text:
Yemen's rebel-held Hudaida under assault from Saudi-led coalition
Houthi Militia
Yemen: A tragic battleground will get bloodier amid US-Iran tensions
Yemen peace talks set to start on Thursday in Sweden
Yemen truce and prisoner swap timelines pushed back: UN
Clashes resume in Hudaida as UN prepares ground for Yemen talks
Saudi Arabia downs explosive-laden drone launched from Yemen: coalition
Sudan protesters and army rulers ink power-sharing deal
Reporting war crimes, even when they go unpunished
Regime air strikes kill at least 11 civilians in Syria's de-escalation zone
The UN Security Council will meet on Thursday for urgent talks following the launch of an offensive on the port city, which is a lifeline for humanitarian aid to millions who are on the brink of famine.
Tribal fighters loyal to the Yemeni government stand by a tank in Al Faza area near Hudaida earlier this month. On Wednesday, Saudi-led coalition forces began an assault on the country's largest port, June 13, 2018. (Reuters)
A Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's exiled government began an assault on Wednesday morning on Yemen's port city of Hudaida.
Aid agencies warned that the crucial battle in the three-year-old conflict could push the Arab world's poorest country into further chaos.
Iranian-aligned Shia rebels known as Houthis and their allies for years have held the Red Sea port, crucial to food supplies in a nation on the brink of famine after years of war.
TRT World's Staci Bivens reports.
Street-to-street battle
The battle for Hudaida, if the Houthis don't withdraw, also may mark the first major street-to-street urban fighting for the Saudi-led coalition, which can be deadly for both combatants and civilians alike.
Before dawn on Wednesday, convoys of vehicles appeared to be heading toward the rebel-held city, according to videos posted on social media. The sound of heavy, sustained gunfire clearly could be heard in the background.
The initial battle plan appeared to involve a pincer movement. Some 2,000 troops who crossed the Red Sea from an Emirati naval base in the African nation of Eritrea landed west of the city with plans to seize Hudaida's port, Yemeni security officials said.
Emirati forces with Yemeni troops moved in from the south near Hudaida's airport, while others sought to cut off Houthi supply lines to the east, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren't authorised to brief journalists.
TRT World's Editor-at-large Ahmed al-Burai explains what's behind the Hudaida assault.
UNSC meeting
The UN Security Council will meet Thursday for urgent talks following the launch of the offensive on the port city, a lifeline for aid, by government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition, diplomats said.
Britain requested the meeting to be held behind closed doors at 1600 GMT, marking the second time this week that the council will have met on the crisis in Yemen.
UN Yemen envoy "extremely concerned"
The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has called on the warring sides to avoid a battle for the port city and return to the negotiating table.
"I am extremely concerned about military escalation in #Hodeida & their humanitarian & political impact," he said in a tweet.
"We're in contact with parties to avoid further escalation. We call on them to exercise restraint & engage with political efforts to spare Hodeida a military confrontation."
Early morning assault
Saudi-owned satellite news channels and later state media announced the battle had begun, citing military sources.
Yemen's exiled government "has exhausted all peaceful and political means to remove the Houthi militia from the port of Hudaida," it said in a statement. "Liberation of the port of Hudaida is a milestone in our struggle to regain Yemen from the militias."
The Houthi-run Al Masirah satellite news channel later acknowledged the offensive, claiming rebel forces hit a Saudi coalition ship near Hudaida with two land-to-sea missiles. Houthi forces have fired such missiles at ships previously.
"The targeted ship was carrying troops prepared for a landing on the coast of Hudaida," the channel said. The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately acknowledge the incident.
Forces loyal to Yemen's exiled government and irregular fighters led by Emirati troops had neared Hudaida in recent days. The port is some 150 kilometres (90 miles) southwest of Sanaa, Yemen's capital held by the Houthis since they swept into the city in September 2014. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015 and has received logistical support from the United States.
Expired deadline
Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash earlier told French newspaper Le Figaro the deadline for a withdrawal from Hudaida by the Houthis expired early on Wednesday morning.
The United Nations and other aid groups already had pulled their international staff from Hudaida ahead of the expected assault.
The UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on Wednesday for all sides to protect civilians.
ICRC spokesperson Iolanda Jaquemet spoke to TRT World.
"Under international humanitarian law, parties to the conflict have to do everything possible to protect civilians and ensure they have access to the assistance they need to survive," said Lise Grande, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Yemen.
The people of #Yemen need your help now. Please RT to ask @BorisJohnson & the UK Government to help stop the imminent attack on Hodeida port. #SaveHodeida #YemenCantWait pic.twitter.com/wXfTLft4gn
— Oxfam (@oxfamgb) June 11, 2018
Over 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen's civil war, which has displaced two million more and helped spawn a cholera epidemic.
The Saudi-led coalition has been criticised for its air strikes which have killed civilians.
Meanwhile, the UN and Western nations say Iran has supplied the Houthis with weapons from assault rifles up to the ballistic missiles they have fired deep into Saudi Arabia, including at the capital, Riyadh.
Before the war, over 70 percent of Yemen's food and fuel imports came through Hudaida, accounting for over 40 percent of the nation's customs income.
Crucial for aid
The port city of Hudaida is crucial for incoming aid, food and medicine for a nation driven to the brink of famine by the conflict and a Saudi-led blockade. A Saudi-led airstrike in 2015 destroyed cranes at Hudaida.
The United Nations in January shipped in mobile cranes to help unload ships there.
The UN says some 600,000 people live in and around Hudaida, and "as many as 250,000 people may lose everything – even their lives" in the assault.
"We have had more than 30 airstrikes within 30 minutes this morning around the city. Some civilians are entrapped, others forced from their homes," said Jolien Veldwijk, the acting country director of the aid group CARE International, which works in Hudaida.
"We thought it could not get any worse, but unfortunately we were wrong."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had said that UN envoy Martin Griffiths was in "intense negotiations" in an attempt to avoid a military confrontation.
However, Griffiths' recent appointment as envoy and his push for new negotiations may have encouraged the Saudi-led coalition to strengthen its hand ahead of any peace talks with the Houthis.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday acknowledged the US continues to provide support to the Saudi-led coalition.
"It's providing any intel, or anything we can give to show no-fire areas where there are civilians, where there's mosques, hospitals, that sort of thing – [and] aerial refuelling, so nobody feels like I've got to drop the bomb and get back now," he said.
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
Ankara vows 'necessary response' after diplomat killed in Iraq's Erbil
US unsure about circumstances of tanker towed to Iran – Gulf tensions
Turkish forces neutralize 68 terrorists in northern Iraq
Show people, places and other topics in this story
Read articles related to this story
See what's popular on TRT World
What would you like to learn? LEARN MORE


An Intimate Evening with Danny Michel — Crow. Bar and Variety.
We are very excited to welcome Danny Michel back to Crow for the last Crow Session Dinner show of the 2018 series. The best thing about a Danny Michel show is his connection w the audience.
While in some circles Danny isn't a household name and should be, in other circles its spoken with such intense reverence you have to wonder what the hell you've been listening to and in what cave you've been living. If this is you, buy a ticket! Best last-thing-of-the-year you may ever do. Our host with the most Jeff Woods will conduct his usual interview and surprisingly, or not, Jeff, who has interviewed rock royalty has yet to meet Danny!


text:
Selection: Michalis Katsigeras
FRANCE AND NATO: Paris, 11 – The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Nathan F. Twining, has raised the question as to whether the Atlantic alliance can survive if its members do not abide by their commitments. During a confidential meeting of NATO military leaders, the general made it clear that his criticism was directed at France and its president, General Charles de Gaulle, personally. The dispute between the United States and France over the latter's failure to fulfill its obligations is threatening to develop into more than a diplomatic incident. An Associated Press correspondent writes that US Secretary of State Christian Herter is expected to follow up Twining's statement in his talks with French officials in order to try to press de Gaulle to fall in line. Meanwhile, Herter is expected to adopt the same approach at NATO ministerial meetings. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower is likely to do the same at a forthcoming Western summit. According to NATO military sources, Twining's comments fell like a bombshell at the NATO committee meeting. US sources emphasize that France has refused to accept American atomic weapons on its soil and to incorporate its air force and navy in the NATO force.
A new vision for the nation
Where is the money going?
Financial crisis is not yet over
Wake up, civil society

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Hebron Educational Centre is a dynamic and exceptional learning institution that functions based on a curriculum which embraces Christian values while ensuring the holistic development of a child.
Hebron Educational Centre was born out of the burden of Kingdom Life Centre's Senior Pastor Aggrey Ayiro and his wife Naomi Ayiro, both of them having an Education background and a desire to develop and raise children with the Christian character. This came out of a concern of seeing the deficiency observed within the Public Education system, which has become Materialistic and Secular as opposed to that of the foundation of the Kenyan Education which was born in private schools ran by missionaries and mostly held in churches.
Positively develop the character of the student based on Christian values.
We identify and develop the skills and Talents of all students to their highest ability.
To produce academically competent students who can take positions of leadership.
To provide an education system that aims at individualized learning: learner-centered.
Hebron Educational Centre is our 'ark' and our 'Sanctuary' to secure and set standards for the future.


What is the YBMen Project?
The YBMen Project is an educational and social support program for young Black men. Through the project, we can learn about the strategies that influence and shape young Black men's ideas and experiences with mental health.
This culturally-sensitive, age-appropriate, and gender-specific program uses a private social media group (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, etc.) to provide mental health education and social support to young Black men by using information and prompts from social media and popular culture (e.g., YouTube videos, photos, lyrics, and current headlines).
The Need: Transform Gender Norms. Enrich Mental Health. Engage in Social Support.
Young Black men experience disproportionately higher levels of mental health challenges due to their exposure to a greater frequency and severity of psychosocial stressors compared to other young men.
Studies have chronicled the poor health outcomes of Black men as a result of: racial discrimination, negative attitudes toward the justice system, racial and cultural identity, depression, violence, and masculine gender norms.
Yet, the mental health challenges among young Black men have largely been left out of national discussions about this segment of the population and concerns about violence. These mental health challenges are not always discussed in the Black community itself, making them difficult to address.
Participants join a private YBMen group (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, etc.) that our team has created, where we post information and prompts that are culturally-sensitive, age-appropriate, and gender-specific.
These include YouTube videos, song lyrics, and current news headlines.
The Results: Our Method Works.
Our Findings: Supporting Young Black Men Using Social Media Platforms Works.
Based on our research, we have found that the YBMen Project's approach to supporting young Black men using social media platforms is successful.
During the first phase of the YBMen Project at Jackson College, depressive symptoms decreased for men in the YBMen Facebook group but not for those in the comparison group.
Also, user engagement was strong, as 88% of participants viewed the YBMen Facebook group weekly and 63% actively participated each week.
The YBMen Project was born in 2014, after Dr. Daphne C. Watkins spent several years studying the mental health, masculinity/ manhood, and social support of Black men over the adult life course.
Moving forward, our findings will help us build a global mental health campaign to improve Black men's mental health, their adherence to progressive masculine norms, and increase their social support.


