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New Scientist - Immune cells called cytotoxic T-cells swarm over and demolish cancerous cells inside the body. Unfortunately, many tumours emit a mysterious chemical cocktail to weaken any T-cells that swim too close.
While investigating how to increase T-cells' ability to attack tumours, Irvine's team found they could fasten 100 nanoparticle capsules to a single T-cell without impairing its function – capsules they could fill with any number of drugs. Irvine's team filled the nanoparticle capsules with interleukins – molecules naturally produced by the immune system that give T-cells chemical encouragement to keep on fighting. When they injected these into mice with bone and lung cancer, the T-cells not only swarmed over the tumours but stayed active far longer than T-cells with empty capsules.
What's more, mice injected with unmodified T-cells died from their tumours within 30 days, whereas mice that received T-cells armed with interleukin were still alive and improving in health a month later.
Nature Medicine - Therapeutic cell engineering with surface-conjugated synthetic nanoparticles
A major limitation of cell therapies is the rapid decline in viability and function of the transplanted cells. Here we describe a strategy to enhance cell therapy via the conjugation of adjuvant drug–loaded nanoparticles to the surfaces of therapeutic cells. With this method of providing sustained pseudoautocrine stimulation to donor cells, we elicited marked enhancements in tumor elimination in a model of adoptive T cell therapy for cancer. We also increased the in vivo repopulation rate of hematopoietic stem cell grafts with very low doses of adjuvant drugs that were ineffective when given systemically. This approach is a simple and generalizable strategy to augment cytoreagents while minimizing the systemic side effects of adjuvant drugs. In addition, these results suggest therapeutic cells are promising vectors for actively targeted drug delivery.
31 pages of supplemental information
If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks


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Click here for the current issue of Inform from AWSNA
Friday, June 10th 4:00 pm
Please join us for a gathering of our past and present Calgary Waldorf School community to honour and celebrate Virginia Smith, her life, and her place in the heart of our school.
We will have a ceremony at 4:00 pm (with words, verses, poems, songs, and planting a tree), followed by a tea and social time together.
Everyone from our school community (past and present) is warmly welcome to join us that afternoon.
We hope to have you with us at 4:00 pm on Friday, June 10th.
I am delighted to announce on behalf of the Board of Directors and the School's Finance Committee that we have hired Cari Vaughan as the School's new Financial Manager.
We were pleased to have several CWS parents and alumni apply for the position, along with many resumes from our School's website and an external job search website. Thank you very much to those who applied for this position. It was a challenging process to make a selection from the applicants, many of whom we have already built relationships with as volunteers and friends. In the end, it was a unanimous decision that Cari Vaughan has the specific qualifications and experience which most closely match our needs for the position and for the transition ahead.
Cari will begin next week working with me, Dinah Clark, until my retirement at the end of this school year. She will then take leadership of the position as of August 1, 2015 and I will act as her advisor/support as needed in the next school year.
Cari is a parent of three girls, two of whom are attending CWS in Grade One and in Preschool, and a younger "future" Waldorf student still at home. After a year on our waiting list, her girls were able to join the School last September, and her family moved into the neighbourhood surrounding the school to become a part of our Calgary Waldorf community.
Cari has worked for 12 years in accounting in a variety of positions including Financial Controller, and she is a fourth year CGA. She has a high level of expertise in the accounting applications that we use at CWS. In addition, Cari has experience in many of the areas of responsibility required for our Financial Manager position, such as Group Health and Liability Insurance, WCB, GST, payroll, budgets, preparation of financial statements, and working with auditors.
I have every confidence that Cari will bring the right skills, experience, and demeanor to work with our staff and parents, and to take over the care and guidance of the financial life of our School. I welcome her wholeheartedly to our Faculty and Staff at CWS.
Dinah Clark
AND TO FOLLOW ON FROM THAT NEWS: PLEASE COME TO OUR FAREWELL SHINDIG FOR DINAH ON SATURDAY, MAY 2nd
This is just a quick note to say that the school will be putting on a Farewell Shindig (ADULTS ONLY!) to honour Dinah's 30 years of giving herself to creating, growing, building, and sustaining our Calgary Waldorf School. She is the only Founder still here in CWS on our school's 30th Anniversary! So please mark your calendar now for Saturday, May 2nd starting at 7:30 pm at the school. We will have live music, food, a cash bar, memories, and festivities. An "official" invitation will go out very soon, but in the meantime, we want to let you know about this evening of gratitude and celebration for Dinah, as she launches into her retirement on Vancouver Island at the end of this school year. Please help us spread the word to other ADULT alumni parents and students you know and can contact. We'll need to have folks RSVP – there will be more details in the invitation coming soon.
Hope to see you here on May 2nd!
SPRING IS COMING... AND THAT MEANS OUR ANNUAL BOOK/ BIKE/ BAKE SALE IS COMING SOON, TOO! SATURDAY APRIL 18th (as well as April 14th – 17th from 8:15 am to 5:30 pm) AT THE CALGARY WALDORF SCHOOL
For those of you unfamiliar with the Sale, it is an annual Field Trip fundraiser held at the school, in Cougar Ridge, and organized and run by the parents, students, and Class Teacher in our Grade Five class. Throughout the week leading up to Sale Day on Saturday, April 18th, members of our entire school community drop off donations of used books, puzzles, board games, and DVDs. These get sorted by genre and are available for purchase in the front foyer and school office throughout the school day (until about 5:30 pm) from Tuesday, April 14th to Friday, April 17th. On the Friday, people can also bring in used bikes in good condition that they wish to donate to the Sale. In addition, baked goods will be available for purchase after school on the Friday and on Saturday. The books, games, puzzles, and DVDs mostly sell for a dollar a piece and can be purchased at the office and in the front foyer throughout the week leading up to Saturday. On Saturday, the bikes become available for purchase, usually priced between $20 and $40. So come and shop for some great bargains for you and your kids, and feel free to drop off any donations you may have when you come.
We will start accepting donations of books, puzzles, board games, and DVDs on Tuesday, April 14th when our school re-opens after our Spring Holidays. By the way, any books left-over from our annual Sale are donated to another charity book sale taking place in Calgary this Spring.
The Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy program is a one-on-one guided course of independent study and work with your personal mentor. The full certificate program includes the reading (approximately three hours per week) of ten assigned books by Rudolf Steiner and others, in weekly reading groups and alone, as well as on-going journal-writing and artistic development. This will be facilitated by 32 one-hour-long mentored sessions with an experienced one-on-one mentor and with weekly group sessions for study and artistic work. Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy is a prerequisite for Waldorf Teacher Training Programs as well as for other Anthroposophical Courses, but it also serves those who wish to deepen their understanding of Anthroposophy, the philosophy underlying Waldorf Education.
For more detailed information, about the Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy being offered in Calgary now, please look HERE. Thank you for your interest.
Christina Wallace-Ockenden (CWS Eurythmy Teacher)
News from Sail-World.Com: Canadian Rolex Sailor of the Year Announces Vendee Globe Campaign
This year's Rolex Sailor of the Year, Eric Holden, announced at the Sail Canada Awards on Friday night that he will be forming Canada's premier offshore racing team, Canadian Ocean Racing, and campaigning in the IMOCA Ocean Masters races, ultimately leading to the Vendée Globe.
Holden, along with Morgen Watson, will be taking the 60-foot racing yacht, O Canada, and putting her back on the racing circuit. O Canada, under the command of Holden and his Canadian Ocean Racing team, will enter the highly competitive Open 60 class races — competing against notable teams like Alex Thompson's Hugo Boss campaign.
Holden is no stranger to competitive offshore racing. Most recently, Holden, again along with Morgen Watson, led his crew to victory in the world's longest ocean race, the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race, which is over 40,000 miles long and concluded in July 2014 after an 11-month circumnavigation. With a degree in meteorology and experience serving notable teams such as the Canadian Olympic Sailing Team, Holden leveraged his expertise in weather as a strategic advantage throughout the race.
"As the first Canadian Skipper of the Clipper Round the World Race, it was a great honour to have won the race. But the most powerful achievement was taking a crew of 55 individuals with little to no sailing experience and turning them into a cohesive and winning team," said Holden.
Holden, along with his past and future crew-mate, Morgen Watson, were honoured at the Sail Canada Awards for Rolex Sailor of the Year and the Gerry Roufs trophy, respectively. Watson will accompany Holden to Vancouver for O Canada's refit and Launch Tour to East Coast Canada by Summer 2015, where they will then officially begin training.
"Morgen is a young, aspiring offshore racer. While he may have begun his sailing career a little later in life than most, he showed great skill, development and leadership when on the Clipper Race. It is for those reasons that I chose him as one of my watch leaders on the race and have decided to mentor him and build Canadian Ocean Racing together," said Holden.
Holden's racing career started long before the Clipper Round the World Race, but the win was really the culmination of his skill as an offshore racer and skipper. It is from the Clipper Race success that Holden confidently moves forward with his own ocean racing initiative.
"As the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race winner, his performance was outstanding. I am also delighted to hear of Eric's plans to join up with his Clipper Race crew members Morgen Watson and Meg Reilly to launch a Canadian Ocean Racing team, and I wish them every future success together," said Sir Robin Knox Johnston, founder of the Clipper Round the World Race.
Officially, Canadian Ocean Racing's program will begin with a Launch Tour in April 2015, sailing from West to East Coast Canada with events in select ports — all culminating at the Toronto Pan Am Games in July 2015. The Team intends to take on its first Ocean Masters race challenge with the Transat Jacques Vabre in November 2015. Canadian Ocean Racing will be supporting Holden in his 2016 Vendée Globe campaign, making Holden just the fourth Canadian in history to enter this world-renowned, solo offshore racing competition.
Canadian Ocean Racing will be assisted by Wind Athletes Canada and Sail Canada to promote the sport of offshore racing and offer opportunities for aspiring ocean racers. Canadian private donors who support the Team's mission can submit tax-deductible contributions through Wind Athletes Canada. Corporate entities interested in partnering with Canadian Ocean Racing can contact email@example.com or visit HERE for more details.
"Sail Canada is thrilled that Eric Holden and his team are launching the 'O Canada' Canadian Offshore campaign this summer. Eric had a very successful year with the Clipper Round the World Race, garnering so much positive attention to offshore racing in Canada. The O Canada campaign is a perfect fit for Eric and his crew and we are thrilled to be a part of their journey," said Colleen Coderre of Sail Canada.
"We are delighted to be involved with Eric's offshore program. I competed against Eric in the Tornado Class many years ago. It was clear even then that he was destined for great things. Eric brings a unique skill set to his role. Not only is he a fabulous sailor with great feel for the boat but he is a highly trained and sought after meteorologist. This combination of skills is what truly sets him apart from the vast majority of short-handed offshore sailors," said John Curtis of Wind Athletes Canada.
Article submitted to the Wednesday Notice by CWS Alumni Parent, Henny Fleischer

