Standing in the kitchen, late at night….
Standing in the kitchen late at night, I glimpsed movement outside the window that looks out on the backyard. I blinked my eyes to clear the sleep from them. Fearing a face-to-face confrontation with whatever or whoever was out there, I turned from the window and crawled back in bed beside my husband. Assuming I'd imagined seeing something, I quickly fell asleep. The night passed as usual.
When I awakened in the morning, I didn't recall what I'd experienced during the night. I showered and dressed and left for work. When Lon and I returned from our jobs in the afternoon, we sat at the kitchen table eating dinner.
"Our pumpkins are gone," Lon said. We both stood up and went into the backyard. We'd placed four pumpkins at the bases of post-mounted birdhouses in each corner of the yard. The pumpkins were no where in sight. We returned to our dinner and discussed who could have taken them. Our discussion ended as it had begun. We didn't know where to point our fingers.
After cleaning up after our meal, Lon needed nails for a project he was working on. We headed in our truck down the street in the opposite direction from where we'd gone to our jobs earlier in the day. In the middle of the road in the next block, an orange mess covered the pavement. We looked at each other and laughed.
Halloween brings out mischievousness in youngsters. Pumpkins draw teenagers like magnets. We know from personal experience. Maybe we'll replace the pumpkins but our instincts warn us that doing so may only prompt another smashing incident.
I enjoyed your story, Shaddy. I thought initially you were going to say you saw some animal in your yard, but not the two-legged kind! Good of you to look on this incident with humor.
Don't give me too much credit for my sense of humor. We do have pumpkins in the backyard but no one has even touched them. My submission is half fiction and half nonfiction. What genre does that fit in? Perhaps it could be identified as Embellished Nonfiction.
Maybe it falls into the ve-e-r-r-r-y creative non-fiction category?? Wherever it lands, it certainly is believable and that says a lot for your writing here.
I enjoyed your story, Shaddy. At first, I thought you might be setting up a Halloween ghost story, but your trick or treat tale turned out to be much more fun.
Good one Shaddy. A very timely piece that could only be written by an adult. I'll have to see what secrets my kitchen late at night has to share….
I look out the window over my sink and see a woman standing in the bus shelter across the street, waiting for a bus. She looks so lonely that I reach up to the high cupboard for the vodka bottle and pour myself a tall inch in a juice glass. I can't stop the tears from falling. My eleven cats pad over counter tops, linoleum, and furniture–oblivious. The tops of 36 quarts of tomatoes make a few random tinking sounds as they seal. It's been a busy day. With a sigh, I turn the gold ring on my little finger three times round, and wait for the magic. I calmly watch as the three little men climb out of my toaster. I realize I will not sleep again this night.
The men don't take long to set up their instruments. One has brought his trumpet, one a stand up bass, and one an electric guitar. I ask them to play "Stormy Weather" and then "Brother Can You Spare Me a Dime." Slowly.
I look out the window again at the woman at the bus stop. It's Helene. Lovely Helene. I named one of my cats after her, the black and white one. I sip my vodka and scan the house for that particular cat. There she is on the back of the old tapestry sofa. I lift my chin at her, and she pads over, followed by her sidekick, Maurice, the fat tabby. I tap the kitchen counter, then the window. The cats leap up and then look out to see Helene. "Go get her," I whisper. "It's too dark and windy to be out tonight." Both cats blink at me. Maurice saunters off to sleep on the rug by the empty hearth. Helene the cat disappears.
The woman at the bus stop, the beautiful Helene, is my dead sister. It's her ghost that my cat brings home to me tonight. I am glad to have my little sister in any form, but it's awkward. I can't even offer her a cup of tea. We gaze at each other and both sigh, hers soundless, mine a familiar hopeless refrain. At the end of her lifetime Helene taught me many things. She encouraged my lost flamboyant streak and enjoyed my silliness and odd theories. She believed in my toaster musicians and in the power of cats. I liked to cook for her—beef tenderloins and mushrooms, homemade bread, fish chowder, good coffee.
Helene has to go now; she never stays long. I stand in my kitchen, late at night, as she fades and the music dies.
This is why we bow to you!
Wow! Awesome imagining and putting it to words. Yes, ma'am.
It just keeps getting better and better, Ann.
Ann, your story has such ambiance and feeling. After reading it, I could only sit back in my chair and ponder. The music produced by the toaster musicians adds a quite unexpected twist. I agree with Barbara that you include several dangling details that make the reader really want to know more about the speaker.
The ending has my head spinning. Three little men climbing out of your toaster. That's quite the gold ring or you had a very, very tall inch of vodka. That's the way to finish with a bang!
This story starts out so normal as the woman in the kitchen transfers her feelings of loneliness to the woman in the bus shelter. The need for a solitary late-night drink and unusual number of cats seems to back this up. The idea of canning tomatoes then slaps a label of normalcy on everything leaving the reader to wonder whether she just really, really likes canning (as she seems to really, really like cats) or whether she has family but there are emotional issues. Then you slingshot us out into the universe when the three little men climb out of the toaster and she takes this totally in stride, saying she isn't going to be getting any sleep! The mind reels with possibilities of what could happen next.
