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Positivity: Victim's survival shows miracles are real
From a column by Stephen Rowland:
Posted February 27, 2014 – 10:17am
It was all over the news Tuesday (Feb. 25) — ABC, CNN, FoxNews — a bus driver in Ohio was shot three times but survived.
One bullet stuck him in the leg, the other two were stopped by a small "Message" Bible in Ricky Wagoner's shirt pocket. Sgt. Michael Pauley of the Dayton Police Department stated, "There was obviously some kind of intervention involved in this incident, because he probably should not be here."
Apparently it was some type of gang initiation as Wagoner heard one of the teenagers say "… if you want to be all the way in the club." Wagoner's family and friends made comments to the effect that he had always enjoyed God's favor and they were not surprised he miraculously survived this attack.
That's not the first time I've heard this story. There are several accounts of soldiers ranging from the Civil War to World War II whose lives were spared by a New Testament pocket Bible stopping a bullet; some of them note the very passage the point of the bullet came to rest on which is usually a notable verse speaking of the Lord's protection.
… the miracle in the Ohio bus driver's case is not that two bullets just happened to hit his pocket Bible. With so many victims of shootings and soldiers being shot in the chest in various wars, there is ample opportunity for bullets to strike any particular area of the chest, including the pocket.
The really bizarre fact is that those two bullets actually stopped in that Bible instead of zipping right through into Ricky Wagoner. There is no explanation unless you happen to be a Christian and believe in miracles. God would have no problem stopping a bullet in mid-air with no obstruction in the way whatsoever — Bible not needed.
… As an alumnus of The University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in science, I have no reservations whatsoever in stating that I believe in miracles. Neither do a good number of scientists with Ph.D.'s whose books you can find in Christian bookstores.
It wasn't just Ricky Wagoner's lucky day. It was a God-intervention day. I don't mind rejoicing with Ricky while skeptics squirm.
Go here for Rowland's full column.


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If you are having problems researching your family tree then maybe you can learn something from my experience here. I had got nowhere with this ancestor's birth, marriage or death – on or off-line – then a chance visit to a Family History Website and an hour or two looking at the transcripts and a brick wall in my family history research came tumbling down! This, together with thinking of spelling variations of names, opened up a new line to me.
My paternal line in Dartmouth, Devon, UK has always been a bit frustrating once the census records ran out in 1841. This being the earliest English census on-line after which I had to start looking at parish records. I had worked out that my three times great-grandfather was called John Thorn and from the information given in the census collections I knew that he had been born in about 1795 and his wife, Elizabeth, in about 1798.
As a member of The Society of Genealogists in Goswell Road, London EC1. I knew that they've the largest collection of Parish Records in the country on microfiche. They've also got some transcripts of parish registers in the library.
Unfortunately Dartmouth parish records were not microfilmed, but a selection of Devon Family History Society booklets of the marriages of some of the churches in the town, including St. Saviour's, were available. Scanning one book for any likely ancestors I noted down that on 13 April 1817 a John Thorn married an Elizabeth Sissell. With this tentative lead, I hit the Internet. I was looking for any evidence that this was the marriage of my ancestors. I opened the Dartmouth-history.org.uk website of The Dartmouth Archives and found that this voluntary organisation had a very comprehensive family history section with transcribed baptisms, burials, marriages and census records. I could read the very same details, as I had seen in London, on this niche site. The information began in 1586 and ran to 1850! There was the marriage of John to Elizabeth and this time I noticed that the witness were given as John Adams and Sunass (sic) Sissell. I assumed that this last person was a member of the bride's family and perhaps was her father, but the name Sunass caused me concern as it didn't seem very likely and I guessed it couldn't be read properly by the transcriber.
After doing family history for a few years now, I'm aware that names can be transcribed incorrectly. Perhaps written down as the transcriber had seen them (as best practice dictates) and not changed to conveniently fit in with what is consider to be correct. I wondered if both the first name and the second had not been written down by the person in question, as they may well have been illiterate. When you come to do your own research you should bear in mind this point. The minister may have interpreted the name as he had heard it spoken to him and so in this case "Sissell" could possibly been "Cecil" or something entirely different. As for Sunass – at this point I hadn't got a clue what that could have been!
There were no early enough christening records for John and Elizabeth on the Dartmouth Archives website, but I opened another browser and navigated to the Latter Day Saints (LDS) website or FamilySearch.org and here I did a search for Elizabeth's christening and was lead to a baptism in one of the other churches in Dartmouth, St Petrox, on the 16 September 1878. The daughter of James and Sarah Sissill was one Elizabeth Gardener Sissill – and here I noted that the spelling had changed to Sissill with an "i" and not an "e". This record made me wonder if the witness to Elizabeth's marriage could have been her father "James" and this has been interpreted as "Sunnas" because a flowing "J" for James had looked like an "S" and the other letters had been misread as a "u" for an "a" and the double "n" as an "m".
So what I am emphasising here is to be wary of names and the way they were spelt. Before more general levels of literacy among the public became the norm, our ancestors relied heavily on a clergyman writing down their names as they sounded.
This breakthrough is down to finding that Dartmouth has an active family history website and then using their indexes in conjunction with other Internet resources, such as the LDS site. I could then take the names and details further by looking for death certificates for John Branton Thorn and his wife Elizabeth Gardener Thorn, as they had died after civil registration of deaths took place in 1837. From here a physical visit to the Devon Record Office to see the parish records may be the next step.
The first lesson is that you should always look to see what other research may have been done, for the area your ancestors came from, and that is published on the Internet. If you find a family history society, or local interest group with a website, can any of their publications or website pages help you with your quest? Secondly, be aware of the misspelling of names and keep your mind open to possibilities. In my case I need to think of other spellings for the Sissells or names that may have sounded like Sissell in order that I may trace this line back further and break down the brick wall.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wireless Japan: 27-29 May 2015. Tokyo, Japan
Libelium VP Business Development & Sales, Javier Martínez, will be attending at Wireless Japan 2015, next 27th May, in Kyoto, Japan.
Libelium will attend with Digi and Mitsui Electronics Inc. (MBEL), its Japan distributor.
The event will be held at Tokyo Big Sight west hall, Tokyo, Japan. Check a map here.
You can read the complete program in the event official website.


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Please click HERE to access the latest information regarding the National Curriculum in place from September 2014.
Please click HERE for further information regarding the new curriculum at Lydiard and HERE to access a presentation from a parents meeting in July.
By the time your children leave this School we aim for them to:
Realise their talents –e.g. be literate, numerate, technological and articulate.
Fulfil their potential – provide each child with opportunities to demonstrate their talents and achieve
their full potential – in academic and non-academic activities, and therefore impact on self-esteem/confidence etc.
Be inquisitive – develop lively, enquiring minds, the ability to question and argue rationally and to apply themselves both mentally and physically.
Strive for excellence – be fully engaged in their learning experience, understanding their own learning preferences, and see failure as an opportunity to learn.
Be ready for life and learning – to understand their importance, make their own judgements, understand right from wrong, and how to use these skills in life.
Be a good citizen – understand the world in which we live, the interdependence of individuals, groups and nations, know they are a part of the global picture and understand the importance of environmental issues.
Have an understanding and respect for all faiths – develop spiritually, personal moral values, respect for religious values and understanding of other ethnicity's beliefs and ways of life.
Love learning, have self esteem & be proud – if we succeed with our aims above we will succeed with these as well!
As a school we will achieve this by:
Effective Teaching – as a result fostering successful learning and maximise individual achievement.
Enabling teachers – to organise programmes of learning into blocked units, topics and continuous work as appropriate for the learners.
Striving for continuous improvement – ensuring areas identified for targeted improvement are included in the school improvement planning cycle and that teachers' professional development is linked to whole school priorities.
Challenging learners – ensuring that an appropriate challenge is set for individual learners based on their prior attainment, progress and potential.
Planning to succeed –ensuring consistent and effective schemes of work, assessment and target setting, recording and reporting procedures, and progression in keys skills.
Establish clear learning intentions – which identify what pupils are to know, understand and able to do as a result of lessons, while keeping it fun and engaging.
Providing an effective learning environment – with a whole school approach to the provision of resources.
Building upon our community links – use these partnerships to further learning, and to make a contribution to society.
Teaching the National Curriculum – via a balanced and effective use of time by timetabling each subject in its own right or via a cross curricular approach. Also identify and plan for time when the National Curriculum is not taught.
Loving teaching and being proud of ourselves and the school.
Please click HERE for a taste of some of the extension activities the children do additional to their curriculum.


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Pinterest is a fast-growing Web service and it just raised a huge pile of money, so of course it is hiring like crazy right now.
Two jobs it's looking to fill sooner rather than later: a head of engineering and a head of legal.
Interested? Apply here.
But first, a warning: Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann may already know who he wants for the job.
A source tells us Silbermann is actively recruiting senior Facebook execs and "some really senior legal folks at Google."
(We reached out to Pinterest's third-party PR firm for this story, and they'll update us if their client has anything to say. We doubt Pinterest will!)
If Silbermann hired away from Facebook, it would be more of the same: He just hired Facebook operations VP Don Faul to be his operations boss, and Facebook platform exec Cat Lee to do a similar job at Pinterest.
We've also recently been given fairly compelling argument for why NOW is the time for all kinds of startups to try and raid Facebook. Go read it >
Get the latest Google stock price here.


