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Give Em Enough Rope
Devon kept up the quick pace he'd started and they moved through the gathering undead before they could build into a force strong enough to stop their progress. The snipers concerned him, but soon they had left both them and their zombie fodder behind, but the other undead soon became their real problem.
His mace came up and smashed through half the head of a fat zombie wearing a torn football jersey. He moved to his right and took down three move, but others moved toward them to take their place. His arm started to feel like he carried a railroad tie. He'd already made three runs through the clinging undead before the living snipers took out their ride and with Duggen's shot arm still leaking blood with each step, they remained only a few degrees faster than the undead following in their wake.
Icepick caught up with him. After smashing the heads off two more lurching zombies, Devon turned and addressed the man supposedly in charge of their already ill-fated mission.
"We need to hole up and treat that arm. It won't hurt to let us catch our breath either and reassess our situation."
"Reassess huh," Icepick snarled over his shoulder as he drove one of his namesakes through an animated corpse's eye. His pale flesh looked like it glowed in the sunlight as his eyes took in the abandoned buildings surrounding them. "Alright over there. Let's hit that hotel."
The hotel had two floors and they headed up to the second. Two of the walking dead were quickly dispatched and then Devon kicked in one of the doors.
The room had two beds. Duggen went to one and the other was placed against the door after they dead bolted it shut.
It didn't take long for the moaning and banging on the door to begin, but Devon moved toward where Fines had begun to bind Duggen's wound.
Fines' dirty face looked up at him and Duggen winced in pain. "The bullet passed through at least. I guess that will give him a chance."
"A chance…" he let the words hang. "I hope that' something we all have."
He moved to where Icepick gazed down at the alley which ran behind the hotel. "It is a bit of drop, but the alley doesn't appear to hold too many geeks."
"We can make ropes out of the sheets," Devon replied. A silence stretched, but then he asked, "So can you let me in on what our mission is now?"
Icepick had eyes like frozen snow and they regarded Devon. "If you live long enough to get me to our destination, I'll let you in on it. I can tell you one thing, you're going to want to be part of this."
Devon walked away. "I serious doubt I want to be part of anything you're involved with."
"Just make some ropes from those sheets."
"Give em enough rope," he said.
"What did you say?"
Devon turned and looked back at Icepick. "Give a man enough rope and he can hang himself."
"I'm not sure what's that's supposed to mean, Avis, but we'll see who swings in the breeze at the end of this."
"We sure will," Devon answered under his breath before the sounds of tearing sheets began to compete with the growls of the rotting corpses who hammered the door.
Tune in next Weekend for the next episode of Devon's mad journey into the second year of the Eternal Aftermath
Learn more about the Eternal Aftermath here!
No Choices
His boots hit the pavement like heavy slabs of wet mud. His mind waffled between hopelessness to rage as he let Fines and his two droogs escort him to Edward's apartment.
Again, he gritted his teeth, he shouldn't be allowing himself to become trapped in a situation worse than he already found himself in. He didn't like Fines, but he'd fought with these men, for more than a while, killing them because of the violent fallout of Tracy cheating on him, might be more than they deserve.
Shaking his head, he figured they deserved worse. He knew these men, but still he held his hand.
He marched in front, with the three guards behind him. Seconds before he reached Edward's door, the door creaked open revealing a room far too dark for any reasonable human to function.
He saw a flash of long platinum hair and knew at once that the bastard known as Icepick had opened the door for them. Icepick looked paler than a ghost. His ivory skin almost glowed within the stygian room. He favored Devon with a devil's smile while twirling one of his namesakes with his long luminescent fingers.
Despite Icepick's unnerving presence, Devon forced his sight to land on Edward. The man looked as grizzled as Icepick remained tight. A wild flowing mass of dark hair couldn't be distinguished from his ill-maintained beard. This along with his stocky build gave him the impression of a man created from the mating of a madman and a rabid bear. Only his eyes looked sharp, a deep liquid brown that bore into Devon until, he had to fight not to shudder under the gaze.
"Devon, have a seat."
He moved forward. His legs pushed through small stacks of garbage, most of it consisted of junk food wrappers and half crushed aluminum cans.
After he claimed the chair in front of Edward's cluttered desk, the man-mountain began. "You and I both know that despite his learning, Nathan is a spoiled fool. We all do stupid things and suffer for our woman. Tracy has made you suffer, but you took it out on Nathan, which since he's Delia's sister, means that now I also have to suffer if I want to continue having my bed warmer, but be spared the headache."
He folded his hands and leaned forward. "So you understand you have some payback in store."
"Which is?"
Edward chuckled and leaned back. He made a hand gesture toward Devon. "To the point this man, isn't he Icepick?"
"Seems like. Other men might bitch and whine and make excuses. You aren't going to do that are you, Dev?"
"Is sitting here part of the payback, because I can go and come back when you all figure out what direction you're headed."
Edward grew fierce and slammed his fist on the table. "Watch your mouth or we'll give you an extra one! We know exactly what you're going to do for us or die trying. Icepick has something he needs to acquire. It won't be an easy mission or a safe one and guess who was just hired to be their runner?"
Devon didn't answer because he had to try to maintain his composure. A runner was the most dangerous job a man could get. It involved sprinting through the streets which needed to be traveled in order to lure the dead out. They would chase after the runner in order to let the team pass through the area in greater safety.
"Why no vehicles?" he managed to ask.
Icepick answered. "We'll use them to get close, but where we're going no vehicles can enter."
"So what are we doing?"
"You'll find out if you live long enough," Edward answered, "Now get the hell out of my face. You have two hours to gather your gear. You're heading out tonight."
Tune in next Weekend for the next episode of Devon's mad journey into the second year of the Eternal Aftermath
Learn more about the Eternal Aftermath here!
Doors, Death, and Evil
Sara looked from Davey's wide eyes back into the room beyond the window. More zombies spilled into the warehouse and the careless plodding of the undead toppled most of the candles. Only dark grim shadows could be seen. Hunched black outlines loomed over Buzz's quite dead form and clawed into his flesh. His screams had long since been replaced with growls and horrid chewing.
"We can't get out the door we came in," she said. "More are walking in that way every minute. Is there another way out?" She wasn't sure why she was forced so be the one spurring them into action, but the idea of slowly starving to death while zombies looked on seemed worse than a living hell.
When the small teen didn't say anything she grabbed him. "Come on. We have to move now while they're distracted and haven't spread out over to every inch of this place yet."
"There's a back way," he hesitated, "But I don't want to go back out there."
"We have to," she said. "Look, if they reach this door then we'll have to fight. I'm more of a runner than a fighter. Trust me, I've been doing it for a while."
He picked up his steel bat from off the table and handed her long knife. Moving to the door, he said. "Alright, you ready?"
He dashed out into the darkness and she stayed on his heels. They quickly left what little light remained behind and plunged into complete darkness.
Sara's foot hit something and it clattered to the floor making a loud series of noises. Some of the zombies heard it and let out moans as they turned in their direction.
Davey cried out and she realized that a stray zombie had made his way into the hallway before him. It fought Davey, but it remained impossible to see anything in the darkness.
She felt forward.
Her hand inched toward the struggle. She had images of snapping mouths finding her flesh. Instead a body collided with her fingers jamming two of them painfully.
She pulled back. The zombie growled and she thought it had Davey pressed against a wall. From behind she could hear others coming. She didn't have much time.
Working herself behind the big zombie, she found the courage to use her left hand to feel where it was. She grabbed onto its shoulder, placed the knife against its spine, between two vertebrae, and pushed. It let out a wet moan and toppled to the ground.
"Oh man, thanks," came at her from the darkness, but the moaning of the other undead drew near, so they hurried off again. They reached a door, but found it locked.
"Oh no, oh no," she chanted as her panic rose.
"Don't worry, I have a key," he said and scrambled to find it in the darkness. Shuffling feet approached. The darkness made everything worse. She couldn't tell if they were twenty feet away or right on top of them.
Just when she could feel their foul breath in her face, the door flew open and Davey dragged her into the room and slammed the door shut.
For a moment they stood there panting, but then the fire of a lighter flared in the darkness as a figure lit a cigarette. The cherry grew red as the smoker inhaled and then Dane even voice said, "What took you?"
Come back next weekend and discover if Sara can survive the horrors of both the living and the dead as she battles into the second year of the Eternal Aftermath
Learn more about the Eternal Aftermath Here
One Cowboy, 2000 Zombies, and a Bike Gang
Enough old construction sites had dumped abandoned supplies into the desert that Brown discovered an old steel bar. He mounted his horse and took it with him to the back of the cinder block wall that surrounded the housing complex the biker gang had taken over.
It remained only a few hours after sunrise and Brown hoped the bikers behaved like most of their ilk and stayed in bed. As the relentless desert sun cooked his Stetson part of him didn't blame them for having late nights, which would keep them out of Arizona's deadly heat.
More concerning was the horde that slowly marched toward his back. Instead of the mountains taking its toll, if anything the horde had grown as it met up with more undead migrating north from Mexico. It marched a thousand strong as least and could have been two or three times that number.
He tied his mount, Moonlight, to a palo verde tree, grabbed his sledge hammer in one hand, the steel pole in the other, and hurried to the wall. He circled around and got to a place a two hundred yards from his horse, but closer to where the horde emerged from the foothills.
