Lee] pulled out. It's just so sad."
Lee cited "personal reasons" for the closure, and stated the choice was not a "financial decision."
"I love this community," Lee said. "Our customers are what I am going to miss the most."
Mills was quick to dispel rumors regarding the closure that surfaced and circulated last week in the community and online.
"There are probably lots of rumors out there and probably 98 percent of them are not true," Mills said. "The eviction rumor is not true whatsoever. I am saddened that people would even think that. It was Jenny's choice to close entirely."
From the time they decided to remodel the historic building, Mills said she and Randy knew that they were not going to make any financial gain on the project. She said they restored the building because of their love for the area and the potential they see in Florence.
"We wanted it to work more than anybody," Mills said. "This town really needs a grocery store, and it's big enough to support one.
"We've always been advocates for Florence. We felt like the store would be great for the area, but we knew that it would not be any kind of a money-maker for us."
In a seeming expression of compassion towards the community, Lee and her sister, Catie Zurcher, chief baker at the market, decided to donate more than 8,300 pounds of food to Marion County Food Bank and Resource Center.
Lee said 40 people appeared at the market Thursday morning to assist with transporting the monstrous amount of food in a flurry of activity.
"I honestly have no idea how many trucks they loaded but they were done in one hour," Lee said. "There are some really great people here."
At least three trucks towing trailers packed with food arrived at the food bank in Marion around 8 a.m. that day, according to food bank volunteer coordinator Kathy Henderson.
She expressed regret about the market's closure, but called the sudden influx of foodstuffs "a small miracle for the food bank."
"It's overwhelming," Henderson said. "I'm astounded. We've never had so much food in stock. We already started building more shelves to hold it all."
The food bank also received a 780-pound food donation earlier in the week from the Prime-Timers, a Sunday school class from Aulne United Methodist Church.
Wanda Williams, treasurer of the group, said the class bought the food during a 25-percent discount sale at Flint Hills Market and Bakery.
"With the discount we paid $789," Williams said. "The Lees are in our church family. It was a way to help them, and also a way to help the food bank."
Henderson said the immense food donations will "be put to good use" feeding county families, but the fate of the former market is unclear.
The Millses have not given up on the idea of using the space for a grocery store.
"For the town's sake, we'd like to see it open again," Judy Mills said. "Originally, we wanted to keep it flowing together but you can't find somebody that fast and you can't make that transition that fast.
"In a perfect world, we'd have it open again right away. We just took a reality check and said, 'Hey, we got to slow down' Nothing is definitely set in lead."
As for Lee, she said she plans to remain in the area and continue to work with her sister in a different endeavor.
"We're keeping our options open," Lee said. "We don't know what the future holds, but Catie and I will be doing some farmers markets in the area."


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Our Furniture Collections feature a wide selection is stocked with beautifully crafted furniture items for your bedroom, dining room, living room, office, or bathroom. We also offer rustic home furniture for well-known brands like Rustic Walnut, Weathered Timber, and Rustic Heritage Furniture. From TV consoles to coffee tables, enhance the look and feel of your living room with the beautiful collection by Rustic Heritage Furniture.
When the weather cools down in the summer, our rustic outdoor furniture is perfect for lounging outside and enjoying a tall glass of lemonade. And once the temperatures start to drop and outside becomes a white flurry, The Burly Bear is also stocked with a variety of entertainment furniture that is both multi-functional and also a great style piece for any home. Our rustic poker table can be used for a game of poker or flip over the top to convert it into a dining table.


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Board Development Workshop
What is a board development workshop?
A practical and interactive full-day workshop designed to help board members and senior executive staff of not-for-profit organisations, particularly in the arts, to understand their roles and to maximise the board's contribution to the organisation. Participants cover topics that help them:
• Clarify the role of the board
• Understand the legal and financial responsibilities of non-profit boards
• Discover effective ways for the board and executive staff to work together
• Discuss how to make board meetings as productive as possible
• Consider best practice in recruitment and induction of board members
The workshop runs for one whole day from 9:00am to 4:30pm. Two or three board members from each organisation are encouraged to attend with the CEO.
The material for this tried and tested workshop was written by BoardConnect Director, David Fishel, author of The Book of the Board, and was delivered throughout Australia in collaboration with the Australia Business Arts Foundation, from 2004 until early 2011.
BoardConnect now has an exclusive licence to deliver the workshops.
Have you ever wanted the opportunity to personally connect with a range of experienced professionals who can help you reflect upon the many facets of your role?
BoardConnect's speed mentoring events are a unique opportunity for board members to gain access to experienced and understanding mentors for confidential and impartial advice.
Mentees rotate through a number of mentors throughout an energetic one-hour series of interactions.
Speed mentoring is highly effective in facilitating productive, focused conversations about specific questions.
You can discuss any aspect of your role, such as your own development as a board member or issues and situations that occur in the boardroom - so it is wise to consider your line of questioning ahead of the event.
Each of BoardConnect's mentors has been highly successful in their chosen profession and contributed to a range of organisations as board members or consultants and are keen to share experiences with you.
Contact us to find a Speed Mentoring event near you.
Improve Your Board's Impact
Board members and CEOs want to make the greatest contribution they can to the organisation's mission. One of the simplest and most effective ways of testing the board's impact is to undertake a board self-assessment. In the non-profit and the for-profit sector periodic board reviews are becoming standard practice for organisations of all sizes as boards seek to improve performance amidst rising community and funders' expectations.
BoardConnect has conducted board reviews for more than 100 non-profit organisations. Our experienced facilitators will steer your board through a detailed self-assessment, share insights, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Feedback from board members who have participated in our reviews has been consistently appreciative:
We felt lucky to have had this opportunity. It was a fantastic process for where we were at as an organisation. Thank you!
BoardConnect offers board reviews at a number of levels. Find out which service is right for you. Click here to download our current Board Reviews brochure.
Working with individual boards to support their annual and triennial self-assessment processes. Our services include Facilitated Board Self-Reflection discussions, Board Reviews and Audits at various levels of detail.
