text:
The judge overseeing a lawsuit from Georgia and 12 other states issued an injunction, stopping new federal guidelines about the treatment of transgender students from going into effect.
In May, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidelines instructing schools nationwide that they are expected to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity.
The backlash was immediate, igniting potty wars in Georgia as the state joined 12 others in suing the federal government, calling the new guidelines "federal overreach." School districts around the state have made sure to let transgender students know they will be not be accommodated.
In Fannin County parents took over the public comment portion of a school board meeting, spending more than three hours on anti-LGBT tirades, decrying the introduction of "the homosexual agenda," and calling transgender people "perverts," and saying "it's a delusion."
Transphobes also dug in their heels in Hall County and refused to follow the new guidelines. Superintendent Will Schofield told the Gainesville Times, "In our district, boys use boys' rooms and girls use girls' rooms," meaning his district expects "individuals to utilize the restroom of their biological sex."
The Gwinnett County school district entered the fray, offering the "common-sense" strategy of singling out transgender students and forcing them use to separate facilities. Gwinnett has the largest school system in the state with nearly 170,000 students.
So now, per the lawsuit, states are claiming they will "suffer irreparable harm," if they are forced to comply with the guidelines. The judge in charge of the case – U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor – issued a preliminary injunction on Sunday preventing the guidelines from being enforced while the lawsuit moves through the courts.
Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens (photo) was quick to applaud the move.
"We are pleased that the federal court agrees that the guidance letter is yet another example of the President's unconstitutional overreach. The Constitution gives only Congress the power to write and rewrite laws. Threatening to withhold taxpayer dollars from schools if they don't comply with this mandate is unconstitutional. I will continue to defend the Constitution on behalf of Georgians."
The federal court hasn't yet agreed that the guidelines were an overreach – instead just agreeing that Georgia and the other states suing over them successfully made the case for an injunction.
The conservative Liberty Counsel praised the injunction, saying "we must continue to reject the Obama bullies," and pandering to outdated fears linking transgender and gender nonconforming folks to sexual assault.
Yet it's transgender students who actually contend with high levels of violence, with 78 percent these students facing harassment, 35 percent dealing with physical assault and 12 percent reporting sexual assault. But these sorts of details get in the way of promoting hateful, transphobic attitudes.
Meanwhile, Lambda Legal, ACLU and ACLU of Texas, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Transgender Law Center and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defender issued a joint press release expressing their opposition to the injunction.
"The court's misguided decision targets a small, vulnerable group of young people – transgender elementary and high school students – for potential continued harassment, stigma and abuse," according to the press release.
The ruling on the injunction does not, "undo the years of clear legal precedent nationwide establishing that transgender students have the right to go to school without being singled out for discrimination."
Another LGBTQ group, GLSEN, reiterated that.
"This ruling comes from a court specifically chosen for its track record of being on the wrong side of history," adding, "It is not the end of our fight to ensure that all students attend schools that are safe and affirming."
The complete joint press release:
A ruling by a single judge in one circuit cannot and does not undo the years of clear legal precedent nationwide establishing that transgender students have the right to go to school without being singled out for discrimination. This unfortunate and premature ruling may, however, confuse school districts that are simply trying to support their students, including their transgender students. So let us make it clear to those districts: your obligations under the law have not changed, and you are still not only allowed but required to treat transgender students fairly. The scope of this injunction has no effect on the ability of other courts or lawyers representing transgender people to continue to rely on the federal government's interpretations of Title IX or on prior decisions that have reached similar conclusions about the scope of federal sex discrimination laws.
The court's misguided decision targets a small, vulnerable group of young people – transgender elementary and high school students – for potential continued harassment, stigma and abuse.
Although the court failed to consider the interests of the very students the federal laws were intended to protect, the five civil rights organizations who advocated on their behalf avowed, "We will continue to file lawsuits representing transgender students and litigate them to the fullest extent of the law—regardless of what happens with this particular federal guidance."
Texas v. United States was brought by Texas and 10 other states — subsequently joined by two additional states — against the United States, the Departments of Justice, Education and Labor and numerous federal officials. The plaintiffs include the states of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky (through its governor), Louisiana, Mississippi (through its governor), Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, and the Arizona Department of Education, the Heber-Overgaard Unified School District in Arizona, Harrold Independent School District in Texas, and Maine Governor Paul LePage. Several of these plaintiffs lie in the Fourth, Sixth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits, which had issued binding appellate decisions consistent with the guidance of the federal agencies.
The lawsuit targets various federal letters, guides, memos, and statements regarding Title IX of the Education Amendments that conclude that federal bans on sex discrimination encompass gender identity discrimination, and that transgender individuals should be allowed to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity. The lawsuit claims that that guidance is in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution. A copycat lawsuit was filed recently by the state of Nebraska, joined by Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan (through its attorney general), Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming.


text:
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Okklahoma City After not playing for the sixth time in eight games in Friday night's season finale, a 79-75 loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 women's basketball tournament, Kansas sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert discussed with two reporters a Dec. 9 incident that led to KU men's player Josh Jackson being charged with misdemeanor criminal damage to her car.
"I was kind of shocked that I got suspended and he didn't get anything, but that's coach Self's decision," Calvert said.
By not getting "anything," Calvert meant that Jackson was not suspended. Kansas men's coach Bill Self said that his punishment of Jackson was handled in-house and would not be made public.
Calvert said she initially was suspended for the Rhode Island game Dec. 11, but then received a phone call informing her that she would not be suspended for the game. She opted not to play in that game and then averaged 22.9 minutes in the next 11 games.
Her production dropped off severely once Big 12 play arrived, and enventually her playing time dwindled and then more often than not vanished.
Asked if she thinks she has been treated fairly this school year, Calvert said, "No, I don't."
Asked to identify whom she thought had treated her unfairly, she couldn't name anybody.
"I don't know, because a lot of things, a lot of people, come into play with these types of things, punishments and stuff, so I can't say, but I don't feel I've been treated fairly at times," Calvert said.
Has coach Brandon Schneider treated her fairly?
"I don't really think coach Brandon had much say in a lot of things that happened with me," Calvert said. "I feel like it was a lot of upper people because I know coach Brandon. He wants to win. He recruited me to come here to play for him, so I can't imagine him not wanting me to play."
She did not cite any specific instances of anything she thought had come from above Schneider.
"Just 'cause he has a boss," Calvert said. "Everybody has a boss."
Schneider has detailed the reasons that go into his playing decisions and has done so in a way that he makes it clear nobody influences those decisions.
In non-conference play, Calvert shot .355 from the field, .298 from 3-point territory and .679 from the free-throw line.
In Big 12 play, she shot .232 from the field, .155 from 3-point distance and .375 from the line.
"Some of the reasons why I'm not playing that have been stated don't make sense," Calvert said. "Chemistry on my team is fine. We're close. In practice I go hard, do what he tells me to do. I don't see what the issue is. I'm not making that many shots but as a unit we're not making that many shots."
Calvert said she has no plans to transfer again. Why not?
"Because I love my team and I just have a good feeling," she said. "I'm going to go in the gym and I'm going to work on everything he gives me, take everything he says and I'm going to do the best I can in the summer to show him I'm here to play for him and for KU to get on the court and win with my team."
Calvert said an attorney made a phone call on behalf of Jackson to her attorney in February and relayed that he had agreed to pay for the damage. Jackson issued a public apology through a third party to the Journal-World and a promise to pay for the damage.
"But the incident happened in December," Calvert said. "(The offer to pay for damages) was close to when the DA was ready to make a decision, so it wasn't like he was trying to pay for it right when it happened. Because if that was the case, none of this would have happened. I'm not the type of person that wants to be in the media. I want to be in the media for scoring 30, for winning a national championship. If that would have happened as soon as the damage happened, we wouldn't be here right now."
Calvert said that the night of the incident, she threw a drink in the face of KU men's basketball player Lagerald Vick.
"He knows (why)," Calvert said. "People there know. As you see, he didn't retaliate."
Calvert had been in a relationship with Vick, but declined to say whether she still is.
"I can't comment on that," she said. "I can't comment on that."
Calvert remained calm throughout the post-game interview, losing her composure only when she spotted a rat in the corner of the locker room.
"A what?" a nearby teammate said.
"A rat," Calvert said. "A rat. R-A-T. Rat."
Calvert continued to talk about her frustrating season without taking her eyes off the hole into which the rat escaped.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It's been a long time since I visited here. Too long. Summer is always busy, focusing on producing plenty of new work for my Autumn shows, and this year also to keep providing Raven Rocks Gallery with new work each month. All of which has been complicated this year by the deterioration in health and functioning of my husband, and the consequent need on my part to do far more on the homefront as well as to orchestrate and coordinate visits to medical professionals primarily on the mainland. And now, either I'm getting used to the complexity or things have slowed down a little. Not sure which. Maybe both.
The Salt Water Taffy series of scarves
Doing the beaded hemstitching on one of the Flame series of scarves.


