Training your dog from the very beginning is a crucial step in achieving a lifetime of positive, balanced and happy behavior. There are many choices for dog training in Chicago, and finding a fun, energetic, experienced and positive environment to train your puppy can be a struggle you can relax now because we provide some information about top 10 dog trainers in Chicago.
Downtown Dogs Chicago's Dog Trainers works with you and your dog to set up a consistent and fluid system of communication for life. It has spent years perfecting dog training system. The Dog Trainer sets up communication system with your dog through markers.
Downtown Dogs Chicago is one of the metro area's premier dog training facilities, offering group classes for puppies and their humans to learn the basics in this most crucial of learning stages.
It's can work on specific issues and correct or shape behavior that may be affecting your dogs potential for success.
Chicago Canine Academy's goal is to give each dog a big life. he want to push each breed to their full potential. It's based in Chicago, Illinois has over 25 years of experience helping dog owners understand the best ways to manage their dog's behaviors.
This Academy goal is to provide proper dog obedience training that shows dog owners how to correct bad behaviors, prevent future bad behavior, and maintain a level of leadership that lets the dog know the owner is in control.
Sit Means Sit Chicago Dog Training is a team of dedicated professional dog trainers revolutionizing the quality of life with happy, obedient and confident dogs! As the industry leaders in remote collar training, It's specialize in helping dog owners achieve maximum control on and off the leash while strengthening their relationship with their dog.
Call of the Wild is Chicago's premier dog training school. Founded more than two decades ago by Jennifer Boznos, CPDT-KA, Call of the Wild is an industry leader and continues to set the standard for state of the art and effective dog training.
Call of the Wild has successfully trained thousands of dog/owner teams using the principles of positive reinforcement and behavior management.
Found Chicago Boarding and Training Center is a nonprofit Chicago dog adoption center which rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes abandoned dogs in addition to offering dog daycare, boarding, training, and grooming. This dog boarding and adoption center includes Heal, a veterinary clinic, and Stay, a dog hotel.
Canine Sports believe in humane training that both strengthens and enhances the relationship between owner and dog. It's Training trainers regularly attend seminars to keep abreast of the newest techniques and are constantly learning. It's offer a variety of different classes, from Puppy School to Dog Sport classes and beyond, he is bound to have something that will fit both you and your dog's needs. With four different locations throughout the city we are sure to have a location near you!
Morgan's Dogs Training Facility is located in Roscoe Village, on the Belmont Corridor, of W. Belmont Avenue. The knowledge and wisdom that surrounds this facility is unsurpassed in the Chicago area and most of the mid west. Morgan's Dogs knows that each dog is an individual and not just another breed….our training and psychological understanding of the canine mind, caters totally to your dog and brings them to their fullest potential.
Morgan's Dogs offer all phases of obedience training, advanced and trick training and are expert at solving behavioral problems by understanding the canine mind and how they think, act and react, in various situations.
This traning center has establish since 1992, It's goal has always been to create a welcoming home away from home for your dog. A safe place where your dog can feel secure, learn valuable skills and can have fun too.
Many of the K9 University Chicago Team members participate in pet rescue, foster programs and dog sporting events and shows.
Mannered Mutts Dog Training is a comprehensive animal training company that offers behavior training for all dogs, beginner-to-advanced. This is a best dog trainers in Chicago, It's particularly hard to find someone who can handle working-dog breeds, but the Mannered Mutts team knows exactly what they're doing – you don't have to worry if your dog will be "too much" for them.


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Home / Archive / PAKISTAN CROSSED THE HOLY GRAIL MARK IN COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2022
PAKISTAN CROSSED THE HOLY GRAIL MARK IN COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2022
Archive, General Articles, JWT English, Sep 2022
PAKISTAN CROSSED THE HOLY GRAIL MARK IN
After 12 days of enthralling sporting action, the 22nd Commonwealth Games came to a close, on 8th of August, with a grand closing ceremony at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. The international event – held from 28th of July to 8th of August 2022 – remained majorly dominated by Australia as the Kangaroos claimed 178 medals including 67 gold, 57 silver and 54 bronze while the hosts England finished at the second position. Athletes from 72 countries contested in 12 disciplines including aquatics (swimming), athletics, para-athletics, boxing, badminton, gymnastics, hockey, judo, squash, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.
Pakistan managed to secure 18th position with eight medals: two gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, wearing strapping around his right arm, gave his country its first javelin gold with a Games record mark of 90.18 metres. He bowed out after winning a gold medal in record-setting fashion, ending a 56-year streak of not winning a medal in track and field. It is of great importance, it is unbelievable, against all odds, that Arshad, who entered the field without his coach and with an elbow taped due to injury, came out on top in a competition that included world champion Anderson Peters, former Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott and former Commonwealth Games champion Julius Yego. This is Pakistan's first athletics medal at the Games, and the country's first gold, in javelin since 1966, four years after Muhammad Nawaz won silver at the inaugural edition of the Games in 1954 and Jalal Khan in 1958 got the second position.
Arshad had high hopes of winning a medal at the Games and showed his dangerous ambitions with his first throw. He bettered his personal best three times that evening and threw 86.61 metres in his first attempt. A foul made no difference in his second attempt as Arshad once again improved on his best performance with a perfect 88m throw. However, at the end of each attempt, the 25-year-old would experience sharp pain, especially in his right elbow, which he has been suffering from since last year's Tokyo Olympics, where he finished fifth. He also finished in the same position in the recent World Championship. Arshad's fourth throw was just over the 85m mark but two rounds were still to go and the Pakistani star was in the lead. Before the final round, Arshad was finally overtaken by Peters with a throw of 88.64 and he started celebrating as if this throw would be enough for his victory but his joy was short-lived. Then, Arshad crossed the 'holy grail' mark of the sport with a throw of 90.18 metres, becoming only the second Asian, after Taiwan's Chao Soon Cheng (91.36 metres), to cross the mark. He also broke South African Marius Corbett's Games record of 88.75 metres which he had set in 1998. Peters, who won the gold medal with a throw of over 90 metres at the World Championships in Oregon, tried to overtake Arshad with his final throw but failed to do so, winning the silver medal with a throw of 85.70 metres. Kenya's Yago bagged the bronze.
Arshad Nadeem was born in my hometown Mian Channu, a small city in Khanewal District, and grew up in poverty as one of nine children of a daily-wager. His current and former coaches say he reached the top despite a lack of financial resources and government support. The athlete has urged the government to improve facilities, increase funding and invest in the wellbeing of players. He said, "If facilities are improved, I can perform well in the 2024 Olympics." Arshad trained with Terseus Liebenberg in South Africa for two months earlier this year, but he returned and continued his preparation in Lahore, where he did not even have a specialized gym but used Punjab University facilities along with his coach Salman Butt.
Arshad Nadeem's gold was Pakistan's second in Birmingham as the first one was won by Nooh Dastgir Butt. In a show of spectacular dominance, Nooh Butt claimed the first gold medal for Pakistan in the 22nd Commonwealth Games in the men's 109+ kg category. Nooh Butt was born on February 3, 1998, in Gujranwala. He belongs to a Kashmiri weightlifting family. His father Ghulam Dastgir Butt, who also participated in the international weightlifting events, himself coached Nooh and his brother Hanzala Dastgir Butt (weightlifter, who also participated in CWG 2022). The 24-year-old Pakistan powerhouse produced a stunning performance as the tightly-packed crowd roared his name. Butt, who was at his best, set heavier weight targets from the outset to lift gold with a combined record-breaking total of 405kg. In the snatch portion, he kicked off his participation in style by lifting 170kg in his first attempt with quite an ease. He set a new Games record when he lifted 173kg in the second lift. The lift was reviewed on video; however, the jury confirmed it legitimate. In his final attempt, Butt thought he had registered 175kg, but it was ruled a no lift. In Clean and Jerk, Butt lifted 225kg and 232kg and did not need to go for a third lift. New Zealand's David Andrew Liti remained runner-up to win silver for his effort of 394kg (170kg+224kg), while India's Gurdeep Singh secured bronze with a total lift of 390kg (167kg+223kg). Butt had earned a bronze medal in Gold Coast 2018 in what was then the 105+kg category for the heavyweights.
Besides these two gold medal-winners, Pakistani wrestlers remained the major contributor to the country's medal tally as Inam Butt, Zaman Anwar, and Sharif Tahir bagged a silver each. Wrestlers Inayatullah and Ali Asad managed to bag a bronze apiece, while Shah Hussain Shah claimed bronze in judo.
The writer is a PhD scholar (English Literature). He can be reached at hbz77@yahoo.com
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Next Best Book for Economics MCQs By Saba Asghar Bhutta
Dr Muhammad Mohiuddin
Listen to this article Dr Muhammad Mohiuddin Dr Mohiuddin received his MBBS (MD) degree from …

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Seymour — Breathing life into a 1970's icon
The Seymour Centre has a diverse audience and a varied program of performances and events all year round. In 2009 we re-branded the Seymour with the aim of putting the University of Sydney's performing arts centre back on the map.
Our brief was to establish a flexible and confident visual identity that captured the essence of the Seymour Centre and its offerings. The new identity embraced the 1970's brutalist architecture of the building and complimented this with a strong logo that would hold its own in the physical space and help it to stand out from other nearby arts venues.
All Sydney Film Festival ABC Arts Screen Producers Australia Arts NSW Campbelltown Arts Centre Social Ventures Australia Hardfacts Sydney Design Seymour Catalyst Death Book Sydney Christmas Don't DIS My Ability
Sydney Film Festival ABC Arts Screen Producers Australia Arts NSW Campbelltown Arts Centre Social Ventures Australia Hardfacts Sydney Design Seymour Catalyst Death Book Sydney Christmas Don't DIS My Ability


