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Northern Lights Shine On
Posted by Kelly on April 25th, 2012
With the Sun more active over the past few months, aurora reports are picking up. There were so many "warnings" for bad solar weather for a while that I thought for certain I'd be able to spot the Northern Lights from my house without much difficulty. But every time I saw a notice of strong or storm levels from the Twitter user I follow (@Aurora_Alerts), it was daylight or cloudy. Like the boy who cried wolf or those annoying car alarms triggered by accident, I had become almost immune to the rumour that an aurora could be lighting up my sky.
Last night I logged onto Twitter and saw another alert, this time for a storm. I hopped over to the NOAA POES website to double check the activity and saw that the aurora oval was extending farther south than it had been any other time I had checked during daylight or cloudy nights. I went to the window to see if it was clear and I could already see a light blue glow ringing the northern horizon.
I took my camera and tripod out and decided to try my first ever photos of the Northern Lights. My camera is nice but not fantastic and I have very limited knowledge of how to use it properly, so I wasn't expecting much when I set it up. I was prepared for the camera to refuse to take a picture or for all-black images, but instead, I heard the shutter click and pause, holding itself open for up to 10 seconds at a time as it captured photo after photo of the greenish ring and stars in the north. Considering the display was rather quiet despite its southerly extent, I was quite pleased with the results.
I went upstairs and found my daughter still awake. She was excited to see the aurora too, so I took her to the window and gave her a peek. She looked at it and said to me, "I bet it looks better in different places." It was true. While it was still a pretty display, I'm looking forward to the next one where we can look straight up and see the glow and possibly curtains and columns and whorls dancing in the night.
One person has commented
James P Howard said,
May 5th, 2012 @ 5:48 pm
What is the Lighted Stars, and whats brought it on..