text:
analysis: Questions without answers in a Kingdom of WhateverBy Scott Stephens
Perhaps the best way of describing our cultural condition is - if I may be permitted an inexcusably clumsy phrase right at the outset - as one of agonistic hyperpluralism.
It is not simply that we live alongside and associate with people who hold radically different points of view (that would be garden-variety "pluralism"); nor is it that many of these points of view are so divergent as to spill over into the incommensurable, to the point of tearing away at the social fabric (that would be outright "agonism"). It is rather that we now lack even minimal consensus on the most fundamental questions of life, social obligation and political ends, as well as the means - the common moral and conceptual grammar, if you like - to resolve such widespread disagreement.
But what is most pronounced and historically novel about this form of "agonistic hyperpluralism" is that it is dispersed among individuals themselves, and not simply bound up in adjacent communities. This reflects, does it not, the great cultural revolution that has taken place over the last four decades, a revolution every bit as thoroughgoing and perfidious as those that ravaged the East in the first half of the twentieth century.
Unlike socialism - which invariably took the form of the radical assertion of the state over the economy, culture and indeed the bodies of the people themselves - the revolution that has defined our time and continues to hold sway within Western liberal democracy is the assertion of the freedom, the rights and the pleasure of the body over every other person or institution that might stake some claim over it, whether it be nation, tradition, community, marriage, children or religion. Or, as Herve Juvin has nicely put it, the Western body is "a body without origin, character, country or determination".
In just this way, this conception of the body that represents liberalism's political and cultural centre of gravity is both ahistorical - in that it is unmoored from its traditional determinants of kith and kin, its moral and civic duties, and even its biological inheritance and gender - and nihilistic - determined by nothing but what it chooses for itself, and oriented toward nothing but its own health, safety and pleasure.
In his incomparable account of the emergence of latter-day secularism in the wake of the collapse of the institutionalised worldview of medieval Christianity and the radical doctrinal disagreement unleashed by the Protestant Reformation, Brad Gregory has laid out the consequences of "hyperpluralism" for political and public discourse:
"There is no shared, substantive common good, nor are there any realistic prospects for devising one (at least in the immediately foreseeable future). Nor does secular discourse offer any realistic prospects for rationally resolving any of the many contested moral or political issues that emerge from the increasingly wide range of ways in which individuals self-determine the good for themselves within liberalism's politically protected formal ethics of rights ... As a result, public life today ... is increasingly riven by angry, uncivil rivals with incompatible views about what is good, true, and right. Many of these views and values are increasingly distant from substantive beliefs that derived most influentially from Christianity and that in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries remained much more widely shared ... But the rejection of such answers to the Life Questions has led to the current Kingdom of Whatever partly because of the dissolution of the social relationships and communities that make more plausible those beliefs and their related practices. Most visibly in recent decades, this dissolution owed and continues to owe much to the liquefying effects of capitalism and consumerism on the politically protected individuals within liberal states, as men and women in larger numbers prioritise the fulfilment of their self-chosen, acquisitive, individual desires above any social (including familial) solidarities except those they also happen to choose, and only for as long as they happen to choose them."
Are we not now everywhere witnessing the consequences of this dissolution of the social and abandonment of the politics of the common good - that we are, as Rowan Williams puts it, inhabiting "a world in which there aren't and couldn't be any real discussion of the goals and destiny of human beings as such"?
One could point, for instance, to the university's abandonment of the Western educational ideal - which must necessarily include inculcating the virtues inherent to healthy democratic society - in favour of producing, as Martha Nussbaum says, "generations of useful machines".
Or, in the absence of some kind of shared moral grammar, to the emergence of what Charles Taylor has termed "code fetishism": the hysterical and ultimately arbitrary attempt to erect forms of protection against the bad behaviour of others by means of endlessly proliferating codes of practice, which can only ever be paltry substitutes for real trust, solidarity and mutual obligation.
Or to the widespread abrogation of our morally symmetrical responsibilities to the unwanted elderly and the inconvenient unborn: one group shovelled away behind the walls of third party care and the other sentenced to death; both in the name of choice and out of fear that our lives might be dragged down into their servitude.
Or to the increasing desperation with which voluntary euthanasia is being legislatively pursued in the West, where the fear of the slow loss of autonomy in old age has usurped the fear of death itself, and where the choice of one's own death is deemed the ultimate assertion of freedom.
Or to the incessant striptease of social media, whereby embarrassing personal details are widely publicised, only for our actual selves then to be concealed behind a faux-indignant veil of privacy. We are willing, it would seem, for our idiotic predilections to mingle with those of others within an indifferent or vaguely sympathetic online space, provided our lives are never constrained by the moral demands of actual community.
Or to our inability to provide an intelligible account of what social ends or public goods the media serves, much less any arbitration between the true, the trivial and the manufactured - such that the media comes simply to duplicate and reinforce the divisions and bigotries endemic within society as a whole, precisely due to its irresistible attraction to the simplistic, the salacious and the cynical. It is no wonder, as Jay Rosen and Lindsay Tanner have argued, that the media has effectively become an impediment to authentic conversation and moral persuasion.
And this brings me - at last, you might be thinking - to last night's episode of Q&A.
Nowhere are the moral limitations and intellectual poverty of agonistic hyperpluralism more apparent than Monday nights on ABC1.
For months now, the panellists selected to "take your questions" have come to resemble cardboard cut-outs, caricatures of positions along the spectrum of opinion (with some truly extraordinary exceptions, like Raimond Gaita and Slavoj Zizek).
As a result, the debate that most often ensues on the program is not authentic debate at all - which must necessarily open itself up to the possibility of persuasion and assent - but rather an orgy of visceral and utterly predictable emoting, drenched in multiple tinctures of piss-taking cynicism and self-interest.
Not only was last night's publicised "title fight of belief" between Richard Dawkins and George Pell no exception to this rule, it was perhaps the most grotesque example of it.
Just consider for a moment what the program could have been. It could have assembled a panel of energetic, sophisticated, disarming and even counterintuitive theologians, scientists, ethicists and humanists who would recast, and indeed redefine, the religion/science/ethics debate - a debate which has long since passed the point of intellectual exhaustion.
This panel could have demonstrated, through an intoxicating and all-too-rare mix of genuine disagreement and intellectual generosity, that the fundamental questions of Life, Truth and the Good have been languishing due to the impoverishment of the public square and the flattening-out of ethical obligation into a desiccated version of individualised "well being."
In the spirit of Easter, it could have demonstrated that entrenched divisions and bigotries can, in fact, be overcome through what Pope Benedict XVI has called a shared "pursuit after Truth" - that, in other words, friendship can arise in the place of animosity.
But instead, the Q&A panel was comprised of the two most divisive and respectively reviled proponents on either side of the debate.
Richard Dawkins is not only the most theologically illiterate of the non-believing ultra-Darwinists, but he is also notoriously unsophisticated on questions of ethics and moral obligation.
Cardinal Pell, on the other hand, was almost the least ideal counterpoint to Dawkins (I'll cede that place to Steve Fielding): this is both because of his recent and regrettably unsurprising remarks on the science and mitigation of global warming - which were ill-advised, and which, along with the Church's handling of sexual abuse and outright predation on the part of some clergy, and the increasingly gaudy antics of the glorified life-coaches and pay-per-view hucksters that accumulate under the banner of "pentecostalism", have set the moral authority and intellectual credibility of Christianity in Australia back by decades - but also because his writing has become increasingly arthritic and unengaged of late (in contrast to his audacious and often quite brilliant earlier work on theology and politics, such as that gathered God and Caesar).
Given the choice of panellists, last night's Q&A was destined to be what it was: the vacillation of opposing monologues, interspersed by tediously predictable questions, and smattered with a derisive and frankly disgusting Twitter-feed. It is hard to shake the impression that, instead of genuinely informing and contributing to our public conversation, Q&A brazenly went after ratings. If that was the object, then as a stunt it worked magnificently.
But, I feel compelled to ask - perhaps appropriately given the season - "what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
In a time when so many of our civil institutions have collapsed, when moral and political disagreement has descended into a state of agonistic hyperpluralism, doesn't the ABC now have a well-nigh sacred vocation to protect and indeed to enrich public debate, to make all things virtuous and excellent available to everybody, rather than to debase it even further by succumbing to sensationalism?
Scott Stephens is the Online Editor of Religion and Ethics for the ABC. View his full profile here.


