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Army, Childhood, Father, Father's Day, Marines, Memory, Military, Retirement, Social Construction
It might be more a memory of a memory at this point, but it is a vivid memory just the same. It is the moment that I actually met my father for the first time. I must have been about 3, though I don't know the precise year, and I know that I had seen him before, but still…
I remember the days beforehand. This was the late 60s, and we lived on Nona Kay Drive in San Antonio Texas. I have this vision of an old TV with some soap opera playing in the background ("Like sands through an hourglass.."), and Mother asking me if I was excited that my Daddy was coming home.
I most certainly was.
There were pictures of Dad all around the house, all in various uniforms. As I understand it now, this was Father's second tour in Vietnam. Now a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Medical Corpse, Dad had overseen the construction of a field hospital during this tour. In Korea he had served as an intelligence officer. In World War II he had served briefly in the marines as an airplane mechanic toward the end of the war. Father would soon retire and move on to try his hand at a variety of civilian jobs. He would serve as a hospital administrator, teach at a few colleges, run a submarine sandwich shop, and sell mobile homes among other things, all before settling into a retirement career as a Dam Guide (that is a guide at Hoover Dam for non-Boulder City natives). Through it all, I think his 23 years of service to the military remained the defining feature of his career.
What I understood at the time was that my father was far away, and he was finally coming home. I must have spoken to him on the phone once or twice, or at least provided the toddler equivalent of speech. Anyway, I knew my father. He was very much a part of my life. So, when Mother began to ask me if I was happy that dad was coming home, the answer was most certainly 'yes'.
It must have been a school day when Father returned, because neither my older brother nor my older sister came with us to meet the plane. I remember we walked out onto the tarmac. I remember Mom's excitement as the flight approached. I remember how it increased as the men began to step off the plane, each in combat fatigues. I looked, but I could not see my father among the first few, nor the few that came after.
And then Mother's excitement seemed to boil over. "There he is," she shouted, "Do you see him?"
I didn't.
She kept pointing at someone in the line of men in green combat fatigues, but I didn't recognize my father among any them at all. I still didn't recognize the man that actually walked up, hugged and kissed my mother. I had no idea who he was.
I remember staring up at him and wondering if this really was the man in the pictures at home. And that's when it dawned on me. What I could not remember at the time was ever having seen him in person. I had of course, but it had been too far back in time. Perhaps half of my young life had passed since I had last seen this man. In the interim, he had become a voice on the phone, a series of pictures, and a person given form and meaning largely through Mother's words.
The man in front of me at just that moment was not wearing a dress uniform as he had been in all those pictures, and that was enough to throw me completely. I studied his face to see if I could recognize something there, but I just couldn't see it. Father to me was a broad brimmed officer's hat and a uniform full of fancy decorations. Standing there without them, this man could have been anybody. It was an awfully odd moment, staring up at a man already a part of my world and realizing that I didn't know him at all. At the moment, I had only my mother's word upon which to hang my belief that this was my father.
Thankfully, she was right.
He turned out to be a very good one.


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Babies are born in all kinds of settings, but a 24-year-old woman in Berlin chose to have her third child in December of 2010 inside a magnetic resonance imaging device at the Charite University Hospital in the German capital.
Researchers at the hospital last month released a brief segment of the seven sequences of real-time images they made of the birth inside a specially constructed open MRI, shown in the photo below. The video accompanied the publication of their article about the event in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
A midwife, an obstetrician, a neonatologist and an anesthetist were in the magnet room while the MRI was on. The hospital's delivery unit was a short distance away on the same floor. Mom and baby left the hospital two days after participating in this historic birth.
The view of the baby's journey into the world from inside the birth canal will provide researchers with valuable insight into the mechanics of this amazing passage, the authors said.
The mother was just shy of 38 weeks gestation, fully dilated and experiencing regular contractions. She received an epidural before entering the MRI, where she remained for less than an hour, according to the article.
One additional "study" was taken of the mother's body after birth, "to evaluate the third stage of labor with regard to placental separation and uterus involution," the authors wrote.
The researchers, all affiliated with Charite, were concerned about subjecting a brand-new baby to the loud noise of the machine without the "maternal soft tissue" padding, so they turned the MRI off just at birth.
Images Christian Bamberg / American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

subset: commoncrawl


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Reich: Complete Quartets Played Live in New York
Special concert will offer premiere performance of WTC 9/11 by an all-live ensemble
This September, Steve Reich's three iconic string quartets will be presented on stage in one concert. The American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) together with conductor Donato Cabrera, will present Different Trains, Triple Quartet, and the first performance of Reich's moving and critically acclaimed piece WTC 9/11 by an all-live ensemble. The concert, which also marks the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, takes place at Le Poisson Rouge, in lower Manhattan, on September 11, 2012.
Of the three quartets, the most recent is WTC 9/11, a work premiered in 2011 and originally scored for string quartet with two pre-recorded quartets and voices. The work is a powerful memorial to the victims of the September 2001 attacks. Kronos Quartet, which commissioned all three works on this upcoming concert, premiered WTC 9/11 and performed it around the globe in 2011, including memorable performances at New York's Carnegie Hall and London's Barbican Centre. Following the London performance, The Guardian reacted to the work: "…a restrained, taut piece in three continuous movements, almost ritualised in its plainness, and tremendously powerful in effect." ACME will perform the work with 12 musicians, each playing out the string parts, accompanied by the original recorded voices on tape. Similar to WTC 9/11, Triple Quartet will also be performed by a live ensemble of three string quartets, while Different Trains will be performed in its originally composed arrangement.
This concert will be available via a live audio and video webcast, courtesy of WQXR's Q2 Music network and NPR Classical. For more information, click here.
This Fall, Reich's music will be heard in South America, with a performance of Drumming at the famous Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 7; as well as a special tribute concert featuring Proverb and Tehillim on November 6–7. Reich's next new piece will be Radio Rewrite, commissioned by the London Sinfonietta and Alarm Will Sound. The first performances take place in March 2013.
> Further information about the concert: Le Poisson Rouge
> Further information on Work: WTC 9/11
Photo Credit: Jeffrey Herman


text: Jupiter Medical Center's Thoracic Surgery & Lung Program Named a Center of Excellence by Veran Medical Technologies December 12, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUPITER, Fla. (December 11, 2013) – Under the medical direction of K. Adam Lee, MD, Jupiter Medical Center's Thoracic Surgery & Lung Program has been named a Center of Excellence by Veran Medical Technologies. Jupiter Medical Center is only one of five hospitals in the nation to achieve this prestigious recognition, as well as the first hospital in the nation to offer patients Veran™ Medical Technologies Total Navigation Oncology Solution. This comprehensive technology allows for easier navigation to lung, liver and kidney biopsies, as well as drainage and ablation procedures. To be selected as a Center of Excellence, Jupiter Medical Center established a comprehensive oncology program which included world-class physicians, and engaged and highly competent staff; launched a full integration of Veran's EM technology; and was led by an administration committed to the highest level of patient care through technology and education. "The combination of top physicians, staff and leading-edge technology allows us to formulate a world-class facility here at Jupiter Medical Center. This is exhibited over and over with great outcomes from procedures, the ability to teach at the hospital, and by keeping the facility up-to-date with the most advanced equipment," stated Dr. Lee, Medical Director of the Thoracic Surgery and Lung Program at Jupiter Medical Center. As a Center of Excellence, Jupiter Medical Center will become a teaching hub with procedures on Veran's equipment attended live by doctors from across the nation in person or via webcast. Jupiter Medical Center will highlight procedures being performed on Veran's SPiNDrive® Platform, which enables physicians to locate and diagnose lung cancer at earlier stages compared to traditional methods. The electromagnetic navigation system, complete with Always-On Tip Tracked™ instrumentation, offers patients a minimally-invasive approach to navigate to lesions located deep in the lungs. "We are very pleased to partner with Jupiter Medical Center as a Center of Excellence for Veran Medical Technologies. Jupiter Medical Center has created what we consider the model lung cancer program to provide world-class care for patients afflicted with this disease," said Rob Powers, VP of Marketing, Veran Medical Technologies. "We look forward to sending lung specialists from across the United States to learn about Jupiter Medical Center's Thoracic Surgery & Lung Program, along with Veran's advanced navigation technology." Jupiter Medical Center's Thoracic Surgery & Lung Program is dedicated to the prevention, early detection, treatment and care of patients with lung cancer and other diseases of the chest and lungs. This unique program spans the continuum of care and streamlines the diagnosis and coordination of treatment to achieve better outcomes. The Program's comprehensive continuum of care includes a board certified, multidisciplinary team of physicians; CT Lung Screening Program; Endoscopic Bronchial Ultrasound (EBUS); Navigational Bronchoscopy; Lung Nodule Clinic; Thoracic Multidisciplinary Clinic; Lung Cancer Patient Navigator; and STAR® Oncology Rehabilitation Program. For more information on the Thoracic Surgery & Lung Center at Jupiter Medical Center, call (561) 263-5560 or visit www.jupitermed.com/lung. About Jupiter Medical Center A not-for-profit 283-bed regional medical center consisting of 163 private acute care hospital beds and 120 long-term care, sub-acute rehabilitation and Hospice beds, Jupiter Medical Center provides a broad range of services with specialty concentrations in oncology, imaging, orthopedics & spine, digestive health, emergency services, lung & thoracic, women's health, weight management and men's health. Founded in 1979, the Medical Center has approximately 1,500 team members, 520 physicians and 700 volunteers. Jupiter Medical Center is the recipient of the HealthGrades 'America's 50 Best' Award™ for three years in a row (2011-2013) and the Distinguished Hospital Award - Clinical Excellence™ for nine years in a row (2005-2013). For more information on Jupiter Medical Center, please call (561) 263-2234 or visit www.jupitermed.com. JMC Thoracic Surgery & Lung Program Named Center of Excellence Categories Press Releases Previous Next


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Stem Cell Treatment Restores Vision
June 23, 2010 — A regenerative treatment that uses stem cells taken from the patient's own eyes is helping some blind patients see again.
