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Maximise your Training!
Often people will start a new training routine and/or exercises and see great results and benefits from these changes which is great as it gives your body a new stimulus to adapt to hence the results you see from changing to a new program.
All this is great and it is what we look to do a personal trainers to continue to progress and get results before our clients hit a plateau so this is where we get all geeky and changing things like tempo, rep ranges, weights etc.
However the common mistake I see is members continuing to do the same routine day in day out for months on end by this time the body has well and truly hit it's plateau, meaning that your body is not under enough stimulus to adapt- this is when results stop!
What then occurs people start to do more of the same routine or add time onto their high intense training sessions, as they try to get the same results that they initially experienced when starting the new program.
This is where the problem occurs due to the overuse of these exercises the joints and muscles start to take a toll leading to strained muscles, aching joints and high cortisol levels(which is suicide for recovery and getting adequate sleep).
So if you find that you are starting to experience pains that previously weren't there or recovery seems to take longer than usual you may well want to take a step back look at how long you have been doing the same routine for and change things up because the reason you are in pain is just the bodies way of telling you to stop what it is you are doing and change things up!
Most of the time the answer is so simple providing you see the signs and listen to the body.
Don't be a fool and waste your time and effort at something that is not going to benefit you rather ask for some advice from someone experienced or mix things up and try something new after all it is YOUR time that you are either using to your ADVANTAGE or just simply WASTING IT!
Are your vegetables the reason your not able to loose weight?
Yes this is possible and very true.
How you may ask, well let's find out.
Your body responds to food in various ways by braking it down into tiny little pieces during the process of digestion then sending the specific nutrients of that food to certain areas of the body for example; amino acids (better known as protein) are sent to the liver for detoxification or to damaged cells to repair and restore.
The body does this smoothly and efficiently (providing the digestion is working, but that's a whole new topic)
So how can your vegetables be the cause to you not being able to loose weight?
Many people do not eat a varied diet, it's been shown in modern society that people only rotate between 15-30 foods, that's the top end of the scale. By not rotating your food you start to use less of the great nutrients that these foods have to offer and as the body starts to get "lazy" due to the same foods coming in all the time this can lead to food sensitivities (allergy is a bit more severe).
How food that we are sensitive to reacts in the body?
Our immune systems identifies good and bad, when it identifies a bad I.e. A virus or bacteria our immune systems first line of defence kicks in and will attacks these viruses and bacteria.
However, if the immune system decides that a food is dangerous and should be destroyed, the result is the release of "mediators" which cause inflammation and pain. This is how food sensitivities develop.
When these mediators are released they cause pain and inflammation in the body, the side effects can vary from joint pain to acne (a detailed list below).
Here are some common symptoms of food sensitivities:
-sleepiness after eating
-mental fog
-eczema & other skin disorders
-weight problems
-sinus issues
-muscle pain
-gas & bloating
-acid reflux
-mouth sores
-food cravings
-high blood pressure
Keeping a food diary is a very good start as it can give you some sort of idea as to what foods might be causing these side effects, this is something I always get my clients to do.
There is however a problem with a food diary, as the onset of the symptoms may be up to 3 days after ingestion of the offending food.
This can be quite a challenge when dealing with a client with many food sensitives due to poor food quality and rotation over many months.
So what's next?
My favourite and best tool when dealing with any weight loss client or athlete is the "MRT" blood test.
This is by far the best test when dealing with food sensitivities as it checks your immune systems response to 150 foods and chemicals.
Once we have the results of the blood test I create an individualized healthy eating plan which eliminates any of the foods that were causing pain or inflammation and we start a broad spectrum varied diet.
Once we start to reduce inflammation via cutting out the "problem foods" weight starts to drop off and in the case of athletes performances notably increases.
Another benefit of cutting out these "sensitive" foods for a few months is that what tends to happen is that these foods will then be able to be re-introduced without any negative side effects. So if you've had to cut out some of your favourite foods for a while fear not as you will probably be able to eat them again.
So my takeaways for this article would be if you having any of the symptoms above or having trouble loosing weight I would recommend having a look at your diet and maybe have a mix about with foods and change things around, if you find that to be to complicated then get yourself tested(via blood) and see what results come up, you might be very surprised.
Just to give you an idea of some of the foods that have come up with different clients:
-Black Pepper
Jason Pena
Ecstasy the "EUPHORIA" and the "COME DOWN"
What you don't expect a blog to be about, I recently went to Ibiza for a short break as me and my partner do love a good boogie.
What was evident was the amount of drugs on offer, this is normal and will continue to be for years to come and it's not my place to pass judgement, although seeing so many happy people is actually quite pleasurable.
So I thought Id write about it and give you some insight as to why you feel the ecstasy (excuse the pun)that comes with it as well as the come downs!
So here we go:
Ecstasy acts on the brains neurotransmitters specifically serotonin and dopamine- now before I go into what actually happens In the brain lets first go into what these neurotransmitters functions and importance are in the brain (very briefly as to not bore you-bare with me):
Is responsible for maintaining mood balance.
High amounts of serotonin can uplift you and make you feel cheerfulness and happiness.
Is responsible for motivation, reward and pleasure.
This is an important neurotransmitter for drive and initiating tasks and completing them.
Now back to "Ecstasy", ecstasy is a drug that acts on both of these neurotransmitters in the brain and body.
It stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin, producing a high that lasts and varies from person to person. These emotions can include high amounts of energy and high self confidence amongst others.
Because it acts on these 2 neurotransmitters and sends messages to the brain to release them, it has dramatic energising effects as well as enhanced pleasure and calmness which surrounds you.
Appealing OF COURSE!… It's not hard to see why people turn to these at parties and social events, who wouldn't want to have these enhanced feelings after all we are all human?
But first we need to see the other end of the spectrum.
The dreaded "Come Down"
Because with such high amounts of dopamine and serotonin released there is inevitably and sudden drop in these neurotransmitters, which as you guessed gives you that sudden "come down", this can vary from person to person, sometimes days other times weeks.
The problem therefore arises as to restoring these levels in the brain, it has been shown that taking this drug blocks the re uptake of serotonin.
Serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, therefore, serotonin that is used inside the brain must be produced within it.
Here in lies the problem the drug depletes serotonin in the brain and damages the cells that produce them, even though behaviour goes back to normal in the days to come, after of course those common "come down" symptoms that many people experience depression, anxiety, paranoia and insecurity amongst others.
So there it is my first blog about Ecstasy, not something I planned but I'm hoping you guys would find it as fascinating as I did once I looked into it.
If you liked what you read please feel free to share.
1 Pack or 6 Pack?
If the phrase beer-belly makes you look down and groan then you're not alone. It's a fact that as we get older, it becomes harder to maintain the muscle mass we had as younger adults and, without taking steps to prevent it, the result of this will be a drop in our metabolism and we will succumb to what is often seen as inevitable middle-age spread. We can't do anything about our age but we can do something about the way we age. With commitment to regular exercise and improvements to our diet we can burn fat and banish that beer-belly for good.
A beer-belly is not founded simply on too many nights in the pub, however, it's worth noting that, a single pint of beer is between 250-400 calories; so drinking just five-pints on a night-out means having our entire calorie consumption for that day in beer alone! What's worse is that we can't simply exercise those empty calories away because alcohol reduces our body's ability to burn body-fat for energy, sending metabolism plummeting and switching our system to being carb dependant; this turns us away from being fat-burners and into fat-hoarders! Finally, it drops testosterone production, which means our gym workouts are less effective too!
As men we are prone to put extra fat on around our waist but it is this fat that is particularly dangerous to us as it is a proven indicator of type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
If you're waist measurement is over 40" you need to take immediate action with exercise, or even better personal training!
Modern lifestyles have a lot to answer for: an increased reliance on processed foods, eating-out is cheaper, so we do it more often, and; we simply don't think enough about what were putting in our mouths. Take a moment to think about what you've eaten over the last few days, if you don't know how much sugar or fat were in your food then you probably agreed with the article's opening statement. You don't have to sit there and shrug like it's a lost cause, you can do something about it right now and adopt these easy steps: eat regular meals and never skip breakfast, base your meals on proteins and fill-up on vegetables and, most importantly, cut down on carbohydrates, with absolutely no simple sugars.
Most fat in the body is due to the conversion of excess sugars
So, though it becomes harder to keep muscle it doesn't mean we have to settle for that! If you train in the right way, you can banish belly fat for good but not by doing hundreds-and-hundreds of sit-ups a day; you need to melt that excess fat away by following a progressive resistance program, forcing muscles to build and grow. This increase in muscle mass will turbo-charge your metabolism and turn you back into a fat-burner, revealing the lean muscle-tone that's been hiding. To maximise results, combine this with interval training and a tailored nutrition plan and you'll definitely see results.
It's all about body-fat percentage with a lower percentage being better for your body's ability to burn fat away. You can only achieve this through resistance training and you won't increase your muscle mass by doing exercises your body can already cope with, you have to push them to adapt with new and varied weights training.
With commitment there is no doubt that you will reach your goals and look better than you can probably even image. There are no excuses to you having better health and fitness for the rest of your life other than your motivation to begin. At Cheshire Fitness we want to help you change your life for the better but in return we ask for 100% dedication, we don't offer fad-diets or untested ideas, we simply offer results through personal training. However, we don't just train anyone, if you're not absolutely ready to embrace a lifestyle change then we suggest saving your hard-earned money until such a time when you feel ready to start.
At Cheshire Fitness we keep clients because they know by doing what we tell them will bring them what they want. If you feel ready to take on the challenge then call 07979544555 and find out more!
Ladies don't be afraid to gain a little bit of muscle, To get that bikini body!
The quickest way to loose body fat is to put a few pounds of muscle on, I know straight away the majority of the female population will say "but I don't want big arms or thighs", the fact is that for a lady to pick up that amount of muscle, that she actually looks like a bloke is very hard due to the small amounts of testosterone in the female body. For proof of this have a look at an interview we put up on the Facebook page with Clare. Clare lifts heavy weights(when I say heavy I mean heavy) at least 3 times a week and still has a perfect lady like figure proving the point. read more >>
Brilliant exercise to increase leg strength for Ladies.
If you looking for a mix up in routine try the hack squat on the smith machine this is great for the VOM(tear drop muscle on the thigh) this is Rachel showing us how it's done on 60 kg with a 5 second eccentric (lengthening of the muscle) lowering phase and a exploding concentric phase(shortening of the muscle), make sure you really stick to that tempo you will reap the benfits if you do:) but be warned it does burn!! Ask Rachel! read more >>
Tip of the week! BE A REBEL NOT A SHEEP!
In a world where everyone is looking for the quickest and easiest way to achieve their goals,how does that effect us? If you look at it technology is getting quicker,smarter more efficient every day, where are the days when you got a new mobile phone and enjoyed it for months before a new smarter one came out? We at a point in life where we don't even need to leave our house to do most things, you can talk and see people on the other side of the world with just a click of a button. read more >>
Green tea and alcohol
Finding it hard to cut alcohol out of your diet,her is a tip to help you keep getting those results! read more >>
Stress our friend and enemy!
Stress comes in many shapes and forms and has a major effect on our bodies.
When we are stressed whether its work related or emotional stress, cortisol levels in our bodies become elevated. You can look at cortisol as a low grade adrenalin, this causes less damage in the body. read more >>
Want Abs don't waste your time!
Get the best looking abs by training exercises that integrate all the key muscle groups of the trunk or "core".
Don't waste time on isolation ab exercises or a 15 min ab workout that you see on TV or in the gym. a good tip if someone tells you they got there abs in 15 min workouts they lying! read more >>