text:
Wayfair is the Most Mispriced Stock Citron Research has seen in Years — Fair Value Under $10
Citron Exposes Wayfair's Admission that their Business is Fatally Flawed!
Wayfair (NYSE:W) makes Citron feel like apologizing to every company we have written about in the past 5 years. Compared to Wayfair, … you all have viable business models. Any analyst who defends this stock is clueless about furniture retailing and even more clueless about e-commerce.
Not a Battleground Stock!
Shake Shack, FitBit, Tesla, Ambarella and GoPro: Each of these stocks has passionate bulls and bears of equal conviction. While each of these stocks sells at nosebleed multiples, each has a disruptive, cult like, or blue sky prospect, which longs and shorts will continue to debate.
Wayfair is not a Battleground! There is no bull case whatsoever for this stock, and Citron proves it.
For the rest of the story you won't read anywhere else, click here…


text:
Fenner Nature Center's $400K project to enhance event offerings
LANSING - A nature center in southeast Lansing has plans to construct a 2,500-square-foot building for educational programs and special events within the next year.
The Fenner Nature Center, 2020 E. Mount Hope Ave., intends to build its new facility about 100 feet east of its visitors center in an area known as its Fenner Prairie.
Once the new community pavilion is built, Fenner will no longer have to rely on temporary space, including tents, to host events like its annual apple butter and maple syrup festivals.
"We really wanted to have people feel like this nature center is their community nature center and this (new) building is their community space," said Alexa Seeger, Fenner's development and events manager.
About $300,000 has already been raised for the pavilion through private donations and corporate sponsors, Seeger said. Fenner seeks an additional $100,000 so construction can start by the end of this fall.
Seeger said the center's goal is to have the building open by July 2019.
Fenner seeks $50,000 in donations through its Patronicity online fundraising website. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has agreed to provide a matching grant, Seeger said.
Liz Roxberry, Fenner's executive director, said in a video posted Friday on the nature center's Facebook page that a new building is needed because the center attracts over 60,000 visitors annually.
"What we've come to find over the last several years is that's a lot of people for a very small space," Roxberry said.
Roxberry emphasized in the video the center, with its new pavilion, will "offer opportunities we have never seen before."
The nature center is operated by the Fenner Conservancy, a non-profit organization, and encompasses 134 acres of publicly accessible space south of East Mount Hope Ave. and east of North Aurelius Road. The city of Lansing owns the land; the conservancy has a contract with the city to manage the property.
Fenner's grounds contain more than 4 miles of trails and ponds that are home to reptiles, birds, deer and wild turkeys.
For information about the center and its fundraising campaign for the pavilion, visit mynaturecenter.org or call 517-483-4224.
Eric Lacy is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at 517-377-1206 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricLacy.


text:
The Revealing
The Inn at Eagle Hill Book 3
Suzanne Woods Fisher
Naomi is now a single mom with children and step-children after the death of her husband. Her step-son is in jail and a stranger is making claims that are not only unsettling, but threaten to throw off the entire balance of the family. Life just seems to be more complicated for everyone in the family.
I'm good about reading the description of a book and starting to read it before noticing that it's a book in a series. I did that with this one. So there were several times that I knew it would have been more helpful to have read the first two books. I wouldn't consider this book to be stand-alone. But in spite of my error, I really enjoyed the story. It was fascinating and despite my moments of confusion, it was a great read. The characters are well developed and the plot has lots of twists. There seemed to be several stories going on at the same time, as is typical with large families. But they all flowed well together and made the story more interesting. The writing draws you in and has prompted me to pick up the first two books in the series so I can see what I missed.
I received this book free of charge from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.


text:
Did you know that Los Angeles County has the largest population (over 10,000,000) of any county in the nation? Among 88 incorporated cities and many unincorporated areas in L. A. county it will be hard for you to find a traffic school online that fits to your needs. But not anymore! Our quick stop traffic school will provide you with the best online traffic course ever. We are implementing both years of experience with the customers and trained traffic school experts in a unique way. So that makes us one of the best Californian online traffic schools to go!
Whether you need Los Angeles Traffic School, Long Beach Traffic School or Burbank Traffic School, we provide you with the easiest and cheapest online traffic school tests. Not many other traffic schools in California have FREE test as an option. But we do have! START NOW our FREE test, and pass all of the 11 sections required. Only, you will be asked to make a payment before taking the final exam.
You are probably wondering is this a safe way to get your record clean? You are welcome to visit www.dmv.ca.gov (DMV license: E1916) and see that we are DMV licensed and court authorized Los Angeles county traffic school. Totally legal!
At EasyToFinishTrafficSchool.com you will find cheap, easy and fun traffic school course online. Contact Us at any time you feel comfortable and some of our online customer service professionals will help you immediately.


text:
The NBA said today it has inked a deal to rechristen its 22-team developmental league as the NBA Gatorade League. While the pact doesn't impact any NBA teams directly, it means that "G-League" players will be among the first to try out new products and equipment technology from the sports-performance beverage giant.
As part of the arrangement, G-League teams will be offered the chance to work with Gatorade on efforts to maximize player performance. That work would be done through the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, which since 1985 has worked with a wide range of athletes on improving performance through research, education, training, and "sports nutrition science services."


text:
50,000 Views and counting – The Personal Injury Law Blog
Today we reached a proud milestone. 50,000 views of our Blog! We've come a long way since our injury law blog launch on Friday, October 20th 2006 (read 1st blog post here). We recklessly jumped out of the … Continued


text:
Guide to Parking Signs
The City Roanoke uses many parking signs to provide information about when, how long, and for what purposes a vehicle may park on-street or to designate specific curb uses as well as parking zones. Sometimes two or more signs are combined when several regulations apply to the same curb space and parking zone.
Signs are meant to be read from Top to Bottom. Also, they are color coded much like traffic lights. Red means there is a prohibition, limitation or No Parking while Green indicates Parking is allowed.
Signs have arrows on a flat surface and only direct parking for the side of the street that the sign and sign pole are located. A double arrow means that parking is allowed on both sides of the sign. A parking sign regulates all parking spaces within the zone in the direction of the arrow(s) until the next parking sign or the end of the block. Pay close attention to any Exceptions.
When reading signs, notice:
- Color
- Arrow Direction
- Days
- Times
- Exceptions, and
- Parking Zones defined by a beginning and ending sign or a sign and the nearest intersection
Is the Green arrow pointing towards your car? If yes, you may park there within the days, times, and exceptions or limits.
Is the Red arrow pointing towards your car? If yes, then you may not park there.
Here is a downloadable Guide to Parking Signs that explains ways to read and interpret signs used in the City of Roanoke along with information about on-street Parking Regulations. Please contact PARK Roanoke at (540) 343-0585 or email us at [email protected]


text:
Nintendo today released a statement explaining why they will not allow homosexual relationships in the upcoming Tomodachi Life.
It was a lacklustre statement.
"Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of Tomodachi Life," Nintendo of America said. "The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that Tomodachi Life was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary."
Little did they realise, that very comment would spark far greater social commentary than they'll be comfortable with. The sad revelation throughout this matter is Nintendo doesn't approve of same-sex relationships, and certainly doesn't want gay characters or themes in their games.
The first instance of Nintendo removing an LGBTI theme in one of their games goes back to 1988's Super Mario Bros. 2. Birdo was first described in the game's manual as a male who identified as a woman. Moreover, Birdo wanted to be called "Birdetta". Take a look a game manual post-1988, and you'll find those references have been removed.
In 1992, Enix — this was before they merged with Square, kiddies — was ordered to remove a gay bar from Dragon Warrior III before the Nintendo Seal of Approval would be issued for the game. Without that seal, the game would not be allowed on a Nintendo platform. Amongst other content, Ultima VII was also censored to remove the option to sleep with a same-sex "bedmate"-slash-prostitute.
Around 1999, it seemed as if Nintendo might be relaxing their stance on GLBTI issues, with Banjo-Tooie introducing gamers to a gay frog named Jolly Roger and his cross-dressing co-worker Merry Maggie. Dragon Warrior III was even re-released on Game Boy Colour with its original content intact. To a lesser degree, Conker's Bad Fur Day allowed for homosexual-themed jokes, though one would argue gays were usually the butt of those jokes and nothing else.
But flash-forward to 2001, and Nintendo was already back on the path to "purity". The company removed homosexual relationships from the Game Boy Advance and DS versions of The Sims before allowing them to be published.
Nintendo had the chance to redeem themselves last year, when it appeared as if Tomodachi Collection: New Life briefly allowed for male-on-male relationships. It even looked as if one of the members in a homosexual coupling could become pregnant with child. Sure, it wasn't exactly true to life, but it provided for gay and gay-friendly players to engage in relationships and create families within the title.
Or, as #Miiquality's Tye Marini put it, Tomodachi Collection: New Life would have let him play as the man he identified himself as.
When made aware of the situation, Nintendo immediately classified it as a "bug", and made their intentions to remove the relationships from the game as quickly as possible quite clear.
Worse yet, they described the male-on-male "bug" in the following manner: "human relations become strange".
Nintendo's Bill Trinen has recently clarified with the media that the Tomodachi Collection "bug" wasn't one at all, but a manipulation of the game. "Essentially [players] would create a male version of a Mii character and assign their gender as female, and that was how the two males were able to have a baby," Trinen said. His clarification of the New Life bug doesn't change the fact that Nintendo was quick to pounce upon the very idea of male-on-male relationships and work to remove them from the game.
So there you have it: Nintendo never intended for same-sex partnerships in one of their games. Nintendo wasn't going to celebrate the fact that, if true, Tomodachi Collection: New Life would have been the first first-party Nintendo title to allow for same-sex relationships. Worse yet, Nintendo's statements in the last week just show how closed-minded they are.
"I want to be able to marry my real-life fiancé's Mii, but I can't do that [in the game]," Marini said in a #Miiquality statement. "My only options are to marry some female Mii, to change the gender of either my Mii or my fiancé's Mii… or to completely avoid marriage altogether and miss out on the exclusive content that comes with it. But none of these are a real solution."
Nintendo doesn't care. The fact of the matter is that Nintendo has created a very gripping piece of social commentary with their decisions on Tomodachi Life, and we as a community should certainly remind them of that.
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.