subset: commoncrawl


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Series Summary
Castaways attempt to outwit, outlast and outplay each other for a prize of $1 million.
Air Dates: 2000 - Present
Genres: Reality, Action, Adventure
Season 26, Ep. 1 : She Annoys Me GreatlyFeb 13, 2013
Fans compete against favorite contestants from past seasons.
Season 26, Ep. 2 : Honey BadgerFeb 20, 2013
After the first elimination, Dawn is targeted; Phillip gives undercover identities to his alliance.
Season 26, Ep. 3 : There's Gonna Be Hell to PayFeb 27, 2013
Malcolm and Corinne's special bond leads to a discovery that livens up the game; unrest ensues after alliances shift.
Season 26, Ep. 4 : Kill or Be KilledMar 6, 2013
After a medical emergency strikes, one castaway's ability to compete is in danger.
Season 26, Ep. 5 : Persona Non GrataMar 13, 2013
Out-of-control Brandon stuns his tribe mates when he reveals his secret desire to sabotage their camp.
Season 26, Ep. 6 : Operation Thunder DomeMar 20, 2013
A tribe shake-up results in chaos, the formation of new alliances and a strength disparity.
Season 26, Ep. 7 : Tubby LunchboxMar 27, 2013
As the Bikal tribe members struggle in challenges, they become increasingly frustrated with Phillip's attitude; Reynold shares information that could change the game.
Season 26, Ep. 8 : Blindside TimeApr 3, 2013
As Bikal and Gota merge, reunited castaways form a plan; the contestants must eat beetle larvae and brains.
Season 26, Ep. 9 : Cut off the Head of the SnakeApr 10, 2013
A castaway discovers a secret that could change the game; chaos ensues when contestants are unsure who to vote out.
Season 26, Ep. 10 : Zipping Over the Cuckoo's NestApr 17, 2013
An accident threatens a contestant's future in the game; a big revelation pushes an alliance into chaos.
Season 26, Ep. 11 : Come Over to the Dark SideApr 24, 2013
Food auctions return; the Three Amigos try to take control of the game.
Season 26, Ep. 12 : The Beginning of the EndMay 1, 2013
When the stakes are raised by two tribal councils and two immunity challenges, contestants consider big moves.
Season 26, Ep. 13 : Don't Say Anything About My MomMay 8, 2013
A visit from loved ones gives the castaways a morale boost; one castaway faces a game-changing choice.
Season 26, Ep. 14 : Last PushMay 12, 2013
One castaway is faced with a heartbreaking medical emergency; a contestant wins the grand prize of $1 million.
Season 26, Ep. 15 : Reunion ShowMay 12, 2013
The season's castaways reunite.


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My Books are Monster Approved!
My Books Received Honorable Mentions
Now in Spanish!
(all books will be available in Spanish soon)
What's New
Meet Ollie the Collie
Meet Kanka
Now in Spanish
People Love Poppie & Friends!
Bought this book for my nephew for Christmas this year, who incidentally had a pug with one eye (what are the chances?). These are great books. They're age appropriate, and they always communicate a good message while sticking to the story. This is the third one I've bought, and I am planning on buying them all. Please write more Sharron, I'll buy them!From a Raving Fan!
I cried beyond belief when reading this because I have a pug at home who we rescued with only one eye. The story I knew would be happy in the end, but I could not help but think of my pug in the same way before we got him. This book is just amazing to read whether you are a kid or adult it will touch your heart.
I highly recommend this. Darcie
My son loves this book, it's his favorite and we read it almost every night.
He really wanted to know that everything turned out ok for Poppie in the end and it did! We talked about being different and being kind to others. The story really gets you involved with Poppie from the very first page. We love the illustrations too and can't wait to hear more about Poppie's adventures!t nisi, eu mattis odio." Melody & My Son
My husband and I do pet therapy and this is going to go in our "bring with us" box. We have a pug (who has both eyes) but I like the angle of the story where Poppie realizes there's nothing wrong … it just takes that special person to appreciate her!!! That's a difficult lesson for sick children – this would be a great conversation starter for a child in order to talk about people with disabilities.Callie - Pet Therapist


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5 Adorable and Majestic Animals From the Heart of the Arctic
Up in northern Canada, in a land called Nunavut, dwell not only the Inuit but also a myriad of fascinating animals. They are our brothers and sisters, and the peoples of the Arctic Circle view them with great reverence. With the advent of the Internet and digital technology, the rest of us can catch glimpses of these beautiful creatures in action.
These photos are monthly winners of the contest sponsored by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the organization that administers the land claims agreement between the Inuit and the government of Canada. More information on both the contest and the treaties is available at Nunavut Tunngavik's website, and more photos can be found at the links below.
RELATED: Sealing the Deal
Snow Geese, Ready for Their Closeup
'Passing Narwhal' Photo Wins Award
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North Carolina Elementary Battle of the Books List
2012 - 2013
A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray
Ann M. Martin
Because of Winn-Dixie
Kate DiCamillo
Becoming Naomi Leün
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Blood on the River: James Town 1607
Elisa Carbone
Margaret Peterson Haddix
How to Steal a Dog
Barbara O'Connor
Lawn Boy
Gary Paulsen
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Robert C. O'Brien
The Mystery of the Lost Colony
Carole Marsh
Peace, Locomotion
Jacqueline Woodson
Ruby Holler
Sharon Creech
Runaway Twin
Peg Kehret
Ingrid Law
The Last Holiday Concert
Andrew Clements
The Lemonade War
Jacqueline Davies
Tuck Everlasting
Natalie Babbitt
*The Missing Series - Book 1
The school district retains control over what links will be placed on
district-related websites; however, linked sites themselves are not under the control of the school district, its agents or its employees. The school district is not responsible for the contents of any linked site, any link contained in a linked site or any changes or updates to such sites. The school district provides links as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement of the site by the school district. The school district reserves the right to remove or restrict any links.
Copyright © 2016 Sand Ridge Elementary School


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It is like the Antiques Roadshow, except that the experts may need help from the public. These artefacts are the enigmas of the National Trust, some held for decades without anyone knowing exactly what they are.
At Tyntesfield, north Somerset, there is a brass parrot on wheels (1), believed to be from India. It opens to reveal oval cavities, but their purpose is unknown.
The cog-toothed turquoise Persian pottery dish (3) is from Sissinghurst Castle, Kent, bought in Tehran bazaar in 1926-7. "It could be from a local source or imported," said the trust's Alec James. "It could be from