In order to initiate the board review we would ensure that we have a close familiarity and understanding of the organisation's objectives and work. We would propose to gather data to address these areas, and a more detailed list of governance dimensions, through the following steps:
- Initial briefing with Chair and CEO
- Review of board documentation
- Board self-assessment survey
- Individual interviews with board members, CEO
- Draft report and recommendations
- Revised report
- Presentation and final discussion
Facilitated Board Reflections
Every board should periodically arrange for an externally facilitated review process to ensure that it is performing as well as possible, and to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. Ideally that process should include a full board audit or review, at least once every two to three years, depending on maturity of board processes and other factors, such as changing board membership, or a rapidly changing external environment.
When you're not due for a full audit or review, but feel some time out for reflection and discussion would help focus board members on how the board can enhance its effectiveness, BoardConnect can provide a Facilitated Board Reflection, for a fraction of the cost of a full audit.
Experienced facilitators from BoardConnect provide an impartial view and will be able to share insights from their work with other boards. They can help table topics for discussion and resolution, which might otherwise remain unaddressed, and assist the process of prioritising performance improvement actions for the board's attention over the coming year.
A BoardConnect consultant would start the process with a conversation with your Chair, and would then prepare for a 2 hour meeting with all board members. Ideally this 2 hour session should be scheduled as a stand-alone meeting, but could immediately precede an already scheduled board meeting if member availability requires this. Following the session, BoardConnect would supply notes on key discussion points and agreed board actions, and copies of relevant BoardConnect fact sheets and board resources.
To register your interest in a Facilitated Board Reflection for your organisation, click here. We will contact you to discuss the process, the cost, and provide further information to help you decide whether you'd like to go ahead with booking a Facilitated Board Reflection for your board.
Alternatively you can call the BoardConnect team on 07 3891 2599 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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528 E 7th Street, North Vancouver Listing #: R2345955
Do not miss out the opportunity of a charming flat, south facing 7,000.00 lot a the convenient lower Lonsdale area in North Vancouver. Pleasing 4 bedroom home in a great neighborhood with over 1,000 sq ft of unfinished floor space for rooms that fit your plans. Fabulous lower Lonsdale location near great schools, parks, ski hills, and restaurants and shopping centers. Just a delightful property with great POTENTIAL for expand & build your dream home. Features include original hardwood floors, garage, covered deck, updated bathroom, and all the benefits of living in this Lower Lonsdale community. It is in an idyllic neighborhood and presents an excellent opportunity for investor/builder. Open April 13th, Sat 2-4 pm.
Taxes (2018): $4,737.49
- Clothes Washer
- Dryer
- Drapes
- Window Coverings
- Refrigerator
- Stove
Site Influences
- Central Location
- Marina Nearby
- Recreation Nearby
- Shopping Nearby
- Ski Hill Nearby
Similar Listings
Listed By: Sutton Group-West Coast Realty
Disclaimer: The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the MLS Reciprocity program of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS Reciprocity logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board.


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Ashland University senior Drew Windle is this week's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Male Track Athlete of the Week.
Windle has the second-fastest times in Division II in the early outdoor season in the men's 800-meter run (1:49.92) and the men's 1,500-meter run (3:45.92), both coming on Friday (March 27) at the Raleigh (N.C.) Relays. Both marks are provisional-qualifying efforts for the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Nationals, May 21-23 in Allendale, Mich.
Windle is 11 one-hundredths of a second behind Patrick Weaver of Colorado Mines in the 800 (1:49.81), and nine one-hundredths of a second behind Matthew Clowes of Concordia (Ore.) in the 1,500 (3:45.83).
Both times rank No. 1 in the GLIAC this season.
The Eagle men's and women's outdoor track and field teams' next action will be Friday (April 3) and Saturday (April 4) at the University of Akron and at Mount Union.


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I haven't peeped a peep since I went on vacation in February because I've been racking my brain about what to do with this blog creation of mine. The fact of the matter is that, for now, I have "cleared out" my mental space and I need to take pause to consider my new design scheme.
I've kept journals ever since I can remember. They've covered every slight obsession of mine from the New Kids on the Block and teenage angst through my bad poetry and creative writing years. I journaled in the margins of my "green monster" at boot camp (which I unceremoniously dumped in the garbage, along with my stomped-upon BCG a.k.a. Birth Control Glasses I was required to wear in boot camp). I've kept notebooks on and off through my adult years to chronicle times of change and growth… and then I discovered blogging.
My first blog came about a few years ago when I spent a summer making pies, and then I blogged my wedding planning experience so that friends and family who couldn't be there with me during the whole process could at least be included in some way. When I started Design Sensibility last year, we had just gotten married and moved back to Kentucky and I was aching for a creative project to sink my teeth into. It gave me an outlet where I could corral all of my little design obsessions and projects and to actively create rather than just be at home by myself during the day and behind a bar at night.
Blogging takes time, though; a few hours a day looking for inspiration, finding it, then finding images and words to accurately express whatever creative vision has transpired. These days I find myself spending those hours researching our upcoming trip to Paris, looking for a new house to call home, educating myself extensively about skin and hair and makeup trends, and following whatever threads pop up along the way…
As the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." While I'm not 100% sure about all of that, I do know that life is taking me elsewhere right now and I feel guilty leaving the blog "on vacation" for so long. So let's call this "an indefinite farewell," to which I will either return, renewed, invigorated, and newly inspired… or not.
Either way, it's time to close the chapter.
And in the meanwhile, if you like, you can follow me on Pinterest, because I still love design, beauty, fashion and fabulousness.
A bientot, mes amis.


text: "Something about the movie still feels false. There's nobody better than Hornby at dissecting the way people define themselves through their tastes, but in other respects his screenplay is too fussy and neat for its own good. This is a middlebrow view of what must have been a messy affair." – Philadelphia Weekly, 10/21/2009


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Dejah made her way home as the light grew dim and purple. It was barely five o'clock, but she felt exhausted. The streets were brightly lit, and on corners where people tended to gather, the city had erected large heaters. She could feel a blast of warmth as she passed each one, but it quickly dissipated into the night when she moved forward.
Lights were lit in most of the buildings she passed as she moved into a more residential area. The shadows were dark black and the last of the light was fading from the western edge of the sky when Dejah unlocked the door of her home and walked inside.
"Dej, is that you?" Nathan called out.
"Yeah, sorry it's so late. I ended up stopping by the University, and kind of lost track of time."
He emerged from the work room, and flopped onto the couch, patting the cushion next to him. Dejah smiled and sat down, leaning lightly against him.
