text:
|In a car with a red light
they drove out into the night.
|Madeline woke up two hours
later, in a room with flowers.
|...They brushed their teeth
|...and went to bed.
After drinking slowly from one side of a demitasse cup, when only the bitter sludge was left at the bottom, she would ask me to place the saucer over the lip of the cup and flip it over. Then I would twist the cup clockwise three times before letting it set. A little later, my grandmother would lift the cup and scrutinize the pattern that had hardened inside. The cup was divided into quadrants of meaning, starting at the handle. My grandmother would point out designs I couldn't see—birds, flowers, triangles, trees—and arrive at conclusive answers about both past and future.
I've been up for hours but remain steeped in a dream, as if I never fully awakened. The dream may have something helpful to offer, but because its atmosphere is so inhospitable I've been unable to completely reenter or fully withdraw from the dreamworld. I can't escape from the in-between.
In the dream, I knock on the door of a childhood friend from whom I've been estranged, but she isn't home.
When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer more than 30 years ago this friend had stopped talking to me. Children do that sometimes, when something is unbearable, going to whatever lengths are necessary to manage their fear. She befriended me again the following year, when we were 17, as if there had been no break. But it was understood that the subject of my mother remained taboo.
When I left for college the next year I was scared of becoming a stranger in a new place, but instead I was a stranger at home. My new friends weren't wild like my childhood friend, they were nerdy like me. I was worried my old friend would be disappointed. The friend sent a letter telling me it was inevitable that we go our separate ways. There were no more letters after that. Until lately, it never occurred to me that she might also have felt left behind.
I bump into that friend sometimes when I do errands in town. We smile and chat, shy and a little flirtatious. It gives me a stomach ache; masking our aversion leads to cramps. When I learned that her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, I asked about her. She told me the chemo had been rough. Then she blushed and mumbled an apology.
"I don't know how you handled it back then—I'm sorry," she said, and changed the subject.
My friend's mother lets me into her house. She is entertaining after the death of her husband—like a wake without a corpse—but secretly he is still upstairs dying. She ignores me so I'm free to explore the house.
Upstairs there are no longer interior walls, just one big room: unfurnished, light-flooded, empty. The white paint on the walls is still wet. When I break the caution-tape to tip-toe out into the middle of the room, it feels like venturing out onto thin ice. The old floor boards are buckling and spongy; to tread there is clearly hazardous.
The husband makes his grand entrance, while I dumbly occupy center stage. Already wrapped in his white shroud, he demonstrates how he finds the strength to go on: he is rehearsing for a play. When he is acting he skips vigorously across the sagging structure of the house. But whenever he stops, he gasps for breath and resumes dying.
It's not right to clap, but I do admire how lightly he skips in his white shroud. I'll have to try this sometime, I think. If he just keeps pretending, he could live forever.
What the hell does that mean? I don't give a damn.
Because I'm preoccupied with the dream, I forget to bathe or get dressed for the physical therapist. When a car slows down in front of the house, I realize I haven't brushed my hair or my teeth and I'm still in my robe. I decide to act as if this is perfectly normal.
The PT is a pretty, delicate Filipina who is too diminutive to be driving that giant, white SUV. After parking diagonally across the sidewalk and part of the front lawn, she opens the door and hops out like a child leaping off a jungle gym. I don't want to make a bad first impression, so I call out to her, as nonchalantly as I can manage, "Hi, there! It's okay if you park on the street."
She looks worried and says with an accent, "I was afraid there was no parking. I'll tell my husband to move the car." It's a chilly morning so I invite her to bring him inside, but she says it's not allowed. I tell myself this is only weird if I act like it is, so I pretend her husband isn't there.
Pretty Girl quickly looks around, taking in the details of my mother's bedroom. There are pots of flowers and bouquets on every surface, like a sick room; I'm not sure she knows it was my mother's 87th birthday a few days ago.
I see my mother through the pretty girl's eyes: grumpy, smelly, old, frail. But I'm wrong.
Pretty Girl asks simple questions, measures her flexibility in centimeters, tests my mother's strength with simple exercises, like getting in and out of bed, walking back and forth across the room, pushing her so she can push back, to test the strength of her resistance. I watch my mother curl a 5-lb. weight, five reps on each side.
"She's strong," Pretty Girl says. "Just needs to get out of bed and build up her endurance. You know, Medicare probably won't pay for more than two weeks of PT. After that you're on your own."
"But she won't do it," I say.
Pretty Girl shrugs, not unkindly.
"Is she capable of fixing her own breakfast?" I ask. "Taking a shower? Changing her clothes? Sitting at the table to eat? She can take her own plate to the sink when she's done eating—she can walk with a plate in her hands?"
Pretty Girl answers yes to each question. Her indignant yes sounds like, Duh, what did you think?
My mother doesn't want to get up or get dressed or take care of anything at all. I must have known this all along.
|To the tiger in the zoo
Madeline just said, "Pooh-pooh."
After Pretty Girl climbs up into the SUV, driven away by her invisible husband, I close the front door. I stand on the other side, in the dark hallway, like a statue. I feel like smashing all the dishes—every single one of them, one after another, at a leisurely pace—until thousands of little curved blue and white pieces cover the kitchen floor, lapping my ankles like wavelets in a frozen sea. I would like very much to scream the whole while, at the top of my lungs, until every dish is shattered and I'm out of breath.
I don't act on my desire. I remain perfectly still and silent in front of the closed door, but my fantasy is meticulously detailed and fulfilling. I stand there for as long as it takes, until I'm tired out and deeply relaxed. I do relax, once that last dish hits the floor, and then I inhale deeply.
My cell phone rings; the doctor tells me all my mother's tests came back normal.
|"Goodnight , little girls!
Thank the Lord you are well!
And now go to sleep!"
said Miss Clavel.
And she turned out the light—
and closed the door—
and that's all there is—
there isn't any more.
I think of the ritual before take-off, how a flight attendant will silently point out the nearest exits, demonstrating with a theatrical flourish how to activate the oxygen and flotation devices in case of an emergency. A disembodied voice warns us to disregard our instinct, which is to save our child first. We must take care of ourselves first, because when we're helpless, we can't take care of anyone else.
I will brush my teeth and take a hot shower, dress myself in clean clothes and apply my make up with care, as if it matters: draw my eyes with liner, blend foundation for a more pleasing complexion, maybe even try some lipstick. I'll wear the antique diamond earrings my mother gave me for a long-ago birthday and, as a finishing touch, spray my favorite scent onto my bare wrists.
Papers and mess have been accumulating, I've noticed, threatening through neglect to overtake my bedroom, the way nature swiftly overtakes ruined cities: I will put every speck in order now.
This is how I start to care for myself. It's an act of defiance, of anger, as well as an admission of defeat. This is how something necessary to survival is passed, like a torch, from my mother to myself. She doesn't pass the torch, of course. I seize it before it before the light goes out.


text:
Police officer killed in crash named
A former Greater Manchester policeman's died after his car crashed into a tree as he responded to an emergency call. 32 year old PC Andrew Bramma was killed near Ripon. He was serving with North Yorkshire Police. The married father of two was the only person in the car when it crashed

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Videos > Aimee Sweet > Hotties Aimee Sweet and Kelle Marie naughty lesbian sex
Babes TV Babes TV provides you with hot horny photoshoots and videos to kickstart your cock into action! Enjoy watching sensational sluts getting down and dirty as they spread their saucy snatches.
Featured Pornstars:
- Aimee Sweet
- Kelle Marie


text:
And not Carmelo
This is a position a few of us have been espousing for some time on this mess.
In fact, it makes the most sense in explaining everything that has occured to this point. But for those who believe they can support the argument that Melo only wants to play on the east coast because "if he wanted to win he would have already re-signed in Denver", well, there seems to be more evidence that Stanely is going into cost-cutting/rebuild/newbusiness model mode (and has been for a couple of years).......
ergo, if Melo wants to persue a championship, he will need to find a more aggressive spending model.
Frankly, that explanation is far more plausible than the idea that Melo simply "wants to go back home". That's not just an insult to Melo's intilligence, but the fanbase as a whole.