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Fru Skagerrak
Tuesday, Feb 26, 2019 8:00p -
47 Palmer St
https://www.passim.org/live-music/events/fru-skagerrak/
The music of Fru Skagerrak takes you on a journey through Scandinavia; from lowlands to mountains, from slow airs to lively polkas, in major and in minor, and everything in between. Fru Skagerrak- "Lady Skagerrak" – are three master musicians – one from each Scandinavian country: Maja Kjær Jacobsen from Denmark, Elise Wessel Hildrum from Norway and Anna Lindblad from Sweden.
In 2011, these three globetrotting musicians met for the first time at Tønder Festival, Denmark's biggest Folk Festival, in a roaring session that had engulfed the backstage bar. Through the mayhem of tunes you could feel a certain Scandinavian groove, and in that moment the connection between these three fiddlers was clear. After meeting at Tønder Festival for three consecutive years, Fru Skagerrak finally saw the light of day in August 2014.The trio brings together the diverse traditions from each of their homelands, which surround the Skagerrak strait. Through a repertoire of traditional tunes, new compositions, and songs in their respective languages, they express their kinship and love of their shared heritage. The result is an explosion of the sounds that exist in Scandinavian music today.
Fru Skagerrak is:
~ Anna Lindblad (Sweden): Fiddle, 5 -stringed fiddle and song
(also known from LYY (S), Folk All-in Band (SE))
~ Elise Wessel Hildrum (Norway): Fiddle, recorder, viola and song
(also in Gudbrandsdølenes Spelemannslag (NO))
~ Maja Kjær Jacobsen (Denmark): Fiddle and song
(also known from Maskineri, and Maja Kjær Jacobsen Kvartett)
26/02/2019 20:00:00 26/02/2019 22:00:00 15 Fru Skagerrak The music of Fru Skagerrak takes you on a journey through Scandinavia; from lowlands to mountains, from slow airs to lively polkas, in major and in minor, and everything in between. Fru Skagerrak- ... Club Passim, Cambridge, MA 02138 Organizer Organizer e-mail false DD/MM/YYYY Reddit


Now's the Time to Stock Up on Baby Clothes with Carter's Semi-Annual Big Baby Sale!
Carter's Semi Annual Big Baby Sale and Bump In to Win Sweepstakes!
This post is sponsored by Carter's; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
On Saturday, September 23rd you are going to be so grateful for those early risers in your life because it is the first day of Carter's Semi Annual Big Baby Sale! Carter's has been a go-to for my family for newborn and baby boy clothes since my son was born. I love their adorable outfits and everyday affordable prices! Their pajamas and coordinating outfit sets are my favorites! If you are a Carter's fan like we are in my family, then you won't want to miss what Carter's has in store for you on the first day of the sale!
On Saturday, September 23rd, you'll want to rise and shine with your early birds so you can get to your local Carter's store when it opens! If you are one of the first 25 people to visit any Carter's location when they open on Saturday, September 23rd, you will win! Carter's is offering $200,000 in amazing prizes from brands that any mom is sure to love such as Carter's, Huggies, and Tiny Prints! You could win up to a 1 year supply of Carter's Bodysuits OR Huggies Diapers, Wipes, and Little Swimmers! Other prizes include Carter's gift cards, Huggies products, and $20 to spend at Tiny Prints!
And no worries If you can't make it into the store first thing on the 23rd! Everyone who shops at Carter's on September 23rd or 24th will receive a FREE 8×8 photo book from Shutterfly on their purchase of $40 or more!
If you are not sure where your local Carter's store is or what time they open, be sure to go here to find the store nearest you! You will definitely not want to miss out on winning one of these prizes!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Bump In To Win Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 U.S., DC, U.S. territories and PR, 18 yrs. and older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes begins 9/23/17 on or about the time each Carter's Store opens on Saturday, 9/23/17 (visit www.carters.com/find-a- store to see Carter's Store locations and hours of operation) and ends on 9/23/17 at the time each Carter's Store closes on 9/23/17. For a copy of Official Rules visit the Customer Service Desk at a Carter's Store or visit www.carters.com/bumpintowinsweepstakes. Sweepstakes is sponsored by The William Carter Company, 3438 Peachtree Rd. NE, Ste. 1800, Atlanta, GA 30326. You can find the full rules located here.
Things 3-6 Month Old Babies Love!
Gift Options for Baby Showers + a Giveaway!
Carter's has always been one of my favorite baby clothing lines since I had my children. This looks like such an awesome sale!


Hybrid Cloud, MultiCloud or Hybrid Multicloud?
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Download this whitepaper and learn how the Dell Genomic Data Analysis Platform can accelerate discovery and insights through optimized infrastructure and support.


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Ex-SKC midfielder Paulo Nagamura named head coach of Swope Park Rangers
December 4, 20177:09PM EST
Sam StejskalContributor
Follow@ samstejskal
Former Sporting Kansas City midfielder Paulo Nagamura was named head coach of the club's USL side Swope Park Rangers on Monday.
Nagamura, who played for SKC from 2012 until he retired from his 12-year MLS playing career following the 2016 season, served as an assistant with Swope Park Rangers in 2017, helping the team to their second-straight Western Conference championship and appearance in the USL Cup final.
"It's an amazing feeling and a great honor to become the head coach of Swope Park Rangers," Nagamura said in a statement released by SKC. "I want to thank Sporting KC ownership, Peter Vermes and the entire organization for this opportunity. I will do everything I can to reach our objective of developing and preparing young players to make an impact on the first team."
"Paulo's transition from Sporting KC player to Swope Park Rangers assistant coach was seamless this year because he has a great understanding of our club culture and system of play," said SKC Manager Peter Vermes. "With his knowledge base and experience competing at the highest level, Paulo is well prepared to develop players well into the future as they progress along our professional pathway. This will make him an excellent head coach and mentor for young players as they grow within our club."
Nagamura will play an important role at Rangers in the development of SKC academy products as they look to bridge the gap from youth soccer to MLS. The 34-year-old Brazilian, who becomes the third-youngest active head coach in USL, recorded 252 regular season appearances and won two MLS Cup and three US Open Cup titles with SKC, LA Galaxy, Toronto FC and Chivas USA during his MLS career.


Tsunami alert in Japan after Chile earthquake!
After a powerful earthquake hit Chile on Wednesday, tsunami waves continued to navigate across the Pacific-Ocean instigating evacuations in Japan.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for the entire Pacific coast of Japan.
Although, a major tsunami is not anticipated, local officials have advised evacuation in a number of low-lying areas in the Pacific coast.
Atleast 20,000 people fall under the orders.
Ghastly earthquake rattles Chile, yet again!
Chile- An earthquake prone zone!
Chile, located in the continent of South-America is one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world.
Nazca tectonic-plate just off the coast of Chile plunges beneath the South-American plate, pushing the Andes-cordillera to higher altitudes, making it vulnerable.
Thereby, it lies in the Pacific "Ring of Fire"- an arc of fault-lines that circles the Pacific-basin which are prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanoes.
There have been repeated earthquakes in Chile since several centuries.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded on earth with magnitude of 9.5 was at Chile in 1960 that killed more than 5000 people.
In 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake ensuing tsunami struck South-Central Chile killing more than 500 people, destroying 220,000 homes and causing massive destruction to infrastructure.
Chile improved its alert-system post the earthquake.
The 2010 Chile earthquake released so much energy that it shortened the length of the earth's day by a fraction of second by changing the earth's rotation!
Sixth strongest earthquake in the history of Chile!
A terrifying earthquake of 8.3 magnitude hit Chile's coast, killing atleast 11 people, injuring 9 and destroying almost 526 homes.
The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth with the epicentre being 177 miles north of the capital city, Santiago and was felt more than 2100 miles away including Sao Paulo and Brazil.
It caused extensive damage to the city's main port.
Massive evacuation after Tsunami warning!
As the earthquake hit Chile, the authorities were forced to evacuate residents along the 2690 mile coast after tsunami warnings were issued.
The National Emergency Service of Chile ordered the immediate evacuation of the coasts well as the Easter-Island and the Archipelago Juan Fernandez.
The under-secretary of the interior, Mahmud Aleuy ratified that one million had been evacuated and 243,000 homes had lost electric-power.
Hours after the earthquake at Chile, tsunami waves upto 4.5 metres (15 feet) came gushing into Coquimbo region, 400 kilometres north of Santiago.
Waves of differing intensity hit parts of different cities as people moved from lower-ground to higher-ground on foot and vehicles.
The tsunami flooded many parts of Chile, causing extensive damage to the city-port, fishing-wharf and a lot of area in downtown.
US President Barrack Obama awarded the prestigious National Humanities Medal to American-Indian writer, Jhumpa Lahiri at the East-room of the White-House in the U.S.


There are two methods, it seems to me, of approaching this strange business of the Pale Horse. In spite of the dictum of the White King, it is difficult to achieve simplicity. One cannot, that is to say, "Begin at the beginning, go on to the end, and then stop." For where is the beginning?
suggestion about it. Perhaps, I reflected, most of our contemporary noises carry that implication. The intimidating angry scream of jet planes as they flash across the sky, the slow menacing rumble of a tube train approaching through its tunnel; the heavy road transport that shakes the very foundations of your house… even the minor domestic noises of today, beneficial in action though they may be, yet carry a kind of alert. The dishwashers, the refrigerators, the pressure cookers, the whining vacuum cleaners. "Be careful," they all seem to say. "I am a genie harnessed to your service, but if your control of me fails…"
A dangerous world — that was it, a dangerous world.
I stirred the foaming cup placed in front of me. It smelled pleasant. "What else will you have? Nice banana and bacon sandwich?"
It seemed an odd juxtaposition to me. Bananas I connected with my childhood — or occasionally flambé with sugar and rum. Bacon, in my mind, was firmly associated with eggs. However, when in Chelsea, eat as Chelsea does. I agreed to a nice banana and bacon sandwich.
Mogul architecture, Mogul emperors, the Mogul way of life — and all the fascinating problems it raised, became suddenly as dust and ashes. What did they matter? Why did I want to write about them?
I flicked back various pages, rereading what I had written. It all seemed to me uniformly bad — poorly written and singularly devoid of interest. Whoever had said "History is bunk" (Henry Ford?) had been absolutely right.
I pushed back my manuscript with loathing, got up and looked at my watch. The time was close on eleven p.m. I tried to remember if I had had dinner. From my inner sensations I thought not. Lunch, yes, at the Athenaeum. That was a long time ago.