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- Be part of a nationwide movement which showcases young innovators.
- Host an event in your school
- Invite people from your local community
- YSI will support and amplify your initiatives through various media platforms.
This is YOUR opportunity to showcase the brilliant work you're doing in your schools and communities and OUR opportunity to showcase a nationwide movement of social innovators.
We're inviting schools to host an event during the second week in April that celebrates all the work your students have done in the area of social innovation and social justice. The event itself should be, as far as possible, planned and carried out by students. We're leaving things deliberately flexible, so that you can host an event that suits your school. It could be held throughout one day, a lunchtime or even after school. The scale of the event is also up to you. You could involve other groups in your school, partner with another school in your area, or invite members of the local community, such as local politicians or businesses to get involved.
To help you out YSI will:
- Provide resources to help you get started and organise your event. We'll send details of successful events that have been held in the past and provide resources that might inspire your students to have their own ideas.
- Support your event by promoting it through our social media channels. This will allow your students to see that they're part of a bigger movement and inspire them to plan and host the best event they can.
We really believe #YSIweek can become an important event in the school calendar and hope that as many schools as possible get involved.

subset: commoncrawl


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I have never been one for jewelry that sparkles and shines,
but the idea of these rustic necklaces quite excited me.
And so I made a bunch
And now I just have to decide which one I want to keep for myself.
These are lovely, Kim. My favourite is the one with the tiny stylized flower.ReplyDelete
Oh my! Yes! That double circle is stunning...and is whispering to me.ReplyDelete
Wonderful! I love them!ReplyDelete
Those are SO cool!! ♥♥♥♥ReplyDelete
Rustic is very nice.Can't make up my mind on which one I like most.ReplyDelete
Kim - These are amazing!!ReplyDelete


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adidas Originals Gazelle Super Essential Trainers in Grey and White. A vintage that was once an exclusive in the former Yugoslavia get reissued with a buttery soft suede. Featuring signature side widow branding, and contrasting hits throughout.
Fabric: Leather upper, Textile lining and Other Materials sole.
Product Care: To maintain appearance we recommend protecting with a suitable leather protector.
Style: Vintage.
We guarantee to refund or exchange any item you're not completely happy with, providing you return it to us in an unused and sellable condition within 14 days of the date on your receipt.
We aim to process all returns within 7 days of us receiving the goods back in our warehouse. However, please make sure that you fill out your returns form in full before sending it back to us as this will help to avoid any delays with identifying and processing your return.


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Important Dates
Saturday, April 14
Consignor Drop-Off Begins
Witham Pavilion- Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds, 1300 E. 100 S. – Lebanon, IN 46052
Shop in a clean and organized environment filled with thousands of great bargains—all under one roof! We pride ourselves on offering great items for your kids at fantastic prices!
More About Shopping
Selling your items with Here We Grow Again is a fun and easy way to recycle your children's clothing, toys and equipment and MAKE MONEY!
More About Consigning
It takes many people to make a Here We Grow Again sale run smoothly, and we couldn't do it without the help of our volunteers. Our volunteers have fun setting up, helping customers and keeping things tidy during the sale. Best of all they get to shop before the public and receive $$ towards their purchase!
More About Volunteering
If you have a family or child-related product, service or business, being a part of the Here We Grow Again sale can help bring more customers to you! Find out more about Growing Your Business with us!
New this Sale
- Spring / Summer clothing and shoes, only
- No breast pumps will be accepted at this sale
- Shoes will only be accepted in sizes up to big kid 4
- Junior clothing items are limited to 20 per consignor
- Maternity clothing items are limited to 20 per consignor
- Toys need to be clean and in working order


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The Signal Gallery has always caught our eye for having a range of talented and evocative portrait painters on its books. Dale Grimshaw is one of these and this exhibition is dedicated solely to his work.
Grimshaw's portraits have always been darkly surreal and his show last year was populated by animal human hybrids often snarling with rage. Works of a similar ilk are present in this exhibition with Ravenous featuring a character whose face is essentially a giant mouth, wearing a necklace of lamb's hearts.
But Grimshaw has evolved as an artist. Pieces in his distinctive bleeding style now have a more light-hearted edge to them. There is heavy use of foodstuffs throughout the exhibition — Moreish features a figure with cake splattered over his head — and consumerism and excess are the themes of this show. His previous exhibition focussed on cruelty to animals and domestic abuse and though those pictures may have been more emotive, this show has greater variation and experimentation and so is a better showcase of Grimshaw's talents.
Grimshaw is an artist who continues to evolve, so we're looking forward to where his next set of works takes him. But for now we're happy to enjoy this exhibition of impressive and darkly surreal portraiture.
Dale Grimshaw - Moreish is on display at the Signal Gallery, 32 Paul St, EC2A 4LB from 2-24 November. Admission is free.
Here's a video of the artist at work


