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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Things could not have gone any worse for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their start against the Arizona Cardinals, and their defensive struggles were only magnified without franchise quarterback Jameis Winston, who left Sunday's 38-33 loss with a right shoulder injury.
Winston took a crushing blow from Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones on third down of the opening possession, falling hard on his throwing shoulder. He attempted to work through the injury but looked over at quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian and shook his head.
Winston has never missed a game since he was drafted in 2015. He's never had a significant injury as a pro or a significant injury, period. "I've come out of a game before, but I don't think I've ever missed a game [on any level]. I don't think I'm going to miss a game, either."
He's not only their signal-caller on offense but their emotional leader. He's also a player who has been hell-bent on playing even when coach Dirk Koetter has attempted to pull him out of games before. This wouldn't have happened unless Winston truly felt he wasn't physically able to continue, which is what happened.
"Jameis is as tough as they come," said Koetter. "This isn't about toughness. This is about, 'He's got a shoulder injury and couldn't throw the football. He couldn't do his job.' We just have to see what happens."
The Bucs' offense has only averaged 23.6 points per game this season, but there has been a feeling that Winston's chemistry with DeSean Jackson would improve, that Winston would continue spreading the ball around to targets like Adam Humphries and O.J. Howard and that the return of running back Doug Martin could help open things up.
Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick showed Sunday that he's capable of stepping in, helping the Bucs to 32 points in the second half. He threw three touchdowns against the Cardinals, to Jackson, Cameron Brate and Mike Evans. He also led an 11-play, 70-yard drive capped off with a 1-yard run from Martin in the fourth quarter.
Fitzpatrick also threw two interceptions, however, something he's struggled with throughout his career. Since 2013, Fitzpatrick has had 3.2 percent of his pass attempts intercepted, the most in the NFL during that span. Regardless of the Bucs nearly pulling off a comeback in the second half, that could be a problem.
"We got a touchdown and we got that second touchdown and the defense scored a touchdown, "Fitzpatrick said. "At that point, we really had a chance. I made too many mistakes, especially the big one giving them seven points -- [it prevented] us from completing the comeback."
Also, considering the way the Bucs' defense performed against the Cardinals in the first half -- they came out flat, couldn't tackle and had major issues with their run fits -- they might not be in position to truly play complementary football where Fitzpatrick can be a game manager.
"We just beat ourselves way too much, way too much," said defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. "We dug a 31-point hole, fought back and we [lost] by five. We have to [fight] from the beginning."
The turnovers that helped the defense get on a hot streak at the end of last season may not always be there, although they helped the Bucs back into the game against the Cardinals. Brent Grimes intercepted Carson Palmer and Lavonte David had a scoop-and-score off of Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter.
The worst part about Winston's injury, though, is that the Bucs haven't even gotten into divisional play and they're already 2-3. After a trip to face the Buffalo Bills next week, the NFC South-leading 4-2 Carolina Panthers come to town. That's followed by a trip to New Orleans to face the Saints who, at 3-2, have moved into a tie for second place in the division with the Atlanta Falcons. In total, the Bucs play three divisional opponents in the next six weeks.
"I just think we have to get back in the books," Winston said. "We need to start working harder. That definitely can't happened again with the type of team we have. ... We have to bounce back next week. This game's over."


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Australian Macworld discusses the main issues for schools in iPad goes to School.
..... For starters, how does a school deal with the issue of students putting apps onto iPads? If the iPad is a shared resource, then having students install or remove apps can be a significant problem. Apple's iOS deployment tools (developer.apple.com/library/ios) can help with locking down elements of the operating system and making it easy to push new apps onto devices using your wireless network.
Application licensing is also a concern. When an app is bought through the App Store it's only licensed for one user. That means that the practice of setting up one reference iPad, backing it up and then restoring that installation onto multiple iPads will result in breaching the software licensing conditions. Apple is addressing this with a volume licensing program in the United States. There's no word on when that will be coming to Australia, however.
Where students are allocated an iPad for their own use, life gets a little easier. iOS apps can be added to the school booklist and students can be given iTunes Store vouchers in order to buy apps themselves and set the device up to suit themselves. .......... Read more.
Ringwood Secondary College in Victoria is implementing a 1-1 iPad rollout to its Year 7 students. They have developed an implementation document "Yr 7 iPad info 2011" around setting up accounts and installation of apps. Each student is provided with an iTunes card to the value of $50 as part of their iPad package , to allow an individual student account to be created and apps downloaded. This will all be done at school to ensure students have installed the correct apps.
Preparing your school for iPad implementation.
This article provides some really good points about planning for both infrastructure needs and the educational applications of the iPad. It discusses device management and content management and some thoughts around pedagogy. (This article also mentions the volume licensing program which as yet is only available in the USA)

subset: commoncrawl


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President Saddam Hussein has called for a freeze on all weapons inspections and even discussion of sites considered to be sensitive, Iraqi and United Nations officials said today.
The reaction from the chief United Nations arms inspector, Richard Butler, was swift and sharp. ''I cannot and will not agree to that,'' he said at a news conference before leaving Iraq today.
Apparently emboldened by an agreement earlier on Tuesday to review files on key weapons programs to determine if they can be closed, Iraq told Mr. Butler on Tuesday night that there should be no more talks until April about suspect sites that Iraq has put off-limits, which include the installations known as presidential palaces.
And by then, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, said today, Iraq should be close to having sanctions lifted, and the issue would be nearly moot.
In other words, Iraq has now made its most unambiguous bid to go directly to the endgame, pushing aside concerns that installations belonging to President Hussein and his security forces may harbor biological or other weapons, research establishments or revealing caches of documents.Continue reading the main story
''Enough is enough,'' Mr. Aziz said in a news conference tonight, calling the inspections ''espionage, not disarmament.''
''There is no practical reason to continue this game,'' he said.
''Does it make sense,'' Mr. Aziz said, ''that Iraq should conceal deadly weapons like VX and anthrax in sites where the head of state and the leadership of Iraq stay, work, sleep, eat and rest? Does it make sense?''
Mr. Butler said at his news conference earlier that the Iraqi proposal ''flies in the face'' of Security Council demands to open all suspect sites to inspection without conditions.
''I cannot predict what the Council will make of that,'' he said. Mr. Butler, who is due to report to the Security Council in New York on Friday, said that Mr. Aziz replied that he would take his chances.
A terse Mr. Butler said that he had told Mr. Aziz: ''I've been sent here to tell you that the council's requirement is unconditional access. The freeze that you propose flies in the face of that requirement. Are you hearing me? He said, yes, he was.''
Mr. Butler said that technical meetings to evaluate the progress on ending Iraq's production of special missile warheads for biological and chemical weapons as well as Baghdad's VX nerve-gas program would begin here on Feb. 1.
Shortly thereafter, a technical review of Iraq's entire biological-weapons system would begin.
''We are going to explain our case to real experts, not cops,'' Mr. Aziz said tonight, comparing the technical teams with the longstanding United Nations inspection system. Apart from again accusing inspectors of working for the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon, he accused them of procrastinating to further their incomes and reputations.
The new technical evaluations will be done by panels of experts from Mr. Butler's United Nations Special Commission, Iraq and six other nations -- China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. All but Germany are permanent Security Council members. All six, however, have experience in developing the kinds of weapons in question. Commission experts will act as chairmen of the panels.
Mr. Butler said that he expected the panels to report to him by the end of March, when he would add his comments and pass the reports on to the Security Council. The Iraqis want to freeze inspections of sensitive sites until then.
Mr. Aziz welcomed the newly redesigned technical inspection panels, which had earlier included only experts assembled by the Special Commission. He said that Mr. Butler's teams and review panels have been ''dominated by Anglo-Saxons.''
Mr. Butler, an Australian, took exception to that description in a rare flash of levity this week. He said he was definitely not an Anglo-Saxon but an Anglo-Celt.
Mr. Aziz, asked what President Hussein meant by his call on Saturday for a holy war -- or jihad -- against the United Nations sanctions, said that it was possible that Iraq was in imminent danger of being invaded by the Americans and British and had to defend its sovereignty.
''Americans might think of occupying the country,'' he said.
Mr. Butler said today that Mr. Aziz was making ''some fairly strong assumptions'' about the outcome of the technical evaluations, particularly since Iraq was not offering to provide any new information to the panels to back up its assertions that weapons and materials had been destroyed.
In the United Nations, as well as in Washington and other capitals, officials are convinced that Iraq could still be harboring germ warfare facilities and protecting other prohibited programs. Iraq must be declared free of all weapons of mass destruction before the crippling embargo imposed after the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait can be lifted.
Mr. Butler said that the facts surrounding the biological weapons file in particular make it unlikely that Mr. Aziz would get ''the outcome that he has in mind.''Continue reading the main story


