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Wedding Bell Blues by Laura Nyro is featured in Yes/No, the tenth episode of Season Three. It is sung by Emma with Shannon and Sue singing back-up.
Emma sings this after hearing Shannon and Sue talk about Cooter. Emma then reveals to them what she thinks of marriage and Will and then begins to sing. When the song ends, she is standing in front of Will and other coworkers in the teacher's lounge and embarrasses herself and runs off.
Emma (Shannon and Sue):
I love you so
I always will
I look at you and see
The passion eyes of May (Eyes of May)
Oh but am I ever gonna
See my wedding day? (Wedding day?)
I was on your side, Will
When you were losin' (When you were losin')
I'd never scheme or lie, Will
There's been no foolin' (There's been no foolin')
Emma (with Shannon and Sue):
But kisses and love won't carry me
Till you marry me (Will!)
Emma (Shannon and Sue):
I love you so
I always will
And in your voice I hear
A choir of carousels (Carousels!)
Oh, but am I ever gonna
Hear my wedding bells? (Wedding bells?)
I was the one who came runnin'
When you were lonely (When you were lonely)
I haven't lived one day
Not loving you only (Loving you only)
Emma with Shannon and Sue harmonizing:
But kisses and love
Won't carry me
Till you marry me, Will!
Emma (Shannon and Sue):
I love you so
I always will
And though devotion rules my heart
I take no bows (Take no bows)
Oh but Will you're never gonna take those wedding vows (Wedding vows)
Oh, come on Will (Come on Will)
Oh, come on Will! (Come on Will)
Emma (with Shannon and Sue):
Come on and marry me (Will!)
I got the wedding bell (blues)
Please marry me (Will!)
I got the wedding bell (blues)
Emma with Shannon and Sue harmonizing:
The wedding bell blues
Yeah, yeah
Marry me Will!
I got the wedding bell blues
- The original name in the song is "Bill," but it was changed to "Will" for this song.
- Sue and Shannon's hats resemble that worn by Beatrice and Eugenie at the royal wedding of William and Kate.
- Second song out of three where Emma is dressed in a wedding dress. (I Could Have Danced All Night being the first and Getting Married Today being the third)
- This is Emma's last solo in the series.
- In the performance, Emma watches Will take lights off the Christmas tree as Christmas is over. But when Emma's parents are at Will's house, they observe a still, full-packed Christmas tree and wonder why it's still there.


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Montgomery Ballet
- Address
The Montgomery Ballet began as the Montgomery Civic Ballet in 1958.
Since then, this outstanding artistic entity has provided 53 years of community enrichment. The Montgomery Ballet has been a professional company and member of DANCE/USA, the national organization for nonprofit professional ballet companies, since 1987. The Montgomery Ballet is the only professional ballet company in the city of Montgomery and one of only two in the state of Alabama.
In 2007 Elie Lazar joined the Montgomery Ballet.
The appointment of Mr. Lazar followed a decade of leadership by Priscilla Crommelin-Ball, who continues serving the company as Executive Director.
Elie Lazar, a sought-after professional dancer, teacher and choreographer is critically acclaimed as "narrowing the gap between classical ballet tradition and the cutting edge of dance expression." As a dancer, Mr. Lazar was the first Israeli to win a medal at the renowned International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. He danced professionally with the Israel National Ballet, the Haifa Ballet, the New Jersey Ballet and has made guest appearances with major companies around the world.
Before founding his own company, LazarBalletNYC, Mr. Lazar directed the Joffrey Ensemble Dancers in New York City, where he organized and trained students from the Joffrey Ballet School. He also designed an educational program of lecture demonstrations to educate school children about the art of ballet and implemented a dance program for inner-city, at-risk youth in New York and New Jersey. His teaching commitments have included classes at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, New Jersey Ballet, East Carolina University, University of Kansas City, Tokyo City Ballet and the Southeast Regional Ballet Association.
Mr. Lazar is dedicated to accomplishing his goal of putting the Montgomery Ballet on the map as the best professional company and school in the Southeast. Having been very impressed with the training in the Montgomery Ballet School, and also the potential of the Montgomery Ballet Professional Company, Mr. Lazar was eager to begin his new job with the Montgomery Ballet in June of 2007.
Mrs. Crommelin-Ball and the Montgomery Ballet board of directors have been very pleased that Mr. Lazar chose to share his many talents with the Montgomery Ballet and that he has chosen the city of Montgomery as his new home.
The Montgomery Ballet was established in 1958 as the Montgomery Civic Ballet by a small group of volunteers. Directorship changed hands during the first sixteen years quite frequently. Determination and dedication by the Presidents of the ballet and volunteers kept the vision going throughout these years.
The Montgomery Civic Ballet was selected as a member of SERBA (South Eastern Regional Ballet Association) in 1964. Tours to other cities in Alabama and performances in Montgomery relied on guest artists in the early years. In 1966, they presented the Birmingham Ballets production of The Nutcracker under the direction of Richard Englund. Desiring to produce The Nutcracker locally, the Montgomery Civic Ballet began presenting segments of the Christmas classic in 1971. In 1976, a review written by Judith Helms (Weathers) stated that Montgomery had a first Friday night - the complete Nutcracker and more than 1,600 people rose to cheer the accomplishments at Lanier Auditorium.
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Classical Ballet / Apprentice
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Cubs power up, but Wood can't hold Crew down
MILWAUKEE -- The Cubs dropped to 10 1/2 games behind the Brewers with a loss on Saturday, and it's only April.
Luis Valbuena hit a solo home run, Welington Castillo added a two-run shot, and both made great defensive plays, but it wasn't enough as the Brewers topped the Cubs, 5-3, on Saturday night. Chicago has now lost four straight while Milwaukee boasts a Major League-best 18-6 record.View Full Game Coverage
MILWAUKEE -- The Cubs dropped to 10 1/2 games behind the Brewers with a loss on Saturday, and it's only April.
Luis Valbuena hit a solo home run, Welington Castillo added a two-run shot, and both made great defensive plays, but it wasn't enough as the Brewers topped the Cubs, 5-3, on Saturday night. Chicago has now lost four straight while Milwaukee boasts a Major League-best 18-6 record.View Full Game Coverage
"We've got to just keep grinding," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "I know everybody says it's a cliche that 'it's not how you start, but how you finish,' and we still have five months left in the baseball season and we want to keep pushing and playing.
"There have been worse starts in the game of baseball, and I'm not even worried about this as much as how we're going to respond [Sunday]," Renteria said. "What kind of energy are we going to have? What are we going to do? Are we going to focus? Are we going to play? Are we going to be determined to try to salvage a victory tomorrow?"
Let's figure out what went wrong Saturday. Khris Davis hit a solo home run and Jeff Bianchi -- who replaced Jean Segura in the mid-first -- drove in two runs to back Marco Estrada for the victory, although it may have been costly for Milwaukee, who lost Segura on a freak accident. More on that later.
Travis Wood took the loss, scattering seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Brewers forced the lefty to throw a lot of pitches early. Wood walked Carlos Gomez to start the Brewers' first, and he advanced on a single by Bianchi before scoring one out later on Aramis Ramirez's sacrifice fly.
In the Brewers' second, Davis singled and one out later, Rickie Weeks singled, lining a ball at third baseman Mike Olt, who ducked in time. Castillo made a tumbling catch of Estrada's popup, but Wood walked Gomez, and Bianchi hit a two-run single to open a 3-0 lead. Wood needed 48 pitches to get through the first two innings.
"It was a grind and a battle tonight," Wood said. "I didn't have my 'A' game and was missing balls on the arm side and falling behind with hitters, and they took advantage of it."
"I feel he didn't stay down in the zone as well as he normally does," Renteria said of Wood. "He has the ability and had been working down in the zone quite well since the beginning of the season."
Estrada retired the first 10 batters he faced before Valbuena launched his first homer of the season to right off a 2-0 pitch with one out in the fourth.
Milwaukee loaded the bases in the fourth on a single, a hit batter, and a walk to Estrada, who tried to bunt but ended up with a free pass. The Cubs couldn't turn a double play on Gomez's grounder, and a run scored. Valbuena then made the defensive play of the game when he snared Bianchi's popup in foul territory, and threw a perfect strike home to get the runner for an inning-ending double play.
"I knew there was a man on third base and when I caught the ball, I threw home," Valbuena said. "It was a tough play right there. It was tough because I was running to the ball. [First baseman Anthony] Rizzo helped me."