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Latest Comments
Win a Copy of 'Robicelli's: A Love Story, With Cupcakes'
Dark chocolate with chocolate chips.
Bake the Book: A Lighter Way to Bake
Chocolate mousse.
Bake the Book: Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Desserts
Warm brownies.
Multicolored carrots - Easter recipe ideas?
Carrot Confit from "RED SNAPPER WITH CARROT CONFIT.." by Jean-Georges Vongerichten - Love this recipe!
Bake the Book: Ample Hills Creamery: Secrets and Stories from Brooklyn's Favorite Ice Cream Shop
My homemade bittersweet chocolate ice cream.
Cook the Book: 'The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone' by Deborah Madison
Curried Couscous Salad with Dried Cranberries.
Bake the Book: Frenchie
Chocolate Croissant.
Open Thread: What's the Best Frozen Pizza?
Newman's Own Thin and Crispy Four Cheese Pizza.
What's For Dinner?
I had orange spiced chicken with basmati rice and green beans.
Bake the Book: The Model Bakery Cookbook
Chocolate Croissants.
What food would you miss most as a vegan?
Cheese! Also, eggs - not so much for cooking, but for baking.
Cook the Book: 'Spain' by Jeff Koehler
Seafood Paella.
Bake the Book: The Irish Pantry
Rice, pasta, etc., etc.
Stress-Baking: Any good recipe suggestions?
I like doing anything with chocolate. Here are my favorite chocolate chip cookies and brownies (I do some tweaks on both of them):
Chocolate Chip Cookies - Thomas Keller
The Baked Brownie - from "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking"
Stress-Baking: Any good recipe suggestions?
Wow, Traveller! - I'm coming to your house!
Cook the Book: 'One Good Dish' by David Tanis
Penne with a mushroom/shallot/wine sauce.
Cookie Monster: Mini Macaroons
Immerse them in bittersweet chocolate, and I'm all in!
Bake the Book: The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Book of Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie.
4 Foods of the Apocalypse
I couldn't live without chocolate, so I'd have to list dark chocolate as number one. After that, it would be chicken, eggs, and extra sharp cheddar - although I would miss having some greens - oh well...
Best day for cooking...what is in your oven?
Nothing in the oven - I'm making dark chocolate truffles.
Suggestions for leftover jams?
You can make this cake - it's delicious:


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Crawford surprised to bat third for Giants"It's tough," said Crawford about replacing the injured Giants. "It's pretty much the same approach as hitting second, except maybe with more guys on," Crawford said. "It didn't feel good, but I should be all right," said Crawford, who has appeared in 68 … (more)Source: MLB.com
Crawford exits after spraining fingers on slideGiants shortstop Brandon Crawford was taken out of Tuesday night's game against the Padres with sprained middle and index fingers on his right hand.Source: MLB.com
Tyrone Crawford in the right roleI think the Dallas Cowboys' four-man defensive line in their new 4-3 scheme looks very good as long as the four starters are healthy (DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer at defensive end and Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher at defensive tackle). I think it h…Source: ESPN.com
Joey Crawford To Ref Game 6, And The NBA Knows Exactly What It's DoingWith the Heat one loss away from elimination, and tonight's Game 6 in Miami, it should come as absolutely zero surprise that Joey Crawford will be working the game.Read more...Source: deadspin.com


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- Quick Links:
- Ben's Quiet Quest
- From 10 to Ben
- Steelers Blog
The Steelers will not make any hasty moves about their quarterback situation, at least until a sexual assault investigation in Georgia involving Ben Roethlisberger is completed.
Steelers President Art Rooney said he will allow the investigation to finish before the team decides what direction it might take on the matter. While Mr. Rooney declined to discuss Mr. Roethlisberger's legal situation, he did say the team has time on its side before it looks at making any personnel moves to bring in a quarterback.
"I mean look, that's one of the things, we do have a little bit of luxury of time," Mr. Rooney said during an interview Thursday afternoon at Steelers offices. "If we were at a different point in the year we may have to be thinking and doing something different. But at the moment, I think we're in a situation we're going to let this investigation play out and then go from there."
Police in Milledgeville, Ga., are investigating an accusation brought by a 20-year-old woman who said Mr. Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her in the bathroom of a club in the early morning hours of March 5.
The Post-Gazette does not name the victims of alleged sexual assaults.
Mr. Roethlisberger returned to his home in Pittsburgh shortly thereafter but has not participated with his teammates in the voluntary workouts at team headquarters that began Monday. He also has not yet granted an interview to Georgia investigators and has been a virtual recluse since the allegations were made March 5.
The Steelers, who normally have four quarterbacks on their roster by the end of the draft next month, have just one other under contract, Dennis Dixon, who has made just one meaningful appearance in two seasons with the Steelers, starting Nov. 29 in Baltimore when Mr. Roethlisberger did not play because of a concussion. Their longtime veteran backup, Charlie Batch, is an unrestricted free agent who is expected to re-sign with the Steelers.
Mr. Rooney offered little else about possible disciplinary action the team or the NFL might take or what level of disappointment he and the organization might have in Mr. Roethlisberger, who also is fighting a civil lawsuit that alleges sexual assault in Nevada in 2008.
"I can't speculate on it," Mr. Rooney said. "The situation is under investigation, and I really don't think it would be appropriate for us to discuss it while that investigation is going on."
Related Media:
PG coverage of the case in Georgia
Ed Bouchette: email@example.com . For more on the Steelers, read the blog Ed Bouchette on the Steelers at www.post-gazette.com/plus .


