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Weekly Releases for Dec. 4 - 10th
Alright so there are a lot of new releases coming out this upcoming week! So here is a glimpse into all the ones that I know of. If I miss any let me know and I will definitely add it!
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries. Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.
Scarlet awoke in the woods without her memories...without a past...without a future. Until she met a boy with a familiar voice. A boy with secrets. A boy with answers. A boy named Gabriel Archer. Intrigued by his voice, Scarlet immerses herself in Gabriel's life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer. Once Scarlet meets Tristan, her world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. Why does Gabriel seem so familiar? Why is she so attracted to Tristan? And why do both brothers keep telling her she's cursed to die? Scarlet doesn't have the answers...but the Archer brothers do.
Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is.
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them. Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do? As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
An epic romance full of mysteries that transcend time—fans of Romeo and Juliet and The Time Traveler's Wife will rejoice! Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story—and hers—takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary—and that of Heloise and Abelard's ancient romance—their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can't last . . . love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history?
In the shadows of the night, Darian has lived alone for almost a century. Made and abandoned by her former love, Darian is the last of her kind—an immortal Shaede who can slip into darkness as easily as breathing. With no one else to rely on, she has taught herself how to survive, using her unique skills to become a deadly assassin. When Darian's next mark turns out to be Xander Peck, King of the Shaede Nation, her whole worldview is thrown into question. Darian begins to wonder if she's taken on more than her conscience will allow. But a good assassin never leaves a job unfinished..
Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.) Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But the path to love is not always a straight shot...
Zoë Sorensson yearns to come into her powers as the only female dragon shifter. But being part of two worlds is more complicated than she expected. It's bad enough that she's the target of the Mages' plan to eliminate all shifters—she also has to hide her true nature from her best friend Megan, a human. For her sixteenth birthday, all Zoë wants is one normal day, including a tattoo and a chance to see hot rocker Jared. Instead, the Pyr throw her a birthday party but ban Megan from attendance, putting Zoë in a tight spot. Things get even worse when Zoe is invited to the popular kids' Halloween party and Megan's left out. Zoë knows the party is a trap laid by the host, an apprentice Mage. When Megan gets a last-minute invite, Zoë must save the day—and her best friend—without revealing her fire-breathing secrets . . .
Beresford doesn't remember much about his past or how he came to live in the chutes and crawl spaces of the posh high-rise that shares his name. But when rock star and teen sensation Melody McGrath moves to an apartment on the fiftieth floor, he knows he has to be near her. Although she doesn't realize it, Melody is threatened by more dangerous forces than her manipulative stage mom and the pressures of life in the spotlight. The owner of the glamorous building has been hiding a fatal secret within its walls, and Beresford puts all his plans at risk. Will Beresford and Melody be able to escape with their lives (and love) intact?
For years scandal has rocked Rosewood, Pennsylvania—and high school seniors Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer have always been at the center of the drama. They've lost friends, been targeted by a ruthless stalker named A, and narrowly escaped death. And it's not over yet. Aria's love life is on the fritz. Emily's exploring her wild side. Hanna's kissing the enemy. And someone from Spencer's past—someone she never thought she'd see again—is back to haunt her. But none of that compares to what happened last spring break. It's their darkest secret yet and guess who found out? Now A is determined to make them pay for their crime, and the only thing scarier than A is the fear that maybe, just maybe, they deserve what's coming to them.
How far would you go to get revenge? When Chelsea Givens discovered that her ex-boyfriend Drew dumped her to be with her former best friend Lizzie, she'd never felt so betrayed in her life. Then her new friend Shannon tells her she can help set things right. Chelsea's willing to listen, but what Shannon wants her to believe -- that she shared a past life with Drew -- is impossible. And what she wants her to do to get him back … well, it's downright crazy. Could Shannon be telling the truth? And if she is, what lengths will Chelsea go if it means making Lizzie pay? Find out in Vengeance, the second part of the Transcend Time Saga. *Vengeance is the short story that bridges the events in Remembrance and the final novel in the Saga.
Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles. A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page
Shari Jones needs to get a life. Preferably someone else's. Single, homeless and jobless, Indo-American Shari agrees to her best friend's whacky scheme: travel to Mumbai, pose as Amrita, and ditch the fiancé her traditional Indian parents have chosen. Simple. Until she's mistaken for a famous Bollywood actress, stalked by a Lone Ranger wannabe, courted by an English lord, and busted by the blackmailing fiancé. Life is less complicated in New York. Or so she thinks, until the entourage of crazies follows her to the Big Apple and that's when the fun really begins. Shari deals with a blossoming romance, an addiction to Indian food and her first movie role, while secretly craving another trip to the mystical land responsible for sparking her new lease on life. Returning to her Indian birthplace, she has an epiphany. Maybe the happily-ever-after of her dreams isn't so far away?
Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn't as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she's seen, it's already too late. Trinity arrives on her aunt's doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she's seen. But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica's disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica's ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario. Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.
He's saved her. He's loved her. He's killed for her. Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed. Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is. But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.
A love so strong, even eternity can't separate them. Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men. For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she's not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society—the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance—the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn't understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren't the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.
So there you have it, some of the great books coming out this week! So excited for these!!! Which books are you wanting this week???
Labels: Weekly Releases
Sarah (saz101) said...
The cover for Illuminated is STUNNING! I've never seen this before!
Love the cover eye-candy!
nightclub guest list said...
Random Acts of Kindness: December Wrap Up!
On My Wishlist #5
Review: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
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Follow Friday #1 (Starting over)
Kimberly s. Lin Blog Tour: Guest Post!
Kimberly S. Lin Tour: Review: Recession Proof
Mini Me Corner Reviews (#1)
Ali's Bookshelf Mini Me Corner
Ali's Flashback Reviews #1 (vid and Giveaway)
WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!!
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Comment Pact
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2012 Reading Challenges!!!
November Wrap Up!!!


As the signs of spring net their original appearances in nature, it's occurrence to outcome up your hole design, as all right. From in vogue new framework treatments to freshening up the home décor that you earlier have, we have tips to relieve you bring on in Spring with style!
New, updated glass treatments can trade name one of the most intense changes to the air and awareness of a freedom. With season in the air, you privation to increase the inbred lighter-than-air that flows into your flat. Choose thing hurricane lantern and airy, look-alike a furry pall or a downright windowpane shading.
Worried roughly speaking privacy? Many downright porthole treatments proffer recommended room-darkening vanes that you can modify for a face and consistency that is trim to your one and only inevitably.
Sunscreen window sunglasses are likewise specially favorite options that will ready your surroundings for the look hard of the sun and the energy of the upcoming season.
Did you cognise that surplus muddle and crowding in your dwelling décor can emptying your energy? So, in the spirit of Spring's renewal and rebirth, set in motion organizing all the jumble that has congregate for the duration of the winter. Overwhelming? Take it area by room, one period of time at a occurrence. Slowly but surely, your cupboards, drug cabinets, and even closets will bring ambience of order and relaxing.
Your newfound organization will retrieve you juncture (you won't put in added case probing for things!), and it will do wonders for lifting your mood, as healed.
Okay, so you've purchased the hottest in private society products and you've updated your home's framework treatments. Your close stairs don't have to need purchases at all. Look in the region of you- record of your fixtures has likely had the same place for old age. Change it! Simply switching the placement of a couch, or position the TV can receive you cognisance similar to you have a intact new area.
Not by a long chalk breathing space for movement? Change and news the lesser things, similar to pillows, throws, and lamps.
You'll discovery that I introduce the clout of fresh-cut colouring material in nearly both house decorating nonfiction. It's truly that in-chief - and worth. Adding a new color, brightening up the current one, or shifting the feel can springiness the freedom a copious new touch.
After time of year has left its cold, ofttimes begrimed mark, the exterior of your environment necessarily every remaining TLC. Be assured to purify the doors (especially your frontmost movable barrier) and windows, and touch up the colour if crucial. Hang a lei of fabric season flowers, or fix pots of the concrete article on your porch!
Don't forget the garage, the driveway, tool sheds, and any other than areas that may be little visible in winter, but when departed to the lustrous lights of Spring, can painter the face of your fashion-forward dwelling.
You can't have a Spring Home Makeover in need it - cleansing. But it doesn't have to be thing you direful. Start by fashioning a "to-do" enumerate for respectively liberty - everything necessarily sprucing up this clip of time period. Clean or replace support liners, and dust everything from the countertops to the chest storage space handles. And don't forget to cleanable your porthole treatments! Check the advice first, but utmost window treatments inevitability miniature more than a airy plumage dusting or a low flat particulate fellow to refresh them up.
Once you have your "to-do" list, set the cleaning mood: leap your popular music, featherweight both candles or aerosol a number of freedom spray, and savor the potency of a unspoilt initiation for Spring!