"That was a really good play," Castillo said, "because he was off balance. It wasn't an easy popup, and Rickie can run, too. He made a great play."
"That was a fantastic play," Renteria said.
Wood zipped through the fifth, needing just five pitches, but then Davis led off the sixth with his third home run. Castillo connected with one out and a runner on first in the eighth off Estrada for his fourth homer. The catcher has matched his personal monthly home run high; he hit four last September.
"The experience that I got last year is helping me this year," Castillo said. "I know the pitchers more this year."
The Brewers now know to be careful. Segura was accidentally hit in the face as Ryan Braun swung his bat in the dugout before the Brewers' first. Segura did not suffer a concussion or fracture, but did need stitches and was officially listed as day to day.
"You never want to see something like that, you know?" Braun said. "It breaks your heart a little bit, and obviously it's never something that's done intentionally.
"Whenever you're involved in a situation like that, I think it puts life in perspective and you realize how insignificant baseball is. Thank God we heard he's OK. It could have been a lot worse or a lot worse places he could have been hit."
Braun had to leave the game as well in the ninth with an intercostal strain. His status will be evaluated on Sunday. The Cubs wouldn't mind if both take a day or two off.
"That's a tough lineup to get through," Castillo said of the Brewers. "They have a lot of good hitters and a lot of momentum going with everybody doing well. Woody threw the ball well, but they're good hitters against left-handers. He battled."
The Cubs know the Brewers well. What's the difference this year?
"They're the same guys, they're just good ballplayers," Wood said. "The team is rolling and they're riding the wave."
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings, and you can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat.


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A Clydesdale horse died after it was struck by a pickup truck in a late-night crash in Armada Township, police and fire officials said Monday.
The driver of the 2009 Ford F150 was northbound on Capac Road near Irwin Road in northern Macomb County when he collided with the horse about 11:40 p.m. Thursday. The horse died at the scene.
The motorist, identified as a 64-year-old man from Lynn, Mich., was not seriously injured, Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said. Local fire officials said the driver was transported to McLaren Macomb hospital for treatment.
Police have not identified the owner of the horse. Armada Township Fire Lt. Kevin Kanehl said officials suspect the Clydesdale got loose from a nearby ranch.


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A gentle yawn has been the usual reaction when the Colorado men's basketball program has released its non-conference schedule in recent years.
Sure, the Buffs have played some decent teams in faraway preseason tournaments on tropical islands and the program deserves credit for at least trying to get some games against top-notch competition, but there hasn't been much to get excited about in terms of elite teams visiting the Coors Events Center.
Word came late this week that CU is negotiating a two-game series with former Big 12 Conference partner Kansas over the next two seasons. That's a big step in the right direction. Now CU coach Tad Boyle and athletic director Mike Bohn need to take it a step further and do their best to convince their counterparts at KU to commit to play the game every year rotating between home courts.
It makes too much sense for both programs.
If you're Kansas and you trust the history of the series isn't going to change much, you're looking at it as an opportunity to get a win in most years over a solid program from another power conference.
It's a quick trip for the visiting team. It's close enough for fans of both programs to travel to see the game. It will have a positive effect on the winning team's RPI each year and not much of a negative effect for the losing team. And playing the Jayhawks always has been one of the highlights of each season for the Buffs.
CU fans even have reason to believe that Boyle will be able to keep things a little more competitive than they have been in the past as long as he continues to recruit at a high level.
Visiting Allen Fieldhouse next season (likely on Dec. 8) will be an introduction to big time college basketball for the six true freshmen Boyle is welcoming into the program. They won't play on a bigger stage in a regular season game. What better opportunity for them to learn to play with poise and patience than having to do so in one of the best atmospheres in the college game?
Trips to UCLA, Arizona, Washington and Oregon will seem tame by comparison.
We like the idea of adding Kansas each year from a competitive standpoint, but it's also time for CU to step up its game and reward its fans for their improved support by producing a more attractive non-conference schedule than those it has offered in recent years.
Obviously there has to be a balance. There are going to be a few games against directional schools and programs from the bottom third of Division I, but fans will be more inclined to pay for those games if they know they're also going to get to see the Jayhawks and other quality opponents.
Bohn and Boyle should consider bringing a few more former Big 12 partners back to Boulder in years when the Buffs are scheduled to play at Kansas. Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech all would figure to attract decent crowds in most years.
After setting attendance records each of the past two seasons, it's not time for the CU program to sit on its hands and settle for four or five sellouts in conference play. The next step on the ladder is selling out the Coors Events Center for at least a non-conference game or two and attracting larger crowds across the board to home games in November and December. There is no better way to do that than scheduling former conference rivals for whom Boulder is a regional trip.
Over the past five seasons, only three teams from other power conferences have visited Boulder for men's basketball games — Stanford in 2007-08, Oregon State in 2010-11 and Georgia last season. That simply can't continue. CU must find a way to bring at least two such teams to Boulder each year if it truly wants to develop its men's basketball brand.
Boyle has become extremely popular here first and foremost because he wins much more than most of his predecessors. But people also like him because he embraces every challenging aspect of the CU job when the men who came before him whined and complained about those same issues.
Boyle says he wants to build CU into a premier program. The Buffs won't get there until they improve the non-conference home schedule giving folks a reason to care before January. Getting the Jayhawks back to Boulder is a good first step.


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|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
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Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Annual to subshrub
Leaves generally basal and cauline, alternate, generally simple; stipules 0
Inflorescence: generally raceme
Flower bisexual; sepals 4, free; petals (0)4, free, generally white or yellow, often clawed; stamens generally (2,4)6, generally 4 long, 2 short; ovary 1, superior, chambers generally 2, septum membranous, connecting 2 parietal placentas, style 1, stigma simple or 2-lobed
Fruit: generally capsule ("silique") with 2 deciduous valves, sometimes breaking transversely or indehiscent
Seeds 1many per chamber
Genera in family: 300+ genera, 3000+ species: worldwide, especially cool regions; some cultivated for food (especially Brassica, Raphanus ) and ornamental
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include Capparaceae [Rodman et al. 1993 Ann Missouri Bot Gard 80:686699; Rollins 1993 Cruciferae of Continental North America. Stanford Univ Press]
Family description, key to genera by Robert A. Price.
PEPPERGRASS, PEPPERWORTAnnual to shrub; hairs 0 or simple
Leaves: basal not rosetted, generally petioled, entire to pinnately lobed; cauline short-petioled to sessile, sometimes clasping or surrounding stem
Flower small; sepals erect or spreading, oblong to ovate, shed early or persistent; petals linear to obovate, generally white, rarely yellowish, sometimes bristle-like or 0; stamens 6, 4, or 2
Fruit dehiscent, oblong to elliptic or obcordate, flat perpendicular to septum; pedicel cylindric or flat, winged or not
Seeds 1 per chamber, gelatinous when wetted; wing narrow or 0; embryonic root at back of 1 cotyledon, rarely at edges of both
Species in genus: ± 175 species: ± worldwide
Etymology: (Greek: little scale, from fruit)
Reference: [Hitchcock 1936 Madroño 3:265300]
L. virginicum L.Annual; hairs 0 to dense
Stem erect; branches above, generally 0 below
Leaves: basal 515 cm, obovate, ± pinnately lobed to dissected; upper cauline reduced, entire, rarely dentate
Flower: sepals ± 1 mm, hairs 0 or few, on lower surface; petals 12(3) mm, obovate, white; stamens 2(4)
Fruit 2.54 mm, ± round, glabrous; notch shallow, generally > style; pedicel = or > fruit, slender, cylindric to flat, puberulent or hairs large, generally 0 on lower surface
Seed: embryonic root generally at back of 1 cotyledon
Ecology: Dry, generally open areas
Elevation: < 2400 m.
Bioregional distribution: California (except High Sierra Nevada)
Distribution outside California: widespread N.America
9 vars. total, difficult.
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|Thread Tools
No food, no rest, the two move through the night, adrenaline and concern fueling Cadrius' muscles. He still isn't sure how Shade keeps her pace, especially in the moonlight. She neither speaks nor pauses until an ubrupt halt reveals Blarth's body sprawled across a rock. The torch carried by Cadrius flickers, dimly lighting Blarth. Cadrius kneels by the body to catch his breath and to look over the half-orc for any wounds.