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|Re: Ask a question
|Tassiegirl (Authenticated as Tassiegirl)
|January 30, 2013 at 6:25:53 AM
|Reply to:
|Re: Ask a question by klundtacular
Yes indeed! The smaller skates were my daughter's;I don't own a pair these days.The big ones belonged to a girl easily 6 feet tall, with appropriately big feet.
This was when I was a teaching assistant, and we'd taken the kids skating for Winter Fun Day.
Wayne Gretaky gives good advice. "One hundred percent of the shots you don't take don't go in".
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Text Based RPGs: Your Character Background in Five Steps
By Zhade Barnet
Text-based RPGs are supposed to feel 'real', and the greatest part of this immersion is being surrounded by believable characters. Say last week at work, somebody walked past and flicked my ear. Next I know, I'm standing before him with balled fists. Did I overreact? Am I crazy? Well, that depends on why it got me so mad. If it's because 'I'm violent', then looming unemployment is the least of my worries. If it's because I spent three years in a foreign prison, scrabbling for cockroaches at dinner time whilst guards flicked my ears every hour on the hour, then you'd cut me some slack.
Your character in a text-based RPG is no different. She isn't a collection of numbers that allows you to kill things with keystrokes for no reason; she's a living, growing person whose past influences her in ways she may not always understand. This article will show you the 'top-down method' for writing effective and fulfilling character backgrounds in text adventure games.
1) Read the Lore
Yes. I'll state this in every article I write about text adventure games. Get used to it. Sure, if you're a fan of your chosen genre, you could write your background without even looking at the lore - but it'll be uninspiring, bland. And you know what? It's lazy. If you want to make something generic, then why are you playing an online text game? Go play an RTS. Read the lore - not obsessively, but enough to really weave your character into it. Make your character an intrinsic part of the online text game world by choosing the places, factions and events that interest you, and list them down for inclusion into your background.
2) Choose Goals
This is where the 'top-down method' leaves the beaten path. Counter-intuitively, you'll now choose and prioritize the three goals that are most important to you in your online text game playing experience. Once you've done that, you'll give them to your character. Say I want my character to be the most successful shopkeeper in his online text game world, I want him to be a famous bard, and I want him to destroy the Assassin's Guild in these text games. So now that's what he wants, and every action he takes should be moving him towards this.
3) Ask 'Why?'
Take each goal in turn and ask "Why?" five times. My character wants to be the most successful shopkeeper in the online text game world. Why? Because he believes that it's the most reliable way to get rich. Why? Because his father was a successful shopkeeper. Why? Because his family is a long-standing commercial empire. Why? Because they are originally from the Eastern Continent, and when they arrived here three centuries ago their exotic goods were in high demand. Why? Because their feud with another family back home got so heated that there would soon be bloodshed.
Wow! We learned lots about my character through that exercise. Already, we can see his background coming to life. And that was only with one of his three goals! If you find yourself hitting a dead-end in text online games, just persevere. Hell, if you fall short of the magic five, nobody's gonna shoot you, but if you can ask 'Why?' five times for each of your goals you're well on your way to a spectacular character background.
4) Any Further Questions?
Your online text game character is unfolding before your eyes, and you have the broad strokes of his past. It's time to follow those niggling questions that will branch the story out. Does my character harbour a desire to return to the Eastern Continent one day? Does he thank the rival family for making his ancestors flee? Does he really want to be a shopkeeper, or does he only think he does because it's what his family has always done? Has he ever killed an animal, or indeed a person, before?
5) Bring It Together
You've now accumulated a lot of information about your character, but it may be looking a little disjointed. This is where you tidy it all up and join the dots. If you haven't already tied in all the elements from the lore that took your fancy, then either find out where you want them to go at this point, or put them away for now. There's no reason why you can't incorporate the element into your character's future rather than his past. Despite what anybody says, your finished background needn't be in flowing prose. Bullet points are fine. Flow diagrams, a poem, stickman sketches, whatever you like; just get the order of events and the connections between people and places very firmly in mind.
You've done it! You've gotten a feel for the online text game world you'll be playing in, chosen the goals your character will begin with and linked them firmly to her background. You've followed the trails that interest you and fleshed them out, and probably noted a few more that you will answer in future as you get to know your character better through playing the online text game. Finally, you've tied it all together in a framework which is meaningful to you. Now pat yourself on the back, limber up those fingers, throw yourself into your character and go conquer the world in one of your favorite text RPGs.
If you are interesed in creating an indepth character as outlined in this article then try out the Iron Realms RPG text games.
Zhade Barnet is a player and text game enthusiast from www.IronRealms.com
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The way it has -always- worked for me is my first character is the standard boring background character that doesn't have much of a background and after learning the game, it's history, etc you learn what you like and what you can do and I write a background based on that.
If elves don't exist in your game, don't characterize yourself as an elf.
I think tsok'aa are the Achaean answer to elves, and I am digging the fairly recent addition of the discovery of tsol'dasi to Achaea. I'm hoping to see the same sort of development occur with tsol'teth, and both of them become playable races, which would be so much fun.
Great article, I especially like the third point to ask 'Why?' five times.. I'll have to start trying to do that myself and see how it works out.
it took me five or more characters created the hard way to get it right. If I only had read this article before...
to myself
It's better to err on the side of hiding your background than wearing it on your sleeve... or in your description. Epic backstories are unbelievable at best.
Agreed. I wish ingame backgrounds could be edited, too. Probably will never use it because it can't be.
I REALLY like the idea of asking 'why' five times on something. It takes some effort, but it's easy to see how that can provide ideas to flesh out and strengthen a character.
Overall, a well written article. I'm not sure how things are in other games, but there are many of us (myself included to an extent) who could benefit from this, in Midkemia. Kudos.
I've a terrible habit of asking 'why' once, and spending more on the when, where, and how to fit the details into the lore I know... and making somewhat vague guesses at best if it's my first character in a given place. MUDs that demand a pre-defined background before you can see, in game, a general sense of *how* things mesh between pre-written background on the world vs the player base, even if only on the surface, lend themselves *far* too much towards either the very unrealistic or the very cookie cutter histories... and is one of the three* things that's turned me away from every non-IRE mud I've tried over the years.
Rather than developing a character well before I roll them, I define them as I go, going from some generic idea to define them, and building their tone, reactions, and immediate motivations on that. Once I've a general sense of the character, often built from the character's first few interactions with others... I start into asking 'why,' but the systematic, deliberate, "Ask 'why' 5 times," is something I really do need to adopt myself.
* 2: unnatrual feeling command sets (and this complaint from a Linux+TinyFugue user),
3: lack of sensible IC tone
good points on creating a better background, will try it out!
This is a really great article, especially for people that might be just starting out in order to help them shape and define their characters.
It's easier to me to think of an background story in MKO than it would be in any other game as there is so much knowledge you gain simply by reading the books. And I love them!
Tsol'aa have the richest history of the achaean races.
how many other races have split off into like 10 sub-races
I agree with Daay above. There is so much to be gathered just by reading the Midkemia books. Not to mention, they are amazing books!
Never thought I'd see a guide for writing backgrounds. This is a good one!
to creating a background is writing the first paragraph. I'm still guilty of not writing a background for my character yet. It's not hard and people don't expect or pressure you to put down a 6 page-monster of a background story for your character. But it's true, backgrounds do cause people to react to you differently, and it means that one should take careful considerations on what is written for others to view.
The one word of warning I'd add is be careful with inventing parents, in case you want to join a family in-game later on! If your character's parents are an important part of his or her background, keep the details as vague as you can muster - unless you are fine with potentially there being no-one of that description willing to roleplay your parents!
was what my character had been upto between the choosing and starting life in the city. I mean technically your apprenticeship would have kept you in your city as an apprentice and you would already be well known, yet no one knows you when you start.
The Kingdom has many cities to it, and even though it's not in the game you CAN be from the eastern half of the Kingdom, or from Roldem, or Kesh. I haven't seen a Quegan character yet that I know of, that might be fun.
Zylo himself is from LaMut. He moved to Krondor because he had some strange belief that things would be better off for him there. Turns out he was right. But, that explains why nobody knew him when he started out! Only thing it DOESN'T explain is why I randomly appeared in the middle of the city, instead of at northgate or some such where I'd normally come in.
I play my character without a background, although I don't do much real RP either. I kind of just let things come as they do, and it has worked out so far!
Preparing a background is generally something you may want to hold off on doing until you have a real grasp of lore. Often the history on the website is incomplete and you are better off getting in game and getting a full handle on the lore.
Thank Estarra that the portal of fate is supposed to give you varying amounts of amnesia. My first few characters relied on it quite heavily before I learned the lore; and I'd say my grasp on it is still not very good.
Good article. I had given my character some basic goals, but the asking why five times thing will certainly flesh him out a bit more.
I think that's actually half the point of the Portal of Fate. We, as the experienced characters, are supposed to fall back on it when a new player steps through who doesn't know the lore, or the geography, or even the basics of MUDs as well as we do.
"Don't worry about it, little one. The Portal sometimes leaves us confused and scared, but that's okay, you'll understand it better once you've gotten a hold on the basics."
In Achaea at least, I'm a lot more interested in someone's activities after the Trial than before. Remember that backgrounds are primarily a tool to set the stage for moving forward, and use them as such. They aren't even particularly necessary for epic stories later on; a mundane teenager who managed to make it through the Trial can amount to great things in the future.
I usually just make mine up as I go.. whatever comes to mind as the roleplaying flows. I find my 'in the moment' sort of winging answers to questions and whatnot, really helps me flesh a character out a bit more, than trying to sit and come up with something from nothing.(also gives me the ability to ask about the political and personal undercurrents that involve the other characters around me/background of the actual game/etc.
Do you give the same answer every time though?
hehe why is the key for everything !
nice article.
I've never done a background on any of my characters.... maybe I should start. <.<
Your background is just that - a background.
It is not necessary to constantly remind every person you meet that you were abused as a child by a priest of Sung before escaping into the streets of Krondor, only to be captured by a sadistic Mocker who beat you to a pulp and kept you locked in a chest in the sewers for months before you were found by a Pathfinder, causing you to become the depressed adventurer you are today.
Certainly your background will define your character and his or her actions, but constantly telling everyone about your background unless you are asked to or it is called for only makes you seem self-centred and annoying.
oh and you can always like your description to backgrounds! :)
You could, especially if there are anything special. Like a scar, tattoo whatever.
Why is actually a good question and one I (as myself and not a character) ask all the time in life, but why me, why this, why now, why there.... why why why why why! I'm almost as bad as a little kid. And remember not all questions have answers.
I loved this article. I write backgrounds for my characters on Imperian but I have always thought there was something missing even when others have told me I am a good writer. This may just help me flesh out my backgrounds (and there for my characters) a bit better in future.
I love asking why and finding out the ins and outs of things. I think this is a great way to turn my love of why's into my own character so as to flesh him out even more. Thanks for the article.
Honestly, aside from the rather short things usually required for House novices, I haven't really done much with backgrounds in Achaea. For other gaming like D&D I've done rather extensive backgrounds to help set up goals for the character in the beginning...and it has indeed been much like the stuff suggested here.
I have always had trouble coming up with a background. This article was very helpful for me to start putting together something meaningful. I typically shrug it off until I come up with a good background.
Very nice article.
Really like this article. It hit on the thing that is probably the most important. To read up on the lore of the setting you are playing in. I try to do that as much as possible, but I admit that when it gets really lengthly sometimes I just fake it.
I like to have an unflattering background - Koneechu is lazy and fat. Letting other people insult you is a fine way to get them interested.
The problem with my charachter backgrounds is I tend to make them far too complicated. Maybe trimming it down to the essentials of the why questions and then trying one of those flow chart thingies will help.
Also, once in a while, try to make a character that's NOT a hero, or ultra beautiful or ultra special...go for some average backstory
My first character's background was horribly complicated :P
I'd add that to any new character created, you should be flexible. If you jump into a game with the character's story set in stone, it'll be harder to join an IC family or a variety of other things. As the game evolves, so does your character. So a little flexibility never hurts.
When I've made alts, I tend to have a bit of background knowledege about them ooc. On an IC level they're still trying to regain their memories from the flame. (In Achaea at least!)
Of course, my alts never last...
Having a background at least gives you a bit of direction. When I started my character, I think the hardest part was figuring out which family to join and start my adventures in RP (as much as I could). I definitely agree that doing a bit of research and trying out different cities will help in figuring out what class/race is best for you and how you want to work out your background.
Starting one isn't really the issue. Continuing it and making note of how much your character has grown is hard.
I first started playing Achaea several years ago, and created a character with poorly defined goals (my biggest goal was probably to play a character of that race and class.) Naturally, the background was weak, and after a while the novelty wore off and I left.
A while later, I decided to come back with a character with a strong goal. As a result, I've got a strong background, and the character has gone far longer than before, and I am toying with ideas of several other characters (each defined by my goals for said characters.)
makes me smile. Though I imagine people could take it way overboard, and go off onto tangents that completely destroy the point.
I find it difficult to come up with a background and then trying to fit it with what my characters end up doing in the game. If I create a whole backstory that my character is an orphan or something, I may later regret it if I seek to find a family in the game.
The string of 'why' questions is always a good way to flesh out some history.
Backgrounds give you a lot of room to work. When I played Achaea (pretty briefly), I didn't know anyone who really did any background or history writing, but almost everyone was an orphan who'd been abused and then found. It was um. Fairly dull! I was like that myself. Which is a big reason why I went to Lusternia. People wrote backgrounds and they were rich and interesting. We have a player named Catarin who wrote the history of the Paladin's guild (and was given a historical family name as a reward!). Lusternia makes it possible to really go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to writing histories.
I've found this sheet to be incredibly helpful with character creation. Don't feel forced to fill everything in though, it's quite normal you character may not know things because situations where these would come to light have never been encountered. A little improvisation is fun anyway.
That's twothingsism. Kudos.
Seriously. It helps. :)
That's the advice I'd give on backgrounds. Just -wait- a few years until you know a little something about Achaea, and about who you want to be in it. I know there were some houses that used to require new members to write their backgrounds. Most of them stopped, I think; and all of them should.
This probably would have helped me a lot when I was new to Achaea. My background is the epitome of generic. Though at the time, I kind of designed it that way, since I didn't really know what I wanted to do.
Normally I play through a game for a time before writing up a background for a character. But with these steps I can actually have one at the ready as opposed to pulling one out of thin air and memorizing it when questions or events come up.
This is not only good for writing backgrounds, but for story writing and telling in general.
However, for me, backgrounds aren't half as important as the personality your character will actually manifest in the present.
Backgrounds are good guides for that, though! And it can't hurt to make it.
of writing a background is having it come through in the character's actions. I tend to get the same character behaviours, no matter how detailed or different a background I write. Think I'm just a bad actor.
And these are good guidelines for learning how to do so.
Some good points. Why would you mar them by constantly placing them in in such very boring context of "text games"?
This is a good set of guidelines for a character...I personally tend to sort of follow the same general thinking, but the majority of it just sort of...comes out through RP!
awesome article.
I like the suggestion about asking "why" 5 times.
Sadly, not too many care.
who bothers with backgrounds? people change stuff about them quite often, it doesn't make sense anymore.
I did that with Korri, though I had to slowly water it down for practicality issues
I prefer backgrounds to be flexible. I wanted to adopt a novice, but because my race and background were not according to his fixed background, we missed out on some family RP. I kept my own background rather vague at the beginning and let it become more clear when I found my place in the realms.
Fun to read ^_^


