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"A solid historical with a refreshingly willful, sexually liberated heroine." Publisher's Weekly
"Emerson captures the pageantry and the politics of the Tudor court, portraying real-life characters who negotiated turbulent times, and giving historical-fiction fans a first-rate read." Booklist
An Excerpt from Chapter One
On the twenty-ninth day of January in 1542, twenty-six eligible young women sat at table in Whitehall Palace with King Henry. An additional thirty-five occupied a second table close by. We were arranged by precedence, with the highest born maidens closest to the king. As the daughter of a baron, I was assigned a seat at the first table, but there were others of nobler birth between me and His Grace.
From that little distance, King Henry the Eighth of England was a glorious sight. At first I could scarcely take my eyes off him. He glittered in the candlelight. Not only did he wear a great many jewels on his person, everything from a diamond cross to a great emerald with a pearl pendant, but the cloth itself was embroidered with gold thread.
I pinched myself to make certain I was not dreaming. Everything at court seemed to sparkle, from the rich tapestries to the painted ceilings to the glass in the windows. I had arrived from Kent the previous day and was still in awe of my surroundings. I had lived in comfort for all of my fifteen-and-a-half years, but this opulent level of luxury stunned me.
Wondrous dishes appeared before me, one after another. When I tasted the next offering, I closed my eyes in delight. The sweet taste of sugar, combined with ginger and the tart flavor of an unknown fruit, exploded on my tongue. I sighed with pleasure and took another spoonful of this marvelous concoction.
"Have you tried the syllabub?" I asked the woman seated beside me. "It is most delicious."
She did not appear to have eaten anything. Although she'd taken a piece of bread and a bit of meat from the platters the king's gentlemen had brought around, she'd done no more than toy with the food. At my urging, she spooned a small portion of the syllabub into her mouth.
"Indeed," she said. "Most delicious." But instead of eating more, she fixed her bright, dark blue eyes on me, examining me so intently that I began to feel uncomfortable under her steady stare.
I reminded myself that I looked my best. My copper-colored gown was richly embroidered. My pale yellow hair had been washed only that morning. Barely two inches of it showed at the front of my new French hood, but it was a very pretty color and it would have reached nearly to my waist if it had not been caught up in a net at the back.
"Mistress Brooke?" my neighbor asked. "Lord Cobham's daughter?"
I gave her my most brilliant smile. "Yes, I am Bess Brooke."
Thawing in the face of my friendliness, she introduced herself as Nan Bassett. She was only a few years older than I was. The tiny bit of hair that showed at the front of her headdress was light brown and she had the pink-and-white complexion I'd heard was favored at court. I had such a complexion myself, and eyes of the same color, too, although mine were a less intense shade of blue.
We chatted amiably for the rest of the meal. I learned that she had been a maid of honor to each of King Henry's last three wives. She'd been with Queen Jane Seymour when Queen Jane gave birth to the king's heir, Prince Edward, who was now five years old. She'd been with Queen Anna of Cleves, until the king annulled that marriage in order to wed another of Queen Anna's maids of honor, Catherine Howard. And she had served Queen Catherine Howard, too, until Catherine betrayed her husband with another man and was arrested for treason.
Queen no more, Catherine Howard was locked in the Tower of London awaiting execution. The king needed a new bride to replace her. If the rumors I'd heard were true, that was why there were no gentlemen among our fellow guests. His Grace had gathered together prospective wives from among the nobility and gentry of England.
I had been summoned to court by royal decree. My parents had accompanied me to Whitehall Palace and impressed upon me that this was a great opportunity. They did not expect the king to choose me, but whatever lady did become the next queen would need maids of honor and waiting gentlewomen.
Conversation stopped when King Henry stood. Everyone else rose from their seats as well and remained on their feet while His Grace moved slowly from guest to guest, using a sturdy wooden staff to steady his steps. As he made his ponderous way down the length of the table, shuffling along through the rushes that covered the tiled floor, I saw to my dismay that, beneath the glitter, he was not just a large man. He was fat. He wore a corset in a futile attempt to contain his enormous bulk. I could hear it creak with every step he took.
The king spoke to each woman at table. When he spent a little longer with one particular pretty, dark-haired girl, a buzz of speculation stirred the air. Whispers and covert nudges and winks followed in the king's wake. As His Grace approached, I grew more and more anxious, although I was not sure why. By the time he stopped in front of Mistress Bassett, I was vibrating with tension.
She sank into a deep curtsy, her eyes fixed on the floor.
"My dear Nan." The king took her hand and drew her upright. "You appear to thrive in my daughter's household."
"The Lady Mary is a most kind mistress, Your Grace," Nan Bassett said.
He chuckled and shifted his meaty, bejeweled fingers from her hand to her shoulder. "She is fortunate to have you, sweeting."
Nan's smile never wavered, although his grip must have pinched. I admired her self-control.
I had no warning before His Grace shifted his attention to me. "And who is this beautiful blossom?" he demanded in a loud, deep voice that caught the interest of everyone else in the Great Hall.
I hastily made my obeisance. As I sank lower, I caught a whiff of the stench wafting up from the king's game leg. In spite of layers of gaudy clothing, I could see the bulge of bandages wrapped thickly around His Grace's left thigh.
King Henry stuck a sausage-shaped index finger under my chin and lifted my face until I was forced to meet his gimlet-eyed stare. It was fortunate that he did not expect me to do much more than give him my name. That I'd attracted the predatory interest of the most powerful man in England very nearly struck me dumb.
"I am Lord Cobham's daughter, Your Grace," I managed in a shaky whisper. "I am Elizabeth Brooke," I added, lest he confuse me with one of my sisters.
I lowered my eyes, hoping he'd think me demure. The truth of the matter was that I was appalled by the ugliness of Henry Tudor's bloated face and body. Any awe I'd felt earlier had been displaced by a nearly paralyzing sense of dread.
"Hah!" said the king, recognizing Father's title. "Imagine George Brooke producing a pretty little thing like you!"
Next to King Henry, who was the tallest man in England, any woman would be dwarfed. As for Father, I'd always thought him exceptionally well-favored. But I had the good sense not to contradict His Grace.
"What do you think of our court?" King Henry asked.
"It is very grand, Sire. I am amazed by all I have seen."
The king took that as a compliment to himself and beamed down at me. I repressed a shudder. We had a copy of one of His Grace's portraits at Cowling Castle. Once upon a time, he'd been a good-looking man. But now, at fifty, the bold warrior prince of yesteryear had disappeared into a potentate of mammoth proportions and chronic ill health.
Still, I knew my duty. I must pretend that the king was the most fascinating person I had ever met. That way lay advancement at court for my father and brothers as well as myself. I arranged my lips into a tremulous smile and tried to focus on His Grace's pretty compliments. He praised my graceful carriage, my pink cheeks, and the color of my hair. All the while, his gaze kept straying from my face to my bosom. I have no idea what I said in reply to his effusive praise, but when he chucked me under the chin and moved on, I felt weak with relief.
King Henry stopped to speak a few brief words to the woman who was seated on the other side of me, my kinswoman Dorothy Bray, then abandoned her for a redhead with a noble nose and a nervous smile. Dorothy, her dark eyes alive with dislike, glared at me. "Brazen flirt," she whispered.
I was not certain if she meant me or the redhead.
Although she was only two years my senior, Dorothy was my aunt, my mother's much younger sister. Like Nan Bassett, Dorothy had been a maid of honor to Queen Catherine Howard. In common with most young women who held that post, she was attractive. She looked very fine dressed in dark blue. Her best feature was a turned-up nose, but her lips were too thin for true beauty and just now they were pursed in a way that made her almost ugly.
I was sorry that the king had not spent more time with Dorothy, since she was clearly envious of the attention he'd paid to me, but there was nothing I could do to remedy the situation. That being so, I ignored her and turned back to Nan Bassett. Nan was as friendly as before, but now she seemed distracted. I wondered if she, too, felt alarm at having caught the king's interest.
Until the moment the king had called me a "beautiful blossom," I had never regretted being pretty. I had taken for granted that I was attractive, accepted without demur the compliments from the scattering of courtiers who'd visited my father at Cowling Castle, the Cobham family seat. Now, for the first time, I realized that it could be dangerous to be pretty.
What if His Grace chose me to be his next queen?
It was a terrifying thought, but so absurd that I was soon able to dismiss it. After all, the king had paid far more attention to Nan and to that dark-haired young woman, too.
When everyone adjourned to the king's Great Watching Chamber, where an assortment of sweets was served, we were free to move about as we sampled the offerings—pastries, comfits, suckets, marchpane, Florentines, candied fruits, and nuts dipped in sugar. Musicians played softly in the background, as they had during the meal, but the sound was nearly drowned out by talk and laughter.
I turned to ask Nan Bassett another question and discovered that she was no longer by my side. She'd reached the far side of the chamber before I located her. I watched her look all around, as if she wanted to be sure she was unobserved, and then slip past the yeoman of the guard and out of the room.
Considering, I bit into a piece of marchpane, a confection of blanched almonds and sugar. I found the sweetness cloying. The scent of cinnamon rose from another proffered treat, teasing me into inhaling deeply. I regretted giving in to the impulse. Along with a mixture of exotic aromas and the more mundane smell of melting candle wax, I once again caught a whiff of the horrible odor that emanated from the king's ulcerous leg. Without my noticing his approach, he'd moved to within a foot of the place where I stood.
All at once the hundreds of tapers illuminating the chamber seemed far too bright. They revealed not only the ostentatious display, but also the less appealing underpinnings of the court. Beneath the jewels and expensive fabrics, the colors and the perfumes, there was rot.
His Grace stood with his back to me, but if I stayed where I was he could turn around and see me at any moment. To escape his notice, I followed Nan Bassett's example. Palms sweating, I retreated, backing slowly away until other ladies filled the space between us. Then I turned and walked faster, toward the great doors that led to the rest of Whitehall Palace.
My steps slowed when I was faced with a yeoman of the guard clad in brilliant scarlet livery and holding a halberd. There was one problem with my escape plan. Whitehall was a maze of rooms and corridors so vast that I did not think I could find my way back to my parents' lodgings on my own. With Nan Bassett gone, I knew only one other person at the banquet—Dorothy Bray. She was family, I told myself. If I asked for her help, she'd be obliged to give it.
As I searched for my young aunt, the musicians struck up a lively tune and the dancing began. Ladies partnered each other for the king's entertainment, but Dorothy was not among them. The chamber was crowded, making it difficult to find anyone, and I was beginning to despair of ever making my escape when I passed a shadowy alcove. A bit of dark blue brocade protruded from it, the same color and fabric as Dorothy's gown. Without stopping to think that she might not be alone, I stepped closer.
A man was kissing Dorothy with enthusiastic abandon. By his dress—a green velvet doublet with slashed and puffed sleeves and a jewel the size of a fist pinned to his bonnet—he was a member of the king's household. One hand rested on Dorothy's waist. The other was hidden from sight in the vicinity of her breast.
At the sound of my startled gasp, they sprang apart, exposing a good deal of Dorothy's bosom. Abashed, I started to back away.
"Stay," the man ordered in a low-pitched growl, and stepped out of the shadows.
I obeyed. Then I simply stared at him.
He was one of the most toothsome gentlemen I had ever seen. Tall and well-built, his superb physical condition suggested that he participated in tournaments. I had never attended one, but I had heard that such events were a fixture of court life. Gentlemen vied with each other to show off their prowess with lance and sword. A man who looked this athletic was certain to be a champion jouster. His face, too, was perfection, with regular features, close-cropped auburn hair, and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache.
His eyes were light brown and full of annoyance as his gaze swept over me from the top of my French hood to the toes of my new embroidered slippers and back up again. By the time they met mine for the second time, approval had replaced irritation.
Sheltered by her companion's much larger body, Dorothy put her bodice to rights. Still tucking loose strands of dark brown hair into place beneath her headdress, she shoved him aside. Temper contorted her features into an ugly mask. "Begone, Bess!" she hissed. "Have you nothing better to do than spy on me?"
"I did not invade your privacy out of malice. I only wish to retire to my lodgings before His Grace notices me again and I do not know the way."
The man chuckled. His mouth crinkled at the corners when he smiled at me, making him even more attractive. He doffed his bejeweled bonnet and bowed. "Will Parr at your service, mistress."
