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Richard Thomas
I don't know how the hell Richard Thomas sleeps at night.
A husband and father of two in pursuit of his MFA, he's an art director, accomplished short story writer (3:AM, Dogmatika, Colored Chalk), and a moderator in the Chuck Palahniuk Writer's Workshop, reading well over 100 pieces per month for the anthology project (just so you don't go thinking all he does is diffuse flame wars). As if that wasn't enough, Richard's also been working on his neo-noir debut called Transubstantiate, an ambitious first effort that fans of the genre and Lost will be sure to enjoy.
Like I said, I don't know how he sleeps, but with this first book under his belt, it looks like the late nights are about to pay off…and no one deserves it more.
On the eve of Valentine's Day, I got to talk with Richard about all things Transubstantiate, his new press, Otherworld Publications, and how he got published. We talked shop and a little bit of shit. And, of course, no Cultie on Cultie interview would be complete without invasive questions about Batman, guilty pleasures, and what Richard has planned for the most romantic commercial holiday of the year.
BRANDON TIETZ: Moment of honesty: I had to look up the definition of Transubstantiate, and my friends give me funny looks when I "covertly" use it in a sentence. Save everyone else some time and tell us what this title means and how it relates to the book.
RICHARD THOMAS: That's funny. Well, it all started with the Max Barry Intensive at The Cult. We were given the assignment to write four introductions to four novels that we'd always wanted to write. Anything at all. So, I think I did a horror intro, science-fiction, neo-noir, and one literary. I wanted to title each of the sections with a word that was really unique and that maybe I'd never heard before. "Transubstantiate" was one of those words, "vainglorious" was another. I poured over the Internet, lists of unique words, all kinds of stuff. That was how I came across Transubstantiate.
BT: I like it, man. Kind of reminds me of Dermaphoria [Craig Clevenger] as far as titles go. So how long did it take you to crank this one out, start to finish?
RT: Well, total, about three years. I took the six week Intensive, so that got me six chapters. Then I tried to keep pace like that. So you could say I either wrote it in fourteen weeks or a year and a half.
BT: What was that process like? The reason I ask is because the format of this is pretty damn ambitious. You've essentially got seven leads going in a steady rotation. That, and you're jumping time periods.
RT: It was tricky, that's for sure, and I don't know if I'd try it again. I never intended for it to be seven characters but it just kind of happened. I was working a freelance gig--I'm an art director by day, and every day on my lunch hour I'd run down to the cafeteria, grab a sandwich, and then come back upstairs. I had an office with a door (A DOOR!), not just a cubicle, and so I'd close it and write. Max Barry did another thing for me, a little reverse psychology, telling us to write no more than 500 words a day. It freed me up. No more pressure to hit a minimum. So each day I'd write 500, maybe 600, 700 words if I was rolling. And each day I'd do a different character. Monday - Jacob. Tuesday - Marcy. And so on. It just worked out. I'd think about those characters in the morning, and by lunch time I was ready to channel it all. The time periods, I just felt this pattern, every three chapters, a need to break it up. The first time, Chapter Three, was probably the need to give some back-story, to answer a few questions before it got too far along. I'm a big fan of "Lost" and I felt that I'd lose the readers if I let it go without giving up some information. Also, I was inspired by people like Stephen King and The Stand, his ability to have a lot of characters, even Under the Dome, his new book, does it really well.
BT: Yeah, I definitely felt some King with this. Initially, it was having a Roland character (The Dark Tower just makes that name stick out in my mind), but something about your syntax and the way you handle a large cast pushes that tone even further. Let's talk about Lost for a second, though. I'm a huge fan of this show. What can people expect to see in this book "Lost-wise" since it's part of how you're promoting it?
RT: Well, there are some obvious parallels, I think. There are seven people in my book, (Six if you don't count Assigned), like the 'Oceanic Six'. There is the island setting. There is confusion, conspiracy, a sense of something extraordinary going on, the time travel and teleportation, special abilities of certain people. And the slow reveal of details over time. There are also themes of good vs. evil, and redemption. Lots to chew on, I think. My book will be out before Lost ends, I think, so it should be interesting to see how similar they are.
BT: June 18th. Are you excited? And by the way, I feel pretty damn cool having read this so many months before the actual release.
RT: Glad that you liked it, Brandon. Yes, 6.18.10 with the pre-orders starting 4.1.10 (YES, I know it's April Fool's Day). I am excited. And exhausted. I know what Chuck meant on his tours when asked, "What's your favorite book of yours?" He always says "The next one."
BT: So what are you expecting for that day? Do you or the publishing house have any sort of projected sales goal in mind?
RT: It'll be an intense day. I have really high hopes. I would love to sell out the signed/limited of one hundred hardcovers in less than twenty-four hours. So if it sells out before it's even really out, the signed/limited, I mean, that would be great. Then the paperback. I don't want to sell five hundred. I want to sell five thousand. This could mean getting an agent, maybe some notice, a bigger press or maybe selling film rights. All kinds of crazy things. But I have a lot of good people around me, not only to help me promote this, but to keep me humble too. The Cult, The Velvet, Write Club, everyone on Facebook, all of my past editors, tons of talented and giving people. I'm lucky.
BT: Hell yeah, you're one of a handful of people who can stroll through The Cult pitching a book and get universal support. That's a good position to be in.
RT: It helps that I've been there awhile. I've done four Intensives: Craig Clevenger twice, Max Barry, and Monica Drake. All three were instrumental in my success, in my growth and confidence today. I'm a moderator at the workshop, and have put in a lot of time, reading over a hundred, a hundred-twenty stories every month for the anthology. People know me, and I try to be social, try to help others, share my experiences, so we can all learn. I try not to be a pompous ass too much. Good people, and so many talented writers in the workshop. All of the other mods: Kabol and KC, as well as VP, Mirka, Dennis, Kirk - they've been supportive of my work for a long time.
BT: So while we're on the subject of the illustrious workshop, how did you originally get the position of moderator?
RT: After I passed the background check, paid my fees, got licenses and then took down Mark Grover in mud wrestling match, I was in. I don't have the upper body strength of Kabol, and KC is like almost seven feet tall, so I'm like third or so in rankings. Kidding.
BT: Oh, you're kidding? Because KC said I had to beat him in a boxed-wine drinking contest to get in. That's a lot of Franzia, my man.
RT: Oh, right. Sorry, yes…box o' wine.
BT: (laughs) He'd never touch the stuff. He's bottles all the way. I know that much.
RT: See…that was a test. You did your research, grasshopper.
BT: So how'd you get the spot?
RT: They asked. I think they saw I was serious, I took several Intensives, and was getting published, won a contest, was having some luck. And I was a nice guy, for the most part, was staying out of trouble on The Cult. I was honored. It's a cool gig, lots of responsibilities, but I enjoy it a lot.
BT: You're reading over a hundred pieces a month in consideration for Chuck's Anthology. Basically, you're the first step to getting nominated, so you have to read absolutely everything…good and bad. What would you say is the most common mistake you see writers making?
RT: Good question. Showing vs. telling is a good one, I see lots of people still telling us that somebody is beautiful, instead of showing us beauty. Lack of setting, not using all five senses. A plot, with a conflict, building to a climactic ending. The basics, really. Tense shifts. And rushing to post up stories that obviously aren't ready.
BT: Yeah, that last one especially. I think for some people they really started to look at the end of the month as a deadline of sorts. And then in their rush to put it up they ended up giving us something that wasn't completely polished. Hell, sometimes they didn't even spell check it.
RT: For sure. I also like some tension. Revealing character through their actions, their clothes, their apartment. So many opportunities to show us people, three-dimensional people, not stereotypes. And put your own stamp on it too, make it unique, your own.
BT: Yes, and that's probably one of the biggest misconceptions about this particular workshop: that we're trying to breed Chuck clones when that couldn't be any further from the truth. Even when I see people doing transgressive minimalism, I'm at least seeing an attempt to put their own spin on it.
