text:
|DM Hamied
Ameiko Kaijitsu's brow had been knit with concentration. A half-second later, her face wears a dazzling smile. Sandru Vhiski's grin nearly matches hers as he walks through the creaking door of the Rusty Dragon. As she has done more times than her patrons could count, Ameiko springs over the bar, hoisting herself as her legs swing clear of the oak counter. A moment later, she is in Sandru's arms.
"Ah, civilization!" Sandru says, laughing. "It is good to see you."
Ameiko steps back, beaming. "I do hope you have tales to share from your trip. There have been few enough lately."
Sandru sighs heavily. "My mind is too weary to spin them well. But...strange folk have accompanied me here. One of them carries...well...you will need to see it for yourself."
Ameiko raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"And of course there were goblins."
"And of course."
The front door again swings open with a loud creak. Koya Mvashti enters, the dust of the road still hanging heavily on her colorful silks. She smiles at Ameiko, but says nothing as she finds a quiet table in the corner. Without even acknowledging her, Ameiko walks back behind the bar and begins fixing a drink as Sandru dully recounts the goblin ambush and how easily it had been turned aside. Ameiko steps back out and goes to Koya's table, depositing the reddish beverage and giving the old woman a loving pat on the shoulder.
Koya smiles again. "Thank you."
For the three of you not yet inside the Rusty Dragon, you can certainly narrate your entrance.
|Lisabett Erikkson
Prostrating herself at the altar dedicated to Desna, Lisabett recalls the chill of her homelands as though it were only this morning the frosty wind was wiping her hair across her face, into her eyes and mouth. It seemed, some mornings, that it was her own frosted hair that had left so many scars across her face. Lisabett could almost taste the snow and ice in her mouth, feel the pressure of her frozen mucus pressing against her sinuses.
But the borealis, and the spheres... Lisabett exhales sharply and rises, her blonde hair falling shaggy around her face. Skald"It has been many years, my Lady. Without your guidance... I was lost"/Skald. "Thank you," she whispers, softer than a prayer.
The feeling in Lisabett's breast at that moment is profound, the weight of her sins weighs heavily upon her, but Sandru-
Lisabett is relieved when the ruckus taking place behind her interrupts her inappropriate thoughts about the handsome caravan leader. She cranes her neck to see the source, and catches only the doors slamming closed after its exit. The kindly priest that showed her to Desna's altar seems confused when he turns and apologetically addresses Lisbett. "I hope Koya is as glad to see you, Brother Holheim," he says.
Lisabett follows the brother's exit with her eyes for a moment, then slowly rises. She knows that her impressive height has the manner of unnerving some, and the scars on her face and arms worse, but the priest favors her with a gentle smile.
"Pray, pardon me, Uncle, but in my haste to commune with my good Lady, I have forgotten to inquire about living arrangements," Lisabett speaks carefully, her words sometimes inclined to a musical quality as is common among them who speak her language. "Are you familiar with a place in town where I might lie and observe the spheres in peace?"
For a moment the priest seems to consider Lisabett, her height, face and accent too, before answering that there is no such place that he is aware of, but should she need lodging, she will find rooms available at the Rusty Dragon. Lisabett asks and receives directions to the establishment, and sets out with her meager belongings immediately.
She arrives in time to see Sandru embrace a short, beautiful, and dark woman with much grace and laugh, and immediately feels guilty for having intruded on the scene.
Strange folk have accompanied me, Lisabett's mind repeats as she easily glides towards a table far from the happy couple, and from Koya as well, observing. She considers the small amount of coin she retains from her raids woefully, and giving it all up here, but would it be worse if others drank from the profits of her ill gotten gains? She wonders how Koya might answer that, but keeps her peace, content to remain unnoticed.
|Sorin Nicusor
Learning to speak, read and write Tian had seemed so easy at first. But the last couple of weeks had proved tricky. No matter how many times he went over these modifiers they always seemd to slip out of his mind. He thanked Shelyn every day for the time he got to spend with Ameiko but it was getting a bit frustrating to keep stumbling over the same things again and again.
So engrossed was he that he jumped a bit when Ameiko shouted, "Shandru!. Dazed, he looked over to the entrance and it seemed to take a moment for the scene to register. Ah, Shandru's back...they seem tired but no worse for the wear. And there's Koya - I still can't believe she made the trip, though I understand the desire.
Sighing, he turns back and looks down at the sheets in front of him but the characters seem to dance before his eyes. Standing up, he turns and heads towards Ameiko and Shandru...for about two steps before changing direction and heading over to the table where Koya is seated.
"Lady Koya," Sorin says with a merry twinkle in his golden eyes as he gives her an extravagant bow, "I trust that the art of the world has enriched your life? Welcome home."
He rises from his bow but is distracted by the door opening again. He raises an eyebrow as he sees the Ulfen woman enter. Well that's...different. She doesn't seem like one of Shandru's normal companions. He smiles at a sudden thought, Perhaps there's a tale worthy of song here...
|DM Hamied
Koya smiles at Sorin. "Thank you. And it has, as it always does, but it is ever the same art." She sips from her drink.
"Well." Ameiko yawns at Sandru mockingly as he finishes telling her of the goblin attack. "It is fortunate they were scared of you."
"It was not me they were scared of." Sandru sends a quick glance in the direction of Lisabett, but his eyes do not linger.
"Your dogs then?" Ameiko teases.
"Yes. My dogs. My ferocious dogs!"
"If only the goblins of Brinestump were so easily frightened." Ameiko's tone is no longer playful.
Sandru looks are her quizzically.
"Don't worry, Sandru. Sorin was going to Belor Hemlock this very afternoon to inquire about that. Right, Sorin?" A wicked grin comes to her face.
|Lisabett Erikkson
Lisabett colors at the implication that she and the brave men that had followed her at the costs of their own lives, proud warriors who had accepted the bonds of slavery before they challenged the thin, dark man to mortal combat for their freedom were dogs. She raises her tattooed and scarred arms slowly, and places them before her on the table, the flats of her palms against the table top to show that she has no intention of bringing violence to this place.
"That is... rude?" Lisabett answers Sandru. As of late, her grasp of the common tongue has been falling to the wayside in favor of deciphering and learning the languages spoken amidst the caravan. "Espen, Andres and Large Ulric would not have harmed your crew, or your kin," she adds passionately, a blush blossoming on her face at the last.
Embarrassed that she has suddenly called attention to herself yet again, Lisabett slides her left hand up and over her right wrist and rubs where the bonds Sandru had placed around them had chafed all those days while she marched in judgment of him. Thinking on it caused her hands to seize, as they often did in the greatest chill, which sends a shiver up her spine. Her pride... yes, her pride of a warrior, installed in her from the moment Maens had gifted her with her spear, had been surrendered to protect folk whom she did not know, and comparison to a dog was what her voluntary shame had earned.
Lisabett swallows hard as the conversation turns from her to the subject of goblins, relieved that the focus of conversation has turned from her.
|Sorin Nicusor
Sorin watches the exchange with interest, though not much comprehension. "This is a strange drama I'm witnessing," he thinks as he glances back and forth between Sandru and the Ulfen's. "I don't think that..." Sorin blinks a few times as he suddenly realises his name has been mentioned.
He turns to Ameiko trying to pull his scattered thoughts back into order. "Uhm...Belor? "That"?" Sorin frantically tries to pull his face into something that resembles a look of understanding. "I mean, of course Ameiko. In fact, she was just about to finish explaining..."that" to me when you came in, Sandru." Gods above, I'm acting like an idiot...
|DM Hamied
Sandru's face falls in bewilderment. Rarely have you seen him without words. A moment passes in silence, and all eyes in the Rusty Dragon dart between Sandru and Lisabett. At last, the Varisian speaks, albeit not with his usual eloquence.
"Are you...insulted by the fact that I said they ran from-" The realization hits him. His mouth opens wide for a brief moment before he roars with laughter. "I do not call you or your companions dogs. It was a jest, but I meant...I think Ameiko meant my dogs. Literally, the dogs that were mine...with the caravan." Ameiko punches him in the stomach. "Oof!"
She speaks in Varisian. "That is for Espen, Andres and Large Ulric." She laughs. Sandru laughs. Ameiko then turns to Lisabett with a smile, then to Sorin as he speaks.
"I too am jesting, Sorin." She leans against the bar behind her. "I would never volunteer another for that kind of work. Laugh as we might at the bloodthirsty little monsters, they are dangerous. The group that went to root them out has not sent word in three days. And a fresh explosion in the sky last night...it's disconcerting, to say the least."
|Lisabett Erikkson
Lisabett watches the smaller woman's fist connect with Sandru's stomach and sees something very different, the head of her spear connecting with a warrior's ribs, breaking them, and killing him. She closes her eyes and shakes her head, but she cannot easily throw off the memory of who she allowed herself to become in those years. The scars of her shapely arms, the tattoos - each were permanent reminders of the warrior she was previously...
When Sandru begins laughing it feels as though she is taking a spear to the ribs. She knew the sound only vaguely. There was not much cause for celebration in her homeland, a successful hunt, or raid, or the successful culling of a new thrall to one's will or fists.
That is your way, was your way, she reminds herself, not theirs. Sandru's caravan traveled with animals, for milk and companionship, not to slaughter and feed dozens for a night, or two, only to hunger again in three. Mercenaries, raiders, never had the skill for long term planning. With Maens and his jarls, honor predominated, but then I no longer have a place among them...
Lisabett rises intending to excuse herself from this very awkward and public scene. She is more than capable of finding a place to herself outside the city with her companions. She pauses for a moment, wondering if she should speak to Sandru before she leaves and hears the young dark woman, Ameiko Sandru had named her, mention that the goblins have begun attacking the sky. Odd, she muses, I had not thought that goblins were in possession of such powerful magics.
"Mistress, I am a stranger to these lands, and a simple warrior besides. Might you explain how goblins have come to possess the ability to attack the sky?" she inquires, her careful, though heavily accented voice emphasizing her incredulity at the notion.
|Raziel Holhiem
Koya, finally back. Raziel's thoughts were rushed and confused. That she had left town before her mother's funeral, that she had gone without a word, that she had maybe left him here and gone off on her journey without him...
Skidding to a halt midstride, he realized that running off to see her wasn't how things should be done. He let the sun wash over him for a minute, basking his Lady's light, before returning to his small room to gather the items Niska had left for Koya.
Walking to the Rusty Dragon was hard, since Raziel had to refrain from breaking into a run at least twice. Finally entering the inn, his eyes adjusting to the interior. The odd grouping of Sorin, Ameiko, Sandru, and tall, barbaric looking woman caught his attention. Pausing at the door, he wondered at the woman's comment, and concluded that he had missed a goodly part of the conversation.
Then Raziel's eyes spotted Koya at her table, and he made his way over to her.
"Koya.., he began. Half a dozen thoughts dashed through his mind, reflected in his face, before he settled on one and spoke again. "How...how was your journey?"
|Alazandaru Viorec
Having watched the object of his affections struggle to teach Sorin Tien, Alezandaru was feeling rather irritable. He had learnt her native language many months ago and was now considered to be fluent with it, but alas it had failed to impress her. As Sandru made his entrance the young Sczarni operator nodded respectfully to him, but kept his distance. Sandru had little if anything to do with his employment, but his association with the criminal underworld was based almost solely around his surname. Instead, the young man walked casually over to Sorin, leaning over his shoulder and looking at his progress, ale in hand. With no introduction he critiscized-
These four letters are wrong- you must always consider the context of who you are talking to when writing speech. How are you faring this day anyway Sorin? Keeping yourself busy?
|DM Hamied
"Raziel." Koya's face has signs of new wrinkles. For all the warmth of her smile, she wears a tired expression but for her hazel eyes, which are as keen as ever. "You are flustered, and so you ask a question to which you already know the answer. I am pleased to be returned to Sandpoint, but the road is ever more welcoming. Not by any fault of yours, though. It is good to see you."
"Strangers are welcome under my roof." Ameiko gazes at Lisabett. "The goblins cannot actually harm the sky or they would try more readily. What they can do is play with fire. They have found devices that allow them to do so readily. Fireworks, if my suspicions serve me. I have heard of them, but never seen them before the last few weeks. They are of Tian make, which is particularly odd. I thought I was the only thing of Tian make in the Sandpoint hinterlands." She smiles, but there is severity in her voice. "Fireworks are for celebration. They make use of flashes of colored light...of smoke and fire, to awe those that see them. But the goblins aim them at passing caravans. The last one they hit became a conflagration, and a girl of five licked by its flames will now wear burns for the rest of her years."
|Lisabett Erikkson
Lisabett pales at the mention of a girl burned, and inclines her head woefully. Her golden hair, wild as ever, falls in front of her own scarred face, and she pushes them away with a large, scarred hand. Not every scar is dishonorable, she reminds herself gently. She very much wished to know the name and location of this girl, so that she might teach her the value of them. It is a curious impulse, she recognizes, as she is an outsider here.
"Tian make," the word seems to tumble from the tip of her tongues and spills out her lips. "My people have a healthy respect for fire. We are of ice and snow and darkness, and know little warmth."
Lisabett spares a cautious glance at Sandru, the first of the evening. They have not shared many words beyond her laughable attempts to communicate in the smatterings of Varisian she picked up from the children of his caravan. Lisabett wondered how he thought of her at all, large and scarred as she was, if he thought her previous silences suggested that she were simple. She colors slightly, and quickly averts her eyes.
"If these... fireworks? are as rare as you, Lady, how is it they came to be here? I have... considered your terms, and they give the impression that you have no knowledge of their construction, and I have also noted your abhorrence of their particular employment."
Any character that is paying attention to the conversation between the Ulfen woman and Ameiko sees that Lisabett is indeed large, taller than most men, with broad shoulders hung with savage furs clasped with a simple silver chain. The neck of her dress shows a fine smattering of knotwork tattoos of varying quality, some laying over scars, others bisected by them. Her face, too, is scared, one particularly deep slice running across her left cheek beneath her eye, and another smaller, and older scar like a claw mark bisecting her right eyebrow. Her appearance gives every indication that she is as she says, a warrior. She is not overtly masculine, however, any passable glance at the figure beneath the heavy furs can see that it is curved, and in a certain light could be considered attractive, if you are into warrior type gals. Finally, a shock of white blonde hair of varying lengths has been pulled into a thick braid that lays across her right shoulder and hangs to her middriff, but the lengths seem to be quite wild, as though her hair has been cut several times in battle and she has not the time or skill, or even attention to detail to deal with the mess.
|Raziel Holhiem
Raziel reddens slightly at Koya's comment.
"You left so soon... I was not sure that you were going to return," Raziel continues. Unspoken is the thought that he was left behind.
"There were a few things that... Father Zantus thought that you should have." He hands over a small package, wrapped in a bright scarf. "I've kept the house as clean as I could..." His words trail off into silence.
"Welcome back, Koya," he finally says.
|DM Hamied
"I am sorry if I worried you, Raziel. I honor my mother's memory in a different way and the open road was my place of mourning." Koya reaches out to take the priest's hand, leaving be the bundle of items. "It means much to me that you have cared for the house in my absence, and I am glad of your welcome."
Across the room, Ameiko shrugs. "I have no idea how they came to be here or how goblins, of all creatures, could have laid their hands upon them."
Sandru had noticed Lisabett's momentary glance. His eyes have not gone from her since. "What is being done about this?" he says, still focused on the Ulfen woman.
"A bounty." Ameiko responds, brushing her shock of white hair from her face. "The first in years."
|Lisabett Erikkson
Skald"Enough!"/Skald Lisabett snarls and rises, displacing her chair when she does. "I will have no more blood money. You tell me that women and children suffer on account of these beasts, I will join any effort organized to combat them," Lisabett announces. She looks to Ameiko. "Lady, would you direct me to the home of this girl who was burned? As you may have noticed, I have extensive experience with scars."
Exuding confidence otherwise unknown to her, Lisabett does not color although she has achieved Sandru's attention. "I apologize if have spoken out of place, Captain. It has never been my intent to usurp authority from them who hold greater responsibilities than myself," Lisabett says, and inclines her head in a sketch of a salute.
|DM Hamied
Neither Ameiko nor Sandru flinch at Lisabett's abruptness. It is Sandru who speaks first. "I hold no more authority over you, Lisabett. You and your comrades have proven your loyalty. You are not my prisoners, though if you wish to accompany me when I set out again, you are welcome to."
"The child." Ameiko interjects. "She is not from Sandpoint, but a wanderer, along with her mother. As I understand it, they have been at the cathedral, under the care of some of its clergy."
In fact...
"As for your desire to bring justice to the goblins, that is good." Ameiko continues. "That you do it out of compassion instead of greed is even better, though do not begrudge others for seeking some compensation. It is deadly business, and brave as you are, you should not undertake it alone."
|Lisabett Erikkson
"Of course not, Lady. I am more than passing familiar with mercenaries," Lisabett answers. She unties the stay of her purse and places it on the table. "For the interruption," she says. "Or any who has not coin enough to spare to eat," she adds after a moment,and draws the quiver of javelins up around her shoulder. "Me and mine have the way of feeding ourselves. My thanks for the information."
Lisabett looks to Koya for a moment, then briefly to Sandru and affords him a slight smile. "If it is Desna's will that we meet again, I may follow you," Lisabett allows in a soft voice, and blushes again. Would that she might, Lisabett secretly wishes, but does not actively communicate. "I believe She has made a place for me elsewhere, meanwhile."
|Sorin Nicusor
Sorin tries to keep up with the growing chain of events and conversations suddenly taking place. He sees Raziel come in but barely has time to think on it when he hears Alazandaru's voice beside him.
"Oh, hello Alazandaru, I didn't see you come in." He glances blankly down at the Tian papers but his scattered thoughts refuse to refocus on the intricacies of the Tian language. "I've been well though not very busy. I've been thinking of selling the old house. Five of us used to live there and now, with father passing two years ago, it's just me; I don't need all that space."
Sorin turns to Ameiko. "A a group has been missing for three days? You should have said so earlier, Ameiko, I would have gladly investigated or helped to do so...you know you have only to ask." Missing for three days while searching for goblins...that bodes poorly.
He then turns to Sandru and the Ulfens. "I apologise. I seem to have abandoned my manners tonight. Welcome home Sandru. I also have not met your companions before; I believe introductions are in order." Turning to the Ulfens Sorin bows deeply, "Sorin Nicusor, servant of Shelyn, at your service."
As each person is introduced, Sorin will bow again. When Lisabett is introduced. Sorin will bow and, without thinking about it, take her hand and lightly kiss it.
|Lisabett Erikkson
"Lisabett," she introduces herself when her turn comes, inclining her head in a salute. Among her people, names are earned, not given, and she lost the right to speak hers quite some years ago.
Lisabett blanches like a apple when the strange man bows over her hand and kisses her. She looks to Sandru desperately, and quickly reclaims her hand, effectively resisting the urge to rub the kissed spot.
A warrior is not to be deterred by such a strange gesture, she derides herself, and settles her eyes on the young man, instantly guilty that she would look elsewhere at all. Lisabett did find it curious that the men of the south did not seem to favor beards. She had often wondered if men had lips at all beneath the hair that gave the impression of keeping their faces from freezing in the winter.
"Is Shelyn a very powerful lord, to afford you such heavy armor?" she wonders. "How many jarls has he that he has no need of your blade?"
|Sorin Nicusor
Sorin continues smiling despite Lisabett's reaction to the kiss. Use you wits. Sorin berates himself mentally. These people are clearly strangers to this place and you might have given offence.
Sorin is momentarily taken aback by her question but then laughs merrily. "No, Shelyn is not my lord. I serve no lord in the way you mean." His eyes shift, ever so briefly, to Ameiko. "Sheyln is my goddess.
Sorin pauses a moment before continuing. "You seem a little ill at ease. That is understandable if you're in a place where the ways of people are not your own. Please take no offence at what is said and done here for it is not meant as such. Many in this room are old and dear friends. Should you stay, I hope you all will become such as well." He then makes an attempt at a dazzling smile.
|Lisabett Erikkson
