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4-13-11 PNC Park
I got to the ballpark around 4:45 pm, and this was the scene at the Riverwalk.
The stairs leading down were blocked off with caution tape because the Allegheny River was overflowing. However, I went down anyway. One ball bounced out as I arrived. Had I been five seconds earlier I would've had it, but it wasn't meant to be.
Here's a different angle:
My first ball of the day once the stadium opened was snagged here. It was a home run that I chased down here:
The Pirates batting practice continues to be less than stellar, as they fail to reach the seats very often. Once the Pirates were done hitting, I changed into my Brewers gear, and the action began.
The Brewers first group contained Carlos Gomez, Jonathan Lucroy, Ryan Braun, and Prince Fielder. They hit a bunch of homers.
I snagged my second ball in section 134 off the bat Jonathan Lucroy.
My third ball was a home run hit by Ryan Braun. I could tell that it was going to be way over my head, so I ran back under the bleachers and snagged it under the rotunda.
My fourth ball was glove tricked right next to the Pirates bullpen door.
I also saw this there:
However, it was 5:28, and I had knocked it snug against the wall and couldn't see it anymore, as I couldn't lean out over the wall because of the fencing. I gave up and let it go. Totally forgetting about it.
I checked in right field for an easter egg or two, but there was nothing there, and I didn't want to miss out on all the action in left field, so I returned to left. The second group also put plenty of balls into the seat.
Rickie Weeks hit a home run ball that I chased down under the rotunda for ball #5. And moments later, a batter that I believe was Casey McGehee hit a home run that also went under the rotunda which I tracked down.
Ball #7 of the day was a ground rule double hit by Weeks that I snagged here.
It was a hard hit line drive that skipped over the wall quickly, but I was able to stay with it to make the catch.
My eighth ball was a glove trick ball snagged right by the 325 sign:
That was it for batting practice. After batting practice, Nick tipped me off to a ball in the bullpen. It was the same ball that I started working on at 5:28 that I had knocked against the wall. I had totally forgotten about it.
Thanks to Ian Weir for taking the picture.
Ball #10 came around 6:55 when Kevin Correia, the Pirates started finished his warm ups in the bullpen. I asked politely for the ball, and he looked up and tossed it to me.
Moments later, Ball #11 came from Jose Tabata in the first inning. I noticed he was looking at a group of college aged folks, so I went and stood directly to their right. Since I was the only one with the glove, he fired me a perfect strike. He put some zip on the throw too.
Notice how small the crowd was at game time. There was a Penguins playoff game, and I doubt that half of the 8,000 fans that bought tickets actually showed up.
Pretty cool huh?
Well, despite the small crowds, I didn't snag another ball.
Here are today's 11 baseballs:
And the sweet spots.
Season: 47 balls (17 hit, 9 thrown, 14 device, 7 found)
Games: 7 games
Average: 6.70 balls per game
Career: 1,169 balls
Attendance: 8,755


text: It's a girl! Entertainers Amy Grant and Vince Gill are celebrating the arrival of their first child, a daughter. The baby, whose name has not yet been announced, was born today, (Monday, March 12) at 12:36 a.m. at an undisclosed Nashville hospital. She weighed 7 pounds, 9¼ ounces at birth and was 19½ inches long. Grant has three children from her first marriage — Matt, 13, Millie, 11 and Sarah, 8. Gill has one child from his previous marriage — Jenny, 18. Grant and Gill were married March 10, 2000.

subset: commoncrawl


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21 – 25 September 2021 -
Indicative Rate * AU$0 to AU$0
Queensland's Outback township of Winton will be celebrating its biennial Outback Festival once again in 2021 from 21 to 25 September. Held during the September school holidays it's perfect for families or anyone who loves the Aussie Outback. The festival's hilarious signature event, the Quilton Australian Dunny Derby, will top off five days of quirky events, warm Outback hospitality and nightly live entertainment which lures visitors from all over Australia and overseas.
2021 will include some exciting new entertainment options, as well as some recent favourites such as the Charity Sunset Dinner Extravaganza under the Outback stars.
Sports fans can test their skills with some gruelling sporting challenges including the Outback Century Cycle Challenge - the toughest, flattest cycling event in the Outback and Outback Iron Man, Woman and Junior events.
Great value tent city packages will be on sale closer to the event complete with comfy bed and an optional linen package......so all you need is your toothbrush!
So mark this one in your diaries mates!
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


text: CG-88 150 Posted August 9, 2012 Main reason I'm doing this is because of johnporter29 and this well put comment It has no value to anyone wanting to read up about Windows 8 So lets have one! :)I have been contemplating this and I'm not sure how it will go but we will have to wait and see. Fingers crossed.Points of discussion for the thread: What do you like about Windows 8? How did you find the transition between W7 and W8? What specialist area are you(if any) using W8/ will use it for ie web design, software development etc. And how is that going? Have you found any useful tips/tricks for W8? Advice for people who like the look of W8 and have just started using it but are finding a few things difficult. Any questions regarding W8 for the neowinians to answer for you? Basically a big general help thread for people who LIKE W8 and WANT to use it, and POSITIVE comments.Please no negative comments or arguments because this could potentially be useful to people who like W8. This post can and will be updated with useful news links and basic help information about w8 if and when it becomes available.Neowin tagged W8 news posts and a basic user guide. Seems pretty informative but I only skimmed through the first two pages. Will be updated with other members content or stuff I find when I'm back at home :) http://www.neowin.ne.../tags/windows_8 http://www.techradar...#articleContent 10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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The label Espirit has been around for more than 40 years and can be found all over the world, in over 12 000 shops. Of course, the best place to buy Espirit is here at Sarenza, thanks to our great customer service, free delivery and returns and a 100 day refund policy! Browse with ease through the Espirit shoes that we have to offer you, from trainers to ballerinas and of course high heels. Take a moment to discover the great range in bags, where you are sure to find one that meets your taste in style. The collections from Espirit are young, dynamic and made with excellent quality and always at a decent price.
Esprit Lara chain mule


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(Phoenix, Ariz. – Feb. 29, 2008) Business opportunities, business services and used car sales topped the list of more than 22,000 consumer complaints filed with the Arizona Attorney General's Office in 2007. Debt collections and auto repairs rounded out the top five complaint categories.
Complaints about cable and satellite television (ranking seventh), prize notifications (eighth) and mortgage lending (tenth) showed the biggest increase from the previous year.
Attorney General Terry Goddard released the complaint list to mark the start of Arizona Consumer Protection Month, which begins March 1. In calendar year 2007, the Attorney General's Office received more than 46,000 calls into the Consumer Information and Complaints Unit (CIC). Nearly half of those calls led to complaints being filed with the Office.
In 2007, CIC helped consumers recover more than $3 million in refunds, rebates, services or merchandise. The Unit works with consumers and businesses to resolve complaints through the exchange of letters and other conciliation efforts.
"We have a great team comprised of staff and volunteers who work hard to help consumers become whole," Goddard said. "I encourage consumers to call us if they have concerns regarding possible fraud or scams. If we don't know about the problem, we can't help."
Almost every day, consumers face financial questions that require an educated decision: understanding and reconciling credit card statements and utility bills; choosing savings and retirement plans; comparing health insurance policies; shopping for a mortgage or auto loan; understanding their credit report and how it affects their ability to get credit, or simply deciding how to pay for a purchase.
During March, Goddard will be encouraging people to master the financial facts of life. Savvy consumers are likely to make smarter decisions about managing their money, using credit wisely and building a solid financial foundation for their future.
Consumers can also find practical tips and information online at www.azag.gov.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please contact the Attorney General's Office in Phoenix at 602.542.5763; in Tucson at 520.628.6504; or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1.800.352.8431. To file a complaint in person, the Attorney General's Office has 36 satellite offices throughout Arizona with volunteers available to help. Locations and hours are posted on the Attorney General's Web site at www.azag.gov. Please visit the Web site to sign up for scam alerts and weekly messages from Attorney General Goddard.


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Updated 2016
Zagreb is the capital and largest city in Croatia and is definitely one of the hottest destinations for travelers exploring the countries of the former East. Croatia's resort towns on the Adriatic are also in the spotlight, but Zagreb is the staging area for those destinations and also a great city to explore itself. The influences come from both east and west and the new wealth pouring in make this an exciting and somewhat exotic attraction for most people.
What To Do
The Archeological Museum is a major highlight in Zagreb. There are nearly half a million items within the structure, with the Egyptian collection and the refrigerated Zagreb Mummy being major draws. The City Museum is also worth checking out. It's housed in a 17th Century convent and contains historical documents as well as local art. The Mirogoj is a cemetery, but it features some fascinating design and is one of the more notable cemeteries in the world.
For something a bit less depressing there is skiing and winter sports available at the nearby mountain of Sljeme.
Read: Why Croatia is the Ultimate Destination for Young Families.
Getting There
Zagreb has a central location so many rail passengers can find themselves passing through the city on their way from one place to another. But if you are coming from any distance you'll want to book a flight into Zagreb International Airport (code: ZAG). It's a fairly
major airport so it's served by not only the major carriers, but also by several of the new discount airlines as well. The airport is a bit out of the center, but a bus can get you there and back at a reasonable cost.
Where To Stay
There are quite a few hostels in Zagreb and the usual assortment of hotels in Zagreb as well. Standards in this area can be lower than in Western Europe so an inexpensive place may be more Spartan than you are used to. Summer is the busy season here, but there are winter resorts nearby so the off season isn't deserted.


