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GIVEMESPORT Awards #4: Mohamed Salah, Eden Hazard and Barcelona feature in 17 winners
By Kobé Tong
The Premier League needs a breathalyser test, let's face it.
It's crazy to think that England's top division seems drunker than when the pubs around its stadiums were flowing with pints. I mean, seriously, does anybody want to win the damn trophy?
The games this season have been so unpredictable that Mark Lawrenson might as well be looking in tea leaves and Mystic Meg, deep in some magic cave, must be in floods of tears that her powers are no more.
Premier League chaos
Suddenly, your mate Dave - a self-proclaimed expert in Belarusian football, amongst other things - blindly keying in the most inexplicable accumulator just became the most accurate way of forecasting the beautiful game.
It's as though clubs are conducting the most British queue of all time where as soon as one team puts a string of wins together, they turn behind them, see a granny and are like: 'don't worry love, we'll get trashed 7-2, you come right ahead'.
Even when Southampton were 4-0 up at Aston Villa on Sunday, surely game over, the Premier League poured itself another Jägerbomb and we nearly had ourselves a bats*** crazy 4-4 draw.
GIVEMESPORT Awards #4
The result? Errrr it's bloody entertaining and after the news that the United Kingdom is plunging into another national lockdown, we can at least reassure ourselves that this staggering, slurring competition can keep us occupied.
So, before you reach for your nearest jigsaw puzzle, banana bread recipe and - God forbid - perhaps your wallet for a PPV game, let's indulge in the madness with the latest batch of the GIVEMESPORT Awards.
Besides, the Premier League isn't alone in its craziness and with everything from the Bundesliga to Sunday League featuring in round four's winners, perhaps football is a metaphorical pub in the impending absence of a real one.
The weekly winners
Pull up a bar stool then, take a sip from the vodka-ladened punch they're all drinking from and check out everything from 'Player of the Week' to 'Managerial Innuendo of the Week' down below:
Eden Hazard vs Huesca
Ladies and gentlemen, Hazard is back. It's nice to see the Belgian making headlines for his stunning skills on the pitch as opposed to injury problems and reportedly enjoying a few too many burgers.
However, if there was any sauce on show during his first start for Real this season, it wasn't sprayed across a beef patty, but sprayed into the Huesca net with a superb left-footed strike from distance.
There aren't many players in the world who could have scored with such venom and accuracy from range on their weaker foot and it capped a scintillating performance from the former Chelsea hero.
Nicely done, Eden. Just maybe don't hang around with Isco too much for now...
Atletico must have been scrambling for a receipt last season after spending more than €100 million on a teenager who scored just nine goals and floated the idea of retuning to Benfica after five months.
However, it's a good job they only found cent coins and biscuit crumbs because Felix has come down with whatever the opposite of second-season-syndrome is and this week has been particularly brilliant.
Felix was the star of the show as Atletico came from behind to secure a 3-2 win over Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League, before bagging another brace in the La Liga victory at Osasuna.
Even a missed penalty couldn't derail a cracking seven days that saw him usurp worthy contenders such as Marcus Rashford, Hazard and Mats Hummels for one of our most prestigious prizes.
Manager of the week
Look, if you think I'm an Arsenal fanboy who's clamouring over Arteta for ending statistics that the Gunners should have crushed years ago... then, actually, sugar, you're weirdly spot on.
Ok, nevertheless, nobody can deny that Arteta got his tactics at Old Trafford absolutely spot on and it ended the club's 14-year wait for a win at the ground, not to mention five years without an away victory at a top six side.
It was brilliant to see the defensive strength of the north London club as Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny shone in the midfield, while Gabriel played an absolute blinder.
Arteta has tonnes and tonnes of issues to address at the Emirates Stadiums, don't get me wrong, but his refreshingly pragmatic approach to the biggest games is certainly working a treat.
Torino 3-4 Lazio
Let's go back to that drunken football analogy because just when it looked as though Villa 3-4 Southampton had this award sewn up, an even more inebriated match staggered and vomited its way into the bar.
This Serie A thriller saw Torino leading at half-time after goals from Gleison Bremer and Andrea Belotti cancelled out an opener from Manchester United loanee Andreas Pereira.
However, that's where the normality ended as Saša Lukić looked to have won the game for the home side by cancelling out Sergej Milinković-Savić's equaliser with a 87th-minute strike.
Well, queue scenes like the 1999 Champions League final as Lazio astonishingly won 4-3 with two last-gasp goals from Ciro Immobile and Felipe Caicedo in the 95th and 98th minutes respectively.
Outrageous skill of the week
Mats Hummels pass vs Arminia
Clearly Hummels woke up on Saturday morning and just thought: 'f*** it, I'm going to play like Lionel Messi today' because scoring both goals in Dortmund's 2-0 victory was just the tip of the iceberg.
We could have picked a sexy roulette or set of step-overs that resembles a 12-year-old spamming the buttons on FIFA after fuelling up on Skittles, but the skill level of this pass takes the biscuit by our estimations.
For a centre-back to casually whip out an outrageous diagonal ball with the outside of their foot that, frankly, should have led to a goal is simply incredible and more than deserving of this week's gong.
Fallon d'Floor
Mohamed Salah vs West Ham United
Please don't leave, pleaseeeeee... Iook, I know it's not that bad, I do and I think Harry Kane - as well as most Premier League footballers, to be honest - can be as much of a 'diver' as Salah can be.
That being said, regardless of whether this should be a penalty or not, I can't help feeling as though Salah going to ground like a sack of bricks is indicative of how easy spot kicks are to win these days.
I mean, if this was the case in the 1990s, there'd be more penalties than Mario Balotelli trying to park his car in Manchester city centre and Salah certainly isn't alone in his playacting efforts.
Besides, lest we forget that Timo Werner decided to give us a glimpse of his gymnastics routine for Tokyo 2020 by adding some completely unnecessary barrel rolls to win a penalty vs Krasnodar.
Strangest punditry of the week
Jason Cundy: Rashford > Neymar
Now, to say I love Marcus Rashford would be the biggest understatement of all time - the guy is literally a hero and I can't possibly commend his work to battle child poverty in the UK enough.
However... putting his off-the-pitch omnibenevolence aside for a moment, I can't exactly get on board with the idea that the United hero is a better footballer than Neymar. Take it away, Jason Cundy:
"I'd have him over Neymar. People talk to me about Neymar, I've had this argument for years now, and I'll still have this argument; give me Sterling and give me Rashford over Neymar every single day of the week.
"Neymar is overrated. I saw the performance last week against PSG, Rashford walks off with the prize and Neymar again is flattering to deceive." Nah, football-wise, it's got to be Neymar for me.
Disasterclass of the week
If footballing gods exist, they have a serious problem with Morata because it seems as though the poor guy can't go more than a few weeks without being turned into a meme for some unfortunate reason.
And that couldn't have been more apparent than when the former Chelsea flop had THREE - yes, three - goals ruled out for offside during the 2-0 defeat to Barcelona.
But to make things worse - you couldn't write it, honestly - Morata had his fourth goal of the week chalked off for offside during Juventus' return to Serie A action at the weekend.
We'll let you decide whether Soccer Thor has thwacked his massive hammer on the bloke's head or, well, Morata needs to remember to stay in the same postcode as the defence he's battling.
Tweet of the week
Now, as much as we could have chosen Barca trolling Juventus about Messi being the GOAT or a porn star addressing James Rodriguez's testicle injury - uh huh - there was a far more important tweet worthy of our attention this week.
It came from Chelsea's Chilwell who bravely admitted to having suffered with his mental health during a difficult period last season in a bid to encourage others to talk about their problems.
As much as we all make jovial comments about the chaos of 2020 - myself included - it feels more important than ever that we address mental health head on and champion the greatest medicine to fight it: talking.
As Chilwell says, if at least one person reads the tweet and decides to speak about their mental health, then that's a wonderful thing and frankly, Ben, I tip my hat to you.
Craziest bet of the week
653.5/1 bet comes in
Yeh, so you know I was on about Dave and his random accumulators? Well, let's all take a moment to bow down to the mystical genius of his mate 'Samuel James Lee' for this astonishing £6,545 win.
It was pretty darn brave to lodge a tenner on Rashford bagging a hat-trick - especially as he was bunged on the bench - Messi to score Barca's second and Haaland chipping in for good measure.
But that ten pound note quickly grew 600 times over, so I guess drinks are on you, Samuel... at least, I'll need something to use as a chaser for the pint of tears I've amassed in jealousy.
The Sunday League award
Stéphane Zubar hit with a ball
Sure, this isn't strictly Sunday League, it's the eighth tier of English football, but we couldn't help shining a light on this bizarre incident of 'diving'(?) that went viral on Halloween.
Besides, you'd be forgiven for thinking there was a sniper in the crowd or that the ex-Bournemouth man was trying to crying to catch the eye of the Oscars for an outside chance at Best Actor.
All that said, as much it can't be denied that the clip is funny out of context, his club, AFC Totton, have made it clear that Zubar received 'physical and verbal abuse' throughout the game and there is most certainly nothing funny about that.
S***housery award
Erik Lamela vs Burnley
If there was a University of S***housery, this cheeky little incident would see the Head Professor pull Lamela aside and whisper in his ear with way too much tongue: "I'm so proud of you, son."
Not only does Lamela take a whole bloody tree out of Luis Suarez's book with a tasty tackle on his Burnley adversary, but he proceeds to rub electrolytes in the wounds by stealing one of their water bottles.
He doesn't just take a sip either, he decides to make the water bottle his own, pouring it all over him and probably, for all we know, opening a joint bank account and getting a mortgage with it.
The Roy Keane award
Barcelona's defending vs Alaves
We know for certain that Keane was absolutely seething with United's defeat to Arsenal, but if one thing makes him even angry than his old team losing, then it's absolutely dreadful defending.
You only have to look at Harry Maguire and David de Gea messing up against Tottenham over the summer to see how Keane can be driven to declaring that he would throw punches and unleash verbal tirades.
So, I think we can be pretty safe in assuming Neto and the Barca defence would have been hanged, drawn and quartered by the Irishman for their comedy of errors for Alaves' opener on Saturday.
It's not difficult to imagine Messi crying, Griezmann calling his mother in tears and Ronald Koeman bricking himself as Keane gave such a rollocking hairdryer treatment that ear drums would pop like corn kernels.
Man Utd penalty of the week
Anthony Martial vs RB Leipzig
It's like clockwork, isn't it? I could literally hibernate in the jungles of Colombia for the next three years, emerge like some hagged man of the land and know, with no doubt at all, that United will have won a penalty that week.
So, here we are again and this time, it's not actually Bruno Fernandes who has been doing the honours because Rashford has once again proven why he's the ultimate human being.
That's because the absolute walking ray of human goodness decided against securing a hat-trick and awarded Anthony Martial the honour of scoring his first goal of the season.
Then, karma being karma, the opportunity presented itself for Rashford to bag his treble regardless. Well, either that or he just knew that United would win another penalty the week after...
Managerial innuendo of the week
David Moyes after Liverpool defeat
"We came up to Xherdan Shaqiri just a bit quick and I think he puts it through the centre-half's legs."
I bet you did, Xherdan, you dirty dog.
Urban Dictionary of the week
Word: Benzema (verb)
Definition: To screw over a supposed friend in a sly manner
In a sentence: I got well and truly Benzema'd last week when my colleague Phil slid into my girlfriend's DMs despite telling me we were friends forever in the Duck and Hound last Thursday.
TV Burp award
Most p***ed off commuter of the week
Oh come on, Jose, buses aren't that bad. At least you don't manage the team whose home kit looks like the seats in them anymore. Every cloud, right?
2020 chaos continues
As Mahatma Gandhi once said: "The greatest Premier League seasons are the ones you can't predict."
Ok, maybe he didn't, but let round four of the GIVEMESPORT awards show that the utter madness of the 2020/21 season can serve as some sort of tonic for the wider craziness of 2020.
The fact of the matter is that millions of people are dying around the world and football is just some silly game of kicking a ball around when compared to family tragedy and horrendous human loss.
But at the very least, given that it has been deemed safe for elite football to continue, we can allow it to become a welcome distraction in our lives and a uniting medium when physically coming together remains unsafe.
It doesn't stop the pandemic, it doesn't assuage the mental health crisis and it doesn't eliminate financial worries, but it does make things that extra 0.00000001% more tolerable and power to that.
Besides, hey, it's about time 2020 had some madness that was mad in just the right way.
Bale scores first goal back at Tottenham
Elneny's incredible pressing vs Man Utd
Man Utd fans think Gabriel deserved red card
England Football
Felipe Caicedo
Gabriel Gustavo Alanís
Liverpool vs Man United match preview: Fernandes, Salah & Rashford feature in combined XI
Liverpool vs Man Utd: Players in Jurgen Klopp and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squads ranked
Liverpool vs Manchester United: Paul Pogba, Mohamed Salah and other stars rated out of 10


