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The castle walls appeared higher. It was true enough they never
changed, unless you believe the stories. But lying on the ground,
depending on your perception of the sky, the gray-pink seastone
walls seemed to grow. Today was the Day of Long Light, a day of
festivals and parties, of drinking Khendourian wine and eating
Trochean delicacies. Amidst the merry making and drunken
storytelling, Tannin Caladain stared up at the sky and at the
mountainous reach of the castle walls.
The days festivities went unnoticed around him, as he dreamed of
his grandfather's battles against the Tramon, long since fought
and won and written in the histories, yet vivid in his mind's eye
through his grandfather's stories. He dreamed of himself swinging
a mighty battle sword and removing the heads of his enemies.
Faceless though they were, he saw them as tall and muscular and
barbarous, with claws and fangs and an animal's roar for a voice.
He envisioned himself grappling for the upper hand over his foe
and then defeating them after a hearty contest of strength.
Scenes of battles with the Shadden, danced through his mind, as
he forced them to flee from the golden aura of his Light
He sighed. He had yet been permitted to venture beyond the castle
walls and his mightiest foe was his cousin Charles whom he had
yet to best at anything.
"Tannin! Tannin! What pray are you doing? Do you not know your
father expects you by his side for the day's festivities?"
Margaret grabbed him by the arm and yanked him up off the ground.
"And look at you! The grief I must endure! You may have Caladain
blood running through your veins but it is I, like a cat and her
kitten that must look after you. Now dust yourself off." She
gestured furiously, her arms flailing. "If the Prince knew that
his son lay in the dirt that we trod upon, he would have me
scalded in water and I in turn would have you."
"But Lady Margaret, I don't want to go." He had hoped calling her
lady Margaret would sway her to his side, as it had done so many
times before. He saw her brow darken at the ploy. "It's so
boring! All they do is sit around and tell the same old stories
over and over. Every year it's the same thing." He swiped at the
dirt on his knees. "They aren't like Grandfather's. They talk
about capturing bounty ships filled with silks or spices. Or
catching an oiled pig only after it has run half the day."
The walls have grown.
"I suppose you would rather be in the kitchens, plucking fowl or
washing vegetables, or perhaps a broom to the courtyard would
remove these thoughts of boredom from your head? You are who you
are, Tannin." She sounded like his mother. "And for today that
means you must be by your father's side." Her bony hand reached
out and grabbed him by the ear. "Now get along with you before I
take you upstairs and dress you myself."
The thought of being dressed by Margaret was enough to quash any
qualms he had concerning the festival. His royal blood had indeed
condemned him to many things he did not enjoy, things that took
him away from the freedom of a normal life for which he yearned.
He ambled towards the kitchen with Margaret at his heels, dusting
his back with a little more force than necessary, sending him
stumbling forward.
The walls have grown.
Tannin paused. He looked around. "Must I drag you!" Margaret
He wandered the halls towards his bedchamber, his route the same
as always. However with the festival, he encountered many a
wondrous curiosity. The kitchen smelled of yeasty breads and
cooking meat; spits, roasting succulent pig and lamb and for
Rhunians, a side of charred regot, blistered black on black. Bags
of flours and sugars crowded the lower halls for baking that
would continue throughout the day and magnums of wine and barrels
of Rhunian ale lined the walls to the ceiling, the source for
many a drunken tale that would be told in days to come.
Tannin imagined the day he would be able to take part in this,
having tales of his own, new tales of foes vanquished by his
sword, or of maidens rescued. Instead he must sit and
All the world seemed to be at peace from all he had heard.
Stories of greatness and prosperity accompanied all the parties
coming to the festivals. Only the coastal cities to the east,
across great Carthia, only they seemed to have anything
worrisome, but that was all it was. Fascian trolls from out of
the Draghon's back. A generation's old nuisance. Nothing more. As
if the days of war and battle had passed him by and he had been
born in a time of tales told.
He glanced down the corridor leading to the great kitchen,
listening as Margaret bellowed her orders about food preparation
and the incompetence of her assistants. He shivered at the
thought of being under her brow all the light of the day. The
night would be a blessing even a Lightbearer would look forward
to. He chuckled to himself as he ventured deeper into the
Couriers bearing official greetings, bustling pages burdened with
the regal raiment of their charges, and a host of familiar and
unfamiliar faces dashing to and for, all accompanied Tannin
through the great halls. Rooms usually dormant during the
majority of the year were now bustling, either being aired for
pending arrivals or presently occupied by the many lords and
ladies attending the festival. This festival, certainly one of
the most celebrated as it coincided with the shining of the three
moons and thus the gathering of Jorin', drew dignitaries and any
person of notable character, not to mention the entire House
Tannin reached his bedchamber, closing the door gratefully
against the tumult.
"The walls have grown."
Tannin whirled to find a man, old and dirty, beard crusted with
filth, eyes muddled brown and hair the color of sun-bleached
wood. He leaned against the far wall, casually poured himself
some water.
"Who are you? What are you doing in here?" Tannin turned to leave
but was compelled to remain.
"I know you Tannin tri'Caladain, son of Marcus di'Caladain, son
of Michael Caladain, son of Olde Caladain. You are the key. The
crown you shall wear, Catarrhin, and all of Carthia are at risk.
This day changes all."
Tannin looked at the man, his eyes unmistakably blue.
"You do not know me, Tannin? I am Tramaen."
Tannin's eyes rounded. Chiridion priest, here in Catarrhin! Truly
it could not be! He knew of Tramaen from the histories, magic
wielder of the Jorin' and outlaw.
Tramaen eyed him with amusement. "Yes. I see you know of me. I am
the one written of in the histories. But the stories, they suffer
from exaggerations and falsehoods. If they were written out true
they would be worse reading than your studies. But add a trickle
of treachery, a hint of conspiracy, and a few battles makes the
reading go more easily. Perhaps one day I will set them straight,
but mayhaps I will not. A good story breeds more than a sharp
blade and historians, they certainly are capable of producing
good reading." Tramaen took a step towards Tannin.
"But you're dead! Grandfather saw you fall!"
Tramaen appeared momentarily stunned, faltering in his steps, as
if struck by a blow. He recovered quickly. "Yes," he sighed, "I
did fall, but death so early in the game would be so unfair. As
you see I am not dead." Tramaen lifted his arms, the gray robe he
wore draping his old body like the dust cloths in an empty room.
"Close perhaps, but dead, no. I am as much alive as you. Unless
you are dead."
Tannin felt his strength drain from his person as he tumbled to
the stone floor, his very being seeming to flutter away like
dried leaves in a breeze. The room darkened. He reached for the
door, to escape but was unable to move.
"Get up." Tramaen stood next to Tannin, not old and decrepit, but
young and hardened, a soldier, eyes a vivid green. "You are very
strong and yet too open to suggestion. We will work on that."
Tramaen nodded to himself, whispering inaudibly and vanished into
the stone wall.
. He felt strength returning to his limbs. The door stood open
and a page paused in the doorway holding clean garments.
"Margaret has sent me with your clothes and to insist that you
hurry." The page looked about the room.
"Never mind that." Tannin took the clothing. "And not a word of
The page bowed out of the room and scurried down the hall. Tannin
was certain he would tell any and all who would listen.
Tryana woke, fear as strong as the sea wind taking hold of her
heart. She reached for the silvery moon, the rays instantly
forming shimmering strands. She wove more strands until images
began to form, the images from her dream. It was her son and a
human boy. And Khendour her home, in flames. Such images proven
true in the strands of moonlight frightened her.
Tryana caught her breath. Her husband Jarsai, long since gone on,
walked towards her in the misty image.
Tryana Ashyala. It returns. Khendour shall know pain again, but
as never before. The evil once thought vanquished so long ago,
wakes. Time is short. I am permitted solely to bid you warning,
for the evil that threatens Khendour, threatens all.
