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Family Spotlight 9/8/11 "Talking To Kids About 9/11"
Published September 9th, 2011
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It was a day that traumatized a nation, a catastrophe encapsulated in two numbers: nine - eleven.
On September 11th, 2001, parents struggled to explain to their children what they were watching on TV.
As the ten year anniversary approaches, parents may struggle to explain to their children what it all meant.
In the Family Spotlight, Elizabeth Dizney, Psy.D., an Assistant Professor in the UF Department of Psychiatry, offers suggestions to TV 20's David Snyder about how to talk to children about a national tragedy.
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This article can also be found in the Premium Editorial Download "Storage magazine: Salary survey reveals storage skills are in demand."
Download it now to read this article plus other related content.
The time has come for enterprise tape encryption
Point solutions for encryption might work now, but can they scale to meet future needs?
Backup vendors supported encryption in their products for years, but few customers ever bothered with this type of protection in the past. Why? IT managers always assumed that tape-based data was relatively safe: Tapes were used by IT professionals and tape devices sat behind vulnerable IP networks. Encryption was also eschewed because it could lead to slower performance, additional IT operational chores and higher capital costs.
But times have changed. Interest in tape encryption is growing rapidly due to the following:
Increasing privacy regulations. Tape-based private data has long been subjected to well-established global privacy laws like the Japanese Bill to Protect Personal Data (2001) and the EU Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications (2002). In 2005, 13 disparate bills were introduced in the U.S. Congress; and at the beginning of 2006, 23 states had privacy regulations in place.
Publicly disclosed data breaches. Regulations like the California Database Breach Act mandate that any data breach involving the private data of a California citizen must be publicly disclosed. Between February 2005 and August 2006 there were a total of 17 publicly disclosed data breaches as a result of lost/stolen backup tapes, which led
New technology options. Cryptoprocessor technology has greatly improved and now offers high performance and lower prices. This has led to a slew of new hardware-based crypto-acceleration and encryption appliances.
This was first published in November 2006

subset: commoncrawl


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A collection of news and information related to Ask Amy published by this site and its partners.
Top Ask Amy Articles
Displaying items 12-15
SNRS: Amy DickinsonStory | May 4, 2009 | 1:51 PMNEW! Bob & Marianne chat with Chicago Tribune advice columnist Amy Dickinson. (recorded 2/24/09) (16:25)
Ask Amy: Valentine's Day adviceStory | Feb 11, 2009Dear Readers: Valentine's Day is not always about hearts and flowers. For many of us, this special day is just one more reminder that when it comes to romance, we don't always get our hearts' desire. Every year I send my friends and family cards for...
Read stories from Love Week
Life 101Story | Oct 28, 2009 | 2:09 PMYou walk into your bathroom, and the toilet paper roller is empty. On the back of the toilet sits a new roll, put there by a previous visitor who apparently never mastered the task of replacing a roll of toilet paper.Reloading the dispenser is just one...


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Children's Cookery at the Community Farm, Chew Magna – Summer 2014
We've got some great children's cookery and harvesting activities lined up for the school summer holidays this year. Continue reading
Introduction to the Honeybee at St Werburghs City Farm – 16th August 10am – 4pm
Lawrence Weston Community Farm – Free family events over the summer hols
Avon Wildlife Trusts – events in August
The Green Register of Construction Professionals – Events in September and October
Vacancies at Low Carbon South West
Two exciting new vacancies at Low Carbon South West in their central Bristol office. They are looking for exceptional individuals to join their team as they continue to support the growth of the low carbon sector in the region. Continue reading
Volunteer Event Fundraising Assistant role with Temwa
'Systems Thinking for Effective Action' – Schumacher Institute course, next start date September 29th
Are you looking for a different way of being in the world – one which sustains our planet?
How would it be if you were able to act more effectively in the world, growing in confidence with the support of fellow learners?
Would you like to know more about Systems Thinking and how to test systems ideas in action? Continue reading


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Service-Learning Team Managers
The Service-Learning Team Manager program is the newest student leadership development in the Service-Learning Program at NU. Piloting in spring 2014, five Service-Learning Team Managers (S-LTMs) will assist program staff by managing a small cohort of Service-Learning Teaching Assistants as the growth of Service-Learning at Northeastern continues.
Please join us in congratulating the spring 2014 S-LTMs: Kathleen Collins, Deb Pacella, Nicole Pantano, Sydney Palinkas, and Barak Soreff!
- Must be a returning S-LTA
- Must be an S-LTA concurrent to this position
In addition to being an S-LTA, S-LTMs will take on the following responsibilities:
- Complete training module (typically 2-6 weeks before start of the semester)
- Specialized training and support from S-L Staff throughout the semester
- Attend and participate in bi-weekly meeting with entire S-L Staff
- Monthly one-on-one check-in with assigned member of S-L Staff
- Manage a cohort of S-LTAs (up to 8)
- Facilitate weekly meeting with their group of S-LTAs (during off-weeks of full group meeting)
- Address issues that arise for S-LTAs with their students/partners
- Act as a liaison between their group of S-LTAs and S-L Staff
View a detailed job description here.


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The Dagger
Toughest jobs in sports: NCAA enforcement staff memberJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger1 day ago
This is the seventh of eight entries in a Yahoo Sports series on the toughest jobs in sports. Click here to check out previous stories and a schedule for what's to come.
In his three previous jobs, Derrick Crawford ferreted out government corruption as a special agent with the FBI, targeted white-collar criminals as a state prosecutor in Alabama and protected the NFL from lawsuits as general counsel for the league.
He insists those positions were easy compared to his current one.
Crawford rejoined the NCAA's enforcement division about 18 months ago as a managing director responsible for overseeing investigations. He is one of the highest-ranking members of an almost 60-person department under immense pressure to crack down on cheating in college athletics yet handicapped by low morale, charges of impropriety and insufficient investigative authority.
SMU's tough July continues as sweet-shooting Matt McQuaid decommitsJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger7 days ago
Not even one week after elite point guard Emmanuel Mudiay opted to turn pro instead of enrolling at SMU, another promising recruit has parted ways with the Mustangs without ever playing in a game.
Matt McQuaid, one of the class of 2015's best shooters, has backed out of his May commitment to SMU and reopened his recruitment, Evan Daniels of Scout.com first reported. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Duncanville, Texas is rated Rivals.com's No. 87 recruit and holds offers from Creighton, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas and Baylor, among others.
If the departure of Mudiay was a blow to SMU's chances of ascending to college basketball's upper echelon this season, the loss of McQuaid could hurt the Mustangs just as much in the longterm. Recruiting analysts have raved about McQuaid's catch-and-shoot prowess this spring and summer and have noted that he is making progress adding a dribble-drive dimension to his repertoire.
Syracuse fan gets Jim Boeheim's face tattooed on his legJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger11 days ago
It apparently wasn't enough for one Syracuse fan to merely buy tickets or merchandise to show his support for the Orange.
He wanted something a bit more permanent.
Rich Miner, a 28-year-old Syracuse native and lifelong Orange basketball fan, got a detailed black-and-white portrait of coach Jim Boeheim tattooed on his left calf Wednesday. The portrait of Boeheim is the work of Kyle Proia, a tattoo artist based in Baldwinsville, N.Y.
"I've always been a diehard Syracuse basketball fan for as long as I can remember. I've had season tickets for years, but recently I decided I really wanted to do something special," Miner said. I'm absolutely blown away with the result. I've never seen a tattoo look that photo-realistic with that much detail. I showed a couple of co-workers last night, and they said, 'It just looks like they put a sticker on you.'"
Josh Pastner's new assistant is the father of four top prospectsJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger12 days ago
When Memphis coach Josh Pastner announced the hiring of a new assistant on Wednesday afternoon, he explained his choice by praising Keelon Lawson as a "great fit" for the job.
Of course, absent from the press release was why Lawson is such a "great fit."
Yes, Lawson is a former player at UAB and LeMoyne-Owen. Yes, he coached Hamilton High to a trio of Tennessee state playoff appearances in the past decade and to the 2006 state title. But the biggest reason Lawson is an appealing candidate for Memphis is because he is the father of four promising basketball prospects.
K.J. Lawson, a 6-foot-6 wing who has already committed to Memphis, is RIvals.com's No. 57 prospect in the class of 2015. Dedric Lawson, an uncommitted 6-foot-8 forward, is Rivals.com's No. 8 prospect in the class of 2016. And Chandler Lawson (Class of 2019) and Jonathan Lawson (2021) are both considered exceptional prospects for their age groups.
Iowa's Peter Jok suspended after second moped-related arrestJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger12 days ago
Here's a little tip for Iowa forward Peter Jok: Give your moped to a friend. Sell it. Leave it on the curb with the key in the ignition until a thief comes along and swipes it.
As long as that moped remains in Jok's possession, he remains in jeopardy of becoming the first college basketball player ever to jeopardize his career because of his love for a low-powered motorbike.
Iowa suspended Jok indefinitely on Tuesday evening after his second moped-related arrest this offseason. Less than three months after getting pulled over on his moped with a blood-alcohol level of .087 and charged with an OWI, Jok was arrested again Monday for driving his moped with a suspended license.
Worse yet, Jok also reportedly hadn't bothered to replace the missing safety flag or improper lights on his moped that police dinged him for in April either.
Said Iowa athletic director Gary Barta in a statement, "I'm very disappointed to learn about this, especially in light of the fact that Peter had a previous incident earlier this summer."
Skipping college likely won't make Emmanuel Mudiay a trend setterJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger13 days ago
Since the nation's top point guard prospect revealed Monday that he was backing out of his letter of intent to go to SMU and heading overseas to play professionally, there has been a fair amount of discussion over whether Emmanuel Mudiay could become a trend setter.
The only way that has any chance of happening is if the McDonald's All-American fares far better than those who have previously attempted such a move.
The first player to bypass college to play professionally in Europe was Brandon Jennings, the top-rated point guard in the class of 2008. Rather than continue to struggle to achieve a qualifying SAT score to enroll at Arizona and risk having to sit out the entire the 2008-09 season, the Southern California native opted to sign a multimillion-dollar contract with Virtus Roma of the Italian League.
Bill Self also was among the college coaches pursued by the CavsJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger13 days ago
Turns out John Calipari, Tom Izzo and Billy Donovan weren't the only high-profile college coaches to have conversations with the Cleveland Cavaliers this past spring.
Kansas coach Bill Self also had a chance to coach the franchise that eventually landed LeBron James last week.
Self revealed to the Kansas City Star on Monday that the Cavaliers contacted him about their vacancy, but he would not go into specifics about how serious the discussions were or whether he was ever offered the job. On June 20, Cleveland ultimately hired David Blatt, a highly successful European coach in Israel and Russia.
"I talked to the Cavs' people a lot throughout their evaluation process and the draft, but I'll just leave it at that," Self told the Star. "That wasn't anything I wanted to become public certainly, and they didn't either."
Emmanuel Mudiay's decision to turn pro is a huge blow to SMUJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger14 days ago
When the selection committee left SMU out of the field of 68 last March, the Mustangs dulled the pain of settling for NIT bid by dreaming of the possibility of a deep NCAA tournament run next season.
Suddenly that goal no longer seems as realistic.
Emmanuel Mudiay, the top-rated point guard prospect in the class of 2014, will play professionally overseas next season rather than enroll at SMU, the school announced Monday. Yahoo Sports was the first to report earlier Monday that Mudiay was considering bypassing college altogether due to eligibility concerns.
In a statement to SI.com, Mudiay insisted his decision had nothing to do with academic or amateurism issues despite little evidence supporting that claim.
Arizona's recruiting dominance continues with addition of elite wingJeff Eisenberg at The Dagger14 days ago
Arizona's impressive run of recruiting success out West continued Sunday night with a commitment from yet another five-star prospect.
Small forward Ray Smith, Rivals.com's No. 10 prospect in the class of 2015, announced via Twitter that he will attend Arizona. The 6-foot-7 Las Vegas native had scholarship offers from Georgetown, Louisville and almost all the top programs in the West.
The addition of Smith means Arizona has now landed 10 Rivals.com five-star prospects since the 2011 recruiting class. That recruiting dominance is the biggest reason why Arizona has been to three Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights under Miller and why it feels like only a matter of time before the Wildcats break through with a Final Four bid.
Would John Calipari have turned down the Cavs if he knew LeBron was coming?Jeff Eisenberg at The Dagger17 days ago
When the Cleveland Cavaliers reached out to John Calipari, Tom Izzo and Billy Donovan about their head coaching vacancy this past spring, all three eventually decided the opportunity wasn't enticing enough for them to leave the stability of their college gigs behind.
It's fair to wonder if that trio would each still make the same decision today.
LeBron James' announcement that he is returning to Cleveland instantly makes the Cavs one of the favorites to win the NBA title next year and for the duration of his contract. That makes the role of Cleveland head coach a heck of a lot more appealing now than it was two months ago even if the position now comes with a lot more pressure to win a championship in the first year or two.


