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Saints of Italy – San Benedetto
There was a holy man, whose name was Benedetto, which is to say blessed, and rightly was he so called, being abundantly blessed by the grace of God. From his earliest youth he had the mind of a sage, and, though rich and of noble rank, cared nothing for earthly things, looking upon the flowering garden of the world as an arid desert. His parents brought him to Rome, that he might address himself to liberal studies; but, seeing how many were led by profane learning into vice, he withdrew himself hastily from the path of knowledge. Troubled, moreover, by the evil lives of his companions, he resolved to abandon his home and possessions, and seek a habitation far from the busy ways of men, where he might lead a life pleasing to God. So, bidding farewell to his parents and friends, and accompanied only by his old nurse, who loved him tenderly, he departed from the city, and went forth into the wilderness.
After a journey of some days they came to a place where, close beside a church, dwelt a company of pious men and women, who lovingly compelled them to stay their weary feet and abide with them. Benedetto was at first well pleased to dwell there. He exercised himself continually in prayer and meditation, watching far into the night, fasting three times a week, and on the other days partaking only of bread and fruit. One day the nurse, having borrowed a vessel wherein to cleanse some corn, that she might make bread, incautiously let it fall, and it was broken in two pieces, whereupon she began to weep bitterly, not knowing how she might restore it to her neighbour. The pious and kind-hearted youth, pitying her grief, took up the two pieces, and with eyes full of tears began to pray, and when he rose from his knees he was astonished to behold the vessel whole and sound, so that no man could have discerned that it had been broken. Going up to the nurse, he gave it into her hands with sweet words of consolation. This thing becoming known to all in that place, was had in great wonder and esteem, and the people took and hung the vessel over the door of the church, that all men might see to what perfection of grace the boy Benedetto had attained, beholding his prayers thus marvellously answered.
But Benedetto longed to suffer for Christ's sake, rather than to be praised for his goodness, and that life which others would have judged too hard to be endured, he despised for its overmuch comfort and ease. His discontent increasing, one night, when his nurse lay fast asleep, he rose from his bed and, bidding her a silent farewell, took his staff in his hand, and went forth from that place. He wandered for many days in the wilderness, suffering hunger and thirst, and wounding his feet upon the sharp rocks, till at last he came to a desert country, where an abundance of clear water poured forth from a lake, and flowing down in a river, watered all the plain beneath. Here he met a monk named Romano, who gave him food and drink, and then led him to a secret place in the mountain beside the lake, where there was a deep cave. Benedetto hid himself in the cave, and lived there in solitude, serving God, unknown to any man except Romano. This gentle monk, who lived in a monastery not far off, stole secretly out each day, and carried to his friend a little bread, which was all he could spare from his own scanty meal. And because there was no path from his cell to the cave, which was overhung by a great rock, Romano was used to let down the bread in a basket by a long rope from the top of the rock, and he tied a little bell beside the basket, that at the sound of its ringing Benedetto might come forth to receive the offering. One day, as Romano was performing this act of lovingkindness, the Evil One, moved by envy at the sight of his charity, appeared in the form of a horrible bat with a man's head, and throwing a stone at the basket, broke the bell. Romano, terribly frightened, continued, nevertheless, to bring the bread at the accustomed hour; and the Evil One, vanquished by his constancy, molested him no more.
After three years had passed away, a certain priest, who dwelt at some distance, was preparing for himself a feast wherewith to celebrate Easter, and mixing and compounding the delicacies with much care, when an angel appeared and cried, saying, "Thou preparest good things for thyself, and the servant of the Lord yonder is tormented with hunger." The priest, wondering greatly, rose, and taking with him the food, set forth to seek the place pointed out by the angel. After wandering a long while over steep mountains, and through valleys and rough ways, he came at last to the cave, and found Benedetto sitting on the threshold. They embraced one another tenderly, and knelt down to pray, and afterwards had much sweet discourse together. Then the priest said, "Arise, let us eat, for to-day is the feast day." Benedetto answered, "For me it is indeed a feast day, seeing thou hast come to visit me." But he knew not that it was Easter Day, for so long had he dwelt apart from men that he had lost count of the seasons. The priest said, " Verily, to-day is the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord, therefore it behoves thee to leave off from fasting, and for that cause am I sent unto thee." And he related how the angel had appeared, and continued, " Now let us enjoy together the gifts of Almighty God." Then Benedetto rejoiced greatly, and gave praise to the Lord, and the priest having meanwhile spread the feast, they sat down and ate; and on the approach of night the priest rose, and bidding the holy man farewell, departed and returned to his church.
Soon after this a company of shepherds came that way, and, seeing something moving among the thick bushes, they took it to be a wild beast, but on approaching nearer they were amazed to find it was a man, clothed in the skins of animals, and of such a sweet and gentle aspect that they were compelled to kneel down and entreat his blessing. Benedetto spoke to them holy words of exhortation, and so tamed their wild and savage hearts that many of them forsook their evil ways and were turned to piety and grace, coming often to the cave to seek comfort and advice from the holy man. In this manner his name and his sanctity became noised abroad in that country, and many began to visit him. God was thus pleased to relieve Romano from the labour of feeding the saint, for Benedetto was now abundantly provided by the gifts of the faithful, who, bringing him food for his body, received in return bread for their immortal souls.
A little way off dwelt a community of monks who lived a careless and evil life. Their abbot being lately dead, they were desirous, from a spirit of pride and vainglory, to have a saint for their father, and came and besought Benedetto to rule over them. He refused them many times, declaring that his ways would not agree with theirs. At last he yielded to their importunity, and with great ceremony and rejoicing they brought him to the monastery. But when he began to govern, and would allow none to depart either to the right hand or to the left from the narrow path of righteousness, the monks began to rage together, and each to accuse the others of having proposed him for their abbot, so offended were they by the uprightness of his rule. Alas! hard it is for the evil to make themselves new hearts, and to walk in the ways of the good. At last they took counsel together to kill him, and one day they mixed poison with his wine. When the cup was offered to the holy father to be blessed, according to the custom of the monastery, he stretched forth his hand and made the sign of the cross, whereupon the cup split into fragments. Benedetto, perceiving that it had contained a deadly potion, since it could not endure the sign of life, rose with placid countenance and tranquil mind, and, assembling the monks, spoke as follows:
"May the Almighty God have mercy upon you, brethren! Wherefore did you desire to do me this evil? Said I not rightly that your ways and mine would not agree together? Go and seek an abbot like unto yourselves, for me you may have no longer."
So saying, he rose, and, taking his staff, went out from them and returned to his cave, where he lived in his beloved solitude once more, with his eyes turned night and day to the silent heavens above him.
But he might not enjoy undisturbed peace, for the Evil One, envious of the increasing virtue of the saint, sought every occasion to tempt him. One summer evening, as Benedetto was sitting outside his cave, refreshing his brow in the sweetscented air, a little blackbird began to tease him, fluttering round his face, as if it would have him take it in his hand. He, fearing it to be of evil omen, made the sign of the cross, and straightway the bird flew off. And immediately a terrible temptation assailed him; for the devil caused to appear a beautiful maiden, whom Benedetto had known long ago in the world; and she stood there gazing at him with sorrowful eyes, as it were beseeching him to return to her. And the holy man was filled with such an exceeding great love and longing that he almost resolved to abandon the hermitage and return to the city. Terrified at his own weakness, he rose hastily, and wandered about all night among the rocks and the thickets, wounding himself grievously upon the savage thorns; yet he could not drive her image from him. At last, when the first cold light of dawn appeared, he fell exhausted on the ground, and she vanished. From that day she came no more; and the Evil One, overcome by his constancy, ceased to vex him.
