From May 6-10, the 8th-grade class spent an unforgettable week in Washington, D.C., learning about the history of our country and institutions that make up our democracy. But this was not merely a sightseeing trip. It was a week-long intensive course on Christian leadership and discernment.
Superintendent John Booy challenged the students to reflect deeply on three key questions during their week: What is the best way to live together? How do we treat each other? And what is the role of Christ followers in our society?
Museums, Monuments, and Musings
At the African American Museum and on the National Mall where MLK Jr. spoke his famous Dream speech, students heard how racism led to moral disaster, and how courageous men and women worked for justice. Many were deeply affected by the experience. “The African American Museum helped me connect with my background,” reflected Sy’nia. “It made the story [of America] way bigger. It helped me understand a lot of the inequality of our society, and where it comes from.” Quincy concurred. “it’s easy for people like me to focus on certain aspects of our history that make us seem better. Instead, we should bring out different perspectives from different people.”
On the steps of monuments to America’s first leaders, students came to grips with the sacrifices our founders made to secure our liberty, the truths they stood for, and the flaws that held them back. Ariana shared: “Experiencing and seeing the monuments for myself, I finally understood the meaning behind them.” A trip to the Museum of the Bible deepened the students’ understanding of “why there are Bible quotes on lots of monuments, and how the Bible influenced the founding of our country,” in the words of Quincy.
The Power of Listening
Students spent a day interacting with elected leaders and important figures in our government. This included a morning event hosted by the First Lady at the White House Rose Garden. The 8th graders were one of three classes chosen nationwide to attend the event. (Several students even had their pictures appear in a New York Times article!) Afterward, they saw several of their Congressional representatives, including Senator Debbie Stabenow, whom they heard as she presented about healthcare issues on the Senate floor.
After these events, Superintendent Booy had a frank discussion with the students about the value of respecting people with whom we disagree. In our polarized world, it is all too easy to tune out the people whose beliefs and background are different than our own. But an essential value of The Potter’s House is to show respect and dignity to all people from all backgrounds. There is power in learning to listen, Booy urged the 8th-graders, even in the midst of disagreement.
“It’s up to us”
On the way back to West Michigan, students shared their hopes and concerns about the state of our country, and, as a class, they prayed over our government and elected officials. Many say the trip left a deep impact on them and has prompted them to ask hard questions about their role as citizens and future leaders. “The country has been through some really hard things, and we need to work hard to make sure they don’t happen again,” shared Lydia. “Our country isn’t perfect,” added Abi. “We need to care for more people, and not just care for ourselves,” she continued. Nicole agreed: “We should have our eyes open more instead of being in our own little world.” Caleb summed it up: “It’s up to us to make America better.”
Photos courtesy of Nicole Dyer, Susie Vander Griend, and Mary Post


By Zaw Moe Htet, Pyae Sone Win, Associated Press
Turkish officials raised the death toll to 245 Wednesday as rescue units continue to search for 120 miners still trapped underground. A coal mine in western Turkey collapsed after a power distribution unit exploded Tuesday.
By Joshua Barajas
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Oct 18, 2007 Russ Tarby Uncategorized
On a moonlit riverbank in Memphis, more than 100 years before the U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, two young Southern women imagine their wedding to each other!
Loosely based on a high-profile 19th-century murder case, the powerful one-act play, “Al Takes a Bride,” exudes both sensuality and suspense.
“The play,” explains director Victoria King, “hinges on impossible choices in which decisions rest somewhere between dreaming and dying.”
Staged Oct. 19-21
at Delavan Art Center
The Kings Theatre presents the Syracuse premiere of Gary Sunshine’s “Al Takes a Bride” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday Oct. 19 and 20, and at 3 p.m. Sunday Oct. 21, at the Delavan Art Center, Building C, 501 W. Fayette St., in Syracuse.
The show runs in conjunction with a Violence-Survivor Art Show at Delavan. The play’s proceeds will benefit Vera House Inc.
In March 2006, the Kings Theatre produced “The Vagina Monologues” and raised awareness and $4,000 for the Vera House.
Victoria King received an MFA from the Actors Studio Drama School where she studied directing with Arthur Storch and acting with Elizabeth Kemp. Her numerous directing credits include working as assistant director for “Driving Miss Daisy” starring Elizabeth Franz at Syracuse Stage.
“Al Takes a Bride” has been previously produced in New York City and Sydney, Australia.
In his play, award-winning writer Gary Sunshine re-tells the story of Freda Ward and Alice Mitchell and their forbidden love which made headlines in every major newspaper in America during the early 1890s.
Sunshine depicts the two Tennesseeans (a.k.a. Fred and Al) fantasizing about getting married and moving to New Orleans. A judge is even called in to perform the ceremony, but complications arise.
The local cast features Kristin Kelly, a sophomore musical theatre major at Syracuse University, as Freda; Dana Abrams, a junior acting major at SU, as Alice; and Earl Arnold, a minister at the Whitelaw Presbyterian Church, north of Canastota, as the judge.
Drum Media in Sydney called the play “a moving examination of the true nature of love,” while Inside Out Australia described it as “a relevant story that will move you.”
Tickets cost $20 or $10 for students.
For ticket reservations and information, call 425-8864.
Dana Abrams (left) and Kristin Kelly rehearse a scene from “Al Takes a Bride,” to be staged at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19-21, at the Delavan Art Center, Building C, 501 W. Fayette St., in Syracuse. Tickets cost $20 and $10, and proceeds will benefit Vera House; 425-8864.

domain: artistic


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It was recently reported that the president and congressional leaders reached agreement to pursue a $2 trillion infrastructure package. It is time to raise our voices to ensure that the water sector receives a significant and appropriate portion of those funds.
An opportunity comes during Infrastructure Week, this May 13-20, when water must be heard alongside those advocating for roads, bridges, the power grid, broadband, and more. Infrastructure is a crowded and competitive space, and while water has greatly elevated its profile over the past few years, now is a time to push harder than ever for the resources we desperately need.
The good news is we have the public strongly on our side, and it makes absolute political sense for elected officials to support increased investment in water infrastructure.
The Value of Water Campaign’s fourth annual poll found American voters demonstrate continual bipartisan support for an increase in federal infrastructure investments, believe the president and Congress developing a plan to rebuild our water infrastructure is important, and continue to view rebuilding America’s infrastructure as more important than other top issues. In fact, 85 percent of Americans support (with 52 percent strongly supporting) increasing federal investment to rebuild our water infrastructure—including pipes, pumps, reservoirs, treatment plants, and other facilities. This support has increased more than 10 percentage points over the past three years.
There are a variety of resources available to assist with advocacy. The Infrastructure Week website offers a package of communications content and suggested activities that are easy to adapt for use. Additionally, the Water Environment Federation recommends using this information, materials, and actions to urge members of Congress and other federal officials to make water a central part of a new infrastructure deal:
- Policy Asks: This document outlines the requests for funding and policies that WEF will be communicating to Congress and federal agencies. You can use this information in your communications with members of Congress and federal officials. Note the key requests specific to infrastructure are to increase the FY2020 Clean Water SRF appropriation and reauthorize the program in 2019, fund the Drinking Water SRF at the fully authorized level of $1.3 billion in FY2020, and fund the Water Infrastructure Finance & Innovation Act (WIFIA) program at or above its fully authorized level of $50 million in FY2020.
- Infographics: These infographics were created by WEF to be used in communicating the value of water and importance of investment in infrastructure. They can be used as handouts during discussions and shared on social media.
- U.S. Overview
- U.S. Region - Northeast
- U.S. Region - South
- U.S. Region - Midwest
- U.S. Region - West
- Suggested Activities:
- Contact the offices of your members of Congress: Let them know it is Infrastructure Week and voice your support for the policy asks. Invite them to visit a water facility or project.
- Post to social media: Be active on social media. Use #BuildForTomorrow in your posts. Voice support for funding and policies outlined in the document. Tag your members of Congress. Follow and share posts from WEF on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Publish an op-ed or blog: Use the policy request document as the basis for an op-ed for the local newspaper or blog for your website. Include local examples of why water is important and why investment is needed.
While Infrastructure Week comes around every spring, 2019 is an especially important time for the water sector to speak up…loudly. We all know how sorely the nation’s water infrastructure needs investment, so the prospect of a major spending package is a chance we must seize.

domain: news


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On the 13th of October 2017, the Congolese Cultural Centre held a classical music concert at the Rotonde des Arts in Abidjan. With the sponsorship of Arterial Network, the recital has been hailed as a big success by members of the Ivorian public who attended the special event.
Nicholas Serge Ewey (director of the Congolese cultural center of Abidjan and pianist) and his wife, Monique Ewey (singer) impressed the audience with their vast repertoire. The couple was accompanied by three musicians trained at the Institut national supérieur des arts et de l'action culturelle (INSAAC), specifically a violinist, a xylophonist (balafon) and a saxophonist.
The event took place under the auspices of "Afterwork," a new initiative of the Rotonde des Arts. This initiative is under construction, or in an experimental phase, according to Professor Yacouba Konaté, the general director of Masa and director of the Rotonde des Arts.
Follow us on Facebook by clicking here to stay informed about upcoming events in Abidjan.
PRESS RELEASE | Arterial Network Biennial Conference and Launch of the Fonds Arterial 28, 29 and 30 November 2020 | Abidjan | Côte d’Ivoire A...read More
ONGOING CASES EQUATORIAL GUINEA | On the 16th of September 2017, Ramón Esono Ebalé (a cartoonist and activist from Equatorial Guinea) was arrest...read More
Over the months of October and November 2017, Arterial Network is celebrating Africa’s musical talent by participating in three prestigious, intern...read More