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ARTHUR WELLSLEY RICHARDSON - A name in The Bronx standing for stability and prosperity as well as excellence
of service and consideration for the public is that of Arthur Wellsley Richardson, funeral director, at No. 314
East Two Hundred and Fourth Street. His long and varied merchandising experience with such a noted firm as Marshall
Field and Company and his incidental connection with several morticians have given him the best possible foundation
on which to build his enterprise. His business has therefore grown both rapidly and healthily, and his patrons
are among the best people of his section. He is influential also in many phases of civic life.
Arthur Wellsley Richardson was born February 10, 1880, on One Hundred and Thirty ninth Street, The Bronx, son of
Arthur W. and Julia (Healy) Richardson, both born on New York's lower east side, the father, who died in 1884 being
born in 1842. He was for many years general manager of the famous old wholesale dry goods house, Calhoun, Robbins
& Company.
The boy attended Public School No. 49, in the Kipps Bay section of Manhattan, between Second and Third avenues.
When he graduated, he found it necessary to become self supporting, because of his father's premature death, and
he found, at the age of twelve, a position in Stern Brothers' Dry Goods Store on Twenty third Street where he remained
for a year and a half. His next position was with Van Horn and Ellison, druggists, at Forty first Street and Park
Avenue. A year sufficed to teach him much about this type of merchandise. Returning to the dry goods business,
he entered the employ of Marshall Field and Company, in their small office at No. 104 Worth Street. Beginning at
the bottom he advanced to the position of salesman and was the first agent to represent the firm throughout all
the Eastern Atlantic States. He rounded out twenty four and a half years of service with Marshall Field. Meantime,
on various occasions his assistance was sought by several undertakers, whom he helped prepare burials. This experience,
viewed from many angles, taught him much about the undertaking business. In 1925, when opportunity offered, he
bought out the funeral establishment formerly owned and operated for nine years by George T. O'Connor, now deceased,
whose estate had put it on sale. Mr. Richardson has since continued to conduct the concern under his own name and
in the same location, meeting with great success.
His broad interest in general welfare has engaged Mr. Richardson in many activities. He enlisted for service in
the Spanish-American War when the first call for volunteers went out, and was received into Company A, 71st Regiment,
New York National Guard, until it was discovered that the sister who sponsored his enlistment was not his legally
appointed guardian. Undaunted, the young patriot had her so appointed by the courts, which, however, moved too
slowly to permit his joining his unit before the close of the war. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, Guiding
Star Council, and Bishop Hughes Council, with the Fourth Degree; of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, and the
Holy Name Society of St. Brendans Catholic Church. He is also sexton of the church. His other affilliations are
with The Bronx Friends of Erin and the Norwood Social Club, of which he was a charter member and the first president.
On April 22, 1912, in St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, Arthur Wellsley Richardson was married by Rev. Father J.
Murray to Mary Magdelen McDermott, daughter of John and Hannah (Mahoney) McDermott, both natives of Ireland. Children:
Arthur Wellsley Richardson, 3rd, born December 31, 1915; and Elise Marie Richardson, born October 8, 1920.
The Bronx and its people
A History 1609-1927
Board of Editors: James L. Wells,
Louis F. Haffen
Josiah A. Briggs.
Historian: Benedict Fitspatrick
Publisher: The Lewis Historical Publishing Co., Inc.
New York 1927
Privacy Policy for
Bronx County, NY
New York
New York
For all your genealogy needs visit Linkpendium


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A reminder that the annual MRA Awards party is this coming Wednesday, October 12, at the Boston Yacht Club.
Cocktails and great passed hors d'oeuvres start at 6:30PM with the awards presentations starting at 7:00PM, or shortly thereafter.
Don't miss a great chance to catch up with your fellow racers on all of this summer's action and next year's possibilities.
Please be sure to invite your crew. And also invite fellow sailors/PHRF racers who might want to quit complaining about their PHRF handicap rating and experience the fun of one design racing. This is always a fun night before wintah sets in.
The bar opens at 6:30PM and will accept yacht club reciprocal charges or cash.


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Book Review: 'Faces in the Flames' by Peter Tate
0 / 5 Stars
'Faces in the Flames: Fourth in a Series of Small Wars' was published in hardcover by Doubleday in April, 1976.
Peter Tate (b. 1940) published a number of short stories and novels in the 60s and 70s, all of them nominally sf. Two of the novels, 'The Thinking Seat' (1969) and 'Moon On an Iron Meadow' (1974) are part of a loose trilogy – along with 'Faces' - featuring the 'Simeon' character.
'Faces in the Flames' is one of the worst novel's I've ever read. Finishing it was a chore…...I had to 'whittle' it down in 10 page increments, over the course of nearly a month, before I finally closed the covers.
The novel is set in the near future – i.e., the late 70s or early 80s – and deals with the political and diplomatic intrigues surrounding the newly established central African nation of Zimbabwe (this is referred to here as a former Portuguese colony, apparently carved out of Mozambique; the 'real' Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, came into being in late 1979).
The UN is covertly supporting a 'liberation' front in its quest to wrest control of Zimbabwe from the conservative bloc supported by the Vatican (in Tate's envisioning of the future, vicious religious wars between Catholics and Protestants are waged in third-world nations).
Pope Eugenio, who is Portuguese, sees the crushing of the rebellion in Zimbabwe as his holy mission against the Antichrist; conveniently, it also is a last-ditch effort to preserve some degree of Portuguese hegemony in Africa. To this end, Eugenio is quite happy to have captured rebels burned at the stake in public executions, as a deterrent to recruiting efforts by the rebellion. The rebels, for their part, are happy to respond with atrocities of their own.
As the novel opens, the hero Simeon is in Hampshire County of the UK, grieving over the death of his wife, Tomorrow Julie (trite names are part and parcel of 'Faces'). Simeon's history of activism has given him worldwide credibility as an interlocutor in political affairs, and he soon discovers that the agents of the Vatican, and the agents of the rebellion, both are intent on recruiting him to further their cause.
The agents of the Vatican, led by an operative named Prinz, are the more ruthless and amoral of the competing factions, and they have no qualms about using violent methods to gain their objectives.
As the plot unfolds, Simeon discovers that the loss of his wife is but a prelude to a wrenching series of events that will see him make a decision to side with one faction or the other…. And either choice will endanger his life.
'Faces in the Flames' is only superficially sf; most of the plot is a poorly-sketched framework upon which the author hangs page after page of tedious, wooden conversations.
Compounding Tate's deficiencies as an author is his writing style, one that that can best be described as 'stilted', relying as it does on a relentlessly graceless mélange of slang; empty sentences; clumsy metaphors; and a habit of regularly and awkwardly inserting ALL CAPS words to communicate emphasis to the reader.
Simeon, and the others among the cast of characters, are so forgettable, that by the time I completed the first third of the novel, I had lost all interest in them.
It remains a mystery to me why Peter Tate somehow managed to publish six sf novels during the interval from 1969 - 1979 ; I recognize that during the New Wave era, many poorly written novels were embraced and endorsed by editors anxious to demonstrate their credentials in promoting 'speculative fiction'. But even so, someone should have delivered a polite Rejection Letter upon receipt of the manuscript of 'Faces in the Flames'.
This one is best avoided.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Book Review: Faces in the Flames
Posted by tarbandu at 6:31 PM
Labels: Faces in the Flames
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People have purchased herbs and other plants with regard to medicinal uses all through noted history. Numerous plants have obtained their positive aspects medically exhibited and several modern-day pharmacological drug treatments have got herbs as their principal compound. Readily obtainable Herbal Medicinal Products can help to reduce various problems and offer numerous healthcare positive aspects. Luckily, these kinds of products don't require a doctor's prescription. This is a good thing since many people just do not want to run out to the doctor if they're feeling not well.
However, in spite of the gains of the herbs, it is important to understand that these shouldn't be intended for deadly and severe conditions. These kinds of herbal products can certainly produce a big difference in how you feel on a everyday time frame. It's worth locating a top producer of herbal products and Vitamin Supplements who carefully inspects the herbs in addition to their positive aspects.
A firm including Bio-Health performs lots of investigation on the plants that go into their products. They've really identified that the particular strategy of determining and removing an active principle from their herbs is basically a useless exercise. While competition may make an effort to draw out a single chemical from a plant, the corporation normally uses the whole dry plant. This is a greater practice. As the outcomes of these herbs are usually gentle anyway, removing the majority of the plant brings with it the important likelihood of removing some other sought after results also.
Herbal and safe herbs tend to be what a lot of people seek out in relation to the treatment of what can make them unwell. These herbs not simply make the man or woman feel much better due to their components – by taking these types of natural merchandise they feel much better about not necessarily putting foreign toxins within their body.