RT: Let Chuck do Chuck. I mean, you can see the people that I've read in my work, King and Will Christopher Baer for example, but I don't try to sound like them. I try to sound like Richard. That's been one of the hardest things for me, trying to find my voice. But I think now, when people look to my work, they have certain expectations now, and that's pretty cool.
BT: It's definitely good advice to live by: don't be the next anyone. Be the first you.
And read. A lot.
RT: Definitely. You should read all of the masters in your genre. If you write horror, you better read Lovecraft, King, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, early Dean Koontz, and the modern masters. Find the dark fiction voices that are being published in The New Yorker, the names I've mentioned already. You can't steal from them, but try to understand WHY they are successful. Read fiction in magazines - Esquire, Playboy. Read small presses - pick up Tin House, The Missouri Review, The Paris Review, any publication that can help you to write better.
BT: Whoa, I didn't think you liked Koontz.
RT: I really liked his early stuff, Whispers, Phantoms. I liked the "Odd Thomas" books, but I've kind of stopped reading him. King, I'll always read, and his latest, Under The Dome was fantastic. Not so in love with Koontz anymore. But you can't deny that he is successful, he sells a lot of books, so you have to ask yourself - why? Do you hate Koontz?
BT: All I know is that you had that bookstore scene in your novel towards the end where you give Koontz the big anti-plug. I LOL'd pretty hard.
RT: (Laughs) Shit. I may have to cut that. I mean, not every book has to be a challenge. I read John Grisham, I love the F. Paul Wilson "Repairman Jack" series. I like the "Preston & Child" series, too. Not every book has to be House of Leaves or hell—even Stephen Graham Jones' book All The Beautiful Sinners (a fantastic book, probably top ten all-time for me). It took me two reads to understand, it just gets better every time. Cormac McCarthy's books can be tough, for me anyway.
BT: My vote is you leave it in. Take the funny when you can get it…even if it's a small slight on someone. I think Koontz will understand.
RT: (Laughs) I think every author knows their place. I don't think I'll be winning a Pulitzer for Transubstantiate, but hell, I'd be honored to be nominated for a Stoker. It's a wild ride, and hopefully it will keep the readers attention, run them through the emotional wringer. I'd love for my audience to finish the book, and put it down and go: "Damn. That was intense." That's all I can ask for: a little escape, and a good time
BT: I think those are perfectly reasonable expectations for a debut. You never really know though until you put it out there for the people to read, but I definitely think it's got a little something for everyone.
RT: Thanks—and hey, to go back to Koontz real quick, I was a fan for a long time, and have read probably 20, 30 books of his. To have that relationship with an author, and to have them put out books that feel kind of phoned in? Well, it's tough. You feel a bit cheated. I guess with Koontz, I expected more. I expected him to evolve, and I haven't been feeling that for awhile with him. But hell, when I'm writing my 40th book, or however many he's done, maybe I'll struggle for inspiration too.
BT: (laughs) Okay, now that bookstore scene makes more sense. Let's talk about noir for a second.
RT: Alright.
BT: Now when people think noir—especially if they're on The Velvet, the name Will Christopher Baer usually pops up. What would you say your approach is to the genre that differs from him?
RT: Well, I call it neo-noir, which is simply French for "new-black." My interpretation of it is pretty wide open, that is just needs to have a certain tone, a feeling, and language. It doesn't have to subscribe to the classic noir rules. I don't think that neo-noir even has to end in tragedy. You can look at the Baer trilogy and there is hope in there. We have a lot in common, Baer and I, but he's much better at it than I am. His word choices, every sentence feels like he spent forever on it. He's really somebody that I respect a lot. That's why I'm trying to be patient with Godspeed. If I ever get lost, and can't find my voice or the right tone, all I have to do is pick up any of his books, and I'm immediately back in that world. The speculative things that I put in Transubstantiate are probably something that he wouldn't do. But Disintegration, my next book, is probably a lot closer to what Baer does. He's a poet, and I've written almost one hundred poems, so I can appreciate the word choices. I may put down a sentence every couple of pages that is on the level that he is, and I know it. I go "That line, that'll get noticed in workshop". The difference between him and me, when it comes to neo-noir fiction? He's the master, and I'm still a student.
BT: Geez man, how the hell did you get this humble?
RT: Reading and brutal honesty.
BT: Maybe you can have a talk with Joseph Suglia at some point.
RT: (Laughs)...Don't get me started. But yeah, that and I get rejected constantly, still haven't gotten into a lot of the top places. Cemetery Dance, the story coming out in Shivers VI, Stillness that was a 1% acceptance rate. I've been reading so many authors that are considered masters, that I am starting to see what a great story is. Discovering people like George Saunders, Tim O'Brien, even Flannery O'Connor I put off for YEARS. The Mona Simpson story Lawns blew me away. The William Gay story The Paperhanger. Kate Braverman's Tall Tales from the Mekong Delta. These guys are showing me how to write dark, and be successful, be literary, get published and push the envelope. If you want to see how to write a short story, read The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories (edited by Tobias Wolff) and The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories (edited by Ben Marcus). Essential reading. I'm so late to read these people.
BT: I'm still trying to dig up a copy of The Contortionist's Handbook that doesn't cost $40.
RT: I'll send you a copy, Brandon. I've got two-three copies of each of Clevengers, Baers, and Stephen's [Graham Jones] work.
BT: You're the man! Very cool.
RT: No problem. Sorry, I'm looking at those books right now. Dorothy Allison's River of Names is intense. [Mary] Gaitskill's A Romantic Weekend is about S&M. She wrote Secretary which was made into a great movie. Denis Johnson's Emergency. These two books are worth every cent.
BT: The Richard Thomas interview is becoming a plug for a ton of authors. You're like a literary pandora.com.
RT: These are the people that inspire me. I feel like my best work is still ahead of me. I might read a hundred stories at the Cult, or for my MFA literary journal, and you find a few great ones. I can honestly say that the stories I've listed here are some of the best ever written. Clevenger is a great guy, I push his work because he pushed me. He said send out Stillness, that it was ready…it was perfect. He compared my work to Steve Erickson, one of his idols. So, even though Stillness got rejected about ten times, by some of the best, it found a great home with CD. And I suggest Clevenger's work because he kicks ass. Bottom line, he's a great writer. He's also been very generous with his time, signing books I sent him, sending me foreign copies for free, so very cool. I met Stephen Graham Jones at last year's AWP [The Association of Writers], he's been a huge help, I'd love to have his life of teaching, writing, editing. He's a genius, seriously.
BT: That's probably the best spot any writer can be in, not just doing it, but helping other people do it, too.
RT: Pay it forward, brother.
BT: So is that what you're looking to do after you get your MFA?
RT: Well, I'd love to teach. At a nice university, if possible. Getting this book published is a step in the right direction. Everyone at MSU said that if you can publish a book, it'll mean a lot when you go to teach. I'm doing my first class in April, a continuing education class at a local high school. And man, I am STOKED. Writing can be a very lonely job, even when it's a labor of love, so a bit of encouragement can go a long way. I want to keep writing novels, publish more short stories, teach, and edit. I have some editing projects in the works, and if things work out with that, man, I'd really be thrilled.
BT: That sounds like a plan, man. I want to talk about your publishing house for a bit, since you mentioned the book. Otherworld Publications, which is a new house...how did you hook up with these guys? I think we have a few aspiring writers who would like some insight on how this kind of thing works.
RT: Well, I was sending out the book, had it at a couple of cool houses, was getting some near misses and really positive rejections when I heard about OWP. I knew Lynn [Calvert] a little bit, we were going to do a panel together at the Louisville Creative Center but it fell apart. She was very friendly, smart, knew the business and was publishing. She had a lot of energy and ideas, so when they launched, I sent them my book. They loved it and wanted it to be their first. I was thrilled, and suddenly freaked out. All this talk, and now it was happening. There are a lot of positive reasons to go with a new, small press. Their excitement was the first thing. They have a lot of great ideas. We negotiated the contract to really do the best things for all of us. They want me to succeed, and if that means eventually moving on, so be it. They're very supportive, and I'm very optimistic that we can do great things with my book.