In this post we will see how to replace unicode characters from a Java String with their corresponding ascii values. Before looking into the actual java code for replacing unicode characters , lets see what actually Unicode means. As per the unicode.org definition. �Unicode provides a unique number for every character, no matter what the platform, no matter what the program, no matter what... In the Java SE API documentation, Unicode code point is used for character values in the range between U+0000 and U+10FFFF, and Unicode code unit is used for 16-bit char values that are code units of the UTF-16 encoding.
In this post we will see how to replace unicode characters from a Java String with their corresponding ascii values. Before looking into the actual java code for replacing unicode characters , lets see what actually Unicode means. As per the unicode.org definition. �Unicode provides a unique number for every character, no matter what the platform, no matter what the program, no matter what how to include a different class java 6/01/2012�� So in short Code Point method helps us to get the Unicode value of particular character which in turns helps in internationalization and localization, Unicode is an international character set standard which supports all of the major scripts of the world, as well as common technical symbols.
Unicode is a character set that aims to define all characters and glyphs from all human languages, living and dead. With more and more software being required to support multiple languages, or even just any language, Unicode has been strongly gaining popularity in recent years.
In Java, char is technically a �16-bit integer�, so you can simply cast it to int and you�ll get it�s code. From Oracle: The char data type is a single 16-bit Unicode character.


text:
The Emancipated Spectator - by Jacques Ranciere (Paperback)
Genre: Philosophy
Sub-Genre: Aesthetics
Publisher: Verso
Author: Jacques Ranciere
Street Date: October 1, 2011
"In this follow-up to his fruitful The Future of the Image, French philosopher Ranci�re argues forcefully against familiar critiques of the 'spectacle' ... This persuasive argument is fleshed out through close readings of art, �photography, literature and video installation, and a drily amusing analysis of leftwing 'melancholy' and 'rightwing frenzy' in critiques of �capitalism."--Steven Poole, Guardian
"What we see here is Ranciere developing a unique voice as a political theorist."--Bookforum
"French philosopher Jacques Ranciere is a refreshing read for anyone concerned with what art has to do with politics and society."--Art Review
"Ranciere's writings offer one of the few conceptualizations of how we are to continue to resist."--Slavoj Žižek
"The Emancipated Spectator is intended to improve our comprehension of art and deepen our grasp of the politics of perception ... [it has an] impressive concern with the political analysis of art and the use of imagery"--Times Higher Education
"What we are given is, above all, a figure of the spectator whose capacities to sense and think are greater than we have been prepared to conceive."--Radical Philosophy
"His art lies in the rigor of his argument--its careful, precise unfolding --and at the same time not treating his reader, whether university professor or unemployed actress, as an imbecile."--Kristin Ross
"In the face of impossible attempts to proceed with progressive ideas within the terms of postmodernist discourse, Ranci�re shows a way out of the malaise."--Liam Gillick
"It's clear that Jacques Ranci�re is relighting the flame that was extinguished for many--that is why he serves as such a signal reference today."--Thomas Hirschhorn