Ann, I never stop learning from you. This is a fascinating bit of writing using a very limited amount of words. This is a skill I admire and truly wish to learn.
I can hear the wind and see the silhouettes of the leaves dancing in the light.
Wow, Parrot! Your poem is a delight–a creative approach to the prompt. For me, the rhythm is reminiscent of the classic "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." I admire poets.
I'm very fond of poetry that's about the odd simple things of life. Here it's your motion sensor light, an awakened sense of anxiety, and then the descending feeling of things being just normal, just the "show off wind"–an interesting visitor and presence.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments. Means a lot to me.
Ladies, I'm enjoying your stories, like all good writing, the enjoyment doesn't end when the last period is placed.
As is your style, you touched my heart.
As is your style, you touched my heart. (I recently misplaced this comment but this is where I meant it to land).
Yes, you truly are a romantic! Nice quality, Walk.
Made me cry, Walk. Beautiful images.
True love from Walk. We always knew you were a romantic at heart.
Standing in the kitchen, late at night, I chill out in the peace and quiet–a welcome break from the daytime hubbub. These restful nights are my chance to invigorate myself and to replenish my cool for the inevitable stretches of frenetic activity to come. Occasionally, I am called to action around 2:00 a.m., but the interruption is usually brief, and within moments, I gently slip back into my low power mode.
This particular night, standing in the kitchen feels different. Looking around, the kitchen table is in its usual place, though it is covered with gift boxes, curls of blue and orange ribbons, and ripped open envelopes with colorful bon voyage and congratulations cards poking out at various angles. The coffee maker and toaster are situated in their customary spots on the corner counter. The desk by the phone is in its typical semi-cluttered state, but a big envelop–empty–with the return address of the University of Virginia cannot be missed, neither can the discarded high school ID card. Katie left home today to go to college. That is what is different.
From the moment she could walk, Katie adored popsicles. The grape ones were her favorites because they made her lips and tongue purple; they even tinged the edges of her teeth. Purple-mouthed Katie loved growling like an ogre while chasing Daniel around the kitchen table. Daniel yelled. The more she growled, the more he yelled. At some specific point known only to them, they would change direction, and Daniel would chase purple-mouthed Katie. With the change of direction, he growled, and she shrieked. They loved the noisy chase-the-ogre game. I always secretly watched, worried that one of them would slip and fall on the ceramic tile floor. Luckily, they never did.
Trite as it sounds, children really do grow up quickly. One day Katie was through with purple popsicles, and all she wanted was Coca-Cola. The hip high school gals drank Coke while they hung out at the mall after school, and many a middle schooler's aspiration is to be as hip as the high schoolers. Despite my belief that milk was the better choice, I was happy to let her grab Cokes when she wanted them. As for the milk, no need to worry, Daniel always took care of it.
When Katie "finally" (her word) made it to high school, she was rarely at home. She preferred going with her friends to jamba juice for supposedly healthy fruit smoothies, which is completely normal for a fifteen-year-old. Besides, Daniel, clutching his ice-cold, sporty Gatorade, always gave her such grief every time she walked in the door with one of those fruit smoothies. Occasionally, she grabbed a pot of yogurt on her way through the kitchen, but generally, when she was at home, she was in her room texting her friends, visiting on Facebook, studying, or all three. Gone were the games of chase-the-ogre around the kitchen table. Life with teenagers–when they are not in conflict with their parents or each other–is generally quieter than life with rambunctious youngsters. Luckily, both hip gal and sporty guy still enjoyed Eggo® waffles for breakfast and ice cream for dessert!
The past couple of days have been an extra busy celebratory send-off for Katie. She and her friends enjoyed an old-fashioned Friday night slumber party like those they always begged to have when they were in middle school. The kitchen and den were alive with energetic feminine voices. The soon-to-be university freshmen tried to enjoy one last breath of childhood before forging ahead to the unknown. Although momentarily distracted by a pillow fight or two, they knew deep down that they were on the threshold to their adult lives. All night long, the Coca Cola flowed, the popcorn popped, the conversation gushed, and the giggles danced.
Saturday night was the grown-up party, complete with cheese platters, crudité trays, and cocktails. Daniel spent most of his time in the kitchen trying to avoid the inevitable: "Your turn is coming up, Danny! Where do you want to go to school? The University of Virginia, like your sister?" Completely bored, he slumped in a chair at the kitchen table and absently sipped one of Katie's beloved Cokes while engaging in a stare fight with the dishwasher latch. I knew he was going to miss his sister, but he never said a word about it in front of me.
