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The Best Films of 2015
The act of watching is considered an external activity; you, sitting, observing, motionless; a receptor to whatever visual bombards you. There's the adage of "shutting off your brain" for the duration of certain mayhem-extensive pictures, suggesting some sort of cosmic catharsis in disengaging with a visual text; ergo, it's just more fun when you don't have to think about what you're watching. Just you, sitting, observing, motionless.
In 2015, purposeful or not, I ended up paying more attention to what was going on inside me while I was watching all these films. I was trying to engage with every text on a personal level, attempting to make sense of a visual language and breaking it down to a comprehensive syntax and grammar that I could easily master. That didn't really happen, but it did accentuate certain details in films.
Like the scene in Xavier Dolan's Mommy, where Dolan extends the expanses of the frame utilizing Ludovico Einaudi's composition, "Experience". It was a moment, perhaps the moment, of the year that effectively transcends the distance between the screen and spectator. Similarly, other films, like John Magary's The Mend and Arnaud Desplechin's My Golden Days, had fun in subverting expectations, commanding attention through its purposeful and calibrated chaos. In them, you'll find familiar stories told in dynamic ways, and in this way, the distance between screen and spectator is shortened.
So with that in mind, I present my top 25 (+1) films of 2015. A list and probably the closest I'll get to the list. It was a good year.
The Hateful Eight
(Quentin Tarantino)
Still mulling over Quentin Tarantino's latest. Rather than shoehorning the film into the list proper, I opted to give it a special space until I am better capable of articulating my feelings toward it. For now, this will do:
Savage, even by Quentin Tarantino's standards, The Hateful Eight remedies the comic overtures of Django Unchained for something disarmingly somber. In fact, most of the film, at least prior to the picture's intermission, suggests a more sophisticated Tarantino, setting aside his tools for sadomasochism to emphasize the milieu in which that sadism occurs. Filmed in the cold mountains outside Telluride, The Hateful Eight, despite its chamber setting, is less about character than it is about space. It's one of the great coups of the picture that so much of the film's stageplay setting reverberates with intensity not from dialogue or performances, but from deliberate and precise cutaways to the location's exteriors. As a blizzard storms outside, with the nailed (coffin) door opened and shut numerous times throughout the film's runtime, the harshness of nature becomes palpable.
(Michael Mann)
Toxic strains of code infiltrate a Hong Kong nuclear plant, affecting a coolant pump that prompts a meltdown. Elsewhere, at Chicago's Mercantile Exchange, the same hacker spurs the rise in soy futures. Michael Mann's Blackhat is preoccupied with one central concern: the confrontation between the tangible and the digital. All of Mann's films have more or less been about the bruised marginalization of masculinity, about its eventual confrontation with monstrous horrors (Manhunter) or hierarchical systems of oppression (Thief). But the fears and anxieties in Blackhat are obscured, less defined by traditional conceptions of hegemonic opposition. It's a kind of evil that is battled not through ineffectual brawn (as realized by Chris Hemsworth) but the speed of ones fingertips over a keyboard. But what makes Blackhat so poignant, so of-the-now, is how the results of this new kind of cyber combat - the causalities and collateral damage of confronting this visage of evil – amount to the same: as bodies strewn around the globe.
Heaven Knows What
(Ben and Joshua Safdie)
The fine line between nonfiction and fiction filmmaking is blurred beyond distinction in Ben and Joshua Safdie's traumatizing Heaven Knows What. Adapted from an unpublished work by the film's muse, Arielle Holmes, the film recounts the life/death style of a cadre of New York City junkies. The authenticity of its milieu, however, is unlike any other production I've seen. The Safdies replicate significant moments in Holmes' narrative while also capturing the spontaneous naturalism of their non-professional actors (who, besides the film's co-lead Caleb Landry Jones, were part of Holmes' community of users). As the Safdies pull their camera back to capture the unrehearsed responses of terror from New York pedestrians, you're baring witness to a kind of harrowing filmmaking that defies and subverts all expectations. No other film this year confronts you with the people you'd rather observe through the periphery of your vision with this much force.
(Todd Haynes)
Todd Haynes owes a lot to the photography of Saul Leiter. So many wonderful sequences in the film are shot through rain-soaked windows or mirrors, whereby the affections of the picture's two lead characters, Therese (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett) seem to be constantly obstructed, always blurred and unrequited. And yet it's to Haynes' visionary credit that he can take the wonderful images he composes out of Leiter's influence and unite them to make a wholly cinematic object. Right from the start, as Therese drifts from the gloomy corridors of her department store job to the bustling Christmas crowds of New York City, Haynes captures that sense of loneliness in groups, that feeling of isolation in a mass of moving bodies. Yet the moment she lays eyes on Carol, those moving bodies are but a blur when compared to the distinct features of what, in essence, is The One. There are plenty of films that attempt to capture the instinctual feeling of love at first sight but Haynes gets it better than most any other director before him.
(Spike Lee)
Embroiled in controversy before its release, Spike Lee's Chi-raq never did stand a chance. In a culture that passes damning judgment based on the trailer of a film, where criticisms are levied on its controversial director rather than the product of his artistry, it's unfortunate that the loudest detractors of Lee's work are the ones who are least familiar with his filmography.
Part of me adores Chi-raq strictly out of principle, wherein Lee utilizes Aristophanes' Lysistrata as a satirical framework to deconstruct the violence that pervades the Chicago southside. Theoretically it's an absolutely brilliant, unorthodox move. The results are somewhat less convincing, if only because every brush of genius that Lee indulges in, he also succumbs to sequences of overwrought didacticism. The messy product nevertheless weighs heavy on the heart of this native Chicagoan – as someone who avoids Englewood or even seedier sides of Hyde Park based on the multitude of anecdotes and horror stories that come from friend's accounts, the frustration of systemic violence registers as palpable and true. The satirical components that define the film's latter portions are at a tonal register one too many octaves high, but nevertheless, the craft is of the highest order.
Magical Girl
(Carlos Vermut)
While most will champion Peter Strickland's The Duke of Burgundy as the best critical study of dominant/submissive relationships, it's the underseen Magical Girl that wins my affections. Though in Carlos Vermut's case, this study of dominants and submissives is something buried within the picture's bizarre sense of humor and critical deconstruction of contemporary Spain, a country, as one character in the film suggests, that's divided by its allegiance to reason and passion. Humbly beginning with a father attempting to purchase his daughter a costume, the picture develops into something much more labyrinthine and macabre, ultimately coming together in an explosive finale that ushers in a brilliant new talent in Vermut.
Li'l Quinquin
(Bruno Dumont)
Speaking of macabre, nothing gets quite as dark in the cinema of 2015 as Bruno Dumont's Li'l Quinquin, where, among its many concerns, is a murderer who attempts to pump bovines with the carcasses of his victims. There's a lot you can detest about Quinquin, what with Dumont's tendencies toward exploiting the visually unappealing. But this is pretty damn funny, in a straight-faced winking sort of way. Bernard Pruvost, who plays one of the two lead investigators set to uncover the mystery, provides a comic performance for the ages, where his steady and persistent facial tics (think Jake Gyllenhaal in Prisoners) goes for humor rather than anything dreadfully serious. In the wake of such self-serious and ultimately fleeting procedural experiences like the aforementioned Prisoners and True Detective, Li'l Quinquin's queer comic approach makes it stand out all the more.
Mountains May Depart
(Jia Zhang-ke)
Both Jia Zhang-ke's most accomplished and frustrating film, Mountains May Depart has undergone a degree of critical reevaluation through its festival run in 2015 before it receives a theatrical run in 2016. Coming out empty handed at Cannes, the film's reputation of declining narrative return – with each of the film's three narratives becoming less potent – emerged as the critical mode du jour. The tag of disappointment that accompanied the film upon its fall and winter festival spots eventually spurred a vocal community going to bat for the film – suggesting that this may indeed be Zhang-ke's best.
Case in point: critical bodies tend to embellish on both spectrums when it comes to divisive works. Mountains May Depart possesses some of the most formally inventive techniques in Zhang-ke's entire catalog, though the film's final act, though not a disaster, is a jarring audial shift. In transitioning from Mandarin to English, there's a distinct audial subtleness that's lost. It doesn't compromise the thematic urgency of the film, rather reinforcing the loss of cultural identity that occurs through an increasingly globalized world. But this would-be masterwork does have a few issues that a rewatch could remedy. So its placement on this list suggests that, in spite of its issues, Mountains May Depart is indeed one of the best films of the year.
99 Homes
(Ramin Bahrani)
As (surprisingly) effective as The Big Short's macro-comic deconstruction of the 2008 housing crash turned out to be, it's Ramin Bahrani's micro approach in 99 Homes that is the superior effort. Condensing the crisis to the life of a father, his family, and a predatory prospector ultimately gives way to something of Steinbeckian sweep. Bahrani, who seems to have fallen out of favor with contemporary film critics, has evolved tremendously, curiously developing a parallel between his characters that have and have not. This concern, as realized through the Andrew Garfield's moralistic everyman and Michael Shannon's cutthroat capitalist, situates the housing crash as something immediate and tangible.
Heart of a Dog
(Laurie Anderson)
Laurie Anderson's Heart of a Dog may be the closest we'll get to a Don Hertzfeldt live-action film. It possesses many of the thematic qualities that I associate with Hertzfeldt: a wispy, dreamlike allegiance to storytelling, a preoccupation with our capacity to generate memories, and an acute observational quality that exposes unsaid truths about life and living. Wryly narrated by Anderson herself, this documentary finds room to discuss the ethics of surveillance, our attachments to our pets, and the lies we tell ourselves to make sense of the universe. Utilizing a variety of formal techniques to stimulate the feeling of entering someone's stream-of-consciousness, the film remains cinematically fluent in what's a penetrable diary of what it means to be a human being.
James White
(Josh Mond)
Even the most spiritually upbeat constitutions will find themselves absorbing knockout blows when watching Josh Mond's James White. The film details the trials and tribulations of a young aspiring writer (Christopher Abbot) as he contends with the immediate death of his father and his mother's cancerous disintegration, tending to her as she begins to whither away with every passing month. Mond's all-business approach more or less positions the audience as spectator to agony, though it's his subversions to such extremes that really elevates James White. Whether it be a scene involving a shower handjob or a gentle exchange between mother and son discussing an unforeseeable future, Mond plunders for real human emotion, in all its highs and lows.
(Sean Baker)
What Sean Baker achieves in Tangerine is nothing short of visionary, capturing a complete and total milieu, making use of its vibrant and often marginalized inhabitants. It's aggressive yet urgent, as its total and perpetual movement insists on a viewer's active participation. Those who jive with this After Hours-esque plunge through the seedier back alleys of Los Angeles will be rewarded with something surreally poignant. With Baker's impressive handle of spatial movement and a coterie of remarkably assured actors – notably Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor – Tangerine is a model of American indie filmmaking.
Inside Out
(Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen)
Yes, we all cried a little (a lot) at Inside Out. Most will probably cite the demise of a childhood memory as the turning point when the Pixar machine – the reliable tenderness of Michael Giacchino's score, Richard Kind's agonizingly whimsical voice, and the animated subtly of something pink and fluffy fading into the gray and black – cranks it up to 11. But there's another moment, later into the film, that suggests a far more complicated – and ultimately truer – understanding of our emotional endurance. It occurs during the compassionate embrace between father, mother, and daughter, where our ability to forge happy memories often depends on great personal sacrifices. Pixar has always been ahead of the curve with its frank existential concerns, but the anxieties found in Inside Out are profound: they're asking their audience to ascribe meaning to life itself, utilizing a framework of anthropomorphized emotions to realize its ambitions. It's a stroke of genius that amounts to one of the most moving experiences in all of Pixar's canon.
(Mia Hansen-Løve)
Mia Hansen-Løve is an important filmmaker, and along with Richard Linklater, has become the preeminent voice on the concept of time. Both filmmakers have found their preoccupations with the way we age, about the passage of time, and our futile attempts to hold onto something that's beyond our grasp. With Eden, Hansen-Løve positions her narrative adjacent to the rise Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, fixated on the ones who never did become household names; collateral damage of a movement. And it's this device, this proximity to success from meager beginnings and the subsequent divergence in their paths, that leads to flourishes of pure cinematic poetry. As the picture reaches its conclusion, with Daft Punk's "Within" playing over the soundscape, the cumulative weight of years assumes a tangible crushing aspect: whereas Linklater emphasizes the physical ramifications of time, Hansen-Løve realizes the insular and hermitic.
Magic Mike XXL
(Gregory Jacobs)
The tight abdominal, I mean narrative, construction of Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike gives way to something infinitely more shaggy yet nevertheless profound (for a movie about strippers) in Gregory Jacobs' Magic Mike XXL. Jacobs approaches the material with a casual esteem, providing a lax attitude to material that seemed to have found its conclusion in Soderbergh's original. But whereas the original's concerns emphasized the commodification of the male frame, Jacobs opts for something more existential, functioning as a study on wounded masculinity, correcting the racial divide of the first feature, as well as promoting a fundamentally sex-positive attitude. Capped off by what's the year's greatest accomplishment in cinematography, Magic Mike XXL achieves what all sequels should strive to be: better.
The Mend
(John Magary)
The savvy few that had a working knowledge of Arnaud Desplechin and his formal virtuosity could brace themselves for John Magary's off-kilter debut film, The Mend. Those who didn't, like myself, were in for an experience like no other. This is a massive accomplishment on virtually all levels: performances from Josh Lucas and Stephen Plunkett are among the best of the year, the sleek veneer of Chris Teague's NYC cinematography gives the city a seedy warmth, and Joseph Krings' editing is as nuanced and compelling as Magary's writing and direction. The film is a vision of unpredictability, subverting any and all expectations, ultimately yielding to the singular idea that the unmanageable aspects of life are certainly worth sharing – if not with a loved one, than a captive audience.
Christmas, Again
(Charles Poekel)
The way he avoids questions about the girl from last year; his instinctual knowledge of his profession; his quick-to-anger demeanor at those who don't work as hard as him; the photos that ornate his camper. The steady accumulation of details that amass in Charles Poekel's wonderful debut feature Christmas, Again shows a writer/director with an acute sense of what it means to establish character. It's a character study of a young man selling Christmas trees and the situations that organically occur out of this milieu. Realized through Kentucker Audley's graceful performance that underplays every gesture, this is the kind of heartfelt and poignant Christmas movie I can get behind – fuck A Christmas Story.
In the Shadow of Women
(Philippe Garrel)
Philippe Garrel's In the Shadow of Women is so remarkably funny that it's bitterly sharp insights on love, monogamy, and masculinity may not register as especially profound until days after an initial viewing. But this compact exercise sinks its canines deep into you, imparting wisdom about the way men and women behave that are both insightful and severe. Shot in black and white, Garrel's preoccupation with dichotomies carries a significant visual element, which often spitfires into diametrically composed frames, whereby the film's title begins to take on a literal effect. Taking on the spirit of early Woody Allen (think Manhattan or Annie Hall), In the Shadow of Women cajoles your preexisting knowledge on films about infidelities and marital discord and, in the vein of Hitchcock, asks if you really do know what's coming next.
Mistress America
(Noah Baumbach)
David Foster Wallace wrote that plagiarists aren't lazy, so much as kind of navigationally insecure. They have trouble navigating without a detailed map's assurance that somebody has been this way before. The inexperienced Tracy Fishko (Lola Kirke) hasn't been anywhere and is alone. The people that orbit her isle of solitude fail to conjure anything meaningful within her, that is until she meets with her soon to be stepsister, Brooke (Greta Gerwig). In her she finds the weight of experience bringing her down. She's a character. She has interesting things to say and is unlike anyone that Tracy knows. So Tracy uses Brooke, uses her experiences, her anecdotes, exploits her tics, and sculpts a story out of her.
Of Mistress America's many concerns, it's this intersection between reality and fiction that makes for such a rich and rewarding picture. The film addresses how artists attempt to shape something out of nothing, constantly searching for truth yet careful not to exploit its source. And Baumbach explores this with such fervent humor and warmth that you begin to wonder what happened to the cynic with a keen bullshit antennae that made Greenberg. We get our answer the moment the curtain reveals Greta Gerwig.
My Golden Days
(Arnaud Desplechin)
Unwieldy and tonally dissonant, I can thank John Magary's The Mend for bracing me for the cinema of Arnaud Desplechin. That's at least how I felt 30 minutes into My Golden Days, where Desplechin's sense of time management and cinematic logic can be considered slack, at best. But the film reveals itself, not through the usual indicators of narrative storytelling or actorly gestures, but through the undercurrent of anxieties and emotions that seep outside the periphery of the frame. The way Desplechin positions the film as memories within memories promotes an initial wave of nostalgia that settles into smooth currents of revelations and epiphanies. The film's major narrative aspect – the familiar young love plot – is realized with the kind of cinematic flourishes that inspire and emphasize all the whimsy that comes with that experience. And the bitter moments of recollection take what could have been vapid clichés and convert them into something genuine and absolutely, gut-wrenchingly real.
(Xavier Dolan)
Composing a list of the best films of 2015 requires a lot of sifting, so one eventually becomes reliable on the memory of their first experience with a picture. And as I watched Dolan's fifth feature film, I was shattered by all the big details that come from his filmmaking. From the claustrophobia that comes from his 1:1 box frame, to his frequent and grandiose use of music, to the mammoth performances he draws out of Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément, and especially Anne Dorval, Mommy resists every temptation to remain still throughout its runtime. Normally, I'd consider this aggressive stylism and penchant for self-indulgence to be a detriment, but all this grandstanding is rooted within a context of pure, unfiltered, and raw emotion. I cannot fault someone who is clearly writing, acting, designing, and directing from the heart, particularly when the results are this assured.
(Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman)
Anomalisa, like with most of Charlie Kaufman's work, is fundamentally an existential journey of a modern man, and as such requires its audience to interact with it on a primarily emotional level. Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synecdoche New York, etc. are very personal films that probe the concerns of the day, the sort of concerns that amass and assemble and decorate a life, that ornate our pilgrimage on Earth. But the finer details of Kaufman's scripting, the sense of aloneness that Anomalisa explores – the idea of giving up grand ambitions for living the most ordinary life imaginable - is revelatory. I felt Anomalisa at my nerve endings as something authentic and true, it scoured every inch of my being and froze me still. It means a whole lot to me.
Henry Gamble's Birthday Party
(Stephen Cone)
Mircobudget indie filmmaker Stephen Cone has made seven films. Henry Gamble's Birthday Party is not just Cone's best film; it's genuinely one of the most significant American films of the year. Set over the course of a day, Cone pivots around the Gambles, a devoutly Christian family headed by a pastor patriarch (Pat Healy) as they celebrate their son's 17th birthday with a pool party. Immaculately sprawling yet tenderly intimate, Cone introduces the Gamble's friends and family piece by piece, with characters moving in and out of the frame at a moment's notice. There's an Altman-esque quality to the picture that makes it feel especially mammoth despite being centralized largely within the Gamble's household for its runtime. What you get out of the film's increasingly growing cast of characters and moving bodies is a sense that so much is occurring outside the periphery of the frame, that it lives and breathes outside the confines of what the camera presents. As the credits roll, those characters, their plights, their circumstances, their ideologies stay with you.
Mad Max: Fury Road
(George Miller)
Part chase film, part race to redemption, Mad Max: Fury Road is a full-on spectacle. Those who have likened it to an opera or symphony do so because of the depths and density of its moving parts. George Miller's masterpiece utilizes the fundamental mythopoeia of his original trilogy and springboards it into new and nonpareil heights. From its vivid deconstruction of colonial rebellion to its pronounced and vital feminist commentary, Mad Max: Fury Road is above all a film of such explosive élan. Three films may have preceded its making, yet there's no film quite like it. Doubtlessly, few films will be able to reach its heights this year, and for that matter, the years that follow.
In Jackson Heights
(Frederick Wiseman)
The dangers of discussing Frederick Wiseman's new documentary In Jackson Heights, a sociologically robust portrait of a Queens neighborhood known for its diverse population, is that you gravitate toward composing a top five list of your favorite scenes and writing about that; something I hope to avoid. Based on his recent films, beginning with At Berkeley and followed by National Gallery, I don't think it would be unfair to call Wiseman a maximalist. At 190 minutes, In Jackson Heights is only the second longest of those films (Berkley clocking in at over four hours, National Gallery at a comparatively brief 181 minutes). Not to suggest that length strictly applies to the concept of maximalism, but it's clear that Wiseman's exploration of minute details has required an ample runtime to elaborate on the profundity of his subjects. As such, the results have been transportive. Through his keen observational approach, Wiseman's maximalist tendencies promote a distinct sensitivity to his surroundings. The Berkeley campus exudes warmth, the corridors of the National Gallery feel stepped in and conquered, and with In Jackson Heights, the meticulous details of Wiseman's craft persuades you into submitting yourself to the milieu – you are a citizen of this community. This goes beyond superficial sightseeing or touristy asides. From the bookended aerial images that ornate the picture, you're beak-deep in Jackson Heights.
World of Tomorrow
(Don Hertzfeldt)
The films of Don Hertzfeldt mean a lot to me. I was introduced to Hertzfeldt's Everything Will Be Ok early in my cinephilia, in a particularly dark time in my life. It's not a film that reaffirms life and existence, but rather empathized with my plight, offering no distinct answer beyond acknowledging that other people deal with this too. Sometimes that's all you need: the empathy, the understanding.
World of Tomorrow floats, both as a piece of filmmaking and as a contemplative study on life and death. The film's premise involves a young girl named Emily and her encounter with a future self, where the two will transcend the expanses of time and space to uncover pieces about themselves. This simple synopsis does the film no justice, as much of the picture's intensity is derived from the film's abstract digital animation and Hertzfeldt's astounding grasp of human behavior – his simple stick figures say more about life and living within the confines of 17 minutes than most even suggest over the course of a feature. Its weightlessness and wispy contemplations may allow the film to move with swift playfulness, but this is a device that's utilized to bypass petty detail – it does not conceal the fact that World of Tomorrow mounts an unexpected assault on the senses that cuts straight to the bone. As the audience follows Emily and her future self, where the concept of past, present, and future lose meaning, Hertzfeldt'a major pronouncement is to live, feel, and create. Humanity is contingent on it.
My critical capacities can't really judge a film like World of Tomorrow, at least not in any sort of unbiased and emotionally detached way. I think there's plenty to commend in regards to Hertzfeldt's formal flourishes. But the fact that this is one man making a film from his desktop says a lot about the intrinsically personal nature of the work. You'll either get it or not. And that's fine. But when I'm making a list of the top 25/10/5/whatever films of any given year, the film that spoke to me most directly usually occupies the top of the list. And for 2015, that was World of Tomorrow.


