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Grown-up kids staying still living at home, or coming back to live at home, is a big discussion point these days, such as in this article in today's Telegraph (I can't see the whole of it, but I don't think I'm missing much).
But I have uncovered archeological evidence that suggests that maybe it was more widespread in the olden days than we thought — the lyrics of 'Living Next Door to Alice':
Oh, I don't know why she's leaving
Or where she's gonna go
I guess she's got her reasons
But I just don't want to know
'Cos for twenty-four years
I've been living next door to Alice
Twenty-four years just waiting for a chance
To tell her how I feel, and maybe get a second glance
Now I've got to get used to not living next door to Alice…
Here you have two people who have lived next door to each other for 24 years. So they have to be at least 24. And living with their parents. In their twenties.
But perhaps, you might say, the people in question are older people, who've been living next door to each other since they were adults? From 30-54, perhaps? But no:
We grew up together
Two kids in the park
We carved our initials
Deep in the bark
Me and Alice
So that possibility doesn't pan out. They grew up together, and must now still live with their parents.
But, you say, there's just two of them. Doesn't mean every other twenty-something else was like that back in the prehistoric 70s. They're just a couple of outliers.
Think again:
And Sally called back and asked how I felt
And she said: "I know how to help
Get over Alice"
She said: "Now Alice is gone
But I'm still here
You know I've been waiting
For twenty-four years…"
So there's three of them! Three from one social circle. Two may be a coincidence, but three is approaching normality. Case closed: this is how people lived in the 70s. Most people didn't even go to Uni, and Smokie were hardly Uni types, so this is not a case of coming back briefly after Uni. They never left. Just stayed in the basement wearing flares, smoking dope all day, writing their songs and eating their poor parents poor.
And this shows something important. if you want your kids to leave home, make their life boring. Don't let them smoke dope. Don't let them write songs. Don't let them wear flares. Then they will leave of their own volition to meet a man in the motor trade:
She (What did we do that was wrong)
Is having (We didn't know it was wrong)
Fun (Fun is the one thing that money can't buy)
Something inside that was always denied
For so many years (Bye bye)


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North Park Region
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This 1,150-foot regulation track is the site for bicycle motocross competitions every Saturday. You can master your prowess on the track during monitored open practice sessions and sharpen your skills at teaching clinics held regularly. For more information, visit www.ncbmx.com, or email Robert Anderson
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subset: commoncrawl


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Phone number to Charlottetown Mall mall
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I know we're all different, but for me, there is no difference at all, between studio or live performances, I'm still giving a performance, the audience is just different, or just me!
A mate of mine, who enjoys going to gigs, says that later live performances are often better than the original record because the band have improved on it over time.
Now that could just be the live atmosphere that's psychologically affecting his judgement or there might be something in it.
It might be worth delaying going into a studio with new tracks so that it's second nature to play them and hone them first.


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Guangzhou New Sino Environment Technology Company
Company Details:
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Established in June 2008, the Guangzhou New Sino Environment Technology Company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of silicone love dolls and TPE sex dolls. Many people enjoy dolls purely as photographic models and we are catering for this non-sexual need also.
After over 6 years of high intensity and rapid development we are committed to developing and producing China best realistic dolls, already bringing Hitdoll to the fore as the top doll brand in China.
H–high density; I–Intelligence; T–Temperature – We have pioneered the field of making intelligent dolls.
"Z-onedoll" is our latest generation of dolls, which combine heating and sound together in a doll made from the highest quality platinum silicone.
The internal heating system can bring the temperature of doll's body to reach around 37 degree Celsius.
Another great feature is the moaning system by adopting high-tech smart chips.
When you engage sexually with them, it really gives you the impression that you are having sex with a real person.
Delivering high quality platinum silicone or TPE dolls with fast and reliable services is always our aim.


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iPad Worship And Visual Impairment
The Daily Mail reports on a Derbyshire church that is sending its prayers, hymn words and readings over the wifi in the church café to worshippers equipped with tablet computers. Apparently it's a hit with some of the visually impaired worshippers. The Leadership Team at one of my churches has engaged in a lot of research to see what we can do for people who are registered partially sighted, and iPads have been suggested to us. Here is a church actually doing it.
What do you think? Will it meet resistance or fear from some older worshippers who are nervous of the technology? Or is this a genuine way forward?
Posted on April 12, 2013, in ministry, Web/Tech and tagged iPad, Visual impairment. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
Was wondering how much this cost ? But technoligy is a good thing.We live in a fast growing communication network.Heard
Was wondering how much this cost? But we do live in a fast growing technolighy.
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Epilogue to A Friend In Need
Standard Disclaimer: Okay, here goes . . . Xena, Gabrielle and the Japanese characters in this story belong to USA Studios, Ren Pic and whoever else was actually on the payroll of Xena: Warrior Princess. I only borrowed them to fulfill a desire to set things right in my own little mind so I can sleep again at night knowing that all is right in the Xenaverse. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is gratis for all who wish to read it.
Positive feedback always welcomed. (If you dont like lesbians I dont need to know -- Feel free to go somewhere else for entertainment.)
Spoiler Disclaimer: If you have not seen A Friend in Need and do not want to be spoiled DO NOT READ THIS STORY, come back after you have seen the final episode of Xena Warrior Princess.
Carole Giorgio aka email@example.com
She who talks to the Air
There were few passengers on the ship headed south to the Land of the Pharaohs. The crew was getting used to the solemn face of the young woman who stood alone for candlemarks on end looking out to sea and talking to herself. The men would shake their heads as they passed, and all kept their distance out of fear that her affliction might be contagious. She seemed rational enough when asking questions or eating meals, but when she stood alone on the deck of the ship, she frightened the crew.
At times, forgetting that no one else could see Xena, Gabrielle would begin to argue with her, scaring the crew even more. "You talked me out of joining you, Xena, saying we would not end up in the same afterlife if I did that, and I know you can hear my thoughts. Because of that you know Im not going to give up on bringing you back to me in this lifetime, and Ill not try to hide those feelings from you."
You wouldnt be able to if you tried, Gabrielle. But listen, if a way can be found for me to return to you, without condemning the 40,000 souls we fought so hard to release into a state of grace, I will be the first to jump at the chance. The bard felt a slight pressure on her shoulder, and her skin tingled at her lovers touch.
"These ashes are all I have left of you, Xena, these and the chakram. I will eventually take the ashes to Amphipolis, but not now."
No, my Love, you have so much more than just the ashes and the chakram. Im here with you as I promised. Even in death, Gabrielle, I will never leave you.
"But you also promised never to die on me again."
We both know that was a promise neither of us could truly keep. It wasnt our decision to make.
"Actually, it was, Xena. You could have come back to me."
And you would have hated yourself for the rest of your life, and I would have hated myself for letting you do that. And you would have begun to hate me, too. No, Gabrielle, we had no choice but to have it end the way it did. It was the right thing to do, and it was definitely for the Greater Good. As difficult as it is to acknowledge, we did what was best, and what was truly noble.
"At least Im still able to see and touch you," the bard finally conceded.
I know, Gabrielle, but others cant see me, and if you continue to talk out loud to yourself theyll begin to think youre crazy. There was tenderness mixed with humor in the warriors statement.
I love you, Xena; I dont want to spend the rest of this incarnation here on earth without you by my side. Theres still so much living to do. I dont think we were brought back from the dead only to have one of us die again so quickly. I always envisioned us finally settling down and living out our golden years in peace among the Amazons.
When the time comes for you to do that, my Love, I will be there with you. Xena placed her arm around her lovers shoulders and drew her close. She kissed her gently on the head and whispered in her ear that their love had already transcended death. She would be as real to Gabrielle as if she had never left her.
That evening, as they lay side by side in the small cot in the cabin below deck, Gabrielle was slowly becoming accustomed to the fact that the only time Xena would truly be with her was when they were alone. After discarding thoughts of suicide, she had considered traveling to Lesbos and living on the outskirts of civilization. There she would have been able interact with Xena whenever she wanted. But the warrior would constantly intrude on her thoughts when they became morbid and self-effacing. She would gently remind Gabrielle that there was still much to be done in the real world, and that there were many people who would benefit from the knowledge and skills of a warrior-bard.