Lisabett appears even more flustered. "The misunderstanding is mine. I..." she pauses and swallows. "I observed the children at play and found that their use of the language was easiest for me to decipher. I did not think to observe social norms, bound as-" Lisabett arrests herself.
"My people are raiders. It is not often that we settle, and rarely do our villages achieve this level of sophistication," she presses her lips together. Lisabett did not wish to recall her last wintering.
"I have placed my faith in Desna, and will walk the path She has lit for me," Lisabett affords Sorin another salute. "If you are among those who would combat these creatures the Lady Ameiko speaks of, I am certain She will allow us to meet again. For myself, however, I wish to return to the cathedral and speak to this child and her mother. I believe that it is the path that I am meant to take at this time."
|DM Hamied
Sandru smiles at Sorin's welcome. "Do not apologize, Sorin. I gave you not greeting either. I hope you will forgive my poor manners."
Ameiko watches the exchange between Sorin and Lisabett, a half-smile on her lips. "I just heard the news about the original party this very morning, Sorin. I am sorry I was not forthcoming. It is a dangerous undertaking, but you are brave and capable. If you are sure..." She puts a hand on Sorin's shoulder.
After a moment, she turns to Lisabett. "Whether or not you seek payment, check with Sheriff Hemlock before you charge off to Brinestump Marsh. His information will be valuable." Ameiko picks up the purse on the table. "But as to this: if interruption carried a fine, I would be mired in debt. I won't take your money unless you're buying a drink, and if you drink the worth of the coin in here, I'm afraid I can't sit idly by and let you hunt goblins. I mean no insult, but tithe it to the cathedral if you're looking to get rid of it."
|Lisabett Erikkson
"I do not have the easiest way with mead," Lisabett demurs with a smile that shows dimples in her scarred cheeks. "But Large Ulrick has no such qualms," she jests lightly and recovers the purse. I will not taint the symbol that is Her church with wicked gains. Lisabett's smile persists however, and she touches a tattoo that graces what is visible of her collar bone, "As you might tell," she continues, leaning forward so the smaller woman can examine where the details were blurred. Or rather, Ulrick had started while inebriated, and then-
"Thank you for the referral, Lady. I will speak to this... sheriff? Perhaps he might find a place for my companions."
Lisabett looks to Sorin. "If it is your intent to pursue these creatures, please do think of me in the future," she concludes, then excuses herself politely with the intent of returning to the cathedral to seek out the burned girl and her mother.
|Raziel Holhiem
Listening to the comments from the others (and they do not seem to be the quiet sort), Raziel appologises to Koya, "Sorry to leave you so soon, but it looks like I should, ah... escort the ...lady. I'll be back to speak to you soon, I promise."
Raziel stands up, and with a polite bow to those still there, he hurries out the door, chasing after Lisabett.
"Miss... Miss Lisabett!" he calls out after her, jogging down the street after her.
"I am brother Raziel Holhiem, priest of Sarenrae, and I have been tending the child that you seek and her mother. If you would permit me, I would take you to them."
His thought continued in his head, And make sure you do not frighten the child.
I hope the fact that I seem to be posting at a different time than everyone else doesn't slow things down too much.
|DM Hamied
No problem at all, Raziel
Koya bows to Raziel. "Please, I understand. But perhaps I shall seek you soon."
Ameiko bows to Lisabett. "You are welcome, Lisabett. I am moved by your passion and pleased by your acquaintance. Good luck."
Sandru gazes after the Ulfen as she goes.
|Lisabett Erikkson
Lisabett turns when she hears her name called by another, and seeing him hurrying to catch up to her, slows and waits, as is only polite to.
"Brother Holheim?" she repeats, her mouth and musical voice struggling with the strange syllables. Her blue eyes seem to smile. "Ah! We appear to have missed each other at the cathedral earlier. And yes, I would welcome a guide," Lisabett looks about her, appearing ill at ease in Sandpoint in general.
"Sarenrae?" the name seems wrong, and the attempt almost childish. "What manner of goddess is She? And this Shelyn? Pardon my curiosity, but my people pray to Gorum concerning our occupations, Erastil and Torag when we take to shelter in the winter, and that Desna in her wisdom might entertain our sleeping hours, but not give us too much to hope for.
"Know you this sheriff? Is he a lord in these lands?"
|Raziel Holhiem
"Sarenrae is the Dawnflower, goddess of the sun." Raziel gestures upward. "Her light guides us, and shows us the correct path," he continues, at ease to be teaching about the gods (something that he has done before).
"Shelyn is the goddess of beauty and arts. Her story with her half-brother trying to redeem him inspires mortals to persevere in adverse circumstances."
"Erastil and Gozreh, Desna and Abadar, these six have shrines in the cathedral. I believe that a shrine to Irori also is in town."
"Yes, I know sheriff Hemlock. He's in charge of keeping the peace here in Sandpoint, but he's not a lord." Raziel smiles a bit, wondering what Lisabett would concider a 'lord'.
"If you mean a noble, that would be Mayor Deverin, I guess. She heads the government, such as it is, here in Sandpoint. She, the Valdemars, the Scarnetti, and Lady Ameiko back at the bar would be the local 'lords'. There might be some others that live in Magnamar, but they usually don't come here."
|Lisabett Erikkson
"Sarenrae is of the spheres?" Lisabett says excitedly. "The sun is very important to our farming folk, and your Lady blesses them all through the summer. Erastil, who is lord of the hunt is easier to identify with for the simple folk," Lisabett says, and blushes.
"I am unfamiliar with these titles," she admits sheepishly. "Among my people, one distinguishes him or herself as a lord by being strong, not just in his arms, but in his mind and in command. He acquires honor and wealth in battle, and other men join and pledge their allegiance to him," Lisabett's song-like accent becomes slightly thicker as she explains her vision of nobility, then arrests herself as she appears to recognize that her hard won concentration is slipping away from her.
Men of honor like my father, and uncles, she recalls, men who will have no more of me.
"Such a figure is called a jarl, and his companions are called thanes. We know no kings, or inherited titles, although I believe that the greatest comparison is to your lord," Lisabett continues. "It does not surprise me that the Lady Ameiko is no ordinary woman. Proprietors of mead halls are central figures in my lands as well. They... they assure peace among us during the winter months," Lisabett's voice trails.
Lisabett's eyes narrow slightly, and a leg of the walk to the cathedral passes in silence before she speaks again. "Pardon, I became lost in my thoughts. You mentioned that you cared for the girl and her mother. What might you tell me about them? I will be guided by you, of course, as their attendant," she adds almost immediately.
|Raziel Holhiem
"Jarls and thanes, eh? Seems odd to me," Raziel answers. "But Lady Ameiko, she's not noble because she owns her inn. Her father passed on a few years ago, and she being the only heir to the Kaijitsu name. She possesses a fine house and the glassworks, but seems to be happiest running her inn and listening to adventurers. I've heard that... but that all gossip, and you'll not be interested in that."
Raziel grows softer spoken when discussing the child and mother.
"The girl, Minhzeri, has not spoken since I have met her, and her mother, Kasha, has not said much beyond their names. I fear that the terrors of the attack are still oppressing them and casting a dark shadow on their lives." Raziel seems momentarily sadden by their fate, then looks at Lisabett with the slightest hint of steel in his eyes. "I feel you mean to help, but if they are further frightened by you, I'll ask you to leave."
|Lisabett Erikkson
Lisabett reacts physically as if struck, and stops. "Of course," she says softly, and studies her hands. These hands have known so much blood. These scars and marks, while not unknown in my lands, are wholly uncommon here.
After a few moments of silence she addresses the priest again. "I had not considered that my appearance might frighten a child. Perhaps it is best if you point me in the direction of this sheriff?" she suggests.
|Raziel Holhiem
"Your pardon, Ma'am," Raziel appologises. "I did not mean to change your mind about the child! You may have more success than I in reclaiming her smile."
"But if you wish to speak with the sheriff first, it would not be out of our way." Raziel gestures up ahead, where the road rises to reach the upper portion of Sandpoint.
"See, on the right hand side is the Cathedral, and the large building on the left is the Garrison, where we will find Sheriff Hemlock, or at least news of him. And the large building in the center is the Town Hall."
We would be walking up Main Street, facing north, on the map of Sandpoint (for those who care).
|Lisabett Erikkson
"No apology is necessary, Brother. I understand that your intent is to aide the girl's recovery. Having recently traveled with a varied group, I had forgotten what impression my size and ways might leave with one who is not used to such," Lisabett answers, managing a soft smile. She gestures in the direction of the cathedral, "Please, if I could be of any help to you," she says.
Lisabett glances over her shoulders at the heavy furs and instruments of war strapped to her back. "Do you know of a place where I might store my kit before we speak?" she asks. "A child traumatized by battle will not take kindly to them.
"I have not a trained voice, but my people are known for their love of singing. I have noticed that the traveling people enjoy songs as well. Have you any success in using music as a method of reaching the girl?"
|DM Hamied
Lisabett and Raziel
The sun breaks from the clouds as you reach the Sandpoint Cathedral. The impressive spire is lost in the glare. You step into a long shadow as you come to the building's heavy doors, however, and spy Father Abstalar Zantus sitting in the shade with a book in hand. He looks up as you approach.
"Brother Holheim. You return, but Koya Mvashti is not with you. A shame. I had hoped to speak with her. It seems, though, that you have made a new acquaintance."
Alazandaru and Sorin
"I like her." Ameiko says, a moment after Lisabett and Raziel have departed. She pours a mug of beer.
"Do you?" Sandru asks. "You did not even introduce yourself."
"Did I not?" Ameiko chuckles. "I shall do so at the next opportunity. But your legs must be as tired as your wit. Sit." She thrusts the mug at him. Amber liquid splashes his leather tunic. "Drink."
|Sorin Nicusor
Sorin watches as Lisabett and Raziel leave.
"The northerners do not seem like normal travellers. How did they come to be in your company, Shandru?"
Turning to Ameiko, "As for the missing party and the goblins, it isn't even a question; just tell me when and I'll be ready. I do feel as if I've missed half a story however. Who are the mother and child the others spoke of? Did someone say they were burned?"
|DM Hamied
Alazandaru and Sorin
Sandru takes the mug from Ameiko and gulps from it. He wipes it from his beard with a dirty sleeve. "Mercenaries that surrendered to us, if you'd believe it. I thought it some trick at first, yet we came under no attack from their band. The four of them aided us during the goblin ambush, and so have proven their loyalty. The others fear Lisabett, and though I find her formidable as any man, it has nevertheless been my curiosity why. There are none better suited to travel to Brinestump Marsh, in my estimation, though I would that she had assistance."
"If you are to take this on, Sorin, I have nothing more to tell you but to be cautious. I would not have you disappear as well." The frivolity disappears from Ameiko's voice as quickly as it surfaced. "Sheriff Hemlock will have your details, though I suggest you inquire soon before Lisabett walks south alone."
"You have a moment then, child, for she made intention to seek the mother and daughter you ask after." Nobody noticed Koya Mvashti stand, but she commands the room with her words.
"Yes." Ameiko says. "They were burned badly in a goblin attack, the young girl in particular."
"And I will seek them myself." Koya responds. "But that is a task for an old woman and not one filled with strength and youth as you are, Sorin Nicusor. Assemble your allies quickly, if you mean to go."
|Lisabett Erikkson
"Brother Holheim. You return, but Koya Mvashti is not with you. A shame. I had hoped to speak with her. It seems, though, that you have made a new acquaintance."
"I am called Lisabett," she supplies, inclining her head in a salute. "We met earlier, but were not properly introduced. Were we informed of your intent to see Koya, I might have been able to persuade her."
Lisabett pauses and takes a deep breath. "I believe it was my eagerness that blinded me. The Lady Ameiko informed me of the burned girl, Brother Holheim calls her Minhzeri. I thought, since I have experience with scarring, I might be of some assistance," she suggests, pulling her blonde hair back from her scarred face. Lisabett hoists the quiver of javelins on her shoulder, and grips her spear tighter. "Is there an area where I might lay my kit before I see this girl? Brother Holheim has suggested that my warlike ways may frighten them, and I do not wish to."
|Raziel Holhiem
|Lisabett Erikkson
"My thanks, Brother," Lisabett replies, and bows to both priests as a gesture of respect. "Please excuse me, you must have some business together," she adds, and moves towards the door.
Disarming gives every appearance of being a ritual for Lisabett. After casting a wary glance at the door to discern its path, she picks up her skirts and kneels on the floor. The first of her warlike items to be shed is the quiver of javelins she wears across her back, which she handles as tenderly as a child, sliding the parcel into her arms for a moment to extract a piece of leather from just inside before standing it against the wall for ease of access should they be required. Her spear she draws next, across her knees, and she glides her fingertips across its blade before slipping the leather cap over it to bond it for peace.
Would that I might forever bond it, Lisabett laments as she stands the longspear besides her quiver. Her pack follows shortly, with its straps faced outwards to simply grab and sling over her shoulder without much thought.
Lisabett pauses a moment and idly strokes the furs across her shoulders. The wolves that had foolishly given their lives to craft the large cloak that maintained her life in the most inclement weather deserved no more respect than that function, she reasoned, but laments giving up this last vestige of her self among strangers. She purses her lips and removes the stay of the pin mechanism, and pulls the heavy cloak over her shoulder and into her lap, folds it several times and then deposits it on the ground in front of the backpack.
Bereft of her military kit, and the bulky furs that confuse her image, when Lisabett rises and approaches the two priests, her simple dress betrays a wholly feminine figure. Though she is taller than most men, and large besides, she is not ill proportioned, and it could stand to reason that among her own people, she might be considered attractive.
"Are there any other adjustments I have neglected to make, Brother?" Lisabett inquires of Brother Holheim when she returns.
|DM Hamied
Lisabett and Raziel
"Well met, Lisabett." Father Zantus smiles. He is quiet for a moment. Once Lisabett has stepped inside the door to set aside her arms, he speaks again, gazing out at the blue horizon.
"You need not apologize for her, Brother Holhiem. She is one of Desna's faithful, and her boldness offends neither the Song of the Spheres nor me. Perhaps her directness will be of some benefit to Kasha and Minhzeri, for they would seem to resist our gentler tones. All the same, I would have you there with her. I will remain here. I am sure Koya will make her way up the road before long."
Father Zantus turns as Lisabett reappears, but says nothing.
|Raziel Holhiem
"No, you should be fine as you are, Lisabett," Raziel replies. "Let me escort you to where they rest."
Raziel will lead the way through the cathedral to the smaller rooms in the back. He indicates a door to Lisabett, then taps gently upon it.
"Ma'am Kasha, Minhzeri, may I enter? I have a friend who wishes to speak with you..."
Hearing a faint approval, he allows Lisabett to enter first.
|DM Hamied
Lisabett and Raziel
You open the door to the sparse chamber that has become the refuge of the burned travelers. Kasha sits on the edge of the cot where her daughter lies, her heavily bandaged hand locked with the child's. She looks to be a typical Varisian woman with dusky skin and dark hair. From where you stand, Minhzeri is not easily visible, but you can see that she is decked with gauze from head to foot.
The mother speaks in Varisian. "Who comes?"
|Lisabett Erikkson
Lisabett stands quietly under Father Zantus's scrutiny. Priests such as these, idle in the heat of the day, we unknown to her. Them of Erastil and Torag were constantly at work, hunting, or crafting items that their communities required. They would be eager to advise if their task was not overbearing, but never rarely, unless specifically requested, would they grant a private interview.
It does appear as though he is at liberty, now Lisabett observes, and casts a glance at Brother Holheim, but this setting is hardly private...
Lisabett had come to admire the elder woman, Koya. She displayed the sensibilities of traveling people, moving about her own efficiently, lending harsh criticisms of bad behavior and extolling virtues in the same easy tone. She is one who commands, Lisabett realized when she first met the woman. And one who travels, she muses. No, if there were any who might hear her confession it would be none other than Koya.
But what of her relation to Sandru, and this brother Holheim? Lisabett inhales and holds her breath. For all she had spoken to the captain, he likely believed her a savage capable of frightening children at a glance, as well. What had she gained by her display of passion but a false impression of barbarism?
"Thank you, Brother," Lisabett answers Holheim and follows him through the temple, glad for the diversion from her thoughts.
Observing that Brother Holheim is allowing her to take the lead, Lisabett inclines her head in a salute, and enters the small room.
Varisian"Greetings, Mother," she says gently, and immediately kneels upon the floor to negate the terror her height might pose in the small room. "I am called Lisabett. Do not fear my bad words, I am learning them still. May I sit with you?"/Varisian she says and smiles.
Lisabett looks to the girl who has been burnt and maintains her smile. She continues in Common for Brother Holheim's benefit. "My people sing very special songs for them who have survived battles, to honor their courage and heroism. My own father taught me this one when I received this scar," Lisabett traces the claw like scar running through her eyebrow, "defending a boy from a raider's hound-"
Lisabett's Untrained Perform (Sing) 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22.
Though there are portions of the song which do not translate well from Skald, the lyrics are simple, and tell a story of generations of warriors that have defended the home and hearth from them that would destroy them from without. It is meant to be a song of courage praising the simplest of men who raise arms as defenders, and crediting the efforts of their families.
|DM Hamied
Lisabett and Raziel
Kasha does not respond to your request to sit, but neither does she try to prevent you from doing so.
When you are nearer to Minhzeri, you notice her green eyes watching you intently. They are not without fear, but as you sing, they fill instead with wonder. The girl sits up as you conclude your song. A tear runs down the mother's face.
|Lisabett Erikkson
Varisian "You have a very strong daughter, Mother," Lisabett congratulates with a smile, and looks to the little girl. "I am Lisabett. I am from very far away, and look different than you, but our people are the same. What is your name?" /Varisian she asks gently.
Lisabett Diplomacy 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
|DM Hamied
|Lisabett Erikkson
"Minhzeri? It is a good name," Lisabett answers in the same, focusing her attention on the little girl. "I was taught by my elders that voices are like the music of the spheres above," Lisabett continues, and gestures to the ceiling, indicating the sky, "each one is unique, and lends their sound amid the heavens to entertain Desna and her angels on Her journeys across the sky."
Lisabett hopes that her words convey her intent properly, that she does not pity the girl, but expects her to find her own voice and give praise for all that she retains. However, she is no sage or priestess to make peace among people, she is a warrior.
Koya, Mother, please hurry.
|Sorin Nicusor
Sorin looks at Ameiko with mock astonishment and indignation.
"Disappear?! Me?!" He cannot feign the pose for long though and quickly breaks into laughter. "Were such an incredulous event to occur, I would simply think of you and find my way home again. But I must see to Raziel and Lisabett."
Without another word, Sorin will take off out the door and run to the temple.
I would like to know if Sorin arrives at the temple in time to hear Lisabett's song. If he does, he will stop and do nothing until she finishes.
Arriving at the temple, Sorin will quickly greet the priests and rush over to Raziel's side. If Lisabett is still with the child, he will do so as quietly as possible. He whispers into Raziel's ear.
"Sandru thinks the Ulfen group is very competent but I would not have them chase after goblins alone. There is also the missing search party to consider; we must hold to the hope that they may yet live. I assume you wish to help. The sheriff has important information but most of my gear is at my house. I can meet you there or wait and accompany you." He pauses "I should have brough Alazandaru with me. I rushed out of the tavern so quickly I forgot."
|Raziel Holhiem
Raziel motions Sorin to keep his voice down, and steps away from the door so not to disturb those inside.
"I think Lisabett wishes to seek out Sheriff Hemlock afterwards," he whispers to Soren.
"Get Alazandaru, there should be time, and meet us there. I would guess that just rushing off without proper preparation might work for the Ulfens, but we should seek out the Sheriff's information first, and then arm ourselves with the proper gear."
Raziel gives a low chuckle. "I need to don my armor and weapons too before we leave."
|DM Hamied
Lisabett, Raziel and Sorin
Ameiko's raised eyebrow is the last thing Sorin sees as he ducks out the door of the Rusty Dragon. The cloudy morning has yielded to bright sun, but most of the residents of Sandpoint appear to be indoors. The goblin menace seemed a mere nuisance a week ago, but fear is beginning to set in.
Father Zantus looks up from his book and returns Sorin's greeting with a polite nod, then goes back to reading. As Sorin opens one of the hefty double doors of the cathedral, however, the priest turns again at the sound of lovely singing that comes from within.
Sorin joins Raziel by the door of the smaller chamber. The song continues for several minutes still.
|Lisabett Erikkson