Paul Fansler, the owner of Intrigue Custom Homes and Fanco Construction Inc, has been in the residential and commercial industry for over 20 years. His many years of experience in the home building industry has given him the expertise to build a superior home. Give Paul a call for help building your dream home.
Licensed architect. I design any project that you may have. I also can do structural assessments and design.
While each member of our team plays a different role in the journey building a custom home, we all have a common goal; to build a home our team and our customer will be proud of. To support that goal we continue to expand and improve our processes. Processes that promote constructive collaboration, encourage creativity, and streamline communication. It begins with careful attention to home site analysis and home plan design. We can assist with feasibility of a proposed home site and create a plan to fit that site perfectly. Or, start with the perfect home plan and locate the home site that best fits the needs of the plan. Either way, rely on our expertise to seek and discover crucial information that should be known long before construction starts. Once a home site is identified and your home plan is drafted the fun part begins! Our team will coordinate appointments, conduct research and guide you through the process of fine-tuning details and selecting finish materials. Together we will collaborate with interior designers, and our team craftsmen to piece together what will be your new home. Enjoy the ride! Allow our experience coupled with our desire to incorporate fresh ideas and elements to create a home that is as unique and authentic as you are! From home site analysis to construction and closing, with the Devoted team you will witness a house, becoming a home. A shelter and sanctuary where your family will grow and thrive. The haven where memories will be made and revisited time and again.


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We are watching you!
Ever feel like somebody's watching you? They could be, from millions, if not billions, of miles away. Do Aliens exist? This question has baffled humans ever since prehistoric man noticed the bright stars in our sky. Thousands of paranormal sightings have been recorded on video since then, with many conspiracy theories about the infamous Roswell and fictional films such as E.T and Alien generating much interest among UFO hunters.
"The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space." ― Carl Sagan. Our universe is both ancient and vast, and expanding out farther and faster every day. This accelerating universe, the dark energy that seems to be behind it, and other puzzles like the exact nature of the Big Bang and the early evolution of the universe are among the great puzzles of cosmology.
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see. Albert Einstein
Dr Michio Kaku
Michio Kaku on the Fermi paradox
Where are the Aliens?
The Fermi paradox, or Fermi's paradox, named after physicist Enrico Fermi, is the apparent contradiction between the lack of evidence and high probability estimates for the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations.
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Michio Kaku talks about Singularity.
An evening with Dr Michio Kaku.
"The World in 2030" by Dr. Michio Kaku.
Dr Michio Kaku Sydney 2014. With the help of THINK INC. he visited Australia.
The SETI Institute's Jill Tarter makes her TED Prize wish .
Using a growing array of radio telescopes, she and her team listen for patterns that may be a sign of intelligence elsewhere in the universe.
Seth Shostak is an astronomer and a alien hunter.
SETI researcher Seth Shostak bets that we will find extraterrestrial life in the next twenty-four years, or he'll buy you a cup of coffee.
Aubrey de Grey is a British researcher on aging.
Aubrey de Grey argues that aging is merely a disease -- and a curable one at that. Humans age in seven basic ways, he says, all of which can be averted.
Oxford professor Richard Dawkins presents a series of lectures on life.
With brilliance and clarity, Oxford professor Richard Dawkins unravels an educational gem that will mesmerize young and old alike.
Prof Lawrence Krauss
Prof Krauss on Aliens
Why aren't Aliens Already Here?
The universe is so vast, yet we don't see any alien civilizations. If they exist, where are they? It seems tremendously wasteful to have stars shining. When you think about the sheer amount of energy they're releasing, that seems like it's a total waste.
Award-winning theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss - Why are we here....
Award-winning theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss - The gratest story ever told....
Join Biologist Richard Dawkins and theoreticus Lawrence Krauss.
Richard Dawkins, J. Venter, Sidney Altman and L. Hartwell, C. McKay, P. Davies, Lawrence Krauss.
Lawrence Krauss on science and the origins of the universe.
Lawrence Krauss on science and the beginnings of time.
Latest Science News
SpaceX gears up for next Starlink satellite megaconstellation launch with rocket test SpaceX gears up for next Starlink satellite megaconstellation launch with rocket test paceX has fired up the rocket booster that will ferry the company's fourth batch of Starlink satellites into space.
Source: Space.com
Space.com | Jan 21, 2020 | 12:09 pm
After an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, volcanic eruption may have helped life flourish on Earth After an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, volcanic eruption may have helped life flourish on Earth A massive meteorite impact and extreme volcanic activity occurred around the same time that Earth's large dinosaurs went extinct. But, did the volcanic activity play a role in the mass extinction, or did it actually help new life to flourish?
Can the Universe Provide Us with the Meaning of Life? Can the Universe Provide Us with the Meaning of Life? Astronomy and space exploration might offer a new perspective on our purpose in the cosmos-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Source: More Science from Scientific American
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How the Fight over a Hawaii Mega-Telescope Could Change Astronomy How the Fight over a Hawaii Mega-Telescope Could Change Astronomy Thirty Meter Telescope controversy is forcing scientists to grapple with how their research affects Indigenous peoples-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Billions of quantum entangled electrons found in 'strange metal' Billions of quantum entangled electrons found in 'strange metal' Physicists have observed quantum entanglement among 'billions of billions' of flowing electrons in a quantum critical material. The research provides the strongest direct evidence to date of entanglement's role in bringing about quantum criticality.
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Mosquitoes engineered to repel dengue virus Mosquitoes engineered to repel dengue virus Scientists have synthetically engineered mosquitoes that halt the transmission of the dengue virus. Biologists developed a human antibody for dengue suppression in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the insects that spread dengue. The development marks the first engineered approach in mosquitoes that[…]
If there is life out there, it probably doesn't look anything like us. However, if a planet has the capacity to create and sustain life – whether as bacteria or as little green men – it is fairly certain that, like ourselves and other life forms on our own planet, alien life forms have evolved to survive and prosper in that environment. Just for fun, take the tests below to see if you can imagine what kinds of beings might live on the four planetary environments suggested. By clicking and dragging each one, take items from the pool of possible body parts, and attach them to the blank alien's head, bearing in mind the conditions on each planet, and – build your own alien.
Biologist Richard Dawkins makes a case for "thinking the improbable" by looking at how the human frame of reference limits our understanding of the universe. Oxford professor Richard Dawkins has helped steer evolutionary science into the 21st century, and his concept of the "meme" contextualized the spread of ideas in the information age. In recent years, his devastating critique of religion has made him a leading figure in the New Atheism. "Dawkins ... is a master of scientific exposition and synthesis. When it comes to his own specialty, evolutionary biology, there is none better." — Jim Holt, The New York Times
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Out of the ordinary, out of this world..., visit the new Hubble site.
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"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. ~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet."


Importance of including all pregnancy outcomes to reduce bias in epidemiologic studies of neural tube defects-Texas, 1999 to 2005.
BACKGROUND: Neural tube defects (NTDs) often result in fetal death or elective termination; therefore, not all cases are captured in typical hospital-based surveillance. We examined sociodemographic differences among pregnancy outcomes to assess sources of bias in NTD surveillance and research. METHODS: We used 1999 to 2005 Texas Birth Defects Registry data, a population-based active surveillance system, and calculated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs). We then assessed the association of anencephaly and spina bifida with the selected characteristics, stratified by pregnancy outcomes (fetal death, elective termination, or live birth). RESULTS: Data were available for 1852 NTD cases (anencephaly, 677; spina bifida, 954; and encephalocele, 221), resulting in 1211 live births, 236 fetal deaths, and 405 elective terminations. For both anencephaly and spina bifida, a significant excess of Hispanic mothers was observed among live-birth cases (aPRs = 1.2-2.4), but not among mothers experiencing other pregnancy outcomes. Mothers of anencephaly cases resulting in a non-live birth were more likely to be adolescents (aPRs = 2.4-2.7 for ages <20 years old vs. ages 25-29 years old), but this pattern was not observed for live-birth cases. A trend of increasing anencephaly risk with increasing parity was demonstrated only among fetal-death cases. For spina bifida, mothers of fetal-death (but not live-birth) cases were less likely to live along the Texas-Mexico border (aPR = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS: Demographic differences across NTD pregnancy outcomes exist and are a potential source of bias. Inclusion of all pregnancy outcomes in NTD surveillance is vital in NTD monitoring and research. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
17597967 - Use of fetal electrocardiogram for intrapartum monitoring.
18410937 - Prevention of recurrent adnexal torsion.
Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Assigned to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas. svp2@cdc.gov, sepryn@hotmail.com.
Next Document: Dynamics of Polycomb and Trithorax activities during development.


text:
The Marshall Tucker Band At The Belly Up Tavern
WHEN Thursday, May 22, 2014 at 7 p.m.
On Thursday, May 22, The Marshall Tucker Band will preform with Moonalice at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. Featuring the mix of Blues, Jazz, Country, and Rock, these two bands will be sure to entertain the night away!
About The Marshall Tucker Band: Years of rigorous touring schedules earned The Marshall Tucker Band the respect of critics and countless dedicated fans. With hit singles like "Heard It In a Love Song," "Fire On The Mountain," "Can't You See" and "Take The Highway," The Marshall Tucker Band earned seven gold and three platinum albums during their time on the Capricorn Records label. During the '90s, MTB scored four hit singles on Billboard's country chart and one on Billboard's gospel chart.
About Moonalice: Moonalice is a band of seasoned musicians who feel that live music should be a communal experience where the listener and musicians feed and derive inspiration from each other. Their songs try to speak to everyone, mixing a variety of genres with extended musical improvisations that evoke a sense of adventure and exploration.
For questions, or more information, please visit www.bellyup.com.
Please note: Although the doors will open at 7:00 p.m., the show will commence at 7:30 p.m.
Price: $38 adv / $40 day of / $67 reserved
Location: The Belly Up Tavern 143 South Cedros Avenue Solana Beach, CA 92075 Google Map
Glimpse of The Marshall Tucker Band:
Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Content can be viewed at actual source page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNSzKPa96vQ&feature=share&list=PL2D76002E0AC2C348
Glimpse of Moonalice:
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Visit Moonalice on Facebook
Visit Marshall Tucker Band on Facebook


text:
Q: what is a RoR best practice? match by id or different column? I had a terrible morning.  Lots of emails floating around about why things don't work.  Upon investigating I found that there is a data mismatch which is causing errors.
Scenario
Customer and Address are two tables.
Customer contains
class Customer < ActiveRecord::Base
    has_one :address, :foreign_key => "id"
end

