text:
Reflections on Blackstar, Heiti, and Persona
I owe a special thank you to Sannion for talking with me on these matters, for hosting a discussion on this via the Bacchic Chat, and for providing an excellent sounding board and helping me to dig into different aspects of David Bowie's music and other personas besides Blackstar that I had not encountered before.
I think it is interesting that I feel more comfortable saying Blackstar than I do David Bowie in regards to my feelings on him and understanding of him. Especially since David Bowie's recent passing. I am still putting together my thoughts and feelings on all of this, but something I decided right after hearing of his death, is that I will be extending the same courtesy to David Bowie that I would to any of my Ancestors, or Dead I would worship, venerate, or pay homage to:
Wait a full year before putting Them on the Ancestors' altar. This gives Them time to acclimate, gives Them time to get through the journey They may need to do in the afterlife(ves) that They may be going through. Doing so for him would be respectful and give him time to settle in, get the lay of the land, and so on.
I did not, and will never know David Bowie. Given how private he was, I would be surprised if all but the closest of family members and friends actually knew him.
ConVocation 2016
Hey folks, I have been asked to do several presentations at this year's ConVocation. When I know which rooms I will be presenting in, I will update this blog post. I am really, really excited for this year's offerings that were picked.
For those who do not know, ConVocation is:
…a convention of the many mystical spiritual paths and faiths and the people that follow them who desire to teach each other and promote fellowship among all esoteric traditions.Since 1995, this 4-day event has brought together over 100 classes and rituals presented by local instructors, internationally renowned guest speakers and authors. Along with workshops, ConVocation offers over 35 tables of merchandise in our Merchant Room, an Art Show and the largest indoor Drum Circle in the Midwest.
Acts of Devotion – Thursday 8:30pm – 90 minutes
Description:In this workshop and discussion we will explore ways to honor our Gods, Ancestors, and spirits. These ways can be small, such as daily prayer, offerings, everyday mindfulness, and keeping ourselves healthy and engaged in the world, to more intense ways such as learning crafts, writing books, engaging in activism, spiritual work, and making temples. Bring your own experiences to share.
Polytheism 101 – Friday 4:00pm – 90 minutes
Description:This lecture/discussion will dig into the basics of what polytheism means, and how it is lived. We will be exploring how we can use literary and archaeological resources as springboards and foundations to polytheist traditions. We will also explore what the Gods, Ancestors, and spirits are, how we relate to Them as polytheists, and how to engage Them with respect.
Encountering the Runes – Sunday 12:00pm – 90 minutes
Description:The Runes are often looked at as simply a divination tool. This workshop is about approaching the Runes as spirits in and of themselves. The workshop explores what the lore can tell us about Them, to how to interact with Them, to appropriate offerings and communication, and will delve into deeper aspects of Runework from a spirit-based approach.
I remember the words of my Elder:
Each telling you are creating the World anew.
Words have power, raw magic, refined magic
However they slide up the throat along
the shuddering chords
They seize ahold of us through the ears, the eyes
hold us because through them
we hold You, us, Worlds, Ancestors, vaettir
The whole body hears and feels
The cold pit in the stomach, the sweat on the brow, the widened eyes, fear,
The heat, creased forehead, gritted teeth, rage
Words crush the soul
Revive a religion
End lives
Join us to one another
Heal us
Make us
The telling creates the Worlds anew.
Fast: Day Three
Today was a lot of kicking back and relaxing, much to my surprise. It wasn't until later in the day that Odin and I began to work on things. Usually my Wednesdays are days I set aside for silence, meditation and communication with Him. He told me to take a break today, no questions asked. So I wrote on forums, played World of Warcraft, and watched TV until later in the day, when He finally told me what He wanted me to do with Him. It came rather sudden as I sat in the basement on my computer. I bolted up. It felt like lightning had been shot through me.
My folks were getting ready for work, and He began to tell me things He wanted me to take out to the garage rapid-fire. I headed out into the garage with one of my testing needles, two clean, unblemished and uncrinkled sheets of paper, my copy of Wyrdwalkers, the pen I was using to write the Hávamál-style poem we are writing, the notebook the poem is in, a year-old bottle of wine from Samhain, and my iPod. He told me there to purify and sanctify the area, to lock it down tight for the work we would be doing. At first I was confused, since He had neither mentioned nor even hinted at anything. I did it anyway, similar to how I had done the previous night, taking the extra step of 'locking down' the door from the house to the garage. Once the wards were in place, I went back to the altar. This time, though, the candles were pink on the left, blue on the right, and purple in the middle. He told me I would get later why He had me give the pink as Ve.
As the smoke rose from the charcoal, I put down Mugwort onto it, and cleansed myself with the smoke. Something felt…off. It felt odd, like the world was slightly tilted. As I continued to cleanse myself, I breathed deep, and put a dab of the wine onto my Ancestors' statue, then Odin's. The tilted feeling was still there, but it felt good. Then, at Odin's request, I brought some of the wine into my mouth, swished it, and spat it out outside onto the ground, as He said, to share the wine with my Him and my Ancestors without actually drinking it, and offering a bit of myself to the landvaettir. My mouth tingled a bit from it when I came back in, and looked to the altar. He told me it was time, and to grab a chair. So I brought one with me up to the altar, and sat before it.
Odin gave me a quick explanation, and demanded I start right away after telling me to put on The Lord of the Ring's The Council of Elrond. The song hit me immediately…I started to trance, and heard Him ask "What is the first thing you would get rid of?" and I wrote the Rune for it. I kept writing Runes, losing track of time, until I had everything I could think of. All the personal flaws I wanted to fix or let go of, all the problems I wanted to move through or remove as obstacles. I checked the bindrune against my bag of Runes, and when They were satisfied, He told me why I needed the needle. The Runework would not be complete without a bloodbond to it. I sterilized and blessed the needle by the three candles' flames, and poked my right index finger as He asked. Then, He asked more of me: to give blood from each of my fingers to this, to seal up this bindrune with blood from all of them. I did this, and when I finished I turned the paper over, and wrote my first name, Sarenth, in blood Runes. I wanted these problems gone. I wanted to move through these things, Hel or high water. In thanks to Her taking on the dead parts of me, I smeared blood from my left index finger across Her skull's teeth and mouth.
Then, Odin had me change the music to loop Hagalaz' Runedance's The Soul of a Hound, and still somewhat tranced, He told me to put the paper, folded up in a specific way on the charcoal disk. Then, He had me pick up Wyrdwalkers for some bibliomancy. A section on controlling and using my breath popped up on the first reading, and the second, a section on hamingja, and regaining it. I took this as a sign: I had to help the paper burn. As I breathed in long, slow breaths, I could feel the Runes pulling things from my spirit bodies, could feel the blood pulling out the inequities I felt towards myself, and as my blood Rune letters burnt, I felt a release, something of joy and relief mixed with a feeling of at last! The paper crinkled into white and black powder on the disk, and I breathed a long, deep sigh.
Odin's voice pierced my reflective relief, and I grabbed the other clean sheet of paper. For this, He had me turn on Hagalaz' Runedance's Labyrinth. On this piece of paper, He told me to write all of the Runes that I wanted to bring into my life. After a long while, double-checking with Rune pulls from my bag, I had it done. I will post a picture of the bindrune that resulted from Him and I working together some time soon. This, He told me it would not be necessary to bleed for it because these were what I would be working on for the next year and may need to change as time went on. The idea was not to get locked into these changes quite yet, from what I remember Him saying.
Once this was done, He instructed me to dump the ashes out of the censer into a palm-sized brass bowl I had on the altar, and to take the ashes outside and offer them to the land. It was just starting to rain; I could hear it coming down from the roof. The charcoal disk smoke and hissed when the rainwater hit it, sending little sparks that extinguished as soon as they left the brass bowl. As I neared a tree, He told me to dump the contents right on the ground. I balked; why couldn't I just put them under the tree and offer them like normal? Then a bolt of lightning arced across the sky. I heard, very clearly, "Offer them and go!", in an angry voice. I dumped the ashes onto the ground, stomping out any little bits of stray hot charcoal disk, and hoofed it inside. The storm was really getting going as I got inside, and winds hit the house loudly. My heart was pumping hard, but I was grateful that I had listened when I did. He chuckled and said "There're reasons I say what I do to you." I apologized, and blew out what remained of the candles. I prayed, thanking Hela and Odin for working with me. I heard what, energetically, felt like a quiet nod of acceptance from Her. She tends to have a more subtle 'feel' to me than other Gods, and I have to strain at times to 'hear' Her. Odin accepted my apology, but didn't stop chuckling even as I came downstairs to write this.
I think what hit me about as much as the Rune magic did, is how simple it was. Compared to previous experiences I've had with working like this, this rite was relatively uncomplicated, and yet it hit me hard. I feel like I was lead through some Runic restructuring of my soul. I'm still settling into how this feels, like a newness tinged with relief. It's kind of like when you move into a new place, and all the furniture is finally arranged and you're unpacked…that…"Ahh" kind of feel. I think that's what is closest to it. I'm glad it happened. It sucked while I was making the bindrunes for all the things I wanted to let go of, having to dredge up painful memories and little niggling problems and doubts. I feel lighter, better for it. The challenge ahead will be to bring the new Runes I've written into my life, and to move forward. He refuses to tell me anything about any more upcoming rites or magic. Perhaps that's for the best; approaching these things raw has let me detach myself from them a lot easier, and has given me a lot less in the way of defenses when I'm hit with old traumas or problems. I guess in a way, this sacrifice and moving forward is what I've needed for a long time. I'm glad Odin is helping to lead me on this journey.
Fast: Day One
Today is the first day of a Nine Day fast and Vow of Silence. I did something like this last year with Hanging on Yggdrasil. This time I'm not hanging on the Tree, but going deep inside, reconnecting with myself, purifying, and bringing myself back together. I'll be letting go of things, and developing a deeper connection with my Gods. Primarily I'll be working with Odin and Loki, with Odin tending toward work during the day, and Loki at night. I would have thought it would be otherwise, but a lot of work I've done with Odin has been done at night, so I guess this is switch-up will challenge me on some things.
The first thing that really hits me is the hunger. I've been hungry all day, and finally, after taking a nap, the nagging in my stomach left me alone. Throughout the day I've been talking with Odin, going over some of the basics for the following days. A lot of the work is going to be introspective, while other parts of it, such as writing the Hávamál-like poem we negotiated I would write for being able to start the fast after Mother's Day, will be about creating or exploring. A lot of the conversation is sparse, talking about what I need to really dig into these Nine Days. How I approach relationships, my constant need to be there for people, my boundaries, sexuality, my self-esteem issues and self-denigration are all going to be lain out and one-by-one worked through.
Today, a lot of the work was focused on how I approached relationships. During the day Odin and talked on and off about why I did things with Nicole that I did, exploring deeper where those feelings of "I need to be here" came from, and why I wasn't honest with myself from the beginning when we started to see ourselves drift apart. I found myself going back to my folks and what I learned from them, that when you find someone you love, you stick it through no matter what. That loyalty is sometimes measured in compromising, sometimes on things you hold dear to yourself. It's about giving everything you are to that other person. While these are, I think, good foundations in this theory, as I explored how those examples impacted me I found myself giving over to (before Nicole) emotionally abusive relationships, manipulative relationships. With my first relationship I made much of my time with her about her, and was offered very little in return. This became my norm for a long time. I thought "Well, this person loves me, and that's enough". Yet I didn't actually examine my lovers up-close to see if they honestly loved me like I loved them back, or if I was even getting basic things out of the relationship like affection or help on things that I was going through. I have made a lot of my relationships about the other person, to the near-exclusion of myself.
