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By Teachers, For Teachers
Does your staff need Classroom Management teacher training? The K-12 Teachers Alliance can help you plan your in-service professional developmentat no additional cost.
If you have a classroom with multiple behaviors concerns, it can be tough to head to your job every day.
With the constant disruptions, redirections, and follow-ups, it can take a toll mentally, emotionally, and sometimes even physically! Not to mention the worst part: learning for other students gets short-changed.
The million-dollar questions is: How do you get some of those out of control classes back into a cohesive unit ready to learn?
I've found great success with my behavior management system based on individual students' motivations. Here's how the Miracle Motivation Program works:
Find the Motivation
Maybe you have tried everything, from a token management system, to flipping cards, to rewarding with candy – and sometimes it works. But when it doesn't, it is really frustrating!
I noticed the same thing in my classroom, and finally came to the realization after reading the book The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child by Richard Lavoie, that students (like adults) are all motivated by different reasons.
Mainly, there are 6 motivational "styles":
If you know the child's motivation, life at school (and at home) can become amazingly easier for all!
Adults are the same way – we are all motivated by different means and will work hard for completely different reasons. Some would work for more money, while others would do it for recognition – among other things. If only one choice was given by administration, only a certain percentage would work hard to hit the goal.
Personalize Punch Cards
My behavior system has changed drastically since implementing my Motivation Miracle Program. Now, I use punch cards for each student and individualize their goals based on their personal motivation. Once the punch card is filled up, they earn their chosen goal and choose another.
Organize & Implement Behavior Program
By keeping all the punch cards hung up on a bulletin board from o-rings and push pins, the entire class gets a visual reminder every day to work towards an individual goal. Now, it is much easier to get homework returned, stay on task, and not shout out.
The program is also positive reinforcement in that the punches are given for demonstrating more of the behavior we want to see. I can customize what the children earn punches for if I notice one student who has been working particularly hard on something that does not come easy. Or if I see that one student hasn't shouted out for two minutes (sometimes that is a miracle in itself!). Maybe a gifted student has begun to slow down and check through his or her work – and not just race through to be done. All of these small milestones deserve recognition.
Witness Learning in Full Force
Behavior management is so much easier when the students take the ownership of their own choices and incentives in your classroom! Redirection on your part is also much easier – just silently gesturing to the bulletin board where the punch cards hang usually does the trick.
Of course, you will still have disruptions – it wouldn't be a school without them! But, perhaps you won't dread walking into that door each day knowing that your students will be learning, will be on task, and will be motivated to do it on their own. Have fun!
What other miraculous behavior management programs or strategies have you found? Share in the comments section!
For more a printable version of her Motivation Miracle Program, Charity Preston shares it free to all newsletter subscribers http://www.theOrganizedClassroomBlog.com. You can sign up for the free newsletter on the right sidebar of any page. After entering your email address, confirm your subscription from your email inbox, and the first newsletter will have all the relevant printables.


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I used a combination of this tutorial and this idea to create my own cute stuffed owl. I used the pattern from the first, but printed it on 8.5 x 11 paper - because I wanted my owls smaller.
For the one on the left, I made little taggies with scraps of fabric. (Squares, sewn right sides together on 3 sides and turned right side out)
Lay the taggies along the strip of fabric, just as you want them to look. Place another piece of fabric on top of it, right sides together, and sew along the top. Then, when you flip it open, it will look like the pictures below:
Then, I sewed the eyes and the beak. I chose not to use buttons for they eyes, so that there would be no choking hazards for little kids.
My top piece looked like this when I was done:
I followed the rest of the tutorial to finish - it explains it very well.
Pretty cute! Huzzah!


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Naomi Duguid's Fried Shallots and Shallot Oil
Crisp fried shallots are essential garnishes on many dishes in Burma: Rivers of Flavor. Once its been used for frying, you can save the shallot-flavored oil to drizzle over countless dishes. Here, it's used on top of Naomi Duguid's Banana Flower Salad.
Reprinted with permission from Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid. Copyright 2012. Published by Artisan. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
- Yield:makes 3/4 cup oil and about 1 1/4 cups fried shallots
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time:40 minutes
- 1 cup peanut oil
- 2 cups (about 1/2 pound) thinly sliced Asian or European shallots
Place a wide heavy skillet or a large stable wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. Toss in a slice of shallot. As the oil heats, it will rise to the surface, sizzling lightly.
When it's reached the surface, add the rest of the shallots, carefully, so you don't splash yourself with the oil, and lower the heat to medium. (The shallots may seem crowded, but they'll shrink as they cook.) Stir gently and frequently with a long-handled wooden spoon or a spider. The shallots will bubble as they give off their moisture. If they start to brown early, in the first 5 minutes, lower the heat a little more. After about 10 minutes, they should start to color. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the pan or to each other, until they have turned a golden brown, another 3 minutes or so.
Line a plate with paper towels. Use tongs or a spider to lift a clump of fried shallots out of the oil, pausing for a moment to shake off excess oil into the pan, then place on the paper towel. Turn off the heat, transfer the remaining shallots to the plate, and blot gently with another paper towel. Separate any clumps and toss them a little, then let them air-dry 5 to 10 minutes, so they crisp up and cool. (If your kitchen is very hot and humid, they may not crisp up; don't worry, the flavor will still be there.)
Transfer the shallots to a clean, dry, widemouthed glass jar. Once they have cooled completely, seal tightly. Transfer the oil to another clean dry jar, using all but the very last of it, which will have some stray pieces of shallot debris. (You can set that oil aside for stir-frying.) Once the oil has cooled completely, cover tightly and store in a cool dark place.


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Mozart had unusual power of detachment. From his pupil Attwood's account we know it in his creative activity as observed.
'Mozart was observed at the end of a meal to begin folding and unfolding his napkin; with polite excuses he left the room and returned to the company in good spirits. Often when this happened he had completely scored a lengthy work that would never be altered by so much as an accent, bow mark, or staccato dot'.
From Abbé Stadler's account (incidentally he was the one who put Mozart's musical affairs in order after his death)' Beethoven began before he knew his own mind, and altered passages backwards and forwards as fancy directed; but Mozart never began to write until he had arranged the whole design in his mind just as he had wished it; it then stood without change.
Let me finally quote Mozart's way of working from his widow.
'Mozart seldom went to the instrument when he composed…He walked about the room and knew not what was passing around him. When all was arranged in his mind he took inkstand and paper and said, "Now, dear wife, let us hear what people are talking about". He could as well have been writing a casual letter! (ack: Arthur Hutchings)-benny
Posts Tagged 'detatchment'
Mozart-the composer
Posted in music, tagged Beethoven, concentration, creative process, detatchment, Mozart, music on November 30, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Mozart had unusual power of detachment. From his pupil Attwood's account we know it in his creative activity as observed.