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Changes, Changes
The Emulation and Digital Distribution of Video Games
I've been catching up on podcasts from BrainyGamer.com, in which he was talking about how he doesn't emulate older games on his computer much any more. This piqued my interest because I semi-regularly emulate NES, SNES, and Game Boy titles on my laptop because I feel like I have gaping holes in my gaming experience from when I was younger. For games that are 15 or 20 years old, it's much easier to emulate them. It's also much cheaper. Some classic, rare games are quite expensive today. For example, a game like Chrono Trigger currently goes for $50 or more on eBay, and that's more than I'm willing to spend on most older games at this point in my life.
That being said, I know that emulation is both illegal and a form of stealing. If possible, I would choose to buy a classic game at a reasonable price and support the company that made it. But video game stores in the U.S. rarely have old used games. They limit themselves to the current and previous generation of games because of higher profitability. For two decade old games that aren't in production anymore, 100% of the profit goes to the retailer, not the developer. The only recourse to find most used games is the Internet, which has its own issues of buying used merchandise sight unseen.
Emulation also sometimes leads to compatibility issues, and it's often more fun to play a game with the physical controller and system it was designed for. The GBA game Riviera: The Promised Land provides a good example of how emulation isn't preferable just because it's free. Riviera is an RPG, but it tries to keep the player on their toes by having regular action scenes that require you to input a sequence of button presses within a time limit. Whether the outcome is beneficial or harmful is determined by your skill. I bought this game around Christmas, and the response time for inputting the commands is quick and seamless. But prior to this, I had emulated the game, and I found that neither the keyboard nor a PC gamepad were adequate for these sequences. I regularly made mistakes, and my characters would take damage or miss important items. Riviera is infinitely more smooth and enjoyable on an actual GBA.
Despite problems with emulation, I'm eagerly anticipating the future expansion of digital distribution, not just of games, but of all media. I've spent 5,000 yen (a little less than $50) on Virtual Console games on my Japanese Wii. If I had an American Wii, I probably would have spent more. Several classic games I want to play are already on the Wii, and more arrive every week.
What intrigues me, though, is what programs like the Virtual Console will look like in 10 years. Most of the best old Nintendo games will be on the Virtual Console at some point in the future. What then? Will the service be over? I suppose the upcoming WiiWare will provide additional original content. More importantly, what will happen to the Virtual Console when Nintendo releases its eventual successor to the Wii? Maybe we'll be able to transfer our games to the new system. Or they could try to cash in some more, develop a new and improved download service, and release updated versions of their best games yet again. I fully want to support legal purchases of emulated games. But this is still a relatively new enterprise, so there are a lot of questions for the future without clear answers.
Here's my ideal scenario: Someday, every single game from previous generations will be available for purchase and download. That kind of world sounds quite nice, and I won't have to feel guilty about downloading and emulating games illegally. Until that day, I'll continue my current emulation practices and buy what I can as it becomes available. I greatly prefer legitimate copies of games to illegally emulated ones. I've downloaded many games onto my PC, but as these games become available on the Virtual Console or I happen to find a good deal online, I'll often go ahead and purchase them, deleting the version on my computer. I dabbled in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones last year, but bought it in a store without hesitating. I played most of Super Metroid on my computer, but bought it on the Virtual Console the day it was released. Not only do these games play better than the emulated versions, but they make me feel a little better inside, too.
Turning the Tables in Tales of Symphonia
IGN has just put up a preview of Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, a direct sequel to the Gamecube RPG. What caught my eye was this brief description of what's been revealed of the plot. "One day Emil hears a calling and follows it into the mountains, where he meets Marta Lualdi, a 15-year-old tomboy whose mother was also killed in the unification of the two worlds. In a surprise twist, the characters learn that it was Lloyd Irving who was indirectly responsible for the deaths of their loved ones."
Lloyd was the protagonist of the previous game, and I most often chose as my primary character. What's interesting to me is that the two main characters want to hunt down Lloyd, the hero of the first game, possibly for revenge but definitely for answers. I have yet to personally play a game that switches character roles like this, and you are forced to view the hero you once identified with as the antagonist, at least temporarily. I have a strong feeling there won't be a deadly confrontation between Lloyd, Emil, and Marta, but one can always hope.
The only game I know of that does a similar perspective shift is Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, which Stephen Totilo wrote about at the MTV Multiplayer blog. He even compares the "moral quandaries" of Radiant Dawn to the critics' darling Bioshock. In the strategy game, you basically spend several hours leveling up a certain group of characters. Later, you are in control of the heroes from the previous Fire Emblem game, but your enemies have become the characters you just finished helping and getting to know. That's quite a surprise, and I wish I didn't know about it, because I would like to play both of those games someday. Luckily, if you just wait out a couple of missions, you can combine those two forces without losing any characters.
This perspective shift could work really well to surprise gamers, and deny their expectations about what might happen, particularly in a game typical of its own genre. I hope more developers follow these two examples, and take these changes even further.
The Future of Independent Games on Consoles
What are independent games? I would say indie games are characterized by small budgets, small development teams, and often feature experimentation with or development of unique and innovative gameplay methods. The developers of indie games could be anyone from a ten person team at a small development studio to a single person working on a game in their parents' basement after school. Just as independent films rose to prominence in the early and mid-90s, so are indie games currently on a meteoric rise in both popularity and feasibility. Indie games have been around for years on PCs, but it's only with the current generation of consoles that it's been possible for a wide variety of independent games to be created on home consoles on a larger scale. The Game Developer's Conference (GDC) this week has revealed more information about both Nintendo's WiiWare and Microsoft's XNA services. These details made me start thinking about the further evolution of indie console games.
The Wii, PS3, and 360 have all had downloadable content available for a while now. The Wii's Virtual Console consists entirely of ports of old games, while the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade are also used for original projects. The ability of these consoles to connect to the Internet and allow downloadable content is the biggest reason indie games can begin to expand on consoles. It's a lot cheaper to digitally distribute games than to make physical disks and packaging.
Nintendo should have around 100 games stockpiled for the launch of WiiWare on May 12, but they will slowly emerge on a weekly schedule according to Nintendo's baffling logic, much like the Virtual Console. Although pricing is unknown, I'm sure some games will be bargains and others will be a sickening waste of money, also like the Virtual Console. At first, people thought only small teams from big, licensed developers can release games. But it turns out any developer can work on WiiWare games. Nonetheless, there are still significant costs associated with this approach.
XNA, however, sounds a lot more invigorating. My pedestrian understanding of XNA is that it's a set of development tools designed for easy use that anyone can freely use. Microsoft hopes both independent developers and members of the Xbox community utilize it. With a peer review process of approval, this system is really in the hands of the community much more so than WiiWare. This sounds like a potentially good way for anyone with a good idea and a little talent to get their name out there and profit a little bit.
The PC has more room for small, individual game creators, and is much more open than consoles. Andy Baio on Waxy.org, as posted on GameSetWatch, summed up my thoughts nicely. He talks about the dominance of middle-men on consoles.
"In the web industry, there's nobody controlling distribution and I don't need anyone's authorization to launch a new project. But the gaming industry is dominated by gatekeepers.
For consoles, you can pay through the nose for the privilege to be on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network or the upcoming WiiWare, and then wait months to be released into the pipeline. On PCs, there's no clear monopoly, with distribution fragmented between a handful of game download portals and distribution frameworks like Steam.
Or you can go it alone and sell directly to your fans through your own web presence but, for the moment, this is very rare."
While WiiWare is just a way for companies to make small games with lower production costs, XNA seems to be more open and allow more freedom for those outside the game industry. I'd like to think this is the future, where people with few corporate constraints are able to not only experiment, but also be rewarded for trying to change things. Of course, with more people able to develop and publish games, there will also be a proportionately greater volume of rubbish. Independent games are not necessarily worth your time, just more likely to be a little different.
Killing Dragons: A Significant Accomplishment
I finally did it. Fire Emblem is complete (the first GBA one). Or at least as complete as it will probably be for a long time. To more fully complete it, I should play the second mode, which has most of the same missions, a different main character, some extra missions, and a slightly higher difficulty. But I don't have the time or energy for that right now. I'd rather play something new. Fire Emblem only took about three years, why should I dive right back into it? My save file clocked in at around 42 hours, but I could add on another 10 hours or so for mission restarts, and about 15 hours when I felt like restarting the entire game after a long break. It's probably more like 70 hours of play time. I think I'm starting to reach a point in my life where that kind of time investment for one game is unfeasible, as work and other responsibilities come to greater prominence.
Was Fire Emblem worth it? Absolutely. It's one of my favorite GBA games. But there are a couple reasons it took me so long to complete, both in gameplay time and real world time. The first reason has to do with my nature as a gamer. I'm very meticulous, and want to find every secret I can in a game. So I would try to recruit all the characters, find secret items, do all the side missions, and avoid any character deaths. I also tend to be a very careful planner, so strategy games take me somewhat longer than average to complete. For some of the 30+ missions, I may have spent almost as much time planning and optimally equipping my characters as I did playing the actual level.
The second reason my time investment was so high has to do with the nature of the game itself. As a strategy game, each chapter requires careful planning to maximize your resources and take the best units into battle. A small preparatory mistake can be very costly once the fighting starts. Except for the simply, early chapters, each mission is quite long, often taking an hour or more to complete, not including restarts. What I find a little strange, though, is how at odds this type of game is with the actual GBA itself. The GBA is designed for short, quick bursts of gameplay on the go, and it's possible to do that with Fire Emblem. It saves your game automatically after every single character action. But I rarely stopped in the middle of a mission, because I wanted to keep my attention of the flow of battle. So you can play Fire Emblem a few moves at a time on a train or on the toilet, but it doesn't really provide the same kind of tactical experience. Part of the reason it took me so long is I needed to devote a significant chunk of time to attempt a single mission. After several long missions played over a couple of weeks, I would just get burned out on it for a while and want to play a different kind of game.
This being said, Fire Emblem was incredibly enjoyable. I've already started the sequel, The Sacred Stones, although I don't plan on doing more than three or four missions because I need a break from this kind of game. I've got too many other games that need attention before I dive into another Fire Emblem game.
Impressions of Grim Fandango
A highly sought after but rarely achieved goal for game designers is crafting a unique visual, aural, and even interactive style. The most prominent game of recent months that comes to mind is Bioshock, with its under–the–sea, failed utopia, art–deco style permeating every drop of its being. I've recently been researching PC adventure games from the 1990s, specifically the ones made by LucasArts. As always happens to me, I've now added about six of their adventure games to my ever–growing mental list of games I need to play. Of these adventure games, the one I'm initially most interested in is Grim Fandango, which I've just started playing. After a couple hours, its sense of style, unique identity and polish are simply beautiful.
Grim Fandango was one of LucasArts' last big adventure games, released in 1998. It was a little more graphically advanced than their previous adventures, primarily in that it abandoned the SCUMM engine they had been using for years and switched to 3D character models on a static background. They also abandoned mouse control in favor of pure keyboard, joystick, or gamepad support. But what is most noticeable, and refreshing, is Grim Fandango's consistent graphical atmosphere.
The world of Grim Fandango is based on the Aztec belief that when someone dies, they must go on a four year journey to their final afterlife destination. So the dead were buried with food, money, and even pets, anything that might be useful on their journey. Once a year, on the Day of the Dead, the spirits are allowed back into the living world, and the living honor the dead through parties, festivals, and skeleton–like dolls called calaveras. In fact, in the game world you play as Manuel "Manny" Calavera. He's a travel agent selling packages to the dead to shorten their four year journey.
All the characters are modeled after these calavera dolls, which simply resemble skeletons. Imagine a typical skeleton, but wearing 1930's style clothes and you have the general idea. What I find amazing is how LucasArts gave the characters so much emotion, even though they basically just have four black holes representing eyes, a nose, and a mouth. But that's all they need. It's almost a minimalist style of character presentation. It reminds me of the recent Lego Star Wars games, where the characters are simple Lego models that must convey their thoughts solely through facial expressions. Grim Fandango is similar, but elongate the heads and take away some of the facial detail. Extremely talented voice actors also help immerse you in the experience. If more games had such a talented, believable voice cast, we'd all be better off for it. Make sure you don't switch from voice to text just to speed up the game. I've been selecting every dialogue option just to hear the character's wonderful banter.
Besides the unique characters, the game takes place in a 1930s art–deco world a full decade before Bioshock. The beautiful colors, art direction, and furnishings really complement the noir–style detective story you're presented with. From what I've read about it, the game takes place over four years, each time on the Day of the Dead. So I'm expecting plenty of lively environments beyond the initial city. Manny also occasionally has to go into the world of the living to do some reaping to get his clients. The living world is charmingly presented as a Picasso–style cubist painting, complete with blocky, disproportionate human features. I've never seen anything like it in a game before.
EDIT: After a brief search online, I found and implemented a solution to the cutscene problem. I guess there are frequent problems with running older games on modern, faster computers.
Game Release Dates: Inconsistent
Japan makes a little more sense. Super Mario Galaxy was one of the first games here I was really excited about. I couldn't wait to get it, and walked about 40 minutes in the rain to the closest game store to pick up a copy. But I was a little worried, because of all the confusion in the U.S. about release dates. I didn't want to walk that far to the store only to find out they weren't selling it until tomorrow. So I asked a student. And he assured me that games are released on Thursdays, this one in particular on November 1st. Indeed, this was the exact date I was seeing everyday in TV commercials. No confusion, no hassles. Except slightly sore legs the next day.
When is a game complete?
My last post, where I once again realized my preference for single–player experiences over protracted multiplayer skill matches, led me to think about a different question: when has a video game been completed by the player? This leads directly into a larger issue currently being discussed about how games are different from other media and culturally important in their own right. The answer to the question, as is often the case, is probably that it depends. It depends on the game itself, the individual gamer, and even the larger gaming community.
The most unique thing about video games is the level of interaction required from the player. Television, movies, and books are, for the most part, relatively linear and straight-forward works. Once you read a book or watch a movie, you're mostly finished with it; except, of course, for those classic works that you might revisit semi–regularly. Games, on the other hand, often contain many more options, secrets, or side–quests that extend beyond the main plotline or primary purpose of the game.
I would argue that the vast majority of games have a distinct plot and are trying to tell some sort of story. Many other writers have noted how a current game development trend is trying to give games a more cinematic feel. A large number of story–based games are mostly complete when you reach the end of the main adventure. For example, in Super Mario Galaxy, the main goal is to collect at least 60 stars so the planetarium has enough power to track down Bowser. Then you can defeat Bowser and officially finish the game and see the conclusion and credits. Some types of gamers are content with this level of completion. However, some games have no clearly–defined ending point due to their current focus on online multiplayer experiences. Beyond an often short main campaign, when is a multiplayer game like this truly over? Gamers play the most popular multiplayer games for many years after the original release.
For those entranced by the game and willing to invest the time, Super Mario Galaxy has quite a bit more to offer. Defeating Bowser once actually unlocks the player's ability to collect the final 15 or so stars (out of a possible 120) in order to see the true ending. After this, you can also choose to collect the 120 stars again as Luigi to open up one final level. Super Mario Galaxy has a lot of game play beyond the main story. Thus, many games contain a number of optional activities or secrets available for the dedicated gamer. A great thesis was written by an MIT student, Kristina Lynn Drzaic, about the significance of video game secrets.
As another example, Final Fantasy games are well–known for their epic stories, and that's arguably the main reason to play through much of that series. But epic side–quests are also one of Square-Enix's trademarks, even though not many gamers are necessarily inclined to complete them. In Final Fantasy X, to get one character's ultimate weapon, you have to dodge lightning strikes 100 times in a row. If you miss a single time, you have to start over again from zero. Thus for different types of gamers, which Mitch Krpata at Insult Swordfighting categorized into Perfectionists, Completists, and Tourists, games have widely varying personal requirements for completion, depending on one's willingness or desire to accomplish sometimes ridiculous tasks.
Finally, the larger gaming community can sometimes extend the life of a game seemingly indefinitely. A great example of this is the PC strategy game Starcraft in
What is the point of all this? I love how easy it is for different gamers to take away such wildly different experiences from the same game. Compare a competitive and a casual Melee player – they're worlds apart, both in terms of skill level and in describing the game they both enjoy playing. Granted, the best movies also allow viewers to each take something different away from the theater, but you're still almost entirely limited to what's presented to you on the screen. Games allow gamers to choose their level of involvement much more so than other forms of entertainment. In the near future, it will be interesting to see if either Starcraft 2 or Super Smash Brothers Brawl develop and sustain the same kind of competitive, meta–game following that the current iterations have had for years.
How Long Can One Game Last?
On to the point. In playing Brawl last night, I realized that I am and probably will always be much more of a single-player gamer than a multi-player gamer. I am much more interested in a good interactive story, with solid, fun game play mechanics than in trying to become an expert at a certain game or spend dozens of hours playing online matches against people. This inclination is probably a large part of why I often choose RPGs (like Final Fantasy), strategy games (Fire Emblem), or action/platformers (too many to name). I love Brawl, and I plan on playing it a lot more. I would also love to get really good with 1 or 2 characters (especially little Mr. Olimar). But deep in my heart, I know the reality is that I will probably slowly grow tired of Brawl over the next 3 or 4 weeks, and slowly move onto other story-driven games I have waiting, such as Hotel Dusk, Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones, and even Final Fantasy III. I also want to play some of the old LucasArts adventure games, of which I just got Grim Fandango.
Maybe this would all be different if I had a couple of friends always wanting to play Brawl, but I don't. It's a lot of fun, but I tend to move on to other games quite quickly after finishing one, mainly because there are so many classic games I haven't played yet. Brawl will still last me a while, but not the several years that some people can get out of it.
On a side note, I absolutely love reading Michael Abbott's posts over at the Brainy Gamer. He's a theater/film professor and writes about games from a thoughtful, academic perspective. And you also easily get the obvious feeling that he really loves games. I highly recommend his blog.
Million Man Brawl
On to the modes. The biggest addition is the Subspace Emissary, which is basically a protracted adventure/story mode. It's amazing. There's practically no spoken text, and you go through tons of platforming levels, with the occasional boss battle or regular brawl match-up. You're not playing it for the story, really. You're playing it for the awesome combination of Nintendo characters, such as Metaknight battling and then joining Marth, before Ike saves them both. It's a lot of fun, although a bit repetitive, so I can't really see playing through the whole thing again. In fact, after beating it, it said I was only 80-something% finished. Then I noticed that some of the locations on the map had a flag, and some were just flashing. It took me a while to figure out which ones still had hidden secrets (the ones with flags). So now I've slowly worked up to 94%, but I still have 9 or 10 locations to revisit. Some of them I've been through several times, and still can't find that one missed item or door.
There's also the re-included Classic mode, which is pretty much the same as always. I remember in Melee, I could rarely beat Master Hand at the hand without dieing, but now I've gotten a little better at battling the Hand. There are also 41 events (+20 co-op), Homerun Contests, timed brawls, target breaking, an all star mode where you fight the entire cast, and a boss battle mode. Oh yeah, and regular old multiplayer Brawl, with a ton of options. One feature I really like that I played around with for the first time last night is the ability to set which songs play on each stage. In particular, the Twilight Princess, Pikmin, and new Pokemon Stadium stages all have awesome music. So does Animal Crossing, just because it's so peaceful.
Next time: online brawls. Awesome, or a hassle?
Yet Another Inevitable Post of Brawl Impressions
My favorite characters right now are probably Snake and the Pikmin and Olimar, both of which are little different from the others and unique. Snake uses a lot of grenades, explosives, and weaponry (although he oddly doesn't have a gun). He was also surprisingly slow at first, but I've gotten used to that. And Olimar/Pikim is just super fun to play as. All the Pikmin have different strengths and weaknesses, Olimar's fast and maneuverable, and I love attaching the little Pikmin to an enemy and suck away their life. I'm terrible with the slower characters (like Donkey Kong), and sometime I'd like to play more with Pit, Lucas, Ike, and maybe Samus.
In my next post, I'll talk some about the modes and options in Brawl. Especially online mode, which has a lot of potential.

