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Chapter 1 (v.1) - THE UNFORGOTTEN
A Novel By: Amy Auer
Mother nature and all her cruel beauty was without a doubt forthcoming. What were only moments ago fluffy white clouds were now multiple shades of gray dancing mysteriously in the heavens, churning like witches brew; each wicked swirl more menacing than the last.
It was nearly two months ago in August that century old oaks and extreme maples were heavily clothed in brilliant foliage. Now raped of shield and color they were nothing more than skeletal statues waving teasingly, while silent breaths of bone chilled air leisurely passed through each naked limb.
Erin Talbot poured herself a second cup of coffee and took a seat at the battered desk. She had just opened the front cover of a new book she had brought with her to read. Just as she was settling down the shrill ring of the phone sounded, startling her. Somewhat annoyed at being disturbed, she forcefully grabbed the receiver and spoke into it.
"911 What is your emergency?" She barked.
Only silence answered.
"911 Do you have an emergency? She repeated.
Hearing what could have been the sound of muffled breathing or static, she could suddenly feel her heart begin to race. "You're going to have to speak up." She continued. "I can't hear you." After waiting only a few seconds she tried again, this time with a much louder voice. "Hello...Is anyone there? I cannot hear you. Please speak up if you have an emergency!" She pleaded.
It was then that she heard it. That...that muffled sound again.
What the hell is it?
At nineteen years old, it was nearing her one year anniversary on the job. She had dark hair and hazel eyes. At five foot six inches tall she had an average build; large chest and even larger hips. The job itself was rather tedious, but the money was substantial. In what time she'd been employed by the Laurel Ridge Police Department, she could count on her fingers and toes the number of emergency phone calls she had actually taken...Sixteen! Most calls that came in were typical bar fights--fist flying, tables turned upright, glasses soaring through the air. If it was a really bad night you might get a domestic disturbance. Mostly the job was nothing more than making coffee, picking up lunch, and reading a good novel.
"H...e...l...p..." The voice was barely a whisper yet she knew it was a female; prayerfully pleading for help. Panic immediately set in causing her heart to crash land into the soles of her feet. Her heart raced like a thoroughbred fighting to be the first across the finish line.
Amazingly the whole twenty minute training course came flooding back to her. "Ma'am please stay on the line. Help is on the way." Instinctively she grabbed the outdated radio and immediately spoke in authority. "All units in the vicinity of Laurel Ridge please respond to an unidentified 911 at Twenty-Six Maple Creek. The moment she announced the address out loud she knew whose house it was and her heart took a crashing dive. "I repeat...all units in the vicinity of Laurel Ridge please respond to 26 Maple Creek."
"Ma'am can you tell me what happened?" From the sound of her voice it was obvious she would soon pass out...or worse!
"I...I've...been...stabbed..." She muttered.
"Stay with me till help arrives." Erin begged.
"I...I...want to...sleep."
"Ma'am stay with me. Help should be there any minute."
"Ma'am...Can you hear me? Please talk to me!"
After what seemed like hours, Erin could finally hear the muffled sounds of multiple sirens. Silently she prayed they were not too late...yet could tell by the voice on the other end that they were.
Officer Tom Randolph was the first to respond. After breaking a small pane of glass in the front door to enter, he opened the door and stepped inside, immediately eyeing evidence of foul play. Large streaks of blood were visible in the hallway, as though the victim had been dragged. He followed the trail of blood which led him upstairs into a large bedroom where he immediately saw the body of what appeared to be an adult female, a large pool of blood surrounding her. Quickly he responded by placing a hand to the side of her neck. He let out a held up breath of air after feeling the blur of a faint pulse.
In the meantime paramedics arrived, as well as several officers on duty and the room began to flood with help.
"I need an IV of ringers STAT!" Nick Meyer ordered. The blood loss was massive he noticed and knew it would be a miracle if she survived for another ten minutes.
"Can you hear me?" A volunteer EMT asked, holding her hand. "Stay with us...you going to be okay." He lied. From experience, he knew he had to somehow brighten her spirits even if he knew it would do no good. She had multiple stab wounds as well as defensive wounds to both hands. A large gash was displayed across her neck, allowing anyone who looked, to see the contents inside.
"Do you know who did this to you?" Officer Randolph asked.
"M...my..." The simple syllables took her last drop of energy and immediately she slipped into the soothing darkness that awaited her.
"We're losing her!" Nick shouted at once. CPR was quickly administered with no apparent luck.
"Wanna call it?" Sloan Michael's--one of the responding officers--eventually said.
Without looking up Nick Meyer continued chest compressions and quick breaths. "I need a defibrillator...Now!" He screamed.
"Stay with me." He silently pleaded.
Nick Meyer had been a paramedic for seventeen years. At forty-five he was happily married and had four kids to prove it. Although several gray hairs were nicely arranged throughout his hair, his well chisled body had given off the appearance of looking ten years younger.
He placed the defibrillator on either side of her body.
"Clear!" He shouted.
The jolt that entered her body made the lifeless form jerk from the instant shock.
After several more attempts, Nick Meyer looked at his watch and mournfully decided to call it.
"Time of death...2:47pm."
Before stepping away from the body he despairingly looked into her lifeless eyes then carefully covered her with a single bed sheet.
"Anyone know who she is?" He heard someone say.
"Yeah," Nick said hesitantly over his shoulder.
"She's the Sheriff's wife...Kasey Laurel. He regretted it the moment he said it.
Knowing there was nothing more that he could do, he silently left the room. Everyone was too busy to notice the single tear that slid down his cheek.
"Anyone know where the Sheriff is?" He heard someone shout. He didn't bother sticking around to hear the answer. His job here was finished.
Well almost.
He descended down the lengthy staircase and into the long hallway, wiping away the now, unstoppable tears. The moment he stepped out onto the front porch he noticed Sheriff Gil Laurel step out of his patrol car and run towards the house.
"Kasey!" His scream was feral and Nick new it would be useless to try and stop him.
Sheriff Gil Laurel raced down the long hallway and up the extended staircase into the master bedroom. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the crumpled body of his wife sprawled on the bed, bathed in a sea of blood.
"Kasey!" He ran to her side sobbing. A powerful arm stopped him before he was able to kneel down beside her.
"Come on Gil, you don't need to be here right now." Detective Sloan Michaels said.
"Get your fucking hands off of me Michaels!" He shouted and broke free from the powerful grip.
Knowing he was unable to touch her, Gil looked at her butchered body for the last time.
Her naked body lay face up in bed, perfectly still and nearly unrecognizable. Her long Auburn colored hair was mussed from several repeated attempts of failed CPR. Multiple stab wounds were evident over most of her already cooling flesh, and her face had been mutilated...sliced from left to right, right to left; as though someone were trying to erase her external beauty. Her vivid green eyes were wide open, vacantly staring at the ceiling...a cold look or terror covered them like contact lenses. Blood was spattered across a good portion of the interior walls as well as on the delicate molding on the bedroom door, and the cream colored carpet was now splashed in crimson.
"Dear God Kasey...who did this to you?" He said out loud. He desperately wanted to wipe the loose strands of hair away from her face. "And why were you here...in this house?"
Sloan Michaels walked to where Gil was standing and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." He consoled.
"Get your fucking hands off of me!" Gil spun around in a fury and grabbed Sloan by the shirt. "I want to know who did this to my wife!" He screamed.
"We will." Sloan promised. "We will."
The pain in his chest was unbearable and he thought he might collapse from it. He determined he would not cry another single tear, for Kasey he knew he had to be strong. He would find out who did this to her if it was the last thing he ever did. She was his wife dammit and he was suppose to protect her! It was only last week that she had told him she felt like she was being followed.
Dear God, why hadn't he listened to her?
And what was she doing here...in this house?
In the meantime, a group of Death Investigators that had been called in from Lexington had arrived and crime scene tape was secured around the perimeter to keep any unauthorized people from entering and destroying any evidence. Several hours later after numerous pictures had been taken and what little evidence they were able to find was collected, Kasey Laurel's hands were carefully placed in brown paper bags and her body was removed from the scene.
As much as he hated the thought, Gil knew that this case was too personal for him and he would not be allowed to be involved. At least not legally. He thought.
What he hated even more was the fact that Sloan Michaels would be in charge of the investigation.
When everyone, including Sheriff Laurel had finally left, it was Sloan Michaels that stayed behind. He would stay all night he'd decided just to make sure the crime scene was not disturbed. Alone, he decided to check the house for a second time just to be sure that nothing had been overlooked. While he was busy searching the third floor of the house he heard the sound of creaking floorboards below and immediately knew he wasn't alone.
"Goddamn you Gil!" He cursed and silently crept back down the spiral stairs.
The bedroom was a bloody mess. He didn't want to be here but he knew he had no choice. Quickly and silently he searched the bedroom as though he were desperate to find something. He searched through dresser drawers that hadn't been used in decades and looked in the set of closets along the east side wall, where outdated clothes still hung. He had already been there too long he knew, and he had to leave before he was caught. God knew he didn't want to have to explain himself. As a final attempt he reached his hand under the mattress where Kasey had recently lain and immediately felt it. Letting out a gasp of breath he quickly pulled the object out from under the mattress and without looking at it stuck it inside his coat pocket. He immediately left the room and descended down the stairs.
Sloan Michaels stood wide-eyed inside the door across the hall from the crime scene silently watching. His mouth gaped open the moment he saw Nick Meyer quickly disappear down the staircase..
What the hell did he take from under the mattress?
And why the hell didn't I stop him?
Although the weather was chilled and evening was closing in, the funeral had been beautiful. Gil had chosen a simple oak casket with a spray of carnations, gerberas, gladioli, white roses--Kasey's favorite--and soft foliages. Mounds of flower arrangements were neatly arranged around the stunning photograph of Kasey that was on display for remembrance, as well as around the casket itself.
The service was simple and gently spoken. And when it concluded the small group of Kasey's mourners met back at Mavis Laurel's cottage for dinner and drinks. The winter tourists that had dutifully come to pay their respects, simply went their own way when the service had ended. They had done what was rightfully expected of them.
Two large platters of fried chicken decorated a linen clothed table along with numerous bowls filled with mashed potatoes, collard greens, baked beans, and steaming, oven fresh rolls.
Sloan Michaels was there as well as Gil Laurel, Nick Meyer, and a few of the other paramedics who had so desperately tried to save Kasey's life. There were a few police officers that had been friends of Kasey and Gil's that were also there along with Erin Talbot, who had only met Kasey a few times but called her a friend.
"Thank you mama." Gil said softly. After indulging in a bite of chicken leg, he bent slightly to kiss Mavis on the cheek. In return she reached up and caressed his cheek. "The service was beautiful, but you need to make sure you eat plenty of food dear. You need to keep up your strength."
"It's nice to see you again Mavis." Sloan interrupted, taking her in his arms. "I only wish it were under better circumstances." He added.
"I know." She said quickly, ending the embrace. She began walking towards Nick Meyer. Even from across the room she could see that he was deeply absorbed in a conversation with Erin Talbot.
Kasey's parents had both died in a car crash when she was only seven years old. With no family to take care of her she had been tossed back and forth between the system like a yo-yo, going from foster home to foster home--some good and some not so good--until she turned the legal age of eighteen. At that time she had been tossed into the street like a helpless puppy to fend for herself.
Lucky for her she was tossed right into the arms of Gil Laurel.
Six months later they were married at the Chapel Pine Church in Laurel Ridge.
The moments he saw her approaching, Nick ended his conversation with Erin and turned to greet her.
"Am I interrupting something?" Mavis asked
"No ma'am. Just so hard to believe this is really happening. Erin and I were just talking about who could have done such a horrible thing."
"Well, now is not the time or the place for you to be discussing who did it." She said poking a finger into his chest. "The police will figure it out soon enough, I'm sure."
"I'm sure you're right Ms. Laurel."
"Thank you for such a lovely dinner ma'am, but I really need to be going now." Nick said. Mavis could suddenly hear the tension in his voice.
"Where's your wife at Nick? Surely I thought she'd be joining you tonight." Mavis could see the color drain from his face.
"She's not feeling well," he quickly said "But she sends her deepest sympathy."
"Oh I'm sorry, I almost forgot she never did care too much for Kasey did she? So I guess there is no reason that she would be here tonight is there Nick?"
"Am I interrupting anything mama?" Gil cut in. He instantly realized the tension between the two and couldn't help but wonder why.
"Of course not dear, Nick here was just telling me that Masey was a little under the weather and that's why she wasn't able to be here tonight."
"I hope it's nothing too serious." Gil said.
"Probably just a stomach flu." Nick extended his hand towards Gil. "But I better be going now to see that she is okay. Take care of yourself Gil." After they shook hands Nick turned to face Mavis. "Ma'am" He simply said tilting his head to say goodbye, then walked towards the front door and disappeared into the night air.
"Want to tell me what's really going on here mama? The tensions so thick in the air right now, you could cut through it with a knife."
"Nothing for you to worry about dear." Mavis said kissing his cheek. "Did you get enough to eat?"
"Yes mama."
"Good, now get back to your guests. I'm going to go say hello to Erin...if I can find her." She said looking around the living room. "Have you seen her dear?"
"She already left mama."
"What!" She scolded. "When did she leave?" The sudden anger in her voice disturbed Gil but he knew better than to interfere. If mama wanted to tell him about it she would.
What isn't she telling me?
"Right after you broke up her conversation with Nick." He just as angrily bit back--instantly sorry that he did--and left the room in a hurry to do as he had been instructed to do...go see to his guests.
By now the only person that was left lingering in the kitchen was Sloan Michaels, who was hungrily biting into a fourth piece of chicken.
"I've never had fried chicken quite like your mama's" He smiled.
"Cut the crap Sloan!" Gil said and reached into the icebox for a chilled Budweiser.
"Yeah I'll take one. Thanks for asking." Sloan said sarcastically.
"You two quit your bickering! You sound like two juvenile delinquents." Mavis said walking into the kitchen. "I'll take one too dear." She smiled. "Then we will all sit down at the table like civilized adults."
Gil gave her a strange look.
Mavis cleared off the table while Gil took three chilled Budweisers from the icebox. He set the bottles on the table and took a seat at the rectangular table. He twisted off the cap and took a long swallow.
"Well what?" Sloan said also taking a long swallow of the icy brew.
"What the fuck Sloan!" Gil shouted, slamming the beer bottle down on the table.
"Watch your mouth before I wash it out with soap!" Mavis jumped up from the table clearly disgusted at the choice word he had chosen.
"You just buried your wife today." She reached down and held a firm grip on to his chin, as though he were three years old again being scolded for doing something wrong. "You should at least have the decency to stop the damn feuding between the two of you.!" She let go with a forceful shove.
"Yes ma'am."
"Now then Sloan," She turned her head away from Gil, clearly disgusted in his manners, and looked into Sloan's face smiling. "I think what my son was trying to ask you is if you have any leads yet on Kasey's murder?"
"I'm sorry Mavis, but it hasn't even been a week. We don't even have any lab tests back yet. And that's really all I can say. I'm sorry...really I am. Sloan reached for her hands to comfort them, only to be pushed away.
"Very well then." Mavis took a sip of her beer, suddenly cringing at the bitter taste of it. God how long has it been? She silently asked herself. Ten years, two months and four days. She took another swallow of the brownish liquid, suddenly enjoying the taste again.
Mavis Laurel was sixty-six years old. Most people would say she was still as stunning as she was when she was forty. She kept her now-thinning hair a pale shade of blond, but instead of wearing it down as she had when she was younger, it was wound tight in a bun on top of her head. Her fragile skin was flawless and her makeup near perfection. She took a third swallow of beer.
"I'll have another." She said after setting the empty bottle in front of Gil.
"Yes ma'am." He swiped the empty bottle with his hand and scooted his chair from the table.
"Your going to have to do better than that Sloan Michaels!" She suddenly scolded.
"Look Mavis," He started, somewhat irritated. "There is nothing to tell you that you don't already know." After several seconds of tortured silence he finally said "I still have a few people I need to question again. Honest that's all there is to say."
"Hows come I don't believe you?" She asked him. "And where's my beer Gil?"
"Right here mama." Gil hurried back to the table and twisted the cap off for her. He set the bottle in front of her then turned around and walked back to the kitchen sink where he stared out into the black of night.
"Because your impatient." Sloan teased after Gil had left.
"Listen Mavis, I really need to be going...I've still got a lot of work to do tonight." He got up from the kitchen table and immediately bent down and kissed her on top of her head. "We should have the fingerprint analysis back any
day now, on the two champagne glasses...I promise you'll be the first to know what I find out." He said as he walked out the door.
Dear God, how can I tell her that her nephew--Nick Meyer--is the prime suspect? And how can I tell her that I watched him walk out of the crime scene with a key piece of evidence and not do a damn thing about it.?
"What the hell did you take from under the mattress Nick?" He questioned out loud.
Detective Sloan Michaels got into his car shaking his head, and in silence drove away.
Mavis Laurel got up from the kitchen table and walked to the back door. She looked out and watched his tail lights disappear around the corner then immediately turned her attention to Gil.
Before she was able to say anything Gil spun around.
"Mama." He said in a whisper.
"I know something has been troubling you son." Mavis said. "Well...ever since Kasey's murder that is...Its time to get it off your chest dear."
"Have you heard from Annie?" Gil asked, suddenly changing the subject.
"You know your sister can't be here right now. She'll be here in a week or two."
"Mama...'' He started again.
"Get on with it!" She ordered.
"They're gonna find my fingerprints on those champagne glasses mama...mine and Kasey's." He blurted out.
"What!" Mavis jumped from the table as though she had just been shot with a pellet gun.
"What in the hell are you talking about? Didn't I tell you not to go into that house!" She screamed. "That Goddamn house killed your father and your grandfather...and now Kasey." She was unable to stop the tears that began to flow.
"That house didn't kill anyone mama. Grandpa hanged himself and daddy fell from the roof. Besides I haven't been in that house for...well since daddy's accident." He promised.
. Just the look in her eye made him cringe. "I swear mama."
"If you haven't been in that house, then why would your fingerprints be on those glasses.?"
"Kasey and I had a glass of champagne earlier that day." He began explaining. "Well, Kasey had cider and I had champagne. Those were the only two glasses that were left in that set. I don't know how they ended up in grandpa's house. Kasey must have taken them there."
"Why would Kasey have taken those glasses there, she didn't have a key to that house.?" Mavis interrupted. "Besides she had no business being over there."
"I don't know mama."
"Gil...was Kasey having an affair?" She suddenly asked.
"Good God mama!" He shrieked. "Of course she wasn't having an affair." A puzzled look instantly crossed his face. Does mama know something? He nervously wondered. "How could you be so cruel and ask such a thing? My God mama, Kasey had told me she was pregnant." An instant look of shock covered Mavis' face.
Thankful for the interruption when the phone rang, Gil immediately scooted his chair from the kitchen table and got up to leave. "I gotta go mama." He simply said and walked towards the back door.
She had no choice but to let him leave.
"Hello." He could hear her the faint shrill of her voice in the distance as he walked down the steps onto the stone paved walkway.
Shaking his head, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs.
Dear God why do I let her do this to me? Every time I'm around that woman I feel like I am ten years old again! Disturbed by his own behavior he got in his car and drove away.
Even though it was getting late--10:30pm according to the clock on the dashboard--Gil drove past his own driveway and reluctantly decided the make the longer drive out to his Grandpa's house. He reached forward and turned the knob on the radio. Nervously he searched for anything that would diminish the anxiety he was suddenly feeling. Besides last week, it had been nearly twenty years since he'd been here. And he damn sure didn't want to be here now.
He had to find out what happened to Kasey. And why she was sneaking to his grandpa's house...and with who. He knew he didn't have much time. It was only a matter of days before Sloan came looking for him. He didn't know how but Gil knew they would find only his and Kasey's fingerprints on those glasses...no one else's. And sheriff or not, he would be the number one suspect.
He pulled into the gravel driveway and drove the distance to the house then parked his car in front of the massive structure of eerie abandonment. Nervously he exited the car and stood staring at the looming house before him in the darkness. He didn't like Grandpa's house when he was a little boy and he sure didn't like it now.
The house was the largest on the street and well hidden in a mountain of vast forest. It was a sprawling three story brick building with towers on either side hauntingly clawing their way to the sky. Staring at it bathed in full moonlight sent a shiver of chills up his spine. Clearly it spooked him. Even though the ravel of crime scene tape had recently been removed, the house he thought still had a look of horror to it.
Cautiously he made his way up the walkway. He reached his hand through the broken pane of glass, unlocked the front door and stepped into the foyer. He flipped on the light switch illuminating the large entrance.
As much as his mama hated this house he never could understand why she still kept all the utilities running and the yards blooming.
For over ten years now, Mavis Laurel had kept up what her husband had started. She'd had someone come in on a weekly basis to dust and polish and wax. She wanted the house to remain as it had ages ago, just as her husband did. She'd also hired gardeners to come onto the property twice a month to mow the manicured lawn and keep up with the lavish gardens.
Just as he always did when he stepped inside the house, Gil felt like he had been tossed back into history...to a time when even he didn't exist. He could feel the icy chill seeping from the walls...trapping him, the instant he stepped inside. But this time he immediately realized...was different.
Even as a little boy he'd always known the house was haunted. Whenever he would sleep over at his grandpas he would always be awakened by strange noises in the middle of the night. But when he would race down the hallway to grandpa's room the noises would suddenly disappear and he would be reassured it was just a bad dream that had waken him. There were no such things as ghosts, grandpa would always say. Even at six years old, Gil had known better. He knew there were such things as ghosts. He had seen one on more than one occasion.
Gil stood in the open foyer listening to the utter silence, suddenly afraid. He tried desperately to pick up the sounds of the soothing music he'd always heard whenever he came here. This time though, there was no music...only the stillness of the night. His pulse began to quicken and his heart raced. He could feel the silence threatening him and within seconds his body was dancing with goosebumps. The fear that was deep inside him kept him planted where he stood. He was unable to move.
"Behind You!" The unknown voice shredded the eerie silence of the night, sending Gil to his knees; instinctively covering his head with both arms for protection. As quick as the warning sounded he was breathlessly slammed back to the threatening silence that only moments ago encircled him.
He wasn't sure how long he had remained on the floor, out of breath when the terrifying, familiar scream pierced the near-midnight hour. It shattered him to the depths of his soul, gripping him so tight it nearly suffocated him. Kasey's horrific screams broke him. In a flash Gil raced down the hallway and up the stairwell chasing Kasey's final fury. He ran into the master bedroom at the top of the stairs and saw Kasey sprawled on the bed, drenched in a pool of her own blood. He could see her looking into the familiar eyes of her killer one last time before the knife made a final plunge into her chest.
Gil threw himself on top of Kasey's body, and from experience knew she wouldn't be there...only an empty mattress would greet him.
© Copyright 2017 auerrotts. All rights reserved.
Add Your Comments:
WOW! I have read both of your other novels and I like the way you combined the two. I love the paranormal bit added also. Keep up the great work.
WOW!! This was great. If I could, I would have rated this 10 stars rather than five. You are an excellent writer. I haven't read your other two novels but I surely will. I think you have a great future ahead of you!
A wonderful read. I like your method of writing. I haven't read your other novels but I will. I like mystery/crime genre. This is great.
Loved it! Do you have anything published? I am new to this website. Are all the submissions from unpublished authors?
Very good!
Very good. You are very talented.
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The only way Danny gets traded is if they think he's completely done for this season, and probably beyond, and Herb/Larry have incriminating evidence against another owner/GM who has an expiring on their roster that would fit in with the Pacers. Outside of that, there's pretty much a 0% chance.
Th least the FO can do is to let Danny get his chance at a ring this year before he walks. I don't think they'll do it purely out of goodwill, but if healthy he's a perfect compliment to the roster and if he's not, then there isn't a reason why another team would trade for him.

