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Most Romantic Moment #4
Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
So we are bringing Catching Fire back to the Valentine's posts as well. This movie is more special for me than the first film as when it came out I had read the whole series, I saw this in theaters, and the cinematography was better as it wasn't so shaky and all over the place. I also love how we got to see more of Peeta, and in a better light as Katniss trusts him. When the books and movies came out everyone was on the Gale train (Liam Hemsworth is pretty fantastic looking), but not me-Peeta is way better. Peeta is so adorable and sweet and loves Katniss soooo much.
Catching Fire takes place a year after Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger Games with their pretend love. Now they both have houses, money, food, etc; for them and their family. And the best thing of all, they never have to compete in the Hunger Games again.
Katniss and Gale are having issues as Katniss is trying to deal with the trauma of the Games and her confusion for what she feels for Gale and Peeta, along with trying to care for her family. She and Peeta (who wants their relationship to be real); are doing tours at each district proclaiming how happy they are to have survived, honoring the those that died, saying how grateful they are to the capital, etc; that whole spiel. President Snow is unhappy with this, as they have been sparking rebellions all over. The President Snow would like nothing better than to get rid of Katniss, but can't outright kill her as it will cause a full on revolution. He decides that for the big anniversary of the Hunger Games they will pick from those who have won in the past, killing her in the process.
Katniss and Peeta aren't the only ones scared and angry to have to go back, as none of the others thought they would ever have to repeat the process. They have to make alliances and try to trust each other, but which of the teams?
Most Romantic Moment #4: I'll Do Everything I Can to Get You Out of the Games
So last time I wrote about Catching Fire, I talked about how romantic that Peeta is so in love with Katniss but decides that being her friend is enough.
This time I want to focus on how Peeta works so hard to keep Katniss out of the games. While Katniss has the survival skills, drive, and focus-Peeta has the charisma, people skills, and is a natural leader.
Katniss is not a people person, she does not do well with in that arena. She can't charm, she can't flatter, she can't work a room. But Peeta can. He used this to help in the first game, and now with this one he exercises everything he has to help win the capital over to her.
I love how Peeta is so earnest in his love for her and how he thinks of everything. It is expanded more in the book, but that was top-notch planning, saying she is pregnant and giving the details on their "wedding". Yep, he uses all his interview time to try and save Katniss, every ounce of charm, every thing he has in his arsenal to do all he can to keep her out of the games.
AWWWW, he is so sweet-but then everything Peeta does is sweet…he is a baker after all.
For more on Catching Fire, go to Being Friends is Good Enough: Catching Fire (2013)
For more on Peeta Mellark, go to Peeta Please!
For more on The Hunger Games, go to It's Fantastico!


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TRICARE Waives Primary Care Manager Referrals for Guam and Northern Mariana Islands due to Typhoon Mawar
The Defense Health Agency (DHA) today announced that a Primary Care Manager (PCM) Referral Waiver is in place for all TRICARE Prime Overseas and TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas enrolled beneficiaries seeking/receiving care in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands due to the impacts of Typhoon Mawar.
This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.
Recommended Content:
The thud of kicked soccer balls, the clash of shoulder pads at football games, and cheers from classmates and parents are once again being heard around the world at Department of Defense Education Activity schools.
Despite continued concerns about COVID-19, fall sports and activities have resumed after a tough autumn in 2020, when those sounds were absent.
"The coaches worked really hard with our public health partners and the military to come up with a plan so we can do that safely," said Josh Adams, community superintendent for DODEA's schools in Kentucky (at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell).
While fall sports were a casualty of COVID-19 in 2020, DODEA schools in general weathered the pandemic rather well, superintendents at home and abroad said. And with the new year well underway, DODEA officials are optimistic they can carry on the success experienced during the worst months of the pandemic, when many DOD schools remained open for in-person learning, in contrast to most civilian schools.
Adams noted that some sports resumed in the spring and went smoothly, and that his Kentucky district is seeking to provide the most normal and positive learning environment that it possibly can.
"The entire DODEA community rose to meet this challenge during [school years] 2019-20 and 2020-21 with flexibility and determination," wrote DODEA Director Thomas Brady, in his message in the DODEA COVID-19 Operational Guidelines and Protocols for Schools, Version 7, released shortly before the school year began.
Brady said infection rates remained low throughout the pandemic for both students and staff.
"I remain incredibly grateful for all the effort put in last year by administrators and teachers and our partners in command, and parents, the students, to put in place and then maintain all the mitigation we had last year," said Adams. "It allowed us to stay in in-person schooling almost the entire year."
Adams said there were a few occasions that called for the closure of individual classrooms or an entire school for periods of quarantine.
"The low infection rates coupled with DoDEA's ability to provide uninterrupted instruction serve as evidence of the efficacy of this plan and of DoDEA's unwavering commitment to the total force and the warfighter's mission readiness," Brady wrote.
"To maximize in-person learning opportunities for all students, DoDEA will continue to implement multiple layers of prevention strategies."
Regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, DODEA, which includes schools for pre-K through grade 12, worked with the military in the spring to provide vaccine opportunities to all employees, including teachers, and Adams said a majority received it.
For students age 12 and over, districts have left that decision to parents, a policy that is still in place. Currently children 12 and older are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Access to vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 may be approved later this year.
Adams, who arrived at his job in Kentucky during the height of a national lockdown in July 2020, said he sees an "increased confidence" from his teachers and administrators on what to do in the new school year.
"We offered students a couple of options last year," he said. "In-person schooling with all our mitigation strategies in place to keep us safe, or they could also participate in a virtual school option. ... The majority of students came to school and by the end of the year it was the vast majority that were in-person."
Mitigation strategies varied across the DODEA school systems and included wearing masks, providing easy access to COVID testing and increased vigilance from school nursing teams.
Teachers were nimble, he said, adding that if a classroom had to be quarantined for a period, they "were amazing at immediately pivoting to remote learning for their students, so that students just picked right up a day or two later. We had to do that a few times last year."
For DODEA schools overseas, in-person schooling was the primary goal, but there were more frequent and periodic school closures influenced by the mandates of host nations.
"We had one small block of time when we were remote," said Jason Ter Horst, community superintendent of DODEA's Europe East district, based in Kaiserslautern, Germany and comprised of 32 schools in seven military communities.
"But honestly that was because the host nation, Germany in this case, put their schools in recess and we followed suit, despite the fact that our mitigation strategies seemed to be working really effectively," Ter Horst said.
Ter Horst said his district had outstanding support from DODEA headquarters in the region, and partners such as its local logistics teams, base commanders, and public health officials.
"We had very few incidents and we didn't have any that were necessarily proven to be school-transmitted, person-to-person," he said. "We felt our efforts were really robust and allowed us to maintain in-school, in-person learning."
That COVID-19 has disproportionately affected older people helped the mitigation efforts of schools, but new strains of the virus, including the Delta variant that is driving up hospitalizations and deaths around the world, has DODEA officials remaining on high alert. Going into the fall, Adams said in early August that his team was expecting and looking forward to the same effort and focus from the previous school year.
"We are also feeling confident that between the really good, up-to-date guidance we continue to get from DODEA and our military partners, that we're doing our mitigation correctly," he said.
An example of these strategies is a recent tabletop exercise at U.S. Army Garrison Daegu at Camp Walker in Korea. The USAG Daegu commander and the DODEA Pacific West District superintendent joined more than two dozen partners to consider steps required to respond safely and quickly to mitigate COVID-19 impacts to classroom learning.
The virus does continue to shutter classrooms, despite all the precautions. DODEA reported that new cases of COVID-19 were reported at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, in mid-September, resulting in the closure of 19 classrooms at six schools.
"It helps when everybody's on the team. Teachers, parents and kids were all adhering to the guidelines," said Ter Horst. "Last year, our military command had their public health team offer a meeting for our [school] nurses on a weekly basis to answer questions as they came up. They worked with our regional office on policy setting. The COVID environment has certainly taught us all how to be very flexible. We gather information, we make informed decisions on data, and I think we'll continue to do that this year."
DODEA operates 160 schools in eight districts, located in 11 foreign countries, seven states, and two U.S. territories, with a total enrollment of more than 60,000 students.
A connected family of laboratories across the MHS allows a more rapid response to the outbreak.
The third installment in a 6-part series highlighting the efforts of the Military Health System laboratories and the technicians who worked to identify COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.
This is the second article in a 6-part series that highlights the work of technicians and scientists in Military Health System laboratories who worked to identify COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.
Providing safe, excellent, quality care to patients takes incredible work and dedication - especially when it comes to women's health. Find out what's happening at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital that landed them a top spot on the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list.
"Tis the season, and respiratory illnesses are on the rise. Learn critical health guidance about the viral triple threat of COVID-19, influenza, and the common cold, and the commonsense steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.
The first in a 6-part series highlighting the work of technicians and scientists working in support of the MHS who identified COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.
When military facilities faced a national shortage of an essential mobility aid, they launched a grassroots initiative that not only ensured patient care, but also created a new waste reduction model within the DHA.
It's not too late to get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19.
A collaborative study between researchers at Naval Medical Research Center and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Princeton University has highlighted immune response differences in the coronavirus infection responses between male and female patients.
You may have heard of a virus called respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV. But do you know how serious it is and who is most at risk? Learn the signs, and how quickly RSV can put patients at risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and even death.
There are two vaccines you should consider getting this Fall, and now you can get them both at the same time.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic–when there were no vaccines, a shortage of health care workers, and hospitals were beyond capacity– the U.S. health care system needed help. Here's one of many ways the Department of Defense answered the call.
It's flu shot time. Get your COVID-19 booster at the same time.
As families return from summer vacation and students return to school, the influenza (flu) season is approaching while the COVID-19 pandemic is still on-going.
The 86th Medical Group is now offering the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, which has been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to members 18 years and older in the Kaiserslautern Military Community.
Health.mil News
The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense of non-U.S. Government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the Defense Health Agency may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for Department of Defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.