text:
John Harter introduced Sandy Josephson, PR Manager of the Matheny Medical and Educational Center. In the above photo (left to right) are Sean P. Murphy, Vice Principal of Matheny School; Sanford Josephson, Director of Marketing & Public Relations; John Harter, member of Kiwanis; and Kevin Ralph, Chief Development Officer. John Harter's nephew has a son Jack with a rare genetic disease. Jack Harter has started school at Matheny. John was at last Sunday's fund-raiser in Peapack-Gladstone and saw how happy the kids and adults were with the event.
Sandy started the presentation with a video showing the work of Matheny. Matheny is licensed as a special hospital and a special education school. Their mission is to provide the students and patients with the best quality of life they can. This includes recreation, music and art therapy. Sandy showed a short CBS Channel 2 TV news clip promoting the "Miles for Matheny" event which was held Sunday, April 17.
During Q and A following the presentation, someone asked what the annual budget was at Matheny. The budget is about $43,000,000. Hospital beds are funded by Medicaid and school tuition is funded by the sending school district. Matheny also provides education to school districts, universities and to the medical community. There are approximately 500 staff members. Out-patient service is provided. All are invited to visit and tour Matheny. Click on this link to visit the Matheny website.
Dick Plambeck thanked Sandy and the other Matheny representatives for the work they do and for giving Kiwanis a glimpse into this important Hospital/School facility.
New member, Therese Tadolini, welcomed into Kiwanis at April 19 meeting.
New Member Therese Tadolini (right) was inducted into the club at the April 19 meeting. She was introduced by Mary Anne Maloney (left). Therese is the Chatham Borough Branch Manager for the Peapack-Gladstone Bank. She is a member of her church choir. Chatham-Madison Kiwanis members welcomed and applauded their newest member.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/19/2011 04:58:00 PM No comments:
Key Club Division 14 Lt. Gov. visited Chatham-Madison Kiwanis
Karen Swartz (left) introduced Celina Baquiran, the new Key Club Lieutenant Governor of Division 14. A member of Union High School Key Club, she started her Lt. Gov. job officially last week. She was very happy to meet Chatham-Madison Kiwanis Club members and hopes to work with us to build stronger Key Clubs. Key Clubs in New Jersey District's Division 14 are Milburn High School, Chatham High School, Madison High School, Union High School, Columbia High School in Maplewood, Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield Twp. and Summit High School.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/19/2011 04:53:00 PM No comments:
Labels: Division 14, Key Club, Lieutenant Governor, New Jersey
Announcements: April 19, 2011 Kiwanis Meeting
Betty Anne Keat announced that the CHS Key Club will meet Wednesday, April 20 at 7:30 PM in the cafeteria. Dave Mutchler passed around a sign-up sheet for the Cole Park 8:00am to 11:00am May 7 (Madison May Day) clean-up. Joan May announced that Madison has approved the Cole Park Community Yard Sale. Nancy announced that the April 12 Recognition Reception was a winner and she thanked everyone involved.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/19/2011 04:46:00 PM No comments:
Chatham-Madison Kiwanis Recognition Reception – April 12, 2011
Nancy Holt, Chair of the Chatham-Madison Kiwanis Club Benevolence Committee welcomed everyone and announced that most of the club's annual contributions to worthy organizations would be made tonight at the Recognition Reception. She said, "We honor you, our honored guests, and the organizations you represent". The remaining part of the program consisted of presenting checks to organizations, whose representatives gave brief remarks about accomplishments and needs. Nancy introduced Kiwanis Club President Dick Plambeck to present some special awards.
Club President Dick Plambeck gave a brief overview of Kiwanis and described the new Kiwanis International ELIMINATE MNT project. He next gave the evening's first check to Beth Anne Myarick, representing the Children's Specialized Hospital (CSH). The NJ Kiwanis District supports CSH. He also presented a check to Nancy Boucher, member of the NJ District Foundation Board, to be sent to Kiwanis District Foundation. NJ Kiwanis District Governor Marc Litwack was present to accept the donation. Dick then introduced Doug Bryant, former Kiwanis President to give awards to Community Organizations.
Doug Bryant (right) presented a check to Bruce Johnson, Vice-President of Sage, located in Summit, NJ. Sage does many things but is widely known for "Meals on Wheels" delivered to people in need. They delivered 50,000 meals last year.
Doug Bryant presents a check to Mickey Caput, Director of the Senior Service Center of the Chathams.
Doug Bryant (right) presents a check to the Chatham Community Band, represented by Steve Johnson.
Doug Bryant (left) hands a check to Mary Sechehay, representing the Chatham Emergency Squad.
Karen Swartz, one of the members of the Benevolence Committee announced and presented awards to for Community Youth Projects. She presented a check to Al Thomas, who received the check on behalf of the Patriots Path Council, Boy Scouts of America.
Karen Swartz presents a check to Rona Van Antwerp who accepted it on behalf of the local Girls Scouts.
Diane O'Brien, Director of the Library of the Chathams, was recognized for her leadership of the library. Kiwanis sponsors the Children's Summer Reading Program Picnic held in August every year. The event rewards the children who read books as part of the program.
Diane Mann, CEO of the Madison Area YMCA was honored and given a check. Kiwanis is proud to help support the work of the YMCA.
Ann Goldschmidt accepted a check on behalf of the Chatham Education Foundation. This organization raises money to fund improved education in Chatham.
Karen Swartz (left) presented a check to Bridgett Kelly, Director of Project Community Pride.
Karen Swartz (left) presented a check to Marcy Wecker, who is a leader of the Chatham Community Garden. The contribution supports Kinderplots, which will help children grown vegetables in the garden.
Joan May presented a check to Griff Fielding for the Madison Little League. Chatham Kiwanis sponsors the Kiwanis Little League team. Griff Fielding then presented a plaque with the 2010 Kiwanis team photo to Joan May.
Karen Swartz (left) presented an award to "May Day in Madison" representative Marsha Ann Zimmerman. Kiwanis spruces up Cole Park as part of the annual public service project.
Kiwanis presents awards to all graduates at the annual ECLC graduation ceremony. The club also supports the PRIDE program at ECLC. Karen Swartz (left) acknowledged ECLC recipients Dot Libman (PRIDE Director, center) and Diane Gagliardi (ECLC Chatham School Principal, right).
Karen Swartz (left) presents a check to Evangeline Lee to be sent to "Save-a-Child". The organization uses the funds to educate children in the Philippines.
Betty Anne Keat acknowledged the contributions made to Kiwanis-Sponsored Student Service Clubs. These include Builders Clubs at Chatham Middle School and St. Patrick's School, Key Clubs at Chatham High School, Madison High School and ECLC, and Circle-K Club at Drew University.
Joan May (right) presented a check to Carolyn Lake, Assistant Director of the Interfaith Food Pantry. This organization is the recipient of the Kiwanis Community Aid Award
Nancy Boucher presented a special award to Diane Gagliardi, Principal of the Chatham ECLC School. This contribution is part of the proceeds from the annual Kiwanis Wine-Tasting event held in February.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/13/2011 02:49:00 PM No comments:
Labels: Benevolence, Recognition Reception
Doug Simon Presents: "Current U. S. Foreign Policy"
He did an assessment of the Obama administration - where it has been and where it is going. He was both supportive and critical of this administration in trying to assess where we are going. Upon entering office, Obama was challenged by critical issues: an economy in free fall, the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and worsening conditions in Pakistan.
The President put together a highly qualified, main stream, centrist foreign policy and national security team. New visions and directions in foreign policy came from Obama himself. However, progress has been slow. Obama is not a soaring visionary – he is a thoughtful problem solver. He has had some serious reality checks on how the international system works, learning from situations he has been forced to confront.
Early on, Obama quickly set a tone for his new administration by, for example, granting a Presidential interview with radio station Al Arabyia. He also re-conceptualized American foreign policy, renewed emphasis on diplomacy and reconstituted the war on terrorism. He placed more emphasis on relations with China and Russia, increased pressure on Iran and continued attention to the Israel-Palestine problem.