Yes, everyone left today to take Katie to Charlottesville, except for Daniel, who went to stay with a friend. In the dark silence of this night, I am standing in the kitchen like I always do. I am much emptier than usual. Even though my family does not consider all that I am a part of, all I do, and all I see from my prime spot in the kitchen, I prize my vital yet unassuming role of helping sustain them and keep them healthy. The panic and hullabaloo that occur when I stop doing what I do is proof enough of how much they value me. But imagine how surprised Katie, Daniel, and their parents would be to know that I appreciate my quiet nights in the kitchen, that I enjoy it when everyone is constantly opening and closing my doors, that my favorite time is the just-back-from-the-weekly-grocery-shopping fullness, and that after 12 years of standing in this kitchen, I, the dependable GE refrigerator, am part of the family.
Never late! I heard that phrase, "Standing in my kitchen, late at night" in a concert, sung by a woman I thought was not too good, but that line was. It's an archetypical moment for many of us. You use it to capture a turning point in your life. This is a keeper.
Thank you for sharing a bit of your life with us, even if it is from the fridge's pov. Very well written!
Standing in my kitchen, late at night as the cool refreshment of an ice cold glass of tea reinvigorates the dry paste inside my mouth. My eyes adjust to the moonlight seeping through my window bringing with it a sense of mysticism. Silence fills the air as I try to ponder the dream that woke me before it fades from my mind. Walking back to the recliner that cradled me to sleep, the light of the remote control catches my eye. I decide to power on the television and see what story I can find that will lull me back to dream.
I barely notice the news report of a hostage situation in progress at a New York City bank as a knock at the door sways my attention. 'Who could that be at this hour' I wonder aloud to myself as I struggle to push down the leg rest of the recliner. I turn the light on to the front door as I'm greeted by a woman whose beauty and reputation precede her. I am embarrassed for a moment as I cannot seem to place her name. She tells me that her car has broken down not far from here and there is no Motel in town. She offers to pay me for a night of rest on my couch so that she may call for help in the morning. I offer her my bed and refuse any compensation, treating her as I would any other person in need and making no fuss of her fame. She thanks me profusely and enters with her bag which I take and then lead her to the room. For a moment, our eyes meet and a spark of electricity fills my heart. Like something in a romantic movie she leans to me and we begin to kiss passionately. The kiss is broken at the sounds of screaming which only my ears can hear. I must turn away from my carnal desires and do what I was meant to do. I rush from her arms and through my front door, stopping only for a moment to make sure no one around can see me. My arms stretch forth towards the stars and my feet slowly lift from the ground. Quickly my speed increases as the sound guides me to the source of panic. I descend from the sky and grab the front of a greyhound bus teetering on the edge of certain death. The impossibly tall cliff beckoning for disaster. As my greath strength bring the wheels to touch down, the door opens and releases a flood of grateful four legged friends of all breeds and sizes, barking their appreciation at the heroic feat of superhuman rescue. I smile and wave to the throngs of cheering onlookers as a loud repetitive beeping noise shakes my core. I open my eyes and angrily slap the alarm clock. I regard my adventure for several moments before resigning to the fact that life is not a dream … and Morgan Fairchild was the name I couldn't remember.


Brian's Bits - It's Not Fair!
Do you remember when you were growing up, and your little sister got a bigger slice of pie than you did? Immediately you felt a sense of injustice, and loudly complained to your parents, "She got more than me! It's not fair!"
Do you remember their reply to you? It probably went something along these lines: "Life isn't always fair. There's no guarantee that you're going to get the same as everyone else. Maybe next time your slice will be a little bigger than hers. Just be thankful for what you have, and not envious of what someone else has. If you keep complaining, we'll take your pie away, and then you'll have nothing. Isn't a slice of pie slightly smaller than your sister's better than no pie at all?"
You might also remember the times when you got more than your sister. You were strangely silent at those times! You never opened your mouth to protest, "Mom, I got more than her! It's not fair!" No, you were smugly content to eat your larger portion without any concern at all about your sister's unfairly smaller portion. The only worry you did have was that she would raise her voice to complain about the injustice of it all.
Fast forward back to the present. For nearly two months now, the Occupy Movement has motivated tens of thousands of people to take to the streets to protest against social and economic inequality. In concrete terms, this is expressed in calls, for example, to implement a so-called Robin Hood Tax. Such a name is very significant. If you remember your childhood literature, Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw who was famous for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor." The key words here are "outlaw" and "robbing"!
It's hard to find a public statement of the Occupy Movement's agenda and goals — the closest I've been able to come is The 99 Percent Declaration. In this document, they (whoever "they" is!) make various demands, including a constitutional amendment to outlaw (that word again!) all private election campaign contributions, so that all federal political campaigns will be equally and fairly funded through public financing (that is, our tax dollars). They also demand a fair tax code, fair and equal health care for all, as well as fair and equal employment, education, housing, and sexual immorality (homosexual "marriage") for all. Quite an agenda!
According to the proponents of the Occupy Movement, life on planet Earth is not fair because one percent of the population is rich, while the other 99 percent is not rich. They believe that it's basically criminal for anyone to be rich, so, like Robin Hood of old, they want to forcibly confiscate (through the legal system of course!) the "unjust" riches of this "one percent," so that it can be redistributed to the "poor" 99 percent who are not rich.
