text:
Sports Roundup: Rivals split on hardwood
The Two Harbors girls basketball team defeated Silver Bay 80-16 Friday in Silver Bay.
Agates head coach Brooke Chaffee said the team had a goal of keeping turnovers to a minimum and ended the game with seven.
The Agates held a 41-point lead at the half and outscored the Mariners by 23 in the second half.
Katelyn Adams scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds for Two Harbors while Steph McGregor had 13 points and nine boards. Sasha Fjeran scored nine.
Chaffee said the team shot the ball well from the outside which she's happy to see considering they are coming down the home stretch of the season.
Tara Dow and Allana Lampton each scored five points for Silver Bay, while Emma Bemlott scored four.
"We could not (put in) a basket," said Mariners head coach Larry Otterblad. The team was 7-54 from the field.
The Silver Bay boys basketball team defeated Two Harbors 58-43 in Silver Bay Friday.
It was all Mariners in the first half as they had an 18-point lead at halftime. The Agates stormed back in the second half, outscoring the Mariners by five, but it wasn't enough to overcome Silver Bay's first half lead.
Henry Mitchell of Silver Bay was on fire drilling four 3-pointers with 24 points overall.
"He provided the spark we needed in the second half to get us going," said Mariners head coach Rick Frericks. He said he never felt comfortable with the lead against Two Harbors and expected them to try for a comeback.
Luke Thun and Ryan Blood also helped the Mariners offensive cause scoring 12 and 11 points respectively. Blood also had 17 rebounds.
Jon McDannold led the Agates with 11 points while Jake Iskat had 10. Caleb Hamp-Sill also scored eight for Two Harbors.
The Agates boys and girls teams will host Cook County today. The boys game starts at 4:45 p.m. while the girls play at 6:30 p.m.
The Mariners girls and boys teams are both scheduled to play at McGregor today with the girls at 4:45 p.m. and the boys at 6:30 p.m.
Silver Bay hockey
The boys split a pair of games last weekend.
On Friday evening they traveled to Ashland and defeated the Oredockers 4-1. On Saturday evening at home they fell 6-1 to the two time defending Section 7A champion Virginia Blue Devils.
At Ashland the Mariners put 52 shots on goal, but the Oredockers goalie was able to stop 48 of them. Sean Graden scored once in the first for the first goal and once in the second for the last Mariners goal. The first was set up by Brad Rowlee and Tyson Fultz. Fultz finished with three assists in the game.
No. 2 was set up by Fultz and Ryan DeShaw. The Mariners led 1-0 after one with a 19-5 shot advantage.
Cody Larson, with the assistance of Warren Carter and Fultz made it a 2-0 game. After Shane Billings made it 3-0 with an unassisted goal, the Oredockers scored its lone goal to cut it to 3-1 before Graden struck again.
The Mariners outshot the Oredockers 15-6 in period two and 18-6 in a scoreless third period. Alex Murray picked up his seventh win of the season with 16 saves.
Virginia scored twice in each period with six different players scoring goals. Virginia scored four goals in the first two periods. After Graden scored the lone Mariners goal with an assist from Rowlee just over a minute into period three, it was 6-1.
The big story of the game however was eighth grade goaltender Alex Murray who tied a Mariners single game record with 61 saves, including 26 in the final period. It tied the mark set by Jim Tweto, of Flying Wild Alaska fame, set in 1970 and that was matched by Swedish exchange student Jonas Hoglander in 1990. Andy Millbridge finished with eight stops for the Blue Devils.
The Mariners will play at International Falls at 7:30 p.m. today.
Two Harbors hockey
The Two Harbors hockey team lost at International Falls 11-1 Tuesday.
"They are a very good team," said Agates head coach Steve Wasko about the Broncos. "We were outmanned for the majority of the game."
It was all Broncos in the first period as they outscored the Agates 3-0. In the second Alex Anderson of Two Harbors started out the scoring 32 seconds in the period. That would be final goal the Agates would score as International Falls scored seven in the second and one in the third.
Micky Smith had 21 saves for Two Harbors while Kody Waldron had eight saves for the Agates.
The Agates will play at home against Ashland at 7 p.m. Saturday.
"We have to show up and play against (teams) that are at the same level," Wasko said. The Agates defeated Ashland earlier in the season.
Girls hockey
The girls split a pair of games last weekend.
On Friday evening it was the Webster/Siren/Frederic/Luck/Grantsburg/St. Croix Falls Blizzard versus the Silver Bay/Cook County/
Ely/Tower-Soudan Mariners with the Mariners prevailing 5-2 at home. On Saturday afternoon they fell 4-1 to the Chisago Lakes Wildcats on the road.
The Mariners took a 1-0 lead against the Blizzard as Taylor Guzzo put home a Nicole Jaeger rebound from the point. With just over three minutes left in the period, the Blizzard tied it up. The Mariners took charge in period two as it only took them 34 seconds to regain the lead.
Anna Carman took a bounce pass off the boards from Guzzo that was set up by Bailey Rykken and went in all alone to make it 2-1 with a shorthanded goal. Marina Carter finished up a play set up by Rachel Dilley and Taylor Skelton by roofing a loose puck upstairs for the game-winning goal. Guzzo from Carman in the last minute of play in the period made it 4-1 entering the third.
After Carter scored unassisted to make it 5-1, the Blizzard scored 14 seconds later for a final of 5-2. Nikki Mealey picked up her 11th win of the season with 23 stops.
Saturday afternoon saw a Wildcat goal in the first offset by one for the Mariners on a power play of Carman to Guzzo in the second. With six minutes left in regulation play it remained at 1-1 when the Wildcats went up by one. With less than two minutes the Wildcats scored a power play goal to make it 3-1 and with 33 seconds left, scored an empty netter making it 4-1. Mealey finished with 25 saves for the Mariners.
The Mariners lost a tough one at Cloquet as they fell 4-2 to the Lumberjacks Monday. The Lumberjacks scored the game-winning goal via a power play with 1:37 left in regulation play. The Mariners pulled their goaltender with 40 seconds left, but the Lumberjacks clinched it with an empty net goal at 16:59.9.
Cloquet led 2-0 before Carter scored two unassisted goals to tie it at two, with one in the second and the other at 7:54 of the third. Although the Mariners dominated much of the final period, they couldn't get a break to take the lead. Mealey finished with 29 saves for the Mariners.
The Mariners open up playoff action Thursday.
Two Harbors Nordic skiing
The Two Harbors boys Nordic ski team finished in eighth place while the girls were seventh at the Duluth East Invitational at Snowflake Nordic Center Friday.
It was a pursuit race with a 4.8 kilometer freestyle race and a 5 kilometer classic race as the pursuit.
Head coach Sara Byrns said it was the first 10-kilometer race many of the younger skiers were involved in.
Drew Christensen was the top boys finisher for the combined races finishing 34th overall. Owen Cruikshank finished No. 51 on the boys team while John Burns was No. 52.
Kiersten Haaversen was the top girls finisher placing 20th while Savannah Juenemann was No. 41 and Sara Schield was 52nd.
The Two Harbors ski team will be at Cook County at 11 a.m. today.
Silver Bay Nordic skiing
The Silver Bay/Cook County boys Nordic ski team finished in sixth place while the girls were ninth at the Duluth East Invitational at Snowflake Nordic Center Friday.
It was a pursuit race with a 4.8 kilometer freestyle race and a 5 kilometer classic race as the pursuit.
Kieran Scannell of Cook County was the top boys finisher placing ninth overall between the two races. Hank Bemlott of Silver Bay finished No. 36.
Shelby Ahrendt of Cook County was the top girls finisher placing 21st.
Silver Bay/Cook County will host a Nordic meet at 11 a.m. today.
Silver Bay girls basketball
The Silver Bay girls basketball team lost at Duluth Marshall 58-37 Thursday.
The Hilltoppers were up by eight at the half. The Mariners made a comeback in the second half tying the game at 37, but Marshall pulled away later in the game.
Allana Lampton had 16 points and seven rebounds while Alicia Nopola scored 12 points with 11 boards for Silver Bay. Tara Dow had four points, four assists, and four steals.
The Mariners lost 101-22 to Cook County Monday.
It was all Vikings in the first half as they outscored the Mariners 65-9. The Mariners lost the second half by 23.
Lampton led the Mariners with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Nopola had six points with 10 boards.
Silver Bay boys basketball
The Silver Bay boys basketball team defeated Cook County 48-30 Monday.
Mariners head coach Rick Frericks said Cook County is a very disciplined team and don't make many mistakes.
The Mariners came out strong in the first half outscoring the Vikings by 10. The second half was much the same with the Mariners winning that by eight.
Luke Thun had 21 points (three 3-pointers) and Henry Mitchell scored 11 for Silver Bay.
Frericks said the Vikings had them on the ropes in the second half, but Thun made a key 3-pointer. Mitchell also made some big buckets at the end of the game.


text:
TORONTO - Ricky Ray was upstaged by the emerging quarterback Drew Willy once this season. He wasn't about to let it happen a second time.
On a rare Tuesday night game, in a building no longer suited for the Argos, with a rather tiny crowd, Ray pushed aside all of the distractions and all the side-issues to do what he does best: Control the CFL game.
Ray was in command, completing 26 of 33 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns, proving again he can do what no one else in Canadian football is capable of: He can conduct the orchestra. He can make chicken salad out of chicken-something-else.
He can take a team minus all of its starting receivers — with Chad Owens, Andre Durie, Jason Barnes and John Chiles on the sidelines and playing without Durie's backup — and still find a way to put his receivers in position to succeed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
Personalized Trophy Glass Ball Christmas Ornament
If they've earned an award, give them this ornament. Whether they're the world's best grandpa or a co-worker who is always ready to lend a helping hand, it's a congratulatory holiday gesture they'll appreciate.


