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'A dream come true'
Roughly 13 years ago, when his daughter Elise was born, cross-country skiing enthusiast Paul Lohmann wondered if they would ever race the Birkebeiner together.
This year, it finally happened.
Lohmann skied his 29th consecutive 50-kilometer American Birkebeiner skate race in Hayward, Wis., at the end of February. However, this year stood out from all others, because his daughter Elise, now 13, was skiing alongside him.
"I think it was really a dream come true for both of us to stand together at the starting line of that big race," Paul Lohmann said. "I think every parent has kind of a hidden dream that their children will maybe have some of the same passions that they have. One of my passions is cross country skiing and it was definitely fun to have Elise right there."
The American Birkebeiner, also known as the Birkie, is the largest cross-country ski race in North America and part of the Worldloppet circuit of 15 international ski marathons held in Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, France, Estonia, Germany, Austria, Finland, Italy, Canada, Australia, Czech Republic, Poland and the United States.
The American Birkebeiner was launched in 1973 as a small race calling on skiers to challenge themselves against the Wisconsin north woods. Now, skiers from approximately 48 states and 21 countries gather every February to celebrate and ski the race, which has become the most revered tradition in the cross-country ski world.
After skiing in the children's Barnebirkie race 11 times in the past, this year, Elise, who attends Math and Science Academy in Woodbury, was finally old enough to compete in her first Kortelopet 23-kilometer race and the father and daughter were able to ski the first 9 kilometers together. Skiers must be 13 years old to do the 23-kilometer Kortelopet, or "Kortie," and 18 do the full 50K Birkebeiner.
"The trails are together for the first nine kilometers," Paul Lohmann said. "After 9 kilometers, the shorter race starts circling back to the starting line and the Birkebeiner continues down into Hayward. Even though they're two different races, they're really skied together and you see Birkebeiner and Kortelopet skiers side-by-side."
Instead of starting in his assigned Wave 3, Paul waited for Elise in her assigned Wave 9 so they could ski the first 9K together until the Birkie and the Kortie trails split.
Elise finished the 23-kilometer race in 1 hour, 50 minutes, coming in 255th out of 557 female skaters of all ages. Paul had a time of 3 hours, 54 minutes in the 50-kilometer race. Despite the snowy, cold day -- the second coldest Birkie on record with single-digit temps -- Paul Lohmann said it was a wonderful experience.
"It was something I had thought about for a long time and to actually have it happen and for it to be a big success for Elise was just wonderful," Paul Lohmann said.
Elise Lohmann said she'd remember it for the rest of her life.
"It was really fun," she said. "We've done some fun races, but this was the first big race I got to ski with him."
Paul Lohmann started skiing long before his daughter was born. Every year since Elise was born, she's been going to Hayward with her dad. The Lohmanns have videos of her skiing down the streets of Hayward when she was 3 years old.
"It just grew from there and was something she looked forward to doing every year," Paul Lohmann said. "About three or four years ago she got her first pair of skating skis so she could go a little bit faster and she started to wonder if she could do the big race."
During the race, at about the 7-kilometer mark, one of the skiers in front of the Lohmanns fell, but Paul said Elise managed it well, which gave him more confidence that she could handle it.
"She had prepared for it," Paul Lohmann said. "I think she was a little nervous about it. It's a big adventure and a very challenging course. I was confident that she could do it, but you never know for sure until you actually do it. Even though I've done it many times I never take it for granted. There are a lot of things that can happen out there. But, she actually skied faster after she left me. We were laughing that dad was holding her up for the first part of the race."
Over two hours after the father and daughter split up, Paul headed toward the finish line, where he spotted his family.
"When I skied up main street toward the finish line I saw mom and Elise standing on the side of the road and Elise held up her medal showing me that she had finished the Kortelopet -- I was just thrilled to see that," Paul Lohmann said. "They greeted me at the finish line and we had a big hug together."
Days after the race, Paul wondered if Elise would want to do it again. However, his hopes were confirmed when he saw a white board in Elise's bedroom counting down the days to next year's Kortie.
"I think she felt awfully good about skiing 23 kilometers," Paul Lohmann said. "I have to say that I really admired her for that. She's a great skier and it was just a wonderful day. I think the best part of it for me was that she truly enjoyed it and wanted to do it again."
In five years, Elise will be 18 and will have the opportunity to ski in the 50K Birkie. Paul said he hopes they get a chance to race it together.
"Dad is going to be getting up there," Paul Lohmann said. "By then, I don't think there's any question she'll be a stronger, faster skier than I'll be if she stays with it. So, the question will be whether or not she wants to wait for dad. Hopefully, I'll still be able to do it by then. I know I'd like to. I think both of us have it in the back of our minds."


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fermentaliciousMonday, May 26th, 2014
Recipe: kimchi
Summer is taking her sweet time getting to the Colorado high country, and I'm fine with that. I got my first sunburn of the season over the weekend on a long trail run. The good news is that I was testing a new sunblock which worked really well, wasn't sticky, greasy, or yucky. The bad news is that I forgot to apply sunblock to the back of my neck. But the other good news is that this tells me how well the sunblock works! I suppose every season requires some new manner of getting dialed in, but the transition from spring to summer is really quite delightful.
unsettled weather at sunset
dramatic colors
cooling off in the snow after a long climb
lunch with my ski betties at pizzeria locale
When I met up with Erin and Nichole last week for lunch, I brought each of them a big slice of tiramisu because we had too much in the house. Erin questioned the validity of the phrase "have too much tiramisu in the house", but happily did her part to alleviate our refrigerator of its burden. I also brought a jar of kimchi for Nichole, knowing that she loves the stuff as much as I do. I had offered some to Erin, but she politely declined. You either love it or you don't love it. It falls into that category of foods that smell terrible and taste fantastic. I'll tell you who doesn't love it – Jeremy. He walked into the great room after I had opened the jars to check on their fermentation progress and he grimaced, "Ew!! Kaweah, did you?!"
start with napa cabbage and salt
quarter the heads
cut into bite-size pieces
place in cold water and cover with salt
**Jump for more butter**