subset: commoncrawl


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Crazy for carp - the 'trash fish' that's taking the angling world by storm
PORTLAND, Ore. - For years, the big-lipped, slimy-looking, bottom-feeding carp has been dubbed a 'trash fish' and snubbed by anglers.
The carp is, after all, on the list of the world's top 100 invasive species.
But have they been getting a bad rap?
Some anglers believe that's the case and they're putting aside all their notions to try their hand at catching the lowly carp. And it's becoming one of the latest, coolest angling trends in the United States.
"It's just been blowing up," said John "Montana" Bartlett, author of the Carp on the Fly blog, which has the tongue-in-cheek tag line - "I used to be a respectable angler...now I fly fish for carp." Bartlett, who has been going after carp for 12 years now, said in the past couple of years there has been an explosion of interest in the angling community.
"I think it's mostly the 20 to 35 age range," he said. "They're just looking for something different. The trout rivers are crowded and the steelhead rivers are crowded."
Bartlett recently held a class on fly fishing for carp at the Royal Treatment Fly Fishing shop in West Linn, Ore. About a dozen anglers showed up to glean what they could - shooting questions at him right and left. They were keenly interested in learning the techniques.
Photo courtesy John Bartlett, Carp on the Fly.
Bartlett (pictured) is a self-taught expert on fly fishing for carp. Back in the day, he was one of just a few locals willing to take a ribbing from their fishing pals to try it out.
"When I first started on the Columbia, there really were not many guys doing it," he said. "So there really wasn't much to go on. None of us had really figured out how to do it consistently."
He and other early adopters learned from trial and error.
"We'd go out to the river and we'd see a ton of fish and not catch them," he said. "It was frustrating, but fun. We eventually started putting it together and started catching fish."
So what is attracting folks to carp all of a sudden? Well for one, they offer a challenge.
Carp on the Fly blogger John Bartlett ties flies at a West Linn, Ore., fly fishing shop on Saturday, July 27, 2013. Photo by Shannon L. Cheesman, KATU.com.
"It's completely different than trout," said Ryan Kidwell, one of the anglers who showed up to hear Bartlett talk. Kidwell has been fly fishing all his life and said he was looking for something different to try. He's already caught a couple of them. "As soon as you hook one you've got to be careful you don't burn your hands on the line, they pull so hard," he said.
There's another reason that fishing for carp is getting popular - there is plenty to go around and there is no limit on how many you can catch.
"But what are you going to do with them?" said Joel La Follette, owner of Royal Treatment Fly Fishing in West Linn, where Bartlett's class was held.
That's a good question.
Bartlett said he's a catch and release guy, which of course is the easiest way to solve the problem.
You can eat carp if you like, although some people think that's not such a good idea. Carp can survive in pretty bad water and what is in their bodies could make a person sick. But one fisherman we talked to at the fly shop said as long as the carp comes from clean water, like the Clackamas River or Sandy River, they're fine - and actually taste pretty good.
Some folks cut them up and use them for crab bait at the coast. We got mixed reviews at the fly shop on whether crabs actually like carp - the general consensus there seemed to be that chicken gizzards work better.
If neither of those options works, you can always use carp in your yard for mulch. There's nothing like fish guts to make your garden grow.
Photo courtesy John Bartlett, Carp on the Fly.
Of course, the one thing you don't want to do with carp (or anything else you fish or hunt for) is leave them to waste. Bartlett said he's seen folks do that.
"I'm not one of these guys who is going to say nobody should be allowed to kill carp," he said. "There's a huge resource of carp out there. If a guy wants to go out and kill 10 carp to use as crab bait or to fertilize his garden, it's not going to hurt the population."
"I just don't believe in wanton killing and leaving waste everywhere," he added. "I have a friend that bow fishes and spear fishes for carp. He kills some and brings home enough to put in his freezer and use as crab bait when he's at the coast. It makes total sense."
Now back to the idea of carp being a 'trash fish' - fishing for carp has generally been looked down upon in angling circles, at least here in the United States. But is that still the case? Yes, there is a stigma there. Kidwell told us he's had a hard time finding fishing buddies to go with him for just that reason. He said that's why he took Bartlett's class - to find some camaraderie in the carp fishing community.
"I had the same prejudice," Bartlett admitted. "I thought they were trash fish too. But the more I learned about them, the more I learned that they are actually smarter than all of the native fish that we revere so much."
"One of the problems people have is that they get carp confused with other species," he added. "They hear about the Asian carp in the Mississippi lakes. That's a totally different species than the type of carp we're talking about in the Columbia River. That species feeds on plankton and it feeds on the base layer, so it can destroy an entire eco-system. These carp don't really do that."
"Honestly, just try it," Bartlett said. "Most of the guys that live in the Pacific Northwest already have the gear they need to catch carp - they've got 6, 7 or 8 weight rods, they've got floating lines, they've got leaders that are 10 to 12 pounds. They might need a few flies, but if they like trout, they probably have flies that will work for carp too. Put your feet in the water and start walking. Throw a fly at a fish and see what happens. That's what I did."
La Follette said it's all about perspective.
"Take a bone fish," he said. "People travel thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars to go to tropical destinations and fish for bone fish. Well, what is a bone fish? A bone fish is a bottom feeding, very bony fish that feeds on clams and shrimp and anything it can get its lips around. It's kind of the same thing."
Bonefish (photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons).
In Europe, carp are actually a highly prized fish and there's a thriving business market there in the carp world. And here in the U.S., outdoor outfitters (like Orvis) are starting to figure out there's money to be had in carp. We have a call in to Orvis to find out more about the trends they are seeing.
"Orvis is really positioning themselves to be at the forefront of carp fishing," said La Follette. "It's because we have degrading cold water systems around the United States and because carp are finding more and more foothold in habitat - and here's something that they can get more people involved in."
Orvis has The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp, carp flies, carp fishing line, carp hats and more. You can even buy a designer carp iPhone case from them if you're that crazy for carp.
Orvis also puts on a number of special events, like the CARP-OCALYPSE that's coming up in August in Kennewick, Wash. And they have a Carp Central page on their website with plenty of tips.Photo courtesy H&H Outfitters.
Even small outfitters, like H&H Outfitters (operated by two brothers out of Forest Grove, Ore.) have been finding success in carp. They told us their line of 'Holy Carp!' merchandise has been selling surprisingly well.
"Bam! The minute we put it up there it just went wild," said co-owner Cobb Hudjohn.
He said when they started their small business about a year ago, they focused primarily on trout. But then they noticed the carp trend and decided to get on board.
"We started seeing this surge in carp, so we're like 'you know what - maybe we should try this,' " Hudjohn said.
And remember how #sharknado took Twitter by storm? Yep - you guessed it, there's a #carpnado hashtag too. That just might be the next sequel - we wouldn't put it past SyFy to go there. For more social buzz on carp fishing
'Carpnado' image courtesy @christaggart on Twitter.
La Follette, from the fly shop in West Linn, just has one warning about the craze. He doesn't want everyone to get too carried away.
"If we turn people from fly fishing for salmon and steelhead into carp fishermen, then our salmon and steelhead start to lose friends," he said. "And we need as many friends for our salmon, steelhead and trout as possible. We can't turn people to carp and say 'look, we can catch carp and we don't need these (other fish) any more.' And then we forget that we need to work on the habitat, we need to work on native restoration and things like that."
"As long as that message doesn't get lost, I'm fine with carp fishing," he said. "Because it does take some pressure off other fisheries."