subset: commoncrawl


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Well, I made it through Easter and all of the wonderful temptations that were presented before me. I did eat a few and did have a few drinks, but I did not go overboard. My blood sugar came way down from where it was yesterday, but still remains over 100 so I have some work ahead of me. The funny thing is that I have been putting on weight. In fact I am close to 10 lbs. heavier than I was six weeks ago.
I worked through a routine yesterday morning that I know helped bring my glucose down because I really ripped some muscles. As I was finishing up my routine with situps I noticed a little discomfort in my back. By bed time last night I really started noticing the pain in my back and here I sit with a big old question mark on my face… Now it wasn't like I didn't know this might happen as I felt a slight discomfort the day before, but still I pushed through both chest exercise one day and then arms the next. I have to always remember that working out like an athlete brings about the same problems that athletes go through, like injuries along the way. And at 54 years old I am certainly no stranger to these problems and know that as we age they can come for frequently. I am healthy and I know my back will heal quickly.
So it looks like I will be looking at some time off from strength training for a while. I have been writing quite a bit of negative things about my problems with fighting Type II Diabetes lately and don't want anyone to think that I am being a downer. This is just my way of keeping tabs on my feelings at the time as I move on this mission. The truth is that there have been way more good days than bad. In fact I could honestly say that it has been probably around 80% good, and 20% problems. Not so bad. So I will keep on, keeping on.
Blood Sugar- 137, Weight- 173.2
Breakfast- 2 Eggs
Lunch- Pork Chop, Salad
Dinner- Burger, Salad


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We will find out Tuesday night if Davin School will be getting a new name as the Regina Public School Board will vote on the matter.
The school was named after Nicolas Flood Davin. He authored a report back in 1879 which apparently created a foundation for establishing residential schools according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
An online survey was created by the board for people to have their say on the matter, but the results of that survey have not been made public.
- Regina Public Schools asking for your input on future of Davin School's name
- Decision to re-name Davin School now in hands of Regina Public School Board
Two recommendations have been made and will be voted on. One is to retain the name with the second being to rename the school "The Crescents School"
Regardless of which way the board goes, the Davin School name will not be removed from the building's masonry.


text: I'm sure you already know that JF is D.O.P.E.!!! Well here's another dope cut off JF's recently released EP The Seminar. This one features the beautiful sounds of songwriter Khalea Lynee. It's getting cold out this time of year and this is the perfect music to cuddle up to. #DopeCollection ya bish!!! Twitter: @CallhimJF @officialKHALEA Related Pingback: Your Vote Counts: Our Picks for 4th Annual Az 1 Awards – Public Nominee Voting Ends 10.26 | CLP Nation | We Are The Nation()


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Phoenix Charter Academy Network awarded $150,000 by Barr Foundation to advance greater success for all New England students
On Tuesday, June 27, 2017, Phoenix Charter Academy Network was named one of nine grantees in the Barr Foundation Education Program's Engage New England: Doing high school differently initiative. Phoenix is proud to join this first cohort of education innovators participating in the multi-year initiative to connect all students to success in high school and beyond by assuring they have access to high-quality high schools. Phoenix received a planning grant of $150,000 to take part in a comprehensive review and design process that is – at 11 years – a perfect next step in Phoenix's evolution as a dynamic, ever-responsive learning organization dedicated to doing whatever it takes for off-track young people to succeed. The Barr funded design process will focus on Phoenix's flagship school in Chelsea as its pilot site, with the work expanding to Phoenix's other two schools and beyond in future years.
The Barr Foundation's Engage New England: Doing high school differently initiative is a $30 million investment over five years to help New England innovators improve existing high schools and bring new school models to life in their communities. Participants receive one-year planning grants to support technical assistance with planning and capacity building, with the potential to be invited to apply for implementation grants of up to $750,000 over two years. Participants also become partners in a learning community, to share and learn from like-minded innovators across the region. Together, they are doing high school differently by building a diverse set of school models that expand student success.
"Phoenix is extremely proud and humbled to have been chosen as part of The Barr Foundation's inaugural Engage New England cohort. We have enjoyed partnering with The Barr Foundation and Springpoint over the past few months, and look forward to continuing our model design work to better serve our students to have a greater impact in the Chelsea and Greater Boston communities," said Phoenix founder and CEO Beth Anderson. "We hope our work can be part of generating new – and higher – accountability standards for alternative education programs by providing a successful model of best pedagogical and cultural methods for off-track youth. We view this work and funding as both an opportunity and a call to action to increase life-sustaining results for our amazing, ever-changing students. Being faithful, accountable, and humble in the face of doing right by our students is a cornerstone of the work we have always done at Phoenix."
Intentionally designed around the principles of positive youth development theory, schools supported under this initiative will be as rigorous as they are flexible in developing content knowledge, successful habits, creative know-how and navigation abilities—the integrated knowledge and skills that are essential for today's students to connect to success in high school, college, career and community.
"This partnership brings together a diverse group of educators who share the belief that all students can meet high expectations when their schools engage their interests, empower their potential and fully prepare them for success in life," said Leah Hamilton, the Barr Foundation's Director of Education. "We are thrilled to include Phoenix Charter Academy Network in our first cohort of Engage New England: Doing high school differently grantees, and to support them in a planning process to refine their vision for cohesive school models that address the unique needs of their students and communities."
New England's schools have done a good job for many students. Engage New England: Doing high school differently is one of the Barr Foundation's many efforts to make sure we do a great job for all.


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Gowman's Friday Quiz #1
It's Friday, it's windy… here is the inaugural Friday Quiz.
No cheating please, but post your answers below, and I'll mark them later and announce the winner by 2pm. One point is given for each correct answer and the winner is the one with the most points. No half points will be given. In the event of a tie, a winner will be picked at random from all the entries with the highest marks.
The winner will receive a pint/glass of wine/shot of sambuca should I ever meet them.
1. What is the official capacity of Wembley Stadium?
2. What is the highest grossing film in the UK, EVER?
3. What are the main county towns for the following counties:
a. Berkshire
b. Lancashire
c. Wiltshire
4. Complete the following line of this lyric:
"In bar light she looked alright…"
5. And give me the name of the band and song title from question 4.
1. 91231
2. Mamma Mia
4. :(
5. :'(
they are
see, scotland doesn't have counties like than, nor do we have main towns in them. there are areas, but they are more just council areas. tbh, i have no idea, so here we go:
a berkcaster
b lancaster
c wiltcaster
1 out of 3 ain't bad.
Thanks for the effort though. I'll try and get a Scottish reference in for you next week.
1. 90,000
2. Titanic
3a. Staines
3b. Manchester
3c. ? Addis Ababa
4. ? "..but in actual fact she munted really hard"
5. ? Psyopus
is in Greater Manchester.
Yet it's home to Lancashire Cricket Club.
Something historical probably
2. Sound of Music?
3. Reading, Lancaster?, Salisbury
4. dunno
5. nope
1 zero they knocked the real one down
2 Mamma Mia
3 Leeds, Leeds, Leeds
4 in daylight she looked desperate
5 the hold steady summit about memphis
Might be.
It was Kirsty Alley's finest work.
1. 90,045
2. Mamma Mia
3. Reading/Lancaster/Swindon
4. But then some knob turned t'lights on, yelled 'Time please!' and all t'magic were lost
5. The Magic Numbers' version of 'Buffalo Stance'.
1) 90,000
2) Titanic
a- Reading
b- Lancaster
c- Swindon
4) "...and then I went for a really satisfying shite."
5) Derek from Most Haunted - "Mentalissimo"
1. 85,082
2. Mamma Mia?
3. What are the main county towns for the following counties:
a. Berkshire - reading?
b. Lancashire - manchester?
c. Wiltshire - dunno where this is
4."In bar light she looked alright..so i walked up to her and asked her to dance?
5. kinks - lola. which is totally wrong but that's my answer.
1. 95,000
2. Mamma Mia
3. Reading, Lancaster, Trowbridge
4. Dunno
5. The Hold Steady, at a guess. Or Van Halen. I'm sure I'll kick myself when I find out.
1: 90,000
2: Mamma Mia
3a: Reading
b: Lancaster
c: Trowbridge
4: In daylight she looked desperate.
5: Sequestered in Memphis by the Hold Steady.
And the winner is...
Joeymahone with four. Congratulations and thanks for everyone that took part.
See you next week.