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|This document is available in two formats: this web page (for browsing content) and PDF (comparable to original document formatting). To view the PDF you will need Acrobat Reader, which may be downloaded from the Adobe site. For an official signed copy, please contact the Antitrust Documents Group.
From: email@example.com [mailto:email@example.com]On Behalf Of email@example.com
Consumer Choice for Home Sellers:
I am worried about what will happen to consumer choice for home sellers if they do not take notice or speak out against the minimum service standard laws being passed in states under the guise of consumer protection.
Over a decade ago I helped in the fight for the rights of home buyers to have an advocate in their transactions. I now find myself in a fight for home sellers to buy less services from a real estate brokerage when they do not have the need for advocacy and full-service traditional brokerage.
If the real estate industry truly cared about consumer protection they would never promote the dilution of advocacy through the dual agency laws -- again under the guise of consumer protection. Dual agency is for commission protection, not consumer protection.
And what about the home buyer trapped into an unrepresented position by a skillful listing agent or dual agent? Why don't these laws address that scenario? Where is the consumer protection for the home buyer? It is not evident in these new state laws.
I understand that selling a home is more complicated than booking an airline ticket but a certain percentage of the population probably has the skill set to sell their own home. Many of them may be able to do a better job than the legions of newbie agents flocking to the industry within the last few years who seem to have little training, in my experience.
Here is the a list of lower cost consumer choices I experienced for a recent holiday trip. I booked my flight online for a trip on JetBlue, a lower cost alternative airline. I drove myself to the airport instead getting picked up and I listened to a new alternative radio station that had no DJs and less commercials on the way. I got gas at a self-serve pump and got money from an ATM for my trip. I self-checked my bags and opted for coffee at a take-out spot instead of a sit-down restaurant. What if all of these lower cost options were outlawed?
While reading USA Today on the plane, I saw an article about Charles Schwab, author of How To Be Your Own Stockbroker, that stated that the company bearing his name serves 10% of the American investors. Why can't the real estate industry let a certain percentage of the market 'do-it-yourself', too?
There are many issues in the real estate business that contribute to the current unrest -- a 'glut' of agents, lack of training, outdated procuring cause rules, technology-resistant agents, non-compliance with agency disclosure regulations, ethically-challenged agents, etc. Please maintain full consumer choice, full disclosure and informed consent!
Pat Rioux
Broker/Owner, ListForLess.com
Helping Home Sellers Since 1998
Pat Rioux ListForLess.com
Flat-Fee MLS Placement Since 1998
Broker/Owner MA Lic 5883
197M Boston Post Rd. #333
Marlboro, MA 01752
877-792-8114 Voice/Fax/Mobile


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- Popis
ACE Tango 17+ Purecontrol Turf Obuv
Rule the game beyond the field.Command the field. Dominate defenders. Find an inch of space and create your chance. With ACE at your feet, you control the game. These soccer shoes offer optimal comfort with an adidas Primeknit upper and sock construction.
- adidas Primeknit upper wraps the foot in adaptive support and ultralight comfort; Ultra-thin film on upper helps keep water and debris out
- boost™ is our most responsive cushioning ever: The more energy you give, the more you get
- Control the ball at high speed with a PURECUT laceless sock forefoot with no edges, overlays or laces to get between you and the ball
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- Synthetic and textile upper / Synthetic lining / Rubber outsole
- Imported
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PYEONGCHANG, South Korea -- Four years ago, Gus Kenworthy and Nick Goepper stood together on the podium in Sochi, as silver and bronze medalists and two-thirds of one of the greatest American performances in Winter Olympics history. Four years later, they stood at the bottom of another Olympic slopestyle course, only one of them a medalist, but both proud of how far those four years have brought them.
"Before my last run, I was visualizing myself landing the last jump, arms open, screaming," said Goepper, a silver medalist this time around after Sunday's men's ski slopestyle final. "I had to dig deep and trust myself, and it all came to fruition."
Kenworthy failed to land a clean run in the finals and finished last, skiing through injuries and the immeasurable pressure of a two-year buildup to these Games. He was disappointed in his performance but aware of what his presence in an Olympic final meant beyond the competition. "I'm just proud to be here representing the U.S.," Kenworthy said Sunday. "Before my last run, I was reminding myself how amazing this experience is and that, win or lose, I have an amazing support system and a lot to be proud of."
In Sochi, they were kids. Alongside their teammate, gold-medal winner Joss Christensen, they shared the weight of expectations in their sport's Olympic debut. After their podium sweep, they shared the heat of the spotlight. They smiled together for the cameras, holding their medals high and allowing the world to be distracted by their sparkle. But individually, they struggled inside.
Christensen was mourning the recent loss of his father, JD, and smiling through the heartache that his win forced him to publicly confront. Kenworthy wasn't ready to tell the world he was gay. During those slopestyle finals, he skied wearing a pair of pink underwear beneath his Team USA uniform, a reminder to himself of his truth.
Goepper's pain settled in the darkness of not knowing what came next. He wanted to take advantage of what winning an Olympic medal had to offer, yes-ing himself into exhaustion. When the fanfare stopped, he felt purposeless. "I had no plan after Sochi," Goepper said. "I was partying a lot with my friends, flying into this void. Three weeks after the Olympics, I'm like, 'What am I doing?'"
Months after what should have been the greatest day of his life, Kenworthy was falling into what he says was one of the darkest periods of his life. Goepper was drinking daily, lost and depressed. In December 2014, he was arrested and charged with criminal mischief for throwing rocks at vehicles in his hometown of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, that summer.
"The drinking was a symptom of the problem, and unfortunately that symptom got pretty bad," Goepper said. In a recent interview for ESPN's World of X Games, he said as the depression worsened, he contemplated ending his life.
In the fall of 2015, with the support of his parents, Goepper checked into a rehab facility in Texas. In October of that year, Kenworthy came out publicly in a cover story in ESPN The Magazine. Neither man knew where those decisions would take them. The night before Kenworthy's story was published, he took a screenshot of his Instagram followers to remind himself how many supporters he once had.
"I thought I would lose sponsors and fans," he said. "I thought I would be judged poorly at contests. I painted a worst-case scenario for myself, but the response couldn't have been more opposite. It was the best day of my life."
Goepper said he hasn't had a drink in 2½ years. He made the decision to share his story last summer, after several heart-to-hearts with his younger sister led him to want to honestly provide an answer when people asked him how he was doing. "I knew it was going to happen one day, it just had to be the right time," his father, Chris Goepper, said. "It was important for him to do, to get the monkey off his back. There's no whispers anymore."
Addressing the media after his performance on Sunday, Goepper spoke candidly and confidently about his struggles, open in a way he wasn't before, and aware that, like Kenworthy, his story is resonating with people beyond his sport. "It's important to be authentic and true to yourself," Goepper said. "Gus led by example to anyone who wants to be open about their feelings. It's great to just be you."
In the time since both men shared their stories, they've not only felt freed by speaking their truths and becoming incredible role models to the communities they now represent, but they've also gained a better understanding of each other.
"When Nick decided he wanted to be authentic, you could feel this huge weight being lifted off his shoulders," Goepper's mom, Linda, said. "It was freeing. There's been a lot of tension between Nick and Gus over the years, and that started to dissipate as soon as their stories came out. It's been awesome to watch them grow into more mature adults. There's been a significant amount of stuff underneath it all for both of them, so to see them rise above and enjoy themselves and compete so well, it's been awesome to watch."
On Sunday afternoon, both families stood in the spectator area at Phoenix Snow Park watching their sons compete for the second time at the Winter Olympics, proud not only of their performances, but of the men they'd become.


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I have been busy creating new styles of aprons....here we are so far this week:
|Getting into Fall colors !
|My favorite style of craft apron.
These two aprons are for sale on my Etsy shop as of today. And there are many more to come now that I have stocked up on my fall fabric collection !
Thanks for checking us out !!
Till next time,


