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characters, faery, fairy tales, fantasy, fantasy fiction, first book love, high school, inspiration, love of reading, Patricia A. McKillip, reading, teen, teenager, The Book of Atrix Wolfe, wizards, Writing
Days like today, when scrubbing the inside of the refrigerator sounds more appealing than drudging up even a paragraph more of my novel, I go looking for that favorite, well worn paperback that first gave a dreamy teenage me a glimpse of magic. It is Patricia A. McKillip's The Book of Atrix Wolfe. I think I was 14 when I found the book in a Hallmark gift shop, having to sort through quarters and dimes to scrape up enough plus tax when the store threatened to close and I found I'd been sitting on the floor in the Fantasy and Science Fiction section for more than an hour as people stepped around me, the whole world gone invisible as I followed a wolf that wasn't a wolf down a mountain and into his embittered and confused human soul.
I eventually made my way back to every day life, but not without injury. Like any 14 year old I was already living in a clash of two opposing worlds; my secret fairytale of parental love thrown into the bull ring that is high school, taunts from an arena of careless spectators calling for blood for the sheer pleasure of it. The conflicts of a fantasy novel, even of the most epic multi-world war, feel deliciously harmless in comparison. But the Book of Atrix Wolfe left me hurting somehow, longing for something I couldn't name, couldn't touch. There is a character in the book, a girl named Saro (because she was found one day in a king's kitchen like a stray cat with no memory or voice and was surely "someone's sorrow") whose world was mine. Somehow this author had glimpsed things I didn't know I knew about myself, and wove them into a tale of wizards, wars and faery queens. I found a home in the corners of the king's kitchen, in the wind-blasted mountain passes and in the broom closets in a school for would-be mages (long, long before Harry Potter). At least here were places where hurts served some purpose, even for a girl with no name.
I still can't make it a year without plucking that same book off my shelf and slipping back into that world, but usually a page or two at some random place is enough to buoy me, her writing is that good. McKillip's careful words taught me that being human is being wounded, incomplete, and forever feeling inconsequential in some way you can't hope to grasp; it is a perpetual state of longing for other. It made me love fantasy, love being in the realm of otherness, sent me off on my own meanderings with characters conjured by my own mind. Still sometimes I see names or a handful of words in my stories that are a touch too close to something in one of her novels. Every writer reveals themselves as nothing more than a mimic of a few great authors that came before them, and we sometimes give little, unintentional hints of our first book-loves in our own writing–a character's name a bit too similar to one you forgot you remembered; a description of leaves on a path that almost mirrors a passage in a long forgotten page-turner. It's that first boyfriend or girlfriend that broke your heart, the shreds of their old love letters still scattered beneath your pillow, littering your subconscious with things you don't actually want to forget.
Today I realized I can't quite remember how it ends. I'll probably do a lot more reading than writing (and the fridge will be as sticky and forgotten as ever). Thank you Ms. McKillip, for your lovely and timeless distractions, for worlds I've never completely left, and for characters who helped form my own. I'm not attempting to even come close to your art–I don't have the soul for it, but I can definitely recognize a few of my better spells as something that began in the pages of your book.


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Closure of fisheries' libraries called a 'disaster' for science
The libraries are home to the 50 illustrated volumes from Britain's Challenger expedition that sailed the seas in the late 1800s exploring the mysteries of the deep.
The shelves heave with reports detailing the DDT pollution that wiped out young salmon in New Brunswick's "rivers of death" in the 1950s. And they contain vivid reminders of native fisheries, Canada's once vast cod stocks and the U.S. submarines that prowled the quiet fjords along the B.C. coast in the 1940s — history that is being packed into boxes as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans "consolidates" its world-class library collection.
Seven DFO libraries across Canada are to close by the fall, including two that have been amassing books and technical reports on the aquatic realm for more than a century.
The department said "all" the materials will remain available either online or through inter-library loans.
But critics said digital and remote access is no replacement for the real thing. They also fear valuable historical information will be lost in the purge, or "weeding," now underway as the seven libraries are dismantled.
"It is information destruction unworthy of a democracy," said Peter Wells, an ocean pollution expert at Dalhousie University in Halifax, who describes the closing of the libraries as a "national tragedy."
Eric Mills, a specialist in the history of marine sciences at Dalhousie University, sees it as a "disaster" that will stifle research.
While Jennifer Hubbard, a science historian at Ryerson University in Toronto, said it could make fisheries' science "a lot less effective."
They also noted that one of the libraries being closed opened just last year – a climate-controlled facility at the St. Andrews Biological Station in New Brunswick built at a cost of several million federal tax dollars.
"They've invested all this money in a beautiful new library and now they want to close it down," said Hubbard. "It just doesn't make any economic sense."
One thing DFO and the critics do agree on is that the libraries contain one of the world's most comprehensive collections of information on fisheries, aquatic sciences and nautical sciences.
The libraries house thousands of reference books, and decades of technical and station reports on everything from beluga whales in the Arctic to oil spills on the east and west coasts. They also contain rare books like the 50 volumes produced after the H.M.S. Challenger expedition that explored the depths the world's oceans from 1872-76 and turned up thousands of sea creatures new to science.
DFO officials were not available for interviews on the library situation, but the department's media office said by email that the closures make sense in the increasingly digital world.
"The growing willingness of Canadians to look online, coupled with an increasing presence of information online, including electronic scientific journals, enable the department to consolidate its library resources," said Melanie Carkner, a DFO media relations adviser.
She said consolidation of the seven libraries is to be completed by the fall. Collections now located from Vancouver to St. John's, Newfoundland, are moving to what DFO is calling its "primary" libraries — one at a research institute in Sidney on Vancouver Island, the other at an institute in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Two "subsidiary locations" in the Ottawa region and Sydney, N.S., will support the Canadian Coast Guard.
A catalogue of the DFO holdings is online, and Carkner said "materials will be scanned and emailed or shipped to requesters" or made available through inter-library loans.
"All currently available resources will remain available to employees and the public after the initiative is implemented; the only change is the process to search for and acquire them," she said.
Mills, at Dalhousie, doesn't buy what he calls DFO's "smoke and mirrors."
"It sounds like an efficiency expert's dream," said Mills, "but as far as scientific use of those collections goes, it sounds like a disaster."
He has worked extensively with the 100-year-old collections in the libraries being closed in Nanaimo, B.C., and St. Andrews, NB. Most of the historical materials and reports have not been digitized and won't be anytime soon, Mills said.
And he and his colleagues don't expect inter-library loans will be easy or inexpensive.
"A great deal of material will be out of sight, out of action," said Mills.
Even worse, some of the material could be lost, said Hubbard, who has worked with the collection in St. Andrews that contains reports on the local fisheries and marine environment that go back decades.
"I am really worried that they won't bother to move it all because there is just too much of it and so they will just dump it," said Hubbard.
While Carkner said "all" the materials in the libraries will remain available, insiders say a lot material is not being kept.
"We are weeding," one DFO librarian, who asked not to be identified, told Postmedia News.
Scientific journals available over the Internet are being sent off for recycling. And many books are headed for "removal or retirement" because they are considered obsolete or surplus.
A list of holdings at the St. Andrews library, now being circulated, tags books and material for "discard" in red, while green and pink tags indicate material to "keep."
It will likely be a decade or more before all DFO's technical reports are all digitized and available online, the librarian said. But most of the reference books and materials in the DFO libraries – like Russia's fishing monograms – cannot be digitized by the department because of copyright restrictions.
"They have about 10,000 holdings (in St. Andrews) and about 70 per cent can't be digitized for copyright reasons," said Caroline Davies, chair of Save our Ocean Science, a group trying to halt the closure in St. Andrews.
"The library is part of the marine resources network in southwest New Brunswick," said Davies, noting that the brand new facility is used by not only federal scientists but by students and staff from the nearby university, college and fisheries industry.
Once it closes, the library users will either have to drive five hours to retrieve books from the DFO library in Dartmouth or ask DFO to send books back to St. Andrews on loan. "It's ludicrous," said Davies.
Wells see the library closures as more evidence of the way the federal government is "eviscerating" aquatic science by cutting jobs and eliminating programs, labs and services. "Libraries cannot simply be replaced by digitized collections," he said.
The scientists are particularly worried about DFO's station reports and documents have not been published elsewhere and will likely never be put online.
"It's somewhat disparagingly referred to as the grey literature but there is a hell of a lot of interesting material in there from the point of view of people interested in the long-term history of the fisheries," said Mills.
As an example, Wells pointed to reports from the St. Andrews station that helped Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring, document how DDT killed young salmon in the New Brunswick rivers in the 1950s. She described the deadly effects in the chapter, Rivers of Death.
Carkner said the grey literature, like the other library holdings, "will be available through a variety of means, including online."
She could not say how much money DFO will save by closing the libraries, how many library jobs are being eliminated, or how much the department is spending on digitization. And she couldn't say if scientists and the general public would have to pay for inter-library loans.
As Davies pointed out: "Same-day courier, that isn't cheap."