This trickled into nearly everything I did. There's a joke that Nicole and I share. I usually left food decisions up to the other person; I'm not picky. I mean really not picky. So I was usually just defaulted to the other person (I did this with a lot of things) and didn't make a hell of a lot of decisions. One day we're driving in her car and she looks to me, and asks "Hey, what do you want to eat?" I fumble around; holy shit, what do I want to eat? I hadn't expected the question and started darting my head around looking for some kind of food place. "I dunno," I answered with a shrug. "Well, you need to pick someplace." "I don't know what I want." This goes on for another five minutes. Then she asks me, exasperated, "Well, what do you want?" I answer in deadpan: "Chicken." She throws her hands up in the air half-yelling half-laughing "There are about five hundred places with chicken! What kind of chicken?!" I eventually fumble out Chinese and laughing, she pulls into the nearby Chinese food joint. Gods, food sound nice right now.
In just thinking about this little incident, it made me think about how much I gave my autonomy over to the other person in relationships. It isn't healthy, and isn't something I will be repeating in future relationships. Nicole helped me to make a hell of a dent in this, but I still dipped into it, and still gave a lot of decisions I could make myself (like where to eat, what movie to see) and just compromised on the little things that could have made me happy. It's no small wonder I was willing to give the rest of my life over when I didn't even have the spine to say "I'd like to eat here" or "I'd like to see this". What kills me is, I did this voluntarily. There was no knife to my throat, no one ever threatened to leave me. It was all about keeping the other person happy…while totally forgetting that "Hey, I don't want to see this movie; I want to see that one." Totally forgetting, or ignoring, my own needs, wants, feelings and desires. You can't be honest with the other person if you can't be honest with yourself…and I haven't been honest with what I have wanted for a long while.
Part of figuring out what I do want is realizing how much that can change, or is in flux. Something simple: Do I want any more kids? I have no idea. I thought at one point I wanted to have a house and kids and family. The more I think about it, the more I ask if I will have the ability to do that, especially in the economy we're heading into. I wonder if that "American Dream" is even my dream to begin with. These Nine Days may not help me decide that, but they will give me better ground to judge that on. Yet once upon a time I would have answered off the cuff that I did want kids, I did want the 2.5 square acres and a wife and the house and the car and all the other stuff that goes along with that "Dream". It's what I've been raised on. So I haven't really questioned that until lately. What do I want? I want, ultimately, for myself and my son to be happy and have a blessed, fulfilled life. I'm not sure what that will look like. I really have to destroy expectations. After all, I expected to never have to live with my family again when I hit 25. Yet here I am.
Something else that has bugged me lately is how my spirituality seems to have fallen off the radar. I say 'seems' because I did a lot of spiritually exhausting, sometimes dangerous work. I was 'horsed' (that is, possessed) a lot by spirits and Gods, I did a lot of journeying and seidr work, and much of my spiritual life revolved around my community. Now that I am doing none of those things, I have been doing a good deal more meditation and prayer than I was doing…yet I find myself still looking for spiritual fulfillment. When I ask myself "What am I looking for?" I keep coming back to community. So I am happy that the Shaman Supper in my area is coming up. It will be good to reconnect to people, share experiences, maybe even ritual. I'm also looking into the Unitarian Universalist churches in my area, and connecting to more people on Facebook and through this blog. I asked "Why do I need community?" and I came up with a couple answers. The first is that I like to be around people, and share my spiritual path with people. I didn't do a terribly long stint as a solitary Pagan. This is probably the longest I've gone without a group or someone else to practice with. The second is that community tends to inspire me to go further and deeper into my faith. This stint at going alone is proving to me that I don't need community to do that, but it sure makes the journey easier and much more pleasant. The third is that community provides a support network and a safe place where I can bounce ideas off of peoples' heads.
As I have heard from a few Odinswomen being driven is part of what Odin likes in people, and sometimes will push in people. My error is that I let that drive push into everything I do; I don't tend to relax well, and feel guilty oftentimes for doing so. That "I'm not being productive" is something I have caught myself denigrating myself for, even while enjoying a movie or a video game. Part of the deflation that has come from more or less being apart from everything I've been used to is that it throws me into making me relax, into making me take more time for me. This has been hard to deal with; if I keep busy I don't need to stop, and take it easy. I don't feel 'lazy' or 'unproductive'. I've had to look at myself and realize that I push myself too hard, that I ask too much out of myself. This isn't something that is simple for me; I pride myself on doing a lot, and so much down time makes me feel out of place. I've been keeping busy enough cleaning up the house or doing meditation and prayer…but it always seems like I have a lot of time. I think a good chunk of this is simply learning to mellow out. Until recently, I've been running around doing stuff non-stop. It's weird to have nothing to do like school or especially the work with the community.
So I am having to resettle myself a lot. My work with Odin was largely getting into my head and rooting around about the stuff I've written about already. Loki's work with me today was about going into myself and letting go of the influences of my folks on how I approach relationships. He took me into myself, and together, experienced times where I remembered lessons (and some where I didn't) of where I learned what I know and practice when it comes to love. It was like looking at my life on rewind. I was sitting in a chair before my altar I'd just set up, smoking mugwort in my sacred pipe. He instructed me that with each inhalation I need to go to a time, and on the exhale, blow it out. I could feel the vaettir of mugwort come into me, help me dig out the pain or poor lesson, and carry it out. I cried at one point as I passed through old hurts, and just as quick as I had started, I stopped. I felt at peace, a kind of powerful peace rise out of me like the smoke. I became still, and happy in that moment. I'm not done…but taking out these harmful lessons from my folks helps. Lessons that come especially from my Dad, like giving over his dreams to make our lives possible to the point where he never finished college, and never pursued his dreams from there. I won't go into much detail here; some of these are painful, and others uncomfortable.
The experience so far has been powerful, even if at times I feel like "I am not doing enough". Which is dumb. I'm in the middle of a Vow of Silence, I am fasting, I am praying, meditating, and giving devotion, and going through painful and uncomfortable memories while also finishing up an at least 140-line poem to my God. I'm also still filling out applications for jobs and will be going to volunteer orientation for a nearby crisis center. There should be no reason I should be so hard on myself. As the days move forward I have a feeling a lot of this will be brought into the light and dark, and dealt with in each realm as it needs to be. I pray the journey forward is healing; I know I need it.
I have heard landvaettir referred to be a number of names; some refer to Them as genus loci, others "the wee Folk" (although they sometimes mean Faeries), and a host of other names. I experience Them as spirits of place, with faces that They have shown me as varied as the places They are found. I have found that when I journey or spiritually have a dialogue with Them, the landvaettir on campus take the form of the school's mascot while the landvaettir around my home are more nebulous, appearing as trees with faces or living earth. When I travel to cities, sometimes the landvaettir sometimes take the form of what might symbolize it, such as a weathered blue-collar worker for Flint, or a bohemian twenty-something for Ann Arbor. Then again, depending on where I travel in these cities the landvaettir's 'face' may change.
I first came to work with landvaettir when I was first starting as a Pagan, mostly through the book Urban Primitive by Raven Kaldera and Tann Schwartzstein. I was living in Flint at the time, and the landvaettir were loud, active, and stirred up. The very thought of going out and talking to Them, that They could show me a 'face', hadn't occurred to me till I read the book. Then, I began speaking with the landvaettir of Flint, really getting to know it. I didn't have a car at first, and I was living on campus going to college at Baker. The spirit showed me a kind of weathered blue-collar worker, which in reflection makes sense since Flint was the birthplace of the sit-down strikes and was home to a lot of production. The city used to have a place in it called Buick City for Gods' sakes. Well, in my end of the bargain with the landvaettir around the campus, I kept up the campus by picking up trash where I found it and give to the homeless that would occasionally hang around campus. In return It/They helped keep me safe and keep other spirits off of me. It was with this spirit that I first learned how to bargain and negotiate, and how to scratch a spirit's back so it would scratch mine in turn. I also learned why speaking with the spirit of a place was important before you do magic. I did magic on campus, ignorant that I should even ask the spirits prior to doing so. When I finally did, it was much more effective, and came to fruition faster and with greater effect. Through the landvaettir of Flint, I learned of basic reciprocation with spirits, how to actually do offerings other than leaving out food. This turned out to be good, since I didn't have a lot of food to spare, and it seemed the spirit(s) liked my offerings of doing stuff like cleaning up and helping out better anyhow. It had enough litter and stuff floating around. People used to throw carts from shopping areas into local creeks and leave food and wrappers around all the time.
Landvaettir have helped me a lot over the years, whether it has been to find my way when I was lost in a city (good thing; this happens from time to time), food, or even money when I really needed it for parking. Being kind to the landvaettir and giving Them your ear can do a lot of good; you might find things you never would have otherwise, and They finally feel listened to, something a lot of people in general simply don't do. By paying attention, running some errands for Them, or simply helping to take care of Their space, there is a lot you and the vaettir can gain. Imagine how happy it would make you to have a random stranger come up to you after a long, rough day, and ask "How can I help?" The gratitude, at least for me, is immediate, and I want to know how I can help the person in turn when they've helped me.
Lately, my home's landvaettir and I have developed a closer relationship given I'm now living back at home and am working in the garden. This last Friday I harvested the first asparagus harvest. I gave prayers to the landvaettir, thanking Them for such a beautiful bounty, and praised Them and Freyr (whom I associate with the vegetable due to its phallic shape and reputation as an aphrodisiac) as I was harvesting, thanking each individual plant's vaettir and the vaettir of asparagus Itself. I had given offerings of food at the oak that is a little ways from the garden the night before. There is Gebo, gift-for-a-gift, in these things. By taking care of the plants, and by being allowed to harvest, by giving offerings and prayers and accepting help from the spirits, the cycles of gifts continues to turn, and relationships grow even closer. When I eat now, I pray to the landvaettir both here, and wherever my food comes from. The former, I pray to in thanks for the home, for warmth, the ability to live in this modern world alongside Them, and the latter landvaettir, I thank because it is from Them that this food comes. It is from both that I am able to type to you, to live a modern life, to go to school and better myself. Yet I do not forget the people who harvested the food or cooked it; everyone deserves their praise in turn, everyone who allows our lives to be as they are is worthy of remembrance. As Odin said: "Cattle die, kinsman die/but I know what never dies/He who gets himself a good name". How seldom do people praise the lands from where their food comes from; how seldom people recognize that other human beings grew, harvested, and brought the massive amounts of food we have to us. We lionize combat but do not praise the growing of food. I can tell you this: in my own experience it is far easier to throw a competent punch than grow your own food. I also know which one will allow me to live longer, too.
This is not to denigrate those who choose to give their of their lives in military service; that has a place. Yet I have heard relatively little praise for the myriad of people who bring us the food we eat. It was only until I started reading Lupa's blog that I even considered working with Food Totems. From that I thought "Well, if I can honor the spirits of the animals who have died so I can live, I can do it with the plants, and I can do it with the people too." Though I haven't started talking to anyone or thing analogous to the Chicken Totem from, say, the people who farm, the prayers I give and the prayers I teach my son to give don't only praise our Gods, but the beings, from spirit, from root to flesh, from flesh to flesh, that make our meals possible. This, in my view, resacralizes all the landvaettir, not just the ones that exist with us in our homes and properties. Cutting ourselves off from our part, to thank those who make this life possible and doing what we can to make those spirits and lives better in the long run, cuts off Gebo. They help to give us the gift of life; shouldn't our return be more than words?