Dorothy slammed the back of her hand into his velvet-clad chest the moment he straightened, preventing him from stepping closer to me. It was no gentle love tap and if the look she turned my way could have set a fire, I'd have burst into flames on the spot. "That is Baron Parr of Kendal to you, niece."
I was unimpressed by his title. My father was a baron, too, and so was my uncle, Dorothy's younger brother. "Lord Parr," I said, bobbing a brief curtsy in acknowledgement of his courtesy bow, as if we were about to be partners in a dance.
Our eyes met for the third time. I recognized a spark of male interest in his gaze, along with a twinkle of wry amusement. Without warning, butterflies took wing in my stomach. It was the most peculiar sensation, and one I had never experienced before. For a moment my mind went blank. I continued to stare at him, transfixed, my heart racing much too fast.
"If you truly wish to return to your mother," Dorothy said with some asperity, "then do so. No one here will stop you."
Her cold voice and harsh words broke the spell. I forced myself to look away from Lord Parr. Although I could not help but be pleased that such a handsome man found me attractive, I knew I should be annoyed with him on Dorothy's behalf. "How am I to find my way there on my own?" I asked in a small, plaintive voice.
Dorothy's fingers curled, as if she would like to claw me, but Lord Parr at once offered me his arm. "Allow me to escort you, Mistress Brooke. Brigands haunt the palace at night, you know, men who might be tempted to pluck a pretty flower like you if they found her alone in a dark passageway."
I looked up at him and smiled. He was just a head taller than I.
"We will both accompany you." Dorothy clamped a possessive hand on Lord Parr's other arm with enough force to make him wince. We left the king's Great Watching Chamber with Lord Parr between us and walked the first little way in silence.
Dorothy's anger disturbed me. She'd resented the few minutes His Grace had spent talking to me. And now she wanted to keep Lord Parr all to herself. But I was not her rival. And even if I were, I would be gone from court in another day or two.
My steps faltered as comprehension dawned. Dorothy would not be staying much longer either. There was no place at court for maids of honor or ladies of the privy chamber or even chamberers when the king lacked a queen. Dorothy would have to return to her mother—my Grandmother Jane at Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire—until the king remarried. What I had interrupted must have been her farewell to her lover.
I glanced her way. Poor Dorothy. It might be many months before she saw Lord Parr again, and I had deprived her of an opportunity, rare at court, for a few moments of privacy.
Worse, although I had not intended it, I had caught Will Parr's interest. I rushed into speech, uncomfortable with my memory of the profound effect he'd had on me. "Do you think the king has someone in mind to marry?"
"He paid particular attention to you." Dorothy's voice dripped venom. She walked a little faster along the torch-lit corridor, forcing us to match her pace.
A wicked thought came into my head. If the king made me his queen and Dorothy were my maid of honor, she'd be obliged to obey my slightest whim. I felt my lips twitch, but I sobered quickly when I remembered that in order to be queen, I'd first have to marry old King Henry. Nothing could make that sacrifice worthwhile!
"I wager Mistress Bassett has the lead," Lord Parr said in a conversational tone, ignoring Dorothy's simmering temper.
"Do you think so? Nan has caught His Grace's eye in the past and nothing came of it." Dorothy had reined in her emotions with the skill of a trained courtier.
They bandied about a few more names, but none that I recognized. I practiced prudence and held my tongue as we made our way through the maze of corridors and finally stopped before a door identical to dozens of others we'd passed.
"We have arrived," Dorothy announced with an unmistakable note of relief in her voice. "Here are your lodgings, Bess. We'll leave you to—"
The door abruptly opened to reveal my father, a big, barrel-chested man with a square face set off by a short, forked beard. His eyebrows lifted when he recognized Dorothy and Lord Parr. "Come in," he said. "Have a cup of wine." He fixed Dorothy with a stern look when she tried to excuse herself. "Your sister has been expecting a visit from you ever since we arrived at court."
Father, Mother, and I had been assigned a double lodging—two large rooms with a fireplace in each and our own lavatory. The outer room was warm and smelled of spiced wine heating on a brazier. Somehow, in only a day, Mother had made the place her own. She'd brought tapestries from Cowling Castle to hang on the walls, including my favorite, showing the story of Paris and Helen of Troy. Our own servants had come with us to make sure we received food and drink in good time and that there was an adequate supply of wood for the fireplace and coal for the braziers.
Unexpected company never perturbed my mother. She produced bread and cheese and gave the spiced wine a stir with a heated poker before filling goblets for everyone. The drink was a particular favorite of Father's, claret mixed with clarified honey, pepper, and ginger.
Lord Parr made a face after he took his first sip. "Clary, George? What's wrong with a good Rhenish wine, perhaps a Brabant?"
"Nothing . . . if you add honey and cloves," Father said with a laugh. "You are too plain in your tastes, Will."
"Only in wines."
I was not surprised that the two men knew each other. They both sat in the House of Lords when Parliament was in session. Standing by the hearth, they broadened their discussion of wines to include Canary and Xerex sack.
I joined Mother and Dorothy, who sat side-by-side on a long, low-backed bench, exchanging family news in quiet voices. I settled onto a cushion on the floor, leaning against Mother's knees. At once she reached out to rest one hand on my shoulder.
The sisters did not look much alike. Mother's hair was light brown and her eyes were blue like mine. She was shorter than Dorothy, too, and heavier, and markedly older, since she'd been married with at least one child of her own by the time Dorothy was born. She might never have been as pretty as her younger sister, but she had always been far kinder.
"Speaking of imports," Lord Parr said, "I have just brought a troupe of musicians to England from Venice, five talented brothers who were delighted to have found a patron."
The mention of music caught Mother's attention. "How fortunate for you," she said.
"My wife dearly loves music," Father said. "She insists that all our children learn to play the lute and the virginals and the viol, too."
"I play the virginals," Lord Parr confessed, after which he and my mother discussed the merits of that instrument for nearly a quarter of an hour, until Dorothy, with a series of wide but unconvincing yawns, prevailed upon him to escort her to the chamber she shared several other former maids of honor.
"As you told Bess," she reminded him, "it is not safe for a woman to walk unescorted through Whitehall Palace at night." She all but pushed him out the door.
A moment later, she stuck her head back in. "You should take Bess home and keep her there, Anne," she said to my mother. "The king singled her out and admired her beauty. You know what that means."
Dorothy's second departure left behind a startled silence.
"Did His Grace pay uncommon attention to you?" Mother exchanged a worried glance with Father. The concern in her voice made me long to reassure her, but there was no way to hide the truth. Too many people had noted the king's interest in me and would remember exactly how long we had spoken together.
"He . . . he called me a pretty little thing." I squirmed under their scrutiny, feeling like a fly caught in a spider's web.
"And what did you think of him?" Father asked.
"That he is old and fat and diseased and that I want no part of him!"
"Oh, George," Mother said. "What shall we do? What if His Grace wants Bess to remain at court?"
"He's not yet said he does, and as I've no desire to dangle our daughter in front of him like a carrot before a mule, we will leave for home first thing in the morning."
"But if he is looking for a wife, as everyone says he is—"
"Then he will have to look elsewhere. It is not as if there are not plenty of willing wenches available."
"Sixty of them, by my count," I said. Relief made me giddy. "Although I suppose a few of them, even though they are still unmarried, may already be betrothed." I had been myself, to a boy I'd only met once, but he'd died. So far, no other arrangement had been made for me.
Mother exchanged another speaking glance with Father but said only, "Are you certain, Bess, that you wish to cut short your first visit to court?"
"I would gladly stay on if I could avoid the king," I admitted. "But for the nonce, I much prefer to be gone. Perhaps I can return after King Henry makes his selection. Surely, with so many ladies to choose from, it will not take His Grace long to find a new queen."
From the back cover of By Royal Decree
Below is the mini-biography of the real Elizabeth Brooke, from my Who's Who of Tudor Women (written as Kathy Lynn Emerson). By Royal Decree covers the period of her life from 1542-1558.
Elizabeth Brooke (June 12,1526-April 2,1565)
Elizabeth Brooke was the daughter of George Brooke, 9th baron Cobham (1497-September 29,1558) and Anne Bray (c.1500-November 1,1558). She is known to have been at court in 1543 and to have captured the heart of the queen's brother, William Parr, marquis of Northampton (August 14,1513-October 18,1571), but it seems reasonable that she might have been there earlier, perhaps in attendance at the banquet held by King Henry for a number of ladies after Catherine Howard was arrested. In 1543, Elizabeth's desire to marry Northampton was thwarted by the fact that he already had a wife, one he had repudiated for adultery many years before. Elizabeth and Northampton went through a private form of marriage in 1547 and began living together, but when this became known they were ordered to separate by the duke of Somerset, Lord Protector for King Edward VI. Elizabeth was sent to live with Katherine Parr, now the wife of Sir Thomas Seymour. She remained in that household until April, 1548, when her marriage to Northampton was declared valid. This was later ratified by an Act of Parliament on March 31, 1552. The Northamptons took up residence in Winchester House in Southwark and Lady Northampton spent much of her time at court. She is said to have inspired the young Sir Thomas Hoby to begin his translation of Castiglione's The Courtier, although she did not travel to France with Hoby when he went there in Northampton's entourage in 1551. Together with Frances Brandon and Jane Guildford, the duchesses of Suffolk and Northumberland, she was involved in the matchmaking that preceded Northumberland's attempt to place Lady Suffolk's daughter, Lady Jane Grey, on the throne of England instead of Mary Tudor. Some sources even credit her with the suggestion that Lady Jane marry one of Northumberland's sons. Elizabeth may have accompanied Lady Jane to the Tower to await her coronation after the death of King Edward VI. Upon Northumberland's defeat, Northampton was arrested, tried, sentenced to death, and then pardoned at the end of December, but all was not well. Bishop Gardiner, released from the Tower by Mary Tudor and restored to his former post as Lord Chancellor, had ordered Elizabeth out of Winchester House. Northampton had been deprived of his titles, his lands, his Order of the Garter and, by the repeal of the act of 1552 (on October 24, 1553), his second wife. Forced to borrow money on which to live, Elizabeth probably went to live with her mother, Lady Cobham, or her brother, William, in Kent. When Parr was released from the Tower, he stayed at the house of Sir Edward Warner in Carter Lane. Sir Edward was married to Elizabeth's aunt, the former Lady Wyatt. It was her son, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Elizabeth's cousin, who led a rebellion against Queen Mary. Parr was arrested once again, as were three of Elizabeth's brothers (William, George, and Thomas Brooke). Parr was released for the second time on March 24, 1554 and restored in blood on the 5th of May. Although their marriage remained invalid, Elizabeth returned to Parr after his release and in March 1555 they were joint godparents to Elizabeth Cavendish. They existed in considerable poverty for the remainder of Queen Mary's reign. In 1557 they were living in Blackfriars when the French ambassador, the bishop of Acqs, asked Elizabeth to deliver a message to the queen's sister at Hatfield. It was a warning not to flee to France to avoid being forced to marry Emmanuel Philibert, duke of Savoy. In the last months of Mary's reign, in what was probably an influenza epidemic, Elizabeth Brooke's mother, father, and maternal grandmother died and Parr was seriously ill. With Mary's death, however, Elizabeth's fortunes took a turn for the better. The new queen made a point of stopping to speak to Northampton as her procession through London passed his widow. On January 13, 1559, she restored him as marquis of Northampton. Elizabeth Brooke became one of the queen's closest women friends and her word that the queen was not Robert Dudley's lover was enough for the Spanish ambassador, Don Guzman de Silva. It was also de Silva who recorded that when Lady Northampton fell ill, the queen came from St. James to dine with her and spend the day. In August 1562, Lady Northampton was reportedly near death from jaundice and high fever and given up for lost in mid-September, but by October 12th she had recovered. In 1564, however, she developed breast cancer. She made a trip to Antwerp in hope of a cure, accompanied by her brother William and his wife, but the effort was futile. In November of that year the personal physician of Maximilian, king of Bohemia, came to England to examine her. He could do nothing, either, nor could a series of quacks. In January 1565, the queen's physician, Dr. Julio, took over her treatment. Unfortunately, his man, Griffith, made sexual advances toward Elizabeth, who was still, apparently, "one of the most beautiful women of her time," and the queen had both men thrown into the Marshalsea. When Elizabeth died, the queen paid for her funeral. Biography: for more on Elizabeth Brooke, see Susan E. James's Kateryn Parr: The Making of a Queen. Portraits: memorial portrait in the 1567 Cobham Family Portrait, based on a portrait from c.1560; a medal by Stephen van Herwijck, 1562.
© 2009-12 Kathy Lynn Emerson. All rights reserved.
Last updated 11/16/2012