subset: commoncrawl


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Blog Archives
Swifting Part 1: The Devil You Don't
Swifting is a short story I wrote about hopping between parallel universes. Always remember: Nothing is impossible in the Realm of Possibility! Enjoy!
"How do I tell her? How can I tell her? There's no way she'd believe me. Hell, sometimes I don't even believe me. How can this be real? It can't be real. Can it?" His knuckles whitened under his grip on the bathroom sink. But he was completely immersed in his thoughts and didn't notice. Nor did he notice the intense half-insane face staring back at him in the mirror. To be honest, he didn't know who he was anymore. Every time he looked in the mirror lately, he felt like he was staring at someone else—a different version of himself who was always something of a stranger.
"Forget it. I can't do it. I can't tell her," he announced to his reflection. Then thought better of it. "What am I saying? You don't fuckin' care. You're somewhere else right now. Every version of yourself is simultaneously shifting into a different place. You're probably shitting yourself right along with me. Well it's good to know that I'm not going crazy alone." He laughed softly at his own joke and brushed his teeth. He couldn't tell her, but he had to tell someone. He was going out.
"You can't tell her shit man. You got that? You can't utter a fucking word of this crazy shit to her. She'll see you for the nutjob you are. Don't. Say. A goddam word. You hear me?"
He had to hand it to Darren. He had a way of being himself no matter where he was. He admired that about him and it was largely the reason he was his best friend. He was a constant. When a person can't keep their consciousness stable, constants help them cope. Constants offer grounding in a world that changes more than it stays the same. Darren was who he was. Short. Bristly. Built like a tank. Cursed like a sailor. He made no qualms about who he was or what he thought. He could always be trusted to speak truth, no matter what that truth may be. And most importantly, that never changed about him.
"Dude, you don't understand," he told Darren, "Shit is getting bad between us. Bad. All our fights end now with her telling me to go find someone else. I'm dying over here. And don't get me started on our Bella…Fuck, man. I don't even know which version of her I'm gonna get. Is this a place where we're together? Or are we at each other's throats again? It wears on a guy, ya know?"
Sometimes Darren regretted buying into Kurt's story when he sold him drugs the first time. Time travel or universe hopping or other shit he was sure came straight from science fiction novels was what the guy talked about. Darren didn't know for sure, he just thought the guy was kooky and amusing. He was pretty convinced that the drugs were only making whatever the fuck was wrong with Kurt worse. He almost felt bad for the guy. He really did. But his money was good. And the story was good at least. Better than most of the junkie insanity he listened to on a daily basis. But really, he put up with Kurt because he bought the drinks. And a person that did that was a friend, as far as Darren was concerned.
"Then fucking leave her already, man. Shit. It's always coming back to that woman poppin' off or doing some stupid shit. Man, that's prolly why you're going crazy. She's driving you straight off a cliff. I read an article that talked about how women nagging their men all the time actually kills them quicker. It's true. Science and shit. But not you, man. You're over here all, 'but I think I might possibly love her sometimes when I don't hate her fucking guts'. It's bullshit man. Fucking bullshit. And you need to man up and opt out before you end up in a damn nuthouse or worse."
"Yeah I hear that," he said morosely. But he wasn't really paying attention. He'd heard all this before. He knew this narrative by heart because it was whata he should be doing. But he couldn't. He could never bring himself to 'opt out' as Darren put it. So he changed the subject. "Lately, I've been getting this visions. These mental flashes of these other versions of me offing themselves one by one. In all these different and weird ways. It's like it's moving down the line and I'm trying to keep ahead of it."
"Oh man. You're back to that freaky multiple universes shit? So tell me this: what happens when one of these other you's puts one in his skull? Why don't all of you die then?"
"It's not how it works. We are connected to our other selves, but they are each an independent clone born of the choices we didn't make. I think that movie 'What the Bleep Do We Know' explains it best."
"What movie?"
"What the Bleep Do We Know."
"Never heard of it."
"Huh. Probably not a movie here, then," Kurt said to himself.
"Or you coulda just dreamed it up in that nutty head of yours."
"Yeah…not likely."
Darren checked the time on his smart phone. "Well as much as I love our little chat, I've got other business."
Kurt had another beer, musing about his next move when he noticed the woman sitting at the bar. He hadn't seen her before, he'd been too engrossed in venting to his friend. But damn if she wasn't staring at him without staring at him; trying to act nonchalant and failing miserably. He normally wasn't a brazen man—never could find the courage to talk to an attractive woman—and this stranger was definitely attractive. Brunette hair failing over her shoulders and halfway down her shapely back with a face of a movie star and body to match. But this wasn't a pick up. She was watching him. Had been watching him and he wanted to know why.
He got up and made his way to the restroom where he splashed cold water on his face while trying to muster some grit. Whenever he emerged from the bathroom, she was still there stirring ice in an empty glass. He wasted no time in approaching her lest his grit fizzle out, and said in his best imitation of a macho voice, "Hey there."
She looked him up and down, making no effort to hide the fact she was studying him before replying, "I need another drink."
"I don't work here. You better tell the bartender."
"I know that," she snapped smoothly. "I'm asking you to buy me a drink."
"O.K…Wow. That was really forward."
"You gonna buy the drink or what?"
"Yeah. Sure. Why not?" Kurt signaled for another round and sat down next to the intriguing brunette. "So what's your name?"
"No? Your name is No? Man your parents were mean."
She laughed and it sounded like a thousand crystals tinkling together. "I meant, no you can't get in my pants. You're with someone."
"How d'you know that?"
"You've got a total dad bod going on. Vain enough to know you should look good but too lazy to give a shit."
"Oh that's hilarious," the sour tone in Kurt's voice was unmistakable.
The Brunette smiled disarmingly. "Look I get it. Depression can do that to people."
"So now I'm depressed?"
"Definitely. You failed as a photographer. You failed as a—what was it you called it?—Oh yeah. Free lance journalist. You've failed as a partner to your wife. You've failed as a father. And most importantly, you've failed to remain rooted in one place for years now. Ever since your 'accident' with the train."
The color fled Kurt's face and he stumbled out of his chair. The barstool clattered to the floor as he backed away. "Who…who are you?"
"I'm a friend." Her disarming smile seemed infinitely less so, taking on the qualities of a sinister leer instead.
He backed quickly toward the door. "Who the fuck ARE you? How do you know about me? About my Swifting?" The first few weeks after he realized his universe hopping, Kurt did an internet search and found an online forum dedicated to this very phenomenon, which they called "Swifting". The forum was a safe, anonymous place full of people like him where stories were shared, theories discussed, lost loves and lives lamented, but most importantly, it offered camaraderie. It didn't take very long before the forum became a constant and those on it like real friends. Lately though, it had been quiet and Kurt couldn't help but wonder why.
"Kurt! Don't you dare split without paying," growled the bartender. A burly vet Kurt had no intention of pissing off.
"Hey yeah. About that, I'm gonna leave it right here." He threw a wad of cash on the table nearest him and bolted out the door.
"What the hell was that about?" the bartender asked the Brunette.
"I don't know. Threatened by beauty, perhaps?"
The bartender grunted and shuffled over to collect the money from the table, "Damn nut jobs. City's full of em."
SWIFT_K: Any1 on right now?
GRL_BLU: Hey. What's up K?
SWIFT_K: Just had some crazy shit go down.
SWIFT_K: This girl at the bar started talking to me like she knew about me. About my Swifting.
GRL_BLU: I think you should run.
GRL_BLU: Look. I don't know NEthing for sure. OK?
GRL_BLU: I was chatting with Kid_Kode the other day. Said he met some1 at Mal Mart. Some bald guy, I think. Said dude knew a lot about him.
SWIFT_K: WTF??? Where is Kode? He on?
GRL_BLU: No. Hasn't been on in 3 days.
SWIFT_K: Shit. Shit. Shit! We should def not be logging on here anymore.
GRL_BLU: I know. But this place is a constant.
SWIFT_K: Not anymore.
GRL_BLU: I guess… Good luck, K. I'll email you my info if you ever need to get in touch.
SWIFT_K: Thx
GRL_BLU: Be careful OK?
SWIFT_K: You know me. 😀
Kurt shut down the computer and immediately started stuffing clothes into a duffel bag.
"Kurt, what are you doing?" Esme, his wife, stood in the doorway holding their daughter.
"Baby, we gotta go. Get you and Bella packed. Quickly!"
"Where are we going?" she had known Kurt for what seemed like lifetimes. She knew every quirk, every trigger for mood swings. At least she thought she did. Lately, he hadn't been the same. Almost as if he were a new person every few days. "What's wrong with you?"
"Baby, we don't have a lot of time. We aren't safe…I don't think…"
"Stop it, Kurt. You're scaring me." The baby agreed and started crying, sensing the tense and uncertain energy around her parents.
He briefly explained his encounter at the bar, leaving out the Swifting details.
"So you think this woman is after you to kill you? Why?"
Kurt searched his imagination for a plausible lie to go along with his fantastic truth. "I, uh, have been on these online forums. Umm…grassroots activist type stuff. And people started disappearing off the forums lately. Word is, they got approached by someone with a lot of information about them before they disappear."
"We gotta call the police!"
"No!" Kurt exploded and then wrangled his control back. "That's not—I don't think they can—or will—help us. Please just pack your shit and go to your mother's."
"My mother lives in Arizona. You know that."
"Yeah. Perfect. Get there. Fast. I'll drop you guys off at the airport. Catch the next flight you can."
"What're you gonna do?"
"I've got to figure this out. I'll catch up to you when things have calmed down."
She stared at him, boring into his soul, trying to decide if he was serious or lying to get her out of town so he could fuck around with whatever little bitch he'd been screwing. Kurt had been acting weird lately, and she automatically attributed his odd behavior to cheating. She was convinced that was the reason for the deterioration of their relationship. It had to be. Nothing else made sense.
He shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze. "Esme, please. I'm serious about this. It's not safe. Please. If not for me then for Bella. Go to your mother's!"
"O.K." she finally conceded. "For Bella. I have two weeks I can take. Will you have your government-wants-to-kill-me shit figured out by then?"
"For sure. I'll see you there in a week. Tops. Now please, pack and let's go already!"
Cover Reveal for upcoming book "Twisted Yarns"
Hello blogoverse! I've been away for a while working on my new collection of short stories, Twisted Yarns! I am pleased and more than a little excited to announce that it is now available for sale on the publisher's site! That's right. Now is your opportunity to delve into the warped and whimsical worlds that bounce around my imagination. And while you're there, check out some of my other titles. Amazon and other retailer availability is coming soon. Cover design credit goes to the ever-talented Chris Deichman.
So what are you waiting for? Open a door to your imagination and get lost in Twisted Yarns!
Posted in Author, Fiction, Uncategorized, writing
Tags: anthology, book, christmas, cover, creative writing, fantasy, gift ideas, holidays, Horror, jason degray, lulu, Publishing, Science fiction, self publishing, Short stories, Twisted Yarns, universal shift, weird fiction, Writing
New and Improved!
I've always wondered about that statement. How can it be new AND improved? If it's new, then there's nothing to improve on yet. If it's been improved, that means it's been around for a while and is no longer new. Anyway, I noticed the links on my pages were broken. Using quick links was a bad idea. So I've fixed the broken links AND added a new page. (Bonus!) Plays and Misc. found under the Short Stories tab. Check it out, surf around and lemme know what you think!
Posted in Author, poetry, writing
Tags: Blog, blogging, broken links, links, misc, pages, plays, Short stories, surf, Writing
A Universal Shift: Short Fragment
An old fragment, like a glimpse into another world I never got to explore. Enjoy!!
Whispered mumbling…almost ominous.
Followed by the clank of metal on metal.
The dreamscape pulls out to reveal two shadowed figures in cloaks. They are dimly lit by an eerie orange glow from behind. The impression of cobblestone under my feet becomes a reality. I don't know how I manage to take all this down, my hands are shaking so bad. I'm not sure who they are—these cloaked figures. I'm not sure what they are doing, but the dread, the terror begins to sink its claws into my skull. And look, now I'm staring at black on white again. Words just tumbling onto this nonexistent paper like so many delicate drops of blood falling from an oblique hand—drip…drip…drip–with a methodical pitter-patter onto bone white parchment. Equally as nonexistent, but a lot more real than these invisible binary codes that follow my every sentence.
"There is a dark side to this. This violent dance of self important monkeys, this perpetual staccato razor blade rhythm, this coveted but mistrusted gift. I am not the evil that has come to destroy you, but the darkness that has come to liberate you."