Doug devoted his remaining time to analysis of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan; recent events in North Africa and the Middle East; as well as a few comments on our relationship with Russia and China. Events are still unfolding and we are not sure where this will all end up. Pakistan is a very serious problem, perhaps the most dangerous country in the world. Yemen is becoming a significant problem.
China is growing in financial and political influence. By 2040, China could constitute 40 percent of the World's GDP. This compares to the present 11 percent. Presently, the United States GDP produces only 21 percent of the World's GDP.
The essence of Obama's foreign policy and what might be in store: he has worked hard to change America's image in foreign countries, his choices for his foreign policy team were very good, he has placed renewed interest on personal diplomacy, and he experienced a giant reality check on his ability to accomplish objectives. Stepped up operations against Al-Qaeda have been successful.
After a brief Q&A, the audience gave Doug an enthusiastic round of applause for his informative and entertaining talk.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/08/2011 05:21:00 AM No comments:
Labels: Barack Obama, Drew University, Foreign Policy, programs
Karen Shippey Welcomed into Kiwanis at April 5 Meeting
Melanie Sze (left) introduced new Kiwanis member Karen Shippey (right) at the April 5 meeting. Karen hails from Nebraska, where she got her degree in Nursing. A registered nurse, she worked for 34 years at Morristown Hospital. She now works at the Franklin Surgical Center in Basking Ridge. She has served as a leader in the Girl Scouts and a volunteer with the Chatham United Methodist Church. Members welcomed Karen with a round of applause.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/08/2011 05:15:00 AM No comments:
Labels: Girl Scouts, New Member
Announcements: April 5, 2011 Kiwanis Meeting
Kiwanis Treasurer Monty Montague reported that the Fish and Chips Dinner was very successful. Dick Plambeck thanked the members for working hard on the fund-raiser. Key Club and Builders Club volunteers also helped at the Fish and Chips Dinner. Nancy Holt reminded members about the Recognition Reception to be held on April 12 at 7:30 pm at Charlie Brown's. Joan May has received tentative Madison approval for the May 21 Community Yard Sale. An insurance form must be submitted for the sale. Dick Plambeck announced that Gordon Meth of Parsippany Kiwanis was elected Divisional Lt. Governor. He also gave Nancy Holt a pat on the back for her great leadership of the Benevolence Committee.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/08/2011 05:12:00 AM No comments:
Chatham High School Key Club visits Children's Specialized Hospital
On March 28, Chatham High School Key Club advisors and 21 student members went on a field trip to the Children's Specialized Hospital (CSH) in Mountainside, NJ. The club has raised funds to support the hospital. This photo, taken by faculty advisor Kiera Spadaro shows the group in the hallways of CSH with patient artwork in the background, Kiwanis advisor Betty Anne Keat is in the background
35th annual Fish and Chips Dinner held on March 30, 2011
The Fish and Chips fund-raising event was very successful with 400 dinners served. Over forty Kiwanis members worked and seventeen Key Club and Builders Club members helped out.
Kitchen leaders Bert Whalin and Nancy Boucher fill cups with coleslaw for carry-out meals.
Jerry Cunningham puts rolls into baggies for carry-out meals.
Joan May arranges cookies on a serving dish before giving it to eat-in guests.
Customer Bob Willis turns in his carry-out meal ticket to Doug Bryant as student volunteer runners wait to fetch hot meals from the kitchen for delivery to customers.
The Kitson family enjoyed their Fish and Chips Dinners while sitting in the Chatham High School Cafeteria.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/01/2011 12:44:00 PM No comments:
Labels: Fish and Chips, Fund Raiser
Announcements: Kiwanis March 29 Meeting
Betty Anne Keat announced that Bob Stannard and Stu Shippey attended the Drew University Circle K meeting last night. The club is reorganizing. The CMS Builders Club is having their stuffed animal contest on Thursday 3/31 as a fund-raiser for Japan and the Children's Specialized Hospital. Four Kiwanians along with 21 CHS Key Club members and the two faculty advisors went on a field trip to the Children's Specialized Hospital (CSH). Doug Bryant described the tour. A wish-list of items needed by CSH will be emailed to us. Alan Robertson reviewed planning for the Fish and Chips Dinner. Joan May gave an update for the Cole Park Community Yard Sale on May 21. Dick Plambeck announced that the Lt. Governor election will be held at the Empire Diner on April 4. Dick also announced that we received two service requests. He also noted that Kiwanis International Foundation is sending funds to Japan. Nancy Holt reminded everyone about the Recognition Reception on April 12. She also announced a 10:30 am Benevolence Committee meeting on April 4 at Charlie Brown's. Doug Bryant announced that Doug Simon will be the speaker at next week's luncheon meeting. Dick Ligertwood announced that we are now getting $65 per ton for recycled newspapers.
Posted by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis at 4/01/2011 12:35:00 PM No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Already Order?
File a Return or Replacement here.
View Your Order Status here.
For anything else, visit us at our HelpDesk.
Ready to Order?
Monday - Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MST Saturday & Sunday: Online Chat Available from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. MST
Shop Golden Lighting for these privileged benefits
Given the vast number of unique finishes offered in our catalog, we have consolidated them into more basic color groups for your convenience. You may select multiple base finishes when filtering your results.
Standard loyalty program with exclusive offers and deals.
Designers, contractors, property managers, and buyers.
There are a wide array of Golden Lighting fixture styles. Lighting is not only a functional aspect of every home, it's also decorative. With so many different styles and designs, homeowners may feel overwhelmed trying to choose the right one for a specific room or area in the home. The following guide is designed to help homeowners understand and choose the best options for any area.
A chandelier is a decorative light that hangs. What makes it different from other hanging lights is the fact that it has space for several light bulbs. Chandeliers come in many shapes and styles. These lights can be used in any room, where you want an elegant look. They are lovely in a foyer, bedroom, dining room, and even the bathroom.
Drum chandeliers are chandeliers in the sense that they have several arms for bulbs. However, with the drum style, you'll find a drum shaped shade around the entire chandelier. This often gives the light a more modern look.
Pendant lighting
Pendant lighting also hangs down. However, unlike the chandelier that has multiple branches, the pendant lighting has just one bulb. These are perfect for using over kitchen islands. Multiple pendant lights are used across the length of the island.
Bar lights
Bar lights are one of the best option for bathroom lighting. Bar lights are usually used over bathroom vanities. They focus light where it's needed as people get dressed, shave, fix their hair, and apply makeup. Bar lights are usually placed horizontally. However, they can be placed vertically as well. In the bathroom, bar lights work along with ceiling lighting. While the bar is focused on one area of the bathroom, the ceiling light provides lighting for the rest of the room.
Bar lights are also used in the kitchen as under cabinet lighting. Under cabinet lighting is a wonderful addition to the kitchen.
Wall sconces are used inside and outside the home. They are often placed on either side of the front door to give the home a welcoming glow. Inside they are used on walls. Sconces can come in swing arm styles so that they can be moved away from the wall when the light is needed. These are great for use in the bedroom on either side of the bed. Wall sconces are also perfect for showcasing certain special items within the home. Their beam of light can be directed to highlight artwork.
Sconces are also used as task lighting. Task lighting is lighting that is used only at certain times. A desk lamp is an example of task lighting. It's used to light up the desk's work area.
Use this guide to help choose the best lighting options for any space. For added impact, go beyond basic when it's time to choose lighting fixtures. The right fixture gives a room, additional impact. A nice room, can be elevated to a fabulous room with the right chandelier, or wall sconce. Have fun choosing just the right light for every room in the home.
Your Recently Viewed Items