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At his inauguration ceremony on Feb. 2, 1999, newly elected president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez boldly declared: "I swear before my people that upon this moribund constitution I will drive forth the necessary democratic transformations so that the new republic will have a Magna Carta befitting these new times."
Fourteen years later, Chavez's words ring hollow in the world community, as well as in his oil-rich nation, where corruption, lawlessness, mass incarcerations and other human rights violations are rampant.
He is widely regarded as an iron-fisted dictator with zero tolerance for dissent, and more than 19,000 Venezuelan deaths have been attributed to Chavez's regime in 2011 alone.
One of those most outraged by the political turn of events is world-renowned classical pianist Gabriela Montero.
A Venezuelan by birth who now lives in Massachusetts, Montero composed a 15-minute piano concerto titled "Ex-Patria" in 2011 in memory of the victims of Chavez's vendetta against his opponents. She scored both the main piano piece and the orchestral accompaniment.
Montero will perform "Ex-Patria" with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra on Friday at the First Baptist Church, Kenner, at 7:30 p.m. Also on the Kenner bill: Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2. LPO Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto will conduct.
"I wrote this piece because, as a human being, I am saddened and outraged at the levels of violence, devastation and corruption in my country," Montero said in a telephone interview Friday. "I wanted to give Venezuelans a voice to explain our sadness.
"Ex-Patria is a metaphorical portrayal of a country barely recognizable from that of my youth. In this piece you will hear the discord, the violence, the brutality, the conflicts, the sadness and the collapse of a country that is beautiful and where music is a natural part of existence."
By her own admission, Montero has never performed for or even met Chavez, "and I never will," she hastened to add.
Montero also will lead a discussion of "Ex-Patria" and a performance of the piece with the LPO on Thursday at 3 p.m., in Tulane University's Dixon Hall. Admission to the Dixon Hall event is free and open to the public.
Montero will perform on Saturday at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans at 8 p.m. "Ex-Patria" is not on the program at the Mahalia Jackson.
LPO Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto will conduct both performances.
Montero will perform Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 in Kenner and at the Mahalia Jackson. Also on the program for the Kenner performance are Bizet's Selections from Carmen Suite and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Capriccio espagnol."
The New Orleans concert will showcase the premiere of Stephen Dankner's Symphony No. 10 "In Memoriam Klauspeter Seibel" (honoring the late former LPO Music Director) and will also feature Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 2.
Montero's many prestigious international credits include appearances on CBS' "60 Minutes," a Grammy Award nomination and the honor of performing at President Barack Obama's inauguration.
Montero premiered "Ex-Patria" at the 2012 Martha Argerich Festival in Lugano, Switzerland, where she is an annual featured performer.
That performance, backed by the Radio Svizzera Italiana Orchestra, was filmed for a 25-minute documentary by producer/director Sam McElroy. This summer she will record the piece, along with the Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2, with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas in Costa Rica under the baton of Maestro Prieto.
Unlike most classical pianists, Montero is not above improvising on the printed score when the mood and occasion may lead her to do so.
"I connect to my audience in a completely unique way — and they connect with me," Montero said. "Because improvisation is such a huge part of who I am, it is the most natural and spontaneous way I can express myself."
Tickets for the Kenner and New Orleans performances start at $20, and can be purchased online at www.lpomusic.com or by calling the LPO box office at 504-523-6530. Tickets can be purchased at the door one hour prior to the performances if seats are still available.


text: What is the difference between using a dichroic head with under the lens filters versus a dichroic color head with the built-in filters? I assumed dichroic head meant color dichroic head and thus brought an enlarger that is so named yet came with an empty box where the color filters are in the color head version. Am I missing only a slight convenience by not having built-in color filters? Or is there more to it? I have seen this discussed in terms of condenser or cold head with under lens filters versus diffusion with built-in filters but not the case where both heads have diffusion light sources.


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DUDLEY folk can improve their fitness this summer by taking part in a guided walk on Sunday.
The walk has been organised through Network West Midlands and is designed to encourage more people to take up walking as a form of healthy and sustainable transport.
Walkers will be setting off from Dudley Leisure Centre at 11.15am and taking in a six-mile route that stops off at many local landmarks including the Black Country Museum and Wrens Nest Nature Reserve.
Free health checks and goodie bags will be on offer to walkers at the leisure centre from 10am and everyone completing the walk will receive a free seven day swimming pass for Dudley Leisure Centre in addition to a certificate.
John Millar, director of the urban environment, said: "Active travel, such as walking and cycling is a great way to improve fitness levels while saving money.
"The 'Discover Dudley' walk will show off Dudley's beautiful green spaces while demonstrating the health benefits of walking."
Further details about the walk can be obtained by emailing email@example.com or by calling 0121 214 7381.