He cast a final glance over his shoulder as the horrid odor of decaying flesh rotting in the sun reached his nostrils. They stumbled over the rocks and uneven ground, these human monsters made flesh. Bones poked through tattered skin and black wounds covered more parts of their bodies than the clothes they wore.
He wished, he really wished, he had enough bullets to sit on a high cliff and take them out of their misery to the very last one, but he wasn't near being so equipped, better to have his two enemies kill each other.
Perhaps leading the undead into the compound was a questionable act. With so few breathers left, they should be uniting against a common foe, but if these bikers had been so cruel to wipe out the elderly who had occupied this complex, than he had no doubts what they might do to the girls back at the ranch and Brown would anything to protect them.
He placed the steel bar between two cinder blocks where a crack had already separated them. Sweat formed on his forehead and behind him he could hear the zombies drawing near.
The bar entered further than he thought it might, but it also created more noise than he would have liked. Not one to hesitate, Brown hit the steel bar again and again. It burst through the other side. Moving to the side, he threw his weight against the bar. At first nothing happened and he had to fight away his panic.
Muscles strained and sweat poured into his eyes. He tried harder. A growl escaped his lips as he gave it everything he had. The upper half of the wall fell away with a crash.
He realized at once that it wouldn't be enough. He needed to take down the lower three feet of wall that remained.
He heard shouts from within the complex and the moaning behind him grew far too close. He ignored them both and drove the pole straight down through one of the exposed cinder blocks. He pulled at the remaining walls. It didn't give, so he jammed the bar forward.
More yells echoed up from the compound and he could hear the shuffling of clumsy feet as they tore through the desert floor just yards behind him. He pulled the bar back and then jammed it forward again. The top two cinder blocks cracked and then broke apart. He moved the bar two feet to the right and started the process again.
Forward, back, forward, back.
Shots rang out and powder broke away as a bullet hit the wall to his left. Another disturbed the dry dirt before him.
He grit his teeth and a cinder block broke away as he slammed the bar back. At least my friends and the girls will be safe, he thought to himself, but then jerked at the first set of hands clawed at his back.
With a yell, he dove over what remained of the wall. Bullets buzzed around, him and several hit the zombies and their bodies jerked in a foul dance of death. Reaching up, he grabbed the steel bar and pulled it back in toward him. With a crash, the rest of the cinder blocks in the break fell away and the undead came pouring in.
The shouting behind him increased into a frenzy as the zombies entered the complex, but Brown was on his feet and running. Two filthy, dark bearded bikers had drawn in closer to him and appeared to be more set on revenge than holding back the horde. Brown drew his pistol and dropped to one knee as more shouts ripped by him like angry hornets.
He held his breath and hit one in the center of his chest. The other kept firing until Brown's third shot got lucky and took the man in the eye. He stood up just in time to feel fingers grabbing at his head. They came away with his hat.
A female zombie clutched it in her hands.
"No one touches my Stetson." He said and blew off her head at point blank range. His left hand grabbed the hat before it hit the ground and he tossed it back on his head as he turned to run.
The undead lurched after him and bullets continued to crash into the cinder blocks as he passed, but he made it to the wall near where Moonlight had been tied. It scared him to see how close a few dozen zombies were to his mount, but he leapt the wall as a fury of bullets came his way.
He freed Moonlight and hopped onto the saddle and with a whoop, he galloped away from the conflict as the horde flooded into the biker complex by the hundred.
Come back next weekend for the climax of Brown's journey into the second year of the Eternal Aftermath
Learn more about the Eternal Aftermath Here
Desert Waling, Horde Stalking
Rollie wasn't surprised when Will road shotgun for Jack. Like usual, he took a back seat to the two men when it came to proving their prowess in this dark, zombie infested world his life had been tossed into.
Rollie didn't enjoy heading out into the aftermath and tried to avoid it whenever he could. He often got teased for preferring to help Samantha with the dinner instead of heading out on the raids. That suited him fine—he was well used to teasing.
He cried out when the truck bounced over a decaying corpse. Having Will asking him if he was alright only made him more embarrassed. Clenching his fists, he decided then and there that despite his natural inclinations against violence and all things macho, he would do his best to prove himself during this expedition.
He heard Will draw in a breath and quickly realized that his challenge might be coming faster than he expected. Ahead of him was a massive pile up of wrecked vehicles. A sandy drop off on one side of the road and a roughed cliff on the other would make it impossible for them to drive around the obstacle. Undead also covered the area. Like eternal guardians in hell, they marched their listless bodies before the jumbled pile of cars. Bones and skulls protruded from the twisted mess creating a double wall of death.
Jack slowed the truck even as the moaning increased and the zombies headed their way.
"What now?" Will asked. His voice made it sound like he really hoped someone had an answer.
"We're close to Sabino Canyon," Jack said. "We could try to find our way around this, but might just run into more of the same. My worry is that if we find water there, without the truck we couldn't carry much, but at this point we can't even be sure if it's flowing. I say we hide the ride and scout it out. If it does have water, then we can take it from there."
"So we're going to walk the rest of the way?" As soon as he heard his own timid voice, Rollie wished he could take his words back.
The two men turned and eyed him. Without another word, he grabbed his weapons and when Jack hid the truck, he was the first to head out of the vehicle.
* * *
A half and hour later found the trio heading through the back yards of the luxurious houses that lined the northern foothills of Tucson. The good news was they had remained mostly undetected by the hordes of undead that swarmed the streets. The few that did spot them had been quickly put down by Jack's sledge hammer and Will's huge axe.
The bad news was that all the jogging and physical exertion had taken its toll. The blaring unforgiving sun, mixed with their lack of water, soon left even Jack mopping his forehead and struggling for breath.
"There had better be water up there," Will said as he leaned his back against the side of a house while they waited for a group of three dozen zombies to shamble by on the road below. "With this heat, I don't think we'd need zombies to keep us from being able to make it back."
"Could we search some houses for bottled water?" Rollie asked.
Jack answered. "Too risky. The level of danger and time wasted wouldn't counter balance the potential pay off." He looked Rollie's way. "I just want to determine if there is water up in the canyon. If there isn't, we'll try that idea, okay."
Rollie just nodded and they soon set out again.
They hadn't got too far before a loud moan sounded to their left as they hurried across Sunrise road. Looking back, Rollie gasped as he saw a horde of hundreds of zombies migrating their way. A wall of dirty flesh and snapping mouths stretched across the four lanes of road and spilled into the desert on either side. Glassy eyes stared at them as their moans filled the ears of the breathers. Frantic lurching replaced their mindless stumbles as the endless mass of undead hurried toward them.
"Fuck, we need to get back to the truck!?" Will said.
"You can if you want," Jack shot back, "but I'm not heading back until I know if there's water up in that canyon."
Will growled, but when Jack started to jog to the north, he turned toward Rollie. "What should we do?"
"Follow him. Without water we're as good as dead anyway. We need to see this through."
Will nodded and a slight smile crossed his face.
Rollie wondered if Will might he a little proud of him as the three men began to run toward Sabino Canyon.
I hope you enjoyed the first part of Rollie's dangerous journey into the second year of the Eternal Aftermath. Come back next weekend for the next part of the tale.
You can explore more of the Eternal Aftermath here!
Mitch is Not Your Bitch
Mitch cursed under his breath. Not only had those damn three armed tweenies stolen all his gear and then shot at him from no real reason, but all their shooting had worked up three hundred zombies that he was being chased straight into. They came stumbling across the desert sand and rock. Every body had hundreds of thorns protruding from them like he was about to be forced to fight rotting porcupines.
Behind him he heard the hooting and shouts of the young men. I guess hunting an old unarmed man is great sport to them, he thought to himself. They're also closer than I thought. How the hell am I going to get though this one?
He was just trying to decide it traveling north or south would be better and had picked north since water remained more likely to find in that direction, when he heard a scream come from behind him.
"That old son of a bitch. Ahhhh! Get it off me! Get it off me!"
Mitch allowed himself a grin. "I guess they're learning a little bit about how to set traps from me after all. Have fun with that rattlesnake, boys."
Mitch enjoyed his success, but with the crowd of zombies pushing uphill through the cactus, he knew it would be short lived. He turned to head north, but then paused.
He'd given those kids no reason to need to hurt him, but they had tried to shoot him down. Now he'd hurt one of them, so they had a reason to stay on his heels and perhaps seek revenge, but then his thoughts took a darker turn. Between the three of them, the youths had two rifles and a pistol. Mitch had some firearms, but lacked bullets. Having some a few guns for back up wouldn't hurt his situation at all here in the mountains.
The zombies drew in close enough for him to be able to smell their foulness on the wind. "Screw it," he said aloud. "Can't have those punks following me. Poke old man rattler and see what you get." He turned east and began to circle away from the zombies, but up and back around to where he had set his rattlesnake trap. "I'm not going to be their bitch."
A lone zombie moaned as it lumbered forward on stiff legs. Black liquid dripped from his eyes like post modem mascara as it tried to block his path, but Mitch still had his club. He rushed in and gave it a homerun to the forehead. He must have scored a good shot for it didn't get back up.
More shouts echoed through the hills. "I'm going to kill that asshole. Not fast, but slow. Feed him to zombies as inch at a time. Oh damn, this hurts so bad."
Mitch could tell that it was Rus who had gotten bitten and he couldn't imagine a better fate for the fat bully.