The words were sibilant and melodic as Jarsai had sounded in
life, but jaded with darkness which reinforced her fears. The
shimmering strands of light diminished, returning to the night
sky. Through the leaves, the wind blew and the night air was
warm, but Tryana trembled. Her world and all she knew was in
peril. She reached out with her mind, seeking the presence of her
children. What would become of their world? Tryana considered
this thought, shielding the fear she felt emanating from
Farain Gondor, lord chief of the mountain wolf clan, stood high
above the encampment, watching the flurry of activity below. They
prepared for a battle, a battle they would surely win, if the
gods looked upon them in favor. But the gods were at odds these
days, sending victory to the least likely, giving the underlings
a heavy sword and a mighty battle-ax. A foul wind of carrion and
burning flesh blew down through the passes of Ice Mountain. It
seemed all of Draghon's Back had the stench of death about her.
The scent alone was enough to deter any man, but the air was
filled with shrieks of pain and of fear resounding off the cliffs
and borne by the wind for all to hear.
It was believed they fought Fascians, trolls from out of the
Draghon's Back. Farain scoffed at the idea. Fascians were a cruel
and malicious race, but they did not eat the flesh of captives as
a means of torture. No, they were not the culprits behind the
raids on Traephos, but because of a generations-old hatred of
them, it was easy to force a gauntlet upon them, naming them foe.
To tell his men they fought an old enemy, one they knew, one
fought against during the Tramon wars, these words brought more
anger and contempt. Farain had already heard the stirring rumors
that this was not Fascian work, however, and his men carried the
gleam of such truths in their eyes.
Farain unsheathed his sword, admiring the silvery glint and
meticulous shine he had given it. His sword had neither name nor
glorious history but it had served him well, sparing his life on
more than one occasion.
His arrival on the battlefield, accompanied by his battalion of
fighting men was the measured remains of troops being sent from
Traephos. Another token battalion was believed on its way from
Charlan, but he doubted their arrival would come before their
march into the mountains. Caeris had sent all of two hundred men,
holding a strong reserve for themselves to thwart any further
attacks. And from Greneth, just fifty men and these haggard,
burdened with too much loss, but eager to seek vengeance. Three
thousand men, all told, a large enough force for a normal
campaign, but one venturing into a den of untold numbers, three
thousand did not seem enough. Farain shook his head at these
doubts, his thoughts always the same before any military
undertaking. But it was always best to think of your worst
Always see your bird before you cast your stone, goes the saying.
But in this case the bird was more a draghon and the stone a mere
grain of sand. But such odds, certain to please the gods with
such a show of bravery. Like Old Caladain against the mighty
Tramon. Rannd had indeed blessed him with a victory of legendary
proportions and handed him all of Carthia as well.
Farain allowed himself a momentary chuckle. These thought were of
a child's whim not a chief's undertaking. And before a battle no
less. He thanked the gods his thoughts were his own.
Jilaim carried himself solemnly through the darkened forest,
training his eyes on the mighty trees shadowing the forest floor.
Dark shadowy branches and leaves silhouetted by the green moon
darkened his path only slightly. The moon was at its high place
and lit the forest with a gentle verdant radiance that showed
Os'hilain swaying amidst many of the trees in a tender dance with
the wind. The crackling of branches and dried leaves were music
upon the forest floor, swiftly borne away by gusts of wind.
Jilaim stopped and pondered the tall tree before him, its
branches reaching deep into the recesses of the forest, some
intertwined overhead in the green canopy, others dipped and
caressed the earthen floor in the shadows out of sight. Its peak
swayed above the canopy overhead in the full light of the moons.
He reached his hand to the coarse bark of the trunk, drawing his
hand along as he circled the giant tree. The grooves and crevices
were innumerable and he would know them all, each mountain and
valley upon its surface. He stood again on his original path,
kneeling solemnly. His thoughts drifted momentarily to Sayanin
and Jovi. Had they too found their Os'hilain? He sat quietly,
listening to the wind tell its tale to the forest night, speaking
of rains in the south, of the harshness of the winter just past,
of the burning sun and the glistening moons that shone above, of
the brilliant clouds of butterflies nurturing the blooming fields
beyond Sylvinael. Jilaim listened intently to the rustling leaves
and the minute sway of the creaking trunks, and to the dry
grasses lapping like waves throughout the forest.
The dance continued. Brightness appeared at the horizon. The wind
paused as if waiting for the New One. Jilaim rose and reached
again for the trunk, giving his surrounding a final glance
through his own eyes. It would soon be different to him, both
larger and smaller. The warmth of the bark coaxed him closer and
pulled at his inner being. Suddenly he heard the wind again, at
first silently coming through the trees in the direction of the
horizon, it was all around him, on him. He swayed.
A brightness at the horizon, a brightness bringing with it life.
The Os'hilain reached with branches constricted in the immobile
branches of the surrounding trees. Branches crackled and broke
away, leaves crinkled and fell away being replaced by the new,
all straining and reaching for the sun. Jilaim was no more, only
the New One, Os'hilain, hearing the forest song, a song filling
the dawning, raised by the wind through the trees and sung by
every being of the forest.
Ry listened to the wind, the song she sung amidst the branches
and leaves of Sylvinael, bringing him the solitude he sought. He
had seen his tomorrow in the dream night just passed. His home,
Khendour, had been in flames, a truly magnificent sight, yet
frightening as the only world he knew was consumed by fire. He
had dreamed of loss, someone close to him, someone faceless in
his dreams but someone whom he cherished. He dared to ponder who
it was. He dreamed of strange cities and of people, stranger
still. And he had dreamed of death.
A strong wind rustled through Sylvinael. Ry sighed resting his
eyes on the green moon above, the tree moon, the moon of the
Os'hilain. The tales of this moon were exciting and intriguing.
The eldest of the elven became the warders of Sylvinael and
Khendour with this moon, safeguarding against brigands and
marauders from the sea and the nomadic tribes of the north
The moon of the Os'hilain appeared in his dreams as well. From
wherever and whenever, in faraway lands or along the ways of
Khendour, the starry nights of summer or the cold nights of
winter the moon shown bright.
Ry wondered on Jilaim, Sayanin and Jovi. They were to Become with
this moon. Had they found their chosen? With the rising of the
sun they would be true Os'hilain, living in the forest and of the
forest, roots delving deep into the soil feeding on the fertile
riches and limbs reaching into the air, grasping for knowledge
any and all pertaining to Khendour.
A human boy resided in his dreams as well. He carried with him
stones of light, which expelled darkness and evil with a burning
brightness. An aura of golden light emanated from him. The golden
light was familiar. It was the light of the Jorin', humans who
wields magic. But the light was bound, unreleased. He had yet to
find his 'Ro, his pairing. Ry found this curious. He wielded
magic too strongly to have his Light still bound. Perhaps the
An aged man stood before a great crowd gathered to hear a tale, a
tale told of magic and battle, of good and evil, of Light and
Darkness. He stared to the horizon as the moon began to rise. The
true beginning of the Rite of Jorin. A gasp carried through the
crowd as the moon swelled larger and larger at the horizon, its
light mingling and joining with the lights of Felin, the southern
moon, and Canin, the northern moon. The third great moon, the
moon of the Jorinda'Ro, the moon of the Os'hilain, the tree moon,
the moon that hung over the Cliffs of Catarrhin, rose free of the
horizon and blazed its green light in the night sky. The aged man
faced the crowd, all eyes now upon him.