I say this as a person who is, as of right now, making no income. Sometimes magic, prayers and my signature are all I have. Yet all of these are powerful, and should be treated as such. My signature can be the start or continuation of an avalanche of change, or a whisper of a promise to a future generation. My magic can be a powerful catalyst, or progenitor of change. My prayers can give word to the wordless, praise to the unappreciated, recognition and immortality to those who would die in ignominy. So could any one person.
Working with the landvaettir is part of my work as a shaman and priest; I am able to live by Them, and They are able to have greater impact in this world because I listen to Them and do things with and for Them. I hope it is something that more people, whether or not you're a priest, or someone who just likes to garden, will take up. Having a vibrant relationship with the land makes it come even more alive, makes the Sacred that more immanent because you truly are finding it because you're looking for it everywhere. Our Wyrd ties into all things, and vice versa; by feeling those threads and acknowledging them we can allow understanding, healing, or simple recognition for its own sake to come into our lives. Sometimes we do not need to do anything, except acknowledge something or someone, be thankful for it, and honor the spirit or person for their undertaking. Sometimes we don't even need to do that; sometimes the hardest thing we can do is simply get the hell out of the way and let things happen as they need to. In harvesting to asparagus recently I had instances where the landvaettir asked me not to cut down certain stalks, but to simply let them grow. To leave them be. Sometimes I thought I knew better, and harvested a stalk because "well, I think that's long enough and I probably didn't hear right" and found out later the stalk wasn't ready to harvest. Mercifully it was only a few; the landvaettir sometimes up the 'volume' for me to hear when my head is chattering. Other times, They wait for me to get the clue and take a breath and listen.
Sometimes receiving a message from a landvaettir vastly harder than it is from a God or Ancestor. The latter two are much more 'close' to myself as a human being, whereas I find that landvaettir are sometimes composite spirits or overarching spirits that comes together from the energy around an area, like Flint's blue-collar person or Ann Arbor's bohemian. Other times, the landvaettir are a single sizeable spirit of an area, such as an old oak or swath of grass, and can be rather alien in their imagery or symbols, or hard to understand because They use mental language and metaphor that is far different than what I am used to. Sometimes, as with the first type, it is that the composite isn't quite sure what it wants to communicate, or there is a cacophony effect that occurs because there are so many voices. Sometimes, as with the second type, the message is jumbled because we're operating on different frequencies where thought and understanding are centered. Other times, the landvaettir and I just don't have a deep or strong enough connection to have a decent rapport like my Gods or Ancestors do with me.
There is a lot of feeling out that gets done when I first have contact with landvaettir in meditation or journey work. At least a third of the time I tend to spend figuring out the symbols or communication methods the landvaettir use, another third to establish rapport, and the last third to actually hear the message. Of course, this varies with differing vaettir; I find it easier to 'get' city landvaettir because They are more used to human concepts, whereas landvaettir of wild can be hard to interpret due to differences in perspective or downright hostile due to other humans' treatment of an area or its inhabitants. Sometimes just thinking about Treebeard from The Lord of the Rings helps put this in perspective for me. You're communicating with a Being that may be pretty old comparative to you, and/or who may have seen a lot of change, chaotic and sometimes pollutive change, wrought by our species for the last hundred or so years. Yet you might be talking to a relatively young spirit, one that's grown up with the town around you, or the street. One that could be empowered by the attention, or devastated by the blight, or alternatively feeding on it and causing it to grow. Sometimes you simply don't encounter landvaettir that want to play nice; sometimes you do, and They'll not only be willing to talk, but really help you. By treating these spirits with the same respect as I, an individual would want, I tend to have a better rapport and time in the places where They live and I frequent.
In my view, thinking of yourself as a guest in Their homes helps put things into a healthy perspective. In the Northern Tradition hospitality is one of the watchwords. If I act a fool and trash the place (i.e. breaking limbs off trees just because I can and littering) why would They want to know me any more, or work with me, or allow my magic to reach its intended destination? I sure wouldn't. Again, this all come back to Gebo. The gift of respect is the gift you often receive. A lot of books tend to treat Nature spirits, and landvaettir as these cute little beings who are just so happy to help you and achieve x, y, or z. More often than not I find that a lot of spirits around me just want to live in relative peace, as opposed to conflict. It is in their self-interest to have a good relationship with us, just as it is for us to have the same with Them. It isn't that They can't be cute; some are, and others aren't. Not all Nature is pretty, and not all Nature's critters are pretty. I happen to deeply hate mosquitoes as a specie, while They seem to absolutely love my blood. I can barely walk around in summer without having little mosquito bumps creep from my toes (if I don't wear shoes) all the way up and down my body in clusters of little bite-bumps. I despise these vaettir. They may be part of my Wyrd, and I can respect Them for that, but I don't have to like Them. Yet it is in my interest to have a good relationship with Them. After all, if I can cut a deal with Them my bites may not be as bad. Our Wyrd may be tied together, but I believe there is wiggle room for negotiating the threads between us.
The landvaettir in my life have been great teachers, even the openly hostile ones. Many have taught me different aspects of my spirituality, from connecting to the Earth, to what happens to the vaettir when humans trash and energetically drag an area down. Some have brought me to spiritual teachers themselves, whereas others help to provide for my physical needs. There is always something to be learned in our relationships with others. There is always some balance that needs to be struck, and when it is, the ripples of that balance can be felt through the threads of orlog (personal Wyrd) through to the universal Wyrd. Landvaettir are the spirits of the land; They are at once part of and closest to the land we walk on, the food we eat, the clothing we make, the world we change. They are part of Midgard as much as we are. If we are to live side-by-side, then treating Them with respect and dignity, being hospitable to Them and expecting the same in return is part of us living together in this world. Healing where we can, helping where we can, and having the same done in turn generates the gifts all of us can continue to give and receive long into the future. To me, living incommunion with this world and all its Beings is so much more rich than living apart. My relationships and work with the landvaettir, though a part of my life, is an important part that stretches into my everyday life. Hopefully, as time goes on, more will honor our spiritual cohabitants and treat Them with the respect They deserve. In healing our relationships with the world around us, we can more effectively heal our world.
Last Night's Work With Mengloth
When Mengloth came to me this afternoon She said to me "You're not much of an herbalist now. Best time to remedy that is now." So off I went to the library, and picked up 17 books on herbs. I got through about a quarter of them by the time it came for me to leave. I took 4 books with me; 2 are medical professions' guides, another is on growing and making herbal medicines in your back yard, and the other is about myths, legend, and herblore. She had me start copying down the medical information for the Nine Herbs of the Northern Tradition. Once I had to leave, I saved the file and sent it to myself. She told me to worry about it later, and left me alone for a few hours to relax.
When Mengloth came back to me this evening, She told me I would be taking in plant spirits to start with, since it wasn't growing season yet. I asked Her how, and She gave me a kind of grin. She said "Better you start knowing the plant inside you so you know how to work with it outside of you."
She then started giving me instructions. She first had me mix one part of Mugwort, Nettle, and Pine into about 12 oz. of cold water in a metal water bottle. She wanted me to make a cold kind of tea, and had me strain as much of the plant bits as I could. I used my colander and some bits of paper towel, and it worked well enough. When everything had finished straining the first time through, I poured it back into the metal water bottle and strained it again. After this, I poured the remainder into the bottle, and placed it on my altar. Nicole called, we talked, and the mixture sat on my altar, charging.
When we were done talking, I put the phone aside, and took a deep breath to focus myself back to the work at hand. Mengloth told me to take the cigarettes I've mentioned in a previous post and head outside with the tea. Once there, She told me to light up and blow smoke in the seven directions, thanking the spirit of each direction. Then, She had me uncap the tea, and blow the smoke into it. I asked Her why, and She responded: "You've now got all the Elements in that tea: the Earth of the herbs, the Air of the smoke, the Fire of the lighter, the Water of the tea. You've thanked all the spirits who've come to help take you in a new direction. Now drink it all."
In taking that tea in, I took in the spirits of Mugwort, Nettle, Pine, and Tobacco under the guidance of Mengloth. At first, I wasn't expecting the rush, the subtle power that they hold that crept from the tea into me bit by bit. It was a bit overwhelming at first, with the spirits at first mixing, carrying over me like a wave. They felt distinct from each other, Mugwort more bitter, Nettle more 'biting', Pine this crisp flavor, and the Tobacco's bitter smoke threatening, unless I paid attention, to cover them all. Each had their own spirit, yet were mixed.
I asked Her why I couldn't have just journeyed with my drum, and She chuckled, telling me "You need to know these plants, not just by fact, but by Them becoming one with you. Consider this your first lesson from me on plant spirits. You could have journeyed and met Them that way…but feel how your body reacts to Them. Feel how They move through you. Not all plants will work with you like this. These plants, and maybe others, will. If They do, you now know how to handle that." With that, She instructed me to go inside and write about this, and "note whenever you work with a plant spirit what it does, how it reacts to you, and how you react to it." Just by how 'large' the spirits felt, it felt like they might have been the overarching spirits of the plants. I'll be taking more time to reflect on this experience; the taste of the tea and tobacco is still floating around in my throat despite brushing my teeth and drinking water. I can still feel the spirits moving through my body, through my hame (astral body) and throughout my soul. I can feel the Mugwort cleansing, the Nettle scraping and protecting me, biting the things keeping me back, the Pine protecting and encouraging my vitality, giving me a sense of refreshment, and the Tobacco pushes me to relax, to let meditation, visions, and words come.
The Tobacco catches me off-guard. I've had a real love/hate relationship with this plant. I know several religious systems use Tobacco as an herb for prayer, others for meditation, or visions. However, I've known this plant for about as long I've lived as a negative herb, one I never wanted to use or associate with, given how addicted my parents are to cigarettes. So when Mengloth asked me to work with Tobacco, She firmly shoved me out of my comfort zone. I wanted to use no more than maybe a cigarette a month, and always in service for a spirit. I did not want to associate positive things with Tobacco, least of all relaxation, considering the consequences my parents may have to face for smoking so long. As anxious thoughts like "Gods, I don't want to get hooked!" and "It shouldn't be so relaxing" what I guess I could call Grandfather Tobacco came up to me and said to me "Relax. You respect my boundaries and I will respect yours. You use my body in a sacred manner and I will do the same." In a word, Gebo. I heard Mengloth whisper something to the effect of "Trust Him" and I shut my eyes, took a long drag, and felt my body relax, melt in the smoke for a moment or two. When I blew out the smoke, I could see the wisps form my inner anxieties, little face frozen in moments of worry and stress. I blew the remainder of the air in my lungs at them, and they simply disappeared.
When I was finished with the cigarette, I threw it in the trash. I despise it when people leave them lying on the ground when there are perfectly good trash cans around. I can't sit here and say "I want to help people bridge to the spirits" if what I do is insulting to Them! If I buried it and the cigarette were biodegradable, that might be one thing. However, given I don't know if Native Spirit is, throwing it away seems the better option for now.
After thanking the Mengloth and the spirits, I headed inside, where She asked me to write about this.