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Who needs engagement photos when you can have cute little family portrait sessions like this? KimBe Photography sent over these perfect little nuggets of goodness to share and I am giving the Blimes an A for Adorable. Besides, who can resist a bare little baby bum, I ask you? too precious.
All images via the ever so lovely KimBe


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The Super Nintendo Entertainment System has a massive library of games. With such a library, there are many games that have become classics and must-plays: Final Fantasy 6, Earthbound, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, F-Zero, Starfox, etc.
Such a library also includes its fair share of hidden classics, one I wish to speak about.
Wild Guns.
Published in 1994 by Natsume, Wild Guns is the story of Annie, who hires a bounty hunter named Clint to help her get vengeance on a villain for mudering her father. The game is essentially True Grit...if the Old West in that film had modern weaponry and robots
Choosing either Annie or Clint (There really doesn't seem to be any real difference in the characters speed or damage-wise), you play through six levels, including a futuristic train, an ammunition depot, and even a mine. The levels have some element of destructability, which makes the game a bit more fun.
The game is a third-person shooter in the vein of a shooting gallery one can find at fairs, you having to move your character's crosshairs around to aim, but you can also move the characters to help them dodge. Dodging and leaping are good skills to master, as one hit is fatal.
There aren't really much in the power-up area, you can shoot gems and moneybags for points, but occasionally, you can get a powerup that switches Annie and Clint's default guns for various other temporary guns, like shotguns and machine guns, but you can also get a peashooter, that temporarily renders your weapon useless. If there are too many enemies on the screen, both Annie and Clint have bombs that they can use to clear the screen, but they only have three, so use them wisely.
The ultimate weapon in the game is the Vulcan Cannon. This can be obtained by filling up an energy bar. This is done by shooting down enemies' bullets before they hit you. In a nice bit of fairness, this game will warn you when a bullet is coming towards you, in the form of the character having a "Look Out!" word balloon appear. You're going to have to think carefully when it comes to shooting down enemy fire. When you get the Cannon, you're also temporarily invinicible. Getting the Vulcan Cannon is a blast, as it does more damage than any other weapon in the game.
The soundtrack of the game is incredible, fast-paced, gets you pumped, but also has the Western feel to it. My personal favorites are the Boss Fight and the Final Fight tracks.
The only complaint I can really say about this game is that it is a bit short at only six levels. It's still a lot of fun to play. The cartridge is rare, but the Virtual Console service for the Wii has this game, and I believe it is also obtainable for the Wii U's Virtual Console service. This game is great for hardcore players and fans of shooters, as it can be a bit difficult for casual players.


text: Aditi Hunma sees her role as a linguist and language teacher driven by the desire to facilitate students' transition into the university space through customised language pedagogies. She has specialised in Education, in the Applied language and literacy stream and teaches academic English, which she believes is often a 'foreign language' regardless of one's linguistic background. As an academic in the Centre for Higher Education Development at the University of Cape Town, she is aware of the social redress component embedded in such educational activities. In the current climate, she explores the role of digital spaces as transformative arenas locally and globally.


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Me and my son have been busy again making funny picture captions.
2 responses to Funny picture Captions
I have a question. I am a graphic designer and I would just love to use the baby in the red hat that looks bored. Whom can I ask to get permission to use his picture? Thank you . Toni www.tonisgraphics.com
Leave a reply to Funny picture Captions


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Upcoming Courses
Advanced Private Security Training:
- 4 Hr. Firearms Requalification (Revolver or Semi-Automatic)
- 20 Hr. Firearms Qualification (Revolver or Semi-Automatic)*
- First Aid/CPR Certification/Recertification
- Homeland Security for Private Security Officers
- OC Spray Training
- Tactical Baton Training
- Taser Operator
* Private Security Firearms Courses are usually scheduled the third week of the month.
Jail/Corrections Training:
- 48 Hr. Jailer Basic Training Academy
- Jail/Corrections Administrator's Course
- 16 Hr. OPOTC Basic Peace Officer Refresher
- Police Urban Mountain Bicycle Course (Equipment List)
Instructor Training:
- Instruction Skills
Start dates are subject to change. Please contact the law enforcement advanced training office for additional information at (216) 987-3033.


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The University of Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. The Mecca. The second I saw this game on our schedule, I knew I had to be there.
We flew out of San Diego Friday morning, and arrived in Kansas City, MO that night, and was immediately cold. It was 70 degrees back home, and about 30 degrees here. This however was about the warmest it got all trip.
The drive into Lawrence wasn't too bad, only about a 45 minute trip. There wasn't much around where we were staying, but we found a great Kansas BBQ place and grabbed some dinner there. Everything in town was Kansas Jayhawks Basketball. Almost every place I walked into had a panoramic photograph on Allen Fieldhouse, a banner listing out all of their National Titles, framed jerseys and other miscellaneous KU memorabilia.
- Saturday morning I headed back towards Kansas City to check out the city. Everyone in their downtown was amped up about the Chiefs playoff game later that day. We checked out Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium. We ran into a Jayhawks fan and talked to him for a bit. He was really high on Joel Embiid, who I also happened to be the most worried about. I got even more excited for the game after some of the game day stories he told us. After touring Kansas City, we headed back into Lawrence to check out the campus. We stopped for lunch in downtown Lawrence at Free State Brewery, whose motto was "Because without beer, things do not seem to go as well." True statement. The streets of downtown were lined with banners that said "Pay Heed All Who Enter Beware Of The Phog." Downtown reminded me a bit of my trip a few years ago to Ann Arbor. A true college town. I came across a surf shop, because the surf out in Lawrence, Kansas is so good.
After lunch, we headed down to the campus to check out the Booth Family Hall of Athletics. I was a bit disappointed that the original rulebook was not out on display, but nonetheless, the place reeked of history. The first court in Kansas Basketball history was on display, a huge display of Dr. James Naismith and Forrest "Phog" Allen, an incredibly impressive wall of KU Hall Of Famers…the list goes on and on. Next we decided to walk around the campus, but quickly changed our minds due to the freezing 10-degree weather, so we opted to do a driving tour. I spotted a Jayhawk statue, and braved the cold to go mount it and assert our Aztec dominance.
Later we went to a local bar, Saints, to watch the Chiefs playoff game. I walk into the bar while the chiefs had a 28-point lead, and that place was loud. We weren't worried about people thinking we were from San Diego, or that we weren't rooting for the Chiefs, because all of our red Aztec gear helped us blend in to the crowd. There was a lone Colts fan there, and she left as they had started to cut away the lead. Not sure why, maybe she got kicked out. Anyways that bar just grew quieter and quieter, until…silence. I was hoping that their fans would feel even worse around 6pm the following day.
Gameday. We arrived at Allen Fieldhouse about 2 hours before they opened the gates, and it was cold. 8 degrees, windy, snowstorms the night before meant that my shoe choice was not the best. Word of advice, do not wear vans in freezing weather. I have never been that cold in my life. We saw Doug Gottlieb, as he entered the arena. He wished us luck and told us we'd have fun. Was a bit disappointed he wasn't wearing his Show hat, but he told us that he had Little Gottlieb wear it at home. <3. The line to get into the arena was long, and the hour and a half wait in the cold made it feel like an 8 hour wait. Four of us took our picture with the Road Show Banner in front of the Phog Allen statue.
The doors finally opened and we rushed to our seats; first come first serve. Students were already inside, we found out they are allowed in 30 minute before everyone else. We walked into the main part of the arena, and I was awestruck. As Winston Shepard put it, "it was like playing in basketball heaven." An entire row of Final Four Banners. An entire row of Conference Championship Banners. Five National Championship Banners ran along the North end of the arena. Overlooking it all, once again the phrase, "Pay Heed All Who Enter. Beware Of 'The Phog." The Jayhawks had won 68 straight non-conference games on their home court, so we knew we were in for a challenge. I was a bit surprised we entered the game as 9 point underdogs, but you have to respect Bill Self's (then) 8 losses on their Naismith Court in his tenure. By an hour before tip, the place was full to capacity. We walked down to the court and stood across from the team as they did their warm-ups. We belted out the fight song, to which I could tell the team loved it.
Back in our seats, tip grew nearer and nearer, and the intensity of the crowd grew as well. The pregame chants were incredible. They sang their Alma Mater, and it felt like a church ceremony, with Kansas Basketball as their religion. Words can't describe just how cool the Rock Chalk chant was. Recordings of it alone are cool, but in person, just gave me chills. Next came the player introductions. I thought it was a bit weird that they don't introduce the head coach, but oh well. Kansas showed about a minute long video detailing the history and tradition of Kansas basketball. From the early days of James Naismith, to Mario Chalmers miracle, just an outstanding video. All of the hype and tradition of playing in this arena is enough to make any visiting team rattled, but Coach Fisher had our guys well prepared.
Tip off and I couldn't have asked for a better first half. Up 6 at half, had we limited turnovers it could have been 14, but I wasn't mad at it. I was very impressed with their fans. They stood the entire game, and were consistently loud. I thought their student section was a bit lacking. They, along with the rest of the arena were loud, but there weren't any chants during live action. I think if we had a solid group of about 20 people, we could have been heard for a majority of the game. Unfortunately, the Aztec faithful were scattered throughout the arena. I was in a row of 5 of us. Early in the second half, we went up to an 11 point lead and forced the Jayhawks to call a time out, prompting us to yell out uprising. Doing so in their arena, it just felt right. Instead of getting booed for our chants, the Jayhawk fans were all really nice. Like really nice. Too nice. They certainly aren't soulless mutants like the Lobos of New Mexico. We would chant something, and instead of yelling at us or booing us, people would ask us what our chants were and complimented us on our passion. Many others asked us about Steve Fisher and his days at Michigan, and the growth of our program here, very friendly people.
As the Jayhawks closed it to 4 points with 3 minutes left, I made a comment that Xavier hadn't scored in the second half. Sure enough, he answers with a huge three. The stressful final minutes wore on and I think they were the loudest final minutes of a basketball game I have ever been to. Our guys showed their composure though, never giving up the lead as Xavier's clutch free throws sealed up the game and handed Kansas a rare loss in Allen Fieldhouse. We all screamed out the fight song, and I could hear other Aztec fans around us joining in. We walked down to the court in celebration where I encountered the lone Kansas fan that showed displeasure with us. He said, "Well how many of those do you have?" in reference to their final four banners, to which I replied, "Well hey we got that!" and pointed to the scoreboard.
We waited for the team and congratulated them on such a great team victory. Arguably the biggest regular season win in program history. Phenomenal basketball game. I couldn't have asked for a better one.
After we saw the team off, we headed into downtown Lawrence and stopped at Jefferson's for a celebratory drink. It was probably about 90% Aztecs in there, and 10% Jayhawk tears. A few beers and shots of Fireball later, and we were back off to the hotel to head back to San Diego in the morning.
After the game, Skylar Spencer
tweeted "Y'ALL STILL SLEEP OR WHAT?"And that Monday morning the team awoke to a #13 ranking in the country, jumping up 6 spots. The team left that night after the game, and as for us still in Lawrence, we awoke at 3:30 am Monday morning in -9 degree weather (yes that's minus nine) to catch a 6am flight in Kansas City. Well it was supposed to be 6am, but it turned into about 4:15 pm…but that's a story for another blog. The win made the long travel day well worth it. Nothing could have brought me down.
We Paid Heed. We Entered. We Were Victorious.
That about does it for this edition of Show On The Road, the next installment will be February 22 against The University of New Mexico.
Until then,