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Acropolis, Athens
Acropolis, Athens
The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world. In the second half of the fifth century bc, Athens, following the victory against the Persians and the establishment of democracy, took a leading position amongst the other city-states of the ancient world. In the age that followed, as thought and art flourished, an exceptional group of artists put into effect the ambitious plans of Athenian statesman Pericles and, under the inspired guidance of the sculptor Pheidias, transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and the arts. The most important monuments were built during that time: the Parthenon, built by Ictinus, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles and the small temple Athena Nike.
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Acropole d'Athènes
L'Acropole d'Athènes et ses monuments sont le symbole universel de l'esprit et de la civilisation classiques, et forment le plus extraordinaire ensemble architectural et artistique légué par la Grèce antique au reste du monde. Dans la seconde moitié du Ve siècle avant JC, Athènes, suite à sa victoire sur les Perses et à l'établissement de la démocratie, prit un ascendant sur les autres Cités-États du monde antique. Durant cette période, alors que l'art et la pensée florissaient, un groupe exceptionnel d'artistes mit en œuvre les plans ambitieux de Périclès, homme d'État athénien, et transforma, sous la direction éclairée du sculpteur Phéidias, la colline rocheuse en un monument unique d'esprit et d'arts. Les principaux monuments furent érigés à cette époque : le Parthénon, construit par Ictinus, l'Érechthéion, les Propylées, l'entrée monumentale de l'Acropole, dessinés par Mnesiclès et le petit temple d'Athéna Nikê.
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
أكروبول أثينا
يمكن اعتبار أكروبول أثينا الذي يجسد الحضارات والأساطير والأديان التي ازدهرت في اليونان منذ أكثر من ألف سنة والذي ترتفع فيه أربعة من أكبر تُحف الفن اليوناني الكلاسيكي، وهي معبد أثينا البارتينون ومدخل الأكروبول بروبيلي ومعبد أركيتون ومعبد الإلهة نيكي، عنصراً بارزاً في التراث العالمي.
source: UNESCO/ERI
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
source: UNESCO/ERI
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Афинский Акрополь
Акрополь, содержащий напоминание о более чем тысячелетнем развитии цивилизаций, мифологии и религии, процветавших в Греции, является местом нахождения четырех величайших шедевров классического древнегреческого искусства – Парфенона, Пропилей, Эрехтейона и храма Афины Паллады, которые могут рассматриваться, как символы всемирного наследия.
source: UNESCO/ERI
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Acrópolis de Atenas
La acrópolis de Atenas y sus monumentos son el símbolo universal de la civilización y el espíritu clásico, y forman el más extraordinario conjunto arquitectónico y artístico legado por la Grecia antigua al mundo entero. En la segunda mitad del siglo V a.C., después de su victoria en la guerra contra los persas y el establecimiento de la democracia, Atenas ocupó una posición dominante con respecto a las demás ciudades-estados de la Antigüedad. En este periodo de florecimiento del pensamiento y las artes, un grupo excepcional de artistas ejecutó los ambiciosos planes del estadista ateniense Pericles y transformó, bajo la inspirada dirección del escultor Fidias, un montículo rocoso en un monumento excepcional del arte y el espíritu. Fue en esta época cuando se erigieron los principales monumentos del sitio: el Partenón, construido por Ictino, los Propíleos, la entrada monumental de la Acrópolis diseñada por Mnesicles, el Erecteion y el pequeño templo de Atenea Niké.
source: UNESCO/ERI
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
source: NFUAJ
Acropolis, Athene
De Acropolis van Athene en haar monumenten zijn universele symbolen van de klassieke geest en beschaving. Ze vormen de grootste architectonische en artistieke complexen uit de Griekse Oudheid. In de eeuw na de overwinning tegen de Perzen en de stichting van de democratie, kreeg Athene een leidende positie. In die periode werden de ambitieuze plannen van de staatsman Pericles uitgevoerd. Onder leiding van de beeldhouwer Pheidias veranderde de rotsachtige heuvel in een uniek monument voor het denken en de kunst. De belangrijkste gebouwen uit die periode zijn het Parthenon, het Erechtheion, de Propyleeën, de monumentale entree tot de Acropolis en de kleine tempel van Athene Nike.
Source: unesco.nl
Outstanding Universal Value
Brief synthesis
The Acropolis of Athens is the most striking and complete ancient Greek monumental complex still existing in our times. It is situated on a hill of average height (156m) that rises in the basin of Athens. Its overall dimensions are approximately 170 by 350m. The hill is rocky and steep on all sides except for the western side, and has an extensive, nearly flat top. Strong fortification walls have surrounded the summit of the Acropolis for more than 3,300 years. The first fortification wall was built during the 13th century BC, and surrounded the residence of the local Mycenaean ruler. In the 8th century BC, the Acropolis gradually acquired a religious character with the establishment of the cult of Athena, the city's patron goddess. The sanctuary reached its peak in the archaic period (mid-6th century to early 5th century BC). In the 5th century BC, the Athenians, empowered from their victory over the Persians, carried out an ambitious building programme under the leadership of the great statesman Perikles, comprising a large number of monuments including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia and the temple of Athena Nike. The monuments were developed by an exceptional group of architects (such as Iktinos, Kallikrates, Mnesikles) and sculptors (such as Pheidias, Alkamenes, Agorakritos), who transformed the rocky hill into a unique complex, which heralded the emergence of classical Greek thought and art. On this hill were born Democracy, Philosophy, Theatre, Freedom of Expression and Speech, which provide to this day the intellectual and spiritual foundation for the contemporary world and its values. The Acropolis' monuments, having survived for almost twenty-five centuries through wars, explosions, bombardments, fires, earthquakes, sackings, interventions and alterations, have adapted to different uses and the civilizations, myths and religions that flourished in Greece through time.
Criterion (i): The Athenian Acropolis is the supreme expression of the adaptation of architecture to a natural site. This grand composition of perfectly balanced massive structures creates a monumental landscape of unique beauty, consisting of a complete series of architectural masterpieces of the 5th century BC: the Parthenon by Iktinos and Kallikrates with the collaboration of the sculptor Pheidias (447-432); the Propylaia by Mnesikles (437-432); the Temple of Athena Nike by Mnesikles and Kallikrates (427-424); and Erechtheion (421-406).
Criterion (ii): The monuments of the Athenian Acropolis have exerted an exceptional influence, not only in Greco-Roman antiquity, during which they were considered exemplary models, but also in contemporary times. Throughout the world, Neo-Classical monuments have been inspired by all the Acropolis monuments.
Criterion (iii): From myth to institutionalized cult, the Athenian Acropolis, by its precision and diversity, bears a unique testimony to the religions of ancient Greece. It is the sacred temple from which sprung fundamental legends about the city. Beginning in the 6th century BC, myths and beliefs gave rise to temples, altars and votives corresponding to an extreme diversity of cults, which have brought us the Athenian religion in all its richness and complexity. Athena was venerated as the goddess of the city (Athena Polias); as the goddess of war (Athena Promachos); as the goddess of victory (Athena Nike); as the protective goddess of crafts (Athena Ergane), etc. Most of her identities are glorified at the main temple dedicated to her, the Parthenon, the temple of the patron-goddess.
Criterion (iv): The Athenian Acropolis is an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble illustrating significant historical phases since the 16th century BC. Firstly, it was the Mycenaean Acropolis (Late Helladic civilization, 1600-1100 BC) which included the royal residence and was protected by the characteristic Mycenaean fortification. The monuments of the Acropolis are distinctly unique structures that evoke the ideals of the Classical 5th century BC and represent the apex of ancient Greek architectural development.
Criterion (vi): The Acropolis is directly and tangibly associated with events and ideas that have never faded over the course of history. Its monuments are still living testimonies of the achievements of Classical Greek politicians (e.g. Themistokles, Perikles) who lead the city to the establishment of Democracy; the thought of Athenian philosophers (e.g. Socrates, Plato, Demosthenes);and the works of architects (e.g. Iktinos, Kallikrates, Mnesikles) and artists (e.g. Pheidias, Agorakritus, Alkamenes). These monuments are the testimony of a precious part of the cultural heritage of humanity.
The Acropolis of Athens contains within its boundaries all the key attributes that convey the property's Outstanding Universal Value, as an ensemble of unique splendor in excellent condition. The perfection of ancient building techniques ensured the resistance of the monuments to natural forces through time. Despite the unavoidable damage of time, they still display their beauty and convey their inestimable artistic and historic value, preserving all the features that directly and tangibly associate them with the events and ideas of Democracy and Philosophy. Inevitably, the vicissitudes of history between the 5th century BC and our days have caused extensive damage that is being successfully addressed with the ongoing restoration and conservation works, which increase both the stability and the legibility of the monuments.
The authenticity of the Acropolis hill, crowned with the masterpieces of Greek Classical art and architecture, is well preserved. In order to maintain the authenticity and structural integrity of the monuments, an integrated intervention begun in 1975 and continues today. The works are based on clear theoretical and scholarly foundations, and follow the principles of the Venice Charter. The interventions are limited to the absolutely necessary and respect the ancient structural system, while remaining consistent with the principle of reversibility. Moreover, the techniques and the tools used for the restoration works are similar to those of the ancient craftspeople, while the white marble used for completing the eroded architectural elements is quarried from the same mountain as in antiquity (Mt. Penteli). Therefore, the restorations are fully compatible with the original parts of the monuments.
Protection and management requirements
The Acropolis has been operating as an archaeological site since 1833, shortly after the establishment of the modern Greek State. Nowadays, the property is strongly protected under the provisions of Law No 3028/2002 on the "Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in general". Moreover, the Acropolis and its surroundings, which constitute monuments per se, are protected by legislative decrees (Ministerial Decrees F01/12970/503/25.2.82 concerning the designation of its buffer zone; and F43/7027/425/29.1.2004 concerning the designation of the peripheral zone of the city of Athens and imposing obligatory control before issuing any building or development permit within its boundaries). The fact that the property's buffer zone is a protected archaeological area itself, along with the implementation of the strict legal framework – especially for the urban tissue in the historical centre of Athens since 2002 – and the intense monitoring by the competent Ephorate, ensure that urban development pressures are adequately addressed. Special protection is provided by the Presidential Decree No 24/2007, which declares the Acropolis area a no-fly zone.
The property is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs, through the Ephorate of Antiquities of Athens, its competent Regional Service, which is responsible for the site's security and protection, as well as the implementation of an efficient site and visitors' management system. Moreover, the Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs implements the legislative decrees concerning the safeguarding of the property and its peripheral zone (which corresponds to the boundaries of the ancient city of Athens and its surroundings) and ensures the visual integrity of the site. Especially for the restoration, protection and monitoring of the property, an advisory body, the Committee for the Restoration and Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments, was founded in 1975 and is responsible for planning, directing and supervising the interventions. In 1999, the establishment of the Αcropolis Restoration Service allowed to increase the academic and technical personnel and made the immense development of the restoration works possible, under the supervision of the aforementioned Committee and in cooperation with the competent Ephorate. The extensive research programme and the methodology implemented are innovative in this field and act as a reference point for other restoration projects. The financial resources for the works on the site are derived from the State budget as well as from European Union funds.
Special attention has been paid to the accessibility of the site, to pathways and to visitor facilities, especially for disabled people. Furthermore, emergency plans for visitor security and scientific studies for the protection of the site, such as monitoring of earthquake activity, are being carried out.
The New Acropolis Museum (inaugurated in 2009), in which most of the original sculptural and/or architectural pieces of the monuments are conserved, the on-going project "Unification of the Archaeological Sites of Athens", as well as the long-term conservation works will enhance the protection and the presentation of the property.
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- Bikeabout To Launch Circum-Mediterranean Tour Of World Heritage Sites 24-Sep-1997-30-Jun-1998


