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Kirby(JP) is the titular main protagonist of the Kirby series. Created by Masahiro Sakurai, he was introduced in the Game Boy video game Kirby's Dream Land, a game developed by the video game studio HAL Laboratory. Today it is one of Nintendo's most advantageous franchises. His prosperous first appearance in video games led to the creation of a variety of sequels and spin-offs. Kirby first appeared in 1992 with Dream Land and quickly garnered attention for its unique, and perhaps more-so its accessible, gameplay. Most iterations in the series are completely 2D.
Kirby is a young boy from the country of Dream Land, on the planet Pop Star. He is small, round, and pink with stubby arms and large red shoes. True to his instincts, Kirby eats when he is hungry and sleeps when he is tired. However, Kirby's cheerful and unassuming nature hides incredible power that reveals itself whenever his home is threatened by evil.
Kirby possesses the unique ability to replicate the properties of creatures or objects that he eats. Kirby is capable of sucking in basic enemies with his mouth. Quite a few enemies bear unique skills such as being able to breathe fire or turn into stone. After sucking an enemy in, Kirby will be able to copy these creature's powers and use them for as long as he wants until he is hit a considerable amount of time. Some enemies don't possess powers, however, and some, such as bosses, need to be defeated before you can steal their powers. Kirby was given this ability in the Nintendo Entertainment System video game Kirby's Adventure.
- 1 History and Story
- 2 Super Smash Bros. series
- 3 Other appearances
- 4 Characteristics
- 5 Allies
- 6 Species
- 7 Trivia
- 8 Gallery
- 9 External links
History and Story
HAL Laboratory was developing the first Kirby game with the intention of making it a game for beginners or children. Created for the Game Boy, Kirby's Dream Land was originally known as Twinkle Popopo, and Kirby was known as Popopo. Character creator Masahiro Sakurai wanted to make Kirby pink, while Mario and Zelda series creator Shigeru Miyamoto had visualized him as yellow. Since the Game Boy couldn't render pink or yellow, Kirby's color would be visible only on promotional material and on the box art. When Nintendo of Japan sent the video game over to America, there was no clear indication as to what color Kirby should be, so they made him white. In Japan, however, he was pink as Sakurai had wanted.
The name Popopo would eventually change to Kirby, though the exact reason for this isn't clear. There are many speculations as to this choice. Perhaps the most common one is that they named him after the company Kirby Corporation. The Kirby Corporation is best known as a manufacturer of vacuums, which, like Kirby, suck things up. Some also say that he was named after John Kirby who represented Nintendo in a heated lawsuit against Universal Studios regarding Donkey Kong. It has been said that after the original game was released, someone sent John Kirby a copy of it which gave him a good laugh. Unfortunately, no one within the team that created Kirby seems to recall how exactly he got his name.
In the original game, Kirby's nemesis King Dedede, who made himself the king of Dream Land, pillaged his kingdom's resident's food. The power which was used to create more food was likewise stolen by him. Subsequently, after this, monsters started to inhabit the kingdom, and Kirby knew he had to put a stop to this mess, and traveled his home taking down a constant stream of enemies until he finally defeated King Dedede. In this game, Kirby wasn't yet granted with the ability to copy his enemies' powers. He could, however, float for an infinite amount of time and could also inhale enemies. It wouldn't be until this game's successor, Kirby's Adventure on the NES, would he gain this power.
After the game became a success, it was time to make more titles for the NES and the Game Boy. Directly after the events above, Kirby sleeps at night and wakes up without having any dreams. He goes to the Fountain of Dreams to find that the Star Rod has been removed and broken into seven pieces by King Dedede. The pieces were then scattered across Dream Land. Kirby brought all the pieces together and after doing so it unleashed a creature named Nightmare that had possessed the rod. King Dedede broke it in order to stop the beast, contrary to what Kirby had originally thought. Kirby defeats Nightmare and the game ends.
Kirby had gone on many adventures, fighting foes and saving Dream Land. The story has never been the emphasis of the video games, but instead, the developers have focused on trying to make the game as enjoyable as possible. Each game's story is similar to the previous one, and there's never any continuation. Over the games, Kirby has battled many foes ranging from the previously mentioned King Dedede and Knightmare to others such as Meta Knight, Dyna Blade, Marx, and more. In Kirby Super Star for the SNES, the players could participate in a wide range of different stories. There have been multiple games in which Kirby was required to take down a foe named Dark Matter, who will occasionally take over King Dedede.
Meta Knight, while sometimes an enemy, will every once and awhile attempt to save Dream Land. He once tried to save Mirror Land, though Dark Meta Knight fought and beat him before he could do so. Dark Meta Knight then attacked Kirby, which caused him to split into four different Kirbys, each with a different color. Kirby, with the help of his three counterparts, eventually saved the day when a being named Dark Mind was revealed to be controlling everything.
In Kirby Canvas Curse, Kirby is transformed into a limbless ball by a witch of paint named Drawcia and turned the world of Dreamland into a world made entirely of paint. With the help of a magical paintbrush, Kirby manages to take down the foe using rainbow-colored paths that the player creates. Despite not being able to inhale enemies, Kirby can ram into them which will cause him to replicate their powers.
In Kirby Squeak Squad for the Nintendo DS, Kirby goes after a gang named the Squeak Squad but the gang's leader, Daroach, will accidentally release Dark Nebula, an ancient evil which is part of Dark Matter.
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby tries to save King Dedede which was kidnapped by a spider-like wizard named Taranza. The Wizard works for the "Ruler of Floralia", Queen Sectonia a being that once was a benevolent ruler but was corrupted by the influence of the Amazing Mirror. Kirby saves Dedede and with his and Taranza's (who realized that his queen and old friend lost her mind) help defeat the mad queen after her fusion with the Dreamstalk, the whole planet is saved once again by the pink hero and his friends.
Kirby has appeared in more than just platformers, though the titles are generally considered spin-offs instead of entries in the main series. Like Mario, Kirby has participated in a variety of sports. In Kirby's Dream Course, for example, he plays the role of a golf ball, while in Kirby's Air Ride he races against a multitude of other characters. There were also a series of Satellaview video games in which Kirby would take the role of a ball in different ball-based sports such as baseball, though not much is known about these titles due to their limited availability. There have been many other games that star Kirby that have been released over the years that are part of genres such as puzzles and adventures. There have also been several remakes of Kirby games too.
Super Smash Bros. series
Kirby has appeared in every Super Smash Bros. video game to date as a playable character. While in the Kirby series he is eight inches tall, the developers increased his size (size alteration is common for the series) so that he can manage to fight the other characters in the game. The bosses Master Hand and Crazy Hand are also here as the main bosses from Super Smash Bros. up to Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and are semi-side characters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. He first appeared in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. Super Smash Bros. was directed by Masahiro Sakurai, the same person who created Kirby. There are many similarities between the Super Smash Bros. and Kirby series, including the overall feel of the game. Kirby is a lightweight fighter in all of the games. Whereas in the Kirby series the character can float in the air for as long as he wants, he has a finite amount of jumps this time around as not to overpower him. In the games, Kirby can perform a wide range of attacks that he can execute in the series, such as Stone, which causes him to turn into a stone and crash back down to the stage, Final Cutter, his recovery move, and Inhale, which will cause him to suck in one of the other characters and steal their powers. Super Smash Bros. Melee introduced the Hammer move, which simply makes him swing a hammer around. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, his Final Smash was Cook, which made him bring a whole bunch of characters into a boiling pot, thus heavily damaging them and launching a bunch of recovery items around. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, his Final Smash becomes Ultra Sword and his Hammer move can now be charged. He appears once again in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. He plays a huge role and is the main protagonist in the World of Light story. The god Galeem creates beams that seem to brutally murder all fighters and the universe itself. Kirby uses his warp star to warp to safety. After crash-landing, he sees the new world Galeem had rebuilt after demolishing it. he saves all fighters. Help them defeat Galeem and Dharkon and bring the entire universe back to life.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
- "A denizen of the far-off, peaceful planet Pop Star, Kirby became a citizen of Dream Land after defeating King Dedede. Even though he's only about eight inches tall, Kirby is an extremely skilled technician. He has the ability to absorb the powers of his enemies, and his elastic body makes him a versatile adventurer."
- "Hammer Kirby's small size lets him dodge many attacks, but his lightweight makes him fly far when struck. Using his ability to inflate, he can jump five times. His Swallow attack creates wild combos; not only can he copy foes' moves, but he'll also put on special hats and mimic their voices. His Hammer is unwieldy but powerful."
- "Because of his lightweight, Kirby is always in danger of being sent flying, but his ability to puff up and fly allows him to come back from amazing distances. His Final Cutter strikes on the way up and on the way down, and it sends out a beam of force upon landing. Kirby transforms into various objects and crashes down when he uses his Stone technique."
Kirby Hat 1
- "Here's Kirby sporting several results of his Copy ability. In Link's hat, he can shoot arrows, while Mario's cap gives him access to Fireballs. The Donkey Kong suit offers up a Giant Punch, while Samus's helmet allows Kirby to fire off charged-up energy shots. Finally, while wearing the Yoshi hat, Kirby can swallow enemies and turn them into eggs."
Kirby Hat 2
- "Kirby's got several of his finest hats on here. In Ness's baseball cap, he can use the power of PSI to unleash PK Flash, while Captain Falcon's visor gives him the ability to unleash a huge punch. His adorable Pikachu cap comes complete with stored-up electric charges, allowing him to shock his foes, and the Fox ears come with a matching blaster."
Kirby Hat 3
- "With all of these hats, Kirby could open his own haberdashery! Peach's crown lets him use Toad, while the Ice Climber parka allows him to shoot ice blocks. Kirby has Fire Breath in the Bowser horns, and he can copy Zelda in both her forms. In Zelda's headdress, he can use Nayru's Love, while Sheik's wrap gives him a needle arsenal."
Kirby Hat 4
- "Looks like Kirby's copied a bunch of hidden characters! In Luigi's hat, he can shoot green Fireballs, while copying Mewtwo gives him the power to throw Shadow Balls. Copying Mr. Game & Watch lets Kirby hurl sausages, and doing the same to Jigglypuff earns him a Rollout move. Marth's hair comes complete with a powerful Shield Breaker move."
Kirby Hat 5
- "Secret hats galore! In Pichu's hat, Kirby can shoot out electricity, while Dr. Mario's headgear gives him Megavitamins. When Kirby wears Falco's beak, he gets to use Falco's powerful Blaster; by the same token, he can fire arrows when in Young Link's cap. When Kirby copies Ganondorf he gets the Warlock Punch, and copying Roy produces a Flare Blade."
- "When Kirby swallows a fire-wielding enemy, he transforms into Fire Kirby. Not only does he breathe fire in this form, but he can also sprout flames on his entire body and damage enemies by crashing into them. Fire Kirby wears the bright red headdress of his enemy Burning Leo. The hat turns into a helpful weapon when thrown."
- "Kirby dons a warrior's headband and becomes a fierce fighter when he swallows an enemy skilled at physical attacks. Fighter Kirby uses many colorful punching and kicking moves as he overpowers his enemies with his sparring skills. The Vulcan Jab is just one of the many techniques Kirby can use thanks to his copying power."
- "When Kirby swallows a ball enemy, he turns into a ball and can bounce off of floors and walls. It's tough to control, but well worth it for the strong attack power it gives Kirby. After his debut in Kirby's Adventure, Ball Kirby has popped up in several more Kirby games, such as Kirby's Pinball Land and Kirby's Block Ball."
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- "A round, pink ball of cuteness from a distant, peaceful star. He can swallow anything with his gigantic mouth, then spit it out as ammo. He has the handy ability to copy powers and use them as his own. His hovering ability lets him fly through the air with ease. He's so round, he's sometimes treated like a ball."
- "Kirby in chef's garb. When Kirby throws on his chef's hat, a giant pot appears in the center of the screen. All characters, items, and even long-distance weapons are sucked into the pot. Once they've simmered a bit, food items equal to the number of things in the pot appear. Characters in the mix get blasted straight up out of the pot."
- "Kirby in a jester cap...and a supercute Kirby at that. Beam Kirby features a Beam ability, acquired by inhaling Waddle Doo, that allows him to shoot a whiplike beam at his enemies. With a wide attack range, this ability is extremely easy to use, especially for taking out enemies in bunches. In Kirby Super Star, this beam can also be charged and fired."
- "A Kirby ability made when Kirby inhales a spiked enemy. When attacking, the needles on Needle Kirby's body extend, giving him a porcupine-like look. This ability provides both offensive and defensive measures against nearby enemies. Plus, needles which extend on Kirby's underside when jumping eliminate any threats on landing."
- "A Kirby ability made when Kirby inhales a sword-wielding foe or a sword itself. Doing so provides Kirby with a rapid sword slash, a jumping sword spin, or even the energy-beam blast of the Final Sword. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this is the #1 Copy Ability in terms of accessibility."
- "Kirby after he copies the ability to sleep peacefully. Kirby takes on this form when he inhales Noddy or other such enemies. Kirby cannot move at all while sleeping, so extra care should be taken not to use this ability when enemies are near. Kirby, in his slumber, tends to drool, and in his panicked awakening, isn't it cute how he forgets to wipe off the drool?"