This is the manifesto that is pounded like a desperate symphony onto the screaming keys of an ancient typewriter. In the background is a large room fashioned from roughly cut stones, like something in a castle. A roaring fire lights the room as it warms. Medieval almost. And then the fingers once again begin their bleak concerto.
"I am staring off to my left. There is nothing. Just…nothing. I feel that at any moment my whole world could just topple over into this infinite space. Sometimes I feel the tremors of chaos rumbling beneath my flimsy plane of reality. They warn me, they are the harbingers of truth that reassure me that when it is all over, the world will be a much better place. A much purer one. But that small reassurance still won't stop the nightmares.
I am the child of a lost generation. A generation discarded and scorned because we are the final prophets of a dying race. The last hope and the last great failure. We don't need anyone's prayers. We are the product of answered prayers. This is God's plea to us all. His final proclamation before the universe corrects itself. We are fighters, we are healers we are the purest scapegoats a tainted world has to offer for sacrifice. This makes us cry. This makes us bleed. This makes us willing to ensure our martyrdom is for a reason…a higher purpose. We will not heed the ignorant demands of those who would discard us silently, stealthy and with dark and selfish intention. You want details. You want a story, I can tell. You want something you can wrap your brain around. Something to relate to. Well, shining inside the depths of every single word is a story. How can I tell them all? They really tell themselves."
Honestly, I think the gentlemen is simply rambling at this point. I think he is masking something. The truth behind the veil.
Posted in Author, Fiction, Philosophy, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, writing
Tags: Apocalypse, blood, cloaks, drip drip drip, eerie orange glow, fire, healer, pitter patter, prayer, razor blade, shadows, Short stories, stone, truth, videogames, vision, warrior
The Book 2
It occurred to me that I don't have any favorite Joel Olsteen moments. So on with the story!
He dozed off during the next day's staff meeting. He hated being verbally reprimanded, especially by his principal. The principal, Joseph Eubank, was a handsome bachelor around 45. All the female teachers, married or otherwise, fawned over Eubank, especially Claire Cosca the English teacher.
Dick had harbored an unrequited love for Claire for five years. He'd never had the guts to ask her out. All he could muster was covertly riffling through her things, his rat nose twitching, searching for any sign of her scent. So far, he'd collected an empty perfume bottle, a battered blurry pic of her and some other guy (Dick cut out the other guy's likeness out and replaced it with his own) and a Kleenex she staunched a bloody nose with which he'd dug out of the trashcan. These treasures he adored and lovingly doted on nightly in his own twisted ritual of zealous devotion. Dick swore he'd have Claire, even if it killed him.
Mr. Eubank did have the balls to ask Claire out and she joyously accepted, thus beginning an ongoing love affair. Richard had watched from afar, the little seed of jealousy growing into a full-fledged hate tree. Dick hated Eubank, more than he hated any other person, living or dead, beside his father.
That night, he dragged his cot downstairs and put it near the front door next to the big window. He decided to drink his beer before he went to bed, hoping to spend the night in alcohol soaked unconsciousness. He almost succeeded. He'd just plopped down on his cot when an audible voice said,
"Richard. Are you there?"
Dick bolted upright. "Who is it? Who's there?" His face twitched nervously as he listened. He heard the skittering of tiny feet on tile. The roaches! He grabbed a can of spray and sprayed a barrier around the perimeter of his cot. He checked his box to make sure Claire's things were safe. Satisfied he fell back onto his pillow and closed his eyes.
It was his own screams that woke him. Roaches had breached his poison barrier and were crawling up his arm. He shook them off as he jumped to his feet. The roaches retreated quickly into the room's darkest corner. There they joined a mass of roaches shaped vaguely human.
"Richard," said the form in a distinctly masculine voice.
"God damn, son. You're a disappointing sight."
"You should talk. You're crawling with roaches."
"I'm dead. And a lot better off than you from the looks of it. What does your mother say?"
"She still loves me more than you ever did. I'm still her favorite."
"And Charlie?"
"He's on the East Coast. Doing alright."
"So what are you doing here, Richard? What do you want?"
"I'm going to sell the place," said Dick defiantly.
"No! Never! Don't you see? There are things more precious than money. Idiot!"
"Oh yeah? What kinds of things?"
The roach-ridden spirit refused to answer. "Look, fix the place up. Live here if you must. But never, ever sell the house! And for godsakes, quit flirting with the goddamn ghost!" The mass of roaches dissipated by degrees until only shadows remained.
Dick spent the rest of the night in his beat up Toyota pickup.
He took off the next day and drove to the foothills. He hiked for miles, lost in his own thoughts. He hadn't been especially close to his father. Adam Tortellini was a brutal and distant man. Any doting to be had was had by his older brother Charlie. As a result, Dick had always been a momma's boy. He was never good enough in his father's eyes. And as a final insult to Dick, his father had left him nothing but half the house in his will. Charlie had become the executor of the estate and managed the family's substantial finances. Dick had always wanted to dig his father's corpse up and kill him all over again for that facetious blow. And now it seemed that Adam's ghost had come back to haunt him. But that didn't sit well with him. Dick had never believed in ghosts and didn't see any reason he should start.
He rationalized that his encounter must have been the result of exhaustion mixed with alcohol. Nothing more. Being alone in the sunlit wilderness restored his energy and whatever gumption he possessed. With his rodent's features twitching, Dick returned home. And this time, he intended to do damage. He stopped for some heavy-duty roach bombs and spray and prepared for his assault. He figured the best place to start was where the wall was hollow in the hallway. Using a sledgehammer, he knocked holes into the wall, his flimsy muscles quivering from the effort.
Decades-old sheetrock crumbled around him revealing a hidden stairway into a sizeable room furnished with only a desk and chair. In the center of the room was a white circle made of salt and in the center of the circle lay a book. The floor was carpeted with roaches that advanced on Richard with purpose. But he wasn't unprepared. He lobbed two roach bombs into the room and raced downstairs. He imagined he could hear their collective scream as they choked and died. And he wasn't disappointed.
The hidden room's floor was a mass grave of roaches. Their bodies crunched beneath his feet as he descended the stairs. The desk was littered with papers scribbled with strange symbols and formulas. Most of it was gibberish to his untrained eye, written in a language apparently dreamt up by a psychotic. A search of the desk drawers revealed a jeweled dagger and sheath, a stone mortar and pestle, a branch of white oak about 13 inches long, and a hooded robe. Touching these items made Dick uneasy, so he put them back and turned to the book.
"Step lightly. Don't disturb my circle," whispered the book.
Though confused about the source of the ethereal voice, Dick did as he was asked and picked up the heavy tome. It was bound in human flesh bleached white. On its cover was a pair of deep red lips with a keyhole in their center.
"The key goes here, Dick," said the lips and puckered.
Dick squealed and dropped the book. He raced frantically from the room and out the front door.
He returned the next day, against his better judgment, face twitching spastically. It took every ounce of courage he had to descend into the room. As he did, he could feel a negative force trying to stop him.
"It's not going to work you mean old bastard!" he called aloud.
The presence thickened so much as he entered the secret room he could've cut it with a knife. Dick's face was twitching uncontrollably, messing up his vision, but he pressed onward. He crossed into the circle and the presence ceased.
"Now what are you going to do?" Dick challenged.
In response, roaches poured from the cracks in the wall.
"Take me, Dick," pleaded the book, "Take me now!"
He snatched the book and bolted from the room.
Posted in Author, Fiction, Religion and Spirituality, writing
Tags: books, desire, Ghost, Horror, literature, magic, obsession, roaches, Short stories
The Book
This is an excerpt from a short story. If ya'll like it, I'll post the rest of it. If not, I can always post my favorite Joel Olsteen moments. Enjoy!
Richard "Dick" Tortellini moved into the house in early August. It was his family home, left to him and his brother, Charlie, by their late father. It was in a prime location in Albuquerque and Charlie had been renting the place out since their father's death fifteen years ago. But Richard's time had finally come. He'd gotten a phone call from his mother in May. She said that she wanted him to move back into the family house and fix the place up. "I just don't think your father would appreciate what's happening to his house," she explained. Now Richard's mother was quite old and not a little senile. But Richard saw the wisdom in this. He could live there rent free, fix the place up and talk Charlie into selling it for a fat profit. He made a modest living as a high school biology teacher and could really use the money to help jumpstart his life. So Dick evicted the tenants and moved in his stuff in one fell swoop.
The house was in shambles and damn near falling down around his head. Fifteen years of renters and a lax landlord had severely depreciated the house's value. Since his last place was furnished, Dick didn't have much in the way of furniture. An old table, a chair, a recliner and a cot was all he had to fill a three bedroom, two story house. But Dick was used to this. A lifetime of social ineptitude forced him to spend most of his time away from people. He felt most comfortable camping. In fact, he spent the majority of his summers deep in the woods of northern New Mexico with no one but the old gods to keep him company.
Dick put his cot in the master bedroom upstairs. The carpet was shot, the walls were yellow and the whole room stank like mold from a botched carpet shampooing job.
"Everything has to be redone," thought Dick angrily, his rodent like nose twitching with disgust. Using a case of beer as a nightstand, he lay down to sleep and was immediately beset by dreams. He dreamt he was in the master bedroom on his cot. A raven-haired woman in a white dress walked toward him, her feet never touching the ground. She stroked Dick with an ethereal hand. He shuddered from the touch, though he was dreaming.
"Richard," she whispered and ran her ghostly fingers down his chest.
Dick moaned in ecstasy and leaned back. Just as the woman mounted him, a shadow darkened the doorway.
The woman sprang back fearfully. "No! No!" She shook her head vehemently and backed toward the wall. "It's still not your time!"
The shadow that stepped into the room was very familiar to Dick. "Dad?" he said quizzically and was jolted from his sleep by something tickling his upper lip. It was a cockroach, trying frantically to get the last half of its body into Dick's nose.
A squeal, more rodent than human, pealed through the air and Dick yanked the intruder from his nostril. He smashed the roach in his fist and stumbled downstairs to the kitchen. The refrigerator held two things: condiments and beer. Dick snatched a beer and guzzled it. He followed it with another and a third for good measure. Hoping to keep the roaches at bay, he spent the rest of the night at the kitchen table with the lights on and the TV. blaring the news in the background.
"In other news, Officials at Jemez National Forest received two more reports of campers being attacked and robbed by what one victim described as, 'wild-eyed mountain men'. Campers and day-trippers headed to the Jemez Mountains are being advised to stay only in designated campgrounds and to avoid camping alone in the forest. We go to Lisa Landry for the report…"
He awoke stiff and poorly rested from sleeping at the table. It was an uncomfortably long day at work and Dick stayed late to grade papers (but really he was avoiding the house. He wasn't comfortable in the place.) His brain tried to wrap itself around his supernatural experiences. Who was the woman and why was his father haunting the place? Dick shook the thought away as soon as it crossed his mind. Absurd. He was practically a man of science. Preposterous notions had no place in his worldview. There was no such thing as the supernatural. His real problem lay with the roaches infesting the house. He picked up a can of bugspray on the way home. He used the entire can spraying the perimeter of the room from floor to ceiling. He sat on his cot drinking beer and keeping diligent watch for invading insects. Soon, tiredness and alcohol got the better of him and he drifted into sleep.
Once more he was in the master bedroom. The ghostly woman strode gracefully into the room. "Richard? Are you there?"
"Who are you?" he stammered.
She didn't answer, only extended her hand. Dick took it and followed the woman out of the room and into the hallway. She walked down the hall and disappeared into the wall next to the stairway.
Dick reached out his shaking hand and it went through the wall. He was just about to step through when the roaches appeared. They swarmed the wall in such great numbers it was obscured beneath their writhing mass. Dick's screams woke him up.
He was sitting in front of the wall, now devoid of roaches. Closer inspection revealed a hole at the bottom. Intrigued, Dick knock on the wall. It was hollow. He was tempted to tear it down right there, but the skittering sound of countless roaches on the other side deterred him. Instead, he slouched downstairs and spent another night at the table.
Posted in Author, Fiction, Religion and Spirituality, writing
Tags: books, Ghost, Horror, literature, magic, Richard, roach, Short stories, spirit