Disbelief runs across his face, there are still marks, still some faint wounds, but nothing that would explain the extreme amount of blood loss along the trail. Cadrius runs one gauntleted hand along a long, freshly-healed scar. He looks over to Shade, who fits her namesake in the dimness, and silently asks a question that her gray eyes decline to answer. How Blarth is not dead is beyond the fallen paladin. Cadrius grits his teeth, he's seen evidence of miracles before and doesn't like the implications.
"He is alive, at least," he says, getting back on his feet under legs shaky from hard work. Laying most of his equipment on the ground, he sets off looking for enough wood for a fire.
Fifteen minutes later he returns, a bundle of wood clutched to his chest with one arm. Dropping them nearby the rock, Cadrius goes about lighting a fire. He engrosses himself in the task, unwilling to think about who, or what, could have healed Blarth. These lands were not friendly, even to those with orcish blood, and it strikes him as unlikely that any would lend aid. With the wood and small kindling set, he sparks the fire with the torch, a faint crackle and gout of stream of smoke indicates to Shade that it's set.
He walks over to Blarth again and bends down, looping his arms underneath the half-orc's. He looks to Shade and tilts his head toward Blarth's legs.
"I do not know why he breathes, but he need not sleep on this rock."
Bending to the task the two pull their unconscious companion to the fire and lay him down within its growing warmth. Cadrius pulls a spare cloak from his bag and drapes it over Blarth. Bathed in the orange firelight, Cadrius shakes his head, half-bemused, half-worried, and removes his armor.
Shade stares at Blarth incredulously. The half-orc ought to be at death's door, yet here he lay asleep and - of all things - uninjured. In the flickering torchlight her grey eyes seek out his left shoulder, fix on the ragged, bloody sleeve. One of her slim hands carefully peel it back, revealing a nasty white scar. The ground beneath his shoulder is dark with dried blood. When Cadrius gets up she indicates a small, flat clearing a few yards back in the direction they came from, screened from the wind by a clump of dry brush. He nods and heads over there to clear a spot for a fire before searching for wood.
Satisfied that he won't be marring any sign around the half-orc's body, she begins a slow spiral outward from the spot where Blarth lay. She has travelled quite a distance and is on her way back by the time Cadrius gets his fire going. She materializes out of the darkness as Cadrius approaches Blarth as of she'd never been gone.
As they haul the half-orc to the fire, she notes the marks on his clothing. It had been a vicious fight, yet here he lay unharmed. The scars said he had been healed, the ground said that nobody had come to do it for him.
"There are no tracks within 200 yards of where his body lay, except ours and his. He was wounded, that much is clear. From what I gather, nobody else was around to help him. If he had a way to heal himself, though, why did he wait so long to use it?"
"He would not have waited," Cadrius says, sitting opposite of the fire from Blarth, "he would have used it immediately, but it was no potion of poultice that did it. He left his belongings at camp before the battle with the giant--" he tilts his head to the backpack lying nearby "--and could not have carried much with him. This was not Blarth's doing."
He can't shake the feeling that there's some other force at work here, something beyond the veneer of the physical world. A foreboding hatches deep within him and begins to hungrily gnaw its way into his consciousness. Still, Blarth is alive, and it's something to be grateful for.
The two take watches as usual, Cadrius preferring to be awake in the predawn hours. Despite his weariness he lies awake for a long time, his back to the campfire, worrying about what would take an interest in a simple half-orc. These thoughts continue to plague him when he is gently awoken by Shade. Once more completing his ritual of polishing his weapons and armor, Cadrius keeps the fire burning until well after dawn. He lets Shade and Blarth sleep, one looked exhausted and the other catatonic. If a little extra sleep will help, then he's more than willing to give it to them.
Cadrius sits amidst the cold morning air and alternately studies Shade and Blarth. Both are mysterious, but he would be hard pressed to say which one is more enigmatic.
The Baanrite was at hand. For seven years Karat had been Haardworden and the tribe had prospered, but now the tribe had earned the disfavor of Gruumsh and the proper recompense must be made. To fail in that obligation would have changed disfavor into wrath.
"Trak, my son," Karat said, removing the ring from his left hand, "You now keep the family honor. Meet all challenges with courage and you will preserve it for all time."
Placing the ring on Trak's left hand, Karat clasps his arm and nods once. Then, turning to face the council around the Baanrite fire, Karat recites the required formula, "I am the Haardworden. I tend the tribal fire. For seven years I have kept it burning by the favor of Gruumsh. Now that favor has been removed and the fire must be rekindled. As Haardworden it is my duty to see the old fire through to the heavenly altar where it can be offered in sacrifice to restore Gruumsh's favor to the tribe."
As he finished, Karat steps forward into the fire and begins his journey.
In the back of the crowd, a little boy, restrained by his elders crys out in despair...
"FATHER!" Blarth shouts, bolting awake. Disoriented he looks at the small fire before him, expecting to see his father being consumed in the flames, but the fire is too small and only the scent of wood reaches his nostrils.
Like a flood, Blarth's memory comes rushing back to him and he looks down at the ring on his left hand.
"Father." he whispers.
Looking around, Blarth sees the forms of Cadrius and Shade and confusion sets in again, "What happened?"
The sun crests the horizon, bathing the plateu in its fading autumnal strength. Cadrius closes his eyes and tries to take in what warmth he can gather. His nightly ritual of polishing his armor and honing his weapons long sine completed, the fallen paladin has had a long time to consider the path he currently finds himself on. He's detoured, taken the long way around what would have otherwise been a dead end, a fall into a crevasse. Instead he sits, somewhere near a wasteland and a wizard's tower, seeking first the simple half-orc and now the blind wizard. Shade, his faithful, or at least consistent, companion, has guided him this far and with any luck will take them directly to the tower. And then...what? They storm a magical fortress? They demand their blind friend back? Even when he was a knight Cadrius was leery of dealing with the arcane, and without the protection of Heironeous, he likes the idea even less.
Blarth tosses in his sleep, bringing Cadrius out of his reverie. He watches the half-orc for a moment, wondering if perhaps he caught a fever or some sickness. He kneels down by him and watches, concerned. Laying a hand across Blarth's broad forehead reveals it to be warm, but not hot. The half-orc begins to mutter in his sleep.
"Kalak, gran ourd Haardworden. Ile maf izol marugh!"
Cadrius raises his eyebrows and looks over to Shade, finding her already awakened by Blarth's muttering. Their eyes meet, mirroring confusion and concern. Blarth stirs more, muscles clenching and Cadrius places a hand on the half-orc's chest, growing more worried. Subsiding a bit, Blarth seems to relax before bolting upright, despite Cadrius' considerable weight leaning on him.
"What happened?"
Cadrius looks over to Shade and then back at Blarth, studying him him for a moment before speaking.
"You were lost for several days. . .and we came in search. We found you yesterday, after dark. There was a good deal of blood. You should be dead," he says, reaching over to a waterskin and handing it to the half-orc, "but your wounds are fast on the mend with only a few scars and cuts to mark their passage. We should discuss what happened later, but I think some food and rest is in order."
But only briefly, he thinks, Cadogan has been in the tower for far too long. Who knows what foul things have been done to him.
Shade stalks through the wilderness without a sound and it feels as though she is the only thing in the world that is moving. The forest is unnaturally still, the moonlight making it seem a frieze etched in black and silver. Up ahead, she knows there will be an orcish sentry. It makes sense, but she knows with a certainty beyond what common sense dictates. Odd, but no less odd than the feeling of moving through petrified wood composed of precious metals.
She sees it's squat form up ahead; ungainly, repulsive - but cunning for all that. One might not even notice him were they less wary. Her sword clears it's scabbard silently, one more silvered petal in this forest of her dreams, and her feet slide over blackened earth silently. Metallic grey eyes fixate on the slight hollow where neck joins skull, conveniently exposed despite the armor it wears. She raises the blade for the thrust as she comes into range and in the eternity it takes for her arm to move forward she contemplates the utter stillness of this place.
The shock of the impact travels up her arm and into her shoulder yet the noise she is expecting - something like a shovel driven into half frozen ground - never sounds. The body of the orc is simply gone and she is poised on the edge of a clearing, knowing - once more with unnatural certainty - that Blarth and Cadrius are poised to leap into action. A huge fire burns there, it's flames blood red, tinting silver darkness crimson, surrounded by a dozen orcs. Beyond the fire a man steps into view, shimmering faintly in the darkness that seems to blot out everything near him, and his eyes find hers. Her soul freezes and she finds herself stricken to immobility, just as everything else seemed to be. Her fear wells up, fanning the frigid flame in it's icy breeze. A black cavern in her mind yawns wide enough to swallow her whole and then Blarth's voice cuts through her like a butcher's knife.