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The Brothers Quay make some of the best, most spellbinding animations. They create darkly atmospheric animations rife with magic and decay that grow out of their intricate hand made sets and puppets.
I first became aware of them through their videos for one of the classic 4AD bands, His Name is Alive. The brothers did two videos for the songs "Are We Still Married" (below) and "Can't Go Wrong Without You". The videos and the songs form a perfect compliment each accentuating the other's dark beauty.
EMPAC is screening a number of the Brothers Quay's short films tomorrow as part of EMPAC's series Shadow Play, which highlights films "that tread nimbly between reality and illusion".
You can win tickets the the screening of these short films by listening to Nicole tonight 6pm-8pm.


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Short bouts of moderate exercise – such as walking or steady cycling – can improve energy levels among people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), research suggests.
Patients said they had an improved quality of life and suffered less fatigue after taking part in exercise sessions lasting just a few minutes at a time.
In a 12-week programme, 60 patients undertook short periods of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in 18 supervised and 18 home-based exercise sessions.
The sessions involved five three-minute bouts of exercise, with two minutes of rest in between each bout.
As the study progressed, patients were encouraged to exercise for longer – such as five four-minute bouts – or to take shorter rest periods.
Many patients also did muscle strengthening and balance exercises and were taught cognitive behavioural techniques, such as setting goals and understanding the benefits of exercise.
The results were compared with 60 MS patients receiving usual NHS care who were not told to take specific exercise.
Researchers found that people on the moderate-intensity programme reported improved fatigue levels and had better quality of life for up to nine months.
People said they had improved emotional wellbeing, social function and better overall quality of life compared with the other group.
The study, carried out by Professor John Saxton from the University of East Anglia, also found the programme to be cost effective compared with usual NHS care.
Funded by the MS Society, the research was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
Professor Saxton said: 'It seems illogical to turn to exercise as a way of managing fatigue, but the results showed that a pragmatic programme based on short bouts of moderate-intensity exercise can really help people improve symptoms and quality of life.
'Exercise can also offer social interaction – walking with friends, bike riding with the family – there's a lot to gain.'
Ed Holloway, head of care and services research at the MS Society, said: 'We're delighted that this study has shown how a well-designed exercise programme can be a cost-effective way to help manage some of the symptoms of MS.
'Fatigue in MS is an incredibly common but troubling symptom that can hugely affect an individual's quality of life. For many people with MS this programme could be a cost effective treatment option.'
More than 100,000 people in the UK have MS, which is usually diagnosed when people are in their 20s and 30s.
MS affects almost three times more women than men.


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Albert Müller Drawings, Paintings, Sculptures and Prints at Kunstmuseum Basel
The Basel painter, draftsman, printmaker and sculptor Albert Müller (1897–1926) is considered one of the main exponents of Swiss Expressionism. Müller received his initial artistic training in his native city, at a glass-painting studio and at the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule, the local vocational arts school. Galvanised by the example of Cuno Amiet, he was soon using luminous colours that diverged strongly from the dark tones typical of the established painters of the area. His work first began attracting the notice of a wider audience in 1919.
Although Müller moved to Ticino two years later, he retained close ties to Basel's cultural life. His active engagement with the avant-garde set off a period of intense artistic development: he took much of his inspiration from Louis Moilliet and Edvard Munch until his encounter with the work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1923 and subsequent friendship with the artist provided the starting point for his own pictorial language.
Now Müller produced a rapid succession of landscapes and variations on the theme of the human figure, frequently using his own family as models. There were numerous energetically drawn sketches, strong-hued watercolours and paintings marked by sharply juxtaposed areas of colour. His wood sculptures, coarsely carved for greater expressiveness, were in most cases painted, too. A major role in his oeuvre was reserved for graphic work, be it in the form of powerfully contrast-rich woodcuts or of etchings enabling the artist to exploit the entire spectrum of greys with the help of aquatinta and brush etching.
In 1924, on New Year's Eve, Albert Müller, Hermann Scherer and Paul Camenisch founded the "Rot-Blau" (Red-Blue) artists' association in the hope of improving conditions for exhibitions and public commissions in Basel. Although Müller belonged to the group only briefly, he made a decisive contribution to the breakthrough of modern art in the city of his birth.
The Kupferstichkabinett acquired a considerable number of drawings and prints from Müller's estate in 1929, only a few years after the artist's early death – holdings that have meanwhile expanded considerably thanks to purchases and donations. Supplemented by paintings and sculptures belonging to the Kunstmuseum, the exhibition offers a representative survey of Müller's work.
Kunstmuseum Basel
St. Alban-Graben 8
CH–4010 Basel
Telefon +41 61 206 62 06
Telefax +41 61 206 62 52
Image: Albert Müller, Bildnis Bruna, 1924
Category: Museum News


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Johnson undergoes Tommy John surgery
MILWAUKEE -- Pitcher Josh Johnson was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on Thursday, after an exam by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews this week showed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in Johnson's right elbow.
The procedure, done in Pensacola, Fla., was technically a revision of the UCL, said San Diego assistant general manager A.J. Hinch.
"We all feel badly about JJ," Hinch said.
Johnson has a history with Andrews, who did the cleanup surgery last October on Johnson's right elbow to remove bone spurs. In 2007, Andrews performed Tommy John surgery on Johnson, then a pitcher with the Marlins.
The Padres signed Johnson to a one-year deal for $8 million in November, with hopes he could rebuild his credentials and be a force in the starting rotation.
The Padres hold a club option of $4 million for 2015 since Johnson was unable to make seven starts -- risk protection given his health issues last season. San Diego will need to determine if it will exercise that option.
"We still have a lot of hurdles to clear before we make a decision on that," Hinch said.
Johnson was having a good spring, posting a 3.38 ERA in his four starts when he woke up with a swollen forearm after an outing in mid-March. He had an MRI thereafter that confirmed the strain in the flexor pronator muscles of his right forearm.
The Padres shut him down for several weeks before he started a rehabilitation program. He reported feeling good, but his throwing program essentially hit a wall and he needed a cortisone shot on April 2.
"We were certainly optimistic that he was going to be able to contribute, and he was pitching as well as anyone in Spring Training," Hinch said. "For the promise he showed in spring … I feel badly for him."
The Padres understood there would be some risk involved when they signed Johnson in November.
The Padres were hopeful that they were getting a proven arm for the rotation in Johnson, who led the National League in ERA (2.30) in 2010 and posted a 3.15 ERA in parts of eight seasons with the Marlins, with a combined WAR of 11 from 2009-10. He had a disastrous run with the Blue Jays last season, as he wasn't healthy, had a 6.20 ERA in 16 starts and didn't pitch after Aug. 6.
"We know that there's risk, but we're very excited about the upside about what he can bring," Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said at the news conference to announce Johnson's signing.
San Diego manager Bud Black was disappointed to hear the news about Johnson's surgery.
"I'm frustrated for him; this is a tough one," Black said. "He was really looking forward to pitching for the Padres. It's really unfortunate. He thought he was ready to go and set for the season."
The Padres are certainly no stranger to Tommy John surgery.
Left-handed pitcher Cory Luebke had a second Tommy John surgery in March. He missed all of 2013, and he'll miss all of this season as well. Right-hander Casey Kelly, who had Tommy John surgery last April, is nearing a return. Joe Wieland, who had the same procedure in 2012, could resume his throwing program next month after he had surgery in March to remove scar tissue in his right elbow.


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We spent much of last summer trying to find the burial site of Roland and Elizabeth Wright Sisson, so it was especially gratifying to find ourselves standing at their graves this evening. Trying to find the abandoned "Duxx" Cemetery (as it was erroneously listed in an online database) was my first hurdle (it's actually "Duff" Cemetery), USGS had it mapped to the east side of Forestville State Park – an area of winding dirt roads for the most part, with many dead-ends, like a maze. We located the alleged site of the cemetery, only to find plowed field on one side of the road, and thick forest on the other side.
Ancestry.com has a database of Civil War veteran headstones, and Roland was listed. However, the cemetery he was supposedly buried in was "Spring Grove Cemetery" at Spring Grove, Minnesota, in the same county as Duff Cemetery. However, to my knowledge, there is no "Spring Grove Cemetery," although there are cemeteries very nearby. We canvassed them last summer, to no avail. With no additional leads, we gave up.
Over the winter, I noticed Duff Cemetery listed on Find-A-Grave, complete with a map, and an overview picture of the cemetery! What a long, long winter it was! Tonight, we took a drive to Fillmore county, and easily found the cemetery, which is about 3-4 miles SE of Spring Grove. What a welcome sight.
The cemetery was very nicely kept, as is evident by the photo, with a handful of burials. It didn't take long to find what we'd been looking for:
Roland and Elizabeth were both natives of New York, perhaps coming to Minnesota by way of Iowa. Roland served in the Civil War for nearly three years. They were the parents of ten children.


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In a dramatic opening-night panel at the Women in the World Summit Thursday, two brave women shared harrowing tales of escape—from their own families. Both women, Sabatina James and Jasvinder Sanghera, fled their families to avoid disappearing into forced marriage, and both paid a high price, becoming estranged from their families for life. But at least they are alive.
For women like Sanghera and James, with families rooted in the ancient tribal traditions of India and Pakistan, respectively, marriage is viewed as a daughter's destiny. Girls who refuse to wed are seen by their families as rebellious and shameful—so much so, that they can be killed for such a "crime." An estimated 5,000 women and girls around the world are murdered by their relatives each year for such disobedience, according to the United Nations.
The panel, moderated by Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes, told the stories of the girls who fall victim to forced marriage—and the people who help them escape. Sanghera runs a group called Karma Nirvana in the U.K., where girls can call a hotline to get help. James launched a foundation in Germany called Sabatina, which acts as an underground railroad, finding girls shelter and jobs.
Men, too, mobilize to free their sisters. Chaz Akoshile, another participant on the panel, is the joint head of the government-run Forced Marriage Unit in the U.K., which helps rescue girls who are sent abroad to wed against their will. He works with Albert David, also on the panel, who is head of consular assistance at the British High Commission in Islamabad. Together, these men do something extraordinary: rescue British girls forced to wed in Pakistan—by entering private homes to get the girls out.
In one of the most dramatic moments of the panel, a recording was played of a British girl calling Sanghera's hotline. In a panic, the girl described how she had heard her parents speak of shipping her off to Pakistan for a forced marriage. She asked what she should do. The operator told her: Put a spoon in your underwear. When you go through airport security, the alarm will sound and you can tell the guard your story.
It worked.