text:
CHAPTER NINE - ACROSS THE DESERT
"Hove dreadful! How perfectly dreadful!" whimpered Lasaraleen. "Oh darling, I am so frightened. I'm shaking all over. Feel me."
"Come on," said Aravis, who was trembling herself. "They've gone back to the new palace. Once we're out of this room we're safe enough. But it's wasted a terrible time. Get me down to that water-gate as quick as you can."
"Darling, how can you?" squeaked Lasaraleen. "I can't do anything - not now. My poor nerves! No: we must just lie still a bit and then go back."
"Why back?" asked Aravis.
"Oh, you don't understand. You're so unsympathetic," said Lasaraleen, beginning to cry. Aravis decided it was no occasion for mercy.
"Look here!" she said, catching Lasaraleen and giving her a good shake. "If you say another word about going back, and if you don't start taking me to that water-gate at once - do you know what I'll do? I'll rush out into that passage and scream. Then we'll both be caught."
"But we shall both be k-k-killed!" said Lasaraleen. "Didn't you hear what the Tisroc (may he live for ever) said?"
"Yes, and I'd sooner be killed than married to Ahoshta. So come on."
"Oh you are unkind," said Lasaraleen. "And I in such a state!"
But in the end she had to give in to Aravis. She led the way down the steps they had already descended, and along another corridor and so finally out into the open air. They were now in the palace garden which sloped down in terraces to the city wall. The moon shone brightly. One of the drawbacks about adventures is that when you come to the most beautiful places you are often too anxious and hurried to appreciate them; so that Aravis (though she remembered them years later) had only a vague impression of grey lawns, quietly bubbling fountains, and the long black shadows of cypress trees.
When they re"ached the very bottom and the wall rose frowning above them, Lasaraleen was shaking so that she could not unbolt the gate. Aravis did it. There, at last, was the river, full of reflected moonlight, and a little landing stage and a few pleasure boats.
"Good-bye," said Aravis, "and thank you. I'm sorry if I've been a pig. But think what I'm flying from!"
"Oh Aravis darling," said Lasaraleen. "Won't you change your mind? Now that you've seen what a very great man Ahoshta is!"
"Great man!" said Aravis. "A hideous grovelling slave who flatters when he's kicked but treasures it all up and hopes to get his own back by egging on that horrible Tisroc to plot his son's death. Faugh! I'd sooner marry my father's scullion than a creature like that."
"Oh Aravis, Aravis! How can you say such dreadful things; and about the Tisroc (may he live for ever) too. It must be right if he's going to do it!"
"Good-bye," said Aravis, "and I thought your dresses lovely. And I think your house is lovely too. I'm sure you'll have a lovely life - though it wouldn't suit me. Close the door softly behind me."
She tore herself away from her friend's affectionate embraces, stepped into a punt, cast off, and a moment later was out in midstream with a huge real moon overhead and a huge reflected moon down, deep down, in the river. The air was fresh and cool and as she drew near the farther bank she heard the hooting of an owl. "Ah! That's better!" thought Aravis. She had always lived in the country and had hated every minute of her time in Tashbaan.
When she stepped ashore she found herself in darkness for the rise of the ground, and the trees, cut off the moonlight. But she managed to find the same road that Shasta had found, and came just as he had done to the end of. the grass and the beginning of the sand, and looked (like him) to her left and saw the big, black Tombs. And now at last, brave girl though she was, her heart quailed. Supposing the others weren't there! Supposing the ghouls were! But she stuck out her chin (and a little bit of her tongue too) and went straight towards them.
But before she had reached them she saw Bree and Hwin and the groom.
"You can go back to your mistress now," said Aravis (quite forgetting that he couldn't, until the city gates opened next morning). "Here is money for your pains."
"To hear is to obey," said the groom, and at once set off at a remarkable speed in the direction of the city. There was no need to tell him to make haste: he also had been thinking a good deal about ghouls.
For the next few seconds Aravis was busy kissing the noses and patting the necks of Hwin and Bree just as if they were quite ordinary horses.
"And here comes Shasta! Thanks be to the Lion!" said Bree.
Aravis looked round, and there, right enough, was Shasta who had come out of hiding the moment he saw the groom going away.
"And now," said Aravis. "There's not a moment to lose." And in hasty words she told them about Rabadash's expedition.
"Treacherous hounds!" said Bree, shaking his mane and stamping with his hoof. "An attack in time of peace, without defiance sent! But we'll grease his oats for him. We'll be there before he is."
"Can we?" said Aravis, swinging herself into Hwin's saddle. Shasta wished he could mount like that.
"Brooh-hoo!" snorted Bree. "Up you get, Shasta. Can we! And with a good start too!"
"He said he was going to start at once," said Aravis.
"That's how humans talk," said Bree. "But you don't get a company of two hundred horse and horsemen watered and victualled and armed and saddled and started all in a minute. Now: what's our direction? Due North?
"No," said Shasta. "I know about that. I've drawn a line. I'll explain later. Bear a bit to our left, both you horses. Ah here it is!"
"Now," said Bree. "All that about galloping for a day and a night, like in stories, can't really be done. It must be walk and trot: but brisk trots and short walks. And whenever we walk you two humans can slip off and walk too. Now. Are you ready, Hwin? Off we go. Narnia and the North!"
At first it was delightful. The night had now been going on for so many hours that the sand had almost finished giving back all the sun-heat it had received during the day, and the air was cool, fresh, and clear. Under the moonlight the sand, in every direction and as far as they could see, gleamed as if it were smooth water or a great silver tray. Except for the noise of Bree's and Hwin's hoofs there was not a sound to be heard. Shasta would nearly have fallen asleep if he had not had to dismount and walk every now and then.
This seemed to last for hours. Then there came a time when there was no longer any moon. They seemed to ride in the dead darkness for hours and hours. And after that there came a moment when Shasta noticed that he could see Bree's neck and head in front of him a little more clearly than before; and slowly, very slowly, he began to notice the vast grey flatness on every side. It looked absolutely dead, like something in a dead world; and Shasta felt quite terribly tired and noticed that he was getting cold and that his lips were dry. And all the time the squeak of the leather, the jingle of the bits, and the noise of the hoofs-not Propputtypropputty as it would be on a hard road, but Thubbudythubbudy on the dry sand.
At last, after hours of riding, far away on his right there came a single long streak of paler grey, low down on the horizon. Then a streak of red. It was the morning at last, but without a single bird to sing about it. He was glad of the walking bits now, for he was colder than ever.
Then suddenly the sun rose and everything changed in a moment. The grey sand turned yellow and twinkled as if it was strewn with diamonds. On their left the shadows of Shasta and Hwin and Bree and Aravis, enormously long, raced beside them. The double peak of Mount Pire, far ahead, flashed in the sunlight and Shasta saw they were a little out of the course. "A bit left, a bit left," he sang out. Best of all, when you looked back, Tashbaan was already small and remote. The Tombs were quite invisible: swallowed up in that single, jagged-edged hump which was the city of the Tisroc. Everyone felt better.
But not for long. Though Tashbaan looked very far away when they first saw it, it refused to look any further away as they went on. Shasta gave up looking back at it, for it only gave him the feeling that they were not moving at all. Then the light became a nuisance. The glare of the sand made his eyes ache: but he knew he mustn't shut them. He must screw them up and keep on looking ahead at Mount Pire and shouting out directions. Then came the heat. He noticed it for the first time when he had to dismount and walk: as he slipped down to the sand the heat from it struck up into his face as if from the opening of an oven door. Next time it was worse. But the third time, as his bare feet touched the sand he screamed with pain and got one foot back in the stirrup and the other half over Bree's back before you could have said knife.
"Sorry, Bree," he gasped. "I can't walk. It burns my feet." "Of course!" panted Bree. "Should have thought of that myself. Stay on. Can't be helped."
"It's all right for you," said Shasta to Aravis who was walking beside Hwin. "You've got shoes on."
Aravis said nothing and looked prim. Let's hope she didn't mean to, but she did.
On again, trot and walk and trot, jingle-jingle-jingle, squeak-squeak-squeak, smell of hot horse, smell of hot self, blinding glare, headache. And nothing at all different for mile after mile. Tashbaan would never look any further away. The mountains would never look any nearer. You felt this had been going on for always - jingle-jingle-jingle, squeaksqueak-squeak, smell of hot horse, smell of hot self.
Of course one tried all sorts of games with oneself to try to make the time pass: and of course they were all no good. And one tried very hard not to think of drinks-iced sherbet in a palace in Tashbaan, clear spring water tinkling with a dark earthy sound, cold, smooth milk just creamy enough and not too creamy - and the harder you tried not to think, the more you thought.
At last there was something different - a mass of rock sticking up out of the sand about fifty yards long and thirty feet high. It did not cast much shadow, for the sun was now very high, but it cast a little. Into that shade they crowded. There they ate some food and drank a little water. It is not easy giving a horse a drink out of a skin bottle, but Bree and Hwin were clever with their lips. No one had anything like enough. No one spoke. The Horses were flecked with foam and their breathing was noisy. The children were pale.
After a very short rest they went on again. Same noises, same smells, same glare, till at last their shadows began to fall on their right, and then got longer and longer till they seemed to stretch out to the Eastern end of the world. Very slowly the sun drew nearer to the Western horizon. And now at last he was down and, thank goodness, the merciless glare was gone, though the heat coming up from the sand was still as bad as ever. Four pairs of eyes were looking out eagerly for any sign of the valley that Sallowpad the Raven had spoken about. But, mile after mile, there was nothing but level sand. And now the day was quite definitely done, and most of the stars were out, and still the Horses thundered on and the children rose and sank in their saddles, miserable with thirst and weariness. Not till the moon had risen did Shasta - in the strange, barking voice of someone whose mouth is perfectly dry-shout out:
"There it is!"
There was no mistaking it now. Ahead, and a little to their right, there was at last a slope: a slope downward and hummocks of rock on each side. The Horses were far too tired to speak but they swung round towards it and in a minute or two they were entering the gully. At first it was worse in there than it had been out in the open desert, for there was a breathless stuffiness between the rocky walls and less moonlight. The slope continued steeply downwards and the rocks on either hand rose to the height of cliffs. Then they began to meet vegetation - prickly cactus-like plants and coarse grass of the kind that would prick your fingers. Soon the horse-hoofs were falling on pebbles and stones instead of sand. Round every bend of the valley - and it had many bends - they looked eagerly for water. The Horses were nearly at the end of their strength now, and Hwin, stumbling and panting; was lagging behind Bree. They were almost in despair before at last they came to a little muddiness and a tiny trickle of water through softer and better grass. And the trickle became a brook, and the brook became a stream with bushes on each side, and the stream became a river and there came (after more disappointments than I could possibly describe) -a moment when Shasta, who had been in a kind of doze, suddenly realized that Bree had stopped and found himself slipping off. Before them a little cataract of water poured into a broad pool: and both the Horses were already in the pool with their heads down, drinking, drinking, drinking. "O-o-oh," said Shasta and plunged in - it was about up to his knees - and stooped his head right into the cataract. It was perhaps the loveliest moment in his life.
It was about ten minutes later when all four of them (the two children wet nearly all over) came out and began to notice their surroundings. The moon was now high enough to peep down into the valley. There was soft grass on both sides of the river, and beyond the grass, trees and bushes sloped up to the bases of the cliffs. There must have been some wonderful flowering shrubs hidden in that shadowy undergrowth for the whole glade was full of the coolest and most delicious smells. And out of the darkest recess among the trees there came a sound Shasta had never heard beforea nightingale.
Everyone was much too tired to speak or to eat. The Horses, without waiting to be unsaddled, lay down at once. So did Aravis and Shasta.
About ten minutes later the careful Hwin said, "But we mustn't go to sleep. We've got to keep ahead of that Rabadash."
"No," said Bree very slowly. "Mustn't go sleep. Just a little rest."
Shasta knew (for a moment) that they would all go to sleep if he didn't get up and do something about it, and felt that he ought to. In fact he decided that he would get up and persuade them to go on. But presently; not yet: not just yet...
Very soon the moon shone and the nightingale sang over two horses and two human children, all fast asleep.
It was Aravis who awoke first. The sun was already high in the heavens and the cool morning hours were already wasted. "It's my fault," she said to herself furiously as she jumped up and began rousing the others. "One wouldn't expect Horses to keep awake after a day's work like that, even if they can talk. And of course that Boy wouldn't; he's had no decent training. But I ought to have known better."
The others were dazed and stupid with the heaviness of their sleep.
"Neigh-ho - broo-hoo," said Bree. "Been sleeping in my saddle, eh? I'll never do that again. Most uncomfortable-"
"Oh come on, come on," said Aravis. "We've lost half the morning already. There isn't a moment to spare."
"A fellow's got to have a mouthful of grass," said Bree.
I'm afraid we can't wait," said Aravis.
"What's the terrible hurry?" said Bree. "We've crossed the desert, haven't we?"
"But we're not in Archenland yet," said Aravis. "And we've got to get there before Rabadash."
"Oh, we must be miles ahead of him," said Bree. "Haven't we been coming a shorter way? Didn't that Raven friend of yours say this was a short cut, Shasta?"
"He didn't say anything about shorter," answered Shasta. "He only said better, because you got to a river this way. If the oasis is due North of Tashbaan, then I'm afraid this may be longer."
"Well I can't go on without a snack," said Bree. "Take my bridle off, Shasta."
"P-please," said Hwin, very shyly, "I feel just like Bree that I can't go on. But when Horses have humans (with spurs and things) on their backs, aren't they often made to go on when they're feeling like this? and then they find they can. I m-mean - oughtn't we to be able to do even more, now that we're free. It's all for Narnia."
"I think, Ma'am," said Bree very crushingly, "that I know a little more about campaigns and forced marches and what a horse can stand than you do."
To this Hwin made no answer, being, like most highly bred mares, a very nervous and gentle person who was easily put down. In reality she was quite right, and if Bree had had a Tarkaan on his back at that moment to make him go on, he would have found that he was good for several hours' hard going. But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself.
So they had to wait while Bree had a snack and a drink, and of course Hwin and the children had a snack and a drink too. It must have been nearly eleven o'clock in the morning before they finally got going again. And even then Bree took things much more gently than yesterday. It was really Hwin, though she was the weaker and more tired of the two, who set the pace.
The valley itself, with its brown, cool river, and grass and moss and wild flowers and rhododendrons, was such a pleasant place that it made you want to ride slowly.


We are committed to delivering the highest quality of care in the most relaxed, comfortable, and professional environment.
Our goal is to relieve pain, preserve the natural tooth, and help educate our patients to enable them to maintain the highest level of oral health possible.
We take pride in our thorough consultations, utilizing the latest radiographic technologies such as Digital X-rays and CBCT Scans, that can show us your tooth in three dimensions.