"The time is come. With the rising of the moon, it is time to
venture forth and seek out the Jorin'. Time to seek out the
magic. Time to bring the Jorin' and the 'Ro together. Time to
feel the waters of Sethos flow about us. Time of the great trek
to seek out those who would join us in the Light. Time of the
The aged man looked out over the crowd as they cheered him. It
was their time. All in the crowd were Jorin' who had made their
way to Jarar'tol in the previous months to mark the beginning of
a journey. Some came to seek a true 'Ro to marry. Some sought the
magic that came with the pairing. Among them would be the healers
and seers and magicians of the coming age. But this was not their
whole number. Throughout all of the Carthia they would seek out
others. The trek would begin in Jarar'tol with the rising of the
sun and would venture to all the great cities and ports of
Carthia. Traephos first, the great northern port, a dwarven
province, the military might of the east. Along the Draghon's
Back south to Falcathe and Balduum and then west to Catarrhin
where the magic is strong. Their numbers would be swelling when
they entered Charlan and Rhun. Finally they would venture through
the forested lands of Khendour to the Laqke of Sethos. Into the
waters of Sethos, the Jorin', numbering into the tens of
thousands, would enter. Such would be their number to cause the
Riverswell two hundred leagues south to overflow her banks and
cleanse the Black Marshes of its stagnant waters. Further south,
at the mouth of the Trieis at Daman'rai, the waters would be
collected for healings, for brewing Balduumian ale, the best in
all the lands. Others would stand in the flowing waters hoping to
be blessed with Jorin' abilities or relieved of some illness. The
season that would follow would be more bountiful. The barren
plains along the Trieis would bloom with the rare draghon lilies.
The land would be renewed.
The old man smiled as he relished in the memories. So long to
wait and so soon upon them again. He felt strength in the air, an
invisible churning of elements, of untapped magics within the
crowd, some weak pulses other trembling vibrations of amazing
strength. Throughout the crowd, eyes sparkled with anticipation
and hope. He turned his eyes to the swollen moons above. Calin
and Fenia raced each other across the night sky as Verdis swelled
even larger overhead, casting stark moonshadows.
"It is begun," he muttered. He cast another glance at the crowd.
"It is begun."
Charlan stirred. Rumormongers in the street passed the word.
Spies and agents peered into every face. The King was among them
this day, the King's Game day. How did he travel? What was his
disguise? Vagabond? Merchant? Thief? These were the questions of
the people of Charlan and those who sought to be Kingcatcher. The
winner of the King's Game would be rewarded handsomely, gold to
fill the pocket, food for the belly, and a marker from the
He played the game against the wishes and admonishments of his
advisors and royal guard. But the King was very good, a
chameleon. He was young and strong and powerful, a man who should
be King and he played the game with skill. He knew his way with a
knife and could parry a longblade with the best of men. And the
people loved their King. From throughout Carthia they ventured to
Charlan for the opportunity to be Kingcatcher.
Drannin paced his quarters impatiently, waiting for word of his
King's whereabouts. He hated this game more than anyone did, he
was certain. But the King was stubborn when it came to his own
safety and had insisted that Drannin not interfere. Drannin
peered out the window into the early gray morning, wondering
where his King had placed himself amidst the city, worrying about
the lurking dangers around certain corners. He knew of the love
the people had for their king, but he also knew of the assassin's
who lay in wait for a king, this day being one of their most
advantageous. He knew of his King's prowess with a sword, with
any blade, but a blade was no weapon against a bolt from a
"Drannin put yourself at ease. The game is done. The King's ruse
has been undone by a stable boy. You should see him. He is
crestfallen to be discovered before the cockcrow." Daria laughed
pleasantly. "This day takes so much out of you."
Drannin turned to his wife. "It isn't as if we've nothing to do
this day. I must oversee the preparations for our departure for
Catarrhin, leave orders for Kell concerning Charlan and you know
how I hate this game. He is a child when it comes to playing. As
if it were the safest thing for a King to be doing." Drannin
shook his head, exacerbated. "We do all we can to dissuade him,
but to no avail. All I can do is fill the streets with as many
men as I can to prevent him from getting killed." Drannin
released a draining sigh. "I suppose I should meet this stable
boy. Find out how it is he is so quick to discover my King. I
dread to hear his request for the marker."
Drannin recalled the marker, a golden coin with the King's crest
embedded with smarag, a rare green ivory. The rare marker, a
prize all its own, paid or provided anything the Kingcatcher
might make of the King, within reason, and the King's reason gave
much in the way of freedom.
"What is your name boy?"
"Fresser, sire," he looked at Drannin. "They call me Fresser. My
given name in Eritt."
"You can not go before the King as Fresser. So it will be Eritt
when you make formal introductions." He looked at Daria, who eyed
the boy with a maternal concern. "How is it you discovered the
King so quickly?"
Eritt looked at them, uncertain of his words. "I thought him a
thief. He was in my stable, sneaking in the shadows." He paused
afraid his words might offend but then saw a smile on Daria's
face. "I was above in the loft asleep. I thought he was going to
make off with one of the new mares. I jumped down to stop him and
I saw it was Him."
"How did you know it was the King."
Eritt puffed out his chest and lifted his eyes to Drannin's. "I
know my King, sire."
Drannin ducked his head in acknowledgment. "And your marker? What
is to be your request."
"Kingcatcher!" It was a summons.
Eritt stared around the large chamber at the many faces that knew
not who he was, until the word was bellowed forth. Then the many
eyes within the chamber found him an irresistible mark of
Large oaken doors swung open and Eritt attempted to carry himself
with as much prestige as he could muster in a room filled with
Lords and Ladies who looked down upon him and his attire with
The inner chamber glowed and smelled of riches. Large intricate
tapestries covered the walls depicting scenes of battles and of
jousting knights and of coronations. Scented candles burned
throughout the chamber, potent fragrances grabbing his attention
as he entered the room. Several Lords and Ladies, laden with
light silks and jewels about their necks and fingers, whispered
amongst themselves as though his importance was nonexistent and
mere happenstance.
Eritt focused his thoughts on Daria's words. Keep your eyes on
the King. Show him your respect. Eritt listened for the footsteps
of Drannin and Daria and two of the King's blade, regaled in
their finest as they approached the King in ceremony. The King
sat in his throne and the Museman of court stood at his side. Two
additional members of the King's blade stood in front of the
King's dais to each side of his majesty. Both had their eyes
directly on Eritt as if he were the sole person in the great
hall. They seemed at ease but the hard malice in their eyes told
him he would be dead in but a moment if any threat arose. He
stopped a hand's reach of the King's blade and bowed.
"I wish to accompany you to Catarrhin, your Majesty." His words
echoed in the suddenly silent room. Even the whispering had
halted for his words.
The Museman paused in mid-sentence as he heard Eritt's request of
the King's Marker. "You seek adventure, lad?"
Eritt nodded.
Eritt noticed a faint aura about the man as he leaned for the
King's ear, whispering.
"Euphro has discerned that your request is a good one. And
company other than this lout of a museman would be good." The
King appraised the hushed gathering. "Let it be so. Let it be
known that the Kingcatcher accompanies the King to Catarrhin." He
smiled down at Eritt. "As my protector." The King lowered his
head towards Eritt and whispered. "Euphro is of a mind to have
you at my side and only a protector may be within the radius of
the blade."
"Thank you, your majesty." Eritt bowed his head.
Eritt paused in the doorway.
The day seemed bound never to end. No end in sight if Eritt
believed any of the happenings of the day and what the evening
promised. He had no inkling of his new identity, uncertain of
himself, of his surroundings. Another great hall, another
gathering of Lords and Ladies, another show he was forced to
endure. Ceremony, no matter how impractical it may seem, is often
necessary. Daria had again been at his side with encouraging
words to assist him through the great feast of the King's Game
"Eritt. Come and sit." The King motioned at a seat next to him.
Eritt walked the length of the table, looking at the king. He
appeared younger, stronger, and more royal than when he had
"caught" him in the stables this morning.
The conversation had stopped at the King's beckoning, but now as
he walked he heard the hushed murmuring behind hands as he walked
to sit beside the King.
" . . .Kingcatcher . . ."
" . . .Protector . . . by the king's side."
" . . . Magic . . ." " . . .Fresser . . ."
He paused in his stride and looked casually about at the mention
of his nickname. As far as he knew only Drannin and Daria were
aware of his street name. None looked at him though, again
relegating him the unimportant status of someone with a turn of
sudden good fortune.
The smoke from fire within the hostel beckoned Talien from out of
the cold mountain air. The scent of O'Bash ale and roasted meats
reminded him he had not eaten since the previous night. Talien
watched the windows, aglow from the burning fireplaces, which
were continuously burning within the Nesting Eagle. He listened
to the night air, filled with hearty laughter and the song of a
raucous ballad. He tethered Greysash to a tree on the ridge above
the hostel and walked towards the inn.