Italian researchers report that the stem cell procedure resulted in successful corneal transplantation in three-fourths of patients with blindness in one or both eyes, caused in most patients by chemical or thermal burns.
Vision was at least partially restored in patients who did not have major damage to other parts of the affected eye, says study researcher Graziella Pellegrini, PhD, of the University of Moderna's Center for Regenerative Medicine.
Pellegrini and colleagues have performed corneal transplants in around 250 patients over the last decade using the stem cell technique, but it remains experimental and is not being done in the U.S.
Their latest study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings were also reported last week in San Francisco at a meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.
"We followed the patients in this study for an average of three years and as long as a decade," she tells WebMD. "We have shown that the results can last for many years."
Regeneration of Corneas
The study included 112 patients with damaged corneas who received the stem cell treatment between 1998 and 2006.
The procedure involved extracting healthy stem cells from the limbus, which is located between the colored and white part of the eye.
Pellegrini says the procedure can be done even when only a tiny portion of the limbus remained undamaged.
Stem cells taken from the biopsied limbus tissue grew into healthy corneal tissue in a little over two weeks, she says, and the healthy tissue was then grafted onto the damaged eye.
When the procedure was successful, the damaged, opaque cornea became clear again and the eye looked normal.
In all, 77% of patients had a successful first or second graft, while the procedure was considered a partial success or failure in 13% and 10% of cases, respectively.
People with corneal damage from chemical and thermal burns often have symptoms including light sensitivity, itching, and pain. These symptoms went away or were much less severe in the successfully treated patients.
Following successful transplant, about half of the patients had further surgeries to improve visual acuity and most showed at least some improvement in vision. One patient achieved normal vision with the stem cell grafting alone.
Regenerative Treatments for Heart and Liver
University of California, Davis ophthalmology professor Ivan Schwab, MD, was among the first to perform the stem cell transplant procedure, based on Pellegrini's early work, almost a decade ago.
He treated about 15 patients, and while many showed early responses, the benefits did not last.
"This study is remarkable because these researchers have shown not only that this technique works, but that it works for up to 10 years in some cases," he tells WebMD.
He adds that regenerative treatments show promise for a wide range of illnesses, including those involving the bladder, liver, and the heart.
"We are not talking about regenerating the entire liver or heart," he says. "The concept that you have to grow a whole liver or a whole heart is not correct."
He points out that researchers are already working on a heart "patch" that can help a damaged heart function better.


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First lady Michelle Obama will attend the opening game of the World Series between the Yankees and Phillies on Wednesday night, the White House announced today.
Mrs. Obama will be joined at the game by Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Dr. Jill Biden.
Major League Baseball is dedicating Game 1 to veterans and their families, and Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden will spend most of the day Wednesday in the Bronx visiting patients at the James J. Peters V.A. Medical Center.
Recently, the two women appeared together in a public service announcement broadcast at baseball stadiums around the country. The announcements are part of a White House effort to promote volunteerism and support of military families.
The attendance of the First and Second ladies at Game 1 means even tighter security at Yankee stadium, sources said.


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ADVGRRLS Review of BOREAL LODGE off the DALTON HIGHWAY on Trip Adviser
Much nicer and cheaper than Coldfoot! You should remember this place if you are going to ride the Dalton! 😉 We promised the owners of this lodge we would post a review on Trip Adviser and I finally got around to doing just that…the review was just approved.
We rode our motorcycles up the Dalton Highway this summer, 2011 and were told about this Lodge by some fellow ADV riders. Much better than the Coldfoot accommodations and half the price. Only about 13 miles north of Coldfoot and 3 miles off the Dalton and you get a wonderful host family, clean facilities and just a nice place to stay warm for the night en-route to Deadhorse. Don't expect cook meals but the main Lodge has some canned goods and staple foods for you to buy. Coldfoot is not far away if yo must have someone cook for you.
There is a shared kitchen that you can use and it is stocked with pots and pans, even coffee for you to make in the morning. No WIFI unless you are in the main lodge. Just FYI.
Highly recommend this place over Coldfoot not only for the price but the location. Oh, not many rooms, only 5 and a cabin so maybe call a head to make sure they have room.


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TROY POLICE JAN. 11 ASSAULT. 9:05 a.m. Andrew Cooper, 18, 673 Fifth Ave., was charged on a warrant. Officer: Walter Tague Jr. DWI. 11:48 a.m. Christine Carr, 38, 1069 Madison Ave., was reportedly found to have a blood-alcohol level exceeding .08 percent after a traffic stop at Eighth and Ferry streets. Officer: Ralph Southworth. JAN. 12 STOLEN AUTO. 3:07 a.m. A car was reportedly stolen while parked at Madison Avenue and Project Road. Officer: M. Bechard. DWI. 3:19 a.m. Kevin Popp, 22, 239 Route 352, Averill Park, was also charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and driving the wrong way on a one-way street after a traffic stop at Congress and Third streets. Officers: R. Southworth, C. Nazario. ROBBERY. 8:40 a.m. Charity Shermerhorn, 48, 735 Burden Ave., was also charged with third-degree assault after an investigation. Officer: Christian LaChance. ROBBERY. 6 p.m. A complainant reported, while on Jackson Street, three subjects assaulted him and stole his wallet. Officer: Anthony Conyers. BURGLARY. 8:53 p.m. A report was filed on 17th Street. Officer: Martin Furciniti.
Police Blotter for Feb. 12, 2012
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Sept. 26, 2012 -- According to Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the solution to the growing grumbling over re-vamped school lunch menus boils down to a good old fashioned snack.
School lunch trays are a bit lighter this year after Congress-approved calorie limits on school lunches went into effect in August. The new regulations, which were championed by First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity, have inspired protests and even a video parody from students who claim the reduced lunches are making them go hungry.
"It's not surprising that some youngsters will in the middle of the day be hungry," Vilsack told ABC News, responding to the controversy. "I remember my two boys when they came back from school they were always hungry, we always had snacks prepared for them."
Vilsack said the Obama Administration is working with school districts to create snack programs and encouraging parents to pack extra food for their active students to munch on before football practice or band rehearsal.
"We understand that change is difficult," Vilsack said. "Some folks love it, some folks have had questions about it, but that's to be expected when you're dealing with 32 million children and you're dealing with over a hundred thousand school districts."
Under the new regulations, cafeterias are required to serve twice as many fruits and vegetables while limiting proteins and carbohydrates. For an average high school student, that means two baked fish nuggets, a cup of vegetables, half a cup of mashed potatoes, one whole grain roll and 8 ounces of fat free milk is the fuel that served to get them through their last four hours of classes.
TELL US: Has School Lunch Changed for Your Kids?
But for a grumbling crowd of students, those 750 to 850 calories aren't cutting it.
"We hear them complaining around 1:30 or 2:00 that they are already hungry," said Linda O'Connor, a high school English teacher at Wallace County High School in Sharon Springs, Kansas. "It's all the students, literally all the students... you can set your watch to it."
O'Connor teamed up with her hungry students and fellow teacher Brenda Kirkham to create a ballad to the growling stomachs that are now pestering her classroom. The YouTube song and dance video "We Are Hungry," set to the tune of Fun's "We Are Young," now has more than 108,000 hits.
"Give me some seconds, I, I need to get some food today," 16-year-old Wallace County High School football player Callahan Grund sings in the video. "My friends are at the corner store getting junk so they don't waste away."
Vilsack said it was "great" that students were speaking out, but said he had not watched the video.
"I think it's great that kids are creative and I think it's great that they're participating in the process by letting their feelings known and using that format to express themselves," he said.
Across the state at St. Mark's Charter School in Colwich, Kansas, middle school students are protesting the new regulations, which limit their calories to between 600 and 700 per meal, by bringing their lunches from home.
St. Mark's Principal Craig Idacavage said more than half of his 330-student school are opting for sack lunches because "they feel they are not able to get full" on the school offerings.