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Home - About R&R A little about our clinic
Maria is a highly experienced Sports, Biomechanics and Holistic Therapist, specialising in deep tissue, sports massage, biomechanical issues and sports injury. Relax and Revive is based in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham in the West Midlands. Maria has also worked with many recording artists, such as : Usher, Bruno Mars, Papa Roach, Disturbed, Foreigner, Disney on Ice, Jay Z, Kanye West, The Lumineers, Justin Bieber, Journey, Alicia Keys, Paramore, Dolly Parton , Def Leopard, and Twenty One Pilots, and F1. Maria's methods and techniques have proved very effective working with both sports injury and a diverse range of physical conditions. Her skills, knowledge and passion for her work are also reflected within her role as a lecturer in VTCT Sports and Holistic therapies. She has acquired an outstanding reputation and because of her dedication to her profession, has earned the trust and respect of her clients. and has a firm understanding of both MRI and X-ray reports and incorporates these alongside ultrasound therapy into her clients treatment plans.
Maria's experience and knowledge of the physiological and psychological effects of sports massage and deep tissue work in both pre and post sports have shown exceptional results within her client base. Maria is aware of the importance of injury prevention and due to demand, in 2018 Maria's daughter Rebecca joined the company and is also trained in sports massage, deep tissue, and reflexology. Mother and daughter team works exceptionally well with the increase of muscular and skeletal issues that patients attend clinic with. Rebecca also heads up the pampering side of the business and provides the much needed relaxing beauty treatments that our patients enjoy. As a consequence of the clinics substantial experience and extensive treatment programmes, we have been able to prevent injuries with clients and where injuries have taken place, facilitated a quicker recovery.
If you are interested in finding out more about how Maria and Becky can help you, please contact the clinic direct for advice on 0121 647 1746 or to make an appointment please feel free to use our online booking system.