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We felt like kings and queens even before we ordered the King & Queen entree from the Chef's Special list at Spring Garden. Service at the Chinese restaurant, updated a year ago in looks and menu from the previous China Palace, a few doors from the original Trader Joe's in Ventura, is so thoughtful and gracious that we felt as well tended-to as royalty.
As we puttered around trying to find representative dishes from the extensive menu, service was quick and exceptionally thoughtful. When we finally began to order items, our server rushed over to suggest that the number of plates we were considering could be better accommodated at a nearby round table. The staff not only swiftly moved all our items, water, beverages, utensils and the like to the larger table, but also provided fresh napkins and anything else that was required to start anew. They even made certain that our jackets, purses and such made the trip with us.
Owners Hal and Cindy Hai are responsible for the atmosphere, service and menu concentrating on Mandarin and Szechuan dishes, which turned out to be good reflections of the welcoming atmosphere.
We began with a simple plate of steamed dumplings ($6.95 for eight), which we were assured were folded in pastry wraps made in the kitchen, not prepackaged from anywhere else. The dumplings certainly had an inviting, just-made quality and were an appropriate introduction to what was to come.
The King & Queen ($16.95), recommended by a reader, was a dramatic dish in presentation as well as flavor. When it arrived it was easy to see why a larger table had been recommended. Arranged on a very large plate were generous portions of orange-flavored beef and braised shrimp tossed in a wok. Around the edge of the plate were perfectly steamed florets of bright green broccoli, with artfully folded orange slices as the finishing touch. It's the type of dish you'd want to snap a photo of for remembrance. But it went considerably beyond good looks. The zesty orange flavoring spread from the beef to the shrimp and it all worked perfectly together.
Simpler items were also well handled, with moo shu pork ($10.95) arriving neatly wrapped in four individual pancakes — the menu calls the result "Chinese burritos" — with bold flavors satisfyingly enticing. From the seafood section of the menu we added shrimp ($15.95) sauteed with onion and stirred into a light white sauce, a very mild but pleasant dish, and from the poultry dish the duck lover among us selected a tea-smoked duck-half ($12.95), which she said was good, but a bit oily.
Special dips or sauces that came with some of the items were appropriate enhancements. We also had our choice of sweet-and-sour or egg drop soups and found them both true-to-type and enjoyable. The egg drop included more tiny chopped vegetables than we've noticed in previous encounters with the homestyle soup, a nice touch.
A range of luncheon specials, $6.25 to $8.95, served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., include soup, egg roll and steamed or fried rice.
House Special Dinners, for two or more, range from $13.95 to $17.95 per person. They also include soup, egg roll, paper-wrapped chicken and rice at the minimum level, adding fried shrimp and teriyaki beef stick at the top level. The main dishes, a choice of eight at each of the three price levels, feature items from simple beef with broccoli up to Grand Deluxe Wonton and Cashew Nut Shrimp.
Steamed dishes are available at lunch or dinner. And our attentive culinary guides were happy to tell us that no MSG is added, and nothing but vegetable oil is used in dishes requiring oil.
The Hais seem to have found a winning recipe for success, combining good food with excellent, gracious service.
• • •
Location: 1795 S. Victoria Ave., Suite 101, Ventura. 644-6688 or springgarden.biz.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays through Saturdays, with a break from 3-4:30 p.m.
Impressions: Very pleasant atmosphere with quiet areas; gracious and efficient service; good variety of Mandarin and Szechuan cuisine, handsomely presented.
What's hot: Steamed dumplings, King & Queen, moo shu pork.
2 for lunch or dinner
Starters: Steamed dumplings ($6.95)
Entrees: Moo shu pork ($10.95) + King & Queen ($16.95) + tea-smoked duck ($12.95) + sauteed shrimp ($15.95)
Tab for two: $14-$36
Need Help? Call us at 1-877-710-6182.
Monday-Friday: 6am-3pm / Saturday: 6:30am-10:30am / Sunday: 7am-11am

domain: food


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Primera Technology, Inc. Launches Primera Asia Pacific
Plymouth, Minnesota, USA (September 4, 2007) — Primera Technology, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of CD, DVD and Blu-ray™ disc publishing equipment and color label printers, today announced that it is expanding its global reach with the opening of a new Asia Pacific sales and support office in Hong Kong.
Primera Asia Pacific will be led by Callum Hingston, Managing Director. Mr. Hingston has previously sold Primera’s products as an Authorized Distributor for nine years. In his new role, he and his staff will be providing sales and support for Primera’s distribution partners and end-user customers throughout the Asia Pacific region. A local warehouse has also been established to provide immediate access to Primera’s full range of equipment, consumable supplies and spare parts.
Primera Asia Pacific’s primary markets will include Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia.
“We have sold our products throughout Asia Pacific for almost a decade,” said Mark D. Strobel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Primera. “But in the past several years, our business in the region has grown substantially. We believe the time is right to make this substantial investment and commitment to our customers in these rapidly expanding markets.”
Primera Europe, located in Wiesbaden, Germany, is responsible for sales and support of Primera’s customers in Europe and Scandinavia. It has been in operation for seven years. The establishment of Primera Asia Pacific adds to Primera’s commitment in the global market to respond to customer needs.
“Primera’s Disc Publisher-Series CD/DVD and Blu-ray and LX-Series Color Label Printers are already the best-selling and most recognized brand in the world,” said Callum Hingston, Managing Director of Primera Asia Pacific. “Now, our Authorized Distributors and end-users in Asia Pacific will benefit even more with localized product availability, lower shipping costs and a dedicated customer service staff that is available in the same or similar time zones.

domain: economics


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The Mornington Peninsula is the perfect place to unwind, relax and treat yourself to some of the finest quality food and drinks regional Victoria has to offer. With so many different things to see and do, it can often be hard to narrow down where you are going to spend your valuable days off – so we have compiled a list of our favourite Mornington Peninsula wineries for you to enjoy.
33 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South
A trip to Montalto will have you experiencing so much more than premium quality wine. This estate is known for its outdoor terrace that overlooks 30-acres of beautiful rolling hills, a sculpture walk and an acclaimed restaurant and café.
There are many ways to enjoy all that Montalto has to offer, you can indulge in a wine tasting in the intimate cellar door, feast on a beautifully curated menu in the Piazza or Garden Café or simply treat yourself to an exquisite private picnic experience.
An afternoon of dining on wood fire pizzas, fresh garden salads and slow roasted lamb can be followed by a walk in the sculpture park. Let the sculptures take you on a journey through the vineyards and to a magical hilltop that overlooks the whole of the Montalto restaurant, a truly spectacular view.
37 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South
If you’re looking for a winery that gives you a little taste of everything, Tucks is your place. Bask in Insta-worthy views from the tree swing, indulge in a wine tasting adventure or observe the rolling hills from the relaxing atmosphere of the terrace.
Tucks was recently re-developed by the team at Montalto, who also happen to be their next door neighbours. This re-development gave winery fanatics a fresh new scene to visit and sip on renowned Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
With a menu full of share plates and platters this is the perfect destination for you and a few of your nearest and dearest.
Pt. Leo Estate
3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks
Pt Leo Estate is a visual feast for all those who pass through. This 130-hectare site is home to a sculpture park containing works from renowned local and international artists, an award winning restaurant and spectacular ocean views.
There are so many different ways to experience the magic Pt Leo Estate has to offer. We suggest you begin your journey at the cellar door tasting delicious hand-harvested wines. Then, treat your tastebuds to a meal at Laura, a fine dining restaurant that has been crowned the title of ‘best regional restaurant,’ ‘new restaurant of the year’ and even given 2 chef hats.
This destination has been a private retreat and working winery for more than two-decades, only opening its doors to the public in 2017. It has given visitors with a passion for food, wine and art the opportunity to escape within an escape, as every inch of this winery is more remarkable than the last.
1385 Mornington-Flinders Road, Main Ridge
Nestled amongst the rolling hills of Main Ridge lies the home of Australia Pinot Gris and Grigio, T’Gallant.
This stunning winery boasts a large outdoor piazza which overlooks the T’Gallant Estate Vineyard, a cellar door that is open for wine tastings 7-days a week and free to groups of six or less, and a specially curated menu of casual dishes including acclaimed wood-fired pizzas.
T’Gallant is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon, escaping the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoying vineyard views over a long lunch.
150 Red Hill Road, Red Hill
Polperro winery is located in the heart of the famous wine region Red Hill, and boasts nothing less than spectacular views of it 25 acre property. Polperro offers luxury accommodation, an onsite restaurant, private picnics and an intimate cellar door that showcases some of their finest wines.
With an aim of creating a synergy between the vineyard and kitchen, Polperro uses ingredients from their kitchen garden and local suppliers to ensure guest consume only the freshest of dishes. A meal at the Polperro restaurant will guarantee an authentic Mornington Peninsula experience, and each dish has been perfectly curated to compliment the flavours of the wines on offer.
Polperro Winery also offers visitors a private picnic experience, these delicious baskets are prepared to-order daily and each hamper is packed for guests to pick up from the restaurant. This is the perfect gift idea or way to treat someone special.
There are so many exciting things to be experienced both on the grounds of the winery and in its nearby surrounds, making Polperro the perfect destination for a luxurious one-day getaway or place to spend the long weekend.
By Ashleigh Hendel

domain: geography


text: When designing the brand image for Oltrebuono, I wanted to capture the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the shop's offerings. I chose a color palette that reflected the Mediterranean setting, with warm, earthy tones like wine red and olive green. I also incorporated imagery of local ingredients and foods to give a sense of place and authenticity. For the logo, I used a bold, sans-serif font to convey a modern and forward-thinking approach. I incorporated a stylized olive branch to reference the shop's focus on quality olive oil and other Mediterranean products. Overall, the new brand image for Oltrebuono is a celebration of the shop's long history and its commitment to showcasing the best of Italian and Ligurian cuisine. It reflects the shop's dynamic and unpredictable approach to food tradition and invites customers on a journey of culinary discovery.