The only thing that kept the bard sane on the long journey south was the fact that Xena was still with her in spirit. She cringed at the thought of her ability to see and touch her soulmate being taken away from her; the mere threat of that happening, if only in her mind, was enough to start the flow of tears burning down the face of the still-mourning bard.
"Gabrielle, please dont cry. We have more together like this than any other couple on earth. When most people lose a loved one to death theyre truly gone. Were lucky that the laws of the cosmos have been broken because of the circumstances of my death. Although Im not allowed to leave this realm because of the 40,000 souls I avenged and freed from damnation, I am allowed to be here with you. The only stipulation is that I must remain in the spirit world so that they can remain in a state of grace. But to you, I am as alive as if I were truly flesh, blood, and bone."
She held her lover close, caressing the trembling body that she yearned to make love to. She wanted to see the old light return to Gabrielles face. She missed the childish glee that used to brighten her every day.
Drying her tears, Gabrielle looked into sapphire eyes that could still stop her heart, as they looked deep into her soul. She wanted Xena to hold her, to make love to her, to be everything she had ever been to her, and in her heart, she knew that it was truly a gift of the heavens that she would be allowed to have that desire fulfilled. But in her mind, she was still grieving and digesting the finality of their situation. If she had to go through her life being in love with a ghost, so be it. Xena was her whole life, and as long as she didnt lose her, that was all that mattered. As things stood, she knew that Xena would, indeed, be with her until her own death.
"I know Im sounding selfish that I want things the way they used to be. But believe me, Xena, Im truly thankful that youre still here with me. Tell me, where do you go when Im sleeping?"
"Sometimes I just stay and hold you, and sometimes I travel the cosmos. Gabrielle, its a wondrous place. We didnt get to explore when we died because we were always so busy fighting demons. But there are many beauties to behold and regions to explore while waiting to reincarnate."
Days passed uneventfully as the small ship continued its journey south. Each day found the bard more at peace with the reality she and her soulmate faced until she found the solution to bring Xena back to the land of the living and still atone for the deaths of the 40,000 souls.
Soon the land of desert, rivers, mountains, and pyramids was visible on the horizon. The seemingly solitary bard walked toward the gangplank, smiling to herself as she passed by the men on deck. She could hear their whisperings about "She who talks to the Air."
Xena and Gabrielle were not unknown names in the Land of the Pharaohs, but times had changed. Cleopatras daughter, Cleopatra Selene, wife of King Juba II, had sent word that there was trouble in paradise, and Gabrielle arrived in Mauretania in answer to the plea for help.
"I dont know how theyll receive me without you along, Xena." Troubled green eyes looked up into thin air. "Dont do that!" she chided as Xena disappeared.
Gabrielle, you must stop talking to me in public. If I have to become invisible to you for you to remember, then so be it.
Ill remember. The bards thoughts screamed at her lover. Please, Xena, dont disappear on me. Just knowing that you are standing beside me will help see me through the initial meeting with Queen Cleopatra.
Its not like you dont know her, Gabrielle, Xena retorted.
I know, but its been years. Shes grown; Ive grown; youre dead! How am I going to explain that I can do just as good a job without you when Im not sure I can?
Listen, Gabrielle, what I have to tell you will make you feel better about tackling this task on your own. Because Yodoshi was such an evil presence, when I killed his spirit I was given several gifts. I have to remain dead for the time being, and although I cannot take my chakram and help you in your physical fights, Gabrielle, I am still able to be there with you, giving you my strength to add to your own. Your battles will still be my battles, as we go not side by side but truly hand in hand.
The bard put a hand up to her mouth to stifle a gasp, Oh, Xena, you dont know how much that means to me. You've given me confidence in myself, but I've never had to be totally on my own. Im glad I wont ever have to be.
Believe me, youre not any happier than I am that I dont have to adhere to all the laws of the dead.
They had reached the steps of the palace, and with the giving of her name, Gabrielle was led into the greeting chamber of the queen. Cleopatra was sitting on the throne with a confused look upon her face.
"Gabrielle, the guard only announced that you had arrived. Is Xena not with you?"
The small blonde swallowed the lump in her throat as she knelt respectfully at the foot of the throne. The younger woman swept her hand into the air indicating that the bard should rise up and stand before her.
"Queen Cleopatra." At the thought of speaking the next words out loud, Gabrielle could feel her stomach tighten into a knot. "Xena didnt make it through our last battle. She died while we were in Japan."
Visibly taken back by the statement, it took the queen a few seconds to reply. "Im sorry to hear that, Gabrielle, but are you sure you can handle this crisis by yourself?"
"I will certainly try, but Ill need to know the nature of the problem before I can give you a better answer." Her spirits were beginning to weaken when she felt Xenas arm slip around her waist. All of a sudden her courage was awakened and she stood taller as she continued the conversation with the Mauretanii Queen.
The high priestess, standing slightly behind the queens throne, gave the warrior-bard a strange look when the blondes demeanor suddenly became more confident and warrior-like. She squinted as if she were trying to see what it was that had taken hold of the woman standing before the queen and what had caused her to change her posture so quickly.
"You are my honored guest, Gabrielle. I thank you for coming, and we can discuss the details over dinner this evening. Im sure youre in need of some rest."
When she nodded her head, two servants appeared and ushered Gabrielle from the room and to her quarters in the palace. The rooms were lavishly furnished with a huge bed in one, a large bath in the other. She had a balcony that afforded a beautiful view of the city below.
After Gabrielle dismissed the women, she turned to Xena, who was standing in front of the mirror minus a reflection, making the bard cringe. She shivered and motioned for Xena to move away from the offending piece of furniture.
Lets sit on the bed, Xena suggested.
Gabrielle shook her head no.
Oh, please, its so soft and comfortable. Xena pleaded.
"Xena, dont you understand . . ."
I think you had better either keep your voice down or just think to me. You dont want to do the crazy warrior-bard thing here, now do you?
Gabrielle lowered her voice and replied, "I dont think anyone can hear me through the door." She couldnt help but laugh as she walked over and plopped down on the soft bed. Lying with her head on one of the pillows she stared up at the ceiling. "This is really difficult to get used to, Xena. I see you and yet I cant talk openly to you because no one else can see you. Its only been a few moons, and sometimes I forget and fall back into thinking that youre still alive."
Xena continued to speak mentally to her lover, not wanting anyone to overhear her conversing with Gabrielle. I am alive to you, my Love, but not to anyone else. Now come here and let me hold you.
The bard didnt need a second invitation; she rolled over into an embrace that was as comforting as if Xena were actually alive. "Xena, how am I going to pull this off on my own? Weve been a team for what seems like forever, and now . . ."
"Were still a team, Gabrielle; Ive already told you I will be there with you in more than just spirit, and well talk about how youre going to rectify this situation." She stroked the soft flaxen hair as she had done so many times before and knew there were tears falling from the sea green eyes. Every time the bard cried the warriors heart ached a little more. "Well get through this, Gabrielle, we always do. Now stop crying; youve a banquet to attend. What do you say we take a nice warm bath?"
She didnt have to ask a second time. The women had informed Gabrielle that the tub was full, and without going into great detail, they had also informed her that through a complicated structure of pipes and steam, the water remained perpetually warm and renewed.
"Tell me something, Xena," Gabrielle asked while washing her hair. "If we do find a way to get us out of this predicament, are there any other acts you performed in the past that I need to know about? Is there anything that could put us back into this kind of situation, again?"
A crooked smile crossed the warriors face, "No, Gabrielle, you know everything I know now."
"Good," came the singular answer as the bard dipped under the water to rinse her hair.
That evening at the banquet honoring Gabrielle, Cleopatra explained the dilemma that had caused her to send for help. The king was out of town arranging for allies to assist, and the queen was a little concerned that without Xena things were going to be more difficult than she had expected.
Gabrielle listened as Cleo began the discussion. "As you know, Gabrielle, the river Molochath is the boundary between the territory of my people, the Mauretanii, and that of the Masaesyli. Both of our peoples are peace loving and nomadic by nature. But we are coming under attack by the Pharusii, who have come down from the lands north of our kingdoms. They have decided they want to settle and establish colonies along the fertile river. We are no match for their barbaric ways. They arm themselves with scythes, arrows, and swords, while our peoples are used to living peacefully alongside one another and carry only small lances and shields. To make matters worse, they greatly outnumber us. We are trying to form allies with adjacent territories, thats where my husband is as we speak. Do you think youll be able to help us?"