After so many nights alone, an evening of good food, sweet ale
and companionship other than his horse, seemed a blessing from
Tneth. He grasped the golden medallion through the coarse cloth
of his jerkin and gave silent thanks.
Two towering trees, their branches sweeping the ground, their
leaves a brash gold, flanked the entrance to the Nesting Eagle.
Adventitious limbs clung to the stone surface of the walls, while
others appeared secure within the lush canopy overhead, twisted
around the immobile branches of the native trees. Banyai!
Talien scrutinized the surrounding open area in front of the
hostel. All looked normal, except for the Banyai trees. He looked
at the Nesting Eagle again. Who or what was so important to have
the protection of warder trees? It was a sign, he knew, an omen
of things about to change. Within he would find a twist in his
destiny, a trek beyond the realms of O'Bash, venturing into a
world on the verge of cataclysmic change.
He stood between the warder trees, touching the warm coarse bark,
feeling a heat emanate from within them. Their warmth was
comforting and reassuring. Reluctantly he brought his hand away
and entered the Nesting Eagle.
"Well returned young Talien. And how is our errant knight this
eve?" Beldon Groth laughed from behind the long oaken bar of the
inn's tavern. "Slain any draghons of late. And what of that young
damsel I hear imprisoned in yon crag. You have saved her from a
terrible fate, have you not, and positioned yourself within her
good graces?" Another round of laughter filled the room. "Shall
we give our bard a deserved rest and allow you to spin us a tale
of your latest conquest?" Groth turned and drew Talien a tankard
of ale. "Here. To wet your lips and make the telling
Talien accepted the tankard hesitantly and drank. He sputtered
after the second swallow, grimacing at the bitter taste.
Rambunctious laughter drowned out the bard and his song. "Rhunian
rot!" Talien gasped for a cool breath.
"That is quite enough!" Dera Groth drew another tankard of ale,
this one of O'Bash. "You are all children, the lot of you, with
fat bellies and mush for sense." She turned to Talien. "Here,
drink this."
Talien drank, swishing the ale around, allowing the sweetness to
negate any lingering bitterness. He looked at Dera as he drank,
eyes thankful. "Are there travelers in this night?"
Dera halted any laughter from the inn with a stern look. "We are
the Nesting Eagle. The finest hostel on the banks of Rai Trieis
and en route to Catarrhin for the Festival. Of course we have
"I believe you have travelers of some import."
"The tale begins." An unseen voice uttered. A murmuring filled
the tavern as chairs squealed against the tavern floor, turning
to take in the conversation.
"What of travelers Dera?"
Dera glanced around the room, a bland expression on her face
until she came to Talien. "I can not tell you. I have given my
word to that. Save to say that young Talien here has more wit
about him than the lot of you. You who think yourselves brave
men, fighters and soldiers, may learn much from this errant
knight." She gestured toward Talien with her eyes, while
surveying the room for anyone with a mind to interrupt. "You sit
here each night and listen to a museman tell stories and drink
your ale and grow old, ignoring the rest of the world around you.
Young Talien only seeks the opportunities that have passed you
by, and by right they are his for the taking. And you make
"Dera! You go too far! Insulting these men who make our
"Beldon. You instigate the harassment of this boy each time he
crosses the threshold. A good laugh at his expense to boost the
morale of this lot. What? You think they'll not be back if I
fling a few insults their way?" Dera laughed and a few of the men
accompanied her. "Do you not think Talien might find a more
hospitable tavern along the river. Where he is not the end of
some joke. But he returns here and only Tneth knows why." She
looked at Talien. "Drink up. And I will see if I may make
introductions to my guests. Perhaps they need an extra hand to
accompany them. I believe it is Catarrhin where they
Talien's eyes brightened at the prospect. He drank of his ale.
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Why We Don't Do Flash - Search Engines 101
There was a time when Net Age did indeed use Flash. Chances are most people and businesses have gone through this stage in the development of their web design.
We, like everyone else, found ourselves enamored with its (pardon the pun) flashy effects and its ability to spiff up a web page, and we very much believed we'd be using it for a long time to come.
That was a very long time ago.
What Changed Our Minds About Flash?
We caught on.
Our aim at Net Age has always been to provide our clients with functional, efficient sites. Using Flash was counter-productive to that goal. You see, Flash is infuriatingly difficult, bordering on impossible to incorporate into a search-engine friendly site.
While, yes, it is possible to create a site that somewhat meets our requirements for search engine friendliness using Flash, the process is long, complicated and expensive. Not to mention that, in the end, despite the cost and complexity of such a task, a site constructed in such a way will never achieve its full potential for search engine optimization (SEO).
Why Doesn't Flash Work?
Well, without going into too much obscure technical detail, the simple fact is that search engine crawlers (the industrious programs responsible for finding and cataloging your site for the search engines) just cannot 'read' Flash. They cannot make sense of it and therefore don't know how to list it in their databases.
That conflicts with our objective of developing your website to be as accessible as possible to the search engines.
A Second Opinion On Flash?
Net Age is not alone on the anti-Flash front
Pages takes longer to open (typically 2 to 10 times more). Search engines only see text, and Flash has no text. So, search engines will not return results for a site whose content is embedded in Flash. Flash effects usability and accessibility http://flashsucks.org/
"Unfortunately, Flash technology is a poor choice for most commercial web sites." http://www.antezeta.com/flash-problems.html
"True, Flash done right can be incredibly cool. The problem is, it is incredibly annoying most of the time, and sometimes can crash your browser—and more often than not it is completely unnecessary." http://www.blogd.com/archives/000672.html
"If you want to use Flash, and remain accessible (and indexable – web spiders can't understand Flash binaries either), your only real option is to create a second version of your site that uses standard technologies." http://immike.net/blog/2007/07/31/flash-sucks/

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I came across a great article that had all my friends …
WHY RULES FOR EQUIPMENT Chess is a very complicated game that demands …
Excalibur clocks are back at Wholesale Chess! That's right, the popular …
Many children learn to play chess at home. You, the parent, teach them how to move their chess pieces, set up the chess board and begin play. Depending on your skill level these lessons may be rudimentary, but know they are invaluable. You have started him down an exciting path. Inevitably he will venture off and play others in school or perhaps even take lessons. As this happens expect him to come home one day and beat you. As he continues to learn and expand his knowledge those victories may become commonplace.
How you handle these losses will determine your child's future in chess.If you are upset in any way your child will probably give up playing chess rather than risk hurting you again. Count on that. If you are elated and proud, you will give him the greatest win of his life. Just try to stop him now!
When your child is trouncing you consistently, that is the time to allow him to teach you something about the game. Yes, it may involve swallowing your pride a little to allow your cute little 9-year-old child to show you the ropes of this ancient game, but you will actually be continuing his instruction in the best way possible. And he will in fact be able to help you improve your game.
When anyone is given the opportunity to teach someone else a skill, their ability improves in that area. Teaching is a powerful way to learn. Breaking down a subject so that someone else can grasp it involves a challenging process that brings about a greater understanding for the teacher. It is truly a way to master a subject.
As a chess instructor, I've come to discover that many parents have a limited knowledge of chess: some parents were taught by their parents to play chess, while others learned from a two-page instructional sheet they got from a recently purchased chess set. Needless to say there are some misconceptions and missing information, which, if not corrected, could be passed down to younger generations learning chess. For example:
Congratulations on having a brilliant chess champ in your family! Their victories on the board will translate into life wins, which will carry forward into adulthood. Remember your child's victories are in fact yours.
Editor's Note: Wholesale Chess offers a number of chess sets perfect for beginning chess players, many of which include two queens and a missing piece replacement guarantee.
Chess is a huge, vast, complex, massive game - big enough that you should never get bored with it! To get better you need to do 3 things: play chess, study chess, and get involved in chess. People who get burned out on chess are probably not doing all of these things!