domain: design


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RGF Environmental Group, Inc.
RGF was formed in 1985 for the purpose of designing, engineering, manufacturing and distributing total turnkey environmental water and air treatment systems for industrial applications. RGF holds numerous patents, trademarks and awards for advanced innovative technologies in this field.
The products include: Oil Water Separators, Chemical Floc Systems, Thermo Oxidation/Flash Evpaporators, Clarifiers and Centrifugal Separators, Car and Truck Wash Reclaim Systems, Food Safety Systems, Air purification Systems, Marine waste treatment and Biological Water Treatment Systems.
1101 W. 13th St.
Riviera Beach, FL 33404

domain: chemistry


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Great book. Iffy film. Game from hell
Lock up your deities!
It's bad enough that it's a movie tie-in; the fact that it's broken makes it even more insulting
Another movie tie-in that deserves to be left out in the cold
The bear essentials on one of the biggest games this winter
The first game in the His Dark Materials saga kicks up some Dust
Movie's major actors lend their likenesses
Get the best gaming deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable gaming news and more!

domain: game


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Response: A Rural / Urban Conversation is a two part collaborative project between Visual Arts in Rural Community’s (VARC) recent artist in residence Jenny Purrett and five artists from the NewBridge Studios: Holly Watson, Lauren Healey, David Lisser, Rory Biddulph and Thomas Whittle. Response provokes conversation about the impact of location upon practice by requiring artists to produce work actively influenced by contrasting environments.
The first part of Response took place in June 2011 at Highgreen, Northumberland where the five NewBridge artists worked with Jenny at the rural location for three days. The impact of the relocation on the artists’ practice led to the production of new pieces in response to the rural environment, culminating in an exhibition and discussion session at Highgreen.
Documentation of work from Response: A Rural / Urban Environment (Part 1) can be found on VARC‘s website.
Part Two will mirror the intense making period of Part 1, with the artists creating work linked to the previous pieces, but responding to the urban environment of the shop unit in Eldon Square in Newcastle city centre. The project will conclude with an exhibition at Eldon Square from 26th November until 18th December, an artists discussion on 8th December from and a free publication available at the exhibition space.
Opening times: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm
Sunday, 12 – 4pm
Preview: Friday 25th November, 5 – 7:30pm
Artists discussion: Thursday 8th December, 6pm
Location: The old ‘New Look’ shop, Eldon Square (nearest entrance is Monument), Newcastle upon Tyne


As a result of a questionnaire circulated by Exminster Parish Council residents highlighted the need for additional activities in the village. As the local village hall had recently installed a projector and screen it was the ideal time to establish a community film club.
We aim to show a diverse selection of films to appeal to the whole community and age ranges. We also aim to help and promote a healthy and safe environment for the elderly and lonely members of our community to enjoy what we have to offer and help to address social isolation. Funds permitting we also plan to screen a film aimed at families.
Principles and guidance for tackling and preventing bullying and harassment in the screen industries commissioned by the BFI and supported by organisations across the UK.
Guidance for emerging filmmaking talent, writers, producers, directors


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This year, Black History Month converges with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement, and the nation’s notable gains in equality give us much to celebrate. But equality in health and access to care continue to be areas of serious concern.
“Across most illnesses including cancer, African-Americans have the worst outcomes,” said Kimlin Tam Ashing, Ph.D., director of City of Hope’s Center of Community Alliance for Research & Education. “African-Americans get cancer at younger ages, have more aggressive cancers, have more treatment-resistant cancers and lower five-year survival than the general population.”
Half of African-American men and a third of African-American women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. The causes of cancer health disparities are complex, stemming from such factors as genetic susceptibility, stress and immune function, and family history.
In her research, Ashing has pinpointed several health care system factors that feed into the disparity, including limited access and use of preventive care, limited access to high-quality care, and delays in diagnosing and treating disease. Other studies point to a higher incidence of chronic conditions and illnesses among African-Americans with cancer. Lifestyle factors including smoking, diet and sedentary routines also play a role. » Continue Reading
February may be popularly known as the month of love, but it also holds the title of American Heart Month, aiding as a reminder to take care of your heart. One way is to quit smoking.
Not only do cigarettes cause 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States, they also contribute to America’s biggest killer: heart disease.
Nearly 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year, with almost 20 percent of those deaths directly related to cigarette smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brian Tiep, M.D., director of pulmonary rehabilitation and smoking cessation at City of Hope, said smoking affects the heart by:
- Increasing blood pressure and heart rate
- Increasing blood clotting
- Decreasing oxygen to the heart
- Damaging cells that line coronary arteries and other blood vessels
- Lowering HDL, the “good” cholesterol
- Damaging heart muscle
All of these factors increase the risk of coronary heart disease, which over time, can lead to chest pain, heart failure, arrhythmias, heart attack and even death.
City of Hope recently hosted two free Ask the Experts events, titled “Cancer and Cuisine,” focusing on the benefits of healthy eating, physical activity and weight management, as well as easy-to-make healthy recipes.
Here are some quick tips from both programs:
- Select a rainbow of fruits and vegetables for nutrient diversity.
- Do not focus on single nutrients, because the nutrients in food work together to create health and fight off disease.
- Dark, leafy green vegetables are the most nutrient-rich food on the planet.
- Exercise regularly, and try to exercise three to four hours a week.
- Watch your weight.
The first Ask the Experts event was held at the newly opened City of Hope | Antelope Valley practice. The video above features Vijay Trisal, M.D., medical director of community practices for the City of Hope Medical Foundation, and guest speaker, Katja Wargin, certified holistic health counselor.
Wargin prepared a healthy and easy-to-make green smoothie: » Continue Reading
Cancer myths should be debunked at every chance possible, not just on World Cancer Day 2014. But with this year’s observance devoted specifically to dispelling misconceptions about the disease, it’s a fine place to start.
First, let’s dispense with four of the most-common cancer myths.
- We don’t need to talk about cancer.
- Cancer … There are no signs or symptoms.
- There is nothing I can do about cancer.
- I don’t have the right to cancer care.
These statements – all patently untrue – are firmly held beliefs for many people. They interfere with cancer detection and cancer treatment and, in doing so, shorten the duration and quality of life for those ultimately diagnosed with the disease. » Continue Reading
Gavin Wolfrank was only 7 months old in 2006 when his mother noticed the “blueberry” bruises on his tiny hand. Her normally active, happy baby suddenly turned lethargic and inconsolable. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
That diagnosis was the start of a years-long ordeal, not just for Gavin, but for parents Ken and Diana, as well as sister Emma. Gavin soon began chemotherapy at a local hospital, ultimately going into remission. He stopped chemotherapy in June 2009, but by the following October, the disease was back.
For the fourth time, he underwent chemotherapy – this time to make him strong enough to endure his only chance at survival: a bone marrow transplant.
A donor was identified in February 2010 – a young woman from England named Catherine “Cat” Benson – and by the time Gavin walked into City of Hope in preparation for the bone marrow transplant in March 2010, he was as strong and healthy as he had ever been. But the family’s elation over finding a donor soon turned to fear, with Gavin forced to battle graft-versus-host disease. » Continue Reading
Stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) can develop in any part of the stomach. If left undetected, it can penetrate the stomach wall, progress to adjacent lymph nodes and spread to nearby organs. The cause is unknown but has been associated with dietary factors, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, smoking and alcohol consumption.
Here Joseph Kim, M.D., a City of Hope surgical oncologist and head of upper gastrointestinal surgery, talks about how people can lower their risk for stomach cancer and why he, as a Korean-American, has a personal crusade in conquering this disease.
How common is stomach cancer?
Stomach cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with the highest incidence occurring in Asian and Latin American countries. Although less common here in the United States, there are still approximately 24,000 Americans who learn annually they have cancer of the stomach. Fortunately, for reasons not entirely known, U.S. incidence has been dropping steadily since the 1950s.
Who gets stomach cancer, and why?
Like most other forms of cancer, stomach cancer occurs more frequently in people age 55 or older. Researchers think the reasons for a higher incidence of stomach cancer in Asian and Latin American countries is because diets commonly consumed there include many foods preserved by drying, smoking, salting or pickling. Eating foods preserved in this way may raise someone’s risk for developing stomach cancer. Also, people who smoke cigarettes may be at higher risk of developing stomach cancer. » Continue Reading
Nearly 160,000 Americans die of lung cancer each year.
New lung cancer screening guidelines recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in the last month could make a considerable dent in that number. The panel, which determines what therapies and tests must be covered by insurers under the Affordable Care Act, made final its July recommendation that current and former smokers between 55 and 80 years old who have smoked the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years be screened with a low-dose CT scan.
Longtime smokers who are still smokers or who recently quit in the last 15 years should weigh their lung cancer screening options now, says Dan Raz, M.D., co-director of the Lung Cancer and Thoracic Oncology Program at City of Hope.
“Even people who see their primary care doctor regularly need to be aware of this new screening,” Raz said. “Don’t wait for your doctor to suggest lung cancer screening. Ask yourself – or seek out a screening center that already screens for lung cancer.”
Raz said patients should seek these qualities in a lung cancer screening program: » Continue Reading
However, what’s true for the majority of people in the United States is not true for the Asian population. Stomach cancer, or gastric cancer, is much more common among that community and tends to affect younger people. In fact, gastric cancer is twice as common among Asians and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County as it is among people nationwide.
“In most Asian countries, they have screening programs for gastric cancer,” said Joseph Kim, a surgical oncologist at City of Hope who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers. “By age 40, most people are receiving regular endoscopies.” » Continue Reading
A cancer diagnosis can leave patients overwhelmed, not only afraid for themselves and their loved ones but also confused about what to do next.
Cy Stein, M.D., Ph.D., the Arthur & Rosalie Kaplan Chair in Medical Oncology at City of Hope, offers this advice to people confronting a cancer diagnosis:
1. If you receive a cancer diagnosis, the first thing to remember is not to panic.
2. Do some research, but don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.
3. Remember that prognoses are actuarial; they apply to large numbers of patients but not to you as a single individual.
4. Find a doctor who knows your type of cancer well, and who is knowledgeable about recent developments – for some types of cancer, treatments have changed dramatically over the past very few years. » Continue Reading
From warning labels to taxes to banning advertising, the U.S. has taken serious steps over the past 50 years to diminish the effects of tobacco on American health.
The surgeon general took the first step 50 years ago this month, issuing a report based on 7,000 scientific articles and concluding that smoking causes lung cancer and other lung disease. Between the powerfully addictive nature of cigarettes and other tobacco products and the economic forces promoting them, the battle against smoking has been a challenging one that continues today. However, the success of anti-smoking campaigns can be measured in lives saved.
Researchers at Yale University recently reported that the anti-smoking efforts have avoided 8 million smoking-related deaths.
“Lung cancer, which accounts for more deaths than breast, colon, prostate and pancreatic cancers combined, has the largest impact on these statistics,” said Dan Raz, M.D., co-director of the Lung and Thoracic Oncology Program at City of Hope. “The reason for the decline in lung cancer deaths is unequivocally related to tobacco control. We have the opportunity to further reduce deaths from lung cancer with even tighter tobacco control measures, such as increasing cigarette taxes, which have been shown to lead to increased quit rates.” » Continue Reading

domain: medical


Hey, so I have a question. I kinda.. busted one of the fingers on the DMK-01 OP I've been working on at the ball joint where it connects to the hand.. I tried gluing t with model glue, and then it broke, then I tried super glue, and it broke again! I'm going to try the drill it out, and use some super fine metal push pins to help secure the joint, but if that doesn't work, what can I do to fix this?? Am I completely boned, and I have to contact Takara?? Thanks all.