text: This deal is expired! The deal below has expired, but no worries. You can still check out available coupons and "follow" the store to receive alerts for future offers. CampSaver Coupons » Exped Scout Hammock Flag this deal What's the matter? Choose a reason Dead deal Duplicate Bad link Spam Inaccurate No value Alive again Edit deal lotuslove19 Feb 04, 2013 I have this ,it is fun resting in it.especially when it is spring time. Reply DealLeader Feb 04, 2013 Ah, spring is coming! This looks comfortable. Reply Load More Comments

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Capital Headlines
Published: 07/02/2013
HOMEFRONT HELPERS — Nine breweries across the country have brewed an identical beer called Homefront IPA to benefit Operation Homefront, a group that provides emergency financial assistance to military families. According to Real Beer News, the breweries all used the same recipe to make the beer, which was aged on unfinished maple Louisville Slugger baseball bats, and will sell it locally, with proceeds going to local chapters of the charity. Participating breweries included Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Fla., Sly Fox Brewing Co. in Pottstown, Pa., Perennial Artisan Ales in St.


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Paracetamol and cyclooxygenase inhibition: is there a cause for concern?
- 1Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- 2Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen–Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Correspondence to Professor Burkhard Hinz, Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock, Schillingallee 70, D-18057 Rostock, Germany; burkhard.hinz{at}med.uni-rostock.de
Contributors BH developed the concept, performed the literature search and wrote the article. KB added to drafting and literature.
- Accepted 10 September 2011
- Published Online First 28 October 2011
Paracetamol is recommended as first-line therapy for pain associated with osteoarthrosis and is one of the most widely used over-the-counter analgesic drugs worldwide. Despite its extensive use, its mode of action is still unclear. Although it is commonly stated that paracetamol acts centrally, recent data imply an inhibitory effect on the activity of peripheral prostaglandin-synthesising cyclooxygenase enzymes. In this context paracetamol has been suggested to inhibit both isoforms in tissues with low levels of peroxide by reducing the higher oxidation state of cyclooxygenase enzymes. Two recent studies have also demonstrated a preferential cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibition by paracetamol under different clinically relevant conditions. This review attempts to relate data on paracetamol's inhibitory action on peripheral cyclooxygenase enzymes to the published literature on its anti-inflammatory action and its hitherto underestimated side-effects elicited by cyclooxygenase inhibition. As a result, a pronounced COX-2 inhibition by paracetamol is expected to occur in the endothelium, possibly explaining its cardiovascular risk in epidemiological studies. A careful analysis of paracetamol's cardiovascular side-effects in randomised studies is therefore strongly advised. On the basis of epidemiological data showing an increased gastrointestinal risk of paracetamol at high doses or when co-administered with classic cyclooxygenase inhibitors, paracetamol's long-term gastrointestinal impact should be investigated in randomised trials. Finally, paracetamol's fast elimination and consequently short-lived COX-2 inhibition, which requires repetitive dosing, should be definitely considered to avoid overdosage leading to hepatotoxicity.
Competing interests None.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.