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To Benjamin Roan, the secret mission seems simple: save the life of the President of the United States. The president is dying of leukemia. With no close relatives, a bone marrow donor cannot be found. He is doomed. Then--a confession--He has a secret daughter, the result of a liasion when he was in college. He has had no contact with her since. His only hope is for Roan to find his daughter and bring her to Washington. But the mission must be kept secret. If she is not a match, the scandal of having an illegitimate child can be kept quiet. Also, there are people who want the President dead. if they knew Roan's mission, they would try to kill the girl. Roan is dumfounded. "You want me to find a twenty-five year old girl, whose name you don't even know, without anybody finding out? Then talk her into coming to Washington without knowing why? And if the bad guys find out, they'll try to kill her? You think I'm crazy?" So why does Roan take the mission? His regrets begin the minute he meets the girl. She is gorgeous--and opinionated and suspicious. The regrets escalate when bad people begin trying to kill her--and him. And the regrets really get out of hand when he discovers he is falling in love. Now he not only has to save her life, he has to find a way to make her change her fear and resentment to love. It's won't be easy. She told him: "I hate you. I hate your mother. I hate your father. I hate your dog. I even hate your cat, and I love cats." Can he change her mind? Can he save the President? All he has to do is keep her--and himself--alive.
A Hard Shell Word Factory Release
Robert L. Hecker was born in Provo, Utah but grew up in Long Beach, CA. Graduating from high school just as the US entered WWII. Enlisting in the Army Air Corps, he flew B-17s in thirty missions over Europe, earning five Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war he began writing radio and TV dramas, then moved on to writing and producing more than 500 documentary, educational and marketing films on subjects ranging from military and astronaut training, nuclear physics, aeronautics, the education of Eskimos and Native Americans, psychology, lasers, radars, satellites and submarines. His short stories and articles have been published in numerous magazines, and he is currently working on several movie screenplays as well as other novels.
A graduate of the Pasadena Playhouse School of Theater and the Westlake College of Music, recently Robert has begun song writing and has songs in country, gospel and big-band albums. His wife, the former Frances Kavanaugh, a legendary screenwriter of westerns, has a permanent exhibit in the Autry Museum of Western Heritage. They have two children and four grandchildren. And he still is a pretty fair tennis player.
"Murder by Proxy is a gripping tale of intrigue, murder and fight for survival. I found myself rooting for Roan on more than one occasion and fearing that there wasn't a possible chance that he could get out of yet another sticky situation. As well as keeping Benjamin Roan on his toes, Robert Hecker does a terrific job of sustaining interest and concern for all of the lives uprooted in this battle of endurance. Murder by Proxy has to be one of the best thriller novels I've read in a long time."Carrie White -- TCM Reviews
5 stars!
"So often a follow up book containing the same characters goes downhill and is extremely disappointing. Such is definitely not the case with Robert Hecker's new Benjamin Roan novel, Murder by Proxy. Instead, Ben is back and bigger and better than ever! The characterizations remain superb, with a male protagonist who remains an unlikely hero with a heart and a brand new female protagonist who is beautiful, strong, and sassy. Pick a time when you are not in a rush to read this novel, because you won't want to put it down. Rumor has it that this is only the second of a series of Ben Roan mystery thrillers. That makes this reviewer truly 'thrilled'. Give me more Benjamin Roan!"Alice Klein -- Sime-gen Reviews
5 stars
"Author Robert L. Hecker has done it again! He has written a masterful action-packed thriller that keeps the reader turning pages. In my opinion he ranks up there with Ken Follett, Nelson De Mille, and Robert Ludlum in telling a convincing story of intrigue with wonderful, well-drawn characters, and details that keep the reader captivated. I found it a 5 star read."Jeannine Van Eperen -- GottaWrite Network
"Robert Hecker writes yummy action novels, and Murder by Proxy is no exception. He strings death-defying moments together so that the reader can't stop turning pages. His locations are exotic; his plot is full of action and conflict; the characters are steeped in sex appeal; and the tale is full of details that Hecker imparts due to his own varied experiences. Murder by Proxy is a barnstormer of a novel that is impossible to put down. Hecker really has a gift for suspense! Just when the reader things the characters are out of danger, another seemingly impossible obstacle is put in their path. Readers won't be disappointed in Hecker's latest effort!"Shelley Glodowski -- Midwest Book Reviews
4 stars
"Murder By Proxy is fast-paced with witty and believable dialog. There are no James Bond-ish rescues and the plot is well thought out, although one bad guy is accursedly hard to defeat. Unlike many current novels, the man and the woman continue to allow sexual tension to build and it is not graphically consummated. That may be considered a minus for some readers, but I find imagination is a wonderful thing and the need to expose our base drives, merely to try and boast sales, isn't always good writing. Kudos to Robert Hecker for taking the high ground on this matter. Will Murder By Proxy be the second in a series of Benjamin Roan novels.... Let's hope so and let's hope that Robert Hecker offers us many, many more literary surprises. I give Murder By Proxy a four (4) star rating and am waiting for the next novel from Mr. Hecker."Dr. Phil Rhyne -- Huntress Book Reviews
Chapter One
BEING SHOT WITH a paintball the size of a grape is infinitely preferable to being shot with the smallest bullet.
To put it another way, a paintball, with a velocity of 300 feet per second, can sting like a demented killer bee, but the end result is a washable stain. However, taking a hit by a fully-jacketed, .38-caliber bullet traveling at 1,240 feet per second will definitely ruin one's day.
Actually, being a target for a killer was my own fault. I have no idea why I allowed Jack Blutcher to talk me into going to war with him, even though it was to be a faux war with lethal looking weapons firing plastic balls filled with paint instead of death-dealing bullets. I suppose it was because I could see some value in learning battlefield survival skills, although my gut feeling was that it would be like learning to fight by punching a bag.
So it was with a great deal of skepticism that I rode with Jack in his huge, gas-guzzling Land Rover to his battlefield located in California's Cleveland National Forest about twenty miles inland from my office in Newport Beach. It wasn't really a battlefield, simply about fifty acres of scrub brush and native oaks on land so cut up with gullies and shallow arroyos that nobody wanted it, not even Orange County real estate developers who it seemed were building houses on any patch of land that wasn't spouting molten lava.
Jack called the place "Wingate Park." He had hired some contractor to throw together a few buildings on the property: principally an office and a store where paintball warriors could either buy or rent supplies and equipment. Out in the park, the contractor had also put up a number of freestanding walls of plywood to turn a few acres of level ground into a makeshift village where the erstwhile commandos would practice urban warfare.
Even though it was July and hadn't rained since February, the brush and chaparral were still green under scattered oak trees. Despite the lateness of the season, sprinkles of wildflowers were fighting savage grasses and weeds for what little moisture was left in the rain-challenged soil. The place was far enough inland that, at seven o'clock in the morning, the sun had already burned away a typical coastal overcast and was beginning to generate heat that would soon be in the nineties. It was going to be a hot but gorgeous day, a good day for going into battle and pretending to kill a couple of bad guys.
Jack and I were in his supply shop getting me equipped for the action when the two potential victims drove up in an appropriately dusty pickup truck that was jacked up so far off the ground by huge tires and lengthened shocks it could have run over a Volkswagen without noticing. Two guys swung down from the cab with the agility of healthy gibbons. Although their bodies were camouflaged by bulky jackets and pants, they gave the impression of being fit enough to be stuntmen from some Hollywood movie like Spartacus or Gladiator. Poor guys. They didn't know that in about an hour Jack and I would be shoveling dirt on their gravesfiguratively, of course.
While they were unloading their equipment, I concentrated on what Jack was saying as he handed me a paintball gun and showed me how to use it. "This is semi-automatic, meaning it fires one round with each trigger pull."
I was a little miffed to think that Jack felt he had to explain the meaning of "semi-automatic" to me. I'd taken enough courses and exercises while qualifying for my security license to be considered an expert in the use of handguns and most rifles. I even had a couple of medals for marksmanship.
This paintball gun didn't look much different from a long-barreled automatic pistol. True, it had a large plastic container screwed into the top to hold the paintball ammunition, and there was a hose coming from a coupling mounted ahead of the trigger that attached to a bottle of compressed carbon dioxide, but in effect, it was nothing more than a souped-up BB gun.
Squinting along the gun's sights, I asked, "How accurate are these things?"
"You can get a spread of about six inches at a hundred feet, depending on wind and how clean your barrel is and the spin of the ball."
I was impressed. "Not bad for a round ball with no rifling."
"Some markers have rifling. But it's designed to reduce or eliminate side spin."
"I'd think spin would improve accuracy."
"You're thinking of bullets. But these balls have got a seam, and if they spin too fast it's like throwing a curve ball. And no spin at all is like throwing a knuckle ball. The trick is to get them to spin end over end but not too fast."
"Wouldn't that make them break downward?"
"Yeah, but if it's a slow spin the break won't have much effect for a couple of hundred feet."
"Two hundred feet. Can they shoot that far?"
"Farther, actually. But you'd need a tougher paintball."
"So why aren't they?"
"They have to be fragile so they'll break when they hit. But not too fragile or they'll break in the barrel."
"I imagine that could ruin your day."
"Not too bad." He picked up a short cable that had a brush on one end. "You always carry a squeegee to clean your barrel. But you're right. Cleaning your barrel when somebody's trying to shoot your head off can really screw up your day."
I picked up one of the small paintballs, which looked like gumballs made out of plastic. "They could make this plastic thicker."
"It's not plastic. Gelatin, like in a pill."
"Gelatin? Why's that?"
"Biodegradable. And if you get hit in the mouth, it won't kill you."
"They should fill 'em with chocolate."