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Continue to learn
As with any job it is sometimes all too easy to settle into a routine and a comfortable way of life where you enjoy the job you do and even get a reasonable element of job satisfaction. If you want to further your teaching career and have the chance of acquiring a better job with better pay that you might actually enjoy more than the one you have right now, then you must continue to learn new skills. Try to adopt a philosophy that you should never stop learning, if there is an academic subject that you not overly familiar with or feel that you could improve on then enrol in courses that will improve your knowledge and skills. This will help to open new doors in your career as you acquire greater skills and also help you to improve your existing students at the same time.
Follow your passion
When you first start out in the teaching profession then you may have to take a position teaching a subject that may not be your first choice but as your career develops try to secure a role teaching a subject that you are really passionate about. Your students will benefit greatly from being taught a subject that you have a genuine interest in and doing what you love will make you a better person and a better teacher, which will get you noticed when it comes to career opportunities.
Embrace change
We are always evolving as a person and as much as you may love your teaching career there is more than likely some element of the job that you don't like such as the location, the number of students you are teaching or maybe your pay is lower than you feel it should be. Many of us learn to accept that nothing is going to be perfect but there is always the opportunity in teaching to embrace change and you should always be prepared to consider new challenges and roles if you want to progress your career.
Widen your goals
Most teaching jobs have an element of restrictions that are there for obvious reasons, such as rules and regulations which have to be adhered to but that should not stop you looking for opportunities to widen your targets and goals for improving standards and getting more out of your role as a teacher. Consider starting an extracurricular club or study group which will give you a little more educational freedom to work with and also improve how you feel about your career and your longer term prospects for promotion and at the same time, improve your teaching skills as well.
Positive thoughts
There are generally some negative aspects of any job and a teaching career can very challenging and can sometimes lead you to question why you are taking on the role of teaching. You already know the answer to that question, it is because you have a passion for education and rather than focus on the negative aspects of the job, highlight the positives and try to remind yourself on a regular basis why you are a teacher. Keeping a positive focus will help you gain respect and admiration from colleagues and students and is also a great asset when it comes to building a successful teaching career.
For more ideas on Teaching careers you can read the Concordia University Blog
Image Source: www.careerealism.com


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These days before Christmas can be hectic and sometimes our relationship doesn't get much attention. We are late getting started, but taking a cue from the Advent Calendar, we give you a list of an activity that you can do together with or for your spouse on each of the remaining days of Advent.
|December 9. As you are passing each other sometime today, stop and give each other a big hug.
|December 10. Take a few minutes together to talk about how you are preparing or need to prepare spiritually for this season.
|December 11. Share with each other the favorite Christmas gift you received from your spouse.
|December 12. Hold hands while walking somewhere together, in your home or in public.
|December 13. Watch your favorite TV show together.
|December 14. Do a chore that the other usually does.
|December 15. Tell your spouse why he/she is a gift to you
|December 16. Say a prayer together.
|December 17. Tell your spouse what you like about her/him today.
|December 18. Send your lover a "love" text.
|December 19. Rub your spouse's back or shoulders.
|December 20. Give him/her a pat on the bottom.
|December 21. Say "Thank You" for something he/she did for you today.
|December 22. Relax and share a favorite beverage together.
|December 23. Make love
|December 24. Share with each other your favorite Christmas memory.
Today's scripture readings, reflection and prayer:
Living Together in the Word
Bob & Rita's book: Forever and Day: An Invitation to Create a Marriage That Lasts a Lifetime is available on Amazon.com or by contacting us. Also available for Kindle and Nook. Make a retreat with your spouse, at home, on your time. Readings, relationship tips, questions for discussion.


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ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Eureka College men's basketball junior forward Parker Gibson (Pontiac, Ill./Pontiac [St. John's NW Military Academy]) tallied his first collegiate double-double, setting career-highs in points (20) and rebounds (14), but the Fontbonne Griffins came out on top 86-79 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action, Wednesday night inside Mabee Gymnasium in St. Louis, Mo.
The Red Devils fall to 5-9 overall and 3-4 in conference play, while the Griffins move to 6-8 overall and 4-3 in the SLIAC. Eureka is still in search of their first road win of the season.
Eureka scored the first four points of the contest, generating their only lead of the game, at the 17:46 mark in the first half. The Griffins scored the next seven points to take control and held on to the lead for the duration of the first 20 minutes of play, heading into the locker room with a 42-35 edge.
Fontbonne continued to maintain a narrow lead through the early stages of the second half, but Eureka used back-to-back baskets to tie the bout, 46-46.
EC and FBU exchanged baskets over their next offensive series, followed by a 5-0 run by the Griffins to regain the advantage. Eureka sliced the deficit to one on two occasions, but Fontbonne's hot second shooting (16-for-31) answered Eureka's marks over the final 12 minutes of play, restricting the Red Devils from gaining any momentum and taking a lead.
Fontbonne's Richard Dorhauer led the Griffins' offense with 22 points, while the host got double-doubles from Kody Ettinger (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Jared Greenlee (10 points, 12 rebounds).
Freshman guard Shea Feehan (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame [Lewis]) chipped in 17 points over 26 minutes of action after erupting for 25 points in his first contest as a Red Devil at Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday.
Eureka College Statistics, Leaders
Field Goal Percentage -.438 (32-73)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage - .346 (9-26)
Free Throw Percentage - .545 (6-11)
Gibson (20 points, 14 rebounds)
Sam Feehan (19 points, 6 rebounds)
Shea Feehan (17 points, 5 rebounds)
Fontbonne University Statistics, Leaders
Field Goal Percentage - .500 (32-64)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage - .524 (11-21)
Free Throw Percentage - .440 (11-25)
Dorhauer (22 points, 3 rebounds)
Ettinger (17 points, 10 rebounds)
Greenlee (10 points, 12 rebounds)
What's Next?
Eureka returns to the Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena and Convocation Center on Saturday with a 3 p.m. matchup against the Blackburn Beavers.


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- Attorney
Brian Martin Vinsko, Esquire is an attorney with Vinsko & Associates, P.C.
He is a graduate of the South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. During his time in Texas, Brian worked for a well-known plaintiff and environmental firm, working on behalf of plaintiffs in groundwater contamination matters as well as general civil litigation.
In his years practicing, Attorney Vinsko has focused on personal injury and motor vehicle accident cases. He also has worked extensively in family law, including divorce, custody, and support matters.
Additionally, Brian has become the firm's lead attorney on unemployment compensation, routinely representing clients from areas regarding referee hearings to appeals to the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, as well as the appellate courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He has been successful in seeking reversal of both Referee determinations and the decisions of the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review through the appellate process, whether administratively or with the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Brian has successfully argued for his clients to ensure they receive unemployment compensation benefits which were wrongfully denied.
Brian also handles other areas including employment discrimination, wills and estates, real estate, and general civil litigation.
If you have any of these specific legal needs and require assistance, call Brian at 570.970.9700 x120.
Brian is also very active in the local community as a volunteer. He has worked tirelessly for his alma mater, King's College, Wilkes-Barre, PA, and is a member of the Luzerne County Law and Library Association.
Areas of Practice
- Personal Injury
- Motor Vehicle / Car Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents / Bike Accidents
- Real Estate Law and Litigation
- Family Law
- Divorce
- Child Custody and Support
- Unemployment Compensation (and appeals)
- Employment Law/ Employment Discrimination
- Title Insurance / Title Matters
- Business Law / Corporations (Formation and General Representation)
- Business Organizations
- Corporate Contracts
- Corporate Collections
- Municipal Law & Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania
- Supreme Court of the United States of America
- South Texas College of Law Houston, Houston, Texas
- Juris Doctorate - 2003
- King's College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
- Major: History / Secondary Education
Honors and Awards
- Super Lawyers Rising Star (recognized: Law &Politics and Philadelphia Magazines)
- Best Family Law Attorney by the AIFLA 2016-2018
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American Bar Association, Member
Pro Bono Activities
- King's College Capital Campaign, Chair, 2010 to 2012
- King's College Casino Night, Chairman
- King's College Century Club, 2006 - Present
- Luzerne County Law and Library Association, Member
- King's College Phone-a-thon, 2nd Vice Chair, 2006
- King's College Phone-a-thon, Vice Chair 2007
- King's College Phone-a-thon, Chair, 2008