"I think they have a valid point and you can only hope that people will listen to them," Idacavage said.
The new school lunch regulations, which first lady Michelle Obama championed and a Democrat-led Congress passed in 2010, set a maximum calorie limit for high school lunches at between 750 and 850 calories. Under the old rules, cafeterias served a minimum of 825 calories per lunch.
Elementary students' lunches pack between 550 and 650 calories as opposed to the 633 calories allotted under the old rules.
For Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, that "scant diet" is a "rude awakening" for schoolchildren across the country. King and Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kansas, introduced the "No Kids Hungry Act" this month to repeal the new lunch menu standards and prohibit the calorie limits.
"Kids are of varying sizes, activity levels and metabolism rates," King wrote in a Des Moines Register op-ed. "How can we expect each child to flourish and grow on subsistence diets? This all because some are overweight."
But it is not just a few overweight kids that are causing calorie cuts across the cafeteria. One out of every four adolescents are too overweight to join the military, according to a report released Tuesday by Mission: Readiness, a group of retired military leaders who claim obesity is now a national security issue.
"Removing the junk food from our schools should be part of comprehensive action that involves parents, schools and communities in helping children make healthy food choices," retired U.S. Coast Guard Admiral James Loy said in a statement. "The bottom line is that the armed services must have a sufficient pool of fit young adults to draw from in order to field enough recruits with the excellent qualifications needed to staff a 21st century military."
Despite students' complaints over growling stomachs, the new nutritional requirements should actually be making them feel fuller, said Kristi King, a registered pediatric dietician at Texas Children's Hospital and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The new rules double the amount of fruit and vegetables that are served and mandate that half of all bread products are whole grain. All three of those food types are chock full of fiber, which takes longer to digest, King said.
"It should be making kids fuller if they are actually consuming the whole product," King said. "If children are not picking the entire meal available to them they are obviously going to be hungry."
In Jackson, Miss., the state with the highest obesity rate, school cafeterias have been easing kids into the healthy food regulations.
Mary Hill, the executive director of food services at Jackson Public School District said her school district has been phasing in more fruit and vegetable options over the past few years to prepare for the regulations and while the new rules are an "adjustment" for the students, she said she has not heard any complaints.
"To me, if you hear that grumbling it's that typical grumbling with children," Hill said. "You know children will be children."ABC News' Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.


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Avoiding Counterfeit Cubans
Cigar-smoking fans of the classic television comedy Seinfeld might recall Kramer hatching a plan to smuggle in Cubans—as in Cuban cigar rollers, not cigars. His plan goes awry when the rollers turn out to be counterfeit—they're not from Cuba. Their rolling skills are inept, and hilarity ensues.
What none of us recall as humorous is the experience of buying counterfeit Cuban cigars. If you've put down good money for what you thought was a genuine Cohiba Esplendido, Montecristo No. 2 or Partagás Serie D No. 4 only to be disappointed when you lit up, you weren't in a laughing mood. Smoking a fake cigar just isn't fun at all.
Counterfeit cigars are a bigger problem than you might think. At the last Las Vegas Big Smoke, executive editor Gordon Mott and I led a presentation on counterfeit cigars. As the seminar began, we polled the audience, asking if anyone had ever purchased a fake cigar. Perhaps 50 hands out of the 500 in the room went up. After the presentation's conclusion, we asked the question again. This time 200 or more hands were raised.
Cigars are easily faked. An unscrupulous vendor can buy a bundle of simple, unbranded cigars from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua or Honduras for $20, band them with facsimiles of Cuban cigar bands, put them in a copy of a Cuban cigar box and sell them to an unsuspecting cigar smoker for $300 or more. That's a comfortable profit margin. Fakes of this sort are found all over the United States. Stroll the shops of any tourist area in the Caribbean and you'll likely find fake cigars of all types. Even in Cuba fake cigars abound. Any tourist walking the streets of Havana, especially one that is puffing on a cigar, may be approached by locals offering cigars for sale. Will they be made of Cuban tobacco? Certainly. Will they be the products of the country's renowned cigar factories? Almost certainly not. The hustler will say he has a friend in the factory who gets the cigars or maybe he has ties to the government, but odds are you're going to end up with something made of scrap tobacco or perhaps even floor sweepings. It's not worth the risk.
Marc Melanson, general manager of La Casa del Habano in Montreal, sees lots of fakes. Tourists coming back to Canada from Cuba commonly drop by his store to show him cigars they have bought outside of the traditional Cuban cigar stores. "We get tons of people coming up—they want to sell us what they bought on the beach," he says. "Nine times out of 10, when someone comes to the store with a box, they're counterfeit. It's very, very rare that someone buys a box in the wrong place and they happen to be real."
Buying Cuban cigars can be tricky, but informed buyers can ensure they end up with the real deal. Buying your cigars from reputable retailers—not on the beach, not in the street, not in someone's home—is step one to getting a genuine cigar. Just as you don't expect to get a genuine Rolex or a real Louis Vuitton bag for a few bucks off a card table on a New York City street, you're not going to find a real box of Cohiba Behikes—worth anywhere from $300 to $1,000—for $25 from a guy on the Malecón.
The key to identifying counterfeit cigars is to familiarize yourself with proper Cuban packaging. Real Cuban cigars come packed in boxes that are marked with the distinctive Habanos seal in the upper right-hand corner on top of the box, and a Cuban warranty seal (the made in Cuba stamp) on the left. To make it harder to copy the latter marking, Habanos S.A. (the worldwide exporter of Cuban cigars) issued a new version of this seal in March 2010. It has a hologram on the far right side and a bar code on the far left. Holograms are relatively expensive and technologically hard to copy. These additions, along with watermarks and incredibly strong adhesive, mean the label can't be easily duplicated, and can't be removed and affixed to a fake without ruining it entirely.
The bottom of a Cuban cigar box tells a more complete story. There you'll see the words Habanos S.A., Hecho En Cuba, and (if the cigar is handmade, as Cuba's best are) Totalmente a Mano. Below that will be a code for the factory in which the cigars were made, and a date stamp showing when the cigars were put in the box. Counterfeits are often missing some of these details. We've seen typos, bogus fonts, missing stamps, and various other discrepancies. All the markings should be on a real smoke—be cautious of any missing (or misspelled markings.)
When counterfeiters can't perfectly duplicate packaging, they sometimes opt to strike out on their own. Glass-top Cohibas are the most prolific example. While the Cuban cigar industry doesn't make a single cigar packed with a glass or plastic top, fakes—usually of Cohibas—with such packaging abound, particularly in tourist areas. The most common example is a box of 25 cigars with a clear plastic top. The original idea for the transparent lid perhaps came from a counterfeiter who hoped the clear top would keep a buyer from opening the box and taking a closer look. Our associate editor, Greg Mottola, has come across numerous fakes, and recently found a five-pack glass-top variety that was bought in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (See photo, below.) This version even had the added touch of fake Edición Limitada bands.
Genuine Cohiba Behikes, one of the hottest new cigars on the market, come with elaborate cigar bands with holograms, making them tricky to copy. The earliest fake Behikes were pigtailed cigars with regular Cohiba bands. But recently we discovered counterfeiters who attempted to copy the band and the equally elaborate box. The box contained 25 cigars instead of 10, the squares were the wrong color, the type too large, labels were in the wrong places (they should have been on the outer box) and the box was painted rather than lacquered. (For more detail, see the video on our website.) The real tip off should have been the price: $300, which translates to $12 per cigar. Even in Cuba, such a smoke would retail for more than $20.
Edición Limitadas are heavily counterfeited. The legit cigars are made in limited quantities, sell for a premium and are in high demand, making them ideal candidates for counterfeiters. Knowing your limited editions can help protect you from fakes. There is no such thing as a 2004 Cohiba Pirámide Edición Limitada (counterfeited on the opening page.) That particular cigar was a Limitada in 2001 and 2006.
Counterfeiters have also shown creativity in the cigars themselves. A common fake is a "Cuban" cigar wrapped with two intertwined wrapper leaves, one dark, the other light, in what's known colloquially as a barber-pole cigar. We've seen many of these sold in tourist areas, such as the cruise-ship row in Nassau, the Bahamas, where tourists pour off the boats flush with cash. No real Cuban cigar looks this way. In fact, most of the fake barber-pole smokes we have seen are clearly wrapped with some Connecticut-seed wrapper (the light) and probably a Mexican or Broadleaf wrapper (the dark). It's as far from a real Cuban as you can get.
Cigar bands are so typically misprinted—we've seen poor coloring, missing information, even misspelled words—they should always be scrutinized to check for fakes. Also be sure to actually touch the bands—counterfeits seldom duplicate the embossing that gives most cigar bands texture.
Packaging is only part of the counterfeiting story. While fake packaging guarantees that you have a fake cigar, having the right bands, the right labels and stamps does not guarantee that your cigars are real. Get to know how a real Cuban cigar looks and feels. Familiarize yourself with the mounted head common to all Cuban parejos, know the oily sheen of good Cuban-seed wrapper leaf and recognize the typical gray ash of a Cuban cigar. If the wrapper is jet black, the head is round and the ash burns a brilliant white, you're not smoking Cuban tobacco.