"Kalak, gran ourd Haardworden. Ile maf izol marugh!"
She snaps awake, her sword snaking out as her eyes look for the danger, her mind still whirling with images from her dream.
Cadrius is looking at Blarth with concern and, realizing the half-orc had cried out in his sleep, Shade breathes a sigh of relief that it isn't anything more serious. She wasn't the only one with bad dreams, it seemed. Sheathing her sword, she gauges the angle of the sun and thanks any gods who might be listening that the weather hasn't turned bad.
"Food, at least. Rest may have to wait. We shouldn't spend any more time out in the middle of nowhere than we have to."
"Blood? Wounds?" Blarth asks in confusion.
I don't feel injured.
Looking down at his arms and legs Blarth notes the dried blood and tears in his clothing. Carefully probing on of the larger holes he finds the familiar fresh skin that comes along with his forced healing.
"It looks like I..." Blarth begins, before the memory of the fight with the grimlocks comes rushing back.
"Grotgewoner!" he exclaims, "Cave dwellers. Uhh... They're grey and have no eyes but see as well as any orc..." Blarth says, trying to explain, "I don't know what they are called in your tounge, but they ambushed me. Thought I'd make a fine meal I suppose."
Stopping to take a drink from the offered waterskin, Blarth thirstily drinks down a fair bit of it.
"I remember beating them and then trying to find their supplies. Food and water, they must have had some. After that though, it gets hazy. I'm not sure how I got from there to here," Blarth concludes, looking around at the area around them.
"Food, at least. Rest may have to wait. We shouldn't spend any more time out in the middle of nowhere than we have to."
"We three have pushed hard in the last several days," he says, turning his gaze to Blarth, "harder than I suspect we know. It would not due to be caught by more of these. . .Grotgewoners, and be too fatigued to challenge them. Still, we cannot delay for long. Shade, do you know how many more days until we reach the tower?"
He'd walk until blood filled his boots, but he's still concerned with Shade and Blarth. The two look hale enough, but he wonders how much longer Shade can go on sheer willpower. Blarth's miraculous recoverly couldn't have come without some sort of price, some depletion somewhere. Had the gnome, Tiltowait, come across the half-orc and healed him he would have been back by now. More importantly, there would have been something to mark the gnome's works. So Cadrius is back to where he began, worrying about a miracle and carrying the symbol of the patron deity of Blarth's fathers.
"Some time you will need to explain to me how this all happened."
He shakes his head and looks to Shade, gauging her reaction. In a pragmatic sense, she's right, they should already be up and gone, but a little rest now could save a headache down the road. Still, the less time he has to spend here the better. The elevation has thinned the trees, removing a good deal of their cover should a late autumn storm strike. The thought of truding through snow somehow makes this ill-fated journey just a little bit worse.
Setting out once more, the trio wonder through the barren lands, driven by a purpose that is blunted by despair, pain and hunger. Eventually the environment seems to meld together, rock after rock after tree after rock merging, fatigue blunting the mind into seeing them all as one.
The sun rises in the sky above them, and the three unlikely companions continue to climb in a shallow mockery of the life-giving-light's majestic rise. Before long, the few trees that remained are stripped away leaving only the bare rocks on the ground and the sparse shadows that hide under them. Step after step the companions move, ever at a slower pace. The small flock of buzzing insects that plague all travellers grow ever larger, drawn by the sweat, blood, and an almost audible stench of desperation that emanates from the small group - yet they too are merely shunted into the background by the mind of the weary travellers.
Then a most unexpected thing is heard. A voice. Singing.
Halting in their tracks at the voice, Shade automatically moves forward to spy out the source of this singing voice in the wilderness, and possible source of danger to her companions.
All listening to the voice mark it as sounding familiar, but not being able to place where from. The voice doesn't sing a particularly good song, but by the same note it doesn't sing a particularly bad song. Nor does the voice appear to be singing for the entertainment of others, for it carries the quality of song, which only comes when one is singing for the pure joy of it.
As the scouting woman narrows down the location of the voice, slipping from shadow to shadow as her moniker suggests, the tale behind the song unfolds. It's an old story, told by old folk to children around the heath and campfires at night. Yet it is also a sad and profound one. It tells the tale of On Tittros, the morning star.
Sitting amongst his Brother and Sister stars in the night sky, under the watchful eyes of their Mother-Moon, Tittros was not content. Looking down of the night-clad world, Tittros would each night, linger longer and longer, reluctant to leave the sky and sleep like all good stars should do. For Tittros wanted more, yet he was unsure as to what it was that he wanted - so each night he lingered, and pondered, until it came to be that he was the last star of the night to retire. It was on one of these nights that Tittros lingered longer then he had ever lingered before, and in the distance he saw a majestic light arise. Bright enough to outshine ever his Mother-Moon. For an instant Tittros saw then sun, and knew that what he desired was to touch the face of such a thing.
His Brother-Stars and Sister-Stars shook their head when they saw of Tittros' longing, and Mother-Moon spoke to him gravely, warning him that such a desire could not come to pass. The sun leads a solitary life, full of sorrow. For so great was it's brightness that none could come near it. Turning a deaf ear to the misgivings of his Brother-Stars and Sister-Stars, and the warnings of Mother-Moon, Tittros began to linger in the day for as long as he could.
Each day Tittros would strain and concentrate and stay longer, and each day the sun would approach that little bit longer. Thus it went Tittros becoming so focused on touching the sun, that he left behind the night sky filled with his Brother and Sister starts, over looked by Mother-Moon, without even realising it. After many a day of stretching out to reach the face of the sun, Tittros realised the truth. He would never be able to reach far enough to touch it. For the closer that Tittros became, the brighter the sun shone, and the less that he was.
Despairing of fulfilling his desire, Tittros turned instead to the comfort of His Brother and Sister Stars, and the stern by wise words of Mother-Moon. Alas it was at this moment that Tittros realised the truth - in all his vain straining towards the sun, he had left behind the night sky. Now he was no longer a creature of the full and friendly night, nor was he a bright and radiant creature of the day. He was stuck in the middle, having forever left behind the night, and unable to enter the day.
And so it was that Tittros became the morning star.
As the song winds down to a finish, Shade finds the source of the music. Sitting with his back against a rock rests a familiar one-armed bard, so caught up in the song that he failed to notice any indication of the approaching woman.
@}-`-- Coffee + Hate = itches
A long difficult day goes a long way towards pushing Shade from merely irritated to barely checked anger. Finding Blarth had been something of a relief, but starting the day off with orcish voices disturbing her nightmare had put her squarely on the wrong foot. She withdrew from the others mentally, and theirs was a mostly silent trek into the unknown. Throughout the day the images from the previous evening come back time and again to haunt her, like black and silver ghosts, until she can almost see the images overlaid upon the waking landscape.
Lost in dark thoughts, she is roused by a most unexpected sound: singing. It is out of place in this wasteland; beyond that, it is pure stupidity for one to attract attention to themselves that way. She is reminded of Itches, the naive youth who had died only a week past, and she beats the memory ruthlessly down. It wasn't her fault he was dead.
With only a look and a gesture to Cadrius and Blarth, she sets off toward the sound. Her meaning is nevertheless clear: wait here until I see what it is. The sun is starting it's descent in the western sky and any warmth from the copper disk has faded. She can fill the chill in her fingers as they wrap around the hilt of her blade to keep it from making any noise. The singing grows louder as she approaches, pointedly ignoring the lyrics lest it bring back memories best forgotten. She slows her pace and crouches down, moving with as much stealth as she can muster up a small rise.
There, below her, is the source of the singing. Crouched behind the scrub, her eyes narrow as the song ends and she contemplates the figure down below. Nicos, most certainly. Her hand doesn't leave her sword as she digests the information. They had left him three nights ago, time enough for him to get here if he hadn't delayed. They had wasted a bit of time searching for Blarth. She looks around for Laronar but he is nowhere to be seen.
Why didn't Nicos wait, if his intent was to come here anyway?
A valid question, and one that she didn't have an answer for. Was he playing some sort of game with them? The thought disturbs her, but the bard had put himself at odds with his own father to help them escape Karkas. She watches a little longer, waiting to see if some other companion appears, but there are none. Well, there was only one way to find out. She circles a bit wider, still hidden, and approaches him from his flank. Remembering how alert he is, she doesn't bother to get too close before revealing herself. She stands and addresses him from perhaps 40 feet away.