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CAIRO (AP) — As Egyptians mark the third anniversary of their spectacular revolt against autocrat Hosni Mubarak in the name of democracy on Saturday, there has been a powerful sign of the country's stunning reversals since: letters of despair by some of the prominent activists who helped lead the uprising, leaked from the prisons where they are now jailed.
The letters show a battered spirit, no longer speaking of imminent democracy, but of injustices and a failed struggle that they say has been robbed repeatedly.
"What adds to my feeling of oppression is that I feel this particular lock up has no value. This is not struggle, and there is no revolution," wrote Alaa Abdel-Fattah, one of the most prominent figures in the 2011 uprising. He was jailed several times in the past and was taken back into detention in November for calling for protests against Egypt's current, military-backed government.
The 18-day uprising launched on Jan. 25, 2011, rode on hopes for dramatic change in a country long ruled by an iron grip — for an end to corruption and police power, for freedoms of speech and political rights and for greater economic equality. Those hopes went largely unfulfilled in the ensuing political roller coaster, as a council of generals took power for nearly 17 months after Mubarak's removal, and a string of elections brought Islamists to political dominance. Their rise was crowned by the 2012 election of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi as president.
Now the "Jan. 25 Revolution" has been swallowed up by another mass movement: The "June 30 Revolution," named for the giant wave of protests starting on that date in 2013 against Morsi. It erupted after many Egyptians became convinced he and his Brotherhood had violated the dream of an inclusive, democratic Egypt. The millions in the street prompted the military to remove Morsi within days.
The demand of the June 30 revolt has become to restore stability, bringing together a military-backed government, the powerful police agencies and a broad sector of the public determined to crush Islamists they believe conspired to wreck the nation and change its identity. Security forces have arrested thousands of Brotherhood supporters and killed hundreds.
At the same time, the Brotherhood and its Islamist allies have adamantly stuck to a campaign of protests demanding Morsi's reinstatement — a virtually impossible goal that the group vows it is willing to risk destruction to achieve.
A campaign of violence by Islamic militants, apparently a backlash to the removal of the first Islamist leader of the Arab world's largest country, only has heightened the public fears fueling the June 30 movement. A string of bombings against police on Friday, particularly a dramatic truck bombing that smashed Cairo's main security headquarters, killed six people and intensified a public backlash against the Brotherhood. Police and angry residents clashed with Brotherhood protesters around the country, leaving 14 more dead.
Both sides are determined to use Saturday's commemoration. The Brotherhood wants to build momentum for its protests, which have dwindled under the crackdown. Supporters of the military are coming out to urge the head of the military, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, to run for president in elections this year and save a country they describe as in a state of war.
The activists behind the 2011 uprising are squeezed between them— as they have been from the start. The authorities' campaign against terror has expanded into arrests of others showing dissent. Secular critics of the government are branded in the media as traitors and Brotherhood sympathizers at worst.
"For the second time since the fall of Mubarak in February 2011, a government is in power with little apparent inclination to limit itself by respecting basic rights," Human Rights Watch said in its annual report released earlier this week, referring to abuses by both Morsi's government and its successor.
The government shrugs off criticism, saying it is intent on pursuing democracy while stressing it is waging a war on terrorist groups. This month, it pushed a revised constitution through to adoption in a public referendum. Ostensibly more liberal-leaning than the previous one adopted under Morsi, it upholds equality for women and Egypt's Christians and guarantees political rights, but entrenches the power of the military as an institution above oversight.
"We are continuing our march to the future," presidential adviser Mostafa Hegazy told a press conference Tuesday. "As much as you've seen clockwork when it comes to the constitution, you'll be seeing clockwork when it comes to the presidential and parliamentary elections" expected by this summer.
The youth groups at the heart of the Jan.25 uprising are in disarray. A few continue protests calling for more freedoms. Other groups are abstaining, refusing to join ranks with Islamists.
For Abdel-Fattah, the activist and blogger arrested from his home in a night raid in November, his latest imprisonment was a sign of the "miserable" state of their revolt.
In a letter to his two sisters, also activists, published by one of them earlier this week, he says he spends most of his day in solitary confinement.
Ahmed Maher, founder of the April 6 movement that led protests against Mubarak before and during the 2011 uprising, wrote to his children a letter published on the group's website. He is serving a three-year sentence for violated a law enacted in November that virtually bans protests.
"I don't know, kids, why I am in prison?" he wrote. "I didn't steal. I didn't kill or rob the country like Mubarak and his cronies did. I didn't kill protesters and I was not a police officer who tortured people. You will hear in the media one day that your dad is a traitor, an agent who receives money and you will study in history that your dad had a prime role in the January 25 'setback'. That is what they call it now."
"Everything collapsed," he wrote. "And instead of your generation reaping the fruits of Jan.25, it is now up to you to start anew after Jan. 25 was exterminated."
Still, Jan. 25 earned many a voice they say they are not ready to give up.
"When the revolution happened, I felt that the country was mine. I felt my value," said Ayman Hegazy. "We were men when we stood up to injustice."
The 32-year-old sports a beard typical of ultraconservative Salafi Islamists but is a moderate, critical of the Brotherhood, the military and the Mubarak era. He survived one notorious disaster of the Mubarak era — a giant rockslide that crushed homes in Cairo's Dweika slum in 2008, killing dozens. During the 2011 uprising, he was injured in clashes with police and Mubarak loyalists, then jailed for a month after clashes with police under military rule later that year.
Now living in new government housing in Dweika, he runs a popular committee set up after the revolution to fight corrupt local officials and demand services.
He said the country has gone full circle, with Mubarak cronies trying to resume their place in power and the military and police more powerful than ever. But he said he will continue protests.
"I know I may be arrested. I know I may die," he said. "I have friends who died, who lost their eyes or are detained. I can't be at home, and sell them out."
And after the despair of his earlier letters, Abdel-Fattah sought to show he had not given up, publishing a testimony late Friday that he and fellow activist Ahmed Douma said they wrote together, shouting between their cells. The joint long document, a combination of text and poems, is a confession of their own errors and criticism of others, offering a window into the thinking of a generation of revolutionaries shaped by of three years of messy politics.
"It is a betrayal to hope, just as it is to despair," he wrote. "Here in my cell, I wrestle with my dreams and nightmares — I don't know which is worse. ... But I will never betray."


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Not much into running? Then just walk — it can lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes as much as running can.
A new study found if the same amount of energy is used, moderate intensity walking and vigorous intensity running can lead to similar reductions in risk.
The more people walked or ran each week, the more their health benefits increased.
For the study, researchers measured energy by distance rather than time. So runners recorded twice as much exercise as walkers. But walking may be a more sustainable activity for some people when compared to running.
Related Information:
- For more information on how to increase your level of physical activity, follow the American Heart Association's Get Moving: Easy tips to get active.