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A cursory glimpse at the MacBook Pro reveals that Apple hasn't changed the machine too much from its older brother—that is, until you turn it on. Apple's first 15.4-inch widescreen (1440 x 900 pixels) is remarkably sharp and bright, and when placed next to an old PowerBook, we knew that it would be tough to go back.
The included remote, which looks like an iPod Shuffle, initializes Front Row, which resembles a smoother version of Windows Media Center. This app gives users quick and easy access to iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, and iMovie. Another multimedia perk is the 640 x 480-pixel iSight camera located directly above the screen, which looks like a small black dot. This webcam offers good images and makes for smooth videoconferencing with iChat AV.
We like that Apple kept the ambient light-sensing technology, which illuminates the keys and dims the screen in a darkened environment, and the scrolling TrackPad, which allows clickless document scrolling. Apple's SuperDrive comes standard, allowing for out-of-the box DVD burning, as does the six-pin FireWire, Bluetooth 2.0, and USB 2.0 ports on either side of the notebook. Like a small handful of PC makers, Apple has ditched the PC Card slot in favor of the smaller but faster Express Card slot. This means users will have to wait for companies to catch up before they can plug in 3G cellular modems and other peripherals.
The 2.16-GHz Intel Core-Duo and 2GB of RAM make multitasking a breeze, especially with native software, or what Apple calls Universal software. (Universal versions of Final Cut Studio 1.0, Aperture, and Logic Pro 7.1 will be available by March 31.) We created a simple Web site with iWeb while burning an audio CD in iTunes, and we didn't experience a single hiccup. Battery life was respectable, at 2 hours and 33 minutes, while playing a DVD with Wi-Fi off. That means you should expect about 3.5 hours of endurance in everyday use.
Thanks to ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics and up to 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory, gaming is finally a very real possibility for Mac users. We played World of Warcraft, and the MacBook Pro easily outperformed other Apple portables. When we optimized the graphic settings to the highest level, gameplay suffered, becoming somewhat choppy. Hopefully, developers will make more titles available for the Mac OS.
The catch to buying the MacBook Pro is that some Mac OS programs haven't been optimized to take advantage of Intel's processor. In fact, some apps actually ran slower on this system than on an older PowerBook with 1GB less memory. We performed the same Photoshop filter side-by-side, and the test took 5 minutes and 16 seconds on the MacBook Pro compared with 4 minutes and 27 seconds on the PowerBook. This 49-second delta can be chalked up to the fact that the MacBook Pro requires Rosetta translation technology (which runs automatically and undetected when you start up non-native software) in order to run nonoptimized programs. Microsoft Office is another program that cannot yet run natively on the MacBook Pro.
If you want to experience these and other apps now at full speed, Apple is offering Boot Camp, a free download that runs Windows XP natively on the MacBook Pro. You'll need to reboot your system when you want to switch operating systems, and Apple does not support Windows or Boot Camp, but simply having this sort of flexibility is a win for potential switchers. Still, some may want to wait for Leopard, the next version of Mac OS X to be previewed this August, which will include Boot Camp. By then we're assuming Apple will have worked out most of the kinks.
One seemingly minor but nonetheless brilliant innovation is the MacBook Pro's MagSafe power adapter, which automatically disconnects from the notebook's side if strain is applied to the cord. This means that should you trip over the wire, it will separate from the computer instead of bringing the notebook to the floor. If the notebook senses it's falling, Apple's Sudden Motion Sensor (a 3D accelerometer) parks the hard drive.
The MacBook Pro has all the pieces in place to become the best laptop Apple has ever produced. Until the Mac software catches up, however, you may be stuck with a potentially shaky Windows alternative.
Tags: Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch), notebooks, Apple, reviews, laptops


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Lexus GS 450h Audio/Entertainment Questions
gelam007 Posts: 7Someone was asking about satellite radio. I went to the daeler yesterday to see about it. I was told that only XM was available for the model at thgis time. They mount the atenna inside the back windshield neat the stop light mount. The antenna is also much smaller now. About the size of a silver dollar.
anilpunjabi Posts: 61I have a 2001 lexus gs430 and a 2007 gs450h, i recently installed the Vais piece in my 2001 gs. The sound quality is 10x better than the tape. The tape adpater is such a disgrace to music. I want to put the vais in my moms 2007 gs however no Lexus Dealer around the Philadelphia Area will install it. I do not want to lose my warranty on this car, so I will try calling up other dealers for it. My mom saw it in my gs(which i got installed at circuit city for 80 bux), and is now very adamant about getting it installed on hers. I have the ipod connector in the glovebox and the aux wire coming out under the cig lighter, so i can place my mp3 player in the cupholder. Only thing that bugs me is my mp3 player is 2 yrs old and takes time to startup, and I dont want to change players. Its a 40 gig player and holds about 6000 songs. Try beating that. I actually tested the stereo seperation on this one song that starts off playing on the left then on the right and then together. It was amazing. I own a pair of Shure E2c's which are high end earbuds and it sounds similar to that but with more bass. Kudos to Vais.
I just posted in the audio/upgrades area that I was sold Sirius when I bought the car in May, and was told it would be available in the summer. Latest word is Lexus is having quality problems with the vendor of the receiver, and now won't have the product available until sometime in September. It's apparently still coming, but maybe they're not selling it to anyone new at the time.
2007 BLK /BLK - Mark Lev. Sound. full voice nav.. well..let me rephase that.. voice nav... HAH! I have seen it posted where you should not base a decision on a $200 iPOd well I will tell you that I EXPECT and Nav and Sound System you can USE while driving in a $65K car
It has a Useless Voice input, poor help (no list of what to say on screen, manual does not even list everything?? I have seen it displayed but not listed..beleive me I have looked, lock out of features on most items, song list of CD's (Only can play MP3 CD's (255 song limit) NO DVD MP3 even though it is a DVD changer.) Radio list remains at speed (why is this so different than a CD list I have no idea.)
If there was a feature that is not worth the money it is glass dash with Nav. You can buy a NUVI for $400 that you can use when you need it. My Sister has a 2007 Acura MDX and they have it right when it comes to the Glass Dash. You can use the features as expected. Lexus (Toyota) has take conservative to a new level. I am VERY dissapointed with the usablity of the cabin features. I hope there is a software update coming soon or I will be an unhappy customer in the long run. I hope they take some lesson from Acura on this.
As long as you just want to drive the car and know where you are going and know what you want to listen to on the 300W $2000 sound system before you start driving then this car is perfect for you. Until that software update arrives. The cabin usablity now matches the trunk.. short changed...
LC - Boca Raton
dulnev Posts: 652I agree with you for the most part. "Upgrading" from 2004 Acura TL to 2007 GS 450h feels like serious donwgrading in the area of Navigation system, voice recognition and Bluetooth connectivity.
1. Can't use navigation touch screen while driving.
2. Navigation interface is unnecessarily complex and busy.
3. Voice recognition accuracy is terrible.
4. Voice recognition interface (the sequence of commands and the amount of time you have to wait between the commands) is ludicrous! It takes me four-five times as long to dial a number by voice as it did in the TL. And the number recognition rate dropped from 99% to about 40%.
5. Telephone touch-screen interface is disabled while driving.
I am very disappointed!
I also concur with these comments. I gave up on the voice recognition on the 2nd day of owning the car. Did it ever occur to Lexus that my wife might want to punch in an address on the nav system while I'm driving? Now we have to try to do it quickly before a red light changes (how many people are going to pull to the side of the road to enter an address?). When I posted about this issue back in the spring, others told me that all of the manufacturers are configuring their systems this way. Thank the trial lawyers and ridiculous liability suits.
Interesting about the Acura praise coming out. I own a 2002 MDX and that 5 year old nav system is much better than the GS version (except for the fact that the search by name doesn't adhere to the chosen state). The GS450h is supposed to have a new generation system, but it's still hasn't caught up.
I fear I am losing my proverbial erection over this car. I went to the Chicago AutoShow yesterday and checked out the other Lexus sedans: the LS, IS , and ES all have an AUX input. I threw out my cassette tapes long ago, so that's sort of useless in the GS.
I'm guessing that the GS must be due for a dash overhaul. Maybe for '08? Anyone have any ideas about this?
Dash over haul.. they need to stop having their attorney's design these features.. The dash has everything you could want while in park.. it is driving this is the problem. Everything is different...as in gone! I hate this car everytime I drive it.. 3500 miles and they are painful. Lexus has ignored my opinion and as a LIFETIME Toyota person (hence the Celica1977 user name) they are loosing me FAST. Can't wait to get rid of this car. Hybrid is cool but it cost you a lot. Go a get a car that lets you enjoy the experience.. this is just a shame.. Can you say Acura..
I know there's a bypass for the 06's (menu->volume->top left corner, bottom left, top left bottom left -> hold down override) that allows you to enter destinations while the car is in motion.
I've read elsewhere that this does not work in the '07s. Can
Can anyone confirm this is true and if there is a different code available for the 2007s? Thanks.
(I've tried searching for this, but can't find info specific to the 2007s...)
This discussion has been closed.