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subset: commoncrawl


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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are headed down the aisle!
According to E!, the former "That '70s Show" co-stars – whose characters also dated on the Fox sitcom – are engaged.
Mila, 30, was spotted on Thursday with a diamond ring on her engagement finger.
People also reported the engagement, with a source close to the 36-year-old actor saying, "Ashton and Mila have talked about getting married for quite a while."
Another mag source added, "They're incredibly happy together."
The former co-stars are rumored to have started dating in April 2012.
PHOTOS: Celebrity Engagement Rings — The Bling Is The Thing!
This will mark the first wedding for Mila, who previously dated Macauley Culkin for eight years.
Ashton wed Demi Moore in 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2013.
-- Jesse Spero


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After leading the Suburban East Conference in rushing and firmly establishing himself in the Stillwater record book, junior tailback Zach Knox was chosen the Most Valuable Player for the Ponies football team during Monday's postseason awards banquet at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Stillwater.
Knox was one of four Ponies who received All-Suburban East Conference honors, a list that also includes tight end Matt Anderson, offensive lineman Peter Palecek and defensive back Brian Branch. Nick Brevitz, DJ Skie and Andrew Lammers were honorable mention all-conference selections.
The Ponies finished with a 3-6 record, including 3-5 to tie Hastings and Park for sixth place in the Suburban East Conference standings. Stillwater lost to Cretin-Derham Hall 41-0 in the Section 4AAAAAA quarterfinals. The Ponies lost sixth consecutive games to close out the season after starting with three straight victories out of the gates, including a 21-7 victory over Cretin-Derham Hall that was broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
"Our senior class set a good example for this program," Ponies coach Beau LaBore said. "Our team suffered some tough breaks down the stretch, yet they didn't waiver. They battled through adversity with hard work and a positive attitude. Nevertheless, those breaks have put some fire in the bellies of our underclassmen and it has been palpable in the winter workouts."
Knox racked up 1,547 rushing yards this season on a school record 294 carries and his per game average of 171.9 yards is also a new school standard — bettering the 153.0 yards per game set by Ray Wilhelm in 1993. Knox also set the team's single-game rushing record with 294 yards — which is also the record for total offense — against White Bear Lake, breaking the previous record of 290 rushing yards set by Pat Juhl in 1979. After rushing for 265 yards against Mounds View and 250 yards against Hastings, Knox owns four of the top six single-game rushing totals in school history.
With 411 carries for 2,161 yards (5.3 avg.), Knox could set both of those career records with another productive season a year from now.
Not surprisingly, Knox was also voted the MVP-Offense while linebacker David Peterson received the MVP-Defense Award.
Palecek, who helped pave the way for Knox and the rushing game, was named to the All-Metro Team by the Star Tribune and the All-East Metro Team by the Pioneer Press. He was also named the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.
Quarterback Trevor Tillett garnered the Kearney Memorial Award for his success on and off the football field.
Taylor Howe (Defense) and Jack Hamel (Offense) were named the Scout Players of the Year for the Ponies while Branch (Defense) and Cal Rorabeck (Offense) were chosen the team's Most Improved Players. Jake McLean was the recipient of the Coaches Award and Oliver O'Keefe was chosen Mr. Weight Room.
Junior DJ Skie was selected Mr. Football for his versatility in performing well in several different roles on the team.
The Ponies coaches also presented a special Player-Coach Whistle Award to seniors Jake Olson and Ryan Peltier, whose hard work and offseason efforts were not rewarded this fall after suffering season-ending injuries before the start of the season. For Olson, who was voted a captain after a serious injuries on the first series of the year ended his season. Both players remained positive influences on the field and in the locker room.
"They were unable to play a down of football for us, but were integral to the success of our team," LaBore said.
Also announced at the banquet is that Matt Anderson, Ryan Floen, Zach Knox, Andrew Lammers and Ian Weisbrod will serve as captains for the 2014 team.
The Stillwater players in grades 10-12 combined to serve more than 1,500 hours to the community and beyond through a variety of public service projects. The Ponies also received the Silver Academic Award from the Minnesota Football Coaches Association for the second year in a row, which means a combined grade point average of between 2.75-2.99 for their official home roster in grades 10-12.
All-Conference: Matt Anderson, Brian Branch, Zach Knox and Peter Palecek; All-Conference Honorable Mention: Nick Brevitz, DJ Skie and Andrew Lammers; Star Tribune All-Metro: Peter Palecek; Pioneer Press All-East Metro: Peter Palecek; Scout Player of the Year: Taylor Howe (Defense) and Jack Hamel (Offense); Most Improved Player: Brian Branch (Defense) and Cal Rorabeck (Offense); Coaches Award: Jake McLean; Mr. Weight Room: Oliver O'Keefe; Mr. Football: DJ Skie; Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Peter Palecek; Kearney Memorial Award: Trevor Tillett; Player-Coach Whistle Award: Jake Olson and Ryan Peltier; MVP Defense: David Peterson; MVP Offense: Zach Knox; Most Valuable Player: Zach Knox; Captains elect: Matt Anderson, Ryan Floen, Zach Knox, Andrew Lammers and Ian Weisbrod.