text:
Lancaster: Reaping the WhirlwindBy: Martin W. Bowman (author)Paperback
Up to 2 WeeksUsually despatched within 2 weeks
DescriptionDetailing the Lancaster's history from 1942-45, this study brings everything together to tell a concise history of the world's most famous aircraft of all time and undoubtedly the finest bomber of the Second World War. A superlative and unique colour section of over fifty contemporary photographs of the Lancaster is featured, while the text is complemented by over 150 rare and seldom seen black and white images. Well researched and expertly written, this account is a must read to those interested in the Lancaster and aviation history in general. The book also includes many unique and incredible eyewitness accounts of the raids by Lancaster crews, making Lancaster: Reaping the Whirlwind both a gripping and fascinating read.
About AuthorMartin W. Bowman is the author of 150 books. He has also flown in relief missions in Somalia and Bosnia as well as flying in the Lancaster.
Product Details
- publication date: 02/06/2016
- Format: Paperback
- Number Of Pages: 240
Delivery Information
- Saver Delivery: Yes
- 1st Class Delivery: Yes
- Courier Delivery: Yes
- Store Delivery: Yes


text:
Acacia is the second largest genus in Australia comprising more than 700 species (Harden 1991; Morrison and Davies 1991) and occurs in almost all habitat types. Species range in size from small shrubs to large trees and are ecologically important as 'pioneer' species where they rapidly establish cover following major natural disturbances such as fire (Christensen et al. 1981). Acacia species are commonly known simply as acacias or as wattles and Acacia pycnantha has been adopted as the Australian national floral emblem. Wattles are frequently grown as ornamentals, some are harvested for timber, while others are a source of gums or bark used in various tanning processes. Like the majority of legumes, acacias utilize rhizobia to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil enabling them to grow in relatively poor soils (Harden 1991).
BOTANYIn Australia there are two commonly accepted schools of thought regarding the taxonomy of legumes (order Fabales) and their treatment varies with institution and state. For example, The Flora of Australia (George, 1981) recognizes three distinct families, Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, and Fabaceae while the Flora of New South Wales (Harden 1991) recognizes a single family, Fabaceae (sometimes still referred to as Leguminosae by some workers) with three subfamilies, Faboideae (or Papilionoideae), Caesalpinioideae, and Mimosoideae. There has also been some debate about the placement of Australian wattles in the genus Acacia. Between 1977 and 1989, Pedley of the Queensland herbarium proposed splitting Acacia into several segregate genera supported by findings of workers in France during the late 1960s and 1970s (Pedley 1987). Pedley also proposed the reinstatement of the genus Racosperma for the majority of Australian wattles. To date, this has not been accepted, based on the argument that the name Racosperma was not validly published in 1835 (Hall and Johnson 1993) and the need for further research into the systematics of this large taxon (Maslin 1989).
Wattleseed, an Historical PerspectiveArchaeological evidence demonstrates the presence of Aboriginal people in Australia for at least 50000 years (Flood 1990) and during this time there has been considerable change in the spatial distribution of vegetation. This has resulted, not only from a changing climate, but also as a consequence of megaherbivore extinction and Aboriginal burning practices (Flannery 1994). This unnatural, increased fire frequency has favored those species able to cope with such a regime. The proportions of grasses, "pioneer" species, annuals and pyrophilic species have increased compared with fire sensitive taxa (Flannery 1994). Such fire adaptive plants usually produce large quantities of seed and increasing the population size of those plants utilized for their seed will naturally increase the food supply. Aborigines deliberately burnt areas to achieve this aim (Flannery 1994; Latz 1995).
Seeds form a staple food among many indigenous peoples and plants native to Australia are no exception. Of all the plant foods in central Australia, seeds are by far the most important. Seeds are usually high in proteins, carbohydrates, and fats and are easily collected, providing a high energy food for the expenditure of relatively small amounts of energy (Latz 1995). Although Australian plants generally produce small seeds they are produced in large quantities. In arid Australia, seed supply is widely available, somewhat predictable and dependable (Flood 1990). These plant products form the dietary staple in that they represent greater than 50% of the total diet and often would constitute 70% to 80%. Hiatt's data compiled from several sources, and describing the proportions of hunting, gathering and fishing performed by various indigenous peoples, lists three central Australian linguistic groups, the Dieri, Arrernte, and Walpiri (Hiatt 1978). In all three cases, 70% of the diet consists of gatherable foods and 30% from hunting. Women are the sole providers of gatherable foods and men the sole hunters and as such, women provide 70% of the total diet of these people in arid Australia. The northern half of the Northern Territory possesses some 40 species of Acacia and although 19 species are useful to Aboriginal people, only one species, A. difficilis has seed that is eaten (Brock 1988). There are other more readily available carbohydrate sources such as yams that require less preparation.
Many grasses provide large amounts of soft seed and have been heavily utilized as a staple food by Aboriginal people, especially throughout arid and semi-arid Australia. The grain was collected, ground to a flour using millstones and water was added to form a paste which was eaten raw or cooked as a damper (unleavened bread) in the ashes. Particular wattle seed was similarly collected, prepared and eaten throughout central Australia. Although these skills still survive (Nganyintja 1985), the use of processed wheat flour has largely replaced these traditional practices (Bryce 1983). These seed grinding practices appear to be a relatively recent technological development. Archaeological excavations in central Australia at Puntutjarpa date the oldest millstones to 3500 years; at Puritjarra they are present for the last 2000 years and at Intirtekwerle, they constitute 10 percent of the artifacts in the last 700 years of deposits. The stratigraphy at two of these sites suggests a massive build-up in the level of the sandplain, the sediments having originated in the Simpson Desert dunefield. This suggests that sites in central Australia older than 5000 years may be deeply buried (Flood 1990). Furthermore, this indicates that Aboriginal people in central Australia have been grinding grass or wattle seed for no more than 4000 years. There are older sites closer to the coast in semi-arid country where the development of such practices became a possibility as a result of the drier climate and in creasing fire frequency. Archaeological evidence from the earliest of these sites, Lake Mungo, in the Willandra Lakes system in western New South Wales, demonstrates the presence of a seed grinding economy over the last 16000 years (Flood 1990).
Of the sixty or so species of Acacia in central Australia, Latz (1995) states that some 50% were, or still are, eaten by Aboriginal people and it is not only the seed which is consumed. Several species exude an edible sugary gum from wounds in the stem or branches which supplies a source of energy. Others are fed upon by insects which themselves secrete an edible substance while species such as A. kempeana are the host for various edible grubs (Kalotas and Goddard 1985) often referred to by non-Aboriginal people as witchetty grubs.
ToxicityNot all wattleseed was used for food. Many coastal and some arid species contain toxic compounds. A. longifolia is one of the few species recorded as having been eaten in coastal eastern Australia (Kohen 1992), similarly, Acacia georginae seed reportedly contains sodium fluoroacetate the major constituent of 1080, a widely used rodenticide (P. Latz pers. commun.).
A. ligulata, umbrella bush, is a widespread and common semi-arid species. A. Kalotas (pers. comm. 1994) noted that there are mixed reports of the consumption of this seed. During his research near Warburton (eastern Western Australia_approx. 750 km WSW of Alice Springs) with Ngaanyatjara people in 1981-82, this species was recorded as one, the seed of which was commonly consumed. Anecdotal evidence from Yankunytjatjara speakers (approx. 600 km ESE of Warburton), suggests it was a species only eaten when no other seed was available as it caused hair loss, the hair regrowing sometime later (Kalotas 1985). Pintupi people (approx. 400 km north of Warburton) also say it was regularly consumed but said nothing of hair loss (A. Kalotas pers. commun. 1994). It may be that the alopecia (hair loss) resulted from a combination of factors rather than the action of A. ligulata seed alone. If it was consumed amongst the Yankunytjatjara only when other foods were scarce, then malnourishment may have played a role in the loss of hair. The tropical American legume genera, Leucaena and Mimosa, both closely related to Acacia, cause hair loss, when consumed, as a result of the presence of the amino acid, mimosine (Mabberley 1987; Windholz et al. 1983). When Leucaena was first used as a stock feed in northern Australia it caused problems with cattle. This was remedied when a bacterium was isolated from the gut of cattle in Java and introduced into drinking troughs in Australia (A. Kalotas pers. commun. 1994). It is possible that similar toxic compounds are present in Australian acacias and care needs to be taken in the choice of species and their subsequent screening as a part of any development of a new crop. Brand and Maggiore (1991) state that testing for the presence of toxic compounds is mandatory if these plants are to be developed as new food products. Many legume seeds contain a variety of toxic compounds that are usually denatured by the application of heat. These compounds, if untreated, can disrupt intestinal absorption of nutrients and produce growth retardation (Brand and Maggiore 1991).
Non-Food UsesAlthough the main use of wattles is as a food source (Goddard 1992; Kalotas and Goddard 1985; Isaacs 1987; Kean 1991; Kohen 1992; Latz 1982,1995; Meggitt 1962; Tindale 1972) they have a number of other uses. These include provision of shelter (Nganyintj a 1985), preparations used as medicine (Anon. 1993), and the manufacture of various tools, musical instruments and weapons (Meggitt 1962; Moyle 1979; Brokensha 1978). Today they are largely used for artifact manufacture (Brokensha 1978) and more recently in various revegetation practices (Last 1990).
LinguisticsUntil the mid 1900s, an apparent lack of collaborative research between anthropologists, botanists and zoologists led to difficulties in understanding Aboriginal natural resource use and management. Little traditional ecological knowledge was recorded, but much attention was paid to recording traditional botanical and zoological nomenclature. Anthropologists such as Meggitt (1962) recorded the use of particular plants or animals and the indigenous names for each, but it appears specimens were not collected for accurate identification by botanists or zoologists at a later date. As Aboriginal languages were oral, there was no standard spelling, and so anthropologists and linguists made attempts at recording such names phonetically. Older texts will spell the languages discussed here as "Alyawara" for Alyawerre; "Anmatjarra" and "Anmadjarra" for Anmatyerre; "Aranda" and "Arunta" for Arrernte; "Bindubi" and "Pintubi" for Pintupi; "Bidjandjara", "Pidjandjara", "Pitjandjara" and "Pitjantjara" for Pitjantjatjara; and "Walbiri" for Walpiri, with many other minor variants. There are several sounds for which there are no English equivalents and although spelling standards were established, they were, at times, inadequate and have been revised several times. Pitjantjatjara, for example, has been written since the early 1940s and despite this being a comparatively recent development, there are still inconsistencies in the way some of the sounds are written (Eckert and Hudson 1988). There are various lists of Aboriginal names for plants and animals which do not necessarily match with currently recorded names and so identifying species from these early records is problematic. We have managed to identify wattles that Meggitt (1962) recorded as being used by Walpiri people by cross referencing modern names and taking into account changes in the spelling conventions of linguists during this time (Table 1).
Table 2 indicates the number of species of acacia used as a seed food by particular language groups and, conversely, the number of language groups utilizing each species, in central Australia. There are many names for particular species in common between languages, the main reason being the linguistic affinities represented in the table. The Alyawarre, Anmatyerre and Arrernte languages all belong to the Arandic group while Pintupi and Pitjantjatjara are of the Western Desert group. The Walpiri is a member of the Ngarrkic Group but even so, Walpiri names for Acacia aneura, A. kempeana, A. murrayana, A. stipuligera and A. tetragonophylla are similar to Pintupi and Pitjantjatjara names. The name for A. coriacea, pangkuna or pungkuna, is common amongst all the languages. A. adsurgens and A. stipuligera are very similar in appearance, as are A. pachyacra and A. murrayana, and bear the same Alyawerre and Pitjantjatjara names, respectively. Although A. macdonelliensis is common throughout central Australia, only the Alyawerre used it, while A. maitlandii is widespread but rare and was never used by the Walpiri (Latz 1995). Of the 30 species and languages listed, both the Arandic and Western Desert groups ate 20 species, while the Ngarrkic group ate 21 species. A. aneura, A. coriacea, A. cuthbertsonii, A. estrophiolata, A. kempeana, A. murrayana, A. tetragonophylla and A. victoriae are the most common and more widespread species and are, therefore, the most widely consumed species. A. victoriae is present throughout the entire area, is common and used by all language groups.