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Weather Summary: For the second week in a row, beneficial showers peppered the East. Much-needed rain also fell across the northern Plains and upper Midwest, although amounts were highly variable. In contrast, "flash drought" conditions quickly worsened across the remainder of the Midwest, portions of the central and southeastern Plains, and the Mid-South. The term "flash drought" describes a period of short-term dryness, often accompanied by above-normal temperatures, which has an adverse impact on crops and pastures. Elsewhere, much of the West—excluding the northern tier of the region—continued to slip deeper into drought under a warm, mostly dry weather regime.
The East: Once again, appreciable rainfall from the Mid-Atlantic States into southern New England chipped away at dryness (D0) and moderate to severe drought (D1 to D2). Despite some lingering year-to-date rainfall deficits in locations such as Washington, D.C., drought impacts were quickly diminishing. Through May 22, Washington's year-to-date precipitation stood at 9.87 inches (67% of normal). Farther south, a core region of extreme to exceptional drought (D3 to D4) lingered across central and southern Georgia, northern and central Florida, southern South Carolina, and southeastern Alabama. On May 19, the first Atlantic tropical storm of the season, Alberto—the earliest named system since Andrea on May 9, 2007—formed about 120 miles south of Cape Fear, North Carolina. The storm was compact and remained offshore during its entire lifespan, resulting in negligible impacts other than contributing to an increase in convective activity along the southern Atlantic Coast.
The Mid-South: Rapidly deteriorating agricultural conditions resulted from another week of very warm, mostly dry weather. During the week ending May 20, the portion of pastureland rated in very poor to poor condition increased by at least 8 percentage points in Arkansas (from 11 to 23%) and Missouri (10 to 18%). During the same 7-day period, USDA reported that the portion of topsoil moisture rated very short to short skyrocketed from 41 to 66% in Arkansas and 23 to 57% in Missouri. As a result, moderate to severe drought (D1 to D2) expanded in an area centered on the northern Mississippi Delta and the lower Ohio Valley.
The Midwest: For the week ending May 20, the portion of topsoil moisture rated very short to short jumped at least 20 percentage points in Iowa (from 9 to 44%), Indiana (15 to 43%), Illinois (12 to 33%), Michigan (7 to 32%), and Wisconsin (6 to 30%). As a result, there was a fairly large expansion of abnormally dry conditions (D0) across the central and eastern Corn Belt. Hot weather, short-term dryness, and crop demands were to blame for the rapid depletion of topsoil moisture. On May 18, high temperatures soared to daily-record levels in St. Cloud, Minnesota (94°F), and Eau Claire, Wisconsin (91°F). The following day, May 19 featured daily-record highs in Michigan locations such as Traverse City (92°F) and Alpena (91°F). In contrast, showers developed across the upper Midwest. Although upper Midwestern rainfall coverage was patchy, drought development was arrested in some areas. Little rain fell, however, east of a line from southeastern Nebraska to Lake Superior.
The Plains: Like the Mid-South and much of the Midwest, a continuation of warm, dry weather led to rapid deterioration in crop and pasture conditions. For the week ending May 20, the portion of Montana's rangeland and pastures rated in very poor to poor condition jumped from 13 to 24%. During the 2-week period ending May 20, the portion of the Kansas winter wheat crop rated very poor to poor doubled from 11 to 22%. However, shower activity began to increase across Montana, Nebraska, and the Dakotas late in the drought monitoring period, helping to slow the expansion of dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1). Farther south, warm, dry weather returned to the Oklahoma and Texas early in the period, following the previous week's drought-easing rainfall. Still, the May 1-22 rainfall of 9.84 inches (364% of normal) marked San Antonio's highest May total since 1993, when 12.47 inches fell.
The West: Both short- and long-term drought continued to affect large portions of the West. Only the northern tier of the region, from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies, remained largely free of drought. Worsening drought was noted in parts of Wyoming and the Four Corners States. During the week ending May 20, the portion of Wyoming's rangeland and pastures rated in very poor to poor condition leaped from 18 to 33%. More than half of the rangeland and pastures were very poor to poor in New Mexico (82%), Arizona (69%), and Nevada (51%). Although nine of the eleven Western States have a buffer against developing drought in the form of abundant reservoir storage, high-elevation snow packs have largely melted out across the southern half of the region. Reservoir storage is below average for this time of year in Arizona and New Mexico, compounding water-supply issues in those two states. A new area of extreme drought (D3) in northwestern Colorado is reflective of very low water year-to-date precipitation totals—in the 5th percentile or lower at several locations. In addition, severe drought (D2) was expanded in several other parts of the Four Corners States. In recent days, several wildfires have been active in the Southwest. In central Arizona, both the Gladiator (just east of Crown King) and the Sunflower fires (well north of Mesa) have charred at least 15,000 acres of vegetation.
Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico: Currently, there is neither dryness nor drought depicted in Alaska and Puerto. The drought situation across Hawaii's central and eastern islands continued to gradually deteriorate due to unusually dry conditions since the beginning of the late-spring and summer "dry" season. On the Big Island at Hilo, April 1 – May 22 rainfall totaled just 10.77 inches (61% of normal). On the leeward side of the Big Island, deterioration of pastures was reported.
Looking Ahead: During the next 5 days (May 24-28), daily showers and thunderstorms will linger in parts of the East, particularly across southern Florida and the Mid-Atlantic States. Meanwhile, a series of disturbances will maintain cool conditions and periods of rain from the Pacific Northwest into the upper Midwest. Five-day rainfall totals could reach 2 to 4 inches in the upper Midwest and 1 to 2 inches on the northern Plains. In contrast, mostly dry weather will prevail across the nation's southern tier, excluding southern Florida. During the Memorial Day weekend, heat will build across the South, East, and lower Midwest, with many locations expecting multiple days of 90-degree heat.
The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for May 29 – June 2 calls for near- to above-normal temperatures nationwide, except for cooler-than-normal conditions from the northern Plains into the Great Lakes region. Meanwhile, near- to below-normal rainfall across the majority of the U.S. will contrast with wetter-than-normal weather in the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast States.
Author: Brad Rippey, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Dryness Categories
D0 ... Abnormally Dry ... used for areas showing dryness but not yet in drought, or for areas recovering from drought.
Drought Intensity Categories
D1 ... Moderate Drought
D2 ... Severe Drought
D3 ... Extreme Drought
D4 ... Exceptional Drought
Drought or Dryness Types
S ... Short-Term, typically <6 months (e.g. agricultural, grasslands)
L ... Long-Term, typically >6 months (e.g. hydrology, ecology)


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Hope all in the Real Money community had a happy Thanksgiving. We are moving a little more slowly than usual around Casa Jensen this morning as I get adjusted to carrying an extra belt size -- I hope temporarily. This would probably be a great lead-in for an article on Weight Watchers (WTW); unfortunately I am currently just neutral on the stock.
However, given that my cardiovascular system feels as if it working 50% harder today than normal as it clears out the vast amounts cholesterol in my body (someone brought a pecan cheesecake to the festivities), right now it works for another stock I have had my eye on: Medtronic (MDT). This medical-device company makes the pacemakers and other implantable heart devices that I probably would need right now if Thanksgiving were a weekly event.
More important, shares are trading at a very reasonable valuation, and Medtronic has recently picked up some positive catalysts. For instance, this week Northland Securities reiterated its "outperform" rating on Medtronic and raised its price target to $46 a share, while Piper Jaffray has raised its price target to $48 and is maintaining its "buy" rating on the name. The latter analyst cited the company's conservative guidance and solid performance in the recently reported quarter.
Furthermore, competitor St. Jude Medical (STJ) is having more trouble with its defibrillator product line, and a recent report from the Food and Drug Administration caused the stock to plunge some 12%. The problem centers around the insulation to a lead, which degrades too quickly. Incidentally, Medtronic rejected this same insulating material in its own devices. This unfortunate turn of events for St. Jude could boost Medtronic's market share in this space.
Here are six more reasons Medtronic is a solid value at just over $42 a share:
1. The stock has a nice dividend component. It yields at a decent 2.4% and, more important, the company has raised its dividend payout at better than a 13% annual average pace over the past five years.
2. The stock is selling near the bottom of its five-year valuation range, based on its price-to-earnings, price-to-book, price-to-cash-flow and price-to-sales ratios.
3. Medtronic is selling at a reasonable 11x forward earnings, a bit under its five-year average of 12.1x.
4. The company has an A+ balance sheet and a lower beta, 0.84, than the overall market. That should appeal to conservative investors.
5. The company is ideally situated for the long-term aging of the population.
6. True, for most of the year the medical-device sector has had the headwind of a small new health-reform-related tax that's set to start in 2013. But, once the tax gets implemented, this concern should be removed as the law's impact is fully priced into the stock.


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The Czech Republic's ice hockey federation fined a club after its fans aimed racist chants toward Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds, who is playing in the top Czech league during the NHL lockout.
In a statement on Tuesday, the federation said the Chomutov Pirates were fined 30,000 koruna ($1,554) by its disciplinary committee for the chants directed toward Simmonds, who is playing for the Liberec White Tigers.
The chants were uttered during a game on Sunday.
Chomutov has apologized to Simmonds, who is black, and the club said it would do everything it can to prevent any future abuse.
"We are disgusted by the behavior of a group of spectators, who greatly damaged the reputation of the club. We would like to deeply apologize to the players and (Simmonds' team)," a Chomutov executive said via a translated release on the team's website.
Last year, a banana was thrown at Simmonds from the stands during an NHL preseason game in London, Ontario. The crowd on Sunday chanted "opice" at him after he fought Miroslav Zalesak. Opice translates to "monkey" in English.
"He knows how to manage and deal with this kind of stuff," agent Eustace King told USA Today. "But he doesn't feel like he should have to deal with it. This is another incident, about 12 months from the last one, and people who do these things need to be addressed swiftly and sternly. It's about behavior modification. Other people will have their behavior modified by what happens to these fans."
King added that he was pleased with Chomutov's response: "Their investigation is ongoing, but the fact that they have publicly responded swiftly to condemn it was a clear indication that they are very serious about how Wayne was treated. They clearly aren't going to tolerate that and they want to do something about it."
Simmonds, 24, had career highs with 28 goals and 49 points last season and signed a six-year, $24 million contract with the Flyers before the lockout began.
"I don't feel pressure, but obviously I'm going to go out there, and I work as hard as I can every day whether it's on the ice or off the ice," Simmonds, who started his career with the LA Kings, said at the time. "I think I'm going to continue to progress as a player, and I'm going to do everything I can to help the Philadelphia Flyers win."
With The Associated Press.


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Ben wrote:Greetings Charles,
It depends how you define "permanent".
Ben wrote:Some things are more permanent than others - as the saying goes.
ccharles wrote:Can the results of intentional actions/intentions be permanent?
lyndon taylor wrote:Bhikkhu, does craving have the same meaning in pali as in english, for instance can craving mean "to dwell on" or "obsess over"???
Return to "General Theravāda discussion"
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Top Ten Saddest Kid's Movies
Ok, I know I have seen each and every one of these movies and I'll be man enough to admit that I probably have shed a couple tears on their behalf. Who didn't cry when Old Yeller died? I recall watching Old Yeller with my eldest daughter and I remember instead of her crying, she simply proclaimed "They need to shoot that dog". Funny thing is, I don't see The Lion King on this list. This may not be the order I would have put them in, but here they are:


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I'm thinking about "building" a course in Zone 8. There's a field there were I can plant trees so that they can grow in probably 8-15 years.
I was wondering what was some of the best "disc golf trees" that you know of. They have to be able to handle some sun (so Partial Shade-Full Sun)
I don't really want them dropping leaves like crazy (so Pine trees are out of the question, I'm tired of Pine Trees). Cedar trees could be used but they make it difficult to extract a disc from.
Tree Identification Guide at arborday.org - Identify trees with a simple step-by-step guide. (I hope you click on Eastern and Central United States)
Show me the most popular trees in zone 8.
Show me all trees that grow well in zone 8.
What's your favorite disc golf tree?
I hope this thread is in the right location; if not, please feel free to move it.