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Phlogochroa basilewski är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Emilio Berio 1956. Phlogochroa basilewski ingår i släktet Phlogochroa och familjen nattflyn. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Nattflyn
basilewski

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Hey everyone, it's a bright beautiful September day and just like every week, we bring you another round of spiced up tech news. This week's news covers Google Play Music launching in India, YouTube's new app for India, Blackberry retiring from the smartphone business, Elon Musk's plan to put people on Mars, and Spotify's latest acquisition rumours. So let's get started.
Google Play Music launched around 5 years ago as a streaming service and a place to download music legally. However, the service was exclusive only to a few countries. While the Indian market has a lot of potential of bringing profits to the streaming companies, no one really took a step forward except Apple. Now to give Apple a head on fight, Google has launched Play Music in the country, a store to purchase music legally from. There's a catch, though, there's no All-Access or for that matter, any podcasts or radio feature its just a bare bones store. Content is priced at Rs. 15 per track and Rs. 90 per album. Google Play Music will face tough competition not only from Apple but also from India's Saavn, Gaana and Wynk. The streaming features may as well be in the pipeline but as of now, getting users to buy music will be a tough job as digital goods purchase is still not a mainstream Indian thing yet.
If you listen to Google or any other Tech Giants conferences, you might have heard of the phrase "the next billion". It's about bringing the next billion users online through affordable connectivity and rich services. Connectivity means empowerment and it brings a lot of opportunities for the tech companies to grow in those markets. One such market is India. India is a country where data isn't cheap and WiFi access isn't quite prevalent unlike countries of the west, so even if one wants to watch the next viral video online, they hesitate due to their data budget. Keeping this in mind, YouTube is launching YouTube Go, a new app for consumers who have a restricted data budget. This new app is extremely data friendly and lets users not only download videos in the resolution of choice but also allows them to share videos among friends, something quite popular in India. Before deciding to spend data on a video, you can watch a few frames and get an idea of what's it about and then download it. It caches the thumbnails so you have a snappy experience. YouTube Go is certainly an innovative idea, but will it work? Only time will tell.
There was a time when no one knew about the iPhone and there was no Android. All you had was Nokia and Blackberry. Every professional carried a Blackberry with pride, it carried a social status along with it. Fast forward to 2016 and if you're a Blackberry user, you might be considered old (unless you are the US President, in which case, it's ok you'll taste the iPhone soon enough). Blackberry recently announced that it will no longer make it's own smartphones, instead, it will licence it to other companies and focus only on software and services. Quitting manufacturing will allow them to reduce capital investment in the dying business and will allow it to focus more on returns from things that it is good at. Blackberry already launched the DTEK50, a phone where the hardware was made by Alcatel and it ran on Google's Android OS. So it means you can still get a Blackberry if you happen to be a loyal fan. But the Canadian company will pivot to software and services, full time.
Elon Musk is no doubt the living Iron Man and he's just a lab accident away from becoming a super-villain. He's the visionary of our time and he's working on amazing things like sustainable transportation, clean energy etc. His latest and by far the craziest mission is colonizing the red planet. How he plans to do it is pretty interesting. The cost of putting a man on Mars is around $10 Billion but he plans to bring it down to roughly $200,000 by reusing the rockets, cheaper fuel, synthesizing fuel on Mars for a return trip and refilling the space ships in orbit. According to his estimate, the cost is achievable if 100 humans are sent per trip. And he plans on doing it as early as 2022. His target is putting a million people on Mars and colonizing it in a span of a century. The plan, however, ambitious doesn't pay any attention to the risks involved and dangers involved in inter-planetary travel, to this, Musk responded that he aims at making the journey possible, once that's in place others like NASA can figure out survival. This is truly an amazing time we live in, so if you plan on spending a good half of your life on Mars, start saving up because it ain't cheap.
Soundcloud has had a rough journey any Spotify, the leading streaming service has declined an acquisition twice over the past year and a half. But according to reports, there are rumours that Spotify may be interested in SoundCloud after all. SoundCloud's flopped subscription model is making it a sweet and economical deal for Spotify which looks less risky. The negotiations may be far apart but if the deal is finalized it could give Apple a serious blow. Figuring out the details of integrating SoundCloud's content is a legal nightmare for Spotify. SounCloud is like the YouTube for music. Hours and hours worth of content ranging from indie records to DJ tracks and it's available to everyone free of cost. Once merged, Apple would have no mains of putting up a good enough fight to Spotify and SoundCloud's content catalog. This may not happen after all but the idea looks very interesting.
Very informative article . Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank for the YouTube update. I face it many times as I open YouTube it just downlaod the whole video and waste my data even if I don't want to watch the whole video.
Now I'll try out YouTube Go if it works fine or not!


If you have a busy OpenCart store, you know how difficult it is to update statuses of orders. To mark an order shipped or completed, you have to open it, change tab to History, then update its status. And then - all the same for other orders you need to update.
With this mod, you can just check all the orders that need to be updated, and a popup panel will appear, allowing you to set their status at once! Also you will be able to enter a comment and (optionally) notify customers of their order status change.
Last edited by mbarashkov on Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Just bought this today and Mikhail has been more than helpful in working out i had not updated VQMOD. Its working like a charm now and he is willing to help anyone who needs it.
As for the module, it does exactly what i am looking for! 5 Stars!
This mod was updated to support all current OpenCart versions.
Additionally, it now supports all possible options that you can use when updating order status (such as "Override") and displays quantity and total price of selected orders.
The UI was completely re-worked to fit in style with OpenCart's UI.


We'll display your quote instantly. Just start with input of car owner details to get your next NCD (No Claims Discount) and our recommended sum insured for your car model.
You can input your prefered delivery address and it'll be delivered to your doorstep.
Tips : We'll even tell you when will it be delivered to you.
Tips : After successful payment, you'll get an email notification on your policy schedule and JPJ notification with road tax delivery date.


May 29, 2018 in "Friendship Cruisers"
The closure of the FriendShip boat service at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin has been extended into early June 2018.
Originally expected to reopen to guests on May 26, it is now planned to reopen on June 2 2018.
During the refurbishment of the dock, bus service will be available to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the walkway will remain open.
This boat dock refurbishment is in addition to the work taking place on the nearby bridge that has suspended boat service to Disney's Hollywood Studios.


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International Olympic Committee Bars Kneeling, Political Hand Gestures for 2020 Olympics
Published Jan. 09, 2020 5:23PM ET
Marcelo Endelli/Getty
The International Olympic Committee published guidelines on Thursday that ban kneeling and certain forms of political protest during ceremonies at the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Games. According to The Associated Press, athletes are free to express political opinions in official media settings and on their social media accounts—but they cannot take a political stance in an official playing field. "We needed clarity and they wanted clarity on the rules," chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission, Kirsty Coventry, said of the three-page guidelines. "The majority of athletes feel it is very important that we respect each other as athletes." Athletes who break any of the IOC's rules at the 2020 games, which start in July, will face punishment from the IOC, their sport's governing body, and the national Olympic body.
The release of the guidelines reportedly comes after two U.S. athletes were punished following their Pan-American Games podium protest in August. The athletes, fencer Race Imboden and hammer-thrower Gwen Berry, both raised their fists, and the U.S. Olympic Committee put them on a year-long probation.
Read it at Associated Press

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


City West hotel is one of Ireland's premier Conference, Leisure & Golf Resort. The four star Citywest Hotel is 20km from Dublin airport and 15km from Dublin City Centre.
Citywest Hotel is located in west Dublin, Ireland. It is just 20 minutes from both the City Centre and Dublin International Airport. Unlike other Dublin Hotels. The hotel is renowned for hosting Ireland's largest National and International congresses and exhibitions over the past 16 years.
The 4 Star Citywest Hotel offers 774 luxurious and oversized guest rooms. The rooms types are: Standard Rooms, Superior Rooms, Presidential Suite.
Click here for more information about the type of rooms.
This 4 star luxurious hotel provides a host of dining options to offer a unique and enjoyable experience for all of its guests.
1- Lemongrass Restaurant: is one of the best Pan Asian restaurants with highly experienced Asian Chefs in one of fantastic hotels in west Dublin.
2- Hibernian Bistro: Located just behind the Pavilion Lounge it offers exciting and varied menu to suit all tastes.
Pavilion Lounge & Swift Bars at City West hotel Dublin is a relaxing place to enjoy a drink, a meal or a chat and catch up with friends.
The lounge has been tastefully decorated with plush sofas and armchairs, the traditional ambiance makes it the most popular room in Citywest Hotel.
Dublin Luas rail system has its terminus right beside Citywest Hotel this puts the whole of Dublin's City Centre within easy access - with its shopping areas, theatres, cinemas, museums, bars, restaurants and many other attractions.
It takes just 45 minutes to reach O'Connell Street and city's major music venues such as 3Arena, Bord Gáis Theatre, Gate Theatre, Abbey Theatre, Olympia Theatre and many more.
The hotel bosts Par 69 golf course, it is one of the most highly regarded courses on the East Coast. The golf course is 240 acre parkland setting, with its mature trees, superb putting surfaces and water features, it has spectacular views of the Dublin Mountains from its perfectly manicured fairways. As a guest of the hotel, you are entitled to discounted green fees and use of all the facilities.
Access to the Leisure Centre at the hotel is complimentary to guests. The hotel's dedicated fitness team, including personal trainers, is on hand to help you get the best out of the equipment and to give you the guidance you need to achieve your fitness goals.
It boasts a 20m heated swimming pool with jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, the latest in gym and fitness equipment and a spacious changing area.
The hotel is home to Ireland's largest convention, exhibition & events centre, the Convention Centre in Citywest is renowned for flexibility and versatility, hosting Ireland's largest national and international congresses and exhibitions.
City West hotel offers wonderful facilities for meeting, conference, exhibition and banqueting. Its conference & event centre is truly the ultimate destination.