"I dont see why not," the warrior-bard answered in her most confident tone. "Ill need to have a look at some maps of your kingdom and neighboring ones and have as close a count as possible of both your allies and enemies."
The women concluded that they would meet again in the morning to discuss these subjects. Cleopatra seemed pleased with the warrior-bards answers and promised a full count of foes and friends as well as terrain and regional maps. They parted company and on the way back to the room, Gabrielle began talking to Xena. Occasionally she would forget to stop talking when someone passed them in the hallway, and the warrior would gently put a finger to her bards lips to remind her that talking to ones self was a good way to end up in a loony bin.
There was much to be discussed after they arrived at Gabrielles accommodations, and the bard was grateful to find a bottle of wine and a bowl of fruit that had been placed on the table beside the bed. She was upset that there was only one goblet until Xena reminded her that she no longer required food or drink. They talked almost until dawn, when the dark-haired beauty insisted that her lover rest before meeting again with the queen.
Gabrielles meeting with Cleopatra had been set for midday. The warrior-bard formulated question after question, and the queen was always ready with an answer. Gabrielle found out that the barbarians, although they seemed to have superior weaponry and more troops, were not well organized and were extremely superstitious.
The high priestess, Nessia, was once again at the meeting between the queen and the warrior-bard. She stood silently in the background, taking in all that transpired between the two strong women. Occasionally, she would give Gabrielle an unusual look as though she was trying to see through her, to see if the warrior-bard was who she said she was. Gabrielle felt slightly uncomfortable, but resigned herself to the fact that the priestess was probably just looking out for the best interests of her queen and was wise to be wary of strangers.
It was during their meeting that the king returned home and was introduced to Gabrielle. In his wake followed an army of 1,000 foot soldiers from neighboring lands. Strategies were discussed until servants entered the room with the announcement that the evening meal had been prepared. The royal couple and the warrior-bard continued to formulate plans while eating. Finally agreeing that the element of surprise was best, they set the start of retaliation against the Pharusii at dawn.
When they arrived back at Gabrielles quarters, the bard and warrior went over the plans one last time, and then Xena insisted that Gabrielle get some sleep. She promised not to leave the bards side and held her close as the smaller woman closed her eyes in mental exhaustion.
The hour before dawn, Xena whispered into her bards ear that it was time to get up; the sun would soon be peaking over the horizon. Gabrielle started to answer with her usual statement that she would rise but refused to shine when the realization of what the day had in store for her prompted her to open her eyes and jump out of bed.
The success of their scheme relied on the element of surprise, and during the night, King Jubas soldiers had infiltrated the area, surrounding the campground of the Pharusii leader. It was also where the greatest number of Pharusii troops were concentrated. If Gabrielles formulations were correct and these people were truly barbaric, vanquishing their leader would quickly deter them from proceeding further into the land of the Mauretanii and the Masaesyli.
As the sun began to rise, Gabrielle stood on the top of a nearby hill, her confidence enhanced by the knowledge that she wielded the strength of both herself and Xena. King Juba stood next to the warrior-bard and gave the order that started his men's attack on the still-sleeping horde of barbarians. With one toss of the chakram, Gabrielle freed all of the horses of the Pharusii, scattering them into the awaiting Mauretanii foot soldiers, who were eager to be able to ride, instead of march, into battle.
If everything went according to their plan, the Pharusii leader would be either talking with them peacefully or dead before the sun reached her apex this afternoon. Sais in hand, Gabrielle charged the camp with King Jubas soldiers at her side, while the king remained on the top of the hill to await her signal.
The leaders tent was decorated with colorful flags, setting it apart from all the others. When he opened the flap to assess what was happening to his troops, Gabrielle was there to greet him. Taken by surprise, he glared at her and reached for his weapon. "We can stop this now and have a peaceful end to this madness," Gabrielle yelled above the clamor. His voice was lost in the cacophony, but his body language as he raised his weapon gave the warrior-bard his answer. There would be no amiable end to this confrontation.
Gabrielle dodged as he swung his sword, turned swiftly, and kicked him in the back, throwing him off guard. His balance was quickly recovered and he charged her again. This time she made contact with his body, lancing him with one of her sais.
As he grabbed his arm she tried one last time to reason with the unreasonable. "Stop now and you and your people will live to go back to your homeland."
His defiance never faltered. Cursing her he attacked again, only to receive a blow double the strength of any Gabrielle alone could have delivered, and his sword fell from his grasp. The dark-haired warrior had joined in; there would be no harming of the warrior-bard in this battle, not if she had anything to say about it.
Gabrielle had her sais readied when the leader of the invading army attempted to retrieve his sword. He scrambled to recover it and quickly regained his composure. On the offensive again, he rushed toward the warrior-bard only to receive a sai puncturing his chest in the area of his heart. The final time he fell, he did not attempt to get up.
Gabrielle pulled the defeated leader from the ground and held his lifeless body in front of her, his vacant face turned outward toward his soldiers for all to see. She made a signal to King Juba, who was watching from afar, and a horn sounded, calling attention to all the troops. Cheers escaped the lips of the allies as the foreigners looked on in panic at the body of their fallen leader. With no one to guide them, they lost their confidence and ran from the battleground.
During the dinner that followed their return to the city, the king and Gabrielle spoke of the success of their strategy. Their assumption had been right that without a leader the barbarians would turn and run back to their homeland. Cleopatra, like her mother before her, pledged an everlasting friendship to the warrior-bard, and King Juba made her an honorary member of his royal court. Gabrielle wished she could tell everyone that Xena was also an intricate part of the scheme of things but got a nudge in her side when she even considered the thought.
After she said goodnight to the royal couple, Gabrielle was met in the hallway by the high priestess. "I would like also to give you something for traveling so far to help my king and queen." Nessia bowed in respect to Gabrielle. "You came here at grave danger to yourself to help my people. What can I do to repay you for your actions here in my land?"
Xena whispered that just being able to help was enough of a reward, and Gabrielle started to parrot the words when the priestess looked deep into emerald green eyes and smiled.
Nessia stopped Gabrielle in mid-sentence. "I have been watching, Gabrielle. The servants call you She who talks to the Air, but I do not believe this to be the truth. When you arrived, you told the story of Xenas demise and the fact that she had to stay with the souls she had redeemed to avenge their deaths."
Gabrielle tilted her head to one side as if listening to an inner voice. She smiled as she touched the chakram, and goose bumps ran the length of her arms when Xena protectively placed an arm around her shoulders. "She who talks to the Air, is it? To tell you the truth, Ive heard the whispers. But its not really to the air that I speak."
"Its to Xena, isnt it?" the priestess queried.
"Yes," Gabrielle answered unashamed. "I know you might think me mad but . . ."
"Not at all, Gabrielle, and I might be able to help you with your dilemma."
"How?" Her attention was definitely focused now.
After taking a moment to study the warrior-bards expression, the priestess began, "Theres a land across a large expanse of water that you have never crossed. Its a mass of land that would easily accompany all the souls in Xenas keeping. Once those souls reincarnate, her obligation to them is released and she may come back either reborn as they do, or because you hold her essence and her ashes here in this world, she can come back to you and continue this lifetime to a timely conclusion."
"I know of that land," Xena told Gabrielle, and the bard related the fact to the priestess. "I have seen it on my night travels while you sleep. It is vast and fruitful. People would thrive in an environment such as what I have seen there, and it would be like a paradise to the newly arrived souls. But leading them there and convincing them that now is the proper time for them to return might take more than just a little effort; they were probably expecting to return to the home of their ancestors." Gabrielle repeated to the priestess what Xena told her.
The warrior continued, "Gabrielle, you wouldnt believe how much larger the world is than we ever imagined. There was so much we didnt get to explore when we were on the other side together."
"Xena wants to know how you propose to bring her back. Were far from the fountain of strength and its been many moons since her death."