text:
Posts Tagged 'Zaphod Beeblebrox'
Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014 – S09E18
It was one of the coldest nights in the Nation's Capital to end 2013 and ringing in 2014. It was adventure to remember as I had the opportunity to go to the National Capital Gala's Gatsby New Year's Ball at the Conference Centre in downtown Ottawa. It was a lavish event with party-goers dressing in elegant dresses. There were live music and burlesque dancers. You can check out the photos below.
Towards the end of 2013, I was checking on Instagram to found out a good friend (and former co-host) was over at Zaphod Beeblebrox for the New Year's Eve dance party and I decided to bolt over there and say hello. I didn't realize there was a $15 cover charge and I had to run to the bank to withdraw money and back to Zaphods. I was a hot sweaty mess from the running. I did get to see my good friend. It was nice ringing in the new year and to hear the DJ play Reflektor by Arcade Fire several minutes after the new year.
I totally forgot that I dressed "nicely" on New Year's Eve. It's one of the rare time that I would dress formally. I just enjoy wearing this jacket with elbow patches. Unfortunately, I wasn't in any photos.
Overall, what a way to finish 2013 with a bang and hope 2014 will be wonderful. I know 2013 was tough as greats from the likes of Nelson Mandela, 'Stompin' Tom Connors and many others have passed away. Hello to 2014
Read the rest of this entry »
It's Basically The Whole Month of May Entry – S05.2E08
Updated on May 26, 2010
Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to chat with Leif Vollebekk at the 1st May Whee Festival at Zaphod Beeblebrox.
Wednesday's radio show will be fully updated later but for now, the Leif Vollebekk audio interview is posted up. You should enjoy the interview as it became a hilarious interview. I even made some goof-ups on the interview. I apologize for messing up on the question about The Balconies. He didn't form the band, he helped gave Jacquie, Stephen and Liam the name.
Also on the radio show was an expanded edition of the countdown. For this week only, my Wild 5 Countdown became the W10 Countdown.
The W10 Countdown for Week of May 5, 2010.
1. Fixed – Stars
2. Forced to Love – Broken Social Scene (new entry)
3. Your Hands (Together) – The New Pornographers (new entry)
4. The Right Time (feat. Tyler Bancroft) – Hannah Georgas
5. Laura Palmer's Prom – You Say Party! We Say Die! (was #1 last week)
6. No Ghost – The Acorn (new)
7. Celestica – Crystal Castles (new)
8. Breakneck Speed – Tokyo Police Club (new)
9. Authentic – Young Rival (new)
10. Ghost Pressure – Wolf Parade (new)
End of April and Beginning of May Shows & Monday's Radio Show – S05.2E7
There were two awesome live show this past weekend to marking the end of April and the beginning of May. The show on the end of April was The Balconies returning to Ottawa after their cross Canada tour. It was at Zaphod Beeblebrox, opening up for The Balconies were Sandman Viper Command and The Belle Game. It was great to see The Belle Game but it was three out of the eight members. Overall, they performed a good set and one part of their was when front man, Adam Nanji gave me a shoutout for being supportive. Even though I was slightly embarrassed, I had to use my hat to cover my face in a funny way.
Here's a video that I shot of The Belle Game.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Whales Taking a Safety Flight With a Tokyo Police Clubber – S05.2E01
Friday night was probably one of those unexpected moments because I was at the Said The Whale, In-Flight Safety & Graham Wright concert at Zaphod Beeblebrox. Ottawa was the 2nd day of their 2010 Spring tour.
For the past weeks, I have been going to Zaphods for other shows and they were not packed compared to Friday's show. It's been awhile that I have attended a sold out show at Zaphods. It was awesome to see Said The Whale filled the crowds. What I also liked were the fans singing along to their songs and I basically couldn't believe it. It was funny when Tyler Bancroft (guitarist and vocals) poked fun that at 11pm, Ke$ha would be played. Another funny moment was Ben Worchester (guitarist and vocals) threw a quarter and a toonie to packed crowd.
The opening acts, In-Flight Safety and Graham Wright were excellent. It's my first time to check In-Flight Safety because the last time I went to another venue, I skipped them. Overall, they were rockin' great and I interviewed the lead singer of IFS after all bands finished up. I got mentioned that the band is like the Coldplay of Halifax and asked about various Halifax bands in general.
As for Wright, he's from Tokyo Police Club and he's doing his solo tour. As for his other band, let's say that I still haven't seen TPC live yet. It's still a shame but at least I got to interview one third of TPC. One irony being that the interview was short and compared it to TPC's albums because their songs are short.
Expect all three interviews to be aired in sometime in April. Said The Whale's interview is version 2.0 because I wanted to ask them about their experience during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
The video on top happens to be Camilo (The Magician).
Girls Just Want To Party! – S05E42 (Finale, End of Series 5.1)
Thursday night was pretty exciting as I went to Zaphod Beeblebrox for the 3rd week as I checked out Girl Party featuring Jas Nasty, Kool Krys and Jenocide. I decided to do an audio interview with Kool Krys because she's been heard on other radio shows lately. There's something unique about her music because Ottawa hasn't really got a big hip-hop presence (my opinion, I don't check out the 613 hip-hop scene very much). It seems like she's my first "official" Ottawa artist to be interviewed for my radio show. The Balconies don't really count because it was more of a Christmas theme when I interviewed them.
The show was great because Kool Krys brought excitement to her hip-hop music. She sang some classic tunes like Salt 'N' Pepa and Destiny's Child as it reminded me of my teenage years when I listened to those songs on the radio. She brought the old school mentality and it certainly gave me a smile because I felt like it was the 1990s all over again.
Prior to Kool Krys performing, Jas Nasty was spinning tunes and she also played old school tunes from the 80s. The final act was Jenocide, from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her music was more on the electronic and thrash (as her MySpace page says it). I didn't realize her style of music reminded me of Ruby Jean and The Thoughtful Bees, also from Halifax.
Overall, it was a good night even though I missed out on other events happening.
From cartoons to comic book heroes, we will go from Jem & The Holograms to Wonder Woman.
Played the Superfriends theme on the March 24th radio show because of Wonder Woman being in the cartoon. The Superfriends theme is played around the 17 minute mark.
Here's the radio show and interview with Kool Krys in 2 parts. Playlists for hour 1 and hour 2 are available if you want to check what was played.
Radio show – Press play to listen. You can now listen to the show through iTunes as an audio stream.
WildWorks Extra – The new slot from 11.30am-12pm. Press play to listen.
Kool Krys Interview
Part 1 interview, press play or download it.
Part 2 interview, press play or download it.
This is not the end of Series 5 yet, as I didn't expect to go over with the number of entries. Series 5 will continue with a new number, 5.2.
5.2 will possibly start with the Said The Whale/In-Flight Safety/Graham Wright concert or a yearly tribute to Leslie Cheung and the first time to dedicate it on radio after writing up for a couple of years since his death.
Other Loose Ends Before Ending 5.1
I did some video shooting for Bands Undone. I shot for Ottawa bands, Dave Norris & Local Ivan and Old Crowns on separate days. What made me excited was that the Canon EOS 5D Mark II got a new firmware update and I shot on 24p (24 frames per second, which they say is cinema look). A new method I tried was using the microphone and monopod as a boom mic. Instead of having Kara using a microphone, it was nice to have her not use a mic and have her chat freely. The one with Dave Norris was shaky because it was a first time but the one with Old Crowns turned out well.
Check the links provided from the Bands Undone site as it will include the videos I shot, Dave Norris & Local Ivan and Old Crowns. Both local bands were great and enjoyable.
Radio Interviews With Billy the Kid & Shayna Zaid & The Catch – S05E41
I didn't expect to be filling in on Monday at CKCU-FM but it gave me an opportunity to move up the audio interviews. Billy the Kid interview was supposed to be for Wednesday but with the special day, it got moved up. As for the interview, it was recorded on March 1st at Zaphod Beeblebrox. Here's the playlist on the special time and day at this link. I got to play the theme to Final Fantasy XIII as I have been playing it like crazy for a week.
For people searching on Google and on the web, the Billy the Kid I am referring is the Canadian singer-songwriter, not some American person! Sorry for the rant.
Don't forget to listen to the show by pressing play.
Billy the Kid Interview
Part 1 – Press play or download it.
Part 2 – Press play or download it.
Wednesday's Radio Show and the Shayna Zaid & The Catch Interview
As usual, I unexpectedly had to solo host the Wednesday morning radio show. Overall, I got to air the Shaya Zaid & The Catch in its entirety, well in 2 parts as I had enough time to air it. They were in Ottawa on March 10 at Zaphod Beeblebrox. I truly enjoyed the interview because it's my first to chat up with a non-Canadian band. I got excited asking Zaid about Chinese related topics from Chinese music and music channels in Asia. What also surprised me was one of the members has a Coldplay connection.
A funny part was having to play the theme song to Jem & The Holograms after the first part of the interview. Thanks to Alan Neal of the CBC because he seems to be a fan of the classic cartoon.
There's a new segment on my show called WildWorks Extra and for the time being, I'll be playing Cantopop songs from the year 2000 because I'm just feeling nostalgic and how time has gone by so quickly. Aside from saying the song names in Chinese (Cantonese), it's the first time that I also said a song name in Japanese, with help of Wikipedia. Extra has been on for a couple of times and it's become a regular part of the show.
The playlist for Wednesday's show is at this link.
Provided a Youtube link to the two J-Pop songs I played on the playlist.
Here's Wednesday's radio show, press play to listen. The Jem theme song is played around the 20 min mark.
Shayna Zaid & The Catch Interview Part 1 – press play or download it.
Shayna Zaid & The Catch Interview Part 2 – press play or download it.
Billy the Kid & Wednesday's Radio Show (Caledonia Interview) – S05E39
Note: This is about the Canadian singer-songwriter, not some American person.
I had the opportunity to meet and interview with Billy the Kid at Zaphod Beeblebrox on Monday (March 1st). At the venue, it was their 8th Anniversary of free concerts for Zaphod's Showcase Mondays. What got me interested to interviewing Billy the Kid was that she got to work with Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace. It was a bit nostalgic going through the OLP way and there's something unique about her grabbed my interest in her talents. Expect the interview to aired in the next few weeks on the radio. I stayed at Zaphods for very long and when saw her on sound check, I didn't expect her to be laid back and bubbly going through the instrument and sound settings. Her performance was amazing, I didn't expect to have her bring a Neil Young or Bob Dylan vibe to some of her songs. Mind you, this was the day after the Vancouver Olympics finished and didn't expect Young to close the games. It's just the harmonica she played reminded me of the Young song he played at the Closing Ceremony. Overall, she wowed me with her set and here's a clip that I took where she got the crowd to sing along. The song is "Just Trying to Get By." YouTube version now available at this link.
Wednesday's Radio Show – March 3, 2010 Edition
A new month and a theme to start off the show, I call it east coast month because of the ECMAs on March 4-7, 2010. I did an interview by the Nova Scotia band, Caledonia at Bands Undone back on November 2009. It was pushed backed because I noticed the ECMAs were happening in March and it's fitting to air it as I asked their response to their nomination.
Due to a technical error on the live broadcast, the file for the Caledonia interview has been fixed up.
It's another week that I get an extra half hour. It's the return of Mike on ASR as well. Luckily with the extra half hour, I got to play the songs that I didn't get to play from earlier. It's a good thing I got to play Billy the Kid's song. With the extra half hour, I call it WildWorks Extra. As usual, I decided to use the Tread Lightly theme.
You can listen to the entire show by pressing play. There's also the separate ones from my show if you don't want to listen to two hours.
The entire 2 hour show
WildWorks Show – Check the playlist at this link.
WildWorks Extra – Check the playlist at this link.
The Caledonia interview (edited). Press play or download it to listen.
I Forgot About Musk Ox @ Bands Undone
As I was skimming around, I didn't know Kara updated the Bands Undone site with the Musk Ox review. Their session happened when the Team Canada Men's Hockey (well, the NHL'ers) won Gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Here's the clip where I filmed and she edited it. To my own surprise, I didn't expect the closeups to look that good. Take a look at the video. The trio blends a mix of classical and neo-folk music. I've seen the band a couple of times and it's a joy to listen to them.
I interviewed Musk Ox which will be aired in the future.
Caledonia – Bands Undone and Zaphods – S05E27
It was a tight packed session at Canteen as Caledonia dropped by for Bands Undone. Let's just say that the band brought the whole equipment for another stellar performance at the art shop & gallery.
The funny part for myself when Caledonia sang the first song was continuously eating Humpty Dumpty Party Mix due to the face that the lead singer kept saying "hunger!" It led me to keep eating on the pretzels and ringalos. They performed 4 terrific songs and it wowed the small audience.
The funny part with the separate interviews was Kara (the host) and myself had trouble saying ECMA (East Coast Music Awards) and it was unusual because the name looks easy because we had trouble saying it.
I didn't expect to have a long Saturday as I decided to join the two Brian's to go to Zaphod Beeblebrox for Caledonia (again) with Matt Ouimet and Sarah Hallman. Due to the competing gigs elsewhere in downtown Ottawa on Saturday and the Santa Claus Parade being held at night-time, it was not busy at Zaphods but there were several went to see Caledonia. Overall, they're a great band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hallman and Ouimet's performances were enjoyable.
You can view the photos at this link.
The Bands Undone review is now posted up.
Here's the video taken by Brian. YouTube version also available.
Read the rest of this entry »
All Things Bands Undone, The Bonjay Interview, and More – S05E24
This entry seems to be all things Bands Undone. On Tuesday afternoon, I checked out Kalle Mattson for Bands Undone. It was booked at the last minute and was an early show. They are from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario but some or all of the members are now residing in Ottawa for their studies. Overall, the session was pretty good as it brought a folk rock style. There was one song where the lead singer sang a Bob Dylan song. Following the session, there was jokes about Bob Dylan.
You can check the photos by clicking here. The BU section is now updated at this link.
You can watch the videos from Vimeo. Excellent quality provided through Vimeo.
Onto the Wednesday morning radio show, I am still co-hosting on Audio Sensory Resuscitation. The host played some tunes and I got my friend to request a song. We made an announcement for the upcoming guests for December and that will be loads of fun.
On my short show, I finally played my own show ID and it's the one from The Most Serene Republic. I played a Christmas Chinese song by Mavis Fan and aired the Bonjay interview at Bands Undone and then played the song, Gimme Gimme. Played "Fish" by Hey Ocean! as a preview to Saturday's Bands Undone. I hope you will enjoy the shows. It's in two parts. One is with the whole show in its entirety or the second part, which is my half-hour show if you want to listen to the first song and the Bonjay interview.
As for the Chinese Christmas song, I was searching on Google for any translation or info, I found this site, Asia Pacific Arts: APA Top 10: Holiday Songs From Asia. The song I played is at #4. Mind you that this top 10 was done in 2008. Not sure if there's a 2009 version coming up.
Audio Sensory Resuscitation/The WildWorks Show for November 25, 2009
Press play to listen.
The WildWorks Show for November 25, 2009
Press play to listen.
Here is the Bonjay interview at Bands Undone.
Press play to listen or download it.
I forgot to mention that I make a cameo appearance in the Bonjay @ Bands Undone video. Click here to watch the excellent video. There's the Vimeo version at this link.
Read the rest of this entry »
A Beach Spiralling While Waiting Two Hours in the Traffic – S05E11
I know the title for this entry sounds weird and I'm being creative with it whenever I can. I'm trying to combine Spiral Beach and Two Hours Traffic together,
Saturday night was frigid at Zaphod Beeblebrox for the Two Hours Traffic and Spiral Beach with The Danks concert. I had the opportunity to get audio interviews with both bands. I am unsure when I will air it because CKCU will be starting their funding drive. Before the concert started, the place was getting smokey and I don't know what was going on. It might of been the heater. This was when Spiral Beach was on their sound check. I did not know that this concert was the final show of their Canadian tour. It must be nice to finish the tour in the Nation's Capital.
When The Danks started their set, the building was starting to warm up from the lack of heat. Overall, they played a rocking set and I totally forgot they are from P.E.I. and members are one-half of Two Hours Traffic. There were some people dancing along to their songs.
After The Danks was Toronto's Spiral Beach. As usual, they brought the crowd to an energetic start. It was a packed crowd and they sure didn't disappoint. They played their older and the newer songs like Made of Stone and Domino.
Finally, to Two Hours Traffic, they started off with two popular songs, first with Territory from their new album and the second being Nighthawks. They sure know how to keep the crowds happy because it was totally packed and I couldn't take a lot of photos during their performance. The last song before their encore was Jezebel, another popular song of theirs. When they did their encore before the 11pm curfew, one of the songs I totally forgot was "Backseat Sweetheart."
I totally enjoyed their concert because it has been awhile I have gone to Zaphods and seeing the packed crowds is just fun to see.
You can click here to view the photos from the Two Hours Traffic, Spiral Beach and The Danks concert.
Read the rest of this entry »