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Russell Page: Candidate Profile
Grass Lake District 36 School Board
Russell Page, running for Grass Lake District 36 School Board
Back to Grass Lake District 36 School Board
Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted.
BioQ&A
City: Antioch
Website: Candidate did not respond.
Twitter: Candidate did not respond.
Facebook: Candidate did not respond.
Office sought:
Family: Married with one son.
Occupation: College Instructor
Education: MBA from NIU
BA (Cum Laude) from Judson University
AAS from Community College of the Air Force
Civic involvement: Recently involved in an effort to promote better academic performance and fiscal responsibility at Grass Lake School. Previously involved in and led charity events benefiting organizations such as the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
Elected offices held: I have never held a public office.
Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?
I am running for the school board for the first time because see a chance for helping to improve the academic situation at Grass lake School. I have become involved in school board meetings due to the high tax rates we as a community are paying to support the school. In that involvement I became aware of the lower performance of the school as compared similar schools that do not possess such a high surplus of funds. I believe that with increased academic performance and sound fiscal responsibility Grass Lake School can attain greater performance for the students and community.
What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?
How big a role do you think the board of education should play in setting the curriculum for students and what ideas do you have for changes to the current curriculum?
I feel that as a school board member I can help the school's administrators find the correct path forward. We as a school board should assist by enabling the principle to seek out and implement academic solutions need at the school. To do this we as a board should provide guidance and financial support based upon the blend our diverse and rich backgrounds.
What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?
The issue at the forefront is the pending addition to the school currently moving forward. This approximately $6M effort, already approved, provides additions and modifications considering school security, allocation of classes, bringing all Pre K through 8 into one building. I feel the performance of the contractor(s) hired should be closely monitored to ensure the best return for the taxpayer's money being spent.
Beyond the current effort, I feel that we must be careful stewards of the communities many being held in reserve, approximately $6M beyond that being used for the expansion of the school. I also feel that we must support the community by providing for better performance academically and financially without further adding to their tax burden in order to allow the school an excessive savings account.
What role can and should school choice play in your district? If Congress or the state approves a voucher system or other means giving students broader choices among public and private schools, how will that affect your district? What is the appropriate response for the board of education of a public school system?
The Grass Lake School is the sole school in district 36. If parents have the opportunity to choose a private or different school within a reasonable distance, I feel that the relatively small student body could be further reduced. While the student to teacher ratio is extremely low already, academic measurement does not show he levels of performance normally achieved by low student to teacher ratios. I believe that the school's parents and students would deserve to find a better solution to their needs.
I believe the school board should determine the path to better performance and enable the administration and staff to implement positive measures towards better support for the students. Let's make Grass Lake School the BEST choice.
What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?
The voice of the Grass Lake School Community is of the utmost importance. The community deserves open communication and transparency of plans and actions taken by those elected to office. We must remember who elects us and keep their best interests at heart.
Please name one current leader who most inspires you.
Dennis Barsema, an Illinois businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and current instructor at Northern Illinois University who uses his good fortune in the service of others.
What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?
To be honest, fair and considerate of others.
If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?
In my careers I traveled extensively. I learned to be "More Present" when at home. I would spend more time with my family!
What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?
History. It has given me a greater understanding of people at home and abroad, how we got here, and the hope of a bright future.
If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?
Do the Right Thing; At work, at play, with family, with everyone. You will never regret doing the right thing.
Grass Lake District 36
Click here to sign up for the Special Election Newsletter


Conveniently located in the heart of Montgomery County, Maryland, Founding Farmers provides the perfect gathering place for foodies, professionals, and families in the community. (And when you dine here, parking is free.) The menu mirrors the D.C. restaurant's classic, heartland-inspired offerings and features new options, including products from farmers in Montgomery County and surrounding Maryland farms, with seasonal menu changes to always contain local produce.
In addition to serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, the restaurant hosts a unique "Afternoon Social," providing a modern break for area entrepreneurs looking for a respite from coffee houses, local mom groups with toddlers in tow, and retirees craving a place to socialize and a bite to eat. The Afternoon Social menu features tea sandwiches, scones, tea, cocktails, cookies, and other desserts.
As with the original restaurant, this location makes extensive use of reclaimed and recycled materials, including reused wood crate planks at the bar and authentic barn wood. The ideal setting for any occasion, the layout includes a casual bar area, mezzanine-level seating, and a main dining room complete with a semiprivate dining space in a wood-enclosed greenhouse-type structure.
Entrepreneurs and business professionals are always welcome at MoCo's Founding Farmers, where we offer a mini business center and restaurant-wide, complimentary WiFi. We welcome everyone to come to our contemporary farmhouse and get comfortable!
Breakfast: M-F 7:00am-11am. Lunch and Dinner: M 11am-10pm, Tu-Th 11am-11pm, F 11am-12am, Sa 1pm-12am, Su 1pm-10pm. Brunch: Sa & Su and every Holiday Monday 9am-1pm. Afternoon Social: M–F 2pm–5pm.


I grew up all around Southern California. I went to many schools. At an early age I had a passion for the arts. I discovered my talent of voice at the tender age of 14, when I tried out for the school choir to make my friend happy. I had no idea what would come...I didn't exactly excel right away, but I was learning, and little did I know my voice was beginning to develop. At 15 years old my voice was mature and powerful, it would fill any room . At 16 , I was awarded a vocal music scholarship to The University of La Verne. I graduated from 11th grade with my diploma. I finished up my junior and senior year with in a couple of months so I could accept the scholarship and enter college.
College was fun but I didn't continue after my first year. I moved to Austin, TX and well I think I was kind of lost. I was 18 then, and was really trying to do some soul searching . I did make a couple of good friends. So it was worth it. Austin is a beautiful city. I decided I really wanted to model and act. Besides, I missed the California sun. I had to follow my dreams, so I moved back to L.A. to pursue them.


Alan Walker – Darkside is the second chapter of the World of Walker trilogy. "Darkside" is the sequel to 'All Falls Down" and features Au/Ra and Tomine Harket.
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's an alien invasion. It's the music video for Alan Walker's bright and shiny stomper "Darkside," and it's got all kinds of craziness going on.
It all makes sense if you've been paying attention to the unfolding trilogy. The story started with "All Falls Down," wherein a post-apocalyptic vision of humanity exists without modern technology.