Trust your sources. Know your cigars. And use common sense when buying. You can't buy a real Tag Heuer watch on the streets of New York for $20, and you can't get a box of Montecristo No. 2s on the beach in Varadero for $20 either. v
Think you've been had? Visit our Counterfeit Gallery.


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Microsoft Responds to Yahoo! Announcement — Reiterates Full and Fair Proposal for Microsoft-Yahoo! Combination — REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) today issued the following statement in response to the announcement by Yahoo! Inc. …
Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land: Microsoft Responds To Rejection: Will Take "All Necessary Steps" …
Mike / Marksonland: Yahoo Should Buy the AP
Staci D. Kramer / paidContent.org: Microsoft Responds To Yahoo's Rejection: 'Unfortunate' …
John Paczkowski / Digital Daily: We'll See How "Substantially Undervalued" You Are After a 6-Month Proxy Fight
David A. Utter / WebProNews: Microsoft Replies To Yahoo Rejection
Dominic Jones / Investor Relations Blog: Watching two tech drunks rumble
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / HipMojo.com: Understanding Microsoft's Drive in Buying Yahoo!
Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins / Mashable!: Microhoo: A $44 Billion Front Page Re-design
Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft: Microsoft-Yahoo: They don't call it a hostile takeover for nothing...
Microsoft Responds to Yahoo! Announcement — Reiterates Full and Fair Proposal for Microsoft-Yahoo! Combination — REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 11, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) today issued the following statement in response to the announcement by Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) …
Discussion: HipMojo.com, Epicenter, Search Engine Watch Blog, Guardian Unlimited, LiveSide and Pocket PC Thoughts
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / HipMojo.com: Yahoo! Stock: Where to now? — This morning, a reporter asked …
Betsy Schiffman / Epicenter: Microsoft to Yahoo: You Pathetic Fools
Kevin Newcomb / Search Engine Watch Blog: Microsoft Won't Take "No" for an Answer
Jack Schofield / Guardian Unlimited: Microsoft fails to increase its offer for Yahoo
Darius Wey / Pocket PC Thoughts: Microsoft to Yahoo!: We're Not Giving Up!
Eric Savitz / Tech Trader Daily:
Microsoft: Yahoo's Response To Offer Is "Unfortunate;" Warns It Could Take Other Steps; No New Bid — Microsoft (MSFT) issued a statement this afternoon calling Yahoo's (YHOO) rejection of its $31-a-share takeover bid "unfortunate." The company gave no signs of backing down …
Discussion: New York Times and Los Angeles Times
Miguel Helft / New York Times: After Rejection by Yahoo, Microsoft Hints at a Fight
Jessica Guynn / Los Angeles Times: Despite rebuff, Microsoft to press on with Yahoo bid
Ken Fisher / Ars Technica:
Microsoft undeterred by Yahoo's rejection, will press on
Microsoft undeterred by Yahoo's rejection, will press on
Discussion: Breakout Performance
Eric Jackson / Breakout Performance: WSJ.com: Weekend Roundup
Cade Metz / The Register:
Microsoft rejects Yahoo! rejection
Microsoft rejects Yahoo! rejection
Discussion: TechSpot News
Justin Mann / TechSpot News: Microsoft upset over Yahoo rejection
Elizabeth Montalbano / InfoWorld:
Microsoft hints at Yahoo hostile takeover
Microsoft hints at Yahoo hostile takeover
Mark Hachman / AppScout: Microsoft Fires Back in Yahoo War of Words
Business Wire:
Yahoo! Board of Directors Says Microsoft's Proposal Substantially Undervalues Yahoo!
Yahoo! Board of Directors Says Microsoft's Proposal Substantially Undervalues Yahoo!
Discussion: Valleywag, Inquirer, DealBook, VentureBeat, Good Morning Silicon Valley, Google Watch, DVICE, GeekBrief.TV, Search Engine Land, Epicenter, Brier Dudley's blog, Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog, Bruce Clay, Inc. Blog, Mashable!, Salon, Big Tech, Tech Trader Daily, Search Engine Journal, HipMojo.com, TechCrunch, paidContent.org, Bits and New York Times
Nicholas Carlson / Valleywag: Yang's latest internal memo: "We're on the move"
Nick Farrell / Inquirer: Yahoo shareholders furious after Microsoft rejection
John Murrell / Good Morning Silicon Valley: Best we can figure, sir, they seem to be including sentimental value
Emily / GeekBrief.TV: GBTV #0310 | GeekBrief.TV
Chris Sherman / Search Engine Land: Microhoo: Divining The Probabilities
Betsy Schiffman / Epicenter: Yahoo to Microsoft: Show Us the Money
Brier Dudley / Brier Dudley's blog: Yahoo deal is Ballmer's baby, which now has colic
Lisa Barone / Bruce Clay, Inc. Blog: What's going on with Yahoo & Microsoft?
Adam Ostrow / Mashable!: The Daily Poll: What Should Microsoft Do Next?
Farhad Manjoo / Salon: Yahoo tells Microsoft to make like a banana
Jon Fortt / Big Tech: Yahoo's forcing Microsoft to play hardball
Eric Savitz / Tech Trader Daily: Yahoo's Yang Tells Employees: You Rock
Arnold Zafra / Search Engine Journal: Yahoo Rejects Microsoft, Microsoft to "Pursue All Necessary Steps"
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / HipMojo.com: The Ball is Now in Microsoft's Court
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch: Yahoo Confirms Rejection Letter to Microsoft
Staci D. Kramer / paidContent.org: Yahoo Officially Rejects Microsoft Bid: 'Not In Best Interests' …
Saul Hansell / Bits: Yahoo Shareholders Believe Company Is Bluffing Microsoft
Andrew Ross Sorkin / New York Times: Microsoft Signals Fight for Yahoo Isn't Over
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
HotOrNot Apparently Very Hot: Acquired For $20 Million — San Francisco based HotOrNot, founded by James Hong and Jim Young in October 2000, has been acquired, we've heard from multiple sources. — The buyers are investors connected with Avid Life Media, and paid somewhere around $20 million for the site.
Discussion: mathewingram.com/work, VentureBeat, paidContent.org and GigaOM
Eric Eldon / VentureBeat: James Hong, on selling HotOrNot
Staci D. Kramer / paidContent.org: HotOrNot Sold To Canadian Investors; Price Tag: $20 Million—Or Not
Liz Gannes / GigaOM: HotorNot Sold For Rumored $20M
Megan McCarthy / Epicenter: HotOrNot Gets Cold Cash
Dan Frakes / Macworld:
10.5.2 update shows Apple listens to users — Over the years, Apple periodically comes under fire for not listening to its customers—specifically, for deciding on particular features (or a lack thereof) and then sticking by its guns regardless of the reaction. Although some of this criticism is off-base, some of it is spot-on.
Discussion: Apple Watch, Download Squad and MacMegasite
Mudbug / MacRumors:
Mac OS X (Leopard) 10.5.2 Update Released — Apple has released the Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard update. The 180MB download is now available via Software Update, and a restart is required after installation: — The 10.5.2 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard …
Discussion: Infinite Loop, PC World, CNET News.com, Zero Day and Gizmodo
Jacqui Cheng / Infinite Loop: One more thing... Leopard Graphics Update 1.0
Robert McMillan / PC World: Patches keep coming as Apple fixes OS X security bugs
Tom Krazit / CNET News.com: Apple releases latest Leopard, 10.5.2
Larry Dignan / Zero Day: Apple issues patches for Leopard and MOAB flaw from 2007
Ryan Block / Engadget:
Apple releases OS X 10.5.2 update, tons of fixes
Apple releases OS X 10.5.2 update, tons of fixes
Discussion: TechBlog, MacUser, Infinite Loop and ParisLemon
Dan Moren / MacUser: Get yer 10.5.2 here
David Chartier / Infinite Loop: Mac OS X 10.5.2 brings... well, you know the story (Updated)
MG Siegler / ParisLemon: OS X Goes 10.5.2 With Fixes Galore
Matt Marshall / VentureBeat:
VentureBeat raises $320,000 seed round, traffic growing — VentureBeat has just raised a seed round, and I wanted to be the first one to let you know. The news is beginning to leak after we filed a regulatory document. — VentureBeat has grown steadily since launching more than a year ago.
Discussion: PE HUB, Beet.TV and CenterNetworks
Alexander Haislip / PE HUB: VentureBeat Gets Funded
Andy Plesser / Beet.TV: Former Wall Street Journal Staffer Raises $320K in Seed Capital for Influential Blog
U.S. Internet Advertising Grew by 27% to $25.5 billion in 2007, According to IDC - Google Loses Market Share for First Time in Two Years — As consumers spend more time on the Internet, companies are redistributing advertising dollars from traditional media to online media to follow this trend.
