text:
Religious Stories
Possibly a weird topic, but I'm going with it anyway.
Religion can often be a touchy subject, but I would like this thread to remain as objective and civilized as possible. To start, I would like to say that I am an atheist, though while I was growing up my mom made me go to Sunday School in a Methodist Church, so I have a passing familiarity with the Bible and the stories within.
Though I personally don't believe that these stories are the Word of God, I still find value in them, either as lessons in morality or simple entertainment. I honestly think the Old Testament is awesome, full of heroes and villains and floods and locusts and crazy larger-than-life tales. Some stories teach valuable life lessons, and others are just fun to read.
So I ask, whether you believe it to be real or fiction (a fictional story can teach you about morality just as well as a true story can), what are some of your favorite religious stories, and why? They don't have to be stories from the Bible; any religion will do.
For whatever reason, I really enjoy the story of Samson and Delilah. It's the ultimate story of love and betrayal.
Re: Religious Stories
I have a love-hate feeling to the story of Noah and his Ark.
I hate it because it is a horrible tale of genocide, in which innocent babies and little children (as well as innocent animals) are drowned by a truly nasty being.
I love it because it is the story that most helped me become an atheist. When I was 7 or 8 years old I was given a book on Bible stories for children which includes Noah's Ark. It had lovely pictures in it including on of the Ark sailing happily as people (men, women, children and babies), who had made to the mountains pleaded for rescue. I became extremely angry that Noah wouldn't rescue kids, and that a God would drown them. I threw the book across the room. Later I decided that the story couldn't be true and I picked up the book and put it with my mythology books.
I think that it is shameful that this is passed off as a children's story. One woman I know would let her children read about Noah's Ark yet she would stop them from watching "cartoon violence".
I would love to find a copy of the Bible story book I used to have - I would recognise it even after all these years.
Here is an illustation of Noah's Ark that I approve of.
Re: Religious Stories
I think most people who teach the story of Noah's Arc to children probably omit the genocidal parts. It's about saving animals! Just ignore all the ones that didn't make it.
Re: Religious Stories
I've always found Genesis extremely interesting. God created humans for his amusement, he lied to them (that fruit is gonna kill ya!), and when humans became knowledgable and self-conscious by eating of the Tree of Knowledge (of Good and Evil), he became angry and threw them out of Paradise before they also ate of the Tree of Life. The text also shows that God had no powers over these two trees. They were there, and all he could do was lie about them.
Basically, I see in it a tale about the basics of oppression. Every tyrant wants to keep the masses uneducated and ignorant. Knowledge is a dangerous thing to them, and they need to get rid of the educated people.
Of course the more accepted interpretation is that it was one of those tests of God, in order to explain that lie away.
I personally don't want a God that lies to me and tests me on a constant basis.
There are other examples where God pretty much acts like a despot and bully. Noah's Arc is one, then there's also the story about God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son, as a test of his loyality, and an angel comes down to prevent the whole thing saying something along the lines of "Now I know you are afraid of God".
Based on what I read in the Bible, I will never understand how people can pray to that character. God is portrayed as a very sick, nasty and evil person, abusing his powers countless of times. And from the very beginning, he never trusted his own creations. All he does is testing, commanding, punishing, erradicating, exiling, and then, in the end, with Jesus, kindly forgiving us poor misguided souls four our sins.
Re: Religious Stories
i don't think an individual- say, me, for instance- needs to have self-defined / self-described relationship/thought processes regarding/to deity in order to appreciate Abrahamic religious Mythos.... e.g. the Western Bible {mosaic texts, torah, talmud, kaballah, 'old' & 'new' testaments, the koran, the apocrypha, the dead sea scrolls, the nag hammadi codices, etc...} as Foundational to Western Literature {and, similarly, other cultural religious texts within the context of their origin cultures} and thus to the Stories which Define a Culture's Mythos, Ethos, etc...
in my limited experience, it seems that many a Star Trek Fan~ for instance~ is enamored of the show BECAUSE of its generous allusion to Western Literature- at least in part. Therefore, by natural extension, one's familiarity with 'religious stories' and literature inspired thus IS perennially pertinent in Sci-Fi discussions... it informs the very raison d'etre of Fiction.
So, no prob here with religious/biblical allusion in Speculative Fiction or any other Genre for me.... in fact, one of the reasons i loved BSG so much was the Incorporation/retelling/rebooting of the Classic Origin Myth. {i HATED the ending of BSG... too ACTUAL, not MYTHOLOGICAL... ruined the Whole Series for me... (true Networky deus ex machina ) but it was Fun While It Lasted...}
Just sayin'....
Re: Religious Stories
As a Christian, I think some of the Old Testament stories, especially the ones in Genesis, are just plain dumb and should not be taken seriously or literally, even by the most religious of readers. Somebody gave me a book called The Purpose Driven Life, and one of the chapters talked about how Noah built an arc for 100 years, and he was 5,000 years old at the time. :rolleyes: Like Ms. Chicken, I almost turned into an atheist. But my faith in God goes beyond the fictitious and outrageous tales in the Bible.
Re: Religious Stories
The messages in Star Trek episodes are not diminished by the fact that warp speed is impossible, are they?
Re: Religious Stories
I can see no worthwhile intent or meaning in Noah's Ark, and this is true for several other Biblical stories (Lot, Abraham and Isaac, Jonah, Job etc).
I see much more meaning in the lovely stories of the Kalevala, or in Greek/Roman/Norse literature.
Re: Religious Stories
JR, I realize that, but there's a certain degree of suspension of disbelief when you're reading or watching science fiction and fantasy. Being a Christian means you have faith in that which cannot be seen, heard, or touched (except in the Bible, when people claimed to have communicated with God). Then again, like you said, these are parables that have underlying meanings. What's clear is that the Old Testament God was wrathful and vindictive, while the one Jesus tells us about in the New Testament is more like a loving father figure.
Re: Religious Stories
We could devote a whole thread to the craziness, inconsistency and inhumanity of Bible stories. Not to mention the retcons and revisions. My favorite Medieval add-on is the Harrowing. I also get a kick out of how Adam and Eve were the first people, yet Adam managed to have a first wife before Eve (it's also amusing to realize that all of Humanity must be the product of incest-- explains a lot). But the stories themselves are great to read and to mine for imagery and allusions. They're completely outrageous.
I don't know if this counts as a religious story, but Christmas is coming and I've always loved the song "The Little Drummer Boy." There's a story with a message I can believe in.
Re: Religious Stories
I'm not sure if "religion" is the right word here, because the whole affair is as much parody as philosophy (that's all part of the point) but I'm very fond of the Discordian creation myth. :) As with all Discordian matters, taking it at all seriously isn't advised, which doesn't mean it's not intended to say something important:
"In the beginning there was VOID, who had two daughters; one (the smaller) was that of BEING, named ERIS, and one (the larger) was of NON-BEING, named ANERIS. (To this day, the fundamental truth that Aneris is the larger is apparent to all who compare the great number of things that do not exist with the comparatively small number of things that do exist.)
Eris had been born pregnant, and after 55 years (Goddesses have an unusually long gestation period -- longer even than elephants), Her pregnancy bore the fruits of many things. These things were composed of the Five Basic Elements, SWEET, BOOM, PUNGENT, PRICKLE, and ORANGE. Aneris, however, had been created sterile. When she saw Eris enjoying Herself so greatly with all of the existent things She had borne, Aneris became jealous - and finally, one day, she stole some existent things and changed them into non-existent things and claimed them as her own children. This deeply hurt Eris, who felt that Her sister was unjust (being so much larger anyway) to deny Her her small joy. And so She made herself swell again to bear more things. And She swore that no matter how many of her begotten Aneris stole, She would beget more. And, in return, Aneris swore that no matter how many existent things Eris brought forth, she would eventually find them and turn them into non-existent things for her own. (And to this day, things appear and disappear in this very manner.)
At first, the things brought forth by Eris were in a state of chaos and went in every which way, but by the by She began playing with them and *ordered* some of them just to see what would happen. Some pretty things arose from this play and for the next five zillion years She amused Herself by creating order. And so She grouped some things with others and some groups with others, and big groups with little groups, and all combinations until She had many grand schemes which delighted Her. Engrossed in establishing order, She finally one day noticed disorder (previously not apparent because everything was chaos). There were many ways in which chaos was ordered and many ways in which it was not.
"Hah," She thought, "Here shall be a new game."
And She taught order and disorder to play with each other in contest games, and to take turns amusing each other. She named the side of disorder after Herself, "ERISTIC" because Being is anarchic. And then, in a mood of sympathy for Her lonely sister, She named the other side "ANERISTIC" which flattered Aneris and smoothed the friction a little that was between them.
Now all of this time, Void was somewhat disturbed. He felt unsatisfied for he had created only physical existence and physical non-existence, and had neglected the spiritual. As he contemplated this, a great Quiet was caused and he went into a state of Deep Sleep which lasted for 5 eras. At the end of this ordeal, he begat a brother to Eris and Aneris, that of SPIRITUALITY, who had no name at all.
When the sisters heard this, they both confronted Void and pleaded that he not forget them, his First Born. And so Void decreed thus:
That this brother, having no form, was to reside with Aneris in Non-Being and then to leave her and, so that he might play with order and disorder, reside with Eris in Being. But Eris became filled with sorrow when She heard this and then began to weep.
"Why are you despondent?" demanded Void, "Your new brother will have his share with you."
"But Father, Aneris and I have been arguing, and she will take him from me when she discovers him, and cause him to return to Non- Being."
"I see,"replied Void, "Then I decree the following:
"When your brother leaves the residence of Being, he shall not reside again in Non-Being, but shall return to Me, Void, from whence he came. You girls may bicker as you wish, but My son is your Brother and We are all of Myself."
And so it is that we, as men, do not exist until we do; and then it is that we play with our world of existent things, and order and disorder them, and so it shall be that non-existence shall take us back from existence and that nameless spirituality shall return to Void, like a tired child home from a very wild circus.
Re: Religious Stories
Or depending on which of the Genesis originals you read, three wives. Lilith, who rebelled, Eve-1 built as he was bit by bit in front of him (which has got to kill the mood) and was too independent also, then Eve-2 from his rib with the idea his own rib would not deny him. How...lovely a tale.
Job has to be the final straw for anyone, a rich man who was still kind and wise, tornented to the brink by the one he loved, totally abused to see 'what would happen', and never learns from it, going back to his abuser (god).
Also the fact that god seemed to think abusing his creation because the devil thought it was a good idea was worth doing. Which begs the question of why they were hanging out together in heaven to come up with this idea.
Rape, genocide, homicide in troves, children sold left right and center, human sacrifice, torment of innocent people for fun, sorry I just don't find these stories all that 'fun'.
Re: Religious Stories
Re: Religious Stories
Re: Religious Stories
and... natch, most of the stories in the bible being based on earlier Mesopotamian & regional or Ancestral stories (as in the Flood Stories of Gilgamesh & Noah, and on and on).....
A Story based on a story based on a story... Who Knows how far back it goes? 6,000 years? or Graham Hancockian Origins Times? or Panspermia- written in the Code Of Life? Did life here begin OUT THERE?
Lotsa Good Stuff in Origin Myths... GREAT fodder for fiction... I loved the TNG episode, "The Chase".... and the ideas presented therein are, i think, only made more provocative by a familiarity with the G-D concept and world-wide mythologies...
|All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:29 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2015, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
FireFox 2+ or Internet Explorer 7+ highly recommended.


