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Exploring media interpreting
Interpreting for the media differs from interpreting at a conference, and working for live news programmes brings into play critical factors that must be taken into account. Let's take a closer look at what's involved.
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Chikako Tsuruta is a media interpreter who has faced these challenges interpreting ABC, CNN and BBC news programmes in Japan. Vincent Buck has done the same at the Franco-German broadcaster ARTE. They got together online to discuss what it's all about.
CT: Good morning Vincent. I really appreciate your willingness to discuss media interpreting with me.
VB: You're welcome. Let me start out by giving you an overview of my work at Arte, which is closer to journalism and localisation than what a conference interpreter usually does.
ARTE started broadcasting about 15 years ago and has positioned itself as a European culture channel. At heart it's a bi-cultural and bilingual channel jointly funded by the governments and supported by the public broadcasters of France and Germany. The idea was to consolidate a peaceful relationship through greater mutual understanding.
Arte broadcasts, and increasingly webcasts, on two separate audio tracks. It's available in German in Germany and other German-speaking countries; and in French in France, Switzerland and Belgium. Hosts will speak either French or German, and depending on the programme, this requires either subtitling or dubbing. If the programme is live, it requires simultaneous interpreting.
CT: Are languages limited to German and French? And what kind of programmes are we talking about?
VB: Talk shows mostly, with French and German, but also from other languages depending on the guests. International news is also big, so events like US presidential debates or UK election debates are interpreted live.
The daily news programme, Arte-Journal, has rotating French and German anchors. I've been working on the programme with a handful of colleagues for the past 10 years or so, on the evening edition - a 30-minute show with a news section lasting 15-20 minutes. Interpreters are assigned to be the voice of a specific newscaster, and in the main I've been interpreting the same German journalist into French for most of my time there.
In a conference hall you always lag a few seconds behind the speaker, but on TV that's a no-no. When the host stops speaking, he can't just stand there staring into the camera while the interpreter finishes. Live interpreting on television only works for the audience if the delivery is exceptionally fluent, the voice trained and steady, the message clear, and the final rendition very much like dubbing.
CT: Could you elaborate on that? What goes into achieving this effect?
VB: Well, preparation is the name of the game. When you're doing a live presidential debate, obviously you're on your own like any interpreter, although you always keep in mind the specific considerations I mentioned. And you certainly don't want to blank out on television – viewers would immediately think there's something wrong.
Fortunately when you're interpreting the news regularly, it becomes easier. Anchors read from a script prepared and edited beforehand.
There are exceptions of course - for breaking news the announcer may have to "rip 'n read", and as his interpreter I'll do my best to follow. And in some situations, like an interview, you'll interpret without a script.
Thankfully, as a newscast interpreter you can prepare, just as everybody in the newsroom does. Reporting is teamwork, and that's why I consider my job at Arte more like that of a journalist with an eye and ear for language and cultural differences.
The evening newscast is at 7:00pm, but the news team starts working mid-morning, choosing the stories and how they'll cover them, who will do what with what material, and so on. I usually report around 4pm, have a wee chat with Jürgen, 'my' German anchor, and log into the newsroom computer system where I can access the programme's line-up and where everybody writes their pieces. I focus on the German anchoring scripts, which is what I'll have to interpret live into French. At 6:30pm we usually have a rehearsal.
The essential part of my work is to write up a French version of the scripts. But there is a twist. I can never do a one-to-one translation because anchoring standards differ significantly between German and French. The former tends to be more austere than what a French-speaking audience is used to, so I have to ginger it up just a bit. Also, French anchors tend to follow the inverted pyramid style of writing with the most newsworthy bits at the top, the important details in the middle, and the general background at the bottom. In German the thought process is more linear and stepwise.
CT: What exactly that does imply for your work?
VB: A really major factor is how familiar I expect a French-speaking audience to be with the story - what I say as the voice of the German announcer must be targeted at them. If it's a purely German story, say upcoming regional elections, most French viewers will be very unaware of the context, and I won't bother with some details and names. Instead, I'll try to find a different angle to sell the same story to them.
The reverse is also true. If it's a typically French story I'll have to beef up my lead-in. The German announcer will focus on his audience, providing background, and then only hinting at the underlying story, whereas I can safely expect my French-speaking audience to know what we're talking about, so I can cut to the chase. The essential thing is to sell the story, and that can only be done by adjusting the message to your audience.
The story itself is delivered in the form common to newscasts: a 2 to 3 minute report with the usual voice-overs and sound bites. At Arte in-house translators translate these reports - on a weekday there are 2 translators each for French and German. Typically the journalist who authored a report will speak in his or her native language, and the second language version will be done from a translation either by a professional speaker or another journalist. Few journalists in the newsroom work in both languages, even though most have a passive understanding of the other. A constraint imposed by the second language version is that news stories must be recorded before they are aired, as speaking them live in two different language versions would be difficult. In fact, the only live segments of the newscast are the studio portions where the host faces the camera.
In some cases, especially when the newscast turns to the arts, social trends, or "kicker" reports thrown in to lighten things up at the end of a programme, I may choose to turn away from the original German script altogether and do my own write-up if I find that the piece warrants a different rhythm or story-telling for a French audience. Of course, you could argue that the decision to do so is subjective, and, needless to say, it's not something you do unless you've acquired significant on-the-job experience, and know the news team trusts you to do it well.
Of course my scripts get reviewed by a French editor, the same as for anyone else in the newsroom. This is especially important because I may have departed significantly from the German original. Editors will review my copy to make sure it's factually correct and stands on its own merits, not because they need to double-check with the German version.
CT: You mentioned the importance of preparation. Can you add anything to that?
VB: My "source texts" are never just the original German scripts. I'll routinely check the news feeds from the big press agencies for cues about the reporting angle in the French-speaking press. I will also google things, read newspapers, talk to newsroom journalists for clarification. I've come to realize that the reporting angle on the same story may differ substantially between cultures, even when they share a common border like France and Germany.
CT: How about other ways in which working on a live news program differs from straight conference interpreting?
VB: A major factor is timing and synchronization. I may do my own thing, but the German anchor and I must be in synch. Of course, he's the lead. If he pauses for a couple seconds and switches cameras, I must pause too. Also, it's absolutely necessary for me not to overrun the original. Ideally I must finish a second or so before him.
Another things is that the producer will talk to us when we're off the air during the newscast, telling us that we're running late and must chop things off, or that we've got an extra 30 seconds to fill. The host will decide what to do and tell me about it, if he has time, and I'll adjust my text as best I can. I can also speak to him directly during filmed reports if anything's unclear.
As you can see, this type of work is not exactly representative of freelance conference interpreting assignments. Arte has chosen to use interpreters because it works for them. When a programme is live, anything can happen, so you need an interpreter both to shadow the newscaster and interpret when he veers off-script.
That said, interpreting is not a "natural" solution. It always comes at a price, as it may be off-putting to the audience to listen to somebody else's voice, however hard you try to make it flow naturally. There's always going to be a slight disconnect when you rely on dubbing or interpreting. Once or twice during the show, I'll let my French-speaking audience hear a story tag in German when it's safe to assume that the original will be generally understandable even to non-German speakers. Typically that's the case when the German tagline contains internationally recognisable proper nouns or words borrowed from French. I will then try to finish 2 or 3 seconds before the newscaster, so that the German original becomes audible again, and 'my' audience can make out what he's saying because it's a perfect match of what they've just heard in French.
As I said, this will not be possible for all scripts, and whenever my version and the German original differ significantly I try as much as possible to speak over the newscaster's voice. You don't want your viewers to start wondering why the two versions are apart. Their undivided attention must go to the message, not the messenger, and even less the messenger's messenger.
CT: So how different is 'news interpreting' from other types of media interpreting?