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HOUSTON – Offering a plea based on Eph. 1:18-19, the church here prays that at SoulLink, the eyes of students' hearts may be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which Jesus has called them, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people and His incomparably great power for those who believe. To that end, the Bammel church of Christ is hosting the SoulLink "Move" Youth Conference on Feb. 23-25. (more…)
2018 February
Re: Direction Forum to "It's Me" millennials: Jesus? "He's you!"
CORPUS CHRISTI — "How must I live in order to become the person Christ wants me to become?" This question regularly occupies space in the minds of many Christians. But it is especially important that millennials and college students consider the love of God as seen in the character of Christ today and next exclaim, "It's me!", to show their approval and then grow into Christians who take the lead. (more…)
New year, new luncheons for SAC students
SAN ANTONIO — As the San Antonio College spring semester started in January, likewise the Church of Christ Student Center nearby began serving lunch for the those on campus. Fifty-five young people walked in for the first Thursday luncheon after classes began in mid-January.
Many of them already know that the center provides free lunch. However, some had come in for the first time because ministry volunteers had ventured out into the cold and rounded up students from the campus to come in and eat. The students eagerly expressed their appreciation for the hot meal. Mark Forster, center director, led the devotional. (more…)
Sanders asks, "Why be a Christian?" at Weber Road
CORPUS CHRISTI – "Weber Road anticipates a great series of lessons on 'Why Be a Christian?' with Phil Sanders. Make plans to join us!" With these words, Minister Mark Hammitt announced the church's upcoming gospel meeting set for Feb. 16-18 at the building.
The special weekend begins at 7 p.m. on Friday with, "Why You Should Be a Christian." The Saturday lesson also opens at 7 p.m. with a study of "Will Jesus Really Help Me?" (more…)
McQuien's Musings: The Holy Spirit and Romans 8
by Paul McQuien
Understanding the nature of the Holy Spirit is difficult because of his seemingly enigmatic, abstract nature. With God the Father we can at least draw a paternal analogy, and Christ the Son was incarnated and lived in the physical world as a man. Viewed superficially, the Holy Spirit seems to lack these corporeal comparisons, which has sometimes resulted in confusion and misinterpretation. (more…)
Guest Editorial: I Love Her Legacy
by Marsha Dowell
Lois Murphy. She was the author of the "A Wayfarer Pauses" articles that filled this same space in Christian News of South Texas for so many years. When I first met Lois, I already knew of her from her writings. She walked in the door of the Whataburger on Bandera, accompanied by her family. I knew she was a writer, and that instantly put her at the top of my respect list. I felt honored to be introduced to her. (more…)
Angel Encampments
CORPUS CHRISTI — Psalm 34:
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
It's easy to forget what we cannot perceive through our senses. In one story from 2 Kings 6, an army snuck in at night and surrounded Dothan, the town where Elisha was living. In the morning, the prophet's servant went out, saw the army with its horses and chariots, and came to Elisha in a panic, crying, "Oh no! What shall we do?!"
I wish Elisha's first response would be the same gut reaction I would have in times of tension, but he said: "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." If you remember the story, you probably also recall that Elisha then prayed for God to open the servant's eyes. The man looked and saw that the hills were full of horses and that chariots of fire were posted all around Elisha. (more…)
Kim's new kidney is out there
SAN ANTONIO – But the match has not been made just yet.
You may remember that Sister Kim Shields, daughter of Allen and Cheryl Shields of the Southwest church of Christ here, suffers from complete renal failure and is in dire need of a new kidney. (more…)
Follow-up help still needed in Rockport after Harvey
by Brenda Slatton
While South Texas Christians sent prayers to the coast in the middle of Hurricane Harvey, the Church of Christ Disaster Relief was already preparing to help. But long before that, Deb Honeycutt was being prepared by God to make a difference in Rockport. She is still making a difference today but needs other Christians' help.
Rockport, Aransas Pass and Port A got hammered by Hurricane Harvey and 46 tornadoes.
"If you had seen the debris it was crazy," Deb said. "The eye sat over us for 2 1/2 hours and there were 46 tornadoes imbedded just in the eye. In the area where we help, that 7-foot surge finished them off. People, understand, lost everything when that surge came and hit their house, everything was ruined." (more…)
Anderson teaches gift-based roles for outreach
DRIPPING SPRINGS – What would it look like if Jesus' followers took on roles based on their gifts to proclaim His gospel? The church here is pulling together to find out during Chuck Anderson's Bring | Teach | Keep Seminar on Feb. 16-18 at the building.
Online, Minister Jacob Rutledge says that the church here recognizes that "a fundamental element of our salvation is mission; reaching out and evangelizing the lost in our community." (more…)
Thanks to the Christian News' Cheerful Givers!
SOUTH TEXAS — The Apostle Paul may not have known it at the time, but he gave you and other readers who partner in this edification ministry, a name: Cheerful Giver (2 Cor. 9:7). In 2017, many hearts gave out of their abundance.
That year, throughout South Texas, many lips spoke to beseech the Lord on our behalf, asking His blessing on the work of the Christian News of South Texas. We heard the prayers in the assembly and read them in letters, notes, text messages, emails and on the website comments at christiannewsst.wordpress.com.
Each month, the Lord often graciously answered "Yes," seeing to it that every inch of space in every issue was filled with news that encouraged some, inspired others, edified many and informed all readers in the body of Christ in our region. So some gave prayers, and after each edition was put to bed, we thanked Him for sending you to pray for us. (more…)
Church thanks vets with Quilts of Honor
by Stamo Andrews
PLEASANTON — On Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, Quilts of Honor were presented to six members of the church of Christ here following the conclusion of the morning assembly. Several of our ladies who are involved with the Medina County Quilt Guild decided to use their sewing talents to fashion these beautiful covers for those in our congregation (after approval of their nomination) who honorably and sacrificially served our nation. (more…)