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Mishaps abound, including blown tires, attempts to cross bridges and rivers that are framed as dangerous. Once they arrive, there are also bear encounters in their Alaska camp.
Stand-out characters include crazy old Jack Hoffman, the 65-year-old father of team leader Todd. Jack is one of two characters to damage their own vehicles using heavy equipment (one in each of the first two episodes).
"If I go and I die, no big deal," Jack says nonchalantly.
Episodes air in chronological order as the guys search for glory holes as they attempt to strike it rich. It's entertaining enough if real-life make-it-or-break-it tension is what you're looking for in TV. That's also a bit of better-them-than-me satisfaction that comes in watching this and all the Tough Guy TV shows. "Gold Rush" has the added element of will-they-or-won't-they make it rich.


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Summary of Outpatient Output Update for 2001
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Honors Action
Incoming Honors College freshmen have a special opportunity to participate in one of our three Honors service-learning programs before formal classes start in the fall semester. Participants arrive on campus before their peers and devote the last week of their summer to service projects in the Tuscaloosa area. Each Honors Action program provides a unique experience for our students, so read through the descriptions and figure out which one is right for you. Current Honors College students serve as student leaders and directors, and Honors College staff members serve as advisors. Freshmen receive one hour of Pass/Fail UH 103 credit for their fall semester.
Alabama Action
Alabama Action is a student-created service-learning experience for 150 Honors College freshmen that responds to the needs of the community by providing hands-on projects and issue-relevant education. Through Alabama Action, students foster relationships with like-minded freshmen, upperclassmen student leaders, and faculty. The University of Alabama quickly becomes home as the students live on campus, serve in the community and surrounding areas, and familiarize themselves with Tuscaloosa.
Service projects take place at local underprivileged schools where the students have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children not only through projects, such as mural painting, building an outdoor classroom, renovating schoolrooms, etc., but also by serving as mentors. Guest lecturers meet students on campus to engage in academic issue-relevant education, such as poverty in education, the meaning of civic engagement, and policy related issues. When the elementary students begin their school year, participants work with them on goal-setting, future plans, and character building through a set curriculum. This year, Alabama Action consists of two educational outreach projects with Brookwood Middle School and Vance Elementary School. While each student will be assigned to a specific partnership and service project, all participants of Alabama Action will engage in common programming with the entire group (i.e., breakfasts, lectures, dinner, evening activities).
Outdoor Action
Outdoor Action is an exciting, week-long service-learning program designed to provide approximately 80 incoming freshmen the opportunity to engage in meaningful community-based partnerships. Participants enjoy outdoor activities from canoeing to river seining then work together on a day-and-a-half service project working with local environmental groups to improve outdoor infrastructure.
Black Belt Action
Black Belt Action is a week-long service-learning program designed to provide approximately 30 incoming freshmen a focused, transformative experience in Alabama's Black Belt region. Named originally for its dark, fertile soil, the Black Belt is a strand of 14 counties that stretches across the Heart of Alabama – a region rich with historical significance, unique culture, and vibrant people.
Students will work to make an immediate positive impact in the community by working in Marion, AL. Participants will explore the elements of 'community' and the implications of systemic poverty through discussion with local leaders, group reflection, and application of selected readings to their experience. Throughout the week, Black Belt Action participants will also have opportunities to acclimate to campus life and familiarize themselves with Tuscaloosa.
Dates and Application
Honors Action 2016 begins Sunday, August 7th, 2016 and concludes Friday, August 12th, 2016. Participants will move into their residence halls prior to beginning the programs, at a time designated by the UA Office of Housing and Residential Communities.
To apply for one of the Honors Action programs, one must:
- Be an incoming UA freshman
- Be accepted into the Honors College
- Submit the online application, including the signed Liability Release (AA, OA, BA) and $195 deposit
The Honors Action deposit is non-refundable. If an applicant does not enroll in any Honors Action course, the money will be credited towards any outstanding balance on the student's UA receivables account.
All 2015 Honors Action programs will begin accepting applications on Thursday, February 25, 2016.