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- 02.11.19
JoAnn Falletta, Mason Bates
- Congratulations to our 2019 Grammy Award Winners
- 02.07.19
Vienna Boys Choir
- Vienna Boys Choir Winter Tour Starts February 17
Kathryn King Media
- 02.06.19
Jeremy Denk
- Five Days, Three Pianists, Three Generations
The New York Times
- 02.05.19
Jennifer Koh
- Classical Music Concerts Part 2: Orchestras Primed for Adventure
Boston Concert Reviews
- 02.03.19
Jeremy Denk
- Home listening: new releases from Jeremy Denk and Maximilian Hornung
The Guardian
- 02.01.19
JoAnn Falletta
- RESPIGHI, O.: Roman Trilogy - Feste romane / Fontane di Roma / Pini di Roma (Buffalo Philharmonic, Falletta)
Naxos Records
- 02.01.19
- Ralph Ellison's Record Collection
The New Yorker
- 02.01.19
Brooklyn Rider
- Common Theme
- 01.31.19
Jeremy Denk
- Jeremy Denk's New Album, "c.1300–c.2000," Due February 8 on Nonesuch Records
- 01.29.19
Calidore String Quartet
- What repertoire should you play for your first recording?
The Strad
Satisfying sonic Sunday: BSO with Belohlavek, Richard Goode at Shriver Hall
Shai Wosner
The Baltimore Sun
On Sunday afternoon, I took in a couple of highly satisfying performances.
First up was the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which welcomed back distinguished Czech conductor Jiri Belohlavek after an absence of 26 years. I hope his next visit won't take that long.
The program, not surprisingly, focused mostly on Eastern-European repertoire. The exception was Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 -- I couldn't help but think that Dvorak's Piano Concerto would have been even more fun here, in company with that composer's "Carnival," Kodaly's "Dances of Galanta" and Janacek's "Taras Bulba."
The newsiest item was the brilliant Janacek score, which, remarkably, the BSO had never before played. Even if you didn't know\ the extremely vivid story of the 17th century Cossack warrior that inspired the piece -- lots of torture, killing and that sort of thing -- the music's strikingly dramatic character would speak loudly.
Belohlavek brought out its passion and sweep with an authoritative touch, and the BSO ...
responded with expressive fire and technical polish. The third movement, in particular, really took off. Jane Marvine's finely shaded English horn playing was among the the sterling solo contributions in the performance.
A few measures of the Kodaly Dances could have been a little tighter, but the ensemble again showed off its quality as Belohlavek stirred up a highly kinetic account of the prismatic score. Soloists, particularly Steven Barta (clarinet) and Phil Munds (horn), proved admirable. Note, too, the singing tone from the whole cello section in the opening passage.
In the Dvorak overture, the conductor balanced propulsion -- the fast bits truly flew by -- with melting lyricism.
The Beethoven Concerto, too, held many rewards. The soloist, Shai Wosner, commanded attention from the start with his first chord -- arpeggiated, which I can't remember hearing a pianist do.
Throughout, Wosner deftly sculpted the music with an appealingly light and crisp articulation that still allowed a good deal of tonal warmth. Likewise, the performance moved easily between a chamber music intimacy and all-out force. The cadenzas were delivered with terrific drama. Belohlavek provided model support and had the orchestra moving smoothly in and out of the conversation.
After the BSO, it was time for the Shriver Hall Concert Series and a typically eloquent recital by Richard Goode.
The pianist, who hummed along at times (well, I hope that's where the humming emanated from), began with two dramatic Mozart items -- the C minor Fantasie and C minor Sonata, which were linked together to make an even richer statement.
Although Goode had the music in front of him, he sounded thoroughly at home. The playing had a strong dynamic edge that pointed up how much Mozart was pushing the keyboard of his day, paving the way for Beethoven to push it further.
This, naturally, helped connect the Mozart pieces to the next work, Beethoven's Sonata No. 18, which Goode (now from memory) played the heck out of. The dashing Scherzo and witty finale were dispatched with particular brilliance.
Chopin was the focus after intermission. Where some pianists tend to bring out the softer side of the composer's music and others the muscular, Goode managed to honor both. Although he rushed through some waltzes, he still managed to produce lovely touches. Most impressive was his handling of the C-sharp minor Scherzo, marked by understated virtuosity and poetic richness.
I loved, too, Goode's encores -- Chopin's C major Mazurka (Op. 24, No. 2), with its piquant twists and turns; and Schumann's "Traumerei," phrased with effortless grace.


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Fast new efficient electronic claiming system planned for patients
The Australian Medical Association has welcomed the first formal agreement to deliver a fast, efficient new electronic claiming and payment system, heralding the move as a win for patients and doctors alike.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has become the first organisation to sign up to deliver the new system, which will allow patients to receive Medicare rebates immediately after paying the doctor's bill.
The Chairman of AMA's Expert Advisory Committee on Information Technology, Dr Peter Garcia Webb, said the simple, streamlined system was developed in close consultation with the AMA.
"The Government and the AMA have worked together to develop this initiative over the past three years," Dr Garcia Webb said.
"We believe it's a strong system that will deliver significant benefits for both patients and doctors.
"Patients will receive their Medicare rebate directly into their bank account, immediately after paying their bill.
"Doctors who bulk bill will be able to access their Medicare payments overnight, compared with the current wait of up to two weeks.
"They will also be able to verify a patient's Medicare eligibility and concession status.
"Importantly, the new system will result in no additional costs for either patients or doctors."
Further work is needed to integrate the electronic payment and claiming system with existing medical practice technology, Dr Garcia Webb said.
"The AMA urges all potential electronic claiming system providers to pursue the issue of system integration with software providers, as a priority," he said.
"We also urge all medical practices to implement integrated software into their practices as soon as it becomes available."
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Registration opens April 1st.
Antique or not, sell your car in our Car Corral on Sunday, August 12th.
Every year we have a Car Corral, where we invite individuals or dealers to display vehicles for sale at the show. Since our policy is to have no FOR SALE signs on any show cars, the Car Corral provides a place for selling a car. Cost: just $50. Car Corral registration form (PDF). Or Register your car for the Car Corral here.
For additional information, contact us.


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Gold Standard
Gold Standard is AHOEC's quality scheme, developed to go beyond the standards set by the LOtC Quality Badge, AAIAC Adventuremark and AALA. Encompassing not just safety but also the best quality of provision, at any provider displaying the Gold Standard logo you can be assured of both safety and quality in their outdoor experience.
Focusing in on 9 areas, the award demands providers focus on the quality of their entire provision, not just the delivery:
Gold Standard is administrated by AHOEC. Inspections are undertaken by D-Jac. For more information, email [email protected].
Please note, in order to complete the SEF, you must have the most recent version of Adobe and all supporting software installed on your computer.
Learning & Development
Customer Care
Safety Management
Facilities & Transport
Leadership & Management
Environmental sustainability
Compliance and Insurance
Continued Improvement
Using self assessment tools, external inspection and assessment, the Gold Standard award demands that providers continually improve, raise standards and use it as a vehicle for continually developing both the leadership and the staff.
Centres are encouraged to seek mentoring from existing Gold Standard holders and reach an 'Excellent' standard of provision before they can be awarded. Gold Standard providers are then eligible to apply for both the LOtC Quality Badge and for Adventuremark in addition. Providers are reassessed annually and inspected bi-annually.
To ensure accountability, Gold Standard is administered by D-JAC Limited, Adventure Activity Consultants. For more information on Gold Standard and an application form for those interested in applying, see D-J Adventure and Consulting.


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Pattern perfected I have been sewing up casual sets for daily wear. This pattern is simply too easy to sew and uses 1 to 1.5 yards of fabric depending on the width.
Japanese Cotton left over from making my husband's kimono a few years ago. Hmmm, the photos over there are better pictures.
The belt is made from the wrong side of the fabric as is the Kimono for my husband. He loves blue.
More cotton tops from fabric purchased years ago while in Paducha, KY, at the Quilt Show when I and Diane Tatara worked the Wild Ginger booth together. I've been waiting for the right pattern to come along
The green one is a print of olive fruits and leaves on a lime green background and the other is a Dutch Wax print (my fav, I could look at it all day)
Here's the back. I didn't get the swags to met exactly perfectly but I can live with it (I think). I don't want OCD to take over!
The garment had to be pieced because I only bought 1.5 yards and it was very narrow
The patch is difficult to see under the arm and in this snazzy print. I have more to show but that will be another post


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As we get close to wrapping up our Kobo New Voices in Fiction week, we're talking to Sandi Tan, author of The Black Isle! Through our chat with Sandi, learn about her journey to launching her debut novel and what influences her writing.
You can get The Black Isle today for $4.99 as part of the Kobo New Voices in Fiction sale, as well as other great new fiction titles at Kobo.com. And be sure to follow us on Twitter with the #KoboNewFiction hashtag.
Kobo: Where did you get the inspiration for The Black Isle?
Sandi Tan: A line. "I was seven years old when I saw my first ghost." This line entered my head one night, and haunted me for weeks. Usually ideas for stories appear and disappear in a matter of days, but this one crawled into a crevice and refused to budge. I knew there could be a book in it, as scenes began to take shape. Once I found my heroine and knew what the scope of the novel would be—part ghost story, part capsule of the 20th century in Asia—I went scouting for "locations." I bought old Life magazines, haunted internet photo archives, trawled the vintage postcard section of eBay.
Kobo: Have you always been interested in ghost and supernaturals?
ST: Growing up in Singapore, I was constantly surrounded by talk of ghosts. This was perhaps to be expected, as the island nation was and still is a bright modern city fighting to keep the dark equatorial jungle at bay. There was a paradoxical fear of and desire to hang on to the past. Not only was my own father a great teller of ghost stories, I attended two schools that abounded with whispered reports of "sightings." Of course, the ghosts of THE BLACK ISLE are not only those of the departed but more sinister, more tenacious phantoms: regrets, terrible memories, people and places left behind—the dark forest that is one's past.
Kobo: Do you feel your characters speak about different facets of your life?
ST: I hope readers will identify with my heroine Ling/Cassandra as they join her on her journey from childhood to old age because she embodies the best—and worst!—impulses in every one of us. As an extraordinarily sensitive woman—she is gifted with the ability to see the dead—she is perhaps even more susceptible to the emotions that bedevil the rest of us: fear, envy, love, lust; yet at times, she acts with such courage that she surprises even herself. She is Everywoman, writ large—with flaws and passions. In addition, I conceived of the Black Isle as a central character itself—a kind of shadow-twin of Ling/Cassandra. Its passage from the innocence and chaos of its early days toward a more anchored maturity, is hopefully something that all of us will recognize.
Kobo: What was the feeling you had when you finished writing the book? Was it hard to let go of your characters?
ST: Relief. But having spent years with these people—yes, I think of them as people!—they've become part of me. There's probably a syndrome that fiction writers suffer from that should be called Persistence of Character Memory. I can't look at a jungle at twilight, an isolated beach or a large aquarium tank without replaying certain dramatic scenarios that I dreamed up while sitting at my desk in sunny southern California.
Kobo: What books do you feel influenced you the most when writing The Black Isle?
ST: "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson is one of my favorite novels of all time. Its voice, its sounds and smells, even its worldview—I found the quiet world of Robinson's fictional Far West town more vividly and poignantly rendered than any 3D Hollywood extravaganza. I strived to achieve a hundredth of its mesmeric, enveloping quality. As a movie geek, I also looked to movies. The ones that inspired me during the writing of THE BLACK ISLE were Charles Laughton's 1955 gothic fable "The Night of the Hunter," in which Robert Mitchum plays a mad preacher pursuing two small children through rural and small-town America, and "There Will Be Blood," P. T. Anderson's epic of the early days of the oil boom. I aspired toward their menace and their grandeur. These are works that will haunt me for the rest of my life.