text:
Tags: Departmental Stores,
Free Business Advertisement Oppertunity on Pakistan's Largest Yellow Pages and Business Directory. Don't waste your time and start free advertising by becoming the member of Enic. Examples of Free Business Advertisenments and Most Related Businesses you might Like.We need your Like, Share and Comments.
Click on every icon below to share and expand your business
Disclaimer: All content posted by the user in the form of Offers/Products/Company Profiles/Images etc. is the responsibility of the user and Enic.PK shall not be held liable for any such content in any way.
ENIC Launched Domain Names with Hosting Paid Domain Name with Unlimited Bandwidth Hosting Fully Ready Website in Just 3000 Rs/Year

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A Preface to Talking About the GuerrillerasThursday, July 28th, 2011 by Sally Weathers
I have not yet posted anything about the female ex-guerrilla fighters conference (i.e. the entire purpose of this trip) in part because there are privacy concerns associated with individual testimonies. Everyone who attended the conference generously shared parts of their personal histories that could have been, and oftentimes clearly were, difficult to revisit even at a distance of forty years. It is remarkable that under those circumstances any of the women would feel additionally comfortable enough to have their personal contributions published online. And yet, ex-guerrilla fighters Lourdes Quiñones and Yolanda Casas have agreed to just that, as has ex-political prisoner Gladys López, and ex-guerrilla fighter Alma Gómez has kindly given permission to share her photo. Thus, I will discuss and upload photographs of these four women (except no discussion on Ms. Gómez), and describe all other conference-related activities in terms of generalized, consensus opinions.
Memory and Identity
One of the original objectives of this event, an objective that I believe the conference met, was to bring into sharper focus an epoch of Mexican history that is surprisingly distant to many of my generation even though it was our parents' generation that would have witnessed it. In the absence of a strong, collective memory of the 1970s guerrilla movement in Mexico, and especially given government efforts to suppress related information, the women who attended the conference have a difficult task cut out for them: to construct a memory that few others share, to try and add a narrative into Mexican history that a limited number of people can or are willing to attest to.
The task was to take several highly personal stories and to try to graft them into something as close to the truth as imperfect human memory will allow. Personal narratives, however, are shaped by the human need to construct an identity, and necessarily so. Pain in particular – an all too familiar sensation for many of these women – can influence the ways in which we remember or forget our past. For these reasons, it is not quite right to say that the primary goal of this conference was to discover a definitive, singluar "truth" on the question of "women and the Mexican Dirty War."
The Truth
On the contrary, as long as individuals are uniquely defined by the specific time, place, and even body in which they live, it would seem that several real experiences of the same event are not merely possible, but in fact an unavoidable outcome. Without a doubt, comparing different accounts of the past can help a third party construct a coherent picture of what exactly happened – and this was one of the aims at the conference. But this process of comparison, and sort of "averaging," should not necessarily cast doubt upon any individual's testimony even if her account contradicts those of others. If one were to ask, "Did you experience sexism within the guerrilla movement?" Two women in very much the same circumstances might give quite different, but equally truthful, answers about what their personal experiences or understandings of the event entailed.
In Short
Thus, the conference aimed to discover the "truth" in all its convoluted and contradictory glory, i.e. in all its reality. And memory, a capacity highly influenced by the passage of time and identity development, was the best tool available to us. Although I could easily describe the conference as a great "success" in a very unimaginative, traditional sense – as an event that shed definitive light upon the actual circumstances of a certain period -I think it better to understand the conference as the much more complex success that it truly was.