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R&B "artist" Akon doesn't seem to have learned from his past on-stage debacle. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that he had one of his security guards hunt down a boy in the audience who supposedly threw something at the performer. Brought onto the stage at a Fishkill concert, the boy was plopped down in front of Akon…who picked him up and hurled him back into the crowd:
Fishkill town police are looking for the KFEST concertgoer who on Sunday was plucked from the crowd by a security guard, directed toward headlining musician Akon and then hoisted by Akon on the singer's shoulders and hurled back into the audience.
Detective. Lt. John Berlingieri of the Fishkill Police said talks have been held within the department regarding the possibility of questioning Akon about the incident, which occurred during Fishkill-based WSPK (104.7 FM)'s annual KFEST concert at Dutchess Stadium.
"We're trying to identify that kid, just to find out whether or not we have any kind of criminal offense," Berlingieri said. "We are looking to speak to him. No victim. No crime."
WSPK General Manager Jason Finkelberg said, "Certainly, we'll cooperate with anything they need from us."
A message left with the publicity department of Akon's record label, Universal Motown, was not returned.
During an April 12 concert in Trinidad, Akon was videotaped simulating sex with a girl invited onstage as part of his act. After the video was circulated widely on the Internet, it was revealed that she was 14.
As a result of that incident, Verizon pulled out as a sponsor of Akon's recent tour with Gwen Stefani, with whom he appears on the hit song, "The Sweet Escape." Akon, whose latest album "Konvicted" has sold more than 1 million copies in the United States, said in a statement at the time that he was sorry for the incident. But he also said he did not know the girl was underage.
Finkelberg said he and members of his staff discussed "the Akon issues, the history," prior to KFEST.
"We did our due diligence," Finkelberg said. "We talked to everyone we could find. We were comfortable with the show."
Yeah, but how do you think that boy is feeling?
Here's the video:
Here's another angle:
UMG and YouTube retreat over Akon video
Fair use fight: Challenging Universal Music Group
Verizon Wireless ends Akon partnership
Akon's record company abuses DMCA to stifle criticism on YouTube
Look who's promoting a vulgar misogynist


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News & Events
:: Positive Cooperation with the UN's Help on Migration
25 July 2018
Positive Cooperation with the UN's Help on Migration
By Stephen F. Moseley, President, UNA-NCA
In the midst of so many frightening stories regarding the stalemate among countries to address the global migration crises, some remarkable stories in the past weeks highlight how international collaboration encouraged by the UN can make a difference.
On July 22nd, in the dark of the night, Israeli forces helped more than 400 White Helmets
flee Syria
to Jordan through a corridor in Israel. These volunteer emergency workers saved thousands of civilian lives in Syrian war zones but found themselves stranded in an emergency situation. The United Nations urged the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Jordan, and Israel to cooperate and arrange their escape from Syria with transport and border crossings into Israel before crossing into Jordan. The collaborative nations are also working together to create a process by which these brave volunteers will reach their later settlement from Jordan to the U.K., Canada, and others (not including the United States). The extraordinary efforts by these countries to save the White Helmets and their families demonstrates the values shared in this operation can overcome what otherwise has been a month of little to no cooperation on so many global issues about migration and related peace initiatives.
In the face of its own economic and political struggles, Jordan has been outstanding in its hospitality for migrants from the region and has worked to address the historic influx of refugees over the past few years. In this rescue effort, the leaders of the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. directly participated in seeking and receiving help from Israeli leaders to conduct the mission in partnership with all of the participating countries. While a very unique circumstance generated this humanitarian goodwill and cooperation, it is nevertheless an important and encouraging sign of willingness to find a solution together.
At the UN
on July 13th
, 192 Member Nations approved the
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
agreement aimed to make migration safe and orderly amid issues of national sovereignty and international cooperation. This new agreement reflects the increasing migrant crisis and is an important sign that it is possible to begin to overcome the mistrust and difficult obstacles surrounding the more than 250 million migrants, straining resources and triggering fear from foreigners and nationalist tensions since 2015. This official Non-Binding pact addresses why people migrate, how to protect and integrate them into new countries, means of returning them home, and other issues. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the UN General Assembly,
to the Press after the agreement was reached that "Migration is a fact. It has been here for centuries. It is here to stay for centuries to come." Ambassador Jurg Lauber of Switzerland, who helped run the pact negotiations,
it "a catalog of measures" rather than a "one-size fits-all" set of rules.
The United States withdrew from negotiations
in December
, citing the agreement was not compatible with U.S. sovereignty over its national borders.
Regrettably, the recent tragedy of the United States' actions and inhumane treatment of families by separating children from parents seeking asylum in the U.S. from Central America, is now no longer part of the global effort to be well informed through the lessons and ideas set forth in this new pact.
In December, the pact negotiated in New York at the United Nations headquarters will be presented in a formal adoption process set by the UN at a meeting in Morocco.
On a global scale, the two events in the past weeks, a specialized leadership alliance challenged with rescuing White Helmets and arranging their migration in addition to establishing a pact to better address future migration among 192 nations, are examples of collaborative achievements that are worth noting, creating cause for the celebration of hope for humanitarian values and actions.
In all of our programs, UNA-NCA gives special emphasis to the values of human rights for all, especially as we approach the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10th, 2018.
We invite all our members and the community to attend and support UNA-NCA's annual Human Rights Awards program recognizing both international and local community leaders for their Human Rights excellence on December 6, 2018.
Donate via UW-NCA and CFC
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Cwichelm (DNB00)
CWICHELM (d. 636), king of the West Saxons, eldest son of Cynegils [q. v.], was associated with his father in the kingship in 614, and with him inflicted a severe defeat on the Britons at Beandûn, probably Bampton in Oxfordshire, slaying two thousand and sixty-five of the enemy (A.-S. Chron. sub an. 614). Fearful of the rapidly growing power of Eadwine, king of Northumbria, and conscious probably that he was about to attack the West-Saxon kingdom [see Cynegils], Cwichelm in 626 sent an assassin named Eumer to slay him. Eumer found Eadwine holding his Easter-court near the Derwent, and obtained an audience by feigning to bring a message from his master; he attacked the king with a poisoned dagger, and would have slain him had not the faithful thegn Lilla sacrificed his own life for the king (Bæda, H. E. ii. 9). Cwichelm shared the defeat inflicted on his father by Eadwine. He assisted him in his victorious war against the East Saxons, and in the fierce and undecided battle with the Mercian king Penda at Cirencester. In 636, the year after his father had received christianity, he too was baptised by Birinus at Dorchester in Oxfordshire. He died before the end of the year, leaving a son Cuthred [see Cenwealh]. Cwichelm's memory is preserved by Cwichelmshloewe (Scutchamfly), a mound covered with a clump of trees in the midst of the Berkshire hills, about midway between Wallingford and Ashbury.[Bæda's Hist. Eccl. (Eng. Hist. Soc.); Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Rolls Ser.); Florence of Worcester (Eng. Hist. Soc.); Henry of Huntingdon (Mon. Hist. Brit.); Parker's Early History of Oxford (Oxford Hist. Soc.).]


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An oasis of serenity, Escape Villa is a traditional Khmer two-storey wooden house that has been kitted up as a modern luxury getaway villa. Situated on the opposite bank of the Mekong River in Arey Ksat, the two-floor villa and its tranquil manicured grounds offer sweeping views of the river and Phnom Penh's ever-changing urban skyline.
This beautiful 600 square metre villa contains 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms – with enough living space for up to 15 people. Interiors have been stylishly decorated and furnished, blending traditional Khmer architecture and luxury contemporary design. Enjoy sunset views from the wooden balconies, or lounge by the deep blue swimming pool with their favourite book. The villa makes an ideal weekend escape from the hustle of city living, but there's always an outlet close at hand if you need to plug in your Kindle.
Set on 7,500 square meters of raised land, this beautiful, unique, hardwood villa is offered for sale. With a 60 meter river frontage, the property offers 600m2 of luxury living accommodation over 2 floors, with a 1st floor wrap-around balcony, two European style kitchens, large open plan living areas on each floor and sumptuous swimming pool with views of central Phnom Penh and the Royal Palace. Suitable as a comfortable family / weekend home, investment property or as a boutique hotel, there are limitless opportunities available with this stunning residence.
As featured in the Phnom Penh Post Property's "places & spaces"
Updated on May 21, 2018 at 11:51 am
Amazing villa with 60 meter River Frontage - ឌឹ បឹងកាឡូវ សាន់សេត បារ, St. 1, ភូមិ អរិយក្សត្រ, កណ្តាល
Amazing villa with 60 meter River Frontage - ឌឹ បឹងកាឡូវ សាន់សេត បារ, St. 1, ភូមិ អរិយក្សត្រ, កណ្តាល


