text:
An officer in an unmarked car noticed a vehicle tailgating him on Memorial Boulevard - following so closely that he couldn't see their bumper - so he activated his blue lights.Comments
A man reported an assault on Highpoint Avenue, but declined to pursue charges, then demanded an ambulance due to suffering an alleged stroke. When EMS arrived he started yelling over payment for their services.Comments
Loss prevention observed a female placing "numerous" clothing and household items into her buggy, then roll them out of the store.Comments
The suspects were confronted when they began "messing around" inside the resident's vehicle, at which point they asked her for a ride.Comments
The victim stashed $145 and a bottle of Subutex inside her bra before taking a nap, as she currently has houseguests, but awoke to find the items missing.Comments
A deputy found a man "covered in blood" along a Rogersville road. The man said he was in a car with a woman who began hitting him, enraged after he "refused to be her boyfriend."Comments
A man in Pound asked dispatchers about road conditions, wondering if they were suitable for travel. He then wanted police to call his boss.Comments
The clerk at an adult novelty store reported a suspicious customer with a "blank look on his face." He wandered around inside the business for 45 minutes, and when questioned if he needed any assistance didn't respond.Comments
A woman told police that she had drugs stashed within an orifice, but "thought" she could get them out. However, subsequent efforts by the suspect and a pair of female officers were "unable to remove the object."Comments
The owner of a Fort Henry Drive pharmacy reported a man entered and began "requesting to clean the store." The offer was declined and the man was repeatedly told to leave, but before departing he walked behind the counter.Comments


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|In Glorious Black & White: "The Night of the Hunter"
Event Type: Film Screening
Date: 2/4/2014
Start Time: 1:30 PM
End Time: 4:30 PM
Whether you're a classic movie fan or new to the vintage genre, there's something for everyone in this 7-series film fest showcasing remarkable black-and-white features from the golden age of cinema. Join popular film historian Doug Deuchler for this series.Library: Oak Park Public Library Main Branch
See "The Night of the Hunter," a 1955 psychological thriller in which a corrupt preacher-turned-serial killer (Robert Mitchum)marries a gullible widow (Shelley Winters) with two children. 93 minutes.
Location: Second Floor - Veterans Room
Contact: Adult & Teen Services
Contact Number: 708.452.3440