- "Kirby when he inhales a winged enemy and copies its flying ability. This ability can be used to proceed through strong winds that would otherwise be too tough to overcome. Wing Kirby can also perform a plethora of attack moves, such as the Bomber Head, where Kirby dive-bombs onto enemy heads."
- "Kirby when he is skilled in martial arts, especially close-quarters combat. Inhaling brawny challengers like Knuckle Joe will transform Kirby, allowing him to use a bunch of fight moves like Rising Break, the heroic uppercut. His Mega Power Shot in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, which used charged energy to take out faraway enemies, is another Fighter Kirby highlight."
- "Kirby when he inhales an enemy who uses fire. Shooting fire from his mouth, Fire Kirby can cook enemies from afar. This ability also allows Kirby to light explosive blocks, fuses, and so on. In Kirby Super Star and Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Fire Kirby can roll his burning body into enemies as an attack move."
- "Kirby when he copies an enemy with chilly abilities. Ice Kirby can blow an icy wind from his mouth and freeze enemies solid. These frozen enemies can then be knocked into other enemies as an additional means of attack. These blocks are not only effective against enemies but can also be used on terrain such as magma or water."
- "Kirby when he inhales Plasma Wisps, which glow with a neon green flame. Plasma Kirby can charge the plasma strength up to a maximum level of 5. In Kirby Super Star, your attack--be it a Plasma Laser or a Plasma Wave Cannon--varies with the length of time you charge it."
- "Kirby when he inhales enemies that fly around like twisters through the sky. When in tornado form, Kirby can spin freely through the air for short amounts of time, clearing out groups of enemies. Tornado Kirby will continue spinning and bouncing violently off of obstacles until he comes to a stop. One drawback of Tornado Kirby is the control difficulty."
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U
- "Pudgy, little Kirby lives in the peaceful hills of Dream Land on the Planet Popstar. He can inhale things with his big mouth, either copying their abilities or spitting them out again. In Smash Bros., Kirby can inhale opponents and copy their standard specials. He gets launched easily but recovers well."
- "A roly-poly little fella from Dream Land on Planet Popstar. He can inhale pretty much anyone or anything with that big gob of his, then spit them out or copy their abilities. He can copy opponents' standard specials in this game, too! His light weight means he gets launched easily, but with a series of mid-air jumps, recovering's not too tricky."
Kirby Alt (NTSC)
- "Holding the special button and left or right will charge up Kirby's Hammer Flip attack. Charging too long hurts Kirby! The hammer strikes twice in the air, but landing the single blow on the ground is more powerful. Kirby's up special Final Cutter slices up and down, firing a shock wave upon landing."
Kirby Alt (NTSC)
- "Charge up Kirby's Hammer side special to unleash Hammer Flip, a move with serious launch power. Charge it too much, though, and you'll get hurt! The move hits twice in mid-air, but does more damage on the ground. Final Cutter slices up and down before sending out an energy wave. Move Kirby mid-jump to change where he lands."
Ultra Sword (NTSC)
- "For Kirby's Final Smash, he swings a sword that's waaay bigger than he is. If the first swing hits, he'll keep going with a combo of lightning-fast slices, dealing tons of damage. For the last swing, the sword grows even larger and launches any victims. Make sure that first swing hits, though, or nothing else will happen!"
Ultra Sword (PAL)
- "For Kirby's Final Smash, he swings around a sword that's waaay bigger than he is. If the first swing hits, he'll keep going with a combo of lightning-fast slices, dealing tons of damage. For the last swing, the sword grows even larger and launches its target. It's great, so make sure that first swing hits, or none of the rest will happen!"
Sword Kirby (NTSC)
- "That green cap sure does make Kirby look heroic, doesn't it? Maybe wearing it just inspires Kirby, but while he's wearing it, he gets all kinds of neat moves, like Spin Slash, Multisword Attack, and Sword Dive. He's even able to pull off these moves in the air, on the ground, or underwater!"
Sword Kirby (PAL)
- "Kirby looks like a pretty courageous hero in that green cap, doesn't he? Indeed, this Kirby is a master of sword-swishing, fending off enemies with the powerful Spin Slash, the rapid Multisword Attack and the stylish Sword Dive. If that wasn't impressive enough, he can also use these moves on land, in mid-air AND underwater. Beautiful!"
Beam Kirby (NTSC)
- "Waddle Doo can fire beams from his eye. Does that make you green with envy? Then inhale him and copy that ability! You'll then be able to shoot beams from a wand, and the attack can even be charged up for greater effectiveness. You can also use a beam to push switches or to grab and toss your foes."
Beam Kirby (PAL)
- "Ever felt jealous of a Waddle Doo's ability to fire beams from its eye? Well, if you're Kirby, there's really no need - swallow one and you, too, can swing energy beams to your heart's content! Charge them up to plough through multiple enemies at once, use them to grab and throw enemies, and even press switches through walls! Yeah!"
Fire Kirby (NTSC)
- "When Kirby first copied the Fire ability he was only able to breathe fire. Nowadays, he can do all sorts of neat things! For example, he can engulf himself in flames and roll forward, burning grass, lighting fuses, melting ice, and so on. What we'd really like him to do, though, is help us make the perfect s'more. Mmmmm."
Fire Kirby (PAL)
- "Once upon a time, all Fire Kirby could do was shoot flames from his mouth, but he's come a long way since then. Now he can roll along the ground as a blazing fireball, burn up grass, light fuses, melt ice and so on. That's great and all, but what we really want to know is...can he help us get a barbecue going?"
Ice Kirby (NTSC)
- "The perfect ability to copy in the summer--Kirby gains freezing breath when he copies the Ice ability. Enemies frozen by his arctic blasts can be launched at other foes too. Perfect for a tough fight or when you need some ice for your iced coffee. Kirby isn't busy saving Dream Land or anything..."
Ice Kirby (PAL)
- "When Kirby has the Ice ability, he can blast enemies with glacial gales to freeze them. He can then kick them into other enemies to take them all out at once! It's the perfect ability for a tough fight...or for when you need some ice to keep a glass of fruit juice nicely chilled. Not everything has to be about saving Dream Land, you know!"
Needle Kirby (NTSC)
- "Kirby normally looks as tasty as a big ol' marshmallow, but he's significantly less appetizing when he's copied the Needle ability. Those pokey spikes won't add any flavor at all. With this ability, Kirby can bash into enemies or launch the spikes at them. A great, easy-to-use ability!"
Needle Kirby (Pal)
- "Kirby's soft, fluffy and just...so huggable! Except when he's got the Needle ability, that is - then it's like there's a hug-free zone all around him. Being covered in spikes comes in handy, though, for rolling into enemies, and even shooting at them! However, whether that really makes up for his loss of huggableness is hard to say..."
- "Who needs hats when you can have an actual tornado coming out of your head? That's our Kirby - always the trendsetter. And with the Tornado ability, he can go one step further, turning his whole body into a cyclone to go on a wild rampage. His rapid spinning isn't exactly easy to control, but that's all part of the fun!"
Mike Kirby (NTSC)
- "Curious what Kirby's singing voice sounds like? Then track down and inhale Mr. Tick-Tock or a Walky! Kirby can copy the Mike ability and then use a mike or megaphone to really let 'er rip. Sometimes he sounds as cute as he looks, but he can also hit those low notes when he wants to rock."
Mike Kirby (PAL)
- "Kirby isn't much of a talker, but if you ever do want to hear his voice, here's a simple solution: swallow a Walky or Mr. Tick-Tock, and you'll be rewarded with an ability called Mike! Watch in awe as Kirby pulls out a microphone (or a megaphone) and shakes your soul with his dulcet tones. For some reason, his enemies can't stand the sound!"
- "You don't get to see sleeping heroes very often. They're so busy rescuing princesses or saving the world, they just don't have time for a little nap. Not so with Kirby! The moment he inhales the snooze-prone enemy Noddy, he pops on his sleeping cap and dozes right off. Ah, Kirby, what dreams might you be having today?"
- "When he copies the Bomb ability, Kirby gets to don a stylish hat just like Poppy Bros. Jr. The hat's appearance varies a little from game to game, but the ability itself is always pretty much the same: pull out a bomb, throw it, BOOM! Careful, though--if you hang on to the bomb for too long, you'll go BOOM yourself!"
Fighter Kirby (NTSC)
- ""Show me your moves!" Wait-that's not Kirby's line! Regardless, he's really fired up and ready to become a fighting machine with that red headband. He knows the basics, like kicking and tossing, but he can also muster his fighting spirit to blast distant foes."
Fighter Kirby (PAL)
- "With his red headband and fierce attitude, Fighter Kirby is ready to take on anything. Like a real martial artist, he can kick and throw his foes into submission. And like a...not-so-real martial artist, he can fire his fighting spirit as an energy blast to hit faraway enemies. The only weapon this Kirby needs is his burning heart!"
Wing Kirby (NTSC)
- "Kirby doesn't need to copy abilities to bop through the air, but actually having wings gives his aerial skills a definite boost. They even let him use some extra attacks, like the acrobatic Shuttle Loop and the mighty Condor Head. He can also fire at foes with his Feather Gun! Thought Kirby was just a squishy puffball? Surprise!"
Wing Kirby (PAL)
- "Kirby doesn't need to copy abilities to bop through the air, but actually having wings gives his aerial skills a definite boost. They even let him use some extra attacks, like the acrobatic Shuttle Loop and the mighty Condor Head. He can also fire at foes with his Feather Gun! Thought Kirby was just a squishy puffball? Think again!"
Ninja Kirby (NTSC)
- "Making his debut in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the Moonja enemy looks about as ninja as you can get. If you copy its ability, Kirby can become a master of the ninja arts! With a variety of useful skills like Knife Throw and Blossom Storm, you might want to remain a ninja forever!"
Ninja Kirby (PAL)
- "Making its debut in Kirby's Adventure Wii, the Moonja enemy looks about as ninja as you can get. Swallow one, and Kirby will become a master of the ninja arts too! Knife Throw, Wall Cling, Smoke Screen and Blossom Storm - with such a variety of useful skills, you might never want to let this Copy Ability go!"
In the HAL America developed game Arcana, Kirby can be seen on the battlefield in one of the cutscenes. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Game Boy, there is an enemy called Anti-Kirby. This enemy greatly resembles Kirby, however instead of being friendly it'll attack the player. Interestingly in the debug menu for EarthBound which was intended to be used solely be the developers, the menu icon is Kirby. In Stunt Race FX, Kirby can be seen on a couple of posters in the game. In Picross volume 3 one of the images the player can make is Kirby. In Pokémon Stadium 2 for the Nintendo 64, Kirby from different games can be seen in the player's room on the television under certain occasions. The theme song of the anime is present in Donkey Konga as a song the player can play. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, there is a poster at the Yoshi Theater that shows Kirby riding a Warpstar. The movie is labeled as Kirby Story.
- Kirby: Right Back at Ya!: Kirby is the star of the anime known as Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. Nintendo and HAL Laboratory produced the anime. Like in the video games, Kirby rarely speaks, though does has a limited vocabulary, uttering simple words. His appearance is nearly identicle to that of the video games, and because it is so simple it wouldnot be hard to replicate for the anime nearly perfectly. In the show, Kirby is destined to save the world, and is known as a Star Warrior. Kirby was put to sleep and would be awaken 200 years older when it was mature (similar to Link from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), though was woken up too early. Because of this, Kirby is still a child and thus acts like one. Nevertheless, despite being a child he must follow through with his destiny. The Warpstar from the video games (which played a minimal role) appears quite a lot in the television show, and is the source of Kirby's power. During the course of the show Kirby meets a girl named Tiff, and later her brother Tuff. Tiff can order Kirby to inhale objects, which King Dedede has learned of, and will occasionally try to sound like Tiff so that Kirby will do his bidding. In the anime Kirby is voiced by Makiko Ohmoto. Because Kirby rarely speaks, they did not change the voice actor for the English localization.
- Manga: Kirby has appeared in various manga, none of which have been translated from their original language (Japanese). Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives in Pupupu had 25 books, though other Kirby mangas are usually one book which are basically comedies. Germany's Club Nintendo in the nineties published a variety of manga-styled comics featuring video game characters. Kirby was one of the main characters in the manga, as was Nintendo's other famous property Super Mario.
- Publications: Kirby has appeared on the cover of Nintendo Power various times for his games Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards as well as the Super Smash Bros. series. Guide books have been made for Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and, in Japan, Kirby's Dream Land 3 for the Super Famicom.
Kirby is an eight inch tall round creature. While he is pink, Kirby can also be seen in an array of different colours, like in Super Smash Bros. or Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. This is a lot like Yoshi, who also has different colours of his species. In the games he has two small fingerless hands (depicted and illustrated as just stubs,) and large red feet/shoes. He has round blue eyes with black pupils and a mouth that, while at first may seem small, and grow to epic proportions. In all of the games he sports two red blushes on his cheeks. He is extremely light and flexible; in the games he can become flat as a pancake, but as hard as a rock. In the original games Kirby's facial features were small, though in more recent titles they've grown. It should be noted that the Japanese and American boxart of the Kirby games have slight alterations. While in Japan Kirby always seems to be peppy on the boxart, Nintendo of America changes the box art slightly so that Kirby has less passive, more aggressive eyes and occasionally has a frown. In the games it is mentioned that Kirby i0s a male.
Kirby is usually considered to be young. This is concluded due to his child like attitude, his pitched voice, and various indications in the manual and the anime. Since he has an endless belly he spends a lot of time eating. He likes all types of food, and no matter how much he eats he never increases in size, even when devouring meal after meal in events such as Gourmet Race in Kirby Super Star. He especially likes to eat Maxim Tomatoes, which are so healthy that they replenish his health.