BT: So is there some pressure on you being it's the first book for both you and the publishing house?
RT: Sure. Tons. And I thought long and hard about it. But in the end, it felt right. I think my book is very approachable. It isn't too bizarre, nor too simple. I like it a lot and for the most part, the reactions I've gotten have been positive. Maybe ten people have read it all the way through. I think part of the reason I'm pushing so hard - on Facebook, starting a group there, creating websites, all of that and more, is that I want us all to succeed. You can't please all the people all of the time, but those that have read me, or those that like this kind of writing, I think they'll really like it. If I can get this in the hands of my kind of people, I think we'll do pretty good. I hope so. Heck, as we were talking about earlier, even my wife likes it, and she's a tough sell.
BT: I definitely think you've set up a good platform. Between The Cult, The Velvet, Facebook, Write Club, etc., you're primed for a pretty decent debut here. Social networking has definitely been good for up-and-coming authors.
RT: I'm happy to see the Facebook group up to 239 members and growing. The social networking is great, we're lucky to have these tools. I'm constantly shocked at how open and accessible some authors are. I've had some great conversations with all kinds of writers - Matt Bell, Blake Butler, Amelia Gray, Stephen Graham Jones, Donald Ray Pollock, Peter Straub, Chelsea Cain, Craig Davidson, Benjamin Percy, and on and on.
BT: Yeah, I feel the same. I was shocked when Monica Drake read one of my stories on Lobster Cult and actually got back with me on it. That made my week. It's so cool when that happens.
RT: For the most part, people are happy to try and give you a blurb (if they have time), to answer some questions, to talk about the issues of the day. But it also makes it tough to stand out. You have to have all of these things, Twitter, FB, blogs, forums. And then you try to be innovative, not to just have a tour, but an all-day, fourteen-stop, entire novel reading. You need to bike across the country. You need a Signed /Limited with your own blood on it. You need audio and extras, free short stories. You name it. It's tough. But I think people are more loyal these days too. If you can break though, you could have them for life. I can remember the first time I heard a total stranger say to me, "Oh, I'm always excited to see new work from you. I look forward to it." That may seem like a small thing, but I thought...wow, I have a fan. That's intense.
BT: When you're just starting off, EVERY SINGLE COPY sold feels so intimate and important. Being asked to sign something is a total trip. The first time it happened to me, I almost felt like an impostor celebrity doing it.
RT: I'm getting some of that now with the Facebook group, looking over the members and wondering who some of the people are. That's a really exciting moment, thinking that maybe your work has some appeal on a greater level than just your friends and fellow writer buds.
BT: Yeah, so enjoy it. It's only a matter of time before you're expected to sell a hundred thousand copies opening week in order to make the cut.
RT: Good Lord.
BT: So are you ready to round this thing off with the ten questions segment?
RT: (Laughs) I was waiting for those curve balls. Sure, go for it.
1) The Cult or The Velvet?
RT: Oh man, you don't pull punches. The Cult for its workshop, sense of humor, and energy. The Velvet for its information, sincerity, and the trio. Is that cheating?
BT: Yeah, it's most definitely cheating, but I'll let it slide.
2) You live in the Chicago area. Cubs or White Sox?
RT: Oh that's easy, Cubs. The harder one would be Cubs or Cardinals, since I went to school in Peoria, but grew up in St. Louis. And every time I say that I piss somebody off.
BT: Yeah, you just pissed off half of Chicago with that one. Good answer.
RT: Crap, there go my sales.
3) Transubstantiate has some pretty sexual stuff in it. Can you make up a clever porno title based on the word "coffee"?
RT: (Laughs) Okay, give me a second. What, did the sex bother you?
BT: Hell no, it didn't bother me! I read Snuff without flinching.
RT: My wife said I had too much sex in it, but then she also admitted that one scene turned her on. She'll kill me if she ever reads this. Sorry, Lisa. Do I have to use the WORD coffee or just coffee-inspired?
BT: Coffee-inspired. This should be easy. Writers love coffee.
RT: I guess Two Girls, One Cup is taken. Half and Half and Half Again? Wait, not dirty enough. Something with Venti Mocha Asses, X. Morning Wood Blend? Nothing, I got nothing.
BT: I would've taken Two Creams in One Sugar.
4) Who's the author you love to hate?
RT: Love to hate?
BT: Yep. And it has to be a real author...not someone like Tila Tequila who releases a book where someone else wrote it but she gets the credit.
RT: Oh, that's tough. I'm not a big hater. Even Dan Brown I see as having value, Koontz, we've talked about. Maybe Anne Rice. She kind of went off the deep end, and I've heard some wild stories about her being a nut. A lot of people love Thomas Pynchon, but I've never been able to get into his work.
BT: You're not going to take the easy Stephanie Meyer or Tucker Max route?
RT: Haven't read either so it's hard to say. There's room in the world for Meyer's work. Max though, not sure. Sometimes they just make me laugh. In order to hate them I'd have to care about their work. Man, that sounds harsh.
BT: Whatever...vampires just don't sparkle. That's a rule.
RT: Hahahhahahahahhaa...for sure.
5) What book can you read over and over?
RT: Anything by Baer. I love King, but he writes long books. I love all three of Baer's books: Kiss Me,Judas, Penny Dreadful and Hell's Half Acre. I've read them many, many times. I'll pick them up and dip into them if I just walk past. The opening to Kiss Me, Judas is so good. I probably reach for that one the most. Some of Chuck's: Survivor and Choke are my favorites, but the voice in Fight Club can suck you in pretty easily. But Baer, for sure, KMJ by a nose over PD.
BT: Dude, you have to pick ONE.
RT: Kiss Me, Judas. Man, you're tough.
6) What's your guilty pleasure?
RT: Bad TV. When I'm exhausted, I watch really bad TV. I mean, there's good TV like Lost for example. I like Damages, Nip/Tuck, funny shows like 30 Rock. But I watch stuff with my wife, like Gray's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives. I'm ashamed.
BT: Jersey Shore?
RT: Ha, I've never watched a show, just bits and pieces. I have gotten sucked into a Kardashian or two, even the Bitches of Orange County. There's one, what is it, like Sweet Sixteen or something? Oh my god, so bad. I blame The Soup. But I've never watched Dancing With The Stars. I am a fan of Project Runway though. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. My image is blown.
7) Better Batman: Bale or Keaton?
RT: Bale by a mile. After seeing him in The Machinist I gained a lot of respect for him.
BT: Good God, he was on the Kate Moss diet during that one. But yeah, I totally agree.
RT: Wild movie, huh? When he turned sideways I about freaked out. Keaton's too soft for Batman.
BT: He's Mr. Mom.
8) You're a writer. Cigarettes, coffee, or both?
RT: Coffee. I tend to write late at night, but I don't function without coffee. I will have a cigar now and then. Caleb tends to have them on hand, or at a poker night with the guys, but I pretty much quit smoking cigarettes when I had the kids.
9) What's the one band you find yourself listening to when you write?
RT: It's either The Cure or Radiohead, but since you're going to bitchslap me if I put down two bands, mostly Radiohead. Good background music, doesn't distract me. Especially In Rainbows.
BT: In Rainbows is great. Radiohead, just in general, is great. I remember there was a period of about three weeks where I was listening to Like Spinning Plates on repeat like a mantra. My roommate really started to get pissy about it.
10.) It's past 1:00am, February the 14th at the time of this interview. Does Richard Thomas have some romantic plans lined up for Valentine's Day?
RT: Man, you're funny. Actually, I have a date with my daughter. She's in Indian Princess and we're getting dressed up to go out to brunch and then a dance. My wife will spend the day with our son. They're twins, six years old. Lisa and I will probably just collapse on the couch. We try to go out when we can, dinner here and there, don't really deny ourselves those times together, but nothing special tomorrow. I mean, today. Crap, I have to sign my card to her. I at least did that!
BT: (Laughs) Man, I kept you up way past your bedtime.
RT: You did, but good times. Thanks, Brandon. Go hit the clubs, tear up Kansas City, brother.
BT: Yeah, I'll be so fashionably late I'll get there at last call.
RT: Seriously, thanks for the interview and the support. You contribute a lot around here, and I've really been enjoying your work. 4.1.10 and 6.18.10. Transubstantiate.net and find us on Facebook. I owe the Cult a lot, so thanks Culties. Peace out.
BT: Later, man. Get some sleep.
Pre-order the Signed/Limited edition of Transubstantiate!


