It is ironic that the modern Oregon wine industry was founded by outsiders, many of whom came from California, yet Oregonians have never been fully receptive to hosting wine tourists. Unlike California, Virginia, New York and New Zealand, Oregon has never developed the infrastructure to comfortably accommodate visitors eager to discover the state's marvelous wines. The Willamette Valley is an amusement park of Pinot Noir, yet because of a lack of lodging and other tourist amenities in the Valley, many visitors shun staying at the "park," heading instead back to Portland after a day of wine tasting where ancillary services such as comfortable accommodations, fine dining, and shopping are readily available. Understandably, residents of the Willamette Valley want to preserve their bucolic piece of paradise and maintain their agricultural heritage. However, Oregonians are slowly coming to terms with the reality that tourism can be tastefully integrated into the countrified lifestyle of their communities. Recent lodging and dining additions to the Willamette Valley now offer the wine lover some enticing options. Willamette Valley's Pinot Paradise has now become an attractive destination for the sophisticated wine enthusiast.
All photographs in this article are copyrighted and used with the permission of Andrea Johnson Photography (www.andreajohnsonphotography.com). They may not be reprinted or used for advertising purposes.
The story of the Inn at Red Hills begins with Dustin Wyant. He grew up in Bend, Oregon, had a successful career as the Sales and Marketing Director for Willamette Vineyards, and later spent twelve years in Montana managing the St. Mary Lodge & Resort at Glacier National Park. He recruited staff from all over the world, managed a seasonal work force of 250 people, oversaw five restaurants and even filled in as a working chef when the chef abruptly departed one summer the day before the July 4 holiday.
Upon returning to the Willamette Valley, Wyant envisioned a 60-room luxury hotel built on a farm in the Dundee Hills modeled after the Blackberry Farm in Tennessee and the Herbfarm in the state of Washington. He wanted to offer guests a full immersion in the Oregon farm and wine country experience by surrounding the luxury inn with a working vineyard and winery, a cheese maker, and livestock, poultry, and organic gardens that would supply the on site restaurant with a sustainable source of fresh food. He realized that the Willamette Valley had no professional hospitality to offer the wine traveler touring the region.
Wyant connected with a prominent local Oregonian, Kendall Bergström, whose family had left Portland to settle in Dundee in the late 1990s. Kendall's father, John, a successful surgeon, wanted to return to his childhood agricultural roots remembered as a child in Sweden. He planted Bergström Vineyard and soon after, in 1999, launched Bergström Wines with his son, Josh, handling the winemaking duties. Kendall and her husband Paul de Lancellotti founded de Lancellotti Family Vineyards the same year on top of Calkins Lane in the Chehalem Mountains. In 2001, the Bergström Winery was built on the de Lancellotti property. With both wineries well established, Kendall turned her attention to commercial real estate development.
Upon meeting Wyant in 2006, she realized they both shared the vision of creating a casual but elegant hotel and spa in the Willamette Valley. Their search for an appropriate site led them to a 3.5-acre property on Worden Road in the Dundee Hills, a short distance from Highway 99W, the main thoroughfare through Dundee. Together they dedicated six months to lobbying for their hotel in the state legislature in Salem, but their proposed land use was denied. Discouraged, but undaunted, they decided to convert two new commercial buildings in Dundee into Oregon Wine Country's first full-service boutique hotel. The process of retrofitting the buildings to meet their vision was challenging, but the result has been very impressive. They elected to work with contractors who primarily lived within 30 miles of Dundee and attempted to use green materials such as recycled fiber carpets whenever possible in furnishing the guest rooms.
The Inn at Red Hills has 20 distinctive rooms, each with a different size, layout and view. Some rooms are located on the Highway 99W side of the building, but I did not find the traffic noise to be intrusive. The rooms are tastefully furnished with all modern amenities including 40" flat-screen televisions, comfy beds with adjustable firmness, choice of hypoallergenic pillows or down feather blend pillows, well-lit bathrooms, roomy showers, organic bath products, hi-speed internet access, and individual room-operated heaters and air conditioners. The walls are decorated with Oregon wine country photographs by renowned photographer, Andrea Johnson, whose photographs appear in the new book, Passion for Pinot, and who supplied the images for this feature. Her works are also displayed in the Inn's restaurant. Complimentary morning coffee and tea service is available daily as are bottled water, cookies, and the Oregonian and USA Today newspapers. There is ample free parking, and the Inn's restaurant, Farm to Fork, is conveniently located a few steps away from the guest rooms removing any worries about driving home after an evening of revelry and Oregon Pinot Noir.
The Farm to Fork gourmet cafe and market is located next to the Inn's compact lobby and is a bright and comfortable spot to dine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily. The service is exceptionally prompt and the personnel are professionally trained. Either Wyant or Bergström are always visible in the restaurant, offering guests personal attention and administering to every detail. Outside seating is available in the stone courtyard adjacent the restaurant. Fresh-baked pastries are available each day at 6:00 AM for early risers, breakfast begins at 7:00 AM daily. I loved the hearty breakfasts which included tasty items like Alderwood Smoked Trout and Farm Egg Scramble ($11), Almond Battered Brioche French Toast ($9), and Croque Madame ($11). The dinner menu changes frequently depending on what is farm fresh and locally available but first courses include choices like Warm Truffled Goat Cheese Tart ($9) and Grilled Rabbit Sausage with Pinot Noir Stewed Cherries ($9). Entrees include Wild Coho Salmon with Pesto Basted Fingerling Potatoes ($19), Superior Farms Leg of Lamb with Hazelnut Salbitixada and Charred Sweet Onions ($18), and Roasted Draper Farms Chicken Breast with Yukon Gold Potato Puree ($16). I am beginning to salivate.
The Press Wine Bar is a focal point of the restaurant with a wall of wine bottles leading to a roomy and inviting lounging area and tasting bar. Manager Mark Bosko has assembled an impressive offering of local Oregon wines, most of which are sourced from growers and/or wineries that are sustainable, organic and biodynamic. Bosko is very knowledgeable and well-connected in the local wine community allowing him to access interesting small lots of wines including older vintages. A rough hewn wood community table that seats 8 is my favorite place to dine. Featured flights of wines change frequently, but the choices are always interesting. When I visited, the Oregon Pinot Noir Flight included the 2007 Crowley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, the 2007 Roots Estate Yamhill-Carlton District Pinot Noir, and the 2007 Ayoub Memoirs Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. A "Pink is the New White Flight" consisted of 2008 Penner-Ash Roseo, 2007 Belle Pente Cuvee Contraire, and 2008 Antica Terra Pinot Noir Rose. If you hang out at the tasting bar, you will almost certainly run into friendly local winegrowers or winemakers.
The first night I arrived, I was exhausted after a day of traveling. It was 98ºF outside. I grabbed a bottle of cool wine from the extensive selection, ordered a salad and sandwich from the deli, and retreated to my room to eat and sip in complete relaxation. It was a simple but very memorable dinner.
The Inn at Red Hills has a large meeting space with floor-to-ceiling windows that can accommodate 85 people for a sit down dinner, a large group for a business meeting or a wedding reception. For wine enthusiasts, the concierge services offered by the staff are unmatched in the region. Wyant, Bergström and Bosko are plugged into the wine community and can arrange tastings at boutique wineries, often at short notice, that are normally closed to the public.
Personal touch is the hallmark of the Inn at Red Hills. The lodging has a B&B mentality, but offers all the amenities of a small luxury hotel. The owners continue to dream of the day when Dundee will resemble St. Helena in the Napa Valley with its walkable access to many restaurants, lodgings, and boutiques. In the meantime, they have created a welcoming retreat in the Willamette Valley wine country.
Website: www.innatredhills.com. Address: 1410 N. Highway 99W, Dundee. A 45-minute drive south of Portland (36 miles). Over 100 wineries located within a 30-minute drive. Phone: 503-538-7970. Room Rates: Seasonal but generally $150-$350.
Owner Joan Austin, who along with spouse Ken founded Newberg's A-dec dental equipment company, has family roots that trace back to the 1850s Oregon Trail. These Oregon values have led her to create a property naturally complimentary to Oregon's existing way of life, as opposed to a development that imposes itself on the region. Seattle-based architectural firm GGLO was charged with designing a luxury inn that was authentic, environmentally sensitive, casual yet sophisticated, and timeless. Nestled in the foothills of the Chehalem Mountains in the town of Newberg in Yamhill County, the Allison Inn & Spa takes full advantage of the adjacent rolling hills, orchards, vineyards and agricultural farmland. Views to the east, west and south include Parrett Mountain, Chehalem Mountains, and the Dundee Hills.
The four-level hotel is situated on 35 hillside acres and features abundant flower and herb gardens, groves of deciduous and conifer trees, and five acres of Pinot Noir vineyards (managed by David Adelsheim). The look is contemporary with generous use of polished wood, copper accents, glass, steel and stone on the exterior and warm, modern furnishings, handcrafted Oregon wood and local contemporary art on the interior The focal point of the Inn is a dramatic glass-enclosed circular staircase connecting all four levels of the Inn's guest wing.
The Allison Inn & Spa is one of the few hotel properties in the world committed to obtaining LEED certification. This "green seal" of building practices and sustainable ongoing operations is revealed in features like solar hot water, photo voltaic cells generating seven percent of electricity, absence of plastic bottles on the property, and a roof on the meeting and function wing planted with sedum green eco-roofing.
A total of 85 guest rooms including 20 suites are located in the separate east guest wing. The rooms vary in size from 485 square feet (Deluxe King) to 1,575 square feet (Two-Bedroom Grand Suite). All rooms feature a private terrace or balcony, upholstered window seat, fireplace, built-in satellite television and DVD player, and custom-crafted modern furnishings. Five-fixture baths include double sinks and spa inspired soaking tubs. Window shades and climate controls are fully automated. The color scheme of ochre, pumpkin, eggplant and leaf green, is soothing to the eye. A final touch is the placement in each room of a hand made table fashioned with Oregon walnut.
As I toured The Allison during construction with General Manager Pierre Zreik, he pointed out that all the Inn's facilities, except the indoor pool and gym, are available to the public. Zreik brings years of experience to his management position, having worked with the Four Seasons and Hyatt chains, and most recently as manager of Cavalla Point in Sausalito, California.