THE BUSHFOOD INDUSTRY & CROP POTENTIALIn recent years, there has been an upsurge of interest in novel food products and in particular those products branded as "bushfoods." Bushfoods can be defined as native plant or animal products used by indigenous Australians as either a traditional or contemporary foodstuff. This interest has led to the widespread use of bushfoods in the restaurant industry both in Australia and overseas. In some instances, these products have become souvenir items, marketed as "uniquely Australian cuisine" or as having been "wild collected by Aboriginal people on their traditional homelands, just as they have done so for thousands of years." Some of these products such as emu are now farmed commercially to meet growing demands.
Wattleseed is in high demand for use as a ground product in pastries and breads and also as a flavoring in desserts, especially ice-cream. It is also used to produce a high quality coffee-like beverage. Wattleseed is one bushfood product collected almost exclusively by Aboriginal people from wild populations throughout its natural range. The species most commonly collected is Acacia victoriae Benth. as it is generally regarded as having a superior flavor. A. victoriae is widespread over much of central Australia and fruits during December and January. Yield is unpredictable and is influenced by climatic conditions and, as such, is extremely variable. Wattleseed is not yet grown on a commercial scale and the demand far exceeds the supply. Despite this, small quantities of wattleseed are exported to the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Japan and SE Asia.
Several species of Acacia indigenous to central Australia are planted to revegetate or rehabilitate degraded land predominantly on Aboriginal communities throughout central Australia. Species commonly used throughout Pitjantjatjara Lands include A. victoriae, A. murrayana and A. kempeana (pers. obs. 1995). These are relatively fast growing species adapted to low rainfall and extreme temperatures and are planted to provide windbreaks, reduce erosion and to revegetate damaged sites. As the plants reach maturity they are often used for other purposes such as firewood or artifact manufacture (Last 1990) but less commonly for food. Edible grubs (maku) are extracted from the roots of A. kempeana at any opportunity but seed is not usually collected for food (M. Last pers. commun. 1995). These plants have potential as an informal crop, in that they possess a variety of uses which could form an additional source of seed for the bushfoods industry.
Nutritional AnalysisAcacia seeds are highly nutritious and contain 26% protein, 26% available carbohydrate, 32% fiber and 9% fat (Brand and Maggiore 1992). The fat content is higher than most legumes with the aril providing the bulk of fatty acids present. These fatty acids are largely unsaturated which is a distinct health advantage although it presents storage problems as such fats readily oxidize (Brand and Maggiore 1992). The mean total carbohydrate content of 55.8±13.7% is lower than that of lentils, but higher than that of soybeans while the mean fiber content of 32.3±14.3% is higher than that of other legumes such as lentils with a level of 11.7% (Brand and Maggiore 1992). The energy content is high in all species tested, averaging 1480±270 kJ per 100 g. Wattle seeds are low glycaemic index foods. The starch is digested and absorbed very slowly, producing a small, but sustained rise in blood glucose and so delaying the onset of exhaustion in prolonged exercise (Brand and Maggiore 1992).
Research at UWSHThe research at UWS-Hawkesbury is centered upon two species, Acacia victoriae and A. murrayana F. Muell ex Benth. The main aim is to develop quality plants with higher and more consistent yields and with an ease of cultivation that will allow Aboriginal people in arid areas to cultivate, harvest, process and market wattleseed to the world. In addition to this, we are seeking to gain an understanding of the agronomy of these plants through greenhouse and field trials.
A. murrayana is being studied as it has a very different growth habit to A. victoriae. Unlike A. victoriae, it is a spineless species which is a distinct advantage when harvesting seed by hand. In addition, it has potential for soil stabilization and land rehabilitation projects as it is a species capable of regeneration from its roots. This means it can regenerate vegetatively following fire or clearing. The possibility also exists that if crop yields fall due to senescence, the plants could be cut back to ground level without disturbing the soil and the subsequent regrowth should retain the growth and yield characteristics for which it was originally selected.
Work thus far has been aimed primarily at establishing field trials to examine the variation within these plants and the plants' responses to irrigation and fertilizers. Experiments to determine how the plants respond to nitrogen and potassium fertilization and rhizobial innoculation are also in progress.
There are two field trials planted on campus with another to be located at Umuwa in the Musgrave Ranges of northern South Australia. A visit was made to Umuwa in April 1995 to select a site for planting in collaboration with the Pitjantjatjara community.
Studies concerning floral and fruit development and also pollination are planned. Genetic analysis will be performed as part of the examination of variation within these species.
CONCLUSIONAcacia seed in Australia was, and in some areas still is, used as a food source by Aboriginal people. It is now popular with the emergence of the bush foods industry as a new product with a variety of culinary applications. Wild populations are harvested for their seed, but the plants have potential as a commercial crop. It is hoped that the production of seed for food use is adopted by Aboriginal communities. Roasted Acacia seeds offer an exciting new flavor for pastries and ice-creams and a caffeine free beverage.
- Aboriginal Communities of the Northern Territory. 1993. Traditional Aboriginal medicines in the Northern Territory of Australia. Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory of Australia, Darwin.
- Brand, J and P. Maggiore. 1992. The nutritional composition of Australian Acacia seeds. In: A.P.N. House and C.E. Harwood (eds.), Australian Dry-zone Acacias for Human Food Proceedings of a workshop held at Glen Helen, Northern Territory, 7-10 Aug. 1991, CSIRO Division of Forestry & Australian Tree Seed Centre, Canberra.
- Brock, J. 1988. Top End native plants. A comprehensive guide to the trees and shrubs of the Top End of the Northern Territory, John Brock Publ., Darwin.
- Brokensha, P. 1978. The Pitjantjatjara and their crafts. Aboriginal Arts Board Australia Council, Sydney.
- Bryce, S. 1983. The role of bush tucker in nutrition education. In: O'Dea, K. (ed.), Proc. Aboriginal Bushfoods Workshop. p. 20-23.
- Christensen, P., H. Recher, and J. Hoare. 1991. Responses of open forests (dry sclerophyll forests) to fire regimes. p. 367-393. In: A.M. Gill, R.H. Groves, and I.R. Noble. (eds.), Fire and the Australian Biota. Australian Academy of Science, Canberra.
- Eckert, P. and J. Hudson. 1988. Wangka Wiru: A handbook for the Pitjantjatjara language learner. Univ. of South Australia, Adelaide.
- Flannery, T.F. 1994. The future eaters: an ecological history of the Australasian lands and people. Reed Books, NSW, Australia.
- Flood, J. 1990. The riches of ancient Australia. University of Queensland Press, Queensland.
- George, A.S. (ed.), 1981. Flora of Australia Volume 1, Introduction. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
- Goddard, C. 1992. Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara to English Dictionary. Institute for Aboriginal Development, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.
- Hall, N. and L.A.S. Johnson. 1993. The names of acacias of New South Wales with a guide to pronunciation of botanical names. Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia.
- Harden, G.J. (ed.). 1991. Flora of New South Wales, Vol. 2. New South Wales Univ. Press, NSW, Australia.
- Hiatt, B. 1978. Woman the gatherer. In: F. Gale, Woman's role in Aboriginal society (ed.), Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra.
- Isaacs, J. 1987. Bush food. Aboriginal food and herbal medicine. Weldons, Sydney, Australia.
- Kalotas, A. and C. Goddard. 1985. Punu, Yankunytjatjara plant use. Institute for Aboriginal Development, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.
- Kean, J. 1991. Aboriginal-acacia relationships in central Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum, 24(2):111-124.
- Kohen, J.L. and A.J. Downing. 1992. Aboriginal use of plants on the western Cumberland Plain. Sydney Basin Naturalist, No. 1, p. 1-8. Australasian Naturalist Pub., Sydney, Australia.
- Latz, P.K. 1982. Bushfires and Bushtucker: Aborigines and Plants in Central Australia. MA (Hons) thesis, Univ. of New England, NSW.
- Latz, P.K. 1995. Bushfires and bushtucker: Aboriginal plant use in Central Australia. IAD Press, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.
- Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book. A portable dictionary of the higher plants. Cambridge Univ., Cambridge.
- Meggitt, M.J. 1962. Desert people: A study of the Walbiri Aborigines of Central Australia. Angus and Robertson Publishers, Australia.
- Morrison, D.A. and S.J. Davies. 1991. Acacia. p. 327-328. In: G.J. Harden, (ed.), Flora of New South Wales, vol. 2. New South Wales Univ. Press, Australia.
- Moyle, R.M. 1979. Songs of the Pintupi: Musical life in a central Australian society. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra.
- Nganyintja. 1985. Mayi Wiru, Part 1, Winter foods. Angatja Video in association with Riverbed Productions, South Australia.
- Pedley, L. 1987. Generic status of Acacia sensu lato, Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter, 53(Dec. 1987):87-91.
- Tindale, N.B. 1972. The Pitjandjara. p. 217-268. In: M.G. Bicchieri (ed.), Hunters and gatherers today. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, London.
- Windholz, M., S. Budavari, R.F. Blumetti, and E.S. Otterbein (eds.). 1983. The Merck index. An encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs and biologicals. 10th ed. Merck & Co., Rahway, NJ.
*Funding to establish the trial at Umuwa has been made available from a grant by the University of Technology Sydney-Jumbunna Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies, Education and Research for which we are most grateful.
Table 1. Aboriginal names given to Acacia species used by the Walpiri as listed by Meggitt (1962) with nomenclatural additions and corrections (Latz 1995). Species names in bold are those identified and/or corrected by the authors. One species remains unidentified and the identity of Meggitt's "waralga" as A. ligulata is uncertain.
|Aboriginal names
|Acacia species
|Former spellingz
|Current spellingy
|No use recorded
|Edible seeds; wood for implements
|Edible seeds; wood for implements
|Leaves used medicinally
|Wood for implements and sacred objects
|No use recorded
|Edible seeds; trunk harbours witchetty grubs
|notabilis syn. pruinocarpax
|Edible seeds, gum; wood for implements
|Wood for spear shafts
|No use recorded
|Edible seeds
|Wood for spear shafts
|aff. aneurax
|Trunk harbours witchetty grubs
|adsurgens or tenuissima
|Edible seeds; wood for implements
|No use recorded
|Trunk harbours witchetty grubs
|Edible seeds
|No use recorded
yLatz 1982, 1985.
xNomenclature based on Latz 1995.
Table 2. Acacia species traditionally used as edible seed by various central desert linguistic groups and their traditional names. The names are given only where the species was used for food as determined by Latz (1982, 1995); Goddard (1992); Kalotas and Goddard (1985); Meggitt (1962) and Tindale (1972). The lack of use of an otherwise edible species can be due to the absence of that species within that particular linguistic area and does not necessarily suggest the species was regarded as inedible, toxic or of inferior quality. NIA indicates the species is not in the area. Alternative spellings for Alyawarre (Alyawerr), Anmatyerre (Anmatyerr) and Arrernte words are included for the benefit of readers with limited access to recent Australian linguistic works.
|Aboriginal linguistic group
|Acacia species
|Arrernte (southern)
|ampwey mpwiya
|ngardurrkura ngarulkurra
|ilkirta ilkert ilwerreny alirrinya
|atiyipinha ateyepenh ilwerreny lirrinytja
|minyana puju-parnta mintirlpiri kulaki
|ammobia (syn. doratoxylon)
|wartarurru pirraru
|aff. aneura
|(?syn. aneura var. latifolia)
|ilpatjata irtetye-irlpelharte
|aneura (syn. brachystachya)
|artitja artety
|artitja artety
|ititja irtetye manytja
|wanari manytja kurrku mantja
|wanari kurku kalpilya puyukara wintalyka
|yulnantji? wartiji manja wanajiti
|colei (syn. holosericea)
|alerrey aliriya alyari
|alkart alkarta
|kilkiti kuna-kuna?
|awenth ntjirrima
|akiyrlpirra awenth ntjirrima
|irrkili yirrkili pangkuna
|kunapuka mulupuka
|pangkuna kunarnturu wakirlpirri
|aliriya alerrey
|alkarta alkart
|kanarlarrampi kalkardi parrapi
|alhanker irley pirley
|pilhi perley ulyuya lywey
|yalpirri piliyi
|alpiri kalirma
|ulupula ulunkurra alhanker alhepalh
|ulkurnarra lkwernarr paturta partwert
|ilpakilparra ilpakilparre
|minytju mulyati yurrtjanpa utjanypa
|mintju ngarkalya
|wurpardi yinjirtingu yurrpardi pilpirrinpa patutu matutu marlarntarrpa
|athiyimpa athimp athinga atheng
|tjarnpa tywarnpe atjarnpa atyarnp athenga tunga
|tjwarnpa tywarnpe
|utjanypa tjau
|walirri yajarnpi wajarnpi ajarnpa
|mirrirn-mirrirnpa? luwiluwilta
|inaequalatera (syn.pyrifolia)
|janjirnngi janjinki
|lalkirrika lalkerrek
|atnyima atnyem
|utnyima atnyem
|tnyima tnyeme
|yilykuwarra ilykuwarra iripili piyanpa
|ngarlkirdi yiripili
|nyukurrka? watarka
|awurrnga awernng
|irrara irrar
|maitlandii (syn. patens)
|ilupa-lupa lwepe-lwepe
|murrayana (syn.frumentacea)
|arrilya arrely
|arrilya arrely
|irrilya irrelye
|tjuntala tjuntjula
|wilpiya waltari
|pruinocarpa (syn. notabilis)
|pakuta palpa
|mpwiya ampwey
|tjilpirinpa tjirrpirinypa wilpurra
|jirrpirinypa kurapuka wirlpurpa ngirnti-yirrpi
|antjulinya antywerleny artepwel
|antjulinya antywerleny
|minyana kuwiyangayi watiyawarnu kulaki nyintirriyilpi watiyawarnu
|alkitjirra arlketyerr
|alkitjirra arlketyerr
|ilkitjirra arlketyerre
|wakalpuka kurara kurungantiri
|arlupa arlep
|arlupa arlep
|tupurla urlupa urlepe
|aliti ngatunpa
|kanaparlku yalupu yarlirti
Last update June 6, 1997 aw