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Seven federal district and circuit court of appeals judges filed a class action complaint on Nov. 30 in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to recover, on behalf of more than 1,000 of their colleagues, pay raises since 2003 that they say were authorized by law but improperly rescinded by Congress.
The judges rely on a decision from a full panel of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in October, Beer v. United States, in which six federal judges had sued individually to recover those raises. In Beer, the court held that federal judges were entitled to damages in the amount of pay raises they should have received, under the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, since 2003.
Quoting from that case, the judges contend that what was good for the individual judges is good for their colleagues as well:
When Congress promised protection against diminishment in real pay in a definite manner and prohibited judges from earning outside income and honoraria to supplement their compensation, that Act triggered the expectation-related protections of the Compensation Clause for all sitting judges. A later Congress could not renege on that commitment without diminishing judicial compensation.
The ruling in Beer meant about a $25,000 bump in base pay for each of the judges.


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There are several strategies you can use to get links to students. You may have created a web page with links, entered links into an Edmodo library, or saved links in a bookmarks folder on a computer. Another strategy is to create a direct link to a website on your iPad.
To do this navigate to the website using Safari on your iPad. Find the "share with" button and click "add to home screen".
Below are a bakers dozen websites as examples for iPads or iPods intended for student use. There are many many more choices, so please leave a comment if there is another good website you'd recommend. And as a reminder, safari does not support flash so be sure your website is not dependent upon that technology.
News Related Sites for Students
1. Tween Tribune - student news magazine
2. Youngzine - student news magazine
3. CNN student news - student channel from CNN
4. Channel One - student news channel
Science Related Sites for Students
5. National Geographic for Kids - collection of science related materials for students
6. Planet Archive - collection of images and videos from our planet, many good animal resources
7. Smithsonian Museums and Zoo - access to museums and zoos from Smithsonian
Reading and Research Related Sites for Students
8. Internet Public Library for Kids - free public library for students
9. Childrens Storybooks Online - younger students books online
10. Page by Page Books Online - young adult and adult books online
History Sites for Students
11. Lewis and Clark - example of a historical topic for Lewis and Clark
12. This Day in History - History Channel's "This Day in History"
Learning Response System for Students
13. Socrative Student Login - student access to join a socrative room, teacher access would be on teacher device


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NBC has ordered a full season of "Chicago Fire," an "action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department."
The series pilot was filmed in Chicago and, according to an NBC rep, the series will continue to be filmed in the Windy City. From "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf, the series stars Taylor Kinney ("The Vampire Diaries"), Jesse Spencer ("House"), Monica Raymund ("The Good Wife"), former Chicagoan David Eigenberg ("Sex and the City"), Eamonn Walker ("Kings"), Lauren German ("Hawaii Five-0") and Charlie Barnett. Derek Haas and Michael Brandt ("3:10 to Yuma") wrote the pilot and will produce the series with Danielle Gelber, Peter Jankowski and Jeffrey Nachmanoff, who directed the pilot.
NBC also picked up "Guys With Kids," the Jimmy Fallon-produced comedy about a group of 30-something friends who all are dads. Wolf got a double dose of good news Wednesday. NBC renewed his long-running "Law & Order: SVU" for a 14th season afrer this year's cast shakeup following the departure of Chris Meloni.
NBC had previously ordered:
- "1600 Penn," a comedy about a dysfunctional first family that is exec-produced by former Barack Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett.
- The drama "Revolution" from J.J. Abramsand "Supernatural"creator Eric Kripke. The apocalyptic sci-fi thriller shows a world in chaos after all technology mysteriously stops working. Billy Burke, Giancarlo Esposito and David Lyons star.
- "The New Normal" from "Glee"and "American Horror Story"creator Ryan Murphy. It's about a gay couple (Andrew Rannells and Justin Bartha) and the surrogate mother to their expanding family (Georgia King). The comedy features Ellen Barkin and NeNe Leakes.
- "Save Me," a comedy starring Anne Heche as a housewife who believes she is a prophet.
- "Go On," a comedy in which Matthew Perry plays a sportscaster who tries to move on from a loss by attending group therapy sessions.
- "Animal Practice," a comedy starring Justin Kirk ("Weeds") as a veterinarian who likes the animals he treats but not their owners. Tyler Labine ("Reaper," "Mad Love"), Amy Huberman and Bobby Lee ("MADtv") co-star.


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The players:
1 lb Great Northern Beans
1 lb Chourico (spicy Portuguese sausage)
1 Medium Onion
8 - 10 Baby Carrots
2 Stalks Celery
4 Cloves Garlic
Liquid/Stock of your choice
Begin by soaking the beans overnight, or by quick-soaking (place them in a pot with 8 cups of water, bringing to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit for an hour before draining and rinsing). I quick-soaked this time because it was a last-minute souping.
Drain and rinse the beans. Set aside.
Chop onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and sausage.
Heat some olive oil and butter in a pot. Saute onion/sausage mix until onions are softened.
Mix in the beans, then cover the lot with liquid - I used a mix of chicken stock and water, enough to cover the solids plus an inch or so over. Shake in a little cumin - maybe 1/4 teaspoon or so.
Cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer for several hours or until beans are cooked.
You can healthy it up a little by adding spinach, Kale, or cabbage at the last minute if you want.
Salt and pepper to taste. I served with corn bread. It was nicely spicy and flavorful, and hearty enough that I only ate one bowl.


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Library Life: February 2013
This episode of Library Life includes:
- E-reader Test Drive
- An interview with Susan Hall, a certified financial planner and presenter of Savvy Social Security Planning, Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
- Musical Babies and Musical Toddlers
- Youth Services Book Recommendation: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
- Adult Services Book Recommendation: Feed by M.T. Anderson
- Morris the Magic Man
- What is your favorite instrument for reading? Library visitors tell their top choices.