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I just recently moved to this area and desperately need new partners. I am a 4.5 player, but don't mind playing lower level players. I just love to play. I am retired, and can play almost…Continue
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The indie comedy Goats, from director Christopher Neil and based on Mark Poirier's best-selling novel, tells the story of Ellis (Graham Phillips), a 15-year-old looking to find his place among his eccentric family. His mom (Vera Farmiga) is a New Age hippie that spends all of her time working on self-help rituals with her hustler boyfriend (Justin Kirk), while his dad (Ty Burrell) left home years ago and is more focused on his new wife (Keri Russell) and family. And then, there's Goat Man (David Duchovny), the goat-herding sage who has lived in their pool house since Ellis was a child, teaching him the meaning of expanding one's mind.
At the film's press day, actor David Duchovny spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about how he approached the role of Goat Man, what interested him about the unique character, how he came to the specific look, what it was like to experience a goat trek, the challenges of working with real goats, and the difference in playing one character over a long period of time, like he does on Californication, versus a finite time with film. He also talked about his interest in doing a third The X-Files film, and where he thinks the second film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, went wrong. Check out what he had to say after the jump.
Collider: How did you approach this unique role?
DAVID DUCHOVNY: Approaching a part or thinking about taking a part, I never think, "Is that person like me?" I just think I'm me. I don't think there's people like me. I wouldn't say anything is like me. I don't experience the world that way, really. I'll instinctively know that I identify with a character. I won't say that I don't, but I try not to do one that I can't identify with 'cause I'll do a bad job. It's your job, as an actor. I've turned down jobs because I've said, "Honestly, I can't find my way in. I can't do it. I love you, as a director. I think the script is good. You deserve better than I think I can do." That's not saying I'm a bad actor. We just can't all play all different kinds of instruments. Meryl Streep maybe can, honestly. She's like Michael Jordan. But, there's only one of those. There's not even a man like her. There's only one of her. I don't know how she was created. In a Petrie dish, they made an actor and just gave her the ability to do anything or relate to anything. Not me. So, I find things to relate. You can find your way into stuff that's not at all like you. You just take different roads to there.
What interested you in this character, specifically?
DUCHOVNY: Within the context of the film, what I liked was that this was what might be considered a morally lax character 'cause of the drugs. In this world, society and culture, we think of drugs as bad. He is actually a source of wisdom, love and responsibility, within his own weird way. I thought he was a type. We have types, in our culture. I could only trace it back to Cheech & Chong. That was the furthest I could go back to the stoner type. It must have arisen sometime in the '60s, but it's an archetype. I wanted to play him as a type, but also not as a type. I wanted to go against type. It was a very interesting juggling act, to play a type, but try to subtley subvert the type, at the same time. That's what attracted me.
How did you come to Goat Man's look?
DUCHOVNY: I don't remember, exactly. In the book, he cleans up, at some point, so he must have had long hair and a beard. I liked the idea of having a mask and having the freedom of not looking the way I do, so I could maybe even feel differently, and that's exactly what happened. It can happen with any kind of physical transformation that you get to do, as an actor. Sometimes you can work outside in. It sounds superficial, but I don't think it is. You put the clothes on, you style your hair, and you do whatever it is that that character is described as or you've decided him to be, and then you look in the mirror and you start to feel differently about yourself. You start to feel like that guy might feel. As soon as I put the hair on the beard on, I just remember that was like, "Oh, wow, I'm starting to feel like this guy." Then, it was fine. That was very fun for me because I don't normally get called upon to do that type of thing.
Did getting to actually go on a goat trek help you, at all?
DUCHOVNY: No. Those are the things that go under the heading of research. I think people are always trying to demystify whatever acting is, so they want to know what your method is. They talk about method acting, which is not really a thing. It's a cliche of people who actually think that they are that person. I don't believe that ever really happens. It's psychosis, if you actually think you're somebody else. But, there are moments when you get out of your own head and you exist in the moment, and that can be good acting. People think that the method is that you actually become somebody else. Daniel Day-Lewis is tremendous, in that way. He commits, wholeheartedly. But, I think he could do that without all that. I don't think that that's the de mystification of his talent. It just happens to be that his passion runs him, in that way. But, I would say that he'd be great without research. He's just a great actor. For me, research is good, anecdotally. Something will happen, like on a goat trek, and you don't know what it is, but you'll take it into the movie. I'll go to the director or writer and say, "The goat ate this particular cactus and it was kind of a cool look," or things like that. What happens with research is that you get details, and those are really indispensable. The devil is in the details. It really is. Research is good for that.
What was it like to have Chris Neil and Mark Poirier behind this film?
DUCHOVNY: Chris weirdly – or maybe not so weirdly because he was attracted to the story – actually had a Goat Man in his life, as he was growing up, and he had pictures and stories. So, Chris actually had everything I needed, visually. And then, we collaborated on the look. He showed me how Goat Man really looked, and I said, "Well, that's him. Could we do this?" Chris had a bunch of stuff that was really helpful to me, that I'm not sure I ever could have found, on my own. I guess that's being a good director. Part of being a good director is not only directing on the set, but leading your actors to go on that goat trek or giving them a photo.
How were the goats to work with? Were they amenable to a film set?
DUCHOVNY: They kind of don't care that much, but they're not that ornery. They head-butt you a little bit, sometimes, but I never felt unsafe except when I was driving in the car with them. They tend to move their heads around quickly, and they've got hard heads and horns. There's not a lot of room in a car for them to be turning around. They were whipping their heads around in the backseat and, if you got in the way, it would have been a serious knock. But, they were never moody. They were always the same. They were not like working with dogs or cats, that can get tired. They seemed to never really be there, so it didn't really matter. They were perfectly happy to walk, or maybe not.
Do you enjoy going back and forth between the more long-term television format with Californication, and having the more finite time with film?
DUCHOVNY: It's just different. It's like a different meal. Ultimately, it's the same experience. It's just a different pace, but not always. I've rushed faster through independent films than I have through television. It's not even always a different pace. And I don't see any difference in the craft of acting, in film or television. It's absolutely the same. It's different storytelling, playing a character over multiple hours, as opposed to two. With a television pilot, you've gotta make sure that character comes across, but you have to do that in every film. You don't have 24 episodes to slowly bring the guy across. You've gotta really bring him across, right away, in film and in a television pilot.
When I spoke to Frank Spotnitz about a week ago, he said that he feels it's a cultural crime that you guys haven't gotten to finish The X-Files story, and that he doesn't think it's too late to do, but that it will be, if it's not done soon. How do you feel about it, at this point? Have you closed the book on The X-Files, or would you like to continue it with a third film?
DUCHOVNY: Do you know something I don't know? Am I dying? No. That book doesn't close until somebody dies, really. One of the greatnesses of the show was its open-endedness. It was about possibility. It wasn't about closure. It just couldn't be. There is no such thing as that story ever ending. Those characters are forever searching. That's what they do. Even if we're not watching them, they're out there, in some dimension. Mulder and Scully are still doing their thing 'cause that's their nature.
I would love to do another film, or more. I think we're all game for it. I know I'm kind of perplexed that Fox isn't more [enthusiastic]. Here's a homegrown property that you don't have to go buy, like fuckin' Green Lantern or something, to make it. Here you've got an actual action franchise that's your own. It's weird to me, but I'm not an executive. I don't know if they made the Green Lantern either, but I'm just using that as an example of, "Why make that film? Why not make a homegrown franchise that is excellent, and that has proven to be excellent and interesting?" I don't get it, but that's not my business.
I think Chris [Carter] is probably working on an idea, so we'll see. Unfortunately, with the last one, they didn't spend the money to compete in a summer fashion, and they brought it out in the summer. It should be a summer film. It should be an action film. But, the last one we made was not. The last one we made was a dark, contemplative, small $25 million film. It was basically an independent film. When you come out against Batman, it's not going to happen. You're not going to be sold as an independent film, and you're not going to compete against Batman with $25 million.


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The best type of restaurant for me is the kind where you walk in and feel special, not in a VIP way but rather the way in which every single guest feels like a regular, from the actual regulars who have been going there since opening day decades ago to the tourists who will probably never have the occasion to stop by again. At Sweet Basil in Needham last night, while Joel and I did receive some special attention as we were there on an invitation from the PR rep, it was clear that every single person in the restaurant (and it was packed) had either been going there for years or might as well have been; attention was lavished throughout the cozy room by chef/owner Dave Becker, who is without a doubt the warmest, most genuine restaurant owner I've met. While plenty exude friendliness, you can still feel the sales pitch underneath, but as Dave glided around the room chatting with guests and manning the host stand and presenting us with plate after plate of food (on pottery he actually made himself), it was clear that he was there simply because he absolutely loves it and wants every guest to love it just as much as he does.
I had been to Sweet Basil once before, on a lunch expedition during my stint at Tasted Menu last year. The team would occasionally go out to random destinations and order as much of the menu as possible, partly with the intention of seeding the website with some thorough reviews and photos (but mostly because we all genuinely loved to eat). We hungrily ate our way through quite a few of the sandwiches, and I fell in love with the food as well as the quirky/rustic ambiance, from the turquoise walls (with coat hooks by each table!) to the hanging plants threatening to overflow their pots.
But from the location (Needham, a half hour from Somerville if there's absolutely no traffic) to the menu (Italian, not Thai, although the name could go either way), I knew it'd be hard to drag Joel out there for a future visit. He just doesn't get excited by pasta like I do. I figured I'd probably never get the chance to head back out there.
When Sweet Basil's PR rep recently contacted me to see if I'd like to meet Dave and try out dinner, though, I was able to convince Joel that it'd be worth the drive. Now that we're home digesting the epic feast (and with Dave's beautiful cookbook in hand as well, along with plentiful leftovers), I don't think he regrets the trip, despite the painstaking rush hour trek that took an hour.
As the meal began, Joel, as usual, immediately took note of the music. It was a great and eclectic selection - everything from classic jazz to Jane's Addiction - and the level wasn't disruptive but could still be heard even as the restaurant filled up. And a wall in the back was even covered with records, again a great mix: Curtis Mayfield, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Simon & Garfunkel, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. (It pains me to leave out the Oxford commas in two of those, but I looked them up, and that seems to be the standard way of punctuating them. I'm a nerd, and I drive myself crazy.) Aside from the records, the walls were mostly decorated with a beautiful mix of art by Dave's late grandfather.
We soon broke into our half-bottle of wine (Sweet Basil is BYOB), a lovely 2007 Italian Barolo that was given to me by Central Bottle as part of a package promoting their new sister venture, Belly Wine Bar. We figured it'd be the perfect fit for a place like Sweet Basil, and it was.
And then the food began to arrive. So much food. Big portions have become almost a gimmick there, like at Vinny T's, Dave said, admitting that he ate a lot more in the beginning, but even now that he watches his own portions more, regulars probably wouldn't appreciate the restaurant portions shrinking. (Keep in mind when viewing the photographs in this post that some of these portions were merely sample sizes, not the real thing.)
As with most Italian restaurants, Sweet Basil sends out a basket of bread to start the meal, but instead of plain old olive oil, there's pesto for dipping. Really good pesto. Next, we tried the sweet corn agnolotti (with sautéed vegetables in lemony broth, topped with arugula salad and herb aioli), beet risotto, Greek lamb meatballs (simmered in spicy tomato sauce and topped with tzatziki), and steamed mussels (in a garlic and wine broth with tomatoes, olive oil, and crostini). While everything was delicious, it was the meatballs that nearly made me moan inappropriately. It was an unexpected Greek-Italian fusion - tzatziki with tomato sauce?! - but it worked surprisingly well, resulting in a flavor that was bold yet comforting and nearly sinful. They'll soon be replaced with a fall meatball, though - most likely a pork and chicken liver combination, maybe in a preparation including Armagnac, said Dave. The agnolotti will also be gone soon. I asked how often the menu changes, and Dave replied, "Not often enough! It's a constant battle to the keep the regulars happy and the chefs from getting bored."
We continued with the rosemary chicken (with crispy pancetta and asparagus in a creamy parmesan cream sauce with ziti), a bestseller. "Not my favorite," admitted Dave, "and I think it's going to be solely responsible for shortening people's lifespans."
My lifespan, though, is more likely to be threatened by a good bolognese, and Sweet Basil's was no exception. Even the inclusion of mushrooms, typically a mortal enemy of my tastebuds, barely bothered me, and the housemade pappardelle was outstanding. At the end of the evening, we got to see the giant pasta machine in the basement, and Dave told us about the person who makes the pasta, but I got confused because he employs several brothers (and an uncle, I think) whose names all rhyme: Nilson, Admilson, and I think the other two were Jilson and Jailson, although I'm probably butchering the spelling. (I verified the first two in the cookbook but couldn't find mention of the others.) In any case, one of them makes the pasta, and one of them - maybe the same one - is constantly mistaken for being the owner of the restaurant because of the aura he exudes in the dining room, one of authority, pride, and some good-natured grumpiness.
Just as we were about to explode, the final dishes arrived. First, a gigantic hunk of phyllo-wrapped baked gouda, oozing its seductive insides all over a mixed greens salad, which was embellished with slivers of dried apricots and strawberries. Then, a tender slow-cooked lamb shank with roasted vegetables and amazingly fluffy polenta.
This was last night and Yom Kippur is still a day away, but I have a feeling this year will be an easy fast, because I won't really feel like eating for quite some time!
A few details to note: Sweet Basil accepts cash or check only (no credit cards) and does not serve alcohol (but you can BYOB for a $5 corkage fee). And no reservations. You'll likely have to wait during peak times, but there are often snacks coming out of the kitchen for people who are waiting, and we saw at least one party getting into their first bottle of wine before getting seated.
After we ate, Dave enthusiastically swept us down to the basement for a tour of the inner workings, including the aforementioned pasta machine as well as bottles of housemade vinegars. We left with a bag full of leftovers and the gorgeous Sweet Basil cookbook , which I began to skim through as soon as I got home. It's packed full of relatively simple recipes as well as stories and photographs, and I'm looking forward to trying out some of the recipes. Perhaps even more useful than the recipes themselves are the pieces of advice Dave offers in the introduction. My favorite: "Have fun, cook for people you love, and drink lots of wine."
Even though this dinner was a special complimentary tasting and therefore leaves me at least a little biased, I have no hesitation wholeheartedly recommending the restaurant based on the way I saw other patrons treated, as well as based on my very positive lunch experience last year. On our way out, we spoke to a woman who has been going to the restaurant since the very beginning, and from her enthusiasm and that of the other patrons, many of whom talked to Dave as if they'd known each other forever, it's clear that everyone who walks into the door at Sweet Basil gets that special feeling that comes along with exceptional food and service.