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So far this year, 2016, Theatre Cares Vancouver has raised $15,316.45 in donations from the generous audiences of The Arts Club Theatre. A sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to them, and all of the Arts Club staff, for helping us raise money for our important charities.
"It is quite remarkable that you raise so much money year after year and allocate a hefty amount to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. I know many people who work in the theatre and its often done more as a labour of love….so this thank you doesn't begin to convey how wonderful I think you all are.
We sincerely appreciate the longstanding support of Theatre Cares Vancouver, which has become so critical to the grassroots organizations that are turning the tide of AIDS in Africa.
…Let's start with the obvious. Meeting the basic needs is a critical piece that cannot be ignored: children are in school, grandmothers have housing and food, people living with HIV and AIDS have access to home-based care, and women who experience sexual violence are supported.
But this is not the whole picture. Resilience is the word….it is not quantifiable and its not yet tracked by any international donors or funders. Not yet. But soon. The Stephen Lewis Foundation is in the midst of extensive consultation with our community-based partners to develop resilience-focussed Impact Assessment Framework. This would allow us to encourage and support people to do more, to allow them to live meaningful lives. To get them to the point where they realize that they have the energy and the capacity to do more. Get them to a place where they can see their future…" Stephen Lewis Foundation, Janet Solberg.
"…with your support we are able to continue helping entertainment industry members and their families through difficult times..with over $460,000 to aid professionals in times of need, through their injury and illness…" Actors Fund of Canada, David Hope
"On behalf of the members and the staff, I would like to say how appreciative and honoured we are that you chose Positive Living Society BC….you support goes to our Health and Wellness program, which offers a naturopathic clinic, dental hygiene and educational workshops for our members living with HIV. This program is constantly growing…another direct impact of your donation is our Healing Retreats which provide therapeutic workshops, meaningful peer connections and healthy recreation in a beautiful natural environment twice a year." Positive Living of BC, Val Nicholson.
Theatre Cares Vancouver 2015
World Aids Day, Dec. 1, 2015, Vancouver, B.C. — Theatre Cares Vancouver is proud to announce that this year Theatre Cares raised an astonishing $27,000 for our charities. Huge thanks to The Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver Opera Association and Bard on the Beach.
Theatre Cares annually provides the performing arts community a chance to raise funds for important charities. Donations are collected at all participating theatres. This year's mission was to raise funds and awareness for the Actors' Fund of Canada, the Performing Arts Lodge which provides safe and affordable homes for people in the creative community, AIDS Vancouver, Positive Living B.C., and the Stephen Lewis Foundation, an organization dedicated to the relief of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.
Theatre Cares Vancouver is a volunteer-run organization of professional theatre artists who have been raising awareness and funds since 1991 for people in our community living with challenges including HIV/AIDS. Throughout each year, Theatre Cares raises money at different local theatres, whose generous patrons give donations.
Finding money to keep much-needed programs going in our performing arts community and larger community is not the only obstacle. Education appears to be sorely lacking as well, particularly for those living with HIV/Aids. In 2004, the Canadian AIDS Society reported that a large number of youth believe there is not only a cure for HIV/AIDS, but there is also a vaccine available to prevent HIV infection. There isn't.
JOIN US! The Theatre Cares Vancouver web site will list all participating theatres and provide links to their sites and/or to purchase tickets so people can find out at a glance where they can go to see a great show and also donate to a worthy cause. Vancouver's theatre artists and audiences have shown tremendous support in past years, and we thank you all sincerely.
Actors' Fund of Canada www.actorsfund.ca
Stephen Lewis Foundation www.stephenlewisfoundation.org
Postive Living B.C. www.positivelivingbc.org
AIDS Vancouver www.aidsvancouver.org
Performing Arts Lodge of Vancouver, www.palvancouver.org
Diane Brown, Chair Theatre Cares Vancouver
Chair of Theatre Cares, Diane Brown, presents Positive Living B.C.'s President Wayne Campbell with an $8500 donation on World Aids Day, December 1st, 2014. Three other charities received the same amount from Theatre Cares : Aids Vancouver, The Actors Fund of Canada, and The Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Theatre Cares Vancouver raises over $35,000 for charity
Dec 1st, 2014-Theatre Cares Vancouver has raised $35,000 in support of AIDS Vancouver, Positive Living in BC, the Actors' Fund of Canada and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Each of these charities will receive $8,500 support from Theatre Cares. This is thanks to The Arts Club Theatre, Bard on the Beach, and Studio 58, whose patrons gave generously.
Finding money to keep much-needed programs going is not the only obstacle in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Education appears to be sorely lacking as well. In 2004, the Canadian AIDS Society reported that a large number of youth believe there is not only a cure for HIV/AIDS, but there is also a vaccine available to prevent HIV infection. There isn't.
Theatre Cares Vancouver has been raising funds and awareness since 1991. Throughout each year, Theatre Cares raises money at different events, notably Theatre Cares Week, which takes place in February of every year.
Without the generosity of the theatre patrons and the support of local theatre companies, both large and small, Theatre Cares would not be able to do the work that it does. Our fundraising over the years has benefited PAL Vancouver, the Coast Foundation, Triage Emergency Services & Care Society, Camp Moomba, PEERS Vancouver, Electric Company and the Positive Women's Network, a partnership of women living with HIV/AIDS in British Columbia.
Theatre Cares Vancouver is a volunteer-based organization that unites the generous spirit of Vancouver's performing arts community with its supporters to raise funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS relief and other worthy causes.
For more information, please contact:
Diane Brown,
Chair, Theatre Cares Committee
Theatre Cares Vancouver is a volunteer-based organization that unites the generous spirit of Vancouver's performing arts community with its supporters to raise funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS relief and other worthy causes. The funds raised by Theatre Cares Vancouver each year are donated to registered charities that support HIV/AIDS patients both at home and abroad: AIDS Vancouver, the Positive Living Society of BC, the Actors' Fund of Canada, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Revenue comes from t-shirt and other merchandise sales, the Theatre Cares Martini Bar which makes an appearance at various events in the theatre community throughout the season, and from the funds donated at theatres each night by generous audience members during Theatre Cares Week. For news on this year's Theatre Cares Week, click here. Because our committee works on a volunteer basis, we are able to donate 90% of the funds we raise to the charities we support.
2014 Supporters
Studio 58
The Arts Club Theatre
Bard on the Beach
There is no cure for HIV/AIDS.
In sub-Saharan Africa today, 22.5 million people are living with HIV/ AIDS, 61% of whom are women and girls, and more than 2 million of whom die each year. Eight hundred to 1000 people die from AIDS each day in South Africa alone.*
Approximately 58,000 Canadians are currently living with HIV/AIDS, and researchers estimate that an additional 17,000 are unaware they are infected.**
New infections are on the rise. It is estimated that over 4,000 Canadians are infected with HIV every year.**
These statistics reflect only what is known about the people who have chosen to be tested.
The Canadian AIDS Society has reported that a large number of youth believe there is not only a cure for HIV/AIDS, but also a vaccine available to prevent HIV infection. There isn't.
* data from the Stephen Lewis Foundation
** AIDS Committee of Toronto


text: Physicians of Jefferson's Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of the ear, nose and throat (ENT), and head and neck disorders. Our physicians are trained in such subspecialty areas as otology, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, allergy and head and neck surgery. We are backed by state-of-the-art equipment and treat a variety of conditions including: Allergies Sinusitis Balance disorders such as Meniere's disease Thyroid problems including thyroid cancer Cancers that affect the upper digestive tract, head, neck and face Hearing loss Sleep apnea Helping Advance Techniques and Tools for Treating ENT Disorders Members of our medical staff have played a key role in helping advance many of the techniques and tools used today in the treatment of disorders that affect the ears, nose and throat and participate in leading-edge, multidisciplinary care. We also collaborate with specialists from the Jefferson Sleep Center to offer patients access to the latest in technology for sleep apnea. Clinical Trials Our staff works together with the physicians and researchers of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, a National Cancer Institute-designated clinical cancer center for excellence in cancer care and research. We are testing new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer and manage its symptoms or side effects. Qualified patients will have a multidisciplinary team comprised of surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and rehabilitation specialists. Our goal is to offer you the highest chance for cure while minimizing treatment side effects. Learn more about clinical trials currently being offered. Office Locations Jefferson Otolaryngology offers several convenient office locations throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Our offices are located in Center City Philadelphia, The Navy Yard in South Philadelphia, Voorhees, NJ, and our newest location at Holy Redeemer in Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania. All of our offices comes equipped with the latest technology for treatment and are staffed by the same experienced physicians that you have come to expect from Jefferson Otolaryngology. Next-Day Appointments Available We now offer next-day appointments for head and neck cancer patients. Next-Day appointments for new cancer patients mean you or loved ones can meet with a specialist as soon as possible to begin the road to recovery. Patients will begin by speaking with a dedicated member of our staff that can set an appointment and on the first appointment date, you will meet with a cancer specialist to review treatment options and set a course for recovery. Call 1-800-JEFF-NOW (1-800-533-3669) to book a next day appointment for a Jefferson Otolaryngology cancer specialist or make an appointment online. Schedule an Appointment Online


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This 10-year-old was really angry about finding out the truth about Santa, and she sent her parents a letter to let them know. More
This 10-year-old was really angry about finding out the truth about Santa, and she sent her parents a letter to let them know. More
A Grinchy substitute teacher straight-up told a room full of second graders that there was no Santa Claus a week before Christmas, and parents are pissed. More
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While out Christmas shopping with her kids last week, a New Jersey mom got driven to the very edge of her holiday sanity. We all know this edge — it's the one that made me threaten to cancel Christmas on Christmas morning. In this mother's case, it made her whip out her cell phone and threaten to call Santa to tell him how badly her kids were behaving. And that's when the Christmas Spirit hauled off and smacked her one, proving again that Christmas isn't about grown-ups and that we should take a moment to go suck it. More
Is Santa sexy? I'm going to go with, "no." I am very confused about the Santa hat as a sexy accessory. Are these guys supposed to be super-fit, hairless Santas? Are these photo shoots just the result of very uninspired photographers attempting to marry hot men and holiday spirit? I don't think we'll ever know. More
Santa can give your kid whatever you see fit to wrap. I'll worry about teaching my children important life lessons myself. More
Yes, I'm telling my kids the Santa lie. No, I don't feel bad about it. More
We've been trying to get better behavior out of kids by threatening them with Santa for years. One mom turned it up a notch with this terrifying letter from Santa to her misbehaving daughter. Her brother posted it to Reddit with the note, "My sister just dropped a nuke in the war to get her kid to behave." More
Do you ever get your Christmas cards back from the printer and as you're filling them out think to yourself, "This picture of the kids on Santa's lap would look so much better with a gun in it." Well then, have I got just the thing for you. Sandy Springs Gun Club and Range, located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, offered photos with Santa and guns this weekend as part of a food drive event. More
Australian comedian Kitty Flanagan was on a prime time news show this week, talking about Santa. Or rather, grown adults who study Santa, a fictional character. She had some opinions about a recent segment the news show had done about "Santa Studies."
Have you ever had a conversation with a friend about how you've never met a bad Dave, or how every Jessica you've ever know has been a horror story in human form? Well, an educational program called School Stickers has compiled the most common boys and girls names on Santa's naughty and nice lists. More
The family says they were turned away because of the pit bull, and the Santa claimed allergies afterwards. More
Heads up, all you fundamentalists who fear the War on Christmas, you have some surprising allies: a small number secular half-Jews and our offspring, even if we're not exactly celebrating the same holiday you are. I grew up in a … More