text:
Thursday, September 05, 2013
Sports News
Broncos hope playoff failure is springboard again
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[September 05, 2013]
(AP) -- John Elway the executive is about to find out if he's as good at bouncing back as John Elway the quarterback was.
Elway compares the heartbreak of Denver's loss to Baltimore in the playoffs last January to Jacksonville's upset of the well-rested Broncos 17 years earlier when they also were 13-3 and the AFC's prohibitive Super Bowl favorite.
The Broncos bounced back to win the next two Super Bowls.
"And believe me, that's what I'm praying that we're going to do these next two, three, four years is to use last year and be able to get over the hump and get to the Super Bowl and be able to win it," said Elway, now the Broncos executive vice president.
As a player, Elway trudged through the tunnel at Mile High in deafening silence after a stunning 30-27 home loss to the Jaguars.
He made the same lonely walk in a suit and tie eight months ago following Denver's 38-35 loss to the Ravens at Sports Authority Field.
The Broncos kick off the new season against the Super Bowl champion Ravens on Thursday night at Sports Authority Field, site of Joe Flacco's 70-yard touchdown toss to Jacoby Jones over Rahim Moore that tied the game at 35 with a-half minute left in regulation.
As a player, Elway used the heartbreak off the loss to the Jaguars to stoke his internal fire as he guided the Broncos to a Super Bowl win over Green Bay a year later.
"It was a great incentive for us to come back and have an even better year the following year," Elway said.
This time, he's using the gut-wrenching early exit from the playoffs to make sure there's no complacency at Dove Valley again. He added Wes Welker, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Louis Vasquez as the crown jewels of a $125 million offseason spending spree.
Peyton Manning said Elway created an "uncomfortable atmosphere" at team headquarters to keep everyone motivated this offseason.
"We still kind of have a scar from losing that playoff game and I think players need to kind of be reminded of that daily," Manning said when the Broncos gathered for training camp.
"You'd better have a drive," Manning said. "You'd better have a goal for every season and when you have a hunger, whatever you want to call it, a thirst, a little fire in your belly. So, I think certainly our team's had that and it's about trying to go a little further, trying to finish."
[to top of second column]
Former Broncos such as Alfred Williams, who was a defensive end in Denver in the late 1990s and now is a radio personality in the Mile High City, said the only way to turn the pain of a playoff failure into something good is to "keep it on the dashboard, not in the rearview."
It's something you want to get over, but never forget, he said.
"They had about four to five minutes of bad football toward the end of that game that cost them. A lot," former Broncos great Terrell Davis said of Denver's latest playoff heartbreak. "It was like one decision after another after another. And so now you have to say,
'Listen, if we ever get back into that situation, we're going to do something different.'
"And that's what we did. We knew we were the better team -- we weren't that day against Jacksonville -- but we just tell ourselves that nobody could stop us if we don't stop ourselves. And that's the way we would play."
Hall of Fame tackle Gary Zimmerman put off retirement for a year so he could make amends in 1997 after the loss to the Jaguars, keeping the defeat fresh in his mind as motivation.
"That was embarrassing. It was, you could use every adjective. It devastated me because I thought (a win) was going to happen. I had gone my whole career, had never been there, I thought this was it, I could retire, be happy. And then it didn't happen. We came back the following year, we went through so many obstacles, went in as a wild card, nobody gave us a chance, we fight our way to the Super Bowl," Zimmerman said.
"So, I think they'll be really poised for some adversity this year. If some adversity hits them, it won't be anything compared to what hit them last year. I think this will be a positive for them in the long run for them, as it was for us."
AP NFL website:
Press; By ARNIE STAPLETON]
Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton.
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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text: Home › Forums › SharewareOnSale Deals Discussion › 8K Player / Aug 26 2017 This topic has 25 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 4 months ago by Randy. Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 26 total) 1 2 → Author Posts Aug 26, 2017 at 12:03 am #8766618 Reply | Quote AshrafKeymaster Have something to say about 8K Player? Say it here! Have suggestions, comments, or need help? Post it here! If you know of better software than 8K Player, post it here! If you know of issues with 8K Player, post it here! Share your knowledge with all of us. :-) Aug 26, 2017 at 2:30 am #8767929 Reply | Quote canGuest THIS KEY NOT WORK,THNX Aug 26, 2017 at 2:33 am #8767974 Reply | Quote Marcos Vinícius BarcellosGuest INFELIZMENTE, NÃO FUNCIONOU EM MEU NOTEBOOK, ez-GO-ASUS. Z96FM. Muito grato, mesmo assim!! Aug 26, 2017 at 4:34 am #8769552 Reply | Quote makaGuest [@Marcos Vinícius Barcellos] from the giveway of the day, someone tell me can not get the license, i think he did NOT read the readme.txt , go to the url, and click "Get Free License", enter email to get the free license. Aug 26, 2017 at 5:15 am #8770036 Reply | Quote webplGuest 8K Player its a joke ;) I open with him minihd video (about 4gb) and he cut like hell :D I tested with some 40gb file but no comment :D Best player i even use is SPLASH :) greets Aug 26, 2017 at 6:03 am #8770531 Reply | Quote Peter BGuest Official Mediadimo Note: * The license code should be used to activate the program before September 26th, 2017. * This giveaway product has no functional limitation. * The giveaway copy could be used and kept persistently after successful unlock, but formatting/replacing the hard drive or reinstalling the whole system will make giveaway license invalid. * Giveaway users will not be eligible for free upgrade services. Aug 26, 2017 at 9:23 am #8772628 Reply | Quote BrianGuest Amazing quality and very elegant & simple. Lots of useful options. Thanks Aug 26, 2017 at 9:25 am #8772651 Reply | Quote FrankGuest I've use this on my old Windows 7 computer, but this seems responsive and easy to use. I'll be getting a Lot of good use from this software. Aug 26, 2017 at 10:09 am #8773041 Reply | Quote huguesGuest doesn't read "the revenant", doesn't give the choice to read the "french version" of star wars 7 …. Aug 26, 2017 at 2:11 pm #8774797 Reply | Quote z.noureddineGuest wrong registration code Aug 26, 2017 at 3:11 pm #8775124 Reply | Quote z.noureddineGuest the registration code dont Works ,how i Can registre the software plaise Aug 26, 2017 at 3:12 pm #8775127 Reply | Quote AntGuest It won't run in my updated 64-bit W7 HPE SP1 box (1 GB of RAM): http://screenshot.cz/E3/E349Q/msvcp100dll.gif Aug 26, 2017 at 3:18 pm #8775153 Reply | Quote MartinGuest Excellent, free user-friendly software. What a great player! Thank you! Aug 26, 2017 at 3:18 pm #8775155 Reply | Quote AliceGuest Simple, Easy, and Free. Excellent package. Aug 26, 2017 at 4:46 pm #8775604 Reply | Quote AntGuest https://www.mediadimo.com/anniversary-giveaway has a free Mac version too, but it is v3.1.1 and not v3.5.1. Also, I couldn't copy and paste with the mouse and keyboard. It looks umm very simple and crappy. :( Author Posts Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 26 total) 1 2 → Reply To: 8K Player / Aug 26 2017 Name (required): Email (will not be published) (required): Submit


text:
Wheat for delivery in December dropped for a fourth day ahead of a U.S. government report that is expected to lift the outlook for global production.
The U.S. may harvest 2.015 billion bushels of wheat in 2014, more than the 1.992 billion bushels forecast by the Department of Agriculture last month, a Bloomberg News survey showed. World reserves at the end of 2014-15 will expand to 190.81 million metric tons, the highest in three years, a separate survey showed. The USDA is set to update its global supply and demand forecasts today.
"Wheat is likely to be the under-performer on the back of the report," analysts Chris Gadd and Daryna Kovalska at Macquarie Group Ltd. wrote in an e-mailed report. "We would expect the USDA to increase production for the U.S., EU and Russia as they reflect better-than-expected harvest results."
Wheat for December delivery fell 1 percent to $5.5725 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade by 5:14 a.m., while milling wheat for November delivery traded on Euronext in Paris fell 0.7 percent to 171 euros ($228) a metric ton.
Chicago wheat tumbled 14 percent in the past year on expectations global supply will climb.
Ukraine's military said yesterday it's near the end of its operation to encircle the remaining separatist strongholds and called on civilians to leave Donetsk and Luhansk as government troops close in. Wheat has rebounded 7.5 percent from a four- year low of $5.185 a bushel on July 29 amid concerns that tensions in the Black Sea region may disrupt trade.
Corn for December delivery fell 0.5 percent to $3.665 a bushel. Soybeans for delivery in November retreated 0.3 percent to $10.7025 a bushel.


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What do Republicans and Democrats look like?
By ACL
By Glenn Mollette
I've heard a lot of discussion about political profiles in recent days.
The Republicans supposedly are the corporate greedy CEOs, and the Democrats supposedly are all those standing in the government entitlement lines. Not true.
My father was a Republican. For 30 years of his life, he drove an older model truck
Almost two hours one way to Holden, W. Va., where he worked in a coal mine. He worked eight to ten hours a day and then came home to farm two to three hours before crashing into bed. We worked a small garden, cared for ten to 20 cows, had some hogs, raised a large corn patch -- you get the idea. My father was always exhausted during the work week.
My mother was a Democrat. For several years, she worked in the school system. She raised five children, washed clothes with a ringer washer in the early years, and when there was not enough rainwater, we carried water from the creek. She made breakfast and had supper on the table every evening and kept the house immaculately clean. She worked with my dad in the garden, milked cows, tended her flowers and, like my dad, was usually exhausted.
On Sundays they got dressed up and went to church. They sang in the church choir and often sang in a quartet in other churches. Life was not always easy, and as with many families, there were those times when we wondered if we would make it.
Looking back, I can say my father was a hard-working Christian Republican. My mother was a hard working Christian Democrat. Together, they built a house, raised five kids, entertained family and friends and both lived to be 85. They were not wealthy in retirement but with a 30-year miner's pension, Social Security and a balanced lifestyle, they did fine.
If only all Republicans and Democrats today could be as blessed. Imagine what our states and nation might accomplish if we worked together? These are tough times. We have to make some unpopular decisions in this country. People are hurting, stressed to the max and even in the streets, hungry.
We cannot go on with the "Us against them" syndrome. If we do, we are only going to lose more jobs, incur more national debt, lose more corporations to other countries, increase taxes and watch our communities drown in drugs, violence and poverty.
Abraham Lincoln was quoting the Bible when he said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
Glenn Mollette is a columnist read in all 50 states. Contact him at email@example.com or like his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/glennmollette.


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|Country Files
"New Nasser" emerging from Ankara?
Posted September 19th, 2011
During his historic North Africa tour, Erdogan, while offering recommendations, delivered a clear message, even when in a subtle way: Follow me, I'll show you the way.
As one of the most colorful figures in today's Middle East, Erdogan is dubbed as a hero and some even go so far as to describe him as a sort of the modern-day version of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser, who sought to unite Arab states under his pan-Arabism and mostly under his leadership.
Under the current circumstances, it is no surprising that not few Arab media outlets agree with the view that Erdogan seeks to enter the leadership vacuum in the Arab world and turn himself into a hero in times of turbulence sweeping the Arab world.
As expected, Erdogan received a hero's welcome wherever he goes, and his name appears in the flattering headlines, in his lately wrapped-up three-country tour.
Still, the visit also fueled a debate among Egyptians about whether the Turkish model Erdogan has touted — with an Islamic-based political party governing a secular democracy — is really applicable to Egypt and the rest of the Arab world.
Turkish PM received cool reception from Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood after expressing the hope that Cairo should adopt secular constitution. To this, a Muslim Brotherhood spokesman responded other countries' experiments should not be cloned.
Some observers even point pungently in the current chaos, many people buy into the Turkish PM's statements. But over time, Arab leaders may not be willing to play into the hands of the "Muslim lecturer" who wishes to bring them under his leadership.
But, Erdogan attracts his listeners so much as he could always touch their "soft spot"--- honor and pride as Arabs ---- honor is a precious commodity in the political culture of the Middle East. And none other than Erdogan himself acknowledged it the other day, when he declared that no matter what price Turkey had to pay for its conflict with Israel, national Turkish honor was on the line. It is also the same Erdogan who publicly condemns the Israeli government for being unduly arrogant.
Indeed, Turkey's leader successfully portrays himself as the only one who can pose a significant threat to Israel and put the "West's spoiled child" in its place, at such a time when relationship between Israel and Turkey is bad enough.
Since the U.N. Palmer Report was leaked last Friday, a rougher era of ties between Turkey and Israel has set in. The report, with a strong dissent from the Turkish representative, essentially adopted Israel's view that the 'naval blockade was legal," that it "was imposed as a legitimate security measure in order to prevent weapons from entering Gaza by sea," that the blockade's implementation "complied with the requirements of international law," and that Israel had a "right to visit and search the vessel and to capture it if the vessel was found in breach of a blockade", including in international waters.
As a result, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu decreed a "Plan B," which included diplomatic, military and legal sanctions against Israel.
This week Ankara decided to ratchet up the pressure. PM Erdogan openly threatened that Turkish gunboats would escort aid vessels the next time they set sail. Erdogan also said Turkey had taken steps to stop Israel unilaterally exploiting natural resources from the eastern Mediterranean.
Perhaps, the comparison of Erdogan to Nasser is still a dubious compliment; and it is very doubtful whether this part of the Nasser legacy is what Erdogan wishes to emulate.
But after all, Gamal Abdel Nasser's remarkable strike successes enabled him to dominate the Arab world in the 1950s. He held anti-imperial credentials while nationalizing the Suez Canal and defending it against the French, British and Israeli forces in 1956.
As a result, he successfully ended British rule, coupled with his emphasis on Arab solidarity, making him a peerless leader. "Nasserism" became the dominant expression of Arab nationalism which promised the unification of the Arab people.
Nasser or anyone dubbed as "national heroes" can never be cloned, as heroes are generally created by the times and situation, and born to fulfill specific missions.
That said, Erdogan might never be Nasser in the making. But one thing is almost certain----Both Nasser and Erdogan fight for the rights to settle their own problems with their own hands.
And what will come next? This depends on what to follow in the region. In any case, the legendary Erdogan will have to bide his time and score more if he wishes to lead the Arab world out of trouble and onto the track.
First published on: www.news.xinhuanet.com
All Rights Reserved