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|Errare humanum est!
|Est tempus for Pax Romana!
|Victory to the Great Roman Empire!
— Julius Casear
Ancient Romeball, also known as Roman Empireball, SPQRball, Roman Republicball and Roman Kingdomball was the mightiest Classical Age European empire. It spoke Latin and hated almost any neighbor they had. Their army was one of the best in the Antiquity, but it weakened after numerous succession crises and foreign invasions and in the end, they weren't able to defend against people with pointy sticks.
Legend says that after Troyball got destroyed, Aeneas and some exiles went into Latium and founded Alba Longaball. Then, from Alba Longaball, Romulus and Remus founded Romeball and thus Ancient Rome was born as a kingdom.
Either way they were definitively NOT Greek when "Romeball" was just a group of little villages on the Tiber.
Meanwhile, Southern Italy was getting settled by Ancient Greeceball, Carthageball and Phoeniciaball while Northern part was mainly inhabited by Gaulish tribes.
The Roman Kingdom and Republic
Ancient Romeball born as a kingdom ruled by Sabines and Etruscan kings. During this period, Ancient Romeball slowly conquered all Central Italy. After the last king got exiled from the city, Etruscanball got into a war against Ancient Romeball. The result was the acquisition of Etruria by the Romans. They learned a lot from these Etruscanballs: religious sacrifices, early Roman military structure, and even the toga - yeah, the Roman toga was an Etruscan invention.
Meanwhile, various wars against Magna Graeciaball and Greek Syracuseball lead Ancient Romeball to control almost all the Italian peninsula.
Ancient Romeball, then, became a republic where two co-leaders were elected for a year only. During this period the various Punic Wars and the expansion against Gaulball lead Ancient Romeball to become the dominating power of the Ancient Known World. Daciaball and Ancient Greeceball were annexed too during this period.
The Romans took a long time to conquer Ancient Greeceball, and in the process, the Romans adopted Greek painting, sculpture, philosophy, historiography, and even religion.
The Ancient Romeballs never became Greekballs though. There were things about the Ancient Romeballs that never changed: The Greekballs loved ideas, the Romeballs were practical, in what many historians call a "rustic Italian" way. If they learned something from the Greekballs, they figured out a way to turn it into something that could be useful to the Empire. Roads, aqueducts, arches, are all good examples.
The Romeballs did not try to spread Greek language in their Empire. They spread Latin. It was only in the already Hellenized East that they accepted the use of Greek, and this was mainly due to the existing tax collection systems created by the Hellenistic kingdomballs that had been conquered by them.
The Romeballs never saw Odysseus, Achilles or Heracles like their "mythological heroes". No, they chose Aneas, a demigod who was the enemy of the Greek mythologic heroes. Historically, the Romeballs saw themselves in many ways better than the Greekballs, and Aeneas was the perfect symbol for that supremacy.
During the First Century BC, the republican government was highly corrupted and so the Principality was instituted after Ceasar won the civil war. The Principality became known as Empire only later.
Meanwhile, Ancient Romeball managed to annex Herodiancube, Bosporan Kingdomball, and Ancient Armeniaball and to partially defeat Parthiaball, and emperor Trajan helped the SPQRball to reach its height. After he died, Hadrian came to the throne and put the SPQRball's focus on defense. The SPQRball then stagnated.
But in the Third Century CE, SPQR was pretty unstable and Sasanian Empireball invades and is defeated by Odenathus, but then the Gallic Empireball and Palmyrene Empireball manage to secede for a bit.
Christianism and death
As we all know, in 33 AD a Jewish hippie died and thus Christianism born. Firstly, Ancient Romeball persecuted it due to Hellenismball being the main religion but in the Fourth Century, Ancient Romeball converted to Chalcedonismball.
- Hi, I live in the Roman Empire and I was wondering- Is Loving Jesus Legal Yet?? (quote from Bill Wurtz)
- SPQRball: Non... Actually, Okay bene! (said Constantine)
During this period, the Empire got split into Western Roman Empireball and Eastern Roman Empireball to reduce the Germanic migrants that were threatening to destroy the Empire, what they later did in 476 with Western Roman Empireball.
Byzantineball, instead, survived until 1453 when Ottomanball finally conquered the last Roman city. Constantinople
- Alba Longaball - Meum (my) main parent.
- Ancient Greeceball - Meum second parent.
- Byzantineball - Filius (Son), unfortunately, he does not like the Latine language and decided that he would speak only the Graecus language, but this est because of his grandparent, Ancient Greeceball
- Western Roman Empireball: Filius, He unlike his fratris (brother) likes the Latine language and speaks it, many of meum grandkids speak there own type of Latine, bonum (good) job filius.
- Greeceball: The filius of Byzantineball. My smart grandson who invented democracy long time ago,his father is destroyed by kebabs and he is now of very poor,I hope he recovers himself.
- Macedoniaball: WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR SLAVIC BULGARIAN LANGUAGE. YOU ARE NOT HELLENIC! YOU ARE BULGARIAN YOU HERE ME! EVEN MACEDON IS PISSED OFF AT YOU!
- Italyball: The filius of Western Roman Empireball. dare gloriam, yet grandchild. He created his own version of the Latine language... the Italian language. He has great cuisine, just like me! His food est of international recognition, especially pizza and pasta, and his clay est rich in meum historia having inherited the Italian Peninsula where meum capital Romeball and most of meum historia happened and he have great cult.
- Franceball: Meum another Grandchild. She is sister of Italyball. Also created her own version of the Latine language... the French language. She has great cultura, just like me! She est the most visited countryball in the mundus, vero a pillar of civilization like Ego was a pillar of civilization in the mundus antiquorum! Her food est also well known: baguette, croissant. Just like me she cannot decide between Imperium or Res Publica. In the end she settled for Res Publica while Ego settled for Imperium.
- Romaniaball & Moldovaball: Meum Eastern European grandchildren. They speaks their own version of Latine, Romanian. They sunt the fratris of Franceball, Italyball and cognata of Greeceball. They have great corruptioni, just like me! umm... ok... that's not bonum... They sunt the closest in grammar to me! Preserving certain features of Vulgar Latine that other Romance languages lost, such as three genders (Masculine, Feminine and Neuter) and all six Latine cases. Their food est mostly traditional but bonum: mici, mămăligă. YOU ARE ALL NOT DACIAN YOU ARE LATIN!!!
- Sardiniaball: He est Italy's younger fratris and est meum grandchildren that Ego interested in. Ego interested in the language he speaks... it's close to Latine, the language that Ego used to speak. Grandson, Ego applaud tu for keeping a language that est almost close to mine even though it has been extinct. Hope you get along with your fratres.
- Spainball and Portugalball: Born during between Western Roman Empireball, Gauls and Visigoths. Also speaks their own version of Latine... the Spanish and Portuguese language. They had great Imperiums, just like me! Because of them Ego have great legatum under the form of most spoken languages in America Meridionalis! They also have great food just like me and their fratres! Paella, Tapas, Tortilla for Spainball. Bacalhau, Broa de Avintes for Portugalball
- South American countryballs - grandchildren, filius of Spainball and Portugalball. Latine yet lives! (my favorite is Brazilball because he likes me) I'm proud of them.
- Mexico and Central American Countryballs - grandchildren, filius of Spainball.
- - Caribbiean Countryballs
- Philippinesball - Grandson from Spainball from the Far East, Latin lives on!.
- Holy Roman Empireball - My son?
Totally not a product of rape.
Saderan Empire - My Grandson from the another world and he has a war on Japan!
- Ancient Greeceball - It's complicatus.
- Ptolemaic Egyptball - Somehow amicus.
- Ancient Armeniaball - Vassal.
- Byzantineball - Orthodox Successor. Unfortunatly he does not like Latine. He also did not liked when I called that guy named Jesus a hippie.
- Holy Roman Empireball - "Latine" Successor BUT HE IS OF GERMANOS!!!
- Christianityball - The only reason why Ego legalized tu because Ego saw that hippie in my dreams.
Such ironia how it was me who crucified him
- Hellenismball - Tu helped shaped me into the Mighty Imperium that Ego known of but Ego thought it was tempus to pick a novus religion.
- Hanball - Hey! Thanks for your silks to me and thus trade with me! *
Althought he let Xiongnu come!!!!*
- Germaniaball: Filthy, barbaric immigrantes. How dare yuo defeat me!
- Ptolemaic Egyptball: EGO DEFEATED TU!! HA!
- Etruscanball: Raped our Lucretia.
- Gaulball: Barbarians
- Daciaball: Stupidus heretics and the worst enemy EVER. ROMANIA IS OF LATIN NO DACIAN!!! AND NEVER RISE AS AN EMPIRE AGAIN! AND NEVER FORGET THE FIRST DACIAN WAR,WHEN I LOST! AND YOU FORCED ME TO PAY YOU TRIBUTE OF 8 MOTHERFUCKING MILLION SESTERCES!THANKS TO MY INCOMPETENT EMPEROR OF DOMITIAN! GGGRRRR!
- Sassanidball: Was of meum grandis rival back then.
- Carthageball: Worst rival ever, Carthago Delenda Est!
- Seleucidball: Their incompetent king tried to take my land.
- Kingdom of Pontusball: Tried to take my land.
- Parthiaball: Most powerful barbarian known. Defeated my general at 53 AD.
- Xiongnu confederacyball: Actually I do not know much about him. But his sons (Great Seljukball, Ottomansball, Rumball) kılled my son!! HOW DARE YOU!!!
YOU DİRTY KEBAB! (I still don't know what is kebab but remove!)
How to draw
- Draw a circle filled with red
- Draw SPQR in the middle using gold and add a laurel wreath of the same color
- Draw eyes and you're finished
- Recommended, but not necessary, draw a galea or a laurel wreath
Facebook Page