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Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Discovering artichokes... at least the frozen vartiety for now!
As the rice-shaped pasta tumbled around in the boiling water for this Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo recipe, we prepared a snazzy double-tomato sauce. A mixture of vegetable broth, sun-dried tomatoes, a plum tomato, a clove of garlic and fresh marjoram is processed in a food processor just until a few chunky bits remain - don't try and make the sauce too smooth. If you can't get a hold of that herb, you could substitute oregano, but just remember that marjoram is more mild and slightly sweeter.
A few chicken breasts are lightly seasoned and skillet-cooked in extra-virgin olive oil until golden and just cooked through. While they rest, the red sauce is heated up with a half cup being reserved to use at plating. The cooked orzo, artichoke hearts and threads of assertive Romano cheese are then stirred into the hot sauce. This dish is served by creating a bed of the orzo mixture, adding slices of the cooked chicken breast, spooning on some of the reserved sauce and finishing with a bit more sharp Romano cheese. The depth that the sun-dried tomatoes gave the sauce was quite captivating and delicious - as it was quite filling, we just had some simple roasted broccoli on the side to round out the meal. We used the frozen artichoke hearts called for, so now we just need to try preparing a dish with the fresh veggie sometime to check those out!
10 comments:
I'm from California where artichokes are abundant, and I grew up eating them. The frozen, canned, and jarred variety are really good for using in recipes. A whole fresh artichoke, on the other hand, is best eaten steamed with butter, mayonnaise or other sauce to dip the leaves and heart in. It is really time consuming to peel the artichoke, etc. to use in another dish. That must be why they invented the frozen and canned kind!ReplyDelete
What a wonderful meal! I haven't seen frozen artichoke hearts before. I'll have to search for them now. I've been patiently waiting for good artichokes to appear. I really need to find out when the best season is for them.ReplyDelete
Joe, check out the current issue of Eating Well for an incredible-looking stuffed artichoke recipe. It's on my ever-growing to-try list.ReplyDelete
Wow, I sure have met a plethora of people who live outside of California and have never had an artichoke. I think it's just one of those veggies that looks too strange to try for some people! We eat giant ones for dinner sometimes. My 6 year old even likes them! You'll have to experiment further... they can be quite delicious in so many things and by themselves too.ReplyDelete
Wow, I can't believe you've never eaten an artichoke before! Not even spinach-artichoke dip? I'm not sure that counts as a veggie, but still. :)ReplyDelete
Yes, definitely chech out the newest Eating Well. The "eggs benedict" made with artichoke bottoms was quite tasty.ReplyDelete
Check out the Turkey Alfredo Pizza from, Ckng Lght Dec 07. I added chopped artichoke hearts and procuitto to it and it became divine!
Thanks for the reivew of the Chicken, Sun-dried Tomato and Orzo dish. I've had my eye on that one and I think it's going to go on next weeks rotation.
Don't tell me that you never had artichokes before. I'm surprised with all of the great food that you prepare. It's never too late to try them. I like this combination for your meal. That would be something I would like.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3/06/2008 05:46:00 PM
I love artichokes! I tried them for the first time pretty recently too (in tapas actually) and they're just delicious.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3/06/2008 06:57:00 PM
Artichokes are my all time favorite food! I LOVE them! You have to try a nice fresh artichoke...I am excited for you now!ReplyDelete
Shawn - I've read that they can be a pain to work with, but worth it in the end.ReplyDelete
Patsyk - they are there, but not easy to spot!
KQV - Yep, it is on my list already!
Lori - I can't wait to try other recipes!
Jen - Nope, no dips with it either!
Kristin - This was on the same page as that one ;-)
Helene - Sorry, but it's true!
Hillary - I'll check it out!
Courtney - Yeah!


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PHILADELPHIA – Oliver Lauridsen and Danny Briere scored goals to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to 2-1 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Lauridsen scored his second career NHL goal on a slap shot high above the circle late in the third period to lift the Flyers to a win in their home finale. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
John Tavares scored for the playoff-bound Islanders. The Islanders are headed to the playoffs for the first time in six seasons and failed to earn a point for the first time in 12 games.
With playoff positioning still up for grabs, the Islanders dropped to eighth in the Eastern Conference after overtime wins by the Rangers and Senators.
The Islanders clinched an Eastern Conference playoff spot in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Hurricanes on Tuesday night.
The Islanders end the season on a five-game road trip and finish Friday at Buffalo.
As always, the Flyers had expectations of a deep playoff run. But injuries that decimated the defense and overall inconsistent play doomed the team in the lockout-shortened season.
This summer is shaping up to be a big offseason of change for the Flyers. The team has not won the Stanley Cup since 1975.
Coach Peter Laviolette is on the hot season and his return for a fifth season is in doubt. With a hefty $6.5 million salary cap hit and declining production, Briere knows the Flyers could use one of their amnesty buyouts on him.
One of the top playoff performers in franchise history, Briere was limited this season because of a broken wrist and concussion. His first goal in 20 games was met with a loud ovation from fans in what could have been his final one at home.
Brayden Schenn set up Briere's sixth goal of the season with a precision pass in the crease straight through defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky's legs. Briere easily got the puck past Kevin Poulin.
Tavares tied the game at 1-all just 1:37 into the second period on a tip-in for his 28th goal of the season. He was third in the NHL in goals entering Thursday night.
Lauridsen put the Flyers ahead with a hard shot that whipped over Poulin stick side shoulder.
Notes The Flyers selected their individual award winners: Jakub Voracek was picked the team MVP and most improved; Kimmo Timonen, top defenseman; Scott Harntell, class and character; Zac Rinaldo, most heart; Claude Giroux, most stars of the game. … The Islanders failed to outshoot a team for the first time in 11 games.