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Browsing Creative Encounters (ICM/IKL) by Author "Melchior, Marie Riegels"
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Melchior, Marie Riegels (, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: In terms of dress and fashion Denmark is an example of a West European peripheral country within the international fashion system. Since the Middle Ages, new fashions have found their way to Denmark through the internationally oriented royal family, the purchases of well-traveled citizens, various international and national fashion reports, and the international purchases by local retailers. With varying speed new cuts, colors and styles have impressed themselves upon both the everyday and festive fashions of the Danish wardrobe. The same foreign influence applies to local fashion production. Design, craftsmanship and technology has through time been shaped under influences from abroad. But these international influences have not undermined the recurring idea of a particular Danish dress and fashion culture. In the middle of the 19th century the prevailing view was that the peasants' festive dress represented specific national dress. By the beginning of the 21st century discussions in the Danish fashion industry and industry policy concern Denmark's status as a fashion nation and Copenhagen as a possible new global fashion center. This is due to the growing Danish fashion culture, the textile and clothing industry's export success, and not least the fact that Denmark is a world-leading fur exporter. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7769
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Skov, Lise; Melchior, Marie Riegels (, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Dress and fashion are rich and varied fields of study. Some scholars refer to them as 'hybrid subjects' because they bring together different conceptual frameworks and disciplinary approaches, including those from anthropology, art history, cultural studies, design studies, economics, history, literature, semiotics, sociology, visual culture and business studies. Invariably, such a pervasive phenomenon as dress has always been the subject of much commentary. Since the late 19th century, there has been no scarcity of research, but studies have been somewhat sporadic and tended to stay within these bounds of their own disciplines. From the 1960s to the 1990s, the leading educational institutions with words like dress and fashion in their titles, were, firstly, design schools and technical training institutions, servicing the industry, and secondly, institutes devoted to the study of dress history, directed as museums. It was only in the last decades of the 20th century that various approaches were integrated across disciplines and institutions so that it became possible to talk about something like 'fashion studies', reflected by the emergence of research centres, academic journals and graduate programmes with such heading. However, both the term, and what it is perceived to represent, is contested; while some scholars and institutions endorse 'fashion studies', others reject it or distance themselves from it. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7766
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Updated 2016
Saint Petersburg was known as Leningrad for most of the Soviet era, but now it's back to its original name. This huge city was the home to the czars and the cultural center of Russia until the communists shifted that honor to Moscow, so this city has more classic architecture and history than anywhere else in the country. St. Petersburg is sometimes referred to as the "Venice of the North" as
the Neva River that runs through town is lined with grand palaces.
What To Do
The Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace is not only the top attraction in the city, it's one of the finest museums in the world. The monstrous structure was once a palace and now houses over 3 million pieces from all over the planet, including works by Rembrandt, Da Vinci, and Michealangelo. Students get in free and non-students can join a tour in one of the many languages offered for less than the normal admission price. This is a don't-miss attraction.
The historic city center itself was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and time should be set aside just to wander through and appreciate the classic buildings and churches. The city is like an outdoor architectural museum and there is no shortage of stunning buildings to admire. The St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan are two of many unforgettable buildings here.
Read: More on St. Peterburg.
Getting There
If you are already in Helsinki, Moscow, or the Baltic region you can travel to Saint Petersburg by train. But if you are coming from any greater distance you'll want to book a flight into Pulkova Airport (code: LED). It's a major airport and hub so good deals should not be too difficult to find. Taxis into the city are very expensive so the best method is to take a minibus shuttle to a local metro station and ride the metro into the center from there.
Read: What to See in St. Petersburg.
Where To Stay
Saint Petersburg is a very large city, but the center is particularly appealing so it might be worth it to pay a bit extra for a central location rather than saving a bit of money and spending a lot of time going back and forth. There are many hostels in St. Petersburg and the usual variety of hotels in St. Petersburg as well. Summer is peak time here, but the winters are more mild than you might imagine at this latitude so as long as you dress for the occasion visiting off-season can be enjoyable.


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Discovery Village's Guarantee
Because we're so confident that you're going to be absolutely delighted with the Discovery Village lifestyle, we can make you the following promise: If for any reason you are not 100 percent satisfied within the first 90 days, just tell us. You will not be held to the terms of your lease, and your community fee will be cheerfully refunded. That's how sure we are that you're going to fall in love with it all. Satisfaction Guaranteed!
Discovery Village At Alliance Town Center


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Not What the Doctor Ordered: Rapid Environmental Change Threatens the Foundations of Human Health
New Report Examines The Health Impacts Of Global Environmental Change
Washington, D.C.
November 4, 2009
Alexis Krieg
Changes to the Earth's land cover, climate, and ecosystems are endangering the health of hundreds of millions, possibly billions, of people worldwide and now represent the greatest public health challenge of the 21st century. The scale of these global changes is rapidly undermining human life-support systems and threatening the core foundations of healthy communities around the globe: access to adequate food, clean air, safe drinking water, and secure homes.
These are the findings of the new report, Global Environmental Change: The Threat to Human Health, published today by the Worldwatch Institute and the United Nations Foundation. The report notes that, as a result of rapid changes to the climate and in land use, we are already seeing alterations in the distribution of malaria, schistosomiasis, and other infectious diseases in many regions. It concludes that poor populations, mainly in developing countries, are the most vulnerable to these environmental changes, even though they are the least responsible for contributing to them.
"It is increasingly apparent that the breadth and depth of the changes we are wreaking on the environment are imperiling not only many of the other species with which we share the ecological stage, but the health and wellbeing of our own species as well," writes the report's author, Dr. Samuel S. Myers, M.D., M.P.H., an instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Research Associate at the Harvard University Center for the Environment.
The report outlines a series of public health threats—food and water scarcity, altered distribution of infectious diseases, increased air pollution, natural disasters, and population displacement—that collectively threaten large segments of the human population. But most of the death and disability from these threats is fundamentally preventable, Dr. Myers writes, if the political will can be mobilized to take strong, concerted action. The report outlines the need for national-level risk assessments to identify the greatest threats in different regions, as well as unprecedented technical and financial assistance from the international community to help developing countries adapt to the health impacts of accelerating environmental change.
Ultimately, the report argues, we will need to find new ways to generate economic growth that do not cause serious ecological deterioration, or the progress that has been made toward global health, nutrition, and poverty alleviation will be undone. "At present, all of the major types of human caused environmental change—climate change, changes in land use and cover, and ecosystem service degradation—are accelerating," Myers says. "To reduce the avoidable human suffering that will result, we must redouble our efforts to slow the pace of environmental change, reduce the rate of human population growth, and reduce the vulnerabilities of those in harm's way."
In her preface to the report, Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and Special Envoy on Climate Change to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, describes the report as "a call to action." She writes that, "The knowledge that we can make a difference means that we have a large responsibility to act. By fighting ignorance, inaction, and inequity, we can create the conditions under which health threats can be averted. Most importantly, we must take targeted collective action to reduce the vulnerability of the poorest people on the planet to threats they played little role in generating."
The United Nations Foundation, of which Gro Harlem Brundtland is a board member, supported this report. The UN Foundation connects people, resources, and ideas to solve the world's global problems.
For a review copy of Global Environmental Change: The Threat to Human Health or to interview Dr. Samuel Myers, please contact Darcey Rakestraw at email@example.com or Julia Tier at email@example.com or (+1) 202.452.1999 x594.
About the Worldwatch Institute: Worldwatch Institute delivers the insights and ideas that empower decision makers to create an environmentally sustainable society that meets human needs. Worldwatch focuses on the 21st-century challenges of climate change, resource degradation, population growth, and poverty by developing and disseminating solid data and innovative strategies for achieving a sustainable society. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org.
About the United Nations Foundation:
The UN Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner's historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation is an advocate for the UN and a platform for connecting people, ideas, and resources to help the United Nations solve global problems. It builds partnerships, grow constituencies, mobilize resources and advocate policy changes to support the UN's work for individual and global progress. The UN Foundation's work is focused on decreasing child mortality, improving disaster relief, protecting diverse cultures and environments, creating a clean energy future, empowering women and girls, and improving U.S.-UN relations. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.