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Even though we have not made the new website live yet, I am going to continue blogging about it and on it. The blog is to explain our progress as well as point out what we would like to do in the future.
Hopefully we will be live before long. Even though this blog won't be seen until then, it will still be relevant for it discusses our vision for the website.
From the beginning, the idea was to have a website to simply spread our love of nature and hope to show others its wonders. Maybe in doing so we will be able to get others involved in enjoying and appreciating nature just as we do.
Our first goal in that regard is to blog and post some of our photography for everyone to enjoy. I am joined in my efforts by Kristi Thomas and Pat Sawyer. The three of us are nature photographers and naturalists. As a matter of fact we are all members of the Cypress Basin Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists. As we progress, we hope to add other photographers and writers to the website. Before long, I expect to have hundreds of photographs of the beauty of east Texas. With the variety of our interests, there should be a vast range of the types of photos and subjects. You can expect to see scenic views, pictures of birds and other wildlife in their natural habitat, and some macro photography which examines the tinest segments of life. If you like nature, you aren't likely to be bored here.
Later we hope to expand to include a lot of other information including maps and guides to bird watching, hiking, biking, kayaking/canoeing, and other activities. We hope to add information and educational material on a variety of nature subjects including photography, invasive species, identification of different organisms (birds, reptiles, fish, flowers, trees, etc). There will be information about the history and current status of Caddo Lake and Lake O' the Pines. I hope to include information about some of the fun activities and contributions that can be made through some of the citizen scientists programs. Who knows what else may appear here? Ultimately, we want to be the place where you come to see beauiful photographs of east Texas nature; where you can read information and stories about the animals and plants here as well as learn about the ecology of the local nature communities; and, most of all, find what you need to enjoy the natural wonders and beauty of east Texas.
You can contribute as well. There will be a place to add photographs and share information. We will be adding other writers and photographers. If you wish to join us, click on the Contact Us tab on the menu.
Stand by for the fun. It is coming soon . . .
Join us and enjoy the wonders of nature. You may be amazed at the beauty and variety of life all around us here in east Texas.