text:
04|15|2011 07:34 pm EDT
.XXX Goes Live in the Root Servers
Earlier today IANA added the .XXX Top Level Domain to the root nameservers. While the registry operator Afilias is still in their setup process for ICM registry, the zone is currently propagating. While a number of registrars have already been taking pre-registrations, the actual timeline for the launch has not yet been published. The Sunrise launch is a three phased approach. After much back and forth and protests against the sTLD the ICANN board had approved the application for the new TLD at their meeting on March 18th of this year.
[Update] As Kevin over at DomainIncite points out in his post on the same topic, the registry website, sex.xxx and porn.xxx (both placeholder pages, safe for work) are now resolving under the new TLD. xxx.xxx is resolving as well.
The delegation record for the new TLD can now also be found on the IANA website.
Below the output of the dig query:
dig ns xxx. ;; Got answer: ;; ->>HEADER< <- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 22036 ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 6, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0 ;; QUESTION SECTION: ;xxx. IN NS ;; ANSWER SECTION: xxx. 300 IN NS a2.xxx.afilias-nst.info. xxx. 300 IN NS a0.xxx.afilias-nst.info. xxx. 300 IN NS b2.xxx.afilias-nst.org. xxx. 300 IN NS b0.xxx.afilias-nst.org. xxx. 300 IN NS c0.xxx.afilias-nst.info. xxx. 300 IN NS d0.xxx.afilias-nst.org.
See the IANA record after the jump
Delegation Record for .XXX
(Sponsored top-level domain)
Sponsoring Organisation
ICM Registry LLC
PO Box 30129
Palm Beach Gardens Florida 33420
United States
Administrative Contact
Chief Operating Officer
ICM Registry LLC
PO Box 30129
Palm Beach Gardens Florida 33420
United States
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Voice: +1 561 290 0624
Fax: +1 561 658 8144
Technical Contact
Domain Technical Contact
ICM Registry LLC
PO Box 30129
Palm Beach Gardens Florida 33420
United States
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Voice: +1 801 647 1705
Fax: +1 801 542 8084
6 Comments
April 15, 2011 @ 8:44 pm EDT
Let the blacklisting begin!
April 16, 2011 @ 10:35 am EDT
All the anti-pornography regimes in the world are rejoicing since its now much easier to blacklist. All the domain squatters are rejoicing since they can squat on new domains. All the domain registrars are rejoicing since everyone will make a rush to either "invest" or squat on a domain!
Everyone wins all around!
April 17, 2011 @ 1:36 am EDT
All the Australians are laughing at the sentence ".XXX Goes Live in the Root Servers" as inadvertently it makes multiple senses [Colloquialism]
April 18, 2011 @ 6:36 pm EDT
[…] Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) added the top level domain .xxx to the root nameservers in preparation for the full launch. A few domains […]
January 9, 2012 @ 2:33 am EDT
Some sites are using both the dot com and the .xxx such as SharePorn.com and SharePorn.xxx. So what is the use of having two websites and for an adult site what is better the .com or the .xxx?
July 22, 2013 @ 4:50 pm EDT
[…] .xxx, que fueron aprobados hace seis años, tras la incorporación de los mismos por la IANA (domainnamenews.com. De momento el uso de este dominio de primer nivel es opcional para los sitios web porno, por lo […]
RSS feed for comments on this post · TrackBack URI


text:
This recipe is great. Not only is it much easier than making refried beans from scratch, but the flavor is just as good, if not better. Most restaurants that serve refried beans serve them dried out and tasteless, some even have a chalky taste. Yuck! With this recipe I took a few recipes that were OK, and put them altogether to get this one. They turned out so good!
My husband freaked over them, and to be honest so did I!
- 19.75oz can whole pinto beans (Drained)
- 1/4lb bacon
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ½ onions chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Cut your bacon up into ¼-inch slices. Fry until crispy.
- Remove Bacon and dry on a paper towel while leaving the bacon drippings in the pan.
- To the drippings, add onion, and the garlic. Cook until tender and translucent.
- Remove 1 cup of beans from the can and leave them in reserve.
- Take remaining beans and mash them in the pan of onion and garlic. Mix it all together, and Add Chicken Broth. Stir ingredients well.
- Add remaining beans and mix all together.
- Add the cooked bacon back to the pot. Cook until bacon is no longer crisp, but tender.
- If needed add additional Chicken Broth to the beans.


text:
Tag Archives: family illness
Take care of me
Does this sound familiar? WIFE: Uhhhh…baby, I don't feel good. ME: (backing away slowly) What's wrong? WIFE: I have a sore throat. I'm getting sick, I can feel it. Can you take care of me? ME: (covering mouth and nose … Continue reading
Posted in Blogs, Dad's Eye View Tagged Dad's Eye View, family illness, Josh Conley, parenting Leave a comment


text:
Spring is fly fishing season at Maine Sport!
If you haven't been to the fly shop at Maine Sport recently, you're in for
some pleasant surprises. We've added several new product lines, and expanded
some existing ones, just in time for open water, which is due any month.
SAGE makes more premium rods than any other company in the world, and now
you can get one locally. Maine Sport stocks models from seven of the eight
series the company offers, and you can load one up and try it on our pond!
In fact, we plan to stock some trout this spring, so later on you may even
know how a rod feels under load.
Also new this spring is the Legend Elite series of fly rods from ST. CROIX.
It's the company's first venture into the premium price range, and they're
fast, powerful and elegant looking. We also stock a wide array of St.Croix's
four other fly rod series, as well as dozens of their spin rods.
For newcomers or those on a budget, we now stock complete rod/reel/line
outfits from Scientific Anglers starting at $89.95.
In the world of waders, SIMMS products are second to none. We carry three
models: the top of the line G3 Guide, the Lightweight,(both using Gore-Tex
technology) and the Freestone. All are breathable and, believe it or not,
MADE IN THE USA! We also have Simms vests, jackets, and accessories.
RIO fly lines and leaders are due in any day, and are also an exciting
addition to our shop. The company has long been known for its innovative
products, like the new Clouser Fly Line for throwing big nasty flies, and
the incredibly fast-sinking Deep 7.
In addition, we have a huge selection of fly tying tools and materials, and
over 100 titles of fly fishing and tying books. And you can look for new
stuff from HODGMAN, DR. SLICK, ROSS REELS, FIN-NOR, and C & F DESIGN.
Finally, the shop offers 2-hour fly casting clinics, full-day schools,
guided fishing trips in both fresh and salt water, and free stories and
Regardless of the weather, come in, look around, and get your fix!
Maine Sport is located on Route One in Rockport. We are open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Reach us by phone at 236-7120, or on the web at MaineSport.com


text:
I lived in San Francisco for many years until having to leave and we are now visiting again for the first time in 15 years. I remember my favorite neighborhood places but not their names and am wondering if they are still around. There was an awesome burrito place on the corner of 16th and Valencia (I think)... is it sill there? The best dim sum ever was in a place in Chinatown, upstairs off the street (an east/west street I think) with a fairly large wide staircase leading up to the restauarnat right off the street? Does anyone recognize this and can provide a location and name? There was a family style Italian place over in upper North Beach, absolutlely nothing special food wise but oh-so-memorable in my mind...with the bottomless salad bowl and shared tables....it was a store front type place on a corner is all I remember.
I know SFO has changed a lot over the years, so any must-have meal recommendations would be welcome. My fave fine dining back then was (of Course) Chez Panisse, Zuni, Stars, and a trendy place named Redux on Van Ness (which I'm sure isn't around any more. I know it has been a long time. Any suggestions for our trip over Labor Day would be welcome. We like authentic and non-fussy most of the time, but are occasionally surprised by the value/price ratio of the best upper end places. Thanks!


text:
If you would like to pick a different season use the Select Your Season tab above.
They don't call Traverse City a winter playground for nothing! Kids + snow just naturally equals fun. And where better to begin your adventure than at Shanty Creek Resorts where outdoor recreation choices include skiing, tubing, snowshoeing and snowboarding.
Other ski, snowboard and tubing options in the area include Mt. Holiday, Hickory Hills, Timberlee, and Timber Ridge.
If the day is a bit too cold and stormy to venture out, don't worry, there are plenty of indoor options! Take a look at our Kids Guide where you will find 108+ new ideas!


text:
Jandar Farm is the culmination of a dream that started in Vineland NJ back in the 70's.Many thanks to Barbara Vallee of Vallee Arabians for being my mentor then and my inspiration now. Using bloodlines that include Imperial Imdal, Simeon Shai and Bask my aim is to breed Arabians and Half-Arabs that look like arabians, move like arabians at prices the average person can afford. Hence the name "Workingman Arabians".
This is a well-bred 18 yr old mare 80% foundation bloodlines(certified by NFQHA - Nat. Foundation Quarter Horse Assoc). Has Supreme QH Champion Goldseeker…SOLD
EXCELLENT PLEASURE/TRAIL PROSPECT Here is a really nice horse you can train your way. 4yr old gelding with a puppy dog personality. Has been saddled…SOLD
If so, you can update this page by editing your company information.
Castle Rock, CO


text:
In 2014, former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan will be eligible for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Does the "Gap-Toothed Terror" deserve the call to the Hall?
Strahan was drafted in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He then went on to do something that not very many players do in their career: he played for the same team throughout his entire 14-year career.
When Strahan stepped onto the field for the Giants, he was always planning a party in the backfield. He racked up 141.5 sacks in his career which puts him fifth on the all-time list and at the top of the Giants career sack list. He also had 843 career tackles, four interceptions and three touchdowns.
To go along with the stats, Strahan has the hardware. He earned seven Pro Bowl selections throughout his career and was a five-time first team All-Pro. He won the 2001 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award and was a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year. Strahan was also a part of a Super Bowl XLII winning team.
During his tenure in the NFL, not very many players carried the type of on-field presence that Strahan did. No matter what, opposing quarterbacks needed to know where he was on the field and his tenacity and dominance caused offensive coordinators to lose sleep at night.
If there was ever a defensive player that has earned the right to get into the Hall of Fame, it's Strahan. He is a great example of a player with a motor that is always running and a guy that just loved to play the game of football.
While Strahan was a 2013 reject, the voters should give him the nod in 2014. Even today, there aren't very many defensive ends that dominated the NFL and instilled fear in their opponents the way Strahan did.
Brian Skinnell is a writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter and add him to your network on Google.