text:
"We have a severe drug problem," Darnelle Prunka told the Lumberland Town Board last week, referring to the community at large.
Prunka stayed on last Wednesday evening after delivering the director's report of a successful town summer youth program earlier in the meeting, where she had shown photos from field trips and examples of the projects and crafts made by kids during the July program.
Speaking at the end of the agenda, Prunka said the drug problem is "all over… not just in Lumberland, but in Eldred and Yulan… drugs have no boundaries."
Supervisor Nadia Rajsz agreed. She said she learned of the problem when her own daughters were in school at Eldred, while she served as president of the Parent Teacher Student Organization. "It's been around many years."
Prunka said she works in Monticello, where the property at her job site is littered with the leftover trash of drug use. "I don't want this area to be like Monticello," she said.
She said she has spoken to the school board, the constables and state police and hasn't seen anything being done. "Things need to be investigated… It's bad and getting worse. It's all over," she said."
"When my kids were at Eldred the school didn't want to hear about it," Rajsz confirmed.
Lumberland chief constable Patrick Cahill said there are things happening. "We report to the sheriff's department and the state police. They have the resources to investigate," he said.
In unrelated business on August 14, Rajsz said Lumberland would opt in for a new coordinated sign program for the Route 97 Scenic Byway.
Heather Jacksy of the Sullivan County Planning Department outlined the program of state-provided signage along the Route 97 Scenic Byway to better direct visitors to local recreational amenities and services, while keeping them off private property. Jacksy also detailed a riverfront revitalization program with funding of $125,000 to create six new river access areas. County-owned property at the Pond Eddy Bridge will be developed in Lumberland.
Lumberland Fire Department President Ann Schulte Steimle reported on several rescues accomplished by Lumberland firefighters over the prior weekend during recovery efforts following a drowning at Knight's Eddy.
Speaking of the recovery and the rescues, councilman Joe Carr said too many people see only the costs for maintaining the fire department. Noting the donated time volunteers give to training and fundraising, he said, "People in town don't understand… it would cost a lot more without them."
The town board approved a resolution urging support for the state constitutional referendum on casino gambling, prompting Rajsz to comment on the ease in gathering support for this resolution. "But every time I bring up (eliminating corporate) tax exemptions, I'm told it can't be done."
She was concerned about the budget impacts of likely Industrial Development Agency exemptions which could be offered to casino developers. "They were granted to the Millennium Pipeline, and they're making millions. Give them abatements… yes, during construction; then they pay their full share," she said.