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dallas Cowboys and the NFL
Latest news on the Cowboys
Posts by Author
Cowboys inactive at trade deadline
Jerry Jones explained on his weekly radio show why the Cowboys chose to stand pat after there had been speculation they would be in the market for another edge rusher. "I really like the way our young player (rookie Victor) Butler is coming along," Jones told KRLD-FM in Dallas-Fort Worth. "(Anthony) Spencer is becoming what […] [Read More]
Red zone is dead zone for Cowboys
When the Dallas Cowboys broke training camp nearly two months ago, they appeared to possess all the ingredients needed for red-zone success. But even with two pass-catching tight ends, three hard-charging running backs, tall receivers, a mobile quarterback and a powerful offensive line, the red zone has become a dead zone for the Cowboys. Dallas […] [Read More]
Jones: Choice to get more carries
Marion Barber will continue to start at running back, but the Cowboys are determined to give Tashard Choice a bigger role in the offense, owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on his weekly radio show. Barber is healthy after nursing a thigh injury the last two games. With Barber hobbled, Dallas turned to Choice late in […] [Read More]
The importance of the Atlanta game
It's put-up or shut-up time for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm talking about Sunday's home game against the Atlanta Falcons or as Jerry Jones called it on his radio show today, a "proverbial all-day sucker." "To win would be so important for our season," Jones said. The Cowboys (3-2) are 0-2 against playoff contenders this season, […] [Read More]
Phillips: Williams is a work in progress
Roy Williams has been a Cowboy for one year now. He had only one TD reception last season and his numbers this season – 11 catches for 214 yards and a TD – are also disappointing. "I think Roy is like us," Wade Phillips said. "We need to wait until the end of the season […] [Read More]
No apologies necessary
In hindsight, the Cowboys look like they did the right thing when they refused to apologize for their OT win at K.C. After all, Philadelphia managed to lose 13-9 to Oakland on Sunday. "It's hard to win in this league," Wade Phillips said Monday. "When I first started pro football, somebody asked me about it […] [Read More]
Good vibes continue from OT win in Kansas City
Wade Phillips views the overtime win in Kansas City as a possible watershed moment for this year's team. "I thought we came together as a team the last ball game even though it was ugly and wasn't good enough and all those things," Phillips said. "I thought emotionally we came together as a team believing […] [Read More]
Sensabaugh to miss practice
The Cowboys will hold SS Gerald Sensabaugh out of practice Monday and Wednesday afternoon to give his broken thumb a few more days to heal, coach Wade Phillips said. Dallas is off Tuesday. Sensabaugh missed the Kansas City game after breaking his thumb in Denver. Phillips indicated that WR Roy Williams (ribs) and RB Felix […] [Read More]
Fear the Saints
The Cowboys must be shaking in their cleats after watching what the Saints did to the Eagles and the Saints. New Orleans beat those teams by a combined score of 96-49. On Sunday, they throttled the Giants 48-27. And don't forget the Saints have won five straight over the Cowboys, including a 42-17 blowout in […] [Read More]
Beautiful bye week for Dallas
The Cowboys couldn't have asked for a better bye week. Roy Williams, Felix Jones and Gerald Sensabaugh are all expected to return to practice this week after getting time to heal. But the best news was that all of the NFC East teams lost, including the first-place Giants, who got pounded by the Saints. Now […] [Read More]
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Chapter 7 : Run
|Rating: 15+
|Chapter Reviews: 2
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He found Alara in a nearby chair with Maggie standing next to her, holding Alara's hand.
Alara dismissed Maggie who slinked away from Severus as if he carried the plague. When Alara finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "Where were you the night the Death Eaters attacked the World Cup? Were you terrorizing people behind a mask?"
Severus was speechless.
"Where were you?" she repeated.
"You know me better than that."
"Do I? Or do I just see your latest mask?"
"Maybe I'd better go--"
"Where were you the night the Ministry fell Severus?"
Severus slumped just before the fire place. "Are we really going to do this? Tonight?"
"Where were you?" She repeated, her voice soft.
"I wasn't at the World Cup. Even if I had been, I'd never have been a part of that." The thought of what Lucius and the other Death Eaters did sickened him.
"And the night Scrimgeour died?"
"I was at the Ministry with the Dark Lord. You know the role I played; you know the line I walked."
Alara nodded weakly; when she spoke she was barely above a whisper, "I was there too."
Severus threw his walls of occlumency up around him with practiced ease. She wasn't a Legilimens, but she knew him well enough to read his eyes and tell when he wasn't being honest with her. "I thought you were on the run by then?"
Alara nodded without looking at him. "I was. But being an Auror leaves very few things that are totally secure. And when you have Nigel Baker at your side, even the Ministry of Magic becomes a possible objective. We broke in; we were looking for lists of undesirables."
"To get them out of the country before the Dark Lord could get a hold of them."
"We knew he had connections into the Ministry, we just didn't know how deeply they ran." Alara still wouldn't meet his eye. "When we got there, the coup was already underway." She closed her eyes hoping to close out the memory, "I liked Scrimgeour you know: he oversaw my Auror training. He was a good man."
Severus raised an eyebrow. "I never got the impression you were happy with the establishment."
"Fudge was an idiot. Scrimgeour was a great Auror, he just didn't excel at politics and he had a bit of a blind eye when it came to Voldemort. He and Harry Potter completely disagreed on how to handle the war, but he still died protecting him. He was like that you know: he'd get into a horrible row with you over something, then take you out and buy you a butterbeer."
"I didn't kill him if that's what you're thinking." Severus offered.
"No. No I'm sure Voldemort kept that particular honor for himself."
"Do you mind telling me what this is all about?"
"I found Minister Scrimgeor's body that night. The look on his face..." her voice trailed off.
"You know what the Cruciatus Curse does to people Alara. Weren't you subjected to it during Auror training?"
Alara nodded blankly. "I was subjected to it that night as well."
"At the Ministry?"
Alara nodded again. "We'd found what we were looking for and were trying to escape. We rounded a corner and ran into a Death Eater stationed at Scrimgeour's office. Nigel got out with our payload, but I got captured. I eventually got away... I don't even know how."
"I didn't torture you."
"How do I know that? Whoever got me had their mask on. How do I know it wasn't you behind that mask? You said yourself, you were playing a role. How do I know it wasn't you toying with me to maintain your image?"
Severus' face twitched in anger. Somehow, some way, this was Rachel's doing, he was sure of it.
For the first time Alara looked at him, "How do I know?"
"If you don't trust me after all you and I have been through together--"
Alara stood up as all her pent up frustrations exploded, "All we've been through together and you won't answer my question?" Alara stepped away from Severus, and for a moment, she wished she had her wand in her hand. When she spoke, her voice was deliberate, "Where were you the night the ministry fell?"
"I didn't torture anyone," he pulled out his wand and pointed it at her Wizard's Chess set sitting on her coffee table, quickly transfiguring it into a replica of his Death Eater mask. "If you don't believe me, ask yourself if this was the mask of your tormentor."
Alara looked at the mask, then she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "And now?"
"What about now?"
"Now you hide us behind a different kind of mask. Keeping things quiet until we got our feet under us was one thing, but you still want to keep us a secret two months later. And if you're keeping something as basic as our relationship a secret, what else are you keeping a secret? I let you roam around inside my head, but what do I really know about you? I don't even know how you feel about me!"
"Alara, we have practically lived together for the last two months. If that doesn't tell you something--"
"Are you afraid the world might see you differently if they see you with me instead of still holding the torch for Lily?"
Severus came frighteningly close to snapping at her and needed several moments to bring his voice under control. "This has nothing to do with Lily, or my image. There's a difference between secrecy and privacy, Alara. I have no objection to the staff knowing, but I see no reason to alert The Daily Prophet."
Alara shook her head in confusion. "It doesn't bother you that half your own House thinks I'm dating another man? What do you feel for me? I don't even know!"
Severus stared at her: his own image had never bothered him but he'd never stopped to think how it would affect her. There was so much about being in a relationship that he needed to learn.
"Would you go please?" she whispered.
"Just go." She whispered.
There was nothing to do but comply, so he exited through her door, then sagged against the cold stone wall as he heard the transfigured Death Eater mask slam against the door.
"Severus," Voldemort's memory addressed the Death Eater approaching him, his high cold voice purring with the smoothness of success as Nagini circled Voldemort's feet in an almost parasitic manner: "what news?" Voldemort didn't bother to look his servant in the eye as he began transfiguring the Fountain of Magical Bretheren in the Ministry of Magic Atrium to a giant glyph of Muggles under the heavy weight of a witch and a wizard on an enormous heavy throne.
Severus removed his Death Eater Mask, holding it casually at his side in one hand, his wand in the other. "The Taboo is in place my Lord. Anyone who dares speak your name will immediately come to our attention."
"Runcorn? Did you Imperius him?"
"No need, my lord. He is in full agreement of our goals and anxious to start his job."
Voldemort started walking around the obelisk and Severus quickly fell in step. "Excellent. And Umbridge?"
Severus buried his hatred of the woman deep inside. "She has been summoned, and will be at the announcement in the morning."
"You have done well Severus." Voldemort said with no corresponding trace of emotion in his voice. "This has gone better than even I had dared to hope."
"What news on the boy?" Severus held his breath. He could only hope that Harry Potter was safely tucked away behind all the wards and protections that the Order of the Phoenix offered.
"Alas, Former Minister Scrimgeour was not as forthcoming as we had desired. The location of Harry Potter remains the last issue of the night."
Severus nodded, feeling grim as he worried about Potter. I'm trying Lily, he thought.
The Dark Lord seemed to sense Severus' discomfort. "Do not fear, Severus we are spreading out now, the boy's time is limited at best."
"My lord, are you sure you wouldn't wish me to join in the hunt? I know him better than anyone."
"No need," Voldemort said smoothly. "We have broken all the wards that the Order of the Phoenix foolishly put in place. We have several teams out now, we should have Potter by the end of the night. Casting the Taboo was crucial, Severus. Once again you prove your value to me."
"Thank you, my lord." Severus nodded slightly, making sure occlumency shielded his mind from any additional wanderings.
"Go find Lucius for me. I have no further need to be here. With Pius installed, I can await Harry Potter's arrival at Malfoy Manor." He looked at the finished obelisk in the Atrium with appreciation of his own work. "He is, no doubt, drooling over the Minister for Magic's office wishing it were his."
"Yes my lord," Severus responded as he slipped his mask back into place, hoping beyond hope that Potter would somehow find his way to safety. He exited the lift on the first level and heard a familiar voice uttering an all too familiar curse.
"Crucio!" Lucius Malfoy drawled. He was so predictable.
Severus stuck to the shadows, curious that he didn't hear Malfoy's victim screaming in agony. He peered around the corner and saw that Lucius had caught a small, raven-haired woman with his curse. She writhed on the floor, fire coursing through every nerve in her body, but she remained silent. Lucius ended his curse and lowered his wand. He took a step toward his victim and purred, "It would be so easy to end it, hmmmm? Just tell me what you stole and where your accomplice went. No need to suffer for a few secrets."
"Go to hell Death Eater," the witch spat as she struggled to regain her breath from the Cruciatus. She wasn't surrendering in spite of the raging fire that she knew was coming. Severus admired her cheek in the face of an agonizing death.
"Crucio!" Malfoy growled, sending the woman back into agonizing spasms of pain as Severus hung back in the shadows watching.
Severus raised his wand, the Dark Lord was waiting and the witch had no hope of surviving the encounter: it was better for her to have him end it sooner rather than Lucius ending it later. Then, a sudden idea changed his mind-- the Dark Lord was intent on making this coup as silent as possible. This witch was clearly a part of the new underground movement he was hearing rumors of, and an agitator with enough cheek to openly defy a Death Eater could be an asset. She could spread the word about the coup and all she had to do is escape. Severus smiled underneath his mask knowing that Lucius Malfoy had done him a huge favor: he had mentioned an accomplice who could be blamed for her escape. Severus moved his wand from the young witch over to Lucius Malfoy and a red jet of light erupted from his wand, striking Lucius squarely in the chest and knocking him fifteen feet backwards where he landed unconscious on the door to Rufus Scrimgeour's office, knocking it open.
Severus waited while the witch caught her breath and slowly rose to her knees. "Who's there?" She looked around, confused as what had just happened. She scrambled about six feet and grabbed her wand, pointing it around the room in defense as she caught her breath. Her sapphire-blue eyes nudged at Severus' memory, she was a former student with very definite opinions and she was a formidable witch. He couldn't believe his luck. She spied Lucius, unconscious in the doorway and got to her feet, still gasping for breath. She looked around one more time, looking straight at the corner Severus was hiding, and he flattened himself into the shadows as hard as he could.
"Run," Severus mouthed silently.
The witch didn't see him, instead she turned and approached Lucius, her wand at the ready.
"That curse didn't rebound you cheeky dolt, run!" Severus mouthed again.
She kicked Lucius' wand from his hand, but then something inside Scrimgeour's office caught her eye and she peered over the unconscious Malfoy into the office.
"Run!" he willed. He could do nothing more to help her, she would live or die by her next decision.
The woman stumbled back, shocked by what she saw in Scrimgeour's office. She looked around one more time and turned and ran as fast as she could.