text:
Organisational psychologists focus on the study of behaviour in the workplace, and, like all psychologists, bring a range of approaches and tools which can scientifically measure and improve behavioural outcomes. Our role is to design effective and sustainable organisational structures, improve performance in teams and management practices, establish robust recruitment practices, diagnose complex problems as well as foster effective and resilient behaviours at all levels within organisations. This includes managing the consequences of psychological harm in the workplace, which are not limited to the organisational psychologist in terms of management or treatment.
Psychological harm comes in many forms: bullying and harassment, intimidation, badly designed jobs, lack of supervisor support, interpersonal conflict, poorly managed change whether it is in the form of a job change or a total organisational change, sexual harassment and so on. Many types of harm do not finish when or if the employees leave work. Posttraumatic stress disorder is common among victims of psychological bullying, requiring years of psychological support and treatment. While legislation has been introduced in Australia to raise awareness and reduce the incidence of harm, it is unfortunately a key feature of many workplaces in subtle and insidious forms. So what can organisational psychologists do to help workplace leaders and managers prevent these behaviours?
Fortunately, many workplaces are now actively recruiting organisational psychologists to fill roles where in the past our involvement has been ad hoc and piecemeal, as we have often only been invited to address issues once the problem has reached crisis point. This in part has been due to a lack of understanding by our workplace colleagues about the role of organisational psychologists in the workplace and how we can help.
Much has been made over recent years of workplace alignment - ensuring an organisation's structures, systems and people skills are aligned with its strategy, vision and values. While an important feature of improved organisational performance, true alignment remains in many instances only rhetoric, as management practices and policies do not necessarily produce the behavioural change sought after. Organisational psychologists can work with organisations to see that employees have the best mechanisms in place (training, coaching, the capacity to negotiate, and so on) to support them being able to attain their performance goals where possible. If this is not possible, a job and skill analysis can be undertaken to determine a different approach for attaining the organisations goals other than keeping an employee in a role that they are simply not able to perform.
Interestingly, the cost to business and employers of turnover, absenteeism and workcover fees as a result of poor management practices is constantly reported, but still we find employers in the courts because they have not carried out the due diligence required to prevent such behaviour. However, there is a growing number of enlightened employers who are emphasising that workplace behaviours which are not consistent with their policies and identified values will result in either the employee being disciplined or dismissed. Further, these employers include as part of employees' performance criteria that they are expected to support the organisation's values and policies as part of their day-to-day behaviour. Managers and employees are increasingly getting the message that results are not to be achieved at any cost - how results are achieved is as important as what results are achieved.
The College of Organisational Psychologists has over the past six months outlined a plan of work to raise awareness within organisations of our members' contribution to organisational wellbeing. Our vision is evident in our five key streams of work:
The College has project teams working on a series of initiatives which will together deliver the vision above - members are encouraged to select a project team that aligns well with their personal interests. Communication, membership and professional development are our top priorities.
We look forward to working closely with not only all our APS colleagues, but also our local communities in our efforts to prevent psychological harm in the workplace.
Thanks to Rosie McMahon for her contribution to this article. For more information about the College of Organisational Psychologists, go to www.groups.psychology.org.au/cop/ or contact the author on email@example.com.


text:
You can't watch movies and TV shows on your device just yet
But you can still browse and buy
Sorry, but TalkTalk TV Store movies and TV shows are currently only available in the UK
Rent, buy and watch the latest movies and TV shows online
How it works
Browse the latest movies and TV
TalkTalk TV Store has more of the latest movies and TV shows than our competitors.
Pay for what you want to watch
No subscription, so you only pay when you rent or buy a movie or TV show, from just 99p.
Enjoy on a range of devices
TalkTalk TV Store is available on PC, Mac, mobile, tablets and Chromecast.
Sara is an ambitious, beautiful twenty-something working her way through law school. After she attracts Eric, one of the schools popular most guys, his jealous girlfriend Brooke angrily humiliates Sara at a local bar. Watching from the bar is the gorgeous Alex, who takes Sara under her wing. As they become closer, Alex confides how much she despises her step-mother, and together they conspire to kill each others respective enemy. As the sexual tension between them escalates and they embark on their murderous pact, events begin to unravel with unpredictable consequences, in a twisted tale of seduction, deception and betrayal.
Asset Details
- Genre
- Certificate 15
Contains strong language and sex
- Run Time
1 hour 23 minutes
- Released
- Cast & Crew
Viewing options
- Watch online
PC, Mac, Chromecast, iPad, iPhone, Android phones and tablets, Windows phones and tablets, Xbox smart TVs, set-top boxes and Blu-ray players.
- Find out more
- Download
Download on iOS 8+, Android 4.0+ and Windows 8.1+ in app. Includes rentals.
- Find out more


text:
Empowering deserving military families with educational support and opportunities.
Oh *** no. Loudmouth has a "limited edition" (thank God) jack-o-lantern print available in both men's and women's styles.
There's more . . . .
I love it! Wow, those are loud!!
Supply and demand?? I would love to see how well these do. I agree with Chris that this is a limited edition, but that is what LM is all about. Choices! Saw a lot of LM pants at the Dunhill matches in Scotland yesterday. cz : )
the skirt is cute and i could see women wearing that but the jacket for men .... not sure they would even wear that at Bushwood CC.
That. Is. Awful. But I would wear it to a halloween party.
I actually love the skirt and I could probably get my wife to wear it out golfing. The jacket, not so much.
Go away for a few days and look at this chaos! If you look up UGLY in the dictionary, usually you find a collection of LoudMouth products depicted.
So wrong
The idea is cute, but wear on a golf course? The jacket could only be worn to a Halloween period party/function. I do not want to see any man wearing pants in that fabric on a golf course near me.
I actually just ordered the skort for my wife. Her birthday is Sunday and she LOVES halloween!
For the money, you would think they could do a better job of matching the patterns: skirt waist; jacket sleeves and lapels. No way they get to tile or wallpaper in my house.
I'm with etakmit...I might wear a pair of those pants but, that jacket is bad!
Tar HeelGo away for a few days and look at this chaos! If you look up UGLY in the dictionary, usually you find a collection of LoudMouth products depicted.
So wrong
A well defined description.....I just do not get it.....I saw a lot of it at the US Womens Am this year......we are not fashion conscious....helps big John pays for his ex wifes Rolexs....ha...ha....cz : )
I think the Jack O Lanterns would make one's posterior look rather big. IMHO. They would hide any swing faults though.
LM puts out golf attire that could be consider fun.
I do have a pair of LM shorts that were given to me for a Fathers day present. I wear them a couple of times a year.
Funny, but not to be used.


text: Insomnia is a disease that most of the people suffer from. It is a state of discomfort in sleep which makes the person loses his ability to sleep well. Although there are some foods that can help to treat insomnia, but there are others which can cause insomnia. 1- Excessive amounts of water: Although drinking water is very useful for …Read More »


text:
1 Sarah might consider a move to a primary care trust as an inter-professional training ward facilitator, earning from £35,746 to £45,353. It is an innovative post, working on a hospital rehabilitation ward for older people, and is designed as a training placement for allied health professionals and other clinical pre-registration students. It would develop her interest in training and development and challenge her thinking around integrated working.
2 Her past experience of working with adults with learning difficulties means she might be interested in joining a multi-disciplinary health and social care team as a transition worker, helping young people with complex or severe disabilities as they approach adulthood. She would visit mainstream and specialist schools, leading and co-ordinating the health package of the person's future care. She would earn up to £39,517.
3 Sarah might become a senior practitioner managing a team of staff responsible for co-ordinating the discharge of patients from hospital back into the community. Her clinical assessment skills are an advantage and she must be a good communicator, able to work well under pressure and be sensitive to the conflicts and tensions that can influence discharge planning and decisions. She would earn from £33,934 to £41,112.
4 Sarah could earn up to £39,516 as an admissions and discharge pathway co-ordinator for patients needing hospital-based rehabilitation services. It is a PCT role open to a qualified nurse or other allied health professional. She would ensure patients are appropriately admitted and would be the trust's lead for access to intermediate care services. She would also co-ordinate complex cases of patients being discharged back into the community.
5 If Sarah wants to take her career in a completely different direction she might become a lecturer delivering health modules in workplace wellbeing, as part of a foundation degree in sport, health, leisure and nutrition, targeting NHS employees. Her professional qualification and her experience in occupational health would be useful. The starting salary is from £29,704 up to £35,469.
• More at SocietyGuardian.co.uk/careers