Discussion: bizjournals, paidContent.org, VentureBeat, Silicon Alley Insider, TechCrunch, Podcasting News and Tech Tracks
the Boston / bizjournals: U.S Internet ad spending grows in 2007
David Kaplan / paidContent.org: Online Ad Spend Rises 28 Percent In Q4; Google's Internet Ad Share Slipping: Report
Chris Morrison / VentureBeat: Roundup: Ads up, AOL launches mobile social platform, and more
Michael Learmonth / Silicon Alley Insider: Internet Ads Up, Google's Share Slightly Down
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch: IDC: Google's Ad Market Share Slipped In Fourth Quarter
James Lewin / Podcasting News: Internet Advertising Growing Like Mad
Benjamin J. Romano / Tech Tracks: All the fuss is about this: U.S. online ad revenue up 27 percent to $25.5 billion
Glenn Fleishman / Wi-Fi Networking News:
T-Mobile Loses Starbucks; AT&T Becomes Wi-Fi Hotspot Giant — Big news, and I had not an inkling of it, lest you think your loyal correspondent always has the inside track: Starbucks is shredding its deal in place since 2001, originally with MobileStar then T-Mobile, to switch to AT&T as their Wi-Fi provider.
Discussion: PC World, Web Worker Daily, Tech Beat, Macworld, DailyTech, One By One Media, jkOnTheRun, E-Commerce Times, The Last Podcast, eWeek, Valleywag, Techdirt and GigaOM
Glenn Fleishman / PC World: More Options With Tomorrow's Cell Phones
Olga Kharif / Tech Beat: AT&T Nabs Wi-Fi Perks at Starbucks
Glenn Fleishman / Macworld: Starbucks-AT&T deal could benefit iPhone users
Brandon Hill / DailyTech: Starbucks Switches from T-Mobile to AT&T for WiFi Access
Kevin C. Tofel / jkOnTheRun: Starbucks adds AT&T WiFi, works deal to keep T-Mobile too
Frederic / The Last Podcast: Starbucks just became useful
Roy Mark / eWeek: A Coffee and Some Free Internet
Jordan Golson / Valleywag: AT&T to become leading Wi-Fi provider to latte liberals
Michael Masnick / Techdirt: Starbucks Adds AT&T WiFi; Now You've Got A Choice
Discussion: PC Magazine, Epicenter, Between the Lines, Brier Dudley's blog, VC Cafe, Yahoo! Finance, Consumer Passion, Silicon Alley Insider, Techmamas, deal architect, Bits, ParisLemon, Alice Hill's Real Tech News, Gizmodo, Telecompetitor, Digital Trends, Howard Lindzon, CyberNet, Engadget, Insanely Great Mac and Tech Trader Daily
Sascha Segan / PC Magazine: Boingo: $8 Wi-Fi for the iPhone
Bryan Gardiner / Epicenter: Earthlink Officially Bows Out of Muni Wi-Fi Business
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines: Starbucks goes with AT&T for WiFi; T-Mobile subscribers will still get access
Brier Dudley / Brier Dudley's blog: Starbucks' free Wi-Fi: What took so long?
Eze Vidra / VC Cafe: WIFI Headlines: Starbucks Dumps T-Mobile, WeFi launches Mobile and Facebook Apps
Jeff Crites / Consumer Passion: Starbucks drop-kicks T-Mobile, hugs consumers with free Wi-Fi from AT&T
Beth Blecherman / Techmamas: Office 2.0 For Moms: From Starbucks to Cubes and Crayons
Saul Hansell / Bits: Cheaper Wi-Fi Access at Starbucks and Beyond
MG Siegler / ParisLemon: Starbucks to Set the Internet Free (Kind Of)
Michael Santo / Alice Hill's Real Tech News: Starbucks Signs Deal with AT&T for Wi-Fi, Dumps T-Mobile
Matt Buchanan / Gizmodo: AT&T Bringing Free Wi-Fi to Starbucks (Finally!)
Geoff Duncan / Digital Trends: Starbucks Taps AT&T For Wi-Fi Service
Darren Murph / Engadget: Starbucks brews up WiFi pact with AT&T, disconnects T-Mobile
Jacqui Cheng / Ars Technica:
Starbucks: Forget T-Mobile, get (free) WiFi with AT&T
Starbucks: Forget T-Mobile, get (free) WiFi with AT&T
Discussion: BetaNews, Epicenter and greg hughes
Netflix, Citing a Clear Signal From the Industry, Will Carry High-Def DVDs Only in Blu-ray Format — With the industry now having picked a winner in the face-off between the two competing high- definition DVD formats, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), the world's largest online movie rental service …
Don Reisinger / NewTeeVee: Netflix Decides HD DVD's Fate
Dennis Sellers / Macsimum News: Netflix goes with Blu-ray only as high def format
Ryan / CyberNet: Netflix Dumping HD-DVD, too
Peter Kafka / Silicon Alley Insider: Best Buy: We're Going Blu-Ray, Too
Michael McWhertor / Kotaku: Netflix Drops HD-DVD, Too
Michael Santo / Alice Hill's Real Tech News: Netflix to Drop HD-DVD
Richard Lawler / Engadget:
Best Buy's pushing Blu-ray to the front
Best Buy's pushing Blu-ray to the front
Discussion: Business Wire and Ars Technica
Eric Bangeman / Ars Technica: Best Buy, Netflix join HD DVD dogpile
Mike Shields / Mediaweek:
CNN Launches iReport.com — Since CNN embraced the citizen journalist movement back in August 2006 with the launch of its iReport initiative, the news organization has received nearly 100,000 news-related photos and videos from viewers, including nearly 10,000 this past January alone.
Cyndy Aleo-Carreira / Profy.Com: CNN to Launch iReport.com
Deborah Richman / Search Engine Watch Blog: CNN Wants News Mojo From the People
Josh Catone / ReadWriteWeb: CNN to Launch Completely User Generated News Site
Ian Da Silva / Wikinomics: iReport, you report, we all report on iReport(.com)
Caroline McCarthy / CNET News.com: Report: CNN citizen journalism site close to launch
Frederic / The Last Podcast: CNN to Launch iReport.com
Michael Learmonth / Silicon Alley Insider: CNN Launching iReport.com As YouTube For News
David Kaplan / paidContent.org: CNN Readies All Citizen Journalism News Site iReport
Dan Goodin / The Register:
Teen hacker re-unlocks Apple's iPhone — A teen hacker known for his deftness with iPhones has figured out how to unlock models running the latest firmware versions by cracking a protection that that has frustrated hackers for weeks. — The breakthrough by George Hotz, aka Geohot …
Mike Nash / Windows Vista Team Blog:
Windows Vista SP1 availability for technical customers — On Monday (February 4th), we announced the release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). Overall, people are excited to hear that we have reached this milestone, but some are disappointed they are not able to immediately download it.
Discussion: eWeek, Windows Connected, Ed Bott's Microsoft Report, Computerworld, All about Microsoft, Full of I.T., BetaNews and Direct2Dell
Peter Galli / eWeek: Microsoft Gives Some Early Access to Vista SP1
Kevin Remde / Full of I.T.: BREAKING NEWS: WINDOWS VISTA SP1 AVAILABILITY DATES
Macworld UK:
Apple preps digital radio for iPhone — New iPhone technology set to bring DAB to iPhone — Jonny Evans — Apple is quietly working up systems that will enable users to receive and listen to digital radio using an iPhone. — This news is buried in a report detailing a move away …
Discussion: Guardian, 9 to 5 Mac, iLounge and O'Grady's PowerPage
John Plunkett / Guardian: Hazlitt: DAB 'not economically viable'
Seth Weintraub / 9 to 5 Mac: Digital radio OFFICIALLY coming to the iPhone
Charles Starrett / iLounge: News: Mix: O2, Boingo, Samsung, DAB
Chris Barylick / O'Grady's PowerPage: Rumor: Apple Quietly Working on iPhone Radio Technology
Dan Goodin / The Register:
Thievin' teen botherder admits to infecting military computers — A young hacker accused of helping to corral more than 400,000 computers into a money-making botnet has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with the scheme, which he admits damaged US military computers.


text:
How to make candles with essential oils
If you feel like you spend half your paycheck on fancy scented candles, you need to learn how to make candles with essential oils. There is an initial outlay for the required equipment and supplies, but this is a cost-effective way of keeping yourself swimming in scented candles.
What's more, essential oils are all-natural, so you don't need to worry about the health implications of burning synthetic fragrances, and you know just what's gone into your candles. It also allows you to experiment with scents.
Picking essential oils
Essential oils are fragrant concentrated oils made from plants' leaves, stems, fruits or flowers. While you can make essential oils from any plant, some are more popular than others, and there are plenty of plants you won't find used in any commercial essential oils.