text:
Centershift Keeps the Storage Industry Running Smoothly
MHN interviews James Hafen about cloud-based technology and Yardi's latest acquisition.
Leah Etling
Salt Lake City—Like multifamily real estate, the storage industry has made a strong post-recession recovery. The renting of convenient space for storing extra personal possessions attracts both mom-and-pop proprietors and the investment dollars of large, publicly traded REITs.
Centershift, a Salt Lake City-based company, created a scalable, flexible management system for storage 15 years ago. Recently acquired by Yardi, Centershift's two product offerings are powerful, cloud-based solutions for running and reporting on storage properties. The company was an early developer of an effective revenue management system for the industry, and truly understands this unique property niche.
Recently, we spoke with James Hafen, Centershift's CEO prior to the acquisition. He's now a general manager and industry principal, self storage, for Yardi Systems. Read on for his insight on the storage industry, Centershift's products, and what the acquisition means for the company's future.
Tell us about the originations and history of Centershift?
Hafen: Centershift grew into a standalone company after developing a management application for the use of Extra Space Storage, which is now the second largest company in the storage industry. Around 1999, Extra Space was focused on substantially growing their business and struggling with technology, which was underserving the industry.
We looked around, trying to find software solutions that would work, and there was just nothing that would fit. We needed something that was cloud based, would allow for centralized data management, and solve a lot of the problems that Extra Space was having. We built the first version of the Centershift product in 1999 and rolled it out in 2000 as an internal IT project. We had enough success that we saw the value in this as a commercial opportunity. We continued to develop the product while we came up with a business strategy and became an independent commercial venture in 2002.
MHN: Where do the storage and multifamily markets intersect?
Hafen: We know that the life events that cause people to need storage are obvious things: divorce, a death in the family, or a move. If we have insight into when people are moving, we can provide intersective market analysis that will become leads for storage space marketing. Whether the need for storage is short term or permanent, we can capitalize on the fact that moves drive storage. Additionally, knowing that people are moving into storage may provide leads for apartment operators.
MHN: What are some characteristics of the storage industry as an investment product?
Hafen: Self-storage has long been known as a very resilient product type. Investors love publicly traded self- storage stock because it weathers very well through things like the recession of 2008-2009. As the recession started, the market was becoming overcrowded with new properties, which were being built up through 2008. The recession slowed down that growth. Investment and expansion disappeared for a while, but now both have come back.
There are between 40,000 and 50,000 storage facilities in the USA, and about 25 percent are operated by REITs and large private management companies. The remaining 75 percent of the markets space is owners who hold one or several properties.
MHN: What has the post-recession period looked like for the storage industry?
Hafen: Occupancy is high, rents are high, the money's coming back and people are looking to build. There are a number of large companies that we're aware of that are moving back into the space and trying to capitalize on the fact that self-storage survived the recession, rebounded faster than most other segments and is a really profitable space.
MHN: What issues has Centershift helped resolve for storage providers?
Hafen: We've always been a more attractive option for the larger operators, with lots of properties and the need to manage them centrally. The paradigm when we entered this space was stand-alone databases on desktops. If you wanted to get consolidated reports and close your books, and you had 10 properties spread across a couple of states, you were faxing data around and re-entering data. The immediate plea was "Help us manage a portfolio of multiple properties," and we made that much easier.
Pain points now are competing with the aggregators on Internet listing sites, which are poaching a lot of revenue from our customers when they compete for leads in the industry. It isn't something we can solve today, but it is something that we want to solve. The hope is to be able to combat that situation with a comprehensive solution that we can provide given our industry knowledge, Yardi's technology and what we want to build in the ILS space.
MHN: You applied that industry knowledge to a revenue management solution for storage. Tell us about that.
Hafen: We developed an industry-leading way of looking at occupancy, demand and forecast and setting up rules to manage rent rates, so that you're not leaving money on the table. You should not be giving away promotions when you're at 99 percent occupancy on your 10x10s. At the same time, you should be lowering rates, driving traffic to other unit types that aren't renting well.
Our market studies showed that the impact of this product was significant, producing an average 8-9 percent increase in ROI, just by implementing very simple rules to manage your rates. We still have the most sophisticated tools in the space for doing that.
MHN: Tell us about your two Centershift products?
Hafen: We are the most advanced tech company in the storage space. When we first began building our product for Extra Space, we were bringing in web-based applications, with data stored in the cloud. The technology wasn't novel, but the application to self-storage certainly was.
We have a single product line with a single code base, but certain bells and whistles are turned off at the Advantage level for our smaller operators, who may not need as many features. With our Enterprise product, you harness the full power of what our product can do, with additional features and functionality.
That includes tracking of customer activities that are very similar to multifamily: moving people in and out, managing reservations, payments, communication and delinquencies. There's our revenue management tool, which I described. We can also handle bulk mail processing, insurance for unit contents, credit card processing, and we offer a retail module to sell moving supplies and locks for your unit.
Clients have also used our service-oriented architecture to extend the functionality of what we provide in our application to their own specific uses and business systems
Centershift
James Hafen
Resident and Tenant Retention Strategies for 2020
Voice Activated Home Automation Systems
Weller Residential Launches Workforce Housing Platform


text:
Друга Статутна грамота до народів Білорусі () — юридичний і політичний акт, прийнятий 9 березня 1918 р. в Мінську виконавчим комітетом Першого Загальнобілоруського конгресу. Вона проголошувала Білоруську Народну Республіку в межах розселення та чисельної переваги білорусів. Тимчасово законодавчу владу брала на себе Рада Загальнобілоруського конресу. Головні закони БНР пізніше повинен був затвердити Установчий Сейм Білорусі, вибраний на підставі загального та рівного виборчого права.

Проголошувалися права та свободи громадян і народів БНР: свобода слова, друку, зібрань, страйків, союзів, сумління, недоторканість особи та помешкання, право народів на національну автономію, рівність всіх мов Білорусі. Скасовувалася приватна власність на землю, проголошувалася передача землі без викупу тим, хто на ній працює; ліси, озера і надра оголошувалися власністю БНР. Установлювалася 8-годинна тривалість робочого дню.

Історичний контекст
Прийнята 21 лютого 1918 р. Перша Статутна грамота проголосила Виконавчий комітет Ради Всебілоруського з'їзду тимчасовою народною владою в Білорусі. Однак 3 березня 1918 року Радянська Росія уклала Брестський мирний договір, згідно з яким передала більшість території Білорусі Німецькій імперії. Водночас німецька влада зобов'язалася не визнавати держави, проголошені на окупованих територіях під час підписання договору.

За цих обставин білоруські активісти пішли на прийняття Другої Статутньої грамоти.

Зміст
Текст Другої Статутної грамоти складався з восьми абзаців.

Білоруська Народна Республіка була проголошена в межах розселення та чисельної переваги білоруського народу. Рада Всебілоруського конгресу, доповнена представниками національних меншин Білорусі, тимчасово перебрала законодавчу владу в країні. Пізніше основні закони Білоруської Народної Республіки мали бути затверджені Установчими Зборами Білорусі, скликаними на основі загального та рівного виборчого права.

Проголошувалися права і свободи громадян і народів Білоруської Народної Республіки: свобода слова, друку, зборів, страйків, союзників; свобода совісті, недоторканність особи та приміщення; право народів на національну та особисту автономію; рівність усіх мов народів Білорусі. Приватна власність на землю була скасована, оголошено про передачу землі без викупу тим, хто на ній працював; ліси, озера та надра були оголошені державною власністю. Максимальна тривалість робочого дня становила 8 годин.

Результати
18 березня 1918 р. На засіданні Ради Всебілоруського з'їзду 1917 р. Прихильникам незалежності вдалося перейменувати її в Раду БНР, до складу якої 23 березня 1918 р. Увійшла Віленська білоруська рада. 25 березня 1918 р. Рада БНР прийняла Третю Статутну грамоту, яка проголосила незалежність Білоруської Народної Республіки.

Після прийняття Другої Установчої хартії й ратифікації Брестського мирного договору, Німецька імперія не могла визнати БНР. Крім того, німецькі правлячі кола були стривожені націоналізацією землі, озер та лісів. Серед активістів БНР також існує незадоволення відсутністю чіткого визначення території Білоруської держави, а також характеру відносин Білорусі з іншими державами, включаючи Росію. Ці питання були вирішені Третьою Статутною грамотою.

Див. також

 Білоруська Народна Республіка
 Перша Статутна грамота

 Третя Статутна грамота
 Четверта Статутна грамота
 Універсали Української Центральної Ради

Примітки

Джерела

 Ustaŭnyja hramaty BNR , Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic
 Шупа С. Падарожжа ў БНР (4). Абвясьцілі БНР, дэкляравалі правы і свабоды , Радыё Свабода, February 23, 2018

Білоруська Народна Республіка


I've been looking forward to the ThemeHouse XPress product. It's been an itch for years to get the WordPress and XenForo integration tighter.
This is how the two products are operating together.
This post is a test to determine whether XenWord will post properly to XenForo or error out.
Let's test a reply in XenForo and see if it appears in the WordPress article.
XenWord comment synching is active and XPress inactive. This reply is made in XenForo to test this configuration.
Error: Illegal offset on line 72 of Posts.php. Rewrote the line a few ways and still getting an illegal offset.
Should we be looking to migrate to this other addon?
I'm combining both so that the migration is easier. XenWord uses a post meta called thread_id whereas XPress uses their own table. It's unfortunate so without XenWord installed then all of the thread linking disappears.
What do you mean combining both? Don't they do the same thing? Honestly, I'm super confused here.
Can you transfer my license from xenword to here?
ok mate I'm about a few days out from giving up. This lack of communication is totally unacceptable. Severely disappointing. If you are giving up on this project please let us know.


» What is Road tax and rates?
What is Road tax and rates?
Every owner needs to pay road tax if they are living in the United Kingdom they have a personal vehicle or second-hand car has you must pay road tax to the government of the UK. You should know about the road tax and rates at DNS Accountants visit and explore.