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Halloween is here again, and you know what that means: crazy costumes, candy, and haunted houses. If you are looking to engage in a little partying or just looking for a little fun with the kids, there are several events scattered around Broward and Palm Beach that you should consider attending: • The Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach is hosting Boo at the Zoo for the next two weekends, October 18 to 20 and 25 to 27, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be trick-or-treating, costume contests, face painting, decorating of your own pumpkin, and lots more. Admission during the day and nighttime for nonmember adults is $18.95, $16.95 for seniors, $12.95 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for members and children under 3. Nighttime admission (5:30 to 9 p.m.) for members who are kids is $5 and $3 for adults and seniors. The Palm Beach Zoo is located at 1301 Summit Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Call 561-547-9453, or visit palmbeachzoo.org/boo-at-the-zoo. • The City of Hollywood is hosting the seventh-annual ArtsPark BOO Bash on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is free. Kids in costume can trick-or-treat on the scary spooky trail, participate in the costume contest, and check out a free concert by the Monsters. The ArtsPark is located at 1 Young Circle in Hollywood. Call 954-921-3500. • Want to celebrate Halloween with your family, including pets? From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Legacy Place in Palm Beach Gardens is hosting the second-annual "Spooktacular," an event for all that includes wagon-covered hayrides, a photo booth, a monster mash dance party, and free glow-in-the-dark trick-or-treat bags (while supplies last). Admission is free. Legacy Place is located at 11290 Legacy Ave. in Palm Beach Gardens. Call 561-776-0241. • If your kids love stories about witches and creepy pets, Flamingo Gardens in Davie is hosting "Story Time With the Good Witch" on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. At noon, there will be a costume contest, crafts, and other tricks and treats. While at Story Time, keep an eye out for the scarecrows scattered throughout the botanical gardens. A free hayride goes down from 1 to 3 p.m. Admission is $5 for kids ages 4 to 11 and $9 for kids 12 and over. Flamingo Gardens is located at 3750 S. Flamingo Road in Davie. Call 954-473-2955.
Fri., Oct. 25, 2013
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Amtrak to test bikes on Vt trains
Amtrak is preparing to field-test café cars with built-in bike racks on several lines, including the Ethan Allen Express and the Vermonter.
The demos are really just to see how these prototypes work and get feedback, said Amtrak spokesman Clifford Cole.
Little information was available, including the dates of the tests.
Amtrak offers walk-on bicycle service on only a handful of lines. Otherwise, bicycles may be checked as baggage on certain lines, and folding bicycles may be brought aboard as carry-on luggage on any line.
However, adding such service offers the prospect of locals being able to get on the train in Vermont and get off in New York, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., bicycling their way from the station instead of relying on cabs or the subway.MORE IN This Just InMONTPELIER Neither of the two top Republican seeking office in Vermont this fall agrees with... Full StoryMONTPELIER Charges have been upgraded against two suspects in a deadly fire in Northfield last... Full StorySTOWE Ten months after two sons of the founder of Burton Snowboards caused an accidental fire... Full Story
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Bankers are calling on officials to accelerate a plan to develop a banking union in Europe. "We understand that the process may be frustrating for the market, but for European standards, we are moving very fast," said Benoit Coeure of the European Central Bank. "The creation of a banking union is as important as the establishment of the creation of the single currency."
Full Story:International Financing Review (free content)


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Vickie Elmer regularly contributes articles on careers and small business to the Washington Post. She has collected a slew of journalism awards, large and small. Her career and workplace articles also have appeared in Fortune, Parents, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, the Financial Times, the Chicago Tribune, Newsday and many more. She has been called "dazzling," "incredibly competitive" "creative" and "prolific and feisty" by those who work with her. Elmer is the mother of three children and the co-owner of Mity Nice, a start-up that employs teens to sell Italian ice and sweet treats from a shiny silver cart in Ann Arbor, Mich. An active volunteer, she encourages kindness and creativity and embracing change, and she blogs and tweets under the moniker WorkingKind.
Here's what cities could look like in 10 years
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Brothers share what it was like quitting their corporate jobs to sell ties on the beach and cofound Vineyard Vines, a company worth nearly $1 billion
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OAK GLEN: Apple Picking Season Begins
1 of 16More Galleries
Freshly-picked apples that will be used for juicing sit in crates at Rileys at Los Rios Rancho in Oak Glen on Sunday, September 1, 2013.
DAVID BAUMAN, The Press-Enterprise
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Paul Pop
Richard Petersens Plads
Building: 322, 117
2800 Kgs. Lyngby
Homepage: http://people.compute.dtu.dk/paupo
Phone: 45253732
Paul Pop is has joined DTU Compute as an associate professor in May 2006. Previously, he was an assistant professor at Linköping University, Sweden, where he has received his Ph.D. in Computer Systems in 2003. Paul's research is about methods for systems engineering: modeling, analysis, simulation and optimization. Systems engineering is the treatment of engineering design as a decision making-process. He has applied systems engineering methods in the design of embedded systems, which are special-purpose computer systems dedicated to perform a specific function.
- Published
Architecture Synthesis for Cost-Constrained Fault-Tolerant Flow-based Biochips
Publication: Research - peer-review › Article in proceedings – Annual report year: 2016
- Published
Synthesis of Biochemical Applications on Digital Microfluidic Biochips with Operation Execution Time Variability
Publication: Research - peer-review › Journal article – Annual report year: 2015
- Published
Redundancy Optimization for Error Recovery in Digital Microfluidic Biochips
Publication: Research - peer-review › Journal article – Annual report year: 2015
Real-Time Systems
ISSNs: 0922-6443
Additional searchable ISSN (Electronic): 1573-1383
Springer New York LLC, United States
ISI indexed (2013): ISI indexed yes, BFI (2015): BFI-level 2, Scopus rating (2015): 0.842 2.48
Central database
IEE Proceedings - Computers and digital Techniques
ISSNs: 1350-2387
Additional searchable ISSN (Electronic): 1359-7027
Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE)
ISI indexed (2013): ISI indexed yes, BFI (2015): BFI-level 1
Central database
I E E E Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems
ISSNs: 1063-8210
Additional searchable ISSN (Electronic): 1557-9999
I E E E, United States
ISI indexed (2013): ISI indexed yes, BFI (2015): BFI-level 2, Scopus rating (2015): 0.698 2.26
Central database
- Completed
Association for Computing Machinery
Central database
Central database
Central database
Place of employment
Latest activities and conferences


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Hal Leonard Progressive Rock Keyboard Book/CDProduct #H65213 Hal Leonard H65213 JOC Jazz/Pop/Rock Instruction https://www.esnapw.com/rses/ESnapServlet?MerchantNumberSent=63655
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From the classic sounds of the '70s to modern progressive stylings, this book/CD provides you with the theory and technique to play and compose in a multitude of prog rock styles. You'll learn how soloing techniques, form, rhythmic and metrical devices, harmony, and counterpoint all come together to make this style of rock the unique and exciting genre it is. Also included is an introduction to classic and contemporary keyboard instruments and sounds, and how they can be used in different combinations to produce authentic-sounding keyboard parts. The accompanying CD features many of the examples covered in the book, as well as six complete progressive rock songs recorded by a real band.
- Softcover with CD
- 112 pages
- Size: 12" x 9"
- Author: Dan Maske


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WAOS is a community-based amateur musical group, affiliated to NODA (the National Operatic and Dramatic Association) and NETG (the North Essex Theatre Guild). The society produces two shows a year in Witham Public Hall, each using full staging and orchestra, having been rehearsed over the preceding 6 months.
Our Autumn Production will be
at Witham Public Hall from 24th to 29th October 2016


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4 Months After Cup Clash, Penguins, Sharks Meet AgainThe stakes are nowhere near the same: hockey immortality versus two points in the standings in the second week of a long season.
Pavelski's Late Goal Lifts Sharks Past Islanders 3-2Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton helped the San Jose Sharks get a big win after a rough loss across town the previous night.
Kreider's 2 Points Lift Rangers To 7-4 Win Over SharksThe Sharks made a late push in the third period, but the Rangers held on to the lead to give the Sharks their first loss of the season.
Ward, Marleau Lead Sharks To Victory Over Blue Jackets 3-2Mikkel Boedker and Joel Ward scored for an early lead and Patrick Marleau had an empty-net power-play goal, leading the Sharks over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Saturday night.
Burns' Goal Helps Sharks Open Season With 2-1 Win Over KingsOpening night went as scripted for the San Jose Sharks from the unveiling of the Western Conference championship banner to Brent Burns' game-winning goal in the third period.
Defenseman Dan Boyle Expected To Retire With SharksDan Boyle, the longtime San Jose Sharks defenseman, is expected to finally hang up his skates for the last time.
San Jose Sharks Get Own Gordon Biersch AleSan Jose's own Gordon Biersch Brewing Company has joined forces with the city's NHL team, the San Jose Sharks, to create Chum Red Ale.
Joe Pavelski Likely To Be Named Captain Of Team USAThe World Cup of hockey begins Sept. 17, and San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is expected to be named the captain of the American team.
Sharks Re-Sign Forward Matt Nieto To 1-Year ContractThe San Jose Sharks have signed forward Matt Nieto to a one-year contract.
Sharks Sign F Mikkel Boedker To Four-Year ContractThe San Jose Sharks have been one of the busier teams at the dawn of the free agency period, as they have announced the signing of forward Mikkel Boedker.
Hertl, Sharks Agree To 2-Year, $6 Million ExtensionIt was first reported Wednesday by TSN's Bob McKenzie that restricted free agent forward Tomas Hertl and the San Jose Sharks have agreed on a two-year, $6 million extension.
Sharks Make Qualifying Offers To Hertl, 3 OthersThe San Jose Sharks issued a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agent forward Tomas Hertl and three other players.