Silverfallet, at Rakkasjokk near Brörkliden, is a beautiful waterfall leading to Tornetrask. A wide walking path can be followed through a beautiful birch forest. The last bit down towards the waterline the path narrows and becomes quite steep. It is worth going all the way down when you get there, for the finest views of the waterfall. And in addition, you get a fabulous view towards Lapporten.
Lapporten or Tjuonavagge ("Goose Valley") is a U-shaped valley in Lapland in northern Sweden, one of the most familiar natural sights of the mountains there. The valley is bounded to the southwest of the mountain Nissuntjårro (1,738 m) and in the northeast of Tjuonatjåkka (1,554 m). In the middle of the valley lies Lake Čuonjájávri, 950 metres above sea level. The terrain is easy to walk but has no marked trail. Lapporten is in the Nissuntjårro Natura 2000 site.
More information at sv.wikipedia.org and www.kirunalapland.se.


I was invited, with a number of other artists, to take part in a project based around Dungeness. " The site is quite extraordinary – driftwood and chunks of metal interrupting the flow of a long shingle beach that turns the corner at a vast nuclear power station. The area is covered with shingle and sea plants and includes Derek Jarman's famous garden". The words of Tim Cousins, the organiser.
I am presenting these photographs in a joint exhibition: Expressive Form.
325 Brockley Road, London SE4 2QZ.


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Home -Show Review the Shop Pharmakon Fight Club
Pharmakon Fight Club
A few years ago, I wanted to go see Pharmakon when she was here in Pittsburgh. I didn't really know anything about her musick, but there was a lot of hype about the show. Based on what I had heard and read about online, I was sure that I would like it though. As I do sometimes, I didn't listen to anything because I wanted it to be a surprise. When the time for the show actually came, I didn't go, but I know a lot of people that did. It seems like some guys got really handsy and creepy at the show with Pharmakon, seemingly using her audience baiting as an excuse. It was upsetting to hear that, and I wondered what I would do if that happened at an event I was at. When Pharmakon played at the Shop on May 23rd of this year, I found out.
Let's start at the beginning. The show started a bit late. It was sold out, and a few people got tickets at the door. I think I have seen the Shop more packed in the past, though the audience grew throughout this show.
First up was my friend Margaret Cox. Her set was really cool, though there were a few technical issues. I don't think it really detracted from anything. Experimental musick is experimental; sometimes things don't work. I don't know exactly what the device she always uses is (some kind of magnetic tape reader), but it is always interesting. This set was sparse at times, and it fit the mood of the room. There were awesome textures and cluttery sounds. It was a little eerie.
At this point, I saw a person that bothers me a lot. I won't explicitly name this person, but he has caused a lot of problems for people I know and was a jerk to me when I used to hang out with him. He has sexually assaulted and harassed friends of mine. Some people didn't want to be there because he was there and felt scared. I got so mad and confronted him about the things he had done: the sexual assaults, the manipulation, bullying, sending fucked up messages to people online, just general abuse and creepy behavior that he has never apologized or made himself accountable for. He said he didn't do those things, but he did. It amazes me that someone can still try to deny things they have been doing for years, but, of course, nobody wants to be the bad guy; nobody thinks they can do these awful things to others.
Back to musick! I thought the second person to play was Container, but it was actually a guy named Twig Harper. He was in Nautical Almanac, who I saw in the same room years prior. I don't think he was actually listed on this bill. Despite that, Harper's set was amazing! He played some sputtering, spastic sounds. It wasn't pretentious or pointlessly loud with no substance as noise can be at times. This was actual artistry. Is that unfair to say? Harper seemed nervous, and it made him endearing to me.
Container, from Providence, Rhode Island, was actually up now. He took some time to set up, so I went outside for a second. It was obvious when he started to play. Here were the obnoxiously loud aspects of noise. Everybody was really excited to see Container play, but I didn't like his set at all. It was loud dance music with some breaks and feedback swirls and stuff. I don't really like that kind of thing. The crowd really filled in at this point though.
Pharmakon was finally up, and I was really excited. As I expected, she played loud, with actual force and teeth. She walked through the audience like Moses parting the Red Sea. She brushed up against people and acted aggressively. Naturally, this brought some old-fashioned creepiness to the forefront; some guy, who I had just met outside, different from the previous guy above, started to rub her head and brush up against her. Thinking quickly, I pushed the guy and told him to cut it out. Beer spilled all over everyone, like the aftermath of Mifune's sword. The guy seemed confused. Pharmakon pushed up against him and returned the favor. She patted his head; she screamed in his face. It was awesome. I was still pretty upset, based on all that had happened earlier, and I pointed at the guy. I yelled at him. Since she already had it under control and probably didn't want any actual bloodshed, Pharmakon pushed me out of the way and sat me down on a bench. I just thought, "well, yeah, I understand". When I tried to get back up, two people wouldn't let me. They yelled at me and told me that I was causing a problem. I pushed them out of the way. I guess I was causing a problem. I don't think what I did was necessarily helpful. From how I see it, her giving it back to that dude is the whole point. It's a whole thing about baiting the audience to punish them when they act out of line. I felt kind of stupid. I don't know if vigilantism is a paragon to uphold, it certainly didn't make me feel good, and I am not sure that I actually helped anything. I don't know if it was wrong or right, or how to really define those concepts.
So after Pharmakon's set, I took a walk. I talked to a friend on the pfone. When I was walking, I saw that guy crying on the sidewalk. I felt bad for him but you also shouldn't touch people without their permission. After my pfone call, we had a long talk about apologizing, acting responsibly even under the influence, and how I thought that he wasn't a terrible person even if I thought what he did was wrong. Everybody lived happily ever after I guess? The End.
Actually, there was one more band, Wolf Eyes. I have enjoyed the Wolf Eyes side projects I have seen, but when I saw Wolf Eyes at Spirit in 2015 I was bored. I missed some of the set when I was talking with that guy. What I did see of their set, I enjoyed. It was dense and sludgey and droney. It was not boring though. John Olson's horns added a lot to the set, as I feel like they do in every project he is in. They have such a cool timbre and texture, a manifestation of the Detroit wasteland. Wolf Eyes' "too-cool-for-you-to-the-point-of-parody" was somewhat subdued here. That's the thing that really bugs me about them, and it's an example of what I meant above in that little diatribe about a lack of substance. Noise bros are scum. My former friend above is one of them. This whole post is a bunch of weird rants and awful stories, so it's okay if you missed it.
I'm glad I went to this show, even though it was so crazy. It reminded me of those good times before I knew that my former friend was so awful. I'll be talking more about those rose-colored, naïve lands of the past soon. This is a new world, tempered by fire and steel, with the same roaring blood that fed the weird soundscapes of the Roup days. Since that time, I didn't go to a lot of shows, because I was so busy with work and school; everything seemed different too. I think things are different in a good way, but there are a lot of cool sounds to see if you are courageous enough to seek them out.
-Show Review, the Shop
Honey - Mock Pop preview review
Spectres Tape Release
Wintermuting Roboto
"High in the Mountain" Release Show
Gland Dropout
Until Everyone's Free Benefit
An Introduction to Nick Cave
Huffing Paint from a Plastic Bag: Russian Tsarlag ...
Blockbuster Video Micro-Cinema