When he could no longer hear her footsteps he slipped out of the shadows and calmly walked over to Lucius silently thanking him as he pointed his wand at him. "Rennervate."
Lucius started as he woke up.
"Are you all right?" Severus asked pretending to have just found him.
"The woman? Where did she go?"
Severus pulled off his Death Eater mask as he watched Lucius painfully get to his feet. "What woman? There's no one else here."
He opened his eyes back in the present, his heart stinging with her rejection of him. How could he answer her? How could he explain that he had watched Lucius Malfoy torture her and that he had almost killed her?
"Severus?" Brandon approached down the hallway. "Are you all right? Maggie woke me. She said there was some kind of problem with Rachel?"
Severus stared at Brandon, then stormed off, his great bat-like robes billowing behind him. Brandon smiled as he turned to knock on Alara's door. Oh my dear Snape, she has her talons firmly in your heart doesn't she?
Filius Flitwick stepped into the chilly air of the astronomy tower. He pulled his coat tighter around his small frame and waited for his eyes to adjust as he eyed the tall woman with the head full of curls and the heart full of pain. "You never could resist this place when you were hurting."
"How can she do it Professor? How can she throw her life away on a man like that?"
"Alara has always been a passionate witch, sometimes her passions have taken her in unexpected directions."
"Yes, but she'd never followed her heart so far off the trail that her head couldn't follow it. Is he slipping love potion in her tea?"
Flitwick snorted as he walked over to her. "No. And if you're asking me to explain the ways of the human heart, you've come to the wrong man."
"Unless I'm mistaken, I haven't come to you. You've come to me." She scowled, concerned that Filius was about to take Alara's side in their fight. "Why did you come to find me?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, "Fudge Fly?"
Rachel looked down at the box and smiled as she whispered. "I love Fudge Flies."
"You didn't think that I'd forgotten, did you?" Flitwick smiled as she took the box. "You ate three whole boxes of them after your first game as co-Captain the Quidditch team during your fifth year. You sat in my office and cried."
"We got massacred by Hufflepuff. Talk about embarrassing."
Flitwick nodded. "You were so upset that you wanted to quit the team."
"But you talked me out of it." Rachel slid a fly in her mouth, allowing the bitter outer shell to bite her tongue. "You said Alara and I just needed time to work out the details of the new chapter in our lives. And the very next game we utterly slaughtered Slytherin."
Flitwick smiled, "Ravenclaw didn't lose another game for the remainder of your time at Hogwarts. A winning streak that still stands to this day. Most satisfying."
Rachel laughed. "It was pretty sweet, wasn't it?" She turned serious again as she popped another fudge fly in her mouth. "And then we grew up. And I guess we grew apart."
He walked over to the steps leading up to the platform where the main telescope stood and sat down on the first step. "You haven't grown apart, like the Quidditch team, you just haven't worked out all the details of this new chapter in your lives out yet."
"Severus Snape isn't the sort 'detail' we're likely to work out." Rachel sat down next to him.
"You were a second year when Voldemort fell the first time. You remember how school celebrated?"
Rachel chuckled at the memory. "A day off classes, and the biggest feast the Great Hall has ever seen. Everyone wore scarlet and gold ribbons for a week in memory of Lily and James Potter."
"And you now know that Severus..." Filius urged her on.
"He was devastated over Lily's death," Rachel answered quietly. "He was suffering in the midst of a party."
"And he couldn't let on because Albus knew even then that Voldemort would come back and that Severus would need to resume his role of double agent. You're a healer, what kind of damage does that do to a man?" Filius asked.
Rachel had no answer.
"I remember week of his trial. Like everyone else in our world, I looked forward to his conviction and permanent imprisonment. I followed it in the paper of course, and even with the Veritaserum I didn't believe a word of his testimony. He'd lied so perfectly to us for so many years. Then Harry Potter testified in his defense and Minerva and I both sat up and took notice. She left for his trial the next day. Merlin only knows how she got a seat in the gallery but she did, and the next thing I knew he was climbing out of her carriage back here at Hogwarts looking as moody and closed as ever, if not more-so now that a man of such privacy had undergone public humiliation." Flitwick shook his tiny head. "Looking back on it now, I can only imagine how his heart was pounding at the thought of having to see all of us again after what happened."
"So the truth comes out and everything is just forgiven? Professor, he killed Headmaster Dumbledore! He bullied Harry Potter. Neville Longbottom visits his parents at St Mungo's and he still won't even talk about Snape."
Flitwick shook his head. "Rachel, forgiveness is a potion that heals yourself, not the other wizard. Now that we know the truth about why he did what he did, the wisest thing to do is to look at him in the light of truth. He made a vow to protect Potter no matter what the cost, and the cost turned out to be immense. It was a razor's edge that he danced on, and Voldemort almost killed him for it. Now, even with Alara there are days I think that Severus wishes he'd succeeded. He's a lonely, bitter man and there's no denying it. But that is his prison, not ours."
Rachel moped as she leaned back on the stairs. "And now it's Alara's."
"Maybe. Maybe not. In some ways, they are surprisingly well suited to each other. I've been watching her closely since I found out, she seems content, not imprisoned."
"Are you mad Professor? You just said yourself he's a bitter man."
"Rachel, you're thinking emotionally, not rationally. Both of them fought in the war, both of them saw things and both of them have blood on their hands. Both of them lost the love of their lives, and both are wounded warriors who need healing. For whatever reasons, they have found healing in each other."
Rachel sat up in shock at Flitwick's assertion and the darkness of the astronomy tower hid the color draining from her face. "Blood... are you telling me Alara has killed?"
Flitwick considered his next words carefully. "I don't know for certain, she hasn't talked about it, at least not with me. But there are certain signs. It was war, and though their intentions were peaceful their enemies often weren't."
Rachel's emotions swirled both stunned at the suggestion and the realization that it may well be true. She wanted to deny it with every cell of her being. "Harry Potter didn't kill anyone, Voldemort killed himself when his curse backfired-- both times."
Flitwick sighed. "Rachel, we can't compare everyone to Harry Potter. He was.... he is an extraordinary wizard. He's unique in our world and had he not succeeded, you and I would not be here having Fudge Flies and trying to make sense of the past. We owe him more than any of us will ever be able to repay. But he is unique, and we can't forget that. We can't expect everyone else to live up to his legacy: it's just not possible."
"I... she.... she's never once let on."
"Some people, like you, have your wounds on the outside. People like Alara, they have their wounds on the inside. People like Severus bury their wounds so deep inside that they never really heal."
"She's my best friend...." Rachel whispered. "She's the sister I never had..."
"And Severus Snape never was your favorite professor. So your reaction to Alara's wartime actions is different than your reaction to Severus' wartime actions. Alara is a hero, and few people question war heroes. Severus is not a hero. So he is fair game."
"That's not fair." Rachel said before she thought about it. Did she just defend Severus Snape?
"War never is." Flitwick squeaked. "Especially a civil war. You know everyone you kill, and it wounds you in ways that you can't forsee."
"I should have been here for it." Rachel said bringing her thoughts back to her bestie. "I never should have fled to France, I never should have left her here to fight for my freedom. She took all the risk, I sat in France being useless."
"Useless??!? You seriously expect me to think of you as useless??" Filius pulled out a second box of Fudge Flies. "Since the infamous Hufflepuff game has come up, let's put this into Quidditch terms. Harry Potter was the Seeker. As long as he didn't have his goal, the war went on. When he achieved his goal, the war ended."
Rachel nodded, "And the two Beaters- they'd have been the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army. They were strong: powerful. They protected the Seeker and gave the enemy their fair share of bruises."
Filius smiled that his protégé was keeping up. "Meanwhile, the Sussex 500 or the Manchester Mongrels, they were the Chasers. They fought and they tangled over the least powerful of the balls in the game, and the least powerful of the people in the war. It was ugly, it was bloody and it was brutal. But what was at stake was of no less importance than the Snitch because you can capture the Snitch and still lose the game."
"And I don't fit in there anywhere," Rachel sagged. "I just hung in the background waiting to pick up the pieces."
"Is that what a Keeper does? Just hang around?" Filius sat up as he demanded. "Who was the last line of defense? Who had THREE goals to protect while being threatened by Bludgers and an opposing team? When Alara and the others failed, whose job was it to succeed? And if you don't mind me saying so, have you looked at yourself? You're so slim that a five kilometer wind could blow you all the way to Dufftown: yet you wore all that heavy Quidditch equipment and you allowed the fewest scores of any Keeper in Ravenclaw History. You seriously think I'm going to believe that you were useless? You think for one moment you were useless in France? Is that why young Miss Winsgate practically knocked you over the minute you walked into the hospital wing this afternoon? Is that why Michael Carter knew that you were the witch to call when this curse broke out? Because you were just hanging around being useless?"
"Alara knew I didn't belong in the fight."
"You couldn't be more wrong. When push came to shove, the first thing Alara did was get the you to a place where you could hold the last line of defense because she knew that there was no one better suited to defend against the onslaught. She knew that no one was better equipped to heal bodies and minds, and re-unite families. She knew it then, and she knows it now."
"I guess so. It's just not terribly glorious."
Filius snorted. "Battle glory is for the Gryffindors. And believe me, the way Rita Skeeter has gone after Alara, she's wishing her role in the war was a whole lot less glorious."
Rachel thought for a moment, smiled then cocked her head in curiosity as his wisdom sank in. "So she was offense, I was defense, what were you?"
"Proud Papa to you both. Which I believe answers the question of why I came to you. A papa has an instinct for a child who is in pain. And I don't care that you've graduated and gone on to better things. You are still a Ravenclaw, and you are still one of mine." Filius held out a tiny arm and motioned her in.
Rachel leaned into him as she slid another Fudge Fly in her mouth, savoring the flavor as the bitter dark shell gave way to the sweet caramel beneath. It was the answer she needed. Somehow, Professor Flitwick always had the answer she needed. "I guess I still need my Ravenclaw Papa."
He held onto his wizarding child and looked out into the sky as the stars began to peek through the clouds. "You'll figure this out. You always do."
Just off the left corridor of the seventh floor, behind the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, the students of Slytherin House dreamt of returning home from their temporary barracks in the Room of Requirement. Quickly conjured curtains of silver and green separated out the dormitory rooms for however long their exile might last. Make-shift cots, many left over from the Battle of Hogwarts, held the precious children that slept within its safe confines.
House-elves, ever devoted to their duties, padded softly about the room dusting the temporary tables and chairs that made up their new common area, carefully avoiding a large Slytherin House crest that Peter Stewart had quickly painted and hung over the central fire place, because it was still wet with the oils he had used.
Many floors below them, the hallways were deserted and lonely. Even the Prefects on their usual patrols avoided the Slytherin Hallway, lest anyone get too close to the curse which was quarantined behind three levels of protection.
So nobody knew.
As Minerva wished Severus luck at the castle gate and watched him apparate off into the night, nobody knew that down in the dungeons the magical anchor the staff had so carefully mapped out began to glow and smolder.
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Wounded Warriors: Run
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Letters to the editor
No winners in council elections
There are no winners in the Durham City Council elections. Less than 11 percent of registered Durham voters cast ballots in this year's municipal election.
To put voter turnout into perspective, the 18,569 voters that participated in this year's local election are substantially less than the following:
-- 23,204 total enrolled students at NCCU and Duke University
-- 33,086 Durham Public Schools students
-- 39,000 Duke University/Duke University Health System employees
-- 49,000 Research Triangle Park employees
While many candidates and political groups have claimed victories in this year's elections, the depressing voter turnout is no celebratory occasion. The future of our city depends on all citizens participating in the democratic process.
Durham -- we must do better!
Donald Hughes
Do veterans matter in Stem?
Now that the elections are over and Veterans Day is behind, it is time to reflect. During the campaign certain Stem candidates stated that American flags would be placed on telephone poles, once again on the streets of Stem. Thank you!!
However, that seems to be the extent of the Stem Town Board's support of veterans. Where were any of the elected officials from Stem at the Town of Butner Veterans Day event? They were absent. Not only were Butner Town Council members present, so were town commissioners-elect from Creedmoor, one outgoing Oxford city commissioner, the mayor of Oxford and at least two county commissioners. No Stem officials.
Why should they be present -- the campaign is over. Plus, none has ever defended freedom, so they have no connection or desire to support veterans. After all, the American flag above the Stem Town Hall is torn and the blue field is faded, and the mayor and at least two Stem commissioners are aware. To make matters worse, what do any Stem Officials know about American flags? Only one current elected official has an American Flag in his yard. However, it is a total disgrace, as it torn in four places and needs to be retired. Just drive up Old 75 and look.
Is this how the Stem town officials see veterans -- torn, old and ready to retire? Seems so. The election is over.
Kevin A. Rumsey