"An odd place for a lullaby, don't you think? You're lucky it's me that showed up and not a band of orcs. Or worse."
Lost in a world of his own, Nicos fails to sense the approach of Shade. Jumping up in fright the bard spins, his sword out before he is fully standing. Seeing whom it is he relaxes.
"Damnit woman, is it your mission in life to always sneak up on me unnoticed?"
Putting his weapon up, Nicos ignores her question and looks around.
"Where are the rest of them?"
@}-`-- Coffee + Hate = itches
She regards him somewhat cooly from behind her veil. Her arms are relaxed but nevertheless still not too far away from her blades.
"They're around. What are you doing out here? And why did you leave us back at the clearing?"
Shade can't quite decide if she is suspiscious of the bard or not. He might have sinister reasons for leaving them, or he might have just thought the rescue mission a fruitless endeavor. Which, of course, is what she had thought from the beginning.
Looking over her dirt-ridden clothes, and fatigued marked face - which strikes quite a difference to his well clean figure he quips.
"A Lot better then you by the looks of it. I was waiting for you to arrive, and got bored so started to sing."
Going a little defensive.
"And look now, it wasn't my idea to leave you there back at the clearing, and it wasn't easy on me either. They kept me all night until they finally decided what to do, but this isn't a tale for here. I'll tell you when we get inside."
Looking down where he was watching he trail, and then the rocks that Shade had emerged from, Nicos hesitates.
"We had better get the others - uh which way are they?"
@}-`-- Coffee + Hate = itches
She doesn't make any move, either forward or back toward the others. There was something decidely strange going on, and the bard's cryptic answers stirred the waters of distrust within her. His final question is enough to make her drop any thought of leading him to Cadrius. She folds her arms so that her hands lie within easy reach of her blades and she bends her knees the slightest bit, prepared to move at an instant's notice.
"Who are they and what did they want with you?"
Noticing her movements into what is almost a battle stance, Nicos moves his hands well away from any of his blades - confident in his ability to defend himself without them, and confident of Shade's ignorance of that skill.
"The people from the Citadel. You know, brotherhood of mages. Live out in the wilderness. A blind mage is a member. Ringing any bells here? Look, I'll quickly tell you what happened, but details will have to wait until we get back there."
Taking a deep breathing, and noting to no small amount of relief that her blades are still sheathed, he begins.
"After you had left the clearing, the people from the Citadel came and got it. It seems that they were hesitant to allow non-mages to enter their sanction. They needed some information about you, and because I can cause some effects that they would call magic, they judged me a lesser risk. That said they took me there, questioned me, and debated through the night as to what to do. At some point this morning they came to the decision to let you in, and told me you were approaching along this trail."
Giving Shade an apprising look, Nicos adds.
"And now that I've had time to get a good look at you I would rather like to know what happened to you. Frankly you look as if you had spent all 36 odd hours, since we last saw each other, battling for every step you made."
@}-`-- Coffee + Hate = itches
"Oh, bloody hell."
Her posture relaxes, though, and she suddenly feels every bit as tired as Nicos implies. Shade looks away from the one armed bard for a moment, studying the sky. Those arrogant mages and their incessant meddling; spiriting Cadogan off, then Nicos. Hadn't they been invited to this damned Citadel? Of course, if she had simply believed they meant no harm she never would have come out here to begin with. Now, though, it was becoming clear to her that the wizards were more than powerful enough to crush the likes of her, Cadrius and Blarth. Here they were, though. If Nicos' story was true, then chances were good the wizards meant no harm. Enough reason to go home, except the journey had been hell on all of them. They could use a chance to rest somewhere relatively safe - and they had come all this way, they might just as well see to Cadogan.
"Not every step, but damn near.
"The rescue attempt went as bad as I imagined it would. To make things worse, we got separated from Blarth and he got himself lost. Cadrius and I made it back to camp to find everyone gone; we waited for what seemed like a reasonable amount of time for anyone to show up. Nobody did. We decided to head towards the Citadel, in hopes we'd run across someone's trail. We found Blarth's, and we spent the rest of the time searching him out in the waste.
"We came across him last night, and were on our way to the Citadel when we heard you."
"By Garthinia woman," Nicos exclaims softly as she quickly relates what happened.
"I would like to know more, but I would prefer to be while on a comfortable chair, with a full belly, a warm fire, and a mug of ale. Let's get the others and go on in. There is food, amenities for washing, and it's as safe as if you were under the constant watch of that dour lover of yours."
@}-`-- Coffee + Hate = itches
With one last glance at the scrubby hills surrounding them, Shade nods to the bard and starts back towards Cadrius and Blarth. It doesn't take long to get back, and she never hears any sound save Nicos behind her. Hopefully it meant the bard was alone and they weren't being followed. Not that she didn't believe him, but she rarely let her guard down if it wasn't necessary. As they approach she waves, waiting to speak until they are close enough that she doesn't have to shout.
"Look what I found. It seems we have companions scattered all over these wastes. I wouldn't be surprised if Laronar fell from the sky and the gnome popped out of the ground."
Cadrius listens, curious if he can detect Shade approach. He should be worried, should be concerned with her safety, and yet the fallen paladin isn't. He trusts that if there's danger out in this land that she can avoid it better than he or Blarth ever could. He's confident in her skill and passes the time attempting to detect her return. A few birds sing here and there, but for the most part this stretch of landscape deserves the title "wasteland." The elevation coupled with a lack of moisture leaves the landscape half-barren. Here and there shrubs and the occassional scraggy tree cling to the loose soil with a tenacity that only nature can reach, but for the most part they are greeted by rock and dirt.
Crack. He hears something in the woods, footsteps moving across stone and soil. Cadrius frowns. It can't be Shade, she never makes noise like that, even when relaxed. Relaxed. The thought almost makes him chuckle. Has he ever seen the woman when she's at ease? Then again, has she ever seen the same from him?
And so he finds himself only half-surprised when Shade and Nicos emerge from the woods. The one-armed bard had not taken to him the last time they met, and Cadrius doubts that a day and a half in the woods will have changed much. Still, he will not be brusque with a companion, not when they'll need to trust each other for survival.
"I am glad you survived," he says. It's a simple almost off the cuff greeting, but then again the man isn't known for his compliments. "It would not be too much of a stretch to think we shall find that gnome under a rock somewhere, but I for one hope never to meet that foul-tempered elf again. I have only seen one before, and I was very small then. Are they all that. . .frustrating?"
Shade just shrugs at the warrior's question, her eyes still scanning the horizon - though for what, even she has no idea. Her eyes finally land on Nicos, searching, measuring.
"It seems the wizards that spirited Cadogan away did the same for Nicos here. He has an interesting story to tell. It seems Cadogan is okay and our arrival is not unexpected."
She looks over to Cadrius to see how he reacts, wondering why she isn't relieved to hear those words herself. Maybe she didn't believe them just yet, or maybe she didn't want to believe them. That facade of a purpose had been holding them together since they had left Karkas. If it was gone, what did it mean?
"Nicos can give us the whole story, though."
"An interesting story? From a bard? I would have thought that impossible," he says dryly. Yet he still listens to the man's tale and frowns throughout most of it.
It's his way of coping with the sudden lack of purpose. The wizards knew they were coming, and even welcomed it. The heroic, albeit foolish, rescue of their friend from what? A bastion of civilization in the middle of a wasteland? He isn't certain who they'd be rescuing him from. Perhaps the blind man would be better off in the company of his peers. They might be able to teach him to cope with his lack of sight and still weave his spells. Cadrius might not like magic, but he doesn't want Cadogan setting himself on fire due to his blindness.
"I suggest we keep moving. Our supplies are not plentiful and it would be risky to turn around now. If these wizards will grant us hospitality for a day or two, I say we avail ourselves of it. He might be better for this change, but I would see Cadogan at least once."
So that this was not all in vain.
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Kimber Tactical Custom HD II
A full-size, all-steel, no-nonsense pistol for duty carry and personal defense.
Height (90° to barrel): 5.50 inches
Weight (with empty magazine): 39 ounces
Length: 8.7 inches
Magazine capacity: 7 rounds
Recoil spring weight: 16 pounds
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Finish type: KimPro™ II
Finish color: Gray
Width: 1.28 inches
Thumb safety: Ambidextrous, extended
Front-strap checkering: 30 lines-per-inch
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Material: Steel
Finish color: Matte black
Type: Match grade
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Click here to see Kimber's entire line of handguns at KimberAmerica.com.