"Xena," the priestess smiled in the direction of the ghost, "you keep your end of the bargain, and I promise to reunite you in the flesh with your soulmate."
The smile on Gabrielles face and the hope in her eyes brought tears to the eyes of the warrior. Although she had never left Gabrielles side, she realized that their life together was a strain on the bard whenever they were in the company of people. She had reminded Gabrielle that if she was reanimated that they would both be vulnerable again, and at any time one of them might die. Gabrielle still insisted that she wanted the "real Xena" back, the one she could fight side by side with and write stories about. She was sure that the next time something happened to them the powers that be would allow them both to go simultaneously.
Later that evening when the bard was sleeping, Xena traveled back to the realm of the 40,000 souls. Akemi was the first to greet her upon her arrival, and she wondered at the fact that Xena had been absent in the sacred realm. When the warrior told her of the gifts she had been given for killing Yodoshi, Akemis demeanor changed. She wanted Xena to stay with her and was disappointed to hear about the pact with Nessia in Mauretania. When Akemi realized that Xena had no intention of reincarnating with the rest of the souls, she refused to cooperate in trying to convince the other spirits that the large mass of land to the east of Japan would be an advantageous place to reenter the world of the living. She had figured that when Xena died she would come back to her, and with her plans thwarted she had become a rather unhappy spirit.
Xena reiterated that Gabrielle was her true soulmate and the only one she was destined to spend eternity with.
Finally realizing that she would never win the argument, Akemi agreed to help with the migration to a promised land where there were no Lords of the Darkland.
With the incantation that Nessia had given her, Xena was able to allow the souls to spontaneously be born into flesh, bone, and blood. They were divided into five nations and scattered throughout the countryside. It was an unusual vision Xena watched as the souls reincarnated. Some appeared as small children, and some babies, while others became teenagers, young adults, adults, and elders with the memories that life would have held for them had they actually lived the journey. As they dispersed themselves throughout the land, Xena was told that they would call themselves The People and begin a new civilization grounded in the belief that Mother Earth was a sacred place to be cherished and taken care of. They, once again, thanked their benefactor as they took leave of the afterworld into the world of the living. Akemi was the last to leave, and with sorrow in her voice she bid a final farewell to the warrior.
Upon returning to Gabrielles quarters, Xena crawled in beside the sleeping bard. The movement of the bed woke the small blonde, who had only slept sporadically since the warrior had left her side. With questioning eyes, she looked into the face she loved and raised an eyebrow, as she had seen Xena do so many times in their life together. The warrior smiled her crooked smile and nodded in the affirmative.
"Alls right with the universe, Gabrielle," she whispered into her lovers ear. "The souls have found a new haven, and Im free to return to the land of the living, if Nessia can make good on her promise."
With hope in her heart, Gabrielle readied herself for their meeting with the high priestess. She made a silent plea as she picked up the urn that contained Xenas ashes, and the two left the palace on their way to the Temple of Isis.
The temple was a monumental building. At the top of the stairs and on either side of the doorway were hiero-paneled pillars. The symbols etched on the stone were of a mystical language, known only to a select few. Supposedly it was these pillars that guarded and protected the sanctuary behind the large wooden doors. Between the pillars, yet set back closer to the entrance, the two women beheld a larger than life statue of the goddess Isis in her finest attire, her head adorned with cow horns arched around a solar disk.
Xena and Gabrielle both knew that the goddess Isis was known for her magical skills with both the living and the dead. The only question was whether or not this priestess truly had the favor of the goddess.
Nessia was waiting for them in the sacred chamber. "Isis has blessed me with words of power," the priestess began as she motioned for Gabrielle to come and stand beside her with the urn. "It is a sign from the Goddess herself that her star is in the heavens directly above this chamber on this auspicious night." She pointed to the opening in the ceiling where a single star shone brightly down on Gabrielle, and then she motioned for Xena, whom she could sense but could not see or touch, to stand facing her soulmate.
"Gabrielle, place the ashes on the altar before you, and open the lid."
With some trepidation the bard did as she was told, her eyes constantly fluctuating between the ashes, the priestess, and her beloved.
"Youre my whole life, Xena," she whispered as she opened the urn.
"Whatever happens, Gabrielle, know that I will never leave you," the warrior promised.
The priestess blessed each of the participants and then picked up the urn. Gabrielles entire body trembled in anticipation. If this didnt work there would be no going back, no second chance; Xena would remain a ghost until the time of her next reincarnation.
Words unfamiliar to the ears of the warrior and bard streamed from Nessias mouth. From a sycamore plinth she retrieved an amulet, carved out of carnelian, which had been soaked in water upon which floated ankhami flowers. In a perfect rhyme and rhythm and spoken at the time when the moon was at her highest height in the early morning sky, the high priestess of Isis began to chant in a deep-throated tone.
Nessia spoke the magical words of her goddess, appealing to her to restore Xena to life and to allow her to once again walk the earth as a flesh, bone, and blood human, side by side with her soulmate from whom she had been untimely taken. "Nehes, nehes, nehes, Nebet Aset. Great Goddess Isis, in your position as queen of the Underworld and giver of life, may the essence of your blood blend with these ashes of Xena, the Warrior Princess, to restore this woman to her soulmate."
In one quick movement Nessia splashed droplets of red into the urn with Xenas remains and swirled the amulet over the container, continuing to murmur inaudibly. A flash of light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time ignited the contents of the small jar and Gabrielle gasped, her heart leaping into her throat as she watched the urn explode. "By the gods," she whispered.
"No, Gabrielle," Nessia corrected, "by the goddess." With a smile of total satisfaction, the priestess reached over and did what she heretofore could not do; she touched Xena. "I do believe the goddess has granted your request, my friends. I no longer think the title, She who talks to the Air will be attributed to you, Gabrielle." The priestess patted her friend on the shoulder and then turned to the warrior. "Xena, welcome back to the world of the living."
Gabrielle was beside herself. "How can I . . . we ever thank you, Nessia?" She moved closer to her lover, who immediately placed a strong arm around Gabrielles shoulders and embraced her.
"Do you forget so soon, my friend?" The priestess answered the question with one of her own. "This ceremony was performed as a thank-you gesture for all the help you gave my people. You owe me nothing, and the debt Mauretania owes you is now paid. Go in peace, my friends." The priestess turned to allow the lovers time alone to realize that their prayers had been fulfilled.
As a final farewell, both Xena and Gabrielle were invited to attend another banquet that evening. Both the king and queen thanked the two women again for their intervention and spoke of their joy that Nessia, with Isis blessing, had been able to satisfy the couples desire to have Xena brought back into the world of the living
Looking out over the city shimmering in moonlight and stars, the lovers sought out one celestial body in particular and, as they simultaneously gazed upon it, watched it grow in intensity, almost in response to a silent double thank you.
Xena turned Gabrielle around, bringing them face to face. Slowly she lowered her head to kiss the lips she had been denied for far too long. "Youre my whole world, Gabrielle." The kiss ignited the passion of their souls and it was minutes before they allowed their lips to separate.
Gabrielle looked up into sparkling sapphire eyes full of love and life. "So, where to now?"
"I think we should go north to visit Sappho," Xena answered, knowing the suggestion would make the bard happy. "I hear they need a girl who will put away her chakram for a little while and one who inks a pretty mean quill when she isnt wielding a pair of sais."
The End
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Welcome Gabrielle Szlenkier, new executive director to the Washtenaw County Medical Society (WCMS)!
Gabrielle Szlenkier has returned to Michigan after working in Washington, DC for the past 10 years. While in Washington, she worked on public health policy and was responsible for strengthening physicians' advocacy work on Capitol Hill. Her enthusiasm and experience will be a terrific asset to WCMS! Please join us in welcoming her in January 2018.
Contact her directly via email or phone: (734) 668-6241.


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Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen defended the administration's "zero tolerance" policy that calls for separating families who cross the border illegally, saying the undocumented immigrants shouldn't get special treatment.
"That's no different than what we do every day in every part of the United States — when an adult of a family commits a crime," she told NPR. "If you as a parent break into a house, you will be incarcerated by police and thereby separated from your family."
"Illegal aliens should not get just different rights because they happen to be illegal aliens," she added.