Time went on, and the fame of the saint grew ever greater, so that multitudes came to visit him, and many abandoned the world and congregated near his dwelling, that they might profit by his teaching. Noble and religious persons from the city of Rome flocked thither bringing their sons to him to train up in the fear of God. He built twelve monasteries round about that place, and appointed twelve abbots to rule over them, giving them a set of laws for the guidance of the monks. Now, in one of the monasteries there was a young brother who would never stay at his prayers—for scarcely had the monks begun to pray but he would go quietly out and wander about with his mind full of vain and worldly longings. When he had been often admonished by his abbot without result, he was brought to the holy Benedetto, who rebuked him sharply and bade him amend his behaviour. But for two days only did he keep the command of the holy man, and on the third, falling back into his old habit, he stole out of the chapel at the hour of prayer. This being told to Benedetto, he said, " I will myself come and correct him;" and he rose and went to the monastery. The monks beginning to pray as usual, he watched carefully, and saw a little black boy enter and pull the restless monk by the edge of his garment, and draw him out of the chapel. Benedetto calling the abbot and a brother named Mauro, whom he trusted greatly, said to them, " Do you not see who it is that draws forth the monk? " and they answering " No," he bade them pray that their eyes might be opened. The next day the same thing happened, and this time Mauro saw, but the abbot remained blind. At the conclusion of prayers the saint went out and discovered the guilty brother standing against the wall. Then Benedetto took him and chastised him with rods, and drove the evil spirit out with abundant stripes, so that from that moment the little black boy came no more, and the monk remained each day motionless in the chapel praying with his companions.
The brothers from one of the monasteries on the top of the mountain complaining to the saint that they were compelled to make a painful and perilous descent to the lake whenever they had need of water, Benedetto comforted them, and bade them come to him again next day; and that very night he ascended the mountain alone with a young boy named Placido, and prayed on the top till dawn. Then, setting three stones there for a sign, he returned home, and bade the brothers go up the mountain, and when they came to the rock whereon were set three stones, to dig a hole. They did as he commanded, and immediately the hole was filled with fresh water, which flowed forth in such abundance that there was enough for all the monasteries.
And the saint performed many other wonders. One dayhe gave an iron instrument, such as the people use for reaping, to a poor man named Beppo, bidding him cut down a certain thicket which grew on the shore above the lake. Beppo began to hew with all his might, and suddenly the iron sprang out of the handle of the instrument, and fell into the water. The man coming with woeful visage to relate his misfortune, the holy Benedetto rose up, and went with him to the lake, and taking hold of the handle, held the end thereof in the water, whereupon the iron rose up from the bottom, and entered of itself into the handle, and the saint restored it to Beppo, saying, " Behold the sickle. Now return to thy labour, and grieve no more." On another occasion, the child Placido went to draw water, and incautiously letting the bucket fall in, fell in himself after it. The strong flood seized him, and he was drawn from the shore with the swiftness of an arrow. Benedetto, shut within his cell, was miraculously made aware of what had happened, and calling Mauro in great haste, said, "Run, run, Brother Mauro, for the child is fallen into the water." Now mark this marvel which came to pass. For, hurrying at the bidding of the holy man to the place where the boy had been swept away, and thinking himself to be still on dry land, Mauro ran over the surface of the water, and, taking Placido by the hair, returned with all speed the way he had come, drawing the child after him. As soon as he touched the ground his understanding returned to him, and he perceived, to his exceeding great amazement, that he had walked upon the water, and, leading Placido by the hand, he went and told Benedetto. The saint rejoiced over the rescued boy, and gave much honour to Mauro, judging the miracle to have been done because of his obedience, but Mauro said that it was not so, for he had not known what he did, and that Benedetto had himself endued him with the power, by commanding him to save Placido. In the midst of this loving contention, each desiring to give the praise to the other, the child interposed, saying, " When I was being drawn out of the water I saw above my head the face of the holy father, and I believed it was he who was bringing me forth." Thus was judgment proclaimed by the mouth of a babe, and the merit given to him to whose virtue it was due.
Benedetto dwelt for many years in the cave, but the time came when he was to quit it and go forth to fight battles against the heathen and the powers of darkness, and his departure came about in this wise. The priest of a neighbouring church, Florentio by name, filled with envy of the saint, began to speak evil of his life, hoping to persuade the people not to visit him, and, finding these wiles fail, sent him a gift of poisoned bread, with the purpose of killing him. Now, a crow out of a wood close by was accustomed to come at the hour of dinner and take food from the hand of the saint, and Benedetto, knowing full well what was concealed in the bread which Florentio had sent, took and threw it on the ground before the bird, saying, " In the name of the Lord, carry this to a place where no man shall find it." The crow, opening its beak and extending its wings, began to flutter and hop round the bread, plainly meaning to tell him that it desired to obey, but was not able. The holy man bade it fear nothing, and perform his command, and the bird, after hesitating a long time, at last took the bread in its beak and flew away. After three hours it returned, flying heavily, as if very weary, and ate greedily from the hand of the saint, so that it was evident that it had flown a great distance and accomplished the task.
The holy father, giving thanks to the Lord for having preserved his life, began to grieve deeply that Florentio's mind was kindled against him, and he called his monks together and gave into their care his chapel and all he had built, and, taking only a few brothers, went forth to seek another habitation. No sooner had he thus withdrawn himself from the hatred of his enemy, than it pleased God to smite that Avicked man in a fearful manner, for he was standing upon his housetop when they brought him news that Benedetto had departed, and he began to exult exceedingly, when suddenly that portion of the roof whereon he stood, though all the rest of the house remained unshaken, fell with a great crash, and he was destroyed beneath the ruins. Benedetto had scarce gone ten miles on his way when Mauro came running after, with a joyful countenance, and cried, saying, "Turn back, O father, for the priest who persecuted thee is dead." Whereupon the holy man began to weep and lament grievously, sorrowing for the death of his enemy, and because his own disciple had dared to rejoice, and he rebuked Mauro, bidding him do penance for his revengeful spirit.
Knowing that it was the Lord's will that he should quit the cave, he did not turn back, but journeyed onwards for many days, till he came to a high mountain, where, hid within dark groves of trees, stood an ancient temple, and within it an altar whereon the ignorant people made sacrifices to Apollo, after the customs of the heathen. Benedetto and his followers broke the idol, overthrew the altar, and burnt down the trees, and for this they suffered much persecution from the inhabitants, who strove to drive them away with sticks and stones; but the soldiers of Christ fought and endured manfully for their faith, and, after a time, the gentleness of Benedetto softened the hard hearts of the people, and they began to listen to his words.
The saint, compassionating their benighted condition, resolved to stay there and convert them, and he began to build a chapel in the place where the temple had stood, and habitations for the monks close by. The evil one, vexed at being driven from his old haunts, sought every occasion to annoy Benedetto and hinder the work. One day he sat himself upon a stone, which the monks were about to raise to its place in the wall, so that by no effort could they move it, till they cried to the saint, and he coming and making the sign of the cross over it, the devil flew away with a horrible screech. Another time the enemy overthrew a wall and crushed a young monk, so that not one bone of his body was left whole. The saint bade the weeping brothers bring the dead boy to his cell, and putting them all out, he shut the door and prayed earnestly, whereupon the boy was restored to life as strong and sound as ever. Continually, in the night, the devil would appear to Benedetto, with flaming eyes and mouth, raging horribly, and lamenting with a loud clamour, saying, "Benedetto, Benedetto;" and the servant of God making no answer, he would cry, "Maledetto " (which is to say, cursed), "not Benedetto, wherefore dost thou persecute me?" and forthwith disappear with a hideous groan; but the saint, putting all his trust in God, feared him not, and persevered in his work, till a beautiful church and monastery rose in that place.