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The hundreds of people streaming into Point Lookout Park on Monday morning for a ceremony to dedicate the Town of Hempstead's permanent 9/11 memorial passed through an arch at the front entrance, formed by two fire engines' tower ladders and a massive American flag. The Point Lookout-Lido Fire Department erected the arch.
Behind the memorial — an elevated, gently sloping walkway upon which the names of the 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are etched on granite plaques — was another arch with an equally large American flag.
Orange sunlight slanted across the park as people gathered around the memorial. Many family members and friends of victims attended the more than hour-long dedication ceremony, along with elected leaders and fire volunteers from across the South Shore — from Wantagh to Freeport, Elmont and East Rockaway, among many other communities. Volunteers from the Merrick Fire Department served as the color guard.
Seated in the front row were representatives of the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum, along with religious leaders of area congregations. Among them were Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and members of other religions. A variety of prayers were offered during the ceremony, which began promptly at 7:30 a.m.
Behind the lectern was the Kellenberg Gregorian Consortium, which performed at points throughout the ceremony.
Work on the memorial, which includes a rusted, 30-foot-long steel beam from the Twin Towers, began in May, at a cost of $1.3 million. The names of first-responders who die in the future of 9/11-related illnesses will be added to the granite plaques.
Town officials estimated that more than a thousand people attended the dedication ceremony.
Since the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks, Hempstead has hosted one of Long Island's largest annual memorial ceremonies, always on the town's Point Lookout beach, one of the locations where people assembled to watch the World Trade Center as it burned, sending black smoke billowing from Lower Manhattan into an azure sky.
Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino served as the master of ceremonies. He spoke at length of the bravery demonstrated by Ronnie Gies, of Merrick, a lieutenant with the elite Rescue Squad 288 in Queens. Gies, Santino said, showed no fear as he rushed into the burning World Trade Center to save others.
Members of Gies's family — including his widow, Carol, and sons Tommy, Ronnie and Bobby — were on hand. Santino had a message for terrorists: "You will never defeat the Gies family. You will never defeat the United States of America."
Ronnie Gies Sr.'s "love and courage are alive today" in his three sons, Santino noted. All three have served with the Merrick Fire Department; Tommy and Ronnie Jr. joined the FDNY.
The town's memorial, Santino continued, "will live on for our children's children."
The supervisor also spoke of Ray Pfeifer, who died in May of cancer related to his duties during the rescue and recovery efforts after the attacks. Pfeifer, Santino said, "walked to his death at ground zero."
Pfeifer, of Hicksville, a 35-year volunteer with the East Meadow Fire Department, lobbied hard for passage of the Zadroga Act, federal legislation that provides for the long-term health care of 9/11 responders. Numerous firefighters and police officers have been diagnosed with an array of diseases because they spent months working amid rubble of the Twin Towers, breathing in a highly toxic brew of carcinogens and pathogens. Pfeifer died after a multi-year battle with kidney and bone cancer.
"Ray's legacy lives on today" in the 9/11 responders who are receiving health care under the Zadroga Act, Santino said.
Bobby Gies spoke as well. "I cannot explain how honored I am to be here today," he said. The town's memorial "is the most peaceful, beautiful monument."
Gies implored parents to bring their children to the memorial and show them the long-felt after-effects of terrorism. No textbook or tablet, he said, could teach them what they will learn at the memorial.
"Explain to them what we all went through," Gies said. Allow them to cry if they wish, he added.
Pfeifer's sister MaryEllen McKee followed. "My family and I are humbled and grateful" for the memorial, she said. "Thank you for honoring all those who gave their lives … Never forget. Never give up."
Rabbi Charles Klein, spiritual leader of the Merrick Jewish Centre, spoke of the terrible days after the 9/11 attacks. "It's good that we are here together today … We need the closeness of community," he recalled telling his congregation shortly after the attacks.
"The images" of the attacks "will never leave us," he said. "On Sept. 11, life changed, but we love this country."