VB: I would say that interpreting the news on a long-running daily show is totally unlike media interpreting at one-off events. Whenever something big happens – say George W. just declared war on some new country or William and Kate are tying the knot – television networks pretty much enjoy a captive audience. People want to know, and if the fastest way to get the information is through interpreters, so be it. Of course, if it goes on for a while and there are competing networks, each with their own interpreters, viewers may switch to the channel where the interpreting sounds best.
The daily news show on Arte is totally unlike that. Like any other 'serious' newscast, our bread and butter is reporting mundane news. It's important news, but not necessarily riveting. Then, there's an abundance of competing news channels and programmes for French audiences. Why should they put up with the strained voice or the unfortunate turn of phrase of an interpreter just because Arte has chosen to be bilingual? They won't. As a newscast interpreter, you really need to perform in a way that will not drive the audience away. I remember a colleague saying interpreters should be heard, not seen. I would say that in good media interpreting, interpreters do not sound too much like interpreters.
Apart from the all-important preparation, your voice is pretty much all you have. Arte organises superb voice coaching seminars for its regular interpreters. I've attended a few myself and have enjoyed them tremendously and learnt a lot.
CT: You've worked with the same anchor for a long time. What's that like?
VB: I believe that there must be a good match between the interpreter's style and voice, and the newscasters' general demeanour, body language, facial expressions. From the start Arte's Chief Interpreter Elisabeth Krone recognised that. It's a factor when casting new interpreters for a 'role'.
It also helps tremendously if the interpreter can develop a rapport with the newscaster. In my case, Jürgen Biehle is a joy to work with and an extremely empathetic personality. My tone, pace and colour will intuitively be influenced by his voice and mood, which are always spot-on. Also, I personally see it as part of the job description for a conference interpreter to be a temporary vehicle for the speaker's habitus (with exceptions), in addition to the technical work of interpreting one language into another. I find that even more important when interpreting the news, where insight and empathy are probably the single most important skills that an interpreter must have.
As a rule Arte casts all its interpreters according to the speaker's gender. I would only very exceptionally interpret a female guest, say if nobody else were available. Also, Arte's language service bends over backwards to make sure that an interpreter is always assigned a single speaker on any given programme. That also helps mitigate the inevitable disconnect that live interpreting creates for the target audience. The credit for that also goes to Elisabeth Krone.
CT: It sounds like multilingualism is the core identity of Arte.
VB: Yes it is. Or at least biculturalism as evidenced by a dual audio track, systematic subtitling, dubbing or interpreting. This does not mean to say that it's an easy proposition to maintain. Arte's been labelled elitist by some. And some insiders hold the view that interpreting is too much of a drain on the viewers. But then, how do you convey biculturalism with a European perspective, as Arte claims to be doing, without subtitling, dubbing, and live interpreting? You must put your money where your mouth is.
CT: So what are the essential qualities of a good media interpreter?
VB: Being extra quick on the ball helps tremendously. If you're doing news interpreting, you must definitely be a news junkie. A good voice in all circumstances is essential. Then, you must learn to adjust your delivery and style to stay in synch with the speaker no matter what happens. When you're interpreting from German into French, this may require that you chop the rendition into smaller, more manageable bits. You don't want to wait for the verb. It also helps pep up your delivery.
You must also take care of yourself. You need to get a good night's sleep, alcohol is a no-no, and coffee is definitely not recommended two hours before you go on the air - your mouth will dry up and "click". I tend to have a sweet tooth, but I try to avoid sugar and carbs before a programme. Sugar will boost you up, but the risk is that your sugar levels will plummet during the programme, affecting your energy and voice.
Media interpreting can also be a high-risk occupation. Anything can happen. The audio feed may be sub-standard or drop altogether. Your assigned speaker may end up speaking a language no one knows . Sound engineers with little media interpreting experience may suddenly decide to mix your voice with the original sound track and feed it back to your earphones when you're interpreting. A junior producer may bump in on the sound track when you're interpreting and ask you to clarify a concept for the audience, or to tell you how well you're doing, only to realise later that he made you miss 10 important seconds of the original speech. You may not have a booth, or have to make do with bulky over-ear headphones that make monitoring your own voice nigh impossible. Your console may not have an ON button because the engineers decided they would turn your mic on for you, so you never know when you can clear your throat or take a sip of water. Or you may not even have a console but a hand-held mike, and no headphones, only a loudspeaker next to you. I'm not making any of this up - it's happened to me, though not on Arte because everybody there is so used to media interpreting that they know how to get the best from it.
CT: What about quality control? Are interpreters evaluated regularly?
VB: Only a handful of colleagues do news interpreting at Arte, and they've been doing it for many years. Occasionally we may be invited to attend a voice coaching seminar, where the coach will listen to what we've done recently and make recommendations. I understand that interpreting is also assessed as a factor influencing ratings whenever Arte commissions quality surveys. The match between a newscaster and his or her voice in the second language was mentioned spontaneously as a factor by some viewers. Personally, I always listen to the broadcast again when we're done, to check whether the voice was OK. Also, each newscast ends with a debriefing session in the newsroom where, in addition to the day's reporting, interpreting may be commented upon.
CT: Apart from news interpreting, what else do you do at Arte?
VB: I also do other media interpreting work for Arte, including voice-overs. Traditionally we would report to Strasbourg, get a preview of the programme, jot down a few notes, go into the booth, and start interpreting under the supervision of a colleague and an audio engineer.
But recently Arte's language service has been spearheading a do-it-yourself system for voice-overs. It's a new job altogether, where you're supposed to be a translator/localiser + interpreter + voice-over actor.
Here's how it works:
- I stay at home in Brussels.
- I download a big video file (up to 5/6 minutes) from Arte's FTP server.
- I play it and take notes, consecutive-like.
- I do a first rough interpretation into a high-quality mic using text recognition software.
- I edit my translation and test it for synchronisation with the original.
- I fire up my audio editing software (ProTools), disembed the original soundtrack from the video stream, and create a blank track for my French translation.
- I speak the translation into the mic. The audio gets recorded by the editing software.
- I check the output and edit as appropriate (move or stretch bits of translation backward or forward, fade out noise, and generally clean up the piece).
- When I'm happy I FTP the file back with my French translation track.
- Arte plays the piece for quality control and dispatches it to a server where it'll be picked up automatically, processed, and streamed in German or French on their website.
Of course, this is never going to be full television broadcast quality, and Arte knows that. So currently such do-it-yourself voice-over work is only meant for webcasting, and for pieces not exceeding 5/6 minutes.
But this raises several questions that are, I believe, interesting for professional conference interpreters:
The profession is changing in ways that require interpreters to wear several hats (translator/localiser, voice-over artist, self-managed audio engineer working with highly specialised software).
What I was taught as an interpreter (technical accuracy) is much less important than proper story-telling, cultural empathy, liveliness and voice management, in effect all-round communication skills.
Technical skills, especially a proper understanding of audio engineering, are a pre-requisite.
There's no escaping the computer. It's there every step of the way.
I tend to look at this as yet one more thing that I'll enjoy learning and doing as professionally as I can. Most likely this is not a market for all interpreters, but I have a strong hunch that this sort of work will not be for television networks only, but also for large international organisations with a web presence.
Note: Since this conversation took place, Arte has discontinued the news programme described above. The last newscast with interpreting was aired on January 1, 2012, on Vincent Buck's shift. The channel now broadcasts separate monolingual news programmes in French and German.
Articles published in this section reflect the views of the author(s) and should not be taken to represent the official position of AIIC.
Recommended citation format:Vincent BUCK,Chikako TSURUTA. "Exploring media interpreting". aiic.net March 13, 2012. Accessed June 3, 2020. <http://aiic.net/p/3851>.
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Chapeau, Vincent! Having got a taste of such unique localization / extremely fast (typed) live interpreting last year when working for the U2 concerts in Buenos Aires, I think I know how hard it will be for you to feel challenged once again now the newscast has been discontinued.