The Ballroom and Foyer, Meeting Rooms and Board Room are located in The Allison's west wing and total 12,000 square feet. The rooms have sweeping views, large outside terraces, and can accommodate gatherings of 10 to 200 people, making The Allison a perfect site for weddings and important social events.
The Allison's restaurant, Jory, named after one of the soils that is typical of the region, features Oregon's agricultural bounty, wines and microbrews. The Oregon Wine Country menu is complimented by a 8,000 bottle cellar featuring the largest selection of Oregon Pinot Noir in the state. Over 50 wines are available by the glass using a Enomatic system and wines are served appropriately in Riedel Oregon glassware. The cuisine is strongly influenced by seasonality and the bountiful local produce including vegetables and herbs grown in the chef's garden adjacent the restaurant. The restaurant seeks out organically grown produce when possible and butchers all meat in house. The Executive Chef is Nathan Lockwood (pictured below in the open kitchen), who previously was the chef at Acquerello in San Francisco and Fork in Marin County. A chef's table sits in the center of the open dining room and can accommodate 8 diners, a private dining room will seat 10-18 (photo above), and informal counter seating facing the open kitchen will accommodate 10. There is also outdoor terrace seating. In-room dining is available 24 hours.
A concierge can fulfill any special interests such as golf at the new 18 hole Chehalem Glenn course in Newberg, winery touring, hot air ballooning, helicopter winery tours, equestrian and cycling winery tours, shopping and galleries, heritage sites and museums including the Evergreen Aviation & Space Musuem in nearby McMinnville. The Newberg Cultural Center is slated for opening in 2010.
This is truly an "Allison Wonderland," that finally brings the full luxury hotel and spa experience to the Willamette Valley with all of Oregon's working farms and vineyards just outside the door. The Allison is literally a paradise for Pinot lovers.
Website: www.theallison.com. Address: 2525 Allison Lane, Newberg. A 45 minute drive from Portland and less than 2 hours drive to the Oregon coast. Phone: 503-554-2525, 877-294-2525. Room Rates: $295 to $1,100 per night. Seasonal packages and specials available. Director of Sales: Laura Crugnale can assist in planning your visit and events (laura@theallison.com).
Grand Cru Estates is an idea that will be welcomed by Pinot Geeks who have dreamed of handcrafting a single barrel of premium Pinot Noir from the region's finest grapes, assisted by expert winemaking guidance, all at a beautiful, member-only estate winery. Set among the rolling hills of the Yamhill-Carlton District, Grand Cru Estates' 130 acres includes a 13,000 square foot gravity-flow winery, over 50 acres of Pinot Noir plantings, common rooms for social events and relaxation, and a professional kitchen staffed by a James Beard Award winning chef. The partners in this innovative venture are Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu of Solená Cellars and NW Wine Company, and winegrowers Steve and Marian Bailey).
The exterior is reminiscent of a traditional farm featuring stone and weathered wood and includes ecological friendly features like solar power and rainwater collection. The common rooms have heavy, open-beamed ceilings, a rock fireplace is the focal point of the dining and meeting room (below), and broad vineyard views create a sense of rustic luxury. The overall feeling is a return to a simpler time and connection with nature.
Members of Grand Cru Estates can access premium fruit from any of the six distinctive AVAs in the Willamette Valley. Notable vineyards include Ana, Bailey Estate, Carabella, Domaine Danielle Laurent, Guadalupe, Hyland, Kalita, Willakia, and Zena.
Members work one-on-one with the winemaking team of Laurent Montalieu (who also crafts his own Soléna Estate wines at Grand Cru Estates) and Tony Rynders, who together have worked a combined 20 vintages in the Willamette Valley. Both have many accolades and great wines to their credit. (Photo below: Left, Tony Rynders, Right, Laurent Montalieu). Laurent Montalieu came to Oregon as winemaker at Bridgewiew Vineyards and later became a partner and winemaker at Wilakenzie Estate. With his marriage to Danielle Andrus, who helped launch her family's Archery Summit winery, the couple launched Domaine Danielle Laurent and Soléna Cellars, named after their daughter. They are also partnered owners of NW Wine Company, NW Wine Bar, and Hyland Vineyards. Tony Rynders graduated with a Masters in Viticulture and Enology at University of California at Davis and interned in California, Australia and Italy. He held winemaking positions at Argyle Winery and Hogue Cellars before becoming winemaker at Domaine Serene. During his ten years there, he produced some of Oregon's most impressive premium Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Whether present at each step of the grape harvesting and winemaking process, or simply to enjoy the final wine, each member will receive a single barrel of wine that his or her custom, ultra-premium Pinot Noir that carries the signature stamp of Montalieu and Rynders.
Chef Philippe Boulot directs the culinary arts program at Grand Cru Estates. He is Culinary Director at the Heathman Restaurant in Portland and Executive Chef at the Multnomah Athletic Club. The kitchen at Grand Cru Estates will be a central hub of activity, with cooking classes, winemaker dinners, private member events, and the "Les Amis de Philippe" guest chef series. In time, the estate property will be a source for organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, honey and more, with members having the opportunity to participate in all phases of the food experience from picking the produce to relishing the food and the wine they have created.
Three levels of membership are offered that vary in their winemaking involvement, wine quantity and cost. All club members receive the following benefits: (1) Access to the estate, vineyards, winery and gardens, all of which are reserved exclusively for members and their guests, (2) The opportunity to use the estate for private events twice a year, (3) Personal concierge service for planning wine country excursions, (4) Culinary arts events with Chef Philippe Boulot, (5) Educational seminars on winemaking, viticulture, biodynamic farming, and more, and (6) 20% discount on purchasing wines offered through the NW Wine Bar in McMinnville. In addition to these member benefits, Grand Cru Membership includes: (1) Partnership with winemakers Laurent Montalieu and Tony Rynders to produce from one to six barrels (25 to 150 cases) per vintage of custom Pinot Noir with your own name and label, and (2) A one-case wine locker at the winery. Premier Cru Membership includes a yearly wine purchase of a half barrel (12 cases) of wines chosen from Grand Cru Estates winemaker's blends with your own name and label. Village Membership includes a yearly wine purchase of a quarter barrel (6 cases) of wines chosen from Grand Cru Estates winemaker's blends.
For all membership levels, there is a one-time joining fee of $5,000 that entitles members to all the global member benefits. The yearly wine costs vary according to the membership level, with Grand Cru Members purchasing a full barrel per year at $20,000, Premier Cru Members purchasing a half barrel at $10,000, and Village Members purchasing a quarter barrel at $5,500.
For further information or to download the membership prospectus, visit www.thegrandcruestates.com. The phone is 503-662-4730 and email is info@thegrandcruestates.com. The address is 17100 NE Woodland Loop Rd, Yamhill, Oregon, 97148. The inaugural Open House is Thanksgiving weekend, November 27, 28 and 29, 2009. Tours are available by appointment.
Hyland Vineyards dates to the early 1970s when four families (the Kreimeyers, Markleys, Welches and Trenhailes) planted this property located in the Coastal Range foothills southwest of McMinnville. One of Oregon's oldest and largest vineyards, it has been a source of fruit for such notable wineries as Amity Vineyards, Andrew Rich, Auteur, Belle Ponte, Belle Valle, Bergström, Brooks, King Estate, Rex Hill, Sokol Blosser, and Torii Mor.
The 154 acres, with just over 100 acres planted to vines, sits at 600 to 800 feet elevation and commands majestic views of the Williamette Valley including Mt. Hood. Soils are primarily volcanic Jory with some Nekia.
Over 47 acres are planted to own-rooted old vine Pinot Noir, 22 acres to newer grafted Pinot Noir, and smaller amounts to Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muller-Thurgau. Noted viticulturist Joel Myers (Vinetenders) manages the vineyards.
The Montalieus partnered with investor John Niemeyer to purchase the Hyland Vineyards with the intent of developing the land not committed to vines into parcels for custom home development. Nine parcels ranging in size from 7.6 to 15.67 acres are available, all in a rural environment that is only reachable by a private road. This is a unique opportunity to develop a homesite on view property adjacent one of Oregon's iconic vineyards.
To visit the property or obtain more information, contact Kendall Bergström at 503-799-2596.
The article, "A Hint of Hype, A Taste of Illusion," reviews two well-publicized studies by statistician Robert Hodgson that support the notion that repeated judgments of the same wine, by the same wine expert, are so widely disparate that the ratings and medals given to wines are meaningless. When Hodgson studied the results of multiple wine competitions, he found the medals were spread around at random, essentially what one would expect by chance alone. Winery owners are well aware of this, and many of them admit to sending their wine to many different competitions because the wine, assuming it is good, will eventually win a gold medal by chance if submitted to enough competitions.
Winery owner and winemaker, Richard Alfaro, of Alfaro Family Vineyards in Corralitos, California, pointed out to me the hard reality about wine competitions. He noted that most of them are profit driven, not passion driven. The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, for example, is a prestigious event and receives almost 5,000 wines for judging. That amounts to $300,000 in entry fees alone. In addition, multiple bottles of the same wine have to be submitted by the winery for judging. After the judging, a public tasting of the medal winners is held in which the wineries pour their wines for free. Last year the Chronicle sold 5,000 tickets ($45 in advance, $80 at the door) amounting to at least another $225,000. Most of the people working the event, including the judges, are volunteers and much of the food, water and logistics is either donated or supported by sponsors. On top of this, if a winery wins a Gold Medal, the Chronicle strongly encourages the awarded winery to advertise in the annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition results issue, contributing significant advertising revenue to the organizers. When you look at the numbers, it is easy to see why there is a tremendous number of wine competitions.
So who really benefits from wine competitions? Wineries may not profit because the expenditure is significant if they enter multiple competitions, diluting the potential value of added sales revenue. If a wine does win a Gold Medal, it may quickly sell out, but other wines in the winery's portfolio may suffer from perceived relative inferiority. Boutique wineries rarely benefit because they simply cannot afford to enter several competitions and often choose to enter none at all. The wine consumer derives little benefit because the results are not widely publicized and a majority pay no attention to medals won in wine competitions. It is wine critics' scores that draw their attention and drive sales. Those who benefit the most from wine competitions are the organizers who pad their wallets through a falsely perceived premise that medals are awarded by judges who are infallible.
Your comments are welcome: prince@princeofpinot.com.