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Cancer of the oesophagus develops from the lining of the gullet and narrows the oesophagus, which makes it hard for you to swallow food and even liquid.
The cancer tends to be of two main types. One type is adenocarcinoma which tends to appear in the lower oesophagus at the junction with the stomach. This type is thought to be linked to Barrett's, even if this has not already been diagnosed. The other type is squamous cell carcinoma which tends to affect the upper part of the oesophagus and is more strongly linked with smoking. Squamous cancer is very common in some parts of Africa and China, and is likely to be partly caused by the local diet or the way that food is kept and cooked.
Because the oesophagus is a muscular tube it is quite stretchy so you may not find it hard to swallow until the cancer is quite large. By this time the cancerous cells may have spread outside the gullet to lymph nodes (internal glands) and blood vessels in your chest, and may also be in your bloodstream where they can form secondary tumours (metastases) in the liver or elsewhere.
Most patients are first diagnosed with squamous cancer or adenocarcinoma when they need medical attention because they find it hard to swallow (dysphagia) and they have lost weight. Going to your doctor early when symptoms first start is important to increase the chances of diagnosing and treating the cancer. Investigations are very important to make a diagnosis. The best test is normally an endoscopy although your doctor may decide a barium swallow is a better option.
Surgery is the most common treatment for this in the United Kingdom, particularly if the cancer has not spread outside your oesophagus. Depending on the position of the tumour the surgeon may need to enter your chest cavity, the abdomen or the neck, and will remove the affected part of the oesophagus and the surrounding lymph glands. They will then make a tube out of the stomach, which is drawn up into the chest or neck where they will join it to the remainder of the oesophagus. Advances in surgery mean that this can now sometimes be done as a keyhole (laparoscopic) operation in specialist centres. However it is carried out this is a big operation. You will usually be cared for in an intensive-care or high-dependency ward .After leaving hospital you can eat normally, although you may feel full very quickly. Things should get back to normal over the following months.
Sometimes, to increase the chances of getting rid of all the cancer cells, chemotherapy is used with surgery. Because chemotherapy travels in the blood stream it can remove any cancer cells, even those not attached to the main cancer. Chemotherapy is usually given before surgery and sometimes afterwards as well. Radiotherapy can also be used with surgery and is particularly useful for squamous cell cancers which are more sensitive to X-ray treatments. You may have chemotherapy and radiotherapy together followed by surgery (called triple modality therapy).
When the cancer is too advanced to be cured there are ways of easing symptoms and prolonging life through 'palliative' therapies. These may include radiotherapy, usually in small doses, or chemotherapy. Radiotherapy can be given as an external beam or on the inside of the gullet through an endoscope (brachytherapy). A stent may be used to open up your oesophagus, and this is usually done under heavy sedation in the endoscopy department. This can help swallowing and may help you regain weight. Sometimes laser therapy can achieve a similar effect.
Research is still being carried out to find out what the best types of treatment are. There are also treatments that take the molecular type of cancer into account, like the Herceptin treatment for breast cancer. Your specialist will decide exactly which type of treatment you need and it will be some time before it is known which patients benefit most from these different kinds of treatment.


Life is settling into a routine of teaching and playing with the orphanage children. This blog entry was created by Mary Wells.
Today is our third full day at the orphanage and our first day off. When we arrived Thursday night, we were greeted with tea and flower crowns made by the children. Immediately upon our arrival, the kids were hugging us and introducing themselves. They showed us our rooms and after we were somewhat settled in, we headed up to the soccer field. Half of the kids played soccer while rest of us hung out and discovered that the Joybells girls are amazing at braiding hair.
On our first full day at the orphanage, we began at 8 o'clock sharp with the morning assembly. The children sang and showed us their gratitude for our visit. They then took us on a tour of the school, showing us their rooms and the walking bridge to the farm. Classes were next and for the History team (Chianna Anna , and I) it was a full day of winging it. We began teaching the 3rd grade 4th graders, then we met with the adorable second graders. After a quick break we met with the 9th grade and finished with 7th. After classes, which ended at one, we had a traditional lunch of rice and curry. We then had the much anticipated rest time and took a walk to the convenience store down the road. Laura, Audrey, Anna and I all made the mistake of doing our laundry, because later that night, we were given a preview of what the Monsoon season is like. The almost 90 mph winds blew dirt into our clean clothes, and in a panic they were thrown into Audrey and Minh's room. Luckily, we were able to dry them the next day.
Yesterday we had morning classes and the afternoon was again filled with dodgeball and soccer, this time without a storm. We art dinner with the kids which was followed by a dance party and star gazing. Today we ventured six miles from school and hiked up to a temple devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. From the temple, we could see the Joybells school, as well as a village house that had a swimming pool, something that the high heat welcomed.
Later today we are going to a Sikh temple. So far the school has been amazing. The kids are so kind, and even when I sometimes get their names wrong, they sweetly correct me. We have been here for 4 days, and the connections I have made are already so strong. The rest of our time at the orphanage will be incredible. I can't wait!


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Der Sahel Sporting Club, kurz Sahel SC und SSC, ist ein Fußballverein aus Niamey in Niger. Der Verein gewann bisher 13 nigrische Meistertitel und ist damit Rekordmeister.

Geschichte
Der nigrische Fußball war von 1965 bis zum Ende der Ersten Republik 1974 nicht in Vereinen, sondern in Sektoren (Secteurs) des Fußballverbands Fédération Nigérienne de Football organisiert. Die Sektoren orientierten sich an einzelnen Stadtvierteln. Nach der Machtübernahme des Obersten Militärrats wurden die Sektoren bald in Vereine umgewandelt. Der Sahel SC ging dabei aus dem Sektor 7 (Secteur 7) hervor. Die städtischen Behörden von Niamey erteilten dem Verein im Februar 1975 eine provisorische Genehmigung zur Ausübung seiner Tätigkeit. Der Verein Olympic FC de Niamey, der Stadtrivale des Sahel SC, entstand zur selben Zeit aus dem Sektor 6 (Secteur 6).

Zu Beginn hatte der Verein fünf Altersklassen – Pupille, Minime, Cadet, Junior und Senior – sowie sieben ständige Trainer. Durch einen Erlass vom 25. Februar 1988 wurde die Zulassung des Vereins, die bis dahin provisorischen Charakter hatte, institutionalisiert. In der Ligue 1, der höchsten Spielklasse der Fédération Nigérienne de Football, wurde der Sahel SC Rekordmeister. Am erfolgreichsten war der Verein dabei in den 1990er Jahren mit fünf Meistertiteln. Die Struktur der Altersklassen wurde 2002 verändert: Pupille, Minime und Cadet wurden zu Cadet zusammengefasst und Junior in Espoir umbenannt.

Erfolge
 Nigrischer Meister (Championnat du Niger): 1973 (noch als Sektor 7), 1974, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006/07, 2009
 Nigrischer Pokalsieger (Coupe Nationale du Niger): 1974, 1978, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017
 Nigrischer Supercup (Super Coupe du Niger): 2005/06, 2006/07, 2012, 2014, 2017

Stadion

Der Verein trägt seine Heimspiele im 1989 erbauten General-Seyni-Kountché-Stadion () in Niamey aus. Das Stadion hat ein Fassungsvermögen von 35.000 Personen. Eigentümer der Sportstätte ist die Republik Niger.

Bekannte Spieler
  Ismaël Alassane
  Moussa Alzouma
  Mohamed Chicoto
  Koffi Dan Kowa
  Kassaly Daouda
  Karim Konaté
  Idrissa Laouali
  Abdoulaye Boukari Ousmane
  Rabo Saminou

Weblinks
 Website des Sahel SC (französisch)

Einzelnachweise

Nigrischer Fußballverein
Organisation (Niamey)
Gegründet 1974
Sport (Niamey)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Stage Review
Beryl – Review
Anne Cox | March 15, 2016 | Regional, Reviews | No Comments
I asked my husband, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of sport, whether he'd heard of Beryl Burton. He knew the name. "She was something in cycling wasn't she?" That's a bit like saying "Muhammed Ali – he was something in boxing wasn't he?"
It's absolutely shameful that most people living outside Yorkshire, or with no interest in cycling, would be clueless as to who Beryl Burton was.
Beryl is one of our forgotten women heroes. Arguably the greatest sportswoman in the world – ever – and almost no-one knows anything about her.
Back in 2014, with the Tour de France starting in Leeds, the West Yorkshire Playhouse commissioned Beryl and one of our top stage and screen actresses, Maxine Peake, was asked to expand her début radio play about the cycling legend, for the stage.
Beryl proved a tour de force and is now revived at Kingston's Rose Theatre. It's an enthralling and inspirational story about a remarkable woman who defied the odds to become a champion and who reigned supreme for an astonishing 25 years.
Director Rebecca Gatward describes Beryl as a "modest show about a very modest woman." She does herself a disservice. This is a story about a truly incredible woman who showed, through grit and determination, that anything was possible and Gatward excels in presenting the tale in an inventive and original way.
How can you tell a story about a cyclist, who thought nothing of pedalling from Yorkshire to Ireland for her hols and who competed in world championship events, without a bit of biking on stage? Designer Naomi Dawson stepped up a gear to come up with the answer.
Beryl breaks through the fourth wall to allow its cast of four to interact with the audience.
"There are some of you out there who have never heard of Beryl Burton, the greatest sportswoman who ever lived," says actor Dominic Gately, who plays a number of supporting characters.
"I had never heard of her until I got this job!" Says Lee Toombes, who chiefly plays Beryl's long-suffering but very supportive husband Charlie.
But over nearly two hours we get to know Beryl rather well and what an amazing story unfolds. Peake has written a thrilling story and one filled with gritty Yorkshire humour. There are a couple of political rants about sexual inequality in sport but the writer has a fair point.
There were gasps from Saturday's audience when they learned that women's cycling wasn't admitted to the Olympics until as late as 1984. There had been no sponsorship or financial backing and we see Beryl return triumphant from the world championships with a gold medal around her neck – only to hitch a ride back home.
As a ten-year-old Beryl collapsed and spent two years recovering from rheumatic fever. She was told that she mustn't exert herself or do any strenuous activity because her heart might not take the strain.
She was horrified. " A future of disappointment and disillusionment!" She furiously wailed.
Five years later she started work and met her future husband, Charlie, who was a keen club cyclist and who introduced her to two wheels.
From then on there was no stopping her, not even an irregular heartbeat which was a ticking time bomb throughout her life.
Beryl's drive and iron will left little room for anything else in her life. There is little doubt, in Peake's play, that motherhood wasn't a top priority. The couple's one child, Denise, spent her early years strapped into a sidecar and dragged around various cycling events.
And, although Gatward describes Beryl as a very modest woman, she's depicted here as having a huge ego. The Yorkshirewoman throws an almighty strop when her supremacy in the sport is threatened by her own daughter – and it nearly kills her.
The cast of four do an astounding job, taking a variety of roles throughout Beryl's life, and frequently pedalling furiously on static bikes. Samantha Power, who primarily plays the opera-loving sporting legend, has said that she rides about six miles a day – without moving an inch.
By the end of the run I imagine Power, Lee Toombes, Rebecca Ryan and Dominic Gately will be fit to drop with mighty calves like Bradley Wiggins.
Power's very physical performance is fearless, bold and athletic, presenting us with a down-to-earth, single-minded woman, with a superhuman ability.
The indomitable Burton led her sport for 25 years, dying from a heart attack as she cycled to deliver invitations to her 59th birthday party. The stage fills with trophies of all shapes and sizes as the cast give a roll call of her achievements – national and world records that she held for decades – and it's deeply moving.
Today cycling is a growth sport with more than five million people taking to two-wheels either for pleasure or competition – there are more than 1,700 cycling clubs – but it is still a pursuit dominated by men.
If ever there was a story to inspire women to get on their bikes it is this.
Beryl plays at Rose Kingston until this Saturday. Get a wiggle on and book a ticket.
Maxine Peake's début play, Beryl, is a tour de force, an enthralling, inspirational, heartwarming story about our greatest sportswoman, Beryl Burton.
A Passage To India – Review
Tristram Shandy – Conception, Cock & Bull – Review
Neville's Island – Review
Knights Of The Rose – Review
Stage Social
Copyright © 2020 Stage Review.