text:
The OzarksSportsZone team will compile the area's top 10 teams each week of the season. The rankings are based on dominance by class.
(Last week in parenthesis)
1. Webb City (1) - The Cardinals took care of business Friday with a 55-0 blasting of Neosho for their 88th straight regular season win. Every year one opponent comes along that gets people talking, "is this the one who finally beats mighty Webb City?" Ozark is that team, as the Tigers visit Roderiqueville with a spotless 7-0 mark.
(Last week in parenthesis)
1. Webb City (1) - The Cardinals took care of business Friday with a 55-0 blasting of Neosho for their 88th straight regular season win. Every year one opponent comes along that gets people talking, "is this the one who finally beats mighty Webb City?" Ozark is that team, as the Tigers visit Roderiqueville with a spotless 7-0 mark.
2. Strafford (4) - The Indians all but locked up the Mid-Lakes title with Friday's 41-32 slugout win against previously undefeated Skyline. Junior quarterback Jacob Wade was part of all six Strafford TDs. Coach Hester and the tribe get an extra days rest this week as they go out of conference to host University Academy in a Saturday matinee.
3. Cassville (2) - The Wildcats had no trouble in a 42-0 win over winless East Newton Friday, and have now ran their regular season win streak to 36 straight. Next up, Coach Large and company hit the Big 8 road to reeling Aurora, who will be hungry after dropping 4 straight.
4. Ozark (5) - The Backyard Brawl trophy returns to the east side of Christian County as the Tigers ran their record to 7-0 with a 41-21 win over Nixa in front of a packed house at Tiger Stadium. There was certainly no looking past the rival Eagles. Now can the Tigers regain focus for Saturday's COC Large showdown at 2-time defending state champ Webb City.
5. Miller (6) - The Cardinals also improved to 7-0 with Friday's 48-7 domination of Jasper. Miller has had only one close game so far this season. Don't expect that to change this week against northern neighbor Greenfield, but get ready for a great one week 9 at fellow unbeaten Sarcoxie.
6. Mountain Grove (7) - The Panthers demolished Salem 48-7 in what was dubbed as an SCA showdown. MG is playing some really strong fundemental football led by first year head coach Rich Johnson. The Panthers are also fully utilizing their skill players with Bobby Otwell and Tyler Collins each rushing for over 125 yards last week.
7. Skyline (3) - The Tigers finally met their match in Friday's 41-32 setback at Strafford. The Tigers led early, but were eventually overtaken by the Indians on a frigid night of football. We expect Coach Shelby's squad to bounce right back this week against Marionville and make a deep run in the class 1 playoffs.
8. Hillcrest (9) - Hillcrest senior QB Jonah Hill will be telling his grandkids about the night he fought off undefeated Parkview on just one leg. The hobbled Arkansas State recruit came off the bench to lead the Hornets back for a 29-19 Thursday win over the rival Vikings. Hillcrest finishes the regular season with Rolla and Waynesville, which should likely lock up the number 2 seed in districts.
9. Lebanon (NR) - Can't deny the Yellow Jackets this week. Lebanon moves back into the top 10 after a 28-24 road win over class 6 Joplin. Brock West continues his pursuit of the school rushing record this week at Kickapoo. Friday should be a good one against the quietly improving Chiefs. Week 9, the Jackets host Parkview in what will likely be for a share of the Ozark Conference title.
10. Sarcoxie (NR) - The Bears have scored at least 40 points in their last 4 games, including last week's 41-20 win over Liberal. Sarcoxie goes out of conference this week to host El Dorado Springs before a Spring River Valley throwdown with Miller.
Knocking on the door: Parkview, Catholic, Nixa, MV-BT/Liberty


text:
During an unexpected airline delay in Chicago, a day was spent at the home of local artist, Jay Miller, a family friend.
On a cold, blustery day, that could have been a waste, "a day at the painter's house" came about.
Join in a walk around this unique and beautifully simple home on the north side of Chicago and experience the painter's home.


text:
Flags at half-mast in honour of Hugh Fullerton
Flags will be at half-mast in honour of emeritus professor Hugh Fullerton (School of Business) who passed away suddenly on Monday, Nov. 24.
Family and friends will be received at the James Reid Funeral Home on Friday, Nov. 28 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm. The funeral service will be held in St. Margaret's United Church on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 1:30 pm. Interment Cataraqui Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations made to St. Margaret's United Church Memorial Fund or your favourite charity would be appreciated by the family.