text:
I think I've gone about as far as I can go sans human companionship. I'm not that interesting any more. Since childhood, given my extreme emotional -- and sometimes physical -- isolation, I've usually been able to find something to be intellectually/artistically interested in. And gotten genuine pleasure from that. (I wasn't the most popular girl in school, but I got lots of attention for winning academic awards, ranging from the school spelling bee in 6th grade through high school subject awards to a statewide editorial writing award as a senior.)
I fell in serious love for the first time my senior year of high school, though in '83 I honestly didn't know that this was love -- we were both girls, but all I knew about "gay" was the two lady coaches we students made light fun of and my male manager at Kmart, where I worked, whom we employees made light fun of.
When Ginny, my high-school love, abandoned me emotionally my very first year of college, I was lost for about 5 years after. All of my previous precocious high school academic accomplishments were forgotten. I went to dorm parties and went out to clubs a lot, got drunk a lot, did Ecstasy (still legal in '83-'84) a lot; tried pot and cocaine for the first time, did these sporadically (pot made me paranoid, loved cocaine). I had people, and one dorm-mate in particular, to party with, but I didn't feel close to them at all, except when we were out partying. Often, the one girl that I hung out with the most, when we'd go out, ended up with some guy that she'd go off to have sex with...many a time I was left stranded at a club or in an apartment talking to the guy's friend...It was depressing as hell.
After about 5 years, in early '88, finally met a true friend at the university library where I worked. She and her sister and boyfriend had all come to college the year before. We all started hanging out as a group at home, going to clubs as a group. "Clubbing" was different this time. It was fun. We would go see bands we liked. We'd talk up a storm the whole time. I felt close to them. This all "went wrong" when they left school to go home to their mom in Ft. Worth, who was dying of cancer. At the beginning of that summer, they came to visit me in Austin, I went to visit them in Ft. Worth... I fell in love with the twin of my friend. I moved to live with them that August. Their mom died at the end of September '88. Much trauma.
I moved back to Austin by myself in early '89. I met my first lover, a 36-year-old longtime denizen of the club scene, a former convict (bank robbery when she was 19).
My friends moved back to Austin that fall. We all were friends again; they were my "group" again, while I lived with my lover and then stopped living with her.
By 1994, my first lover and I had been broken up for 3 years, and the twins had married and moved away. I moved to San Francisco for a grad writing program. (My initial friend and I were still close; she flew out for a visit in SF.)
Once I returned from San Francisco is when I consider the true Wasteland to have started. 1995 to 2000 were truly Lost Years. I had no one at all in my life. Was clubbing 4 or 5 nights a week. Working at the same library where I'd worked years earlier. Contacting my first lover. (A big thrill came one night when she called me...turned out she wanted money: remember when she paid for my car battery back in '91?)
2000, I found a rental house that I liked a lot, and finally had an editing job that I liked. My cat Gracie found me. My mother got me my first computer, and I got online for the first time, where I first discovered the "Joan Crawford community." Having a computer and the accompanying companionship, however electronic, enabled me to stop going out clubbing constantly. I'd previously been doing so because I was extremely bored and lonely. Websites offered some kind of communication. I was completely over my first lover.
From 2000 to 2007, stayed in the same house, started my "The Best of Everything: A Joan Crawford Encyclopedia" website, worked for the same publishing company. Had a few friends that I went out to clubs with occasionally, and to holiday parties, but had no real friends. Had an online relationship with someone who claimed to be a bi woman but who turned out to be transgendered. The "trans" part wasn't the emotional shocker; it was that this person had claimed to have had an abortion, had claimed her mother was a suicide, had claimed she was British and living in Norway with a sugar daddy...As it turned out, she was a 40-something pre-op trans living with her (alive) parents in Norway who was coming on to teenagers online!
By '07, was feeling my oats and decided to move to New York City. Blah-blah-blah. That's all been documented here. Loved the city. Couldn't find regular work. Gracie died while I was there. Got over the tranny while I was there, only to get emotionally involved online with someone from a poetry class back in the '80s...
Today, in 2015, I've been back in Austin since 2010. Had my 4-year-stretch of the one-room apartment and the temp secretary jobs. I now have a nice, "appropriate" job as an academic editor that I like a lot but that still leaves me living in an apartment around screaming kids, and slackers hanging around in stairwells, and roofs that cave in when it rains. I make in the 40s per year, yet still can't afford my own car, much less my own home. I've got a Master's degree. But even after finding a decent job I like a lot, I'm still forced to live around a bunch of haphazard people.
This isn't an "Adventure" any more. I'm 50. I've given it my best shot for a long time now. Really nothing to show for it. No love. Now that I have a little bit of extra money to spend, I'd kind of like to go DO SOMETHING with SOMEONE! :)
Fleetwood Mac - Songbird (Rumours Outtake)
And the songbirds are singing
Like they know the score...
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
Isn't the right thing to do
How can I ever change things
That I feel
If I could
Baby I'd give you my world
How can I
When you won't take it from me...
Who'll Stop the Rain?
Rain Repair: What started out Friday eve as a ceiling drip with a 6 x 6 puddle on the floor beneath it requiring only a bucket and towels as a stop-gap measure turned into a massive ceiling-and-floor renovation of my apartment by Saturday. Why? Because the idiot responding to my emergency call on Friday (after the first rain deluge had passed) said, "Oh, we can't do anything about the roof while it's still wet outside." Overnight, another wave of rain came in and flooded my apartment through the leaky roof, severely damaging the ceiling and floors. Luckily for me, nothing but my carpet was damaged. But because the rental company wasn't proactive, they've now got thousands of dollars of damages/repairs. Wonder if they learned anything...
Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks: Rhiannon Live 1976
Good lord, I'm turning into a Stevie Nicks fan, 40 years later. "Landslide" was too great (see my October 17 entry). That song was literally in my head at about 20 different times today. I don't think that has EVER happened with any song before. Maybe 3, 4, 5... but 20? So I had to listen to "Fleetwood Mac" and "Rumours" tonight (which I never owned at the time, by the way, just bought online within the last 6 months or so). "Rhiannon" is from '75's "Fleetwood Mac" album. I heard this song constantly on the radio when I was a kid just learning to listen to the radio and pick out favorites, and I hated it. Thought it was generic and boring. Hated the hippie sound/feel/vibe, never listened to the lyrics. Tonight, though, in awe of "Landslide," took out the CD sleeve, read the lyrics for all of the songs as I listened (like I used to when I was a kid)... Stevie Nicks is a poet. "Rhiannon" is a really good song. And this is a really good, intense live version of her singing it.
She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark
And when the sky is starless...
Were You Alone?
This is the type of thing that Hillary Clinton was being asked all day today during the televised Benghazi Hearings. I started laughing before Hillary did.
A Box Full of Darkness
I've had my moments (ha! try weeks, months, years!) of darkness, but they've usually been situationally generated: unrequited love, inability to find work, etc. Sometimes, of course, an extended "situation" has led to deeper malaise -- such as my ongoing coming to terms with the fact that, at 50, at least two-thirds of my life is over and that I'm going to die -- but for the most part, I don't psychically live in a deep, dark pit of hopelessness and sorrow. One reason, I think, is that I have a pretty active and curious mind. I can often find SOMETHING to be interested in looking at or learning about; I can often get excited or inspired by SOMETHING, whether a song or a book or a political candidate or a really great pair of shoes or a raccoon peering in my window, what-have-you. Because I have this capacity, I am, however, often incapable of understanding that not everyone else does have it. I have been "shocked" time and time again over the years when confronted straight on by people who are TRULY dark and enamored of hopelessness. Part of me is constantly thinking, "Oh, they don't REALLY mean it" or "Oh, I can help 'snap them out of it' with my pure-of-heart Leo-ness." Ha!
Darkness is often celebrated in the arts, and I'm attracted to darkness in the arts because it seems "profound," deep. Plath's poems, Van Gogh's art, movies like "The Wall" or "Blue Velvet" or "Brazil." But by the time the depth of suffering has been translated to something palatable for mass consumption, it's been much watered down. It's relatively easy to relate to when compared to the initial impetus for the artistic shaping. I have not been thinking of the impetus, of the state of mind or very BEING of the creator, just of the result that they're able to wrest into a shape for their audience.
I have been thinking about this for the past several days in particular because of the recent gossip news about Lamar Odom, estranged husband of Khloe Kardashian, being found comatose after days of partying at a brothel. Their union and, later, troubles had been well-documented via "Keeping Up With the Kardashians": Most seemed to agree that it was a love match, even if Odom didn't act like it; although Odom eventually left KK to pursue drugs and whores, and Khloe was the one who filed divorce papers, she still expressed publicly that if it were up to her, she would still be with him. Then came the overdose, and she immediately flew to his side... "How Romantic," a part of me thought. "True love." I thought Odom's behavior over the past couple of years has been reprehensible, and yet I also semi-hoped that he would "snap out of it" and go back to the woman who loved him.
Well, as it turns out, Odom has the same birthday as someone I've been in love with for almost exactly 7 years now (Scorpios). Someone whose darkness I have been enmeshed in for 7 years, and whom I've been making mental excuses for. There is a connection between us, but she will not acknowledge it. She will be incommunicado for months, then suddenly "turn up." She's in AA and doesn't drink or do street drugs, but she's on quite the cocktail of psychiatric prescribed drugs, and has childhood and sexual addiction problems and a cloud of darkness that are similar to Odom's. And, like Khloe, I range in reaction to this person from "fuck you" to true worry about her well-being. Also like Khloe, I have made sincere efforts to help this person function in the day-to-day world: in my case, helping her with her resume, job leads, etc., and making it known that she would never be homeless as long as I myself have a place to live. Sometimes she has listened (a bit), sometimes she has cruelly said things like, "Get a life."
Sans any dramatic overdose or turning-up-on-my-doorstep on her part, there ain't gonna be a reunion, although my Romantic soul might have secretly wished for one. My words/thoughts/feelings don't reach her. What the whole Odom situation reminded me of was that there are people who simply don't want to be helped. There is a true darkness that they carry with them, and silly little things like "love" or "heartfelt wishes" don't mean anything. It's rays of light being sucked into a black hole. And for the person constantly sending out said "rays of light" and receiving not only no energy in return, but also a mega-dose of profound Nothingness, which is, I think, close to Evil... It's disheartening personally at first, but then the realization:
The sheep has stopped crying.
All morning in her wire-mesh compound
On the lawn, she has been crying
For her vanished lamb...
...It was not
That he could not thrive, he was born
With everything but the will --
That can be deformed, just like a limb.
Death was more interesting to him.
Life could not get his attention.
(Ted Hughes, 1974, from "Sheep")
And then today, I found this, by accident, on an acquaintance's Facebook page, from the poet Mary Oliver. Her words, too, are a gift. I have not wasted 7 years of my life. I have, instead, learned something true (however disturbing) about the soul of a person. I learned something profound.
My Favorite Months in This Order
October (weather and Halloween)
November (weather and holidays)
December (holidays)
August (birthday and promised end of summer)
April (beautiful weather)
March (circa the 15th, spring buds)
September (end of summer, and football season)
January (I like cold weather)
February (I like cold weather)
July (end of dramatic Texas spring weather with humidity and storms that scare me and make my hair look like shit; just hard-core hot and sunny)
Have never liked at all:
Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
I used to hate Fleetwood Mac. This is all I used to hear on the radio as a teen in the late '70s, and it was nothing that meant anything to me then.
This Fleetwood Mac song from 1975 is meaningful to me now, though, in 2015. Not on purpose. I just heard it by accident this evening and started crying.
One of the reasons I was crying so hard is that back in high school, Ginny liked Stevie Nicks and Rickie Lee Jones and Heart... She was in to a female groove, which I didn't understand then. I was busy, in 1983, listening to decidedly non-groovy post-Beatles John Lennon and U2. I made her listen to 1972 Lennon and 1983 U2, which she did because she liked me. All intellect and no groove: my ongoing problem. I never, my senior year of high school and the summer after, stopped to sit with her and listen to HER music.
I took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Till the landslide brought me down
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
And can I sail through the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
I don't know (I don't know)
Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older, I'm getting older too
So, take this love, take it down
Oh, if you climb a mountain and you turn around
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring you down
How fucking depressing IS this, Lamar Odom?
Number One, I'm just not a fan of the desert landscape. If I were going to go somewhere to die, I would NEVER pick any place in the desert. Ugh. I can't stress how much I HATE the desert landscape. Before I ever knew a thing about geology and the history of the planet, I FELT that the desert was only the leftovers from former oceans.
Number Two... All around are shitty billboards and shitty fences and shitty clapboard houses and shitty potted plants. My god. If I had $75,000 to spend over 4 or 5 days and wanted to die, I certainly wouldn't come to this landscape. (But then, Odom was from Queens...maybe this sparcity was exotic to him. Being from Texas, it's all too commonplace and ugly to me.)
Number Three: The bedroom furniture, and the too-short comforter, at the so-called "VIP Suite" at the so-called "Love Ranch" looks like a set I just bought for $1000 last year at a consignment store on Burnet Road in Austin! Which is fine for a 50-year-old middle-class editor who is finally able to afford some substantial real-wood bedroom furniture, but... it's supposed to be "sexy" and "exotic" for a millionaire guy visiting a whorehouse?
Number Four: Ryder Cherry, the Girl in the Picture: You can't pick up someone like this for free at any local club?
Last Day With Lennon
Yoko Ono, in 2010, on the last 2 days with her husband. The "seeing airwaves in the room" gave me goosebumps. Not goosebumps because I think Yoko Ono is in any way "spiritual" -- I don't; I think Ono was/is, for the most part, a huge hustler, a psychic, in tune only with vibes that she picked up on and how to ride them. I also believe that she saw these airwaves.
The last Sunday. I'm glad in a way that we didn't know that it was our last Sunday together, so we could have had a semblance of normalcy. But it turned out that it was not a normal Sunday at all. Something was starting to happen, like the dead silence before a tsunami. The air was getting tenser and tenser, denser and denser. Then, I distinctly saw airwaves in the room. It was wiggly lines, like on the heart monitor next to the hospital bed, just before it becomes a flat straight line. "John, are you all right?" I asked through the density. He just nodded and kept listening to "Walking on Thin Ice," playing it loud. Walking on thin ice. Walking on thin ice .. . "John, John, arrre youuuu alllll riiight?" I heard my voice vibrating. I could not go near John, for some reason.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/johns-last-days-20101223#ixzz3oAUDh6Uj
John Lennon - Help Me to Help Myself
John Lennon's birthday was yesterday. I thought about it all day yesterday and yet chose not to go out of my way to acknowledge it yesterday. "I'm big now; childhood heroes aren't meaningful to me any more." This song breaks my heart.
Well, I tried so hard to stay alive
But the angel of destruction keeps on houndin' me all around
But I know in my heart
That we never really parted, oh no
They say the Lord helps those who help themselves
So I'm asking this question in the hope that you'll be kind
'Cause I know deep inside I was never satisfied, oh no
Lord, help me...
OJ on the Run: The Bronco Chase
OJ Innocent verdict released October 3, 1995. Below is the Bronco "low-speed chase" and taped conversations from the car with Simpson and a detective from June 1994.
When I watched the chase on TV in the summer of '94, I was in Austin preparing to move to San Francisco for grad school that fall. When the verdict came down the next year, I was at a San Fran bus-stop on my way to campus when a carload of black people drove by, screaming "OJ! OJ!" Their joy over getting away with murder made me sick. (As did my father's own verdict: That Nicole Simpson had been "bought and paid for" -- that's something that you might, if you're a creep who doesn't like women, tell your buddies after a few beers. But something that you tell your own daughter when you're sober? That's my father, folks.)