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Monday, April 3, 2017
Sidney Valentine's Taming A Jackaroo
10 comments:
Sounds great! What a hunk, Sam is. I love the name Affrica Clarke! Great characters. Wishing Sidney all the best. Thanks for sharing Christine. I hope all is well with you and your family. Have a lovely week.ReplyDelete
Congrats to Sidney on her cover. I agree with Nicola that Sam looks like a hunk.ReplyDelete
Congratulations Sidney, nice cover!ReplyDelete
It's a fantastic story to go along with that hunky cover. :) Thanks to everyone for popping by today.ReplyDelete
Aussie and cowboy! Be still my racing heart. What a comboReplyDelete
I'm imagining those clothes in the outback and laughing!ReplyDelete
What a cool cover and a fun premise. I hate when my friends leave me with nothing but skimpy clothes. Now then, I wonder, how does one acquire the title of billionaire jackaroo? That sounds way out of my league.ReplyDelete
Congrats, Sidney! We need more stories set in the outback. :)ReplyDelete
Yum, sounds like fun!ReplyDelete
Good luck, Sidney!
Thank you so much for showcasing my book, Christine :) And thanks everyone for your kind words. Yep, I'm a sucker for Aussie cowboys too *wink*ReplyDelete


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Download Flash Plug-in
Alternatively Adryomancy, Hidromancy, Hydromancie, Hydromantia, Hydromantie, Hydromanty, Hydrascopy, Hydroscopy, Idromance, Idromancie, Ydromance, Ydromancy, and Ydromaunce.
Derived from the Greek hudro ('hydro') and manteia ('divination'), it is the art and practice of divining the past, the present and the future with the aid of water.
There are various different methods of predicting the future by the means of water or rain.
Done with rainwater it was termed Hydatoscopy and with water from a spring, Pegomancy.
Scrying using water was common in ancient times. Any basin of rock filled by rain or by running water would serve as reflective surface, as would any small pool, pond, or lake.
Methods of disturbing water — by means of suspended rings or by means of pebbles being dropped into the bowl — are also described as legitimate hydromantic techniques, and some diviners were supposed to read from the reflections on the surface or from the color of water, as well as from the movement of water in fountains or the pattern of ripples formed after an object was cast into a pool, basin, or pond.
Some of these techniques are Lecanomancy, Pegomancy, Eromanty and Castronomancy.
A widespread manner of Hydromancy was to fill a bowl with water and to suspend a ring or key on a thread or fine chain hanging, like a pendulum, either beside or inside the bowl. It would then be swung so that it struck the side of the bowl. This would cause ripples to move across the surface of the water, and these would be prophetically interpreted.
Another method consisted of throwing three pebbles into standing water and divinely decode the circles that formed.
One alleged technique involved a basin full of water which, at the command of the diviner, was activated by spirits in order to vibrate to a point where it appeared to boil and give off meaningful sounds.
In another method of Hydromancy, the actions of the sea, its agitation, color and wave patterns, were prophetically interpreted. Lakes water actions were also observed, studied and divinely deciphered. It is said that ancient Germanic wise women were also practitioners of Hydromancy, specializing in river water interpretation. The source, color, whirls and the river's course were all taken into consideration for an accurate prognostication.
Fountains were also used for divination. The fountains of Palicorus, in Sicily, were some of the most popular for consultations, where billets floated if true, and sank if false. The fall of the city of Palmyra is said to have been foretold by similar circumstances. There was a sacred lake near the temple of Venus, at Aphara, where rejected offerings floated even though they were made of the heaviest metals, such as gold and silver. The year before the fall of their city, all the offerings of the Palmyreans sank as usual, but strange to tell, they all rose to the surface again, which prodigy was considered an indubitable warning of its downfall.
The Pool of Bethesda, a pool of consecrated water mentioned in the Gospel of John and recently unearthed in the Muslin quarter of Jerusalem, was supposedly used by Hydromancers to prognosticate remedies and wellbeing resolutions for the inquirer's health afflictions.
Rimualdus in his Consilia in causis gravissimis (1845), describes a method of finding a thief which consisted of lighting a consecrated white candle and placing it on an altar next to a basin filled with water. A virgin would then read aloud the following verse, which had to be written in consecrated paper:
"Angelo bianco, Angelo sancto, per la tua sanctita et per la mia virginita, mostra mi che ha tolto tal cosa".
This meant:
"White angel, holy angel, by thy holiness and by my virginity show me who has stolen this thing."
According to the narrative, the water would instantly reflect a diminutive picture of the thief, as though it were a mirror with the thief standing in front of it.
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Hydromancy was seriously employed in Ireland to detect thieves, but in a different manner. The names of the suspects were written on slips of paper and thrown into a basin of Holy water where, by the way they floated, culpability was ascertained. Usually the first paper that floated back to the bank indicated the guilty party.
Paracelsus, in his Nine Books Of the Nature of Things (1674), also describes Hydromancy:
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"Hydromancy gives its Signs, by the Stars of the Water, by their overflowings, their scarcity, discolourings, commotions, new streams, and washings away of earthly things: in Magick and Necromancy by Nymphs, Visions and supernatural Monsters in the Waters and Sea."
Our modern "tea leaf" and "coffee ground" psychic readings date from this ancient method of divination.
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See Divination, Tarot, Demonomancy, Acutomancy, Agalmatomancy, Augur, Anthomancy, Divination, Coscinomancy, Cleidomancy, Stoichomancy, Dowsing, Heptameron, Demonology, Sortilege, Idolomancy, Demonomancy, Tephramancy, Anemoscopy, Eromancy, Austromancy, Chaomancy, Roadomancy, Capnomancy, Pyromancy, Meteormancy, Ceraunoscopy, Zoomancy, Felidomancy, Mystic Gifts and Charms - New Age Gift Shop & Wicca and Pagan Supplies, The Chakra Store, Love Spells -- Use these powerful love spells to help you find and keep your true love, The Tarot Store, Divination & Scrying Tools and Supplies, Unique Amulets, Talismans, Good Luck Charms, and Love Tokens, Powerful Witch Doctor Spell Kits, Powerful Spells - Cast by Andreika the Witch, Webmasters Make $$$, AzureGreen - Celebrating All Paths to the Divine, ISIS - Tools for Your Soul's Journey, and The Pyramid Collection - Myth, Magick, Fantasy and Romance.
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Sources: (1) Spence, Lewis, An Encyclopedia of Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (2) Dictionary of the Occult, Caxton Publishing; (3) The Encyclopaedia Britannica Eleventh Edition Handy Volume Edition, Oxford University Press; (4) Bailey, Nancy (editor), The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Spells and Magic, Sterling Publishing; (5) Pickover, Clifford A., Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of Prediction, Prometheus Books; (6) Dunwich, Gerina, A Wiccan's Guide to Prophecy and Divination, Carol Publishing Group; (7) Buckland, Raymond, The Fortune-Telling Book: The Encyclopedia of Divination and Soothsaying, Visible Ink Press.
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Amsterdam is home to many of the bags, squeeze, for beauty and subtlety in its history. Step into the high, elegant home overlooking one of the canals in the city, you will find a collection of stuff that people always an up yourself in the end third, decide your costume will stand out or become so normal: hand bags.
Mentioning the statue of Freedom must also think right to the United States and the world's leading city of New York. But those who know his native born American icon again to France. European tour along with Mix Tourist today will you learn a bit about the statue of liberty and the fun things revolve around this venerable gods.
European tour today takes you to shape a country-Italy and admire the beauty of their existed over the years field of the mighty Colosseum, ancient Colosseum.
You should advance in Japan hotel booking through Agoda.com (alternatively add page hotelsthailand.com also quite or, here can put both tickets to the amusement park or the Thai side show).