Kirby is generally considered a silent protagonist. He rarely ever speaks, the player will only on rare occasions hear Kirby speak, and its usually done when he's explaining the function of a copy ability. He does speak in Kirby's Avalanche, though HAL Laboratory had little to do with the game and it was never actually released in Japan. In the game he was rude, very unlike the Kirby in the main series. In games like the Super Smash Bros. series Kirby will utter simple phrases (as do most characters in the game) such as "hi!" during his taunt, which can be listened to in the options menu. Kirby will also say the name of the attacks of some copied abilities only when the character also uttered something when delivering it (such as "Falcon Punch"). Kirby also rarely speaks in the anime, and only does so when speaking the names of certain attacks.
Interesting to note is the fact that on multiple occasions Nintendo of America has altered the Japanese boxart of Kirby games to make the character look more menacing or angry. This is done simply by adjusting Kirby's eyes by adding "angry eyebrows". Making the typically happy-go-lucky character seem angry in America hasn't been done just on the boxart of his games, but also in the commercials of Kirby games too.
In the original Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby had the ability to float in the air forever. If attacked by an enemy, he would come crashing back down to the ground. In this game, he could also devour enemies by sucking them in. His bottomless tummy and endless appetite proved to be a hit with gamers. In the game, Kirby could also find special items and shoot projectiles. For example, in an early boss stage Kirby is required to suck in apples and shoot them back out at the boss that produced them. It wasn't until Kirby's Adventure until things really got interesting. In this game, Kirby, when he inhaled and swallowed an enemy, would be able to copy their
powers. If an enemy had a sword, then when swallowed Kirby would become a master swordsman. If the enemy froze things just by blowing, Kirby would gain that power too. It proved to be a fantastic gameplay mechanic and ever since it would stick with the series. His appearance would also change too when a new ability was given to him, more so as the series progressed. In Kirby Squeak Squad, Kirby could combine powers that he kept safe in his stomach to create new functionalities. This created a lot of speculation because his stomach area looked like space, so people thought that's were everything he eats goes.
In Kirby Super Star, Kirby would be able to enlist the help of a former foe by performing a certain action. The new ally would accompany Kirby, attacking his enemies and following him around until he was ultimately killed by an enemy or dispatched by Kirby. In order to get an ally, Kirby would have to get rid of his copy ability which would transform into the enemy that he swallowed. In the game, this 'Helper', as they were titled in the game, could be controlled by a computer or by a second player, which added a unique cooperative aspect to the series. Unfortunately, despite proving popular with gamers, the helper system would not return in every game following it.
Over the years Kirby has been able to transform into a variety of enemies of his. All he has to do is inhale them, swallow them and suddenly Kirby will gain a similar appearance to his foe and learn how to execute their most potent powers. Kirby brought this popular power over to the Super Smash Bros. series and can do it to every character in the game excluding another Kirby. The following is a list of copy abilities that Kirby can transform into in the series (excluding those found in the Super Smash Bros. series):
- Kirby receives a makeover. He gains brown fur with white feet, two toes on each foot, three claws on each hand, and a stuffed cap. Animal Kirby has a variety of animal-related abilities, such as digging and slashing enemies with his claws.
- Kirby gets a purple rimmed hat with a yellow feather. He wields a Pink bow and can shoot from many different angles. Kirby can charge his attack to make the arrow have a better range, deal more damage, and pierce through multiple enemies. Additionally, Kirby can hide behind cutouts to become invincible to most types of damage.
- Kirby gets a red beret and is covered in various colors of paint. Kirby can swing his paintbrush at enemies, sculpt sculptures to swing at his enemies, or draw characters to fight for him. Kirby can also paint empty signs to create items come out.
- Kirby gets a blue headband (red for Backdrop). He can perform different wrestling moves on his opponents.
- Kirby turns into a ball. He can bounce higher when holding down A.
- Kirby can turn into a balloon. Touch him to make him inflate. While in balloon form, Kirby can float freely in the air until he hits an enemy or after you touch Kirby the third time. This ability only appears in Kirby: Canvas Curse.
- Kirby wears a red and orange jester's hat and wields a magic rod. He is able to fire an electrical whip from the tip of the rod.
- Kirby gets a hat resembling a rhinoceros beetle. Kirby can swing his horn at enemies, grab them with his horn, and fly using his wings.
- Kirby wears a giant golden bell with a pink star on it. Kirby swings around two bells to damage his enemies with the shockwaves of their ringing. Kirby can throw the bells and hide under a giant bell, dealing damage to enemies that touch him.
- Kirby puts a blue cap on. He is able to throw an infinite number of bombs.
- Kirby has bubbles around his head and a bubble wand. Kirby can shoot bubbles at enemies, if the enemy has a copy ability, it will be stored away, otherwise, it will be stored as a star. These items get stored in the Copy Palette for later use.
- Kirby charges forward covered in flames that can burn metal blocks. It eventually became a part of Fire's moveset.
- Kirby wears a tent-like hat with a mustache on it. Kirby attacks using various tricks that are typical of a circus, such as juggling bowling pins, blowing balloons, balance on a ball, etc.
- Kirby wears a white handkerchief with green stars. Originally, he only sweeps with his broom. In Kirby Star Allies, he can use his Animal Friends, Nago, ChuChu, and Pitch to attack alongside him.
- Kirby wears a chef hat and will cook all enemies on screen in a giant pot turning them into recovery items. It can only be used once. This was Kirby's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- When used, Kirby puts on a headset and scans his enemy. If the enemy has a copy ability, Kirby gains that ability. If not, the enemy is only damaged slightly. This allows Kirby to obtain copy abilities from enemies he cannot inhale, such as Scarfy.
- A strange move that causes Kirby to explode. Following this, many smaller Kirby's will zoom around the stage and kill everything in their path. When not fighting a boss, the move will kill every enemy on the screen. When fighting a boss, it will damage the boss (but not necessarily defeat it).
- Kirby has a halo and sprouts angel wings. He is able to fly in place and shoot arrows.
- Kirby puts a gladiator hat and throws blade like boomerangs. Kirby can also cut with the hat's blade. Kirby can execute this move in the Super Smash Bros. series where it acts both as an attack and as a recovery maneuver.
- Kirby wears a lab coat and a head mirror. Kirby can make chemicals and pills to attack his enemies.
- Kirby wears a sideways baseball cap and has energy around his hands. Kirby can summon a sphere of energy and can control it manually. Kirby can also teleport.
- Kirby puts on a red fighter's headband. He is able to perform all sorts of fighting moves.
- Kirby wears a fiery crown. He is able to breathe fire and envelop himself in it.
- Kirby wears a blue parka resembling Popo of the Ice Climbers and can create an icy aura to freeze his enemies. Eventually is replaced with Ice
- Kirby wears a sheet around him, giving him the appearance of a ghost. He is able to possess enemies and use their various abilities to attack his enemies.
- Kirby will wield Bonkers' powerful hammer and be able to swing it around. From Super Smash Bros. Melee onwards this was also a move that Kirby could perform.
- Kirby wears a cape and a Viking helmet. Will cause Kirby to leap in the air and attack an enemy in his way. It is used commonly for vertical platforming.
- Kirby wears a crown of ice and in some games turns blue and purple. Kirby can freeze enemies into blocks of ice with frost breath and then kick the frozen enemies into other enemies.
- Kirby wears a visor and can charge forward with jet-propelled attacks.
- Lets Kirby shoot lasers from his eyes.
Leaf (unknown grassy enemy)
Kirby performs various attacks involving leaves, including leaf tornado.
- Kirby puts on a magician's hat. He is able to perform all kinds of magic.
Kirby turns completely metal, being invincable, but slow.
- Kirby puts on a pair of red earphones. His main, and only method of attack is singing very badly in his microphone, destroying every normal enemy in sight.
- After becoming very small, Kirby will be able to fit into tight spaces to retrieve treasure chests.
- After creating a mirror of himself, it confuses enemies and automatically afterwords both Kirby's will attack.
- Kirby will turn into a missile and be able to crash into objects.
- Kirby gains a hat with spikes that can extend to damage enemies.
- Kirby wears purple cloth skullcap with a medal piece that has a star on it. He is able to use various ninja techniques, like throwing kunais or swinging a knife.
- Appearing only in Kirby Super Star and in Kirby Super Star Ultra, using it's move can kill all enemies on screen at once when Kirby sprays paint everywhere. It's move can only be used once before losing the ability.
- Kirby wields a parasol, and he uses it to fight his foes. The Parasol would later appear as an trophy in the Super Smash Bros. series.
- Kirby can charge up superheated plasma blasts and fire them out of his hands.
- Kirby wears a skull band on his head with purple liquid poison. Kirby can shoot poison on enemies and surf on poison.
- Kirby wears a sleeper's cap, and the only thing he does is sleep, making him defenseless against enemies. This is considered a trick copy ability, but in Kirby Squeak Squad, the ability causes Kirby to recover health when sleeping.
- Kirby appears as he normally does but is able to perform his side, up and down special attacks from the Super Smash Bros. games (Hammer, Final Cutter and Stone).
- Will cause sparks to surround Kirby and attack all enemies in range. Very similar to Plasma because of the sprites look like plasma.
- Kirby wears a bandana with a gold crest. He wields a spear that can cut ropes.
- Kirby wears a purple, spider-themed bowler hat. Kirby can shoot webs and bounce off of them. The webs can entangle enemies allowing them to be kicked towards other enemies.
- Kirby wears a red hat with golden lining. Kirby wields a staff that he can attack with at long range and use to vault upwards.
- Kirby will turn into a stone and come crashing to the ground, destroying all enemies in his path. This move can be used in all of the Super Smash Bros. video games.
- Kirby wears a green elven cap similar to Link's. He is able to use a variety of sword techniques.
- Kirby will grab an enemy and then throw them.
- Kirby dons a crown with a small twister on it. He is able to spin around to make a small cyclone.
- Kirby gets inside a personal U.F.O., and is able to perform a few attacks based on lasers of varying strength.
- Debuted in the anime and later appeared in Kirby's Return to Dreamland where he spits water that can put out fire blocks.
- Kirby wears a red baseball cap backwards. He is able to turn into a self-propelled wheel that's invincible while moving quickly.
- Kirby dons a cowboy hat and uses a whip that can grab distant items.
- Kirby gains a Native American headdress, a pair of wings, and long feathery streamers. He is able to fly in the air more efficiently in this form. Also, he can cut rope and grass by flapping his feathers as well as shooting them out.
- Kirby wears a backwards purple baseball cap, and attacks with a yo-yo.
Over the games Kirby has met many friends that have assisted him on his adventures, particularly in Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby's Dream Land 3 for the Game Boy. The following are some of the most notable allies of Kirby.
Kirby first gained allies in the video game Kirby's Dream Land 2 for the Game Boy. This game introduced Rick the Hamster, Coo the Owl, Kine the Fish, Gooey, and Blob the Goo. Rick is a hamster that's larger than Kirby. Kirby rides on Rick's shoulders in a few video games. He's quick and a big help in the titles he appears in. A trophy of him appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the GameCube. Whereas Rick is the master of ground based traveling, Coo the Owl will send Kirby through the air in the games he appears in. He's an intelligent owl. Kine is to the water as Rick is to the ground (and Coo is to the sky). Being a fish, he's a master swimmer and makes swimming in water based stages a breeze. Gooey, though a piece of Dark Matter, is still a friendly creature to Kirby. Gooey first appeared in Kirby's Dream Land 2 though became more of an ally in Kirby's Dream Land 3. A trophy of him appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the GameCube. You can't ride Blob the Goo in the game, though she'll give Kirby and extra life.
Kirby's Dream Land 3 brought back many of the allies from the previous game including Rick, Coo, Kine, and Gooey. New characters included Chuchu the Blob, Nago the Cat, and Pitch the Bird. It should be noted that while Kirby couldn't ride Gooey in Kirby's Dream Land 2, he can in this game. Chuchu can stick to walls and can help Kirby fly a little while. She rides on top of Kirby's head in the game. In the game, Nago will roll Kirby around as if he were a ball, and can triple jump. Pitch is extremely small, though can still help Kirby fly around stages (apparently he admires Coo the owl and hopes to replicate his abilities someday when he grows older).
Kirby's species have never been officially titled, which has caused much speculation as to what they are actually called. There have been multiple occasions when more than one creature of Kirby's species appears on screen. In one instance before the game begins, nearly a hundred race across the screen. Whenever Kirby completes a level, kirby will split into three beings and dance. Meta Knight is generally thought to be part of Kirby's species. While not evident with his mask on, there has been moments when his mask fell off, revealing himself to be nearly a pallet swap of Kirby (whereas Kirby is pink, Meta Knight is blue). Since there is proof that not all members of Kirby's species are pink, it is highly possible that Meta Knight is indeed part of his species. Since Kirby's species has no official name, they are just usually called Kirbys (similar to Yoshi, though his species is confirmed to be named Yoshi just as his name is Yoshi). Kirby's species can come in many colors like red, green, yellow, blue, etc.
Shadow Kirby is an alternate version of Kirby that appeared in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror in the "mirror world". In this equivalent, he's a gray (dark gray) colored doppelganger that greatly resembles Kirby. During the beginning of the game, Shadow Kirby often times attacked Kirby, though in the end the two realized that they were after the same goal of saving their own worlds, and teamed up to take down Dark Mind.
|Main article: Kirby/gallery|