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Trekking Annapurna (ANTA)
On this incredible trekking adventure, you'll spend 13 challenging days traversing forests of rhododendron, isolated hamlets, and mountain villages. For six to seven hours a day, make your way along the trails of this challenging circuit on and around one of the world's highest mountains while encountering temples, monasteries, and breathtaking landscapes. Led by expert guides and assisted by support staff throughout, you'll be greeted by locals who offer a fascinating glimpse of traditional rural life and majestic views few rarely experience.
Highlights: Witness stunning Himalayan views, experience high passes and prayer flags, stay in teahouse lodges and tiny hamlets, meet Sherpa herders along the trek, explore rhododendron forests and hot springs.
Patagonia Dreaming (SAPD)
For outdoor enthusiasts who have a bit more time to explore the region's stunning natural beauty, this comprehensive adventure takes in Chile and Argentina's Patagonia. Explore Bariloche and wind through the mountains to Chile's lake district, then head south and trek extensively through some of South America's premier hiking destinations. With ample time in Torres del Paine, you'll also encounter the Perito Moreno Glacier and trek Glacier National Park before heading to the 'end of the Earth' – Ushuaia.
Highlights: Explore the Lake District, trek the 'W Route' in Torres del Paine, marvel at Perito Moreno Glacier, reach the 'end of the Earth' in Ushuaia, feel sophisticated in Buenos Aires
- Travel Style:
- Active
- Trip Type:
- Small Group
- Service Level:
- Standard
- Physical Grading:
- 4
Trekking Annapurna (ANTA)
Patagonia Dreaming (SAPD)
|Service Level
|Starting Price
|Trekking Annapurna (ANTA)
|18 days
From $1249
|Patagonia Dreaming (SAPD)
|19 days
From $4377


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Catherine Virginia Powell, age 3, died Sunday, June 16, 2013 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington.
The family will receive friends 6-8 pm Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at Hayes Barton Baptist Church, 1800 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608. A memorial service will be held 2 pm Thursday, June 20, 2013 at the church. A private entombment will be held at Historic Oakwood Cemetery.
Condolences may be sent to www.BrownWynne.com


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NEW ALBANY — The husband and father of a woman and two kids found dead in a creek in Binford Park last week is speaking about his loss.
Michael Clutter, who lived with his family at an apartment complex about a mile from the park, told newsgathering partner WLKY-TV that he and his family had only visited the park once, shortly after moving to New Albany from Washington state in December.
"My wife loved her kids very much and she loved me," Clutter told WLKY. "We just had the best life together."
Police say 10-year-old Brandon Clutter and 6-month-old daughter Katelyn Clutter drowned in the creek. The cause of death has not been released for 35-year-old Jamie Clutter, pending toxicology reports.
"Sometimes I'm really emotional and all I can do is cry," said Michael Clutter. "I wish somehow I would've stayed home that day to try and prevent this," said Clutter.
Clutter told WLKY he left for work about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday after his son had crawled into his bed. He gave the boy a hug and told him he loved him.
"And then my wife followed me to the door so she could lock the door, and then I gave her a hug and kissed her and told her I loved her and then she told me she loved me," said Clutter. "There was nothing that was out of the ordinary at all."
Clutter said when he returned home, the apartment was empty, which he said was not normal.
"It was unusual for them to not be home. I knew something was wrong," said Clutter.
He called his wife's friends then drove to the police station, WLKY-TV reported. He stopped to talk to police at Binford Park and learned they had found a woman and two kids dead.
"And then whenever they showed me the pictures, I'm sure that quite a long distance away they heard me scream," said Clutter.
Clutter said he doesn't "have a clue" why his family was killed.
"My wife was just a very sweet person and she was the best mother to the kids that anyone could ever have," Clutter said in an Associated Press report. "I wish somehow I could have them back. I would give anything to have them back."
The Clutters' pastor says he doesn't believe faith played a role in their deaths.
Pastor J. Todd Nichols of Greater Faith Church in New Albany said in an AP report that the loss of the mother and children has been tough for the church.
The nude bodies of the Clutters were found Wednesday in a shallow New Albany creek. Police say they found a baby harness and a Bible nearby.
Nichols said Jaime Clutter was a deeply spiritual person but that he and her husband, Michael Clutter, don't think faith played a role in her death.
"Obviously the situation is very grave and painful for our church," he said. "We have no idea how things turned out the way they did or why they did, and we just ask the community to pray with us to find the truth."


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Oktoberfest - Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 85 | Reviews: 33 | Display Reviews Only:
Reviews by jesseejames:
3.73/5 rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This is a nice beer for its class. It has a nice nose and a wonderful malty taste. It seems to lack a head but perhaps that was because it was poured in a hurry into the glass. I was served this beer and did not pour it myself. I liked the wonderful fruity aroma of this beer and will drink more of it when it is available.
Serving type: bottle
05-27-2013 19:44:28 | More by jesseejames
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New Jersey
3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
07-23-2014 21:49:19 | More by Ronan201
3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
07-13-2014 02:31:28 | More by SJbigtuna
Alberta (Canada)
3.25/5 rDev -3.3%
05-23-2014 01:38:05 | More by Shadman
3.25/5 rDev -3.3%
01-18-2014 21:06:46 | More by SoCaliC8
2.5/5 rDev -25.6%
01-01-2014 17:34:26 | More by Metz
2.96/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Poured into a perfect pint at 42 degrees.
Appearance: A two finger head that is frothy and creamy. The head is off white and left a little lacing on the glass. The head has really good retention. The color of the beer is medium dark copper color with amber hues. The clarity of the beer is close to opaque; however, some carbonation bubble are visible.
Nose: A rich roasted malt and toasted malt aromas with some yeast. The hops is a bit fruity with some citrus notes.
Taste: Medium roasted malt with toasted flavors. Some bread and yeast notes. The hops is fruity and has some citrus and floral notes.
Mouth feel of the beer is carbonated, slightly astringent, and creamy.
Overall: The beer is a descent example of Oktoberfest. I would have like to seen a deeper malt character. The hops in the beer is a tad too strong for a rich creamy and smooth finish.
Serving type: bottle
12-23-2013 02:55:44 | More by colts9016
3/5 rDev -10.7%
12-13-2013 05:49:24 | More by humulusphile
New Jersey
3.25/5 rDev -3.3%
11-24-2013 22:52:57 | More by Chugs13
Quebec (Canada)
3.39/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a 12oz bottle, Enjoy By 121213.
Copper-amber body with pillowing foam, average retention. Very malty aroma mixed with autumn spices, nutmeg among others. Flavor is a bit too spiced with an astringent bitterness in the finish. Bit heavy handed, would have enjoyed it more if it were more nuanced.
Serving type: bottle
11-10-2013 16:13:52 | More by papat444
3.75/5 rDev +11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle, poured into a pint glass
Appearance: Pours a beautiful, cloudy, golden/amber/brown color with orange highlights, and a quarter of a finger of off-white head, speckled with more orange highlights, that quickly dissolved into a thin halo of foam that gripped the sides of the glass.
Aroma: Very malty and bready, with notes of caramel, toffee and floral notes of clover and parsley.
Taste: Very malty and bready up front, like fresh pretzels, followed by some caramel-like sweetness, finished by some beautifully balanced hoppy bitterness. There's a long finish to this beer too. Very, very good.
Mouthfeel: Medium, with some good carbonation to tickle the taste buds. With an ABV of 6.7%, there is just the slightest hint of alcohol on the palate.
Overall: I have to admit that Pyramid is one of my least favorite breweries, as they're beers tend to be too hoppy for my taste. That being said, their Oktoberfest beer is really good. It's beautifully balanced between the malty and the hoppy. Very, very tasty!
Serving type: bottle
10-30-2013 01:01:24 | More by Jeffreysan
Rhode Island
3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.
A: The beer is a light coppery brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.
S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, lager yeast, some hops and some fruit.
T: The taste starts out with bready flavors from a hearty malt character and lager yeast. Then there are some sweet flavors caramel, some spice and some fruit that come in. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly bready.
M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.
O: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, it's a solid beer but there are better options in the style.
Serving type: bottle
10-28-2013 00:09:00 | More by TheManiacalOne
New York
2.5/5 rDev -25.6%
10-27-2013 04:37:34 | More by typee1
3/5 rDev -10.7%
10-23-2013 06:33:04 | More by ygtbsm94
2.75/5 rDev -18.2%
10-21-2013 01:28:35 | More by tjcamm
3/5 rDev -10.7%
10-20-2013 21:46:06 | More by NYR_Rob
3.1/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Nice Autumn, clear, lager appearance with a finger-width tan head
Slight roasted malt smell with grassy notes
I feel that the sweetness was hacked by the bitterness of the hops at the end. It was balanced and the alcohol taste was covered nicely.
The mouthfeel was what would be expected of a lager. It was full in front and crisp at the end.
Overall, it was okay, but I didn't get the typical Oktoberfest/Marzen that I wanted.
Serving type: bottle
10-17-2013 04:22:15 | More by Slippinghalo
3/5 rDev -10.7%
10-17-2013 04:13:08 | More by Docrock
New York
3.75/5 rDev +11.6%
10-16-2013 18:36:00 | More by timbobandit
New York
3.53/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On draft at The Lark, East Northport, NY.
Poured a deep copper hue with a two finger frothy white head. There was good retention and lacing.
The smell featured earthy caramel and a slight grassy hop.
The taste was dominated by roasted malts, a touch of burnt sugar and a touch of grass.
The mouthfeel was toward the fuller side of the style.
Overall a tasty brawny malt bomb.
Serving type: on-tap
10-14-2013 20:28:25 | More by plaid75
3.3/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is an amber-brown brew with a full and off-white head. Mostly clear...maybe just slightly hazy. The smell is grainy...wet hay and some hops. A bit of alcohol and malt in the smell as well. The taste is malty and sweet in front, with a full hop presence in the mid-taste. It is well balanced, and aggressively hopped for an Oktoberfest. Full in body, with a lingering sweetness and bitter hop flavor. All in all, I though it was respectably good, but not outstanding.
Serving type: bottle
10-12-2013 22:36:53 | More by Suds
3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
10-07-2013 18:43:58 | More by GraduatedCashew
3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
10-07-2013 01:27:13 | More by Zach122
2.75/5 rDev -18.2%
10-06-2013 02:46:55 | More by NOLTERN
3/5 rDev -10.7%
10-03-2013 09:12:56 | More by Veebz
Oktoberfest from Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
78 out of 100 based on 85 ratings.