"Sounds like fun. The University never really seems to change as much as the rest of the town."
"Probably because they don't have that much space," she replied. "I went to go see the Spirit memorial again, you remember how much I used to like to go there. Some kid recognized me and asked me to sign his geology book. That was cool, but a little weird."
"I bet." He ran the ends of her hair through his fingers.
"Then I went up into the balcony of Robinson, and listened to a lecture that Livingstone was giving."
"What class was it for?"
She laughed. "I couldn't tell. It could have been history, geology, or survival techniques. You know how his lectures are. But it was good, you know. All the old stuff about making a difference here, creating a culture. It helps to hear the reminder sometimes. Anyway, when the lecture was over, I went downstairs to see him. It was just like it used to be, with a group of three or four students hanging around, just waiting to hear whatever random bits of his philosophy he cares to expound on, hoping that they can say something that he'll compliment. Some things never change."
Nathan laughed, and Dejah continued. "Anyway, I went down to see him, and he was really excited to see me. I'm not sure what the students were thinking—most of them left around that time, anyway. He'd said some stuff about me being the ideal University grad, and it just made me feel weird, like he was putting too much focus on me or something."
"I thought you wanted to make your mark on the world. Isn't being recognized part of that?"
she shrugged. "I don't know any more. I realized something lately. Well, really, it was Livingstone who pointed it out, or at least put into words what I was thinking. He quoted some poem, and I don't remember most of it, but there was this one line...'Runners whom renown outran, and the name died before the man.' Now that I've made my mark, it's just another goal for someone else to pass. I never really thought of it before, but it's exactly what I was trying to do myself—go past what anyone had done before. Now someone will come along who goes beyond anything I've done. If I'm lucky, it'll happen after I'm dead and I won't have to watch it happen."
"you don't want to be somebody else's inspiration?" Nathan looked at her curiously.
"Well...Yes, but that's not all I wanted. I just..." she struggled to find the words. "I just don't want to be stuck on the inside looking out."
"don't you mean, 'on the outside looking in'?"
Dejah shook her head. "No, I don't want to be inside. That's where you get trapped. I want to be able to go out."
Dejah woke earlier the next morning, her muscles not as stiff as they had been in previous weeks. As she pulled her hair back, she looked at her face in the mirror. At first it didn't seem too different from the face she'd seen in the mirror every morning at school. But as she looked closer, she saw the thin network of lines around her eyes and mouth. Her hair was not as soft as it had once been, and more of it came out in her brush now. It was still the pale blond it had always been, but she knew that there were several silver hairs among the gold.
I never noticed how much I look like my dad, she thought, turning her face to one side, then the other. Finally, she wrapped an elastic band around her ponytail and left the bathroom.
She got dressed and made her way into the living room. Nathan had a pile of papers spread out on the table, full of designs and notes. He was on the comm with someone, and she walked by him into the kitchen, plugging in the tea kettle and getting her breakfast together.
"No, that's just not going to be good enough," she heard Nathan say, the frustration seeping into his voice. "If I can't be on board as a consultant, they're going to start changing things when they get to the site, and then the design will go all to hell. I can't have my name on another one of those. I don't care how many awards the last one won, it wasn't my design anymore by the time they got done."
Dejah dropped a tea bag and a spoonfull of sugar into a mug, and glanced at her husband over her shoulder. It's not like him to be this upset with someone on the phone, she thought.
"No," he continued, "I'm sorry, but that's final. I'm not selling the rights to that design without that clause in the final agreement. If they don't like it, they'll just have to find something else." Another pause. "Yes, well, I'm sorry, too. I'm sure that someday someone will come along who is more than willing to sign the full agreement, and then we'll get it built. Thanks for trying, Paul. Yeah, talk to you later." He put the comm down, and leaned back in his chair, arms braced behind his head.
"Something wrong with a project?" Dejah asked, pouring hot water into her cup and stirring it slowly.
"Oh, just the usual problems. "I'm trying to sell my cathedral design. It took me nearly two years to refine it, figure out all of the materials, get everything just right. And there are several companies interested in buying the design--"
"Wait," Dej interrupted. "Companies interested in building a church? That seems weird."
"Not really, when you think about it. If they build the place they can either rent it to the congregation that wants it, or they can donate it. A complete tax write off, and they get their names attached to something that's certain to be an attraction to visitors. A space like that can actually generate revenue for a city, if they bring in concerts or other productions."
"Oh, ok," Dejah said, sipping her tea. "sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, that's ok. So anyway, there are several companies that really want the rights to this design, but you know how it goes when they settle in to actually build something. Costs are always more than they expect, and they start cutting corners with no thought for the design. This is my masterpiece, and I want a clause in there that brings me on as a consultant, to make sure that the design is either followed to the letter, or if there is some physically necessary change, that I get to be the one to design around it. Nobody wants to sign on to that one." He slapped a hand down on the table top, sending several papers fluttering to the floor.
"It'll still be incredible, even if they have to make some changes to the design," Dejah commented, looking through the designs and remembering the stained glass that had looked like flame in the night. "It would be the most beautiful building on Mars, and you won't let them build it?"
He sighed. "I don't want my name on it if it isn't right, and I sure as hell don't want someone else's name on it. One of these days someone will sign off on that clause, and then they'll all wish that they'd had the courage to do it."
He drained the dregs of tea that had cooled in his cup as it sat on table and made a face. "I've got to run, Dej, they need me out on a site today, so I can take some measurements and check the light; they need the final design in a week, so it's kind of urgent. Sorry to leave you alone so soon!"
"No, it's alright," she said with a smile, giving him a quick hug. "Have a good day."
He returned the embrace, and grabbed his coat before heading out the door. Dejah watched him go, then peered out the window as he walked briskly down the street. When he was gone, she exhaled, and felt the tension begin to leave her body.
"I still love him," she said to no one in particular, "but being here is driving me crazy."
The pile of boxes and bags that still cluttered the living room caught her eye, and she picked up the tube that contained her maps and photographs.
As she twisted the end open, she paused. Then, with a burst of determination, she opened the tube and pulled out the images. She carried them into the workroom she had shared with Nathan two years earlier, and turned on the light.
She sighed as she saw that Nathan's sketches, blueprints, and designs had overflowed into her work space. Notes were stuck on the walls, and only a small space at the far end of her space was left free.