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Code: TP-20
Consequences of Reason: Philosophical Roots of Dehumanization and a
Pragmatic Response
Western philosophy has long been a tool of human liberation. From the potential goodness of human nature voiced by Aristotle, to the autonomy of the rational agent of Kant, to the celebration of human dignity by the 20th century American and European philosophers, the Western tradition has embraced the human ability to thrive and progress. However, there is another side to our philosophies--one that often rejects rather than accepts certain elements of human existence.
The claim that Western philosophy has been a source of discrimination against various groups would come as no surprise to many contemporary thinkers. Feminists, postmodernists, pragmatists, and critical race theorists have long argued that much of our tradition excludes women and people of non-European-descended races and nationalities. One group that falls prey to philosophically grounded discrimination, perhaps even more so than others, has received less attention. This group is people with mental retardation.
In this essay, I will discuss philosophical moral theory from the point of view of people with developmental disabilities. Specifically, I will explore the idea that the focus of ethics (both historical and contemporary) on rationality as the main necessary requirement of moral agency has contributed to the widespread dehumanization of people who are seen to lack this ability. While many psychologists, sociologists, and philosophers have written about discrimination against people with mental retardation, few have critically discussed our philosophical traditions of rationality as accomplices to dehumanization. Finally, I will offer a pragmatic alternative to historical and contemporary moral theory that relates moral engagement not to reason alone, but to relationships, growth, education, emotion, and the habituated ability to care for others. This view of moral engagement not only redescribes morality as more inclusive (and probably accurate), but could serve to improve our understanding (as philosophers, citizens, family members, and friends) of people whose dignity our traditions have long denied.
I. Consequences of Reason
In his book, Inventing the Feeble Mind, James Trent presents a history of institutions for the retarded that includes horrible accounts of prison-like conditions, complete with chains, cells, and abuse. [1] Such accounts permeate the recent history of our culture. In their tour of American mental retardation institutions in the late sixties, Burton Blatt and Fred Kaplin reported that people, most of whom were capable of learning, growing, and having qualitative life experience and relationships, were forced to live in dire circumstances. They write:
Several things strike the visitor to most institutions for the mentally retarded upon his arrival. Often there are fences. Sometimes with barbed wire. Frequently the buildings impress him with their massiveness and impenetrability. We have observed bars on windows and locks--many locks--on inside as well as outside doors.@ [2]
Blatt and Kaplin also reported about and photographed places where Ainmates@ were kept naked, sterilized, shackled, and in solitary confinement. All were placed by relatives and communities who sought to protect them. Clifford Drew, Donald Logan, and Michael Hardman report that as recently as 1983, 15 states had statutes authorizing compulsory sterilization of people with mental retardation or mental illness. [3]
Though Trent reports that conditions have improved in recent years, people with mental retardation still battle discrimination and dehumanization, especially as they move from institutions to community homes in neighborhoods. As philosophers, we might ask how much our theories in ethics have contributed to this dehumanization.
II. Philosophical Roots of Dehumanization
It is not difficult to find examples of discrimination based on reason in Western philosophy. Aristotle famously proclaims in his Politics "As to the exposure and rearing of children, let there be a law that no deformed child shall live." [4] Since this follows Aristotle's admonition against pregnant women exercising intellectually (lest they harm their unborn children), we might assume that Aristotle was particularly worried about the rational, as well as the physical, form of children. Rationality, after all, is the facilitator of practical reason and the controller of proper emotion. In Book X of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle presents a view of eudaimonia that has intelligence at its core, since this is what brings humans closer to the divine. Though, as philosophers, we might agree on the merits of a contemplative life, Aristotle's claim that human goodness is tied to "theoretical wisdom" contributes to a chain of being that has rationality closest to the divine--a worldview that has heavily influenced Western thought. [5] Perhaps even the word "retarded," today often replaced by the phrase "developmental disabilities," carries with it an Aristotelian teleology--rationality is the norm of completeness and to be retarded is to be held back from this norm.
The connection between goodness, godliness, and rationality made its way into historical religious beliefs, as well. In reconstructing this historical legacy, Wolf Wolfensberger reports that Martin Luther was a prime culprit in the mistreatment of those who are less able to express traditional human reason. [6] Luther met and Agrappled@ with a boy of twelve with mental retardation who Ahad use of all his senses,@ but who Adrooled@ and Ascreamed.@ Luther=s response was this:
So I said to the Prince of Anhalt: >if I were the Prince, I should take this child to the Moldau River which flows near Dessau and drown him.= But the Prince of Anhalt and the Prince of Saxony, who happened to be present, refused to follow my advice. Thereupon I said: >Well, then the Christians shall order the Lord=s Prayer to be said in church and pray that the dear Lord take the Devil away.= [7]
Wolfensberger claims that Luther=s recommendation was based on the assumption that a Achangeling,@ lacking in God-given reason, had no soul. AFor it is the Devil=s power,@ Luther asserted, Athat he corrupts people who have reason and souls when he possesses them. The Devil sits in such changelings where their soul should have been!@ [8] This child, for Luther, was not even human, for humanity (ensoulment) must be expressed through rationality. This child was, as Luther suggested, evil--a "menace."
Though Immanuel Kant attempted to move away from religion in developing his moral philosophy, he offers perhaps the quintessential example of rational agency equaling moral goodness. Second only to a good will, and, in fact, essential to a good will, is reason. Without reason, in Kant's view, one is incapable of acting morally--that is, to contribute to a good will as an end in itself. In fact, the rational nature of (most) humans, for Kant, guarantees universality and thus, becomes the actual end we ought to protect. In Kant's practical imperative (to treat all of humanity as an end in itself), one might wonder whether "humanity" actually includes all humans, or only those capable of the logic of the categorical imperative. Furthermore, Kant is clear that the good will comes only from reason, and not from emotion:
...there are many persons who are so sympathetically constituted that, without any further motive of vanity or self-interest, they find an inner pleasure in spreading joy around them and can rejoice in the satisfaction of others as their own work. But I maintain that in such a case an action of this kind, however dutiful and amiable it may be, has nevertheless no true moral worth. [9]
Moral worth comes from the cultivation of a good will through universal human rationality. While Kant most clearly presents the case for making rationality a necessary condition for morality, this view can be found in most major moral philosophies. John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism, for example, also requires abstract reasoning for the calculation of the good when weighing alternative actions.
As much as we might like to distance ourselves in the 21st century from the likes of Kant and Mill, this reliance on reason as the foundation of moral agency still directs much of our moral philosophy. John Rawls co-opts a Kantian view of human rationality in describing a moral agent who must think in terms of the impartiality of his or her actions. While the veil of ignorance might protect a person with mental retardation, the logical process involved in Rawls' system denies many people moral agency. Likewise, Alan Donagan writes, "The theory of morality is a theory of a system of laws or precepts, binding upon rational creatures as such, the content of which is ascertainable by human reason." [10]
This is not to say that philosophers are not cognizant of the dehumanization of people with developmental disabilities (at least by the legal and social traditions of contemporary society, if not their own theories). Bernard Gert uses his rationality-based theory of ethics to discuss the wrongness, in most cases, of aversive behavioral techniques for clinicians working with people with mental retardation. However, Gert and his coauthors George Singer and Robert L. Koegel are clear that these people are "moral patients," who, like children, are worthy of our protection, but not themselves capable of moral deliberation. Gert, Singer, and Koegel suggest that while people with mental retardation ought to be protected by unethical treatment, moral agency requires a higher level of understanding that might exclude children and "those adult human beings who may lack the intellectual or volitional capacity to be moral agents." [11] At best, we must teach people to "behave consistent with the moral rules," [12] without understanding. Because they lack a certain level of rationality (narrowly defined), people with developmental disabilities simply are not moral agents. This is certainly not the paranoia of Luther, since people with mental retardation are worthy of moral protection, but they are still not included as full members of a moral community.
III. A Pragmatic Response
In criticizing the history of moral philosophy, I am not suggesting that Kant's theory or Rawls' theory are inadequate simply because people with mental retardation are not seen as capable of practicing the categorical imperative or the veil of ignorance. On the contrary, I am asserting that these theories, which claim some kind of universality, do not adequately account for the whole of human experience.
Perhaps part of the problem here is the idea of moral agency, itself. Static and based on a fixed set of rational principles, contemporary theories of moral reasoning cannot account for the fact that people with mental retardation can and do often lead morally rich lives in community with others (and, conversely, that many people with high IQ-tested rationality lead morally corrupt lives). A pragmatic description of emotional, "moral engagement" and habituated caring (with contributions from contemporary feminist moral theory, perhaps) offers an alternative view of ethical theory that embraces the diversity of human life and reminds philosophers that we Western logical thinkers are not the only folks who are capable of living well. It also accounts for the fact that, as we shall see, people with developmental disabilities can and do seek moral engagement, self-advocacy, and rich human relationships.
There is a growing interest in psychology in "emotional intelligence" as a moral foundation. In his 1995 book by that name, Daniel Goleman resolves what he terms "Aristotle's challenge" (how to use our emotions intelligently) by focusing not on rationality measured by an IQ test, but on emotional intelligence measured by social prowess. [13] Ronald L. Zigler suggests that while Goleman's theory is important, it was anticipated much earlier in the century by John Dewey (and, I will add, George Herbert Mead and Jane Addams). The pragmatists' focus on situational and relational moral deliberation, the development of character within social environments, and the importance of social caring to one's character, one's relationship with others, and one's social environment, describes a moral theory that embraces, rather than excludes, the rich emotional lives of people embedded in communities. This pluralism leaves room for (and is contributed to by) the relationships of people with diverse kinds of intelligences.
That what many ethicists call the moral agent is not an isolated, atomic, rational individual who deemphasizes caring (as Kant suggests) to promote well-reasoned actions can be seen in the work of Mead in his conception of the social self. In this theory, Mead accounts for both the activity and the evolution of individuals through an elaborate social environment that includes both interactive communication and reflection. As a child grows, she takes her place within a world of interaction where she gradually begins to see herself and her behavior as separate from others. This does not happen as a result of individuals coming together to make up a social group; rather, it happens when individuals emerge out of the social group. Mead writes:
The self is something which has a development; it is not initially there, at birth, but arises in the process of social experience and activity, that is, develops in the given individual as a result of his relations to that process as a whole and to other individuals within that process. [14]
In this theory, moral behavior is a process of growing and learning, and is not a matter of imposed rules, lofty ideals, or the primacy of theory. It is what is practiced from within the social situation. The early feminist-pragmatist Jane Addams writes, ATo attain individual morality in an age demanding social morality, to pride one=s self on the results of personal effort when the time demands social adjustment, is utterly to fail to apprehend the situation.@ [15]
Likewise, Dewey's philosophy emphasizes the social nature of morality. In Aristotelian fashion, Dewey rejects antecedentaly established universal rules and principles, favoring instead a moral philosophy that focuses on the health of habits and character developed within a social environment. In fact, it is Dewey's concept of habit that Zigler claims is the precursor to Goleman's theory of emotional intelligence. [16] In Human Nature and Conduct, Dewey describes habits as the means by which we act--the predisposition toward certain responses that are themselves shaped by other habits. Dewey states:
We may think of habits as means, waiting, like tools in a box to be used by conscious resolve. But they are something more than that. They are active means, means that project themselves, energetic and dominating ways of acting. [17]
As active means, habits take on the most vital importance in a theory of moral conduct. Habits in collection lead to a more general tendency to act according to experience--a continuity of response to various social stimuli that develops into character. Our decisions, as well as our character, depend on our experience in a variety of such social situations. Further, habits and character are shaped by both emotion and intelligence. We deliberate about possibilities for action and possibilities for our own moral character, yet the reason for this deliberation is emotional. Dewey writes:
There must not only be force to ensure effort in execution against obstacles, but there must also be a delicate personal responsiveness,--there must be an emotional reaction. Indeed, unless there is a prompt and almost instinctive sensitiveness to conditions, to the ends and interest of others, the intellectual side of judgment will not have proper material to work upon. Just as the material of knowledge is supplied through the senses, so the material of ethical knowledge is supplied by emotional responsiveness. [18]
Morality is a matter, for Dewey, of flexible habits resulting from emotional (or, as Mead would say, empathetic) engagement with others. These habits are not innate, not native, as Aristotle would agree, but are a matter of social interaction and human relationships. They are learned as we emerge from the social environment as individuals. If Kant's "good will" is steeped in reason, Dewey's good will, as habit, is steeped in emotion.
As social artifacts, we might say that moral habits--or will-- have as their ideal strengthening the moral fabric from which they emerge. Here, it might be helpful to turn to feminist thinking in order to reconceptualize moral ideals in terms of relationships and habits of caring, rather than principles. The pragmatist emphasis on the individual as social coheres with Nel Noddings= description of the ethics of care as it emerges out of a web of relationships. Rather than desiring or attempting to see moral life through a lens of abstract rules, Noddings= Aone-caring@ becomes moral through her interactions with those about whom she already cares. She then expands this feeling into an ethical commitment to others to whom she is not yet related. [19] Put into more pragmatic terms, moral theories based on habituated caring seek to strengthen the social fabric as they improve individual living because they acknowledge that the growth and well-being of the individual ultimately rests in her relationship to others. In her more recent work in pragmatism and feminism, Shannon Sullivan writes about the transactional nature of social experience. She writes, "Thinking of bodies as transactional means thinking of bodies and their environments in a permeable, dynamic relationship in which culture does not just effect bodies, but bodies also effect culture." [20]
If pragmatist and feminist moral theories grounded in sociality, rather than rationality, are adequate in describing how we actually tend to become morally engaged when faced with problematic situations, then morality is a matter of our emotional responses to others, growth, learning, socialization, and care for the relationships we have (or will have). While Kant's categorical imperative or Rawls' veil of ignorance might illuminate certain philosophical or political interests we may have, engaging with others in a generally caring and committed fashion involves less reason and more habituated moral intelligence based on the memory or presence of good relationships. This understanding of morality recognizes the diversity of human intelligences and interactions by letting more and different voices into the conversation and allows moral theory itself to grow and evolve. While reason is innate (and therefore fixed), emotionally engaged habituated caring is a result of social interaction. It can therefore be educated. If our moral theory is based on innate Kantian-style reason, however, then people with developmental disabilities may only, as Gert suggests, be entitled to learning someone else's rules.
From the perspective of people with developmental disabilities whom our societies have tended to alienate, fear, and lock up, a qualitative understanding of morality as a result of healthy and caring relationships allows us to relinquish our reliance on narrowly defined moral agency and frees us to examine more carefully the relationships we have with others. Specifically, we must ask ourselves whether our understanding of moral agency keeps us from including people with developmental disabilities (moral patients, our philosophy might say) when we make moral decisions that are relevant to them. A commitment to pluralism can be seen in the self-advocacy movement among people with developmental disabilities. Groups such as "People First" and S.A.B.E. (Self Advocates Becoming Empowered) work toward goals such as equality, having the chance to speak up, having the ability to make new friendships and renew old friendships, having the ability to learn from mistakes, to work, and to make decisions for themselves. [21] This trend targets the paternalistic idea that people with mental retardation are worthy of moral protection, but not capable of moral agency and autonomy.
Finally, thinking about morality pluralistically, rather than exclusively, not only expands our view of moral engagement, but also asks us to reconsider the way we understand ourselves and our philosophies. As Trent says in Inventing the Feeble Mind, understanding people with developmental disabilities has relevance for what he calls the "mentally accelerated" as well. Perhaps we ought to explore whether the theories that have historically been liberating to some are actually dehumanizing to others. At the very least, people who we have assumed to be Amenaces@ simply because they lack what our philosophical and religious heritage claims is essential for humanity, might be seen instead as potential friends, valuable family members, and growing human beings. In light of all the evidence that suggests the truth of this possibility, if we choose to maintain beliefs about the general moral inability of people with mental retardation, perhaps it is our philosophy that is menacing.
1. James Trent, Jr, Inventing the Feeble Mind: A History of Mental Retardation in the United States (University of California Press, 1995).
[2] . Burton Blatt and Fred Kaplan, Christmas in Purgatory (Allyn and Bacon, Boston, 1966), p. v.
[3] . Clifford Drew, Donald Logan, Michael Hardman, Mental Retardation: A Life Cycle Approach (Merrill Publishing Company, 1988), p. 480.
[6] . Wolf Wolfensberger, "The Origin and Nature of Our Institutional Models," in Changing Patterns in Residential Services for the Mentally Retarded, edited by Robert B. Kugel and Wolf Wolfensberger (President's Committee on Mental Retardation, Washington, D.C., 1969).
7. Martin Luther, Luther's Works, vol. 54, item 5207 (Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1967), p. 396, quoted in Wolfensberger, p. 71.
[8] . Ibid., p. 71.
9. Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (1785) in Immanuel Kant: Ethical Philosophy, translated by James W. Ellington (Hackett Publishing Company, 1983), p. 11.
11. George Singer, Bernard Gert, and Robert Koegel, "A Moral Framework for analysis of the Controversy Over Aversive Behavioral Interventions for People with Severe Mental Retardation." Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, vol. 1, no. 2, Spring 1999, p. 92.
12. Ibid., p. 92.
13. Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (Bantam Books, 1995).
14. George Herbert Mead, Mind, Self and Society: from the Standpoint of a Social Behaviorist, edited by Charles W. Morris, (The University of Chicago Press, 1934), p. 135.
[15] . Jane Addams, Democracy and Social Ethics (The Macmillan Company, 1907), p. 2-3.
16. Ronald L. Zigler, "The Four Domains of Moral Education: The Contributions of Dewey, Alexander and Goleman to a Comprehensive Taxomony." Journal of Moral Education, vol. 27, no. 1, March 98.
[17] . John Dewey, Human Nature and Conduct (1922), Jo Ann Boydston, ed. (Southern Illinois University Press, 1988), p. 23.
18. John Dewey, Moral Principles in Education (1907), Jo Ann Boydston, ed. (Southern Illinois University Press, 1975), p. 52.
[19] . Nel Noddings, Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education (University of California Press, 1984).