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I now have 4 different instructional videos through Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.
Over the past few years I have spent several weeks in lovely Warren, Maine filming instructional videos. That part of the country is amazing and I am trying to set up our schedule so my husband and I can spend July and August (or more) in this area, and get out of the South Carolina heat.
You may or may not know, but much of my work is making instructional carving videos in my workshop and adding a video each week to my online carving school. The way I am set up, I have 3 different cameras set on tri-pods to get different angles of my work, and I carve and talk through the project – “thinking out loud”. Then my son, Caleb, edits the video, takes out any goofy comments I make, chooses the correct camera angle, adds the tool identification, and helps it all make sense. So – not a huge, intense production. But when a video is added every week, how much time can you really spend?
When Deneb from Lie-Nielsen contacted me several months before filming my first video, he asked me if I could send my “script”. What’s that? I wondered. I’ve never used a script in my life! I usually just ramble on and let the cameras run. Now I was starting to get nervous. So I said “Sure, I’ll send that to you in a few days.” I soon discovered how the “professionals” did it. A script – Hmmm, who would have thought?
The filming process for each video was intense. Four full days of professional videographers (Harry Kourvakorian & co.) making sure the lighting was right, adjusting the sound, waiting for large trucks to pass by, and filming stage by stage through my script. There were times when the simplest 15-second shot took 10 takes to get it right (they were so patient with me). Why did I get so nervous? I think it was because other people were in the room and I am used to being completely by myself with just my chisels, wood and cameras. I can’t imagine being one of these famous actors doing a 2-hour movie over a 6-month period. But then again if I was getting paid a few million dollars, who can say??
After several months of editing, reviewing, and editing again, the video was finally ready! And it’s amazing how those 4 chaotic, stressful days of filming came down to a well-organized, professional instructional video. I’m so glad I used my “script”!
Here is a direct link to Lie-Nielsen’s website.
Here are the direct links to purchase the DVDS:
Here are the direct links to purchase the downloadable videos:

domain: artistic


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|'Love and Hate'
by Colin Harvey
“Immortals didn’t die. Not like this. You cut an Immortal, they got up. You shot them, they got up. You burnt them, they got up. They always got up.”
A roof-top duel between sword-wielding combatants becomes the talk of Seacouver – but Duncan is perplexed when both bodies are found with their heads intact. No Quickening has taken place, and instead, the pair seemed to have burned to death. And who is Maria Rostov, the beautiful young Russian claiming that her life is in danger?
Adrian Paul (Duncan MacLeod), Beth Chalmers (Maria Rostov)
Directed by Sharon Gosling
Based on the character created by Gregory Widen
*Featuring Duncan MacLeaod
*A Big Finish Audio Production
*Time-placing: This story takes place between the films 'Highlander: Endgame' and 'Highlander: The Source'

domain: entertainment


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Dread Supporter Pack
This content requires a game (sold separately).
The Dread Supporter Pack contains a Weapon Skin, a Social Frame, a Forum Title, a Badge, and 300 points. Supporter Packs grant you exclusive effects and plenty of Points to spend on other cosmetic effects. Dread Supporter Pack contains: Dread Weapon Skin Dread Social Frame Dread Forum Title Dread Badge 300 Points This pack will be available until our 3.18.0 expansion announcement.

domain: game


text: The Lotus Eaters are playing live in a special concert at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Saturday 25th July 2009. The night will be a celebration of their cult album, No Sense Of Sin, released in 1984. They will be performing with a full band including Jem Kelly, Stephen Emmer and Peter Coyle. The group is accompanied by a string section and projected photographic and moving images to make the experience something interesting, intimate and incandescent. This is a one-off performance in the UK and a unique opportunity to see The Lotus Eaters play classics, such as The First Picture Of You and It Hurts in their home city of Liverpool, as well hear an exclusive preview of songs from their forthcoming album, A Plug-in Called Nostalgia. Tickets are on sale now at www.liverpoolphil.com.


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About Ashira Young
Byline Bio: Ashira Young is a health consultant, a spiritual counselor certified by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals, and a certified practitioner of The Emotion Code and The Body Code, groundbreaking methods of self-healing developed by veteran holistic physician Dr. Bradley Nelson. Today thousands of people around the globe are using The Emotion Code to overcome depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, physical pain, weight struggles and other health issues. Ashira holds a master's degree in social work. She and her husband operate Blue River Valley Farm in Milltown, Indiana.
Broadcast Bio: Many people suffer from depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, physical pain and weight issues, but few of us understand how emotions can contribute to these problems. With us today is Ashira Young, a health consultant, certified spiritual counselor and certified practitioner of The Emotion Code. Ashira holds a master's degree in social work and operates a farm in Milltown, Indiana. Welcome Ashira. What is The Emotion Code and how is it being used to treat all manner of physical, mental and emotional ailments?

domain: medical


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We reached our nine year wedding anniversary on May 28 so we decided to celebrate on Saturday. It was one of those perfect weather days - good for running, being outside, and absolutely ideal for sitting outside all evening with vintage champagne and oysters on the half shell. It was great just to enjoy each other's company and the glorious quiet setting. We tried really hard not to talk about the kids!
|pocket of peace|
Speaking of the kids, here we are at month number seven for Baby J! To celebrate, she went for her first swim in the pool. She mostly chilled in a floating pool toy while Big Girl flung herself into the water over and over and over and over again - throwing caution to the wind every time she catapulted off the side of the pool. The upside of all the water activity --> afternoon naps for BOTH kids (hence this post).
I'll end with this week's menu plan:
Sunday - last night we had snacks for dinner because of large, late lunches.
Monday - tonight will be leftover beets that have been marinating in oil and vinegar along with the last of our Vidalia onions. They will be tossed with arugula and topped with goat cheese and toasted bread (crouton style).
Tuesday - Guacamole and tortilla chips Cheese quesadillas too.
Wednesday - whole wheat pasta with roasted summer squash (thyme), toasted pine nuts and maybe some mozzarella cheese. Parsley too.
Thursday - egg salad sandwiches on a bun. Side of crunchy carrots and pretzel chips.
Friday - out again.
I'm trying to cater to the kids and their taste in food. Baby J devoured avocado last week (this is a new experience for me: to feed a baby something she actually eats) and Big Girl has been eating it too (especially if it highly pureed) so that is why the guac. And Big Girl generally eats zucchini when it is served. Any kind of noodle is acceptable to her too, so pasta is a go-to. I'd like her to try boiled eggs again (one time she proclaimed, "I like it!" but hasn't touched them since). She usually eats carrots too, especially if they are shredded. Her palate remains a work in progress.

domain: food


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When Sherris Richards’ daughter, Faith, was diagnosed with autism at 18-months it impacted her entire family. “It devastated us to the core,” she says. “I think it affected us even more because we didn’t know about autism.”
The initial shock of the diagnosis caused Richards and her husband, Tony, to believe they could handle their daughter’s care alone. “I thought I could work with my daughter and take care of her autism.”
At the time, the Richards lived in Pennsylvania where autism treatment was very progressive. “We were provided with 3 hours of floor play therapy a day and, initially, I was concerned with how that was going to fit into our schedule,” she notes. “But once I got over my attitude, the therapy was the best thing that ever happened to us.”
The Richards participated in support groups and therapy services, focusing on the care of their daughter and family. “We sought out the support we needed and were able to do what we needed to do to get our daughter on track.”
In 2006, the Richards moved to Bismarck and soon realized the community was in need of the same type of support. “When we moved here my husband said, ‘We need to get something going,’” she says. “There were families that just jumped on board to get our group started.”
The group became a chapter of the national organization Autism Speaks and later developed their own identity as the North Dakota Autism Connection. Richards now serves as executive director of the organization. “Our goal is to educate the community and to provide encouragement and support to families living with autism,” she says.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a term given to a group of bio-neurological developmental disabilities that impair the way individuals interact and communicate with others. Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function.
Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication and leisure or play activities. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, generally appearing before the age of 3.
One out of every 110 children in the United States is diagnosed with autism and the rate of diagnosis is four times more prevalent in boys than girls. A new case is diagnosed every 20 minutes, making autism the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the United States.
“There are many children diagnosed but also many undiagnosed,” says Richards. “You can’t look at a person and see the disorder or pinpoint all of the signs and say they have autism.”
She says one of the most prevalent symptoms of autism is sensory issues. “Our children experience both hypo and hyper sensitivities. Things such as lights and perfumes cause certain behaviors, and they may not have good eye contact because it actually hurts their eyes to look into yours.”
These behaviors can spur one of the greatest misconceptions related to the disorder, says Richards. “People can be very judgmental because they don’t understand,” she notes. “They may think the parents are bad because they don’t do certain things when these behaviors arise, but the parent struggles to help their child and also deal with the stares of others.”
Both therapy and early intervention can help the individual with autism and their family, she notes. “This is why we push therapy, so we can help children deal with their sensory issues. And, as the parent learns about how to help the child, they can educate others.”
There are many different approaches to treating autism, says Richards, but the best options often change with each individual.
One facility helping children with autism improve their communication and function within society is Red Door Pediatric Therapy. “When families come to us, they usually have children struggling with behaviors and communications,” says Kelli Ellenbaum, a speech therapist at the facility. “Once parents understand how and why their children communicate the way they do, it is easier to move forward in building a meaningful relationship using strategies taught in therapy.”
Ellenbaum says Red Door Pediatric Therapy takes a team approach to treating autism, pairing speech therapy with occupational therapy. “We address communication by helping children learn verbal communication, augmentative communication devices, such as the iPad, and pictures.”
Occupational therapy helps children manage sensory difficulties as well as learn daily living skills. “Children with autism interpret visual information, touch, taste, texture, sound, smell, and body awareness much differently,” notes Ellenbaum. “We help parents and community members interpret a child’s behavior as a meaningful exchange of communication.”
She says children with autism should begin therapy by age two, but most typically start by age four or five. Red Door Pediatric Therapy also includes training for parents which helps to continue skill development in home and community environments.
Ellenbaum says children with autism have unique abilities and often require a different means of communication to accommodate their learning styles. “Children with autism often have average or above average cognitive skills and when information is presented in a way that can be understood, amazing things happen.”
The North Dakota Autism Connection
“We want to work with children that have autism and help them to live successful lives,” say Richards. “We look at what we can do now and how we can go forward.”
The North Dakota Autism Connection offers monthly meetings, along with community workshops, to allow families to connect and promote advocacy. The organization also plans activities, including sports nights at the YMCA, arts activities with VSA ND and the annual Autism Awareness Walk. “There is power in numbers,” says Richards. “We support each other in going out and doing activities.”
Red Door Pediatric Therapy is involved with the organization through the Autism Awareness Walk and various event sponsorships. “The ND Autism Connection provides a way for families to get together and know they have both exceptional and awesome kids,” says Ellenbaum.
Richards says it will always be important to help those living with autism, both her own loved ones and those she meets through the North Dakota Autism Connection. “As long as there is autism, we want to help.”
For additional information on the North Dakota Autism Connection and the resources available to individuals and families living with autism visit www.ndautismconnection.org. Information on the services provided by Red Door Pediatric Therapy is also available at www.reddoorpediatric.com.