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Barry resigned his post as Chairman in May 2012 after a hugely succesful 13-year stint.
Barry initially joined the board of directors in October 1998 and was voted chairman at the company's Annual General Meeting two months later.
In a 2-1 rights issue in January 1999, he invested £3 million in the club to become its largest single shareholder.
Barry's business career has focused on the founding and building of the Europrint Group; the largest supplier of media games in the world.


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Photo: Shutterstock
The performance of equity schemes with high allocation to the Tata Motors counter has been affected by the boardroom battle at the Tata group.
Shares and differential voting rights (DVRs) of Tata Motors are among the most sought-after counters by fund managers. Put together, both these counters have seen investments of nearly Rs 10,700 crore of the total equity assets managed by the mutual fund industry.
About 318 mutual fund schemes have exposure in Tata Motors and about 160 schemes have investments in the Tata Motors DVR.
Several large schemes have allocated between two per cent and five per cent of their corpus in these counters. Schemes such as Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity Fund, HDFC Equity, HDFC Top 200, Franklin India High Growth Companies, SBI Magnum Taxgain and Reliance Equity Opportunities have allocated the most to Tata Motors.
The average trailing returns of the top equity funds are a negative 2.6 per cent since October 24, when Cyrus Mistry was ousted as Tata Sons' chairman.
This is on the back of a nine per cent drop in shares of Tata Motors and the Tata Motors DVR. The fall is higher than that of the Sensex during the same period.
Shares of Tata Motors are currently trading at Rs 510, down from their 52-week high of Rs 598. The Tata Motors DVR has dropped from its 52-week high of Rs 378 to Rs 331.
"The fall in shares of Tata Motors is largely due to a sentimental impact. The company's business outlook continues to remain good. At such levels these could be buying opportunities," said the chief investment officer of a private bank-sponsored fund house.


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Big Bear, CA, May 27, 2015 - The Rotary Club of Big Bear Lake will host its eighteenth annual "Eagle of Excellence" Community Service Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Sunday, June 7th. The dinner and awards ceremony is dedicated to honoring members of the Big Bear community that exhibit a very high caliber of professionalism, enthusiasm, work ethic and commitment to service, not … [Read more...] about Distinguished Big Bear Residents to Receive 'Eagle of Excellence' Awards
Xeriscape Garden Tour
Xeriscape Garden Tour Highlights Beautiful Landscapes and Water Conservation
Big Bear, CA, March 4, 2014 - With Spring approaching, thoughts are turning to gardening and planting. 2013 was the driest year on record in California and aside from our recent storm, 2014 is shaping up to be another very dry year. Native and drought tolerant plants are definitely a wise choice for your garden. They may cost slightly more up front than other … [Read more...] about Xeriscape Garden Tour Highlights Beautiful Landscapes and Water Conservation
Xeriscape Garden Tour This Weekend Celebrates 10 Years
Big Bear Lake, CA, July 13, 2012, 8:00am - The Xeriscape Garden Tour will celebrate its 10th year of showcasing homes that exemplify the best in water conservation through Xeriscape landscaping. The tour is set for Saturday, July 14th and will feature 6 to 7 gardens, two nurseries and the Flower Show and Plant Sale at the PAC. Highlights of this year's tour will include: a … [Read more...] about Xeriscape Garden Tour This Weekend Celebrates 10 Years


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With my fine dining experience at Roberta's having been so positive, I needed to check out the more rustic side of the equation. So, a few weeks after my incredible dinner, I was back in town and returned with my sons L.J. and Andrew for an early afternoon Saturday brunch. L.J. was working in NYC and Andrew was leaving that evening for an extended sojourn in Barcelona to study Spanish. After dropping Andrew off at EWR, I was to head home. At the time we were all in need of sustenance and sustenance is what we received at Roberta's. None of us had to eat another thing the rest of the day!
Being a bit of a pizza snob, I was quite curious to try some of their pizze as well as a calzone. For the pizze, we had a tomato-less one with mushrooms, mozzarella and artichokes as well as a classic Margarita. They were extremely well crafted with superb ingredients. They were nicely charred and held their toppings well without becoming soggy. While not necessarily my favorite pizze in NYC, they are comparable to all the top pizzerie. The calzone with red pepper, mozzarella, ricotta, and prosciutto cotto was equally well made and delicious. I haven't enjoyed a calzone so much since eating them at Lenny's Pizza on 5th Ave and 16th St in Park Slope while growing up.
This being brunch, we had to try some breakfast items as well. This was hearty fare, but not heavy. Between the bacon, egg and cheese on buttermilk biscuit, the ethereal ricotta pancakes with brown butter, maple syrup and pears, the soft scrambled eggs with maitake mushrooms and toast and finally the creamy polenta with a poached egg, pork jowl and pecorino, this was satisfying breakfast fare that the very best diners would be proud to serve and we were more than happy to consume it.
There was one special on the menu that I couldn't leave without trying and I'm glad I saved room. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love the fried chicken at Willie Mae's Scotch House in New Orleans and get serious cravings for the fried chicken at Hattie's in my very own backyard of Saratoga Springs, but once I had the fried chicken here at Roberta's, it became my new benchmark. Served with a biscuit and a simple, but perfect salad, the chicken hit every note and kept them going. It was hot. It was crackling crisp. It was moist and juicy and at the end, it was so delicious, the bones were absolutely free of any debris whatsoever.
Somehow we managed to save room for Pamela Yung's desserts, which were provided on the house. Her sunchoke panna cotta with sunflower, chestnut and pralinée was every bit as delicious as the first time I had it. Her ice creams were well made with good, pure flavors and her olive oil cake was moist and flavorful. Shortly after this, Ms. Yung left Roberta's to spend time studying pastry in Italy before assuming the job as pastry chef at the equally hot Torrisi Italian Specialties in Manhattan.
It's not uncommon for starred chefs to have second, casual restaurants, a variety of restaurants under their single banner or even for them to leave their fancier abodes to focus on more earthy cooking in a less formal environment. Roberta's, though by no means fancy or in any way formal, uncommonly manages to bridge a variety of styles and bring them together under one totally casual roof and at the same time. Even more amazing is that it takes the disparate styles of cucina povera and international haute cuisine as well as a number of styles in between, integrates them seamlessly and and does them all extremely well. It truly succeeds in making a lot of different people happy in many different ways. While there are a few restaurants in NYC right now that I really love, I may love this one most of all.