Benedetto had a sister, whom he loved dearly, named Scholastica, who, like him, had dedicated herself to the service of God. Their parents being dead, he brought her to the mountain, and made her a dwelling not far from his own, and, in course of time, many pious women abandoned the world, and gathered about her, and the saint himself visited and taught them. There came among these from the city of Rome three women of noble birth, who had so imperfectly cast off the bonds of worldly vanity, that they could not refrain their tongues from gossip and slander, but chattering all day long, instead of giving themselves to prayer and meditation, they provoked their companions to wrath. This being told to the saint, he immediately sent and bade them correct their tongues, lest evil should befall them, but they persisted in their evil speaking, and in a short time all three died, and were buried in the church. Their nurse being present during holy service, was astonished to see them rise every day from their graves and go out of the door one by one, as if unable to endure the Word of God, and, remembering how they had disobeyed the servant of God, she ran to him, weeping bitterly, and implored his help. Benedetto went to the church and prayed earnestly before the high altar, and blessed their graves, and from that time they were no more seen to rise—whereat all the women marvelled greatly, and took heed to control their tongues and to behave with modesty and meekness,
Years went on, and the holy man began to be filled with the spirit of prophecy, so that he was able to foretell the future and read the secret hearts of men. One evening, at the vesper hour, he was partaking of food, and a young monk named Paolo stood behind him holding a lamp. The spirit of this brother began to swell with pride, and he said to himself, " Who is this man that I should stand behind him as he eats, and spend myself in serving him?"
Benedetto immediately turned round and rebuked him, saying, " Open thy heart, brother. What is it that thou sayest to thyself?" Then he called Mauro and Placido, and commanded Paolo to give them the lamp and to go out and remain idle during that hour. Paolo went out and wept bitterly, and being afterwards questioned by the brothers, he told them everything, and they were filled with a great awe, perceiving that nought could be hid from him, who was able to hear even unspoken words.
Now, shortly afterwards, a terrible visitation fell upon the land, for Totila, the King of the Goths, came down with a mighty host and ravaged all the country round about, slaying the inhabitants, and burning their cities. Hearing men speak of the great prophet Benedetto, he determined to visit him, and halting his army a little distance away, sent messengers to the monastery to announce his coming. The servants having returned, and told him that Benedetto was ready to receive him, it entered the perfidious mind of the King to try and prove whether the saint were, indeed, a prophet. Calling his chamberlain, he bade him put on the royal robes, and take with him three nobles of high rank, who were wont to wait closely upon the monarch himself, together with a great following of horsemen and servants, and to present himself before the saint as the King in person. When the chamberlain arrived at the monastery, he was brought with great honour into the presence of the servant of God, who, as soon as the false king was come near enough to hear, cried, with a loud voice, " Son, put off thy robe, for that which thou wearest is not thine own." Immediately the chamberlain and all his followers fell terrified to the earth, and, rising up, they dared not approach the holy man, but fleeing as fast as they could, returned to the King.
Then Totila came himself, and seeing Benedetto from far off, placed upon his lofty seat, he was afraid to proceed, and humbly prostrated himself to the earth. Three times the holy man spake, saying, " Rise," yet Totila dared not lift his head. Then the saint rose from his seat and deigned to go himself to the monarch, and raising him up, he rebuked him severely for his evil deeds, and foretold what should befall him, saying, "Much evil thou doest, much evil hast thou done. Henceforth thou shalt refrain from iniquity. Thou wilt shortly enter Rome, and afterwards cross the sea, and reigning nine years, in the tenth thou shalt die." The King, amazed and terrified at these words, humbly implored Benedetto to pray for him, and took his departure. And everything came to pass as the saint had foretold, for from that day Totila was less cruel, and soon after he besieged and occupied Rome, and crossed the sea to Sicily, and in the tenth year of his reign he lost both kingdom and life.
Much time passed away, and the saint grew old in years and in grace. And a great famine visited the land, and the people in their hunger came and besought the holy man to help them. He gave them everything he could, till nothing was left for himself and the monks but a little oil in a glass vessel. Then there came a poor man, who begged exceeding piteously for some oil, and Benedetto bade them give him the portion that remained. But it was not done as he commanded, and when the saint inquired about the matter, the brother who kept the larder excused himself, saying that it could not be spared from their own needs. Then Benedetto was wroth, and ordered them to take the vessel with the oil and throw it out of the window, that nothing might be saved by disobedience. Below the window there was a precipice, and at the bottom many sharp rocks, whereon the vessel fell, yet, to the astonishment of all, it was not broken nor the oil spilt out. Thereupon the servant of God told them to pick it up and give it to the poor man, according to his first command, and he rebuked the disobedient brother before them all. Then they knelt down and prayed. Now, there was set there a great jar, with a tiny drop of oil at the bottom, and as the holy man prayed the oil began to increase and bubble up in the jar, and rising and rising, at last it overflowed the brim, and inundated all the pavement where it stood. Thereupon Benedetto left off praying, and the oil immediately ceased to flow. Then he took that same monk aside and admonished him long in secret, bidding him consider the mercy of the Lord and be of greater faith.
Scholastica was, like her brother, growing old, and began now to feel her end approaching. The day came on which Benedetto was accustomed to visit her, and he rose and went down to her dwelling, with Mauro and Placido, and spent the whole day with her in prayer, and praise, and sweet discourse. When the shades of evening began to gather round them, they sat down to eat, and the hour growing late, the pious woman said to her brother, " Do not leave me this night, I beseech thee, but let us talk till morning of the joys of the heavenly life."
He answered, "What is this thou askest of me, sister? I may in no wise abide out of my cell."
And the sky was so serene, that not a cloud could be seen. Scholastica, hearing her brother's words, clasped her hands upon the table and bent over them, as if in prayer, and when she raised her head there broke forth such a terrible tempest, with thunder and lightning and pouring of rain, that, on issuing forth, neither the venerable saint nor the monks were able to stir their feet for the mud upon the way. Benedetto, returning to his sister, said, "God has given thee thy wish, sister. What is this that thou hast done?"
She answered, " Behold, I prayed to thee, and thou wouldst not hear me; I prayed to my God, and He has heard me. Now, if thou canst, go forth and leave me."
Then Benedetto, seeing he might not return to the monastery, stayed with her, and they passed the whole night in vigil, with holy colloquy, and in the morning he departed. Three days after, the saint, being in his cell, with his eyes raised to heaven, saw in a vision his sister's soul, in the form of a dove, issue from her body and penetrate to the uttermost heaven. Thus was it made manifest to him that she was dead, and, rejoicing in her glory, he gave thanks to God, and sent and fetched her body, and caused it to be laid in the sepulchre which he had prepared for himself.
Not long after, knowing the hour to be at hand when he should be called to join his sister in heavenly glory, the holy Benedetto began to prepare to quit this sorrowing world. He called all the brothers round him, and foretold to them the day of his death, and they, falling on their knees, wept bitterly, and besought him not to leave them. Then he comforted them with sweet and loving words, and exhorted them to continue in faith and obedience to God after he was gone. Six days before that one on which he was to die, he bade them make ready his sepulchre, and soon after fell into a grievous fever. On the sixth day he was borne by the brothers into the chapel, and there, supported by their arms, he breathed his last.
That very hour two of his disciples, being upon a journey, saw in a vision a shining as of innumerable lightnings, and in the midst thereof a golden pathway stretched from the cell of the saint up to the farthest heaven, and the holy Benedetto passed over the path, and was received out of their sight. Full of astonishment, they ran in haste to the monastery and told what they had seen, and thus it was made known to all that the servant of God had obtained the reward of his long patience and obedience. Then, with chanting and prayer, they took the body and laid it in the sepulchre within the chapel, and for three days and nights they ceased not to keep watch there, continually praising and glorifying God that He had been pleased to deliver His servant from the tribulations of this present world and receive him into celestial glory.
And the funeral rites being fully accomplished, they returned to the monastery, chastened and comforted in their souls, and resolved henceforth to walk with God's help in the steps of the blessed Benedetto.


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Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, and while they may not have power in their homes, they will have the power to elect the next president of the United States. (Oh come on, that pun wasn't that bad!)
And they will also be electing a fresh member of Congress in the new 6th Congressional District in Queens.
Just how those votes are going to shake out, though, is anybody's guess, depending on whose internal poll you believe.
Councilman Dan Halloran, the Republican candidate in the race, released a poll last week with some very surprising numbers that were, not unsurprisingly, very favorable to him.
According to a survey of voters conducted by pollsters McLaughlin & Associates, Halloran holds a 5 percent lead over his Democratic challenger, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, among voters who have actually heard of both candidates.
But the surprising result, according to the poll, is that Halloran holds a 28 percent lead among voters who have a strong opinion on both candidates, meaning that among voters who have likely made up their mind on who to vote for, Halloran holds a commanding lead.