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We women move at the speed of light. Whether we are career-focused, full time mothers, balancing work and family or students, the stress of our day-to-day lives can sometimes make you feel like you're about to explode!
However, there are many things you can do to ease the stress and kick back and relax. Read on for some ideas on how to ease the stress.
Working Out. Physical activity is a wonderful and tried and true way to relieve stress. Whether you are taking a yoga class, water aerobics class, going to the gym, riding your bike, jogging or just taking a walk in the park, exercise will definitely relieve some of the pressure. Even when you don't feel like it, you will most definitely start to feel better once you're out exercising. Pamper Yourself. A wonderful way to relieve tension and take time for yourself is to pamper yourself with a spa treatment. Whether it be getting a facial, manicure and pedicure, great new haircut or a luxurious massage, you are sure to feel better after one of these pampering treatments.
Get Away. Plan a vacation or even a weekend getaway to get out, have some much needed fun and set out on an adventure. If you have a partner, then plan it together. If not, plan a weekend getaway with your girlfriends for some much needed girl time. To cut down on spending, look for deals and discounts from nearby accommodations.
Bon Appetit. Eating a sumptuous meal is a fabulous way to relax. Try out a new restaurant or find a recipe you'd like to try cooking. Whether you cook for your partner or eat out with friends, you are sure to have good laughs.
Just Dance. Going out dancing is a wonderful way to relieve tension and let loose. Go out with your girlfriends, or dinner and dancing with your significant other.
Retail Therapy. Treating yourself to a new pair of shoes, dress, bathing suit or handbag always lifts the spirits. Cosmetics like a fun new lip gloss or intoxicating perfume will also perk you right up!
What other ways do you relieve stress?next article >>