She pulled the designs and notes off of the wall, and set them in a neat stack on Nathan's desk, followed shortly by the papers that littered the floor of her space.
Dejah grabbed a box of thumbtacks from a drawer in her desk, and quickly began posting up the maps and images of the Phoenix and the northern plains of Mars. It's not the same as being there, she thought, but it's the only thing I've got right now.
A sudden idea struck her and she grabbed her comm. She punched out a quick message to Charles at the Mars Heritage museum, and a few moments later, the comm beeped. She answered it.
"Dej! Good to hear from you, I hope everything's going well in Spirit City?" Charles sounded good, she thought, even a little bit excited.
"Well, they're..." she shook her head and started over. "Yes, everything's fine here. I actually didn't expect you to call so soon."
"I was just leaving the museum for the night," he commented. "So what can I help you with?"
"You guys got the images from my helmet cam, right? I know Dandelion has them, too, but the red tape there would be incredible, and I thought this might be quicker."
"Sure, we've got it. Some of our researchers having been going through the collection, analyzing and cataloguing it."
"Can I get copies of those photos?" She held her breath as she waited for a response.
"I'll check, but there shouldn't be a problem with it. We're planning on putting the full image collection on the nets, as soon as it's all tagged and labelled, anyway. In fact, I bet I could even get you a little grant money, if you would just type up your memories of a few of the photos, just what your impressions of the landscape were, and we'll make it an exhibit at some point."
"sounds fantastic! Do you have my net address to send them to?"
"Oh sure! I'll check around just to make sure that it's alright with the team here, and get those to you later this week. It may take me a few days to make sure I have it all."
"that's fine," she assured him, feeling a glimmer of excitement again. "Whenever you can get them to me is great, and I'll work on the writing."
"that would be great! Sounds like a deal. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
She shook her head, looking around her workspace again. "No, that's more than enough, thanks again!" She turned the comm off, and looked around the workspace again, feeling more alive than she had in weeks.
"what're you working on, Dej?" Nathan asked as she stood by the printer; page after page of images of red dusty hills and jagged rocks filled the tray.
She grabbed the stack and moved it over to her side of the room, and began shuffling through them, arranging them into piles of similar images.
"Just something that I thought of the other day. It's too early to go back to Dandelion, I don't think I can get through a full day for another few weeks. I keep falling asleep in the middle of the day." She paused, glancing quickly between two images and finally sorting them into different piles. "But if I don't have a project, I will go stir crazy."
"Are those images from the Phoenix mission?"
"Uh huh," she replied, not taking her eyes off of the pictures. Nathan waited for her to volunteer more information, but she went back to work, and he leaned against the doorway.
"So what's the goal of this project? It looks a little more complicated than most scrapbooks."
"You'll see." She hummed to herself as she sorted another handful of papers.
He watched for a little while, then sighed, and went back to work in the kitchen.
Dejah woke slowly from her nap. The couch was far too comfortbale, she decided sleepily, and sitting down on it after a solid morning's work was just asking for trouble.
She pushed back the blanket that she'd pulled over herself, and stretched. Nathan was at another construction site, and the house was quiet.
Dejah got to her feet, and pulled on her coat. The heating in the Dome had gotten better in the two weeks she had been gone, but it was still cold in the middle of the winter. She pulled on a pair of gloves, and locked the door as she left the house.
The streets were mostly quiet, since the majority of the residents were either at work or school in the middle of the day. The sun was bright, and Dejah wished she had thought to bring a pair of sunglasses.
A few minutes walking brought her to her destination. She smiled, seeing the familiar curving shape of the Dome wall. It always looked as if it was about to fall on you when you stood underneath it, she observed; maybe that was why so few people spent much time around the walls.
She reached out and touched the clear material with a gloved hand, and looked through the wall to the red landscape outside the Dome. The sunlight made the rocks and dust glow warmly, and the wind seemed to be just light enough to kick up the occasional spray of red dust. A beautiful day, she thought, too bad the weather's always the same in here.
She glanced around to see if anyone was coming, then lay down by the wall. She turned her face to the outside, looking across the flat ground. Every tiny feature was visible at this angle; small bumps and dips in the land revealed themselves, and the texture of the dust made the view look rough.
The chill from the ground was intense, and the wall itself was very cold to the touch. The heating systems tended to circulate the warmest air in the city centers; the wall itself conducted the chill through its material, and was difficult to heat.
Dejah scooped up a hand of dust and let it trickle through her fingers. It cascaded down, making a small pile below her hand. "I miss the wind," she said quietly.
"Kind of a funny thing to miss," said a voice behind her, "most people enjoy knowing that their hats are going to stay in place when they venture out."
"Max!" she shouted, giving her friend a hug. He laughed, and hugged her back.
"Sorry I didn't have much time to visit when you first came back. I figured that you'd be too tired to enjoy much company. Feeling better now?"
She brushed the fine red dust from her coat and made a mental note to wash it when she got home. "Yes, much better, though I'm still taking naps every day. I'm due for a check up next week, and then they'll tell me when I can go back to work."
"Great! I thought you'd probably be going stir crazy without something to work on." He glanced outside, runnign his eyes along the ragged horizon. "Looking for something in particular out there? Or are you just trying to catch a cold so you don't have to go back to the office?"
She laughed again and shook her head. "No, I come here a lot. It's the nearest spot where I can get to the wall where there's no one around to watch. I miss being out there, you know."
He nodded. "i think I know how you feel. I don't know what I'd do if they told me I couldn't fly anymore. There's nothing like it, getting up there in the black, looking down on a whole world. But come on, it's going to be getting dark soon, and you look cold. Mind if I come back to your house? I'd invite you over to mine, but I just got back from a trip, and Shelle has refused to allow me to show anyone the house before I've cleaned up my laundry and cargo."
"It would be great to have you over, Max" she said, turning toward the town.
When they arrived at the house, Nathan was at home, and he greeted Max eagerly.
"Hey! I don't think I've seen you since you brought us home a few weeks ago." The two men shook hands. Nathan said "Please, take a seat! I'll get dinner going. Have you been flying a lot lately?"