text:
faulty ở Tiếng Ukraina
Ví dụ câu
Honda, Nissan and Mazda are recalling millions of vehicles worldwide for faulty air bags manufactured by supplier Takata Corp. They could potentially explode.
(Voice of America)
(Voice of America)
It also takes an effort to remove a faulty (burned-out) electric bulb.
The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments.
The appliance is not earthed, is not correctly connected or the earth wire is faulty.
Your Majesty, you are evil!
I'm evil to the people who spend all my money on junk like faulty maps!
I'm evil to the people who spend all my money on junk like faulty maps!
Something is wrong with the cable We can't be responsible if we're given faulty cables.
Should a fire occur due to our faulty wiring, or the fireworks factory upstairs, you will be incinerated
- I will not be the cause of any more death because my judgement was faulty ... I will not permit anyone else to sacrifice their life for mine.
You have a faulty plan! You kidnapped the father but you should have kidnapped the daughter.
I'm not guilty. That ship did have faulty wiring!
having a defect: imperfect, defective
Từ đồng nghĩa
characterized by errors; not agreeing with a model or not following established rules; the wrong side of the road": incorrect, wrong, inaccurate


text:
"I'm less hungry. I think you're always going to be if you're playing for the world title for the fifth time, rather than the first." It is quite the opening gambit from Magnus Carlsen, in his final newspaper interview before he puts his crown on the line again. But sport's deepest thinker is merely revving up before he truly opens up.
Carlsen has long established himself as the greatest chess player of his generation. Perhaps any generation, given he is the highest-rated of all time and has held the Fide world title since 2013. But there is something else that marks the Norwegian out in an era where sporting superstars are increasingly bland and on brand: his unflinching honesty.
Many world champions would take umbrage when asked if the fire still rages as intensely as it once did. Especially if it was on the eve of their next major encounter. Carlsen, though, sees it as the starting point for a discussion – and a confession.
"I've been a chess professional for a long time," he replies. "So I think my base motivation is going to be a little bit lower than it was. But the question is really whether I can raise it for important events. That's what I put my emphasis on. And that's what I've always managed to do."
He pauses. Casts his mind forward to the challenge of facing the talented but unpredictable Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi over three gruelling weeks. Makes another confession.
"Right now, I don't really feel it," he admits. "I feel like I've been here, done it before. And it doesn't excite me, to be honest. But I think when I sit down on Friday, it will feel very different. And I'm very, very much looking forward to that."
That directness is as discombobulating as any move the 30-year-old might play on the board here in Dubai. With anyone else, such comments would serve as a giant red flag. Instead it feels like more evidence of the unique workings of Carlsen's mind.
His younger sister Ingrid tells the Guardian that as a very young child he would play with Lego for hours without losing concentration, which his family sensed was unusual. "Later it was the same with chess," she says. "Magnus was always sitting by the table when we were eating dinner. He usually had his own little table with a chessboard. He would sit there for five hours after school, just training. My parents would have to force him to go to sleep because he wanted to keep on learning."
One of his best friends, Askild Bryn, remembers Carlsen glancing at a game of his at a youth chess tournament when he was 10 or 11. "He looked just for a second or two," he says. "But afterwards when I was analysing, he came up to me and said: 'You should have played this and this with a series of variations.' That's when I realised he was special."
Shortly afterwards Carlsen played Nepomniachtchi - who is four months older – for the first time at the European under-12 youth championships. Carlsen lost that game. And then the next one. And the one after that. And while he eventually went on to surpass his early rival, it is an intriguing subplot of their 14-game encounter that – even now – Nepomniachtchi still holds a 4-1 lead in classical chess.
Not that Carlsen sees it as a factor. "I wouldn't put too much emphasis on that," he says, flicking his hand dismissively. "If that gives him some confidence, good for him."
The pair are friends. Or at least as friendly as any rivals can be when they are fighting over a world title and a purse of €2m, with 60% going to the winner. A decade ago, Nepomniachtchi briefly worked with Carlsen, and there is a clear respect between the two. However, that respect goes only so far.
When Carlsen is asked about the importance of momentum in chess, and his opponent's tendency to sometimes go on tilt after a bad defeat, he nods his head. "It remains to be seen, of course, if Ian will be more resilient than he has been in the past if he is down," he says, smiling. "Hopefully I can put him in that situation. That will be my main achievement."
Then comes another subtle twist of the knife. "I've said it before, but the biggest advantage is that I am the better chess player," he says. "There's a lot of evidence, over the last few years, about the strength of the best players in the world.
Having said that, it doesn't really matter for this match. There's a famous quote: It's not enough to be a good chess player. You also have to play well."
Carlsen, of course, does that better than anyone. His rating is 2855, more than 50 points higher than Ding Liren in second, and well clear of Nepomniachtchi, who is fifth in the world on 2782. So why is he so much better than everyone else? Carlsen himself refuses to speculate, saying: "It's for my opponents to figure out."
But Vladimir Kramnik, who held the world title from 2000 to 2007, makes a compelling case that comes down to two key factors: Carlsen's psychological mindset and his broad talent. "Magnus is the only player in the world for whom there is no other option than winning," says Kramnik.
"It is very deep in the head. Others want to win. But Magnus? He needs to win. That is a very big difference. For him there is no second place. And that gives a lot of additional force when you play chess."
It sounds like Tiger Woods in his prime. But Kramnik cites another key factor: that Carlsen has a deeper understanding of strategy than his contemporaries. "There was a very significant change when computers appeared," says the 46-year-old Kramnik. "My generation, which grew up before computers, have a strong general understanding of the game strategically. But our calculation abilities are a bit worse than most of the young generation.
"But while the younger generation all have fantastic calculation and imagination, from time to time, practically every player at the top will make quite serious strategic mistakes. Yet Magnus is able to calculate really well and he has this old-school strategic base, no worse than the great players of the past like Anatoly Karpov. So he can do both."
Another factor is that Carlsen is happy to grind away for hours on end, even in the most lifeless of positions: setting his opponent problems, asking nasty questions, preparing to pounce if he detects a weakening of the defensive shield. It often works, too.
Yet in his past two world championship matches, against Sergey Karjakin in 2016 and Fabiano Caruana in 2018, Carlsen has only been able to impose his will in tiebreaks after the classical section of their matches were drawn. Does he intend to make a statement in Dubai with a thumping victory, or is he prepared to win ugly?
"I am happy to win in any way possible," he replies. "I'm somebody who puts more emphasis on the sporting aspects of chess than the artistic. And even more so during world championship matches. It's about getting results. Because only one result matters and only one result is acceptable. But I won't be aiming for a tiebreak in any way. And the increase to 14 games is good for me because it decreases variance."
Over the past 18 months, chess has become a serious esport with Carlsen's Play Magnus Group one of the major players. Among its successes has been a hugely successful online tour, which has attracted all the top players and sponsorship from major companies, including Mastercard.
However, Carlsen says he is content to let people he trusts run it, rather than get too involved in the day-to-day. "I'm a chess player who also has business interests," he says. "But that is my own philosophy and it's also the philosophy of the company. My most important job is to be the best that I can be at the chessboard. Everything else comes a distant second."
It is why, despite his motivation occasionally waning, the world champion has been working hard on his body and mind – ready, once more, to prove he is still the supreme ruler of the game of kings. "We have had training camps with a pretty intense regimen to get ready," he says. "The analogy with boxing is a very obvious one. But it's also obvious because it's quite apt."
Not surprisingly, Carlsen is aiming for a knockout once more.


text:
Summary | Excerpt | Reviews | Readalikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Twenty-Five Years of Repairing the World, One Bottle of Salad Dressing at a Time
Chapter One
It is December, 1980, a week before Christmas, Westport, Connecticut, a blanket of snow on the ground, wood smoke from fireplaces redolent in the air, tree lights festooning the houses, a pervasive Yuletide lilt but we are laboring in the subterranean space beneath Paul's converted barn, an area that had once been a stable for farm horses. There is a bucket filled with ice-blanketed Budweisers, and an array of bottles of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, condiments, etcetera. There is also an empty tub and a collection of old bottles dating back to revolutionary times by their appearance, bottles of various shapes and sizes that had been somewhat sanitized for this occasion.
Paul Newman, known to his friends as ol' PL or Calezzo de Wesso (Bonehead), had asked his buddy, A.E. Hotchner (Hotch), sometimes called Sawtooth, to help him with a Christmas project that he was assembling in this basement, which wasn't a basement in the usual sense. There were crusty stones, a dirt floor, crumbling cement, and overhead timbers covered with active cobwebs. Also, three long-since vacated horse stalls but the unmistakable aroma of horses remained. There were desiccated manure fragments here and there, and there was evidence that certain field animals were still occupying the premises. A very picturesque place in which to mix salad dressing.
The project was to mix up a batch of PL's salad dressing in the wash tub, fill all those old wine bottles using the assembled funnels and corks and labels and on Christmas Eve our collective families would go around the neighborhood singing carols and distributing these gift bottles of PL's dressing.
PL was very proud of his salad dressing and this was the apotheosis of his salad days. Over the years, even in four-star restaurants, PL had been rejecting the house dressings and concocting his own. Captains, maitre d's and sometimes the restaurant owner would scurry around to assemble Paul's ingredients while neighboring diners gawked in disbelief. When we first ate at Elaine's, one of New York's popular restaurants, several waiters and Elaine herself gathered round as Paul blended and tasted the brew he made from the ingredients brought to him from the kitchen. This scene had been repeated in such varied eateries as a Greek diner, at a wedding party, in an outdoor restaurant, on the island of Eleuthera and in snazzy restaurants from coast to coast. When his kids went off to school, Paul would fill a couple of bottles of dressing for them to take along. On one occasion, when the restaurant mistakenly served the salad with its own dressing, Paul took the salad to the men's room, washed off the dressing, dried it with paper towels, and returning to the table, anointed it with his own which he concocted with ingredients brought to him from the kitchen.
At that time, almost all dressings, especially the mass market ones, contained sugar, artificial coloring, chemicals to preserve, gums and God knows what. So Paul really started to make his own dressing not just as a taste preference, but also as a defense against those insufferable artificial additives.
That evening the basement operation seemed to go on forever. We had never tried to mix a vat of salad dressing let alone pound a 1925 syrup cork into an 1895 vinegar bottle, especially after a few beers. Sometimes the mallet would smack the cork and sometimes it nailed our thumbs. Paul carefully measured amounts of olive oil and vinegar, for he had no feel yet for dealing with a quantity like this, which, he decided, required six boxes of black pepper. He was almost crazed as he stirred the dressing with the wooden paddle. There's a river that runs alongside his house and the paddle most certainly came from his canoe. It was his notion that the olive oil and vinegar had a sort of hygienic effect so that one didn't have to wash anything thoroughly. That aside, he was highly critical of Hotch's paddle technique. The motion, he insisted, had to have an even, smooth rhythm that would not create frothing. But Hotch couldn't get the hang of it. "You've got to go with the paddle," Paul said, "don't pull it straight toward you, waffle it, gyrate it, go with the paddle." Hotch said he was going with the paddle but having had four beers, if he went with the paddle too much he was going to fall face down in the tub. Paul said as long as it wasn't butt first, not to worry about it.
Copyright 2003 The Association of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps and A.E. Hotchner
and discover exceptional books
for just $3.75 per month.
We should have a great fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Solve this clue:
and be entered to win..
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.