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"Wood flooring" is a comprehensive category that includes different wood species, finishes and products. Not all wood types are the same and each one has unique advantages and disadvantages of its own. There's no such term as "scratch-resistant" when it comes to hardwood. However, the choice of finish and engineering technologies implemented for processing lumber are two important factors that make wood floors scratch-resistant.
Things You Should Consider
Type Of Wood
- Hardwood flooring is sold as engineered or processed wood and solid wood. Solid wood is carved from a single, solid piece of timber. It's available in unfinished, refinished or factory finished forms.
- Contrary to this, engineered wood is manufactured using complex technologies. Nine individual wooden plies are joined together, sealed, polished and veneer laminated to produce processed wood.
Benefits & Downsides Of Different Types
- While engineered hardwood is resistant to temperature fluctuations and moisture content, it can't be refinished when the floorboards turn old, dull or scratched. This is not the case with solid wood. It can endure multiple servicing sessions and continue to endure it for a long time.
- Solid wood floors can be easily replaced, remodeled or redesigned when you get bored of them, which is not the case with engineered hardwood.
- Processed hardwood is stronger, more durable and scratch resistant up to 99% due to veneer application. As opposed to it, solid wood needs reapplication of finish at fixed time intervals.
- It's easier to maintain solid hardwood flooring however engineered requires great care. Moreover, its maintenance process is time-taking and quite expensive.
Scores Of Janka Hardness Test
This test determines the durability, resilience and endurance power of hardwood, based on the amount of force applied on its surface, in order to embed a steel ball into it. Although the test results don't guarantee 100% scratch resistance yet, the species that have high points (over 2000) are more resistant to dents, blemishes, coloration and deep gouges.
Wood Species
Wood species like Brazilian teak, Cherry and walnut are naturally hard whereas the yellow pine and American Beech are more vulnerable to damage. Therefore, choose the species that has long history of endurance and natural resistance.
Final finishing plays an important role in enhancing the endurance power of your flooring. Some manufacturers prepare special polishes for surface application while others inject acrylic monomers in between the floorboards to make them harder. There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing finish:
- Polyurethane: Not much effective, at least 10 coats have to be applied to acquire the desired effect.
- Ceramics & Aluminum Oxide: They're not used individually but are mixed with urethane polishes to ensure greater resistance.
- Water-based Urethane: It is durable, waterproof, hard, resistant to yellowing and superior to other finishes.
- Oil-based Urethane: They provide best protection against peeling, water damages, chipping and pets.
Credibility Of The Provider
Always consider the market reputation and past experience of a provider before purchasing hardwood flooring from them. Opt for the companies that provide excellent customer services and warranties, offer samples or trials and have a flexible rate list.
Extra Tips
- Scratches are not conspicuous on dark colored surfaces so avoid high-gloss finish or light colors. Moderate or neutral shades and satin finishes are the best.
- It is impossible to achieve total scratch-resistance. Use carpets or scratch pads when pets are around.
- Take proper care of your floor by following the right cleaning and polishing techniques to keep it as good as new.
If you're looking for sturdy wood floors, better choose a durable and strong hardwood species along with quality finish and effective floor products. This maximizes the durability of your flooring and checks any additional money spent on its maintenance. You'll also want to look into ways to wax your floor for even more scratch resistance.


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Edmonton, AB (March 1, 2018) – The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is proud to announce the selection of Brittney Savard of the NAIT Ooks as the 2017-18 ACAC women's hockey top scholastic achiever. Brittney, who hails from Port Alberni, BC, obtained a 3.9 in the Personal Fitness Trainer program at NAIT during the first semester.
Brittney helped lead the NAIT Ooks to a 2nd place regular season finish and was selected to the ACAC All-Conference team. She finished 7th in league scoring this season with 15 points.
NAIT Ooks women's hockey head coach Deanna Martin had the following to say about her student-athlete. "Brittney is a strong leader; she exemplifies Ook Values both on and off the ice."
– 30 –
About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, ACAC
Chief Executive Officer
Sam Nahrgang
Sports Info., Promos. & Events Co.
Twitter: @acac_sport / #ACACWHOC2018
Facebook: AlbertaCollegesAthleticConference


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*Gg Finger Painting - After spending the bulk of the day floating around the pool a set of finger paints came out and under the creative direction of Nikki Lee?s husband colored hand prints were applied to the gals. It started out with a color scheme in mind but given the chance to place our hands on these lovely ladies, who could worry about that for long? Once covered in hand prints the ladies hammed it up for the camers but it didn?t take long before they decided that while the hand prints were nice, smearing them up would be even more fun. Of course, the guys didn?t disagree and watching them take turns rubbing paint on each other was a perfect way to end a perfect afternoon. Enjoy.
She has finally won the battle. Despite my fears, she says because of your wonderful comments you deserve to see her face. We just ask that if you know her, to keep it to yourself and then everybody can enjoy. This is her unveiling in more ways than one. You can now put a name with the face and body. Jackie Lee just celebrated her 43rd birthday, so the 42nhappy just doesn't really fit anymore. She's older than me(still 42) and out of my control. She even got a tattoo, a butterfly above her ass, but you'll have to wait to see that. And if some of you missed it, we were posted in Freestyle on March 20th as "No Problem Mon".
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The Bruneian team in a group photo with the President of FIPJP, Claude Azema. – BPF
BRUNEI Darussalam's trio of Surtini binti Haji Abidin, Norhani binti Haji Juna and Khairul Bariah binti Khairul Anuar took sixth place in the 1st Asian Boules Sport Confederation Petanque Championship 2017 in Bangkok.
They qualified in the Top 8 after defeating Pakistan 13-5 and Taiwan 9-6. The team was knocked out after they lost 5-13 against host team and clinched sixth place.
Secretary General of Brunei Darussalam Petanque Federation (BPF) said that they were proud of the team's achievement. "Even though they lost, they lost to an international-level team. They obtained sixth place in an international tournament playing against Asia-Pacific teams under the international federation (FIPJP)."
The 2nd Asian Boules Sport Confederation Petanque Championship 2018 will be hosted by India next year.


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Lama de hoje
Today's mud
Video, colour, 3:37
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Give us a BOHS C-H-E-E-R for our Brea Olinda High School Cheerleaders: USA National Champions in 2009 & 2010, just missing first place in 2011 by a fraction of a point! Tomorrow, Sunday January 22, is the USA Regional Cheerleading competition scheduled at BOHS. The event starts at 9:00 a.m. and will feature over 50 high school teams competing with the hope to qualify for the USA National prelims event held at the Anaheim Convention Center Friday, March 30 through Sunday, April 1.
Tickets to see the Regional Cheerleading event tomorrow at BOHS are $7.00, cash only please. Thousands are expected to attend, so arrive early as seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis! Our BOHS Cheerleading performance schedule is as follows: BOHS Junior Varsity performing at around 12:30 p.m., BOHS Varsity performing at around 1:15 p.m. The last high school team is scheduled to perform at 5:20 p.m.


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About the course
This On-Farm Post Mortem Skills Workshop will provide farm animal vets with necessary information to help them carry out diagnostic post mortems on cattle and sheep. Key findings for common disease syndromes will be discussed including appropriate sample selection for further testing.
Learning Objectives:
- Case selection and the practicalities of on farm set up
- The differentials that need to be covered for the standard necropsies and the most important pathological findings
- Sample collection and selection to confirm the main differential diagnoses
- Distinguishing common findings associated with post mortem change from significant pathology
- Equipment required to manage health, safety and biosecurity issues.


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What is RIT K-12 Academy?
As of 2014, RIT K-12 Academy unites all of RIT's summer programs under one website to support K-12 outreach and make it easier for parents and students to find out what is available! The RIT K-12 Academy website provides descriptive information about RIT's cutting-edge day camps for 1st through 12th grade students where registration is typically open to both boys and girls. There are also some workshops specifically designated for a single-gender, this information is in the description.
Which Summer Programs Are Part Of RIT K-12 Academy?
RIT K-12 Academy links include these offerings: Robocamp, Lil Kids on Campus, CBET Bioscience camp, Women in Computing, RIT Athletics camps and of course, Camp Tiger. All RIT K-12 Academy camps are held on RIT's campus.
How Do I Find RIT K-12 Academy Workshops?
The day camp's description (WORKSHOP tab) includes details about the specific dates offered as well as links to websites where more information can be found regarding individual camp policies, procedures and registration.
Workshops listed as Camp Tiger provide a DETAILS link for policies, procedures and registration only for Camp Tiger workshops.
How does Registration work?
RIT K-12 Academy website lists camps, workshops and experiences that include ROBOCAMP, Lil' Kids on Campus, SMASH Experience for Girls, CBET camps, Pre-college Portfolio Preparation, Imaging Science High School Summer Intern Program, RIT ATHLETICS as well as Camp Tiger. While these camps are marketed as part of the RIT K-12 Academy the camps are each operated independently. With the exception of Camp Tiger all have separate registration websites that take you outside this listing.
Camp Tiger REGISTER button shown with some workshop descriptions are for the Camp Tiger workshops (only). By using this button you can register for the Camp Tiger workshops at this site. All other camps listed and described at this website appear without this button. Those camp descriptions contain web links that go to other websites where you can register and find out more information about the departments they are associated with.
RIT K-12 assumes the right and responsibility for marketing, registration, communication, and management of RIT K-12 Academy and it also operates Camp Tiger.
Why are some camps one week and some camps two-week in duration?
Actually, ROBOCAMP, Lil' Kids on Campus, SMASH Experience for Girls, CBET camps typically all run one week camps. Pre-college Portfolio Preparation runs for two full weeks. Imaging Science High School Summer Intern Program has an application and interview process. The internship itself runs for more than one month. RIT ATHLETICS camps run three days, five days, and some a full week. Consult their descriptions for specifics. These camps are all independently operated; their listings at this website make it easier for viewers to find out all the summer youth programs that RIT has to offer. See the specific description for the duration and actual dates offered.
Camp Tiger workshops run either one week or two weeks in duration. These are not interchangeable; the duration is specific to each workshop. Typically it's the computer coding workshops that are two weeks in duration. Two-weeks allows the computing student to first learn the software and related content during week one. Then week two is used to work on and complete a variety of fun projects and activities.
Many students choose to enroll across different camps. For Camp Tiger workshops, there are two sessions during the month; offerings are repeated so that campers have more than one opportunity to sign up. Please note however, that you cannot attend a two week workshop and a one week workshop at the same time since RIT camps typically run the full day.
How much does the camp cost?
If not already stated in the specific camp or workshop description, follow the web link provided to RIT Athletics, SMASH, ROBOCAMP, CBET or others to register, get pricing and discover other details. These camps are independently operated by different RIT departments.
For Camp Tiger summer program pricing – see FAQs here: http://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/koc/index.html