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On Oct. 2nd, Kendrick Lamar performed his brand new single, "i", for the first time at Toronto's We Day event. The event took place at the Air Canada Centre in Downtown Toronto with over 20,000 fans in attendance. We Day is an annual youth empowerment event aimed to encourage the youth on taking action against local as well as global issues. Thousands of fans jumped and cheered as Kendrick performed his anthemic, motivating, energetic single which could not have been a better song choice for the event.
For more music, news, and videos from Kendrick Lamar, check out his Zumic artist page
Source: Jane Agosta YouTube Channel

domain: entertainment


Told Sonia Gandhi not to submit impeachment motion against CJI: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata: Criticising the move as a wrong political step, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on April 24 (Tuesday) that she had tried to dissuade the Congress from moving the impeachment motion to remove the Chief Justice of India (CJI), on the ground that the case for the opposition parties wasn’t strong enough.
In an interview to News 18 Bangla television channel, the West Bengal chief minister said she had discussed the issue with former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, but she didn’t listen. She said seeing the move as a wrong political step her Trinamool Congress party had distanced itself.
However, Mamata Banerjee said at this time it was needed to form an alliance among regional parties to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “All forces opposed to the BJP should come together and make sure that in the 2019 general elections, the mightiest candidate is fielded on every seat, regardless of party colour, to take on the BJP in a bipolar contest,” she was quoted in a media report.
She said for formation of such an alliance she was willing to join hands with Congress party. “But for such an alliance to work, the Congress has to be more accommodative and willing to let go,” she said.


Pagano's Colts: Will they fight or fold?
- Colts at Jaguars, 1 p.m. Sunday, CBS
His players describe Chuck Pagano as long-winded, and the Indianapolis Colts' coach's fiery postgame speeches prove it. There is no shortage of passion, perspective, or words.
He was not his loquacious self in the locker room at Heinz Field Sunday night. Not after that.
“You can see this as a sign or as a test,” Pagano told his team.
What else was there to say? What words were apt after the Colts were utterly undressed, embarrassed, routed by the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second straight year in the same venue and in the same fashion? This 35-point drubbing was their most lopsided defeat of the season, by a 23-point margin. It sunk them to 6-6. It humbled them like no game this year has. It left doubts about whether they have the moxie to make it through all of this.
A day later, these Colts face a reality they haven’t in three years: A December that will make or break their season.
“We’re not going to sit there and wallow in self pity or any of that bullcrap,” an enlivened Pagano said Monday.
They reach the three-quarter pole of the season at .500, tied for first place in the AFC South — yeah, a 6-6 record will do that — and owning the tiebreaker over the Houston Texans. Indianapolis travels to Jacksonville this week to face a Jaguars team they’ve beaten six consecutive times dating back to 2012. The following week they’ll face Houston, a game that very likely will decide the division winner.
Unlike the past two Decembers, when their AFC South title was wrapped up neatly by Christmas, the Colts are not afforded the opportunity to coast during the holidays. The Colts clinched the division title in Week 14 two seasons back and in Week 15 last year. This time around, there is still plenty of work ahead of them, with no guarantee there will be January football.
“This is different,” said tight end Dwayne Allen. “We’ve never experienced this. We believe it’s a test of our character as a team and an organization. Are we going to fold it up? Or are we going to dig down deep and go out there and do what we need to do to get in the playoffs?”
They did plenty of the former — folding it up — Sunday night in the Steel City. Gift-wrapped two turnovers in the first quarter, the Colts’ offense mustered just three points. They finished 3-for-14 on third downs. The defense allowed Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to throw for 364 yards and four touchdowns, which was — sadly — a slight improvement from last year’s bloodbath.
Put simply: The Colts resembled nothing of a playoff team Sunday night. They’ve dug themselves this hole; it’s up to them to find a way out of it.
Pagano’s message to them in the postgame locker room, and again on Monday, was simple. They have four games to decide what kind of team they are. Four games to save this season, or to sink it.
“We made a decision today that we’re going to put this one behind us,” Pagano said. “We’re going to attack each day with everything that we have.”
He continued, his pace speeding up with each passing word, his intensity rising. It was clear. Pagano knows what at stake over the coming month.
“We’re sitting in Vegas,” he said of his team, “and I don’t know if you have $50,000 in front of you or $50. We’re putting everything in, all of our chips in. We got a month left, and it all starts this week. All we need to be is 1-0 on Sunday afternoon at 4:05 eastern time.”
On their side: No team over the last decade has dominated its division like the Colts. Indianapolis currently is sitting on a 16-game win streak in the AFC South, an NFL record, and hasn’t lost a division game in nearly three full seasons. They’ll face a division foe in three of their final four games, with a road date in Miami sandwiched in between.
“We’ve got to lock it in the last month of the season and position ourselves where we want to be in January,” cornerback Darius Butler said.
Thus begs the obvious question: Why the sudden impetus now? Why not, say, Sunday night, around 8:30 p.m. in Pittsburgh?
Pagano was exceptionally succinct after the game, his NFL-high sixth loss (including playoffs) of 29 points or more as Colts’ head coach. He didn't have answers as much as generalities. He was fuming. This one stung.
Colts catch a break on Hasselbeck injury
“They blocked better than we rushed,” he said, rightly so.
“We couldn’t generate any pass rush,” he added, rightly so.
“Our guys competed their asses off,” he clarified. “We didn’t play well.”
On Monday, after dissecting the tape and speaking to his team, he was more measured. He’d moved on. He sounded like a man itching for the week’s first practice to start. There's work to be done.
“The record is what it is,” Pagano said. “Last night, it is what it is. The sun came up (today), we have another ballgame (on Sunday), we’re at the three-quarter pole. You got three division games, two at home, a huge, huge one on the road this week. We control our own destiny. Everything is still out there in front of you.”
It is. Four tests await them; the results of those games will determine this team’s postseason fate — and perhaps so much more. Missing the postseason, in this downtrodden decision, seems inexcusable, especially for a franchise that began the year with such lofty ambitions. For now, that’s the first step.
Make the playoffs. Avoid disaster. Keep the ship afloat.
“No matter how you get in, you can run in, you can limp in,” Pagano said. “The whole idea is to get in.”
Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.
Colts at Jaguars, 1 p.m. Sunday, CBS
The Colts have lost an NFL-high six games since 2012 by 29 or more points. Remarkably, they have a .636 winning percentage in that time, 200-400 points more than the three teams that have lost five such blowouts:


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(description from Knitty)
"I've always loved herringbone patterned socks, so I decided why not knit a pair? This pattern is an easy way to try your hand at stranded knitting with two colors.
The foot of the sock is a single color to minimize thickness, since stranded knitting is thicker and less elastic.
The afterthought heel and rounded toes are knit in the contrasting color for added fun. Perhaps these socks will provide a great distraction the next time someone mentions your ever-growing sock yarn stash.
Just whip them out and exclaim "But LOOK at these socks I knit!"


WINCHESTER, Va. (WDVM) — Winchester resident Linda Mast has worked with personal caretakers for several years, first for her husband who had Parkinson’s Disease and later for herself.
“We had Home Instead come in for that and just in the evenings, and it really helped him,” Mast said. “When I started getting so ill we decided that’s what we wanted to do, to get into the program.”
But for some families, the cost of taking care of a relative can be prohibitive, often requiring a family caregiver to stop working. That’s why proponents of House Bill 2878, known as the Homecare for Seniors Act, want lawmakers to allow homecare to be covered by Health Savings Accounts, known as HSAs. The bill was introduced by Congresswoman Katherine Porter, a Democrat from California, and Congressman Adrian Smith, a Republican from Nebraska.
“It would allow the family caregiver who is working to use some of their reserve in HSA to provide care for mom or dad,” said Phylis Hegstrom, Home Instead’s director of government affairs.
Although the bill is a federal issue, local state-level elected officials met with Hegstrom and other advocates in the homecare industry Wednesday morning to learn more about the measure and show their support. They say this measure could help constituents, especially as the area’s population continues to grow.
“It is certainly an access issue in the more rural communities around the commonwealth of Virginia,” said Virginia State Sen. Jill Vogel, a Republican who represents the 27th district. “Where they have a very difficult time accessing physicians, getting physicians–especially specialty physicians–to come to those communities.”
Republican Rep. Chris Collins of Virginia’s 29th district agreed.
“We’re talking about elderly people with their families in a small town,” Collins said. “Being able to have someone come to them and take care of them obviously is going to improve the quality of life for everybody involved.”
The bill still has a ways to go before it becomes a law, but advocates are hopeful Congress will pass the measure as part of a larger tax bill.