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Patient stories
Olga Sazhina
Olga Sazhina is a 24 year old professional volleyball player playing at Champions Leage level for the Volero team in Zurich Switzerland. She started playing volleyball in Russia when she was 8 years old and gained her first professional contract when she was 17. Her career goal is to represent Russia at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Commenting on the history of her injured knee, Olga said 'In 2007 I first felt pain in my knee after landing awkwardly during a game but in 2009 the pain became worse and I had a mensiscectomy on my left lateral meniscus , after four weeks I was back playing but the pain came back and I only managed to play using painkillers'.
The pain came back and I visited Dr Luthi at the Sports Clinic in Zurich and he offered me a new treatment Actifit® to help replace the shock absorber and re-grow my meniscus tissue.
After one year, my knee is now not painful and Dr Luthi has shown me the new meniscus tissue on my MRI. I feel well, I am back in the team, have no pain, exercise normally and I hope Dr Luthi is right and I can target my goal of the Russian Olympic team in London 2012.'
Dominic Nisius
In 2001 Dominic Nisius was playing Handball when he suffered an injury to both his Medial and lateral menisci in one knee. He underwent a partial menisectomy but found the pain did not go away and he was unable to play sport.
Even walking up the stairs was painful. Over the next six years Dominic explored a number of medical solutions to his problems but nothing cured the pain and his mobility remained impaired. Then in 2007 Dominic noticed a newspaper article discussing a new type of meniscal implant, Actifit®. He contacted the newspaper and through them Doctor Hans Pässler.
Dr Pässler made Dominic aware of the risks involved with trialling Actifit® and after reflecting on his situation Dominic enrolled in the clinical trial. By autumn 2008 Dominic had completed the rehabilitation period and was very pleased with the outcome. 14 weeks after the operation he was able to undertake light runs on even surfaces and by six months he was playing sport again. However he remained cautious about the intensity of sporting activity and did not return to intense activity until 9 months after the operation. He is now playing soccer and handball on a regular basis and has remained pain free.
Update from Domink, Feb 2011.
'Knee is doing great, regularly playing five a side football with my friends'
Pascal Lorenz
When he was just 11 years old Pascal Lorenz tore his meniscus. It was partially removed but he then went on to suffer further cartilage (meniscus) damage. By 16 his knee had suffered so much that he was in constant pain, even at night. All his sporting activity had ceased and even walking up stairs was a painful experience.
Following media reports Pascal was put in contact with Dr Heinz Laprell, a specialist orthopaedic surgeon at the Lubinus Clinic, Kiel Dr Laprell informed him that the "Options following the removal of a lateral meniscus are pretty much limited to implanting a new meniscus". Pascal became part of the clinical trials for Actifit®. Aged 17 he had returned to active sporting life playing soccer for VFB Lübeck's youth team. He remains pain free, can climb stairs and can sleep at night.
Peter Knippenberg
Peter Knippenberg is a senior NCO with the Belgian Air Force and had always enjoyed a very active lifestyle filled with sport. He would play soccer 2 to 3 times a week but suffered a bad tackle one afternoon that damaged his ACL and tore his meniscus. He learned about the Actifit® clinical trials from the Belgian media and made contact with Prof. Rene Verdonk of UZ Gent Hospital. The risks of the clinical trial were explained to Peter and he opted to proceed with the surgery. It was decided to implant Actifit® in the first surgical procedure and then re-construct the ACL 4 months later once the critical rehabilitation period for the meniscus had been completed. The ACL rehabilitation also took several months but now, a year on, Peter is back to full duties and can be found on the sports field once more. He plays soccer twice a week, cycles, runs and attends spinning classes.


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I am concerned by new figures which show that unemployment has increased for two consecutive months in Delyn. Unemployment in Delyn in the month ending November 2017 stands at 805.
The total number of unemployed claimants in Delyn constituency in November 2017 was 805.
This represents a rate of 2.5% of the economically active population aged 16-64, the 278th highest of the 650 UK constituencies. (1st = highest claimant rate, 650th = lowest claimant rate.)
The equivalent UK claimant rate was 2.5%. The UK unemployment rate, which includes people not claiming benefits and is estimated from survey data, was 4.3% between August and October 2017.
The number of claimants in Delyn constituency is 90 higher than November 2016 and the 25 higher than October 2017.
There were 180 claimants aged 18-24 in November 2017, 20 lower than November 2016, but the same as in October 2017.
October witnessed a rise in unemployment and I warned the UK Government if they did not take action it would only rise further. These figures demonstrate that they did not heed these warnings and let unemployment push above the 800 mark. This follows years of fluctuations in unemployment in Delyn, under the Conservatives, but no definitive fall.
Youth unemployment is remaining at 180 people. Showing that despite the efforts of the Welsh Assembly Government in providing excellent education and skills training, the UK Government is squandering our young people's potential.
What we are seeing is a government who are not competent enough to manage the UK economy. For all their bluster surrounding their credentials on the economy we can see a shambolic approach to bringing down inflation and securing more decent jobs. We now live in the situation where inflation continues to rise to an eye-watering 3.1% and the number of people in secure work plummets. Labour will invest into our community and tackle the cost of living crisis head on.


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James H. Breece, Associate Professor, University of Maine School of Economics
DATE: Thursday, June 12, 2014
LOCATION: Bangor Public Library
Event is Free and Open to the Public – No Registration Required
Abstract: After traveling to China numerous times for work and pleasure; reading many books and articles on China's history and economy; and strongly feeling that Maine college students should be exposed to China's culture, politics, and economy, I decided to offer a new course at UMaine on the Chinese Economy.
The course was not a traditional lecture course, but based on a new pedagogy called "flip." Students were assigned readings in a textbook and supplemental books and the class time was devoted to discussion of the issues – not lectures. To enhance the discussion, experts within Maine and China were invited to class to lead the discussion with the students.
The talk at the Bangor Forum will cover the new pedagogy of what I call "leveraged flip" and some of the surprising lessons learned about China. The lessons learned will cover: doing business in China; exporting and importing to and from China; current trends within China; China's internal and external threats and opportunities; and a look into China's future.
About the speaker: James H. Breece joined the economics faculty at the University of Maine in 1983. His specialties are in macroeconomics; open economy macroeconomics; international trade; and economic modeling and forecasting. He has conducted research in exchange rate volatility; monetary policies under various exchange rate regimes; and structural economic modeling, simulations, and forecasting. He also conducts research analyzing the impact of higher educational attainment on economic development; the economics of China; and monitors and forecasts the Maine economy. He spent a year at the University of Melbourne working with general equilibrium models to forecast the Australian economy; worked for a year as a consultant to the Central Bank of New Zealand on economic forecasting and monetary policy; and currently is a member of the Maine Revenue Forecasting Committee. He is also a Trustee of a local hospital. For the past several years Dr. Breece has held numerous administrative appointments in higher education, including Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of Maine System.