Firefighters struggled against rugged terrain, high winds and an August heat wave Tuesday to slow the spread of the biggest wildfire ever recorded in California, an inferno that exploded to more than 450 square miles in just 11 days.
The blaze, centered near the community of Upper Lake, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, spread fast because of what officials said was a perfect combination of weather, topography and abundant vegetation turned into highly flammable fuel by years of drought.
The flames were raging in mostly remote areas, and no deaths or serious injuries were reported. But at least 75 homes have been lost, and thousands of people have been forced to flee. The blaze, dubbed the Mendocino Complex, was reported 20 percent contained.
"There's no way you're going to stop that fire," said Kyle Coleman, 28, who returned to his childhood home last week to help his father try — in vain, it turned out — to protect it. "A big wall of flames came over the mountain. ... I pretty much got my dad out of there."


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In today's guide I'm going to walk you through the basics of buying a new golf club set. We will be covering the different components of the golf club as well as what golf clubs should be included in your set you purchase.
This will help you learn what to look for, what to avoid, and what you need to fit your playing ability so you can make the right purchase decisions. Marketers would love to sell you on the wrong golf equipment so get ready for an in-depth education guide on buying golf clubs!
Let's start off reviewing the basic components of a golf club!
In order to hold onto a golf club, there is an eight-inch rubber grip that is glued onto the steel or graphite shaft of each golf club in your bag. This gives your hands something to hold onto so the club doesn't slip out of your hands as you are swinging 80-120 mph.
Grips come in different sizes as well; standard, midsize, and oversize. When should each be used?
If you have bigger hands you may benefit more from a thicker grip. Or on the putter, for example, thicker grips are common to help golfers keep their hands and wrists less active during the putting stroke.
Grips also come in many textures, colors, and designs. You can start with the standard grips that come on your golf club set and if they don't feel comfortable, you can always switch them out by buying custom grips.
The shaft is the cylindrical "pole" that connects into the club head. Club shafts are usually made of stainless steel, graphite, or other metals depending which golf club they are being used for. Most drivers, for example, are shafted with graphite material which is lighter weight to help the club be swung faster.
Another component of shafts is the flex. When a club is swung at fast speeds, the shaft flexes from the wind resistance and when the golf club head strikes the golf ball, the shaft flexes as well creating a whipping effect to generate speed into the ball.
Your swing speed will usually determine the level of flex stiffness needed which can very from "L" for ladies, "A" for amateur/senior, "R" for regular, "S" for stiff, and "X" for extra stiff.
Regular flex is most common but beginners, women, and senior golfers with slower swing speeds may benefit more from "L" or "A" flex shafts. High speed swings like professional players often find a stiffer shaft works better for them.
Picking the right shaft flex to match your golf swing can help you hit the ball longer and under better control so it's recommended seeing a club fitting professional if you have questions!
The hosel is important because it connects the clubhead to the shaft. It also determines the lie angle of the club which is the angle between the sole of the club and the shaft.
Certain golf clubs like drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids offer adjustable hosels which allow you to change the loft settings of the club. Irons, wedges, and putters usually do not have adjustable hosels as the clubs are built with preset lie angles suited for that specific golf club.
Depending on your height and your swing you could have your golf clubs adjusted to lie angles that custom fit you best. This is common among professional golfers who may differentiate their club settings from the standard club settings that the average golfer would buy from the store.
Our final component to discuss is the clubhead. Clubheads are designed for launching the golf ball into the air when they make contact with the ball. Loft is ultimately what controls your ball's flight trajectory.
Different components of the clubhead can be summed up in this image of this driver but they also apply to woods, hybrids, and irons.
Overall, the clubhead is what moves the ball from the tee box to the green and the manufacturing companies (TaylorMade, Cobra, Titleist, Callaway) work hard to optimize the club head design to help it hit the ball longer and straighter.
Here is a YouTube video explaining the design process of golf clubs if you're interested in checking it out for further information.
Now that you understand the components of a golf club, let's review the different types of golf clubs that should come in your set of clubs.
A driver is often the most coveted club in the golf bag that players put most of their focus on when buying golf clubs. This is largely due to the distance it can hit a golf ball and the golfer's ego pushing them to try and hit the ball as far as possible.
A driver comes in loft degree options between 9 and 13 with most club manufacturers producing a 9, 10.5, and 12 degree options.
However, you can check to see if they'll produce the driver in 8 degree or 13 degree options as well if one suits your game better than the standard three loft options.
Drivers can hit the ball 200-350 yards on average which is important for longer golf holes like par 5's and long par 4's. But they are also one of the most difficult golf clubs in the bag to hit which means picking out one that is also forgiving.
According to Fujikura, drivers are built with steel and graphite shafts and the clubhead is produced most often in aluminum or alloy materials. Carbon fiber is also occasionally used as a driver's clubhead material since it's lighter weight.
You'll also notice that drivers have larger club heads giving them a bigger sweet spot to make contact with the golf ball. You can choose between head sizes but the standard size of drivers these days is 460cc (cubic centimeters) which is the maximum allowed by the USGA currently.
Swing speed is fastest with the driver due to the shaft length and design of the club. Most golfers range between 80-120 mph swing speed with their driver. An average player with a 95 mph swing speed may hit the ball 230-240 yards, for example.
In the old days of golf, fairway woods were actually constructed of wood. Today you'll find most are actually "fairway metals" due to the stainless steel, aluminum, and other alloys that are used to construct them but still commonly referred to as "fairway woods".
Fairway woods have different loft options and you can choose to have multiple woods in your club set if it helps you cover the distance gaps needed in your golf game.
The 3 wood is a 13 degree club loft, the 5 wood is a 15 degree loft, and the 7 wood is a 17 degree loft. An easy way to remember this is to just ad a "1" in front of it for the degrees loft.
Beginner golfers tend to perform better with a wood as opposed to their driver so it's pretty common to carry a 3 wood in your bag for tee shots in addition to using it for fairway shots on long par 4's and par 5's.
After the 3 wood, you may choose to have a 7 wood to cover the next distance gap between a 3 wood and a hybrid (19-21 degree loft) or 4 iron. For example, on long par 3's that stretch 200 yards, a hyrbid or 7 wood could be used if it's easier to hit than trying to hit a 4 iron 200 yards.
Hybrid clubs are important to bridge the gap between your woods and your shorter irons, if you struggle to hit longer irons.
Most beginner's don't make the best contact with a 3 or 4 iron and therefore struggle to get much distance with it. These long irons are also tough to keep straight for most beginner players with slices and hooks being the most common shot tendency.
Replacing the 3 and 4 irons with hybrids can ease playability and make your swing more forgiving on off-center golf shots.
Irons are important for scoring well in golf. Golf course's design most greens to be quite small and with various ridges and slopes. This makes it tough for a golf ball to stay on the green if you hit a line drive with a wood or driver, for example.
Irons are able to hold the ball on greens by producing lots of backspin on the golf ball thanks to the grooves on the club face. If backspin is over done, your golf ball can also spin back off the front of the green since most greens slope from back to front but this is a more common problem for professional golfers who generate higher spin rates than the average player.
Most iron sets come standard with the 4-iron, 5-iron, 6-iron, 7-iron, 8-iron, 9-iron, and Pitching Wedge. Additionally, they may have a Gap Wedge or Approach Wedge as part of the 8 club iron set. Some iron sets substitute a 3-iron in replace of the G or A Wedge.
Most iron sets come with either steel or graphite shafts. For beginners, women, and senior golfers who tend to have slower swing speeds, a graphite set of irons is recommended to help you launch the ball better.
The clubhead on the iron is often cavity backed to allow more forgiveness for beginner golfers but more skilled golfers can opt for blades or other head designs. The clubhead is also much thinner and smaller as compared to woods and drivers which helps improve your accuracy.
The lofts increase as the number on the iron increases. For example, your 9 iron has more loft than your 4 iron which means the 9 iron will hit the ball higher than the 4-iron and also be easier to control shot shape than the 4-iron.
But for this improved control and accuracy, the 9-iron gives up distance which is why having a complete set can cover you over a wide range of distances you'll face on the golf course.
Wedges are designed for improving your scoring as you get close to the green. They are created with higher loft that produces more accuracy and higher spin to help you get more control over the golf balls distance.
Bounce is another factor to consider when picking out wedges in your club set. It's measured via the angle from the leading edge of the wedge's club face and the bottom of the sole. The higher this angle is, the more bounce the wedge has and easier it is for the wedge to bounce off of the ground (as opposed to digging into the ground).
To help your chip shot produce consistent results, bounce can help the wedge continue moving forward in your swing after contacting the ground so that no jabby or jerky movement occurs, causing the ball distance to be inconsistent.
The gap wedge "bridges the gap" between your pitching wedge and your sand/lob wedges. According to LeaderBoard Golf, the gap wedge has 50 degrees of loft to help with shots from 90-120 yards as well as bump and run style chip shots around greens.
Lob wedges can vary from 54-64 degree loft. Phil Mickelson is famous for carrying a 64 degree lob wedge to hit high arcing flop shots out of sand bunkers and around greens.
Assuming you have a driver, wood, 8 irons in your iron set, and a putter, this puts you at 11 clubs total leaving 3 more club slots which could be 3 different wedges (54, 58, and 62 degrees loft). Short game makes up a large percentage of your strokes so having a good combination of wedges can help you pull off a variety of shots around the green.
Last but not least is the putter which can arguably be your most important golf club in the bag since it actually puts the ball into the hole to end your score for the hole.
There are many different styles of putters so the first step is understanding your putting stroke and matching it with a putter that is designed for your putting stroke type.
For example, if you keep your putting stroke fairly straight back and straight through, you may benefit most from a face-balanced putter according to GolfTec.
However, golfers with arcing putting strokes that open and close during the stroke tend to benefit more from a toe weighted putter. This extra weight in the toe can help them square the face at impact to start the putt on line.
In addition to weight distribution options you also get to choose head design style.
Whatever your experience with golf, an indoor putting green can also be great for improving your short game.
Blade Putters have a smaller head design and thinner which make them ideal for players who are fairly accurate with putting. Think of the putter you'd use during miniature golf at a putt putt course.
Mallet Putters are a much larger head design, often in a square block shape but also come with fangs or rounded edges on the back of them. These are ideal for players who need alignment assistance due to the shape and forgiveness on mishits due to the heaviness of the putter head.
What to Look for in a Beginner Set of Golf Clubs?
Golf club sets are composed of 14 clubs which is the maximum legal amount allowed by the USGA. In a beginner golf club set you should look for a good mix of drivers, woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, and a putter.
Most importantly, you want the golf clubs to cover your distance gaps. For example, if you hit your driver 230 yards and you hit your 4 iron 180 yards, then this 50 yard distance gap needs to be covered by the proper mix of fairway woods and hybrids with different lofts.
Beginners should also look for drivers with more forgiveness and higher loft angles to help them hit the golf ball higher and farther as well as straighter from the forgiveness factor.
Here is a cool chart showing the average golf distances each club hits the ball for the average player.
How Much is a Beginner Set of Golf Clubs?
As a beginner, you don't need to spend lot of money on a new golf club set. Later as you improve you can upgrade to the newest clubs on the market which also come with a higher price tag.
Instead, you'll be able to find beginner golf club sets ranging from $150 to $400 new or shop the used golf club market and find even cheaper deals.
Paying a few hundred dollars for an entire set of clubs is a good deal considering just the driver alone can run as high as $550-$700 these days.
If you were to look into newer golf sets from top brands like Callaway, Cobra, Ping, TaylorMade, and Titleist, you would find that irons sets can range from $699 to $1,999.
The tour level iron sets often run the most expensive but are also designed for more skilled players so they'd be challenging for a beginner to play with. They'd fall in line closer to the $1,499 to $1,999 range of the price spectrum.