Address Contains
class Address < ActiveRecord::Base
    belongs_to :customer, :foreign_key => "cid"
end

So the two tables match on id which is the default and that column is auto incremented.
Problem
on the edit Page we have some code like this.
params[:line1] = @customer.first.address.line1

It fails because no matching record is found for a customer in the address table.  I don't know why this is happening. It seems that over time a lot of records did not get added to Address table.  Now problem is that when a new Customer is added (say with id 500) the Address will be added with some other id (say 425) ...now you don't know which address belongs to which customer.
Question
Being new to Rails, I am asking whether it is always considered good to create an extra column for joining of the records, rather than depending on the column that is automatically incremented?  If I had a seperate column in Address table where I would manually insert the recently added customers id then this issue would not have come up.

A: That has_one-belongs_to relationship should result in the "belonging" model having the key of the "having" model. Or, in other words, the :foreign_key clause should be the same in both models.
If I have these:
class Customer < ActiveRecord::Base
  has_one :address, :foreign_key => 'cid' # note foreign_key same as in Address
end
class Address < ActiveRecord::Base
  belongs_to :customer, :foreign_key => 'cid' # note foreign_key same as in Customer
end

then I can do this:
>> cust = Customer.create(:name=>'Mr Custard')
+----+------------+
| id | name       |
+----+------------+
| 1  | Mr Custard |
+----+------------+
1 row in set
>> add = cust.create_address(:line_1 => '42 Some Street', :line_2 => 'Some where')
+----+-----+----------------+------------+
| id | cid | line_1         | line_2     |
+----+-----+----------------+------------+
| 1  | 1   | 42 Some Street | Some where |
+----+-----+----------------+------------+
1 row in set

checking:
>> Customer.first.address
+----+-----+----------------+------------+
| id | cid | line_1         | line_2     |
+----+-----+----------------+------------+
| 1  | 1   | 42 Some Street | Some where |
+----+-----+----------------+------------+
1 row in set
>> Address.first.customer
+----+------------+
| id | name       |
+----+------------+
| 1  | Mr Custard |
+----+------------+

and my database looks like this:
sqlite> select * from customers;
1|Mr Custard
sqlite> select * from addresses;
1|1|42 Some Street|Some where

(the nice table output for ActiveRecord results comes from Hirb, by the way)