We are pleased to inform that our Company is installing a panoramic lift on an existing tenament house in the charming city centre of Gdańsk, in Dluga street.
- Electric lift without machine room, rope hoist, Lift Service S.A.
- Installed in an exterior shaft made of powder coated steel structure, glazed with safety glass.
- The shaft and cabin door made of stainless steel frame and safety glass. The door on the lowest floor made of fire restistant stainless steel (EI30).
- The cabin made of stainless steel frame and safety glass, lift control panel made of stainless steel.
- Modern, gearless, electric drive with power inverter.


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I hope everyone who participated in the Scavenger Hunt had fun! I know I had a blast putting it together and checking out all the awesome photos. I have posted a few of my favorites after the bump. Here are the results:
Here are some of my favorite photos, but first some of you asked for the Scavenger Hunt CD track list.

domain: hobby


The Indian Navy is without a Chief of Naval Staff (CNS). Since Feb 26, 2014, there's just been an acting CNS (Vice Adm Robin Dhowan). No one knew it would take so long for the Govt to announce the new person. The first casualty is the Commanders conference, which was to take place, but it has been postponed as the Navy is headless. Till the service gets a new Chief, the Commanders conference wont take place, said a senior naval officer. Formations have got it in writing.
This commanders conference takes place twice a year, where the commanders, PSOs, senior brass, gets together to deliberate on matters of operations, administrative, promotions, policies etc.
This means naval promotion boards also on hold.
Indian Air Force commanders conference took pace on 2-3 Apr and Army commanders conference is due on Apr 22-24.


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Saudi Arabia Hopes To Enter Top 5 Most Popular Travel Destinations - Official
Umer Jamshaid 30 days ago Thu 22nd August 2019 | 06:20 AM
DOHA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2019) Ahmad bin Aqil Khatib, the chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), expressed hope that the kingdom would make it to the world's five most popular tourist destinations.
The official called on businesses to invest in the development of tourism in Saudi Arabia.
Khatib, who was appointed the head of the SCTH last year, has been saying that Saudi nationals spend up to $20 million during foreign trips and calling on them to spend the money for internal tourism to develop the domestic hospitality industry.


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NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG5623.AM: Petersen Manufacturing Company (DeWitt, Neb.)
Newsletters, articles: 1950, 1973-1984
DeWitt, Saline County, Neb.: Manufacturer of Vise-Grips
Size: 0.3 cu.ft.; 1 box
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
This collection consists of yearly Christmas newsletters/publications from Petersen Manufacturing Company (DeWitt, Neb.), manufacturer of Vise-Grips. The newsletters date from 1973-1984. Also included is an article about the company from 1950.
See the NSHS library collection for “The pioneer story of Bill & Ane Petersen and the evolution of the vise-grip,” by Harriet Petersen Fort. [921 P484s]
See the NSHS Nebraska History Museum’s collection for additional Vice-Grip related materials. Not all artifacts are on exhibit. Researchers must contact the Museum collection staff to make an appointment.
DeWitt (Neb.) — Businesses
Petersen Manufacturing Company (DeWitt, Neb.)
Saline County (Neb.) — Businesses
Tools — Nebraska
Wrenches — Nebraska
Revised 01-09-2009 TMM

domain: library


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on 8 November 2016 at 00:26:02 MST
I have a question regarding art terminology.
The gray, featureless "imagine yourself here" human in this piece -- does this type of thing have a name?
on 8 November 2016 at 13:57:43 MST
Y'know, I'm not sure! I've never really thought about it, but I bet someone's coined a term for it.


Three Washington State Legislators met with over 30 members of the aerospace community to discuss what the legislature is doing to keep Washington’s aerospace industry competitive, during a forum presented by Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance in Bellevue. Senator Paull Shin, D-Edmonds, and Representatives Larry Springer, D-Kirkland and Bruce Chandler, R-Granger answered questions from event moderator Bob Uptagrafft of Mukilteo-based Impact Washington as well as the aerospace audience. Legislators discussed issues including: Right to work Transportation STEM education Workers compensation reform UAVs Washington State’s budget for marketing aerospace resources
Scott Hamilton, an aerospace analyst from Issaquah-based Leeham Company, kicked off the forum with a tough question about the legislators’ views on Right-to-Work, a policy that would allow workers to opt in or out of union membership. Hamilton pointed out that Washington faces competition for aerospace jobs from southern states and noted that their right-to-work status made them attractive places for Boeing and Airbus to do business.
Rep. Springer stated that he opposed right to work laws and said, “I don’t believe where Boeing builds its planes is based on whether we’re a right to work state. Boeing will go wherever the workforce is trained and we better not lose sight of that.” Sen. Shin agreed.
Rep. Chandler said “Relationships with employees and employers is changing. If either side fails to realize that, they are doing a disservice to Washington.” However, he admitted that the legislature didn’t have a great record of refereeing employee-employer relationships.
During the two and a half hour event, the legislators noted that Washington’s aerospace presence is diverse. “There is an enormous sector beyond Boeing,” Springer said. “Everything we do in the aerospace industry can’t be Boeing-centric.” However, what is good for Boeing seems to be good for much of the aerospace community.
The legislators pointed to increased state funding for higher education, STEM, and workforce development programs plus funding for aerospace training programs that benefit everyone in the industry. Rep. Springer said passage of a tax exemption for refurbishing aircraft was an important achievement this year that benefits companies like Kirkland’s Greenpoint Technologies, Everett-based Aviation Technical Services and others.
The tax provision, proposed to legislators by PNAA members at the 2012 Legislative Aerospace Update, removed the required sales tax and allows these companies to be more competitive as a supplier in the global marketplace.
Rep. Springer said the bill regarding Unmanned Aerial Vehicle issues was one of the more interesting pieces of legislation that he had seen. The industry presents $1.3 billion dollar opportunity for the state, if Grant County can become one of six FAA test site locations.
Washington is home to a number of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturers, including Insitu, a Bingen, WA, company that went from three employees to over 700 in about 10 years. “UAVs provide a burgeoning opportunity for the State of Washington if we can address people’s concerns and fears,” Springer said. “We can’t let this opportunity slip by.”
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International estimates that the UAV Industry could add 100,000 jobs and $81 billion in economic impact nationally by 2025. According to the report, the establishment of FAA Test Sites will ultimately determine where many of these new jobs will flow. Innovate Washington’s proposal to locate a UAV Test Site at Grant County Airport near Moses Lake could see the addition of 6,746 jobs.
One issue that the legislature did not pass in the 2013 session was a multi-billion dollar transportation package that would invest in road and bridge infrastructure, public transit, rail capacity and rural improvements. These projects would improve traveler safety, fix roads, preserve bridges for years to come and reduce the cost of transporting products and services benefitting both the public and business. All three legislators doubted that Gov. Jay Inslee would call a special session to hammer out details.
PNAA Executive Director Melanie Jordan expressed disappointment, “In order to be globally competitive, we need to be able to move our goods and services throughout the state. A transportation bill is essential,” she said.
As Boeing cuts jobs in Washington and buys land in the south, Aerospace Executives like JC Hall of Esterline Hytek Finishes wondered what the legislature is doing to help the state promote its aerospace resources outside of Washington and the United States. “I have seen the Department of Commerce try to do tremendous things with no budget. How do we get a better presence to market the capabilities of the state? We’ve got to get serious about marketing our resources,” Hall said.
The legislators agreed that this was an important issue to work on.


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A Kiss for Akaraka
RICHARD JACKSON, ILLUSTRATED BY E. B. GOODALE
GREENWILLOW, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
When Lula begins to get tired of helping her father rake leaves, he suggests that her imaginary friend, Akaraka, might help.
“Readers will feel exhilarated, enclosed in Lula’s private secret. They too make out her form in the autumnal natural world and later as a diaphanous shadow on bedroom wallpaper. Lithe, light-handed pen-and-ink–and-watercolor artwork appears both delicate and assured, making landscapes, expressions, and postures (even the folds of a sweatshirt) appear at once exact and exquisite.” Read full review here.
Kirkus (starred review)
“Jackson has created a lovely hybrid, a cross between a poem and the kind of freewheeling, allusive conversation that often unfolds between a parent and child (“‘Her name, Lula-bee. Where—?’ ‘I dreamed it, Daddy.’ ”) Gentle ink-and-watercolor art by Goodale lets readers observe the loving interplay between parent and child, rendering magical moments, indeed.” Read full review here.
“As the father calls for Akaraka (“Come along now, girl. We need your help here.”), he is always looking away from the imaginary girl’s presence in nature: Lula sees her outline in the Fall leaves flying through the air, in the wispy clouds, in a puddle on the ground. These are illustrations that breathe — they’re never too cluttered, never too hurried.”
Read full feature here.