The Meng campaign quickly released a statement refuting Halloran's poll, noting that their own internal polling showed that Meng had a 51 percent to 21 percent lead over Halloran in the district, with another 27 percent of voters undecided.
From Meng's release:
This "poll" is nothing more than a desperate attempt on behalf of the Halloran campaign to raise money from its far right, radical Tea Party base of support. Once again, Dan Halloran just makes things up and expects no one to question him.
Of course, it didn't stop there.
Meng didn't actually specify what company conducted her poll, which Halloran seized on. From a Halloran spokesperson:
Our polling sample accurately reflects the electorate. Also, you know who did our poll, as opposed to Meng's "Marvel Mystery Poll."
We guess we'll know by next week who has the more accurate poll.

subset: commoncrawl


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Trump, Clinton 'Duet' To "Time Of My Life" Is Hysterical!
"Nobody keeps Hillary in the corner!"
The race to become US President between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump has reached such ridiculous heights that all you can do is laugh.
This video by LuckyTV has given us something else to laugh at after they synced up footage from yesterdays debate with the song "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.
Instead of all the personal insults the two candidates have been trading recently, now it looks like the two are serenading each other, and it's hilarious!
At one stage we were half expecting Trump to lift Clinton above his head Patrick Swayze-style!


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- Can you believe it? It was my 2nd Blogiversary in March, but I was too crazy busy with life and wedding plans to blog about it until now. Thanks for your understanding.
- We just celebrated Kenna's 11th birthday, she's my youngest. (I wish she could stay a kid forever, she's my bestest little friend and I'm going to savor every moment I have with her).
- Our SON is getting married here in 15 days. (I'm so happy about the potential for more grandkids in the future). Yippee!
- Another Moda Bake Shop project.
Moda Bake Shop Project.
If you've been following me along my blog journey you know that I've been learning how to crochet. It's one of my newest favorite things to do. I can't crochet very many things but I can make a few different flowers THANKS to my Aunt Claudia (she showed me how). I can also crochet the edge of pillowcases THANKS to Cassie for the great tutorials she did on her blog. Go HERE to check out the last post in Cassie's pillowcase series. If you're a beginner like me you will love her tutorials. She breaks it down for you and the pictures are so helpful. I've also been inspired by other crocheters like my friend Thimbleanna who has shared her work with me in a gift she gave to me. THANKS Anna.
I've really enjoyed learning how to crochet and kept losing my crochet hooks so I thought I'd make myself a crochet clutch and then thought hey, why not make it my next MBS project. So, that's how it came about.
This project has been made for and dedicated to YOU, my fellow quilter's and friends. Thanks for your support and genuine comments. I appreciate every ONE of YOU!
FYI: The pattern along with the printer friendly formatted tutorial should be up really soon. The administrator of the Moda site is the one who puts it together so it should be up in the next little bit. Let me know if you have trouble.
Now on to the Giveaway. . .
The First Gift:
I've decided to make another Crochet Clutch just like the one you see in the picture below. I will be giving away the Crochet Clutch (crocheted flower included) along with one of my favorite Crochet Hooks that I use to make the flowers.
Five Other Gifts :
I've also decided to give away a five handmade (by me) crocheted flowers in a color of your choice. I have several thread choices like: red, black, blue, green, pink, yellow, teal, and purple to choose from. (Please note: I have a wedding in two weeks so I ask that you be patient with me. I will get to making the flowers as soon as I pick the winners and hear back on the color choices, Thanks).
If you follow the format below I will also give you ONE extra point. It will definitely make it easier for me to track all of your entries. Thank YOU!!!
Then send your email to me at kimberlywalus (at) gmail (dot) com
My Name is:
My Email is:
My Blog Address is:
I completed the following requirements:
I have ____________points.
- 5 points for leaving a comment on this post.
- 5 points if you want to add me to the blog list on your sidebar.
- 5 point for creating a post on your blog and linking to my giveaway.
- 5 points for leaving a comment on My Crochet Clutch at Moda Bake Shop.
- 5 points for being or becoming a follower on my blog.
The giveaway will END on Thursday, April 15th at Midnight.
I will then pick a WINNER the next day on, April 16th.


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Beatles Releasing Rarities Album to Fight Copyright Laws
Yesterday (Dec. 13) we learned that the Beatles were putting out a set of 59 outtakes, demos and songs cut for the BBC. Today we learn that 'The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963' is being released on Tuesday (Dec. 17) in order for them to retain their copyrights.
The BBC is reporting that a 2011 change to European copyright law is responsible for the band's decision to make these tracks available, even though it directly competes with their 'On Air: Live at the BBC Volume 2' double-album that came out last month, and a box of their U.S. Capitol albums to hit stores in January. According to a "Use It or Lose It" provision in the new law, the copyrights to unreleased tracks expire 50 years after they were recorded. 'The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963' will extend the Beatles' rights to these songs through 2033.
Given the considerable lack of hype surrounding this release, it is believed that this new set, which is exclusive to iTunes, will only be sold for a brief spell. This will buy the Beatles some time in figuring how to properly market these, and other tracks in their vaults facing a similar fate, in the future.
Earlier this year, Bob Dylan released a similar compilation of 86 outtakes from 1962. Only 100 copies were pressed and sold in a few European countries.


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Editor's Note: The above diagram is intended as a means of comparison between Australopithecus and its close genetic relatives. It is NOT intended to present a strictly linear progression or imply that gorillas and chimpanzees evolved into present homo sapiens.
Australopithecus anamensis
In my previous post, I described the discovery of the first Australopithecus in South Africa by Raymond Dart. Beginning with the work of Dart and venerable palaeontologist, Robert Broom, an extensive range of discoveries has been made that continues to the present day.
The earliest known species from the genus that Dart discovered is known asAustralopithecus anamensis. Its remains are, sadly, still quite fragmentary. Working at the sites of Kanapoi and Allia Bay in Lake Turkana, in Kenya, Richard Leakey and others unearthed the partial remains of a number of individuals, which are securely dated to between 4.0 and 4.2 million years ago. By comparison, Ardipithecus ramidus (see Figure 1) is dated to around 4.4 million years. More recently 30 specimens of Australopithicus anamensis from at least 8 individuals have been found in Ethiopia and they have been dated at a similar age (see here for an analysis of the rock strata and age of the formations in which the specimens were found.)
Currently, the remains attributed to Australopithicus anamensis consist of several jawbones, some lower faces, more than 50 isolated teeth, skull fragments, several sections of lower arm and a section of a tibia, just below the knee (See Figures 2 and 3). Nonetheless, it is possible, for reasons discussed below, to determine a great deal about how this species moved around, the kinds of things that it ate and, critically, how it differed from its predecessor, Ardipithecus, and the forms that would come after it.
It has been determined that this species inhabited sparse woodland, river bank environments and open grassland, a greater range than that in which Ardipithecus lived. This is based on the similarities between the deposits from Kanapoi, Allia Bay and those of Australopithecus afarensis, the hominin that follows Australopithecus anamensis, temporally. In addition there has been an extensive analysis of accompanying fossil species found at the Ethopian site where specimens from eight A. anamensis individuals have been found.
In addition to the increase in range, certain elements of the skeleton are present that show a clear trend toward the forms that would come later. These include significant changes in how the teeth and palate are arranged, the shape of the teeth (Figure 2), and the morphology of the tibia (Figure 3).
Figure 2 (above, left). Lower Jaw bone of two specimens of Australopithecus anamensis. Figure 3 (below, right). Different views of the same tibia bone from Australopithecus anamensis.
In Ardipithecus, the dentition was very similar to that of modern chimpanzees, with the exception of the size of the canine, which was shortened. The teeth were geared toward a fruit and leaf diet, with occasional meat thrown in, such as you would find in a forest environment.
In Australopithecus anamensis, however, the teeth had much thicker enamel, they were larger and had flatter grinding surfaces that would have been more suited to nuts and other hard foods. This suggests that this hominin would have been well-adapted for life in open grassland and savannah.