Copyright: George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd.
Abstract: Rudolf Hoss or Hoess was appointed Commandant of Auschwitz in 1940. In April 1947 he was hanged on the grounds of the camp adjacent to Crematorium I, the barracks and barbed wire, and near the home where he raised his family in sight of the camp. While he was held in prison he wrote this autobiography.
Hoss portrays himself as an able administrator concerned with the larger issues in running the camp. This is not a candid memoir, nor does Hoss evidence guilt or remorse for his role as a mass murderer. Nevertheless, there are moments in the book when the reality of his function breaks through into his consciousness. A prisoner confronts him and Hoss is confronted with the extinction not of mass death but of a single human being. The episode must have etched itself into his memory. Hoss' autobiography gives us a partial insight into the mind of an SS officer.
Hoss writes: "I noticed that women who either guessed or knew what awaited them nevertheless found the courage to joke with the children to encourage them, despite the mortal terror visible in their own eyes."
And: "One woman approached me as she walked past and, pointing to her 4 children who were manfully helping the smallest ones over the rough ground whispered, 'How can you bring yourself to kill such beautiful, darling children. Have you no heart at all?'"
And: "One old man, as he passed by me, hissed: 'Germany will pay a heavy penance for this mass murder of the Jews.' His eyes glowed with hatred as he said this. Nevertheless, he walked calmly into the gas chamber, without worrying about the others."


text:
WE ENDORSE
PITTSBURGH MUSIC MAGAZINE
Worldwide Music News from The Steel City
Pittsburgh Event
A Tribute To The Beatles "White Album" feat. Micky Dolenz, Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross to Play Pittsburgh – Nov. 30
By Alan D. Welding on October 21, 2019
In celebration of The Beatles 50th Anniversary of the White Album, Flower Power Concerts, Inc presents It Was Fifty Years Ago Today – Tour 2019 – A Tribute To The Beatles' White Album feat. Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Jason Scheff (Chicago) and Joey Molland (Badfinger)! Musical Director: Joey Curatolo (the musical director of RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles).
In celebration of The Beatles 50th Anniversary of the White Album, Flower Power Concerts, Inc presents It Was Fifty Years Ago Today – Tour 2019 – A Tribute To The Beatles' White Album feat. Christopher Cross, Todd Rundgren, Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), Jason Scheff (Chicago) and Joey Molland (Badfinger)! Musical Director: Joey Curatolo (the musical director of RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles).
Performing their greatest hits along with songs from The Beatles White Album!
November 30, 2019 – Pittsburgh, PA – Palace Theatre
December 1, 2019 – Cincinnati, OH – Aronoff Center
December 2, 2019 – St. Charles, IL – The Arcada Theatre
December 4, 2019 – Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Wireless Theatre
December 5, 2019 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
December 6, 2019 – Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theatre
December 7, 2019 – Las Vegas, NV – Westgate
December 8, 2019 – El Cajon, CA – Magnolia PAC
December 11, 2019 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
December 15, 2019 – Jackson, CA – Jackson Rancheria Casino
Christopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. Cross won five Grammy Awards for his eponymous debut album released in 1979. The singles "Sailing" (1980), and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (from the 1981 film Arthur) peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. "Sailing" earned three Grammys in 1981, while "Arthur's Theme" won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981 (with co-composers Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen). Todd Rundgren, born and raised in Philadelphia, began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front Nazz, the quintessential 1960's psychedelic group. In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, Runt. But it was 1972's seminal Something/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, that catapulted Todd into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him "Rock's New Wunderkind." It was followed by such landmark LPs as A Wizard, A True Star and The Hermit of Mink Hollow, as well as such hit singles as "I Saw The Light, "Hello It's Me," "Can We Still Be Friends," and "Bang The Drum."
Micky Dolenz is an actor, singer, director, producer, writer, radio DJ, inventor, and all-around performer extraordinaire, and stands tall as a paragon of taste and accomplishment in the rough-and-tumble world of show business and entertainment. Micky is best known as a vocalist and drummer of the 1960s pop legends The Monkees. The Monkees not only achieved great success as a TV show, but also as viable recording artists; selling in excess of 65 million units, and achieving worldwide success. Their first four albums – The Monkees (1966); More of The Monkees (1967); Headquarters (1967); and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. (1967) all reached the number-one position on the charts and launched three number-one singles: "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer" (both with lead vocals by Micky), and "Daydream Believer." The group's first five albums also went platinum.
Jason Scheff is the longtime tenor lead vocalist of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted supergroup Chicago. Scheff joined the group in 1985 replacing the iconic vocalist/bass player Peter Cetera going on to be one of the principal songwriters and main contributors throughout Chicago's career. Scheff's songwriting, vocals, and musicianship helped create the most successful recording era of Chicago, the 1980s and 1990s. Scheff is also the voice across 4 decades, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, performing all the classic Chicago hits in thousands of concerts, television appearances.
Joey Molland is an English composer and rock guitarist whose recording career spans five decades. He is best known as guitarist, singer and songwriter of classic rock legends Badfinger. Molland is the last surviving member from the band's classic line-up and is still playing concerts worldwide. He is currently recording a new solo album produced by Mark Hudson.
Categories: Pittsburgh Event, Pittsburgh Premiere
Knocked Loose returns to Pittsburgh- @MrSmalls OCT 30
Lady Lamb (a.k.a Brooklyn-based Aly Spaltro) at Spirit 11/16
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE: EMPIRE EXTREME!
LIKE US TODAY!!!
WE PROUDLY WEAR BLK YLO!!!
WE PROUDLY DRINK…
Best Tattoo Shop in Pittsburgh: Human Production Gallery
STAGE AE UPCOMING EVENTS
Prolific Producer + Convicted Murderer Phil Spector Has Died January 17, 2021
Motley Crue: A Timeline of Their Storied Career January 17, 2021
Sammy Hagar + Circle Cover 'Heroes' to Salute Frontline Workers January 17, 2021
29 Years Ago: Green Day Release 'Kerplunk' January 17, 2021
Nancy Wilson Was First to Gift Eddie Van Halen an Acoustic Guitar January 17, 2021
20 Years Ago: Jason Newsted Leaves Metallica January 17, 2021
Papa Roach Tease New Song 'Stand Up' in ESPN UFC Promo January 17, 2021
40 Years Ago: Nikki Sixx Forms Motley Crue January 17, 2021
Ellefson Tells Story of Writing Huge Megadeth Hit in Couple Hours January 16, 2021
Bumblefoot Names His Favorite Guns N' Roses Songs to Play Live January 16, 2021
The Stage at Karma: Pittsburgh's Place for Local Talent
Courtesy of The Stage at Karma
Follow PITTSBURGH MUSIC MAGAZINE on WordPress.com
Archives Select Month January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 June 2014 May 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012
View Pittsburgh Music Magazine's profile on Facebook
View pghmusicmag's profile on Twitter
View pghmusicmag's profile on Instagram
View Pittsburgh Music Magazine's profile on YouTube
Album Altar Bar Alternative Alternative Rock arts Associated Press Atlanta Austin Battlecross Black Sabbath Boston Brooklyn Butcher Babies California Century Media Records Chicago classic rock Club Cafe death metal Dethklok Donald Trump entertainment EP European Tour Facebook Florida free download GWAR hard rock hip hop hip hop music Indie Lamb of God Los Angeles LP metal Metal Blade Records Motorhead Mr. Smalls music music news music video New orleans new single New York New York City North American Tour Official Music Video Philadelphia pittsburgh Pittsburgh Stage AE PMM pop music progressive metal punk rap Revolver Magazine Rex Theater rock ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL Rolling Stone Salt Lake City San Francisco single Smiling Moose St. Louis stage ae streaming music Texas Toronto Twitter United States video www youtube YOUTUBE
PA Music News
Check Out Our Sister Site PA Music News!
Top categories: Announcement/News PMM