In order to improve at chess you will need to play lots and lots of chess. This means winning games, and losing games. Just remember that you are never losing when you are learning! Learn something from every win and every loss. And never be a poor sport! There are lots of places to play chess. You can play at your local club, online, through email, through regular mail, with friends and family - there is never any excuse not to play!
Along with playing chess, you need to study if you want to get better. First you need to make sure you know all of the rules. Then you should learn the basic principles of the game such as controlling the center, developing your pieces, attacking and defending pieces, piece values, etc. After that you should learn more about tactics and strategies. Don't start studying openings at all until you fully understand all of the elementary tactics and strategies! You will be wasting your time. Learn to play sound and solid chess. Don't get caught up in trying to get cheap-o wins with opening traps. Once you understand tactics and strategies, start learning some opening systems and endgames as well. Make sure you study master and grandmaster games so that you can learn what the best players are thinking and doing when they play! Also, it is a good idea to study with a friend. You might also consider getting a private chess coach at some point to accelerate your learning. Most important, find a good chess book for studying the basics and great games of the masters!
If all you do with chess is play online and read books by yourself you are bound to lose interest at some point. Get involved! Teach a friend. Go to your local club. Play in over-the-board tournaments. Teach chess at a school. Get involved somehow and you will see that chess is more than a game - it is a great community as well!
Wholesale Chess is home to one of the best selections of chess sets on the web! We offer many differenty styles and types to choose from including club chess sets, tournament chess sets, and even electronic chess sets! Every set comes with the right pieces and board to fit your needs and many come in a variety of fun colors! Find your personal chess set right here at Wholesale Chess.
Sure, our strength lies in chess sets, chess pieces, and other chess supplies . . . but Wholesale Chess also offers a wide variety of classic games available at guaranteed low prices.
We do everything we can to offer you the best price possible. We also offer quantity discounts on many of our most popular items and ship for free to the contiguous US when your order total is $50 or greater.
We pride ourselves in offering an efficient and friendly shopping experience. Our customer service is second to none. Our customer reviews tell the story. We're serious about our customers! We stand behind the products we sell and want you to be completely happy with the items you purchase from us.


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The St. Louis Cardinals announced a long-term contract extension on Friday, but it wasn't the Adam Wainwright deal everyone's slightly anxious about: It was a surprise attack on Allen Craig's arbitration years. The Cardinals locked up their starting first baseman on a five-year contract worth $31 million, with an attached club option that could take the deal through the 2018 season—in short, a contract a lot like the last Adam Wainwright deal. Here are the contract details, via Rick Hummel's report:
Year | Value | Buyout |
2013 | $1.75M | Servitude |
2014 | $2.75M | Arbitration |
2015 | $5.5M | Arbitration |
2016 | $9M | Arbitration |
2017 | $11M | Free Agency |
(2018) | ($13M/$1M) | (Free Agency) |
In exchange for a nice raise today and some guaranteed money—not to be taken lightly for a guy who got an 8th-round signing bonus—the Cardinals have won themselves the right to sign free-agent-Allen-Craig, in the last years of his prime, to a one-year, $11 million contract with a $13 million team option. There's certainly a risk, here, but it's a tiny one—that Allen Craig is ineffective or not worth playing in the two years where he will be making real money.
That looks like a great deal today. By 2017 $11 million might not even look like real money. And that's why it's a really great deal. Allen Craig gets to think about what he's going to do with $31 million, and the Cardinals get to underpay for a guy who looks like an extremely valuable first baseman.


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Quick Facts
- NAME: George Jones
- OCCUPATION: Songwriter, Singer
- BIRTH DATE: September 12, 1931
- DEATH DATE: April 26, 2013
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Saratoga, Texas
- PLACE OF DEATH: Nashville, Tennessee
- Full Name: George Glenn Jones
- Full Name: George Jones
Best Known For
Country singer and songwriter George Jones was born into poverty, but became a successful musician later in life. His first hit was the 1955 song "Why Baby Why."
Videos see all videos
Waylon Jennings - Fighting the Nashville Establishment (1:49)
George Jones - Fighting Addiction
George Jones talks about his fight against addiction.
Waylon Jennings - Fighting the Nashville Establishment
Waylon Jennings fights the Nashville establishment.
Merle Haggard - Criminal Past
Merle Haggard tells the public about his criminal past on Johnny Cash's TV show.
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
On February 11, 1968 Johnny Cash recorded a live show at Folsom Prison in California offering the inmates the concert of a lifetime.
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Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play NowGeorge Jones. (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 04:07, Mar 10, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/george-jones-9357182.
George Jones. [Internet]. 2014. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/george-jones-9357182 [Accessed 10 Mar 2014].
"George Jones." 2014. The Biography Channel website. Mar 10 2014, 04:07 http://www.biography.com/people/george-jones-9357182.
"George Jones," The Biography Channel website, 2014, http://www.biography.com/people/george-jones-9357182 [accessed Mar 10, 2014].
"George Jones," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/george-jones-9357182 (accessed Mar 10, 2014).
George Jones [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2014 [cited 2014 Mar 10] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/george-jones-9357182.
George Jones, http://www.biography.com/people/george-jones-9357182 (last visited Mar 10, 2014).
George Jones. The Biography Channel website. 2014. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/george-jones-9357182. Accessed Mar 10, 2014.
George Jones was born on September 12, 1931, in Saratoga, Texas, into a very poor family. So poor, in fact, that he sang on the streets as a child. Jones began recording country music in the 1950s. His first hit was "Why Baby Why," which he recorded in 1955. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1957, and continued to write hit songs into the 1980s. He died on April 26, 2013, at age 81.
"I've had a great time loving the music that I was brought up on."
"Country fans need to support country music by buying albums and concert tickets for traditional artists or the music will just fade away. And that would be really sad."
"We were our daddy's loved ones when he was sober, his prisoners when he was drunk."
"If we could sound the way we wanted, we'd all sound like George Jones."
Early Life
Remembered as one of country music's all-time greatest stars, George Glenn Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas, on September 12, 1931, and grew up poor in East Texas. He was one of eight children, though his older sister, Ethel, died before he was born. His father was an alcoholic who would sometimes get violent. "We were our daddy's loved ones when he was sober, his prisoners when he was drunk," Jones later wrote in his autobiography, I Lived to Tell It All.
Jones and his family shared a love of music, often singing hymns together. They also enjoyed listening to the radio, tuning into programs from the Grand Ole Opry. A music lover from the start, Jones taught himself to play guitar. He began performing in the streets and dive bars of Beaumont, Texas, in his early teens.
Musical Start
George Jones started out singing on the radio with a friend, working at a station in Jasper, Texas, and then headed back to Beaumont. In 1950, he got married to Dorothy Bonvillion. The couple had a daughter, Susan, before splitting up a year later. The break-up, according to some reports, was caused by Jones's explosive temper and excessive drinking. After the divorce, Jones joined the U.S. Marines and served during the Korean War, but never went overseas.
In 1953, Jones landed a deal with Starday Records. The label's co-owner, Pappy Daily, became his producer and his manager—a partnership that would last for years. Jones also tried his hand at another type of partnership around that time. In 1954, he married Shirley Ann Corley. The couple had two sons, Jeffrey and Brian. After a few failed singles, Jones made the country charts with the up-tempo number on heartbreak, "Why Baby Why," in 1955. More hits soon followed with "What Am I Worth," "You Gotta Be My Baby" and "Just One More." In 1959, Jones had his first No. 1 hit with the comical song "White Lightning."
In the early 1960s, Jones established himself as one of country music's top crooners. He sang many songs of heartbreak, including 1960's "Window Up Above" and 1961's "Tender Years." The balladeer reached the top of the charts in 1962 with "She Thinks I Still Care," one of his trademark tunes. A year later, he teamed up with Melba Montgomery for the first of several recordings. Their biggest hit together was "We Must Have Been Out of Minds." Showing his lighter side, Jones recorded "The Race Is On."
Jones worked with Gene Pitney on another duet project in the mid-1960s, but his greatest collaborative work came together toward the end of the decade, when he met and fell in love with fellow country star Tammy Wynette. Following his divorce from his second wife, Shirley, in 1968, Jones and Wynette wed in 1969. Not long after, they began making music together.