subset: commoncrawl


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Camp All Year for One Low Price!
The Thousand Trails Camping Pass is an annual camping pass that provides flexible, any-time access at Thousand Trails campgrounds. Enjoy year-round camping in the great outdoors at Thousand Trails' network of family camping resorts, with spacious campsites, hiking trails, fishing, resort-style amenities and family fun. Select the zone that works best for you and start camping today with a Thousand Trails Camping Pass.
Here's how it works:
Select A Zone
There are 5 zones to choose from depending on where you want to camp (Southwest, Southeast, Northwest, Northeast, Midwest). Each Zone includes 13-23 Thousand Trails campgrounds providing year-round access to some of the best camping destinations in the U.S. and British Columbia.
Purchase Your Pass
Once you purchase your Thousand Trails Camping Pass, enjoy camping trips with your family for weeks at a time or just get away for the weekend whenever you like. The cost is only $545.
Camp All Year
Your Thousand Trails Camping Pass provides unlimited overnight camping to all the campgrounds in your Zone. In general you can stay up to 14 consecutive days at a time and wait seven days before beginning your next stay. The first 30 nights a year are free of charge, after that a modest daily usage fee of $3 would apply to defray the cost of our amenities.
In addition to our spacious RV and tent sites, we also provide a full range of rental accommodations, from cabins to cottages to yurts, which we make available to members at discounted rates. Our RV campgrounds are renowned for providing a comfortable and memorable experience for all of our guests.
Resort-Style Amenities
Our customers know that Thousand Trails offers the best RV resorts and campgrounds in the nation. They have full access to all of our premium amenities. Amenities vary by resort.
- Within 10 Miles Coastal U.S.
- Ballroom/Banquet Hall
- Basketball
- Bike Rental
- Bike Trails
- Boat Docks / Marina
- Boat Ramp
- Boat Rental
- Bocci Ball
- Business Center
- Clubhouse
- Fishing
- Fitness Center
- Lake/River/Ocean Frontage
- Billiards/Gameroom
- Golf
- Horseback Riding
- Horseshoes
- Indoor Pool
- Laundry Facilities
- Library
- Private Mailbox/Mail Center
- Mini Golf
- Pets Welcome
- Pickleball
- Picnic Area
- Playground
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- RV Storage
- Shuffle Board
- Store
- Swimming Pool
- Tennis
- Nature/Hiking Trails
- Volleyball
- Waterfront Sites
- Whirlpool/Spa/Hot Tub
- WiFi
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Here are some examples of the kind of savings a Thousand Trails Camping Pass member can experience:
Total Savings: OVER $700!
Over the summer Benny spends 28 days camping throughout the Northwest zone with his family, visiting several different resorts in his RV on the Thousand Trails Camping Pass. Because he camps for less than 30 nights in one year, he is not charged a use fee. If Benny had paid the daily rate at the same resorts, he could easily have averaged as much as $45 a night, depending on the resort, the day of the week, and the time of year. Instead, he pays less than $46 a month.
Total Savings: OVER $3,000!
Thousand Trails Camping Pass holders Edward and Marina are retirees who spend much of the year traveling the Southwest in their RV. This year they spent 75 days camping in Thousand Trails resorts throughout the Southwest zone, with an average stay of 6 days. Edward and Marina have a "big rig," and like to book premium sites with pull thru access and cement pads. If Edward and Marina had paid the daily rate for these stays, they could be expected to pay upwards of $50 a night, for a total of roughly $3,750. Instead they pay just $680: their annual fee of $545, plus $135 in use fees for their stays following the first 30 days.


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Exhibit pays tribute to life of anti-apartheid activist
'Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights' to be on display through March
When "anti-apartheid" is used in a sentence with "South Africa," the name "Nelson Mandela" is invariably invoked. Less renowned, but nonetheless important, was Helen Suzman, the Jewish anti-apartheid activist who helped found the liberal Progressive Party, who was at one point the only member of the South African parliament to oppose apartheid.
Suzman was active in Parliament for 36 years (1953-1989), defending freedom of expression for all South Africans in a manner unusual for whites. She was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize, was named a Dame of the British Empire and received 27 honorary doctorate degrees from universities around the world.
"Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights," an open exhibition displaying 29 panels of Suzman's life through photographs, personal letters, quotations from speeches and assorted news articles, has been installed in the atrium of Shapiro Campus Center, where it will be on view throughout this month.
The exhibition was first shown at Georgetown University and since then has made its way to the Rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington D.C., St. Phillips College in Texas, the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Suzman's career led to a close friendship with Mandela. She met him in 1967 while he was at Robben Island Prison as a political prisoner. On her 90th birthday, Mandela wrote, "She is a person appreciated by all South Africans. Her courage, integrity, and principled commitment to justice have marked her as one of the outstanding figures of our history."
The chronicle of her life and achievements was put together by the Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research at the University of Cape Town. The Dobkin Family Foundation and Tolan Family Foundation co-sponsor the United States tour of this exhibition.
For more information specific to the exhibition, contact Exhibition Manager Jill Vexler at 212-505-6427 or email@example.com. For information on her foundation and images of the exhibition, go to www.helensuzmanexhibition.com.


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Jim Wallis wants you to know he's not a liberal. Yes, he's been a chief critic of the Religious Right since its inception, gave the Democratic weekly radio address after the 2006 midterm elections, and has been an often-controversial voice for social justice since his early-'70s days at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. But, he says, his chief critics these days are liberals, not conservatives. "There is a Religious Left in this country, and I'm not a part of it," Wallis said when he stopped by Christianity Today's offices during his February tour for his latest book, The Great Awakening. Meanwhile, he says, theologically conservative evangelicals (especially young ones) are flocking to his message and are "deserting the Religious Right in droves" because it attempted to "restrict the language of 'moral values' to just two issuesabortion and gay marriage."
"For years I have been called a progressive evangelical, but people said that was a misnomer," says Wallis, who turns 60 in June. "The misnomer is becoming a movement."
The Great Awakening is full of prescriptions on the broader social agenda: poverty, genocide in Darfur, global warming, the Iraq war, and other issues widely covered in Wallis's Sojourners magazine and his previous books. But The Great Awakening contains public-policy positions Wallis promotes less often: abortion and gay marriage, those two pillars of the Religious Right. He discussed these issues, and others, in further detail with CT's editors.
You repeatedly cite William Wilberforce as someone who did Christian political engagement right. But aren't your views on abortion"protecting unborn life in every possible way, but without criminalizing abortion"fundamentally at odds with Wilberforce's ...1