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Over 2M at-home COVID-19 test kits recalled due to false positive results
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled some 2.2 million Ellume at-home COVID-19 test kits due to a manufacturing defect that causes false positive results. The firm first informed the regulatory agency about the defect in October.
Ellume is the first company to get FDA approval for over-the-counter COVID tests. The defective test kits were manufactured between February 24 and August 11. The recall of the 2.2 million test kits is an expansion of last month's recall of 200,000 kits for the same reason.
False positive results indicate that a person has contracted the virus that causes COVID-19 when they actually have not. The FDA noted that these false positives could lead to delayed diagnosis or treatment for the actual cause of the person's illness, which could be a different life-threatening disease other than COVID-19. They may also receive unnecessary COVID-19 treatment from a health care provider, which may result in adverse effects.
Another problem that the FDA pointed out is the isolation, including monitoring household members or close contacts for symptoms, limiting contact with family and friends and missing work or school.
Due to the severity of the issue, the FDA said it is being identified as a Class I recall, or the most serious type, as these tests may cause serious adverse health consequences or death. The antigen test detects proteins from the virus from a nasal sample and is available without prescription for use by individuals aged two and older. The kit comes with an analyzer that connects to a smartphone app to show users how to perform the test and understand the results.
The Biden administration signed a $231 million deal with the company, which received approval to produce its test under the Trump administration last year. In October, Ellume Chief Executive, Dr. Sean Parsons said that the company created more safeguards to ensure that the problem does not happen again.
"I'm very sorry that this has happened. We're all about chasing accuracy, and to have these false positives is disappointing," he said. (Related: Australian COVID-19 test kit manufacturer recalls 195,000 at-home kits due to high rate of false positives.)
A spokesperson added that the "root cause" of the issue has been identified and that the company is already on the way to shipping new products to the United States.
Consumers encouraged to contact health care providers
Consumers who received positive results within the last two weeks using the Ellume test kits are encouraged to contact their health care providers despite the fact that the "incidence of false positives is limited to specific lots," according to Parsons.
"The FDA is continuing to work with Ellume to assess the company's corrective actions, such as additional manufacturing checks and other corrective steps, to address the reason for the manufacturing issue, and to help ensure that it is resolved and will not recur," the agency said.
The recall comes at a time when it is not easy to find at-home tests in the country. Many pharmacies are out of stock or have expensive brands available – some costing about $24 per pair, which is an expensive outlay for those who need frequent testing.
While many would like to test for COVID-19 at home, the shortages and costs mean that many check their health status only when traveling or attending special events. However, this could change in the next few months as the Biden administration announced its $1 billion investment to expand the supply of such test kits.
Get more news related to COVID-19 at Pandemic.news.
TheEpochTimes.com
Edition.CNN.com
Tagged Under: at-home test, coronavirus, coronavirus tests, covid-19, covid-19 testing, Ellume, false-positive, FDA, infections, products, science deception, science fraud


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Wootton is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse about  north-west of Abingdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The parish of Wootton includes the hamlets of Whitecross and Lamborough Hill and the western part of Boars Hill. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 2,709.

History
The Church of England parish church of Saint Peter was built in the 14th century, from which time the Decorated Gothic east window of the chancel survives. In the 15th century the nave was rebuilt with Perpendicular Gothic windows. The south door and porch are 16th century and the chancel arch may have been rebuilt in the 18th century.  Until the 19th century Wootton was part of the parish of Cumnor. The first vicar of Wootton was appointed in 1885. Wootton was united in a single benefice with St. Helen's, Dry Sandford in 2000. but once again became a single parish benefice in the Abingdon Deanery in 2018.  The sculptor Oscar Nemon (1906–85) and his son Falcon Stuart (1941–2002) are buried in St Peter's churchyard.

Amenities
The village has a Church of England primary school.  The village has a recently refurbished business park and two housing estates built between 1999 and 2009. There are a few shops in Wootton, including two convenience stores, a pharmacy, and a chip shop. There is also a dentist, a bathroom shop, a carpet shop and Sign-a-Rama. Wootton's social amenities include the Bystander public house, and a community centre where various activities take place, such as local school fêtes and a local bingo.  The post office used to be next to the fish and chip shop but closed in September 2008. Now the post office is inside the Co-Operative store.  Some gardens in Wootton are part of the National Garden Scheme (NGS).

Sport
Wootton and Dry Sandford Football Club is based in the village. It was founded in 1946 and currently plays in Division 1 of the North Berks Football League. It is the current holder of the North Berks Cup.

See also
Wootton, West Oxfordshire

References

Sources

External links
Wootton Parish Council

Civil parishes in Oxfordshire
Villages in Oxfordshire


Gold Heart: Roses, with a card for another woman!
message was your fat or not, but let's just say I was not thrilled."
gal insecure," says an anonymous voter.
I was asked the question: "So how do we end this? A handshake or a high five?"