The orientation of the tibial shaft indicates that it was positioned directly up and down in relation to the foot and the femur, suggesting that the individual walked completely upright. The length of the radius fragment and its comparison to the tibial fragment further attests that this individual had arms that were elongated, like Ardipithecus. It seems likely, therefore, that like Ardipithecus, A.anamensis spent quite a bit of time off the ground.
It is tempting to speculate about the cognitive abilities of Australopithecus anamensis relative to Ardipithecus ramidus. We have no evidence that Ardipithecus existed outside the forest environment. Based on the taphonomic evidence, we strongly suspect that A. anamensis existed in the fringe and savannah. We do know that the vast majority of modern primates have home ranges that are restricted to one kind of biome. For example, Orang-utans only live in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra while Spider and Howler monkeys only exploit the forest canopies of Central America. While these examples certainly reflect a stable evolutionary response to particular environments, their inability to move beyond these environments and the need for conservation efforts to preserve them reflect a level of cognitive ability that appears to be restricted. If A. anamensis could survive in both the forest/fringe and savanna environments, it suggests an increase in cognitive abilities for this species. More evidence will be necessary to lend credence to this hypothesis.
Australopithecus afarensis
In 1973, working with a local team of fossil hunters, Maurice Taieb went to an arid stretch of land in the Afar Triangle of Ethiopia to an area called Hadar. A year later, Don Johanson, a member of his team discovered one of the most famous of all fossil hominin discoveries ever made. Exploring 3.4 and 3.6 million years old deposits, he discovered the fragmentary remains that constituted 40% of the skeleton of a small adult female (Figure 4) . This individual was nicknamed "Lucy" after the Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" which played in the camp during the analysis of the remains. The team named the species she represented Australopithecus afarensis, because she had been found in the Afar triangle. Johanson, together with M. Edey, went on to pen the New York Times BestsellerLucy: The Beginnings of Humankind. This book catapulted Lucy onto the national stage and fueled research into the biological origins of humankind (Johnanson and Edey 1980).
When Lucy was examined, it was found that the shape and position of the the teeth and jaw as well as the hip and long bone fragments put her almost perfectly intermediate be tween the ape position and the human position. Although she had the overall size and rib cage structure of a chimpanzee, her pelvis and leg bones were perfectly adapted for bipedalism (for a discussion on bipedalism, see this post and this video.) It was in the teeth and palate that the clearest transitional characteristics existed (Figure 5, right). In modern humans (5c), the dental arcade (tooth row) is in the shape of a parabola, like the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis. In apes (5a), it is a sharp "U" shape. In A. afarensis (5b), it is intermediate, tending toward the ape condition.
In apes, there is a space (diastema) between the canine and the second incisor (bicuspid, if you prefer) to allow room for the long lower canine when the ape closes its mouth. In A. afarensis, the canine is human-sized and the diastema, while still present, is smaller. In apes, the first premolar is rotated relative to the tooth row and has a very high cusp so that it creates a sharpening surface for the opposite canine when the two teeth come together. In Lucy, the cusp is somewhat lower and the premolar is only slightly rotated. In humans, the cusp does not extend above the tooth row and there is no rotation at all.
The case for habitual bipedalism received added support from a site much further south than where Lucy had been found. In 1976, Andrew Hill, a digger in Mary Leakey's team, working at the site of Laetoli, in Tanzania, unearthed a set of hominin tracks that had been covered by a now extinct volcano. These footprints, which extend approximately 80 feet across the plain, have been securely dated at 3.6 million years and show where two individuals walked side-by-side (Figure 6). The tracks are significant in that they demonstrate that the individuals who made them had arches and practiced the characteristic "toe-off" pattern of gait practiced only by hominins. The presence of A. afarensis skeletal remains nearby at the same level provided the link to the footprints.
By the time A. afarensis appears in the lineage all clear evidence of spending time in the trees was gone. On the foot, the arch had become prominent and the big toe, which had been slightly off-set in Ardipithecus and possiblyAustralopithecus anamensis, was firmly in-line with the other toes. The presence of the arch allowed for easy toe-off locomotion and would have been disadvantageous in climbing trees because it contributes to the rigidity of the foot. This was a species that was not just optimized for bipedality, it had become its only form of locomotion Furthermore, as noted, taphonomic evidence indicates that this species could exist in the forest and fringe environments. Its presence in both the Afar triangle and near Lake Turkana (nee Lake Rudolf) further suggests that it had a range of several thousand miles (Figure 7, left).
Kimbel and others have suggested that the similarities in traits between A. anamensis and A. afarensis represent an ancestor-descendant relationship, with A. afarensis representing the more advanced stage in hominin evolution(Kimbel et al. 2006).
Stone Tools: A Cognitive Shift
With Australopithecus afarensis came another striking evolutionary development. While A. anamensis and A. afarensis have been shown to have adapted to the forest/fringe and savannah environments, it is with A. afarensis that we have the first evidence of behavior that is directly cognitive in nature: the use of stone tools. At the site of Dikika, in Ethiopia, very near the site of recovery of an almost complete A. afarensis skeleton, animal bones were discovered dated to at least 3.39 million years ago that demonstrate distinctive signs of human action: cut marks. As McPherron et al. write:
The cut marks demonstrate hominin use of sharp-edged stone to remove flesh from the femur and rib. The location and density of the marks on the femur indicate that flesh was rather widely spread on the surface, although it is possible that there could have been isolated patches of flesh. The percussion marks on the femur demonstrate hominin use of a blunt stone to strike the bone, probably to gain access to the marrow. (McPherron et al. 2010) (For video summary of discovery, see here)
These authors are quick to point out that there is no way to determine whether or not these marks were made by tools that were modified for this purpose or made with the first available sharp rock, although the authors note that rocks found in association with the bones had been transported over six kilometers from their original location. This reflects advanced behavior by these hominins, though, including the first consumption of meat known in the fossil record.
Figure 8. Cut Marks on 3.35 Million year old Bovid Femur (from Nature)
With Australopithecus afarensis, however, a new hominin was on the landscape—a hominin that could adapt to new environments and, to a limited degree, adjust the environment around them to meet their needs. Without the adaptations necessary to remain in the trees for any length of time, and with the ability to balance and walk in a truly human fashion, the fact that they no longer needed to use the hands for support or grasping, freed them up for other uses. As A. afarensis moved about the landscape, these uses became evident: they modified what they had at their disposal.
It is unfortunate that we do not know whether these hominins created the tools to make these marks or used what was available to them. If they brought stones with them to butcher animals, though, it means that they were the first hominins that did more than react to their environment; they modified it to their uses.
Next, the diversification and extinction of the australopithecines and the rise of the genus Homo.


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The Raptors continue to be hard to figure this season. It is hard to know what to expect from quarter to quarter from this team. It makes for interesting viewing that is for sure. It would seem that Jay Triano may have lit up the Raps at halftime. It was well deserved as Raps had been awful for the last 2 games and came out in 1st half with more of the same defensively. Chris Bosh said in his post game comments he was glad the first half happened. If you take the positive angle maybe it took that first half to finally force the Raptors to take a look in the mirror. It may have been turning a corner and getting on the right path. Others will say that the Bulls were spent both mentally and physically and the Raps benefited from it. A caller on the post game show on the Fan 590 correctly stated, the Raps have 3 of their 4 wins facing teams on the second night of a back to back with the Raps having the prior day off. It is not to take away from what the Raps have done and what they did in the second half last night. It is important to take advantage when the schedule shines in your favour. The Raps have a though west coast road trip that will tell us if they really have turned a corner or not. They start with Clippers on Friday after that it gets rough facing the Suns, Nuggets and Jazz. The Nuggets and Jazz on a back to back.
When you break down the trip the game vs the Clippers is the easiest and is the first game of the trip. Which is nice if the Raps can get the win and start off on the right foot. The Clippers are with out number 1 pick Blake Griffin and despite being a surprise playoff pick for some experts seem like the same sorry Clippers. That being said they are playing better of late after a brutal 0-4 start. Chris Kaman has looked good for them and has taken advantage of the Griffin injury to use it to his advantage. No matter how the Clippers are doing for the casual basketball fan a lose to the Clippers would never be acceptable. It would be like losing to the Lions in the NFL.