text:
Sea Dogs lefty rises from 26th-round pick to top pitching prospect
Brandon Walter's stock has climbed since he has gotten healthy and stronger following Tommy John surgery in college.
By Glenn JordanStaff Writer
Email Writer
Opponents batted just .199 against Brandon Walter last season at the Class A level. In his final nine starts for High A Greenville, Walter struck out 36.3 percent of the batters he faced. Photo courtesy of the Greenville Drive
Chad Epperson, new manager of the Portland Sea Dogs, spent the previous dozen seasons as catching coordinator for the Boston Red Sox. He traveled throughout the organization's farm system and worked with catchers at every level.
SEASON OPENER
WHO: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Elvis Luciano) at Portland Sea Dogs (Chris Murphy)
WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday
Not every moment was focused on their development as receivers of the baseball.
Epperson listened closely when the catchers spoke of the challenge presented by certain pitchers, even during bullpen sessions. Occasionally, he would hear, "Oh man, he's a tough catch."
That's when he first took notice of Brandon Walter, a 25-year-old left-hander set to make his Double-A debut Sunday at Hadlock Field.
"He's going to challenge a catcher to be on his 'A' game," Epperson said, "because his stuff is electric."
Few minor leaguers make their debut on top-prospect lists when they're as old as Walter, who entered the professional ranks without much ballyhoo. In the 2019 draft, he was passed over for two days before the Red Sox made him their 26th-round selection, 797th overall.
Delaware is not known as a hotbed of baseball talent, so growing up there and pitching for the University of Delaware made it tougher for Walter to be noticed. An arm injury early in his sophomore season led to Tommy John surgery, which wiped out the rest of 2017 and all of 2018.
He wound up starting 14 games for Delaware as a redshirt junior in 2019. The Boston Red Sox took a chance and signed him for a reported $35,000. He expected to join their more advanced short-season club in Lowell, Massachusetts, but instead was sent to Fort Myers, Florida, to pitch in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League.
"I was a 26th-rounder," he said this week after working out at Hadlock Field for the first time, "so I knew I wasn't going to get treated like royalty."
After making 37 starts in college, Walter pitched exclusively in relief to finish out his 2019 season with Fort Myers. He put up solid numbers – 39 strikeouts and eight walks in 33 1/3 innings while holding batters to a .208 average – but his year "was not one that projects to having a lot of success," he said. "I knew I had to make a lot of changes."
Then came 2020, when the pandemic wiped out minor league baseball. Where others lamented a missed opportunity for further seasoning, Walter embraced the time to build up his body and improve his mechanics. He added 10 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-2 frame and 5 miles per hour to a two-seam fastball that had been in the high 80s.
"That's a significant jump for me," he said. "I've always been the guy who can throw strikes, so I'm glad with the velocity jump and the uptick in stuff that didn't change."
Walter also throws a slider and change-up, both in the low 80s, from an arm slot somewhere between three-quarters and fully sidearm. Call it five-eighths. That motion gives his pitches considerable lateral movement, which is why catchers can't get complacent.
He started 2021 in the bullpen at Low-A Salem, moved into the rotation in late June and after two starts earned a promotion to High-A Greenville. He made 12 more starts with Greenville and over his final nine struck out 65 of the 179 batters he faced, a rate of 36.3 percent. Over the entire season, opponents batted .199.
He enters this spring ranked among the top 10 Red Sox minor leaguers by FanGraphs, MLB.com and SoxProspects.com. Because of the lockout, he also spent time this spring with the Red Sox big-league staff, including Boston pitching coach Dave Bush and Manager Alex Cora. It was Cora who watched a bullpen session and told Walter he would hold his glove differently before throwing a change-up.
Reed Gragnani, the former Sea Dogs infielder and current roving hitting instructor, was the Red Sox scout who followed Walter in college and signed him. Gragnani, speaking from home in Virginia, said both times he saw Walter pitch at Delaware, only one other scout was in attendance.
"The constants are still his strike-throwing ability and his change-up has always been good," Gragnani said. "The velocity has ticked up and he's committed to a slider that he didn't have as an amateur. It has become an above-average pitch for him."
They still talk, most recently at spring training in Fort Myers.
"I saw him quite a bit this spring," Gragnani said, "because he got a lot of my hitters out."
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James Beard Foundation names 11 semifinalists from Maine
Maine's new lead public defender resigns


text:
<?php
use Oasis\Mlib\Utils\Exceptions\StringTooLongException;
use Oasis\Mlib\Utils\Exceptions\StringTooShortException;
use Oasis\Mlib\Utils\Validators\StringLengthValidator;

/**
 * Created by PhpStorm.
 * User: minhao
 * Date: 2016-09-02
 * Time: 22:10
 */
class StringLengthValidatorTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
{
    /**
     * @dataProvider getValidStrings
     *
     * @param $target
     */
    public function testValidStrings($target)
    {
        $validator = new StringLengthValidator(5);
        $validator->validate($target);
    }

    /**
     * @dataProvider getInvalidStrings
     *
     * @param $target
     */
    public function testInvalidStrings($target)
    {
        $validator = new StringLengthValidator(5, 1);
        try {
            $validator->validate($target);
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            $this->assertTrue(
                ($e instanceof StringTooShortException)
                || ($e instanceof StringTooLongException)
            );
        }
    }

    public function testChopDown()
    {
        $validator = new StringLengthValidator(5, 1, true);
        $result    = $validator->validate('abcdefg');
        $this->assertEquals('abcde', $result);
        $result    = $validator->validate('甲乙丙丁戊己');
        $this->assertEquals('甲乙丙丁戊', $result);
    }

    public function getValidStrings()
    {
        return [
            ['abcde'],
            ['abcd'],
            ['哈哈哈哈哈'],
        ];
    }

    public function getInvalidStrings()
    {
        return [
            [''],
            ['abcdef'],
            ['啊哈哈哈哈哈'],
        ];
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
March 10, 1938 - Ogdensburg Journal, NY - Ray L. Doan Baseball School
Pictures Captions:
Rapt attention is the expression on this sea of youthful faces as the future diamond luminaries listen to a lecture by Cy Young, immortal. pitcher.
Eager hopefuls lug their own equipment to Ray L. Doan's baseball school at Hot Springs. Ray himself supervises registration.
Kid Elberfeld, doing the tagging, and Rogers Hornsby, standing behind him show a class of as infielders how to apply the ball to a base-runner.
Baseball Game to be Brought to Kids Here Tuesday Afternoon
Course Under Former Big League Stars Often Enough to Indicate Youth's Chances of Making Grade
Scenes such as these pictured above will be brought to the boys and girls of the county here next Tuesday afternoon at the Strand Theatre.Through the co-operation of A. G. Spaulding Company, Schine Strand Theatre, Joe Ward's Sporting Goods Store and the sports department of the Ogdensburg journal the motion picture "How To Bat Like A Big Leaguer", will be shown here free of charge to the children.
When 450 boys at Hot Springs pay a $40 tuition feet $45 for room and board and the cost of transportation to this resort from points far removed, tor a five-week course, you may rest assured that young America is still interested in baseball.
The students at Ray L. Doan's baseball and George Barr's umpire schools are lads from Cape Cod and the Puget Sound country and from the east coast of Florida and southern California. These schools serve fine purposes. They brighten and encourage genuine. prospects and knock the idea of professional baseball out of youngsters who are not cut out for it.
A kid who does not attend one of the schools may waste several years trying to pitch when he is meant to be an outfielder.
Then there is the boy who at an early age makes up his mind to be another Ty Cobb or Walter Johnson. He hasn't a Chinaman's chance to be either, but will do nothing but play ball. Father knows best., He realizes that his pride and joy hasn't got it, and tells him so. But the boy won't believe father, suspecting that the old gent is trying to talk him out of something good simply because he doesn't care to see him follow it.
Problem Easily Solved
Dad wonders how he can get his son's mind on business, a trade, or a seat of higher learning, and finally lands on the solution. He sends the kid. to a baseball school.
And what, father says sounds altogether different coming from Rogers Hornsby, Kid Elberfeld, Cy Young, Red Faber, Hank Severeid, Johnny Mostil, and other professors now putting the hopefuls through the paces on three fields.
The boy is positive that they know and that they aren't kidding him. So when they inform him that he will never be a professional baseball hero, and advise him to take the course and return home and play just for the fun of it while devoting his time to something for which he is better fitted, the boy is content to do that.
Many of this type return for a second course. They desire to improve the game they play for the sport of it, and like to be in a position to tell and show the fellows on the sandlot at home what Hornsby, Elberfeld, Young, and Faber taught them. A number return to the Doan school for their vacations.
Doan is a promoter out of Muscatine, Ia. This is his sixth annual school, and the previous five have placed 100 in organised baseball of all classifications, from the majors down, The Barr school placed 23 umpires last year, and could have placed a dozen more had there been that many more competent indicator handlers.
There are numerous other baseball schools, some with a tuition of $5 and some with no tuition at all, but the Doan schools to date have maintained the finest standard.
Have Own World Series
Tris Speaker went to Hot Springs as an instructor two years ago, intent on enjoying himself. Doan kept the old Gray Eagle working from early morning until late afternoon, and lecturing at night.
Doan uses three excellent fields, Fogel Field, Ban Johnson Field, and Doan Field, the latter sporting two diamonds. Fogel Field Is where the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, and Brooklyn Dodgers trained in days gone by, or until the changing climatic conditions drove the big leaguers farther south.
Doan rents a large building on Central Avenue, where lectures and blackboard talks are held, and where the proprietor maintains his office.
The school opened Feb. 25 and will run until April 1.
Toward the tag end of the course, 16 clubs are made up composing National and American leagues. They play a regular schedule, with the finalists meeting in their own little world series.
The schools attract a surprisingly high type of boy, who trains for weeks in advance in order to obtain the jump on his classmates. A youngster of this kind is vastly better off than one hanging around poolrooms.
The boys are taught every angle of the game by past masters, who find about 50 percent of them totally unfitted for baseball.
But even the impossible ones have a lot of fun.
1938 Ad for Doan Baseball School list Kid Elberfeld on the faculty- from an eBay listing


text:
Q: Маркеры с комментариями поверх изображения Нужно реализовать маркеры с комментариями поверх изображения, как на фото ниже. Я понимаю, как это сделать через position absolute, но предполагается, что сайт будет адаптивный и тогда позиции элементов нужно менять динамически.
Можно ли как-то "привязать" маркеры к определенной части изображения? Если нет, то как лучше это осуществить?