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The term "smart lock" is a security superlative. These words really say, "here's the best lock ever created." Electronic locks and keyless locks promote a litany of hyped access control features. Sorting through these marketing words and getting to the nitty gritty and genuine qualities of these locks is a great task indeed. If you're curious how these locks hold up to security threats and function as a whole, we have the information for you. Here's what to look for when in the market for an electronic lock and keyless lock in NYC.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Let's begin with the advantages. Electronic locks and keyless locks usually boast these great advantages:
E-Keys Access Control /Electronic Locks
• Send an e-key to anyone, wherever they are and at any time.
• Temporarily disable or permanently delete a user from the system.
• E-keys have no expiration and can't be lost.
• Often traditional keys, and keyfobs are available
• Access can be as simple as walking up to the door (RFID chip).
Usage Tracking
• See who sent or accepted an e-key
• See who was enabled or disabled access
• See who was deleted from the system
• See real-time push notifications when someone knocks on the door.
• Check to see if you door was locked or not for peace of mind.
The Disadvantages of electronic locks and keyless locks are several as well.
E-Keys/Electronic Lock
• Electronic hacking
• Battery or electricity dependency issues
• Difficult to configure.
• ANSI grades are lower against break-ins
Although we listed fewer disadvantages than advantages, these negatives are not to be missed in the big picture. Electronic hacking possess a great risk to ANSI grades and is currently little tested on the market. Also, electricity dependent devices, to this point are always slightly a hassle because of recharging issues. Lastly, bumping, prying, and damage threats aren't publicly acknowledging threats for these yet. People would rather promote the convenience of the lock than anything else. What you don't know: is your greatest disadvantage with new locking technologies. But, we've sorted through them all, and here are some of the locks we recommend to you.
Smart Locks Electronic Locks
1. Samsung EZON Digital Door Lock SHS-3321 Universal Deadbolt
2. Lockey 2950 Keyless Mechanical Digital Mortise Locks
3. Trilogy DL1225 Narrow Stile Digital Thumbturn Lock
4. Kaba P2000 PowerPlex Self-Powered GREEN Electronic Lock
5. Mul-T-Lock Code-It
6. Schlage Camelot Touchscreen Deadbolt
7. Medeco Maxum 11*603,
8. Yale YRD240 Lock
9. Schlage BE365 V CAM 619 Lock
10. Arrow Revolutions Lock
We mentioned "smart locks" earlier; and in our opinion two stand alone to make the cut. August Locks and the Kēvo innovation. Both these devices are coupled with hands-free marketing as seen recently with the Nest Learning Thermostat. We chose these smart locks because they are the most advanced at adapting to other products while at the same time keeping you safe and secure as top-security should.
Keyless Door Lock
Remember: keyless door locks come in two forms. Usually they're activated by a device like a phone, or an access card of something in the form of a keyfob or RFID chip. Keyless door locks are convenient for those who want to share, allow and monitor access digitally. But, keep in mind, that, before purchasing a keyless or electronic lock you know the materials of your door. Often certain exit doors, storefront doors and commercial doors won't pair well with these technologies from a structural standpoint. Good luck on the market. Find a tried and true locksmith and enjoy the new security market.
Electronic Lock Installation NYC
SOS Locksmith is a main provider and installer of electronic and smart locks in the NYC area. Our trained locksmith technicians go through extensive training and are knowledgeable about the product. Consult with SOS Locksmith for custom designed systems to meet your demands and specifications.


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Online Banking | For Your Safety | Reorder Checks | Calculators | Locations | Employment Application
Since the early 1900s Exchange Bank has been serving the Middle Georgia community. With five locations, Exchange Bank offers all of the services and convenience of a "big" bank with the community involvement and customer service offered by a smaller business. Exchange Bank has a long history with Middle Georgia, but continues to move into the future by offering new and innovative products, services and solutions for your personal and business banking needs.
Exchange Bank in Milledgeville, Georgia, was chartered May 20, 1903, and began business on June 3, 1903 in a building located at 120 West Hancock Street. In August 1907, the bank offices were relocated to 100 East Hancock Street and occupied the street level of the Masonic Building. In June 1949, the bank moved to 208 West Hancock Street. The first major expansion of facilities came with the construction of the Southside Office at 1000 South Wayne Street, which was opened for business in September 1963. The drive-in facility at 120 South Liberty was completed in September 1967. Another giant step was the completion of the Northside Office at 2400 North Columbia Street. This office was opened for business on April 10, 1972. On Monday, December 11, 1978, the bank again relocated its operations to the new main office building at 250 West Hancock Street. The Northside Office on Columbia Street (Milledgeville Mall) was enlarged to provide space for the first Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Milledgeville, which became operational in the fall of 1979. A second ATM was installed in the Main Office in the spring of 1981. The Main Office was renovated during 1989, with the completion of the ground level for a Board of Directors room, training room, offices and operation areas. The Main Office was renovated again during 2007 completely renovating the main lobby and adding additional office space.
New drive-in facilities at the Main Office were completed in 1994. At this time, a new drive-up ATM was also installed. In 1996, we completed a new drive-in facility and drive-up ATM at our Northside Office. In April 1998, our branch facility, Exchange Bank of Jones County opened in Gray, Georgia and in May 2004 Exchange Bank of Lake Oconee opened in Greene County. Due to a decline in economic activity in the Southside area, a decision was made to close our Southside Office facility on December 31, 2013. With the continuous growth of the lake area, Exchange Bank of Lake Sinclair a state-of-the-art branch opened on March 13, 2017.
Exchange Investment Services, Inc. began operating on December 1, 2003, and offers full brokerage services.
Exchange Bank has exercised a position of financial leadership throughout the years. The continued growth and expansion of service is attributed to an aggressive policy, which has been characteristic of Exchange Bank since its organization. Customers come first and Exchange Bank has been first to provide new banking services. We are proud that we have more locations in the Middle Georgia area than any other bank in Milledgeville, with five locations to serve our customers. It is through service and convenience that we attract new customers and maintain the loyalty of the established ones.
Sound financial management, a working Board of Directors and the teamwork of all employees have enabled Exchange Bank to survive depressions, wars and periods of inflation. Eight presidents have guided this bank since its inception:
©2020 All rights reserved.
Privacy & Security | Community Involvement | Fair Lending Statement | FDIC Consumer Alerts | FDIC Insurance Coverage


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What's in the December lookfantastic beauty box..........
Lookfantastic Beauty Box December 2015 Edition
What's in the December lookfantastic beauty box..........
10 comments:
Lookfantastic boxes always look so amazing! I love trying out new skincare xReplyDeleteReplies
Yes,so far is my favorite box and I decided to get a 3 month subscription.They really have stuff that I love and bits of everything,hair care and makeup and beauty tools also.Delete
I get the feeling that Molton Brown only does scents for men. I got that shower gel in Japanese Orange and that's pretty manly too.ReplyDeleteReplies
:))))maybe we have a chance with Sensual Hanaleni bath and shower gel,the most pink of them all- can't be manlyDelete
The eve lom cleanser is such a prize in the box! <3 lookfantastic boxes are my favorite!ReplyDeleteReplies
I said the same when I opened the box,it was the treasure that I secretly hoped for :))-when I ordered the box,I could not see the content of this one yetDelete
Such a great box, love the lashes!ReplyDeleteReplies
I am happy you liked the box.The lashes are really nice and glamours.Delete
There are lots of brands that I have never heard of, I love discovering new products so this article is really cool!ReplyDelete
Mika from La French ConnectionReplies
Most of the brands are strictly selective and luxurious. The Eve Lom Morning Cleanser 100ml is about 50 euro and that is one of their cheapest products. Most of them are quite iconic and multi-award winning brands. This is why I love these look fantastic boxes. I am happy you liked my article. Thank you !Delete


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When asthma is well controlled, My Asthma Bag helps you be organised and support daily asthma management care. When asthma starts to limit the way you live and the choices you make, then My Asthma Bag helps you step it up a gear and get things back on track.
Pack My Asthma Bag with asthma medication, spacer and asthma action plan. Ready when needed. My Asthma Bag is well marked with a photo ID pocket and asthma management first aid logo, so it can be used at school and located quickly. Essential in an emergency. Please note: Free Asthma Plans are available to download from our printables section and should be completed by your doctor. We also recommend the free asthma plans from Asthma Australia and the National Asthma Council.
Prompt the conversation between home and school – 'Let us know when asthma medication needs replacing, let us know if asthma medication is being given'. In the blur of caring for a child with asthma, the log book captures those moments, with the goal of having less of those moments.
The asthma plan explains what to do, when. The log book helps to recall important details to discuss when visiting the family doctor. Helping to show what has been happening in terms of medication given, frequency, any notes at the time, so that together with your doctor, you can plan future asthma care.
My Asthma Bag is a purpose made bag for your asthma plan, spacer and medication. By working with your doctor, well managed asthma means living a fuller more active life."
Step 1. Follow the asthma plan for daily management needs.
Step 2. Record the medication needed, dosages and any notes from home and school in the log book. Use the notification cards in the bag as prompts to discuss events.
Step 3. Prior to your next meeting with the GP, complete the Bello Alito Goals Worksheet ( see page 2 of the Quick Guide) to clarify how things currently are and what you would like to change.
Step 4. Meet with the GP to review log book and discuss goals. If updated, replace the asthma plan in your asthma bag. Go back to Step 1.
For more information about the asthma management system, My Asthma Bag, please read our quick guide, read our brochure, or visit our shop to see the features of My Asthma Bag.