text:
How do I Know that You are the Lord?
February 12, 2015
Ezekiel 6:10
And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.
How do I Know that You are the Lord?
Ezekiel 6 is a prophetic word talking about the judgement that the Lord is going to bring upon Israel. He is speaking against the land and the corruption that fills it. Specifically verse 10 is what I felt the Lord giving me this morning. Often, because our God is so long-suffering and patient we tend to think that just because we haven't seen what He has said will do come to pass, happen yet, that we can just blow it off and ignore it. Father is long-suffering in order to give us time for repentance and restoration. Father would much rather see us come to repentance and be restored than He would to bring judgement and punishment. How often have we taken so much of what the Lord has spoken to us for granted? We are like the man in James 1: 22-25, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does." This is our exhortation today. Give heed to what God is speaking into our life through His Word, His Spirit and His ministers. We are coming into a tremendous spiritual shift and it is imperative that we are tuned into Christ in this hour. John 10: 27 says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." If there is one thing we must do in this hour it is to learn to discern the Lord's voice and be obedient to it. We are standing upon the threshold of many changes in life, as we have known it. Perhaps there has never been a more dangerous time in our history than today and our tomorrow. God is not trying to scare us, because He has not given us a spirit of fear. Our fear comes from being outside of His will and purpose. He is trying to position us for what He is bringing forth.
How do we know the Lord is God? It is because He is going to do what He said He would do and we can count on that. It is time for us to awaken out of our spiritual slumber and awaken to the trumpet and alarm that is sounding. Revelations 18:4 speaks and declares, "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
Two Kinds of Seed
April 14, 2014
Two Kinds of Seed
Deuteronomy 22:9
You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, or all the produce of the seed which you have sown and the increase of the vineyard will become defiled.
If our life is a vineyard, what kind of seed or seeds are we planting into it? I was thinking how mankind from the beginning has been influenced and followed after one of two different kind of seeds. In the Garden of Eden, in the book of Genesis there were two types of trees in the midst of the garden. One was the Tree of Life and the other the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We have these same two trees in the midst of our soul, which one do we partake of. Which seed are you planting in your soul or do we plant a mixture of two different types of seed. Do we defile the fruit of our vineyard by planting both the seed of Spirit from the Tree of Life or the seed of the flesh from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good an Evil? God is saying you need to plant one or the other, but not both. Do we think that just because we plant the seed of Spirit in our lives it pleases God if we are also planting the seed of the flesh? Revelations 3:15-16 written to the Church of the Laodecians, the Lord speaks by the Spirit saying, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
The reason the Lord doesn't want a mixture of the two different seeds is because it brings in compromise. It dilutes and perverts the effect of one seed. The mixture, God finds unacceptable.
As we survey the kingdom of heaven what do we see, but a mixture of flesh and Spirit? In Matthew 13:47-50 Jesus gives a parable, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." The truth is that there are two seeds planted in the vineyard of the Church and the vineyard of our own lives. We have been growing two seeds, but there is only one that is acceptable to the Lord. The one seed is a weed that brings spiritual death; the other is the seed of Life whose fruit brings life everlasting. The Lord is speaking that He only wants one type of seed planted in His vineyard. Isn't He speaking to us to root out every seed and offspring that defiles our soul, so that there may be one kind of fruit, the fruit of the Spirit. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us to weed the garden of our souls, so that there may be purity restored in our hearts and only one kind of undefiled fruit, which the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us and through us.
The Antidote for Fear
November 30, 2012
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
The Antidote for Fear
We live and walk in a world consumed by doubt and fears. Unfortunately it touches many who are believers as well as the world. It is important that if fear and doubt are a struggle that you have that you will be encouraged and exhorted by this word.
The only one that God wants us to fear is Him. When we truly reverence and stand in total awe of who He is then we realize He ultimately has the say and judgement over our life and spirit. Others may be able to afflict and kill the body, but God determines our eternal destiny.
When I find myself in fear and doubt, I find that I am not standing and walking fully in faith. Faith in God's Word assures me that God is Love. His love is able to keep me, not matter what circumstances surround me or those I love. In Romans 8:28 I am given the assurance that, "all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." Even when I am faced with tribulation, persecution, afflictions and death, I need not fear.
Because God's perfect love drives out all fear. In Psalms 118:6, the Psalmist declares, "The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" We have the assurance that as we have received by faith, Christ as our Savior and Lord, He lives in us and we live in Him. He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. All else, spirit or flesh, is under His dominion. If we are in Him then anything that touches us must come through Him.
Our fears come when we lose sight of the identity that we have in Jesus Christ. When we fully grasp and lay hold of the promises and truth of God's Word, fear has no grip upon us.
Because we are God's children who abide in the Love of God. His perfect love casts out fear. Our lives are His. Is there any so great as to pluck us out of the hand of God?
"But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." If we fear judgement and punishment then we lack the assurance that we have been fully washed and cleansed in the blood of Jesus. We don't fully understand that we are fully justified in Christ, meaning it is just as if we never sinned. When we abide in the Righteous One, then we abide in the full assurance of His salvation. In that salvation is the revelation of God holy and insurmountable love for us. For us to live in fear, means that we have taken our eyes off of who He is in us and put them upon the circumstances that surround us.
When Stephen was about to be stoned by the frenzied mob of the religious, he didn't fear what they could do to him. He only saw Jesus and had set his eyes on things above. When we, like him, see Jesus setting a the right hand of the Father, then there is no room for fear because Ephesians 2:6-10 assures us, "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
When we know who we are, where our position is and what our purpose is then what can man do to us. Our life is hid in Him and He is sovereign over all of the affairs of men. When we get a revelation of this we will better understand the perfect love of God and that God has designed that we should be made perfect in that love. "Perfect love drives out fear."


text:
Mount Lourdes works to promote the holistic development of every student, focusing on their academic, social, emotional and spiritual development. Through our pastoral system we work to foster a caring, supportive environment in which our students feel secure and valued. We aim to help students develop the personal and life skills essential to take their places in a challenging modern society.
Head Teacher's Welcome
Welcome to our website
I hope it offers you a flavour of the community that is Mount Lourdes Grammar School.
We are an all girls' Catholic Grammar school founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1909. Our Catholic ethos and Mercy tradition permeate all aspects of school life making Mount Lourdes a caring and supportive community. Each individual student is valued here. We are committed to nurturing and fostering the holistic development of each student. Mount Lourdes provides a warm, happy, welcoming atmosphere with high standards of pastoral care and support.
Our approach is founded on a special partnership between parents, the school and the students. We therefore work closely to ensure each young person achieves the very best and reaches their full potential. We believe in setting high standards across all aspects of school life. We pride ourselves on our academic opportunities and achievements. The broad curriculum we offer at all key stages provides a varied and enriched learning experience. We are focused on providing our students with the skills and knowledge young people need in a fast changing world. Our dedicated team of teachers and support staff ensure that students have access to high quality learning and teaching experiences as well as personalised guidance and mentoring. We are particularly proud that all our students leave with qualifications which enable them to access a vast array of career pathways.
We aim to provide the very best extra-curricular opportunities for our students to further develop self-confidence, self-esteem and resilience.
In Mount Lourdes we strive to enable all students achieve high standards, realise their full potential and become successful learners, confident individuals and positively contribute to the school and wider community
Mrs Sinead Cullen
The School Aims
Recognising that everybody is unique, the school strives to create a community atmosphere so that each student and member of staff is respected and appreciated as a person of importance.
• to motivate our students in the pursuit of a high standard of academic achievement and critical thinking by providing a varied range of learning experiences in a stimulating environment.
• to ensure that our students have access to a curriculum which makes explicit the links between school-based learning and Life and
• to enable each student to make the most of her talents by providing opportunities for participation in a range of aesthetic, cultural, skills based and leisure activities.
• to create and maintain a pastoral environment in which the needs of the individual student are recognised; an attitude of self-discipline and responsibility for her own actions is encouraged and a sense of self-worth is fostered.
• to foster a sense of team spirit among staff and to encourage each teacher to develop his/her personal qualities and professional expertise.
• to work in partnership with parents in the promotion of the overall good of the student, acknowledging the role of parents as primary educators of the child.
• to help students acquire and develop Christian values, attitudes and moral standards - based on Catholic teaching - that will influence and inform their choices and behaviour throughout
• to promote among staff and students a sense of personal identity and citizenship and encourage mutual respect for cultural diversity.
Our History
When Mount Lourdes Grammar School was established in 1909 by the Sisters of Mercy, its
founders were inspired by the need to provide an education that would qualify the girls of
Fermanagh for the full range of employment opportunities that were available at the time.
That vision continues to guide the work of the school today.
Over the years since its foundation, as pupil numbers grew and academic requirements changed, the school evolved in response to the new demands placed on it. Buildings were added, providing for boarders and for specialist subjects. The site, a hillside close to the River Erne and Enniskillen town centre, is now largely covered by buildings, which have been refurbished to provide suitable accommodation for the changing curriculum.
Mount Lourdes has resources which facilitate the delivery of the Northern Ireland Curriculum to the highest standards. The school is a member of the Fermanagh Learning Community which provides students with access to an extended range of courses at post sixteen level.
Students coming to Mount Lourdes will experience a welcoming environment in which they can develop their abilities and talents to the fullest extent. We endeavour to give students opportunities and experiences that are designed to help them develop into mature young adults and make informed decisions about their futures.