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Country Music Pioneers
A uniquely American genre, country music got its start in the South in the early 19th century, when immigrants blended their Old World sounds with African-American musical styles. But it was the lives of the musicians, as told in their songs, that turned country into one of the best-loved musical styles in the United States. Listeners could relate to Jimmie Rodgers' stories of the railroad in "The Brakeman's Blues"; Hank Williams' struggle with depression in tunes such as "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"; and the promise of finding someone to rely on in George Jones' "Walk Through This World With Me." And its the universal struggles of love, loss, joy and longing found in each country song that keeps this music—and its performers—relevant throughout time.
Country Music Pioneers 6 people in this group
Country Legends
When it comes to singing about struggle and emotion, there are few genres that match the intensity of country music. Country music was born from musicians that were brave enough to wear their hearts on their sleeves from happiness to heartache. Because of country icons like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Jimmie Rodgers, this southern, soulful genre has grown to become loved by many. Browse through the legends that established country music as the popular genre that it is today.
Country Legends 18 people in this group
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Browse through famous people who started with nothing and became successful.
Rags to Riches 40 people in this group
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Studies of Phospholipid Hydration by High-Resolution Magic-Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Biophysical Journal, Volume 76, Issue 1, 1 January 1999, Pages 387-399 Zhe Zhou, Brian G. Sayer, Donald W. Hughes, Ruth E. Stark and Richard M. Epand Abstract A sample preparation method using spherical glass ampoules has been used to achieve 1.5-Hz resolution in 1H magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of aqueous multilamellar dispersions of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), serving to differentiate between slowly exchanging interlamellar and bulk water and to reveal new molecular-level information about hydration phenomena in these model biological membranes. The average numbers of interlamellar water molecules in multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) of DOPC and POPC were found to be 37.5±1 and 37.2±1, respectively, at a spinning speed of 3kHz. Even at speeds as high as 9kHz, the number of interlamellar waters remained as high as 31, arguing against dehydration effects for DOPC and POPC. Both homonuclear and heteronuclear nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY and HOESY) were used to establish the location of water near the headgroup of a PC bilayer. 1H NMR comparisons of DOPC with a lipid that can hydrogen bond (monomethyldioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine, MeDOPE) showed the following trends: 1) the interlamellar water resonance was shifted to lower frequency for DOPC but to higher frequency for MeDOPE, 2) the chemical shift variation with temperature for interlamellar water was less than that of bulk water for MeDOPE MLVs, 3) water exchange between the two lipids was rapid on the NMR time scale if they were mixed in the same bilayer, 4) water exchange was slow if they were present in separate MLVs, and 5) exchange between bulk and interlamellar water was found by two-dimensional exchange experiments to be slow, and the exchange rate should be less than 157Hz. These results illustrate the utility of ultra-high-resolution 1H MAS NMR for determining the nature and extent of lipid hydration as well as the arrangement of nuclei at the membrane/water interface. Abstract | Full Text | PDF (199 kb) |
The Effects of Solutes on the Freezing Properties of and Hydration Forces in Lipid Lamellar Phases Biophysical Journal, Volume 74, Issue 4, 1 April 1998, Pages 1949-1965 Yong Hyeon Yoon, James M. Pope and Joe Wolfe Abstract Quantitative deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance is used to study the freezing behavior of the water in phosphatidylcholine lamellar phases, and the effect upon it of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), sorbitol, sucrose, and trehalose. When sufficient solute is present, an isotropic phase of concentrated aqueous solution may coexist with the lamellar phase at freezing temperatures. We determine the composition of both unfrozen phases as a function of temperature by using the intensity of the calibrated free induction decay signal (FID). The presence of DMSO or sorbitol increases the hydration of the lamellar phase at all freezing temperatures studied, and the size of the increase in hydration is comparable to that expected from their purely osmotic effect. Sucrose and trehalose increase the hydration of the lamellar phase, but, at concentrations of several molal, the increase is less than that which their purely osmotic effect would be expected to produce. A possible explanation is that very high volume fractions of sucrose and trehalose disrupt the water structure and thus reduce the repulsive hydration interaction between membranes. Because of their osmotic effect, all of the solutes studied reduced the intramembrane mechanical stresses produced in lamellar phases by freezing. Sucrose and trehalose at high concentrations produce a greater reduction than do the other solutes. Abstract | Full Text | PDF (287 kb) |
Electrodynamics of Lipid Membrane Interactions in the Presence of Zwitterionic Buffers Biophysical Journal, Volume 101, Issue 2, 20 July 2011, Pages 362-369 Megan M. Koerner, Luis A. Palacio, Johnnie W. Wright, Kelly S. Schweitzer, Bruce D. Ray and Horia I. Petrache Abstract Due to thermal motion and molecular polarizability, electrical interactions in biological systems have a dynamic character. Zwitterions are dipolar molecules that typically are highly polarizable and exhibit both a positive and a negative charge depending on the pH of the solution. We use multilamellar structures of common lipids to identify and quantify the effects of zwitterionic buffers that go beyond the control of pH. We use the fact that the repeat spacing of multilamellar lipid bilayers is a sensitive and accurate indicator of the force balance between membranes. We show that common buffers can in fact charge up neutral membranes. However, this electrostatic effect is not immediately recognized because of the concomitant modification of dispersion (van der Waals) forces. We show that although surface charging can be weak, electrostatic forces are significant even at large distances because of reduced ionic screening and reduced van der Waals attraction. The zwitterionic interactions that we identify are expected to be relevant for interfacial biological processes involving lipid bilayers, and for a wide range of biomaterials, including amino acids, detergents, and pharmaceutical drugs. An appreciation of zwitterionic electrodynamic character can lead to a better understanding of molecular interactions in biological systems and in soft materials in general. Abstract | Full Text | PDF (642 kb) |
Copyright © 1999 The Biophysical Society All rights reserved.
Biophysical Journal, Volume 77, Issue 4, 2062-2065, 1 October 1999
John F. Nagle*, #, , , Yufeng Liu*, Stephanie Tristram-Nagle#, Richard M. Epand§ and Ruth E. Stark¶
* Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
# Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
§ Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada
¶ Department of Chemistry, City University of New York, Staten Island, New York, New York 10314, USA
A recent method to obtain the number of water molecules of hydration of multilamellar lipid vesicles using magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance has been re-examined. The previous interpretation divided the water into bulk and interlamellar water and ignored water in defects (lakes) that are intrinsic to multilamellar lipid vesicles; the result was inconsistent with x-ray results for the lipid DOPC. The new interpretation takes advantage of the reduction of lake water with increased spinning and it uses osmotic pressure measurements to determine the loss of interlamellar water. The new result for DOPC from magic angle spinning is consistent with x-ray results.


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Macon Promise Neighborhood Promise Support to Communities
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Macon Promise Neighborhood, but what is its mission?
MPN is a promise to the Tindall Heights and Unionville communities.
"The Macon Promise Neighborhood is the Macon community coming together to focus its resources and its energy toward a troubled community," MPN Executive Director Cliffard Whitby said.
A troubled neighborhood Whitby says needs a lot of help. Two years ago, MPN earned a $500,000 educational federal planning grant to kick off the initiative. It focuses specifically on the four schools in the area: Ingram-Pye and Hartley elementary schools, Ballard Hudson middle school, and Southwest high school
"These are the lowest performing schools in the district and its quite fitting that the non-profit community gathers its resources and focus on these two neighborhoods and do what they can to support them," Whitby said.
MPN will offer the basic needs for these communities, like adult classes and healthcare. MPN says its biggest challenge is making these services accessible. Planning grant manager Dr. Peter Brown says that's why they will locate the resources in two convenient locations at the historic Ballard Hudson middle school and the Buck Melton Community Center.
"This is a place where they're welcomed and they can find resources they know are good for them and their family," Brown said.
MPN's goal is to earn the big award: a $28 million dollar federal grant to go towards the promise neighborhood over the next five years. In December, MPN found out it didn't receive the grant, but Brown says they're not giving up.