text:
Spain Biking Tours
Getting Surreal in Spain
From your bike, you can see the peaks of the Pyrénées (a beautiful range of mountains) looming on the horizon. Volcanic flats stretch out ahead, leading to unbelievably pastoral fields. Along the way stand villages shaped by the hands of Roman architects, medieval craftsmen and surrealist artists. Dinner is tapas on a barbecue paired with a perfect vintage before settling in to a unique auberge or a palatial hotel. This is no dream. Welcome to Catalonia, where the unexpected happens every day.
Signature Hotels: This trip uses premium hotels that are unique expressions of the region. Often they've had a previous life as a monastery or a castle, but in every case they offer an exceptionally comfortable stay.
Trip Details
Signature Hotels
Barcelona to Barcelona
6 Days / 5 Nights
Price per person from: $5,295
Single supplement: $700
See departure dates for exact pricing
Don't see your ideal travel date?
Call us for Private Trip date availability.
Choose a Date
Day by Day
Drive into the heart of the Garrotxa Natural Park, an ever-changing landscape of dormant volcanoes and rich soils that extends from the foothills of the Pyrénées. Pedal from the village of Santa Pau through the Garroxta to Banyoles.
Ride into the Alt Empordà, nestled between the Pyrénées and the Mediterranean with France above. Stop for a café con leche and savour a light gourmet lunch in the quaint village of Terrades.
Enter the largest surrealist "object" in the world, the Teatro-Museo de Salvador Dali. Bike south to the Baix Empordà through many medieval towns to the beautiful town of Madremanya where we'll look into the past with our passionate local guide.
Ride through quiet countryside and enchanting villages, including Pals, Peratallada, Monells, and Ullastret. Keen riders can challenge themselves with a Century Ride along the coast, passing lovely seaside villages.
Enjoy a stunning ride from the seaside town Tossa de Mar along the Med shore, with breathtaking views around every corner. Roll into Sant Feliu de Guixolls, and board our private boat for a cruise up the panoramic coast. Be serenaded by local Habaneras musicians over cocktails.
Enjoy a final scrumptious breakfast together at the hotel in and adéu in Barcelona.
Mas Falgarona, Avinyonet de Puigvent
This quiet and serene hotel is located just outside of charming Figueres. Built in the 15thC, it is now a stylish, contemporary hotel with all modern amenities, yet it still retains its country charm thanks to the surrounding farmland. Mas Falgarona is a labour of love of owners Severino and Brigitta, and much of the hotel's photography is the work of their son. View hotel website »
El Racó de Madremanya, Madremanya
This accommodation comprises a magnificent 17thC farmhouse and a beautiful, contemporary style inn. Each of the hotel's spacious rooms offers a welcoming atmosphere and features private balconies with magnificent views. This charming hotel is located in the medieval village of Madremanya and provides easy access to the beaches of Costa Brava and the Dalí route. View hotel website »
La Malcontenta, Palamos
Translated to 'The Unsatisfied One,' this beautiful property was named after the mother of the owner whose perfectionism was a relentless force during the creation of the hotel. Its spacious environment extends outdoors to a great garden and pool, complementing a classic Mediterranean décor. The sea is a mere two kilometre stroll away ending up at one of the most tranquil beaches along the Costa Brava. View hotel website »
Activity Level
The riding is varied with the majority of terrain being rolling hills and flat stretches on quiet country roads. There will be a couple of challenging climbs that just require your patience and time. At your own personal pace, they can be conquered and perhaps even enjoyed, as they bring us to more amazing vistas! In order to avoid some of the busier roads, our routes sometimes include unpaved gravel and dirt roads. The days' distances range from 25 to 52 km (15.5 to 33 mi.), with options for more every day.
The Bikes
You can't enjoy a great biking trip without a really great bike. On this trip you'll be riding a customized hybrid or a racing bike with drop bars. We also equip you with handlebar bag, helmet and water bottle.
What's Included
- All hotel accommodation
- All breakfasts, four lunches, four dinners, including wine
- Services of B&R guide(s) and support van
- All special events and private tours
- Use of a customized hybrid or a racing bike with drop bars, equipped with handlebar bag and helmet
- Detailed maps, route suggestions and water bottle
- All baggage transportation
- All transportation from rendezvous to drop-off
- All gratuities for baggage, porters and hotel service
At Your Service
We take pride in choosing guides who are not only exceptional travelling companions, but who'll go far beyond the call of duty to ensure an unforgettable experience.
"This trip was outstanding - maybe the best European B&R trip I have ever taken! The food blew me away in that it was consistently good everywhere we went, and the wine was jaw dropping. I do not know why it has taken me so long to get to Spain, but shame on me! B&R has opened the door to a new country for me - and I will be back!"
— Owen Billes,
Costa Brava Biking 2013
Costa Brava Biking
Notes from the Road
Insider's Guide: 4 Must-See Things to Do in ViennaSlip on your walking shoes and take in the city's enchanting baroque architecture as you explore a few of our favourite things to do in Vienna.
more »
#myBNR: IcelandIn Iceland, the sense that you are in the company of the elves, trolls and the sword-wielding heroes of Viking legend is impossible to shake.
more »
Insider's Guide: Things to Do in DubrovnikIn the first of my three-part Insider's Guide to Dubrovnik, I've rounded up a few of my favourite things to do in Dubrovnik.
more »
More stories from our blogREAD THE SLOW ROAD
Related TripsRioja Biking
6 Days / 5 Nights
San Sebastian / Bilbao
Price from: $5,995
Argentina Biking
7 Days / 6 Nights
Salta / Salta
Price from: $6,495
Tuscany Biking
6 Days / 5 Nights
Florence / Florence
Price from: $5,295