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The High Frequency Instrument aboard the Planck space telescope has completed its survey of the remnant light from the Big Bang explosion that created our universe. The sensor ran out of coolant on Jan. 14, as expected, ending its ability to detect this faint energy.
"The High Frequency Instrument has reached the end of its observing life, but the Low Frequency Instrument will continue observing for another year, and analysis of data from both instruments is still in the early phase," said Charles Lawrence, the U.S. Planck project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The scientific payoff from the High Frequency Instrument's brilliantly successful operation is still to come."
NASA plays an important role in the Planck mission, which is led by the European Space Agency. In addition to helping with the analysis of the data, NASA contributed several key components to the mission itself. JPL built the state-of-the-art detectors that allowed the High Frequency Instrument to detect icy temperatures down to nearly absolute zero, the coldest temperature theoretically attainable.
Less than half a million years after the universe was created 13.7 billion years ago, the initial fireball cooled to temperatures of about 4,000 degrees Celsius (about 7,200 degrees Fahrenheit), releasing bright, visible light. As the universe has expanded, it has cooled dramatically, and its early light has faded and shifted to microwave wavelengths.
By studying patterns imprinted in that light today, scientists hope to understand the Big Bang and the very early universe, as it appeared long before galaxies and stars first formed.
Planck has been measuring these patterns by surveying the whole sky with its High Frequency Instrument and its Low Frequency Instrument. Combined, they give Planck unparalleled wavelength coverage and the ability to resolve faint details.
Launched in May 2009, the minimum requirement for success was for the spacecraft to complete two whole surveys of the sky. In the end, Planck worked perfectly in completing not two, but five whole-sky surveys with both instruments.
The Low Frequency Instrument will continue surveying the sky for a large part of 2012, providing data to improve the quality of the final results. The first results on the Big Bang and very early universe will not come for another year.
Read the full European Space Agency news release at http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Planck/SEMXWNMXDXG_0.html .
Planck is a European Space Agency mission, with significant participation from NASA. NASA's Planck Project Office is based at JPL. JPL contributed mission-enabling technology for both of Planck's science instruments. European, Canadian and U.S. Planck scientists will work together to analyze the Planck data. More information is online at http://www.nasa.gov/planck and http://www.esa.int/planck.


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The�late�U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Dan Price will be honored with a Silver Star Medal on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of his death.
Price, 27, died on July 29, 2012,�during a combat operation�with the Camp Pendleton-based First Marine Special Operations Battalion, in Afghanistan's Badghis province.
Rachel Price, his widow, said she and her in-laws learned about the honor earlier this year.�She asked for a public Silver Start Medal award mostly "so something good would come out of that day ... to at least make something good and meaningful on a day that is otherwise the worst day."
His parents said on Memorial Day they hope people keep the families of active duty military in their thoughts and prayers.
Some of the Prices'�friends are flying in from out of town, as far away as North Carolina and Washington. GySgt. Price was honored with a Bronze Star for his actions in a 2009 battle, a Purple Heart after a gunshot wound shattered his knee, three Combat Action Ribbons and three Good Conduct Medals. A second Purple Heart was awarded posthumously.
The Silver Star, a third-highest medal for military, "is a big deal," said Rachel Price, but her late husband would probably have the same reaction as to his Bronze Star and his first Purple Heart, that he was just doing his job.
"That's the kind of guy he was, just humble." she said.
The award ceremony is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Central Wesleyan Church, 446 W. 40th St. in Holland.
��Follow this reporter on Facebook and Twitter, @SentinelPeg.
Holland Marine killed in combat to get Silver Star
The�late�U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Dan Price will be honored with a Silver Star Medal on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of his death.


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Allstate Peterbilt of Fargo Named 2011 Peterbilt Parts and Service Dealer of the Year/
RENTON, Wash., Oct. 11, 2012—Allstate Peterbilt of Fargo was named the 2011 North American Parts and Service Dealer of the Year at the annual Parts and Service Meeting held recently in Anaheim, Calif. The award is presented in recognition of outstanding parts and service support.
"Allstate Peterbilt of Fargo scored near or at the top of every standards of excellence category. Their parts counter staff are exceptional and resourceful, and their service department and body shop are always full, as they're recognized as the best shops in the area," said Darrin Siver, PACCAR vice president and PACCAR Parts general manager.
Peterbilt also named its Platinum Oval and Best in Class Parts and Service Award winners to recognize dealer excellence and outstanding achievements in customer support, parts and service operations, facilities and financial performance.
"These dealerships consistently deliver excellent parts and service support to our customers, and they continually exceed their goals by performing at the highest levels," said Bill Kozek, PACCAR vice president and Peterbilt Motors Company general manager.
The Platinum Oval Award winners were The Peterbilt Store-North Georgia, Peterbilt of Sioux City, Stahl Peterbilt-Grande Prairie, Peterbilt Manitoba-Winnipeg, Rush Peterbilt Truck Center-Tyler and Peterbilt Pacific-Kamloops.
The Best in Class Award winners were Stahl Peterbilt-Edmonton, Rush Peterbilt Truck Center-Houston, JX Peterbilt-Bloomington, Peterbilt of Council Bluffs and Hunter Peterbilt-Smithfield.
TRP Awards
Peterbilt dealers were recognized for excellence in the support and sales of the TRP brand of all-makes parts for trucks, trailers and buses. Camions Excellence Peterbilt was named the 2011 TRP All-Makes Dealer of the Year for North America.
"Camions Excellence Peterbilt is focused on all-makes, and every person in the dealership realizes the potential of the all-makes market," Siver said.
The TRP Trailer Dealer of the Year was Rush Peterbilt Truck Center-Denver, and the TRP Bus Dealer of the Year was Mid-America Peterbilt in O'Fallon, Mo.
New Awards
This year, three new awards recognized dealers for their creativity and innovation in marketing, effective use of the CONNECT system and engine parts and service excellence. The Parts and Service Marketing Dealer of the Year was Peterbilt Ontario Truck Centres, the CONNECT Dealer of the Year was Allstate Peterbilt of Winona and the Engine Parts and Service Dealer of the Year was The Peterbilt Store-Knoxville.
"These dealers provide the finest service and best parts availability in the industry. We are proud to reward their accomplishments," Siver said.


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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Trey Burke had 18 points and eight assists, and No. 1 Michigan was nearly flawless at the start Wednesday night en route to a 68-46 victory over Northwestern.
The Wolverines made 10 of their first 11 shots and went the entire first half without a turnover. They didn't commit a foul, either, until the final minute of the half.
Michigan (20-1, 7-1 Big Ten) took over the top spot in the AP poll this week for the first time since the 1992-93 season. The Wolverines can now prepare for Saturday night's showdown at No. 3 Indiana.
Michigan played without forward Jordan Morgan, who sprained his right ankle last weekend.
Alex Olah scored 10 points for Northwestern (12-10, 3-6).
The Wolverines finished with only two turnovers. They didn't have any until 6-foot-10 freshman Mitch McGary tried to start a fast break himself by dribbling up the court and lost the ball with less than 12 minutes left.
The two turnovers in a game equaled a national low for any team this season, according to STATS.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Cody Zeller scored 13 of his 19 points in the first half, Christian Watford added 17 points and Indiana handed Purdue its worst loss at Mackey Arena.
The Hoosiers (19-2, 7-1 Big Ten) have won four straight overall and five consecutive road games in league play dating to last season. They remained tied for the Big Ten lead with No. 1 Michigan.
The Wolverines also won Wednesday night, beating Northwestern 68-46, to set up a Saturday night showdown between the league leaders in Bloomington.
Purdue (11-10, 4-4) was led by freshman center A.J. Hammons, who had a career-high 30 points, but couldn't avoid a second straight home loss to the Hoosiers.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario scored 15 points apiece and Florida dominated another Southeastern Conference opponent with a rout of South Carolina.
The Gators, who won their ninth game in a row, led 33-10 at halftime and made their first five shots after the break. They opened a 31-point lead that seemingly couldn't get any more lopsided.
Florida (17-2, 7-0 SEC) pulled ahead 55-15 on Scottie Wilbekin's floater in the lane with 12:32 remaining, sending the happy home crowd to the exits even earlier than usual this season.
The Gamecocks (12-8, 2-5), meanwhile, seemed dazed on the floor and the bench.