text:
Sunday, November 15, 2009
apple and cranberry crumble pie
I was craving this pie.
We had to pick up a storage unit for prints and large drawings today, and the lady selling it to us was 8 months pregnant and craving sweets - so I did a small one for her as well.
Apple and cranberry crumble pie
6 apples, sliced
1/2 cup cranberries, chopped
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter
Mix this set of ingredients and arrange in a pie shell (no need to prebake the shell)
Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, then add the crumble mixture:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
Mix the ingredients with your fingers and crumble on top of the pie, cook for 35 minutes or until golden.
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
I've finally started coding my first D3D game, a breakout clone. It's been going pretty smooth until now. I was thinking of having the ball explode when it goes past the bat, but I am having trouble making this work. I have a mesh called 'Ball' that I load from an .X file. I was thinking about creating a dynamic vertex buffer and filling it with the vertex data from the Ball mesh, that way I could have the vertices explode out and change colors. Not sure if I am on the right track, or even if it can work this way but here is what I have so far.
I have these objects for the Ball and the dynamic buffer
My vertex buffer and custom vertex structureCode:CMesh m_BallMesh; CVertexBuffer m_ExplosionBuffer;
And then I copy the vertex data from the mesh to the vertex bufferCode:bool CVertexBuffer::CreateBuffer(LPDIRECT3DDEVICE9 pDevice, UINT numVertices, DWORD FVF, UINT VertexSize, bool dynamic) { Release(); m_numVertices = numVertices; m_FVF = FVF; m_VertexSize = VertexSize; D3DPOOL pool = dynamic ? D3DPOOL_DEFAULT : D3DPOOL_MANAGED; DWORD usage = dynamic ? D3DUSAGE_WRITEONLY | D3DUSAGE_DYNAMIC : D3DUSAGE_WRITEONLY; if (FAILED(pDevice->CreateVertexBuffer(m_numVertices * m_VertexSize, usage, m_FVF, pool, &m_pVB, NULL ) ) ) { SHOWERROR("CreateVertexBuffer failed.", __FILE__, __LINE__); return false; } return true; } typedef struct PositionNormalTextured { public: PositionNormalTextured() : X(0), Y(0), Z(0), Nx(0), Ny(0), Nz(0), Tu(0), Tv(0) { } PositionNormalTextured(float x, float y, float z, float nx, float ny, float nz, float tu, float tv) : X(x), Y(y), Z(z), Nx(nx), Ny(ny), Nz(nz), Tu(tu), Tv(tv) { } float X, Y, Z; float Nx, Ny, Nz; float Tu, Tv; } PositionNormalTextured;
But I get a segmentation fault when I get to the SetData function, which copies the data from pVB to m_ExplosionBuffer. I assumed that the size of m_ExplosionBuffer does not match the size of pVB, but everything looks ok to me.Code:// Create the buffer m_ExplosionBuffer.CreateBuffer(pDevice, m_BallMesh.GetMesh()->GetNumVertices(), D3DFVF_XYZ | D3DFVF_NORMAL | D3DFVF_TEX0, sizeof(cstmVertex::PositionNormalTextured), true); // Lock the mesh vertex buffer and get pointer to its memory void** pVB; m_BallMesh.GetMesh()->LockVertexBuffer(0, pVB); // Copy the buffer data to the ExplosionBuffer m_ExplosionBuffer.SetData(m_BallMesh.GetMesh()->GetNumVertices(), pVB, 0); m_BallMesh.GetMesh()->UnlockVertexBuffer();
What am I missing here? Or am I even on the right track?


text:
Contract for Ultra-Deepwater Rig Sedco Express
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG) announced that a subsidiary of Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NBL) has awarded a 455-day contract for the ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rig Sedco Express. Estimated contracted revenues related to the 455-day contract term are approximately $241m. Estimated contract revenues represent the maximum amount of revenues that may be earned in the firm contract period, excluding revenues for mobilization, cost escalations, customer reimbursed equipment and miscellaneous adjustments. The contract term is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2010 following the completion of the rig's current contract, maintenance work and mobilization.


text:
G&L - Artists
Whether he's playing keyboards or laying down guitar riffs on Journey hits like "Wheel In The Sky," Jonathan Cain is a musician's musician. Jon had heard good things about G&L guitars so he decided to check them out. Amazed with the variety of options available from G&L, he quickly zeroed in on a wider fingerboard, selecting a G&L #3 profile. He soon took delivery of his new ASAT Classic Bluesboy and couldn't be happier.
The Bluesboy arrived at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Journey was performing that night. Straight out of the box Jonathan Cain the entire Journey crew were blown away with the ASAT's tone. As Jon ran it through its paces at soundcheck, he immediately fell in love with the feel and craftsmanship of the guitar."My new G&L ASAT plays great and has a nice growl. The note separation is amazing as I play it every night on songs including 'Wheel In The Sky.' Everyone loves the tone."
- Jonathan Cain
Photos by Brent Jeffers
Tech for Jonathan Cain
Check out Journey's latest album Eclipse
Get the latest news and tour information
for Journey at journeymusic.com