From these Scriptures, it seems obvious that God takes the part of the poor against the rich, right? But wait a minute! Not so fast!
Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Yeshua replied, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then He said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."
This incident really reminds me of the Occupy Movement. I can just see a dedicated protester approaching Yeshua now: "Lord, tell the one percent to divide their riches with us 99 percent." Yeshua's answer would be the same which He gave nearly 2,000 years ago: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."
You don't have to be rich to be eager for, and love, money. The "99 percent" can love money just as much — or even more — than the "one percent." Like the kid who doesn't complain about injustice when HE gets the bigger piece of pie, I imagine that most of the Occupy protesters would not be out there demonstrating if THEY were part of the so-called one percent. Like whining little kids, they're screaming bloody murder because other people got a big, fat slice of pie, while they only got crumbs — and as everyone knows, THAT JUST ISN'T FAIR!
Six days before the Passover, Yeshua came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Yeshua had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Yeshua's honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Yeshua's feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
The Occupy Movement protesters are suddenly so concerned about the "poor." It may be trendy and exciting (at least for now) to camp out and demonstrate against the "one percent," but what are these protesters REALLY doing to help the poor? What have they been doing to REALLY help the poor for, let's say, the last ten years? Is it possible that, like Judas Iscariot, they're not really concerned about the poor at all, but that what they really want is just a bigger slice of the pie for themselves? From the look of things, I think this is VERY possible!
This Robin Hood philosophy is also known by a more common name: socialism. As should be evident to all students of history, socialism does NOT work! Just to give a few of the biggest examples, the Soviet Union's economy collapsed after 70 years due to the unsustainable socialist economic system. And rather than following in the USSR's doomed footsteps, Communist China converted most of their economy to a market system based on private property ownership. And this very year, Europe is on the brink of economic collapse because of the socialist policies of most of the countries on that troubled continent. History gives us numerous other examples, both large and small, of how the Robin Hood method of running an economy is certain to fail.
Socialism robs people of their initiative and productivity because it eliminates the rewards of hard work and success. Rather than the rewards being given to those who earn them, they are distributed to everyone "fairly" and "equally". This disincentive causes people to be less productive — why work harder when there's no direct benefit? Why take any financial risks to create new products and services and jobs when all the resulting benefits are taken away and given to those who didn't take any risks?
No, socialism is not the answer to the great problems in the world. Robin Hood is more outlaw than hero. You can't legislate morality. You can't make people kind and generous and caring by imposing it from the top down or the outside in. All throughout the Old and New Testaments, I can't think of any place where God says that everyone in society should be equal in terms of wealth or position or opportunity; or that the rich are evil and all their wealth should be taken away. These are not Biblical ideas.
When one observes the nightmare of the desperate efforts made by hundreds of thousands of people struggling to escape from the socialized countries of [Communist Eastern] Europe, to escape over barbed-wire fences, under machine-gun fire — one can no longer believe that socialism, in any of its forms, is motivated by benevolence and by the desire to achieve men's welfare.
No one can deny that society has many ills and injustices. But these problems will not be fixed by socialism. Nor by capitalism. They won't be solved by the Occupy Movement, nor by Wall Street. They won't be fixed by Democrats, nor by Republicans. They won't even be solved by politically-active Christians legislating their supposedly Christian morals onto the nation. There is NO solution through human effort imposed from the outside. The only true and lasting solution starts on the inside.
Yeshua living in our hearts through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit — that's how we can start to remedy the injustices of Godless society. That's how the rich "one percent" can be motivated to sharing and generosity. That's how the "99 percent" can be motivated to reject greed and the desire to get rich, and be content with what they have. True followers of Yeshua are the ones who have the wherewithal to not just talk the talk, but to walk the walk. May they arise — and may their numbers greatly increase — in this desperate hour of need!
In the end, you're not going to begin solving any of society's ills by occupying Wall Street or any other physical place. Change will come only when Yeshua is occupying YOUR heart!


Bright and exciting designs to bring a smile to your face! When you order Gallery Series, you'll receive a pack of randomized designs so that you can keep things fresh and keep your customers on their toes. Made using a Ingeo™ PLA biopolymer inner lining and made from all-natural and sustainable resources, these cups are biodegradable and compostable.
Copyright 2019 © FPA Australia.


What is Chrome cast Ultra? Stream up to 4K Ultra HD & HDR picture quality over your WiFi network with Chrome cast Ultra, a streaming device that plugs into your TV's HDMI port.
Chrome cast Ultra provides fast, reliable performance with minimal buffering and smoother streaming.
Use your iPhone®, iPad®, Android device or laptop to stream thousands of cast-enabled apps.
A better way to get 4K video and more to your TV By using your phone, it's easy to search, browse, queue and control the TV from anywhere in the home.