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On May the 31 of this year, the noted Professor Herman Albategnius caused himself and five unfortunate companions to be launched from the mouth of a specially constructed cannon of immense proportions, with the express intent of journeying to the Moon. The hapless adventures were housed inside an elegantly appointed egg-shaped vessel that Albategnius termed a 'Space-Ship'. The cannon, which is claimed to be the largest such engine ever constructed, was completely destroyed in the explosion that occurred shortly after match was put to fuse. The report temporarily deafened witnesses, shattered nearby windows, and is said to have been heard as far off as the continent. As for the vessel, christened Athena by the Professor, and its six occupants, there remains no trace. We can only assume that Prf Albategnius, his wife the Lady Matilda Albategnius, Lord Briarwhip and his manservant, and the Ladies Miss Elisa Makepeace and Miss Betsy Lovejoy have perished, blown to bits and scattered throughout the stratosphere, a sad end to six promising young lives, and a testimony to the Foolish Ambitions and Hubris of Man.
June 1, Ano Domini 1865
According to the instrumentation, the forces exerted on us and our craft during the launch were almost exactly what I had calculated. The intensity of those forces however, and their affect on the frail human body, were far beyond anything I had imagined. We were all six knocked quite unconscious by the initial blast, crushed like a child's poppet into the plush velvet gravity couches I had caused to be constructed for our comfort during the launch, never dreaming for an instant that those very couches would save our lives. We are all suffering from severe headache and nosebleeds and spells of nausea, particularly my dear wife Matilda. The Lady Makepeace cracked two of her ribs, as a direct result of the violence of our launch, but she bears it stoutly and bravely, like a man, with not a word of complaint. I suspect these ailments shall pass shortly. I am confident that the consequences would have been far more dire had we not all been so gently swaddled.
I was the first to wake. For a moment, I thought that I was dead, that we had all perished in the fiery violence of the launch. I knew from the start, as did all my companions, that this was a perilous venture we were undertaking. I was gratified, therefore, to discover myself not only alive, but uninjured and in good health.
When I unstrapped myself from the soft confines of my couch, I received the first of what I am certain will prove to be many surprises of this fantastic journey: I was as weightless as a fish in a pool of water. The sensation was wonderfully freeing, though I was a little puzzled as to how to move around. I quickly discovered that attempting to swim through the air was useless; the best technique was to grab hold of a convenient handhold, take aim, and simply push off. In this manner, I conducted myself, not without a few minor mishaps and bruises, to the stern of our craft, which I have named Athena for the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. Peering eagerly through the rear portholes, I beheld what I believe no man before me had seen yet: the entire disk of our home planet Earth, shrouded in clouds, blue oceans and green continents, all within the field of my view, like a child's marble. It appeared to be so close I could reach out and touch it with my hand. So wondrous was this sight that it quite literally took my breath away, and I could only stand (or rather float) and stare for several minutes.
I made my way, rather more proficiently this time, back to the passenger compartment, where the others were just starting to stir. I was already feeling much better, my nosebleed had abated and my head was starting to clear, so I was able to help the others adapt to the new environment that we found ourselves in. All were in high spirits, though my wife Matilda continued to suffer from dizzy spells and nausea long after symptoms had disappeared for the rest.
June 2
I awoke early. Early, that is to say, according to the chronograph; aboard the Athena day and night have no meaning. The right, or starboard, side of our craft basks in perpetual unfiltered sunlight; the left (port) side is exposed to the frigid humors of the abyss. It is only six inches of stout English oak, caulked with tar and oakum, which protect us from the unfriendly environs of the aether outside.
The Athena is a well-appointed, comfortable craft, but she is by necessity small, and privacy is at a premium. As I made my way forward (still not entirely accustomed to the art of moving in null-gravity), I happened to spy Lord Briarwhip and his boy Tobi engaged in an act so intimate that I cannot bring myself to describe it here, in pen and paper. Suffice it to say that the boy, a pleasant young Hindoo lad of some intelligence, is surprisingly flexible and accommodating. I was startled at the sight, but perhaps not as surprised as I might have been. I am not going to say anything to the others. 'Live and let live' shall be my motto, and it is far from mine to cast the first stone.
We gathered around the galley table, floating like dandelion seeds on a breeze, for a rousing break-fast. The company was in high spirits, all: we were on a journey unlike any other in the History of Mankind. Only Matilda and Lady Makepeace were still suffering any ill-effects from the trauma of our explosive escape from the maternal bosom of Earth and the clutches of her gravitation, and they were both cheerful, though Matilda was unable to eat much, and Lady Makepeace winced whenever she swallowed.
After breaking our fast, we set about unfurling our craft's wings, which had been intricately folded up and stored in hermetic compartments on either side of the ship in order to survive the violence of the launch. They were an enormous affair, made of bamboo and silk, constructed at great expense in Japan and shipped across the oceans in a steam-ship, the creation of Dr. Miyamoto Toyoda, a Yellow Man and a brilliant scientist in his own right. Once deployed, the wings (manipulate from inside Athena by pulling on an ingenious set of levers and pulleys) should allow us to navigate through the aether; making any necessary course corrections, maneuver like a bird in flight, and eventually glide through the lunar atmosphere to a soft landing on the Moon.
Our marvelous ascent up the Well of Gravity robbed us of most of our forward momentum, but we are still travelling at quite a respectable speed, and I calculate that the voyage to the moon will take the best part of a month.
June 2 (pm)
The general consensus of my companions is that modern ladies' garments, as dictated by polite society, are simply incompatible with the realities of living in close quarters and in null-gravity. The female members of our party have rebelled, refusing to don the dresses, corsets, hats, and etcetera that would otherwise be expected of them, for the remainder of the voyage. Perhaps needless to say, neither myself, nor Lord Briarwhip have voiced any objections. Though upon reflection, I am not sure the Lord Briarwhip particularly cares either way.
I confess I was rather surprised by my wife Matilda's lack of objection; she has always been modest and proper to a fault. And yet here she is at dinner, chatting merrily away with the company, dressed only in her shifts. The Ladies Makepeace and Lovejoy have taken the idea rather further, dressing only in soft white cotton duck trousers, in the fashion of old British sailors, naked from the waist up and the ankle down. No-one else seemed to find this strange or unusual in any way, so I said nothing, though I had to suppress the urge to make some witticism about how two heavenly bodies had been added to the cosmos. Fortunately, I restrained myself.
June 5
Matilda woke up early with another spell of vomiting and nausea. Fortunately the fit has now passed, and she is in good spirits, but it does concern me. She is the only one among us who is still suffering any ill-effects from our launch. Lady Makepeace's ribs are healing apace; she giggled coquettishly when I inspected the wound, and made her (considerable!) bosom shake like a pair of ripe, exotic fruit hanging low from a tree. In the non-gravity, they jiggled quite pleasantly, like a couple of pale white hasty puddings. If I didn't know better, I would feel certain that she was doing it a-purpose, to tease and torment me. If that was her purpose, then she was by all means successful. Even now, I marvel at the loveliness of her bare flesh, unhindered by clothing and unhampered by the force of gravity! It is hard to remain stoic and scientific under such circumstances.
I have made some observations and checked the instruments: we are precisely on course for our destination: the Moon! Even now, the disc of the earth has receded visibly in the aft portholes. When she finally spirals into view, the Moon will take up full a third of our field of vision!
We attempted to use Dr. Toyoda's wings to perform a simple maneuver, more as an experiment than out of any necessity, as our trajectory appears to be perfect to several decimal places. Despite all our exertions, the wings failed to have any affect whatsoever upon our craft's attitude. Perhaps the aether between the great spheres is simply too insubstantial for them to find any purchase.
After a substantial and pleasant dinner – Matilda appears to have regained her appetite – I retired to the study to make some celestial observations and recheck my orbital calculations. I had only been working a short while when I heard a commotion coming from the room that we had somewhat ironically dubbed the Great Hall.
I floated into the chamber out of idle curiosity more than anything else; the noises were certainly not the sounds of distress, rather of raucous amusement. What I saw there would have stopped me in my tracks, had I been walking on two legs. Instead, I drifted dumbly into the room, like an errant log floating in a river eddy.
Lord Briarwhip and his boy were naked as savages, locked together in a tight embrace, floating in the center of the room, slowly rotating along their long axis. If Lord Briarwhip was facing "up", then young Tobi was pointing "down" and each had a mouth stuffed full of his partners' reproductive organ. They were noisily and enthusiastically fellating each other, and our female companions, my wife Matilda and the Ladies, were loudly cheering them on, as if they were the spirited observers at some perverse cricket match.
I grabbed onto a handhold and stopped myself from wafting straight across the room. Matilda saw me and waved cheerily, before returning her eyes to the spectacle directly in front of us. The temperature in the Great Hall had grown notably warm.
Even as I watched, Lord Briarwhip seemed to reach a moment of crisis, bucking his hips and flailing his limbs. I was again amazed by young Tobi's sword-swallowing ability. The lithe young Hindoo summarily wet a long slender finger, and deftly inserted it in his Lordship's bunghole. Briarwhip bellowed out loud, letting Tobi's cock slip out of his mouth, and spent directly into the hungry maw of his young companion, who eagerly devoured his master's seed. The ladies all clapped enthusiastically.
The two disentangled, and in a very genteel fashion, Lord Briarwhip used his hand to bring Tobi's penis to release. The lad's member was long and thin and brown, and when he spent, he ejected shimmering globules of pearlescent spermatozoa that floated, quivering into the atmosphere.
I left them to their play, floating back to my own chambers, my head awhirl. I hadn't known of Lord Briarwhip's proclivities before the voyage –though I wasn't particularly surprised, nor did it bother me; surely the more love there is in this world the better—and the ladies Makepeace and Lovejoy are young and highly spirited; but my dear wife Matilda had been enjoying the scene as much as any of the others.
Matilda had never shown any interest in carnal matters. Early in our marriage, she had performed her wifely duties willing, but without much enthusiasm. As time passed and no progeny were conceived, and as I became more focused on the science and art of ballistics, our bedroom activities slowed and finally stopped. I took occasional solace in self-pleasure, not wanting to impose myself on her, unwanted as it were. I came to believe Matilda was simply one of those people for whom sexuality is not a part of their make-up. I may now have to reconsider that position.
June 6
This morning, at breakfast, Lady Makepeace announced that she and Lady Lovejoy would put on a performance for the company later on. I was naïve enough to suppose that they meant a recitation or pantomimes or some such. I gave it not much thought, and blithely went about my day, taking celestial observations, making calculations, and fussing over the minute interior details of our spacecraft.
Matilda was in fine spirits all day, and only suffered a brief spell of illness. I believe she may be finally recovering.
After tea-time, we were all summoned to the Great Hall, in the nose of the Athena. The stars shone in, bright and unblinking, through the twin front-facing portholes.
I have already become accustomed to seeing the Lady Makepeace dressed only in her white duck pants. She stood (or rather floated vertically) on a little improvised stage in the center of the room. Lady Lovejoy floated at chest level next to her, completely naked but for a red silk blindfold. The soles of her feet were pressed together and bound at the ankle with red silk, causing her knees to spread in a most un-ladylike fashion, rather like a fakir; and a length of cord ran from her ankles up to her wrists, which were also bound in red. The two of them together made quite a sight, and I must have exclaimed audibly, because Matilda squeezed my hand and beamed happily at me, as if I were a child on his first visit to the carnival.
Once we were all seated, Lady Makepeace unfastened her trousers and cast them aside, and –behold!—she was also as naked as Eve before the fall. Strapped around her waist, perched just above the lush triangle of her sex, was an artificial phallus, carved of brilliant white ivory, which, when freed from the confines of her duck pants, jutted up and out like the horn of the fabled unicorn. We all applauded politely. Already, I could feel the carnal stirrings inside my own trousers, and despite myself, I discovered that I was as shy as a schoolboy. I glanced sideways at Matilda to see if she had noticed my state, but she was rapt, absorbed in the two Ladies' performance.
With a flick of her wrist, Lady Makepeace spun Lady Lovejoy upside-down. In the null gravity, it was as easy as spinning a child's toy. She smiled impishly, stuck out her tongue, and licked Lady Lovejoy directly across her sexual organ, which was covered with soft, curly hair the exact same shad of red as the hair on her head. Miss Lovejoy squealed out loud and struggled, in a not at all unhappy manner. Makepeace spun her around again so she was upright, and kissed her right on her rosy lips. She made a little bow to us, the audience, and slapped Lovejoy squarely across her spread and vulnerable fanny (and not gently either, the sound of it resonated!) with her ivory phallus. She then spun Miss Lovejoy inverted again, and repeated the whole process.
As I observed their antics, my own penis grew and stiffened until it was as hard as if it too had been carved from a piece of ivory. On my left, Matilda had discretely unfastened her pants, and had slipped one hand down between her legs; to my right Lord Briarwhip and Tobi were kissing and grappling shamelessly. I struggled to maintain decorum.
Lady Makepeace continued to lap at her lady friend's quim, which became pink and wet and swollen with pent-up excitement; occasionally pausing to tongue her nether hole, or to amuse herself by presenting her phallus for Lovejoy to lick and suck on, like a piece of rock candy. Lady Lovejoy submitted to the ministrations without a word, though by and by she was all aquiver and whimpering with desire.
Then came the performance's climax: with a flourish, Lady Makepeace unbound Lovejoy, removing the blindfold and casting her limbs free. She then summarily skewered the willing and eager Lady Lovejoy, burying her ivory phallus holus-bolus into the moist confines of the Lady's sex. The two ladies thus conjoined, embraced, making a most lovely beast with two backs, kissing and encouraging one another until Lovejoy climaxed volcanically, with a display that would have put Vesuvius to shame.
For a curtain call, Lady Lovejoy knelt between Makepeace's pale thighs, and gave her the pleasure of her agile tongue, until Lady Makepeace fairly cried out with passion. It was a most dramatic performance, and we all applauded heartily. I, for one, left the Great Hall in such a state of confusion and frustrated excitement that I hadn't experienced since my juvenile years.
Dinner was a lighthearted affair, and then we all retired, to our several bedchambers. I couldn't help but notice that the Lord Briarwhip and his boy Tobi joined the Ladies Makepeace and Lovejoy in their private chambers, and the thought of what must be happening in that bed-room made my loins once again swell with carnal thoughts.
I more than half hoped that Matilda might come and join me in my bed chamber, but she never did, so eventually I resorted to the act of self-pleasure. It was the first time in my life that I did so without the least twinge of guilt.
June 7
The atmosphere onboard the Athena has changed markedly. It now has the feeling of a pleasure-cruise; and a most hedonist cruise at that. The company is entirely more cheerful and relaxed as we voyage further and further into the darkness of space; from being a disparate group of near-strangers a mere week ago, we are as free and gay as if we were all lifelong friends.
Matilda had another episode of space-sickness. It was intense, but short-lived, and she soon recovered her spirits.
After supper, Tobi spontaneously amused us all with a little dance. Perhaps not surprisingly, the performance involved him slowly and artfully disrobing, and culminated with him blatantly seducing the not unwilling Lord Briarwhip.
Briarwhip took the lad from behind, anally as it were. Though receiving his Lordship's affections that way appeared (to my eyes) uncomfortable to say the very least, especially given Briarwhip's generous endowment, Tobi appeared to relish every moment of the treatment he was given.
It was, I had to admit, fascinating to watch. Briarwhip possesses amazing stamina. Every time he seemed to be on the verge of spending his seed, he would withdraw, his cock red and straining, and spank Tobi's upturned brown bottom, lick his anus and his testicles, and vigorously slap the boy's erect penis, before plunging back in with all the ardor of a hound on a fox-hunt. The boy grunted and wailed as his backside was so assaulted, but they were by no means to be mistaken for cries of distress.
I was so engaged in their coupling, I hadn't noticed what was going on around me. The Ladies Lovejoy and Makepeace were no longer watching the male antics at all; they had both removed their duck-pants, and were floating nearby, wholly engaged with each other. Together, they were a sight that took my breath away, a beautiful, moving, kinetic Sapphic sculpture.
Even as I watched, my wife, Matilda, drifted over to where the two Ladies were frolicking. With a shy glance my way, she removed her blouse, setting free her own rather generous bosoms. I personally thought her breasts compared rather favorably with the more petite ones of the two ladies. She kissed the Lady Makepeace full on the lips, and then she kissed the Lady Lovejoy. Her hands found their way down between their legs, and started petting the two similar, but not identical, flowers; alternating kissing one and then the other, pausing occasionally to explore necks, ears, fingers, and breasts.
I was stabbed for a moment with a sharp dagger of jealousy, but this feeling was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer eroticism of the vision. The two beautiful young ladies were soon squirming and crying out under the ministrations of my lovely wife, and all three of them were becoming more and more frantic. I knew they must soon reach some sort of culmination. Across the Great Hall, Tobi and his Lordship were in similar straights. There could be no mistaking my current state: my erection made it's presence clear as a jutting projection in the front of my pants, in need of urgent attention. I took my leave, leaving the lovers to their antics, and paid myself that much-needed attention in the privacy of my bedchamber.
June 8
Matilda came to me this morning before breakfast. She wanted to know if I was angry with her; I told her I was not. She asked me if I still loved her, and I told her that I do.
She told me that she'd never experienced these feelings before, that is to say sexual feelings; and she went on to say that if I was agreeable, she wanted to continue 'experimenting' with the Ladies Makepeace and Lovejoy. She said she would only do so, though, with my blessings.
I told her that I wanted for her whatever makes her happy.
She then told me that the company had been talking, and felt bad that I should be the odd man out. She said they had all agreed that I should feel free to pleasure myself, to masturbate, while I watched their games. An interesting development indeed.
June 8 (Later)
This afternoon, I spilled my seed across Lady Lovejoy's naked breasts, while my wife and the Lady Makepeace pleasured her with their tongues, and Lord Briarwhip and his boy Tobi watched. The sensation of participating (if only tangentially) in this deeply erotic act, and of being watched while performing the most private and intimate of deeds was… freeing.
At the conclusion, I licked my spilt semen off of Lovejoy's bosom, and she held her breasts up for me like a dining platter.
The moon is finally visible through the forward portholes. She is already bigger and more finely detailed than she would be through any earthbound telescope. We are filled with excitement at the prospect, now looming so large, of walking on the lunar surface; but I think we are all a little sad also, at the thought that this voyage through the aether will soon be over. I believe that the after this journey is complete, whatever marvels we find, we will no longer feel so free and close with each other. I think the isolation in the void between the spheres has made us free in a way that we will never be again, once we have returned to the world of gravity and civilization.
June 10, 1865
Matilda is dead.
We found her, still strapped into her bed, when she failed to come to breakfast yesterday morning. She looked peaceful lying there, just like a sleeping child, but her flesh was icy and blue.
I am still reeling from the discovery. I think of all the things I would have liked to tell her, and will now never have the chance to say. I can't believe she is gone.
We placed her body in the cold storage room in the aft section of the Athena, and we will lay her to rest in the lunar soil once we reach our destination.
The others seem to be expressing their grief by fornicating, as much and as often as possible, but for now I cannot bring myself to partake of that fruit.
June 13
I fear there is some kind of contagion on board. We lost Lady Makepeace today.
We ate a muted supper, and toward the end of the meal, Lady Makepeace announced that she was feeling unwell, and excused herself to her chambers. Lady Lovejoy followed her a few minutes later, but she was already dead, still and blue.
We have placed her body in the cold room alongside Matilda, to be buried in the sands of the moon, if only the rest of us survive the journey.
June 14
With Lady Makepeace gone, Lord Briarwhip and Tobi and the Lady Lovejoy copulate incessantly, feverishly, almost madly; and I join in vicariously, with one hand wrapped around my sexual organ. To call it 'Love-Making' would be a sour joke. There is no joy in the sex, no light-heartedness; only manic visceral carnal pleasure.
They make a sandwich of young Tobi. He pleasures Lady Lovejoy with his tongue, lapping at her like a kitten devouring a saucer full of milk, while Briarwhip assaults him from behind; or they switch sides, and he sucks Briarwhip's cock while she uses the ivory phallus on his rear end. Sometimes Briarwhip will slide his penis up inside her while Tobi lavishes attention on both of them with his tongue and his long clever fingers until all three are worked up to a frantic state of excitement.
I am just as guilty of escapism as they are: I watch, fascinated; and self-pleasure myself shamelessly, riding the brink of climax for hours until I can stand it no longer, finding forgetfulness in the twisted eroticism of the scene.
June 16
Briarwhip is dead, the latest victim of our strange plague. I wonder now if any of us will survive this journey.
Lord Briarwhip was floating in the Great Hall, in front of the forward portholes, as if he were still gazing at the Moon, which now looms so close. His eyes were still open, but his flesh had turned the same deadly shade of blue as Matilda and Lady Makepeace. He never exhibited any symptoms; at breakfast he was as lively and healthy-seeming as ever. Tobi is distraught; Lady Lovejoy and I are rather numb, going through the motions of normal shipboard life. Whatever that may be.
June 19
I have been remiss in my writing.
On a sailing ship, far out at sea, there is always work. The crew is kept busy doing a myriad of tasks, combating the unending assault of the elements on the rigging and the hull. In this way, the men are kept happy and peaceable, whereas if they were idle, melancholia and restiveness would inevitably result.
In Outer Space, there is virtually nothing to be done vis-à-vis our Space Ship: there is no sensation of movement, nor any maintenance or work to be done upon her, making it easy to dwell on our losses, and even to slip into depression.
Tobi and Lady Lovejoy have formed some sort of bond. She abuses the boy grossly; tying him up and whipping him until the blood sprays from his back, or roughly shoving all four fingers and a thumb up his arse-hole while cruelly squeezing his ballocks. I would put a stop to it, but the more she torments him, the harder his penis becomes, and the louder he cries out for more, more, more.
She amuses herself by binding him hand and foot, and capturing his head between her thighs, so that his face is pressed up against her sex, and floating like that, without regard for his comfort or even respiration, until he can bring her to climax. Alternatively, she will hover just above him, so that his tongue strains to reach her nether hole, and the muscles in his neck quiver with the effort, while she applies her fingers to herself, languidly bringing herself to peak after peak, while the poor boy labors fruitlessly. I find myself masturbating to these little scenes, and she encourages it bawdily, even offering me her own wet and slippery digits to taste and smell while I caress myself; and forcing poor Tobi to lap up my ejaculate. How he finds release, I do not know.
June 23, Anno Domini 1865, At Sea, aboard the Space Ship Athena
They are all gone. Dead. They are sleeping now, side by side in the cold locker. Soon I will lay them to rest in the lifeless lunar sand.
The Moon looms so close now, I could almost reach out and touch it. Looking out through the portholes, it fills the entire forward field of vision.
I had imagined that we would discover canals, lush forests, fertile fields, flourishing civilizations, even great cities with towers and spires. There is nothing. It is a wasteland, an endless desert, devoid of any comfort or life. It is beautiful though, a magnificent desolation.
Soon I will enter the lunar atmosphere, and the silk and bamboo wings of Dr. Toyoda will find purchase, and I will pilot the Athena through the thin air to a soft landing, and then I will step out of my Space Ship and be the First Man on the Moon. How I will get home, I know not; I had counted on being able to construct another canon to launch us back toward our Mother Earth, but I see now that is impossible. I will take the controls now, and fly, lofting my wings through the heavens like a modern-day Icarus, and may Providence guide my hand. I am alone. I have left everything behind me, in the cold blackness of Outer Space. I am the last of the Astronauts.