text:
Chapter One
Trace "TJ" James Jr. didn't need anyone.
When Trace Senior died sixteen months ago, ownership, to her brothers' objection, was turned over to TJ. Being the only daughter of one of the biggest horse ranchers in Western Montana, and now the sole owner of Whispering Creek Ranch, was a very big responsibility that was dropped in the then twenty-nine year olds' lap. TJ was the cowboy that her father longed for her brothers to be but never were. Getting up before dawn, going to bed well after sundown, living, eating and breathing the ranch and cowboy way of life, was TJ's only way of life. Never did she complain, even when she was younger, and not once had she asked for help.
When Trace died, TJ's brothers demanded that she sell the ranch and give them their share.
They hounded her relentlessly.
"It's too much responsibility for a young woman."
"It's time that you went on with your life; find a man, marry and have a family of your own."
"The money from selling the ranch will give you the opportunity to see the world, and to travel as Father always talked about doing but never did."
TJ's brothers couldn't grasp how none of that mattered or appealed to her. The ranch was her life, and like her daddy, it would be where she lived and died. In her opinion, her five brothers had enough wives, ex-wives, children and stepchildren to fill whatever void they thought their baby sister had from not marrying and having children. There was no way that the James name would die off simply because TJ didn't have a son to carry it on, so it wasn't anything that she was worried about or interested in discussing.
After a year of fighting her brothers and their attorneys, and struggling to cope with the death of her daddy, deserting ranch hands, and a run of overall bad luck, things were starting to look up at Whispering Creek. Over two dozen new foals were expected throughout the winter and spring, the economy was starting to pick back up, preparations for winter would be completed ahead of schedule, and the lodge was nearly in order for the impending snow.
Things were starting to go back to how they were when Trace was alive…
But luck never shined on TJ's back for longer than a minute.
Eight weeks ago while riding the fence line as she did every day, the ground under her and her mare, Whisper, broke away, dumping them in a dry well. Whisper was a gift from her daddy for her twenty-fourth birthday. Trace said the horse was strong-willed and stubborn like his little girl and that's why he bought the moody yearling.
It wasn't a match made in heaven, not in the least.
TJ was thrown more than a dozen times while trying to break Whisper, and nearly gave up on the stubborn yearling, but her hardheaded cowboy nature wouldn't let her. One day, when trying to wrangle the unruly yearling from the corral, the horse slammed its head into TJ's stomach so hard that it knocked her to the ground, gasping for air. When the flashes of light finally cleared from TJ's vision, she saw Whisper standing over her with a rattlesnake latched onto her leg. The horse saved TJ from the rattler, and since then they had been nearly inseparable.
And just like with the snake, Whisper was trying to save Trace when the ground gave way under them by leaning to the side, taking the full impact of the landing. The jagged rocks bit into their skin and snapped bones. If Whisper hadn't leaned, forcing her weight to the side, the full impact of the fall and the horse's weight would have landed with TJ on bottom with all eight-hundred pounds of Whisper on top of her.
For three days, TJ and Whisper were in that hole, waiting for someone to find them. Whisper broke her rear leg in three places and four ribs. The vet said to put her down; not because of the animal being in pain, rather because the animal would most likely be lame if she healed and the medical costs would be ridiculous for just one horse, especially for a horse that wasn't a champion breeder, however TJ wouldn't hear of it.
TJ didn't walk away unscathed from the incident. She broke three ribs, wrist and arm, dislocated her shoulder and hip, a hairline fracture of the femur, and injured her back and neck. With winter fast approaching and Whispering Creek's summer and fall help packed up and headed south, TJ needed help even if she would never admit to such.
Her oldest brother, Jessup James, had been pressuring TJ to hire a new Ranch Manager since Frank Heff retired after nearly forty-years at Whispering Creek. Frank was like an uncle to TJ and he loved her like a niece, but he would never work for a woman so he opted for retirement without giving notice. TJ agreed to disagree that she needed a new Ranch Manager, and took up the reins to take care of it herself since she knew the ranch better than anyone.
It's proved to be physically more demanding than she can handle with her slowly mending injuries.
"Just another day in paradise," TJ said under her breath, and tried to stretch her back out in the saddle. She's been riding Milk, a gentle gelding that specializes in working with handicap children, since before sunrise. Regardless of taking the smooth trails cut through the hills, always keeping the lodge in sight and a radio on her just in case, and cutting back on manual labor, she felt as if someone had beat her with a baseball bat.
"What I wouldn't give for a stiff drink and a long, hot bath," she said, and Milk nodded his apparent agreement.
Despite the pain radiating throughout TJ's body, there was no place else she rather have been at that moment.
For the past week the weather had been simply beautiful. The leaves had started to change from green to red and gold. The thick, swaying emerald grass was littered with late blooming autumn flowers and created a canvas of green, purple, white and yellow that appeared as a patchwork quilt covering the hillsides. The clear blue sky was without a single cloud and in only an hour would blend to violet, orange and red at the horizon, putting a new meaning to the nickname of the state she calls home: Big Sky Country. A beautiful Sunday evening that would be even sweeter with a bottle of wine and a bubble bath.
When she started to click her tongue, commanding Milk to head back to the stables, her attention was pulled to the road leading to the lodge. An unfamiliar pickup truck pulling a peculiar trailer raced down the dirt drive, throwing rocks and dirt up as they went, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.
"Who in the hell is raisin' a ruckus on my land now?" TJ grumbled in irritation, and kicked Milk into a run, ignoring the searing the not-so-gentle action caused.
Someone was invading TJ's space, her home and world, and that wasn't acceptable. Over a year worth of meddling brothers and vicious attorneys had disrupted her livelihood and world enough for a hundred lifetimes; TJ didn't know how much fight she had left in her.
TJ's mind was racing a mile a minute trying to figure out who was throwing dirt all over, which brother was responsible for the intrusion this time, how much it was going to cost her in legal fees now, and how many hours would she be indisposed before she could kick her boots off and slip into a hot bath.
The truck and trailer pulled up to the front of the lodge before she reached it, and when Milk cut along the familiar trail, rounding along the back of the riding stables, the lodge disappeared. TJ wanted to take Milk back to the stables then storm back to the lodge and give the jerk who was racing down her driveway a piece of her mind. She wanted to rip him a new one, and yes, she knew it was a man because only men drive like jackasses, but the pain in her back and the numbness in her legs from riding, against doctor's orders, would prevent her from making a hasty dismount and strong stand.
TJ cut through the barn, the large rolling doors on each end remained open during the day to allow fresh air to flow through, and cut hard to the right once they cleared the barn. Milk, a seasoned and well-trained therapy horse, sensed that TJ was losing control—the strength in her thighs had wavered, her fiberglass clad hand lost its hold on the leather reins, her shoulder had dropped, throwing her balance off—so the gelding slowed, ignoring his rider's silent commands.
"Hello?" an unfamiliar voice called out, startling TJ.
She turned towards the sound of the voice, Milk abruptly stopped, and TJ lost her balance and fell out of the saddle.
The ground seemingly rushed up towards her but she was surprised when she didn't hit. Instead, she found herself in two strong arms that caught her then wrapped protectively around her body before carefully setting TJ down on her shaking legs.
"Careful. I have heard that the ground is rather unforgiving," the stranger murmured in her ear, his soft Italian accent wrapped around each word that left his lips.
A chill ran down TJ's spine; Italians were her kryptonite.
When TJ's boots were firmly on the ground and her knees stopped shaking, she pushed out of his arms and carefully turned to face him. "Who in the hell are you?" she demanded, trying to maintain an authoritative tone, but she found it near impossible not to whimper.
TJ has never seen the man before, and was very handsome in her opinion, which was surprising since TJ hadn't really thought about a man long enough to think him attractive or not before. His dark olive toned skin appeared soft and was without a single winkle, a day's worth of perfectly manicured dark brown stubble shadowed the lower half of his face, brown hair was cut short on the sides with waves of soft curls on the top, light green eyes that were warm and surrounded by this black, and his full pale pink lips revealed a dazzling white smile that looked at home on his handsome face. His attire was what she was accustomed to on a ranch. He looked like a cowboy minus the missing cowboy hat, but in her experience he was too handsome to be a cowboy: well-worn cowboy boots, clean dark denim Wranglers, leather belt with a polished silver buckle, and a white dress shirt tucked in as if he was ready for Sunday service.
"Ma'am," he nodded and offered her his hand but she ignored it.
"Was that you throwin' dirt all over?" TJ interrupted.
His smile fell and he nodded. "I apologize, Ma'am," he said. "I did not realize it was not a public road, and instead was a driveway until I reached the end. I apologize for that. I am-"
"We don't board here," she said, once again interrupting him
He cocked a thick eyebrow, giving her a look.
"And we don't sell to strangers that just drive up," she added. "Take your trailer and get the hell out."
He shook his head. "I am not looking for boarding, though I was assured there would be a stall available."
TJ gave him a look in return.
"I am Diego Esposito, I am looking for TJ," he explained, hoping that would clear all this up for her. "I knocked but there was no answer."
TJ continued to glare at him, and folded her arms across her chest in defiance and irritation.
"Do you know where I can find Mr. TJ James?" Diego asked, unsure.
She nodded once.
"Okay? Are you going to tell me?" he asked with a chuckle and pushed his hand through his hair, separating the curls with his fingers in the process.
"Depends," TJ said and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and struggled to ignore the searing sensation in her back and hips from the action, and her jaw clenched through the pain.
Diego looked at her curiously, his eyes moved over her, appraising her condition. "You need to sit down," he said, and motioned towards the lodge.
"I prefer to stand," she said in a clipped tone.
"And I would prefer to have this pissing contest, as you Americans say, sitting down so you do not further injure yourself, Ma'am," he said in an equally clipped tone.
TJ glared at him. "I ain't no ma'am. I ain't married. I ain't got no kid runnin' amuck calling me mama. Thus I ain't no ma'am. What do you want with TJ?" she asked again, even more irritated than she was before because he effortlessly caused the old cowboy to come out in her speech.
It was a bad habit she picked up from Frank and her brother Jesse.
Diego nodded, but he wasn't nodding his agreement.
Being an Italian-Spaniard, stubborn, hardheaded women were something he was accustomed to dealing with. His mother and sisters were the most stubborn creatures to ever grace God's green earth, so this woman was no different, in his opinion.
"Very well, I am his new Ranch Manager," Diego explained and TJ's eyes widened. "Mr. Jessup James hired me. I was not due to start for a few more weeks, but I was able to wrap up at Triple Valley Ranch early and I made good time on the road. I was hoping to miss the weather; snow was predicted within the month in Wyoming. I apologize if coming early left the ranch unprepared for me, but I was hoping to familiarize myself with the area, staff, horses and ranch before taking over the reins."
TJ shook her head in disbelief. "You're mistaken. You ain't my... You ain't the goddamn Ranch Manager," she coldly informed him. "I'm sorry, mister-"
"Please, call me Diego," he interrupted.
"Whatever," she hissed through clenched teeth. "Whispering Creek Ranch already has a Ranch Manager. I'm sorry Jessup wasted your time. I'll make sure that he compensates you for your time and travel."
Diego shook his head, trying to maintain the fabricated smile on his face. "I am sorry, Ma'am. I do not know who you are, but if I am going to get fired before I even sign on, I would like the reason why. And do not use the excuse of having a Ranch Manager because Mr. Jessup has assured me that the Ranch Manager retired without notice and that the ranch is in desperate need of management..." his words trailed off as he looked around.
The ranch was beautiful and apparently well ran, and there wasn't a building which wasn't in showroom condition from outside appearances. The horses he could see appeared strong, happy and healthy, and the grounds were immaculate. None of that was what he was expecting to find when he took the job.
Interviewing over the phone wasn't something Diego had ever done before, and it made him slightly paranoid, but Mr. James informed him that there was no time to go back and forth with the formalities of interviewing in person and touring the ranch. Jessup was extremely concerned because the ranch was being ran into the ground by inexperienced hands, and that his family birthright was being squandered.
That didn't appear to be the case at all.
Diego's shoulders dropped and he hissed out a sigh. "I am in middle of a family squabble, am I not?" he asked, his accent getting even thicker, and he reluctantly looked back to TJ.
"Whatever gave you that idea?" she scoffed, looking away from him.
"Personal experience," he offered with a strained chuckle. "Is Mr. Jessup due back soon? I would like to have words with him."
TJ smirked, looking over at him. "Not if I get my hands on him first. It'll be a cold day in hell when I let my annoying, thinks he knows it all, big brother hire for my ranch. He's still pissed that ain't sellin' it."
Diego cocked an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth pulling up into a smile. "This is your ranch?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. You got a problem with that?"
"No, Ma'am," he said with a chuckle and smile wide when she glared at him. "You are TJ?"
"Trace James Jr. at your service," she said and offered him her hand. "The only owner and operator of Whispering Creek Ranch, and the only person that decides who in the hell gets to work here."
Diego nodded is understanding and shook her hand, the unmistakable look of disappointment washing across his face.
TJ wasn't good with people. Horses yes, people not so much, and men she was even worse with. There was a reason why she wasn't married, minus the obvious reasons of being stubborn, running a ranch, being considered one of the guys and a cowboy without the boy aspect of it, and never having time to date.
She lacked people skills.
Trace was a man of few words but his word was law. There was no compromising, no sugar coating anything, and no pretenses. From working side by side with her daddy, TJ became his twin. The ranch hands respected TJ enough simply because she was the blonde, female equivalent of Trace, but working for the younger, prettier, and usually bigger hard ass of the two, wasn't easy. TJ accepted no excuses and didn't compromise. You worked or you got the hell out. You never left a job unfinished. And you never half-assed anything. That's how ranch life was, and that's how TJ saw every aspect of life, even life off of the ranch, as being. However, that wasn't the case and she couldn't handle it so she embraced the only life she knew and was content with that.
Sadly, that contentment in her small, sheltered world would prove to be her biggest downfall.
Chapter two
Diego continued to stand there, his mind scrambling to put together an argument that the stubborn woman might listen to, but he knew it was futile.
Proud, determined women are near impossible to convince of what is in their best interest, but when you add in the family drama and a lying brother that purposely overstepped boundaries and undermined his sister and her position and ranch, it makes it an impossible endeavor.
"I am sorry for disturbing you this evening, Ma'am," Diego said with a heavy sigh of disappointment; he was excited about this job.
The ranch was beautiful, by far one of the most beautiful that he'd had the pleasure of working at, not that he had actually gotten the chance to work at Whispering Creek, and it would have been the perfect place and environment to clear his head and get away from the past. What was he supposed to do now? Where was he supposed to go? He put in his notice at Triple Valley Ranch, left on good terms for the most part, but he wasn't about to ask for his job back. The pompous owner was a real piece of work that would welcome him back at greenhorn pay and ride him long and hard like a seasonal greenhorn simply because he knew that Diego would work his ass off and not complain or question it, wouldn't allow his pride to cloud his work ethic, thus taking advantage of the situation.
This time his pride would win because Diego refused go back with his tail tucked and head hanging.
TJ groaned, looking to the ceiling.
Diego looked at her curiously. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned about her well-being.
It was more than obvious that she was in pain, a medical degree didn't need to tell him that, and the oath to his old profession dictated that he should be concerned for the moody and irritable stranger. But his genuinely caring nature made him care.
"I'm fine," she snapped at him. "It's just like that sonuvabitch to go behind my back and hire someone when I told him I didn't need help. No wonder he hasn't returned any of my calls. I knew that rotten bastard was up to something." Again she huffed. "I ain't givin' you a job, but you can come inside while I try to get Jessup's ass down here from Bozeman. I swear to God he's adopted," she mumbled under her breath and slowly hobbled towards the lodge. "Milk, go home," she called out.
The horse snorted, nodding his agreement, before turning and strolled back to the stables and into his stall.
Diego watched wide-eyed.
It wasn't often that you see a horse respond to dog commands like that. He knew right away that Milk, the large gelding TJ rode up on, was a therapy horse. He, himself, had much experience with working and training therapy horses. The fact that the horse stepped to the right when TJ's weight shift to the left, purposely delivering the falling woman into Diego's arms, was proof that the gelding was expertly trained and above average intelligence for a horse. It made Diego feel even worse that he wouldn't get a chance to work with the animal himself: it had been a long time since he's had the privilege and joy of working with therapy horses.
Dick Owens, the owner of Triple Valley Ranch, refused to open up his glorious ranch to the handicap and underprivileged, something that Diego propositioned him about more than once. It was beneath a man like Dick Owens and his horses to allow poor people, criminals in the making as he called them, and the handicap to step foot on his ranch, let alone, touch his horses.
Yet another thing that Diego hated about his former employer.
"You coming or what?" TJ called out in a clipped tone.
"Sorry, Ma'am," Diego said then smiled when he heard her growl under her breath in irritation. "You have a lovely ranch," he said, following her through the side door of the lodge, minding the way she moved and how she favored her right side to compensate for the strain on the left.
"Yup," was all TJ said, using the wall and countertop for support as she went.
The kitchen was large and open. All ranch kitchens looked the same, in Diego's opinion, but that wasn't the case now. There was something about this kitchen that reminded him of home. Instead of oak and granite covering everything causing it to feel stuffy and overly crowded, it was open and airy. The high ceiling was rough-cut timbers with dark raw wood beams that spanned the entire width of the kitchen, a stone oven was built into one wall with an open wood burning fireplace below it, clay tiles acted as the canvas for a hand painted mural of an Italian vineyard, warm golden colored stucco covered walls, impressive antique styled stove and fridge looked turn of the century but they were modern reproductions that cost more than he'd make in a year, rod iron chandeliers with blown glass accents hung throughout the space softly illuminating it in a golden glow, raw dark wood cabinets covered one wall with a large front apron sink positioned in front of a large window, cast iron pots and pans accented one wall with wooden shelves covered in cookbooks, and the travertine floors were rich and warm. There was a large wooden table with benches and chairs, room to seat ten or more, along the opposite side of the kitchen where the bay window was, the dark maroon curtains framing the window were the quintessential of an Italian kitchen…
It reminded him of home.
"You might want to have a seat, this could take a bit," TJ said, grabbing the cordless phone from the charger on the counter.
Diego nodded and obediently sat at the table and watched the woman studiously. What kind of doctor would allow someone in so much pain to ride? he wondered, noting how she's not favoring her right hand since it's not in a fiberglass cast to the elbow like the other was, and her left shoulder was being favored causing the right to hang slightly lower—her alignment is very bad and should be address by her physician, he commented to himself—and the obvious pain in her back and hips was causing her to walk with a considerable limp.
The phone being thrown against the backsplash caused Diego to jump, obviously he had missed something, and he quickly stood. "Is everything all right?" he asked.
TJ growled under her breath and cautiously turned around before leaning against the counter, tossing her cowboy hat on the counter. "My lovely brother is out of town and won't be back for a couple of weeks," she informed him. "Bastard turned his cellphone off even. It's almost as if he knew I'd be callin' to rip him a new one."
Diego forced a smile. "I assure you, Ma'am, I had nothing to do with that. I am early, something I apologize for. If I am to be completely honest, I was excited and could not wait to get here."
TJ groaned. "Shut up," she complained.
He nodded, his forced smile falling. "Yes, Ma'am. I am sorry to hear Mr. Jessup will be unavailable for the butt chewing he deserves. You said you do not board horses, but I cannot fathom leaving Dantae in his trailer-"
"Dantae?" she interrupted.
Again, Diego nodded. "My best friend and horse."
That seemingly piqued her interest and the pain clouding her dark brown eyes cleared.
"Can you suggest a place in town that would have a vacancy and available boarding? I really would like to have words with your brother in person," he continued.