...a fascinating insight, Vincent, thanks very much :-)


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August 29, 2006
By: by Richard A. D'Errico, The Business Review
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(p.187) Appendix B Congressional Action and Presidential Response
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Some family friends of ours came to visit this evening and stay the night, and it's been wonderful. Their older daughter, Beth, was part of our neighborhood gang in D.C. It's strange to think how many years have passed since we spent every free moment hanging out with each other, and how quickly we can now fall back into our old patterns.
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There's a fresh face that I'd like to introduce: Christopher Irish will be helping with a group of articles about the IDW publication of The X-Files: Season 10 comics, which were created by Joe harris with the blessing of Chris Carter. The comics have been a great success for IDW and I realize The X-Files Lexicon and it's sister blog have been remiss in addressing them. In order to approach this in a way that is unique, and keeping with the values of The Lexicon Blog to not follow convention, the blog will regularly feature, in groups of three, reviews of the comics in chronological order, and we hope to get caught up with this seasons current issues soon enough. But this series will eventually cover the brief Wildstorm run, highlights from the old Topps comics, and an occasional exclusive surprise in due time.
Chris's informal prose style is very different from mine, but I find his boundless enthusiasm to be refreshing, I hope you will find it relatable. I will be continuing other articles on this Blog of course, but I hope you will welcome him with open arms, as I am excited to have him on board. Until you hear from me next, enjoy! –Matt Allair
The X-Files Season 10
Issues #1-5 "Believers" *spoilers ahead!*
Issue #1
Welcome to my blog on IDW's The X-Files Season 10 comics. These reviews will span each series of comics that makes an "Episode." It's been a few years since the last installment of The X-Files hit the big screen, so my excitement for this new comic series ran pretty high. I've been a fan of The X-Files since I was a kid, so any chance to see Mulder and Scully in action is always nice.
Knowing that Chris Carter is involved in the storyline made it that much more exciting. IDW Comics is a brand I wasn't too familiar with to be honest, but reading these comics has made me a fan (and if you love The X-Files, you'll be happy to know Millennium is joining the shelves as well!). So far there are the Season 10 issues along with a couple of side issues, "Year Zero" and "Conspiracy." I'll review those ones later on down the road, but for now, I will be focusing on Season 10.
The first issue starts off with former Special Agent Dana Scully running from a dark figure in an alleyway, struggling to reach F.B.I. Headquarters through her cell phone. She has a visible injury to her arm and is in obvious danger. Once she gets through, the operator calls her "Dr. Blake." Scully tries to convey a message, but it's too late as she is closed in on by a group of ominous, hooded individuals with glowing eyes. That is the last thing we see before the title panel (and The X-Files theme kicks off in my head)
Right off the bat, the comics get in the swing of things! The comic is set up in the familiar structure the show used with the introduction portion leaving us wanting answers. It starts off on the next page with Scully (or Dr. Blake?) examining a little girl in her clinic when a familiar face arrives. It's A.D. Skinner. Right after we see Skinner make an appearance, we see Fox Mulder outside of a house. He catches a stray ball a group of kids are throwing, does a quick magic trick, and provides a few lines of Mulderesque banter before going inside. One of the kids calls him "spooky." He hasn't lost his touch. So far we've been reintroduced to three familiar characters. I commend the artists for their accuracy with the characters. They've done a great job making them all instantly recognizable.
Once Fox enters the house he sees Skinner with Scully. Skinner calls him Mulder, but Fox corrects him in his usual smartass manner as Anthony Blake. So they are in the witness protection plan or something like it, apparently. Skinner lets him know that his title is no longer Assistant Director, but Deputy Director now. Skinner then notifies them that there was a breach in F.B.I. security and their information was targeted along with The X-Files. They think it might be related to their son, William.
We know from the TV show that Scully and Mulder's son, William, had to be given up since the Alien-Human hybrids wanted to take him for their own sinister purposes. He was adopted out with the understanding was that no one would be able to find him. With this security breach, William's safety might be at risk along with Mulder's and Scully's.
Later that night after they talk with Skinner, Mulder is working on his memoirs with the iconic "I Want To Believe" poster in the background. As he's working on that, he gets a strange phone call from D.D. Skinner, whom we see in a panel, is surrounded by the same hooded creeps that chased Scully in the opening scene. Mulder has a hard time figuring out what Skinner is trying to say, though Skinner does try to warn him from going to his hotel. There is obviously some mind-control going on with these hooded folks. Mulder then heads out to see what's wrong with Skinner.
While this is happening, Scully is back at her office tracking down any info she can find on what was leaked. She is met by the same little girl she saw earlier in the day, and then is surrounded by the same hooded people that were with Skinner. The girl grabs Scully's gun and shoots her in the arm. We catch up to where the intro started us off at with Scully running from the hoods trying to use her phone. (Phone difficulties seem to be a common problem in the world of The X-Files,)
While this is happening to Scully, Mulder arrives at Skinner's hotel and finds him hanging by a noose. This panel looks particularly creepy. Well done again, artists! Mulder gets Skinner down just in time to save him. That means he couldn't have been up there very long. Mulder then tries to find out who did this to Skinner.
Back to Scully. The group is closing in on her when a bright light flashes and a hood that looks like the others shows up. This ends the first issue and leaves us hanging, wondering whether or not Scully is out of danger or what.
I liked this first issue. It jumped right into the story and the cast was written true to character. I like how it brought old elements and tied them in with new ones to further the mythology of The X-Files. The artistic elements were great, too. It looks a little minimalistic, which I like. Just enough detail so you don't get stalled looking at any one panel too much, which aids in propelling the story. It is very well drawn and colored, so don't take it as a slight! The characters all resemble who they are supposed to and the bad guys really put off the creepy vibe they should. It left me wanting more!
Issue #2
This issue starts with a pipeline in the wilderness of Wyoming. There are workers and people protesting in the background, a nice nod to current events regarding pipeline controversy. The pipeline is called "Blackstone XL." Another old face makes an appearance, Special Agent John Doggett. He is present at the pipeline to investigate a possible threat against it. He lets his feelings on that subject known to the foreman who obviously doesn't take it well. As Agent Doggett walks along the pipeline, his metal ID chain gets yanked off his neck and sticks to the pipeline.
True to Agent Doggett's nature, he investigates further and opens an access door where his ID got stuck. Inside he finds the "oil" is a glittering substance that is clearly not oil. Behind Doggett, the Foreman enters the access door, and in the next panel it's revealed that it is actually one of the hoods like the ones that attacked Skinner and Scully. The hood attacks Agent Doggett and the next panel has an explosion. This leads to the title panel. Could they have killed Agent Doggett off?
Next, we catch up with Mulder and Skinner who are at what is now a crime scene where Scully was shot and subsequently taken by the hood. They follow the blood trail to the alleyway as Mulder spots each stain by saying "blood." (This reminds me of the season 2 episode "Blood" with the postal employee that has a severe case of hematophobia.) Skinner reveals to Mulder details about the people who hacked the F.B.I. systems. It seems they might be the ones who took Scully and are after William. Mulder does what he does best and leaves Skinner to work on finding Scully because he can't trust him. This trust theme has been with The X-Files since episode 1, "Pilot."
The next panels are a flashback of Dana giving birth to William with Agent Reyes in attendance, as the Alien-Hybrids are watching. The Hybrids look like normal people, but in the flashback they turn into the group of hoods that jumped Scully in the alley. This causes Scully to startle awake in a cabin. It's in the middle of a snowy forest, a far cry from the city alley she last was in. She leaves the cabin and we see that there is a gigantic pagan-looking symbol drawn around the cabin. She is confronted by the hooded strangers who attack her again when she crosses the symbol. She gives one a quick elbow to the jaw, chops another, and throws one over her shoulder (got to love Scully!) One raises an odd-looking knife to kill Scully and chants in a strange language that the comic translates as, "We have found the bringer" before a familiar blue flash melts them. Quite literally. The next panel has one of the hoods' heads melting, reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The hood that seemingly saved Scully in the alley has returned, but Scully isn't sure about him and attacks him with the crooked blade. The hood waves his hand and the knife flies out of her hands. She yells at the hood asking if it is an Alien Bounty Hunter or another Hybrid. He tells her that they are "Acolytes." I find this interesting in that the story has brought common elements from the X-Files history and now introduces a new one. They seem similar to the Bounty Hunter, but now this bunch has some sort of psychic powers on top of strength and speed. Even more dangerous.