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Together with Energy Manufacturing Ltd. (Energy), Callies Performance Products (Callies) announced a new licensing deal with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to manufacture and distribute the 426 Hemi and the 440 Wedge cast iron engine blocks and cylinder heads (cast iron and cast aluminum). The agreement provisions Energy to produce the cast iron blocks and cylinder heads, while Callies will manufacture supporting components and rotating assemblies. Sales and distribution will be based at Callies in Fostoria, OH.
Up until now, there’s been a serious lack of supply for both blocks, which are classic favorites for street applications and sportsman racing alike. Heath Norton, vp of both Callies and Energy, says “The marketplace hasn’t had real access to this product in over a decade. Now customers will be able to get these blocks consistently through the Callies dealer network with Mopar 426 Hemi and 440 Wedge part numbers for their engine builds.”
All parts manufactured will carry an authentic Mopar part numbers and be produced from original Mopar molds, cores, and engineering data. Orders will begin to ship in the third quarter of 2020.
Callies will be releasing more details about ordering and available options. For questions, builders and racers should contact Callies by calling their sales office at (419) 435-2711.

domain: news


Fear the Walking Dead season 5 is returning to AMC with new episodes on Sunday and within this article, we’ve got 2 things worth discussing!
Fear the Walking Dead
Fear the Walking Dead season 5 episode 9 will be coming your way this Sunday after a two-week break — and AMC’s delivered an appetizer.
Sci-Fi Character Battle: Alicia Clark, Dean Winchester, Chloe Decker, Julia Wicker, Steve Harrington, & Dolores Abernathy
In this Sci-Fi Character Battle: Alicia Clark, Dean Winchester, Chloe Decker, Steve Harrington, Dolores, and Julia Wicker face off. Vote!
For the second straight week, Fear the Walking Dead season 5 is off the air, but the good news is this — the hiatus is almost over! In one week’s time you’re going to be seeing the group back on AMC to continue their story, which is going to be all about the search for an oilfield […]
Fear the Walking Dead, for those who don’t know, is doing something pretty cool and fascinating over the course of its short hiatus. Over on its official YouTube channel, there is a chance for you check out “Althea tapes” — a series of interviews featuring a number of different characters who are all a part of […]
Curious as to what’s coming up on Fear the Walking Dead season 5 episode 9? Check out more information on the next episode.
Is Fear the Walking Dead new tonight on AMC? Within this article, we do our part to answer that question … but also share some cool content.
There are still many episodes of Fear the Walking Dead to go before we get around to the end of season 5. Yet, changes are ahead.
As we start to move more into the second half of Fear the Walking Dead season 5, let’s ask a simple question in regards to radiation.
Tonight, Fear the Walking Dead season 5 episode 8 provided a story that, surprisingly, was all about hope.


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A leading historian has detailed the wildest conspiracy theories around Adolf Hitler 's "disappearance" during World War Two.
Modern Germany expert Sir Richard Evans has probed growing claims the Nazi leader didn't kill himself in 1945.
The 73-year-old has now written up his verdicts on the five biggest legends about the Fuhrer and explains why they are dead wrong.
Sir Richard goes through each of the legends and debunks them with hard facts in his latest book, The Hitler Conspiracies.
In it, he writes: "Despite all the evidence to the contrary, more book-length arguments for the survival of Hitler in Argentina have appeared in the 21st century than in the whole of the 55 previous years."
Sir Richard has written extensively about Germany including the definitive three-volume The Third Reich Trilogy.
And the academic is fed-up that myths that Hitler didn't shoot himself in Berlin in 1945 but instead made his way to South America have been around for more than 70 years.
His book blasts the likes of the History Channel for airing a TV series, Hunting Hitler, based on speculation about the dictator's survival.
An average of 3 million people tuned in to watch each episode of the three-part series from 2015 to 2018 series.
Fred Perry bans iconic polo shirt after far-right group adopts it
But Sir Richard slams it for being “innuendo, suggestion and invention” and not mentioning the painstaking efforts investigators made to compile hard evidence of Hitler's death in 1945.
The academic also points to how the wealth of information is available to historians and was even expanded on by a West German court in the 1950s.
The conspiracy theories he demolishes in The Hitler Conspiracies include the Protocols of the Elders of Zion – a hoax Jewish text revealing plans for global domination first published in Russia in 1903.
Danny Dyer floors fans as he blasts Oswald Mosley's blackshirts as 'fascist s**gs'
Sir Richard says The Protocols played only a small part in Nazi anti-Semitism and that the forgery was “rambling, chaotic and unstructured”.
He also takes on the “stab in the back” legend, which blames Germany’s defeat in the first world war on domestic traitors.
The historian says it was largely an obsession of fringe rightwing nationalists during the 1919-1933 Weimar Republic but managed to link Germany's new, fragile democracy with national humiliation.
World War 2 bomber emerges from glacier as climate change causes ice to retreat
A third he takes on is the myth that the Nazis caused the 1933 Reichstag fire. Sir Richard points to evidence that it took Hitler and his inner circle by surprise.
Fourth is Hitler's deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess’s supposed flight to Scotland in 1941, which the academic says was falsely depicted as a genuine Nazi peace bid or was just made up by British intelligence. He shows that many theories about Hess are "all based on totally unreliable testimony and unsubstantiated guesswork".
And finally, he attempts to lay to rest Hitler’s supposed postwar life in South America.
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domain: history


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Rom 8;7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Walking in the Spirit versus walking in the flesh is more than a mindset or a habit.
It is two spheres, two worlds, grounds or soils.
The flesh in itself is not evil.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Christ came in the flesh and died for sin in the flesh.
The problem with the flesh is that because of the law of sin and death lodged in its bodily members, it can be used as a beach head for the operations of sin.
Thus, the result of walking in the soil of the flesh will sooner…
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domain: literature