The next stop is in the valley of the Suns in Arizona. Prior to the season many felt the Suns were in trouble heading into this season. The traded Shaq for very little and people felt that Steve Nash might be on the down turn and perhaps off to New York or maybe even Toronto in free agency. Nash would sign an extension and has been putting up numbers that rival the ones he did in his M.V.P seasons. Jason Richardson also has been looking more like his former self. Perhaps not the jaw jacking dunks that made him a slam dunk champion. However he looks more like star player than a star getting old. While the addition of Channing Frye has been much more seamless than that of Shaq. Frye has fit into the Suns run and gun system and looked good doing it. I personally got to work the game that the Suns knocked off the Celtics and they looked very impressive in doing so. Given the way the Suns play and Raptors can score this should be like a throw back to the ABA. The Suns continued their impressive start with a win over the Hornets.
Denver after a hot start has cooled off as of late. Carmelo Anthony in the early season was getting M.V.P talk that is how good he was. Chancey Billups since coming to the Nuggets has really taken them from being just another team in a tough Western Conference and made them one of the top contenders. They are always tough to play at home as well in that thin air of Denver. While the Jazz have struggled out of the gate and are just happy to get wins where they can get them right now. The Jazz are just 3-5 and that includes a win over the sorry Knicks in that.
Things may be a little tougher for the Raps as Fan 590 is reporting that Hedo Turkoglu has a hip issue heading into this trip and will see if he is able to play in L.A on Friday. After a slow start that has been below the expectations of most everyone, an injury is likely the last thing he needs. The Raptors would perhaps start Antonie Wright at the 3 spot if Hedo was not able to go. It would also likely mean more playing time for both DeRozan and Belinelli. However the Raptors will be hopefully that Hedo can go and not have to go down that road. Not that Hedo has been very good but the Raptors already down Reggie Evans could do with out more injuries as they still try to get everyone on the same page.
How the Raps come out of this trip may tell us if they truly have turned a corner or if they will continue to be the same Jekyll and Hyde act. In the past West coast trips have always been tough and have always told us something about this Raptors team. Let the learning experience commence on Friday.
West Coast Ready Or Not Here We Come
Posted by James Borbath at 9:23 AM
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Neighborhood Watch Program is Set For This Thursday in Quincy
There will be a Neighborhood Watch meeting on Thursday, April 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the Quincy Public Library, 526 Jersey. Sgt. Duane Long with the Quincy Police Department will be in attendance to address questions or concerns about personal protection/firearms.
This group covers northwest Quincy, but any resident can attend. If you have any questions or for more information, contact the Pro-Act Office at the Quincy Police Department at 228-4485.


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West Indies chime: The spring is finally back
Darren Sammy's West Indies were crowned the new World Twenty20 champions on Sunday after a 36-run victory over hosts Sri Lanka in a dramatic final. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Scorecard | The short, sweet and the not so sexy... | New champsindia Updated: Oct 08, 2012 11:15 IST
When the player supposed to lead the way scores just three off 16 balls, you expect only one winner - the opposition. Sri Lanka would have liked to believe that after they made Chris Gayle hop like a cat on a hot tin roof at the start of the World Twenty20 final on Sunday.
But powered by fellow Jamaican Marlon Samuels, the Calypso kings roared back to eventually break Sri Lankan hearts and prove that a challenging start doesn't mean one simply gives up hope.
Dancing delight
To the delight of their fans back home, for once Darren Sammy's army walked the talk and showed that the team had more to it than Gayle, going on to lift the trophy with a 36-run win over the hosts at the Premadasa stadium.
The game was made all the more entertaining by the antics of the West Indies players.
To add to their gangnam dance celebrations, they came up with a special sequence for Samuels, everyone celebrating his wicket by dusting his clothes to the amusement of the worldwide audience.
Samuels, wearing a yellow lucky strip, was the star of the show. He hit his side out of trouble with a counterattacking 56-ball 78 to lead a stunning turnaround from 32 for two after 10 overs, helping the Caribbean side finish on 137 for six in 20 overs.
Although the total still looked inadequate, it gave hope to West Indies. In the end, their determination paid off as Sri Lanka shockingly collapsed for 101.
The saddest man in the stadium would be Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It's just a coincidence but each time he's been to the final, his team has lost.
No sooner had he taken his seat, the Sri Lankans started losing the plot.
The 42-run partnership between Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara was broken and it triggered a collapse from which the hosts never recovered.
It was the fourth time Sri Lanka lost a World Cup final, going back to 2007, putting a question mark on their big match temperament.
Gayle goes
Sri Lanka bowlers had started brilliantly, bowling a very tight line. They gave no width at all to Gayle, built the pressure by cramming him for space and got their man in the sixth over.
The opener had three leg-before appeals against him, and on the third he was out.
It was just the start the hosts had dreamt of and the one West Indies would have dreaded. It looked all over for the Caribbeans when Ajantha Mendis produced another of his magical spells, finishing with 4-0-12-4.
But Samuels was unfazed even as wickets tumbled around him. He held the innings together and but for his effort, which included six sixes, WI wouldn't have been in the contest at the break.
It was a day when the two big stars of both the teams didn't turn up. If Gayle failed, Sri Lanka's main strike bowler Lasith Malinga got hammered, conceding 54 runs in four overs.
First Published: Oct 07, 2012 18:45 IST


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Something tells me that Real Housewives of New Jersey's Teresa Giudice is going to hate Melissa Gorga's Christmas card. Melissa shared her family's holiday greeting with Us Weekly, and the picture shows husband Joe Gorga and her looking happy as can be with their three young children in their New Jersey backyard. They look natural. They're smiling. They look functional. They look like people you'd be friends with ... or more notably, they look like people you'd side with.
Oh man. Poor Teresa's probably seething over there in that debt-ridden Barbie playhouse of hers that she calls a home.
Because if there's anything Teresa hates most, it's her brother and sister-in-law's happiness. I bet Teresa would only be satisfied if the Gorgas' card featured Joe and Melissa on the pole, since, ya know, they're strippers and everything.
Teresa's cards, on the other hand, are nice, but they're completely staged and devoid of any emotion. They're more like a lesson in how many bows one child can wear and less about the love that binds a family together during the holidays.
But Melissa's card? It's full of realness. She's not putting on airs. She's not pretending to be something that she's not, which Teresa does ad nauseam. I mean, you couldn't even get that woman to admit to blinking.
There are a few rumors that Teresa's "really happy" for Melissa's new book deal, but please, we all know these two will never work things out. I'm sure Tre's just as miffed by this simple Christmas card as she is by Melissa's soon-to-be bestseller.
Oh, and one more thing about the Gorgas' card. How brilliant is the photographer for shooting the pic on a hill? Joe Gorga's elfin status is suddenly elevated to human levels when he stands on a slope. Genius.
Happy holidays!
What do you think of the Gorgas' holiday card?
Photo via Linda Marie


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When they graduated from River Hill High School in 2008, Jonathan Hill, Rajiv Stone and Daniel Thyberg had a grueling summer of physical training awaiting them as they prepared to attend the U.S. Naval Academy together.
Four years later, the three friends, all Clarksville natives, are looking forward to graduation and impending commissions as officers.
Hill, a history major, will board the USS Ramage, a destroyer based in Norfolk, Va., in June as the ship's auxiliary officer. Stone and Thyberg, mechanical engineering and aeronautical engineering majors, respectively, will report to Navy pilot flight school in Pensacola, Fla., where they will continue their training before being assigned to a base.
But first, along with about 1,100 of their fellow 2012 graduates, the three will hear Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta deliver the commencement address at the May 29 graduation ceremony. While all three are eager to graduate, they're not particularly looking forward to the ceremony itself. Hill groaned at the thought of sitting still from 7 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
"I'll have to remember to go to the bathroom before," he said. "I'm just excited to walk across."