text:
Researchers at University of Cincinnati think they have a "game changing" idea for indoor lighting
SmartLight system could harness sun for indoor use
Two University of Cincinnati researchers are developing an lighting system that would store and distribute sunlight to where it's needed indoors. A commercial real estate expert sees significant potential for the idea.
To continue reading: Subscribe Now or Sign In

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Adam LaRoche News Archive
Adam LaRoche, CWS 1B
LaRoche was scratched from Wednesday's spring game with an illness, Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago reports.
LaRoche has gone 1-for-9 in his past three spring games after returning from a minor back issue.
LaRoche will receive the day off Wednesday with a minor lower-back issue, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports.


text:
USDA approves shot for cows aimed at E. coli
MINNEAPOLIS A Minnesota company has won federal approval to become the first in the U.S. to market an E. coli vaccine for cattle, a new weapon against a foodborne disease that can cause serious illness in people and even death.
Epitopix LLC was given a conditional license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sell its vaccine.
Nayyera Haq, a USDA spokeswoman, called it "an important step toward improving food safety in this country," and a major beef group agreed.
"It really is a major milestone for our industry," Michelle Rossman, director of beef safety research for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said Thursday.
Most E. coli bacteria are harmless but one kind, known as O157, sickens an estimated 70,000 people in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people recover in a few days, but some get serious complications such as kidney failure. Contaminated beef is a common source of infection and has led to several big meat recalls in recent years.
James Sandstrom, general manager of Willmar-based Epitopix (ep-ih-TOH'-pix), said the vaccine works by preventing E. coli O157 present in cows' intestines from absorbing iron. The company's technology takes the proteins that the bacteria uses to absorb iron from the host animal, and injects them back into cattle to generate an immune response against those proteins. Without the proteins, the bacteria can't absorb the iron and dies.
With fewer bacteria in the cows' intestines, the risk is reduced that the bacteria will contaminate the carcass at slaughter.
Sandstrom said the vaccine will enter commercial use this month, but it will be several months before it's widely available. He said some major packers and producers will be the first to use it, but declined to name them, saying they don't want their names associated with E. coli even for research.
It's not clear yet how widely the industry will embrace the vaccine.
"That's the $64 million question," Sandstrom said.
E. coli O157 doesn't make cattle sick, so producers who already face slim profit margins may need incentives to use it on their animals. Sandstrom said privately owned Epitopix hasn't set a price for the vaccine yet, but is hoping incentives will come from packers and retailers who would profit from being able to offer consumers safer beef.
A Canadian company that makes an E. coli vaccine for cattle sells it there for $7 U.S. ($9 Canadian) per cow.
A spokesman for Tyson Foods Inc., one of the nation's largest meat processors, declined to comment. A call to Cargill Meat Solutions wasn't immediately returned.
Rossman said the support is likely to be there. She said the industry has already spent millions of dollars on technologies to fight E. coli in packing houses, and is anxious for strategies that work before slaughter. Her group helped fund research at West Texas A&M University that led the USDA to grant the conditional license. Similar work was also done at Kansas State University.
Guy Loneragan, who led the research at West Texas A&M, said he did his study at a commercial feedlot to see how the vaccine worked in "real world" conditions. Among the cattle that got it, he said, there was an 85 percent reduction in animals shedding O157. Among those that still did, there were 98 percent fewer cells of the bacteris in their feces. He said that logically should mean fewer E. coli illnesses in people.


text:
Q1 of this year has been an amazing ride here at DailyCred. In terms of user accounts of file, DailyCred exceeded our 2013 total in just two months, and things aren't slowing down. We look forward to continuing to grow along with our many new clients.
Posted 20 March 2014 by juliuss
Even if you've already set up authentication, Dailycred can be extremely helpful as a proxy for other authentication providers. For example:
Only implement one omniauth provider, and then send your user to any identity provider by sending them to the following route:
connect_path(identity_provider: "{provider here}")
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to tie data from your Google Analytics, Facebook, and CRM platform together?
These services are critical to running an online business, but the data they produce are siloed in a way that limits their effectiveness.
DailyCred wants to fix that.
We have combined website tagging (similar to Google Analytics) and augmented it with data your company collects from Facebook (and other social networks).
This data together is more than the sum of its parts. With DailyCred, you can learn more about your customer, individually or in agregate, than ever before.
Big companies have the resources to pull all of this data together into customized backoffice systems. DailyCred is now making this affordable to any sized company.
By tying these two data sources together, we can build you an amazing dashboard with both website analytics and social data.
Once you start using DailyCred as a proxy to Facebook, you can take advantage of DailyCred's Customer Profiles which provides you with CRM (Customer Relationship Management) features for all visitors of your company's website.
From each customer's profile you can email them, see the types of client they are using, make notes, ban them from logging in, delete their account, and more. We also show the complete user history on the customer profile screen, so you can provide better support to your users.
Please check out our demo to learn more.
Posted 10 April 2013 by juliuss
We're super excited about some new features on Dailycred and we'd love to share them with you.
You can now use your own domain throughout the entire DailyCred experience by setting up a cname. For more information, visit the documentation.
We're super excited to have integrated Persona into Dailycred, but it requires a few extra steps.
Click here to learn how to integrate Dailycred with Persona.
Posted 08 April 2013 by juliuss
Posted 07 December 2012 by juliuss
Introducing multiple app support and single sign-on for your DailyCred account. Now users from all of your apps and websites can be linked together into one unified system. Each of your apps can keep its own unique branding and social permissions, while sharing a common user account list.
At Dailycred we use DynamoDB as a data store, and there's a lot to like about it:
It's a great service considering how new it is, but it definitely still has some rough edges that make some things harder than we expected.
When we announced our big update on HackerNews recently, we also changed our pricing. We did a couple things wrong that scared away people who wanted to sign-up.
DailyCred now supports and Instagram and Disqus, so users have more options in how they join your site.
Adding these options is easy: simply enter the app id & secret to your settings page and choose which providers you want to offer.
More options coming soon! If you'd like to vote for your favorites, drop us a line: email@example.com
Posted 25 October 2012 by juliuss
Now you can let users join your site with their Facebook, Twitter, or Google accounts. No additional coding required!
Simply visit your DailyCred dashboard and choose the providers you want to add. If you need help getting set up, please contact us at email@example.com.
Posted 18 October 2012 by thedavematthews
When you sign up for a new website, do you use the convenient "Connect with Facebook" option? Or do you just make an email & password account?
In this post we take a look at signups for our previous startup and conduct a "man on the street" survey to see how people feel about Facebook Connect.
We wanted to know how real people feel about this, so we hit the streets to ask random tourists in Seattle's Pike Place market for their reaction.
Don't worry, we used pictures to make sure they knew what we were talking about.
Today I'll be showing you guys how to add DailyCred to a fully functional Ruby on Rails application to get comprehensive authentication functionality. This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of Ruby on Rails (RoR) and can follow along basic tutorials. Before you get started you need to sign up for dailycred so you can get API keys, which you can obtain on your settings page.
During our fund-raising and launch process, we always wanted to know when a journalist or potential investor signed up for our service. Starting today we'll email you the instant a VIP signs up for your app or website.
But we don't stop there. We'll also link you to their user profile in DailyCred's CRM so you can watch them use your service in real-time. Don't go into another pitch meeting blind; go in knowing what kind of experience they had using your service.
Posted 05 July 2012 by DailyCred
Posted 05 July 2012 by DailyCred