Australia’s housing affordability crisis results from over- reliance on just two options – private home ownership and private renting. To tackle it, a wider repertoire of policies is required.
Nordic nations’ widespread provision of public housing and housing co-operatives, priority for homes to live in rather than invest in, and effective reduction of homelessness, show how this can happen.
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But when some of us wake up in the morning, we’re just not hungry. So we want to know: “Why eat – and take in calories – if I’m not interested in eating?”
Important thinking on the subject recently came from one of the leading experts on food and obesity in the U.S. – Dr. David Allison of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama. He and colleagues conducted an exhaustive review of 92 studies, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, of the research on breakfast and body weight.1
They concluded that while there is a great deal of evidence on the subject, there is very little strong evidence.
Most of the studies were observational, which means these articles simply suggested an association between breakfast and weight change. There may have been other behaviors common among breakfast eaters, like a healthier diet overall, that were the real protectors against weight gain.
Few of the studies the scientists reviewed, very few, showed any causal relation between breakfast and body weight. That’s because very few were randomized controlled trials, the gold standard of scientific research.
Put simply, we do not have hard data showing that eating breakfast caused weight loss or protected against obesity. Nor do we have strong evidence that skipping breakfast led to weight gain.
Learn More About Pritikin
In their review of the literature, errors that Dr. Allison and co-authors frequently found were biased interpretations of results, possibly in part due to the “halo-effect” of breakfast. “Frequent assertions of the general benefits of consuming breakfast, most easily summarized as ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ could potentially predispose individuals to ascribe other positive attributes to breakfast,” the University of Alabama authors wrote.
Other common errors they found included “improper use of causal language in describing one’s own results” and “improper use of causal language in citing others’ work.” Observational evidence, in short, was made to sound causal.
Overall, it was not a pretty picture of scientific research, at least in the field of breakfast eating and body weight.
The repercussions can be profound. “When research reporting is biased, the integrity of scientific information deteriorates because it drifts from the original source, much like the childhood game of ‘telephone,'” Dr. Allison and his team concluded.
“As writers and reviewers, we need to be vigilant for lapses in objectivity and for studies of nonprobative value to hopefully keep scientific beliefs grounded in scientific evidence.”
The Pritikin Perspective
The registered dietitians, physicians, and other faculty at the Pritikin Longevity Center agree with the conclusions of the University of Alabama scientists. States Kimberly Gomer, MS, RD, LDN, Pritikin’s Director of Nutrition: “The assertion that we all must eat breakfast, or that skipping breakfast promotes weight gain, rests on very weak credible data.”
There are, unfortunately, many truisms in the world of nutrition that are not true at all.
Others include “we should drink eight glasses of water a day” and “we must eat every three hours to keep our metabolism going.”
“These myths propagate themselves because they sound good and virtually every diet/guru person latches onto them, but the science is scant at best,” asserts Gomer.
“And, certainly, the breakfast cereal industry wants to promote the belief that we must eat breakfast because it makes people think they have to eat a bowl of cereal every morning.”
There are exceptions – people who do likely need to eat something first thing in the morning. They include individuals who have insulin-dependent diabetes as well as those taking medications in the morning that must be swallowed with food.
The Hunger Scale
But for the rest of us, it’s time to rethink breakfast. For this meal – actually, for any meal or snack – what’s most important is listening to our hunger and satiety signals.
Don’t eat simply because it’s 7 a.m. Eat when you’re hungry, when you’re at No 3 on The Hunger Scale (“I’m really hungry – I’m ready to eat now”), whether that’s 6:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.
So we’re not really saying: Don’t skip breakfast. We’re saying: Wait till you’re hungry, and when you are, enjoy healthy breakfast foods, or a hearty and healthy mid-morning snack, like a big apple, carrots and Pritikin hummus, or a bowl of Pritikin bean-rich soup.
Do make sure that you don’t wait till you’re uncomfortably hungry (No. 2 on The Hunger Scale) or starving and ravenous (No. 1) because by then you’re far more likely to reach for a ham and cheese croissant instead of a healthy breakfast like oatmeal and fruit.
Why aren’t you hungry?
But (and this is a very big “but”) we’ve got to back up a bit. If you’re not hungry in the morning, a really important question to ask yourself is: Why? What did you eat the night before?
The fact is, many people wake up with no appetite because they ate too much the night before. Come morning, they’re having a food hangover.
“A lot of how we eat is habit,” says Pritikin dietitian Kimberly Gomer. “If we are in the habit of overeating at night and skipping breakfast, that is what our body becomes accustomed to.”
The really good news is that our appetites can change, and quickly so.
For the past four decades we’ve watched thousands of people arrive at the Pritikin Longevity Center saying, “Oh, I never eat breakfast” but then, after a week, they’re different people.
“They’re waking up here at Pritikin and actually feeling hungry,” smiles Pritikin Medical Director and educator Dr. Danine Fruge. “The minute they open their eyes, they’re eagerly anticipating our breakfast of gorgeous fresh fruit, hot cereals, and egg-white omelets.
“The good news, too, is that they’re often very different people in many other ways. They have renewed energy. They feel like working out in the gym. They’re losing their afternoon and evening food cravings. And their blood sugar, blood pressure, and body weights are often looking much better.”
Agrees Pritikin dietitian Kimberly: “Once people get into a Pritikin way of eating, very few are saying, ‘Oh, I never eat breakfast.’ They love breakfast now, and their pantries and refrigerators are well stocked with healthy breakfast foods.”
So don’t accept what you’ve been doing and feeling for the last 20, 30, or 40 years as a done deal. As you change your life, as you start to live and eat Pritikin-style, your appetite will likely change, too.
Breakfast skipping may also be the result of factors other than no appetite. “I’ve known many patients who skip breakfast because of rushed schedules or general stresses in their lives. They’re hungry, but they just can’t seem to carve out time to eat before bolting out the door. Unfortunately, no food in the morning often leads to a pattern of overcompensation at night,” observes Dr. Fruge.
Now, there are those of us who, no matter what, just are not hungry in the morning. Never have been. And likely never will be.
If you’re in this camp, do get in the habit of planning ahead. When hunger hits around 10 a.m., you don’t want to be staring at your co-worker’s desk with the bowl of M and M’s and thinking, “I’m famished, and this is the only food in sight.”
Portable healthy breakfast foods
Pack a healthy breakfast, such as a bag of oatmeal, a banana, and a cup of nonfat yogurt. Keep a cereal bowl in your desk drawer. The minute you walk into the office, pour your oatmeal into that bowl. Have it all ready so that when you get hungry, all you have to do is pop your bowl in the microwave and peel your banana.
Another tip: Find an eatery that you pass every day on your way to work that has healthy breakfast choices like fresh cut-up fruit in a bowl, egg-white/whole-grain-bread sandwiches, or tofu scrambles with veggies. If you’re a regular, you might even be able to get the cooks in the habit of preparing your food without salt, butter, and other fats. The minute they see you, they know what to do. Tip them well.
It’s not what time you eat that matters. It’s how you feel.
Don’t ask yourself, “Should I eat breakfast?”
Instead, ask yourself, “Am I hungry?” If you are, eat. And eat till you’re satisfied, lightly so. Don’t eat till you’re stuffed.
And, certainly, eat well. Fill your day with a lot of beautiful fruits and vegetables, plus beans, starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams, rich and nutty whole grains like oats, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, couscous, and barley, prudent servings of lean protein like fish, and calcium-rich foods like fat-free yogurt and soymilk.
“If you do, you’ll not only be living well, you’ll likely be shedding excess weight,” sums up Dr. Danine Fruge.


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We boomers never think about death. We are too busy celebrating the fact that collectively, we are the luckiest, wealthiest and longest living generation ever born. We are the luckiest generation because we were born between 1948 and 1964, when vigorous postwar era economic expansion gave us a world with a strong labour force, high job security, generous pension plans, and guaranteed social security. We are wealthiest because we found reliable jobs directly after high school or we paid for our post secondary education at a fraction of today’s cost. We bought our first home cheaply only to see that initial investment debt mushroom into a surplus as property values increased. The boomers are living longer because of modern medicine and the many advancements in medical therapy that offset the afflictions of old age. As a result, we have more retirement funds than any previous generation and the health to enjoy them. Along the way, we have taken more than our fair share from the system and the planet and left less for the generations that follow.
The boomers are a generation that ignores death simply because we are too busy enjoying our luck, wealth and health. The sad reality is that we, too, will die. From the first breath, we share the same inexorable pathway to life’s end. I am a boomer, but I do think about death because I have seen death more often than most. In three decades as an MD, I have witnessed the ephemeral nature of life, and the cumulative experiences have provoked sober thought and sometimes painful reflection. In my 30s I composed a will, revised it when the children came, and will keep it up to date as the future unfolds. My husband and I have had conversations about dying. We have given each other permission to move on should the other die, to remarry, or at least not to end life alone.
In spite of thinking I had dealt responsibly with the business of dying, I have recently discovered that there are parts of death that I had not considered. To my surprise, the epiphany occurred in a cemetery at a time when I have never felt more alive.
This summer in Paris I visited Pere Lachaise, a serene 140-acre cemetery in a city of 11 million, and the final resting place of many legends and heroes. I was there to visit, among others, Jimmy Morrison’s grave. Morrison is a touchstone for my youth long gone and I wanted a moment to recall a magic time before he tragically died in a Paris hotel. What I did not expect to find there were the young men who also came to pay their respects. I found them in the early hours, kneeling silently at Morrison’s headstone while they played Light My Fire on their iPhones. Born decades after Morrison’s passing, these young men needed to bear witness to a time in history that they did not share, but wished to remember.
I walked the uneven cobbled pathways past the winged sepulcher of Oscar Wilde and took a minute to thank him for making me laugh.
Edith Piaf was alone, and I could imagine the strains of her beautiful music inside my head. Chopin was not far away and I marveled at his genius and industry. The rich legacy that is the body of his work was accomplished in the 40 odd summers he spent on this planet.
Interspersed among the famous people buried in Pere Lachaise, are many ordinary folk — the spouses, children and parents of ordinary Parisians. I watched family members quietly tend the graves of their loved ones. It was these small acts by ordinary citizens that led to my epiphany.
I have never been in favour of burial after death, but in Pere Lachaise I could see and feel the benefits of a cemetery. A gravesite is not a place for the dead, but for the living. It is a physical place to reconnect with a loved one. As I walked Pere Lachaise in the peace and quiet, I wished that I could visit my own mother in the same way. I recalled being 21 and for the first time, being taken to my father’s grave. No one in my family had taken me before, so raw was their own sense of loss for this man, my father dead at 26, a man I can barely recall. I witnessed their grief, but for me, the visit brought a certain peace. Although I have not visited my father for many years, I did replace the weathered headstone last year, and the act provided me some small comfort.
That day in Paris I thought about my parents, and I thought about my husband and myself. And then the questions came. What if my husband died and I remained? Where would we talk if he were cremated? If I needed his advice, how would I reach him if he were scattered on the wind? On a cobbled path in Pere Lachaise I realized with clarity and intensity, a personal desire previously unknown. Should I outlive my husband, I would want to bury him in such a place as this, a solid place, one that I could visit, one that would be a touchstone for the memories of a life shared, a place to anchor my experiences with him in a present and future I faced alone.
Dr. April Sanders is a physician in Vernon, B.C., with Sanders Medical Inc.


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Third attempted burglar shot this year in Richmond: “Unusually high,” police say
on December 15, 2014
Terrell Ruben, 42, became the third person shot and killed in an attempted burglary in Richmond this year. A Richmond homeowner shot Ruben in the chest after he discovered Ruben and another man attempting to steal property from his backyard last Saturday.
Homeowners killing intruders or burglars tend to be very rare, according to police.
“We go years and years without them happening,” said Capt. Mark Gagan at the Richmond Police Department. Out of the 13 homicides this year, three were killed by homeowners.
The man who shot Ruben had experienced a residential burglary late last year, according to police. The second suspect fled immediately. Ruben at first submitted but then resisted the homeowner. Detectives have identified the second man and are actively looking for him, according to Gagan.
Ruben, who was struck in the chest, had CPR performed on him at the scene, according to witnesses. Ruben was transported to John Muir Hospital that night. He died on Sunday.
At the scene a police officer yelled “Don’t move! Put your hands up!” several times to Ruben, according to a woman who lives up the block from the crime scene on 43rd St. and Roosevelt Ave. The woman declined to give her name.
None of the homeowners involved in the killing of burglars this year have been charged. The California Penal Code justifies homicides in various instances. Section 198.5 and 199 states that a homicide is justifiable when a person is “using force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily injury” in their residence, if acting due to fear for their life or safety, or that of their family.
Despite the unusually high number people shot in burglary attempts, residential burglaries have gone down 28 percent compared to last year in the period between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30.
You should always call the police in the event of a burglary. Not every burglary happens the same way, but giving the intruder incentive to flee may work, according to police.
“Yelling to the burglar that you have called the police and that they’re en route can scare them away,” Gagan said.
Other ways to secure your home include installing a motion-detector alarm and motion-triggered outdoor lights. Getting to know your neighbors is also important, according to police. Trustworthy neighbors can look after your property and call the police in your absence if something happens.
If you have information regarding this burglary, you can contact Sgt. Eric Smith at the Richmond PD by calling (510) 620-6647
Richmond Confidential welcomes comments from our readers, but we ask users to keep all discussion civil and on-topic. Comments post automatically without review from our staff, but we reserve the right to delete material that is libelous, a personal attack, or spam. We request that commenters consistently use the same login name. Comments from the same user posted under multiple aliases may be deleted. Richmond Confidential assumes no liability for comments posted to the site and no endorsement is implied; commenters are solely responsible for their own content.
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Claire Messud “The Emperor’s Children”
September 8th, 2006
Three friends from college who are all now on the cusp of thirty with little to show for it struggle with what they’re going to do with their lives, in Claire Messud‘s bestselling new novel “The Emperor’s Children.”
Also at the center of the story is a man who may be an emperor, a venerable but vulnerable literary lion.
Listen to Claire Messud
Don’t see a player here? Click on this link to listen, or right click and “Save As” to download.by