text:
The NIAG, formed in 1968, is a high-level consultative and advisory group of senior industrialists of NATO member countries acting under the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), the principal forum in NATO for Armaments Cooperation.
The aims of NIAG are to provide:
Historically the main area of activity has been to conduct pre-feasibility studies. Up to now more than 120 studies have been completed. Areas involved vary from strictly technical to specific areas like STANAGs and ONST. NIAG also provides high level advice on important general problems.
The United States' component of the NIAG is a group of nine senior industrialists who have national and international defense program experience (President, Senior Vice President, or Vice President level). Members of the U.S. delegation to the NIAG are nominated by the major U.S. defense industry associations including NDIA, Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), and Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). Delegates serve four-year terms to enhance program continuity.
Please click here to read the NIAG Chairman's Annual Report to the CNAD.
Please click here to read the DoD NIAG Delegation Handbook.
Download/Print/View the NIAG Update 2014.
Download/Print/View the NIAG Update 2013.


text: HI everyone, I am new to this forum and and a first time mom. I joined in desperation after 5 weeks of intermittently successful breast feeding. All the LCs that we have seen tell me that the immense nipple pain and soreness and cracking is due to anatomical mismatch, with my breasts being large (D cup size prepregnancy) and my son's mouth being smallish. He came out at 38 weeks and behaves like a premie. I have been nursing him on one side and feeding him expressed milk from the other, until the other side heals. By then, this overused side gets sore and cracked and I need to switch breasts for the next couple of days, until this one heals. I am tired and frustrated about this and really really want this breast feeding thing to work for my baby boy. Any thoughts or recommendations on how to get back to consistent nursing? In the meantime, he has had weight gain issues and we have had to supplement him with formula in a feeding cup. The pediatrician advised us to supplement until his weight improves, which will also help him with better latch.


text:
The Texas Independence Trail is one of the 10 Texas Heritage Trail Regions. Each trail is marked by highway signage installed and maintained by the Texas Highway Department. The intent of these highway markings is to support the historical heritage... More ›
William Waldo was one of the early burials in the Sutherland Springs Cemetery. He is best remembered for his help and contributions in assisting American immigrants from the Plains states of... More ›
In the month of August 1891, a young farmer named Edwards was plowing his field near Sutherland Springs. As he was going along, his plow hit a large solid object buried in the earth. On inspection... More ›
Historians look back in time and wonder what past events took place to bring us to where we are today. They attempt to solve the historic mysteries that link the past to the present. El Camino... More ›
Wilson County did not exist as an individual area prior to this period. However, it was an area which was greatly involved in the Texas Revolution of 1836. The majority of the county area as... More ›
By J.T. Jaeggli
July 14, 1971
It was called the land of the Chayopines by the Mission Padres and early citizens of Bexar for the Indian tribes that inhabited the surrounding region and were... More ›
The Beauregard Ranch was one of the earliest ranches established in Wilson County during the open range days prior to the American Civil War. It was located in the San Antonio River Valley and... More ›
Albuquerque was a small community in Wilson County located on the old San Antonio-Gonzales Road near Union Valley. This historic fight occurred on May 17, 1873, at the local blacksmith shop, between John Jack Helm and John Wesley Hardin. Both... More ›
In 1960, Wilson County celebrated its 100th birthday with great fanfare. As the centennial year drew to a close, the county interred a time capsule under the Wilson County Courthouse lawn, not... More ›
The deadline to submit a letter to the future for inclusion in the Wilson County Sesquicentennial time capsule is Wednesday, Sept. 15.
The Wilson County Sesquicentennial Committee invites... More ›
George Alston owns a farm in the Nockenut community near Stockdale. In 1975, he uncovered on his farm what appears to be a gravestone, he told local historian Shirley Grammer. The stone bears the year 1796 and an inscription.
As best as we... More ›
As Wilson Countys sesquicentennial year comes to a close, plans are under way to dig up the a time capsule buried on the grounds of the Wilson County Courthouse in 1960. A ceremony will take... More ›
The Wilson County Sesquicentennial Committee announces an art contest and essay contest to be held on September 25, 2010. This is an opportunity for students in grades 4 through 12 to showcase their best art and writing skills. View the rules and... More ›
The Wilson County Sesquicentennial Committee invites letters from county residents to be included in a time capsule to be buried Sept. 25, as the countys 150th birthday celebration draws to... More ›
This is the final part of the history of the Dewees Remschel House.
The house that you see today looks very different from its original appearance. Visualize a three-sided, two-story porch... More ›
This is part III of a multi-part history of the Dewees Remschel House.
After the death of Dr. Robert Taggert Knox in 1898, his wife sold the house in Gonzales, which later became known as... More ›
This is part II of a multi-part history of the Dewees Remschel House.
Dr. Robert Taggart Knox was born in Danville, Ky., in 1832, the second in a family of three children. He was raised in... More ›
This is part I of a multi-part history of the Dewees Remschel House.
Wilson County and the Wilson County Historical Society have had the good fortune of being bequeathed a historic home situated... More ›
Members of the third-grade class of the Kosciusko Independent School District gather for a group photo during the 1950-51 school year. Pictured are (back, from left) John Niemietz, Virgil Wiatrek, Sylvester Niemietz, Lorene Moy, Kathryn Kopecki... More ›
Descendants of the Wheeler-Butler family gather April 24 for a reunion in the Wheeler-Butler Cemetery in Wilson County. Family members formed an association and pay dues to maintain the cemetery. Pictured are (standing, from left) James Wheeler... More ›