The way they tell it, it's been a long but fulfilling four years. Each offered anecdotes of Army-Navy Week leading up to the annual football game between the two academies. ("Spirited," Stone called it. "Controlled chaos," as Thyberg more bluntly put it.)
They alternately smiled and grimaced as they recalled Plebe Year, the first year in the academy, when students are allowed no media (computers, TVs, etc.) and are subjected to strict rules and physical training. All three point to football games as a highlight of their time in college.
The three say they haven't spent much time together at the academy. Upon arrival, they were assigned to different companies and living areas on campus, and their different majors have kept them apart academically. But throughout, football has linked the three of them.
Hill and Thyberg played together at River Hill, Thyberg as backup quarterback and Hill as a linebacker. Hill went on to play at Navy but stopped after a pectoral tear in his junior year. Stone, who played the saxophone, signed up for the academy's marching band during his freshman year — only to discover it features no woodwinds. So he learned a new instrument, the baritone horn, and has played at every game. Aside from free football tickets, playing in the band has had other perks.
"Plebe Year, you could leave the base on Saturday from 12 [p.m.] to 12 [a.m.], but because I was in the band, I'd get long weekends if we had an away game," Stone said.
Football has also kept the the midshipmen's families close: Hill's parents have a tailgate party before each home game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, which the three say they always stop by.
Aside from the tailgating and the option of going home during the weekend, having family in state hasn't affected the college experience too much, Hill said. One bonus of living only 40 minutes away from the academy, though, has been the opportunity to provide out-of-state friends with surrogate homes and families.
"They assign the out-of-state guys sponsors, local people to mentor them," Hill said. "My friends wouldn't really go to their sponsors; my family kind of became that for them. My aunt has a house here in Annapolis, too, so we'd go there a lot."
Hill is a platoon commander in charge of 39 people in his 140-man company. He presides over three squad leaders who send him weekly reports on each midshipman's academic and physical status.
Thyberg worked as a squad leader last fall, which he said gave him a chance to develop the plebes charged to him.
"I hated my plebe year," Thyberg said. "I had a terrible squad leader; he used to quiz us at lunch while we were trying to eat. So I tried to be a lot more relaxed. As long as they passed and their uniforms looked good, I let them relax, because I knew how hard they were working."
Stone serves as a battalion conduct officer, organizing adjudication for midshipmen who break academy rules. Stone guides his fellow students through the process, acting as a sort of clerk, "doing lots of paperwork." He said the punishments range from "tours" (forced 5:30 a.m. marches) to "separation" (expulsion from the academy).
As he explained his role and the various cases he's seen — about 50, he estimated — all three chuckled as they discussed the various charges they'd heard handed down to fellow classmates. They ranged from underage drinking, going AWOL and — Hill's favorite — "conduct unbecoming," which he said covers anything there isn't already a penalty for.
"Then there's 'failure to use good judgment,' which is just them basically saying 'You were acting stupid,'" Hill said.
All three have clean slates, but as Hill reminded Stone and Thyberg, a handful of their classmates have already faced separation from the service; and as the year winds down, they'll need to be careful to celebrate within the rules. With a little more than two weeks to go, the three are already looking forward to taking their next steps in the service.
Hill, Stone and Thyberg will leave their companies in the academy and the comfort of their home state to face further training as they move on to their new roles. The three have aspirations for their naval careers and bases where they'd like to serve.
Though the tailgates, football trips and Army-Navy Week shenanigans are at an end, the River Hill midshipmen will enjoy their last few weeks at the academy and then about a month of leave before they report for duty.


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This series of laboratory lessons and activities uses authentic solar imagery and data to introduce students to solar science. Students are asked to explore details in imagery, including how to deal with the issues of noise and resolution, and... (View More) understand scale. They are introduced to the concept of space weather and how that affects both observing instruments and the Earth. Students learn about spectra, how helium and coronium were discovered, and go on to explore real spectra from the Sun. Most activities are mathematically based, and targeted for grades 9-10. Imagery is included from NASA/ESA's SOHO mission, NASA's SDO mission, and Japan's Hinode satellite. (View Less)
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This simple example shows how algebra can be useful in the real world by exploring the question: Should Grandpa start receiving his Social Security benefits at age 62 or should he wait until age 65? This resource is from PUMAS - Practical Uses of... (View More) Math and Science - a collection of brief examples created by scientists and engineers showing how math and science topics taught in K-12 classes have real world applications. (View Less)
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Earth : Asia : Central Asia : Kazakhstan : Caspian Basin : Aktau
Aktau (Kazakh: Ақтау, Russian: Akтау) is a city of approximately 200,000 citizens located on the banks of the Caspian Sea (Kazakh: Каспий теңізі, Russian: Каспийское море) in Kazakhstan.
Aktau means "white mountain" in Kazakh, but it is a very young city that has little to do with historical Kazakhstan. Despite its lack of history, Aktau is the capital of the Region of Mangestau.
Mangestau translates roughly from Kazakh as "eternal mountains", although the region is actually home to the Batyr Depression - one of the lowest points in the world at 130 meters below sealevel. The region is also home to Sufi-pilgrimage sites such as Beket-Ata, Shakpak-Ata, Shopan-Ata and Masat-Ata, which exist due to Mangestau's location on ancient, but minor, land trading routes around the Caspian. The Mangestau region is principally populated by Kazakhs of the Aday Tribe, which is one of the "little brother" tribes in Kazakh history.
Aktau was created as a uranium mining town in 1961 and was named Shevchenko, after the Ukrainian national poet Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: Тара́с Григо́рович Шевче́нко). The Soviets built a major nuclear power plant cum desalinization plant and the desert was transformed into a livable city. After independence, the Kazakhs renamed Shevchenko, and the city has become Kazakhstan's only port. Due to the large amount of oil and gas exported from Kazakhstan, the city has boomed and is now home to many new developments, which have stretched the infrastructure to its breaking point.
If you come to this city, you will be able to experience the paradox of large supplies of hydrocarbons, uranium and seawater coupled with frequent brown-outs and water shortages.
Get in
All trains arrive and depart from the Mangestau Station, about 12 km out of town. There is a regular 24 hour train service to and from Atyrau. There is also the option of a two day long train service from Astana, and a three day long train service from Almaty, passing through Shymkent two days after departing Aktau.
Most people fly to Aktau Airport, 23 km north of the center of the city. Given the taxi situation there, it is best to prearrange ground transport to the city. The cheapest way to fly to Aktau is with the decrepit airline SCAT from Baku at a little bit less than 100 Dollars one way. It is also possible to fly direct from Atyrau (SCAT and Astana Air several times per day), Almaty (Astana Air), Moscow (Transaero), Baku (Azerbaijan Air or SCAT), or occasionally Istanbul with Turkish Air or SCAT (both not possible to buy online).
There are occasional ferries to and from Baku, Azerbaijan. Ferries leave every 7-10 days, but nothing about the port is set up for passengers.
Get around
Aktau is the type of city U2 may have been talking about when they sang about a place where the streets have no name(s). The city is divided up into largely unlabeled and chaotically numbered districts (including district 9). These are called "micro-raion" in Russian, which even Kazakhs use to describe them in Kazakh.
There is an old MIG plane on a pedestal just down the hill from the Asian-themed World War II memorial. At this memorial, an eternal flame burns under a circle of partial-white arches, which are reminiscent of a yurt. Across from the memorial, there is a drama theater with regular productions in Russian.
Just south of these structures, on Aktau's middle north-south thoroughfare, you will find a collection of restaurants, night clubs and shopping centers. A well-appointed grocery store, movie theater and night club are in the Ardager shopping complex (district 9). Beyond that, in the furthest shopping center to the south is "Shoom" (ШУМ)(district 2), which has a large variety of low-quality stores.
To the north, in district 16, you can find Aktau's new mall. The mall includes a very small ice-skating rink, movie theater and a number of low and high quality shops (low quality children's clothes on the top floor, Hugo Boss on the main floor). The mall includes arguably the best deal in town for food at Asorti on its top floor.