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[Page 70]
by Haya Wage-Ratman
The founding of the nurseries. The work's program. The rise of the Folks-Shuln [public schools]. The support from Czenstochower in America. The founding of Tsysho [Central Yiddish School Organization] division. The solemn welcome for our own school building. Difficult period in the existence of the school. Celebrations and holidays.
The beginning of the secular Jewish educational system in Poland was the nurseries that were created during the First World War. Their purpose was to save the homeless children and orphans from hunger and plagues. Y. L. Peretz, [Jakob] Dinezon and, later, Vladimir Medem, the head of the Bund, stood at the head of the first nurseries. However, their basis was the love of the Jewish child, not any philanthropy. Therefore, they blossomed and grew and became the great wonder in the life of the cultural development of the workers and poor masses in Poland.
The first nursery in Czenstochow was founded by the S.S. [Socialist-Zionist] party, which immediately was revived with other parties and groups under the German occupation.
The committee that was appointed to carry out the work consisted of: Moshe Weksler, Chaya Waga, Rywca Weksler, Dudek Szlezinger, Rafal Federman, Rayzl Fajertag, Ester Fuks. The first sum of 70 marks was raised from our own comrades. We searched for premises of five light, sunny rooms on Krutke Street 17. This was the most suitable neighborhood for the nursery because it was not far from Warsawer Street that bordered Garncarska, Nadrzeczna, Kozia and Senatarska. The premises were close to the ramparts on the other side and the street itself was clean and sparsely inhabited.
The furniture for the nursery was bought from a liquidated Hebrew nursery that was located in the granaries of Szlezinger's factory. The organizers moved the furniture into the freshly painted rooms of the nursery themselves. Comrades chose and donated toys. Comrades created tools for cooking and eating. A piano was found and the joy was indescribable at seeing their own nursery before them.
It was difficult to find the first suitable teacher. However, God helped and sent Yuzshe Stam, who was experienced in the area of a Hebrew nursery. Her folksiness, understanding and deep love for the Jewish child elevated her to the level of an ideal pioneer for the Jewish secular school. In the beginning she herself had to create even the Yiddish pedagogic material from Hebrew and Polish.
[Page 71]
Her assistant, Chaya Waga, was chosen from the committee's own ranks. She initially worked as a helper with Yuzshe Stam and, later, became an independent leader of the nursery, Fareinikte [United], which was opened at Strazacka 10.
The house at Krutka 17,
where the first nursery was located
The children from four to seven came from the poorest levels of the ghetto. They were hungry and physically neglected. They were nourished, the neglected heads were healed, the sick eyes; their hair was cut, washed and they were taught to keep themselves clean. It was necessary to provide doctors and medicines, mainly lebertron (cod liver oil), which each child received every day; gatherings of the parents had to be arranged and they were provided with lectures about hygiene for a child. This demanded so much work and devotion that it is hard to describe.
Only those who knew the nurseries from the first day of their creation under the terrible conditions of war and German occupation can evaluate this work. One had to see how the children looked when they arrived with swollen stomachs, bent feet and all of the remaining afflictions that war, hunger and poverty brought to them, in order to later admire their development that came to expression in their dancing, singing, performances and work as children.
The nutrition of the children consisted of a main meal prepared in the kitchen of the nursery and a lunch that at the beginning was brought in large pots from the workers-kitchen on Strazacka Street. The manager, that is, the boss of the nursery, Comrade Fradl, or the the dark Fradl, was a true, loving mother to the children. Later, lunch was also cooked in the nursery kitchen.
Music occupied a large spot in the nursery. The children carried out their rhythmic exercises, marched, danced, sang and played to the sounds of the piano. Consequently, the music teacher, Terenyela, Mrs. Terena Fajgenblat, was much beloved by the children. Music in the nursery and, later, in the school had the greatest effect on the artistic development of the children.
The songs that the children sang were: children's songs and marches specially written for the nurseries, songs about spring, summer, winter, fall and songs about Jewish holidays: Chanukah songs, Purim songs and other holidays. The singing from the nursery was carried through the poor Jewish
The first group of children and their teachers from the Fareinikte nursery
homes and streets and brought joy and cheer into the difficult and gloomy life of the poor Jewish masses.
The program of the nurseries consisted of
[Page 72]
telling stories, of conversations adapted to every opportunity and of practical work with paper, wood, sand and clay. The development of the childish feel and eye for color and painting was one of the most important tasks of the nurseries. Frequent walks in the fields, meadows and parks awakened the love of nature. In summer the children spent time mainly in the garden near the nursery.
The house at Strazacka 10 where the second nursery was located
The nursery became not only a pedagogic help and cure institution for the children, but a true home. The love of the children for the nursery and for the teachers was indescribable. A number of children did not leave the nursery until it was time to go to sleep.
The nursery was the most beloved institution for the progressive people and workers, without distinction as to party affiliation. The worker-professional unions supported the nursery in every way possible.
At the end of the First World War, after the revolution in Russia and the collapse of Imperial Germany, Poland was resurrected from the dead. Fresh winds of freedom were carried east and west. The workers movement was strengthened and it spread the most beautiful and greatest creation of the Jewish worker and working masses the nursery and Folks-Shuln [public schools].
A second nursery at Strazacka 10 with the name Fareinikte Nursery opened immediately after the war. The S.S. [Socialist Zionists] then changed its old name from the years 1904-5 to Fareinikte. Everything that was created in this period bore the name of the party, just as the Bundist institutions were designated by the name Medem and the Paolei-Zionist Borochov.*
*[Translator's note: Vladimir Medem was a Bundist leader; Ber Borochov was a founder of the Labor Zionist movement. Paolei-Zion Workers of Zion was a Marxist Zionist organization.]
The residence for the second nursery was given to the party by Joszek Finkelsztajn. He was a very young member of the S.S. [Socialist Zionists] in 1904-5, in a uniform of a Russian gymnazie [secondary school] student. Later, he disappeared from Czenstochow like many others and returned after the First World War. His grandmother lived in the residence. After her death, he placed the furniture in the granary warehouse and gave the apartment to the party. This was a very great bargain because there were no empty apartments to be found in Poland.
The management of the second nursery was taken over by Chayale Waga. One managing committee and pedagogic council, in which Rayzele Fajertag-Berkensztat took an active part, ran both nurseries. The manager of the second nursery was Malka Brat, who died at a very young age.
The place of an aide in the first nursery was taken by Faygele Berliner, a daughter of pious parents, who excelled in her love of children. Under the direction of Jozsa Sztam, she grew into a distinguished pre-school teacher. Later, with Masha Kalabus, a nursery teacher who came to Czenstochow from Vilna, she raised the Czenstochow nurseries as a model for the Jewish nurseries in Poland.
A group of children at play
When the children grew, they opened the first class [of the] Folks-Shul, led by Natsha Warsawska and Rayzele Fajertag. Later her place as teacher in the first
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class was occupied by Rywka Cuker from Siedlce. The second class [of the] Folks-Shul was led by one of the sisters, Pola Frydman, also from Siedlce. When Jozsa Sztam left Czenstochow, the other sister, Manya, became the teacher of the nursery at Krutka 17. The first and second classes of the Folks-Shul along with Nursery number 2, Fareinikte, were located at the house at Strazacka 10.
A group of children eating
In the summer of 1920, during the very fervor of the Polish War with the Soviet Union, Friend Mendl Szuchter visited Czenstochow. He brought with him help for the schools sent by the Czenstochower Relief in New York and from the Aid Union in Chicago. He brought Rafal Federman's plan to build a house for the nurseries and the Folks-Shuln with him.
In 1922 the two delegates from Czenstochower Relief in New York, Louis Szimkowicz and Louis Szwarc came to Czenstochow with instructions to buy their own house for the nurseries and Folks-Shuln. Until then, the Jewish schools in Czenstochow were led by three parties: the Fareinikte two separate nurseries and
The children from the Borochov Nursery
three Folks-Shul classes; the Poalei-Zion or Borochovtses [followers of Ber Borochov] one nursery and one Folks-Shul class; the Bund or groyser klub [large club] that already arranged for the furniture and was prepared to open a nursery. There were also three separate party libraries. However, a joint distribution committee already was functioning which divided the sum that arrived from America among the cultural and aid institutions of all parties.
Under pressure from the delegates from America a joint management committee was created that administered all of the schools. The management committee consisted of five from Fareinikte, two from Poalei-Zion and one Bundist. Rafal Federman was the chairman of the management committee.
The delegation from America did not find any suitable house for the schools. Therefore, they decided along with the school management committee to buy the plot with the small house on the courtyard at Krutka 23. The actual house for the school then had to be built. The task of working out the plan to build the house was taken over by Mikhal Alter.
On Sunday, the 6th of July 1924, the solemn dedication of the house took place in Czenstochow. A children's concert took place in the Nowosci Theater, First Aleje 12, on Shabbos, the 5th of July in honor of the opening of the building. On Sunday at six in the evening a solemn gathering took place with the participation of the leaders of the Central Jewish School Organization in Poland and a banquet took place in the hall of the Neye Welt [new world] at night on the same day.
The leaders of the Jewish workers' parties, such as Dr. Josef Kruk, Zerubavel and Beynish Michalowicz came to Czenstochow for the dedication alon g with representatives from many cities and shtetlekh in Poland. Greetings arrived from a series of personalities. It was the first house of their own that was erected for Jewish schools in Poland.
The new house had brightly lit corridors, large halls for the school classes with wide windows with Venetian blinds. A garden of various trees and plants was planted near the house in order to acquaint the children with botany, which was completely strange to children from the poor alleys.
The school year 1924 began in their own house in the brightly sunny halls. The nursery at Strazacka 10 also moved.
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The nursery at Krutka 17, in Szmilewicz's (coffee roaster) house, was run in the same house as before.
The house of the Y.L. Peretz School at Krutka 23
At the end of the 1924, A. Chrabalowski returned from America. The schools already had a large [number] of teaching personnel because with each year a higher grade was added. The financial situation was difficult. The schools suffered a great deal because Rafal Federman left the majority faction, which was called independent, and joined the Bund. Mikhal Alter ran the school. The chairman of the management committee was Sh. Nirenberg.
In 1925-1926 the management of the school was taken over by A. Chrablowski [spelled Chrabalowski above]. The beginning of the school year until around the new year of 1926 was very difficult for the schools. The women teachers simply starved and the school was in danger of closing. The Czenstochow city hall this must be remembered favorably then voted for a one-time subsidy of a thousand zlotys, which was divided among the teachers. Later, help began to come in from Chicago, from Czenstochower Relief and the Ladies Auxiliary in New York. That year the teaching personnel received normal payments of wages. The pedagogic direction of the schools also improved during the year.
At the end of 1926, A. Chrabalowski left Czenstochow forever. The management of the schools was taken over by Avraham Brat, who remained at his work until the Second World War.
The first group of children who spent a total of nine years in the nursery and school graduated from the school in 1928. The names of the children were: Fradela Berkowicz, Shimshon Berkowicz, Gitkela Rozen, Rayzela Kricer, Zlakela.
The Parents' Committee of the Y. L. Peretz School
Sitting from right to left: Asher Himelman, L. Berkowicz, Avraham Brat and others
The completion of the school year in the summer of 1929 was a great event. The celebration was recorded in a film that was sent to Relief in New York and to other cities.
The first graduates of the school with their teachers
The situation of the schools again worsened from day to day. The depression in America and the struggle between the right and the left stopped the aid en masse that the schools would receive from Czenstochower Relief in New York. At the same time the situation in Poland in general and in Czenstochow in particular became unbearable. The reaction and the dictatorship of the military clique,
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which seized power, grew. They fired decrees at the schools without stop. All subsidies from city hall were ended even help with coal, which the Y.L. Peretz nursery had received from the city. In addition, there was the danger of the houses being auctioned because of a debt of several hundred dollars that the managing committee had borrowed. The situation also intensified because of the party struggle in the managing committee. Mainly between the Bund and independents.
The teachers and a group of students from the nursery and Folks-Shul in 1926-1927
The result was that the Y.L. Peretz Folks-Shul with all of its seven classes closed. The residence of the nursery on Krutke 17 was relinquished and the nursery was again located in the house where the school was located before. Because of the difficult situation, a residence in the house in the school courtyard was also rented to a private person. However, the support of the school itself was also difficult because of the meager help from America. In order to create local help, a women's committee was founded in Czenstochow under the leadership of Mrs. Sarna. Mrs. Terenya Fajenblat-Kapinska (wife of Maritz [Moshe] Kapinski), the former music teacher of the nursery, was also active in the committee.
In 1938, the independent party was shut down by the Polish government. Several active workers from the schools, such as Avraham Bart and Wolf Fajga, joined the Bund. Changes for the better took place in the managing committee and the leadership of the nursery. The well known communal workers, Ahron Peretz and Moshe Berkensztat, entered the managing committee. However, it was not long before the Nazi murderers attacked Poland.
After a time under the Nazi occupation, Jewish refugees from Lodz and Krakow were placed in the schoolhouse. Avraham Bart and Wolf Fajga continued to have supervision over the house.
One of the most beautiful accomplishments of the schools and nurseries was the artistic education of the children.
The mandolin orchestra and choir, led by the well-known musician, Zaks of Czenstochow, was one of the most stunning achievements of the school. The choir and mandolin orchestra was founded by A. Chrabalowski in 1926. It was enlarged later by Avraham Brat with the help of 150 dollars, for which the Czenstochower Arbeter Ring [Workmen's Circle] branch 211 especially raised money for this purpose. The mandolin orchestra appeared at concerts at various opportunities and was enthusiastically welcomed by its listeners.
A thank you letter from a group of school children to Czenstochower Relief in New York
The area of the visual arts was not ignored. From 1926 on, the painting teacher in the school was Perec Wilenberg, the well-known Czenstochow artist, who was also
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a teacher of painting and drawing in the Jewish gymnazie at the Artisans School.
Celebrations of holidays and public performances were the great days for nurseries and Folks-Shuln. The traditional Jewish holidays such as Passover, Shavous, Sukkos, Chanukah and Purim were revived in the school in a new form. In addition, literary holidays were added dedicated to Yiddish writers such as: Mendele, Sholem Aleichem, Y.L. Peretz, Avraham Reisen and others. Each year a memorial gathering was arranged for the yahrzeit [anniversary of the death] of Y.L. Peretz. They prepared for the performances and holidays for weeks and months. The nurseries and schools educated talent in the areas of singing and dramatic art. Shimson, Dina and Eidele Berkowicz (the children of Leibush Berkowicz), Ruchla Testuler and a whole row of others particularly excelled. A number of them appeared on the stage as children and later as grown-ups with adults and they were the treasure of the Yiddish theater.
The enthusiastic spectators at the presentations mainly were the fathers and mothers of the children. And when the children appeared on the stage with their songs, dances and adaptations of children's stories, there was no strength in the world that could hold the fathers and mothers in their seats.
The Mandolin Orchestra with Zaks, the director, at the Folk-Shul
The children's performances also had a good reputation in the city. Groups of children from other schools in Czenstochow would come to the performances with their teachers.
Innumerable songs were sung in the school. Songs by modern Yiddish poets, children's songs, original and absorbed from other languages: songs of work, of Jewish holidays, of spring, summer, winter and autumn. The songs from the nurseries and schools were spread by the children to the Jewish courtyards and to the workhouses. Entering a courtyard on a Jewish street, one could often hear a circle of children singing and playing the songs, dancing and games from the nurseries.
The hymn of the Y.L. Peretz nurseries and Folks-Shuln that was sung at the beginning and end of each celebration and performance was the following:
Open every door wider The slogan of the school was free movement in the free air. During the winter, the children played with snow and with sleds in the courtyard of the school. They also took the sleds along on walks in the alleys during the winter. When spring arrived, the children spent a large part of their school time with nature, at Krutke 17 and later in their own house, in the small botanical garden, which Mikhal Alter had so wonderfully arranged. The older children also had a small garden in the courtyard of the new house, which they planted and cultivated themselves.
A good holiday, things are good for us,
We all, all march
Full of courage to our holiday.
We all go in rows
One and two, one and two
Everyone carries good news
As follows, as follows.
Hand in hand given with joy,
The row is trim, the voices high,
The feet are light; here they soar.
A good holiday, they call.
A group of students and teachers in the garden of the school courtyard
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However, the great dream of the students and teachers was for a summer colony outside the city. The best place for such a colony was the Ostrower pine forest that extended for many miles to Herby.
They were successful only once, in 1920, in arranging for a full summer colony in Ostrow for the children.
Summer colony in Ostrow in 1920
The children from the nurseries and Folks-Shuln were divided into two groups. Each group spent four weeks in the colony. The children's colony consisted of a group of houses with verandas, as summerhouses were built, and with large courtyards. The children mainly spent time in the courtyards and in the forests. They slept in the houses. The children's beds were provided by the school's managing committee. The children brought their own bed linens with them from their homes. Comrades Mikhal Alter and Yehoshua Nirenberg strove to organize the children's colony and provide the food for the children. Comrade Nirenberg was occupied with preparing the food for the children. In general, the summer colony was a difficult and costly undertaking and demanded a great deal of energy and money.
Therefore, the results were splendid. The children, many of them anemic, many with symptoms of other diseases under the influence of the sun and pine scent from the forest blossomed and developed their strength.
The teachers at the colony were Yuzsha Sztam, Shoshona Czenstochowska and Chaya Waga. The manager was Malka Brat, with an assistant.
The nurseries and schools were visited by a series of friends and aid workers from America. There were: Friend Pete Owiecki and his wife from Chicago, who brought a larger sum for aid from the Chicago Aid Union. They attended a children's performance in the Straczecki Hall and at a banquet at the close of the 1926 school year. Friend Nirenberg, Friend Gryn, may he rest in peace, Friend Win, may he rest in peace, who on his own accord went to visit a large number of children. Friend Szlingbaum, Friend Szwarcbaum, Friend Yankl Kopin (Kopinsk) and Rose (Rywca) Kuperman.
Among the esteemed personalities who visited the schools were: [Dudley Leigh Aman] Lord Marley, a deputy in the English Labor Party, who visited Poland, Sholem Asch, Dr. Chaim Zhitlowski, Dr. [Zemach] Szabad from Vilna.
American guests at the school: Y. Kapinski and
R. Kuperman with the teachers, L. Brener and A. Brat
Foreign guests at the school, sitting: Dr. Kruk and Lord Marley
When the famous singers, Moshe Rudinow and Ruth Leviasz, gave a concert in Czenstochow, they visited the school and sang especially for the children.
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text: Humor Learn to count with Bill Gates. written by Chad "LoganDX" G. October 18, 2014 Learn to count with Bill Gates. was last modified: October 18th, 2014 by Chad "LoganDX" G. funnygeekhumorpicswindows 0 comment 0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest Chad "LoganDX" G. A bit on the nuts side about video games and movies but boy do I suck at FPS'. Love my Xbox but still crush some Playstation. Run the Sarcasm Marathon, fluent in it. Would kill for a decent Zelda movie. previous post That's a mailbox that gives other mailboxes complexes. next post Five seconds to get it. Want more geek? Watch This: Take Your First Look At... July 25, 2018 GameStop Will Start Selling Comic Books In... June 12, 2018 NASA's Mysterious Mars Announcement Today June 7, 2018 These D&D Announcements Have Me Ready To... June 7, 2018 'Black Panther' Comics To Fill The Hole... May 27, 2018 Tabletop Fans Rejoice! Batman Tabletop Game Announced! May 12, 2018