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Harris Corporation Receives $11 Million in Falcon Tactical Radio Orders to Help Counter Illicit Inte
Harris Corporation Receives $11 Million in Falcon Tactical Radio Orders to Help Counter Illicit International Drug Trafficking
Handheld tactical radios are part of international program to counter illicit-narcotics trafficking.
Interoperable voice and data communications enables close collaboration.
Broadens deployment of Harris solutions in support of international tactical radio modernization.
MELBOURNE, Fla. & ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Harris Corporation (NYS: HRS) , an international communications and information technology company, has received approximately $11 million in delivery orders to provide international partners of U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Northern Command with a range of Falcon tactical radio systems. The radios will be deployed to these partners as part of a U.S. government program for counter-narcotics and other illicit activity. The orders were received in the first quarter of Harris' 2013 fiscal year.
Harris is providing Falcon III® RF-7800S Secure Personal and RF-7800V Combat Net radios as well as Falcon II® RF-5800H High Frequency and RF-5800M Multiband radios. The radios will support collaboration and communications interoperability between U.S. and partner forces.
"Harris Falcon radios provide an international standard for interoperable communications that will enhance coordination and cooperation between U.S. forces and their partners,'' said Brendan O'Connell, president, international business, Harris RF Communications. "Our world-class solutions provide advanced situational awareness and command and control that will help address the very real problem of illicit trafficking.''
The orders are part of a four-year contract awarded by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command. Under the contract, certified Harris trainers and engineers will provide operator and maintenance support throughout the regions.
Product Background
The Falcon III® RF-7800S is a lightweight body-worn tactical radio that provides full-duplex voice and data communications over two kilometers and is optimized for maximum performance across highly variable environments.
The RF-7800V family covers the 30 MHz to 108 MHz frequency range and supports data rates up to 192 Kbps, making it the fastest combat net radio available today. The RF-7800V also provides time-critical battle management reports while delivering simultaneous networked voice and data communications to multiple users.
The Falcon II® RF-5800H-MP provides beyond line-of-sight voice and data communications. The RF-5800H delivers continuous coverage in the 1.6 to 60 MHz frequency band, enabling the warfighter to stay connected even in the harshest conditions when line-of-sight communications are not an option.
The RF-5800M-HH is an advanced multiband, multi-mission handheld radio for voice and data communications in the 30 MHz to 512 MHz frequency range.
Harris RF Communications is the leading global supplier of secure radio communications and embedded high-grade encryption solutions for military, government and commercial organizations. The company's Falcon® family of software-defined tactical radio systems encompasses manpack, handheld and vehicular applications. Falcon III is the next generation of radios supporting the U.S. military's Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) requirements, as well as network-centric operations worldwide. Harris RF Communications is also a leading supplier of assured communications® systems and equipment for public safety, utility and transportation markets — with products ranging from the most advanced IP voice and data networks to portable and mobile single- and multiband radios.
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 125 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5.5 billion of annual revenue and about 15,000 employees—including 6,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at harris.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Such statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements about the expected value of the program to Harris are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Harris disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Harris Corporation
Ben Rand, 585-241-8187
RF Communications
Jim Burke, 321-727-9131
Corporate Headquarters
KEYWORDS: United States North America Florida New York
The article Harris Corporation Receives $11 Million in Falcon Tactical Radio Orders to Help Counter Illicit International Drug Trafficking originally appeared on Fool.com.
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By Newsleuth
"This Man – known TERRORIST, known MURDERER, ANTI-AMERICAN is honored with a road sign in Charlotte County, Virginia"
Distributed from the air by Christian Action Network.
What's in a name. When Pakistani Daood Gilani changed his name to David Coleman Headley he wanted a name that would disguise his real self, his real motives and his real calling to destroy and kill innocent people. A name that would make him seem to be a nice Jewish guy who was interested in his Jewish heritage and religion.
The reality is that Jews were his target. He plotted to kill Jews and pretended to be a Jew to infiltrate and destroy Jews. To kill them because they were Jews.
I am curious about Headley's real name, Gilani. The head of an Islamic group, Jamaat ul Fuqra, that is right here in the United States, is another Pakistani named Gilani, Sheikh Mubarek Ali Gilani, who heads his operations from Pakistan and shares the Gilani name with Daood Gilani aka David Coleman Headley.


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Skulls of the Targaryen dragons
The skulls of the Targaryen dragons are stored in the cellars of the Red Keep.[1] Prior to Robert's Rebellion, House Targaryen decorated the walls of the throne room with the skulls of their dragons.
After the fall of House Targaryen, King Robert I Baratheon replaced the dragon skulls with banners and tapestries.[2] The skulls were stored in a dank cellar in the Red Keep where they remain.[3]
There are nineteen skulls of various sizes. Some of the skulls have been identified but the identity of most of the dragon skulls are unknown. It is possible that some of the dragon skulls may have been brought to Westeros by the Targaryens when they fled Valyria prior to the Doom. George R. R. Martin has said that there were once dragons all over,[4] so it is possible some skulls could have originated from Westeros.
Known Dragon Skulls
- Balerion's skull – the largest skull of the nineteen[5]
- Vhagar's skull[5]
- Meraxes's skull[5]
- skulls belonging to the last two hatchlings born on Dragonstone, no bigger than a mastiff dog's skull, possibly including that of the last dragon[5]
- an unidentified skull over three thousand years old[5]
- possibly Meleys, since her head was taken to King's Landing after her death[6]
- possibly Arrax's skull, as his head and neck washed up beneath the cliffs below Storm's End[6]
- possibly Caraxes's skull, as the dragon died in front of the walls of Harrenhal[6]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
On the way to the Wall Tyrion Lannister remembers seeking out the dragon skulls in King's Landing the first time he was there. He recalls having a torch with him when he discovered the skulls and having the sensation that they seemed to like it when he put his torch to them. There were three skulls much larger than the others, the ones that belonged to Vhagar, Meraxes and Balerion.[5]
Arya Stark ends up lost in a dark cellar in the Red Keep, and in the gloom she finds the dragon skulls all around her. Initially she is afraid, but she soon overcomes her fear and makes her way over to touch one of the monsters. She can tell it is bone and that it is dead, but has a feeling that it knows she is there and that it does not love her.[3]
A Clash of Kings
In Qarth Daenerys Targaryen sees the dragon skulls in the Red Keep's throne room in one of her visions in the House of the Undying.[7]
A Storm of Swords
Arstan Whitebeard tells Daenerys Targaryen that he served for a time in King's Landing and walked beneath the dragon skulls that looked down from the walls of King Aerys II Targaryen's throne room. Dany tells him that her brother Viserys talked about those skulls. She tells Arstan that Robert I Baratheon took them down and hid them away, as he could not bear them looking down on him upon his stolen throne.[8]
Tyrion Lannister and Shae rendezvous in the cellar amongst the dragon skulls.[1]
I rode the length of the hall in silence, between the long rows of dragon skulls. It felt as though they were watching me, somehow.[9]—Eddard Stark, recalling entering the throne room, finding Jaime Lannister seated on the Iron Throne and Aerys II Targaryen dead
Finally a great pair of bronze doors appeared to her left, grander than the rest. They swung open as she neared, and she had to stop and look. Beyond loomed a cavernous stone hall, the largest she had ever seen. The skulls of dead dragons looked down from its walls.[7]—Daenerys Targaryen sees the dragon skulls in one of her visions in the House of the Undying
Beneath the empty eyes of the skulls, Jaime hauled the last dragon king bodily off the steps.[10]—thoughts of Jaime Lannister
A vague light was leaking through the row of long narrow windows set high in the cellar wall. The skulls of the Targaryen dragons were emerging from the darkness around them, black amidst grey.[1]—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 58, Tyrion VII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 13, Tyrion II, p 121.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 32, Arya III.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: Dragons in Westeros (December 11, 1999)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 13, Tyrion II.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Princess and the Queen.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 48, Daenerys IV.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 8, Daenerys I.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 12, Daenerys I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 11, Jaime II.