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The National Student > Music
Record Store Day 2018: the must have releases
Hannah Browne at Lincoln, University of
For music lovers more concerned with purchasing and listening to physical editions, the best day of shopping is upcoming with Record Store Day back for 2018.
Saturday 21st April will see hundreds of record labels unveil exclusive releases on vinyl, cassette and more, to ultimately support and celebrate independent record stores in the UK. This year, over 240 shops will participate, making it the biggest involvement yet.
With the announcement of this year's list being divisive as ever, with an exhaustive list of over 500, here are 10 of the best records to track down.
Prince - 1999 (one-disc edition)
RSD say: "Reissue of the seven-track LP version of Prince's critically acclaimed, breakthrough album 1999. Featuring the original alternative front cover and 'eye' picture labels. This version of 1999, featuring the original alternative front cover and 'eye' picture labels, has been unavailable on LP for 35 years since its initial pressing in 1983."
Why it's great: Since his heartbreaking death in April 2016, reissues of a significant part of Prince's 39 album back catalogue (Purple Rain, Sign O' The Times, Controversy etc) have become largely available. With 1999 being pressed in a way never seen, this classic album is another reason to rekindle a love for The Purple One.
Arcade Fire - Arcade Fire EP
RSD say: "First time on vinyl for this 12 inch transparent blue coloured & individually numbered EP, with augmented gold artwork. Originally released in 2003 as a CD demo only available at live dates."
Why it's great: With this self-released EP having such limited availability, this accessible addition shows the band before truly working out their sound – a countless addition to any fan.
David Bowie - Let's Dance (Full-Length Demo)
RSD say: "This black vinyl 45 rpm 12" single features the first appearance of the full-length demo of 'Let's Dance', previously released in an edited form through digital download and streaming services for David's birthday on 8th January this year. The full-length version clocks in at 7.34, compared the edit which is 5.19 in length."
Why it's great: Alongside two other rare and unreleased David Bowie albums set for RSD 2018, this vinyl debut for the classic single is too iconic to go amiss.
AC/DC - Back In Black (cassette album)
RSD say: 'Back in Black is the first AC/DC album with frontman Brian Johnson and the second best-selling album of all time! Now you can hear it the same way it was released in 1980: on cassette, suitable for your boom box or the tape deck in your car!'
Why it's great: As one of the most iconic albums of all time, containing the singles 'You Shook Me All Night Long' as well as the titled 'Back and Black', the cassette format adds a degree of nostalgia to any rock lover's collection.
The National - Boxer Live in Brussels
EP Review: Super Inuit - Misgivings
Album Review: BABii - HiiDE
RSD say: "To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their acclaimed album Boxer, The National chose to perform the record from beginning to end at a very special show in Brussels, Belgium on 9 November 2017. Pressed on clear vinyl with a rainbow foil jacket."
Why it's great: Performed in full, the seminal 2007 record Boxer adds to the reissue of the album for its 10th anniversary last year – this time with the live show captured at Forest National in Brussels, Belgium.
The Maccabees - Wall Of Arms
RSD say: "Limited edition, individually numbered 12-inch picture disc of The Maccabees' second album, Wall Of Arms (2009). It is presented in a clear plastic sleeve and includes a download code.
Why it's great: Following the announcement of their split in 2016, the picture disc version of their second LP continues the bands somewhat legacy, whilst containing the single 'Love You Better'.
The Waterfront - Normandy (On A Beach) / When The Wind Blows
RSD say: "The Waterfront were a short-lived Manchester supergroup from the early 80's. The band consisted of 3 original members of The Stone Roses. Andy Couzens (guitar), Gary Mounfield (bass), John Squire (guitar). Although the band never played a gig they did record 2 tracks in a small studio in 1983. Only a handful of cassette tapes ever existed among friends of the band."
Why it's great: As a precursor to The Stone Roses, the early demos see original member's sound before the influence of Ian Brown and Mani joining later. The two re-mastered songs from an original ¼ inch reel to reel tape is a unique chance to hear the band that were to become beyond phenomenal.
Run The Jewels - Stay Gold Collectors Box
RSD say: "LIMITED EDITION box set! Limited to 5000 units worldwide. Includes 12 EP on etched clear vinyl with custom Marvel Comics branded artwork. Custom metal box set includes space to store your copies of RTJ1 -3 plus space for the upcoming RTJ4. Also included is a custom RTJ turntable split mat with images on both sides, collectible poster and a sticker set".
Why it's great: As ambassadors for 2018's Record Store Day, Run the Jewels' own limited release is perfect for housing old and upcoming releases, whilst also having unique artwork.
Blue Planet 2 - Hans Zimmer/Jacob Shea/David Fleming
RSD say: "Limited Edition LP on transparent blue coloured vinyl. Powerful and mesmerising, this Hans Zimmer led soundtrack to the latest BBC natural history epic, narrated by David Attenborough makes its debut on vinyl for Record Store Day 2018."
Why it's great: With the incredible sequel to the 2001 Blue Planet series exceeding viewing figures of 10 million, Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is the ideal continuation of his credited accolades.
Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll
RSD say: "Yellow 7 inch single, with large hole and adaptor that can be removed, housed in a printed paperboard sleeve. Tracks: Side A: Rock And Roll (Sunset Sound Mix) / Side B: Friends (Olympic Studios Mix). Both tracks are previously unreleased".
Why it's great: Zeppelin celebrate their gold anniversary by issuing two previously unreleased tracks which weren't seen in the reissue series a few years ago.
EP Review: Amaal - Black Dove
Album Review: The Black Keys - Let's Rock
A Traveller's Tale - part 1
Review: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Police called on 'drunk' circus
A third of Russians think sun revolves round earth
'If SCAN is negative about people doing good things, they will never happen...'
Interview: Wil Johnson
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Studying Film does NOT just consist of watching movies all day
New Band of the Day - Balam Acab
Making Bubbles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Tasiujaq är en ort i Kanada.   Den ligger i regionen Nord-du-Québec och provinsen Québec, i den östra delen av landet,  km norr om huvudstaden Ottawa. Tasiujaq ligger  meter över havet och antalet invånare är .