We catch back up with Mulder now, who is at the Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC. There is a tour going through it, but he is obviously not there for sight-seeing. He's holding a map that reads, "In case of emergency, break glass – TLG". This was surprising to me since the last time we saw TLG, or The Lone Gunmen, they were trapped in a room full of gas poison and died in the episode "Jump the Shark." I always loved the Lone Gunmen and hated to see them go so this was a very interesting twist to the story.
Mulder is then shown later at night shoveling in a grave site. I would like to note that I enjoy seeing how the comic artists and storytellers figure out accurate onomatopoeia for various actions. The "shukt" they used for the shoveling was something that stood out to me for some reason. This furthered my appreciation for the work they did, though it may or may not matter to most readers. I have always found that aspect of comics interesting.
As Mulder is digging, he is hit by a light as a guard appears. To our surprise, it's Frohike. Mulder continues to dig as he's talking to Frohike, whom he thought was dead. The hole reveals an underground passage. Frohike explains what happened and how they faked their deaths as they walk through the passage. Apparently the F.B.I. has aided them in staying "dead" in exchange for their help troubleshooting technological security problems for the government. Now with Mulder, Scully, Skinner, and the Lone Gunmen, this series has almost a full reunion.
They jump right into their old routine and start helping Mulder do some research on the leak to track down clues to find Scully. We also see on a screen that Agent Doggett is "unaccounted for" when they trace F.B.I. activity at the pipeline in Wyoming. Mulder asks the guys to look into any adoption records leaked with the name "Van De Camp". He tries to connect the pipeline events along with Scully's disappearance with any involvement with William. The comic has a quick montage between what Mulder is saying and Scully confronting the Acolyte and passing out with a nosebleed. Mulder is left to put the pieces together with the help of the Lone Gunmen in their underground lair (if anyone deserves an underground lair, it's TLG). Mulder asks them how they got tipped on the pipeline lead and the comic ends with a very ominous individual above ground smoking a cigarette in the shadows. The last panel has a crumpled Morley cigarette pack on the ground.
This is crazy! The last time we saw Cigarette Smoking Man (or Cancer Man or CSM or C.G.B. Spender, depending on your preference) he was smoking his Morleys through a hole in his throat while black helicopters launched rockets at him in the desert (in the final X-File episode "The Truth").
Issue #3
The cover of issue 3 puts any doubts about if it's the Smoking Man or not. He is back. On the first page we are back at the ranch where the adoptive parents of William live. Agents Reyes and Hendricks stop there to check on William's safety in light of the security breach.
The Van De Camps try to suggest that William is fine and he is at school to get them to leave, but Agent Reyes asks to take a look around. While going up the stairs, Reyes whispers to Hendricks that William hasn't been at school in two weeks. While they're going upstairs, the Van De Camps follow them quietly upstairs with glowing blue eyes. As they split up to look around, Agent Reyes sees flies buzzing in a room and notes a bad smell. She opens the closet door and sees the real Mr. and Mrs. Van De Camp's decomposing corpses stuffed in the closet. Agent Hendricks stumbles into the room and collapses with a nosebleed as the imposters follow behind. Agent Reyes raises her gun, but soon collapses with the same nosebleed as Agent Hendricks. Enter the title panel.
After seeing the two Agents fall to the Acolytes, we rejoin Mulder leaving the underground bunker to get in his car. Upon getting in, he is surprised by his old nemesis, Smoking Man, in the back seat smoking (what else?). I see that cancer and a couple rockets can't even kill this guy! Or is there more to him than it seems?
As that is happening to Mulder, we rejoin Scully and the Acolyte that saved her. He is carrying her on his shoulder along the pipeline. Visibly weakened for some reason, he drops her. As he's dropping her, she wakes up. She begins to run, but upon seeing him clearly injured or exhausted, she does what any self-respecting medical field employee would do and asks if he needs help. As he's answering though, she takes the crooked knife from him and holds it to his throat demanding answers as to why he's after William. Once again, the knife gets yanked from her hand, but this time it's because of the pipe's magnetism. She quickly recognizes that is why he is having problems and drags him away from the pipe despite his objections. Apparently, the pipe's magnetism is what kept the group of Acolytes from getting to them and the group emerges from the forest.
Back to Mulder, he is now at a diner with no one but Smoking Man, a waitress, and one other customer. Smoking Man tries to start explaining in the shady way he always has but Mulder isn't buying it. He pulls his gun out, covers it with a napkin, and aims it at him under the table. The waitress passes by and tells Smoking Man he isn't allowed to smoke in the diner, so he puts it out, which saves him from a possible shooting by Mulder for the time being.
Smoking Man reveals that he knows what the Acolytes are and that they have Scully. He also tells Mulder that their goal is the Alien re-population of Earth as he lights up another cigarette.
The story jumps back to Scully in the woods with the injured Acolyte surrounded by the group that has been after her. The one helping her uses his power to push the group back and starts to hold them off, telling Scully to run. Scully sees a fire hose on the pipeline, quickly hooks it to the pipe, and turns the magnetite to the Acolytes, attacking the one helping her. When the magnetite hits them they burst into flame and disappear. As this is going on, the text boxes follow Mulder's and Smoking Man's conversation at which time Smoking Man tells him about the magnetite in the pipeline.
Mulder calls Smoking Man out regarding his last warning of an Alien invasion that didn't happen (I'm glad they addressed this since the date of the invasion was supposed to be December 22, 2012). He continues to berate Smoking Man until he catches a stiff backhand from him, knocking him out of the booth. Smoking Man stands up after hitting Mulder and seems to have some sort of seizure. Smoking Man then leaves a small box on the table after he gets a hold of himself and leaves.
This whole exchange is classic Mulder vs. Smoking Man. They've had a long, storied history of incidents with Mulder narrowly escaping him. Smoking Man has had more than a few near death experiences, but he seems to be more tenacious than a cockroach.
After Smoking Man leaves, Mulder gets a call from Skinner. He tells Mulder about an accident dealing with blood samples from Scully's clinic. The panel shows a van that got in a wreck with a box broken open and green substance eating through the van. It looks exactly like the Alien Bounty Hunter's blood whenever people would shoot him in the TV series.
Mulder tells Skinner that he can't deal with that and he's heading for Wyoming in search of Scully. He tells Skinner what he learned about the Acolytes. Skinner doesn't seem to follow, which is nothing new. Mulder always was a step ahead of the game, just never a step ahead of the bad guys. As Mulder is talking we see what Smoking Man left in the box for him. It's an Alien stiletto used in the series to put down Alien Bounty Hunters by stabbing them in the base of their skulls. Looks like Smoking Man is actually helping Mulder this time.
More reviews to come. -Matt
Special thanks to XScribe for editorial assistance.
More Apocalypse Relief for You! - *Alex invited me back onto Skeptiko to discuss He Will Live Up in the Sky and tributaries thereto.* I am showing off my lockdown-hoax COVID beard. If you...
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Former Price Is Right model Brandi Cochran filed a lawsuit against the show in 2010 for discrimination. Cochran was awarded $8.5 million at the time. Today, however, that money vanished.
A California state judge threw out the $8.5 million award saying that the jury was not properly instructed before it's decision.
The Price Is Right lawsuit was filed shortly after Cochran tried to return to the show after maternity leave. Cochran said that the show treated her poorly after pregnancy, commented on her weight gain, and eventually decided not to rehire her.
The jury initially ruled in Cochran's favor and awarded her $8.5 million. But Chochran may have only won her lawsuit due to the fact that the jury was not properly instructed before they deliberated.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that Judge Kevin Brazile instructed the jury that they had to decide if discrimination was a "motivating factor" for determination. Brazile should have said a "substantial motivating factor" for termination.