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The Sorcerer lived like a well-to-do scholar. He said:
"You admit with credulity and abhorrence the reality of the infernal art of magic, which is able to control the eternal order of the planets and the voluntary operations of the human mind. You dread the mysterious power of spells and incantations, of potent herbs, and execrable rites; which can extinguish or recall life, inflame passions of the soul, blast the works of creation, and extort from the demons the secrets of futurity. You believe, with the wildest inconsistency, that this preternatural dominion of the air, of earth, and of hell, is exercised from the vilest motives of malice or gain, by some wrinkled hags and itinerant sorcerers, who pass their obscure lives in penury and contempt. The arts of magic are equally condemned by public opinion and the law; but, as they tend to gratify the most imperious passions of the heart of man, they are continually proscribed and continually practiced."
"An imaginary cause is capable of producing the most serious and mischievous effects. The dark predictions of the death of an emperor, or the success of a conspiracy, are calculated only to stimulate the hopes of ambition and to dissolve the ties of fidelity; and the intentional guilt of magic is aggravated by the actual crimes of treason and sacrilege."
"Antiochians claim Chrestos was invented there, and they content themselves with disobeying the moral precepts, but they were scrupulously attached to the speculative doctrines of their religion."
So said the Sorcerer on that occasion.
They called you heretic, mad, megalomaniac, monotheist,
And you were probably all of those,
And perhaps a hermaphrodite, or a woman,
And you married your sister, daughter, mother,
And had an affair with your son.
You set up your own city in the friendless desert,
And gathered together friends and families,
Commoners as queens, Hebiru as bureaucrats,
Raised temples and children, palaces and stele,
To mark your City of the Sun.
The old priests said you were evil, cursed by the gods,
When you closed their doors and temples,
Took away their goods and pride,
And canceled their services "forever,"
To be replaced by the one true One.
It took time for the people to feel the old gods' wrath,
Their old priests had to wait many poisoned years,
While your Aten-god sun-disk grew remote,
And lost the hearts of your bewildered people,
Who looked for one true god and found none.
Would you still stand, if the old priests had let you be?
Probably not, heretic pharaoh Akhenaten,
With your hymns of praise to the Aten,
With your golden god of love, blinding you
With a power too great for your simple human mind.
For gods are renewable, replaceable, and to be forgotten,
Trooping in their legion down the corridors of time,
Leading the way to salvation or perdition,
They're really all the same in endless ordinary lives,
Amused by the heretic's deepest, most ordinary crimes.
I have always had this desire to reach out and grab a person and shake the living bejazzus out of him or her, and yell, "What the hell's the matter with ya, fer chris'sakes? Are you nuts? Wake up, for gawd's sake! Wake up, dammit!"
Just like that, with all the histrionic emphasis and shouting.
When I have their attention, and they're scared witless, I will say, "Sorry to bother you. I got a little excited." And walk away.


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Huffington Post, April 9, 2012 by Bridget Murphy
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Taunts of "baby killer" and "butcher" still echo in Bill Baird's ears, nearly five decades after he began fighting for birth control and abortion rights.
Now 79, the Massachusetts man says a Georgetown University law student's recent verbal bashing on a national radio show is evidence that rights he equates with liberty and equality are in jeopardy.
"There will always be those who will try to deny us our freedoms," Baird wrote in a letter to student Sandra Fluke, who testified to Congress about birth control. "As you have seen, it takes eternal vigilance to fight against those forces."
Baird's own fight started grabbing headlines around April 1967.
Vice squad cops arrested him after he gave contraceptive foam to a student during a Boston University lecture. He left the lecture in handcuffs, an arrest he spoke about last week as he marked the 45th anniversary of it.
Baird told about a dozen Democrats inside a stately home across the Charles River how Boston police helped advance his plan that day – how giving contraception to an unmarried 19-year-old coed set up a constitutional challenge that propelled his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. It led to the court's 1972 decision that gave unmarried people the same rights to birth control as married people.
But he also described how activism came at a personal price. Baird said it cost him a marriage and the trust of most of his children. It also left him with little income.
The lecturer who once netted $3,000 a speech said he poured the money into court cases, and running clinics that gave abortions to poor women.
Baird said he dodged bullets. Survived a firebombing at one of his suburban New York abortion clinics. Endured death threats.
"My mail runs a hundred to one: people praying for my death," he said.
In 1979, his name was on a different Supreme Court decision that gave minors the right to abortions without parental consent.
As a recent cancer survivor, Baird thinks about his mortality. He fears that when he's gone, his life's work will be forgotten.
Baird says some people also have called him the devil because of his pro-abortion rights work.
His crusade started in 1963, when a woman who tried to give herself an abortion with a coat hanger died in his arms in a New York City hospital. He was clinical director for a contraception company at the time.
Baird says he opened the country's first abortion counseling center a year later. The facility on Long Island, N.Y., referred women to physicians who would perform then-illegal abortions. Later, Baird operated two clinics on Long Island and another in Boston where women could go for legal abortions.
He often pitted himself against Catholic Church leaders who preached an anti-abortion message.
In 1979, he sued to try to stop a public church service by Pope John Paul II in Boston. In 1985, a Catholic bishop led 3,000 people in a protest at one of Baird's New York clinics.
Baird claims some feminists and pro-abortion rights forces have tried to discredit him or downplay his contributions.
"There were very few men who came out and championed the women's movement," said Joyce Berkman, a history professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. "And to have him champion their sexuality was suspicious."
Baird totes around a portfolio of old press clippings, meant to convince listeners that the things he talks about really happened. He talks frequently of his arrests in five states. He also likes to display a copy of a pamphlet he says shows that unlike him, Planned Parenthood opposed abortion in the early 1960s.
But both supporters and opponents say Baird already has a place in history.
The Rev. Frank Pavone, who heads the anti-abortion organization Priests for Life, said he and Baird became friends after years of meeting at Right to Life conventions. Baird pickets the events.
"If you can break the law peacefully to advance a cause, both he and I believe in that," Pavone said.
Officials from Planned Parenthood Federation of America in New York declined an interview request, but they said in a statement that Baird's 1972 Supreme Court win was "a cultural landmark that has impacted generations of Americans."
Massachusetts lawyer Thomas Eisenstadt called Baird a "trailblazer." He is the man whose name is on the other side of the 1972 decision, known as Eisenstadt vs. Baird.
Then Suffolk County sheriff, Eisenstadt was Baird's jailer when the activist spent 36 days in Boston's old Charles Street Jail after the conviction that followed his Boston University arrest. He said Baird had a knack for attracting publicity.
"As he was leaving the jail he said: `Stick with me sheriff. You'll get a lot of TV coverage.'"
A couple of hours before his Cambridge lecture last week, Baird went back to the old Charles Street Jail. The once-squalid facility reopened as a luxury hotel in 2007.
Baird said his memories of rats and lice, of a blood-stained mattress, of screams echoing among the granite cells, still unnerve him.
He posed for photos by the bars of an old cell, when a stranger who walked by tried to joke with him – before Baird quipped he'd actually once been an inmate.
"Wow," the man said then, "there's a prisoner here."
Later, Baird's words left an impression with the clot of Democrats who heard him talk.
"He's so right … We forget history and what people like Mr. Baird have accomplished," Cambridge resident John Roughan said.
But Baird said he's determined to make sure what he fought for isn't lost.
"I will never give up," he told his audience. "I believe that women and women alone must be free to make these choices."
There were no handcuffs this time when his lecture ended.