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While you can't escape diet and exercise as the 2 major components to losing weight, we can add some fast weight loss tips to your health plan to accelerate the whole process so you can reach your goal weight and burn fat much FASTER!
The Lies You Are Told!
You are being lied to by big health corporations about which is the best weight loss program and what are the best strategies to lose weight. They continue to encourage you to buy supplement after supplement that just don't seem to work. So why are people like you still struggling to lose weight when all these so-called experts say they have all the solutions?
chia seeds weight loss, diet programs that work, chia seeds weight loss,
The reason is this! The LESS weight you lose, the MORE weight they gain FINANCIALLY! If there was no more problems with overweight people, they would no longer have an income!
Weight Loss Success Stories: My Cousin Lucy
My cousin Lucy has had weight problems all her life from her teenage years. She'd always been teased at school that it left her with little self-confidence in her young adult life. She would avoid going places due to feeling embarrassed about her weight and always felt people were talking about her behind her back. Not to mention how envious she was of her 'skinny' friends who didn't have any trouble with boys.
Lucy also spent a lot of money trying to lose weight just like you probably have. She felt she was losing more weight from her purse than her body! But the good news is she did succeed when she stopped spending and started FOCUSING on losing the weight, rather than overloading herself with useless information. I asked her what she attributed the radical transformation down to. She told me following a good diet and exercise plan with DISCIPLINE was the starting point. But she also had a SECRET weapon to achieve her goal much faster than even she thought she would!
You see, Lucy started collecting fast weight loss tips that were easy to follow from all different kinds of sources. She then implemented them INTO her quality weight loss plan! These are little tricks that not many people use or even know about. I have one example she gave me just for you to try out for yourself!
BEFORE Every Meal And Snack, Drink 1-2 Glasses Of Water!
Doesn't it just sound TOO simple to do? The theory behind it is just as simple. Water does NOT contain calories! Therefore you CAN'T gain FAT from drinking water. But water does fill your stomach! So if you drink a glass of water every time BEFORE you eat, what's going to happen? There will be less room for food which means you eat less! Ultimately that will mean YOU LOSE WEIGHT!
The body also can confuse thirst for hunger, so even drink the glass 5 minutes before you eat and see if you're still hungry. This is one of the BIGGEST errors people make when trying to lose weight. They don't drink enough water and water is actually necessary for the burning of calories. If you become dehydrated your metabolism isn't as efficient and that means SLOWER weight loss.
Do You Think Lucy's Fast Weight Loss Tips Can Work For You?
Add fast weight loss tips like these to a QUALITY weight loss program, and you too can get results just like my cousin Lucy. Following the tips are easy, but finding the BEST weight loss program is the hard part!


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Brian Frick is the Associate for Camp and Conferences Ministries with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He has been involved in camp and conference ministry since high school. For the past ten years, Brian has served as program director of Johnsonburg Center in New Jersey, Westminster Woods in California, and Heartland Center in Missouri.
Camp and conference ministry compliments and partners with other ministry aspects of our church to foster faith development and reflection. As our communities and our church changes, our ministries need to grow and adapt with creative and emergent programming and leadership to meet new realities.
These blogs entries, though varied, are intended to spur thought and conversation around the opportunities and challenges before us.
Helping Youth Have a Faith of Their Own
The fact that youth participate in church less as they get older and often are not present in church as young adults can lead church leaders to assume they lack religious interest. A new book growing out of the National Study of Youth and Religion challenges that assumption. Sociologists Lisa Pearce and Melinda Lundquist Denton found that older teens and young adults see great significance in religion though not always in institutional forms of religious life.


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NOTE: For SNAP Only (Category 08) cases, leave blank.
Item 42 shows the date of admission or readmission to an institution. This is the date medical eligibility stops.
Enter the date (month, day, and year) as 2-digit numbers showing when the client entered a DHS noncovered facility or State Hospital/Institution. For example, enter January 1, 2000, as:
01 01 00


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Headline: Faiza: "The uncertainty is driving me crazy"
"I have no idea how this will end, how long it will take. The uncertainty is driving me crazy," writes Greenpeace Netherlands campaigner Faiza Oulahsen in a letter from her cell in Murmansk, Russia. She writes about her experiences from entering the Greenpeace icebreaker Arctic Sunriseuntil a few days ago when she along with 29 others lost their freedom to the Russian security forces. "Two months in jail is one thing, but then? What then?"
Hey Sanne,
Today is Saturday the 28th September I believe, around 12 o'clock. After 9 days of being locked up and cut off from all communication you tend to lose track of time. I was locked up on the ship from Thursday 19 September 18:30 until Tuesday evening.
Shortly before we were taken to shore, Mannes and I spoke to our Consul, Martin Groenstege. A friendly man who gave us hope. After we told him about our situation he told us about the work being done by Greenpeace to support us. Very moving to hear! And we were very happy to know that we have not been forgotten.
About two hours later a translator arrived with a few more FSB's [formerly the KGB] and we were told that we were going to be taken to land and had 10 minutes to get all our things. We were given the indication that we should pack for about 24 hours. I rushed off to my room where I was still able to make a quick call to Ben and informed him that in a few minutes we were going to be taken ashore to the "Department of Investigation." I then resumed packing and packed my jacket, gloves, underwear, 2 thermals, glasses and toothbrush. Now, after four days, I am sorry I didn't pack more clean clothes.
On Tuesday we went, for approximately half an hour, on the boat, with the Coast Guard, split in two groups. After half an hour of sailing we were brought to land where I finally had around 10 minutes to be outside and take in the fresh air. After that we were taken by bus to (I think) the head office of the FSB. After arrival, I was one of the first ones to be taken in to what I thought would be an interrogation. There I sat, on a chair inside a cold room, across from a lady who was busy typing. Next to me was a translator, a young lady, who apparently had studied English. Suddenly she was called in by the FSB, together with a few others, and it looked like they did not have much of a choice but to cooperate. She told me that a written report had to be compiled on the incident. I requested a Dutch translator and was told, "That's not possible."
I willingly stated that I would confirm my personal details, but that I would not say anything further until such time as a lawyer was present. "It's just a report" they said. I laughed and said, "I need my lawyer." I gave them the name and telephone number of our two lawyers. After a while Vladizlav, my lawyer, came in.
Around midnight I was taken to the rest of the group. At that moment, a number [of people] were handcuffed and taken away. After that we were supposed to be incarcerated for 48 hours. That's crap because we had already been incarcerated for five days on the ship. Handcuffed we
were taken away in groups to three different buildings. Upon arrival we were put together with six women from our group in a cell. It took quite a while before we were called one by one for intake; therefore we just laid on the floor and wooden tables, because we were dead tired.
Around 5 o'clock in the evening and after taking my fingerprints, I was taken to my cell. A bit later Camila and Alex were brought in. It was ice cold and the lights were on constantly.
The following day we went again to the office. The previous night I was informed that I was going to be charged with piracy and other made-up stories. Today I get to hear who the leaders of the investigation team are — of course drafted in a Russian document. I requested a translation on paper and a copy of the original document. I was told that I had to get my lawyer to request it from the "General in Moscow." At the end of the day I was taken back to the cell.
The next day, Thursday 26/9 was a very heavy day. We were again transported in busses, but this time in a dark, locked up metal cage, where just one person could fit, like animals get transported, to the FSB office.
There we were placed and locked up in windowed cages and we waited for the hearing. Very inhumane.
After a few of us had had the hearing, we were informed that we were under arrest and would be put away for two months until the trial. Alex burst out in tears. I started to lose the calmness and self-control I had been using the past couple of days, slowly but surely. Two months in a cell is one thing but after that? What comes after that? A sentence of a few months or a few years in a case based on lies?
Everything is completely against the rules. The things that the FSB is accusing us of are full of all of these inaccuracies and are things they are guilty of themselves. Nothing is certain. You just need someone at the top to think it and we disappear in the cell. Martin, the consul, said that I should stay calm because the Dutch have a good communication with the Russians. Good communication?? For what, I ask myself? Over the fact that the Russians illegally entered Dutch territory and pushed us into International waters so that they can violently arrest us? Is the Dutch Government demanding our release? Immediately? The Russians are not even allowed to arrest us and they still do it. They do exactly whatever they feel like.
I have no idea how this is going to end, or how long it's going to take. The uncertainty drives me crazy. I heard that Putin publicly said that it wasn't piracy. However his so called "general" has watered down some of the charges. But still we are in jail. 22 of us have been arrested, 8 of us held in detention for 72 hours over and above the 48 hours. They still have to get me and the 7 others a translator for the hearing, and I hope they don't find one until Sunday because then I still stand a chance to be deported.