Brazile wrote today that his instructions may have swayed the jury in one direction.
Brazile wrote: "The instruction error cannot be considered harmless… Of central importance to the case was the weight given to discriminatory intent and whether that intent need only be of a mere motivating factor or a substantial factor. Given this central dispute, the failure to give the proper instruction regarding substantial factor cannot be considered harmless, and a new trial must be granted."
Brazile overturned the verdict but that doesn't mean that the show is out of the woods yet. There will be a retrial later this month.
Do you think the Price Is Right will lose the lawsuit again?


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If any city gives the impression of being a web of distinct village-like neighborhoods, it's Amsterdam. I zeroed in on a number of the laid-back and less visited quarters where your euros stretch furthest while reporting on the cozy Dutch capital for the winter 2015 issue of Endless Vacation® magazine. But there is one area I heartily recommend that I didn't have room to include in my story: De Baarsjes. Consider visiting this up-and-coming locale for a look at where Amsterdam is going and growing.
The Basics
Right next to the Oud-West neighborhood and just a 10-minute bike ride from the city center, De Baarsjes is a traditionally Turkish and Moroccan district now home to a worldly citizenry that hails from more than 120 countries. And it's become the place to live for the fashion-forward multi-culti set. Just don't expect Mercatorplein (the area's main square) or its surrounding streets to look anything like a typical Amsterdam postcard. H.P. Berlage, widely revered as Holland's first modernist architect, designed the square. "The Amsterdam School architecture here feels a world away from the gables of the canal belt," says Scott Harbeck, an American blogger living in the city.
On the Menu
You'll find everything from Bulgarian grocers to Asian-Caribbean fast food restaurants in this foodie paradise, and fair-trade cupcakes are listed at corner shops as well as at trendier eateries. The canal-side Edel serves up affordable comfort foods, like croquet-monsieur sandwiches and rack of lamb, inside a former trade school for jewelers. Big wooden tables topped with globes and candles set the scene at Café Cook. Savory snacks, such as bitterballen (meat-based croquettes) and loempias (egg rolls), on the inexpensive bar menu make it a homey place for borrel (the Dutch version of happy hour).
Retail Therapy
Stylish boutiques are popping up between shops that sell more-traditional items, like lavish Indian wedding dresses and Moroccan djellabas (long, loose hooded garments). You can give your kid's wardrobe some northern European flair at Knotsknetter, whose colorful inventory consists mostly of Scandinavian- and Dutch-made children's clothes. Look for backpacks covered in Vikings, penguins and other fun motifs to set your little one apart from the classroom crowd. For vintage fashion finds as well as stylish new clothes, head to the women's boutique Things I Like Things I Love on Friday morning, when fresh secondhand stock arrives (quickly followed by a slew of ravenous fashionistas). And near the Mercatorplein you can pop into the cute garden shop De Balkonie to find Dutch sheep's-wool seat covers and cozy lanterns for your outdoor terrace. It's a great place to pick up one more souvenir of your Dutch adventure.
Café Cook2 James Cookstraat; 011-31-621-966-916; cafecook.nl; snacks for two, from $20*
De Balkonie90 Jan Evertsenstraat; 011-31-6-287-10319; debalkonie.nl
Edel1 Postjesweg; 011-31-20-799-5000; edelamsterdam.nl; dinner for two, from $70
Knotsknetter100 Jan Evertsenstraat; 011-31-20-737-0600; knotsknetter.nl
Things I Like Things I Love106 Jan Evertsenstraat; 011-31-20-789-4344; thingsilikethingsilove.com
- *Prices have been converted to U.S. dollars. Estimated meal prices do not include drinks, tax, or tip.
- NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
- Published: October 2015


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Here is what I created with this Kit.
I went to my local Hobby Lobby and bought some small stack boxes and a few Christmas picks along with burlap birds and a paper mache birdhouse. in the wedding section of the store to create this beautiful centerpiece.
the covers are removable so you can add trinkets candies cookies or whatever your heart desires for the person you gift this too. Perfect Gift to anyone..
I also Managed to make a few cards and a layout with the rest..
Hop on over to Mycreativescrapbook for your kit today!


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Over the recent years ITIL has gained popularity as the best IT service management technique within organizations. One of the major benefits to the organization is that it enhances the processes of the whole IT department. It as well creates efficiency in business by streamlining operations as well as enhancing the internal clients and users fulfillment. The great penetration of the system can be attributed to its scalability as any organization irrespective of its size can easily implement it.
All over the world, IT experts use the itil training to benchmark one another in matters quality. The whole idea of ITIL is service delivery in organizations as opposed to production of material products. Client satisfaction is the major focus and it incorporates the best practices and approaches that can be used to achieve the same in organizations.
In an ITIL training participants are drilled on the common language service management that is practiced all over the world. The training simply opens up the participants in a way that they think of new ways of delivering customer satisfaction. Ideally ITIL was designed to focus on the user experience as opposed to focusing on technology.
Many organizations have embraced and integrated the system in their daily routine. They have gone ahead and made arrangements on how their staffs will be trained. Most institutions however pay part of the training fee and the participants pay the rest of the amount. This has not only worked as a motivation to the staff, but it has as well increased their loyalty to their organizations.
Getting a credible trainer for the course has been a daunting task over the years as there are institutions that have been trying to rip off people their hard earned cash. You can however identify an authentic institution that will handle all your training needs. The first thing to check out for when looking for a credible institution online is accreditation from professional bodies.
You can as well tell how professional the institution is by looking at their website. How easy is the navigation, do you easily get what you want. If you find a website that is uncompleted or is under construction, click away as soon as possible. Always go for institutions that have been offering the training for some time.
Getting a reputable institution to handle your organization's ITIL training is a great way to start you implementation process. The major advantage you will get is quality training from experienced trainers who have been handling trainings over the years. You will as well have a discount for training as a group not to mention that they might as well assist in setting up the system in your institution.
To maintain a clear edge over your competitors, you simply need to have efficient systems that are client based. This will ensure that you get more repeat clients who might as well come with some referrals. This will simply drive your profits to the ceiling.


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Today marks the 232nd birthday of the United States. In every state people will celebrate by watching parades and fireworks, as well as by popping another shrimp on the barbie with family. They also will be expected to display their patriotism. Contemplating the meaning of patriotism for a few minutes made me realize the subtlety of the concept.
Today marks the 232nd birthday of the United States. In every state people will celebrate by watching parades and fireworks, as well as by popping another shrimp on the barbie with family. They also will be expected to display their patriotism. Contemplating the meaning of patriotism for a few minutes made me realize the subtlety of the concept. This country's patriotic ideal is festooned with gestures meant to convey respect for the nation. The flag is saluted and flown at half-staff to signify a passing. Citizens stand, face the flag, place a hand over their hearts and sing an anthem (itself a paean to the flag) before the start of athletic contests. "God Bless America," "Stars and Stripes Forever," and "America the Beautiful" are hits whenever they appear on a musical program. Chants of "USA, USA" reverberate during the Olympics. Many even dress in red, white, and blue for special occasions. To honor lives lost in military actions some Americans wear flag pins in their lapels, an almost mandatory move for political figures. A lot of us paste or magnetize "Support our Troops" decals to our automobiles. In these and a number of similar ways our people proclaim their patriotism, and like a flag rising every dawn regularly reassert it. But, I wonder what is needed deep down to give these visible gestures a solid foundation. For almost three years many moons ago, I served in the military. I was under fire some of the time, and preparing to go there most of the time. My service and my patriotism during it was certified by several ribbons. I have since learned the transitory nature of military patriotism which has to be validated like a parking stub with each succeeding conflict. Some people claim that patriotism is the willingness to declare: "My country right or wrong." I don't agree. When citizens consider their country to be wrong it should be perfectly patriotic to say so; out loud. Dialog and constructive critique have been part of this nation since its beginnings. We are the better for them. These observations lead to a logical question. What exactly is the foundation for patriotism? I believe it can be summed up in a single word: selflessness. A selfless person thinks of another entity, in this case her country, before thinking of herself. Selflessness can be expressed in relatively ordinary ways, like recycling or conserving energy. It can be dramatic, like risking one's life in combat. Patriotic selflessness can also materialize in more nuanced forms. One form might be a personal adjustment of lifestyle so that the country as a whole could have the opportunity to live within its means. Another nuance could be facilitating the restructuring of Medicare and Social Security for the benefit of future generations. Still another expression may be vowing to make quality health care and education available to all Americans. Selfless patriotism might be determining collectively to safeguard the climate and ecology of our planet. True patriotism will demand sacrifices less obvious than charging up a hill into a hail of bullets. Selflessness will require cooperation, even among those who disagree ideologically. Patriotism will have to evoke a searching of consciences to distinguish national interest from personal interest. Discovering selfless patriotism within each individual will not be easy, or responsive to glib sloganeering. While we celebrate today we might want to consider the challenges this country faces and the possible remedies for them. As we follow the blazing arcs of skyrockets we should remember that selfless patriotism can secure a future, not so much for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren.