"You and me both," TJ said as if it were obvious. "The auction is next weekend so every place will be booked."
"Auction?" he asked.
"Horse auction," she said in a tone that made it more than obvious that he should have known what she was talking about in her opinion. "It's where a bunch of old white men with way too much money in their pockets shop for horses and studs in order to build up their catalogues," she said, hobbling from the kitchen. "Come!" she called out when Diego didn't follow.
"Yes, Ma'am," he said and hurried after her. "I am very much aware of what a horse auction is. I was more curious as to why the disdain in your tone when you said it. Is it safe to assume that you not going?"
She paused at the front door and cocked a full, dark brown eyebrow.
"I take your silence as confirmation that you are not," he said with a chuckle. "Why is that?" he asked when she pulled the front door open, genuinely curious.
Diego was desperately trying to get TJ to talk to him, to converse with him so he could find something he could possibly offer her that might sway her decision when it comes to his employment. Most likely he was grasping at straws, but he was a fighter and never gave up without a fight.
TJ shrugged before winching then headed out the door and started down the front steps. "Ain't got no need for more horses," she said, heading towards the British green trailer hitched to the back of Diego's truck. "We have dozens of foals that'll be gracing the world in a few months. Daddy said that happy horses become family, and as he heard, women, when sisters or are close like sister, sync their cycles."
Diego's eyes widened; he wasn't sure where this conversation was going in the least.
"I reckon everyone thought he was talkin' crazy, but the proof is in our ledgers," she said, going around to the back of the trailer. "Our harras has, for the last decade, gone in heat within weeks of each other. Daddy said it makes it much easier to keep track of their cycles for breeding. It made Whispering Creek the envy of breeders everywhere. They demanded to know how Daddy did it, what the secret was… Are you here to try to get that information for that vile sonuvabitch Dick Owens?" she asked.
Diego chuckled. "No, Ma'am, though I will admit it is most impressive. La mia famiglia were able to do the same, though it took much, much longer than a decade to achieve."
TJ nodded; that was an interesting tidbit of information. "Well, let's see him," she said, motioning for him to open the trailer since she hadn't the strength to.
Not sure what game TJ was playing, but grateful that she wasn't walking him out to his truck to get the hell off her property, nodded and opened the back of the trailer.
Despite her irritation over Diego's presence and Jessup's actions, a smile filled TJ's face.
"He's beautiful," she whispered, holding her hand out.
The pure black stallion sniffed her hand before leaning into it, giving her permission to pet him.
"Dantae, this is Miss TJ," Diego introduced, caressing up and down the horse's forehead.
"Is he…" she started to ask, looking the horse over. "It ain't possible. I've only seen pictures of them."
Diego nodded. "Dantae is a Cavallo del Ventasso. I brought him over from home… I have had him since he was born. His mother died in a childbirth and I bottle fed him, laid with him in his stall even, and could not fathom leaving him when I headed west. Padre was not pleased that," he paused catching himself and looked over at the woman next to him caressing his horse.
Somehow, without even trying, TJ effortless got his walls to fall. Never had he told anyone outside of the family what he had done for Dantae, how it was that he had him even. Cavallo del Ventasso were a protected and critically endangered breed of Italian horses that couldn't leave their country. There are less than fifty purebreds in existence, and Diego had one that he called his best friend and son for the past seven years.
"He's beautiful," TJ whispered with tears in her eyes, pulling her fingers through Dantae thick mane. "Time for a trim," she teased.
Dantae pawed at the floor of the trailer.
TJ sighed, nodding her understanding. "If you didn't make such a good argument," she scolded. "I reckon you're gonna have to stay here for now, until we can figure out what to do with your daddy," she said.
Diego fought to keep from laughing.
Again, Dantae pawed at the floor, nodding.
"He's a stallion?" TJ asked without looking over at him.
Diego nodded. "He is. Is that a problem?"
She shook her head. "Only if he can't play well with others," she said.
"Dantae is exceptionally well-behaved," Diego assured her. "He is even housebroken."
TJ chuckled.
"I trained him myself," he explained. "Though, I trained him to be a therapy horse."
That stole her attention and she looked over at him, but his attention was on the horse he was petting. "Padre was not happy that my training caused, what Madre called, selectiveness in mares."
Again, TJ chuckled. "That's why he ain't branded as a stud."
He nodded. "That and I would never hurt by boy like that. Branding is a barbaric practice that I have never supported. I understand the reason for it, but to scar such a beautiful creature to simply mark ownership is beyond stomach turning."
TJ groaned, making a face; those were her views on it as well. None of her horses were branded. Instead, TJ microchips each, retains DNA and blood typing on file, and had a digital and physical photo catalogue of each horse from birth, in most cases, to adulthood or when sold for identification purposes.
"Ma'am?" Diego asked, confused by her reaction.
"I'm gonna kill my brother," she grumbled under her breath, patting Dantae's neck. "There's accommodations in the stables I reckon you'll like more than your little trailer. Fresh hay and oats, get yourself some water, and tomorrow you can stretch your legs in one of the training corrals while your daddy tries to convince me to let ya'll stay."
Diego's eyes widened.
TJ looked over at him and cocked an eyebrow. "That was why you were ramblin', wasn't it? That or flitin', which we both know ain't believable in the least so I figured it was a means to get me to let you stay. I'm not letting you stay, but I can't in good conscience force Dantae to sleep in that tiny trailer with you," she said, looking back to the horse; there were clips for a hammock in the small trailer, and it told TJ that Diego slept in the trailer with his horse.
Oddly enough, she respected him for it and found it sexy that he wouldn't leave his horse at night.
"Not flirting," Diego assured her.
"I know," she said, patting Dantae's neck before turning and hobbled along the sidewalk.
Diego watched her walk away. He wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do or say. TJ said he could stay, for now, but Diego had a sneaking suspicion that she was giving Dantae permission to stay, not Diego; he was getting to stay by default.
Strangely, that was okay in Diego's mind. It gave him time to try to convince TJ to let him stay, or at the very least, fight for the job he's waited his entire life for.
Dantae nudged Diego with his head, forcing him forward.
"Va bene!" he said when the horse pushed him again. "You are as pushy as an American."
Dantae snorted and followed without a lead, going the way TJ had gone.
Diego shook his head in resignation and followed.
The stables were next to the lodge, only a hundred yards away, at most. The doors were open and as if he owned the place, Dantae strolled inside.
When Diego stepped into the stables, he smiled but his heart was heavy with sadness.
These were the types of stables that he had always longed to see again, but never did he expect to find them outside of Europe.
The two-story building was clean, spacious, efficient and beautiful. Twenty stalls lined each side of the center walkway; each rolling door had a nameplate attached noting which horse belonged where and what their specialty was. The stalls were made up of polished cherry and oak planks with powdered coated fencing covering some of the stall windows—'problem child horses' his father would call them—and the open windows on the other stalls were encased in rounded, oiled wood to prevent injury from rubbing against them. Fresh water fed troughs ran along the back wall, each being fed circulated, filtered water. Along the tops of the stalls, on the second story, were filled with expertly stacked bales of hay and bags of oats. The overhanging edge of the second story had strung colorful glass lanterns running the length of each side, the LED bulbs in each flickering, mimicking the effect of burning candles, creating ambient light that the horses obviously enjoyed. Music was playing from the speakers mounted on the support beams—a jazz and blues compilation—and the setting sun coming in through the sky lights breaking up the roofline filled the space with warm, golden light.
"Absolutely amazing," Diego whispered.
Dantae had waited for his ride then smacked Diego with his tail before heading down to the end of the building.
"Where did my lovely brother find you?" TJ asked from the far end of the stable, where an oversized stall with an open rolling door was.
Dantae joined her and stood in the doorway.
Diego hurried down to his horse, concerned by his sudden change in demeanor; ears were pulled back, tail wasn't sweeping, and body was rigid. He stumbled to a stop when he reached them, his eyes wide.
Inside the stall TJ sat on a stool with a brush in her good hand. Carefully she ran it along the silvery gray coat of the horse in a robotic lift system. The horse's blue-gray eyes looked between Diego and Dantae, but the mare was remaining surprisingly calm. One leg was immobilized in skeletal traction that he had never seen for a horse before. The other legs were in blue air compression massager sleeves.
"She is absolutely beautiful," Diego whispered.
TJ nodded and continued to carefully brush what she could. "Whisper saved my life and I vowed to save hers in return."
"A bald-faced silver Grullo are rare," he commented, caressing Dantae's neck.
"A gift from Daddy," she said with a small smile. "She's stubborn like I am, hardheaded and a fighter, just like me. That's why Daddy got her for me. Sure, the bitch tried to kill me a couple of times and was hell bent she'd never be ridden, but we came to an understanding eventually and we've been inseparable ever since."
Whisper snorted.
"It's true," TJ argued, brushing Whisper's long, thick silver and charcoal mane so she could braid it before turning in for the night. "Dantae can take any stable he wants if it's unoccupied. Make sure you write on the chalkboard on the door boarding so no one tries to ride or use him. I know it's asking a lot, but can you please unsaddle Milk and brush him out for me? I need to be with Whisper right now."
Diego nodded. "Of course. If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know."
TJ nodded, never looking from what she was doing.
Diego caressed along Dantae's back; he knew his horse wouldn't wander and was seemingly drawn to the blue-gray eyed quarter-horse. "Comportati," he whispered.
Dantae nodded, causing his long black mane to whip around his face.
Diego headed down to Milk's stall on the other end of the stables. "Online," he called out. "Your brother found me online," he said, answering her initial question. "There are message boards for ranch positions and I contacted him about the ranch manager position he had posted," he explained, unsaddling Milk.
That didn't surprise TJ, but it should have. She suspected her brothers were up to something. What, she didn't know. But her gut had never lied to her before and it was screaming that they were scheming. That could have been why she refused to take it easy and replace Frank. Trying to prove or disprove her gut feeling, TJ had checked the very boards that Jessup used to find Diego. Never did she see her ranch listed on the want ads or posting boards, but there was a few ranches she'd never heard of and figured they were simply fly-by-night Texans trying their hand at Montana ranching. It wouldn't have been the first time. And now she realizes that one of those 'fly-by-night' ranches was hers in disguise.
Jessup would get his ass kicked real good when he got back to town, that TJ was certain.
"Triple Valley Ranch is a lovely hole," TJ said conversationally, watching Diego tend to Milk. Trace always told her that you can learn a lot about a man simply by watching him and noting which words cause his eyes to deviate from yours. But there's so much more you can learn of a man's character by the way he treats a horse.
The tenderness in Diego's touch, how attentive he is, and the way he moves with purpose and experience…
It made Diego an even bigger problem than she initially thought he'd be.
"But Dick Owens is a real piece of shit," she added with a soft snort.
The burst of amusement that broke past Diego lips caused a smile to pull at the corners of TJ's mouth. "In not so many words," Diego agreed, hanging up the saddle with the others in the equipment hold by the makeshift offices then checked the bristles of each hanging brush before finding the one he thought best for Milk and his coat. "Mr. Owens and I never got along. Our differing of opinions when it came philanthropy was the major reason for our many disagreements. The way he treated his horses and ranch hands was another."
TJ's brows pulled together. "What do you mean?" she reluctantly asked, suspicious. "The philanthropy thing," she clarified. "I already know that bastard ain't fit to raise a feral cat let alone a pony, and he treats everything and everyone as if they are beneath him. Daddy hated him. Threated to cut his balls off and feed 'em to him if he ever stepped foot on our property again."
Diego looked at her curiously. "There is a story there."
She nodded her agreement. "To say the least. Dick Owens thought I was rather purdy… I was sixteen when he propositioned Daddy, and Daddy nearly ended up in the back of a sheriff's jeep in handcuffs as a result. Bastard didn't want me, not that I would have had him. He wanted to know the secret of syncing heat cycles. You know that scar on Dick's neck?"
"He hides it under a bandana but I have seen it," he said. "Your father was responsible?"
"No. Me," she said with a smirk. "I don't need no man defending me or fighting my battles for me. Daddy lost his temper and swung on him after I took his Winchester from him. It was safer for Dick that way. When Dick tried cheap-shottin' him after I got them separated, I used my boot knife on him. That's why Daddy was in handcuffs after the Sheriff showed up. Daddy said he was the one that cut him, not his little girl. Dick argued it, but the Sheriff wasn't gonna listen to him, and he knew I did it. It wasn't nuttin' some stitches couldn't fix."
Diego chuckled; her indifference about her felony assault amused him. He continued to brush out Milk's coat. "We spent the past three years working at Triple Valley Ranch for Dick Owens…me and Dantae. I started as a ranch hand and quickly moved up to ranch manager… After a month I was his ranch manager. My worth ethic and experience proved to be most useful and Dick took advantage of it. I did the work of five greenhorns or three ranch hands, and he exploited it," he paused and shook his head.
TJ looked down to the other end of the stables; Diego stood there brushing out Milk with his back to her. As he moved, she admired his firm, slightly rounded backside and the way his Wranglers showed the definition in his thighs.
That wasn't right.
Never had TJ given anyone a second glance before, but she couldn't help but give a second, third and fourth to Diego.
"If I was entertaining," she said, struggling to find her voice and Diego looked over his shoulder at her, "hiring a new Ranch Manager, what would your work history and experience include?"
Diego returned his attention to Milk so she didn't see the smile on his face.
This was what he wanted. All he needed was a shot, an opportunity, and TJ was giving that to him.
"I grew up on a ranch," Diego said, starting from the beginning since he was speaking to the one person that might understand. "La mia famiglia owns a horse ranch, one that has been in the famiglia for more generations than I can remember at the moment, but because of my passion I lost mio padre's approval and the right to one-day call Centro Ippico della Berardenga mine."
TJ's eyes widened and the brush in her hand stopped in mid-stroke. "The Centro Ippico della Berardenga?" she asked, her mind spinning in a million directions at once.
There was no way.
It wasn't possible.
TJ looked from Diego to Dantae; the horse was looking at her, as if he was proof enough that his rider spoke the truth.
Diego sighed, shaking his head. "Yes, the Centro Ippico della Berardenga. La mia famiglia does not understand that I want more from our ranch. I wanted us to take a more proactive role in therapeutic riding," he explained, his accent flaring heavily, the way it does when he's struggling to express himself. "There was not money in it according to mio padre so it was not something that was up for discussion. When I was sixteen, I went to the University and started working on my medical degree-"
"Wait, you're a doctor?" TJ interrupted.
It couldn't get any worse if she tried. An heir to one of the oldest and most reputable stables and breeders in Europe, possibly the world, and a doctor and cowboy?!
"It is complicated," he said.
"Ain't you like eighteen?" she blurted out.
Diego chuckled. "Thirty-three, but thank you for the compliment. Once my required schooling was completed I left the hospital after one internship, not bothering to do the rest which would have earned me my PhD. Medicine was not as fulfilling as I hoped it was going to be, mainly I wanted the knowledge and medical background so I could follow my true passion."
"Which is?" TJ whispered, unable to take her eyes off him.
"While in school I split my time between my studies and running an equine assisted psychotherapy program and therapeutic riding stable in Sardinia," he said softly, and her eyes widened. "Once funding for those programs were… Reallocated," he said in a clipped tone, pausing to compose himself, "I went west."
That was completely unexpected.
TJ didn't know what to say.
If she were to be honest with herself, Diego Esposito was exactly what she'd want in a man… A Ranch Manager. A cowboy that was a doctor, passionate about helping others, and was nice to look at was what any cowgirl would want, so of course it made her suspicious.
Once Milk was put away in his stall and Diego fed him, and making sure all of the horses in the stables were fed and ready for the night, he returned to TJ, Dantae and Whisper.
"Your ranch… Never have I seen stalls so beautiful," he said, leaning against the doorway to the neighboring stall and caressed Dantae's neck, his attention on his horse. "But what makes them beautiful is not the wood they are made from or the impressive bracing systems, heavy-duty hardware or the expansiveness of them. What makes them the most beautiful stalls I have ever seen are all of the little things that you have done for your horses. The fencing on the stalls of the bambino problematico are treated with a heavy-duty powder-coat finish that is an expensive extra step to ensure that if the horse rubs up against the metal, which the standard coating rubs off quickly, it will not snag their hair or coat or hurt them. The music and ambient lighting, not to mention the skylights, are all a means to keep the horses at ease and to keep them from feeling lonely. Fresh water setups with trickling water that mimics a sound of a natural flowing creek... Never have I seen anything so beautiful, but it is the meaning and intent behind each and every thing that makes this beyond words."
TJ nodded, slightly impressed that he deduced the importance of each thing as quickly as he had, but it made her even more suspicious. "So my lovely, overly expensive and a massive waste of money setup has impressed you," she said indifferently.
Diego shook his head. "It is not a waste of money... Those are your brothers' words and thoughts," he surmised. "The syncing of your harras cycles is proof that it was not a waste of money. That is why it only took a decade to achieve what took my family nearly two centuries to do."
TJ blushed; that was the greatest compliment anyone had ever given her.
"I will beg, if I have to," Diego said, escorting Dantae to the open stall next to Whisper, "for the opportunity to work at Whispering Creek. The obvious love and heart which is the very essence and breath of Whispering Creek has enamored me and prompts me to fight for the job I have searched my entire life for. It would give my life a sense of purpose when I have none. Working with children with medical conditions, disabilities that will limit their lives, has always been something I have longed to do. That longing and passion to help others cost me my birthright," he said the latter so softly that it caused tears to flood TJ's eyes.
Never had TJ met someone that was as passionate about equine assisted therapy as she was. Not even the director of the Helping Hooves Northwest foundation she worked with was as passionate as the pleading man in front of her was. Each word that left Diego's lips was passionate and filled with more emotion and truth than she'd ever heard from a man before. There was a feeling in her gut that she knew she couldn't afford to ignore, but it was a different kind of warning, one that she knew she had to ignore at all costs, even if it broke her heart in the long run.
When TJ was barley a teenager, she saw something on the television and it moved her to want to try equine-assisted therapy at Whispering Creek. Since TJ had never asked for anything before, Trace agreed to give it a try. After the first few months at the summer camp TJ went to in order to learn more about the programs and benefits, she was even more determined to start something at Whispering Creek. Trace was moved by his little girl's determination and agreed to help her start a program as long as his daughter wanted to head it.
Equine-assisted therapy programs aren't cheap to setup, let alone maintain. The special saddles are extremely expensive, the horses require specialized training and had to have a naturally subdued temperament which can be hard to find in strong, powerful creatures like horses. On top of that, there were alterations to the stalls, riding stable, lodge and the property to make it family and handicap friendly. Not to mention, the specialized medical training that the ranch hands and TJ had to go through; in a single year, TJ will put in over one-thousand hours of specialized medical training in order to maintain their licenses.
None of it was cheap, and to maintain it cost even more than the initial setup. It was costly, her brothers raised a ruckus about it, but Trace was moved by his daughter's selflessness and her longing to help those that needed it; never had any of his sons thought of anyone but themselves. So to keep the peace, TJ offered her shares of the family ranch to cover the costs. Trace simply shook his head and kissed his daughter on the top of the head and signed the check to cover the expenses.
Ten years later, the program was one of the best in the country and maintained by private donations and fundraisers. None of the three-hundred-plus riders that visit Whispering Creek a year pays for the services or the boarding. Most are families that are barely making ends meet as is because of staggering medical bills and travel costs for treatments. Some are wards of the State that were dumped in Foster care simply because the parent didn't want to deal with a child with a disability or handicap.
Her brothers warned TJ that the stress of the ranch and therapy programs would put her in an early grave, and since the accident didn't, the stress most likely will…
That, she couldn't allow to happen.