A: The Rails' convention is for each table to have an auto-incrementing integer primary key column named id and additionally—in your example—for the addresses table to have a non auto-incrementing integer foreign key column named customer_id. As the name implies, this holds the primary key value from the associated record in the customers table.
If you follow these rules then there's no need to specify a :foreign_key option on the associations.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Featured horror articles and scary stories
1 4 5 7 8 A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W
Ph Pr Pu
Phantom War Part 1: The Creatures
Featured Indie Horror Creation Indie horror writers Short Horror Stories
Post author By ezekiel kincaid
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For Bethany. You were worth the fight.
The cool, autumn night brought with it the presence of uneasiness and uncertainty. The full moon hung high in the air like a stationary spotlight–a beacon guiding the two lovers with its gravitational force. It pulled the two together in ebb and flow; in high and low, just as it did the tides of the seas and oceans.
The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings stood atop the mountain. Her shadow draped across the valley under the gleam of the moon like a black sheet. She breathed in the crisp, night air then exhaled.
"Dear God," she prayed. "Please bring him safely to me. Let not my lover stumble nor let fear be found in his valiant heart."
Her thoughts were on The Man with Hazel Eyes and Broken White Wings. She knew it would take him longer to find her since he could no longer fly. He was now down in the valley, obscured by the curtain of her stretching shadow. He heart pounded deep in her chest and perspiration formed on her forehead. She knew what things were awakened in the valley when the full moon stepped onto the stage of the night sky.
The Girl had seen the Creatures in her dreams and heard their whaling. She had visions of the Demons and had seen their teeth. She had premonitions of the Monsters and trembled at the energy they gave off.
"Dear God," she prayed again. "I hope he remembered the protective amulet. And may he be strapped with his steel and prepared for battle."
She had given The Man a protective amulet when they first met. It was a black cross crafted from jet stone. She knew deep within her heart and soul the Man would need it one day. She never thought today would be the day.
She also knew The Man was wise and would not enter the Valley without its protection nor the comfort of his steel. Nevertheless, her heart feared his journey. So, under the glow of the night's sun, she awaited her lover.
The Man with Hazel Eyes and Broken White Wings traveled through the Valley under the shadow of the Girl. His thoughts jumped from her to his Guardian Creator. His ears were attentive to every sound. His nose picked up on a rancid scent.
In the Realms of the Phantoms both good and evil had a smell. The Good gave off a clean fragrance of fresh linen and sunflowers. The Evil stunk of rotting flesh and sulfur.
The Man knew if he could smell the entities of the night, then they could smell him as well. It would only be a matter of moments before they would pick up on his scent. When they did, they would awaken and seek to spill his blood.
He looked up from the Valley and saw the trees. He peered through the twisted fingers of the leafless branches at the moon and thought of her again–The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings. He had to get to her. Their very lives depended on it.
A shuffling in the rocky sand of the Valley drew his mind away from her. His hand moved with a swift motion and gripped the hilt of his steel, which rested in his waistband. The noise ascended. It grew closer and louder.
And then he saw them in the moonlight.
These weren't the foes he expected to see first. From the tales of the few survivors to make it through the Valley, the Creatures were the last to face.
The Man drew his steel then gripped his cross amulet. "Dear God," he prayed. "Let my feet be swift and my blows deadly." He let go of the cross and held his sword with both hands.
A massive, churning clod of serpent-like creatures raced towards him. In the light of the moon, the reflection of their scales resembled all the colors of the rainbow. Their tales were as scorpions and they had no face.
These were the Mind Serpents. They were beasts of such negative, psychic power, they were able to enter the mind of a man and make him go insane. Doubt, depression, and self-loathing would take over. Once the Creatures had a man paralyzed by his own self pity and sunken into the hatred of his own soul, they would strike with their tails.
The venom would work as a mind toxin and make a man take their thoughts as his own. Once this happened, a man would, in a fit of insanity, run his blade through his own heart.
Legend had it that the number of the serpents represented the threat the warrior posed. A man of normal courage would face one. A brave man, two, and a courageous man, three. Never had there been tales of more than this.
The Man counted the faceless heads as they approached.
There were five.
The Man swallowed hard and felt the finger of fear tickle at his heart. He swiped it away and prepared himself for war.
The Creatures were within twenty yards when they launched their psychic attack. The mind fuck was the most insidious sensation The Man had ever experienced.
He always thought he was mentally strong, but now he felt himself in a tornado of negative thoughts and emotions. He dropped his blade and fell to his knees. He placed his hands over his bleeding ears and screamed.
"Jesus! God! Make them stop!" Spittle flew from his lips and the tendons in his neck stretched as a flesh covered harp.
The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings gasped as she heard the screams of her lover echo through the Valley. She ran towards The Willow Tree at the edge of the cliff. She parted the curtain of its hanging branches and placed one hand on her bosom and one hand on the trunk of the tree. Her eyes searched in desperation for The Man but he could not see through the shield of darkness in the Valley.
"Please, my angel. Please be all right," she said between heavy breaths.
The Man continued his screams and the serpents encircled him. They churned and twisted, running their bodies over his stomach and shoulders.
In his mind, The Man saw visions of great sorrow, pain, and loss. He saw all Abaddon had taken from him and his heart grew faint.
"I am no warrior," The Man thought. "I am no fighter. I am only a failed savior with broken wings. I am a coward frozen by terror and self pity."
Further and further his mind spiraled down into an abyss of nothingness.
But there was something different about The Man the serpents were not prepared for; something no man in the Valley ever had…
As The Man reached the bottom of the pit of his mind, he found a Phoenix waiting for him.
"Who are you," The Man asked.
"I am you," the Phoenix said.
"I am no Phoenix," he said. "I am but a wasted angel with useless wings and a coward's heart."
The Phoenix flapped its wings and engulfed The Man in waves of fire. "No," it said. "You are thunder and lightening. You are a burning ember and a flash of fire!"
The Phoenix took flight and extended its talons. The bird gripped The Man by the shoulders and began to fly him out of the abyss. The grip of the Phoenix burned and brought a sense of mental sobriety to The Man. The two ascended higher and higher, causing all the dark thoughts to dissipate.
The Man now saw who he really was. Though he had broken wings, he was a warrior. He was more courageous than all his peers and the most noble knight to ever step foot into the Valley. He was a man of abounding love. A man of resilience and perseverance. A man loved by God and The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings.
The Man was jolted back into consciousness. A stinger from one of the serpents was whizzing through the air at him. He ducked and rolled away, then knelt and fetched his steel.
The serpents lashed and coiled in anger and confusion. The Man saw their hesitation and struck. With the rage of a wild beast, his sword followed the lead of his hands as a bridled horse. He chopped off one head, followed by another. Sprays of rainbow colored blood misted from the serpents as their bodies flopped on the road of the Valley.
He finished off the rest of the serpents in the same manner. Their bodies seized and their rainbow life seed drained from their bodies. The Man was soaked in the multicolored blood and pools of it puddled around his feet.
"Oh God, the smell," The Man said and his his nose in the gape of his arm. He gagged a few times then dry heaved.
After he composed himself, The Man gathered the faceless serpent heads and ran them through with his blade. His piercing left holes at both ends of the heads. He wiped his sword on one of their lifeless bodies, then returned it to its sheath. He removed his backpack and retrieved his rope. He then slid the rope through the heads and tied it off at each end into a giant necklace.
The Man clenched his trophy and raised it towards the night sky.
"Abaddon," he yelled. "Heaven knows no fury like a warrior's blade!"
He lowered his prize and continued his journey. The necklace of heads crackled as he dragged them through the rocky soil of the Valley.
"Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings," he called out. "I am coming for you. As I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, it shall fear my evil!"
The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings heard the voice of her lover ascend from the Valley to her ears. She stepped away from the cliff and rested her back against The Willow Tree. She slid down and sat, relieved.
"I know you are coming, angel," she said. She breathed deep and exhaled as she awaited him to face his next challenge.
Phantom War Part 2: The Monsters
Featured Indie Horror Indie Horror Creation Indie horror writers Short Horror Stories
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For Bethany. You were worth the fight
The deeper into the Valley The Man journeyed the darker it grew. The wind hummed like a locomotive as it pressed against his body. The gust was so powerful it blew and dust into his eyes, further decaying his already obscured vision. He draped his arm over his face and walked with slow, calculated steps.
The Man wondered what abominations awaited him next. Things were already going against the normal routine of the Valley, and a sense of uneasiness suffocated his heart. He reflected on this so-called "order of the Valley" and came to a startling revelation: order was only an attribute and function of Creator God. The Valley was pure evil, and pure evil was always chaotic. There was no order in the Valley, nor was there an order to which satanic brood would attack next. The Valley was pure and adulterated chaos. In the Valley, chaos was king.
The wind slowed its breathing and The Man was able to see again. The moon no longer resembled a lantern in the fog but hung in the sky as the ruler of the night. He stared up at the trees atop the Valley. He swore by God he saw them move.
"But there is no more wind," he mumbled to himself. He assumed he still had dust in his eyes, so he fetched the water pouch at his side and rinsed them. He blinked numerous times until his vision was clear. He set his sight on the other side of the Valley and saw several branches ripple then disappear.
"It must be them," The Man whispered and recalled the tales of The Monsters.
These entities were covered in tentacles and there were two types. One species had a spiral body with a black hole in the center. They had no sense of sight but the hole operated as a center for heightened hearing. Their bodies were laced with branch-like tentacles.
The second species had no sight either and the same type of black hole in the center, equipped with the same hyper-sensative hearing. The core of these monsters was shaped like a lily. Their tentacles were more soft and fluid, as string blowing in the wind.
The goal of The Monsters was to wrap their tentacles around each person's body parts and rip them off with one, powerful yank. A normal man would be lucky to be maimed by only one. A brave man might make it past them with only missing toes, fingers, and an arm. But this man would soon pass out and die from lack of blood or shock. The Man with Hazel Eyes and Broken White Wings was positive there were two hunting him down. One from the east side of the Valley and one from the west.
The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black wings had heard the roaring of the wind when it rushed through the Valley and wondered how The Man was fairing against the elements. She had heard no screams so she was confident her beloved was still alive and making his way to her. The Girl's nerves still danced and spun like ballerinas on stage despite her confidence. She knew there was nothing she could do but be patient, so she prayed for The Man to survive and find his way to her.
The Girl wished her angel still had his wings, then he would not have to journey through the treacherous Valley. Rather, he could have flown, like her, to their Willow Tree. They could now be making love under it as in the days before his wings were destroyed.
She reflected on the times when his wings were whole.
"Oh, my angel," she said. "I remember when you would fly and meet me here and wrap those wings around me. You made me feel so safe." She reached for a branch on the tree and caressed it with her hand. She slid the leaves between her fingers and felt them tickle her skin.
"Those were enchanting days, my angel," she said, staring out over the Valley. "The days of ease. The days before Abaddon came."
It was only one week ago before the satanic beast wreaked havoc on their village. She remembered the day with the utmost clarity. She was kissing her beloved in the field outside the city walls when something blacked out the sun.
The two broke their kiss and gazed upwards. A beast of ungodly size hovered in the sky above them. The thing was as black as total darkness and its wingspan was so wide, it seemed to touch the clouds. Its body was covered in hair and primate-like. It had the head of a goat and the mouth of a dragon. Its horns were long and prominent.
The Man and The Girl stared in awe at the dragon. Its wings flapped and its mouth let out a deafening, apish roar. The two recoiled at the sound as trepidation found its way into the marrow of their bones.
The Girl broke their trance and said, "Dear God, it is heading…"
"Towards the village," The Man finished for her.
The Man looked at The Girl with wide eyes and grabbed her arm with a firm grip.
His hazel eyes were the most intense and fearful they had ever been.
"Fly with haste to the village," he had said. "I will go after the beast."
The Girl stood frozen, as if her feet were cemented to the ground and as if her wings were weighted down by bricks. She didn't think she could find the courage to move. However, she found herself nodding in agreement to his command. By the grace of Creator God, her wings flapped and she took flight.
The Man watched to make sure the dragon did not turn his attention to The Girl. When he saw she was in the clear, his feet left the ground and he went in pursuit of the beast.
The speed at which the dragon had flown was like none The Man had ever encountered. Each flap of its wings seemed to thrust it ahead one hundred yards. He clenched his fist, gnashed his teeth, and flew faster. Perspiration soaked his body and his muscles locked in knotted balls. The Man had flown so hard, for the first time in his life, some feathers dislodged from his wings. They swirled around him then made a slow descent to the ground.
The dragon neared the village.