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People, plants and insects subtly secrete pheromones from the Greek, pherin "to transfer" and hormon, meaning "to excite." Pheromones are microscopic chemical messengers that affect hormone levels, fertility, aggression and libido. People, regarded as sexy, often give off lots of pheromones, affecting the brains of the opposite sex.
A plant produces essential oils to affect growth, reproduction, to attract pollinators, repel predators and as protection from disease.
Essential oils affect the body in several ways. Scent travels along a neurological pathway, bypassing the blood brain barrier. The limbic system, at the back of the brain, is associated with memory, emotion and learning. When essential oils are smelled they can have a powerful effect on the emotional body and can stimulate the production of neurotransmitters.
The sense of smell is greatly underused in its ability to help sexual concerns. People will engage in more touch therapy when pleasant fragrances abound in lotions and potions. If a particularly essential oil is not pleasant to you or your beloved, don't use it, no matter what its traditional uses are.
Here are seven essential oils that help turn one's thoughts to passion:
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum).
Cinnamon is sweet, spicy and warming. It invigorates the senses, calms the nerves and improves circulation. Cinnamon increases desire, creativity and can improve erectile dysfunction and frigidity. Studies on a group of male medical students found that the smell of cinnamon buns increased blood flow to the penis. Pumpkin pie spice also had this effect. Never use undiluted.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale).
Ginger is pungent, sweet and warming. It's stimulating fragrance helps open the heart and is aphrodisiac, even benefiting erectile dysfunction. It improves circulation and depression. Do not use undiluted.
Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
A sweet, warming, stimulating, rich, sensual and exotic essential oil. It is available as an absolute, which is not a pure essential oil. It relieves stress, helps move emotional blocks, calms fear, anxiety, and is mildly euphoric. Jasmine is sacred to Kama, the Hindu love god, and eastern version of Cupid, found on the tip of one of his arrows.
Neroli (Citrus bigaradia, C. aurantium).
Neroli, from orange blossoms, is sweet and cooling, relieves anxiety, stress, grief, and is an antidepressant. Neroli helps relieve first encounter apprehensions when spending time with a new partner. It is used to calm pre-menstrual tension and cramps.
Patchouli (Pogostemon patchouli, P. cablin)
iA sweet, musty, woodsy and warming essential oil. Patchouli calms anxiety, lifts the spirits, stimulates the nervous system, improves clarity, and attracts sexual love. Used to treat frigidity, yeast and vaginal infections, as well as balance libido levels, most likely, by balancing the endocrine glands. Patchouli is antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac and regenerative. For many of us, patchouli brings on 1960's memories of Woodstock and Grateful Dead concerts and is beloved by hippies.
Rose (Rosa gallica officinalis, R. damascena, R. centifolia)
considered sacred to Aphrodite (Venus) and queen of all flowers. It's fragrance is rich, deeply floral, sweet and cooling. It is available as an absolute. Rose is associated with physical and spiritual love and a supreme heart opener. Rose is both sensual and romantic and helps heal grief from emotional trauma. Rose helps one feel happier, relieves anger, jealousy and relationship conflicts. Good for anyone who feels distanced from their emotional center.
When wanting to rekindle the spark of love, use rose oil while making love. Place one diluted drop on your forehead before sleep, to have dreams of love. Place a drop of rose oil on your lover's and your own heart chakra after first smelling it. It strengthens the uterus, regulates menses and relieves cramps.. Rose is antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac and rejuvenative.
Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata)
A sweet, bitter, cooling and erotic essential oil. Ylang-Ylang means "flower of flowers" in Malayan language. It is euphoric, relaxes a nervous partner and stimulates the senses. Long used to calm anger, anxiety, fear, frigidity and improve self esteem. It helps foster a state of peacefulness. Ylang ylang has been recommended as a remedy for PMS, to balance hormones, improve erectile dysfunction, and orgasmic ability. In Indonesia ylang ylang flowers are scattered on the beds of newlyweds to promote desire and bless the union with children. Ylang ylang is antidepressant, antiseptic, and aphrodisiac.
Aromatherapy doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as smelling the flowers!
And we have made an amazing Aphrodisiac Body Oil, a devine essential oils blend special for Valentine's day!


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When I was in the third grade my friend Melinda, who attended a Christian community church, told me her minister was away for the summer and they did not have to go to Sunday services. I thought this was a great idea. When my Mom woke me up on the ...Read More
Campus RENEW / Theology on Tap / RENEW Worldwide


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Yorkshire or bust!
- At 2nd November 2012
- By alison
- In life
- 5
And yet again, I find myself starting a post with an apology for my recent silence. This time, though, I have a better reason than usual. A while ago, J and I decided to separate. Every time I tell someone this, I'm greeted with sympathetic eyes, shock, and a horrified, "Oh, no!!". Which do definitely appreciate- but honestly, it's not quite like that. While very bittersweet, this is an amicable separation – and both of us are keen to see it stays that way. We have, simply, come to the end of our path together, and it's time for each of us to travel our own way.
And I do plan to do some travelling. Specifically, I'm starting with a trip about 200 miles north, to a (new!) new job and a new life in my old homeland of North Yorkshire.
I'd be lying if I said this was all smooth sailing. Getting the job was the easy part, though I feel very lucky to have found something that relates to my particular expertise so close to home. As a country lass in a very technical job, I actually feel very, very lucky indeed. Getting a place to live has, so far, been trickier.
Initially, you see, I will need to rent. And the hounds are coming with me. There is a real dearth of rental properties that are willing to let to someone with not one, but two, mid-sized dogs. You would have thought that, especially in a rural area, it wouldn't be so difficult, but until yesterday, I've been met with 'no' after 'no'.
Now, though, I seem to have hit a run of better luck. I've found several 'possible' places and one 'will definitely accept two dogs' place. I have two viewings booked for a week tomorrow, so will hopefully have something settled very soon after that.
fingers crossed! (photo belongs to Ashtons Estate Agents)
Of course, this means I am unlikely to be resuming the dye work for a while yet. Firstly, rental properties generally prohibit you running a business from the premises. Secondly, it's one thing risking your own carpet to dye and other assorted chemicals – it's quite another when the carpet isn't your own! Thirdly, both space and time are likely to be at a premium for the next wee while.
Please keep your fingers crossed for this next phase of the proceedings. Once I have found a place to live, the major anxiety will be over, with any luck. There will be lots of hard work ahead, but at least I will be able to stop being worried – and start being excited!