An increasing number of goods are transported by water, polluting both air and oceans. Several French companies are starting to use sailboats to tackle the situation, which is responsible for tens of thousands of premature deaths.
Ninety percent of the worldwide transportation of goods happens on the oceans. The maritime transport sector accounts for about three percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention sulfur dioxide and fine particulate matter. According to a 2015 study conducted by the University of Rostock, maritime transport is responsible for 60,000 premature deaths in Europe. That figure could rise, as the sector's activity is expected to grow anywhere from 50 to 250 percent by 2050, according to the International Maritime Organization. Faced with this global predicament, stakeholders in France are aiming to revive sail freight shipping. This ecological solution is particularly effective because it reduces CO2 emissions by 90 percent.
"We charter existing ships capable of carrying 10,200 or 300 tonnes of goods," says Guillaume Le Grand, president of the Trans Oceanic Wind Transport (Towt) shipping company, specialized in sailing. Created in 2009, the company relies on a fleet of four old rigs, 20 to 40 meters in length, to reach England, Portugal, Scandinavia, or even cross the Atlantic.
To identify and promote goods transported by sail power, the group has created the label "Anemos," ancient Greek for "the wind." This logo is stamped onto products, which are also labeled with a tracking travel number. " We provide information on the product's route and carbon footprint, with complete transparency," says Le Grand. "We are offering complete traceability to consumers who can also see, for example, from which cooperative the cocoa beans have come."
Products such as chocolate bars, coffee, rum or tea are labeled, transported, then sold via Towt's online store or directly at its brick-and-mortar store, located in Douarnenez, Brittany. The startup also transports products for other customers, such as Portuguese wine, beer or olive oil for the organic grocery store chain Biocoop.
The idea seems to please restaurant owners, retailers and even some of France's largest companies. "We offer a concrete solution to companies that wish to reduce their carbon footprint and meet consumer expectations," says the founder. Last year, his company reached a turnover of 300,000 euros (USD 340,000).
"In 2016, we transported 120 tonnes of products, then 180 tonnes in 2017 and 220 tonnes last year," says Le Grand, adding that the company has saved 300 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions so far. "It is still low, but we are the only ones enabling neutral figures in maritime transport," he notes. "We are doing our part."
Even if their activity is growing, it remains a drop in the ocean compared to the 10.5 billion tonnes of freight that traveled via more than 5,000 container ships last year. However, Le Grand believes that his concept has proven its worth and that the solution is economically viable. According to his estimations, sailing freight is only slightly more expensive than conventional transport. As a result, the products are a bit more expensive, too: "Roughly 10 cents more per bottle of wine, for example," he says.
The success of the model has encouraged him to aim even higher, and the company is now building a modern sailboat. The future three-masted ship, which is expected to set sail by late 2021, will measure 67 meters and be able to carry 1,000 tonnes of cargo at a cruising speed of 11 knots – a similar speed as cargo ships that pollute, and twice as fast as the old rigs now chartered by Towt. "Once in the water, the Cargo Sailboat will save more than 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and more than 300,000 tonnes over its lifetime," calculates Le Grand.
Towt is not the only group investing in sending cargo by sail. The French company Grain de Sail, which manufactures and markets chocolate and coffee, is building a ship that will sail twice a year across the Atlantic and bring back up to 35 tonnes of goods. The Nantes-based Neoline, which develops sailing and wind-powered cargo ships, goes even further. At the end of last year, the startup signed a three-year partnership with Renault to transport vehicles to the St. Pierre and Miquelon archipelago, south of the Canadian island of Newfoundland. The agreement entails the construction of two 136-meter-long roll-on/roll-off wind-powered cargo ships, able to cross the Atlantic and deliver freight under sail. This will help the car manufacturer achieve its goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 25 percent between 2010 and 2022.
The sailing cargo sector is likely to continue developing. In fact, last year, the International Maritime Organization announced the signing of an agreement to reduce CO2 emissions from shipping by "at least 50 percent" by 2050, compared to 2008 levels. Until the sector invents a new economic model, using wind power to reduce CO2 emissions as well as air and ocean pollution remains the most effective solution.
This article is being published as part of Earth Beats, an international and collaborative initiative gathering 18 news media outlets from around the world to focus on solutions to waste and pollution.


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Nandamuri Balakrishna’s high budget mass action entertainer, Dictator, released amid heavy expectations during this Sankranthi season and ended up as a huge money spinner for all the involved parties. To celebrate this grand success with fans, the film’s unit is out on a whirlwind success tour in AP.
Yesterday, the unit met Balayya’s fans in Rajahmundry and speaking on the occasion, Balayya said that just like his onscreen persona, he is a Dictator in real life as well.
“I am a Dictator myself. I don’t listen to anyone else except god,” said Balayya to a sea of fans.
Sticking to his earlier revelations, Balayya once again revealed that his son Mokshagna’s debut is on the cards
- Vasuki gets a release date
- Young beauty’s stylish image makeover wows fans
- Amala Paul to romance Malayalam star hero
- Press Note : “Godavari all set for Detroit launch on July 22”
- Star hero confesses to taking drugs for a scene
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domain: celebrity


text:
'I believe in building a better future for our children, which requires offering them a planet that is still habitable in 25 years,' French president tells Congress, to rapturous applause
Emmanuel Macron has made clear his blossoming friendship with US President Donald Trump does not mean they see eye-to-eye on climate issues, with the French President using his address to Congress yesterday...
Dr Lorraine Whitmarsh is director of CAST (Climate change and Social Transformations) at the University of Bath
Wartsilla publishes scorecard ranking the electricity sector carbon reductions of the 10 largest European economies’ since the first spate of Covid lockdowns
First project from Zouk Capital and Liberty Global backed venture sees 20 on street charge points installed across the London borough of Waltham Forest
Building materials giant launches inaugural 'Planet Passionate' sustainability report and unveils fresh decarbonisation targets

domain: politics


text:
Major becomes Mayflower director
JOHN MAJOR has joined the growing roll call of former Tory top brass who have taken lucrative jobs with British companies.
He will take up his post as non-executive director of Britain's biggest bus maker, Mayflower, on 1 January following an approach by the company, which is chaired by City banker Rupert Hambro.
He will attend board meetings four times a year and advise on the company's expansion plans in America and the Far East, particularly China.
Chief executive John Simpson said the former Prime Minister 'has just the qualities one would want'. He added: 'He is highly respected and is a highly trustworthy individual' It is hoped his international profile will open doors to the big companies and foreign Governments from whom Mayflower is seeking to win orders.
Major's remuneration is not being disclosed, but last year non-executive chairman Hambro received a £45,000 fee and the other non-executive director, David Harland, was paid £22,000.
Mayflower is the primary bus maker for London and acquired fellow bus maker Dennis for £270 million in 1998 after an acrimonious bid battle with Henlys.
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Work continues on the U.S. Army's replacement for the 40 year old M-16 rifle; the OICW (they gotta get a catchier name for this thing.) The much criticized weapon is not due for service until the end of the decade. This will give the M-16 the longest career of any U.S. infantry rifle. Before the OICW reaches the troops, the army says it will get the weight down from 18 pounds to 14. This is still much heavier than the current eight pound M-16. The troops will not be happy, unless the OICW does what it's developers promise. What the OICW has set out to do is enable our troops to get at enemy infantry who are hiding behind cover (wall, trench, tree, Etc.). This is done using a 20mm shell that will explode over, or next to, the enemy troops. It does this using a laser range finder and microelectronics in the shell. The system works, at least in tests. No one will know, until it's tried in combat, how effective it will actually be. The M-16 has long used a add-on 40mm grenade launcher that was able to get at hidden enemy troops about ten percent of the time. The army feels the OICW will improve this to 50 percent. But, as always with weapons like this, the only real test is on the battlefield. The army has also pointed out that the $24,000 cost of the OICW is not that outrageous. U.S. infantry can currently use an M-16 with 40mm grenade launcher and night site add-ons. This costs over $30,000 a system and weighs as much as the 14 pound OICW. Moreover, the army plans to buy only 22,000 OICWs, equipping a third to half of each infantry squad with the weapon. In the past, only about 20 percent of infantry were equipped with the M-16s/ 40mm grenade launcher attachment combo. Expect to see the army get some OICW prototypes to the troops as soon as possible, so that when there is an opportunity, the weapon can get some combat experience to settle the current uncertainty about its effectiveness.


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Star Wars #2 (Dark Horse, 2nd Series 2012) NM-
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Carlos D'anda
Cover by Alex Ross
A cagey young Imperial officer seems to anticipate the Rebels’ every move, so Princess Leia forms a “stealth squadron”—including Luke Skywalker—to expose a suspected spy within their ranks.
Meanwhile, Han Solo and Chewbacca run afoul of bounty hunter Boba Fett, and the Emperor sends Darth Vader on a secret mission!
Images are of the actual comic. We are not professional graders, so please inspect up close before purchase.
Will combine shipping