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FASHION IS NO LONGER CONFINED TO THE RUNWAY. It's everywhere around us, from the way we decorate our homes to the music we play. It's the phone in our pocket, the faucet in our kitchen, the chair in our living room and the stemware in our dining room. It's not just about the way we dress, it's about the way we live. Brizo brings fashion to the kitchen and bath.
Along with style, Brizo brings you the added confidence of being crafted by Brizo Faucet Company. Brizo Faucet is a company that has been synonymous with dependability and ingenuity for over 50 years, ever since we introduced the first single-handle ball-valve faucet back in 1954. With the technology and engineering of Brizo Faucet behind it, you know your Brizo faucet will provide advanced functionality and the strength to stand up to the rigors of everyday use.
Brizo offers a wide selection of Kitchen Faucets, Bathroom Faucets and Bar/Prep Faucets and more in an array of Finishes including: Polished Chrome, Brushed Nickel, Brushed Bronze, Venetian Bronze. Whether you're looking for a Brizo Faucet or Accessory, Brizo has at you're looking for in styles and finishes that compliment any decor.


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So I thought I'd set myself a little challenge, that you guys could also get involved with if you feel so inclined. So today I was thinking about blogging, which admittedly I've been thinking about a hell of a lot recently. Theres a huge misconception in blogging that you need to continually spend spend spend in order to create content and "keep on top of the game" when in reality it's actually pretty simple to blog without breaking the bank or ruining your budget. While there is a very spend heavy culture in blogging admittedly, where we all sort of enable each other to buy more and more in the name of "having something to blog about" - Trust me, Im guilty of this too!
I wrote about a little concept I have called Think Like a Blogger a while back now but it's probably one of my favourite posts I've ever written. You can read the whole thing here but I basically talk about how pretty much anything can be made into a blog post. From little things like going for a walk, making your dinner or pulling your favourite lipstick out of your bag and writing a post about it.
Literally anything can become a blog post, you don't have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe or the latest gadget in the name of a review. I bet that you could make at LEAST 10 blog posts out of things you already have lying around your house or based around things you're already doing.
Therefore as I'm back at my Mums for the next week or so and I have no blog posts scheduled or preproduced I thought I'd set myself a week long challenge of daily blogging but only talking about things I already have or I'm already doing. No money will be involved in creating next weeks content unless it's already something I was doing like say going out for tea with my Granny. Potential post ideas for that could include Q&A with her, Her beauty tips, Review of Tea Room, Asking her for her secret recipes for future blog posts etc. There are tons of posts you could write that dont involve spending a penny or pushing products at all, plus all without them being a hinderance to your day to day life. I just think it'll be a fun way to explore blogging without breaking the bank, changing my routine or overspending, all the while thinking about how I create posts for my blog.
I have a few products with me but no new launches or things I've talked about before, only a couple of outfits and not a lot of plans for the week. Im not quite sure what Im going to come up with but whatever I do will be on here over the next week and I hope you enjoy it. If you want to follow along then go ahead or even join the challenge then that would be really cool!


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The ability to provide arithmetic on integers larger than the CPU register width has always provided me with endless hours of fun in assembly. Being a kind and generous person, I have decided to share that enjoyment with you all, by providing a set of three tutorials on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division on binary numbers that are very stupidly large!
This third tutorial concerns itself with 1024-bit unsigned division providing a 1024-bit quotient and 1024-bit remainder.
Given a 1024-bit dividend and a 1024 bit divisor, compute the 1024-bit quotient and 1024 bit remainder. We shall use the long division method by:
1. Clear the remainder
2. Left shift the remainder by 1
3. Left shift the dividend by 1 (the most significant bit is shifted out and into the carry flag)
4. If the carry flag is set, then set the least significant bit of the remainder
5. Shift the quotient left by 1
6. Compare the remainder with the divisor
7. If the remainder is greater than or equal to the divisor then subtract the divisor from the remainder and set the least significant bit of the quotient
8. Repeat steps 2 to 7 1023 times
1024-bit Division
Here then, is the 1024-bit division code.
Div1024 proc num1:dword, num2:dword, result:dword, remainder:dword local num1_shift[32]:DWORD, partial[32]:DWORD local num2_shift[32]:DWORD xor eax, eax mov edi, remainder mov ecx, 32 rep stosd mov edi, result mov ecx, 32 rep stosd mov esi, num1 lea edi, num1_shift mov ecx, 32 rep movsd mov esi, remainder mov edi, result mov ecx, 1024 Div1024_loop: invoke Shl1024, remainder invoke Shl1024, ADDR num1_shift jnc Div1024_1 bts dword ptr [esi+124], 0 Div1024_1: invoke Shl1024, result invoke Sub1024, remainder, num2, ADDR partial jb Div1024_2 invoke Sub1024, remainder, num2, remainder bts dword ptr [edi+124], 0 Div1024_2: dec ecx jnz Div1024_loop ret Div1024 endp
The routines that I have provided over these three tutorials are, of course little or no use in the real world. Their purpose is to demonstrate the versatility and extensibility of the x86 machine code instruction set and perhaps inspire the reader to investigate it for themselves.


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It�s one of those dates on the calendar that most of us in Eastern North Carolina tend to overlook.
It�s one of those dates on the calendar that most of us in Eastern North Carolina tend to overlook.
But this year, our awareness of the official arrival of spring may only be superseded by the attention going to March Madness.
Spring kicks off Thursday, but for those of us long sick of days on end of temperatures in the 30s and 40s, at a time when temperatures are normally flirting with the upper 70s, we�re already checking the thermometer � certain we�ve caught spring fever.
We�re a bit spoiled around here.
We�re used to those lovely white blossoms on our Bradford pear trees showing up in February and March. By April, summer-like temperatures are a regular occurrence; and, by May, we have the AC going full blast.
Spring is little more than an afterthought during the sweltering days of mid-June, when the official change of seasons once again pops up on the calendar.
But not this year.
Winter 2014 has been a game changer. We�ve seen snow and ice and more snow and more ice � January and February were particularly brutal. Eastern North Carolina saw average temperatures 4 degrees below normal in January, according to the National Weather Service, with February following suit.
Suddenly, we all needed coats, gloves, ice scrapers and snow shovels. Most of us don�t even own those items. Onslow County ran out of space heaters and doused its roadways with salt and brine. We became weather junkies � hooked on Arctic vortexes and hoping for a break in all the wintery mix mess.
We have all run out of patience, and we can�t help it. This is the Crystal Coast and Treasure Island. We�re conditioned for certain things. Our constitution is not built for a winter that sets in. It�s built for a winter that passes by.
So we�re showing it to the door as fast as we can. We�re hanging ferns, planting flowers, digging up gardens and ignoring the fact that we could, still, see another night (or two) of freezing temperatures.
We�re barbecuing in the rain, exploring the great outdoors and soaking up every bit of the rare sun filled days when we can. It may still be too cold to visit the coast and run around in shorts, but we�re doing it anyway.
And we�re counting down to Thursday.
We�re laying down the red carpet for spring to arrive, with its sparkling gown of warmth and light.
We need a change in season. We need the madness to stop.