Michael Carrera led South Carolina with 13 points and nine rebounds.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Mason Plumlee scored a career-high 32 points and Seth Curry added 21 to help Duke hold off Wake Forest.
Curry hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minutes for the Blue Devils (18-2, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who shot nearly 52 percent.
Duke struggled from 3-point range, going 2-for-14, but got a huge night from their senior big man to earn their first road victory of the season. Plumlee finished 12 of 15 from the field and 8 of 10 at the free throw line.
Freshman Devin Thomas had 15 points for the Demon Deacons (10-10, 3-5).
LSU 73, No. 17 MISSOURI 70
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Anthony Hickey scored 20 points and Andre Stringer added 18 to lead LSU over Missouri.
Hickey had 14 points in the second half and Stringer converted a key four-point play late in the game for the Tigers (11-7, 2-5 Southeastern Conference).
Phil Pressey scored 25 for Missouri (15-5, 4-3) and Jabari Brown added 19.
Missouri, which trailed by as many as 16 early in the second half, pulled to 61-58 on a basket by Pressey with 3:37 left. Two possessions later, Stringer made his fourth 3-pointer. He was fouled on the shot and added the free throw.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Thomas Gipson had 17 points off the bench, Angel Rodriguez added 11 points and eight assists, and Kansas State routed Texas to snap a two-game skid.
Omari Lawrence also scored 12 in a reserve role for the Wildcats (16-4, 5-2 Big 12), who built a 38-19 lead by halftime despite playing long stretches without three key players.
Rodney McGruder, the Big 12's third-leading scorer, picked up two fouls in less than 2 minutes and spent the rest of the half on the bench. Martavious Irving joined him with two fouls moments later, and Will Spradling went to the locker room after getting smacked in the head.
Sheldon McClellan had 15 points for the Longhorns (9-11, 1-6), who committed 18 turnovers.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Doug McDermott scored 29 points and made five of Creighton's 15 3-pointers in the Bluejays' victory over Missouri State.
Ethan Wragge added 15 points, Austin Chatman had 14 points and 10 assists for his first double-double, and Grant Gibbs had 10 points for the Bluejays. Creighton (19-3, 8-2) moved into a tie for first place with Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Gavin Thurman scored 21 points to lead the Bears (6-16, 4-6), who dropped to 1-10 on the road.
McDermott, who also had 10 rebounds and four assists, got better as the game progressed. He scored 18 points and made 3 of 4 3s in the second half.
CINCINNATI (AP) - Sean Kilpatrick scored 19 points and Cincinnati intensified its defense in the second half, overcoming a 10-point deficit to beat Rutgers for a sweep of their season series.
Cincinnati (17-4, 5-3 Big East) blocked eight shots, forced 21 turnovers and held the Scarlet Knights to 24 points in the second half. The Bearcats also won at Rutgers 68-58 on Jan. 12.
Myles Mack scored 15 points to lead the Scarlet Knights (12-8, 3-6), who have lost four in a row with an offense that can't find any consistency.
The Bearcats trailed by 10 early in the second half and didn't lead until Kilpatrick's fastbreak layup put them ahead with 11 minutes left. Cashmere Wright hit a 3 that put them ahead to stay.


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If reports today from the St. Petersburg Times are true, Florida Gov. Rick Scott will not back down in his decision to turn down federal funding for the high-speed rail project in Florida. If he does that, he'll be throwing away thousands of jobs, millions in money the state has already spent on the project, the will of the voters who favor the project, and decades of hard work in bringing Florida forward in what is a desperately needed new mode of transportation for its citizens.
All that Rick Scott has used to base his decision on throwing it all out the window is one study. Unlike his campaign promises, he didn't wait for a study from the Florida Department of Transportation to make his decision. Nope. Instead he relied on a "study" from the Reason Foundation, which has ties to none other than David H. Koch.
Yes, that's the same David H. Koch that another Governor thought he was talking to on the phone as reported yesterday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Walker all but showed that it is the Koch's who are behind the Gov.'s push to crush the unions in that state.
Yes, the same Gov. Walker who Rick Scott spoke to yesterday on the phone, who Scott said was having a "tough" time right now in his maneuvers to strip away collective bargaining powers from the unions there. Scott also spoke of the upcoming meeting of the Republican Governors Association this weekend where, I'm sure, more of the strategy in what appears to be an orchestrated plan against the middle class in this country by the Republicans and their backers, like Koch Industries, will be on the agenda.
It's becoming more clear every day that while people may have thought they were voting for Republicans who had their best interests at heart, they were really electing corporate interests who couldn't care less about them and are pulling all the strings. Many of the Republicans in power right now clearly have no idea how to govern. But that doesn't matter to these corporations because they don't either. They are interested in protecting only one thing: their bottom line. That's why those voters are being sold out. The corporate interests like Koch Industries are using their investment in Republicans in order to do away with jobs, human rights, regulations, and any number of other things.
One of their biggest "gets" was apparently Gov. Rick Scott, who told us he wanted to run Florida like a business. Those voters may have thought this meant prosperity for the state of Florida and its residents, and he's still telling them that while he slowly chips away and sells Florida to the highest bidder. He clearly doesn't know what he's doing, and that's more than apparent with the rejection of high-speed rail.
But at least his corporate backers are happy, and that's all that matters here in Florida, Inc.


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Product Overview
With the advent of diminished locomotive production due to World War II demands and restrictions, many western railroads were hungry for top performing and even more powerful steamers. A number of railroads believed the most suitable of these was the articulated Challenger. A behemoth of its day, it boasted enough horsepower to haul both freight and passengers in excess of 80 miles per hour, with all the efficiency and torque required to run up steep, mountainous grades. The Challenger was an incredible iron workhorse that left its legacy and imprint on the world of railroads and rail transport.Now these highly accurate scale locomotives are available for the first time in American Flyer S Gauge. Experience the thrill of operating the rail hugging monsters on your very own layout. These outstanding locomotives have been created with a level of performance and detail never before seen in American Flyer S Gauge, including the LEGACY Control System. Available in multiple road names and numbers, you will be amazed by the realism that has been captured as you barrel down the tracks toward your next stop.
- LEGACY Control System equipped - able to run in Legacy Control mode, Trainmaster Command Control mode, or in Conventional mode with a standard transformer
- American Flyer Speed Control lets your locomotive operate smoothly and consistently over grades and through curves
- LEGACY RailSounds sound system featuring:-CrewTalk dialog and TowerCom announcements, each with different scenarios depending on whether the locomotives are in motion or stopped-Six official railroad speeds with CrewTalk dialog-DynaChuff synchronized chuffing that shifts through 15 levels of intensity as the locomotive gains speed-LEGACY 'Real-Time Quilling Whistle' control with instant response for realistic signature 'quilling' and correctly timed warning signals-Single hit or continuous mechanical bell sounds-Independently adjustable volume control
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- Operating headlight and classification lights
- Illuminated number boards
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- Rail Line: Union Pacific
- Road Number: 3977
- Gauge: S Scale
- Brand: Lionel
- Min Curve: 36" diameter
- Dimensions: Length: Approx. 25" Engine and Tender


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"Where is the line drawn between information content that libraries want to own versus content that libraries are willing to just lease or license?"
That is a question that came to me late last night as I struggled with another blog post that has been frustrating me for over a week. As I closed down the laptop and crawled into bed, it was a question that stayed with me. Why do we demand to own certain materials and are satisfied to merely license or lease others?
In pursuing ownership of some materials, it makes sense in regard to the first sale doctrine. Libraries want to be able to take the steps necessary to facilitate the borrowing of materials. In retaining ownership rights, it allows the institution to be able to demand the return of items as well as sell or discard them at a later date. It's certainly been true for every physical item that has crossed through our doorway.
As to leased content, the benefits of database access for our patron communities outweigh the needs of ownership. Given the demands on maintenance and management of such systems, it is far easier to purchase a license for access. All libraries have to do is facilitate access to patrons through the web portal. Book leasing works well for short term lending of popular titles that one doesn't want to own fifty copies of later when the demand drops off completely. It's perhaps the only time the library fudges the ownership desire in light of a economic advantage.
While those represent traditional lines of ownership and leasing, I'm wondering if they still make sense as the library moves forward. Why not look towards more leasing models for print materials? Can libraries look to assert ownership rights when it comes to databases? (Specifically, why not become shareholders of database content?) I will confess that some of these questions are just me wondering aloud; I really don't have good answers for them. But as people's interface with information content continues to evolve, I think they are good questions to examine for the future.