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text: It's midnight at the oasis and the shadows of the desert moon filter down through palm trees and bedouin penants to land, silvery and ornate like filigree, on the sands. This ethereal nighttime chemise, with its silvery filigrees of triangle stretch-lace gorgeously intertwined with a soft body skimming skirt is light and airy and lovely as those shadows. Add on a rouge-magique bow and midnight at the oasis seems like the right place to be.


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Yesterday, Drexel speculated about whether or not the Titans would draft a quarterback and listed a few possible candidates. Personally, I think it's a real possibility, but the Titans also chose to address their immediate needs at the position, signing Chris Simms to what is reportedly a one-year deal.
This is Simms' second go-round with the Titans, after being signed following VY's injury against the Jaguars Week 1 of 2008. He spent the next couple games as the backup then the rest of the year as the third-stringer, seeing his only action in the fourth quarter of the Week 17 who cares fest against the Colts when he threw two passes. He decamped for the Broncos and a shot at a starting job last offseason, spending the year as Kyle Orton's backup and putting in some of the worst work this side of JaMarcus Russell in his limited action (5-17, 1 interception, 5 sacks).
I saw it speculated he's just another QB to have around, but he's too experienced and expensive for me to think that-a vet equivalent of Alex Mortensen could've been had easier and cheaper. Rather, Simms is competition for Kerry Collins, at least in the sense of an incentive to get him to renegotiate his $5.5 million base salary. With Simms' performance since his 2006 spleen injury, I have ZERO confidence in him should he be called upon to play, so I'm hoping Collins renegotiates, but that's an easier hope to have when it's not you take a sizable paycut.


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Microsoft's great next-gen hope Gears of War slips two places to number three, while Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 6 moves up one place to fifth. THQ's WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2007 drops three places to number six, then it's as-you-were for the next three positions with Call of Duty 3, Lego Star Wars II and Bratz: Forever Diamondz all sticking at seven, eight and nine respectively. THQ's Cars continues to shift decent numbers several months after its releases and completes the top ten this week, moving up one place.
Hard rockin' cult favourite Guitar Hero II makes its debut at number 16 this week, but there are few other new entries of note – with several high profile titles failing to even make it into the top forty.
Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog on Xbox 360, EA's Cricket '07, Eidos' Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Party Edition, Midway's Happy Feet and Deep Silver's Warhammer: Mark of Chaos all make their debuts outside the top forty this week, in an indication of how competitive this time of year has become.


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Finalizing a schedule for a league with an uneven number of teams creates real challenges.
For example, the 21-team circuit must always have one squad with a bye week to make the schedule work. Other times that number may be three, but rarely five or more.
Not playing inter-conference games for months at a time, though, isn't something the league has to do. It's not a requirement.
In examining the schedule and analyzing its shortcomings, one can see there have only been three inter-conference series this season.
Those series: Toyama vs. Osaka, Tokyo vs. Takamatsu and Sendai vs. Hamamatsu Higashimikawa.
As the league's fan base increases with new markets for teams being added year after year, it should find a more logical way to sprinkle in non-conference contests for all teams throughout the season, league insiders have noted. This would give them greater exposure to all teams, and more opportunities to develop a greater appreciation for the league's stars, mainstays and up-and-coming players.
Take a look at some scheduling quirks:
■ Chiba, for instance, has only six home games in March and April, with two of those two-day showdowns against West opponents, Shiga (March 9-10) and Ryukyu (March 16-17). The Jets have 10 of their final 12 games on the road.
■ Niigata was scheduled to play six straight home games between Dec. 15 and 30, before hitting the road for 15 of their next 17 games on the road (a game against Sendai was rescheduled for January after an earthquake in Tohoku the previous month).
■ Shimane has 16 games to play in March and April to close out the regular season. Of those eight series, only two are against West foes — at Ryukyu on March 30-31 and at Shiga on April 27-28. The Magic's other opponents in the season's stretch run are Akita, Shinshu, Gunma, Toyama, Iwate and Saitama.
Logic dictates that as the playoff chase heats up in the spring, teams ought to play more games against teams in their own conference. It'll benefit the entire league to make structural changes in how it schedules all games.
Around the league: Two-time Best Five guard Naoto Takushi, who has previously suited up for Ryukyu, Kyoto, Niigata and Oita, will make his Iwate debut this weekend, according to a league source. The cash-strapped HeatDevils and Takushi could not come to terms on a renegotiated contract at the height of the team's financial crisis in November.
Center Paul Butorac, released by the Yokohama B-Corsairs in December, has resurfaced with the JBL2's Toyota Tsusho Fighting Eagles.
During the B-Corsairs' bye week, Yokohama coach Reggie Geary took a trip to Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, where he and his wife and two children, saw Daibutsu (the Great Buddha).
Evessa center Rick Rickert is pleased with the leadership Bill Cartwright brought to the team when he was named coach Jan. 21.
Now, the real work continues as Cartwright implements his offensive and defensive systems.
"It feels like training camp right now," Rickert said earlier this week. "We had a three-hour practice today, so we were able to put a few new things in our offense. Coach expects a lot out of us, and this is exactly what we need to get to the next level."
Movin' on up: The host Shiga Lakestars swept the defending champion Ryukyu Golden Kings, who have dropped three straight games, last weekend in Otsu.
Shiga (17-11) is in the thick of things in the Western Conference playoff race, with the same record as Fukuoka and just behind Shimane (18-10), Hamamatsu (20-10) and Ryukyu (20-6).
"We've been playing some good ball recently as we've won seven of our last eight (games)," Lakestars coach Al Westover told The Japan Times.
"The challenge is to keep it going, and, of course, to keep getting better."
Looking back on Sunday's game, Westover said his team's mental strength paid off.
"It was a good sign when we got down by 12 points in the first quarter on Sunday," he said, "and we were able to fight back and get the lead and, of course, the victory. Earlier in the year, we might have folded, but the group is now playing with a lot of heart, enthusiasm and confidence.
"To build on our recent success and to be one of the top teams in the league, we have to bring it every weekend. We are excited about the rest of the season and the challenges that are in front of us."


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2011 saw plenty of former Trojans make their mark in the NFL. Here is a look at USC football alumni, starting with the AFC.
Kyle Moore (DE) -- Claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay, Moore saw action in four games, totaling four tackles.
Reggie Bush (RB) -- Bush had his best season since entering the NFL. He started every game, finishing the season with 1,086 yards on 216 carries and six touchdowns while catching 43 passes for 296 yards and another score.
Joe McKnight (RB) -- McKnight played in all 16 games and finished the season with 43 carries for 134 yards. McKnight's presence was felt more on special teams, where he consistently made plays.
Mark Sanchez (QB) -- Sanchez and the Jets didn't finish their season on a high note like the previous two, losing their last three games. Sanchez finished the season with a career high 3,474 passing yards, throwing for 26 touchdowns while rushing for six more.
Rey Maualuga (LB) -- Started 14 games and was sidelined for two weeks due to an ankle injury. He helped anchor the middle of the Bengals defense that ranked seventh in the NFL, compiling 88 tackles and an interception.
Taylor Mays (DB) -- Mays played in six games, totaling 14 tackles.
Keith Rivers (LB) -- Was placed on injured reserve in September from a non-football injury he suffered in July.
Frostee Rucker (DE) -- Rucker played in every game, starting in 11 of them. He posted career highs in tackles and sacks while leading the team in tackles-for-loss. He finished the season with 44 tackles and four sacks.
Jordan Cameron (TE) -- Caught six passes for 33 yards during his rookie season.
Kaluka Maiava (LB) -- Maiava had six starts for the Browns and was a consistent player, especially on special teams. He finished the season with 34 tackles.
Troy Polamalu (DB) --Voted to his seventh straight Pro Bowl, Polamalu is one of the top safeties in the NFL. He started every game, racking up 91 tackles, one sack and two interceptions.
Shaun Cody (DT) -- Cody started every game for the Texans and finished the season with 23 tackles and one sack. He had seven tackles in Houston's two playoff games.
Brian Cushing (LB) -- Voted as one of the team's captains, Cushing led one of the top defenses in the league. He started every game, finishing the season with 114 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions.
Matt Leinart (QB) -- With Matt Schaub getting hurt in the middle of the season, Leinart had a great opportunity to lead a very good Texans team into the playoffs. However, his opportunity was cut short in his first start, when he injured his shoulder and had to be placed on IR for the rest of the season.
Fili Moala (DT) -- Moala started 14 games and finished the season with 22 tackles and two sacks.
Kevin Thomas (DB) -- Thomas started five games this season, finishing with 33 tackles.
Jurrell Casey (DT) -- Casey made an impact as a rookie, compiling 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Damian Williams (WR) -- In just his second season in the league, Williams was a consistent target for the Titans. He started 13 games and finished the season with 592 yards and five touchdowns on 45 catches.
Matt Cassel (QB) -- Placed on IR after the 10th game, Cassel had solid numbers, throwing for 1,713 yards and 10 touchdowns.
David Ausberry (WR) -- Had two receptions for 14 yards as a rookie.
Carson Palmer (QB) -- Palmer was traded from the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 18 in hopes of leading the Raiders to the playoffs. The Raiders went 4-6 in Palmer's 10 starts to fall short of that goal. Palmer still had some pretty good numbers even though he wasn't in training camp and had to learn the playbook on the fly. At the end of the season, he threw for 2,753 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Alex Parsons (OL) -- Was put on IR at the beginning of the season.
Shareece Wright (DB) -- Wright played seven games, mostly on special teams, during his rookie season, compiling four tackles.