Max nodded, flinging himself into one of the armchairs in the living room. "Yeah, the more people come, the more demand there is for good pilots. I'm working on starting my own shipping company, for high priority items, or items that need guaranteed gentle handling. I know a couple of young hot shots who would be perfect to sign on for my crew. It looks like we'll be ready to start selling our services to the public in about a month." he chuckled. "When I first started trying to set this thing up, I figured that insurance would be the trickiest hurdle. Nope, not by a long shot. Want to know what was?"
"Getting everyone to work for workable rates?" guessed Dejah, and Max shook his head.
"No, believe it or not, it was the advertising. I hired this agency out of Opportunity Dome. They've been driving me crazy for months now: they don't want to call it 'premium shipping,' because it sounds too pricey—which it is, but they don't want it to sound that way. Then they didn't want to use 'priority shipping' because it focused too much on speed and I'll also be offering shipping for high rick items and fragile items. I told them to just say 'Silver Hammer Shipping—for any damn thing you need to send,' but they just laughed at me." He rolled his eyes dramatically, and Dejah laughed.
"Is Shelle excited about you finally getting to run your own company?" Nathan asked from the kitchen as he added yellow curry paste to a pan simmering on stove. Dejah sniffed the air appreciatively.
"Yeah, she is. I'll have a lot more control over my schedule, so hopefully I can be home a little bit more. Not so much in the beginning, when I pretty much have to take any shipping job I get, but once we're established, I can set up shipping centers with local pilots in all of the Domes, and spend a little more time working from here. I hate not seeing the kids grow up. I had to miss Brian's last birthday, and I just hated it. He understood, he's a good kid, but no parent wants to explain why they missed a birthday, right?"
"That sounds like it'll be a nice arrangement," Dejah added wistfully. "you'll get to be home when you want to be, but still get out and see the planet every day."
an awkward silence fell, and the only sound was the sizzle of the curry on the stove. Then Nathan glanced at Dejah, and asked Max, "So do you go to Bradbury Dome much? How's the museum doing?"
"Oh, it's a huge hit," max said excitedly, shifting positions on the chair. "I wish I could have seen that crowd, I hear it's one of the biggest crowds that's been recorded here. Well over twenty thousand, and some reports said thirty. Incredible. Anyway, I actually stopped there long enough to take a quick trip through the museum the other day. There were still a lot of people coming and going, though they said they expect traffic to slow in the coming months. That Phoenix exhibit is really something to see. Actually, the whole museum is pretty nice in that regard. It's not just bare facts and data; they really try to make it feel like Mars, so even people who will never set foot on the bare surface get to experience a little of what it's like. I hope it makes people stop taking the place for granted."
"Dinner's ready," Nathan called from the kitchen as he lifted the top off a pot of rice, releasing a cloud of scented steam into the air. Max and Dejah joined him in the kitchen, and soon the table was set, and all three sat for the meal.
Dejah scooped a pile of rice onto her plate and covered it with the curry. "Nathan, I'm so glad you made this tonight. There was no place to get decent curry in Bradbury Dome, and I really really missed it. Especially on cold nights like this."
"I would have made it sooner," he admitted, "but I kept forgetting to get the stuff from the store. I'd remember it at three in the morning, and forget again the next day."
She laughed.
After the dinner was over, the three worrked to clear the table and clean up the dishes. It only took a few minutes, then they moved to the living room and sat down, chatting about old times and Dejah told Max about visiting the University."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," max said with a sigh. "I still keep in touch with the Academy, and I usually try to get to some of the demonstrations. I've found some of my best pilots that way, and a lot of them are coming over to Silver Hammer Shipping. But it's so strange to see the changes that happen there, new instructors, new methods, new records to beat. Some punk Terran kid beat my record speed around the manuever course this year. Thought I'd have my name on that one for a lot longer than that."
"Didn't you set about fifteen records?" Dejah asked with a grin, "surely not all of them have been beaten yet."
"Only seven, as you well know, one of those actually being the record for number of records set by a single student. And yes, there's still at least two of them that stand. But I expect to see those go any day now." He gave a dramatic sigh and pretended to be crushed. Dejah couldn't suppress a snort of derision, and Max grinned.
"No, really, it's fun, just a little strange. You remember those days, when everything seems like it's open to you, and you never think about things like paying bills, wiping noses, or trying not to strangle the fine people at your ad agency. But that's where everything ends up, really."
"I wonder if that's what makes the difference between the people who make it in the end," Nathan mused. "You remember Ann? I see her Areriums all over the place, all the best hotels and corporations want them worked into the designs for their lobbies. But then there was that kid Keith, you remember him Dej? Always got the top grades in any class he was in, everyone talked about how he was headed for the top, surely some big planning corp, maybe even a government liaison office. Last I heard, he went back to Terra, just never could seem to make it work here."
Max nodded, then sighed and heaved himself to his feet. "And speaking of mundane duties that must be attended to, I should be on my way. Shelle's going to be putting the kids to bed in a few minutes, and I'd like to be home for that."
Dejah hugged her friend, and walked with him to the door.
He opened the door to leave, then turned and looked at her for a minute. "I know you want to be back out there, Dej. It's pretty damn obvious to anyone who saw the way you look towards the Dome wall anytime you get close to it. And that's fine—it's people like you who opened up this world to us. But..." he glanced around the room, lit with warm globe lights and still decorated with pictures of the Aresian landscape. "Don't miss this. This is where life happens, this is the real deal. You've lived an incredible dream, but don't let it rob you of what you have here." He gave her a quick hug, then turned and walked out into the night.
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The Journey Begins
"Nothin's gonna get'ch you there! Not your little compass, not the size of your penis- nothin'!"
– was the response I got while asking for directions to Glendelough, Ireland's National Park.
Fortunately, this was the only bump in my road, in regards to interacting with other people. Besides this, honestly humorous conversation, I have been met with nothing but kindness from the people here. Ah, except at the border control where the man wasn't convinced that I didn't want to live here. I was only given two weeks to explore this stunning country.
Dublin, very similar to Philadelphia, was loaded with old architecture, and it came with a certain feeling of openness. Every town I have walked through has at least 4 bars, all proud to serve Guinness. After landing, I walked to my couchsurfing host, Vijay, and we spent the night cooking, discussing religions, and more. He gave me traditional Indian food for dinner and breakfast the next morning, and was an excellent introduction to the community of CS.