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- No Opt Out—Never allow students to say "I don't know" when you ask them a question. If they do, have the class give the right answer, then have that student repeat the right answer.
- Right Is Right—Don't let students get away with partial answers. Lead them into giving the full, right answer.
- Stretch It—When students do have the right answer, take it further (or higher into Bloom's taxonomy).
- Format Matters—Students will use proper grammar, complete sentences, and correct units, all in an acceptable volume.
- Without Apology—There's no such thing as a boring subject. Don't apologize for your curriculum. Save your curriculum complaints for your blog, but until the bureaucrats make changes, make it as exciting and useful as possible, and it will become such.
As I mentioned earlier, a lot of this is a form of immediate feedback to students. Immediate feedback creates high expectations that students are motivated to reach.
A second idea that seems prevalent is that of a confident, charismatic, serious, bold, and fearless teacher. Not a grasshopper. (No classroom management techniques mentioned yet, however. Perhaps these techniques take care of that innately.)
At the end of the chapter is a "Reflection and Practice" section. My natural inclination is to skip it, thinking to myself, "That's stupid," except that the voice that says it in my mind is the voice of a generic, unmotivated, whiney student. So I will do it. Here.
The chapter presented five techniques for raising academic expectations in your classroom: No Opt Out, Right Is Right, Stretch It, Format Matters, and Without Apology. Which of these will be the most intuitive for you to implement in your classroom? Which will be the toughest, and what will make it difficult?I think the technique I'm closest to already using is Right Is Right. One thing I try to emphasize is file format and naming. It's one of the simplest things and probably one of the most useful techniques for future, and students might complain about it being a simple thing and it shouldn't be a big deal, but I enforce it. It should also be fairly easy to implement Stretch It by teaching software tools, then leading discussions about what sorts of things could be accomplished with those tools.
The toughest technique to apply might be No Opt Out. I actually tried it a little bit today, and it just didn't feel natural. Maybe I can figure out a way to make it mine. We'll see. Without Apology might be tough, but at the same time I'm excited to try it. One aspect of my teaching, which I consider to be a strength in some ways, is that I try to be very honest with students. But that honesty tends to lead to apologizing for curriculum: "I hated doing this when I was in school, but it's important," could be replaced with, "This is a tough practice to get into, but once you do, everything else will come easier."
There are [a] variety of reasons that a student might opt out of answering a question... See how many possible reasons for No Opt Out you can [come up with]. How should the breadth of possible reasons listed cause you to consider or adapt the tone with which you engage students when you use No Opt Out?He genuinely doesn't know. He didn't understand the question, and is afraid to ask you to clarify. He wasn't paying attention. He is afraid of getting it wrong. He doesn't consider that he might actually know the answer if he thinks. He doesn't feel like thinking. He's too tired to think.
I think one helpful thing would be to enliven the classroom with my attitude. A student might be more likely to engage his brain if it seems like something exciting or important is happening. No Opt Out might help raise the expectation that every student will know the idea being discussed. He might then expect himself to be able to understand, and if not, then maybe it's not his fault, and the teacher will take more time to work it out.
One of the keys to responding effectively to "almost right" answers...is having a list of phrases you think of in advance. [Write] four or five of your own.(1) Good, you're on the right track. Let's go with it and try to get more specific and detailed. (2) I know what you're trying to say, and what you're trying to say is right, let's just get the right words on the idea so we all have it in common. (3) You're close but we just need a little clarification before moving on. (4) That's part of it. Who can finish it off?
Try to think of ten Stretch It questions you might ask for the following question: What do you think is the lesson of "The Three Little Pigs"? Objective: Students will be able to explore the moral of the story and the genre of fables in general.(1) Name another story with a similar moral. (2) Tell me about a time in your life when you've learned the same lesson. (3) Why do you think the first pig thought straw was a good idea? (4) Why do you think the second pig thought that twigs were a good building material? (5) Name another story that has a wolf as the antagonist. What are the similarities and differences to this one? (6) Why do wolves make such great antagonists?
I can only come up with six at the moment.
Try to imagine the most "boring" content that you could teach. Now script the first five minutes of your class in which you find a way to make it exciting and engaging to students.The subject I was referring to earlier, the one that I hated having to do, is storyboards. The pros use them all the time to map out complicated shots. Maybe that's the problem. When we make movies as kids, we don't have the technology or money to actually do those complicated shots. So, either you storyboard a not-so-exciting part of a movie that you end up making, or you storyboard an exciting scene that you can never do.
Star Wars is easily one of my favorite movies, and I've seen dozens of behind-the-scenes features, which include a lot about storyboarding. Maybe for the first five minutes of the storyboard discussion, we could discuss the first shot in the original Star Wars, the one where the rebel cruiser flies overhead, lasers blasting all over, followed by the seemingly-endless Imperial star destroyer. This scene, as well as every other special effects and action scene in star wars, was storyboarded beforehand. And it wouldn't be a very difficult storyboard to draw. (I think drawing is the most painful thing to do for most students.)
Then, when they made Return of the Jedi, they used little action figures to live-storyboard the speeder chase in the forest. I'm sure that would be a fun activity.
Granted, that wasn't exactly a plan of the first five minutes, but it's a start, and I'm tired, and this blog is long.