text:
O coisa chata, será que da pra me aceitar aqui? :P sei q vc me adora então, TÁ DEMORANDO PORQUE? ioahsdoihasdioh beijos
Oooi! Super =)
It's all about good music!
It's hard to find much information online about Latvia's SKY DRY TEA, but I just found this band clip and I have to say I'm very impressed. The song is in English and the production (audio and video) is first rate. "Seven," released a few months ago, is like Keane meets Pearl Jam, or something. A very cool pop song with a rock edge that I can't stop listening to today.
Check here:
das 8 bandas mais tocadas 5 sao gays! pqp!


text:
Colombia Epidemiologic Surveillance Study (LEAP II)
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The study will determine the reduction in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) after the introduction of a National Immunization Program with PCV-7 in Bogota. The original LEAP study determine incidence of IPD prior to introduction of PCV-7 in Brazil, Costa Rica and Colombia. LEAP II is the continuation of the study in Colombia only.
Other: Surveillance
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Multinational Latin American Epidemiologic Surveillance For Invasive Pneumococcal Disease
- Annual age specific incidence rate of invasive pneumococcal disease based on the number of identified cases from the study sites and the size of the population at risk for children 28 days to 36 months of age [ Time Frame: 2 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Biospecimen Retention: Samples With DNA
Cerebral Spinal Fluid Pleural Fluid S. pneumoniae isolates
|Study Start Date:
|September 2006
|Study Completion Date:
|October 2011
|Primary Completion Date:
|February 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
|All eligible patients
Other: Surveillance
No study drug, only interventions are blood draws and Chest X-rays
Detailed Description:
The study was stopped based on a decision to include PCV 10 in the National Immunization Program in Colombia. The study was designed to measure the impact of PCV 7 and 13 and is no longer feasible.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|up to 36 Months
|Genders Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Probability Sample
Epidemiologic study that will include children 28 days to 36 months of age that meet entrance criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Children 28 days to 36 months of age
- Presenting to a participating facility with a measured temperature of 39 degrees C or higher within 24 hours prior to screening, or with clinical suspicion of pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia, sepsis, or other invasive pneumococcal disease
Exclusion Criteria:
- Any patient hat based on the clinical impression of the treating physician should not participate in the study: examples such as those with suspected dengue or urinary tract infection
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00428051
|Pfizer Investigational Site
|Goiania, Goias, Brazil, 074065-050
|Pfizer Investigational Site
|Bogota, Colombia
|Costa Rica
|Pfizer Investigational Site
|La Uruca, San Jose, Costa Rica, 607-1159
|Study Director:
|Pfizer CT.gov Call Center
Additional Information:
No publications provided by Pfizer
Additional publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00428051 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|January 25, 2007
|Last Updated:
|October 26, 2011
|Health Authority:
|Colombia: INVIMA Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos
Keywords provided by Pfizer:
Streptococcal Pneumonia
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on March 30, 2015


text:
Boyter Island Real Estate is the place if you're looking for commercial real estate in the Dominican Republic. We have the most extensive listing of commercial space for lease or sale, and our commercial lease specialists will assist you every step of the way in finding new space for your company. Working with our experienced team can help you avoid any critical mistakes in the leasing or buying process, and we'll help you get the best lease terms possible. Contact us for more information.
Your Island Office offers virtual and turn-key serviced office solutions. This is an affordable solution for entrepreneurs, professionals, and business start-ups that need a presence in the Dominican Republic, but are not yet ready for the overhead of a dedicated office. We provide a Dominican address and phone number, answer your calls, and have office and conference space available when you need it. For more information.


text:
Universal's Hard Rock Hotel, Orlando
On Universal Boulevard
Universal's Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando is on Universal Blvd, a 3-minute walk to Universal Studios® Florida. Dining and live entertainment at Universal CityWalk® is a 10-minute walk, and Orlando International Airport is an 18-minute drive.
Universal Studios®
Universal Studios® is a 3-minute walk, and you can zap aliens at MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™, or take a spin on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Harry Potter and friends need your help on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ at Universal's Islands of Adventure®, a 5-minute walk.
Man-made beach and music
The poolside, man-made beach, and hot tubs are relaxing spots to hang out after a massage at Mandara Spa® or a workout in the fitness center. You can enjoy 9 restaurants and bars, like The Palm Restaurant or Velvet Bar, with a veranda for enjoying live rock music.
Keurig® coffee, free WiFi
Each of the hotel's 650 guestrooms has free WiFi and a sitting area, and you can watch shows or movies on the TV. You'll get a good night's rest in premium bedding, and you can wake up with in-room Keurig® coffee and/or in-room dining, and listen to tunes on the MP3 dock.
Great Hotel
We were visiting Universal Studios and decided to stay here for the sake of convenience.…
Enter dates to check prices
Hotel Info: 866-539-8117from $464
- Club Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking (Hard Rock Club)
- Club Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking (Hard Rock Club)
- Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking
- Suite, Non Smoking (Kids' Suite)
- Suite
- Suite, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking (The King Suite)
- Standard Room
- Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Pool View
- Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Garden View
- Standard Room
- Deluxe Room
- Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking
- Junior Suite
- Deluxe Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking
Recommended hotels
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 650 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 7 floors
- Check-in time starts at 4 PM
- Check-out time is 11 AM
- Express check-out
Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
Travelling with others
- Babysitting/childcare
- Children's club *
- Pets allowed
- Restrictions apply *
Extra people
- Roll-away beds available, charges may apply*
- Free WiFi and wired Internet access in public areas
- Free WiFi and wired Internet access in rooms
- Valet parking *
- Free theme park shuttle
Other information
- Smoke-free property
Nearby Four Star Orlando hotels
In the hotel
- Children's club (surcharge)
- Supervised childcare/activities (surcharge)
- Breakfast daily (surcharge)
- 2 restaurants
- Bar/lounge
- Coffee shop/café
- Poolside bar
- 24-hour room service
- Outdoor pool
- Waterslide
- Fitness facilities
- Steam room
- Sauna
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Golfing nearby
- Pool cabanas (surcharge)
- Pool sun loungers
- Beach/pool umbrellas
- Arcade/game room
- 24-hour business center
- Number of meeting rooms - 3
- Conference space
- Meeting rooms
- Conference space size (feet) - 6000
- Conference space size (meters) - 540
- Conference center
- Computer station
- 24-hour front desk
- Concierge services
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Luggage storage
- Wedding services
- Elevator/lift
- ATM/banking
- Garden
- Terrace
- Accessible path of travel
- In-room accessibility
In the room
- Climate control
- Air conditioning
- Coffee/tea maker
- Iron/ironing board
- Turndown service
- Premium bedding
- In-room massage available
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- 32-inch flat-screen TV
- Cable/satellite TV channels
- IPod docking station
- Free newspaper
- Free WiFi
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Daily housekeeping
- In-room safe
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
Top Orlando hotels
Recently reviewed hotels in Orlando
- Seralago Hotel & Suites Main Gate EastFrom
- Comfort Suites Orlando AirportFrom
"OUR STAY WAS GREAT BUT, I WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN I CALLED THE STAFF MEMBER SAID THAT NO ONE SAW MY MOM'S BLOUSE LEFT IN THE CLOSET. WE NEVER HAD IT ON THE TRIP. ANIMAL CHEETAH…"Mar 8, 2015
- Maingate Resort & SpaFrom
"Pleasantly surprised and would definitely recommend the hotel. The hotel is affordable,exceptionally clean and well maintained. The staff was very helpful. Our flight was delayed…"Mar 8, 2015
- Staybridge Suites Orlando Airport SouthFrom
"Great spot to settle while in the area. Had family meals in hotel room, comfortable beds, clean room well supplied."Mar 8, 2015
Nearby hotels
Special features
DiningThe Kitchen - Overlooking the pool, this restaurant specializes in American cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and light fare. Guests can enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting). A children's menu is available.
Palm Restaurant - This fine-dining restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves dinner only.
Universal's Hard Rock Hotel, Orlando's small print
This property will charge a 1-night deposit within 5 days when payment for the stay will be made on site instead of at the time of booking. For more details, please contact the office using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.
Pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation.
Mandatory fees
This property will charge a 1-night deposit within 5 days when payment for the stay will be made on site instead of at the time of booking. For more details, please contact the office using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Optional extras
Facility access costs USD 10 per person, per day. Facilities include fitness facilities and a sauna.
Pets are allowed for an extra charge, plus a one-time cleaning fee
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.