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text: Posted in Book Review, Book Spotlight Steel Hawk Security – A Romantic Suspense Box Set: Jane Beckenham, Eve Devon, Sarah Ballance. 5* Review Posted on February 8, 2018February 8, 2018 by jolliffe01 The Complete Series Steel Hawk Security: A Romantic Suspense Box Set Publishes 8th February 2018 Strap in for sizzling chemistry and fast-paced, thrilling action, all the way from 1851 to present-day. Meet the company of alpha-honourable heroes and strong, spirited heroines in a world of high-tech security, feuding royals, and missing diamonds. Beginning at the birthplace of great engineering and design, The Great Exhibition, London, 1851 and moving to present day, Steel Hawk has prospered for 150 years by securing some of the world's most treasured possessions. Now a secret from the past threatens to destroy the company, and a new generation must take up the fight. But with the battle only half-won, Steel Hawk is about to learn that trust has a price. Three authors. Three full-length, standalone books of heart-pounding romantic suspense. If you love historical romance and contemporary romance, steampunk elements, inventors, royalty, diamonds, bad-boys, alpha-geeks, co-workers-to-lovers, revenge, and psychological suspense with your mystery; then immerse yourself in the world of STEEL HAWK SECURITY and let the seduction begin… Bk 1: To Love a Thief by Jane Beckenham It's one thing to lose your heart. Quite another to have it stolen. Years ago, notorious jewel thief "The Raven" vanished into the shadows. In 1851, Nathan Hawk emerges into a life of respectability, determined to make up for past sins. He and his business partner are introducing a lock they're so sure can't be broken, they're displaying a priceless diamond, the royal Pasha Star, at the Great Exhibition. Rose Valetta's father has been kidnapped, and she needs the Star to buy his freedom. She never expected to come nose-to-nose with Nathan. Their reunion is fraught with tension, especially when they discover the diamond in Nathan's impregnable case is not the Pasha Star. With Nathan's reputation in tatters, they race to find the real stone before it's too late for Rose's father. Too late to save the empire from a usurper. And too late to keep from losing their hearts. My Thoughts… This new box set kicks off with historical romantic suspense. Set in 1851, an iconic time for industrial development in England. Hawk Steel security is in its infancy and protecting a precious diamond is vital to the company's reputation. Nathan Hawk has so many secrets, an entire past life in fact and one he never wanted to revisit. Face to face with a girl he could never entirely forget, he finds his life infinitely more complicated than he would like. Rose is no thief, but has to save her father, she never forgot Nathan Hawk, they shared her first kiss, but he left without a word, and Rose's not going to open her heart back up to him again, even if she does need his help and expertise. A fast-paced story with lots of action scenes, intrigue, and sensual romance. Rose is a courageous heroine, more comfortable in trousers than dresses she is a great character. Nathan is an anti-hero, he's a sexy bad boy with a soft heart. This story lays the foundations for the stories that follow and the secrets that will threaten the Steel Hawk security dynasty for years to come. Jane Beckenham writes historical and contemporary romance after falling for stories about love and hope. Inspired by happy ever afters, she found her own true love and together they adopted and raised two daughters. She lives with her family in New Zealand where writing is her addiction – and sure beats housework! WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER Bk 2: Heart of Steel by Eve Devon Colleague, friend, lover… liar? Adam Steel is in crisis mode. A recent exposé claims a founder of Steel Hawk was actually The Raven, an infamous jewel thief. And his assistant, Honeysuckle Hawk, has a sordid past he never knew about. Proving he never really knew her, never should have trusted her, and definitely shouldn't start falling for her. With her dirty laundry flapping in the media storm, Honeysuckle's first instinct is to run. Two things make her stay: Adam's insistence it's better to show the world a united front, and her heart's insistence by his side is where she belongs. Amid the ensuing damage control, all eyes are on Adam's ability to develop a prototype to secure and protect the Pasha Star diamond. High stakes and long hours ignite passion… until the diamond is stolen and Adam's own prototype shows Honeysuckle is a thief. Dare he trust her to help him expose the real criminal—before the mastermind wreaks havoc on the royal family? My Thoughts… Mystery, technology and steamy romance all interact in this fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense. Adam Steel is the perfect geek hero, sexy, off the scale intelligent and yet surprisingly innocent in the rules of love, perhaps because of a secret in his past? Honeysuckle Hawk sounds like a character from a 1920's novel, and she is so easy to like. She fulfills her role as Steel's assistant with consummate ease, but she is a complex character hiding many secrets. She has something to prove, both to her family and most importantly to herself. The plot is suspenseful, as the mysteries surrounding Steel Hawk and their connection with the Zarrenburg royal family are uncovered. This is an action-packed tale with realistic, interesting characters. The chemistry between Adam and Honeysuckle is intrinsic to the story and results in sensual love scenes underscored by emotional commitment. The storytelling is flawless and compelling and utterly page turning. Eve Devon writes romantic comedy, contemporary fiction and romantic suspense with sexy heroes, sassy heroines, and happily ever afters… She lives in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with her very own sexy-hero husband! WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER Bk 3: Dangerous Illusions by Sarah Ballance Keep your lovers close, your enemies closer. Especially if they're one and the same. With Steel Hawk reeling from explosions at Zarrenburg Castle, company lawyer Edward Long's legendary stoicism has been severely tested. It's clearly an inside job, and no one is deeper inside than Edward— which leaves him squarely center-frame. Someone is using him to bring down the company he loves. Worse, the PI that Adam Hawk sends to investigate… there's something off about her. And something that seriously turns him on. Operating under an assumed name, Sophie Hawk aims to dig deeper into the company's systems than any other investigator would dare. Especially with the prime suspect's hot gaze tracking her every move. As their dueling intellects strike sparks, the rising heat threatens the trip wires Edward has set up around his heart— and the secret that ties him to a man who'll stop at nothing to claim his right to rule the house of Zarrenburg. Or, if he can't have it, destroy it— and everyone connected to it. My Thoughts… The third book in the series is contemporary romantic suspense, but the mysteries and problems of Steel Hawk Security and the house of Zarrenburg go back much further. Edward, the company lawyer, has his suspicions about who is sabotaging the company and the royal family, but from the outside, he looks guiltier than most. Edward is again a geeky type of hero, but he is brave and loyal, despite outward appearances.Sophie Hawk has a vested interest in the company's problems but working undercover, no one knows that. There is instant chemistry between Edward and Sophie. The dialogue is punchy and peppered with sarcastic remarks. The fighting soon turns to passion but can they trust each other? There is a sinister ambience to this story because if Edward isn't guilty someone unknown is, and they haven't finished yet. A roller coaster ride of suspense, mystery, and romance. A great ending to a well thought out trilogy. Sarah Ballance lives on the US mid-Atlantic coast with her husband and children. She writes in many genres and loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children! WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER BUY LINKS: AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE GOOGLE iBOOKS KOBO I received a copy of this box set from the authors in return for an honest review. Share this:TweetShare on TumblrWhatsAppLike this:Like Loading... Author: jolliffe01 Author, blogger and book reviewer. I am the author of 'The Dragon Legacy' series and 'The Dangerous Gift'. Animal welfare supporter. Loves reading, writing, countryside walks, cookery and gardening, . View All Posts


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Hashtag trends, tools and tips continue to evolve through grassroots adoption and internet thought leadership. Born as a method to connect with others through shared interests online in 2007, hashtags have since grown ...On June 1, 2015 / By Jenny M Burns
Among the top digital content highlights from the GiveBIG 2015 campaign? Try toy dinosaur memes and fruit photoshopped as sports equipment. ...On May 12, 2015 / By Jenny M Burns
It was a night to celebrate, entertain and be entertained. The centerpiece of the evening? Thirteen short videos featuring stunning images and stories. ...On February 13, 2015 / By Jenny M Burns
You may know Dana Brunetti from his work producing "The Social Network" or more recently "House of Cards" but you may not know that he started as an ...On March 11, 2014 / By Jenny M Burns
Connection is the new digital currency. Brands, individuals and groups actively seek new ways to harness social platforms, art and technology to build relationships. Technological advances on the ...On March 10, 2014 / By Jenny M Burns
"Headline writing is telling the story and selling the story," said Greg Rasa, news editor for the Seattle Times, sharing tips at a recent SPJ-W workshop. A graduate from ...On February 17, 2014 / By Jenny M Burns
It is a historic time for health care and information distribution in America. Law-makers faced challenges to pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and now Communications and Media ...On December 4, 2013 / By Jenny M Burns
"Pictures or it never happened," is a phrase no longer limited to friends sharing a story. More than ever it also applies to events – corporate or otherwise. ...On November 19, 2013 / By Jenny M Burns


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Origin of name:
Owhango is Maori for "the place of wheezy noises".