In a wide-ranging interview with NPR's John Burnett airing on All Things Considered, Nielsen stood by the policy announced earlier this week as well as the administration's broader crackdown on illegal immigration, saying her department is merely following the law.
She says if the public wants different immigration laws, then it is up to Congress to change them — and that the fierce criticism directed at her department is unwarranted.
"The pushback in terms of us enforcing the law is inappropriate and unacceptable. If somebody wants a different law, they should go to Congress and get a different law passed. But we took an oath and we will uphold the laws of this country," she said.
Nielsen's five-month tenure so far as homeland security secretary has already been consequential — and controversial.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the zero tolerance policy earlier this week, and on Tuesday Nielsen appeared on Capitol Hill where she faced questions from skeptical lawmakers.
Under the policy, DHS will begin referring for prosecution anyone it catches trying to enter the United States unlawfully. Immigrant advocates criticized the announcement, saying it's cruel to separate children from their parents.
"The law says if you cross between the ports of entry you are entering without inspection and that is a crime," Nielsen said. "First time is misdemeanor."
"After that it's a felony," she added, "and then it goes on from there. So that hasn't changed; that's the underlying law. Our policy has not changed and that is if you break the law we will refer you for prosecution."
Nielsen clarified that the policy is targeting families who try to illegally cross away from a port of entry. Families who present themselves at a ports of entry can ask for asylum. They will get a "credible fear" interview, and they will not be prosecuted, she said.
The administration had been separating families for months before the recent policy. Officials said they only did so in certain circumstances, such as when a mother couldn't prove parentage. In one case in November, a woman and her 6-year-old daughter fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo showed up at the Tijuana/San Diego port of entry and asked for asylum. Federal agents separated them. The little girl was sent to Chicago where she stayed in a government-contracted youth shelter. The mother was locked up in detention for four months in San Diego, Calif. They were finally reunited after a lawsuit and a public outcry.
The secretary was asked if her department should have handled the case differently.
"I think we can always do better. We're learning a lot from it," she said. "As you know it's an active lawsuit. So unfortunately I can't get into all the things we're doing to improve the system. But absolutely, it's not our intent to separate people one day longer than is necessary to prove that there is in fact a custodial relationship."
Also on her watch, DHS has canceled temporary protected status for immigrants from a number of countries, including El Salvador, Honduras and Nepal. The program is a form of humanitarian relief offered to immigrants of countries struggling with the aftermath of war or natural disasters.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that U.S. diplomats in those countries had cabled the State Department, urging against revoking TPS for fear that the countries could not safely reabsorb tens of thousands of returning nationals.
Nielsen again insisted that she is only following the law.
"I was required to take that action by the law, pure and simple," said Nielsen. "The statute is very clear. If the conditions that originated from the designating event no longer exist, the statute says the secretary shall terminate. To pretend that conditions continue to exist from a hurricane 20 years ago is a fiction."
Nielsen was referring to a 1998 hurricane that struck Honduras, killing thousands and creating a migrant flow to the States. Administration officials insist that conditions in Honduras have improved.
As the Trump administration ends TPS for those countries, hundreds of thousands of people will lose legal status.
Nielsen, 45, previously served as chief of staff for Gen. John Kelly when he was homeland security secretary, then followed him to the White House when he became President Trump's chief of staff and continued as his deputy.
Trump nominated her to succeed Kelly at homeland security late last year. She was confirmed in December. Prior to that, she served in George W. Bush's administration as special assistant to the president and sat on the White House Homeland Security Council.
The Department of Homeland Security is defending the Trump administration's tough stance on immigration. Kirstjen Nielsen says her agency is simply enforcing laws already on the books, and she is responding to critics who say the administration's actions are harsh and mean-spirited.
KIRSTJEN NIELSEN: The pushback in terms of us enforcing the law is inappropriate and unacceptable. If somebody wants a different law, they should go to Congress and get a different law passed. But we took an oath, and we will uphold the laws of this country.
KELLY: Secretary Nielsen presides over a massive agency with a massive mandate, including preventing terrorism, responding to natural disasters and enforcing immigration laws. Well, NPR's John Burnett, who covers immigration, sat down for an interview today with Secretary Nielsen. And he is now here in our studio in Washington to tell us about it. Hey there, John.
JOHN BURNETT, BYLINE: Hi, Mary Louise.
KELLY: So this took place at her office at the Department of Homeland Security. Set the scene for us here.
BURNETT: Right. It was in a conference room at a table. There was a couple of press people there, and she sat and took my questions. I only had 15 minutes, and she very forcefully answered all of them.
KELLY: Give us the briefest portrait of who she is because for a cabinet secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen is not so familiar to a lot of Americans.
BURNETT: She has been in the shadow, in some ways, of who she considered her mentor, General John Kelly. Now, she's a 45-year-old lawyer, a national security expert who served in the George W. Bush administration and then was a top aide to Kelly both when he was head of Homeland Security and then when he went to the White House as chief of staff. And so she was confirmed as DHS secretary in her own right late last year.
KELLY: Now, she has been in the news just this week because of this announcement - this controversial announcement that immigration agents will separate families who crossed the border illegally, even families who are crossing the border to try to seek asylum.
BURNETT: Right, but she wanted to clarify - and I think this was important - that families who present themselves at ports of entry can ask for asylum. They'll receive a credible fair interview, and they will not necessarily be arrested on the spot and separated. It's the families that cross the border illegally - that maybe take a raft across the Rio Grande. They'll be arrested, prosecuted, and they'll separate the parents from the children.
KELLY: And did you ask her, is this meant to be a deterrent specifically for families leaving Central America?
BURNETT: Well, I even asked her about a quote that I had read in The New Yorker magazine that taking children from their parents is a form of state terror.
NIELSEN: What it's meant to do is do our jobs. I mean, that would be like saying that when people commit crimes in this country and they're put in jail and separated from their family, that somehow that's terror. In the United States, we call that law enforcement. We call that protecting our communities and our children. That's what we're doing.
BURNETT: But separating families isn't - it's an extreme measure.
NIELSEN: Well, it's not. Again, we do it every day in every part of the country. If you have a family and you commit a crime, the police do not not put you in jail because you have a family. They prosecute you, and they incarcerate you. Illegal aliens should not get just different rights because they happen to be illegal aliens.
BURNETT: So, Mary Louise, I wanted to put a human face on DHS enforcement policies, and there's this one particular case that's got loads of attention. A woman and her 6-year-old daughter fled the Democratic Republic of Congo and showed up at the Tijuana-San Diego Port of Entry asking for asylum last November.
KELLY: Oh, this is the case from last fall, last November.
BURNETT: Right. Federal agents separated them. They took the little girl and sent her to Chicago where she stayed in a government-contracted youth shelter. And they locked the mother up in detention for four months in San Diego. They were finally reunited after a lawsuit and a big public outcry. And I asked Secretary Nielsen about that case.
Do you wish that you all had handled that case differently?
NIELSEN: I think we can always do better. We're learning a lot from it. As you know, it's an active lawsuit, so unfortunately I can't get into all the things we're doing to improve the system. But absolutely, it's not our intent to separate people one day longer than is necessary to prove that there is in fact a custodial relationship.
KELLY: Would she get, John, at all into what DHS is going to do under her leadership? Is the plan here to arrest everybody in the country who's unauthorized? That would be - what? - something like 11 million people.
BURNETT: Right. I asked her that, and this is what she said.
NIELSEN: I don't think anyone would pretend that's possible. So what we are doing is we prioritize. We will deport as many as resources allow. We do that in a structured, targeted way. We go after this from a policy position that we feel it's a threat to the United States and our community. So as you know, we focus on the criminal element, for example, but we do not have the current resources today to deport all 11 million, for example, in the next year.
KELLY: John, let me turn you to another item I know is on your list to ask Secretary Nielsen about. This is TPS, temporary protected status. It's been in the news a lot of late. TPS allows immigrants to stay in the U.S. - immigrants from certain countries that maybe have been struck by natural disaster or by war.
BURNETT: Right. And so in recent months, DHS has cancelled temporary protected status for some 400,000 immigrants from Central America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. Her answer was pretty simple. She said U.S. law required her to take that action. Let's listen.