text:
Choose the period
Today, my wife wants to name our first child Siri, after the iPhone function. FML
by boo8713 / 11/28/2012 at 1:06am / United States (California) / Miscellaneous
Today, I'm recovering in the emergency room. How did I get here? Intoxicated at a coed party, I saw a hole in the host's shed and thought it funny to christen it a "glory-hole", only to be bitten by what may well have been a black widow spider. FML
by Widowmaker / 11/28/2012 at 1:09pm / United States (Nevada) / Health
Today, my husband quit his job as a university professor and picked up the graveyard shift at a rat farm so he could have more time during the day to play World of Warcraft. FML
by Anonymous / 11/28/2012 at 1:32am / United States (Wisconsin) / Love
Today, my boyfriend started watching The Big Bang Theory on DVD. Now he won't stop saying "Bazinga" every time he says or hears something that sounds funny. It's so annoying I want to feed him to the neighbor's dog. FML
by FUSheldon / 11/28/2012 at 12:15am / United States (Illinois) / Miscellaneous
Today, as I was about to walk across the street, a girl in front of me who clearly wasn't paying attention to the traffic, almost got run over. I grabbed her arm and jumped back. She was fine. I fell and fractured my arm and wrist. FML
by williebees / 11/28/2012 at 12:43pm / United States (Texas) / Health
Today, I was mugged at gunpoint by a senior citizen. She now has a lousy $20, and I probably have PTSD. FML
by stillshakinggd / 11/28/2012 at 4:16pm / United States / Miscellaneous
Today, after almost four years of having avoided her due to her hatred of my husband, my mother invited us both to a family dinner. My husband wanted to give her another chance, so we went. Less than an hour after arriving, I caught her hocking a loogie and spitting it into our food. FML
by some things never change / 11/28/2012 at 6:04pm / Canada (British Columbia) / Love
Today my boyfriend and my best friend had a very lengthy, detailed conversation about Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, of which I know nothing about. Once they stopped, I looked at him and smiled, and he responded with, "Why can't you be more like her?" FML
by JStein / 11/28/2012 at 11:33pm / United States (Illinois) / Love
Today, I was working the dart game at my local amusement park when a couple paid to play. They were highly intoxicated, and they thought the object of the game was to hit me with the darts. FML
by hawksbc / 11/28/2012 at 10:14am / United States (Iowa) / Work
Today, drunk at a party, I leaned through a window to throw up. I was outside. FML
by kise / 11/28/2012 at 1:20am / Health
Today, I was waiting in a doctor's office when I was approached by an elderly woman. She told me all about the ripping of her stitches in a very private place, in exhaustive detail. Of course, today was the day my doctor chose to be an hour late. FML
by Anonymous / 11/28/2012 at 7:57pm / Canada (Ontario) / Health
- 1
- « Previous page
- Next page »
- Today, I can't seem to get a job after going for more than 20 interviews over the last two months.… Today, I have finished reading all 2365 pages of FML. I don't know what's worse. The fact that I'm… Today, While at a resort, my friends and I decided to go to the indoor pool. I was surprised when I…


text:
INGREDIENTS:9 cups mascarpone cheese 4 lbs. Granny smith apples 4 lbs. Bosc pear 24 7 inch Rich's pizza dough shells 4 cups dried cranberries 2 cups hot water 1 ½ cups honey ¼ cup powdered sugarDIRECTIONS:1. Preheat oven to 500°F. Defrost pizza shells. Keep covered under refrigeration. 2. Core and slice apples and pears 1/8 inch thick, rub with lemon, reserve on ice. 3. On a floured surface with a rotating hand motion, stretch each pizza dough. Place dough on top of pizza pan and crimp ...
Register to view this article
WhyRegisterfor FREE?
Registering for Premium Content on Restaurant Hospitality will give youINSTANTaccess to invaluable articles and media content that industry professionals rely on. You will have access to our special reports, feature articles, and industry analysis. It'sFREE, easy and quick.


text:
Dalton Sturm, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, had 26 points for the Tigers and teammate Carl Roy, who was named to the all-tournament team, added 14.
On Thursday, the Tigers (7-3) opened the tournament with a 71-62 victory over El Campo as Sturm poured in 36 points with nine rebounds, six steals and four assists. Davis Ohrt, who was also an all-tournament selection, had 11 points and Eric Long added 10.
On Friday, Sturm's 22 points led the Tigers to a 60-33 rout of Bloomington. Later Friday, Sturm had 11 points and Denton Ohrt added 10 in a 53-23 win over the Industrial JV.
On Tuesday in Mathis, Goliad defeated the Pirates 56-43 behind 13 points, five rebounds and five steals from Roy and 11 points and nine rebounds from Sturm.
Goliad also won the JV game 50-31 behind Alfred Ortiz's 17 points to improve to 5-0 on the season.
The Tigers hosted Yoakum on Tuesday before hosting the Goliad Holiday Tournament Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Teams entered in the tournament are Goliad, Schertz John Paul II, Poth, Edna, Stockdale, Yorktown, Hallettsville, Mathis, Woodsboro, Karnes City, Taft and Yoakum.


text:
Town scraps solar plans for now
ROCKINGHAM The town of Rockingham has scrapped plans to build a 500-kilowatt facility on a gravel pit on town-owned land because the state-issued land-use permit for the property had lapsed, officials said.
Town Manager Willis Stearns said the plans for the five-acre property off Route 103 were put on hold indefinitely because the town couldnt apply for an extension of the Act 250 land-use permit if there were plans to alter the use of the pit with a solar construction project.
And so to not hold up that Act 250 process, we pulled the whole idea of solar panels because we had no commitments made to be able to say definitively ... this is the product that will be there, Stearns told the Eagle-Times of Claremont, N.H.
Any solar project at the gravel pit would have assumed about 30 percent of the total property for at least two decades, limiting any future industrial or large-scale excavation operations.
Last December, Rockingham officials began soliciting blueprints from local solar companies to explore the possibility of buying into a sun-powered network that could result in major savings on the towns $200,000 annual electric bill.
Its not high enough on the priorities list now, Stearns said. Will it surface again? Absolutely it will ... the solar process to me makes a lot of sense when you have one large consumption area, which is the wastewater treatment plant, that can benefit from this.MORE IN Vermont NewsMONTPELIER Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Full StoryVermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell plans to join the U.S. Full StoryAs Rutland prepares to welcome Syrian refugees to its community, some are continuing to voice... Full Story
- Most Popular
- Most Emailed


text:
Theirs was a message of unity and of change.
For the past 20 years, marchers walked from the courthouse to Bethlehem Baptist Church or Jones Chapel Methodist Church.
This year, on the 21st anniversary of the march, the crowd headed three blocks north toward First United Methodist Church.
Inside, they celebrated as one congregation — race and creed mattered not.
Jesse Robinson stood before them.
He wasn't there to speak or offer a sermon. He was there to lead the Beeville Men's Choir in song.
But as he stood and looked out at the crowd that was more diverse than has been seen in many years, he too felt compelled to share his story.
"I too was part of that integration in 1955, and at my age now, I think back, and I have seen a lot of firsts, and I, too, was one of those firsts," he said.
"I was the first black athlete to make All-State in the state of Texas, and I was honored by the state House of Representatives.
"I too was there when Martin Luther King marched for freedom, and I didn't understand what was going on."
Robinson said that, as a boy, he didn't understand segregation.
"All I saw was friends. I didn't see color," he said. "All I knew was that, for some reason, we couldn't do a lot things other people could do.
"My parents taught us to love.
"We didn't care what color you were."
Robinson praised the community leaders, especially the Rev. Larry McRorey of FUMC, the Rev. Eric Tarver of Bethlehem Baptist Church and the Rev. Bettye Whiteside of Jones Chapel United Methodist Church, for the chance to hold the celebration at FUMC.
"I am glad we are having this here at this church," he said. "I would like to see more churches involved. I would like to see the streets filled up with people.
"We just have to make up our minds that we are going to stand here together."
Just prior to Robinson, County Judge David Silva stood before this same gathering.
He reminded them that change seldom comes quickly, but the pursuit of equality is worth it.
"It took years to get there, but we are making strides, and we are making progress to achieve that dream," Silva said.
He noted that Monday morning was even more significant because, not only was it the day to honor King's memory, but also the day that President Barack Obama was ceremonially sworn into his second term of office.
President Obama was officially sworn in Sunday, as mandated by the Constitution, by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, in the Blue Room of the White House, surrounded by a small group of family and friends. The event was repeated on Monday for spectators, as a mock swearing-in, complete with celebration, inaugural speech and parade.
"I think it is important that we note and remember that changes have occurred," Silva said, referring to this country being led by its first black president. "At the same time, it is important to note that we are not there yet.
"We remember our past, and we look forward to the task that is yet before us.
"No day can pass that we forget that the dream has yet to be achieved."
Rev. Howard Mims of William Taylor United Methodist Church in Luling likened this search for equality to that of a cool drink from "a distant well."
And while it is tempting to enjoy that drink and take credit for the advances of society, everyone must remember it was God who made it possible.
"We ought to re-dig the well that our forebears dug," he said. "And all of their sacrifices, we ought to pour out to the Lord."
Jason Collins is the editor at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 121, or at email@example.com.


text:
A look at the 4Warn radar as of 11:28pm shows a slow-moving storm responsible for the flooding over parts of Pike County.
Around 10:30pm Tuesday evening, the Weather Service office out of Birmingham placed Pike County under a Flash Flood Warning.
This warning included Troy, Brundidge, Goshen and surrounding communities.
The storm responsible for the storm was very slow moving. At the Troy Municipal Airport, 1.41" was reported within a six hour period.
In the text of their warning, the National Weather Service said another part of Troy received nearly 3 and a half inches of rain, with radar estimates above 4 inches for other parts of the county.
The warning was allowed to expire at 1am, with the storm dissipating around 2am.
The National Weather Service continues a Flash Flood Warning for Pike County through 1am Central Standard Time.
The threat of flooding continues for Pike County for the next couple of hours. According to the National Weather Service, nearly 3 and a half inches of rain has fallen in Downtown Troy and flooding was reported on Troy's Elm Street.
Communities that will be affected by this slow-moving storm include Brundidge, Goshen, Troy, Ansley, Antioch, Banks, Linwood, the Troy Muncipal Airport and the Troy University campus.
Forecasters warn that an additional inch to inch and a half of rain may be possible.
If you cannot judge the depth of water, do not step into or drive through it.
Stay with WTVY and WTVY.com for the latest breaking weather developments.