text:
reviews for: listing #3175301ha - Dominical, Costa Rica rental
- bedrooms 2
- pool yes
- type Villa
- baths 2
- hot tub no
rates (USD)
/ night
$ 1,750 - $ 1,820 / week
- sleeps 4
- pets considered ask owner
Amazing property. Fantastic location. Awesome owners
Review submitted: June 3, 2014 Date of arrival: March 1, 2014
My wife and I stayed here for a few weeks in March. It was amazing. The two bedroom was perfect for us, clean, breezy (AC would really cool it down as well), nice little open kitchen & island to prep your fish, make a drink, relax around. Really nice bathrooms as well. Doña, the awesome housekeeper, keeps the place spotless daily & is so sweet. There is a great spot to park your car right in front of the house. The main house and pool are really nice and we spent a lot of time at the pool enjoying the views, birds and abundant wildlife. Great sunsets after a day at the beach. Jason and Victoria were both really helpful with anything we needed or questions we had......learned about another surf spot, where to buy shrimp & tuna, and Victoria even helped me find an acupuncturist after I hurt my shoulder surfing. We had a great time meeting their kids and playing with Wally and Wednesday (the "guard dogs"). There is a really neat trail that winds behind the houses and down by a little creek. In just a few steps you are really in the middle of the rain forest. We hiked down here a few mornings and watched the howler monkeys on their morning commute. There is also a small hotel just up the road (literally a 2 minute walk) where you can go for a meal. We liked to hike up the road occasionally in the morning (for the views and exercise) and stop here for a smoothie or Tico breakfast.
The proximity to the main road is another great quality of the house. You are up in the hills and secluded...but it's partially paved and a super easy few minutes up or down. We rented another property after our stay here (to accommodate more guests) and found ourselves wishing we had stayed here the whole time. It was excellent.
Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
Great property in Uvita.
Review submitted: February 26, 2014 Date of arrival: February 16, 2014
This property was all we had hoped for and more. Our hosts (and their two great dogs) were friendly and easy to talk to. Several beaches are nearby and the view from the pool is drop dead gorgeous.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
Great Location, Beautiful View, Friendly Owners
Review submitted: December 20, 2013 Date of arrival: December 7, 2013
My husband and I recently stayed at Casa Caribaea for our second annual 10 day stint in Uvita. Last year, we had a great time at Oxygen Jungle Villas, just up the road, but this year, we wanted something with a full kitchen and just a little more space. But at the same time, we still wanted the view, proximity to town, and not to pay $200-$300 per night for just the two of us.
Casa Caribaea is the perfect size. It's a 2 bed 2 bath with a great little kitchen and living area, vaulted ceilings and plenty of windows in the front room that face the ocean. It's a second story building set behind the main residence so you get your privacy and your vehicle gets to sit safely in the driveway, where there is 24 hour surveillance thanks to the full live-in staff.
The main house that Jason & Victoria live in with their 2 kids is lofted as a second/third story villa, and the pool, outdoor kitchen, bar, and TV area below are common use for the guests. They have another villa (3 bedroom) further down the mountain, but since we were the only guests this past week, it was really like a private infinity pool with ocean view. Not too bad. =)
Location is absolutely perfect. You are just north of town off Hwy 34, and the steeper part of the road is paved, which if you've been here before, you know is a bit unusual for anything except the main drives. It's about 3-4 minutes up the hill, but is still high enough to have great views. Took us 5 minutes to get to town, and I never felt like we might fall off the mountain like I did when exploring areas up near Oxygen. We had a 4x4, but it wasn't necessary to get there.
Their house backs up to a preserve and Jason created a great little nature trail that goes down by the river. But you don't have to venture far to see wildlife. I saw white face and howler monkeys on multiple occasions while relaxing by the pool, and there are plenty of toucans, parrots, and other feathered friends flying in the skies.
Jason & Victoria are great and very helpful. They had fresh fruit waiting for us in our rental when we arrived, and were more than happy to help with anything we needed to set up (Victoria even arranged my car rental and recommended agencies/rates). They have been in the area for quite some time and can recommend restaurants, tours, hiking expeditions, and even organic farms if you feel like getting your cooking on. We intend to move to Costa Rica soon, and would definitely stay here again. Thanks guys!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
Excellent Rental Option for the South-Central Pacific Coast - Delightful property and Hosts
Review submitted: July 25, 2013 Date of arrival: July 16, 2013
This property was just as advertised---beautiful grounds and comfortable 2BR/2BA with kitchen-sitting area on the 2nd floor surrounded by native trees and exotic plantings. My husband and I, and a couple from Texas spent 3 nights with Jason and Victoria at their Casa Caribaea and found it to be a delightful vacation rental. Victoria thought of everything -- fresh fruit, adequately stocked refrig complete with eggs, milk, etc. and some cold beers to greet us upon arrival.
We have lived in Costa Rica for the past 5 years and frequently visit this coastal area because of its charm and scenic beauty. Now that we have located Jason and Victoria's place, we intend to be repeat customers. They were very responsive and professional in handling our rental, instructions to locate the house were spot-on, and everything was as advertised, and more!
The accommodations were very comfortable, spotlessly maintained, beautifully decorated, great A/C even though we really didn't need it, and the infinity pool and common lounge area provided a great place to drink a little wine and watch the sunset over the Whale's Tail. We made another rafting trip on the Rio Sevegre and it can be a fun trip in June, July, August when this area is getting good rain.
Jason and Victoria are very personable and we really enjoyed Jason's tour of the other rental homes, and his extensive palm, orchid, and bromeliad/heliconia gardens. They have built a fantastic place. Although the rentals and main house are within the same large compound area, the buildings are sufficiently spaced apart so as to afford good privacy for all.
And, this location in the hills just above Uvita is very conveniently located --- easy to hit the Playa Ventana, Uvita, or Dominicalito/Hermosa beaches, visit the National Park, and to run down to some very interesting restaurants in Uvita, Ojochal with an easy drive to Dominical.
We would highly recommend this rental and plan to return soon.
Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
Ideally located to explore the saourthen Pacific coast
Review submitted: May 28, 2013 Date of arrival: May 14, 2013
I spent 1 week at Casa Caribaea with my wife and adult daughter. This was our 8th trip to Costa Rica and the 4th to this part of the country. We normally travel in the dry season but decided to try the green season so we booked a week in the middle of May. The weather was better than expected. It did not rain every day and when it did rain it was in the late afternoon or evening and as such did not affect our activities. I would definitely consider returning in May.
Casa Caribaea and the surrounding property are beautifully maintained. The attention to detail is evident in both the exterior and interior features. The Casa was spotlessly clean. The queen size beds were the most comfortable beds we have ever slept on in Costa Rica. The Casa is fully air-conditioned but we only used the air conditioning in the bedroom at night as we enjoyed the coastal breezes flowing in through the large screened windows in the living room and kitchen.
The Casa is located about 5 minutes off the coastal highway and the town of Uvita. This is an ideal location for exploring the south pacific coast as the cute little surf town of Dominical is only about 15 minutes to the north while there is an interesting eclectic mix of restaurants in Ojochal 15 minutes to the south. There is also the famous Whale's Tail beach at Marina Ballena Park to explore at Uvita, not to mention all the ecotourism and adventure activities offered in Uvita.
We have rented other villas in this area but they were generally further off the coastal highway and required a 10 to 15 minute drive in a 4x4 to reach. It was nice being only 5 minutes off the highway and centrally located as we could easily come back to the Casa between activities for lunch, a siesta, a dip in the pool, or a quick shower.
Jason and Victoria were the perfect hosts. They have a wealth of knowledge of the area and were always available to share this knowledge.
We will definitely be returning to this part of Costa Rica and we look forward to renting once again from Jason and Victoria.
Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
A perfect place to be
Review submitted: May 6, 2013 Date of arrival: April 11, 2013
In April 2013 we travelled with our two kids (6 and 4 years) around beautiful Costa Rica. We stayed for 4 nights at this exceptional accommodation.
The rooms are lovely decorated with wonderful flowers from Jasons garden. The kitchen totally equipped even in the fridge were some cool drinks, spices, coffee etc for refreshments. Also the delightful plate of fruits were a great present for us!
Our kids loved the pool very much; at nighttime with the great changing color lights. The two lovely dogs were also a highlight for them. Wednesday and her friend will stay in their heart..
Having diner outside by the pool when accompanied a stunning view with a beautiful sunset. We saw Tucans in the trees and heard the hawler monkeys. During a trip to the Pacific, we had the wonderful opportunity to see dolphins and sea turtles.
But it's not only the breathtaking place we would like to refer to. Victoria and Jason and of course Tanya (housemaid) made our stay so enjoyable. Always a nice word, a warm smile ore some useful information. It was our daughter Mara's greatest wish to go for a ride in Costa Rica. Victoria took us together with her boys to the stables; a unforgettable memory for us!
Sorry about our english, we hope we could approximately express how much we enjoyed our stay at our place. Actually there are no words for it, we just truly recommend to experience this paradise in the paradise. It's a pity Costa Rica is not closer to Switzerland…
Gabriela, Thomas, Mara and Marc
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
Amazing property!
Review submitted: May 5, 2013 Date of arrival: April 20, 2013
My wife and I spent two weeks at Casa Caribaea and had an amazing time. The property has a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean and Whale's Tail. The house itself is beautifully furnished and quite comfortable, and has a fully functional kitchen. We cooked a lot of our meals and slept very well!
The grounds are amazing - Jason is constantly working on the landscaping and adding new rare and beautiful plant species. We spent a lot of time hanging out on the poolside patio and photographing the birds and wildlife. We saw an amazing variety of birds (tons of toucans, many raptors, hummingbirds, Great Curassows, just to name a few) on the property along with multiple types of monkeys.
The location is also great, as it is convenient to numerous beaches and to the towns of Dominical, Uvita and Ojochal, each of which has its own unique character. Ojochal in particular has several very good restaurants. We were blown away by the quality of the food in the area, especially for such a relatively undeveloped region. The property is also right next to the Whales & Dolphins resort, which also has a good poolside bar for the sunset cocktail hour.
Jason and Victoria were very helpful in arranging activities and recommending restaurants, tours, beaches, etc. I am a novice surfer and even though the waves during my visit were way bigger and more powerful than I am accustomed to surfing, Jason was able to show me a few breaks that were a good fit for my (low) skill level. I surfed nearly every day and caught a lot of fun waves. This is a great property for someone who wants to surf fun, powerful and relatively uncrowded waves every day!
We highly recommend this property and the general area. It is an amazingly beautiful and relatively uncrowded part of Costa Rica. It boasts a stunning variety of outdoor activities, yet also has fairly good amenities. Casa Caribaea is a perfect home base for exploring the Uvita area and Jason and Victoria are awesome hosts.
Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
April Vacation
Review submitted: April 24, 2013 Date of arrival: April 7, 2013
My wife, a couple of our good friends, and I went on a week-long Costa Rican vacation earlier this month. We spent the first few days on the Caribbean coast in Puerto Viejo and then headed across the country to Uvita for a four night stay at Casa Caribaea. We were blown away by this property and the friendliness of the Hughes family.
The four of us stayed in Casa Caribaea, located towards the back of the property behind the main pagoda home and entertainment area. The living area, rooms, and bathrooms are located on the second story above the garage/storage area, with a nice view of the grounds and a bit of the Pacific. The place was immaculate and beautifully designed, constructed, and furnished. The pictures represent it well. There were even some essentials in the fridge upon arrival - eggs, juice, coffee, etc. Jason welcomed us with a tour of the gardens and adjacent primary forest. We enjoyed a starfruit right out of the garden…pretty cool!
Jason and Victoria were both extremely helpful with excellent food and activity recommendations. They took care of all of our reservations. Victoria even drove us to a nearby waterfall and swimming area - a secret spot that we would have never found on our own. Jason let us rent one of his boards and gave us a surf lesson in Dominical. I had some trouble with an ATM at one of the banks in Uvita one day (my mistake), and Jason called ahead for me to grease the wheels – it helped a lot since his Spanish is much better than mine. Great folks.
There are several beaches within a 5 minute drive – some good for swimming, some better for surfing. Plenty to do. I'd recommend the new Osa Mountain Canopy Tour near Ojochal – we had a blast. Although, I think our favorite time was winding down at the end of each day with a beverage by the LED-lit infinity pool.
I highly recommend this place - and the other building on the property looked amazing too. Hopefully can we can return someday!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
A Trip To Remember
Review submitted: February 17, 2013 Date of arrival: January 18, 2013
It was our first time to Costa Rica, and it was a trip to remember. It was not only because of the natural beauty of the country, but also because of the couple my husband and I got to know, Victoria and Jason, the owners of the property we rented.
As soon as we arrived, Jason and Victoria greeted us with big smiles and great hospitality. Just when we were taken away by the beauty of the amazing property, Victoria surprised us by taking us to a private tour around the property, which is located right in the middle of the rain forest. We thought the tour was much better than the tour we later on took at Manuel Antonio National Park, where we had to pay to enter. We saw so many white-faced monkeys, howler monkeys and hundreds of tropical plants, most of which we don't even know the names of. By the time we finished the draw-dropping tour and made it to our suite, we were again surprised by the elegance of the room decor and comfort like home. From every single detail in the spacious and beautiful 2-bedroom 2-bathroom suite, we could tell the pride of ownership from the lovely couple.
During our 7-day stay, Victoria and Jason were so helpful and friendly, and we felt we were staying at an old friend's place, or better. They kindly offered suggestions to local restaurants(they have very different recommendations, and we had a lot of fun trying some of their favourite local spots), and they also helped to make arrangements for local tours, which was helpful because they speak fluent Spanish and we don't. Jason even offered to teach my husband surfing, but unfortunately we didn't get a chance to do so. Jason also told us about two "secrete" spots that we could buy fresh fish directly from the fishermen. We had the freshest and tastiest yellow-fin tuna at a such a low price that you wouldn't believe, and the experience of finding the hidden spots in a country without street addresses was priceless.
We had such a wonderful vacation, and a big part was because of Victoria and Jason. We will be back again, because we have two friends in Costa Rica now!
Owners response:
Thanks for the kind words Heather and Jeff! I was just buying some fresh Yellowfin tuna the other day and was thinking about your various recipes as you definitely inspired Victoria and I to use the BBQ more. More importantly, we had the pleasure of your kind and courteous decorum and it was to my regret that Jeff and I only realized during your last evening here that we share a very similar framework for looking at the world and I had one of the most interesting conversations in my life. I thank you for that and can't wait to see you guys again.
By the way, we just imported twenty new varieties of palms from Hawaii this week (including a very rare yellow crown shaft form of the famous Betel Nut Palm) so we now have over 230 different species now on display.
Thanks again,
Jason Hughes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 0 / 0
Beautiful Villa and Gorgeous Views
Review submitted: December 5, 2012 Date of arrival: November 16, 2012
We would greatly recommend this villa to a couple or to a family. We stayed with our two young children. The villa is warm, clean and beautiful. The entertainment center is gorgeous with beautiful views of the ocean and the mountains. The infinity pool is so beautiful and refreshing. The villa is very private and at the same time our children were never bored. There are so many fun activities to do. The owners were wonderful and honest. When we arrived we had all the essentials needed for the next morning, e.g. delicious fruit, coffee, eggs, drinks and more. Our stay exceeded our expectations, the villa was warm and beautiful decorated. The owners were very helpful and warm with any of our needs and made us feel at home. There aren't enough words to express our gratitude to the owners. We can't wait to be back again!
Owners response:
Thank you Eric, Veronica, Erica and Bianca! I get a little teary eyed when I think of your wonderful family and the pure joy that you brought to our home. We often reminisce about your visit as you guys truly are an example of a family that is living a thoughtful and joyous life. From the day down at the river teaching us the basics of fly fishing (which I'm still not very good at) to the follow up visit after you guys left for Manual Antonio, it was just a wonderful time. The smiles on your daughters faces told it all and my youngest son still fondly mentions Bianca's name on a regular basis. I can't wait to see you guys again.
Thank you Yoos family,
Jason, Victoria & Family
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 1 / 1
Reviews are the subjective opinions of VacationRentals.com travelers and not of VacationRentals.com, Inc.


text:
Former Hereford United chairman to chair recruitment company's board (From Ledbury Reporter)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting MG NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
Former Hereford United chairman to chair recruitment company's board
Updated 11:07am Thursday 17th July 2014 in News
HEREFORD United's former chairman has been appointed to the management team of a county recruitment business.
David Keyte will chair the board at Herefordshire Recruitment, which is based on King Street in Hereford.
Mr Keyte, who has been replaced at the Edgar Street club by Tommy Agombar, will also be in charge of "developing ties within the education sector".
His profile on Herefordshire Recruitment's website says his career has "encompassed finance, education and more latterly sport".
"Having spent 10 years as a Senior Finance Manager within the BBC, David lectured in Further Education (Finance and Accountancy) before he successfully ran and managed a school focused upon supporting children with learning difficulties, where he remains Chairman of the Schools Governors," the profile says.
"He will Chair the businesses board as well as developing ties within the education sector."
The company is led by Stuart Blake.
The management team at Herefordshire Recruitment can be viewed here.
Comments (7)
Please log in to enable comment sorting
11:12am Thu 17 Jul 14
Steve Harris 1957 says...
1:03pm Thu 17 Jul 14
littlewhitebull says...
Steve Harris 1957 wrote:Must congratulate Steve Harris 1957; not a swear word in sight. My comments could not be published, so I'll just echo Steve's words.
Good grief!!!
1:20pm Thu 17 Jul 14
Hereford Common Sense says...
3:42pm Thu 17 Jul 14
Ubique1 says...
6:27pm Thu 17 Jul 14
Mr Tea says...
I wouldn't trust them to hire a tea-boy.
9:12pm Thu 17 Jul 14
Whatabouttheleases? says...
9:34am Fri 18 Jul 14
mizza21 says...
I wouldn't trust Keyte with my dinner money.
Comments are closed on this article.