text: On Mon, Aug 07, 2000 at 06:45:36AM +0530, Ajay Shah wrote: > I'm looking for a computer which comes with Debian pre-loaded. > > I hunted on your website but I couldn't find the names of computer > vendors who give me this choice. > > Is this something that you could put into your website? > Try http://www.debian.org/distrib/pre-installed I thought this was linked from the main page. Any other Debian webmasters know what the deal is with this page? -- James (Jay) Treacy email@example.com


text: Quote ESPN: A 34-year-old Chicago man has been charged in connection with the death of Willie B. Posey, the longtime friend and bodyguard of Chicago Bears defensive tackle Terry "Tank" Johnson. OK, I don't get it....Is Tank a ganster ? I know he recently had a run in with the law over unregistered guns. Are there red flags out-the-a** going up with Bears management ? Is he a lot more famous than I realize. I don't get it. Can some one please shed some light on this entire situation?


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Sheringham show is spot-on with fans
It was the Ted and Tim show on a rain-swept pitch as Discovery Bay defeated the Yau Yee League Select veterans 3-0 at the HKFC Citibank International Soccer Sevens last night. But there was no doubt who was the star off the pitch.
The fans who braved the weather clamoured for Teddy Sheringham. They cried for his autograph and the former England striker obliged graciously. The other striker, Hong Kong's Tim Bredbury, was forgotten.
Bredbury smacked in a brace of goals, one provided by his illustrious teammate, but the loudest cheer of the night came when Sheringham buried a penalty to complete a good start for Disco Bay in the Masters competition.
'I enjoyed that. It was a little bit of a blow after being out [on the town] the last couple of nights and it took a little while for the legs to get going,' Sheringham (pictured) said. 'I play on a similar surface with my friends, five-a-side, but we only run 15-20 yards at a time, not 60 or 70. The lungs were not used to it.'
Sheringham, 46, won 51 caps for England. He said he is glad that the national team is now under the charge of Roy Hodgson.
'We have a better chance [in Euro 2012] now than we did with [Fabio] Capello,' Sheringham said. 'That's the good thing. Whether we could win it is a different matter. Hodgson is a better choice than Capello - we were in disarray with him.'
The striker, who will forever be associated with Manchester United's treble in 1999, was sad that the English Premier League title had slipped from the team's grasp last weekend.
'Yes, I'm a little bit disappointed, but what goes around comes around,' he said. 'We won in the last two minutes against Bayern Munich [in the '99 European Cup final] and lost in the last two minutes against Manchester City.'
He has been in Hong Kong with England and United, but this visit was prompted by former Tottenham teammate David Howells, who urged him to join his Discovery Bay side. Sheringham promised his best this weekend.
'No one wants to be embarrassed,' he joked. 'You want to show people you've still got a little bit of talent.'
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VIDEO: Sandra Bullock Advises Graduates 'Don't Pick Your Nose'
Actress Sandra Bullock served as the graduation speaker for Warren Easton Charter High School in New Orleans on Monday and offered some surprising advice for the senior class.
"Eat something green every day," she offered, noting that the advice she was giving them also applied to her 4-year-old son, Louis. "Do not pick your nose in public. ... How about we just go get a tissue? ... When someone who cares about you hugs you, hug them back with two arms. ... If someone doesn't want to play with you, it's OK. ... Not everybody is going to love us."
Check out the speech below!
Bullock rose to fame in the 1990s with roles in films such as Demolition Man (1993), Speed (1994), The Net (1995), While You Were Sleeping (1995), A Time to Kill (1996), and Hope Floats (1998). In the new millennium, Bullock starred in Miss Congeniality (2000), Two Weeks Notice (2002), The Lake House (2006), and the critically acclaimedCrash (2004) and Gravity (2013).
In 2009, Bullock starred in two of the more financially successful films of her career, The Proposal and The Blind Side. Bullock was awarded the BFCA Award, SAG Award, Golden Globe Award, and the Academy Award for her leading role as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side.
In 2013, she starred in The Heat, financially the most successful comedy of the year at the domestic box office, and Gravity, which was released on October 4, 2013 to coincide with the beginning of World Space Week. As one of the highest grossing films of the year, Gravity is Bullock's most successful film critically and commercially. For her role as Dr. Ryan Stone in Gravity, Bullock was nominated a second time for the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with the BFCA, Golden Globe and SAG awards and also received her first BAFTA nomination.
Source: Today.com