text:
I will create a talking evil hamster that will say what you want for $5 in Animation & 3D
1 Days On Average
Outstanding!!! I am sending it to my scouts today. I expect great feedback from them.Reviewed by brentthomas about 2 years ago
About This Gig
i will make a you a evil hamster video saying what you want up to 60 secs long approx 170 words you can say what you want but no racial or hatred will be excepted. you can also send 2 images and i will incorporate your script with the images. video sent in full HD. if you require moving background or animated seen please purchase extras


text:
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and/or enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. Broadly speaking, psychedelia generally employs non-naturalistic production techniques, which can include extreme stereo spatialization, reverb, reversed, phased, or flanged tape recordings, extensive editing, and extended improvisation. The music is often intended to have a disorienting or destabilizing effect, or to otherwise act on the listeners' sense of "normalcy".
- Sleepmakeswaves i will write peace on your wings and you will fly over the world
- Violens Totally True
- NewVillager Lighthouse
- Zola Jesus Devil Take You
- Dumbo Gets Mad Plumy Tale
- Follow the White Rabbit War Song
- Follow the White Rabbit All Night And Day
- Diagrams Tall Buildings
- Limp Wrist The Ode
- Камни Collapse
Tagged: Psychedelic Indie Pop Indie Alternative Post-punk
Tagged: Electro Pop Eclectic Spanish Pop Chinese Pop Dutch Pop
Zola Jesus
Tagged: Lo-fi Psychedelic Ambient Noise Noise Pop
Dumbo Gets Mad
Tagged: Psychedelic Indie Psychedelic Pop Experimental Indie Pop
Follow the White Rabbit
Tagged: Mathcore Experimental Chaotic Hardcore Russian Chaotic
Follow the White Rabbit
Tagged: Mathcore Experimental Chaotic Hardcore Russian Chaotic
Tagged: Indie Indie Rock Alternative Electronic Male Vocalists
Limp Wrist
Tagged: Psychedelic Stoner Stoner Metal Stoner Doom Doom Metal


text:
Oil refinery project proposed for Baker: More facilities possible for Minot, East Fairview
BAKER, Mont. — An oil and gas exploration company is in the early stages of planning a diesel refinery in Baker that would create about 100 jobs.
Get the full story
Subscribe or Log In
Are you a newspaper subscriber but you don't have a Digital Access account yet? Activate your account.
You will need your subscription account number and phone number. Not sure if you have an account? Call (701) 225-8111 and we can help you.


text:
Ordeal by Innocence (film)
|This article does not cite any references or sources. (July 2013)
|Ordeal by Innocence
|Directed by
|Desmond Davis
|Written by
|Agatha Christie (novel)
Alexander Stuart (screenplay)
|Donald Sutherland
|Music by
|Dave Brubeck
|Billy Williams
|Edited by
|Timothy Gee
Release dates
Running time
|90 min.
|United Kingdom
Ordeal by Innocence is a 1985 mystery film directed by Desmond Davis. It stars Donald Sutherland and Faye Dunaway. It is based on the Agatha Christie novel Ordeal by Innocence.
Paleontologist Dr. Arthur Calgary visits the Argyle family to give them an address book that belongs to Jack Argyle. But he is told that Jack has been executed for the murder of his adoptive mother two years ago. But the address book can prove that Jack was innocent, so Dr. Calgary starts the investigation all over.
- Donald Sutherland - Dr. Arthur Calgary
- Faye Dunaway - Rachel Argyle
- Christopher Plummer - Leo Argyle
- Sarah Miles - Mary Durant
- Ian McShane - Philip Durant
- Diana Quick - Gwenda Vaughan
- Annette Crosbie - Kirsten Lindstrom
- Michael Elphick - Inspector Huish
- George Innes - Archie Leach
- Valerie Whittington - Hester Argyle
- Phoebe Nicholls - Tina Argyle
- Michael Maloney - Micky Argyle
- Cassie Stuart - Maureen Clegg
- Anita Carey - Martha Jessup
- Ron Pember - Ferryman
Agatha Christie's daughter Rosalind, who had approval of the script, was initially concerned that Michael Elphick's police inspector, modeled to some extent after a harder-nosed American-style police officer, would prove unpopular among the local constabulary in Devon, where she lived.
The original score was not by Dave Brubeck but by Pino Donaggio, who wrote his typical, lush and beautiful music. When the film didn't test well, they decided to jettison the Donaggio score and replace it with Dave Brubeck music. Brubeck was told he'd have two weeks to write an original score - he said no. They then agreed that they'd use already existing Brubeck tunes and newly record them.
The film received a Royal Premiere in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
External links[edit]
|This article about a mystery film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


text:
View all Roofing: Metal
Metal Roofing - Facility Management Product Release
Firestone Building Products Co.
website | Company information
The Una-Clad UC-3 and UC-4 are architectural, standing-seam metal roof panels. The UC-3 panels enhance design needs with mechanical seaming and a double-lock mechanism. The panels can curve and shape to adapt to complex architectural geometry, and offer high-wind performance. The UC-4 panels use a self-locking system to eliminate the need for clips and offer an integral fastening flange to assist in thermal movement.
- A Guide To Single Ply Roofing Products
- Finding Roof Leaks: Three Places to Check For Leaks
- Green Roof Systems Explained
- Picking A Cool Roof: SRI Index Is Key
- Wet Roof Deck?
- What You Need To Know About Flat Roof Coatings
- Solar Panels Add Challenging Dimension to Arizona State Re-Roofing Project
- Roofing Specifiers Take Weight Considerations Into Account
- Roof Penetrations Slow Crews During Arizona State Project
- Benefits of Photovoltaic Roofing
- Best Questions to Ask Roofing Contractors
- Big Top: Reroofing California's State Capitol
posted: 1/7/2014
Search Metal Roofing on FacilityZone.com


text:
Marshmallow Races,
General Discussion: Kineticist,
>>Ask *James Jacobs* ALL your Questions Here!<<,
Kopru Ruins opinions?,
Confused on additional resources.,
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Strategy Guide (OGL),
#6-14 Kaava Quarry,
50% Combat, 50% caster, 100% Ninja, help me do it.,
The Marvel Universe; Pathfinder Style,
5th level Deathstroke advice,
Best AOO Build,
Deep 6 FaWtL,
Suggestions for shackled city restart,
5e Defiler as Wizard Tradition?,
Oh looky-look! It's yet another music-based word game!,
Shadowed Futures,
Lost Lands Campaign Game Play,
Open Call for PC Applications for APs! GMs stop on by to find applicants!,
Kerberus Tri-fold Discussion,
For The Glory of Icathia Discussion,
To Rule the Razor Gameplay,
Arrule Homebrew - Emerald Sky,
Tales of the Nalbrin (Table 2) Gameplay,
[PFS] Season 1 run, with few mixed in.,
[PFS / DMK / EMS] The Emerald Spire Superdungeon - Gameplay,
Falcon's Hollow Gameplay thread,
Game Reboot - Recruitment Homebrew Eastern flavor,
Mystworld: Realms of Myrndur,
Andoran, Spirit of Liberty Discussion,
Arrule Homebrew - Emerald Sky,
Recent threads in Customer Service