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A spoon stuck into the overflow drainage hole in the bathroom sink. She cracks me up!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Detective work
I've finally figured something out. It only took me three years.
Mom likes to carry things around while she is doing her wandering. I try to put anything terribly important, or unsafe things, in a drawer or cabinet. As you can imagine, I only have so much drawer/cabinet space. As a result, I spend a good amount of time looking for things.
Last night, I looked in the place where I try to keep the television remote. Instead, there was a toy that Mom likes to play with. I looked to see what Mom was currently carrying. A potato. Looked to the shelf where the potatoes are stored, there is a building block. Looked to the table where most of the building blocks stay, and there is the remote. She usually will leave one thing when she picks up another to carry around. I just have to follow the trail.
We had hoarfrost a few days ago. By the time I got out there, every little puff of wind would blow a little more from the trees.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Research and Development
I've been doing some experimenting. I found a mill that has a machine that wraps fiber around a yarn or jute core, making what they call rug rope. This is a photo they sent of what it looks like.
Intrigued, I asked for a short sample, which they sent. It is about two feet long.
Here it is close up.
You can sort of see the fiber wrapping around.
I have bags and bags of coarser fiber, what is called 2nds and 3rds. Fiber from the lower belly, neck, and lower legs. Rugs would be the perfect use for it. The cost is only slightly more than what I pay to have my good stuff carded into roving.
Imagine this a lot wider and longer. This is just the small sample I had wrapped around the loom. This would create a very long lasting, hard wearing rug. Or chair pad, or dog bed, or cat bed, or butt pad for sitting at the outdoor football game. Or ice fishing.
I am experimenting now with dyeing the sample they sent. My suspicion is it would be better to send the fiber already dyed, than to dye the rope. We'll see.
P.S. Cindy guessed correctly. My new glasses are blue metal rim on the top, no rim on the bottom, and the whatever you call part that goes behind your ear (bows? arms? legs?)are dark blue on the outside and light blue on the inside. The only sunglasses clip-on that would fit are blue/purple mirrored, so they totally match the glasses. I'll be so hip and modern. Hahahaha.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I did some roving dyeing on my weekend off. As usual, I ran them through the spin cycle of the washing machine, then hung them on a peg on the shelf over my living room windows to finish drying. As I was about to take them down when they were dry, I noticed something.
The things I normally have hanging on the pegs (although I do put the snowman away once spring rolls around) rather matched their respective rovings. I may have done it subconsciously, but I thought I just hung em up to dry.
Here they are wound into skeins. I am very pleased with the yellow/orange/raspberry one, not thrilled with the green/blue (too limey)and eh about the lavender/blue one.
I also got to the eye doctor on Saturday. My eyes have actually improved,(no bifocals needed yet!) so my current glasses are a little too strong, which is probably causing the headaches. The new glasses are due in on the 2nd, and guess what color they are.
The view from my front porch a few days ago.
Friday, January 23, 2009
I grew up a block from the Mississippi River, where it widens to form a lake. Mom would take us agate hunting nearly every day, weather permitting. We couldn't wait for the snow to melt and the ice and flood waters to recede in the spring. We'd walk down to the lake, climb down to the small strip of sandy beach, and walk along the water's edge, peering intently into the water. Agates could be found out of the water too, of course, but they seemed to be easier to spot if they were wet.
It was like a daily treasure hunt, with much squealing and let me see, let me see whenever one was found. Of course, the bigger the better. Most of the ones we found were the size of a quarter or smaller, but occasionally we'd find one bigger, maybe the size of a half-dollar. My oldest brother was the best at finding those. He could walk down to the water, look in and pick one up, just like that. Grrr!
The red ones were my favorite. It seemed I could get lost staring into the translucent stone, with the rings that went deep inside. So pretty.
I bring this up because I have had this recurring dream for years, and had it last night. I am always with a group of people, near the water's edge. I look down and find beautifully ringed, softball- sized agates, three or four of them together. I take a couple of more steps, and there are more. I am nearly beside myself, hauling these agates out of the water, jumping up and down with glee, and none of the people I am with understand what the fuss is about. To me, I have found the greatest treasure there is, and to them, eh, it's just a rock!
Mom was up at 1 am, then I thought I heard her again at 3:30, so I got up, but she was still in bed. Then at 5 am, she fell out of bed. I managed to get her up and back in bed, none the worse for wear. Then at 6:30 ish, a cat started meowing outside of my window. I rolled over to look at the clock, then fell into one of those weird, half sleep/half awake, fitful dreaming states. In the space of fifteen minutes, I had three different dreams, each with a different scenario, but they all involved me trying to keep Mom or another Alzheimer's patient safe( like Genevieve,) and me just sobbing. It seemed like I would "rescue" her from one thing, I would cry, then another scenario would start, and I'd have to "rescue" her again. The last two involved her getting close to the edge of a giant hole created by road construction. (Falling out of bed-like) The last one I was screaming at Paula Deen (WTF?) for getting between Mom and I, with Mom close to the edge of the hole. When I finally woke up for real, I was sobbing. I hate waking up like that. Think the pressure/constant anxiety is getting to me?
I am taking a break. I will take Mom to the Alz Unit this afternoon, and my sister will bring her back here Sunday afternoon. I have an eye appointment tomorrow morning, the headache continues. Have a good weekend.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Gratuitous dog photos
I've had a nagging headache for 4 or 5 days. It has been almost 9 years since I've had my eyes checked. Maybe I need new glasses. Now trying to figure out how I can get to an eye doctor while still taking care of Mom. Right.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Earflap hat
Last week when we were having brutally cold temps, I was having a hard time keeping the bottoms of my ears covered. It has actually been an ongoing problem, I just noticed it more in -45 weather I guess. If I had the hat on low enough to cover the ears, then it was too low on the forehead and I couldn't see. So I whipped up a hat with earflaps.(Photo is pre-blocking.)
It sits about mid-forehead but completely covers the ears. Perfect.
The yarn was from my early days of dyeing. I was experimenting with dyeing techniques in the crockpot, and felted the heck out of the dark part of the roving. Parts of it wouldn't draft at all, so I just made a really thick/thin yarn. Those ties aren't I-cord, they're just the thick parts of the yarn. It really worked out well, the thick part of the yarn on the bottom making very thick ear flaps, and the yarn grew thinner as I knit up, forming a natural decrease. I decreased until I had six stitches left, then did a couple of inches of a six stitch I-cord, ending in a tassel.
Yep, that's a gigantic tassel. It went against my frugal nature to make it, since it seems like a waste of yarn. But you know what? Being frugal all the time can be a gigantic pain in the ass. The feel of that gigantic tassel bopping me in the head as I navigate the drifts makes me smile. Well worth a few yards of yarn.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Woven Scarf
This is the finished scarf from yesterday. It is about 3 inches wide, and almost 8 feet long. I think I need to make the roving even thinner. I am having a lot of fun experimenting!
Mom's babydoll Judy has been incognito for a while, but I found her yesterday under the pile of throws on the chair. I handed her to Mom, and you should have seen the reunion. Huge smile on Mom's face, she hugged Judy to her, then rubbed noses with her, and caressed the back of her head. So sweet.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Peg Loom
Have you ever learned about something, and then not be able to get it out of your head? You're in bed, but have ideas running through your head so you can't sleep. I do some of my best work in bed.
I learned about peg looms the other day, including a site describing how to make your own. How to use one here. I wanted one immediately. I needed dowels to make the pegs, but didn't have any, and no way to get any. It has been crazy cold here, and I can't take Mom out in that. Foiled by the weather again! I kept thinking about it though.,
One night, I remembered. Several years ago, (six, seven?) I ended up with a box of chair parts at an auction, because I wanted the beautiful wood box the chair parts were in. Spindles, there were a lot of spindles in that box. Spindles, dowels, same thing, right? I scrounged around in the garage, found a 19" piece of 2x2, and several smooth spindles of approximately the same size. A couple of hours later, I had this.
The spindles are wonky because they were slightly different sizes. The lighter, bigger ones are 3/4 inch. The smaller, darker ones must be 5/8 inch. The biggest drill bit I have is 1/2 inch. I also had a 1/2 inch and a 3/4 inch wood boring bit. The 3/4 inch wood boring bit made wonderful holes for the bigger spindles, but I had to improvise for the smaller spindles. I am not a woodworker. It isn't pretty, but I can't beat the price! It is functional, too.
This is some domestic wool roving that I had dyed. When I ran out of roving though, I didn't know what to do with it. It was about a foot wide, and 1 1/2 feet long, and 1 1/2 inches thick. I decided to frog it.
It will become a very long scarf. I split each piece of roving in half again, so it wouldn't be quite as thick.
When I can get to a store,(high winds and blowing snow today, I had to cancel my plans again!) I will probably buy some 1/2 inch dowels to make another loom, 2-3 feet wide. I see roving rugs in my future.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Color Week: Stripes and Plaids
I knew this was going to be difficult. I walked around the house with the camera, muttering stripes? plaids? WTF? These are the best I could do.
The granary.
I had to include a textile of some sort, being this is a fiber blog, right? No, I didn't make this.
I hope you have enjoyed Color Week as much as I have. It really opens your eyes to your world. I have found many new interesting and beautiful blogs too. Click the link and discover a few for yourself. You'll be glad you did.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Color Week: Pink
Today is pink.
My good girl Simba.
Pink combs. The cream-colored pullet(young female chicken) on the right is yesterday's chick getting all grown up.
This proud cockerel (young male chicken) is her brood brother.
This is alpaca(Peach Boy) and Cormo wool in a 50/50 blend, with a few kid mohair locks thrown in. I cannot describe how soft this is.
Check out more pink.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Color Week: Yellow
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Color week: Purple
Edited to add this. The Alzheimer's bracelet I've had on since my sister did a memory walk in August 07. I don't know if I'll ever take it off.
Color week continues with purple. At first I thought I had nothing to show. I was wrong.
My Turtle Fur hat sticking out of the mitten/hat basket in the kitchen entry.
I walked into the kitchen and found a purple block floating in Mom's glass of chocolate milk. (If you're just stopping by for color week, and don't know what I'm talking about, Mom makes art out of common household objects. Click the art label on the sidebar for some examples.) I left to grab the camera, and by the time I got back, it was out of the glass. Another photo opportunity missed. It made me look for the other purple blocks though. I found one on the kitchen table.
It looks like the dancing duck and the milk glass chicken have become friends.
Chives on my bedroom wall, which itself is blueish purple.
My current spinning. Would you believe this came out of the same dyepot as the purplish/pink/Fred yarn from the post a couple of days ago? This started out a gray/blue llama/wool/silk/mohair blend that I overdyed in the same dyepot with the white llama that turned into the Fred yarn. To make it easy, here is that yarn.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Color Week: Blue
I am participating in Curious Bird's Color Week, where you feature the set color of the day. Today is Blue.
This sits atop a window in the kitchen.
Snow sharks. I love the blue shadows.
Of course I had to include fiber of some sort. This is the alpaca/merino/silk/nylon sock blend.
My plans for the day have been foiled by a blizzard watch for this afternoon. It is snowing now, and the wind is supposed to pick up this afternoon to 40 mph. I am certainly not taking Mom out in that.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Wrist warmers
A good friend of mine asked me for a pair of wrist warmers to help ease the joint pain of arthritis. I was happy to oblige. Hopped on the Ravelry pattern browser, ( I love the Ravelry pattern browser!) and found this. Ravelry link here. I modified the pattern to suit me. I omitted the diamond on one end, and just did k1p1 ribbing in the round with 5 dpns until I thought it was long enough (5 inches, in this case), then started the decreases for the diamond at the beginning and end of each row, now working back and forth, but still with the dpns.
I love this because it leaves your hand free, but still covers the top of the wrist and hand for warmth. If it bugs, you just fold it back for another look, and double the warmth. I had no way to model these on an actual wrist, so check out the link to see what I mean.
These took just 1.4 oz of handspun alpaca. Perfect for that little batt you couldn't resist buying but don't know what to do with. Or, in my case, I was experimenting with overdyeing a natural rose gray roving, so just did small amounts of roving.
During an unusually long (for me, anyway) bout of TV watching last night(Ugly Betty, Gray's Anatomy, Private Practice, all in a row), I spun this up.
This is more Ollie de Llama roving, dyed with a combination of three or four colors ( I know there was Cornflower, Orchid and Silver Birch, and maybe a little Cyclamen? These are all Gaywool colors, in case you care. Also, why don't I write this stuff down so I can duplicate it? That would probably require measuring though too.) I love the color, but what is it? What would you call this? It is too pink for lavender or lilac, yet too blue for pink, too pink for rose, too pink for thistle, too blue for orchid. Maybe I'll just call it Fred. I suck at colorway names.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
When you accept delivery of a box that looks like this, look the UPS guy straight in the eyes as you are thanking him.
A friend traveled to Japan for vacation over Thanksgiving. He called (from Japan) to tell me of this great innovation he found there, the warmed toilet seat! Apparently they are very common in the toilets he visited.
The bathroom that Mom uses is in the northwest corner of the house, with two exterior walls. The room is difficult to keep warm, so she sort of jumps/exclaims every time she sits down. When my friend called to tell me of this great thing he had found in Japan, I jokingly (I thought)said "Man, I need one of those for poor Mom!" and told him why.
You do not need to explain to the UPS guy that you have considerate (but slightly crazy) friends who will send you a heated toilet seat when you need one.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Art of Alzheimer's
Mom loves Circus Peanuts. So she put it in a bowl.
OK, she put it on a picture of a bowl in a magazine.


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Joan and Oliver Admire her Organic Orchids
My mother has been adding coffee grounds and eggshells to her orchids, and this gorgeous bunch of blooms is obviously crying out, "We don't need chemical fertilizers." Oliver seems to enjoy them also, and loves spending time with my mom. She is becoming quite the dog person, since she adopted Jacque. He's inside taking a nap. Oliver wore him out wrestling in a game i call the Tumbleweed, because that is what they look like--a little ball rolling about in the wind. The two playful boys sure do enjoy each other's company. Oliver loves visiting mom when I am working in her area for the day.
© photo copyright Carrie Boyko
Sleep Tight Jacque
For tips on growing your own organic orchids, inside and out, check out these sites:
Happy gardening. Isn't Spring wonderful?!
Before I sign off, I'd like to mention that today's post at my All Things Dog Blog is about bringing peace between your dog and cat. If you've got both living in your house, I hope you'll stop in for a tip or two.


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Our tenant find only service is designed for the Landlord who wants to deal with all aspects of the property letting apart from actually finding suitable tenants.
Landlords taking this option usually reside near their property which they would like to be let and are therefore able to respond to their tenants maintenance and repair needs personally within a timely manner.
We will:
- visit the property for discussion on the various aspects of letting and advise on market forces and the rent that can be expected.
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- interview prospective tenants and accompany all viewings to the property.
- phone, text and email details to our mailing list of waiting tenants.
- fully reference prospective tenants with an independent referencing agency.
- provide an assured shorthold tenancy agreement and also deal with extensions to agreements and negotiations of rent increases.
- handle the renewal of the tenancy agreement at the end of the initial fixed term and deal with any renegotiations that may arise.
All the above is included in our Management Fee of 12% (10% + VAT) of the term of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy. A charge of £60 (£50 + VAT) will also apply.


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"The governments don't rule the world. Goldman Sachs rules the world," claimed a shockingly outspoken trader, Alessio Rastani, on the BBC two months ago. "The savings of millions of people are going to vanish," he said, warning viewers they should "get prepared" because "economic crisis is like a cancer, if you just wait and wait thinking this will go away, just like a cancer it's going to grow and it's going to be too late."
What was interesting about the media response to this was that, rather than focus on the substance of what the trader was saying, it instead went on a wild goose chase trying to decide whether or not he was a hoaxer belonging to a group called the "Yes Men". But on one point at least Rastani was absolutely right: Goldman Sachs – aka the Vampire Squid – really have the world squeezed tighter and tighter right now within its blood-sucking tentacles.
Consider the three biggest new EU appointments:
The new president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, Italy's new prime minister, Mario Monti, and the new Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos all reportedly have the US investment bank as a common denominator.