NIELSEN: The statute is very clear. If the conditions that originated from the designating event no longer exist, the statute says the secretary shall terminate. To pretend that conditions continue to exist from a hurricane 20 years ago is a fiction. Does that mean there isn't difficulty in that country - no. Does that mean we shouldn't take care of TPS - no. But does that mean that I have any authority to continue to grant them temporary status? It does not.
BURNETT: But there was some discretion. I mean, you could - some of these have gone on, you know, for 15-plus years. But you all decided to draw a line in your tenure.
NIELSEN: Yeah, we decided to enforce the law. We don't make immigration law. Congress should pass a law to give permanent status to those who've had temporary protective status. I am not going to bow to political pressure, however, to break the law to do Congress's job. They need to do it.
KELLY: It's interesting, John, to hear how the secretary is framing this because she has faced criticism that senior White House officials such as chief of staff John Kelly and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller are driving a hard-line agenda at her department. Did you ask her about that pressure on her department? What'd she say?
BURNETT: Yep, I asked her directly, is the Homeland Security Department independent from the Trump White House?
NIELSEN: Well, it is. We have operational control. So we have the men and women who execute the laws each day. What we do, though, is - this takes a partnership. So one of the roles of the White House is to help coordinate the interagency, and General Kelly and Stephen Miller help us do that.
KELLY: So, John, what's your takeaway from having sat down with her and asked her about the criticism her department is coming under from a lot of quarters?
BURNETT: Secretary Nielsen is not backing down one inch from this harsh criticism of her agency's enforcement actions. DHS is going to fix what she says is a broken immigration system, and that's exactly what the Trump administration wants her to do.
KELLY: John Burnett, thank you.
BURNETT: It's a pleasure.
KELLY: John Burnett reporting there on his sit-down interview today with the secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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The Sonics' first team, in 1967-68, wasn't very good. In fact, until last season's team, it was the worst in franchise history. The team broke up quickly, but these 12 players will always be part of history, Seattle's first major pro sports team.
Note: This story was last updated in 2008.
For 40 years, the Sonics' first team was also their worst, finishing with a 23-59 record. That changed last season, when the Sonics won just 20 games.
In 1967, Seattle's first major pro sports team included a tough guy who became a poet, a future UCLA coach and a 21-year-old rookie who became a prominent judge.
They went on to careers as businessmen, Boeing workers, realtors or coaches.
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But back then, they were just the Seattle SuperSonics, a collection of — for the most part — modestly talented players in a new NBA city. Nine came to Seattle in the expansion draft, three others were chosen in the rookie draft.
They weren't very good, as you would expect from an expansion team. And Seattle fans must not have been all that excited, with an average of 6,186 showing up at the Seattle Center Coliseum.
Five of them were gone after one season in Seattle, including their best player, guard Walt Hazzard. By the end of the second season, eight were former Sonics, and so was coach Al Bianchi.
They're long forgotten, but these 12 players will always be part of the first — if not the best — major pro sports team in town.
The starters
Bob Rule, 6-9 center
1967-68: Named to all-rookie team after averaging 18.1 points, 9.5 rebounds.
Sonics career: Rule was a great player, averaging more than 24 points and 10 rebounds the next two seasons. He was off to a hot start in 1970, but an Achilles tendon injury in the fourth game wiped out the rest of his season, and he was never the same. Rule was the last original Sonic to go, traded to Philadelphia during the 1971-72 season, and was done playing by 1974.
Life after basketball: Rule lives in Southern California.
Al Tucker, 6-8 forward
1967-68: Tucker was the Sonics' first draft pick, taken No. 6 in the first round in 1967. (Rule was the Sonics' second-round pick). He joined Rule (and Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe and Phil Jackson) on the league's all-rookie team, averaging 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Sonics career: Tucker, blessed with talent but not a lot of motivation, according to a former Sonics scout, was traded to Cincinnati the next season. He bounced quickly to Chicago and Baltimore, and was out of the league by 1971.
Life after basketball: Died May 7, 2001 in Dayton, Ohio, at the age of 58.
Tom Meschery, 6-6 forward
1967-68: Before Xavier McDaniel, or Maurice Lucas, or Paul Silas, there was Meschery, the Sonics' first enforcer. Meschery averaged 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and no guff from opponents.
Sonics career: Meschery averaged 12.5 points in four seasons for Sonics before retiring after the 1970-71 season.
Life after basketball: While he played with the Sonics, Meschery had become friends with poet Mark Strand, and took some of Strand's UW poetry classes. Meschery later wrote a book of poetry about his family, and taught English at Reno High School for 21 years, before retiring in 2005. He's undoubtedly the only member of both the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame and the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.
Walt Hazzard, 6-2 guard
1967-68: Scored a career-high 24 points per game, and was the only Sonic to play in the All-Star Game.
Sonics career: Traded before the 1968 season to Atlanta for Lenny Wilkens. In 1972, the Sonics traded Wilkens for Butch Beard. In 1973, the Sonics traded Beard for … Walt Hazzard, who was known by then as Mahdi Abdul-Rahman. He finished his NBA career by playing 49 games for the '73-74 Sonics.
Life after basketball: Hazzard coached his alma mater, UCLA for four seasons, and was fired after the 1987-88 season. Later, he worked as a scout for the Lakers.
Rod Thorn, 6-4 guard
1967-68: Thorn was the Sonics' third-leading scorer, averaging 15.2 points.
Sonics career: Thorn played four seasons for the Sonics before retiring, but his first year in Seattle was easily his best. He served as an assistant coach to Lenny Wilkens for one season.
Life after basketball: Thorn, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science at the University of Washington, has been president of the NBA's New Jersey Nets since 2000. He has been an assistant coach, head coach, general manager and NBA executive.
The bench
Bob Weiss, 6-2 guard
1967-68: Weiss, playing about 20 minutes a game, averaged 9.8 points and was the Sonics' best free-throw shooter, at 84 percent.
Sonics career: Weiss was selected by Milwaukee in the 1968 expansion draft and played nine more seasons in the league, mostly with the Chicago Bulls.
Life after basketball: Weiss was a head coach for the Spurs, Hawks and Clippers before joining the Sonics as an assistant coach in 1994. He was promoted to head coach last season, but was fired after a 13-17 start.
Tommy Kron, 6-5 guard
1967-68: Kron was selected by the Sonics in the expansion draft after playing his rookie season for the St. Louis Hawks. He averaged 9.7 points for the Sonics.
Sonics career: Kron played one more season in Seattle, scoring 5.1 points a game in a smaller role. Following that season, he signed with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA and played one season. He had been one of the star's of "Rupp's Runts," the 1965-66 Kentucky team that lost to Texas Western in the NCAA title game.
Life after basketball: Kron, who had been diagnosed with bladder cancer a year earlier, died last Nov. 29 at age 64. Kron had been in the investment business in Louisville.
Dorie Murrey, 6-8 forward/center
1967-68: Averaged 7.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, backing up Rule and Meschery.
Sonics career: Murrey played three years, leaving after he was selected by Portland in the 1970 expansion draft. He finished his NBA career with the Bullets in 1972.
Life after basketball: Murrey sells real estate for John L. Scott in the Seattle area.
George Wilson, 6-8 center
1967-68: Averaged 6.1 points, 6.1 rebounds in his only Sonics season.
Sonics career: Wilson was selected by Phoenix in the 1968 expansion draft. He played three more NBA seasons.
Life after basketball: Returned to Cincinnati, where he had been a college star.
Bud Olsen, 6-8 forward/center
1967-68: Averaged 3.8 points, 2.8 rebounds in 73 games, playing 12 minutes per game.
Sonics career: He was selected by Milwaukee in the 1968 expansion draft, but never played for the Bucks. Enoch Eli Olsen III (no wonder he went by "Bud") played sparingly with Detroit and Boston that season, then with Kentucky of ABA in 1969-70.
Life after basketball: Olsen settled in Louisville, where he had gone to college. He was a co-founder of Bargain Mart, a shoppers guide he helped run for 20 years.
Plummer Lott, 6-5 guard/forward
1967-68: Seattle U. defensive standout was a fifth-round draft choice by the Sonics. He averaged 2.5 points in 44 games his rookie season.