Terrängen runt Tasiujaq är platt åt nordost, men åt sydväst är den kuperad. Havet är nära Tasiujaq åt nordost. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  km nordväst om Tasiujaq. Trakten runt Tasiujaq är nära nog obefolkad, med mindre än två invånare per kvadratkilometer..

Omgivningarna runt Tasiujaq är i huvudsak ett öppet busklandskap.  Inlandsklimat råder i trakten. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är juli, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är mars, med  °C.

Kommentarer

Källor

Externa länkar

Orter i Québec
Kontrollbehov inkommande wikilänkar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Sir Iain Colquhoun Opens General Assembly of Church of Scotland.
Gen. view of Scotch Band march towards & turn.
side view pan. of soldiers at attention.
long view & gen. views inspects guard.
CU. follow shot inspects soldiers.
Gen. view gets into carriage.
Long view pan. away & gen. view towards of carriage.
Sound Effects: Off-stage Band plays marching music, & part of "God Save the King" Gen. shouting of Commands by Officer.
Background: Sir Iain Colquhoun Opens General Assembly of Church of Scotland.


Chronology | Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want!
Charter granted to the Thunder Bay Silver Mines Railroad.
T.B & M.R.R bill thrown out of Parliament.
Charter granted to the TBCR on February 1st.; authorized to build From Prince Arthur's Landing to a point east of Arrow Lake on Pigeon River.
First sod turned for the TBCR on November 22nd.
The TBCR granted a Dominion subsidy of $92,000 from Murillo Stn on the CPR to the east end of Whitefish Lake.
TBCR granted an additional $179,000 subsidy for the extension of line from Whitefish Lake to Crooked Lake.
TBCR extended to Nameukan Lake, with a branch to Crooked Lake.
Renamed the Port Arthur, Duluth, & Western Railway (P.A.,D.&W.). by Provincial Statute on April 23rd.
First sod turned at the foot of John St. on September 24th.
Tracks laid to Silver Mountain (mile 40) by December 20th.
A fire in January destroys the company's engine house, damaging two engines and causing $10,000 worth of damage.
US engineers survey the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad route north to Gunflint Lake.
First 19 miles of PD to Stanley Junction becomes the cornerstone of C.No.R's O&R.R.R.


Published 04/22/2019 08:30:23 am at 04/22/2019 08:30:23 am in Rose Grow.
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Home > Food & Culture > Interest in vegan products is bigger than ever, according to Viva! Vegan Festival organiser
Interest in vegan products is bigger than ever, according to Viva! Vegan Festival organiser
Georgina Jiang
A fever of Going Vegan has been sweeping over Cardiff with a whole range of diversified stores, vegan food as well as informative and inspiring events on animal rights and protection.
Rising interest in vegan products has given thousands of people a golden chance to experience an original vegan life style in Cardiff last week.
Organised by Viva!, an animal protection charity, the event attracted 2,046 people with a wide range of stalls with vegan-related items and activities according to statistics from the ticket office.
"The vegan market in the past years has just exploded and our events are definitely getting bigger. This year we have over 85 stores here, which is much larger than the Bristol event in last year November," said Sophie Delarny, the event manager of this year's vegan festival tour.
As a famous charity organization fighting for animal rights, ending animal suffering and promoting vegan lifestyle, Viva! is aiming to expand its vegan festival scale and is putting it into practice.
Participants would get a cheerful and warm introduction of the vegan festival at the reception.
"As an animal campaign charity, our aim is to end the suffering of animals. So one of our strategies is to promote veganism in as many ways as possible and festival seems to be the most positive way to do that. We want the non-vegans to come to this event and see all the amazing food they can eat and show them every positive aspect of being a vegan," Ms Delarny added.
Viva! Life magazines presented on the table are packed full of information about latest campaigns, vegan recipes, vegan lifestyle articles, etc.
The Cardiff Vegan Festival got lots of positive information and support from the public. Roger Roberts is one of those who is contributing to the preparation of this festival. Mr Roberts is a cyclist who is in September 2017celebrating a third-of-a-century (34 years) of being vegan by cycling 969 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats for Viva!
Roger Roberts said: "Viva! is a good defender of animals. Obviously, they make people aware of the suffering of animals that goes on. Viva! just seems to be a good organisation to support."
Roger Roberts and his bicycle went through an arduous journey for his fundraising project.
Guy Harper, another big supporter of Viva!, started a voiceless challenge to speak up for any beings – people or animals – who cannot speak up for themselves. His challenge has been a wonderful demonstration of what individual who cares about animals and the planet can do to raise awareness of the reasons why people go vegan.
Everything vegan you can imagine could be found in Cardiff Viva! Vegan Festival: from cruelty-free cosmetics, all sorts of vegan food to NGOs, cuddly toys as well as books and magazines. The whole city hall was filled up with an inspiring atmosphere of "Go Vegan".
These soaps are all made with non-animal materials.
pleased with my @AcornVegetarian new #cookbooks from @vivacampaigns @CityHallCardiff #veganfestival #wales the #truffles were #awesome too pic.twitter.com/bCXxdsepU2
— shaheen (@SeasonalShaheen) February 4, 2017
"I've been vegan for 12 years. To me, veganism is for animal rights. It's about drawing attention fighting for this," said Alex CF, an artist, who sells aggressive T-shirts to raise fund for animal rights and animal welfare charities, "I feel like if I believe in this but I'm not doing this, then I'm laying myself down; I'm a hypocrite. That's why I become a vegan and I never look back."
"It's a four-hour work to make these T-shirts every day. But it's fun and I really enjoy it," said Alex.
For those who are vegetarian or who are just on their way of going vegan, this festival is a great feast to get every information, inspiration, support and guide that you would need to be a vegan.
Gillian Browning, a nutritionist and a vegetarian for nearly 20 years who lives in South Africa most of time, said: "I'm a vegetarian with a meat-eating family. I do this mainly for animal rights and that's really hard to stay this. I think you need to be able to decide for yourself and not listen to other people tell you what to do. I believe you can feel what's right for you."
New blog post #Cardiff #VivaVeganFestival @CityHallCardiff @vivacampaignshttps://t.co/uchhEwSsZD
#Wales #Cymru #vegetarian #vegan pic.twitter.com/cE4oUezY9S
A series of talks were held in one of guest rooms to give required information and professional guide to the participants. As Ms Delarny stated, this festival is aiming to inspire as many people as possible and change the way people think about veganism.
Tony Wardle, the associate director, was giving a lecture on Dairy, Beef and Bullshit.
There is no better place than this vegan festival for a newborn vegetarian. "I started to be a vegetarian after I came to the UK. It's kind of like I got educated by the cultural and social environment here. Being a vegetarian is extremely hard in China because we don't have such awareness, we don't really understand what veganism means to the animals, the environment and our own health," said Yiling Shi, a postgraduate at Bristol University, traveling to the Cardiff Viva! Vegan Festival in the early morning.
She added: "I'm determined to be a vegan one day but I need to take it slow. My dream is to set up my own farm in the future and I got this idea from a raw vegan Alice, a famous Youtuber. And I hope I can get something inspiring on this festival today as well."
The Cardiff Viva! Vegan Festival was the first stop of the year-long on-going tour of the Viva! Vegan Festival in UK. Want to be a vegan as well? Check their homepage for more festivals and events and get yourself started:
http://www.viva.org.uk/festivals
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"Shao Kaile?" Tang Ningshan thinks people can't do anything terrible behind someone's back. Now, he comes. Although he called her not because that she checked his computer, it's because of other, the time is also too coincident. Tang Ningshan is thinking speechlessly.
Shao Ruihan hears Tang Ningshan's voice, turning his head to look at her.
Tang Ningshan doesn't think much, just putting a finger to her mouth to make a hiss action, and then presses the phone to the speaker.
"It's me, girl. I heard that my cousin is in the hospital because he's injured, so I come to show my concern. I wonder if you remember our cooperation?" Shao Kaile's voice is joyful, and loud noises are coming from the phone as if they are celebrating in a bar or something.
"Well, didn't you say we'd work together to take down Shao Ruihan? Why? do you think you have a chance now?" Tang Ningshan faintly replies, also does not look at Shao Ruihan's expression.
" of course, when can you come out? I have something for you, or I can send it to you, as long as you give it to my cousin to eat, he will never have a chance to fight with me for the highest position of Shao's family. When he is not a householder, I will be able to let you leave naturally. How do you think? Do you agree? " Shao Kaile's words make the expressions of Tang Ningshan and Shao Ruihan change.
Tang Ningshan looks at Shao Ruihan, Shao Ruihan nods.
"Then have someone bring it to me and call me when you come. It's all right; I'll hang up now." Tang Ningshan says and hangs up the phone.
"See what he's sending. then we'll talk it later." Shao Ruihan's eyes are cold, letting Tang Ningshan feel chill. She wants to ignore Shao Ruihan and then checks Shao Kaile's computer.
The computer in Shao Kaile's study is very clean. But Tang Ningshan finds many hidden encryption folders, which are filled with various accounts and some pictures of the contract. Tang Ningshan does not know if it is useful, but she copies all of them into her computer and then makes a screenshot.
"Yu Huan, this is the screenshot of his computer in the study. There are no pictures and videos in it. Remember, don't charge less money!" Tang Ningshan finishes, sitting on the sofa and thinking for a long time. She still thinks that she should show these accounts to Shao Ruihan. She does not know if these are useful information, but some appear to be smuggled, as well as several subsidiaries account books of Shao's family.
"Well, I'll call you back in a few minutes. And I think the business will be more and more. Now, who can find a hacker as good as you, who can delete something for them as long as they have an address? That's a lot of people want." The words of Yu Huan are very excited, which is like envy and happy.
"Well, call me if you need anything, I'll go to do something else." Tang Ningshan says and closes the dialogue.
"Shao Ruihan, I've found something. I don't know if you're interested." Tang Ningshan thinks for a long time and decides to ask.
"Some of the account books and contracts on Shao Kaile's computer, and the smuggling records, are they useful to you?" Tang Ningshan takes the computer and hands it to Shao Ruihan.
" you hacked his computer?" Shao Ruihan takes one look at her doubtfully.
"Well, there's a client who's trying to delete something from his computer, and I found this, so I'm asking if it's useful for you." Tang Ningshan nods.
"A client? Delete something? What client? Have you been doing any work lately?" Shao Ruihan asks in surprise.
"Well, if you want to see, I'll show it to you. I met a person on the forum. He would introduce me to some work, usually to delete some photos, videos and so on from others' computer. This is the second time I did this, and I did not expect to meet an acquaintance." Tang Ningshan explains.
"Well, show me." Shao Ruihan nods.
Tang Ningshan takes the computer, typing a few codes, then there appear some copies of the pictures and videos in Shao Kaile's computer. She hands the computer to Shao Ruihan and says "You have a look, I got to go out to walk around.
Tang Ningshan very confidently gives the computer to Shao Ruihan, the procedure on her laptop is quite complicated. That opening everything on her computer requires a unique code, excepting web pages, so even if Shao Ruihan wants to check Tang Ningshan's computer, Shao Ruihan needs to have the ability.
After leaving the room, Tang Ningshan sits down in a chair by the fountain downstairs and watches the spray pouring out from the spout, then lands in the pool below. And Tang Ningshan is a little confused.
"System, can you come out and explain to me? What's going on in the world right now? Is it parallel space? or I'm living in virtual space right now?" Tang Ningshan wants to know and begins to ask questions.
"Master, if you insist, then I can only tell you that you were born from this world. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come back to life in this world, I'm sure, but I don't know what's going on right now, and there's a possibility that the place you lived before doesn't exist." The system speaks solemnly.
" well, you mean I'm a fiction? and for some special reasons, I came to the real world? " Tang Ningshan does not know how she is feeling after listening to the system. The matters of these days have made her unable to understand, but she is unwilling to think deeply. She only wants to look for the system to give her an accurate answer.
"It's not that, Master. If you're fiction, then there's no such thing as resurrection. and the reason why I chose this body for you is that the body fits your fitness perfectly, and there's no possibility of exclusion at all, just like your own body, which I thought at the beginning that this is your body..." The system explains.
"So what the hell is going on? Don't you think it's weird?" Tang Ningshan asks.
"Master, I still need to look into it. I have a lot of information missing. If you give me the last few energy stones and let me blend in, maybe I can figure it out, or you can do more tasks." The system says calmly.
"I'm going to think about it. You'll have to check it out first." Tang Ningshan always feels that if she goes on asking, there would be something she couldn't control, so she temporarily chooses to escape.
Tang Ningshan doesn't know what mood Shao Ruihan is in when looking at the contents on Shao Kaile's computer since she left the house. In addition to the video of Shao Mushuang, Shao Ruihan also finds another woman in his videos, who had been Qu Bo's girlfriend. But for some reason, she had been broken up with Qu Bo. He had been looking for the woman for a long time, but finally failed. And now Shao Ruihan is showed something like this. And after watching those videos and photos, Shao Ruihan gets sick. He finds a folder named 'baby' the moment he is about to close these things.
Shao Ruihan clicks to open the document, which is full of photos. They are all kinds of pictures of Tang Ningshan. And they are all took secretly, several of which were taken while Tang Ningshan is sleeping, which makes Shao Ruihan want to tear Shao Kaile directly into pieces. And his body is full of murder and his eyes are dim.
Shao Ruihan read those ledgers and smuggling bills one by one, and they are all hundreds of millions of smuggling. Seeling such huge numbers, Shao Ruihan can guess what Shao Kaile is doing without thinking.
Shao Ruihan takes out the phone, directly calling Lee to ask him to bring some people over, and says to him that there is something to give him to do.
After hanging up the phone, he calls Qu Bo, although he doesn't know that if Qu Bo still cares about this woman, after all, now he has news of the woman, he decides to tell him. That what Qu Bo will do isn't something he could interfere.
Shao Ruihan puts the phone to one side, thinking of how should he return Shao Kaile. The matter of last time has not yet been resolved, this time it happens again. Shao Ruihan even wonders if his men take action too slowly, but in any case, he doesn't plan to let Shao Kaile continue his comfortable life. After all, Tang Ningshan is not someone he can touch.
After a while, Lee knocks at the door.
Lee lets two people guard at the door before entering the room. He does not know what Shao Ruihan wants to say to him, but just listening to Shao Ruihan's tone, he knows that something must have happened that makes him angry.
"How's going on, Boss?" The first thing Lee does when he comes into the room is to ask Shao Ruihan's health situation. After all, that's what he's most concerned about right now.
"Well, I'm fine. How's Shao Kaile doing these days?" Shao Ruihan moves his body, sitting up and leaning on the head of the bed. Lee puts a pillow in front of Shao Ruihan's back and lets him lean over.
"Well, Shao Kaile has been going through a lot lately. He has met a lot of people in business circles, and he is also in contact with some high-ranking officers and has bribed many people. The most important thing is that we find him smuggling, every time he is cautious, and many people are escorting him." When answering Shao Ruihan's question, Lee stands up straightly, as if he is used to it. Whenever Shao Ruihan is serious, he can not help but let himself in the best condition.
" look at these. " Shao Ruihan turns the computer to Lee. There are account books and videos on the computer. Lee looks through all of them; his face shows an incredible expression.
"How can there be a picture of Mrs. Shao..." Lee asks in a low voice.
"I also want to know why there are Shan's pictures, how did they get taken? Does my villa have the inner of Shao Kaile? I don't know if I'm not strict with my men or Shao Kaile is too smart." Shao Ruihan's sarcasm makes Lee's face stiff.
"Boss, I made a mistake this time. I'll take the punishment." Lee does not make any more excuse, after all, even Tang Ningshan's photographs are taken secretly in Shao Ruihan's own house, then it is his problem.
"Anyway, do you get any information of those men we caught? Especially that doctor, I want to know who wants my life!" Shao Ruihan raises his lips, his whole body exudes bloodcurdling breath, and the face is even colder chill.