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Mars, Maya and God particles: Science rocked in 2012
- Mars rover lands flawlessly, continues to explore its crater
- Higgs boson research examines a fundamental particle in physics
- CERN lab experiments didn't trigger the black holes some feared
Archaeologists sure must be feeling grateful that the Maya doomsday didn't arrive on Friday after all. Man, wouldn't they have felt silly if the world had ended?
I guess it is just as well. Archaeologists aren't the only scientists with reasons to be grateful as 2012 comes to a close.
The year has brought a bevy of advances, from a sterling success of a brand-new Mars rover roaming the Red Planet to detection of something that looks a lot like the long-awaited Higgs boson, better known as the "God particle," at CERN's Swiss high-energy physics lab.
The Higgs boson, says Science magazine editor Robert Coontz, is like "the keystone of the arch" in physics, in an interview his magazine released to celebrate its top 10 list of science discoveries this week. Science named the detection, announced on July 4 at CERN, as its top discovery of the year.
"The discovery wasn't so much a surprise, as a relief," Coontz added, since physicists had wagered about $5.5 billion on building a huge particle collider experiment under the Swiss border with France to find the Higgs boson.
(For perspective, that's a bit over half of what banking's JPMorgan Chase,blew on London credit derivative wagers this year.) The particle interacts with others, such as the electrons swarming around atoms, to provide them with their mass in the standard model of particle physics, which explains phenomena such as electromagnetism and radioactivity, but not gravity.
Incidentally, the CERN lab was another thing that some folks had feared would end the world this year, by spawning black holes, but since it shut down already for the year, I guess we all can feel even more doomsday-averted relief on that score, too.
Science went on to celebrate other successes, such as the recovery of DNA from ancient "Denisovans," archaic humans who lived in Asia as recently as 74,000 years ago and seem to have contributed genes to modern people. Another advance was in genetic engineering technologies, with growing use in labs of "TALENs" proteins. DNA has a variety of biological mechanisms built into cells to repair genetic damage, and these TALENs proteins trigger this repair machinery to modify targeted genes. The technology can create cells or animals, such as a pig seen as a model for heart disease, to help out in biomedical research.
Mars, and NASA's $2.5 billion Curiosity rover, also made the list, not so surprisingly. Curiosity has already uncovered evidence of flowing water once rushing over the floor of its crater landing site. The rover has performed flawlessly as it heads toward next year's excavation of clay that may deliver evidence of chemistry friendly to life once residing on the Martian surface. Most important, says NASA's science chief John Grunsfeld, the rover's almost-flawless landing proves that humanity can deliver a 1-ton rolling chemistry lab to another planet, not too shabby for a species that apparently spends a lot of time worrying about botched doomsday prophecies.
We'll see how Curiosity works out next year, which in truth, is how it goes in most scientific endeavors, notes science analyst David Pendlebury of information firm Thomson Reuters. "The flipping of a page on the calendar has little to do with progress in science, I think," Pendlebury says. "There needs to be some reasonable time frame for assessing significant changes or new developments."
Looking at which scientific papers ended up most cited by other scientists from 2012 (which does tend to favor papers published earlier in the year), Pendlebury finds the Higgs boson result at the top of the list, just like Science magazine. But some other results unnoticed by Science, or by its competitor Nature, in its yearly roundup, also rang up big notice among scientists.
Among them, a New England Journal of Medicine study led by Charles Swanton of the London Research Institute that suggested wide variations in genetic mutations found inside tumors across common types of cancer might thwart promising "personalized" approaches to medicine. The genes prompting cancer in one part of a tumor might not be the ones that do this in another part of the same tumor, the study showed. Medicines tuned to the wrong genes might fail to slow cancersas a result. Published in March, the result has already been cited 128 times in Thomson Reuters' "Web of Science" study registry.
Another study that attracted a lot of interest from scientists was on "tandem" plastic solar cells that yielded a world-record 8.6% efficiency in converting sunlight into electricity, reported in the journal Nature Photonics, by UCLA's Yang Yang. Also published in March, the paper has already been cited in 93 other scientific papers. "Papers with these many citations are already standouts, clearly, even though the year isn't over," Pendlebury says.
Not every scientist was a winner this year, as Nature's Richard van Noorden noted this week. "Arguments raged over whether information about a potentially dangerous flu virus should be published, for example, and funders, publishers and researchers discussed how to make raw data — as well as peer-reviewed research — more openly available," he wrote in his journal's year-end wrap-up. "Meanwhile, high-profile cases of dubious or fraudulent results offered a reminder that above all else, findings need to be trustworthy."
This may be the year that science fraud went from being seen as an occasional nuisance to a chronic, festering problem in the scientific enterprise, as Nature editor Colin Macilwain noted in an August editorial. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences is expected to issue a report in 2013 calling for widespread reform of how science is policed for fabrication, falsification or plagiarism. The astonishing case of Dutch psychologist Diederik Stapel, seen as making up data in 55 studies and book chapters, according to a Tilburg University report, has rocked the world of experimental psychology, for example.
Finally, funding has been hanging heavy over science, like much else funded by taxpayers, this year. European budget talks collapsed this year on science funding amid the continent's fight over rescuing nations such as Greece and Spain. And U.S. planetary scientists held a bake sale to dramatize cuts to NASA's budgets, even without the looming sequestration cuts contemplated in Washington's "fiscal cliff" fight.
Despite the worries, at least the world didn't end, as some had predicted based on erroneous interpretations of the ancient Maya calendar. And we do have science to look forward to from Mars, and undoubtedly elsewhere in the new year. "You never know what you are going to find; that's what's nice about science," Coontz observed in his commentary on 2012.
Happy holidays, folks, and here's hoping 2013 brings us all more news from the world of science.


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Now showing items 1-2 of 2
Woolly Apple Aphid
(New York State IPM Program, 1988)
The woolly apple aphid (WAA), reportedly native to North America, occurs in most apple-growing areas of the world. The WAA feeds mainly on apple, but can also be found on pear, quince, mountain ash, hawthorn, and cotoneaster. ...
Oriental Fruit Moth
(New York State IPM Program, 1988)
The Oriental fruit moth (OFM), native to China, was introduced to the United States from Japan about 1913 on infested nursery stock. The OFM is now found in all regions of North America where peaches are grown. Although ...


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Stocks rise as Nasdaq advances to 12-year high
- Dow%2C S%26P 500 and Nasdaq rising in morning trading
- U.S. markets closed Monday for Presidents%27 Day
- Benchmark European markets up more than 1%25
Stocks rose Tuesday as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes set records while the Dow industrials continued to flirt with breaking an all-time record close of 14,164.63, set in October 2007.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 53.91 points to 14,035.67. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 11.15 points to 1,530.94.
The S&P 500 rose to its highest level in five years, on optimism over dealmaking and data showing rising investor confidence in Germany. The tech-laden Nasdaq composite index rose 21.56 points to a 12-year high of 3,213.59.
Shares of Internet giant Google (GOOG) jumped to an all-time high of $806.84.
In other tech stock trading, PC maker Dell reported results after the market closed, posting revenue of $14.3 billion and earnings per share of 40 cents, topping analysts' expectations.
PORTFOLIO:Get real-time stock quotes free with USA TODAY's tracker
Shares of Office Depot (ODP) and OfficeMax (OMX) surged Tuesday after published reports the two office supply retailers are in talks to merge the companies in an all-stock deal. Office Depot rose 9% after being up as much as 20% earlier. Office Max shares rose 20% after trading up as much as 30% earlier.
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note was flat at 2%, while the price of gold fell 0.3% to $1,604.30 per ounce.
In currency trading, the euro was higher against the dollar at 1.339, while the dollar fell 0.5% to $93.53 against the Japanese yen.
U.S. markets were closed on Monday to observe Presidents' Day. On Friday, the Dow rose 8.37 points to close at 13,981.76, the S&P 500 shed 1.59 points to close at 1,519.79 and the Nasdaq composite fell 6.63 points to 3,192.03.
In European trading Tuesday, benchmark indexes in London, Paris and Frankfort ended higher a day after German economic data showed the continent's largest economy is avoiding recession despite severe slowdowns in most of the 17 nations that use the euro.
Britain's FTSE 100 ended up 1% at 6,379.07, while Germany's DAX 30 finished up 1.6% at 7,752.45. France's CAC 40 closed up 1.9% at 3,735.82.
Asia markets on Tuesday displayed little enthusiasm. In Japan, investors went for profits following Monday's strong rally. The Nikkei 225 index closed down 0.3% to 11,372.34. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index finished down 1% to 23,143.91. South Korea's Kospi ended flat at 1,981.91. China's SSE index closed down 1.6% to 2,382.91.
The price of crude oil was lower after the head of the European Central Bank described the economic outlook of the 17 countries that use the euro as weak in the near term.
Benchmark crude for March delivery was up 80 cents to $96.66 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.45 to finish at $95.86 a barrel on the Nymex on Friday.
Contributing: USA TODAY's Kim Hjelmgaard; Associated Press