Sonics career: Played just one more NBA season, 23 games with Sonics in 1968-69.
Life after basketball: Lott is now the Hon. Plummer E. Lott, Justice for the Supreme Court of Kings County in Brooklyn, N.Y. Lott graduated from the UW law school.
Henry Akin, 6-10 center
1967-68: Played in 36 games, averaging 3.1 points and 1.6 rebounds.
Sonics career: After one Sonics season, signed with Kentucky Colonels of ABA, played two games, then returned to Seattle where he took a job as a scout for the Sonics.
Life after basketball: Akin worked for 5 ½ years as a Sonics scout, then went to work for Boeing.


text: Facebook or twitter katycat21 published on August 01, 2014 3 questions8 polls Follow Ask a Question on Qfeast. It's just too easy! Star Question Be the first to add this question to starred list! ▼Scroll down for more questions▼ Answers (2) Votes Oldest vote up or down the answers Answer Link ↑ 0 ↓ Fearless twitter!! reply on August 02, 2014 Report Answer Link ↑ 0 ↓ Ema_biersack Twitter for sure. reply on August 01, 2014 Report Subscribe


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Mashed Potato Enchiladas
1 (20 ounce) can enchilada sauce, divided
8 corn tortillas
1 (15 ounce) can refried beans, divided
4 servings prepared mashed potatoes, divided
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, divided
1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, divided
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour enough enchilada sauce to just cover bottom of glass 9x13" dish. Spread 1 large spoonful refried beans on tortilla.
2. Top with spoonful mashed potatoes (in the middle of shell). Add spoonful black beans and olives. Fold both sides so they meet in the middle. I add a little beans to the very edge to make it stick to itself.
3. Put in pan. Repeat for all tortillas. Add remaining enchilada sauce (pour so everything is evenly coated).
4. Bake uncovered for approximately 20 minutes, or until sauce is thick and begins to boil.
These were easy to make, and delicious! So filling, and my whole family loved them!


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Patients & Guests
Restricted Visitor Policy
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What to expect
the day of your surgery
In the Pre-Anesthesia Unit
In the Operating Room
In the Recovery Room or Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
If you are going to be going home that day
If you will be admitted to the hospital after surgery
What to Expect in the Pre-Anesthesia Unit
What can I expect during the few hours before my surgery?
On the day of surgery, you will be asked to come to the hospital several hours before your procedure is scheduled to begin. This time is determined by the surgeon's office and allows time to complete any tests or other items that need to be finished before your surgery. You will be asked a lot of questions in the time leading up to your surgery and some will seem repetitive, but this allows us to make sure we have current and correct information.
You will then be taken to a pre-operative holding area called the Pre-Anesthesia Unit where you will be taken to a private room and asked to remove your jewelry and clothing and be given a hospital gown. The staff will put your belongings in a secure place, or you may choose to give these items to a family member or friend. We ask that any valuables remain with a family member.
If you are here for an outpatient procedure, we will verify you have a ride home following your surgery. For your safety, we will have to reschedule your surgery if you do not have a ride home. Your Pre-Anesthesia nurse will then begin to prepare you for your surgery.
The nurse may have you sign some important paperwork. He or she will take your temperature, blood pressure and pulse, do a nursing assessment, review your medications and answer any questions you may have. An intravenous (IV) line will be placed in a vein in either your hand or arm. The purpose of the IV is to provide fluids and medications during the surgery.
You must remove all hairpins, dentures, hearing aids, piercings, contact lenses and glasses unless you are told by the staff you can keep those items.
Will I be able to talk to my anesthesiologist before surgery?
Yes. You will meet your anesthesia provider, and other members of the team, before you go into the operating room. The anesthesia provider will examine you, review your medical and anesthesia history and the results of any tests you may have had done. They will explain the type of anesthesia you will be receiving and answer any further questions you may have.
Depending on your health, the type of surgery and your personal wishes, the anesthesia provider and your surgeon will determine the type of anesthetic best for you.
Will I be asleep for my procedure?
There are several different types of anesthesia techniques available.
General Anesthesia:
Medication that is injected in your IV. You also may be given a mixture of gases with oxygen to breathe. You will not be aware of anything occurring in the operating room. A breathing tube will be placed into your windpipe to help you breathe during your surgery. If you have this type of anesthesia, you may have some soreness in your throat after surgery.
Regional or Spinal Anesthesia:
This is an injection that creates numbness around the area where you are having surgery. Epidural or spinal blocks help numb the abdomen and legs at the same time. Other types of nerve blocks may be done to numb the arms or legs. With regional or spinal anesthesia, you should feel no pain. You may be awake or be given IV sedation to maintain your comfort level.
Local Anesthesia:
Medicine is injected around the incision site creating a feeling of numbness. You will feel numb only in the area of the surgery. You may be given other medication to help you relax, but you will be awake during the procedure. The surgeon often administers this type of anesthetic because it is used on smaller areas of the body.
Monitored Anesthesia Care:
Uses both local anesthetic at the incision site and medicine injected into your IV. This type of anesthetic does not require a breathing tube. You will be awake after surgery is completed.
Will I get to speak with my surgeon?
Your surgeon, or a member of his or her team, will normally visit you before starting the surgery to ask if you have any questions. They will use a special pen to mark the correct surgical site on your body if appropriate.
How does the staff keep me safe?
The Pre-Anesthesia and operating room nurse(s) will verify the following before taking you to the operating room:
Your name and date of birth
Name of your surgeon
What type of surgery you are having
Where you are having your surgery
Time you last ate
Whether you have any metal in your body, such as plates, piercings, screws, etc.
All surgical team members will be made aware of this information, as well as your clinical status, current condition and recent treatments. This communication helps ensure a strong link between your care and your safety.
After I am checked in, how long will I wait for surgery?
It is always our goal to start your procedure on time. However, delays may occur for a variety of reasons. The most common reason for delay is when another patient needs an unplanned emergency surgery. Occasionally, a delay may occur when a patient scheduled before you has a procedure that lasts a little longer than planned. We know this can be frustrating, but please know our surgeons and staff are committed to providing all patients with the very best care possible.
Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated. If your procedure is delayed, please do not hesitate to ask for reading materials or for assistance with the television.
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What to Expect in the Operating Room
The operating room is a busy area with bright lights where everyone is dressed the same way. When it is time for surgery to begin, you will be taken to the operating room on a stretcher. The operating room is extremely clean. We call it "sterile." The operating room team members will put masks on their faces as they enter the room to keep it free of germs and to ensure your safety.
The room is cool. We will provide warm blankets for you once you are moved to the operating table.
Will I remain on the stretcher for surgery?
No. The nurse will help you move onto the operating table, which will feel hard and sometimes cold. Since the operating room table is narrow, a safety strap will be placed across your lap, thighs or legs. Your arms are placed and secured on padded arm boards to help keep them from falling off the table.
What questions will they ask me?
The same questions asked of you while you were prepared for your surgery will be asked once more for your safety. These questions include such things as your name, whether you have any allergies, when you last had something to eat or drink, what type of procedure you are planning on having and the name of your surgeon.
What will the anesthesiologist do?
A nurse anesthetist or the anesthesiologist will attach a blood pressure cuff, ECG leads (sticky pads with little "nubs" on the end that will be used to monitor your heart during surgery) and a pulse oximeter (a plastic clip attached to your fingertip and used to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood during surgery.) If you are receiving a general anesthetic, you may be given a mask and asked to breathe deeply.
The nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist may inject anesthetic into your IV to relax you and make you comfortable. Some patients report the medication burns slightly or feels "tight" at the site of your IV. If you are receiving a spinal anesthetic, you will be assisted into a position at the anesthesiologist's request. At this time, the area will be prepped and the anesthesia delivered.
What is a "time out"?
A pause, or "time out," will take place just before the start of your surgery. This is the final step in which everyone agrees they have the correct patient, procedure, site, side, position and equipment.
How long will I be in surgery?
The amount of time in the operating room will depend on the type of surgery you are having. The surgeon can give an estimated time before you are taken back to the operating room. However, please know the estimated time may not include the 30-minute preparation time in the operating room before the surgeon begins and the 30-minute time to prepare for movement to the recovery room.