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Keeping your residence secure is top priority for both you and your Michigan home security company. So, when choosing an alarm company, there are many things to consider. This list of questions to ask a security company will give you peace of mind and help you make sure you have all of your bases covered.
Does your company require a contract?
Some home security companies require contracts. Asking whether or not your Michigan home security company requires them is important, as is asking how long it is valid for and what terms are associated with the contract.
Does your company offer 24 hour monitoring?
This is one of those questions to ask a security company that may seem obvious, but is actually quite important to ask. Some companies state that they monitor 24 hours but are not easy to reach. Having the extra assurance that your home and family are being protected at all times of the day is vital.
Does your company offer remote monitoring or cellular access?
You can't always be home, but you likely always have your cell phone. Asking whether or not your Michigan home security company allows you to monitor your home or arm/disarm your system remotely can make or break your decision to choose that particular company. If you are on the go, it's important to look for a company that provides this type of access.
How long will installation and setup take?
While it's important to be home during the installation of your security system, it is likely that you don't want to rearrange your entire day for the setup. This definitely should be on your list of questions to ask a security company.
How simple is it to operate the system?
You don't want an elaborate system that requires several pin codes to arm or disarm. If you have children, you want them to be able to disarm the system easily to enter the home or to arm it when they leave. Ask your Michigan home security company to give a tutorial on how to operate the system so that everyone understands how it works.
What are the perks to this system?
As noted before, cellular access can be an instrumental tool in keeping your home safe. If the Michigan home security company you chose offers extras like a mobile app or other convenient perks, it's important that you know so you and your family can benefit from them.
These questions to ask a security company will ensure that you have the best possible system and safety coverage from your Michigan home security company.


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By Sarah Leipciger
311 pp. Little, Brown, $26.
Leipciger has written a tragedy about a silent father and a wounded son, neither quite able to form a connection that could be literally lifesaving. The silent father is Tom Berry, the sometimes almost comically taciturn owner of a tree-planting outfit in British Columbia, endowed with a variety of manly competences. Tom moves easily through the untamed forest with his "good, solid compass." He's an excellent shot and a gentle angel of death when his old dog gets sick. Yet Tom is confounded by the emotional static thrown off by his son, Curtis, a stoner who "didn't have the grit to kill an animal" but who, in the first pages of the book, hits a young woman with his truck and then — contrary to the hunter's code his father lives by — leaves her along the side of the road.
An entire moral universe is at stake here, rotating between duty and self-reliance. When Tom helps a trapped goshawk escape, he thinks, "To be fully equipped for life in body alone, autonomous, to move through this world needing nothing — that was beautiful." Leipciger questions, punctures and then partially reconstructs this ethic, one that's matched by the rigorous beauty of her own writing.
By Sara Taylor
303 pp. Hogarth, $25.
A multigenerational novel of entwined families, "The Shore" bursts with energy and ambition. Set on the barrier islands and spit of coast that make up Maryland and Virginia's Eastern Shore, the narrative extends from 1876 all the way to 2143. Taylor is strongest when revealing a version of the modern landscape that most visitors to Chincoteague and Assateague, lured by the beaches and the wild ponies, totally miss. The novel's meth-heads and resourceful child delinquents spark off the page, sometimes with terrifying realism. (One character's father "started smoking his little glass pipe on his days off so his skin was all claylike and he smelled like cat pee.")
The historical and futuristic sections are less vivid, with interchangeable characters blurring into exposition-heavy, overly mannered set pieces. In the distant future, our post-apocalyptic descendants rediscover both the region's innocent beauty and its original sin: substance abuse. "Used to be a secretlike thing, some said it turned men's minds too far," says one mutant future man to another as they experiment with a brew called "tears of the gods."
By Sophie McManus
356 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $26.
"The Unfortunates" starts firmly in familiar WASP territory, with McManus determined to expose the rot — generations-old and festering — below the veneer. Having deposited his mother, CeCe, the aging steward of an immense rubber fortune, at a high-class sanitarium to try out an experimental drug regime, feckless and unstable George Somner takes some liberties with the family money. Producing one of the most comically awful fictional operas ever ("Wise nations! Listen for the Gypsy / for every sound he makes — the shucking knife, the creaking wheel — sings out a murderous song"), he imperils all that CeCe has built, as well as his marriage to his somewhat unbelievably unsuspecting wife, Iris, a former bartender.
The novel's success lies in maintaining a delicate balance between intimate descriptions of the accouterments of wealth and various mechanisms to distance us from that wealth: primarily Iris's more sympathetic outsider's perspective. The real surprise, though, is CeCe, who emerges as sharp, wise — and eventually, even truly generous. She's the one who gives the novel its remarkable maturity and heft.
By Julie Iromuanya
292 pp. Coffee House Press, paper, $16.95.
Job, a Nigerian immigrant to Nebraska and Iromuanya's "Mr. Doctor," is fond of saying, scornfully, "Only in America," a sweeping judgment of the shamelessness of his adopted country. But it's Job's own mix of shamelessness and shame that sets the events of Iromuanya's novel in motion. Unable to admit to his parents back home that he has flunked out of college and taken a job as a nursing assistant, he tells them he's going to medical school and becoming a doctor. As time passes, the lie becomes a black hole into which everyone's dreams are sucked: Job's family is impoverished after years of sending tuition checks, and Ifi, "Mrs. Doctor," who arrives in Omaha after an arranged marriage to Job, sees her hopes collapse as well.
Iromuanya tackles many subjects — marriage, race, immigration, families — and her grasp occasionally loosens. But the interplay between Job's rigid and secretive bluster and Ifi's attempt to build a new American life never loses its poignancy. At one point, having learned that his bad credit will prevent them from renting a new apartment, Job tries to reassure Ifi that "everything is okie," but "the deep recesses in his forehead told her that something had gone terribly wrong."
By Rebecca Dinerstein
255 pp. Bloomsbury, $26.
The Norwegian Arctic of Dinerstein's imagination is a strange and wonderful place, half stark wilderness and half Scandi-kitsch paradise. The constant sunlight of midsummer feeds the book's dreamy, surreal quality ("a wildness of colors, the combined power of a sunset and sunrise," Dinerstein writes, describing the sky after midnight). Her narrative style is also dreamlike; many things happen, but little feels at stake.
The two main characters, Yasha, a teenage Russian immigrant in Brighton Beach, and Frances, an American who has recently graduated from college, converge on the Lofoten archipelago for very different reasons: Yasha, to give his father the Arctic burial he wished for; Frances, to paint and escape both her ex-boyfriend and her family. But the pleasure of "The Sunlit Night" derives less from their story than from the joyfully odd landscape Dinerstein conjures, in which certain absurdities begin to seem quite natural — when, say, Yasha's long-lost mother becomes the Acting Valkyrie for the local Viking Museum. "I am sent by Odin to this battle, and I choose which man gains victory, and lo, which man will die!"


text:
Returns information about a specified job and whether that job has been received by the job worker. Only used for custom actions.
Request Syntax
{ "jobId": "
string", "nonce": "
string" }
Request Parameters
For information about the parameters that are common to all actions, see Common Parameters.
The request accepts the following data in JSON format.
- jobId
The unique system-generated ID of the job for which you want to confirm receipt.
Type: String
Required: Yes
- nonce
A system-generated random number that AWS CodePipeline uses to ensure that the job is being worked on by only one job worker. Get this number from the response of the PollForJobs request that returned this job.
Type: String
Length Constraints: Minimum length of 1. Maximum length of 50.
Required: Yes
Response Syntax
{ "status": "string" }
Response Elements
If the action is successful, the service sends back an HTTP 200 response.
The following data is returned in JSON format by the service.
- status
Whether the job worker has received the specified job.
Type: String
Valid Values:
Created | Queued | Dispatched | InProgress | TimedOut | Succeeded | Failed
For information about the errors that are common to all actions, see Common Errors.
- InvalidNonceException
The specified nonce was specified in an invalid format.
HTTP Status Code: 400
- JobNotFoundException
The specified job was specified in an invalid format or cannot be found.
HTTP Status Code: 400
- ValidationException
The validation was specified in an invalid format.
HTTP Status Code: 400
Sample Request
POST / HTTP/1.1 Host: codepipeline.us-east-1.amazonaws.com Accept-Encoding: identity Content-Length: 63 X-Amz-Target: CodePipeline_20150709.AcknowledgeJob X-Amz-Date: 20160707T205252Z User-Agent: aws-cli/1.7.38 Python/2.7.9 Windows/7 Content-Type: application/x-amz-json-1.1 Authorization: AWS4-HMAC-SHA256 Credential=AKIAI44QH8DHBEXAMPLE/20160707/us-east-1/codepipeline/aws4_request, SignedHeaders=content-type;host;user-agent;x-amz-date;x-amz-target, Signature=8d9b5998EXAMPLE { "nonce": "3", "jobId": "f4f4ff82-2d11-EXAMPLE" }
Sample Response
HTTP/1.1 200 OK x-amzn-RequestId: 620484b7-88cb-11e5-b497-75c49EXAMPLE Content-Type: application/x-amz-json-1.1 Content-Length: 23 { "status": "InProgress" }
See Also
For more information about using this API in one of the language-specific AWS SDKs, see the following:


text:
How to clear goods through customs:
Preferred Method: Prior to the issuance of a globally sourced PO, Procurement advises the department to process a second REQ to the Broker of choice for an estimate of $100, knowing the PO will be amended to cover the actual total of the invoice.
Once the PO is approved and faxed to the vendor, Procurement sends a copy of the PO and the quote to the Broker of choice.
The buyer notifies the seller that the University has a preferred broker of choice, FedEx. As a cost saving measure, the University has a continuous bond with FedEx.
Please note the invoice may contain a combination of the following:
What to do when Goods have already been cleared
If the goods were ordered on a procard or a PO and have already been cleared, a WayneBuy REQ is processed for the Customs Broker. The invoice should be attached in WayneBuy. Once reviewed by the buyer, the REQ is approved for the PO and payment to process.
Please indicate on the REQ in the External Note, the original PO or order number that the goods were purchased on.