This is getting beyond ridiculous at this point. Another exploit related to WHMCS billing software has been discovered.
It would appear that poor coding practices are the root cause of this.
To our clients: Security is our utmost priority. To ensure data safety, we have taken our billing system again offline. We hoped that by partnering with the industry standard WHMCS software, we would have a secure and future proof solution. This turns out to be not the case.
At this point we are taking a closer look at alternatives.
Update 1: WHMCS release official statement System back online.


text:
Unmolhästen är en ovanlig hästras från Pakistan som är på väg att dö ut, eller som redan har dött ut. Trots att beridna kavalleriet i landet har arbetat hårt för att bevara rasen tror man att alla renrasiga unmolhästar har dött ut och de få exemplar som finns kvar har blivit utavlade med hjälp av arabiska fullblod. Unmol betyder "ovärderlig" och hänsyftar troligtvis till den betydelse hästen en gång hade för Pakistans invånare.

Historia

Unmolhästen utvecklades i Pakistan och enligt legenden var rasens förfäder hästar som fördes från Europa till Asien av Alexander den store när han invaderade Indien runt år 332 f.Kr. Det finns dock inga bevis för detta. Troligen har Unmolhästen utvecklats med hjälp av ökenhästar bland annat persiska araber och turkmenska hästar.

Det finns fyra olika grenar av rasen som kallas Hazziz, Harna, Morna och Sheehan. Alla dessa kallas dock för Unmol, som betyder "ovärderlig" och man tror att Unmolhästen haft stor betydelse bland hästägarna och uppfödarna. Även det beridna kavalleriet i Pakistan har satt in åtgärder för att rädda rasen för några år sedan, dock utan lyckat resultat då man inte hittade några bevisat renrasiga Unmolhästar.

Idag är hästarna näst intill eller helt utrotade. Det finns uppfödare i Punjab som menar att de fortfarande har Unmolhästar, men genetiska tester har visat att nästan alla dessa hästar någon gång har korsats med importerade arabiska fullblod, troligtvis för att förbättra hästarna. Idag finns väldigt få eller inga renrasiga Unmolhästar kvar. Nu arbetar uppfödarna med att samla ihop hästar för att få fram avelshästar som genetiskt sett har väldigt liten influens av andra hästar, för att på så vis återuppbygga en stam med Unmolhästar.

Egenskaper

Unmolhästen har beskrivits som en väldigt stark och sund häst med eleganta, ädla drag som påvisar det arabiska inflytandet. Man och svans är oftast långa och kroppen är kompakt. Rasen kan vara de flesta färger men är oftast gråskimmel eller brun. Hästen användes främst som lätt ridhäst och även som packdjur och bör ha varit väldigt viktiga för Pakistans invånare under många århundraden.