The whole team will be in the operating room to help your surgeon provide you with the best care and make sure you are safe and comfortable during your surgery.
Will my family receive updates while I am in the operating room?
While you are in surgery, your family may receive updates on the amount of time left and the progress of your surgery. Once your surgery is complete, the surgeon will talk with your family to discuss results. You may remain in the operating room for an additional amount of time, typically 30 - 60 minutes, until the anesthesia team feels you are ready to go to the recovery room. You will then be transported by the surgical and anesthesia teams to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), also known as the Recovery Room.
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What to Expect in the Recovery Room or Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
Where will I go after surgery?
Right after surgery, you will be taken to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) or, in some cases, directly to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where nurses will take care of you and watch you closely. A nurse will check your temperature, blood pressure and pulse often, look at your bandages, regulate your IV and give you pain medication as needed.
The average PACU stay is two to three hours.
What do I need to tell the PACU/Recovery nurse?
Please tell the nurse if you are having pain. The nurse will ask you to give your pain a number on a scale of zero to 10 (zero meaning you have no pain, and 10 means you have the worst pain). The nurse will check your pain and continue to help you manage it until you are as comfortable as possible.
What can I do about nausea (feeling sick to my stomach)?
Some patients feel very sick to their stomach (nauseous) after surgery. It is important to tell your nurse about this right away so it can be treated with medication. If you have had problems with nausea in the past, the anesthesia care provider should know this before surgery.
What other feelings may I experience after surgery?
You may feel sleepy, dizzy and/or forgetful from the medication given to you during surgery.
When will I see my family after surgery?
You will be able to see your family once you are moved from the PACU to the discharge area or to your room if you are staying overnight. In the PACU, the support person or visitor is usually not allowed to visit adult patients because of the critical level of care provided and the need to protect the privacy of all of our patients.
In instances when the patient is critically ill, or if the patient must be cared for in the PACU for an extended period of time awaiting a hospital room assignment, a brief visitation with the family member may be possible. This will be arranged as long as the visitor's presence does not compromise the confidentiality of other patient care and information.
Parents may come into the PACU to stay with the child in our special pediatric area. You will be notified by the PACU nurse when you are able to come into the pediatric recovery area to be with your child.
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What to Expect if you are Going Home on the Day of Surgery
Once your surgery is over and you have been moved from PACU, you will either be sent to a hospital bed or taken to the area where the nurses will get you ready to go home.
What do I need to know before going home?
Before leaving the hospital, you must meet certain discharge criteria. You may be asked to urinate before going home after certain surgical procedures. If you had a spinal anesthetic, you may be sent home with special instructions about what you should do if you cannot urinate within a certain time period. Your nurse will go over your post-operative/after surgery instructions with you and your family/friend.
The goal is to teach you several things about going home. These things include:
Activity restrictions
Pain medicines
Special diet plans
Special instructions related to your surgery
Follow up with your surgeon
Signs to watch for infection
When you should follow up with your surgeon
If you have stopped taking medications before your surgery, your nurse or doctor will let you know when you can start taking them again. You may also be given a prescription from your doctor at this time.
How long will it take me to feel normal again?
It may take some time. Plan to take it easy for a few days until you feel back to normal. Patients often feel minor effects after surgery because of anesthesia. They include:
Being very tired
Muscle aches
Sore throat
Sometimes patients can feel very sick to their stomach and may throw up. These side effects usually go away in the first few hours after surgery, but it can take several days before they are completely gone. Most patients do not feel up to their normal activities for several days.
Can I drive myself home?
No. Patients who have outpatient/same day surgery must have someone drive them home and stay with them for 6-8 hours following their surgery. The medications you were given during your surgery may affect your memory and mental judgment for the next 24 hours. During that time frame, do not use alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.
It is also advised not to make any important business or personal decisions and to not use machinery or electrical equipment. In a day or two after surgery, a nurse will call to check to see how you are feeling. It is important you provide the staff with a correct working phone number, so they can contact you.
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What to Expect if you will be Staying at the Hospital
What will happen if I need to stay overnight?
When your surgery is over, the surgeon will speak with your family/friends to let them know how things went and how you are doing. If the surgeon decides you need to stay overnight or stay for a longer amount of time, you will be taken from PACU to a hospital room. Your family/friends can join you there.
Will someone tell me what to do when I get home?
Yes. Before you leave, you will be given written directions on what to do at home. The nurse will go over all your instructions with you. Your instructions will cover:
Activities you can do
What you are allowed to eat
The types of medicine you are taking
Anything specific that goes along with what type of surgery you had
When you should see your doctor again
We are dedicated to always providing you with very good care. If we exceed your expectations, it is our pleasure to do so. If in any way we do not exceed your expectations, please let us know.
You may be mailed a survey asking to rate the service you received while here. We value this feedback and appreciate your comments.
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text:
The Hidden Paradise of Tangkahan, North Sumatra
MARDIYAH CHAMIM TEMPO.CO Monday April 22, 2019
JAKARTA, Indonesia – Located at the foot of Mount Leuser, Tangkahan was previously known as the epicenter of illegal logging. Hundreds of trees were cut down every day. "Ironwoods, sandalwoods, we cut every tree," said a local Juan Ika Sitepu (40).
Ika admitted that he used to be an illegal logger. "We do everything for a living. Our father, grandfathers, uncles were all illegal loggers. Some of them had been arrested by the police and detained," he said.
Fortunately, that occurred two decades ago. At present, the village is one of hidden paradise in North Sumatra. No more illegal logging. No more logs of woods along Batang Serangan River. The rainforest ecosystem restored, and now Tangkahan is renowned as elephant-centered ecotourism.
Locals were awakened by the flash flood in Bukit Lawang in 2003 that killing at least 200 people and destroyed hundreds of residencies. "We held a meeting with the operator of Mount Leuser National Park," Ika recalled, adding that locals agreed to refrain from practices of illegal logging.
The recovery program was not easy. Locals staged protests for losing their living income. "At that time, we earned Rp3 million per week for entering the forest and cutting trees," he said.
However, the efforts in generating an ecotourism village slowly bore fruit. Multiple training was established with the help of the Environment Ministry and many non-governmental organizations (NGOs), starting from cooking, exploring nature, until English language courses.
Ika Sitepu and his friend Jack Lingga recalled their journey with a sense of proud. "Now, we are no longer illegal loggers. We are rangers, forest protectors," said Jack Lingga. While escorting tourists exploring the forest, they conducted forest patrols.
"If someone violate the regulation, cutting trees without a strong reason, we will take the person to the village meeting," Jack asserted.
Throughout 2018, it was predicted that some 30,000 tourists visited the village. If each tourist spends Rp250,000 on the ecotourism entrance ticket and accommodation, then the regional income will amount to Rp7.5 billion a year.
Ecotourism program in Tangkahan provided a good living for locals, either in the lodging business, food and beverages supply, elephant care, and tour guide for forest explore. The environment of Mount Leuser National Park and the forest remain well preserved as well.
From: TEMPO.CO (Indonesia) Monday April 22, 2019


text:
Noah Webster (1758ŌĆō1843), the author of the readers and spelling books that dominated the American market at the time, spent decades of research in compiling his dictionaries.
His first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, appeared in 1806. In it, he popularized features that would become a hallmark of American English spelling (center rather than centre, honor rather than honour, program rather than programme, etc.) and included technical terms from the arts and sciences rather than confining his dictionary to literary words. Webster was a proponent of English spelling reform for reasons both philological and nationalistic. In A Companion to the American Revolution (2008), John Algeo notes: "it is often assumed that characteristically American spellings were invented by Noah Webster. He was very influential in popularizing certain spellings in America, but he did not originate them. Rather he chose already existing options such as center, color and check on such grounds as simplicity, analogy or etymology". In William Shakespeare's first folios, for example, spellings such as center and color are the most common. He spent the next two decades working to expand his dictionary.
This is the compilation of the Webster's Unabridged Dictionary from 1913. It contains 111,716 words and has 1,557,155 cross-references. The reason for the high number of cross-references is that each word within a given definition is further linked to its own definition in this ebook, Websters Unabridged Dictionary 1913, if such a definition exists.