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If the scariest man in the NFL isn't Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, it might be Denver quarterback Peyton Manning.
Irk them at your own risk.
Both Manning and Lewis are champions. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has space reserved for both players. Both men are so fiercely intense competitors, their stares alone can melt a teammate's soul.
Take your pick: Lewis or Manning. Which guy would you be smarter to tick off?
"Well … I don't know," Denver wide receiver Brandon Stokley said. "I think I wouldn't want to make either one of them mad. On the football field, they're both the type of player that seems like the madder they get, the better they play."


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Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) is the highest Cisco certification level achievable and here at Cathay School we help students from across the world including USA, UK, Sweden, Holland, Norway, Germany, Canada, Australia and more to become CCIE qualified. As compared to our competitors, Cathay School belives that passing exam is a more important guarantee than any other promises. Since 2005, our average 1st attempt passing rate has maintained an incredible level of 80% and above. No matter how many times you failed before, it will be your last stop before having your CCIE number.
Access List Configuration Tasks
Whether you are creating a standard or extended access list, you need to complete the following two tasks: Step 1 Create an access list in global configuration mode by specifying an access list number and access conditions. Define a standard IP access list using a source address and wildca...
Like OSPF, EIGRP uses three major steps to achieve its goal of learning the best available loop-free routes: Step 1. Establish EIGRP neighbor relationships
Preventing Unwanted Neighbors Using Passive
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|Sign up for our E-Newsletter


text: Hey guys! We would LOVE for you to get your day started weekday mornings here on The River between 5:30am and 10am! Youll get weather and traffic four times per hour, 3 Things You Need To Know 4 times per morning, Celebrity Birthday Game at 6:30am & 8am, our River Impossible Question at 7:25am to win some fun prizes, and Shannas Hollywood Headlines at 6:10 & 7:45am! You never know what topics well stumble upon . Its all fair game and fun! Its your show too, so feel free to call and join in on the conversation anytime, 518-783-0995. We would love to hear from you! Like us at Facebook.com/RiverMorningShow, and follow us on Twitter & Instagram, @995TheRiver! See ya in the morning!


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The Y is the place where families have fun and spend quality time together, kids play and build character, adults develop ways to live healthier and neighbors connect with their community.The River Valley Regional YMCA has been strengthening the foundations of our communities since 1844.
Williamsport Branch YMCA 641 Walnut Street Williamsport, PA 17701 (570) 323-7134Directions / Staff
Bradford County Branch YMCA 9 College Avenue Towanda, PA 18848 (570) 268-9622Directions / Staff
Eastern Lycoming Branch YMCA50 Fitness DriveMuncy, PA 17756 (570) 546-8822Directions / Staff
Jersey Shore Branch YMCA826 Allegheny StreetJersey Shore, PA 17740 (570) 398-2150Directions / Staff
Tioga County Branch YMCA40-42 Besanceney Drive Mansfield, PA 16933 (570) 662-2999Directions / Staff
RVR Corp YMCA641 Walnut StreetWilliamsport, PA 17701(570) 323-7134Directions / Staff
Copyright © River Valley Regional YMCA. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy


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Full-Court Press: Who is the next Stephen Curry?
Philadelphia, PA – Former Davidson guard Stephen Curry's journey to the NBA has altered the college basketball landscape more than anyone expected.
Despite being the son of a former NBA player and owning a very impressive collection of trophies from an outstanding high school career, Curry was not offered a scholarship by any top-notch Division I schools. The undersized and weak combo guard elected to become a Wildcat, which turned Davidson into one of the most adored mid-major programs in the country.
Curry averaged 25.3 points and 3.7 assists per game during his three-year collegiate career, which included two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
The player who was deemed as athletically inferior set a new NCAA record for 3-pointers made in a single season as a freshman. He built up a reputation so great that even LeBron James was spotted in the stands among thousands of Davidson red shirts that said "Witness" on the front cheering Curry on as he spearheaded an upset of North Carolina State.
Curry began his career at Davidson playing off the ball before becoming the first point guard out of college from a non-power conference school to be selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft in this century, when he was selected seventh in 2009. One year later, Jimmer Fredette of BYU was taken 10th and this season's rookie of the year, Damian Lillard, went sixth after a quietly brilliant stint in the Big Sky Conference at Weber State.
Lehigh's C.J. McCollum could very possibly crack this year's top 10 if he performs well enough during pre-draft workouts to make scouts forget about his season-ending injury last season. McCollum would be the fourth player from a mid-major school selected in the top 10 in the past five years.
Derrick Rose (Memphis) was the first player chosen in the 2008 draft and Andre Miller (Utah) had his named called ninth in 1999. Both Memphis and Utah have moved on to more competitive conferences in recent years as both programs were clearly overqualified for the mid-major level. The most recent point guard selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft from a current mid-major program before Curry was Lindsey Hunter, who was the 10th pick out of Jackson State in the 1993 edition of David Stern's rookie welcoming party.
The responsibility of the point guard used to consist primarily of setting up and running the offense. The traditional pass-first approach to the position is quickly becoming a way of the past. While the exposure a top-tier program like North Carolina can offer a recruit can boost draft stock, becoming the undisputed leader of an underdog certainly has its benefits.
Kendall Marshall was on prime time national television throughout his two-year stint as a Tar Heel. In Chapel Hill, he had an elite coach in Roy Williams to go along with three teammates who became 2012 first round draft picks.
Marshall seemingly engineered the offense with ease as he led Division I players in assists as a sophomore, but he was still selected behind Lillard on draft day. Marshall's first season as a professional failed to measure up to the unknown from Weber State by a long shot. Since UNC did not need him to be aggressive for it to be successful, there was no pressing need for Marshall to develop into a scorer.
Last season, there was a bountiful crop of talented point guards playing for mid-major schools such as Isaiah Canaan (Murray State), Matthew Dellavedova (Saint Mary's), Nate Wolters (South Dakota State) and McCollum. Do not be surprised if any of the following players show up on the list of 2013-14 Bob Cousy Award finalists:
Chaz Williams (Massachusetts) - The Minutemen made a push in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament before falling to Virginia Commonwealth in the semifinals thanks to their 5-foot-9 guard from Brooklyn. Williams led the team last season in scoring (15.5 per game), assists (7.3) and steals (2.0) as a junior.
Williams, who played one year at Hofstra before transferring to UMass, gave Amherst something to be excited about in late April when he announced he would be back for his senior campaign.
"I love this program and coach (Derek) Kellogg, and I love all the guys on the team," Williams said. "The pieces we have coming back next season was a big reason I decided to stay in school."
There may not be too long of a wait for UMass to find its replacement for Williams as sophomore guard Derrick Gordon will be making his Minutemen debut in 2013. Gordon was a highly touted recruit coming out of St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, N.J., before leading Western Kentucky in scoring in 2011-12 as a true freshman.
Siyani Chambers (Harvard) - The Crimson managed to win another Ivy League title this past season after many thought their season would suffer from an academic cheating scandal that caused Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry's removal from the team.
Chambers helped Tommy Amaker's team return to the Big Dance and earned the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award after leading the nation's freshmen in assists per game. Jeremy Lin may not be the only Harvard alum in the NBA for too long if the Crimson's floor general builds on his outstanding rookie campaign.
Chambers already has the court awareness and defensive capabilities needed to compete at a very high level. He was an efficient scorer from long range with 42.4 percent accuracy from beyond the arc, but lacked consistency from game-to- game.
Dundrecous Nelson (Jackson State) - The Jackson, Miss., native played his first season as a Tiger in 2012-13 after being dismissed from Ole Miss for violating team rules. Nelson showed he can transform into scoring machine this past season as he posted 12.8 points and 2.1 assists in only 18.4 minutes per game.
JSU had a disappointing sub-.500 finish in 2011-12 in what turned out to be Tevester Anderson's last season at the helm of the program. The Tigers' new coach, Wayne Brent, will be able to turn the program instantly if Nelson develops an outside game to pair with his already explosive first step.
Brent also will have Arkansas transfer Julysses Noble to pair with Nelson in the backcourt. Noble, who played for Brent during his high school days at Callaway High School, will take some of opposing defense's attention away from Nelson.
Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State) - The Horizon League has not seen too many future NBA players pass through its corridors since it was founded in 1979. Norris Cole (Cleveland State) became just the second guard in the conference's history to be selected in the first round in 2011, joining current Valparaiso head coach Bryce Drew, who was picked in the middle of the 1998 draft.
Ray McCallum of Detroit may become the third player on that list this June after electing to forego his final year of eligibility.
Perry led the Horizon League in scoring as a sophomore and finished second to only McCallum this past season with 17.3 points per game. The senior-to-be may be among the scoring leaders in the nation in 2013-14 as YSU graduated two players with double-digit scoring averages.
Perry has a full arsenal of weapons on the offensive end, but he may need to exhibit leadership skills and help the Penguins contend for their first-ever trip to the Big Dance to garner more interest from scouts.
Jake Odum (Indiana State) - Although Creighton and Wichita State were the only two Missouri Valley Conference schools to make it to the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the Sycamores were in the discussion for much of the season due to the outstanding play of their point guard.
Odum did a little bit of everything for ISU as a junior with 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per outing. Odum has excellent size for the position and should be hungry after having the end of his junior year spoiled by a shooting slump.
The Sycamores defeated both the Bluejays and Shockers by double-digit margins after notching overtime decisions over Ole Miss and Miami (Fla.) during this past season. A few more upsets are most likely going to be reported from Terre Haute, Odum's hometown, in 2013-14.
Honorable Mention - Dylan Garrity (Sacramento), Billy Baron (Canisius), Evan Roquemore (Santa Clara), Elfrid Payton (Louisiana), Duke Mondy (Oakland)