Källor
International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds av Bonnie Hendricks
Bonniers stora hästlexikon av Elwyn Hartley Edwards
Equinest.com

Varmblodshästar
Hästraser från Asien


Letterpress printer and founder of Power and Light Press, Kyle Durrie, has combined her love for printing and road trips in a cross-country letterpress printing show called Moveable Type.
Durrie converted a 1982 Chevy van into a fully-functional letterpress print shop, with "cabinets, a workspace, a sign press from the mid 20th century, and an 1873 Golding Official No. 3 tabletop platen press" and has been traveling across the United States since June, stopping at farmer's markets, art shows, design schools and other events to share the art and craft of letterpress printing.
"I'll spend the next nine or so months driving all over North America, teaching workshops, doing demos, and generally spreading the good word about printing the old fashioned way," she says on the Moveable Type site.
Durrie earned funds for the letterpress roadshow on Kickstarter, where her proposal to launch the mobile letterpress printing tour earned her $17,000– more than double what she had intended to raise. If you want to learn how to make your own letterpress poster, card or design, check out the rest of Durrie's story and the remaining Moveable Type tour dates at this link.
(Above, from top): The Moveable Type Truck, progression of the refurbished truck interior, Kyle Durrie inside the mobile printing truck. Photos by Derek Fagerstrom.


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How are you recording and collecting qualitative and/or quantitative evidence during your formal and informal classroom observations/walkthroughs? How are you sharing this feedback with your teachers and encouraging reflection to foster professional growth? Recently there has been an increased focus on formative evaluations to improve educator effectiveness.
When is the Right Time to Implement an Online Teacher Evaluation Tool?
With many initiatives already in place at schools and districts for the 2016-17 school year, when is the right time to implement an online teacher evaluation tool? Are there best practice options that I could explore to move away from Word/Google Docs and transition to a more streamlined online evaluation system through a phased approach? Are there benefits to gain in doing so?
Is your online teacher evaluation software easy to use? How much training will we need to train our educators and staff? These are two questions that most decision-makers ask us as they are migrating from a paper-based or Google Docs solution to an online evaluation solution. While every sales rep from every vendor will say their software is easy to use, how will you be assured that the solution you pick is indeed intuitive and will require minimal training for your staff?
As you evaluate online platforms for your school or district, here are insights from users on what they were looking to have available via dashboard(s) or reports as they moved from a paper-based/Google docs system to an online evaluation system.
Guest post by Dawn-Marie Ayles. A few years ago, our district began working with TeachPoint as a way to implement our new educator evaluation system through the use of technology. Overwhelmed at first with these two new initiatives, panic set in! The chorus began, "One more new thing to learn?" "What do I have to upload?" "What qualifies as an artifact?" As with anything new, there were those who were confident and those who were confused. How was this obstacle going to be overcome?


Schaub has determined that in order to better compete against existing competitors it must exercise a greater degree of control over the distribution of its products. Therefore, all sales of Schaub products will be subject to this Policy. This Policy has been unilaterally adopted and will be enforced strictly and uniformly.
Schaub will not discuss any conditions of acceptance related to this Policy, as it is non-negotiable and will not be altered for any dealer. In addition, Schaub neither solicits, nor will it accept, any assurance of compliance with this Policy. Nothing in this Policy shall constitute an agreement between Schaub and any reseller that the reseller will comply with this Policy.
A: To more clearly define our MAP Policy.
A: Violations should be reported in writing to Schaub's Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
A: There may be legal reasons why we cannot enforce our MAP Policy with those sellers. For example, they may not be a Schaub customer.


Irritable Bowel syndrome is a disorder involving the normal motility and functioning of the bowel. It is not uncommon as 1 in 5 Americans can have some form of the syndrome. It is a problem in which the nerves and muscles of the bowel are adversely affected. This disorder can manifest itself in cramping, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain.
The bowel has many nerves which connect to the brain. Its function is partly controlled by the autonomic nervous system and reflects our perception and adaptation to our environment. Thus stress, a toxic body burden, and sensitivities can affect and cause this syndrome. The bowel is a reflection of our sense of well being and our sensitivities.
Irritable bowel syndrome is frequently treated with anti depressants, anti spasmodics, anti diarrheals and dietary changes. These standard dietary changes involve increased fiber with elimination of dairy and gluten.
If medications and dietary modification do not eliminate the syndrome or if the individual cannot tolerate the recommended treatments, what other options are available?
The Environmental Health Center-Dallas has been successfully treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome for over 40 years.
Can perform laboratory analysis of neurotransmitters which affect stress and bowel motility.
The Environmental Health Center-Dallas will determine the cause of Irritable Bowel and treat the cause to eliminate the symptoms.
The Environmental Health Center-Dallas can effectively treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome while avoiding the use of many strong medications.


Both St. George's & St. James' churches have a worship roster which covers the various aspects of assisting the Priest in the running of the Sunday services. These include Liturgical Assistants, Eucharistic Assistants, Servers, Sides-persons, Readers, Intercessors, Data Preparers & Presenters, Morning Tea Teams, Offertory Presenters and Bankers.
The roster comes out every three months. Prior to each period, parishioners are given the opportunity to join, have a break or advise the roster preparers regarding days of unavailability. If a person who has been rostered on subsequently finds that they are unavailable for a particular duty, it is up to that person to arrange a swap with another person who has rostered on for that particular duty in respect of another week. Parishioners, who are rostered, find the tasks very rewarding & new volunteers are always welcome. Please contact the parish office if you would like to assist.


text:
Raya Brewery share sale brings significant profit to United Insurance
Source : Addis Fortune
By Frehiwot Yohannes
December 3,2018
The share transfer of Raya Brewery has increased the earnings of The United Insurance Company (UNIC), by 95 percent. The significant profit growth is pushed by the capital gain from the share transfer of Raya Brewery which is fully controlled by BGI International. BGI owned 42 percent of the total shares at that time. They offered seven times the amount per share to buy the balance of 58 percent of the shares of the brewery located in Maichew, Tigrai.
According to Capital newspaper, in the 2017/18 financial year the insurer registered gross written premiums of 474 million, an increase from 417 million in 2016/18, while the gross earned premiums stood at 449.5 million which is a 65 million birr increase compared to the preceding year's performance. From the total 474 written premiums, the life section has the highest portion at 36 million Birr.
The premium earning has increased by 13 and 20 percent in the general and life sector respectively. The report from the board of directors indicated that the premium increase at UNIC is slightly different compared with the average 11 percent growth in the industry.
The loss ratio also declined, which is unique compared to the trend in the country. For the year the loss ratio stood at 67.9 percent which was 70.5 percent a year ago.
At the same time, the net income has reached 237 million birrs from 150 million in the 2016/17 fiscal year. The report indicated that the profit before tax for the 2017/18 fiscal year reached 132 million birr which is an unusual increase compared with the sector trend.