text:
We arrived in Ahmedabad at 3am this morning. After 2 days of luxury mall shopping, skiing and dining in Dubai, India is a shocking contrast.
Dubai at sunset
Dubai Marina and The Palm
I wish there had been a way to avoid American food in Dubai, but everything is quite western there. They have everything the same - even the most current movies in theater, and tv shows like The Daily Show are only a week delay. It's kind of like going to Vegas.
Street shots, Ahmedabad
Here in India, I'm more welcoming of some American experiences. But unlike the exact replicas in the U.A.E., Indian versions add local flavor.
McD's Indian menu
My in-law family and I were super excited to try McDonalds over here. There's such a huge vegetarian population over here, especially where we are now in Gujarat. Most of the menu is vegetarian and really interesting - they even keep meat and veg separate. You won't find any hamburgers here made from sacred cows - the McVeggie is the basic order.
Separate veg and non-veg won't ever meet by mistake
3 out of 4 of us had the awesome crispy McSpicy Paneer sandwich and my sister-in-law got McAloo Tikki sandwich. The paneer was crunchy and deep fried like chicken and covered in lettuce and melted American cheese on a bun - it was pretty fantastic and I would choose it any day over a McChicken. The aloo was good too - reminds me of a grilled sandwich my mother-in-law makes filled with potato and spices. The fries were exactly like home.
I haven't been excited about McDonalds since I was a kid - before I knew anything about nutrition. I haven't eaten from there in at least 10 years because I get sick every time (even from a shake). But not this time - everything was great, including walking into the glorious air conditioning from 104 degrees outside.
In India. McDonalds is not cheap fast food for the budget conscious, it's actually a coveted treat for the affluent.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Ahmedabad, India