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This is a strange one indeed. OneNote for Windows Phone 7 allows consumers to pin the create note tile to their Start screen, but this feature is amiss in Windows Phone 8.
That is unless you're using the latest hardware with the GDR2 update. We've checked on our Nokia Lumia 925 and it does indeed enable us to pin the tile to the Start screen, which has been confirmed by the OneNote team on Reddit.
An option to pin the new note tile is now listed in the main menu. We've not noticed anything else that's new, though we could easily be missing something else. Good news is the feature has returned and will be available when you update your Windows Phone 8 smartphones.
via: Reddit


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Star Trek: The Classic Episodes 1, Volume 1
Bantam Books, 1991 - Fiction - 646 pages
Explore the final frontier with science fiction's well known captain, crew and starship, with 27 tales of high adventure from the first season of episodes. Such stories as "The naked time", "Shore leave", "The squire of Gothos", "Space seed" and "The city on the edge of forever" are included.
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13 pages matching library computer in this book
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LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - unclebob53703 - LibraryThing
First purchased these stories when I was in High School, in multiple volumes; they're story adaptations of Star Trek TOS episodes, and I was perpetually starved for more Star Trek. Nice to have them all again in the three-volume set Read full review
Introduction by D C Fontana
Prefaces to the Original Editions
Foreword to Star Trek 12
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Star Trek: The Classic Episodes 3
James Blish,J. A. Lawrence,Norman Spinrad
No preview available - 1991
Common terms and phrases
Anan answer asked Bailey Balok beam began Bierce body Boma Bones bridge Captain Kirk Charlie Christine Cogley command chair communicator console corridor course creature crew crewmen cried D. C. Fontana dead destroy Doctor door engines Enterprise eyes face Gaetano Gene Roddenberry girl gone Gorn hand happened head human intercom James Blish Janice Janice Rand Karidian kill Kirk looked Kirk turned Kirk's Klingon Korby Landru Lawgivers Lazarus library computer Lieutenant Uhura Marplon McCoy McCoy's Miri Mitchell moved never nodded Number officer orbit Organians panel phaser Pike planet Reger rock Romulan Scott screamed screen scripts seemed ship ship's smiled sound spoke Squire of Gothos Star Trek stared starship stopped suddenly Sulu Talosian tell There's thing thought told took Transporter Room Trelane tricorder Vina voice wall watched weapon What's Yeoman Rand


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Doctor Who TARDIS Tea Infuser
Reverse the Enzyme Decay
- Looks like the TARDIS - holds loose leaf tea for brewing
- Has a tiny sonic screwdriver hanging from the chain
- A ThinkGeek creation and exclusive!
Romana: What would you like me to do?
The Doctor: Well. I'd like you to stay out of my way as much as possible and try and keep out of trouble. I don't suppose you can make tea?
Romana: Tea?
The Doctor: No, no, I don't suppose you can. They don't teach you anything useful at the Academy, do they?
- "The Ribos Operation"
Shipping restrictions: We cannot ship this item outside of the U.S. and Canada
There are few things as British as a spot of tea. Although for some of them it seems like it was mostly a vehicle for patty cakes and Jammie Dodgers, most (if not all) of the Doctors have enjoyed a cup of tea from time to time. And settling down for tea with The Doctor sounds to us like the perfect way to spend a Saturday evening.
After a long day, spend a few minutes healing your synapses with the Doctor Who TARDIS Tea Infuser and your own special brew of free radicals and tannins. One mug, a little hot water, some loose leaf tea, and one short steep later, you'll be thinking clearly again and ready for traveling the universe.
Product Specifications
- Doctor Who TARDIS Tea Infuser
- A ThinkGeek creation and exclusive!
- Officially-licensed Doctor Who product
- Holds loose leaf tea for brewing
- Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver hangs off the end of the chain
- Materials: Stainless steel and zinc alloy (sonic screwdriver)
- Dimensions: 3" tall x 1 1/4" wide, 5 1/2" chain
- Shipping Weight: 2.4 oz.