text:
Author's commentary [SPOILERS] · Printable version
Chapter 1: The Pokémon on the Road
Exactly 999 years later, it was a beautiful morning in the town of Sailance in North-West Ouen.
The trees' branches swayed gently in the soft breeze, providing a constant, quiet rustle. The sun was rising, coloring the sky in a glorious, vibrant red. The air was comfortably warm and fresh. The only thing the scenery lacked was birdsong. That was also the only part of it that Mark Greenlet even remotely cared about.
He was short, thin, dark-haired, and currently on the way to school. A year ago, he would've been with his best friend Alex, chatting and feeling good. Now, Alex was probably somewhere with his Totodile having fun, while Mark was home in Sailance, walking alone, quiet and feeling miserable.
Mark's parents were over-protective. There was no question about that. Almost all the other kids had been taken to Green town last year to receive a Pokémon from Ash Ketchum. Out of the ones left, Mark was the only one who had been looking forward to it for his whole life, only to have his parents tell him that it was too dangerous. What did they know, anyway – they had lived in North-West Ouen for their whole lives and never been trainers.
The problem was that North-West Ouen had no Pokémon in it, for some reason that Pokémon experts had always debated about. The people who lived there were all lawyers or other rich people who wanted a life in peace without Pokémon and little kids asking them for a battle all day. And if there was anything that people who had lived there for more than thirty years did not understand, it was the concept of Pokémon training. Mark's parents kept pointing out to him the possibility of getting a 'real' job. A programmer? How about a professional artist, since you draw so well? They would ask questions like that every time he mentioned that he wanted a Pokémon of his own, and were absolutely incapable of understanding how he felt when all his classmates and friends left.
Mark walked grudgingly into the school building. He hated it, especially the prison-like outwards appearance and that dull, lifeless, rock-gray color of it. Mark loved living things; he had since he was little, and hated gray because it was so lifeless. The corridors were even duller, even grayer and even more lifeless, which only added to the depressing feeling of the whole building. To top it all, all the students were snappy and irritated, usually because they wanted to train Pokémon, and the teachers were all snappy and irritated too, simply because of the gloomy atmosphere that never left the building.
Mark's first lesson on Thursdays was Battling Strategies, a branch of Pokémonology. He sighed as he sat down in front of the classroom. What a waste of time; he would never get the opportunity to use any battling strategies. Besides, whether it was because of his rather negative opinion on the classes or because he would rather spend them drawing on the back of his school papers, he was completely lousy at Pokémonology. For tests, he desperately sank himself into the textbook and sure enough, he managed to learn the bits of the text he found the most interesting pretty well. The problem was that they always asked about the most boring and uninteresting things, such as the level at which one Pokémon approximately evolved into another. This just made him despise Pokémonology even more.
He preferred Pokémon Communication classes by far – 'Pokémonish', as they were usually referred to in everyday speech. He was much better at languages than learning stupid things by heart, aside from finding Pokémon's language very interesting in general. Those few things in Pokémonology that had sunk in over the years mostly had something to do with this remarkable language of syllables, bodily expressions and voice tones anyway.
One of the very best things in Pokémonish, also, was that in exams, live Pokémon were brought to classes and the kids got one Pokémon each to stage a normal casual chat with. At the end of the class, the Pokémon each gave the teacher a report on how well the students handled the conversation. Mark was very good at it, which he was deep inside rather proud of although he didn't like to brag. He remembered the test last year where he had discussed Pokémon rights with a Vulpix. He smiled faintly at the thought; it was probably one of the best memories of his life. The two of them had had so much in common, and they had ended up in an exciting discussion about Pokémon rights that went way past the time the exam was supposed to take. The teacher had been forced to recall the Vulpix into his Pokéball in order to get Mark to leave the classroom. Since then, Mark had been daydreaming about one day sneaking out to Green town on his own account and getting a Vulpix; this one incident had bumped the red fox Pokémon to the 'awesome' section of his favorite Pokémon list.
But the class he enjoyed the most was Art. His Pokémon pictures received very positive comments by Miss Taintor, who was a professional artist along with her teaching. She was the type of person that was always honest and all but afraid of telling somebody basically that their pictures sucked, but she mysteriously managed not to sound mean, however bad she thought the picture was. Mark was weird when it came to criticism; he subconsciously hated being criticized at all by other people, even if he completely agreed. That could be a good thing; in fact, it had been what caused him to suddenly decide to draw all day during the summer when he turned nine. When Miss Taintor saw his art in fourth grade, she had said, as he still remembered word for word: "Big improvement, young man – if there were more students like you in this stupid school, I'd be out of a job." Probably another one of his very best memories – being congratulated by a harsh critic felt a lot better than the constant compliments from his parents and relatives who always pretended that everything he did was the greatest thing since sliced bread, and hearing a teacher call the school stupid made him feel like they were on the same team. After that, he had started to appreciate constructive criticism – he still didn't technically like it, but it definitely helped.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of the bell ringing. Mark hated that sound; it hurt his ears. To his opinion, it should just be about as loud as the beep of his digital watch – at least everybody in the classroom could hear it quite clearly if he had forgotten to disable the alarm, and not even his own sensitive ears considered the noise too loud.
At least, he heavily stood up, and got in line with the few other kids in sixth grade who weren't out training Pokémon. Mrs. Grodski, who taught Pokémonology, was a very grumpy old lady who wore the biggest glasses Mark had ever seen, spoke through her overly large nose and had developed a strong hatred for Mark for some reason he had never understood.
"Good morning, class," she said sternly as everybody had taken their places standing behind their chairs.
"Good morning, Mrs. Grodski," the class mumbled, apart from Mark, who said his usual "Good morning, Mrs. Grumpy." He knew it was safe; it drowned completely in the rest of the class's murmurs.
"Today," Mrs. Grodski announced with a frown at how tired all the kids sounded, "we will be studying up on recoil attacks. Sit down and turn to page forty-two, please."
Mark sighed and opened his book as Mrs. Grodski watched him carefully, but as soon as she began talking, he silently took out his binder and started to draw a Lugia on the back of an English assignment. It was his favorite Pokémon of all; he drew it all the time. Articuno, his second favorite, was a bit trickier to draw, but that didn't make him like it any less. He loved all the Legendary Pokémon. In fact, he was utterly obsessed with them. He had been fascinated by those ultimate beings of the world since he was little.
"And just what do you think you're doing, Mr. Greenlet?" Mrs. Grodski's voice snapped. He looked slowly up from his Lugia, partially covering it with his hand. Mark had a hard time hiding his laughter behind an innocent expression.
"I believe I'm drawing, Mrs. Grodski, unless I'm very much mistaken," he said in a sarcastically polite voice. There were some snickers from behind.
"Quiet!" the teacher screeched. "And stop scribbling on your papers, least of all in my class!"
Mark grimaced at her as she returned to her desk, and made the textbook stand open on the table, shielding the binder and making him look like he was actually reading.
Finally, the day was over. The sky was now slowly getting covered with depressing clouds. Mark went to play soccer with the fifth graders as usual, not really concentrating.
It was early May. May was something that Mark subconsciously connected to the bad knot in his stomach that formed every year as he watched all the lucky ten-year-olds drive away for Green town at the end of the month to get a Pokémon. The kids he was with now would probably all leave on an adventurous Pokémon journey soon while he would be left at home, standing at some street corner and drawing the city with imaginary Rattata poking out of the dustbins, Taillow singing in the trees and maybe a lone Meowth staring hungrily at them from below.
The ball came flying towards him and he kicked it away very hard, not bothering to aim anywhere. Stupid Pokémon! Why couldn't they just get their butts over to North-West Ouen!
Mark felt all the unfairness of the situation load up behind his eyes and attempting to get out in liquid form.
Oh, no, you don't, you're staying in there, he ordered, screwing his eyes shut for a second and opening them again. He felt a strong urge to be alone.
He ended up leaving the game and going home to sulk.
The weather was now gray and gloomy, fitting Mark's mood perfectly; the clouds were thickening up and it would likely start raining soon. He quickened his pace as he turned down his home street. When he was just about to cross it, he heard something. Something that came from the bushes his back was currently turned to.
He jumped, twisting around immediately. Dead quiet, he waited for a few seconds. Then it happened again – a branch moved and a twig cracked.
Very slowly and carefully, his heart beating like a drum in his chest, he stepped up to the bush and pulled the branches apart. To his great disappointment, there was nothing there at all. He sighed. He had been hoping he had found the first Pokémon of North-West Ouen… maybe a Vulpix. He grinned at the thought, but then shook his head.
"Come on," he said bitterly to himself, "stop dreaming… you're never going to become a Pokémon trainer."
He ran across the street. It was starting to rain.
After a very normal, quiet dinner with his parents while watching Bravo Trainer, he sat down in the sofa in the living room, and stared outside through the blurry, wet glass in the window facing the street.
He stopped dead.
There was definitely something moving out there. Something… reddish?
The word 'Vulpix' instantly crossed his mind, although he knew it was ridiculous to assume that the starter Pokémon of his dreams had suddenly appeared in front of his house. Mark leapt to the front door, into his boots and pulled the door open.
There was indeed a Pokémon there, but it wasn't a Vulpix. It was an orange, cute-looking bipedal lizard; one of those he had used to point at in picture books when he was little, announcing that it was a Fire-type in order to make his parents nod appreciatively and tell him he was really smart remembering it all.
But this was a real, living Charmander, not a picture in a book, and this fact made the Pokémon seem scary and foreign. It was lying limply on the middle of the road, and the flame that was supposed to be on the tip of its tail was merely a small, bright glow. That was still enough to indicate that it was alive.
At first, Mark just stood there like a cow, staring, but then he was knocked to his senses by the sound of a car. He ran out onto the road, picked up the Pokémon and hurried inside with it, already soaked wet by the downpour.
Mark slammed the door shut and started fanning the Charmander's tail flame stupidly with his hand in order to revive it, with little success.
"Mom! I – I found a Charmander on the road!" he panted.
"Really?" sounded his mother's voice absent-mindedly from upstairs. "Very nice, but why don't you just go into your room, dear?"
"Parents," Mark hissed at nobody but himself and the unconscious Pokémon in his arms. Then he yelled: "Aren't you listening? I FOUND A FREAKING CHARMANDER!"
He heard his mother, clearly thinking this was some kind of a game, sigh and stand up before coming down the stairs with red, tired eyes and a cup of coffee in her hands.
Crash! She dropped the cup and it fell to the floor, shattering to a thousand pieces and spilling coffee all over.
"Wha - what is that thing?" she then squeaked, sounding like this was the first time she saw a Pokémon close-up, which is probably was.
"It's a Charmander!" Mark snapped. "A Pokémon! And it's dying!"
"Oh God!" she uttered out, speechless. "John!"
"Not now," Mark's father mumbled from upstairs, sounding half-asleep. She dug her fingers deep into her curly mess of blond hair, repeating "Oh, what can we do? What can we do?" in a panicky voice.
Mark rolled his eyes, sighed and started waving his hand again in attempts to get the Charmander's flame burning properly again. Slowly as the tail tip dried, the flame was restored. Mark breathed in relief; half because the Charmander was saved, half because his hand was getting stiff from all the fanning.
"Is… is it okay?" his mother asked carefully as Mark shook his entire arm to loosen the hand muscles.
"Yeah," he said and smiled. "But I think it needs rest. Er… I guess you should go and get some old cloth so I can put it in my bed, otherwise it'll burn the house down."
His mother went back upstairs and got some old clothes of Mark he didn't fit into anymore. He took them to his bedroom and placed them in the corner of his bed, laying the Charmander gently on top of them. The tail flame burned peacefully. Mark wondered who originally had the idea of making clothes flame-proof; it had always seemed very pointless to him, but now it sure came in handy.
He picked up the book about the Johto Legendary Pokémon on his desk and started to read, keeping an eye on the lizard. He was starting to calm down and think reasonably. Of course, this Charmander wasn't wild. It obviously was trained. Charmander were very rare Pokémon from Kanto, how would one suddenly be in Ouen, let alone the North-West part? Its trainer was probably looking for it. Maybe he'd get a reward for finding it? Or maybe, just maybe… it had been released on purpose?
Mark grinned, looking forward to next morning.