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Silva Fennica is a scientific online journal, which publishes articles reporting significant new knowledge and understanding on all aspects of forest research, both basic and applied subjects.
The journal carries original research articles, review articles, research notes, discussion papers and commentaries.
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ISSN 2242-4075 (Online)
Articles published in Silva Fennica are assigned to volumes and issues. That notwithstanding, new articles are posted on the website as soon as they are in their final form. These latest articles can be accessed via the link at Under compilation in the left column.
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Current issue: 50(4)
Under compilation: 50(5)


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Face front, True Believers! Your favorite comic book heroes like the X-Men are under threat from a dangerous new species, and these insidious aliens have escaped into the REAL WORLD. They're already all around you, acting like normal people and armed with terrifying physical powers of distraction. Are you prepared for ... THE FEMENONS?
Don't worry, friends, our comics will always highlight their physical differences! You'll never risk thinking that a Femenon is a real person!
Yes, the world of comics is under attack by legions of Fake Geek Girls. Fortunately, some brave men have stepped forward to defend their hobby from these imposters. Unfortunately, every single one is a raging asshole.
Fake Geek Girls
There have always been attacks on "fake geek girls," but recently some comics professionals have joined the battle. Which makes sense, because fights with imaginary women who don't wear many clothes is a big part of that industry. Although that doesn't explain artist Tony Harris (Starman, Ex Machina) waking up and thinking "I make my living drawing comics, so I'd better call the guys pathetic losers and the girls whores. That way I can concentrate on my true fan base: the invisible Zorblaxians, aliens free from gender who talk through the fillings in my teeth!" Harris posted a long Facebook rant decrying the cosplayers and the pathetic men they prey on, and used a detailed number scale to explain exactly how "hot" these women really were.
via Wordballoon
This guy decided to explain hotness to people.
Here's a few choice quotes (but you should read the whole thing, one outpouring of blue balls crushed by their own overloaded pressure to create a pure diamond of misogyny):
"... according to a LOT of average Comic Book Fans who either RARELY speak to, or NEVER speak to girls. Some Virgins, ALL unconfident when it comes to girls ..."
His rant contains more sexual frustration than a monastery opposite a coed trampoline-testing park, and is less logical. You can actually see his intelligence decreasing as the rage burns out his remaining neurons, ending with that Algernonian flashback to the kindergarten where he developed his attitude toward women.
"... if ANY of these guys that you hang on tried to talk to you out of that Con? You wouldnt give them the fucking time of day. Shut up you damned liar, no you would not. Lying, Liar Face."
From this point, Harris swore revenge, and to destroy anything nice a female wanted to play with.
The Evil of Costumes
Harris' argument is that these fake geeks are psychic vampires, sucking up the attention of nerds.
"... the thought of guys pleasuring themselves to the memory of you hanging on them with your glossy open lips, promising them the Moon and the Stars of pleasure, just makes your head vibrate."
Harvesting the imagination of other people masturbating in order to power a psychic vibrator has to be the worst supervillain plan ever. He assumes that someone painstakingly crafting a character costume can only be doing it for men who like that character. He directly states that wearing a costume that a man might like implies the offer of sex. If he ever discovers swimwear, he'll have to be banned from beaches. The idea that a woman might like the costume, or anything, simply doesn't occur to him.
"And here it is, THE REASON WHY ALL THAT, sickens us: BECAUSE YOU DONT KNOW SHIT ABOUT COMICS, BEYOND WHATEVER GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH YOU DID TO GET REF ON THE MOST MAINSTREAM CHARACTER WITH THE MOST REVEALING COSTUME EVER."
He complains that some of them looked up the costume instead of memorizing all the stories. It's almost like comics have a visual component! As an artist, you'd think he'd know that. But after that rant, I'm not convinced that he remembers to breathe without a writer reminding him to.


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Daytona Beach Fire Department is the scene of a brush fire near the Cedar Highlands subdivision on Jimmy Ann Drive.
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Euclid then brought heavy snow to the south reported on Christmas Day with up to foot of snow in Arkansas and snowstorm in parts of Oklahoma and North Texas.


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Lesson Plan
Childish Pride
Students read ancient greek myths with special attention to the consequences of characters' refusal to obey their parents!
- Grades: 6–8
- Unit Plan:
In this lesson, students will discover what the ancient Greeks thought about children disobeying their parents based on the consequences described in three different myths. Students will work in groups to adapt these mythological stories into a skit format and then present their adaptation to the class.
Students will:
- Compare and contrast story elements from 3 different myths using a graphic organizer.
- Face an audience with proper eye contact and appropriate voice level to participate in creative dramatics.
- Paper and pencil
- Multiple copies of the following Greek myths: "Daedalus and Icarus," "Bellerophon and Pegasus," and "Helios and Phaethon." These myths can be found in some of the books in my booklist or in your library.
- Overlapping Concepts Graphic Organizer (PDF).
Set Up and Prepare
- Prior to this lesson, you may want to divide the class into three groups (or whatever configuration works for your classroom). Groups will be reading stories and acting out the myths.
- Each group will be reading one of the myths. Gather enough copies of each myth for each student to read.
- Copy the Overlapping Concepts printable (PDF) for each student.
- Write the journal topic on the board to prepare the students for the introductory set.
Days 1-2
Step 1: Introductory Set: Begin this lesson with a discussion about the concepts of "honoring thy mother and father" and "respecting one's elders." Ask students how they respect and honor their parents/guardians and elders. Ask them about a time when they did not and what were the consequences. Discuss the negative behaviors they acted out at that time; pride, arrogance, overconfidence, etc. Write the following journal topic or a variation thereof on the board and allow students to respond in their journals: "Write about a time when you were too prideful to respect your parents or elders or someone else in your life. What happened? Is pride a positive or negative characteristic? When is it positive and when is it negative? Give an example to support your position."
Step 2: Upon completion, randomly call on students to share their experiences and ideas on "pride." Explain that they will read three more myths today, all focusing on the effects of having too much pride and how that impacts the relationship between parents and children.
Step 3: Divide the students into three groups. Explain that each group will:
- Be given a different myth from the following options: "Daedalus and Icarus," "Bellerophon and Pegasus," and "Helios and Phaethon"
- Read their group's myth and organize a skit portraying their story
- Create a "theme song" for each of their myths
- Be allowed 10 minutes to perform their skit and theme song
- Perform their skit and parody theme song for the other students
Step 4: Allow time for the groups to complete their tasks.
Day 3
Step 1: Share with the students that they will be performing their skits and theme songs for the class. While listening to each skit, they will also be listening carefully for specific information about each myth. Distribute the Overlapping Concepts handout and explain that the diagram is helpful when we compare ideas and objects. Tell them they will be comparing each myth as they listen to each skit and song. Have the students label each circle with the name of each of the three myths. Explain the significance of each section of the diagram, how two myths can have similarities, how all three myths can have similarities, and how each myth can have exclusive elements not shared by the others.
Step 2: Allow each group to perform. Students should fill in the handout during each presentation.
Step 3: After each group has performed their skit and song, review the worksheet with the students, discussing each myth's similarities and differences. Walk around the room to observe the students' responses on their worksheet, assisting when necessary.
Step 4: Close the lesson by discussing how these three myths revealed the nature of relationships between parents and children. Generate a brief discussion about the similarities between these ancient myths to their real life relationships with their parents.
Supporting All Learners
The needs of all students should be met at some point in this lesson as it is driven by the theory of multiple intelligences. For example, creatively inclined students should experience success during the dramatic reenactment of the myths, while students who enjoy writing and analyzing literature will excel with the journal writing and parody writing activities.
Lesson Extensions
- Students may always complete a web quest of other Greek myths that deal with children of the gods.
- Students may research Leonardo da Vinci's experiments with human flight, to possibly compare them to Daedalus's wings.
- Students may research the signs of the zodiac, since several are mentioned in the story about Phaethon and Helios.
- Students often ask about the different between Helios and Apollo as both are proclaimed as being "the" sun god. Have the students research the difference between the two deities.
Home Connection
Invite students to write a double-entry journal, one written with a line down the middle of the page. On one side, the students tell a story about a time they learned a lesson from a parent. On the other side, have the students ask the parents to write about a time when the parent was younger that he or she learned a lesson from the grandparent or other adult in the parent's life.
1. Complete the journal entry.
2. Complete the Overlapping Concepts handout (PDF).
3. Perform the skits and the parodies in a group.
You should be able to tell by the assessments whether or not the students understood the deeper meanings of the lesson. In some cases, you may need to lead a blunt and direct conversation about hubris, or having too much pride, and give more examples for your students to analyze.
Assess Students
You may decide to grade any of the written work: the journal entry, the worksheet, or the lyrics of the parody.
- Part of Collection:
- Subjects:Literature through Dramatic Interpretation, Ancient Greece, Compare and Contrast, Story Elements, Parents, Manners and Conduct, Pride and Self-Esteem
- Skills:Reading Comprehension, Public Speaking, Research Skills, Narrative Writing
- Duration:3 Days


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Bill Richards is a self-taught artist. He has never had a professional art class in his life. His paintings consist of life-like portraits and figures, both nude and draped. He also is very proficient in painting animals and landscapes. Every hair and every wrinkle can be seen in his amazing realistic portraits. His medium of choice is oil and he paints on birch. His work is on exhibit from coast to coast, and now at the aRt Cottage as well.
Sandra Artru (in the Red Room Gallery)
Sandra Artru has been painting since 1997. She first learned techniques in a portrait class in a private setting in Brentwood. There were 13 women present for an 8 hr session for 5 days. After that experience, other classes and workshops were more of the same - private and in a small setting. Her first school experience with paint was in high school.
Form and Function
Our Natural World
Diablo Valley Camera Club Photography Exhibition
Mark Jezierny and Students
Africa: Two Views (May 2 - 31, 2012)
Gary Bergren's Proteges
For the month of April, aRt Cottage had the opportunity of exhibiting the work of Gary Bergren, a well know western painter and instructor in the Bay Area. 20 of Mr. Bergren's students have their work showing at the newest gallery in Concord, CA. The show had over 150 visitors at the reception.
On the Wall
These wonderful paintings were done for a show called ON THE WALL at the newly opened aRt Cottage. The purpose of the cottage is to have a place where artists can gather and share their work and ideas. Fourteen artists were invited to create works of art and paint them directly on the walls of the Cottage, knowing that they would be painted over at the end of the show and become a part of the history of aRt Cottage.