I waltzed down and spent the night fairly cold as I got lost in the town of Enniskerry. I slept in a wheat field, fighting off rats, and in the morning I had learned my lesson: Don't wait until nightfall to find a place to sleep. I found myself in Bray, and was invited by a Couchsurfing group to hike the mountain there. After the hike, they told me that if I had dinner with them, they would pay for my meal. I have my new acquaintance, Namig, to thank for a chicpea burger with "Chips," (A.K.A. Fries).
Life here has been fun. Often times by accident, I've seen so many unbelievable panoramic views that finally taught me the value of experiencing something so massive first hand. I took some photos of certain areas but they simply do not convey the feeling in your soul that you get when you see them with your own two eyes. Here for example is a picture taken on the top of Luggala, above the owner of Guinness' home-
You can see it and say, "Yeah, that look's pretty grand," but you can't feel the mist soaking your clothes, the wind almost blowing you over (Seriously, the wind here does NOT joke around), or the incredible height at which I am standing. Maybe it's because my camera is a simple 'Point-and-shoot,' but to stand above that was simple breathtaking. I wish I could have shown this to the man I had quoted at the start, because boom, baby, that was taken after walking over 100 Miles to the sight. I have learned that I can do whatever it is I want, that where there is a will, there is a way, and often times, the way is quirky, unpredictable, but undeniably more pleasant that the easier, more modern mode of travel.
It was here that I ran into a group of French folk that here hiking The Wicklow Way. Since I was going the same direction, we joined up and a wonderful time. By the time we got to the village of Roundwood, they offered to buy me a drink with them at the local bar- my very first Guinness in the land of the Irish at a table of French men. Afterwards, we hopped a fence behind a lake to camp out, wash our clothing, and clean out otherwise smelly bodies. I definitely needed that =P
We split ways in the morning after they berated Irish cheese for being pretty much worthless, I headed down to the sea fairing town of Wicklow where, when scoping the area for a place to stay, I bumped into an old man named Sean Cleary. After talking for a bit, he said, "Well, how would you like to stay indoors tonight?" And just like that, I had a bed, dinner and breakfast, and I learned all about this man's life. Turns out he was a big humanitarian who worked with a woman named Kay Barry in Bosnia, and the former Yugoslavia. He, like every other religious person I have met, is a devout Catholic, although as he says, many young people are turning away from the belief. It's not often that I am invited to stay in someones home, however, mainly, I believe, because of my suspicious physical appearance and the fact that I probably smell weird (I definitely do miss hot showers every day). But Jane and Emily Murphey were two very kind souls who also gave me a couch to sleep on and food to eat. They were part of a church that was, I think, "Full Latin Mass as ordained by Christ Himself," which you can take or leave. No matter the case, the people there were as kind as I've met and the women were amazing cooks.
Speaking of Catholicism, this group has been the kindest I have met so far. I always stop in at the large church buildings, if only for the complete silence within their walls, but in most cases, someone comes over offering me food. And so far, they always allow me to camp out on their property.
As for everyone else Fate had cross my path, they have all been pleasant. The two women from a coffee shop in the town of Dalkey, the man in the photography display preparing his Siberian trip, the former Irish boxing champion who plays the accordion after Sunday mass, the dog who peed on my backpack, the girl in the camping store, Americans hiking the Wicklow Way, all the above mentioned persons, and more. I truly feel so blessed, so alive, and so full of potential experience that I frequently feel as if my life is not real.
With that being said, my entire time hasn't been great. I got a bad fever a few days ago but have since recovered, and let me tell you that hiking 15-20 miles a day sucks sooooo bad when you're sick. Yeah, screw that.
As I said earlier, I only had two weeks for Ireland because the immigration officers thought that I wanted to live here forever. But, I suppose this is the beauty of the way I am going: I have no plan set in stone, and I can work with this life however it comes to me. Tomorrow, I am catching a flight to France, and I have a strong feeling that I might soon walk El Camino De Santiago, if not now, then certainly when I come back through France next year.
Until next time, here are some more photos. Thanks for following, share this post if you want, and don't forget that you can always pop in and say hello in person where ever I am =] I'm going to France to get some cheese and wine on the recommendation of my French Pals- so until then!!
Oh, and P.S. Fresh Blackberries, like, EVERYWHERE!!!
11 thoughts on "The Journey Begins"
Good to see your well, Molly and I were just talking about you on Sunday. Keep your self safe and well. P.S. Damn the man, next time they give you grief and only two weeks, smile, politely thank them and stay four weeks. Their only gonna kick you out if they catch you any way. Keep on keeping on my brother.
You're my hero right now!! Absolutely living the dream!! I would certainly take advantage of the cheese in wine in France. Some of the best in the world. Continue to stay safe, take it all in and have fun!! Good journey!!
Hey buddy, It was very exiting reading your first post. It was filled with so many interesting stories! I'm glad you are meeting kind people along your journey. Fighting of the rats must've been gnarly😳 I hate rats!!! I just keep thinking how perfect you are for this adventure! Can't wait to see what happens next! Be well. Love you brother! ✌
Keep the stories & updates coming Sam! What a neat experience! Love from Uncle Tim & Aunt Sharon
I am so thrilled for you to be taking this trip. Traveling is some of the best nourishment for the soul we can find on this planet. I doubt you remember me, I think the last time I saw you you were probably seven or eight, but my family used to attend Calvary Chapel and I remember often coming to your house in Manahawkin and spending plenty of time out back with you all and the animals.
Anyway. When I was eighteen I lived in southern Switzerland, in Sorengo, just up the mountain side from Lugano. I still keep in touch with a few of the locals all of which were amazing, and a handful of friends from school that live in Lugano, or elsewhere in switzerland. That being said, if you happen to pass through Ticino/Tessin and the city of Lugano in Switzerland I can definitely put you in touch with a handful of amazing game people who are kind, and generous, and full of life.
…a handful of amazing people who are kind, generous, and full of life.*
Not sure where my phone got "game" in the midst of all that but I had to correct it.
This is amazing! Thank you so much for posting highlights from your journey. I can't wait to hear more stories of your fantastic adventures. Maybe one day you'll write a book about your travels. I love you, stay safe! XOXO
Sam! This has been awesome to read! What experiences you are having! So proud of you to just go do what you felt was on your heart! Safety and prayers sent your way, dear cousin!