text:
By KEVIN HARRIS
Before Friday night's rivalry game at Johnson Arena, the New Albany students chanted that the Jeffersonville Red Devils, who were 13th in this week's Associated Press Class 4A poll, were over-rated.
But once the contest started, Jeff proved them wrong.
The Red Devils showed they deserve a spot in at least the top 10 with a convincing 70-46 victory over the hated Bulldogs. It was Jeff's second consecutive triumph over its archrival. New Albany now leads the all-time series, 76-75. With the win, the Red Devils (9-2, 3-0 Hoosier Hills Conference) moved into a first-place tie with Columbus East in the HHC standings.
"We started off good," Red Devil coach Chad Gilbert said. "The way our stuff is set up, it is set up to get us in scoring position."
Three Red Devils scored in double figures, led by senior guard Darryl Baker with 26 points. Baker shot 12-of-19 from the field and 2-of-5 from 3-point range.
"We just tried to get him off early and New Albany was ready for it," Gilbert said. "But he stayed within himself. Darryl is not only a great basketball player, but he's a mature young man. It's a pleasure to coach him and the rest of the guys on the team."
It was a big night for Jeff's Myles Harvey, who poured in a career-high 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Teammate Keenan Williams had 11 points, and Red Devil junior guard Drew Ellis chipped in eight.
Gilbert likes the balanced scoring he has been getting from his starting lineup, which includes Baker, Ellis, Williams, Harvey and guard Jacquari Chandler.
"Myles can score, Darryl can score, Drew can score and Keenan can score. And then in the championship at [Bob Wettig Tournament] in Richmond [last Saturday], Jacquari showed he can score. Jacquari scored 13 there," Gilbert said. "When you have five guys who can score, that makes you really effective."
The Red Devils tallied the final eight points of the first quarter to lead by double digits at 20-9.
But New Albany (4-5, 2-2) slowed down Jeff in the second stanza by switching to a 2-3 zone defense. The Red Devils managed just nine points in the period as they led 29-21 at halftime.
"When we went to zone in the second quarter, we thought we had a chance because they weren't scoring against it," New Albany coach Jim Shannon said. "But we weren't scoring on the other end the whole game. They did a job defensively taking us out of what we wanted to do."
In the second half, it was all Jeff. The Red Devils outscored the Bulldogs in the final 16 minutes, 41-25.
In the third quarter alone, Jeff tallied 21 points to New Albany's seven to go up 50-28 at the end of the stanza. The Red Devils shot 20-of-30 from the floor in the second half.
"Boy, in that third quarter — halfway through it — it got ugly. We just couldn't stop the bleeding, and they played really well," Shannon said. "We got killed on the boards. They got every loose ball tonight. We got beat in every category. I can't think of one category that we played better than them."
Point guard Jermaine Parrish was the only New Albany to score in double figures. The senior had a season-high and game-high 28 points, shooting 8-of-21 from the field and 6-of-12 from 3-point range. Parrish also was 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.
New Albany registered a season-low point total. The Bulldogs suffered their worst setback to Jeff since they lost 86-55 in the 1992 Seymour Regional.
"I thought we would play them closer than that. I thought it would be a game," Shannon said. "At times, we weren't sure what we were trying to do. There was a lot of standing around and watching the ball. We would throw it in the post and drop it."
Both teams will have HHC home games next Friday. Jeff will take on Floyd Central, while New Albany will host Madison.
New Albany 9 12 7 18—46
Jeff 20 9 21 20—70
New Albany (4-5, 2-2 HHC): Jermaine Parrish 28, Jeff Byrne 5, Anthony Edwards 5, Garrett Arnold 2, Conner Henes 2, Leondre McBirth 2, Javen Reeves 2, Dustin Cochran 0, Louis Donastorg 0, Chad Hudson 0, Zach Landrum 0, Josh Rogers 0.
Jeff (9-2, 3-0): Darryl Baker 26, Myles Harvey 19, Keenan Williams 11, Drew Ellis 8, Kortrell White 4, Jacquari Chandler 2, Troy Avery 0, Chandler Dale 0, JC Kinnaird 0, Leonard Kwitonda 0, Devin Shackelford 0.
3-point field goals: New Albany 7 (Parrish 6, Byrne); Jeff 6 (Baker 2, Ellis 2, Harvey, Williams).
Rebounds: New Albany 23 (Reeves, Arnold 4); Jeff 34 (Williams 9).
Turnovers: New Albany 14, Jeff 15.
Total fouls: New Albany 8, Jeff 12.
Fouled out: none.
Junior varsity: Jeff 27, New Albany 26, OT.


text:
This week's show is all about moms—and we have the good, the bad and the ugly. First up, we'll hear about a book of portraits on the life of the American mother and later we have an audio essay on the complicated mother/daughter relationship.
Still thinking of what to do this Sunday for Mother's Day? How about interviewing your mom? That's a suggestion from veteran public radio producer and StoryCorps founder Dave Isay. Since 2003, the organization has collected over 40,000 interviews, some of which you may have heard on NPR's Morning Edition. Some of those interviews have also been compiled into the book Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps. Now in paperback, it consists of interviews with and about–you guessed it–moms. KBIA's Rehman Tungekar spoke with Dave Isay, and he started out by talking about what the book teaches us about mothers.


text:
Susan Munroe is a Canadian public affairs and communications professional.
Susan has worked in public affairs and communications in Canada for more than 30 years. During her career she has worked with federal and provincial governments, a multinational oil company, a national association, and a software development firm.
Susan has a BA in Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada's capital city.
By Susan Munroe:
The focus of Canada Online is Canadian government, how it's organized and what it can do for you in your day-to-day life. You'll also find information on many of the other subjects that contribute to the Canadian identity, including Canadian history, music, art and science.


text:
---- —
'The Good Doctor' at Depot theater
Performances of Old Town Playhouse's "The Good Doctor" at The Studio Theatre at the Depot are today and Saturday, Dec. 7 and 8, at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. Call 947-2210 or visit www.oldtownplayhouse.com.
Fox for Tots
The Fox for Tots annual toy drive will be topped off with a party at Fox Grand Traverse on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 1 to 4 p.m. There'll be free games, events and hot dogs, along with visits from Santa and Great Wolf Lodge's Wiley the Wolf. Those attending are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy. Anyone donating will receive two free water park passes from Great Wolf Lodge. Call 944-1500.
Home for Holidays
Traverse Symphony Orchestra presents its "Home for the Holidays" concert Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m. Call 947-7120.
Cookies and books
The Friends of the Darcy Library in Beulah present a Christmas Cookie and Book Sale in the Beulah Trailhead Building today and Saturday, Dec. 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 882-4037.
Neighbors help
Gallery 22 in Suttons Bay holds a reception today from 5 to 7 p.m. as part of a weekend-long benefit for Leelanau Christian Neighbors.
Benefit concert
Meltdown will headline a benefit concert Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Kalkaska Civic Center. Tickets are $10 with donation of a new unwrapped toy, nonperishable food item or gently used coat or blanket, or $15 without. Call 564-1962.
Day of Giving
The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula will host the annual "Day of Giving" on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each winery will donate 15 percent of sales to a nonprofit organization. Those include: Food Rescue of NW Michigan, Traverse Health Clinic, Cherryland Humane Society, Father Fred Foundation, Goodwill Inn, Women's Resource Center and Fishing for a Cure. Visit www.wineriesofoldmission.com.
Christmas program
The Leelanau Children's Choir presents a Christmas program today at 7:30 p.m. at Northport Community Arts Center.