text:
|Project by Dkol
|posted 765 days ago
|2021 views
|11 times favorited
|7 comments
I got a couple of these Post Office doors from a friend. What else to do with them but make a bank? Went with a Art Deco (ish) design that hopefully goes with the style of the door. I made a prototype with MDF to work out the design. Walnut and Curly Maple, finished with a seal coat of Garnet Shellac and then Wipe-on Poly.
The Bank is 5×3.5×6 inches.
7 comments so far
#1 posted 765 days ago
That is really, really nice!! You did a great job integrating the door with the wood. Well done!
-- Patrick, Helicopters don't fly. They beat the air into submission.
#2 posted 765 days ago
Nicely done ! How big is it ? Maple and walnut – a winning combination.
-- Dwight - "Free legal advice available - contact Dewey, Cheetam & Howe""
#3 posted 765 days ago
-- I'm not creative, I'm just bad at copying
#4 posted 765 days ago
Nice bank!
I recently acquired a few of these PO box doors as well (same design as you are showing here). I don't have anything planned like your design, but want to get a little bank done for my 6 month daughter. I have not yet figured out the best way to attach the door. What method did you use to attach the door to the wood front?
#5 posted 765 days ago
Much fun!
-- ~Just A Guy With A Hammer~
#6 posted 765 days ago
Mounting the door was a bit tricky, not much space to work with. The opening needs to be fairly close to the width of the mounting flange (with holes) on the frame of the door. I positioned the door where I wanted it, opened the door and marked the placement of the screws. Ideally you could use a small drill driver with a right angle attachment and a stubby drill bit to drill the holes. Since I did not have one I hand drilled the holes with a counter sink bit, it took a while, but it kept me from over drilling through the side. I waxed the screws and drove them in with a #1 hex bit and tightened them using a 1/4" wrench. Do not over tighten or you can spring the frame and the door will not open.
Hope this helps.
#7 posted 765 days ago
I like it,
-- -- I'm no rocket surgeon
Have your say...
You must be signed in to post the comments.


text:
- Mobile site
- E-Newsletters
- News feed
- Find us on Twitter
Follow us on Twitter
- Find us on Facebook
Hereford Times on Facebook
Like HT on Facebook
The Big Match: Bromyard come out on top in local derby at Greyhound (From Hereford Times)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting HT NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
The Big Match: Bromyard come out on top in local derby at Greyhound
8:18am Monday 3rd March 2014 in Sport By Mike Tansley
Greyhound 6 pts Bromyard 12 TRIES from Scott Holloway and George Leighton ensure that Bromyard came out on top on in this scrappy derby encounter.
The tries came one in each half and were enough to ensure that the visiting side avoided a double defeat and gave coach Patrick Hill a happy return to his old stamping ground.
The game started well enough for Greyhound as Matt Swain slotted over a penalty just eight minutes in following some good dominance from the forwards.
It didn't take long however for Bromyard to get on the board as the forwards drove over the try line, following a line out, with Holloway the player getting the ball down.
Toby Rivers narrowly missed the conversion to leave the scoreline at 3-5 until the half time whistle.
Greyhound started the half strongly and it was another Swain penalty that gave the hosts a 6-5 lead.
Then followed a scrappy period of the game in which both sides went down to 14 men. Neither side was able to get a hold of the game, with a number of handling errors when getting into promising positions in the opposing final thirds.
However, it was George Leighton, just two minutes after returning from the sin bin, who found his way over the try line following a good flowing move which left Bromyard with an overlap in the far corner for Leighton to fully capitalise on.
Rivers added the conversion this time and despite a last big effort from Greyhound, the Bromyard defence held strong to leave them comfortably sitting in mid table.
The hosts are left still nervously looking over their shoulder just above the relegation zone.
Greyhound: Craig, Catterall, A Paton, Phillips, Martin, Swain, Prothero, Gibbons, Morris, Dickinson, Gwynn, O Paton, Gummer, Foster, Booten. Subs: Gittoes, Oatley, Dale, Loughman.
Bromyard: Rivers, Prosser, Parker, G Leighton, Reece-Pitt, Ralph, Muntz-Torres, Holloway, Griffiths, Legge, Hulburd, Ford, Ja. Williams, Jo. Williams, J Leighton. Subs: Tomkins, Fulbrook, Wilford, Eversham, Hamdon.
Comments are closed on this article.


text:
Get the digital magazine on your device!
FREE TRIAL – Limited time only
The weather The summers are generally mild but very changeable, with temperatures ranging between minus 5C and 20C. It's not unusual for the weather to change abruptly, bringing rain, high winds and freezing temperatures, so be prepared.
Credit: Simone Sbaraglia


text:
- Mobile site
- E-Newsletters
- News feed
- Find us on Twitter
Follow us on Twitter
- Find us on Facebook
Hereford Times on Facebook
Like HT on Facebook
Hereford-based NFTO cycling star Adam Blythe wins National Criterium Championships in Hull (From Hereford Times)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting HT NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
Hereford-based NFTO cycling star Adam Blythe wins National Criterium Championships in Hull
Updated 5:22pm Friday 11th July 2014 in Sport By Ian Morgan, Sports Reporter
CYCLING ace Adam Blythe has hit top gear to win the National Criterium Championships in Hull.
Blythe races for the Hereford-based NFTO professional cycling team and he will be wearing the National Jersey formerly on the shoulders of team mate Russ Downing.
The 24-yrear-old was involved in a battle with Chris Opie, from Rapha Condor JLT, in the final stages of the men's section of the 2014 British Cycling National Circuit Race Championships.
Blythe swept past his rival just before the finishing line.
"I'm ecstatic," said Blythe, after the race.
"I knew I could do well and it was a case of getting everything right on the night. I'm absolutely thrilled with the result.
"Once it got to three laps to go I knew we could stay away then and it was just a case of doing as little as possible but as much as possible to try and save something for the sprint."
NFTO Pro Cycling's James McCallum had applied the pressure in the early stages.
Men's result: 1 Adam Blythe NFTO 59:12:00; 2 Chris Opie Rapha Condor JLT; 3 Graham Briggs Rapha Condor JLT. Other selected results: 5 Dean Downing NFTO; 6 James McCallum NFTO; 7 Dale Appleby NFTO; 15 Russell Downing NFTO; 24 Sam Williams NFTO.
Comments (1)
Please log in to enable comment sorting
7:33pm Fri 11 Jul 14
poulry says...
Comments are closed on this article.


text:
Please enter your current email address to receive instructions on resetting your password.
Your password has been reset. Please check your email for further instructions.
You are sending a link to the page. Please completely fill out the form
Add an additional message below.
The URL for the page will automatically be added to your message.
The 24th Annual Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike Festival is held in beautiful Staunton VA the third weekend of October. The Bike Festival will be here before you know it. We are completely geared up and anticipating a great group of cyclists numbering around 700. All pre-registered cyclists will receive a long sleeve event t-shirt and a window sticker. These take-aways will help you remember the great times you had in Staunton.
The Double Century. In addition to the 100 mile challenging century on Saturday, we've added a second century on Sunday. This new Three Loop Century will test the mettle of any serious cyclist. Just like the name implies, you will return to the starting point repeatedly, giving you the opportunity to bail out if you just aren't up to the challenge, or if your legs are totally spent.
This facility meets ADA Accessibility Guidelines for wheelchair accessibility, including an accessible entrance,
access to goods and services, usability of rest rooms and accessible parking and drop-off areas. For additional
details, please see the ADA website.
Order your Free Virginia Travel Guide.
What's going on around Virginia? Subscribe to the Virginia eNews.
Thank You! For subscribing to the Virginia eNewsletter. You will begin receiving 2 email newsletters each month.
View Our Newsletter Archive
Online Travel Guide
Virginia Green
Weather Forecasts
Virginia iPhone Apps


text:
Posts filtered on Category
Seagulls and shotguns: New Signspotting book
We've all seen them, unintentionally funny signs – embarrassing typos, ill-conceived traffic signage, poorly translated advertisements — from travels near and far. But only Doug Lansky thought to collect them. Now, Lansky, whose Signspotting syndicated photo feature has run in the Chronicle Travel section for years and is soon to be on SFGate.com, is coming […] [Read More]
Cannabis Trips: A baked-cation?
When first picking up the book "Cannabis Trips: A Global Guide that Leaves No Turn Unstoned," by Bill Weinberg (Running Press, 2010), it's easy to assume (as I did) that it's a worldwide guide to vending machines that stock Cheetos and Rice Krispy treats. It turns out, however, that "Cannabis Trips" lives up to the […] [Read More]
The Holy Foreskin: Author seeks snippets of history
If you've ever wondered what it took to make mild-mannered travel guru Rick Steves utter the phrase "Jesus' penis" (and seriously, who among us hasn't wondered that?), author Dave Farley knows. Amazon.com The answer: Spend five years in Rome and an odd-ball nearby village writing a book about, among other things, "the Holy Foreskin." (Steves, […] [Read More]
Booking bad: Lighter side of travel calamities
I once overheard a co-worker tell the woman in the next cubicle how upset she was that a friend had given away the end of a movie. "I can't believe he said it — the ship sinks at the end!" So out of respect for all those who wouldn't guess from the title, here's a […] [Read More]


text:
East Rutherford, N.J.
Rex Ryan expects his defense to be a lot better this weekend.
They Jets have to be, the coach insisted. Otherwise, Ryan could imagine Drew Brees throwing for 700 yards against them Sunday for the New Orleans Saints.
He was kidding. Sort of.
"He's an amazing guy, just the consistency," Ryan said. "It is almost taken for granted. His numbers are historic that he puts up.
"Man, I was hoping he wasn't going to make the trip."
Sorry, Rex. No chance. But Brees did laugh when told of Ryan's warning.
"Obviously," Brees said, "that's a slight exaggeration."
Well, last week, the Jets (4-4) gave up 325 yards passing and five touchdowns to Andy Dalton in a 49-9 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, Brees threw for 332 yards and five TDs — two each to Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills — while connecting with 10 receivers as the Saints (6-1) rolled to a 35-17 victory over Buffalo.
"Here's the thing, for us we just want to be efficient, and so it doesn't matter the yards or anything else," Brees said. "We have high expectations for ourselves, for this offense."
The Saints' defense also has been markedly better than last season, when it ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed and considered by some, statistically, the worst in league history. With Rob Ryan, Rex's twin, now the defensive coordinator, New Orleans is 12th overall.
It's a job that has impressed Rex and added a little extra spice to an already competitive sibling rivalry.
"You know Rob wants to beat his brother," Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton said. "I don't think he just wants to beat him. He wants to destroy his brother. I think he'll be geeked up for this week and I think Rex, he feels the same way." Rex holds a 6-3 advantage over Rob.
In order to stop Brees, the Jets will need to be a lot better than they have been lately on the back end of the defense.
Once a strength of the team, New York's secondary has become mediocre at best. Antonio Cromartie has been subpar, as has first-rounder Dee Milliner.
Jets vs. Saints
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
TV: Fox-23


text:
Paradise Club
The Paradise Club is like three clubs in one. Escorts, the same ones you'll find on the streets, but then in a white towel, are hanging around all over the Paradise Club: around the bar, around the mini stripper stage, around the game room, but mostly around the tiny sauna on the third floor. For about 50 BRL you can fuck (or get fucked by) one. At night, the bar is full of horny guys who come to watch the show.
- 27 May 2011
- Share • Facebook• Twitter• MySpace
- Post Comment


text:
Raheem Brock fined for "hit" on Ben Roethlisberger
Fined by the NFL today for being "TRIPPED" by an o'lineman and fallin into the QB's legs! Smh if I only had super powers to stop mid air— Raheem Brock (@RaheemBrock) September 22, 2011
I don't say this often about fines, but what a load. He was clearly tripped and fell into Ben's legs, which is unfortunate but in no way his fault.