Population: 200.
Great lines: Owhango is on the latitude 39 degrees south.
Famous locals: Don Rowlands was raised in Owhango and, despite contracting rheumatic fever as a child, went on to become a champion rower, winning gold in the single scull at the 1954 Empire Games in Vancouver. He was subsequently knighted for his services to rowing (and business) and was given a private investiture at his hospital bed just days before he died.
Best website: owhango.co.nz
Main employer: Farming and tourism
Melting pot: For a small town, the United Nations is well represented with residents coming from Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, Canada, Austria, Holland, England and, of course, Aotearoa.
History: Formerly a mill town, the area was surveyed in the 1880s, in 1903 the main trunk line came through and the school was opened in 1904, the same year the phone line was brought in. Back then the school was just a tent, whereas today it has three classrooms and educates 60 local children.
Source of pride: It has to be the community spirit, everybody in Owhango looks out for each other.
Town fiestas: The Owhango Pumpkin Growing Competition is an annual event run each year by the local school and the winners could be hollowed out and turned into houses. Be sure to visit the local community market, held on the first Sunday of each month visitors can purchase preserves, produce, art and crafts and the money raised goes to support the local hall. The T42 is an epic sporting event for mountain bikers, runners and walkers, held each May the finish line for all the events is in the picturesque Owhango Domain.
Here for a short time: Have a meal at the cafe and then pop down to the beautiful Whakapapa River, a sign opposite the cafe points to the walking tracks. It's as compelling to gaze at this waterway as it is to stare into a campfire.
Take the kids to: The Owhango Domain, children of all ages love the river, not to mention the BMX track, the bushwalks and the adventure playground. There are also two tennis courts if you're travelling with rackets, although they're not up to Wimbledon standard, you will have fun. The Ohinetonga Reserve also provides plenty of pleasure or, if you're feeling fruity, you can pick your own blueberries at Marahua Blueberry Farm.
Best walk: Ohinetonga Reserve is home to a loop walk that can be done in one to three hours, passing through impressive native forest, it's partly on boardwalks and there are several spots for picnics and swimming in the river. Or for a more epic hike, some people like to walk the 42nd Traverse but do keep your eyes peeled for bikes.
Best view: Look out across the river from the Whakapapa Bridge - simply stunning.
Best place to pull over: About 8km north of town you'll find the Piriaka Lookout, sometimes misty and moody, other times you'll have clear skies forever, words like majestic and unspoiled spring to mind.
Best swim: Head for the Whakapapa Bridge, park your car and follow the track through the woods to pop out at the popular swimming hole. This is a good spot to meet locals who like to swim here.
What a buzz: Join the Owhango Bee Keeping Club and learn all about apiary, or just look out for the members selling their honey at the monthly market.
Cream of the coffee: Serving Organico Fairtrade Coffee, Cafe 39 South was recently voted as a finalist in the cafe of the year competition, serving the best coffee for miles around they use organic coffee, milk and sugar.
Baked goods: Cafe 39 South make a super sausage roll or, if you prefer a pie, their two top flavours have to be the roast lamb and mint and the venison, red wine and thyme. They also bake delicious sweet treats with their gluten-free carrot cake winning legions of fans. They describe their food as "rustic homemade fare".
Best food: Cafe 39 South is the place to go for breakfast or lunch, or on Friday and Saturday nights you can go to the Owhango Lodge for a meal.
Wet your whistle: Owhango Lodge has a sweet little bar, perfect for a cold beer after a busy day spent adventuring. They also provide accommodation across a range of budgets.
Best mountain biking: Owhango is at one end of the famous 42 Traverse cycle way and it's not too far from the terrific Timber Trail either.
Best adventures: Hunting and trout fishing are taken seriously round here, as are skiing, rafting and canoeing. Motorcycle touring is also well thought of.
Bright idea: Be sure to visit Kakahi after dark to see the glow-worms.
Wildlife: Owhango Alive is an organisation that was formed in 2011 to protect the native bird life through pest control and raising public awareness. Ohinetonga Reserve, right on the boundary of Tongariro Forest Park, has been part of a very successful kiwi release programme while the larger area is home to all sorts of species including the threatened whio (blue duck) and weweia (dabchick). Around here you'll also see popokatea (whiteheads) toutouwai (North Island robins), tui, kereru (wood pigeons) and piwakawaka (fantails). The village is also currently home to a karearea (New Zealand falcon). And in addition to the birds, there are wild deer, goats and pigs on the land and trout in the rivers.
The verdict: Pretty as a picture, plenty to do and the freshest air you'll find anywhere in Aotearoa.
Thanks to Carol and Karen.


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Pressure Sewerage Network
Pressure Sewerage Network
Service Areas
In 2003 Council implemented a pilot pressure sewer scheme in select areas of the Wagga Wagga service area. This measure was undertaken in order to provide an economical alternative of providing sewerage service to residents and businesses where conventional gravity sewerage systems would have been exceedingly costly to implement.
These were primarily outlying areas where development densities were low, topography was flat, and soils and groundwater conditions were not appropriate for septic systems. New connections have been added since the inception of the pressure sewer scheme, and Council now has approx. 500 pressure sewer connections in operation. The areas served by the pressure sewer schemes are East Wagga, Gumly Gumly, Collingullie and Riverview Estate.
System and Maintenance
The Wagga Wagga pressure sewer scheme consists of a package grinder pump station at each service connection. Each grinder station is equipped with an alarm system that alerts the residents in the event of high liquid levels or pump failure.
Council staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to any emergencies that may arise with the pressure sewer system. Phone 1300 292 442. Please refer to the Owners Manual for more information.
Sewage is pumped to a small diameter PVC main that discharges to the City's conventional gravity sewerage system. The pressure sewers are typically of smaller diameter, and are in installed at shallower depths than the sewers of a conventional gravity system. Council has a pool of 12 standby refurbished pumps. These are used to replace faulty pumps, which are refurbished by WWCC maintenance staff and then returned to the pool. Council's assessment of pump life expectancy is approximately 7 years.
Installation Advice
The pressure sewer system installation is at full cost to the developer, and upon completion is turned over to Council, which then owns and maintains the pump unit. There are accredited installers to request a quote to install. Please refer to the how to connect page for more information..
Council charges an additional annual pump maintenance fee from each pressure sewer customer above the charge for conventional sewerage customers. This fee is for a 24/7 service and covers parts and labour. Additionally, each pressure sewer customer is required to pay for the cost of power needed to operate their own grinder station.


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SOUTHBOROUGH - Police are asking for the public's help in identifying two armed robbers who stole an undetermined amount of cash from the Gulf Gas Station on Rte. 9 east.
Officers were called to the 344 Turnpike Road gas station at 9:21 p.m. Sunday after the reported robbery, Southborough Chief of Police Kenneth M. Paulhus said in a press release. A review of surveillance footage showed two men entering the business wearing ski masks, gloves and dark clothing. One was armed with a handgun while the other had a metal bar. The 37-year-old male clerk was shoved to the ground by one of the men who cleaned out the register drawer. The clerk did not resist and was not injured.
The suspects then fled eastbound in a car. Paulhus said the case is currently under investigation and further information will be released as it becomes appropriate. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact Detective Keith Nichols at 774-249-0355 or Lietuenant Sean James at 508-485-2121.