text:
July 31, 2014
Christmas takes a tragic turn for several Madison area families after a crash along South Whitney Way and Hammersley Road.
21 year old Rikita Lee of Madison was killed, and two others critically injured after two cars collided around 10:15 last night.
A 19-year old man who was driving one of the cars involved is tentatively charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.
He was taken to the hospital with injuries.
The driver of the other car, who is a 26-year old man, is in critical condition.
Two others were treated and released from a local hospital.


text:
1. IF the geography of Erfworld and Earth are similar to one another...
2. THEN, by looking at style, terrain, and directional relationships between places, cities, and sides, we can make a speculative Erfworld map.
3. X coordinates correspond to W-E, with X: 0 equivalent to the Earth earth Longitude Greenwich, England. Y coordinates correspond to N-S, with Y:0 equivalent to Earth's equator.
4. According to the wiki, there are two named coordinate points in the comic up to this point:
X: -1214 Y: 455 Where Jillian croaked a Twoll and three uncroaked en route to Gobwin Knob. Erf-b1-p010
X: -1218 Y: 467 Where the Archons met Ansom's forces. This may be the same hex where Sir Webinar and Dora met Jillian after her release from Gobwin Knob. Erf-b1- p042
5. Both of these points are close to Gobwin Knob
6. CONJECTURE, Gobwin Knob is located at the Erf equivalent of La Garita Caldera, Colorado.
9. La Garita Caldera, Colorado is located at 37°45′23″N 106°56′03″W
10. Therefore, the triangle made between the three points (y,x) 455,-1213; 0,-1213; 455,0 should be pretty close to the triangle made by the three points 37°N,106°W; 37°N,0°W; 0°N, 106°W
11. The maximum degree value is 180°. A point at 37° will therefore be 20.5% of max value, a point at 106° will be at 58.8%.
12.. If we divide the Erf coordinates by these percentages, the resulting values should be close to the same. If this is so it gives us an idea of the maximum number for Erf Coordinate values, and also verifies Gobwin Knob is in the vicinity of La Garita Caldera. I Think.
13. If we do this math we find: 455/.205 = 2219.5... 1213/.588 = 2062.9 .... 2062.9 is only 92.9% of 2219.5 so either I have the exact location of Gobwin Knob a bit off, or Rob messed up, or there is some effect of spherical v. flat space, or I messed up the math, or there is something wrong with my reasoning.
14. If people use the style clues (Western Giants = SF Giants, Jitterati = Seattle?, Transylvito = Las Vegas?, Unaroyal = Kansas City?, Efbaum = Somewhere in Kansas), directionality, and terrain to clue them in on the relationships and distances to places, and assuming Rob actually has a map, it should be possible to reverse engineer a map of Erfworld as it has thusfar been described.
15. REQUEST: Mathamancer needed to verify
16. CAVEAT: This hasn't been thought out all the way (the ins outs and what have yous) but I feel that if someone else were to take it up, they should be able to take some of the ideas in here and use real math to verify the general assumptions are correct


text:
HOUSTON—Temperatures are warm and breezy Friday, said KHOU 11 News Meteorologist Mario Gomez.
"Slighty higher humidity, but it's a beautiful day today," he said.
The skies are mostly sunny with highs in the low 70s.
We could possibly see another cool night, and then the sun is going to be out all weekend as temperatures warm up.
On Saturday, the daytime temps jump a few degrees into the upper-70s, and daytime temps stay near 80 degrees for the foreseeable future.
The sun sticks around until Tuesday when our next chance for rain arrives. The clouds and chance for rain will remain in place until at least next Thursday.
Download our free HOU Weather app on your iPhone or Android featuring 12-hour forecasts, radars, conditions, coastal weather, satellite imagery and web cams. Also, look for our WeatherCaster iPad app in the App Store.


text:
Terms & Conditions.
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Don't be afraid of the dark. The forbidding, eerily opulent accents from D.L. & Co. will add an enticing edge to your interior. Packaged in a gorgeous gift box, this Mandible Skull Candle exemplifies the brand's sinister forms and exotic styling. With its unnerving grin and cavernous eye sockets, the exquisite, unscented piece finds beauty in the macabre.
Unscented. Burn time: 40 hours. Includes gift box.
This product has no reviews yet. Be the first to review this product. Write a review
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text:
August 1, 2014
LAMAR COUNTY, TX -- Authorities are investigating a plane accident in Lamar County.
Police say a small plane flipped over while trying to land at Cox Field Friday evening. Officers say pilot, 41-year-old Daniel Henry" of Honey Grove suffered minor injures.
DPS and the FAA are investigating.


text:
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NOTICE: All photos are (C) 2010 by BC Photos. They are ONLY available for purchase from the photographer Bob Cruse (608) 429-3411.
They are for the viewing pleasure of the viewers of the websites to whom they are submitted and NOT FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE.
Any racer who violates the terms or copyright laws will no longer have photos of his or her car posted on this website.
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text:
nice card
I will send it to my husband
lovely card:)
Send these beautiful flowers e-card wishing lots of love, smiles and blessings. . .
Send across a cute teddy bear to give a tight birthday hug to your dear ones.
Send your sincere birthday wishes upon butterfly wings.
Send a fun filled birthday card to make your loved one's day even more special.
Cute and funny daisies singing happy birthday.
Light up your dear ones birthday with loads of sparkling fireworks in this e-card.
Happy Birthday Greeting from Minions ... Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 ... Two...
A fun birthday ecard song.
Here is a cool ecard with a box full of surprise for your friends and family.
Happy birthday song!!
Send a sparkling birthday wish to your dear ones.
Send these beautiful flowers to your friends and family members on their birthday.
Send these dancing cracker candles and wish a fun filled birthday.
Send a birthday ecard with which wishes come true.
Cakes and candles to wish your special one a very happy birthday.
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text:
School board to talk money at Monday meeting
- Last Updated on 07:32 AM 03/25/13
- BY The Gazette-Virginian
Halifax County School Board members are expected to hold a budget work session tonight to finalize the proposed $56 million school budget as recommended by county staff when they meet at 6 p.m. in the Mary Bethune office complex in Halifax.
Board members also are expected to vote tonight during a special called meeting on whether to implement salary adjustments for some employees.
At the March 11 school board meeting, trustees voted to authorize Executive Director for Administration Valdivia Marshall and Director of Finance Jay Camp to discuss proposed salary adjustments with affected employees before bringing back their recommendations to the board for a final vote tonight.
The motion passed 4-2-1 with ED-2 trustee Karen Hopkins and ED-8 trustee Walter Potts opposing and ED-4 trustee Cheryl Terry abstaining. Chairman Kim Farson was absent from the meeting.
For the past two weeks, the pair of school officials has traveled from school to school meeting with a number of Halifax County School System employees who were informed about proposed adjustments to their salaries being made in the upcoming contract year.
Some were notified they may receive increases in pay, while others were told of impending cuts to their salaries.
Those affected employees were selected based on inconsistencies in their salaries, Superintendent Dr. Merle Herndon said last week.
"We sent an email out to everyone explaining that," she added.
The superintendent confirmed the meetings that were held between employees and Marshall and Camp were solely to discuss salary adjustments and were informational only.
The meetings began March 12 and continued through Friday.
The superintendent would not comment last week whether the slashing of salaries was to benefit the proposed school budget's bottom line.
The superintendent refused to comment on how school board members or administrators developed the method for deciding which employees' salaries would be reduced or increased.
According to Herndon, she could not make "any comment because it hadn't been voted on" and wouldn't be voted on until tonight's board meeting.
Last week Charlotte County School Superintendent Dr. Melody Hackney said Charlotte County's school system would cut employees' salaries only as "an absolute last resort.
"I'll do everything in my power not to hurt current employees," she added.
As part of tonight's meeting, trustees are expected to finalize the school budget.
Discussion is expected to include the Halifax County Board of Supervisors' Finance Committee's recommendation for the full board to contribute $600,000 above current year funding to the county school budget making the county's contribution $13,506,000.
That action is expected to be voted on at the supervisors' April 1 meeting.
Earlier staff had recommended total county funding of $13,267,529 for the schools compared to the school board's original request for $16,630,336.
The school's finance committee is expected to meet earlier today to further discuss its budget-balancing options.
Also slated for discussion tonight is health insurance premiums following a presentation by consultant Patsy Akridge of Akridge Insurance and Financial.
At the conclusion of tonight's meeting, school board members are expected to go behind closed doors to discuss personnel.


text: It was the summer of 2006, when I graduated high school and my niece was born, both great reasons for remembering that summer so clearly. But I also remember a new rapper who broke through with his smash hit Hustlin'. Perhaps you remember it? Since then, Rick Ross has molded himself into a Rap … Read More


text:
Welcome vampires! Create vampire names with the vampire name generator! Generate random names, or choose a vampire name based on your own name. Great for roleplaying games (RPGs) and online multiplayer vampire games (MMORPGs). The vampire name generator creates names for male vampires and female vampires of all ages, and can be used to create fantasy names for World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, or to make any cool vampire name. It's suitable for creating all kinds of fantasy names, cool screen names, dark, gothic or scary names, and names for villains.
The vampire name generator has been online since I created it over ten years ago, in 2002, and it's the only vampire namer that includes descriptions of your vampire's personality.
I hope you enjoy your vampire name, do check out the rest of the site and visit again soon to see even more fun fantasy name generators!
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Fairies and Vampires is a
social network
for fantasy role players and scene teens.