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Last blast: a fast farewell to the Renaultsport Megane
Visit the Nurburgring and you'll mostly spot three types of car in the car park: Porsche 911s, BMW M3s and Renaultsport Meganes. The Megane may have lost its front-wheel-drive lap record to the Honda Civic Type R, then the VW Golf GTI Clubsport S, but it remains a firm favourite of weekend racers.
However, a new Megane has already hit the streets and an RS version follows in late 2017. We already know it will have rear-wheel steering like the Megane GT. It may have a semi-automatic gearbox like the Renaultsport Clio. It could even have four-wheel drive. Clearly, time is running out for Renault's old-school hot hatch.
With that in mind, we decided to have one last blast in the Megane RS: driven here in run-out 275 Cup-S spec. Join us for a fond – and very fast – farewell.
- Read our review of the new Renault Megane GT
- Get the MR verdict on the 2016 Renault Scenic
- Read another car review on Motoring Research
Surrey, in a hurry
Squaring up against the 350hp Ford Focus RS, 310hp Honda Civic Type R and 300hp Volkswagen Golf R, the 275hp Megane appears to have turned up to a sword-fight brandishing a baguette. Still, we'd hardly call 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 158mph slow. And it's the way the RS goes around corners that counts.
Unfortunately, there aren't many corners of note in south London: certainly nothing to worry the Nurburgring. So we set the sat nav for deepest Surrey, in search of roads that could at least bring those Bridgestone Potenzas up to operating temperature. Time to find out if the ageing Megane still cuts it.
A bumpy start
We settle into the snug Recaro seat and grasp the chunky Alcantara wheel with its racecar-style centre marker. So far, so good. Then our eyes begin to wander over a dashboard that's more akin to a mid-90s minicab. Hmmm. Creature comforts have never been the Megane's strong suit.
Neither, it turns out, has ride quality. On stiff springs with Öhlins Road and Track adjustable dampers, the RS jitters and jars over urban pockmarks, while drain covers and sleeping policemen transmit thuds and thumps. By the time we cross the M25, we're feeling shaken, but not stirred.
Manual labour
We pass a national speed limit sign and, at last, it's time to test the Megane's mettle. Its 2.0-litre engine wakes up with a growl, punching us forward with a wallop of turbocharged torque. It may be front-wheel drive, but there's no shortage of traction: a mechanical limited-slip differential – part of the Cup chassis pack – sees to that.
As standard, the RS has 250hp: you need to select Sport mode for the full 275 horses. Doing so also sharpens throttle response, ramping up the intensity to a level only surpassed by the Civic Type R. No doubt, the Megane still feels ferociously fast, its Akrapovic titanium exhaust popping deliciously as you stir the six-speed gearbox. It simply begs to be driven hard.
Grunt and grip
If the Renault is quick in a straight line, that's nothing compared to its appetite for bends. We were worried that it might simply be too taut for British tarmac, but find a flowing B-road and suddenly that stiff suspension starts to make sense. Where lesser hot hatches might float or flex, the Megane feels positively tied-down. It turns in with pinpoint precision, holding its line with the tenacity of a ravenous rottweiler. Then, that diff works its magic and catapults you towards the next corner.
Shifting to neutral
It would be easy to get carried away, sure, but unlike many rear-wheel-drive sports cars (or indeed some hot hatches: we're looking at you, Peugeot 205 GTI) the Megane won't bite back. Push harder than you think sensible and it just grips. Push stupidly hard and it will understeer safely.
You're unlikely to even get near the Renault's limits on dry roads, although that neutral balance is reassuring in wet weather – particularly if you've opted for the track-focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Likewise, if you are using your car on a circuit, it's good to know that it won't dump you unceremoniously in the gravel the first time you make a mistake.
Steer we go
We should also talk about the Megane's superb steering. Instead of isolating you from the road below, it's feels positively alive in your hands. The downside of any powerful front-driver is, inevitably, torque steer, but – for us at least – this slight unruliness under full-bore acceleration only adds to the appeal.
Besides, this is no ditch-seeking missile like the old Astra VXR. The steering weights-up consistently in corners, helping you place the car with confidence. It works with you, not against you – allowing you to explore its abilities without exceeding yours.
Beefy brakes
What else makes the Megane great to drive? Well, there are the strong, progressive brakes, which haul the car to a halt swiftly and – so we're told – stand up well to track-day use and abuse.
There's also the six-speed manual gearbox, which offers a short throw and a pleasingly mechanical feel. For anyone who's sampled the clonky EDC twin-clutch 'box in the Renaultsport Clio, that should come as no small relief. Flappy paddles? Who needs 'em?
Adrenalin shot
Phew! We pull into a services and take a breather. The Megane might be a four-wheeled adrenalin-shot, but we still need our mid-morning dose of caffeine. Slipping a flat white and listening to the exhaust ticking as it cools gives us time to reflect. What a drive of two halves: the first an awkward and uncomfortable suburban slog, the second a riotous rural romp.
Where some hot hatches are great all-rounders (step forward, Golf GTI), the Megane is more focused, and more specific in its abilities. If said GTI is a flat white, the RS is a double espresso.
Plastic, not fantastic
Stopping for a break also gives us time to look around the Megane's interior. Sacré bleu. Renault must have blown its budget on the chassis, leaving nothing for niceties. The plastics are brittle, ergonomics are haphazard and build quality feels shoddy. 'Typical French car', you might think, but there's no quirky Gallic charm here. Optional Recaros aside, it's dull and slightly depressing – and don't even get us started on that fragile, card-shaped key. No wonder Renault has had a complete re-think – including a large tablet-style touchscreen – for the latest Megane.
Track timer
If there's one redeeming feature inside the Megane RS, it's the Renaultsport Monitor, a data-tracking system similar to what you'd find in a Nissan GT-R. As well as providing info about the major functions, such as turbo pressure and oil temperature, it provides real-time data about engine torque and power – plus straight-line and cornering G-forces.
With an eye on track use, there's also a lap timer and an 0-400m and 0-62mph acceleration timer. We confess, the temptation to use the latter at traffic lights was simply too much. And yes, in case you wondered, we matched the official 5.8-second 0-62mph time after several attempts. After which we gave a clutch a well-earned rest…
Going with the flow
Crossing the county border into Hampshire, we drove through picturesque villages linked by leafy lanes. Away from the sprawl of London, traffic had thinned and the sun finally burst through the scattering clouds. The Megane felt in its element here, hunkering down and devouring each ribbon of tarmac. One of our esteemed journalist colleagues described it as 'the 911 GT3 of hot hatches', and he had a point. The RS is an awesome tool at maximum attack – probably faster than a supercar on narrow roads like these – yet it 'flows' like only a truly great driver's car can.
Lane discipline
Still, all good things must come to an end, and my patient passenger was tiring of the rock-hard ride and my attempts to play Sebastien Loeb. So we joined the M3 and headed back east, switching off the Renaultsport Monitor and switching on the radio (you can only operate one at a time).
On the motorway, the Megane felt out of its comfort zone again. Its hyperactive steering needs regular corrections to stay in lane. That radio is pretty awful, too: sound quality is tinnier than an old Renault 5. At least the exhaust offers a great soundtrack – and not one that's augmented by the speakers, thank God.
Options add up
The Renaultsport Megane has its faults, and there are many, but it's certainly cheap. On paper, at least. Prices for the 275 Cup-S start at just £23,935: more than £7,000 less than a Ford Focus RS. However, much like the 911 GT3 mentioned earlier, many owners will spend big on options to transform their car into a fully-armed track terrorist.
Case in point: our test car cost a jaw-dropping £33,555, which included Recaro seats (£1,300), larger 19in alloys (£1,000), Öhlins dampers (£2,000), the Akrapovic exhaust (£2,500) and more. Sorry Renault, but at that price we'd have the Ford.
End of the affair
We loved our brief fling with the Megane, but we're not sold on a long-term relationship. The great thing about hot hatches is they're multi-taskers, as capable on the school-run as the Stelvio Pass. The RS is a fabulous driving machine, no question, but it's too compromised to be an everyday car. And frankly, if we wanted weekend fun, we'd rather put the cash towards a used Porsche Cayman. Or perhaps a Caterham for track days.
Nonetheless, we will miss the Renaultsport Megane. Its place in the history books – and in our hearts – is assured. The next Megane RS promises to be altogether different. Let's hope it's even half as desirable.


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Before I give you my impressions of this new Water Grill outpost that just opened in Santa Monica I need to underline the general slant of this blog. Most of the restaurants I review are establishments that are chef driven. This can be a casual restaurant but the key is that there is a passionate chef cooking the food. When I go out to eat I am looking for a dining experience that emphasizes top notch ingredients that are prepared with "finesse." Great wine is also part of the experience and we often BYO though not at Vin Bar or The French Laundry. That being said Water Grill Santa Monica is what I would label "Water Grill Junior". Unlike its counterpart downtown this not a chef-driven fine dining experience.
They have spared no expense with the ambiance and the facility itself is well-done and comfortable. One weird thing though is that the restrooms are located in the adjoining office building and you need a code to open the door – somewhat of a pain.
Our server, Lauren was delightful and couldn't have been more accommodating.
Oyster Sampler – they choose the oysters for this dish – they weren't the tastiest oysters I have had. Bouchon's are far better. Oysters – Witch Duck, Stingray, Wianno, Laguna Bay, Skookum, Kumamoto
Uni Toast on toasted brioche – This suffered from the meager portion of uni – one small uni. The uni was lost in this dish. I would rather have uni at a first class sushi bar or the wonderful uni dish from Valentino.
Valentino's uni dish – now that's a hefty portion of uni
Crudo Sampler – Kona Kampachi, Wild Columbia River King Salmon and Alaskan Halibut – again a chef with a deft hand would have cut the fish to perfection instead of 3 chunks of fish. Two nights later we dined at Chinois that could be classified as casual but is a chef-driven restaurant. Just look at the tuna served at Chinois:
Chinois tuna cut beautifully with a fantastic sauce.
Chinois albacore also cut beautifully with another fantastic sauce.
Wild Maryland Soft Shell Crab Banh Mi, pickled red onions, daikon sprouts, cucumber salad, Maeploy Sauce served with Peruvian Bonito Sweet Potato Fries – the sauce plus the additional ingredients on the sandwich completely overwhelmed the soft shells – my husband had the better idea and just ate the soft shells. The Sweet Potato fries were delicious.
Chinois soft shells – perfectly cooked without a lot of extraneous ingredients just crispy spinach with a side of cilantro honey sauce on the side – I am not against casual dining just poorly executed food that has little or no regard for the ingredients or finesse with the saucing.
New England Clam Chowder – there were too many vegetables and not enough density to the broth plus a somewhat meager portion of clams.
Crispy Polenta with Melted Fontina – a nice dish but again not exactly a chef-driven dish – perfect for a casual bite
BYO Wines – what is extraordinary at Water Grill Santa Monica is that you can bring your own wines and there is no corkage.
Bottom line – don't expect the quality and finesse of Water Grill downtown – this is geared more to the beach crowd with casual food that is not a chef driven restaurant. Bottom line – this is not our type of restaurant.