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Our Infant Inserts (sold separately or included with Bundle of Joy) are designed so that you can safely and ergonomically carry your baby from early on. The Ergobaby Infant Insert was designed for use with babies from infancy to age 4-6 months (from 7-12 lbs) , or for babies more than 12 lbs but younger than 4 months or without strong and consistent head and neck control. It is designed to provide head and neck support and to ensure your newborn is correctly seated while in the Ergobaby Carrier.
The Infant Insert is designed to grow with your baby. The top rounded edge of the back and neck support padding can be folded outward to provide more padding and neck support for smaller infants.
The bottom pillow in the Infant Insert can be removed from the Insert and placed inside the carrier, with your baby sitting on top of it. Use of the pillow alone is for babies who are either too short to bend at the knees when seated in the Carrier or would like to be seated higher in the Carrier.
Use the shell of the Infant Insert without the pillow for larger or taller babies who still need head and neck support.
Once your baby can hold her/his head up for long periods of time and can be seated comfortably in an ergonomic position in the Carrier, the use of the Infant Insert is no longer necessary.


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|Select the Course Number to get further detail on the course. Select the desired Schedule Type to find available classes for the course.
|PAS 534 - Pathophysiology
Course Description: Pathophysiology is the study of disease and disease processes as a scientific basis for understanding health and disease in the study of clinical medicine. This course is designed to provide the basic pathophysiologic understanding of diseases and the resulting clinical manifestations, while placing less emphasis on diagnosis and treatment issues. This course provides the necessary linkage between the basic sciences and the clinical presentation of disease states. This is a two semester course.
4.000 Credit hours
4.000 Lecture hours
Levels: Graduate
Schedule Types: Lecture, Tutorial
Physician Assistant Program Department


text: 11/22/16 1/10/13 POPSUGAR Celebrity Award Season All the People's Choice Awards Pictures 2013 ALL the People's Choice Awards Pictures! January 10, 2013 by Lauren Turner 1 Shares Chat with us on Facebook Messenger. Learn what's trending across POPSUGAR. View On One Page Photo 420 of 426 ADVERTISEMENT () Start Slideshow Share This Link Copy What's Your Reaction? Thanks for your reaction Don't forget to share this with your friends! ← Use Arrows Keys → 420 0 previous images 395 more images Previous Next Start Slideshow Award SeasonPeople's Choice Awards


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How do you reply?
First, why do you have to reply? Don't even bring the subject up until you gain a deeper understanding
and practice. Even then, no flaunting, no preaching. If it comes up naturally, then fine. You will know
what to say at that point. True Buddhist practice is not a religion, but an Art of Living, and its forms
of meditation not so different from that which Christ himself practiced. Meditation is an inner science,
a path to truth. Therefore you have taken up a science, not a religion.