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About the Author
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), a Scottish author of novels, poems, and essays, is best known for the classic books Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A literary celebrity during his lifetime, Stevenson remains popular for his celebrated contributions to the adventure and horror genres.
Date of Birth:November 13, 1850
Date of Death:December 3, 1894
Place of Birth:Edinburgh, Scotland
Place of Death:Vailima, Samoa
Education:Edinburgh University, 1875
For Robert Louis Stevenson, the art of storytelling was part of the fabric of his soul. He was born November 13, 1850, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the only child of a lighthouse engineer. Known as Louis, he grew up listening to the stories told by his beloved nurse, "Cummy," and her storytelling-including the Old Testament, folk tales, and The Pilgrim's Progress-helped to inspire the young lad's imagination. Stevenson disappointed his father not only by refusing to carry on the family tradition of being a lighthouse engineer but also by breaking from his religion: He announced to his Calvinist father that he was agnostic, which was as good as declaring himself a godless atheist to the shocked patriarch. Nor was Stevenson to remain in Scotland for long. Louis stayed long enough to complete his degree in law at Edinburgh; however, much of his attention was given to reading the history of Scotland, French literature-especially Alexander Dumas (author of The Three Musketeers)-and Charles Darwin. Louis disappointed his father once again when he abandoned the practice of law, declaring himself a writer: "It was Louis's final gesture against the Edinburgh world of security in which he had been reared and into which he had steadfastly refused to fit. Soon he was back in France amongst the art students and their mistressed, carefree company that he relished." Although he did not make a decisive emigration until after his father's death in 1887, Stevenson did leave for France, based on medical directions to mitigate his tubercular condition. There, at the age of twenty-six, he became romantically involved with Fanny Osbourne-his senior by a decade and a married woman whom had left her husband in the United States. Fanny divorced her husband and married Stevenson in 1888, and Stevenson gained two stepchildren, Lloyd and Isobel.
Lloyd Osbourne offers a vivid description of the environment in which Stevenson was completing The Master of Ballantrae-a tale that Stevenson began in New York, finished in Samoa, and worked furiously on in Hawaii, where the king himself would come to visit him:
It was typical of Stevenson that instead of choosing the best room in the house for his own he should seek out a dilapidated, cobwebby little shack, thirty or forty yards away, and papered with mildewed newspapers, in which to install himself. Here in complete contentment, with his cot, flageolet, and ink-bottle, he set himself to the task of finishing the "Master of Ballantrae"-while centipedes wriggled unnoticed on his floor, lizards darted after flies, and the undisturbed spiders peacefully continued the weaving of their webs.
Stevenson's friendship with the King of Hawaii was typical of the bonds that he established with the Polynesians, who called him "Tusitala" (storyteller). His actions to help the islanders won the gratitude of many: When he died, the Samoans built what they called "The Road of the Loving Heart" to his grave on top of a mountain.
Stevenson's willingness to humble himself for a purpose in a "little shack" brings to mind the Master's devotion to vengeance-he too will endure much for a goal. Indeed, Stevenson's heroic qualities are ironically to be found in his villain. Arguably what makes James Durie in The Master of Ballantrae so fascinating is that in another context he might have been a hero-or at least a Romantic antihero-because of his courage and sheer force of will:
[T]he Master is all I know of the devil; I have known hints of him, in the world, but always cowards; he is as bold as a lion, but with the same deadly, causeless duplicity I have watched with so much surprise in my two cowards. 'Tis true I saw a hint of the same nature in another man who was not a coward; but he had other things to attend to; the Master has nothing else but his devilry."
Stevenson's words may seem to remind us of the old adage "idle hands are the devil's workshop," but James Durie, the Master, is hardly idle. Nor was Stevenson. He worked furiously on The Master of Ballantrae, and it was hard work that distinguished him: "I am not a man of any unusual talent, Lloyd; I started out with very moderate abilities; my success has been due to my really remarkable industry." One example of Stevenson's intense productivity was that he rewrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in only six days-and this despite the fact that he was suffering from tuberculosis, the disease that ultimately killed him. Sadly, young Louis was unhealthy even as a toddler: destined to be a man of many nicknames, his parents called him "Smouth," which is the Scottish term for "small fry." Stevenson's stepson, Lloyd, was convinced that it was his industry that enabled him to resist his mortal illness for as long as he did.
Rather than printed fiction, the Master is dedicated to another sort of storytelling. James Durie spins Machiavellian plots, and because of his charisma and endurance, by the end of the novel readers might well feel they are of this Devil's party-he even takes up industrious crafts after his deceptive crafts have stalled, showing himself to be a resilient underdog. Stevenson was known for his kindness, so upon first reflection it seems puzzling that he would have looked into himself for the subject matter of his diabolic antagonist, James Durie, in The Master of Ballantrae: "for the Master I had no original, which is perhaps another way of confessing that the original was no other than myself." Indeed, sometimes this modeling was quite literal: In her journal, his stepdaughter, Isobel, described how her mother witnessed Stevenson searching in the mirror for the Master of Ballantrae:
When Louis was writing "Ballantrae" my mother said he once came into her room to look in the glass, as he wished to describe a certain haughty, disagreeable expression of his hero's. He told her he actually expected to see the master's clean-shaven face and powdered head, and was quite disconcerted at beholding only his own reflection"
Despite his pleasant personality, Stevenson was rebellious in spirit, and in his conflicts with his father over work and religion, one can detect the seeds of passion that would lead to an understanding of a temperament characterized by defiance, like that of the Master.
Notably, it is primarily family tensions and the spirit of defiance that drive the plot of The Master of Ballantrae. However, it is determination channeled through duplicity that truly captures the essence of the novel. James Durie's deceitfulness is a continuation of the two-faced behavior of the Durie family. Furthermore, the subterfuge employed by Lord Durrisdeer to prepare for the outcome of the 1745 uprising exemplifies the divided nature of Scotland as a whole sincethe death of James VI in 1625. The word "Jacobite" itself derives from Jacobus Rex, the Latin for King James; James VI of Scotland's hereditary claim to the English throne united Scotland with both England and Ireland in 1603. After his death, tensions among disputing claims to the crown led to the English Civil War. Support for the Jacobite cause was always characterized by both uncertainty and passion; not all Scottish clans were united in their support of the Stuarts. Shifting alliances, lack of clear communication, and internal competition further weakened the Jacobite uprisings, none of which achieved decisive military success. The far-reaching consequences of the English Civil War included the beheading of Charles I (the second son of King James), the restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660, and the ascension of the House of Hanover, which maintained power from George I's ascension to the throne in 1714 through the reign of Queen Victoria, who died in 1901. To restore the House of Stuart, the Jacobites revolted in 1689, 1708, 1715, 1719-and finally in 1745. Scotland's humiliating defeat on the battlefield of Culloden paralleled the embarrassing device that enabled Prince Charles Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") to escape. Flora MacDonald gave the defeated prince her clothes: dressed as a woman, the last hope of the Jacobites fled to France and Italy, where he ended his days in drunken dissipation.
The reader never directly encounters Prince Charlie Stuart in The Master of Ballantrae, but we know James Durie does, becoming one of the prince's close associates; when the novel begins, we know only that Prince Charlie has landed in Scotland-returning from years of exile in France to reclaim the throne. The pairing of James Durie and Prince Charlie invites analysis: Both men become obsessed with regaining what they believe is their lost heritage. Both are perceived as noble and debauched-depending upon the politics and personality of their audience. There is no denying with either, however, that they are not mere people but charismatic figures.
Prince Charlie is not the only major personage that James Durie is associated with. In one of his notes on the text, Stevenson outlines some historical analogues for the Durrisdeer family; he refers to William, Marquis of Tullibardine, the elder son of the Duke of Atholl, John Murray, a strong supporter of Scottish independence in the first Jacobite revolts of 1715 and 1719 against the rule of George I. While the Marquis joined in alliance with Bonnie Prince Charlie against George II in 1745, the second son, James, supported George II. Interestingly, while returning to Scotland from France, the Marquis and Prince Charlie encounter a British warship in an incident that is reminiscent of the close call between the pirate ship and the battleship in The Master of Ballantrae. As one of a select group of intimate supporters who were very influential over Prince Charlie's decisions, James Durie's implicit linkage with the Marquis underscores his persuasive abilities in Stevenson's novel. In fact, it is hinted that Durie urged Prince Charlie to recklessness. Although the Marquis seems to have been a loyal supporter of Charlie, James Durie's egoism is antithetical to fidelity. He betrays his various companions to his ambitions whenever opportunity presents him with clear gain.
The theme of duplicity permeates the novel, and it is a concept that Stevenson explores throughout his works. The roots of this preoccupation may be partly traced to Stevenson's own psyche: Although Stevenson had no brother to compete with, perhaps the Master and his brother, Henry Durie, represent exaggerated personae of the author himself-at once the dutiful and the prodigal son. Yet Stevenson was a helper of people; James Durie, the Master, is a manipulator of men and women. Everyone is familiar with Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson may have been haunted by a sense of being two people-one the passionate wanderer, the other oppressed by the conventional expectations of others: "He heaps the petty virtues of his public personality on the inactive, sickly, and child-like Henry Durie. And he projects the 'high-flying vices' of an unrealized self into the indomitable, virile, and satanic Master." Or, as biographer Frank McLynn says, "it is tempting to see the guilt-ridden, Calvinistic, duty-driven Henry as a portrait of the new 'bourgeois' RLS aiming at commercial success, with James, the 'Master,' the custodian of the life-enhancing Jacobite values of the pre-Fanny RLS." Another biographical theory is that the novel reflects the painful division between Stevenson and Robert Alan Mowbray Stevenson, his cousin and childhood companion.
Viewing the two brothers, Henry and James, in dualistic terms is both productive and misleading. Certainly the most obvious characteristics of the brothers seem to vividly contrast, at least in the early stages of the novel-James's aggression and Henry's principled restraint-but one must guard against a simplistic judgment about the struggle between the brothers. This narrative is not a mere imitation of Abel and Cain, for each brother has murderous intentions. Rather than locating evil within the Master himself, Stevenson reveals the temptation of circumstances and passions that plague all of humanity. The Master is a character who indulges his desires; his attraction as a literary villain is partly because he expresses feelings that secretly course through the veins of more conventionally "good" people. James Durie's chief function as an antagonist is to reveal the pretensions of others, and he does so very effectively. The main narrator, Ephraim Mackellar, the Steward of the Durrisdeers himself, is tempted to violence by his proximity to this man whom he both admires and hates. The subjectivity of the text is treacherous; ultimately what we have is hearsay from the competing accounts of supposed eyewitnesses to the conflicts of the Durrisdeer family-who is telling the truth is possibly unanswerable. It is this quality of the novel that makes its plot and characters particularly rich for a modern audience that has learned that the world does not always neatly split into opposing spheres of good and evil. Personal and political agendas hold sway over all. Is it simply courage or cowardice that separates felon from hypocrite?
The courage of the Master was not alien to Stevenson, who was a man who thrilled to take chances; he asserted that life itself ultimately was his greatest passion, not fiction:
The strongest single impression one derives from a study of his life is one of courage. "No man is any use until he has dared everything," he wrote while traveling in the emigrant train, and to another correspondent he confided that he was "a person who prefers life to art, and who knows it is a far finer thing to be in love, or to risk a danger, than to paint the finest picture or write the noblest book."
Just as the Master takes decisive measures that alienate the trust of his family, Stevenson took daring steps that led to open confrontation with the expectations and wishes of his family and defied conventions at home and abroad. In terms of charisma, Robert Louis Stevenson might have given his own swashbuckling characters a run for their money. Stevenson has enthralled readers through both his stories and his life. Biographies of his adventurous life and new editions of his works have appeared with great frequency (there are generally several biographies every decade and sometimes several in a single year), celebrating his works, friendships, and travels. While Stevenson was emerging as an international writer, he was an enthusiastic traveler in search of a climate that would be gentle to his tubercular condition; his peregrinations and popular writings led to his meeting a host of admirers from a variety of nations, such as the United States, France, Hawaii, and Samoa-his final resting place. As a storyteller, Stevenson remains an author for readers of all ages, and for many people The Master of Ballantrae proves indeed to be what Henry James called a "pure hard crystal."
The Master of Ballantrae received superlative praise from contemporary reviewers, although there were a few who protested against the gloominess of the novel. Almost all highlighted the appeal of the villain and plot and emphasized Stevenson's engaging style-avoiding cliché while efficiently offering vivid details and directness without a studied attempt at brevity for its own sake. Stevenson has been praised as "first of all a stylist" even though he is predominantly known for his exciting plots. The exoticism of Stevenson's island study aroused further interest among his reading public, as Andrew Lang (still well known today for his series of fairy-tale books) underscores in his review of October 5, 1889, in the Daily News:
By a great many people a new story of Mr. LOUIS STEVENSON'S is expected with more interest than any other novelty in literature. . . . Readers have a personal concern moreover in his development, and in his wanderings of which he keeps them advised. Not often does a romance wing its way to us from Waikiki, from "the loud shores of a subtropical island." . . . Now Mr. Stevenson has returned to Scotland, just after the Forty-Five, but his tale wanders from land like its author.
Stevenson's published works have successfully wandered from various lands to be reprinted and reread by diverse people. However, it is his travels through time that have proven most remarkable. The Master of Ballantrae is a novel that continues to reveal greater depth as literary criticism evolves, and the world around us continues to offer more windows of perception. Readers of this novel find a complexity of perspective that continues to challenge interpretations. The shifting of sympathies that this book produces by its heroic villain and its villainous hero pulls the reader into a realm of exploration where normal prejudices weaken within a whirlpool of ambiguity. From the moors of Scotland to the mountains and swamps of America, this novel displays a landscape of the psyche where the greatest adventure is that one comes to discover oneself in the tangled exploits of these two brothers-forever both childhood companions and dire enemies at each other's throats. Where good and evil lie in this twisted tale of virtue and vengeance is a Sphinx-like riddle that sits nestled deeply in our own traitorous hearts. The novel complicates the adventure genre by defying the stereotypes of heroes and villains that readers have grown to accept. By bursting open these bonds, The Master of Ballantrae offers a fresh look at a genre that Stevenson helped to popularize; this tragic adventure revitalizes that genre for a skeptical world that looks inward for the answers that might explain the great adventure beyond the mortal one.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
I generally adore Stevenson, but this one was enough of a trial that I stopped reading mid-way. The book is memorable to me for some very (very!) striking passages in the Master's early life, including piracy described with no gilding and, one fears, great accuracy. But in the second half the pace slows, and the tone flags. Also, I dislike reading about detestable people, and hate more when no one lifts a finger to stop them...
Having previously failed miserably to read either Treasure Island, or Kidnapped, I was a little anxious approaching this book. And in the first instance it did seem that my fears were well grounded, as I struggled with the Scottish dialect. But, further in, the dialect was less prevalent and, having surmounted these early teething problems, the book proved to be surprisingly readable, a gripping adventure yarn that entices you swiftly through the pages.The story is told in the main by Ephraim McKellar, steward of Durrisdeer, and concerns the fates of the two Durie brothers, both during and after the Jacobite rebellion. In order to preserve the estate they will take opposing sides in the conflict. Against the wishes of his family, the heir and favourite, James, insists on joining the uprising, whilst Henry, well-intentioned, but beloved of no-one but McKellar, supports King George. When the uprising fails and James is reported dead, Henry becomes heir and takes all that formerly belonged to James, who retains only his title, Master of Ballantrae. However, James has survived, and bitterly blames Henry for his losses.I did endeavour to consider the themes en route, but was initially rather dismissive of the whole thing as a fairly straightforward morality tale. It put me strongly in mind of a passage between Frodo and Aragorn in the Fellowship of the Rings, where Frodo suspects that the spies of the Enemy would `seem fairer and feel fouler,¿ whilst Aragorn, as he himself quips, looks foul and feels fair.It seemed an obvious point to make, that what looks well may be ill, and vice versa, but maybe that was not the point. Maybe the point was that we may know this, and still not feel it. I must reluctantly admit to a sneaking admiration for the Master, whilst experiencing a hint of contempt for Henry that would not be repressed.Having apparently nailed it, the morality becomes more complex, as the Master¿s few admirable qualities (namely courage and resolve) come to the fore, whilst Henry seems to become petty, vindictive and wholly unlikeable. Halfway through the book McKellar is seduced by the Master and it feels as though the reader is asked to pour their scorn on his hapless head. However, by the end of the book, certainly from my perspective, the reader is also won over by the Master, and must therefore question their own judgement, and reassess that of McKellar.But¿ the waters are further muddied by the nature of the two narrators, both of whom are proven unreliable. We suspect that the Chevalier Burke exaggerates the wickedness of the Master to minimise his own culpability, and McKellar likewise impugns the Master, whilst praising Henry, as a function of his partiality.This could also provide an explanation for our changing feelings toward the characters; but, as McKellar becomes enthralled by the Master, does his narrative become more impartial or does it in fact swing in the other direction?There are too many variables to pin this story down; which left me with the following questions:-Why did James insist on going to war? It must have been clear that the uprising stood little chance of success, and that he would suffer the consequences. Throughout the book it is obvious that James projects the right image. This is why he is favoured. Maybe his choice serves to emphasize that he intends to prosper through his charm which, he believes, will negate the nature of his actions.James is permitted to keep his title 'Master of Ballantrae,' which should have passed to Henry's son. This effectively traps James in the position of heir apparent, whilst the natural progression to Lord is denied him. Is this a calculated act of cruelty, provoking and also symbolising James' inability to progress beyond the hand fate dealt him?Does Henry, as McKellar suggests, really lose his reason, or is this only McKellar's rationale to explain Henry's undesirable behaviour and his own lack of judgement?My favourite part of the book is
This book lacks the high levels of suspense, action, and adventure in some of Stevenson's better-known works (though there is some piracy and a trek through the American wilderness). Instead, it focuses mostly on the relationship between two brothers, as described by an admittedly partisan old servant. As such, it's an interesting read -- is the older brother really as evil as he's painted? Is the younger brother some sort of martyr, or just a whinging grump? I'm not sorry to have read this book . . . but I won't be reading it again.
This was interesting for the setting, early America, immigrant fleeing from Scotland and all that. The story itself did not move me much, rather typical of its times. Not my favorite Stevenson, but others may disagree.