When making candles with essential oils, the oils you choose will dictate the scent of the candle. You can use a single essential oil, but you'll get a more complex fragrance by mixing a few. Try blending three essential oils, such as citrus, light fruit or fresh herbal scents for the top note; sweet and well-rounded scents like cinnamon, florals or lemongrass for the middle notes; and rich, smooth scents like vanilla, cedarwood or patchouli for the base notes.
Not every combination will be a winner, but it's fun to experiment.
Picking wax
When making candles with essential oils, the purpose is for them to release fragrance into the room as they burn. This is why we highly recommend using soy wax to make your candles. Soy wax holds onto natural scents longer and burns slowly, so it more slowly and evenly releases fragrance from essential oils into the air.
The bonus to slow-burning is that your candles will last longer. Another solid reason to use soy wax over paraffin wax is that it's natural, non-toxic and burns more cleanly without releasing excess smoke or soot into the air.
Steps to make candles with essential oils
Follow these simple instructions, and you'll soon be making scented candles like a pro. The directions below are container candles, as these are the simplest to produce when you're just starting with candle-making.
Prepare your containers
It's a good idea to get the containers you'll be using for your candles ready before starting with the more involved parts of the process. You can use any heat-proof container of your choosing, such as old jars or tins, but you can also buy containers designed for candle making if you'd prefer to have something created for the job.
You'll also need your wicks at this point, which should be made from cotton or hemp and ideally pre-tabbed for ease of use. Using Glue Dots or a hot glue gun, adhere the base of the metal tab to the bottom of the inside of the container, making sure it's as central as possible. You can use a wick centering tool to make sure the wick stays central and upright when you pour the wax into the container or lay a pen or chopstick across the center of the container and tape the wick to it to keep it central.
Melt wax
Add 18 ounces of soy wax flakes to a metal or glass bowl or candle-making pouring pot. It's worth buying a dedicated pouring pot if you intend to make candles regularly. Bring a saucepan partly filled with water to a gentle simmer and put the wax-filled bowl or pot inside to melt it using the double boiler method. This is similar to the way you melt chocolate without a microwave. Stir occasionally until fully melted.
Check wax temperature
Once the wax is melted, check the temperature using a candle wax thermometer. It should be between 140 and 150 degrees before adding essential oils. If the temperature is higher than this, simply wait for it to cool.
Add essential oils
Next, add the essential oils to the mix. You should aim for a dilution of between 3-6 percent, approximately 2-4 teaspoons of essential oils if using 18 ounces of wax. You can use either one essential oil or blend several for a more nuanced scent. Stir well to mix the scent through the wax evenly.
Add dye if desired
At this point, you can choose to color your candles with a liquid or powdered candle dye before pouring.
Pour and leave to set
Now simply pour the wax mixture into the prepared containers. Leave to set for at least 24 hours before trimming the wick and burning your candles.
What you need to buy for candle making
Ancient Health Remedies Soy Wax Flakes
Soy wax flakes are the main component of your candles. We love this brand because it comes from USA-grown soy, while some soy is grown in cleared areas of rainforest.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Lagunamoon Premium Essential Oils Set
This essential oils set contains 20 oils, allowing you to imbue your candles with a wide array of fragrances and make your own blends. It comes with an essential oil guide that can help you with your candle-making journey.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
EricX Light Cotton Candle Wicks
You can't make candles without wicks. These are cotton wicks, so they burn cleanly and come in a pack of 100 to keep you going for some time.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
These 24 tins hold 4 ounces apiece and are ideal for making small container candles. The tins are available in two colors.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2021 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.


text:
The knight with that old Dragon fights
two dayes incessantly:
The third him ouerthrowes, and gayns
most glorious victory.
HIgh time now gan it wex for Vna faire,
To thinke of those her captiue Parents deare,
And their forwasted kingdome to repaire:
Whereto whenas they now approched neare,
With hartie words her knight she gan to cheare,
And in her modest manner thus bespake;
Deare knight, as deare, as euer knight was deare,
That all these sorrowes suffer for my sake,
High heauen behold the tedious toyle, ye for me take.
Now are we come vnto my natiue soyle,
And to the place, where all our perils dwell;
Here haunts that feend, and does his dayly spoyle,
Therefore henceforth be at your keeping well,
And euer ready for your foeman fell.
The sparke of noble courage now awake,
And striue your excellent selfe to excell;
That shall ye euermore renowmed make,
Aboue all knights on earth, that batteill vndertake.
And pointing forth, lo yonder is (said she)
The brasen towre in which my parents deare
For dread of that huge feend emprisond be
Whom I from far see on the walles appeare
Whose sight my feeble soule doth greatly cheare:
And on the top of all I do espye
The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare,
That ô my parents might I happily
Vnto you bring, to ease you of your misery.
With that they heard a roaring hideous sound,
That all the ayre with terrour filled wide,
And seemd vneath to shake the stedfast ground.
Eftsoones that dreadfull Dragon they espide,
Where stretcht he lay vpon the sunny side
Of a great hill, himselfe like a great hill.
But all so soone, as he from far descride
Those glistring armes, that heauen with light did fill,
He rousd himselfe full blith, and hastned them vntill.
Then bad the knight his Lady yede aloofe,
And to an hill her selfe with draw aside,
From whence she might behold that battailles proof
And eke be safe from daunger far descryde:
She him obayd, and turnd a little wyde.
Now O thou sacred Muse, most learned Dame,
Faire ympe of Phoebus, and his aged bride,
The Nourse of time, and euerlasting fame,
That warlike hands ennoblest with immortall name;
O gently come into my feeble brest,
Come gently, but not with that mighty rage,
Wherewith the martiall troupes thou doest infest,
And harts of great Heroës doest enrage,
That nought their kindled courage may aswage,
Soone as thy dreadfull trompe begins to sownd;
The God of warre with his fiers equipage
Thou doest awake, sleepe neuer he so sownd,
And scared nations doest with horrour sterne astownd.
Faire Goddesse lay that furious fit aside,
Till I of warres and bloudy Mars do sing,
And Briton fields with Sarazin bloud bedyde,
Twixt that great faery Queene and Paynim king,
That with their horrour heauen and earth did ring,
A worke of labour long, and endlesse prayse:
But now a while let downe that haughtie string,
And to my tunes thy second tenor rayse,
That I this man of God his godly armes may blaze.
By this the dreadfull Beast drew nigh to hand,
Halfe flying, and halfe footing in his hast,
That with his largenesse measured much land,
And made wide shadow vnder his huge wast;
As mountaine doth the valley ouercast.
Approching nigh, he reared high afore
His body monstrous, horrible, and vast,
Which to increase his wondrous greatnesse more,
Was swolne with wrath, & poyson, & with bloudy gore.
And ouer, all with brasen scales was armd,
Like plated coate of steele, so couched neare,
That nought mote perce, ne might his corse be harmd
With dint of sword, nor push of pointed speare;
Which as an Eagle, seeing pray appeare,
His aery plumes doth rouze, full rudely dight,
So shaked he, that horrour was to heare,
For as the clashing of an Armour bright,
Such noyse his rouzed scales did send vnto the knight.
His flaggy wings when forth he did display,
Were like two sayles, in which the hollow wynd
Is gathered full, and worketh speedy way:
And eke the pennes, that did his pineons bynd,
Were like mayne-yards, with flying canuas lynd,
With which whenas him list the ayre to beat,
And there by force vnwonted passage find,
The cloudes before him fled for terrour great,
And all the heauens stood still amazed with his threat.
His huge long tayle wound vp in hundred foldes,
Does ouerspred his long bras-scaly backe,
Whose wreathed boughts when euer he vnfoldes,
And thicke entangled knots adown does slacke.
Bespotted all with shields of red and blacke,
It sweepeth all the land behind him farre,
And of three furlongs does but litle lacke;
And at the point two stings in-fixed arre,
Both deadly sharpe, that sharpest steele exceeden farre.
But stings and sharpest steele did far exceed
The sharpnesse of his cruell rending clawes;
Dead was it sure, as sure as death in deed,
What euer thing does touch his rauenous pawes,
Or what within his reach he euer drawes.
But his most hideous head my toung to tell
Does tremble: for his deepe deuouring iawes
Wide gaped, like the griesly mouth of hell,
Through which into his darke abisse all rauin fell.
And that more wondrous was, in either iaw
Three ranckes of yron teeth enraunged were,
In which yet trickling bloud and gobbets raw
Of late deuoured bodies did appeare,
That sight thereof bred cold congealed feare:
Which to increase, and as atonce to kill,
A cloud of smoothering smoke and sulphur seare
Out of his stinking gorge forth steemed still,
That all the ayre about with smoke and stench did fill.
His blazing eyes, like two bright shining shields,
Did burne with wrath, and sparkled liuing fyre;
As two broad Beacons, set in open fields,
Send forth their flames farre off to euery shyre,
And warning giue, that enemies conspyre,
With fire and sword the region to inuade;
So flam'd his eyne with rage and rancorous yre:
But farre within, as in a hollow glade,
Those glaring lampes were set, that made a dreadfull shade.
So dreadfully he towards him did pas,
Forelifting vp aloft his speckled brest,
And often bounding on the brused gras,
As for great ioyance of his newcome guest.