He had climbed high enough to fall out of sight from the zombies in the foothills below. Looking back, while he caught his breath, he saw that Rus's shouting drew most of the gathering horde into the canyon Mitch had set the trap in.
"Soon those kids will have far worse problems than me," Mitch chuckled.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, you old puke," he heard Brad's voice say from behind him this was followed by the sounds of a gun being aimed. He had just enough time to curse, before he looked back to see Brad pulling the trigger.
Check in next weekend for the next part of Mitch's journey into the beginning of the second year of the Eternal Aftermath.
You can explore more of the Eternal Aftermath here!
Mind, Muscle, or Teeth
Despite the high levels of annoyance and danger the young men presented, Mitch slept with a greater sense of security than he had in a while. Rus's rummaging hands hadn't discovered his hammock and he wasn't about to point it out to them, so he slept on the desert floor with the rest of them. In the distance the sounds of dry moaning was curried up to them by the winds.
Once, in the middle of the night's darkest hour, a wounded animal screeched through the stillness. Whether a cougar or undead had made the kill was difficult to determine. Mitch saw Eric's face wide eyed with fear. The youth looked at him for a moment then turned away.
The next day found Mitch surrounded by the three youths as he struggled to free the tangled mess his trip wires had become.
"Hurry up, old man." Rus said.
"I wouldn't have to do this at all if your clumsy fingers hadn't made such a mess of my well stored gear."
"I'll do whatever the hell I want," Rus started, "And right now I want to-"
"Quit your damn bickering," Brad ordered. "You don't need to have every damn wire free to show us how they work."
Thinking that his nominal use to them would be at an end once they felt secure with their knowledge of his traps, he figured he should string them along. "You have quite a bit to learn about trapping. What you think I just put one trap out for that rat. No, I put out twenty to get just that one. You guys might have to put out sixty to get enough to live off. Each place is different. Each time you have to find the perfect place to set it. If you don't know what you're doing you could set a hundred and not get jack-"
A moaning interrupted him. A moment later at least six undead began to pour into the boulder filled camp.
Mitch leapt to his feet, grabbing up a club sized piece of firewood as stuffed some of his trip wires into his back pocket..
The two younger boys panicked and scrambled over the rocks. Brad however aimed his rifle and fired off a shot. The zombies head jerked back. He quickly slayed a second and then a third zombie. "Come back you cowards. Come on, we got this."
"Idiot," Mitch said as more savage words exploded under his breath. "You don't go shooting, every zombie in five miles will be heading this way."
"Screw you old… Hey! He's trying to get away."
And Mitch was. With the chaos of the fight and the approaching zombies, he figured this would be his best opportunity. Cactus and low bent trees passed by him in a blur as he raced downhill as fast as he could. Besides his club, he had almost no gear on him. But he did have a canteen attached to his belt along with a buck knife that always road in his back pocket.
He heard useless shouts for him to stop, but he hit a gully and just kept going. A few seconds later a rock exploded near his left side. They had started shooting at him.
"Oh, it's going to be like that?" Mitch growled. "I guess we'll see who wins I the end, mind, muscle, or teeth."
Check in next weekend for the next part of Mitch's journey into the beginning of the second year of the Eternal Aftermath.
You can explore more of the Eternal Aftermath here!
Mar-velous Mayham Part II
"We gotta run," Allen said as he hurried into his shirt.
Speaking for the first time, Benny said, "But there are already zombies out there."
"I could care less about that," Cindy said. She had slipped into a very impractical dress that was about as opposite a 'fleeing from zombie garb,' as you could get. "What about all the things we've gathered here? I don't want to leave it all behind."
Allen spoke again. "We can get more or come back later when it's safe."
But Mar barely listened to him. "Screw these guys," she hissed under her breath as she led Benny toward the back of the house. They hurried into the room they shared and she tossed Benny his 'bug-out' backpack, while she threw her own over her narrow shoulders.
Pausing while her brother grabbed up a few more things, Mar looked around the dim room. The place was a horrible mess with so much gear spread in every direction that a person would be hard pressed to guess what the color of the carpet might be. It stank too, like a hamper full of dirty clothes left in the sun. It looked like The City of Lost Children meets Peter Pan's storeroom, but it had been home for them for longer than any other place since the Apocalypse began. Casting one last look over her shoulder, as he ushered Benny from the room, she felt in her gut that they would never see it again.
Disregarding the others, Mar and her brother moved toward the back yard. She winced when Allen caught up with them. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Getting the fuck away from you losers. Enjoy your death trap. Try not to get eaten while Cindy sorts through what dresses she's deciding to bring."
"What? You can't just leave on your own."
"Watch me," Mar said as she opened the door. Her hasty move almost cost her life for a loud moan sounded as a zombie lurched in through the doorway at her.
She screamed, a little too girly for her tastes, but reacted quickly and drove the point of her pick deep enough into its skull to drop it. Its body was, however, in the doorway and she couldn't shut the door, so she just opened it wider. More zombies came their way, but none of the other ones had made it onto the wide back porch.
Allen grabbed her by the arm so violently it hurt. "I'm not letting you leave. You're going to end up getting both you and your brother killed."
"Staying here is what would kill us, you idiot. Now let go of me or you'll be getting what I just gave that geek."
Before Allen could answer, a crashing came from the front of the house and Cindy came running their way. "Run! A zombie fell through the window and now they are all pouring in. Run! RUN!"
Check each weekend for another episode in Mar's fight to survive the Eternal Aftermath\.\\
You can explore more of the Eternal Aftermath here!
Is That Where She Is?
Ned grabbed a hold of his wounded brother trying to draw him back up the hill as the zombies Jonny had attracted lumbered their way.
"Oh damn," Jonny said.
"Keep it down," Ned snapped, "You don't need to attract more than you already have."
"Screw that, shot them. They're getting too close."
Ned remembered that the sheriff had destroyed Jonny's gun. With a curse, he raised his rifle one handed and fired a burst into the closest ones. A few fell, but more than he shot turned at them at the sound of his gun. He cursed again and focused on just moving Jonny up the hill as more of the roaming geeks joined in the chase. He cast one last glance over his shoulder at the building that his youngest brother had dragged the girl into and wondered if Temple was already enjoying her or if the zombies had got him.
The building loomed silent and offered no answers. Letting out a third curse, he hurried up the hill as fast as his wounded brother could manage.
* * *
The only thing that amazed Dells more than seeing the man run down the zombie filled street is when Henry slowed to a stop when he saw the Sheriff leaning his gun out of the shattered post office window. Still, Dells had seen this before. Due to Henry's immune system somehow allowing him to survive a zombie bite, he was now ignored by all the walking dead. The sheriff had seen him smash zombies in the face with eggs and literally kick their asses, but they never turned on him and just went ahead on their way.
"Sheriff, sheriff! Fosters said he saw some asshole grab my sister. Where is she?"
"I'm just trying to clear out a passage before I head over to that building over there."
"Is that where she is?"
Dells was forced to pause as he shot down six zombies that were drawing in on his position.
"Is that where she is?" he screamed.
"Yeah the gray building…" Dells didn't even finish his sentence before henry took off.
"Damn stupid kid's going to get us all killed," he lamented, but then, against his better judgement, climbed out the window and shot down zombies as he tried to keep up with the running youth.
Check each weekend for another episode in Dells fight to save his town from the Eternal Aftermath
You can explore more of the Eternal Aftermath here!
Is There a Safe Place?
Ned watched his youngest brother jog down the step hill. He bounced boulder to boulder and appeared oblivious to the shots being fired or the hundreds of zombies pouring into town. Their plague spread slowly like an overturned barrel of black mud leaking through the streets.
As Ned watched, the girl that Temple had his eye on turned and saw him rushing toward her. She paused uncertain and that was all it took.
"Help me," Temple shouted. "I've been hounded by walkers for days. I had no idea people still lived here." He drew in closer. "Is there a safe place…" His brother didn't even bother finishing his sentence. Instead he cold cocked the girl in the jaw so hard that she lost consciousness.
Jonny started to chuckle until bullet shattered the window next to Temple's face.
Temple gazed in the direction of the gunshots for a moment before crouching over and pulling the girl upright before his body. He walked backward for a moment and then kicked at the door to what appeared to be a tax company. It took him a few tries, but the door burst inward.
He had just started to drag her inside the buildings when grey arms reached out, and almost like they were aiding him, pulled both Temple and the girl through the doorway. Ned had barely been able to absorb what he'd just seen, when he heard Jonny cry out. Ned turned just in time to see his brother spin in a half circle and then drop to the ground.
* * *
The only thing worse than seeing the woman that you secretly love being dragged into a building by a half-mad marauder, would be finding out that the building is also filled with undead.
Why are these buildings filled with zombies when I personally saw to it that the entire town was cleared? Sheriff Dells thought, but when he saw two other men racing downhill toward the building that held Becca, he opened fire on them. He might have dropped the biggest one, but then found himself with new problems.
The zombies had arrived outside of the post office he had held up in. The first one on the scene grabbed the barrel of his rifle and it was all Dells could do to keep it from being pulled out of his hands. He drew back into the building, but cursed when the zombies pushed through the shattered glass and followed him.
More came in after the first ones and he was forced to retreat, but he barely noticed his own safety for it remained Becca's fate that concerned him the most. As more shots rang out, Dells turned his back on the stumbling zombies and raced toward the back of the post office.
Check each weekend for another episode in Dells fight to save his town from the Eternal Aftermath
You can explore more of the Eternal Aftermath here!