If this is not the perfect excuse to get our of the office, we don't know what is. Federal Street restaurants and bars are offering daily drink and food specials that you simply can't miss.
There is someting for everyone on Federal Street's incredible happy hour menu, from a wagyu burger and a martini for only $29.50 to $8 drinks and $6 tapas at Bellota.
Read on to discover all the delicious options that won't break the bank.
Hola! Head down to Bellota for Happy Hour. Try their delicious tapas, from only $6, or enjoy one of the drinks below for just $8.
R18 for the service of alcohol. Host Responsibility limits apply. Available for a limited time only.


7-Up ran a commercial where a man on a deserted island played correspondence chess with a chess move inside the 7-Up bottle.
AltaVista search engine had a 2008 commercial of Garry Kasparov giving a simul. He has to stop and think when one of his young opponents used the Alta Vista search engine with the query "How he can beat Garri Kasparov's Evans Gambit?" Kasparov grabs a chair, sits down, and starts some deep thinking.
Andersen windows had a 1961 ad showing a family room with a chess set in the middle of it.
An anti-drug ad showed an old man and a young girl playing chess in the park.
Arctic Securities is the main sponsor of Magnus Carlsen, who advertises the company on his clothing.
Armagnac Brady had a 1946 print ad of a chess set with a glass of brandy on the side.
Arrow men's white shirts had a 1953 print ad with a man in suit and tie. The tie has chess pieces on it as a pattern.
Atwater Kent radio had a 1926 print ad of a radio next to a chess set.
Avon advertised their perfume with 32 bottles that made up a chess set of white and black pieces.
Boeing had a 1959 print ad of missiles on a chess board.
Bohn Aluminum & Steel featured an ad with a steel hand making a chess move.
Bon Jour Paris clothing had a 1983 print ad of a woman standing over a chess board with a few pieces knocked over.
Camel Cigarettes once featured former U.S. chess champion Frank Marshall in one of its advertisements, which appeared in the April 28, 1934 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Arnold Denker also appeared in an advertisement for Camel cigarettes.
Carling's Brewery ran an ad with a bottle of Carling's Red Cap Ale surrounded by chess pieces.
Charlie's Angels had a poster of all three Charlie's Angels (Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Farah Fawcett) on one side of the chess board making a move. The promotional poster was made in 1977.
Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey had a 1992 print ad with a close up of some chess pawns and the Chivas logo on the ad page.
Coca-Cola had a 1945 ad featuring images of some air force military men playing chess in a bar, with the tag line, "Checkmate, pardner…Have a Coca-Cola." And, "…refreshment fulfills a friendly mission." The ad appeared in the August 1945 issue of National Geographic.
Diva fashions, tailored by Evan-Picone, had a 1956 ad of a woman standing on a chess board with a few chess pieces on some squares.
Douglas Aircraft had a 1965 print ad called Missile chess. It had a variety of its missiles on a chess board.
Dunhill cigarettes had a 1986 ad with a computer chess board and a pack of cigarettes on the side.
G-Star denim brand uses the image of Magnus Carlsen to advertise its G-Star Raw products.
Gas-X has an ad that shows a lone king on one side of the board and all the other pieces on the other side of the board.
Geico insurance company used a soccer announcer (Andres Cantor) to call the moves in a chess game for one of Geico's commercials in 2010. The chess position itself is illegal, with two white bishops of the same color and some other mistakes.
Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo ran two ads that featured a knocked-over White King surrounded by a Black Queen and Knight. The tag line was "Game over dandruff" and "keep dandruff in check" for another ad that had a chess piece that was half white and half black.
Highland Queen scotch whiskey ran a 1936 print ad with a chess board and a bottle of whiskey, with the tag line, "The Queen Dominates." It also featured a chess diagram and a chess problem. Another ad featured a chess set with military planes, tanks, and ships.
Hoffman Controlled Heat had a 1929 ad of two men playing chess in suits in a flexible home of heat and cool.
Bob Hope had a 1972 ad to promote his Bob Hope All Star Special, starring David Cassidy, Mark Spitz, Alexis Smith, World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, and The Carpenters.
Horizon Organic ran a "chess mates" ad on the Disney Channel. It showed a little girl drinking milk and playing chess with her grandfather.
Irving Trust Company had a 1964 print ad with a variety of exotic, carved chess pieces.
The Jaques Staunton chess-men were first advertised in the September 29, 1849 issue of the Illustrated London News, and endorsed by Howard Staunton.
JK Tyre of India ad shows a tire on a chess board, with chess pieces in the background.
JS&A chess computer had a 1979 ad of its chess computer with a picture of world champion Anatoly Karpov. The title of the ad was "Karpov Accepts," which was an endorsement of the chess computer.
Kaichen & Rothschild cigar makers used Paul Morphy's image to sell cigars.
Kent cigarettes had a 1973 ad page with a package of Kent cigarettes next to a chess set. They had a 1955 print ad of a carton of Kent cigarettes as a Christmas present surrounded by chess pieces.
Kentucky Tavern whiskey had a 1946 ad that showed a chess set with two glasses of whiskey and a book called Chess and Double Check.
Koneru Humpy is modeling and has done an advertisement for a property developer.
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce had a 1974 print ad showing Mr. Lea and Mr. Perrins playing chess.
Louis Vuitton French fashion house had a 1988 print ad, called the art of travel. It featured travel gear and a chess set.
Marlboro cigarettes had a 1955 ad of a man holding a chess piece while smoking.
Mary Chess perfume had a 1947 magazine ad that featured a bride with perfume bottles shaped like chess pieces. A 1955 print ad showed a perfume bottle in the shape of a queen. A 1958 print ad featured a chess strategy perfume bottle in the shape of a knight.
Meetup.com has a chess commercial of a guy playing a cat.
Mercedes-Benz released a magazine and newspaper ad in 2008 showing a chess player in protective gear, with the words, "You can never feel too secure." Mercedes-Benz also made a commercial with golfer Adam Scott playing chess.
A milk commercial was made showing a cow beating Viktor Korchnoi.
Mission Dry Sparkling Orange Juice had an ad that ran in the March 8, 1930 issue of Saturday Evening Post, showing a chess set and two classes of orange juice on the sides.
The Morphy Straw Hat and the Morphy Cigar (special brand ordered from Havana) were advertised in the Boston and New York papers of after Paul Morphy's victorious return from Europe in 1859.
The National Historical Society ran a 1984 print ad for their Civil War chess set made by the Franklin mint. I bought one.
NIIT, a global IT services company, has used former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand as its ambassador. Anand has starred in at least four commercial advertising campaigns for AMD India, Union Bank of India, Parle-G, and Crocin.
Novag chess computers were endorsed by Anatoly Karpov.
Oyster Magazine recently featured Women's World Champion Hou Yifan modeling with different hair styles.
Pall Mall cigarettes had a 1958 ad with a pack of Pall Malls on a chess board.
Paramount Pictures had a 1992 Star Trek ad for their Star Trek Chess Set. It was the Star Trek crew versus the Klingons. It was advertised as the chess set that transcends time and space.
Pirelli tires had a 1960 ad of five tire models and chess pieces on an orange background.
Susan Polgar has endorsed products of a bank and insurance company in Hungary.
Prince Gardner had a 1957 print ad of their billfold, cigarette case, and lighter on top of a chess board, surrounded by a few chess pieces.
Red Bull energy drink now has Hikaru Nakamura as a spokesperson. Red Bull has a commercial of two kids playing blitz chess with a chess clock, and they speed up after drinking Red Bull.
Rheingold beer had a 1955 print ad featuring Edmund Gwenn, and English theater and film actor, playing a game of chess, and then having a beer. Gwenn (1877-1959) played Kris Kringle in the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Sanderson's Vat 69 Scotch Whiskey had a 1951 print ad with a bottle of scotch and a glass on a tray next to a chess set.
Sanfor Company had a 1952 ad promoting Sanforized fabrics. A lady is on a chess board with a king and knight, checking out her dress that does not shrink.
Schweppes tonic water used Garry Kasparov in one of its Spanish television commercials in 1987 to advertise its product.
Siemens has an ad for a vacuum cleaner where a lady is vacuuming a room that is being used for the world chess championship, advertising a very quiet vacuum cleaner while the players are concentrating on chess.
Silence Therapeutics uses Hikaru Nakamura to endorse its products.
Stouffer's had an ad of a man and a woman playing chess with a Stouffer's dinner meal on the side of the chess board.
Tab, a soda pop by Coca-Cola, had a 1964 ad with a chess set in the foreground and a bottle and glass of tab in the background.
Teacher's Highland Cream Scotch Whiskey had a 1937 ad with two men playing chess and a third man watching the game while holding a glass of Scotch.
Tocadilly Rochas perfume ran an ad of a perfume bottle on a chess board with a woman looking straight ahead.
Vittel mineral water produced a commercial with chess players.
Warner Brothers had a 1992 ad promoting its Looney tunes collector's edition chess set.
Werder ketchup ad shows two tomatoes playing chess.
Wine Importer's ad featured a chess board with wine bottles and a chess piece on top of each wine bottle.
Woman's Day magazine had a 1952 print ad featuring chess pieces and the queen reading Woman's Day magazine.
yApre Profile necktie had a 1956 ad of a necktie on a chess king.