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When you are going to rent an apartment you aren't normally allowed to change the locks of the doors or install a new security system of your own. However, some simple things are there that can be done for making your rental apartment far more secure.
The first thing you should do in this regard is to add new alarms to the windows and doors of your apartment. Stick-on alarms can be purchased for this purpose. There are normally two parts of the alarm. One part is stuck to door while the other goes to the frame. As soon as someone opens the doors, the two parts get separated and the alarm is set off. On/Off switch is present on the alarms allowing you to turn off the alarm when you're entering or leaving the apartment so that it may not start sounding...Read More


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Copper "X" and Copper "Y" can be purchased and/or sampled through bars and restaurants in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Newfoundland, as well as for home consumption in six-packs. Consumers vote in polling booths at various establishments or by calling a toll-free number (1-800-361-VOTE). The winner will be announced Jan. 29 during the Super Bowl.
Media for the "election" ads include radio, print, outdoor and a dozen TV spots with the look of an election campaign showcasing the mock "X Foundation" and the "Y Coalition."


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Taliban militants armed with guns and rockets attacked a lakeside hotel near Kabul overnight, seizing dozens of hostages including women and children and killing at least 16 people.
The four or five attackers were also killed in the brazen assault on the Spozhmai Hotel that will exacerbate fears that insecurity is spiralling as NATO combat troops prepare to exit the Afghan war in 2014.
Around 12 hours after the attack began interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the assault ended with the death of the last militant. A number of the hostages were freed earlier by security forces.
On a balcony overlooking the lake, a birthday cake lay half eaten on a table surrounded by a dozen empty chairs, while nearby sprawled the bloodied body of a young man shot repeatedly in the chest. Like many of the victims, he was dressed in Western clothes, an AFP reporter said.
It was the latest in a series of sensational commando-style insurgent attacks that have targeted Kabul, the most heavily protected part of the war-torn country. They typically take hours to quell and strike fear into the public.
The Spozhmai is a haunt of the wealthy Kabul elite and on Thursday nights — the start of the Afghan weekend — is usually packed with families and mixed groups of men and women.
The Taliban attacked at around 11:30 pm (1900 GMT), when a group armed with rockets and Kalashnikov rifles stormed the hotel, said police.
At least one of the attackers detonated an explosive suicide vest, said Mohammad Zahir, the head of Kabul police criminal investigation department.
Witness Sharifullah, 30, had gone to the Spozhmai for dinner with a friend.
"I saw three armed men entering the area where people, families, had gathered. Moments later the shooting broke out, people panicked and started screaming," he told AFP.
"I threw myself in a ditch but saw bullets hitting a father, his son and wife who were sitting around a table near me.
"I am not sure if they survived," he added.
The standoff ended at 11:00 am, Hashmat Stanikzai, the chief spokesman for Kabul police told AFP, saying that all five attackers had died. The interior ministry confirmed only four attackers, but also said all the gunmen had died.
The ministry said 16 people, including women, were killed by the attackers. Twelve of them were civilians, three were hotel guards and one was a police officer, spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.
The Taliban, who are leading a bloody insurgency against Karzai's Western-backed government, told AFP that the hotel was attacked because every Thursday there were "wild parties, drinking and prostitution".
Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused foreign diplomats, and members of the US-led NATO mission and the Kabul government of attending the Thursday gatherings at the hotel.
Qargha lies around 10 kilometres (six miles) from central Kabul and its pleasant weather and greenery make it a popular picnic spot for daytrippers from the capital. The lake is surrounded by hotels, restaurants and wedding halls.
Sediqqi said at least 40 civilian hostages taken by the militants were freed before the end of the standoff.
A spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed that its troops and Afghan security forces had responded to the assault.
NATO intends to withdraw its 130,000 combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, exiting the costly, decade-long war that has killed tens of thousands of Afghan civilians and more than 3,050 foreign soldiers.
President Hamid Karzai warned Thursday that attacks on Afghan police and soldiers were increasing, saying that 20 to 25 personnel were being killed every day.
He admitted his government and its Western allies had failed to bring peace to Afghanistan, which has suffered almost continuous conflict for the past three decades, saying "our land has not been secured, our homes, our people are not safe".
On Wednesday, a suicide bomber attacked a joint Afghan-NATO patrol in the eastern city of Khost, close to the Pakistan border, killing 21 people including three US soldiers.
Hotels, guest houses, government buildings, embassies and military bases in Kabul have been a frequent target of commando-style insurgent attacks.
In April, militants launched coordinated attacks on government offices, embassies and foreign bases in Kabul in the biggest assault on the Afghan capital in 10 years of war.


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All Films.All Above Board.NOW INCLUDES TV SHOWS & TV LISTINGS
Another collection of episodes from the Japanese anime series. During the epic battle of Sekigahara, two samurai - the good natured Kyoshiro and the merciless Kyo - are fighting a duel when a shooting star slams into the planet, engulfing both swordsmen. Years later, bounty hunter Yuya meets Kyoshiro, now a travelling medicine man. Yuya quickly realises that there is something deeply unusual about Kyoshiro. Before long the two are thrown into battle together and the secrets of Kyoshiro's past are revealed.


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This week is dedicated to posting Thanksgiving recipes. Since I'm vegetarian, I'll be sharing my favorite vegetarian recipes! You don't have to be a vegetarian to try these out. They're still delicious and nutritious. Today, I'm starting out with some breakfast recipes.
Thanksgiving morning there's a really good chance I'll whip up these delicious {pumpkin pancakes} by Julie, because I will genuinely never grow tired of the pumpkin flavor & she just makes them look delicious. Can't go wrong there.
Also, this {breakfast enchiladas} recipe is another great breakfast option for those who want to prep breakfast the day before Thanksgiving. This is a protein-packed breakfast that provides you with a lot of vegetables too! One of my favorites for a big crowd. {Tip: I cook meatless crumbles and put them inside the burritos & no one notices it's not real meat.}
Have a great Thanksgiving & don't let this holiday deter you from your health & fitness goals! Look tomorrow for Vegetarian Side Dishes!


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This is the NAG podcast episode 42 recorded for the 5th of May 2017.
Join Beetle001, Chani_ZA and HellbirD to discuss all the latest news from the world of gaming.
On this episode of the NAG Podcast, HellbirD declares he was right all along, Beetle001 complains about a lack of game demos, Chani_ZA finds some cold leftover console news and @PenguinZA is this week's guest.
The NAG Podcast episode 42 is now available via PodBean, iTunes or RSS.
You can follow our hosts on Twitter:


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Up to 40% Off Reborn's Signature Massage with Cupping / Guasa from RM78. Valid at 11 Outlets
- Tui na massage uses traditional acupressure techniques that help improve circulation, and relieve pain and stress-related ailments.
- Ba guan heated cup application aids body in removing toxins, while guasa scraping method aids in increasing blood circulation.
- Foot reflexology treatment targets specific pressure points to help relieve aches and stress.
[Grab it now with RM78.00 @ Groupon]
Oriental leanings give things a more exotic charm, as shown through the origins of fortune cookies, star-shaped checker boards, and daily staples of white lies. Today's Groupon stays true to the source with a signature massage package from Reborn, valid at 11 outlets in Peninsular Malaysia. Choose from:
- Package for 1 person for RM78 instead of RM123
- Package for 2 people for RM148 instead of RM246 (only RM74 per person)
90-minute package includes
- Tui na therapeutic massage
- Foot reflexology
- Ba guan cupping OR guasha scraping treatment (choose 1)
The inner sanctum of Reborn offers therapeutic treatments and massages implementing the pressure-point engagements and traditional oriental know-how. Starting from its initial operations in 2000 in its Sri Petaling flagship outlet, the massage centre now commandeers up to 20 outlets located nationwide with future plans of establishing a reflexology institute in place.
Click here to see list of valid outlets and opening hours.