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Director 'in final negotiations' for Marvel superhero film
Buffy The Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon is clear favourite to direct Marvel superheros film The Avengers.
According to Deadline New York, Marvel Studios is in "final negotiations" with Whedon.
The film would unite an all-star team of Marvel superheros – including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Incredible Hulk, plus leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).
"Whedon has been rumored for this job for awhile, and is high on the fanboy wishlist," Deadline reports. "He's an interesting choice: Despite his writing/producing TV series resume, his lone feature directing effort, Serenity, was not a hit."
Whedon has also written for Marvel Comics, contributing issues of the Brian K Vaughn-created Runaways series, and the Astonishing X-Men.
With Iron Man 2, starring Downey Jr, released next month, Captain America due to start shooting this summer and Thor – to be directed by Kenneth Branagh and co-starring Natalie Portman – currently in production, Marvel will use those films to tee-up The Avengers.
A big hint for the film was dropped with Downey Jr making an uncredited cameo in the 2008 Incredible Hulk film.

subset: commoncrawl


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Latest News
Are You Ready For Some Golf?
Where else but a player's paradise could a golfer find five signature courses designed by a quintet of the most renowned golfing legends in the world?
The caliber of golf playable on the Mississippi Gulf Coast today, all within a half-hour's drive of the beach, could lead one to ponder whether it's accident or sheer poetry that the words "golf" and "gulf" are identical save for a single letter of the English alphabet.
On par with the region's reputation as a gaming mecca, the Coast's claim to golfing destination fame is no idle boast. Its 14 public and private courses and its select trove of new tees and championship layouts put South Mississippi on the sporting map nationally, in the company of Pinehurst, Shadow Creek and Pebble Beach.
A player has not really experienced golf on the Gulf Coast unless he or she has done so lately. Katrina-damaged courses have undergone major renovations and two new major courses have opened in the past year.
Magnolias are calling
Beau Rivage Resort opened Fallen Oak, the latest Tom-Fazio-envisioned luxury golf oasis, for the exclusive use of its hotel guests.
The pristine splendor of Fallen Oak unfolds in a rustic setting that boasts dramatic elevation changes rare on the Gulf and more than 4,000 oaks, magnolias, pines and other hardwoods on a 510-acre tract at the edge of the DeSoto National Forest. The $214 green fee (Sunday-Saturday) includes amenities like well-appointed locker rooms and an Arcadian-style clubhouse. Special touches include getting your shoes shined both before and after a round at the five-teed course that stretches to a hearty 7,487 yards from the back nine.
As promised on the www.fallenoak.com Web site, "You will negotiate wetlands, overcome towering oaks, crisscross pecan orchards and magnolia groves and navigate elevation changes unparalleled on the Coast. Looking out at the 9th and 18th fairways, you can almost imagine the terrain silently observing those who play on it, calling out the challenge, 'I've been here for centuries; now show me what you're made of.' "
In December, Fallen Oak was selected by Golf Digest as the No. 2 Best New Public Course $75 and Over.
Seaside play
At The Bridges in Bay St. Louis, golfers play on the Arnold Palmer signature golf course located next to Hollywood Casino.
The course combines the excitement of risk-taking play with the natural beauty of a seaside setting that was the first in the world to achieve Audubon International Silver Signature status. The course has been ranked among the Top 40 casino courses in the country and in the Top 10 courses in the state by Golf Digest.
Here, a wide range of players, including men, women and junior golfers, can play their own uninhibited game of golf at four sets of tees.
The Bridges' 18 holes take players on a journey through uplands, pine savannah and coastal wetlands, more than living up to the symbolism of its name in raising the level and significance of golf on the Gulf Coast.
Rates are $65 Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; $95 Friday-Sunday; closed on Tuesdays.
Flow with the rivers
In almost any direction that golfers venture to look on the Gulf Coast these days, there is a worthy, championship golf challenge awaiting them. At the Grand Bear, located on 600 acres of prime Mississippi woodlands surrounding the DeSoto National Forest, it's all about the genteel sport of golf as only Jack Nicklaus could have devised it.
The $89-per-person fee includes greens fees and cart on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. A $99 fee applies Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
In particular, holes 14 though 17, which wind along the Big Biloxi River, are memorable, Buckley says. Yet the real test of Grand Bear may be the par 5, 5th hole, which Buckley warns leaves no room for error.
Grand Bear has received national recognition and numerous awards, most recently making the Top 10 in Golfweek magazine's Top 21 Casino Courses and the Top 50 in Golfweek Magazine's Best Resort Golf Courses.
More golfing escapes
Even after taking on the combined challenges of Fallen Oak, The Bridges and Grand Bear, the diehard player still can find plenty of hallowed ground to negotiate in The Preserve and in Shell Landing.
When golf great Jerry Pate designed The Preserve, a par-71, championship course that Palace Casino opened on a 245-acre parcel of an 1,800-acre nature preserve, the intent was to create a course second to none.
Golf fees are $120 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and $90 from 1 p.m. on; closed on Monday. The course has been selected by Golf Digest as one of the Best New Courses of 2007 in the "Best New Public $75 and Over" category.
And since it opened in 2000, Shell Landing, designed by golf great Davis Love and singled out by Golf Digest as the No. 5 course in America in the best new upscale public category, also has been a favorite of serious golfers. Rates are $99 Monday-Thursday and $109 Friday-Saturday.
Ready to play?


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the chief difference is that on the ferial days the music is less elaborate and ornate than on festal days, when it is more florid, for more voices, accompanied by the organ, etc. The two kinds are known respectively as the ferial use and festal use.
FERLENDIS, Signora, daughter of an architect named Barberi, born at Rome about 1778. Her voice was a strong contralto, but somewhat hard and inflexible. Having studied with a teacher called Moscheri, she made her debut at Lisbon. Here she had the advantage of some lessons from Crescentini, and here also (1802) she married Alessandro Ferlendis, the oboist, member of a very distinguished Italian family of players on the oboe and English horn. She appeared at Madrid in the next year, at Milan in 1804, and in 1805 at Paris (Théâtre Louvois) in Fioravanti's 'Capricciosa pentita.' She achieved there, however, no success in any other rôle but that one. Soon after this, she made her first appearance in London with Catalani in Cimarosa's 'Orazzi e Curiazzi.' She was 'a pretty good actress, and at that time first buffa; she was less liked than she deserved, for she had a very good contralto voice, and was far from a bad buffa. She would have been thought, too, to have acted the part of Orazzia well, had it not been for the comparison with Grassini, and for Catalani's then eclipsing everybody.' (Lord Mount-Edgcumbe.) She accompanied her husband to Italy in 1810; her later career is not known.
FERMATA is the Italian name for the sign
, which in English is commonly called a Pause, and signifies that the note over which it is placed should be held on beyond its natural duration. It is sometimes put over a bar or double bar, in which case it intimates a short interval of silence.
Schumann, in the first movement of his 'Faschingsschwank in Wien' for the pianoforte, has the sign over the double bar in this manner, where the key changes from two flats to six sharps, and has also written 'Kurze Pause.'
FERNAND CORTEZ, OU LA CONQUÉTE DU MEXIQUE. Opera in 3 acts; words by Esménard and De Jouy, after Piron; music by Spontini. Produced at the Académie impériale Nov. 28, 1808 [App. p. 635 "1809"]; at Dresden, March 1812; after revision by the composer, at Paris, May 28, 1817, Berlin, Apr. 20, 1818.
FERRABOSCO (or FERABOSCO), Alfonso, an Italian musician who settled in England in the middle of the 16th century, ranked among the first of the Elizabethan era. He composed motets, madrigals, and pieces for the virginals. His first book of madrigals was printed at Venice in 1542, and some of his motets at the same place in 1544. Morley (Introduction to Practical Music, 1597) speaks of a 'vertuous contention' between Ferrabosco and W. Byrd in making each to the number of 40 parts upon the plainsong of Miserere, 'without malice, envie, or backbiting,' 'each making other Censor of that which they had done.' And Peacham mentions another friendly contest between them which could best set the words of the madrigal, 'The nightingale so pleasant and so gay,' and awards the palm to Ferrabosco. Many of Ferrabosco's madrigals were printed in the two books of 'Musica Transalpina,' 1588 and 1597, and several of his other compositions are extant in MS.
FERRABOSCO, Alfonso, the younger, probably son of the preceding, born at Greenwich about 1580, was one of the extraordinary grooms of the privy chamber of James I, and the instructor in music of Prince Henry, for his services in which respect he was rewarded in 1605 with an annuity of £50. In 1609 he published a folio volume of 'Ayres,' dedicated to Prince Henry, and prefaced by commendatory verses by Ben Jonson, Dr. Campion, and N. Tomkins. This work contains many of the songs in Ben Jonson's plays and masques. In the same year Ferrabosco published some Lessons for Viols, with some introductory lines by Ben Jonson. He was one of the contributors to the collection published in 1614 by Sir William Leighton under the title of 'The Teares or Lamentacions of a Sorrowfull Soule.' He composed numerous Fancies for viols. Antony Wood says he first set music lyra-way for the lute. In 1641 his name occurs in a warrant exempting the king's musicians from the payment of subsidies. He died in 1652. Pepys twice (1664 and 1667) mentions a lady named Ferrabosco as a good singer. At the latter date she was an attendant on the Duchess of Newcastle. She was probably a daughter of Alfonso the younger. A fine song by Ferrabosco, 'Shall I seek to ease my grief?' from the 'Ayres' above mentioned, is published by Dr. Rimbault (Novello).
FERRABOSCO, John, Mus. Bac., organist of Ely Cathedral from 1662 to his death in 1682, was probably a son of Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger. He obtained his degree at Cambridge in 1671 'per literas regias.' Eight complete services and eleven anthems by him are preserved in MS. in the library of Ely Cathedral, some of which have often been erroneously ascribed to his presumed father.
FERRARA. The earliest and best-known musical academy in Ferrara was that of the 'Intrepidi,' founded in 1600 by Giambattista Aleotti d'Argenta for dramatic musical representation. The magistrates of the city allowed the academicians 100 scudi a year for public celebrations in their theatre. Previous to the founding of this academy, Ferrara could boast one of the most magnificent theatres of Italy, opened in 1484 by Ercole I, Duke of Ferrara, in which were celebrated the 'Feste Musicali,' those earliest forms of the musical drama universal in Italy in the 15th century. While the 'Orfeo' of Poliziano was represented at Mantua, the theatre of Ferrara witnessed the 'Cefalo' of Niccolò da Correggio, the 'Feast of Amphitrione