The Man looked on. His face contorted and his brow furrowed. "Damn these fucking wings," he had shouted. "Go faster!" He dug down deep into his being to find more power to exert towards his wings but he could not fly any faster. "God damn these useless wings!"
The Man glanced down to see if he could locate The Girl. He didn't see her anywhere near the village. He tucked his head to look behind him. She trailed The Man by several hundred yards. The Man knew if he did not gain on the beast, there would be no village left to spare. His children were there and so were The Girl's.
The dragon picked up seed. The village loomed closer. The Man watched on helpless.
The dragon was now in range of the village. It opened its mouth and flashes of fire exploded forth. The humble stick and hay houses evaporated into flames. Screams from the burning victims ascended into the sky and reached The Man's ears.
"Cormac! Doriann!" The Man screamed his children's names as he drew closer to the village.
Everything was engulfed in flames. The dragon was gone just as fast as he came, leaving behind him a path of smoke and fire.
The Man ascended into the chaos. The heat from the fire pressed against his skin like hot irons. The smoke clouded his vision and filled his lungs. He stumbled around in the inferno, calling his children's names as well as The Girl's between coughs and gasps of air.
"Cormac! Doriann! Ewing! Duncan!" The Man could not get his bearings and had no idea where in the city he was. He was about to pass out when he felt arms grasp around him. He watched as he ascended from the firestorm and the burning village grew smaller in his sight.
The Girl had rescued him before he passed out and was consumed by the flames.
The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings tried to push the remaining thoughts out of her mind but found herself powerless against their deluge. The next memories broke her heart and brought tears to her eyes.
She remembered sitting with The Man outside the village as the burning embers still smoked. She watched him rise to his feet and enter the village. She had followed him at a distance, not wanting to see what she knew awaited her–the dead and charcoaled bodies of their children.
The next image in her mind? It was The Man rummaging through his home which was nothing more than a pile of ashes. He found Cormac and Doriann, his seven year old boy-girl twins. He scooped their bodies from the ash heap and held them in his arm, one against each shoulder. Their skin was black and flakey and their hair was burned off. He staggered a few yards then fell to his knees in anguish. He plopped their dead bodies to the ground, then lifted his head to the heavens.
"God! Why! They were my babies! They were innocent!" He gazed at the girl. His face was littered with disappointment and confusion. "I..I..couldn't save them." He ran his finger through his long brown hair and gripped it tight. Through tears he cried, "Damn these wings! I couldn't get here in time. If only I was…" His voice faded to a whisper. "…faster…If only…faster." He locked eyes with The Girl again. "I failed us. I failed them. I failed you."
They buried their children outside of the village then flew to the mountain where the Willow Tree sat. The Girl sat next to The Man under the tree. They didn't speak. She rubbed his back as he breathed heavy breaths. She understood. Her heart broke and she weeped with him over the death of their children and the death of the life they had dreamed about.
Then the unthinkable happened. The Man jumped to his feet.
"What? Where are you going," The Girl had asked.
The Man answered her not. He took off running full speed to the rocky side of the mountain. The Girl cringed as The Man slammed his back to the mountain. She heard the bones in one of his wings crunch as he let out a laugh filled with pain and anger. The Girl leaped to her feet.
"Stop! What are you doing," she had said.
"Damn!"
Smash.
"These!"
Crunch.
"Fucking!"
Shatter.
The Man's wings hung broken and mangled from his back. He reached around in a fit of rage and ripped feathers from his wings.
The Girl sprinted over to him. "Stop this madness," she had yelled. "What are you doing!"
The Man paused and glared at her. "Step away from me, woman. Do not interfere."
The Girl backed away. Her eyes were heavy and her face, fallen. She watched in agony and heartbreak as The Man slammed his back into the side of the mountain until his wings were a featherless mush.
A shriek jolted her from her memories. "My beloved," she gasped and eased over closer to the cliff.
The Man with Hazel Eyes and Broken White Wings saw The Monsters rushing down the side of the mountain towards him. They let out an awful sound as they prepared to attack. Their tentacles stuck like lightning and wrapped around The Man's legs. They pulled hard and The Man fell on his backside. Sword in hand, he rolled onto his stomach and tried to scurry away. The Monsters yanked with more force each in the opposite direction. They spread his legs and The Man could feel the muscles in his legs and groin being stretched to oblivion.
The Monsters whipped their tentacles and flipped The Man over. Survival instincts took over and The Man hacked away at the tentacles with his steel. Orange blood spewed from the wounds and he axed away at them as if he were chopping down a tree. The tentacles severed and The Monsters withdrew them with howls of pain.
The Man unwrapped himself from the severed limbs and flung them aside. He leaped to his feet and gripped his sword with both hands. The Monsters circled him and waved their tentacles in the air with wild motions. The Man's eyes darted back and forth, trying to gauge the motion of each movement.
Another appendage struck. This one wrapped around his waist. He then felt a tightness around his neck as one began to choke the life from him. There was a snap as one of his ribs broke. His brain was being depleted from oxygen and his vision became blurry. His consciousness was fading and his legs were weak. His strength was being dried out like a potsherd in the desert sun.
In his mind he saw The Girl. They were standing in a field. Her blonde hair glistened under the summer sun. She wore a white dress and had a crown of flowers in her hair. She was smiling up at him and laughing. He could feel his arms around him, pulling him in for a kiss. As their faces met, hers evaporated. He now stared into the black hole of one of the Monsters. With the last bit of consciousness in his grip, The Man raised his arms and made a thrusting motion with his sword. The blade sank deep into the hole of The Monster.
The relief was immediate. The tentacled loosened from his neck and the bleating screams of the Monster brought him back to reality. He withdrew his blade and was then covered in a shower of orange blood. The Monster's tentacles went limp and it fell to the ground dead.
Pain surged through The Man's middle as the other Monster squeezed tighter. Another rib snapped.
"Shit," The Man yelled. An appendage was now wrapped around his free hand. He hacked away in fury at both of them.
The two tentacles bled and pulled back. The Monster paused and The Man took his opportunity. He drew his sword back and sprinted forward. He extended his arms and struck the Monster in its black hole. He twisted the blade back and forth and made a circling motion. Blood seeped from the wound and the Monster twitched. The Man withdrew his steel and the Monster hit the ground. The Man raised his sword over his head to strike but the pain in his ribs stopped him. He decided to let the thing suffer as its life ebbed away.
As the Monster died, the man sliced away on one of the tentacles. He took a piece about two feet long and pierced it through. He grabbed his necklace of heads from the ground and untied it. He placed his sword in its sheath and slipped the tentacle on to add to his trophy. With one hand he held his ribs and with the other dragged the necklace behind him.
"My darling," The Man called. "I am hurt but I am victorious!" A sharp pain dug into his side as he yelled. He winced and hoped his beloved heard him.
The Girl heard the cry of The Man and her eyes filled with tears of joy. "Oh angel, please take care of yourself. God, please strengthen him in his pain."
"Abaddon," The Man whispered. "Your head will be the pendant on my necklace of retribution."
Tags epic, horror, horror fantasy, horror story
Phantom War Part 3: The Demons
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Part Three: The Demons
The Man took deep, heavy breaths and held his ribs. His side screamed with agony and every breath felt as if he was being stabbed with a dagger. His face grimaced in pain yet his heart soared with determination. Each aching step brought him close to Abaddon; closer to vengeance, and closer to The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings.
The road in the Valley narrowed. Before The Man stood the entrance to a forest. He eased his hand away from his throbbing side and stood erect. He narrowed his eyes and the determination in his heart was expressed on his face.
"The Forest of Lost Hope," The Man whispered and stared at the trees. The leaves on the branches were no leaves at all. Rather, they were shards of human flesh. A crisp breeze blew through the forest and made the skin dance. Patches of the anthropomorphic coverings dropped to the ground. The Man picked one up and examined it. He recalled a passage from The Book of Abaddon:
"If a warrior is of skill to have made it to The Forest of Lost Hope, it would bid him well to take heed before entering. It is required that a man make deep examination of his heart and soul before he enters. A pure heart and unwavering faith are required to conquer the dark spirits who lie deep within the forest. The Demons are unmerciful mercenaries of Abaddon who will strike at any weakness. The man of sincere heart who enters this realm should also remember that it would do him well to cover himself with the flesh which hangs on the trees. If his heart is pure, he will absorb the strength of the flesh of those who went before him and none of their weaknesses. However, if he is a double souled man, he will absorb none of their strength and all of their weaknesses, thus assuring himself both defeat and death."
The Man knelt at the edge of the forest and fixed his mind on Creator God. "My Lord," he prayed. "By thine Spirit, search my heart and see if there is any wicked way in me. Cleanse me by Thy blood from my sins. Make me whole in Thine eyes. Let my faith in you soar as on the wings of an eagle and let my doubts be annihilated by the power of Thine right hand. Let not fear enter into my heart but guard it as Thine own."
The Man sat in silence as he drew in strength from his God. With assurance in his soul, he rose to his feet. Though she could not hear him, he spoke to The Girl. "My darling, our God has brought us thus far, and He will not fail us now. Into the forest I will go, and victorious I will emerge."
The Man reached up and removed a patch of skin from a branch at the edge of the forest. He placed it on his face. Within moments he felt the blood bond to his skin. He proceeded to cover the rest of his face and the exposed portions of his arms and legs. He imagined what he must look like–a patchwork of skin hanging on skin. A brutish amalgamation of human flesh which would give nightmares to young children. But the only nightmares he planned on giving were the ones he would gift to Abaddon.
Once he reached Abaddon, he planned on making him suffer. He wasn't going to kill the demigod, oh no. He was going to torture to the point of death; to amputate and dismember, then leave him as an invalid who could do no more harm. Instead, Abaddon would be left in torment in his body and mind, as he would forever have to live with how he was bested by God's knight.
"Abaddon," The Man said with a snarl. "You picked the wrong man of God to fuck with." He grabbed his necklace of vengeance in one hand then took his first step into the forest.
"Abaddon," he thought. "Your time is coming. But for now, I will slay your henchmen."
Once in the forest, the man felt a tingling sensation on his skin. His body was absorbing the strength of the deceased's warriors' flesh. The pain in his side subsided and the bones made popping sounds as the ribs were forged back together. His muscles grew stronger and his heart braver. He felt as if he could take down an army of thousands. And indeed he could.
The Man journey further into The Forest of Lost Hope. The moon's rays were cut by the tree branches, leaving slices of light to guide his way. The woods smelled of depression and despair. It was the scent of loneliness. A smell only one who has breathed it in could identify. And The Man could. It was what he felt when his children were taken from him. The forest tried to bring these disparaging memories up, but the power of the Spirit of God and the power of the warrior's flesh kept The Man's mind sound.
The Man paused. He gripped the hilt of his steel and attuned his ears to the forest.
A howl bellowed forth in the distance followed by deep, maniacal laughter. The sounds came north of The Man. He drew his blade and journeyed towards the noise. The forest became more dense and the darkness grew as the light of the moon was no more. The Man was now practically blind. He was not going to be able to rely on his physical sight to defeat The Demons. Rather, he was going to have to rely on his psychic ability to emerge victorious.
The Girl had taught him how to enhance the abilities of his mind. He had the gift since childhood, but never knew how to develop it. The Girl had trained the sight of her third eye into near perfection. The townspeople had considered her a witch because of her uncanny ability and at one point, had tried to set her on fire. The Man intervened and rescued her. He scorned the villagers for their ignorance and saved The Girl from certain death.
The people had listened to The Man because they considered him a prophet sent from Creator God. Well, almost all the people. The Man's former wife grew jealous of his stature in the city and of his friendship with The Girl. She conspired with the husband of The Girl to put The Man to death. One night, the two of them attacked The Man in his sleep. They had gathered rocks to stone him. The Man awoke to a throbbing pain in his face after his wife clobbered him with a stone. He was able to fend them off. The commotion awoke the villagers. They saw what was happening, and because they considered The Man a prophet, they took his wife and The Girl's husband out into the streets and stoned them with the very rocks they tried to use on The Man. Because of their heresy, their bodies were dragged outside the city gates and left for the birds. They would be a reminder of what happens to the ones who attack the anointed of God.
Since then, the relationship of The Man and The Girl flourished into love. She taught him how to use his third eye and he taught her the ways of Creator God more clearly. Now, in The Forest of Lost Hope, The Man was going to have to rely on his gifting and his God.
"Creator God," The Man prayed. "Please enrich the sight of my third eye. Let me see my foes in my mind. Let me know their moves before they do. Give me foresight and precognition."
The Lord answered The Man's prayer.
In his mind he saw the entire forest, down to the last details. He saw the grooves in every tree, the high and low spots of the ground, and the location of every Demon. It was as if the woods were now illuminated by the sun.
The Demons were a nasty sight. They had the body of a humans. Their skin was red and their faces and arms were covered in black markings. They had no jaw. Instead their mouth connected with their neck, leaving an open cavity revealing their tongue and rows of sharp teeth.
The Man drew his sword and his precognition guided him. The first Demon would make a zig zag motion through the trees and then attack to his left. The second Demon would be close behind the first and leap at him. The third would sneak him from behind.