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On October 09, 2013, GE introduces 14 new industrial Internet products (see the table below) that will further enhance its offering under Predix platform. With this, the company now offers a total of 24 products under Predix platform.
Predix platform:
Predix offers solutions (referred as the industrial Internet products) that provide a standard and secure way to connect machines, related big data and people. In simple words, Predix is an integrated platform that combines the power of big data analysis, high speed networking, secure cloud computing, and machine to machine communication to enable global industries to achieve outcomes such as lesser unplanned downtime, more productivity, preventive maintenance, lower fuel costs and low emissions. The basic vision behind Predix is to make machines remotely connected (for monitoring) and artificially intelligent, so that they can create, analyze and use the big data to become more efficient and productive.
Complexity, collaborations and integration:
Predix is an integrated platform that combines the power of big data analysis, high speed networking, secure cloud computing, and machine to machine communication. Cloud computing, big data analysis, machine to machine communication, high speed and secure networking all are complex and dynamic technologies. As said by the chairman and CEO of GE:
"Industrial data is not only big, it's the most critical and complex type of big data. Our greatest challenge and opportunity is to manage and analyze this data in a highly secure way to deliver better outcomes for customers and society."
Predix requires multiple types of expertise that can only come from collaborations. So, GE is developing and deploying this platform though partnerships with the companies like: AT&T (NYSE:T), Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), Amazon Web Services (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Pivotal. All these companies are expert in their respective fields and are developing the cutting-edge technologies that enable the various aspects of Predix platform. For example, AT&T provides its leading, secure and high-speed wireless network capabilities to enable remote monitoring. Cisco, which recently introduced its high-speed "Internet of things" system, enables intelligent networking, advanced analytics and quick data transfer between machines.
Application, effectiveness and sustainability:
These solutions found application in all sorts of industries like: Aviation, Oil & Gas, Transportation, Healthcare and Energy. The effectiveness of these solutions is evident from the customer testimonies:
"For St. Luke's Medical Center, which is using GE software to manage and analyze patient and equipment data, this means a 51 minute reduction in bed turnaround time and reduced patient wait times. Gol Airlines is using software to better track, analyze and adapt its flight routes and fuel consumption and predicts it will see $90 million in savings over the next five years."
"For the first ten products launched in the last year, revenues are $290 million year-to-date, with orders of $400 million. GE will leverage our high-margin $160 billion services backlog to develop more technologies, grow our dollars of revenue per installed base 3-5 percent annually, and increase software sales by more than 15 percent annually."
The commercial success of any technology is the prime factor behind the long-term sustainability of the technology. The above customer testimonies show how effective and useful these solutions are. Predix is a perfect example of how the integrated power of new-age technologies is helping the industries and why the future belongs to these technologies.
The next wave of growth for GE is expected to come through Predix as the company is testing these solutions for many more industries and machines e.g. wind mills. GE sees significant growth possibilities for Predix as it wants to leverage its high margin $160 billion service backlog to further develop and commercialize these technologies. As said by the chairman and CEO of GE:
"We are developing more predictive solutions and equipping our products with sensors that constantly measure performance so our customers see major productivity gains and minimize no unplanned downtime. Observing, predicting and changing this performance is how the Industrial Internet will help airlines, railroads and power plants operate at peak efficiency."
I am of the view that the growing number of services under the Predix platform will act as a major growth catalyst for the company as well as, to some extent, for its collaborating partners (Cisco, Intel, etc.), due to the reasons like:
- Growth in big data market:
According to IBM: "Each day we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data generated by a variety of sources -- from climate information, to posts on social media sites, and from purchase transaction records to healthcare medical images."
This data holds a lot of unique information that can help industries to improve efficiency, productivity, safety, environment protection and many more things. Due to this unique information that can be derived from this data more and more companies are looking to collect and analyze this data. This rising trend among the companies will lead to proliferation of big data and data analytic industry.
Research firm IDC predicts that big data market will grow revenue at 31.7 percent a year to hit the $23.8 billion mark in 2016. Big data analytic industry also holds a multi-billion dollar potential. Moreover, the machine data is the fastest growing data segment.
- Limited competition:
Predix is an integrated platform developed from highly complex technologies, which also involves technologies that are in their initial stages of development with limited availability. These things are expected to act as a huge entry barrier for the emerging competitors.
- More orders/business:
Due to the benefits of the solutions and its limited availability, the company is expected to get more orders, which will lead to more business.
- High margins:
These solutions are expected to yield high margins for the company as they will generate service revenues, which normally yield high margins.
The key factor behind the success of Predix will be the fact that the company is not developing this platform all alone. It is collaborating with the other companies who are leaders in their respective fields and spend billions of dollars to develop the cutting edge the technologies that are required for the successful deployment of the platform.
Disclaimer: Investments in stock markets carry significant risk, stock prices can rise or fall without any understandable or fundamental reasons. Enter only if one has the appetite to take risk and heart to withstand the volatile nature of the stock markets.
This article reflects the personal views of the author about the company and one must consult its financial adviser before making any decision.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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Unless, maybe, they can get someone to buy out the company, for say, 50 cents, or if you are LUCKY, $1. But probably ont. Overexpansion is going to KILL them, on the loss front, over the next year or so, and having most of their locations on the West Coast is likely to be the death knell.
what planet are you on ????you are severely reality challenged ---
....I'm on the planet where my investment in this stock has gone up 500% while you, the "expert," was telling us how it was going to tank...or at least how you wanted it to tank.A question for you.....how does CL's ass taste?
Your obviously one of the moron robots. Have fun pounding the street looking for a job when SC shows you the door, moron.......
Stock up BIG today...what do the disgruntled employees who normally post here think is going on?
Your a complete idiot! Sport Chalet stock is still under a buck! Did u graduate from high school?
Not an employee. A former shareholder. Congrats to the company. They bought more time, and it looks like they have a chance now. (I'm still avoiding the stock, based upon the horrendous hit to the balance sheet from the losses they pre-announced.)


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Houston Clear Lake junior Stephen Barrera is an athlete that brings a lot of versatility to the table. Because of this, there has been no shortage of college coaches who have pass through the doors...
Versatile junior lineman receiving early interest
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Guest Services & Information
Visiting the zoo on a school field trip? Here's information you need to help plan your trip!
2016 Field Trip FAQs
2016 Group Admission Form
Parking guidelines for buses and parent chaperons
If you've never visited Dickerson Park Zoo or haven't visited
our park in awhile,take a virtual tour courtesy of
Google Maps Street View Trekker.
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, October–March (closed if walkways are covered with ice or snow)
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, April–September including all summer holidays
- Guests may stay in the park for one hour after the admission gate closes.
Mailing address
3043 North Fort, Springfield, MO 65803
Dickerson Park Zoo is located northeast of the intersection of Interstate 44 and Missouri Highway 13 (Exit 77). In Springfield, the zoo is easily accessible north across the city to Norton Road via National, Grant and Glenstone Avenues, or Kansas Expressway.
View a map to the zoo (28Kb)
General Admission Fees
The zoo admission gate accepts cash, local checks and credit cards (VISA, Mastercard and Discover).
- Adults and teenagers – $12
- Children (age 3-12) – $8
- Seniors (60 & older) – $8 (discounted admission)
- Children age 2 and younger and Friends of the Zoo members are admitted free.
Group discounts apply to groups with 15 or more paying adult/teen or child admission.
- Group Adult/Teen – $6
- Group Child – $4
Food and Drinks
We ask that guests refrain from bringing large coolers and picnic lunches into Dickerson Park Zoo. You can use your receipt from that day for readmission so you can enjoy a picnic lunch in the park outside the zoo and return to finish your tour. Within the zoo, we offer a variety of food and drink options.
The Bush Country Café serves hot foods (hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, chicken strips), snack foods (nachos, popcorn, etc.), frozen treats (soft serve ice cream and sno-cones) and soft drinks (fountain and bottled). Some items may not be available during winter months. The café offers healthy options – carrots and milk – for our "Junior Zookeeper" kids' meals.
Café Hours:
- 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, April through September
- 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday through Sunday, April through September
- 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., daily March and October
- 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., weekends only, November through February
Soft drink and water vending machines are located through the park. The Outpost in "Tropical Asia" is open for during the peak summer season to provide additional snack and drink service for guests. The Safari Trading Company Gift Shop also carries a variety of packaged candy and snacks, ice cream and bottled soft drinks.
Playground Park
The playground park adjacent to the zoo is a public park operated by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. The pavilion can be reserved by groups on a first-come, first-served basis. Rental fees are based on the group size and length of reservation.
Call the zoo office to see if your event date is available. The pavilion can be reserved for any date during the calendar year beginning the first business day of the year. Please review the Pavilion Rental Fees and Guidelines (PDF files; requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Please note: There is a special use application required for large groups (more than 145 people; Event Activity Application). Contact the zoo office for more information. Please review the City of Springfield park regulations regarding park rules (PDF).
Safari Trading Company Gift Shop
The Safari Trading Company gift shop is open every day of zoo operations.
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, April-September
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily, October-March
Titus Express Train Ride
Tickets are $2 per person (or 2 tokens) for everyone age 2 and older. (Children under age 2 ride free.) The train ride operates weather permitting.
- 10 a.m. to 4, Monday through Thursday (April through September)
- 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday through sunday (April through September)
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends in March and October
Stroller Rentals
Single and double strollers are available for rent at the admission gate. (New prices for 2014.)
- Single Stroller – $5
- Double Stroller – $7
You are welcome to bring your own stroller or wagon to use in the zoo.
Dickerson Park Zoo now rents Electric Convenience Vehicles for $20 per day (electric wheelchairs). A driver's license is required as a deposit. Manual wheelchairs are available upon request at no charge for our guests with disabilities.
Contact Areas
The Outback Corral petting zoo features domestic and exotic animals in a protected contact setting. Feed machines are located at the petting zoo and on the Dickerson Lake pavilion. Feed for the animals is available for $1 (1 token). Change machines are available for your convenience at the petting zoo, train station and lake pavilion to convert $1 and $5 to tokens.
Giraffe feeding hours
- 10 a.m. to 4, Monday through Thursday (April through September)
- 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday through sunday (April through September)
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends in March and October
- The deck is closed November through February.
Giraffe feed is $4 (or 4 tokens) and is available when an attendant is present on the elevated deck.