Love, Melissa
Many of us find it thrilling to be "cyber-travelers'. Your stories are exciting, your writing is articulate, and your sense of humor adds great 'seasoning' to the whole experience. Keep feeding us portions of your journey, Sam, and thanks for the opportunity to tag along. ❤


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Social media marketing is among the latest methods of advertising on the internet these days. It may seem difficult to undertake at first, but once you read the tips below, you will see that it is easier than it looks. You should read this article if you are interested in giving it a go.
Include a re-tweet option on every post to your blog. Having this atop each post allows others to easily share the information through their Twitter accounts. It will allow you to reach more people, more often.
If you are using Twitter to promote your business, it is vital to respond to your followers on a regular basis. You will be more respected when you answer questions quickly and accurately and thank followers who mention you. This will allow you to build a strong relationship with your potential customers. Your goal should be to further your online presence as both an individual and as a professional.
Be sure that you have a blog, and keep the content fresh with helpful information. Post any promotions or sales you have via your blog. You can also share any other important information. – post it on your blog too.
Add a button that shares your blog posts on Facebook to each of your blog entries. This enables visitors who read your content to immediately share it with their friends who might be interested. This will make more people aware of your blog and bring you more potential customers.
Before entering the world of social media marketing, devise a plan. Consider page management, the layout of the page and the amount of time to be invested into it. Like with any promotional campaign, it is best to set up a timeline to achieve your marketing goals. Do all you can to stick to the plan and your campaign can be more successful.
When designing your social media marketing strategy, you should put a great deal of thought into your company's objectives and priorities. If you rush into any campaign without doing your research, you may find yourself spending time and money to get no returns. Plot a comprehensive strategy that incorporates your overall advertising agenda and then start moving.
You need to tie all of your social media sites together using links in order to have the most successful campaign Make it easy for your viewers and readers to find you on Twitter, see your YouTube videos and follow your Facebook page. You should include the web address for the blog and your Facebook profile on your Twitter page. When you create links to your different social media profiles, you will increase the number of ways that potential clients can view your content.
Make your site more social media-friendly with comments, ratings and favorite lists. If you add these options, your visitors can find the content that everyone has read, and they will be able to give you their opinion.
Your social media site needs to have fresh content posted on a regular basis. Social network users look for updates very often, and if your site does not provide new content, you could lose customers and damage your reputation. Make sure your social networking sites are updated a few times each week.
If a customer or potential customer asks you something or comments on your social media site, it's important to promptly answer them. You need to become a comment hawk to ensure that you're not missing anything. Get in the habit of checking out the comments first after you log in.
Try your best to be humble when you post on various social media sites. Even if your company is massive, followers won't be impressed by posts that are filled with arrogance. Don't ever assume that you have more power than your customer base and followers. They will ultimately determine and sustain your success.
Regardless of it's general form and purpose, one facet your social media campaign must include is habitual rapid and professional response to all comments, inquiries and reviews. This can make a difference in the social marketing campaign in whether it fails or is a success. You will want to pay special attention to negative postings from readers and respond to them right away. If you leave these posts alone, you could potentially harm your reputation. However, a fast and proper response can actually make you look good, because it shows you care.
Make use of Twellow or Tweepi, which are tools that work with Twitter. Utilizing these tools, you can more easily identify users in your target audience as well as those users with the most influence. They will allow you to pinpoint which people or companies you should follow, so that they will notice you and follow your content, too.
Social Media
Make sure there are plenty of links to the social media pages you have created on everything you do; you can also have an RSS feed that details your latest activity, too. Have them on your blog, emails, and anything else you can think of. Also, don't forget to link all of your social media profiles together so that people can follow you on multiple sites.
This article has shown you that social media marketing is not that hard to do. Social media sites allow you to market your products or business in a simple, fast and affordable manner. You can be successful if you persevere.


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Meet the Stern Shows' Registered Libertarians: Benjy Bronk and Brent Hatley
Don't expect these guys to vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in 2016
After discussing the political success of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Howard wondered if there were any Libertarians on-staff and discovered that both Benjy Bronk and Brent Hatley were registered as such.
Howard was sure Benjy wouldn't even know who the Libertarian presidential candidate was, but he in fact did, answering: Gary Johnson.
Brent came into the studio and explained that he's voting for Johnson in hopes that he can secure 5% of the vote, which would get the party more rights and funding for future elections.
Brent also recounted how he ran for city council in St. Petersburg, Florida one year, but ultimately lost. "I ran on just the issues," he said. "I really ran against red light cameras."
Brent's opponent, while not as sharp on the issues, was a 37-year veteran teacher in the community and enjoyed a large base of support. He was even Brent's driving instructor.
Hatley said that his job at the time with Bubba the Love Sponge didn't win him any fans either. In the end, Brent still secured 40% of the vote, but it simply wasn't enough.


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Over the objections of a bipartisan group of black and Hispanic members, the House passed a redraw of the Senate maps Tuesday on a 61-47 vote.
The original Senate map was rejected by the state Supreme Court. The Senate drew a second version, which passed that chamber last week.
House Redistricting Chairman Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said he thought the Senate's second attempt is constitutional.
"It is my belief that there are many ways to draw a compliant map," he said. "I believe the map they drew was compliant, but, again, we will see what the court says."
Shortly after the vote, though, the Florida Democratic Party sent out a one-line sentence indicating the map battle is far from over.
"We'll see you in court," it read.
The map was criticized by Republicans from the Miami-Dade County delegation, which said demographics warranted a fourth Hispanic "opportunity" district. Black Democrats also hammered the plan because they said it would dilute the black vote.
The new Senate map now goes to the Supreme Court, which has 30 days to review it. If the justices reject the map this time, they'll be given 60 days to draw their own.
Peytons headline DeSantis fundraiser
Former Mayor John Peyton and his father, businessman Herb Peyton, are among the headliners for a fund-raiser being held for congressional candidate Ron DeSantis, who is running for a coastal district that includes St. Johns, Volusia, Flagler, and Putnam counties.
The event is being held Wednesday at a Ponte Vedra Beach home owned by developer and insurance executive Jerome Fletcher. Other hosts include Fletcher's brother, Paul Fletcher, and investor Joe Hixson.