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Promises about Environment on The Obameter
Include environmental and labor standards in trade agreements
"He will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world"
Create incentives for tree planting and promote carbon sequestration
"Will develop domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers, and ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands, or undertake farming practices that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere."
Improve water quality
"Will reinvigorate the drinking water standards that have been weakened under the Bush administration and update them to address new threats. Will help communities by restoring better federal financing for water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, and will continue leadership in protecting national treasures like the Great Lakes from threats such as industrial pollution, water diversion, and invasive species. And will establish policies to help high-growth regions with the challenges of managing their water supplies."
Regulate pollution from major livestock operations
"In the Obama Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency will strictly monitor and regulate pollution from large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) - which raise more than 40 percent of U.S. livestock - with fines for those who violate tough air and water quality standards."
Restore the Great Lakes
"Restore the Great Lakes - Will push for the passage of the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act, which will move us past playing defense against environmental problems and toward a comprehensive restoration of the Great Lakes."
Encourage water-conservation efforts in the West
Strengthen federal environmental justice programs
"Will work to strengthen the EPA Office of Environmental Justice and expand the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program, which provides non-profit organizations across the nation with valuable resources to address local environmental problems; will work to ensure that environmental health issues in the wake of man-made or terrorist disasters are promptly addressed by federal state and local officials; will work to provide low-income communities the legal ability to challenge policies and processes that adversely affect the environmental health of low-income and minority communities."
Increase funding for organic and sustainable agriculture
"To support the continued growth of sustainable alternative agriculture...will increase funding for the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program to help farmers afford the costs of compliance with national organic certification standards; and will reform the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency's crop insurance rates so that they do not penalize organic farmers."
Increase funding for national parks and forests
Increase funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Partner with landowners to conserve private lands
"Will put an unprecedented level of emphasis on the conservation of private lands; will advance legislation that works with landowners and follows in the tradition of the Wilderness Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act to focus federal attention and increased resources for this key environmental issue; will increase funding for the Conservation Security Program and the Conservation Reserve Program; and will create additional incentives for private landowners to protect and restore wetlands, grasslands, forests, and other wildlife habitat."
Encourage farmers to use more renewable energy and be more energy efficient
Pursue a wildfire management plan
Remove more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires
More controlled burns to reduce wildfires
Increase funding for progams that conserve lands and habitat for select species such as the Osceola turkey
"Will fight to increase funding for the Conservation Security Program and the major set-aside programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, and Grasslands Reserve Program, so that rental rates can compete with rising commodity prices; will direct the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to place a special emphasis on restoration of habitat for important game species associated with specific regions of the United States, such as bobwhite quail and Eastern and Osceola turkey habitat in the South, ruffed grouse habitat in the Northeast, and sage grouse and pronghorn antelope habitat in the West;" and will support the use of tax incentives and other financial mechanisms to encourage private landowners to restore and protect habitat."
Protect forest service lands from more roads
Support wetlands protection
Supports "full funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and fulfilling the goal of "no net loss"; extending the swamp buster provisions of the Farm Bill, and amending the Clean Water Act to clarify that it protects isolated wetlands."
Fund proposals to help fish and game survive climate change
Supports proposals "to devote billions of dollars annually to state game and fish agencies and federal land management agencies to help them ensure that fish and wildlife survive the impacts of climate change."