text: On Sun, 2007-05-06 at 20:55 +0200, Hans de Goede wrote: > I for one have made sure all my packages work well with selinux targeted policy > in enforcing mode, and I've written patches for other peoples packages too. > I've even written for example textrel patches for SDL, but the @redhat.com > maintainer doesn't want to apply them. That's very commendable. Are you suggesting that _everyone_ does this, and that there's no _need_ for us to say anything about SElinux in the review guidelines because _everyone_ is already as conscientious as you? If so, I think you're wrong -- many people, including myself, _do_ just leave SElinux-related issues to the SElinux experts. Since you've gone all Californian on us, I'm not going to presume to hypothesise about why anyone else does that -- but personally I tend to dump that particular load onto others because I lack the wit to deal with such things myself. Alternatively, if you're just pointing out that you _personally_ are a lot more conscientious than many others, then I'm not sure I see the relevance. Would you suggest that we abandon the guidelines and the review process altogether, just because _some_ people like yourself get everything right first time anyway? So I'm confused -- what _is_ the point you're trying to make, and how does it relate to "dragoran"'s suggestion that we add something about SElinux to the review guidelines? > So in the future please refrain from such generalisms, an show some respect, or > even better show others the respect you expect them to show for you. You seem to be picking holes in terminology and making invalid assumptions about my feelings, instead of talking about the issue at hand. Please don't. -- dwmw2


text:
In 2002, Father Ken Boland of St. Francis' Church, an avid cave diver with a keen interest in biology, spent several weeks screening the vast, arid plateau of the Nullarbor Plain with a team of cavers: Peter Ackroyd, Paul Devine, Eve Taylor, Chris and Ray Gibbons. Using an ultra-light aircraft he flew a grid pattern of a large section of the Nullarbor surveying for landscape features resembling cave openings. From this extensive survey, the team discovered three definite cave openings out of 1500 possibles.
When Ken Boland and Ray Gibbons entered one of the openings, they discovered something amazing and totally unexpected. Ray, with a keen interest in palaeontology, identified a complete Thylacoleo carnifex, or Marsupial Lion, skeleton laying on the cave base. The skeleton had no dust on it and looked to be almost fresh - far younger than could be rationally explained since the Thylacoleo had been extinct for 50,000 years. On returning to base camp, the team were astonished to learn that a fellow expedition member who had been exploring one of the other cave openings, reported remains of what appeared to be a Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) and a possible second Thylacoleo. What a day!
Realising the significance of the findings, they contacted the palaeontology department of Flinders University. As the discovery was located on the Western Australian side of the Nullarbor, the WA Museum was notified and both organisations arranged to explore the caves that could totally change our understanding of the extinction of megafauna in Australia.
Following the discovery the WA Museum and Flinders University lead an expedition to the site guided by the original team who discovered the fossils. This same team stayed on a voluntary basis to assist with the recovery of the important fossil finds.
The three caves discovered during the expedition were named:
- Flightstar – named by Father Ken Boland, after his beloved ultra light aircraft.
- Last Tree Cave - named by Father Ken Boland, as the cave was situated near the last tree before the "treeless" Nullarbor commenced.
- Leaena's Breath - named by Paul Devine, derived from the female version of the Latin for male lion, Leo, and breath as it appeared as though the cave was breathing.
The three caves have been open for the last 750,000 years, and during this period the caves have occasionally captured a stray animal that has walked too close to the edge, or has been caught in the winds when the caves breathed in. It all has to do with air pressure. Below the surface the caves hold a lot of air which can only escape through a small opening in the earth. When a High Pressure system moves in from the west, over the Nullarbor, the air rushes into the cave at a speed of up to 70km/hr. When a low pressure system moves in, the cave blows out. The bigger the pressure gradient, the stronger the cave "breathes". Once inside the cave, there was no return for the unfortunate animals who died in its depths to become fossils.
When Ken Boland and his team entered the caves they understood it was the first time any human had ever entered them.
Careful excavation of the intact Nullarbor Thylacoleo was undertaken in the hopes of gathering ancient DNA, but the skeleton was too old and very fragile. When the samples were finally dated they revealed the skeleton to be far older than their appearance. After much investigation, the researchers concluded the skeleton had not mineralised remaining preserved in its original state since its death between 780,000 to 500,000 years ago. This amazing preservation is due to the low humidity, cool temperature and stable environment within these remarkable caves.
The WA Museum and Flinders University continued to visit the caves to collect more specimens and perform further investigations. Their amazing heritage became clearer with each investigation.
By studying the fossils in these caves we can learn about our past, how the climate changes over time to support different habitats and reveal insights into how our past can help us understand the present, and what lessons this has for our future.


text:
Before a game against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 4, the Montreal Canadiens, a.k.a. Les Habitants, skated out for the warm-up with nicknames on their nameplates. The jerseys were going to be auctioned off to support the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation, but surely a few more dollars could have been earned with more clever monikers.
As is the modern way, most were simply adding –y or –er, maybe dropping the final syllable on the surname if they were feeling particularly clever. So captain Shea Weber was "Webby," Brendan Gallagher was "Gally," Phillip Danault was "Philly," Paul Byron was "Pauly," Artturi Lehkonen was "Lehky," Andrew Shaw was "Shawzy," Jonathan Drouin was "Drou," and Carey Price was "Pricer."
At least Tomas Tatar was "Tuna," as in tuna tartare, a handle Tomas Holmstrom gave him when they were teammates on the Detroit Red Wings. Maybe next time he can be "Steak." But none lived up to the grand history of NHL nicknames, and to answer this dearth of creativity we'll look back at some of the more memorable nicknames in Canadiens' history and offer a few humble suggestions for modern equivalents.
The Chicoutimi Cucumber
Georges Vezina was a native of Chicoutimi, Quebec and cool as a cucumber when manning the net for the Canadiens. He won 103 of his 190 games between 1917 and 1925, when he collapsed during a game. He died of tuberculosis a few months later and the owners of the Canadiens presented the league with a trophy in his memory in 1926-27. It remains the annual award for the NHL's best goaltender.
Current goaltender Carey Price is equally cool and his nickname should match. "Pricer" has been called "Jesus Price," and though that's accurate as the frequent saviour of the Canadiens, it might be a step too far for Catholic and secular fans alike. "The Anahim Angel" is a better option for the pride of Anahim Lake, British Columbia and winner of the 2015 Vezina Trophy, the 29th time a Canadien has won the award, the most of any team.
Red Light
Andre "Red Light" Racicot was "Saint Patrick" Roy's backup, and the contrast earned him the derisive handle for the red light behind him tanning his neck. A Canadien from 1989 to 1994, Racicot did earn himself a Stanley Cup ring in 1993.
After being left in for seven goals in a 7-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 11, Price's backup Antti Niemi could be "Antti-Trump," because he's not building any walls. For the less politically inclined, "Antti the Red Light Reindeer" suits the native of Finland, home of Santa's crew. Niemi, who's been called "Nemo" and "Andy" over the course of his career, was the starter on the Chicago Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup team and has earned enough wins and respect over his 13 NHL seasons that neither new one should stick.
The Rocket/Pocket Rocket
Teammate Ray Getliffe dubbed Maurice Richard "The Rocket" for his speed and fire on the ice. The first player to score 50 goals in 50 games, in 1944-45, and the Maurice Richard Trophy is now given to the NHL's top goal scorer each season. He was also suspended for the entire 1955 playoffs after punching a linesman, sparking "The Richard Riot" in Montreal.
Maurice won eight Stanley Cups during his career, which was surpassed by his younger brother, Henri, who won 11. Three inches shorter, 15 years younger, and a little less fiery, Henri was the pocket version of his big brother.
Max Domi inherited his father Tie's oversized cranium so Gallagher calls him "Megamind," which is an improvement on his Dec. 4 "Shootsy" jersey.
Tie Domi's nickname was "Tugger," so his more skilful son, who is first on the Canadiens in goals and points, is "The Talented Tugger." Dad, the Toronto Maple Leafs' all-time leader in penalty minutes, was also called "The Albanian Assassin;" so Max could be known as "The Albanian Apple-picker," a kinder, gentler nod to his 17 assists, which match Jeff "Petey" Petry for most on the team.
Big Bird/Boom Boom
At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Larry Robinson was one of the biggest defensemen of his time, and one of the best in history. Called "Big Bird" for his height and his shaggy hair, he had 208 goals and 750 assists for 958 regular season points and a career plus-750, the NHL record. He never missed the playoffs in his 20 NHL seasons, 17 of which were with the Canadiens, earning 144 postseason points.
Defensemen Jordie "Benny" Benn and Shea "Webby" Weber could borrow from the Canadiens Hall of Famer. Both big men hail from British Columbia, where Bigfoot has allegedly been spotted. The hirsute Benn could be "Big Beard," while Weber can also pay tribute to another Canadiens legend, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, the second player in history to score 50 in 50, in 1961. He was given his nickname because of his cannonading slapshot, so Weber, the winner of the NHL's hardest shot three years in a row, is "Big Boom."
The Flower
A literal translation of Guy Lafleur's surname, "The Flower" is the Canadiens' all-time leader in assists (728) and points (1,246), and their last great scorer. He won the Hart Trophy twice, Art Ross Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award (now the Ted Lindsey Award) three times each, and five Stanley Cups.
The Canadiens' presumptive future scoring leader is 18-year-old Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the third overall pick in 2018. Instead of "KK," as his charitable jersey read, "J'espere," French for "I hope," seems apropos.
Mike Ryan has written seven sports books, including Hockey Now! and Hockey Hall of Fame: Unstoppable, and one about weather phenomenon. He is covering the Montreal Canadiens from behind enemy lines in Toronto.


text:
Like this piece?
->Shop this design on Redbubble
When I was little, I didn't know that cicadas existed. I thought the sound they made was just the overwhelming sound that the earth made when it got hot. I remember specifically standing on the street corner and thinking about what that sound could be, and concluding that it was the sound the heat made on the earth in the summer.
This year the cicadas in my neighborhood were very, very loud, to a point where walking down the sidewalk between the rows of trees was almost disorienting. This childhood interest in the sound reawakened it me.
But this time I didn't want to know what made the sound (by this time in my life I already knew that), but I wanted to know why and when and how, but more importantly, I wanted to know the anthropological and cultural significance of that sound throughout all of human history. It's one of those things, like looking at the stars or shitting, that humans have partaken in since way back. A bit of digging led me to a slew of delightful ancient Japanese poems about the cicada which I enjoyed and treasured very much. It also led me to the ancient Greek poem which I rendered in this lithograph.