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Textile designers rejoice; there's a Ponoko for us too!
Laser-cutting? Pssh. You don't want holes in a pot holder or oven mit. 3D printing? Big deal. No one wants a crusty plastic pillowcase or a metal-sintered tote bag. DIGITAL FABRIC PRINTING — that's the future… of aprons and napkins and place mats at least. Okay, so those comments don't do anything to elevate the field of textile design, but a new company is stepping up to the plate. (And not to wash it!)
Envelop is an "online print-on-demand platform where [designers] can create, promote and sell high quality cotton items to textile lovers worldwide." With Envelop, designers submit their designs which are digitally printed in Belguim and sewn into one of a number of finished products on-demand. Digitally Printed = unlimited color. On-Demand = no inventory. And the best part? Envelop = 12.5% royalty earned on each order. The worst part? Belguim = 21% tax.
Setting Envelop apart from many mass-customization start-ups is the company's dedication to true designers. This isn't the place for your mom to print the kids pictures on place mats. In order to register with Envelop, you must submit a link to an online portfolio that showcases creative, original graphics or illustrations. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a simple collection of work on a community profile or blog. There are currently 80 independent designers from around the world signed up. Designs can be printed and made into aprons, napkins, oven gloves, pillow covers, place mats, pot holders, table runners, and tote bags.
Envelop is still in beta, and I hope that the company meets the success they need to grow their material and product offerings. With that in mind, I picked out some of my favorite designs to promote.
1: apron by friandises of Dampierre en Burly (FR); 2 & 3: napkin and apron by Monica Greco of Pavia (IT); 4: oven glove by Tamara Weiss of Philadelphia (US); 5: place mat by Alli Coate of Providence (US); 6: totebag by komraids of Dubai (AE); 7: place mat by the lilipinsson company of Amsterdam (NL); 8: tote bag by Michael Bojkowski of Prahran, Victoria (AU); 9: oven glove by choppingtools of Valencia (ES); 10: pillow cover by Carolyn Alexander Illustration and things of La Plagne (FR); 11: pillow cover by siebe of Brugge (BE). Wow.
via Swiss-Miss


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Make a Donation to BGI Today!
Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to the development, establishment and long-term stewardship of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway – a protected and landscaped route for pedestrians, bicyclists, and families. When complete, the Greenway will provide critical connectivity to Brooklyn's storied and iconic waterfront, parks and open space, commercial and cultural corridors, and new tech and innovation hubs for 2.65 million Brooklyn residents, over 1 million Brooklyn-based employees, and 15 million visitors from across the City and around the world.
Your contribution is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. BGI is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
For more information on how to support BGI into 2019, payments by check/ questions, Email Brian McCormick, Director of Development or call at 718.522.0193
Open Donation
Click "Add To Cart" and enter any amount of your tax-deductible donation on the next screen.
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- $500 pays for supplies for a planting project along the Greenway;
- $250 pays for wildflowers at the Naval Cemetery Landscape;
- $100 pays for garden gloves for volunteers who help plant along the Greenway;
- $50 pays BGI's registration fee for an outreach event or a permit for a BGI event;
- $25 offsets the costs of ongoing public programs and, more importantly, shows that we have broad support within the community!


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Welcome to the home of Colin Guest, A.K.A Tigerman. I chose this name as like tigers I love to roam far and wide.
This site is dedicated to my writing about experiences encountered during over nineteen years of working in fifteen countries spread through the Middle, Far East and North Africa. Since retiring I have been able to write about my incredible life, including living in Turkey for many years.
If you want to know how to get out of a boring 9-5 job, buy my memoir, "Follow in the Tigerman's Footsteps." http://www.amazon.com/-/dp/1482854430
It covers a wide range of experiences, some crazy, adventurous and a few life- threatening ones, all mixed with a blend of humor. These I encountered during nineteen years of working as an expat in fifteen countries spread through the Middle, Far East, and North Africa. Instead of putting up with a boring 9-5 job, you too could enjoy a working life most only get to dream about.
Below is an excerpt from Chapter 6
Lucky Escape in Qatar
I soon realised I had a choice, either I would swim back to shore or drown. After deciding I did not want to die, I gave it my best shot to get back to the beach. Fortunately, after making a supreme effort, I managed to swim back to shore. On trembling legs I staggered up to our tent and collapsed on my towel, thinking how lucky I had been not to have drowned.


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This question has been asked in various ways as it seems some people assume price equates to ability. This is simply not true. Entrepreneurs and investors alike need to stray away from the concept that more expensive means better services. The proof is in the attorney's ability and not in their rate.
With that said, these are the types of skills you should seek in an attorney:
- Total competence in business law-There are many lawyers out there, but usually attorney's have an area of law that they specialize in. Make sure that the attorney you select has experience with start-ups and understands the potential challenges you will face. The foundation of your business will depend greatly on whether or not your attorney understands the fundamentals of business structure.
- Visionary-The attorney you should select should be able to understand the vision of your business—not just the short-term goals to get it kick-started. A good attorney will encourage you to think about the long-term of your business and help you solidify those plans via proper documentation and planning.
- Effective communication-This is a big one. Attorneys are definitely wired to understand legal jargon and can likely speak it fluently. However, for people just starting out in business—these terms may as well be a foreign language. A skilled attorney doesn't just bark legal terms at you, but instead takes the time to explain those concepts in everyday language.
- Flexibility-Of course, every professional has a schedule to keep, but your attorney should be adequately available for you. Let's say you go for a hot-shot law firm attorney, but they never have time to talk to you. What's the point in paying for a brand if they can never answer your questions? A certain name may look good to some investors, but if they aren't helping you then nobody is reaping the benefits that come along with quality legal services.
- Good working relationship- Not every attorney, whether expensive or affordable, will be a good fit for you. Personality and communication play a huge role. You should select an attorney who works well with you. If you are intimidated by your attorney or simply don't enjoy working with them then nothing will get accomplished in the long run.
- Reputation-Reputation certainly plays a role in the selection of your attorney. However, please don't confuse this with cost. Just because an attorney is affordable does not mean that they have cut their price due to a poor reputation. Likewise, an incredibly expensive attorney does not mean that they are easy to work with or have a high client satisfaction rate. Do your homework. Ask for references!
Hopefully some of these tips can help you separate the meaning between quality and cost.
If you are interested in quality legal services at an affordable price, LawTrades can help. . We pride ourselves in the fact that we are trying to disrupt the legal space by simplifying the process and offering transparent, flat-fee pricing and flexible payment options. Our services have assisted over 1000 entrepreneurs just like you with getting their businesses up and running. We'd be happy to help you! Contact us today for your free consultation.


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2017 is here, and that means it's time to ask for recommendations for the Hugo Awards. Sadly, I have not been able to read nearly as much from 2016 as I would have liked, so I expect this to be one hell of a reading session for me!
So, suggest some things! I'm looking for fiction and non-fiction in every category, pro and amateur artists, films, television shows, and anything else that fits! Use the form below to send your suggestions!