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Mount Baker Climb Itinerary
Day Before Climb 2:00pm
Gear check- Mandatory. A thorough gear check ensures everyone is fully equipped and prepared to depart the next morning. Rental gear is fitted and packed at this time. Location: Alpine Ascents Seattle office, 2:00pm. Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours.
Training: Review the functionality of each piece of gear, packing our backpacks, wilderness ethics and LNT.
Day 1: 7:30am meeting at Schrieber's Meadow, south side of Mt. Baker. Most of the day is spent on the moderately strenuous approach, as we start hiking from 3,400' in subalpine meadows. Hiking continues through old growth forest for the first two hours. We exit the forest at 4,800ft and continue up the trail through high alpine meadows along with seasonal snow covered regions. We aim to arrive at Sandy Camp (6,100ft) in the afternoon which is perched high on the south side of Mount Baker. A spectacular view from camp of the Easton glacier is enjoyed over a hot meal prepared by your guides.
Training: Instruction includes nutrition, hydration, rest steps, pressure breathing, temperature management. Camp set-up, cooking in the mountains and in depth Leave No Trace will be discussed. During rest periods we will have short discussions on mountain physiology and mountain environments.
Day 2: After breakfast we begin our training. Our guides cover all aspects of walking on snow, self-arrest, glissading, crampon and ice axe use as well as proper rope techniques for climbing the mountain. After lunch, instruction continues with learning knots, harness use, anchors and running belays all around Sandy Camp. An early dinner is prepared by our guides and they provide a detailed account of what will be required for summit day. We go to bed early so that we can wake up around midnight and prepare for the summit climb.
Training: Discuss safety aspects of our climb, rope management, knots, anchors, crampon technique, self-arrest and glacier travel. Afternoon topics might include: local history, glaciology, mountain weather, along with map and compass.
Day 3:Summit day. We start our climb around midnight, depending on weather and route conditions. Guides serve a hot breakfast, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and top off all water bottles before embarking on our climb. Our route starts off by climbing to the top of the Easton moraine at 7,000ft where we access the Easton glacier. From there we ascend the gently angled Easton Glacier until we reach the crater rim at 9,800ft. A nice break allows us to look deep into the steaming crater of Mt. Baker. After our break we climb up the Roman Wall and crest the summit plateau at just over 10,500ft. A short walk leads up to the summit of Mount Baker at 10,781 ft. At a moderate pace, the summit climb should take 5-7hrs from Sandy Camp. Clear weather offers an inspiring 360° view from this most magnificent North Cascades summit.
After celebrating the summit and taking photos we descend carefully back to Sandy Camp. Here we pack up our camp and descend back to Schrieber's Meadow. A summit celebration will take place at one of the many restaurants along the way back to Seattle.
Training: This day allows to implement and enforce what we have learned in the previous days.
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domain: travel


text:
CUTTING AND SEWING CENTER
Area of intervention: Ramanagut, district of Khammam, Telangana (India)
Local Partner: Sarva Prema Welfare Society, the Charitable organisation founded in 2005 by Father Antonio Grugni, doctor and Pime missionary, who began his work in India in 1976.
Aims: The project aims to rehabilitate the socio-economic point of view the people subjected to medical treatment or unable to work by providing a food supplement, delivering small pensions to the elderly or invalids building of brick houses for the homeless. The project also provides a medical treatment based on specific treatment for new cases of leprosy and treatments for all skin conditions, monitors the health and treatment of children's diseases and treats patients with TB and AIDS through mobile units in different villages.
In 2020, a great blood camp was created for all those who need blood bags in the hospital and do not have the opportunity to pay exorbitant prices.
Operation Area: villages in the districts of Khammam and Warangal, Telangana (India)
Local Partner: Bala Vikasa Social Service Society
Aims: to facilitate the access to drinking water for the rural communities in the districts of Khammam and Warangal, to improve the hygienic and health conditions of the population in the above mentioned area, to strengthen community relations by the forming of committees for maintenance and functioning and to promote an awareness campaign on themes connected to correct water use.
To facilitate the purchase of purified water at the price of 1 rupee per 20 litres by the population in the areas of Khammam and Warangal.
To improve the hygienic and health conditions of the populations in the above mentioned area.
To promote an awareness campaign on the themes connected to the correct use of water resources and the diseases which result from excessive fluorine in water.
Strengthen within young feminine population the auto management skills; trough transfer of professional know how and expertise, facilitate the entrance into the labour market, in order to reach economic independence and social recognition.
Facilitate the professional qualification through the realization of tailoring courses
Contribute to young women orientation towards labour market and implement the birth of micro cooperatives
Start up microcooperatives' creation
Total duration of the project:12 months (8 modules in total)
Budget for one module for 6 months for four centers : 13.440 euro
Budget per two modules for one centre: 6.720 euro
SFC School for Children - Development projects
Via Cosenz, 35
Tel: +39 02 39325823
Current Account no. 55555
Current Account Name: SFC SCHOOL FOR CHLDREN ONLUS
Credito Valtellinese, Agenzia nr. 1 di Como
ABI 05216 CAB 10901 Cin H
Bic Swift BPCV IT 2 S COM
Post Office current account 65705584 in the name of : Sfc School For Children


Excelsior! The Movie Show and FanX’s Dan Farr remember Stan Lee
Nov 17, 2018, 11:09 AM
(AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
SALT LAKE CITY – “I can’t imagine the Marvel Universe and the comic universe without Stan Lee.” said Doug Wright during this weeks Movie Show.
“He changed the whole pop culture,” remarked Steve Salles
The 95-year-old comic book legend passed away this Monday leaving behind a legacy of some of the most famous superheroes and characters in pop culture, including Spiderman, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Panther, and Thor.
Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber to Romanian-born Jewish immigrant parents in Manhattan in 1922, at the corner of West 98th Street and West End Avenue. He grew up dreaming that one day he would write the next “Great American Novel,” and got his start writing press releases for the National Tuberculosis Center, and writing obituaries for a local news service.
He later moved into the space of comic books in 1939 with the help of his uncle when he started as an assistant at Timely Comics that would later become Marvel. He started doing all of the odd jobs around the shop, doing anything from refilling the inkwells of the artists, to fetching lunch, to erasing the pencil marks from the finished drawings. He quickly moved up to writing in filler for the comics they were producing, and then after a falling out between some of the heads at Timely, Lee was promoted to be the interim editor at just 18, and showing a knack for it became editor-in-chief, and later publisher a role that he would use to shape the way that the world looked at comic books.
In a response to rival comic book publisher DC’s revamp of the Flash who would team up with the superhero group The Justice League of America, Lee was tasked with creating a similar group. At this time in Comic history, most of the characters were pretty one dimensional and had no major flaws or hardships to endure. While talking about this new assignment with his wife, and still harboring the hope of writing the next Great American Novel, she suggested that since he was looking for a career change anyway, he might as well experiment and write a story that would interest him, because if it didn’t go well, he was looking for a career change anyway.
This change created a more mature, and a flawed hero that had problems and issues that any regular person would face. This change led in part to the mass appeal and influence that comics would have on the culture that we live in and help them become as popular as they would become, giving the fans something to connect to in the humanity that they would find on the page and a connection to the characters that Lee and his partners introduced.
One of the other things that Lee changed was the relationship that the fans would have with the creators of their favorite hero. He introduced credits on the splash pages of their comics that would let the reader know not only who created the character, but who the illustrator was, who the writer was. He included news about the staff at Marvel as well as the monthly column he would write entitled “Stan’s soapbox.”
Throughout his career, Lee had a deep love with his fans, that lasted all the way until his passing, in a recent interview as the cameras were getting set up Lee went off about how much he really cared for those that, even though he would never meet any of them, how much he still cared about them.
So many wonderful moments with Stan came spontaneously. As we were setting up the camera one day, he casually started talking about his fans. We know how much Stan meant to you, and we thought it would be nice for you to hear how much your support meant to him. pic.twitter.com/WTX8U1afLm
— stan lee (@TheRealStanLee) November 14, 2018
Lee also had a special love for the fans of what some have called the nerdiest state in the union.
Dan Farr one of the creators of FanX Utah’s largest comic convention remembered how impressed Lee was when he visited Utah, especially with the people.
“The people here are just amazing,” Farr said, “Especially when you know the fans go all the way up to the governor of the state! You know the governor picked [Lee] up from the airport both times that he came here, and I bet Stan didn’t have that happen at any of the other conventions that he went to.”
His experience in Utah was quite the memorable one too, leaving him to remark, “You people have the greatest Comic-Con in the world!
To hear the rest of the conversation as the Movie Show remembers Stan Lee, as well as the backstory about how Stan Lee wasn’t planning on coming to Salt Lake, but how we were able to get him here on multiple occasions, check out the podcast below.