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Under a bridge, I found these guys banging away. jonathan prue Jul 13, 2011 122 views
Views of a few of Portland's favorite Downtown Fountains Lorri E. Jul 9, 2011 38 views
Scootercam, ride over the Broadway Bridge in Portland, Oregon Lorri E. Jul 9, 2011 20 views
Shawn went to portland to get it tuned The Paulsons Jun 6, 2011 17 views
Nice bike/hike trail between Hood River and Mosier. http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_155.php Brock Henderson Apr 22, 2011 22 views
Here are the Pop Dolls, a Synth-Pop, Mod-Rock duet from Florida, USA. Pop Dolls is a Post Experimen… Barbie Saint Apr 7, 2011 88 views
A fun song off our "stories never told" CD - written and sung by Tim Crosby. Kathy Boyd & Phoenix Rising Jan 15, 2011 13 views
A Kathy Boyd & Phoenix Rising original love song written by Tim Crosby and performed by Kathy B… Kathy Boyd & Phoenix Rising Jan 15, 2011 12 views
We often have eggs in our meals, especially breakfast. We also know that a chick will hatch from an… Karma Pakshi Nov 20, 2010 61 views
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Random pictures I took recently on a Saturday morning around Portland. Patricia Anne Moomaw Sep 19, 2010 114 views
Music Fest NW Portland Oregon - Pioneer Square - The Decemberists Lorri E. Sep 13, 2010 100 views
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"...what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?" "A Republic, if you can keep it
This is just so funny! Carrot Man has the love of the crowd. This is what we need more of, the spread of the Carrot Man to help Antifa and Snowflakes to begin coping with reality.
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Fire or Suspend! — Donald Trump Doubles Down on NFL National Anthem Protests
LIVEWIRE: Germany Federal Elections 2017 Results
Karl Rove on NFL Protests: Trump Will Be 'Walking Away From This a Loser'
Rand Paul: Graham-Cassidy Health Care Bill 'a Bad Idea'
Graham: Obamacare Is a 'Placeholder' for Single-Payer
Far-right party poised to enter Parliament...
HUMALIATION: Weiner faces sentencing in latest chapter of sexting drama...
Book Tour: Pandas, Chardonnay, and Shaving Habits...
A Counterjihad Security Architecture for America
Obama visits Mosque; Spreads Lies and Skews History
Leftists Are Mean!
'A for EFFORT!' Sean Spicer parody triggers Lefties to FUMBLE with hilarious #TakeTheKnee tweets
Shill MUCH? Alyssa Milano BEGS people who hate sports to watch NFL on #TakeTheKnee
OOPSIE: Ben Rhodes trips EPICALLY over Lois Lerner in rush to paint Trump as a bully president
NAILED IT! Ben Shapiro sums up #TakeTheKnee and Trump in this PERFECT mini-tweetstorm
Impressively BAD: Joy Reid's #TakeTheKnee tweet out-stupids even Colin Kaepernick
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We keep you on the front foot.
The days when a creative agency would design, deliver and then walk away are over.
We nurture long-term relationships with our global clients, ensuring their online presence keeps in step with what they're doing.
Designing online since 1996.
That's 20 years designing, developing and delivering meaningful experiences.
We've worked with some of our clients for almost a decade, giving them online foundations that we can adapt to their changing needs. Working this way provides better value. It means your web site or application isn't set in stone — instead it can evolve in line with your business.
Mobile app design & prototyping.
Creating your own app or raising funds to get one built can be a bewildering process.
We can make your concept a reality, creating prototypes that look and feel like 'real' apps. We do this quickly and step-by-step, working with you on the design, user journeys and animations until they're just right.
Strategic thinking.
With so many channels out there, modern communications have become overwhelming.
Let us take the headache out of it. Some networks will align perfectly with your market; others will be irrelevant. We work with you to establish what you should be posting, and where and when to best engage your audience.
Putting you in control.
Whether you want to send personalised emails to your growing subscriber list, or just keep your website up to date, we can show you how.
Day-to-day you probably want to manage your own online presence - without asking for help. We give you tools to help you do so that are child's play to use. Knowledge is power! And it allows you to work to your own timetable.
Since launching our new brand and website, our online sales have increased over 100%. We're very happy!"Helen Oliver, Finance Director, Jo Downs Handmade Glass
Bellamy Studio have worked on many successful website projects for Creative & Cultural Skills. A pleasure to work with, I would not hesitate in recommending them."Huw Morgan, Head of Digital, Creative & Cultural Skills
Bellamy Studio were fantastic to work with; they delivered so much more than we expected! "Todd Barden, Beach Buddy Mobile App
We're very pleased to work with
Let's work together.
Got a project? We'd love to talk to you about it.
The best way to get the started is to either call Paul directly on 07939597934 or complete our quick project form.
Keep in touch
Subscribe to our very occasional email to hear about our latest news, projects and insights.


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Georgia man still missing in Myrtle Beach
Thu, 23 Aug 2012 03:53:10 GMT —
Johnny Lamar Brown,44, has been missing in Myrtle Beach since August 3rd, 2012. Johnny is from Georgia and this was his family's first vacation outside of Georgia.
Johnny has special needs, including a severe speech impediment that complicates him being able to communicate with others.
"He's not able to verbalize, 'Hey, I'm missing, says can you call the police and have somebody help me? I don't know how to get home,'" says Myrtle Beach Police Lt. Eric DiLorenzo.
He knows a few phrases like Rudy Pops, which he calls his mom, Julie, his sister's name, and Blackie, which is his dog's name.
Johnny will often say that he needs to get back to the Waffle House and the McDonalds, this is in reference to his home in Georgia.
He has been spotted several times along the Grand Strand, including the Conway, Surfside Beach, and Murrells Inlet areas.
Police say the biggest obstacle hasn't been Johnny's inability to communicate, but with how late tips are arriving in to police.
"Biggest challenge we've faced is people have delayed calling us. We've gotten information two to four days old, which has really hindered us," says DiLorenzo. "So we do urge, if you do see him, call us immediately, even if you think it's him, might be him."
DiLorenzo says Johnny is afraid of the police, so if you see him and ask him if you should call the police for him, he may say no.
If you see him, call police or 911 immediately. Then DiLorenzo asks you to keep him in sight until the police arrive.
Johnny is in the National Database for missing people, so anywhere you are if you call your local police station or 911, they can find Johnny's case number.


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The Joint Music Program of Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, and Scripps colleges will present a Holiday Choral Concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7 at the Claremont United Church of Christ, performed by the Claremont Concert Choir and the Chamber Choir.
The concert is free and open to the public, although guests are encouraged to bring canned goods to benefit the West End Hunger Project: SOVA Center.
The Claremont United Church of Christ located at 233 W. Harrison St., Claremont.
For more information, contact the Scripps College Music Department, 909-607-3267.
Alicia Hill '08


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The average American will consume more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day!
Burn off those extra Thanksgiving calories by attending a free fitness class at any O2 Fitness location the day after Thanksgiving!
The classes are free and open to members and non-members.
See below for the details.
What: O2 Fitness, the largest locally-owned fitness company in North Carolina, is inviting members and non-members to attend a free class at any O2 Fitness location the day after Thanksgiving. The Burn off the Bird Bootcamp class will be instructed by O2 Fitness' professional trainers and is geared toward getting people moving after enjoying a day of indulgence. Attendees will also have access to club locker rooms and free club childcare.
Who: All are welcome
When: Friday, Nov. 27 (see specific class times below)
Where: All ten O2 Fitness locations in the Triangle and two O2 Fitness locations in Wilmington. See here for a complete list of clubs and hours of operation.
Cost: FREE!
Locations and free class times:
Wake Forest at 10:00 AM, 1 hour class
Cary at 9:00 AM, 1 hour class
Falls at 1:30 PM, 1 hour, class
Seaboard at 9:30am & 11am, GRIT Demo (30min)
Carrboro at 11:00 AM, 1 hour class
Fuquay at 10:00 AM, 1 hour class
Hanover at 9:30 AM, GRIT Demo (30min)
Elliott at 10:00 AM, 1 hour class
Chatham at 8am & 10am, 1 hour classes
Brennan at 10:00 AM, GRIT Demo (30min)
Falconbridge at 10:30 AM, GRIT Demo (30min)
Mayfaire in Wilmington at 9:30 AM, 1 hour class


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Newspaper Clippings
July 15, 1898
Mt. Echo Newspaper
London, Laurel County, Ky.
"A special term of the Knox Circuit Court convened at Barbourville last Monday for the purpose of trying Jesse Fields, for the murder of Judge J.H.Combs about two years ago, at Hazard. Joe Adkins, who was indicted jointly with Fields, for this crime is now serving out a life sentence."
April 12, 197?
Barbourville Mountain Advocate
1910 Bull Creek School Photo
Copyright © 2005, 2006, 2007,2008
Copyright Notice: All files on this site are copyrighted by their creator. No part of this web site may be copied, published, rewritten, redistributed, or reproduced in any form without specific permission from the submitter/owner and
Rebecca Jenkins .


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Hi, I'd appreciate some assistance in working through what would be the optimal configuration for the following situation. We currently have one large DB (~1.2TB on disk), that essentially consists of 1 table with somewhere in the order of 500 million rows , this database has daily inserts as well as being used for some semi- data mining type operations, so there are a fairly large number of indices on the table. The hardware storing this DB (a software RAID6) array seems to be very IO bound for writes and this is restricting our insert performance to ~50TPS. As we need to achieve significantly faster insert performance I have been considering splitting the table into 'new' and 'old' data, making inserts into the 'new' table (which will also help as there are really 1 insert, an update and some selects involved in populating the table), then moving the data over to the 'old' DB on a periodic basis. There would be new hardware involved, I'm thinking of HW RAID 10 to improve the write performance. The question really is, is it best to use two separate servers and databases (and have to come up with some copy process to move data from one to another), or to just add the faster storage hardware to the existing server and create a new tablespace for the 'new data' table on that hardware. Doing this would enable us to potentially move data more easily from new to old (we can't use partitioning because there is some logic involved in when things would need to be moved to 'old'). Are there any global resources that make just adding the faster storage to the existing box a bad idea (the wal_log springs to mind - although that could be moved too), that would make adding an additional server instead a better idea? Also are there any settings that might boost our TPS on the existing hardware (sync=off isn't an option.. (-: ). I have already significantly increased the various buffers, but this was mainly to improve select performance? Verson of Postgresql is 8.2.3. Thanks, David.
Next: From: Greg Smith Date: 2008-01-25 16:55:43 Subject: Re: 1 or 2 servers for large DB scenario. Previous: From: Stephen Denne Date: 2008-01-25 10:14:40 Subject: Re: 8.3rc1 Out of memory when performing update