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Corporation Bank Branches in Delhi • IFSC Codes & Location
Get details about Corporation Bank in Delhi along with the location of its around 100 branches in the state. Branch details include Corporation Bank Delhi IFSC Code, MICR code, location and address of branches etc...
Enter district, city or Corporation Bank branch in Delhi to find details about the bank branches in that area.
Location of Corporation Bank Branches in Delhi
Links below are districts in Delhi which has branches of Corporation Bank. Click on a district name to get information about Corporation Bank in that district. Get detailed list of Corporation Bank Branches in Delhi, IFSC Code, branch location, address etc...
Corporation Bank Toll free Numbers
1800 425 3555


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Diane is currently attending Erasmus University in Rotterdam (in the Netherlands), where she is researching the impact of economic forces on US nonprofit regional theaters since the 80's and working towards a PhD in cultural economics. For the six years prior to moving to Europe, Diane worked in the Performing Arts program at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, where she had primary responsibility for theater, dance, and technology-related strategies and grants. Before joining the Foundation, Diane served as managing director of the contemporary performing arts center On the Boards (Seattle, Washington) and executive director of a destination music festival in the resort town of Sandpoint, Idaho. Prior work also includes stints at the Sundance Film Festival, the Seattle Film Festival, Peter Gabriel's WOMAD USA, and Bumbershoot, Seattle's Arts Festival. She has worked as a consultant for both nonprofits and for profits, as adjunct faculty at Boise State University (in the Department of Theater Arts), and, early in her career, as an actor, director and independent producer.
Diane is a frequent panelist, provocateur, or keynote speaker at arts conferences within and outside of the US (notable addresses include "Surviving the Culture Change" and "The Excellence Barrier") and has contributed articles to several publications, including "Recreating Fine Arts Institutions," which was published in the fall 2009 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review. She holds an MFA in Acting & Directing from University of Missouri Kansas City and a BS in Psychology and BFA in Theater from Tulane University. In 2002, she attended the inaugural Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business (a program of National Art Strategies).
Diane is engaged to Dutchman Jaap Boter, a scholar with posts at the University of Amsterdam and the VU University Amsterdam. He holds an MA in Musicology and a PhD in Business Economics. Needless to say, they have plenty to talk about.


text: The following was written by David Miller of England for the 'Official Documentation of the Organizing Committee for the 1974 World Cup Football Tournament': Did the best four teams reach the final two matches in 1974? On reflection I would say that the team which perhaps least deserved to be there were Brazil, three times former champions. In fact, had West Germany not lost to the East Germans in the first round, thereby going into Group A as expected instead of Group B, then Holland and West Germany would have qualified form Group A, to the exclusion of Brazil, and Poland and either Yugoslavia or Sweden from Group B. There is little doubt in my mind that Yugoslavia were technically one of the best three teams. But like Holland in the final they forgot that the game is half about character. The Slavs all wanted to be great players. They, and others, could do well to listen to David Hay, who with Billy Bremner epitomised the Scottish attitude. "When we go on the field, we are ready to give blood for Scotland" said Hay. "If patriotism is silly, ok, we are silly. We'd like a lot of money, of course, but even without it we'll play till we drop." The only two players in the Yugoslav team approaching this attitude were Acimovic, the burly, almost tubby little Red Star midfield man, and tall Surjak from Hajduk. Two more with the same mental stability as they, and I believe the Slavs could have radically altered the outcome of the tournament. As it was, Bogicevic, the midfield 'sweeper' who was equipped to be one of the great players of the finals, and Bajevic, a striker of inestimable talent, were both almost total failures, while Dzajic, once Europe's number one winger, was way below form, after two years in the army. Poland, having eliminated England with one of the surprise performances of history – and unbelievable luck at Wembley – shone a rainbow across the World Cup while others were more concerned with the crock of gold at its end. From the first few minutes against Argentina, their luck continued to hold, did so against Sweden and Yugoslavia in the second round, but deserted them against West Germany, but for which they might well have been in the final. They gave to the competition, together with Scotland, that spirit of slightly reckless adventure, but, more than Scotland, they had striking power up front sufficient to frighten anyone. Gadocha and Lato emphasised the value of fast wingers playing wide, and Szarmach, appearing from nowhere, so to speak, became the competition's second top scorer – after Lato. Gorgon, their craggy, blond centerhalf, had improved enormously since playing England, Szymanowski and Musial were among the most intelligent back-line players to be seen. Deyna, in a quiet way, exerted an influence on the team from the middle of the field as great as Cruyff on Holland, with articulate supprt on the right flank from Kasperczak. Poland, it could certainly be said, were a pleasure to watch, not least the remarkable Tomaszewski, who as at Wembley continued to save shots with both ends of his body, often unwittingly, with an improbability which had its own special charm – if you were not on the other side. Brazil are discussed at length elsewhere. They possessed probably the best back-line in the competition in Ze Maria, Luis Pereira, Mario Marinho, and Francisco Marinho, but were so obsessed with caution, ultimately shamefully aggressive, that they forfeited much of that unique prestige which they have earned in the past. It will take them a long time to live down their attitudes of 1974. As Dettmar Cramer, one of the world's foremost coaches and a member of the FIFA technical committee, remarked in the first week: "It is a beautiful story, that Brazil has an endless supply of Pelés. The only trouble is, it is not true." The tournament was a disaster for the much publicised black Paulo Cesar, while Jairzinho was a shadow of the man who had adorned the game in Mexico. With Edu left out in the cold – the total contrast to a left winger to Zagalo himself – the other strikers who were used, Valdomiro, Mirandinha, Leivinha, Dirceu, were nothing more than average. When Brazil became ordinary, what prize football? Even Rivelino, their one remaining great attacking talent, was a devalued figure, trying to shoulder the midfield leadership for which he was not equipped. Much has been written about Holland, but perhaps one may best again quote Dettmar Cramer: "Holland, and Cruyff, have shown us just how brilliant, how far ahead of his time, di Stéfano was with Real Madrid 20 years ago. He and Cruyff are in many ways identical. They operate over the whole length of the pitch, directing the start of attacks, yet being there to help conclude them. Cruyff has the same even temperament, yet like di Stéfano can be hard and brave, when it is necessary. A super player." Elaborating on the Dutch, Tomislav Ivic, one of Yugoslavia's coaches and manager of Hajduk Split, explained: "A great team now needs five qualities, - technique, tactics, stamina, mental maturity and physical size. It is no coincidence that Holland, besides everything else, are one of the tallest and strongest teams here. Previously it has been enough to have one or two qualities. This is no longer so." There is of course a sixth quality which is an inevitable product of the five – the ability to pace a match, to 'coast' in between periods of intense pressure. It was true of the Hungarians in 1954, of Brazil in 1958 and 1970, of the multinational Real Madrid and Barcelona in the late '50s, of the pre-Munich Manchester United. It was true of Holland – until, in a moment of insanity, they believed they could coast after only 60 seconds of the final. They would not have done that would they have been better judges of character – and history. Yet if the Germans snatched the trophy from Holland, nobody can take away the memory of their wonderfully fluent displays. Here was truly total football, a team attacking with 10 men, all players capable of playing in all positions as the movements developed. "Will Holland play without a sweeper in the final?" I asked Rinus Michels at their Hiltrup lake-side camp. "We are an attacking side, but even Holland cannot play without a goalkeeper" Michels replied with a smile. There was truth in the joke. With Haan playing in front of Rijsbergen, it was Jongbloed's responsibility to come out to clear the loose balls played in behind the backline. The secret of Holland's system was to play without a central striker, leaving the whole front middle area clear, so that any player could break into it – Rensenbrink or Krol on the left flank, Rep or Suurbier on the right, or Neeskens, Jansen, Cruyff, van Hanegem and even Haan through the middle. Holland appeared to play in 'packs', always with three or more players within 15 yards of the ball, because of their elaboration of the 'whirl theory', in which the player passing the ball immediately runs to the point, to which he has just passed. The system swamped the Germans in the second half of the final, just as it had swamped others, but this time the goals would not come. Germany, with tremendous strength of character in men like Bonhof and Vogts, not to mention the established stars, Beckenbauer, Breitner and Müller, took their chance with an opportunism which has characterised their World Cup record. Ever since they first appeared in the competition as 'West' Germany in 1954, they have performed if anything above rather than below the sum total of their component parts – with England, the best 'competitors' in the game. In 1974 they only just in time overcame their internal squabbling and friction – commonsense being forced upon them by the traumatic defeat at the hands of East Germany. That had a double effect, it kept them apart from Holland in the second round groups and as Helmut Schön admitted after the final: "It made all the players realise that they had to pull together, to get down to business." They did so with a will, and now they have joined Uruguay and Italy in having won the World Cup twice, the others being Brazil, three times, and England, once. Of course, Germany had stars, some truly great players in men like Beckenbauer, Müller and Breitner. But had they a team? Of course, they would have a huge crowd at their back, and the Germans are traditionally fine match-players temperamentally, producing teams which do not readily accept defeat. This particular team had lost much of the exciting quality which had characterised the winning of the 1972 European Championship. The decline of Günter Netzer had meant a loss of that special three-dimensional quality which a player of his immense perception gives to any team – which Cruyff now gave to Holland. The fact that the muscular Bonhof, introduced against Yugoslavia in a remarkable upheaval of four changes, now represented the character of the team in midfield – a capacity for work rather than for inspired improvisation – was not something which sent neutrals rushing to put their money on Germany. Of course, Müller was and still is the greatest 'percentage' close range finisher in the game, but would he get the chances even against a defense which scorned a sweeper, leaving its goalkeeper to clear up the loose ends on the edge of the box? Of course, too, Beckenbauer, by the simple deceit of wearing number 5, was the fluent instigator of more than half of Germany's attacks, a fact which opposing sides seemed to ignore purely on account of the number on his back. And Breitner, with those powerful surges into the opposing half, was with Krol the most formidable full-back in the competition. Yet for all this had West Germany not made heavy weather of Chile and lost to East Germany, had they not looked occasionally vulnerable against Yugoslavia, Sweden and Poland? There was no doubting their virility, but there were genuine doubts that they could even begin to scale the same technical and tactical heights as the Dutch. Holland, apart from 10 or 15 minutes in the first half against Brazil had never been in the slightest difficulty. While Germany were probably dependent on either Muller or Breitner to get their goals, Holland could look to at least five players as potential matchwinners – Cruyff, Neeskens, Rep, Jansen and Krol. Of the two stoppers, Rijsbergen and Schwarzenbeck, the one more likely to be exposed was Schwarzenbeck as Holland pushed any one of six men through the middle. The main speculation before the final centred on whether Bonhof or Vogts would be given the job of shadowing Cruyff in the attempt to achieve the impossible and nullify his uncomparable skills. Bonhof would be the best positioned, but the tough little Vogts had the speed. It was Vogts who got the job. If one is looking for an insight into Germany's own feelings about the game it comes from Beckenbauer, who said before the final: "Of course Cruyff is fantastic, but I must think of my own game not his. I think we are strong now, although before the game against Yugoslavia I feared we would not reach the final." West Germany beat the favorites to take the title for the second time in 20 years because they had the character, the mental tenacity to refuse to allow Holland to make fools of them. While a Dutch victory would have been a triumph for pure skill, there is no denying that Germany's gritty but less than polished achievement was the spice of uncertainty which makes football such a fascinating game. I do not believe that Germany were a great team, certainly not one with the potential or flair of the Dutch, but then nor were England the best team, simply in terms of skill, in 1966.