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You pick up ONE HITCH HIKER who doesn't speak English and everyone freaks out.
No that title isn't click bait. Kelly really found an old guy on the side of the road, she thought he looked cold so she made him get in her truck. Turns out he doesn't speak a lick of English. Things only got more strange from there.
Speaking of Strange, have you watched the new Netflix show "abducted in plain sight" - because it's insane. We dive into this crazy family and how they let their daughter get kidnapped and raped twice by the same family friend.
Also, Kelly found out her daughter Libby Lu has a 133 IQ and she isn't real sure she's happy about it.
March 4, 2019 6:19 PM


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About the author
I started my lighting design career in 1979 (yes, more than 30 years ago!) with Philips Lighting Design & Engineering Centre in Eindhoven, Holland. In 1988 I was sent out to set up the Philips project lighting design center in Asia, based in Singapore, but in 1991 I left and started my own business, Lumino Design International, on the back of my first breakthrough project, becoming one of the three lighting designers for the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, at the time the highest building in the world. In 1997, with the asian economy crash, I moved to Australia and successfully built Lighting Images to be a reputable lighting design practice with projects throughout Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific. As of the 1st January this year 2011 I will work exclusively through my new company KLD (Klaasen Lighting Design) to apply and express my passion for lighting design.
I can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com
Comments (3)
Good day Mr. klaasen,
I am Rudy de Guzman, features editor of Saiber Media Inc., a newly formed web-based publishing company. We are in the process of creating our site and the magazine entitled Philippine Construction & Design to come out by July 2012. I missed your talk at the recent 14th Worldbex Expo and I would like to write about it in my article about the 14th Worldbex event. If I may humbly ask your permission for me to highlight some information about your lecture and request kindly if you can provide me a transcript of your speech during the seminar in Manila. I am hopeful you can accommodate my request. Thank you very much.
Goo day Mr. Klaasen,
I am Martin Zhu from Stanley Electric Ltd. Stanley is Japan-based main LED lighting manufacturer. I would like to introduce our particular LED floodlight to you which you may have interested. I have already sent product brochures to your email and hopefully you will have a look accordingly. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need any further information. Thank you very much.
I love that your basic premise is that Lighting design is based on our subjective perceptions and needs. I just started reading your blogs and thank you so much for your insights. I realize Codes are driven by measurements not mindfulness but perhaps in our future we may find middle ground.
I have specified Dimming Controls for several New Construction projects and also provide metrics to tune much of the lighting zones to 65-75% after measuring foot candles. Layouts were based on LRV of 80-50-30 but the interior designers selected colors with 76/76 on ceilings and walls. Client & operations types eyes glaze over when I express that accurate surface LRV is a huge item that can reduce or increase design w/ft2 or lux/m2. Thank you again!


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A conversation with Connor Vorhaus, Christopher Beroes-Haigis and Timothy Megna, students at the Pierson Middle-High School in Sag Harbor who are members of the newly formed Suffolk County Principal Orchestra of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, which will have the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan on June 7, 2009. (Listen and watch a performance on video below).
How did each of you discover your passion for music?
Chris: In the fifth grade I started playing cello at The Ross School. They let us choose almost any instrument we wanted, and we were able to sample the instruments with one of the teachers, Laurinel Owen who played them for us. She played the cello very nicely and I knew I wanted to play that instrument.
Tim: I was in the fourth grade at [Sag Harbor Elementary School] and we had the choice to play for the orchestra. I decided to play the viola because there were violins everywhere, but I wanted to try something everything else wasn't doing.
Connor: It was in kindergarten. I just wanted to play the violin very badly so I begged my parents for about a year and I got to play.
When did you audition for the MYO Suffolk Principal Orchestra? How was that process for you? Were you confident or was the competition daunting?
Chris: It was near the end of the summer.
Tim: I had an audition later in the season, around October.
Chris: I wasn't that confident. I wasn't very practiced at the time.
Tim: I was like a nervous wreck. I thought I definitely wasn't going to get in, but they said I had a lot of resemblance and tone from my teacher, Chris Shaughnessy.
Connor: I auditioned like two-and-a-half weeks before the [November] concert. I was really nervous.
The orchestra practices in Farmingville, which is pretty far to travel from Sag Harbor on a school night. How difficult is that on you?
Chris: I get to finish some homework and usually I sleep in the car. It's only around two hours, roundtrip, and only on Thursdays.
Tim: The ride there is actually really nice for me because I get to spend some time with my dad and listen to music in the car – rock and roll.
Connor: I enjoy it. I just get to chill and listen to music – awesome music.
How does playing in this orchestra differ from a school band or orchestra?
Connor: It's a lot more intense and there is a certain skill level that is required. At my old school orchestra, because we really don't have an orchestra [at Pierson] you could just come in and play music without practicing. This one you have to practice. [The conductor] will know if you don't and he doesn't like it.
Tim: I think that pretty much the whole level of music is a lot more exciting. I went to music camp this summer – the same one as Chris – and I found it was at about this level. It is a great experience.
Connor: It's like Mozart. And not edited, but just how he wrote it.
Chris: I think I enjoy it a lot more because it is made up of people who play outside school, people who practice their instruments. You really have to put effort into it and you are expected to. Also, a lot of the pieces we play at school are arrangements, not the originals. One of the pieces we play in the orchestra is the overture to Don Giovanni with the original notes.
Is the material challenging for you?
Tim: I just find it is a whole different level. It's just that people who want to play and are excited to play are there. There is a whole different sound quality.
Connor: The material is not challenging. I play 45 minutes to an hour a day. The amount of effort actually shows. The music stops being challenging, but you always have to work out the kinks and the mistakes.
What are some of your favorite pieces to play?
Tim: I have only played in an orchestra. I like Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.
Connor: I really enjoy Don Giovanni and the Mozart pieces. I like the intensity of it. Minor is the best.
Chris: Probably my favorite would be Prelude in G Minor by Bach. It is one of the cello suites and that was a piece I played as a solo a year and a half ago.
Who are your favorite composers?
Tim: That is a tough question. I would say Bach because you can't really be disappointed by Bach. I have never heard something that I have had to shut off. It's just good music.
Connor: I really like Mozart. He has really good stuff.
Chris: I think all classical music is pleasing to the ear, even though it might not be the popular music. I don't listen to it myself, but I like playing it anyway.
Do you see a future in music for yourself?
Tim: I find I really want to go as far as I can with it. I really enjoy playing. I just really want to go ahead and do what I can with it.
Chris: It's hard to say. As long as I can keep up with the talented kids I have been playing with I would like to pursue music for as long as I can.
Connor: I really enjoy playing music, listening to music. I think I have to be able to remember what I ate for breakfast before I can tell you what I am going to be when I am older.


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Adult Swim has released Vine's first full TV show ahead of its broadcast on traditional TV, and it's called Narg Nallin' Sclopio Peepio.
The show, penned by Brad Neely, who has also worked on South Park in addition to a number of web series, is an animated show consisting of a number of surreal sketch shorts.
Section titles include 'Dog', 'Dog Dog' and 'Lord of the Things' and the show as a whole follows Adult Swim's signature adult tone and gross-out comedy.
Ten minutes, not six seconds
Unusually for the Vine platform the show runs for a full 10 minutes rather than Vine's standard six seconds.
As such the format is unlikely to take off without wide-ranging changes being made to the platform.
As a result it's not entirely clear why the platform was chosen other than due to its reach. With 200 million monthly active users Vine has a similarly sized user base to long-form video site Vimeo, but is dwarfed by the likes of YouTube.
Just last week Vine extended the maximum length of its videos to 140 seconds which suggests that longer-form video might soon be much more common on the service.


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$250 to the Rhizome benefit
gets you a MTAA print of iPhil
Yup. That's right. For supporting a new media not for profit, you can own an MTAA work that does not need to be plugged in. Wild.
Yes! We've got lots of great artists' work available, so check out our support page! We're trying to meet our campaign goal by December 31st, which is coming up soon. Meanwhile, thanks to Brody Condon, Lovid, Kristin Lucas, MTAA, RSG, Rick Silva, and Lee Walton for donating their work! ~mo
Originally posted on MTAA Reference Resource by M.River


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Ditch your NYE resolutions and really make 2016 your creative year
In Episode 12 of The eBook Revolution I deep dive into the commitments you need to make to make 2016 rock for you.
Forget resolutions. They don't work and they don't last. Mid January is the traditional time of the great NYE resolution washout. Don't you get caught out by unkeepable promises you've made to yourself.
Listen in as I go deeper into the concepts I wrote about in last weeks blog post 'Why your NYE Resolutions Crash".
Get some straight talking advice about goal setting, deadlines and pulling it all together with a project plan.
Show Highlights
- Why Goal setting trumps resolutions
- The simple way to write your creative project plan – in reverse
- Why a deadline will bring your creative project to life