"This is about a community coming together with the school system to make a difference for these families and children and it needs to be done," Brown said.
And that's a promise MPN intends to keep.
One of MPN's goals is to increase the graduation rate at Southwest high from 38% to 75% over the next five years.


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Real Name
Charles Wright
Date of Birth
May 16, 1961
Place of Birth
Late last year, the Godfather revealed to fans that he was interested in making a return to professional wrestling. He also cited a desire to do so with WWE. Some fuel was added to the fire when he made an appearance on Monday Night Raw, but thus far, nothing has surfaced. He also has not been booked much on the independent wrestling circuit, either.
March 8, 2014
Back in October, Godfather caught the attention of wrestling fans when he stated that he wanted to make a full time return to WWE, and those rumors were flamed when he made a special appearance on Monday Night Raw. However, management is not interested in giving him a long term contract.
February 6, 2014
While everyone already knows that Hulk Hogan has a big announcement tonight on Monday Night Raw, it has now been revealed that Undertaker will be making one himself. That has caused heavy speculations that he will be retiring at Wrestlemania 30. The rumor has been floating around for quite some time now as his body simply is giving out on him.
March 10, 2014
"Just finished Monday Night Raw. That was one hell of a booked show in that environment! Pacing of the show was perfect. Used the CM Punk heat to further all of their Wrestlemania 30 angles. Did a remarkable job sending Paul Heyman out first to get them to blow their biggest pop early and go from there." - Matt Morgan praises WWE for handling the hostile Chicago fans
March 10, 2014
While her character and routine have not exactly caught fire with the audience yet, WWE is said to be dedicated to giving Emma a legitimate chance at becoming a star in the divas division. Management is expected to continue giving her television time on Monday Night Raw and Smackdown for the time being.
March 10, 2014
While the company recently informed the developmental wrestlers that it will be harder to get called up to the main roster, that change does not appear to be affecting Mojo Rawley and WWE's desire to fast track him to Monday Night Raw and Smackdown. The belief is that he is the WWE NXT star that will some day be the headliner for the entire company.
March 10, 2014
While he rarely gets television time on Monday Night Raw as is, Hornswoggle will certainly not be there this week, as the WWE star will be in Los Angeles, representing the company at the world premier of the Muppets Most Wanted movie. Aside from being a huge fan, he also has a cameo appearance in the film as well.
March 10, 2014
In a rather interesting development, it has now been announced that CM Punk will be making his return to television next week. Unfortunately for WWE fans, however, it will not be done on Monday Night Raw or Smackdown. The former world heavyweight champion will be making another appearance on the Talking Dead, his first time in public since walking out on Vince McMahon.
March 9, 2014
On Tuesday, Big E Langston and Jack Swagger worked a match at the Smackdown taping. However, WWE opted to remove that from the broadcast on Friday night. Some are saying that the match came off horribly, while others are saying that management might simply be saving that for Monday Night Raw since it has a bigger audience.
March 9, 2014
Since he has not been utilized on Monday Night Raw and Smackdown in about a month now, there are speculations that there might be some backstage heat on R Truth. That is not the case. Management simply does not have a story line for him to work with. Plus, his partner Xavier Woods has been utilized on WWE NXT more frequently these past few weeks.
March 9, 2014
While the door remains open down the line, Bully Ray is not returning to WWE any time soon. Rumors recently sparked when the former world heavyweight champion posted a vague comment on Twitter about the audience on Monday Night Raw in Chicago during the episode where people thought that CM Punk would be making his return.
March 9, 2014
Since management was disappointed at the crowd reaction that was received during the match between Darren Young and Titus ONeil at Elimination Chamber 2014, the former Prime Time Players are being scaled back a bit, and their respective pushes are being placed on hold. Their feud has not being featured on Monday Night Raw or Smackdown since the pay per view.
March 9, 2014
Godfather was a given a chance with WWE because of his real life friendship with the Undertaker.
November 7, 2013
While he has decided to come out of retirement and wants a return, WWE has not expressed any interest in bringing back the Godfather.
November 5, 2013
Since he is making a comeback to professional wrestling, Godfather is said to be interested in a return to WWE.
October 27, 2013
John Cena wins Royal Rumble 2013 by last eliminating Ryback. Other contestants in the match include Antonio Cesaro, Bo Dallas, Brodus Clay, Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, David Otunga, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Godfather, Goldust, Great Khali, Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Ryback, Santino Marella, Sheamus, Sin Cara, Tensai, The Miz, Titus ONeil, Wade Barrett and Zack Ryder.
January 27, 2013


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6 hrs ago | New York Daily News
Upstate NY mom diagnosed with pregnancy-related cancer after giving birth to twins
Jenna Hinman, 26, from upstate New York, with husband U.S. Army Sgt. Brandon Hinman.
Trending on the Topix Network
New mom Jenna Hinman is diagnosed with rare pregnancy-related cancer...
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Ogdensburg Courier-Observer/Journal
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Looking for a hearty Mexican breakfast? Then try these tasty burritos filled with turkey sausage, eggs and potatoes - ready in 30 minutes.
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Look for reduced-fat smoky Cheddar cold pack cheese food in the dairy case of the grocery store. It is packaged in a plastic container.
To make Country Scrambled Eggs, omit the tortillas. Proceed with the recipe as directed, cooking the sausage, vegetables and eggs. Add the sausage and vegetables to the cooked egg mixture and top with spoonfuls of cheese. Cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately, with corn muffins and salsa.
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Customer Reviews for Atomic Fins Universal Spring Straps - Pair: See the top 20 most helpful scuba gear reviews
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Very fun place to hang out at night. People come around and teach period era games to play. Minstrel group also wanders through all of the different rooms to play and Read More
Have you been to this Williamsburg attraction? Tell other travelers what to expect. Submit a review today!
User Rating 4 of 5 stars


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A traffic engineer hired by the town to dispute the city of Sarasota's roundabout plans for U.S. 41 believes the city's engineer used incorrect data that allows the city to show traffic moving more efficiently through the roundabouts than what's actually possible.
At the Town Commission's Thursday, Nov. 19 regular workshop, Juan Calderon, a professional traffic-operational engineer with Miami-based FTE, showed a model with cars running into one another in the proposed roundabouts. The engineer says cars driving into the roundabout at a gap of 1.7 to 2 seconds is extremely unrealistic.
"The gap between one car and another is extremely aggressive," said Calderon, who explained he has designed roundabouts in Miami that have motorists riding up on each other with car gaps of approximately 3 seconds. Calderon suggests a gap of at least 3.5 to 4 seconds.
Calderon also said the growth rates the city's engineer applied to the project are inaccurate and said the roundabouts would divert traffic backups elsewhere, onto busy thoroughfares such as U.S. 301 and Fruitville Road.
Calderon reiterated to the commission that he is not against roundabouts.
"I have built many roundabouts in Miami that work well," Calderon said. "But there are some scenarios listed for these particular roundabouts that raise questions and need to be reviewed."
Calderon also said the roundabouts planned for U.S. 41 do not have enough right of way necessary to contain all the roundabouts as proposed.
And, a roundabout proposed at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue, Calderon said, will do nothing to improve the traffic flow that already exists in that intersection.
Vice Mayor Robert Siekmann asked Calderon if the city's roundabout proposal would help increase pedestrian traffic to the bayfront, which was the city's initial primary goal for building the roundabouts.
Said Calderon: "Roundabouts allow for continual movable traffic. Pedestrians have to wait for breaks in traffic to get across."
Rod Warner, chairman of The City Alliance, a Sarasota collation of city residents and business owners in favor of roundabouts, defended the plan.
"The Florida Department of Transportation will decide whether this plan will work or not," Warner said.
In the middle of his speech, Siekmann cut Warner off.
"OK, we're done here," said Siekmann, who quickly asked town staff to deliver a copy of the engineer's findings to local planning organizations and the Florida Department of Transportation. "This information is of value and should be shared."