text:
Thunder from Heaven
A Sumo Blog
Category: Rikishi Profile
Rikishi Profile: Mainoumi Shuhei – Giant at Heart.
With the undersized Enho knocking at the gates of Makuuchi, Ishiura holding steady at the moment in Juryo, and Ura climbing his way back up the ranks, I thought I'd focus on perhaps the greatest and most popular of all the diminutive, underdog rikishi. Mainoumi stood at 5'7", and weighed about 215 lbs. However, his actual height was a couple of inches less than that. He gained notoriety even before joining the professional ranks, by persuading a doctor to inject silicone into his scalp, so he could meet the then mandatory height restriction (which has been loosened somewhat since then). As a Makushita tsukedashi, he was immediately allowed to debut in the Makushita ranks, and quickly rose to Juryo in less than a year, making his Makuuchi debut in the 1991 September (Aki) basho, and would eventually last for eight more years in the upper division.
A look at his wild, and exciting style against future ozeki Musoyama:
You can easily see why he was an immediate fan favorite. The Hawaiian giants had already made their imposing presence felt by the time of his arrival, and his very existence as a sekitori seemed to fly in the face of what, at the time, seemed like an increasing size arms race. Of course, to last as long as he did, he had to almost solely rely on his incredible speed, cunning, and his extraordinary technical skills. His nickname was the "department store of techniques," and his technical mastery was such, that you'd often see even extremely skilled wrestlers of the time, like Sakahoko and Wakanohana III, seem a bit tentative to get into a pure grappling battle with him.
Against Sakahoko:
Close loss against future yokozuna Wakanohana:
The two most common winning techniques in sumo are: the yoriki (frontal force out) and the oshidashi (frontal push out). In his entire career, Mainoumi only had 33 total wins by yorikiri and amazingly only 3 total wins by oshidashi! By contrast, he won by the rather rare kimarite, kirikaeshi (twisting backward knee trip), a remarkable 50 times. His most common winning technique was the shitatenage (underarm throw), which he won 105 times with, as throws and tripping techniques made up the bulk of his wins. A notable technique that's often showed in Mainoumi highlight compilations, or television specials, is his use of the kimarite mitokorozeme (triple attack force out), which he's credited as being the first sumotori to successfully pull off, in the modern sumo era.
A famous example of a mitokorozeme (a 3-point attack, where he trips one leg, grabs the other one, and pushes forward with his neck and shoulder) against future yokozuna Akebono:
Spectacular use of a sakatottari (arm bar throw counter) against Wakashoyo:
Kotenage (armlock throw) against Daizen:
It's in his numerous wins against the largest opponents of his time that perhaps garnered him the most admiration, labeling him as a "giant killer," by defeating a veritable who's-who list of prominent, gigantic sumotori of the era, such as: Akebono (500+lbs), Musashimaru (500lbs), Susanoumi (500lbs), Toyonoumi (400+lbs), Tatsuhikari (400+lbs), Tochinofuji (400+lbs), Yamato (400+lbs), Daishoyama (400lbs), Kotobeppu (400lbs), Kotonowaka (400lbs), Mitoizumi (400lbs), Shikishima (400lbs), and Konishiki (600+lbs!) who he managed to have a positive 7-5 record in his favor.
Clinging desperately to future yokozuna Musashimaru:
Playing a brief game of patty-cake with ozeki Konishiki:
It was in one of these matches against Konishiki where he suffered a devastating leg injury that subsequently robbed him of some of his speed and mobility, a key factor in the success of his intense, reactive style. He would last for about three more years in the upper division after that, dropping down to Juryo several times, until finally retiring in 1999. Still, it was his incredible heart and determination, and immense technical skill that made him such a beloved and entertaining rikishi to watch. For someone whose highest rank was komosubi, which he only reached once in his career, he's still brought up and fondly remembered as much any ozeki from practically any era. His legacy is such that any undersized wrestler who's on the cusp of entering into the makuuchi ranks, is immediately hailed as the next Mainoumi, but from even just a cursory glance at some of his videos, that's sure to be a gargantuan act for any rikishi to follow.
More Vids:
Getting into a "footsies" battle with another notable leg tripper in Kyokushuzan:
A fierce battle with Terao, another relatively lightweight rikishi of the era:
Super-leaping henka against Kitakachidoki:
But Wait, There's More:
An example of his unusual nekodamashi tachiai, where he'd clap his hands in front of a charging wrestler, in order to momentarily stun them:
Hakuho possibly paying homage to him, in this bizarre match against Tochiozan:
Featured briefly in a National Geographic segment on Sumo:
A behind-the-scenes look at Mainoumi's small role in the film, "Memoirs of a Geisha:"
Author sumothunderPosted on November 29, 2018 November 29, 2018 Categories Rikishi ProfileTags MainoumiLeave a comment on Rikishi Profile: Mainoumi Shuhei – Giant at Heart.
Rikishi Profile: Terao Tsunefumi – A Sumo Typhoon That Lasted Decades.
My personal favorite rikishi of all time. Terao was most famous for his furious, windmill-tsuppari attack, and for his unusual longevity despite his small size, which topped off at around 255-260 lbs. His various, unique nicknames all reflect these qualities: "Tsunami," "The Eternal Typhoon," and "The Iron Man." Like the Hanada family dynasty (two Wakanohana's and two Takanohana's) he also came from a family with a rich sumo tradition, with numerous extended family members involved with the sport by either marriage or blood, most notably his father and two brothers. One of his older brothers only made it to the Juryo ranks, but somewhat fittingly, Terao, his father, and his older brother, Sakahoko, all managed to reach their highest rank of Sekiwake.
Here's a look at his trademark tsunami thrusting style:
Terao vs yokozuna Hokutoumi:
Terao vs Akinoshima:
Terao vs Takatoriki:
You can easily tell that he's the oyakata of Abi, as Abi's relentless thrusting attack greatly resembles his mentor. However, unlike Abi, and practically all the other oshi specialists that hover around the lower Maegashira ranks today, Terao was also a very skilled grappler. In fact, I would venture to say that he was the best grappler out of any pure oshi specialist that at least I've seen. He usually only resorted to it, if his thrusting led to an opening, or if it just simply wasn't working, undoubtedly because of his slim frame that was an inherent disadvantage in up-close yotsu grappling.
His weight handicap, despite his technique and grit, is very apparent here in this bout against the very tough 400lb Mitoizumi:
A great demonstration of his all-around skill displayed here against yokozuna Chiyonofuji:
Perhaps his more outstanding quality was his aforementioned longevity, especially considering his slender build and furious attacking style. I first began watching sumo in 1993. By that time, Terao had already been competing in the Makuuchi division for eight years, and would continue to wrestle on after 1993, for an additional nine more years in the upper division, having begun his sumo career in the Kitanoumi era in the late 70's, and ending it at just before the Asashoryu era in 2002. (He actually fought against a young Asashoryu in Juryo).
In many ways, he's a quintessential "unlikely" sumotori; someone who achieved far more than his physical sumo stature curtailed. If you didn't know who he was and took a simple glance at him, you probably wouldn't immediately peg him as someone that would have a successful career in the sport, and certainly not one that would last for an amazing 23 total years—17 of them in the upper division. His trademark windmill-thrusting attack, all-around skills, hard-nosed competitive spirit, and also a bit of luck in staying injury-free, all contributed to creating one of the most exciting, and distinctive wrestlers in recent memory.
More related clips:
Match against yokozuna Onokuni:
Against a young Takanohana:
His heated reaction after losing a close, hard-fought match, in another bout with Takanohana. His disappointment from this loss, compelled him to fight on for as long as he was physically able to. From a Japanese documentary:
Author sumothunderPosted on November 27, 2018 November 27, 2018 Categories Rikishi ProfileTags TeraoLeave a comment on Rikishi Profile: Terao Tsunefumi – A Sumo Typhoon That Lasted Decades.
Rikishi Profile: Kotonishiki Katsuhiro – A Missile on the Dohyo.
Before Harumafuji would rocket himself across the dohyo, there was Kotonishiki. One of the most explosive rikishi in sumo history, he's probably best known for being the only Maegashira ranked wrestler to win 2 top division championships. Some might say, that's an indictment on him, as he perhaps never lived up to greater potential, but I personally thought he used his talents as best he could in a very tough era, despite having some glaring physical disadvantages. The thing that immediately stands out about him, is his explosive tachi-ai charge. As I mentioned, it wasn't until Harumafuji arrived that a wrestler was finally able to match that lightning-quick burst he displayed.
Kotonishiki blasting the exciting Mainoumi out and clinching his first Makuuchi championship:
Kotonishiki vs yokozuna Hokutoumi:
There were several physical limitations he had that probably contributed to him not winning more than he did. For one, he was light at around 290 lbs—another similarity to Harumafuji . Second of all, despite his speed-based oshi-thrusting style, he had short, stubby, T-Rex arms. Also, while he was skilled on the mawashi, especially for an oshi-specialist, it wasn't his forte. Fellow oshi-specialists of the time like Akebono or Konishiki could use their longer limbs or much greater size and strength to help keep their opponents off their belt, while he had to rely more on his quick burst speed to attack before opponents could react, and keep them constantly unbalanced.
On his way to his 2nd championship. This clip shows some of his belt skill against the great Takanohana:
This win against the ozeki Takanonami secured his improbable 2nd championship, seven years after winning his first one:
Kotonishiki was a unique, underrated, and exciting wrestler, who used his explosive speed and fierce will to blast out a multitude of opponents for over 11 years in the Makuuchi division. Although he often hovered around the Maegashira ranks, he was a key figure during a very stacked era, and was a constant threat for even the ozeki and yokozuna of the time, as shown by his long list of achievements: with two championships, eight kinboshi, and 18 total special prizes.
More clips of him in action:
Kotonishiki runs the great Chiyonofuji off the dohyo:
Kotonishiki vs a then-ozeki Wakanohana:
Kotonishiki vs Takanohana 2:
Clip of him training and flying around the dohyo in a tournament. From a longer Japanese documentary:
Kotonishiki's Oyakata tearing up at ringside after his pupil's second championship is clinched. From the same documentary:
Author sumothunderPosted on November 8, 2018 November 27, 2018 Categories Rikishi ProfileTags Kotonishiki1 Comment on Rikishi Profile: Kotonishiki Katsuhiro – A Missile on the Dohyo.
Rikishi Profile: Takanonami Sadahiro – A Sumo Life Spent Living on the Edge.
One of the most unorthodox rikishi in recent memory, Takanonami was a part of the powerful Futogayama heya during the mid-late 90's, when they were probably the most dominant stable the sumo world has ever seen. He was tall at around 6'7" and although he often did things that were technically wrong in a basic sense–like his proclivity for retreating and moving backwards–he was still able to carve out a very successful career with his unusual and singular style. He was especially famous for his kimedashi (arm-barring force out), or rather, the setup he would utilize once he was being driven back—right often to the very edge of the dohyo. From that seemingly desperate position, he would reach over and lock up both his opponent's arms, and then steadily begin to march them out, or suddenly swing them around for the win. Using my personal methodology of pure "conjecture-science," I estimate that he probably spent more time at the edge of the tawara (straw bales) than any other rikishi in modern sumo history. Not only did he spend a lot of time on the edge, but he strangely seemed to be most comfortable fighting from there as well.
Takanonami kimedashi vs Kotoryu:
Takanonami kimedashi vs Jumonji:
If that was his sole means of winning, he'd certainly not be as successful as he was, but from that position, he actually had multiple other means of attack. He could use the kimedashi, but he could also abruptly go for the uwatenage (overarm throw), which was the technique that made up the third most amount of his wins at 57. He could also turn and pull his opponents down for the shitatenage (underarm throw) which he won with 33 times. Or, if his opponent responded to try and prevent the kimedashi, he could suddenly focus on one arm for the Kotenage (armlock throw) which he had 67 wins with. He would often also use one of his legs to hook over one of his opponent's legs, and drive forward for the sotogake (outside leg trip), something his opponents had to be constantly aware of. A lot of his wins that register as yorikiri were initially setup by this awkward retreating arm lock position.
Takanonami shitatenage vs Iwakiyama:
Takanonami sotogake vs Hayateumi:
Takanonami kotenage vs Tosanoumi:
Takanonami beating his stablemate Takanohana in a playoff, with a rare kawazugake, for his first championship:
Again, this was a highly unorthodox style, and his height and long arms were an essential contributing factor into making it all work. Mitoizumi, a contemporary of his, was also tall and heavy at 6'4" and 400lbs, and won a lot of bouts with the kimedashi as well, but it was by no means the central focus of his attack like it was for Takanonami. To me, it was Terunofuji (when he was healthy) who most resembled him at times, as he pulled off multiple kimedashi wins in a similar manner after first being driven to the edge. However, like Mitoizumi, that was not that main way he wrestled, as Terunofuji had a much more straight-forward, power-based style, and tended to use the kimedashi more as a last resort.
Terunofuji kimedashi vs Shohouzan:
Terunofuji kimedashi vs Mitakeumi:
Takanonami was an extremely unconventional wrestler who–regardless of the eccentric nature of his style–reached the rank of ozeki in 1994, which he held for seven years, eventually winning two basho championships. After suffering numerous injuries, he lost a good portion of his power, which was vital for his style to work, and was eventually demoted from his ozeki rank. He wrestled on for a further four years after that, finally becoming the last member of his once dominant heya to step down from the upper division ranks in 2004. He passed away in 2015, at the age of 43 from heart failure, having reportedly had a possible heart condition even while he was still wrestling. Yet, it was the memorable way he wrestled, and the success he garnered with that style, even while doing a lot of things technically wrong, that truly made him an unforgettable, one-of-a kind sumotori.
Takanonami once again defeating his stablemate Takanohana in a playoff for his 2nd championship:
Against the ageless Kyokutenho:
Using the seldom seen "bent-crab stance" here against Akebono…
My self-appointed Takanonami Theme Song tribute:
Author sumothunderPosted on November 8, 2018 November 27, 2018 Categories Rikishi ProfileTags TakanonamiLeave a comment on Rikishi Profile: Takanonami Sadahiro – A Sumo Life Spent Living on the Edge.
Rikishi Profile: Kirishima Kazuhiro – Perhaps the Greatest of the Sumo Power Lifters.
With Tochinoshin recently bringing in a lot of new international sumo fans, I thought I'd give a brief spotlight to a somewhat forgotten rikishi who fought in a similar power-sumo style. Like Tochinoshin, Kirishima became Ozeki relatively late in his career at the age of 31. In fact, he has the all-time record for being the slowest to ever reach the rank. Also like Tochinoshin, he was especially famous for his incredible strength, and tsuri-dashi (lift-out) wins in particular. He retired with an amazing 56 wins by tsuri-dashi, at nearly 10% of his total wins. By comparison, Tochinoshin currently has 22 tsuri-dashi wins for about 4% of his total wins, although he has about 7 years to match or surpass Kirishima, who retired at 37. Another winning technique that requires a tremendous amount of strength is the utchari, where a wrestler lifts and swings his opponent around at the edge. He had 19 wins by utchari including this notable example against the gigantic yokozuna Onokuni:
Kirishima vs yokozuna Onokuni:
He was a fitness freak, who would run before sumo training began, and then lift weights afterwards. He was also very undersized at around 280 lbs. Imagine someone who was around Harumafuji's size (10 lbs. less in fact!), who instead wrestled with a strength-based, power style like Terunofuji. Rikishi were already big by that time too during the 80's – early 90's era in which he wrestled (around 15-20 lbs. smaller overall than today). He certainly wasn't as strong overall as Baruto, Tochinoshin, Terunofuji or Akebono, and he didn't get the sheer "air time" on his lift-outs that Tochinoshin does, but I personally consider him the greatest pure lifter in recent history at least, because of how small he was, and the fact that nearly all of the opponents he lifted out (besides Chiyonofuji) often outweighed him by 30-80lbs or more.
More video clips:
Against the great Chiyonofuji:
Winning his only championship against yokozuna Hokutoumi, while his family, wife, and supporters cheer him on:
Funny match against Mitoizumi, that had 3 torinaoshi's! (redo's):
Footage of him training, drinking a specially made protein drink his girlfriend would make for him, and eating with fellow stablemates Terao and Sakahoko (both now Oyakata). It's from a Japanese documentary with no English subtitles unfortunately:
Author sumothunderPosted on November 6, 2018 November 27, 2018 Categories Rikishi ProfileTags KirishimaLeave a comment on Rikishi Profile: Kirishima Kazuhiro – Perhaps the Greatest of the Sumo Power Lifters.
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Chevron Corporation, headquartered in San Ramon, California is one of the world's largest oil companies, engaged in producing, marketing and delivering oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy. In 2014, it was ranked third in gross revenues on the U.S. Fortune 500 list and sixteenth on the Fortune Global 500 list.
Chevron Corporation sold an average of 3.1 million barrels per day of refined products. The company owns an oil refinery on the north side of the San Francisco Bay area in Richmond, California. On several occasions this plant inflicted health and environmental hazards to those who live in surrounding areas, reaching as far as San Francisco.
Beginning in 1989, leaks resulted in the release of noxious fumes, sometimes leading to explosions and fires. Toxic residue made its way into water sources and soil in surrounding neighborhoods, predominately communities of color. Sulfuric gasses in the air forced residents to seek shelter elsewhere. While over 200 chemicals contaminated the area, Chevron took no responsibility to clean up the mess.
The Assessment Appeals Board denied Chevron's claims and ordered the company to pay an additional $26.7 million in taxes rather than receiving the $73 million refund Chevron sought.
However, the refinery stands today in the north bay, after countless violations against the land and communities surrounding it.
Although Chevron has recently been forced to address some of these issues and had to pay fines and additional taxes, corporate assaults to our communities are "authorized" through an unending stream of legal rights handed to corporations by U.S, courts going back nearly 200 years. The extensive private property protections and the constitutional protections granted in the 1886 case, Santa Clara County vs Southern Pacific Railroad, leave corporate entities in charge while people and communities are constantly on the defensive. Add to this the legal right of corporations to donate generously to candidates in our political arena and it's safe to say that corporations actually govern us!
Move to Amend's agenda is to contest this illegitimate power of corporations by working to withdraw all corporate constitutional rights (intended for natural persons only) and the doctrine that money as a form of political speech. MTA's proposed 28th Amendment, House Joint Resolution 48, the 'We the People' Amendment would put We the People in a position to make real democracy a possibility.
Join the work of Move to Amend. See our informative website and sign the Move to Amend petition at www.movetoamnd.org/amendment.