text:
- What's on ABC Jazz radio now?
- Hide what's on
ABC Jazz Home > Features > 'Land Speed Record' Mace Francis
'Land Speed Record' Mace Francis
Tracks on the album
1. 'Rose'
2. 'Land Speed record'
3. 'Pandora's Mood'
4. 'Samsara'
5. 'Orla'
6. 'Why A?'
7. 'Well... Maybe Someday'
All compositions: Mace Francis
In the band
Jon Gordon; alto
Dan Pratt; tenor
Douglas Yates; bass clarinet
Mat Jodrell; trumpet
Alan Ferber; trombone
Nate Radley; guitar
Sean Wayland; piano
Matt Clohesy; bass
Mark Ferber; drums
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JOHANNESBURG – Subdued economic growth, a potential hike in interest rates and a difficult consumer environment could suppress new vehicle sales in 2014.
Industry commentators believe that new vehicle sales will grow between 0% and 3% next year, in line with economic growth forecasts but a far cry from the sales party experienced between 2010 and 2013 amidst an active replacement cycle. However, at this stage the expectation is not that growth will turn negative.
Confidence in sales activity for new vehicles amongst local automotive dealers surveyed by WesBank declined during the fourth quarter and reached 5.58 out of 10. This is on par with a level last experienced three years ago, when the industry also emerged with bruises from a prolonged strike action.
The graph below shows the change in WesBank's vehicle sales confidence indicator (WVsCI) since its inception in 2007. The indicator also illustrates how the proportion of dealers describing the new vehicle sales market as active or very active has contracted.
Click image to enlarge
Source: WesBank
According to Cyril Zhungu, executive head of WesBank's motor division, the drop in confidence was largely expected.
The key challenges cited by dealers include supply disruptions experienced during the industrial action that lasted around seven weeks, a moderation in economic growth and a slowdown in consumer demand. This has been on the back of new vehicle price increases due to rand weakness, an escalation in the general cost of living and a rise in mobility costs. The increase in the fuel price has particularly dealt consumers a severe blow.
Next year
Zhungu says dealers are somewhat more optimistic about the sales outlook over the next three and six-month period. He says new model introductions in 2014 as well as incentives from manufacturers could lend some support to new vehicle sales.
"This is what we have noticed over the past nine months where manufacturers have actively been providing marketing incentives to ensure that consumers can purchase vehicles."
He says WesBank does not expect new vehicle sales growth to exceed the level of economic growth, which is projected to be around 2.5%, next year.
There are some indications that the Reserve Bank could review interest rates, although balancing growth and inflation concerns will be difficult.
As long as interest rates remain low or are adjusted slightly upwards most customers will still be able to purchase cars, he says.
Mike von Höne from RGT Smart, expects new vehicle sales to grow somewhere between 0% and 3% in 2014. He says credit is increasingly difficult to access and consumers' debt stress levels are growing.
The replacement cycle, which saw numerous consumers postpone purchases during the recession and only return to the market from 2010 onwards, seems to have run its course.
Although he does not anticipate an interest rate hike before the end of next year, he expects consumers to start thinking about the possibility and to approach the decision to buy with more caution.
The used car market has however started to improve amidst supply disruptions and new vehicle price increases. WesBank currently finances 1.3 used vehicles for every new vehicle financed, up slightly from 1.1 in the prior quarter.
The rand
Zhungu expects that manufacturers will continue to adjust their pricing in line with the cost of importing vehicles. The shift towards entry-level vehicles is also expected to continue because of affordability constraints.
Von Höne says despite a weaker currency, dealers and manufacturers will want to sell vehicles and will be constrained in what they will be able to pass on to consumers. If the rand remains stable at current levels, he expects that new vehicle price inflation will be muted
However, if the rand "falls out of bed", manufacturers won't have a choice but will have to pass on price increases.


text: The Hilton Garden Inn just opened in Krakow a couple months ago. It's a really nice hotel located just outside the city center. It has two restaurants and one of the best breakfasts I've experienced in Europe! You have good views of Wawel Castle and you can walk there in 10-15 minutes. I took a taxi to the Castle and... More


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No Way! Looks like you've been crushin' a bit too hard on this style and its no longer available
Availability: Out of stock
Take your look to new heights with these black Luisa thigh high boots. You'll be right on trend for this season, featuring the thigh high look and block heel. Go for the ultimate cosy look by pairing with a chunky knitted jumper dress.
Tracked Delivery: 6-8 Working days $10Express: 1-2 working days $15
Tracked: 7-14 working days $18
We accept the following methods of payment:
Visa, Visa Delta, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro, Switch/Solo and PayPal.
We hope you love your Public Desire shoes as much as we do, but if for some reason you would like to return any items, that is not a prob! We accept returns 14 days after your purchase date. If you need any help at all, please contact customer services at [email protected] and one of our lovely team members will be happy to help! For more information please visit our returns policy.
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Thursday, February 25, 2010
Carnival Colours
Time for some colour! This is the dress I bought in Lincoln, which I love - all £70 worth! I wear it a lot, but somehow I've never managed to photograph it for an outfit post. I love going wild and pairing it with my multicolour scarf and hot pink gloves - and a secret extra touch of hot pink in the petticoat!
The lovebirds necklace and brooch were both gifts from Matin - I dropped some not-very-subtle hints that I would like lovebirds jewellery for Valentines, and he got me these, plus an entwined hearts brooch.
Dress, Tasty Vintage; Feather fascinator, Accessorize; Scarf & gloves, Christmas gifts; Jewellery, Valentines gifts; Petticoat, ebay
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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Ruben Amaro Jr. does not expect to make any moves before flying home from the general managers' meetings on Friday morning, but that doesn't mean his stay in this desert resort town wasn't productive.
The Phillies' GM believes he laid valuable groundwork for moves he must make this winter to get his team back to the playoffs.
"We had a lot of interesting conversations," Amaro said late Thursday afternoon.
For more on this story visit: Jim Salisbury, CSNPhilly.com


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Recommended Him to My Friends - Portland, OR
I Love Dr. Magilke and His Staff. Both Dr. Magilke and His Asstant Karen Work So Well Together. I Highly Recommend Them! He is a registered plastic surgeon. I felt confortable with his consultation and explanation of the procedure. He is honest and down to earth. I recommend him to my friends. They did a great job explaining to me about the process. My motivation was / is to have a relaxed and youthful looking face. I feel that Dr. Magilke helped me to accomplish my goal. I look more relaxed not tired and more youthful! This treatment teaches me to keep my face relaxed. I love it! I will go back to him again. I shopped around for price and found his price was competive. I read about this treatment before hand. I was nervous about having it done. After talking to Dr. Magilke and his staff, I felt comfortable and knew I could trust them.


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Clear Lam Packaging Inc. will be keeping very busy at this year's Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit.
The Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based company plans on introducing three new packaging technologies at this year's big trade show, scheduled for Oct. 3-5 in Anaheim, Calif., according to a release from Clear Lam. They involve tamper-evident designs, renewable flexible films and a Clear Lam trademarked product called EarthClear PrimaPak.
The first of two tamper-evident packaging technologies, the Clear Lam SecureGuard, features a tear strip that must be pulled away before an additional lip is opened to enter the package. The tear strip serves as visual indication that a package has been tampered with. The second features a new wide flange technology for sealing lidding film around round and square deli containers. Both designs are available in renewable plant-based plastic and recycled petroleum-based plastic, according to the release.
Clear Lam also will feature renewable flexible films made from 50%-100% renewable plant-based plastic. Clear, printed or metalized versions of these films are well-suited for fresh produce, according to the release.
The company also is expanding its earth-friendly packaging product line with EarthClear PrimaPak, a stackable, flexible package produced from a single roll of film with an injection-molded lid. The, according to the release, should cut down on thousands of truckload shipments of glass bottles, aluminum cans and plastic jars, which should reduce greenhouse emissions and help the environment.


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Great value in desirable Maplebrook II! Well kept home with brick and cedar exterior. Open floor plan boasts large bedrooms plus a finished basement. Kitchen features updated lighting and stainless steel appliances. Fireplaces in family and living rooms! Large master suite with walk-in closet and private bath. Updated lighting and flooring throughout. New roof, brick paver patio and landscaping. First floor laundry and dual heating and air conditioning units. District 203 schools. NOT a short sale or foreclosure, this property is ready to go!
© 2017 Midwest Real Estate Data LLC. All Rights Reserved.
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. School assignments are subject to change. Please consult with the appropriate school system for student assignment.
Disclaimer: The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity Program of the Midwest Real Estate Data LLC. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Baird & Warner are marked with the Broker Reciprocity thumbnail logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers.
Naperville is regularly named to Money magazine's list of "Best Small Cities to Live In" and was recently ranked in Fortune's "Best Places to Live and Launch a Business." It was dubbed the nation's best place to raise children by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2000, and a Top 10 place to retire by AARP. So what gives? Outstanding schools, world-class parks and nature areas, and a truly thriving downtown for starters. Naperville also enjoys low crime, a robust local economy, diverse cultural options and an active civic community. What started as a small, rural town has become an affluent powerhouse, with major area employers and a large retail presence. Naperville was one of the ten fastest growing communities in the US in the 199...