The town's engineer will also continue to analyze any information the city submits to the state for its roundabout project.
Said Commissioner Jim Brown: "We should continue to monitor how the city reacts to the shortcomings our engineer has revealed."
Contact Kurt Schultheis at email@example.com
The one test roundabout that two city commissioners have suggested at U.S. 41 and 10th Street may not be singular much longer.
Sarasota City Commissioner Terry Turner said the information he's received about roundabouts is that they work best in pairs or as part of a network of roundabouts.
Turner suggested building a roundabout at 14th Street to couple with the one the city is planning at 10th Street. The majority of the commission has agreed to build two at once.
The idea for a test roundabout was to get drivers used to driving in a roundabout and to demonstrate that the proposed connectivity plan would work.
The 10th Street roundabout is estimated to cost $2.9 million. There is no estimate yet for a roundabout at 14th Street.
— Robin Roy
Currently 2 Responses
- 1.
- I believe the 1.7 - 2 sec interval between cars is aggressive. That's no time at all if you do have to make a stop. Even at a slow rate of speed. Also a good point was brought up about diverting traffic elsewhere. I don't think the commission has made a plan for this. Coconut Ave will see more traffic as people bypass the roundabout.
- 2.
- Obviously, Commissioner Seekmann did not want to hear the whole story on Roundabouts from Calderon, the hired town expert, who was about to say he favored Roundabouts if constructed properly. Once again this current Town Commissioner is tilting at windmills with the Taxpayer's money.
- Mar
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March 10: The great debate
The Observer will hold a debate for Longboat Key Town Commission candidates at 7 p.m. March 10, at Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. -
Greg Hoffman SCOREs award
Longboat Key resident Greg Hoffman received Manasota SCORE's Platinum Leadership Award at the organization's 50th anniversary awards luncheon Feb. 24. -
Spring forward for Daylight Saving
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, so turn your clocks forward by an hour before bedtime Saturday night.


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Shots - Health News Abortions Reportedly Drop To Lowest Rate Since 1970s February 2, 2014 A reproductive health think tank says the recent surge of state laws intended to restrict the procedure is likely not the reason. Instead, it cites the economy and long-acting contraceptives. But there's also a wild card.
The Two-Way Hospital In Texas Removes Life Support From Brain-Dead Woman January 26, 2014 Marlise Munoz, who was 14 weeks pregnant when she suffered a pulmonary embolism, was the subject of a weeks-long court battle.
The Two-Way Pope Calls Abortion Evidence Of 'The Throwaway Culture' January 13, 2014 Francis, who has been criticized by some conservative Catholics for not speaking out forcefully against abortion, said the practice is "horrific."
The Two-Way Supreme Court Ends Arizona's Bid To Reinstate 20-Week Abortion Ban January 13, 2014 With the high court refusing to hear the state's appeal, a lower court ruling striking down the ban remains.
Shots - Health News 22 States Curb Access To Abortion In 2013 January 4, 2014 The 205 restrictions enacted between 2011 and 2013 outpaced the 189 enacted during the entire previous decade. Also, the number of U.S. states deemed by a leading reproductive rights group to be "hostile" to abortion rights continues to rise — from 13 states at the turn of the millennium to 27 today.
Shots - Health News ACLU Sues, Claiming Catholic Hospitals Put Women At Risk December 2, 2013 A woman in Michigan says that a Catholic hospital failed to give her adequate health care when she came to the hospital after her water broke when she was 18 weeks pregnant. That has sparked a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union. Listen Loading… 4:06 Download Playlist
The Two-Way Divided U.S. Supreme Court Leaves Texas Abortion Law In Effect November 19, 2013 Planned Parenthood and other opponents of the law had won an initial victory that was overturned days later by a U.S. Court of Appeals. Tuesday, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow Texas to keep enforcing the law during an ongoing court battle.
Shots - Health News Which Plans Cover Abortion? No Answers On HealthCare.gov November 1, 2013 Many health plans under the Affordable Care Act don't cover abortion. But people won't have an easy time figuring out which ones do and which ones don't. Even insurance brokers don't necessarily have that information. It's surfaced as yet another issue dogging the rollout of health exchanges. Listen Loading… 5:06 Download Playlist
The Two-Way Appeals Court Gives Texas OK To Enforce Abortion Law October 31, 2013 A panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals says the state can go ahead with implementing the new restrictions, which require abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their practice.
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The Two-Way Judge Rules Texas Abortion Restrictions Unconstitutional October 28, 2013 The ruling says some provisions in a new state law prevent doctors from acting in their patients' interests, and would unreasonably restrict women from accessing abortion clinics. The state is expected to appeal, and the case could end up at the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Two-Way Women's Health Groups Sue Texas Over Its New Abortion Law September 28, 2013 Approved in a contentious process this summer, the Texas bill is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 29. Opponents say it would close more than a third of the clinics that provide abortions in the state.
The Two-Way Ireland Enacts Law Providing For Abortion, A First July 30, 2013 The legislation provides women with access to abortion in cases where their lives are at risk, including cases in which suicide could be a factor.
It's All Politics Abortion Drives Bigger Wedge Between Red And Blue States July 30, 2013 A new Pew Research Center survey suggests that an eight-state region of the country — Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma — is significantly more conservative on abortion than it was two decades ago.
Shots - Health News State Laws Limiting Abortion May Face Challenges On 20-Week Limit July 22, 2013 States are setting an abortion limit at 20 weeks after fertilization, but that may clash with established standards for calculating the viability of a pregnancy. It could also open the new laws up to constitutional challenges. Listen Loading… 4:24 Download Playlist
The Two-Way WATCH LIVE: Texas Lawmakers Debate Abortion Bill Again July 9, 2013 The state is once again the focus of the abortion debate as lawmakers take up new legislation. Last month, Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis' filibuster kept the bill from passing.
The Two-Way Abortion Providers Sue As Wisconsin Governor Signs Bill July 5, 2013 The bill, passed by the Legislature in June, requires women seeking abortions to get an ultrasound. It also says that clinics that provide abortions should be within 30 miles of a hospital. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin says the four clinics that provide abortions in the state are at risk with the new law.
It's All Politics Texas Abortion Fight Follows Familiar Pattern July 1, 2013 Texas is the latest state where protesters have descended on a Republican-controlled state capitol in an uphill effort to block conservative policies.
The Two-Way Texas Legislators Called Back For Special Session On Abortion Bill June 26, 2013 Gov. Rick Perry calls for a special session to take up a controversial bill to restrict abortion in Texas, after an attempted filibuster and crowd noise combined to keep a vote on the bill from occurring before midnight Tuesday.
Shots - Health News House Passes Bill That Would Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks June 18, 2013 The legislation is one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades and follows the May murder convictions of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. The bill, which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization, is unlikely to ever become law. Listen Loading… 4:24 Download Playlist
Shots - Health News Abortion Opponents Try to Spin Murder Case Into Legislation May 23, 2013 Abortion opponents are hoping the recent murder conviction of Pennsylvania abortion provider Kermit Gosnell will lead to more scrutiny of second trimester abortions. They're working on a bill that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy — nationwide. Listen Loading… 3:41 Download Playlist
Shots - Health News A Sharper Abortion Debate After Gosnell Verdict May 14, 2013 Abortion rights backers insist that Dr. Kermit Gosnell is an outlier. Opponents of abortion say Gosnell is anything but an exception. Congress is gearing up to investigate how states regulate abortion in the wake of the verdict.
Shots - Health News If Military Covers Abortion After Rape, Why Not The Peace Corps? KHN April 29, 2013 Last year, Congress and President Obama passed a law providing insurance coverage for abortion for military women in the case of rape or incest. Will the Peace Corps inspire a similar truce on the same issue?
Shots - Health News Philadelphia Case Exposes Deep Rift In Abortion Debate April 24, 2013 Abortion opponents say the case of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who is charged with five counts of murder, shows the need for more and stricter regulation of abortion clinics. But abortion rights backers say more restrictions give women few choices besides substandard facilities. Listen Loading… 4:27 Download Playlist