text:
"I've been listening to the Catholic Answers Live podcast for about a year now. Today I heard Patrick Coffin say you were reaching all nations, and I felt I had to confirm it! I love your show and I learn every day. Thank you very much!"
"I have loved justice and hated iniquity, therefore I die in exile."


text:
Chan Ho Must Go
Ask me how I really feel… Ok, well, Chan Ho Park doesn't have to go far…maybe just to the bullpen where he should have been to start with. At this point in his 16-year career, Park no longer has what it takes to start. Park started 4 games this season and here is his ERA in each one: 13.50, 7.20, 5.14 and today, 13.50. Including one inning he pitched in another game early in the season, Park's ERA for the season so far is 8.57. Not only are the numbers bad, but he has only gone beyond 5 innings one time, which is taxing our bullpen.
Today's start was a disaster. Park lasted only 4.2 innings, gave up 7 earned runs and walked SIX batters. Mets fans everywhere thank him. Phillies fans would like to see heads roll. How much more do we need to see out of this guy before designating him to the pen?
The Phillies have JA Happ who would love a shot at starting; Carlos Carrasco would be thrilled to come up to the majors; and even Chad Durbin would not mind taking over if needed. Options abound. Why then not take advantage of them?
In fact, the score may have been much worse if not for the Phillies great defense. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard bailed Park out with an amazing double play in the 1st inning, after he had already dug an 0-2 hole for the team. Raul Ibanez made a super sliding grab in the outfield later as well.
In fact, the score may have been much worse if not for the Phillies great defense. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard bailed Park out with an amazing double play in the 1st inning, after he had already dug an 0-2 hole for the team. Raul Ibanez made a super sliding grab in the outfield later as well.
Our offense struggled again, but still scored 4 runs, despite a 6th inning base running blunder by Chris Coste and Greg Dobbs, who looked like Laurel & Hardy on the base path. Both were caught between bases after a Mets error and Coste was tagged out. Rollins was also caught stealing for the 2nd time this season. But the Mets were sloppy as well; the Phillies simply did not take advantage.
I suddenly feel the need for some comic relief. This cartoon always makes me laugh. As the series with the Mets moves on to game 2 tomorrow at 3:40pm, try to think happy thoughts.
As always, don't forget to VOTE your Phillies into the All-Star game! VOTE up to 25 times per day, per email address!
Photo by Jenn
Happy Bunny by Jim Benton
***Visit the Phillies Phollowers Online Shop today!***
(Store is non-profit, but lots of fun! I hope you enjoy our artwork!)
*Read more about the Phillies at MY OTHER HOME PAGE! Phillies Phollowers has joined forces with Phightin' Phils Phorum! Remember also to check out the homepage, My Team Rivals and my very own Miami Dolphins page, The Dolphin Pod!
3 Comments
After watching Park struggle over the past several years I am surprised he is in the rotation for the Phillies. I really don't get it.
I love the cartoon! and I hope your guys can get the pitching worked out.
You were in a bunny mood, hmm? Love the chocolate bunny cartoon! Could use some chocolate myself!
Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts


text:
Is Uzo getting some dizzo? I'm intrigued.ReplyCancel
Love that guessReplyCancel
you are good Tricia! or maybe Hugh GrantReplyCancel
Is KK on covers lately?
Cox is getting married. Would that be the "judging" factor?
K Stew on covers lately?
Ferrell / K Stew?ReplyCancel
Holy crap. I just figured out Laverne Cox.
I was in the dark there, alone.
Oh. Good guess.ReplyCancel
K Stewpid's not a cable star.ReplyCancel
I wondered.
Shows how much I care about her and her bored expression.
18 year olds are not children, Liddy. There are plenty of 18 year olds who are more capable of making adult decisions than many 30 year olds.ReplyCancel
Lol. Then when I saw Laverne, I racked my brain and could only come up with "Laverne" and Shirley. I'll go get my prune juice and walker now.ReplyCancel
@Sincerely, I'll pick up some Depends for us on the my way over. Need any Ben Gay?ReplyCancel
Most of Grant's actual relationships have been with women. His baby mamas are both in their 30's. Hurley and Jemima Khan weren't teenagers. The college girls are one night stands. Having been a college girl, it's as much on them as it is on him.
Colin Farrell has never given a fuck what his fans think of his behavior. I always liked that about him.
Is Russell Crowe 1) now considered formerly A list and 2) still pretending to be "reconciled" with his wife?ReplyCancel
@malibu I stand by my grant/cox guess….
But I'll say this…Colin is a veeeery different Colin now that he is sober (for a while now)and a dad.
I think he does care what people think because his past antics epwere so public and shameful to his family(his words, not mine)
Crowe never pretented he was reconciled by his wife.They're separated but not again divorcedReplyCancel
@Tricia s
Farrell has a 10/11 years old son also and he's sober since 8 years.
Interesting. I had no idea Colin had "reformed" to that extent. Getting control of the drink/drugs was good but the rest is disappointing.
Crowe definitely made a show of pretending to reconcile with the wife after the divorce kerfuffle. He never actually stopped fucking around, just stopped divorcing her and did the photo-ops.
Grant may well be with Cox. My point was that he has relationships in addition to his one night stands with college girls.ReplyCancel
The Hugh Grant and Laverne Cox guess is interesting, but because Enty describes the former A list actor as "still great looking", I don't think it can be him.
I found a February 2014 article with a photo of Hugh and he's aged to the point that you can hardly tell he used to be good looking, let alone still is:
@Yoj: Please refrain from stereotyping. Not all 18 year olds have tight lil asses. Most seem to have tight lil vages though.
@Liddy: When he is 18, he'll make his own decisions. All I can do at that point is give advice.
If he wants to waste his youth banging old ladies, that will be his choice, and I'll support it. Hopefully some of the old broads have hot young daughters and we can double date.ReplyCancel
Count- what is with your obsession with anal? Were u in prison at one time?
Re: your son-you know how people say you dont know the feeling u hv for ur child until u have one? Double ditto for teenagers. And it wont be about his choice of dates, it will much for serious and oddly enough, stupid. Its driving a car onto a lake that isnt wuite frozen and whats your problem? Its not gonna break? Oh you think spring ice will crack? Thats your opinion. Who told you this anyway? Prove it! Weve done it before, no problem. By this time you are apololetic, and he's off to tempt fate. And you're the loser for even bringing up danger. Jeesh. And dint hand me oh he wld never do that, ill just let him drown. Not gonna happen. Its a scientific fact the front of teens brain, the part that controls decision making, is not fully formed til 20 or 21. Hence the jackass descions.
And double dating with his dates daughter? Yeah, that wont cause any psychological problems, no siree bobReplyCancel
I went through a phase where my fans were overly judgmental. It was tough, but I got through it.ReplyCancel
When the Count is the voice of reason we are all fucked.ReplyCancel
Well Liddy, I will just have to hope that since my teenage dumb decisions were few and far between, the same will happen with my boy.
Now please tell us of the horribly stupid decisions you made at 18 to make you know how ill prepared 18 y/os are to deal with life.
Re anal: I think it is because when I was young the butt was the coolest part of a chick to stare at w/o them noticing. In addition to that, chicks throw the pussy around like dirt nowadays, so the butt gives you something to work for. Finally, I'm still shell shocked from a custody fight, and buttholes cant get pregnant.ReplyCancel


text:
Number Five!
MLBlogosphere came out with their latest power rankings featuring the top ten most popular blogs from MLB.com. On behalf of everyone here at RSBS (myself included along with just Allen), I would like to thank the fans, the lawyers, the paparazzi, and all five members of NKOTB for their undying support and unfathomable loyalty to the staunch wordy baseball-politico diatribes presented here. With the help of a seriously disenfranchised Brit, you US Americans have put Red State Blue State over the hump and made us the fifth most popular fan blog in all of MLB.comLand!
While we're happy to be honored so, we were hoping you, dear reader, could pick up the slack a little and make us number one. I mean, what is fifth place really? The fourth loser?
If we have to, Allen has agreed to sell his body (frail and pasty as it is) to anyone who can generate hits on our site at nothing less than light speed. I would provide the sedatives to any willing participant as well as a package deal including up to at least three years of therapy.
In the meantime, I guess number five ain't so bad. If it's good enough for A.P., it's good enough for me. And A.P.'s pretty damn good…
In recognizing this and celebrating the fact that bipartisan blogging can actually turn out a modicum of success, I leave you, dear readers, with the gift of a fascinating video that I have yet to understand. Since the last post was about injuries and their affects on the game, I thought this might be a fitting tribute to staying healthy — on and off the field, computer, wherever you might spend your time… for me that would be in a bar.
Just don't hate me 'cuz I'm right.
4 Comments
I say we pull a Gotti-Castellano maneuver. You guys can be my dual-headed consigliere. Whattaya say?
As long as we stay away from Sparks Steak House, I'm in, Paul. La Cosa Nostra!
You two are such a big deal now. I bet your rooms are filled with many leather bound books and smell of rich mohoghany. Congrats to the both of you…
Hiya, Tim. Nice to see you back. We've missed you and your Cub-hatin' antics. We need strong supporters like yourself to voice your opinion here at RSBS since Allen has taken another long long long sabbatical from doing… well, anything.