This week features a guest blog series from Dan Cruce, the Delaware Department of Education's Deputy Secretary and Chief of Staff. This post is third of a three-part series.
Created more clear exemplars and roadmaps to compel fundamental change—particularly in areas pertaining to governance, district-level capacity and collective bargaining agreements.
More quickly set a clearer benchmark for central office turnaround capacity—whether that is a Lead Partner, Coordinating Partner, Central Office Turnaround Unit, or some other name. For me, it's not about what you call something/someone; it's about the clear expectations for excellence and reform. We got a little hung up on some constituents' perception of certain titles…"Lead Partner" "Turnaround Model", etc. I would have focused more time on the communication of our intent with these new resources, rather than their "hot button" titles.
More quickly created unique incentives for the most effective educators to teach in the PZ schools.
More clearly called for district-level restructuring for districts with high concentrations of PZ and other low-achieving schools.
I mentioned in my last post that turnaround is hard work. The good news is that there are resources and opportunities to learn from folks who are doing this work. Take a look at STG's State Development Network where Delaware collaborates with other states tackling school turnaround.
STG has done work for the Delaware Department of Education, and the state is a member of our multi-state State Development Network. The State Development Network convenes this week in Atlanta, GA.


With the advent of new construction technologies comes the need for proven field tests to advance their use. Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) using ductile iron pipe, first introduced in 1994, is a method of installing the pipe underground without digging a trench. With HDD, a gentle arcing bore path is drilled horizontally beneath the surface, then the pipe is joined section by section above ground, and then pulled through.


Let's get this straight: the touchscreen isnt that good to start with, i'll touch one corner and it'll select the exact opposite or i push as hard as i can and it wont register sometimes th screen registers a click but the phone wont. Call quality was great and it's ability to carry a signial even in fringe areas like my own home,. It was sitting on my lap, I forgot it was there and it made a short drop about 3 feet to the floor. Other than that one thing, the phone is great for everyone. The camera application uses the upper display as the viewfinder.
The fit and finsih of the phone is excellent. Sound quality and reception actually improve when the phone is slid open and not operating in the closed position. First, the design of the phone was well thought-out. And to the fact they only serve to drain the battery, and I see no reason why anyone would leave them on. The only thing connecting it was the cable. Enter the Venus, it is a wonderful balance of style and function,.
From cases, to covers, to chargers, our innovative collection makes it easy to get more from your go-to mobile device. Two gig cards, only recognize 1 gig in sync mode. This is what surprised me about the phone the most. I know its only 2mp but i figured it would be a little bit better then it is. Games, videos and photos look great on the displays. In the end the verizon guy said it all. Find your look and enjoy near-effortless ease of use, and impressive audio quality wherever life takes you.
The camera is a piece of junk too. The slide mechanism is smooth and study, and very easy to snap open and shut. When I first turned my phone on, every touch issued noise and vibration. I also like the feel of the number pad when using it; it feels slim in your hand, yet the response of the buttons is such that you are sure you depressed a button, instead of having to rely on looking at the screen to see if you actually hit one. Performance: 64 megs internal memory for storing music. Everything comes out in a big blur, and it's pretty much useless. Other applications bundled include Calculator, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, World Clock, Notepad and Ez Tip Calc.
The claimed usage time is up to 4 hours and the claimed standby time is 20 days. And speaking of our musical repertoires, the Venus delivers a crisp, clear sound. Not sure if this is a common problem or just my phone. My only issues with it is the text messaging. If you want a good phone, this is the one. The voice quality was better on the Cardo S-800 Bluetooth headset, but not by much. The bluetooth stero headset sounded awsome.
You can tell you are using a new generation phone. After many talks with Verizon customer service only to have them tell me over and over that I am the only one who has reported the problem and that I must have a bad phone or card, I finally exchanged both and the new one is the same way. I've held and owned phones in the past that have felt like they would break if you weren't careful with them; not so with the Venus. We paid very little for these phones through Verizon since we were out of contract but I would never pay the full asking price for them. This could appeal to some people, but I turned both the sound and vibration off.
Sound quality and reception actually improve when the phone is slid open and not operating in the closed position. Software: Phone Book, Calculator, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, World Clock, Notepad and Ez Tip Calc. The menu layout in calls and in most applications is very logical, offering common actions that allow you to operate the phone without sliding out the keypad. The range was about the same as with the Palm headset, reaching at about 10 feet. I don't see that in the docs or functions: only touch. Venus after 2 weeks I came from several years of flip-phone usage but adjusted quickly to the Venus' slide-out keypad, though I use it rarely as I am using voice commands and call history a lot. This is definitely not something you'd see on an average camera phone.
It can save up to 20 pairing partners and the Bluetooth software has very friendly interface to help you pair the phone with computers, headsets and car kits. The touch navigation keys are rediculous. I like the feel of it and the size is just right for what it can do. I was shocked at how poor the durability was. Video buffering is pretty quickly and the crisp and bright screen makes the clips look good. The touch screen technology indeed adds to its appeal. Keeping all of my tunes on the 4gig microsd card free's up the internal memory and improves the phones performance.