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This post's a bit late, but it's been a busy weekend and I've not had chance to sit down and write. So here's my Sunday Sevens devised by Natalie at Threads and bobbins.
Walking the Dog:
The highlight of the week has been walks with Riley.
Today we visited Sefton Park in all kinds of weather. While the daffodils bent their heads in the wind we jogged and walked in the snow, sleet, hail and rain! We had fun though and added three miles to my annual mileage.
This week I managed 35 miles, bringing my total to 108 miles! I also ordered the 2018 badge. If you are partaking in the challenge, how are you doing?
I have recently been enjoying the BBC 2 programme A House Through Time. Presented by David Olusoga, featuring a house in Faulkner Street, Liverpool. The programme is in four parts and follows the lives of the people who lived in the four storey house.
A Year in Books:
I am currently reading Tom Hank's Uncommon Type, a collection of short stories with a typewriter mentioned in every one. David informed me that Hanks collects typewriters hence the love for them in this collection of stories. Have you read the book? What were your thoughts?
Night Out:
On Thursday David and I took a trip to the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. The orchestra performed a varied programme. The low point was a premier of Stephen Pratt's Symphonies of Tide and Time, which sounded discordant and seemed to have no theme whatsoever. Lithuanian violinist Julian Rachlin performed Brahms' Violin Concerto enthusiastically, while the high point of the night was Elgar's Enigma Variations. It was lovely to hear Nimrod played poignantly and variations 11 and 12 were both fun and melancholic respectively.
Classic FM Hall of Fame:
It's that time of year again, when voting is open for Classic FM's Hall of Fame. This year I voted for:
- Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony
- Elgar's Enigma Variations
- Massenet's Meditation from Thais
Even though we are in the midst of winter I am looking for signs of spring. I have not seen snowdrops yet, but I have seen daffodils and willows showing their catkins. Have you seen any signs of spring where you are?
That was my week, how was yours?
Thanks for reading,
Christine x


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Epilepsy or Seizure Disorder is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures (convulsions) over time. Seizures are episodes of disturbed brain activity that cause changes in attention or behavior.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Epilepsy occurs when permanent changes in brain tissue cause the brain to be too excitable or jumpy. The brain sends out abnormal signals. This results in repeated, unpredictable seizures. (A single seizure that does not happen again is not epilepsy.)
Epilepsy may be due to a medical condition (like multiple sclerosis) or injury that affects the brain, or the cause may be unknown (idiopathic).
Common causes of epilepsy include:
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- Dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease
- Traumatic brain injury
- Infections, including brain abscess, meningitis, encephalitis, and AIDS
- Brain problems that are present at birth (congenital brain defect)
- Brain injury that occurs during or near birth
- Metabolism disorders that a child may be born with (such as phenylketonuria)
- Brain tumor
- Abnormal blood vessels in the brain
- Other illness that damage or destroy brain tissue
Epilepsy seizures usually begin between ages 5 and 20, but they can happen at any age. There may be a family history of seizures or epilepsy.
Symptoms vary from person to person. Some people may have simple staring spells, while others have violent shaking and loss of alertness. The type of seizure depends on the part of the brain affected and cause of epilepsy.
Most of the time, the seizure is similar to the previous one. Some people with epilepsy have a strange sensation (such as tingling, smelling an odor that isn't actually there, or emotional changes) before each seizure. This is called an aura.
For a detailed description of the symptoms associated with a specific type of seizure, see:
Signs and tests
The doctor will perform a physical exam, which will include a detailed look at the brain and nervous system.
An EEG (electroencephalogram) will be done to check the electrical activity in the brain. People with epilepsy will often have abnormal electrical activity seen on this test. In some cases, the test may show the area in the brain where the seizures start. The brain may appear normal after a seizure or between seizures.
In late July of 2008, I was hooked up to an EEG monitor for 7 of the 12 days I was hospitalized. Wearing the gauze-and-electrode-football-helmet-of-doom was no fun, but I got some funny pictures and a solid diagnosis out of it!
To diagnose epilepsy or plan for epilepsy surgery:
- You may need to wear an EEG recorder for days or weeks while you go about your everyday life.
- You may need to stay in a special hospital where brain activity can be be watched on video cameras. This is called video EEG. That's what I did! Thankfully, no surgery for me!
Tests that may be done include:
- Blood chemistry
- Blood sugar
- CBC (complete blood count)
- Kidney function tests
- Liver function tests
- Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) I did one of those to verify my MS in 2006!
- Tests for infectious diseases
- Head CT or MRI scan often done to find the cause and location of the problem in the brain. And those are old hat! I get an MRI every year.
Treatment for epilepsy may involve surgery or medication.
If epilepsy seizures are due to a tumor, abnormal blood vessels, or bleeding in the brain, surgery to treat these disorders may make the seizures stop.
Medication to prevent seizures, called anticonvulsants, may reduce the number of future seizures.
- These drugs are taken by mouth. Which type you are prescribed depends on the type of seizures you have.
- Your dosage may need to be changed from time to time. You may need regular blood tests to check for side effects.
- Always take your medication on time and as directed. Missing a dose can cause you to have a seizure. Never not stop taking or change medications without talking to your doctor first.
- Many epilepsy medications cause birth defects. Women wishing to become pregnant should tell the doctor in advance in order to adjust medications.
Epilepsy that does not get better after two or three anti-seizure drugs have been tried is called "medically refractory epilepsy."
- Surgery to remove the abnormal brain cells causing the seizures may be helpful for some patients.
- Surgery to place a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) may be recommended. This device is similiar to a heart pacemaker. It can help reduce the number of seizures.
Sometimes, children are placed on a special diet to help prevent seizures. The most popular one is the ketogenic diet. A diet low in carbohydrates, such as the Atkins diet, may also be helpful in some adults.
Lifestyle or medical changes can increase the risk for a seizure in a person with epilepsy. Talk with your doctor about:
- New prescribed medications, vitamins, or supplements
- Emotional stress
- Illness, especially infection
- Lack of sleep
- Pregnancy
- Skipping doses of epilepsy medications
- Use of alcohol or other recreational drugs
Other considerations:
- Persons with epilepsy should wear medical alert jewelry so that prompt medical treatment can be obtained if a seizure occurs.
- Persons with poorly controlled epilepsy should not drive. Each state has a different law about which people with a history of seizures are allowed to drive.
- Also avoid machinery or activities where loss of awareness would cause great danger, such as climbing to high places, biking, and swimming alone.
Support Groups
The stress caused by having epilepsy (or being a caretaker of someone with epilepsy) can often be helped by joining a support group. In these groups, members share common experiences and problems.
Expectations (prognosis)
Some people with epilepsy may be able to reduce or even stop their anti-seizure medicines after having no seizures for several years. Certain types of childhood epilepsy go away or improve with age, usually in the late teens or 20s.
For many people, epilepsy is a lifelong condition. In these cases, the anti-seizure drugs need to be continued. There is a very low risk of sudden death with epilepsy. However, serious injury can occur if a seizure occurs during driving or when operating equipment.
- Difficulty learning
- Breathing in food or saliva into the lungs during a seizure, which can cause aspiration pneumonia
- Injury from falls, bumps, self-inflicted bites, driving or operating machinery during a seizure
- Permanent brain damage (stroke or other damage)
- Side effects of medications
Calling your health care provider
Call your local emergency number (such as 911) if:
- This is the first time a person has had a seizure
- A seizure occurs in someone who is not wearing a medical ID bracelet (which has instructions explaining what to do)
In the case of someone who has had seizures before, call 911 for any of these emergency situations:
- This is a longer seizure than the person normally has, or an unusual number of seizures for the person
- Repeated seizures over a few minutes
- Repeated seizures where consciousness or normal behavior is not regained between them (status epilepticus)
Call your health care provider if any new symptoms occur, including possible side effects of medications (drowsiness, restlessness, confusion, sedation, or others), nausea or vomiting, rash, loss of hair, tremors or abnormal movements, or problems with coordination.
Generally, there is no known way to prevent epilepsy. However, proper diet and sleep, and staying away from illegal drugs and alcohol, may decrease the likelihood of triggering seizures in people with epilepsy.
Reduce the risk of head injury by wearing helmets during risky activities; this can help lessen the chance of developing epilepsy.
Persons with uncontrolled seizures should not drive. Each state has a different law that determines which people with a history of seizures are allowed to drive. If you have uncontrolled seizures, you should also avoid activities where loss of awareness would cause great danger, such as climbing to high places, biking, and swimming alone.