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K'ung K'ung, the Taoist, having pondered over these lines for a while, became aware that this stone had a history of some kind.
"Brother stone," he forthwith said, addressing the stone, "the concerns of past days recorded on you possess, according to your own account, a considerable amount of interest, and have been for this reason inscribed, with the intent of soliciting generations to hand them down as remarkable occurrences. But in my own opinion, they lack, in the first place, any data by means of which to establish the name of the Emperor and the year of his reign; and, in the second place, these constitute no record of any excellent policy, adopted by any high worthies or high loyal statesmen, in the government of the state, or in the rule of public morals. The contents simply treat of a certain number of maidens, of exceptional character; either of their love affairs or infatuations, or of their small deserts or insignificant talents; and were I to transcribe the whole collection of them, they would, nevertheless, not be estimated as a book of any exceptional worth." adult female toys
"Sir Priest," the stone replied with assurance, "why are you so excessively dull? The dynasties recorded in the rustic histories, which have been written from age to age, have, I am fain to think, invariably assumed, under false pretences, the mere nomenclature of the Han and T'ang dynasties. They differ from the events inscribed on my block, which do not borrow this customary practice, but, being based on my own experiences and natural feelings, present, on the contrary, a novel and unique character. Besides, in the pages of these rustic histories, either the aspersions upon sovereigns and statesmen, or the strictures upon individuals, their wives, and their daughters, or the deeds of licentiousness and violence are too numerous to be computed. Indeed, there is one more kind of loose literature, the wantonness and pollution in which work most easy havoc upon youth.
"As regards the works, in which the characters of scholars and beauties is delineated their allusions are again repeatedly of Wen Chuen, their theme in every page of Tzu Chien; a thousand volumes present no diversity; and a thousand characters are but a counterpart of each other. What is more, these works, throughout all their pages, cannot help bordering on extreme licence. The authors, however, had no other object in view than to give utterance to a few sentimental odes and elegant ballads of their own, and for this reason they have fictitiously invented the names and surnames of both men and women, and necessarily introduced, in addition, some low characters, who should, like a buffoon in a play, create some excitement in the plot.
"Still more loathsome is a kind of pedantic and profligate literature, perfectly devoid of all natural sentiment, full of self-contradictions; and, in fact, the contrast to those maidens in my work, whom I have, during half my lifetime, seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears. And though I will not presume to estimate them as superior to the heroes and heroines in the works of former ages, yet the perusal of the motives and issues of their experiences, may likewise afford matter sufficient to banish dulness, and to break the spell of melancholy.
"As regards the several stanzas of doggerel verse, they may too evoke such laughter as to compel the reader to blurt out the rice, and to spurt out the wine.
"In these pages, the scenes depicting the anguish of separation, the bliss of reunion, and the fortunes of prosperity and of adversity are all, in every detail, true to human nature, and I have not taken upon myself to make the slightest addition, or alteration, which might lead to the perversion of the truth.
"My only object has been that men may, after a drinking bout, or after they wake from sleep or when in need of relaxation from the pressure of business, take up this light literature, and not only expunge the traces of antiquated books, and obtain a new kind of distraction, but that they may also lay by a long life as well as energy and strength; for it bears no point of similarity to those works, whose designs are false, whose course is immoral. Now, Sir Priest, what are your views on the subject?"


text:
Latest News
Janice P. McLawhorn
Janice P. McLawhorn, 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, September 24, 2014.
The funeral service will be conducted on Saturday at 4 pm at the Grifton United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will follow in Evergreen Memorial Estates in Grifton.
Mrs. Janice was a longtime member of Grifton United Methodist Church, the Methodist Women, and the Garden Club. She was the owner and operator of Grifton Flower Shop.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George W. McLawhorn.
She is survived by her: daughter, Pam M. Labusohr and husband, Dr. Robert Labusohr, of Wendell; son, Frank McLawhorn and wife, Rita, of Chocowinity; very special friend, Ray Smith and wife, Yvonne; grandchildren, Hugh Labusohr, Curtis McLawhorn and wife, Kris, Georgina Greer and husband, Alex, and George Labusohr; great-grandson, Kiff Greer.
The family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the staff of Ayden Court and her hospice nurse, who all provided her with special care.
The family will receive friends at her home, 609 St. Joseph Street, Grifton, NC.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Grifton Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 412, Grifton, NC 28530 or Grifton United Methodist Church, 207 McCrae St, Grifton, NC 28530.
Arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home & Crematory, Greenville.
Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com


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Limited edition of handprinted posters celebrating love. Buy one today to support us because weddings ain't cheap! Plus, you'll have a glorious print to showcase and prove that you're not a crusty, love-hating, curmudgeon.
1 Color Slightly Metallic Lions Mane Brown printed on 80# French Dur-O-Tone Paper Newsprint Extra White. Edition of 95. 19 x 25 inches.


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Maintaining your ride is as easy as 1-2-3
Valerie Lemke
Creators News Service
For almost 150 years, the motorcycle has sent out a siren call to thrill seekers, nature lovers and romantics. Today more than 4 million of the two-wheeled steeds are registered in the United States, the majority purchased for recreational use.
While automobiles far exceed them, there's much to be said for these motorized marvels.
"A motorcycle is very simple and very elegant, " said Paul James, director of product communications for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company in Milwaukee, Wis. "Motorcycles are not nearly as complex as automobiles. They are inherently a smaller, simpler vehicle, and with fewer moving parts there are far less things to break."
Such simplicity extends to the care of the machine. With the rider's attention between regular maintenance visits, keeping a bike in tip-top condition is as easy as 1-2-3.
The owner's manual is the definitive resource in terms of upkeep and the operation of your two-wheeled wonder, according to James, who for more than 24 years has also been a recreational cyclist.
To get started, the number one thing to do is read the manual, he said. "Everything you need to know about your motorcycle is there. Even though you want to skip it and get to the fun stuff, read the manual first and keep it close. While your dealer is a good resource for any questions you may have, for ready reference anytime, pack your owner's manual in the bike."
If you buy a second-hand cycle and have no manual, you can obtain the specific one for your bike at the local dealership.
The number two tip for the responsible owner is to keep a watchful eye on your tires. Here, literally, is where the rubber meets the road. Are your wheels up to the ride?
"As opposed to an automobile, you only have two tires and these contact patches with the road are what keep you upright. They are your lifeline," James said. "Visually check tires for wear and possible damage before and after you ride, every time you ride. Then routinely check tire pressure each time you gas up."
Finally, James goes through a quick checklist before taking off.
"When I first get on the bike I sit up in the saddle and make sure the headlight is on," he said. "Then I check any indicator lights, turn signals and the brake lights. I'll test the clutch and throttle to be sure they're operating, too." Should there be problems with any of the equipment, they need to be solved before riding.
Leave most maintenance tasks to the experts, James said. He also advised that you take your cycle to an authorized dealer with certified, trained technicians whenever possible. When dealing with a technician who has received training in the maintenance and repair of your specific motorcycle, you know you'll be getting good care. "I always suggest going to the dealer if you can. But if you're unable to, be sure and get references before taking your bike in to a new mechanic."
If you've purchased a new ride, you should receive a notice from the dealer to bring it in after the first 1,000 miles. They'll change the oil and inspect the oil lines and air cleaner. They'll also check, adjust and service the throttle, brake and clutch as necessary.
"Not all motorcycles have spokes, but those that do should also be checked and spokes tightened during routine maintenance," James said.
"Following that first service, you should take your bike in every 5,000 miles."
In keeping with its simplicity, ease of maintenance and pure riding enjoyment, today's cycles offer other dividends.
"If in peak condition, motorcycle mileage can range from 35 up to 65 miles a gallon," James said.
In addition, while new car prices start at about $12,000 and can go to hundreds of thousands of dollars, new bikes range from less than $10,000 to over $30,000 for a limited production, high-end model with all the bells and whistles.
"You can get all the Harley DNA in a new Sportster for $7,000," he added.