text:
Cynthia is Head of Strategic Finance at Telstra.
Cynthia Whelan is based in Sydney is responsible for the Strategy, M&A, Treasury and Investor Relations teams at Telstra, having joined in August 2013.
Prior to joining Telstra, Cynthia was the Chief Executive for Barclays in Australia/New Zealand. In this role she had responsibility for the Global Markets, Distribution, Infrastructure and Investment Banking operations of the Bank in this region and was a member of Barclays' Asia Pacific Executive Committee and on the Board of AFMA.
Ms. Whelan returned from Hong Kong in 2009 where she was the Head of Debt Capital Markets for the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Barclays in 2004 to establish a DCM franchise for the Bank, she spent four years with Merrill Lynch as Head of A$ Syndicate and later as part of the debt capital markets coverage team. Ms Whelan started her career at UBS in a variety of roles, including fixed income sales and debt capital marketsIn Hong Kong Ms Whelan was the co-founder of Women in Finance Asia, a financial services industry body supported by the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA). Ms Whelan also represented Barclays on the Board of ASIFMA and was co-chair of Barclays Womens Initiatives Network for Asia Pacific.
Ms Whelan is a member of the Board of the Sydney Women's Fund, a not-for-profit organisation focused on the needs of women and children in Greater Sydney. She is also a founding member of the Australia Advisory Board for Room to Read.
In October 2012, Ms. Whelan won the Telstra Business Women's Award in the Hudson Private and Corporate Sector category and in 2011 she won the Women of the Year award for Outstanding Achievement globally within Barclays.
Ms. Whelan graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Finance and Japanese Studies and also holds a Masters of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and completed the OSLP from Oxford in 2013.
Remember Me
Forgot your password?
Contact Us
10/09/2014CEW 2014 Annual Dinner Tickets - SOLD OUT
16/09/2014Big Data in the Boadroom!
23/10/2014CEW Leaders Insights - Women in Technology & Media Panel


text:
Sunday's game between the Falcons and Lions was another physical matchup much like the one with the 49ers. Once again Ndamukong Suh is catching a lot of heat right now from around the league. As a huge fan of his I think He's the best DT in the NFL right now in only his second year. What I love about his game is that it's old school. He takes me back to the days of players like "Mean Joe Green" "LT" and "Reggie White." If most of you watched Sunday's contest between the Lions and Falcons, I'm sure you've heard the accusations coming from the Falcons corner alleging that Suh and Cliff Avril are "dirty players" who were "taunting Ryan while he was hurt on the ground." This isn't the 1st time that Suh has been accused of being a dirty player and probably won't be the last. I think with all of the accusations that go towards defensive players, one thing that gets lost in translation is how dirty "offensive" players are as well. For example, Hines Ward is one of the dirtiest offensive players in the league and is a cheap shot artist who thrives on crack back blocks on players who are no where near the play and while they' aren't looking. With all of the rule changes in the NFL with the emphasis on protecting the QB, what goes unnoticed is the dirty play of offensive players. Suh mentioned this when he made his "Karma" reference to why Matt Ryan was hurt by his own lineman. Suh and Avril both accused the Falcons linemen of being dirty players who Chop block and cut players down the field.
As a fan of the game of football, I am all for player safety. That being said, I want to see players on BOTH sides of the line of scrimmage protected and not just the side that puts points on the board. I want to address something that needs to be brought up regarding these changes to protect what I like to call the "glamor positions" in the NFL. We all know the real reason why the changes were made in the 1st place. It's to increase scoring throughout the league. If you can make defenders more conscious of being fined for "hitting a QB too hard," or "too late" you will make them more hesitant to play the game of football at the highest level they could play. That gives an advantage to the offense. It also leaves defensive players at risk since there's nothing to curb offensive players from dealing out illegal punishment on unsuspecting defenders. Suh pointed this out when he was defending himself in his last interview. Atlanta's O-line reminds me a lot of the O- line the Broncos had when Terrell Davis was there. They were known for being cheap shot artists as well (which is why Shanahan could put anybody back there and they'd run for G). I don't like the way the NFL is only emphasizing protecting the offensive players of the sport. Maybe what Suh said was right: "I look at it as Karma."


text:
Heartbreakers is a 2001 caper-romantic comedy film directed by David Mirkin. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, and Gene Hackman. Weaver was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for her performance in the film. The plot revolves around an elaborate con set up by a mother-daughter team to swindle wealthy men out of their money, and what happens during their "last" con together.
List of links to Heartbreakers fansites:
Register to update information, save favorites, post photos, news stories and comments. A LucyMe.com login allows you to edit our four websites.