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We had some unfortunate technical difficulties to contend with this week on We're Getting Nowhere. They included the mysterious disappearance of the first ten minutes of our vlog, and the unexpected relocation of the cold Jill had last week to my body this week. In a word, both sucked.
But despite those setbacks, we pressed forward and managed to cobble together a rambling recap of the eighth episode of The L Word. Topics of discussion include Kelly McGillis in drag as The Grim Reaper, Mia Kirshner's improvisational skills, Bette's weird hair, and how Alice and Tasha star in their own MentosTM commercial.
Finally, Brunch With Bridget host Bridget McManus dropped by the WGN studios on her lunch break to pick up her cousin Jessica, who was crewing for us this week (thanks, Jess!). She popped her head in long enough to take off her bra on camera and get roped into one of our reenactments. If she actually watched The L Word, I don't think she ever would have agreed to play Adele (she's much more of an Alice, don't you think?).
We're Getting Nowhere: The L Word Episode 5.8
Download from Veoh


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Increasing how well organizations collaborate is the business opportunity of the decade. But there is one toxic mindset that can inhibit collaboration's potential: many individuals confuse collaboration with consensus. Consensus is what makes everyone happy; collaboration is about achieving the best outcome.
As business leaders, it's vital to recognize that consensus is the enemy of collaboration. Sometimes when we say collaboration, people believe it's an opportunity to hold hands and sing "kumbaya" around the office campfire. I was deeply inspired by Morten Hansen's book, Collaboration, in which Hansen stated so brilliantly: "The goal of collaboration is not collaboration itself, but great results."
Consensus exists because human beings are inherently conflict-averse, especially when they interact in group settings or work with people they don't know well. When you're afraid to disagree with someone, it's often easier to settle for the plain-vanilla idea. I call this the "A.T.T.A.P. Syndrome." A.T.T.A.P. is an acronym for "All things to all people." How can your effort achieve an extraordinary outcome – a "great result" – when it is so diluted that it's undifferentiated?
The "sibling" of consensus is passive-aggressiveness – that nasty human behavior that often results in people intentionally impeding others to better their own aims. The dark underside of consensus is that it actually encourages passive-aggressive behavior by making it possible for people to agree to support something but the idea is so broad that their contribution isn't really necessary to the idea's success.
It is simply difficult to create accountability around consensus and stamp out passive aggressiveness. We've all experienced how passive-aggressive behavior can slow organizations down, make them less adaptable and certainly create an unhappy place to work.
Here is what you can do as a leader: First, establish the shared goal of any effort at collaboration. If you can't be specific and granular, publish guiding principles of what success looks for a team. Make sure those principles are aggressive and black and white, such as: Achieve #1 or #2 market share position; Capture 40+% market share; Drive customer satisfaction up X%. Guiding principles establish the guardrails of collaboration. We cover this in depth in Chapter Four of The Collaboration Imperative: Unlocking Your Organization's True Potential, which I co-wrote with my Cisco colleague Carl Wiese.
Second, the sibling of collaboration is authenticity. You can read my previous post on authenticity. Authenticity turbocharges collaboration because it replaces passive-aggressive behavior with differentiated, more constructive behavior. Authenticity emphasizes what someone actually believes is the best idea to achieve a differentiated result – as opposed to a perspective that might not offend someone else in the room. Your job as a leader is to get your team to unleash authentic thinking and create the conditions for it to flourish. The best way to do it: publicly ask your team to declare how they think and make decisions, and embrace the diversity of thinking on your team. The more your teammates acknowledge their differences the more likely their contributions will be accepted without prejudice.
Are you ready to replace passive-aggressive, consensus thinking with authentic collaboration?
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ADMIN NOTE [03/21/2014]: Moved from a retired world forum. The character was too good to remain unnoticed.
I am Daine Artemus Shyer, youngest son of Taius Maxion Shyer and Endara Aen Shyer (né Ruél). My father is the Coronet of Rolkalin (my birthplace) in the Durakin Alliance and I have two brothers (Aithe and Iral) and two sisters (Eolan and Aila). My mother died when I was six, victim of the red fever. I was raised mainly by my two older sisters (Aila and I are close), my father being constantly on campaign and my brothers with him when they were of age (which was not long after my birth).
Martial arms instruction began for me when I was seven. At first, my father thought to have me instructed by Lanat, the household master of arms. This proved somewhat inadequate when two weeks into my initial instruction my father required Lanat to join him on one of his many campaigns. I shan't say I was raised and taught everything I know by women, but with most of the household guard, my father and brothers and their retainers gone from the house there was ought left to see to my training at arms. This is when my Aunt Sharan stepped in. My aunt retired as a captain in the service of Lord Nathan's house. Lord Nathan as you might know was present in many of the Alliance's campaigns. My aunt Sharan is the reason you've probably heard of him. She kept him alive as was her duty. I can't say the same for my aunt's three husbands, all of which died fighting at her side. She never talks about any of them, but I know she loved all of them.
So my aunt stepped in seeing as there was no one to train me. Considering all the campaigns the Alliance has seen and the fact that my aunt and her Lord are still alive and have all their original body parts I'd say it was pretty good training. She also discovered my magical talents and helped me there as well. Did I not mention my aunt Sharan was also a mage?
Now my aunt is the older sister of my father, so my father really had no way to object to the form of my training, especially as he had no other alternatives. Although he did object to the type of arms I was being trained in. My father and brothers prefer the longsword and the broadsword. My aunt is very good with the claymore and that is what she taught me. But after one particularly ugly argument with my father, she acquiesced to instructing me in the used of the broadsword. Upon completion of my training I received the broadsword and full shield of my father's cousin Davrel. Yes, that Davrel, leader of the Bretheren and Conqueror of Tarshek. If you've ever been to Tarshek though you'd see that Davrel is such a fraud. Little hovel on the borderlands. Hard to believe it could have offered the kind of resistance my cousin always claimed! Well, the Durakin Alliance honored my cousin, so my father passed his items along to me. Oh? Well, yeah, see Davrel didn't need them anymore on account of dying of Syphilus. They didn't mention that in the royal books did they? Yeah, little thing he picked up at Tarshek, blasted boil on the Alliance's ass as it is!
My aunt gave me a claymore though when I completed my training. But not just any claymore. She gave me the one she used. Told me that swords should continue to be used if they were to be useful at all and seeing as she was no longer using it she'd be proud to see it continue in service. That was an an honor to me I tell you. My father looked like he wanted to sick up, but he kept his tongue. Guess it must have been the real hard eye my aunt was giving him.
My crossbow? Well, that's just mine. I figure why cross blades with someone if I can just shoot them from a distance. I'm pretty good with it too. Like to think that I am almost as good as my mother with the shortbow. Yeah, my aunt told me about that. She was good friends with my mom. My mom took up archery as a sport when she was young and was really good at it according to my aunt. So I guess in a way, I am honoring my mom. My aunt has lots of stories about her and my mom.
Ahh, Urell, my father's servant has just informed me that a letter about my military service has arrived and my father wishes to see me about it. Theemus is here too Urell says. What, I haven't told you about Theemus? Ah, another time my friend as I have just run out of it now.