text:
"The outlook and attitudes of Our people have undergone drastic changes during this year. The nation has come to modernity and maturity. The people have been educated, not so much by formal, classroom instruction, but as a consequence of an increasingly broad and general exposure of life in the twentieth century and the world around them, Ethiopia has awakened. Ethiopians now demand more for themselves than their fathers possessed. They have acquired the desire to improve their lot and that of their children. They are willing and anxious to change.
This is what we have labored throughout Our life to accomplish: to bring our people to the point of awareness of the demands of modern life, to arouse in them the ambition to progress, to stimulate their latent desire for advancement and improvement.
This has now been achieved, and with the natural resources with which Almighty God has endowed our nation, the path to development has been cleared and it's vistas lie before us." H.I.M Emperor Haile Selassie I
Much thanks for LIFE, precious.
|Ras Abasa can not resist a nibble at a naturally grown 'miracle tree', Moringa Oleifera.
|Community Education
|Passion fruit!
At the same time there is also less pleasant news of places where the rains were inadequate, and the crops failed. We empathize with the very sincere farmers. We also condemn the brainwash that has a majority of them still locked on mono-cropping, with maize being the most targeted seasonal crop. Failure of maize means widespread starvation. Yet there are varieties of crops suited to different regions, which would guarantee a better harvest. Cassava, sorghum, millet and such do better for drier areas. Bananas, arrowroots and peas do better for wetter areas.
A lot of the community members and visitors from further afield are pleasantly uplifted to find out that we are growing the tomatoes and maize varieties which were grown in the ancient times. There is now a high demand for the seeds of many of the plants we have, including the herbs. Meanwhile, the research station continues to feverishly put out 'improved' varieties and feed them down the farmers' throats through the government machinery. Disappear!
We continue to irrigate the crops which are currently growing
on the land. There is quite a variety, consisting of tubers, grains, legumes,
fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices and trees. Currently our system of irrigation is
mostly manual, fetching water from the canals with buckets. However, we do
expect to obtain a mechanical means for irrigation before season's end, to ease
some of the labour and time taken. We are also consulting with the County Water
Engineer on the optimum irrigation method for our specific portion, so that the
visiting farmers may learn too.
Talking of visitors, we keep on being blessed with quality
interactions on an everyday basis. From the immediate community members, the
children and youth, government officials, organizations, interest groups to the international family.
With them we are getting to share the warmth of sincere human relations. They are also deep fountains of knowledge from which we have been granted to quench!
Veterans of the Mau Mau war for independence
were particulary delighted to see that the same militancy is being carried on
by a younger generation, applying our energies to where it is most critical.
A lot of thanks to you Dear Reader for staying with us through
this blog, facebook, e-mail, face to face and even mystical communication. Let us, together, keep the vibe
|Arrow root farm
It is with much gratitude that I convey a lively account of the runnings at the Shiriki Organization farm, as well with our community development endeavors. The volunteers at the farm are in wonderful spirits, and the progress continues to register, both in terms of our learning and implementing.
The sunny season has
aided the fruition of our grams, sorghum, mangoes, arrowroots, cassava, 'bush'
tomatoes and the ORIGINAL seed maize which we have been carefully nurturing. We implore you Dear Reader to adopt, as your responsibility, the preservation and nurture of all natural and premium seed which the wolf pack will not have pounced upon(no disrespect to real wolves). Posterity will be thankful for it.
|Sarah from Biovision and Susan of Youth Development demonstrating how to make biodegradable tree seedling bags
|Unadulterated maize variety
A lot of the community members and visitors from further afield are pleasantly uplifted to find out that we are growing the tomatoes and maize varieties which were grown in the ancient times. There is now a high demand for the seeds of many of the plants we have, including the herbs. Meanwhile, the research station continues to feverishly put out 'improved' varieties and feed them down the farmers' throats through the government machinery. Disappear!
|An abundance of sorghum
|Manual irrigation
|Receiving visitors
|Ndungu of Kenya Organic Agriculture Network and Lilian of Organic Foods come avisiting.
Same way, the sharing has provided us with opportunities to testify of our experience and educate the community. This in itself is being much appreciated, and we are now getting many visitors who have been referred by others who came earlier. We are seeing the endeavor to utilize this farm as an institution for exchange of progressive attitudes unfolding. Let it be…
|Extolling the benefits
The community education has however not been restricted to the one location. We have been organizing and attending community forums, markets, utilizing the media and generally keeping the fire burning on all fronts.
|More Fire!
Recently, at the behest of the County government, we attended a big community get together,where we represented the voice and the works of the youth. There was major public acknowledgement of our labors, much encouragement.
|Receiving a community award for positive example
|Mau Mau freedom fighters
May JUSTICE prevail.


text:
Datamark's attribution technology tracks and attributes results at every touch point along the inquiry funnel so that schools better understand which channels have the biggest impact with prospective students.
Datamark's attribution technology tracks and attributes results at every touch point along the inquiry funnel so that schools better understand which channels have the biggest impact with prospective students.
In addition, Nevada expanded the racial diversity of the incoming class, attracted students with the highest credentials ever, increased the percentage of students from outside the state, and increased the number of transfer students who enrolled for the Fall 2013 semester.
Employees can share PowerPoint or Keynote presentations, engage in high definition videoconferencing using Skype, Microsoft Lync, WebEx or any other UC application. GroupSTATION allows any application to be shared or collaborated in the meeting room.
With Enrollment Rx, these mainstream universities and specialty institutions will automate communications and streamline operations to improve efficiencies and maximize visibility into the student lifecycle.
The intelligent FAAST detector's ability to directly integrate with NOTIFIER fire alarm systems enables it to supply more detailed alarm, fault and trouble information, thereby simplifying system monitoring, maintenance and overall design.
D3 Security Management Systems has introduced the latest in mobile incident reporting and security tour technology with the official release of its innovative new handheld solution, D3 Mobile.
At the forefront of virtually every workplace innovation since, including the rise of ergonomic work chairs and most notably its iconic Aeron design, Herman Miller is once again embracing social change as opportunity—aiming for profound and positive impact on the lives of people and organizations.
It scales the video, embeds the audio, and outputs the video signal simultaneously to one HDMI, one computer graphics, one 3G HD−SDI and one DGKat Twisted Pair, and outputs the audio signal simultaneously to a digital audio output, an unbalanced stereo audio output and a 2x10−watt amplified balanced stereo speaker output.
Already, over 100 Colleges have signed on and over 28,000 students went through the initial Alpha launch and have been matched to a Career then to a Major and then to Colleges that prepare students for those careers.
Unlike options currently offered by other e-book providers, this new purchase model will allow libraries to purchase e-books based on actual usage, allowing libraries to perform evidence-based collection development.
WNC now uses Mediasite for lecture capture on its three remaining campuses, allowing students to access live or on-demand webcasts on their desktops or mobile devices.
Qualitative, or write-in text comments, once useful only to those instructors and administrators who read them one-by-one, can now automatically be analyzed via EvaluationKIT Text Analytics to provide summary reporting to college and university administrators.
The NCHERM Group has a shortcut to SaVE you time. They have created template language to satisfy all of the new SaVE Act disclosure requirements (at least as best can be deciphered before regulations are issued).
Chegg, The Student Hub, has announced the results of a national study that examines the intersection of higher education and workforce preparedness to compare student and employer expectations for success after graduation.
The Danbury campus offers career-focused training in four areas: certified nurse's aide, patient care technician, phlebotomy technician, and medical administrative assistant. The curriculum features both classroom learning and clinical skills training.