And you can still keep using your phone for other things without disrupting what's playing or draining your battery.
Picture perfect, up to 4K Ultra HD & HDR You'll enjoy a crisper picture, deeper color and smoother video when streaming 4K content to a 4K TV with Chrome cast Ultra*.
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Set up your Chromecast Ultra in 3 simple steps Chromecast Ultra is super easy to set up. 1. Plug Chromecast Ultra into your TV and power. Then visit chromecast.com/setup 2. Connect your phone, tablet, or laptop to same WiFi network as your TV. 3. Tap the Cast button in a Cast enabled app to stream content from your phone to your TV.
Requirements TV with an HDMI port Wi-Fi network or Ethernet Wi-Fi enabled supported phone, tablet or laptop Supported OS and devices: Android 4.1 and higher, iOS 8.0 and higher, Mac OS X 10.9 and higher, Windows 7 and higher Availability and performance of certain features, services and applications are device- and network-dependent and may not be available in all areas; subscription(s) may be required, and additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply.


World's first robot-staffed Hotel is set to open in which country?
In which state, the per capita availability of Milk is highest in the country?
In which city is India's first post office ATM opened?
in which city SWIFT was founded?
Vistara airline started its operations in India in January 2015. What is the tagline of this airline?
According to an order issued by the Culture Ministry on January 28, 2015. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of Sangeet Natak Academi ?
As per Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the aim of building a clean India is by which year?


text:
Jets May Keep 4 Quarterbacks
Eric Allen
2 QB Plan: Revealing his QB plan for the Eagles, Jets head coach Todd Bowles said he'll play both Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg Thursday night.
"I'll try to even it out," he told reporters on a conference call. "I want to see depending on who's running the ball more, I'd like to get them a couple of passes in. But I'll try to even it out the best I can."
4 QBs in Play: While only two signal callers will appear in the preseason finale, all four Jets' passers could remain on the roster past Saturday.
"All four are good football players," Bowles said. "We can keep all four. It's just a matter of battling with the other positions, so that's still up for grabs and we'll have to wait until after this game to see how that plays out."
Bengals in the Crosshairs: The Jets, who will open the regular season at home Sep. 11 vs. Cincinnati, are working on a couple of game plans this week. While rookie LB Darron Lee and all the young healthy players are scheduled to appear at The Linc, many veteran regulars will rest.
"It's hard. You kind of try to prepare for two games at once. You get the veterans a certain amount of plays and then you give the rookies and the young guys another certain amount of plays and try to move forward from there," Bowles said. "The game plans aren't very complicated this week, so they should be able to go out and play fast and see who can execute. At the same time, you have to make sure those guys stay in shape, the veterans who are going to start next week, some of them who aren't going to play and make sure they're in shape and getting an early start on the game next week."
Rookie Trifecta: When asked about the possibility of keeping Charone Peake, a seventh-round pick from Clemson, and two undrafted free agents, Robby Anderson, a Temple product, and Jalin Marshall, a teammate of Lee's at Ohio State, Bowles said it was possible and that all three wideouts had flashed.
No Concern with B-Marshall: A day after announcing that ILB David Harris has suffered a "bad bruise" vs. the Giants and it was too early to tell if he would be ready for the Bengals, the Jets second-year head coach said he is not concerned about WR Brandon Marshall's hip injury.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


China Love Match is not the biggest, but is one of the very few Chinese dating sites that maintain honesty with their members and equally protects them from scammers.
China Love Match is a popular online Chinese niche dating site which introduces sincere and real Chinese women to Western men.
The site has loads of Chinese ladies on its platform, most of them have natural looking photos instead of retouched pictures.


A Horse Is A Horse... ?
"I have spread my dreams under your feet.
and to actor Thorsten Kaye for making Patrick Thornhart live.
Thorsten Kaye as the one, the only, Patrick Thornhart.
Welcome to what is, as far as I know, the only web site on the Internet dedicated to passionate poet/professor Patrick Thornhart, the iconic One Life to Live character whose fame and influence continued for years after his portrayer Thorsten Kaye left the role.
Although Thorsten went on to create other inimitable characters, Patrick Thornhart will always hold a very special place in my heart.
The content of this web site, first published online on January 26, 1997, essentially consists of articles written by me for a quarterly hard-copy newsletter that the poetry, romanticism, and Irish heritage of Patrick inspired me to create at the beginning of 1996, entitled The Patrick Papers (the name was chosen in homage to Charle Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, one of my favorite books) . Also included are some welcome outside contributions.
Since this material relfected then-current events, both on and offscreen, they are not guaranteed to make sense to anyone but me. Nevertheless, you are invited you to leaf through the "papers" herein if you wish to learn more about the impressive professor from a very personal if idiosyncratic perspective.
Thank you for visiting - and you're welcome to return for a refresher course at any time.
The Patrick Papers is only intended as a personal tribute to a fictional charater, and is not associated with One Life to Live, ABC-TV, the Walt Disney Co., etc.