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Amour [2012] (DVD)
Michael Haneke
SHIPS FREE in U.S.
In French with English subtitles.
Insightful. Original. Exquisite. Georges and Anne have known a lifetime of love within their intimate marriage. Though their bond has survived time's test, it's about to meet its greatest challenge. Acclaimed director Michael Haneke brings a performance tour-de-force to the screen in a film that exalts the beautiful, compassionate and courageous within us all.
Product Details
- Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Laurent Capelluto, William Shimell, Dinara Drukarova
- Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: PG-13
- Label: Sony Home Pictures Entertainment
- Run Time: 127 minutes
- Catalogue #: 41738
Special Features
- Making of Amour
- Q & A with Director Michael Haneke
User Reviews
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Its a great Loss - Jayasudha pays Tribute to Ramanaidu - ABN
Wed, Feb 18, 2015, 04:31 PM
Daggubati Ramanaidu passed away in Hyderabad on Wednesday afternoon, 18 February after a long battle with cancer. Speaking about this sudden demise senior actress Jayasudha said that she is very shocked by this news. She recalls that she worked in 7 to 8 pictures in his production. She said that he is a very sincere producer and has very humble manners and respects each everyone in the industry. Watch for more..


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South African War
Cpl William J Byrne Pte Daniel Clarke
1st World War 1914-1918 Pte James Anderson Pte John Anderson Rfm Timothy J Breen Pte Michael J Collins Pte William J Collins Pte John P Cox Gnr Edward J Dennehy Pte Thomas F Dennehy Pte Andrew J Dick Pte John L Fitzgerald Pte Robert Fitzgerald Pte Patrick G Fitzgerald Pte William M Gray Tpr Thomas R Kennedy Pte Arthur W King Pte Michael Kirby Pte Henry F Kirk MM Rfm Humphrey W Lane L/Cpl Gordon R Mahoney Capt. Leslie G O'Callaghan 2 Lt Denis J O'Connor Pte James O'Connor Pte Paul J O'Connor Pte Cornelius O'Shea Pte Daniel O'Shea Rfm Charles Scannell Pte Michael J Scannell Pte John M Sheehan Pte Michael A Spring Rfm John Sullivan Pte James Sullivan Pte John C Wade Pte William A Wall L/Cpl James P Wederell
|2nd World War
Brig Patrick A Ardagh CBE, DSO, MC, MID photo obit F/O Michael J Berry F/Sgt Michael W Cosgrove W/O Frederick W Climo Dvr Gerald D Cox F/O Francis T Culling-Mannix Lt. Thomas W Daly L/Cpl Francis P Duffy Lt Guy P Gifford Cpl Leslie Gollan 2 Lt Colin D Giffiths Pte Karl W Hall Cpl Laurence E Hayhurst Fl/Lt Eugene J Hetherington Pt. Norman E Joyce Pte Phillip J Kent P/O Denis P Kyne Sgt/P James H McClafferty Pte Alexander F McCormick L/Cpl Allen J Rennie L/Sgt Patrick L Scannell Dvr Maurice C Seaman Cpl Douglas P Shea Pte Francis B Sloan Pte P Sullivan Sgt Brian J Walsh Cpl William P Walsh F/O Denis P Wilkes
'At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
we will remember them.'
The Dennehy Brothers.
2/817A Gunner Edmund James Dennehy, NZ Field Artillery.
26/990 Riflemen Frederick Michael Dennehy, 4th Battalion, NZ Rifle Brigade.
46565 Private Thomas F. Dennehy, 25th Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry, NZEF.
The sons of Michael Frederick and Margaret Josephine Dennehy, of North St, left for war — Edmund in October 1914, Frederick in February 1916 and Thomas in April 1917. Edmund was living in Wellington at the time of his enlistment and working for NZ Railways. He served with the Wellington Battalion; Privates Scobie and Bloomfield from Timaru served with him in his gun detachment. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 6, 1915, and buried on Chunuk Bair. Thomas was a clerk who enlisted in Christchurch, leaving New Zealand in April 1917, bound for Plymouth. He was wounded in action at Passchendaele on October 12, 1917, but was later reported killed in action. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial near Zonnebeke, Belgium. Frederick was a bank clerk who left in February, 1916, for Egypt. He survived the conflict to return and died in April 1947.


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May 01 2012
Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
I had heard good things about the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, so when I got to choose our family outing last weekend, this is where I decided we were going to go, despite the grumblings of children who wanted to go to Mall of America or the children's museum instead. I wanted to go somewhere new and interesting without fighting crowds on a cool and rainy Saturday.
The Pavek Museum of Broadcasting is located in a business/light-industrial area of St. Louis Park, MN, just off Hwys 100 and 7. After paying our admission and hanging up our coats, one son noticed the audio tour option, but we instead went with the guided tour of the museum that was offered to us. Our guide cranked up a Victrola and a replica of Edison's first phonograph, and we threw some nickels into an old-time juke box. We learned about electricity with Leyden jar experiments like they have at the Bakken Museum, and got a demonstration of a ship's radio system from days gone by.
Then it was on to the next room, where three kids at a time competed in a quiz show, complete with Jeopardy-style buzz-in buttons and broadcast on an old-time TV right in front of us.
Our guide read the questions and kept score.
We tried our hands at playing the Theremin, and then were shown a video that proves that some people actually were able to get songs to come from this electronic musical instrument. We were taken to a back room where it was explained how film works, and after being given actual film clips to look at (something new for our kids' generation), we watched the Roadrunner escape the coyote until the film broke.
Each child tried their hand at a telegraph, we heard music from old-time movie-theater speakers, and watched old-time TV shows on an old-time television.
The highlight of the visit, however, was doing our own radio show in the radio studio. With one child at the controls, two announcers, and two reporters, we followed the script and broadcast our very own radio show, which was e-mailed to us after we left the museum. Seeing how radio works, even though the studio setup was from the late-1960s, was an eye-opener for our WCCO-listening family.
Our Pavek Museum Radio Broadcast
We spent about an hour and a half at the museum; enthusiasts who want to examine all of the old radios and television sets on site could spend much longer.
At the end, even those children who weren't sure about going to the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting said it was a lot more fun than they'd expected it to be. I've already recommended it to friends and to our school as a good field trip option for upper-elementary students. The Pavek Museum of Broadcasting does an excellent job of portraying the history of broadcasting in an informative and interactive way.
3 Comments to "Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in St. Louis Park, Minnesota"
Believe it or not, I know what a theremin is! I dragged Tim to a documentary movie called…Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey…fascinating story where the developer of the theremin was supposedly abducted by the KGB!
I'd love this museum. I have a small collection of vintage radios, so those caught my eye immdediately.
I used to live in St Louis Park and always wanted to go to this museum! Thanks for the article on it, now I know that it is definitely worth checking out. Funny, I could never convince my girlfriend to go. Maybe will just have to go solo next time I am in the area!
# Sarah Rachel Photogr on 26 Jun 2013 at 6:11 am
I remember on my 3rd grade that I was the representative on our broadcasting contest and I was like really nervous.


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Julian, over at Exceler8ion, discusses corporate blogging policies. I'm with Julian. I'd be hard-pressed to find a corporate blogging policy longer than a sentence or 2 that doesn't totally stink.
I think that if you dig beneath all the wordy lists of "dos" and "don'ts", what you actually find are companies that want their employees to blog and companies that feel like they have to let their employees blog. Seriously:
Companies that want their employees to blog see an opportunity to connect with customers/partners outside the traditional sales cycle
Companies that want their employees to blog value transparency
Companies that want their employees to blog feel confident that they have hired good people they can trust (you know I had to somehow make this a little bit about staffing, right?)
Companies that want their employees to blog fear inertia more than criticism
Companies that want their employees to blog understand that the market shapes perception and that they lack 100% control over that
On the other hand, some companies feel like they *have to* let their employees blog, much to their discomfort because other companies are doing it, because their employees want to do it. But they fear it because
...they can't control the message
...they don't trust their employees to blog responsibly
...they don't understand how blogging can inform product development or marketing
...they fear criticism...out there...in the open for anyone to see (is self-criticism out of the question?)
My opinion (which all of this is), is simply that if you can't trust your folks to blog, then don't have them blog for work. It's not for everyone...consider your corporate culture. But make an informed decision based on an understanding of the medium and it's potential value to your organization. When I look at some of these blog policies, I try to think about how my blogging would change if I had to apply them. It's not necessarily any one policy that concerns me but that, taken together, they seem to represent a fear of allowing employees to blog. As if to say: "we don't really want you to blog, but if you must, follow these vague rules". Telling people not to violate agreements they have signed? Duh! You can't disclose proprietary information? Duh! No obscene material? Wait while I delete a post I've been working on.
I guess my position is that if you need to spell it out for people this plainly, you really don't trust them to blog in the first place and/or you need to raise your hiring bar. Are you trying to scare them off blogging? Giving yourself something to point to if you don't like what they say? I'm not trying to criticize any one company; I just don't buy into these extensive blogging policies.
I prefer the "don't do anything stupid" policy, which assumes (hopefully based on proof) that you hire smart people. Though Julian's phrasing matches my inner snark dialog a little better ; )