text:
- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground. It may seem like a good ghostbuster can charge what he likes and enjoy a hell of a lifestyle—but there's a risk: Sooner or later he's going to take on a spirit that's too strong for him. While trying to back out of this ill-conceived career, Castor accepts a seemingly simple ghost-hunting case at a museum in the shadowy heart of London—just to pay the bills, you understand. But what should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is ...
Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground. It may seem like a good ghostbuster can charge what he likes and enjoy a hell of a lifestyle—but there's a risk: Sooner or later he's going to take on a spirit that's too strong for him. While trying to back out of this ill-conceived career, Castor accepts a seemingly simple ghost-hunting case at a museum in the shadowy heart of London—just to pay the bills, you understand. But what should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is rapidly turning into the Who Can Kill Castor First Show, with demons and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize. That's OK: Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off...
Aviolent ghost in a world where spirits are rarely mean-spirited is a clue to a deeper mystery in this engrossing dark fantasy debut from comics-writer Carey. Felix "Fix" Castor is an itinerant exorcist who (like a certain famous group of Hollywood ghost-evicters) alternates between dispatching spooks and doing stage magic at ungrateful children's birthday parties. When he's summoned to end a haunting at London's prestigious Bonnington Archive, he finds a vengeful specter with a blood-veiled face that resists methods for extirpating the usually docile dead. When Castor begins probing more deeply, he quickly finds himself harassed by a ravenous succubus, a belligerent fellow exorcist and a slimy Eastern European pimp. The resolution of this ingeniously multilayered tale will satisfy fans of both fantasy and detective fiction. Fix Castor's wisecracking cleverness in the face of weird nemeses makes him the perfect hardboiled hero for a new supernatural noir series.10-city author tour. (July)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Felix Castor tried to retire, but cash is difficult to come by for ex-exorcists in London. Driven by the lure of rent money, he accepts a seemingly simple haunt job for the Bonnington Archive. As he uncovers a murder mystery linked to thefts and prostitution, Felix is forced to examine his own assumptions and morals regarding the afterlife-where he will soon be going if a summoned sex demon has anything to say about it and provided the gangsters, werewolves, and ghosts do not do him in first. Wisecracks and friends are cold comfort when the dead walk the earth. The first Felix Castor novel is a strong entry in the burgeoning urban-magic detective subgenre (think Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden, but grittier and noir). Readers familiar with Carey's run on the Hellblazer comic book will recognize in Felix a hero nearly as luckless as but more ethical than John Constantine, inhabiting a detailed and atmospheric London full of interesting and well-realized characters. After a slow first few pages, the story takes off, along the way touching upon Felix's past and his few friends, including the incident that led him to turn away from exorcism. He is an appealing underdog protagonist who readily acknowledges his many flaws in a narration littered with common Briticisms unlikely to bewilder too many readers. The job-turned-mystery angle works fine too until it hits a rather chunky spot of explanation near the end. By then the book will have woven a haunting spell over most readers, ensuring anticipation of the next installment (already available in the U.K.) in this new series. Reviewer: Lisa Martincik
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)
The economic geography of London has changed a lot in the last few years, but Hampstead is always Hampstead. And on this cold November afternoon, atoning for sins I couldn't even count and probably looking about as cheerful as a tricoteuse being told that the day's executions have been canceled due to bad weather, Hampstead was where I was headed.
Number 17, Grosvenor Terrace, to be more precise: an unassuming little early Victorian masterpiece knocked off by Sir Charles Barry in his lunch hours while he was doing the Reform Club. It's in the books, like it or not; the great man would moonlight for a grand in hand and borrow his materials from whatever else he was doing at the time. You can find his illegitimate architectural progeny everywhere from Ladbroke Grove to Highgate, and they always give you that same uneasy feeling of déjà vu, like seeing the milkman's nose on your own firstborn.
I parked the car far enough away from the door to avoid any potential embarrassment to the household I was here to visit and managed the last hundred yards or so burdened with four suitcases full of highly specialized equipment. The doorbell made a severe, functional buzzing sound like a dentist's drill sliding off recalcitrant enamel. While I waited for a response, I checked out the rowan twig nailed up to the right of the porch. Black and white and red strings had been tied to it in the prescribed order, but still ... a rowan twig in November wouldn't have much juice left in it. I concluded that this must be a quiet neighborhood.
The man who opened the door to me was presumably James Dodson, the birthday boy's father. I took a strong dislike to him right then to save time and effort later. He was a solid-looking man, not big but hard-packed, gray eyes like two ball bearings, salt-and-pepper hair adding its own echoes to the gray. In his forties, but probably as fit and trim now as he had been two decades ago. Clearly, this was a man who recognized the importance of good diet, regular exercise, and unremitting moral superiority. Pen had said he was a cop-chief constable in waiting, working out of Agar Street as one of the midwives to the government's new Serious Organized Crime Agency. I think I would have guessed either a cop or a priest, and most priests gratefully let themselves go long before they hit forty; that's one of the perks of having a higher calling.
"You're the entertainer," Dodson said, as you might say, "You're a motherless piece of scum and you raped my dog." He didn't make a move to help me with the cases, which I was carrying two in each hand.
"Felix Castor," I agreed, my face set in an unentertaining deadpan. "I roll the blues away."
He nodded noncommittally and opened the door wider to let me in. "The living room," he said, pointing. "There'll be rather more children than we originally said. I hope that's okay."
"The more the merrier," I answered over my shoulder, walking on through. I sized the living room up with what I hoped looked like a professional eye, but it was just a room to me. "This is fine. Everything I need. Great."
"We were going to send Sebastian over to his father's, but the bloody man had some sort of work crisis on," Dodson explained from behind me. "Which makes one more. And a few extra friends ..."
"Sebastian?" I inquired. Throwing out questions like that is a reflex with me, whether I want answers or not; it comes from the work I do. I mean, the work I used to do. Sometimes do. Can live without doing.
"Peter's stepbrother. He's from Barbara's previous marriage, just as Peter is from mine. They get along very well."
"Of course." I nodded solemnly, as if checking out the soundness of the familial support network was something I always did before I started in on the magic tricks and the wacky slapstick. Peter was the birthday boy-just turned fourteen. Too old, probably, for clowns and conjurors and parties of the cake-and-ice-cream variety. But then, that wasn't my call to make. They also serve those who only pull endless strings of colored ribbon out of a baked-bean tin.
"I'll leave you to set up, then," Dodson said, sounding dubious. "Please don't move any of the furniture without checking with me or Barbara first. And if you're setting up anything on the parquet that might scratch, ask us for pads."
"Thanks," I said. "And mine's a beer whenever you're having one yourself. The term 'beer' should not be taken to include the subset 'lager.'"
He was already heading for the door when I threw this out, and he kept right on going. I was about as likely to get a drink out of him as I was to get a French kiss.
So I got down to unpacking, a task that was made harder by the fact that these cases hadn't moved out of Pen's garage in the last ten years. There were all sorts of things in among the stage-magic gear that gave me a moment's-or more than a moment's-pause. A Swiss Army penknife (it had belonged to my old friend Rafi) with the main blade broken off short an inch from the tip; a homemade fetish rigged up out of the mummified body of a frog and three rusty nails; a feathered snood, looking a bit threadbare now, but still carrying a faint whiff of perfume; and the camera.
Shit. The camera.
I turned it over in my hands, instantly submerged in a brief but powerful reverie. It was a Brownie Autographic No. 3, and all folded up as it was, it looked more like a kid's lunch box than anything else. But once I flipped the catches, I could see that the red-leather bellows was still in place, the frosted viewfinder was intact, and (wonder of wonders) the hand-wheeled stops that extended the lens into its operating position still seemed to work. I'd found the thing in a flea market in Munich when I was backpacking through Europe. It was nearly a hundred years old, and I'd paid about a quid for it, which was the whole of the asking price, because the lens was cracked right the way across. That didn't matter to me-not for what I principally had in mind at the time-so it counted as a bargain.
I had to put it to one side, though, because at that moment the first of the party guests were shepherded in by a very busty, very blonde, very beautiful woman who was obviously much too good for the likes of James Dodson. Or the likes of me, to be fair. She was wearing a white bloused top and a khaki skirt with an asymmetric hang, which probably had a designer name attached to it somewhere and cost more than I earned in six months. For all that, though, she looked a touch worn and tired. Living with James Supercop would do that to you, I speculated; or, possibly, living with Peter, assuming that Peter was the sullen streak of curdled sunlight hovering at her elbow. He had his father's air of blocky, aggressive solidity, with an adolescent's wary stubbornness grafted onto it. It made for a very unattractive combination, somehow.
The lady introduced herself as Barbara in a voice that had enough natural warmth in it to make electric blankets irrelevant. She introduced Peter, too, and I offered him a smile and a nod. I tried to shake hands with him out of some atavistic impulse probably brought on by being in Hampstead, but he'd already stomped away in the direction of a new arrival with a loud bellow of greeting. Barbara watched him go with an unreadable, Zen-like smile that suggested prescription medication, but her gaze as she turned back to me was sharp and clear enough.
"So," she said. "Are you ready?"
For anything, I almost said-but I opted for a simple yes. All the same, I probably held the glance a half moment too long. At any rate, Barbara suddenly remembered a bottle of mineral water that she was holding in her hand and handed it to me with a slight blush and an apologetic grimace. "You can have a beer in the kitchen with us afterward," she promised. "If I give you one now, the kids will demand equal rights."
I raised the bottle in a salute.
"So ...," she said again. "An hour's performance, then an hour off while we serve the food-and you come on again for half an hour at the end. Is that okay?"
"It's a valid strategy," I allowed. "Napoléon used it at Quatre Bras."
This got a laugh, feeble as it was. "We won't be able to stay for the show," Barbara said, with a good facsimile of regret. "There's quite a lot still to do behind the scenes-some of Peter's friends are staying over. But we might be able to sneak back in to catch the finale. If not, see you in the interval." With a conspiratorial grin, she beat her retreat and left me with my audience.
I let my gaze wander around the room, taking the measure of them. There was an in-group, clustered around Peter and engaged in a shouted conversation that colonized the entire room. There was an out-group, consisting of four or five temporary knots spread around the edges of the room, which periodically tried to attach themselves to the in-group in a sort of reversal of cellular fission. And then there was stepbrother Sebastian.
It wasn't hard to spot him; I'd made a firm identification while I was still unfolding my trestle table and laying out my opening trick. He had the matrilineal blond hair, but his paler skin and watery blue eyes made him look as if someone had sketched him in pastels and then tried to erase him. He looked to be a lot smaller and slighter than Peter, too. Because he was the younger of the two? It was hard to tell, because his infolded, self-effaced posture probably took an inch or so off his height. He was the one on the fringes of the boisterous rabble, barely tolerated by the birthday boy and contemptuously ignored by the birthday boy's friends. He was the one left out of all the in-jokes, looking like he didn't belong and would rather be almost anywhere else-even with his real dad, perhaps, on a day when there was a work crisis on.
When I clapped my hands and shouted a two-minute warning, Sebastian filed up with the last of the rear guard and took up a position immediately behind Peter-a dead zone that nobody else seemed to want to lay claim to.
Then the show was on, and I had troubles of my own to attend to.
I'm not a bad stage magician. It was how I paid my way through college, and when I'm in practice, I'd go so far as to say I'm pretty sharp. Right then I was as rusty as hell, but I was still able to pull off some reasonably classy stuff-my own scaled-down versions of the great illusions I'd studied during my ill-spent youth. I made some kid's wristwatch disappear from a bag that he was holding and turn up inside a box in someone else's pocket. I levitated the same kid's mobile phone around the room while Peter and the front-row elite stood up and waved their arms in the vain hope of tangling the wires they thought I was using. I even cut a deck of cards into pieces with garden shears and reconstituted them again, with a card that Peter had previously chosen and signed at the top of the deck.
But whatever the hell I did, I was dying on my feet. Peter sat stolidly at front and center, arms folded in his lap, and glared at me all the while with paint-blistering contempt. He'd clearly reached his verdict, which was that being impressed by kids'-party magic could lose you a lot of status with your peers. And if the risk was there even for him, it was clearly unacceptable for his chosen guests. They watched him and took their cue from him, forming a block vote that I couldn't shift.
Sebastian seemed to be the only one who was actually interested in the show for its own sake-or perhaps the only one who had so little to lose that he could afford just to let himself get drawn in, without watching his back. It got him into trouble, though. When I finished the card trick and showed Peter his pristine eight of diamonds, Sebastian broke into a thin patter of applause, carried away for a moment by the excitement of the final reveal.
He stopped as soon as he realized that nobody else was joining in, but he'd already broken cover-forgetting what seemed otherwise to be very well developed habits of camouflage and self-preservation. Annoyed, Peter stabbed backward with his elbow, and I heard a whoof of air from Sebastian as he leaned suddenly forward, clutching his midriff. His head stayed bowed for a few moments, and when he came up, he came up slowly. "Fuckwit," Peter snarled, sotto voce. "He just used two decks. That's not even clever."
I read a lot into this little exchange-a whole chronicle of casual cruelty and emotional oppression. You may think that's stretching an elbow in the ribs a touch too far, but I'm a younger brother myself, so the drill's not unfamiliar to me. And besides that, I knew one more thing about birthday boy than anybody else here knew.
I took a mental audit. Yes. I was letting myself get a little irritated, and that wasn't a good thing. I still had twenty minutes to run before the break and the cold beer in the kitchen. And I had one surefire winner, which I'd been meaning to save for the finale, but what the hell. You only live once, as people continue to say in the teeth of all the evidence.
I threw out my arms, squared my shoulders, tugged my cuffs-a pantomime display of preparation intended mainly to get Sebastian off the hook. It worked, as far as that went; all eyes turned to me. "Watch very carefully," I said, taking a new prop out of one of the cases and putting it on the table in front of me. "An ordinary cereal box. Any of you eat this stuff? No, me neither. I tried them once, but I was mauled by a cartoon tiger." Not a glimmer; not a sign of mercy in any of the forty or so eyes that were watching me.