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Legends enter KGHS Sports Hall of Fame
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- Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 October 2012 15:23
- Published on Wednesday, 17 October 2012 15:23
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It was an evening of magic as the past stepped forward to touch the present. For several hours, legendary sports icons from the annals of Fox sports history graced the auditorium at King George High School (KGHS).
Among the sports notables officially inducted into the King George High School Sports Hall of Fame were the 1972 KGHS girls basketball team, Jermon Bushrod, Linda Morrissette Failes, George Thomas Toliver, and Eugene Fields.
Fox history came alive as a special presentation honoring the KGHS 1952 football team took place during the early part of the ceremony.
Famed WFLS radio broadcaster John Allen continued his role as the master of ceremonies, while KGHSSHOF founder and president Gary Butler welcomed the program's honored guests and devoted Fox fans. He also echoed the mission, hopes and dreams of the KGHSSHOF. "Tonight we celebrate some of the people who played an important role in helping make the Foxes what they are today," Butler said during the program's opening statement.
Bushrod literally put King George County on the map. In light of his recent professional accomplishments as starting left tackle for the New Orleans Saints, Bushrod's alumni status exploded into the sports stratosphere.
The fourth round draft pick helped his team win the 2009 Super Bowl XLIV, as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17. Last year Bushrod joined four of his teammates on the annual NFC Pro Bowl team. "Jermon is an outstanding football player, and his abilities are shown on the national stage week after week," John Donatelli, New Orleans Saints offensive line coach said. "As good a football player as Jermon is, he is even a better person."
Bushrod's rise to stardom emanated from years as a standout three-sport high school athlete. His contributions lead to a mini-dynasty of gridiron and basketball championships; however, he was a part of a huge group of high school stars who made KGHS one of the competitive sports programs in the state.
"It was hard to talk about one athlete without talking about the others—they were a great group of kids that fostered leadership, while pushing each other to work hard," according to Bushrod's high school coach Eddie Haynes.
Among the litany of his collegiate accomplishments at Towson University, Bushrod was first team All Atlantic 10, and finished his collegiate career with 38 consecutive starts.
Every year, through the efforts of his Visualize and Rize, LLC foundation, kids from throughout the Fredericksburg community flock to learn proper football fundamentals from area coaches, and KGHS alumni. Proceeds from his annual golf tournament are given back area high schools in the form of college scholarships.
The 1972 KGHS women's basketball team left its indelible legacy as the only women's basketball team in school history with a record of 14 wins and no losses.
Under the coaching auspices of Donna Coley, the team won a district championship and a Regional championship. Unfortunately, state championships for women were not played during this era in VHSL history.
The team yielded 26.5 points per game, for an average winning margin of 27.5, while averaging 54 points a game.
Among the players who achieved basketball collegiate success were Katherin Johnson (James Madison University), and fellow Duke teammate, Linda Morrissette Failes.
Morrissette-Failes continues to set the standard for KGHS alumni who have entered the world of coaching. After 30 years, the five sport Fox alumnus' passion for sports continues to astound sports enthusiasts throughout the state.
Currently, she has the second highest record for victories for Virginia tennis coaches, which includes: 17 district championships (13 straight from 1999 to 2012), three district runner-up titles, four Regional championships, eight Regional runner-up titles, one state championship, two state runner-up titles, Virginia State Tennis Coach of the Year, 2012 Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for eight states, Virginia Region B Coach of the year.
Morrissette-Failes also set the standard for golf coaches, with a career that has lasted for 29 years. Within that time span, her teams have won 205 matches, five district championships, two Regional runner-up titles, and an individual honor of 2002 VHSCA State Golf Coach of the Year.
Affectionately known by his peers and student-athletes as coach, Ralph Bunche and KGHS coach Eugene Fields has coached and mentored students for five decades. He coached basketball, baseball, and track & field at Ralph Bunche, and was a baseball and assistant football coach at KGHS.
Fields was instrumental in making Ralph Bunche a respected competitor in area sports. He coached the 1968 baseball team to a district and state runner-up title that featured one loss. He also coached the track & field team to a district championship.
At King George, he led the 1970 baseball team to the state semi-finals. He was instrumental in establishing the first middle school football team at King George Middle School. In addition, he served as an assistant football coach for the undefeated 1976 KGHS football team.
As an NBA referee, Toliver has enriched the lives of thousands of basketball fans throughout the world. As an athlete and coach, the 1969 KGHS alumni has left a legacy of achievement that continues to serve as an example for today's youth to follow.
Prior to graduating from high school, Toliver was challenged by KGHS boys' varsity basketball coach Channing Brown to make a difference in the lives of others. "I was told by my high school assistant coach to be a trailblazer, who later explained that a trailblazer is a person who gets in front and leads by example," Toliver said.
Toliver and his teammates helped set and shape the foundation for the Fox basketball program with competitive consistency on the court. During his senior year, the Foxes finished the season, 20-1, with a state runner-up title. The co-captain led the Foxes in scoring with a 18.1 points per game average, shot 51 percent from the floor (132 of 261), and averaged over three seasons 12.3 points a game.
As a James Madison Duke, he led the team in scoring three out of four years. He averaged 19.3 points as a freshman, 12.7 as sophomore, 16.6 as a junior, and 12.5 as a senior.
Toliver was the first player in JMU history to score over 1,000 points, finishing his career as the all-time leading scorer with 1,287 points. He also scored the most points in a season, with 381, and most points in a game (34). The choice was easy for the JMU sports panel when it came to making him a member of the JMU Sports Hall of Fame.
During his climb through the ranks of professional basketball officiating, he became a notable basketball referee, who worked his way into the elite ACC conference.
Prior to becoming a NBA referee, he was an International Basketball Association referee.
Although he has retired from NBA officiating, he serves as the director of the Developmental League of Referees for the NBA.
Along with coaching a girls' AAU basketball team to a national title, he is the owner and director of a nationally renowned referees camp.
The KGHS 1952 football team were men of clandestine destiny, who were gridiron pioneers in their won right. The 13 men who opened the doors to 60-years of football at KGHS included: Donald Clift, Richard Cox, Herbert Williams, Skippy Lewis, William Martin, Roland Wegner, William Meadows, Julian Brizendine, Wardlow Trainor, James Hudson, Joy Broadus, Wallace Owens, Carl Garrison, Larry Cameron and Pete Garner.
In hopes of playing six-man football, head coach Vic Kazlausky threw caution to the wind, winning two out of seven games during their inaugural season. Their intrepid journey through unchartered territory changed the course of sports history in King George. However, no matter how big or daunting their opponent appeared to be, the team never wavered when it came to supporting their coach. "I believe we would have run through the wall if he had told us to," Cameron said. "It was a great experience for all of us, and it was a gratifying feeling that we were starting a tradition for the Foxes."
Leonard Banks
Sports Editor