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Danielle is a character from Lab Rats who is the crush of Leo and later Adam Davenport and Chase Davenport. She first appeared in the episode "Leo's Jam." She is portrayed by Ginny Gardner.
Danielle has chest length blonde hair and blue eyes. Her height is uncertain but is seen to be taller than Leo but closer to the height of Chase. She appeared in the episode "Leo's Jam".
Danielle is a pretty girl that goes to Mission Creek High School. Leo wanted to go to the dance with her, so he asked Chase and Adam for help, but she ended up asking Adam, then later on changing her mind to Chase. At the dance, Chase and Adam both try to win her over by dancing, but since they don't know how to dance, she ends up being Leo's date, who she thought danced the best.
- She uses Leo as a foot stool during math class.
- She likes heroes and sweet boys.
- Leo, Adam, and Chase all have a crush on her.
- She and Leo had a slow dance together at the school dance.
- She thought Adam and Chase were weird after they embarrassed themselves.
- She was impressed by Leo's moves.
- She received 87 e-mails from Leo.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Middle school years can be some of the most difficult for young adolescents to go through. In the midst of stepping into a new educational atmosphere, they are also navigating social relationships, all the while being bombarded by hormones that demand to be acknowledged. Many times these hormones seem to ambush the attitudes of our beloved children, sending them into a whirlwind of unfamiliar territory with what can feel like a lack of ability to navigate the situation. During these difficult years, it's imperative that the adults in their lives, as contradictory as it feels at times, take special notice and express grace, understanding, and patience. And because it's easier to sympathize when there is understanding, let's take a look at the child's brain development during these years, and how we can help them navigate difficult waters.
High Risk Reward
One of the main areas of the brain that is underdeveloped during this stage of growth is the frontal lobe. This area being responsible for decision making. Because this area is so underdeveloped, it can cause your children to become extremely emotional in their decision making. Studies have shown that this is likely the age that your children could start experimenting with smoking, alcohol, drugs, or unsafe, high-intensity activities, which can be detrimental to their health and their safety. These risk-taking activities are often spurred on due to the higher rate of activation of the anterior insula in this age bracket versus an adult brain. As a result, the sensitivity of reward is hypersensitive, hence the seemingly wild endeavors your child may try. During this time, don't underestimate the weight of your approval and connection with your child. In the midst of this stage, it's important that they understand you are on their side and support them as they learn these new hormones. You may also start to notice a tendency to crave sweet or fatty foods and beverages. These foods and drinks feed the pleasure center of the brain as well and can cause early development of unhealthy eating habits. Which leads us into our next point…
Grey Matter, Matters
In an interview with Jay Giedd regarding the teenage brain, he explains that the teenage brain is developing what is referred to as grey matter. Though 95 percent of the adult-size brain is completed by age six, this grey matter begins to thicken and make more connections in the teen years. Due to the multiple new connections the brain is starting to make, the possibilities are innumerable. The peak period of time the brain develops is at the exact time of puberty. This means the interactions and influences of parents, nutrition, teachers, and more, are all playing a part during this build-up of connections in the brain. As previously stated, this is crucial to be aware of when interacting with your child, or other adolescents. Probably the most critical piece to highlight in the all of this is understanding that the habits developed in this stage, if continued, will most likely become a habit that forms and can affect them for the next 75+ years of their life. Once the peak of this matter development is done, the brain then goes through a sort of pruning phase which will remove any connections that are not used. This can pose a serious issue if any unhealthy habits regarding diet, exercise, even tactics in how they learn, are made permanent in their brain connections. For these reasons it's important to help your child instill a good diet, routine, and encourage them in areas they love. As they continue to grow, these connections will remain within their brain development.
Though 95 percent of adult-size brain is completed by age six, this grey matter begins to make more connections in the teen years.
Discipline Direction
Perhaps one of the most difficult roles to take in an adolescent life, is the role of the disciplining parent. Though difficult, psychologists recommend an authoritative approach when dealing with the ups and downs of hormones. Be careful that this doesn't get confused with a controlling aspect of parenting. Instilling a sort of repetitive scolding method in your parenting can create a strong mentality of inadequacy in your child, defeating their confidence and setting up a feeling of earning that is not healthy. In contrast, using an authoritative method gives your child a consistent goal-oriented direction based on firm, but gentle love. Permissive parents can be just as damaging as a controlling parent, in a different way. By giving an overdose of unearned praise, your child will likely develop a mentality of false attainment, which can set them up for a harsh reality when they are immersed on the world around them.
Brain Building
In the midst of gaining more of a connection through their middle school years, children gain the ability and skill to:
- Problem solve
- Develop deductive reasoning
- Organize
- Plan
and much more. The frontal lobe of their brain is also referred to as the CEO because of the so-called executive role it plays. Due to all of this developing activity, encourage your child to get involved in activities that will capitalize and further help develop these areas such as checkers, chess, or other games with strategic-based strategies. Starting these activities in the critical development stage will strengthen those connections and help them stick long term.
At New Vision, our passion is to help your middle school students learn and maximize their potential. This age is crucial for your child to be supported, taught, and understood. With class sizes that accommodate a more balanced ratio of teachers versus student (capped at 27), you can trust your child will be worked with one-on-one more effectively. We work with our students to help grow and challenge their minds with our content-rich, core knowledge curriculum, while building their self-confidence in and outside of the classroom.
Our success with our middle school students is evident in our test scores, which are the highest in the area. Our mission is to maximize learning potential while committing to a smaller class size. Our hope is to provide an environment where your child can feel safe, and challenged to reach their potential. We also believe that you, as parents, play a crucial role and should be actively involved in the education of your child. For this reason, we welcome any advice or input you may have. New Vision Charter School is the oldest charter school in Loveland and is in the top ten percentile for achieving middle schools in Colorado. Invest in your child's education, development, and future by enrolling them in our middle school program. Contact us today with any questions or concerns.


text: Dusty78dk Report post Posted April 9, 2018 (edited) Hello, I just loaded a WPL-playlist into the program, but it shows the playlist to be longer than it really is. Therefore too long for the CD. I have been through many of the forum topics about this but no solution. Windows 10, 64bit. Program version: 18.104.22.16895 Why does the program put extra seconds between songs and how do you remove it (permanently)? Edited April 9, 2018 by Dusty78dk clarification Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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The Stars All Ireland Championship took place recently at the RILSA Academy in Sharkx Newbridge with a good turnout of players from around the country. Counties Kildare, Carlow, Kilkenny,Offaly, Laois & Cavan were represented.
Robbie Keogh from Laois was in fine form throughout and reached the final with good 2 nil wins over Cian Costello (Kildare) last 16, Lee Maloney (Offaly) in the Quarters and Luke O'Callaghan (Laois) in the semis while in the other half of the draw we saw Sean O'Connor from Kilkenny take good wins over Cody Graham (Cavan) last 16, a good 2 – 1 win over Jack Maloney (Offaly) in the Quarters and Leon Costello(Kildare) 2-0 in the semis to make a final showdown against Robbie Keogh
Robbie started well taking the first frame but Sean responded with a great 37 break in frame 2 to level the match however Robbie kept his cool and played great snooker in the 3rd to take it on the colours to win his first Stars All Ireland Title
Congratulations to Robbie on his win and to Sean on his fine performance
Well done to all the players and it was great to see two girls take part and show that they can keep up with the boys. Grace Byrne reached the quarters of the main event.
The plate competition was won by Tristan Graham from Cavan with a good 2-0 result over the up and coming star Liam Colleran from Kildare. Tristan had to play good snooker to overcome the fight from Rachel Bradley who won the National Special Needs during the week in their semi final match and Liam was delighted to see off the great effort from Grace Byrne from Carlow which he won 2-1 on a pink ball finish in their semi final match
Congratulations to Tristan on his win and to Liam on a great performance, it was a great success at Sharkx Newbridge and we thank Bernie & Paul for their ever ending support towards junior snooker. A big thank you to all the parents and supporters who helped and made the day at Sharkx a great success.


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The Chicago Bears said goodbye to one the most productive quarterbacks in franchise history Wednesday when the team released Jay Cutler from his contract.
With the move, the Bears are moving on after eight seasons of having Cutler under center, and they're embarking on a future where they're hoping they can find a franchise quarterback that will be better suited to getting them into postseason contention.
After news spread that the team made his release official, Cutler released an official statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, which reflected on his time in the city and what it meant to him to be a Chicago Bear:
"I would like to first thank the city of Chicago and its passionate fans for a memorable eight years. I grew up in Indiana rooting for the Bears as kid, so it was an honor to wear the Bears uniform and play quarterback at Soldier Field for my favorite childhood team.
I would like to thank Virginia, George and the rest of the McCaskey family for their support over my tenure in Chicago as well as Jerry Angelo, Phil Emery and Ryan Pace. It was a great experience to have played with such a great list of teammates during my time as a Bear. Also, I would like to thank all of the great employees of the Bears from the locker room to the front office.
Chicago is the city where I met my wonderful wife Kristin. I have been fortunate to have three beautiful children here. Our family will leave Chicago with great memories and relationships on and off the field. We look forward to the next chapter in our lives and wish the best to Bear fans everywhere."
Cutler joined the Bears after being traded from the Denver Broncos in 2009, and he went on to set all kinds of records with the team for passing yards and touchdowns.
Unfortunately, that success also came with a lot of down times, and he ends his Bears career with a 51-51 record and just one playoff appearance.
"I appreciate Jay's professionalism throughout this process and throughout my two years with him here in Chicago," Bears G.M. Ryan Pace said in a statement upon his release. "I will always appreciate his toughness and respect his accomplishments on the field with the Bears."