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|Kewaskum Statesman, 01FEB1908, pg1
It sounds like quite an interesting story is behind this little blurb in a 1908 newspaper.
"Supposed Dead Mother Lives
Fleischer Family Reunited After Thirty Years Plan Celebration
Manitowoc, Wis., Jan. 30. - (Special.) - To hear from the mother whom he had believed dead for thirty years ad (sic) to be reunited with his parent and a brother is the happiness that has come to Daniel Fletcher of this city. Fletcher has just received a letter from a brother at Cornish, N. Y., and in it is conveyed the intelligence that the mother, long thought dead, is alive and residing with his brother. Fletcher has been trying for years to locate his brother and succeeded through an uncle at St. Paul, who chanced to learn the whereabouts of the missing man. A reunion of the family is now being planned in this city."


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Global equity markets ended September in positive territory as investors weighed up the latest turns in the trade war between the world's two largest economies, namely the US and China. September was a more challenging month for fixed income markets though with many sectors recording their first negative monthly return of the year so far. In large part, this reflected movement in government bond yields, which increased from the record lows reached in August. The rise in government bond yields over the first half of September was driven by signs that the global economy may be stronger than had previously been anticipated and a potential thawing of trade tensions, but recent manufacturing data has been less encouraging. High-level U.S.-China trade talks resumed in Washington earlier this month and the markets responded positively, although it is still unclear whether or not both countries believe a deal has been reached. Further rounds of negotiation are expected before any final agreements are made.
The following chart reflects the performance of the MSCI World index over the year to date, rising almost 20% over the period, in sterling terms, notwithstanding some heightened volatility. In particular, such volatility was experienced in early August 2019 as global trade tensions escalated.
The MSCI World is a market cap weighted equity market index of over 1600 stocks from companies throughout the world, although excludes companies in emerging and frontier markets. It is a widely used benchmark to assess how equity markets have performed globally.
September saw an acceleration of a trend that has been in place for much of 2019. Indicators of global economic activity continued to weaken – driven particularly by a slowdown in manufacturing activity as global trade tensions grow. In response to this, the world's central banks have progressively stepped up their efforts to provide support. This has given investors the confidence that the strong performance of the bond market can continue, leading to rising prices for riskier bonds. Equity markets have been more turbulent as they have weighed the constant tension between economic reality and continued support.
The market's expectations that US interest rates will fall significantly have grown
Behind these measurable trends affecting markets there is, of course, an ever-accelerating state of political turmoil in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Typically, politics affects economics and markets less than many people think. However, this is an occasion where the decisions being taken by politicians have such immediate consequences that the performance of markets in the year ahead may well be in the hands of US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the leaders of the European Union.
Investors may hope that, as the effects of the trade wars waged by President Trump's administration are felt in the economic data, this will give him pause for thought. However, so far, the affects have been felt more profoundly outside of the United States in economies sensitive to manufacturing – particularly in emerging markets.
In contrast, the domestic US economy, seemingly President Trump's only pre-occupation, has been protected from the short-term impact because much of its economy is made up of the service sector.
For investors, positioning for this environment is challenging. The philosophy driving our approach is to take a cautious footing. Whilst we acknowledge that, in the short-term, central banks may support investments such as riskier bonds we are preparing for the time when the long run of strong market gains will come to an end.
The risk of such a tactic is that markets will continue to rise in the months ahead. However, we are clear that it is wiser to be early and prepared for potential market turbulence than wait for it to occur in order to capture the last gasps of a bull market.
Overall, of vital importance, is taking a balanced approach that spreads risk across multiple asset classes in order to avoid any one political or economic scenario determining the future performance of a portfolio. We have seen volatility in the markets this year as global trade tensions have escalated and then eased and we expect this to continue. Furthermore, Brexit has of course created volatility, especially with Sterling and we eagerly await a resolution. Our risk graded portfolios are well diversified and the following chart highlights the year to date cumulative performance of our 5 Growth low medium risk portfolio.
Burton & Fisher Financial Services is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the conduct of investment business. This document is only investment research and you should not treat this guide as a recommendation to buy, sell or trade in any of the investments, sectors or asset classes mentioned. Some of the market commentary has been provided by a selection of our preferred fund managers. The value of any investment and the income from it is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise, so that you may not get back the amount originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
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Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.


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About VolTRAX
Oxford Nanopore offers a range of options for converting your original biological sample to a form ready for application into a nanopore sensing device.
Oxford Nanopore has developed VolTRAX – a small device designed to perform library preparation automatically, so that a user can get a biological sample ready for analysis, hands-free. VolTRAX is designed as an alternative to a range of lab equipment, to allow consistent and varied, automated library prep options.
Why VolTRAX?
VolTRAX overview
VolTRAX is designed to automate sample prep for nanopore analyses.
The consumable VolTRAX cartridge is used with a small USB-powered device.
The VolTRAX is designed to allow users to add sample and reagents to the device and then walk away while they are prepared for nanopore sequencing. In VolTRAX, liquids are moved around the cartridge in a path programmed by software, performing individual reactions in sequence. Read more at this poster
A range of traditional library preparation kits are also currently available to MinION users.


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Esteemed Country Music Journalist Chet Flippo Dies
Chet Flippo, a respected music writer who worked for Rolling Stone, Billboard, CMT and others during a four-decade-long career, has died. Flippo didn't write the book on country music, but he did write the book on one of country music's pioneers before adapting to digital media in the late '90s and '00s.
Music Row reported Flippo's death on Wednesday afternoon (June 19). He's remembered as an honest, loyal and private man who helped bring country music to national audiences, the first to begin covering country artists in Rolling Stone. More recently, he's been able to provide some historical perspective to country music happenings. His final 'Nashville Skyline' column at CMT remembered nostalgically the old days of Fan Fair, while pointing out the changes in country music.
As editorial director, Flippo wrote the 'Nashville Skyline' column weekly. He joined CMT in 2001, having previously worked for Sonicnet, Billboard and Rolling Stone between stints as a lecturer at the University of Tennessee. He's also written books on Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Graceland while writing for numerous newspapers and television networks.
Flippo left Rolling Stone to pen the Williams autobiography in 1980, but returned to write two articles in 2012. Previously, he'd been the magazine's New York Bureau Chief (in 1974) and Senior Editor.
Flippo was married to Martha Hume, who died in her sleep in December. The native Texan was a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam war. He was 69 years when he died at a Nashville hospital following a lengthy illness, according to CMT.


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My 40 year old partner was diagnosed with MND four weeks ago.
We have had fantastic support from the neurologists at Addenbrooks and the team at Arthur Rank Hospice.
But I feel quite alone, We have a 1 year old daughter, we have just bought our first house and Im worried how we will afford everything once my partner gives up work. I have spoken to the benefits agency and I earn too much to get any help!! I work in retail so Im not earning a fortune!! We have income protection but that only covers 1/2 our monthly mortgage payment .. any help or advice would be appreciated


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Convenience is essential when it comes to arranging your travel plans. When you're flying to Orange County, don't waste time at the airport by waiting in long lines for cabs or trying to figure out bewildering bus routes. Instead, reserve your National Car Rental car rental at SNA airport today and be on the road as soon as you have your rental car keys in hand. Meaning once you've hit the tarmac, you can head to the National Car Rental rental counter and pick up your National Car Rental car rental from John Wayne.
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Government Rests in Alleged Airline Groper Trial
A New Jersey man accused of groping a woman on a cross-country flight has told the court in his sex abuse trial that he has decided not to testify in his defense.
Federal prosecutors rested their case Wednesday against Bawer Aksal, after which he notified the judge of his decision. Aksal has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. He's accused of abusing a fellow passenger on a United Airlines flight in August from Phoenix to Newark.
Aksal has denied through his attorney that he harmed the woman, whom he said he did not know. Conviction on the charges carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison.
The woman has testified she awoke from sleep to find Aksal fondling her.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text: Powered by hydrogen and emitting only water as its exhaust, the Clarity brings you the future today. Its spacious interior seats five; the expected driving range is more than 300 miles. Expect a price of around $60,000 and a monthly lease payment of less than $500. (That's cheaper than a base Tesla Model S.) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be included, along with the Honda Sensing suite of safety/driver-assistance tech. The Clarity will be sold in California only, starting in late 2016.


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How cells make decisions
Jan Philipp Junker creates cell lineage trees. He wants to understand the different paths that lead to a functioning organism. Perhaps one day, this knowledge will also reveal how organs are able to regenerate.
Research at the MDC aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of health and disease, and translate those findings into medical practice.