PC/laptop users: Slide your cursor to the right after placing it on any of the images. Suggested browser: Firefox.
Tablet/smart phone users: Tapping within the righthand side of the image gallery will make it slide to the left. Once it does so, its speed and direction may be changed depending on where it is tapped.
© K. A. Brand 2011. All rights reserved.


text:
Bob Maxwell, Oldest Medal of Honor Recipient, Dies at 98
In this Nov. 8, 2013 file photo, Medal of Honor recipient Bob Maxwell, center, salutes at a ceremony at Bend High School in Bend, Ore., where he received a commemorative set of postage stamps honoring the few surviving Medal of Honor recipients from World War II. (Andy Tullis/The Bulletin via AP)
BEND, Ore. — World War II veteran Bob Maxwell, the nation's oldest Medal of Honor recipient, has died in Oregon more than seven decades after grabbing a blanket and throwing himself on a German hand grenade in France to save his squad mates. He was 98.
Maxwell died Saturday in Bend, The Bulletin newspaper of Bend reported.
The death was confirmed Monday by U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican from Oregon, who said Maxwell represented the "best of what Oregon and America have to offer."
Maxwell earned the nation's highest military honor while fighting in Besancon, France, on Sept. 7, 1944, the newspaper reported. The bomb severely injured him, but the blanket saved his life by absorbing some of the impact.
He was also awarded two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and two French combat awards — the French Croix de Guerre and the Legion d'Honneur — for his service in World War II.
Maxwell had been the oldest living recipient of the Medal of Honor, which is bestowed for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty."
Born on Oct. 26, 1920, in Boise, Idaho, Maxwell was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. Though he was a Quaker, he declined conscientious objector status and entered the service in Colorado.
Trained to string heavy wire for telephone lines at the battlefront, he served in Italy and then France, becoming a technician fifth grade and wearing two stripes — the equivalent of a corporal.
Prior to throwing himself on the grenade, Maxwell sustained a leg injury in Italy in January 1944 while maintaining telephone wires under intense artillery fire.
He spent several months in a hospital in Naples, returned to his unit and was sent to France.
After the war, Maxwell became a car mechanic and taught classes on auto repair and service at a Bend high school and two community colleges.
In 2000, at age 79, he received his high school diploma.
He also served as director of the Bend Heroes Foundation and helped efforts to build veterans' memorials throughout Oregon.
A bridge in Bend is named after Maxwell and he was present last year to watch as an Oregon Medal of Honor Highway sign was unveiled on U.S. Highway 20 near Bend.
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In 2013, Mick Kless founded Compliance Education Institute (CEI) initially as an offshoot of R.I.S.C. Associates. Founded in 2008, RISC Associates is a GLBA-focused professional services consultancy and developer of Vendor Compliance Manager, an automated vendor management solution used by banks and credit unions around the country. With deep expertise in managing 3rd party relationships and designing, building, implementing and managing 3rd party risk management programs, Mick recognized that much of the industry was throwing darts at what a 3rd party risk management program was supposed to look like.
Tired of hearing that his clients were told to "Go read Guidance" or "Do what your policy says" when asking their examiners for help on improving their vendor management programs, Kless was determined to create a standard for designing, building and implementing a 3rd party risk management program. 2,500 hours later the Certified Regulatory Vendor Program Manager (CRVPM®) course was published.
"My goal was to educate and provide practical information that could be put to use right away so that our clients could stay a step ahead and better understand the risks associated with outsourcing. A better understanding of risks leads to making better business decisions and ultimately mitigating those risks," stated Kless.
On a mission to provide detailed, practical education regarding many different specialized facets of 3rd party risk management, Kless authored nine additional courses, including an Advanced Certification course that tracks through issues and challenges of the five components of the 3rd party risk management lifecycle. "There's a huge thirst for 3rd party program risk management knowledge in every industry I can think of yet very few reliable and comprehensive resources.


Sun Prairie, Wis., Aug. 12- Tyler Baran and Davey Ray won the 20-lap Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie Badger Midget Racing Series features Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. The event was co-sanctioned with the POWRi Lucas Oil Regional Midget Series. It marked the first time since 1982 and just the eleventh time in track history that twin midget features were run on the same night.
The first feature was the make-up feature for last week's rain shortened Aug. 5 event. On the start Kevin Olson slowed on the backstretch, bringing out the caution as the field attempted to slow down, series points leader Scott Hatton made contact with a slowing car, hitting the frontstretch wall, flipping several times, escaping injury. Olson restarted, Hatton was scored with a 19th place finish.
Polesitter Jordan Mattson jumped into an early lead and increased the advantage each lap over Mitchell Davis and Andy Baugh. Baran who started in 11th position, was running in fourth place, when the caution appeared for a stalled car on Lap 7.
On the restart Davis challenged Mattson for the lead, taking the top position exiting Turn 2, on the ninth circuit. Three laps later a caution appeared for a spun car, bunching up the field. Baran passed Mattson for second one lap after the restart, and then took the lead the next lap.