text:
Free Music Platform for Independent Artists
all the best Rob in 2012..........
Hello and welcome, Mandroidmusic. Nice to see you here.
Always enjoy your unique, genre-crossing music. Time I did some catching up! ;)
Hope all is well for you.
Many thanks for adding me.
Best Wishes - Exile
Dear Mandroidmusic,
thank you very much for adding me, and for giving me the opportunity to learn more about you and your inspiring music.
Best regards, Philo
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text:
Most days, the corner of Went-worth and Anson streets is a peaceful cobble of ivy-adorned homes. Most days. Except 171 years ago, on July 2, an alligator fell from the sky.
"The beast had a look of wonder and bewilderment about him, that showed plainly enough he must have gone through a remarkable experience," the Charleston Mercury reported in 1843.
The 2-foot-long reptile apparently went for a spin in a waterspout as a ferocious thunderstorm raged over the peninsula - "thunderbolts burst overhead with a power that shook the solidest structure," the Mercury said.
Don't believe it? Waterspouts come in two sizes: fair weather and tornadic, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Tornadic waterspouts are literally tornadoes. A big enough tornado can spin a car into the air.
Waterspouts "overturn boats and damage large ships," according to the NOAA report. "They can wreak havoc with high winds, hail, and dangerous lightning."
Still don't believe it? Neither did the wild-eyed gator.
Reach Bo Petersen at 937-5744, @bopete on twitter or Bo Petersen Reporting on Facebook.
- Keywords
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I have a hosting provider with mediawiki installed, I am trying to install an extension and I have to navigate to a directory on their server and run an install.php script. How do i do this? I have filezilla.
Take the 2-minute tour ×
Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It's 100% free, no registration required.
You usually call the install script via a browser, e.g.
Note: usually you have to edit the MediaWiki configuration file as well when adding extensions.
Get a SSH client such as PuTTY and use it to connect to the host's SSH service. Assuming they have one. If they don't, then you won't be able to do that.


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Definitions for =$word?>
Overview of adj intelligent
The adj intelligent has 4 senses? (first 4 from tagged texts)
1. (4) intelligent
(having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree; "is there intelligent life in the universe?"; "an intelligent question")
2. (4) intelligent, well-informed
(possessing sound knowledge; "well-informed readers")
3. (3) healthy, intelligent, levelheaded, level-headed, sound
(exercising or showing good judgment; "healthy scepticism"; "a healthy fear of rattlesnakes"; "the healthy attitude of French laws"; "healthy relations between labor and management"; "an intelligent solution"; "a sound approach to the problem"; "sound advice"; "no sound explanation for his decision")
4. (1) intelligent, reasoning, thinking
(endowed with the capacity to reason)


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Kim Kardashian has been having a frantic summer full of life changes as she prepares to marry professional basketballer Kris Humphries. Her latest change isn't as significant as her upcoming wedding – she has changed her hair color!
Lately Kardashian has kept her hair close to her natural dark brown/black color but as she has done on previous summers – she has gone for a lighter shade for the season.
She was spotted leaving a television taping in Studio City, California and the paparazzi noticed the new hair style. Kim tweeted her fans about it of course, writing: "I dyed my hair lighter for summer, I'm loving it! I feel younger!".
Kim recently returned to Minnesota, the home town of her fiance Kris Humphries, where she spent time with Kris and his family.\


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Is the Forest Green game going to go ahead tonight? SNOW chance!
Posted: January 22, 2013|
DENIED home comforts since Boxing Day, Forest Green's January plans have again been disrupted by the freezing weather.
Rovers had been due to host Hereford United tonight, but a frozen pitch and treacherous conditions in and around the New Lawn have forced a third straight home postponement.
The call-off will be hugely frustrating to the players after Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Stockport County, a result described as 'cruel' by manager Dave Hockaday.
And it means his side will play six straight away games this month, with a trip to Lincoln City this Saturday followed by Woking at the Kingfield Stadium next Tuesday.
A club spokesman said: "Snow and ice around the stadium and concerns over the safety of travel for home and visiting fans mean Rovers will not get an early opportunity to bounce back from Saturday's defeat.
"The inspection was originally set to take place at 3.30pm yesterday afternoon but was brought further forward to give fans as much notice as possible."
On the plus side for Hockaday, Rovers striker Reece Styche will now be able to rest a nagging hamstring problem.
Styche came off the bench at Stockport to mark his 100th league appearance for Rovers with a brilliant goal – his seventh of the season in all competitions.
Despite managing only nine starts this term, the former Chesetown striker is regarded as a key player by his boss.
"Reece had a tight hamstring (on Saturday) but he gave us an energy when we got him on there," said Hockaday.
"He gave us a little bit more devilment and put the ball in the net from our hardest chance of the game.
"It was good for his confidence and we're working hard with him.
"He is going to play a massive part in the rest of the season and beyond."
Snow has also accounted for Gloucester City's Blue Square Bet North fixture at Brackley Town.
The pitch at St James Park was subject to a brief inspection yesterday afternoon and was immediately deemed unfit for play, the game will now be played on Tuesday, February 5.


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Reap the benefits of our 2320 square foot home which includes: 4 bedrooms, a monstrous great room, separate dining room, breakfast nook, utility room, and a great bath with private toilet room. The master bath features double sinks, a soaking tub, shower, linen, and walk-in closet. The utility room is centrally located to accommodate large families. The kitchen design allows for easy flow to the breakfast nook and a fine dining room. Through the two-car garage, an entry is lined by more storage and a separate half-bath.
*Artist renderings. Homes shown with all upgradable features. Builder reserves right
to modify plans, products, and specifications without notice.
It is highly important when building a home to consider the weather climates in
the region in which you live. Lexar's building methods, products and standard features
differ in wet rainy climates then those built in the dryer colder regions. This
is reflected in the pricing differences for Lexar homes built in different regions.
Select Lexar office in the area you are looking to build for the most accurate pricing
for your build area.
For more information about pricing and standard features, contact a Lexar representative.
©2015 Lexar Homes | LEXARH*909QT | 360-807-1722


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Richard McGuire
Richard McGuire is an illustrator and comics artist whose work was picked up by Art Spiegelman for his radical magazine Raw in the late 1980s, and has since appeared in The New Yorker and McSweeney's. His highly original and oblique take on time and space (and other things) has also been lent to animation, and is especially excellent in his short for the Peur(s) du Noir film. It's an absolute treat, brought back to mind by a small event at Gosh! comics in London where he'll be chatting to Steven Appleby as part of the Comica festival tonight.


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Why is iRobot, purveyor of the Roomba and Scooba home-cleaning robots, making a three-to-five-foot tall robot with an Apple iPad for a head? The Massachusetts-based company believes a taller, more customizable robot like its Ava bot is suited to tasks its other robots can't do, such as facilitating video conversations between people in remote locations (aka "telepresence").
Ava's height isn't her only standout feature. She is also intelligent, as her iPad (or Google Android tablet) brain can be augmented with apps. Currently she knows how to map unfamiliar locations — using sensors and a video camera — and navigate around them. She is also being customized by the company InTouch Health for deployment in healthcare facilities.
I first met Ava in September 2011 when iRobot Chief Executive Colin Angle brought her to New York. At the time, I only wrote about her, first the basics, then a piece about Google's interest in her and the kinds of apps iRobot expects to see from Android developers.
When I met Ava again at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), I decided to do a quick video to show her capabilities and explain what iRobot hopes to accomplish with her. During the interview, I learned a few new things, including that Ava has emotions (sort of). As Mark Chiappetta, iRobot's vice president of advanced development explains in the video above, when Ava bumps into things, the LED lights on her wheeled, triangular-shaped base turn pink.
iRobot thinks of that as Ava blushing. When Ava "gets testy," her lights also change color, says Chiappetta, to red or green or blue. She likes rainbow colors, he attests.
Ava's color-altering moods don't flare up often. "She's really well behaved," Chiappetta says. "We've worked out most of her kinks."
Next, I'd like to see Ava learn to do more things. She debuted at the 2011 CES and came to the 2012 CES in working order. In 2013, iRobot should show her real potential.