A: А почему бы не сделать так? Всё в процентном соотношении. Небольшая погрешность (сдвиг элементов) есть при уменьшении размера окна, но она практически даже и незаметна, и то, если только внимательно всматриваться. Сомневаюсь, что кто-то это будет делать.

.img {
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  height: auto;
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 1108px;
}

img {
  height: auto;
  max-width: 100%;
}

.dot {
  position: absolute;
  width: 1%;
  height: 2%;
  background-color: white;
  border: 3px solid green;
  border-radius: 100%;
}

#dot1 {
  top: 49%;
  left: 30%;
}

#dot2 {
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  left: 30%;
}

#dot3 {
  top: 56%;
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}

.dot span:before {
  content: "";
  display: block;
  position: absolute;
  top: 100%;
  right: 0;
  width: 2px;
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  background-color: green;
}

.dot span {
  content: "";
  display: block;
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  font-family: monospace;
}

Маркер 1

Маркер 2

Маркер 3

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Regularly scheduled Session meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.
Deacon Meetings are held the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
Elders are selected for 3 year terms. They provide leadership, government, discipline and have responsibilities for the life of the church.
Deacons also serve for 3 year terms. They are the "caring arm of the church" and and rotate serving as Deacon of the Month.
Copyright 2013 LeRoy First United Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.


text:
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Limited Edition Sericel 1990's Animation Art
MONSTERS IN TRAINING
Nickelodeon proudly presents the first sericel from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters; a custom silk-screened cel part of an edition of 1,000.
Nicktoons Smash Hit Aaahh!!! Real Monsters!!! Limited Edition Sericel (serigraph celluloid)
Featuring Ickis, Krumm & Oblina
Imprinted with the gold Nickelodeon Seal of Authenticity
Includes Certificate of Authenticity issued by Nickelodeon Studios
The cel is unframed and unmatted (13" x 16")
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters is an American animated television series about adolescent monsters in training, developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon. The show ran from October 30, 1994 to December 7, 1997 on Nickelodeon's main United States cable channel. The series is currently being released on DVD.
The episodes follow the adventures of Ickis, Oblina and Krumm, three young monsters attending a monster school whose headmaster is The Gromble. Ickis (voiced by Charlie Adler) is a small red monster who, due to his large ears, is often confused with a rabbit. He is the son of Slickis, who was the academy's most renowned student and The Gromble's favorite. Oblina (voiced by Christine Cananaugh) comes from a wealthy monster family, and is considered by The Gromble to be his best student. She is shaped like a black-and-white, upside-down candy cane, resembling a banded sea krait. One of her favorite methods of scaring humans is reaching within herself and pulling out her internal organs, and she has considerable talent for shape shifting into various terrifying forms. She also has a talent for inducing nightmares in humans, by sticking her finger in their ear and tickling their brains while they sleep. The third monster is named Krumm (voiced by David Eccles). Like the rest of his family, his eyeballs are not attached to his body, and are usually seen carried in his hands; if he requires the use of both hands, he can carry them in his mouth. His most valuable tool in scaring is his overwhelming armpit stench as well as using his eyeballs.
The Gromble (or more simply just Gromble) (voiced by Gregg Berger) is a tall, green-blue monster with two tufts of hair, a beard and a tail. He wears a belt around his waist and a red pump on each of his four feet. Along with Ickis, he is one of the few monsters who can hear the Pool of Elders — the source of monster existence that is made of the very substance of fears. His assistant, Zimbo (voiced by Tim Curry), is a monster who resembles a bee with one mammalian leg and a humanoid face with green hair.
The show is set in New York City, demonstrated throughout the series by the presences of the Empire State Building and "IND Subway". The dump the monsters inhabit is implied to be Fresh Kills Landfill, but never explicitly named in the series.
The monsters frequently face Simon the Monster Hunter (voiced by Jim Belushi), a human who is determined to prove that monsters exist. He wears a thick-collared jacket and glasses.
This is an example headline
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Vestibulum fringilla pede sit amet augue. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senecrutrum eu, nisl.
Aahhh!!! Real Monsters Original 1990s Nickelodeon Production Cel $95.00
Aahhh!!! Real Monsters Original 1990s Nickelodeon Production Cel
Nickelodeon's 1994-1997 Hit Aahhh!!! Real Monsters Original Hand Painted Production Celluloids (Cels) Includes Certificate of Authenticity (COA) and signature seal from Nickelodeon Displayed on Color...
Aaahh!! REAL MONSTERS Signed Limited Edition Cel Nickelodeon Animation Art 1990s $225.00
Aaahh!! REAL MONSTERS Signed Limited Edition Cel Nickelodeon Animation Art 1990s
One-of -a-Kind Hand Painted Animation Production Cel "Trio of Terror" Fabulous Image! Edition of 300 Ickis, Oblina, Krumm The Cel is on a Reproduction Background...
AAHHH!!! REAL MONSTERS ORIGINAL 1990S NICKELODEON PRODUCTION CEL GROMBLE $95.00
AAHHH!!! REAL MONSTERS ORIGINAL 1990S NICKELODEON PRODUCTION CEL GROMBLE