text: On Fri, 2 May 2008, Christopher Barker wrote: > Why not just scale to -pi to pi right there? Dunno, Chris. As I wrote to Anne (including a couple of files and the resulting plot), it's been almost three decades since I dealt with the math underlying distribution functions. > Which is why you want linspace, rather than arange. Really, trust me on > this! I see the difference in the book. Didn't know about linspace(), but adding True brings the end point to 100.0 > If the cosine curve isn't right for you, a little create use of np.where > would let you do what you want in maybe another line or two of code. > Something like: > > y = np.where( x < 0 , Leftfun(x), Rightfun(x) ) > > or just compute one side and then flip it to make the other side: > > y = np.zeros_like(x) > y[center:] = fun(x[center:]) > y[:center] = y[center+1:][::-1] # don't want the center point twice > > if it's symetric anyway. I'll look into this over the weekend (after upgrading my machines to Slackware-12.1). I can get nice sigmoid curves with the Boltzmann function. This thread started when I asked how to combine the two into a single curve with one set of x,y points. Much appreciated, Rich -- Richard B. Shepard, Ph.D. | Integrity Credibility Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc. | Innovation <http://www.appl-ecosys.com> Voice: 503-667-4517 Fax: 503-667-8863


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Truth or Dare
When it comes to verbal communication, I can pretty much talk about anything and everything. And even though my husband isn't as chatty as I am, we generally have no problem finding things to discuss. Actually, one of the things I love most about him is that he truly listens to me, respects my opinions, and enjoys carrying on an intelligent conversation. He's also perfectly capable of standing up to me in a good argument, and I have to respect a man who can win a few—even if it is only a few. But there's one topic we both stumble over—and that is sex. Actually, it isn't the topic of sex, per se, but individual issues we each have that get in the way of our being able to effectively communicate our wants and needs.
As far as this problem goes, my stumbling block is probably the biggest. I can talk "about" sex. I have no problem telling him if I didn't like something, or there's something I prefer not to try, and if he brings up a sexual topic, I don't generally have too much trouble discussing it (though if I am having difficulty, he's pretty adept at drawing me out). I can also tell him that I had a great time the night before and even some of the particulars, but I can't always get down and dirty in describing what exactly was so great about it.
No, when it comes telling my husband something specific—such as something I would like us to try, something I would like him to do, or something I would like to do to him, I get completely tongue-tied. And I mean completely, as in, can't utter a word. There have been countless times that I've wanted share a fantasy with him. Even when I know it's something he probably would like us to play out, when I try to get up the nerve to tell him, I freeze. And no amount of liquid courage—a.k.a. alcohol—can lubricate my tongue enough to share my most intimate desires. (Believe me, I've tried—and all I got out of it was a hangover.)
For example, one night, we were playing a store-bought "Truth or Dare" game—the perfect opportunity to reveal my favorite secret sex scenario. I sat there for what seemed an eternity—probably only a minute really—willing myself to take the shot, but I just couldn't. When my turn came, I took the dare and shoved the truth back into its box.
I have to say that while playing sex games didn't unlock my secret doors, they worked like a charm on my husband. When he picked a card that said: "Tell your lover what your favorite part of her body is," you could have bowled me over with a feather when he answered, "Breasts, baby!" I was shocked! I am fairly small-chested, not to mention the fact that I've had four children. I've always been very self-conscious about my breasts. He said he adores them because they're so sensitive that he can bring me to orgasm just by playing with them. Who can argue with that?
Unintentionally Incommunicado
I'd also like to be able to talk dirty during sex. But that almost never happens—unless it's in the heat of the moment, and my mouth blurts something out before my brain has a chance to stop it. I can't even get up the nerve to tell him to pull my hair when I want him to. It's easier to try to will him to do it than it is for me to say it. (Oh to be a Jedi, now that spring is here.)
I don't know what in the world I think is going to happen if I just open up. It's not like my husband would be shocked or say, "I want a divorce!" Knowing him as I do, my frankness would actually be a big turn-on. He'd probably jump at the chance to do some of the stuff that goes through my head. And believe me, though I can't put them into words, I can definitely come up with all kinds of wonderful, kinky things we could be doing together.
Case in point: I knew for a long time that he'd wanted to try anal, but I wasn't ready. However, there eventually came a point when I did want to try it—only I couldn't tell him. So, I waited, figuring he would bring the subject up again. But he didn't, which is just crazy because for years he kept asking. And now, all of a sudden, when I want to, he gives up? WTF?
Well, after waiting a while, I decided to write him a little note, which I did, several times. All were quickly torn up and thrown in the garbage. Thinking it would be much more difficult to rip up the phone, I tried to text him, but I just couldn't hit send.
Finally, I went online and ordered some toys, lube and a video about anal sex. When they arrived, I put everything in a box, wrapped it up really pretty, put a huge bow on top, and left it on the bed for him as a present on our usual date night. I was so apprehensive that I couldn't even be in the same room when he opened it, but when he came out of the bedroom with a big, shit-eating, "I know exactly what I'm getting tonight" grin on his face, I knew I'd scored a homerun. (That strategy worked so well, that unbeknownst to him, I've used the video ploy a couple of other times. It's just easier to mention something looks fun or interesting while you're watching someone else do it.)
Still, I really do wish I could get up the nerve to tell my husband my deepest, darkest desire down to the very last dirty detail (Hint: It includes plenty of domination and verbal communication on his part). Maybe I could do it right here and now: "Good morning, Mr. Phelps. Your mission is to...to..." On second thought, maybe not. I'd only have to destroy my computer, and have the secretary disavow any knowlege of my actions.


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|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|3 - 6 nights
Champagne Jam –
Views, views, and more views! That's what you get from this beautiful custom designed home which is just steps from the beach and convenient to some of the most beautiful golf courses. This 4 bedroom , 3 bath home sleeps 12 with 2 kings, 2 queens, 1 queen sleeper sofa and 1 queen luxury futon.
The home features 2 master suites, one on the terrace level with French doors opening to the pool with a covered deck and full bath. The other taking the entire third floor. Awaken to the sounds and sights of the gulf and watch the sunrise or sunset from your own private covered deck, or sit in the lavish bathtub and gaze at the gulf.
The tower room also known as the SKYBAR features panoramic views from this glass oasis in the sky. Tan or sit on the large sky bar deck (17x20) and feel like you can touch the sky while gazing at the best view on the gulf. Main floor features all the comforts of home and more; gourmet kitchen, wine bar, large dining area for the family and friends to gather and share memories for a lifetime.
Home features a 12x24 heated pool with sundecks both in and out and a 15x30 covered lanai for the pool side dining experience. This home is guaranteed to keep you returning for a lifetime of Champagne Wishes and Sandcastle Dreams!
This home is located in Blue Mountain Beach. This is slow paced lovely community located on Scenic Hwy. 30A. Walk to the lovely quaint ice cream shop right down the street, or take a short drive to other communities along 30A for dining and shopping activities.
First Floor: King bedroom with pool access, full hall bath, and laundry room.
Second Floor: Living room with sleeper sofa, dining room, kitchen, queen bedroom, queen bedroom, and full hall bath.
Third Floor: King master bedroom with full bath and Gulf side balcony.
Queen futon, wetbar, and Gulf side balcony.
*add $35.00 per day to heat pool (available Oct-April if needed)
*Note – This property may have date restrictions that apply. All reservations submitted online are a request until receiving an email confirmation from Ocean Reef Resorts. For more details, please review our Minimum Night Stay under Rental Policies.
For over thirty years Ocean Reef has distinguished itself as the leading vacation rental property management company on the Emerald Coast. Our current catalogue of exceptional properties spans the Gulf Coast – from Destin to Panama City Beach. Steeped in a tradition of hospitality and exemplary service, we pride ourselves on providing an unmatched vacation experience.
Blue Mountain Beach is the highest elevated point along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It inherited it's name from the early Spanish Conquistadors who caught a glimpse of the native blue lupine flowers high on the horizon. Outdoor enthusiasts will take delight in hiking through the pine groves of Point Washington State Forest or biking along the Timpocche Trail. Beachgoers will revel in the sand and enjoy some of the most wide open beaches in all of South Walton. Accommodations offered in Blue Mountain Beach are comprised of intimate low-key beachfront condos, lavish beachside resorts and a selection of vacation homes both on and off the beach.
24-Hour Guest Services
thank you so much for letting us get into the house a few hours early. It was very much appreciated after a long night of travel! When we arrived the pool was in need of cleaning. One quick phone call and the pool guy was there in less than 15 minutes. That is great service. Ocean Reef worked with me every step of the way. When the first house we booked sold, we were contacted immediately and we were set up with the replacement house. Then nightmare of nightmares, the people we were travelling with told us the wrong dates. Ocean Reef did not penalize us for the error, instead they eagerly helped and helped resolved the problem.
We had 6 adults in our party, all in high pressured jobs who were looking forward to a relaxing, rejuvenating vacation at a beautiful property.
We really enjoyed the ocean breezes and view, the pool area was very nice and private and became our favorite place to spend time in the evenings.
However, we were very disappointed in the beds which were very hard with scratchy sheets. None of us slept well at all. We called Ocean Reef and they responded to our complaint that day by bringing out mattress covers which were almost as thin as the sheets on the beds, and of no relief at all.
In addition, one of the chairs on the 2nd balcony completely crumbled when one of our party sat in it. The wood was rotten. Thankfully he only had a sore back from it, Ocean Reef removed the chair the next day. Some of the chairs on that property need to be checked for safety.
Those of us sleeping on the bottom and 3rd floor heard everyone walking on the main 2nd floor, so make sure your entire party is on the same sleeping schedule if you do not want to be disturbed.
We had 2 days of rain and as a result, there were tons of little worms or centipedes in the house, especially in the bathroom.
Overall, the quality of the house does not match the price that we paid, thank goodness we did not pay top seasonal rates, but for almost 4 grand, we expected to get a good nights sleep. We have stayed at other properties in the area and received higher quality for less money.
what a wonderful combination of location and quality accommodations. the house is located on a very quiet road off of 30a with several close walk-downs to a much less populated beach. we had 4 family groups in the house but the verandas and pool patio gave us lots of room to spread out. each room was lovely and our teen and tween staked out the 4th floor and slept well on the futon. my only reccommendation would be to add some cushion to the king bed on 3rd floor - it was hard. we cooked some with excellent appliances and had short trips out to eat. it is so close to restaurants at grayton and seaside and about 30 minutes to movie at destin commons mall. my husband used the amenities program for free golf at ombre course in panama city several times. we got our exercise on the stairs in the house and to the beach but that is part of the charm of the home, and the views and breeze and sound of the ocean and the light in the mornings and sunsets and cooling off in the pool after being at the beach and the laughter of children and smiles of our family were unbeatable. thank you so much for a wonderful vacation.