text:
December 2, 2009
Staring intently from the cover of the November Atlantic magazine is John Fetterman, the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Fetterman is one of The Atlantic's "27 Brave Thinkers Who are Shaping the Future."
"Why 27?" the introduction to the article asks, "Because after months of research, tabulation, and debate about hundreds of candidates, that's how many we could agree on."
Fair enough. This is an idiosyncratic list put together by the editors of one particular magazine—people whose ways of thinking probably have a great deal in common with one another. But that doesn't make the list any less noteworthy or any less revealing.
Some of the individuals named really are doing amazing things. Fetterman is a prime example.
Braddock, an old steel town, has lost 90% of its population and, according to The Atlantic, is "riddled with crime and violence."
Fetterman, a young and heavily tattooed giant with a public-policy degree from Harvard and a mountain of ambition, wants to save the city by luring artists and small businesses with loft apartments, cheap rent, and other inducements. He imagines Braddock—only a few miles from Pittsburgh—as a community for creative types and eco-friendly businesses, filled with public gardens and culture centers.
We should pray that he succeeds and that Braddock serves as a model for other depressed cities. Fetterman's ideas can, in fact, have a great impact on the future for the good.
Other choices are more dubious. Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal is cited for moving Jay Leno from late night (11PM Eastern) to prime time (10PM Eastern). "[I]f cheap and easily produced fare like Leno's works in prime time, it could completely change the dynamics of network television." That's nice I suppose, but is something a good deal less than meaningful future-shaping.
President Barack Obama is cited as changing the future in "Business and Economics" for nationalizing our auto industry. There is something a bit frightening about someone with no business or corporate experience changing the future of business and economics in America by nationalizing industry.
It brings to mind former liberal senator and Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern. Upon retiring from politics, McGovern opened a bed and breakfast that subsequently went bankrupt. Afterwards he reflected:
I wish that during the years I was in public office I had this firsthand experience about the difficulties business people face every day. That knowledge would have made me a better Senator and a more understanding presidential contender... To create job opportunities, we need entrepreneurs who will risk their capital against an expected payoff. Too often, however, public policy does not consider whether we are choking off those opportunities.
The far-Left senator started talking the language of the free-market. Now that's thinking that could change the future of business and economics for the good.
The Atlantic list also includes perennial presidential candidate Ralph Nader, Apple's Steve Jobs, Facebook founder Mark Zucherberg, and Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park.
While the individual "brave new thinkers" are a fascinating study, what struck me as far more important were the categories the Atlantic editors used to classify the thinkers. The twenty-seven were divided into seven buckets: Business and Economics (6), International Relations (4), Health and Medicine (2), Science and Technology (4), Media (7), Society (2), and Politics (2).
While the article does not say that this is an exhaustive list, the lack of any comment on the categories implies that these are the areas of human endeavor that really count in shaping the future. The trouble is, although each of the seven categories has a significant impact, there is much more to the future of humanity than can be accounted for by these seven fields.
What happened to education? Why are there seven individuals in "Media," but no mention of the arts? Craig Watkins, Dallas's district attorney, is listed under "Society," but really he's changing the face of law and justice, a category that is also missing.
Above all, religion is not one of the Atlantic's categories of "brave new thinkers" and no one listed could be construed as a religious thinker in the wrong category. Why is that?
There are three possible reasons.
First, the selection committee may agree with new atheist Christopher Hitchens that "religion poisons everything." Wanting to build rather than poison the future, they left religious thinkers out. This is possible, but somehow I doubt it. A second and related possibility is much more likely.
The group may believe that religion is an unimportant field that does little or nothing to drive the future. As sociologist Christian Smith of Notre Dame told a recent Heritage Foundation conference, religion for young adults is, for the most part, a matter of indifference. Beliefs are cognitive assents, not life drivers. That is, religious ideas are happy thoughts, not the material for building a comprehensive worldview complete with aesthetics, life purpose, and morality.
Much of today's thinking about religion was summed up by singer/songwriter James Taylor in "Sweet Baby James":
There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway
A song that they sing when they take to the sea
A song that they sing of their home in the sky
Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep
But singing works just fine for me.
Religion is a nice thing, if it happens to be your thing, but it certainly is not a driving force in shaping the future.
This may also be related to a third possible reason religion was excluded from The Atlantic list: perhaps there are no religious thinkers (and here my concern is orthodox Christian thinkers) who deserve to be on such a list.
On the one hand, I can't believe that is true. On the other hand, no one immediately jumps to mind. I can think of Christians who are known for their work in other fields who should have been and maybe were considered. What I can't think of are brave new thinkers about religion on the level of Augustine, Francis, Aquinas, John Calvin, John Wesley, Reinhold Niebuhr, or John Paul II. These were religious thinkers who shaped the future in profound ways. Who fills their shoes today?
If the answer is, no one, then it is safe to say that while religion may be more than a personal security blanket, it's not generating the ideas that are generating the energy to shape the future. And if that is true, it is small wonder we are living in the midst of a cultural crisis in the West.
As Catholic theologian George Rutler wrote in A Crisis of Saints: The Call to Heroic Faith in an Unheroic World, "It cannot be said enough: any crisis in culture is a crisis of saints, and no reform is radical enough unless it is a redemption from sin."
I am fifty-five years old. I have another fifteen to twenty good years—maybe more—to serve the cause of the Kingdom of God in this world, to shape the future in some way for the good. Whether or not the editors at The Atlantic notice my contribution is of no real consequence, but making a contribution is of enormous consequence (See Matthew 25:24-30).
As Hugh Welchel of Reformed Theological Seminary never tires of saying, "Salvation is not a bus ticket to heaven and our job is not to hang out at the bus stop."
The list of "27 brave new thinkers who are shaping the future" sans religious thinkers comes as a challenge. John Fetterman seems to stare from The Atlantic cover asking, "What about you?"
The Institute on Religion & Democracy is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform our churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad. IRD depends on support from people like you. Click here to learn how you can help support IRD's mission.