"Nothing special about the box. No trapdoors. No false bottoms." I rotated it through three dimensions, flicked it with a thumbnail to get a hollow thwack out of it, and held the open end up to Peter's face for him to take a look inside. He rolled his eyes as if he couldn't believe he was being asked to go along with this stuff, then gave me a wave that said he was as satisfied of the box's emptiness as he was ever going to be.
"Yeah, whatever," he said with a derisive snort. His friends laughed, too; he was popular enough to get a choric echo whenever he spoke or snickered or made farting noises in his cheek. He had the touch, all right. Give him four, maybe five years, and he was going to grow up into a right bastard.
Unless he took a walk down the Damascus Road one morning and met something big and fast coming the other way.
"O-o-okay," I said, sweeping the box around in a wide arc so that everyone else could see it. "So it's an empty box. So who needs it, right? Boxes like this, they're just landfill waiting to happen." I stood it on the ground, open end downward, and trod it flat.
That got at least a widened eye and a shift of posture here and there around the room-kids leaning forward to watch, if only to check out how complete and convincing the damage was. I was thorough. You have to be. Like a dominatrix, you find that there's a direct relationship between the intensity of the stamping and trampling and the scale of the final effect.
When the box was comprehensively flattened, I picked it up and allowed it to dangle flaccidly from my left hand.
"But before you throw this stuff away," I said, sweeping the cluster of stolid faces with a stern, schoolteacherly gaze, "you've got to check for biohazards. Anyone up for that? Anyone want to be an environmental health inspector when they grow up?"
There was an awkward silence, but I let it lengthen. It was Peter's dime; I only had to entertain him, not pimp for him.
Finally, one of the front-row cronies shrugged and stood up. I stepped a little aside to welcome him into my performance space-broadly speaking, the area between the leather recliner and the running buffet.
"Give a big hand to the volunteer," I suggested. They razzed him cordially instead-you find out who your friends are.
I straightened the box with a few well-practiced tugs and tucks. This was the crucial part, so of course I kept my face as bland as school custard. The volunteer held his hand out for the box. Instead, I caught his hand in my own and turned it palm up. "And the other one," I said. "Make a cup. Verstehen Sie 'cup'? Like this. Right. Excellent. Good luck, because you never know ..."
I upended the box over his hands, and a large brown rat smacked right down into the makeshift basket of his fingers. He gurgled like a punctured water bed and jumped back, his hands flying convulsively apart, but I was ready and caught the rat neatly before she could fall.
Excerpted from The Devil You Know by Mike Carey Copyright © 2006 by Mike Carey. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Posted October 28, 2009
I can see the small similarities between the Harry Dresden series and this one. There are differences though. I found Felix Castor more dark and grittier than Dresden. It definitely more "noir" and having the setting taking place in London is perfect. London is so dark and wet most of the time and cold. I think the setting fits well and is described perfectly for this novel. The world here is much different than present day. The dead and ghosts are actually out and we're aware that they are. Most of the time though, they actually don't bother us except for a select few that have risen up to settle some differences. There is plenty of magic but it's not in the way of Harry Potter it's more darker and more realistic.
I have to admit, it took me a while to get into this book. It started off a little slow and I had to nearly force myself to get into it. Eventually it started picking up and I got more interested. It was especially interesting that although it's paranormal in regards to ghosts and other creatures (there's a loup garou but not what you usually think it would be..it's different). There's also an underlying realistic element in it as naturally the ghost is there with a reason and has a story to tell (ie; how she became a ghost) so real life comes into play just as much as the paranormal side does in this book. Which is good it's a nice mixture and it's done nicely so that the magic parts come naturally and it doesn't seem so out of the ordinary, it actually feels like everyday life.
I think the other reason why it took me a while to get into it, is because in the beginning, Felix goes through a huge narration on explaining how he got to this point, and how he met certain characters and their background stories. He does this throughout the book and although the explanations are great and provides a nice depth to the novel, some of them are too detailed and rather long winded. Then I'm left wondering where did we leave off and what does this have to do with it? although the background information is nice, it should have been done in small specific paragraphs but not deviate entirely from the main plot. This could be a deterrent to some readers and those reading might feel like putting the book to the side and leave it for another day, but try and get through it. You'll find it connects the dots in one way or another and it leaves the story more complete and more detailed.
As for characters I like Felix. He's got wit and a dark sense of humor. I'm not sure if you could call him your typical detective in a noir book as although he does have an eye for the ladies I don't think he really has much of a charm or is that charismatic. To me he's more like a good guy friend who you'd have a drink with and just relax. He's likable, don't get me wrong and there are certainly parts in the book where I found myself laughing at him because of comments he's made either towards others or towards himself but he's lacking in something. He just falls short of standing out. I guess what I am trying to say is, it took me a while to warm up to him and even then although I like him, there's no strong attachment or anything.
Overall, it's not a bad book! give it a try if you're a fan of Harry Dresden but want something more realistic, more dark, and with more grit. You'll find it's actually quite good and well worth the wait.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted December 1, 2009
At times Mike Carey's writing is a little "too" British for me, whatever that means, but I enjoyed his tale of supernatural detective, Felix Castor. The mystery was really superb but I had trouble keeping some of the characters sorted in my head. Probably more my fault than the author's. I look forward to the next novel in the series.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted September 14, 2009
This book was good, but I was expecting better. Can't really recomend it. It took to long for the lead character to find out who the ghost was and why it was. The reader knew what was coming but had to wait for the story to catch up.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted January 29, 2013
Excellently written. The author writes with wit, charm, and at times thought provoking prose. The main character is likeable, and easy to relate to. The British idioms may through some less educated or wordly people off, but the majority are simple enough to understand and appreciate. I recommend this book and look forward to the next.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted January 25, 2013
Bought this on a whim. Once I took a closer look at the synopsis, I was concerned that this might be a Hellblazer rip-off. Turns out, I had nothing to fear. Felix Castor, while sharing some traits with John Constantine, remains his own thing. It did take me a while to warm up to him, though. The end was a total hoot that I didn't see coming. I look forward to the rest of the serie.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted October 17, 2012
I just finished this book last night on Nook. This book is very gritty compared to other fantasy novels. The main character, Fix, is really stuck between a rock and a hard place. There are some slow parts, but overall this is a good book.
Now I am on to the next book in the series.
Posted February 11, 2012
Felix Castor is the right kind of hero, actually a good guy without being prodded and poked into position. He may not be completely stand up, but doing the right thing to do the right thing seems his game here. The story moves nicely, twists maybe a little predictably, but it's a fun ride - just because you can see the curves doesn't lessen the roller coaster fun - definitely worth picking up and reading.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted June 14, 2011
The Devil You Know by Mike Carey is the first book in the Felix Castor urban fantasy series that takes place in a world that is populated with the undead. Felix, Fix to his friends, had been making his living as an exorcist, ridding the living of their undead neighbors or stalkers until a tragedy that left his friend Rafi possessed by a demon and living in an insane asylum. Fix doesn't take on cases any more, but he needs to pay the rent somehow, so when he is presented with an easy looking case in an archive for historical papers. The mysterious ghost seems to be wearing a hood that covers the top half of her face and has recently gone from benign appearances to striking out violently at an employee. Fix is hired to just exorcise the ghost, but as he starts investigating, things aren't exactly what they seem, and then a local crime boss gets involved. Felix is very similar in ways to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series. They are both misanthropes with unusual abilities with a mysterious past. Fix, like Harry, is self-deprecating, but he doesn't have the same wry sense of humor, and the books is a bit darker for it. Carey has created a very unique world in Fix's London where zombies hover around schoolyards, and were-creatures are like nothing I've ever imagined. It's a fascinating world, but it's really Fix that carries the story. He has a deep sense of justice and the desire to make things right. His inability to save Rafi has put him on a quest to save everyone else he can, and this makes him an empathetic and heroic protagonist. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted January 10, 2011
Unless you're a fan of the Author, I don't recoomend him. This book is "Too British" in language and does nothing to endear himself to the American audience.
I found the characters to be boring. The book was slow moving and just dreadful! I'm a fast reader and can usually get through these kind of books in less than a week, but it's taking me days to get through the first few chapters.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted May 5, 2010
If you're like me, then reading a good book while on vacation is a must. And again, if you're like me, the romance novels that many people seem to read while on vacation isn't your speed.
After a few months of badgering, my husband finally got me to give this book a whirl, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's got all the makings of a good sci-fi novel: zombies, ghosts, succubi, exorcisms.... you name it, this book probably has it.
The story revolves around an exorcist that gets caught up in a plot far beyond anything he could have believed possible when he took the job. Carey weaves the story with enough detail to keep it vivid without becoming gratuitous. The characters are all very well developed, and there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested.
This definitely isn't a romantic or touching read. It's gritty and thrilling, making you hold your breath as you turn the page. Carey writes in a style that's easy to read and keeps the plot moving. The Devil You Know is definitely a must-read for anyone that likes sci-fi or thrillers.
Posted February 23, 2010
Really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more adventures of Felix Castor!Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted November 8, 2009
I gave up on reading this book about a 100 pages into it. The character is not believeable and the plot was just plain boring. I just couldn't get into it. Save the few dollars and just buy a better book.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted September 1, 2009
This book was great. It kept me guessing until the very end. I like the fact that it is a supernatural thriller written for adults instead of teenagers.
This book has a great ending (not a to-be-continued-type of book), but if you read it and enjoy it there is a sequel, which I am currently reading.
Posted June 1, 2009
There are a lot of novelists writing about the supernatural interacting with the modern world. The central conceit of most is that the normals don't know what is going on. Carey goes the exact opposite, everyone knows, but they try to live their lives with as little interaction as possible. When things get sticky, call in an exorcist. The plot is good, the characters and the treatment of the supernatural are really superb and original. And the villians are really villianous, which is important, becuase the hero is only as good as the villian. I will definitely buy the sequel.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted June 10, 2008
This was a really great book. I had a hard time putting it down. The story has a really good plot. Fix is a really interesting. The ending was great and surprising. I would recommend this book to anyone and I'm looking forward to Vicous Circle to be released.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted February 17, 2008
I have read this book in on day, could not put it down. I started slow but picked up fast. The ending surprized me. Wonderful book looking forward to read more of his books.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted February 1, 2008
Strange yarn about a London exorcist who encounters ghosts, demons, were-creatures and the like on a daily basis. Many of these are nasty pieces of work, indeed, but not much worse than the humans Felix Castor has to deal with. Part ghost story, part mystery, with white slavery thrown into the mix, the story also provides plenty of unexpected laughs. You wouldn't know it from the author's rather stern cover-jacket photo, but he has a great sense of humor. A bit overlong, but good reading - and the quick twist at the end suggests there might be a sequel.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted January 1, 2008
The characters in this book are gritty, if somewhat 2-dimensional. The book is very engaging, I had a hard time putting it down. The plot was interesting, there were enough twists and action for anyone, along with a great hero. It manages to be satisfying without being formuliac or completely predictable.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted November 9, 2007
This is an amazing story. The subject is very different. If you like ghosts stories or the move The Exortist this book is perfect. I had a lot of twists and turns and it was suspenseful and suprising. A must read for thrill seekers.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Posted August 20, 2007
As a freelance exorcist, Felix Castor¿s reality is a lot different from most people. Ghosts, demons, and other creatures of the supernatural are a part of his every day life. His brother is a priest who believes that Felix, or Fix to his friends, is abusing his God given gift and that Fix should leave the exorcisms to the priests. There are a lot of things about himself and what he does that Felix doesn¿t examine too closely. While he no longer believes in God, he doesn¿t really know what to believe. He exorcises ghosts using his tin pipe and melancholy tunes, but he doesn¿t really know where they go. The case he takes out of economic necessity forces him to examine these aspects of himself and his life. Thus the novel is an action packed ¿whodunit¿ on one level and a philosophical quest on the nature of life and death or natural and supernatural on another. What starts as an ordinary exorcism becomes complex indeed when the ghost he is to exorcise from the Bonnington Archive saves his life. As he unravels the how and what of who the ghost once was and how she became a ghost, he has to grapple with issues he set aside since he drove is dead sister¿s ghost out of his bed. He has to deal with live bad guys who traffic in the sex trade and slavery and the demon they call to kill him. He has to solve the mystery of who is stealing artifacts from the Bonnington Archive, and he has to force the administrator to pay him. This is a scary and dark novel that searches the deepest regions of the human heart and depths to which people will descend for their gratification.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.