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It's my great pleasure to host Anna's guest blog today as part of her launch of Revenge & Retribution. Anna has won legions of fans for the books in the Graham series, two of which have been awarded the B.R.A.G. (Book Readers Appreciation Group) Medallion. Two have been nominated (and one is on the final short list) for the 2014 RONE Award (Reward of Novel Excellence), to be presented by the Romance Novel Convention.
She is also a blogger par excellence – my personal favorite blogger, in fact, both for her lively and witty historical posts, and for her wise and compassionate philosophical and personal posts, many of which have moved me deeply. And to think that she can pull all of this off in several languages... I'm in awe. I think you'll enjoy her post, containing interesting background information, and the excerpt, which is from an earlier volume in the series (Like Chaff in the Wind).
|Anna Belfrage
I was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I'm multilingual and most of my reading is historical- both non-fiction and fiction. Possessed of a lively imagination, I have drawers full of potential stories, all of them set in the past. For years I combined a challenging career with four children and the odd snatched moment of writing. Luckily, children grow up, and now I spend most of my free time at my writing desk attempting to decipher the squiggled ideas I've jotted down over the years. Every now and then I succeed. I was always going to be a writer. Now I am - I have achieved my dream. Want to know more? Visit the author's website at: www.annabelfrage.com
Indentured servants – the backbone of the colonies
Let's face it; the first English attempts to set up a successful colony in the New World failed dismally. That first outpost of English culture, Roanoke, mysteriously disappeared. The proud little settlement of Jamestown suffered through starvation and indigenous attacks. In general, people who went to the colonies in search of a better life ended up dead, and for some odd reason this made it difficult to recruit new colonists.
Without people to work the land and expand the English dominion, the Colony of Virginia was pretty much doomed, so I suspect the directors of the Virginia Company perked up substantially when someone came up with the bright idea to use indentured servants to populate their land
The practise of indenture had been around for centuries. In essence it was a contract whereby one person voluntarily entered the service of another person for a stipulated period of time. In general, any payments for the service were paid out in arrears, which meant an indentured servant who absconded could not claim on his back pay.
The system set up in Virginia was somewhat different. Someone had to assume the cost of transporting the servant across the sea, and so rules were set in place whereby landowners in the colony could bring over servants at their own expense and receive up to 50 acres in compensation for their efforts. The indentured servant was compelled by contract to work off his debt for transportation and would at the end of his period of service receive some further compensation – plus some land. The problem with this little set up was that the need for indentured labour exceeded the demand – most people were reluctant to cross the sea to an unknown wilderness from which they might never return.
To further swell the ranks of available labour, the powers that were quickly realised that deporting people was an excellent way of delivering able bodied men to the struggling colonies while ridding the kingdom of such undesirables as protesters in general and criminals. During the first eighty years of its existence, the Colony of Virginia received regular complements of deported people, very many of whom were Scots who clung to the Scottish Kirk, refusing to kowtow to the Anglican faith.
Whether forced or voluntary, the life of an indentured servant was no walk in the park. For a woman, there was the constant risk of being raped – these were societies with a chronic shortage of women – and should she become pregnant her term of service would be extended. The men ended up in the fields, disposable beasts of burden that were often worked until they dropped.
A disobedient (or "wilful") servant was punished – in some cases so severely as to permanently maim the servant. Trying to run away was a serious offence that could lead to beating so brutal the person in question died, and on top of this the reluctant immigrants had to cope with food shortages and unknown ailments. On average, four out of ten indentured servants died in Virginia during the seventeenth century. No wonder the colony had problems recruiting them!
Life in the colonies – both as an indentured servant and as a settler – play an important part in my series The Graham Saga. My male protagonist, Matthew Graham, is a devout Presbyterian, a veteran of the Commonwealth armies and a man who initially at least tends to see the world as black or white. Which is why I gifted him with Alex Lind, an opinionated modern woman who had the misfortune (or not) of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, thereby being dragged three centuries back in time to land concussed and badly singed at an astounded Matthew's feet.
In the second installment of The Graham Saga, Like Chaff in the Wind, Matthew is one of the unfortunates who are sold as indentured servants to Virginia. The experience leaves him scarred for life, and some aspects of his life as a slave come back to haunt him in the recently released (and at times excessively exciting) sixth book of the saga, Revenge and Retribution. However; first things first, so below is an excerpt from Like Chaff in the Wind, giving some insight into Matthew's experiences in Virginia. I hope you enjoy it!
Five unbearable days, and on the afternoon of the sixth day he was so tired that he accidentally upended the sled, tipping the load of tobacco plants into the dirt. Jones flew at him.
"Fool! Look at what you've done!"
Matthew got to his feet, an effort involving far too many protesting muscles. His shoulders were permanently on fire, the harness had left broad, bleeding sores on his skin, and no matter how he tried to use his worn shirt as padding, the sores deepened and widened, a constant, flaming pain.
"I'll just load them back." He bent to pick up an armful. His arms were clumsy with weariness, and it took far too long to reload the sled, with Jones an irate, vociferous spectator. Matthew leaned forward into the straps, bunching his thighs. Dear Lord! He couldn't budge the load, the leather cutting even deeper into his lacerated skin. He tried again, and still the sled wouldn't move. Matthew looked back across his shoulder to find Jones sitting on the sled.
"Go on," Jones sneered, "get a move on."
"You're too heavy," Matthew said, "you can walk."
Jones raised a brow. "Of course I can. But now I want you to pull."
Matthew felt his pulse begin to thud. Wafting curtains of red clouded his vision.
"I'm a man, aye? I'll work as you tell me to, but you can move of your own accord, fat though you may be. I won't be your yoked beast, I'm a man." There was absolute silence around him, his companions staring at him with a mixture of admiration and exasperation.
Jones stood up and moved towards him. "That's where you're wrong, Graham. You're no man, not here, not now. You're a slave, a beast to be worked until you're no use." He looked at Matthew expectantly, his hand tightening on the handle of his crop.
Matthew knew he should back down, grovel and mumble, but inside of him the fire grew, red hot rage at the man in front of him, at his traitorous brother, and the injustice of it all.
"I told you. I've never done anything wrong. I'm a free man."
Jones laughed. "Free? Then why are you still here? Why aren't you on a ship back home?"
"You know why! I have no money."
"And we own you, until you can pay yourself free, we own you."
"Nay, no one owns me. I'm a free man."
"And I tell you you're but a slave," Jones hissed.
Matthew punched him straight into the face, having the distinct pleasure of hearing the cartilage in Jones' nose crack. That was really the last thing he observed clearly, then it was all hands and feet, and the sting of the leather crop. He heard Jones call men to him and Matthew had the shirt torn from his back, he was thrown face down onto the ground and then there was the snap of leather that came down time and time again on his bared skin. One of his arms was twisted up behind his back, and in his ear he heard Jones' heavy breathing.
"So, what are you?"
"A free man," Matthew gasped. The pressure on his arm was tearing at his tendons.
"What are you?"
Bend! Alex shrieked in his head, for God's sake Matthew, bend. But he didn't want to, he had to salvage some pride, and the pain in his shoulder increased to the point where he knew it would soon be dislocated.
"What are you?" Jones hissed again, throwing his considerable weight against Matthew's trapped arm. Matthew groaned. Please! Alex cried, please, Matthew, for me. Don't let him maim you for life, my love, please! In his fuddled state Matthew wasn't sure if she was here for real, or if it was a hallucination, but the despair in her voice rang through his head.
"I'm a slave," Matthew mumbled, closing his eyes so that he might still see Alex, not the red earth an inch from his nose.
"What? I didn't hear you."
"I'm a slave," Matthew mumbled again.
"Say it out loud." Jones heaved Matthew to his feet. "Look at all the men before you and say it." To his everlasting shame, Matthew did as he was told.
"I am a slave," he said, repeating it time and time again until Jones released him to tumble to the ground.
He lay where he had fallen, and around him he heard the sound of people moving off, leaving him to lie unaided. No one dared to touch him, lest Jones should vent his anger on them as well, and Matthew found himself staring at his hand, so close to his face. He didn't want to move. He no longer wanted to live.
"Please let me die. Sweetest Lord, just let me die." He closed his eyes, and in his mind he saw Hillview, he saw a wee lad running up the lane to meet him, and there she was, laughing and crying at the same time, her skirts bunched high as she flew towards him, and he knew that of course he couldn't die. He owed it to Alex to stay alive; he owed it to himself.
Thank you, Anna! I appreciate your including this blog as a part of your book launch festivities, and I wish you all the best with this new book!
All of Anna's books are available on Amazon US and Amazon UK
For more information about Anna Belfrage and her books, visit her website!
For a somewhat more visual presentation of The Graham Saga, why not watch the book trailer?


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Have you ever noticed that amazing first books are often followed up by mediocre second books? I mean, not always, but often enough to be worth noting. For example, I consider Fool Moon, the second book in the Dresden Files, to be the low point of the series. In that particular case, that doesn't mean that it isn't good. The book was still better than half the crap I've read, but still, of the sixteen or so books in the series, number two is the one I am least enthralled by.
Patrick Rothfuss's debut, The Name of the Wind, got widespread praise, and rightfully so. His second book, however, was generally considered to be a bit of a letdown.
I think I've sorted out why.
My first book, Awfully Appetizing, is the work of years. Not to say that I spent every waking hour working on it. Not even close, sometimes I went weeks without touching it. But the thing is, I never had to work on it, so if I wasn't feeling inspired, if I hadn't sorted out whatever problem had made me stop working on it before, I simply left it alone, letting everything percolate in my head for a bit longer.
But my second book is supposed to be sent in by September. There's a time limit on it. I'm on the clock. If I don't feel like working on it today? Tough luck. The work needs to be done.
Now, fortunately for me, I have a publisher who has indicated that she is open to pushing back my due dates a bit. Fingers crossed that'll hold true, but however understanding she is, I don't think she wants to push release days back years, so the shift is still there. I spent years working on book one, polishing it, sanding the rough edges, looking at it in different lights… compared to that, book two is going to be a rush job.