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The Napa Valley Wine Train isn't so much a mode of transportation but rather a time machine transporting passengers back to an era when the journey was as scintillating as the destination, itself. Particularly well-suited for couples seeking quality together time, this excursion offers an elegant sojourn through the heart of Napa Valley in a refined, history-rich atmosphere befitting the lush countryside through which it passes. Duly complementing the drop-dead gorgeous vistas are gourmet victuals and varietals-a-plenty. Having been aboard with my own loved one, I dare say the Napa Valley Wine Train is among the most romantic experiences you can have while in this revered region.
The train itself is a wonder to behold. The expertly restored and maintained antique Pullman cars gleam with brass and Honduran mahogany while etched original glass and swanky armchairs evoke the early 20th century spirit of luxury travel. One of the few active historic passenger railroads remaining in the United States, the Napa Valley Wine Train offers a tempting variety of tours, events and packages, including gourmet dining experiences for both lunch and dinner.
Of course, fundamental to the Napa Valley Wine Train is the route, itself, which takes passengers through the heart of the winery district. The round-trip tour starts in the downtown area and meanders its way through Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and Calistoga, passing directly by such revered wineries as Opus One, Cakebread, Domaine Chandon, Grgich Hills and a host of others. With seemingly endless rows of grapevines in the foreground and foliage-laden rolling hills beyond, the scenery is utterly breathtaking and worth the price of admission alone. However, the splendor outside the windows is duly accompanied inside the train by the posh retro-chic décor, impeccable customer service and an elevated food and beverage program that would delight even a hardened epicure.
Indeed, dining on the Napa Valley Wine Train is not incidental, but rather an integral part of this indulgent multi-sensory experience. The train features four separate dining cars, but the two-story Champagne Vista Dome Car in which I travelled provides a truly distinctive dining experience. This luxury glass-domed observation car is a 1952 antique Pullman rail car that is accessible exclusively to guests with reserved seating, inaccessible to passengers in the main cars. The intimate setting accommodates only 56 guests at a time and can also be reserved for private events.
Lunch is served on the Vista Dome car as well as two others: the Silverado Car and Gourmet Express car. Each has its own kitchen and dedicated menu, with the Vista Dome offering the premier experience of the three. Each meal on the Napa Valley Wine Train is prepared to order by award-winning chef, Kelly Macdonald, and his brigade who work culinary wonders from compact but highly efficient on-board galleys.
Dinner is available on the Vista Dome or Gourmet Express cars. As with lunch, menu items are prepared to order and feature fresh, environmentally responsible ingredients that are locally sourced to the extent possible. During spring and summer, dinner passengers delight in the Napa Valley landscape bathed in the golden twilight sunshine, while during autumn and winter the dinner train departs after sunset, ramping up the romance and adventure factor of being aboard an antique train traveling through the dark.
My guest and I hopped aboard the Vista Dome Premier Train for a seasonal lunch package offered on select weekdays throughout January and February for $154 per person. The experience surpassed what I had hoped and imagined. This elite train serves the same fine dining menu of the traditional Vista Dome experience that's available throughout the year (also priced at $154 per person, increasing to $199 on March 9). It connects only the Champagne Vista Dome Car, Grappa Power Car (believed to be the only power car in existence that passengers can enter and walk through while in operation), a 100-year-old Lounge Car and the rarely experienced Deli Car—far fewer cars than the usual Wine Train. Perfect for couples, the privacy factor was enhanced vis-à-vis a more intimate venue with seating limited to just 56 passengers in total. While I anticipated the beauty of the region we traversed through to enthrall, which it did in droves, the authenticity of this semi-private train transport in concert with the quality and creativity of the culinary program exceeded all expectations.
The 3-hour odyssey began with a welcome glass of California sparkling wine, to be enjoyed while settling into the plush booth seating and taking in the stellar surroundings. From there, a thoughtfully conceived four-course menu ensued. Not only a conceptual success, the execution of this menu was on point with perceptibly fresh, top-quality proteins and produce that was all skillfully prepared and plated.
As goes without saying, the wine offerings on the Napa Valley Wine Train are ample, and impressive given the space restraints. With approximately 30 varietals to choose from, there is something for every oenophile's palate. Or, passengers can bring their own bottle on board for a nominal $15 corkage fee. Those hankering for a social vibe can hit the bar car where wine and champagne flights are available—those pre-planned by on-staff staff wine experts or mixed-and-matched by passengers preferring to custom-create their own tasting experience. In fact, passengers are encouraged to get out of their seats and explore each the train's various dining and lounge cars and also visit one or both outdoor observation decks where they can take lovely keepsake photos and generally bask in the fresh country breeze.
In addition to the lunch and dinner packages, the Napa Valley Wine Train also offers winery tours—five to be exact. If amour is top-of-mind, the Castle Winery Tour is perhaps the most romantic. Passengers enjoy a gourmet lunch before attending a two-hour wine tasting at Castello di Amorosa, which literally means "Castle of Love" in Italian. The winery is an authentically-styled 13th century Tuscan castle located on 30 acres of estate vineyards. Other tours include an evening wine tour—the only such tour offered in Napa Valley—as well as tours of popular local wineries such as Raymond Vineyards, Charles Krug Winery and Grgich Hills Winery. In addition to the wine tours, the Napa Valley Wine Train boasts a calendar packed with fun events including holiday-themed trains and murder mysteries. Moonlight Escapes take place at sunset during a full moon making for an extra romantic ride. A gourmet dinner is included, of course.
The Napa Valley Wine Train isn't just a train ride—it's an institution that echoes the glory days of train travel, with fine dining service, multiple course meals cooked to order, Napa Valley scenery and ultimate relaxation aboard an exquisitely restored vintage rail car. Book this experience and you'll be on track for a spectacular time.
"The Luxe List" Executive Editor Merilee Kern scours the luxury marketplace for exemplary travel experiences, extraordinary events, and notable products and services. Submissions are accepted at www.LuxeListReviews.com. Follow her on Twitter here: twitter.com/LuxeListEditor and Facebook here: www.Facebook.com/TheLuxeList.
***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above were provided at no cost to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***
***Previously published on www.LuxeListReviews.com and related publishing partners.


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ROCKFORD — It's been about a decade since B.B. King played the MetroCentre. He was the last big-name African-American performer to headline the downtown arena where minority performances have been historically sporadic.
ROCKFORD — It's been about a decade since B.B. King played the MetroCentre. He was the last big-name African-American performer to headline the downtown arena where minority performances have been historically sporadic.
That's going to change, says Mike Dunn, chairman of the Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment Authority.
"This issue about diverse bookings is very important to me, a high priority for me, and the board believes in this completely and entirely," Dunn said. "We are going to turn this thing around, and we are going to do it in cooperation with the local community."
Tone Loc and Young MC play Aug. 7 at Davis Park. The RAVE Authority is working to organize a fall gospel festival in late September. And as RAVE continues to search for a private firm that would manage the MetroCentre, Davis Park, the Rockford IceHogs and, likely consult for the Coronado Performing Arts Center, a commitment to diverse bookings is a prerequisite, Dunn said.
Seeing green
RAVE Authority board member Robert King said black and minority residents are traveling to other cities to see shows and concerts.
According to the U.S. Census, 28,683 black residents live in Rockford, or 19 percent of the population. Rockford has 21,585 Hispanic or Latino residents, or 14 percent.
"Where are we seeing our shows?" King asks. "We are going to Chicago and Milwaukee, we have busloads of people going to those cities. Why aren't we spending that money here? You have a lot of people here that don't see green? Green is universal. I don't care what country you are in, green is recognized."
Big names performed in '82
Dunn was in the Saturday night crowd on Jan. 31, 1981, when Dionne Warwick headlined the first MetroCentre concert in downtown Rockford. Prince, Diana Ross, B.B. King and Rick James all played there in 1982 — a banner year for the arena.
It hasn't been that way since.
Concerts at the venue this decade have been devoted almost entirely to rock, classic rock and country shows. Murphy Lee and Pretty Ricky were a few of the exceptions playing in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
When Centre Events programmed the MetroCentre and Coronado, it brought shows with black performers to the theater stage including Ne-Yo in 2006.
The track record has been worse in programming shows for Hispanic audiences, Dunn said.
"For Hispanics, there has hardly been anything," Dunn said. "When we have had conversations with them, they are the first to tell you they are driving to Chicago for these types of events. It's not like they don't want to go and aren't paying for it, they aren't getting those shows here."
Area resident Armando Cardenas helps organize a monthly Domingo en el Parque, or "Sunday in the Park," concert at Levings Lake Park.
Cardenas said that RAVE has reached out to La Voz Latina and other Hispanic groups to learn what kinds of cultural events could be held in Davis Park to renew interest. It's been about five years since Fiesta Hispana was at Davis Park, Cardenas said, because it became too expensive.
The new RAVE is aiming to reduce those costs, he said.
Cardenas said he'd like to see more entertainment aimed at Hispanic audiences, for instance Banda music, which features 12- or 13-piece bands with plenty of horns, trombones and trumpets.
"That's the kind of stuff that people long to hear and want to see," he said.
Something to prove
Lori Flemming, president of nonprofit Works of Faith, is working with RAVE to bring a gospel festival on Sept. 25 to Davis Park.
Flemming said the Seventh Annual Gospel Concert at the Coronado featuring Ann Nesby was a hit, drawing a capacity crowd. Flemming, a former singer, said the September concert is still in the early planning stages. She recently went to Chicago to see a Mary Mary concert — the kind of show she thinks should be in Rockford.
"Our goal is to pack that park out," Flemming said. "The only way you can do it in Rockford with our people is you have to bring something fresh, and they will come out and support it."
King said the goal is for the show to be multicultural and reach across all lines of race and ethnicity. But it will surely feature black gospel singers. He hopes the gospel show proves that such programming can be successful in Davis Park and at the MetroCentre.
"This is a test," King said. "We are trying to prove a point."
Staff writer Jeff Kolkey can be reached at email@example.com or at 815-987-1374.