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The Primo Vascular System: The N-rays of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture meridians and acupoints are imaginary until proven otherwise. Anatomists have never been able to detect them by microscopy or autopsy, and they are not mentioned in anatomy textbooks. For decades, acupuncturists have been trying to prove that their pre-scientific belief system is grounded in scientific reality. Now they are telling us that acupuncture meridians and acupoints have been discovered in the form of the Primo vascular system (PVS). A typical website trumpets "Science Finally Proves Meridians Exist."
The available information is confusing.
Primo vessels were supposedly missed by anatomists because they are so small. They are reported to only be visible by electron microscopy, yet researchers have used dye to show them under a regular microscope. There has been speculation about their involvement in cancer metastasis: one paper provides images of a putative PVS cancer metastasis thread afloat in a lymph duct. PVS vessels are said to be too tiny to study by the usual methods of science, but some researchers say they have somehow learned that they are characterized by high resistance and low capacitance. They are allegedly studded with electrically charged nodes that attract nutrients, oxygen, and regulatory hormones. They allegedly transmit energy to organs and integrate the features of the cardiovascular, nervous, immune, and hormonal systems and serve as the physical substrate for acupuncture points and meridians. (more…)
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Today, just for old time's sake, I decided to jump on my bed. I ended up hitting my head on the spinning fan and knocking myself unconscious. FML
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Today, I asked my dad why there were no photos of me on the wall. He replied, "Every time you disappoint us we burn one." FML
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Today, I had to pick my 22-year-old son up from the hospital, after he got blind drunk, got his hand stuck in a Pringles can, and got the bright idea of staggering to the local ER to get it cut off. FML
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Dunk into the Fonduta, a Northern Italian-style fondue made with truffled Fontina cheese and served with a house-cured dry salami and black bread at this slopeside trattoria (formerly The Yodler). Easy to locate, the restaurant is adjacent to the Main Lodge at the base.Mammoth Lakes, California | 760.934.0636
A good spot for happy hour, group dinners, or late-night drinking, Whiskey Creek, on the corner of Main Street and Minaret Road, is a steak-and-potatoes kind of place in a rustic mountain setting. After skiing, go to Whiskey Creek for one of Mammoth's rowdiest happy hour spots, where between 4 and 5:30, you can get four dollars off pitchers of beer (try an ale from Mammoth Brewing Company) and half-priced bar menu snacks like spicy chicken wings, artichoke dip, or calamari. Or go for dinner for menu items like bacon-wrapped meatloaf.
If you're looking for fine dining in Mammoth, look no further than the Lakefront Restaurant, which is tucked inside the Tamarack Lodge, on the shores of Mammoth's Twin Lakes. The French menu—crested by chef Frederic Pierrel, who was trained at France's Institute Culinaire de Gerardmer—would make Julia Child proud: a fromage de France sampler, escargot Bourguigno, elk medallions au Poivre, filet mignon grilled aux deux sauces prime beef tenderloin. But it's also inspired by the restaurant's eastern Sierra locale, with local and organic produce, seafood, and wild game.
Go to skiingmag.com
Go to nastar.com
Go to warrenmiller.com
Copyright © 2016 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. an Active Interest Media Company.


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RUSH: Now, let's go to back to the last debate. I've also been thinking about the interest here, because tonight's debate's on foreign policy, and Obama by all rights ought to be a sitting duck tonight. On Benghazi and on foreign policy in general. Now this mess with Iran. Don't forget what's been reported.
What's been reported about Iran is there was a leak over the weekend that Obama had made a deal, unilaterally, nobody else talking, no French, no UN, no Israel, just Obama and Iran and a deal was struck, the Iranians would stop nuclear development in exchange for us canceling sanctions. After that sat there for an hour or two, the regime then sent this guy Tommy Vietor out who said, "Nope, no, no, not true, not true." Then after that we learned that the discussions are ongoing but that there's no resolution yet. So the latest information is that Obama is talking to the Iranians about this, but with nobody else. No French, no UN, no Brits, no Israel.
We also know -- and I went back and I found it. It was in his Cairo speech in one example, where Obama said, (paraphrasing) "It's not right for one nation to tell another they can or can't have nukes." He said that in his Cairo speech. Here it is. Obama on nukes, remarks by the president, Cairo University, June 4th, 2009. This the WhiteHouse.gov website. "I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons and others do not. No single nation should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons."
Now, in my mind, Obama ought to be a sitting duck today. He has no second-term agenda. We don't know what his foreign policy is because he hasn't said so. He's a sitting duck on his ideology. He blames America first. Romney should go there, but be careful how he does it. We've got this Benghazi disaster that Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News -- grab number seven. This is Sharyl Attkisson. This is Saturday morning, CBS This Morning. She's their investigative reporter, and it's a report about news that a drone aircraft was flown over the consulate in Benghazi during the attack.
ATTKISSON: Some in Congress are asking why US military help from outside Libya didn't arrive as terrorists battered more than 30 Americans over the course of more than seven hours. CBS News has been told that hours after the assault began, an unmanned predator drone was sent over the US mission in Benghazi. It and other reconnaissance aircraft apparently observed the final hours of the lengthy battle. The State Department White House and Pentagon declined to say what military options were available.
RUSH: Let me ask you a question. If on the real 9/11 of '01, remember when that was ongoing? Bush ordered the scrambling of jets and, per Dick Cheney, that any of those jets that were thought to be hijacked were ordered to be shot down. Do you remember that? 'Cause it's true. That was the right thing to do. We're in the middle of an attack, Bush, per Cheney, ordered the scrambling of jets and that any thought to be hijacked be shot down. As a matter of sovereignty, a US diplomatic mission in Benghazi is no less sovereign US territory than the World Trade Center.
Now, to me, it is shocking that we had a mission in such a dangerous place without adequate on-site security from the Marines. What possible explanation can there be for not having a contingency plan to send in forces in the very foreseeable event that there was trouble? It's the 9/11 anniversary. Why was there not a contingency plan? And then B, when trouble happened, what possible explanation is there for not sending in forces regardless of whether there was a contingency plan in place or not? What do we have 'em for? Why do we spend more money on defense than virtually the rest of the world combined if they're not gonna be called on to protect our own people when an act of war is underway? Why was there no response to this?
I'll tell you why. I don't expect Romney to say this at the debate, but I'll tell you why. Primarily because we didn't want to offend the Libyans. You see, our world, the Obama worldview is the US is guilty, US superpower. We have to have one arm tied behind our back at all times to make it fair for the rest of the world. It's not fair that we are the world's superpower. And so these little nations like Libya, we can't just wipe 'em out, we have to be fair here. Besides, it's our fault. In Obama's world, it's our fault. So we don't want to offend the Libyans and we don't want to offend anybody else by having this show of military force, particularly when the line from the regime is that we've just made the place safe. We got rid of Khadafy. We have made the world safe. We got rid of Bin Laden. We got rid of Al-Qaeda.
The United States being attacked by Al-Qaeda simply doesn't fly, so we can't launch a countermeasure because that would acknowledge that we're being attacked. We can't do that. That's why it had to be the video. It's why it had to be some out-of-control bunch of ragtag protesters that were mad about what was going on in Cairo and mad about a video, but I'm telling you, this is an utter disaster, and it's Obama's ideology -- John Bolton's right about this -- that has shaped a foreign policy which has the United States running around the world with one arm tied behind its back because that's what we have to do to make it appear fair, in their world. In Obama's worldview, it's not fair that we're a superpower. It's not fair we have more power than everybody else. Plus, all this stuff, we caused it anyway, we made 'em mad in the first place. It's only right that they would attack us. I'm not kidding you. That's how Obama looks at this.
RUSH: Did you know that Libya has been a totally botched Romney operation? Well, I didn't know that, either, until I saw the latest Reuters story. Now, wait! Now, wait! Wait. You want to hear the Reuters headline? Reuters headline: "After Libya Misfire, Pressure on Romney in Foreign Policy Debate." Who knew? Who knew? What they're talking about is when Romney went out the next day and made a statement as president criticizing what we were doing.
That was a huge "gaffe," like every "gaffe" he made every day on his European trip. Here is the lede on the Reuters story: "When President Barack Obama and [Governor] Mitt Romney face off on Monday in their third and final debate, it will be the Republican challenger's last best chance to recover from his botched 'Libya moment' and exploit vulnerabilities in his opponent's foreign policy record."
So Romney "botched" Libya, and this is his last chance to fix the mess. I kid you not. That's Reuters. You want to talk about (laughing) corrupt media? Romney "botched" Libya! Really? What Romney policy led to the death of four Americans? What Romney policy led to lying about the cause? What Romney policy was involved at all in Libya? There hasn't been any Romney policy in Libya.
But Romney "botched" Libya. Romney's remarks were about the reaction to the Cairo circus. Romney's remarks were about what the embassy in Cairo did in apologizing in advance of anything happening. Romney was not even talking about Libya. The thrust of Romney's comments were about Cairo, and this is Reuters lying to everybody who reads them.
By the way, the Suffolk University poll in Ohio is now 47-47. It is Suffolk University that's pulled out of Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. They've stopped polling there because Romney's won them all. Same outfit has Ohio tied 47-47. Every other poll has Obama up a point or two in Ohio.
RUSH: Sharyl Attkisson. We just had that sound bite from her on the fact that we didn't do anything militarily to respond to the terror attack. She ends her piece this way: "Sending the military into another country can be a sensitive and delicate decision. CBS News has been told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did seek clearances from Libya to fly in their airspace, but the administration won't say anything further about what was said or decided on that front."
In other words, we were waiting for permission to protect our own people and our sovereign property.
We were waiting for permission from Libya.
See, we didn't want to embarrass the Libyans, and we didn't want to cause any more trouble with them. I'll tell you, folks, it is Obama who's a sitting duck on foreign policy. And it would be so easy for Romney to deal with this if he would just look at Obama ideologically. He doesn't do that to the extent that I do. And he is who he is, so... But it would be so easy to knock Obama down tonight. He's an utter disaster.
He's an absolute utter disaster and failure.
All he's got is Bin Laden's dead and they had to talk him into that three different times!