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After years of costly legal battles, the verdict is in: Waterkeeper Alliance failed to prove that Alan and Kristin Hudson's chicken houses polluted a nearby tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, according to a report by the Baltimore Sun.
That's what presiding Judge William N. Nickerson concluded nearly two months after the trial began in early October. In a case that pitted agricultural producers against environmentalists, the court's decision may finally bring some relief to the Hudsons, who run a family farm located in Maryland's Eastern Shore region.
Nickerson's 50-page decision was announced on Thursday and vindicated both the Hudsons and Perdue Farms. Nickerson concluded that Perdue should be "commended, not condemned" for its program to minimize and prevent pollution from their chicken farms.
The decision reverberates far beyond the courtroom. Many of the country's agriculture producers waited with bated breath. If the Waterkeeper Alliance had been successful, it could have set a harmful precedent for many of the country's large- and small-scale family farms.
Waterkeeper Alliance said in a statement that it disagrees with the verdict and will review the judge's opinion to consider a possible appeal.
Read more from the Baltimore Sun here.
The Waterkeeper Alliance's lawsuit dates back to 2009 when another environmental group, the Assateague Coastkeeper, flew a plane over the Hudson's farm and reported what appeared to be a pile of chicken manure draining into a nearby ditch. The material was later confirmed by the Maryland Department of the Environment to be treated sewage sludge from Ocean City, Md., which was used by the farm as fertilizer. Despite the corrected information, the Waterkeeper Alliance proceeded with its lawsuit. Check out the full timeline here.
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Red-hot Torii takes first breather
OAKLAND -- Jim Leyland said he and Torii Hunter have an agreement. Hunter getting a day off in Friday's series opener against the A's is part of that agreement.
For the first time this season, Hunter's hot bat wasn't in the starting lineup. He usually starts in right field and hits in the No. 2 hole. On Friday, Don Kelly got the nod at right, and Andy Dirks, usually the No. 6 hitter, batted second, carrying a .136 batting average. Hunter owns a career .241 average in 58 at-bats against Oakland's Friday starter, Bartolo Colon.
Hunter, 37, has been on fire. Thursday's two-hit game against Toronto marked his seventh multihit game this season. Hunter, batting .405, is the third Tigers player since 1916 to tally multiple hits in seven of the club's first nine games of the season.
"I gave him off tonight because I want him to play tomorrow for sure," Leyland said of the right-handed-hitting Hunter. "I thought this was a good time. I want to be careful with him. I want to watch him, obviously. I didn't want him off tomorrow because we have a lefty [Brett Anderson] tomorrow, a tough lefty."
Hunter gave his input but was OK with the decision.
"I understand," he said. "I get it. It's early, but I got a day game after a night."
Smiling, Hunter added, "I kind of argued with him. Hey, I want to be in there, but I understand what he's doing. I'm all for it. He's the skip. I'm going with his decision. He knows what he wants to do. He's looking down the road, not just now."
Just the type of reaction Leyland has quickly grown to admire and expect out of a guy like Hunter in his first year with Detroit since signing as a free agent on Nov. 19.
"He plays the game right," Leyland said. "He handles himself right. He's one of those guys who just has a presence about him, on and off the field. Dignified, well-spoken -- he's got a lot going for him."
Willie Bans is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Reggie's comments read: "He's walking without a boot. He's way ahead of schedule. It's just keeping him focused, and we're not trying to rush him. Basically, just rehab, rehab, rehab. We haven't put nothing basketball in his face. ... It's just a peace of mind. He can't do too much in Chicago. The other day I talked to him, he was at Target just picking up stuff. Stuff like that, you can't do in Chicago. ... Eventually, he will [regarding on when Derrick will speak to the media himself about the rehab process and how it's going]. Just for now, he's getting his mind right and is out in California."
Derrick has been rehabbing that hampered leg in Los Angeles, California.
In other good word news, Dr. Brian Cole (Derrick's surgeon) spoke in June saying that he was doing well and ahead of schedule.
All good signs, all good signs.
Assistant editor, Kyle Samples, will start to weigh in periodically with Derrick Rose injury updates and that infamous knee of his. Look for the updates starting soon.
To listen to coach Thibodeau talk about Rose among other items, click here.
A necessary trade?: Luol for Iguodala.
TMZ caught the former MVP, Derrick Rose, hobbling outside of a Californian club, watch that here.
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Say Derrick Rose misses all year.
Say Luol Deng's wrist continues to hamper him.
Say Luol is subconsciously disgruntled after being supposedly shopped on the trade market pre-Draft day.
Alright ... say all of these are reality ... what about just one? Two? Three? In any situation, the item to address is Luol Deng.
Fast forward to March next season and Derrick might still be in street clothes on gameday. Something the Bulls won't be hunky-dory with. In that case, Chicago needs a facilitator. Someone that can take the pressure off of D-Rose when needed by handling the rock and making plays for not just himself but others. That guy is Andre "Iggy" Iguodala.
As an all-star and current USA Olympic Team member -- not to mention taking eight seeded Philadelphia to game seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals post knocking out the Bulls in round one -- Iggy has proven he is a beyond good player in the league.
His knack to facilitate soundly and lockdown defensively make him a prime asset for any team. Iguodala's high IQ is accompanied by superb athleticism and explosiveness both on and off the ball.
Deng is also a great defender, but nagging injuries have slowed him up. The Great Britain native is also a much better shooter, but nowhere near as good of passer. Sure, Luol is more of a system guy than Iggy and has been NBA bred by the Bulls but that shouldn't shy the Bulls away from upgrading the position.
Iggy, as noted above, can have the ball in his hands when Derrick Rose can't. We all know what Derrick can do with the ball. (He's really the only playmaker the team has, period.) Andre can be that second playmaker.
I threw this proposed deal into ESPN's NBA Trade Machine and got positive results for both sides. The Bulls were projected to win five more games in a season with Iguodala rather than Deng. Iggy loves guarding LeBron James ... LeBron hates being guarded by Iggy. Therefore, the equation to match up better with the Heat for the Bulls starts with this trade.
The Sixers gain a more cap-friendly contract and negotiator in Deng. Luol is younger than Iggy and fits alongside iso man Evan Turner and the developing Jrue Holiday slightly better. Deng could really stretch the floor for Turner and Holiday to make plays for others. Philadelphia also receives a higher volume scorer in Luol, something they need.
(To this point I've pretty much shed pros and cons about the trade with their impact levels and how they would change the composition of the team, bare with me.)
In 2010, the free agent market was plentiful. Guys such as LBJ, Chicago-native Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and Joe Johnson were for the picking.
I came across an article on the web (may have been on ESPN, SI, HoopsHype, HoopsWorld or something else of that nature) stating that looking back, Derrick Rose wouldv'e rather had Joe Johnson than anyone else of the max-contract guys available, reportedly even more than LeBron. The column expressed Rose's feelings about the impact as a facilitator that Joe Johnson would have -- don't forget he drops 18+ in the score books regularly. Obviously, due to a beyond paramout contract, Johnson can't be traded to the Bulls (Brooklyn was the only team that could do it and give no one in return, sorta). I think Iguodala is the next best thing to pair with Rose at this point given the situation. Rose wanted a facilitator who could command the ball and score. Iggy can do that.
To me, if the Bulls were willing to trade Deng for a lottery pick, why wouldn't they be open to taking on Andre Iguodala? In the deal though that I haven't mentioned yet that a commitment that Iggy would sign an extension -- because he only has one year left on his contract -- is imperative.
On Philly's side, Deng too would have to commit to an extension. And if the Sixers were willing to part ways with Iggy for not-so-much in return, why wouldn't they want to nab Deng?
Both teams need to consider the idea of a swap. It's a rather flexible deal, actually. Both in-part because Iggy and Deng make about the same amount of money and your trading players of the same position.
Look into it, Chicago ... you too, Philly.
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The Bulls have verbally agreed to sign combo guard Kirk Hinrich to a two-year, six million dollar deal. As the media broke the signing, many assumed that Hinrich would be the perfect fit to step in and handle the point-guard duties while Derrick Rose rehabbed from a season-ending ACL injury. The truth is, Hinrich can help rookie Marquis Teague develop, but to expect Hinrich to be efficient in the PG spot is foolish.
Last year, the former Jayhawk averaged a pedestrian 6.6 points per game in 25.8 mpg. In a season where he dealt with injuries, Hinrich struggled to find his way, especially in the point guard spot. As the primary ball-handler, Hinrich was highly inefficient. His eFG% was an awful 43.6% and his PER was just as bad at 8.4. That's Keith Bogans bad, for those of you scoring at home. While on the floor, Hinrich cost his team 7.4 points per 48 minutes. Defensively, it looks as if point guards have went at Hinrich and his average foot speed. Hinrich was 3.5 PER worse every 48 minutes.
So, if the Bulls are planning to play Hinrich at point guard, this move is definitely questionable. However, Hinrich had a lot more success as a shooting guard in the Hawks offense.
The top 5 units for the Hawks last year came when Hinrich was the two-guard. Compared to his awful 43.6% eFG as the point guard, Hinrich was able to get higher quality shots, at a tune of 53.4%. His team was +6.9 when he was on the court as a shooting guard. It is clear that Hinrich will become more valuable as a shooting guard as he ages in the league, while other quicker players handle the PG spot.
As the Bulls go forward in 2012-2013 and even when Rose is completely healthy in 2013-2014, Hinrich should primarily be a shooting guard. We've seen coach Thibs have no issue with playing smaller players as the shooting guard, like CJ Watson last season. In order to do that, Hinrich will need to shoot well and with consistency.
With the rumors of Kyle Korver going elsewhere next year, it looks as if Hinrich's main role should be to solidify the shooting guard spot at 15 minutes per game, and handle the backup point guard responsibilities for 10 minutes per game. If Hinrich is to impact the team like Korver did, the Bulls will need Hinrich to revert back to 2008-2011 shooting levels, where he connected on 39% of his long-range attempts.
Even though he is not as strong as he once was as a point-guard, the Bulls can still lean on him as a veteran influence to the rookie Teague.
At two-years and six million, the deal is a good one for the Bulls. The value was right, Hinrich goes back to a city that he's familiar with, and the Bulls have extra insurance for Rose, Teague and Rip Hamilton.
Now, I get to go dust off the #12 jersey hanging in my closet.
Marco Radenkovich is the former Editor-in-Chief and founder of Horns to the Hardwood. He has also written for Scout.com's Marquette University Basketball branch, Marquettehoops.com for four years, as well as multiple Chicago Cubs blogs. As a featured columnist, Marco will add advanced statistics to the team at HttH. He brings the passion of a 24 year-old Bulls fan in his articles. Marco resides in the Chicago suburbs. You can follow him at @mradenkovich.
Courtesy to Basketball-Reference and 82games.com for supplying the stats mentioned in the above article.
The Bulls have informed Kyle Korver on Sunday as to whether or not they will pick up his option for the 2012-2013 season. Until then the Bulls are exploring trades that would send the 3-point shooter to Atlanta or Minnesota.
A different source said the Bulls were exploring sign-and-trade possibilities that could send Kyle Korver to the Minnesota Timberwolves or Atlanta Hawks, although his return to the Bulls hasn't been ruled out. Kyle Korver averaged 8 points in 22 minutes a game and shot 43.5% from beyond-the-arc and would be a valuable asset to any team in need of a spot up shooter. Unless the Bulls can pull the trigger on Michael Redd or Gerald Green, my guess is he stays in Chicago.
According to Atlanta Hawks beat writer, Michael Cunningham: "The Hawks had interest in Kyle Korver, but he's likely headed to Minnesota in a trade." In my opinion I believe we should keep Kyle Korver he is an asset on the arc and is improving immensely on the pick and roll jump shots, with him improving he has the potential to become a great part of the Chicago Bulls.
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Kyle Samples is a 16-year-old assistant editor for HttH. Kyle started his sports media career on his own by starting a Facebook page called Chicago Bulls Fan Talk. Kyle is instrumental in HttH's success and does a good deal of work offline too. Continue to look for his articles and like his Facebook page! no comments
This means that the Bulls will retain Asik, therefore he is going nowhere.
The Bulls will tag-on Asik's new backloaded 3-year $24.3 million dollar contract.