The Man dropped his Necklace of Vengeance, held his sword with both hands, and waited on The Demons to make their move.
It happened just as The Man predicted. He timed his counter attack with perfection. He turned to his left and swung his sword. The blade connected in the space between The Demon's mouth and neck. The blow severed his head and a blue geyser of blood spewed from the wound.
The Man was ready for the next Demon coming to his front. He thrust his sword into The Demon's chest, ran it through, then tossed it over his head. The Man pinned The Demon down to the ground. The Demon convulsed then melted around his blade and onto the forest floor where it evaporated.
The Man stood to his feet and turned with a thrust. His sword entered the gaping chest cavity of the third Demon. The Demon hissed then placed its hands around the blade and tried to free itself. The Man twisted the blade and The Demon released it then melted just like the other.
"What the hell," The Man said as he watched The Demon squander away. He caught his breath then prepared for the next onslaught.
The Demons were a crafty lot and not unaware of The Man's ability. But they knew something The Man hadn't discovered yet. His precognitive ability only reached as far as being able to predict up to three attacks. This time, The Forest would send five Demons after him.
The Man saw his next three assailants in his mind. One would travel to the tree tops then drop on him. The second would appear from behind the same tree and the third would flank him on his right.
The Man raised his sword above his head and the first Demon lunged to its death. He met the second Demon with a swing and the blade sliced open its midsection, disemboweling it. Blood and guts sloshed to the ground. The Man turned and brought his blade down on the shoulder of the third Demon. It howled, staggered backwards, and fell to the forest floor. The Man drove his steel through the heart of The Demon and it died like the others.
The Man was not prepared for the fourth and fifth attack. He heard a snarl behind him but it was too late. The Demon grabbed him by his long hair and tried to drag him deeper into the forest. The Man sensed an odd sensation in his back, as if his skin was stretching and being pulled off.
The Man dropped his sword and latched on to The Demon's wrist. He was able to look over his shoulder. He stood bewildered at what he saw. An arm was extended from his scapula.
What The Man couldn't see was the full profile of another warrior protruding from his back. The warrior gripped The Demon's tongue with both hands and yanked, hard. The Demon's tongue separated from its mouth and a river of blue blood poured out. The tongue flapped in the warrior's hand then he proceeded to beat The Demon with it.
The fifth attack came from The Man's right. A Demon leaped from the foliage and brought the Man to the ground. He planted face first. His head spun and he tried to regain his wits. He felt the odd sensation in his back again.
Warrior after warrior expanded from The Man's back, covered in his skin like a flesh cloak. HIs skin continued to stretch and the warriors stayed attached by strands which stayed connected like ropes.
The warriors now encircled him. The Forest let loose the Demon horde. The Man closed his eyes and buried his face on the ground, letting his army of encased warriors fight for him. Demon after met their demise at the hands of The Man's protectors. He could hear the squealing of The Demons as their bodies were dismembered and annihilated by the warriors.
The floor of the forest ran blue with the blood of the Demons. When the last one evaporated, The Man's body absorbed the warriors and he was left alone on the ground. He pushed himself up and sat. "Thank you God," The Man prayed. "Thank you." He stood to his feet and returned his steel to its sheath. He picked up his necklace of vengeance and held it in his hand. He then heard a crackling and popping sound.
The forest erupted into flames. A sense of haste and alarm filled The Man. He was worried he would be burned alive in the inferno. He then heard the voice of his God.
"When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Now travel ahead."
The Man believed the promise of God and stepped forward. The blazing trees surrounded him yet he could not feel their heat. He reached out his hand and stuck it into one of the flames. Nothing. He left it there for several seconds then removed it. His skin was unmarked by the fire. The Man smirked, then traveled through the fire unharmed and said, "The same God who protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace of Nebuchadnezzer now protects me."
The Girl with Sunlit Hair and Black Wings saw the blazing forest. Her heart sanke and her mouth went dry. There was a churning in her stomach and she grew ill. All the strength left her body and she sat on the ground and wept. She knew there was no way her beloved could survive such a fire.
"My love," she cried. "My precious angel, how will I go on without you." She wept until the point of despair. She lied down under neath their tree and waited to die.
The Man felt the anguish of The Girl. He had been so focused on using his energy to fight the entities of the Valley he had not yet used The Reach to contact his beloved. The Reach was a psychic bond the couple discovered in the early days of their relationship. It was a type of astral projection each could use to project their energy to the other and communicate thoughts and feelings.
The Man paused amidst the fire and reached for The Girl.
Underneath the tree, The Girl felt the presence of her beloved. She sat up and exclaimed, "It's you!" She could sense The Man as if he were around her and inside her. She heard his voice in her head.
"It is me," The Man said. "I am very much alive. The power of Creator God is with me and He is protecting me from the heat of the flames."
The Girl reached back and said, "Oh, my angel. I was so worried."
The Man felt her and heard her voice in his soul. "I know, my darling. But rest assured I am alive and well."
"Where will my angel go next?"
"I do not know…." The Man's voice was cut off.
"Wait," The Girl said. "Where did you go?"
The Man was now focused on what was before him. The forest had burned away and in front of him was a cave. The Man now knew where he stood. It was the lair of Abaddon. A cage of iron bars was over the entrance and a demonic guard stood watch. It was tall and muscular and human bones as armor adorned it from head to toe. The guard held a giant ax in its hands. It's face was full of eyes and its mouth was a long, pointed beak.
The Man sensed The Girl reaching.
"My love," he said.
The Girl was relieved. "Yes?"
"I'm here."
"Where is 'here'?"
"The lair of Abaddon," The Man said.
"Please be careful," The Girl warned. "I have a bad feeling."
"Sit at ease, my darling," The Man said. "I will add the fingers of Abaddon's right hand to my necklace."
Tags epic, horror, horror fantasy, horror fiction, Horror Writers, short stories
Featured Scary Movies and Series
Post author By Para Phosa
No Comments on Props That Create Dread in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movie Props That Instill Existential Dread
The flesh-wearing, chainsaw-wielding horror movie slasher, Leatherface, loves to accent his kills with some of the most horrifying objects and tools. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies feature a number of unique advantages for including a variety of interesting props. The Texas Chainsaw plot involves a collection of victims' vehicles, personal belongings, and skeletons…and this collection has apparently been occurring over time. This means nearly anything could be found in the Sawyers' house or a Texas Chainsaw graveyard, even a speak-n-spell!
Some of the Most Dreadful Texas Chainsaw Props
Although there are plenty of spooky items found in a Texas Chainsaw movie, some of the props are much more realistic and terrifying than others. These are some of the subtle and no so subtle scary props used.
Decrepit, Rotting House
Setting the scene is important in delivering a truly fearful experience. While Leatherface is prone to pop out anywhere, giving the impression he actually stalks his prey like a hunter…providing him a scary place to live is also important. Many horror films utilize a decrepit home that may be caving in on itself..but few horror movie slashers live in a home littered in rotting human and animal remains. It is almost as if they are collecting disease!
Meat Hooks
Probably one of the most obvious props that terrify throughout a Texas Chainsaw movie, are Leatherface's meat hooks. Being hung on a meat hook would be catastrophic to one's chances of survival. Many characters have tried to pull themselves off, and there is little success to be had there. In the event one does make it off a meat hook, they are severely injured, likely suffering a punctured lung, damaged heart or other unsustainable injuries. And then there's the bleeding…a trail that leads the killer right to them.
Immobile Vehicle Graveyard
A lot of horror movies feature vehicles that stop working, giving the owner trouble or leaving them stranded. However, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre features vehicle graveyards, filled with immobile vehicles. Additionally, the vehicle that brings the group into danger to begin with, generally becomes disabled one way or another (either the Sawyers disable it, someone crashes it, or the keys are located on a dead victim). Disabled or otherwise immobile, abandoned vehicles are a notable part of the fear that is felt during a Texas Chainsaw movie. They instill the inevitable hopelessness the victims will ultimately experience.
A Chicken
Leave it to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre creators to make something as simple as a chicken and chicken bones scary. The live chicken and scattered chicken bones are probably so terrifying because they are next to, and among, human skulls and human bones. The subconscious idea that the audience absorbs from seeing these bones together, is that the owner of the property views human beings in the same sense as a chicken: food. It is also really unsanitary.
Being stuck in a wheel chair during an encounter with Leatherface is a special kind of nightmare. It would become absolutely impossible to survive in a wheelchair, thus the prop of the wheelchair is used to highlight immobility as a weakness. Unfortunately, Franklin dies within seconds of meeting Leatherface largely due to his inability to escape.
A Meat Freezer
In the original film (1974), a victim is stuffed into a coffin-sized meat freezer, later to briefly emerge in terror only to be stuffed back inside. Being that a meat freezer is a rather cold, dark place to be, it is reasonable to understand the terror one must feel when stuffed inside. This freezer of horrors was being used to keep the meat fresher (victim still alive). Leatherface's apathy to humanity may the intangible horror prop here.
Human Face Lamp
Leatherface is notorious for his meticulous leather working of human flesh. Similar to "Ed Gein" the grave robber, Leatherface and his family outfitted their home with a variety of furnishings made from human flesh. One particularly eerie prop that is terrifying in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) dinner scene is the human face lamp hanging over the dinner table. It is often so bright that people overlook it is an actual face…however, it adds a touch of raw horror that surpasses the skeleton in the room!
Last Notes About Texas Chainsaw Props
Although many people immediately assume the scariest props in a horror movie are the masks or weapons, in this one a chainsaw..the truth is a horror movie requires much simpler props to design a terrifying setting and realistic feel. As seen in the Texas Chainsaw films, even the simplest prop can become a terrifying horror movie asset. It is almost as if Leatherface could make anything scary!
Punishment for Grave Robbing Epitomized in Short Horror Film, Toe (2020)
Featured Horror Mystery and Lore Indie Horror
No Comments on Punishment for Grave Robbing Epitomized in Short Horror Film, Toe (2020)
The culture of robbing graves isn't as big of a topic these days as it probably should be, but there is something about the entire topic that is just strangely unsettling. Robbing graves has been and is still a problem that plagues every culture–from the Pharaohs who attempted to take their earthly possessions with them into the next life, to ghost marriages in Chinese culture, there always seems to be a reason why certain people want to disturb the dead, but are there any common themes?
One common theme is the fact that these grave robbers are invading the space of the dead, either to acquire an object that belonged to the deceased or the body of the deceased. Indeed there are varying reasons why a grave robber might disturb those laying in their eternal rest. One strange reason can be credited to the extreme fringe practitioners of Santería, where the corpses of deceased babies and still-born fetuses are excavated and used in ritual magic. While it's not a common practice, it has reportedly been a problem in regions where the practice of the religion is prevalent.
The tombs inside of the Pyramids have a history of causing people to be uneasy, whether it's due to the legend of the Curse of the Pharaohs, or the simple fact that it's a tomb and tombs are just pretty creepy in general. It seems there are many movies about mummies but in the case of ancient Egyptian horror, the true story is often more frightening than the movies have captured.
Cursed be those that disturb the rest of Pharaoh. They that shall break the seal of this tomb shall meet death by a disease which no doctor can diagnose.
Inscription reported to have been carved on an Egyptian royal tomb
There is a lot of history attached to the tombs of the Pharaohs and there is a lot of legend surrounding the so-called curses that befall those who disturb the tombs of these mummified kings of the past. While a curse may seem like a mystical and superstitious method to keep looters and thieves at bay, the Egyptians were famous for placing warnings of curses to ward off these would-be intruders. Those who did not heed the warnings would live a short while to regret their actions.
Ghost Brides Within Chinese Culture
While the practice of trading corpses to use for ritual spirit marriage has been outlawed since 2006 within China, it has led to the uptick of graves being robbed. These robberies aren't an attempt to find some valuable possession left with the deceased, but to steal the corpse of the deceased itself. In 2015 it was reported that fourteen female corpses had been stolen from their graves to be sold as ghost brides for the ritual ghost marriage practice that is still practiced by some families to this day. For this reason, families of individuals who pass away while single will encase the coffin with cement to make it more difficult or impossible to steal their loved ones from their graves. These robberies continue to plague families of single women who have passed, whose corpses are worth at least $3,000 to the family of a single man who has passed.
ALTER Presents Toe (2020)
One thing that you should do, if you're a horror lover, is take a look at the animated horror short films that are available on YouTube–they're not as prevalent as the regular live-action ones, but they're often spookier and elicit a deeper sense of fear. We highly suggest you take a look at this stop-motion animated short film entitled, Toe which came out a little earlier this month.
This horror short warns us that even starving children are not immune to the punishments that come to those who disturb the graves of the dead.
Tags ALTER, cemetery, curse of the pharaohs, curses, ghost brides, ghost marriages, ghost weddings, grave robbing, santeria, stealing from the dead, theft