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Phone: (260) 562-2131 Ext. 225
Email: email@example.com
Colonel (Retired) George Douglass graduated from Howe Military School in 1960 and from Heidelberg College in 1964 with an AB in history. He received his master's degree from Kent State University with a major in African history in 1971. Colonel Douglass entered the Army after college and was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry in 1965 upon graduating from Infantry Officer Candidate School. After completing the U.S. Army Ranger School in 1965, he was assigned as an instructor at the Mountain Ranger Camp in Dahlonega, Georgia. In 1966 Colonel Douglass was assigned as an infantry platoon leader in the Republic of Vietnam, where he earned three bronze stars for valor and a Purple Heart. His military career has included a tour as an R.O.T.C. instructor at Kent State University from 1971-1975. Shortly after the shootings at Kent State, Colonel Douglass managed to rebuild the university's R.O.T.C. program and significantly increased its enrollment. He has had two tours in Washington, D.C. His first assignment was as the chief of the Army's military police operations and the second tour was with the Defense Intelligence Agency. In addition, he has served in multicultural assignments in Puerto Rico, Germany, Okinawa, and Malaysia, where he was the first American to attend and graduate from the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College. Colonel Douglass's last assignment before retiring was as the defense attaché in Burma, where he was the chief military advisor to the ambassador and worked with the State Department. He dealt with not only the host country's military but also with the military attachés of ten other countries. All of these assignments provided Colonel Douglass with a sound background to return to his alma mater in 1993. Upon returning to Howe, Colonel Douglass was the senior army instructor. During this time he completed correspondence study with the Montreal Diocesan Theological College, which is affiliated with McGill University of Montreal, Canada, and was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church in 2003. Colonel Douglass has worn many hats during his time at Howe, including serving as the assistant chaplain, dean of students, and senior army instructor. All of these assignments, along with his military career, prepared him for selection as the Superintendent of Howe Military Academy in September of 2011.
Colonel Douglass and his wife, Nancy, have three children: Shannon Doublass Fox, '93; (Army) Captain Andrew K. Douglass; and Matthew Douglass. Shannon is married to Staff Sergeant Ryan Fox, '98 U.S. Marine Corps.
Colonel Douglass feels Howe is an educational multiplier for parents and guardians, and especially for the cadets. This effect is achieved through the military model, which assists in the maturation, socialization, and education of Howe's cadets. The military model provides the cadets with a platform built on the concept of concern for others. As students progress through the ranks they learn to empathize with the needs of others and to sustain their health and welfare. Colonel Douglass believes that Howe develops leaders by immersing the cadet corps in both the practical aspects and classroom instruction of leadership. The ethical aspects of leadership, strongly emphasized in a Howe education, continually remind the cadets of their duties toward each other. Howe instills in each cadet the ability to work and get along with others, traits Colonel Douglass regards as necessary for a successful life.
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The following short story comes to us courtesy of Lisa Smedman, author of novels and stories set in the Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, Shadowrun, and Deadlands universes. A reporter by profession, she also teaches game theory and video game history at the Art Institute. She also writes history books, children's books, plays, and screenplays, and has designed dozens of adventures and sourcebooks for various role-playing games over the years. Her website is www.lisasmedman.topcities.com.
So it's a guide you're wanting, is it? Well, if it's Araumycos you're going to, that guide won't be me. Regardless of the rumors you may have heard around town, I've had my fill of that place. Why, even the smell of mushroom wine—
Now hold on, elf. Don't be so hasty to leave. I didn't say there wasn't a guide to be had. You've come to the right person. I know someone who's as familiar with the twists and turns of Araumycos as that barkeep over there is with this tavern. And best of all, she won't cost you a sack of coin, the way someone from the guides' guild will—assuming they'd even take you there. No, she won't charge a thing. And reliable? Well, listen to my tale and you'll see that Rook is the person you want one pace ahead of you, if you're venturing into Araumycos. And I'm the one who can tell you how to find her.
Fetch me some ale and sit down here at my table, and I'll tell you my tale. But none of that spitfroth the humans try to pass off as lager, mind. Nor any of that honeyed cider you elves seem to love so much. Make it dwarven Samman ale, bitter and brown.
Ah. That's the stuff. A meal in a glass, as they say.
You'll be wondering at my taste in drink and my thick red beard. I've seen you note the silver hammers braided into it and my iron bracers. The star on them, just above the wrist, is part of my clan name. It's Morndin you're talking to, son of . . . well, son of Moradin, you might say. It was the Dwarffather who forged my soul anew, after whoever I was in my last lifetime died. He took my dwarf soul and cast it in a human mold, this time. Although if you ask me, it's likely Vergadain had a hand in it too. They don't call him the trickster god for nothing.
So here I am in this lifetime, a human. That's why my shield-brothers call me Morndin. Compared to them, I'm high as a mountain.
Now don't raise that eyebrow. Just because it's odd doesn't mean it isn't so. The Dwarffather must have decided there's something I had to learn in this lifetime, something I could only discover in this body. Or perhaps there was some deed he wanted done. Something it would take this towering, narrow-chested human body to accomplish.
I see that smile you're trying to hide. I know what you'll be asking next: how is it I came to believe such foolishness. You'll be wondering if someone cast a befuddlement spell on me, or some such. The short answer is no. The long answer has to do with that footman's mace leaning against the wall beside me here.
My parents—also human—had a provisions store in Hammergate, down by the Rift. They often took in items in trade. I'm told that, a year or two before I was born, a creaky old longbeard said his adventuring days were behind him, and asked my father if he'd like to buy this mace. It's pretty battered looking, isn't it, with that slight bend in the handle and one of the flanges missing from the head? My father thought so too. He didn't want to take it in trade, but the longbeard said coin would comfort him in his final years more than any weapon would. And so my father bought the mace, tucked it away in the storeroom, and forgot all about it.
Turns out it was a magical weapon forged by the Ironstar clan—light as a feather, and capable of dealing a blow that calls down Moradin's thunder, if you know the right word to say. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Years later, when I was seven, a half-orc tried to rob the store. He held my mother at knife-point and demanded all the coin in the lockbox. I was in the storeroom, and heard the commotion out front. The mace was the closest weapon to hand. I rushed into the shop, swinging it like a kuldjargh—that's Dwarvish, by the way, for "beserker." They say I wielded the weapon like I was born with it in my hand. And here's the part that will lift that other eyebrow of yours. As the mace cracked against that half-orc's head, I shouted a word that filled the room with magical, booming thunder. The crack of it split his head wide open.
Once I recovered from the surprise, I wondered how I'd done it. I knew a little Dwarvish; I'd grown on the Rift's edge, in a shop that catered to dwarves, after all. Both of my human parents spoke Dwarvish, if a bit brokenly, and could read a little. But there was no explaining how I knew what word to shout that day. It wasn't a word you'd expect, like corl or raugh or rorn. It—
Yes, yes, I'll tell you about the guide in a moment. It's just that you need to know this piece of it, so you'll understand all that follows.
Could I have another Samman? My ale cup's gone dry.
Ah. That's better.
You're obviously an elf of the surface realms, judging by that longbow you carry. That won't be much use to you, down here in the Underchasm. And that leafmottle cloak won't be much use either. Not here in Gracklstugh, where the buildings are as gray and gloomy as the duergar who built them. Nor will it aid you within the musky embrace of Araumycos. Most of the fungus is gray-white, dotted with orange puffballs. That's what you have to watch out for, by the way. Blunder into one of those, and you'll die a slow, choking death with spores that clog your nostrils and fruit deep in your lungs. Even a little whiff of it's enough to scar the lungs for life. And a man whose body is erupting from the inside out with puffballs is a shuddersome sight, I'll tell you.
But Rook will steer you clear of those.
You obviously have some passing familiarity with the Underchasm, to have make it this far down. And I see by that shield ring on your finger that you know a little about Araumycos' strange pull. The closer you get to Araumycos, the more vivid those nightmares become. Even with magical protection, they root in your mind by night and fill it with strange whispers by day, telling you to join with . . . something. Whatever's at the heart of the thing. Some say it's a patch of the fungus that's afire with spellplague and needs live fuel to stoke it. I couldn't say if that's true, myself. I just know you have to beware of the golhyrrl'fhaazht.
I see that frown. You're wondering why I speak Drowic. Short answer is, I don't. They're a race that's evil through and through—cruel and depraved—but that word they coined is the best fit I know.
"Dream trap." That's Araumycos, all right.
Given their fear of it, the drow normally avoid Araumycos like the spellplague. That's why we never expected to—
Yes, yes, I'm getting to the part where I tell you about Rook. But first I have to set the stage.
I won't ask why you want to venture into Araumycos. Your reasons are your own affair. The reason we went in, my shield-brothers and I, is best told by what's in this pocket, here.
You ever seen one of these? It's a rock gourd—a tiny one, no bigger than a walnut. They're usually much bigger, at least the size of your head. Shake 'em like this . . . And there you go. See the water dripping from the stone? That's what makes a rock gourd so valuable. Get lost in the Labyrinth, or trapped by a cave-in—or, I suppose, get lost in one of those deserts you have up there on the surface—and you'll at least have all the water you need until you find your way out again.
'Course, this one's too little to be worth much. Takes half a day to fill a thimble. But you get the idea.
Sad thing is, it's the only one I was able to bring back with me.
Rock gourds are the reason we ventured into Araumycos. A patch of Araumycos had died off, and Gamlin and Farrik—two dwarves I once counted as shield-brothers—figured they'd make their fortune before it grew back again.
Gamlin was the one who knew there'd be rock gourds there. He can sense things like that. He's spellscarred, you see. Blundered into a patch of spellplague a few years back, and came out with feet that crackle with blue fire. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise. That spellscar roots him to the earth—roots him deep. Most of the time it just lets him stand firm on stone—long as he's barefoot—and not be pushed around. But stone whispers to stone, as they say, revealing secrets buried deep.
Anyhow, Gamlin talked his brother Farrik into venturing into Araumycos. Told him they could carry out their own weight in rock gourds several times over and be set for life. Which is where I came into the scheme.