text:
At a movie studio, once the pesky task of actually making a movie is out of the way the guys in the suits go to work. Their job is to bend and manipulate the movie footage into a short trailer that will tell you exactly what they think you want to hear. And it should be noted at the outset, they think you're retarded.
Here are five things we'd ask them to kindly stop doing, and why we know they never will.
5Show Scenes That Are Not In The Movie
Superbad's 30 second trailer promised that "Every generation has one iconic movie that is... quoted non-stop... Superbad is that film." That's high praise for movie producers; while we might mutter "douchebag" when a grown man emerges from a public restroom, fans his crotch and says, "Do not go in there!" in his best Jim Carrey inflection, the marketing community considers that shit free advertising.
What makes less sense is why, in a movie that's chock full of quotable nuggets, they chose "McLovin, sounds like a sexy hamburger!" to be the one line that turned up in the trailer that bragged about quotability. You know, since that line was so memorable that the filmmakers left it out of the movie altogether.
It didn't matter that the line was in no way quotable since it was a response to a name that doesn't exist anywhere outside of the movie, nor did it matter that both Jonah Hill and Michael Cera had funnier TV-friendly lines that were actually in the film. The studio wanted a line by Seth Rogen since he was in the previous summer's "once in a generation" quotable movie, Knocked Up. So the suits rifled through the footage left on the cutting room floor until they found a Seth Rogen line that didn't contain the word fuck, and we got a preview that did a great job hiding the fact that Superbad was actually pretty funny.
"This is a line in a movie!"
But what happens when marketing folks don't have an over abundance of good material to discard in favor of a deleted scene? The trailer for Black Christmas got around that problem by featuring a few moments that were shot just for the trailer. And by a few moments, we mean just about everything you see in the trailer was shot just for the trailer.
According to the IMDB page, the list includes:
An unknown caller saying, "All is calm, all is bright, who is in my house tonight?"
A woman rubbing the snow off her car and a hand reaching through it.
A woman falling off the roof tangled in Christmas lights.
A woman being dragged through the snow by a Christmas lights machine.
Melissa in the hallway with a flashlight while Billy is on the ceiling ready to strike with an axe.
For all of the actual film footage the trailer shows us, Black Christmas very well could be a remake of A Miracle on 34th Street starring Danny Glover and Webster.
4Use The Same Damn Songs Over And Over Again
Soon after it was released in 1989, Ton Loc's "Wild Thing" was put to use in the trailer for Uncle Buck, which actually made sense because the movie was about a wild man played by John Candy, and also because it was still 1989.
Since that time, Mr. Loc's anthem has been used in trailers for every fish out of water comedy that has been released in the last 19 years, including Undercover Brother, Garfield: The Movie, Bedazzled and the Rob Schneider vehicle, The Animal.
So why continue to use a song that had quickly become shorthand for "No matter how low your expectations, get ready to lower them!" Well, Hollywood thinks you need to be told exactly what sort of movie you're going to be getting. When you need to communicate that the main character is a live wire, why use cliched dialogue when you can use a cliched Ton Loc song instead?
The voice of several generations, apparently.
If the comedy has a big enough budget, they might even go with the nuclear option: Smash Mouth. Hollywood loves the shit out of some Smash Mouth; presumably because their songs are genetically engineered to get stuck in your head like some sort of incurable mind-AIDS. Also, they all sound the same, so instead of using that "All-Star" song like Shrek (and Mystery Men, Inspector Gadget, Shrek 2 and Shrek 3), you can get the exact same effect by using one of their many other identical-sounding songs; like in Made of Honor, Can't Hardly Wait, the two shittier Dr. Suess Movies and the shittiest Austin Powers.
In fact, every comedy genre has a preset approved-for-trailer list that runs about two songs deep. Romantic comedies get The Cranberries "Dreams" or the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin.'" Feel good comedies almost always use "Walking on Sunshine" or the most overused song in movie trailer history.
Yes, the only way to communicate that your film is the "feel good comedy of the summer" is to play James Brown's "I Feel Good." Apparently, Hollywood believes that you not only need to be trained like a Pavlovian dog to know what kind of movie to expect, you need the lyrics to literally tell you how to feel.


text:
Advanced Search or
Home > Online Education
WEF is pleased to announce the creation of free LinkedIn groups associated with its technical discussion forum topics. Through these LinkedIn groups, members will be able to view and participate in discussions, as well as communicate with one another via direct messages. Share your experiences and knowledge, ask questions and respond to other discussions as frequently as you like!
You must have a LinkedIn profile to join a LinkedIn group; you can create your profile here. If you already have a LinkedIn profile, all you need to do is submit a request to join one or all of the following groups:
Water Environment Federation (Main) | Biosolids | Collection Systems | Nutrients | Stormwater Utility Management | Water Reuse | Water for Jobs | Watershed Management | Laboratory Practices
WEF Discussion Forums
Biosolids and Residuals
Trash(tampons, etc.) problem w/ land application
I am a landowner that allows liquid biosolids to be applied to my land. I have an ongoing concern with trash like tampons, condoms, plastic, etc. that are coming out with the biosolids.
I've expressed my concerns with the company that applies, but they say that some of these things will get through the system and it is hard for them to get it all out.
What should be an "acceptable" level of this trash?
I would think with today's technology, they should be able to get out all the trash at the plants.
The application company put in a homemade screening box which was made from a large roll-off box with a couple of walls of expanded metal "screens". The problem is the holes are too large and the trash passes through them. When I pointed that out, they said that any smaller holes will clog too quickly because of hair.
I've researched a screening system like a Muffin Monster, but the costs are extremely high.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Most likely the screening equipment at the head-end of the wastewater plant is not designed properly or is not being operated / maintained properly. At our plant, we have 6 mm mechanical screens and none of the stuff you mention gets past them. As screens get years on them, they pass material because seals wear and leak, teeth break off, etc. At this point, rehab is in order. A muffin monster can work (it grinds the material into small pieces, doesn't screen it out). It should be the plant's responsibility to bring you trash-free sludge.


text:
Hotel Baron
Real Reviews
Real reviews from fellow travellers
These are trusted reviews from guests who have actually stayed here. We hope you find them helpful.
Note: we only give a property a rating once it has received a minimum of 3 reviews.
- Page:1/1
- " Great location, great value for your money, very clean and staff is very friendly. Would recommend hotel baron for all young tourists wanting an affordable, safe and clean lodging option in DC. "
- 11 Mar 2015 LAURA USA


text:
Head-to-head poll sees closer gubernatorial raceBy Neal P. Goswami
VERMONT PRESS BUREAU | September 02,2014MONTPELIER Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Milne is seizing on the results of a poll released last week as an indication Vermonters are embracing his candidacy.
Gov. Peter Shumlin, who is seeking a third two-year term, is leading Milne 48 percent to 36 percent, according to a poll released Friday by Rasmussen Reports. The margin is smaller than expected for an incumbent running against a little-known challenger.
According to Rasmussen, the survey of 700 likely voters in Vermont was conducted Thursday and Friday. The margin of error is 4 percent with a 95 percent level of confidence. Field work was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research LLC.
However, the poll does not mention Libertarian candidate Dan Feliciano. Although Milne easily secured the GOP nomination with more than 70 percent of the vote in the partys Aug. 26 primary, Feliciano was able to secure double-digit support in the Republican race thanks to an aggressive write-in campaign. He will appear on the general election ballot as the Libertarian nominee.
Regardless, the Milne campaign said it sees the poll as good news.
This recent poll confirms what we thought all along: Vermonters are ready for fresh ideas and practical leadership to solve our affordability crisis, jump-start our state economy and clean up Shumlins bureaucratic health care nightmare, Milne said in a statement.
The campaign said the Rasmussen poll showed significant gains for Milne since a July CBS News/New York Times poll favored Shumlin 52 percent to 27 percent. But there were differences in methodology between the polls.
Rasmussen relies on robocalls and an online survey tool to interview randomly selected participants from a demographically diverse panel to account for cellphone users. The data collected is then processed through a weighting program to insure that the sample reflects the overall population in terms of age, race, gender, political party and other factors.
Shumlins campaign declined to discuss the Rasmussen poll. Campaign manager Scott Coriell, the governors special assistant who was tapped late last week to head the re-election effort, said Shumlin plans to ramp up his efforts.
The governor is ready to work hard this campaign season, engage with Vermonters about the challenges and opportunities facing our state in the years ahead and earn every single vote. Thats where his focus will remain, Coriell said.
Shumlin had been refusing to engage in campaigning until after Labor Day, a luxury an incumbent governor with plenty of public appearances and free media coverage can afford. Shumlins campaign, in addition to the announcement of Coriell as campaign manager, said the governor would hold a campaign kickoff Sept. 9. Details are expected to be announced this week.
Milne, heading into the general election, is at a distinct disadvantage in the money race. Shumlin has more than $1.1 million in the bank, while Milne has raised just $42,000 or so, according to his most recent disclosure form. Additionally, the Republican Governors Association has not committed to providing Milne any significant resources.
@Tagline:neal.goswami @timesargus.comMORE IN Vermont NewsMONTPELIER Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Full StoryVermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell plans to join the U.S. Full StoryMONTPELIER Gov. Full Story
- Most Popular
- Most Emailed


text:
In this week's issue of the Economist, there's a brief, two-column article on the drug shortage in the United States. While the article is short, the problem is widespread and complex. This year, the United States already has a shortage of 198 drugs; in 2004, that number was 58.
"As the problem has spread, so too has a sense of panic, with patients lacking essential medicines, doctors fretting over alternatives, and hospitals navigating a 'gray market' for drugs."
According to the Economist, the shortage is mainly with generic, injected drugs, and there are several factors contributing to the scarcity. First, manufacturing problems are increasing, and companies are importing cheap ingredients of unreliable quality. Next, generic drug makers have consolidated; therefore, the same drugs are made by fewer companies. Lastly, there's a pricing problem. Once a drug's patent expires, prices can drop. This last cause is further complicated by Medicare Part B, which can also keep drug prices low.
"Squeezed by slim margins, a firm may simply discontinue a drug. Dysfunction ensues. Grey-market vendors, health care's scalpers, hoard drugs and then sell them for many times their usual cost."
Of course, complex problems don't come with easy answers. Impending legislation requires that drug companies notify the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) six months before they stop making a drug. Politicians also are examining Medicare Part B and increasing funding for the FDA. On another front, the FDA has been allowed in the past to import drugs that aren't approved in the United States but are used elsewhere.
Supply chain expertise needed
Many of you in the APICS community work for or with pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, it shouldn't be a surprise that there are many concepts in the APICS Operations Management Body of Knowledge (OMBOK) Framework that apply to the drug shortage in the United States, including risk management, quality, and six sigma. Consider the APICS OMBOK Framework definition of sales and operations planning (S&OP): "S&OP develops a midrange plan to operations using input from top management. The plan identifies key resources to achieve the firm's strategic objectives and goals, and is the basis of all subsequent material and labor resource decisions and for the master production schedule."
Of course, the Economist article describes issues that go well beyond the APICS body of knowledge and cross over into areas of government. However, when drugs come off of patent and pricing protection, S&OP can play a key role. Drug manufacturers know when this is going to happen; the only thing they don't know is how many generic manufacturers will enter the market.
How well does your S&OP process work? If it's not working, do you know why? The APICS S&OP Folio: How to Be an S&OP Champion can help you identify problems in your process__or establish a process that works. It's time to make sure your company's S&OP is the best it can be.
In other news
How APICS Operations Management Now relates to you
Operations management is everywhere. Today, operations management professionals have unprecedented impacts on the global economy. Consider these questions and how today's edition of APICS Operations Management Now relates to you and your career.
Type the code from the image