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Palladium Books® Weekly Update – March 3, 2011
Palladium Books® Weekly Update – March 3, 2011
By Kevin Siembieda
My dear friends, a few things have happened in the last week or two that shook me a bit and bummed me out a little. It was nothing bad for the company, it just made me feel bad. You know, one of those moments where you wonder what's wrong with people and businesses in the world and you feel disappointed, frustrated and sad. Then I thought about you, the Palladium fans, the outpouring of support you have always given me, how you are there for us in good times and bad, and it helped buoy my spirits and restore my faith in humankind again. Thanks for being so awesome. Thanks for being there for me even when you don't realize it.
The Rifter® Super-Subscription offer was scheduled to end Monday. We had a great weekend of sales as a lot of people rushed to place their subscription order before the offer ended on Monday. A good number of people also ordered a lot of other books while they were at it, so I was absolutely thrilled with the sales. Of course, there has been a sharp decline in the days after, but that's to be expected.
FYI: You can subscribe to The Rifter® any time. And it is always a money saving proposition. The Winter Super-Offer is just our annual "push" and offers an additional "gift." So please, subscribe when that moment strikes and you realize you need a subscription to The Rifter®. And you know you need one. You need it. You know you do. You're missing out if you don't have one . . .
(Hmmm, I wonder if my power to hypnotize you into ordering a subscription is working? No! Not even a little? Shucks. What if I told you we will extend the subscription offer for just ONE MORE WEEKEND? Yeah, you can still get the subscription and the free gift this one last weekend. Offer ends Monday morning, March 7, 2011.)
Click here for all the details and order info.
A strange week for me. This past week has been a little strange for me. I've gone from high energy to feeling tired, back up to high energy, then a bit blue. I think the long hours of the past few weeks wore me out and catching a cold didn't help any. An "alleged friend" suggested that with my birthday sneaking up on me, it was old age (I turn 55 on April 2nd). He tried to make nice by saying I actually sounded more energized and positive than he's heard from me in a long while, but he is not forgiven. ;)
I spent much of the week catching up on a number of business related matters, planning for the Creators Conference, talking to people on the phone and taking care of this and that. On many fronts it has been a productive week. Though I've not put in as much time as I would like on the writing of Thundercloud Galaxy™, I have spent some time doing writing for some other projects, including the Creators Conference which is coming up fast.
UPDATE: Creators Conference. I had someone suggest to me that I should not talk about the Creators Conference since it is not open to the general public. I considered that for a moment, and I hope I'm not frustrating fans, but here's why I mention it a bit: The Conference should have a tremendous impact on Palladium Books and future projects. Therefore, it is important to fans interested about such things. I want to discuss with Palladium's core freelance writers and artists the plans I have to take Palladium to the next level and their role in it. I want to talk about our crafts of game design, writing and illustration. There will round table discussions, workshops, brainstorming and plans for the future. Not just Palladium's future, but their futures as creators as well. There should also be plenty of hugs, friendly chats, laughter and gaming. I think it will be good for all of us and great for Palladium. Note to Freelancers: I think next week is your last chance to get rooms at the discounted Palladium rate, so place your reservations now. I've talked with two people this week who have not done so yet!
UPDATE: Rifts® Dimension Book 14: Thundercloud Galaxy™. We continue to work on Rifts® Thundercloud Galaxy™. I apologize for the delay, but we are working to make this book the best it can be. Though Palladium is known for its high quality, part of my new agenda is to push the envelope even further and try to knock your socks off with each and every new book. I think we did that with Rifts® Triax™ 2, Rifts® Dimensional Outbreak™, Heroes of the Megaverse® and Armageddon Unlimited™. Now we want to do it again with Thundercloud Galaxy™, Robotech® sourcebooks, the Rifts® Vampire books, Rifts® Lemuria, Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames and all the rest.
As for offering a FREE Sneak Preview of Thundercloud Galaxy™ from DriveThruRPG.comDriveThruRPG.com at some point, we're trying to decide what part of the book we should select. We'll try to remember to do the same with most upcoming releases (may not be allowed with licensed properties, we'll have to look into it).
See Secrets of the Thundercloud Galaxy™ later in this Update.
UPDATE: The Rifter® #54. This is destined to be a landmark issue: The final chapter of The Hammer of the Forge! This story started with issue number ONE. Thanks for a great run James M.G. Cannon.
UPDATE: Rifts® Lemuria. Jazzy Johnny Z is busy working away on the cover, but I've yet to assign the interior artwork for it.
UPDATE: Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook. Apollo Okamura should be working on the cover for this book and I hope to be working away on the manuscript in a few weeks.
UPDATE: Alex Marciniszyn. There has been some turmoil and issues within the family, but overall, everybody continues to press forward.
UPDATE: Kathy Simmons. As you may know, Kathy is one of the forces behind the scenes at Palladium. She processes online and distributor orders, handles payroll and bookkeeping and does other business related work. She is also working at getting her own fledgling business (queenofghouls.com) off the ground. Well, she hadn't been feeling well for about a week, then the pain started. She and all of us (which is why we are not doctors) thought she must be passing a kidney stone. Turns out the poor girl has shingles. I've never had them, and never want to get them. My grandfather and Erick Wujcik had shingles and both of them said it was an awful and painful experience. She's going through the worst of it now and has another 10-14 days to deal with, ouch. Plus it has prevented her from working on her newest and coolest ghoul creations. Get well soon, Queen of Ghouls.
UPDATE: New Palladium Website. There has been an increased level of work with the Palladium Website these past two weeks and excitement is running high. I spoke with the main fan/freelancer who is the mover and shaker behind this project at great length and I love his ideas and enthusiasm. Of course, nothing goes easy, so now that work on it is really picking up, they've hit a few glitches and snags. Grrrr. Fear not, it is coming and you will like it.
Snow is gone but it's been cold. Lower Michigan has had one of the snowiest winters on record. As of this date, we've seen approximately two feet more than an average winter. I am soooo ready for spring weather.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher
2011 Releases
Available Now & Back in Print – Released in January
- The Rifter® #53 – New – Available now!
- Rifts® World Book 20: Canada – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® Dark Conversions – Back in print – Available now
- Palladium Fantasy RPG® – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® Game Master Guide – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® World Book 5: Triax & The NGR – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® China One – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® Megaverse® Builder – Back in print – Available now
- Armageddon Unlimited™ – New – Available now!
March 2011 Releases
- Rifts® Dimension Book™ 14: Thundercloud Galaxy™ – New – late March
April 2011 Releases
- The Rifter® #54 – April 12.
- Rifts® Book of Magic (back in print)
- Rifts® WB One: Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded & Updated – end of April
May 2011 Release
- Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook (tentative)
New Releases Coming Soon (tentative)
- Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ (April or May)
- Rifts® World Book™: Lemuria (May; tentative)
- Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames (Minion War™ crossover; May or June)
- Rifts® Chaos Earth™: First Responders Sourcebook (as soon as we can slot it in).
- The Rifter® #55 (July)
- Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three
In the Pipeline
- Robotech® UEEF Marines and other Robotech® sourcebooks.
- Rifts® sourcebooks
- Rifts® Chaos Earth™ sourcebooks
- Palladium Fantasy®: Mysteries of Magic™ Two & Three
- Palladium Fantasy® other sourcebooks
- Warpath™ Urban Jungle RPG
- And other good stuff. Lots of other good stuff!
The Rifter® Super-Subscription Offer
Encore Weekend – Ends March 7, 2011
By now you know the drill. We've made the Super-Subscription offer available this one last weekend for those of you who might have missed out or are kicking yourselves for not subscribing before the offer ended last Monday. This is really your last chance at this subscription deal of the year.
For all the details and to place an order click here.
SPECIAL: Secrets of the Thundercloud Galaxy™
I wrote this in one of my recent Murmurs from the Megaverse® and thought I'd drop it in here (with a few tweaks) for everyone to see.
Thundercloud Galaxy™ is going to be epic. I was struggling with it a bit at first, but now that I have my rhythm, I'm picking up speed, getting excited and really starting to rock. The book is coming along well, and there are some very, very cool ideas, information, adventure avenues, mysteries, monsters, aliens and other cool stuff, as well as political intrigue and outright butt kicking action.
The Thundercloud Galaxy is completely unlike the other two of the Three Galaxies. Virtually all of it is untamed wilderness sprinkled with danger and secrets. Even the civilized planets in the Thundercloud are dangerous places under Splugorth domination or liberated and controlled by the tyrannical Kreeghor of the TGE. You'll learn more about the Bushi Federation, the Dominatorsand the disturbing past of the Thundercloud that makes some people wonder if it is cursed or if the Cosmic Forge has gone haywire.
There are something like 20 new alien races, plus monsters and a monster creation table. There are rules and tables for designing your own colony and there are ideas for every kind of space adventure you can imagine.
I think what I like most about this Dimension Book is the feeling that there is something more behind the Thundercloud Galaxy. Perhaps something sinister or deific, or out of control. Only nobody knows what it could be. In fact, there are lots and lots of secrets, mysteries and deific influence in the Thundercloud.
As if all that weren't enough, there are the enigmatic Exiles and the covert goings-on of the demons and Deevils.
Oh yeah, the art by Mike Mumah in this book rocks!
Yep, great stuff. You're going to want this book for the all the new aliens and monsters alone. Not to mention the opportunities for adventure and the chance to unravel some of the secrets in your own campaigns. So you, better start saving your money for this bad boy. It goes to the printer as soon as we can wrap it up.
NEW! Rifts® Dimension Book™ 14: Thundercloud Galaxy™
– March, 2011 – in final production
The Thundercloud Galaxy™ is a place of unparalleled adventure. It is where the Dominators once thrived and where the godlike beings were (mostly) destroyed. The people of the Thundercloud have suffered great adversity and more than one mass extinction, yet somehow the galaxy seems to have more habitable planets and diverse life forms than anywhere else in the Three Galaxies. Strange beings like the feline Shing, insectoid CheDive, and Whetu, who defy description, and monsters like the devouring Yboor are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to life in this galaxy. It is also home to the Bushi Federation and the Splugorth Kingdom of Desslyth, and is a playground for space pirates, raiders, the mysterious Exiles and the dark forces of the Minion War.
As the civilizations of the Anvil and Corkscrew Galaxies scramble to colonize the Thundercloud Galaxy in a mad rush to grab as much as they can, they are beginning to realize the galaxy holds more riches, beauty, horrors and secrets than anyone has ever imagined, making it a place of exploration, discovery, adventure and treachery like no other.
Thundercloud Galaxy™ is a perfect companion to the rest of the Phase World®/Three Galaxies™ based Dimension Books as well as the Minion War™ series. Players can be pirates, raiders, brigands or hired guns, or they may be explorers, adventurers, Spacers, or any number of heroes trying to protect the colonists or the indigenous people of countless worlds and colonies. The possibilities are truly limited only by your imagination.
NEW! Armageddon Unlimited™
for Heroes Unlimited™ and the Minion War™ – Available now
Armageddon Unlimited™ is the ultimate good vs evil setting and adventure. The fate of the world hangs in the balance and only you can stop its destruction as demons and Deevils fight for control of the Earth and bringing about the end of life as we know it.
Armageddon Unlimited™ is more than an epic world-saving adventure, it is also a sourcebook jam-packed with new powers, magic, weapons and Power Categories that can be incorporated into any Heroes Unlimited™ campaign. This book can be used as a standalone adventure sourcebook for Heroes Unlimited™ or as a pivotal plot in an expansive Minion War™ campaign. Get a freesneak preview of the book from DriveThruRPG.com.
NEW! The Rifter® #53
– Available now
The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new heroes, powers, weapons, magic and adventure for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider.
The Rifter® #53 includes:
NEW! The Rifter® #54
– April 11, 2011
This is going to be another landmark issue of The Rifter®. Here's what we can tell you right now.
The Rifter® #54 includes:
NEW! Rifts® World Book One:
Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded & Updated
Kevin Siembieda is reorganizing, tweaking, expanding and updating one of the most popular Rifts® World Books ever published: Vampire Kingdoms™. This will include some new artwork and an expanded page count. The book will be updated and expanded in much the same way as Kevin did with Rifts® Sourcebook One a few years ago. Best of all, it will be accompanied by theRifts® Vampires Sourcebook™.
NEW! Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™
All new source material
Trouble is stirring in the Vampire Kingdoms as ambitious vampire lords, ladies and misanthropes seek to expand their power to dominate more mortal life forms.
Written by Kevin Siembieda and a handpicked selection of other writers, this sourcebook explores the vampires of Mexico and their kingdoms in ways you never imagined. Tons of new data, adventure ideas and revelations.
NEW! Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook
This Robotech® sourcebook will be an early 2011 release.
NEW! Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™
At last, the underwater realm of Lemuria. The people and history of Lemuria, new magic, sea herbs and healing, sea monsters, and more.
NEW! Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™
The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. More details to follow, but for now, 'nuff said.
NEW! Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Sourcebook: First Responders
Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Cataclysm, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders.
Back in print
Rifts® World Book 20: Rifts® Canada™
– Available now
A comprehensive overview of Canada, including notable places, cities, towns, people, O.C.C.s, monsters and conflicts. Much of Canada has reverted to wilderness, but there are pockets of civilization and technology, though not all of them human.
Rifts® Dark Conversions™
– Available now
The focus of Dark Conversions™ is on creatures of darkness and other monsters such as Alien Intelligences, Elementals, were-beasts, vampires, weird supernatural beings, the Nightbane and others. If you are looking for practitioners of dark magic, villains, monsters and vile horrors to pit against your heroes, this is the sourcebook for you. Many creatures also have notes on how they fit into the Rifts Earth setting and where they may be encountered.
Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®
– Available now
A complete role-playing game set in a unique realm of high fantasy and epic adventure that has thrilled fans for 27 years. All the fantasy elements you'd expect are there, but spun in ways that you may not expect. Magic has replaced science. The elder races of Dwarves, Elves and Titans have given way to the rise of humanity and the Wolfen Empire. While the monster races – Goblins, Orcs, Ogres and Trolls – lay claim to the Old Kingdom, from which they launch their pillaging raids. And that's just the beginning.
Rifts® Game Master Guide
– Available now
The ultimate Rifts® reference and sourcebook, it contains all the weapons, equipment, body armor, power armor, robots, vehicles, skills and psionics from Rifts® World Books 1-23, Sourcebooks 1-4, and Siege on Tolkeen 1-6, collected into one big reference. Plus, maps, lists and indexes of O.C.C.s, R.C.C.s, experience tables and more.
Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook™
– Available now
A compendium of bionic and cybernetic systems in the Rifts North America setting, with information about partial and full conversion cyborgs, Headhunters, City Rats, the Cyber-Doc and more. A must-have resource for fans of cyborgs.
Rifts® World Book Five: Triax and the NGR™
– Available now
The New German Republic (NGR) is surrounded and besieged by the hostile Gargoyle Empire – an empire of giant monsters. Only the superior robotics and weapons technology of Triax keeps the monsters at bay, but for how long? This epic World Book presents the Triax robots, power armor, cyborgs, and world setting that is Rifts Germany and the surrounding region. More than 100,000 copies sold!
Note: For dozens of new weapons, armor, robots, drones, power armor suits, cyborgs, vehicles and updated information about the NGR, Triax and the war, see Rifts® World Book 31: Triax™ 2 – 192 pages – $24.95 – Cat. No. 881.
Rifts® World Book 24: Rifts® China One
– Available now
There is no place on Rifts Earth more exotic, magical and dangerous than China, especially since the Hell of the Yama Kings has bled into the mortal plane.
Note: For 18 new O.C.C.s, heroes of the Celestial Court, Geofront, secret technology, mystical powers, Demon Wrestling, Demon Quelling, Chi Weapons, martial arts and more, see Rifts® World Book 25: Rifts® China 2 – 160 pages – $20.95 – Cat. No. 858.
Rifts® Dimension Book 7: Megaverse® Builder
– Available now
Your guide to creating your own corner of the infinite Megaverse®. The big picture of how the Megaverse® works, plus rules and suggestions for creating your own dimension.
PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com
This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We've made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include.
- Splicers® RPG
- Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, First Edition Rules.
- Boxed Nightmares™ for BTS, First Edition Rules.
- Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™.
- The Mechanoids® RPG and The Mechanoid Invasion® RPG Trilogy.
- Palladium Fantasy RPG®, First Edition Rules and select 1st Edition sourcebooks.
- After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks.
- The Rifter® issues 1-48.
- The Best of The Rifter®
- Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG and Advanced RECON® Sourcebook.
- And more – go to DriveThruRPG.com and check 'em out.
The Queen of Ghouls: Life-Sized Halloween Props
Start planning for Halloween early as Palladium's very own Kathy Simmons will start to offer her 2011 selection of life-sized Halloween props (most are 6 feet or taller) that are to die for.
Each is an all-weather, life-sized Halloween prop that can handle rain and snow, and is a one-of-a-kind work of art (no two are exactly the same). Each looks frighteningly "real." All come apart and fold down to slightly larger than a king-size pillow for easy storage. Comes with easy instructions, a plastic storage bag, and the lawn stake to stand it up in your front yard. Indoor stand sold separately.
Types of "Ghouls" include: Zombies (all kinds!), killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, scarecrows, executioners, mad doctors, deadly nurses, vampires, werewolves, and more. Kathy's also now offering an array of hand-painted Halloween signs, signs with heads and bodies hanging from them, witch's brewing pots, Halloween centerpieces and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors or mass produced items in a store, making them affordable Halloween fun.
If you think the photos online look good, you should see them in person. A typical "ghoul," as she calls her creations, costs $129-$259. You can see some of her work at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.