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Established several years ago Asie Express has gained good repute as an authentic Cantonese food spot in Montreal. Our chefs crafted delicious array of Chinese dishes made with freshest ingredients to serve the appetite of our revered clients. Try our awesome Chinese flavors from the comfort of your home by placing an online order via JUSTEAT or come in at our entertaining venue for an unforgettable dining experience.
Check our complete collection of exotic foods that is skillfully prepared by our experienced chefs. Our menu contains all authentic Vietnamese, sushi, and Chinese dishes that can be ordered via JUSTEAT.
Dont be shy do contact us about everything and anything, we will be glad to hear from you.


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John Williams Jr. joined the Baylor staff as the school's director of strength and conditioning in May 2002 and was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director in August 2006.
Williams, who had worked with more than 15 different sports at the collegiate level during previous stops at North Carolina and Oklahoma State, oversees Baylor's overall strength and conditioning program for its 18 intercollegiate athletic programs and provides day-to-day leadership to the Baylor football program's strength and conditioning plans.
A 1995 graduate of North Carolina A&T, Williams sandwiched two tenures at North Carolina (as a graduate assistant from 1997-99 and as assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2000-02) around a one-year stint as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Oklahoma State (1999-2000).
Williams has trained seven first-round NFL Draft picks and nearly 40 NFL players in his young career.
The native of Greenville, N.C., is married to the former Sherri Taylor of Kinston, N.C., and they have a daughter, Christina Josette.


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- {{matchup.date.fullday}}{{matchup.date.month + ' ' + matchup.date.day}}
Utah State Downs Seattle 75-66 - Match Report
Utah State got 20 points and 10 rebounds from Kyisean Reed en route to a 75-66 victory over Seattle on Thursday at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Utah State won on the scoreboard, but lost at the pay window as they failed to cover the 12-point spread.
Utah State got 18 points from Preston Medlin and another 13 points from Marcel Davis. Marcel Davis contributed 7 assists, while Kyisean Reed cleaned the glass with 10 rebounds.
Seattle got a 23-point performance from Deshaun Sunderhaus, who was supported by 11 points from Chad Rasmussen. Prince Obasi had 8 assists in a losing cause for Seattle, while Deshaun Sunderhaus grabbed 10 rebounds.
Utah State hit the break leading 34-28 before taking care of business in the second half.
The rebound battle favored Seattle as they grabbed 34 boards, while Utah State only had 31.


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Android Users - Coming Soon! - Migrating from aCar 4.8 to 5.0
Real Name: Dypephelt Joined: April 2011
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Fuel economy misconceptions- Engine efficiency
Larger engine not working hard is more efficient than small ... ...
by Daschicken
Read more tips
© 2017 Fuelly.com - All Rights Reserved. Sep 26, 2017 3:48 PM CDT
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Coast Guard Auxiliary offers boating classes
The Coast Guard Auxiliary has safe-boating classes coming up:
• A one-day course from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is scheduled for Saturday. Cost is $35.
• A course that meets from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays begins Tuesday and continues through Oct. 14. Cost is $50.
Classes are held in the old Pappas restaurant building at the corner of Alternate U.S. 19 and Dodecanese Boulevard. Class size is limited. Register by calling (727) 938-8568.
Clothes to Kids needs volunteers
Clothes to Kids, which provides free clothing to low-income Pinellas County children, is seeking volunteers. The organization offers a variety of volunteer opportunities at its Clearwater store to match almost any schedule and skill level including stockroom, service, administrative, marketing and fundraising. In addition to the many adult volunteer opportunities, the group offers high-school students a chance to volunteer. For information, visit www.ClothestoKids.org or call Leslie Bednarski at (727) 441-5050, ext. 23.
Learn about the history of the SAT
Learning more about the SAT might be one way to prepare for that grueling experience. Eliot Schrefer, author of the book Hack the SAT, will speak at the Countryside library at 2 p.m. Sunday. Schrefer, also a private tutor, will discuss the SAT and college admissions, as well as the history and controversy surrounding the test. Schrefer, who lives in New York, is a graduate of Countryside High and Harvard. For information, call (727) 669-1290.
City is looking for sellers for market
Before you have buyers, you need sellers. So the city is looking for vendors interested in selling fresh produce, arts, crafts and other items at a Downtown Fresh Market tentatively scheduled to begin Wednesdays in November next to Oldsmar City Hall, 100 State St. W. For information, contact Richard Kendler at greenmarket email@example.com.
In Sports
Dixie Hollins is off to a 2-0 start despite a rocky offseason, and it isn't the only team that's a surprise, 10C.
Pinellas deaths
Alday, Doris Ellen
Benz, Allen
Bracco, John M. II
Chapman, Arthur A.
Cobb, Stephen Paul
Hevalow, Thomas C.
Humphrey, George A. Sr.
Jackson, Charlie Will Sr.
Koulianos, Antonios N.
Lamberson, Mick
McGowan, Charles Francis
McIntosh, Andre E.
Partelow, Kenneth W.
Rhine, Elizabeth Kelly
Ross, David Cameron
Russie, Mazie L.
Ryan, Donald F.
Utter, Jeffrey
Zube, John G.
This list is from detailed obituaries published in Section B.


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Indiana > Appellate > General
Sample Cover For Transcript Volumes - Indiana
|Sample Cover For Transcript Volumes Form. This is a Indiana form and can be used in General Appellate .
|Get this form for FREE as a print-only pdf
[SAMPLE COVER FOR TRANSCRIPT VOLUMES] Appellate Case No. ___________________________ App.R. 28-1 [Insert Trial Court or Administrative Agency Caption, including the case number, the names of the parties, the name of the trial court or administrative agency, and the name of the presiding judge] The Transcript [or Supplemental Transcript] Volume ________ [number of volume] of ______ [total number of volumes] Pages _____ through ______ Name Firm (if applicable) Address Telephone number Attorney for Plaintiff [or Pro Se Plaintiff] Name Firm (if applicable) Address Telephone number Attorney for Defendant [or Pro Se Defendant] American LegalNet, Inc. www.USCourtForms.com


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taralynn36's review of Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Matte Finishing Veil
63 reviews
80% would repurchase
Package Quality: 2.5
Price: $$$
Package Quality: 2.5
Price: $$$
INGREDIENTSZea Mays Starch (Corn), Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Mica, Silica, Magnesium Stearate, Zinc Oxide, Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, May Contain ( /-): Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides
Age: 30-35
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm
Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine
Eyes: Blue
This is a great finishing powder or probably would even work well on it's own. IMO, PF makes the best drugstore powders out there. I don't even bother with high-end brands.
Now about the packaging. I would prefer this product in a sifter mill instead of the brush. I almost went out and bought a very inexpensive powder so I could toss it and use the mill. But since I'm overseas and I don't get to the store much I decided to use it as it comes until I could get to the store. At first I found it very difficult to use, very hard and I didn't feel like any powder was coming out. Then after about a week and a half of using it, I've noticed that the brush has become softer and I'm actually getting the perfect amount of powder. I often use a little more powder than I actually need so I'm happy to see that this is now depositing the perfect amount. I've been so pleased I've decided to forgo buying a sifter and just continue to use the brush. So you may want to give the brush about a week or so to loosen up before you toss the container. I'm happy I stuck with it. continued >>
Read all 63 reviews of Mineral Wear Matte Finishing Veil
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The best way to contact us is by phoning us.
Phone: 0330 440 1634
Fax: 0330 440 1635
Textphone: 0330 440 1600
Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm. We close at the weekends, bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year.
Please note that 03 numbers, introduced by Ofcom, are an alternative to chargeable 08 numbers such as 0845. Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as, or less than, calls to 01 and 02 prefixed numbers and are included as part of any inclusive minutes or discount package. These rules apply to calls from any type of line including mobile, fixed line or payphone.
If you need to write to us, you can do so using the following address:
Ombudsman Services: Property
PO Box 1021
Alternatively you can email us or complete our online contact form.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Sistema integral de gestión pública sobre la base de devengo. Experiencias en el ámbito de países de la OCDE
This paper analyses the way the budget works using the accrual system method as a basic hypothesis in conceptual coherence with the countable system, to configure a modern global system of public administration used to successfully tackle the goals that the public bodies have set. We analyse the experiences that are happening in different countries of the OECD sphere, as paradigmatic models of these reforms. We resume the characteristics of the budgetary systems, the characteristics and objectives of the financial management systems, the problems for their implementation, as well as their implications in the decision making process. We conclude studying the starting process of the reform in Spain.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Volume (Year): 74 (2010)
Issue (Month): 02 ()
Pages: 200-245
|Contact details of provider:
| Postal: C/Donostia-San Sebastián, 1, 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Phone: + 34 945019038
Fax: + 34945019062
Web page: http://www.euskadi.eus/economia
More information through EDIRC
|Order Information:
| Postal: Dpto. de Hacienda y Finanzas, Gobierno Vasco, C/Donostia-San Sebastián, 1, 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
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-- Emanuel B. Beachy, 88, 2580 State Route 39, died Thursday, Oct. 21, 1999, at his residence.
Services will be Saturday at 9 a.m. at the residence, with Bishop Wayne A. Yoder officiating. Burial will be at Beachy Cemetery, Walnut Creek Township.
Friends may call anytime at the residence. Butler-Varns Funeral Home in Sugarcreek, is handling arrangements.
He was born June 10, 1911, in Holmes County to Benjamin B. and Faronica V. (Hershberger) Beachy and was married to Mary Ann (Beachy) Beachy. They were married Dec. 4, 1934 and she died Jan. 19, 1998.
Other survivors include a son, William Beachy and his wife, Lydia Ann, of the home; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.