text:
2911 Centenary
Post Office
SNL's Mr. Bill Creator Visits Centenary Campus for Film Screening, Convocation
SHREVEPORT, LA — Walter Williams, creator of the famous Saturday Night Live animated Play-Doh character Mr. Bill, will visit Centenary College for a film screening on Wednesday, Jan. 18, and convocation on Thursday, Jan. 19. These events are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday night, the Centenary Film Society will present Williams' The Natural History of New Orleans, a documentary film, from 7–8:30 p.m. in Carlile Auditorium (Mickle Hall, Room 114). The film explores the natural forces that created New Orleans and now threaten to destroy it.
Williams will discuss his work as an animator, documentary filmmaker and coastal wetlands activist on Thursday morning from 11:10 a.m.-noon at a convocation titled, "Mr. Bill Saves New Orleans: Animation, Activism, and Education." The convocation will be held in Kilpatrick Auditorium of the Smith Building.
With a career starting with his Mr. Bill character on Saturday Night Live, Williams went on to create a series of "Pizza Head" commercials for a national Pizza Hut TV campaign. As an animator and director, Williams sees comedy and technology as tools for education. Williams' web site, www.mrbill.com, features links to some of his projects.
For more information about these Centenary events, contact Lisa Nicoletti, convocations coordinator, at 318-869-5261 or email@example.com.
- 30 -