text:
One of the country's most pioneering brewers has secured a London premises which will be converted into a tap house on Bermondsey's 'Beer Mile'.
Moor Beer's new 2,000 square foot space will initially open as a pop-up bar and warehouse, so customers will have the chance to stock up on Christmas presents and no-doubt enjoy a welcome break from shopping.
The site will remain open as a pop-up throughout January after which a full refurbishment will take place, with expectations to open fully in February.
The independent brewer's mission with the new location is to bolster the availability of award-winning beers – in the form of Moor's 'modern real ales' – available in London and the south east.
'Getting the keys to our new London base means we will increase and improve the supply of our products to a really big market, as well as get involved in an area renowned for its brewing culture,' said Justin Hawke, owner and head brewer.
'On Enid Street we are neighbours with some other great breweries, like Brew By Numbers and The Kernel Brewery.
'We are investing heavily in more equipment so we can also use the new space to do more barrel ageing of our beers, giving our products the time they deserve for the best result.'
The unfined nature of Moor's beers helps to retain the full freshness, aroma and flavour of the product. Hawke was an early proponent of this style of brewing in the UK and is the first brewer to have Campaign for Real Ale accreditation for cask, keg, bottle and can. Moor is also the only producer to have CAMRA accreditation for real ale in cans.
Acquiring the premises rounds off a good year for Hawke, who was named Brewer of the Year at the British Guild of Beer Writer's awards. It was also the brewery's 10th anniversary, and turnover shot up 74% year-on-year.
'We are excited about how this will support our development and future plans to grow. Having a London presence, as well as in our hometown base in Bristol, is perfect to help us move forward,' said Hawke.
'2018 and beyond is a great prospect for extending the quality beers we can offer.'
Main image: Bill Bradshaw
Inset image: Susanna Forbes


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Pump of type range, by work principle can is divided into: ① power type pump, and called impeller type pump or leaves type pump, relies on rotating of impeller on liquid of power role, put energy continuous to passed to liquid, makes liquid of kinetic energy (mainly) and pressure can increased, then through pressure out room will kinetic energy conversion for pressure can, and can is divided into centrifugal pump, and axis flow pump, and part flow pump and vortex pump,. Secondly, positive displacement pump, relying on the inclusion of liquid seal space volume changes periodically, periodically passed to energy liquid, the liquid pressure to force the liquid out, according to the working components of the motion can be divided into reciprocating pump and rotary pumps. ③ other types of pumps, other forms of energy. Jet pumps rely on the high-speed jets of fluid required transmission fluid after inhalation of pump mixing, momentum Exchange to transfer energy; water hammer in pump brake flow passing part of the water is up to a certain height in energy electrical pump is powered by a liquid metal transportation achieved under the action of electromagnetic flow. In addition, the pumped liquid can also be properties, driving method, structure, use of classification.
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|Get early access to our new book on fatal accident claims. The official publication date is 31st May, but you can buy it online direct from ourselves today, or read a free sample chapter.
Claims arising out of a Fatal Accident can be complex, high value and fraught with emotion. This book offers the practitioner a clear and comprehensive guide to all of the issues involved with running a claim for damages arising out of a fatal accident. Claims for dependency and other statutory claims for damages are discussed in detail and analysed with reference to the latest case law.
Straightforward advice is offered on the merits of many of the common arguments encountered in cases of this kind and the development of these arguments is discussed. The book offers both a clear introduction to the subject for those new to it and a comprehensive guide to all of the latest arguments and case law for the more experienced practitioner.
See our other law books at www.lawbriefpublishing.com/books