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374 pages
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder primarily affects boys and male teens, and the symptoms can continue on into adulthood. Consequently, clinicians need to be well-versed in techniques to treat this disorder that are tailored specifically to the needs of males; there are, however, few resources available to them. This guidebook provides a review of the counseling, educational, and medical interventions that can benefit boys and men with ADHD. Kapalka begins with a review of symptoms, etiology, assessment, and diagnosis and then discusses a variety of specific interventions: individual counseling, parenting techniques, classroom interventions, and group counseling techniques. The use of medication in conjunction with counseling is also considered. Throughout all of the topics covered, Kapalka emphasizes what it is like to be male and have ADHD and describes the impacts that masculinity and gender expectations can have on the expression of and response to the disorder.
Dr. Kapalka has written a clinically sensitive treatise on ADHD in males across the developmental spectrum. Most notable about this book is his deft weaving of case studies with perceptive commentary on treatment strategies. He integrates contemporary clinical research findings with the compassion of an experienced clinician. A must-read for clinicians working with ADHD at any age. Mary Fristad, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Ohio State University
This is a thorough, interesting, and historical book on the origins of the recognition, identification, and treatment of the hyperactive and impulsive male from early school age through adulthood. Psychologists will welcome this source of help for their work with the ADHD teen or man. J. G. Benedict, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice
Section I: Etiology, Epidemiology, and Course 1. Symptoms of ADHD. 2. Epidemiology and Course. 3. Etiology. Section II: Assessment and Diagnosis. 4. Assessment. 5. Differential Diagnosis. Section III: Counseling and Psychotherapy. 6. Individual Counseling with Boys and Young Teens. 7. Parenting Techniques. 8. Individual Counseling with Men and Older Teens. 9. Working with Spouses and Partners of Men with ADHD. 10. Group Techniques. Section IV: Educational Interventions. 11. Educational Modification. 12. Student Behavior Management. Section V: Medical Approaches. 13. Stimulant Medications. 14. Nonstimulant Medications. 15. Nutritional and Herbal Interventions.
The Routledge Series on Counseling and Psychotherapy with Boys and Men includes books devoted to the process of helping boys and men in counseling and psychotherapy. Through his many roles as a professor of psychology at Penn State Harrisburg, a fellow and former president of Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity (SPSMM), and a national leader regarding the psychology of boys, men and masculinity, Dr. Mark Kiselica serves as the editor of the series, which addresses a wide variety of topics, including:


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Women in Logistics (WIL) is proud to invite you to renew your membership or become a new member of the organization. As we celebrate more than 35 years, we are pleased to continue to provide a unique set of tools and opportunities to women and men in our logistics community.
We are excited to continue our tradition of hosting speaker and networking events as well as our yearly golf tournament. All proceeds from the events support our scholarship program. We have awarded more than $62,000 in scholarships for students studying logistics in the Bay Area.
Please fill out the following information and mail it with your check payable to "Women in Logistics" to:
Laura Germany
70 Washington St., Suite 305
Oakland, CA 94607


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Stagecoach review Phoenix
Stagecoach review 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix': A Conversation We gave Stagecoah a challenge. They were made to analyse the latest album by Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and this is what went down! LB: Thoughts on title? TL: Love it. LB: It's pretty funny. TL: Arrogant? LB: It could be if the album didn't totally live up to it. TL: Ok here we go, track by track. LB: "Lisztomania". TL: What an opener. LB: You know straight away you're hearing something special... (continued)
Stagecoach review 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix': A Conversation We gave Stagecoah a challenge. They were made to analyse the latest album by Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and this is what went down! LB: Thoughts on title? TL: Love it. LB: It's pretty funny. TL: Arrogant? LB: It could be if the album didn't totally live up to it. TL: Ok here we go, track by track. LB: "Lisztomania". TL: What an opener. LB: You know straight away you're hearing something special. TL: I knew after 15 seconds this was my favourite album of the year. LB: Everyone's gonna know after 15 seconds that this record is kick ass. I knew and so did you. TL: I knew the way you know about a good melon. LB: Did you know Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist? I read that on Wikipedia. TL: I am starting to detect a theme of classical references emerging in "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix". LB: Track 2 is "1901". TL: Banger. LB: Killer combination of United-era Phoenix and the more rocking stuff off the last record. TL: That's actually a pretty good description of the whole album. LB: We can probably end our review here. TL: Yeah but I'm enjoying stating my opinions as if they're facts, so let's carry on. LB: You can hear the Cassius co-production, lush analogue synths held down by those Michael Jackson drums. TL: Are they samples? LB: Either that or they're so perfectly, perfectly recorded they sound like samples... LB: Next is "Fences". TL: Starts with a chorus, something I always enjoy. LB: It's a sweet chorus, this album is rammed with great choruses. TL: More synths, it's a real warm sound though, none of that 80s throwback stuff. LB: Yup. Most agreeable. TL: Something a bit Euro and Frenchy about this one. Not in a bad way though. LB: By this point i'm thinking Phoenix can do no wrong. TL: "Love Like A Sunset" is next. I think in a funny way this is the heart of the album. LB: They've recorded a guitar jam then sampled it and cut it up into a new track. TL: Then they've scattered bits of it all through the album. LB: Like crushed nuts. TL: Exactly like crushed nuts. LB: On a trifle. TL: Do you like the acoustic guitar that comes shining through at the end? LB: Yes. LB: "Lasso" is fifth track which many would consider a good place to hide some filler. TL: Would you say "Lasso" is filler? LB: No. Not at all. TL: But this review needs more criticism. LB: OK...It's filler. TL: Definitely filler. LB: Good we are now serious reviewers whose opinions people will take seriously. TL: The next track, "Rome", is one of my favourites. LB: I love the classic muted Phoenix guitars, in a way it's their signature sound. TL: I love the dancy upbeat pop combined with yearning, mournful vocal. LB: Also classic Phoenix. TL: This song is all the reasons we love Phoenix. LB: Franz Liszt spent his later years in Rome. It was a mournful time in his life. Maybe there's a connection. TL: Well, possibly. LB: Here comes "Countdown". TL: Big bruised heartfelt builder. LB: Woozy swooshing cymbal clashes and another gorgeous plaintive chorus. TL: I love this one. LB: This was the last one i got into but it turns out it's awesome. TL: Especially the last 60 seconds. Melts me every time. LB: Are we nearly done yet? My praise glands are wilting. TL: "Girlfriend". LB: Breezy uplifting pop, great sunshine music. TL: But still they slip in these exquisite moments of heart-felt wistfulness. LB: Yeah they've never nailed that so perfectly as on this album. TL: Here's that cut-up guitar riff again... LB: "Armistice", perhaps the darkest track on the album and my personal fave. TL: Another killer chorus. LB: Lovely stuff. TL: Is that a clavichord in the middle? LB: Could be. A sort of musical reference to Wolfgang Amadeus? TL: Shame it ends so suddenly. LB: Mate, tell me about it. I could get lost on the outro. TL: OK that's the lot. LB: Summarise please? TL: My favourite Phoenix record to date. LB: It should get them the recognition they've so badly deserved for years. TL: Every track sounds like a million dollars. LB: Francs. TL: Euros. LB: Freddos. TL: Cool. Luke Barham and Tom Lewis have been listening to the leaked download of "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix". They promise to buy the official release when it hits shelves on May 25th (They did). Links Phoenix: http://www.wearephoenix.com/ Stagecoach: http://www.myspace.com/stagecoachuk MP3: Phoenix - 1901 1. Lisztomania 2. 1901 3. Fences 4. Love Like a Sunset Part I 5. Love Like a Sunset Part II 6. Lasso 7. Rome 8. Countdown 9. Girlfriend 10. Armistice Buy: Amazon
Wolfgang Amadeus PhoenixPhoenixStagecoach


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I Ching, Yijing or Zhou Yi
"Oracle of the moon": © 2000 LiSe
Hexagram 23
Bo, Stripping
Gua Poem:
The great image says: The mountain is attached to the earth, Stripping. The high ones make their house peaceful by generosity to the low ones.
Bo: the ideogram and the story (NEW). What does it mean for your question?
This hexagram is complementary to hex.43.
Top 9: The big fruit is not eaten. The noble one acquires a sedan chair, the small man strips the hut.
When everything is destroyed, it is the end for a small mind. A great spirit sees an opening for something new, unexpected. There is always the untouched fruit: that faith or inspiration or creativity which brings about new life.
Relating hexagram: hex.2) Embrace problems and find the right answer.
6 at 5: A string of fish. Favor through the palace
people. Nothing that does not bear fruit.
Do not expect others to recognize your crude self as valuable. It feels kind of humiliating, that you have to show something, instead of just being good enough yourself. But if you can let go of pride, and find your pride in your own heart, the string of fish will also bring good luck to you. Then the fishes are offered as a sacrifice to ones higher authority as well.
(Changes to hex.20) Mirror
6 at
4: Stripping the rest(ingplace) by superficiality. Pitfall.
Living restless, without depth or meaning, life is insignificant and one is prone to irreversible mistakes and faults, and even destruction. Search beyond the outer skin for only there the heart's rest can be found.
(Changes to hex.35) Mirror
6 at 3: Stripping it. Without fault.
To be yourself, living your own life, making your own decisions, you have to break away from all those people (inside or outside) who tell you how to live. Or even without saying anything, expect you to live according to their views. Even if you choose an absurd life - so what? It is your life.
(Changes to hex.52) Mirror
6 at 2: Stripping the rest(ingplace) by discerning.
Disregard the determination: pitfall.
Use your knowledge and experience to detect when things are not right, and then get rid of them. Just letting things be may seem easier, but you have to be severe. You are the one who has to shape your life, no one else, and keeping it clean or cleaning it up is essential.
(Changes to hex.4) Mirror
Initial 6: Stripping the rest(ingplace) through realism. Disregard the determination: pitfall.
Keep your eyes open for the reality of life. Dreams, expectations and love may make it worthwhile, but when one loses sight on reality, life might hit so hard that it may be the end of all dreams. Mind: this is about the reality of life - personal ideas of logic and justice have little to do with life.
(Changes to hex.27) Mirror


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To some recent generations, Paul Mazursky might be best known as Sunshine, the aphorism-spouting poker dealer on THE SOPRANOS. And indeed, Mazursky's career began in front of the camera, where he appeared in THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, FEAR AND DESIRE, and episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, THE UNTOUCHABLES and THE RIFLEMAN. Later, he went on to write for THE DANNY KAYE SHOW, beginning a writing career that would generate cultural touchstones like BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE and HARRY AND TONTO - which, despite the similarity in their title structures, couldn't have been more different thematically.
Here's Mazursky talking about his life as a writer, in two parts. It's part of THE WRITER SPEAKS, our oral history series spotlighting film and television writers in the 20th Century.