District 10 has little of note, but it serves as a great viewing point of the huge frescoes, which cover one side of decrepit Soviet apartment buildings across the main street in district 11. The frescoes depict various "national fathers" of Kazakhstan, and rumor has it that current president Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev is keen to have his picture painted in a similar fashion. At the moment, he is making do with an enormous banner draped over an apartment building on that row.
The beaches of Aktau have nice water, and you are allowed to swim anywhere. However, the amount of glass on the beaches can make your beach experience dicey in many locations. Usually, the locals stick to the beaches below the Renaissance. Behind the beach-side grills and clubs there, the beaches are fairly clean and sandy.
Unfortunately you cannot kick back just anywhere on the edge of the Caspian, or around the town for that matter, and down a sunset drink. You are not allowed to drink alcohol outside of these beach-side bar and grills, although there are absolutely no signs to warn you otherwise. The local police take advantage of this situation and the general fear that many tourists have for police. If you are caught drinking, they only want 1000 Tenge as a bribe, even if you don't speak Russian or Kazakh. Most of the locals drinking on the street are ignored by police or pay the small bribe.
Aktau is home to prices that are high, even by Western European standards. Quality electronics, clothes, western-style foods, hotels, entertainment and gyms are readily available. However, all of these are marked up anywhere from 100 to 300% above American or German prices. It is best to go local in Aktau and/or buy anything of any consequence before you come.
The local area code is (+7) 7292.
Get out
Other than buses to even more remote outposts in the desert, Aktau is an extremely out-of-the-way place, so getting out of town usually means backtracking in the direction you have just come.
Tourist agencies in town can make arrangements for visits to Suni shrines and very distant caravansarais.
The most famous of these shrines is Beket Ata - which is not very old - but already has many superstitions about magical properties of the site. Built into a cave, this shrine to a 18th century Kazakh wise man is usually visited in groups. First, you will drive 3-5 hours from Aktau on poorly paved or unpaved roads. You will need to take a live goat with your tour group that will be sacrificed later that evening. After sacrificing the goat, you will feast on the meat and relax and pray in the dormitories next to the site until very early the next morning. At that point, you will get back on your tour bus with the leftovers and drive back to Aktau.


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by Jim Harris
Prediction: Yannick Nézet-Séguin will never become a household name here in Philadelphia. This is because the vast majority of Philadelphians, including many classical music fans, either can't remember or can't pronounce the name of the orchestra's new conductor. In fact, Nézet-Séguin recently took first place in the "Most Unpronounceable Local Celebrity" contest, narrowly beating out TV news anchorwoman Renee Chenault-Fattah for the prize.
The judges found his name, "unnecessarily long," "way too fancy" and "like, totally foreign-sounding." Not surprising, considering he is a French-Canadian. (Even his nationality is hyphenated.) Pronouncing Yannick's full name has proven so linguistically challenging to the average Philadelphian's vocal capabilities that the police have begun using it as a sobriety test:
"Sir, please step out of the car and repeat after me — 'Yannick Nézet-Séguin.'"
"Uh … can you spell that for me?"
"Can you use it in a sentence?"
"Okay. Please say 'Yannick Nézet-Séguin,' or I am going to arrest you for drunk driving."
"Nameep Nuhnay… Labonn."
"You have the right to remain silent…"
"Oh great. I wish you had told me that in the first place!"
Since initiating this new procedure, DWI arrests have risen by 45%.
Unfortunately, attendance at Philadelphia Orchestra concerts has not risen so dramatically, and declining attendance has also plagued other orchestras around the country. I would submit that this is due to the number of conductors with baffling, complicated names, like Jaap van Zweden in Dallas, Esa-Pekka Salonen in Los Angeles and Osmo Vänskä in Minnesota. Their names are a veritable labyrinth of dots, dashes and sounds that only a frightened wolverine could make. What these conductors need are some short, catchy celebrity names like "Sting," "Fabio," or "Carrot Top."
Oh, the orchestras' managers are trying all sorts of other gimmicks to pull in new young audiences. Here in Philly, for example, they just performed Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" with the addition of modern dancers, bombastic video projections and a trapeze artist, because heaven forbid you should have to listen to a piece of music without 12,000 other things going on at the same time or leave a modicum of unused brain space available for exercising one's imagination. Next, they'll be tearing off their clothes and running out into the audience like some sort of Fringe Festival freak-out.
In addition, the Philadelphia Orchestra has been commissioning well-known composers to write pieces for some of the ensemble's very talented first-chair musicians. Clever idea, but so far, two of the contracted composers have not completed their pieces in time for their scheduled performances. This has not, however, deterred the orchestra from commissioning even more new pieces for next season.
So, apparently composers don't really need the work or the money badly enough to finish their compositions on time. Some of them have used the excuse that they are "perfectionists," although their definitions of perfection don't seem to include meeting deadlines. Are there any unemployed people out there who know how to read a calendar and would like to get good money for putting notes on paper? Contact the Philadelphia Orchestra.
In the end, though, it's the conductor/music director who either pulls in audiences or turns them off. Maybe if Yannick would just adopt a cool name like "U-Neek" or "Yanni Gaga" and also spend more time here in Philly, folks could warm up to him. He actually only spends about 10 weeks a year conducting here, plus he's also Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic. He also just signed a personal, long-term recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Apparently the Deutsche still use Grammophons.
The bottom line is, we know he's going to leave us. They always do. We need a home-grown hero, someone who can settle down here, rub elbows with the people, and appreciate us for what we are — Philadelphia, the city that loves you back (as long as you eat cheesesteaks and win a sports championship).


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MACON, Ga. – Sydney Chung was honored by the Atlantic Sun Conference league office Tuesday for being named to the 2013-14 A-Sun Men's Golf All-Freshman Team.
Chung had an outstanding campaign, leading the team with a 74.8 scoring average. He played in all 11 events and accumulated 33 rounds of play.
His second-place finish at the Grover Page Classic was his best finish this season. Chung posted a two under-par 214 (71-72-71).
The Jackson, Tennessee native drained eight birdies and carded a 65 in round two of the ECU Pirate Intercollegiate in October. It was the lowest round by a Bison player this season.
Chung posted two rounds in the 60s and eight rounds at par or better, both tying Caston Roberts for the team lead.
The Bisons ended the season last week with a fifth-place finish in the A-Sun Championship. Chung finished tied for 27th with a three-round total of 231 (74-78-79).


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The disused part of a Victorian coal mine that burned for 45 days was not "wetted down" as thoroughly as operational areas as the company prioritised the mine's assets, an inquiry has heard.
The northern batters of the Hazelwood mine also lack the extensive pipe network present in the mine's active areas, the inquiry heard.
The mine's services superintendent David Shanahan said other fire protection measures were in place.
"You've still got the wetting-down equivalent in the clay capping," Mr Shanahan said of the northern batters, where the fire took hold.
The fire shrouded the neighbouring town of Morwell in smoke and ash after it ignited on February 9 during the state's worst bushfire danger day since Black Saturday.
On the second day of an inquiry into the blaze, state government lawyer Josh Wilson QC pressed Mr Shanahan on why the batters containing highly combustible coal were not "wetted down" when the bushfire threat became known.
"The size of the northern batters hasn't got that extensive pipe spraying system that's going to wet all the batters down," Mr Shanahan said.
"Our primary aim is to protect coal, the assets that are on the coal, so that we can maintain supply."
Earlier, Mr Shanahan said on the day of the fire, some sprinklers had been turned off so water could be diverted to protect critical infrastructure.
He clarified sprinklers were not turned off in the area that caught fire.
"The areas turned off were never affected during the course of the whole fire," he said.
He also said a meeting of the mine's incident controllers on the afternoon the fire took hold was told not to expect much support from the Country Fire Authority, "given the priorities the CFA had on them at the time".
"We knew they had some bigger issues with defending the town of Morwell."
He said someone at the meeting had had contact with the CFA but he didn't know who.
There was a lack of co-ordination with the CFA to the point that one of its aircraft dumped retardant on two employees, one worker said.
"We did not have any communication from air support," James Mauger told the inquiry.