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- Christian_Apostolic_ChurchAsked on November 30, 2016 at 03:41 PM
I'm confused. Is a free acct good for 100 submissions, or 10 payments? Isn't each submission a payment, and would not 100 submissions be 100 payments? How could I ever have 100 submissions if only 10 payments are allowed?
- JotForm SupportJim_RAnswered on November 30, 2016 at 08:09 PM
It would probably be easier if we show an example. Suppose I am a JotForm user with 3 forms:
A. One (1) form that asks for payments processed through Paypal
B. Two (2) forms just for registration and booking
If I get 35 submissions for B above and 0 payments for A, then I'd have:
0 Payments
35 Submissions
If I got 10 payments for A above and 78 submissions for B, then I'd have:
10 Payments (overlimit)
78 Submissions
To sum it up, the 100 Submissions / 10 Payments limits per month apply to your entire account. If by any chance you only created 1 form, and it's a Form that accepts payments, then that's the only time each submission will be considered as a payment too.
Related page: https://www.jotform.com/pricing
In case you need further explanation don't hesitate to ask.
- Christian_Apostolic_ChurchAnswered on November 30, 2016 at 09:03 PM
Thank you. Dwolla sent me here ostensibly to use a JotForm as a replacement for the Dwolla hub page, which is only used for payments. That's why I was thinking each form was only for a payment.
So far, the fit seems quite poor. I cannot discern a way to create a payment form that can do either/both a one-time payment and a recurring payment, and while the Dwolla hub page was free and had unlimited in usage, the price is steep here unless we abide by a stifling limit of only 10 payments per month.
Thanks for explaining. I appreciate it.


text: In my understanding, question itself is wrong. Investing and spending are different. So any investment irrespective of tax benefits, is advantageous for you as you grow your wealth. Tax benefits that you receive should be considered as a bonus, which you probably get for 5 years assuming you close the loan after that.


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Web Promoting is increasing with the working day. In such a condition,superstarseo.com it truly is not enough for the company to acquire just a site. It's significant for this web-site being seen into the consumers and surface in search results when people search for connected keyword phrases. With lots of companies and web-sites offering the identical services or products as your online business, how do you make sure that you get noticed and acquire extra business?
This is where Internet search engine Optimization (Seo) will come into image. Many companies are incorporating Web optimization into their marketing and advertising tactics. This raises yet another problem. Is In-House Search engine optimisation better or in the event you Outsource the Search engine marketing of your web page to an agency? What are the pros and negatives of receiving the Search engine optimisation of your respective site performed In-House when compared to outsourcing your Seo needs? Equally In-House Web optimization and Outsourcing Search engine optimisation have its execs and negatives. Every single enterprise should search into both of those these styles then decide depending on their requires.
Execs of In-House Search engine marketing
one. An In-House Search engine optimization expert will know your business properly and therefore will fully grasp the nuances of enterprise and its troubles at the same time.
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4. In some cases In-House Web optimization is lesser expensive that Outsourced Seo businesses.
In-House Search engine marketing Negatives
one. Search engine marketing is actually a fast modifying discipline. The algorithms of search engines like google and yahoo continue to keep shifting. One particular really should constantly be up-to-date with the modifications. The abilities in Web optimization also preserve shifting. When you determine to try and do the Search engine marketing of the website In-House, then you really ought to devote time and often money to find out the new components of Search engine optimization and preserve by yourself current with the modifications.
two. It might be time intensive in case you must keep up to your developments of your company. And it is important to help keep with the tendencies with the organization when you pick to carry out your Seo In-House. You will also really need to concentrate on the overall marketing of the web page and will not locate the time and energy to update your self together with the most recent in Seo. This could certainly lead to outdated Search engine optimisation techniques which often can additional have an impact on your web pages ranking.
3. Search engine optimization demands several resources. When you choose to complete your Search engine optimization In-House, you then need to purchase these instruments. This may be incredibly highly-priced. Just acquiring these instruments is just not more than enough. You furthermore may need to discover ways to utilize them that may more choose up quite a bit of the time.


text:
Free shipping in the USA (lower 48) when your order is over $89 (excluding gift certificates and sales tax, if applicable).
In Stock. The newest title in a series of meditations by arranger Sandy Eithun. This well-crafted setting consists of warm, reflective, and moving textures that inspire devotion. Rich with lush harmonies and reflective ambiance. Includes LV and echo techniques. Helps build musicality in ringing!
� 2019 Music44. All rights reserved.


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Therapeutic Massages
We use gentle, rhythmic strokes to relax tired muscles…increasing circulation and sweeping away stress.
30 minutes/$40.
60 minutes/$60.
90 minutes/$90.
TuiNa (Chinese Acupressure Therapy)
Tui-Na is a therapy treatment that utilizes traditional Chinese meridians and acupressure points to remove blockages from the body while opening up Qi.
60 minutes/$60. (special offer)
90 minutes/$90.
Deep Tissue & Trigger points
This massage starts with a firmer touch and includes slow, deep penetrating stokes to release overworked muscles and tension.
30 minutes/$40.
60 minutes/$70.
90 minutes/$100.
Our Spa signature massage is just for you( unique body), that combination of eastern and western touch to healing your body balance, wellness and muscles loose.
Rocks & Roll (Hot stone massage)
Warm rocks and natural touch help relax the body. We go deep into the muscles without causing intense pressure.
60 minutes/$80.
90 minutes/$100.
Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT)
This is a therapeutic and effective technique that helps eliminate pain caused by acute or chronic soft tissue injury.
60 minutes/$80.
90 minutes/$110.
Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT)
It is very gently presses through lymph nodes flow in the body. It is helps for detoxification, edema, scar tissue, spider veins, lymphedema, breast cancer, colon cancer.
A prenatal massage that helps cause harmony throughout your body, restore balance and relieve pressure on the lower back, legs and feet.(Massages cannot be performed during first trimester).
60 minutes/$70.
90 minutes/$100.
Shiatsu & Thai Massage
This massage uses meridian channels and point locations to open up Qi.
30 minutes /$40.
60 minutes/$80.
This Japanese technique combines Chinese Feng Shui, spiritual feelings and relaxation.
60 minutes/$75.
90 minutes/$95.
Foot Reflexology
A natural Eastern healing art that works with acupressure points on ears, hands and feet, affect body parts and specific organs.
30 minutes/$30.
60 minutes/$45. (special offer)
Express Facial
This mini facial is for all skin types and includes deep cleansing, extraction or facial massage, serum and moisturizing treatment.
30 minutes/$50.
This treatment will improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, age spots and sun damage. Also good with our signature facial.
Brightening Facial
This illuminating facial help readuce hyper-pigmentation of th skin. It evens out discoloration with a purifying mask green tea extract.
Anti Aging Lift Facial
This is our signature facial; it will results driven facial, formulated to instantly tighten and brighten to reveal younger and healthy looking skin. Also, reduce the appearance of fine lines an wrinkles while a pressure point massage stimulates the lymphatic system to restore a more youthful complexion.
Hydra Facial
Hydra Force is intensely replenished and quenches the skin with pure fruit and floral extracts pluse active essential oil of neroli, petit grain and sandalwood for the most dehydrated skin.
Just for 2 Package (couple massage)
This massage is built perfectly for two people looking to relax. body. mind ; includes a Swedish massage with Hot Stones, Steamy Towels and Essential Oils.
60 minutes /$125. (per couple)
90 minutes/$165.
Lily's Salt Scrub & Hot Stone Massage Treatment
Salt Scrub & Hot Stone Massage therapy are to Refine, Refresh, Hydra, of your skin. it's Exfoliate treatment with warmed Stones
that will remove of dead skin cell of your body, and leave soft and smooth of baby skin. Also, hot stones will release muscles tension.(90min-massage and 30min-feet Reflexology )
Head-to-toe Package
Brightening Facial (60min)
Feet Reflexology (30min.)
Mini Facial (30min.)
2hour /$150.
De-stress Package
This indulgent package begins with Hydra Facial(60min), with an hour Aromatherapy massage (60min)
(30min) feet Reflexology.
2Hour and 30min/$199.
Mother of Pearl Package
60-minute mom-to-be massage and a 30-minute express facial.
Add on:
Paraffin body treatments
Hydrate back, Hands and Feet Treatment
Brings hydration and melt you muscles to areas that need it.
Forget Me Not Spa
8 Reading Rd,
Flemington NJ 08822


text:
- mirkolambertimigastoneAsked on March 15, 2017 at 02:25 PM
Is possible to enlarge the box of conditions? I've got a lot of conditions and can't read the value that I wrote.
- JotForm SupportKevin_GAnswered on March 15, 2017 at 05:08 PM
So far, it's not possible to expand the conditions or increase their size in order to view the complete statements and actions. You need to edit the condition to view the fields involved.
If you want we could forward this to our second level as feature request, though we cannot provide an ETA or ensure this will be implemented, we would let you know as soon as we receive an update regarding the request.
Let us know.


text:
As we come to the end of another year, it's easy to focus on the big triple A releases during the holiday season and forgot about the huge lineup of incredible games coming out of the Australian video game industry at the moment. Therefore, we've decided to highlight our favourite Aussie made games of 2016. From arcade twin stick shooters, to western duelling party games or meditative puzzle games, local developers are creating some truly fun, interesting and unique games right now. Which really deserve your attention.
Party Golf
Developer: Giant Margarita Platforms: PC (Windows), PS4


text:
Here is an unusual Leger dress. Inspired by tennis wear, this dress has a flirty, pleated skirt. We have been writing about how much the cut of Herve Leger has to do with the fit. Look at the waist detail in this dress. Brilliant! Even if you do not have a small waist, this dress will absolutely define one for you. The beautiful, rich navy color is a great option for day and evening dressing as well.
It is sweet and sexy for the day with flats. Sweet and sexier in the evening with strappy sandals.
1990s navy Herve Leger dress with pleated skirt.
For more information about this item please email email@example.com or call (212) 581 7273. Please include name, address and telephone number on all email inquiries.