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text:
(CNN) — What are the odds of this?
Passengers fleeing the crippled cruise liner Carnival Triumph aboard a charter bus to New Orleans found themselves stuck — again — when the bus taking them from Mobile, Alabama, broke down Friday morning on the side of the highway.
"You wouldn't think after the ship nightmare, that on the bus ride to New Orleans, the bus would break down," Carnival passenger Jacob Combs said Friday, after the bus finally arrived in New Orleans.
But it did. About 45 minutes into the drive, passengers heard a loud popping sound, Combs said. The bus pulled to the side of Interstate 10, and waited about 45 minutes until a replacement bus arrived. Carnival officials confirmed the breakdown.
It was yet another indignity for some of the long-suffering passengers of the stricken ship, who endured five long days aboard the ship with little power and few toilet facilities after a fire Sunday knocked out propulsion and many other systems. Their return to port, already achingly slow, was delayed Thursday within sight of shore when a tow line broke.
The Triumph finally pulled into port in Mobile late Thursday night, passengers cheering and waving towels in celebration. The last passengers got off early Friday morning. Some stayed overnight in Mobile before boarding buses to New Orleans or Texas.
All were happy to be back on land. A few even kissed the pavement.
"It was horrible. Horrible," passenger Janie Esparza told reporters. "The bathroom facilities were horrible and we could not flush toilets. No electricity and our rooms were in total darkness. Honestly, think that this ship should have ever sailed out."
Other passengers said the cruise staff made things bearable.
"The situation we were in was a terrible situation, and there were a lot of frustrating and horrible things to deal with," said passenger Joy Dyer, wearing a Triumph bathrobe with "Float Trip 2013" scrawled on the back.
"But what we were in awe of the entire time was the crew that was completely unselfish," she said. "They served us with smiles, and served us in ways that are truly unthinkable, the things they had to do for us, yet they did it with smiles."
Passengers arriving Friday in New Orleans, Galveston and Houston, were able to pick up flights home or retrieve cars that some had left in Galveston, where the cruise originated.
Shipyard next for Triumph
The Triumph itself was being moved Friday to a shipyard at Mobile's port where it could be repaired. Carnival has canceled more than a dozen of the ship's planned voyages.
The Triumph was in the third day of a planned four-day cruise when a fire in an engine room left the vessel with no propulsion, listing to the side, drifting in Gulf of Mexico currents. It was carrying more than 3,200 passengers and nearly 1,100 crew members.
The power outages put many toilets out of order. Some commodes overflowed, splashing the floors with waste as the ship listed and sending urine and feces sloshing across floors and down hallways, passengers reported.
"It runs down the walls from one floor to the next. It's running out of somebody's bathroom out into the hallway all the way across," passenger Larry Poret said.
Other passengers reported long lines waiting for food, water shortages and widespread boredom. Many passengers took to sleeping in hallways or even outside to escape the odors and heat below decks.
Passengers passed the hours playing cards, walking the deck and going to see what was happening on other areas of the ship, Poret said.
They set up charging stations to help their fellow passengers juice up cell phones and other devices, he said.
Carnival CEO Gerry Cahill met reporters before the ship pulled in and said the company was sorry.
"We pride ourselves in providing our guests with a great vacation experience, and clearly we failed in this particular case," he said.
The beleaguered CEO then went on the ship as passengers departed and delivered another apology.
But for some, like passenger Norma Reyes, it was too little too late.
"The hallways were toxic," said Reyes, who said she would never go on a Carnival cruise again. "Full of urine. It was horrible. If that ship caught on fire, and they had not contained it where would we be? Floating in the ocean or dead."
Others were more forgiving.
"They did a good job of managing expectations," said Brett Klausman. "The information that trickled out was probably well-thought-out to kind of keep people safe and calm."
The final trip home
Carnival promised an army of about 200 employees would take care of its passengers once they cleared customs.
The cruise line said it had reserved about 100 motor coaches, more than 1,500 New Orleans hotel rooms, multiple charter flights from New Orleans to Houston on Friday and transportation from Houston to Galveston.
Carnival officials had initially planned to tow the ship to a Mexican port, but after Gulf currents pushed it farther north before tugboats could take control, and considering that 900 of the passengers do not have passports, the company decided to take the Carnival Triumph to Mobile instead, where it can be repaired.
The cruise line said it would give each passenger $500, a free flight home, a full refund for their trip and for most expenses on board, as well as a credit for another cruise.
The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into the cause of the engine room fire. Because the Carnival Triumph is a Bahamian-flagged vessel, the Bahamas Maritime Authority is the primary investigative agency.
Travelers have few options for compensation in these cases, other than what the cruise line is already offering, according to travel expert Jason Clampet of Skift.com, a travel website.
"The passengers on the ship aren't going to have a great deal of recourse when they get home," he said. Travel "insurance really doesn't cover this sort of thing. Their trip wasn't interrupted and they aren't incurring extra expenses … so they can't be compensated that way."
Still, there's no denying that the fire and resulting bad PR will hurt Carnival.
"It's a terrible sight, thinking of people trapped on a ship with limited food and filthy conditions, so I think people will think twice about taking a cruise," Clampet said.
Previous problems
The fire is at least the second problem for the ship since late January, when it had an issue with its propulsion system, according to a notice posted on the website of Carnival senior cruise director John Heald.
It's also not the first fire to disable one of the cruise line's ships.
In 2010, the Carnival cruise ship Splendor lost power after an engine room fire, leaving it drifting off the Pacific coast of Mexico. The USS Ronald Reagan ferried 60,000 pounds of supplies for the ship's passengers and crew as the ship was towed to San Diego.
After this ill-fated cruise, the Carnival Triumph won't host vacationing passengers until at least mid-April. Carnival has canceled a dozen voyages scheduled between February 21 and April 13. That makes a total of 14 scratched trips. The cruise line already had eliminated voyages slated for February 11 and February 16.
Leonara Chavez and David Zambrano were on the Splendor when it lost power in 2010. They said watching coverage of the Triumph passengers' ordeal was "like looking in a mirror."
"It's like deja vu," Chavez said.
She said they took the free cruise offered by Carnival after the 2010 debacle. Despite walking the halls of the ship recounting things that had happened, she said they were determined to enjoy the trip.
But what happened aboard the Triumph, she said, has sealed their decision when it comes to cruising: They won't be going again.
CNN's Sandra Endo, Rich Phillips, Tom Watkins, Chandler Friedman, Victor Blackwell, Tristan Smith, Joe Sutton, Mike Ahlers, Dave Alsup, Sandra Endo, Chuck Johnston, Esprit Smith, Greg Botelho, Katia Hetter and Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.
By Michael Pearson. Lateef Mungin and Steve Almasy
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.