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JOHNSONBURG – The Johnsonburg wrestling team is looking to the upcoming season with optimism with a mix of new and returning wrestlers.
"We should be a competitive young team," Johnsonburg coach Mike Votano said. "We have three kids that have wrestled previously who haven't wrestled in the past couple years but they're back out on the team."
Zebb Zilcosky will be wrestling at 126 pounds and Votano said he has high expectations for him along with Cory Schneider at 138 pounds.
"I have high expectations on Zebb Zilcosky and Cory Schneider, he hasn't wrestled since junior high but he's back, he's a senior now," Votano said. "He will shock a lot of people as well as Zebb Zilcosky."
Alex Zimmerman will be in at 132 pounds and Mitchell Schloder is slated at 170 pounds.
"I believe we have good potential in Alex Zimmerman and Mitchell Schloder," Votano said. "They both could be district placewinners."
Maison Walters is another newcomer to the team.
"He's a senior and this is his first year on the wrestling team," Votano said. "He'll be wrestling 170 or 182. I think he'll find that he's a pretty scrappy wrestler. We're just teaching him all the techniques right now. I think he's going to come in strong and conditioned."
As the season gets ready to commence, Votano is stressing strength and conditioning with eight wrestlers on the team.
"Right now, our team philosophy is to be stronger and in better condition than our opposing teams because of the lack of numbers," Votano said.
Johnsonburg will also field a junior high team after two years of not having one.
"Hopefully, the numbers will continue to increase," Votano said. "Our J.O. program is looking like their numbers are starting to improve. I hope in the next couple years, I hope that our numbers continue to improve and I think we're going to shock some teams."
Team members are Alex Zimmerman, Zebb Zilcosky, Caleb Garvey (145), Mike Kennedy (152), Cory Schneider, Dylan DeLong (182 or 195), Maison Walters and Mitchell Schloder (170).


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Plaza de la Independencia
Quito\'s Plaza Grande ©
The square, also known as Plaza Grande, has always been the heart of the city, and as the hub of the old centre, it is the best place to sit and people-watch. Around the square are the Cathedral, the City Hall, the Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace, the most notable municipal and religious buildings in the city. The cathedral, the oldest church in South America, is one of the city's most impressive historical and architectural sites. Both the Government Palace and the cathedral were scenes of shocking murders: in 1875 President García Moreno was murdered by machete, and in 1877, the Bishop of Quito was poisoned during a Good Friday Mass.


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EO San Antonio Accelerator Program
The Accelerator Program, hosted by the Entrepreneur's Organization San Antonio, is a series of quarterly, high-impact learning events designed to help business owners reach seven-figure annual revenues. Mentored by current members of EO San Antonio, Accelerator Program participants learn about everything from how to more effectively manage employees, develop marketing plans and keep track of finances. Each accelerant brings unique experiences and insight into the program, creating a breeding ground for business success.
Monthly Archive for December, 2013
Accelerator Spotlight: Jonathan Collins
What has been the most important thing you have taken away from the program? Although still in progress, the program has given me a mindset to be metric driven and culture focused. Have you noticed a change in your business so far? Yes. We have made it a priority to hire the right team members based on […] [Read More]


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Pictured is Nikita Serebryakov who is expected to have a busy few weeks as regular Jake Paterson is at the WJHC in Russia.
Saginaw at Plymouth
The Spriit will be without their top scorer Vincent Trochek (50 pts in 35 games) as he attends the IIHF hockey championships in Russia. Locke and Ross will have to pick up the slack to keep this team competitive until he returns.
The Spirit and Whalers are mired in the lower level of the Western Conference. At the halfway point of the season, Saginaw is in ninth place- only one point behind the Windsor Spitfires and 2 points behind the up and down Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds and these slumping Plymouth Whalers. Plymouth has not won a game in their past 7 contests – Saginaw has won 4 of their last 10 games.
Plymouth will be without their top 3 scorers for the foreseeable future. Rickard Rakell is skating with his team representing Sweden at the IIHF tournament in Russia. Ryan Hartman will not be in action as he is with the USA team (OHL PIM leader with 87). Stefan Noesen is in the early part of his 10 game suspension for head checking on December 8 in Oshawa – eligible to return on January 11 2013. Tom Wilson may be down in the dumps from his WJC snug off of Team Canada, but will be expected to lead the way for this team in the second half.
My prediction Saginaw2 Plymouth3
Windsor at London
The Spits will be without Patrick Sieloff who is representing USA at the WJHC. They entered the Christmas Break with a lump of coal by losing their last 3 games and only winning 4 of their past 10 games. Windsor has only 4 wins on the road this season in 17 games. Windsor has played 35 games and has only scaped together 34 points. The Spits play some more important games later this week at Saginaw and then home to Plymouth.
Kerby Rychel and Brady Vail are tied for the team lead with 32 points this season. Rychel leads the team with 19 goals – rookie Josh Ho-Sang has 20 assists for the Spits.
The Knights continue to ride their 21 game win streak and should be able to extend it by the end of this game. London will be missing a few key defencemen: Scott Harrington (Assistant Captian with Team Canada) and Olli Maatta (Finland) but should have plenty of firepower and experience to push the Spits around. London has a league best 60 points in 36 games played this season.
Seth Griffith leads the way for the Knights with 25 goals and 58 points this season – Max Domi has a team high 27 assists (45 pts) and rookie N. Zadarov has an impressive +26 rating (5th in the OHL).
The Knights will play at Plymouth on Saturday night and then play a home/home series vs. the Sarnia Sting to end the calendar year.
My prediction Windsor 2 London 5


text: Prerequisites: BIOL 113, BIOL 114, BIOL 115, BIOL 116, BIOL 134, BIOL 135, PSYC 101, NURS120, NURS170 Corequisites: NURS220, NURS221, NURS222. Clinical Course: Focus on application of theory, concepts and principles to assessment and planning care for patients through the use of the nursing process and scientific inquiry. Students apply the science, technology, assessment skills to address health care needs for health promotion, disease and illness prevention, and by determining the effectiveness of given expected care outcomes.


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Hull plating
38,685pages on
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this wiki
Hull plating is an external armor component of a starship's hull which allows for greater resistance against space debris and enemy weapons fire. Prior to Earth's development of shields, Starfleet equipped their vessels with the ability to polarize their hull plating, which allowed for increased hull strength in emergency situations. (Star Trek: Enterprise) However, even into the 24th century some escorts were equipped with ablative hull plating to allow for increased survivability when shields are lost.
The starboard hull plating of the Chaffee was slightly damaged when it entered the energy barrier of a L-class planet in a rescue attempt of Lisa Cusak of the USS Olympia. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")


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Should GPS Locators Be Put on Domestic Violence Offenders?
by Moms
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5 years
GPS monitoring in combination with a bail bond is the best way to protect domestic violence victims other than leaving the perpetrator in jail. Bail bond agents and the courts are using GPS devices in a variety of situations. In the case of domestic violence, a sophisticated monitor can provide multiple "safe zones" whereby the victim and law enforcement can be notified if the perpetrator enters a "safe zone". Since a bail agent has the power of arrest, this can not only help the victim but can also relieve already over worked law enforcement. This technology is a work in progress; it is not perfect. Defendants cut them off and reception can be effected by entering a building with a steel structure. However, it is an improvement over the days when all a victim of domestic violence could get was an easily disregarded court injunction.
Bettye-Wayne 5 years
Wait, I read this wrong, I was thinking sex offender, not DV offenders. Yes, I could see how this would come in handy. Been there, done that when it comes to DV and this would have made me feel a lot safer.
Bettye-Wayne 5 years
I voted no, but... what a tough call. In my state there's talk of giving offenders pink license plates (the same way they give repeat DUI offenders yellow ones). I think a lot of offenders will get assaulted if that happens. In Miami I think it is, offenders must live 500 ft from a school daycare or park. The only place in the city that's far enough away is under some bridge; offenders are actually having this bridge location printed on their ID cards as their residence. I would agree with the GPS as long as they could live wherever they wanted, and as long as only authorities could track their movements. I had a sexual offender (level 1 for child rape) living next to me for a while, and he never caused a bit of trouble.
missiza 5 years
in extreme cases yes, for protection of the battered and the loved ones that they live with. but i definitely think it needs to be clearly defined as to who is subjected to wearing one of these GPS locators.
snowysakurasky 5 years
i voted ya... but doing it might make them go even more crazy,,,


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Do you think that the white lines appeared when you washed it with the alcohol?
Dr. Arun
Please send the picture. You can do that by clicking the tree icon on this page where we reply each other. You can also send it to any file sharing site and post a link here.
I tried my best but my camara would not focus.If you zoom in maybe you can see the white lines at the tips of my tongue?i am not sure if you got the image
The image has not been attached here on the page.
Let me at the outset tell you that it does not seems to be anything serious or concerning. The most worry is about the cancer, and I can assure you that cancer does not present like the white lines. So if you are worrying abut it, just relax. This seems to be just desquamation (removal of the cells from the surface) of the tongue due to alcohol. Since you keep cleaning it frequently this is persisting. Just do not rub it strongly with the tongue cleaner for 5-7 days and it should come back close to normal as the cells will regenerate again.
Please feel free for your follow up questions.
Yes, I meant it by the brush. If you clean the tongue, do it just mildly and only once so the healing will take place spontaneously.
It is pleasure and privilege assisting you.
I hope this was helpful to you. If it was, please remember to ACCEPT the answer so I can get compensated for my work. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. I am truly privileged to help you, and I want to make sure that you are satisfied with the answer. Good luck!
The tongue rests during the night time and in day we have movements of the tongue, so circulation is better and so the lines gets faint during the day. A waxing waning phenomenon again points to its benign etiology (cause).
Cough does not seems to be related. Waxing waning phenomenon (changing) means getting darker in morning and than getting lighter in day; so seem to be of nothing concerning.
Best wishes and kindest regards.
Please sleep well.
Yes, brush normally and avoid the tongue. It in all likelihood it will clear off. It can take 7-10 days. As I mentioned, there is nothing serious.
Good night.
Yes, alcohol do remove the lining and cells from the mucosal surfaces like tongue / lips / inside cheek if applied.
Thank you for trusting me with your question. If you feel that my answer has been helpful, please click on the green accept button to transfer your deposit as payment for my answer. This is the only way I get paid for my answer.
Oral thrush usually has a continuous spots than just the lining. Seems not likely to be oral thrush.
Just wanted to add; the oral thrush has some predisposing factor like;
1) history of HIV infection,
2) dentures,
3) diabetes mellitus
4) exposed to broad-spectrum antibiotics
5) exposure to inhaled steroids