Two tangent thoughts that relate to the questions posed:
(1) The big ownership/lease item that gets the attention of libraryland are ebooks. As for ebooks, I can see two different kinds of models that would work well, both of which originate from the music industry. One would be like iTunes where the user purchases books through an interface with the capability of moving it from device to device. It's an ownership based system in which the user would be granted rights over the material. The other would be more like Rhapsody in which the user pays a subscription for access to hundreds of thousands of titles that they can download at their choosing. A person can download as many titles as they wish so long as they are a subscriber to the service. If information access is our goal, how big an issue is ownership in the long run?
(2) I think libraries have their own paradox when it comes to access. We'll proclaim that we are in favor of unfettered information access yet specifically prohibit people on the basis of the accumulation of late fees. Not lost materials, not wanton acts of disregard for public safety, but because they have returned materials late. For a dollar amount equivalent to a Starbucks coffee or an average movie ticket, we will restrict someone's information access without much thought. While some may argue that it is a necessary component to ensure the timely return of materials, I find it remarkably draconian in light of our information access principles. I think it cheapens the institution to put such a low price and condition on borrowing rights; it would be akin to telling someone they couldn't drive till they paid off their $25 parking ticket. To me, it's an enormous injustice.
Where do you think the ownership/access line exists in libraryland?


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Douglas veto
Chalk one up for the governor. He successfully killed the Legislature's session-long effort to pass legislation that would have helped Vermont residents reduce their dependence on foreign oil, save money on their fuel bills, and reduce the state's carbon dioxide emissions that are accelerating global warming. He did it by threatening to veto progressive legislation the Democrats proposed throughout the session, and only offering a half-baked counter proposal after the session ended. Worse, during the past several weeks when legislators were scrambling to craft a compromise with the governor and save the best initiatives of the bill, he refused to budge.Those points are critical to understand when viewing the special meeting Wednesday in an attempt to override the governor's veto of the climate control bill and another initiative on campaign finance reform. Headlines are apt to frame the session as one in which the Democrats "failed" to override the governor's vetos, rather than the fact that the governor killed two important initiatives that would have benefited the vast majority of Vermonters and that polls say the vast majority of Vermonters favor. The Legislature did not quite have the two-thirds majority needed to override the governor, but most Vermonters can read the numbers and know that the vast majority of their representatives and senators think the governor is wrong.Vermonters must ask why the governor would kill such progressive initiatives and reject any meaningful compromise. Then they must ask if the governor represents the public's best interests, or the vested interests of others.To put those questions in perspective, residents might want to review some of the initiatives H.520 proposed. In general, the bill would have: • promoted solar energy by providing tax credits for homeowners;• allowed "group net-metering," which would have helped jumpstart larger hydro, wind and solar projects;• established a statewide program under Efficiency Vermont (known nationally for its successful programs to help Vermonters cut their use of electricity and thus reduce residential utility costs) that would have allowed Vermont residents who use fuel as a heating source to reap personal savings at their homes valued in the tens of millions of dollars.• reduced air pollution and Vermont's contribution to global warming.**********Gov. Douglas and others said they were opposed to the tax on Vermont Yankee. Douglas called it unfair, and he also objected to the manner in which Senate Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin brought the issue to the fore. (Legitimately so, and next session it's essential the Democratic leadership has a thoroughly vetted discussion of its proposals rather than the underhanded manner in which Shumlin handled it this year.) Nonetheless, the legislation was solid and the Democrats agreed to cut the tax on Vermont Yankee and seek other sources of funding as a good faith effort to work with the governor. But once that obstacle was off the table, Douglas then tried to pin his objection on the myth that the legislation would add to the state bureaucracy — as if the very mention of that "buzz" word in conservative circles would give him cover. Efficiency Vermont, however, is one of the more cost-efficient operations the state has, and is about as far from a government bureaucracy as the state transportation agency (one of Douglas' favorites) is to an efficiently run and transparent business.So what was Douglas' motive? Perhaps it was the prospect that Democrats were pushing the agenda and would reap the credit. Or perhaps it was the possibility that the initiative might require the state's cooperation and some funding down the road. Or perhaps the governor was protecting his campaign contributors in big business (his veto of a very reasonable campaign finance overhaul missed being overturned by just a single vote with 97 legislators voting for the override and just 50 Republicans willing to stand by the governor. The Senate vote was an overwhelming 24-5.)What we do know is that the governor's response to the Democrat's initiative is far too little, too late. His initiatives call for a lot of meaningless studies (see related story on Page 1A), and delay tactics that postpone progress under the guise of rhetorical support.Nor does his lack of leadership on the issue make economic sense under his own job-creation initiatives.If the governor wants to establish Vermont as the "green valley" of alternative energy endeavors, the state will have to step up to the plate and help lay the groundwork for those initiatives. And it is a great idea. Vermont has much to build on already. But other states are surging ahead in this field and it won't take much for Vermont to lose its early edge if the governor opposes legislative initiatives that establish the state as a national leader, and if the governor refuses to think creatively about ways to spend a little revenue now to attract highly successful businesses that would generate good paying jobs for our children and a steady stream of tax revenues for years to come.*********** What's encouraging is that voters are starting to recognize the governor's obstinacy on this issue and also of those who stuck with him to sustain his bare minority opinion. The House, after all, voted 86-61 in favor of the override — 12 votes shy of the two-thirds needed (and almost entirely along party lines), and there were about 500 residents who rallied at the Statehouse on Wednesday in support of the override effort.That grass root effort should only build from now until the next session this coming January, pressuring Douglas and his Republican colleagues to come to the table with meaningful alternatives or face defeat in the 2008 election.Angelo S. Lynn ?


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of furniture for a friend. I forgot to take before pictures, but
here are some of the afters.
This was just your average pine hutch....the back was wobbly and it
had wooden knobs to match.
My Dad helped with this project....he actually did a lot of the work!
First he took a $15 piece of wood from Lowe's and cut it to fit the entire back.
This made the whole piece more solid and less wobbly.
Then he primed it with a sprayer and sprayed two coats of an
off-white satin paint by Behr.
I complained to him because my job was to come in and distress it...he
did such a good job painting, I had a hard time taking the paint off!
After taking a hand sander, I added one coat of Satin water-based polyurethane
sealer and some snazzy new knobs....
I didn't want to give this piece back!


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|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
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Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Perennial, shrub, generally ± green, parasitic on aboveground parts of woody plants, dioecious or monoecious
Stem brittle; 2° branches generally many
Leaves simple, entire, opposite, 4-ranked, with blade or leaves scale-like (then each pair generally fused)
Inflorescence: spikes or open cymes, generally axillary, sometimes terminal; bracts opposite, 4-ranked, scale-like, each pair fused
Flower unisexual, radial, 24 mm; perianth parts in generally ± 1 series
Staminate flower: perianth parts 34(7); anthers generally ± sessile, opposite and generally on perianth parts
Pistillate flower: perianth parts generally 24; ovary inferior, 1-chambered, style unbranched, stigma ± obscure
Fruit: berry, shiny, gelatinous
Seeds 1(2), without thickened coat
Genera in family: 7 genera, ± 450 species: tropical, generally n temp
Reference: [Kuijt 1982 J Arnold Arbor 63:401410]
Sometimes included in Loranthaceae; parasitic on plants in many other families. Frs generally dispersed by birds or seeds explosively ejected.
All parts of most members may be TOXIC.
Perennial, shrub, glabrous, dioecious
Stem generally < 20 cm, ± angled, at least when young, yellow, straw, yellow-green, olive-green, green, brown, reddish, purple; 2° branches generally not whorled, generally in ± 1 plane
Leaf scale-like
Inflorescence: spikes, many-flowered, open or ± interrupted, short-peduncled; flowers generally opposite, 4-ranked, less often whorled
Staminate flower: perianth parts 34(7); anthers ± 1-chambered
Pistillate flower: perianth parts 2, persistent
Fruit generally 25 mm, ± compressed-spheric, 2-colored (1 color below, 1 above), dispersed by explosion, seeds projected < 15 m; pedicel short, recurved
Species in genus: ± 45 species: temp and tropical n hemisphere
Etymology: (Greek: juniper, life)
Most important timber pathogens, causing annual loss of many millions of dollars; most species cause abnormal branching (witches' brooms) in hosts
Reference: [Hawksworth & Wiens 1972 USDA Handbook No. 401]