text:
Comment: Re:Makes sense...not politically sexy...won't happ (Score 1) 201
by Degro (#35945496) Attached to: NASA Looking To Build 'Gas' Stations In Space
Are you saying congressional districts have a ceiling?
We've improved Slashdot's video section; now you can view our video interviews, product close-ups and site visits with all the usual Slashdot options to comment, share, etc. No more walled garden! It's a work in progress -- we hope you'll check it out (Learn more about the recent updates).
Computers will not be perfected until they can compute how much more than the estimate the job will cost.


text:
Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich
No availability found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
- Shuttle bus service
- Continental Breakfast
- Business Services
- Bar/lounge
- Pets allowed
Photos of Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich
Travelers also recommend:
TripAdvisor Reviews Comfort Hotel Royal Zurich Zürich
Travel Blogs from Zürich
A Long Night of Travels
... to the mountains were patchwork-patterned fields that were lightly dusted with snow. It was actually quite similar to how I had imagined, with the cold and snowy climate, mountains and fields but I decided from there on out that I definitely wanted to visit there (more than just the airport for one afternoon).
We landed at Zurich around 10:50am and went to find food and a bathroom. We jumped off of the plane and ran inside- and it was crazy. The only word that I can really use ...
Spectacular Switzerland!
... little towns along the way for a few more pictures of the lake and then made our way through a bit of Geneva's wine country as we got closer to the big city.
Arriving in Geneva we made our way to our hotel which was located right by the United Nations building and only a few blocks from the shores of the lake. After checking we headed out in a slight drizzle to check out the old town area which was much more charming than the high-rises and ...
Lay Over in Zurich!
... for desert! I was able to fall asleep for a bit, and when I woke up they were feeding us breakfast! A delicious croissant with yogurt and orange juice! Before we landed, they handed out everyone a Swiss chocolate! The airport was very cool. I did have to wait about 30 minutes for them to assign my next plane a gate, and then they ended up changing the gate on us, but I boarded my plane on time and was off to ...
A Simple Faith
... the most horrible if diseases the plague. Not only did Zwingli contract the plague himself, but one third of Zurich actually died of the plague. Zwingli was not ordained to succumb to such a fate. He would live out the rest of his days as a man fully committed to the authority of the Word of God and the beautiful story grace. May I hold firmly to the simple ...
Mountain climbing - photos now uploaded
... t know how the people who went right onto the plateau did it, I really felt I'd get blown away and I'm no lightweight! Pete didn't bother, he just looked on. We were so lucky with the weather though, a bit of cloud and blue sky made it really all worthwhile.
Being a tourist place there are a couple of shops, a nice restaurant overlooking the glacier, an Indian buffet which looked very crowded, and a small souvenir ...