Eftsoones he gan aduance his haughtie crest,
As chauffed Bore his bristles doth vpreare,
And shoke his scales to battell readie drest;
That made the Redcrosse knight nigh quake for feare,
As bidding bold defiance to his foeman neare.
The knight gan fairely couch his steadie speare,
And fiercely ran at him with rigorous might:
The pointed steele arriuing rudely theare,
His harder hide would neither perce, nor bight,
But glauncing by forth passed forward right;
Yet sore amoued with so puissant push,
The wrathfull beast about him turned light,
And him so rudely passing by, did brush
With his long tayle, that horse and man to ground did rush.
Both horse and man vp lightly rose againe,
And fresh encounter towards him addrest:
But th'idle stroke yet backe recoyld in vaine,
And found no place his deadly point to rest.
Exceeding rage enflam'd the furious beast,
To be auenged of so great despight;
For neuer felt his imperceable brest
So wondrous force, from hand of liuing wight;
Yet had he prou'd the powre of many a puissant knight.
Then with his wauing wings displayed wyde,
Himselfe vp high he lifted from the ground,
And with strong flight did forcibly diuide
The yielding aire, which nigh too feeble found
Her flitting partes, and element vnsound,
To beare so great a weight: he cutting way
With his broad sayles, about him soared round:
At last low stouping with vnweldie sway,
Snatcht vp both horse & man, to beare them quite away.
Long he them bore aboue the subiect plaine,
So farre as Ewghen bow a shaft may send,
Till struggling strong did him at last constraine,
To let them downe before his flightes end:
As hagard hauke presuming to contend
With hardie fowle, aboue his hable might,
His wearie pounces all in vaine doth spend,
To trusse the pray too heauie for his flight;
Which comming downe to ground, does free it selfe by fight.
He so disseized of his gryping grosse,
The knight his thrillant speare againe assayd
In his bras-plated body to embosse,
And three mens strength vnto the stroke he layd;
Wherewith the stiffe beame quaked, as affrayd,
And glauncing from his scaly necke, did glyde
Close vnder his left wing, then broad displayd.
The percing steele there wrought a wound full wyde,
That with the vncouth smart the Monster lowdly cryde.
He cryde, as raging seas are wont to rore,
When wintry storme his wrathfull wreck does threat,
The rolling billowes beat the ragged shore,
As they the earth would shoulder from her seat,
And greedie gulfe does gape, as he would eat
His neighbour element in his reuenge:
Then gin the blustring brethren boldly threat,
To moue the world from off his stedfast henge,
And boystrous battell make, each other to auenge.
The steely head stucke fast still in his flesh,
Till with his cruell clawes he snatcht the wood,
And quite a sunder broke. Forth flowed fresh
A gushing riuer of blacke goarie blood,
That drowned all the land, whereon he stood;
The streame thereof would driue a water-mill.
Trebly augmented was his furious mood
With bitter sense of his deepe rooted ill,
That flames of fire he threw forth frõ his large nosethrill.
His hideous tayle then hurled he about,
And therewith all enwrapt the nimble thyes
Of his froth-fomy steed, whose courage stout
Striuing to loose the knot, that fast him tyes,
Himselfe in streighter bandes too rash implyes,
That to the ground he is perforce constraynd
To throw his rider: who can quickly ryse
From off the earth, with durty bloud distaynd,
For that reprochfull fall right fowly he disdaynd.
And fiercely tooke his trenchand blade in hand,
With which he stroke so furious and so fell,
That nothing seemd the puissance could withstand:
Vpon his crest the hardned yron fell,
But his more hardned crest was armd so well,
That deeper dint therein it would not make;
Yet so extremely did the buffe him quell,
That from thenceforth he shund the like to take,
But when he saw them come, he did them still forsake.
The knight was wrath to see his stroke beguyld,
And smote againe with more outrageous might;
But backe againe the sparckling steele recoyld,
And left not any marke, where it did light;
As if in Adamant rocke it had bene pight.
The beast impatient of his smarting wound,
And of so fierce and forcible despight,
Thought with his wings to stye aboue the ground;
But his late wounded wing vnseruiceable found.
Then full of griefe and anguish vehement,
He lowdly brayd, that like was neuer heard,
And from his wide deuouring ouen sent
A flake of fire, that flashing in his beard,
Him all amazd, and almost made affeard:
The scorching flame sore swinged all his face,
And through his armour all his bodie seard,
That he could not endure so cruell cace,
But thought his armes to leaue, and helmet to vnlace.
Not that great Champion of the antique world,
Whom famous Poetes verse so much doth vaunt,
And hath for twelue huge labours high extold,
So many furies and sharpe fits did haunt,
When him the poysoned garment did enchaunt
With Centaures bloud, and bloudie verses charm'd,
As did this knight twelue thousand dolours daunt,
Whom fyrie steele now burnt, that earst him arm'd,
That erst him goodly arm'd, now most of all him harm'd.
Faint, wearie, sore, emboyled, grieued, brent
With heat, toyle, wounds, armes, smart, & inward fire
That neuer man such mischiefes did torment;
Death better were, death did he oft desire,
But death will neuer come, when needes require.
Whom so dismayd when that his foe beheld,
He cast to suffer him no more respire,
But gan his sturdie sterne about to weld,
And him so strongly stroke, that to the ground him feld.
It fortuned (as faire it then befell)
Behind his backe vnweeting, where he stood,
Of auncient time there was a springing well,
From which fast trickled forth a siluer flood,
Full of great vertues, and for med'cine good.
Whylome, before that cursed Dragon got
That happie land, and all with innocent blood
Defyld those sacred waues, it rightly hot
The well of life, ne yet his vertues had forgot.
For vnto life the dead it could restore,
And guilt of sinfull crimes cleane wash away,
Those that with sicknesse were infected sore,
It could recure, and aged long decay
Renew, as one were borne that very day.
Both Silo this, and Iordan did excell,
And th'English Bath, and eke the german Spau,
Ne can Cephise, nor Hebrus match this well:
Into the same the knight backe ouerthrowen, fell.
Now gan the golden Phoebus for to steepe
His fierie face in billowes of the west,
And his faint steedes watred in Ocean deepe,
Whiles from their iournall labours they did rest,
When that infernall Monster, hauing kest
His wearie foe into that liuing well,
Can high aduance his broad discoloured brest,
Aboue his wonted pitch, with countenance fell,
And clapt his yron wings, as victor he did dwell.
Which when his pensiue Ladie saw from farre,
Great woe and sorrow did her soule assay,
As weening that the sad end of the warre,
And gan to highest God entirely pray,
That feared chance from her to turne away;
With folded hands and knees full lowly bent
All night she watcht, ne once adowne would lay
Her daintie limbs in her sad dreriment,
But praying still did wake, and waking did lament.
The morrow next gan early to appeare,
That Titan rose to runne his daily race:
But early ere the morrow next gan reare
Out of the sea faire Titans deawy face,
Vp rose the gentle virgin from her place,
And looked all about, if she might spy
Her loued knight to moue his manly pace:
For she had great doubt of his safety,
Since late she saw him fall before his enemy.
At last she where he vpstarted braue
Out of the well, wherein he drenched lay;
As Eagle fresh out of the Ocean waue,
Where he hath left his plumes all hoary gray,
And deckt himselfe with feathers youthly gay,
Like Eyas hauke vp mounts vnto the skies,
His newly budded pineons to assay,
And marueiles at himselfe, still as he flies:
So new this new-borne knight to battell new did rise.
Whom when the damned feend so fresh did spy,
No wonder if he wondred at the sight,
And doubted, whether his late enemy
It were, or other new supplied knight.
He, now to proue his late renewed might,
High brandishing his bright deaw-burning blade,
Vpon his crested scalpe so sore did smite,
That to the scull a yawning wound it made:
The deadly dint his dulled senses all dismaid.
I wote not, whether the reuenging steele
Were hardned with that holy water dew,
Wherein he fell, or sharper edge did feele,
Or his baptized hands now greater grew;
Or other secret vertue did ensew;
Else neuer could the force of fleshly arme,
Ne molten mettall in his bloud embrew:
For till that stownd could neuer wight him harme,
By subtilty, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty charme.
The cruell wound enraged him so sore,
That loud he yelded for exceeding paine;
As hundred ramping Lyons seem'd to rore,
Whom rauenous hunger did thereto constraine:
Then gan he tosse aloft his stretched traine,
And therewith scourge the buxome aire so sore,
That to his force to yeelden it was faine;
Ne ought his sturdie strokes might stand afore,
That high trees ouerthrew, and rocks in peeces tore.
The same aduauncing high aboue his head,
With sharpe intended sting so rude him smot,
That to the earth him droue, as stricken dead,
Ne liuing wight would haue him life behot:
The mortall sting his angry needle shot
Quite through his shield, and in his shoulder seasd,
Where fast it stucke, ne would there out be got:
The griefe thereof him wondrous sore diseasd,
Ne might his ranckling paine with patience be appeasd.