text:
Polymath Charles Santiapillai (1944-2014) Remembered
by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 30, 2016
Charles Santiapillai, a brilliant Tamil zoologist of our generation, died on October 29, 2014. It is a pity that I came to know about his death only early this year. Quite a few appreciations about his career and character did appear in a few journals (listed at the end of this remembrance). Charles distinguished himself as a mammalian biologist publishing research papers on many larger mammals, and became a world renowned expert on Asian elephants. Apart from this, he also had a passion for history in general, and particularly that of science personalities. Polymath Charles was adept in writing obituary note, memoriam and eulogy on elite scientists and to those with whom he was fortunate to be acquainted. Most of these appeared in the Current Science (Bangalore) journal.
For a short period, between November 2006 and January 2007, Charles and I exchanged eight emails. Of course, I first came to know Charles in 1977, when I moved to the University of Peradeniya from Colombo. He was older to me by 9 years. In those days, he was like a slender bean pole and not flabby as in his late years (as seen in the photo, presented nearby).
I present the email exchange I had with Charles in chronological order. With propriety, I have deleted passing references to third persons, without losing syntax of the communication. Dr. Shanmugasundaram Wijeyamohan (a junior colleague of Charles), who is introduced in the first email I wrote to Charles, is a kin of mine. The mails I received from Charles present the inner sentiments of Santiapillai, the polymath. I have no doubt that he might have found it difficult to share these thoughts publicly. As Charles was an elephant expert, I was waiting for a chance to ask about his field observation on elephant sleep, about which nothing much is known, even now. Charles did provide his answer on my question in one of the mails.
In the earlier mails, Charles did appreciate my thoughts and writings in diverse areas. But, towards the end of the email exchange, Charles did castigate me for criticizing the appointment of Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole to the Vice Chancellor position of the University of Jaffna (see below, email item 7 without any omission!). This also indicated that the academic stature of Prof. S.R.H. Hoole was valued among some Tamil academics. I did send my lengthy response for his criticism (see below, email item 8 for an abridged version). It is unfortunate that I never heard from Charles after that.
I was least bothered by the criticism from Charles, because I took it as a different opinion from a valued friend. It is a pity that I couldn't meet him face to face to clarify our divergent thoughts on the 'Hoole drama'. Without any rancor, I present Charles's criticism of me here, for three specific reasons; (1) It is a valued opinion of my late friend. (2) It also adds to the style of writing Charles could engage in (with Hemingway-style pungent profanities!) with pals, which we cannot find in his published scientific papers. (3) It also provides a balance to my penchant criticism of Prof. Hoole, in this website.
I'd add that Charles was mistaken about my criticism of Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole. In my writings, I never criticized the academic stature of Prof. Hoole in his chosen field. What I criticized was his sycophancy to politicians towards achieving his goal. In hindsight, it appears that Prof. Hoole carries a dubious honor to be the only academic in Sri Lanka, who was kicked BOTH by Velupillai Prabhakaran and Mahinda Rajapaksa!
In this belated memoriam, I also provide the scientific bibliography of Santiapillai's 35 publications, which have not been presented in other appreciations. Apart from this list, I also counted over 30 publications of varied types (original papers, reviews, bibliographies, book reviews, editorial comments) having Santiapillai's name as sole author or co-author in the Gajah journal, specifically devoted to Asian elephants. This material on Asian elephants is beyond the scope of this memoriam and deserves a separate contribution.
From Sachi to Charles – November 2nd, 2006.
Dear Dr. Santiapillai,
Hope you will not mind receiving this mail from m. On Oct. 1st, I met your junior colleague Wijeyamohan in Tokyo for an hour or so and exchanged information of mutual interest within the limited time. He also handed to me, a copy of Gajah which you had given to him, for passing to me. Thanks a lot for your kindness. (Gajah is the bi-annual journal of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group – Sachi)
To backtrack in time, I certainly know you, but I think you may not recollect my face. I was at Peradeniya from 1977 to 1981. I had then come from Colombo, after completing my B.Sc. Special degree at the University of Colombo (I was a disciple of Ms. Mano Sabaratnam, in entomology then (to follow a one year M.Sc. course at the PostGraduate Institute of Agriculture). In our batch, H.A.S. Perera was my colleague and he introduced me to you a couple of times. After completing my M.Sc. at PGI, I joined the Department of Biochemistry as a temporary assistant lecturer (when Prof. Tommy Wikramanayake was the professor and head of the department) and continued in that position till 1981, before I left for my Ph.D. studies at the University of Illinois.
I have been in Japan since 1986, with a two year absence, during which I was in Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, for my second postdoctoral phase. Though out of the island for the past 25 years, I have been keenly following your research contributions avidly in various journals, and also your contributions to the Current Science. I have been at the Kyoto University – Primate Research Institute, as visiting professor since 2002. My research here is focused on sleep behavior of four species of New World monkeys, which I find fascinating. Of course, I have never had an opportunity to visit South America yet! That is another story to tell.
Wijeyamohan had let me know that you had read some of my papers (from the compilation of two anthologies which I handed to him) with interest. For your keeping, I send complimentary copies of these to you next week. Again, sorry for being late in touching bases with you. Best regards.
Sachi Sri Kantha
From Charles to Sachi – November 2nd, 2006
Dear Sachi,
Thank you ever so much for remembering me and sending me such a kind e-mail to introduce yourself to me. Yes, I do remember you, though it is many, many years ago that we must have met. Yes, H.A.S. Perera was one of our students and now the penny has dropped indeed.
I must say that I was completely bowled over by the size and intensity of your communications, both scientific and social. You must indeed be one of the few prolific communicators, and I thoroughly enjoyed your writing style, which is easy and without pedantry. How did you find time to write so much and also carry out postgraduate research? The problem with many of our academics is that they do not communicate with the public, and seem to be content to live in their ivory towers. I also accessed the internet and was able to read the compilations of yours especially on the Jaffna Library and its tragic end in the hands of a few politicians, who despite a good college education and family connections, still could not help behaving like true jackasses. This only proves that you cannot send an ass abroad, hoping that it would come back a horse!
I have also discussed the political situation with Wijeyamohan, who is one of the innovative biologists I have come across. He is also a through gentleman down to his fingertips. I am now convinced that the Sinhala government will NEVER (large case letters, as in the original – Sachi) act in a fair and just manner towards every citizen. This means that Tamils will never be able to resolve their centuries old conflict through civilized discourse. You might as well teach primatology to primates. It is as futile as looking for a mare's egg. Thus the alternative is frightening to say the least. When the guerrillas are fighting for dominates their minds more than what they are fighting against. It is this problem that makes the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka seem so far away and remote. The print media is so biased that you need to read at least three papers to get any sense of the actual.
Buddhism, which is a wonderful philosophy and religion, is being manipulated by some maniacal monks who are nothing other than bald-headed Talebans in yellow robes. I see no difference between the Talebans and the Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, as far as intolerance is concerned. I sometimes think that God gave many Sinhala politicians their brains by mistake. A spinal cord would have been enough, since they do not think. They simply do what they have always done, conning the nation, automatically. There is nothing but hope for Tamils; dreams are expensive. Those lucky ones have already left Sri Lanka or dead. Leaving Sri Lanka today, the lucky Tamils must be feeling the way the Brits must have felt when they left India; exhausted and relieved.
I was mildly amused to read your epithet (wimp) for Arudpragasam. It is very apt. [Ms] Mano [Sabaratnam] had balls.
Hope your research is going well. Thanks a lot once again. With all best wishes.
From Sachi to Charles – November 8th, 2006
Thanks a lot for your kind response of Nov. 2nd to my previous mail. 6 days have passed and sorry for the delay in getting back to you. This is to let you know, that today morning, I have posted to you a thick envelope by airmail, which contains the following items: (1) my autobiography vol. 1, Tears and Cheers; (2) two of the printed anthologies of my single-authored papers in history of science up to 2002; and (3) reprints/photocopies of my papers published since 2002. Hope you enjoy keeping these items in your bookshelf. I thought that I'll first post these items to you, before responding to your mail.
I do agree with your thoughts expressed in your mail, relating to the publishing routine of our 'narrow-focused academics'. Thanks for your kind compliments on my range. Its nice to receive these from one's peers, which serves as tonic for rejuvenation. I have always followed my own rhythm and path for originality and that explains my voracious interest in science disciplines from astronomy to zoology. For the specific reason you mention about the 'narrow-focus of our academics', I have to compensate. And I also enjoy reading your contributions in the wider range of topics in zoology and other themes. Not only scientists, our tribe also lack capable historians and social critics who can come forward to express themselves with some courage. So, I have to compensate for this deficit as well.
Since you are an elephant expert, hope you'll enlighten me on this query. I have been curious about elephant sleep in the wild. Do you know, (field observation, or from original literature), how many hours elephants sleep in a 24 h period? I have come across one or two papers (by Irene Tobler, of University of Zurich, who has measured elephant sleep in zoo elephants and circus elephants) which have been published. But, I'm interested in knowing what is the recorded sleep data for wild elephants. Also, can you let know how I can get the past issues of Gajah journal? Best wishes.
From Charles to Sachi – November 8th, 2006
Many thanks in advance for sending me copies of your publications. I will enjoy reading them. As far as sleep in elephants is concerned, my experience from Sumatra is that they DO sleep in the wild and in captivity. But they could do so standing as well as lying down. Much of the sleep takes place from 11 pm to 3 am. But all except the very young, sleep lightly and at the slightest disturbance would be on their feet. In the wild, I have seen specific areas that are used by elephants to lie down and rest or sleep. The grasses are flattened and the area is extensive if a herd had used it. Elephants do not sleep continuously, but they seem to get sufficient sleep standing up as well.
It is a bit difficult to be sure if an animal is sleeping while standing up. It is a bit like our teacher in school, who had the uncanny ability to sleep with his eyes wide open. One never knew if he was wide awake or fast asleep. So, we usually send a trial balloon, before getting into any mischief. Cheers.
From Charles to Sachi – November 16th, 2006
Many grateful thanks to you for sending me your publications, which are truly amazing, given the breadth and depth of the subjects you have covered. I will read them during my leisure hours.
You need not worry about calling me Charles. That's the way I prefer people to call me, and not by my title. I rarely use it as I feel that Professor is such a loaded term that I do not qualify for that august position yet. These days, there are many academics but hardly any intellectual, who thinks.
I was fortunate to study under the late Prof. Hilary Cruz, who was an extremely gifted teacher and a committed researcher. It was he who advised me to keep a note book at all times (a vade mecum) so that I could jot down some of the important articles and news items that I read. I still carry one.
The political scene in Sri Lanka is going from bad to worse. If recent history has taught us anything, it is that we can kill anyone in Sri Lanka. The law and common sense seem to have parted company many decades ago. The future for all Sri Lankans under this government looks very dim and bleak indeed.
Thank you once again. With all best wishes.
From Sachi to Charles – January 17th , 2007
Thanks for your mail of Nov. 16th. Two months have galloped. By regular air-mail, I sent a post card New Year greeting to you. You might have received it already, or you'll get it late this week, or early next week. I have been wanting to keep in touch regularly. Hope I'll do it this year.
I appreciate your comments on the range of my publication canvas. You may have read it, but I remember reading it (should have been by Peter Medawar, I suppost most probably, or by Julian Huxley), that zoology provides the solid grounding for such a wider canvas of perspectives, than any other discipline, and I find that this is true from the writings of eminent British/American/European scientists of 19th century and until mid-20th century, before the birth of molecular biology. This is of cause, a 'self congratulatory' pat on one's back.
As you have sensed, I'm really interested in the history/sociology of science and have been gathering information for a wider scan on the 20th century science in Sri Lanka – personalities, politics, publications, etc. The canvas is wide, but none have touched this theme, to the best of my knowledge. You mentioning about Prof. Cruz is timely. I have known his name and reputation since when I became an undergraduate. But I hardly have his biographical profile.
The last item for this mail, is linked with my database collection for the above-stated '20th Century Science in Sri Lanka' project. I gather that there is a National Academy of Science with a membership of nearly 120. I wonder why you have not been included in this group. Is it politics (as usual)? Why you have been omitted in this Academy? Rest later. Best regards.
From Charles to Sachi – January 20th , 2007
Thank you for your email. I'm sorry to let you know that both Wijeyamohan and found your scurrilous article on Prof. Hoole extremely disturbing and derogatory to read. It was like standing in a wind tunnel of cloacal abuse.
Prof. Hoole is an extremely bright and talented professor, respected by everyone, except a few Tamils. We are fast losing men (& women) of intellect, ability, dignity and integrity among Tamils in Sri Lanka, largely through our own inability to distinguish sheep from goats. Wijeyamohan and I know Prof. Hoole well, and we have always had the highest respect for him as a brilliant scientist, a kind gentleman and a fearless human being. His departure from Sri Lanka is a loss not only for the Tamils, but to the entire nation. People of Prof. Hoole's experience and intellect are as rare as teeth in hens in Sri Lanka.
Had our people accepted Prof. Hoole as the Vice Chancellor, the University of Jaffna would have had a chance of emerging from years of academic hibernation, to be counted as one of the best in Sri Lanka. But we blew it through our own stupidity. We are so feeble and petty minded that we reject men (& women) of ability and intelligence, and instead are content to be surrounded by mediocrity. There was a time when Jaffna was thought to be the brain of Ceylon; today, it has become the bleeding arse-hole of Sri Lanka. Sadly, the University of Jaffna has not achieved excellence that was expected of its academic community. A fish rots from head downwards. We need men of vision and ability to man our institutions of higher learning. Without vision, we will perish (so says the Bible). We need the right people for the job. A cornet player needs all his teeth, while a boxer doesn't. Likewise, our universities need men of brilliance and international recognition to impart education to our best and the brightest. There is no room for mediocrity in education. If you appoint a second class man, he will recruit third class staff. Mediocrity breeds mediocrity.
There are too many people poking their noses into affairs that do not concern them and making a total dog's of the whole thing in education in Jaffna. Ultimately, it is the students who will suffer. The difference between the students of University of Jaffna and the products of Lever Brothers, is that the former breathe. We are our own destroyers. We are not happy unless we are miserable and make others miserable as well. The immense power of the negative that weighs on us from birth to death is a terrible curse to bear. We are unable to give our students the best in education. If recent history has taught us anything in Jaffna, it is that we can compete for mediocrity. Like medieval Royals with syphilis, we seem to have gone suddenly stark, raving mad in Jaffna. We are doomed and your article has confirmed our fears.
It was the Roman historian Tacitus who wrote, 'I never regretted being silent, but always regretted having talked.'
Prof. Hoole has not done you any harm, and so your unkindly portrayal of him is rather difficult for us to comprehend. I think you owe Prof. Hoole a public apology.
From Sachi to Charles – January 20th , 2007 [A six page reply sent by Sachi is abridged here, for relevance. Abridged sections are indicated by dots.]
I appreciate if you could please read this mail completely. Thanks for your prompt response, which I read with much interest. I appreciate your candor in telling what you have felt on my quarrel with Jeevan Hoole. I'm afraid that you are not aware of the whole story behind this issue, and its my obligation to let you know some background.
I agree with you that Hoole has a stellar record in academia and publications in his specialty. And his services in Jaffna would have added something of value to the Tamil community. But, its his other 'social deficiencies' and vanity which I have criticized in my two pieces written last year. I'd appreciate if you could read the entire text of my two pieces.
On Academic Politics and Religious Zealotry (sangam site, April 16, 2006)
A Tale of Two Vice Chancellors (sangam site, Nov. 22, 2006).
In both these commentaries/satire, I have not touched or questioned anything about his academic suitability or publication record. Quite many renowned scientists of past were excellent in their research specialties. But, when they step out of their specialty, they make a fool of themselves. A well known example was William Shockley – the co-discoverer of transistor – who made a fool of himself when he tried to be the spokesman for eugenics. Hoole has two serious defects as an institution builder. First, his evangelical Christianity and his belief that there is a plot by Hindus against him, his family and his beliefs. Secondly, his thin skin for receiving criticism (which was the point, I made as toad/amphibian skin in my satirical piece). I'd add a third defect, which is his sycophancy to ruling politicians whoever they are (Chandrika, Kadirgamar and now Mahinda), which were clearly illustrated in his diatribe against me. I have been called variously 'vain charlatan', 'plagiarist', my publication record is a 'hoax'….
If you have been following my writings, this year marks my 30th anniversary of contributions to English popular press in Sri Lanka, Hongkong, Japan, New York and London. I have been a vigorous correspondent on ethnic issue; my views have been defended by the meek, but mostly my views have been criticized in the then Tribune (Colombo), then in Lanka Guardian, Asiaweek, Far Eastern Economic Review, Japanese dailies by non-Tamils. I take it all in the spirit of open exchange of ideas, opinions. But Hoole is altogether a different kettle of fish….I have heard about some scientists fabricating their own publication record, but this is the first time I have come across that Hoole fabricating the publication record of another scientist (that is, me). And his unliterary language – makes one wonder if this is how he evaluates any candidate's resume. He suffers from so many complexes – persecution complex, inferiority complex, delusions of grandeur complex….
I have attacked in writing his career as a closet politician and fart catcher to the Cabinet idiots. He calls me a 'terrorist suspect' (which even my Sinhalese critics like H.L.D. Mahindapala has never uttered!). Why he has to call me as a 'terrorist suspect' – just to curry favor from his political patron? He cannot distinguish metaphors, similes, multiple meanings of common phrases. And most importantly, he cannot even know what is plagiarism?….
He had called me 'plagiarist' for translating the neuroanatomical atlas from Japanese to English. And would any sane person would tell this, without checking the facts? The publisher of the reference book was Oxford University Press (OUP). I was commissioned by the OUP. They paid me, quite a handy sum of 500,000 yen (i.e., $5,000, at the then currency exchange rate) to complete the work in six months. As of now, the best contract I had received for work in this area. I worked hard, with the assistance of my wife, to do the job perfectly to their satisfaction, and this SOB now writes that I'm a 'plagiarist'.
About my translation skills [that is from my third language Japanese to the second language English, in which I have gained native level recognition – for which I was specifically commissioned by the Oxford University Press – what does this Hoole know which the OUP's commissioning editors didn't know?….
Every sentence Hoole had written about my record seems to prove to me, that he is not a worthy 'scholar' as he brags to be, but only a sycophant of Mahinda, and tries to save his absentee job as VC for Jaffna University. Sorry to state this, I completely disagree with you on this issue of whether Hoole would have made a good VC for Jaffna University.
Finally, I let you know why I wrote that second piece, 'Tale of Two Vice Chancellors'. It is morally wrong, for Hoole to hold onto the VC position (with a dog in the manger attitude), after escaping to USA and gloating about he being the VC of Jaffna University. Either he should have had the balls to go to Jaffna and work, or quit the position and run to USA. He cannot both 'have the cake and eat it' as well. It's a pathetic display of vanity, and I stand by my criticism.
Opposed to your view, I feel it is he who should issue public apology for distorting my track record in science…. You are entitled to disagree with me on this issue perfectly. I like to hear from you on other topics which I have mentioned in my previous mail. Best regards.
Appreciations to Dr. Charles Santiapillai
Chaminda S. Wijesundara; Dr. Charles Santiapillai (1944-2014). Ceylon Journal of Science (Bio.Sci), 2014, 43(2), i-ii.
Raman Sukumar; Appreciation – Charles Santiapillai (1944-2014). Gajah, 2014, 41, 41-42.
Sujan M. Henkanaththegedara and Upali S. Amarasinghe; The Man who loved elephants and students; a tribute to Dr. Charles Santiapillai (1944-2014). Taprobanica, 2015, 7(4), 275-276.
Dr. Charles Santiapillai. International Elephant Foundation.Org. Jan.9, 2015.
https'//elephantconservation.org/dr-charles-santiapillai/
Mary Babapulle. Late Dr. Charles Valentine Manoranjan Santiapillai – an appreciation. The Island (Colombo), Nov. 22, 2014.
Scientific Bibliography of Charles Santiapillai
Balasubramaniam S, Santiapillai C, Chambers MR. Seasonal shifts in the pattern of habitat utilization by the spotted deer (Axis axis Erxleben 1777) in the Ruhuna National Park, Sri Lanka. Spixiana, 1980; 3: 157-166.
Santiapillai C, Chambers MR, Ishwaran N. The leopard , Panthera pardus fusca (Meyer 1794) in the Ruhuna National Park, Sri Lanka. Biological Conservation, 1982; 23(1): 5-14.
Santiapillai C, Chambers MR, Ishwaran N. Aspects of the ecology of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus L. in the Ruhuna National Park, Sri Lanka. Biological Conservation, 1984; 29(1): 47-61.
Ashby KR, Santiapillai C. Deterioration of grazing associated with high densities of herbivores in Ruhuna National Park, Sri Lanka. Acta Zoologica Finnica, 1984; 172: 257-258.
Santiapillai C, Suprahman H. The proposed translocation of the Javan rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus. Biological Conservation, 1986; 38(1): 11-19.
Santiapillai C. The clouded leopard in Sumatra. Oryx, 1988; 22(1): 44-45.
Dorji DP, Santiapillai C. The status, distribution and conservation of the tiger Panthera tigris in Bhutan. Biological Conservation, 1989; 48(4): 311-319.
Santiapillai C, Ramono WS. Jungle four-wheel drive. Geographical Magazine, 1992; 64(12): 10-14.
Santiapillai C. J.Z. Young (1907-1997) an obituary. Current Science, 1998; 75(3): 325.
(10)Murukesapillai K, Santiapillai C. Srinivasa Ramanujan: a different perception of his life and times. Current Science, 1998; 75(3): 326-327.
(11) Santiapillai C, Suva A, Kariyawasam C, Unantenne V, Wijeyamohan S. Trade in Asian elephant ivory in Sri Lanka. Oryx, 1999; 33(2): 176-180.
(12) Kalugaha HIE, De Silva M, Santiapillai C. A long term study on the dynamics of the elephant (Elephas maximus) population in Ruhuna National Park, Sri Lanka. Biological Conservation, 1999; 89(1): 51-59.
(13) Santiapillai C, Wijeyamohan S, Ashby KR. The ecology of a free-living population of the ass (Equus africanus) at Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka. Biological Conservation, 1999; 91(1): 43-53.
(14) Santiapillai C. Sir Mark Oliphant (1901-2000) an obituary. Current Science, 2000; 79(7): 1022-1023.
(15) Santiapillai C. Abraham Pais: Physicist and biographer (1918-2000). Current Science, 2000; 79(11): 1607-1608.
(16) Santiapillai C, De Silva M. Status, distribution and conservation of crocodiles in Sri Lanka. Biological Conservation, 2001; 97(3): 305-318.
(17) Santiapillai C. Cyril Wace Nicholas (1898-1961): Gentleman, scholar and the first warden of the Wild Life Department, Sri Lanka. Current Science, 2002; 83(11): 1408-1409.
(18) Santiapillai C. The looming threat of smallpox. Current Science, 2003; 84(3): 260-261.
(19) Santiapillai C. Converting dung to dollars to conserve the elephant in Sri Lanka. Current Science, 2003; 84(5): 622-623.
(20) Santiapillai C, Wijeyamohan S. The impact of civil war on wildlife in Sri Lanka. Current Science, 2003; 84(9): 1182-1183.
(21) Santiapillai C. John F. Eisenberg. Current Science, 2003; 85(12): 1802.
(22) Santiapillai C, Jayewardene R. Conservation of the leopard and other carnivores in Sri Lanka. Current Science, 2004; 86(8): 1063-1064.
(23) Vandercone R, Sajithran TM, Wijeyamohan S, Santiapillai C. The status of baobab (Adansonia digitate L.) in Mannar island, Sri Lanka. Current Science, 2004; 87(12): 1709-1713.
(24) Santiapillai C. Hans Bethe (1906-2005). Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, 2005; 33(1): 57-58.
(25) Santiapillai C. The warming planet. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, 2005; 33(4): 233-237.
(26) Santiapillai C. F. Prashantha Amerasinghe (1948-2005). Current Science, 2006; 90(5):
(27) Santiapillai C. Cyril Jeffrey Babapulle (1939-2006). Current Science, 2006; 91(2): 242-243.
(28) Santiapillai C. L. Elizabeth L (Bets) Rasmussen (1938-2006). Current Science, 2006; 91(9): 1273-1274.
(29) Santiapillai C. African elephants: surviving by the skin of their teeth. Current Science, 2009; 97(7): 996-997.
(30) Wijeyamohan S, Read B, Santiapillai C. Obtaining accurate body weights of captive elephants in Sri Lanka. Current Science, 2010; 99(8): 1033-1035.
(31) Santiapillai C, Read B. Would masking the smell of ripening paddy fields help mitigate human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka? Oryx, 2010; 44(4): 509-511.
(32) Santiapillai C. Warren Ranjithan Breckenridge (1938-2009). Ceylon Journal of Science (Bio Sci), 2010; 39(1): 71-73.
(33) Wijeyamohan S, Sivakumar V, Read B, Krishnakumar S, Santiapillai C. A simple technique to estimate linear body measurements of elephants. Current Science, 2012; 102(1): 26-28.
(34) Santiapillai C, Wijeyamohan S. The first national survey of elephants in Sri Lanka. Current Science, 2013; 105(2): 153-154.
(35) Wijeyamohan S, Treiber K, Schmitt D, Santiapillai C. A visual system for scoring body condition of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Zoo Biology, 2014; 34(1): 53-59.
It Happened 65 Years Ago
MGR Remembered – Part 4
A 1980 years-old Crucifixion and a Traitor
Posted August 31st, 2016 .