DeSantis, a Ponte Vedra Beach resident, is part of a crowded GOP field that already includes former steakhouse executive Craig Miller and Jacksonville City Councilman Richard Clark. St. Johns County teacher Bev Slough and state Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, also have expressed interest. Heather Beaven, who ran for Congress in 2010, is the race's only Democrat.
For your daily politics fix, check out the Times-Union's PolitiJax blog on Jacksonville.com and sign up for Florida Morning, a daily newsletter compiled each morning by Times-Union writer Matt Dixon. Follow Matt on Twitter @MDixon55.


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A little different format today, as the season rolls along–and no audio version (I toyed with it) for a variety of reasons….
About Last Night
The Phantoms scored a tough win last night by a 2-1 tally over the visiting Springfield Falcons, who were wearing their road blue sweaters for the last time. The Hamilton Street Heroes fell behind 1-0 early, but never gave up and managed the win behind a greasy goal from Cole Bardreau and a breakaway backhander from Aaron Palushaj. Stolie was the story of the night, though, as he made many tough saves–especially early on–to keep the team in it. His play really inspired his teammates–as did Cole's fight–and provided the spark for the tough win. Bards ended up an assist short of a Gordie Howe hat trick.
There were several posts hit early on by the Falcons–they even challenged one and lost. Trivia Time: You know what that's called when the puck hits the post? (Keep reading. The answer is below.)
Playoff Position
Or: "Count down to elimination"
It depends on if your glass is half full or 7/8 empty, you know? As we said yesterday, Tony (Highland Park Hockey) tweeted a 20-4-1 record over the last 25 would be necessary to try to claim a playoff spot. d.E. came up with 18-6-1, so I'm going to split the difference and go 19-5-1.
So with last night's win, we're at 18-5-1 over the final 24 games. Tonight's game is against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who are one of the teams who might be catch-able. However, they're on a 10-game point streak and playing some good hockey. A win (or loss, sadly) tonight in regulation is a 4-point swing in the standings (either way). It's a big game.
Player Report
F Colin McDonald was seen skating without any problem earlier in the week at practice, but was then a semi-late scratch with what's being termed a "minor, nagging injury" which he supposedly suffered last week. Then we're told that he'll probably be out the rest of the weekend. This craziness makes me long for the NFL injury reporting rules.
F Pavel Padakin returned to play in the game last night after grabbing some ice time in Reading mid-week.
Royal Report
The Royals lost to first-place Manchester last night 5-2. They head up there for the rematch tonight.
der Eishockeyzuschauer Preview:
Puck Drop: 7:05PM
Doors: 5:30PM
Tickets and Parking: Only singles remain for seating, yet the web hasn't been updated for SRO tickets just yet. If they don't get it up soon, I advise calling for an SRO or getting downtown early to grab one. There is the possibility that this game will completely sell out.
No parking issues to report. I continue to be happy with the Community Deck on 6th/Hamilton.
No security issues to report. They only had Youth/Large T-shirts last night at our entrance–not big enough for my 13-year old soccer player. No matter. We'll find someone to give it to.
Broadcast: Tonight's game is available on TV-2 if you have Service Electric, but doesn't appear to be part of the FMZ-69 Saturday package. Radio: AM-1470, IHeartRadio (mobile), PhantomsHockey.com (web) and FM 89.9 (arena, real time)
Media Kit and Rosters: Sound Tigers 2-20-2016
Promotion: None. I did read that Bernie Parent will be at the game signing autographs, but I do not have any official release or details. I'd like to see some kind of promotion every night, but with tonight selling out anyway, I suppose they don't really need to.
Pregame: TV goes to pregame at 6:30PM live from Chickie's and Pete's; Radio 6:20PM for your drive downtown.
Last night the elusive DiPro emerged from his Winter home and we had good food and service at Chickie's. I know not everybody has had the same experience, but I've really nothing to complain about: My food came out hot, and cooked correctly. Kram3 and DiPro enjoyed their sandwiches. We never wanted for a drink refill or for the dirty plates to be removed. They brought our check and got us out of there quickly when it was time. Really, that's all I ask for on a Hockey Night.
Tonight marks the start of Lehigh Valley Beer Week. Here are some things happening downtown today/tonight:
- Meet the Brewers: Evil Genius at the Hamilton ("all day")
- LVBW4 official ale on tap at Allentown BrewWorks
- Skip the game? Local IPA challenge at 7:30PM at Bell Hall
- (There are many others around the valley, but those are the ones I could find for downtown tonight)
What to Watch
- Watch for how Coach Gordon uses his netminders. It's a 3/3 weekend, so go with the hot hand and Stolie again tonight? Or, let Stolie face Springfield again on Sunday afternoon in Massachusetts? We'll see.
- Watch how the whole team responds to the challenge of tonight's game, following last night's hard-fought win.
- Watch to see how the top two lines play: They're now missing the captain, as well as Cousins. Palushaj has to continue to step up, as do the youngsters Martel and Bardreau. Strax had a couple assists last night and it's time for him to get back on the board. Leier could be due for another tally, as well.
- Watch to see who sits atop the "umbrella" on the power play. I saw Straka up there early last night, then Comrie for the rest of the evening. Interesting to watch.
- The Sound Tigers have one of the better PK units, but one of the weakest Power Plays. The Phantoms may have difficulty scoring on the PP, but should be able to kill off any penalties. The team that can reverse that trend has the inside track on a win tonight.
Looking Ahead
With 3/3 this weekend, the Phantoms will head off for a rematch with Springfield tomorrow afternoon. They'll then have a similar 3/3 next weekend with Hartford and Utica at home before a rematch in Hartford Sunday afternoon.
Phan Nation News
A couple updates from the Phan Nation–official fan club of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms:
- Memberships have been extended through the 2016-2017 season!
- "Phan Invasions" of away arenas and "Road Trips" are always in the works. Visit their web site or Facebook page for details.
- Wear your Phan Nation T-Shirt to the next two SUNDAY games, as well as to the Season Ticket Holder Carnival, if you're going.
- "Bleed Orange" blood drive at the PPL Center on Wednesday (2/24) 1:30PM-7:00PM
See you at the arena,
Trivia Answer: It's called: NOT A GOAL. It doesn't count for anything at either end of the ice so I don't want to hear any whining about it either way. It's not a goal, and we use goals to tell who wins and who loses a game.
Bonus Video:
Categories: Kram's Korner - From the Club Level, Phantoms Hockey