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People climb down a destroyed section of boardwalk after checking the storm's approach as a nor'Easter arrives in the Rockaway neighborhood on Nov. 7, 2012 in the Queens borough of New York City.
Like many others, I have not been so preoccupied with the national election that I have ignored what is happening in the Northeast. I have watched with horrified fascination as picture after picture of devastation in New Jersey and New York, in particular, have come across my television and computer screens. I have wept and grieved and felt the sheer hopelessness of those who are now faced with the loss of everything.
I know from personal experience that after the television cameras and news people have left, it will be months and maybe years before those affected return to even a shadow of the life they had known before the storms. So many, many things that were destroyed are irreplaceable…including, and most especially, human lives.
And as I have watched the scenes, I have also heard the cries. People who bravely and courageously faced Hurricane Sandy seemed to be broken by the nor'easter. It was just too much. Too soon. One man in Queens was quoted as saying he was petrified– he felt he was living in the sequel of a horror movie. Another woman, choking back tears as she stood in front of her demolished home, said she had lost everything and didn't know where she would go, but was thankful that her family was with her. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said after the storms, he was now waiting for the locusts and the pestilence.
View Photo Gallery: More than a week after Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline, states in the Northeast are striving to recover. The storm killed more than 100 people in 10 states.
So a question that has risen from my heart, been tossed about in my mind, has now surfaced on my lips: Does God hear our cry? Does He still care for a nation that has shaken its fist in His face as it has defied His institution of marriage, demanded that public prayers not be lifted to Him in the name of His own beloved Son, insisted on the right to take innocent life, flaunted activity that He says is wrong, profited from greed and selfishness, oppressed the helpless for political gain, among many other issues? Does God still care? Or has He turned His face away from America?
To find the answer, I have not asked my father or my friends, my pastor or my peers. I have turned to the only source I know that can give me an accurate, truthful answer, whether it's one I want to hear or not. I have turned to my Bible. And the Bible says clearly and emphatically, yes, God still cares. But, when we demand, in effect, that He get out of our government programs, out of our social policies, out of our marketplace, out of our business, out of our schools, out of our national conversation…when He is even removed as the object of our national day of Thanksgiving and the celebration of His own Son's birth …then He begins to back away. Slowly. With a heart that is grieved. The Bible says that when we "do not honor Him as God, or give thanks" then He gives us over to whatever it is we're insisting on. (Romans 1:21, 24, 26, 28) God just lets us have our way. He removes His hand of blessing, and we are subjected to things that previously He had protected us from. This is where I believe we are today.
And so I return to my original question. Does God hear our cry? Will God hear our cries today after we have defied Him and disobeyed Him? Again, I turn to my Bible and find the answer stated again and again. Yes! But the key is that our cry must be directed to Him. God is a gentleman. He keeps His Word. But He patiently waits for us to turn to Him for help. When we do, He responds. The greatest king of Israel, David, who experienced his own personal failures as well as national crises, affirmed God's trustworthiness when he testified, The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down…The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; He hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145:14, 18-19)
God also promised David's successor, King Solomon, that when a nation experiences disasters, whether environmental or political or economical or the attack of radical extremists, "if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
God Himself was the hope for David and Solomon, and He has been our hope in ages past. Is He still our hope today? Does He hear our cry? We may never know until we cry…to Him. So let's find out. Let's turn to Him and start praying in earnest sincerity with humble repentance of sin. I believe He is waiting to hear from us…
Anne Graham Lotz,who speaks around the globe, is the founder of AnGeL Ministries, independent, nonprofit organization based in Raleigh, N.C. Her Just Give Me Jesus revivals have been held in more than 30 cities in 12 different countries.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Exercise and Fitness
Cardio respiratory endurance
what is cardiovascular endurance
"Cardiorespiratory fitness is related to the ability to perform large muscle, dynamic, moderate-to-high intensity exercise for prolonged periods. Performance of such exercise depends on the functional state of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and skeletal muscle systems. Cardiorespiratory fitness is considered health-related because low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness have been associated with a markedly increased risk of premature death from all causes and specifically from cardiovascular disease, b) increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a reduction in death from all causes, and c) high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher levels of habitual physical activity, which are, in turn, associated with many health benefits." - ACSM, Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, Sixth Edition
David Carroll
Fitness Instructor
Fitness Center at CARE\Crawley
University of Cincinnati


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A great little album by the Undisputed Truth – with more than a few numbers that have a "space" theme to them, and cool keyboards by Mark Davis to back up the sound. More than a few funky moments in the mix – and tracks include "1990", "Sqeeze Me Tease Me", "Earthquake Snake", "Spaced Out", and the great cut "UFO's". (Recent reissue.) © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc.
We realize that there are many different interpretations of the standard grades used for pre-owned vinyl record albums & CD, so we thought we'd offer you the ones that we are working with, so you have an idea what we mean when we give the grade for a non-new item on our pages.
Below are stated conditions for a used vinyl records at Dusty Groove. Grading for the cover should be assumed to be near (within a "+" or "-") the grading for the vinyl. If there is significant divergence from the condition of the vinyl, or specific flaws, these will be noted in the comments section of the item. However, please be aware that since the emphasis of this site is towards the music listener, our main concern is with the vinyl of any used item we sell. Additionally, please note that all of our records are graded visually; considering the volume of used vinyl we handle, it is impossible for us to listen to each record. If we spot any significant flaws, we make every attempt to listen through them and note how they play.
The following grading conditions apply to the vinyl component of an album or single:
If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record. This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip, cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.


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Reader's comments »
By adding a comment on the site, you accept our terms and conditions.
You can't fool all of the people all of the time.
But you can fool some of the people on April Fool's Day.
Especially if the gag is "the most popular mayor in the history of mayordom" taking over as owner, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Calgary Sun.
Tuesday's edition – complete with purple logo on the front page – announced Mayor Naheed Nenshi had purchased the paper.
It created a bit if a stir among some loyal readers who forgot to check the calendar before opening up the paper.
"I got about halfway through (the article) and realized what day it was," said one reader who called the hotline attached to the column Nenshi wrote.
"I think that's great that Mayor Nenshi and the Sun worked together for such a fun story."
Another reader said: "This is very well done. Too funny. I loved the Nenshine Girls."
A visitor from Ontario was filled with mayor-envy.
"It made me realize that we need more mayors like you back there."
Really? Rob Ford makes every day on the calendar look like April Fool's!
Other readers, however, were a little less forgiving.
"Thank God it's an April Fools' Day (joke) because if it wasn't, I'd be cancelling the paper."
Well, we survived the day without any cancellations.
And Nenshi said it was fun to play along.
"It was a fun joke, and thanks to the Sun for being good sports. Now, back to work! The purple looked nice on the cover, though,"said the mayor.
We'd like to thank Nenshi, his Chief of Staff Chima Nkemdirim and Communications Ace Daorcey Le Bray for being good sports as well and playing along.
Until this time next year, we'll stick to the real news.
By adding a comment on the site, you accept our terms and conditions.


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1952 graduate finally walks at commencement, 60 years later
Sixty years ago, Eddie Morris, BA '52, graduated from Baylor — the first in his family to earn a college degree — and left soon after his last class for San Francisco, where he attended Golden Gate Seminary. In the six decades since then, Morris has pastored two Baptist churches in California and spent almost 20 years selling insurance for State Farm. But he always had one regret — one he only recently revealed to his son, Steve.
"I asked him on one of our walks what is one of his greatest disappointments in life had been," said Steve. "He thought for a minute and said that he regretted not walking during graduation."
So Steve decided to do something about that. He contacted Baylor, and university officials were glad to help that dream come true. About 40 family members from six different states descended on Waco as Eddie –five months shy of his 90th birthday — returned from his home in Oregon to his alma mater for the first time in six decades; he walked the Ferrell Center stage and received his diploma from President Ken Starr on Saturday.
[LINKS: "A Walk to Remember," Tualatin [Ore.] Times || "Graduation 60 Years in the Making" (video), KWTX-TV || "Two unique graduates to walk Baylor stage," Waco Tribune-Herald]
"It still feels like the same friendly campus that I was in 60 years ago," he says. "I didn't dream that I could ever go back. I didn't think it was possible, and it never entered my mind that they would want some old man coming back and graduating with a bunch of kids."
"We are so indebted to Baylor," said Steve. "They are going over and beyond what I thought they'd do."
Sic 'em, Eddie!