But yet more mindfull of his honour deare,
Then of the grieuous smart, which him did wring,
From loathed soile he can him lightly reare,
And stroue to loose the farre infixed sting:
Which when in vaine he tryde with struggeling.
Inflam'd with wrath, his raging blade he heft,
And.strooke so strongly, that the knotty string
Of his huge taile he quite a sunder cleft,
Fiue ioynts thereof he hewd, and but the stump him left.
Hart cannot thinke, what outrage, and what cryes,
With foule enfouldred smoake and flashing fire,
The hell-bred beast threw forth vnto the skyes,
That all was couered with darknesse dire:
Then fraught with rancour, and engorged ire,
He cast at once him to auenge for all,
And gathering vp himselfe out of the mire,
With his vneuen wings did fiercely fall
Vpon his sunne-bright shield, and gript it fast withall.
Much was the man encombred with his hold,
In feare to lose his weapon in his paw,
Ne wist yet, how his talants to vnfold;
Nor harder was from Cerberus greedie iaw
To plucke a bone, then from his cruell claw
To reaue by strength the griped gage away:
Thrise he assayd it from his foot to draw,
And thrise in vaine to draw it did assay,
It booted nought to thinke, to robbe him of his pray.
Tho when he saw no power might preuaile,
His trustie sword he cald to his last aid,
Wherewith he fiercely did his foe assaile,
And double blowes about him stoutly laid,
That glauncing fire out of the yron plaid;
As sparckles from the Anduile vse to fly,
When heauie hammers on the wedge are swaid;
Therewith at last he forst him to vnty
One of his grasping feete, him to defend thereby.
The other foot, fast fixed on his shield,
Whenas no strength, nor stroks mote him constraine
To loose, ne yet the warlike pledge to yield,
He smot thereat with all his might and maine,
That nought so wondrous puissance might sustaine;
Vpon the ioynt the lucky steele did light,
And made such way, that hewd it quite in twaine;
The paw yet missed not his minisht might,
But hong still on the shield, as it at first was pight.
For griefe thereof, and diuelish despight,
From his infernall fournace forth he threw
Huge flames, that dimmed all the heauens light,
Enrold in duskish smoke and brimstone blew;
As burning Aetna from his boyling stew
Doth belch out flames, and rockes in peeces broke,
And ragged ribs of mountaines molten new,
Enwrapt in coleblacke clouds and filthy smoke,
That all the land with stench, and heauen with horror choke.
The heate whereof, and harmefull pestilence
So sore him noyd, that forst him to retire
A little backward for his best defence,
To saue his bodie from the scorching fire,
Which he from hellish entrailes did expire.
It chaunst (eternall God that chaunce did guide)
As he recoyled backward, in the mire
His nigh forwearied feeble feet did slide,
And downe he fell, with dread of shame sore terrifide.
There grew a goodly tree him faire beside,
Loaden with fruit and apples rosie red,
As they in pure vermilion had beene dide,
Whereof great vertues ouer all were red:
For happie life to all, which thereon fed,
And life eke euerlasting did befall:
Great God it planted in that blessed sted
With his almightie hand, and did it call
The tree of life, the crime of our first fathers fall.
In all the world like was not to be found,
Saue in that soile, where all good things did grow,
And freely sprong out of the fruitfull ground,
As incorrupted Nature did them sow,
Till that dread Dragon all did ouerthrow.
Another like faire tree eke grew thereby,
Whereof who so did eat, eftsoones did know
Both good and ill: O mornefull memory:
That tree through one mans fault hath doen vs all to dy.
From that first tree forth flowd, as from a well,
A trickling streame of Balme, most soueraine
And daintie deare, which on the ground still fell,
And ouerflowed all the fertill plaine,
As it had deawed bene with timely raine:
Life and long health that gratious ointment gaue,
And deadly woundes could heale, and reare againe
The senselesse corse appointed for the graue.
Into that same he fell: which did from death him saue.
For nigh thereto the euer damned beast
Durst not approch, for he was deadly made,
And all that life preserued, did detest:
Yet he it oft aduentur'd to inuade.
By this the drouping day-light gan to fade
And yeeld his roome to sad succeeding night,
Who with her sable mantle gan to shade
The face of earth, and wayes of liuing wight,
And high her burning torch set vp in heauen bright.
When gentle Vna saw the second fall
Of her deare knight, who wearie of long fight,
And faint through losse of bloud, mou'd not at all,
But lay as in a dreame of deepe delight,
Besmeard with pretious Balme, whose vertuous might
Did heale his wounds, and scorching heat alay,
Againe she stricken was with sore affright,
And for his safetie gan deuoutly pray;
And watch the noyous night, and wait for ioyous day.
The ioyous day gan early to appeare,
And faire Aurora from the deawy bed
Of aged Tithone gan her selfe to reare,
With rosie cheekes, for shame as blushing red;
Her golden lockes for haste were loosely shed
About her eares, when Vna her did marke
Clymbe to her charet, all with flowers spred;
From heauen high to chase the chearelesse darke,
With merry note her loud salutes the mounting larke.
Then freshly vp arose the doughtie knight,
All healed of his hurts and woundes wide,
And did himselfe to battell readie dight;
Whose early foe awaiting him beside
To haue deuourd, so soone as day he spyde,
When now he saw himselfe so freshly reare,
As if late fight had nought him damnifyde,
He woxe dismayd, and gan his fate to feare;
Nathlesse with wonted rage he him aduaunced neare.
And in his first encounter, gaping wide,
He thought attonce him to haue swallowd quight,
And rusht vpon him with outragious pride;
Who him r'encountring fierce, as hauke in flight,
Perforce rebutted backe. The weapon bright
Taking aduantage of his open iaw,
Ran through his mouth with so importune might,
That deepe emperst his darksome hollow maw,
And back retyrd, his life bloud forth with all did draw.
So downe he fell, and forth his life did breath,
That vanisht into smoke and cloudes swift;
So downe he fell, that th'earth him vnderneath
Did grone, as feeble so great load to lift;
So downe he fell, as an huge rockie clift,
Whose false foundation waues haue washt away,
With dreadfull poyse is from the mayneland rift,
And rolling downe, great Neptune doth dismay;
So downe he fell, and like an heaped mountaine lay.
The knight himselfe euen trembled at his fall,
So huge and horrible a masse it seem'd;
And his deare Ladie, that beheld it all,
Durst not approch for dread, which she misdeem'd,
But yet at last, when as the direfull feend
She saw not stirre, off-shaking vaine affright,
She nigher drew, and saw that ioyous end:
Then God she praysd, and thankt her faithfull knight,
That had atchieu'd so great a conquest by his might.


text:
We're in a bit of a time warp here, since I am writing about an episode (Laos) which aired many weeks ago (July 7) of a trip that Tony and the crew took many months prior. It's a little confusing, I know, but since part of the pleasure of No Reservations is that it is essentially timeless, I am muddling forward through the space-time continuum and am glad you are coming along for the ride.
I have never been to Laos, but I have traveled throughout SE Asia on two separate trips, taken almost 10 years apart-the first time as a post-collegiate backpacker, the second time with food-writer friends who treated me to a luxurious experience in the finest hotels. The food, of course, was crazy good, whether in the dining room of the Peninsula hotel or off some back alley in Kanchanaburi. Even now, the smell of a kaffir lime leaf sends me right back. (What is it about smells and memory? An amazing phenomenon.)
As to be expected, there was some grossness, some weird bits, and always a dose of beauty. A pile of crawling ants made into an omelette? No thanks. (Just to let you know—I am very open minded about food and will eat almost anything. But a pile of bugs is past my limit; that's the stuff of my nightmares!) Whole swallows popped into the mouth? I shudder thinking about the teeny-tiny bones, and the bitter taste of brains and innards. (Hmm, maybe I am not as open minded as I thought I was.)
More From Delish
I was touched by the scenes at the mysterious Plain of Jars; it's like Stonehenge, but with pottery. It's funny how the show is so usually full of attitude and zing that when Tony's reaction or narration gets contemplative, as happened several times throughout this episode, it can verge on sentimental.
But there is always something in each episode that keeps the whole thing from getting too maudlin—and it usually involves excessive amounts of alcohol enjoyed with a roomful of locals cracking up with this random stranger.
I like that they started out the season on a serious note, with that sharp awareness of Laos's past. So y'know, I'll take a little sentimentality from Tony et al., since I know that there'll be a plate of bugs and a cup of moonshine at the next stop.
Seems that some of his fans disagree, though: go to the message boards for the show, and you'll see that a number of people were disturbed by the political content in that Laos episode. There's no pleasing everybody.
The Travel Channel website has some great extras for fans of the show: to view a clip from the Laos episode, click here. (The fact that the video is preceeded by a Pampers commercial, I find vaguely amusing.) For tips on traveling to Laos, check out the No Reservations travel tips page here, or surf over toLonely Planet, my favorite guidebook for that part of the world.