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How Inbound Marketing got me to Antarctica
Are you old enough to remember when you had no choice but to go to a travel agent to book a vacation? Every town and village had at least one and it seemed like there was one on every corner in the big cities.
The bottom line in booking a vacation twenty years ago was simple: The travel agent was in charge of the sales process because she had the information. The unfortunate traveler was beholden to her recommendations and her prices.
It's a new world now. The way we book travel is so utterly different from being tied to traditional agents as to be unrecognizable. Mostly we go to the Web first. But some travel professionals like Kelly have negotiated the disruption to create thriving businesses in the new world.
My information expedition
Last month my wife @YukariWatanabe
and I went on a ten-day expedition to Antarctica. Kayaking among giant blue-green icebergs and encounters with penguins and whales in the most remote continent on earth had been a dream of mine since I was a kid. Note: If you're interested in traveling to Antarctica in the next year, there is an offer at the bottom of this post.
How did we get there? The Web, of course! We began our independent research starting in 2012, more than a year prior to our expedition.
We used Google to find the results for such phrases as "Antarctica travel," "Antarctica expedition," and "visit Antarctica." This led us to about a dozen expedition outfitters and we carefully checked out each one via their sites.
We also found independent blogs written by people who had participated on expeditions, who offered great information on what to consider. There were reviews of operators and expedition ships. We found articles on newspaper and magazine websites, profiling Antarctica travel. We even landed on the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators site and while it is a trade organization, we learned a lot more there.
Unlike booking travel twenty years ago, we were in charge of the buying process. We had near perfect information from which to make decisions. And we could book directly with our choice of outfitter.
Smart companies understand this new world and build a buying process around the realities of independent research. Instead of selling, they educate through online content. Instead of ignoring those who have already made a purchase, they deliver information at precisely the moment customers need it.
As we evaluated the various expedition outfitters, we quickly narrowed our choice to several based on the content on their sites. We explored information on the animals we might see like Chinstrap penguins, Gentoo penguins, Elephant seals, Leopard seals, Minke whales, and Humpback whales. We viewed amazing photographs of icebergs and watched valuable videos of birds unique to the harsh climate we will encounter. We learned about the ships we might travel with. We could read reviews by adventurers who had traveled before us. We could virtually meet the expedition leaders. And yes, we could compare pricing of the various travel options.
Booking our expedition
And then we were finally ready to book a ten day adventure with Quark Expeditions.
After months of research, the information Quark provided drove us from the initial research phase where we knew nothing to the point where we felt fully educated and ready to pull out our credit card to reserve our cabin.
So I placed the call to Quark Expeditions, reaching Paul, a "Polar Travel Advisor." I knew exactly what I wanted: which expedition Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the 7th Continent, the beautiful Ocean Diamond ship we wanted, the dates of travel, and the type of cabin. Paul didn't need to "sell" me because the online content already did! And here's the important point: Paul knew this. Unlike a sales process in the old days, Paul's job was 95% done by the time he answered my call. The actual transaction was simple.
Once we were booked, the online content didn't stop after we committed to the trip with Quark Expeditions. At this point, Paul became a content curator, digging into the Quark Expeditions content library to send me what I needed to make our trip more enjoyable.
Paul sent us information on optional activities in Antarctica we could participate in such as camping, cross-country skiing, kayaking, snowshoeing, and yes, even a polar plunge into near freezing water! Gotta do it, right?! Yep, that me jumping in with my HubSpot cap in hand and those are indeed icebergs in the background. All of these options were presented to us at the right moment in the buying process (after we booked the trip but well before departure).
As the clock ticked down to our departure date, we eagerly awaited new posts Quark expeditions blog.
Later, as we began to plan what we needed to pack, we received a PDF checklist of essential and suggested gear and we watched a video of Jaymie MacAulay, Quark Expeditions Merchandise Coordinator, answering the most commonly asked questions about what clothing to pack when traveling to the Polar Regions. There was information on cameras, binoculars, and video equipment. We learned about sunscreen (it's bright in Antarctica in the near 24-hour December sun), we got information on anti-seasickness remedies for the notorious Drake Passage, and hints about medicine to bring.
In short, through the provision of online content, Quark Expeditions led us from the initial Google search, through to closing a sale and then they continued the virtual relationship all the way to our expedition departure date. And the online relationship didn't stop there. We continue to receive information on their other expeditions to the Arctic region and even their trip to the North Pole on a nuclear powered icebreaker.
We are already planning on an Arctic trip in the next few years.
We live in the era of a buying process controlled by consumers, not a sales situation stacked against us. The good news is this means people who understand the new realities, like Quark Expeditions, can drive success.
In the next several weeks, I will post several more times on my Antarctica adventure, including my speaking gig.
If you're interested in going to Antarctica...
Quark Expeditions is offering us an additional 5% off any Quark Arctic and Antarctic voyages. The offer is for expeditions booked by 1 June 2014 for expeditions that depart from 1 April 2014 through 1 April 2015. Use Code Mk52
This 5% off is in addition to any other promotions Quark offers, like the $1500 air credit promotion on a selection of Arctic and Antarctic voyages.
UPDATE January 11, 2014 - I'd like to make it clear that I have no financial interest in people booking arctic or Antarctic travel via the code in this post. I worked with the good people at Quark to be helpful to them and to provide an added incentive to readers who might want to go. It was a life changing trip for me and sometimes people just need a little push to do something they had always dreamed of.
Very Cool Story David!
I love how you wove in the marketing lesson with the tale of your Antarctica adventure.
The valuable reminder I get from this piece is that if your customer isn't getting what they bought from you IMMEDIATELY, then you need to stay in touch with them. Especially if you're selling something like a ticket to a seminar that isn't just pure fun like your vacation was.
When you're selling information/learning experiences that aren't going to be absorbed immediately because they haven't happened yet, you want to reach out and . . .
***Congratulate Them
You tell people they're smart and give them whatever other compliment goes with having bought from you.
***You Make Promises Of What Awesomeness They Should Experience With You
***You Show Proof That What They're Getting Is The Real Deal
***You Prevent Them For Contemplating Quitting On Themselves Before They Even Start And Asking For a Refund
You can do this by telling success stories – preferably stories of people being scared to start but doing so anyways and being positively blown away by what happened when they did.
***You Look At Selling Them Something Else That Would Enhance Their Experience
The best time to make a second sale is when someone is excited about making the decision to buy something from you already.
I trust that if anyone followed Quark's example along with this advice here, they'd be well on their way to gaining raving fans in their information marketing business like Quark has with you David.
Thank You again for reminding me of such an important lesson! :)
Hi Lewis, There is all of the things you say for the middle part of the buying experience, but before that I was reviewing many of the competitors and Quark had the best content which is why I settled on them. Then over several months of consideration, that's who I went with.
Thanks for this one, David. It is heartening to hear about travel companies doing things right. One thing that you did not mention is tips about what to do before leaving home. The most magical vacation can ruined if you come home to find that your house is flooded because you didn't turn off the water supply to your washing machine. Here's a link to our list of tips:http://costaricaexpeditions.com/resourcelibrary/27-things-to-do-before-leaving-home.php?mnu=5
Hi Michael, Great list of tips! I'll definitely save that for the next time.
Nice post, David! Yes, this is exactly how it's supposed to work. I'll be sharing your story with my clients to help them understand why content marketing is worth the effort!
Well, this is the example what smart content marketing should look like. As you described, they were always one step ahead. So should all companies be in providing educating and informative content for their audience.
I enjoyed the story!
David I love this! What a great example of the modern buyers' journey. Your post also makes we want to go to Antarctica and kayak alongside glaciers!
Sara, you should go. It is a life changing experience!


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 184.108.40.206
Forum Moderators: mack
www.example.com _Cached_page_
With the cache leading to:
Internal Server Error - Read
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
Other symptons only a small percentage (~100) of the pages are listed. Any ideas - site indexed in every other SE to the tune of 30,000 pages...
[edit spelling]
[edited by: gethan at 8:41 pm (utc) on Jan. 25, 2005]
The sites validate btw - though some content is dynamic and something that I haven't expected might cause it not to validate at certain times. (that would be really unlucky)
Anymore bugs with site listings? eg. listed but not as expected or like on google/yahoo et al.