text:
Wyomissing Junior Senior High School » News » JSHS Archive » Senior Represents JSHS at 2018 Penn Relays
Wyomissing Area High School senior Hunter Niedrowski represented the school in the javelin event at this year's Penn Relays. It is believed to be the first time in the history of WAHS that the school was represented at the annual national track and field competition.
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia each year since April 21, 1895.
While skill with the javelin runs in the family— Hunter's father was the District III Javelin Champion in 1992 and 1994 and PIAA State Javelin Champion in 1992, with a school and county record throw of 227' 11"—Hunter didn't join the track team until his junior year. He went on to state competition that year, placing 17th.
Before joining the track team, Hunter played baseball and football for WAHS. He hung up his baseball glove to join the track team, saying that he wanted to switch things up.
Hunter didn't do as well as he had hoped at the Penn Relays; he finished in ninth place with a throw of 180' 11". However, he did win in the Class 2A event at the District III Track and Field Championships with a throw of 199' 8". He also set a school record.
Hunter plans to continue competing at West Chester University.


Running various applications in a consistent way. Dynamically configure application stacks.
NGINX Unit is a new, lightweight, open source application server built to meet the demands of today's dynamic and distributed applications. Deploy configuration changes with no service disruptions. Run code in multiple languages. Build the foundation of your service mesh.
- Modern applications are changing all the time, and they require software that allows fast reconfiguration.
- Every complex application has multiple software stacks in place. It is always a mix of languages and technologies. Inconsistency in technology interaction can be fatal to the application.
- Inter-service communication is a topic that is becoming more interesting today, and service meshes are one of the available solution approaches.
- It's open source under Apache 2.0 license.
- Unit runs PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby, Go apps.
- It runs various versions of the same language on the same server.
- Unit reconfigures in real time, and it's done via a simple REST API.
- A reconfiguration does not create a reload workflow. Changes are done in-memory, instantly, as frequently as you want.
We will show the details on the implementation, and display a technical demo on how to use Unit with a variety of dynamic applications.
Nick Shadrin is a Product Manager at NGINX. He creates and brings new technologies to the wide audience of engineers and operations professionals. He is a web application delivery professional with many years of international experience. Previously, Nick implemented website-optimization systems for many major well-known websites.


What wine has sold over a billion bottles?
What's Mateus, you young-uns ask? A light, fresh, slightly fizzy Rosé wine from Portugal. It was the Fuzion of the 60s. A first date wine, a wedding wine and a drink for times in between.


text:
Paolo Andino (ur. w Miami) – amerykański aktor telewizyjny i filmowy.

Życiorys
Urodził się w Miami na Florydzie. Wychowywał się we Florida City oraz w Portoryko. Posiada korzenie kubańskie. Do rozpoczęcia kariery aktorskiej zmotywowali go członkowie rodziny. Studiował na University of Missouri–Kansas City. Uzyskał tytuł magistra sztuk pięknych. Pracował na scenach teatru. Grywał między innymi w adaptacjach szekspirowskich klasyków oraz w sztukach eksperymentalnych.

Jako aktor telewizyjny debiutował jesienią 2003; we wrześniu tego roku stacja NBC wyemitowała odcinek serialu komediowego Nie ma sprawy (Ed), w którym Andino zagrał instruktora szermierki. Podłożył głos do przygodowej gry akcji True Crime: New York City (2005), nad którą pracowali także Mickey Rourke, Laurence Fishburne i Christopher Walken. W komedii Shut Up and Do It! (2007) wystąpił jako Pedro. W latach 2008−2010 odgrywał różne role w programie komediowym The Big Gay Sketch Show, nadawanym przez Logo. Pomysłodawczynią programu była Rosie O'Donnell. Jego praca przy The Big Gay Sketch Show, w tym imitacja Antonio Banderasa, zebrała pozytywne recenzje. W lipcu 2010 pojawił się gościnnie jako Bob Wilson w odcinku serialu Poślubione armii (Army Wives). Wkrótce potem powierzono mu tytułową rolę w komedii Swallow (2011). Grał Dana w piątym i szóstym sezonie sitcomu ABC Współczesna rodzina (Modern Family). Wystąpił w reklamach promujących MTV oraz McDonald's. W 2016 roku zaangażowano go do występu w dwóch serialach: Ostatni okręt (The Last Ship) oraz Miśki na tropie (Where the Bears Are). W pierwszym grał Raife'a, w drugim − Damiena Cassidy'ego.

Ma 178 cm wzrostu. Widzom znany jest z umięśnionej budowy ciała. Ujawnił się jako gej. Od około 2004 roku związany z Mattem Croninem.

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne

Amerykańscy aktorzy filmowi
Amerykańscy aktorzy telewizyjni
Urodzeni w XX wieku
Ludzie urodzeni w Miami

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Railways and The Raj: How the Age of Steam Transformed India / Christian Wolmar
Christian Wolmar's latest tome Railways and The Raj: How the Age of Steam Transformed India is a welcome addition to his existing repertoire of books on railways across the world. The volume offers an accessible account of the history of the railways of the Raj since the railway operations commenced in India in 1853.


Heating and Plumbing Company in Surrey.
Gardini Heating and Plumbing provide a comprehensive range of professional boiler and plumbing services in Surrey.
We carry out annual servicing, replacing boilers, fitting central heating systems and a complete bathroom and shower room installation service for domestic customers, Landlords and Letting Agents across Surrey.
We provide a fast response for leaks and repairs for domestic and commercial customers and annual gas safety checks and certification for Landlords and Letting Agencies.
or send a quick email.
Annual boiler servicing and replacement for homes, Landlords and Letting Agents.
Why use Gardini Heating and Plumbing in Surrey?
We are a local, friendly and professional team of plumbers and gas heating engineers in Surrey. We are fully qualified, insured and Gas Safe™ registered.
From leaking or burst pipes to comprehensive servicing and maintenance plans you can trust in us to meet all your heating and plumbing requirements.
We offer a transparent pricing plan with no hidden costs.
As members of Checkatrade you can view what our satisfied customers have to say.
Copyright © 2016 Gardini Heating and Plumbing Surrey. All rights reserved.