Baran driving his Boss/Chevrolet No. 11 finished three car-lengths ahead of Davis, followed by Zach Boden, Ryan Probst, and Olson. "What a great start tonight to win here at Angell Park is remarkable. Hopefully my fast time for the second feature, allows me to work through the field again and get the bonus" commented Baran afterwards.
The regular scheduled Aug. 12 feature saw Boden take the lead at the start over polesitter Mattson. A four-car accident slowed the event on Lap 4. Mattson passed Boden for the lead on the sixth lap. The flowing lap Mattson suffered engine problems resulting in a major fire, causing him to stop.
On the restart Andy Baugh assumed the lead, followed by Ray who started seventh in the event and Boden. Ray took the lead before the lap was complete and held a near-two second lead at the events halfway point. Ray spent the next several laps in heavy lapped traffic. Hatton took the over second place with six laps remaining, but failed to narrow Ray's advantage.
Ray driving the Mark Ray owned DRC/Honda No. 3 finished 3.80 seconds ahead of Hatton. Baugh, Boden and Davis completed the top five.
Ray kept his "perfect record" for the season intact, having now won all four series feature starts, including three at Angell Park.
Baran who was eligible for the Advance Fastening Supply Award, a $1,000 bonus the driver who wins both features, retired with engine problems during the Lap 7 caution period. The bonus money was then split equally among all feature starters from the first feature.
Hatton holds a 114-point lead over Ryan Probst heading into the Aug. 18-19 doubleheader weekend at Sycamore (Ill.) Speedway on Saturday night, and on Sunday Badger joins the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget League for the Miller Lite Cornfest Midget Classic at Angell Park.
20-lap Feature: 1. Tyler Baran; 2. Mitchell Davis; 3. Zach Boden; 4. Ryan Probst; 5. Kevin Olson; 6. Kyle Brinkman; 7. Jordan Mattson; 8. Kurt Mayhew; 9. Mike Stroik; 10. Brad Weber; 11. Denny Smith; 12. Jake Goeglein; 13. Harrison Kleven; 14. Kyle Kock; 15. Joe Ebben; 16. Andy Baugh; 17. Brian Peterson; 18. Pat Hensen; 19. Scott Hatton; 20. Tristan Koenings; 21. Chase McDermond.
8-lap Engler Machine Heat Race Winner: Weber.
8-lap DMI Heat Race Winner: Mattson.
8-lap Industrial Truck Repair Heat Race Winner: Olson.
Fast Time: Hatton, 14.965 seconds.
Cars Present: 21 Feature Lap Leaders: Mattson 1-9, Davis 10-14, Baran 15-20.
20-lap Feature: 1. Davey Ray; 2. Scott Hatton; 3. Andy Baugh; 4. Zach Boden; 5. Mitchell Davis; 6. Chase McDermond; 7. Brian Peterson; 8. Ryan Probst; 9. Kevin Olson; 10. Kurt Mayhew; 11. Kyle Koch; 12. Aaron Muhle; 13. Kevin Douglas; 14. Tristan Koenings; 15. Kyle Brinkman; 16. Harrison Kleven; 17. Joe Ebben; 18. Denny Smith; 19. Eric Reibenstein; 20. Pat Hensen; 21. Jake Goeglein; 22. Jordan Mattson; 23. Tyler Baran; 24. Mike Stroik.
8-lap Engler Machine Heat Race Winner: Smith.
8-lap DMI Heat Race Winner: Probst.
8-lap Super Shox Heat Race Winner: McDermond.
Fast Time: Baran, 15.001 seconds.
Cars Present: 24 Feature Lap Leaders: Boden 1-5, Mattson 6-7, Ray 8-20.
Current Badger Midget Series Points: 1. Scott Hatton 1110; 2. Ryan Probst 996; 3. Tyler Baran 973; 4. Kevin Olson 967; 5. Zach Boden 836; 6. Chase McDermond 824; 7. Kurt Mayhew 594; 8. Mike Stroik 519; 9. Andrew Felker 506; 10. Mitchell Davis 496.
—Advance Race Suspensions Hard Charger Award winners were: Baran (Aug. 5 feature: 10 positions) and Chase McDermand (Aug. 12 feature: 16 positions).
—Howard Law Cash Draw, a bonus for a randomly selected feature finishing position winners were: Joe Ebben (Aug. 5 feature), and Kyle Brinkman (Aug. 12).
—Aaron Muhle (12th place feature finisher-Aug. 12), and Kevin Douglas (13rd), made their midget racing debut at the event. Douglas also finished second in his heat race.
—Denny Smith's heat race first was his first career preliminary race win at Angell Park.


At tonight's council meeting Bernie Bailey and his Councillors may be taking back full control of North Huron. Wingham could be mere hours away from Liberation.
Please show your support for Mr. Bailey and the new Council and attend tonight's meeting.