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Employed, but still stressed by joblessness
As we head into Labor Day weekend, a new survey of Californians indicates the lousy labor market isn't just straining the lives of the jobless — the employed say they're being stretched thin.
More than half (52 percent) of all Californians say their on-the-job stress level has increased in the last two years, and 58 percent of Southern Californians say they're working longer hours, according to the survey conducted by Harris/Decima and released Wednesday.
The survey also found 53 percent of Californians have heavier workloads than they had two years ago, and 50 percent feel they have less job security.
"The morale in the workplace is just so low," said Daisy Swan, a Los Angeles-based career strategist. "People are being squeezed like never before."
When the dust settled from all the layoffs across the state, staffers began to realize they were being watched for productivity levels, and more was being expected of them, Swan said. She is working with several clients who describe today's workplace as competitive and stressful, with managers not always acting their best.
"It's pretty rough out there," she said.
At a time when employees are being pinched, it's not surprising that Steven Slater became something of a folk hero last month when the JetBlue Airlines flight attendant announced over the plane's public address system that he was quitting, grabbed a few beers and made a dramatic exit via the plane's evacuation slide.
Pepperdine University labor economist David M. Smith believes that when Slater went AWOL it resonated with Americans because there's so much pressure on the labor force.
"There's not a lot of movement in the labor market upward," he said. "In addition, a lot of people are working harder and more hours. They're stressed and affected by the economy whether they have a job or not, whether it be with family or stagnant wages."
The telephone survey, sponsored by Everest College, involved 600 respondents who were interviewed between July 15 and July 24. Of those surveyed, 470 were employed and 130 unemployed.
Some of the findings show that 41 percent of respondents see jobs as California's top economic issue, followed by the state's financial crisis (29 percent). That was the flip of the 2009 results, which had the top concern being the financial crisis (43 percent), followed by employment (27 percent).
Smith expects the job market to turn in mid-2011.
"This jobless recovery is a newer phenomenon in U.S. economic history in that companies now can increase their productivity without hiring workers back — to a point," he said. "Once companies start seeing they've eked out as much productivity as they can with the existing labor force (they'll start hiring)."
Unemployment in Ventura County now stands at 11.3 percent; the state's is 12.3 percent.
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Marrow donor needed for local 3-year-old
Those wanting to help a young Lee County girl with a rare blood disorder can do so today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Payton Lawson, 3, was diagnosed with a disorder known as HLH about a year ago, and now she needs a bone marrow transplant. Her grandmother, Cynthia Galyean, who owns Small Hands-Big Future Child Care near the COTY plant, said she's not asking anyone to donate marrow today. All she's asking, she said, is for people to come by the day care and get their cheeks swabbed to see if they might be a potential donor for Payton or anyone else who needs a transplant.
Volunteers at the day care, located at 1112 Broadway Road, will also be washing cars in exchange for donations to the Liam's Lighthouse Foundation, named after a boy who died of complications from the disorder at 20 months old.
"It's a challenge," Galyean said. "We live day by day. We never know."
People who wants more information can call the child care center at (919) 718-9434.
WHAT: Fundraiser and donor identification drive for local girl in need of transplant
WHEN: Today, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Small Hands-Big Future Child Care, 1112 Broadway Road


text:
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text:
Below is the poem entitled Something I Don't Have which was written by poet
OBrien. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
Kayla Obrien
I wanna give you something I don't have
I wanna pretend I am not sad
I wanna pretend I don't still cry at night
Over a man not worth my time
or the many tears I have shed
I wanna pretend I can give you my all
you have been there no matter what
and you deserve that much
You deserve to have me, a whole me
not a shattered and tattered broken me
I wanna pretend I have what I want
to give to you, but I am sorry
I just don't have what I want to give