text:
My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 845
Falling for My Old Husband (sophia edwards and michael fletcher) Chapter 845
Sophia too saw the complacent look in Faye's eyes, but she drove off without making any comments. Arriving at Crimson House, she booked two private rooms, which was soon populated by a crowd. Among them were Michael, Linus, Harry and his partner, as well as Sean and Stanley. Even the filthy rich prince from the Middle East who fought with Vincent, as well as that heir to an European conglomerate were present.
Upon entering the room, Sophia announced, "I appreciate your support, so tonight's meal is on me."
If there were no worthy opponents present for the occasion, it would be hard to prompt Vincent into action, which would make it hard to raise the price of the car. A thirty million car being sold at the price of a hundred million was quite the deal in itself, more so when it could benefit from Faye's popularity.
Faye's birthday soon arrived. As the Mitchell Family's future daughter-in-law, the Mitchells honored her by inviting a lot of celebrities, as well as members of the Edwards Family. The birthday party was held in the riverside mansion that Vincent bought for Faye. The four-storeyed mansion spanned across more than 700 square meters, whereas its interior was not only lavishly decorated, but equipped with an elevator. Vincent personally drove the burgundy car to the venue before parking it in the garden of the mansion, which quickly garnered a lot of attention and praise.
,兴奋地投入了他的怀中。
While the crowd watched on in awe, Vincent got out of the car to hand the keys to Faye as if it were a solemn affair. His actions seemed to touch Faye so much that she threw herself into his embrace in elation, with the subsequent round of applause seemingly having fulfilled Faye's vanity.
However, other than the sports car, the other highlight of the day was Scarlett's apology. Sandra brought along with her a few of the elders from the Mitchell Family, as she wanted them to witness Scarlett's humiliating public apology. They spent a long time waiting before Scarlett finally arrived. Upon glancing at Cooper's daughter, whom they had yet to meet till then, the elders determined that she was but another celebrity with a plastic face, her appearance a splitting image with many among the crowd.
On the other hand, Cooper came alongside Sophia, only to be irked upon seeing people walking around with faces similar to Sophia's. In fact, Sophia's appearance was somehow being hailed as the latest beauty standard, so a lot of people had been tweaking their faces to look like her, which was something that Cooper was unhappy about.
Aside from Cooper, Michael, Sean, and Stanley came along as well. To add to their already grandiose line-up, they brought with them the 2.5m cat, Barney. Judge came along with Stanley as well, but it cowered at the entrance upon noticing the enormous cat.
All eyes on them, the crowd fell silent for a moment upon their entry. Although it was outrageous of them to have brought a lion to someone else's birthday party, to be fair, the lion was docile, sitting down upon finding itself a spot where it could rest.
That was the elders' third encounter with Cooper after his return. The first time was when Woody Mitchell passed away, the second being during Woody's funeral, while the third being this birthday party. Instead of returning to the Mitchells, Cooper had been going solo ever since his return without heeding the elders' summons. His actions made the elders felt their statuses challenged, so they always gave Cooper the cold shoulder whenever they met him.
However, Cooper also ignored their presence. For all he cared, the elders were only superior to him in age, as some of them were still among the servants when he took over the Mitchell Family.
On the other hand, Sophia kept a low profile by dressing up plainly today, as she didn't intend to steal the limelight. Aside from applying some of Carmen's baby powder, she wasn't wearing any makeup at all. Due to its ritualistic significance, she only ever put on makeup when she had to meet someone important, but not when she was merely gracing someone inconsequential with her presence.
As soon as she arrived at the venue, she went to Faye and apologized, "Miss Faye Edwards, I hereby offer you my deepest apologies regarding the hurt I caused you during Pourl's product launching ceremony. Please accept my apology." She gave Faye a sincere bow after saying so.
Chuckling complacently, Faye scanned the crowd before she responded, "It's alright. You don't need to take it so seriously. Let's consider this settled now that you already paid the fines. Vincent and I will soon be married, so we will become family soon." While she spoke, Faye deliberately combed her hair using her slender fingers to show off the huge diamond ring she wore, whereas a similar one resided on Vincent's ring finger.
Seemingly unaffected, Sophia said, "Oh, so I see you are registered."
Faye was so proud of herself, her face was flushed from all the emotions. "Yeah, we did. Because it's my birthday as well as an auspicious day, we got registered in the morning, while the ceremony will be held next month." In fact, news regarding their marriage was the trending topic on the Internet ever since a week ago, which helped to promote her upcoming movie.
Sandra chimed in, "Miss Faye will be a member of the Mitchells from now on, while Vincent is the youngest member among the board of directors with a firm hold on the shares of Mitchell Group, so I bet they have a bright future ahead of them! With how compatible they are, this sure is a match made in heaven!" Getting ahead of herself, Sandra was starting to show off unabashedly. "The Edwards Group provided Faye with a huge amount of dowry, which indicates how important her wedding is. And we Mitchells also offered a huge sum as a betrothal gift, seeing the significance of the wedding for both families. My wedding with Ian will be happening next year, which would deepen the bond between the Mitchells and Edwards as we're now in-laws. This is surely the strong banding together to form an even stronger union!"
However, Sandra wasn't referring to Cooper and Scarlett's family. Although the Edwards and Mitchells would be coming into union, Cooper had nothing to gain from it. With nothing under his name, the fact that Cooper had Mark's assistance meant nothing, more so when Mark would kick the bucket any moment.
Even by arranging for Scarlett to marry Michael, it was naive of Cooper to think that they were secure. Not so long ago, Michael wasn't even regarded as a member of the Fletcher Family. They only inserted him into the family tree after the poor sod lost his wife. Cooper was therefore being regarded as a senile fool who misjudged the situation in Bayside City after being a castout for more than twenty years.
Despite catching on to the fact that Sandra was trying to show off, Sophia seemed unaffected when she replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, that sounds great." Without further words, she turned to reunite with her father and the lion.
Exchanging a smile, Faye and Sandra assumed that Sophia's nonchalance was but a facade to the dejection she felt deep down, as a public apology should be extremely humiliating. However, Faye wasn't about to let Sophia off the hook, so she dragged the latter with her to check on her new car. "Look, Scarlett, this is my new car that Vincent bought for me! It was used by Lucile Michel! I bet you have no idea who she is! She is one of the top socialites in the world! Her father is Fass Michel, the president of Michel Group, whose net worth could easily rival that of a country! Vincent and I had an audience with her when we went to sign the contract for purchasing the car! We became friends very quickly, and she even invited us to visit her manor! It was a shame that she left for Africa for an errand, or else you might even get to meet her today!"


So I love Fraggle Rock. And I've had a few paper ideas that I've mentioned to some FSU colleagues about the show. And last fall, a call for papers came out in search of new ways to look at children's television as being educational. This was a perfect fit for something I had envisioned, and so I submitted an abstract. It was accepted in the fall for the 2009 PCA/ACA (Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association) Conference.
Long story short, this trip was overly stressful for no reason. Nothing actually went wrong, but I was more paranoid on this trip than I have ever been before. And for decent reason, which I'll write about in another post. Anyway, the panic vegan as soon as Jonathan dropped me off at SJC. I was afraid that my baggage would be too heavy, or that it would get lost (it was 1 pound over but they didn't make me take anything out, and it arrived just fine). I was afraid I'd miss my connection, but that was fine. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find the shuttle booth, and that they wouldn't take credit, and that I'd never find the shuttle station (found it, they took credit, and I was directed to the proper station). The shuttle was 45 minutes late, which was the only real problem. I was worried about getting lost in the Quarter (I know that area a lot better than I thought, apparently). I worried about staying in one hotel while checking my bags during the day at the conference hotel (no problem, and I pulled it off Wednesday and Saturday). I worried about check-in since I wasn't the primary guest on the reservation (no questions). I worried about my laptop getting stolen from my suitcase because it wouldn't fit in the safe (laptop was fine). I worried about the shuttle to the airport being late (only by 5 min, so no big deal), and then worried about baggage being too heavy (ironically, it weighed 51 pounds again, after I shifted things around, haha), and about baggage getting lost (MCO was overwhelmed with travelers so although it took longer than usual, my bag appeared with no problem. I also worried about finding a place for my carry-on in the overhead, since Southwest is apparently infamous for not having room for everyone's (not only was there space, my bag was the only one in the compartment I stuck it in). And I was worried that DJ wouldn't be able to find me, and he did.
Hopefully my subconscious learned that it was being ridiculous and will not cause me such distress in future trips.
A word about the hotels before I stop for the day. I stayed for one night at Parc St. Charles, which wasn't much to look at downstairs, but had a lovely room. I was only there from like 6pm until check-out the following morning, but I got a lot done working on my conference plans.
The other nights, I stayed at a Holiday Inn that was about eight blocks from the conference. It was neat, and they had a player piano going in the lobby. I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't get a chance since I didn't realize it is only on at night and I planned to photograph it the morning that I checked out. The view from the balcony was nice, and there was a violin lamp in the hallway near the elevator on my floor.
The actual conference was at the Marriott at Canal & Camp. It was a neat hotel for a conference (although I think I preferred the Sheraton across the street, where I was for the 2007 ATHE). There were two towers to the hotel, and only the first three floors spanned both, if you wanted to go higher than that you needed to make sure you were using the proper elevators. this was problematic since the maps weren't very clear about which rooms were in which towers. The other flaw was the elevator system... there were no "up" and "down" buttons, but instead a keypad where you actually enter the floor number you want to go to, then the screen directs you to a lettered elevator, which only stops at the floors chosen by those sent to it. It's kinda difficult to explain further without going into examples and such, which drone on and on, so here I stop.


[Cinepoly, July 1995] At the time that Faye was recording this album, her idol, international superstar Teresa Teng just passed away. Faye was greatly sadden by this turn of event. The album is so great, fill with Faye's beautiful and sweet vocals - invoking the sweetness of Teresa's tender voice. This is definite Must-Buy!! There is also a remastered version of this cd. The remastered contains one new song, the live version of "One Thousand Words, Ten Thousand Phrases."


I'm going to go out on a limb here and make a bold statement; every inch of Greece is beautiful – and not just your regular run of the mill beautiful, I'm talking jaw-droppingly, wow-inducing, mind-blowingly beautiful.
How many other countries can say that?
Of my two weeks in Greece this summer, I was not disappointed or let down once. Every single place I stopped was memorable and gorgeous. Wait, I take that back. The 6 hours I spent by accident at the bus station in Lamia on my way to Athens was not so beautiful. I guess you can't always win.
That being said, I've been a lot of places, and nowhere was as consistently pretty as Greece. Hands down.
Also it should be mentioned that I intentionally skipped the traditionally most scenic and popular islands in Greece, like Mykonos and Santorini, in an attempt to get off the beaten tourist track.
Before I arrived in June, I intended to hit up Santorini, and following my dreams of falling in love with a rugged Greek fisherman a la Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. However, logistically-speaking, getting to Santorini on the route I was planning would have been an expensive nightmare and it would have meant I would have spent 2 full days just getting there and back by boat.
No time to waste here, people!
Secondly, I have now had not one, but TWO friends get engaged on Santorini lately, and to be blunt, I just was not in the mood to experience the "romance" all by myself surrounded by smoochy couples making out under the famous Santorini sunsets. Um, no thank you.
Thirdly, I just wanted to have some peace and quiet in Greece, visit some smaller, more "local" spots, make friends, learn some Greek, and relax. Santorini being as popular as it is, I seriously doubt that would have been my experience there mid-summer.
Call me bitter. Call me depressing. Whatever. I'll save Santorini for the day when I have the time (and dollar bills) to enjoy it, preferably on the arm of a local named Kostos. And also not during peak tourist season. This time around I wanted to see something surprising!
Everywhere in Greece (minus the Lamia bus station) was fabulous and gorgeous, financial crisis be damned. Every time I stepped foot in a new place, my jaw dropped open and I got that tight feeling in my chest when I know I am lucky enough to be witnessing something spectacular – know what I mean?
Now that I am huddling by the heater in my new (rather old) apartment in Wellington, New Zealand, I figured it was high time for some sunshine and beautiful views from this summer.


There is a Hearse with a body in the back driving around town to promote the Rocky Horror Show at Venue Cymru from 20th - 25th Sept.
;)Smyths toys is ready to open on Saturday,i think this will really help LLandudno stay in touch with other shopping towns,unfortunately the town council are doing nothing extra to help the town with xmas lights,shame on the lot of you.
The old Ethel Austin shop looks to be opening as the Publishers Book Clearance or similar. They're looking for staff if anyone is interested.
It was being stocked with books yesterday, so should be opening soon.
Burger King shop has a sold sign in the window,obviously this does not mean a new shop will open but its a step in the right direction.
What take away is applying too open at 135 upper mostyn st.
Definitely. It's starting to look quite shabby now, so hopefully a new owner will refurbish the outside.
Just what we need - yet another eatery!
I believe it was bought by the guy wh owns the 147 club.
Was it you that was saying on the old forum that he wanted to make it an entrance into the club, Paddy?