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John Moyes
Peterborough Police
November 2nd, 1942
Age: 45 / 2 years service
At approximately 0045 hours on November 1, 1942 Constable Moyes, while on foot, was struck by a speeding vehicle while attempting to stop two racing vehicles. He was struck and thrown against the front of his cruiser and died the following day from his injuries.
Constable Moyes was the first recorded police officer of the Peterborough Police to die from injuries received while on duty. The driver of the vehicle responsible was apprehended and convicted of reckless driving.


text:
Remembering a rock called Miss Hawley
- How a woman can be the source of strength to others just by living life on her own terms
I walked into a bathroom that was as cozy as a bedroom. There was a kind of warmth in there, unlike any bathroom I have ever used anywhere…her bathroom felt like a person
Feb 3, 2018-It was the day of Bhai Tika. He could not hope to rush things like he desired. What he did desire was to dash to Durbar Marg, where he would be interviewing for a job. But that was not happening. His sisters fussed over the procedure. Over the special meal. Over the garlands and the lights. And he got delayed.
Kathmandu streets in the 70s were deserted. There were a few cars and taxis here and there. Pedestrians mostly and some cyclists. Durbar Marg was a fifteen-minute walk from home. He rushed, quickening his pace as much as his legs could speed him up.
He arrived for his interview panting.
"Mr Tuladhar! You're late! You should have been here half an hour ago! It is a job interview!"
"I'm sorry. Today is Bhai Tika. My sisters, they wanted me to do puja to wish me good luck for my interview," he stammered as he provided an explanation.
The white woman, who appeared to be in her 50s, did not wait for him to finish. She waved him aside. Literally. And then handed him over to someone she addressed as Ed. As he followed Ed, a big American man, into another cubicle, he felt like it would be a good thing to get this job, because the woman made sense even though she had sounded not-so-pleasant. How could anyone afford to be late for a job interview? He felt like he'd just been educated.
That was my father's introduction to Miss Elizabeth Hawley, the Administrative Director at his new job. Yes, he was hired! Acting Managing Director, Edward McCarthy (Ed) told him he had the job once the interview was over.
Unlike in his previous job, my father mostly interacted with international staff at the new one. There were American, British, and Indian colleagues. The Nepali and the Indian colleagues quickly took the young man under their wing, taught him now to write applications, to improve the management of ledgers. With the British and the American colleagues, he had to struggle to communicate as the English they spoke wasn't quite the kind he'd grown up learning in the government high schools he had attended. They spoke with entirely different accents altogether.
As opposed to trying to figure out the accents, he however found it easier to decode Miss Hawley's way of operating. It was simple and direct. Miss Liz Hawley, as she was known to her colleagues, was a methodical person. She clocked her schedule like she had been fitted with an inbuilt alarm. Even toilet breaks were timed.
In his first week at work, a senior Kathmandu colleague pulled him aside and said, "Be careful and make sure to do a good job. Miss Hawley is a tough woman. She likes discipline. She even goes to toilet by a time table."
And as if to provide evidence, Miss Hawley instantly stepped out of her room and headed for the toilet. That day onward, my father made sure not to steer close to the toilet at that time of the day, even if it meant holding on to a full bladder for a bit longer.
Miss Hawley was extremely efficient, and she expected the same from the people she worked with. Her only moments of rest were when she stepped out to lunch or to the bathroom. At other times, she would sit at her impeccably organised desk, marking documents with a pen in her left hand, scribbling in writing that slanted left.
Once, my father overheard Miss Hawley talking to a colleague on the phone.
"Headache?" she asked. "A headache is not a disease. Take an asprin and come to office." And she hung up.
In those days, phones were a novelty and a luxury. The office had three telephones in the front office and one was in the Managing Director's office, which Miss Hawley would often answer. Some of the calls would be for Ed. Every time Ed got a call, she would sound his name out loud and he would shrug before his colleagues before heading her way, as if to indicate his reverence for Miss Hawley, while also saying he did not know what he was in for.
In a mostly male business, Miss Hawley was clearly the woman who moved things.
"She dealt with the royalties, the foreign ministry, top travel agents, international matters, groups, and assigned procurement. Nearly everything. No task seemed small to her," my father recalls of the woman he worked with for five years.
Once, there was a difference in the cash box and the balance sheet. A 1,500 rupee amount was missing. The finance staff came under the purview of suspicion. A week had passed when Sher Bahadur Dai arrived with the aerogrammes from the printer, neatly labelled:
Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge
PO Box 242,
Kathmandu, Nepal
When he put the stack, wrapped in an edition of The Rising Nepal, on the table, the mystery of the missing 1,500 was solved. Miss Hawley had sent a thousand aerogrammes to be printed with the office address and forgotten all about them. She conceded and apologised to her colleagues for "the misunderstanding." It was unlike her to commit such a mistake.
"If I had been one of the people to lose my job then, the shame might have killed me, but also poverty because the sum was close to two months' salary. But we understood how much she did for the company and that it isn't unnatural for a person to err," my father explains.
"Miss Hawley was the kind of person who made sense. Everything she said made sense. She wanted everything to be done on time, the right way, systematically, as she wanted or as was prescribed by the company. If that wasn't done, she always had a question ready for the first person".
My father has always spoken about her in awe and I've often made him repeat the details of their exchanges, because I enjoyed hearing about her. What I know from his descriptions is that she was strong, single, beautiful, organised, immaculately neat and unapologetic for who she was.
When I visited her residence-cum-office in Dillibazar in 2012 for an interview, I had arrived there with a preconceived notion of her. I watched the lady in her office get busy, as I waited for Miss Hawley. I had arrived ahead of my appointment, as if to make up for my father.
The mesh screen door to her office opened and she stepped in. She was frail now, a woman in her 80s, unlike the feisty one in my father's descriptions. But nothing about the way she moved or spoke seemed to have changed. The first thing she told me was to sit without moving my elbow. I asked why and she said, "You'll knock down my typewriter. It's behind you." I turned around and noticed the old machine, which still looked like it was in working condition and being worked.
She asked me to introduce myself. I was careful to only mention my work and my interest in hers.We spent over an hour talking about her work for the Himalayan Database. About how she had kept a log, year after year of every single climber on the Himalayas—the task that earned her the title of the Everest Climb Chronicler. I remember Tashi Tenzing Norgay saying she knows Everest better than most mountaineers do and will easily catch a lie related to expeditions.
At the end of the interview, I asked her if she had ever thought of climbing a mountain.
"Why should I?" she shrugged. "I'd rather eat my dinner on a table and sleep in my own bed."
When our interview was over, I asked to use her toilet. She looked at me like she would refuse. But pointed out, "Over there."
I walked into a bathroom that was as cosy as a bedroom. There was a kind of warmth in there; unlike any bathroom I have ever used anywhere else. It wasn't a cold, wet place. In fact, quite the contrary to her office, which was so neat, it felt unreal. Her bathroom felt like a person.
So, I not only used her toilet (careful not to drip on the furry commode cover), I also quickly took some shots of her bathroom on my phone. For my father.
Walking out the mesh screen door, I stopped for a moment, turned around and said, "Miss Hawley, my father worked with you many years ago." It did not exactly pique her interest. But she did send her regards. Then she asked, "What's his name, again?" But when I told her, she did not seem to remember. I left. Went home. And told my father about my meeting. Showed him the photos of Miss Hawley and her bathroom. He asked me if I'd spotted her car. I hadn't.
"Her blue Volkswagen Beetle was registered Ba Aa 1221 and had an emblem. The only car I've seen with an emblem of American Automobile Association".
On the day, Miss Hawley passed away, my father and I got talking about her again.
"The last time I met her was eight years ago at a party," he said.
I was surprised as I could not remember this mention before. As a lover of the vintage, he had asked her about her car.
"Now, I have a driver," she had said, and my father had figured she was no longer driving. She told him her car was still good. He had always seen her use the same car, except for the time it had to go into servicing. Then, she would be seen navigating with her assistant in a vehicle that resembled a tiny truck.
My father and Miss Hawley had spoken over the phone about expeditions even after they were no longer working for the same company.
She would call him seeking information, like she must have done with a hundred others associated with expeditions. But she was unique, and hard to forget for anyone who had known her.
"I sometimes felt like she was born old," my father said.
"Like me?" I tried to joke. But he continued talking.
"Actually, I also always felt like she wouldn't even die. I guess I thought of her as invincible."
His voice rings with awe still when he speaks of her. And that fascination had somehow transferred to me without me really realising it. I would ask my father about her friends, her family, her life outside work. If she had lovers. He did not know. He only knew the professional side of her and that she lived alone. She had led something like a cloistered life, even though she remained in public eye because of her work, I suppose.
Yet, something about her has always felt familiar. I finally understand why. I've sensed familiarity in the possibilities she created by daring to live life on her own terms: Fiercely independent, single, highly efficient, unapologetic to the world and never afraid of judgement. It's what I make of Miss Hawley from the very little I know of her. And it is what makes her endearing.
Elizabeth Hawley passed away at the age of 94, on January 26, 2018 in Kathmandu, where she moved in 1959.
Published: 03-02-2018 08:37
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text:
Persimmon Wind: A Martial Artist's Journey in Japan by Nathan Traceski
Finding Japan to Find Yourself
A Year in Japan review by Max Nikoolkan
Video Night in Kathmandu: Perfect Strangers For Perfect Anxieties
This baseball driven journey through Japan finds something more foreign than angels in the outfield.
Traveling to Japan as the last of many stops throughout Asia, Time writer Pico Iyer visits everything from "American Spirit" stores to Zen temples, finding a land both entrancing and ominous. Tension seems to be a hallmark of Iyer's narrative: between tradition and westernization, perfection and crudity, and between Japan and the U.S. Baseball becomes the lens through which Iyer ultimately views Japan, and his conclusions are more indicative of his own American unease than of Japan itself. [Read more…]


text:
Need a lawyer in New Zealand for legal advice (New Zealand-based Freelancers only)
Budget $10-30 USD
I need some legal advice for New Zealand and I need a local lawyer
2 freelancers are bidding on average $184 for this job
Hi I am a final year LLB student and would like to know more about the job requirements so that I can help you with. I am from New Zealand.
$35 USD in 1 day
(0 Reviews)


text:
Just a quick CrossFit update for you…
CrossFit has agreed to licence CrossFit Chertsey to me as an affiliate.
I have signed the contractual agreement with CrossFit HQ and have purchased the http://www.crossfitchertsey.com domain.
I wasn't 100% sure on the name as you may know but for a few different reasons I won't bore you with have decided to go with it for now.
I'm not going to be able in the future to run things all on my own and will be operating an in-house training policy. This basically means I would like the people who come to the gym and train regularly to consider if they would like to be involved more than they are now. I will be asking trainee's to help me with demo's more now in 2014 and I would also like regular trainee's to think about applying for CrossFit LVL1 qualifications if this is something that they are interested in doing.
I now have to put £1828 of my money where my mouth is for the privilege of owning the CrossFit Chertsey label for one year.


text:
by Elise Harter
Today the sky changed colour,
From blue, to grey, to gold.
At times the sun shone oh so bright,
Yet the wind blew oh so cold.
At times we saw a rainbow,
An arch high in the sky,
Raindrops fell as the sun moved in,
Painting as birds flew by.
I saw you in the colour,
In the ever-changing light.
I saw you at the rainbow's end,
Sparkling oh so bright.
©Elise Harter, all rights reserved.