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Bottlenose dolphins make journey from harpoon target to darling of the sea
CORPUS CHRISTI - Nature endowed the bottlenose dolphin with a fixed smile that even the atrocities it has endured could not diminish.
Many of you are aware of the annual slaughter of 20,000 dolphins in Japan revealed in the 2009 documentary film "The Cove." Fewer of you may know about a similar annual tradition in the Faroe Islands, a territory of Denmark off the northern coast of Europe, involving the herding and wholesale killing of mostly small pilot whales and some dolphins.
But did you know about the sport of dolphin harpooning in Port Aransas during the late 19th century and early 20th century?
Consider this romantic account from a 1927 article in New York Evening Graphic Magazine about the rich boy exploits of Gail Borden Munsill, one of Port Aransas' more colorful historic figures. The Connecticut entrepreneur and heir to the Borden Milk fortune established the first water, electricity, ice and telephone services in Port Aransas. And apparently Munsill was bent on harpooning bottlenose dolphin with a detachable-point spear, then fighting the big mammals with tarpon tackle.
The writer may have overstated the significance of Munsill's inaugural adventure, saying it sparked a new sport in the Corpus Christi area, when actually this was a new twist to a practice that had existed for years and then continued for more than a decade. And I have no evidence that Munsill's innovation caught on.
Here's how part of the drama was published in the New York tabloid.
"Z-zip! the barb, hurled with tremendous force by young Munsell (sic), whistled through the air and struck home.
"The wounded porpoise leapt 12 feet out of the water as the sharp pain of the harpoon in its side caused an inevitable convulsion. And then the maddened monster dashed ahead straight for the open reaches of the Gulf of Mexico."
After switching to rod and reel and battling the bottlenose dolphin (there are no porpoises in the Gulf of Mexico) for four hours with Capt. Bill Farley at the wheel of a 220 horsepower speedboat at speeds up to 50 mph, the drama was nearly over.
"Munsell then handed the rod to Capt. Bill, took up a high-powered rifle and put an end to the porpoise."
After returning to the dock to display his trophy, Munsill went out again and harpooned another one, just to prove the first one wasn't a fluke, according to the story. The article included a photo of the two dead marine mammals hanging by their tails on a Port Aransas dock.
It gets worse.
Caller-Times history columnist Murphy Givens said the practice of harpooning dolphins goes way back. He's read accounts from the 1850s and 1860s about the so-called sport of harpooning a dolphin and riding on its back, holding on to the rope like a rodeo stunt.
Here's an account from Capt. John Mercer's diary, dated Oct. 16, 1875. Mercer was an early Port Aransas settler in charge of the U.S. Life Saving Station on Mustang Island.
"Ned (this was Edward Mercer) saw a porpoise around on the point. Ned, Tom Lacey and John Reynolds went after him. Found him nearly dry. We put a rope on his tail and put one of the big hooks in his blow hole. Cut a hole in his head and he blew about a gallon (of blood Givens and I assume). Pulled him off in Turtle Cove, but he was lively. He towed us fine. We steered him so he towed us to the wharf. Had fine fun. The first time anyone around here used a fish for a tugboat. Had all the 'wimin' folks look at him. Cut him up and salted him."
But this account from a 1926 Corpus Christi Times article may be the most shocking. I apologize if the imagery is too graphic. The story is about a group of wheat farmers from Kansas and their families (185 adults and a dozen children) enjoying a pleasure cruise aboard a 100-foot schooner. They embarked from the Corpus Christi municipal pier then headed for Port Aransas and sailed a short distance into the gulf.
"The captain had promised the sensational fate of harpooning a big fish if opportunity presented itself. Here fortune favored the plans. As the vessel was well headed inland a school of a dozen porpoises was sighted. The pilot, an expert with the spear, turned the wheel over to another and weapon in hand and keen eye toward the water stood at attention on the very prow and soon cast the harpoon deep into a 700-pound porpoise. The creature, terror stricken and painfully injured, dived deep into the water taking with it 50 yards of cable with barrel attached. The buoy appeared and reappeared above the surface before a canoe was lowered and two men set out in pursuit. By this time the worried bleeding creature had perceptibly lost its power of endurance. The barrel was hoisted into the small craft and the work of taking in the slack and incidentally killing of the sea animal began. The porpoise was still more alive than dead and chased with the canoe hither and thither with evident ease. However he was obliged to come to the surface at frequent intervals for air and every time he did so a deadly bullet from a six-shooter was sent crashing into his body. After 12 rounds of ammunition had been used, the big mammal gave up the ghost.
"The prize was towed alongside the excursion boat and with a windline was drawn aboard and the tense excitement of nearly a half-hour had come to an abrupt end. On the return home a portion of the deck was cleared so that the music and merriment could be augmented with the tripping of the fantastic toe."
Yes, the passengers celebrated the gruesome event with music and dance.
Charter captains in the Coastal Bend at the time promised clients they would harpoon a dolphin on every trip or the adventure was free. The Corpus Christi Times posted the season's first porpoise the way the Port Aransas South Jetty today boasts the first marlin of the year.
Cultural attitudes on dolphins were very different then. But this is not about making moral judgments retroactively, though I'm certain some who read this will lean in that direction. Dolphins have become symbols of innocence and intelligence in the animal kingdom, personified to a fault by popular media and, in some cases, by misguided or dubious science. They have evolved in our culture to become lovable creatures protected by law.
But it's difficult to reconcile the extreme emotional contrast between the way we feel today about history's seemingly savage acts and the profound lack of remorse that accompanied this kind of behavior back in the day. I'm sure, like with slavery, history had its dolphin lovers. But they must have been vastly outnumbered.
In these stories it is evident that, from the harpoon thrower himself to the spectators, to the storytellers and the publishers of magazines and newspapers where the articles appeared, there simply was no personal or social shame. At the time, culture simply had not yet invented a negative stigma regarding marine mammals or cetaceans. Heck, some newspaper writers were still referring to dolphins as fish into the 1950s.
When did our attitudes change and how were we influenced in a more humane direction?
There is ancient evidence that dolphins were revered at certain times throughout history mostly as benevolent figures in mythology and art. One story tells of Dionysus, Greek god of wine, vegetation and theater, becoming angry with sailors for their plan to sell passengers into slavery. Dionysus drove the sailors mad with hallucinations, causing them to jump overboard. The sailors who repented were turned into dolphins. This myth often is cited as the reason why many ancient Greeks considered killing a dolphin an appalling crime, according to Public Broadcasting's Frontline Online. An ancient Greek poet suggested that dolphins were reincarnated humans based on their social behavior.
According to Mark Lukach's Scuttlefish.com online column, "a Roman historian, an intellectual giant on the same level as Aristotle, tells the story, with utter factual certainty, of a young boy befriending a dolphin and riding him to school every morning, until the boy's passing caused the dolphin to die of a broken heart."
Apparently, somewhere along its journey through cultural evolution, the dolphin lost its luster and status.
Uko Gorter, on behalf of the American Cetacean Society (www.acsonline.org) tells me that harpoon hunting of dolphins and porpoises was widespread throughout the East Coast and southeastern coast of the United States in the 18th century and into the 19th century.
Gorter said the changing of attitudes and the influences that eventually led to the demise of dolphin hunting is quite complex. Some hunting of bottlenose dolphins persisted into the 1930s in Florida, he said, where some of the earliest public marine aquariums were established. But these live captures were occurring simultaneously with sport harpooning in South Texas.
The cultural influence of an early dolphin researcher named John Cunningham Lilly is as undeniable as it is bizarre. Lilly is an enigmatic figure in the world of science, often rejected as a quack by some contemporaries, a visionary by others and an outright nut by some. But Gorter said Lilly's popular writings in the late 1950s on the intelligence of dolphins certainly helped change public sentiment, while garnering plenty of attention and millions in research grants.
It's not clear exactly when locals stopped harpooning dolphins in the Coastal Bend. But vague recollections of locals mark the end of harpooning sometime after World War II.
D. Graham Burnett, a Princeton University history professor who specialized in the history of science, has written about the influence of Lilly on American culture and the role he played in popularizing the smiling cetacean.
It started with a 1958 presentation on the intelligence and linguistic abilities of the bottlenose dolphin at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco.
Burnett wrote about this for the May-June 2010 issue of Orion magazine.
"Despite his small and entirely anecdotal evidence, newspapers on both coasts picked up the fascinating story (Talking fish! What will they think of next?), and by the autumn of that year Lilly was writing grants for a major initiative to study cetacean communication and cognition."
Burnett writes that much of Lilly's initial resolve surrounding dolphin communications came during one of his many attempts to understand the dolphin mind by inserting electrodes into their brains. In his article, Burnett describes the dying sounds of a bottlenose recorded by Lilly as "a set of wheezing phonations that Lilly interpreted as an effort to mimic the voices of the laboratory personnel. It was his eureka moment ..."
Burnett wrote that "by the early 1960s Lilly and his dolphins had become a national, indeed an international, phenomenon. In the wake of the initial flurry of interest in his 1958 claims about the linguistic abilities of Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose dolphin), Lilly seized a trade-book contract and gave free rein to his exuberant imagination."
The resulting volume, "Man and Dolphin," was published in 1961. It flew off bookstore shelves.
A 1964 Corpus Christi Times editorial refers to Lilly exploring the possibility of humans conversing with bottlenose dolphins. The article points out that the dolphin brain is relative in size to ours, making them easily trainable. But the writer also suggested the animal's vocal cords "enable him actually to utter speech, not merely to parrot as is the case with the bird of that name."
In fact, dolphins do not possess vocal cords. The campaign to make dolphins seem more humanlike was pervasive and effective, but not necessarily factual.
In his Orion article, "A Mind in the Water: The Dolphin as Our Beast of Burden," Burnett suggested that before Lilly "no one thought of whales and dolphins as 'musical' or 'intelligent' or — of all things — 'spiritually enlightened.' At that time, the large whales were generally regarded as huge kegs of fat (useful for making soap), meat (good to feed to chickens), and fertilizer (best thing to do with what was left after you took the fat and meat), and the smaller dolphins and porpoises were mostly just a nuisance to fishermen — though bottlenose were sometimes actually hunted, since the fine oil in their jaw ducts was considered a superior lubricant for precision timepieces."
Lilly's ideas crept into military culture, spawning the use of dolphins into service as Navy fleet protectors and other wartime or espionage duties. Burnett suggested that Lilly's code-breaking research into dolphin language also was considered potentially useful for deciphering possible radio signals from outer space.
The iconoclastic Lilly gained fame and the attention of Harvard astrophysicist Carl Sagan and psychologist Timothy Leary (yes, Lilly and his dolphins experimented with LSD), as well as Life Magazine, White House and military officials, Hollywood celebrities and enthusiastic fans, followed by a 1963 appearance on the "Jack Paar Show."
In American culture dolphins became the intellectual darlings of the animal world — arguably achieving status as primates of the sea — spawning the 1963 film "Flipper" about a young Florida boy who befriended a dolphin injured by a harpoon. This resulted in a spinoff TV show by the same name, which ran from 1964 to 1967, depicting a super intelligent bottlenose with human traits and a humanlike ability to understand social concepts and spoken English. An interesting note is that among the many myths and misconception perpetuated by the series, the trademark voice of TV's Flipper actually was the doctored call of the kookaburra bird, an Australian kingfisher.
Lilly's work also led to the 1973 science-fiction movie "The Day of the Dolphin," starring George C. Scott, which was based on a 1967 novel.
Interest in research was on the rise, said Linda Price-May, a dolphin research biologist with the Center for Coastal Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and former regional coordinator for the Corpus Christi Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Price-May said not all early researchers demonstrated the same sensitivity or compassion toward marine mammals that was becoming so prevalent in mainstream culture at the time. Apparently, like Audubon had done with birds, scientists killed, captured or harmed a lot of dolphins to study them.
Attitudes on dolphins and whales became institutionally embedded in our culture with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network was founded in 1980 at Texas A&M at Galveston.
Price-May said the arrival of Vietnamese refugees in the early- and mid-1980s resulted in a short-lived spike in local dolphin abuse, but nothing close to the harpooning practices of the early 1900s.
"Some Vietnamese fishermen or shrimpers killed dolphins for food or bait," Price-May said. "We found some filleted dolphins on the National Seashore, which were probably discarded at sea I assumed by Vietnamese. It was just part of the culture they brought with them. Nothing malicious."
Local dolphin lovers Erv and Sonja Strong began offering dolphin feeding tours here in 1986. But four years later they were embroiled in a lawsuit against the federal government, asking to be exempt from a proposed ban on dolphin feeding. In part, the federal argument was that feeding dolphins conditions them to behave unnaturally, become dependent on humans for handouts and prone to disease.
Within a span of about 50 years we had gone from harpooning dolphins to zealously protecting them.
The Strongs' exemption request was based on their plan to conduct dolphin research, which required a federal permit. The application process had become stalled in federal bureaucracy, prompting the Strongs to file for an injunction, which was granted by U.S. District Judge Hayden Head Jr.
Ultimately, the federal ban on feeding marine mammals was added in 1994 to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Strongs continue to offer dolphin cruises today, but without the feeding element.
About 10 years later the Strongs fought against the Texas State Aquarium's plan for a dolphin exhibit. Captivity shortens a dolphins life, Erv Strong believes. Price-May was on the same side in that fight, believing that captive dolphins are susceptible to diseases and would be too confined at the aquarium tank.
"These are acoustic animals that use sonar to navigate, so they shouldn't be kept in concrete tanks," Price-May said. "It's just not natural."
The aquarium's popular Dolphin Bay exhibit opened in 2003.
Today, Price-May is dedicated to studying the good and bad effects of tourism and human activity on wild dolphins in the Aransas Pass area. She has identified by their unique dorsal fins 1,864 individual bottlenoses. About 60, she said, are resident dolphins, while the rest are transient or migratory.
She's seen dolphin bodies riddled with buckshot, with severed tail fins and dorsals. But not many.
Price-May mostly has spent thousands of hours in her little Boston Whaler observing and collecting data on what she refers to as highly complex social animals. Within dolphin pods, she's seen evidence of a hierarchical order similar to that of wolf packs. And she's noticed that males and females live apart except during breeding time. Dolphins are anything but monogamous. Price-May has watched dolphins play with fish and cabbage head jellyfish the way children play with a ball. She said dolphin calves generally stay with their mothers about two years. And sometimes older females help to protect, teach and raise the calves of younger mothers, which is similar to the behavior of some primates.
"Did you know each individual dolphin has its own unique signature whistle?" Price-May asked. "It's part of how they communicate. I think someday we'll break the language code. Probably not in my lifetime though. Unfortunately."
David Sikes' Outdoors columns run on Thursday and Sunday. Contact David at 361-886-3616 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Caller-Times Archivist Allison Ehrlich contributed to this report.
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Cars > SoCalShifters's Garage > "Max"
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2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi STI (Max)
Last updated Jan 10, 2007
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Currently dissabled right now
2.5 Flat 4 Boxer Engine
Factory Options
Short Shifter
17" BBS Rims
Brembo Brakes
Pioneer 10" Sub
6-disc CD Changer
Performance STI Exhuast
Injen Intake
HKS Carbon TI Cat-back Exhuast
Helix Down pipe (cat delete)
Perrin IC hose
Apexi Turbo Timer
Custom engine tuned
HKS Blow off Valve
Greddy Front Strut Bar
Dephi Boost gauge w/ playback
Pioneer Navigation touch screen
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