With the removals of C.J. Watson and Ronnie Brewer (and most likely soon-to-be Kyle Korver) from the roster enough cap space and cap flexibilty was made by the Bulls to be able to take back Asik.
Omer will be expected to return to the back-up center position in the rotation. However, if the Bulls are willing to pay him somewhere in the realm of $14 million dollars in the third and final year of his contract, they obviously are in love with the guy and believe that he will continue to develop and nudge further and further in the depth chart.
This move still keeps the Bulls in good shap regarding the second unit's familiarity. Something that's important.
The 7-foot Turkish native averaged about 3 points and 5 rebounds last season. Asik started two games during the regular season and three in the playoffs. no comments
(Special thanks to Blog-a-Bull for gathering CSNChicago's Aggrey Sam's Tweets that were breaking this story.)
Sam says, "Jimmy Butler, Marquis Teague, Leon Powe, Demetri McCamey, Ramone Moore, Malcolm Thomas, Olek Czyz, Chase Simon, Justin Johnson, Jamie Skeen, Jermaine Taylor, Henry Sims, Edwin Ubiles, according to source. Group will practice at the Berto before departing for Vegas; First game on the 17th. FA PGs Jonny Flynn and Marcus Banks among those (including Charles Abouo, NIU's Jake Anderson, and Kashif Watson, CJ's younger brother) who will practice in Chicago but not play in Las Vegas. Of course, this is summer league, so subject to change."
I'm very excited to see this team in action.
Henry Sims was undrafted but could be a dark horse candidate to replace back-up center Omer Asik. Sims is very skilled and comes from a long line of talented Georgetown U. big men.
This will be a very big and talented summer league squad headed by veteran Leon Powe and newly drafted Marquis Teague alongside current Bull -- the only Bull from last season on the team -- Jimmy Butler.
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At first I was puzzled at the thought of taking on Flynn. But after a few hours ... the thought sunk in.
Flynn, despite his so far very disappointing career, Johnny is still a solid NBA point guard and would be an amazing third unit point guard. Yeah, third unit point guard doesn't sound too important or interesting but isn't that what John Lucas III was for us this past season? Ha, yep!
Flynn is younger and has a much, much higher ceiling than Lucas. The Bulls like to have as many ball-handlers as possible on the team. (A trend in the past couple years rosters). With Flynn, Teague and Hinrich will have a beyond formidable safety net. And then when Rose returns? Uh-oh look out.
Looking ahead, Flynn would most liekly be a prospect for good trade bait next off-season. Hopefully -- given Flynn chooses Chicago -- he can raise his trade value on top of saving his career from having a very infamous word written all over it. Bust.
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The writing has been written on the walls for quite sometime for C.J. Watson. Ever since the injury to Derrick Rose there's been talk about ridding of Watson to make a run for a starting point guard. Well, in June, the Bulls drafted NCAA National Champion Marquis Teague from the University of Kentucky to run the point. Later on (two days ago) Kirk Hinrich decided to throw a Bulls uni on again and sign a two-year $6 million dollar deal. Obviously by that point ... C.J. knew it was happening.
In Brewer's case, it's not too similar to Watson's. To my knowledge, the idea of Ronnie being booted wasn't really prominent until the beginnings of free agency hit. (Things for the Bulls kind of went into surreal mode when Omer Asik got a ridiculous backloaded contract from the Houston Rockets.) When you skim through the Bulls' depth chart there's someone buried at the bottom that will rise in Brewer's absence. That someone is most definitely Jimmy Butler, Chicago's first-round pick in 2011. Butler, a better scorer than Brewer, is of similar size to Ronnie and plays the same position.
With the recent moves, Butler will be expected to back-up Rip Hamilton at the 2 next year with Hinrich starting at the 1 -- in Derrick Rose's absence, of course -- or backing Marquis Teague to fulfill a mentoring role and consistency in the fairly new second unit.
The opportunities for Butler, Teague and other players the Bulls could possibly end up targeting in free agency will depend on whether or not they re-sign John Lucas III (unlikely) and if they guarantee Kyle Korver's contract -- and that decision will be made by Sunday. The dismissal of both guys mean more minutes for the new guys. Oh yeah ... it means another thing ... we need more guys!
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To begin this lengthy debate topic I think we should look at the numbers first...
1) Scoring:
Jordan wins this one. LeBron has only led the league once. Jordan led the NBA for seven straight seasons. That is an NBA record tied with Wilt. He has ten total. Jordan averaged 30.1 ppg in his entire career, that includes his days in a Wizards uniform. James on the other hand has a very good average of 27.6 ppg. He is in his prime currently. That number should drop down to 24 or 25 when he decides to retire. James as an 18 year-old rookie was averaging 20, 5, and 5. Jordan did that at age 40 with bad knees.
2) Rebounding:
James wins this one. Jordan always had a great rebounder on every team he played for in Chicago. His final year he played, he averaged 6.1 rpg as a Wizard. That is remarkable. Though, I must say that he was a smarter rebounder than James. LeBron will have a higher rebounding total than Jordan will, which makes sense. LeBron is bigger and today's game doesn't have dominate big men. I'm not knocking James, it's just the truth.
3) Ballhandling/Passing:
This is just a dead tie. You can give your vote for either one here. Jordan could and should have had more assists in his career, but considering that he played under Phil Jackson and the triangle offense his numbers were lower. The triangle offense is designed to have lower assist totals for a player and team overall. James has played in a "free-for-all" type system in Cleveland and in Miami.
4) Steals:
Jordan wins this one by a long shot. That is being nice about it. Jordan was a straight up thief out on the hardwood. James' season high for steals is 2.2, Jordan's is 3.2. Get the picture? Jordan averaged 1.5 steals per night in his last season. James has averaged 1.6 steals a night for his entire career. That means it will go down! Jordan averaged 2.3 steals per game in his career and led the NBA in steals three separate times in his amazing and great career. While LeBron has yet to do so.
5) Blocks:
Jordan wins this one yet again. Are you seeing the trend here? LeBron is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time in sports history. Jordan is better just because of this stat. Blocking shots requires timing and jumping ability. Jordan had both. James averaged one block a game three times in his career. He hasn't done so for two years now. Which tells me that he won't again. Jordan did it four times. LeBron's seasonal high was 1.1, while Jordan's is 1.6. That is amazing. Jordan was a guard his whole career and was 6'6". James is two inches taller than that.
Ahhhh. Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about their effect on the game itself...
I was watching a Michael Jordan special once and in that short film, it said that Jordan once produced 10 billion dollars for the NBA and the television markets. That is incredible. Jordan lifted the game to new heights. This coming after the Bird vs. Magic rivalry in the 80's. Jordan raised the game to a whole new level. At that point in time, many would have thought it would be impossible. Now granted, Jordan won six titles in the 90's and internet was becoming available in masses. LeBron lives in a day with many social networking sites and almost every house hold has more than one television in America now. Yet, the NBA is still the same game. Jordan helped Stern and the league become a global icon. Something LeBron has yet to top.
Comparing eras to me is perfectly fine...
You compare the "Jordan era" to the "LeBron era" and it is really different. In the 80's and 90's you earned two points from the line. People like Patrick Ewing or Charles Oakley didn't care who you were, they were going to put you on the floor, hard. You can't do that in today's game. Also they didn't call the touch fouls like they do now. Hand checks were perfectly legal, which I think the league should change the rule, and it was much tougher to score like that.
Guys like Olajuwon, Mutombo, Ewing, Eaton, O'Neal, Robinson, Barkley, Oakley, Abdul-Jabbar, Cooper, Worthy, Thomas, Rodman, Dumars, Laimbeer, Drexler, and many others were in the "Jordan era." Many of the players then could block shots, a lot of them in fact. Many of them are either in the Hall of Fame or have won championships, and are on their way to the Hall of Fame. Jordan had to play those guys every day. It seemed like every team had a dominate player and a great defender. Something today's game doesn't have.
I know a lot of readers are saying that you can't compare two different eras. Well you can. Jordan once said that if he played in his prime today he could drop 50 points a game, with ease. I believe him. He has something very few have, no fear of critics or anybody. He was a cold-blooded shooter that would end a team's hopes of winning a game, series, or an NBA Finals win. LeBron showed some of that this year though. It makes me somewhat happy.
Should we compare awards now?
14x All-Star, 6x NBA Champion 6x NBA Finals MVP, 5x MVP, 10x Scoring Champion, 3x Steals Champion, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 10x All-NBA First Team, All-NBA Second Team, 9x NBA All-Defensive First Team, NBA Rookie of the Year, NBA All-Rookie First Team, 3x All-Star Game MVP, 2x Slam Dunk Champion, Hall of Fame, 2x Olympic Gold Medal winner, NBA's 50 Greatest Players of All-Time. That is from the professional level.
NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, 3x NBA MVP, 8x NBA All-Star, NBA Scoring Champion, 6x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Team Second Team, 4x NBA All-Defensive First Team, NBA Rookie of the Year, NBA All-Rookie First Team, 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP, Bronze Medal winner in 2004 Olympic Team, Gold Medal winner in 2008 Olympic Team. Those are the awards James has won in nine professional seasons.
Now many people tend to forget the fact that Jordan entered the NBA at the age of 21. James did so at 18. Jordan averaged 20 ppg as a 40 year-old, James did that as an 18 year-old. That is remarkable. Many say, "oh, well James was 27 when he first won his ring." Funny part about that is the fact that Jordan was 28. Another interesting thing is that James has won one ring in nine seasons. Jordan won three rings in his first nine.
I think you should also ask yourself these questions...
Who do you want on your team? Jordan.
Who do you want to take the last shot? Jordan.
Who would you take in a draft knowing what you'll get from the start? Jordan.
Who is the better offensive player? Jordan.
Who is the better defensive player? Jordan.
You can compare the two guys all you want. It'll end with "Jordan is better."
On a side note, Jordan wouldn't have called up Bird or Magic and said lets team up.
Maybe this will knock some sense into the people that say "LeBron > Jordan."
*Buzzer sounds* Jordan wins this one.
According to friend Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
Heat interested in free agent PG John Lucas III, sources tell ESPN. Story will be posted soon.— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 9, 2012
Lucas would presumably fill a shooters role in the second unit alongside James Jones and Norris Cole. Lucas isn't expected to return to the Bulls regardless of who else the Bulls sign. Chicago is looking to slowly shape-shift the supporting cast around Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.
A more detailed post with other news will be published later today.
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Clues to a PhraseLanguage brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.
In this teaser, you are given clues. The blanks to each answer are numbered, and if you arrange all of the letters in numerical order, you will have a phrase or quote. The first letter of each answer, in order, will reveal the name of the person who said or wrote the quote, or a related word or phrase.
1. Xylem : water :: arteries : _____ [27][33][31][48][17]
2. Make a shallow cut [40][49][9][50]
3. Cyrano's flaw [45][24][21][12]
4. Thwart [30][25][6][39]
5. Force away [20][7][14][13][38]
6. Privy [19][35][16][42][51]
7. Intersection [8][1][2][28][15]
8. Seaweed [11][18][26][3]
9. Lend, contractually [37][4][41][34][10]
10. Of a steely sarcasm? [44][5][47][46][36][22]
11. A compass direction [43][32][52][29][23]
Answer1. Blood
2. Etch
3. Nose
4. Foil
5. Repel
6. Aware
7. Nexus
8. Kelp
9. Lease
10. Ironic
11. North
"Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other."
-- Ben Franklin
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
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WELSH singing sensation Sir Tom Jones will sing at a special one-off concert at Chepstow Racecourse this summer.
The South Wales singing legend will take to the stage after seven live races on July 11.
The star of BBC's The Voice said: "It will be an honour to come back to South Wales for a show and what a show it will be!" said Sir Tom.
Chepstow Racecourse's Executive Director Phil Bell said: "It's a great coup for Chepstow to have secured a performance by one of the world's best known singers. He has been a star for decades and we are thrilled he will be coming back to the area where his incredible success story began."
Tickets for Sir Tom Jones are priced at £45 and can be booked exclusively online until February 16. From February 17, tickets can also be purchased by calling Chepstow Racecourse on 01291 622260.
Tables in the restaurant are £139pp for window and £129pp for non-window. Private hospitality starts from £169pp. These bookings will be taken over the phone, again on 01291 622260.