text:
Soft plastics deserve TLC, too
Most of us know how important tackle organization is to the serious bass angler.
We've learned that proper organization of our lures not only makes them more accessible, but also helps protect them.
The latter is something I think a lot of weekend anglers overlook. Without proper care, hooks will rust and spinnerbait skirts will deteriorate or get misaligned.
However, there's another aspect of tackle storage and organization that gets neglected – protecting your soft plastics from getting twisted or corrupted.
The soft plastic lure world is no longer made up of just worms. So many of our baits have unique appendages, are very specialized and made of extremely soft plastic material. Those appendages were designed to create a specific action in the water and the softness enhances that action.
However, if a bait loses its integrity – a bent leg, crinkled body or bent tail – that bait won't perform properly. Thin finesse worms, for example, may spin and twist your line.
Putting baits in a utility box like Plano's 3700 with divided compartments will help, but even they get jostled and misaligned when stuffed in a boat storage compartment or a tackle bag.
When Strike King first came out with the Dream Shot, a very soft, thin-bodied drop-shot worm, I put them in a 3700 and filled the box up with different colors. Even though I placed the baits in the compartments neat and straight, they still got twisted and the tails tangled.
That's why I now keep my plastics in their original packaging. Companies like Strike King package many of its lure styles in clam packs within the bags to maintain each bait's original form. Other companies often include a plastic sleeve to keep baits in a straight line.
Managing those bags of different sizes and colors can be a hassle, but that's where the Plano Speed Bags come into play. They're really pretty simple – top-sided zippered bags with an open cavity in which I place my packaged plastics. They make a variety of sizes in Speed Bags for different types of baits.
I carry several speed bags, each with a specific type of soft plastic lure and in a variety of colors, and use a waterproof marker to label the bags. I store them in my house and only put into the boat the styles I think I will be using on a given day. I have a bag for Rodents, one for Rage Craws, one for Swimming Caffeine Shad, etc.
I may also use one bag for a variety of different baits that I MIGHT need on a given day. The Speed Bags are designed to fit any manufacturer's baits, so there's something for everyone.
I'm currently packing for a trip that will take me to tournaments on the Delaware River, which is a shallow murky system, and to Lake Cayuga, N.Y., a deep clear body of water. Those will require different lures and tactics, so I have packed 10 different speed bags in my boat.
And what about the co-angler? Many now carry a soft-sided tackle bag for storing their hard baits (kept in utility boxes) and utilize Speed Bags for their soft plastics. They'll attach snap rings to the Speed Bags and fasten them to the tackle bag's handles to make them easier to carry.
Many of today's soft baits can cost as much as $6 or more per bag, so you have to protect your investment. This new way of storing and protecting those baits will keep you organized and ensure your lure performs the way it was designed when you put it in the water.
Remember, it's all about the attitude!