After I came north, looking for my clan, I apprenticed as a stonemason. Swinging a mallet all day's what gave me these arms. I was still living on the surface, in those days—still saving up for these darkvision goggles. One day, as I watched two earthmotes grind together, casting off a drift of splinters that thudded to the ground in their wake, I found myself wondering why the broken-off pieces lost their magic and fell, rather than staying aloft. I wondered if there might be some way to restore their magic.
I thought of an earth node I'd heard about—one that, if you enter it, creates an invisible, floating disk that follows you around. Handy, if you've got a heavy load you need to move. Trouble was, the magical energy fizzles out after about a day, so the node isn't much use unless you live close by.
I knew the node didn't make regular stones float, but I got to wondering what would happen if I took a broken-off chunk of earthmote and carried it into that node. It worked—beautifully. The chip of earthmote began to float as soon as I entered the node—and kept on floating for more than a month! It's probably bobbing around somewhere near the quarry, to this day.
The next step was to find an earthmote of flint or obsidian or chert—stone that would knap into nice, thin sheets. I needed the quarrymaster's help with that one. Once we located one that was just right, I knapped off a big piece and rounded the edges, then carried it to the node. It floated on its own, just like one of those driftdiscs the drow are so fond of. But better, because I didn't need magic to control it. Just a simple nudge of the—
That's right. You're talking to the man who invented the motedisc. Ryordin Hammerfist is the man who took credit for it—even though all he did was help me locate an earthmote of the right type and provide the labor to mine it. Hammerfist claimed the motedisc was all his idea, but it was actually me who dreamed it up, back when I was his apprentice. And did he give me anything for it? Hah! If he did, don't you think I'd be the one buying the drinks?
Anyway, motediscs. One day, Gamlin and Farrik came to one of my master's floating quarries. Not to buy—Farrik always keeps his coin pouch tightly tied, and Gamlin's purse is seldom full for long—but to offer Ryordin a deal. Said they'd cut him in on a third of the profits if he'd fund their prospecting.
Ryordin turned them down stone cold. Actually laughed at them, when they told him they were from the Ironstar clan. Said he supposed they were ghosts, then, since the last of the Ironstars had vanished centuries ago.
Ironstars. The same clan that made my mace.
Their meeting with Ryordin had been behind closed doors—protective of their future claim, Farrik and Gamlin were. I blundered into the room just long enough to hear them name their clan, and hear them ask for motediscs.
An elf like you might scoff, but I saw the hand of Moradin in it. Farrik, Gamlin, and I were fated to meet. And when I offered to slide a few motediscs their way if they told me more about my clan, they jumped at the chance.
There's that eyebrow again. Of course you would think they were lying about being Ironstars, taking advantage of me. People often take me for a fool, when I tell them my life story, but I know when someone's tugging my beard. And they weren't lying—not really. All dwarf are clan, when you go far enough back past the time of Bhaerynden.
What's more important to my tale is this: I demanded a one-third share in the venture, in return for me "borrowing" as many motediscs from the quarry as I could spirit away. And I insisted on going along.
Yes, yes, I'm getting to the part where I tell you about Rook. Almost there, in fact. In the meantime, could I trouble you for just one more ale? Tale-telling's such thirsty work.
Much obliged.
We went down into the Underchasm—Gamlin, Farrik, and I—and made our way to the spot where Araumycos had died back. We found a shaft that had, just days before, been filled to the rim with fungus. That shaft was deep, I'll tell you, and of natural-worn stone; likely carved by a thundering waterfall long ago. A trickle of water still fell, starting from a point in midair, just above the point where the shaft met the tunnel we'd followed in. Obviously a portal to the plane of water that had been shrinking for millennia. A portal that had all but closed, by the time we found it.
As I was staring up at the spot the water fell from, I saw a flash of something black. I figured it was just one of the bats we'd stirred up earlier, on our way in. Only later did I realize it had been Rook.
What remained of Araumycos was a soggy mess at the bottom of the shaft. Foul-smelling muck. We slip-shuffled through it for the better part of a day, collecting the rock gourds Gamlin ferreted out with his spellscar.
Before I say what happened next, there's a thing or two you should know about Farrik and Gamlin. They're twins—that's been commonplace, among the dwarves, since the time of the Thunder Blessing. But although Moradin cast them in the same mold, they're different as the surface is from the Underchasm.
Both of them are black bearded and heavy browed. And both are fiercely proud of our race. But Farrik's not the cleanest, to put it politely. You don't want to stand downwind of him. He's always covered in dust, even when he's not prospecting, and his beard's always a terrible tangle. He says he's just too busy to tend to it. That a man who works hard should look like he works hard—dirt under the nails, and sweat stains. But you'd think he could at least take a bath, now and again.
Gamlin's the clean one. He was the one taught me to braid my beard like this—and to develop a taste for the finer, oak-barrel ales. Gamlin's coin pouch is pretty flat, most days, because when he has coin, he spends it. Doesn't matter if you're clan or not—if you're someone he's taken a liking to, Gamlin's always ready to fill your cup.
He didn't like me much at first. Nor did Farrik. I could see that. But the motediscs I got for them fixed that, soon enough.
So there we were at the bottom of the shaft, sliding around in ankle-deep rotting fungus, our noses filled with the stench, but grinning away because each stubbed toe was another prize in what turned out to be the motherlode of rock gourds. I'd been able to spirit out six motediscs from the quarry and each was heaped high with rock gourds.
The twins insisted we collect every last rock gourd, until the motediscs were sagging under the weight. I thought that was foolish, that it would slow us down—but they were the prospectors and I was the lowly apprentice, so I did as I was told.
Farrik was tying the last of the nets in place to hold the rocks down, and Gamlin was off in a fissure in the wall, relieving himself of some of the ale he'd drunk along the march. I was bending down to pick up the rock gourd I just showed you. After I got my share, I'd hang on to it as a keepsake, I figured, of our expedition.
I was tucking it into my pocket when a crossbow bolt whistled past my ear.
My first thought, I'm ashamed to say, was that the twins had betrayed me. Then I heard Farrik cry out in alarm and clasp his arm. He'd been hit by a bolt shot from above. Even though it was a shallow wound, little more than a graze, the poison took him in a matter of heartbeats. He twisted, sagged, and splashed flat on his back in the muck.
I glanced up and saw a lone drow, levitating perhaps a dozen paces overhead. She shifted her wristbow, aiming at me. I dived under an overhang and heard the bolt splinter against it. I fumbled for my mace, praying to Moradin that I'd live long enough to use it.
Then the light pellet went off.
I'd been hoping Gamlin might surprise the drow from behind when she landed, take her down. She hadn't seen him yet, after all. But when the light pellet exploded with such brilliance, I knew it was all over. Gamlin would be completely light-dazzled. Blind as a bat.
An apt comparison, as it turned out.
The overhang of rock blocked the drow's aim; she couldn't hit me without descending right to the floor. That would bring her within mace range, but trouble was, I still couldn't see. My goggles were crackling with dazzle from the light pellet, and taking them off would leave me completely unable to see in the utter blackness. A dwarf I might be, but my eyes are still human, more's the pity.
I wasn't about to give up without a fight, however. As soon as I heard her squelch down into the muck, I leaped out of my hiding place. I swung my mace blindly in the direction the sound had come from.
I missed.
Her wristbow bolt took me in the thigh.
I staggered, my leg awash in pain. I crashed into the wall, and my goggles were knocked off kilter. As my human vision returned, I spotted the faint blue glow of Gamlin's spellscar; it crackled around his feet, which were buried in muck. He stood at the far side of the shaft, behind the drow, his eyes wide and staring. Streaks of blue fire raced across the floor as I watched, questing out the spot where the drow stood. Its light briefly silhouetted a large round object on the floor—a rock gourd we'd somehow overlooked. But that didn't matter just then.
The drow spotted the streaks of blue fire just as Gamlin drew back his hand, preparing to throw a dagger. She whirled and shot a bolt. It plunged into Gamlin's chest. His chainmail vest stopped it, but the point penetrated the links of chain just enough to let the poison enter his blood. He wavered, blinked—then fell and didn't get up again.
His blue fire lasted a heartbeat more. Even with my weak human vision, the dim flicker was enough to show me where the drow was. I hurled my mace and shouted. Thunder filled the shaft as it connected with the drow's head.
She died instantly, her skull shattering like lightning-struck stone.
I felt myself sagging. I managed to twist around just enough that I wouldn't land face-down in the muck. That was no way for a dwarf to die, I thought. Then everything went black.
Rook? Yes, yes. Be patient. Her part in this saga comes next. Truly. But just one more ale . . .? Certainly this tale's worth that?
So there I was, dead of drow poison. Or so you'd expect. But it wasn't a lethal potion the drow had coated her bolts with—just one that places its victims in a deep slumber. It was slaves she was after, not corpses.
I woke up with a jolt, screaming at the agony of Gamlin binding my wound. The bolt had passed completely through the muscle of my thigh, he told me. I'd lost blood, but not enough to kill me.
As he worked on my leg, Gamlin gave me the bad news. While we'd lain unconscious, Araumycos had started to grow back. Already the upper portion of the shaft was thick with new growth that was starting to weave itself together up near the top. If we were going to escape, we had to hurry. Even with the magical rings that were shielding our minds—purchased at great expense, and with great complaint from Farrik—I could feel the tickle of Araumycos trying to take root in my thoughts.
Farrik, meanwhile, was beside himself. As Gamlin tended me, Farrik sloshed back and forth through the muck, shouting that I was in league with the drow, that I'd deliberately led him and his brother into a trap so I could claim all the rock gourds. I shouted back as best I was able, in my weakened state. If that had been true, I pointed out, I'd have helped her finish the two of them off, not taken a wound that came near to crippling me.
He shot back that I was a stupid human who'd underestimated my accomplice. That drow always turn on their allies, and can never be trusted. I shouted back that I was a dwarf. And so on.
It was Gamlin who told the two of us to shut up, that we were wasting valuable time. I glanced at where he was pointing. Above us, some of the strands of fungus had grown as thick as my arm. One had sprouted a puffball. As Farrik also turned his glance upward, it darkened from white to orange and burst, releasing a tiny puff of spores. Each of us held his breath as long as we could, but eventually we were forced to gasp for air. The spores were spread pretty thin by the time they reached us. Even so, that gasp of breath had an aftertaste like blue cheese. Some of them rooted. I can feel the scars from them still, every time I draw too deep a breath, despite the healing draughts we drank. If I ever were to venture back into Araumycos, I'd wheeze like an old man. Like I was telling you when I first began this tale, even the smell of a mushroom—