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In a bid to establish an equal footing with Western helicopter manufacturers, Russian Helicopters recently made multiple announcements about sales, programs and joint ventures.
First, the company certified the Ansat light twin, one of a number of helicopters the company has in development (see box). Certified with conventional flight controls rather than the fly-by-wire (FBW) controls originally planned, the Ansat fell short of being the first commercial helicopter with a FBW system. This was the initial plan but "no commercial FBW helicopter had obtained certification anywhere in the world, and there were no established requirements for such a helicopter," the company said to explain its development of the conventional version.
The helicopter retains the same takeoff weight (7,900 pounds) and technical parameters, according to Kazan Helicopters, the subsidiary in charge of designing and producing the type. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207Ks and can carry eight passengers at a cruise speed of 119 knots. The Ansat has already been demonstrated in the CIS, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, according to its manufacturer.
With certification in hand from Russia's Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee (AR IAC), Russian Helicopters is considering applying for EASA certification in the future, depending on European market demand. Meanwhile, the company is delivering the FBW version to the Russian Defense ministry.
The corporate/executive version of the Mi-171 also received AR IAC certification. The "central passenger salon" can accommodate up to eight passengers and one steward, according to Russian Helicopters. The designer and outfitter of the luxury interior, AeroTaxi-Service, has put an emphasis on thermal insulation and soundproofing of the cabin.
Instead of a UHF radio, the helicopter is equipped with a Prima-VHF radio. In addition, it has "radio equipment for providing in-flight updates and entertainment to passengers, a Pulsar radio station and universal communication unit."
Russian Helicopters is also making some progress on its design of a 5,500-pound light single as a 50-50 joint venture with AgustaWestland. "The preliminary assessment of the helicopter's technical design and commercial opportunities is expected to be completed in the next few months," the two companies said. The aircraft, smaller than the AW119, would compete with the Eurocopter EC130T2. Certification is expected in 2016, a Russian Helicopters spokesperson told AIN.
MAKS Airshow Presence
The Moscow-based manufacturer had a significant presence at the MAKS 2013 airshow in Zhukovsky. At the August event, the company showed the prototype of the Ka-62 medium twin for the first time. Manufactured at Russian Helicopters' Arsenyev plant, it could fly this fall. Colombia's Vertical de Aviacion has ordered five of the aircraft to serve the oil industry there. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2016.
Vertical de Aviacion simultaneously ordered five Mi-171A1s, to be delivered beginning in 2015 and to operate in Mexico for cargo and passenger flights. The type can carry 26 passengers or four metric tons (8,800 pounds) of freight. The Colombian company currently operates 30 Mi-17s.
It will work with Russian Helicopters to obtain the certification of the Mi-171A1 in Mexico and the Ka-62 in Colombia. Such collaboration last year resulted in the Colombian aviation authorities' validating the Mi-171's AR IAC type certification.
Another sales contract was signed with Kazakhstan's Almaty Rescue Service for one Mi-8AMT medium twin. Fitted with an anti-icing system and an SLG-300 cargo winch, the helicopter will be used for rescue and medevac missions in urban and mountain areas. Delivery is scheduled for next year.
Also on display at MAKS 2013 was the Mi-171A2, the latest in the Mi-8/17 series. The helicopter's AR IAC certification is pegged for next year, with customer deliveries to start in 2015. A second prototype is to join the development program by year-end.
The helicopter is powered by two 2,400-shp Klimov VK2500PS-03 turboshafts in place of 2,200-shp TV3-117VMs. The transmission and rotor systems have been modified to extend the helicopter's operating life. The main rotor is now made of composites and the tail rotor is X-shaped.
In the cockpit, the Mi-171A2 features a KBO-17 avionics suite, designed to make the helicopter more responsive and reduce crew workload. The equipment also includes a PKV-171A digital autopilot.
Another, minor announcement by Russian Helicopters was a memorandum of understanding with Turbomeca to open a maintenance center for the Arrius 2G1 and Ardiden 3G, which power the Ka-226T light twin and the Ka-62, respectively.
As of August, Russian Helicopters had a backlog of orders for 870 aircraft, to be produced by 2020. The company plans to export 232 helicopters in that period, according to the Itar-Tass new agency. The same source said this year that the company is planning to sell 25 civil helicopters outside Russia, out of a total of 71 civil deliveries.
May 23, 2015 - 9:54am
The representatives of Russian Helicopter has announced the price for brand new Ansat helicopter - from 5 500 000 USD ExWork Russia.
In case of adding equipment or extra options the price can be bigger, e.x. firefighting, medical, search-and-rescue or VIP modification.


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"One of my favorite ingredients to cook with is Grand Marnier, I think it has the best flavor for so many things! I roasted this pork loin with garlic on a bed of sweet potatoes in place of a rack. If you use a "traveling" roast pan, this doesn't even create too many dishes!!! I hope you enjoy!"
Garlic Crusted Pork Loin With Grand Marnier Roasted Sweet Potato
2 recipe photos
READY IN:1hr 30mins
YIELD:1 pork loin
Ingredients Nutrition
- 5 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (the little ones are easier to slice when raw)
- 1 (2 1/2 lb) boneless center cut pork loin roast
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed and chopped (or 4 little ones)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons light olive oil
- 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
- 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 2 oranges, one zested and juiced and the other for slicing (about 3 1/2 TBSP juice and 1 tsp zest)
- 2 teaspoons honey (raw thick type is best)
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Let the pork stand out while you chop the sweet potatoes to prepare for cooking. Place the cubed sweet potatoes covering the bottom of a roasting pan to create a rack/bed for the pork loin to sit on.
- Using a sharp knife, score the fat that covers the top of the pork into square shapes. Place the pork, fat side up, on top of the sweet potatoes.
- In a glass bowl; mash the chopped garlic with a fork then add the 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and 2 tsp olive oil. Continue mashing into a sort of paste. Stir well to combine and then rub the garlic mixture into the fat on the pork and get into the scores real well.
- In another bowl; mix the honey with the orange zest and juice, Grand Marnier, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and 2 TBSP olive oil.
- Stir until all is dissolved then pour all around the pork over the sweet potatoes.
- Slice the other orange and place slices all around the pork on the sweet potatoes.
- Place in the oven, uncovered, and roast for 1 1/2 hours.
- Turn the pan and stir the sweet potatoes a little bit about midway thru cooking.
- Roast until the internal temperature reaches 150-155 degrees F when a meat thermometer is inserted. (Never cut meat to check doneness because it dries it out--get a meat thermometer they are worth it!).
- Cover the meat with foil and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting to serve. (Meat that is sliced immediately dries out, you want the juices to redistribute. Also, the meat's temperature will rise at least 5 more degrees while resting and then it will be a perfect 160 degrees F!).
- Serve on a platter surrounded by the sweet potatoes and orange slices!


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Home | About Us | Products | Services | Events | Location | Contact Us
In addition to our amazing selection of products, we also pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff and their ability to provide a large array of golf services including:
Complete Club Repair
Let our club repair specialists perform their talent which has provided New Mexico with expert club repair for over 25 years. From regripping to reshafting, loft and lie adjustments to lengthening and shortening, just let our staff know what you need and we can take care of it.
Need a repair completed within 24 hours? Our club repair specialists can take care of your emergency by regripping your clubs in one day. (Please let our staff know of your urgency when placing your request).
Custom Club Bending
As a player, you may not realize that angle bending is among the fastest ways to improve a player's ball flight. Whether changing the lie to improve accuracy or changing loft to make certain that the player's clubs are progressively consistent, angle bending is a major factor in club performance.
The bending of clubs for loft, lie and face angle is a repair that will often provide a player with immediate quantifiable changes in his or her game. Bending lie a few degrees can mean the difference between accurate shots and ones that stray left or right of target. By having progressively consistent lofts, distance gaps are eliminated. Changing the face angle on a metal wood can lead to more fairway landings.
When it comes to loft and lie, many players have incorrect ideas about what can be done and what effect changes may have on playability. If you want to improve your game, it is important to understand how club bending can help. We are your source for the best information about how bending clubs can help your game and give you more consistent range through your clubs.
While there are limitations, many of today's metal woods are indeed bendable, especially stainless steel heads. Forged titanium models, with their softer titanium structure, are bendable as well. Provided the hosel of the wood is long enough to allow the bending bar to fit over its length, metal woods can be bent to custom fit a player. This applies to both face angle and lie.
When you bend the hosel toward or away from the face plane you open or close the club's face angle. This will change the playing loft of the club by changing the trajectory of the ball but it will potentially cause misdirected shots. Don't be misled that tour professionals de-loft their drivers and get more distance.
Come on in and we will explain all the ins-and-outs of club bending, and how it can help your game!
Club Fitting - Swing Labs
A tragic and unimaginable number of golf clubs are abused every day. Check out the new Vector Links simulator powered by the Vector Pro Launch System, resulting in the most data accurate simulation of golf available today.
The golf ball is on the face of the club for about 300 microseconds. In that precise instant a lot of things have to be done exactly right. Within one millisecond, the Vector Pro Launch System takes two photos of the ball. Then its sophisticated software instantly analyzes those photos and displays the data.
Swing Labs is integrated with Vector Pro, the latest in Launch Monitor Technology. Vector Pro is one of the most precise instruments in ball launch technology and is recognized for its accuracy by all the major manufacturers such as Mizuno, PING, Wilson, Titleist and Callaway.
By using Vector Pro, golfers can immediately see data that shows the effect of even the slightest changes in grip, swing and stance. This is then used to recommend the optimum combination of equipment based on your unique dynamic launch data.
In addition, instructors can now annotate on screen, review your swing mechanics with you, and record, review and store your swing video and ball performance data for future club purchasing sessions.
Swing Labs and Vector Pro take the uncertainty and guesswork out of buying new clubs.
Trade Ins
Why let your old clubs lie around and gather dust? We take old clubs in on trade and we guarantee that you will get the best "bottom line" price available on your new purchase.
Please note: Bullseye Golf Headquarters will only accept equipment on trade if it meets the following standards.
Used equipment must be:
Equipment must not:
** No bags will be considered for trade.**
See how much your old clubs are worth at the PGA Value Guide.
Additional Provisions:
When an agreement on price is reached for the used equipment, the trade-in value will be deducted from the price of the customer's new equipment purchase.
All trade-ins are bound by the terms at the time of the transaction. Bullseye Golf Headquarters reserves the right to amend, cease, and/or temporarily suspend the trade-in program at any time and without notice.
Bullseye Golf Headquarters reserves the right to refuse a trade based on a variety of reasons, even if the store's listed requirements are met.
When purchasing new equipment you can leave your old clubs with us and we will try to sell them for you for a small fee. You determine the selling price. If they don't sell, you can pick the clubs up or trade them in at a pre-determined price at the time of your new purchase.
League Discounts
We make purchasing league outing prizes easy. In addition to a 10% discount on all regular priced items except golf balls, we track items being purchased under the leagues name and allow items to be returned for full credit without a receipt. League members will receive special attention due to their membership.
LogoJet Custom Ball Imprints
The perfect way to make a lasting impression! LogoJet imprints any golf ball with your personal design - logos, photos or any text or art you desire. Simply provide a .jpg file with your desired design, and our LogoJet system will create custom golf balls for tournament prizes, corporate events, personal messages, or any special occasion where you want a personal touch.
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September 20, 2017