Lyn Cote has had over thirty-five novels published. In 2006 Lyn's book, Chloe, was a finalist for the RITA, and her book Her Patchword Family was a finalist for the Carol Award, two of the highest awards in romance. (Her Healing Ways is also a Carol finalist this year.) Lyn also features stories of strong women both from real life and true to life fiction on her blog http://BooksbyLynCote.com Writing books at her lake cottage in northern Wisconsin, Lyn hopes her books show the power of divine and human love.
Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into writing.
Tell us about Her Abundant Joy.
Tagline: Can a beautiful young widow find peace in the arms of a Texas Ranger?
In 1846, young widow Mariel Wolfe survived the grueling voyage from Germany to start a new life in the "promised" land of Texas. Forced by circumstances to become a servant, Mariel is now determined to quit a harsh master. But how can a single woman face the frontier on her own? Texas Ranger Carson Quinn is responsible for leading her party of German immigrants safely through dangerous Comanche-held territory. As he watches Mariel hold her head high in spite of everything, he will stop at nothing to protect her.
But war is brewing: Mexico will not accept the U.S. annexation of the young Texas Republic without a fight. Honor bound to fight for Texas, Carson's deepest longing is to lay down his rifle. As Mariel and Carson fall deeply in love, could her painful past or this new war destroy all their hopes? Will the tide of history sweep them far from peace, far from a life together?
"Her Abundant Joy is a wonderfully satisfying finale to Lyn Cote's fascinating saga of Texas history. Riveting, engaging, unpredictable, it brings to the forefront a frightened and vulnerable German immigrant and a Texas Ranger whose family survived the turbulent years by grace and grit, faith and fortune. Not to be missed!" – KATHY HERMAN, author Sophie Trace Trilogy.
Did you have any experiences that prompted your love of historical fiction?
My mother always took us to any little or big museum we came across. I've always loved history. Supposedly through my mother's family, I'm related to Sir Walter Scott, the author of the first historical novels. I don't know if that all family story is true, but it makes sense. If not by blood, by affinity.
How much time does it take to research your stories – what balance would you say there is between research and actual writing?
I love to do historical research so much that I have to limit myself to a few weeks at the start. I just get the major facts in place and start writing. As I write, I keep a list of questions to look up after the manuscript is finished. If I go back to research in the midst, I might not go back to story-telling. Getting lost in the stacks of a large library is close to heaven for me.
Kara, thanks for having me as your guest! I hope your readers will stop by and sample La Belle Christiane on my site.
On my homepage, I've posted my first never published manuscript, La Belle Christiane,. And I've archived the chapters on my site and will keep them there till the book is released in September. Its tagline is: Can the beautiful daughter of a French courtesan find a love that will last a lifetime?
Good morning, Roger and thank you for joining us today at Fiction with Faith. First, let's start with sharing with the readers who you are and where you're from.
I'm just an almost sixty-five-year-old man who retired early to write Christian fiction.
Tell us about your latest release, Lost in Dreams.
Lost in Dreams is basically a continuation of Found in Translation, the first book in my Altered Hearts series. Kim Hartlinger is returning from a life-changing mission trip to Mexico, only to face a major catastrophe that she thinks she's responsible for. She ends up with a major fatigue problem, but comes out of it at the prospect of a mission trip to California. That trip has its own share of problems, though, and the ultimate question is what will free Kim from her guilt and allow her to live a normal life again.
Lost in Dreams is an interesting title. How did you come up with it?
Thanks, Kara, but I have to be honest. My editor came up with it. The Barbour team didn't think my original title, Prancing with Pebbles, would resonate with teen girls. Even though I'd taken great pains to make Pebbles an irresistible title, I didn't want to be a problem author—someone my publisher would find hard to get along with. And I liked Lost in Dreams fine, so I didn't protest. It isarelevant title since Kim suffers periodic nightmares along with her fatigue.
Titles are not as easy to come up with as many may think. How long did it take you to write this novel?
Asking that made me curious. *G* I keep all of the old versions of my manuscripts and increase the version number by one every day. It looks like Lost in Dreams took about five months. That's not taking into consideration the fact that I'd written the first chapter many months earlier.
I want teens to think about how important forgiveness is: God's forgiveness, our forgiveness of one another, and—not at all least—forgiveness of oneself. But I also want them to appreciate the importance of establishing and maintaining a good relationship with their parents—and keeping the channels of communication open no matter what. Another important take away is the fact that jealousy not only hurts the individual, but can have a gigantic detrimental effect on a team.
This is your second novel. Was there anything you learned from writing, publishing and marketing your first novel that made it easier this time around?
I learned a little extra patience. At first, I didn't fully appreciate the way an independent editor had edited Found in Translation. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was just helping me avoid potential reader objections. I also learned that it's impossible to do enough marketing. I have to do what I can—and what's appropriate for me—and leave the rest in God's hands. That's where it should have been all along, don't you think?
Yes, the perfect place for all our concerns is in God's hands, but oh, it's so hard leaving them there! But thankfully, our God is a God of patience. Speaking of patience, writing for the young adult market has its challenges. There are so many other types of media vying for their attention. What would you say to urge them to read your novel?
That's an interesting question, Kara. And my answer requires a bit of explanation.
I didn't really have teens in mind when I wrote the first book. But because it had an eighteen-year-old protagonist, it couldn't be marketed any other way. Adults seem to enjoy this series just as much as teens. I suppose I was a little more teen-conscious when I wrote Lost in Dreams, but I definitely didn't and don't write down to teens.
I think the best answer to your question is not what I would say to urge them to read my books, but what other teens would say. Word of mouth is a powerful tool, and—if my books touch lives the way I pray they will—teens will tell their friends.
What an inspiring answer. One that I hope adults and teens alike will take to heart as they read your novel and share it with others. What are some other novels that you've written?
I've written six other manuscripts. I wrote one as a prequel to the Altered Hearts series but it's not even really a Young Adult novel. I have one other manuscript I consider strictly YA, one that's kind of on the border, one that probably qualifies as speculative fiction, and several that probably fall into the category of general contemporary fiction. One of those may even be women's lit. All of it is strongly Christian, of course. I enjoy reading an occasional secular novel—I'm an avid Harry Potter fan (am I permitted to say that here?) —but nothing else is important enough for me to write about.
Sure, you're allowed to say that here! Prayerfully, there are other Harry Potter fans reading this site. Are there other projects you're currently working on?
Absolutely! Although I've plotted two more novels in the Altered Hearts series and written about 30% of the third book, Barbour hasn't offered a contract on them yet. However, they seem interested in a novel for teen boys that's may be ten percent finished. Because I'm a Preacher's Kid and this book is about a pair of misfit PKs, it's a lot of fun to work on. I tried out the first few pages of it on a man friend recently, and he died laughing at all of the high school memories it brought back.
That sounds like a good read, so I can't wait for that one to be released. Some of the most recent books I've read have made me cry and I loved them, but I'd rather have a book in one hand while holding my stomach with the other. Laughter truly is the best medicine. How may our readers contact you?
Thanks for stopping by Roger. Hope to see you here again soon!