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Extra Life!
Good news everyone!
I've just confirmed my involvement in the Extra Life charity event at Uncles Games in Redmond on Nov. 2nd!
I will be there in the afternoon demoing a brand new version of the Sidekick Quests RPG! I've learned a lot from my first round of beta testing and I am implementing changes that streamline and simplify the experience as well as adds new art and new characters (Black Wizard Apprentices anyone?).
Please join me for a few hours of all ages Role-playing Game magic in a great location… Uncles Games in Redmond, Washington! I will be running 3 retooled Quests for 4-6 players each. First come, first accommodated at the table. You will walk away with your very own character sheet, a quick rules reference guide and you'll be added to the next round of Beta Testing. You will also be helping out a great charity that donates ALL PROCEEDS go to help kids. It should be a really great time and I hope to see you there!
Don't think you can make it but want to help out Extra Life and the Seattle Children's Hospital? That is okay too… just head over to my personal Extra Life participant page and donate directly. If you donate I will send you a special Thank you for donating Sidekick Quests digital gift card (that might also include a rare power for the RPG).


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Thursday, 01 August 2013 10:12 AM
Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in June by the largest amount in five months as government building activity declined to the lowest level since 2006.
Even housing activity slowed, but that setback was likely to be temporary.
The Commerce Department says construction spending dropped 0.6 percent in June compared with May when spending had surged 1.3 percent. It was the biggest decline since a 2.3 percent fall in January.
Housing construction was flat during the month with a gain in remodeling offsetting declines of 0.8 percent in single-family construction and a fall of 3.3 percent in multi-family projects. Residential construction has been a bright spot in a sluggish economy this year and that strength was expected to continue even though mortgage rates have risen from their lows.
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A bag full of decorative mini pumpkins and gourds plus paint and glitter glue….
Archive for October, 2013
Decorative Gourds
Posted in Uncategorized on October 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Caramel Apples, Jack-O-Lanterns, And WereRabbits
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged halloween on October 29, 2013| Leave a Comment »
We had a big Halloween-y Saturday. We picked apples and made caramel apples, then we carved our spooky Jack-O-Lanterns, and followed it all with popcorn and a viewing of Wallace and Grommit's Curse of the Wererabbit, our Halloween tradition. It was a lot of fun. Words cannot describe how excited Finn is for Halloween this year and he is enjoying getting into the spooky spirit. Both kids were hesitant to dig into the pumpkin innards, but Finn did a great job drawing his both his and Josette's scary faces and carving them himself (I love those carving kits with the reasonably safe carving tools!). Looking forward to much fun this week as we gear up for Halloween.
Tin Lanterns
Posted in Uncategorized on October 27, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Finn did this very fun craft from here. He had a lot of fun. First, he "freestyled" a design and then we worked on drawing a pumkin face together. He enjoyed hammering all the holes and didn't require any assistance. The result when we lighted them up was very festive and fun.
Leaf Walks
Posted in Uncategorized on October 25, 2013| Leave a Comment »
I saw a meme the other day that said, "My favorite color is October." It truly is breathtaking right now and we have been getting out walking as often as possible. Finn loves to race around trying to catch the leaves as they fall. Both Josie and Finn take great pleasure in throwing leaves at me. Lily loves to run and sniff and swim as always. We have been collecting our favorite leaves and pressing them in wax paper to create lovely window displays in our house.
Weekly Garden Post
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged garden on October 24, 2013| 2 Comments »
Well, I am calling it the weekly garden post, but it has been quite awhile since I did a garden post. Coming back from vacation, I have been neglecting the garden. It has been beautiful fall weather and we have gone into winter preparation mode and the garden has gone on the backburner, yet there is still much gardening to be done. First, we harvested the last of our corn. We had eaten most of the sweet corn, but we were excited to find our popcorn had dried and was ready for harvest. We didn't get nearly as much as I would have liked, but it is such a fun variety, strawberry popcorn so named for the shape and color of the ears. The kids had a lot of fun peeling the husks and finding the bright red grain. Finn then enjoyed cutting down all the stalks to use for decoration. While we were cutting, we found a few ears of sweet corn that we had missed and those became great chicken treats.
Speaking of chickens, they are loving their freedom now that the free range everyday. They are going through their yearly fall molt and look rather ragged. They have also seriously decreased egg production, which I am missing a lot. I hope they ramp up again soon. In the mean time, they are such fun to have in the yard as we are playing and the kids often pick them up.
This isn't really related to our garden, but pilfering from our wonderful neighbors' garden, we are in the apples! Just behind our house, they have 5 very large apple trees and almost daily we are out collecting. We are eating fresh and baking pies and making applesauce galore. Today, I have some apple butter going in the crockpot. I have a recipe for caramel apple jam that is in the near future. And, we have been pressing them for cider as often as possible. Speaking of cider, we tried our hard cider this past weekend and it was wonderful! We will be getting more of that going for sure!
We finally just harvested the rest of our winter squash. I was so pleased with the greek sweet red butternut variety as I watched huge squash grow, but they were very slow to turn the deep gold skin pictured on the seed pack. Some of them were developing that color and then the vines just dried up and we had to pick them. The rest seemed to be a mix of gold and green. I waited and waited, until it looked like we were going to have a frost and figured, it was time. So, we got the whole lot out. We ended up with 15 huge ones. We made a wonderful stew from one of them the other night and it seems the flavor is very good even without complete ripening and the color inside is a beautiful orange. These were definitely the most resistant to the squash pests we had this year and this is the first time we have ever been successful with winter squash so it is a win. These will be going into the garden next year. We ate our only large spaghetti squash to not succumb to bugs and that was quite good too. And we have sampled several of the pie pumpkins we grew and those were great too. Hooray, finally winter squash!
I still have an amazing amount of jalapenos and hot peppers in the garden and I need to get those harvested and turned into hot sauce. We are harvesting peas which mostly consists of the kids eating them in the garden. I have some carrots that might turn into something. And, lastly, we need to get garlic in before the winter. Other than that, it is pulling plants and turning in some compost to winterize the garden and looking forward to February seed catalogs in front of the woodfire after a good snowshoe!
Leaf Pile
Posted in Uncategorized on October 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Kids and dogs love a good leaf pile.
Tinker Toy Catapult
Posted in Uncategorized on October 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Guaranteed to keep a little boy entertained for a very long time! Got the idea here.


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Lakshay Katney
Saleforce developer by profession but I like to work with various technologies.I blog about Force.com, Hybrid Apps, PhoneGap, AngularJS, BackboneJS, JavaScript in general. I am Angular & NodeJS fan.Read More
Today, I am going to share some pages which I built while working on Communities. My task was to create custom login/logout/register/forgot password/change password pages for communities with branding.
Pages checks for all the validations and handles all the error messages gracefully.
I have created a generic template for startup and going to share it here. Below are some screentshots:
Forgot Password
Change Password
Registration Complete
You can get the full code here in this
Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest scoop right to your inbox.


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FYF has just released the line-up for 2015 festival, and it looks pretty well-rounded and diverse. We see some standards like Flume and Chet Faker, but what a great surprise to see BADBADNOTGOOD and Morrissey!
This will be a great opportunity to see these acts and so many more. It also appears that FYF will be taking place in the same location as last year.
If you were there last year you will certainly remember the overcrowded feeling and just how long it took to get from one stage to the next, usually resulting in missing a scheduled performance, which is definitely the bane of festivals. Hopefully, whatever issues arose last year will be resolved for this time around and thus, making FYF flow more smoothly.
Tickets go on sale Friday 5/8 at 12pm and they'll be sold at various record stores in the LA area, Long Beach and Pomona. Check out the FYF website for more info.
And let's hope Death Grips decides to stay together this time around…
This post is courtesy of Sergio Taylor
What are your thoughts on the lineup? Comment below.
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Or click the "Follow" link on the bottom right corner and type in your email to get updates sent directly to your inbox.