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3.97 miles | 3820 Oak Hill Road, Evansville, IN 47711
Representing clients in all Criminal, Family Law, Divorce, Wills & Probate
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Dedicated, Experienced Trial Lawyers To Enforce Your Legal Rights. Free Initial Consultation.
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Attorneys at Law
Serving Vanderburgh County, Indiana
William 'Bill' Hurst's law firm has over 35 years of experience helping victims of serious personal injury accidents recover the financial compensation they deserve.


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The Knight Life by Keith Knight
- June 11, 2013
- From Beginning
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Heh. Wish I had a printer right now; this one belongs in the 'hall of fame' on the fridge!
Considering the "lefties" of today were the ones originally in favor of slavery, Jim Crow, fought the civil rights' movement, AND were mostly responsible for the Civil War—uh, can anyone say HYPOCRISY???
If by "Lefties of today," you are referring to Democrats, the Democratic party of today is 180 degrees different from the Democrats of the 1850's.
Then, Democrats were white, southern and rural. Which party does that sound like today?
And, in the 1900's when the Democratic party began to become more northern and urbanized, the southern Democrats formed their own branch of the party, the "Dixiecrats."
When JFK and (subsequently )LBJ came to power, they finally abandoned the Democrats altogether and became (drum roll) REPUBLICANS.
So cut out this crap about the Democrats being anti-civil rights. The same GOP clowns who talk about "Democrats standing in the doorways stopping black kids from getting into schools" know that it's true because it was THEM doing it before they became Republicans.
By the way, the Democrats were glad to be rid of these racist clowns, but the GOP welcomed them with open arms.
Hee hee hee. I love where this is going. I know the hidden joke behind it too. :)
That is incredibly moronic. No one alive today was originally in favor of slavery, Jim Crow, OR the Civil War. Uh-can anyone say IDIOT???
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With UCLA offering Equanimeous St. Brown, the 6-5 receiver from Anaheim (Calif.) Servite, today, we thought we'd concentrate a bit on receiver recruiting.
Brown visited UCLA a week ago, and he had camped at UCLA previously, and some close to the recruitment thought that UCLA was always one of his favorites. USC, Stanford and Notre Dame have been on him aggressively for a while, so we'll see how the UCLA offer impacts his recruitment. We've heard from sources close to St. Brown that St. Brown's father had been talking with Jim Mora, and the offer came from Mora.
UCLA doesn't have a great many scholarships for wide receivers in the 2015 class, and they could be getting scarce. Like we've been saying for a while, we've heard that UCLA is doing well with Cordell Broadus, the 6-3 prospect from Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman, to the point that UCLA could be considered the favorite. Sources are telling us that UCLA also leads, pretty sizeably, for L.J. Reed, the 6-4 prospect from Elk Grove (Calif.) Cosumnes Oaks. Today there are some UCLA coaches out on the recruiting trail, and we've heard that UCLA assistant Angus McClure is at Cosumnes Oaks to see Reed. Reed could want to commit, but he very well might have a little bit of work to do academically.
Between Broadus, Reed and St. Brown, UCLA could possibly take two bigger-type receivers, and leave at least one spot open for a smaller, faster receiver prospect. So, it will be interesting to see if St. Brown, with the newly minted offer, considers jumping on it. We completely believe that UCLA will have a very good chance to get two of three from Broadus, St. Brown and Reed.
When it comes to the smaller, quicker receiver, we're still hearing UCLA is very much in the thick of it with Christian Kirk, the 5-11 receiver from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro, and continue to hear that it's mainly a UCLA/Texas A&M battle, with the Aggies perhaps ahead at this time.
The Bruins are still in good standing with Ryan Newsome, the 5-10 speedster from Aledo (Tex.). Newsome has been taking official visits to other schools, like Texas, and still plans to see more sometime this spring and summer, including UCLA. He'll also try to see Notre Dame, Florida State and Oregon.
There is also Taeon Mason, the 6-0 speedy receiver from Pasadena (Calif.) Muir, who is verbally committed to USC. UCLA is very much recruiting him, and you could see Mason fulfill that role of the speed guy along with a couple of bigger receivers. We're hearing UCLA has a real chance with Mason, since UCLA defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin is a Muir alum and has connections.
UCLA had a pretty big visitor to practice Monday – Gardena Serra linebacker John Houston. UCLA linebacker coach and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich spent some time talking to Houston after practice.
Jack Dreyer, a 6-8, 280-pound offensive lineman San Mateo (Calif.) Serra, also visited practice. He definitely looked at least 6-7, and filled out well. He's a good student, with some Ivy League offers, and some offers from Pac-12s. He is high school teammates with incoming UCLA defensive end Matt Dickerson, so that has gotten Angus McClure, whose area is Northern California, to recruit Dreyer. We've heard that Dreyer could return to participate in UCLA's camp in June, to try to earn a UCLA scholarship offer.
A NorCal OL prospect that does have a UCLA offer and his own connections to UCLA is Darrin Paulo, the 6-6 320-pounder from Sacramento (Calif.) Grant. Paulo is the cousin of UCLA fullback Nate Iese, and we've heard that UCLA has a really good shot with him. McClure was reportedly on Grant's campus today.
Speaking of NorCal OLs with high school connections to UCLA, today McClure is also visiting Johnny Capra, the 6-6, 270-pounder from Auburn (Calif.) Placer, the alma mater of current UCLA freshman DL Eddie Vanderdoes.
We've also heard that McClure will be on the campus of Granite Bay (Calif.) today, to see linebacker prospect Cameron Smith.
We're hearing that some programs are cooling a bit on Stanley Norman, the 5-10 WR/DB from Gardena (Calif.) Serra, because of some issues. Last night there was a big contingent from Serra at UCLA's practice, but Norman wasn't there. We'll see if UCLA also cools on Norman.
We've heard that UCLA assistant Mike Tuiasosopo will drop in on some L.A. City schools today. His recruiting region is the Carson area L.A. near and around his alma mater of Wilmington Banning. UCLA offered and is recruiting aggressively Porter Gustin, the 6-4, 230-pound outside linebacker from Salem (Utah) Salem Hills. Tuiaososopo, since he's the UCLA outside linebacker coach, is the main recruiter on Gustin and we've heard from sources close to Gustin that Tuiasosopo plans to visit the prospect next week.
Christian Bell, the DE/LB from Hoover (Ala.) UCLA is recruiting, said that he'll probably decide soon, and pick from probably Alabama and Mississippi State.


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About Me
Creating Community, Moving being to 'bewelcome' look us up.
Head, Heart and Hands.
Why I'm on Couchsurfing
I've never done couchsurfing via online before. I had a friend in sydney that did, she hosted for a while then had to move out of her flat so she then surfed for a while, was at mine for a few weeks. I have always had a open couch policy to friends and friends of friends.
kirtan, havan, yoga, meditation, babies/children, nature, friends, group projects, veg food, sweets, Squirrels (so cute and comical, we don't have them in nz), Music. I am pretty quiet by nature but also social. Here is a perfect 24 hours. Awaking early after a great sleep, doing some chanting/stretching, enjoying healthy breakfast with friends, walk in nature, a group creative project/work, early vegetarian dinner with friends, kirtan, small intimate music concert with world music.
- folklore
- concerts
- dining
- breakfast
- vegetarian
- yoga
- meditation
- music
- world music
One Amazing Thing I've Done
Wow to pick just a few. Well... Seeing the Himalayas, what can i say- wow. Meeting the master of my yoga tradition. Meeting/holding my 2yr old friend for the first time the day after she was born.
Teach, Learn, Share
To teach well, depends on the person to share with. I find there is always something you know more about and something less.
My years working with children I have learnt alot and always happy to share some skills.
Kirtan and yoga I have enjoyed for years and always happy to share.
And then all those things i have no idea what they are yet.
Countries I've Visited
Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Sweden
Countries I've Lived In
Australia, Germany, India, Nepal, New Zealand, Qatar