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Discussion in 'Other Sports' started by Schnellders, Aug 5, 2010.
hahaha Luis Suarez is the best
Rangers enter into administration today. What has happened to our great club :'(
no offense but it's Scotland and its a pretty low league ... sure sucks though
Speaking of soccer - our intramural soccer team here at UCF was finally eliminated in the quarterfinals. Deep bruised shin, deep bruised thigh, cut up knee, something wrong with my foot?, and a broken nose all occurring in the span of a week. I can hardly walk
Floor hockey starts on Friday, and I'm the captain of that team. Hope for a quick recovery.
Jacksonville will be hosting US vs Scotland on May 26. :thumbup
True, however Rangers still have one of the most global fanbases
Easy win for you guys.....
agreed ... unfortunately when you play in a 2 team league where no one is really competitive you will not really get much in return as far as revenue.
100%. It's all set up for him to take us and fail, but it's the most hopeful i have been for a long time in this country yet the players are still old and over-rated.
Rotherham are now 9th, 5 points off the playoffs. Winning 2 and drawing 2 of their last 4 against good opposition. We still have 7th to play so the playoff chase is on. And with our new loanee striker Shaun Harrad who has 3 goals in 4 games, its looking up again.
11th 6 points off the playoffs after a defeat. Suddenly looks ominous after a terrible performance.
Just checking up on the stats of a couple of players for this season:
Messi 41 games 43 goals
Ronaldo 36 games 37 goals
Not bad eh?
Crazy stats. I wish we had players that could match then.
What is the current situation at Rangers Schnellders? The press has been making out its bleak?
Argentina 3 - Switzerland 1.
Messi scored those 3 goals.
It's more than bleak. Currently in administration, wont be allowed into Europe next season and potentially half the playing squad could be let go any day now. All this for a team that gets more fans on a weekly basis than all but 3 teams in the English Premierleague.
Not a very good situation. Port Vale also going into Admin.
I've seen 2 players have left today, lets hope not many more decide to do the same. You wont see any big Prem club put into Admin, they seen to get away with mountains of debt.
The players are currently trying to work out a deal with the administrators to prevent any further redundancies. Think the proposal is for the top earners to sacrifice 75% of their salary until the end of the season, mid-earners 50% and low earners 25%
Ok, Messi scored 5 the other day. What else can we say bout him?
win a world cup than you'll be the best of all time
that's my message to the Messiah


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Hi everyone!! Happy Bellarific Friday!!!
Today's Bellarific Challenge is a DELISH color challenge of Chocolate, Light Pink & Celery! YUM!!!
For my card, I started with Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, SSSC68! I used the darling Izzie Has Balloons from Stamping Bella for my card, and I stamped her (and her balloons!) in Memento Tuxedo Black onto Bellas Bestest Cream Paper and colored her with Copic Markers.
All the patterned paper on my card is from Quite Contrary by My Minds Eye, which are perfect for today's color challenge!!
After cutting and matting all the pieces, I sewed each on my sewing machine. I paper pieced the balloons, as well as Izzie's dress with patterns of the same paper. A simple chocolate stitched ribbon finishes this one off, and I used my Bow Easy (shocker!) to create the bow!
I had SO much fun with these colors, and you can be sure I am heading on over to Bloggabella to see the entries from the Bella Sisterhood!!! Head on over to Bloggabella yourself and leave a comment on today's Bellarific post! One lucky commenter will win some Bella Bucks!
Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Stamps: Izzie Has Balloons by Stamping Bella
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Pretty In Pink, Bella's Bestest Cream & Quite Contrary by My Minds Eye
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic Markers, Sewing Machine, Chocolate Stitched Ribbon and Foam Tape