I was a guest on Bill Frady's Lock N Load podcast Episode 29 and discussed passage of the recent gun control bills.
His radio broadcast airs on WYSL in Rochester.
I went to another one of Rep. Delgado's town halls on Saturday.
I did not get picked to ask a question this time either. As Delgado listed off the things he has done so far he did say he supported the universal background check bill, H.R.8.
The meeting itself was very educational. Anyone who wants to know why John Faso, and the Senate Republicans, lost should go to one of them as it will be obvious what their problems are.
Returning to the topic of making new friends, there are three upcoming events area gun owners should attend: Sen. Jen Metzger Swearing-in Ceremony on the 2nd, Swearing In Ceremony for Senator-elect Kevin Thomas on the 5th and the Swearing In Ceremony For Jim Gaughran on the 6th.
Everytown formed a state political action committee earlier this year. It was terminated last week after making no candidate contributions.
Searching campaign finance records shows only two donations from Everytown: $279.09 to Shelley Mayer in May and $200 to Governor Cuomo just before the primary.
Gun owners cannot continue to pretend that the Republicans are going to save 2A rights in the state. We must have a relationship with Democrats.
A good opportunity to start building that for Ulster residents is for them to attend the Swearing-in Ceremony of Juan Figueroa, the newly elected sheriff, on the 28th.
True. Now, how exactly are you going to stand up for 2A rights?
This is exactly why the Republicans lost. They do not challenge the basic premise of the Democrat agenda. She has learned nothing from the last election, nor from those in years past. The more Republicans act like Democrats the less Republicans get elected.


Hong Kong's population is estimated to have crossed 7.37 million by the end of 2016, representing an increase of 0.9 percent from the level a year ago, according to provisional government data.
Releasing the findings of a by-census conducted last year, the Census and Statistics Department said on Monday that the working population stood at 3.76 million, compared with 3.37 million in 2006.
Overall, the gender imbalance situation continued to worsen as the margin between the male and female population widened.
In 2016, there were 3.39 million males in Hong Kong, up from 3.27 million in 2006. However, the number of females has gone up to nearly 3.99 million from 3.59 million a decade ago.
Excluding the number of female domestic helpers, there were only 925 males, down from 961 a decade ago, for every 1,000 females in 2016.
The gender imbalance has led to an increasing number of cross-border marriages, with more and more Hong Kong women seeking husbands from mainland China.
There was a local female in one of every three cross-border marriages last year. That compares with a figure of one Hong Kong woman in every 20 such alliances ten years ago.
The number of unmarried women aged between 45 and 49 has surged by 30 percent from 2006 to nearly 50,000 last year. Almost half of this group of women posses tertiary education qualifications, Sing Tao Daily reports.
The median age of Hong Kong's population has increased from 39.6 years in 2006 to 43.4 last year, while the number of people aged 65 or above has passed the million mark in 2016 to 1.16 million.
Seniors now make up 16 percent of the entire population in Hong Kong, up by four percentage points when compared to the level in 2006.
Leslie Tang Wai-kong, Commissioner for Census and Statistics, said Hong Kong's population pyramid has now taken a "vase shape", suggesting a relatively large number of middle-aged people.
The official predicts huge challenges for the city as the number of old people is expected to increase substantially in about 30 years' time.
Among other findings, the survey showed that median individual income was up 9.6 percent in ten years to HK$15,000, while the family income median has gone up by 45 percent to HK$25,000.
The median monthly household rent has almost doubled to HK$10,000 in ten years.


Many members turned out to enjoy the festivities at Staunton Senior Center on Sept. 26, which was September Birthday Celebration Day as well as Red Hat Day with the signature red and purple adorning most members and staff.
Carol Byrd from the YMCA led exercise, incorporating the Hokey Pokey twice, which was a lot of fun. For the non-exercisers, card games and dominoes were in full swing, and then there was the health program by Shelly Lam of Kings Daughters Health and Rehabilitation Center entitled "Staying Healthy Over 50: How to Feel Young and Live Life to the Fullest". One of the newest Center members won the Red Hat Day drawing, a wonderful three in one prize of gift bag, vase, and skin cream.
Birthday cake was part of the celebration of course, with a rendition of Happy Birthday sung to the two birthday girls led by High on the Mountain Boys, the post-lunch entertainment.
All in all it was a great day to be at SSC!


With an extensive and diverse background in the construction industry, Jim brings more than 20 years of professional experience to Buckeye Hospitality Construction. He has successfully managed the development and construction of projects ranging from tilt-up warehouse/distribution, office T.I.'s, to renovations of historic buildings and restaurant construction throughout the county.
Jim received a degree in construction management from Colorado State University and holds a license as a qualifying agent in several states. Prior to joining the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants' team, he managed several CMR restaurant projects. His principle responsibilities included reviewing plans, creating and executing the project schedule, conceptual estimates, budgets, interfacing with clients, directing subcontractors, and maintaining quality control throughout each project.