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If anyone wants to contact me to take this off the forum please send me a message and you can ask any questions and I will share more in attempts to help myself. Thanks
About 16 months ago I suffered a very traumatizing meditation experience that frightened me so bad to this day I am still living with the trauma. I have done research and reached out to several people in attempts to try and get some understanding of what may have happened during my experience but every solution offered has left me even more confused. I now suffer from anxiety which I've never had before along with other psychological trauma that I am having a hard time shaking. I'm desperate for help. I have too much to lose if I do not get better. To make a long story short...16 months ago when I was meditating, I was not trained and had no professional teacher guiding me. It was my 3rd time meditating and I forced my mind into a blank space while listening to shamanic meditation music I found on YouTube. After what seemed about 10 minutes of a self hypnosis it felt as if something flew in me or I fell in a hole and I jump up startled. I could feel all the blood rushing in my head and body and after I calmed down several hours later I was left traumatized. While I was calming down I felt a wave of energy rush down my legs and settle in my calves. Sounds weird but true. 2 days later while asleep I was awakened by a rush on energy that came from my calves and traveled up my legs and through my body and it left me feeling anxiety. I was extremely terrified. Over the past 16 months all of those issues are still there just not as frequent. I have tried, meditation, praying, detoxing etc in attempts to restore my peace....nothing has worked. Ever since this incident my calves feel heavy and the energy will occasionally travel up my body and give me anxiety. The nerves are constantly jumping and tingling in my calves and its getting worse. I wonder if I need to I need to rebalance my energy and why it is so heavy in my calves. Help if you can. If anyone wants to contact me to take this off the forum please send me a message and you can ask any questions and I will share more in attempts to help myself. Thanks
Truth39,You already asked about this last year in March. The answer at the link below is quite comprehensive:http://www.vipassanaforum.net/forum/index.php?topic=2694.msg27789#msg27789Further answers from Quardamon, Goofaholix and Poojavassa in the same thread are beneficial for you to read and contemplate.The meditation suggested is here:http://www.vipassanaforum.net/forum/index.php?page=2If you feel you can't do this alone, it may be worth seeking help from a mindfulness aware psychological therapist and/or someone who has specific training in working with dissociation and trauma.Kind regards,Matthew
Truth39,There is a list of symptoms associated with active kundalini. You might want to go to the website "biology of kundalini" and see the symptoms. It mentions throbbing of foot/leg as one of main signs. In addition to seeking help as others have already suggested, you can also google "ailments associated with kundalini". Apparently, it covers a broad spectrum of symptoms.Just my opinion, most of strange abnormal symptoms that occur during meditation are associated with kundalini. The Tao saying is very true. Where the mind goes, qi (prana) follows then blood follows. Whenever my mind is on my hand, I can feel energy movement within my hands/arms. My opinion is that body scan does induce qi flow. Even if you don't pinpoint a spot on your body, as long as the mind is waiting for sensation from a region the mind has brought attention to that region. This leads energy flow to that area. The more you do it, the more it active it will be.I have done qi gong meditation where I breathe and imagine something in my hand flowing through my left arm to my heart and then as I exhale it flows through my right hand. At first, I felt nothing. After few practices, I can feel energy flowing in synchronicity with my breathe. For this reason, I prefer passive vipassana rather than active vipassana.
Why not only to observe issues without taking part in it ?
You don't know about theories whether they're true or only representations of reality.Buddha taughts us not to play imagination game, but to stick with direct experience, ever.Are phenomenons the real concern ?
By meditating you are about to experiment more and more amazing phenomenons, so giving them importance will prevent you from droping them.The first concern is mental quality you developp whose equanimity is the highlight. Observing body and sensation is excellent, but you have to observe mind too.You have to watch your own reactions, interest and expectations.Practically, when you feel overwhelmed by sensations, you have a good opportunity to observe expectations, reactions or whatever mental agitation that raises. When you clearly see them, you can drop them. This unwinds issues. When you ignore them, you can't. This sustains issues.


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Cumin Seed - Organic
Cumin Seed - Organic
from 5.00
Cumin Seed (Cumimum cyminum) is used for spells of protection, fidelity, and clearing out negativity.
Add To Cart
Cumin is used for protection, particularly protection against theft. It is also used in love spells to keep your lover faithful and to promote lust. Cumin seeds can also be used to bring mental peace and tranquility.
For in-depth information on how to use this and other herbs and roots magically, I recommend Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic and Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, both of which can be found in our Books section.
Click on the video below for guidance on how to light charcoal for burning herbs, roots and resins.


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Antique furnishings are generally pricey. For the reason, it's generally held dear by individuals who have it. They are keen to think about good proper proper care of it. Nevertheless the steps that constitute taking proper proper proper care of antique furniture aren't that apparent. Therefore it is that ingredient that leads people to convey a wish for knowing ways to get proper proper care of antique furniture. Indeed, this is considered the most looked into terms. So generally sought out is information on this subject google's 'autosuggest' feature already understands this. You 'just type ways to get proper proper care of an' and Google already signifies guesses that you are probably trying to find information on 'how to think about proper proper care of antique furniture.'
Now fostering of antique-furniture involves to produce.
The biggest is always to safeguard the item of furniture from atmosphere elements. Once the antique furniture consists of wood that's proven to warp, and you also expose it to moisture, you haven't any anyone to blame but yourself if the can get screwed in a while. Despite the fact that you will possibly not be ignorant enough to go away your valued antique furniture in view, even ensure that's stays inside if you maintain it inside the wrong type of room, could allow it to relaxation as badly uncovered for the 'elements' exactly like you had left it outdoors. What numerous this furniture won't take well is simply moisture – it doesn't matter whether that's moisture by way of precipitation, or maybe that moisture be by way of humidity. Humidity is invisible, nevertheless it has virtually the identical effect as precipitation, with time.
Beyond defense from the atmosphere effects, the next handful of what you require a antique furniture from are bugs and undesirable unwanted pests. This involves doing no less than a couple of things. The foremost is to keep the item of furniture in place where i'm not recommending to acquire affected by these undesirable unwanted pests and bugs (a correctly lit, well oxygen rich room is a good beginning point). Second is to get better, and treat the item of furniture making it unattractive for the undesirable unwanted pests and bugs.
Adopting the next element of take proper care of antique-furniture, we'd be searching at daily proper proper care of the item of furniture. This is where we look into things like beautifying and cleaning in the furniture. Jetski from things like dust from accumulating round the furniture. The develop of dust around the piece of furniture can greatly lower the necessity for your piece of furniture. How often you and also polish your antique furniture could be you, but it is certainly something you must do regularly, if you are to get known as as taking proper proper proper care of the item of furniture.
The ultimate element of excellent care for antique-furnishings are necessary when handling and moving it. You need to be extra careful when handling and moving your antique furniture. If you are engaging the help of a house-moving service, you may consider handling valuable items – such as the antique-furniture in mind – by yourself, then permitting these to handle another 'ordinary' furniture items to suit your needs.


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September 29th, San Fracisco: Film Screening: "Fred Lyon – Living Through the Lens"
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Film Screening, Fred Lyon – Living Through the Lens
Sunday, September 29, 2013 at 2:00 pm
Tickets: Regular $10 | YBCA Member, Student, Senior, Teacher $8 | YBCA You FREE
"This world premiere is an intimate exposé of San Francisco photographer Fred Lyon, who is still going strong after seven decades behind the camera. Though Lyon is one of America's leading advertising, interior design, architectural, food, wine, and travel photographers, he is best known locally for his mood-soaked street photography of San Francisco in the '40s and '50s. Lyon photographed the transformation of his treasured hometown into a center for optimism, prosperity, and growth after World War II, a truly extraordinary documentation of the City in black-and-white. Fred Lyon: Living Through the Lens tells the story of this prolific, innovative artist. (2013, 52 min, digital)"
Director Michael House and Fred Lyon will be present for the screening.
701 Mission Street
San Francisco, California


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It snowed late yesterday afternoon. Fortunately our cruising day was over. However both of us felt for the widebeam crew that passed by us with their heads down and shoulders turned into the wind!
This morning we pulled back onto the water point at 9am to top up the tank and whilst waiting for it to fill the CRT Boat Checker arrived with a trainee. Jan asked him to take our number and he duly obliged (more on that later). Good water pressure meant it didn't take long to fill the tank and by 9.30 we were off towards the junction. Another CRT employee was hard at work with a shovel inside one of their barges. Jan enquired about his progress digging the swimming pool? He replied that he just needed to level it off!
I then asked how long he thought it would take hilm to fill it with water. Quick as a shot he told us he didn't have to as nature would being doing it in the afternoon!
The CRT Boat Checker was at Norton Junction so we again asked for our number to be taken and he again obliged with a small grin.
At Welton Wharf we could hear and then see a working boat approaching. It then became apparent it had a butty on tow so we pulled over and let them pass.
On approaching Braunston Tunnel portal we could see the reflection of an oncoming boat headlamp from inside the tunnel so we careful eased into the tunnel knowing it would take several minutes for our eyes to adjust to the dark. The oncoming boat was a Black Prince hire boat and we (of course) met it at the "bendy bit". After that the tunnel was empty of boats so we engaged the hyper-drive and made the jump to light speed.
CRT were working on the towpath at the other end of the tunnel. This is a very damp cutting and the surface water turned the path into a quagmire several years ago. The crew were compacting metal from the barge to produce a dry and smooth surface. I just hope they were also laying drainage pipes or I suspect their efforts will be wasted.
We shared the first four locks on the Braunston Flight with a couple from Leeds who informed us they had visited NZ twice. It always seems like a long way to go for a holiday and I wonder why people do it. But then we've done it in reverse for similar reasons!
The CRT Boat Checker and trainee appeared as we were mooring up and we cheekily asked if he would record our position. He laughed and told us "No!" I guess that means were now good for 27 days!
To finish the day we had more snow.