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uses the deffatted soya/peanut flour as the raw materials. By high temperature and presser,Jinan Joysun Machinery Co., Ltd. the materials can reorgnized and shaped into different shapes by Automatic oil free fish frying machine/industrial cashew nuts fryer Machine/chinese supplier fried potato chips machine , such as pipe, stick,ball, pellets, pillow and so on. As the line make more concentrated and healthy protein, has become the most popular line in all the world.
Automatic oil free fish frying machine/industrial cashew nuts fryer Machine/chinese supplier fried potato chips machine relies on additional energy being supplied that's preferentially absorbed by the solvents in the process to enhance evaporation Jinan Joysun Machinery Co., Ltd. . are a form of electromagnetic energy (300 Mhz–300 GHz), Automatic oil free fish frying machine/industrial cashew nuts fryer Machine/chinese supplier fried potato chips machine generated by magnetrons under the combined force of perpendicular electric and magnetic fields by .
This mixer Automatic oil free fish frying machine/industrial cashew nuts fryer Machine/chinese supplier fried potato chips machine is three layers and including cooling, heating and heating insulation. is mainly suitable for preparation of foodstuff.Jinan Joysun Machinery Co., Ltd. pharmacy and liquid detergents (such as liquid soap,cleanser essence, shampoo and shower cream etc.).Automatic oil free fish frying machine/industrial cashew nuts fryer Machine/chinese supplier fried potato chips machine Integrating blending, homogenizing dispersing, heating and cooling etc functions, the reacting machine is an ideal device for liquid preparation in various factories.


Weekend events in classrooms will be subject to a $100/day maintenance fee. No food or drinks can be brought into the building.
We have an exclusive catering agreement with MCL Catering. You will need to contact them at 855-625-3836 regarding food and beverage service for all-day meetings.
We are a tobacco-free and alcohol-free facility.
Contact ESEC to rent classrooms and Conference Center.