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Mega Man Anniversary Collection
Review by isiahzombie
"Megaman fans... Unite!"
Wow, Megaman is turning 15 years old *gasp!* and he shows no signs of slowing down. This game is every Megaman fan's dream. This game disk includes 10 Megaman games (2 of which you must unlock), hidden artwork and some remixed music. The Gamecube version however contains an exclusive interview with the creator of Megaman. So there is some special extras for you Gamecube owners. Overall, this game is packed with little goodies.
Megaman is not known for having good storylines. Well in the first Megaman game, Dr. Wily and Dr. Light are working together and they create Megaman. He turns out successful so they create 6 more robots to perform specific everyday duties. But Dr. Wily reprograms those 6 robots into little destructive robots and Megaman must defeat them to save the world. Megaman 2-6 have the same story, except you have to fight 8 robot bosses. Megaman 7 and 8 have some more adventure quality to them and that's where more of the story falls into place. Not really in-depth, huh?
Well first of all, this is a side-scroller so don't expect much. But it's not just any side-scroller, you can actually choose your own path in the game. Most of the games (Megaman 2-8) have 8 bosses to choose from and when you beat the boss of a level you then get a new weapon. The weapons are strong and weak against certain types of enemies and bosses so you have to try out all your weapons on of the bosses to see which one works.
You also get a trusty canine partner (Megaman 3 and up) named Rush who can help you by giving you a boost, turning into a submarine or taking you to new areas as a jet-pack. Another helpful friend that can help you is Beat (Megaman 5 and up), the robotic bird that will provide you with a shield and help you if you happen to fall into a pit. And don't forget about Eddie (Megaman 4 and up), the little red robot who gives you random power-ups when you least expect it. The levels are exactly the same as the original, so no revamped levels or improved graphics. This is what makes the name a game... but if you're not a Megaman fan then you won't really enjoy it as much as someone into classics will because they would enjoy playing classics more than the average person.
Move, jump, slide (Megaman 3 and up), and shoot, that's about all you can do. But for some odd reason, the B button is jump and the A button is is shoot. They switched the ol' classic style for your inconvenience. But this isn't anything that you couldn't adjust to, just suck it up and play on. Other than that, there isn't any real problems.
Again, this game contains classics so you'll be hearing the 8-bit era of sounds. The music may be old, but it's pleasure to your ears. Megaman 8 is a bit more updated but Megaman sounds like a little girl and all the bosses have anime voices. But luckily for us, there is an option to turn off the sound and just hear the music. Yep, this is a good way to cancel out the disturbance.
Megaman 1-6 has 8-bit graphics, Megaman 7 has 16-bit graphics and Megaman 8 has 32- bit graphics. If you are buying this game for graphics, think again.
Some of it. There are many remixed songs and pics to unlock, and the two unlockable games have multiplayer. Play the original Megaman then play Megaman 2, then Megaman 3 and etc. And what is the main structure behind Megaman games? Beat the game, play it again. Beat the next game, and play that once again. Simple as that. No biggie.
Yes there is. You can't fight against each other though. You have to fight against a boss using weapons and teamwork. This should last you a couple of days. I personally thought it was going to be the best part of the collection but it was an arcade and arcade's don't really last that long.
Buy or Rent: Rent
I would say RENT and see if you like it because it's not for everyone. This is and old school disk and it doesn't compare with today's alien shooter type games. But if you're that kind of player than bgo ahead and buy this game.
This is a good game if you're a Megaman fan, but if you're not you should then stay away, far away. If you missed out when the games first appeared on the NES, then this is the shining light beaconing on you to not miss it again, seriously. You can learn a lot about the Blue Bomber with this awesome collection pack. So all you Megaman fans... Unite!
* Lots of unlockables
* Fun to play
* Multiplayer games included
* Great classic
* Won't last long
* Outdated graphics
* Reversed controls
* Poor sound effects
Final Word: Classic
Reviewer's Rating: 4.5 - Outstanding
Originally Posted: 08/22/05
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Ava Markham is beautiful, savvy, chic, and more at home with Kate Spade than with the idea of fangs and fur. She can't get quite used to the fact that some of her closest friends have crossed over to the Other side. Then one night she is attacked by a rogue vampire, and her deepest fears are realized when her body begins a dangerous transformation from human to immortal - a change she cannot survive without the help of an alluring stranger who comes to her rescue.
Vladimir Rurikovich, an elite member of the European Council of Vampires, is on the prowl for a murderous vampire fugitive on the night he saves Ava from the clutches of death. It takes just one look for Dima to know he cannot live another eight centuries without the stunning and seductive Ava - until he discovers a secret about her bloodline that could change everything.
Listen to more of The Others.
©2009 Christine Warren (P)2011 Tantor
"Warren piles on the humor as two people used to getting their own way go head to head. The sparks do fly!" (Romantic Times)
Tell us about yourself I Never want to read a book again. I love love love audible. Now all my children have acc. I drive and listen all day
"vamp romance"
Less sex more story and intrigue
Yes she has me hooked
I started reading this series because of her performance the narrator means as much to my listening pleasure as the author when I find a narrator o like I search them out
If it were more fantasy less sex
I love paranormal romances...
"Love this series."
I love the audio version because I listen to them at work and at home.
When Ava was killed and then saved.
She does a great job at putting emotion into the characters.
I would never make it a movie. The movies are never as good as the books.
Report Inappropriate Content
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If it seems as if there's one character in Jormungand that's always a step ahead of everyone else, that's because there is. Her name is Koko, but I don't think she's loco at all.
In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr (Old Norse: Jǫrmungandr, pronounced [ˈjɔrmuŋɡandr]), often written Jormungand, or Jörmungand and also known as the Midgard Serpent (Old Norse: Midgarðsormr), or World Serpent, is a sea serpent, the middle child of the giantess Angrboða and the god Loki. According to the Prose Edda, Odin took Loki's three children by Angrboða, the wolf Fenrir, Hel and Jörmungandr, and tossed Jörmungandr into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so large that he was able to surround the earth and grasp his own tail. As a result, he received the name of the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent. When he lets go, the world will end.
This is one of those episodes that's frankly rather difficult to talk about as someone who's read the Jormungand manga. It's pretty obvious that the current scenario, being as it brings together many characters and threads that have run through the first 20 episodes of the series, isn't just another arc. It should also be pretty obvious to anyone who's watched those 20 episodes that Koko isn't the sort of person who thinks small. "A rolling stone gathers no moss" indeed, and Koko is always rolling through life, never sitting still long enough for her rivals and enemies to fix her in their sights.
It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, either, that when Koko comes up with a scheme she considers important enough to only tell one other person about, that person should be Dr. Manami. Make what you will of Koko's statement that she only has one friend, and Miami-san is her – but it's definitely fair to say that Koko's relationship with Dr. Miami is different than it is with anyone else. With her it's no quarter asked, none given – the two oddballs operate as equals, and are seemingly the only other person each can make that statement about. And like Jonah, Dr. Miami is a person who hates weapons who's closer to an arms dealer than to anyone else. It says something about Koko's charisma that this should be the case.
If it seems as if I'm making small-talk here it's because I am, for obvious reasons. So let's talk about Jonah, who can now add Dr. Miami to his list of admirers (Chinatsu, Dr. Maggie, Schokolade, Chinatsu, et al). "He's so cute – I want a Jonah!" is pretty unambiguous – as is Koko's "You can't have him!" Valmet's jealousy of Jonah is hardly surprising, but Koko has her reasons for clinging to him – it's clear that Jonah has picked up the signals that something big is afoot, and if there's anything Jonah doesn't like, it's being out of the loop. Indeed, it's been pretty obvious all season that Jonah was growing ever-more reflective about his strange lifestyle, and the woman who, in his own preternaturally precocious words, is "Always right next to me – but I can never reach her."
Pretty much the entire surviving cast has taken notice of Koko's involvement with Dr. Manami's new factory – Amalia Trohovsky, Scarecrow, Bookman (of course) Col. Hinoki… And then there's Curry, who tells Dr. Miami that he's getting out of the game because warfare has passed him by. But the other Hekmatyar sibling isn't idle her, either – he's unveiling H & C Logistics International's new "HCLI Global Grid" – a new way of providing logistical support to armies all over the worlds that will change warfare forever. But Koko doesn't seem very interested in this at all, something Jonah picks up on at once.
One thing I always say about Jormungand is that no matter how complex the story is, it never cheats – it doesn't give the audience a lot of help but it doesn't trick them either. Everything you need to know you can know, if you're watching closely enough and reading between the lines. And most of what you need to know comes from the characters, because while it can sometimes seem to be a plot-driven series, it's the characters who drive the plot and not the reverse. If I told you anything more I'd need to kill you, but I will say this – everything that's happened in series has built on everything that's happened before it, and the next month isn't going to deviate from that. Jormungand may end up surprising you – in fact, is almost certainly will – but it will do so honestly, and as a viewer I can't ask for anything more than that.


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NYFW S/S '10: Frederic Fekkai @ Marchesa, Proenza Schouler
Frederic Fekkai @ Marchesa
The Look
"The Marchesa collection is always breathtaking and elegant; it is exhilarating to create a red carpet look that matches the ultimate glamour and sophistication of the clothing" – Frederic Fekkai
Get the Look
Renato Campora, lead stylist for Frédéric Fekkai, created an ultra shiny and striking look for the Marchesa Spring 2010 show. Campora mixed the Fekkai COIFF™ Extra Control Styling Gel with the Fekkai COIFF™ Strong Hold Volume Mousse to slick hair into a ponytail in the middle of the back of the head. He then wrapped the ponytail into a tight bun. The look was completed with Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Cream for added shine and brilliance.
Get a breakdown for Fekkai at Proenza Schouler and see more photos…
Frederic Fekkai @ Proenza Schouler
Get the Look
Didier Malige, lead stylist for Frédéric Fekkai was inspired by the California surfer girl at the Proenza Schouler show. He created beachy, tousled waves by prepping hair with Fekkai Beachcomber Leave-in Conditioner and then spritzed hair with Fekkai Coiff™ Oceanique Tousled Wave Spray. He finished the look by pulling Fekkai Coiff™ Magnifique Ultra-Light Finishing Crème through the hair with his fingers. The result was natural, sexy and sun-kissed.