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SCHODACK, N.Y. — Authorities say former teen heartthrob David Cassidy was pulled over for failing to dim his headlights in upstate New York and charged with driving under the influence after tests showed his blood-alcohol content at .10, higher than the legal limit of .08.
Schodack Police Lt. Joseph Belardo says Cassidy was stopped shortly after 12 a.m. Wednesday about 10 miles south of Albany.
The charge is a felony because Cassidy has a 2011 conviction for driving under the influence in Florida. He lives in Fort Lauderdale but is staying in upstate New York for a racing meet in Saratoga.
The 63-year-old "Partridge Family" star left Rensselaer County Jail on $2,500 bail. He's due in Schodack Town Court on Sept. 4.
Cassidy's publicist had no immediate comment.


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Stourbridge street to stay shut after wall collapse
11:18am Monday 31st December 2012
11:18am Monday 31st December 2012
A STREET in Stourbridge will remain closed into the new year after a wall collapsed on Christmas eve.
Red Hill was closed by the collapse of a retaining wall which caused tons of debris to spill onto the road.
The road has remained shut and repair work has been going on throughout the festive period, with traffic diversions in place.
Councillor Judy Foster, Dudley Council cabinet member for transportation, said: "Our highways teams attended the scene on Christmas eve and closed the road off while our structural engineers assessed the damage. The road will be closed off until the new year while we assess the safety of the rest of the wall.
"We have also worked with the bus companies and nearby residents."
© Copyright 2001-2017 Newsquest Media Group


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