text:
[Journal of the Simplified Spelling Society, J29, 2001 pp34-37]
[See other journal articles by Valerie Yule.]
How People Spelled When They Could Spell as They Liked
by Valerie Yule.Valerie Yule researches in spelling, literacy and imagination. See her webpages (an index page on spelling with multiple links) and (an index page for literacy ideas and materials in progress).
If people could spell as they liked, what sort of chaos would result? What happened when they could? People actually could spell as they liked before the late 18th-century dictionaries of Johnson and others. This was before the snobbery and "conspicuous consumption" common in 18th-century society, as well as the 19th century's emphasis on elite correctness. These combined to set English spelling in concrete, less than two hundred and fifty years ago. How earlier writers wanted to spell makes an interesting study, relevant to spelling reform now. The results are not quite what we might expect.
This study of "how people spelled when they could spell as they liked" is based on long reading in those earlier periods, supported by an analysis of samples of print, from around 1370 to 1670. The samples are not of the same length, and they are so short and limited that the findings can only be indicators. There is a rich supply of material that was printed or handwritten from the late middle ages onward to examine.
Spelling Before Dictionaries.From the time of the Anglo-Saxons, perhaps even until Chaucer's day, writers in English may have "spelled as they spoke." After the invention of printing, an interesting thing happened. Books and pamphlets multiplied phenomenally - everyone who could was reading like mad, and it sometimes seemed that they were all writing, too. According to my observations, the spelling habits of these people could probably be graphed. The less education and reading a person had, the more likely their spelling in their letters and other personal writing would be more closely fonetic, representing their own local speech. With more education and wide reading, the more likely that the chief determinant of a writer's own spelling would be the spelling in the books and pamflets that they read, even if this spelling did not reflect their own speech - and even if many of the commonest spellings they used were already capricious, answering to nobody's way of talking by that time. In their personal letters, however, all writers were liable to spell with more personal abandon.
Writers tended to conform with general usage in spelling the vocabulary they used frequently, but resorted to their own phonetics when they were not sure or were not familiar with any widely accepted spelling of a word. Pitman's stenographers used to be like that, too. Most of their originally-fonetic squiggles were heavily rote-lernt and then used by unthinking habit, but fonetically encoded when necessary.
One reason for this lack of "spelling as you speak" could have been the lack of a Received Pronunciation. There was none even in Johnson's time, as he complained. There was no prime way of speaking among all the dialects even of London. So it could be wiser, from Aberdeen to Tiverton, to share as common a spelling as possible, in order to communicate. Printers from Caxton on also put in their bit to support more standardised spelling - it suited them better to have some automaticity, when the hot metal had to be placed letter by letter.
These habits in the public spelling of English were setting even in Chaucer's time. Chaucer used many spellings, both regular and irregular, that we still use today - altho he would sometimes vary from them. The following words and their spellings are familiar today:
"in age was dwelling a dale this of which I my tale day that she last simple for and by of such as God two (a few lines further on, spelled "tweye") three large sheep sooty many sauce never no morsel passed made never to drank neither served most milk were enclosed land crowing his peer than abbey nature knew degrees ascended amended comb redder coral."The discerning reader can fill in the spaces, since there is sufficient vocabulary to recognise this as the beginning of the Nonne Preestes Tale.
Here are irregular spellings (in the sense of unpredictable) that are still with us, from the letters of Thomas Cartwright around 1590:
"many trouble although reason come obedient voice whom who slaughter peace are most conscience words experience knowledge absurd declare prove sword used passionate third ascend have any beauty certain none worth possible people colour occasion weight prophecy measure breath receipt"Note that writers still varied greatly from the inconsistent standards while these were slowly developing.
Sources.The word lists below come from samples from the following printed books, although backed by my recollections of reading old books and mainly 17th century handwriting.
Consecutive samples have been taken from:
--Chaucer, (1340-1400)
--Thomas Sackville (1536-1608)
--Christopher Marlowe (1563-1593)
--Samples from the letters of Thomas Cartwright, hand-written around 1590, first edited and published in 1951, so there is no question that the spellings were influenced by the printers of the time - as they could be with the other samples of print.
--Edmund Spenser (1551? -1599)
--Scots ballads (dates of writing down are uncertain)
--Scots prose 1662 and 1670
--Leveller pamphlets - English Civil War 1646-1649 (exerpts from seven pamflets)
Old & New Spelling Habits.Spellings from these texts differ from modern spelling in various characteristic ways. The word lists illustrate some prominent differences, as well as some surprising correspondences between old and new.
This brief comparison suggests points that any spelling reform might need to accommodate:
(1) Morfemic spelling - that is, compound words have been spelled by their word-components, rather than as single words. The old writers had to endure less changing of letters in spelling when words were amalgamated; e.g., "manyfold," not "manifold."
(2) Spellings that are shorter than today. So many antique spellings are longer because of the additional spoken inflexions and fondnesses for doubled consonants. Nonetheless, the older writers also seemed to employ the same principles as the Surplus-Cut spelling-reform scheme. They omitted letters that did not aid meaning or pronunciation. Exampls of every one of the streamlining principles of Surplus-Cut spelling appear in all eight samples - there were no cuts that went against those principles. "Streamlining principles" appear in all eight writings.
(3) Many ancient spellings are closer to present speech than their spellings today. Unnecessary complications bother lerners and spellers today - notably extra and unpredictable letters in vowel spellings: "o" instead of "u" for the short vowel foneme /u/, "u" for /w/, simple CVC constructions for final syllables turned into CCV, and "quite mad" changes to construct spellings like "choir" and "tongue."
(4) Following the 18th-century obsession with genteel manners, we have been taught to be absolutely correct with our spelling, even more than with our morals. The old writers could be cavalier, and in letters particularly. (Cartwright's varying spellings of the same word could jostle each other on the same page.)
(5) Many spelling reformers insist that it would be easier for learners and spellers to spell the final sound in plurals and verbs "s" or "z" according to whether natural articulation made that sound /s/ or /z/. None of these early writers ever did. Not even a "woz." However, there was more fonetic discrimination between -d/ and -t/ in participles, which is less obvious grammar.
(6) Across the board, spellings that varied from our spellings today tended to be actually closer to how we pronounce the words, apart from inflexions.
1. Morphemic spelling.Chaucer: byside, fyry, housbond, slayn, trewely
Sackville: slayne, layd, woe begon, wurthyest
Marlowe: dayly
Cartwright: cryed, dayly, denyed, duety, gloryouslye, manyfold, middestruely, truethe, wisedom
Spencer: doen (done), prayses, theyr
Scots ballads: spyed, wellcum, wellcum
Scots prose: dyed, middest, rejoyce, tryals, payed
Levellers: chair-man, dayly, defyance, denyal, trible (cf dubl), tryall, wisedom
2. Shorter spelling.Chaucer: agast, agu, al, arys, bad (bade), berd (beard), bifel, blis, blisful, blody, bord, bour, chuk, cok, colerik, com, contree, cotage, cours, Cresus, dich, dout, ech, erly, fether, flour (flower), ful, fyn, fyr, groning, herd, lak, laxatyf, lege
Chaucer 2: litel, lyf, lyk, malencolye, maner, merier, mery, neded, nigard, peple, Pharao, resonable, romed, sleper, sleping, smal, solas, somtyme, syk, tarie, therfor, vois, wal, wel, wo, wyf, wyn, whyt, slayne, layd, woe begon
Sackville: agast, al, appered, approched, blud, bluddy, brest, breth, carkas, corps, delites, dredfull, drery, ful, gastly, gladsom, glas, godhed, gyltles, hart, hel, knobd, lothly, lothsome, ruful, savor, sorowing, spred, strayt, thre, tyl, unstedfast, wel, wil, woful
Cartwright: becom, brused, chuse, clense, comon, comunion, delite, doctrin, fal cal al, frends, ful, grudg, hart, holesome, immediatly, knowledg, maner, obstinat, oportunity, stif, thorow, undoutedly, unfained, straite, waied (weighed), wheras
Marlowe: brest, delite, faining, kis, moovd, opposite, peble, shal, shels, wandring
Spencer: bels, croking, delite, drery, dwels, fethered, gon, hed, ly, mischivous, roring, scatterd, spels, spred, sumd, yel
Scots: dyed, middest, rejoyce, tryals, befor, chuse, comunion, disciplin, doctrin, doubl, handl, immediately, peopl, requir, sumond, therof, therin, twelv, wher
Levellers: chair-man, dayly, defyance, denyal, trible (cf dubl), tryall, abreviations, adjurnable, al, badg, brests, chuse, disolvable, endevors, grevances, garding, greatned, heightned, entred, grosly, judg, lingring, opressions, hav, rendred, sel, selvs, shal, shufle, sutable, wil
3. Other spellings closer to modern speech than present spellingsNone in the Marlowe sample
Chaucer: eet, Egipt, gentil, meel, middel, repleet, yeer
Sackville: candels, cristall, crummes, eckoed, iye, mantels, stomake, wurdes
Spenser: doo, dore, neer, obay, perle, quyre, yvory
Cartwright: sswaged, clyme, doo, eschue, perswasions, reconsiliaton, renued, suffise, tounges
Scots ballads: cumpanie, cuntrie, nobil, cumpanie, Inglish, luving, mault (malt)
Scots prose: dait, evrie, disswaded, meerly, onely, perswaded, theevish, yeeld
Levellers: arreers, axel, beleeve, center, cleer, cloaths, compairing, compleat, completely
Levellers 2: deer, gyant, neerly, onely, perswaded, supream, yeers
4. Varying spellings on the same page.None in the samples from Marlowe and Scots ballads; Scots prose - the only close variation was tym/tyme"
Chaucer: blak/blake, dreem/dremes, seide/seyde, seith/sey/seyn, shal/shul, wys/wyse
Sackville: assined/assynde, worthy/wurthyest, yel (but dwell)
Spenser: doen (done), doo
Cartwright's letters: beauty/ beiuty, buisnes/ busines, curat/ curate, extorcioners/ extortioners, hainous/ haynouse, obay/ obey, sheepeheardes/ shepheards/sheephearde (all within 6 lines), shuld/shoulde, solemne/solempne, physition/phisition. thretning/threatned (within 3 lines), vnfained/unfained, wel/well
Leveller pamflets: endevors/endevours, grevances/ grievances, publique/ publike
5. t- endings to verbs.None in Chaucer, Spenser, Cartwright or Scots samples
Sackville: approcht dipt whypt slypt prest coucht opprest stretcht
Marlowe: reacht past brancht sipt stript
Leveller: opprest releast stopt
6. s/c/ variations - None in Marlow, Scots ballads or Leveller samplesChaucer: compleccion, congregacioun, pacience, tribulaciouns
Sackville: pearst (pierced)
Cartwright: contricion, gratious, mencion, pacient, substanciall
Spencer: chace, disperst, noyce, sence, sences
Scots prose: caice, antient, antients, gratious, councellor
7. Obsolete distinctions of medial and final vowels.Only Chaucer - broun doun renoun toun hewed (hued)
8. Other variations from present spelling.Chaucer: abyde, adversitee, agayn, allas, beste, bigan, bihold, binethe, bisyde, byte, castel, casuelly, certeyn, citee, coude, daunce, deel, depe, dere, devyse, eres (ears), exercyse, fere, fy, fynde, grone, hevene
Chaucer 2: hir, kepe, lilie, necessitee, orgon, phisyk, pryme, saugh(saw), speke, superfluitee, swete, throtet, yme, vanitee, venimous, whyde, wikkednesse, wommanwyse, wyves, yow
Sackville: ayer, bemone, boyles, fyer, guyde, hugye hugie (huge), Iryshe, miserie, ougly (ugly), plaste (placed), portche, quyeteshoar, shoen (shone), skale (scale), skrip, slepe, speache, syxe, whurld, wyde, yong, yelding
Cartwright: appeereth, approchinge, bloud, deceaved, doon, ghoast, greeued, greeuous, hee bee mee, idyotes, outwardli, oyle, oyntement annoynted, prophane, publique, souldier, tirant, vertuous, yeilding, yow
Spencer: blew (blue), bynd, coche (coach), damzel, Eccho, yeeld, lillies, mattins, mayden, sprinnckled, trew, vertues, wemens, wize
Marlowe: asswage, blew (blue), deceaves, eies, nimph, roiallye, vaile, vailing, yron, monie, beneith, cauld (cold), heir (hwew?), meit, steids, wheit, yeir
Scots ballads: ayd, bettir, bi, castell, deir, desyre, dreirie, dyed, Erles, grene, gude, luke, mercie, mete, nevir, pitie, speik, teirs, tuik (took), blude
Scots prose: bussiness, colledg, dyocess, oyl-colours, publick, subtil, vertue
Levellers: apparent, balance, carkasse, comptrouled, fellons, humaine, hazzarded, imbezelled, indempnitie, kernill, lyable, moneths, possitively, totall, mallice, evill, parrish, priviledges, probabilitie, randezvouz, saies, seised, shee, souldiers, soveraign, stiled, stincking, tyred, vertue, wee
Back to the top.


text:
Mississippi Attorney General Race Turns Toward BP Oil Spill IssuesBy Rhonda Miller | Published 12 Sep 2011 09:36pm |
The Republican candidate for attorney general is criticizing his Democratic opponent for not fighting hard enough for Mississippi residents who have BP oil spill claims. MPB's Rhonda Miller has more on the political skirmish.
Republican candidate for attorney general Steve Simpson said Democratic incumbent Jim Hood has been dragging his feet on legal action to resolve BP oil spill claims. Simpson said Monday in his campaign office in Gulfport the citizens of Mississippi deserve better representation.
"The Louisiana attorney general filed litigation against BP over 10 months before Jim Hood did.The Alabama attorney general, 11 months before Jim Hood. And quite frankly, he has still not pursued BP or TransOcean, the Deepwater Horizon rig owner. He has only filed against Ken Feinberg and the claims office," Simpson said.
After an event in Ocean Springs Monday, Hood said he's been working through a logical process to get claims paid to Mississippi residents.
"Actually, we started with BP. I've been the lead of state coastal attorneys general in trying to force Mr. Feinberg to pay people's claims rapidly and in a fair manner," Hood said.
Simpson also charges Hood with taking campaign contributions from attorneys who are involved in BP lawsuits. He calls those "tainted donations."
"And the attorney general, who is the consumer advocate, who protects consumers, who is the chief state lawyer, is the one who is obligated to seek out that litigation to make sure Mississippians are made whole, and are protected," Simpson said. "And he didn't do it, he waited and collected $125,000 in campaign contributions in the last year from law firms that are sitting on the steering committee for the BP plaintiffs' litigation," Simpson said.
Hood said there's nothing questionable about donations to his campaign.
"It doesn't have anything to do with the BP litigation if those lawyers were friends of mine and contributed to our campaign," Hood said. "Companies have contributed, individuals have contributed to our campaign."
With eight weeks left to campaign, the candidates are likely to continue this debate until the Nov. 8 election.
CommentsMPB will not tolerate obscenities, threats/personal attacks, hate speech, material that is ethnically or racially offensive, abusive comments, comments off topic and spam, to name a few. You can see a complete list of the MPB guidelines by viewing our terms of service. If you spot a comment you think violates these guidelines, report it to the moderators by clicking "x" next to the comment, then "report". MPB reserves the right to adjust these guidelines. If you have a suggestion, please contact us.


text:
Written by:2/25/2013 7:08 AM
This Digital Exclusive features 50 PAGES of Archie's wackiest movie adventures! Lights! Camera! Action! Archie and friends are on the SMALL screen in this 50-page Digital Exclusive, spotlighting some of our blockbuster movie stories. Whether they're behind the camera or in front of it, Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the whole gang always get two thumbs up! So curl up with a bucket of popcorn and enjoy the show!
Reggie & Me #3
When Reggie decides he and his dog Runty need to communicate better, he goes to boy-genius Dilton for help. Dilton sees a rare opportunity to pull a prank on the class clown of Riverdale High and, with some help from his secret lab, convinces the jokester that he can now understand Runty's thoughts! Reggie asks Dilton to do the same for Lindsey and her dog, but thanks to a lightning storm, the joke becomes reality and Reggie and Lindsey develop the ability to read each other's minds! Can the couple stay together without any privacy?