text:
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Devil's Angel
Silver's fever broke as bolts of sweat trickled down her brow. Her back ached as the wings began to break the skin, oozing blood down her ribs. She jolted her head back as a great yelp leaped from her throat. She dropped upon her pillow in exhaustion.
Dr. Phaeher dabbed a warm rag along Silver's back, cleaning her new wings. Silver's wings were tainted black, as the milk white struggled to shine.
"Gossip will soar hastily through the forest. Questions would be asked but no answers can be found." Doctor Phaeher whispered to himself as he scooped water into the blood-stained rag. Ellen and Lenin were in the corner murmuring about the horror of the situation.
"They're beautiful!" A voice chuckled in the room. Everyone gawked at the figure perched upon the window seal. Lucifer marveled at the wings that softly breathed above the girl. He tucked his demon, sharp wings into his jacket as he lowered himself to the floor. He graced over to Silver's bed as everyone stayed frozen. His fingers smoothed out Silver's frizzy, hair which was plastered to her face. He kissed her cheek as Ellen let out a cry.
"Get away from my daughter, you fiend." Ellen dashed between her daughter and Lucifer.
Lucifer just smirked, "I shall guide Silver to be who she is destined to become."
"Never!" Ellen screamed as Lenin wrapped her into his arms, protecting her.
Lucifer ignored the woman's cries as he crawled upon the window seal. "When she is well enough to fly, I'll come to get her and take her as my bride."
He spread his demon wings as he took flight soaring over the snow forest. Ellen dropped to her daughter's bed, bawling in desperation.
"Doctor, we must hide her." Lenin ordered as he comforted his bewildered wife.
"She shall go to Gaya." He proposed as Lenin's eyes grew in fear as Ellen gasped.
"She can't. It is forbidden." Ellen reminded him as she clutched her daughter's hand.
"It is the only place she is safe. Agreed?" Doctor Phaeher asked as Lenin nodded and his wife sighed laying her head on Silver's bed.
Lucifer's wings darkened the sky as he soared to Silver. He pictured his future bride awaiting him with her beautiful wings. As he perched himself on that same window seal, his eyes turned black with anger.
"Where is she?" Lucifer snapped his jaw as he dashed to her empty bed. He tore through the room: busting the vases, vandalizing the walls, shredding the covers, cracking the mirror and windows, and finally shattering the bookcases. He snatched the pillow from her bed, inhaling her sweet perfume.
"I'll find you now!" Lucifer grinned as he ripped the pillow with his sharp fingers. A shower of goose feathers rained down, layering the floor. He leaped to sky, determined to find his angel.
Silver swung on the swing, softly rocking back and forth with her head propped up by the chains. Two months had passed since she was thrown from the Golden Gates into the harsh light of Gaya. She was escorted to a small city by a woman in a black coat. Silver's hideous wings were tucked beneath her jacket as she struggled to continue forward. Forever damned.
No human could see her or feel her presence, so she remained invisible, silently watching as the young children played and giggled. She occupied the small swing every day, protecting the small children from unnecessary harm. But they continued to scrape their knees and bleed. Silver peered down at her fingers knowing well enough that she would never bleed. She continued her rocking as a cold chill filled the atmosphere.
"I have finally found you, my angel." A familiar voice whispered with the wind.
Silver perked her eyes open to a figure standing in the middle of the road as traffic past through him without a notice. He spread his wings wide morphing the sunlight into black rays. She gasped in astonishment at the beauty of his wings. Hypnotized, Silver obeyed his silent command and outreached her hand to meet his. No one paid any attention to the silent introduction.
"Let me see your beautiful wings. Spread them wide for me." Lucifer commanded as he stroked her cheek. Her jacket fell to the road as her tainted black wings glistened against the black rays of sun. He smoothed out the ruffled feathers admiring the color. "Beautiful!" he murmured to himself as his eyes lit up.
"What is your name?" Silver sighed as she peered into his gray eyes.
"Lucifer!" He smirked.
She snatched her hand back into her chest. The cloaked woman's words repeated in her head. "Beware an angel who calls himself Lucifer. For he is Hade's son."
"You demon!" she yelped as she dashed away without her jacket. She tucked her wings into her shoulder, making for the woods. She knew neither if he followed or stayed behind, but she took flight as the branches covered her figure. She ducked into a great oak, panting in terror, tucking her legs into her chest.
Her jacket slumped down onto her head. She tugged it off as Lucifer crouched on the tree limb above her.
"It's chilly out." He swathed the jacket over her trembling shoulders but allowed her wings to shine in the umbrage of the woods.
"Leave me alone, you demon. I don't want any part in your evil." She shouted as frightened birds took to the skies.
"You're judging me before getting to know me." Lucifer mocked as he slipped his fingers into her silver hair. "I'm here to guide you."
She tugged away from his cold fingers. "Why did you have to choose me?"
"Because you are beautiful and I like beautiful things." Lucifer bluntly stated as he jumped down the Silver's branch. "You have such beautiful wings. I'm constantly entranced by them." He outlined her wing with his finger, as Silver caught her breath. "Do you know what you are destined for?"
Silver shook her head as his hands propped her chin up. His lips were just centimeters from hers as he said, "You have a very important job here on Gaya. You have to protect these land walkers from demons."
Silver gazed up towards Lucifer who stared back with olive eyes, smiling softly. His wings spread out to block the wind which carried a scream.
"Stop, David!" a mother cried as her son dashed after a baseball which bounced into the mist of traffic. A demon cloaked in red slid the ball into the way of oncoming traffic. The boy didn't see the sixteen-wheeler coming as the exhausted driver continued forward. Silver, obediently, flew towards the boy as he picked up the ball. She encased him with her feathers, allowing the truck to zip through her.
"David!" The mother shouted as her eyes widened. Her son came running forth with the ball in his hand. The mother squeezed her baby into her arms crying tears of relief. He clutched the ball in his hand as a milk white feather hung onto his coat. The mother smiled as she plucked the feather into her hand, kissing it. She silent mouthed a silent prayer to her guardian angel.
Silver sat on the curve breathing softly, admiring the mother and son. She watched with a smile as she heard the prayer.
A black wing tucked around Silver, pulling her into Lucifer's warmth. He kissed her head as they watched the children play in the autumn breeze.
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text:
Shades of Grey
Runs Odar's Oddities.
Odar is a half elf who is absolutely obsessed with magic and has turned that dedication into a thriving business in the Midmarket Ward called Odar's Oddities. The store is haphazard and dangerous-looking, but Odar knows where everything in his store is.
Odar will trade in anything magical (with the exception of weapons and armor) and has a exceptional selection in the store.
Anyone talking to Odar will notice that he never mentions his surname (if he even knows it, no one knows), and that he has a number of tic's and nervous habits. He attributes these traits to a magical accident from years in the past.


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A little under a month ago, I did a review on 100% Pure's lavender products. I looooove lavender and I've really been enjoying everything from 100% Pure so far. Their products are all 100% propylene glycol free, which is huge when it comes to body products. PG is one of my very annoying allergies. It's incredibly common in soaps, gels, etc. This is actually the first time in a long time that I've been using a bunch of scented products at once. I've been loving their:
- Virgin Coconut Hand Buttercream
- Blood Orange Body Scrub
- Organic Lavender Seafoam Facial Cleanser
- Lavender Butter Soap
They also sent me some Organic Lavender Honey Facial Cleansing Foam. It turns out that it contains witch hazel, which turns my face red due to my gallate allergy. While it wasn't listed in the ingredients on the 100% Pure website, it was indeed on the packaging. I spoke with one of their representatives who apologized and said that they will fix the error on their website. They also then sent me some of this REALLY awesome Vegetable Detoxing Facial Mask to try out:
From their website: "Detoxifying, highly skin nourishing facial mask draws out impurities to minimize facial pores and to deeply purify while vegetables and seaweeds feed your skin with vitamins, antioxidants and other healthy nutrients. Highest amount of vitamin C and vitamin A for brighter, more youthful skin."
Check it out:
It has been soooo long since I've done a facial mask. YEARS. I used to do mint julep masks all the time. I always loved how the mint julep smelled super mint-y and tingled.
This one is the same way!
Texture: thick and clay-like
Scent: minty fresh
Effectiveness: My skin was VERY smooth after this mask.
Extracts of Fucus Vesiculosis (Organic Kelp), Spinach Oleracea (Organic Spinach) Leaf, Brassica Oleracea Acephala (Organic Kale Powder) Leaf, Solanum Lycopersicum (Organic Tomato Powder) Fruit and Hordeum Vulgare (Wheat Grass) Powder, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10 from Olive Oil), Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid from Spinach or Broccoli), Red Wine Resveratrol, Montmorillonite (French Green Clay), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Extracts of Coffea Arabica (Organic Coffee Cherry) Leaf/Seed, Euterpe Oleracea Pulp (Organic Acai Berry), Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Leaf*, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf), Oregano (Origanum Vulgare Leaf) and Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf), Mentha Piperita Oil (Peppermint Essential Oil), Fragrance (Parfum, Natural Source), Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honeysuckle), Geraniol**, Limonene**, Linalool** * Certified Organic **component of natural essential oil
I definitely recommend trying the vegetable detoxing facial mask from 100% Pure. I loved it! Not only did it leave my skin feeling extra clean and smooth, there's just something nice about putting on a mask and relaxing for a good five minutes or so, you know?
So, I give this facial mask 2 thumbs up! I'm really excited to have a facial mask that doesn't irritate my skin or cause allergic reactions :-) :-)
Thanks 100% Pure!