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Organic by John Patrick Bias Long Slip
Designer: Organic by John Patrick
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A luxurious essential for the modern woman.
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28 September 2015
Places to Visit in Switzerland: Zermatt
Dad, #siscothepup and I went on a little adventure this past sunday. I can't believe I haven't been to Zermatt before! I mean, that's the most touristy thing to do when in Switzerland and the Matterhorn is like the Eiffel Tower to Paris or the Statue of Liberty to New York. Anyhow, I now can check this off my list and so can you because I'm sharing the photos I took of the peak with you. Just kidding, it's definitely worth a visit! Also the hiking trails are nice and I clearly don't have to mention the stunning view!
by Nissy B Unique um 19:40
Labels: Switzerland, Travel
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Help Wanted: this is me asking for help so read & reply if you can assist.
My family & I are Headed to Kenya next Saturday July 6th on my Personal Mission Trip. We have collected over 100 boxes of used clothings to go be a blessing with. Elementary school kids from Utah heard our pleas and helped make this happen.
We have a container coming to pick them up July 5th so all the help I need would be from Monday July 1st – wed July 3rd. I will work on the 4th but not expecting to take up your holiday time.


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Pear Bare Root Trees
Benefits of Bare Root Trees:
- Planting bare-root or bareroot trees can be one of the best bargains in gardening. While it may seem strange to plant a tree with roots not contained in soil, it's actually an excellent practice that boasts immense success.
- Many bare-root trees, in particular grafted fruit trees, have already been growing for two or more years before they're sold.
- You're getting a good-sized tree that's ready to take off once it gets tucked into soil.
- Cost can be half the price of buying a tree in a container.
POLLINATION: Very Important! You must to have two different varieties of apple trees, in the same Bloom Time, to pollinate your apple trees. Apple trees NEED to be pollinated to produce fruit!
Choose from:


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George Weedon (1920-2017)
A memorial event was held Monday 27th March 2017 at Sheen Mount Primary School in West Temple Sheen, attended by friends and family and OLs who were taught by George Weedon during his time at the Lower School of John Lyon.
George was born in Richmond in 1920 and lived for 64 years in Rothesay Avenue in East Sheen. Sheen Mount Primary School had been the primary school for his three sons (OLs) and his daughter. So George had been very much part of the community, as was illustrated by the very moving tributes made by various neighbours.
The organisers were delighted to received messages and memories from Old Lyonians along with various photographs which formed part of a large display of George's antics, including several of George on top of roofs and up a very tall ash tree when in his 90's.
Tributes were paid by family and friends, including one from an Australian Gymnastic Coach Janis Bosiger who had met George whilst coaching his grandson who lived in Australia.
A display of balance by world champion gymnasts Lewis Walker and Kitty Williams represented the respect with which British Gymastics remember "Gorgeus George" and his achievements.
In later years George was the subject of a short film called 'Walk Tall' made by Kate Sullivan. The showing of the film provided a fitting conclusion to the formal proceedings.
Walk Tall - The Story
Walk Tall - The Film
1948 Olympic Gymnastics Hero - George Weedon
To make a charity donation to George's preferred RSPCA charity, click on the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/George-Weedon-Olympic-Gymnast
British Gymnastics mentioned the School in their lead story on George, please see: https://www.british-gymnastics.org/news-and-events/news/latest-news/6914-george-g-weedon
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Family Fun Activities: Charades
At our house the 6-7 p.m. hour can either be the best part of our day or the worst part of the day. This is the time of day when we are both tired and our patience has been tested too much. Hillary and I yearn for the calm that comes when both girls are asleep in their beds and we can relax. So how can this hour be a great time for your family? Here is one simple idea that worked for us tonight: charades.
Our girls love doing what they call "act-outs" where they jump in front of the TV and act out certain scenes. I don't know how it happened tonight but our family played charades together and it was hilarious. We went pretty basic and didn't even divide into teams. Hillary told the three of us to act out certain animals or characters and the other two had to guess who or what it was. The girls totally got into it and Norah's hilarious laughter was contagious. I even had to act as a cheerleader which the girls thought was crazy.
Charades was simple yet very effective in making the 6-7 p.m. hour the best hour our day. What simple, fun activities do you all do as families?
Posted on October 26, 2010, in Family Strategies and tagged activities, family, fun. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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Welcome to MANTASY. This is the Official Blog for Erotic Gay Interracial Author Remmy Duchene. Please note you MUST be of legal age to be here as per the disclaimer you bypassed to get to this section.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
For Remmy on the Birthday! Pt 1
I am Ryuu Takahashii and I am a Remmy Lover. *smirks* I met Remmy about two years ago at the Toronto Pride Parade. The moment we met, I know I wanted to be someone Remmy could come to love and trust. It wasn't hard, because Remmy is the kind of person that has your back as long as you prove you are trustworthy. We became close and eventually I went out of my comfort zone and bought Saddle Up N Ride! It was my first Remmy story and after that, I bought a Kindle and stocked up on Remmy goodness. I travel a lot for work so I always try to have something to read.
About three months ago, I finally built up the courage to post a rather delicate subject to Remmy-kins (A Nickname from some of the guys on facebook)--Co-authoring. Instantly, Remmy got this big goofy grin and dove across the space between us for a hug. So now, we're writing our first full length novel "PLAY HARDER" together...
So since I'll be taking Remmy out for birthday alcohol soon, I figure I should kidnap the blog and post some of the men I KNOW for sure will give Remmy more inspiration to write more of those fantastic stories.
Before I do that, I'd like to say, Remmy, you have been there for all of us. Even some of the friends you've never met but you talk to everyday, they told me how much you mean to them. The truth is, we're lucky to have you. No matter what, know that I love you and I am glad the day you walked over to me and asked, "Dude, what are you wearing?" lol. Happy Birthday my darling.
Now, enough gushie, more hotties!!
18 comments:
Awwww how sweet! But you're right, Remmy has come to mean a lot to most of us! I dont know why....*shakes head* but its definitely true!ReplyDelete
As luck would have it I am off today so I can harass you! HA HA HA HA *cough cough* Damn, evil laughs are so hard to pull off!Replies
Oh my Remmykins...what can I say about you?ReplyDelete
Wait...let me rephrase that...what can I say about you in public where my mama might be reading...um...
"Hello honey."
Yep...that's about it...*giggles and winks* Now...what can I say about you behind closed doors...whispered in your ear while my body is pressed against yours...heated by the intensity of our closeness...my breath hitching because I know what will happen in just a few moments when your hand makes contact with my assets...well there is only one thing to say at this point...
"Why am I here? Because I duplicated all your keys and you will never get rid of me"
muahahahahahah...*cough cough*
Dude...your right Karen...*plops down next to Karen and hands her my bottle of water*
So...is it party time yet? HeheReplies
lol yes its party time! I cannot believe I have to tell you when to party...*eyes* have you been in the sauce again?Delete
*grabs water* Thank babe!ReplyDelete
So.....are there going to be more naked yummies? We need some entertainment!Replies
*points* Look above. Those are hotties Remmy ADORES so I posted themDelete
so... I have a gift for my Remmy too. How can I give them (yes, hotties, what else) to you?ReplyDeleteReplies
I got it Jade, its coming laterDelete
What a great post Ryu and Remmy is someone who always makes me smile. Happy Birthday Remmy.....now I suggest you go do birthday shots off some hot guy's abs...I am living vicariously through you. *grins*ReplyDeleteReplies
lol yeah, no shots. Rem has exams for the rest of the week so after that...Delete
Great post Ryu. The perfect way to kick off Remmy's birthday bash. Great gifts too. *wink* Can't wait to see what everyone else brings. :)ReplyDeleteReplies
lol thanks. I raided her other blogs and pull off most of the hotties on there and facebook lolDelete
Happy Birthday, my beautiful Roo! *smooches* Ryu, what a deliciously...entertaining post. Thanks for sharing Roo's favorite hotness with us.ReplyDelete
*throws self on couch with my Kar and Havan*
lol he only got SOME of my hottness *smirks* He's gonna have to WERK it out to get the rest *smirks*Delete
Aww you guys! Thanks for stopping by! There are more contests and such coming from myself as well as TN Tarrant I was just told...that's an amazing surprise! THANKS T!ReplyDelete
Hugs and gropes to all!
Happy Birthday, Reeeeeemmmmmmyyyyy! I hope that your day is a special one:-) No matter how old I get I really do love when it's my birthday:-)So you better enjoy yours!! Besos<3<3...LeeleeReplyDelete
Remmy, I hope you have a wonderful birthday! I'll share my birthday cake with you...ReplyDelete


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Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Guest blog - Elisabeth Storrs: 'The Wedding Shroud'
4 comments:
- Maggie Toussaint said...
Wow. What great imagery and vivid detail. I thoroughly enjoyed the excerpt. Your character really leapt off the page for me.
Well done!
- 27 February 2013 at 15:38
- Celia Yeary said...
Intriguing. Excellent writing with a poetical sound. It's a genre I know little about, but you do make it appealing. Much luck with your book!
- 28 February 2013 at 01:36
- Stephanie Burkhart said...
I love the premise for the story. I love historicals. This looks to be a very interesting time to set the story. It must have been fun to research. I'm curious now - how in depth did you go with your research? Was it difficult? Time consuming?
- 28 February 2013 at 21:06
- Elisabeth Storrs said...
Thanks so much for your interest Celia, Maggie and Stephanie. It took me ten years to research and write The Wedding Shroud. I'm a mad Etruscophile and love researching as I continue to write my trilogy. I hope you might be tempted to read the book and learn about the Etruscans yourselves!
Lindsay, thanks for featuring my book.
All the best
- 1 March 2013 at 10:51