Maybe it's even worse than I think.
What if my emotions just don't let me see it, while it's actually something not THAT bad?
What if it doesn't matter what it is now: raising my vibration will turn anything into good?
What if everything is always good for me?
I feel like I'm not where I should be. I'm not doing what I should be doing.
What if it's just an indication of my vibration?
What if when I raise my vibration, I improve how I feel?
Yes, but will it solve anything..
I think anyway I'd prefer to feel better than worse. So maybe improving my vibration wouldn't be such a bad idea..
Yes, I'd like to feel better!
Ok, but what to do with my situation?
What if I could only tend to my vibration?.. That would feel .. easy. Freeing. I would feel comfortable in that.
What if, even if I can't resolve the belief now, that the physical situation requires physical action, but I can afford some effort in feeling a little bit better..
What if my feeling now means I'm not ready yet for any physical action?
What if my feeling now means when I raise my vibration a little, it all will become easier? more sure?
What if I could come to a feeling where "wild horses can't keep me from acting"? I felt some of it in the past.
What if I have all the time needed, and I can now focus on the way I feel about that?
What if my focusing on the way I feel, can have effect not only on the way I feel, but also on how it turns out?
What if my desire to feel the clarity and to face a better situation, means it's possible, and I'm making my way there?
What if it's all possible?
What if I don't have to work so hard to get what I want?
What if I don't have to work hard at all?
What if my current vibration is in such a place, that not acting actively, I feel I'm not doing what I'm supposed to do?
What if when I get my vibration in place, it can all come into place, the feeling, the action, everything? What if it's possible to just feel this easiness, and feel how the solutions come, and come, and come?
What if it's possible to just feel better and from there see how I can proceed?
I love it that I'm feeling some of it right now.


Transloading Services, Inc. is dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to service customers using bulk commodities by offering a rail/transload service in lieu of on-highway trucks. We currently operate 12 self supporting mobile systems, servicing customers in the eastern United States. Unload frozen coal and pet coke and other materials from open top railcars with ease!


Vaccinium vacillans is a highly branched rounded shrub in the Ericaceae (blueberry) family. It is found in dry woodlands, cleanings, and thickets. It is a low maintenance, and once established a drought tolerant, low water use plant. The foliage is red in the fall. It spreads through underground runners and can form clumps. The bark is smooth and green to green-red.
Wildlife Value: This plant is moderately resistant to damage from deer. It is a host plant for the Brown Elfin butterfly. Its fruits are eaten by songbirds, small mammals, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys and black bear.
Members of the genus Vaccinium support the following specialized bees:Andrena (Conandrena) bradleyi, Andrena (Andrena) carolina, Panurginus atramontensis, Habropoda laboriosa, Colletes productus, Colletes validus, and Osmia (Melanosmia) virga.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant will not survive in alkaline soils.
The leaves of the Lowbush blueberry are alternate with finely toothed or fuzzy margins and pale white underside.
This plant has white bell shaped flowers that form in tight hanging clusters. The flowers are followed by a blue-black berry that matures in mid summer. The fruit is edible and sweet to the taste.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium loamy very acidic (pH in the range of 4.5 to 6) well-drained soil. Tolerates light woodland shade but produces more fruit in full sun.
The fruit of the Lowbush blueberry can be eaten raw or cooked. It is very sweet and is considered one of the best tasting blueberries.


I sat on two panels, one of which I believe I was moderating, though that was never clear. Both went well, despite my presence. I would attribute the entertainment and informational value of both to the contributions of Greg Bear. The noted author is a wealth of knowledge and anecdote. If we are playing the "degrees of separation game" I am now much closer to winning, is what I'm saying.
In fact I had the honor of being invited by Astrid and Greg Bear to have dinner with them. That was a pleasure. When your life has been spent saturating in the works of Golden Age speculative fiction writers, hearing stories of them by a close friend (and/or relative) is manna.
If you'll recall from my last post, I recently returned from Arizona. One of the spots I visited was Lowell Observatory, in Flagstaff. That place held a fascination for me because Percival Lowell's observations of the channels of Mars (and enthusiastic misinterpretation thereof) helped inspire Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom books. And those books inspired my Under Strange Suns. Well, Lowell Observatory also employed Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto. To bring this full circle, Mr. Bear once met Clyde Tombaugh. Thus adding one more tenuous link to my insubstantial chain. Because it's all about me. Right?
No, it is also about beer. A friend of mine ("Hi, Jack") drove out to the con. We enjoyed a lunch of peanuts and beer tasters at Five Dons Brewing. A tiny place, nearly around the corner from the Ashtown Brewing, the place I visited last year. How convenient.
Now, time to trek back to Sandy. I've neglected MBW and the HA long enough.
It was a nice con. I'm glad I was able to attend, even if it was only for a few hours. Hopefully I can attend next year.
In baseball, if you call a player a "Dude", that means he's a player of special talent. In speculative fiction, Greg Bear is a "Dude". He was a wealth of knowledge.
The Dude does more than abide.


text:
L'église Saint-Aré est une église catholique située à Decize, en France. Son chœur et sa crypte datant du  et  sont classées aux Monuments historiques, le reste de l'églisé datant du   et   sont eux inscrits.

Localisation
L'église est située dans le centre ancien de Decize, entre la Loire et la Vieille Loire, dans le sud du département français de la Nièvre.

Historique
L'église est dédiée à saint Aré, qui fut évêque de Nevers de 548 à 558. La légende raconte qu'il voulut qu'à sa mort on le place dans une barque sur la Loire et qu'on l'enterre à l'endroit où la barque s'arrêterait. L'histoire raconte que la barque a remonté le fleuve et s'est échouée à Decize où il fut enterré.

La crypte actuelle de l'église fut construite autour d'une grotte et peut-être d'un ancien temple gallo-romain. Une statue de la vierge, dite Notre-Dame de sous-terre, y fut longtemps vénérée pour ses miracles. L'église a été bâtie au  et  siècle dont il ne reste aujourd'hui que le chœur et les absides. L'église a ensuite plusieurs profondément modifiée, au  puis au  siècle. En 1842, les murs du château qui la surplombaient se sont effondrés, provoquant la destruction de la nef, d'une partie du transept et de plusieurs chapelles latérales.

Le chœur et crypte ont été classés au titre des monuments historiques dans la liste de 1875 et le reste de l'église a été inscrit aux Monuments historiques le .

Le dimanche , un conducteur âgé de 84 ans qui venait assister à la messe effectua une fausse manœuvre sur le parking devant l'entrée de l'église et sa voiture pénétra violemment dans l'édifice juste avant une messe, détruisant le portail et un des piliers de bois soutenant le balcon et l'orgue, et blessant 3 personnes.

Objets remarquables
L'église abrite plusieurs objets remarquables, classés ou inscrits aux Monuments historiques à titre d'objets dont (liste non exhaustive) :

Situés dans la crypte :
 Une statuette de pierre décapitée du  siècle et portant des armoiries
 Une statue en pierre de la Vierge à l'enfant du  siècle
 Un retable en pierre sculpté du  siècle de 80 cm de haut pour 150 cm de large, représentant 5 saynètes sur fond de paysage ou d'architecture, séparées par des pilastres et surmontées d'arcature de style Renaissance. À chaque extrémité du retable, sont sculptés le donateur et la donatrice à genoux. Y figure aussi quelques écussons avec armoiries. Bien que restauré en 1974, le retable est en deux morceaux et l'une des scènes est presque intégralement manquante.
 Statue en bois de saint Paul du  siècle d'environ 1 mètre de hauteur
 Plaque funéraire en pierre  gravée et sculptée du  siècle, haute de  et large de ,  de . L'épitaphe porte fondation de messes par lui et sa femme.
 Une autre statue de Vierge à l'enfant dont les visages sont abimés
 Statue de pierre d'un moine chartreux dont il manque un bras
 Bas-relief en pierre du  siècle représentant le Christ au jardin des oliviers
 Groupe en bois sculpté représentant l'éducation de la Vierge par sainte Anne
Situés dans l'église:

 2 bénitiers sculptés en bronze de  de diamètre en forme de vasque munis chacun de quatre anses. Le rebord est orné d'un bandeau avec inscription en saillie et au-dessous, dans des médaillons rectangulaires, des personnages en bas relief alternent avec de petites scènes finement gravées ,
 18 stalles en bois taillé du
 Une peinture sur toile, L'Institution du rosaire, du
 Les deux vantaux en bois du portail latéral, composés de panneaux à serviettes, séparés par des colonnettes.

Annexes

Liens internes
 Liste des monuments historiques de la Nièvre

Références

Liens externes

Decize
Monument historique dans la Nièvre
Monument historique classé en 1875
Monument historique inscrit en 1991
Decize