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Sometimes traveling means different things. This week was a rather rough and tumble Continue reading
Sometimes traveling means different things. This week was a rather rough and tumble Continue reading
I recently went to the doctor and was diagnosed with having a swollen brain. She said I needed immediate surgery to reduce the pressure. I said, "Okay", I was all for a little pressure release valve or a brain drain. They shaved my head and strapped me in, down and around. The only things left movable were my eyes and just to irk me they stuck a mirror in front of those. With a little laser pointer the doctor showed me the ridge on which (x) marked the planned drill site. My skull was a multicolored globe stuck full of probes and wires. I looked like an angry Medusa. I was also surrounded by a dozen or so little TV screens on which I could see and hear myself think. Did you know that swear words have a different frequency than thinking of ice cream? They do. They sound similar to a car with bad valves. They got me a dirty look from the anesthesiologist.
What I hate the most about anesthesia is that when they put me under I don't think coherently or dream. It is not exactly a blind nothingness because I could sense a dull pressure and discern a sound like rasping sandpaper. It felt as if I were swollen all over and I had contracted a new disease called brainspread. I wasn't being drained, but buttered. Then I had to puke but nothing worked. I had no puke muscles. It was weird, but I didn't feel bodied or disembodied. Where the hell did I go? Purgatory?
That's about the time you start to come out of it. I felt thankful and not thankful at all. My brain was completely and utterly numbfounded. Even though I couldn't puke I had a need to regurgitate my every thought because I couldn't talk. My tongue was glued down. My eyelids wouldn't move out of the way of my orbs or maybe they cut the wrong nerve and I was blind. I didn't want to be blind. I felt like I wanted to panic, but I couldn't do that either. I couldn't find my panic button. They had unhooked my brain and I didn't have a conduit to my body. Maybe they had stollen my brain. I was pretty intelligent, but then again I was also a smart ass. I wouldn't put it past them to usurp my brain for ulterior motives. Or maybe I was just dead.
When the first wave of pain hit me I was certain I wasn't dead. After the fifth or sixth one, I wanted to be. My whole head felt like a massive toothache. I was suffering from a bad brain abscess. I had agreed to the damn operation at the outset because I needed my brain reduced not enlarged. Maybe that was the reason I couldn't see, my eyeballs had popped out of their sockets. On top of all that, there was some cocksucker screaming at the top of his lungs. I wanted to shove a suck in his mouth. That was when something clicked inside my battered head. I closed my mouth. The screams stopped. My eyelids finally popped open.
There was a small table beside the bed with my laptop on it. Beside it sat a pitcher of water with ice cube remnants and a green plastic cup. It dawned on me just how utterly thirsty I was. My throat was parched and sore from all the screaming. I sat up. I was expecting nausea and pain but I felt nothing but the usual tingle behind my right ear. I was going to be okay after all. I had simply had a nasty nightmare.
I poured a glass of water and soothed my parched tongue. I lifted the USB cable that was attached to my laptop and plugged it into the USB port behind my right ear. The tingling stopped. I hit download and went back to sleep.
Richard Rensberry, Author at QuickTurtle Books®


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I am delighted to welcome back Nicola as chair of the RNA.
What can the organisation offer romance writers in 2018?
'The RNA is the professional organisation that supports and promotes romantic fiction in the UK. Membership of the RNA offers authors the chance to strengthen their career through developing their craft at our workshops and conferences and to build a network with other authors who understand the challenges we face and can offer advice and support. We are also building strong links with the industry and our events give authors the chance to meet a wide range of agents, publishers, booksellers, librarians and other professionals.'
That seems to present a broad spectrum of activities and opportunities to support your members.
'In addition, members receive Romance Matters, our quarterly journal covering all aspects of writing romantic fiction from the craft to industry issues, discounted tickets to all our events and the opportunity to join regional groups. So the benefits are both professional and social.'
Nicola stresses that although the emphasis is on the professional advice, events and networking a friendly and welcoming atmosphere is nurtured. So how does a writer become a member?
'The RNA welcomes traditionally and independently published authors. Membership is in different bands: A full or independent Author Member is currently £50 (£57 for non EU based) and £60 for Associate Members (£67 for non EU based). All the details can be found online at or by contacting the membership secretary, Gill Stewart, on email@example.com.
The organisation also welcomes and encourages as yet unpublished writers into its ranks. The New Writers' Scheme is unique as Nicola explains.
'We're very proud of the New Writers' Scheme (NWS), which provides the opportunity for aspiring authors to submit a manuscript for critique by an experienced writer in the genre. Not only is it a great way for new writers to improve their craft, it also gives encouragement and support. As the RNA has close links with publishers and agents the NWS can provide a route for them to make those connections. Unsurprisingly it is hugely popular and each year a number of NWS members go on to achieve publishing contracts.'
The scheme is open to writers interested in submitting an unpublished romantic novel (or partial) and this year the membership fee cost was £135 (£145 for members outside the EU). This also allows unpublished authors to take part in all RNA activities as well as submitting a manuscript of a full-length novel for appraisal. More details are available by email to: firstname.lastname@example.com There is a cap on the number of submissions that can be accepted each year and acceptance into the scheme is therefore on a 'first come first served' basis. The entry slot for submissions closes at the end of August each year.
Today's publishing environment seems to be becoming more challenging, but Nicola is very optimistic about the present market for the romance genre.
'I think the romantic fiction genre is changing all the time to reflect both modern life and the changing publishing world. The genre is a broad one. You can find strong romantic elements in many different sorts of novels where people are writing about relationships, whether this is contemporary fiction or epic historicals or books for young adults. Our membership reflects all of these different threads. We also see the books reflecting the concerns of contemporary society, whether it is issues such as work life balance, infidelity or health. The recent return to popularity of Gothic romance perhaps reflects the idea that spooky stories resonate in uncertain times. And of course romantic fiction also continues to provide its readership with the wonderful feel-good stories that readers love.'
Looking forward, I asked Niocla if she thought that the scope for romantic fiction will narrow as lines in the market place are redefined, or do she saw it flourishing as it has done in the past?
'I see a lot in the press about how the genre is being more and more tightly defined and categorised into sub-genres, but actually at the genre level, in the UK at least, I see it continuing to broaden out. There are romantic relationships represented in a whole range of novels from crime and sci fi to literary fiction. The RNA's membership reflects that and our awards and events will continue to embrace that wider focus.'
How would Nicola like to see the organisation evolve under your tenure?
'I'd like to see the RNA continue to provide great support for its membership whilst looking outward a bit more in our promotion of excellence within the genre. We would particularly like to build our relationships within the industry, with booksellers and librarians as well as with publishers and agents. We'd also like to put romantic fiction even more firmly on the map by reminding people what a very successful and dynamic genre it is in business terms.'
Nicola's natural energy and enthusiasm for the genre shines through her vision, but can romance remain genre specific if there is a need or desire for a more open working relationship within the industry?
'I think we can do both if we don't constrain the genre too tightly. Our core role is to support our membership and as this is drawn from a broad range of romantic fiction this fits with the idea of needing a more open working relationship within the industry. With this in mind we are planning a series of joint events with the Crime Writers' Association and the Historical Writers' Association, amongst others, where we can explore the things we have in common and the support we give each other as writers more generally.'
Nicola Cornick is the author of dual-time gothic novels House of Shadows and The Phantom Tree (HQ) and also forty plus Regency romances. She is a former trustee of the Wantage Literary Festival and a historian and speaker specialising in public history.


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This got the "ding" from Meredith at lunch today.
Spotted in "Jamie's Italy"–Jamie Oliver's lively and loving tour of the peninsula–it offers a twist on roasted pumpkin by including fresh sage, cinnamon and a hint of heat in the mix.
It is simplicity itself.
a small pumpkin–sliced in half and seeds removed
1 small cinnamon stick–split into smaller–not too small–lengths
1 small chili–chopped
a good handful of fresh sage–chopped roughly
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
- Heat the oven to 220C/430F
- Slice the pumpkin carefully into smallish crescents
- Add them to a large bowl
- Add the sage, chili and olive oil to a mortar and pound gently to release the flavors
- Add the cinnamon pieces and mix them in thoroughly without allowing them to break up too much
- Add this mix to the large bowl and season well with salt and pepper
- Turn it all over to coat the pumpkin boats
- Arrange the boats in a shallow, oven-proof pan
- Roast in the upper part of the hot oven for about 20-30 minutes–the time it takes to cook them to tender depends on the thickness of the pumpkin pieces
- Check after 15 minutes for doneness
- They should develop a pleasing seared look
We ate them with magret de canard (duck breast) to welcome in the New Year on a spectacularly beautiful winter's day.
Also spectacular is the walnut and garlic sauce, nestling in there.
(The recipe for this sauce is in Delicious Dishes for Diabetics.)
All good wishes to everyone everywhere for a healthy, happy New Year!