All right, all right. Don't be so impatient. Let me finish.
So there we were at the bottom of the shaft, with the fungus growing back fast. There was still a gap in the growth overhead, but it would be a tight squeeze at the top. Worst of all, we'd have to leave the motediscs behind. We had a fortune right in front of us, neatly piled up—and no way to get it home.
I was just as dismayed, of course. I couldn't return to my apprenticeship at the quarry—not without returning the missing motediscs. That wouldn't have mattered quite so much if I'd struck it rich, of course. I would have paid for them—double their value. But now I'd be branded a thief.
It was enough to make even the stoutest dwarf weep.
While Farrik complained, and I tried to shout sense into him, Gamlin searched the drow's body, trying to figure out which of her trinkets had allowed her to levitate. He found one of those medallions the drow are so fond of, but couldn't make it work. Little wonder; even if he had been able to speak the language, he didn't know the command word. Meanwhile, Araumycos continued to grow. By the time Farrik sputtered to a stop, the opening at the top of the shaft was even narrower. Now we'd have to hack our way out.
There was one consolation, I told the twins. They could each carry a couple of rock gourds out if they emptied their packs. Enough to cover the cost of the mind-shielding rings and healing draughts Farrik had purchased for our expedition, plus a little profit for each of us on the side. Enough to keep us fed and in ale for a month or two, while we figured out what to do next.
Farrik asked what I'd be carrying. I pointed out I'd have a tough enough climb without a heavy pack on my back. My injured leg was going to give me trouble. In fact, it was already stiffening up. If they wanted to reduce my share as a result, I told them, that was just fine with me.
Farrik looked ready to agree, but Gamlin shook his head and said we'd better hurry, or none of us would get out of there with anything.
The brothers set to work, emptying their packs and filling them with rock gourds. Meanwhile, I felt around for the rock gourd I'd spotted by the light of Gamlin's blue fire—the one we'd missed. Might as well add it to the pile, I figured. One day, if we were lucky, Araumycos might die back again. Then we could come back and collect our reward.
My hand brushed something solid. I felt holes in its smooth, rounded surface. It was lighter than it should have been, I thought as I pulled it from the muck. It felt thin and hollow. A moment later, I saw why. It wasn't a rock gourd I'd found, but a skull. Slimy fungus dribbled out of the eye sockets and down my arm. The jawbone hung by a thread.
I nearly dropped the skull in disgust. Then I looked a little closer. The skull had a thick forehead, broad cheekbones, and squarish look.
He—or she—had been a dwarf. Whoever it was had died some time ago, for there wasn't a scrap of flesh nor beard clinging to the bone.
If we didn't get moving, we'd wind up just like him.
I placed the skull on top of one of the piles of gourds while Gamlin and Farrik were busy tying their packs shut. They glanced at it, but didn't say anything. They were too busy grunting under the load in their packs. I wondered how they'd be able to climb.
They managed it somehow, sweating under the strain. I had a harder time of it. Even without a pack, I spent my climb gritting my teeth at the pain of my wounded leg and trying not to faint.
At the top, we had to cut our way through. Having no pack to impede me, I clambered over the edge first, squeezing through what opening there was. Behind me, Gamlin and Farrik struggled, their bulging packs caught on the lattice of fungus. I looked down the corridor that led out—and saw that it was completely plugged. We were trapped!
I was starting to shout this to Gamlin and Farrik when something strange happened. The fungus that plugging the corridor quivered, then suddenly died back, leaving a gap.
Out of it stepped a drow. Black-skinned, gaunt-faced, she stared down at me with all the solemnity of a Deep Lord about to make a judgment.
I struggled to my feet, convinced for the second time that day that I was about to die. My mace was on my belt; I'd needed both hands for the climb. There was no way I'd undo the lashings in time.
Instead of attacking, however, she beckoned me forward. So startling was it, I took a step back, nearly going over the edge.
Behind me, I could hear Gamlin and Farrik sawing their way through the fungus. Getting out with their backpacks on was more important, it seemed, than hastening to my aid. Or maybe they hadn't spotted the drow yet.
I noticed that she carried no weapons, wore no armor. And she'd still made no move to harm me. Nor did she look exactly as a drow should. Drow women are tall, but this one somehow seemed stretched thin, oddly jointed. Her white hair stood out from her head like old straw, but it were her hands that most disturbed me. They were all wrong: only three fingers, the outer two more like hooks, the middle one straight, and all tipped with claws.
I suddenly realized what she must be. Not a drow at all. A soul, taken at the moment of death, kept warm for days or years or centuries in Bane's chill embrace, and spawned in a new form that was wholly unlike whatever body it had inhabited before.
She nodded, as if she'd heard my thoughts. "Will you help me, Daffyd? Lay at least part of me to rest?"
I asked how she knew my name. It was one I'd left behind when I departed the Rift. Even Gamlin and Farrik didn't know it.
She touched her chest with a claw. "Ironstar," she whispered. Then she pointed at me. "Ironstar."
I shivered as I realized we must have been fated to meet. Just like me, she'd been . . . reforged. But not by Moradin. Instead she'd been cast in the form of a race any dwarf would attack on sight.
Bane had played an even crueler joke on her than Vergadain had on me.
"Will you help me?" she repeated.
I wet my lips. Helping her would mean climbing back down that shaft. If it had been Gamlin's or Farrik's body lying at the bottom of it, I wouldn't have given it a moment's thought. But she was a stranger to me.
I stared at the revenant, wondering what kind of person she'd been as a dwarf. Had there been kin who'd mourned her, or had she been a clanless outlaw? An honest person or a rogue? Then I realized that I might as well ask the same questions of myself.
Whatever she'd been, it didn't matter. Dwarves take care of their own.
"You deserve better," I said. "I'll see that you get it. By Moradin's beard, I swear I'll see your skull laid properly to rest."
Her mouth stretched to a thin smile. She turned and pressed on a section of the wall. A hidden door swung open. Behind it was a staircase, leading up. The air that rushed from it smelled sweet. It was obviously a way back to the surface. One we'd missed on our way in.
I asked if she was going to lead us out.
She shook her head. "Not until the rest of my bones are recovered can I rest," she told me. "The orcs scattered them far and wide when Delzoun fell—a final insult to my people. But one day I will find them."
"Delzoun!" I repeated, incredulous. "But that was . . . How long have you been searching?"
"Too long," she said wearily. "And yet, not long enough. The dwarf body has so many bones . . ." Her words trailed off in a sigh.
Behind me, I heard a shout of triumph. I turned and saw that Gamlin and Farrik had hacked their way through. If they saw me talking to a "drow" Farrik's suspicions would be rekindled. But I had to know one thing more. "Who—"
Rook was gone. Already, the hole she'd parted in the fungus was closing.
Gamlin and Farrik struggled up over the edge with their packs and shouted in dismay when they saw the corridor blocked. I showed them the staircase up, and told them it was our way out. They were so relieved they didn't even ask how I knew. Then I told them what I needed to do: recover the skull, take it to a priest, and give it the last rites.
They thought I was joking. Gamlin actually guffawed. Then they realized I was serious.
Gamlin said there wasn't time. Farrik said the dead dwarf was no clan of his. When I said the skull had belonged to an Ironstar and that it was our duty, he slid a look at Gamlin. Both rolled their eyes.
They turned toward the staircase, as if there was nothing more to say.
Fine, I told them. They could go on ahead, but I was going back for the skull. I'd catch up to them later, and collect my share then.
I see by your look you can guess what came next. I never did see either of them again. Not during that long, painful climb back up the stairs to the surface, nor back at the town we'd set out from. I waited there for tendays, but they never came.
Maybe someday, I'll see them again, but if I don't, it doesn't really matter. That's what Moradin's trying to teach me in this life, you see—to choose my shield-brothers more carefully. Or something like that.
Well now. Would you look at that? My glass is dry again. Could you . . .?
That's all right. My tale is done.
I know what you're thinking. You'll be wondering, about now, why I would tell you all about a fortune in rock gourds that's just lying there for the taking. Short answer: it doesn't matter anymore. Gamlin and Farrik will likely try to go back to recover them—assuming they haven't tried already, which might explain what happened to them. Without Rook's help it will be impossible. With each step I took up those stairs toward the surface, Araumycos followed. By the time I reached the top, the staircase was plugged solid. Anyone who finds it now will set off puffballs every step of the way.
A revenant isn't bothered by any of that, of course. And Rook, of course, has some way of making Araumycos die back. Wherever it has, that's where you'll find her. If you promise to bring whichever of her bones are there to a dwarf priest, and see that they're given the last rites—or maybe it's whichever of his bones; I never did get the chance to ask—Rook will likely guide you to wherever it is you need to go.
All I ask is that, if you do find Rook, you put in a good word for me. Tell her I laid her skull to rest, and had a priest say the proper words over the pyre. Ask her, on my behalf, if she'd mind fetching me a rock gourd or two from that cache, in return for me sending her way someone else who'll help.
What's that? The name Rook? Oh, it's just a name I gave her. Those curved, black fingers of hers, with their claws, reminded me of a rook's toes. I don't know what her real name is—was. I'll bet she doesn't know, either. That's the way revenants are, you see. A little vague on the details of their past lives. Kind of like me.
I see you getting to your feet. You're going? So soon? No more questions?
Ah. I see. You think I spun this tale just to cadge a pint or two of the good stuff.
Not so, my good elf. Not so. Every word I've just told you is true.
I wasn't tugging your beard—not that you have one. What I just told you is the truth. If you want a guide who knows every pace of Araumycos, find Rook's bones. Help her, and she'll help you—and maybe me, too, in the bargain.
Just remember one thing. Don't let her appearance fool you. Regardless of what she looks like, she's a dwarf.
Just like me.


text:
Coming soon to your wallet: a black-and-white image of your face, photographed with a camera using multiple lenses, printed in multiple laser-engraved layers to give a sort-of three-dimensional effect.
On your driver's license.
NCDOT says it has awarded a $47.5 million contract to MorphoTrak-Safran Group for new ID technology that will put the new photos on driver's licenses as part of an effort to make them more secure and tamper-proof. The cards will be made of a tougher polycarbonate material than the stuff they use now, to make it more durable with layers fused together so they cannot easily be peeled apart.
The cost to DMV will be $2.12 per card, a price hike of 27 cents. DMV issues 2.4 million new and renewed licenses and ID cards each year.
The change takes effect by 2012.