This project begins with a review some of the many available works on the field of Web browsers for the desktop, with the goal of improving the design of the Epiphany browser and taking advantage of the fact that Igalia is one of the main maintainers of WebKitGTK+. The first task, of course, is to correctly understand the problem: in a field as big and complex as this, this means a lot of reading and synthesising. In this first section, I will explore two particular aspects: revisitation and tabbed browsing. In the future I will expand on this and begin to share some design ideas.
Following up on the literature review, I want to share a few ideas that could improve the use of the Web from GNOME, providing a tighter integration between browser and desktop. Many of these come from other people and I am trying to combine them into one coherent package.
I wrote a small functional prototype to explore some of the design ideas for the evolution of the GNOME Web browser (maintained by Igalia). I thought that it would be a good idea to show these experiments to a wider public.
The problem that we are looking into is how to manage open pages in your Web browser. This is commonly done with tabs, but these have some problems: they display very little information, are hard to use in touch screens, and scale badly.
Part of the reason for working on this was to offer some ideas to the GNOME community who are working on Epiphany and WebKitGTK+. The other part was to encourage people to try out new concepts, not just talk about them. Too much time is lost arguing when we could be showing.


text:
The Town of Duncan is pursuing grant money to completely overhaul its water and sewage water systems.
The Hunter Estates water system has to be constantly worked on by Duncan's public works department.
Duncan's north water tank is set up on a hill in Babbitt Heights.
Manager: Duncan's public works department 'unsung heroes'
Nov 30, 2021 Updated Jan 7, 2022
JT Maher works with his hands. For nearly 30 years, Maher has been filling potholes, landscaping parks and cemeteries and replacing water pipes — first in St. Johns, then in Duncan.
When embattled Duncan Town Manager John Basteen resigned in August and Town Clerk Isabel Blancarte was fired, Maher and two other public works employees were the only ones left on the payroll.
When Interim Manager Philip Cushman arrived in Duncan, he said he could see things were not getting done. That first morning he met with Maher, Joe Lacey and Kendall Lacey and immediately decided to hire additional staff.
"There was a lot of work that had to be done and when in a crisis situation... I would say that when you have cemeteries that have four-foot high tumbleweeds, that's a pretty serious situation because you have a fire danger and all of this other stuff, you have to get people hired," Cushman said.
Cushman also decided to step back and let the men do their work.
"I have a different management style. You get good people and you get out of their way. You let the people that know the job do their job," Cushman said. "I don't know how (Basteen) was doing it before but I could see that things weren't getting done and it wasn't because public works didn't want to do it. I guess it was they weren't allowed to do it. I don't know. I give people all the authorities they need, give them high standards to achieve and let them do it."
He's had no reason to second-guess that decision, Cushman said.
"You look at JT and he has an extraordinary amount of experience. A lot of times it's bubblegum and duct tape to keep things going. Water systems and roads are very expensive infrastructure and you don't always have enough money or the right equipment to do it, but you've still got to figure it out and (he does)," Cushman said.
Maher was born and raised in St. Johns, which at 3,500 people is more than four times the size of Duncan, but is still considered tiny by most standards. He spent 20 years working in the St. Johns public works department before going to work for the Town of Duncan in 2010 when he and his wife moved here to be closer to her family. He left the town in 2012 to work for the family dairy, but returned to the public works department in 2017.
He and his crew are responsible for the town's roads, sewage system, water system, cemetery, three parks and the 71 other properties purchased over the years.
The town operates the Riverside Well near town hall, the Hunter Estates Well east of Highway 75, plus two large tanks on the north and south sides of town.
A man of few words and an aversion to cameras, Maher admitted during a recent tour his job is a challenge in many ways, but he dismisses the idea Duncan's issues are unique or that he deserves accolades.
"It's your job, you've got to try to be prepared to handle anything that comes your way," Maher said philosophically. "It's the nature of the beast. I think it's just small town USA. The things you're faced with. Not a lot of sales tax revenues, income. You just do the best you can with what you have."
The sewage and water systems, by necessity, are at the top of Maher's priority list. An energy services company hired by the town has told council members the aging systems are in dire need of an overhaul. Not only are the parts aging, but the town's hard water has resulted in significant mineral buildup. The scaling is disrupting the flow of the water, particularly in the Hunter Estates area, which includes Duncan Elementary School.
A study of the town's water meters showed nearly 60% of the flow stops are frozen, making it impossible for the water to be turned off.
Looking for grants
The company, Veregy, is in the process of trying to obtain grants to help pay for a $2.5 million to $3 million for an automated water softener/meter reading system and a $600,000 to $1.2 million wastewater overhaul.
The Hunter Estates well keeps him particularly busy, often having to be shut down due to repairs, Maher acknowledged.
"It's not a daily basis, but it can be a weekly issue. It's a small system so it has hiccups," Maher said.
The sooner the water and sewage systems are upgraded, the sooner he can shift his attention to other priorities, Maher said.
"There's a little light at the end of the tunnel to help upgrade things that haven't been upgraded. As time goes on things wear out," Maher said.
What would his priority be if money weren't a concern?
"Number one would be fixing the roads so they weren't an issue. That'd probably be the top five items, to have the roads fixed. Some new equipment, a grader would be the biggest thing," Maher said.
Anyone who has driven in and around Duncan can't help but notice the roads are in poor shape, but the town simply doesn't have the money nor the man power, time or equipment to fix them the way they need to be, Maher said. During every storm he worries what havoc the rains will bring because most of the time all they can do is patch the potholes. And, the number that can be fixed often depends on that month's budget.
"If money was no object I'd grind the roads up, re-do your base and your groundwork and lay new asphalt," Maher said.
Joe Lacey will soon be giving the council a five-year plan on Duncan's roads, Cushman said.
"I kind of joke (to say) that Joe Lacey is our 'Roads Scholar,' because he knows all of our roads," Cushman said.
When not working on roads and water-related issues, Maher said they do their best to keep up with Centennial Park, Veterans Park, Packer Park and the Duncan Valley Cemetery, where they'd like to see new fences, trees and other beautifying features. They also dream of one day offering Duncan's kids a splash pad and other fun activities.
There are also all of the properties Cushman and the council hope to clean up and sell to new business owners, Maher said.
Asked which duties interest him the most, Maher thought a moment, before replying, "I think it's across the board. It's all enjoyable."
And while he'd like to have more staff, Maher said the staff he does have is "great."
"They have a lot of abilities and they were born and raised here," Maher said. "They're the best you could ask for."
He hopes the next town manager will look at Duncan, see the possibilities and realize the "sky's the limit."
"I'd like somebody to put their heart and soul into the community," Maher said. "It's a good little town with a lot of deep roots."
Cushman, who has served as interim town manager in several communities, said too many people don't realize just how hard people like Maher work and under what circumstances.
"Whether you're in Fredonia, Dewey-Humboldt, Huachuca City or Pima, every one of those public work directors you're going to talk to are facing the same issues," Cushman said. "They don't have the budget, they don't have the people and yet they still have to meet all of the expectations of what a well-managed community has to produce. Those are probably the biggest unsung heroes that you have in any town, those public works guys."
He's gotten plenty of calls from people complaining, Cushman said.
"It's unfortunate, but you'll get the calls, 'I saw so and so stopping off at the store and it looks like he was screwing off,' and it's like, 'No, he's getting some Gatorade so he can get out there and fix whatever else he was fixing.' People sometimes have unrealistic expectations of these guys," Cushman said.
Asked about the negative comments being heard in recent years about Basteen and the town in general, Maher would only say "there are two sides to every story."
Cushman said he could probably hire 10 more people and still not have enough to get all of the jobs done. He's just grateful for the ones he's got.
"A lot of them could certainly get paid a lot more by working for Freeport or any other places, but they like the fact they have a small town to work in," Cushman said. "Those guys are real heroes. The community really needs to recognize what these folks are doing."
Maher, a father of five, said despite the challenges he stays because Duncan is home.
"Being in a tight-knit community with family, good place to raise your kids and having a challenge. If you can make things better and see that you've accomplished something...isn't that what life is all about?" he asked.
Trickle
Jt Maher
Philip Cushman
John Basteen