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§11-13A-3d. Imposition of tax on privilege of severing coalbed methane.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares the following:
(1) That coalbed methane is underdeveloped and an under-utilized resource within this state which, where practicable, should be captured and not be vented or wasted;
(2) The health and safety of persons engaged in coal mining is a paramount concern to the state. The Legislature intends to preserve coal seams for future safe mining, to facilitate the expeditious, safe evacuation of coalbed methane from the coalbeds of this state, and to ensure the safety of miners by encouraging the advance removal of coalbed methane;
(3) The United States environmental protection agency's coalbed methane outreach program encourages United States coal mines in the United States to remove and use methane that is otherwise wasted during mining. These projects have important economic benefits for the mines and their local economies while they also reduce emissions of methane; and
(4) The initial costs of development of coalbed methane wells can be large in comparison to conventional wells and deoxygenation and water removal increase development expenditures.
The Legislature, therefore, concludes that an incentive to coalbed methane development should be implemented to encourage capture of methane gas that would otherwise be vented to the atmosphere.
(b) Imposition of tax. –- In lieu of the annual privilege tax imposed on the severance of natural gas or oil pursuant to section three-a, article thirteen-a, for the privilege of engaging or continuing within this state in the business of severing coalbed methane for sale, profit or commercial use, there is hereby levied and shall be collected from every person exercising such privilege an annual privilege tax: Provided, That effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2001, there is an exemption from the imposition of the tax provided for in this article for a maximum period of five years for all coalbed methane produced from any coalbed methane well placed in service after January 1, 2000. For purposes of this section, the terms "coalbed methane" and "coalbed methane well" have the meaning ascribed to them in section two, article twenty-one, chapter twenty-two of this code. The exemption from tax provided by this section is applicable to any coalbed methane well placed in service before January 1, 2009, subject to the provisions of subsection (f) of this section.
(c) Rate and measure of tax. -- The tax imposed on subsection (b) of this section is five percent of the gross value of the coalbed methane produced, as shown by the gross proceeds derived from the sale thereof by the producer, except as otherwise provided in this article.
(d) Tax in addition to other taxes. -- The tax imposed by this section applies to all persons severing coalbed methane in this state, and is in addition to all other taxes imposed by law.
(e) Except as specifically provided in this section, application of the provisions of this article apply to coalbed methane in the same manner and with like effect as the provisions apply to natural gas.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, on and after January 1, 2009, the exemption from the tax on the privilege of severing coalbed methane created in this section will no longer be applicable except that the privilege tax shall not be collected on coalbed methane produced from any coalbed methane well for the remainder of the five-year exemption for any well that was placed in service, including the commencement of actual drilling of the well, before January 1, 2009.
(g) Subject to the exceptions set forth in this section and article thirteen-v of this chapter, on and after January 1, 2009, coalbed methane and methane produced from or by a coalbed methane well is taxable as natural gas for purposes of the taxes imposed by this article and the taxes imposed by article thirteen-v of this chapter.
(h) The Tax Commissioner shall promulgate emergency and legislative rules, in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, as necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article.


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And he's not too happy about it!
And he's not too happy about it!
DIY Resource for those wishing to have their Italian citizenship recognized through Italy's "jure sanguinis" birthright citizenship & "Jure matrimonii" by marriage
We Make Scrapbooking Fun!
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Big thoughts + big feels
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Yet Another Attempt to Make the World a Better Place by Writing Things
Crescat Scientia Vita Excolatur
Progressive commentary from Gainesville, Florida, once called the Berkeley of the South. Potano was the chief of and the only known name of the Native American tribe inhabiting the area around what is now Gainesville at the time the Europeans arrived.
We have the right to remain silent. We just choose not to...
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Learn more about the state laws being introduced and passed around the U.S. that is limiting Women's rights. Did you know that the Women's Equal Right Amendment from 1983 still needs to be ratified by 3 more states before it goes into effect?
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Thomas Friedman: On Obama's 'to-do' list, raising taxes was the easiest
The U.S. military trains its fighter pilots on a principle called the "OODA Loop." It stands for observe, orient, decide, act. The idea is that if your OODA Loop is faster and more accurate than the other pilot's, you'll shoot his plane out of the sky. If the other pilot's OODA Loop is better, he'll shoot you down.
Right now, our national OODA Loop is broken. We are doing something crazy — taking the country back and forth to the financial brink to produce suboptimal, midnight compromises without any overall plan for how this will lead to growth. We're doing the worst thing a country can do — cutting taxes and spending without a plan. Maybe you can grow without a plan. But if you want to ensure every scarce dollar gets the biggest bang, you can't cut without a plan. It's deciding and acting without observing and orienting. It's how fighter pilots get shot down.
President Barack Obama, by his own admission, focused his campaign almost exclusively on the need to raise taxes on the wealthy, and the Republicans focused theirs on lowering them. But neither one offered the country what we need most: a description of what world we're living in, what is new and how we maximize our ability to compete and grow in this world — and then offering up a comprehensive, detailed plan of appropriate phased-in spending cuts, tax reforms and investments in research, infrastructure and early childhood education to create more good jobs and the workers to fill them.
What world are we living in? It's a world in which we face three major challenges: responding to the merger of globalization and the information technology revolution, which is changing every job and workplace; dealing with our mounting debt and entitlement burdens, driven by steadily rising health care costs and unsustainable defined benefits; and, finally, developing energy sources that can grow the world economy without tipping it into disruptive climate change. (At one point last week, the Senate approved a $60.4 billion aid package to help New York and New Jersey recover from Hurricane Sandy. If fully implemented, that would mean we'd spend on one storm all the new tax revenue for next year that the House and Senate just agreed to in the fiscal-cliff negotiations.)
What each party should be saying is, "Given this world, here are the specific tax reforms, spending cuts, investments and policy innovations we need to grow our middle class, sustain our retirees and shrink inequality." Instead, we have no leaders ready to trust the public with the truth, so both parties are shooting themselves in the foot and our future in the head. As Matt Miller, author of "The Tyranny of Dead Ideas" noted in The Washington Post, "Republicans haven't identified anything remotely equal to the savings we need. And because many liberals haven't thought through the long-term budget implications, or wrongly assume that taxes can rise indefinitely or that the Pentagon can be shrunk to something less than a triangle, they resist sensible steps to slow the growth of Social Security and Medicare, not realizing that this course will assure before long that there isn't any new money to spend on, say, poor children."
I expect nothing from the GOP. It's lost and leaderless. I expect a lot from Obama, who knows what needs to be done and has said so in the past. I expect him to stop acting as a party leader and start acting like the president of the whole country. When I heard Obama say, after the election, that this time he was going to take his plan to the country and not make the mistake again of just negotiating with Congress, I thought, "Great, I can't wait to hear what he says." But all he took to the country was a plan for increasing taxes on "millionaires and billionaires." There was nothing comprehensive, nothing bold, no great journey for America and no risks for him. Really disappointing.
Maybe Obama has a strategy: first raise taxes on the wealthy, which gives him the credibility with his base to then make big spending cuts in the next round of negotiations. Could be. But raising taxes on the wealthy is easy. Now, we're at the hard part: comprehensive tax reform, entitlement cuts, radical cost-saving approaches to health care and new investments in our growth engines. This will require taking things away from people — to both save and invest. A lot of lobbies will fight it. The president will need to rally the center of the country and the business community to overcome them. He'll have to change the polls, not just read them. He will have to take on his own base and the GOP's.
Obama has spent a lot of time lately bashing the rich to pay their "fair share." You know what? There are definitely some Wall Street bankers and CEOs who deserve that bashing. But there are many successful Americans who got their wealth the old-fashioned way — by risk-taking, going into debt to start a business or pursue a dream. It's time for the president to do some risk-taking — to stop just hammering the wealthy, which is so easy, and to start selling the country on a strategy to multiply them. We need to tax more millionaires, but we also need more millionaires and middle classes to tax. The president was elected to grow our national pie, not just re-divide it.